On a mountain ridge near the village.
Beside an enormous boulder at the summit, the towering figure of Aotabō arrived, his thick neck adorned with prayer beads.
"Am I the first to arrive?"
Seeing no one around, Aotabō couldn't help but wonder.
The possibility of Sun Seto encountering trouble never crossed his mind.
Despite her petite appearance, Sun Seto's strength surpassed even Aotabō's.
Not surprising, given she was the daughter of a Great Yokai.
Moreover, her father was a Fish Demon who had successfully crossed the Dragon Gate and transformed into a true dragon—a natural aristocrat among yokai whose influence far outstripped a rootless being like Aotabō.
Aotabō would sooner suspect himself of being ambushed by villagers than believe Sun Seto could be captured in this backwater.
Yet here he was, the weaker party, arriving first.
"Or perhaps not exactly first..."
With mild suspicion, Aotabō approached the massive rock.
His gaze sharpened as he noticed the exposed, darker soil beneath the boulder.
"The rock's been moved."
This realisation struck him like lightning.
After eyeing the boulder that nearly matched his height, Aotabō rolled up his sleeves and cautiously approached, wrapping his arms around the stone.
"Up you go!!"
With a mighty roar, the boulder tore free from the earth.
Hugging the colossal rock, Aotabō twisted his body like a basketball player spinning a ball, flipping the boulder completely over.
On the newly exposed surface, carved characters became visible:
[Met up with Director Luo. Heading to Bamboo Mirror Lake next. Don't worry.]
[P.S. Mr Luo Shu mentioned Miss Oikawa is at Kikyo Shrine in Musashi Province. (smiley face)]
Reading the message, Aotabō murmured:
"Director Luo? From the SDS?"
"Also, is Lady Yukari at Kikyo Shrine in Musashi Province?"
At that moment, Aotabō's expression suddenly shifted. With a thunderous crash, he set down the massive stone and wiped its surface with his rough hand.
Pale grey stone dust scattered as Aotabō's swipe erased the characters carved into the rock.
Simultaneously, Aotabō turned towards the forest behind him and bellowed:
"Who goes there?!!"
The tremendous roar transformed into sound waves that blasted through the woodland, toppling trees left and right.
As the trunks crashed down one after another, a slender young figure was revealed amidst the devastation.
"No need for such hostility."
The newcomer wore a faint smile as he addressed Aotabō:
"You may call me Naraku."
"Hmm? A half-yokai?"
Aotabō faintly detected Naraku's Demon Power and couldn't hide his surprise:
"Such turbid Demon Power... It's like an amalgamation of worthless yokai."
Hearing Aotabō's brutally frank words, a flicker of displeasure crossed Naraku's handsome features.
But upon noticing the dense, eerie black Demon Power emanating from Aotabō, Naraku quickly masked his irritation.
"I believe we need not be enemies." Naraku maintained his smile, raising both hands to show he meant no harm.
"What do you want?" Aotabō frowned at Naraku.
The stranger's aura gave him the distinct impression of deceit.
It reminded him of those yokai he'd slain alongside the Nura Clan's second leader, Rihan Nura.
Instinctively, Aotabō disliked yokai like Naraku.
Despite sensing Aotabō's hostility, Naraku patiently continued:
"Judging by your appearance and Demon Power, you must be Aotabō?"
"The yokai born from a renegade monk who protected human children."
Aotabō didn't deny it, merely staring intently at Naraku.
Naraku then smiled and said:
"I presume you've visited the village ahead?"
"What are you implying?" Aotabō's expression darkened.
At this, Naraku chuckled:
"That village is called the Celestial Maiden Village. Though some know it as Mirror Lake Village, named for its proximity to Bamboo Mirror Lake."
Naraku then dropped a bombshell:
"Once, a celestial maiden visited that village."
"The tale goes that while bathing in the lake, her robe was stolen by villagers, leaving her stranded on earth. Surely you've heard this story?"
"The Seven Fairies? Or Kaguya-hime?" Aotabō's brow furrowed as he spoke gravely.
Naraku's story recounts the well-known legend of celestial maidens descending to earth and falling in love with mortals— a tale originating from the celestial empire west of Japan before evolving into local variants, such as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
"Whether she's Kaguya-hime, I cannot say, but she was indeed a celestial maiden."
Seeing he'd captured Aotabō's attention, Naraku smiled knowingly:
"Robbed of her feathered robe, the celestial maiden couldn't return to heaven and wandered the mortal realm."
"But the villager who stole her robe didn't wed her. Instead, coveting her power, he donned the robe himself and attempted to seize the maiden's body."
"The two engaged in a deadly struggle, with the celestial maiden ultimately prevailing and slaying the villagers. Though the villagers perished, they left behind a contingency - passing the feathered robe to their descendants."
"Both sides suffered heavy losses. The celestial maiden, deprived of her feathered robe, could never return to the heavens and was sealed within the lake. The villager who stole the robe also met his demise, with only the robe being passed down through generations of his lineage."
"What are you implying?" Aotabō's expression shifted as he realised the half-yokai's target was either the celestial maiden herself or her legendary feathered robe.
Seeing Aotabō's interest piqued, Naraku couldn't help but smile:
"I have a rather bold idea."
...
In the forest by the shore of Bamboo Mirror Lake.
Luo Shu stood on a small slope, his gaze analytical as he observed the lake in the distance.
"Were the villagers escorted away?" Luo Shu asked without turning his head.
"They've been sent back. Kuesu-nee even erased her memories as you requested. Oh, and the marker I left on the mountain's been disturbed - Aotabō-san must have arrived."
Sun Seto spoke with her characteristic guileless tone, completely ignoring Kuesu Jingūji's indignant retort of "Who's your 'nee-san'?" as she prepared her technique nearby.
Luo Shu merely nodded before narrowing his eyes, viewing Bamboo Mirror Lake through the perspective of the Calamity Bringer.
Observing the persistent, cloud-like black aura of misfortune hovering over the lake's surface, he murmured:
"We've really caught ourselves a big one this time."
His expression turning serious, Luo Shu addressed Kuesu Jingūji:
"Are you certain the technique to break the seal will work?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
Intricate black sigils crawled across Kuesu Jingūji's pale fingers like living tattoos:
"A mere celestial maiden's seal isn't worth half my effort!"
"Give me three minutes and I'll strip her feathered robe bare for you to see!"
Luo Shu couldn't help but chuckle at her declaration:
"Then I'll be watching with great interest."