Shota is surrounded by monsters!

A one-eyed monster.

A tall monster wearing a white mask, a baboon.

"They all look very strong."

Following behind them, Shota also entered the Nura Clan's mansion.

"Ah, ah, run! The ferocious young master is coming!"

The little monk Natto, who was sweeping the floor, wasn't overly afraid of the large monsters. Instead, when he saw Shota walk in, he screamed in fear and dropped his broom. He then hid with a group of smaller monsters.

"Don't run away, Natto, I'm not really going to eat you!"

Without saying a word, Shota pulled out the Natto Monk. He saw that the Monk had tucked away his limbs, leaving only the straw head in Shota's hand.

"Don't eat me~ Don't eat me~ I'm smelly, I don't taste good..."

As Natto-kun cried for help, all the monsters who had been hiding with him decisively chose to betray their comrade, scattering like birds and beasts...

"OK OK."

Shota, holding the natto-boy's hand, led him to a spot that was inconspicuous but offered a view of the main entrance, and said, "I was just joking yesterday, I wasn't really going to eat you."

Last night, when Shota was being "educated" by his Nurarihyon master, he was surrounded by a group of little monsters. After being mocked by them, Shota, dissatisfied, transformed into his true form and shouted that he would eat them one by one, especially Natto-kun, who was actually stuffed into Shota's mouth.

Of course, Shota thought it tasted bad and spat it out.

"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Natto-kun stood up again, trembling as he patted his chest, and said, "That's true. We're all Nura Clan yokai, we wouldn't do such a thing, ha, ha, ha..."

"Yes, yes, we're all good friends."

Shota patted Natto-kun on the head and said, "Tell me about the yokai that might come to the Nura Clan today."

"Eh? I, as a member of the main family, certainly know more about this kind of thing than anyone else."

"Oh, okay, then I'll leave it to you."

"Besides the main Nura Clan, there are many branch families, or subordinate groups. They rarely gather together except for major events or emergencies. The leader of each group is a powerful yokai..."

"Kosaka-senpai?"

About three minutes later, after Natto-sensei gave a general overview of the power distribution within the Nura Clan, the Nura Clan's heir, Rikuo Nura in his human form and wearing a kimono, suddenly noticed Shota.

"Nura-kun".

After kicking Natto-kun aside, Shota said to Nura Rikuo, who was walking over, "It's been a few days, you look quite different."

"Just call me Lu Sheng. I've already heard about you from Grandpa, so we're practically sworn brothers now."

In his human form, Rikuo Nura resembled an ordinary little boy. With a shy smile, he extended his hand to Shota and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Then just call me Shota."

If the other party treats him well, Shota will naturally reciprocate with enthusiasm.

"Kousaka... no, Shota-san, are you here for the meeting today too?"

Shota followed Rikuo into the Nura Clan, answering his questions as they walked: "Yes, that's right. Last night, Karasu Tengu made a special trip to tell me that I absolutely had to come today."

"I see."

Reaching a secluded spot, Rikuo Nura suddenly stopped and asked Shota, "Shota-san, do you like humans?"

"Hmm. You like it, don't you?"

"But many yokai don't like humans, do they? Even the yokai in the Nura Clan do bad things to make humans fear them."

Rikuo Nura turned his head and looked into Shota's eyes, saying, "When I was little, I always thought that yokai were all benevolent and chivalrous like my grandfather, who had to shoulder greater responsibilities because they were stronger than others. But later, I realized that yokai were not what I thought. So, I started to hate the identity of a yokai."

Before Shota could answer, Nura Rikuo continued, "Yesterday, my classmates and I were attacked. By the monsters in our group."

Hey, why didn't anyone tell me before that the water in the Nura Clan is so murky now?

“I used to pretend I didn’t know what happened after I became a yokai, and even denied myself as a yokai… But in the end, I still used my yokai bloodline to protect them from others. Can you understand my thoughts?”

"You can understand that a little. Just like me, there are times when I hate my body and my desires. But without them, I probably would have died long ago."

Shota smirked, just as Nura Rikuo was denying his yokai side, he was also constantly denying the fact that he was a glutton—simply to suppress his appetite, he had to tell himself, almost like self-hypnosis:

"I am a human being, I am a human being, I am a human being..."

Perhaps, the boy in front of me is very similar to myself.

“However, it’s time to make a decision.” After saying all this, Rikuo revealed a resolute smile and said, “Always running away isn’t the solution. For my companions, for those who need protection, and for my own responsibility, I’ve decided to accept the identity of a yokai.”

"Since I am dissatisfied with the current state of the Nura Clan, then I will become the lord of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons and uphold my own code of righteousness among yokai."

"..."

"I'm sorry, Shota-san," Rikuo said apologetically. "I'm really sorry for suddenly saying these strange things to you. Please come with me into the venue."

As a friend he'd only met a few times, Nura Rikuo's personal charm was truly admirable. Shota suddenly felt that the boy before him might one day become an important figure who would change the world of yokai.

Do humans and monsters live in harmony?

Only someone of mixed race like him has the right to fight for something like this.

However, compared to him, he had truly wasted his life. Shota shook his head to himself, realizing that he wasn't without people he needed to protect.

Now that we can at least guarantee the bare minimum for food and expenses, it's time to get down to business—we can't let Rei go on the run forever.

Chapter 41. Nura Clan Headquarters (Part 2)

"Rikuo, Shota."

As the Supreme Commander, Nurarihyon was not the last to enter the venue. He had been waiting in the middle of the venue for a long time. Dressed in a formal kimono, he nodded to Shota and Rikuo as they entered and said, "Rikuo, go get Shota some clothes."

Shota was still wearing a casual T-shirt, which seemed out of place with the style of the room and everyone else. Before Shota could say anything, Rikuo took out a blue kimono that looked similar to his from behind and handed it to him, saying, "Shota-san, please put this on."

Thanks.

What a conservative organization. Even their clothing is so particular.

Fortunately, monsters are monsters after all, so their clothes don't need to be fully dressed up. They just need to put them on slightly to cover up some of their modern features.

However, apart from that, the positions of each person are quite particular. Nurarihyon, who is in the center, sits facing north, while Rikuo, who is the successor, sits to the right of the Supreme Commander.

The other powerful yokai, each with their own responsibilities, were positioned on either side of the Grand General—each with their name clearly marked. Closest to Nura Nurarihyon on the right were the Yakushi faction, the Gyu-oni group, and the One-Eyed Demon group; on the left were the Nura Clan's advisors, the Kanto Great Ape Association, and so on.

Of course, it's still empty right now.

As for Shota's seat, it was arranged at the very back on the right, where the only words written were "Taotie." It seems that Nurarihyon has no intention of hiding Shota's identity.

After all, Shota is a newcomer. Even though he's the Admiral's apprentice, compared to those who have contributed so much to the Nura Clan, he's just a junior—although his strength is probably above average among the Nura Clan's executives. Of course, this strength refers to his abilities after being mentored by Nurarihyon.

"It's about to begin, Rikuo, Shota, please take your seats."

Before the meeting, Nurarihyon had a serious expression on his face, completely different from his usual playful old man. He glanced at the still empty meeting room, gave an order, and then closed his eyes again.

Just as Shota sat down in his assigned seat, various powerful monsters began to enter the arena one after another.

"Taotie?"

The leader of the One-Eyed Demon Group, who was walking at the front, was visibly shocked when he noticed Shota sitting upright and the sign in front of him.

"This is truly astonishing. Taotie, isn't that a ferocious beast from China?"

The head of the Yokai Merchants Association—who is also the richest yokai in legend, with his round glasses and abacus-shaped head—followed behind and said, "I never expected to appear in Japan... and I certainly never expected to appear in the Nura Clan."

This is the God of Wealth! Even in the human world, he'd be considered an incredibly wealthy yokai. He holds the financial power of the Nura Clan's main branch, and indeed the entire clan. It's almost entirely due to his brilliant decisions that the Nura Clan is able to support so many yokai while their wealth continues to grow.

"Hello there!"

Shota quickly and respectfully stood up, which startled Ichimoku Nyudo who was standing to the side.

"Surprisingly polite. I thought it was a ferocious beast. I am Suanpanfang, and since you are here, you must be a member of the Nura Clan."

Suanpanfang tapped his abacus and said, "Cadres also have cadre-level benefits and income. Come find me when you have time."

"Ah, thank you..."

"God of Wealth!" Shota's smile completely destroyed the ominous reputation of the two characters "饕餮" (Taotie) in front of his seat.

"Hey, you old calculator, I never knew you were so bold." Wearing a magnificent robe and exuding arrogance, the slanted-eyed leader of the pharmacists, Zashiki, walked in. He had met Shota once before. He'd met Shota when Nura Rikuo's classmate visited—though they hadn't spoken.

“I’ve already heard about what happened. I’m also Lu Sheng’s sworn brother, so from today onwards, we are brothers.”

Zhen was a very unrestrained person. He brazenly tapped Shota on the chest, then waved and went to his seat.

Despite being a poisonous bird monster, Zhen herself doesn't possess much strength, but she does have a unique talent when it comes to medicine.

"Please give me more advice."

I'll ask him for some blood-tonifying pills another day; I've been feeling a bit weak lately.

Almost all the officers were surprised by Shota, who had never appeared before—even more surprised than seeing Rikuo Nura, who hadn't been seen for a long time. However, since the Admiral was still watching from above, no one showed too much surprise.

Of all the executives, the one that interested Shota the most was Ushioni, the leader of the Ushioni Group, who took his seat without even glancing at him.

Ushioni—a yokai with the face of a bull and the body of a tsuchigumo (earth spider). His defining characteristic is his ability to transform into a human. He excels at deception, manipulation, and attack, making him a cunning yokai, but his martial prowess is equally impressive. He is the vanguard of the Nura Clan, a true fighter. His current form is that of a cold-looking man with long hair and bangs covering his right cheek.

Even among demons, he exudes the most intense and dark aura. He's supposedly the one who just attacked Rikuo; how could he be here again?

After about a dozen officials had taken their seats, the little monsters came out with tea and red bean rice, placing them one by one in front of the senior officials.

"Even Young Master Lu Sheng is here. This is such a rare thing."

"The demons have come too?"

"I heard he attacked Young Master Lu Sheng. Hasn't he been executed yet?"

"Perhaps today is meant to be his execution on the spot?"

"More than being rare, that ferocious beast sitting in the corner is probably a sight I've never seen before."

……

"I wonder if Young Master Lu Sheng can perform well."

Yuki-onna Hyouri, one of Rikuo's two bodyguards who was peeking inside from the doorway, looked at Rikuo sitting inside and said with some concern, "I hope there are no mistakes."

"Hey, Yuki-onna, look over there."

Standing next to her, Aotabo pointed to where Shota was.

"What? Xiaoqing, wait, isn't that that monster from school? When did he become a student leader?"

At the same time that Yuki-onna Hyouri spotted Shota, Shota's gaze also happened to be looking in that direction.