Rihan Nura didn't need to think hard to guess Nurarihyon must have colluded with the SDS—hence the demand to handle business before dealing with Hagoromo Gitsune.
Otherwise, following yokai nature, they'd locate Hagoromo Gitsune first, mobilise the Hyakki Yagyō immediately, and cripple her without hesitation.
This current approach of prioritising another matter clearly indicated backroom dealings.
Seeing Rihan Nura had figured it out, Nurarihyon saw no point hiding things and laid bare his earlier agreement with Luo Shu.
At the same time, he shared the intelligence Yukari Oikawa had received from the Abyss.
Finished, Nurarihyon narrowed his eyes:
"Brat, I know you're impatient, but if you want to recover Yamabuki Otome's body, this can't be rushed."
"...I know." Rihan Nura calmed down, acknowledging his father's logic.
Yamabuki Otome's body being possessed by Hagoromo Gitsune was urgent, but not so urgent that they needed to act recklessly.
To put it bluntly, the Yamabuki Otome possessed by Hagoromo Gitsune could hardly be considered the same Yamabuki Otome that Rihan Nura knew.
After all, Rihan had met her only after her death, when she had become a ghost.
What Hagoromo Gitsune had possessed was Yamabuki Otome's human body.
By the time Rihan Nura met Yamabuki Otome, her physical body had already been buried for centuries.
To put it harshly, the current Hagoromo Gitsune was simply another person inhabiting Yamabuki Otome's human form.
Rihan Nura was only so furious because he didn't want his late wife's remains to be exploited by Hagoromo Gitsune.
But if he truly calmed down, he was actually the one who could best separate the two.
After all, his former wife was the ghost Yamabuki Otome, while Yamabuki Otome's body was only tangentially related.
In the worldview of yokai, the same individual in their human and yokai forms could already be considered different people, as their race and the essence of their souls were no longer the same.
At most, one could say the yokai form was a mutated product of the human form—akin to the relationship between a parent and offspring.
Under these circumstances, establishing connections with the SDS and Luo Shu first was actually a crucial move.
Though the Nura Clan was considered part of Japan's native yokai, they originally hailed from another world.
In that sense, they were essentially outsiders in Tokyo, sharing the same status as the SDS, which had come from America.
There was already a foundation for an alliance between them. Moreover, the SDS's scientific capabilities were formidable—it wasn't impossible for them to develop methods to strengthen yokai.
Considering the Nura Clan's increasingly weakened next generation, Rihan Nura's mind was crystal clear:
"Old man, what do you think that SDS Reaper is really after?"
"Probably... to mess with Hagoromo Gitsune?" Nurarihyon rubbed his chin, sounding uncertain. "Of course, there might be deeper schemes, but the specifics are beyond this old man's knowledge."
"Perhaps that yokai princess might know something. After all, her ties with the SDS are much closer than ours."
"Kotoko Iwanaga?" At the mention of the yokai princess, Rihan Nura immediately thought of that living deity who walked the line between humans and yokai.
Her relationship with the SDS was indeed far deeper than that of the Nura Clan.
"I'll make time to meet with that yokai princess. Might as well ask her about Hagoromo Gitsune while I'm at it."
As he spoke, Rihan Nura suddenly added:
"But that said, old man, I'm really itching to teach Hagoromo Gitsune a lesson right now."
Hearing this, Nurarihyon calmly produced the tool Luo Shu had left behind and said:
"I know what you mean."
With a thoroughly mischievous tone, Nurarihyon continued:
"If Hagoromo Gitsune wants to give birth to Nue, the one thing she absolutely can't do without is fresh livers. And stealing the livers of noblewomen is something she absolutely can't afford to expose—right, Rihan?"
"This is the tool Director Luo mentioned earlier. It can interfere with divination and fabricate traces."
"Rihan, you haven't gotten rusty with the Nura Clan's illusion techniques, have you?"
"What are you thinking, old man...?"
Rihan Nura's eyes then widened, before he grinned wickedly:
"Heh, impersonating a Great Yokai from the Hagoromo Group to attack noblewomen... now that's a dirty trick."
Rihan Nura swiftly gathered the props on the table as he spoke, then grinned mischievously:
"Don't worry, leave it to me. I guarantee even Hagoromo Gitsune herself won't spot any flaws when I impersonate the yokai of the Hagoromo Group."
The so-called Nura Clan refers to a type of freeloading yokai who would invite themselves into human homes, mooch off food and drink, yet still be treated as guests by their hosts.
The foundation of this ability lies in their innate illusory powers.
As the son of a Nura Clan member and a human princess, Rihan Nura had inherited the clan's talents in full.
With his skills, impersonating one of Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates would be child's play. He could probably even impersonate Hagoromo Gitsune herself without Nue, her own son, noticing many flaws.
"Get it done quickly," Nurarihyon reminded him.
"Relax, old man. You'll have results within days."
As his voice faded, Rihan's figure dissolved into faint ink-wash mist, vanishing from the reception hall.
Only when Rihan had disappeared entirely did Yukari Oikawa approach, sighing:
"Rihan's holding in his anger."
"I know. After all, his ex-wife's remains were desecrated." Nurarihyon stroked his chin, then frowned. "That said, Otome was always his greatest weakness."
"Just in case, I should consult my old contacts in the underworld to confirm Otome's condition down there."
Yukari looked surprised. "You'd use up your favour with Enma just to confirm Otome's final fate?"
"No choice now." Nurarihyon sighed. "Apart from Yōhime, only Wakana and Otome herself can restrain that brat Rihan from acting recklessly."
"Before, this old man didn't want to interfere in the younger generation's affairs. But things have gone too far—I have to step in now."
"It's time for Rihan to face reality."
If Hagoromo Gitsune planned to use Yamabuki Otome's body to ambush Rihan, he would cut to the root of the problem by presenting Rihan with the truth about Yamabuki Otome's ultimate fate.
After all, Yamabuki Otome was originally a ghost. For a ghost to die again—especially one with only Small Yokai-level power—the most favourable outcome would be complete spiritual dissolution.
This was why Rihan had been brooding over it, even resenting Yukari Oikawa.
Ghost-type yokai were already people who had died once. To die again meant true, irreversible death.
The current Yamabuki Otome was merely a fake created by Hagoromo Gitsune and Nue.
Unless Rihan realised this, he risked losing his son. Under such circumstances, no one could blame Nurarihyon for being harsh.
Having reached this conclusion, Nurarihyon made his decision silently.
...
A forest on the outskirts of Adachi Ward, Tokyo.
A young girl in a black slip dress, with an eerily enchanting face, stepped into the silent woods.