Oda Nobunaga, recalling her time ruling Kyoto, said slowly, "When I governed Kyoto, many warned me."
"Never go out after midnight. If you must, bring an army."
"These kids are clearly tourists in Kyoto, wandering out past midnight and running into this horde of yokai."
"If nothing goes wrong, they'll soon be a feast for those creatures."
"Look, some yokai have already set their sights on them."
Nobunaga's sharp eyes quickly spotted several yokai closing in on the unfortunate humans with barely concealed greed and hunger in their gazes.
They were clearly targeting them.
At the same time, Morpheus recognized the humans caught in the yokai crowd.
They were the protagonists of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU.
Morpheus was not only familiar with the series but found it iconic.
It was, after all, a wildly popular show.
Its male lead, Hachiman Hikigaya, was the renowned "Great Teacher" of the anime world.
He was also one of the so-called "Four Kings of Campus."
The Four Kings referred to the male protagonists of four iconic school anime: the witty Sakuta Azusagawa, the minimalist Houtarou Oreki, the emotionless Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, and the self-sacrificing Hachiman Hikigaya.
The last, of course, was Oregairu's protagonist.
But the female lead was no less impressive.
Yukino Yukinoshita, the epitome of perfection.
Her popularity rivaled, if not surpassed, Hachiman's.
The rivalry between her and Yui Yuigahama had tugged at countless hearts.
Though Yukino ultimately prevailed, many still sympathized with Yui.
Such was the success of the series.
But why were they here?
If Morpheus recalled correctly, SNAFU's story took place in Chiba City, a key part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in the Kanto region, on the eastern side of the capital.
It wasn't exactly a world away from Kyoto, but it was far enough.
Yet here they were, caught in a yokai crowd, of all places.
It puzzled Morpheus.
"I'm going to save them," Martha declared, springing into action before Morpheus could respond.
As a historical saint, she couldn't stand by and watch innocent people fall prey to yokai.
Without waiting for Morpheus's approval, she opened the window and leaped out.
The hotel, a renowned five-star establishment in Kyoto, stood thirty-three stories tall.
Morpheus's group was on the thirtieth floor, at least a hundred meters above the ground.
For a human, jumping from such a height would mean certain death—a mangled mess beyond recognition.
But as the famed Iron Fist Saint, a hundred meters was nothing to Martha. Even a thousand meters wouldn't faze her.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as Martha landed like a meteor, smashing into the yokai crowd.
The impact shattered the ground, sending shockwaves through the air.
A gale-like surge swept outward, knocking nearby yokai off their feet.
Her entrance was earth-shattering.
Timid yokai recoiled in fear, their faces paling.
The woman who descended from the sky stood slowly, her aura unmasked.
Her stance alone radiated terrifying strength.
Weaker yokai retreated, unwilling to provoke her.
"You lot, over here!" Martha called to the trembling Hachiman Hikigaya, Yukino Yukinoshita, and their group amidst the yokai.
Though they didn't know who Martha was, her extraordinary nature was clear.
No ordinary person could leap from a hundred meters, survive, and scatter yokai with their landing.
She was no mere human.
More importantly, she bore them no ill will—she was here to save them.
The group hurriedly moved toward her.
At that moment, a gust of wind roared in.
Martha's expression shifted. "Watch out!"
Sensing danger, Yukino, Hachiman, and the others froze.
The wind sliced past them, cutting through the concrete road and leaving a long gash.
Had they not stopped, it wouldn't have been just the ground that was sliced—their limbs would have been next.
Their faces paled in an instant.
They had narrowly escaped dismemberment.
A tall yokai stepped out from the crowd.
Unlike the grotesque yokai around it, this one had a human-like appearance.
This suggested it was likely a yokai born from a fallen human.
Such cases weren't uncommon.
In Japanese folklore, many yokai were once human.
The yokai, wielding a long tachi, addressed Martha. "I am Oni. Greetings."
Morpheus was familiar with Oni.
The Nura Clan had one under their command.
But "Oni" wasn't a name—it was a category of yokai.
Like Kubinashi or Hitotsume-nyudo, it denoted a type.
The Nura Clan's Oni, for instance, was once a human named Umenomaru, a boy from a noble family in the capital, who became a yokai after death.
This Oni, calling itself such, wasn't naming itself but declaring its kind.
Typically, humans who became Oni were no ordinary beings.
In the yokai world, Oni were akin to a warrior race—formidable fighters.
This one, likely a samurai in life, retained that demeanor even as a yokai.
By introducing itself as Oni, it was signaling its combat prowess, warning Martha to be cautious.
Having spent time with Raikou and others, Martha understood yokai customs. She grasped the Oni's intent.
But she had no interest in fighting it. "Step aside."
The Oni shook its head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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