The old lady returned with a warm smile, addressing the television crew.

  “Excuse me, sorry for the wait. I will guide you there.”

  The television crew was delighted, “Is it okay if we took some pictures and recorded some video along the way?”

  “Oh, sure, feel free to do so,” she replied with a chuckle.

  Hikari hesitated before speaking up. “Umm, Granny… Is it really okay for us to be with you? Aren't we just going to be in the way of the shoot?”“Umm, granny… Is it really okay for us to be with you? Aren't we just going to be in the way of the shoot?”

  The old lady waved her hand dismissively, as if brushing away the very idea. “Don't mind it. Besides, if you return now, won’t you just be pestered by those boys again? Just stay with me and enjoy. I assume you don’t mind me separating you from them?”

  Hikari shook her head almost immediately, “Oh no, not at all! In fact, I’m grateful. The tour could have been more enjoyable without them around… Oh! By that, I don’t mean the tour so far wasn’t fun. It was really, really fun!

  The old lady let out a knowing laugh. “Is that so? I'm glad then.”

  “Thanks for your help earlier, Granny.” Hikari bowed as she said her thanks.

  The old lady just smiled and laughed, “Hoho, how many years do you think I’ve been doing this? Dealing with troublesome visitors and impulsive youth is a daily occurrence. Since Little Ryo keeps bringing students every year, I’ve naturally learned how to handle it.”

  Her gaze drifted toward the television crew, who were busy recording the surrounding environment. There was a glint of fondness in her eyes as she observed them at work.

  “This time, too, he managed to rope in a television crew and make this place even more famous,” she mused. “Huhu, what an amazing kid.”

  Curious, I raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Pardon me, Granny… Why are you calling our teacher 'Little Ryo'? Wasn’t his name Mr. Ryu?”

  She giggled, as if recalling an old joke, wiping a tear from her eye. “Ryu isn’t his real name. His real name is Ryomaru. And his nickname is Little Ryo.”

  Hah? Ryomaru? But that’s—

  “Childish, isn’t it?” She glanced at me with an amused smirk.

  I flinched. Did she just read my mind?

  “Hohoho, I can tell what you're thinking just from your expression. The name Ryomaru sounds very childish and cute, but he deliberately changed it to Ryu, which means Dragon, because he wanted his name to sound cool.”

  Hikari giggled. Our Physical Education teacher, a bulky man with a shaved mohawk-like hairstyle, had a surprisingly adorable side to him.

  “I see, so Togakushi is Mr. Ryu's hometown. Umm… are you his grandmother?” I asked, intrigued.

  The old lady let out a faint chuckle, lowering her voice to a whisper. “If I were his grandmother… perhaps, all of us are his grandparents.”

  Her words barely reached my ears, but their meaning eluded me. Before I could press further, she shifted the conversation.

  “Have you noticed anything uncommon during the tour?”

  Hikari and I exchanged glances. So far, nothing had seemed particularly odd. Then again, we had been too engrossed in the tour to pay close attention. We both shook our heads.

  The old lady gestured toward the buildings we had visited. “Every single house here—the one storing the collection of old ninja weapons, the trick house, the museum—they’re all managed by the elderly.”

  Our eyes widened in realization. We looked around, scanning the area. Sure enough, every single person working here, from the ticket seller to the toilet attendant, was all elderly individuals.

  “Back then, this place was just a remnant of a ninja village. Despite its potential as a tourist attraction, we had no means of promotion,” she continued, her voice laced with nostalgia. “Not to mention, all the young people left for the city, abandoning the countryside. The only one who stayed was Little Ryo. He swore that one day, he would make this place full of visitors.”

  She smiled wistfully. “All the elderly here laughed at him, not believing a brat’s promise. But he made it happen. He worked hard to bring visitors, to share the wonder of our history with people. He even convinced his school to make field trips here every year. And now, he’s brought a television crew to make a documentary about our museum. He truly kept his promise.”

  Her eyes shone with pride. “He loves this place so much, and all of us here… we are like his family.”

  Hikari and I remained silent, awestruck. Our teacher—aloof, strict, and seemingly detached—had an entirely different side to him. A deep, unwavering love for his home.

  The television crew finished filming and approached the old lady, who led them toward the museum director.

  As we followed, Hikari leaned in and whispered, “That’s a pretty amazing story, right? I never imagined our teacher was like that… My respect for him just grew.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “He always seemed like a strict, no-nonsense teacher, but he surprisingly has a soft spot.”

  We trailed behind the group, entering a forest path with faint trails, overgrown with wild grass. It was clear that visitors normally weren’t allowed here. After a while, we arrived at an old wooden dojo, nestled beside a serene bamboo grove.

  The old lady led us inside and directed us to a spacious room with tatami flooring. “Please wait here. The director will be here in a minute.”

  The TV crew settled in, relaxing on the comfortable tatami. As they idly chatted, I scanned the room.

  “Hey, what are you looking at?” Hikari asked, peering over my shoulder.

  “Oh, I was just checking the surroundings. This place feels similar to the previous buildings we visited, but the ninja weapons here seemed to be well-maintained. In fact, they look as if they’ve been used recently.”

  A gleam of reflected light caught my eye. Hikari followed my gaze.

  “Ah, you’re right,” she murmured. “These are in way better condition than the ones we saw earlier.”

  Before we could discuss further, the rolling door slid open with a gentle creek. An elderly man with a stern presence stepped inside, followed by the old lady. He walked toward the TV crew and began conversing with them as he sat down. The old lady served them tea before turning to us.

  With a kind smile, she gestured for us to follow. “Sorry about that. Shall we?”

  “Uh, where are we going?” I asked hesitantly.

  “What? Aren't we going to redo the bandage on your arm?” she asked, arching a brow.

  I blinked. “What? I thought you were joking about that just to make those boys stop pestering Hikari.”

  “Of course not. Now, come with me.”

  She led us into another room, passing several others filled with artifacts just as precious as the first.

  "Umm, what is this place? It looks similar to the last one... Is this also a tourist attraction?"

  "Hohoho, not exactly. I told you before, didn't I? This place used to be a ninja village and a training ground. As ninja culture began to disappear over the years, so did this village. But as their descendants, it is our duty to pass down the tradition.”

  “This is the very last Dojo of Togakure Style Ninjutsu, normally this place is inaccessible for visitors, but since you both are Little Ryo's students… I think it's fine.

  I glanced around at the wooden dummy outside or a tree that has zipline kinds of things.

  “Oh this place also has that.” I pointed at the zipline looking thing.

  The old lady followed the direction I pointed, “Oh that? Yes we do. That’s Kaginawa, or often known as Ninja hanging rope. It was an old tool used to cross buildings, cliffs or rivers.”

  "So... this place is still used for training?"

  "Yes, the dojo is open to locals who wish to learn, and veterans—like my husband—still train here."

  "I see... That explains why everything is so well-preserved."

  "Almost there," she said, leading us further down the hall. "The safety box is in the next room."

  As we bypassed another chamber, I glanced inside but suddenly stopped in my tracks. Hikari, noticing my absence, turned around.

  "Ryohei? Something wrong?"

  She followed my gaze and saw the room’s wall lined with various weapons.

  "Oh, it's another collection," she remarked. But I was focused on just one.

  "A sickle..."

  "Excuse me, did ninjas use that as well?" I asked, pointing to the weapon.

  The old lady turned back and nodded. "Ah yes, the Togakure school employs all sorts of weapons. The sickle, though uncommon, is one of them."

  With hesitation on my mind, I tried to ask. “How…”

  “Hmm? How? Aaah… you mean how it first started as a Ninja weapon is it?”

  "...Huh?" Before I could clarify my question, she had already begun explaining.

  "Ninjas are not just assassins; their duties extend far beyond that. The term 'ninja' itself is broad. We engage in reconnaissance, espionage, and infiltration.”

  “The use of the sickle as a weapon date back to when Iga was the only region training ninjas. There was a mission to eliminate a corrupt official in a rural town. A ninja disguised himself as a farmer, living quietly in the village while gathering evidence of the official’s misdeeds.”

  “Once the proof was secured, the lord called several farmers—including the ninja—to clear the overgrown grass in his backyard. When the official came to inspect the progress, a moment’s distraction was all the ninja needed. With a smoke bomb, it can already create chaos within that place. Even if there's tons of samurai protecting that corrupt official, the samurai can't go around swinging his sword amid smoke bombs, while that works the opposite way for Ninja. And with that sickle, he used it to cut his target head and disappear.”

  “Since then, some ninjas have continued to use sickles, often pairing them with chains. However, mastering such a weapon requires high proficiency, making it less common compared to kunai, needles, or shuriken."

  Hikari’s eyes sparkled with fascination. "Wow! So that’s the story behind it."

  I was impressed too, but... what I really wanted to ask wasn’t how a sickle became a ninja weapon—it was how to wield one properly.

  I sighed, deciding against pushing the question further. ‘Not that it matters. I can’t even use my power anymore. Learning it now would be pointless.’

  The forest shimmered with fresh rain, the scent of damp earth and foliage filling the air. As sunlight pierced through the canopy, making the lingering droplets glisten like scattered gems while grass and foliage sparkled as the mist slowly faded.

  Amidst the greenery, two small figures moved in unison, holding broad leaves above their heads as makeshift umbrellas. A stray droplet plopped onto one, causing a tiny shake, followed by a faint chitter of amusement.

  They paused briefly, bright blue eyes reflecting the glowing forest—then, without a word, continued their quiet journey through the glistening green.

  “Are we in the right direction?” one of them asked.

  “#%$~...”

  “What do you mean ‘almost there’? You said the same thing days ago! We have been traveling for weeks. If I had known it would be this far, I would’ve stayed in our village."

  “+&~%!!”

  "Alright, alright. No need to get upset, little one. We’re going to see your savior... but first, let’s take a break. My old bones can’t keep up with you young fella."

  “+@#~?”

  “Jeez, you should’ve gone with your father. Why drag me along?”

  “%$~!!”

  “Hey! Don’t run off on your own! And remember, you can’t let yourself be seen by humans!”

  With the young one dashing ahead in frustration, the elder sighed, postponing his rest to give chase.

  Once her story ended, she guided us into a nearby room and retrieved a medical kit before inspecting Ryohei’s wound.

  "Are you sure this is, okay? Shouldn’t I see a doctor to change the bandages?"

  "It’s fine. I used to be a nurse before I got married. Besides..."

  She gently pressed around Ryohei’s injured arm, causing him to wince slightly.

  “Just as I thought. As you walk around, you sweat a lot, the bandage itself becomes loose, I don't know who wrapped you this bandage, but it was done wonderfully. Given how old and low-quality this bandage is, it should’ve lost its stickiness by now. But it held up well.

  Carefully, she began unwrapping it. Ryohei’s face contorted as he let out a strained groan, trying to suppress the pain. Beneath the bandages, his arm was bluish, the skin torn in places. I couldn’t bear to look and turned away.

  "What did you do to get this kind of injury?" the old lady asked.

  But Ryohei merely shrugged, his voice detached. "I just fell... hit my arm on a rock."

  I’ve known him for years. And I can sometimes tell when he’s lying.

  But before I can dwell on it, a rancid, rotten stench seeps into my nose. My body tenses as I took a step back, covering my mouth and nose instinctively.

  “What’s wrong Kanzaki?” Ryohei looks at me, bewildered. The old lady doesn’t react either. No one seems to notice the putrid, suffocating scent.

  But I do.

  A smell that was very familiar to me, a bad scent that lingered on any wicked creature that was only known by a small number of people who had a high spiritual sense.

  The stench of Yokai.

  My gaze sharpens and narrows in suspicion. Where is it coming from?

  Upon closer inspection, the stench revolved around Ryohei.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Why is the smell coming from Ryohei? But he’s a human. We also hung out in my house the other day, then the barrier triggered… and he was feeling sick all of a sudden and…

  Then realization struck, as my eyes widened. I glanced back at Ryohei who was still confused. I could feel my hands clasped tightly and refused to believe it. But all the clues are exactly on point.

  Is he…? No. That can’t be right. Ryohei is human. He’s, my friend.

  My eyes darted to his bandaged arm. And my stomach churns.

  He was fine yesterday. Then, out of nowhere, he shows up with a broken arm. And still insists on joining the trip. No matter how you look at it… something’s off.

  Is he really Ryohei? Or is he something else pretending to be him?

  I slowly slid my hands and took a spare paper charms in my back pocket. Truthfully, I don’t want to hurt him. But if he’s a yokai…

  If he’s truly a yokai… then what?

  I hesitate. My entire life, I’ve trained to exorcise demons. To purge evil. And yet—

  My hand trembles as my heart rate jumps. The paper talisman crumples in my grip.

  I’m scared.

  If he is a yokai, what do I do? Are we enemies? Does that mean all our memories, our friendship, everything—was a lie?

  My vision blurs as tears started to spill.

  “Uh–oh,” Granny murmurs, sensing my distress. “Looks like it’s too much for her. Turn around, let’s not let her see this.”

  Ryohei hesitates but obeys, his back now facing me.

  Granny quickly finishes bandaging his wounds. “Alright, done. You two relax for a bit. I’ll check on the director.” And with that, she leaves.

  Ryohei looked distressed by the unsightly appearance I showed him. He shifts slightly. “Kanzaki? What’s wrong?” His voice is earnest, concerned. But I can’t believe him.

  Not yet.

  “Just… stay like that for a moment,” I whisper.

  I move closer, sitting behind him. My fingers brush against his back.

  I flinch.

  A surge of bad energy courses from his back. The same sickening sensation that yokai radiate.

  My expression darkens. It’s undeniable now.

  But a part of me—a small, fragile part—still wants to believe in him… Believe that he’s a human.

  I steel my resolve, smoothing out the crumpled talisman.

  “Ryohei, stay still please… just for a moment.”

  "I press my forehead against his back, placing the paper talisman on his back as I slowly starts chanting.

  “From light to shadow, from stillness to storm—let the taint…”

  *Kh! I hesitate.

  “...Let the taint be washed away, and let the balance be restored…”

  I chanted a simple purifying talisman, and its strength has already been adjusted to the minimum.

  A faint glow pulses from the talisman, penetrating his whole body. If he’s a yokai, he should be writhing in agony right now.

  Instead, a thin black mist seeps from his back and his injured arm.

  My breath catches.

  Ryohei remains perfectly still.

  “What…?” I can’t hide my astonishment.

  He turns his head slightly. “Uh… are we done? What are you doing?”

  I stare at him, dumbfounded.

  That mist—it means the talisman worked. But why? If he were a yokai, the pain would be unbearable.

  Something doesn’t add up.

  “I’m sorry, but… one more time. Can you look in that direction once again?”

  I firmly press another talisman onto his back.

  The first one might’ve been crumpled. Maybe it didn’t work properly. I have to be sure.

  I chant again.

  This time, nothing happens.

  No mist. No reaction. Nothing…

  He’s fine.

  I don’t understand anything that just happened.

  Then… Why did he smell like a yokai before? And why did the mist come from his broken arm and his back?

  Driven by curiosity, I move without thinking. I grab the hem of his shirt and lift it slightly to inspect his back.

  “Kanzaki?!”

  Ryohei jolts in shock.

  Ryohei was shaken by that sudden move.

  His back is clean. Bandaged, yes, but beneath it—there’s no sign of a wound. In fact, it was a healthy muscular back. Before I got to inspect it further, I noticed Ryohei turning around feeling embarrassed.

  Me who just realized the bold move I did immediately went flustered and slapped my hands over my face, completely mortified. “I—I’m sorry! It’s not what you think!”

  I scramble backward just as Granny returns with the director.

  “Sorry to keep you two waiting—” She stops, raising an eyebrow. “Oh? Hoho, did I come back at a bad time?”

  “Granny!” I cry, desperate for a distraction. “Welcome back! And, uh… Director! Thanks for having us here.”

  The old man chuckles, waving a hand. “No need to be so formal. Just call me Gramps.”

  He returned as he put his right arm inward, feeling the tension ease as he stretched. Despite being old, his muscle on his arm was clearly shown.

  “Ah, right, Gramps. How’d the meeting with the TV crew go?” I’m desperately trying to shift the topic before it gets tense.

  He grins. “Hah! Thanks to me, everything went perfectly!”

  *SLAP!!

  Granny smacks his back with such force it echoes through the room.

  “You mean thanks to who?! You almost ruined the deal! And who was it that overslept and forgot to pick them up?!”

  “AAAH! MY BACK! IT’S KILLING ME!” He collapses to the floor, groaning.

  Granny crosses her arms, unimpressed. “Oh, stop pretending. I know you’re not that fragile.”

  “Tch… Damn woman. You’re lucky I married you, otherwise who would want to marry a gorilla like you.”

  Her eyes gleam murderously. “What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?”

  Before she can swing again, Gramps ducks, smoothly sliding back before flipping into a perfect handspring. He lands a few feet away, completely unscathed while creating distance between them.

  Ryohei’s eyes widened in awe.

  That movement—it was too smooth. Too precise.

  That wasn’t something an untrained person could do.

  “Oops, looks like it’s time to train the boys. I’m off to the dojo. Later!”

  And just like that, he vanishes, sprinting away without making a single sound.

  “Wow!” I jumped up in excitement. “Was that a ninja moves?!”

  Ryohei couldn’t believe it either. This place is Old. When we walked to this room, we couldn't help but make a lot of noise. As the wooden floor was creaking so much.

  But he wasn't running.

  He was sprinting.

  And yet, he made no sound.

  “It’s really unbelievable…” said Ryohei.

  Granny sighs. “Don’t encourage him. He loves showing off to new people. And trust me, he’s still lurking around somewhere, waiting to hear your praise.”

  I was surprised by her call. But yeah… she was right.

  As an Onmyouji, you're naturally more sensitive to energy—especially life force. With a little bit of spiritual power, I can locate him. And sure enough, I could faintly sense him hiding behind the outside wall. Oh? He was startled and finally moved away.

  I giggled, “You sure know your husband well, granny.”

  She sighed, shaking her head. "Even when I was committed to retire from being a nurse and fully support him in developing this place... at the end of the day, he and the boys he trains still end up getting hurt. And once again, I become their nurse." She let out a small chuckle. "Honestly, it’s troublesome."

  Despite her words, a warm smile spread across her face.

  "Ah, I almost forgot. Little Ryo called—it's nearly time for you all to head back. There's still a bit of time if you want to check out some of the other attractions, like the trick house and—"

  "No, I'm good. Besides, I got to see the Ninja himself. I'm satisfied." Ryohei said with confidence.

  "Me too. I had fun even without going there."

  "Hohoho, I'm glad then. I'll take you to your teacher."

  And with that, our visit to the Ninja Museum came to an end.

  As we walked back, I turned to Ryohei. "So? How was today? Did you enjoy it?"

  "Yeah. I'm really glad I insisted on coming..."

  I silently glanced at him from behind. My assumption is that he’s a Yokai in disguise, pretending to be wounded Ryohei to let my guard down… But the fact that it was Ryohei himself and his injury was real.

  With a slight hesitation before asking, "...Say, are you hiding something from me?"

  He stopped in his tracks, his expression suddenly blank. "Hiding something? Of course, I am."

  I flinched. His bluntness caught me off guard. My grip on my sleeve tightened. "Really? What is it?"

  For a moment, he seemed to hesitate. Then, with a small sigh, he muttered—

  "Well... if you must know, I like to snuggle with Raisen and Hikage before bed."

  Silence.

  I blinked. Once. Twice.

  "...What?"

  "I like to snuggle with Raisen and Hikage before bed," he repeated nonchalantly, as if I hadn’t heard him properly the first time.

  "No! That's not what I meant!"

  ...Is he messing with me? Or was I just overthinking things?

  "Well, I thought you’re asking for my secret… Still, it's pretty embarrassing for me..."

  “But why did you tell me this? Considering it’s you, you usually keep something like this to yourself rather than someone finding it out, right?”

  "If it's you, I don’t mind..."

  My heart felt like jumping after I heard that. After a long deep breath, I stay calm and keep my composure.

  His face remained blank, serious. Not a hint of teasing.

  "Hehe~ So you like that sort of thing..." I clasped my hands together and covered my mouth, grinning as I teased him.

  "Not as amazing as your secret, though."

  I froze mid-step. "My secret?" My voice wavered with confusion.

  "Yeah. You can't stand bloody scenes, right? Like before."

  "No, that's..." My words trailed off.

  He had misunderstood. Back then, I wasn’t scared because of the blood from his broken arm—I was scared of finding out that he was a Yokai. Personally, I'm not a fan of gore, but I can handle it just fine.

  I sighed, facing forward as I walked again.

  'Perhaps leaving it at that is the best choice. Let him think of me as a frail girl who can’t stand the sight of blood.'

  I chuckled softly.

  Despite the misunderstanding, one thing was certain: Ryohei wasn’t a Yokai. I had even double-checked it.

  But then… What was that black mist?

  That was definitely Yokai energy. But it wasn’t coming from Ryohei himself—it was as if… some Yokai had marked him. A way to track his location, no matter where he went

  I furrowed my brows, trying to connect the dots together. And came to the conclusion that Ryohei fell down and broke his arm because of some Yokai trickery. A yokai pushed him to fall and that leaves traces of yokai energy on his back.

  At this moment, I had no idea that Ryohei’s spiritual energy was completely empty and sealed. That was why my charm hadn’t worked on him—it only purified negative energy, and right now, he had none.

  The moment I realized this was far in the future, where our relationship became even more complicated than now…

  Ryohei and I were escorted safely by the old lady, who even greeted and teased our teacher in front of his students.

  The field trip concluded, and we gathered back on the bus, ready to return.

  "Well then, see you later, Granny."

  "Oh, come on! Just call me like you used to—'Grandma~' like that."

  Ryu coughed loudly, trying to drown out her voice. "I'm already an adult. That was when I was a kid..."

  Us, his students, of course, still heard everything. And burst out laughing—until he scolded us.

  "Hohoho..." Granny laughed, but her expression softened. A brief moment of sadness flickered across her face before she hid it behind a smile. "Come back for dinner once in a while. Everybody misses you."

  The teacher looked sad but still wore a tough front.

  "...Don’t worry. I’ll visit once vacation starts."

  The bus engine roared as we left, heading back to school.

  "Well then, see you tomorrow." I bid farewell to Hikari and made my way home.

  Taking the old road, I suddenly stopped and glanced around.

  "Hikage... Raisen, come out. I know you're here."

  The wind blew. Nothing happened.

  But moments later, the two finally emerged from a nearby abandoned house, climbing up my legs and onto my shoulders.

  "I noticed you following me all day. Why didn’t you just come out and join me?"

  They let out a squeak mixed with a growl. I barely understood them, but if I had to guess… it was because Hikari was around.

  As I walked, I glanced at the river—the place where I had been attacked. My eyes scanned the water for any shadows, but it looked safe…

  Besides, with Raisen and Hikage here, it wouldn’t dare show itself.

  I sighed, relaxing my whole body.

  "Back then, I was nervous when she started chanting something..."

  A part of me had expected her charms to work on me—to feel the same pain as when I visited her house.

  But nothing happened.

  That confirmed it. I was no longer anything more than a regular human.

  I'd be lying if I said there wasn’t some bitterness. That brief taste of the Yokai world had made my ordinary life feel... different.

  But even after losing my powers, I had fun.

  Just like today. Walking around with Hikari was fun and exciting.

  It reminded me why I tried so hard to return to my normal life in the first place.

  And now… I could sincerely let it go.

  So long, Yokai life…

  By the time I arrived home, the house was empty. No sign of my family around.

  “I'm home! Mom? Ruri? Where are you?”

  No answer.

  Did they go out?

  Shrugging, I headed directly to the bathroom. At first, I tried to shoo them away, but Raisen and Hikage insisted on staying by my side. So I just ignored them as they splashed water at each other in the tub.

  I wrapped my bandaged arm with plastic bag as to not let it get wet, then took a bath. Using only one arm to bathe was very inconvenient, but through sheer effort, I ‘somehow’ managed to do it.

  After a quick bath, I carefully rubbed ointment onto my wound. Making it completely normal with no scar.

  "Sigh… today was hectic. I never expected Hikari to lift my shirt and see my back… Thank God I put on this ointment before I left. I really need to thank that old man—wait, I never even got his name..."

  Just as I finished getting dressed—

  Knock. Knock.

  I froze.

  A visitor?

  I frowned, heading to the door, but paused before reaching the handle.

  Why would Mom and Ruri knock to enter their own home?

  My senses sharpened. As if returning to the time when I got dragged into Hyakki Yagyo, tingling with unease and being extra careful.

  "Raisen. Hikage. Come."

  At my call, they instantly ran to my side, glaring at the door. I call out to the door, waiting for a reply.

  "Who's there?"

  Silence.

  I grabbed the handle, slowly opening the door—

  But found no one. Even after scanning the outside. Right when I was about to close the door—

  "Ah, you’re finally home. Glad we could finally meet."

  A voice.

  But from where?

  Was it something invisible?

  Or was it... Nurarihyon sneaking into my house again?

  Just as I tensed—another voice called out.

  "I'm down here, young fella!"

  I looked down.

  As I glanced down, I found Tiny figures in black clothing standing before me. One of them looked... familiar.

  I furrowed my brows, trying to recall—

  Ah! It’s the Yokai I saved during Hyakki Yagyo. What was her Yokai name again?

  "...Koropokkuru?"

  With a stern look, he stroked his beard. “So? Are you going to let us in or what?”