Nurarihyon no Mago 10

(WJ 2008 #25)

Nurarihyon no Mago 10

-01-

[overlay text: Their serious faces…]

- All right, people…
- Ready…? Then…

- OK… Let's go!!
- One, two--!!

-02/03-

- Gwaaaaaaa! I lost again!!
- Damn! Rikuo and Keikain-san won again!
- Damn it-! Take it all… Just take all the candy you've won-!!

Nurarihyon no Mago
Shiibashi Hiroshi

Act 10
Rikuo goes on a Youkai Mystery Tour

(White overlay text) A chilly echo!! Thrilling! A chivalrous youkai story!!
(Black overlay text) The greatest danger closes in on Rikuo & the Kiyo Cross Squad…!!

(On map, top to bottom)
Mt. Nejireme
Kyoto
Osaka

-04-

- The legend of Mt. Nejireme…?
- I've never heard of it… Sorry.

- fufufu Well, I wouldn't have expected Yura-kun to know about it!!
- Only a youkai-maniac like "Youkai-sensei" would know about it!! Today, we're going to hear about this incredible legend!!

- That's why we have to brush up on our "Youkai lore"!!
- Let's go!! One more time!!

- This is one of the youkai training methods I thought up…
- Isn't this "Youkai poker" fun?!

- Ehh? Again~~?
- You call it youkai trivia, but isn't this just Indian poker?

-05-

- Don't talk rubbish!! Although these card look like poker cards, they're illustrated with a "drawing" and "youkai power"!! I had to figure them out them myself!!
- Before we go in… we must get ourselves as familiar as possible with nature and youkai!! Right, Shima-kun!!
- Y-yeah…

- The rules are simple!!
- Place the card against your forehead without seeing it. Then, judging from the expressions of the other players, you decide whether or not you should exchange cards!!
- Still sounds like Indian poker to me.

- The one holding the stronger youkai will win!! You will need "luck" to draw the winning card!!
- And!! You must be able to read the atmosphere, and even more, you need to use your "sense"!!

- (Heh heh heh… Everyone looks discouraged after seeing my card…)
- (I must have the strongest one… There's no way for them to win, so…)

- One, two--!! Show!!
- I probably have the Ushi-oni, right!?

[* Ushi-oni means bull demon.]

-06-

(written in background) Uwaaaaaaaaaa!! Nattou Kozou again~!
- This has nothing to do with how much you know about youkai, right?
- Weak…
(written) He's hopeless, this guy.

- (Ahaha…) I won again.

- Nura… You have some "youkai luck" don't you--… It's not normal, man. 20 wins in a row!
- Damn it! I can't stand it!
- Ehhh!?
- What do you mean!! It was all by chance! Chance!!
- I'm normal! Normal!!

- Ah, I'll go buy something.

- What would you like?
- Eh?
- But, the guy with the worst record is…

- It's fine, it's fine!!
- I like doing this!!

-07-

- Nura~~~ He's such a nice guy~~
- Then, cold orange juice please~
- (Hehe…)
- (That's our young master… the one who will become the head of youkai…)

- (Even with the youkai cards,)
- (He will lead them all the way…!!)

- (He's also… super popular…!!)
- (Again…)
- (She's at it again… staring at him with such… fervent eyes…)

- (She's been doing this since we left.)
- (All this time. Yes… this girl…)

- Yo-…
- Rikuo-kun, fight!!
- (Rikuo-kun…?)

- (I mean.)
- (Who are you!?)
- (And what group!?)

-08-

(Big bold title)
Team Hyakki Yakou President – Kurata

- Che…
- That Yuki Onna… How dare she pull a fast one—

- I'm the one who should be protecting the young master by his side.
- (No way, Aotabou. The way you dress really stands out, right?)

- Shit!! The young master's going on a long trip and we servants can't even be by his side!!
- Uwah!?
- President, are you angry!?
- The ground!?

-09-

- Let's go!! All of you~!!
- Ou!!
- Wah! What's that?
- We ain't gonna lose to the bullet train!!
- (Young master… I, Aotabou,)
- (Will do all I can to be by your side-!!)

- Fufufu… Homework from Youkai-sensei…
- We have to find our own way to the meeting place at the "Umewakamaru's Shrine"!!

- That's what you'd expect from the master… we'll just have to do it.
- "As long as we improve our "luck" and "sense", we'll find it…" I'll definitely be fine…
- Fwaaah~~ We're finally here~~
- I'm pooped~

- Kiyotsugu-kun~~ Where's the resort~~? Where's the hot spring~~?
- Leave that till night time!! OK, let's go!!

- Uwah~~ I'm looking forward to the hot springs~~~
- (written) Young master!

-10-

Box: 1 hour later—
- What the heck~~ It's all mountains and more mountains!!
- Of course!! This is training!!
- My leg hurts~

- Uuu… Are we really meeting in a place like this~~
- Doesn't look like there's anyone around though.
- Huff Don't be an idiot, Shima-kun. huff

- Precisely because there's nobody here, the youkai will come out, right?
- Probably, that is~
- Probably… you say?

- Hn?

- What's… that…
- Ehh?

-11-

- It's a little shrine… It enshrines a Jizou.
- Where?
- The mist is quite thick… I can't really make it out…

[* Jizou is a guardian deity of children.]

- Something's written there.
- Yeah. Can't read it though?

- Wait here, I'll go take a look.
- You're really eager huh, onmyouji.

- It says, "Umewakamaru"!!

- Ah.
- You're right.
(sign on rock) Umewakamaru

- Umewakamaru's Shrine… this must be it!!
- Well done, Yura-kun!! Just as I expected!!
- Right.

- You found it sooner than I expected…
- No wonder you're the Kiyo Cross Supernatural Investigation Squad!

-12-

- Who's that filthy guy?
- Ahh! It's you!!
- You're the author and youkai researcher, Adashibara-sensei!!

- Yup.

- Ehhh!?

- It is an honour to meet you!!
- Yup yup.

- This place…
- What is this… Umewakamaru?

- Ah, no… I'm so happy~~
- This is so… And young ones, too… How nice to have so many girls who like youkai…
- Uuuu…
- No… we don't like youkai…

- 13-

- Ahem… This is… the main character of…
- this mountain's youkai legend.

- Umewakamaru… It's the name of a young man who got lost in these mountains about a thousand years ago…
- He was on his way, traveling to the east in search of his long lost mother,
- when he was attacked by the youkai who lives on this mountain.

- Ohh…
- The youkai…

- He lost his life in front of a cedar tree on this land.
- But, his regret at not being about to save his mother…

- was affected by this mountain's spirituality.
- His sorrowful existence and form was changed.

-14-

- Umewakamaru became an "oni", a demon.
- He would attack anybody who got lost on this mountain.

- In order to stop Umewakamaru's rampage, many memorial tablets were placed on this mountain.
- "Umewakamaru's Shrine" is one of them.

- Well? Isn't it great? He became a youkai, you know—
- Hm…

- It sounds right… Kinda youkai legend-ish, right…?
- I didn't expect such a common old story though.
- Because this youkai-sensei and youkai training thing is just so…. It's not scary at all.

- Eh? You don't believe me?
- In that case, let me show you a little something else~~…

-15-

- Ufufu… Master Rikuo~ I was a little worried before we left, but now, this travel thing is pretty fun~~
- Do you know of any youkai called Umewakamaru~?

- Tsurara…
- This place… may be a little dangerous.

- (Young master?)
- Eh?

-16/17-

- This mist is really thick…
- It was completely sunny, though…

- Hn? What's this…
- That's a claw.

- Claw!?

- This is the mountain where the youkai lives.
- If you're scared of something like a broken claw, you're going to be in trouble.

-18-

- No way…
- For real!?
- It's here~~!?
- Youkai live… on this mountain…!!

- Lost in these mountains…

- The travelers are attacked by youkai…

- Its name is "Gyuuki".

[* Gyuuki is the same as ushi-oni, a bull demon.]

Box: Summit of Mt. Nejireme, Gyuuki Group Mansion

-19-

- Welcome home.

- Any change, Gozumaru?
- Lord Gyuuki.

- The prey have entered the mountain.
- Yo.

[overlay text: Darkness draws near with the treacherous Gyuuki as he lays his trap!!]

…end

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PS. Will be working on ch 11 today too. Stay tuned!