Why can't humans do it too?

“Of course, all we need to do is teach him to bare his fangs and bite,” Su Er grinned, a smile that sent chills down Araragi Koyomi’s spine. “Isn’t there a saying that goes, ‘If you want to hit someone, you have to learn to take a hit first’… Let him learn to find an opening to retaliate when he’s being hit.”

"Don't worry, vampires have a very strong regenerative ability. To be honest, I suspect that if you put him in the sunlight, the sunlight might not even be able to keep up with his self-healing speed."

Araragi Koyomi: "...".

“I see… then I can rest assured,” Nurarihyon’s eyes lit up, as if he had seen a piece of fine sand… a piece of uncut jade. “Training alone might be a bit boring. I’ll have Rikuo help you. Oh, Rikuo is my grandson. He’s very easy to get along with, so you don’t need to be afraid.”

'You're making me even more scared!!!'

Araragi Koyomi's sense of foreboding grew stronger. He began to doubt whether coming to Sue for special training was the right choice—and had Sue outsourced him? Outsourced him, right?!

Although this boy, who was just an ordinary human a month ago, was terrified, and both Sull and Nurarihyon could see his fear, he never said a word of regret until the very end, which earned him their silent praise.

Regardless of his reasons for deciding to become stronger, or whether he was willing to risk his life for the duel seven days later, only those who are determined and unwilling to back down can ultimately succeed.

So, you'd better take the beating.

Nurarihyon waved his hand and summoned his yokai companion, Karasu Tengu, asking him to find Nurarihyon. Araragi Koyomi also looked curiously at this bird-headed, human-bodied creature with wings, whose every word and action was no different from a human's.

That's right, that's what he thinks a monster should look like, but having only a long back of the head is a bit too strange.

"Speaking of which, you could be considered the lord of all demons and monsters, right?" Su Er stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Doesn't that mean you control a lot of territory and have many monsters that obey your orders?"

"It's not that he can be considered the lord of demons and monsters, but rather that Nurarihyon is the lord of demons and monsters," Nurarihyon said irritably. "What happened?"

"Hmm, I got some information from a weird expert. Have you received any unusual messages since a few months ago? For example, that the number of monsters has increased, that the monsters have become stronger as a whole—or that they have become more bloodthirsty? In short, that it's something completely different from what has happened in the past one or two hundred years."

"More bloodthirsty?" Nurarihyon gave Sull a strange look. "No, but the spiritual energy has indeed increased. The Onmyoji have also become much stronger because of this. Many little monsters have even come to us to complain, which has increased the number of Nura Clan members."

"Are there any other abnormalities?"

“If you really want to talk about it, well… when Gyuki came back before, he mentioned something interesting. I don’t know if it’s the anomaly you’re looking for,” Nurarihyon’s smile disappeared. “It seems like there are more yokai that have reverted to their ancestral forms.”

"Atavism? Can monsters also revert to their ancestral forms?" Suer asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Of course, for example, those yokai whose bloodline has been passed down. And the anomaly I’m talking about is here. According to Ushioni, in the depths of the forest at the foot of Mount Fuji, where no one has ever been, a yokai that had long since disappeared has appeared,” Nurarihyon said seriously. “Rather than saying that the yokai that have degenerated have shown the characteristics of their ancestors, it would be more accurate to say that their ancestors have appeared there.”

"And the years represented by these extinct monsters that have appeared are constantly going backwards, um, ten years, fifty years, one hundred years, two hundred years..."

Chapter Thirty-Three: Araragi Koyomi and Nura Rikuo

"So, ancient monsters are constantly appearing?" Su'er also became serious, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“Ah, your statement is indeed more accurate. Compared to the inference that the monsters are constantly reverting to their ancestral forms, Ushioni has the same judgment as you. Those ancient monsters are constantly appearing, but the progress of this year is still slow.” Nurarihyon refilled the teacup with tea.

"The words they used when communicating with the Ox-Demon also prove this point."

Suer knew what the old monster meant by those words: that these monsters were not born out of thin air, but had already gained their own experience and knowledge.

A moment of silence fell over the scene, for the news Nurarihyon had given was even worse than Sullane had anticipated—the frivolous blond-haired man wasn't lying; the situation was even more serious than he had described.

The monsters who had no chance to hide in the barrier and could only live and reproduce with humans to this day are no longer pure monsters. Their power has also weakened to the extreme in this era ruled by humans, so much so that they have to rely on a power called 'fear' to combine their own power with that of others to protect themselves.

However, ancient monsters didn't have such lightheartedness. They believed most in their own power, which alone was enough to move mountains and overturn seas. Such a feat is almost impossible for modern monsters, even for the lords of demons and monsters who have combined the powers of other monsters.

Not to mention that, to the ancient monsters, humans were not beings with whom they could have an equal dialogue.

But what about modern humans?

Technology has armed them with guns, bombs, missiles, and even monsters constantly hide themselves in barriers because humanity is becoming stronger. So how will modern humans react when they suddenly face a race that feeds on humans?

Those beings they thought existed only in fantasy works suddenly became reality, or rather, the alien races that had always existed within them could no longer hide themselves.

“You know, right? We yokai are basically divided into two types. One type is yokai formed from the transformation of various animals, and the other type is yokai that appeared because of human fear and fantasy,” Nurarihyon sighed. “Most of those yokai created by human fear over the past few hundred years have gradually disappeared as human technology has become more advanced. Even those that barely survived have little power left.”

"And these kinds of yokai that have disappeared from history are showing signs of gradually regressing and reviving in the areas controlled by the Nura Clan. Some small yokai have even witnessed their rebirth."

There was no answer. Sull simply rubbed the porcelain cup in his hand with his thumb in silence. He was thinking about the reason for Nurarihyon's question and was worried about it. The only good news was that, according to Nurarihyon, the era represented by these strange monsters was not very ancient, and the growth was very slow.

Is it because of him?

Because of him, Hinco, and Jibril.

Suer simply wanted a peaceful life, but he found that his simple wish was always shattered by unexpected events.

“I understand. I will investigate these matters in various places,” Sue sighed. “Give me one of your Nura Clan’s tokens, in case I encounter some troublesome creature and kill it, it will be difficult to explain to you.”

“Of course, here you go. Just take this waist tag; it contains my demonic energy,” Nurarihyon readily agreed, then took off a dark brown tag from his waist and placed it in front of Sull.

"By the way, if you encounter any yokai that still don't back down when they see this sign, or that do something heinous... please don't consider the Nura Clan's feelings," Nurarihyon said seriously before withdrawing his hand from the waist sign and sitting back down.

"...Don't feel bad about it, okay?"

"You're joking. The Nura Clan has always led its yakuza with chivalry."

Nurarihyon shook his head slightly in response to Sull's joking words.

A breeze blew by, the leaves rustled, and even the evening breeze felt cooler.

state!

"Old man, you were looking for me?"

The man, the tree—with a loud bang like a startled deer, Araragi Koyomi was startled by the sudden sound. He looked up and saw a handsome man wearing a blue haori, sitting gracefully on a tree branch next to the pavilion.

He's a real handsome guy, so handsome that even a man like him has to admit it, and the long hair that's revealed when he tilts his head slightly—hmm?

Oh, so it's the back of the head.

It has to be said that hairstyle really affects appearance. After having hair, even the long back of the head no longer looks out of place.

Araragi Koyomi suddenly realized who the newcomer was. This must be Rikuo, the grandson that the old, cunning man had mentioned. Well, he was also his sparring partner for the next seven days.

...The person who was about to beat him up?

Araragi Koyomi's friendly smile suddenly became forced. He looked to Nurarihyon and Souji for help. The two of them showed no surprise, presumably having already noticed Nurarihyon's arrival.

Like him, he was already familiar with Surnura Rikuo, but this was the first time he had met Araragi Koyomi. His yokai instincts, like Nurarihyon's, made him immediately sense the power within the black-haired man.

"Sit down, Rikuo," Nurarihyon instructed. "For the next seven days, you will be his opponent and undergo special training with him. During this time, remember to cancel any unnecessary activities and concentrate."

“…I understand.” Nura Rikuo realized that there might be more to the story when his old man looked unusually serious, so he nodded in agreement.

"Um, hello, my name is Araragi Koyomi, and I am... a vampire." After hesitating for a long time, Araragi Koyomi still referred to himself as a vampire at this moment, even though he always believed that he was a human and had a human heart.

But he's talking to a yokai right now, isn't he? Yokai are legendary creatures that only existed in fantasy stories before. In this situation, shouldn't it be polite to honestly introduce one's race in the real world when introducing oneself for the first time?

"Of course, I am still a human being at heart."

After thinking for a while, Araragi Koyomi added that sentence, and immediately felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart, and he was completely at ease.

Chapter Thirty-Four: When Men Get Together, They Will Inevitably…

Listening to Araragi Koyomi's somewhat strange self-introduction, Nura Rikuo first glanced at Sue and his old man with a puzzled look, but after not getting an answer, he sat down and laughed at Araragi Koyomi.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Nura Rikuo."

"He's a slippery fellow."

Sour squinted at Araragi Koyomi and asked curiously what exactly the Nurarihyon was and what the Lord of Demons and Monsters was all about. These questions had been on his mind since he sat down and listened to the conversation between Sour and Nurarihyon. Although he couldn't understand what the two were saying, he hadn't asked them because of the serious atmosphere at the time. Now he finally had the chance.

Rikuo Nura, on the other hand, curiously inquired about vampires. After all, he was just a country bumpkin who had never been abroad, or even left this city. Naturally, he was also very curious about vampires, these Western monsters, from various stories.

Putting aside the friendly exchange between the two young men next to him, Sull raised his glass and drank with Nurarihyon. There was something he had casually planted for fun, but now it had become important after Nurarihyon mentioned those ominous anomalies, and he wanted to ask about it.

"Nurarihyon?" Suer exclaimed, "Do you remember what my and Xinke's origins were like?"

His expression was even more serious than before, making Nurarihyon, who had originally intended to make a joke, realize that Sul was not just chatting and joking with him casually.

“I remember I already told you this when we first met. Have you forgotten it after only a few months?” Nurarihyon said seriously. “Both of you were great yokai from ancient times, but you were enemies at the beginning. Eventually, you fought each other with all your might because of a conflict, until both of you were seriously injured and on the verge of death.”

"Neither of them could sustain their lives with their broken bodies under those circumstances, and neither of them wanted to die there. In the end, they could only survive by merging their lives and souls together."

"However, even though the two had become one, they still quarreled constantly at the beginning, and even threatened each other with self-harm. It was not until a long time that the relationship gradually eased, and even love gradually blossomed. Eventually, they even became a god of marriage worshipped by humans."

"What? Is there a problem?" Nurarihyon asked, tilting his head in surprise.

He recounted the story of Suer and Xinke from his memory, and the old rascal was certain that what he was telling now was no different from what he had told Suer when they first met. But back then, the man opposite him had a look on his face that was both amused and forced to suppress his laughter. However, now when Suer heard the exact same story again, he had a serious expression that made the old rascal unable to laugh.

“…It’s nothing,” Su Er replied, shaking his head after a moment of silence.

[It has changed.]

'Yes, things have changed.'

Suer silently answered Xinke in his heart.

I still remember when they first came to this modern society and the Nura Clan, Nura Nurarihyon clearly said that Sull and Shinko were a great demon with two souls in one body, and that this had always been the case from ancient times to the present, and that there had never been a time when they were separated.

All of this changed because, during their second return to ancient times, Sull and Shinko, for fun, told Yakumo Yukari the fabricated origin story of their existence. Yakumo Yukari, who was later known as the Sage of Yokai, was the one who compiled the Great Yokai Chronicle and passed down their story. It was also she who first passed down their story.

The future has changed.

Sue had no doubt that in the original version Nurarihyon gave, the timing and method by which he and Shinko met Jibril again in this world was definitely not the great battle they experienced after they actively returned to the past.

Traces originating from the past continue to spread into the future, and the recent resurgence of strange and monstrous occurrences may be related to this.

Nurarihyon didn't know what was troubling Sull, so he didn't bother to ask. In his opinion, something that could trouble such a great yokai was probably beyond his ability to get involved in, unless Sull brought it up himself.

"Let's drink," Nurarihyon said, picking up the sake jug and refilling the sake cups in front of them. The open cups were just the right size for one sip.

"Yes, you are in good health."

"……In good health."