Chapter 42: Entry on Tamamo-no-Mae

[Kazue's POV]

It has been 1 day since the Tamamo-no-Mae's escape.

After being exposed by my ancestor for being a bewitching spirit. Tamamo-no-Mae fled to hiding. Fearing that the humans would find her and killed her off. However she had claimed many lives, disguising herself as many prominent figures consort or concubine. It was this period where she claimed the most lives, eating humans, especially woman and children. It was said that she was incredibly manipulative, where in order for King You to impress her, He did foolish stuff which ultimately cause his downfall. it was also around this time, where unknown to all, he had been covering her heinous act in devouring children around the kingdom.

On the night where the two warriors, Kazusanosuke and Miuranosuke found and killed the Fox spirit in Nasuno. Her spirit was embedded in a stone, becoming what we called Sessho-seki, also known as the Killing stone. The Tamamo-no-Mae's death affected alot of things, even indirectly ending the Heian Period. The stone where her spirit resides would killed everyone who touches it. 

The story did however continued, ending with the Buddhist Priest Genno doing exorcism and ritual on it. Calming it down.

But the truth was that all he managed to do was prolong the inevitable by casting a spell to seal her in the stones and trapping her inside. The stone was indestructible all these time. Until now. It's shattered and now Tamamo-no-Mae is free.

Due to Tamamo-no-Mae being a spirit herself, her eating up a animal spirit won't merit her in anyway. But eating a human does boosts her strength. So what now?

The Abe Clan being one of the more prominent clan who practiced Onmyudo as well as being the descendants of Abe no Yasuchika (Abe no Semei). My father, the clan head of the family held a meeting Onmyodo user to tackle the situation. Minor Clans and Monks from temples were also asked to assist in this situation.

The other problem we had from this is the Champions and Awakeners getting involved. The Nine Tailed Fox is evil but it does possess incredible intelligence, where she has information on everything in the world. Thus capturing her would basically mean that there are no secrets in the world. She could either be enslaved by them or she herself could enslaved the Champions and Awakeners. 

As the Clan head was still speaking. A Crow was seen outside the trees. Listening to us. I noticed it slightly too late, sending the Okami after it but it flew off.

"Kazue, is that what I think it was."

"Yes Father. The Norse Gods are involved now."

Thus this began the foxhunt for the Nine Tailed Fox.

There were traces of the clues that was leading to the Fox. But one prominent one was that she already travelled all the way at Gifu. There was a small village there that the inhabitants were all in distress. Why? The village children were all missing. I was dispatched from the little red dot country back to Japan to investigate. A team of Onmyouji was also dispatched back, with an someone I know well, Sasaki Kaguya. 

"Kazue-san, good evening to you."

"Good Evening to you too." I greeted her back as we make our way to the village to investigate.

We went around interviewing the villagers, the parents of the missing child as well as the Chief villager. One of the children's mom was in distort. She was in a state of shock that she kept repeating: "Pleasee...find...my...child...I..beg...you."

It was a very ominous look from the lady. It looked as if she has lost all hope in life." She suddenly ran towards Sasaki grabbing her shoulder and started shaking her and shout. "I WANT MY CHILD BACK. GIVE HER BACK TO ME." Her husband grabbed her dragging her to their room and said thank you for coming, ushing us to get out.

There were a couple of witness that said that the strange thing that appearednrecentlynwas an old lady who was walking through the village asking for direction. Some of them even point the direction of where this supposed old woman went off to.

We thank them for their time and was about to start heading to the next site when in that split second, I saw someone hiding a tail in between their legs. I turned around, to see who it was but sadly, there were visitors that were sending us off so it was hard to know. I prepared my talisman to cast a barrier in the Town to trap it when someone suddenly jumped on the one of the roof of the houses.

Me and Sasaki turned up to look. Only to find that it was the woman that was screaming to get her child back.

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Her husband was mixed around in the crowded shouted:

"Honey, What are you doing? Get down here!"

The wife's head turned 45 degree Horizontal looking at her husband before slowly unveiling a sinister grin. Before Sasaki could draw her sword, the wife lift her finger up, making it into a finger gun position, pointing at the husband before whispering the word: bang.

"AIEEEEEEEIEEHJ"

"RUN, THERE'S A DEAD BODY HERE."

All hell broke loose. The husband's head exploded up, similar to how a shotgun was aimed at a head.

The lady starts laughing maniacally looking at me and Sasaki's direction. 

"The Omnyouji of this age seemed to have really deproved."

I ordered the Okami to mauled, just for her to revealed her one tail out and grabbed the Okami by his neck. I pulled out my Naginata, jumping towards her and slashing her head.

But it came back nothing as it was an illusion. The Fox laughs as it jumps in the mid air laughing at the demise. When Sasaki appeared from below her drawing forward quickndraw Technique. However it failed as Tamamo-no-Mae use her tail knocking her back to the ground. She widened her distance, jumping to another roof. The rest of the omnyouji tries to cast spell on her but one by one they all dropped on the floor, asleep. 

"You are a special one...Hmm, how come you are not affect_____. Wait, that smell? Abe No Yasuchika?"

I put up my guard as I heard my ancestor's name portrayed from her mouth. 

"No, the smell is similar but slight altered. Hoh....You are his descendant huh." She says, smiling wickedly, looking like how a Predator hunts for their prey.

As she was ready to pounce. her tail suddenly starts to look translucent. She looked at it being Sighing and back to me.

"Looks like I'll have my revenge some other time. You better be ready for your head because of your ancestor." After saying that she laughs while vanishing towards the night.

I clenched my fist as I called headquarters to report the situation.

"Back up is on their way."

 

When they arrived. Several Onmyouji stood outside the village cast an array. Over the entire town. It returner the town back to normal, where nothing happened. How? They erased all trace of the Tamamo-no-Mae including any memories related to her. So the parent's of those missing children will never remember that they actually had a child. The memories poof just like that.

Was that the right thing to do? Lying to them about something that. No it's not. But it would make their lives better. Living their life knowing that a monster ate their child. That is the burden us Omnyouji have to live with.

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