The territory of the Tsukigara clan is located in the Tsugaru Peninsula of Mutsu Province. Crossing the Tsugaru Strait from the port here leads to Hokkaido, known as "Southern Kuye" or "Ezochi."
It is said that the clan's ancestors were somewhat related to Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the Seii Taishogun who once slew "Acro King." They were likely descendants of an exorcist who accompanied the army at that time.
However, after night owl monsters raided the Tsukigara's castle, this territory was abandoned. The old territory, controlled by demons, is filled with a dense miasma.
The residents who originally lived in the surrounding areas were also forced to migrate south for fear of the demons.
Despite this, some mountain people in the nearby areas still have no intention of leaving the land where they have lived since their ancestors.
A group of hunters walks along a mountain path.
They are all mountain people from this area, making a living by hunting for generations. They have dark skin, carry homemade spears and iron forks, and wear clothing made from bear pelts.
In addition, the hunters also have hunting dogs tied to them with leather ropes. These dogs were purchased from exorcists and are fierce dogs with improved bloodlines, whose frantic barking can drive away demons.
The mountain people are naturally sturdy. The harsh living environment in the north means that those without the tenacity and resilience to endure hardship cannot survive here.
These hunters in the mountains are called "Matagi hunters" by the locals. These hunters go into the mountains to hunt bears and deer in the spring and winter, and spend the rest of their time farming at home.
Matagi hunters are also able to fight against some weaker monsters. There are many of them, and they possess special weapons and are familiar with the local environment, so they have no problem protecting themselves in the mountains.
At this time, the faces of these simple Matagi hunters show disappointment as they descend the mountain.
"There's no harvest again today..."
"I wonder where the bears in the mountains are hiding?"
"It seems that recently, the monsters that originally lived in the old territory have been moving south."
They are referring to some monsters that originally stayed in the old territory area, not the demons from Ezochi.
The Night Cry God and its familiars, those half-human, half-owl monsters, only gather in the castle and do not expand outward. This state has been maintained for several years.
However, recently, various miscellaneous monsters and lesser demons in the Tsugaru Peninsula have also begun to stir and move south.
"Recently, the monsters have been active, and they have eaten all the deer, wild boars, and rabbits."
The hunters chatted as they walked down the mountain. They were walking on a narrow mountain path, where even when looking up at the sky, half of it was blocked by trees, making it impossible to see clearly. The ground was covered with lush grass, making it extremely difficult to walk.
Fortunately, the hunters, who often enter the mountains, are used to walking on mountain paths. Just then, a strange sound came from the nearby woods.
"What's that sound?"
The group felt uneasy.
"It sounds like something is approaching from the trees?"
At the same time, the hunting dogs tied to the Matagi hunters' leather ropes suddenly stopped, their throats emitting trembling growls.
"It seems the dogs have sensed something too?"
The experienced hunter in the lead became alert. The old man reached out his hand and stopped the hunters behind him. The hunting dogs also stared nervously ahead.
"...Hee hee hee hee hee."
An empty laughter carried over, and everyone felt inexplicably panicked upon hearing this sound.
Then, above their heads, a huge and ugly face appeared. It was a lion-like beast with horns, abnormally large, and emitting a strong stench of corpses.
"W-What is that thing?"
Fear grew in people's hearts, and the hunters retreated.
This was a behemoth, the size of a small mountain. "It" stretched its neck from the treetop, and people could finally see the shape of the monster's upper body.
"Oh, God!"
People cried out in despair.
The hunting dogs were also afraid, moving closer to their masters, whimpering.
Before everyone's eyes, they could clearly see that the chest of the bizarre monster had hundreds of faces, men, women, old, and young. These people seemed to have been sewn on, connected together with their cheeks and scalps stretched to their limits. They seemed to be still alive, but their minds were broken, mouths open, making silent screams.
"Hee hee hee hee hee hee--"
The horned lion-shaped monster was laughing gleefully. "Its" back was lined with dense human hands, reminiscent of a lion's mane.
"You... what exactly are you?"
The experienced hunter in the lead, knowing that he was doomed, could only desperately ask this question.
At the same time, the lion monster did not attack the hunters, it just raised its head and looked towards the sky.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound of wind rang out.
Then, there was the sound of "flapping, flapping" wings opening.
The old hunter seemed to realize something and quickly looked up, his companions also following his example.
In the sky, countless black wings opened, and half-human, half-owl demon birds flew through the air like an army, forming a sky-covering scene.
"The Night Cry God's legion!?"
The old hunter felt a bone-chilling cold, and all the hairs on his body stood on end.
The so-called Night Cry God, in the Ainu language, is a spirit named "Kotan Koro Kamuy."
Kamuy means "divine might," referring to a being with a higher divine status.
This spirit was originally a Kamuy with a higher status than the Bear God, and also a spirit with protective power.
However, after falling, it became a ferocious and violent great demon. This is the so-called "Ara-Mitama transformation." The fallen god became part of misfortune and disaster, and its powerful demonic aura and power were difficult to overcome even if super-class exorcists gathered.
Moreover, there were also the half-human, half-owl familiars under the control of "Kotan Koro Kamuy."
Some of these familiars were its original Ainu followers, and some were captured humans, all of whom were directly transformed into half-human, half-owl demons by the evil god for its use.
The demon king and its familiars formed a huge demon army. They had been staying peacefully in the territory of the Tsukigara clan, but now they were unexpectedly moving out en masse. What did this represent?
"W-What is... going on... What on earth happened?"
The old man stared blankly at the sky, his eyes fixed on the dense, cloud-like army of half-human, half-owl demons above his head, and the gloom in his heart continued to expand.
The army of half-human, half-owl familiars did not notice the hunters on the ground, completely ignoring them, and flew straight past.
Black wings fluttered, and a few black feathers fell like leaves. The evil god's demon army, a vast expanse like dark clouds, swept across the earth and disappeared in an instant.
"Hoo hoo hoo..."
The horned lion monster laughed and laughed, then slowly dissipated like white smoke.
"It... it's gone."
A young hunter felt relieved and sat down on the ground, cold sweat pouring from his body.
"Yes, the monster didn't kill us."
All the hunters knew that it was obviously a powerful demon, and it would have been effortless to kill them.
"We... are still alive."
Everyone felt fear and great relief because they had survived. However, the old man suddenly realized something, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Not good--"
He shouted, "The village, they are going in the direction of the village!"
Only then did everyone reveal a panicked expression as if awakened from a dream, and they all ran down the mountain.
However, when the old hunter led the hunters from the village back home, what awaited them was a scene of devastation in the village after being ravaged by demons.
...
Kyoto.
The Hidden Cage Eye Agency.
"Lord Kukutsu."
A member of the Night Walkers handed a report to Kukutsu Kazuki, one of the guardians.
"News from Northern Mutsu: 'Kotan Koro Kamuy,' who had temporarily ceased activities in the Tsukigara territory, is now leading its familiar army south. Currently, several villages have been affected by the disaster."
"What?"
Upon hearing this news, Kukutsu Kazuki was also shocked.
He stood up straight in shock.
"...That evil god, as expected, has taken action."
This was originally predictable. After destroying the Tsukigara clan, the evil god who invaded Northern Mutsu from Ezochi briefly stagnated.
The Hidden Cage Eye Agency, the Yin-Yang Bureau, and the Imperial Court were all worried about this. This was obviously abnormal. If the evil god's target was the spiritual veins in various places, then it should not have stopped acting—but due to some information that they did not understand, the evil god did not actively act. However, this did not mean that the crisis was resolved.
The human-demon unrest one hundred and fifty years ago was still fresh in the Imperial Court's memory. Both the Hidden Cage Eye Agency and the Yin-Yang Bureau were constantly monitoring that evil god in the northern lands.
However, Kukutsu Kazuki did not expect this situation to come so quickly. He knew how much harm this would bring.
"Several exorcist families in Northern Mutsu occupy many spiritual veins. This time, if the evil god goes south, it should be planning to devour the spiritual veins occupied by their territories," Kukutsu Kazuki thought. "This time, the Kurohimeyama family will bear the brunt."
He suddenly stood up and walked outside.
"Lord Kukutsu? What are you doing?"
The Night Walker subordinate asked in confusion.
"I'm going to the Yin-Yang Bureau to talk to Genkai Meitan."
Kukutsu Kazuki said in a deep voice, "Now, only that lord has a way to deal with the current chaos."
