The temple has been inexistence for almost five hundred years and it has been home to thousands of yokai and other spirits. After reaching its main gate the members of the paranormal group stood in awe at the magnificence of its architecture and size.
'Let's take picture first before we go in!' Torii suggested while directing the group to compress to be able to fit at the frame.
'Torii, take a picture of me and Tsurara, will you?' Shima shouted at the girl with the camera as the others disperse, he took hold of the ice maiden's arm and came close to her as much as he can.
'Fine! And one more for good measure.' Torii complied, she'd noticed before that Shima has had a huge crush oh this girl with white and black hair but the poor girl was oblivious to the young man's feelings.
Shima was so happy that he now not only had a picture of Tsurara but they're in it together, a dream came true as they say, he felt that he scored this time from the disappointing bag carry me not from the train station.
'Give me a hundred copies of that will you?' Shima reminded Torii.
'That's settle that, now let's move in!' Kiyo ordered the group, very eager to start the yokai hunt.
'Maybe we should pray and ask what is our future might be before the yokai hunt!' Yura suggested.
'That's an excellent idea Yura-kun!' Agreed Kana and Maki. And they've walked to the main temple first.
~~~ 0 ~~~
'Would they know you, master?' Asked the ice maiden as she and the master stood still outside the temple gates.
'Maybe. I could feel more than a thousand of them still lingers here but nothing as weird as like that in the old elementary school building, maybe because some of the ones living here were deities.'
'Yes, that would explain it. In that old school building that creepy crawler was so fierce.'
'We should go in now or the others may wonder where we are.'
And that was so true, Kana had seen them walked in together, Rikuo carrying the girl's bag and a warning bell had hit her prompting her to think the two surely have some secret of their own that she should know.
'Rikou, have you made your wish in the future?' Kana greeted him; she even hugged his arm and led him to the main temple while she waved at Tsurara to follow. 'They say that if you made a wish when you enter a temple for the first time it will come true.'
'It's just an urban legend Kana-chan.' Tsurara countered the brown haired girl.
'But nothing will be lost if you do wish for something, right?' The brown haired girl would not be outdone.
Tsurara only sighed as she watched her master and the other girl enter the temple. (Of course he would not contradict her even if the sky falls down.'
~~~ o ~~~
'Now we must group ourselves, Rikuo and Tsurara the first group, you girls (Yura, Kana, Torii and Maki) the second one, Shima and me as the third group, each group will take the north, east and west side of the temple and meet here after an hour and half and head south together before we exit the temple and consolidate our observation of the yokai on this temple.' Kiyo officially gave their assignments.
'Kana and Shima would have protested with the grouping but Kiyo had wrangled Shima's neck and Yura had herded the girls towards the east side of the temple.
Kurata (Aotobo), in invisible form, joined Rikuo and Tsurara for safety measure. 'I've met some of the yokai living here earlier Waka, they've said that it's generally peaceful here and some of the powers of the deities were increasing as people pray to them for good fortune and good health, but there are some bad ass who still play jokes to humans.'
'As long as people don't get hurt playing spook or pranks is all right.' Rikuo agreed.
'Hey, you!' Somebody behind them called.
'You yokai are new here? There isn't much space here for you to occupy, but if you have gold or something of value, I could find you a nice place to stay. You two married?' Asked the cat, in yellow overall and hood. His thick whiskers are very predominant.
Tsurara blushed, Ao readied himself, and Rikuo as always talked in a friendly manner. 'No, we were just visiting with our human friends. Are you the one in-charge here?'
'You show yourselves to humans and made friends with them?' The cat is astonished.
Rikuo brushed the cat's last question; instead, he did the questioning. 'So, how many tenants do you have here? How much do they pay you? Do they help humans as they come here to pray and make wishes.'
Out in a distance, the girls noticed that Rikuo's group stopped in the court yard. The boy seemed to be talking to the girl next to him, but sometimes they are speaking at the same time, and sometimes both of them would seem to be just looking at each other.
'What is with those two?' Kana asked.
'Maybe they have encountered their yokai.' Maki answered. "We should be going now, after that frightening encounter at Mt. Nejireme, don't want to encounter another one of them, now it's giving me a goose bump.'
'What's with you four eyes? I do the talking here, if you don't have gold, you can give me this onna to be my helper, isn't she a pretty young thing?' The cat eyed Tsurara with evil thoughts.
A red glint showed in the eyes of the young master. He pulled Tsurara behind him to shield her, but before he could say a word, Aotabo grabbed the cat's collar and said 'You may not speak like that to Waka!'
'Put me down, you big brute!' The cat yelled.
'Not until you apologize to Waka!'
'But I did nothing to him!' The cat tried to look innocent.
'You have offended him, us!'
'Put him down Ao, I'll spare you today, but no more next time.' The master spoke.
'Bah and who are you to say such thing?' The cat straightened his overalls.
'He's the third heir to the Nura clan!' Aotabo declared proudly.
'Third . . . . Nura clan?' The cat shook in fear when the words sink in. 'I apologize . . .' the cat bowed and run as fast as he can to save his ass.
'Maybe he did hear of the Nura clan and you, master.' Tsurara said 'Thank you for protecting me!' Her heart was beating faster now. (Master saved me one more time.)
Rikuo nods accepting the appreciation. 'Let's move on, we can look around for another fifteen minutes then we can head back to the front gate.'
~~~~~0~~~~
'What am I going to do with myself?' Kiyo, as always, finds himself frustrated after not finding a single yokai at the temple. 'I think Shima is luckier than me, how many did you find?'
'Ano . . . . I must have seen at least two . . . . a hair yokai and an eye yokai . . . . I'm not so sure though, it was just as fast as a blink, one moment they are there then they're gone.'
'I'm glad we didn't find one, Maki's hair in her arms stood when we pass by a room with lots and lots of statues, gladly nothing moved!' Torii commented
'I've sensed a great yokai here but haven't seen one, I guess those that live here don't want to bother or don't bother with humans. To each, his own.' Yura explained.
'How about your group Nura, what did you encounter? Any luck with any form of yokai?' Kiyo asked.
Rikuo would gladly tell them their encounter with the crook neko yokai they have encountered trying to swindle them of gold, but he thought Kiyo would never hear the end of it and he will force Rikuo and Tsurara to show him the neko yokai.
'We didn't see anything. We've looked around every accessible room, but we haven't seen anything unusual, not even a chair that is out of place.' Rikuo told them, Tsurara nods as he speak, confirming what he reports.
'Maybe Shima is our "seer", but he must train his skills and focus on what he sees that is unusual to the naked eye. I'm counting on you my boy!' Kiyo taps Shima's shoulder. 'Come, let us taste Fujiwara's famous dango then head for the best yakisoba house in the area.
~~~~~~0~~~~~
'Would you like some tokoyaki or torikaraage with your yakisoba, Oikawa-san? Asked the very concerned boy with yellow hair.
Afraid that Shima's concern would create a small friction, Rikuo seated between Shima and Kiyo, immediately put two cuts of unagi in Tsurara's saucer. 'Thank you Rikuo-sama, I'm glad you remembered my favourite fish!'
'Awwk! He beat me to it again!' Shima said to himself, now wondering how did the Nura boy knew things about his Oikawa-san.
'Maybe you would like hot tea to go with it?' Kiyo tried joining in with the two boy's small competition.
Trying not to let Kiyo get any point either. 'She likes it better with milkshake.'
Now the other girls begin to wonder how close Rikuo is with Tsurara, and what secrets they are keeping.
'Let's take picture first before we go in!' Torii suggested while directing the group to compress to be able to fit at the frame.
'Torii, take a picture of me and Tsurara, will you?' Shima shouted at the girl with the camera as the others disperse, he took hold of the ice maiden's arm and came close to her as much as he can.
'Fine! And one more for good measure.' Torii complied, she'd noticed before that Shima has had a huge crush oh this girl with white and black hair but the poor girl was oblivious to the young man's feelings.
Shima was so happy that he now not only had a picture of Tsurara but they're in it together, a dream came true as they say, he felt that he scored this time from the disappointing bag carry me not from the train station.
'Give me a hundred copies of that will you?' Shima reminded Torii.
'That's settle that, now let's move in!' Kiyo ordered the group, very eager to start the yokai hunt.
'Maybe we should pray and ask what is our future might be before the yokai hunt!' Yura suggested.
'That's an excellent idea Yura-kun!' Agreed Kana and Maki. And they've walked to the main temple first.
~~~ 0 ~~~
'Would they know you, master?' Asked the ice maiden as she and the master stood still outside the temple gates.
'Maybe. I could feel more than a thousand of them still lingers here but nothing as weird as like that in the old elementary school building, maybe because some of the ones living here were deities.'
'Yes, that would explain it. In that old school building that creepy crawler was so fierce.'
'We should go in now or the others may wonder where we are.'
And that was so true, Kana had seen them walked in together, Rikuo carrying the girl's bag and a warning bell had hit her prompting her to think the two surely have some secret of their own that she should know.
'Rikou, have you made your wish in the future?' Kana greeted him; she even hugged his arm and led him to the main temple while she waved at Tsurara to follow. 'They say that if you made a wish when you enter a temple for the first time it will come true.'
'It's just an urban legend Kana-chan.' Tsurara countered the brown haired girl.
'But nothing will be lost if you do wish for something, right?' The brown haired girl would not be outdone.
Tsurara only sighed as she watched her master and the other girl enter the temple. (Of course he would not contradict her even if the sky falls down.'
~~~ o ~~~
'Now we must group ourselves, Rikuo and Tsurara the first group, you girls (Yura, Kana, Torii and Maki) the second one, Shima and me as the third group, each group will take the north, east and west side of the temple and meet here after an hour and half and head south together before we exit the temple and consolidate our observation of the yokai on this temple.' Kiyo officially gave their assignments.
'Kana and Shima would have protested with the grouping but Kiyo had wrangled Shima's neck and Yura had herded the girls towards the east side of the temple.
Kurata (Aotobo), in invisible form, joined Rikuo and Tsurara for safety measure. 'I've met some of the yokai living here earlier Waka, they've said that it's generally peaceful here and some of the powers of the deities were increasing as people pray to them for good fortune and good health, but there are some bad ass who still play jokes to humans.'
'As long as people don't get hurt playing spook or pranks is all right.' Rikuo agreed.
'Hey, you!' Somebody behind them called.
'You yokai are new here? There isn't much space here for you to occupy, but if you have gold or something of value, I could find you a nice place to stay. You two married?' Asked the cat, in yellow overall and hood. His thick whiskers are very predominant.
Tsurara blushed, Ao readied himself, and Rikuo as always talked in a friendly manner. 'No, we were just visiting with our human friends. Are you the one in-charge here?'
'You show yourselves to humans and made friends with them?' The cat is astonished.
Rikuo brushed the cat's last question; instead, he did the questioning. 'So, how many tenants do you have here? How much do they pay you? Do they help humans as they come here to pray and make wishes.'
Out in a distance, the girls noticed that Rikuo's group stopped in the court yard. The boy seemed to be talking to the girl next to him, but sometimes they are speaking at the same time, and sometimes both of them would seem to be just looking at each other.
'What is with those two?' Kana asked.
'Maybe they have encountered their yokai.' Maki answered. "We should be going now, after that frightening encounter at Mt. Nejireme, don't want to encounter another one of them, now it's giving me a goose bump.'
'What's with you four eyes? I do the talking here, if you don't have gold, you can give me this onna to be my helper, isn't she a pretty young thing?' The cat eyed Tsurara with evil thoughts.
A red glint showed in the eyes of the young master. He pulled Tsurara behind him to shield her, but before he could say a word, Aotabo grabbed the cat's collar and said 'You may not speak like that to Waka!'
'Put me down, you big brute!' The cat yelled.
'Not until you apologize to Waka!'
'But I did nothing to him!' The cat tried to look innocent.
'You have offended him, us!'
'Put him down Ao, I'll spare you today, but no more next time.' The master spoke.
'Bah and who are you to say such thing?' The cat straightened his overalls.
'He's the third heir to the Nura clan!' Aotabo declared proudly.
'Third . . . . Nura clan?' The cat shook in fear when the words sink in. 'I apologize . . .' the cat bowed and run as fast as he can to save his ass.
'Maybe he did hear of the Nura clan and you, master.' Tsurara said 'Thank you for protecting me!' Her heart was beating faster now. (Master saved me one more time.)
Rikuo nods accepting the appreciation. 'Let's move on, we can look around for another fifteen minutes then we can head back to the front gate.'
~~~~~0~~~~
'What am I going to do with myself?' Kiyo, as always, finds himself frustrated after not finding a single yokai at the temple. 'I think Shima is luckier than me, how many did you find?'
'Ano . . . . I must have seen at least two . . . . a hair yokai and an eye yokai . . . . I'm not so sure though, it was just as fast as a blink, one moment they are there then they're gone.'
'I'm glad we didn't find one, Maki's hair in her arms stood when we pass by a room with lots and lots of statues, gladly nothing moved!' Torii commented
'I've sensed a great yokai here but haven't seen one, I guess those that live here don't want to bother or don't bother with humans. To each, his own.' Yura explained.
'How about your group Nura, what did you encounter? Any luck with any form of yokai?' Kiyo asked.
Rikuo would gladly tell them their encounter with the crook neko yokai they have encountered trying to swindle them of gold, but he thought Kiyo would never hear the end of it and he will force Rikuo and Tsurara to show him the neko yokai.
'We didn't see anything. We've looked around every accessible room, but we haven't seen anything unusual, not even a chair that is out of place.' Rikuo told them, Tsurara nods as he speak, confirming what he reports.
'Maybe Shima is our "seer", but he must train his skills and focus on what he sees that is unusual to the naked eye. I'm counting on you my boy!' Kiyo taps Shima's shoulder. 'Come, let us taste Fujiwara's famous dango then head for the best yakisoba house in the area.
~~~~~~0~~~~~
'Would you like some tokoyaki or torikaraage with your yakisoba, Oikawa-san? Asked the very concerned boy with yellow hair.
Afraid that Shima's concern would create a small friction, Rikuo seated between Shima and Kiyo, immediately put two cuts of unagi in Tsurara's saucer. 'Thank you Rikuo-sama, I'm glad you remembered my favourite fish!'
'Awwk! He beat me to it again!' Shima said to himself, now wondering how did the Nura boy knew things about his Oikawa-san.
'Maybe you would like hot tea to go with it?' Kiyo tried joining in with the two boy's small competition.
Trying not to let Kiyo get any point either. 'She likes it better with milkshake.'
Now the other girls begin to wonder how close Rikuo is with Tsurara, and what secrets they are keeping.