Prologue

(I guess the cats out of the bag.)

Rikou sighed as he shifted his backpack to a more comfortable position. He, Kana, Yura, Shima, Maki, and Torii were being dragged along on another "Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol Outing". Today they were walking the streets of a deserted part of Ukiyoe at night.

'Isn't it kinda stupid for us to be doing things like this when we're fifteen?' Rikou thought to him self. 'Well at least Tsurara and Aotabou are here too.' He glanced at down at Tsurara who had taken her usual post next to him. Rikou had grown several inches over the year and now towered over the girls and Shima. Aotabou was looking out vigilantly into the dark alley, ready to protect his master. Now that Rikou had become the new head of the Nura Clan they were even more protective than before.

"this is creepy! Let's go back!" Torii and Maki whined simultaneously, finally cracking under the intense silence.

"now ladies, ladies! Where's your sense of adventure? I'm sure that we will come upon a yokai soon!" Kiyojyuji said in his usual extravagant manner.

"that's what I'm afraid-" maki's words turned into a scream as a large tentacle came out of the darkness and wrapped itself around her and lifted her off the ground. Similar tentacles grabbed Shima and torii and swung them around as they yelled for help. Tsurara and Aotabou were also taken before they could change out of their human form. "Master! Run!" they both yelled as they struggled.

Kana was frozen with terror next to some trashcans. Kiyojyuji sat where he had been knocked to the ground, finally silent in horror of the real yokai before him. Yura quickly retrieved one of her paper shikigami but before she could use it she was caught by yet another tentacle.

Rikou felt his blood run hot as he saw his friends be taken one after another. His hair turned silver and black and his eyes went red. His back pack and uniform turned into a yakuta and sword.

Night Rikou coolly regarded the yokai, "I will make you pay for forcing me to expose myself to humans"

The octopus creature laughed, "and how will you do that little man?"

"like this," Rikou seemed to disappear before reappearing next to the lowest tentacle which held yura. Drawing his sword, Rikou cleanly sliced off the tentacle and caught yura before she could fall. Rikou landed on the ground and set yura down on her feet. She moved away from him quickly, suspiciously. Rikou smirked amused, "still don't trust me in this form, huh?"

yura shock her head before going to check on Kana. Rikou repeated the process with all his friend until all that remained of the yokai was a head and reforming tentacles. "how dare you!" the yokai shrieked as he moved forward as if to head butt Rikou. With deadly grace Rikou cut down the yokai reducing him to nothing but dust.

"r-Rikou-chan?" a frightened unsure voice asked from behind him. Rikou turned to face his friends. shima spoke again his voice to stronger than the first time, "r-Rikou what are you?"

Rikou paused looking each of his friends in the face before speaking, " I am Nura, Rikou the head of the Nura Clan of yokai."

"WHAT?" they all (except for kana, yura, aotabou, and tsurara) exclaimed.

"master?" a dejected voice spoke from behind him. rikou looked at tsurara curiously. tsurara peeked at him from beneath her bangs before lowering her head in shame, "i'm sorry. i was suposed to be protecting you but instead you had to save me causing you to expose your identity."

rikou reached out and patted tsurara on the head surprising her, "its alright tsurara, they would have found out sooner or later." rikou then adressed his friends, "why dont we all go talk this over at my house?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

rikou sat, still in night form, idly sipping tea as his mother and Kejourou fixed up his friend's cuts and scrapes, waiting for one of them to work up the courage to talk. not surprisingly it was Kiyojyuji who asked the first question, "so it was you who saved me back when we were little?"

"well i was really saving kana, you were just in the area but yes that was me." rikou said smirking.

"why didnt you tell me!" Kiyojyuji exclaimed slaming his hands on the table.

rikou looked at him, "i did tell you Kiyojyuji. Dont you remember? it was in third grade and you made fun of me because of it." Kiyojyuji slumped bak looking kind of ashamed.

kana looked at him in disbelief, "so you were Him this whole time rikou? when you saved me all those times and when you took me out to that yokai bar for my birthday. that was you?"

rikou nodded solemnly. before another question could be asked, karasu tengu came fluttering up to rikou's side, "Master! now that these humans know your identity it is no longer safe for you to remain here."

rikou sighed, "yes i'll have to lay low for a while. what a bother."

"yes for the safety of rikou and his friends he will have to leave the area temporarily of course," Nurahiyon said entering the room.

rikou arched his eyebrow, "oh? you sound like you have an idea, old man."

nurahiyon smiled, "there is a nice little school out in the country you could go to. a friend of mine is attending and i know you and him will get along."

"if he's a friend of yours he must be very old."

"yes but since he was reborn he doesnt look it. he has been having a few problems so i know he would appreciate the help even if it was from a yokai."

"ok so whats my new school called?"

"Cross Academy."