Seeing that Shigeharu was about to die under the ‘fiend’s’ spear, Fubuki could not help but scream; recognizing that the spear would pierce his body, Shigeharu involuntarily closed his eyes.

        ‘Master, Akikane, Natsuaki, I’m coming to you...’

        ‘Yatonokami, Hajikamiio, take care of Fubuki...’


        A loud noise boomed out, but Shigeharu did not feel pain. He opened his eyes and saw a giant tailed-spider standing in front of him. The ‘fiend’ had been blasted back by the spider, and its momentum backwards was only stopped after it had crashed through a few trees, snapping them. It climbed back onto its feet and stared at the spider.

        “Tuchigumo! What are you doing?” The ‘fiend’ yelled in anger.

        The giant monster named Tuchigumo replied with a stare from its six fierce eyes. Its posture appearing to be defensive of Shigeharu. Shigeharu felt a sense of familiarity with Tuchigumo: he suddenly recalled his close friend in the past —

        “Octie? Is that you?”

        Just then, the ‘fiend’ continued:

        “Tuchigumo, I know this is your turf, but these Onmyō practitioners have to die. If you stand in my way, I’d kill you too!”

        Tuchigumo did not answer. Instead, it swept its giant tail at the “fiend”, forcing a backward jump. Tuchigumo opened its mouth and spat spear-like thread straight at the “fiend”. Before hitting the “fiend”, the thread exploded into a web and entangled it. By the time the “fiend” broke loose, the three had already gone.

        Tuchigumo lowered its body and allowed the two climb onto its back. It then rushed all the way up to a cave at the summit. The two could finally take a rest. Being hunted throughout the journey was rough...Shigeharu looked at Tuchigumo:

        “Octie, what are you doing here?”

        Tuchigumo stuck out its thin tongue and intimately licked Shigeharu, signaling him to proceed through the cave. With the light of a weak Fire-jutsu, the two Onmyō practitioners walked to the other end of the cave. When they reached the exit, an altogether different place stood before them, as if nirvana had manifested before their eyes. Shigeharu read the words on the stele: ‘Secret base of Fubuki and Shigeharu, and Octie’; tears flowing out from his eyes, Shigeharu embraced the fluffy Tuchigumo.

        “ have kept you waiting all this time!”
