Kakuriyo, our hidden realm, where no mortals can access without experiencing the perils.
It trapped and transformed those who survive into our kind. By the time they exit Kakuriyo in their yōkai form, let's just say that they have lost all semblance to the mortal whom they once were.
Even the netherworld of the Japanese gods, Yomi-no-Kuni, does not connect to Kakuriyo. Death itself and its shinigami minions cannot pass through the veil.
Every yōkai who loses all of their energy force will fade into the mortal realm for Death and gang to claim them. All, except one of the Gods, can enter as their energy is like ours. Only Izanami-no-Mikoto, ruler of the netherworld, can't. Something to do with her aura being incompatible with Kakuriyo.
Studio Ghibli projected a humorous and rather benign image of Kakuriyo through their movie, 'Spirited Away'.
The mists of Kakuriyo are far from the placid place which kids hope for in their family cars when they pass under the many tunnels. Only through our energy we can transform the dimensions of Kakuriyo into our lairs, storage facilities and even council meeting rooms.
Kakuriyo is nothing like the mortal realm, where physical material takes precedence over the spiritual. Our energy, which has no known origin, transformed it into anything we wished. No yōkai cares to question or research on the nature of Kakuriyo.
"You have to be fucking joking," I muttered to Daija beside me.
Before us stood the latest steel monstrosity which Grand Council of the Daiyōkai created as the national headquarters - a damn skyscraper shooting upwards to Takamagahara's direction.
They wove everything of Kakuriyo's energy. The steel was not steel, just made to simulate it.
"Why are you even surprised? At least, it is in the middle of this old Hei-an city replica," Daija said.
"If they tell us to use currency, instead of bartering…"
"I will just quit Kakuriyo and try to take over the mortal realm of Japan again," the recognisable voice of Yako behind us interrupted my words as he made his way to the building in his kitsune form.
The junior Daiyōkai stood either in awe of him while the older ones greeted him, aware of the historical chaos this Kitsune Daiyōkai caused. I felt like kicking him in his ass for that swagger.
"Or the seas," Tokaiyo the Ikuchi said as we spotted its spectral serpentine body. The Ikuchi are our cousins of the ocean. Tokaiyo is the current representative of their kind.
"If the Loch Ness of Scotland comes over, we have a problem with the lakes," he teased Daija.
Others were arriving in all shapes and entering the building whose entrance would accommodate any size or shape of the Daiyōkai.
Some representatives, like the yamawarawa, the mountain yōkai of Kyushu, looked like an innocent child on his way to the playground. A few lightnings streaked across and struck the building, heralding the Raiju, the lightning yōkai.
The Raiju was one of the oldest Daiyōkai who kept to themselves. They did not bother with most matters and seldom turned up for council meetings. However, the news of foreign yōkai infiltration must have interested them.
Their patron gods are Raijin, the chief lightning god, and the eight junior lightning gods. All of whom are no fans of the new. Maybe Takamagahara wants to keep tabs on our news, because it affected them too.
A growl from an onikuma, a bear yōkai, of Hokkaido attracted our attention as it rose in full height over the satori of Chubu, a monkey yōkai. Those two were always arguing during council meetings. Come to think of it, I have not seen them at peace in past meetings.
The long armored body of a Ōmukade, a centipede yōkai, slithered past the two and climbed the steel pillars of the building.
They could take human form, if they wished. The only reason to assume their intimidating true form was to avoid speaking to anyone.
Sojobo gave them an affectionate nickname - Ōmu, after the fluffy omelette dish, for they were often symbiotic neighbours of the Tengu who kept to themselves. The Tengu did not like visitors and the Ōmukade scared any curious yōkai or human off their mountains.
A yōkai bull's head on a spider like body, the Ushi Oni of Shikoku, waved one of its eight legs at the old enormous skeletal body of the old Gashodokuro, which arose from the bottom of Kakuriyo.
"Still, old war buddies huh," Nurarihyon commented on them as he joined us.
"Must have known each other when the humans here invaded Korea in the 16th century. But doesn't the Gashadokuro form out of 1000 abandoned bodies." Daija tilted his head.
"Don't forget the Mongol invasion and the Sengoku period along with every other war we had between our kind," Tokaiyo said as he bowed to a few other snake yōkai.
He then pointed at the dark specks in the skies, "Guess the Tengu are majority again. Every damn region has a Tengu Daiyōkai in the council. Even us serpents don't have enough Daiyōkai to cover all the regions. Let alone gods."
"There are the Mishakuji, whom I have met," I said.
"The reclusive Mishakuji hardly ever speak. They were invited to the Tohoku council of Daiyōkai, given their powers. Never showed up once, hence they only have one empty seat every meeting," Tokaiyo said. "Heard you are working for Arahabaki."
"Nah, working with," I corrected him.
Tokaiyo shook his head and chuckled. "Arahabaki, if he forsakes his godly status, he has enough strength to lead us all serpents. Old god and all. Takamagahara is shit scared of him rebelling."
I can see why - his war form, even when restrained, was emanating enough power to crush me, had Asanki not cast a protective shield.
"I believe that a few of the Daiyōkai wants to eliminate the foreign yōkai. The turn out is rather good. I have not seen so many Daiyōkai coming for one meeting," Ikuchi muttered as he eyed more of our kind coming.
Portals were opening all over.
"What are the main foreign yōkai entering nowadays?"
Ikuchi would know - his kind roamed the coastlines and would have encountered the land yōkai from the southeast to the north.
"Doesn't bother us in the oceans - we are only bored and here for some entertainment. The land yōkai mentioned werewolves, not just your encounter, then vampires and western demons. Plus djinns or whatever they are called. Some had occupied Tottori's sand dunes and the sunakake baba hates them," Ikuchi shrugged.
"Those old witches are still territorial over sand?" Daija chuckled. "they used to get grouchy if anyone touched the sand on the river banks of Lake Onuma."
"Considering your only power is throwing sand and blinding people for fun, I am not surprised. We even thought they were humans at one stage with that meagre power. But yeah, everyone has their own agenda today and I won't be surprised if it runs for five days." He urged us on towards the entrance.