50 Ippon the Karakasa Obake

The ball of light hurled to the tree where Kivas carved the illustration of numerous youkais.

The three of them were dumbfounded, as the strong tree was warped by a typhoon of light before getting squeezed and reduced into the size of Angravada. In an instant, the blinding rays from the cocoon of light were destroyed as a long tongue protruded from a wide smile of a purple Karakasa Obake. A giant singular eye welcomed the gazes of the spectators.

"Gyoro!" the umbrella youkai exclaimed as his single geta-wearing foot landed on the ground.

"Gyoro!" Kivas parroted with excitement, even though he was still puzzled on why the ball of light particularly landed on the tree.

"Gyoro!" Semper joined, moving with the flow.

"Gyoro?" Angravada uttered, still couldn't fully make sense of what was happening.

With the entrance of the rain-deterring entity managed to strike them with anticipation and curiosity, the umbrella youkai retracted his long tongue, closing his giant mouth until there was only a singular eye that could be traced on the surface of the bamboo-material of the ancient umbrella.

Semper, seeing the cue, immediately established his communication channel with the umbrella youkai and connected it to everyone involved.

"Your original language will be translated to all of us, feel free to speak your mind," Semper welcomed with a grin.

What was heard by Kivas, Semper, and Angravada later was the voice of a young adult.

"My, my, I find it terribly hilarious to see a serow's head talking my kin's tongue without moving a tongue." The sentient umbrella showed a great expression of amazement from his eye alone.

'Said the one who retracted a tongue.' Kivas chuckled.

"Wooooah! It's a talking parasol!" Angravada's eyes sparkled at what had unfolded in front of her.

"It's technically Semper's ability."

Right after that, the youkai flinched and took a step back. "O-Oh my, it's my first time meeting a 'Kyouso' powerful enough to form an eerily human-like body," said the umbrella youkai with a hint of fear.

"Kyouso?"

"If my memory is correct, it's a large rat youkai who feeds on kittens." Kivas grinned with his already menacing set rows of large and sharp teeth. "They are originally weak, but learn from their natural enemy, and eventually bare their fangs as their hearts become warped. A harmful one, if I truly recall."

Angravada donned a deadpan. "Okay, I feel slightly insulted."

"You're not one of those freaks?" The umbrella youkai was genuinely surprised. "Are you a 'Tesso' then?"

"Okay, now what is a Tesso?" Angravada glanced at Kivas as if he was her encyclopedia.

"They are a vengeful spirit that appears to be a rat monk."

"You're knowledgeable, did you come from my era?"

"I come from the era where your kin are transcribed in a thing called the internet."

"Well, just to be clear, Mr. Umbrella." Angravada's fear of misunderstanding was written all over her face. "My kin is known as Rotataskh. We are good-willed survivalist and I can assure you that my ancestors didn't do anything remotely evil in their life, at least not the majority of them."

"Ayaiah, I apologize if I sound disrespectful then, my rodent friend." The umbrella youkai curved his own body to the left while letting his long tongue slither in the air. "As for our introductions, I particularly don't have a name, but feel free to refer to me as 'Ippon', for I was a part of my own former life as the well-known Ippon-Datara. Please meet with you all! Especially my summoner in particular, gyoro!"

"Name's Kivas, 'shady' to metcha."

"That was bad," Ippon followed.

"Name's Semper, there are 'rainy' opportunities to know each other, and one of them is now."

"7 out of 10," Ippon scored.

"We're supposed to 'crack' a pun?" Angravada was confused.

"Are you implying that our encounter is stormy?" Ippon expression went wry.

"Angravada dear, you're basically telling Ippon here that he is a bad omen," said Semper.

"Wha-"

"4 out of 10."

And just like that, Ippon the Karakasa Obake joined the party.

"By the way, what is Ippon-Datara?" Asked Angravada as she cooked the leftover snake meat over the fire.

"I don't know much, but they are simply a blacksmithing youkai with one eye and one leg." Kivas lightheartedly chuckled. "Now I can see why they were connected to the popular depiction of the umbrella youkai in some way."

"Youkai are truly fascinating entities," Semper followed.

"I can see that as one of the reasons behind your judgment, sir. But are you sure that leaving the mysterious ore to him is the right idea?" With her thumb, Angravada pointed to Ippon in the background who was fiddling with the weird ore that Kivas brought, wryly frowning with worryness. "I felt like he had a hidden intention when he offered to appraise the ore without us asking for it."

Kivas launched a bit of the uncooked snake meat into the air as it landed on his opened mouth. He did that because he wondered what raw snake meat would taste like, now that he was immune to things like salmonella. "The screen that pops up after I touched the red orb told me that Ippon have the ability to appraise or analyze any type of ore, even the one that doesn't appear in the era where youkai were formerly living." Kivas swallowed the raw snake meat, it tasted like what a raw chicken he imagined. "Besides, I doubt that the youkai we summon would do any harm to their summoner."

Angravada looked back, only to see that Ippon was grinning devilishly in front of the mysterious rock. She then gazed back to Kivas, confirming if he saw what she saw. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Kivas then remembered how most of the boons he picked backfired. "Okay, maybe not one hundred percent."

"I'll be monitoring the intent of what Ippon possessed then," Semper proposed. "Will that ease you up, brother?"

"Definitely." Kivas nodded, still traumatized by the ten death streaks that he experienced.

"Well, as of now." Semper paused for a while, raising the tension that was written on both Kivas and Angravada expressions. "He is excited."

"Excited to cause malicious harm?" said Angravada.

"Excited to craft a cursed item?" said Kivas.

"Just excited." Semper laughed. "There was nothing but excitement in his psyche and intent."

"My summoner and friends!" Ippon came back with a huge grin as his long tongue was holding the mysterious rock. "It seems like I have cracked the code!"

"Ohoho! Tell us what it is then!" Kivas implored with excitement.

"It's basically a simple bronze ore."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Turned out, even the infamous Ippon-Datara couldn't confirm the identity of the mysterious object.

"Hmm, is it because this thing is not meant to be an ore?" Kivas pondered. "You sure have the ability to appraise all kinds of ore, right?"

"Absolutely, gyoro." Knowing that he didn't really discern the object, Ippon frowned with self-doubt. "But no matter how long I appraise it, it's still a simple piece of bronze ore."

"Then why was your excitement off the chart…" Angravada muttered.

Ippon was simply too excited to finish off the first assignment given by his summoner. The life of a youkai was not the most respected one, especially with how they were brought into existence by the main drive concept of fear.

And just like a long-life blacksmith who had been accustomed to see the color of heated metal to precisely craft their art, Ippon could see through the heart of his client to determine whether his craft would be used for good or evil.

He saw Kivas' heart, and he was determined to satisfy his future request even though it hadn't been requested at all.

As of now, Ippon hadn't felt quite the shame like this one for failing such a basic assignment that he reached out by himself.

"If that's true, then this object that we're comprehending differently is not an ore at all," Semper sighed through his everlasting toothy smile.

"Well, let's leave the matter of this object aside from now on." Kivas took one of the snake meat that was skewered, balancing it on the tip of his limb. "Do you have any problem with snake meat, Ippon?"

"As far as I am concerned, there is no predicament that I remember over snake meat."

Seeing how it was easier for her to hold it, Angravada took another skewer and offered the meat without saying a word.

"I don't know if youkai needs to eat or even be able to eat, but why don't you join the feast for tonight?" said Kivas with a wide smile.

With how the people welcomed him, Ippon didn't think twice to answer the invitation with an equal smile.

"Then don't mind if I do, gyoro!"

The night went by like the wind of a calm forest. There might be an animal being swallowed by a carnivorous plant there and there, but most of the time, it was serenity in the work.

Ippon the Karakasa Obake wondered.

Whether it was a blessing that he was called by the light of the torch.