At the Hour of Meeting Demons, the stars and moon began to fade.
Clusters of blue ghost fire drifted through the deep night sky, with mournful, resentful human faces faintly visible within them.
"Ooooh..."
"Hee, hahaha!"
Half-human, half-beast creatures, including half-bald, green-skinned Kappa and black Tesso as large as pigs and sheep, stood upright, making strange, almost human cries as they swaggered through the streets.
Tsukumogami born from objects-old folding screens, paper umbrellas, and shamisen with eyes or limbs-hopped along among them.
Even more skeletons and nameless, bizarrely shaped monsters mingled with the procession.
This was a celebration belonging exclusively to inhuman beings: the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!
"Amitabha, Lord of Mount Tai, Great Being Avalokiteshvara..."
Watching the procession of monsters draw closer and closer, the two Special Brigade soldiers abruptly snapped out of their daze and scrambled in panic.
The young man's lips had gone white with fear, while Imanishi's face was ashen as he clutched the assault rifle in his arms.
"Damn it, why are they here?!"
Their little sentry post stood directly in the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons' path. It was too late to call for help. Their only option now was to stake everything on their guns and shoot their way out.
"Monsters, get a taste of what I can do!"
With a click, Imanishi steeled himself, flicked off the safety, and aimed the dark muzzle at the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
"Ratatatat!!!"
The violent gunfire made the young man's eyes widen.
Imanishi had actually fucking opened fire!
Wasn't that asking to die?
To his utter surprise, the rampaging monsters were stunned by the burst of gunfire. Several at the very front were shot down on the spot.
"Hahahaha! That's right! Die, all of you!"
Laughing like a madman, Imanishi