The Battle of Mt. Atago

The Battle of Mt. Atago (決戦 愛宕山, Kessen Atagoyama) is a one-shot by Mizuki Production based on an idea by Shigeru Mizuki. It was first published in January 2019 in Comic Ran Twins.
==Characters==
==Plot==
Long ago in the city of Edo, ghost stories are very prominent. Where tales called "Seven Wonders" are passed around, especially around Honju, Senju and Azabu. In these days, people thought that yōkai caused mysterious and unexplained phenomena.
In 1683, or Tenna year 3, a great fire broke out in Edo, where it would be called "Yaoya Oshichi Arson Incident". Several days later, Nezumi-Otoko visits Sunakake-Babaa's row houses or as most people call it the Ghost Houses, where Kitarō and others are discussing about the difficulties of yōkai living in human society. He informs them that the fire from the other day was actually caused by Wanyūdō. More strange events kept happening around Edo, all caused by yōkai. On one night, Nezumi-Otoko had a rare gambling win and decided to go to Yoshiwara. There he spent the night with a young woman, who turned out to be Hone-Onna. She tells him that any man who has slept with her will follow her orders. The bone woman then orders him to gather human souls from Kozukappara. As part of Tarōbō's command, she has Gasha-Dokuro eat the souls to grow more ferocious.
Several days later, Kitarō and Neko-Musume overhears that the souls at Kozukappara seem to have disappeared. They investigate and find Nezumi-Otoko, soon they are confronted by Hone-Onna. Kitarō quickly dispatches her, freeing Nezumi-Otoko from her command. However she gives Gasha-Dokuro the order to demolish Edo. As the giant skeleton rampages, Kitarō has Neko-Musume inform Sunakake-Babaa and the others of the rampage, while he calls Nurikabe for help. Nurikabe battles with Gasha-Dokuro, where the latter bites a piece off from the former's head. Their battle ends when Nurikabe seals Gasha-Dokuro into his body. At the Ghost Houses, Neko-Musume informs the others about Tarōbō, who Konaki-Jijii believes to be the Tengu of Mt. Atago.
Kitarō goes off to investigate at Mt. Atago, riding on Ittan-Momen he senses a large amount of yōkai energy and finds the remains of the Atago Shrine. They meet Tarōbō, who Medama-Oyaji states is the personification of Sarutahiko-no-Kami. He confirms that he is the one behind the series of mysteries happenings around Edo. Explaining that because of the fire during Meireki that was 26 years ago, that the Atago Shrine hasn't been rebuilt. Medama-Oyaji counters that the shogunate made rebuilding the town a priority, but Tarōbō cannot accept it. Complaining how humans always take priority, while yōkai are ignored. Because of this he caused the incidents in order to punish the humans, and if it comes to it, he will control the humans, believing that they only exist to serve yōkai. Kitarō counters him that the yōkai of Edo have always lived with the humans. Hearing this Tarōbō assumes that he is an ally of the humans, but he denies it and states that yōkai can live carefree, doing little pranks and scaring humans. Regardless, Tarōbō calls forth a group of Karasu-Tengu to defeat Kitarō, whose attacks seem to pass through them.
The others finally reached Mt. Atago, finding Kitarō fighting no one. Tarōbō sends a powerful wind, leaving Kitarō dazed on the ground. Neko-Musume and Sunakake-Babaa a try to fight him, but he manages to over power them. Konaki-Jijii catches the Tengu off guard and latches on his back, turning to stone. Kitarō wakes up and sends his Chanchanko to cover Tarōbō's face, who concedes defeat. Afterwards, Kitarō asks him if he will stop the incidents, to which he agrees. Nezumi-Otoko demands answers from him, asking why Kitarō was fighting nothing. Tarōbō explaining that it was an illusion he made so that only Kitarō could see. Nezumi-Otoko then asks if Hone-Onna was following him, to which he confirms and that he was controlling her with his psychic powers. Nezumi-Otoko complains about meeting her at Yoshiwara, which the others joke that he is going to get candle syndrome.
Tarōbō solemnly states that he just wanted the Atago Shrine to be restored, but Medama-Oyaji states that somethings are beyond their power. Thanks to Kitarō and his friends, Edo was kept safe. During the tenth year of the Meiji era, the Atago Shrine was restored.
==Navigation==
Category:One-shot manga
Category:Mizuki Pro