Night Parade Picture Scroll

The Night Parade Picture Scroll as seen in Forbidden Scrollery

The Night Parade Picture Scroll (百鬼夜行絵巻 hyakki yakou emaki) is an illustrated scroll presented as a continuation of the original Night Parade Scroll (百鬼夜行図, Hyakki yakou zu). Held by Kosuzu Motoori, it is the cause of an incident that takes place every night in the Human Village in chapters four and five of Forbidden Scrollery. It also reappears in chapter nine of the same series, allowing the evil dragon to return to its original form.

It takes the form of a scroll of parchment which, as it is unrolled, reveals numerous images of youkais.

General Information

At first discovered in Suzunaan by Mamizou Futatsuiwa, this scroll turns out to be a demon book which keeps many youkais sealed in it. Because of the strong demonic energy it emanates when it is opened, it gives life to many tsukumogami who gather every night in a big parade with tanuki in the fourth and fifth chapters of Forbidden Scrollery. In the early morning, all these newborn tsukumogami go to Kosuzu's store to wait for the next sunset. Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, after discovering the source of the incident, go to Suzunaan to warn Kosuzu about the danger of the scroll, and that it should not be opened or sold to anyone. The young shopkeeper promises them, and declines the offer of Mamizou Futatsuiwa who comes to buy the scroll some time later. The latter warns Kosuzu not to open the scroll illustrated with the night parade more than once a month, under penalty of resurrecting a powerful and terrifying youkai. The girl obeys her and decides to open the scroll every night of the full moon, not knowing that the evil energy it contains continues to grow little by little.

In chapter nine of Forbidden Scrollery, Marisa Kirisame examines the illustrated scroll under the orders of a small white snake she found on the outskirts of the Human Village. The magician is however deceived by the reptile, and then involuntarily gives back her youkai powers, sealed long ago inside the scroll by an old witch. Having become an evil dragon, the snake no longer appears inside the picture scroll of the night parade; instead, the paper has become entirely white, a sign that the creature kept inside has been freed.

In the final arc of Forbidden Scrollery, Yukari Yakumo instigated Kosuzu into reading the scroll. By reading the scroll, Kosuzu attacked Marisa and later Mamizou. It was ultimately defeated by Mamizou and her Tanuki squad under the full moon. After the battle, Mamizou is now in possession of the Night Parade Picture Scroll.

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