Ever since her engagement had been broken off, Jingu Saori's standing within her own family had quietly slipped to the margins.
But once the chaos of yokai and divine beings became public knowledge—no longer a secret to most of society—Saori, who shared a close relationship with Amamiya Ayami, suddenly found herself valued again.
The Jingu family was different from the Yamato clan. Though wealthy, they were ultimately still just an ordinary family. Perhaps they knew a little more than the average person, but in the face of a world descending into chaos, they weren't much different from anyone else.
When disorder reigns, wealth and influence mean little without the strength to protect oneself. Without that, all are equally vulnerable.
At first, the Jingu family had regretted Saori's broken engagement with a powerful military household.
But once Ren rose to fame—and they learned of Saori's friendship with Ayami—their attitude changed almost instantly.
After all, proximity breeds opportunity.
Saori was in the prime of her life, with both beauty and grace to match. Though she was a few years older than Ren, with Ayami as a bridge between them, the possibility wasn't entirely out of reach.
And if Saori could establish a connection with Ren, then the Jingu family would effectively be tied to the Amamiya household—a towering force in this new era.
Leaving aside everything else, even if Ren merely took the time to guide the younger members of the Jingu family, it would only be a matter of time before they transformed into a true exorcist lineage.
What? Ren wasn't fully human, but a half-yokai?
So what?
Wasn't Ayami herself living proof? She had formed a union with a pure yokai and successfully given birth to both Ren and Ruka.
For powerful families, as long as their lineage endured and prospered, small sacrifices were simply part of the equation.
Even if there were risks in forming a relationship with a half-yokai—even life-threatening ones—the Jingu family would still push Saori forward without hesitation.
…
With Yamato Miku and Jingu Saori both harboring mutual dislike, the atmosphere quickly escalated into an inexplicable battlefield.
A full-blown rivalry… between three women.
It was, to say the least, a rather bizarre situation.
In the end, it was the ever-kindhearted Ayami who stepped in to mediate. After much back and forth, the group finally managed to settle down and enjoy the hot springs.
As for poor Nurikabe—he had been assigned to guard the entrance.
Since everyone present was female, and both humans and yokai alike were beyond his ability to offend, he naturally had no chance of enjoying the bath himself.
…
Within the steam-filled hot spring, elegant figures soaked in the warm water, their silhouettes softened by the rising mist.
Ruka and the Yuki-warashi were clearly experiencing a hot spring for the first time. The novelty of bathing together had them brimming with excitement, and before long, they were splashing around and playing without restraint.
Thankfully, the entire inn had been reserved. Otherwise, their antics would have surely drawn complaints from other guests.
Then again… anyone who did want to complain would probably need to consider whether the two women standing behind them would allow it.
In a quieter corner of the bath, Yuki-hime—the Snow Woman—and Hagoromo-Gitsune soaked peacefully, occasionally casting warm, almost maternal gazes toward Ruka and the others.
As the barrier between the mortal world and the higher realm grew thinner, spiritual energy in the human world had surged dramatically.
Kumo-hime and Yuki-hime had now reached the level of true SS-class Yokai Kings.
As for Hagoromo-Gitsune… her strength had already climbed to a genuine SSS+ tier—the very pinnacle of what this world could sustain.
The reason for her rapid growth was simple.
Following Ren's instructions, Kumo-hime had mobilized her subordinates to gather fragments of the Sesshōseki—the Killing Stone—for Hagoromo-Gitsune.
Previously, she had only absorbed a single fragment.
Now, having consumed multiple fragments—combined with the increasingly dense spiritual energy of the world—her power had skyrocketed.
Hagoromo-Gitsune herself could feel it.
If she managed to collect all the fragments of the Sesshōseki, she would break free from the limitations of the SSS tier and ascend into a transcendent, "irregular" existence within the mortal realm.
After all, both Hagoromo-Gitsune and Tamamo-no-Mae were legendary yokai in their own right. The fusion of the two—no matter the method—resulted in a terrifying level of power.
Of course, "fusion" was a loose term.
In reality, Hagoromo-Gitsune was gradually devouring Tamamo-no-Mae's fragmented soul and assimilating it into her own. As such, her personality remained dominant.
However, having absorbed Tamamo-no-Mae's power, her presence had become even more enchanting—every movement exuding an overwhelming, almost intoxicating allure.
Originally, Tamamo-no-Mae's legend was no less grand than Hagoromo-Gitsune's.
But the fragments of the Sesshōseki did not contain a complete soul. And as a reincarnating yokai with an exceptionally powerful spirit, it was only natural that Hagoromo-Gitsune would slowly consume what remained.
…
With Ayami's approval, Hagoromo-Gitsune had formally acknowledged Ren and Ruka as her adoptive children.
Although Ren himself had never agreed to this arrangement, both Hagoromo-Gitsune and Ruka seemed perfectly satisfied with it.
For Ruka, having another mother who doted on her wasn't a bad thing at all.
Ayami was too strict, and her attempts at acting cute rarely worked.
But Hagoromo-Gitsune?
She practically treated Ruka like a priceless treasure.
A little bit of sweet talk, and anything Ruka wanted—so long as it was within reach—would be brought to her without hesitation. And given Hagoromo-Gitsune's current strength, there were very few beings in this world capable of stopping her.
Moreover, after everything she had endured in her previous life, Hagoromo-Gitsune had long since lost hope in many things. The warmth of familial affection was something she had never truly experienced.
So when Ruka clung to her and acted spoiled, she had absolutely no resistance.
As for Ren's distant attitude—
Hagoromo-Gitsune had come to a conclusion.
Ah… this must be that "rebellious phase" I read about.
It was a term she had recently learned from a parenting guide.
After all, Ren was far too strong for her to assert proper maternal authority. So lately, she had been working even harder to gather additional Sesshōseki fragments, determined to grow stronger—
Strong enough to make her rebellious adopted son finally listen to her.
When Ren had left, his power had been around the SSS tier—roughly equal to hers.
But if she could obtain more fragments, she was certain she could surpass him.
…
What Hagoromo-Gitsune didn't know—
…was that her information was already outdated.
After acquiring the Simulated Star Map and undergoing a "Demon Lord Awakening," Ren's true peak strength had already reached the upper ranks of the so-called "irregular" tier.
Even if Hagoromo-Gitsune continued to grow, she would at best reach the lower threshold of that same realm.
Add to that the vast difference in techniques and abilities—
If she wanted to establish proper maternal authority over Ren…
Well.
That was probably going to remain a lifelong dream.
Though, if she ever returned to the world of the Nura Clan…
She likely wouldn't even need both hands to effortlessly crush that unfilial brat—Abe no Seimei.