Meanwhile, on the other side of the bath, Miku Yamato soaked in the steaming hot spring alongside Ayami Amanoin, bringing up the matter of Ren Kuroda and Kuka Yamato once again.
Ayami, truth be told, held a very favorable impression of Kuka. After all, if the girl hadn't rushed over without hesitation last time, Ren might very well have been swallowed up by those pitch-black horrors.
But Ren and Ruki's identities as half-yokai had already been exposed. And the Yamato family was a prestigious exorcist lineage—Kuka was even its designated heir. That fact alone left Ayami deeply uneasy.
Ayami Amanoin herself had been born into an exorcist family. She knew all too well what those so-called "orthodox" clans were really like.
It wasn't that she opposed Ren marrying into the Yamato family. What she feared was the possibility that, once inside, her child would suffer unfair treatment because of his half-demon blood.
Her own childhood had been miserable enough. She refused to let her children walk the same path—let alone subject Ren's future children to something even darker.
"In that case… let's leave Ren and Kuka's relationship for them to decide in the future."
Miku paused briefly, then continued,
"There's something else I need to bring up. To be honest, I'm only doing this because of pressure from the other exorcist families… but I still want to ask you directly, Ayami—would you be willing to become the leader of the Exorcist Alliance?"
The so-called "Alliance Leader" referred to the head of a newly formed coalition of human exorcists—an organization created not only to resist yokai, but also to prepare for the looming catastrophe of the gods' descent.
After all, the Night Blade God had made it perfectly clear before—
To the gods, yokai—creatures who gathered faith on their behalf—were tolerable. But humans, who had abandoned reverence and turned instead to science, were the true targets of annihilation.
If the calamity of the gods truly arrived, some ordinary humans might survive. After all, even the gods would need seeds for a new civilization.
But those who wielded supernatural power—exorcists—would be the first to die.
In the gods' eyes, exorcists were the most detestable of all. They borrowed divine power, yet offered nothing in return. They neither spread faith nor upheld reverence. Instead, they allowed science to erode humanity's fear of the divine.
Once upon a time, only gods could perform miracles.
Now? Science explained everything.
And if there was no mystery… then what need was there for gods?
Worse still, exorcists—though individually weak—possessed the ability to resist. And in the new mythological order the gods envisioned, such resistance had no place.
So they had to be eradicated.
Naturally, those who stood at the top of the supernatural world had no intention of quietly waiting for death. Even if their enemy was divine, the instinct to resist in the face of extinction was only natural.
Thus, the Exorcist Grand Alliance was born.
And unlike the previous Tokyo-based cooperation, this one spanned the entire nation—uniting countless exorcist families under a single banner.
As for who should lead it…
Among the famed "Thirteen Great Exorcist Houses," more than half of the heads had recommended a single name:
Ayami Amanoin.
For many of the newer or lesser-known families who had only recently joined the alliance, the name meant little at first glance.
But even without context, one thing was obvious—
If figures of that caliber were backing her, then she had to be someone extraordinary.
And so, investigations began immediately.
They wanted to learn her preferences, her habits—anything that might allow them to curry favor with this potential leader.
But what they uncovered…
Was nothing short of shocking.
Ayami Amanoin—sole survivor of the annihilated Amanoin exorcist clan.
Her recorded appearances were few—so few, in fact, that there was only one confirmed instance.
And yet that single appearance had left an indelible mark on every exorcist who witnessed it.
The Night Blade God had been overwhelmingly powerful—an advance force of the gods, descending into the mortal world with strength that eclipsed everything.
At the time, only the berserk Hundred-Night Demon King had managed to barely surpass it—and even then, the entity had ultimately escaped.
And yet…
The very same Hundred-Night Demon King had been driven back by a single word from Ayami.
Even one of the legendary Three Great Yokai Kings—Tamamo-no-Mae—stood at her side like a subordinate.
According to the clan heads present that day, they hadn't sensed even a trace of spiritual power from Ayami.
And yet—
A woman from an exorcist lineage, accompanied by a yokai king?
There was only one logical conclusion:
Her power had transcended their very dimension.
That was why they couldn't perceive it.
As for the true identity of the Hundred-Night Demon King, the clan heads had sworn to keep it secret. But even the publicly known facts were more than enough to place Ayami at the very top of the alliance.
However—
Ayami herself had no intention of accepting.
Putting aside the fact that she was, by her own claim, just an ordinary person—
Even if she truly possessed such power, she still wouldn't take the position.
She hated exorcists.
Always had.
And while she could act a little childish around her children, Ayami Amanoin was no fool.
She saw right through their scheme.
They wanted her as leader not out of respect—but as leverage.
A way to control Ren.
Just like always.
Scheming. Manipulating. Calculating every move.
Classic exorcist behavior.
"Miku… you should know this already. I'm just an ordinary person."
Ayami's voice was calm—but firm.
"All I've ever wanted is to take Ren and Ruki somewhere far away… and live a quiet life. But these people keep trying to drag us into the center of the storm."
She turned, her expression hardening slightly.
"If you truly consider me a friend… then don't bring this up again. Otherwise… I will be angry."
With that, she stood and left the bath.
The shift in her mood was obvious.
At her side, Kumo-hime rose silently and followed, ever the loyal attendant.
Watching her go, Saori Jingu let out a quiet scoff, remaining in the bath.
"I thought you brought her here to relax," she said, her tone edged with sarcasm. "Didn't expect this was your real goal."
Miku Yamato leaned back in the water, her posture relaxed—yet her presence as imposing as ever, her figure accentuated beneath the rippling surface.
"…I don't exactly have it easy either," she admitted with a sigh. "Caught between both sides like this."
"But now that I've delivered the message, I've done my part. That's enough to satisfy those families."
She closed her eyes briefly, then smirked faintly.
"As for whether Ayami agrees or not—that's no longer my problem. I've said what needed to be said. They can't use this to pressure the Yamato family anymore."
She paused, then added quietly,
"…And even if she had agreed just now, I would've stopped her."
Because at the end of the day—
Her role as the Yamato matriarch ended there.
After that…
She would act as Ayami's friend.
Just as the two continued their conversation, the steam swirling lazily around them—
A sudden flash of light tore through the air.
A magic circle—intricate and glowing—materialized right in front of them.
And in the next instant—
A figure dropped out of it, landing directly before their eyes…