After returning home, Ren Kuroda first found the note his mother, Ayami Amanoin, had left for him. Beside it, he also discovered the address of a hot spring inn—and a jade pendant.
Apparently, even Ayami had realized that leaving the whole family behind to go on a trip might worry him if he came home to an empty house.
However, Miku Yamato had confidently assured her that Ren—being both a powerful yokai lord and an exceptional exorcist—would have no trouble tracking them down.
So before leaving, Miku had thoughtfully left behind an alternative method for using the Teleportation Charm.
As one of the most commonly used techniques among exorcists, the Teleportation Charm wasn't just for short- to mid-range movement—it could also enable precise long-distance teleportation through proper targeting.
The jade pendant on the table was the key.
It served as a locator, left specifically for Ren's use, complete with inscribed runes to guide the spell.
By now, Ren had been working as an exorcist for quite some time. Setting aside advanced secret techniques, he had a fair degree of confidence in his mastery of general spellcraft.
But when it came to the Teleportation Charm…
He had a bit of trauma.
There was no denying its practicality—after all, even now, Ren lacked any natural long-distance mobility ability.
It wasn't that he had never successfully used the spell before.
It was just that… none of those experiences had been particularly pleasant.
The first time he used it—right after learning the technique—he'd misjudged his spiritual output and accidentally teleported straight into Kuka Yamato's changing room.
Sure, he'd gotten quite the eyeful…
But for some reason, he'd ended up feeling like the one at fault—and had been forced to agree to fulfill three of her requests.
To be fair, he had already completed all three. They should've been even.
But the problem lay in that final request—pretending to be her boyfriend.
That had led to his second use of the Teleportation Charm.
And thanks to the Yamato household's barrier system…
He'd ended up teleporting directly into their bathhouse.
That time, he'd seen Miku Yamato completely naked.
And ever since then, his previously simple relationship with Kuka had become… complicated.
Those two incidents had left quite the impression on Ren.
So now, staring at the positioning talisman and jade pendant on the table, he hesitated.
The difficulty of the Teleportation Charm wasn't particularly high. In fact, both previous attempts had technically been successful.
It was just that—due to inexplicable reasons—he always ended up somewhere he absolutely should not be.
Still…
Gunma Prefecture wasn't exactly nearby. Even at full speed, it would take him dozens of minutes to get there—and it would be exhausting.
"…Fine. One more try."
Ren let out a breath.
"I've already awakened as a Demon Lord. There's no way I can't even use a basic teleportation spell properly, right?"
In the slime world, all of his power systems had been unified into magicules.
After becoming an awakened Demon Lord, that power had returned to this world as a combination of yokai energy and spiritual power.
His yokai energy alone had already reached mid-tier "Transcendent" level.
Of course, energy didn't directly equal combat power—but in terms of actual fighting strength, Ren was now firmly at the peak of that realm.
As for spiritual power—once his weakness—it had also grown significantly due to his awakening, now reaching SS+ rank.
That might seem modest compared to his yokai energy…
But in the current world, there were probably fewer than ten exorcists who possessed spiritual power at that level.
With that kind of strength—
Using a simple Teleportation Charm should've been effortless.
"Let confusion seize the pursuer—east becomes west, south becomes north.Those who chase me shall never find me.Stars of the North Dipper, step across a thousand miles—By the Six Jia reversal, ward off all calamity—Swiftly, by divine decree!"
As the complex incantation flowed from his lips, a glowing magic circle formed beneath his feet.
The runes began to spin rapidly—
And his body gradually vanished from sight.
"—WHAM!"
The moment Ren reappeared, he first felt a wave of humid heat wrap around him—
Then—
A sudden loss of gravity.
Before he could even react, his body plunged straight down into steaming water, sending up a massive splash.
Coughing from the unexpected mouthful of hot spring water, Ren quickly surfaced—
Only for his vision to be filled with blinding whiteness.
And two utterly stunned faces.
Miku Yamato.Saori Jingu.
"…Damn it! I knew this spell couldn't be trusted!"
Staring at what was at minimum a pair of extremely well-endowed figures right in front of him, Ren felt his soul practically leave his body from sheer embarrassment.
Inside, he was already screaming.
First time—a changing room.Second time—a bathhouse.Third time—a hot spring.
This wasn't a Teleportation Charm.
It was a Pervert Summoning Spell!
"Ren-kun really does have a talent for appearing in the most unexpected places," Saori muttered.
Her brain, however, had already short-circuited from overwhelming embarrassment.
Miku, on the other hand, was clearly far more experienced.
She swiftly covered her chest with one hand—
And then slowly revealed a dangerously sweet smile.
Realizing he was completely in the wrong, Ren could only apologize at lightning speed—
Before immediately dunking his head back underwater.
There was no helping it.
For a perfectly healthy young man, forcing himself to avert his gaze from such a sight was nothing short of torture.
So naturally—
He chose to submerge himself.
Out of sight, out of mind… right?
Except—
Hot spring water wasn't exactly crystal clear, given its mineral content and underground source.
But for someone like Ren—a half-yokai with exceptional vision—
That wasn't a problem at all.
He had intended not to see anything…
But now—
He was seeing even more.
"Wait… seaweed? In a hot spring…?"
At first, Miku thought Ren was being oddly well-behaved.
But soon, she noticed something—
A faint bloom of red spreading through the water.
Realization hit her instantly.
Her expression twisted into one of pure fury and embarrassment.
"YOU—!"
With a sharp motion, she brought her hand down in a chopping strike toward the water.
The force split the hot spring in two, sending water crashing outward—
And Ren's body—
Was blasted out like a piece of trash, landing unceremoniously on the edge.
By the time he hit the ground—
He was already unconscious.
Not from Miku's attack.
But because his brain had been overloaded by too much stimulus in too short a time—
And had simply shut down.