Since ancient times, most living creatures had feared fire—especially insects, whose instinctive terror of flames was deeply ingrained.
Yokai, though they had long transcended the limitations of ordinary lifeforms in many ways, still retained certain inherent weaknesses that could never be completely erased.
And the power of the Candlelight God was, without question, tied to flame and illumination. After all, in ancient times, she had been a guiding light for humanity in the darkness.
The fire surged forward like fangs.
In an instant, it swallowed the oncoming spider horde whole.
With just a single exchange, the ferocious swarm that had filled the forest moments ago was reduced to nothing. Amid shrill, agonized screeches, the spiders were incinerated into charred husks, their bodies collapsing into blackened ash that released the unmistakable scent of roasted flesh.
Spiders were creatures that feared fire by nature.
Of course, as yokai—especially those of A-rank and above—they possessed a certain degree of resistance to flames.
But the fire wielded by a god… could it possibly be ordinary?
Not even a minute. Not even a moment of delay.
Jorōgumo's entire army had been wiped out in an instant.
Watching this, her expression turned grim, silver teeth clenched tightly.
As an SS+ class yokai, her threads were as strong as steel—resistant even to fire and water.
And yet, moments earlier, she had attempted to bind the Candlelight God with her threads to stall for time.
The result?
Utterly ineffective.
Threads that could withstand ordinary flames—or even fire-based exorcist techniques—were no different from common spider silk before divine fire.
They burned. Instantly. Completely.
Jorōgumo's core abilities—poisonous threads, manipulation through silk, summoning her brood—all revolved around those threads.
But now…
Not only was her opponent stronger—
Her abilities themselves were completely countered.
The situation had deteriorated to the absolute worst possible state.
Futakuchi-onna understood it as well.
A yokai like Jorōgumo, facing a flame-wielding deity like this, was at a severe disadvantage.
And in the end… this danger had come because of her.
Gritting her teeth despite her injuries, Futakuchi-onna forcibly gathered what little yokai energy she had left and began launching one green energy sphere after another toward the Candlelight God.
But before the attacks could even reach her—
A wall of flame rose with a casual flick of the god's hand, effortlessly blocking them all.
Using that brief opening, Futakuchi-onna staggered over to Jorōgumo and spoke in a low voice:
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean for this to happen, but in the end, I've dragged you into it.I'll use the last of my power to devour a section of the fire barrier and create an opening. It won't last long—so use that chance to escape."
The reason she had managed to flee this far in the first place was because of the gaping mouth hidden behind her head—her trump card, which allowed her to consume the Candlelight God's flames and tear open a path.
But that ability came at a heavy cost.
Each use consumed an enormous amount of yokai energy.
Worse still, the disparity in power between her and the Candlelight God meant that every time she devoured those flames, her body suffered unimaginable damage.
If she used it again now…
She wouldn't have the strength to escape afterward.
But if only one of them died, it was better than all of them perishing here.
After all, they had only been dragged into this because of her.
And long ago, they had even helped her.
If she could repay that kindness with her life… then at least she would have no regrets.
"If we run… what about you? Will you die here?"
Masami Tennomiya, who had been listening nearby, couldn't hold back any longer.
"That girl doesn't seem like a bad person… and we haven't done anything to offend her.Can't we just sit down and talk this out calmly?"
To Masami, Futakuchi-onna was clearly Jorōgumo's acquaintance—and therefore not a bad yokai.
Now, hearing that she was willing to sacrifice herself so the others could escape…
Masami was deeply moved.
Abandoning someone like that and running away alone?
That was something she simply couldn't do.
Jorōgumo had originally intended to accept Futakuchi-onna's proposal.
After all, the Candlelight God's abilities completely suppressed her own.
And in her eyes, Masami's safety was the highest priority. Matters of morality could be set aside—if necessary, Lord Ren could avenge Futakuchi-onna later.
But judging from Masami's reaction…
There was no way she would agree to such a thing.
And even if they sacrificed Futakuchi-onna to create an escape route—
Could Jorōgumo truly flee with Masami while being pursued by a god like this?
After a brief moment of thought, she arrived at the answer.
No.
The chances were far too low.
Against an opponent of this level, escaping alone would already be difficult—let alone protecting someone else at the same time.
Besides—
They had already contacted Lord Ren and Hagoromo-gitsune.
The disturbance from their battle had been significant. Reinforcements would surely be on their way.
If they fled now, there was a high chance those coming to rescue them would miss them entirely.
In that instant, Jorōgumo made her decision.
Holding out and buying time offered a far greater chance of survival than fleeing.
Even if her abilities were countered—
Futakuchi-onna could take the offensive,
And she herself would switch to a support role.
"You've seen it yourself—Lady Masami is the kindest of people.To her, humans and yokai are no different. She would never abandon you and run."
Jorōgumo stepped forward slightly, her voice steady.
"And as her guard, I cannot disobey her wishes.So… let's fight together."
Futakuchi-onna looked at her in confusion.
She didn't know Jorōgumo well, but she knew enough—this wasn't someone who would act out of pure selflessness.
So…
Was this decision really coming from the human woman beside her?
Though she couldn't understand Masami's reasoning, the choice stirred something within her.
Her impression of Masami improved instantly.
Still, she couldn't help but ask:
"If you're her guard… shouldn't your duty be to ensure her safety above all else?"
"Don't worry. I won't do anything that truly endangers Lady Masami."
Jorōgumo replied calmly.
"I've simply chosen the best option under the current circumstances. Reinforcements will arrive soon—if we can just hold out a little longer."
She reached into her sleeve and took out several purple crystal fragments.
"You'll take the lead. I'll support you from the side.Take these—they won't heal your injuries, but they'll restore and enhance your yokai energy."
The crystals gleamed faintly in her palm—pulsing with condensed power.
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