Futakuchi-onna rose to her feet, her body now completely restored—smooth, unblemished, and entirely unclothed—yet she showed no sign of embarrassment at being seen.
After all, she was a yokai.
And everyone present was female.
More importantly, this was hardly the time to worry about modesty.
The effect of the Time Restoration Elixir had been applied directly to her body. Because it rewound her physical state, everything tied to her as a whole—her stamina, demonic energy, injuries, even her hair—had returned to their original condition.
But her kimono was a different matter.
It wasn't part of her body, but an external object—so it hadn't been restored.
"What do we do now?"
Futakuchi-onna frowned, her expression heavy despite her full recovery.
"Even though I'm back at full strength, I still don't see any chance of beating her.
That ability she used earlier… I had no way to resist it at all. If I get caught in it again, I might not be so lucky next time."
She wasn't wrong.
A potion capable of restoring someone instantly like that was obviously rare and invaluable.
Even someone like Ayami Tendo couldn't possibly have many of them.
And against that terrifying ability…
Futakuchi-onna had no confidence whatsoever.
If Shinkuji hadn't pulled her back just now—
she would already be dead.
"Lady Ayami… aside from that potion, did Ren-sama leave you any other powerful life-saving items?"
Shinkuji looked at Ayami with clear expectation.
But after a brief hesitation, Ayami shook her head helplessly.
It wasn't that such powerful premium items didn't exist.
And it wasn't that Ren was unwilling to give her more protection.
The problem was—
most high-tier items came with level restrictions.
And Ayami… was just an ordinary human.
Even if Ren gave them to her, she wouldn't be able to use them.
There were lower-level items without restrictions—
like the Goblin General's Horn Ren once mentioned—
but those would only summon goblins that wouldn't even rank as C-class threats in this world.
Against an enemy even Shinkuji couldn't handle, something like that would be utterly useless.
"…Then we'll have to push forward head-on."
Shinkuji narrowed her eyes, quickly forming a plan.
"I think her ability can only affect one person at a time—and the affected person can still be interfered with from the outside.
If this were a one-on-one fight, we'd have no chance.
But right now… we're not completely without hope."
She turned to Futakuchi-onna.
"We change tactics. We attack together.
If I get affected, you snap me out of it.
If you get affected, I'll pull you back.
As long as we break free from her ability quickly, we can minimize the damage."
Meanwhile, the God of Candlelight stood at a distance, hesitating.
There was something… off about these two yokai.
They had suddenly broken through in strength.
Then fully recovered from near death in an instant.
Even for her, it was unsettling.
Had things changed so much over the centuries?
Humans had advanced with science and built a new civilization…
Had yokai also evolved alongside them?
But before she could think it through any further—
Shinkuji and Futakuchi-onna were already charging toward her.
Shinkuji's earlier assessment had been correct—
so she abandoned her support role and joined the frontline alongside Futakuchi-onna.
If they stayed close enough, whoever was affected could immediately be rescued by the other.
While Shinkuji could pull Futakuchi-onna back from a distance with her threads—
if she herself were targeted, Futakuchi-onna had no such means to save her.
Their plan was sound.
But from the God of Candlelight's perspective—
it was almost laughable.
How convenient.
She had been wondering what to do if that troublesome Jorogumo stayed out of range.
And now—
they had delivered themselves right into her grasp.
The flame atop her head flickered.
An invisible wave spread outward, forming a spherical field around her.
"So… you think my ability can only affect one target at a time?"
A faint smile curled across her lips.
"I have to say… that was a terrible move.
And this time—"
Her eyes gleamed coldly.
"—I won't let you live."
"Candlelight Guides All Living Beings."
The moment those words left her lips—
Shinkuji and Futakuchi-onna felt it.
Something was wrong.
They tried to react—
but it was already too late.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
From the outside, their eyes turned vacant.
Their movements slowed.
And step by step—
they began walking toward the divine flames burning before the God of Candlelight.
Like moths drawn to fire.
The only one still conscious—
was Ayami Tendo, who had remained outside the immediate battle zone.
Seeing the two of them march toward their deaths, she didn't hesitate.
She rushed forward, intending to stop them.
But just as she took a step—
a figure appeared behind her.
A hand gently rested on her shoulder, halting her.
"Wait, Ayami. If you go in now, it's too dangerous. You won't be able to save them—you might get caught as well."
The one who had arrived—
was none other than Tamamo-no-Mae.
She had sensed the disturbance and rushed over ahead of the others.
Even now, she looked somewhat disheveled.
Her skin was smudged with soot, and several of her large, fluffy tails were singed at the tips.
The God of Candlelight had surrounded the area with a wall of flames.
At her current level—bordering on transcendence—even SS-class yokai like Shinkuji and Futakuchi-onna couldn't cross it easily.
Though Tamamo-no-Mae and the others had arrived—
only she, at SSS+ level, had managed to force her way through the flames.
Yukihime and the others were still outside, searching for a way in.
The moment she entered, she saw Ayami about to rush into danger—
and stopped her immediately.
Tamamo-no-Mae, having inherited the power of a legendary fox spirit, was a master of illusion techniques.
To an ordinary observer, Shinkuji and Futakuchi-onna appeared to be under some kind of hypnosis or charm.
But Tamamo-no-Mae saw through it instantly.
"This isn't illusion…"
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
"…It's their souls."
As a reincarnated yokai, her sensitivity to spiritual essence far surpassed others.
And right now—
she could clearly feel it.
Within the flickering flame atop the God of Candlelight's head—
lingered the unmistakable presence of Shinkuji's and Futakuchi-onna's souls.