After returning to the living world from the underworld of Yomi, Kyoka and the monk Hakuba both felt as though they had just woken from a distant, unreal dream.
The ones who had pushed them to the brink of death earlier had been nothing more than low-ranking fodder soldiers of Yomi. Yet the one who ultimately escorted them out… had been a true authority within that realm.
Whether it was the twin Onmyoji-like wardens—Black and White—or the fearsome Yasha demons, the aura they exuded was enough to make Kyoka and the others' hearts tremble.
And yet, what puzzled them most was not their strength—but their attitude.
To Kyoka, every single one of those beings felt monstrously powerful. Even so, their attitude toward Ren Kuroda—whose normal strength didn't even match theirs—was absurdly respectful.
One had to understand: the officials of Yomi were in no way inferior to the gods of the heavenly realm, whether in power or status. In fact, because of their relatively small numbers, the authority they wielded often far exceeded that of many so-called "gods" who possessed little more than a title.
Beings like them were naturally proud. Especially when dealing with wandering souls or those who had mistakenly entered Yomi, they were absolute rulers.
So why would such existences treat Ren with such reverence?
When asked, Ren's answer was disarmingly simple.
"I've got connections."
"Alright, don't overthink it," Ren said, cutting off their spiraling thoughts. "You've all been fighting for days. Your spiritual energy and stamina are basically drained dry. I'll figure something out regarding Mr. Kamishiro. For now, head back to the Task Force and get some rest."
Kyoka froze for a moment upon hearing that, then hesitated before asking, "You're… not coming back with us?"
She lowered her voice slightly, adding, "Don't worry. Even if you're a half-demon, the Director and everyone in the Task Force don't care about that. Your name is still listed on our squad roster."
After not seeing him for so long—and after everything that had happened, including the message she'd sent and the fact that he had gone to Yomi to save them—Kyoka had actually been working up the courage to express her feelings.
Unfortunately, a certain emotionally oblivious blockhead completely failed to pick up on the beautiful sword priestess's intentions.
"I've got something urgent to take care of," Ren replied bluntly. "I'll drop by the Task Force myself later."
Watching this hopelessly tone-deaf man, Kyoka clenched her teeth in frustration, her silver fangs practically grinding together—but there was nothing she could do.
At the same time, though… she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief.
Maybe it was precisely because Ren was such a dense, steel-hearted idiot that he was still single.
Kyoka knew very well that both Tsuchigumo-hime and Yukihime were stunning beauties in their own right—and their feelings for Ren were practically an open secret.
If Ren had even a shred of emotional intelligence, he'd probably already be surrounded by admirers on all sides.
Thinking about it that way… maybe being a hopelessly dense blockhead wasn't such a bad thing after all.
—
While Kyoka and the others had already returned safely from Yomi, the Kagamori family and the rescue team outside were still struggling to break the barrier.
The leader of the Task Force's rescue squad, upon seeing that Kyoka and the others had escaped unharmed, finally let all the pent-up frustration explode.
Up until now, they had endured being ordered around like servants by the Kagamori family.
They had tolerated it for the sake of the mission—and because the Kagamori clan had been their only hope.
But after several days of attempting to break the barrier without any progress whatsoever—and now with Ren having already rescued everyone—the Task Force members had no intention of continuing to put up with their arrogance.
Before leaving with Kyoka and the others, the team leader even grumbled angrily that he'd be sure to leave a one-star review for the Kagamori family's "services" once they got back.
The Task Force departed.
But the Kagamori family showed no intention of leaving.
The young lady of the clan didn't care in the slightest about the complaints. Their payment had already been collected—there was no such thing as refunds.
Even though the people had been rescued, the Kagamori family remained deeply fascinated by the barrier itself and intended to stay behind to continue their research.
"Ruler of all things! Mask of flesh and blood, myriad forms, winged strike, bearer of the human name! Scorching heat and strife, surging across the seas to the south—advance forward!
Hadō No. 31… Crimson Flame Cannon!"
Just as the Kagamori family prepared to return to the ruins, a massive crimson fireball suddenly descended from the sky, crashing straight into the site.
"BOOOOOOM—!"
A violent shockwave erupted outward, forming an inverted bowl-shaped dome of energy on the ground. The already crumbling ruins were instantly reduced to nothing but rubble under the impact of the blazing projectile.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the Kagamori heiress snapped, stunned at first, then seething with rage. "Do you have any idea how valuable that ruin was? If we could've deciphered that barrier, the strength of the Kagamori family might have advanced even further! How are you going to compensate us?!"
To a family specializing in sealing techniques, a mysterious and powerful barrier was like discovering a lost prehistoric civilization.
And yet, what they regarded as a priceless treasure had just been obliterated by a brute who clearly didn't understand its value.
Ren floated in midair, utterly unfazed.
"What I do is none of your business," he replied coldly. "Those ruins weren't your property, so why should I compensate you?"
He paused, his gaze turning sharp.
"Besides, as you can see, I'm a half-demon. The infamous Night Parade's 'Hyakki.' You're exorcists. The fact that I didn't wipe you out already is me showing respect to your clan head."
He turned away slightly before adding, almost as an afterthought:
"Here's a piece of advice—stop trying to study that barrier. It won't do anyone any good."
—
Even setting aside the fact that Ren was now technically an employee of Yomi, destroying the ruins was the correct decision from the perspective of the human world as well.
According to Enma, the barrier between the divine realm and the mortal world had weakened, allowing spiritual energy to leak down and triggering a resurgence of spiritual power.
But if the barrier between Yomi—the root land—and the mortal world were also to break…
Then the foul, corrupting miasma of Yomi would spill into the living world.
Unlike the pure spiritual energy of the divine realm, the tainted aura of Yomi was anything but beneficial to humans.
If the Kagamori family continued meddling recklessly and ended up opening a gateway between Yomi and the mortal world, the consequences would be irreversible.
Eliminating that possibility now was the only rational course of action.
—
After finishing all of that, Ren quickly flew back toward the hot spring inn, already planning his next task—creating the "serum agent" for Ayami.
Originally, he had intended to use his own blood as the base material.
But now, he had changed his mind.
Because he had obtained something far better.
That's right—the blood he had requested from the mother goddess, Izanami, wasn't for his own use.
It was meant for the serum.
If yokai blood could be used to create a serum, there was no reason divine blood wouldn't work as well.
After all, at their core, they weren't all that different.
And as a primordial mother goddess…
Izanami's "quality" was more than sufficient.