The bustling streets, the crowded station, the rows of shops selling every kind of tourist souvenir—everything before him was so familiar that Ren Kuroda couldn't help but feel a little disoriented.
A few years ago, the "main world" he lived in looked more or less the same.
But now…
That's right—Ren had crossed over again.
This time, however, it wasn't a forced mission from the System. It was something he had requested himself.
Ever since his encounter with Izanami in Yomi, Ren had come to a stark realization: with his current level of strength, he still couldn't guarantee the safety of his family if the gods were to descend fully into the mortal world.
Back then, Izanami hadn't even revealed her true form, yet the power she displayed had been more than enough to suppress him effortlessly.
As for figures like Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi—while their status might not surpass Izanami's—Ren had no reason to believe they were any weaker.
The power of a god came not only from their own origin, but also from human worship and faith.
Compared to the distant and enigmatic Izanami and Izanagi, the names of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were far more widely known among the people.
After all, they represented the sun and the moon—and were, at least nominally, the rulers of Takamagahara.
Watching the barrier between worlds grow thinner by the day, Ren knew that waiting for the System's next scheduled transfer simply wouldn't be fast enough.
So, in order to rapidly increase his strength, he had spent a portion of his accumulated prestige points to shorten the cooldown period in his home world—and requested that the System send him to a higher-powered world for training.
Of course, strengthening himself wasn't his only goal.
He had another objective as well: to find the necessary materials to create a "Divine Blood Serum."
After obtaining Izanami's blood, Ren had originally planned to synthesize the serum first, boost Amamiya Ayami's strength, and only then leave his home world with peace of mind.
But when he attempted to produce the serum using the same method he used for "yokai serum," it failed.
According to the System, he was missing certain key materials—and those materials likely only existed in another world.
For all of these reasons, Ren now found himself here.
—
At first, after arriving in this world, Ren barely understood anything about it.
In fact, he had even begun to suspect that the System had made some kind of mistake.
Was this really a high-combat-power world?
The reason for his doubt was simple.
This place looked like a completely ordinary modern society—not some fantasy realm like those ruled by skeletal overlords or slime kings.
It wasn't that modern settings couldn't have powerful beings…
But could a world like this really withstand the destruction that high-tier fighters would bring?
Still, after several days of traveling around and investigating, Ren finally began to notice that this world wasn't quite as ordinary as it appeared.
To begin with, he had arrived in Kyoto.
If a seemingly normal world did harbor supernatural forces, then the most likely places to find them would be churches, shrines, or known spiritual hotspots.
With the mindset of a tourist, Ren spent a few days exploring Kyoto.
And at the final stop of his journey—a certain shrine—he finally encountered what he had been looking for.
"Who are you?" a soft female voice called out. "And what is your purpose in coming to Kyoto?"
"Your aura makes it unmistakably clear—you're a powerful yokai. Yet as far as I know… there's no such figure as you in our world."
Ren hadn't bothered to conceal his aura in the first place.
After all, his goal was to find the supernatural forces of this world.
He knew nothing about it. Over the past few days, he had searched online for information—but everything he found was so normal it was almost suspicious.
It was as though this world were completely ordinary.
With no leads left, Ren's only option had been to use his own presence as bait—to draw out something… or someone… who could explain the truth to him.
Kyoto was filled with famous landmarks, and this particular shrine seemed especially well-known.
At first, Ren had only come here on a whim.
But the moment he passed beneath the torii gate, his keen senses picked up something unusual.
There was indeed something… or someone… extraordinary within this shrine.
A yokai.
And judging by the strength of its aura, not just any yokai—but an exceptionally powerful one.
Ren entered without concealing his presence.
Soon enough, he realized he had been isolated within a barrier.
Along with the gentle female voice that had questioned him earlier, a breathtaking figure appeared before his eyes.
She had golden hair, adorned with six ornate hairpins, and a pair of fox ears perched atop her head.
Her beauty was stunning.
But even more impossible to ignore… was the overwhelming presence of her chest—far beyond what could reasonably be called "normal."
Ren had traveled through quite a few worlds by now. He wouldn't claim to have seen every kind of woman—but he had certainly encountered his fair share of extraordinary beauties.
Yet among all the women he had ever met—even the most well-endowed ones like Wiz or Shion—none could compare to the golden-haired fox before him.
Compared to her… Tamamo-no-Mae might as well apologize to the entire fox yokai race.
From the aura she radiated, it was obvious that this fox spirit was the master of the shrine—and the one who had pulled him into the barrier.
And just as Ren was observing her, she was studying him in equal measure.
"My name is Ren Kuroda," he said calmly. "I didn't come here with hostile intent. I'm simply looking to learn a few things. So there's no need for such hostility."
The fox spirit before him was no ordinary being.
From the sheer pressure of her aura, she had already reached a level comparable to that of a god—far beyond SSS-rank, at least within the realm of what could be called "transcendent."
In Ren's home world, not a single yokai in the living realm had reached that level.
And yet here he was, stumbling upon one just by wandering around.
That alone was enough to confirm it—this seemingly ordinary world was anything but.
Its upper limits… were likely terrifyingly high.
Ren hadn't concealed his aura, and even in his normal state, his demonic power was immense.
Yet the golden fox's expression never changed.
That meant one of two things:
Either she had seen beings at Ren's level—or far beyond it…
Or she herself possessed the confidence to subdue him, no matter how strong he appeared.
"Learn a few things?" the fox spirit repeated, her tone calm but faintly amused. "With the power you possess, there shouldn't be many secrets in this world beyond your reach."
"If there are things even you don't know…" she added lightly, "then I'm afraid a recluse like me, residing here in Kyoto, is even less likely to have the answers you seek."