Ren Kuroda tried to break free from the two layers of sealing magic clinging to his body—but regrettably, it was completely useless.
If Medea were here to analyze it, there might have been hope. Unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of time right now.
Of course, Ren had always believed in one very simple solution.
If you can't solve the problem—then just kill the one who created it.
Enduring the searing, burning agony erupting from his back, Ren stomped down hard. The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly, and with a thunderous crack, his body launched forward like a bolt of lightning. A small crater was left behind where he'd stood as his figure vanished from sight in an instant.
"He's coming!" the Kagamori family head exclaimed, his expression tense."The quality and density of this yokai's demonic power far exceed my original estimates. It's vastly stronger than ordinary S-rank monsters.
"I thought the dual seal would suppress him to S–rank or below—but he's still maintaining a full S-rank level!"
He clenched his teeth and continued urgently,"You'll need to buy me more time. If I can complete the third seal, his demonic power will no longer even be able to remain at S-rank.
"At that point, our chances of victory will increase dramatically."
Hearing this, the Himura family head couldn't help but grimace.
He understood the logic. And he trusted the Kagamori family's demon-sealing arts.
But the real issue was—
With his strength alone, could he truly buy time from that monster?
The three clan heads before him had power comparable to his own, yet in front of Ren Kuroda, they had been either crippled or crushed within mere exchanges.
True, Ren's demonic power had clearly been weakened by the two seals.
But anyone with eyes could tell—
Earlier, when Ren fought the Kūsu, Hiiragi, and Jisō family heads, he had clearly been toying with them.
Now, having realized the threat posed by the Kagamori family's sealing techniques—
Ren had unmistakably gotten serious.
Even so, despite the bitterness on his face, the Himura family head knew the Kagamori head was right.
If they wanted any hope of victory, it lay entirely in the third seal.
No matter how slim the odds were now, he had to buy enough time.
Watching Ren's figure hurtle toward them at terrifying speed, the Himura family head reached into his robes and pulled out a thick stack of talismans, spreading them in a straight line before him.
Guided by spiritual energy, the black talismans defied gravity, floating neatly in formation.
He bit down on his finger, drawing blood, and swiftly dragged it across every talisman. His hands shifted through complex seals as obscure, ancient Sanskrit-like incantations spilled rapidly from his lips.
As his spiritual power poured in, the talismans erupted with blinding light.
"Himura Secret Art—Demon-Suppressing Inferno Prison!"
The talismans dissolved midair, transforming into blazing orange-red molten masses that slammed into the ground.
What were once small clumps of magma spread outward like ink in water the moment they touched the earth, rapidly expanding in all directions.
The temperature skyrocketed.
The surroundings became unbearably scorching.
The molten field spread so wide that several unfortunate lesser yokai at the edges were instantly vaporized the moment they touched the magma.
And yet—
Within this sea of searing molten rock, a lone figure sprinted forward at full speed.
Barefoot.
Ren Kuroda ran across the magma as if it were nothing more than lukewarm bathwater, completely unaffected.
Of course, a secret art of the Himura family wouldn't stop at that.
As the magma spread, it began to move as if alive, converging rapidly toward a single point.
At last, the molten mass condensed into a colossal, upright Lava Demon God, towering over the battlefield.
The moment it formed, the Lava Demon God threw its head back and roared, proclaiming itself the absolute ruler of this domain.
Seeing this, the Himura family head finally relaxed—just a little.
He didn't command the Lava Demon God to attack.
Instead, he ordered it to remain on standby, guarding both himself and the Kagamori family head.
Their objective wasn't to kill Ren immediately—
It was to buy time, to allow the Kagamori head to continue layering seals and weaken the oni before them.
But just because the Lava Demon God wasn't attacking—
Didn't mean Ren Kuroda would do the same.
The Kagamori family's sealing techniques posed a genuine threat. Their unavoidable nature, combined with suppression that ignored rank entirely, was nothing short of absurd.
If those seals didn't require preparation time, Ren was convinced the Kagamori family could legitimately claim the title of strongest exorcist clan.
Sprinting through the magma, Ren kept moving toward the Kagamori family head while calmly drawing the yokai blade Kizukami from his waist.
"Interesting. So this is the flame art of the Himura family—the clan said to reign supreme among the Thirteen Demon-Slaying Houses in fire techniques?"
A fierce grin spread across his face.
"Then let's see whose flames burn stronger.
"Witness the roar of divine fire—The ravenous advance of the Burning Wolf!Invasion Like Fire — Greedy Wolf!"
S-rank demonic power flooded completely into Kizukami.
The next instant, accompanied by deafening wolf howls, a massive pack of flaming giant wolves burst forth.
"Devour that so-called demon god down to the last ember—Greedy Wolf!"
The aggressively surging flames clashed violently with the molten domain, and the surrounding air grew even hotter.
Though both were fire in nature, neither side showed the slightest intent to coexist.
They began devouring each other.
The Lava Demon God roared in fury, as if declaring sovereignty over its territory.
But the pack of flaming wolves didn't care in the slightest.
They charged fearlessly, leaping straight onto the Lava Demon God's massive body.
They were Greedy Wolves—
The embodiment of Invasion Like Fire.
How could they fear a larger foe?
Like a wolf pack hunting colossal prey, countless flaming wolves tore into the Lava Demon God, ripping and gnawing at its molten flesh.
Chunks of lava—its equivalent of blood and meat—were ripped away as the demon god screamed in agony.
It swung its enormous arms wildly, trying to crush the invaders clinging to its body.
But the wolves were too many.
Its efforts were futile.
Because of their shared elemental nature, the Lava Demon God inflicted only limited damage on the Greedy Wolves.
But in return—
The damage the Greedy Wolves inflicted was fatal.
Each time they devoured a piece of its body, they converted it into their own power, their flames burning ever fiercer.
This was greed.
This was invasion like fire.
Though the Lava Demon God was massive, before the wolf pack it held no advantage whatsoever.
Its once-majestic presence lasted less than a few minutes before it let out a final, unwilling wail—
And was dragged down and devoured by the pack.
The Himura family elder, witnessing this scene, stood completely frozen in disbelief.
This spell came at a cost.
Just the talismans alone were priceless, each one worth a fortune.
And Demon-Suppressing Inferno Prison absolutely lived up to its value—after all, the Himura family head had once used it to grievously injure an S–rank yokai.
But now?
Ren's demonic power was only slightly above S–rank—
And yet this was absurd.
The Lava Demon God he'd summoned at great expense hadn't even lasted a single exchange.
"What is this monster…?" the Himura family head thought numbly.
Sword mastery. Raging gales. Absolute strength. Devouring flames.
Ren was clearly an oni—but how could he possess so many abilities, each mastered to such an extreme degree?
Was he deliberately crushing their mental defenses?
Or was this simply what a true demon king looked like?
There was no time to think.
With the Lava Demon God gone, their final barrier had vanished.
Ren Kuroda was drawing dangerously close.
The Himura family head glanced back at the Kagamori family head, who was still fully focused on preparing the sealing spell.
Gritting his teeth, the Himura head pulled out several more talismans and charged forward to meet Ren head-on.
At the same time—
Shattering rubble as he emerged, clothes torn and his body covered in blade scars, Kūsu Ryōsuke rushed in.
Beside him, blood staining the corner of his mouth, the Hiiragi family head transformed once more into a howling blade-like storm.
The Himura family head attacked from the front.
Kūsu Ryōsuke and the Hiiragi head struck from Ren's left and right—
One wielding a blade, the other becoming a cutting tempest.
The three clan heads understood perfectly:
If Ren reached the Kagamori family head, their last chance at victory would vanish completely.
Even if it meant being crippled—or dying—
They had to buy time.
Ren was already locked on.
The sealing arts could not be evaded.
And once the third seal was completed—
The tide of battle would finally turn.