As for why Ren Kuroda failed to show himself again after withdrawing from the Tokyo Ward, it wasn't because he didn't want to—it was because he genuinely had no time.
As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.Not long after the battle in Tokyo Ward ended, Ren was still happily counting up his gains while slowly recovering from the injuries he'd sustained.
Before those injuries had even fully healed, the System suddenly issued another notification—
The next interworld transfer would begin in just a few days.
And unlike before, Ren was no longer operating a single "account." He was now essentially running two identities at once, and the persona of Tenshōin Yūto had become far too famous. He could no longer casually disappear like he used to.
After weighing his options again and again, Ren ultimately chose to spend a certain amount of Prestige, exchanging it with the System for a large quantity of rare materials. With Medea's assistance, he once again created a new artificial body.
This newly constructed artificial body was worlds apart from the mass-produced versions of the past.
With meticulous preparation and ample materials, its overall strength had reached an entirely new level. Not only could it withstand far higher fluctuations of spiritual power, but even its raw physical durability—while still inferior to Ren's true body—was already comparable to that of an ordinary yokai.
As for explaining this sudden boost in physical ability to the outside world, the excuse was simple enough:
Ren Kuroda had used the two vials of A-rank Yokai Serum he'd received as rewards.
However, because he'd been so busy rushing the completion of this artificial body, Ren hadn't had much time to properly recover his own injuries. On the surface, he looked completely fine, but the damage inflicted by the divine weapon still lingered deep within him, and his combat strength had yet to fully return.
Fortunately, the System informed him that the next destination was once again the Nurarihyon world.
Thanks to the massive amount of Prestige he'd accumulated, Ren's Prestige Rank had increased. Not only would the System now tell him in advance which world he'd be heading to, it would even notify him several days beforehand.
Though his injuries hadn't completely healed, the overall power level of the Nurarihyon world wasn't particularly high.
Taking Inugami Gyōbu Tanuki as a reference, his S–rank yokai power had already been second only to the Nura Clan among yokai organizations of that era. Even if Nurarihyon himself had been stronger, his yokai power would have topped out at around S-rank.
At her peak in Kyoto, Hagoromo Gitsune had been even stronger than Nurarihyon. After all, it had taken a joint effort between the Hanakaiin Clan and the Nura Clan to defeat her—placing her safely at S+ rank.
Although Ren had yet to fully recover from his injuries caused by the Kusanagi Sword, a yokai's formidable regenerative abilities meant that he could still exert yokai power at the S-rank level—roughly equivalent to Nurarihyon in his youth.
With that level of strength, Ren might not be able to bulldoze the entire Nurarihyon world, but at the very least, the danger it posed to him was no longer particularly high.
Of course, if Abe no Seimei were successfully born by Hagoromo Gitsune, then his strength would conservatively also be around S+ rank.
After staying in the main world for several days and resolving the shortcomings of his previous artificial body, Ren was once again dispatched to another world by the System.
When he returned to the Nurarihyon world, the yokai of the Kidōin were—without exception—ecstatic.
After all, the Kidōin's influence was growing larger by the day. But without their Lord of the Hundred Demons, they couldn't even perform a proper Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Before Ren had left, the Kidōin already possessed enough yokai to form a "Forty-Nine Demon Night Parade"—a total of 4,900 yokai.
Such a number might have been nothing special in the chaotic era of rampant yokai hundreds of years ago, but in the modern age, it already placed them among the world's major powers.
In the current era, the only yokai organization with a greater number than the Kidōin was the Nura Clan, which commanded over ten thousand yokai.
There was also the Eighty-Eight Demon Night Parade of Shikoku, as well as the large yokai population of Tōno.
However, although the Tōno yokai formed a collective force, they had no true hierarchy—no master-servant relationships. They gathered there of their own accord.
Moreover, Tōno yokai were exceptionally adept at wielding their Fear, and due to the environment they lived in, each of them possessed formidable combat ability.
In fact, even Nura Rikuo, who had just defeated Tamazuki and put an end to the Shikoku yokai invasion—having grown somewhat arrogant because of it—was promptly "taught how to be a proper yokai" when he visited Tōno.
To be honest, Nura Rikuo was leagues behind his father.
Among the Nura Clan's first generation of executives, many had fought alongside Nurarihyon during the Kyoto campaign, while others were yokai he'd "recruited" from Tōno.
The second head, Nura Rihan, surpassed even his predecessor. Whether it was Kubinaashi or Kurotabō, both were yokai who'd gained immense fame during the Edo period, yet willingly followed Rihan due to his overwhelming charisma.
But by the time of the third generation—Nura Rikuo—the executives were all inherited from his grandfather and father. And when he went to Tōno to recruit subordinates, he ended up getting schooled instead.
Honestly speaking, compared to the first two heads, this third-generation Nura leader really lost some face.
After Ren returned to the Nurarihyon world, his World Mission triggered once again.
And this time, upon reading the mission details, Ren couldn't help but frown.
Mission Name: Settle the Score with the Demon King!Mission Details:The forces of Hagoromo Gitsune—once extinguished by the Nura Clan centuries ago—are beginning to stir once more. However, the true manipulator behind the scenes is someone else entirely.Assist Hagoromo Gitsune in giving birth to Nue, prevent Hagoromo Gitsune from being sealed into Hell by Nue, and engage the newly born Nue in a decisive battle!
The so-called "Nue" was none other than Hagoromo Gitsune's child—the reincarnated great onmyōji, Abe no Seimei.
Hagoromo Gitsune appeared during times of chaos, possessing gifted children and nurturing herself within their bodies. When the host's heart fell completely into evil, she would seize full control, and once matured, she would absorb the hatred, jealousy, anger, and despair emanating from political centers to strengthen herself—a reincarnation-type yokai.
This was precisely why the Hanakaiin Clan and the Nura Clan could defeat her time and time again, yet never truly eradicate her.
During the era of the Nura Clan's second head, Nura Rihan, Hagoromo Gitsune barely had the chance to make waves before being discovered and killed each time—marking the peak of the Nura Clan's power.
But because of this, Hagoromo Gitsune's repeated deaths at Rihan's hands turned him into a thorn in the eyes of both her and Kyōchibō.
Unable to overpower him, they resorted to cunning.
In her next reincarnation, Hagoromo Gitsune chose Yamabuki Otome, the former wife of Nura Rihan.
Later, under Seimei's manipulation, Yamabuki Otome was implanted with false memories, disguised as the daughter of Rihan and Yamabuki Otome—and successfully assassinated the strongest leader in Nura Clan history.
Though Hagoromo Gitsune was a powerful and malevolent yokai, she possessed an extraordinary degree of maternal instinct.
Whether it was Abe no Seimei, who ultimately betrayed her, or Nura Rikuo—the child of Rihan whom she treated with unusual gentleness—Hagoromo Gitsune showed remarkable compassion.
Perhaps this stemmed from the fact that she always reincarnated through children. Feeding on hatred and despair made her crave something purer—something like maternal love.
In truth, despite her fearsome reputation, Hagoromo Gitsune's role in the Kyoto incident was simply that of a tragic mother willing to give everything for her child.
Even in the end, when she was betrayed by Abe no Seimei and sealed into Hell, she never once harbored hatred toward him.
So when Ren saw that the System's new mission required him to aid Hagoromo Gitsune's faction, he was completely stunned.
He didn't particularly dislike Hagoromo Gitsune herself. Even the chaos she caused in Kyoto four hundred years ago was, for that era, nothing out of the ordinary—wasn't that just how yokai were?
She'd ruled her own territory until offending Nurarihyon, only to be jointly taken down by Nurarihyon and Hanakaiin Hidemoto. Her subsequent reincarnations were driven largely by Abe no Seimei's influence—everything she did was to give birth to her child, Nue.
Knowing her story, it was hard not to sympathize with her as a mother.
Especially since Ren himself had a great mother—he was particularly weak to such bonds.
That said, due to the previous Shikoku incident, his relationship with the Nura Clan yokai was actually quite good.
If he helped Hagoromo Gitsune this time, though, he'd inevitably become an enemy of both the Nura Clan and the Hanakaiin Clan.
That was practically screaming final boss route.
And in most isekai worlds, antagonists who oppose the protagonist rarely get a good ending.
Take Nura Rikuo—he'd started out laughably weak, but people kept lining up to deliver experience points to him.Experience, subordinates, power, manpower—everything got handed over on a silver platter.
At that point, not getting stronger would be a miracle.
But the World Mission was absolute. If Ren wanted to complete it and return home, he had no choice but to side with Hagoromo Gitsune—for now, standing against the so-called "protagonists."
Besides, helping Hagoromo Gitsune didn't bother him in the slightest. Strictly speaking, the real villains were Abe no Seimei and Kyōchibō.
And just to be clear—Ren was helping her mainly because of the mission, with only a tiny bit of sympathy mixed in.It definitely wasn't because he was eyeing her body.After all, he wasn't that kind of guy.
"Notify everyone in the Kidōin who can actually fight," Ren said calmly."We're going to Kyoto."
The Samurai Spirit and the others had been wondering why their lord seemed dazed ever since returning.
But the moment they heard those words, every member of the Kidōin lit up with unrestrained excitement.