"What the heck—if that's what you were worried about, couldn't you have just said so from the start?" Ren said, scratching his head."You kept beating around the bush asking about my background—I honestly thought you were planning to check my household registration and slap a curse on me or something.I've seen plenty of that stuff on TV, you know. You onmyōji are super dangerous. Give you a birth date and time, and boom—you can curse someone to death from thousands of miles away."
Seeing that Ren not only didn't shy away from Yura's blunt question but even cracked a joke about it, Hanakaiin Hidemoto finally let out a deep sigh of relief and cast Yura a helpless look.
Hidemoto didn't truly understand Ren Kuroda as a person, but he did understand one thing: powerful beings often had their own taboos, big or small. Step on the wrong one, and relations could sour instantly.
From the way things were going, it was clear that letting Yura participate in the negotiations had been the right decision. Ren's tolerance toward her was astonishingly high.
And judging from his words and behavior, it wasn't hard to tell—he genuinely treated Yura like a younger sister.
Even a topic he clearly disliked, such as his own origins, could be brought up naturally in front of her.
"We would never curse you!" Yura retorted seriously."And those are all evil onmyōji techniques. The Hanakaiin family follows orthodox practices—we'd never do something like that!"
Everyone present knew perfectly well that Ren had only been joking. And even if such cursed techniques truly existed, someone of Ren's level would never fall victim to them so easily.
Everyone knew it was a joke.
Everyone except a certain expressionless girl who took it completely seriously.
Ren could only smile wryly and hurriedly steer the conversation back on track, hoping Yura would forget about it as soon as possible.
"Alright, first question," Ren said, his tone turning serious."As for Abe no Seimei—I won't interfere anymore. You can rest assured of that.That said, I also won't help you deal with him… unless he comes looking for me himself."
"As for whether I'll become a second Abe no Seimei—that's something you can also stop worrying about.Since things have reached this point, I might as well be honest with you."
Ren paused briefly before continuing.
"I'm not from this world. I come from another world—one you've never known.I won't be staying in this world for very long, so there's no need to worry about my strength inflating my ambitions.
Compared to the countless worlds across the heavens, whether it's me or Abe no Seimei… even if we're invincible here, we might not even rank anywhere in the greater multiverse.
To me, this world is just a midpoint on my journey—not the destination. I won't stop here.So the things you're worried about? They'll never happen."
The moment Ren revealed his greatest secret, everyone present—whether it was the worldly Nura Nurarihyon, the seasoned Hanakaiin Hidemoto, or the relative newcomers Nura Rikuo and Hanakaiin Yura—all wore nearly identical expressions.
Mouths slightly open. Eyes wide.
Even though they were all far from ordinary humans, the concept of a visitor from another world was still far too shocking.
None of them had ever seriously considered that beyond their own world… there might be others.
The meeting ended just like that—amid stunned silence.
Though the conversation itself hadn't lasted very long, the sheer volume of information they'd received was overwhelming.
Even after Ren stood up and left, the people remaining in the reception hall stayed seated, seemingly needing time to digest everything they'd just heard.
As for Ren's World Quest—his decisive confrontation with Abe no Seimei—the system reluctantly deemed it complete after he shattered three of Seimei's meteors in succession.
Hagoromo Fox had also survived in the end, changing her fate of being cast into hell.
All in all, the mission had been perfectly fulfilled.
And just as Ren was preparing to leave the Hanakaiin estate—planning to give Kidōin a few final instructions before departing this world—
A graceful figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"I'm very sorry," the woman said softly."I overheard most of your conversation just now. At first, I thought you were discussing how to deal with me… but instead, I heard secrets like that.
First, I want to thank you, Ren-sama, for all the care you've shown me. I don't know why you helped me, but I'm deeply grateful nonetheless.
Second… I have a rather presumptuous request. I wonder if Ren-sama would be willing to grant it…"
A few minutes later, Ren stared at the woman before him in stunned disbelief.
"You want to follow me and leave this world?" he repeated."And you want to meet my mother?"
Ren was completely dumbfounded.
He genuinely couldn't understand why Hagoromo Fox would suddenly make such a decision—or why she wanted to meet Tenjoin Miyabi of all people.
"I know this request may be excessive," Hagoromo Fox said calmly,"but if Ren-sama is willing to help me, I am prepared to become one of the Hundred Demons under your command.
Although my power has yet to fully recover, that is merely a matter of time.I only ask that you grant my request."
The former ruler of Kyoto.
The strongest yōkai of four hundred years ago.
And now, Hagoromo Fox was offering to become one of his subordinates.
Under normal circumstances, who would refuse?
No yōkai alive would turn down the allegiance of Hagoromo Fox.
At her peak, her combat power rivaled Ren's Half-Demonized state. Even now—after much of her yōki had been absorbed by Abe no Seimei—she could still exert power close to S-rank.
Even Spider Princess, the strongest yōkai under Ren's command, fell slightly short when compared to her.
"I'm sorry," Ren said after a moment, his expression apologetic."I really want to say yes—but I can't help you.
If I could freely bring others with me across worlds, I would've done so long ago.And I've told a certain yuki-onna before—I consider the Hundred Demons under my command to be my family.
I'll never force my family to do something they don't want to do… unless it's entirely their own choice."
To be honest, facing a beautiful and immensely powerful yōkai like Hagoromo Fox, it was impossible for Ren not to be tempted.
But just as he'd said, the two of them hadn't known each other for long. There was no way she would make such a decision on a whim.
And bringing others across worlds wasn't impossible—it was just absurdly expensive.
Spider Princess had been brought out of the Demon Slayer World, and even back then—when her strength was only around C–B rank—it had cost Ren nearly a thousand Prestige Points.
Hagoromo Fox, even in her weakened state, was still an S+-rank existence.
The cost of bringing her along would be utterly unimaginable.
More importantly—
Even if Ren wanted to pay that price, he couldn't.
He was completely broke.
Back when his prestige had been abundant, he'd spent it recklessly—burning through massive lottery pulls until everything was gone. Now, even if he wanted to, he couldn't afford such a price.
"I wish to leave this world simply because I am utterly disappointed in it," Hagoromo Fox said quietly."Whether it is Nué's betrayal, or the endless grudges between the Nura Group and the Hanakaiin family—I no longer wish to involve myself in any of it.
You once said that true family is not like this.And so I wish to see it with my own eyes—the kind of familial bond you spoke of, the one I long for.
Please… let me meet your mother.I truly wish to know what a proper mother is like."
Ren's hesitation was mistaken for doubt.
Seeing the faint disappointment on his face, Hagoromo Fox hurriedly explained her reasons.
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.
It was the result of long, painful deliberation.
Nué's betrayal—turning on her and striking her down—had utterly crushed the heart of a mother who had once lived solely for her child.
Now, she wanted nothing more than to leave this sorrowful world behind and begin anew.
And Ren's words about "true family," combined with the fact that he had saved her multiple times during the battle, were what finally led her to make this choice.
"I think you misunderstood," Ren said awkwardly."It's not that I don't want to help you—I simply can't right now.
The yōkai of Kidōin have followed me for a long time, yet even I can't take them to another world.I can only summon them temporarily through special means.
So your request… I really—"
Just as Ren was about to apologize and refuse, and a trace of regret surfaced on Hagoromo Fox's face—
The system, which had practically gone mute the moment he entered this world, suddenly spoke up.
"Detected: A powerful yōkai has expressed intent to pledge allegiance to the host.In order to assist the host in becoming the strongest Lord of Yōkai as early as possible, searching for a feasible solution…
Ding.Yōkai Hagoromo Fox is a reincarnated entity. Her current state is bound in an attachment relationship with Yamabuki Otome.By extracting Hagoromo Fox's soul and locating a suitable vessel, it is possible for her to travel between worlds alongside the host.
However, due to the host's inability to pay the cost of soul extraction, the host must undergo an additional interworld trial."
The sudden electronic voice echoed in Ren's mind.
He froze.
Then he looked at the dejected Hagoromo Fox before him, clenched his teeth, and said:
"…I accept your request."
Opportunities like this—where the system voluntarily offered a workaround—were exceedingly rare.
Letting it slip by without squeezing a little benefit out of it would be a massive loss.
Under normal circumstances, bringing an S+-rank peak powerhouse like Hagoromo Fox back to his main world would cost tens of thousands of Prestige Points at minimum.
But now?
All Ren had to do… was travel to one more world.
For him, that was an absurdly good deal.
So good, in fact, that he couldn't think of a single reason to refuse.
..
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