The sudden surge of overwhelming demonic aura made every climbing team freeze in place.
Up until now, they had all assumed that Hyakuyaki had abandoned the snow mountain entirely. But judging from the pressure now spreading through the air, that assumption was clearly wrong.
And if Hyakuyaki hadn't given up on the snow mountain, then an extremely serious question immediately surfaced in everyone's mind.
Had Hyakuyaki himself come here as well?And if so… how much of his injuries had he already recovered from?
To be fair, ever since news of the Spirit Power Crystals spread, the major exorcist families had already prepared themselves for a head-on clash with Hyakuyaki. They knew this confrontation was inevitable.
Yet when the moment truly arrived, many of those same families couldn't help but feel uneasy.
They feared that the man who had vanished for so long might reappear before them—fully healed.
That fear was unavoidable. After all, only those who had personally experienced that battle truly understood just how terrifying that man, who stood like a living god or demon, really was.
Meanwhile, halfway up the mountain, battle had already erupted.
And it was a complete, one-sided slaughter.
Hair-Eating Oni and Haibōzu had initially been puzzled as to why Snow Maiden had suddenly ordered them to establish a foothold on the snow mountain. The environment was brutally cold—utterly unsuitable for most yokai to inhabit.
But the moment the first human team appeared before them, everything became clear.
Snow Maiden was planning to use humans to eliminate them—outsiders who didn't truly belong under her banner.
They had been calculated against from the very beginning.
Of course, Hair-Eating Oni and the others had already anticipated the possibility of being used. But confident in their own strength, they hadn't worried in the slightest that Snow Maiden could actually do anything to them.
And besides, the temptation of demonic power crystals was simply impossible to resist.
What they hadn't expected, however, was this—
The ones lying in ambush weren't Snow Maiden's forces at all, but a group of humans.
That alone felt bizarre.
The first humans to clash with Hair-Eating Oni's group were serum soldiers, roughly in the C- to B-rank range. Thanks to their reinforced bodies, which allowed them to ignore blizzards and freezing winds, they were the fastest to reach the mountain's midsection.
At first, when Hair-Eating Oni and the other yokai saw humans appear, they believed Snow Maiden's scheme had begun in earnest.
But once the fighting started, their worries vanished completely.
There was no other reason—
The humans were simply far too weak.
So weak that Hair-Eating Oni and Haibōzu didn't even need to lift a finger themselves. Their underlings alone were more than enough to tear these serum soldiers apart and devour them whole.
"Gotta admit," one yokai laughed while chewing, "these so-called serum soldiers are chewier than ordinary humans.Not as nutritious as exorcists, sure—but they've got a bit of yokai power mixed in. Plenty of benefits for us."
A squad whose strongest member barely reached B-rank had run headfirst into a force led by five A-rank great yokai, backed by several hundred yokai no weaker than C-rank.
The outcome was never in doubt.
To put it bluntly, those few humans weren't even enough to get stuck between their teeth.
"That Snow Maiden bitch," Hair-Eating Oni sneered, swallowing a freshly claimed lock of hair as he stared at the few bloodstains left on the snow."She's probably trying to use humans to wipe us out. But isn't that a little too naïve? She's not their leader—does she really think she can order human powerhouses to attack us?"
He laughed coldly.
"With the strength of our group, even if one of the so-called Thirteen Exorcist Clans sent their entire family after us, we'd make sure none of them returned alive."
Another yokai chimed in, equally mocking.
"Dragging us into this frozen hell… she was probably hoping to sit back and reap the rewards once both sides were exhausted.Too bad she didn't realize how strong we've become. Those humans she lured here—however she brainwashed them—can't even wear us down."
He licked his lips.
"Not only that, they're rare tonics for us. This isn't a scheme—it's a gift delivery. Snow Maiden's practically offering us tribute."
After the first wave of humans was wiped out, the second arrived soon after.
Hair-Eating Oni and the others dealt with them in exactly the same way—crushing and devouring them with ease. Two consecutive victories completely dulled any sense of caution they had left.
They weren't even in a hurry to leave the snow mountain anymore.
Ever since withdrawing from the great battle, they had been ordered by Hyakuyaki to remain inactive. That long suppression had built up far too much frustration.
Sure, demonic power crystals were valuable—but they were yokai.
And what yokai could possibly resist the temptation of fresh flesh and blood?
Especially when those gathered here weren't gentle spirits like Zashiki-warashi or Glowgrass, but vicious, bloodthirsty monsters by nature.
After tearing into the first wave of humans, their ferocity was fully reignited. Their true yokai instincts surged back to the surface.
And these humans weren't ordinary prey either—they were walking supplements, capable of strengthening them further.
How could they not be exhilarated?
Hair-Eating Oni and Haibōzu even began to wonder if this was Snow Maiden's way of making peace—preparing a grand feast as a show of submission.
Whatever the truth was, one thing was obvious—
They were completely drunk on slaughter.
The longer they had been suppressed before, the more unrestrained their madness now became. After wave upon wave of effortless massacres, whatever caution and rationality they once had vanished entirely.
Only raw yokai instinct remained.
As for the climbing teams higher up the mountain, after the disappearance of the first few squads, they too sensed the terrifying demonic aura pooling at the mountain's midsection—as well as the thick, lingering stench of blood in the air.
But did that make them retreat?
Of course not.
Every team that had come to the snow mountain had already prepared for the worst, lured by the promise of Spirit Power Crystals.
If Hyakuyaki had truly abandoned the mountain, that would have been ideal.
But if he chose to stand his ground?
They were ready to fight.
Encountering yokai on the snow mountain was something they had expected all along. The only reason things had gone so smoothly at first was because greed had clouded some people's judgment.
The Spirit Power Crystals had to be obtained.
Otherwise, once Hyakuyaki fully recovered and returned in force, even the Tokyo sector wouldn't be able to hold.
Everyone understood that.
Which was precisely why so many powerful figures had gathered here today. Even if Hyakuyaki himself—wounded or not—was on the mountain, they had no choice but to press forward.
But now that they could clearly feel the concentration of demonic aura halfway up the mountain, charging ahead blindly like before was no longer an option.
Judging from the aura alone, there was no doubt that a large number of yokai had gathered there.
What needed to be done now wasn't to rush in one after another like dumplings tossed into boiling water—
But to wait.
To regroup with the other teams.
To combine their strength—
And then launch a full-scale assault together.
..
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