Watching Ren Kuroda send a famous great yokai flying with a single punch, the exorcists of Tokyo District felt a chill run straight down their spines as they stared at Hyakki's figure.
Before heading to the snow-covered mountains, they had all estimated that Hyakki—previously wounded by a divine artifact—should have been severely injured at the very least, if not outright killed.
But now?
Not only was Hyakki not heavily wounded—he had returned even stronger than before.
If Ibaraki Dōji hadn't suddenly intervened, then the one they would have had to face directly… would have been this vastly strengthened Hyakki.
After the previous great battle, the exorcist families had actually made a concerted effort to investigate this mysterious oni-type yokai known as Hyakki.
After all, know your enemy and you'll never lose a hundred battles. Hyakki's strength—and the sheer terror of the awe he wielded—were far too overwhelming. A monster like that couldn't possibly exist without leaving behind some kind of legend.
After poring over countless historical records and cross-referencing them with Ren's appearance, the exorcists gradually came to a conclusion:
Hyakki was most likely either Shuten Dōji of the oni clan… or Ōtakemaru.
Judging purely by appearance, Ren resembled Shuten Dōji more closely. However, Shuten Dōji was not known for skill with blades—while Hyakki could unquestionably be called a swordmaster.
Ōtakemaru, on the other hand, was the oni god of Suzuka. Though he was technically of the oni clan, he had long since surpassed the level of an ordinary yokai. Not only was he a master swordsman, but the multiple blades he wielded were said to be unmatched.
But if Hyakki were truly Ōtakemaru, then the gap in strength didn't make sense.
Ōtakemaru was a god-tier oni, a being that could never be limited to merely S-rank power.
And yet now, watching Ren fight—with flawless swordsmanship and an endless array of techniques—the exorcists only grew more confused about his true identity.
After all, Ibaraki Dōji was a bona fide Oni King of the oni clan.
And yet, in this battle, he had been consistently suppressed.
After being blasted away earlier by Ren's punch, Ibaraki Dōji had smashed through an entire snow peak and crashed into a field of shattered rock. Just as he was wondering whether he'd somehow entered the fight the wrong way—
White lightning suddenly began raining down from the heavens like a meteor shower.
"Hadō Number Four: Byakurai!"
Ren—who had just sent Ibaraki Dōji flying with what could only be described as a friendly face-breaking punch—didn't stop there. As Ibaraki Dōji flew backward, Ren surged forward, casually flicking his index finger through the air.
Hadō #4, Byakurai, wasn't particularly powerful, but it was among the fastest of all demon arts.
With Ren's current level of yokai energy, casting low-numbered demon arts was practically free. Lightning crackled continuously at his fingertips as streaks of white light pierced straight into the rubble where Ibaraki Dōji had fallen.
"Boom—! Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!"
The sound of lightning obliterating rock rang out endlessly. The spectacle was overwhelming—but Ren alone knew the truth.
From the yokai energy he sensed within the rubble, Ibaraki Dōji hadn't suffered any real damage at all.
"BOOM——!"
With a deafening explosion, a column of deep-purple yokai energy shot straight into the sky. Countless chunks of rubble were lifted into the air as if gravity itself had ceased to exist.
Moments later, Ibaraki Dōji reappeared before everyone—wearing his oni-faced battle armor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"That's enough," Ibaraki Dōji said sternly."Although I don't understand why you reject your identity so strongly, there's no denying it. The power you wield—and the aura you carry—prove that you are the descendant of my closest friend."
"In that case, there is no reason for us to fight. If you continue this foolishness, then even as your elder… I may have to use some real force on our first meeting."
At the beginning, when Ibaraki Dōji realized that Ren was likely Shuten Dōji's offspring—and possessed such terrifying strength—he had been genuinely excited, even happy.
As for Ren's hostile attitude, he hadn't taken it too seriously.
The oni clan was arrogant by nature, after all. And for oni who had reached their level, acting on impulse was practically second nature.
Shuten Dōji himself, the leader of the oni, had abandoned an entire clan just to roam the world indulging in wine and pleasure, disappearing for centuries at a time. If his child had a similar temperament, that was hardly surprising.
At first, Ibaraki Dōji had assumed Ren was just fooling around.
But after their recent exchange, he realized the truth.
Ren wasn't joking.
He was fighting with genuine intent to kill.
What troubled Ibaraki Dōji even more was that every time he mentioned "Shuten Dōji," Ren's displeasure became unmistakably obvious.
That alone made Ibaraki Dōji curse inwardly—wondering just what kind of mess his troublemaking friend had left behind to make his own descendant harbor such deep resentment.
"You don't need to hold back," Ren said coldly."And I've never once considered you an elder."
"Originally, I planned to head north to Hokkaido and wipe out the oni clan after consolidating Tokyo District."
"Since you, the current leader, are standing right here… taking care of it in advance doesn't sound like a bad option."
As soon as Ren finished speaking, his figure flashed forward again, launching another ferocious assault.
Ibaraki Dōji had wanted to ask what exactly had happened between Ren and Shuten Dōji—where Shuten Dōji was now—
But he quickly realized he no longer had the luxury to be distracted.
Because Ren had gotten stronger.
Again.
And again.
And again.
In terms of raw yokai energy, Ibaraki Dōji couldn't see any obvious increase—he still held a slight advantage. But what shocked him was that the blade in Ren's hand had become far sharper than before.
He had just been thinking it was time to stop holding back and properly discipline this junior.
But now?
If he continued to hold back, the one getting disciplined might end up being him.
Yes—The reason Ibaraki Dōji felt Ren's strength had surged once more was simple.
Ren had finally activated the power he had been saving to the very end—
『Blade Spirit Release』.
When two SS-rank great yokai clashed, the scale of destruction was naturally enormous.
They fought from the sky to the ground, from the ground back into the mountains.
Every collision of overwhelming force and surging yokai energy unleashed catastrophic damage upon the surroundings.
The snow mountains had once been filled with towering peaks that pierced the clouds—but now, shockwaves from their battle caused those peaks to collapse one after another.
As the fight dragged on, Ibaraki Dōji grew increasingly alarmed.
By now, he wasn't holding back even a fraction of his power. He was fighting at full strength—yet he still couldn't gain the upper hand.
Suspended in midair, his oni-faced armor was now riddled with visible slash marks. Both sleeves had long since vanished, leaving him looking thoroughly battered.
And in the brief instant his focus wavered—
A flash of silver blade-light appeared without warning at his side.
Forced to block in haste, Ibaraki Dōji was still sent flying by the strike.
"So it's happening again…" Ibaraki Dōji muttered, his voice carried away by the icy wind."This awe that completely hides one's presence and yokai energy—this shouldn't be something an oni clan member can possess."
There was no response.
That silence alone made his teeth itch with frustration.
From the start of the battle, Ren had been unleashing ability after ability.
Some techniques allowed his slashes to ignite with flames. Others made his movements as elusive as the wind. Some pushed his speed to lightning-fast levels.
And among all of them, the ability to completely conceal his aura and yokai energy was by far the most troublesome.
Facing a legendary Oni King like Ibaraki Dōji, Ren naturally had no intention of holding anything back.
Whether it was the four foundational techniques of 『Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain』, or their advanced forms—"Swift as Thunder" and "Unfathomable as Shadow"—Ren used them all without restraint.
When raw yokai power was evenly matched, combat experience and technique became the deciding factors.
In terms of experience, Ibaraki Dōji—who had lived for over a thousand years and fought countless battles—was certainly no weaker than Ren. In fact, he was likely stronger.
Which meant Ren had only one way to close the gap—
By maximizing his combat techniques.
Compared to Ibaraki Dōji's relatively straightforward attack patterns, Ren combined diverse demon arts with refined swordsmanship—along with the 『Demonic Sword Guide』 profession traits he had acquired in that so-called Beautiful Otherworld.
Even if he had to grind it out bit by bit, he could wear Ibaraki Dōji down.
That was exactly the strategy Ren adopted now—a ruthless, underhanded style. He concealed himself with "Unfathomable as Shadow", then struck mercilessly whenever an opening appeared.
Under normal circumstances, Ren disliked fighting this way.
But special circumstances called for special measures.
If he insisted on a pure head-on clash, he honestly wasn't sure he could defeat Ibaraki Dōji right now.
This style of combat also placed enormous mental pressure on Ibaraki Dōji.
Unable to sense Ren's presence, he had no clear target. And the moment his focus slipped, the hidden Ren would seize that opening without mercy.
In other words, Ibaraki Dōji had to remain on constant high alert—guarding against unseen attacks at all times. Even when he successfully blocked Ren's strikes, the constant tension drained his mental stamina at a terrifying rate.
Because of this dirty, oppressive strategy, Ibaraki Dōji—who had initially thought Ren resembled Shuten Dōji in every way—now realized something clearly.
Ren had inherited Shuten Dōji's power.
But his personality?
It couldn't have been more different.
Shuten Dōji was bold, hot-tempered, and straightforward—he crushed opponents with brute force and overwhelming yokai energy. He would never fight in such a sneaky, underhanded manner.
No—In fact, most battle-loving oni preferred direct, frontal clashes.
Ren's current fighting style didn't even feel like that of an oni at all…
And yet—
Despite how stifled and frustrated he felt as an opponent, as a fellow member of the oni clan, Ibaraki Dōji found himself genuinely admiring Ren.
There were already far too many brainless oni—nothing but muscle-bound idiots.
Having a crafty little bastard like Ren show up once in a while?
Honestly…That didn't seem like such a bad thing.