Ren Kuroda may have said it like that, but to Hozumi Yūichi, it sounded like something completely different.
When you look at someone through the lens of admiration, everything they do automatically gets filtered in the best possible light.
And right now, as Ren's self-proclaimed little fanboy, Yūichi was the perfect example of that.
Ren had said he didn't need the survivors' gratitude because his original motives hadn't been entirely pure, and that made him feel guilty.
But in Yūichi's ears, that same statement transformed into something else entirely—Ren didn't seek gratitude because, like a true hero, he acted without expecting anything in return.
Compared to that, Yūichi's own recent behavior—getting a little achievement and immediately showing off to everyone—suddenly felt cheap and embarrassing.
As he stared at Ren's back, Yūichi felt his heart burn even hotter.
The rumors really weren't wrong.
The man before him wasn't just powerful—he was kind, gentle, and above all, a true exorcist.
Only someone who saved others without expecting reward or thanks could be called a genuine exorcist.
As the world continued to change, many people had already forgotten why exorcists existed in the first place.
Back in ancient times, when yokai first brought calamity to the human world, didn't the earliest exorcists step forward for one simple reason—to protect others?
But as time passed, those who gained power seemed to gradually lose themselves along the way…
Looking at Ren now, Hozumi Yūichi was completely conquered—this time, not just physically, but in his heart as well.
The young exorcist before him might not be the strongest among all exorcists, and he was only slightly older than Yūichi.
Yet in terms of strength, character, and conviction, he was the most exorcist-like person Yūichi had ever seen.
He reminded Yūichi of the legendary elder Minamoto Yoriten—who had once led his family to Hokkaido and, alone, held back an entire oni army.
People like that were true powerhouses, both in strength and in spirit.
And Yūichi, despite being born into one of the Thirteen Demon-Slaying Houses and blessed with outstanding talent, was still far behind Ren in every other aspect.
His loss made perfect sense.
And he accepted it completely, without the slightest resentment.
In fact, as he looked at Ren, a sudden look of resolve appeared on Yūichi's face—
And he dropped straight into a deep bow, kneeling in full prostration right in front of him.
Because they were standing on a rooftop, the posture looked a little ridiculous.
But the red-haired boy's expression was firm and utterly sincere.
"I know this may be abrupt, but please—accept me as your disciple, Master!"
Ren had been watching the crowd below slowly disperse, already planning to make his escape. After spending too long hopping between worlds, he'd even gotten hazy on the route to the Countermeasures Division.
Then he heard the voice behind him.
Turning around, he saw the boy still kneeling.
Ren froze.
He was completely dumbfounded by the sudden development.
Wasn't this kid just trying to pick a fight a moment ago?
And now he wanted to become his disciple?
Sure, kids these days could be fickle—but wasn't this a bit much?
Besides, the concept of "taking a disciple" wasn't the same as being a lecturer at some onmyoji academy.
The latter taught large groups, and never shared their true trump cards.
But a master was different.
A master was teacher and parent in one—someone whose status could rival that of a father, a bond of extreme closeness.
Especially in the exorcist world, such relationships were even deeper. A true master passed on all their specialized techniques to the disciple they acknowledged.
Just like Yamato Mika and Minamoto Yoriten.
Even though Yamato Mika wasn't a member of the Minamoto clan, Yoriten had still made an exception and taught her the Minamoto Blade Arts.
"I'm sorry," Ren said calmly, "but I can't accept that request. Setting aside the fact that I'm not planning to take disciples right now—even if I did, there's nothing I could really teach you."
He rejected Yūichi without a second thought.
Honestly, it was a no-brainer.
Even without knowing him well, Ren could tell that the boy's spiritual power was already brushing up against the threshold of B-minus.
Yamato Mika, praised as one of the brightest talents of her generation, was only at B-plus.
This kid looked even younger than her and already possessed power like this—clearly a genius.
For all Ren knew, Yūichi might even outclass him in practical applications of Five-Element curse techniques.
What exactly was he supposed to teach someone like that?
And more importantly—
He was a half-demon.
Taking an exorcist as a disciple?
That was a joke on so many levels.
"I know becoming your disciple won't be easy," Yūichi said earnestly."But I won't give up. From now on, I'll follow in your footsteps, Ren-sensei—until the day you acknowledge me!"
Watching the boy's blazing determination and listening to his words, Ren could only think one thing:
This kid has read way too many hot-blooded shōnen manga.
After rejecting him, Ren turned to leave.
And then—
A few minutes later…
"When you say 'follow in my footsteps,' do you mean being a creepy stalker?"
Ren turned around, staring at the red-haired boy behind him with an expression full of helpless disbelief.
This had been going on for several minutes now.
At first, Ren thought they were just heading the same way.
But every time he took a step, footsteps followed immediately after.
That was when it hit him.
He was being tailed.
"As expected of Ren-sensei!" Yūichi said, beaming. "I tried not to disturb you, but even with my flawless tracking techniques, you still noticed?"
Ren had no energy left to complain.
Flawless tracking?Before bragging about that, maybe hide that blazing red hair first.
"Give it up," Ren said flatly. "I'm not taking you as a disciple. Following me around like this won't change that.And honestly, wouldn't it be better to go back to enjoying your life as a genius exorcist instead of acting like a pervert?"
He never thought he'd experience being followed—and by a boy, of all things.
"Because of you, Ren-sensei, I've completely awakened!" Yūichi declared passionately."Rather than basking in those tiny achievements, I want to spend my limited time figuring out how to grow stronger—so I can protect others and become a true exorcist!"
"And your method of learning is… stalking me?" Ren deadpanned."Sorry, but I'm not interested in men."
Despite how reasonable Yūichi's speech sounded, Ren was convinced the kid was just clinging to him in hopes of forcing him to accept him as a disciple.
What Ren didn't expect, however, was for Yūichi to suddenly pull out a pair of glasses from who-knows-where, put them on, and whip out a notebook.
With utter seriousness, he declared that since Ren wouldn't accept him as a disciple, he would instead study Ren's daily behavior to uncover the secret to becoming stronger.
Hey—this was way past stalking now.
Kid, your thought process is getting dangerous.
You're not just following people anymore—you're planning to spy on their private life?!
Cold sweat trickled down Ren's forehead.
While Yūichi was busy jotting things down, Ren exploded into motion at full speed, instantly shaking off the boy behind him.
No matter how you looked at it, this kid was a walking hazard.
If he could ditch him, the sooner the better.
With Ren's current strength, losing someone was absurdly easy.
By the time Yūichi finally realized what had happened, Ren's silhouette was already gone.
After all that trouble, Ren finally shook off the troublesome kid and made his way to the Tokyo Branch of the Non-Natural Countermeasures Division.
When he presented his credentials, the two soldiers who had been about to stop him immediately straightened, their expressions turning respectful.
"Sorry about that, Mr. Kuroda. Just standard procedure. Please go right in."
Even without the ID, they'd recognized him from a distance.
These days, Ren wasn't just popular among civilians—within the Countermeasures Division, he was practically a superstar.
For a long time, because most of their members came from ordinary backgrounds, the Division had been looked down on by the Onmyō Bureau, another official organization dominated by exorcist families.
But after the Battle of Shibuya, the Countermeasures Division had finally held its head high.
Now, many students from exorcist academies across the country openly stated that they planned to join the Non-Natural Countermeasures Division after graduation—purely because of Ren's past achievements.
The times had changed.
Everyone knew that these spiritually gifted youths were humanity's future.
And if the Countermeasures Division could secure first access to that talent pool, there was no reason their group of so-called "wild-born" exorcists couldn't one day surpass the Onmyō Bureau, whose ranks were dominated by hereditary families.
Higher authorities seemed keen to avoid letting the future be monopolized by exorcist clans.
As a result, policies were quietly tilting in favor of exorcists from ordinary backgrounds.
And given the Countermeasures Division's recent performance, those in power could see things clearly—
Even if the exorcist families' influence was growing stronger by the day, the Countermeasures Division was no longer without the means to fight back.