"Hinano, you still can't get in touch with that brat Yūto?""Honestly, if he could take part in this mission too, our odds would be a lot better. Sure, this assignment is basically just us going along to make up the numbers, but as one of the core members, Yūto should at least show his face and go through the motions."
Ever since the battle in Shibuya, life on the Countermeasures Group's side had been unusually comfortable.After all, with the world descending into chaos, there was no shortage of organizations and groups clashing head-on with yōkai. But groups that could actually win those battles—and reclaim lost territory afterward—were few and far between.
What made their case even more remarkable was the fact that the Countermeasures Group had wrested back their turf from the yōkai with almost negligible casualties.
Yet reality proved that sometimes, performing too well didn't just bring rewards—it also brought trouble, one problem after another.
This time was a perfect example. Because the Ninth Squad of the Countermeasures Group had been performing so outstandingly in recent weeks, higher-ups had once again assigned them a new task.
"I still can't reach him. I even went to his house earlier, but Aunt Yami said he's been out for about a week now.She said he went off to handle some kind of mission, but I don't buy it. It's probably just an excuse—he's most likely hiding from all those uninvited guests showing up at his place."
Over the past few days, Hinano had been visiting Yūto's house more times than she could count.On one hand, she wanted to celebrate her friend's successful merits and promotion. On the other, as a girl overflowing with a sense of justice, she was eager to hear Yūto talk about how they had defeated their enemies in the Battle of Shibuya.
Truth be told, Hinano had always felt deeply regretful about not being able to participate in that battle. But she also understood perfectly well that, even though she could now be considered an exorcist herself, she would have been completely useless in a battlefield of that level.
By now, the route to Yūto's home had become second nature to her. What she hadn't expected, however, was that unlike the Tendōin household—which had rarely interacted with outsiders—the Tendōin residence lately seemed to be packed with visitors every single day.
Among those guests, Hinano even spotted quite a few of her own classmates.
Compared to the lofty gates of other prestigious exorcist families, where even wealthy visitors found it nearly impossible to gain entry, Yūto's family was nothing more than a modest, ordinary household. Coupled with his recent exploits, it was only natural that more people were coming to pay visits.
Most of those visiting Yūto's home were wealthy businessmen from various regions. Their children had been fortunate enough to enroll as freshmen at the "Onmyō Academy," and since Yūto was a guest instructor there, they used that as a pretext to call on him.
Naturally, no matter where these tycoons came from, the gifts they brought were brimming with sincerity.
On one hand, they genuinely hoped their children would receive special care at the academy. On the other, they were eager to see if they could forge a connection with Yūto, the prodigy exorcist.
After all, people who reached the top didn't do so by chance—their perception and decisiveness were far sharper than those of ordinary people.
The age of chaos had only just begun, and they had already realized something crucial: in today's world, money alone was practically useless. Even power and authority weren't guaranteed to work anymore.
Because of the chaos, the value of currency was rapidly depreciating. Luxurious mansions and expensive supercars had become little more than meaningless piles of junk.
In a world like this, only one's own strength and tangible supplies were true hard currency.
That was precisely why, the moment exorcism academies were established, these tycoons had forcibly shoved their precious heirs—young masters and young ladies who were supposed to inherit family businesses—into them for training.
Meanwhile, their original companies and industries were also undergoing constant transformation and restructuring in response to the changing times.
Although the chaotic era had arrived just over a month ago, countless new industries had already begun to emerge.After all, humans were among the most resilient creatures in the world—when pushed to the brink, they often managed to surpass their own limits.
To become a proper exorcist, one needed spiritual power. Yet not everyone possessed the potential to awaken it.
Thus, some researchers—taking a gamble—began studying yōkai corpses. In the end, they succeeded in developing a special kind of serum.
Modern society was nothing like ancient times. Humans still had science as a weapon.
If the traditional path was closed, then they would simply carve out a new one. Those with talent could become elite, orthodox exorcists. As for those without talent—those unwilling to sit around waiting for death—the only option left was mutation.
This new special serum, developed by scientists, was extracted from deceased yōkai. By utilizing the unique traits of yōkai, it could enhance the human body.
These serums were also graded, based on the rank of the yōkai they were extracted from: D, C, B, A, and so on.
Of course, no matter the era, gaining power for nothing had never been easy.Exorcists had to grow stronger step by step—why should you be able to skyrocket just by chugging a bottle like it was a soft drink?
While the serum could enhance physical abilities, it came with tremendous risks. Only thirty percent of users could complete the enhancement instantly.The remaining seventy percent couldn't withstand the serum's effects; their bodies collapsed under the strain, resulting in "yōkai-fication," turning them into mindless monsters.
Even with such a grim success rate, yōkai serum still skyrocketed to astronomical prices whenever it appeared on the black market.
For most people, living an unremarkable life held little appeal. When faced with the prospect of being cornered by yōkai during a city's fall and eaten alive, gambling on that thirty percent chance felt far more appealing.
Moreover, aside from strengthening the body, there was an extremely slim chance that one might inherit a specific ability from the deceased yōkai contained in the serum.
The odds were about the same as winning the lottery—but what if you actually hit the jackpot?
After all, without dreams, what difference was there between a person and a salted fish?
If someone truly gained a yōkai ability, it would be nothing short of ascending in a single step—wielding supernatural power on par with an exorcist.
Once introduced, yōkai serum instantly captivated the masses, because it gave ordinary people a glimpse of hope—the possibility of becoming strong.
That said, even this dangerously flawed serum was far beyond what the average person could afford. Its price was simply too outrageous.
Producing a single vial of D-rank yōkai serum required the life essence of ten D-rank yōkai—and that was assuming everything went perfectly.
But when humans were barely able to protect themselves, how could they possibly hunt that many yōkai?
That was the fundamental reason behind the serum's staggering cost.
Currently, the most common product on the market was D-rank serum. Higher-ranked serums were practically priceless—items that existed in name only.
The reason was simple. Beyond D-rank, not only was the production process far more difficult, but acquiring the raw materials was a nightmare.
Weak humans could still manage to hunt D-rank yōkai by purchasing holy water or special weapons.But against C-rank yōkai, even the most well-equipped troops would face near-certain death upon encounter—hunting them was out of the question.
To deal with yōkai of that level, one had to hire exorcists. And the cost of hiring such people was, without exception, exorbitant.
This was why yōkai serum above D-rank was not only incredibly rare, but also unimaginably expensive.
Because of the emergence of yōkai serum, numerous new industries had sprung up. Many large corporations now specialized in purchasing yōkai corpses from exorcists.
On one hand, yōkai bodies could be used to produce serum. On the other, certain materials from yōkai could be crafted into weapons imbued with special powers.
Understanding all this, it was easy to see why those wealthy elites were so eager to cozy up to Yūto.
For established exorcist families, the yōkai they hunted could be fully processed in-house. They had no interest in the paltry sums offered by businessmen.
Yūto, however, was different. His strength was exceptional, yet he was a lone wolf. The materials from yōkai were essentially useless to him.
More importantly, this prodigious young exorcist could effortlessly slay B-rank yōkai. If someone could obtain B-rank materials from him and turn them into serum, wouldn't that be a straight shot to the top?
"I'm guessing the people looking for that brat Yūto aren't just profit-hungry tycoons, right? There should be plenty of young women too.After all, by old standards, that kid's a textbook diamond bachelor.Looks? Flawless. Handsome as hell—just like Uncle Kamishiro here. Famous, powerful… plenty of people have their eyes on him now."
"You two were among the earliest to know him, and you're both his colleagues and students at the same Onmyō Academy. Aren't you worried at all?Don't be fooled by Yūto's strength and talent—deep down, he's a total steel-plated straight man. If someone beats you to it one day…"
Kamishiro Isshin spoke while casting a very pointed glance at Kujō Hinano and Yamato Kuka beside him. The implication was obvious.
"N-No, that's not it! I just see Yūto as a normal friend!"Hinano flushed bright red and hurriedly protested at Kamishiro Isshin's teasing. Her reaction, however, only made the middle-aged man's smile grow even more meaningful.
"Just a normal friend, huh…? Then why did you look so angry earlier when you talked about other female classmates going to see Yūto?And you too, Kuka-chan—I heard about it, you know. You brought Yūto home to meet your parents, didn't you?I never would've thought that the usually ice-cold Kuka-chan would be the fastest to make progress once she made a move.Guess age really does make spring stir in the heart—"
Kamishiro Isshin's teasing came to an abrupt halt.
It wasn't because he didn't want to continue.
It was because, at that very moment, a forty-meter-long blade was resting against his neck.