At that moment, Yamato Kuka had indeed drawn Onikiri, holding the blade against Kamishiro Isshin's neck. A faint flush of embarrassment and irritation colored her expression.
She knew perfectly well that Kamishiro Isshin was just running his mouth as usual, casually teasing everyone like he always did. But his words still dragged up the things that had been happening over the past few days.
Every time she went home, her mother would corner her and interrogate her mercilessly: So, how far have things progressed between you and Yūto?
And the scale of those questions—each one more invasive than the last—left Kuka feeling utterly overwhelmed.
She had thought that asking Yūto to pretend to be her boyfriend, just to placate her parents' constant pressure to marry, would finally let her enjoy a stretch of peace at home.
Who could have guessed that things would spiral so completely out of control? Not only did the situation fail to unfold as she'd imagined—it had become even more troublesome than before…
"K-Kuka-chan… I was just joking, really. Don't take it so seriously, okay? You know how dangerous that sword of yours is. If you slip up even a little, things could get ugly…"Kamishiro Isshin swallowed hard and hurriedly changed the subject."Let's get back to business. Compared to the Kamaitachi from before, this opponent is even more troublesome. And on top of that, it's holding something like the Sesshōseki…"
The moment the mission came up, Kamishiro Isshin's face twisted into a full-blown headache.
As the nominal leader of Countermeasures Group Ninth Squad, he'd received the new assignment from above several days earlier.
Their target this time was a yōkai dwelling deep in a snow-covered mountain—and their objective was to obtain the legendary Sesshōseki from its possession.
Although there was only a single target, this yōkai was anything but easy prey. In fact, thanks to the geographical advantage, it was likely even more difficult to deal with than the lightning-fast Kamaitachi they'd faced before.
The yōkai in question was a Yuki-onna—a snow woman—one of the more famous types of yōkai. Its yōkai power and rank were estimated to be around A-class.
Under normal circumstances, humans chose a policy of mutual non-interference with yōkai like Yuki-onna, which typically stayed deep in snowy mountains and didn't actively attack humans.
But this time, things were different.
An exorcist who had escaped from the mountains claimed he'd seen the legendary Sesshōseki in the Yuki-onna's possession.
The instant that information came to light, most exorcist families and organizations erupted into a frenzy.
Any exorcist worth their salt knew exactly what the Sesshōseki was.
It was said to be a special crystal formed from the entirety of the power of one of the Three Great Yōkai—the Nine-Tailed Fox, Tamamo-no-Mae—after her death.
Legend held that whoever obtained the Sesshōseki would inherit all of Tamamo-no-Mae's power from when she was alive. In a sense, it was nothing less than a divine artifact.
How powerful was Tamamo-no-Mae at her peak? No one alive today truly knew—they'd only heard the legends.
But for her to be counted among the Three Great Yōkai, her strength at her height had to be at least SS-rank, possibly even SSS.
Faced with an object that could grant such power, very few people could resist the temptation.
Unsurprisingly, Kamishiro Isshin's Countermeasures Group soon received an order as well—an order to seize the Sesshōseki.
"Sometimes I really feel like slapping the mission report straight into those big shots' faces," Kamishiro Isshin grumbled."This is obviously some higher-up blinded by greed. Instead of figuring out how to fend off the yōkai assaults, they're dreaming about snatching the Sesshōseki.Do they really think that's something ordinary people can lay hands on? Sure, the Sesshōseki has immense power—but according to legend, it also carries Tamamo-no-Mae's overwhelming resentment.
"Even Abe no Seimei, the greatest onmyōji of his time, couldn't completely eradicate it. Where do these idiots get the confidence? We're talking about one of the Three Great Yōkai here."
Kamishiro Isshin genuinely loved the atmosphere within the Countermeasures Group, but there were times when he found it impossible to agree with the decisions handed down from above.
This mission was a prime example. In his eyes, it was nothing more than a pointless exercise in increasing casualties.
Picking a fight with an A-class Yuki-onna in a snow mountain environment?That was just suicide, plain and simple.
Because of that, Kamishiro Isshin had no intention of bringing along any of the group's logistical or support staff. Sending ordinary personnel would only be condemning them to death.
His plan was to have only the core members make the trip, put on a token show, and then come back. After that, they could simply report to their superiors that other organizations had beaten them to it.
The Onmyō Bureau's anti-demon officers also seemed determined to claim the Sesshōseki. Though they were sworn rivals, Kamishiro Isshin had absolutely no interest in competing with them over this matter.
In his book, human lives mattered far more than some damn stone called the Sesshōseki.
"Sesshōseki? You were just talking about the Sesshōseki, right? Even something like that is showing up now?"
Just as Kamishiro Isshin and the others were discussing the matter, a voice abruptly cut in, drawing everyone's attention.
"You brat always manage to vanish whenever you feel like it—but when it really counts, you show up at just the right moment," Kamishiro Isshin said with a snort."That said, we already decided this mission is just for show. You can come along, flash your face, and let the higher-ups see where we stand."
The one who had suddenly appeared and joined the conversation was none other than Ren Kuroda, who had just returned to the Countermeasures Group.
He'd barely stepped through the door when he caught a word that immediately piqued his interest, prompting him to ask.
As it happened, Ren already possessed a piece of the Sesshōseki himself—one he'd obtained earlier from the yōkai Nurikabe. He hadn't expected that, after so many days, a second fragment of the Sesshōseki would surface.
"Yeah. The Sesshōseki—the stone said to house the power and soul of the great yōkai Tamamo-no-Mae. It's really appeared this time. The whole exorcist world's in an uproar, so the chances of it being fake are pretty low.What, don't tell me you're interested in the Sesshōseki too?"
"If that's the case, let me give you some advice," Kamishiro Isshin added seriously."The waters here are way too deep for you. You won't be able to handle it.The Sesshōseki may have incredible power, but it's absolutely not a good thing. With your age and strength, if you just train steadily, you won't need something like that at all. One day, you'll surpass Tamamo-no-Mae—surpass even Abe no Seimei."
Seeing the thoughtful look on Ren's face, Kamishiro Isshin frowned and spoke with rare solemnity.
One of the things he was proudest of in his life was discovering a prodigy like Ren Kuroda.
In Kamishiro Isshin's eyes, Ren's character, strength, and talent were unmatched—far beyond anyone he'd ever seen.
If the day ever came when the age of chaos was finally brought to an end, Kamishiro Isshin firmly believed that Ren would be one of the people who contributed the most.
Precisely because he held Ren in such high regard, he didn't want to see him walk down the wrong path.
The temptation of easily acquired power was something young people often couldn't resist. The instant Kamishiro Isshin sensed Ren's interest in the Sesshōseki, he felt compelled to impress upon him the gravity of the situation.
What Kamishiro Isshin didn't know was that Ren already possessed a Sesshōseki fragment himself—and that his wariness toward the thing far exceeded anything Kamishiro Isshin could imagine.
"No. I'm not particularly interested in the so-called Sesshōseki," Ren replied calmly."If anything, tell me more about the mission target. From what I heard just now, it's a Yuki-onna, right?
"A Yuki-onna is already a high-ranking yōkai. Add in a snow mountain environment, and if she can also wield the power of the Sesshōseki… Are you sure you weren't planning to go up there just to throw your lives away?"
Ren truly meant what he said—he had little interest in the Sesshōseki. He wasn't the same person he'd been back when he first subdued Nurikabe. A mere fragment of the Sesshōseki no longer stirred his heart.
To him, the Sesshōseki was less a source of temptation and more a dangerous wildcard. Compared to the power contained within it, Ren was far more curious about something else—if all the Sesshōseki fragments were gathered together, would the legendary yōkai Tamamo-no-Mae truly be resurrected?
"Yeah. Yuki-onna are already high-level yōkai to begin with. This one possesses A-class yōkai power, and with the snow mountain terrain giving her a boost, a conservative estimate would put her at A+."Kamishiro Isshin continued grimly."And if she's already mastered the power of the Sesshōseki… then she might very well rival the yōkai kings currently entrenched across the country."
To be honest, even Ren—under normal conditions—wouldn't dare claim a guaranteed victory against an A-class Yuki-onna on her home turf, let alone one wielding the Sesshōseki.
"That's right. Ever since news of the Sesshōseki broke, those people have gone completely insane," Kamishiro Isshin said with a snort."Facing a Yuki-onna in a snow mountain environment might be a one-on-one fight, but it's still extremely dangerous.
"From what I know, the strongest person heading up the mountain this time is just an elder from the Kagari family of the Thirteen Demon-Slaying Houses."
"The Kagari family specializes in all kinds of fire-based spells, so their clan techniques are indeed particularly effective against yōkai like Yuki-onna.But if I remember correctly, that elder's spiritual power is only barely A-class."
"Trying to take down a Yuki-onna in a snow mountain with that level of strength? That's nothing but a fool's dream."
Kamishiro Isshin clearly had little confidence in the group heading out to subjugate the Yuki-onna. In his view, taking her down would require at least an S-class existence on their side. Sending a bunch of A-class exorcists would change nothing.
Even when it came to Ren—whom he usually held in such high expectations—Kamishiro Isshin wasn't optimistic about his chances this time.
There was no mystery to it. Ren had barely managed to defeat the Kamaitachi before, and that victory had been hard-fought. The Yuki-onna was at least on the same level, now bolstered by advantageous terrain—and possibly the Sesshōseki as well.
Under those conditions, even his prized prodigy Ren would likely be unable to prevail.
Of course, their purpose this time was just to go through the motions. Whether or not they actually obtained the Sesshōseki didn't matter.
What mattered was making sure the surface-level work looked convincing.