The Yuki-onna is a type of yōkai that appears frequently in folk legends. Skilled at creating ice and snow, she is also known as the Snow Princess. A traditional yōkai of great renown, she is so famous that almost everyone—young and old alike—has heard of her.
She lives deep in the mountains and appears much like a human, possessing a breathtakingly beautiful appearance. She often lures men who wander into snowy mountains to deserted places, kisses them, and in that very moment freezes them solid, stealing their souls to consume.
Of course, there is no such thing as a harmless yōkai. That said, among yōkai, the Yuki-onna is considered relatively low on the danger scale.
This is because she generally does not leave her territory, and as long as a man can resist her temptation, there is usually no great danger.
"That's the basic information on the yōkai known as the Yuki-onna. But honestly, even if I hadn't explained it, you—being exorcists—should already be familiar with such a famous yōkai."
At the foot of a snow-covered mountain in Tokyo District, a biting cold wind howled through the air. Beneath a gloomy, leaden sky, fine flakes of snow drifted down like wisps of cotton.
It clearly wasn't the season for snowfall.
Yet this mountain—and even the surrounding area—had been shrouded in thick storm clouds for quite some time.
They were still only at the base of the mountain, and the cold was already unbearable. It was hard to imagine just how low the temperature would be if they truly entered the mountain itself.
"Are you sure that Yuki-onna is only an A-rank yōkai?" Ren Kuroda asked, staring at the snowstorm-wracked peak above. "This looks like it's affecting the weather itself. Can a normal yōkai really do something like this?"
Looking at the mountain, blanketed in dark clouds and lashed by relentless blizzards, Ren's expression was filled with astonishment.
The raging snowstorm surrounding the mountain had effectively formed a natural barrier, blocking most people from approaching.
What shocked him was whether a mere A-rank yōkai could truly cause something on this scale.
Kamishiro Isshin was about to respond to Ren's question when a mocking laugh suddenly cut him off.
"Where did this country bumpkin crawl out from?" a voice sneered. "Not even knowing something as basic as a Yuki-onna's inherent traits, and yet he still dares to come here and compete with others for the Sesshōseki?"
The one who appeared with that ridicule was the leader of another team that arrived shortly after Ren's group.
Unlike Ren and the others, who wore mismatched gear, this team of about ten people was uniformly dressed in black onmyōji attire.
Leading them was a man with blond hair tied into a short ponytail. He looked elegant at first glance, yet his expression carried a perpetual hint of gloom.
"Kamishiro, it seems the Countermeasures Division's so-called genius rookie is a bit overrated. Those past achievements—were they carefully packaged PR, perhaps? Otherwise, how did a greenhorn like this climb so high on the exorcist rankings?"
Even without Kamishiro saying anything, Ren could already tell from their attire and tone that this group belonged to the Onmyō Bureau, the Countermeasures Division's sworn rivals.
As long-standing enemies who never saw eye to eye, it was common for the two organizations to clash whenever they met. What Ren hadn't expected, however, was that he himself would become the target of their attack.
"Seo," Kamishiro Isshin replied coldly, "what goes on in our Countermeasures Division is none of your concern. As for Ren's strength, I believe the Onmyō Bureau knows it better than anyone."
"If we hadn't gained the upper hand in the Shibuya incident, some people might not even be standing here today."
"Yes, Ren is young—but that just means he has more potential. I'd say you're just upset that despite being born into a prestigious family, your ranking on the exorcist list is still beneath our 'super rookie.' That's why you're singling him out."
Kamishiro didn't find it strange at all that Ren lacked knowledge about certain yōkai traits.
After all, Ren had grown to where he was through sheer effort. Without family inheritance or guidance, it was only natural that there were things he didn't know.
Some yōkai don't possess the power to directly manipulate weather, but when they stay in one place long enough, their inherent nature influences the environment—like an aura.
Wherever an Ame-onna appears, torrential rain will fall. Wherever spider lilies bloom, the mentally fragile will feel the urge to end their lives.
And the Yuki-onna and the snow blanketing this mountain were no different.
Could you say that the Ame-onna or Yuki-onna truly controlled the weather?
No.
They lacked the ability to stop rain or snow at will.
It simply rained or snowed because their very constitution naturally affected atmospheric conditions.
"Hmph. Then we'll see who gets their hands on the Sesshōseki this time," Seo said with a sneer.
"But don't worry—if you run into trouble up there in the snow, we'll lend a hand. Wouldn't want people constantly bringing up the Shibuya incident in the future."
Having his sore spot hit, Seo—leader of the Onmyō Bureau team—clearly had no intention of continuing the argument.
In truth, he had always been deeply dissatisfied with Ren, the Countermeasures Division's so-called super rookie.
As mentioned before, unlike the Countermeasures Division, the Onmyō Bureau placed great emphasis on lineage.
Ren was an orphan from a fallen minor family, someone who hadn't even inherited a proper family tradition. To them, how was he any different from some rogue exorcist?
What Seo found even harder to accept was that someone they looked down upon had, at such a young age, utterly crushed him in the exorcist rankings.
During the Shibuya battle, if the Countermeasures Division hadn't taken the lead, the yōkai they faced might never have hesitated—and the Onmyō Bureau might not even have completed their mission.
Strictly speaking, Ren had been their savior.
That was precisely why, the moment Kamishiro brought up Shibuya, Seo and his team had no choice but to retreat.
For heirs of prestigious families like them, pride meant everything. Continuing that exchange would have been nothing but self-inflicted humiliation.
Seo mocked Ren as a rookie—but Kamishiro reminded him that the Onmyō Bureau had once been saved by that very "rookie."
Mocking someone weaker than you, only to be saved by them… didn't that mean you were even worse than a rookie?
"Captain, aren't they being way too arrogant?" one of Seo's subordinates muttered after they left. "They're just a bunch of nobodies. Are we really letting this go?"
In their long-standing clashes with the Countermeasures Division, the Onmyō Bureau had almost always held the upper hand. But at some point, that advantage had slipped away, leaving Seo's subordinates frustrated by his apparent concession.
"What do you expect me to do?" Seo snapped back. "They really did help us last time. Are we supposed to repay kindness with hostility?"
"Don't forget—no matter how much we despise the Countermeasures Division, we're still on the same side for now."
"Regardless of stance, we're still human, and we share the same enemy. If we abandon even that basic principle, we'd be no better than traitors."
"If you want to reclaim some pride for the Onmyō Bureau, then put in the effort and seize the Sesshōseki."
"And look at them—hardly anyone came. They didn't even bring their usual logistics fodder. Seems like that Shibuya victory went to their heads."
"If they get into trouble up there, help them out. We'll repay that debt and avoid having them use it against us later."
Seo glanced back at the Countermeasures Division's group. Including Hinano, who was clearly just there to gain experience, there were only five of them.
Compared to Seo's well-prepared team, the Countermeasures Division looked less like they were here to subdue a yōkai and more like they were out for a casual hike.
Meanwhile, among the Countermeasures Division—who had come fully intending to take things easy—Ren watched Seo's group depart, a faint smile curling at his lips.
"Seems he's not a complete bastard," Ren murmured. "At least he has a basic sense of principle. I don't really hate people like that."
Seo's earlier hostility had caught Ren's attention. As a half-yōkai, his senses—especially his hearing—were far sharper than those of ordinary humans.
Naturally, he'd been paying attention to see whether they planned to pull something shady. No one liked being targeted.
In fact, Ren had already decided that if Seo's team tried anything once they entered the mountain, he'd wipe them out on the spot.
Knowing someone harbors ill intent and waiting for them to act first was idiotic.
And in a place like this snowy mountain, even if they all died, it would be easy to pin the blame on the Yuki-onna.
Yet to Ren's surprise, despite his abrasive attitude, Seo turned out to be a man with solid principles.
After both the Countermeasures Division and the Onmyō Bureau arrived, other exorcists gradually gathered at the mountain's base.
Some belonged to established exorcist families, while others were freelance exorcists in small groups. But without exception, they all came for the same reason—
The Sesshōseki.
Anyone bold enough to come here and covet the Sesshōseki possessed at least C+ rank spiritual power.
Those below that level wouldn't even be able to endure the mountain's cold, let alone face a Yuki-onna or dream of claiming the Sesshōseki.
Of course, most of the people here were realistic. Compared to major families and large organizations, freelancers and minor clans like themselves were clearly not the main force.
Still, dreams were free.
What if the Yuki-onna ended up severely wounded after fighting the big players… and just happened to stumble right into their arms?
After all, miracles had to start somewhere.