Outside the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Lynn stood quietly with his Familiars.
Their vision was filled by Scorpio's enormous body.
"So big!"
Shizuka Marikawa's eyes widened, and she shuffled her small feet, retreating behind Saeko.
Saeko Busujima gave her a speechless glance but didn't mind.
Shizuka was, after all, a Recovery Demon; her duty was simply to be a good healer.
She retracted her gaze, looking at Scorpio, her desire for slaughter becoming slightly uncontrollable.
However…
Before that, she should clear out the small fry first.
Saeko Busujima looked at the Gastrea running at the forefront.
Her target was Stage IV.
Yotsuya Miko looked a bit troubled.
Her "Psychic Demon" ability was incredibly effective against spiritual entities.
But she wasn't good at physical attacks at all!
It felt like she might be the one with the smallest harvest after this monster feast.
Kanoe Yuuko looked eager, her eyes filled with nothing but excitement.
Anyway, the Gastrea couldn't see her.
Lynn saw they were getting restless, so he waved his hand forward, "Go!"
"Before us, there are no enemies!"
As soon as Lynn gave the command, Saeko Busujima charged out like a wild horse!
On the way, she cut down a pile of Stage I, II, and III Gastrea, heading straight for Stage IV!
Saeko Busujima, wielding a Varanium katana, was like a god of slaughter!
Slaying gods and Buddhas alike!
Tendo Kisara pouted and also rushed out, unwilling to be outdone.
Her swordsmanship was already strong; even before becoming a demon, although her body prevented prolonged combat, her instantaneous burst allowed her to directly wound Stage IV Gastrea!
Now that she was a demon, Tendo Kisara would naturally only become stronger.
Shiina Mahiru and Kasumigaoka Utaha also went after Stage IV.
After all, everyone was an Middle-Level Demon; they couldn't let Saeko Busujima and Tendo Kisara steal all the limelight.
Only Yotsuya Miko looked around awkwardly, then pulled Yurikawa Hana, saying righteously, "Hua, I'll help you level up!"
"Huh?"
Yurikawa Hana was startled, then happily said, "Okay, okay!"
"Finally, I can fight alongside Miko!!"
Yurikawa Hana put her hands on her hips, full of energy, and pointed at the Gastrea in front, "Miko, let's go hunt that big guy!"
Yotsuya Miko followed her gaze, then her eyelid twitched, and she chuckled awkwardly, "Um, Hua, Stage IV is still too difficult for you."
"How about we start with that one?"
Yotsuya Miko pointed to a slightly smaller Stage III Gastrea on the other side.
"Huh?"
Yurikawa Hana blinked, confused, "But that one looks so small."
"It's good enough!"
Yotsuya Miko didn't wait for her to refuse, forcefully pulling her to find trouble with the Stage III.
On the other side, Kanoe Yuuko floated leisurely in the air, occasionally taking advantage of opportunities and leeching experience.
Although the Gastrea couldn't see her, she didn't have the ability to eliminate Stage III Gastrea or higher in one go.
Moreover…
Why bother expending effort to gain some experience when leeching was so much more comfortable?
All the Familiars were diligently accumulating experience.
Except for one person.
Shizuka Marikawa stood next to Lynn, waving her fists, "Everyone, you can do it! I've already prepared plenty of recovery items for everyone!"
Lynn's eyelids twitched, and he slapped her ample buttocks hard.
The crisp sound was pleasant to the ear.
Lynn said exasperatedly, "You hurry up and gain experience too!"
"Ugh..."
Shizuka Marikawa covered her rear and reluctantly went to trouble the Gastrea.
Before long, sounds like 'Lightning Strike!', 'Come on! Let me kill to my heart's content!!', 'You're also an enemy!!' echoed from the Gastrea battlefield.
Lynn observed for a while, and seeing that they were out of danger, he turned his gaze to Scorpio.
With every step it took closer, the Apoptosis Genome on Lynn's panel grew brighter.
Lynn really wanted to know what changes this skill would undergo when Scorpio was annihilated.
...
At the same time.
After Izayama Yomi handed the cursed object to Lynn, she didn't return to Kyoto immediately.
Although a first-grade cursed object indeed required escort by high-ranking personnel, it wasn't enough to warrant sending her.
Her presence in Tokyo was for another mission; delivering the cursed object was merely a detour.
Coffee shop.
A petite and slender girl sat opposite Izayama Yomi.
She wore a beret that lightly covered her light golden hair, and her purple pupils were clear and bright.
Izayama Yomi took a sip of coffee and then said, "Miss Goddess of Wisdom, please tell me the relevant information about this incident."
"Iwanaga Kotoko, just call me Kotoko."
Iwanaga Kotoko smiled gently, her demeanor and speech graceful yet not lacking in nobility.
"Alright, Miss Kotoko."
Izayama Yomi readily agreed, her eyes fixed directly on hers.
Iwanaga Kotoko sighed, "You haven't even had a few sips of coffee since you arrived, and you're staring at me with the eyes of someone interrogating a criminal. How rude..."
"Sorry."
Izayama Yomi said she was sorry, but her expression didn't change, and she continued to stare at Iwanaga Kotoko without a break.
"Alright, alright..."
Iwanaga Kotoko raised her hands in surrender, then stood up and said, "Instead of listening to me, why don't you see it for yourself?"
.....
Passing through a membrane, an inconspicuous shrine came into view.
Izayama Yomi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Iwanaga Kotoko said, "When I discovered the anomaly here, I already asked them to hide it."
Izayama Yomi looked up, her eyes filled with solemnity.
Soaring Energy Flame!
And...
...Sure enough, there's Yui-hime's aura!
Izayama Yomi's heart tightened.
Clang—
She subconsciously drew out Lion King, about to go in and investigate.
Iwanaga Kotoko grabbed her arm, her tone complex, "Are you just going to go up like this?"
Izayama Yomi was stunned for a moment, then looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Iwanaga Kotoko's mouth twitched, "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Don't you need to notify your department?"
Iwanaga Kotoko's emotions surged.
If she hadn't valued her status in the Environment Countermeasures Bureau, how could she have brought her to this dangerous place?
Moreover...
Did this woman just say the name Yui-hime?
Isn't that a famous great demon?
Can something related to her really be handled by a high school girl like her?
Izayama Yomi paused, then shook her head and said, "I don't know..."
But...
"If we wait any longer, it might be too late..."
Her expression became serious, her eyes filled with determination.
Actually...
She was quite confident.
But she didn't want to speak too soon.
She had already dealt with six incidents involving Yui-hime's aura by herself.
There were absolutely no problems.
But one could never be sure when things might go wrong.
Hehe...
She's a one-track mind...
Iwanaga Kotoko had a headache.
Note:
Hello everyone!
First of all, I want to send my warmest wishes to you and your families. May your Lunar New Year be filled with warmth, reunion, and joy. I hope you all stay healthy and have a wonderful year ahead!
I have a small announcement: I will be taking a Lunar New Year holiday starting on February 15th, 2026, and will return on February 23rd, 2026. During this time, I want to rest, spend time with my family, and enjoy the traditional New Year atmosphere.
Don't worry! During this break, I will prepare new chapters so I can post them regularly when I return. So please be patient and wait, the upcoming story will be even better!
Thank you so much for your support. Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!