Marin and Saki suspected Yakusha's motives for appearing here, but they didn't ask. Some things are better left unknown. More importantly, they didn't think Yakusha would have anything to do with Kael.
After all, her age was obvious. If the Kure Clan truly wanted to curry favor with Kael, why not send young, beautiful girls instead of an older woman? Perhaps they were overthinking.
But they could never have imagined that Yakusha's presence was entirely because Kael had requested her. Sometimes, the truth is simply absurd.
"Go cook," Kael told Yakusha. She nodded and went to the kitchen.
Kael poured water for the two girls. "You saw what happened with Kasumigaoka-san. This world is more dangerous than you think. I wanted to let you progress gradually, but time waits for no one. Danger can strike at any moment. So I'll help you gain some strength, enough to protect yourselves."
He cut his finger and dripped three drops of blood into each cup. "Drink. I'll help you absorb the power."
Without hesitation, they drank. They had done this several times before.
Kael placed his hands behind them, channeling Heavenly Demon Mana to help them refine the blood's power.
Half an hour later, as Kure Yakusha prepared a delicious meal, Kael had finished helping them. Their physical strength had leapt forward, and they had even gained a faint trace of mana. Compared to Kael, it was negligible—barely a fraction of his—but it was still true mana, genuine supernatural power. For them, it was a huge improvement.
With mana, they could now learn spells. After some thought, Kael chose three relatively harmless ones from his memory. As a demon cultivator, most of his spells were too dark, too terrifying, even inhuman. So he picked ones that were acceptable. Though low-level, they were enough to handle minor yokai.
He taught them three spells: Swift Step, Diamond Body, and Fierce Fire.
Swift Step increased speed three to five times, useful for attack or escape. Diamond Body was defensive, making the body resistant to small firearms like pistols or grenades. Fierce Fire was offensive, able to burn a person to ashes instantly.
Together, they complemented each other. Mastering them meant being nearly invincible—unless the enemy was too strong. Against powerful foes, it would be difficult. So Kael left safeguards on them, to save their lives in critical moments.
Though low-level, the spells weren't easy to learn. By dinner's end, neither had mastered any. But Kael wasn't worried. Learning spells required repetition and patience. Their lack of progress was normal.
Kael himself had mastered them only because his system had forced the knowledge into his mind before leaving. Without that, he couldn't have wielded them so easily. For ordinary people, learning within a week was already impressive. He estimated Marin and Saki would be the same.
That night, Kael didn't let them stay over. He sent them home and returned to his own house.
Before entering his room, he nodded to Yakusha, signaling her to follow. She hesitated, but then complied. She had already accepted her role and wouldn't risk angering him.
Soon, they were intimate.
Afterward, Yakusha lay in his arms and asked: "Lord Kael, I have a question. Could you answer it?"
"What do you want to ask?" Since she had helped him cultivate, Kael didn't refuse.
Yakusha said: "We didn't know each other before. Why did you know me?"
Kael replied: "If I told you I knew you through a manga artist, would you believe me?"
"Manga artist?" Yakusha was baffled.
Kael wasn't lying. He had indeed known of her through the author of Kengan Ashura. But Yakusha wasn't from Kengan Ashura. She appeared in the author's other work, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?
That story followed Hibiki Sakura, a second-year student at Koyo Girls' Academy, a high school girl with a big appetite. One day, her friend bluntly told her, "Hibiki… you've gained weight again." Determined to slim down before summer, Hibiki joined a gym. There, she met her classmate, the elegant student council president Sōryūin Akemi, and entered the world of muscle training.
Yakusha was a teacher at Koyo Girls' Academy, homeroom teacher of Class 2-A, age 34, married, with two children, from Kyoto. She appeared as a traditional beauty in kimono, with a sharp tongue.
So Kael had mentioned her to Erioh—and Erioh had actually sent her.