Although Tsuchibake had no idea which onmyoji clan Ren Kuroda belonged to, he was absolutely certain of one thing: anyone with that kind of presence would inevitably become a major figure in the future.
Unfortunately, Tsuchibake could never have imagined that the "promising young onmyoji" standing before him wasn't refusing to form a shikigami contract out of arrogance—he simply had no idea how to make one.
Because, in truth, Ren wasn't an onmyoji at all.
He didn't know a single thing about shikigami contracts.
The way yokai accepted subordinates was far simpler—and far more brutal—than the rituals of onmyoji.All they needed to do was beat the other party into submission. If the defeated yokai acknowledged the victor as their "lord," then after sharing a bowl of nuptial wine, the contract was complete.
Not as stable as an onmyoji-shikigami bond, of course, but close enough.
Among yokai, the relationship between a demon lord and his followers resembled comrades bound by respect far more than master and servant. Power, status, instinct—if a yokai willingly served under another, it meant they recognized the other's strength.
Some yokai rulers relied purely on force, while others gained allegiance through charisma, leadership, or sheer aura. But one thing was certain: no yokai was born wanting to be someone's underling.A demon who could make others kneel was extraordinary by definition.
After Ren subdued the Nurikabe, Tsuchibake withdrew his demonic aura. Immediately, normal sight returned to Ren and the others.
Tsuchibake didn't possess the terrifying power to manipulate literal darkness. The "darkness" Hinano and the others had experienced was simply the effect of his ability—Vision Blockade.
By shrouding their perception in demonic power, victims saw only pitch blackness.Meanwhile, Tsuchibake's squat stone-wall body didn't move at all; he simply placed himself in the path of people whose vision he had blocked.
The sensation of "being lost" or "running in circles" was nothing more than the illusion created by disorientation. Tsuchibake's tiny legs were incapable of chasing anyone—even at maximum effort, he waddled.
Thus the name: Nurikabe—the Yokai Wall.
When vision and awareness were cut off and someone lacked any other senses to rely on, fainting was indeed the safest option.
Of course, that assumed the Nurikabe didn't decide to do anything to the unconscious body.
When Ren's sight fully returned, he found Yusaburo Gouda lying unconscious on the floor, while Kujo Hinano was swinging a long staff wildly through the air.
When the Nurikabe had shown itself, Yusaburo tried using the tactics Ren taught him. But after several failures, he simply knocked himself out.
Hinano, on the other hand…
She had been terrified at first. But remembering Ren's words—The best way to handle fear is to face it head-on—and reminding herself that her dream was to become a stylish, fearless detective who could catch yokai…
How could she let herself be scared of one?
So armed with nothing but a long wooden staff, this girl actually managed to frighten the Nurikabe into retreat.
Not because Tsuchibake's weakness was so simplistic, of course.But because he couldn't sense even a flicker of fear from Hinano.
No fear meant no "food."And with zero profit to be gained, Tsuchibake abandoned her immediately—and instead ran straight into Ren, his doom.
When Ren learned from Tsuchibake that he couldn't absorb fear from Hinano, he was speechless.
He honestly didn't know whether this busty little gremlin was unbelievably simple-minded or genuinely fearless.
"Well, that's that. Case closed. Let's head out. And don't forget the payment you promised me."
With Yusaburo out cold, Ren could only speak to Hinano.
He hadn't killed the Nurikabe, but he did capture it—and he promised from the start that he would resolve the incident.Now that he'd taken the culprit away, that should count, right?
"Huh? The yokai's already been defeated?"
Hearing Ren's voice, Hinano finally stopped her frantic staff swings. Only then did she notice the utter devastation around them.
"You've practically demolished their office… I'm pretty sure the company isn't giving out a reward after this.But you're not allowed to back out of the bonus you promised me. Don't think you can use property damage as an excuse.Even if the losses are huge—too bad. It's part of the fight."
Ren suddenly remembered where he was and felt his stomach twist.Computers lay shattered on the floor, sparks flying.He had really gone all-out.
This equipment was for corporate elites… meaning it cost a fortune.
Ren's only concern now was that his well-earned bonus—his precious, not-yet-received bonus—might be withheld.
He refused to accept that.
"Tsk tsk. While exorcising evil spirits tends to cause collateral damage, and the bureau does offer compensation when our own staff are involved…Young man, as far as I know, you're not one of our registered agents."
A relaxed but authoritative male voice came from behind the debris.
"Even if you assisted our detectives, you're at best an unofficial consultant. The detectives already paid you for that role.So the damages this time?"He gave a pitying shrug."Those are coming out of your pocket."
As Ren froze in horror, Kamishiro Isshin and Yamato Kyuka—who had watched the battle from afar—finally walked forward.
Kamishiro scratched his messy hair and clicked his tongue repeatedly as he glanced at the wreckage formerly known as office equipment.
Meanwhile, Yamato Kyuka—one meter seventy tall with legs so long they looked like they belonged in a fashion magazine—had her attention fixed entirely on Ren's sword.
The gleam in her eyes was pure battle lust.
The two of them had already watched Ren fight Tsuchibake.That swift, razor-sharp, wind-like slash removed all doubt.
This was the man who had slain the Rat Demon King.
There weren't many sword-wielding monster slayers in Tokyo. Add the fact he knew Yusaburo and the others, and the mystery figure could only be one person.
Ren, about to ask who these newcomers were, was stopped by Hinano's quick whisper—these were the higher-ups who arrived after the Rat King incident.
Even without her explanation, Ren felt the pressure rolling off them.
But so what?
Ren Kuroda clenched his jaw.
Strong or not, no one was taking his bonus away.