Shinjō Isshin seemed genuinely worried about Ren Kuroda's situation. He even pulled strings behind the scenes to smooth things over.
At this point, if Ren were willing to join the Unnatural Countermeasures Division, then based on the strength he had already displayed, he could skip straight to full-member status—possibly even take command of a squad right away.
On top of that, they had asked the region's most powerful shrine—Tsuchimiya Shrine—to provide personal protection for Ren's family. Normally, not even official members of the Division received benefits like that. Ren's talent was simply too extraordinary to ignore.
After all… how old was he? Just a high schooler. And yet his combat ability already clocked in at least at C+ rank.
A monster of a talent.
Yamato Kuka, rising star of her generation, had only reached C-rank by her early twenties—and even then, her C+ battle power came only thanks to the boost from Onikiri, the cursed blade she wielded. That level already placed her above most of her peers.
But even the exceptional Yamato Kuka couldn't compare to the outrageous potential of Ren Kuroda.
Right now, the two of them might look evenly matched in terms of combat ability, but everyone knew that was temporary. When Ren reached Yamato Kuka's age… B-rank would probably be his starting line.
That wasn't even the most important part.
Unlike exorcists from old, deeply rooted families like Kuka's, Ren had no clan baggage—nothing to restrict him, no elders dictating his future. To the Division, he was a priceless talent they could truly claim as their own.
People shouldn't be fooled by how obedient the old exorcist families appeared on the surface. Their respect toward the Division was only courtesy paid to the government's authority.
Deep down, the ancient onmyoji clans had always been aristocracy. Their pride was carved into their bones. They looked down on "wild" exorcists with no lineage… and they despised those who relied on firearms for spiritual combat even more.
But the upper brass couldn't do anything about that arrogance.
Onmyoji had possessed special status since antiquity, and even today many powerful officials maintained close ties with the old families. With the recent surge in supernatural activity, the clans' importance had grown even further. In the face of increasingly violent yokai, the government had no choice but to rely on them.
It couldn't be helped. The world was clearly changing. In the early years, most manifestations were only E- or D-rank. But recently, C-rank threats had begun appearing—and no one knew what might appear next.
And as insufferably arrogant as the ancient families could be, they had earned that right. If a B-rank or higher monster appeared, the current Unnatural Countermeasures Division simply couldn't resist it. Only the old houses possessed the power necessary.
So even though the Division looked strong under the government's banner, when things truly got dangerous, they still had to bow to the exorcist clans.
Naturally, the Division had long wanted to change this situation. But reality wasn't so easy. Ordinary people rarely possessed strong spiritual power; the old families had centuries of heritage behind them. It was nearly impossible for a commoner onmyoji to surpass them. And most of the Division's major combatants were still "borrowed" from those clans.
But then Ren Kuroda appeared—giving the Division its first spark of hope in decades.
Hope that they could finally surpass the old exorcist families.
Yes, Ren came from an onmyoji lineage… but his clan had already been wiped out, leaving him as their sole heir, with no elder council hovering over him.
If the Division could recruit him fully, then given time, it wasn't impossible for them to one day stand above the clans.
In fact, after witnessing Ren's performance and reviewing his records, the higher-ups were already discussing the possibility of grooming him into a future ace—a living trump card.
Why did the Division always have to play second fiddle to the old families?Why did they have to beg for aid whenever things went beyond D-rank?
Because they lacked a powerhouse of their own.
If they had a real ace—someone capable of wielding overwhelming spiritual might—things would be different. They wouldn't need to bow their heads to anyone again.
So even though Ren himself made no special moves, the moment the higher-ups saw his file, they quietly agreed:
Recruit him at all costs.
A prodigy like him—a lone heir with no clan shackles—was rarer than gold. Even if he demanded excessive privileges, they were ready to grant them.
Meanwhile, at Ren's home…
After a long night of thinking, Ren finally accepted the bizarre truth:He really was both a half-demon and a descendant of an onmyoji family.
Compared to Ren, who had finally steadied himself, the one currently in shock was Tobi, the yokai Ren had recently recruited.
Since Ren had decided to accept Tobi as his subordinate, there was no point in hiding his half-demon identity—and so he revealed it outright.
The moment Ren unleashed even a fraction of his demonic aura, filling the room with raw yokai pressure, Tobi immediately dropped to one knee. But after a few seconds of stunned silence… emotion washed over him—
Pure, unfiltered joy.
Ren being a demon—and not an onmyoji—completely changed the meaning of Tobi's submission.
If he joined Ren as a shikigami, he'd basically become a magical slave, summoned and dismissed at will… a shameful existence for a yokai.
But becoming the subordinate of another demon—that was different. That was the kind of hierarchical bond yokai had observed since ancient times, like a lord and his general.
Still a subordinate… but a subordinate with dignity.Still bound… but with freedom, as long as he obeyed his lord and never betrayed him.
To any yokai, that distinction was enormous.
And now, instead of being chained as some onmyoji's shikigami, Tobi had accidentally stumbled into something far better:
He had become the first yokai to pledge allegiance to Ren Kuroda—a demon with terrifying potential.
If Ren ever became a great demon, then Tobi would surely stand at his side as a high-ranking retainer.
Of course he was thrilled.
He had originally assumed he would be turned into a shameful, face-losing shikigami… only to discover that Ren wasn't an onmyoji at all.
He was a yokai.A half-demon, yes—but still a demon.
And in the yokai world, strength was everything. Even a half-demon, so long as he grew powerful enough, could one day reign supreme over all yokai.
Tobi had no complaints.No doubts.No regrets.
He had latched onto the right master.