Yuto's demonic power might have once been only B-level, but recently, his strength had surged dramatically. Even in his Half-Demon Transformation, his power now reached B+, brushing up against A-level.
Demonic power alone, however, wasn't the full measure of strength. Just as Yamato Kyuuka, with C-level spiritual power, could defeat C+ monks like Hakuba and Kamishiro Isshin, weapons and combat skill played a crucial role.
Having mastered the "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain" techniques and developed his own "Demon Breathing Technique," Yuto felt confident that in his Half-Demon state, he could take down an A-level Calamity Demon.
Even holding back, though, Kamishiro Isshin was stunned when Yuto revealed that his spiritual power had reached B-level. They had previously assumed his power barely scraped C+, believing his feat against the Rat Demon King owed entirely to swordsmanship.
Yamato Kyuuka had even noted that Yuto's swordsmanship might be slightly inferior to hers. Yet with B- level spiritual power revealed, Isshin realized that while they had overestimated Yuto in some ways, they had vastly underestimated his raw strength.
B- spiritual power, paired with his exceptional swordsmanship, made him effectively equal to a B-level Calamity Demon. And he was only a high school student—still under twenty.
At such a young age, wielding strength on par with a B-level demon, Yuto's talent would eclipse even the prodigies of elite exorcist families. Smaller Onmyoji lineages might not even rival him. And now, this genius had joined their Eighth Group—as its nominal captain.
Thinking of this, Kamishiro Isshin felt a surge of pride. With both Yuto and Yamato Kyuuka in their ranks, he truly led the strongest core members of the Eighth Group. Mission accomplished. He left, fully satisfied.
Isshin's concern for Yuto went beyond talent. Yuto's prior experiences resonated with him, and as the first to discover such a prodigy, Isshin naturally wanted to advocate for him and ensure the group benefited.
As noted, every time a Calamity Demon was slain, the group earned merit points. Stronger members meant greater rewards. While the Eighth Group's members were highly capable, their limited numbers had always held them back.
As a result, the Eighth Group consistently ranked last among the ten units in merit points. It was a vicious cycle: fewer benefits led logistics and support staff to prefer the higher-ranking teams. Though the Eighth Group eliminated demons successfully, they simply didn't have enough core force to match the volume of other groups.
After bidding Kamishiro Isshin goodbye, Yuto returned home, only to be immediately swarmed by a tiny whirlwind—his sister.
There was a reason Isshin had spent two days in the hospital; if Yuto hadn't been a half-demon with a formidable physique, his sister's enthusiasm might have overwhelmed him entirely.
Once he managed to put Ryuhime down, his mother, Tenjouin Masami, hurried over to check him for injuries. She circled him, inspecting left and right, before finally drawing a conclusion: her son had lost weight again.
Yuto gave a wry smile. He'd only been gone a week. Any weight loss couldn't possibly be that noticeable—but mothers had a way of exaggerating such things. Every child's absence seemed to shrink them, at least in a mother's eyes.
He quickly fabricated a plausible excuse for his week-long absence to appease her, then brought Spider Princess inside, formally introducing her to the family.
The moment Tenjouin Masami laid eyes on Spider Princess, her eyes lit up. She even temporarily abandoned her anxious questioning of Yuto to pull Spider Princess inside.
Spider Princess, already acknowledging Yuto as her lord, was suddenly confronted with the reality that his mother had now become her mistress. The sheer intensity of Masami's enthusiasm left her slightly overwhelmed.
It was important to remember that Spider Princess's world—rooted in Edo-era sensibilities—was heavily hierarchical. She hadn't yet figured out how to address Yuto's mother properly when she was abruptly swept away by Masami's energy.
Looking at the silver-haired yokai and her striking figure, Masami's smile widened even further. She hadn't expected her quiet, withdrawn son to suddenly become so charming. Previously, she had worried Yuto wouldn't make friends—but now, he was bringing girls home one after another.
In her eyes, both Kujou Hinano and Spider Princess were exceptionally beautiful.
Meanwhile, Ryuhime puffed out her cheeks, feeling wronged. Her brother had become a womanizer. He had once doted only on her, and now he kept bringing strange girls home.
"Hmph. Does my brother just like big things? Bigger isn't always better. We're not rich, but we can afford milk powder…"
Before she could finish her complaint, Yuto delivered a sharp, playful smack to her head. Ryuhime crouched down adorably, covering her head in defense.
"What are you thinking with that little head of yours? And Mom, can you please stop asking weird questions? Spider Princess—like Tsuchiwa—is a yokai who chose to follow me, not whatever you're imagining."