After a brief discussion, the group of exorcists ultimately decided to make a move against the Zashiki-warashi after all.
In their view, regardless of whether the Zashiki-warashi was harmful or not, it was still a yokai—and that alone placed it squarely within the scope of this hunting operation.Moreover, the points awarded for hunting a B-rank yokai were substantial. And considering that Zashiki-warashi were famously non-combat-oriented, this was practically a free score.
"Sorry, but I'm out," one of them said coldly. "No matter how you spin it, attacking something that's basically a child crosses a line I'm not willing to cross.Besides, Zashiki-warashi are harmless yokai—and it even saved those two elders. I'm withdrawing."
For those blinded by profit, there would always be others who couldn't silence their conscience.
Out of the small exorcist squad, only two chose to step back. They tried to stop the others—now clearly intoxicated by greed—but with the numbers against them, all they could do in the end was sigh, shake their heads, and leave.
As they watched the two departing figures disappear, the remaining exorcists sneered openly, their mockery sharp and merciless.
"How laughable. Look at the state of the world now—humans and yokai are mortal enemies.In times like these, instead of finding ways to grow stronger, they're wasting time sympathizing with monsters? Pathetic."
Originally, seven exorcists had kicked down the door. With two gone, five remained.
Though none of them were particularly powerful, each still possessed spiritual power ranging from C-rank to B–rank.With a lineup like this, taking down an ordinary B-rank yokai could easily backfire—but if the target was a Zashiki-warashi, then it was child's play. That was precisely why they believed themselves lucky.
As the five closed in, the elderly couple suddenly dropped to their knees, begging the exorcists to spare the child.
The response was immediate and cruel.
One of the exorcists raised a hand casually.
In an instant, the two elders froze in place, as if bound by an invisible spell, unable to move even a finger.
The Zashiki-warashi wanted to flee—but seeing the two elders trapped and helpless, he couldn't bring himself to abandon them.That single moment of hesitation cost him his last chance to escape.
A blue barrier etched with glowing runes rose around the room, sealing it off completely.
Zashiki-warashi lacked combat strength, but their abilities in concealment and escape were exceptional.Even so, the yokai before them clearly radiated B-rank yokai energy, and the exorcists dared not lower their guard.
Outnumbered and restricted by the barrier, the Zashiki-warashi—who was never meant for battle—was quickly driven into a corner. Within a single exchange, he was already coughing up blood.
Born from the spirit of a child, the Zashiki-warashi had no true combat instincts. His methods of attack were painfully simple—manipulating small ghostly flames.
Against enemies far weaker than himself, that might have sufficed.But against trained exorcists whose spiritual power was only slightly inferior to his own—and who wielded a wide array of spells—it was woefully inadequate.
Pinned in place, the elderly couple could only watch as the child they lived with day after day was beaten by a group of grown adults. Their despair turned into furious curses, shouted at the exorcists with shaking voices.
Begging no longer worked. This was all they had left.
And yet, as the Zashiki-warashi grew weaker with each blow, their rage was drowned by crushing helplessness.
"Tsk, tsk… just like that lord said," a new voice suddenly echoed through the room."Some yokai may be monsters by nature, yet possess hearts of pure kindness.And some humans… well, their actions are so despicable that even a yokai like me can't stand to watch."
The B-rank hunting points were already within reach—but the sudden appearance of that unfamiliar voice made the exorcists flinch violently.
Because the voice had appeared behind them—without warning.
And worse still, it was female.
Inside the room, the only woman present was the elderly lady kneeling on the floor. Yet the voice was young and clear, unmistakably not hers.
Which meant—
Without any of them noticing, another intruder had entered the room.
And from her words alone, it was obvious: the newcomer was also a yokai.
"That's impossible!" one exorcist barked. "We set up a barrier! No yokai should be able to cross it—certainly not without us noticing!"
They sensed no overwhelming yokai aura. Back to back, the exorcists scanned the cramped room—but found no one.
Their gazes soon fell on the weakened Zashiki-warashi.
"This must be one of its abilities—some kind of illusion!"
"Heh."
A soft, mocking laugh echoed from the shadows.
"This trash-tier barrier, and you're confident enough to claim no yokai can cross it?Well, whatever. Dealing with the likes of you doesn't really require the trouble of full-on assassination tactics anyway."
The hidden speaker finally stepped forward from the darkness.
She was a lively少女 with long black hair, cat ears perched atop her head, and a split tail swaying lazily behind her.
There was no mistaking it.
She was a yokai.
As her yokai power subtly rose, her presence grew sharper—her development as a nekomata clearly leaning toward the path of a shadow assassin.
Silent movement. Explosive speed.Combined with concealment on par with Ren Kuroda's "Hard to Perceive as Shadow," she was practically born for assassination.
A nekomata's ability to suppress its presence could reduce its existence to nearly nothing, allowing it to bypass layers of surveillance and sealing barriers.
That was why the barrier remained intact—yet she had appeared inside it regardless.
"A nekomata…?" one exorcist muttered. "What's going on tonight? Rare yokai just keep popping up."
After the initial shock, the exorcists actually relaxed slightly.
Like the Zashiki-warashi, nekomata were well-known, considered upper-tier yokai—but not especially troublesome. Their direct combat power was relatively low.
Coincidentally, nekomata—much like Zashiki-warashi—were not classified as dangerous yokai.
There were two popular theories about their origin.
One claimed that cats who lived long lives without dying would grow a forked tail and transform into nekomata. Such yokai rarely attacked humans, often mimicking human behavior—though their catlike whims occasionally caused trouble.
The other theory said nekomata were cats that had been lovingly raised by humans and allowed to die peacefully.Cats that died in resentment became cat yokai, while those that passed on peacefully grew forked tails at death and became nekomata—also known as cat sages.
These cat sages would linger as spiritual beings, watching over their former owners.
Regardless of the origin, legends never described nekomata as particularly dangerous.
That was why the exorcists felt relieved when the yokai revealed herself to be one.
One Zashiki-warashi plus one nekomata—the number of enemies had increased, but the outcome wouldn't change. They still held the overwhelming advantage.
"Hey, nekomata," one exorcist said smugly. "How about becoming my shikigami?If you do, I might consider letting both you and that Zashiki-warashi go."
The fact that she had crossed the barrier unnoticed already proved she was exceptional.
And she was a cat sage.
Even setting aside combat power, having such a shikigami would be a massive status symbol.
The nekomata's eyes narrowed.
"You arrogant piece of trash. Judging strength purely by aura—how shallow can you get?You want me to become your shikigami? You're not worthy."
Her voice sharpened, cutting like a blade.
"In this lifetime, I have acknowledged only two masters.Compared to them, your existence isn't even worth as much as a maggot."
Her origin was indeed the second legend.
She had once been a cat raised by an exceptionally kind少女, spending her life cherished and protected.But the lifespan of an ordinary house cat was limited. After more than ten years together, she eventually succumbed to age.
Upon death, she became a nekomata—staying by that girl's side until the very end of her life.
After the girl passed away, the nekomata wandered aimlessly once more… until she was attacked by another yokai.
That was when she encountered that lord—the one she served now.
By her own reckoning, she had been incredibly fortunate.
She had met the two best people at the best possible times.
And now—
This loudmouthed exorcist dared to suggest becoming her master.
That single sentence had touched a scale that must never be touched.
Her absolute, unforgivable reverse scale.