The Umibōzu possessed A-class yokai power, with the ability to control seawater and summon entire schools of fish at will.Yet now, his condition was growing worse by the second.
Standing well over five or six shaku tall, his massive body was covered in wounds. Nearly eighty percent of them were slashing injuries, carved into him by blades rather than spells.
And as the Umibōzu stared at the woman before him—someone dressed in a traditional shrine maiden's outfit, yet whose personality and fighting style were nothing like a miko's—his face had already twisted into unmistakable terror.
In the battle against the Umibōzu, the monk Hakuba had certainly contributed his share, but the one truly keeping the monster pinned down was Yamato Kuka, whose rage meter had completely exploded.
As for Yūto, who had long served as the team's main combatant, he was unusually content to "take it easy" this time, handling only the minor fry summoned by the Umibōzu.
At the beginning of the fight, when the Umibōzu saw the four members of the Countermeasure Team—one maintaining the barrier, another dealing with his underlings—he had believed that facing only two opponents meant his odds of victory were quite high.
Reality, however, delivered a cruel lesson.
The strength of that sword-wielding shrine maiden could never be judged by spiritual power alone.
Even without the support of the burly monk beside her, once she layered blessing after blessing onto herself, she could still suppress him in a one-on-one fight!
Clang——!
A sharp, ringing clash of metal echoed again as the Umibōzu's staff blocked Yamato Kuka's Onikiri once more.
But this time was different.
After enduring countless violent strikes, the metal shakujo in the Umibōzu's hands finally let out a pitiful groan—and shattered.
How tragic for the Umibōzu.Though he was also known as the "Sea Dharma Master," his activity area had been restricted, most of his abilities sealed away, and he had encountered an absurdly ferocious sword maiden.
In the end, he could only perish in resentment.
The instant the staff broke, shock filled the Umibōzu's face—but Yamato Kuka would never let such an opening go to waste. As her blade cut through, she reversed her grip in a flash. A silver arc streaked backward through the air, and a massive fish head was sent flying.
"Tsk, tsk. That was an A-class yokai, you know," Yūto said with a grin. "Just the materials alone—even the blood—could be sold to big corporations making 'yokai serum' for a huge profit. You're really fine with throwing all that away, Kuka-chan?"
After slaying the Umibōzu, Yūto and the others returned to the fishing village—this time dragging the monster's corpse with them.
Without exception, the villagers broke down in tears upon seeing the nightmare that had haunted them for so long now lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
What shocked Kamishiro Issei even more was Yamato Kuka's decision regarding the corpse. She had no intention of letting the Countermeasure Team take it back. She kept only a small portion as proof of the kill, leaving the rest to the villagers.
"I'm sorry, everyone. For your losses… I'll compensate you separately later. I know this can't bring back those who died so horribly, but at least it might give my heart a little peace.As for the Umibōzu's body—whether you use it to mourn the dead or sell it to improve your lives—that decision belongs to you. This is the only help I can give you right now."
Watching the surviving villagers weep at the sight of the corpse, then seeing hope rekindled in the eyes of the children, Yamato Kuka felt as though she finally understood the true duty of an exorcist.
She was grateful for the choice she had made in the past.If she had remained only a "shrine maiden," she would never have been able to personally cut down an evil spirit.
Now, the shrine maiden within her could bless others—and the sword in her hand could punish enemies.
After slaying the Umibōzu and achieving sudden enlightenment, Yamato Kuka's spiritual power surged once more. She shattered the limits of B-class entirely and rose straight into A-class territory.
At this moment, she had become the undisputed strongest in terms of spiritual power within Countermeasure Team Nine.
Previously, Yūto—with his B+-class strength—had been able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. But now, she had clearly overtaken him.
"Well, compensation isn't really necessary," Issei said casually. "After all, you basically took down the Umibōzu by yourself. We were just support.Still, I'm jealous, Kuka-chan. Killing an A-class Umibōzu and breaking into A-class yourself right afterward… with an achievement like that, your ranking on the Exorcist List is bound to jump a lot, right? Someone's 'strongest of the younger generation' title might be in danger."
Hearing Issei's teasing tone and that not-so-innocent look, Yūto merely shrugged, unconcerned.
Unlike most exorcists, he wasn't particularly interested in the so-called Exorcist Rankings. Aside from some reputation boost, they offered no real rewards.
Others might enjoy being in the spotlight, but Yūto found it nothing but trouble. Besides, rumors said that once yokai learned of the rankings, they began hunting ranked exorcists as targets.
After all, humans loved fame—and yokai were no exception. In fact, they often valued reputation even more.
In this age of rampant yokai, having a fearsome name was essential if one wanted underlings to kneel and swear loyalty.
And if yokai wanted to gain notoriety quickly, then hunting high-ranking exorcists was undoubtedly the fastest and most efficient method.
To Yūto, the Exorcist Rankings were completely useless—worse, they were a burden. He genuinely couldn't understand why people would bash their heads against the wall trying to get on the list. Was fame really more important than staying alive?
Yūto's previous ranking had been 135th, bearing the title "The Redeemer."
As for Yamato Kuka, she had also been a ranked young exorcist—368th, with the title "Onikiri Sword Maiden."
Back then, her spiritual power was only B-class, and her most impressive feat had been fighting the yokai Futakuchi-onna to a standstill in the Chiba region.
But now?
Even with some assistance from her companions, she had undeniably slain an A-class Umibōzu. Her ranking would undoubtedly skyrocket.
Moreover, when her spiritual power had only been B+-class, she was already capable of defeating an A-class yokai. Now that she herself had broken into A-class, defeating A-class yokai was no longer an impossible dream.
Taking into account Yūto's own ranking earned from defeating the Kamaitachi, Yamato Kuka's current power and accomplishments suggested that her new ranking would be not much lower than Yūto's—perhaps even higher.