"Judging from its behavior, the monster that showed up this time isn't Nurarihyon," Yamato Kuka explained.
"Actually, members of other countermeasures teams have already engaged it. They all died, in the end, but looking at the corpses and the surrounding battle marks, it's clear: whatever this thing is, it's not Nurarihyon."
The legendary Nurarihyon is classified as a "Great Demon." Even though the other countermeasures teams had skilled core members, the strongest among them barely reached C- level. If this had truly been Nurarihyon, those core members wouldn't have been able to resist in the slightest, let alone leave any noticeable battle traces.
Given that the other teams' members were wiped out but not entirely powerless, the experts concluded that this monster—while strong—wasn't invincible. That's why the urgent red-alert message had been sent.
Now, the eighth group of the countermeasures team had been dispatched to Chiba. Though this group was the smallest, their core members were generally stronger than those in other teams.
And this time, they had brought their best: Yamato Kuka, whose combat strength was comparable to a B-rank fighter, and Ren Kuroda, whose abilities were no less impressive.
Their instructions were clear: first, investigate the true nature of the troublemaking yokai; second, assess both sides' strength. If they found themselves outmatched, Ren and Kuka were permitted to retreat.
Yamato Kuka and Ren Kuroda were considered the ace duo of the countermeasures team. If they couldn't handle the case, no one else in the team needed to bother.
Moreover, as the team's most promising talents, their safety was a priority. With the world shifting in dangerous ways, Kuka and Ren had the potential to become some of the most powerful individuals in the future—an asset the countermeasures team couldn't afford to lose.
"So, we're going to check out the restaurant where the incident happened," Ren said. "Actually… I've been meaning to ask: Ms. Kuka, why don't we just take a ride? With those clothes you're wearing, do you know how many people are staring at us?"
In Chiba Ward, police tape cordoned off the restaurant. Nearby residents and shop owners had gathered, craning their necks and whispering among themselves.
"I heard Old Wang and his wife were both killed, leaving only their elementary-school daughter," one local murmured. "The detectives came early this morning—I was nearly scared out of my wits."
"Huh? I used to eat at their place. The food was pretty good. Did they offend someone?"
"Who knows? But that couple was cruel. They were obsessed with their old traditions, and it seemed they were angry their daughter couldn't inherit the restaurant. They'd beat her almost daily. I could hear her crying from my house every night. Poor girl."
Crowds love gossip, and now an older woman stepped forward to share a little-known secret: the couple had been kind to neighbors but frequently abused their own child.
"So, you're saying the other restaurants were robbed but no one died… and the real reason this family ended up dead is here?" she added smugly, relishing the attention. She was about to speculate that the restaurant owner had an affair, or that it was revenge, when a voice cut through behind her.
The woman turned sharply to see a young, handsome man standing with a group of uniformed officers. Her scolding words froze in her throat—this was clearly someone of authority.
"Officer, I had nothing to do with Old Wang and his wife's deaths," she stammered, holding a bottle of soy sauce. "I'm just sharing what I know. I don't know anything else…"
Ren gestured for the officers to step back and maintain order, easing the woman's tension. Seeing that he wasn't going to give her trouble, she relaxed slightly and began talking.
Meanwhile, Yamato Kuka entered the restaurant to speak with the only survivor: the little girl. Unfortunately, the child was in shock from witnessing her parents' deaths, so Kuka gained little useful information from questioning her.
At the scene of the crime, Kuka crouched and drew an Onmyoji array, attempting to analyze the residual demonic energy.
"About C-rank to B-rank," she muttered. "Too bad Shinjo-senpai and Hakuba-sensei aren't here. I'm not strong enough to analyze this fully. Hakuba could probably detect the couple's remaining souls and gather useful information. Shinjo-senpai's skill could give us more insight from the residual energy."
Sighing at the limited results, she admitted, "Besides estimating the demon's strength, I know practically nothing."
From behind, Ren's voice called out teasingly, "By the way… where did Yuuto go off to slack off this time?"
Kuka shot him a glare.
"Even your weak Onmyoji might not help, but compared to what I've gathered, you've already learned something more useful, haven't you?"
Ren's grin widened. "Exactly."