Hearing Yamato Kuka's complaints, Ren Kuroda suddenly appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame with a wry smile.
"You were just wandering around outside, weren't you?" he said. "You didn't even check the shop, and yet you've got information I don't even know?"
Yamato Kuka shot him a look of disbelief. She had thoroughly searched the restaurant inside and out, confident she hadn't missed anything useful. How could Ren, who hadn't even entered, know more than her?
"Just like you said," Ren replied, "my Onmyojutsu is lousy. Even if I had gone inside, I probably would've gotten the same info as you. But here's the thing—you forget that people who love to watch the drama often spill more than they intend. You just have to know where to look."
He paused, recalling the old woman's gossip. "There are plenty of gluttonous yokai, sure. But if you factor in a hatred for humans who abuse children… there's probably only one yokai that fits both conditions, right?"
Kuka frowned. She knew he had noticed something key, something she hadn't fully considered.
Ren continued, "Forget that love-triangle nonsense the old woman was spouting. This family of three was attacked by a yokai. The parents died, leaving only their young daughter. Even a fool could see the girl's survival wasn't accidental—the yokai deliberately spared her."
He leaned closer, speaking in a low, serious tone. "A C- to B-rank yokai can wipe out hundreds of adults with ease. So this one? She's choosy. She killed the abusive parents but left the child unharmed. That points to a benevolent attitude toward human children, like the Ubume or Zashiki-warashi. And if we consider her gluttony… well, that leaves only one candidate: Futakuchi-onna."
The name made Yamato Kuka's brows knit in concern.
"Futakuchi-onna… the legendary Two-Mouthed Woman?" she asked.
"Exactly," Ren said. "She's said to have been born from the resentment of a mother who abused her stepson to death. The child's vengeful spirit possesses the woman, creating Futakuchi-onna. Normally, she looks like any other beautiful woman. But when she's alone… her hair becomes tentacle-like arms, and a second mouth appears at the back of her head. She devours food several times her own weight. It's a curse, a punishment for abusive parents."
"And she hates child abusers," Ren added. "Discover a family like that, and she'll descend at night and devour them. That's why the restaurant couple is dead, and the child's alive."
Yamato Kuka's frown deepened. Futakuchi-onna wasn't a low-level threat; she was a high-tier yokai. The residual demonic power she'd detected earlier—C to B rank—likely leaned toward the upper B side.
"Compared to Nurarihyon, she's relatively manageable," Ren continued. "If it were Nurarihyon, we'd be running for our lives. But Futakuchi-onna? Easier. She loves food, has a huge appetite, and will come if we put on a show. Simple bait, lots of food, and we can lure her out."
Ren's eyes glinted with a mischievous idea, and Yamato Kuka felt a sudden wave of malice. She knew that his "good plan" likely involved her in some uncomfortable role—but she didn't yet know how bad.
That night, the two appeared at a well-known restaurant in Chiba Ward. Kuka had finally changed from her shrine maiden outfit into more ordinary attire, fitting the part of a housewife.
The restaurant's child glanced up at her blankly. Kuka, holding a bamboo stick as part of their ruse, felt a mix of shame and irritation.
"Your so-called 'good plan' made the countermeasures team spend all this money to take over the restaurant… and you've got me playing the wicked mother?" she hissed at Ren, who was hiding in the shadows. "Why don't you step in as the tyrannical father? I'm stuck with this role!"
Ren shrugged with mock innocence. "It's all for the mission. Besides, look at me—am I even suitable to play a father?"
Kuka glared. Ren raised his hands helplessly; at his high-school age, he really wasn't going to be convincing as a parent.
And as for why they hadn't recruited the real proprietress—the answer was simple. If Futakuchi-onna appeared, an ordinary human would have no chance of survival. The child, too, was kept safe only because of Ren and Kuka's involvement, with assurances from the government and some monetary persuasion to convince the parents.
Now, Kuka had to play the "mother," holding a bamboo stick, praying the child wouldn't be harmed. Fortunately, the little boy's natural timidity worked in her favor—seeing her approach, he burst into tears.
Ren's voice rang out teasingly. "The stick hasn't even touched the kid yet, and he's already crying. You're perfect as a wicked mother…"
He didn't finish the sentence; the sharp glare Kuka shot him cut him off instantly. He wisely decided to stay silent.