Children's cries are naturally piercing, and on a quiet night with the surrounding area evacuated, the sound seemed almost unbearably sharp.
A slender, elegant woman with long, flowing hair walked quietly down the dimly lit streets, her delicate nose twitching as she smiled softly, pondering where she might find a good meal tonight.
But the cheerful expression vanished in an instant when she heard the cries of a child nearby. Her beautiful face twisted with sudden rage, and without hesitation, she slipped into the shadows, moving at incredible speed toward the source of the sound.
Inside the restaurant, Yamato Kuka knelt helplessly beside the crying toddler. Just as she reached out to comfort the child, her finely honed intuition as a swordsman screamed that danger was approaching.
Almost instantly, every light in the hotel lobby went out, plunging the room into darkness. From that void, a pair of pale, clawed arms shot toward Kuka's head!
The raw strength difference between a yokai and a human meant that a direct hit would have been fatal. The method of attack alone conveyed the attacker's seething hatred. Futakuchi-onna—the embodiment of a stepmother possessed by a vengeful child—was drawn to Yamato Kuka. Kuka perfectly fit the criteria: a young, beautiful woman standing in front of a child crying from abuse.
"Clang—!"
The claws struck something hard, not flesh. Sparks flew through the darkness, illuminating the hotel lobby for a brief second. As Futakuchi-onna withdrew her arm, a silver blade flashed toward her neck.
Without missing a beat, she swatted it aside with her other hand and retreated, putting distance between herself and her opponent. Any yokai would realize by now that an ordinary human could not wield such power—this opponent was dangerous.
"Target detected. Immediately set up a containment barrier and prepare special lighting," Yamato Kuka ordered, calm and authoritative. At once, the countermeasures team and logistics units moved into action.
A pale blue runic dome quickly enveloped the hotel, sealing the area. Simultaneously, special lighting dispelled the darkness. Yokai, with their natural "darksight," often dominate in shadows, so clearing the area allowed humans to fight on equal footing.
Finally, everyone could see the true face of the attacker.
A beautiful woman in an ancient kimono, fair-skinned, with long brown hair cascading past her waist. Aside from her antiquated clothing, she looked like any ordinary woman—but the dangerous aura radiating from her betrayed her true nature.
Yokai Race: Futakuchi-onnaYokai Level: High-level YokaiPower Level: B-Skills: Dark Vision, Devour, Hair Control, Intimidation, Super Strength, ???Description: A yokai born from a woman possessed by the vengeful spirit of an abused child. Ranked among top-tier yokai, her appetite is insatiable, and she can freely manipulate the hair on her back. Her true killing abilities are hidden beneath it.
Ren Kuroda, observing from the shadows, saw the enemy and the system immediately displayed a flood of information.
No wonder this was a high-level yokai. Futakuchi-onna's skill set alone was more impressive than Nurikabe's. And some abilities remained unknown, indicated only by "?" marks. Based on the data alone, Ren judged her combat strength comparable to the Spider Princess, another high-level yokai.
Yamato Kuka, while a rising star, possessed only C-rank spiritual power, which recently had been boosted to C+. With her famous sword, Onikiri, and exceptional skill, her combat power reached at most B- to B rank. Whether she could defeat Futakuchi-onna alone remained uncertain.
Normally, Ren joining the fight would have made a B-rank encounter straightforward. But by prior agreement, if a "calamity yokai" below B+ rank appeared, he was not allowed to interfere. This was also why Kuka had agreed to play the "wicked mother."
Despite her usually aloof demeanor, Yamato Kuka was a battle fanatic at heart. Since her spiritual breakthrough, she had found no suitable opponent. Now, facing Futakuchi-onna, her excitement grew. The yokai's strength matched hers, offering a perfect one-on-one test.
She also knew Ren, though younger, far surpassed this yokai. If he entered the fray, she would lose the opportunity to train and gauge her own strength. In the past, Kuka might have restrained herself for the bigger picture—but now, with Ren capable of cleaning up any fallout, she could fight freely.
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