Originally, Yuuto's slash could have struck Futakuchi-onna directly, but he had deliberately chosen not to. Instead, he struck the surrounding barrier.
The reason was simple. Setting aside the fact that Futakuchi-onna had protected the child, even her previous actions didn't strike Yuuto as truly wrong.
From the perspective of humans and the countermeasures team, Futakuchi-onna had killed a couple in Chiba Ward, and then annihilated the core members of the teams that had come after her. From that view, she was nothing less than a "cursed demon."
But Yuuto wasn't fully human, and his perspective differed. The restaurant couple had abused their child—miserably, cruelly. Futakuchi-onna might have gone a little far, but in Yuuto's eyes, they deserved their fate. The same applied to the countermeasures team; if someone came to kill you, would you just surrender? By that standard, the yokai had been quite generous, killing only the exorcists and letting ordinary members escape.
To humans, her actions branded her a "cursed demon." To Yuuto, she was a demon with principles. He had no real desire to fight her. His attack on the barrier served two purposes: saving the trapped humans and giving Futakuchi-onna an opportunity to escape.
Even so, there were too many enemies, and Yamato Kuka was engaged in battle. Yuuto couldn't hold back; he had to destroy the barrier. Using his demonic sword instead of a Nichirin Blade, the external slash he unleashed drew on his own demonic power.
The moment the barrier shattered, Futakuchi-onna glanced at him—and her expression betrayed shock. Only for a moment, but enough. Despite his careful concealment of demonic power, her perceptive senses detected it.
She didn't understand why a demon of such strength was appearing alongside a human exorcism organization, but it was clear: this boy, whom she had dismissed earlier, was no ordinary being.
Facing a boy with this level of demonic power, plus the troublesome sword priestess from before, Futakuchi-onna realized she had no hope of victory. She genuinely wanted to retreat. The countermeasures team had already fallen back, and with Yuuto and Yamato Kuka's combined strength, her devouring ability had little effect.
Although the barrier was gone, she was still uncertain if escape was possible. Against the sword priestess alone, survival would have been plausible. But now, with Yuuto joining the fray, she had to contend with another master swordsman whose demonic power exceeded hers. Could she possibly survive—or even flee? It would be extremely difficult.
Recognizing this, Futakuchi-onna changed tactics. The terrifying suction of her "Life Devouring" ability vanished. Yamato Kuka felt a sudden lightness, ready to resume her attack—but then a stream of green miasma bullets erupted from the large mouth behind Futakuchi-onna's forehead.
Each miasma bullet was composed of pure demonic energy. When sliced, it dispersed into poisonous clouds, spreading around the battlefield. The yokai had shifted to a more conservative strategy. She no longer sought to annihilate her opponents; her only goal now was survival. Chiba Ward had become too dangerous. If she could escape tonight, she would need to find a new hunting ground.
Having witnessed Yuuto's slash and the sword priestess's unrelenting skill, Futakuchi-onna realized her chances of escape were slim. If the two opponents coordinated, she couldn't last long.
Yet as the battle continued, she began to see a glimmer of hope. When she launched her miasma attack, the sword priestess responded by slashing through it—splintering much of the poison and scattering it. Yamato Kuka lacked defensive spells, relying entirely on enhancement magic and her swordsmanship. Futakuchi-onna expected that to be a major advantage.
To her surprise, Yuuto was completely unaffected. Each miasma bullet he cut apart either dispersed harmlessly or was incinerated by his controlled energy.
Futakuchi-onna sighed inwardly. Her earlier assumption had been correct—the boy was stronger than the sword priestess. But as she prepared to meet his next attack, she discovered something unexpected: the slash she expected to be devastating was weak, almost playful. And the boy? He was winking at her as he moved.
If she didn't realize he was holding back after that… her intelligence would be in serious question.
"Your miasma is powerful, but based on what I know about that crazy woman," Yuuto called out, "it won't hold her for long. I'm already at my limit. Lower than this and I'd have to unleash the ocean. I'll expose a weakness later, and whether you escape depends on your own skill. Don't ask why I'm helping you—consider it thanks for helping me protect that child. I made the promise, but in the end, it was you who kept it."
Futakuchi-onna blinked in surprise, unable to comprehend the boy's motives. Yuuto continued, executing a series of flashy but harmless slashes, giving the impression of an aggressive assault while actually holding back completely.