The little spider in Yuto's hand had been placed there by Spider Princess herself. Through its delicate silk, she could maintain remote contact with him whenever necessary. Not only Yuto, but also his mother, Yami, and younger sister, Ryuki, had small spiders secretly left on them. Their purpose was simple: in case Yuto's family was in danger, Spider Princess could intervene immediately.
"Lord Yuto," the Spider Princess's voice echoed through the silk. She hesitated slightly before speaking. "I am not questioning your actions, but… do you intend to bring this Futakuchi-onna under your command?"
"Bring Futakuchi-onna under my command?" Yuto's lips curled into a faint smile. "I wouldn't mind, sure. The world's changing fast, and more powerful yokai are appearing every day. Naturally, the more fighting power we have, the better. But a B-rank yokai isn't going to swear allegiance just because I saved her once. My situation with her was unique—it probably won't work on anyone else."
Yuto had indeed considered the idea. Futakuchi-onna was strong—comparable, perhaps, to the mutant Jorogumo Spider Princess herself. Moreover, her personality appealed to him; she wasn't the type to commit random acts of cruelty. Yet Yuto also understood the reality: B-rank yokai had the qualities of "great yokai." Why would they bow to someone else when they could rule on their own?
Spider Princess's silk vibrated again. "Since you think there's no hope of subduing her, why not just stand aside? Neither Futakuchi-onna nor that shrine maiden really have anything to do with you. Wouldn't it be simpler if they died together?"
Her reasoning was blunt but logical. If Futakuchi-onna couldn't become an ally, why expend effort saving her? And Yamato Kuka—she wasn't truly loyal to the countermeasures team either. Why risk her life?
Yuto paused, caught off guard. For a moment, he felt Spider Princess might be right…
But he shook his head immediately. He wasn't officially part of the countermeasures team, true, but Kamishiro Isshin and Yamato Kuka had both helped him immensely. And even though he wasn't fully human, he still had his own code of conduct… a half-demon with principles, if you will. He couldn't repay kindness with enmity. So, despite Spider Princess's logic, he resolved to save them.
"Princess Spider, you're oversimplifying things," he replied through the silk. "This is my first mission with the Countermeasures Team. What would happen if Yamato Kuka died?"
He had no real argument prepared; he simply made it up. To his surprise, Spider Princess paused for a moment, then let out a tone of admiration.
"I see now, Lord Yuto. My understanding was flawed. The Countermeasures Team sent that priestess with you to handle cases other teams couldn't, likely as a test. If she dies here, humans' trust in you will plummet. But if you succeed… your reputation will rise, and your strength will gain even greater recognition. That will help you infiltrate enemy ranks and study their weaknesses. Then, if Futakuchi-onna survives, she will owe you a debt of gratitude—a potential step toward bringing her under your command. And this… this is why you had me prepare everything?"
Yuto blinked, utterly bewildered by the spider's eloquence. "Uh… yeah, that's basically it," he muttered. "I didn't think you'd turn it into such a… elaborate plan, Spider Princess."
The praise in her voice left him inwardly cursing. All he'd wanted was to save Futakuchi-onna and repay a little kindness. Yet now Spider Princess painted him as a master strategist, a cunning manipulator. And was she really living up to the "Jorogumo" title? Wasn't the original Jorogumo just cunning, not planning to have people die en masse? Still… perhaps it was fitting. The Black Widow archetype wasn't exactly known for straightforward heroism.
While Yuto debated these thoughts, the battle between Futakuchi-onna and Yamato Kuka had reached its climax. Futakuchi-onna looked miserable, her body riddled with gashes, her tattered clothing leaving little to the imagination. Yamato Kuka, too, was in a dire state. Though she had almost dominated the demon throughout the fight, green poison spots now covered over seventy percent of her body, spreading faster with each strike.
If this continued, even if Yamato Kuka killed Futakuchi-onna, she herself would likely be beyond saving.
"Boom—!"
Just as Yamato Kuka, ignoring her condition, readied another strike, the ground trembled violently. Buildings shook and cracked; dust and debris rained down.
The earth split open, widening into a massive gash, and from it emerged a colossal, elongated creature, its form stretching like a nightmare given life.