"Witness the roar of divine flames! The burning fury of the Greedy Wolf—aggressive as fire, the Greedy Wolf!"
Yuto's spinning body slashed downward, accompanied by wolf-like howls. A blaze, searing and unrelenting, shot forward toward the immobilized Wild Hammer lying prone on the ground. In that instant, Wild Hammer was like an eel trapped for slaughter—one part of its massive body pinned and the other cleanly sliced in two.
The fiery slash didn't just pierce Wild Hammer's flesh; it carved a deep gash into the earth itself. The pack of spectral wolves that surged through its body left it charred beyond recognition.
The choice of "aggressive as fire" over "swift as the wind" had been deliberate. Although Wild Hammer had already been felled, Spider Princess's corpse control could have left traces. But now, scorched and burned, both the remaining spider silk and any evidence of Notsuchi's—or rather the puppet's—true nature were gone. For the countermeasures team, all that remained was a smoking, charred corpse. Yuto didn't believe anyone there could find a trace of Spider Princess in this state.
"What a shame. A B-rank puppet lost just like that… but all of this was for Lord Yuto's plan. Now, we'll just have to find a new toy," Spider Princess murmured from a nearby forest, perched gracefully on a rock.
She sensed the broken threads of her spider silk and immediately understood—Notsuchi had been destroyed by Yuto. Just as she prepared to depart, her keen senses picked up another presence nearby.
"Even in the chaos of your escape, you were able to sense my demonic power and track me here? No wonder you're someone Lord Yuto has chosen. Now… what are your intentions here?"
Her piercing gaze fell on a large tree a short distance away. Slowly, a slender woman in a kimono emerged from behind it. Unlike Yamato Kuka, who had been forced to battle while suppressing the miasma coursing through her body, Futakuchi-onna didn't need spirit vision to detect the residual demonic power of the suddenly appearing Notsuchi. Following it like a trail, she had found Spider Princess without difficulty.
"I'm curious… who exactly are you? And why are you helping me?" Futakuchi-onna asked, her tone cautious. Her eyes lingered on Spider Princess's graceful, striking form—a yokai whose presence exuded authority and danger.
For yokai, the law of the jungle is absolute. Survival often meant devouring or overpowering one's peers. The idea of being saved by a stranger—especially another yokai—was almost incomprehensible. Futakuchi-onna's confusion was genuine.
Spider Princess twirled a strand of her long white hair with her index finger, speaking casually. "It's all Lord Yuto's will. Saving you was… a side effect. Don't worry about any ill intentions. We didn't plan to do anything to you anyway. Since Lord Yuto saved you, just accept it with gratitude."
Futakuchi-onna's expression didn't soften. She had just come from a grueling battle with Yamato Kuka, her body battered, her demonic power nearly depleted. She had no chance to overpower Spider Princess through force. Judging by the way the white-haired yokai had wielded the massive Notsuchi, she was formidable in her own right.
"Since you won't say anything, at least tell me the name of the one who helped me. Surely I can thank my benefactor?" Futakuchi-onna pressed.
Spider Princess paused, then let out a soft, amused giggle. "Of course. My lord's name is Tenjōin Yuto, and he is destined to become the Lord of All Demons."
Futakuchi-onna's eyes narrowed slightly in disdain. If the lord Spider Princess spoke of was the handsome young man she had seen earlier, her reaction was understandable. He had saved her, yes, but his strength—though superior—was only marginally greater than hers. And yet he dared to dream of becoming the "Lord of All Demons."
The mention of Yuto's greatness drew a flush of irritation from Spider Princess, but she quickly tempered it, withdrawing her spider silk and replacing her anger with a charming smile. "Is that so? You look down on my lord, do you? Then let's wait and see the moment he truly becomes the Lord of All Demons."
Futakuchi-onna turned to leave, her curiosity about this Tenjōin Yuto growing with each step.
Spider Princess, still seated on the rock, stretched languidly, hugging her long legs as she watched the yokai disappear into the forest. "Lord Yuto's plan worked perfectly. Even though he saved her life, she remains cautious. Had he tried to recruit her directly, she would have refused. But now… her curiosity has been piqued. With his wisdom and status as her benefactor, I have no doubt she will eventually join us. That arrogance of hers will need to be tempered, of course, but that's a lesson for later."
She gave a small sigh of satisfaction. "I've been away too long. Time to return to protect the lady and the young lady. That Nurikabe fellow is utterly useless. I hope Lord Yuto can quickly subdue Futakuchi-onna so I can remain by his side forever."
Spider Princess licked her lips with a pleased smile, finally leaving the forest behind as she followed the trail of her lord's design.