The calamity demon case in Chiba Ward had finally come to a close, and Yuto and Yamato Kuka returned to Tokyo Ward.
At the countermeasures team headquarters, they ran into Kamishiro Isshin and Master Hakuba, who had also just come back from a case. Their latest encounter involved a bound spirit in the Kyushu region. Though it was only a C-rank calamity demon, the tricky nature of bound spirits almost led to failure. Fortunately, Master Hakuba's temple expertise and Kamishiro Isshin's flawless assistance ensured the case was resolved successfully.
"Hey, hey, hey… seriously? You solved a B-rank calamity demon case, earned a ton of points, and yet you both look more dejected than if you'd failed?" Kamishiro Isshin exclaimed from the eighth countermeasures team office, eyeing Yuto and Kuka with genuine puzzlement.
After resolving the C-rank case yesterday, he and Master Hakuba had celebrated late into the night. Meanwhile, Yuto and Kuka, now celebrated stars for taking down a B-rank calamity demon, were acting like a pair of sulking couch potatoes.
Had the bar for geniuses risen so high that a B-rank demon wasn't enough? Kamishiro Isshin, a middle-aged man already smug about surviving a C-rank case, couldn't comprehend their sulking.
The rewards for B-rank demons were several times higher than for C-rank—enough that even splitting the points between them left more than what most could earn alone.
"Mr. Kamishiro, please don't be too harsh. Kuka-nee is blaming herself because Futakuchi-onna escaped," Hinako Kujo explained. She was present that weekend, having learned the full details of the mission.
Though the Notsuchi was killed, the original culprit—Futakuchi-onna—had slipped away. The countermeasures team considered the mission completed, awarding points accordingly, but Kuka couldn't shake her frustration. In her eyes, the real target had never been Notsuchi, and Yuto had done most of the work. She felt she'd merely benefited from his victory.
"Seriously… sometimes yokai get away. Isn't that normal? Besides, you eliminated Notsuchi, which could have caused far greater destruction. You were rewarded for that. Why sulk?" Kamishiro Isshin could not fathom her reasoning. Facing two Class B yokai at once, most people would have been lucky to survive. One kill and one escape—yet they weren't even satisfied.
"Kuka-nee's sulking because the monster escaped… but that carefree guy over there? He's just a salted fish, ruined because his mom grabbed his bonus and shattered his dreams of becoming a tycoon," Hinako added.
At this, Yuto shot up like a spring and grabbed Kamishiro Isshin by the collar before the older man could react. "Wait—what do you mean the bonus went straight to my house? You didn't tell me that! Two million yen! Not even ten yen left for me! You have to make this right!"
Previously, Kamishiro Isshin had explained that rewards came in two forms: exchangeable points for rare materials, talismans, Onmyoji techniques, or shikigami; or a direct cash equivalent. Normally, most members chose the first option, but Yuto—greedy and practical—chose the latter.
As a general transmigrator, he saw others flaunting supercars or gold jewelry while he rode a second-hand bicycle. For him, cash was far more appealing. The reward for a B-rank yokai ranged from one to five million yen. Considering Notsuchi's threat to the city and the presence of Futakuchi-onna, Yuto and Kuka were granted a generous rating for a Class B case.
The 400 points were split: Kuka received 200 points, and Yuto opted for cash. On the way back to Tokyo, he dreamt of tycoon life—but upon reaching headquarters to collect his money, he learned it had already been sent home.
Yuto's mother, Tenjouin Masami, was initially startled by the staff member carrying a suitcase full of cash. But once she saw the legal, hard-earned reward from her son, her attitude shifted completely.
Why was Yuto so obsessed with money? Simple: he'd inherited his mother's pragmatism and hard life. Masami had struggled as a child and now, with Yuto and Ryuki, her two kids, she had never seen so much money. Naturally, she immediately declared that she would save it for Yuto's future marriage.
Yuto, however, knew better. His mother was greedy and would never willingly part with it. If he resisted, she'd start crying, leaving him utterly helpless. Despite being his mother, compared to Yuto, Masami seemed the one who had never grown up.
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