Did the so-called Hyakki Yagyō—the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons—really mean exactly one hundred different demons?
Of course not.
Ancient people had limited understanding of numbers. The word "hundred" didn't literally mean one hundred—it simply meant many. In the context of yokai society, the Hyakki Yagyō represented the maximum scale a demon lord's force could reach. Even if the actual number increased later, the term "hundred" symbolized the upper limit. Beyond that, it could not be expanded further in name.
Judging by the scale of Hyakki Yagyō across the world, the Kantō Great Demon Lord Nurarihyon's Night Parade commanded over ten thousand demons.Meanwhile, the "Eighty-Eight Demon Parade" ruled by the Shikoku Onikiri controlled approximately eight thousand eight hundred demons.
Following this logic, if Ren Kuroda wanted to complete the system's requirement for a "Thirty-Six Demon Parade", he would need at least three thousand six hundred yokai under his command.
Nurarihyon and Onikiri had both risen to power several hundred years ago, back when yokai were abundant and thrived openly. In contrast, in the modern era, most low-tier yokai had long since vanished into the river of history.Building a force of 3,600 yokai now was no easy task.
If the Night Parade were calculated using a simplified ratio—one demon unit per one hundred yokai—then Ren's current force barely qualified as an "Eight Demon Parade."
When Ren had been alone before, he hadn't thought much about these things. But after truly establishing his own organization, countless problems began surfacing.
Take Inferior Demonic Energy Crystals, for example.
The 1,000 reputation points he had just earned accounted for nearly half of Ren's total assets. Each inferior crystal cost 10 reputation points, meaning he could only exchange for one hundred crystals.
One hundred sounded like a lot—until you remembered that Ren now commanded eight hundred demons.
One crystal per demon wasn't even close to enough.
Five hundred of them were still D-rank minor yokai, having received no crystals at all. The C-rank yokai were mostly those with decent potential who ended up sharing crystals. Only a select few—such as the cat yokai—were able to consume multiple crystals on their own.
That said, the large quantity of Inferior Demonic Energy Crystals had done more than just increase strength—it had cemented loyalty.
In terms of reputation mechanics, lesser demons naturally returned gratitude to Ren Kuroda. Shelter, protection, and empowerment translated directly into reputation gains. This was the first time Ren had harvested such massive reputation returns from a yokai community. In the past, most of his reputation had come from human society.
With this surge of reputation, Ren reinvested—exchanging it for more Inferior Demonic Energy Crystals, using the same loop to continue strengthening his forces.
However, the system enforced fairness.
Once a demon had reached the same level of admiration, it could no longer generate additional reputation. After cycling through exchanges and accumulating over a hundred crystals, Ren discovered that his demons could no longer provide further reputation gains.
This time, Ren did not distribute the crystals freely.
Instead, he reorganized his force using a structure inspired by modern human organizations. Demon power crystals were awarded based on merit and mission performance.
Traditionally, demon armies were chaotic—just officers and followers, summoned en masse when needed. But Ren believed that the ancient system was no longer viable in modern society.
Trying to manage a massive, unruly demon horde with outdated methods was a disaster waiting to happen.
So Ren divided his eight hundred demons into specialized divisions:
Combat Division – demons skilled in direct battle
Reconnaissance Division – stealthy or flying demons responsible for intelligence gathering
Support Division – demons with healing or auxiliary abilities
Diplomatic Division – demons lacking combat power or special talents
The final group's role was recruitment—seeking suitable yokai to bring into the organization, informally referred to as the Demon Combat Academy. This included eloquent speakers and even beautiful demons capable of persuasion.
Each division had a leader, beneath them team leaders, and then elite members.
Those who excelled were promoted—and rewarded with demonic energy crystals.
What was the difference between someone without ambition and a useless freeloader?
None.
Demons were no different from humans in that regard. And the times had changed. Gaining fear—the traditional source of demonic growth—was far more difficult than in ancient eras.
In the past, powerful demons attacked humans openly to increase their strength. That was commonplace.But now? Even famous yokai wouldn't dare act recklessly, let alone these insignificant minor demons.
In truth, the lesser demons were thrilled by Ren's system.
Previously, they lived in constant fear. Strong demons didn't dare provoke humans due to onmyoji retaliation—so they preyed on small demons instead. Now, these minor yokai finally had backing, structure, and a future.
What was there to complain about?
The cat yokai exchanged a nod with the broom spirit before departing, leaving Ren alone, deep in thought.
The moment he completed the first stage of becoming the Lord of Tokyo's Demons, the system reacted.
Ding. Related quest line triggered:Become the Lord of Tokyo's Demons (2/3)
Having already amassed considerable power, you are no longer satisfied with your current territory. Your expanding ambition compels you to take further action.
Quest Requirements:
Reach A-rank demon power (without activating half-demon transformation)
Defeat three demon forces within the Tokyo district, each no weaker than A-rank
Reward:
5,000 demon reputation points
One Oni Awakening Ability
Seeing the second-stage quest, Ren Kuroda found it impossible not to feel tempted.
Setting aside the awakening ability, 5,000 reputation points was an absurdly generous reward—far surpassing previous missions that offered only a few hundred.
But Ren knew better than to celebrate too early.
His own demonic power had reached B+ rank. Advancing to A-rank wouldn't be easy—but it was possible.
The real problem lay in the second requirement.
Destroy three A-rank demon forces in the Tokyo district.
The "Tokyo district" clearly referred to the main world Ren currently inhabited.
Which raised an uncomfortable question.
Did A-rank yokai forces even exist in modern Tokyo?
After all, even individual A-rank yokai were practically legends these days.