Ren Kuroda was certain that his Fear had not dissipated.
And yet—why had the other man still been able to find him?
At first, Ren had assumed Tenjōin Yūto possessed the same ability as the earlier cat demon—some kind of instinctive danger perception that allowed him to react in advance and block attacks.
But now, it was clear that he had been completely wrong.
This time, Ren hadn't even attacked.
And yet Yūto had still pinpointed his position precisely—and was already charging straight at him.
Ren didn't understand how Yūto had seen through Mirror Flower, Water Moon, but he didn't panic.
If Yūto could withstand his slash earlier, then so could he.
"Clang—!"
Another metallic crash rang through the air.
But the outcome once again exceeded Ren's expectations.
The instant their blades met, Ren realized just how absurdly mistaken his earlier assumptions had been.
The terrifying force transmitted through Miyagirimaru nearly tore the sword from his grip.
Holding it with only one hand, Ren felt his fingers almost give way under the overwhelming impact.
His pupils shrank.
Reacting instantly, he switched to gripping the blade with both hands—but even then, the sheer pressure forced the back of Miyagirimaru's blade down onto his own shoulder.
The power flowing through Yūto's Nichirin Blade was so immense that Ren's knees buckled despite bracing himself with both hands.
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
A circular, spiderweb-like crater exploded outward from the point of impact.
A humanoid monster…
That was the only thought that surfaced in Ren's mind.
Because the slash Yūto had just delivered—this terrifying, overwhelming strike—had been performed casually.
With one hand.
From the moment Yūto launched himself forward, to the instant Ren was forcibly driven out of Kyōka Suigetsu and his form was revealed before the watching yokai, barely any time had passed at all.
To the onlookers, it was as if Yūto had vanished in a flash of lightning, swung his sword once—
And then this scene unfolded.
Ren clenched Miyagirimaru with both hands, feeling the pressure increase with every passing second.
His face twisted in pain.
Only now did he realize how reckless his approach had been.
Tenjōin Yūto was clearly a strength-type yokai—someone who relied on overwhelming physical power, much like Aotabō.
Ren should have exploited the Nurarihyon's nature: probing for weaknesses, attacking from angles, manipulating perception.
Instead, he had chosen to clash head-on with raw power.
It was the definition of using his weakness against the enemy's strength.
Being suppressed like this was the inevitable result of his own stubborn pride.
Yet Ren couldn't blame himself entirely.
As the grandson of Nurarihyon, the Supreme Commander of Yokai, pride was ingrained into his very blood.
Coupled with youthful arrogance—and the constant mockery from the Oni-Touin yokai accusing him of cowardly tricks—he had wanted to prove himself.
To defeat Yūto directly.
Head-on.
Now the result was painfully obvious.
Not only had he failed to make an impressive showing—he was being crushed.
Seeing Ren stubbornly endure the clash, Yūto smiled faintly.
And showed no mercy.
Maintaining pressure with his sword in one hand, Yūto clenched his free fist and drove it forward.
A punch.
Straight at Ren's face.
"Secret Technique: Clear Mirror, Still Water!"
Watching the fist—now the size of a sandbag—rapidly fill his vision, Ren activated the Nurarihyon's secret art without hesitation.
He wasn't joking.
He was already under extreme pressure just defending against the sword.
If that punch landed directly, disfigurement would be the best possible outcome.
More likely, it would be a crushing blow to the head.
Clear Mirror, Still Water entwined Fear itself.
Under its influence, the enemy would strike only an illusion—never the true form.
Gathering demonic power into his fist, Yūto smiled calmly as Ren's body began to dissolve like ink once again.
Just like before.
Without hesitation, Yūto threw the punch.
Purple demonic energy erupted from his fist as it slammed into Ren's dissolving form—
And yet—
Thud.
The sound was unmistakable.
The sound of flesh being struck.
Ren didn't even have time to question why his Fear had failed before he was sent flying like a cannonball.
Of course, now that Yūto possessed the skill Supernatural Strength, his power was truly terrifying.
And even so—he had deliberately held back.
Bluntly speaking, if a B-rank yokai were struck head-on by Yūto at full force, the result would be either death or permanent crippling.
Ren's instinct had been correct.
Even a top-tier yokai like Nurarihyon wouldn't fare much better.
And this punch had targeted the head.
If Yūto hadn't restrained himself, the third-generation successor of the Nura lineage might have been killed instantly.
Ren's body crashed through two walls before finally coming to rest amid shattered rubble.
Seeing their "young master" injured, Aotabō and Yuki-onna Hyōrei rushed forward immediately.
"You win," Ren said hoarsely, supported by Hyōrei."As agreed, the Nura Clan won't trouble you anymore."
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Half of his handsome face was visibly swollen—he clearly wouldn't be charming anyone for at least a month.
"But tell me this," Ren continued."Why did my Fear have no effect on you?"
Ren conceded without hesitation.
Though he still retained the ability to fight, he knew the truth.
Yūto had held back.
The punch that struck him, while devastating, was far weaker than the sword strike earlier.
The restraint had been deliberate.
Ren wasn't resentful.
But he was deeply curious.
Why had the Nurarihyon's Fear failed so completely?
"It seems you didn't listen to anything I said earlier," Yūto replied casually.
"In battles between yokai, Fear matters—but it's not decisive."
"The determining factor is demonic power."
"It's that simple."
"My demonic power far surpasses yours."
"So your so-called Fear is nothing more than smoke in front of me."
Yūto shrugged nonchalantly as he spoke.
Ren had benefited greatly from his bloodline—his starting point was higher than most yokai.
But he was still far too inexperienced.
Slaying weaklings was one thing.
Trying to influence Tenjōin Yūto with Fear alone—
That was far too premature.