Walking home, Ren Kuroda, who was usually brimming with confidence, looked uncharacteristically dejected.
His companions, Hyōrei and Aotabō, naturally understood the reason for their young master's mood, yet neither of them knew how to comfort him.
Back at the Kuroda (Nura) Clan estate, the core members of the main family soon began discussing what had transpired earlier that night.
Seeing their young master drinking alone beneath the cherry blossom tree, some immediately volunteered to help him seek revenge.
Others were curious about Tenjōin Yūto's true identity.
But most were simply eager to know what had happened in detail.
"Ah, Aotabō," someone asked,"Are you saying the other party is also a half-demon like the young master… and that he defeated the young master's yokai form using nothing but his human state?"
The speaker was a man clad in black monk's robes, holding a tin staff. Unlike the rugged Aotabō, his appearance was strikingly handsome—almost beautiful. He was Kurotabō, another of the clan's core members.
"At first, we doubted it too," Aotabō replied heavily."But after he released his demonic power, there was no room left for doubt."
"As much as we hate to admit it… the gap between the young master and that man is simply too large at the moment."
"And besides," he continued,"someone with that level of strength has no need to lie to us."
"When we first encountered him, he was completely indistinguishable from an ordinary human. That alone makes the possibility of him being a half-demon extremely high."
Hearing this, Aotabō finally let out a long sigh.
He and Hyōrei had disguised themselves as students precisely to act as Ren Kuroda's protectors.
Yet this time, they had utterly failed in that duty.
Although Ren had not been seriously injured, that was only because the other party had shown no intention of killing them.
If Tenjōin Yūto had truly wanted to act—
Neither Aotabō nor Ren would have made it back to the clan alive tonight.
"So what kind of yokai is he, exactly?" someone asked."From what you said, he looks human, and doesn't seem much older than the young master."
"At that age, among yokai, he wouldn't even be considered grown. Could he be the descendant of some great yokai king?"
Among those present, Kubinashi was one of the most furious.
While he didn't share the same close bond with Ren that Aotabō and Hyōrei did, among the Kuroda Clan's core members, Kubinashi was one of those most loyal to the second-generation leader, Kuroda Rihan.
Though he occasionally felt disappointed in Ren's behavior, as Rihan's son, Kubinashi's loyalty to the father far outweighed his feelings toward the son.
"Thank you all for your concern," Ren said calmly."But forget about revenge. I already made an agreement with him."
"Besides," he continued, his eyes sharp,"I would rather defeat him with my own strength than rely on the clan's power."
"No matter what kind of yokai he is, we're standing on equal footing—both half-demons."
"I believe the Nurarihyon bloodline will not lose to any other yokai. So why should I accept defeat?"
With that, Ren Kuroda, who had been drinking alone in the cherry blossom tree, suddenly leapt down, interrupting the clan's heated discussion.
Kubinashi, Kurotabō, and the others all reacted differently to his words.
They had assumed their young master was questioning his worth after such a crushing defeat.
But now—
That didn't seem to be the case at all.
Despite his youth, Ren's composure and clarity of thought were far more mature than they had expected.
In truth, after being utterly overwhelmed by Yūto, Ren had briefly doubted himself.
But he recovered quickly and began analyzing the reasons for his loss.
Talent?
As the third-generation successor to the Lord of Yokai, even with only a quarter yokai bloodline, Ren undeniably inherited one of the strongest bloodlines in existence.
So talent and lineage were not the issue.
Age?
Yokai possessed lifespans far exceeding those of humans. Even half-demons lived far longer than ordinary people.
In that sense, age often equated to strength—older yokai, after years of cultivation, could easily crush newcomers.
But Ren clearly remembered that Tenjōin Yūto, in his human form, didn't look much older than himself.
And yokai were adept at sensing age.
Yūto was indeed only slightly older than Ren.
So age wasn't the reason either.
After eliminating these possibilities, Ren arrived at the true answer:
Combat experience.
Although both were half-demons, Ren had resisted his yokai identity for most of his childhood due to past events.
Over the years, he could count the number of times he had awakened his powers on one hand.
Worse still, because he only possessed a quarter yokai bloodline, Ren could only fully awaken at night.
And during those awakenings, he had only ever faced low-level opponents.
Coupled with the natural protection afforded by his status as the Kuroda Clan's heir, his path had been far too smooth.
That aura of privilege had shielded him—but it had also stunted his growth.
As the heir to the rulers of Kanto, most major forces showed the Kuroda Clan respect.
Smaller, reckless groups were either wiped out before they could act—or were utterly helpless against Ren's awakened form.
In contrast—
Even without knowing Yūto's exact yokai race, Ren could tell from the strength and loyalty of his subordinates that Yūto had conquered them with his own power.
One was a privileged heir who reaped benefits without lifting a finger.
The other had carved his path through battle, earning the submission of yokai through sheer strength.
The difference was obvious.
Blessed with the Nurarihyon bloodline and the terrifying ability of Fear, Ren's awakenings allowed him to defeat enemies effortlessly.
That ease had led him into a dangerous illusion—that he was already strong.
In reality, Ren Kuroda's current power relied almost entirely on his bloodline and the innate demonic energy of Nurarihyon, supplemented by the unpredictable nature of Fear.
He had gained almost nothing through learning.
And as for combat experience—
He had virtually none.
Having awakened only a handful of times and fought nothing but weaklings, how could he possibly develop real battle sense?
In short, Ren's strength was built entirely on talent.
That might be enough to dominate inexperienced minor yokai—
But against true powerhouses, his flaws were laid bare instantly.
Yet paradoxically, his crushing defeat had also brought him clarity.
Now he knew exactly what he lacked.
And he was determined to change that.
Ren Kuroda was confident.
Truly confident.
First, as a fellow half-demon and the successor to the third Supreme Commander, he possessed both pride and magnanimity. He did not believe himself inferior to Tenjōin Yūto.
Second, even without knowing Yūto's exact race, Ren believed firmly that the Nurarihyon bloodline was second to none.
If Fear failed now—
Then he would simply grow strong enough that it wouldn't.
"Tenjōin Yūto," Ren muttered, eyes burning,"I will definitely make you one of my new Hundred Demons."
Though defeated, Ren was not discouraged.
On the contrary—
His fighting spirit had been ignited.
"Crow Tengu," Ren called out,"Investigate whether there are any yokai forces in the Kanto region causing trouble."
"As the next Supreme Commander, living comfortably is no longer enough."
"It's time I fulfilled my responsibilities."
High above, the Crow Tengu, no larger than a crow, burst into tears.
Having served the Nurarihyon for over four hundred years, he was not only the clan's intelligence officer but effectively its steward.
He had witnessed the rise, prosperity, and decline of the Kuroda Clan.
After the death of the second-generation leader and Ren's earlier reluctance, he had once feared the clan's end.
But now—
He finally saw hope.
The Supreme Commander's decision not to suppress the emerging force known as Kitōin had been correct.
Though the young master had suffered defeat, he had awakened in spirit.
"As you command, young master," the Crow Tengu said joyfully."This old servant will compile a list of unruly yokai forces in the area at once."
With that, he flew off—eager to report the good news to Kuroda Nurarihyon himself.
After the Crow Tengu departed, Ren glanced at the excited faces before him and flashed a fierce smile.
"I will become the Lord of a Hundred Demons of the Kanto Yokai Alliance."
"I will inherit the position of third-generation Supreme Commander."
"Are you willing to help me?"
"Not as the heir of the Kuroda Clan—"
"But as an ordinary yokai."
"In the name of Ren Kuroda."
In response, Aotabō and the others dropped to one knee in unison.
"We are willing to fight at your side!"
They had waited far too long for this moment.
In both spirit and resolve—
This was the young master they had been waiting for.
..
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