For the head of the Yamato family, he understood his daughter far too well. Expecting her to obediently stay at home was virtually impossible.
Even as the Yamato clan's patriarch and as Yamato Kuka's father, trying to restrain her through sheer authority was futile—she had her mentor backing her.However, if he invoked her status as the sole heir of the Yamato family and pushed for an early marriage, that was something even her mentor couldn't interfere with.
After all, this was an internal family matter.
Yoritomo Tenzen might be a figure of immense prestige, and in a world transformed by celestial anomalies his future standing could be extraordinary—but even so, he was ultimately only Yamato Kuka's swordsmanship mentor. He had no place meddling in her marriage.
And as the only heir of the family, the Yamato head's actions were entirely reasonable.Wasn't it obvious? Even Yamato Kuka—who was usually willful and unruly at home—had no room to openly refuse this matter, and could only choose to evade it instead.
The world itself had undergone drastic change. Yokai were reviving, chaos was spreading—but for ancient families with deep roots like the Yamato clan, this wasn't necessarily bad news.
The Yamato family already enjoyed considerable renown within the exorcist community. Given the way the world was shifting, it was easy to foresee their clan becoming even more prosperous in the future.
The Yamato head was naturally pleased at the prospect of the family's rise.The only thing that truly gnawed at him was this: his only daughter—the sole heir—loved nothing more than grabbing a blade and charging off to fight on the front lines.
In truth, the purpose behind this sudden push for marriage was twofold.
On one hand, Yamato Kuka's parents genuinely believed it was time for her to find a suitable partner.On the other hand, since they couldn't control their stubborn daughter, they decided the best solution was to have her produce an heir as soon as possible.
After all—once she was pregnant, surely she couldn't keep charging into battle, sword in hand, to clash with yokai on the front lines, right?
The Yamato family specialized in support. They were meant to stay safely in the rear, providing buffs and assistance. Charging head-on into brutal combat was far too dangerous.
In the past, they had allowed Yamato Kuka her freedom because the yokai of that era weren't particularly strong.
But now the world was different.
How many days had it been since humans and yokai began clashing head-on? And in that short time, how many deaths had the Yamato couple already heard of?
And a frightening number of the fallen weren't nobodies—they were elite exorcists whose names were well known within the same circles.
Since the front lines opened, the number of injured being carried into the Yamato household had increased day by day. Seeing this with their own eyes, the Yamato head and his wife were naturally sick with worry over their daughter, who remained on the front lines.
In a direct confrontation between humans and yokai, injuries were unavoidable.
Physical wounds, at least, could be treated with modern medicine without too much difficulty.
But their enemies weren't ordinary beings.
Petrification, curses, paralysis, poison—these abnormal conditions were beyond the reach of even modern medical science.
For injuries like those, only exorcists skilled in purification could intervene.
As the foremost support specialists within the exorcist world, the Yamato family's doors had been crowded day after day.
And it was precisely because he had seen so many wounded that the Yamato head finally resolved to force Yamato Kuka home under the pretense of marriage.
Originally, his plan was simple: as long as Yamato Kuka returned home, they would confine her there under the excuse that she couldn't leave unless she found a boyfriend.
Due to Kamaitachi's defeat and retreat, the three yokai factions attacking Shibuya saw that even their strongest—Kamaitachi—had lost. The remaining two factions cautiously chose to withdraw and observe the situation.
As a result, the Onmyo Bureau and the Exorcist Association, which had been pushed back relentlessly, finally gained a brief moment to breathe. The flames of war in Shibuya temporarily subsided.
The other two factions, while wary of the powerful individual who had defeated Kamaitachi, were unwilling to retreat completely. Instead, they entrenched themselves in the territories they had already seized.
They neither advanced nor withdrew, placing immense psychological pressure on the Onmyo Bureau and the Exorcist Association.
As for the Non-Natural Countermeasures Division, the territory Kamaitachi had taken was long since reclaimed. Without new orders, all they needed to do now was hold their ground.
Seeing how effective the Countermeasures Division had been, higher authorities naturally issued orders for them to assist the Onmyo Bureau.
Unfortunately, Kamishiro Isshin personally declined.
According to him, the division had already suffered severe injuries while reclaiming the area. They were no longer capable of further combat. Forcing them back into battle could lead to total annihilation—and might even result in losing the hard-won territory again.
Besides, given the Onmyo Bureau's previous attitude toward them, the Countermeasures Division not kicking them while they were down was already an act of mercy. Helping them?
Let them show just how "impressive" they were on their own.
Moreover, with Kamaitachi defeated, the remaining two yokai factions weren't attacking anyway. The people over at the Onmyo Bureau weren't in immediate danger.
As for whether they could reclaim more human territory—that was the Onmyo Bureau's problem. What did it have to do with the Countermeasures Division?
And even if Kamishiro Isshin were magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones, the truth was they were genuinely stretched thin.
Two of the division's key fighters were no longer in Shibuya at all. The only ones left holding the line were himself and Monk Hakuba.
On the road to the Yamato estate, Yuto walked along wearing a well-tailored suit, his hands laden with gift bags. His expression was faintly helpless.
Beside him, Yamato Kuka walked as she always did—dressed in a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, a long katana cradled in her arms, her expression just as awkward.
In the past, walking down a main street dressed like that would have gotten her labeled a cosplayer.
But now?
Not a single passerby saw her as a chuuni weirdo. Instead, people looked at her with respect.
After the upheaval of heaven and earth, humanity had indeed been caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of yokai.
But humans adapted quickly—and organized a counterattack just as fast.
At present, humans and yokai each controlled the southern and northern regions of the country. Though fighting continued along the front lines, at this rate, the war clearly wouldn't end anytime soon.
Once the yokai in the southern regions were fully cleared, those who had been hiding in shelters began returning to normal life.
But the world had changed—and their lives could never go back to how they once were.
According to experts, given humanity's current strength and the yokai's resistance, this war could last ten years… or even longer.
And it wasn't guaranteed that humanity would ultimately emerge victorious.
As the world shifted, policies changed drastically as well.
Schools that once focused primarily on academic subjects now mandated daily physical training to strengthen students' bodies.
And the most coveted universities were no longer elite academic institutions—but newly established National Exorcist Academies.
In the current world, clinging to old systems was no longer viable.
Humanity didn't lack desk workers—it lacked people who could slay yokai and banish evil.
With support from multiple sectors, numerous exorcist academies were established throughout the southern regions, in addition to the original Onmyo Academy.
These schools invited professionals to teach, not expecting graduates to become elite warriors—but hoping they would at least be stronger than ordinary soldiers.
Entertainment and leisure had changed just as drastically.
Where people once idolized pop stars and celebrities, they now revered powerful exorcists.
Films, dramas, and anime flooded the market with supernatural battle themes almost overnight.
No one could resist the allure of flight, teleportation, and overwhelming supernatural power—especially hot-blooded, idealistic teenagers.
That was why Yamato Kuka's shrine maiden attire no longer seemed strange. Instead, it inspired admiration.
Of course, if anyone else dressed like that, they might still be seen as imitators.
But Yamato Kuka wasn't just anyone.
She was famous now.
So was Yuto.
In this era of yokai chaos, frightened civilians needed hope. And to stabilize public morale, those at the top introduced a ranking list.
The list recorded all active exorcists, analyzed their combat power, and assigned rankings accordingly.
On one hand, it encouraged exorcists who valued fame. On the other, it reassured civilians that humanity still possessed formidable strength.
Yuto and Yamato Kuka were both on that list.
Their rankings weren't particularly high—but they were among the youngest exorcists to make it.
The list recorded only the top one thousand exorcists nationwide.
Those ranked came from all walks of life—onmyoji, monks, martial artists, and more.
As long as someone could slay yokai, they were all known by a single title:
Exorcists.
..
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