With the war between yokai and humans raging hotter by the day, it wasn't as though the yokai were truly united—and on the human side, even in the face of an existential crisis, internal scheming and power struggles still hadn't stopped.
Of course, the infighting among high-level decision-makers had nothing to do with Ren Kuroda.
And despite appearances, even though humanity currently seemed to be on the back foot, the yokai faction—dominant as it was—didn't dare press humans to the brink.
Those great yokai weren't fools.
Humans had stood at the top of this world for countless generations. Even back in the era of Heian-kyō, when yokai roamed freely, human civilization had endured, survived, and eventually flourished again. That alone proved one thing: humanity definitely still had hidden cards up its sleeve.
Years of excessive peace had dulled people's fear of yokai, allowing the monsters to catch humanity off guard in the opening stages.
But only the great yokai truly understood this truth—
Humans might be weak right now, but their potential was limitless.
After all these years, if humans truly had no meaningful foundations left, the yokai would never have believed it.
Artifacts like the "Three Sacred Treasures" couldn't possibly be the only trump cards in human hands. And who knew how many powerful old monsters—human ones—were still lurking in the shadows, choosing not to reveal themselves for reasons unknown.
So despite their aggressive momentum, the yokai never dared to push humanity too far.
After seizing two-thirds of the land humans once occupied, they chose to pause and recuperate.
Whether it was the three strongest yokai factions or the countless smaller groups beneath them, none were eager to be the first to step forward and risk everything.
The Great Tengu had been bold—and now, having been wounded by a Sacred Treasure, he was still holed up in his territory recovering.
If not for the sheer strength of the tengu clans, he likely wouldn't even qualify as one of the three dominant factions anymore.
Strange as it was, humans and yokai had settled into a fragile, uneasy balance.
Even when clashes did break out, the upper limit of combat power rarely exceeded A-rank.
And as for the power struggles among the elites—those had little to do with Ren Kuroda. His current strength still hadn't reached the level where he could stand on equal footing with those figures.
With relations between humans and yokai entering this delicate stalemate, and after everything that had happened, Ren returned once more to the Onmyō Academy to resume his studies.
Ever since the incident involving the Futakuchi-onna, he hadn't been back.
During the upheaval of heaven and earth and the ensuing yokai chaos, even the hidden Onmyō Academy had inevitably been discovered by some monsters.
Fortunately, the academy was protected by a massive barrier, and both its instructors and headmaster were formidable in their own right. Even amid the catastrophe, it suffered little real damage.
The biggest change Ren noticed as he walked through the grounds was that the number of students had increased significantly.
More striking still—among the people passing by, he sensed many ordinary humans with extremely weak spiritual power.
And yet, those ordinary people wore expressions of excitement and wonder, as if every blade of grass and every breath of air around them was something new.
When Ren reached the headmaster's office, he raised his hand to knock politely—
Only for a voice inside to speak first.
"Please, come in."
On the thick redwood desk sat the plaque symbolizing the headmaster's authority.
When the figure behind it turned around, Ren nearly jumped in shock.
He had met Kurahashi Tomoko when he first enrolled—back then, she had been a silver-haired woman well into her fifties.
But what stood before him now—
Long, flowing silver hair.A refined, intellectual beauty in her early thirties.
She watched his stunned expression with obvious amusement.
After glancing again at the name on the desk plaque and confirming he wasn't mistaken, Ren cooperatively let his shock show on his face.
How could he not be shocked?
A fifty-something elderly woman had suddenly become a thirty-something elegant beauty. The contrast was so extreme that even Ren found it unbelievable.
And beyond her appearance, he could sense something else—
Kurahashi Tomoko's spiritual power had grown far stronger.
Before, he had felt fluctuations around the A-rank.
Now, even with Ren's normal A−-rank perception, he couldn't accurately gauge her strength at all.
That alone meant she surpassed him by a wide margin.
"Seeing me like this…" she began, then coughed lightly."Seeing me like this is quite a shock, isn't it?
"I didn't expect this catastrophe to become a gift for me. How ironic…"
She smiled faintly.
"But what you're seeing now is my true appearance.That old, withered form before—it was the result of certain forbidden techniques that drained both my spiritual power and my lifespan."
"Even I didn't expect that after the great upheaval of heaven and earth, the surge of spiritual energy from that vortex would not only restore my power… but also replenish the lifespan I lost."
Under normal circumstances, lost lifespan could never be restored by any means.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death—these were the natural laws of heaven and earth. Even the strongest onmyōji couldn't defy them.
But lifespan consumed through forbidden techniques was another matter entirely.
Years ago, for reasons unknown, Kurahashi Tomoko had used a life-draining spell. Though she achieved her goal, she paid the price by aging rapidly into a frail old woman.
Afterward, she had tried to restore what she lost—but either the cost was too great for her to bear, or no one was willing to help.
Even in onmyōjutsu, the law of equivalent exchange applied.
And "life" was the most precious commodity of all.
Even if someone were willing to help, there was nothing she could offer that truly equaled it.
"My spiritual power back then was far too weakened," Kurahashi continued, her gaze sharp as it settled on Ren."I couldn't completely see through the strength you were hiding.
"To think that at your age, you already possess A−-rank yokai power… no, that's only part of it. If you were to truly go all out, your actual combat strength would be even higher, wouldn't it?"
She smiled knowingly.
"After all, you defeated an A-rank Kamaitachi. Those things are notoriously troublesome."
"Before, Kuka and the others said that the reason you possess yokai power is because of a curse. I'll accept that explanation for now."
Her tone shifted.
"I called you here today because I want to discuss something with you.
"Ren Kuroda—are you willing to become an adjunct instructor at the Onmyō Academy and teach close-combat techniques to the students?"
Ren was still reeling from the fact that his disguise had been completely seen through—
And then she dropped that question without warning.
The topic change was so abrupt it nearly gave him whiplash.
"…Why?" Ren asked, frowning in confusion.
"Simple," Kurahashi replied calmly."Your strength has long since surpassed the level of a student.
"And on your way here, you must've noticed—because of the changing environment, the academy now has many ordinary human students."
"These people were selected one in ten thousand from the general population. They'll become vital combat forces against the yokai in the future."
"Before their spiritual power fully awakens, physical conditioning and close-combat training are just as important."
She leaned back slightly.
"Most of the academy's previous students came from prestigious families, and many of them look down on ordinary people."
"So I've decided to have Kuka-chan teach close-combat techniques to the classes made up of elite family students."
"As for the classes of ordinary people…" she smiled at Ren."I'll have to trouble you—someone who understands the burden of family legacy, yet doesn't discriminate against commoners."
It was a reasonable explanation—
But it still didn't fully satisfy Ren.
Because when he asked "why," he wasn't just asking why she wanted him to teach.
The stronger the observer, the weaker the effect of his Yokai Power Suppression skill.
Ren didn't believe for a second that someone as perceptive as Kurahashi Tomoko—whose spiritual power far exceeded his—couldn't see his true nature.
What he really wanted to know was this—
Why, after seeing through him, was she still willing to believe the "curse" excuse?
Why was she willing to help him hide the truth—and even hire him as a combat instructor?
"First," Kurahashi said calmly,"I'm not like traditional exorcists. I don't hold deep prejudice against yokai or humans."
"And based on everything you've done—and my own judgment after decades of living—I believe you're someone who can be trusted."
She paused, then added seriously,
"That said, I should still warn you."
"Your concealment methods are extremely sophisticated. Even I could only see through you because of a special talent."
"But among exorcists, there are countless monsters stronger than you. Until you master even better concealment techniques, it would be wise to avoid appearing in front of them."
She crossed her legs, shifting into a more relaxed posture.
"That said, you don't need to worry too much."
"The 'curse' excuse works well. Even if senior figures in the exorcist world sense your yokai power, you can brush it off with that."
"They're not like me—they don't possess this kind of talent."
"And with your current reputation and achievements, even if they suspect you, there's nothing they can really do to you."
In the end, Ren left the headmaster's office wearing a helpless expression.
From this point on, he had become a rare existence—
Both student and instructor.
Ren explained to Kurahashi that he came to the Onmyō Academy to study spells and techniques, not because of how strong he was.
Even if his strength surpassed that of most students—and even many instructors—
When it came to spellcraft, he was a complete novice.
After a long back-and-forth, they finally reached a compromise.
Ren accepted the position of close-combat instructor.
Outside of close-combat and practical training classes, he would continue attending the academy as a regular student.
The reason he ultimately agreed was simple.
Kurahashi Tomoko promised that if he took the job, she would personally teach him several powerful onmyō techniques—techniques not taught anywhere within the Onmyō Academy.
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