Standing opposite Ren Kuroda were five people in total. However, by sensing the auras radiating from them, the Samurai Spirit could immediately tell that only three among them posed any real threat.
Coincidentally—or perhaps inevitably—the number of subordinates Ren had summoned was also three.
Since they had been called forth as his retainers, allowing their lord, Ren Kuroda, to step in personally would be nothing short of dereliction of duty—and a disgrace.
Right now, the enemy numbered three. On their side, there were also three. The numbers were perfectly even.
Both the Samurai Spirit and Hand-Washing Oni were eager to prove themselves in front of Ren, yet neither dared to choose an opponent first. Instead, the two of them turned their gaze toward the only female yokai among the summoned trio, silently inviting her to make the first choice.
The Samurai Spirit and Hand-Washing Oni were acquainted with each other—they came from the same place, after all. But the Spider Princess, who had been summoned alongside them, felt unfamiliar.
That unfamiliarity wasn't the issue.
What truly made the two of them instinctively cautious was the terrifying demonic aura overflowing from her the moment she appeared. It was enough for them to understand immediately—she was on a completely different level from them.
The strong held privileges wherever they went. And among yokai, where the law of the jungle reigned supreme, strength spoke louder than anything else. With the Spider Princess's power so plainly evident, the Samurai Spirit and Hand-Washing Oni naturally showed her due respect, letting her choose her opponent first.
Seeing the sudden appearance of two men and one woman at Ren's side, Taguchi Shogo and the others were initially alarmed. But when they noticed that these newcomers clearly didn't take them seriously—casually selecting opponents as if picking vegetables—their worry was instantly replaced by rage.
"So what if they have the numbers?" Mizutani Kisei snapped. "As long as we still have hostages, what can they do to us?"
Out of the three, Mizutani Kisei had been the most panicked when Ren summoned his allies. But she quickly realized something—so long as Mad Speaker was still effective, and so long as Ren wanted to keep the mother and daughter alive, they wouldn't dare make a move against her.
"Spider Princess," Ren said calmly, "the woman is yours. The mother and daughter aren't enemies—they're just being controlled by her ability. Be careful not to hurt them."
Originally, the Spider Princess had intended to target Tachibana Kyoya, the strongest of the three Transmigrators. But upon hearing Ren's voice behind her, she nodded in acknowledgment and slowly walked toward Mizutani Kisei instead.
"Since Lady Spider Princess has chosen the woman," Hand-Washing Oni grinned, rolling his shoulders, "then I'll take the spiky-haired one. I traded punches with him earlier—he's exactly my type.I've been itching to try out the techniques and combat methods Lord Ren taught me, but never had a good test subject. That guy seems perfect. Is that all right with you, Samurai Spirit-dono?"
Dressed in rough hemp clothing, Hand-Washing Oni flexed his well-developed muscles as he looked toward the Samurai Spirit.
"By all means," the Samurai Spirit replied evenly. "I happen to be more interested in opponents who wield blades."
Born from the unyielding soul of a warrior, the Samurai Spirit was, by nature, inseparable from swords.
Ren hadn't summoned these three on a whim. Against the Transmigrator trio, the Spider Princess, Hand-Washing Oni, and the Samurai Spirit were simply the most suitable opponents.
With targets decided, the battle reignited.
The first to move was the Spider Princess, who advanced slowly toward Mizutani Kisei.
From the moment she was summoned, she had already gauged the strength of the three Transmigrators. Frankly speaking, she didn't believe Ren had been pushed to his limits before calling them.
In her eyes, these three weren't remotely capable of cornering Ren. If anything, she felt that even if she faced all three alone, victory wouldn't be impossible.
As such, from the very beginning, she hadn't taken Mizutani Kisei and the others seriously.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Mizutani Kisei panicked, once again activating her unique skill, Mad Speaker.
Unfortunately for her, the ability she had always relied on failed once more. The Spider Princess paused for only a brief instant before shaking off the influence entirely and continuing forward.
With Ren's earlier warning—and with the overwhelming gap in demonic power between them—Mad Speaker stood no chance of working on the Spider Princess.
Watching her signature ability fail again, Mizutani Kisei nearly lost her mind.
A power that had never failed her before had encountered two monsters in a single day who were completely immune. What she once believed to be an invincible trump card now felt utterly incapable of protecting her own life.
Unlike Taguchi Shogo and Tachibana Kyoya, Mizutani Kisei possessed only Mad Speaker. She had no other abilities that enhanced her combat power.
Put simply, without Mad Speaker, she was just an ordinary girl—utterly powerless.
With her ability useless and the Spider Princess steadily closing in, Mizutani Kisei felt the cold grip of death for the first time.
But soon, she forced herself to calm down through the fear. Compared to the other two, she still had one advantage they didn't.
She had hostages.
As long as they wanted to save them, she still had a chance to live.
"Take one more step," she screamed, "and I'll make them choke each other to death—mother and daughter killing each other right in front of you!"
Mizutani Kisei was terrified. At this point, she no longer cared about settling scores with Ren. She just wanted to use the lives of the mother and daughter to force a compromise and escape alive.
"So you used the same trick to threaten Lord Ren earlier, didn't you?" the Spider Princess said coolly."I imagine that kind and gentle lord must have suffered because of it.I hadn't planned on taking your life—but since you dared to threaten the man I both respect and cherish… eternal sleep will be the most fitting end for you."
She showed no intention of backing down. Realizing that Mizutani had likely used the same tactic on Ren only fueled her anger.
"How can this be…?" Mizutani Kisei broke down. "Don't you care if they die? Your master clearly said they weren't to be harmed!"
Seeing that the Spider Princess didn't slow her steps, Mizutani Kisei completely lost control and activated Mad Speaker at full force, trying to force the mother and daughter to kill each other.
What she didn't expect was that—under the influence of her ability—the two of them simply stood there, motionless.
"Move! Move already! Why isn't it working?!" she screamed hysterically.
She had finally realized the truth—her ability wasn't just ineffective against Ren and the Spider Princess anymore. She couldn't even control ordinary humans now.
"Do you still not understand?" the Spider Princess said softly."Why Lord Ren was so at ease letting you face me? Because in front of me, your ability is utterly worthless."
At its core, Mad Speaker was a form of mental manipulation.
But when it came to control, the Spider Princess was a master.
Back when she was still an oni, she already possessed the ability to control others using spider silk. After becoming a true Jorōgumo, that power had only grown stronger.
If one looked closely, they would notice countless near-invisible strands of silk covering the heads of the mother and daughter.
Mad Speaker had indeed taken effect—their minds were urging them to strangle each other.
But their bodies refused to obey.
Bound by spider silk, they could not move. To an outside observer, they looked like lifeless puppets frozen in place.
With her last hope gone, Mizutani Kisei finally collapsed. Abandoning Taguchi Shogo and Tachibana Kyoya without hesitation, she turned and ran.
But how could a girl with an ordinary body ever escape from an A–rank great yokai?
She had barely taken a few steps when a strand of spider silk caught her ankle, sending her crashing to the ground. More silken threads burst from the earth, wrapping around her body amid screams and despair.
In moments, a massive cocoon of spider silk formed.
With a casual wave of her hand, the Spider Princess sent the cocoon sinking into the ground.
The battle between Spider Princess and Mizutani Kisei ended in absolute defeat. Mizutani hadn't even managed to resist.
If there was anyone to blame, it was her terrible luck—she had drawn the worst possible opponent. Her Mad Speaker was completely countered by spider-silk manipulation.
While the Spider Princess finished her fight in an instant, the battles on the other side were only just heating up.
Watching their companion get dealt with so effortlessly, there was no way Taguchi Shogo and Tachibana Kyoya weren't shaken.
Fighting with anxiety gnawing at their hearts inevitably dulled their performance.
Though killing people and monsters wasn't new to them since arriving in this world, facing genuine death themselves—for the first time—was an entirely different matter.
Seeing Mizutani Kisei's fate unfold right before their eyes dealt them an overwhelming psychological blow.
Only now did they truly realize that this wasn't a game.
Death here was real. There were no retries.
Originally, Taguchi Shogo had been evenly matched with Hand-Washing Oni thanks to Berserker. But after witnessing Mizutani's end, his composure shattered completely.
He exposed openings again and again, taking several heavy punches straight to the face. By now, his entire face was swollen.
"…Seriously?" Hand-Washing Oni muttered, grabbing Taguchi by his spiky hair and lifting his head."I thought you had some backbone. This is it?I haven't even gone all out yet, and you're already collapsing. That's just disappointing."