Sensing two powerful surges of yokai energy erupting abruptly in the air, Ren Kuroda showed no intention of stopping. The Nichirin Blade in his hand continued its downward arc, slashing straight toward Gyokushō.
What a joke.
First there had been the so-called Seven Who Walk Together knocking on his door, then the battle just now. In Ren's eyes, whatever relationship he and Gyokushō might have had was already beyond repair.
Sure, Nurarihyon might have old ties with Inugami Gyōbu-danuki—but Ren didn't even know the guy. Why the hell should he give him any face?
Did he think everyone was Shanks, walking around after eating the Face-Face Fruit, so that whoever met him had to give him respect?
Watching the blade cleave downward, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's raccoon-like face twisted with unmistakably human anger. After taking a swig of strong liquor, he spewed out a mouthful of blazing flames—searing, compressed, and scorching hot—straight at Ren.
As the lord of the Eighty-Eight Demons of the Night Parade, just how strong was Inugami Gyōbu-danuki?
Ren didn't know the exact answer. But since this old monster was one of the very few beings from centuries ago who could stand alongside Nurarihyon and Hagoromo Gitsune, his strength was beyond question.
That single breath of high-temperature yokai flame alone made Ren feel an overwhelming sense of danger.
"Behold the roar of divine flames—
the advance of the Greedy Fire Wolf!
Devour and conquer like wildfire—Greedy Wolf of Inferno!"
Seeing his old friend unleash a breath of yokai fire in a moment of urgency, Nurarihyon had originally been worried that Ren might not be able to withstand it and was preparing to step in.
But to his surprise, when faced with the overwhelming sea of flames, Ren gathered his own yokai power—and with a single motion, unleashed a flaming slash that carried the momentum of a raging wildfire.
If the flames spewed by Inugami Gyōbu-danuki were like a boundless ocean of fire—
Then the flames slashed out by Ren were a pack of ravenous fire wolves, gnawing and tearing apart everything in their path.
The collision between the tidal wave of flames and the blazing wolf pack caused the temperature of the air to skyrocket instantly. The resulting firestorm made everyone present feel as if they were standing inside the mouth of a volcano.
At the point of impact, the intense heat melted the ground itself into magma. Orange-red molten lava spread outward as the two infernos clashed, the scorched area expanding without pause.
Fortunately, just as the temperature rose to the brink of what everyone could endure, the opposing flames finally neutralized each other and vanished into the air.
If not for the molten lava still radiating terrifying heat on the ground, the onlookers might have believed everything that had just happened was nothing more than a dream.
"This young man," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki said slowly, his tone noticeably more restrained,
"if my foolish son committed some truly excessive offense earlier, then allow this old one to apologize on his behalf.
But no matter what, he is the child among my many offspring who resembles me the most. I hope you can grant me at least a little face."
Earlier, in his haste to save his most talented child, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had failed to properly restrain the power of his yokai flames.
He had thought he might have nearly caused a catastrophe—but what he hadn't expected was that the young man before him could withstand that breath of fire unscathed.
If his earlier polite words had been out of consideration for Nurarihyon's face, then now, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was truly beginning to take Ren seriously.
Even if he hadn't gone all out, the fact that such a young yokai could block his flames so perfectly spoke volumes about Ren's strength.
"An apology?" Ren replied coldly.
"If apologies actually worked, then the law of the jungle wouldn't exist among yokai.
And that breath of fire just now—don't tell me it was full of sincerity.
If you want to take this guy away, it's simple. We follow the rules of the yokai world.
The victor takes everything."
Ren wasn't being deliberately aggressive.
After coming to this world, he genuinely wanted to see just how strong the peak combat power of this era really was.
Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was probably a step below Nurarihyon and Hagoromo Gitsune, and even further behind Abe no Seimei or Nurarihyon's son, Nura Rihan.
But as the lord of the Eighty-Eight Demons of the Night Parade, his strength was undoubtedly at the very top of the world.
By crossing blades with him, Ren could roughly gauge how terrifying Hagoromo Gitsune—and even Abe no Seimei—really were.
Besides, ever since acquiring 『Chaotic Might of Gods and Demons』, his power had skyrocketed. Yet he hadn't had a single proper chance to test himself.
The reason was simple.
Everyone he'd faced so far had been far too weak.
But Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was different—strong, but not so overwhelmingly powerful as to be unreachable, and certainly not someone Ren could defeat effortlessly.
He was the perfect opponent.
And on top of that, that breath of fire earlier had genuinely pissed Ren off.
Seeing Ren clash with another powerhouse, Nekomata, the Samurai Spirit, and the others quickly moved to his side.
After a brief hesitation, Hand-Wash Oni and Hook Needle Woman ultimately followed as well.
Gyokushō had already driven them to despair. They had decided to completely sever ties with the so-called Shikoku Yokai and stand firmly on Ren's side.
Though facing Inugami Gyōbu-danuki—the undisputed boss of Shikoku—made their hearts pound with fear, they still chose without hesitation to stand behind Ren.
"It seems Gyokushō didn't just lose in strength," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki remarked calmly.
As one of the leaders of the famous Seven Who Walk Together of Shikoku, he naturally recognized Hook Needle Woman and the others.
Their choice was not something he could interfere with.
Unlike an onmyoji's shikigami, the Hundred Demons under a yokai lord were never bound by absolute constraints.
They followed strength. They pledged loyalty to power. And when their lord disappointed them, whether they stayed or left was entirely their own decision.
"In that case," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki said,
"we'll do as you suggest, young man. If I win this exchange, then Gyokushō will be coming with me.
But before that, you'd best have your retainers withdraw.
Even if I hold back, with their level of strength, it would be difficult for them to survive in my hands."
The meaning was clear.
Aside from Ren, the yokai behind him weren't even qualified to fight Inugami Gyōbu-danuki.
As the lord of the Eighty-Eight Demons of the Night Parade, he was a figure of immense standing in the yokai world.
To put it bluntly—when he became famous, Ren's mother might not even have existed as more than a cell.
As a veteran among yokai, his earlier attitude had already been extremely courteous. But Ren's refusal to give him face convinced Inugami Gyōbu-danuki that it was time to teach this arrogant youth a lesson.
"That's fine," Ren said calmly.
"I planned on challenging the legendary Inugami Gyōbu-danuki alone anyway.
And I hope you'll use your true strength, senior.
If you hold back, wouldn't this fight become meaningless?"
Nekomata and the others had already bristled with anger, ready to rush forward and teach the old man a lesson.
But before they could move, Ren raised a hand to stop them, signaling for them to step back and simply watch.
He didn't think Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was exaggerating.
Nekomata and the others were around C+ rank at best—exceptional among ordinary yokai, perhaps, but utterly insignificant in front of Inugami Gyōbu-danuki.
Judging from the sheer pressure of yokai energy radiating from him, this old monster was at least A+ rank.
Feeling that overwhelming aura at close range, Ren's grip on the Nichirin Blade began to tremble.
Not from fear—
But from excitement.
A powerful opponent ignited the battle-hungry oni blood coursing through his veins. His body seemed to sense his exhilaration, automatically triggering 『Half-Demon Transformation』.
Towering yokai power erupted from Ren, deep violet energy taking physical form and completely shrouding his figure in an instant.
A presence entirely different from Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's oppressive aura surged outward, flooding the surroundings—
Until a jet-black arm tipped with razor-sharp claws tore straight through the violet energy barrier.
When Ren's form was fully revealed, everyone present stared in shock.
Nekomata, Hook Needle Woman, and the others who had already witnessed Ren's transformation noticed subtle changes compared to before—but they weren't overly surprised.
But for the Nura Clan, including Nura Rikuo, who were seeing Ren's transformed state for the first time, everything finally clicked.
Blood-red eyes. Long crimson hair. Horns rising skyward in fury. Arms overflowing with dense, unmistakable oni energy.
Faced with Ren's fully revealed form, it wasn't just Rikuo and the others—even Inugami Gyōbu-danuki and Nurarihyon wore expressions of genuine surprise.
They had truly underestimated him.
Measured by yokai age alone, Ren was practically a newborn.
Yet the aura pouring from him now rivaled that of great yokai who had been famous for centuries.
Nurarihyon, in particular, had always known Ren was a half-demon.
Ren's concealed power was impossible to hide from someone of Nurarihyon's level.
But due to Ren's Yokai Power Suppression, combined with Nurarihyon's own decline from old age—and Ren's recent explosive growth—Nurarihyon could sense the suppression, yet couldn't fully discern just how much power Ren was hiding.
Now, seeing Ren unleash everything, Nurarihyon could only smile bitterly.
He had once hoped Ren would serve as a whetstone for Rikuo—someone who would spur his grandson's growth, perhaps even be defeated by him someday and brought under his command.
Looking at Ren now, that idea felt laughably naive.
With Rikuo's current strength, expecting him to make Ren submit was impossible. The fact that Rikuo didn't fall into despair just from witnessing this was already impressive.
"It seems this old one truly underestimated you," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki said slowly.
"So young, and yet you've already reached such heights…
Before this battle begins, may I ask an impertinent question?
Who… exactly… are your parents?"