The yokai watching from the sidelines were still reeling from the shock of what had just happened—utterly unable to understand why Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had suddenly slipped up and taken such a heavy hit.
Then, in the next instant, they saw Ren Kuroda—his eyes still tightly shut—explode forward like a raging gale, charging straight toward what appeared to be nothing but empty air, exchanging blows back and forth with it.
What stunned them even more was that Ren's blade was clearly cutting into thin air from their perspective, yet each swing produced a series of deep, muffled impacts, as though steel were colliding with solid flesh.
As for Inugami Gyōbu-danuki, who had been hidden in the darkness until now, the shock on his face was even more pronounced.
If Ren's earlier counterattack could still be explained as barely sensing his presence and striking first—
Then this headlong charge, relentlessly closing in on his exact position, could no longer be dismissed as coincidence.
It meant only one thing.
Ren had truly grasped a way to find him.
Dull, thunderous impacts echoed through the air as blade and fist collided, the shockwaves from their clashes sweeping outward and cracking the ground beneath them. Only then did the surrounding yokai finally understand—
Ren Kuroda wasn't shadowboxing with the void.
He had locked onto Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's position with absolute certainty—and was fighting him head-on.
"Such terrifying talent… such absurd growth speed," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki said, his voice filled with awe. "Now I'm really curious—just what kind of parents could produce a monster like you?"
After shifting positions several times only to be found again without fail, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was forced to accept reality.
His 『Fear』 had been completely seen through.
At that point, he no longer bothered hiding. His massive form emerged into view, and the look on his face was one of unrestrained astonishment as he stared at Ren.
As the battle progressed, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's evaluation of Ren continued to climb higher and higher.
This young man was growing through combat itself.
And what made it truly frightening was that he had already been strong to begin with—yet his rate of growth was still this fast.
Realizing that Ren may have sought him out from the start as a worthy opponent in order to break through his own limits, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki decided he could no longer afford to treat this as a game.
If he kept holding back, this "veteran wave" might genuinely be crushed by the "next generation" right here on the shore.
After another exchange that ended with both sides separating, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki lifted his gourd and took a massive swig of sake.
In the next moment, his enormous body began to radiate tangible, visible yokai power—dense, oppressive, and surging rapidly upward.
The aura he had shown earlier had already reached A+ rank.
But now, with this new surge, his yokai power smashed straight through the A-rank ceiling and climbed into the realm of true terror—S-rank.
Though it eventually stabilized at S−, the difference between A-rank and S-rank was nothing short of heaven and earth.
This wasn't a small upgrade—it was like trading a hunting rifle for heavy artillery.
An A-rank great yokai might dominate a city with ease, but an S-rank yokai was an undisputed regional tyrant.
Don't be fooled by the mere half-rank difference between A+ and S−. The gap in power was exponential. Several A+ yokai working together might still fail to defeat a single S− existence.
That was the abyss between them.
As Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's condensed yokai power swept across the area, weaker yokai felt an overwhelming pressure, as though they were suffocating.
Against a monster like this, forget fighting—even a single glance was enough to crush one's will to resist.
Yet Ren Kuroda, standing opposite this overwhelming presence, showed not the slightest hint of fear.
On the contrary—his entire body trembled with excitement.
This was the first time in his life he had ever faced an S-rank existence.
Without exaggeration, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was the strongest opponent Ren had encountered so far.
Gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly, Ren ignored the oppressive aura entirely and charged forward without hesitation.
Just as he had said before—
The best way to overcome fear was to face it head-on.
With unwavering conviction, his sword would become unstoppable!
He unleashed the 『Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain』 of the Demon Breathing Style to its absolute limit.
Swift as the wind.
Steady as the forest.
Fierce as fire.
Immovable as the mountain.
This was the first time Ren had ever fought an opponent while holding absolutely nothing back.
In response to Ren's all-out assault, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki did something utterly baffling—
He kept chugging sake.
Gulp after gulp, until his face flushed red and his movements took on a drunken sway.
And when Ren saw Inugami Gyōbu-danuki dodging his slashes with absurd, seemingly impossible motions—only to counterattack with strikes that were utterly unpredictable—
Ren was completely dumbfounded.
Because those movements felt strangely familiar.
A tanuki yokai… drunk… using drunken boxing?!
And judging by the fluidity and mastery of those techniques, Drunken Fist was clearly Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's true specialty. His yokai flames and concealment abilities had merely been tools for dealing with ordinary opponents.
Overwhelming yokai power.
A vanishing, ghostlike presence.
And attacks that completely defied logic and prediction.
It was no wonder Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had stood at the top of the yokai world for so many years.
That battle didn't end until the break of dawn.
On the way back, the Nekomata and the others followed behind Ren in silence, unsure how to comfort their lord.
Yes.
In the end, Ren Kuroda had lost to Inugami Gyōbu-danuki.
In the past, Ren often believed he possessed the strength to challenge S− rank great yokai.
That belief was thoroughly shattered today.
There was no denying that with the Demon Breathing Style and 『Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain』, his A-rank yokai power was more than enough to defeat A+ opponents—even decisively.
He had even believed he had the qualifications to clash with an S− existence.
But this battle taught him a harsh truth.
Just as Ren could learn profound sword techniques, other yokai could also train and master skills beyond their innate talents.
Ren didn't believe his 『Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain』 was inferior to Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's Drunken Fist.
But how long had Inugami Gyōbu-danuki lived?
Hundreds of years, at the very least.
Techniques honed over centuries were not something a relative newcomer like Ren could compare to.
That was the foundation of an S-rank great yokai.
His yokai power was weaker.
His martial skill held no advantage.
And even though Ren had a natural edge in raw strength, it meant nothing if he couldn't land a hit.
"Why did Lord Ren refuse the 『Little Hammer of the Demon King』 in the end?" one of the Nekomata asked softly.
"With that blade, maybe you could've beaten that giant tanuki…"
Though Ren had lost the fight, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki and Nura Slipstream still wished to express their gratitude for his help—and the Nura Clan's as well.
They both agreed to let Ren take the "Little Hammer of the Demon King" as spoils of war.
Yet Ren refused.
To him, the Little Hammer was nothing but trouble. He had no desire to attract the attention of Hagoromo-gitsune or the Hyakki Yagyō faction.
One Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was already absurdly powerful—who knew how terrifying Hagoromo-gitsune or Yamamoto Gorōzaemon truly were?
"The Little Hammer of the Demon King isn't a good thing," Ren said calmly.
"You've all seen what happened to Tamazuki.
I believe that only power you can truly control is real power. Borrowed strength, no matter how great, is never truly your own.
"And honestly—do you really think Inugami Gyōbu-danuki and Nura Slipstream would just let me walk away if I took it?"
Losing to Inugami Gyōbu-danuki didn't leave Ren particularly dejected.
If anything, he was in a great mood.
At the very least, he now understood where his limits lay—and he had gained a highly practical new skill: 『Mind's Eye』.
Moreover, as he fought Inugami Gyōbu-danuki, the yokai watching—shaken by Ren's sheer strength—inevitably developed a sense of admiration for him.
As a result, he harvested a wave of reputation points.
It wasn't a massive amount—but three hundred points was nothing to scoff at.
Ren even found himself regretting not bringing all of the Gyōto-in yokai along. If he had, harvesting five hundred reputation points probably wouldn't have been difficult.
After Ren departed, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki and Nura Slipstream shared a drink together for the first time in many years, inevitably discussing Ren.
The "Little Hammer of the Demon King" was temporarily placed under the Nura Clan's custody.
Having absorbed the blood of three generations of Nura Clan leaders, the blade had become extraordinarily powerful—and equally dangerous.
Tamazuki's talent and strength had already placed him among the elites of the younger generation, yet even he had lost his mind to its influence. Ordinary yokai stood no chance.
And just as Ren had said, offering the Little Hammer to him had merely been a test.
Both Tamazuki and Nura Rikuo—sons of Inugami Gyōbu-danuki and Nura Slipstream respectively—had suffered immensely because of that blade.
In fact, Nura Rikuo had been directly killed by it.
There was no way such a dangerous object would ever truly be entrusted to an outsider.
Ren's identity and origins were shrouded in mystery. Before this, Nura Slipstream had thought him nothing more than a talented young yokai.
But after witnessing Ren's battle with Inugami Gyōbu-danuki, that notion was completely overturned.
He even began to suspect that Ren might be connected to Hagoromo-gitsune or the Hyakki Yagyō, which was why the Little Hammer had been used as a probe.
Though Ren's refusal eased some of his concerns, it was now clear that the Gyōto-in could no longer remain within the Nura Clan's territory indefinitely.
After all—
How could one sleep soundly beside another who lay upon their bed?
Previously, in Nura Slipstream's eyes, Ren had merely been a promising youngster—a sharpening stone for Rikuo's growth.
But now, having seen Ren's true strength, he knew one thing for certain:
Ren Kuroda could no longer be viewed as just another kid.