Jorōgumo's silk originally possessed the ability to drain a target's yokai energy.
But Ren Kuroda had explicitly forbidden her from absorbing any power from his corrupted self.
No one knew what the nature of that blackened yokai energy had become. If Jorōgumo absorbed it and was dragged into corruption as well, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
Hearing Ren's warning, Jorōgumo had no choice but to abandon her initial plan of indulging in a hearty feast. Instead, she redirected all the yokai energy she absorbed through her silk into her own familiars.
Though she was admittedly disappointed at missing the chance to savor her master's "essence," if the fragment of Ren's soul said so, then she would obey—even if reluctantly.
After she wrapped the monument in layers upon layers of silk, turning it into a massive white cocoon—
Yuki-onna made her move as well.
She too entered her yokai form. Outwardly she did not change much from her usual appearance, but several translucent snowflakes began drifting around her, and her skin grew even more pale—almost luminous.
"Thousand-Year Ice Prison!"
With a tremor that shook the earth, several colossal cylindrical ice pillars erupted from underground. They rotated once in place, then converged toward the center.
As they gathered around the white cocoon, a far larger ice pillar formed in an instant, sealing the cocoon completely within its frozen core.
Five layers of sealing—
All completed in the span of a heartbeat.
Whether in terms of strength or coordination, the execution was flawless—top-tier in every sense.
Jorōgumo and Yuki-onna were still standing.
But the homunculus Ren collapsed to the ground immediately.
He had already been severely wounded. Just now, he had overdrawn his spiritual power to perform the triple-incantation Bakudō.
At this point, he no longer even had the strength to stand.
He turned his gaze toward where Yamato Kuuka had been.
She was gone.
A faint, relieved smile touched his lips.
He had done everything he could.
As for what happened next… that would depend on fate.
Without borrowing the power of the "Evils of This World," he could never have defeated the Night-Blade God.
But the backlash of corruption was this severe.
After the Night-Blade God fled, the System had notified him that the "Challenge the Deity" mission was complete.
He had received a massive reward: ten thousand points of Yokai Prestige and a new trait skill—"Godslayer."
But now?
He had no time to check any of it.
If he could not escape the corrupted state, then no amount of prestige or powerful abilities would mean anything.
Ren's plan was simple.
The people he cared about most were his mother and his little sister.
If anyone could reach the corrupted him… it would be them.
And when his consciousness cleared, the fragment of soul residing within this homunculus body would return to the original—
Allowing him to fully cast off the corruption.
Five layers of sealing might seem excessive—
But Ren understood something clearly.
If his original body did not still retain a sliver of awareness… and if it truly harbored killing intent toward them—
This level of sealing would have been shattered instantly.
Even now, though the corrupted Ren had not actively broken the seal—
The "Evils of This World" coating his body had begun eroding it on their own.
The fivefold seal appeared airtight.
But the "Evils of This World" corroded everything.
A seal capable of immobilizing an S-rank and restricting even an SS-rank—
Would not last long against something like this.
All Ren could do now was hope—
That Kuuka would reach Amanoin Masami and Amanoin Ruki in time.
Meanwhile, Yamato Kuuka raced forward at full speed.
But her heart was anything but calm.
Hyakki… was Ren?
She could not accept it.
The demon lord she had once sworn to slay—
Being the same person she had fallen in love with—
It was more melodramatic than any shōjo manga.
Yet as she replayed Hyakki's past actions—and Ren's final words to her—
She suddenly realized something.
Hyakki had never once initiated an attack against them.
The first time Hyakki appeared had been on the snow mountain. Yes, he had killed exorcists—but only because they had been targeting the Sesshōseki in Yuki-onna's possession.
The later battle in Tokyo District had erupted because the major families deemed Hyakki too dangerous and resolved to purge all yokai in the area.
Hyakki had been forced to fight.
And though he had the upper hand—
He ultimately chose to retreat.
Kuuka hadn't understood why at the time.
Now she did.
As for Ren bearing malice toward humanity—
His actions told a different story.
At the dawn of the great upheaval, he had run across the city saving civilians, earning the title "Redeemer."
Even harmless yokai would not go that far to protect humans.
Girls in love are blind.
Kuuka herself probably didn't notice it—
But the girl who once despised yokai was now subconsciously filtering Ren through a ten-layer beautification lens.
But once she polished the image of Ren in her mind to perfection—
A new worry arose.
She was a shrine maiden of a traditional exorcist great clan.
He was a yokai king.
Could such a relationship ever have a future?
At the very least—
Her parents would be an enormous obstacle.
After a brief storm of wandering thoughts, Kuuka shook herself.
Now was not the time.
She accelerated again, sprinting toward the Amanoin residence.
For the citizens of Tokyo District—
Today was anything but peaceful.
Strange celestial phenomena flickered throughout the day. Night and day alternated unnaturally. The ground trembled endlessly.
And finally—
The great snow mountain visible from the city collapsed entirely under violent tremors.
Since the world's upheaval, yokai had appeared frequently. Strange disturbances had become part of daily life.
People were used to it.
But today?
Today felt apocalyptic.
Even the Amanoin residence, located on the outskirts, had felt the tremors from Ren and the Night-Blade God's battle.
Inside, it was unusually lively.
Masami had already pulled Ruki out of school out of worry.
Masami's close friend, Jingu Saori, was also present at her invitation.
And beyond Saori—
There were quite a few other guests.
Most were the noble ladies and heiresses who had attended Masami's tea gatherings before.
Of course—
Masami had not invited them.
They had come unannounced.
Outwardly, they claimed they were checking on a friend.
In reality, they were seeking shelter.
After the previous incident, they had learned that Masami's son—
Was the famed "Redeemer," wielder of the legendary Three Sacred Treasures—Amanoin Ren.
He also had close ties with the prestigious Yamato clan of exorcists; even their matriarch had personally visited before.
With today's chaos, these women—being family members and from relatively weaker houses—felt unsafe staying home.
The safest place they could think of—
Was here.
Even if that terrifying spider maid clearly disliked them—
Even if she mocked them mercilessly and stripped them of face—
What was pride compared to survival?
"Masami… the outside seems terribly unstable today," one well-mannered married woman said nervously, staring at the flickering sky beyond the window. "Do you think… the yokai rampage might happen again?"
At the beginning of the upheaval, the heavens had behaved similarly.
They had been enjoying tea, boasting and chatting—
Only to find themselves surrounded by horrifying monsters.
Though time had passed, the memory still chilled them.
The situation today felt eerily similar.
The only difference was—
Back then, Masami had been an overlooked presence at their gathering.
Now?
She was the center of attention.
And those once prideful ladies had become little more than clowns.
"Yes… if it weren't for Sister Masami last time, we might have all become yokai food," a sweet-faced blonde heiress with aristocratic poise chimed in, flattering her. "By the way… why haven't I seen Miss Jorōgumo or Miss Yuki-onna today? Did you send them out to patrol?"
Her question drew immediate attention.
It was true—
The sharp-tongued spider maid, and the aloof, icy beauty who always looked down on them—
Were nowhere to be seen.
Granted, the ladies feared Jorōgumo.
But they could not deny—
The spider maid's strength was unquestionable.
Her sarcasm stung, yes—
But the sense of security she provided was absolute.
They all knew—
The maid named Jorōgumo was Ren's "strongest shikigami."
She remained here solely to protect his family.
And yet—
Today—
She was gone.
..
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