— — — — — —
The sun rose in the east.
A biting wind swept across the grounds.
From within the massive cloud of dust, Ryo stepped out slowly.
"Looks like I showed up at just the right time."
Inside Nijō Castle's inner courtyard— Shuten-dōji stood bare-chested, his torso scorched black in several places. A faint smell of roasted flesh lingered in the air.
Across from him, a bandage-wrapped man, Suou Himejima, was covered in dust. Dark green blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. The signs of heavy poisoning were obvious.
Thirty meters away, yokai and exorcists had formed opposing lines. Weapons gripped tight. Eyes locked in hostility.
When Ryo descended like a meteor, Shuten-dōji's face lit up.
"Leader!"
He tried to stand and salute, but grunted in pain and staggered back a few steps.
At the same time, a thunderous roar erupted from the yokai ranks.
"Leader!"
"The leader's here!"
In just one day, Ryo had swept across Kyoto with them, earning immense prestige among the lesser yokai. The moment he appeared, their morale surged, instantly overpowering the exorcists of the Five Families.
"Family Head!"
Several armored elders bearing the Himejima crest rushed to Suou's side. One supported him, another handed over medicine. His condition stabilized quickly.
Throughout it all, Ryo only spared them a glance before walking up to Shuten-dōji.
"You did well. Step back."
"Yes!"
Shuten-dōji nodded and retreated into the yokai ranks, clutching his wound.
Compared to the exorcist families, yokai medicine was crude. They could only apply healing salves. Still, with his physique and the advantage of fighting an injured opponent earlier, his condition wasn't serious. He was already recovering.
By then, Ryo had stopped five meters in front of Suou Himejima.
"Family Head… let Third Brother and me test him first."
A bald elder in samurai armor spoke in a low voice.
He was the Second Elder of the Himejima family, famed for his iaido draw slash. Rumor had it he once killed an Ultimate-Class high-ranking devil. Aside from the family head, he ranked second in strength.
The Third Elder, known for brutal karate strikes, had once killed an aged high yokai with three punches.
"Be careful."
Suou adjusted his breathing and agreed.
The three were half-brothers and pillars of the Himejima family. He knew their strength well.
He himself was injured, while the enemy leader was fresh. Sending the two elders to probe Ryo was the best move. Gather intel first, then strike if an opening appeared.
The battle had already escalated into a death feud. If Ryo showed even the slightest weakness, Suou had no intention of holding back. He would join the two elders and kill the new yokai leader.
With those calculations in mind, he watched them step forward.
"So the result of your discussion is a group attack?"
Ryo raised a brow, tone calm.
The Second Elder's expression hardened.
"You don't need honor when dealing with monsters. Together!"
He drew his blade in a flash, slashing upward toward Ryo's neck.
At the same time, the Third Elder rushed in. His fists shifted, outer tension and inner looseness. Then he suddenly flung something forward. A cloud of white powder.
Poison.
The Second Elder immediately shifted from slash to thrust, the blade stabbing toward Ryo's forehead, clearly coordinating with his brother.
"Despicable."
On a distant hillside, Akeno Himejima cursed under her breath.
She hadn't expected her uncles to stoop this low. One blinded him with poison, the other went for the kill.
"Childish."
The white powder exploded outward, drifting toward Ryo… then passed straight through him.
The Second Elder's pupils shrank. His blade pierced through Ryo's forehead like cutting air.
The Third Elder's punch slammed into Ryo's chest… and also passed through.
Their expressions changed instantly. But they'd committed fully. There was no way to stop.
At that moment—
Another Ryo appeared behind them, as if he had simply walked through their attack range.
His arms flexed. Both hands shot out, grabbing their heads.
Then he slammed them together.
Bang.
The two elders' skulls collided with a dull, heavy impact. Blood sprayed in all directions.
Ryo stepped forward calmly, adjusting his collar, completely spotless as he passed them. He stopped one meter in front of Suou Himejima.
"Your turn."
"Hiss—!"
The exorcists inhaled sharply.
Even Suou couldn't tell what technique Ryo had used. Wariness filled his face.
"Not coming?"
Ryo tilted his head.
"Relax. Those two geezers aren't dead yet. I like to drain batteries completely before throwing them away."
…What batteries?
Suou didn't understand a word. Still, he gritted his teeth and surged with spiritual power. Vermilion flames like a blooming lotus engulfed his body.
Then—
He gagged.
A fist had already buried itself into his abdomen, nearly punching straight through.
"You're charging up in the middle of a fight? Who waits for you to pose?"
Ryo scoffed and pulled his fist back.
Thump.
Suou's knees hit the ground. He clutched his stomach, body curled like a spring.
Then—
Ryo stomped on his head, driving half his skull into the concrete.
"Trash."
He even spat on him, utterly disdainful.
A man who hunted his own niece without mercy. Ryo had nothing but contempt.
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hands, as if afraid of getting dirty.
"Barely worth warming up."
"Take the batteries away."
He tossed the handkerchief aside. Several yokai hurried forward, grinning as they dragged away the three pillars of the Himejima family like corpses.
Silence fell over the exorcists.
Shuten-dōji, now recovered enough to stand, stepped forward and shouted, "Surrender… or die. Choose."
They looked at each other. One person dropped his weapon.
Then another.
Soon, clattering filled the air as the exorcists disarmed themselves, crouching with hands on their heads while yokai guarded them.
"…It's over?"
On the hillside, Akeno looked stunned.
Those were the Himejima elders?
Ryo had grabbed heads, thrown a punch, stomped someone. It looked like a street fight. And yet he effortlessly crushed fighters comparable to high-ranking devils.
It was so simple it almost looked… doable.
Grab someone's head. Punch someone's stomach.
She could do that too.
But then she remembered five years ago. Being hunted by Suou Himejima, nowhere to run.
Akeno fell silent.
Was Ryo just overwhelmingly strong? Or had she herself grown stronger? Could she now defeat the man who haunted her childhood?
She couldn't tell.
So she turned to her childhood friend.
"Rias, can you tell what's going on?"
"…Rias?"
She turned and saw Rias standing stiffly, trembling slightly, desperately signaling with her eyes.
Run.
Akeno read it instantly.
She paused. Then looked behind Rias.
At the man holding a strand of Rias's crimson hair. The same man who had just crushed the Himejima family head.
"Such a vivid color."
Ryo released her hair and smiled at Akeno.
"This is our first meeting, right? Daughter of Baraqiel."
Akeno forced a faint smile.
For her, this was the worst possible first meeting.
.
.
.