No one understands Suzuka better than Yashamaru.
Not because Yashamaru is Suzuka's father, but because Suzuka's strength, potential, and even her jutsuryoku were all granted by Yashamaru.
The world knows that Dairenji Suzuka is a prodigy, a genius with the title of "The Prodigy." Even before she was old enough to enroll in the Onmyo Academy, she had already become one of the Twelve Divine Generals and obtained the qualification of a National First-Class Onmyoji. She possessed a talent that surpassed all others in becoming a top-tier onmyoji. However, what the world doesn't know is that all of Suzuka's achievements are entirely due to what Yashamaru did to her during his lifetime.
In life, Yashamaru used Suzuka as an experimental subject for forbidden jujutsu, performing countless rituals on her. This resulted in her jutsuryoku far exceeding that of ordinary onmyoji, and her so-called talent was not something innate, but rather something artificially bestowed upon her.
As the one who orchestrated all of this, Yashamaru could assert with certainty that Suzuka did not possess the power to stand before him and oppose him.
Because Yashamaru had never given Suzuka such potential. Even if the world viewed her as a prodigy, as a genius among geniuses, Yashamaru knew the truth—her talent was an illusion. The fact that she had achieved this much was already her limit.
Unless Suzuka underwent further modifications—unless new forbidden jujutsu were performed on her—she would never grow beyond her current state.
Without Yashamaru, Suzuka could no longer advance. Being the lowest-ranked member of the Twelve Divine Generals was the absolute limit of her potential.
And yet, through sealing Shuten Doji's spirit within herself and becoming a Living Spirit, Suzuka had gained new power and now stood before Yashamaru.
"I really am something else. Even though I knew your situation, I never considered this possibility. Carelessness truly has its limits."
Yashamaru spoke in a tone that was both self-mocking and exasperated.
"What do you mean by that?"
Suzuka immediately glared at him.
She had no choice.
Yashamaru's words implied that he understood exactly why Suzuka had changed—he simply hadn't thought of it before. It was as if he still had complete control over her, and that was infuriating.
But no matter how angry she was, it was meaningless.
At the very least, Yashamaru was not pretending. He truly understood every change Suzuka had undergone.
"Did you think I performed all those forbidden jujutsu on you just to experiment with their effects?" Yashamaru sneered. "If that were the case, I had plenty of other ways to test jujutsu. I never needed to use my own daughter as an experiment."
And that was true.
If Yashamaru simply wanted to test his jujutsu, he could have used wild animals or death row prisoners. Back then, the Spirit Control Department he belonged to was under the jurisdiction of the Onmyo Agency, and if Yashamaru made a request, the authorities would have gladly prepared test subjects for him. There was no need for him to use his own daughter.
The reason Yashamaru modified Suzuka was because he wanted her to become a product.
And what kind of "product" was that?
Naturally, it was something meant for divine possession.
"The Princess is a direct descendant of the Souma family, possessing a talent unparalleled in history. Since childhood, she could attune herself to the divine, communicate with gods, and even allow divine possession. As a mere branch family member of the Souma lineage, I could only watch from afar, utterly mesmerized."
Yashamaru spread his arms wide, his face twisting into a dangerously toxic smile.
"After witnessing such a thing, how could I not want one for myself? Even though I was from the branch family, my ultimate goal was still divine possession. So if I could cultivate and prepare such a vessel with my own hands, wouldn't that be ideal?"
Upon hearing this, not only Suzuka but also Natsume felt a chill run down their spines.
In that moment, both girls had the same realization.
"It can't be…!"
Natsume's eyes widened.
Suzuka bit her lip hard.
"Are you saying… that all those forbidden jujutsu, all those modifications you did to me… your real goal was to turn me into another Souma Takiko!?"
Suzuka felt a mix of horror and rage.
But that was the truth.
"Because you were modified for this exact purpose, even a great ogre like Shuten Doji could easily possess you. In just a year and a half, your spiritual energy nurtured him back to his full strength. Otherwise, do you really think you could have absorbed such an ancient spirit into your body without consequences?"
Yashamaru's words dripped with scorn.
"It is precisely because you were designed for divine possession—meant to serve as a vessel for gods—that you were able to contain such an ancient existence. Your spiritual energy resonated so perfectly with an external spirit that it nurtured him, restoring his power at an astonishing rate. And in doing so, your own potential was stimulated, allowing you to advance even further."
If not for that, in the past year and a half, Suzuka's strength might not have increased even a fraction.
"I once thought you were a failure. After your brother died, I realized that neither of you could ever become another Princess. But to my surprise, while you were useless for divine possession, you turned out to be perfect for demonic possession instead."
With that, Yashamaru spoke with blatant disregard.
"If possible, I'd love to dissect you and study your body properly."
Yashamaru's gaze swept over Suzuka, as if examining an object.
"...!"
Suzuka's body stiffened. She couldn't move.
Because that gaze was far too familiar.
—Countless times in the past, Yashamaru had looked at her like that.
Like a surgeon holding a scalpel, cold and detached, contemplating where to make the first incision.
That was an ingrained fear from childhood. Even now, Suzuka had never escaped from it.
Seeing this, the sneer on Yashamaru's face deepened.
Once again, he proved that no one knew Suzuka better than he did.
And because of that, he also knew—Suzuka could never truly oppose him.
At this critical moment, Yashamaru wasn't speaking at length because he wasn't in a hurry.
On the contrary, he was stalling for time deliberately.
Because he knew Suzuka—he knew her fear of him ran deep. Instead of wasting energy fighting, he could delay the battle significantly by using his words and gaze to awaken the trauma buried in her heart.
In other words, from the moment he started speaking, Yashamaru had already begun casting jujutsu.
Not a Grade-A Jujutsu, but merely a Grade-B Jujutsu.
And yet, at that moment…
"Shut up!"
With a fierce cry, foxfire surged forward.
It was an overwhelming inferno, like an avalanche of flames, shattering the ground as it hurtled toward Yashamaru.
But Yashamaru didn't react.
Instead, Kumomaru did.
"——————"
Kumomaru leaped in front of Yashamaru, pressed his hands together, and unleashed a surge of jutsuryoku. A powerful shockwave erupted, scattering the incoming foxfire.
"Be careful, Director."
Kumomaru warned Yashamaru, his eyes wary.
"Natsume?"
Suzuka stiffly turned her head.
There, Natsume stood with a furious expression.
"You corrupt heretic! I won't let you hurt my friend with that gaze and those words!"
Natsume's words of fury snapped Suzuka back to reality.
Before she knew it, the fear inside her had begun to fade.