"Why are there so many monsters?" Aya-chan whispered.
I had the same question. Despite the dark forest, my father had set up a barrier around the car. If there were any monsters inside the barrier, it should have alerted us.
There's no way my father would have missed them. Even if he did, it wouldn't be this many—maybe one or two at most.
"Aya-chan, let's get back in the car. If we stay outside, more monsters might come," I suggested.
"Y-Yes, you're right," she agreed, clinging to me as we returned to the car. While I understood her fear, it made moving a bit difficult.
After a few minutes, my father and Renji-san returned, covered in blood.
"We killed the bear. Was there any trouble here?" my father asked.
"Yes! Suddenly, we were attacked by monsters!" Aya-chan exclaimed.
"What?" Renji-san and my father looked alarmed as we explained what had happened—the sudden appearance of a horde of low-ranking monsters within the barrier and how I had dealt with them.
They listened silently and exchanged glances once I finished.
"Soichiro, we've got a problem," Renji-san said.
"Yeah, it's a 'Hider.' That's troublesome," my father replied nonchalantly.
Though they didn't seem overly concerned, they began setting up something with talismans, a map, and candles. Curious and a bit confused, I asked my father at a moment when he wasn't too busy.
"Dad, what's a 'Hider'?"
"Hmm, I suppose you wouldn't know yet," he replied, drawing symbols on the map with Silveit.
"Some monsters can use magic, as you've seen before."
"Yes, I remember."
The monster we fought at the house where we met Hina had used magic to send shockwaves. It was a powerful attack. That was when I first realized that monsters could use magic, and it motivated me to become stronger.
"A 'Hider' is a type of monster that can conceal other monsters with magic," my father explained.
"Can they really do that?" I asked, astonished.
"Yes, but only monsters ranked Fourth Tier or higher," he said.
...Really?
I almost asked again, thinking I had misheard. A Fourth Tier monster was incredibly rare, even among humans—a true genius. And now, one of those monsters was here in this forest?
What I thought would be a simple camping trip suddenly felt a lot more serious.
I looked around nervously at the forest, while my father and Renji-san continued their preparations with calm efficiency. Their demeanor made me realize how commonplace such situations must be for exorcists.
"Come here, Itsuki," my father called.
"Aya, you too," Renji-san added.
Startled, Aya and I approached. Renji-san picked up Aya, and we gathered around the map on the ground.
"We're going to use a spell to find the monster using the 'Hider' magic. Pay attention; you'll need to know this," my father said.
"Does that mean we'll be fighting more strong monsters?" I asked.
Renji-san chuckled. "Itsuki-kun, you're a Seventh Tier exorcist. You'll definitely face more of these situations."
"Ugh," I groaned.
It made sense. Only a few exorcists could handle Fourth Tier monsters, and even fewer could deal with anything higher. As a Seventh Tier, I would undoubtedly be called upon.
I clenched my fists, renewing my resolve to become stronger.
My father continued explaining as he drew intricate geometric patterns on the map with Silveit.
"To counter a 'Hider,' you need to use more magical power than what they're using to hide. We'll create a magnet that reacts to magic."
"Magic magnet?" I repeated, puzzled.
"Yes, a magnet that responds to magic," he confirmed.
A concept I had never heard of, but magic could create things that didn't exist. I made a mental note to remember this technique.
As I watched, the talisman floated up and moved toward the mountain, passing through the forest and heading into the city.
...Toward a densely populated area.
Realizing the danger, I felt a cold sweat. If that monster reached the city...
"Renji, we need to move now," my father said.
"Understood. Let's go," Renji-san replied.
"What's happening?" Aya asked, confused.
"Aya, we've been lured here. The main monster is heading toward the city to avoid detection and feed on magic," Renji-san explained.
"We were baited?" she asked.
"Exactly," he confirmed.
I marveled at the cunning of the monster. It had drawn us here with a lesser monster to distract us while it moved toward its true target.
We quickly got back into the car. Renji-san started the engine, the vehicle's lights flickering to life as we sped down the road.
"Contact the Kamiazuki clan, Soichiro. We need all hands on deck," Renji-san urged.
"Got it. But first..." my father began, but then a deer suddenly appeared in our path.
Before anyone else could react, I used Silveit to disintegrate the deer into mist.
Blood sprayed, then evaporated as the monster was vanquished. As the car sped through the clearing mist, Renji-san let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Itsuki-kun. You saved us," he said.
"You're welcome," I replied, but I had a more pressing question.
"Dad, why are there so many low-ranking monsters? Something feels off."
"...I was planning to tell you later, but this is a good time," my father began, exhaling deeply.
"Monsters ranked Fifth Tier or higher can create lesser monsters," he revealed.
"...What?" I blurted out, shocked.
Monsters could create other monsters? That was news to me.
"If left unchecked, a high-ranking monster can spawn countless lesser ones, becoming the master of a vast horde. This phenomenon is called 'Hyakki Yagyō'—a night parade of a hundred demons," he explained.
"A night parade..."
"The 'Hyakki Yagyō' can wipe out entire populations, turning the dead into more monsters. I fought one in Kyoto once... it was hell," my father said, his voice cold and serious.
I clenched my fists, determined to prevent such a disaster. We couldn't let this monster reach the city.
But what could I do from here?
Wait, there was something I could do.
"Dad, Renji-san, I have an idea," I said, as a sudden realization hit me.