The tsuchigumo's compound eye exploded, spraying dark green fluid all over Shinji's face.
Shinji cursed, but there was no time to worry about that now.
He smoothly slid the blade of the mass-produced famous sword downwards, gouging a half-foot-deep gash in the tsuchigumo's head shell.
The giant beast, feeling the pain, thrashed its eight long legs wildly, its two front legs sweeping towards him.
Amidst the howling wind, Shinji pushed off with his foot, leaping backward and arching his body. The two legs passed three inches above the tip of his nose.
Before he even landed, there was movement from the left.
Those two conjoined large-headed goblins, dragging their chains, charged over.
The chain swung down in a full arc, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.
Shinji was mid-air with no leverage, seemingly about to be smashed into a meat patty
"Twang!"
A streak of white light flashed.
A purification arrow, amidst dazzling brilliance and a bursting hum, struck the middle section of the chain. The huge impact force deflected the chain by half a foot.
Half a foot.
Just enough for Shinji to sidestep and slide past.
He landed, touched the tip of his toe on the ground, and shot towards the two large-headed goblins like an arrow from a string.
A flash of steel.
The head on the left flew up.
Before it even landed, the second stroke was already out.
The head on the right flew too.
Two huge heads spun in the air, spraying large amounts of black blood.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa: Affection +3] [Current Affection: 82]
Shinji had no time to check the panel.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that giant moth flying towards Kikyō's direction.
Wings flapping, phosphorescent powder falling like rain.
That stuff smoked on contact, obviously poisonous.
"Right!"
He shouted.
Kikyō didn't turn around, but her bowstring was drawn full again, the arrow loosed.
This arrow wasn't aimed at the moth itself, but at the base of its wing.
Thud——
The arrow pierced through.
The moth screamed, lost balance, and tilted, falling clumsily towards the ground.
Shinji was already there, the blade slicing upward from below, hitting the moth's soft abdomen.
One stroke, gutted.
Its insides spilled all over the ground.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa: Affection +2] [Current Affection: 84]
Shinji's feet touched the ground, and he took a moment to 'catch his breath', feeling exhilarated!
These three yokai, each one was without question high-tier.
They had all, on the basis of the Six Changes of Form, touched upon qualitative change, their body size different from ordinary and hugely enlarged.
But these three high-tier yokai, at least Six Changes and above, were cleanly and neatly dealt with in less than fifty seconds, not even able to fully display their 'Demonic Change' abilities.
This was something Shinji, fighting alone before, absolutely could not have done.
Even with the traits brought by his blade, he could at most battle one high-tier yokai stronger than himself, and it would require a hard fight!
But cooperating with Kikyō, his battle results were exponentially more ferocious than before!
But this was just the appetizer.
More demonic shadows were emerging from the darkness.
Shinji tightened his grip on the hilt and took a deep breath.
"How many more?"
"Many."
Kikyō's voice came from behind him, still calm.
"Can you hold out?" Shinji asked.
"Yes."
"Good."
Shinji still didn't ask anything further.
He trusted her.
Just as she trusted him.
This feeling was strange.
Clearly they had only known each other for less than ten days, clearly she was a shrine maiden and he was a yokai, clearly they should be natural enemies.
But standing here, back to back
No, it was Shinji in front, Kikyō behind.
Cooperating with each other, yet it felt like they had trained together for decades.
Kikyō drew her bow, aiming at an approaching horned serpent yokai.
Her movements were very standard, very perfect.
But her heart… wasn't actually calm.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before.
As the shrine maiden protecting this village, she was used to fighting alone.
Facing demons alone.
Bearing everything alone.
No one could help her, no one was qualified to stand by her side.
Because she was the strongest.
And she had to be the strongest.
The head of the demon-slayer clan had said she was the only one who could suppress the Shikon Jewel.
The only one.
That word meant loneliness, meant no one could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
But now
"Left, that centipede's shell has a crack. Blow it apart!"
Shinji's voice came.
Kikyō didn't hesitate. The arrow loosed as commanded.
Right in the crack.
The centipede spirit screamed and rolled on the ground.
"Thanks."
Shinji rushed in to finish it.
One stroke, decapitation. Clean and neat.
Kikyō watched that grey figure weaving through the demon mob, the blade flashing, each stroke taking a life.
His movements were very fluid.
Not the perfect harmony of years of training, but… instinct.
Like the instinct of a wild beast.
Yet with a bit more reason than a beast.
He knew when to advance and when to retreat.
He knew when to meet force with force, and when to use the opponent's strength against them.
More importantly
He knew where her target was.
He never blocked her arrows.
He would even actively herd the yokai into positions where she could easily hit them.
This kind of tacit understanding…
Kikyō had never experienced it before.
Every arrow she loosed had someone cooperating with her.
Behind her back, there was someone she could rely on.
This feeling… was very unfamiliar.
But she really didn't dislike it.
"Sister——!"
Kaede's voice came from afar.
Kikyō's brow furrowed slightly.
That barrier should have been soundproof. How did Kaede wake up?
No,
This was...
"It's an illusion!"
Kikyō realized instantly and was not deceived.
Shinji's voice also snapped her attention back at the same time.
As he spoke, he swept his blade, forcing back the two yokai before him.
Then he turned and slashed a blast of demonic energy towards the direction of the voice.
The black energy tore through the air and bored into the depths of the forest.
"Hiss——!"
A sharp scream sounded.
That 'Kaede's voice' cut off abruptly, replaced by a three-tailed fox covered in grey-white fur, staggering away from behind a tree.
An illusion fox.
A mid-tier yokai specialized in confusing prey with illusions, skilled at imitating human voices.
It had obviously tried to use Kaede's voice to lure Shinji away, creating an opening for other yokai to sneak attack Kikyō.
"Pathetic trick."
Shinji snorted coldly.
He didn't pursue the fleeing fox, because
"Twang!"
A purification arrow flew past him, precisely piercing the spine of that illusion fox.
The fox screamed, fell to the ground, and never got up again.
Shinji glanced back.
Kikyō still maintained her drawn bow stance, her gaze calm.
The next moment, he was back at Kikyō's side.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
"Done."
He said.
Kikyō looked at him, saying nothing.
But her hand, the one holding the bow, relaxed slightly.
Not lax.
It was… reassured.
So this was what it felt like to have someone by your side.
So this was what they called a comrade-in-arms.
[Shikon no Tama · Righteous Spirit: Affection +1] [Current Affection: 9] [It conveys a message to you: "She is getting used to your presence."]
Shinji glanced at the panel, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Continue."
He said.
"Seventeen left."
Kikyō nodded.
The bowstring was drawn full again.
The night was still long.
But she was no longer alone.
.
.
.
.
Read advance chapters on [email protected]/lost_moon