The Kamaitachi's scream still echoed in the air.
It staggered backward, blood spraying from that pierced eye socket, staining its greyish-white fur red.
Shinji didn't pursue.
Not that he didn't want to, he couldn't.
That strike just now had almost exhausted all his strength. Although [Bloodthirsty Frenzy] had no side effects, the consumption was still there. His limbs were weak, his vision slightly blurred.
"Damn it…"
The Kamaitachi's voice was full of unwillingness, hatred.
It stared at Shinji, the remaining eye in its socket glowing with a faint green light.
That was the fierce glare unique to a demon beast pushed to its limit.
Shinji tightened his grip on the hilt and forced himself to stand straight.
He knew that next, the Kamaitachi would definitely launch a mad counterattack.
An injured beast was the most dangerous.
Let alone a Quality Transformation, Seven Changes level high-tier yokai.
"You…"
The Kamaitachi opened its mouth, airflow condensing deep in its throat.
Although its stored power had been interrupted just now, and its internal organs injured, it was still a Quality Transformation existence.
It still had the strength to crush a Body Transformation yokai.
Shinji took a deep breath, preparing for the final battle.
But just then
The Kamaitachi's movement suddenly froze.
Its body abruptly leaped backward, retreating a distance of three meters.
"Whoosh——!"
The next second.
A streak of white light shot past Shinji, grazing his temple, flying towards where the Kamaitachi had originally stood.
A purification arrow.
Shinji turned around.
Kikyō stood in front of the shrine hall.
Her hand still maintained the posture of releasing the string, her white robes and red hakama gently swaying in the night wind.
And the Shikon Jewel floating before her had recovered calm.
Its pale purple glow was soft and stable, without the earlier riot of black qi.
The Corrupted Spirit had been suppressed.
Completely suppressed.
"…Done?"
Shinji asked.
Kikyō didn't answer.
She just nocked another arrow and drew her bow, the arrowhead pointing at the Kamaitachi.
That movement was fluid as flowing water, showing no signs of fatigue.
But Shinji knew she must also be very tired. Maintaining the array to suppress the Corrupted Spirit consumed spiritual power no less than his own consumption.
The Kamaitachi looked at Kikyō, who had suddenly joined the battlefield, the fierce glare in its eye diminishing somewhat.
Replaced by vigilance.
Even fear.
It could feel the power contained in that arrow.
That wasn't an ordinary purification arrow.
It had also heard of the great name of the shrine maiden Kikyō, an existence who had repelled countless high-tier yokai.
"You want to run?"
Shinji's voice came from the side.
The Kamaitachi's pupils contracted.
Somehow, that blood-soaked demon warrior had already circled around to its escape route.
Although he looked on the verge of collapse, about to fall at any moment.
He was indeed blocking the way.
"Move!"
The Kamaitachi roared.
It didn't want to fight anymore.
One eye was ruined, its internal organs injured, its demonic energy consumption over half.
If it kept fighting, even if it could kill this small yokai, it would be shot by that shrine maiden.
Not worth it.
Although the Shikon Jewel was tempting, its life was more important.
As a Quality Transformation level yokai, the wisdom it possessed was obviously not comparable to that of ordinary low-tier yokai.
It prepared to force a breakthrough. With the essence of the Kamaitachi wind, with the speed of a Quality Transformation level yokai, as long as it charged out, these two people couldn't catch it.
The Kamaitachi's body began to compress.
From two stories shrinking to one story.
Its speed once again increased.
It transformed into a grey shadow, charging towards Shinji
"Clang!"
The sound of metal collision rang out.
Shinji's blade blocked its first strike.
Although he blocked it with difficulty, his body slammed back several steps, he indeed blocked it.
The Kamaitachi was stunned.
It thought this small yokai had reached its limit, never expected he could still move.
In that moment of stunned silence, the ground shook.
The severed roots of the old locust tree drilled out of the earth again, wrapping around the Kamaitachi's hind legs.
The large boulder rolled, slamming toward its side.
The last few drops of water from the well transformed into ice spikes, stabbing toward its eyes.
That hoe flew crookedly over. Although its speed was pitifully slow, its angle exactly blocked its retreat path.
Although it only blocked for a very, very short time.
Only half a breath.
But, it was enough.
Bang!
A sound like thunder roared.
Shinji turned his head and saw the arrow Kikyō had loosed, the entire arrow burning.
It was spiritual power.
Pure to the extreme spiritual power wrapped the arrow, forming a blinding white light.
That light was too bright.
So bright that Shinji had to squint, so bright that the entire shrine was illuminated as if it were daytime.
That was overflowing arrow wound!
Kikyō poured all her remaining spiritual power, the little she had left, into this one arrow.
One arrow decides victory or defeat.
The Kamaitachi felt the aura of death.
That aura was too intense, so intense that its instinct screamed at it to run.
But it couldn't escape.
Its feet were bound by roots, its side blocked by a rock, its rear blocked by a hoe, and in front, that damn demon warrior.
"No——!"
The Kamaitachi let out a desperate roar.
It opened its mouth, condensing all the demonic energy within its body, spewing out a blast of wind, trying to block that arrow.
But that blast of wind was purified the instant it touched the white light.
Like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.
Like darkness meeting light.
It couldn't even resist or delay.
The white light pierced through the Kamaitachi's chest.
Boom!
Spiritual power exploded within its body, tearing that Quality Transformation shell apart from the inside.
The Kamaitachi's scream cut off abruptly, and its body began to disintegrate.
The wind that had condensed for who knows how many years finally dispersed.
Transforming into countless tiny airflows, vanishing in the night sky.
Shinji stood there, watching this scene.
A Quality Transformation level high-tier yokai.
One arrow, instant kill.
This was the strength of the strongest shrine maiden of the Sengoku era?
Although compared to this overflowing damage, Kikyō's own physical constitution wasn't actually strong, but wasn't that just how 'human sorcerers' were?
High attack, low health.
Let alone the fact that Kikyō's defensive power wasn't actually weak, with her mastery of barriers.
Among human sorcerers, she was already an anomaly.
[Shikon no Tama · Righteous Spirit: Affection +8]
[Current Affection: 34 (Trust)]
[Righteous Spirit affection breakthrough 30, Bond Dialogue (2) can be unlocked.]
[Unlocked First Talent: Spirit Vision]
[Effect: You can see the spiritual power drifting in the world.]
Shinji looked at the prompt on the panel, momentarily stunned.
Spirit Vision?
Shinji blinked.
And then he saw it.
Countless faint blue specks of light drifted in the world, slowly flowing in the night breeze, some floating towards the sky, some sinking into the ground.
This was… spiritual power?
He raised his hand, trying to touch those specks of light.
The specks passed through his palm, with no reaction.
It seemed he could only see, not yet absorb.
But this was already enough.
At least now he could distinguish which places had concentrated spiritual power, which places were suitable for cultivation, and could distinguish the strength of human sorcerers.
Even, if this ability could further evolve, from simply seeing to 'touching', he could also try to pursue 'spiritual power'.
But that was a matter for later.
Now, what also made Shinji marvel was that this ability could be activated without 'holding' the Shikon Jewel.
It seemed that as long as he maintained the affection link with the Shikon Jewel, it would take effect.
Although still not his own, it was very convenient.
He looked up, towards Kikyō.
The shrine maiden was still standing there.
But her body was swaying slightly.
That arrow had exhausted all her spiritual power.
She had also reached her limit.
Shinji walked over.
His steps were a bit unsteady, but he could still walk.
Kikyō watched him approach, not retreating, not distancing herself.
Just quietly standing there, waiting for him.
Moonlight spilled down.
Shining on the two of them.
A demon warrior, covered in blood.
And, a pale, frail shrine maiden.
Both were about to collapse.
But they were both still standing.
"…This time, it's over, right?"
Shinji asked.
"It's over."
Kikyō replied.
The Shikon Jewel floating behind her, emitting a soft purple glow.
The Corrupted Spirit was completely suppressed.
The Kamaitachi was purified.
The bat swarm had long scattered.
The crisis of the full moon night was finally over.