Behind the demon slayer village, the two walked down the mountain path.
The road was winding. Pine trees on either side were lush, morning dew still hanging on the needles, occasionally dripping with soft sounds.
Shinji walked behind, watching the white-and-red figure ahead.
Kikyō was still quiet. She had been silent since Tsubaki left.
Shinji didn't speak either. He knew sometimes silence was better than words.
Some things, it was better for Kikyō to say herself.
Wasn't this whole push and pull what relationships were about?
Whoever spoke first lost.
In this silence, they walked for about a quarter hour.
The path ended.
At a cliff bend.
Not high, but with a wide view.
Standing here, you could see the whole demon slayer village, the distant mountains, and the rising sun on the horizon.
Kikyō stopped.
She stood at the cliff's edge, her back to Shinji.
Her black hair swayed gently in the morning breeze. Her white robes and red hakama were tinged with a light gold from the rising sun.
That figure looked very still. Still as a painting.
Shinji walked to her side, looking at the rising sun. The silence continued for a while.
"I'm sorry." Kikyō spoke. Her voice was soft, but clear.
Shinji turned to look at her.
"Hmm?"
"These past few days, having you act as a familiar." Kikyō wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was still fixed on the distant horizon. "And involving you in the conflict with Tsubaki."
"That demon last night had nothing to do with you, really."
She paused.
"I was too presumptuous."
Shinji looked at her profile.
On that cool face, there was a rare expression—apology.
"You've been silent the whole way, building up to say this?" He smiled. "If I didn't want to, I would have run off long ago."
"But—" Kikyō started.
"No buts." Shinji cut her off. "I agreed to bring Hiraikotsu back, so I brought it back."
"As for being your familiar, we agreed on that."
"Tsubaki came on her own."
"That demon last night…" He thought for a moment. "For me, it was actually a bonus."
Kikyō finally turned to look at him.
Those dark eyes shone with something.
"Bonus?"
"Yeah." Shinji nodded. "Learned some useful information."
He didn't elaborate. Kikyō didn't press.
She just looked at him quietly.
"Thank you." She said again.
"Thank you for what this time?" Shinji glanced at her.
"Thank you." Kikyō repeated. "For coming with me."
Shinji blinked.
This cool, distant girl was thanking him for that?
He shook his head.
"Don't mention it. I had my reasons too."
"Reasons?"
"Yeah." Shinji didn't explain further.
His reasons were simple- affection.
The Shikon Jewel's affection. Hiraikotsu's affection. And the affection of all the various objects he'd encountered along the way.
And… Kikyō's affection.
These things were what he really wanted.
But there was no need to say that.
Kikyō looked at him, didn't press further.
She just nodded, then turned back to look at the rising sun.
The morning light grew brighter. Golden rays fell on her face, bringing warmth to her cool features.
"Suddenly, this feels unreal," she said.
"What?"
"Until a few days ago," Kikyō's voice was soft. "I never imagined I'd spend so much time with a demon."
Shinji didn't speak.
"I never imagined I'd grow used to fighting alongside one," she continued. "At first, it was because the Pure Spirit recognized you. It told me you could be trusted."
"So I accepted you."
She paused.
"But now…"
She didn't finish.
Shinji watched her.
On that cool face, a subtle expression appeared.
Like confusion, like… she was thinking something over.
Kikyō was thinking.
Thinking about what had just happened.
When she heard Tsubaki say she wanted to 'take' Shinji, her heart had been unsettled.
It was an unfamiliar feeling.
They had only known each other less than twenty days. Only temporary companions.
But just imagining that demon being taken away, made her unhappy. Made her heart race.
Made her… not want to see that future.
So she had drawn her bow.
So she had said those words to Tsubaki.
Was this… like?
Kikyō was a shrine maiden, but she was also a girl. She had never experienced these emotions, but she knew of them.
Her master, though only an ordinary shrine maiden from the countryside, had once told her that a shrine maiden's heart should be still.
But stillness didn't mean emotionless. It just meant knowing priorities.
But now… she couldn't tell.
She only knew she cared about this demon.
Cared whether he got hurt. Cared whether he would leave.
Cared… whether he would be taken by someone else.
This was the first time.
The first time someone had fought beside her.
The first time someone had walked this far with her.
The first time someone… made her feel she wasn't alone.
Even if that someone wasn't a person.
Was a demon. A demon warrior.
But what did it matter?
Kikyō looked at the pale face beside her.
Red eyes. White hair.
Clearly the features of a demon, yet to her… they were pleasant to look at.
She wanted to say something.
Wanted to ask him if he would… stay with her in the future.
But the words came to her lips and stopped. They were too abrupt. Too unlike her.
But still she wanted to ask.
"Shinji," she spoke.
"Hmm?"
"In the future…"
She got out two words.
"Lady Kikyō—!" A voice from below interrupted her.
They both turned.
On the mountain path, a group of demon slayers was hurrying up.
Leading them was the stocky man, Ido.
"Lady Kikyō! Lord Shinji!" He reached them, panting. "What are you doing here?"
"Wasn't the duel today? We came to officiate—" He looked around, confused. "Huh? Where's Lady Tsubaki?"
Kikyō was silent for a moment.
"She left."
"Left?" Ido was stunned. "The duel isn't happening?"
"It's not." Kikyō's voice regained its cool tone. "She conceded."
"Con… conceded?" Ido's expression was a picture.
That arrogant-looking shrine maiden Tsubaki had conceded?
He looked at Kikyō, then at Shinji, and finally settled on the latter.
"Is it something to do with Lord Shinji?"
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The village heard the commotion last night." Ido rubbed his hands together. "We heard there was a demon in the back mountain?"
"Not a demon." Shinji answered briefly. "But it's dealt with."
"Dealt with?" Ido blinked.
"So… Lady Tsubaki was actually scared away by the demon?" He had a sudden thought, clearly misunderstanding something.
But that statement wasn't entirely wrong. Just not scared by the demon, scared by something more 'dreadful.'
Shinji glanced at Kikyō.
Kikyō's face was expressionless, but the tips of her ears seemed to redden slightly again.
"More or less," Shinji said.
Not quite accurate, but he couldn't be bothered to explain.
[Shikon Jewel · Pure Spirit: Affection +1]
[Current Affection: 57 (Trust)]
[It asks you: Do you know what she was about to say?]
Shinji looked at the prompt on his panel.
Of course he knew.
It just got interrupted…
"I don't know what the future holds. I can't promise I'll never leave."
"But I won't abandon you."
He spoke suddenly, his voice low.
The words mixed with the wind, audible only to each other.
The sound reached Kikyō's ears. The shrine maiden paused slightly, looking up at the demon beside her.
The boyish figure's expression was calm.
But Kikyō's lips tightened, the corners curling up despite her efforts to suppress them.
Yes.
In matters of the heart, whoever spoke first lost.
And this first time, Shinji conceded.
[Shikon Jewel · Pure Spirit: Affection +1]
[Current Affection: 57 (Trust)]