The battle was over.
At least, for now.
Shinji retracted his bone spurs. Those white blades, like plants drained of water, slowly withdrew beneath his skin.
The scattered demon corpses began to dissolve into black smoke.
This was the normal state after most demons were purified by spiritual power, turbid energy condensed into demons, then scattered to the elements after death. Only a few demon corpses would stubbornly remain, needing special processing.
Torches in the village were being relit.
Kikyō had already begun treating the wounded.
Her hands were covered in a faint white glow, constantly handing out medicinal herbs infused with spiritual energy to the women who could still move, telling them to apply them to the wounded. This was a shrine maiden's unique healing art, herbs infused with spiritual power. Though it couldn't bring the dead back, for those who still had breath, it was enough to pull them back from the brink.
Kaede stayed by her sister's side, helping with water.
The little girl's eyes were still red, but she had stopped crying.
Shinji didn't help.
He wasn't good at that.
He just watched Kikyō work, reflecting on how versatile this shrine maiden was in the realm of 'spiritual arts' barriers, healing, shikigami, she was skilled in all. Even the area where ordinary shrine maidens were weak, offense, she could supplement with her bow. And she was growing stronger.
Not that her spiritual power was increasing. Spiritual power, the soul's ability to perceive and mobilize the 'pure energy' between heaven and earth, was innate. In this regard, Kikyō had already reached her limit.
Whatever limit heaven and earth had, Kikyō could mobilize that much spiritual power.
Her growth was in how she used that power.
The same arrow, before, she could only take out one or two demons, at most five, relying more on speed and efficiency of consecutive shots. Now, she could take out a group with one shot.
Approaching the level of the strongest shrine maiden as Shinji remembered.
As he reflected, he stood at the village entrance, looking out at the darkness beyond the barrier.
Demonic aura still moved out there.
Though most of the yokai that attacked tonight had been destroyed, demonic aura was still faintly gathering in the distant mountains.
This wasn't the end.
Just the beginning.
"Hey." A muffled voice came from inside his robe.
Shinji looked down.
The red comb was vibrating slightly.
Yura's true body. Affection was still negative, but had risen from -30 to about -15.
"What?" Shinji pulled out the comb, holding it in his palm. "Want to chat?"
"Who wants to chat with you!" Yura's voice was irritable. "I just… have something to tell you."
Shinji raised an eyebrow.
This was new.
Since being captured, this one had been as quiet as possible, playing dead whenever she could.
Now she was speaking up voluntarily?
"Go on."
"Those yokai…" Yura's voice hesitated. "They're not just wild rabble."
"Someone is controlling them from behind."
Shinji didn't immediately respond, he already knew that.
From what he'd learned from the Shichinintai, combined with the scale of this attack, it was clear.
But.
"You seem to know a lot about it?" he asked.
Silence.
The little skull on the comb turned, as if debating whether to speak.
Finally, it spoke.
"Because I was one of them."
Shinji's fingers paused.
"I was also sent here," Yura's voice grew low. "When I attacked you that day, it wasn't just because I sensed the Shikon Jewel's presence."
"It was also because someone ordered me to."
Shinji's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Kyoto." Yura spoke the two words.
"A messenger from Kyoto. A karasu-tengu."
"It said that if I could obtain the Shikon Jewel, or kill that shrine maiden, I would earn the favor of 'that lord.'"
"I could join Kyoto's demon organization and become the subordinate of a true great demon."
Shinji was silent.
Kyoto.
Again Kyoto.
The employer behind the Shichinintai was in Kyoto.
The power behind Yura was also in Kyoto.
It seemed the demons there were set on getting the Shikon Jewel.
"Who is 'that lord'?" he asked.
"I don't know." Yura shook her head, the little skull wobbling on the comb. "That karasu-tengu didn't say. But it mentioned a name."
"What name?"
"Under that lord's command, there is Kidōmaru."
Shinji's pupils slightly contracted.
Kidōmaru.
The name was familiar.
In the works he'd seen before crossing over, Kidōmaru wasn't a prominent figure, but he was definitely one of the stronger demons.
Said to have been a subordinate of Shuten-dōji. One of the most brutal demons in Kyoto.
And considering Hagoromo Gitsune's existence… after Shuten-dōji's defeat, Kidōmaru had most likely indeed become her subordinate.
This was trouble.
Real trouble.
Kidōmaru was not an opponent on the level of the Shichinintai.
"What else?" Shinji pressed.
"Also…" Yura hesitated. "That karasu-tengu said that besides us 'ordinary demons,' there are four high-tier demon leaders serving as the true 'vanguard.'"
"Four?"
"Yes." Yura's voice grew lower. "They came from Kyoto. They separated and now surround this area from four directions."
Shinji's expression shifted.
Four vanguards.
Surrounding from all sides.
They were trying to completely seal off Kaede Village.
The situation was more serious than he'd imagined.
Then came the question.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Shinji asked.
This was the real question.
Yura was a prisoner he'd captured. Affection was still negative. Why was she suddenly being so cooperative?
He felt this was key to how he would increase affection with this comb in the future.
The little skull on the comb was silent for a moment.
"Because I hate them." Yura's voice grew agitated.
"That karasu-tengu. That Kidōmaru. That big power in Kyoto behind them… they don't care about us at all."
"They treat us like disposable pawns."
"Vanguard? Testing? Expendable forces?"
"Sounds nice, doesn't it? It's just sending us to die!"
"Rather than being held by you" Yura's voice grew more intense. "I hate being used by them more!"
"You at least treat me like something. They never regarded me at all."
Shinji looked at the comb in his hand.
The tiny eyes on the little skull seemed to be burning with anger.
This one…
Actually had some backbone.
Even if it was a comb.
[Yura: Affection +5] [Current Affection: -10 (Less hostile)] [Its hostility toward you has decreased, because you didn't look down on it like those Kyoto demons.]
Shinji looked at the prompt on his panel. Finally, he spoke: "So you've decided to switch sides?"
"Who's switching sides!" Yura bristled. "I just… I just think telling you this will make those Kyoto guys suffer!"
"I just hate them!"
"If you beat them, it's because of me!"
"If you lose…" She paused. "It has nothing to do with me anyway. I'm already your prisoner."
Shinji: "…"
The logic was… surprisingly coherent.
"Fine." He tucked the comb back into his robe. "At least you're useful."
"Who wants your approval!" Yura's voice came, muffled, from inside his robe.
But Shinji thought there was something almost… satisfied in her tone.
He turned and walked toward Kikyō, who was still treating the wounded.
"I have information," he said bluntly.
.
.
.
.
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