"Haha, the barrier is about to break!"
"jewel of four souls, here I come!"
"Once the barrier shatters, it's every demon for himself!"
Seeing the hope of finally obtaining the jewel of four souls, the demons became ecstatic.
But at the same time, their eyes were filled with wariness towards the other demons.
The temptation of the jewel of four souls for demons did not allow for cooperation and mutual benefit!
If it weren't for their collective resistance against that human priestess, they would never have stood on the same side!
Crack, crack—
The barrier was on the verge of collapse.
Inside the barrier.
A woman wearing a white and red miko outfit, with a serene demeanor, stared indifferently at the reveling demons outside the barrier.
Her eyes were dark, her features delicate, and her lustrous black hair was tied with a simple white ribbon. She carried an ancient bow on her back.
"Kikyō-sama, I'm afraid the barrier won't hold much longer."
A man with a resolute face stepped forward, his eyes showing fear as he looked at the demons.
But he did not retreat; he stood with Kikyo at the edge of the village, facing the onslaught of demons.
There were many other villagers like him.
Kikyo was not fighting alone!
Although they couldn't help much, they absolutely could not let Kikyō-sama face the danger alone!
Kikyo's eyes swept across the multitude of demons, her face remaining serene, showing no hint of emotion.
But inwardly, she felt a sense of helplessness.
Ever since she took possession of the jewel of four souls, Maple Village had constantly faced such situations.
This time, in particular, was exceptionally thorny.
These demons seemed to have conspired, surging towards Maple Village simultaneously.
Although there were no major demons, facing the seemingly endless horde of demons, the barrier probably wouldn't last much longer.
Of course, even if the barrier shattered, Kikyo was confident she could deal with them.
But…
She looked at the villagers behind her, pressing her thin, cherry-red lips together.
Maple Village would inevitably be impacted.
These villagers would also…
She absolutely could not let that happen!
This was her responsibility!
Kikyo took a deep breath, her face resolute yet tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Her slender, delicate hand drew an arrow from her quiver.
She drew her bow, and released the string!
Yasuke—
An arrow enveloped in white light, carrying a powerful vortex of air, shot out fiercely!
"Purifying Arrow!"
A clear, soft cry rang out.
Boom—
The Purifying Arrow accurately struck the snake demon's head!
Kikyo's eyes flashed, and she detonated the spiritual power of the Purifying Arrow!
Bang!
The powerful spiritual explosion instantly cleared an area.
But the demons only paused for a moment before quickly filling the void.
The priestess was strong, yes.
But they had strength in numbers!
Be careful not to push them too far, or they might directly use their fusion skills!
They were determined to have the jewel of four souls!
Even Abe no Seimei wouldn't be able to stop them!
"Roar—"
Kikyo's attack only further agitated their emotions.
More and more cracks appeared on the barrier.
Kikyo could only continuously fire Purifying Arrows to alleviate the pressure on the barrier!
But…
This was destined to be futile.
Kikyo knew this in her heart.
Yet…
A deep sense of powerlessness enveloped her.
Although she was strong, she lacked powerful area-of-effect attacks.
Moreover…
Hidden behind the demons were very powerful figures.
Kikyo didn't believe that this group of demons would suddenly become so disciplined and organized.
What to do?
From birth until now, Kikyo was experiencing this feeling of helplessness for the first time.
Was taking the jewel of four souls a bit too presumptuous?
Kikyo felt a faint regret in her heart.
After taking the jewel of four souls, she shouldn't have stayed in Maple Village.
It was she who had implicated the villagers.
Kikyo lowered her eyes and murmured softly, "Oh, gods…"
"If you can hear me…"
"Please, answer me…"
"Please, help Maple Village…"
The powerful priestess revealed her inner fragility.
And as a priestess, the first thing she could think of was to pray to the gods.
But…
It's useless, isn't it?
A bitter taste filled Kikyo's mouth.
From the day she became a priestess, she had grown accustomed to everything that came with it.
For example, praying to the gods.
But…
She had never been heard…
Sometimes she even doubted if she was a qualified priestess.
Otherwise…
Why had the gods never answered her?
This time…
It would be the same, wouldn't it?
Just as Kikyo was thinking this.
For some unknown reason, the demons outside the barrier suddenly stopped in unison.
Whoosh—
A tiny flame suddenly ignited.
It seemed to twinkle like a star.
The next second, that spark suddenly erupted into a raging inferno!
In an instant, the vast ocean of demons was engulfed by the sparks!
A whooshing sound filled the air!
The terrifying flames seemed to ignite the night sky!
Inside the barrier, people's eyes were dazed, and an indescribable reverence welled up within them!
"Is it, is it a god?"
Someone murmured.
These words seemed to awaken everyone.
"Yes, yes! It's a god! It's the Divine Lord!"
"A miracle! It must be a miracle!"
"The Divine Lord has cast his gaze upon us!"
The villagers of Maple Village were ecstatic, falling to their knees and bowing towards the starlight!
The despair and gloom in their hearts were swept away!
The Divine Lord had come; they were saved!
"A god, huh…"
Kikyo gazed at the starlight, lost in thought.
Was it truly a god?
Just then, a tall figure appeared in Kikyo's sight.
He walked slowly, emerging from the flames.
Behind him was a sea of fire shimmering with starlight.
Lynn looked up, his red pupils meeting Kikyo's gaze.
Then, he grinned, "The god of the rainbow is dead."
"Miko..."
"How about converting to a demon?"