Chapter 9: Between Naohi and Magatsuhi
Kobe Hikaru did not rush down the mountain.
He was no fool.
With seven or eight hundred demons besieging the village below, even with Kikyo's barrier holding them back, charging down from the peak with such bravado wouldn't be bravery; it would be a death wish. Even if he had to hand over the Shikon Jewel, this was not the way.
Besides, he had no intention of giving it up just yet. At the very least, he needed to unlock its favorability first.
But he couldn't simply wait here, either. The Shikon Jewel nestled in his arms needed to be in close proximity to Kikyo to trigger the unlock verification—that was the prerequisite set by the system. And right now, Kikyo was in the shrine at the heart of the village.
He was on the mountain peak.
Between them stood a tide of seven or eight hundred demons.
"...This is a bit tricky."
Hikaru crouched behind a boulder, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic battlefield below. The demon horde's attention was entirely fixated on the village's shimmering barrier; not a single one bothered to look toward the mountain.
That was the good news.
The bad news was that the Shikon Jewel was still glowing. Though he had wrapped it in several layers of cloth, a pale purple light and its unique, sacred aura continued to seep out. If he approached from the front, the demons would undoubtedly notice him in an instant.
But if… Hikaru's eyes narrowed, scanning the battlefield again.
From his vantage point, the demon horde's formation was anything but tight—to be precise, there was no formation at all. Seven or eight hundred demons were crammed together in a disorderly, seething mass, each fighting for itself. Some clawed and battered at the barrier, others fought their own kind for a better position to attack, and some were even skulking in the corners, devouring the corpses of their recently fallen companions.
It was a scene of extreme chaos.
And within this chaos, Yao Qi was everywhere. A thick, murky, and overwhelming miasma of demonic energy blanketed the entire outskirts of the village like a layer of grey-green fog. A normal human standing in it would likely be overcome by the stench and faint on the spot.
But for Hikaru, this was the perfect cover.
Because he, too, was a demon. He carried his own Yao Qi—and a considerable amount of it, with a quality that was incomparably pure for his kind. In this ocean of dense, foul energy, his own aura was like a single drop of water merging into the sea.
It wouldn't attract any attention at all.
As for the aura of the Shikon Jewel…
Hikaru looked down at the bead in his arms. The pale purple light was still faintly visible through the layers of cloth.
"Can you be a bit quieter?" he whispered to the jewel.
The Shikon Jewel did not respond. It simply glowed with a quiet, persistent light, showing no reaction to his request.
"...Never mind." Hikaru sighed.
Fortunately, while the aura it emitted was unique, it would be significantly diluted and masked within this ocean of intense Yao Qi. The low-level demons had limited perception; as long as he didn't pull the jewel out and wave it around like a flashlight, he probably wouldn't be discovered.
"Let's go," he whispered to the Muramasa at his waist.
[Demon Blade Muramasa: Mood 'Confused'. It expresses that it doesn't understand why you don't just charge in and go on a killing spree.]
'Because I don't want to die, my lady,' Hikaru replied succinctly in his mind, lowering his body and moving down the slope, sticking to the shadows.
He didn't use Ghost Step; the fluctuation of demonic power would be too easily detected at this range. He chose the most primitive method—walking. Or rather, crawling.
Quietly. Like a snake.
Hikaru hugged the ground, his body almost level with the tall grass. His tattered, crimson gusoku armor was caked in mud and grass stains, which now served as the best camouflage in the twilight. He moved along the outskirts of the demon horde, specifically choosing areas where the Yao Qi was thickest.
The dense miasma acted like a natural barrier, completely masking his presence. Occasionally, a few blue-skinned Oni thundered past him, their eyes fixed intently on the glowing barrier ahead, completely oblivious to the figure lying in the grass at their feet.
A One-eyed Demon even stepped on his hand, its clawed foot grinding his knuckles into the dirt.
It hurt.
But Hikaru didn't make a sound. He just silently withdrew his hand, waiting for the demon to lumber far away before continuing his slow, painstaking advance.
[Demon Blade Muramasa: Mood 'Angry'. It strongly suggests you chop off that One-eyed Demon's foot.]
'Quiet,' Hikaru commanded mentally, his focus absolute.
He continued to crawl forward.
Fifty zhang. Forty zhang.
Thirty zhang.
The density of the demon horde was increasing, and he had to be even more careful. A few times he was nearly discovered, but by relying on his Resonance with Blood to sense the movements of the surrounding demons, he was able to adjust his route just in time.
He had killed so many demons on his journey here. Although Muramasa had absorbed most of their blood, a good amount still remained caked in the cracks of his armor. That residual blood now served as his early warning system. Any living creature that came within three zhang of him would trigger a faint echo in his senses.
Twenty zhang.
Fifteen zhang.
Hikaru could already see the light of the barrier clearly. A pale white glow flowed before his eyes, emitting a warm and holy aura. That aura made his skin feel slightly hot—the natural suppression of spiritual power against demons was already beginning to take effect at this distance.
But he endured it.
Ten zhang.
He lay prone behind a pile of demon corpses—those slain by Kikyo's sacred arrows, their bodies still retaining a sliver of warmth. Peering through the gaps between the mangled bodies, he looked toward the shrine.
Kikyo was right there.
Dressed in a white kosode and red hakama, she stood atop the stone steps, a figure of absolute serenity amidst the maelstrom.
She was shooting arrows.
The bowstring was drawn, white light gathering at the tip of the arrowhead. An arrow was released.
A Centipede Demon trying to climb the barrier from the side was pierced clean through the head. Its massive corpse tumbled down, crashing into the demon horde below and triggering a wave of guttural screams.
Kikyo's face was a mask of calm. Her cool, dark eyes were as placid as a deep pool. It wasn't coldness, but a kind of almost transcendental composure. It was as if the siege of seven or eight hundred demons was, in her eyes, just another daily chore that needed to be handled—and for her, perhaps it truly was.
Hikaru watched her, and a thought surfaced in his mind—
She's so strong.
And also, so—
Beautiful.
'No, now is not the time to think about this... damn this 'turbid qi,' is it affecting me again?' Hikaru took another breath of the murky Yao Qi from the battlefield, the foulness barely managing to ground him, and forced himself to look away.
Regardless, now was certainly not the time for appreciation.
He looked down at his chest. The light of the Shikon Jewel was changing. The pale purple glow was no longer scattering evenly but was beginning to concentrate toward the front—in the exact direction of Kikyo.
The bead was sensing her. Or rather, it was connecting with her.
The system panel in his vision was also flashing.
[Detected 'Suppressor' approaching...]
[Favorability unlock condition verifying...]
[Distance has met the minimum requirement.]
[Favorability unlock verification complete.]
[Shikon Jewel favorability can now be unlocked. Please operate in a safe environment.]
That's it.
A glint of light flashed in Hikaru's eyes as he read the final prompt. It worked! Getting close to Kikyo was all it took! He didn't need to meet her, didn't need to fight alongside her, and certainly didn't need to get shot full of arrows. As long as the distance was close enough, the Shikon Jewel could automatically sense the existence of its 'Suppressor' and complete the unlock verification.
"Great," he muttered under his breath.
Then, the system panel refreshed. Hikaru lay behind the pile of corpses, his eyes fixed on the new content appearing before him.
[Shikon Jewel]
[Quality: Divine Artifact]
[Current Status: Awakening]
[Favorability: Unlocked]
[Current Favorability: 0 (Stranger)]
His eyes lit up. But before he could rejoice, an additional prompt popped up at the bottom of the panel.
[Please select an unlocking direction:]
[Option 1: Purify a demon to unlock the 'Naohi' favorability route.]
[Option 2: Create human negative emotions to unlock the 'Magatsuhi' favorability route.]
[Note: The two routes are mutually exclusive. Once selected, your choice cannot be changed.]
Hikaru stared at the two lines, stunned for several seconds. This was a first… a favorability with different routes.
He hadn't forgotten the lore from the original work. The Shikon Jewel, formed from the souls of the great priestess Midoriko and hundreds of powerful demons, was composed of four souls: Aratama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. They represented the four virtues of Courage, Friendship, Wisdom, and Love.
But at the same time, the resentment of the demons was also sealed within the jewel. Those, too, were four souls: Cowardice, Estrangement, Ignorance, and Indifference.
Good and evil, right and wrong—two forces locked in an eternal confrontation within the jewel. If the holder's heart turned toward good, the jewel would lean toward 'Naohi'and exert its purifying power. If the holder's heart turned toward evil, it would lean toward'Magatsuhi'and amplify demonic power. The Shikon Jewel was a mirror, reflecting the true nature of its wielder's heart.'So this is… the system making me choose a side?' Hikaru thought, his gaze locked on the panel.
Option one: Purify demons, take the Naohi route. This meant he had to increase favorability by purifying demons. It sounded strange; after all, he was a demon himself. Using a demon's identity to purify his own kind… what kind of twisted operation was that? He had been killing demons all along, but simple extermination was different from purification. To purify meant to completely dissolve the corpse, leaving no trace of pollution in the environment. He couldn't do that on his own.
Option two: Create human negative emotions, take the Magatsuhi route. This was clearly asking him to increase favorability through evil deeds. Killing, harming, making people suffer and fear. This option sounded far more in line with a demon's nature.
But… Hikaru frowned. At his core, he was still human—a person who had transmigrated from a modern world with a basic moral compass. He could kill, but it was for survival and self-preservation, not for pleasure. He didn't have that kind of hobby. He couldn't bring himself to actively harm innocent people.
also, from a purely utilitarian perspective…
He was currently lying in wait, surrounded by seven or eight hundred demons, and the closest human was the most powerful priestess of the Sengoku period. Create human negative emotions? What was he supposed to do, make a funny face at Kikyo and then get shot to death by a sacred arrow?
Don't be ridiculous.
But if he chose Naohi—purify a demon…
He lowered his head and looked around. There were demons everywhere. Living, dead, half-dead—as many as he could possibly want. He could kill one easily, and then… perhaps he could use Kikyo's power, borrowing one of her arrows to achieve the purification. Maybe that would work?
It was practically a freebie.
'So I don't really have a choice at all,' Hikaru concluded.
Besides, feeding his weapon with demon blood to increase its favorability and gain new abilities was already his established method of survival. If he took the Naohi route, he just had to keep doing what he had been doing. At most, he'd need to try to get closer to Kikyo. He wouldn't have to change much at all.
And—
He looked up, peering through the gaps in the corpses toward the shrine again. Kikyo fired another arrow. A shaft of white light pierced through the murky Yao Qi and penetrated the chest of a bird-headed monster. The creature's corpse fell from mid-air, hit the surface of the barrier, and slid to the ground.
Kikyo was already nocking the next arrow. Her quiver was still more than half full, and her spiritual power seemed abundant. But the attrition from seven or eight hundred demons was real. No matter how strong a priestess was, she couldn't maintain this output indefinitely—especially since this Kikyo had not yet reached her peak. Her spiritual power might hold out, but her physical strength wouldn't.
Maintaining the barrier and shooting arrows simultaneously was a massive drain. Could she hold out? For now, it seemed so.
But if—
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Hikaru felt something strange. It wasn't from the demon horde in front of him, but from far away.
His body suddenly stiffened. The instinct of an Oni Samurai, a primal warning for its own kind, screamed in his mind.
He whipped his head around, looking toward the mountain ridge to the west.
There.
Four distinct signatures of Yao Qi were rapidly approaching. Each one was an order of magnitude stronger than the fodder swarming the village. No, more than just one order of magnitude.
Those were four high-level demons, the kind that could be called leaders.
They were racing from the western ridge, their target clearly this besieged village. More precisely—the Shikon Jewel. They must have followed the traces it had left. The lingering aura on Hikaru's body had been the perfect signpost.
They were just one step behind him. And now, they had arrived.
Hikaru wanted to curse. Of all the times for this to happen, it had to be now.
He lay behind the demon corpses, clutching the Shikon Jewel, a mere ten zhang from Kikyo and about three hundred zhang from those four approaching demons. For high-level demons, a distance of three hundred zhang was nothing more than a few breaths.
Keep hiding? Once those four joined the battle, the demon horde's offensive would intensify exponentially. Whether Kikyo's barrier could hold would become a serious question.
Therefore.
"Option one," he spoke the answer in his heart. His hand was already gripping the hilt of Muramasa.
"Naohi."
Then—
He stood up from behind the pile of corpses.
The moment Hikaru rose, the three closest blue-skinned Oni froze simultaneously. They turned their heads and saw a figure climbing out from a pile of their dead, clad in tattered red armor. He had pale, disheveled hair, a crimson oni mask, and a pair of eyes with inverted, glowing colors.
"Wha—"
The leading Oni had just opened its mouth.
A flash of sword light.
Its mouth was still open, but its head was no longer on its neck. The head spun through the air. From the perspective of that flying head, it could still see its own body standing in place, blood gushing from its neck like a fountain.
Hikaru didn't spare the flying head a glance. His blade was already slashing toward the second demon.
Kesa-giri. A downward diagonal cut.
From shoulder to waist, the demon was cleaved in two.
The third blue-skinned Oni screamed and turned to run, but the tip of Muramasa's blade was faster than its legs.
A thrust.
The blade pierced clean through the back of its neck.
Three blue-skinned Oni, dead in less than two breaths.
[Demon Blade Muramasa: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 73]
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