Chapter 48: I Can Tell at a Glance You're Not Human
Kobe Hikaru sat on the rock, a silent, unmoving figure against the backdrop of the setting sun.
The shrine maiden's presence lingered for a moment, a faint echo of grace and purity, but she was long gone. All that remained was the vermilion torii gate, standing sentinel on the quiet hillside. A strange feeling settled over him, an odd sense of déjà vu.
'What does this remind me of?' he wondered.
An image surfaced in his mind, plucked from the tales of his previous life: a scene from Journey to the West, where the Tang Monk was left behind to wait for his disciples. Of course, he was no holy monk, nor was he the coveted "Tang Monk meat" whose flesh was said to grant immortality. In this era, the Shikon Jewel nestled in Kikyo's robes was the true prize.
Eating a bite of the Tang Monk's flesh granted eternal life.
Obtaining the Shikon Jewel, however, would cause a demon's power to skyrocket.
"So what does that make me?" Hikaru muttered to the empty air. "Sun Wukong?"
[Hiraikotsu: You disturbed it.]
A gruff, silent impression emanated from the massive weapon resting across his knees.
"Sorry, sorry," Hikaru murmured, patting the curved surface of the giant boomerang. This thing was still sleeping, and it clearly had a temper.
He retrieved a water skin from his robes, poured a small pool of cool water into his palm, and began to gently wipe the weapon's pale, yellowish surface. His movements were light, careful, as if he were tending to a revered master.
[Hiraikotsu: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 1 (Budding)]
[It thinks your technique is acceptable. Barely.]
Finally, a reaction. A faint smirk touched Hikaru's lips. He continued his work, his palm sliding along the curved bone, feeling the immense, solid weight of it.
"Your name is Hiraikotsu, right?" he said softly, his voice a low murmur as he wiped. "I heard you were forged from the bones of many demons. Does that make you... a dormitory?"
[Hiraikotsu: It thinks you are very boring.]
"Alright, enough joking around." Hikaru's smile faded, his tone turning serious. "Your master, that old man... on his deathbed, he asked me to deliver the Shikon Jewel to Kikyo." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "He was very worried about you, you know?"
[Hiraikotsu:...]
[It showed no reaction, but seemed to be listening.]
"I will return you to the village of the demon slayers," Hikaru promised. "I will deliver you into the hands of his family. Until then, I'll keep you safe for him."
He poured a little more water from the skin, this time directly onto the bone blade, and carefully wiped it down with his sleeve, not missing a single groove or imperfection.
[Hiraikotsu: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 2 (Budding)]
[It acknowledges that your words are somewhat acceptable. But it still doesn't trust you much.]
Two points. The progress was slow, but it was progress. Hikaru nodded with satisfaction and continued to serve his new, grumpy lord.
Just then, the sound of footsteps drifted up from the mountain path. They were light, almost silent, yet deliberately made audible.
Hikaru didn't look up. He kept his focus on Hiraikotsu, his hands moving in a steady, rhythmic motion.
The newcomer stopped five paces in front of him.
"Um... excuse me."
It was a woman's voice—young, with a cloying, charming lilt to it.
Only then did Hikaru raise his head. He froze.
A young girl stood before him, no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a figure that was nothing short of stunning. It wasn't just good; it was the kind of spectacular that made it difficult to look away.
She wore a form-fitting outfit of dark red, the fabric so thin it clung to her body like a second skin. The neckline was cut daringly low, revealing two mounds of snowy white flesh squeezed together, forming a deep cleavage that trembled with every breath. Her waist was impossibly slender, a delicate stem that somehow supported the exaggerated, almost scientifically impossible curves above and below. The fabric tightened there, outlining a flat stomach and the faint shadow of a navel.
Further down, her hips flared into a full, rounded shape, the thin material clinging to every rise and fall as if it were painted on. Her long, fair-skinned thighs gleamed like porcelain in the fading light, the deep shadow between them hinting at a tantalizing crevice. Her feet were bare against the dirt path, her ankles slender and delicate.
Her face was a picture of delicate charm—an oval shape, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and cheeks flushed like peach blossoms. She had the look of an innocent girl-next-door.
Most striking of all was her hair. It was jet-black and cut short, barely reaching her shoulders, yet it was exceptionally thick. Each strand seemed to possess a life of its own, drifting gently in the breeze.
But... in this desolate wilderness, what were the chances of a real 'girl-next-door' simply appearing out of nowhere?
Hikaru's mind was perfectly clear.
"I got lost in the mountains," the girl said, tilting her head. The movement exposed her fair neckline and sent a waft of sweet fragrance his way. "Is there a village nearby?"
Hikaru simply looked at her, his expression unreadable. He didn't speak.
"Big brother?" the girl cooed, taking a small step forward.
The motion sent a surging wave through her chest that could make a man's vision swim. Her waist twisted, putting her narrow midriff on full display, while the fabric over her hips tightened, outlining a curve that could steal the air from one's lungs.
"Why aren't you answering?" She pouted, an expression that, combined with her figure, was undeniably lethal. "Is it because I'm wearing so little? Are you shy?"
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced down at her own neckline. The action squeezed the two mounds of white even more tightly, deepening the valley between them. She looked back up at him and blinked innocently.
"Or... does big brother like to watch?"
Hikaru's face remained a calm mask. He carefully placed Hiraikotsu on a nearby rock and rose to his feet.
"Your acting is pretty good," he said flatly.
"Huh? What acting? I don't understand~" The girl tilted her head again, her face a perfect picture of innocence. "I really am just lost~"
She took another step forward, closing the distance between them. She was so close now that Hikaru could smell the faint, strange scent clinging to her. It was like... the smell of hair.
"Big brother is so handsome," the girl purred, looking up at him with wide, admiring eyes. "More handsome than any man I've ever seen. Your face is just a bit pale, though. Are you not feeling well?"
She reached out a hand, her slender, fair fingers aiming for his cheek. Her nails were painted a light, innocent pink. Very pretty.
"I can take care of you~"
But Hikaru wasn't looking at her fingers. He was watching her hair.
It was moving. Not in the wind. It was an active, unsettling wriggling, like countless tiny snakes stirring from their slumber, quietly preparing to strike.
"Let me guess," Hikaru said suddenly, his voice cutting through her act. "You're here for the Shikon Jewel, right?"
The girl's movement paused for the barest fraction of a second, but it was enough.
"The Shikon Jewel? What's that?" she asked, her innocent expression firmly back in place. "I'm just an ordinary lost girl~"
"An ordinary lost girl?" Hikaru let out a short, humorless laugh. "Wandering around the desolate wilderness dressed like this? Do you think I'm a fool?"
The girl's expression finally cracked. The naive, cheerful disguise melted away, replaced by a playful, predatory smile.
"You found me out," she said. Her voice had changed, too. The charming lilt was gone, replaced by a lazy, confident drawl. "I thought I could play a little longer."
"So, what's the plan?" Hikaru asked, his posture relaxed but ready. "Keep acting?"
"No." The girl—the demoness—licked her lips. "Since I've been exposed, there's no need to act anymore." Her eyes scanned him, a flicker of curiosity in their depths. "Your aura is very special, Oni Samurai."
Her gaze drifted past him, toward the hillside where Kikyo had disappeared. "And... that priestess has the Shikon Jewel, doesn't she? I can smell its scent from here. So fragrant... fragrant enough to make me want to take a bite."
As she spoke, the jet-black strands of her hair began to writhe more vigorously, like a nest of vipers poised to strike.
Hikaru watched her, unfazed. "I have a question."
"What?"
"You are a demon."
"Correct."
"I am a demon, too," Hikaru stated, pointing a thumb at his own chest. "An Oni Samurai. You've seen one before?"
"I have."
"Then you think—" Hikaru's tone suddenly dropped, becoming as cold and sharp as glacial ice. "What makes you think you can seduce an Oni?"
His hand was already on the hilt of his blade.
"Audacious demon! I can tell at a glance that you are not human!"
His voice exploded like a crack of thunder. In the same instant, a flash of steel erupted from his waist. With a ringing clang, the blade was drawn, a cascading waterfall of silver light in the twilight.
'!? What kind of Oni Samurai are you?!'the demoness thought, her composure shattering.'What Oni Samurai draws their blade with a righteous thunderclap!? And what do you mean, you can tell at a glance I'm not human? You're not human yourself!'
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