Chapter 76: A Corpse's Favor
The thick pall of dust and smoke began to disperse, slowly revealing the scene of devastation.
In the center of what was once the Imagawa clan's main castle, the colossal corpse of a headless beast now lay. Its white fur, once crackling with power, had lost its luster, now dull and matted. The severed neck was a ruin of charred flesh from which an occasional, faint electric spark would sputter and die.
Kobe Hikaru stood beside the massive carcass, his breathing steady.
The next second, a familiar translucent panel shimmered into existence before his eyes.
[Target eligible for affection grinding detected.]
[Thunder Beast Corpse]
[Quality: Demon Tool]
[Current Affection: 0 (Unconscious)]
[Evaluation: A dead thunder beast with weak lightning attributes remaining in its body. It no longer possesses consciousness, but if you are willing to spend time, you might be able to obtain something useful.]
Hikaru's expression froze for a fraction of a second.
A corpse… could also be grinded for affection?
'Does this system have some kind of serious illness?' he wondered.
First, it was a blade, then a stone, then a comb. At least those were objects, some with a semblance of spirituality or historical depth. But now, it wouldn't even let a corpse rest in peace?
He'd slain countless demons before this, yet none had ever presented an option to grind affection. What made this one different? Was it because it was a descendant of an ancient thunder god, its bloodline too potent to simply fade away? Or was it because it had achieved a Qualitative Transformation, its very cellular structure having shifted from a living creature toward something more akin to an abnormal elemental entity?
Hikaru pondered this for a moment and decided the former was more likely. After all, the Kamaitachi he'd dealt with earlier had been purified by a sacred arrow, but its remains hadn't offered any such opportunity.
Regardless of the reason…
"This is a bit perverted," Hikaru complained expressionlessly in his heart.
"However—"
His gaze dropped to the words 'lightning attribute' on the panel. "I like it."
As long as it made him stronger, what did a little perversion matter? He wasn't human anymore, anyway. He was an Oni. It seemed perfectly reasonable for a demonic entity to have a few… special hobbies.
This corpse held immense value for him. The thunder beast had been a demonic powerhouse, one that had mastered the elemental Thunder Transformation in its lifetime. Its body, its flesh and blood, even the residual demonic power circuits woven through its muscles—all of it was saturated with the essence of lightning.
If he could max out the 'affection' of this corpse… could he obtain the [Thunder Transformation]?
Even if it didn't grant him a complete Qualitative Transformation into an elemental being, and might not allow him to turn directly into lightning, it would likely function like the Bone Soul he'd acquired from Hiraikotsu. Since they were both of Demon Tool quality, it would, at the very least, grant him the ability to manipulate the lightning element by fusing it with his existing transformations.
The potential improvement was massive. For the accumulation of 'quantity' required for his own eventual Qualitative Transformation, the benefit was even more obvious.
Hikaru's breathing hitched, just for a moment.
But this thing was far too big. A beast standing three-zhang tall and weighing several tons wasn't something he could just sling over his shoulder. Besides, Yura of the Hair's comb was already taking up most of the space in his robes; hauling this entire carcass along was completely unrealistic.
"I'll just take its essence."
Hikaru made his decision. With a whisper of steel, Muramasa was unsheathed. Then, with a single, swift stroke, he severed the deep purple horn from the wolf-like beast's forehead. This was the nexus of all the thunder beast's lightning power, the most concentrated and core part of the entire corpse.
It felt heavy and strangely warm in his hand.
[Horn of the Thunder Beast]
[Quality: Demon Tool]
[The purified lifelong power of a descendant of the divine beast that served the Thunder God. A hub of lightning power, possessing the great might to release thunderbolts.]
[Current Affection: 0]
'It worked,' he thought, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
Hikaru carefully put away the thunder horn. Although it was still a bit large, he figured he could find a cloth to wrap it in and carry it on his back.
After finishing, he turned his attention to the other blade in his hand: Sōza Samonji.
The blade was still immaculate, its polished surface reflecting the flickering fires without a single stain of blood. A famous blade was said to have a soul, and in the battle just now, this one had displayed excellent sharpness and an uncanny conductivity for his power. While it wasn't as comfortable or intuitive as Muramasa—which he had 'nurtured' by soaking it in the blood of countless demons—it was undeniably a fine sword.
"What a pity."
Even if it was a famous blade, it was ultimately just a famous blade among mortals. A mortal tool. And such ordinary swords could no longer provide him with any powerful new 'transformations'. They couldn't be stacked, nor could they be fused. For that, he required the unique talent inherent to items of at least Demon Tool quality. If that weren't the case, he would have already stacked dozens, if not hundreds, of transformations onto himself—even the useless ones.
also, leaving it behind as proof that he had been here… perhaps that would actually be more beneficial in the long run. After all, the blade had already gained a basic level of affection for him after he'd used it; others would likely find it difficult, if not impossible, to wield.
And since he had exterminated the demon in such a public fashion…
Perhaps the sword could even be worshipped by humans, gaining 'Fear'in the process. Or even the power of'Faith'—the polar opposite of Fear, something Hikaru had not yet truly come into contact with. It might just be the catalyst needed to elevate it into a Demon Tool, or even a Divine Tool.
With a plan in mind, Hikaru walked to a relatively intact section of the ruins. With a flick of his wrist, he stabbed the blade backhanded, thrusting Sōza Samonji deep into a crevice in the stone until only the hilt was exposed.
"Thanks," he said, patting the hilt gently. "Next time I need you, I'll come back for you."
When the time was right, he would definitely return to 'borrow' this blade again.
[Sōza Samonji: Affection +10]
[It is reluctant to part, feeling that you are the master it has met who best understands how to 'cut people'—it will work hard to 'become stronger' and wait for you.]
A faint smile touched Hikaru's lips, but he didn't linger. He turned, and with a silent activation of [Ghost Step], his figure melted into the night and vanished.
...
A short while later, Imagawa Yoshimoto, flanked by a retinue of guards and onmyoji, emerged from the ruins of the Tenshukaku. The light from their torches cut through the darkness, illuminating the square brightly.
A collective gasp went through the crowd.
The headless beast's corpse, like a small mountain, lay silently in the center of the plaza. The residual demonic aura it emitted was still so potent that it made one's chest feel tight and oppressed.
"It's dead…"
"That thunder beast… it's really dead…"
The onmyoji exchanged glances, their eyes wide with disbelief. The monster that had rendered them helpless for three days and nights was dispatched just like that?
Imagawa Yoshimoto ignored their murmurs. She lifted the hem of her skirt and walked quickly toward the ruins where a single blade stood, thrust into the stone.
Sōza Samonji.
Under the firelight, the blade gleamed with a cold radiance. It was completely unscathed, yet it seemed even more dazzling than before, as if it had just been tempered by the very thunder it had slain.
She reached out, her fingers closing around the hilt.
But she snatched her hand back instantly as if she'd been shocked, a sharp jolt running up her arm. The blade had rejected her.
Clang—!
The sound followed a moment later, a clear and resonant ringing of steel that seemed to carry a faint, lingering trace of thunder.
"My lady, is this… Sōza Samonji?" the old onmyoji behind her asked, walking up with a trembling gait. He didn't dare touch it. "This blade… it seems to have changed."
Imagawa Yoshimoto gazed at the sword before her. She could feel it. An extremely pure power lingered within the steel—it was the mark left behind after severing the lightning. It was also the aura left behind by that so-called Demon God… Kobe Hikaru.
"Sōza Samonji…" Yoshimoto whispered the name, then slowly shook her head. A flush of excitement, the likes of which her retainers had never seen, colored her cheeks. It was the raw exhilaration of having witnessed a miracle.
"No," she declared. "From this day on, it shall no longer be called Sōza Samonji."
She raised her hand, not to touch the blade, but to point its tip toward the massive corpse of the thunder beast.
"It can sever the lightning in the heavens and slay the descendants of the ancient thunder beast." Her voice was filled with awe and conviction. "It is worthy of that name."
"...It is worthy of the name, Raikiri."
The old monk was stunned. "Raikiri? But my lady, isn't that the legendary weapon of the Thunder God himself…?"
"Legends are written by people," Yoshimoto interrupted, her tone firm and unyielding. "Tonight, someone severed lightning right here. This blade is the witness."
She bowed respectfully to Raikiri, her movements solemn and deliberate. Afterward, she turned and looked in the direction the demon had departed. There was only the pitch-black night. But in her mind's eye, the intertwined red and white figure, like a battle-worn Asura, still lingered.
Kobe Hikaru. That was the demon's name.
"Pass down the order," Imagawa Yoshimoto's voice echoed across the plaza, sharp and clear. "Starting today, build a shrine within the city."
She paused, the image of the crimson ghost mask flashing in her mind.
"Use this blade as its sacred monument, and enshrine the 'Asura Demon God who severed the lightning'—Kobe Hikaru."
"My lady?!"
The surrounding retainers were shocked into outcry. "That is a demon! How can we enshrine a demon as a god?"
"And what if he is a demon?" Yoshimoto sneered, her gaze sweeping over the group of useless monks and onmyoji. "Compared to you freeloaders, that demon saved my city and saved my life. He is more worthy of being enshrined by the Imagawa Clan than those high and mighty gods who offer no aid."
"also," she continued, her voice rising, "I have heard recently that Uesugi Kenshin in Echigo has enshrined some Bishamonten as the Guardian God of her land—and even claims to be his avatar, invading other countries' territories in the name of slaying demons, not to occupy land, but to abduct their people!"
"And Takeda Shingen in Kai Province also claims to be the reincarnation of Acala. Without such a powerful existence on our side, what do we have to contend with them?"
Her trusted advisor, Taigen Sessai, was old and could no longer help her as much as he once did. That was the part Yoshimoto left unsaid.
But the point was made. Since those warlords called themselves avatars of 'gods,'she would naturally bring out a'demon' to counter them. To Imagawa Yoshimoto, the logic was sound, righteous, and confident.
As her words fell, many of the monks and priests bowed their heads, not daring to meet her fiery gaze.
Imagawa Yoshimoto snorted, flicked her sleeves, and turned around, her expression resolute. "This matter is decided! Anyone who dares to object can go lie with that thunder beast."
The crowd fell as silent as cicadas in winter.
Yoshimoto looked back at Raikiri, her eyes glinting in the torchlight. She knew this was not just about repaying a debt.
It was a gamble.
In this chaotic era, being able to forge a good relationship with such a powerful 'Demon God'… perhaps this was the opportunity for the Imagawa Clan to finally dominate the world.
And as Imagawa Yoshimoto's declaration settled over the ruins, the clouds high above seemed to drift and part, and for a moment, it felt as if the very 'Qi' of the world was shifting in response.
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