Kamaitachi's momentum was forced to interrupt.
It dodged left and right, avoiding those 'enemies' that had suddenly attacked.
As if intensifying—
The leaves and branches spread out by the old locust tree were like a screen, blocking the wind; although Kamaitachi's momentum was massive, those gaps perfectly diverted the wind.
The big rock rolled to block the path; although it was slow, its advantage was that its volume was large enough to be a nuisance.
The water droplets gushing from the water well splashed and scattered; although the penetrating power was not enough to pierce Kamaitachi's fur, the thick moisture made the air a bit heavier.
The timber from the abandoned thatched cottage flew and shot in all directions; those rotten woods could not hurt a Qualitative Transformation yokai at all, but they rushed forward one after another, as if tireless.
Even the hoe... it stood up, unable to even touch the edge of Kamaitachi, but it was still trying hard.
It was also like a weather vane, pointing directly at Kamaitachi's 'core'!
"What on earth is going on!?" Kamaitachi's voice was full of confusion and anger.
It was the wind. It controlled the wind.
Theoretically, anything blown by the wind should be under its control.
But these things... they were resisting.
That weak power was not enough to hurt it, but it was truly blocking its steps forward.
Hikaru looked at the numbers jumping on the panel.
[old locust tree: Favorability 15, is trying its best to block the enemy. It tells you that for the first time in two hundred years, someone has talked to it every day, and it is very happy.]
[Big rock: Favorability 21, is trying hard to roll. It says it is just a rock and can't do much, but it is very satisfied to be able to help.]
[Water well: Favorability 18, is spraying water. It indicates that this is the first time it has been useful since it was dug, although not for drawing water.]
Looking at these notifications, a strange feeling of being moved welled up in Hikaru's heart.
This was the effect of favorability.
Although these things had not reached the level of unlocking talents—that required at least full favorability, 100 points.
But as long as the favorability was high enough, they would respond to his call.
This was incredible.
Because these things were not yokai themselves.
They had no consciousness, no thoughts, and couldn't even be considered to be "alive" in the most basic sense.
But they—were actually 'breathing' too.
This was the secret Hikaru had discovered over the past few days.
All things have spirits.
This was not just empty talk.
The energy between heaven and earth is divided into clear and turbid. Turbid energy sinks and gathers to become yokai, while clear energy rises and condenses to become spirits.
And those ordinary stones, trees, and water wells, although they could not absorb turbid energy to become yokai, and although they had no self-consciousness, they could absorb the thin spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth day after day.
Very thin. So thin it could almost be ignored.
But it did exist.
The two-hundred-year-old locust tree had accumulated two hundred years of spiritual energy.
A big rock that had been lying in place for who knows how many years also had its own "breathing."
These things could not move on their own, nor did they have autonomous consciousness.
But when someone continuously communicated with them, continuously gave them attention, and continuously made them feel cared for.
The insignificant spiritual energy inside them would resonate.
Hikaru's favorability system was essentially establishing this resonance.
He didn't need them to be powerful.
He only needed them—to listen to him.
"Awooo—!" Kamaitachi roared angrily.
It opened its mouth, and a gale gushed out from the depths of its throat, cutting all those leaves to pieces.
The leaves and branches of the old locust tree scattered.
[old locust tree: It is injured, but it says it doesn't matter, the roots will grow back anyway.]
Hikaru gripped the hilt of his sword.
Enough.
These things had bought him enough time.
It's my turn.
He thought to himself.
The blue bricks under his feet shattered, and [Phantom Step] was activated.
An afterimage flashed and vanished in the air.
Hikaru appeared on the left side of the Kamaitachi.
That was a blind spot—the side where it had just severed the tree roots; its body was still leaning forward from the momentum.
muramasa slashed out.
The black blade energy tore through the air, aiming straight for the Kamaitachi's waist and abdomen.
"Clang—!"
The Kamaitachi turned sideways, blocking the strike with its claws.
But Hikaru's attack did not stop.
He used the force of the blade's recoil to spin his body, and a second strike followed immediately.
This strike slashed toward the Kamaitachi's neck.
The Kamaitachi leaned back to dodge.
The third strike!
Hikaru's body twisted in mid-air, and at an almost impossible angle, he thrust the tip of the blade toward the Kamaitachi's eye socket.
Those hollow eye sockets—
Inside was a swirling airflow, the core of its control over the wind.
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