Deep in the ravine, there was indeed a cave.
The entrance was mostly obscured by weeds; if Hikaru hadn't remembered the direction of his frantic flight that night, it would have been impossible to find this place.
"This is it."
He pushed aside the thorns and walked into the cave.
It was dark and damp, with the air permeated by a scent of decay.
Kikyo followed him, a ball of pale white spiritual light condensing in her hand to illuminate the path ahead.
The cave wasn't deep.
After a dozen steps, they reached the end.
Hikaru stopped.
A skeleton lay there.
The bones were stark white, and the clothing had long since rotted into fragments, leaving only a few tattered pieces of cloth hanging on the frame.
The left arm was completely missing, the mark of a clean severing.
"It's him."
Hikaru recognized the posture of the skeleton; it was exactly the same as when he had carried the old man that night.
Except the flesh had already turned to bone.
How many days had it been?
He frowned.
"Erosion by Demonic Qi."
Kikyo stepped forward, squatting down to examine the skeletal remains with her eyes.
"A large amount of Demonic Qi remained in his body before he died. He was likely wounded by demons on his way here. Combined with the heavy Yin energy in this cave, the erosion of the Demonic Qi was accelerated, making the body decay much faster than normal."
Hikaru fell silent.
This old man had paid the price of his life to escort the shikon jewel.
Yet his remains could only lie lonely in this dark cave, being eroded bit by bit by Demonic Qi.
"He needs a proper send-off."
Kikyo stood up and took a stack of White Paper Talismans from her sleeve: "He was a Demon Slayer who spent his life slaying demons and exorcising evil. We cannot let his remains be defiled by Demonic Qi."
Hikaru nodded.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Guard the cave entrance. Don't let anything in."
As Kikyo spoke, she began to arrange the talismans around the skeleton.
Those White Paper Talismans flowed between her fingertips like living butterflies, drifting one by one to the ground to form a complete 'array'.
Hikaru retreated to the cave entrance.
With his back to the cave's interior, his gaze scanned the woods outside.
There were no fluctuations of Demonic Qi, but he did not let down his guard.
In these wild mountains and remote valleys, anything could appear.
The low sound of Kikyo chanting sutras came from behind him.
The voice was very soft, yet it carried an indescribable solemnity.
Hikaru couldn't understand the content of those incantations, but his 'Inspiration' ability, obtained from the shikon jewel: Naohi, allowed him to feel the flow of spiritual power.
A massive amount of spiritual power.
He glanced back.
He saw Kikyo's hands forming seals, her entire body radiating a dazzling white light.
That light enveloped the entire skeleton, purifying the residual Demonic Qi bit by bit.
Black mist seeped out from the cracks in the bones, turning into nothingness the moment it touched the white light.
At the same time, the skeleton itself began to become transparent, as if being dissolved by the light.
Is this what a send-off is like?
Truly impressive.
Hikaru's eyes flickered; it was naturally easy for him to recognize the high level of skill Kikyo displayed so nonchalantly.
Just as an ordinary priest would need to go to great lengths to set up a Barrier, while Kikyo could support a Barrier protecting an entire village solely with her own spiritual power, an ordinary priest wanting to perform a send-off would also need external help, like real 'fire'. Kikyo, however, could ignite spiritual fire with her own power to guide the deceased.
He watched as the skeleton gradually dissipated in the white light, eventually leaving behind only a small pile of greyish-white ashes.
Kikyo withdrew her Hand Seals and took a plain cloth bag from her sleeve.
She carefully gathered the ashes into the bag.
Her movements were very light and slow.
She tied the bag and stood up.
"Let's go."
"This, I will personally hand over to his family."
Hikaru nodded.
The two walked out of the cave.
The sunlight was piercing.
Hikaru squinted his eyes, waiting for his vision to adjust to the light before starting to survey the surroundings.
"Then next, let's follow the path that old gentleman came from and find that 'Hiraikotsu'."
He said.
Kikyo nodded, but then felt a bit confused: "You know the path he came...?"
Halfway through her sentence, Kikyo realized.
This Ghost Samurai in front of her couldn't even remember the way to this cave; how could he possibly know how the Demon Slayer Village Chief got here from the village?
He was just going to use his old trick again.
Kikyo naturally knew the way to the Demon Slayer Village, but the old man had been pursued all the way; he couldn't have taken a straight line.
Sure enough.
After walking a distance and ensuring they were away from the cave, Hikaru squatted down, picked up a stone, and casually wiped the dirt off it with his sleeve.
Kikyo looked at him and said nothing more.
But her gaze clearly said: You're doing this again?
Hikaru showed a smile.
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