Not from shame, just from fury.
'You demon, get out of the way!'
She raised both hands. More spiritual power began to gather, condensing into strands of white light swirling around her.
'Since you want to be her watchdog—'
'Then I'll deal with you first!'
Kanbe Hikaru did not move; he simply stood there, the tip of his blade pointing diagonally at the ground.
Behind him, Kikyo did not move either.
But her hand was already resting on the bowstring.
The atmosphere was tense, and the surrounding Demon Slayers quickly retreated.
Just as both sides were about to strike—
"Enough."
An elderly voice came from the crowd.
Everyone turned to look and saw an old woman draped in a grey robe and long skirt walking over with a cane. Her hair was grey, her face was lined with deep wrinkles, but her eyes still held a sharpness that rivaled any young person's.
"To fight on the grounds of our Demon Slayer Village—"
Her gaze swept over Tsubaki, then over Kanbe Hikaru: "Lady Tsubaki, do you truly have no intention of giving this old woman any face?"
Tsubaki's movements froze.
Kanbe Hikaru also sheathed his blade.
One could tell this old woman's status at a glance.
An elder of the Demon Slayer Village, likely the person in charge when the village chief was away.
"If you wish to compete, you may."
The old woman walked between the two and planted her cane on the ground: "But not now."
She looked at Tsubaki.
"Lady Tsubaki, you are a world-renowned priestess; launching a sneak attack in public would not sound good if word got out."
Tsubaki's face turned pale, then flushed, then pale again.
"I..."
"Three days from now."
The old woman interrupted her: "Three days from now, there is an open space behind the village."
"If you want to compete, do it there."
"When the time comes, everyone in our Demon Slayer Village will bear witness."
"Whoever wins or loses, there will be justice."
After speaking, the old woman looked at Kikyo: "Lady Kikyo, what do you think?"
Kikyo was silent for a moment.
Then, she nodded.
"That is acceptable."
Tsubaki's expression changed.
From anger to... smugness?
Her scheme had succeeded.
"Fine."
She sneered.
"Three days from now, I would like to see just how strong this so-called'Strongest Priestess'—that outsiders are currently praising—really is."
"Just how strong you really are."
With that, she turned and left.
That figure in white robes and red hakama disappeared into the crowd.
The atmosphere finally eased.
Kanbe Hikaru sheathed his Muramasa and turned to look at Kikyo.
"You agreed to her terms?"
"Yes."
Kikyo's expression was calm: "It seems she will not let this rest."
"Rather than letting her keep pestering me, it is better to resolve it once and for all."
Kanbe Hikaru thought about it and found the logic sound.
But he still felt something was off.
"That moment just now—"
He pointed to the spiritual energy he had blocked: "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Kikyo did not speak.
She only glanced at him.
That look seemed to say... You only just realized?
"In front of outsiders."
Kikyo's voice was very soft, audible only to each other: "Your identity is that of my Shikigami."
"..."
Kanbe Hikaru fell silent.
Shikigami?
He, an Oni Samurai, was being treated as a Shikigami?
"From now on, that is your identity."
Kikyo continued: "It is more convenient to explain it this way, and others will not ask too many questions."
Kanbe Hikaru opened his mouth.
He wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
Fine.
A Shikigami it is.
With such a title, it was indeed easier to walk through human settlements.
"Then—"
However, looking at Kikyo's serious expression, Kanbe Hikaru was suddenly struck with a flash of 'Spiritual Perception' and asked:
"Does this Shikigami of yours get a salary?"
Kikyo glanced at him.
That look held helplessness, speechlessness, and also a hint of amusement.
"Does offerings count?"
"...Yes."
[ shikon no tama: naohi: Favorability + 1 ]
[ Current Favorability: 50 (Trust) ]
[ Congratulations, Favorability has broken through 50, unlocking the second talent. ]
[ Second Talent: Spiritual Perception ]
[ Effect: You can not only see spiritual energy but also more clearly perceive the flow direction and intensity of spiritual energy—in your eyes, spiritual energy is light, and also the wind that cannot be grasped. ]
Kanbe Hikaru looked at the prompt on the panel.
Finally broke through the second threshold.
Next—
He looked toward the direction where Tsubaki had left.
The duel three days from now.
It will be very interesting.
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