The night was still.
By the riverbank in Maple Village.
Baal sat on a stone by the river, her fair feet dipped into the water, playfully splashing.
Kikyo stood nearby, quietly watching Baal playing in the water. She felt somewhat conflicted about Baal. Even though their time together was short, she could tell that Baal was not a simple youkai.
Rationally speaking, the sensible choice would have been to send Baal out of Maple Village the moment she caused an irreversible situation.
However, she ultimately… did not act according to reason.
"I hope… you won't disappoint me."
Baal suddenly whispered to herself, her delicate, pretty face revealing tension and apprehension, because she had killed a stronger Youkai of a higher rank during the day.
The system had given her surprisingly generous rewards.
They were even enough to support another lottery draw.
However, she had no intention of drawing.
Instead, she opened the system's purchase section.
[solomon's notes]
[Bicycle]
[Crimson Dragon Heart]
[demon god residue]
[self-heating ramen]
[azathoth's album]
[Yukino Yukinoshita's Panties]
[Two-Dimensional Foil Knowledge]
[Aozaki Touko's Doll]
[Broken Dragon Tooth]
She browsed casually, ignoring the unpurchasable items, and locked onto 'demon god residue'.
That was the only purchasable item besides [Yukino Yukinoshita's Panties] and [self-heating ramen].
"demon god residue * 1"
Baal pressed into the void, and immediately felt her body being filled, her power increasing by a level in an unreasonable state.
(As expected, demon god residue… power can be stacked. Multiple purchases… can grant the full power of a demon god!)
(No, perhaps… it's even possible to surpass it!)
Her slender hand clenched into a fist excitedly; for her, who desperately needed power now, this was undoubtedly good news.
Although her system did not have an upgrade and stat allocation function, purchasing demon god residue had the same effect.
Next, she only needed to go out and hunt monsters with Kikyo more often.
By slowly acquiring the power of demon god residue, she would gain enough power and wouldn't have to worry about an unexpected defeat and death.
At least, suppressing the small youkai under her command would be no problem.
"Baal… what's wrong?"
Kikyo's beautiful face showed confusion as she gazed at Baal, whose aura had noticeably increased; Baal had suddenly grown stronger right before her eyes.
Moreover, this increase… was very natural.
There was no instability from a sudden surge of power, nor any disharmony; it didn't seem like an increase from external objects or consuming other youkai.
This was truly… a bit strange.
"…This is… my secret, you know." Baal smiled at Kikyo, placing a slender finger over her vermillion lips. "When certain conditions are met, my power will increase."
"Mm, I understand." Kikyo nodded slightly with a calm expression, then looked towards the house. "It's getting late, let's go back."
She had no intention of pressing for details; beings like youkai, besides conventional methods of increasing strength, also followed some unusual rules for power growth.
Just like Hyakume… as long as she seduced men and acquired a hundred eyes, her strength would increase terrifyingly, or like Yuki Onna, who reincarnated, her strength could also improve.
In any case, as long as certain special conditions were met, the power of these special youkai would increase.
However, these triggered conditions were usually confidential.
Even the closest friends wouldn't reveal them.
"Mm… I'm a bit tired too."
Baal smiled sweetly, pulled her feet out of the water, put on her wooden clogs nearby, and walked beside Kikyo, heading home together.
She actually had another reason not to reveal it: she didn't know if Yakumo Yukari was still secretly observing her.
However, she thought no one would be so bored as to constantly spy on her, let alone Yakumo Yukari, who was a Youkai Sage.
She couldn't possibly be an idler, could she?
…
A moment later.
A gap opened in the void, and Yakumo Yukari's head emerged. She looked at Baal's distant back with a hint of curiosity.
At this moment, Kikyo, walking ahead, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned back to look at Yakumo Yukari behind her. Then, she vigilantly gripped Baal's slender hand.
It was as if she was afraid Baal would be snatched away by a bad woman.
"…Heh."
Yakumo Yukari was slightly startled, then let out a pleasant chuckle, withdrew her head into the gap, and closed the chaotic, dark gap.
It seemed Baal… was quite charming. That miko had come to value Baal to such an extent in such a short time.
This… was truly a bit unexpected.
*
*
The next day.
Morning.
Baal was slurping noodles, eating a delicious breakfast. She had mixed feelings about this food.
So, she still chose to eat… instant noodles.
As for the so-called malnutrition, with her youkai physique, she shouldn't suffer from it.
Moreover, self-heating ramen… had quite rich ingredients.
"Lord Baal, something terrible has happened!"
The door was pushed open in a rush, and Little Kaede ran in anxiously, pointing towards the village entrance.
"Those youkai… suddenly came back, and they brought a large group of people! I don't know if they were captured!"
"…I understand."
Baal's delicate, pretty face was expressionless. She placed the instant noodles on the low table, stood up, and walked out of the room.
How did these youkai… come back so quickly?
Soon after.
Baal hurriedly arrived at the village entrance and found the youkai gathered there with a large crowd of people.
These people… couldn't possibly have been captured by the youkai to be sacrificed to her, could they?
"Greetings, Lord Baal!"
"Greetings, Lord Baal!"
"Greetings, Lord Baal!"
As soon as the youkai saw Baal approaching, they cooperatively knelt down and paid her a deep bow.
Even the captured humans… knelt down with them.
"…Rise, all of you." Baal spoke as calmly as possible, her gaze falling on the captured humans. "What's going on with these people?"
"Ah… these are the craftsmen for building your shrine, Lord Baal." The Deer-head Monster walked up to Baal, a fawning smile on his face. "After all, those dilapidated shrines, how could they be worthy of your nobility?"
"Exactly, exactly, that's right!" The One-Eyed Monster also ran out, somewhat awkwardly yet eagerly flattering, "Lord Baal is such a noble being, how could a poor shrine be worthy of you?"
"Exactly, that's… the truth!"
The other youkai present also loudly echoed the flattery, looking nothing like cruel youkai.
They looked more like… humans flattering someone.
"…"
Kikyo watched this scene expressionlessly. Maple Village still had a shrine, it was just a bit… small.
Now, hearing these youkai mock the Maple Village shrine so wildly, it left her, as a miko, with mixed feelings.
In any case, it wouldn't make her happy.