...
Baal turned her calm gaze to the small, white-furred rat youkai and said, "How is it? Has that answered your doubts?"
"...That's enough, Lord Baal."
Shiratsuyu Maiko bowed slightly, her soft voice filled with respect.
"We, the Rat Clan, are willing to join Lord Baal's command and offer our humble strength for you to become the master of this land."
Although the relationship between Baal and Yakumo Yukari currently seemed a bit subtle, there was no doubt that they were indeed connected.
Moreover, in the current situation, she couldn't refuse.
After all, counting the power of Miko Kikyo, and the Inazuma Hundred Ghosts, it would be enough to defeat their Rat Clan.
No matter what, they had to join Lord Baal's command.
"Hmm, then it's settled."
Baal nodded slightly, then turned her gaze to the Deer-head Monster and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Nothing else, Lord Baal."
The Deer-head Monster bowed, performing a steady salute, "We returned just for the matter of the Rat Clan."
...
Baal nodded lightly, glancing around at the assembled youkai, and found that their gazes were respectful and they appeared much more submissive.
The reason for this was simple: Yakumo Yukari had come forward to support her. However, this was also a matter of course.
Youkai are inherently beings who admire strength.
"Then continue to carry out your missions!" Baal waved her hand, declaring with imposing aura, "Go and bring the surrounding lands under control, and spread the name of Inazuma."
"Yes, Lord Baal!"
"Yes, Lord Baal!"
"Yes, Lord Baal!"
The Hundred Ghosts naturally had no objections. Some fanatically saluted Baal, then left Maple Village with a fierce aura.
Now that the Hundred Ghosts knew that a Youkai Sage was backing them up.
They couldn't help but feel full of confidence.
A moment later.
The Hundred Ghosts had already moved far away.
"Can you let go of me now?" Baal watched the departing Hundred Ghosts, then drew back her gaze to Yakumo Yukari and said, "If you keep clinging to me, it's easy for me to misunderstand your sexual orientation."
Perhaps because she needed to threaten Kikyo, Yakumo Yukari was still hooking her arm around her neck, holding her very close.
This appearance...looked quite 'yuri'.
"…Misunderstand?" Yakumo Yukari's smile was sweet, her eyes revealing a charming allure, "Tell me in detail, I'm quite curious."
The moment her words fell, the others also cast curious glances, and the air solidified accordingly.
...
Baal hesitated for a moment, then turned her head and whispered softly.
"Of course, I'd misunderstand that you like women. It's strange to be so close, isn't it?"
"Oh, I see."
Yakumo Yukari smiled charmingly, looking at Baal curiously and asking in return, "Then Baal, do you like men or women?"
...
Baal subconsciously looked at Kikyo beside her. Unexpectedly, Kikyo also looked at her. Their gazes met, then they tacitly looked away.
"…Don't change the subject."
Baal's cheeks puffed out slightly as she said to Yakumo Yukari with dissatisfaction, "If you don't want to answer, just say so. Changing the subject is too stiff."
"…Is my changing the subject stiff?" Yakumo Yukari exhaled like an orchid, smiling sweetly, "However, even if I answer, it's nothing. Compared to dividing preferences by gender."
She leaned close to Baal's ear and whispered softly.
"I care more about my own feelings. If it's someone like Baal, maybe I would like it."
...
Baal felt the warm breath on her ear, her delicate cheeks flushed slightly, and she calmly said, suppressing her embarrassment:
"I still need to practice my sword skills. Don't waste my time."
She was really not good at dealing with a female youkai like Yakumo Yukari, who would flirt at every turn, as if she could see through her heart.
She felt like she was completely...eaten up.
However, it didn't matter...once she improved her strength with the demon god residue, she would be able to suppress Yakumo Yukari in turn.
Then she wouldn't be so flustered as she was now.
...
Yakumo Yukari looked at Baal's cute, flushed face, a joyful smile appearing. Then, she glanced at the vigilant Miko Kikyo beside her.
"Then we'll see each other next time, little one."
With that, she withdrew back into the gap.
Baal glanced at the closing gap, raised her hand to gently touch her slightly hot cheek, and sighed helplessly.
"What on earth is this female youkai...thinking?"
She felt somewhat inexplicable about this female youkai, Yakumo Yukari. She didn't seem to have any ill will towards her.
However, she couldn't understand Yakumo Yukari's concern for her.
From her perspective, she was just a weak youkai, at most...she looked good.
But that wasn't enough to attract a Youkai Sage, was it?
Or, did she actually possess some unknown quality, which was why Yakumo Yukari was so concerned about her?
But then, what kind of quality was that?
The next day.
The sky was dimly lit.
On an open flat ground.
"…Hmph~"
Baal slowly sheathed the tachi at her waist and glanced at the craftsmen who had begun working in the distance. She did not direct how the craftsmen should build the shrine, nor did she intend to interfere or arrange anything.
To be honest, she knew nothing about construction.
So, she left it to the professionals to handle.
"In a while, we can move into the shrine."
Beside her, Xiao Feng walked over with a bow and arrow.
"By then, I'll also be Lord Baal's Miko."
"Can Xiao Feng already become a Miko?" Baal looked at Xiao Feng's small body and couldn't help but shake her head and laugh, "It feels like employing child labor, I feel guilty."
"…I feel underestimated."
Xiao Feng's voice was a little subtle, then she puffed out her chest slightly.
"The skills I'm learning now are actually enough to qualify me for the job of a Miko, it's just that I'm not as strong as Kikyo."
Speaking of this, she shook her head again.
"However, I probably won't be able to become a Miko as strong as Kikyo."
"If you give up at the beginning, you've truly lost."
Baal comforted her, then asked curiously,
"But, Kikyo is so strong, does she have any special secret techniques?"
"No, Kikyo's spiritual power is naturally strong."
Xiao Feng shook her head, explaining with a proud voice.
"From the very beginning, Kikyo was a born strong person."
"…A born strong person."
Baal twitched her mouth slightly, asking with a last shred of hope, "Didn't she go through any 'strict' training?"
"Strict...training certainly existed."
Xiao Feng gently shook her head, pulled back the bowstring in her hand, then gently released the string. The arrow pierced through the air and struck a tree.
"However, spiritual power is generally determined at birth. Even with training, there might not be much improvement."
"So, the upper limit is fixed?" Baal seemed to understand and nodded, "The extent of training's effectiveness actually depends on one's innate spiritual aptitude, right?"
"Mm...that's pretty much it."
Xiao Feng nodded obediently, thought for a moment, then added, "Take the bloodline of a youkai as an example. Youkai with good bloodlines are naturally stronger than ordinary youkai. The upper limit they can reach through training is also higher, and even their lifespan is longer than ordinary youkai."
"...Is that so? That's truly cruel."
Baal gently shook her head, sighing. She didn't have much to say about the fact that becoming stronger required talent and bloodline.
Even in her previous life, where people appeared to be not much different,
there was actually a barrier called talent. So, in this world, where talent is deterministic,
there's nothing to be surprised about.
"Training still works, you know." Xiao Feng, seeing Baal's low spirits, comforted her with some worry, "As long as you put in the effort, you'll naturally gain something, just a little less."
This was not an empty statement. Even those with talent, whose innate spiritual power was extremely strong and who cultivated quickly,
it didn't mean that those with less talent couldn't make progress. It just meant they couldn't progress as quickly as the talented ones.
"Xiao Feng's mindset is truly open-minded." Baal smiled approvingly at Xiao Feng, "Most people would probably feel disheartened and give up."
"...Hehe, not really." Xiao Feng scratched her cheek, a bit embarrassed, "It's just that I feel training is my own business."
"...That's a truly good thought."
Baal smiled gently, then drew the katana from her waist and began to train. She was actually pondering how to quickly increase her strength.
It seemed her talent wasn't very strong, she didn't have the ability to learn something instantly, and she couldn't buy too much demon god residue in a short time.
So, she was wondering... if she should find a powerful weapon...