Chapter 29: Joining Hands with Kikyo, The Jewel Guardian
The moonlight gradually dimmed.
A sliver of pale dawn light tinged the eastern horizon, slowly diluting the inky black of the night sky.
The battle was over.
Hikaru and Kikyo stood facing each other, both in a sorry state. The demonic armor on Hikaru's body was mostly shattered, revealing the blood-soaked gray hemp garment beneath. Black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping from his chin onto the stone tiles below.
Kikyo's condition was not much better. Her white top and red hakama were covered in dust, and her once-neat black hair was disheveled, spilling over her shoulders. Sweat soaked the strands at her temples, causing them to cling to her pale cheeks. Her legs trembled slightly; that final, devastating arrow had exhausted all her spiritual power. Now, only sheer willpower kept her standing.
"..."
They looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Neither spoke.
Then—
Kikyo's knees buckled.
Hikaru instinctively reached out, his hand closing firmly around her arm to steady her.
"Careful," he said, his voice a low rasp.
Kikyo did not pull away. She merely leaned on his arm, her weight a fragile burden against him. At this proximity, Hikaru could clearly smell her scent—a clean, pure fragrance, like wildflowers after a spring rain.
His gaze involuntarily drifted downward. Kikyo's chest rose and fell in shallow, weary breaths, the sweat-dampened fabric of her white kosode clinging tightly to her form. The collar, usually so primly fastened, had been pulled slightly agape during the fight, revealing a delicate expanse of pale collarbone and the soft swell of her chest beneath. Further down, her waist was slender, the shadows cast by the nascent dawn deepening its curve.
Hikaru forced himself to look away, his jaw tightening for a moment.
"Can you walk?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral.
Kikyo did not answer. She just looked up at him, her eyes lacking their usual cool detachment. In their depths, he saw a vulnerability he had never witnessed before.
Faced with his question, the shrine maiden did not reply immediately, instead staring at him for a long, searching moment. It was so long that Hikaru began to wonder if something was stuck to his face.
"...Thank you," she said at last, her voice soft.
"You're welcome," Hikaru dismissed it casually. "I was doing it for myself, too."
'To gain more favorability from the Shikon Jewel,'he thought,'and from the shrine maiden before me.'
He then continued aloud, "Not just for what happened now. In the future, if you need help, I can assist you."
Kikyo's movements stilled. She looked up, a flicker of surprise in those cool eyes.
"You are a youkai," she stated, the words a simple fact. "I am a shrine maiden."
Youkai and shrine maidens were supposed to be mortal enemies. Yet as she said this, recalling the events of the past few days, her voice lacked its usual conviction.
A small, knowing smile touched Hikaru's lips.
"I know," he said, his tone growing serious. "But Naohi trusts me. And you trust me, too."
He let his words hang in the air.
"So—that's enough."
Silence. Another long, opportune silence settled between them, stretching until Hikaru almost felt embarrassed by his own declaration. Finally, Kikyo spoke.
"Mhm."
No excessive words, no grand display of emotion. But for Hikaru, that single, soft sound of affirmation was more than enough.
[Shikon Jewel: Naohi: Favorability +5]
[Current Favorability: 39 (Trust)]
[It conveys a message to you: 'She acknowledges you.']
['Not just as an ally.']
['But...']
The words on the system panel stopped there. Hikaru waited a moment, but nothing followed. 'Why does this jewel always speak in riddles?' he grumbled internally.
He looked at the girl leaning on his arm—her pale face, her weary eyes, and a posture that had finally let go of its guard. This was the strongest shrine maiden of the Sengoku Period, a woman who had stood alone for who knew how many years.
And now, she would no longer be alone.
Inspired by a sudden thought, he spoke. "From now on, we are friends."
The corner of Kikyo's mouth twitched. It was the barest hint of a smile—so faint, so shallow, just a slight upturn at the edge of her lips—but Hikaru definitely saw it.
"There are futons in the Shrine Hall," Kikyo said, her voice still tired. "You need to rest."
"So do you," Hikaru countered. He glanced around at the corridor pillars destroyed in the fight, the shattered stone tiles, and the corpses of youkai scattered across the ground. "This place is too messy. It's not suitable for resting."
Without waiting for her reply, he bent down and scooped her up into a princess carry.
Kikyo's body stiffened in his arms. "What are you doing—"
"You can't even stand steadily, and you still want to walk by yourself?" Hikaru cut her off, already striding towards the Shrine Hall.
Kikyo wanted to struggle, but she found she had no strength at all. The consequences of completely exhausting her spiritual power were more severe than she had imagined. She could only remain stiffly in his embrace, her protest dying on her lips.
The weight in his arms was startlingly light, much lighter than he had imagined. Through the damp fabric of her clothing, a surprising warmth seeped into his own chilled skin. His hand naturally supported the small of her back, and he was struck by how slender her waist was—so slender he felt he could encircle it with one hand. Her thighs, hidden beneath the red hakama, pressed against his arm, the curve of her hips above them soft yet possessing the unique resilience of a young woman.
Hikaru forced himself not to dwell on these things. But the faint, natural fragrance from the girl in his arms seemed to cling to the air, a stubborn pest persistently drifting into his nose.
"...Where are you looking?"
Kikyo's voice, cool and sharp, came from above.
Only then did Hikaru realize his gaze had somehow fallen back to her open collar.
"At the path," he said without a change in expression. The Oni Samurai's face naturally showed little emotion, a convenience he was truly beginning to appreciate.
Kikyo did not expose his lie. She merely turned her head away and said nothing more. But Hikaru had a distinct feeling that the tips of her ears were slightly redder than before.
Perhaps it was just an illusion.
...
The Shrine Hall was very quiet.
Hikaru gently placed Kikyo onto the tatami mat, then sat down himself, leaning against the pillar by the door. He did not go inside. After all, a distinction between men and women still existed in his mind, even if he was a youkai now.
"Aren't you coming in?" Kikyo's voice drifted from within the hall.
"I'll keep watch outside," Hikaru replied. "Just in case there are any stragglers left."
Kikyo was silent for a moment.
"...As you wish."
Leaning against the pillar, Hikaru closed his eyes. The Yao Qi within his body was all but depleted, and he needed rest to recover. But he did not truly fall asleep. Instead, he began to sense the world around him.
Through [Spirit Vision], he could see the wandering specks of spiritual power flowing slowly between heaven and earth. Some floated toward the shrine, drawn in and absorbed by the Shikon Jewel hovering within. Others drifted into the distance, dissipating into the horizon as dawn approached. It was like watching countless fireflies dancing in the morning air.
The eastern sky grew brighter and brighter. Golden sunlight pierced through the thin mist, spilling onto the shrine's roof.
A new day had begun.
...
"Sister! Sister!"
Kaede's voice came echoing up from below the stone steps.
Hikaru opened his eyes. The sky was already fully bright. He looked down at himself; most of the wounds on his body had already healed. The effect of [Bloodthirsty Immortality] was indeed impressive; bathing in demonic blood last night had allowed his injuries to recover much faster than usual.
"Sister, are you alright? I heard there was a huge commotion here last night—ah?!"
Kaede's voice grew closer, then stopped abruptly.
Hikaru looked up. The little girl was standing before the Shrine Hall, her mouth agape, her eyes wide with shock.
'What did she see?' he wondered.
Hikaru followed her gaze. The door to the Shrine Hall had been opened at some point. Kikyo stood in the doorway, draped in a thin outer garment, her black hair still slightly messy, her face bearing the languor of someone who had just woken up.
And he himself was leaning against the pillar right by that door. The distance between them was less than a foot.
Kaede's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them.
Then—
"I knew it!" she suddenly jumped, her little face flushing red. "I knew that Sister Kikyo and Big Brother were a perfect match! You really did spend the night together!"
"..."
Hikaru and Kikyo fell silent at the same time. Hikaru thought to himself, 'How is this little girl's train of thought so similar to my own?'
"It's not what you think," Kikyo spoke up to explain, a rare occurrence.
"It definitely is!" Kaede put her hands on her hips, wearing an expression that said she knew everything. "I don't care about adult matters! But Big Brother!" She pointed a finger at Hikaru, her expression suddenly serious. "You must take responsibility for Sister!"
Hikaru glanced at Kikyo. For the first time, a slight blush appeared on the shrine maiden's face. It was just a faint dusting of pink across her cheeks, but Hikaru did indeed see it.
"...Alright," he said, his voice even. "I will take responsibility."
Kikyo suddenly turned her head to stare at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Hikaru was inwardly amused. It was a rare treat to see such an expression on her face.
"Responsible for guarding the Shikon Jewel, together with you," he added smoothly. "After all, we are companions now."
Kikyo's expression softened slightly, the tension leaving her shoulders. And immediately, she nodded.
[Shikon Jewel: Naohi: Favorability +2]
[Current Favorability: 41]
[It conveyed a message to you: 'Are you doing this on purpose?']
Hikaru looked at the panel, his composure unshaken. When he did things, he always paid attention to proceeding step by step.
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