The Kamaitachi's screams were still echoing in the air.
It stumbled back, blood gushing from the pierced eye socket and staining its grayish-white fur red.
Hikaru did not pursue.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he couldn't.
That strike just now had almost exhausted all his strength. Although [Bloodthirsty Madness] had no side effects, it still had a cost; his limbs were weak and his vision was somewhat blurred.
"Damn it..."
The Kamaitachi's voice was full of resentment and hatred.
It stared at Hikaru, its remaining eye in the socket glowing with an eerie green light.
That was the fierce light unique to a demon beast when driven to a corner.
Hikaru gripped the hilt of the blade, forcing himself to stand upright.
He knew that the Kamaitachi would definitely launch a frantic counterattack next.
A wounded beast was the most dangerous.
Especially a high-level yokai at the Seventh Stage of Qualitative Transformation.
"You..."
The Kamaitachi opened its mouth, and airflow began to condense deep in its throat.
Even though its charge-up was interrupted and its internal organs were injured, it was still a Qualitative existence.
It still possessed the strength to crush a Physical Transformation yokai.
Hikaru took a deep breath, preparing for the final battle.
But just then—
The Kamaitachi's movements suddenly froze.
Its body suddenly sprang backward, retreating a distance of three zhang.
"Whoosh—!"
The next second.
A white light streaked past from behind Hikaru, grazing his temple and flying toward the position where the Kamaitachi had originally stood.
Sacred Arrow.
Hikaru looked back.
Kikyo was standing in front of the Shrine Hall.
Her hand remained in the posture of having just released the string, her white robes and red hakama swaying gently in the night wind.
And the shikon jewel floating before her had already returned to calm.
The pale purple light was soft and steady, devoid of the violent black aura it had possessed before.
Magatsuhi had been suppressed.
Completely suppressed.
"...Done?"
Hikaru asked.
Kikyo did not answer.
She simply nocked an arrow and drew her bow again, the arrowhead pointing toward the Kamaitachi.
The movement was as fluid as flowing water, showing no signs of fatigue.
But Hikaru knew she must be exhausted as well; the spiritual power consumed in maintaining the magic circle to suppress Magatsuhi would not be any less than his own.
Seeing Kikyo suddenly join the battlefield, the fierce light in the Kamaitachi's eyes dimmed slightly.
Replaced by vigilance.
Even fear.
It could feel the power contained within that arrow.
That was no ordinary Sacred Arrow.
It had also heard the name of the shrine maiden Kikyo, a being who had once purged countless high-level demons.
"You want to run?"
Hikaru's voice came from the side.
The Kamaitachi's pupils contracted.
Without it realizing when, the blood-soaked Ghost Samurai had already circled around to its escape route.
Although he looked unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment.
But he was indeed blocking its path.
"Move!"
The Kamaitachi roared.
It did not want to fight anymore.
One eye was destroyed, its internal organs were damaged, and over half of its demonic power was depleted.
If it continued to fight, even if it could kill this little demon, it would be shot down by that shrine maiden.
It wasn't worth it.
Although the shikon jewel was tempting, its life was more important.
As a demon of the Qualitative Transformation level, the wisdom it possessed was clearly not something ordinary low-level demons could compare with.
It prepared to force a breakthrough; with the nature of the Kamaitachi wind and the speed of a Qualitative Transformation level demon, as long as it charged out, neither of these two could catch it.
The Kamaitachi's body began to compress.
Shrinking from two zhang to one zhang.
Its speed increased once more.
It transformed into a gray shadow and charged toward Hikaru—
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
Hikaru's blade blocked its first strike.
Although the block was barely managed and his body was knocked back several steps, he had indeed blocked it.
The Kamaitachi was stunned for a moment.
It thought this little demon had already reached its limit; it hadn't expected him to still be able to move.
In that moment of hesitation, the ground shook.
The roots of the old locust tree, which had already been severed, drilled out from the soil once more and wrapped around the Kamaitachi's hind legs.
A large rock rolled and struck its side.
The last few drops of water in the well turned into ice spikes, piercing toward its eyes.
That hoe flew over crookedly; although its speed was pitifully slow, its angle was just right to block its path of retreat.
Although it only blocked it for a very, very short time.
Only half a breath.
But, it was enough.
Boom!
A sound like a thunderous roar rang out.
Hikaru turned his head to look, only to see that the arrow Kikyo had shot was burning entirely.
It was spiritual power.
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