In the works he had seen before he transmigrated, although Kidomaru's existence wasn't considered famous, he absolutely belonged among the strong ones of the yokai.
It was said that he was a subordinate of Shuten-doji and one of the most brutal oni in Kyoto.
And considering the existence of Hagoromo Gitsune... after Shuten-doji was eliminated, Kidomaru had in all likelihood truly become a subordinate of Hagoromo Gitsune.
This is troublesome.
Truly troublesome.
Kidomaru was not an opponent on the level of the Band of Seven.
According to Kanbe Hikaru's own definition, even if he wasn't a true Great Yokai of Thirteen Transformations, he was a top-tier yokai infinitely close to it, having completed at least ten transformations and mutations; he was definitely not an opponent on the level of the Kamaitachi he had dealt with earlier.
"What else?"
Kanbe Hikaru pressed.
"Also..."
Yura of the Hair hesitated for a moment.
"That Raven Tengu said that besides us 'ordinary yokai,' there are four high-level yokai leaders acting as the true 'vanguards.'"
"Four?"
"Yes."
Yura of the Hair's voice became somewhat low: "They came from Kyoto, then dispersed, distributing themselves in the four surrounding directions, surrounding this area."
Kanbe Hikaru's expression changed.
Four vanguards.
Surrounding from all four sides.
Was this to completely seal off Kaede Village?
The situation was even more severe than he had imagined.
So the question arose.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Kanbe Hikaru asked again.
This question was the key.
Yura of the Hair was clearly a captive he had captured, and her favorability was still negative, so why was she suddenly being so cooperative?
He felt this concerned the key to farming favorability with this comb in the future.
The skull on the comb was silent for a while.
"Because I hate them."
Yura of the Hair's voice became irritated and dissatisfied:
"That Raven Tengu, that Kidomaru, and the major power in Kyoto behind them... they don't take us seriously at all."
"They just treat us as pawns that can be discarded at will."
"Vanguard? Testing? Consuming combat strength?"
"It sounds nice, but isn't it just sending us to our deaths?"
"Compared to being captured by you—"
Yura of the Hair's voice became even more agitated: "I hate being used by them even more!"
"At least you still treat me as something; they never looked at me from the beginning to the end!"
Kanbe Hikaru looked at the comb in his hand.
The pair of tiny eyes on the skull seemed to be flashing with angry light at this moment.
This guy... actually has quite a bit of backbone.
Even though it's a comb.
[Yura of the Hair: Favorability + 5]
[Current Favorability: -10 (Disgust reduced)]
[Its hostility toward you has decreased because you did not look down on it like those guys from Kyoto.]
Kanbe Hikaru looked at the prompt on the panel and finally spoke: "So you've decided to turn against them?"
"Who is turning against them!"
Yura of the Hair bristled.
"I just... I just think that telling you these things can make that group of Kyoto guys suffer a setback!"
"I just don't like them!"
"If you defeat them, then it's my credit!"
"If you lose..."
"That has nothing to do with me; anyway, I've already been captured."
Kanbe Hikaru: "..."
This logic is actually quite sound.
"Fine."
He tucked the comb back into his robes: "I suppose you're useful."
"Who cares about your approval!"
Yura of the Hair's voice was muffled, coming from inside his robes.
But Kanbe Hikaru always felt that in that voice, there seemed to be... satisfaction?
He turned and walked toward Kikyo, who was treating the wounded.
"I have intelligence."
He got straight to the point and spoke as such.
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