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?"
Kobe 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 Kobe 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?"
Kobe Hikaru's voice came from the side.
The Kamaitachi's pupils contracted.
Without it realizing when, the blood-soaked Oni 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 Kobe Hikaru—
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
Kobe 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.
Kobe Hikaru turned his head to look, only to see that the arrow Kikyo had shot was burning entirely.
It was spiritual power.
Spiritual power, pure to the extreme, enveloped the arrow, forming a blinding white light.
That light was too bright.
So bright that Kobe Hikaru had to squint his eyes, so bright that the entire shrine was illuminated as if it were daylight.
That was—an overflowing, arrow wound!
Kikyo poured all her remaining spiritual power—which was not much for her—into this single arrow.
One arrow to decide the victory.
The Kamaitachi felt the scent of death.
That scent was too intense, so intense that its instincts were screaming at it to run away.
But it could not escape.
Its foot was entangled by tree roots, there were rocks blocking its side, a hoe blocking its path behind, and that damn Oni Samurai in front.
"No—!"
The Kamaitachi let out a desperate roar.
It opened its mouth, gathering all the demonic power within its body, and spewed out a gale, attempting to resist that arrow.
But that gale was purified the moment it touched the white light.
Like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun.
Like darkness meeting the light.
It couldn't even manage to resist or delay it.
The white light pierced through the Kamaitachi's chest.
Boom—
The spiritual power exploded within its body, tearing that Qualitative Transformation shell apart from the inside.
The Kamaitachi's scream stopped abruptly, and its body began to disintegrate.
Those winds that had gathered for who knows how many years finally dissipated.
Turning into countless tiny air currents, vanishing into the night sky.
Kobe Hikaru stood in place, watching this scene.
A Qualitative Transformation level high-level demon.
One-shot kill.
Is this the strength of the strongest shrine maiden of the Sengoku Period?
Although compared to this overflowing damage, Kikyo's own constitution was actually not strong, but isn't that just how so-called 'human mages' are?
High attack, low health.
Not to mention that Kikyo's defense was actually not weak; her Barrier technique was masterful.
Among human mages, she was already considered an anomaly.
[ shikon no tama: naohi: Favorability +8 ]
[ Current Favorability: 34 (Trust) ]
[ naohi Favorability exceeded 30, can unlock Bond Dialogue (II) ]
[ Unlocked first talent: Spirit Vision ]
[ Effect: You can see the spiritual power drifting between heaven and earth. ]
Kobe Hikaru looked at the prompt on the panel, stunned for a moment.
Spirit Vision?
Kobe Hikaru blinked.
Then he saw it.
Countless pale blue light spots were drifting between heaven and earth; those light spots flowed slowly in the night wind, some drifting toward the sky, some sinking into the ground.
This is... spiritual power?
He raised his hand, trying to touch those light spots.
The light spots passed through his palm, without any reaction.
It seems he could only see them, but could not yet absorb them.
But this was already enough.
At least he could now distinguish which places had dense spiritual power, which places were suitable for cultivation, and could distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of human mages.
Even, if this ability could evolve further, from simply seeing to 'touching,' he could try to conquer'spiritual power' as well.
But that was a matter for later.
Now, what made Kobe Hikaru marvel was also that this ability could actually be activated without relying on 'possessing' the shikon jewel.
It seemed that as long as he maintained the favorability link with the shikon jewel, it would take effect.
Although it still did not belong to him, it was very convenient.
He raised his head and looked toward Kikyo.
The shrine maiden was still standing there.
But her body was swaying slightly.
That arrow had exhausted all of her spiritual power.
She had also reached her limit.
Kobe Hikaru stepped forward.
His steps were a bit unsteady, but he could still walk.
Kikyo watched him approach, not retreating, nor increasing the distance.
She simply stood there quietly, waiting for him.
Moonlight spilled down.
Shining upon the two of them.
The blood-soaked Oni Samurai.
And, the pale and weak shrine maiden.
Both of them were about to collapse.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)