It seemed to be a smile.
Very faint, very shallow, just a slight upturn at the corner of her lips.
But Hikaru definitely saw it.
"There are futons in the Shrine Hall."
Kikyo said, "You need to rest."
"So do you."
Hikaru glanced around at the corridor pillars destroyed in the fight, the shattered blue bricks, and the All over the ground (mǎn dì) - all over the ground corpses of youkai.
"This place is too messy, not suitable for resting."
He didn't wait for Kikyo's reply, simply bent down and scooped her up in his arms.
Kikyo's body stiffened.
"What are you doing—"
"You can't even stand steadily, and you still want to walk by yourself?"
Hikaru cut her off, walking towards the Shrine Hall.
Kikyo wanted to struggle, but found she had no strength at all.
The consequences of exhausting her spiritual power were more severe than she had imagined.
She could only remain stiffly in his embrace.
Hikaru could feel the weight in his arms was light.
Much lighter than he had imagined.
And...
He could clearly feel the warmth of her body, transmitted through the sweat-dampened clothing to his arms.
Also, her waist was very slender.
So slender he could encircle it with one hand.
Her thighs beneath the hakama pressed against his arm, the curve of her hips above them soft yet possessing the unique resilience of a young girl.
Hikaru forced himself not to think about these things.
But the faint, natural fragrance from the girl in his arms seemed to cling like a stubborn pest, persistently drifting into his nose.
"...Where are you looking?"
Kikyo's voice came from above.
Cold.
Only then did Hikaru realize his gaze had somehow fallen to her open collar.
"At the path."
He said without changing his expression.
The Ghost Samurai's face naturally showed little expression anyway, which was really convenient.
Kikyo did not expose him, merely turned her head away and said nothing more.
But Hikaru had a feeling the tips of her ears were slightly redder than before.
Perhaps it was just an illusion.
...
The Shrine Hall was very quiet.
Hikaru placed Kikyo onto the tatami mat, then sat down, leaning against the pillar by the door.
He did not go inside.
After all, there is a distinction between men and women.
Even though he is a yokai now.
"Aren't you coming in?"
Kikyo's voice came from within.
"I will just keep watch outside."
Hikaru said: "Just in case there are any stragglers left."
Kikyo was silent for a moment.
"...As you wish."
Hikaru leaned against the pillar and closed his eyes.
The Demonic Qi within his body was exhausted, and he needed rest to recover.
But he did not truly fall asleep.
He was sensing the world.
Through [Spirit Vision], he could see the wandering specks of spiritual power flowing slowly between heaven and earth.
Some floated toward the direction of the shrine, being absorbed by the floating shikon jewel.
Some floated into the distance, dissipating into the horizon as dawn approached.
It was like countless fireflies dancing.
The eastern sky was getting 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 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 quite good; bathing in the demonic blood last night 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 in front of the Shrine Hall, her mouth wide open, her eyes wide with shock.
What did she see?
Hikaru followed her gaze.
The door to the Shrine Hall had 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 having just woken up.
And he himself was leaning against the pillar by the door.
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