The sky was like a curtain, the earth like a board, beacon smoke like pillars, and blood like a river.
Whoosh—
Amidst the howling north wind.
The young man with the greatsword, Bankotsu, stabbed Banryu into the ground and let out a long breath.
"Finally finished."
"Big Brother, this job was really easy."
The feminine Jakotsu sheathed his bendable long blade and licked his lips.
"With just this many people, it wasn't even enough for a warm-up."
"Ga!"
The iron-clad Ginkotsu made a mechanical sound, as if in agreement.
"Heehee... what did that big shot say again?"
The short Mukotsu emerged from the toxic mist, an inexplicably terrifying smile on his face: "I think he wanted us to kill everyone here?"
In the distance, Kanbe Hikaru, relying on his superior demon hearing to catch these words, narrowed his eyes.
Kill everyone?
"That's right."
Bankotsu nodded, casually wiping the blood off Banryu: "The 'noble's' order was exactly that."
"Not just this army, but even the territory of that Suda Shigenobu, who hired us in the first place, must be dealt with as well."
Suda Shigenobu.
Kanbe Hikaru recognized the name.
That was the lord he had killed a few days ago.
This group, it sounded like, had initially been hired by that guy—but were hired by someone else in the middle of it?
"What a pity."
Renkotsu spoke from the side, a hint of regret on his monk-dressed face: "We arrived a step too late."
"That Suda Shigenobu has already been killed."
"Supposedly, it was done by a guy named 'Kanbe Hikaru'."
"Who?"
Jakotsu asked curiously.
"I don't know."
Renkotsu shook his head.
"I only know it's a demon following a priestess; sounds like some priestess's shikigami."
"He cut off Suda Shigenobu's head with a single strike and even hung it at the city gate for public display."
"The people in the city are going crazy with rumors, saying some 'Ghost God has descended upon the world'."
Bankotsu sneered: "Ghost God?"
"Interesting."
"When there's a chance, I'd like to meet this fellow."
Kanbe Hikaru did not speak.
He just listened quietly.
Relying on his demonic hearing, he listened from afar as those seven people chatted and laughed amidst the pile of corpses.
"By the way, Big Brother."
Jakotsu suddenly remembered something: "There's a village over there that worships a toad, it's quite interesting—although it's not within the scope of our mission, since we're idle anyway, should we make a special trip to take care of that place too?"
Kanbe Hikaru's expression tightened slightly.
A village that worships a toad.
That was—
"Oh?"
Bankotsu raised an eyebrow: "An interesting village? How so?"
"Well."
Jakotsu smiled, a smile that seemed pure and innocent, looking out of place on the bloody battlefield and becoming even more hideous due to the scent of blood: "Those villagers are really interesting."
"They seem to be worshipping a demon."
"What demon?"
"It seems to be... the Ghost God, Kanbe Hikaru? Probably the same so-called Ghost God who killed Suda Shigenobu."
Silence.
On the hillside, two figures paused simultaneously.
Kanbe Hikaru's hand was already pressed against his sword hilt.
Kikyo's bowstring also began to vibrate slightly.
That village.
Without a doubt, it was Shimura, the village they had just saved, and the villagers they had once promised to protect.
"Ghost God?"
Bankotsu laughed loudly: "That's quite a resounding name."
"Then let's go have a look and see if that so-called Ghost God will come to save them."
Kanbe Hikaru looked at Kikyo beside him.
His expression was calm, yet killing intent surfaced.
"Let's go."
He said in a low voice.
He naturally had to go and take action.
Although that village being slaughtered technically had nothing to do with him—he was never a saint and couldn't calculate every future change—if he hadn't made it in time, he could only have expressed regret.
He had already done his utmost by freeing the village from the oppression of the powerful in the short term; the subsequent chaos of war was not something a single demon could control. But since he had encountered it... Kanbe Hikaru was bound to take action.
Furthermore, he instinctively felt that the arrival of this group was related to 'himself'.
Related to Kikyo.
And with a higher probability, related to the 'Shikon Jewel'!
Kikyo did not stop him.
She just silently followed behind him.
Two figures walked down from the hillside.
One step, two steps.
Their pace was not fast, but it was steady.
"Hmm?"
Jakotsu was the first to notice something was wrong.
He turned his head and looked toward the hillside.
"Big Brother, someone's coming."
Bankotsu also turned his head.
In his sight were two figures, one in grey and one in white and red.
The one in grey carried a long blade on his back, his pale long hair fluttering in the wind.
The one in white and red held a longbow, her black hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders.
"A priestess?"
Bankotsu's eyes narrowed: "And a... demon?"
"This combination looks familiar!"
He could tell.
The fellow in grey emitted a dense Demonic Qi.
He wasn't human.
"Whatever."
The corners of Bankotsu's mouth curled up: "Anyway, they're here to die, right?"
He pulled out Banryu and shouldered it.
The other six also entered their battle stances one after another.
Jakotsu's long blade began to wriggle, and Ginkotsu's mechanisms started to operate.
Poisonous mist began to spread around Mukotsu, and sparks flickered at the corners of Renkotsu's mouth.
Suikotsu put on his claws.
Kyokotsu swung his morning star.
The Band of Seven, the complete Band of Seven.
Facing two people.
"Who are you people?"
Bankotsu asked.
No one answered.
But Kikyo halted her steps, while only Kanbe Hikaru continued to walk forward.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Until—he stopped ten zhang away from Bankotsu.
"Just now."
He spoke.
His voice was very calm, so calm it was somewhat terrifying: "You said you were going to slaughter a village?"
"Oh?"
Bankotsu raised an eyebrow: "Why are you asking that?"
"Do you have a connection to that village?"
Kanbe Hikaru did not answer.
He simply drew his blade.
The blade light was like white silk.
The moment Muramasa left its scabbard, a bloodthirsty killing intent permeated the air.
"I said."
Kanbe Hikaru's voice was very soft: "That village is under my protection."
"Whoever wants to touch them—"
He looked up, his crimson demon eyes particularly piercing in the sunlight: "I will kill."
Bankotsu was stunned for a moment.
Then he laughed, laughing very loudly.
"Hahahaha!"
"As expected, the combination of a priestess and a demon—you really are that 'Ghost God Kanbe Hikaru'? I thought you looked familiar!"
"What a coincidence!"
He lowered Banryu from his shoulder and pointed it at Kanbe Hikaru.
"I was originally looking for a chance to meet you, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourself right to me."
"Then—"
His smile became ferocious.
"Let me see just how much weight you, this 'Ghost God', actually carry!"
As the words fell, Bankotsu moved.
Banryu swung out, bringing with it a gust of blood-scented wind.
That two-zhang-long giant sword was as light as nothing in his hands.
It aimed straight for Kanbe Hikaru's vitals.
Kanbe Hikaru did not dodge.
He simply—met it head-on.
Blade and sword clashed.
Clang—!
Metal shrieked against metal, and sparks flew in all directions.
Kanbe Hikaru's body did not move, only tilting slightly.
Bankotsu's strength was immense; he was a human, yet possessed strength surpassing that of ordinary demons. He had no redundant variations; all he had was this raw, brute force.
Strength sufficient to rival a Six Transformations demon.
But, that was all.
In terms of strength, Kanbe Hikaru did not completely surpass him, but Kanbe Hikaru had more than just strength.
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