Those who were truly late were like the villages they had seen along the way that had been slaughtered.
Not a single one left.
Volume 1: Chapter 69 (2/3 Seeking subscriptions) News of Yura of the Hair, the confirmed dilemma.
The battle was over.
At least, it was over for now.
Kanbe Hikaru retracted the Bone Spikes; those white, bony blades, like plants drained of water, slowly shrank back beneath his skin.
The corpses of the demons covering the ground began to turn into black smoke and dissipate.
This was the normal state for most demons after being purified by spiritual power; turbid energy gathers to form a demon, and after death, when struck by pure energy, it naturally returns to the heavens and earth. Only a small portion of demon corpses would stubbornly remain and would need to be specifically disposed of.
The torches in the village were relit.
Kikyo had already begun treating the wounded.
Her palms were covered in a faint white light, and she continuously handed out herbs covered in the glow to the women who could still move, telling them to apply them to the wounds of the injured — this was a unique medical art of the shrine maiden. Herbs mixed with spiritual power, while unable to bring the dead back to life, were enough to pull those who still had a breath left back from the gates of hell.
Kaede followed by her sister's side, helping to hand out water.
The little girl's eyes were still red, but she had stopped crying.
Kanbe Hikaru didn't go to help.
He wasn't good at those things.
He just watched Kikyo's movements, marveling at this shrine maiden's versatility in the field of'sorcery.' Whether it was Barriers, medicine, or shikigami, she was at least proficient in everything, if not a master. Even the weakness of ordinary shrine maidens — offense — she could make up for with her bow and arrow — and, she was getting stronger and stronger.
It wasn't that her spiritual power had become stronger; spiritual power, as the ability to perceive and mobilize the 'pure energy' between heaven and earth originating from the soul, was innate. In this aspect, Kikyo had reached the limit.
Whatever the limits of heaven and earth were, that was how much spiritual power Kikyo could mobilize.
Her progress was in the application of this spiritual power.
With the same arrow, previously she could only take out one demon per shot, or two or three, at most no more than five, relying more on the speed and efficiency of rapid fire. Now, however, she could take out a group with a single arrow.
Approaching the level of that strongest shrine maiden in Kanbe Hikaru's impression.
Amidst his reflection, he simply stood at the village entrance, watching the darkness outside the Barrier.
There was still Demonic Qi flowing there.
Although most of the demons that attacked tonight had been eliminated, in the distant mountains and forests, faint Demonic Qi was still gathering.
This was not the end.
It was just the beginning.
"Hey."
A muffled voice came from his chest.
Kanbe Hikaru looked down.
That red comb was vibrating slightly.
The true form of Yura of the Hair, her affection level was still negative, but it had risen from the initial -30 to around -15.
"What?"
Kanbe Hikaru took the comb out and held it in his palm.
"Want to chat?"
"Who wants to chat with you!"
Yura of the Hair's voice carried irritation.
"I just... have something I want to tell you."
Kanbe Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
This was a novelty.
From the time she was captured until now, this guy had always had an attitude of not speaking if she didn't have to, and playing dead if she could.
Today she was actually speaking up voluntarily?
"Speak."
"Those demons..."
Yura of the Hair's voice paused.
"They aren't just wild trash."
"Someone is controlling them from behind."
Kanbe Hikaru didn't answer immediately; he already knew this point.
The intelligence obtained from the Band of Seven, plus the scale of this attack, were enough to explain it.
But.
"It seems you know quite clearly?"
He asked.
Silence.
The small skull on the comb turned, as if struggling with whether to speak.
Finally, it spoke.
"Because I am also one of them."
Kanbe Hikaru's fingers paused.
"I am also a demon who was sent."
Yura of the Hair's voice became somewhat low:
"The day I attacked you, it wasn't just because I sensed the aura of the Shikon Jewel."
"It was also because someone gave me an order."
Kanbe Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Kyoto."
Yura of the Hair spat out these two words.
"An envoy from Kyoto, a Crow Tengu."
"It said that as long as I could get the Shikon Jewel, or kill that shrine maiden, I could gain the appreciation of 'that lord'."
"I could join the demon organization of Kyoto and become a subordinate of a true Great Yokai."
Kanbe Hikaru fell silent.
Kyoto.
It was Kyoto again, as expected.
The employer behind the Band of Seven was in Kyoto, and the force behind this Yura of the Hair was also in Kyoto.
It seemed that the demons over there were indeed determined to get the Shikon Jewel.
"Who is that lord?"
He asked.
"I don't know."
Yura of the Hair shook her head, the skull's head wobbling on the comb.
"That Raven Tengu didn't say, but it did mention a name."
"What name?"
"Under that lord's command, there is Kidomaru."
Kanbe Hikaru's pupils contracted slightly.
Kidomaru.
He had an impression of this name.
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