But in truth, Kikyō’s gradual lowering of her guard toward Kōbe Hikaru was not entirely due to the goodwill conveyed by the Straight Spirit within the Jewel of Four Souls.
As a Shrine Maiden, she had her own judgment.
As the protector of this village, she was also a wielder of immense Spiritual Power—the one entrusted with hope by the Elder Village Chief of the Demon Slayer Clan and deemed capable of taking his place to guard the Jewel of Four Souls.
She had always been independent and autonomous.
And in her vision, in her perception, in her understanding, this Ghost Samurai named Kōbe Hikaru was very strange.
Truly, incredibly strange.
Just as she had observed earlier.
As the Strongest Shrine Maiden of the Sengoku Period, she had encountered hundreds, if not thousands, of yōkai.
Greedy, tyrannical, cunning, hypocritical.
No matter what kind of human skin they wore, no matter how sweet their words sounded, that foul Demonic Aura and stench of blood could not be hidden.
A yōkai was a yōkai.
Their instinct was to devour, to destroy.
But the one before her…
His Demonic Aura was dead, yet his ‘intent’ seemed very much alive.
This was highly contradictory.
A Ghost Samurai was inherently an entity born from the combination of a dead person’s resentment and Demonic Aura; logically, only an instinctive desire to slaughter should remain.
But Kōbe Hikaru was not like that.
He possessed reason, judgment, and purpose.
More importantly—
When he killed yōkai, he did not hesitate in the slightest.
That clean decisiveness, that merciless stance toward his own kind, did not resemble a yōkai.
It was more like…
A Demon Slayer who exorcised demons using physical combat techniques.
Kikyō knew the Elder Village Chief of the Demon Slayer Clan and naturally had seen quite a few Demon Slayers.
The look in their eyes when they slew demons was exactly the same as the look in Kōbe Hikaru’s eyes just now.
Calm, focused, pure.
This brought a possibility to her mind.
Could this Ghost Samurai have been a human Demon Slayer with the status of a low-ranking samurai in life?
And even after death, he still retained his human consciousness?
If that was the case…
Kikyō’s gaze fell upon the Jewel of Four Souls in Kōbe Hikaru’s palm.
The Straight Spirit was glowing.
It was the light of approval.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Kōbe Hikaru’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
He handed the Jewel of Four Souls toward Kikyō.
His movements were completely natural, without the slightest hint of reluctance.
This surprised Kikyō somewhat.
She knew all too well the temptation the Jewel of Four Souls held for yōkai.
Even those high-level yōkai who claimed to possess reason would reveal greedy glares when faced with the Jewel of Four Souls.
Yet this Ghost Samurai before her…
Was actually just handing it over like this?
Kikyō reached out, her fingertips brushing against the surface of the orb.
It was warm and smooth.
There was also a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power.
The Straight Spirit was conveying a message to her.
Kikyō grasped the Jewel of Four Souls in her palm.
The orb’s glow gradually dimmed, a result of her Spiritual Power suppressing the aura it radiated outward.
“Thank you,” she said to Kōbe Hikaru.
It was her first time expressing gratitude tonight.
Kōbe Hikaru paused for a moment, then chuckled.
The scarlet eyes beneath the Red Oni Mask curved slightly, making him look somewhat…
comical?
“You’re welcome,” he replied.
“It was on the way, regardless.”
‘How could it possibly have been on the way?’ Kikyō thought to herself.
She knew very well that several entire mountains separated the Demon Slayer Village from here.
Carrying the Jewel of Four Souls along that route would undoubtedly attract the relentless pursuit of countless yōkai.
‘He calls that on the way?’
But she did not expose his lie.
She simply tucked the Jewel of Four Souls into her robes and looked at Kōbe Hikaru.
“Where do you plan to go next?”
It was a probing question.
If Kōbe Hikaru said he wanted to stay near the village, she would refuse.
After all, he was a yōkai; the villagers could never accept him.
If he said he was leaving, then she would…
what would she do?
Kikyō herself wasn’t entirely sure.
Regardless, the ‘person’ before her was, in the end, still a yōkai—an anomalous existence vastly different from humans.
“I don’t know,” Kōbe Hikaru answered straightforwardly.
“I don’t have a destination in mind.
I’m just wandering around, taking a look.”
“Taking a look?” Kikyō tilted her head slightly.
“Are you searching for something?”
Kōbe Hikaru fell silent for a moment.
He was thinking about how to answer.
‘Tell the truth?’
‘Say that I’m looking for various divine artifacts, famous swords, and barriers to farm Affinity?’
‘I’d definitely be treated like a lunatic.’
“I suppose you could say I’m looking for some things,” he said vaguely.
“Things that are…
very important and useful to me.”
Kikyō did not press the issue.
Everyone had their secrets; she understood that well.
“Then where do you plan to rest tonight?” she asked.
Kōbe Hikaru pointed toward the woods outside the village.
“Any random cave will do.”
“Ghost Samurai don’t need to sleep, do they?”
“No, but I need to recover my Demonic Power.” Kōbe Hikaru spoke candidly.
“The exertion tonight was indeed quite heavy.”
This was the truth.
Although not exactly weak, Kōbe Hikaru, who had only undergone Five Stages of ‘transformation’, could not be considered a high-level yōkai.
His Demonic Power was limited.
After continuously using [Ghost Step] and [Blood Resonance], the Demonic Power within his body was nearly bottomed out.
If he didn’t replenish it, he would be completely helpless if he encountered any yōkai tomorrow.
Kikyō looked at him.
The moonlight spilled across the side of her face, illuminating her aloof features and making her look increasingly pale and breathtakingly beautiful.
Kōbe Hikaru was slightly taken aback.
“There is an empty room in the village,” she said.
“What?” Kōbe Hikaru thought he had misheard.
‘Is this Shrine Maiden inviting me into the village?’
“I said, there is an empty room in the village,” Kikyō repeated.
“If you don’t mind, you can rest there.”
Kōbe Hikaru was genuinely shocked.
‘What kind of development is this?’
‘I’m a yōkai, and I’m being invited to spend the night in a human village?
Is this logical?’
“I am a yōkai,” he reminded her.
“I know.” Kikyō’s tone was perfectly calm.
“But you helped this village.
The villagers ought to thank you.”
“Will they agree to that?”
“I have the final say here.” Kikyō turned around, her white top and red hakama swaying gently in the night breeze.
“Follow me.”
Kōbe Hikaru stood rooted to the spot.
He looked at the notification on his interface.
‘So that conversation just now increased the Jewel of Four Souls’ Affinity again?’
‘What exactly is this orb’s judging criteria?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘But, that doesn’t matter anymore.’
The masked samurai raised his eyes, watching the Shrine Maiden walking ahead of him.
Her long, pitch-black hair swayed in the wind like a waterfall.
Her white top outlined her slender waist, and the red hakama trailing below like a skirt cast deep, captivating shadows, making her look incredibly alluring.
Indeed, it didn’t matter.
Being able to gain ‘trust’.
Gaining the trust of the Strongest Shrine Maiden of the Sengoku Period.
Furthermore, gaining the trust of the person who made his heart flutter.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a good thing.
It was definitely a huge win!
He had won the gamble.
Yes.
From the very beginning, Kōbe Hikaru knew that if he wanted to earn Kikyō’s trust, he could only rely on the Affinity of the Jewel of Four Souls in his hand.
His previous intervention and their current interaction were all part of a gamble.
A gamble that the Straight Spirit of the Jewel of Four Souls would acknowledge him due to the unlocked Affinity, thereby allowing Kikyō to sense it.
A gamble that Kikyō would trust the Straight Spirit’s judgment.
A gamble that he would survive to stand here.
Looking at it now—
He had bet correctly.
Although the fact that the Straight Spirit could speak was indeed beyond his expectations.
But the outcome was good, and that was enough.
Kōbe Hikaru lowered the hand resting on the hilt of the Muramasa at his waist and followed her forward.
The moonlight rose slowly, soaking the surroundings like frost.
As she stepped forward, the Shrine Maiden’s expression was inscrutable.
She also seemed unable to fully understand her own choice.
‘I clearly shouldn’t have invited a yōkai into the village…’ But as she gripped the Jewel of Four Souls in her hand, feeling the endless stream of pure goodwill flowing from the Straight Spirit within, she also felt that this choice was the right one.
‘The Straight Spirit of the Jewel of Four Souls makes no mistakes.’
‘This yōkai should be worthy of trust.’