The Miko named Yae Sakura was fast.
She had only detected her target when the Honkai Beast let out its first wail at the hands of the Dull Goose, and she arrived at the battlefield just as Li Zihan activated his skill.
Then, she saw crimson flames shoot into the sky, and the massive, man-eating beast was reduced to ashes in an instant.
Is he an Onmyōji?
Yae Sakura, who had heard that there were beings known as Onmyōji in Kyoto who could effortlessly obliterate demonic beasts, couldn't help but make the connection.
Unsure why an Onmyōji would appear in these backwater boondocks (?), Yae Sakura decided to hide first and observe.
And then—
"Miss Yae, or should I say, Miss Yae Sakura, would you be willing to shelter us for a night?"
The young man, who was suspected of being an Onmyōji, made his request to the Yae Sakura who was hiding behind the tree, not yet having grown her fox-like ears.
How does this Onmyōji know who I am?
Yae Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She had no idea how her whereabouts had been exposed, nor did she understand how this seemingly important Onmyōji knew her name.
"It is an honor to meet you, sir."
Since her name had been called out, it was no longer appropriate to remain hidden. Yae Sakura slowly stepped out from the shadow of the large tree.
"And you are, sir?"
---o---
"My name?"
The young man, who clearly didn't mind telling his name to someone, stated it cheerfully.
"Li Zihan."
Then, he pointed to the two people beside him and introduced them.
"These two are Seele Vollerei and Bianka Ataegina Durandal."
Hearing the string of introductions, Yae Sakura's expression shifted.
Is this a team composed of foreigners?
A man from Shenzhou who was skilled in Onmyōdō, a woman in armor who resembled a Nanban warrior, and... a foreign girl who looked somewhat delicate.
Then, how do they know my name?
Yae Sakura's slender eyebrows knitted together. While she certainly had some renown, her fame had clearly not reached the point where the entire country knew of her, let alone spread to foreigners.
And is it just my imagination?
The way that man from Shenzhou looked at her didn't seem like he was looking at a stranger.
However, Yae Sakura, who had been cooped up in Yae Village her whole life and rarely went out, was certain she had never met anyone from Shenzhou.
How strange.
"Excuse me, but how did you come to know my name?"
Unsure why the man from Shenzhou before her knew her name, or why he looked at her as if she were an acquaintance, Yae Sakura pondered for a moment before asking Li Zihan.
She chose to inquire about the situation.
"In this land, there aren't many who would dare to track a demonic beast. If we narrow down the location to the area around Yae Village, is it really that hard to deduce the Miko of Yae Shrine?"
The young man pointed to the exorcism blade in Yae Sakura's hand and smiled faintly.
So that's how it is?
Yae Sakura thought it over and nodded.
The explanation was very reasonable.
There were not many people in the Shinano province of the Far East capable of hunting down demonic beasts, and she was one of them.
If this Onmyōji—no, this Fangshi—from Shenzhou had resided in Shinano for some time and was well-informed, he could indeed easily determine her identity.
"For various reasons, I am looking for a place to stay temporarily. I would be very happy if you would be willing to shelter us for a few days."
The young man, who was remarkably handsome and had the air of a young nobleman when he smiled, gazed at Yae Sakura with his vivid, flame-like eyes and continued his request.
"I will pay a sufficient fee for our stay."
Before his words had even faded, he reached into his pocket and casually pulled out a stack of gold leaves.
The brilliant gold, symbolizing the power of money, was a bit dazzling, enough to disturb one's composure.
In all her life, Yae Sakura had never seen someone who would carry a stack of gold leaves with them while traveling, let alone dare to show it so easily to a stranger. She was momentarily stunned.
This guy... could he be some profligate young master who relies on his great strength to run around everywhere with his concubines and songstresses?!
A long while later, she managed to regain her composure.
"As for the fee, please forget it."
"If the three of you need lodging, you may stay at the Yae Shrine where I reside."
Then, she looked at the young man who seemed unconcerned about flaunting his wealth, chose her words carefully, and admonished him.
"Sir, one should not flash their wealth. Exposing your fortune so casually can easily attract the attention of villains."
Yae Sakura was a very gentle person.
Even though she had sealed off her heart after personally killing her sister on the ritual altar, her innate kindness still showed through in her daily words and deeds.
"But you are not a villain, are you?"
The young man with the vivid red eyes smiled.
"Yae Sakura is the guardian of Yae Village, a person who dares to track demonic beasts out of a mere sense of duty. Someone who would proactively protect others, I think it's highly unlikely for you to be a bad person."
"Your statement is far too subjective."
The Miko, feeling that Li Zihan's assessment was too subjective, shook her head.
To regard her as a good person based solely on rumors and impressions...
It was truly too subjective.
However, a person like this is surprisingly not unlikable, the Miko, who felt the sensation of being trusted, thought to herself.
"It is getting late. I shall lead you all to a place to rest."
The Miko, who had already agreed to provide Li Zihan with a place to stay, looked up at the dusky yellow sky and spoke to his group.
"Mhm, thank you then."
The young man, who would probably be hiding out in Yae Village waiting for a certain dopey Saintess to arrive, thanked the Miko.
However, before that, I need to go find that one who became something like an earth-bound spirit due to her lingering obsession.
The young man who had once promised Yae Sakura he would resurrect her sister thought to himself.
In the manga's plot, the girl named Yae Rin, five hundred years after her death, was still able to interfere with Yae Sakura's dreams and cry out to Theresa for help, all thanks to her obsession.
Therefore, there was no reason for her to be in a state of complete death five hundred years ago.
When I have some free time, I'll go look for that little girl.
Li Zihan, who had studied under the Second Magician, the Jewel-Wielder Zelretch, and lived in the Clock Tower for many years, was obviously not so incapable that he couldn't even find an earth-bound spirit.
Feeling that the work ahead was quite leisurely, the young man stretched lazily.
Taking the soul of the earth-bound spirit and squatting until the dopey Saintess goes splat to take her soul—such work was rather simple.
It seemed he could even squeeze out some time to use the Mystic Code of the Second Magic to supply power, have Big G and Mad Doggy reconstruct their Spiritrons, and then take the powers that were useful to him.
The young man, who was completely up to no good, thought this as he took Seele's and the Dull Goose's hands and followed Yae Sakura.