Another daybreak, the light faint and pale. Beneath the shrine's corridor, Shinji carefully wiped the purple thunder beast horn.
Not far away, Kikyō was packing for a journey.
Yes, a journey.
Though Kikyō was only the shrine maiden of Kaede Village, she occasionally accepted requests from nearby villages, traveling out to exorcise demons for other settlements.
This was not the first time during this period that Shinji had accompanied her on such trips.
…As her disguised familiar, and more intimately, as her lover.
Right now, listening to the sounds from nearby, Kikyō paused in her movements. Her dark eyes glanced at Shinji, who was murmuring to an animal horn.
That look was somewhat strange.
A mix of amusement and exasperation.
Since the time they had established their relationship, Kikyō had found herself with an unexpected group of "rivals in love."
Not other women, not even female demons.
But a horn, a scale, a claw, and the comb in his robe, sealed of its demonic power, now only capable of vibrating incessantly.
This man, this demon, sometimes showed more patience with these objects than she, his lover, could fathom.
Kikyō wasn't truly jealous, of course. Shinji was undoubtedly more patient with her, placing her first, she had absolute trust in him as well.
Still, exasperation lingered.
"Ready?" Kikyō walked over, her white robes and red hakama swaying gently with her steps. The morning breeze traced the slender curve of her waist and the long, faint contours beneath her hakama.
Shinji looked up and put away the thunder horn.
"Ready." He stood and naturally reached to take the bundle from Kikyō's hand.
"That horn…" Kikyō looked at his bundle. "Can it really understand you?"
"No." Shinji answered bluntly. "But if I talk to it enough, it might sense my sincerity."
"Sincerity…" Kikyō shook her head.
Though she didn't understand some of the strange words he used, this was Shinji.
A freak who could chat with stones.
A being who was "gentle" to all things, yet could wield a blade to slay demons even kill people.
And also her… lover.
He could grasp the vastness of the universe, yet still see the depth of the grass.
Only by treating all things well could one treat oneself well.
Kikyō believed this too.
She then took Shinji's hand, naturally saying,
"Let's go. That village's request can't wait."
"Alright." Shinji stood up and put his things away.
That village was thirty miles from Kaede Village.
Not far, but in this demon-ridden age, thirty miles was enough to separate life from death.
The request was simple: a few insignificant lizard demons had taken up residence near a water source, contaminating the well water and frightening several villagers.
By Shinji's classification, those demons were likely only at the second or third transformation level.
For the two of them now, that kind of task didn't even require Kikyō to draw an arrow.
The battle ended quickly.
Shinji didn't use any of his demonic artifacts at all. He simply extended his bone spurs and pinned the few lizard demons to the riverbank.
The whole process was fluid, without any unnecessary movement.
The villagers were endlessly grateful, offering up their last eggs and brown rice as thanks.
Kikyō accepted only a portion, then prepared to leave.
However, when she turned around, she found Shinji had disappeared.
She walked half a circle along the village path, already knowing where to look, and found him by an old, dry well at the village entrance.
The grey-clad demon warrior with white hair was crouching beside the moss-covered well, his palm pressed against its rim, his expression focused.
"That wear on your rim has a lot of character. Looks like you were used often back in the day."
"Even though you're dry now, that's still kind of accumulation over time"
"Don't lose heart. Maybe the underground water vein will connect someday and you'll flow again."
Kikyō: "…"
She stood not far away, watching this scene. The corner of her forehead seemed to twitch slightly.
Though she had long realized Shinji was "training" this way to increase his power,
Watching him speak earnestly to a dry well…
"Shinji." A cool voice rang out.
Shinji turned to see Kikyō standing in the shade of a tree, her arms crossed. Sunlight dappled her figure. Her delicate face was expressionless, but her eyes clearly said, "Enough is enough."
"Time to go already?" Shinji reluctantly patted the well's rim. "This well's quality is actually pretty good. Though it's an ordinary object, it has some years on it…"
"Let's go." Kikyō walked over, reached out, and took his wrist again.
Her fingers were cool but soft.
"Any later, and it'll be dark."
Shinji let her pull him along, still turning back to wave at the dry well.
"I'll come see you again!"
Kikyō's pace noticeably quickened.
"Do you have to say goodbye to everything you meet?"
"It's called courtesy." Shinji said with complete conviction or rather, conviction without reason. "What if I need them someday? Like that land. Build rapport in normal times, and in critical moments, it can save your life."
Kikyō stopped.
She turned to look at Shinji.
"And me?" she asked.
"Hmm?"
"With me, is it also to save your life in critical moments?"
Shinji paused.
He looked at the shrine maiden before him.
She asked very seriously. Though her expression was still calm, there was a faint nervousness in her eyes.
She trusted him, but she still wanted to know the answer.
Some things, being understood without words was different from saying them directly.
Shinji smiled. His smile was more alive than before.
He took Kikyō's hand in return and pulled her closer.
"Different," he said. "They are companions for a short journey."
"You are my destination."
Kikyō's cheeks visibly reddened, the flush spreading to the tips of her ears.
She turned her head away, her long hair falling to cover her profile.
"Smooth talker."
"Let's go."
Despite her words, she didn't let go of his hand. Instead, she held it tighter.
They walked shoulder to shoulder on the evening path. Their shadows stretched long, overlapping.
[Shikon Jewel · Pure Spirit: Affection +1]
[Current Affection: 71 (Intimacy)]
[It says: "I'm full of this lovey-dovey stuff."]
At the same time.
[Thunder Beast Horn: Affection +5]
[Current Affection: 96 (Extreme Desire)]
[It is roaring. It is craving. Though the battle just now was brief, the bone spurs and blood energy you released have fully ignited its remaining will to fight. It no longer wants to be a dead object. It wants to become part of you. Even if it means destruction, it wants to unleash lightning within your body.]
Finally, almost there.
Shinji took a deep breath.
Much faster than anticipated. Perhaps it was because he tirelessly "talked" to it every day, or perhaps because the few recent excursions to exorcise demons had made it feel the thrill of battle.
Either way, the moment was near.