Chapter 70: A active Strike and the Lightning of Suruga
Hearing Hikaru's words, Kikyo paused in her work. She had just finished preparing the last bundle of medicinal herbs and turned to look at him, her movements precise and deliberate.
"Intelligence?"
"Yes." Hikaru gave a curt nod, proceeding to recount the information he had just extracted from Yura of the Hair.
The Kyoto faction. Four high-level yokai, closing in from four directions. And a single name that carried a chilling weight—Kidomaru.
Kikyo's brow furrowed slightly.
"Kidomaru..." she repeated, her voice laced with a gravity that confirmed Hikaru's suspicions.
"You know him?"
"I've heard the name," Kikyo confirmed, rising to her feet. She wiped the bloodstains from her hands with a clean cloth. "I just never expected that such an ancient existence was still alive."
Hikaru nodded. That matched what little he knew. "What are your thoughts on these four vanguard leaders?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.
Kikyo fell silent for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the wounded village. The protective barrier had been shattered, its residual spiritual power now little more than shimmering motes drifting in the night air. Some villagers were still tending to the injured, their movements slow with exhaustion. Others were cleaning the debris-strewn paths, while a few simply sat on the ground, their eyes vacant, still lost in the horror of the attack.
"If this intelligence is true..." Kikyo began, her voice low and steady, "a purely defensive strategy won't hold for long."
She let the implication hang in the air. "Tonight, we faced only common yokai. If those four vanguards decide to take action personally..."
She didn't need to finish. Hikaru understood perfectly.
Four high-level yokai. And these were beings that even Yura of the Hair, a demoness in her own right, described as "high-level." By his own internal classification, they were all at least at the Qualitative Transformation stage.
After all, Yura herself had completed six evolutionary transformations. Though her true form was an inanimate object, making her relatively weak among peers of the same rank, any yokai she deemed "high-level" would possess a demonic power far exceeding her own.
In comparison, while Hikaru was now stronger than Yura, he was only at the peak of his Six Transformations. He had yet to achieve a Qualitative Transformation. He could perhaps match an average yokai who had undergone seven, but it was a mere comparison, not a true step into that world of power.
And Kikyo, for all her immense strength—her spiritual power so vast it seemed bound to the heavens and earth themselves—was limited by her physical body. She was, after all, human. For a priestess, the mortal vessel was always the greatest vulnerability. If she were ambushed or besieged, it would be all too easy for an enemy to exploit that weakness. Her margin for error was perilously thin.
If four yokai of the Qualitative Transformation level were to attack simultaneously, they might be able to block them, perhaps even repel them. But protecting the entire village in the process would be another matter entirely.
"So," Hikaru stated, his own plan already solidified, "we take the initiative."
Kikyo's gaze sharpened, locking onto his. "You mean..."
"Instead of waiting for them to come to us, we go to them." Hikaru's voice was calm, devoid of any bravado, presenting a simple tactical assessment. "This so-called Kidomaru is attempting to encircle us from four directions. But from another perspective, doesn't that mean his forces are isolated from one another?"
"Rather than wait for them to converge, we strike first. We take them out, one by one."
Defeat them in detail. It was a classic strategy, and one that perfectly suited Hikaru's pragmatic style. He was never one for passive defense; he preferred to be the one on the attack.
Kikyo didn't answer immediately, her mind carefully weighing the feasibility of his proposal.
"The risk is great," she said finally. "If we leave, what becomes of the village?"
"We don't both have to leave." Hikaru shook his head. "You stay. I'll go."
"What?"
"Your spiritual power is the village's greatest safeguard," he explained logically. "As long as you are here, the lesser demons won't dare to approach. Besides, you're still human. Even with your mastery of sacred arts, your mobility can't compare to mine as a demon. If I go alone, I'm a smaller target and can move more freely."
He laid out the rest of his plan. "I will find the locations of those four vanguards and eliminate them individually. I only need you to provide long-range suppression when necessary, Kikyo."
Her frown deepened. "You intend to go alone and face these demons—these beings you said have completed at least seven mutations and reached the Qualitative Transformation level?"
"Not alone." Hikaru produced the small red comb from his robes, a faint smirk touching his lips. "I have this one. She has information, and that's enough."
"Who wants to help you!" Yura of the Hair's shrill voice screeched from the comb. "I never said I'd go with you to die!"
Hikaru ignored her protest, his attention fixed on Kikyo. "She should know the general whereabouts of the four vanguards. With her as a guide, we can save a great deal of time."
Kikyo's eyes shifted from the indignant comb to Hikaru's determined face. She remained silent for a long moment, the crackling of the nearby bonfires filling the space between them.
"Are you certain?"
"I am," Hikaru affirmed with a nod. "And..." He paused, his expression hardening. "Those four vanguards aren't necessarily all hiding in the mountains."
"What do you mean?"
"Yura said the Kyoto faction wants to create resentment," Hikaru reminded her, his eyes narrowing. "Where does resentment come from?"
"War... slaughter..." Kikyo's expression shifted as the realization dawned. "And fear within human cities."
She understood his implication immediately. Those four vanguards might not be solely focused on encircling Kaede Village. They could be engaged in other activities.
For example, attacking human settlements. Manufacturing more hatred and despair.
"At a time when two countries are at war, that is indeed a strong possibility," Kikyo conceded, her brow tightly furrowed. If that were the case, they had no choice but to act, and quickly.
Hikaru spoke again, his tone final. "In any case, I will scout the nearest direction first. If I find the trail of a vanguard, I will deal with it. If not... I can at least confirm the situation."
Kikyo considered his words, the logic unassailable. Finally, she gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"Be careful," she said, her voice soft but firm. She then added, with a sincerity that connected deeper than any spell, "I will wait for your return."
A genuine smile touched Hikaru's lips, his expression growing more vivid, more human. "Rest assured. I will come back."
[Shikon no Tama: Naohi: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 57 (Trust)]
[It conveyed a message to you: She is worried about you.]
[Please also come back safely.]
Hikaru glanced at the familiar panel, a flicker of warmth passing through him. Then, without another word, he turned and melted into the shadows of the night.
Meanwhile, to the west of Musashi Province, lay Suruga Province—the domain of the Imagawa Clan.
The night sky, which should have been a blanket of impenetrable black, was violently torn asunder by a dazzling, unnatural light.
Lightning.
CRACK-BOOM!
A tremendous peal of thunder exploded overhead. A bolt of jagged purple lightning descended from the heavens, striking a massive, ancient tree just outside the city walls. The gnarled giant, which had stood for centuries, was instantly carbonized, erupting into a pillar of soaring flame.
"It's here again..."
On the city wall, the soldiers on night watch exchanged uneasy glances. This was the third consecutive day.
Ever since the notorious Band of Seven had been shattered on the battlefield—four of their members slain, the remaining three driven back—the Imagawa Clan had regained the upper hand in their war against the Hojo. But just as victory seemed within their grasp, these frequent anomalies had begun to plague their headquarters.
Every night, without fail, the lightning would fall. And each time, it brought with it significant losses.
The first day, it was the shrine outside the city.
The second, the armory within the walls.
Tonight, it had struck a corner of the main citadel, the castle's central keep—the Tenshukaku.
After every strike, people would go missing. Sometimes one, sometimes two or three. But without exception, none of the missing ever returned.
"What in the world is this thing...?" a soldier's voice trembled. "Could it be... a demon?"
No one answered. In their hearts, they all knew. This was no normal weather phenomenon.
At the very top of the Tenshukaku, inside the main citadel palace, Imagawa Yoshimoto sat up sharply on her tatami mat. Her face was a shade too pale, and a fine sheen of sweat beaded on her forehead.
"I had that dream again..." she whispered to the empty room.
In the dream, she saw a shadow. A lone figure standing amidst a storm of lightning. The shadow held a long sword, its form a blur as it danced through the electrical fury. Sword light and lightning intertwined, as if the blade itself were slicing through the bolts.
She could never see the figure's face clearly. She could only make out two haunting details—pale, long hair, and a pair of piercing crimson eyes.
"My Lord," a maid's voice called softly from outside the door. "There is lightning again..."
Imagawa Yoshimoto rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the phantom images. "I know."
She rose from her mat and walked to the window. As she watched, another bolt of lightning seared across the sky, illuminating the entire city in a stark, momentary flash. Holding her breath, Yoshimoto felt a cold resolve settle over her.
"Pass the order down," she commanded, her voice sharp and clear. "Right now. Immediately summon all the mages—I want them to tell me their results this instant!"
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