Chapter 17: A Shrine Maiden's Offering
The night wind whispered through the trees, a gentle sigh in the darkness.
From the base of the stone steps, Hikaru could faintly hear the voices of Kaede's parents, their words carrying on the breeze.
"Hurry up, Kaede! It's already dark and you're still out here running wild!"
"But that big brother is so handsome..."
"What big brother? That's a demon! Stay away from him!"
"He's not a bad demon! He helped Kikyo-nee-san drive away the others! And when he stands with her, they look just like a painting—so beautiful, a perfect match!"
Standing beneath the grand torii gate, Hikaru heard every word with perfect clarity. The hearing of an Oni Samurai far surpassed that of any mortal; even from dozens of yards away, their hushed conversation sounded as if it were spoken right beside his ear.
'It seems that little girl is quite protective of me,' he mused.
A perfect match, huh? That sounded exactly like what he was aiming for, didn't it?
The crimson Oni mask was still in his hand, cool and smooth against his palm. He had no intention of putting it back on. Since he had already revealed his face, there was little point in hiding it again, especially when he was so tired of wearing the damned thing.
The feeling of not seeing the sun or feeling the wind on his skin for three months had been deeply unsettling. Although an Oni Samurai didn't truly need to breathe, the psychological sense of suffocation remained. He had only been a demon for a few months, after all, while he had been human for nearly twenty years. The habits and perceptions ingrained over two decades were not so easily shed.
"Are you not going to put your mask back on?"
Kikyo's voice, calm and clear, drifted from behind him.
Hikaru turned.
Under the soft glow of the moon, the shrine maiden stood on the stone steps before the main shrine hall, looking down at him. Her white robes were like freshly fallen snow, her red hakama like a blaze of fire against the night. Her long, black hair draped over her shoulders, lifted by the gentle wind, strands occasionally brushing against the elegant curve of her neck.
From this angle, he had to admit, she was quite beautiful.
Hikaru tore his gaze away, tucking the Oni mask into the sash at his waist.
"It's too stuffy," he said simply. "Besides, my face won't scare you, anyway."
Kikyo offered no reply. She merely turned and walked toward the shrine hall.
"Follow me."
Hikaru did as he was told.
The heavy wooden doors of the shrine hall were open, revealing a spartan interior. In the center stood a shrine altar, dedicated to some unknown deity. Before it was a low table bearing an incense burner, a candlestick, and several empty offering plates. On either side of the room, paper-screen sliding doors likely led to the inner sanctum.
Kikyo moved to the altar and knelt gracefully on a meditation cushion. She didn't invite him to sit, but instead retrieved several items from a nearby cabinet.
Incense sticks.
A candle.
And—a small dish of steamed rice.
A dish of pickled vegetables.
A bowl of clear, pure water.
Hikaru watched as she placed these items one by one on the low table before the altar. Her movements were practiced and fluid, a ritual she had clearly performed countless times.
She lit the incense. The thin stick of sandalwood began to smolder, releasing a fragrant curl of smoke. Then, she pressed her hands together and began to chant in a low, melodic voice. It was some kind of prayer, a string of ancient words he didn't understand, but he could feel the faint, pure fluctuations of spiritual power contained within them.
After completing the ritual, Kikyo rose to her feet and turned to face him.
"This is for you."
Hikaru froze. For him?
His gaze fell upon the dish of rice, the pickles, the bowl of water, and the fragrant, coiling incense smoke. This entire setup...
"Is this an offering?" he asked, a note of disbelief in his voice.
Kikyo nodded.
Hikaru fell silent. He had only transmigrated three months ago, and while he'd spent most of that time in the wilderness slaying demons, he still understood some of the customs of this era. Offerings were humanity's way of expressing awe and supplication toward gods and demons alike. By presenting food and incense, they sought to appease these powerful beings, praying for their protection.
And for a demon, an offering was a genuine source of power.
The incense was the physical manifestation of human faith. When mortals offered sacrifices with a pious heart, that devotion converted into a special kind of energy. For a demon, this energy was like food to a human. It could replenish their Yao Qi and even help heal their wounds.
It was why some demons would masquerade as local gods, tricking villagers into giving them offerings. Some would even go so far as to genuinely protect human settlements, safeguarding the common folk in exchange for a steady stream of faith.
"You're making an offering to me?" Hikaru confirmed, needing to hear it again.
"Yes," Kikyo's tone was perfectly calm. "You helped this village. This is my gratitude."
"..." Hikaru didn't know what to say.
A shrine maiden, offering incense to a yōkai? The scene was bizarre no matter how he looked at it.
But he could truly feel it. A warm, gentle power was emanating from the curling wisps of incense smoke. That power was slowly flowing into his body, replenishing the Yao Qi he had expended during the battle.
The sensation was deeply comforting, like sinking into a hot spring after a long, wearying day.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. This was his first time experiencing the benefits of an incense offering. If he had known it felt this good, he might have found a village to settle in and just sponged off their faith every day.
Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. Compared to relying on the whims of others, his 'Affection System' was... well, that was also an external force, wasn't it? The pot calling the kettle black. Still, his system felt far more stable and reliable.
For the moment, however, he certainly wasn't going to refuse.
"Thanks," Hikaru said to Kikyo.
She shook her head. "I am the one who should be thanking you."
From her sleeve, she produced the Shikon Jewel. Its pale purple light swirled within her palm, casting a soft glow on her face.
"This jewel was originally supposed to be delivered to me by that old man himself," she explained, her voice softening slightly. "But he didn't make it here alive. If it weren't for you..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. Hikaru understood perfectly. If he hadn't stumbled upon the jewel, it would have likely fallen into the hands of some other yōkai by now. The consequences of that would have been unimaginable.
"Don't say that," Hikaru waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not a good person either—I'm not even human."
He tried for a small joke, but Kikyo's expression remained unchanged. The attempt fell completely flat.
Feeling a bit awkward, Hikaru cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, I already told you. Saving that old man was just something I did along the way, and delivering the Shikon Jewel was on my route, too. You don't need to take it to heart."
Kikyo simply looked at him. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of light seemed to pass through her cold, clear eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Her expression soon settled back into its usual serene calm.
"Regardless, you helped me, and you helped this village," she said, her voice firm. "I will remember this favor."
Hikaru opened his mouth, about to argue further, but then thought better of it. Instead, he just smiled.
It was a slightly stiff smile, unfamiliar on his features, but there was no artifice in it. It was clean, frank, and utterly without pretense. The honest expression formed a strange, stark contrast with his inverted black-and-white eyes, his unnaturally pale skin, and his very identity as a yōkai.
Kikyo watched this smile, and for a second, she seemed slightly stunned.
She had seen countless demons.
But she had never seen a demon that could smile so... human.
It was a smile more human than those of most people in this era, who spent their lives with their faces to the dirt and their backs to the sky, living only for the sake of survival.
[Shikon Jewel: Naohi: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 5]
[It conveyed a message to you: 'She saw the way you looked when you smiled.']
'So, this Shikon Jewel is just as superficial as Kaede, huh?'
Hikaru really hadn't expected that. If he had known, he would have taken off his mask long ago.
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