Chapter 93: Kikyo's 'Love Rivals'
Dawn painted the sky in soft hues, casting long shadows under the shrine's covered walkway. Kobe Hikaru sat there, methodically polishing the deep purple horn of a thunder beast.
Not far away, Kikyo was methodically arranging her travel gear.
Yes, a trip. Though she was the shrine maiden of Kaede Village, Kikyo would occasionally accept commissions from neighboring villages, traveling to exorcise demons for them. This was not the first time Hikaru had accompanied her.
He was her disguised shikigami, and more intimately, her lover.
At that moment, the soft, rhythmic rasp of cloth on horn drew Kikyo's attention. Her hands, busy organizing her pack, stilled. She glanced over, her dark eyes fixing on Hikaru. He was hunched over the beast horn, whispering to it as if it were a confidant. A faint, unreadable expression crossed her face—a mixture of amusement and mild exasperation.
Since their relationship had deepened, Kikyo had come to realize she had acquired a most peculiar set of 'love rivals'. They weren't other women, nor were they alluring female demons. No, her competition was a horn, a scale, a claw, and the cursed comb he kept tucked away—the very one from which she had sealed the demonic energy, only for it to now vibrate with a life of its own all day.
The sheer patience this man—this Oni Samurai—showed these inanimate objects was something that, at times, even she, his lover, found utterly baffling.
It wasn't that Kikyo was truly jealous; Hikaru was undeniably more patient with her, and she knew without a doubt that she held the first and most important place in his heart. Her trust in him was absolute.
Still, there were moments that left her speechless.
"Are you finished?"
Kikyo walked over, her white kosode and red hakama swaying with each graceful step. The morning breeze traced the slender curve of her waist and the long, elegant lines of her form.
Hikaru looked up, carefully stowing the thunder horn away. He rose to his feet and naturally reached out, taking the bundle from her hands.
"That horn…" Kikyo began, glancing at the pack he now held. "Can it really understand what you're saying?"
"It doesn't," Hikaru answered succinctly. "But if I talk to it enough, it might feel my sincerity."
"Sincerity…" Kikyo shook her head, a small, fond smile touching her lips.
She might not grasp the logic behind his strange habits, but this was simply who Hikaru was. A paradox who could hold a conversation with a stone. A man who was 'gentle' to everything, yet could draw a blade and cut down demons—or even people—without hesitation.
He was also her lover.
He could perceive the vastness of the universe, yet still see the soul in a blade of grass. Perhaps, she mused, only by treating all things with kindness could one truly be kind to oneself.
Kikyo reached out and took his hand, her touch both familiar and natural. "Let's go. The commission from the village can't be delayed."
"Alright." Hikaru adjusted his pack, and they set off.
Their destination was a small village thirty li from Kaede Village. It wasn't a great distance, but in a world where demons roamed freely, thirty li was more than enough to become a line between life and death.
The commission itself was simple: a few minor lizard demons had taken up residence near the village's water source, fouling the wells and frightening several villagers into sickness. By Hikaru's estimation, the demonic energy these creatures possessed was laughably weak, barely at the second or third level of transformation.
For the two of them, a mission of this caliber hardly required Kikyo to even nock an arrow.
The confrontation was over before it truly began. Hikaru didn't even bother drawing a demonic weapon. With a flicker of movement, a spike of bone erupted from his arm, extending with lethal speed. In a series of fluid, economical motions, he impaled the lizard demons, pinning their writhing bodies to the muddy riverbank. The entire process was smooth, efficient, and utterly devoid of wasted effort.
The villagers were endlessly grateful, offering them the last of their eggs and brown rice as a token of their thanks. Kikyo accepted only a small portion before preparing to depart.
When she turned back, however, Hikaru was gone.
Expecting this, she followed the village path, making a half-circle around the small settlement. Sure enough, she found him beside a dry well at the village entrance.
The Oni Samurai, clad in simple gray clothes, his long, pale hair a stark contrast, was squatting beside the moss-covered stone. His palm rested on the well's rim, his expression one of deep concentration.
"Your rim is worn smooth with character," he murmured, his voice low. "It's clear the people here relied on you for a long time."
He paused, as if listening for a reply. "You may be dry now, but that's just another form of settling. Don't be discouraged. Perhaps one day the underground veins will shift, and you'll flow with water once more."
Kikyo: "…"
She stood a short distance away, watching the scene unfold. She could feel a faint twitch developing at her temple. Although she had long since understood that this was Hikaru's strange way of 'cultivating' his power, watching him be so earnest with a derelict well was… something else entirely.
"Kobe Hikaru."
Her voice, cool and clear, cut through the quiet afternoon.
Hikaru turned. He saw Kikyo standing in the dappled shade of a tree, her arms crossed. There was no discernible emotion on her exquisite face, but her eyes conveyed a single, unambiguous message: That's enough.
"Are we leaving?" Hikaru patted the well rim with a hint of reluctance. "The quality of this well is actually quite good. It's a mundane object, but it has some age to it…"
"Let's go." Kikyo stepped forward and, once again, took hold of his wrist. Her fingers were cool against his skin, yet soft. "If we don't leave now, it will be dark before we get back."
Hikaru allowed himself to be pulled along, but he didn't forget to turn and wave at the dry well. "I'll come see you again next time!"
Kikyo's pace quickened noticeably.
"Do you have to say goodbye to every single thing you encounter?" she asked, her voice laced with a dry wit.
"It's a form of politeness," Hikaru said, his tone utterly righteous. "What if I need their help one day? It's like that patch of earth from before. If you build a good relationship with them, they might just save your life at a critical moment."
Kikyo stopped walking.
She turned, her dark eyes locking onto his. "And what about me?" she asked, her voice quiet but piercing. "Are you with me just to save your life in a critical moment, too?"
Hikaru was stunned into silence. He looked at the shrine maiden before him. She asked with such earnestness; though her expression remained calm, he could see a faint, almost imperceptible vulnerability in her gaze. She trusted him, he knew, but some things needed to be heard, not just understood.
A slow smile spread across Hikaru's face, a genuine expression that made him seem more human than ever. He took her hand in his, pulling her a little closer.
"It's different," he said softly. "They are companions for a short journey."
He leaned in, his voice a low murmur meant only for her.
"You are my destination."
A visible blush bloomed on Kikyo's cheeks, spreading all the way to the delicate tips of her ears. She quickly turned her head away, letting her long, dark hair fall like a curtain to hide her profile.
"…Smooth-talker."
"Let's go," she said, but she didn't let go of his hand. Instead, her grip tightened.
The two walked side-by-side on the country path as the sun began its descent, their shadows stretching long and intertwining behind them.
[Shikon no Tama: Naohi: Favorability +1]
[It said: "I'm full from this public display of affection."]
Meanwhile.
[Horn of the Thunder Beast: Favorability +5]
[Current Favorability: 96 (Extreme Longing)]
[It is roaring. It is longing. Though the battle was short, the Bone Spike and the scent of blood you released have completely ignited its lingering fighting spirit. It no longer wants to be a dead object; it wants to become a part of you. Even if it means destruction, it yearns to bloom with thunder within your very body.]
Finally, Hikaru thought, taking a deep breath. It's almost time.
It had happened much faster than he'd expected. Perhaps it was his tireless daily 'chats', or perhaps the recent excursions to exorcise demons had allowed the horn to taste the thrill of battle once more.
Whatever the reason, the time was almost at hand.
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