He said, "Killing demons is easy, but cleaning up the mess is hard. This chivalrous approach of yours, in these chaotic times..."
"I have a way."
Kanbe Hikaru interrupted him.
Nurarihyon was stunned for a moment.
"You have a way?"
"From the moment I decided to act, I had already thought of what to do."
Kanbe Hikaru looked down at the Village Chief, then looked up at the still-burning shrine.
"Do you think I wasn't aware of what would happen after killing that toad?"
He said.
"The lord will come, the officials will come, and this village will become even more miserable."
"I know all of this."
"She knows it too."
He glanced sideways at Kikyo.
The miko did not speak, she only gave a slight nod.
Nurarihyon's expression changed.
The frivolousness of watching a play vanished, replaced by an unexpected curiosity.
"Since you knew, why did you still take action?"
"Because—"
Kanbe Hikaru helped the village chief, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet; his voice was not loud, but it was clear.
"From the very beginning, I never intended to just kill that toad and then leave."
Although he had said that saving them had nothing to do with him, Kanbe Hikaru still couldn't bring himself to just walk away after finishing the job, nor was there any need to.
He had also genuinely thought of what needed to be done.
As they say, one must eradicate evil completely.
As they say, either don't do it, or see it through to the end.
He turned around to face Nurarihyon.
The firelight danced behind him, casting his pale face in flickering light and shadow.
"This village needs a 'god', right?"
"It needs something that can protect them, right?"
"It's simple."
Kanbe Hikaru grinned.
The smile was somewhat eerie in the night, yet inexplicably made people feel at ease.
"Then let us be the ones to guard this place."
"What?"
The village chief was stunned.
Nurarihyon's eyes also narrowed, a glint flashing through his golden slit pupils.
"You mean..."
"My meaning is very simple."
Kanbe Hikaru patted the Muramasa at his waist.
"This village needs a 'god' to block the lord's men, and it needs a demon to make those officials afraid to come."
"What that toad could do, I can do as well."
"And—"
"I don't eat humans."
He looked toward Kikyo.
"She doesn't eat humans either."
Kikyo did not refute him.
She just stood there quietly, her black hair drifting gently in the night wind, her pitch-black eyes revealing no emotion.
But Kanbe Hikaru knew she had agreed.
From the moment she picked up her bow and followed him out of that dilapidated hut, she had agreed.
What Kanbe Hikaru could think of, Kikyo certainly wouldn't find difficult to conceive.
Killing the demon was just the beginning.
The aftermath was the key.
"From now on, this village will be under the protection of my name."
Kanbe Hikaru said to the village chief.
"Whoever comes to collect taxes or capture people, just give them my name."
"As for whether it's useful... you will know soon, and they will know, too."
It was obvious that he was going to do something earth-shattering!
The village chief's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.
"This... this..."
Beside them, Nurarihyon watched this scene, his golden eyes blinking.
He let out a whistle.
"That's interesting, Oni Samurai."
He stared at Kanbe Hikaru, his gaze carrying a certain sense of appraisal.
"What do you call this? Acting as a god yourself?"
"But do you really have a way to force back those humans or demons with just a name?"
Nurarihyon asked, "Even if you can scare off those small fries, what if that guy comes to bring people himself?"
"Then I'll kill him."
Kanbe Hikaru's tone was very flat.
He also added, "Don't forget, just like you, I am also a demon."
Demons don't just kill their own kind; they can kill humans, too!
This was also exactly what he was going to do next.
[ shikon no tama: naohi: Favorability +2 ]
[ Current Favorability: 46 (Trust) ]
[ It conveyed a message to you: 'This is the proper attitude one should have when doing things.' ]
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