"Forget it."
Kamaitachi said, "Although it's interesting, it's time to end this."
"That bead—"
Its gaze passed over Kobe Hikaru and landed on the shikon jewel, which was suspended in mid-air and shrouded in multiple layers of seals by Kikyo.
"I want it."
Boom!
Before the gale even rose, the venting shockwaves caused the entire shrine and even the ground to tremble.
Kobe Hikaru knew he couldn't block it.
But he did not dodge.
He simply—opened his mouth.
"old locust tree," he shouted.
"Big rock."
"Water well."
"Thatched cottage."
"Hoe."
He was calling out those names.
The names of the things he had 'visited' every day for the past few days.
Kamaitachi froze for a moment.
Had this little yokai gone mad?
Muttering about this nonsense before his death?
But the next moment—it knew it was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Because those things being called... had actually responded!
The ground began to shake.
The two-hundred-year-old locust tree at the village entrance, its shadows swaying, actually began to move against the wind, obstructing the flow of the wind.
The big rock that Kobe Hikaru talked to every day actually rolled on its own, blocking Kamaitachi's charge path.
A large column of water gushed out from the water well.
The timber from the abandoned thatched cottage flew up, shooting out in all directions like hidden weapons.
Even the discarded hoe stood up shakily.
The wind was reduced layer by layer.
Kamaitachi's speed was forced to slow down.
It dodged left and right, avoiding those 'enemies' that had suddenly attacked.
But there were too many of these things.
And they were coming from all directions.
"This is..." For the first time, shock appeared in Kamaitachi's voice.
A reaction even stronger than when it had previously seen his unusually dense demonic energy!
"What is going on!?"
It looked at Kobe Hikaru.
Impossible to understand, impossible to fathom.
The blood-covered Oni Samurai stood in place, a curve hooking at the corner of his mouth.
Watching the notifications on the system panel in front of him jumping crazily, he also suddenly smiled.
[old locust tree: Favorability 15, it heard your call, and it is willing to help you.]
[Big rock: Favorability 12, it heard your call, and although it was a bit difficult, it still moved.]
[Water well: Favorability 18, it heard your call, and it is very happy to be of help.]
[Abandoned thatched cottage: Favorability 12, it heard your call, and it is doing its best.]
[Hoe: Favorability 9, it heard your call, and it is trying hard.]
Looking at these notifications, Kobe Hikaru couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Yes.
These were the results of him going to talk to those flowers, trees, stones, and water wells every day for the past few days.
These were actually his backup plan to deal with tonight.
At this moment, tonight, it was not only Kikyo who had prepared thoroughly.
He had known about Kikyo's operation tonight from naohi three days ago, and he had long planned to participate.
Naturally, he would prepare in advance!
Volume 1: Chapter 27: When the time comes, heaven and earth work together; the effect of high favorability; the suppressed wind
Kamaitachi's momentum was forced to interrupt.
It dodged left and right, avoiding those 'enemies' that had suddenly attacked.
As if intensifying—
The leaves and branches spread out by the old locust tree were like a screen, blocking the wind; although Kamaitachi's momentum was massive, those gaps perfectly diverted the wind.
The big rock rolled to block the path; although it was slow, its advantage was that its volume was large enough to be a nuisance.
The water droplets gushing from the water well splashed and scattered; although the penetrating power was not enough to pierce Kamaitachi's fur, the thick moisture made the air a bit heavier.
The timber from the abandoned thatched cottage flew and shot in all directions; those rotten woods could not hurt a Qualitative Transformation yokai at all, but they rushed forward one after another, as if tireless.
Even the hoe... it stood up, unable to even touch the edge of Kamaitachi, but it was still trying hard.
It was also like a weather vane, pointing directly at Kamaitachi's 'core'!
"What on earth is going on!?" Kamaitachi's voice was full of confusion and anger.
It was the wind. It controlled the wind.
Theoretically, anything blown by the wind should be under its control.
But these things... they were resisting.
That weak power was not enough to hurt it, but it was truly blocking its steps forward.
Kobe Hikaru looked at the numbers jumping on the panel.
[old locust tree: Favorability 15, is trying its best to block the enemy. It tells you that for the first time in two hundred years, someone has talked to it every day, and it is very happy.]
[Big rock: Favorability 21, is trying hard to roll. It says it is just a rock and can't do much, but it is very satisfied to be able to help.]
[Water well: Favorability 18, is spraying water. It indicates that this is the first time it has been useful since it was dug, although not for drawing water.]
Looking at these notifications, a strange feeling of being moved welled up in Kobe Hikaru's heart.
This was the effect of favorability.
Although these things had not reached the level of unlocking talents—that required at least full favorability, 100 points.
But as long as the favorability was high enough, they would respond to his call.
This was incredible.
Because these things were not yokai themselves.
They had no consciousness, no thoughts, and couldn't even be considered to be "alive" in the most basic sense.
But they—were actually 'breathing' too.
This was the secret Kobe Hikaru had discovered over the past few days.
All things have spirits.
This was not just empty talk.
The energy between heaven and earth is divided into clear and turbid. Turbid energy sinks and gathers to become yokai, while clear energy rises and condenses to become spirits.
And those ordinary stones, trees, and water wells, although they could not absorb turbid energy to become yokai, and although they had no self-consciousness, they could absorb the thin spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth day after day.
Very thin. So thin it could almost be ignored.
But it did exist.
The two-hundred-year-old locust tree had accumulated two hundred years of spiritual energy.
A big rock that had been lying in place for who knows how many years also had its own "breathing."
These things could not move on their own, nor did they have autonomous consciousness.
But when someone continuously communicated with them, continuously gave them attention, and continuously made them feel cared for.
The insignificant spiritual energy inside them would resonate.
Kobe Hikaru's favorability system was essentially establishing this resonance.
He didn't need them to be powerful.
He only needed them—to listen to him.
"Awooo—!" Kamaitachi roared angrily.
It opened its mouth, and a gale gushed out from the depths of its throat, cutting all those leaves to pieces.
The leaves and branches of the old locust tree scattered.
[old locust tree: It is injured, but it says it doesn't matter, the roots will grow back anyway.]
Kobe Hikaru gripped the hilt of his sword.
Enough.
These things had bought him enough time.
It's my turn.
He thought to himself.
The blue bricks under his feet shattered, and [Ghost Step] was activated.
An afterimage flashed and vanished in the air.
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