V1 Chapter 17: The Big Sister Beast

"Master!"

Having vanquished the yokai, the little monk cried out in anguish, staring at the mangled, blood-soaked corpse in the center of the scene.

"I'm sorry! We were too late..."

Kikyō gazed at the mangled remains, shielding Kaede's eyes from behind. If only we had arrived sooner... the Far-Reaching Onmyoji might still be alive...

"Sigh..."

Yae Sakura glanced at the corpse. There was no hope of saving it.

This world is like this...

Whether they were monks or miko, from the moment they chose this path, they had accepted the possibility of being devoured by yokai.

Even for ordinary people, facing such terrifying yokai often led to an even grimmer fate.

But this sight... it might be too cruel for Kaede to bear.

Yae Sakura watched the little girl, still trembling violently in Kikyō's arms.

-

"Yokai! Those detestable yokai! I swear I'll become the strongest Onmyoji and cleanse this world of every last one of you!"

The little monk suddenly leaped to his feet, his voice filled with venomous hatred as he roared at the sky.

"......"

Yae Sakura quickly adjusted her hat, making sure to completely conceal her fox ears. This little monk has gone mad, she thought. If he turns his anger on me, I'll be in trouble.

Since Onmyoji Ensei had died, Kikyō didn't receive the agreed-upon reward for completing the quest.

But Kikyō didn't care about the reward. She accepted these quests not for payment, but simply to fulfill her duties as a miko.

For Yae Sakura, it was even less of a concern. As long as the Crystals from the System were credited to her account, she couldn't care less about the coins.

The rewards from slaying yokai and completing quests totaled 13 Crystals, equivalent to several days' worth of gains.

In addition, she had also completed an achievement and two missions along the way:

[Achievement: Ten Thousand Monsters Slayed]

[Title: Ten Thousand Monsters Slayed (3-Star)]

[Equip Effect: Increases damage against yokai by 10%. Inflicts a terror effect on yokai below the great yokai level.]

Just like in Honkai 3rd, she could only equip two titles at a time.

The first main quest was finally complete, despite her already considerable reputation.

Now that the main quest reward of 100 Crystals had been claimed, the second main quest was unlocked:

[Main Quest: Slay a Great Yokai]

[Reward: 200 Crystals + Unlock Next Main Quest]

[Main Quest Completed]

"Huh? Huh..."

That's it? It's over? Oh my god...

Yae Sakura was genuinely astonished. Main Quest Two had been completed as well.

She claimed her reward again, netting another 200 Crystals.

[Main Quest: Defeat 15 Great Yokai (1/15)]

[Mission Rewards: 300 Crystals, grants access to a new world]
Defeat 15 great yokai? That's all it takes to unlock the next world?

Just defeat them? Not kill them? So, as long as I beat them, that's enough?

Only 15 great yokai... But where am I supposed to find 15 great yokai?!

Great yokai stand at the pinnacle of this world. There are only a handful of them known to exist, and most of those are already dead.

At this point in time, Sesshōmaru (Dog #1) and Inuyasha (Dog #2) hadn't yet reached their full potential, so they were out of the question. Naraku? He was probably still just a bandit back then...

Setsuna no Takemaru? Without So'unga, he was just a useless weakling...

Tōga-ō, the Flying Demon Moth, Ryūkotsusei, and the Panther Cat Lords... they were all dead.

Wait! Ryūkotsusei wasn't dead yet...

And Sesshōmaru's mother was also supposed to be a great yokai.

But even counting them all, it still wasn't enough...

If only I'd picked a fight with Princess Seiki when I had the chance...

That's right! I can still find Princess Seiki!

However, neither the Earth Spider nor Princess Seiki were major yokai from the Inuyasha storyline, which meant there must be plenty of other great yokai yet to appear. Thinking about it that way... it should be enough.

It wasn't a good time to accept the remaining bounty missions. If Higokumaru suddenly appeared, it would be difficult to explain to Kikyō and the others.

-

Back in Maple Village...

Yae Sakura found a secluded spot to claim her bounty rewards.

Another 200 Crystals! She'd earned over 500 Crystals today—equivalent to her entire year's income.

Oh, how I miss my Monthly Pass!

I paid for months, and now I'm not getting a single Crystal. What a ripoff...

Besides the Crystals, there was also... Higokumaru.

"Huh? Where's Higokumaru? Did I get scammed?" Yae Sakura looked around but couldn't find her.

"Big Sister! I'm here! Catch me!"

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from above. It was Higokumaru, the Big Sister Beast!

Yae Sakura glanced up and saw a small figure—she couldn't tell if it was a young girl or boy—plummeting from the sky with arms outstretched, as if expecting to be caught.

But...

Just as Higokumaru was about to land in her arms, Yae Sakura swiftly stepped back. Higokumaru crashed headfirst into the ground.

Yae Sakura cringed at the impact.

Why am I so amused by Higokumaru's misfortune?

"Ouch! Big Sister... Why didn't you catch me? Don't you love me anymore?"

Higokumaru scrambled to her feet, gazing at Yae Sakura with an utterly pitiful expression.

"Love my ass! And don't call me Big Sister!"

"Okay, Big Sister! Got it, Big Sister!" Higokumaru nodded eagerly.

-

(╯'ω')╯ ┻━┻

Yae Sakura punched Higokumaru on the head.

I regret this. Can I return her? I'd even take ten Crystals in exchange!