V1 Chapter 16: Slaying Ten Thousand Yokai

"Kikyō-chan, wait for me! I'm coming!"

After a quick wash, Yae Sakura rushed to Kikyō's side.

"You don't need to hurry so much. I wasn't going anywhere. I'll never understand your obsession with these quests," Kikyō said with a faint shake of her head, watching Yae Sakura's breathless arrival.

"What's the mission this time?" Yae Sakura asked, her eyes gleaming. Crystals, primarily obtained from yokai and quests, were too valuable to pass up.

For some reason, the System seemed to automatically pair her with Kikyō whenever they worked together on quests. Completing quests with Kikyō always yielded bonus rewards.

"We just received a request from Onmyoji Ensei to purify the Demons before they break free from their seal," Kikyō explained.

In a neighboring village, Onmyoji Ensei was renowned for his spiritual power. The temple he guarded sealed away a multitude of yokai.

A few days ago, Onmyoji Ensei had battled a powerful yokai, sustaining severe injuries. As a result, the temple's seal had begun to weaken. The Demons would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to escape their confinement and wreak havoc on the human world.

That's why they had summoned Miko Kikyō, now widely celebrated for her abilities, to purify the yokai.

"Purify the Demons?"

Perfect! I was just wondering how I'd grind the remaining yokai, and here they come...

Over the past year, Yae Sakura had been diligently completing missions. As a result, there were hardly any yokai left in Musashi Province.

Even those that remained were hiding themselves exceptionally well.

The only ones left were the yokai that had been sealed away. This mission was perfectly timed to complete her bounty.

Yae Sakura hadn't been idle during this time. She had largely mastered her swordsmanship and skills, and had also sought guidance from Kikyō, the miko, to learn her sacred arts.

She was particularly interested in Kikyō's barrier techniques.

The powers she had acquired from the Valkyrie and the Gyakushinn Miko were primarily offensive skills, leaving her lacking in other areas.

Kikyō, however, as a traditional miko, was well-versed in all aspects of spiritual practice, including exorcism, barrier creation, sealing, blessings, and funerary rites.

These were precisely the skills Yae Sakura needed to develop. She had therefore followed Kikyō around with Kaede, Kikyō's younger sister, to learn from the miko.

Progress, however, had been slow. She had only scratched the surface of these ancient arts.

"Let's go," Kikyō said calmly, seeing that they were ready.

"Huh? Kaede's coming too?" Yae Sakura suddenly noticed that Kaede, the young miko who had woken her up, was also carrying luggage as if preparing to join them.

Normally, Kikyō wouldn't bring Kaede on exorcism missions like this.

"Yes, it's time she gained some firsthand experience," Kikyō replied.

"I suppose so," Yae Sakura conceded. Though Kaede was still young, adulthood was only a few years away.

And then... this particular quest...

[Quest Received: Purify the Demons]

Reward: 3 Crystals

Three Crystals—not bad at all!

Onmyoji Ensei's village wasn't too far from Maple Village, but it wasn't exactly close either—about ten kilometers away.

Yae Sakura followed Kikyō, who was leading Kaede, and the journey took them nearly two hours.

Along the way, they encountered hardly any yokai. Yae Sakura would have welcomed a fight, but by now, every yokai in Musashi Province, and even those in neighboring lands, knew about the half-demon miko who specialized in slaying yokai.

In the past, many foolhardy yokai had dared to challenge her, but now they fled at the mere sight of her.

Yae Sakura didn't kill every yokai she encountered. She only targeted those who had harmed humans, as these yokai carried a malevolent aura that left her with no hesitation.

As for benevolent yokai, Yae Sakura generally ignored them. Otherwise, she would have wiped out ten thousand of them long ago.

What puzzled Yae Sakura was this: despite her widespread fame, why hadn't her main quest been completed yet?

She couldn't figure it out at all!

"Kikyo-sama, Yae-sama, you've finally arrived! The abbot is barely holding on. Please, follow me!"

As Kikyo, Yae Sakura, and their companion approached the temple, a little monk spotted them and rushed forward, his face etched with urgency.

"Alright," Kikyo replied without hesitation. She and Yae Sakura followed the little monk toward the temple.

"Ensei, you're gravely wounded, yet you still dare to recklessly stand in our way! You insolent fool!"

"We must devour him! Devour him!"

In the center of the temple stood a Golden Pagoda, seven or eight meters tall. Within its golden walls swirled an endless black miasma, filled with dark and furious voices roaring to break free.

The pagoda trembled violently, as if on the verge of collapse.

"Amitābha!"

An elderly Onmyoji with a shaved head sat cross-legged before the pagoda, rhythmically striking a wooden fish drum. A golden light seemed to radiate from his body, suppressing the pagoda's restless energy.

Suddenly, the old Onmyoji's face turned ashen, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The drumming ceased.

"Ha! Still clinging to life with unhealed wounds!"

"The pagoda is shattered! We're free!"

"Liver... We crave fresh liver..."

Cracks spread across the Golden Pagoda's surface, widening rapidly. Then, with a deafening roar, the pagoda exploded. Hundreds of yokai burst forth from the wreckage—all those Ensei had painstakingly captured over the years, now unleashed in a vengeful swarm!

"Karma..."

Watching the pagoda crumble, Ensei barely managed a sigh. He pressed his palms together, resigned to his fate.

For years, he had sought to redeem these yokai, guiding them toward enlightenment within the Buddhist Sect. Instead, he had only amplified their malice.

"Become one with us, Ensei!"

As Yae Sakura and her companions stepped into the temple's front hall, the ground trembled violently, and the air instantly filled with a dense demonic aura and toxic miasma.

"Something's wrong!"

Kikyō and Yae Sakura exchanged a glance and swiftly rushed into the temple's inner courtyard, only to find...

A horde of Demons feasting on a Onmyoji...

"Purifying Arrow!"

Kikyō immediately drew her bow and fired a single, piercing shot.

Yae Sakura watched in disbelief. Kikyō was stealing her kill! They had agreed that since there were so many yokai, she would handle them herself.

"Zero Void Three Slashes!"

Without hesitation, Yae Sakura unleashed three massive waves of Sword Force, each tens of meters wide, and locked onto the central demon.

Shuryu Slash...

Then, the Mark of Killing Intent... erupted!

The inner courtyard instantly flooded with Sakura Sword Force, obliterating every last yokai.

[Achievement Unlocked: Slayed Ten Thousand Yokai]

[Received Crystals: 10]

[Bounty Mission Completed]

[Main Quest Completed]