V1 Chapter 7: Lingering Intent

"A miko?"

Kikyō frowned as she regarded Yae Sakura. Something about her felt like an insult to the very profession of miko.

It wasn't Yae Sakura's half-demon status that bothered Kikyō. Though she had vanquished countless yokai, Kikyō held no prejudice against half-demons, unless they were malevolent. In fact, she sometimes pitied them.

Half-demons, born from the union of yokai and humans, often led miserable lives. Kikyō had encountered many depraved and fanatical half-demons, as well as innocent, kind-hearted ones whose lives were marked by tragedy.

But as Kikyō scrutinized Yae Sakura's attire...

It resembled a miko's robes, except for the skirt, which was shockingly short! Kikyō had never heard of such a shameless miko outfit.

Mikos were supposed to be sacred and pure. Even ordinary women wouldn't dress like this!

As a fellow miko, Kikyō found this utterly unacceptable.

"Indeed, I am a miko. But..."

"I am a miko who has slain the very god she once worshipped! In other words... a Gyakushinn Miko—a god-defying miko!"

Yae Sakura declared her status as a Gyakushinn Miko with cold indifference, as if it held no significance.

"What?!"

Kikyō's eyes widened in disbelief at Yae Sakura's words. The arrow she had aimed at Yae Sakura, now imbued with her powerful spiritual energy, shot forth.

A miko slaying the very god she worshiped? This is too dangerous!

"That attack won't be enough!"

Sword Intent: Zanshin!

Yae Sakura blinked, and suddenly everything around her slowed to a crawl.

In the game, Zanshin had been an ability that boosted her attack speed after a perfect dodge.

But now, separated from the game, Zanshin had transformed into a sword intent mastered by the Gyakushinn Miko.

It was as if she had gained the eyes of a fly, perceiving motion in infinitely finer detail. A single second, as perceived by ordinary humans, now stretched into several, perhaps even a dozen, times its normal duration.

Thus, the Demon-Sealing Arrow Kikyō had fired at Yae Sakura seemed to move with agonizing slowness.

When the arrow was barely half a meter away, Yae Sakura swiftly drew her blade...

A flash of steel...

The Demon-Sealing Arrow shattered in mid-air!

Kikyō's arrow, though imbued with her unique spiritual power, was merely a standard projectile. Against the Spiritual Blade: Sakura Blossom, it stood no chance.

From Kikyō's perspective, she only saw Yae Sakura's hand twitch slightly before her Demon-Sealing Arrow vanished.

Yae Sakura's speed in drawing and sheathing her blade was so swift that Kikyō couldn't even register it.

-

Undeterred by the failed attack, Kikyō immediately fired another arrow and turned to flee.

Kikyō was known for her tolerance, kindness, and gentle treatment of the weak, selflessly dedicating herself to others. Yet, in battle, she could remain remarkably calm, meticulously analyzing her opponent's position and the battlefield situation.

Now, fully aware that she was no match for Yae Sakura, choosing to stay and face certain death would be utter folly.

As Kikyō prepared to retreat, she remained vigilant for Yae Sakura's pursuit.

But...

"Shuryu Slash!"

Yae Sakura locked onto Kikyō and unleashed the Gyakushinn Miko's signature ability: Shuryu Slash.

With a concentrated burst of energy, she flashed forward, piercing through Kikyō's body and instantly reappearing behind her.

This ability was truly broken.

Unlike in the game, the post-game version of Shuryu Slash allowed Yae Sakura to lock onto any target within her line of sight and teleport directly behind them.

It was an utterly unreasonable and overpowered ability.

So, despite being nearly 700 meters away, Yae Sakura instantly transformed into a streak of sword light and materialized behind Kikyō.

However, under Yae Sakura's deliberate control, the sword light didn't harm Kikyō.

Yae Sakura's sudden appearance behind Kikyō caught her completely off guard. For a moment, Kikyō froze, stunned by the unexpected attack. Then, snapping out of it, she lashed out with a kick at Yae Sakura.

While Kikyō's greatest strengths lay in archery, barrier manipulation, and exorcism seals, her close-combat skills were respectable, though not exceptional.

Yae Sakura casually blocked Kikyō's kick.

As a Valkyrie renowned for close combat, how could a ranged archer possibly stand a chance? Even without her Spiritual Blade, Yae Sakura swiftly subdued Kikyō with her bare hands.

"You're defeated!"

Yae Sakura released Kikyō and stepped back. She had never intended to harm her.

"You... what do you want?" Kikyō stared at Yae Sakura in bewilderment, unable to understand her intentions. She had clearly been defeated, and Yae Sakura could have ended her with a single strike.

Was she letting me go?

"I don't want anything from you. You attacked first!" Yae Sakura shrugged, reiterating that she had never intended to hurt Kikyō.

It wasn't because Kikyō was one of the main heroines of Inuyasha. Rather, compared to Natsuki, Kikyō was undoubtedly a more alluring bait for yokai, especially when she possessed the Shikon no Tama. Countless yokai would flock to seize it.

The mission requirement of slaying ten thousand yokai could be completed quickly this way.

But... the Shikon no Tama didn't seem to be on Kikyō's person.

According to what the yokai had said earlier, Kikyō hadn't yet acquired the Shikon no Tama.

In that case, wouldn't it be more efficient to wait until she obtains it and then steal it? How much faster would that be?

Before that, however, Yae Sakura needed to maintain at least a neutral relationship with Kikyō. It couldn't afford to deteriorate further.

"..."

Kikyō gazed at Yae Sakura in silence.

She's right, I attacked first. But... a miko who slays the god she worships... isn't that inherently evil?

However, Kikyō wasn't so sure anymore. For the moment, Yae Sakura didn't seem particularly evil.

"Do you know why I killed the god I worshipped?" Yae Sakura suddenly asked, as if sensing Kikyō's thoughts.

"......"

Kikyō paused, startled by the question. Could there be more to the story? Though she remained silent, her eyes betrayed her curiosity.

"Because it was a fallen, malevolent god—not a true deity at all, but a Fox God. I used to be human myself, and I became like this because of it."

"A fallen, malevolent god..."

Looking at Yae Sakura, Kikyō wasn't entirely convinced, but her attitude had undeniably softened. If that was the reason, then Yae Sakura's actions were understandable.