V1 Chapter 6: Kikyō

After Natsuki finished her grilled meat and was about to rest, Yae Sakura's fox ears twitched slightly. She suddenly sensed the sound of fighting coming from just outside the cave.

Yae Sakura's expression immediately turned serious.

"I sense a yokai's presence."

Finally, another encounter with a yokai!

However, glancing at Natsuki beside her, Yae Sakura hesitated.

"What's wrong, Yae-sama?" Natsuki asked anxiously, noticing her tense expression.

"A yokai is here."

"Huh?!"

A yokai?

Natsuki instantly panicked. Naturally, she was terrified of yokai, having witnessed their terrifying power firsthand. She couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Stay here and hide! I'll go check it out."

Yae Sakura had waited so long for this yokai; she wasn't about to give up easily.

"But... that... Lady Yae, please be careful," Natsuki stammered, wanting to say more. But seeing Yae Sakura's determined expression, she fell silent.

"Mm."

Nodding, Yae Sakura gripped Sakura Blossom and strode out of the cave.

Rushing to the yokai's location, she found only a young girl with a bow, locked in fierce combat against a swarm of yokai.

"Hey!"

The young girl wore a red and white miko outfit, distinct from Yae Sakura's alluring attire. It consisted of a white blouse paired with long, red hakama pants—a conservative and classic design.

A surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted from her, visibly demonstrating her terrifying strength.

"Damn miko! Why are you interfering?"

"All we did was eat a few humans!"

The yokai were being relentlessly chased and beaten by the girl, clearly at a disadvantage. Even several formidable-looking great yokai were fleeing for their lives.

"Miko... wait... she looks familiar..."

Yae Sakura watched the miko ahead, realizing her figure seemed vaguely familiar.

The miko's outfit was a standard one: a white top paired with red hakama pants.

Dark eyes, a delicate oval face, and a cascade of glossy raven hair bound by a simple white ribbon framed her refined features. She wore a traditional white and red miko robe, her cherry lips set in a firm line, yet her expression carried a hint of melancholy.

It seemed to be... no, it was one of the heroines from Inuyasha, the miko Kikyō.

Why "seemed"? Because this was reality, after all, and she differed slightly from her anime portrayal.

Still... at that moment, Yae Sakura was certain: this was indeed the miko Kikyō.

The foremost spiritualist of the Warring States Period, responsible for guarding and purifying the Shikon no Tama. With her formidable spiritual power and unerring archery, she had repelled countless yokai drawn to the sacred jewel.

But... hadn't Natsuki claimed not to recognize Kikyō?

Could it be that Kikyō's fame hadn't yet reached its peak, that she hadn't yet taken on the guardianship of the Shikon no Tama?

"Yokai... those who harm humans deserve punishment," Kikyō declared calmly, her eyes suddenly sharpening.

She drew back her longbow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at a massive Minotaur.

The arrow, imbued with intense white Spiritual Power, instantly purified the Minotaur, along with several yokai standing nearby.

"Such overwhelming Spiritual Power..." Yae Sakura was astonished by Kikyō's prowess.

But upon reflection, it made sense. Kikyō had possessed formidable Spiritual Power since birth, treading a blood-soaked path of constant slaughter and protecting villagers—a life unchanged since her earliest years.

Her strength was naturally extraordinary.

Yet...

Yae Sakura was preparing to steal some kills!

With so many yokai here, it would be a waste if Kikyō took them all down!

Watching the yokai fleeing towards her, Yae Sakura took a half-step back, crouched slightly, and gripped the hilt of her Spiritual Blade with both hands.

As the yokai closed in, she unleashed her strike:

"Quickdraw Slash!"

The most fundamental and iconic technique of Japanese swordsmanship. A massive blade of pink energy erupted, slicing through the air.

The fleeing yokai never expected an attack from ahead. Before they could react, dozens were instantly slaughtered by the blade energy.

They died without ever knowing how they met their end.

[First kill of a Mid-Tier Yokai: 5 Crystals]

[Killed 32 yokai with a single strike: 3 Crystals]

-

As expected, there were rewards...

It seemed the primary bonus came from first kills. But what about the first kill reward for low-tier yokai?

Did I not get it?

Also... if killing 32 yokai with a single strike earns 3 Crystals, would killing 100 earn 10 Crystals?

Yae Sakura still didn't quite understand.

But knowing that killing yokai yielded rewards was enough for now.

Just then...

[Bounty Mission triggered: Eliminate 10,000 yokai and one great yokai. ]
[Reward: 200 Crystals, Pet: Higokumaru]

[Accept?]

Huh? What?

A bounty mission? Higokumaru?

Could it be... wherever Yae Sakura goes, Higokumaru is sure to follow?

Are Higokumaru and Yae Sakura truly destined for each other?

They're just straight-up giving me Higokumaru as a reward...

But of course, Yae Sakura accepted.

By now, Yae Sakura had a rough understanding of the three types of missions: main quests, bounty missions, and quests.

For example, the escort mission for Natsuki was a quest.

Quests seemed to trigger when someone specifically requested her help, offering decent but unremarkable rewards.

Main quests were fixed objectives, often required to unlock new worlds, with barely acceptable rewards.

Bounty missions... how those triggered remained a mystery.

"Hmm?"

Yae Sakura suddenly sensed danger. Turning her head, she saw the miko beside her had already drawn her bow and arrow, aiming directly at her.

"Who are you? A yokai? A human? No... a half-demon."

Kikyō locked her gaze on Yae Sakura, who stood frozen in place, lost in thought. Although she detected no demonic aura emanating from her, only a powerful spiritual energy, the ears on her head clearly marked her as something other than human. She must be a half-demon.

Kikyō remained vigilant, not letting her guard down against this half-demon who had suddenly appeared and slain the yokai she had been pursuing.

Though Yae Sakura's earlier strike had been a surprise attack, its power was undeniable. Had it landed, Kikyō would have been either dead or severely wounded.

The sudden appearance of such a formidable half-demon couldn't help but make Kikyō wary. And yet... she had a strange premonition that opposing this half-demon would mean certain death.

Even so, Kikyō would never beg for mercy from a yokai.

To die in battle was a miko's destiny.

"Me?" Yae Sakura replied, meeting Kikyō's gaze with a serene smile, seemingly unfazed by the arrow aimed at her. "Just like you! A... miko!"