"Ouch ouch ouch!!"
Chisato Nishikigi rubbed her sore bottom as she quickly scrambled to her feet after landing, assessing her surroundings and the situation.
She glanced around, seeing only endless forests and meadows with no trace of human habitation, and found herself beside a small stream.
"No way..."
The sight immediately made Chisato realise she'd been dumped in the middle of nowhere.
She dusted off her skirt, brushed away the dirt, and stood up straight:
"I expected we'd get separated, but this level of dispersal is seriously not good."
As she spoke, Chisato checked the weapons concealed on her person.
A Sig Sauer pistol, three magazines, a combat knife, a roll of medicated haemostatic bandages, plus the Emergency Escape Device and the silver metal case containing the Demon God.
Most importantly, the custom mobile signal transmitter hidden in her pocket.
Chisato first activated the transmitter, trying to locate Luo Shu and Takina Inoue's positions. But when she saw the 'no signal' display, she froze:
"No signal, no map, and stranded in the wilderness. I may enjoy Bear Grylls' survival shows, but that doesn't mean I want to star in one myself."
As Chisato muttered to herself, a long dark shadow slowly emerged from the stream behind her.
A forked tongue flicked through the air as golden reptilian eyes gazed greedily at the girl's back.
Human flesh...
In the next instant, water splashed as the Snake Demon lurking beneath the surface shot towards Chisato like a bullet from a gun.
Yet what greeted it were actual bullets.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots rang out, startling birds into flight.
The giant snake, thicker than a man's torso with legs, froze mid-lunge, its eyes widening before it collapsed limply to the ground.
With a thud.
The Snake Demon convulsed violently, its tail thrashing against the grass and leaving deep indentations.
"How dare you, human!! Why?! Why won't you let me eat you?!" the yokai roared.
Chisato turned sideways, eyeing the struggling creature with mild surprise as she twirled her pistol habitually in her right hand:
"Can talk, keeps moving after headshots... that vitality definitely marks you as a yokai."
"Not surprising to find monsters in deep wilderness, but attacking on sight? That's just rude."
"Should I interrogate it?"
As Chisato pondered, the silver bracelet on her right wrist emitted a faint glow.
Zzt— like a spark of electricity flashing through her mind.
A topographic map instantly appeared in Chisato's consciousness, with three golden dots marked with names blinking at its centre.
Additionally, icons representing village settlements appeared on the map.
"This is..."
Chisato blinked, glancing down at her bracelet before smiling:
"Thanks for the assist, Luo Shu."
"Well then, as a reunion gift..."
Chisato approached the Snake Demon with a smile, raising her pistol:
"How about you cooperate with some questions?"
Bang!!
...
"Monk? Noble? Or just a traveller?"
The aloof shrine maiden carrying a wooden quiver emerged from the forest and asked softly.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu, who had already recognised her, tentatively confirmed in a probing tone:
"Kikyo?"
To Luo Shu's surprise, Kikyo actually responded.
"It is me."
Kikyo gave a slight nod, her black eyes reflecting Luo Shu's peculiar figure.
To Kikyo, Luo Shu, in his suit and carrying a metal case, seemed utterly bizarre.
His skin was smooth, his hands bore no signs of labour, and his clothing was strange. Though she sensed no Demon Power, he appeared alone in the forested area.
It was as if he were a person composed of incongruous elements.
As for how he knew her name, Kikyo wasn't particularly surprised.
In Musashi Province, she was the only famous shrine maiden who used a bow, and this was near Kaede's Village.
After the daimyo of Musashi funded the construction of a shrine for her in Kaede's Village, those who hadn't heard of her were in the minority.
"The forest is a prohibited area. Did your master not teach you this?"
Ultimately, Kikyo tentatively categorised the man before her as a monk. Though his hair was somewhat thicker, Luo Shu's hairstyle didn't resemble that of commoners, but rather a monk who had recently returned to secular life.
"Master?"
Luo Shu was momentarily taken aback, his mind first jumping to Kirika Tachibana. But considering Kikyo's tone:
"Is the forest off-limits because of these yokai?"
He glanced at the untreated wolf pelt on the ground. Though the stench was pungent, it would make excellent bedding material.
Kikyo gave Luo Shu a strange look before wordlessly stepping forward to collect the pelt.
Though it was a yokai remnant, properly treated, it could make winter bedding for her younger sister Kaede:
"Forests, rivers, mass graves – these are places best avoided. Even common villagers know this."
Holding the pelt, Kikyo stood and regarded Luo Shu calmly:
"Though I don't know what manner of oddity you are, I'd advise against wandering about."
"Nor may you approach the village. If you've nowhere to stay, follow this path to Kikyo Shrine on the mountainside."
With that, she walked towards the village, pelt in hand and quiver on her back.
Her pace was slightly slower than usual, though no outsider would notice.
Luo Shu watched silently as Kikyo departed, only withdrawing his gaze when she entered the fenced village. Narrowing his eyes, he murmured:
"If even Kikyo is here, then this must preliminarily be the Warring States period."
"The Warring States era in Japan when yokai roamed the land..."
His expression grew slightly more serious:
"To be safe, I'll wait for Chisato and Takina at Kikyo's shrine while gathering information."
As Luo Shu turned towards the shrine, Kikyo – now within the village – glanced back towards the hillside:
"He didn't follow?"
Though she'd forbidden village entry, she'd deliberately slowed her pace. Any sensible commoner aware of the dangers would have begged protection from a renowned shrine maiden like herself.
But that strange monk silently chose to head towards the shrine.
"What a peculiar man..."
Kikyo shook her head, then walked towards her home in the village.