Before the torii gate of Kikyo Shrine.
Luo Shu sat on a metal crate, notebook and pen in hand, looking up at the sobbing grey wolf on the ground:
"Is that really all you know?"
"That's it, that's everything."
The wolf shuddered as Luo Shu glanced up.
Every time he'd tried to escape earlier, Luo Shu had simply looked at him.
Then, suddenly, he'd been struck by lightning, burned, buffeted by wind, frozen; occasionally, the ground would tremble, and sometimes he'd even been caught in a tornado.
After enduring so much punishment—only surviving because Luo Shu would absorb his injuries with a touch—the wolf's spirit had completely broken.
Now he just wanted a quick death, anything to escape Luo Shu's torment.
The Shikon Jewel? Killing and eating humans? None of that mattered anymore—he just wanted to die and be done with it!
"You seem to be telling the truth, but let's verify."
Luo Shu glanced at his notebook, filled with questions and the wolf's answers.
To be thorough, he planned to randomly select a few questions for rapid-fire repetition, denying the wolf time to fabricate answers.
Consistency would confirm honesty; inconsistency meant the interrogation continued.
"I'll ask you a few more questions now. Answer truthfully."
"Yes, yes, I'll answer everything."
Hearing the wolf's eager response, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes:
"When did you first notice your power fading?"
"Recently, three months, two months, I don't know! It was just recently!"
The wolf was nearly in tears, not recalling he'd already answered this:
"I sleep for months at a time! How should I know human timekeeping?!"
'Pass. So the anomaly likely began around three months ago, when yokai widely noticed power depletion...'
Luo Shu made a mental note before continuing:
"When did you discover eating humans could strengthen you?"
"Always! It always could!" the wolf frantically replied. "Human flesh soothes the spirit and slightly boosts power—especially the brain."
Luo Shu pressed further: "Any human flesh works?"
"No! Just meat only fills the stomach."
The wolf struggled to explain, his expression conflicted:
"You have to eat them right after they die, especially the head, to increase your Demon Power. Oh, I remember those so-called priests saying yokai strengthen their soul power by devouring human souls or something."
"That must be it. Eating humans makes you stronger. Huh? Wait, didn't we just discuss this?"
Luo Shu ignored him, simply ticking off a line in his notebook:
"Eating human flesh focuses on consuming the soul. Devouring souls makes yokai stronger, but the cost is becoming all gloomy and sinister-looking... Yin nourishing yang? Or perhaps soul replenishing vitality?"
"Seems the shamans from the SDS's Africa branch and those rare Channelers in Japan have people skilled in such abilities... The principle appears to involve activating soul-manipulating powers through certain inherited artefacts, a force they call shamanic power."
"Shamanic power stems from the soul. While it can be enhanced through the physical body, it can't directly strengthen the flesh. Attempting to do so contaminates the body with spiritual energy, causing physical mutations..."
Noticing this, Luo Shu glanced at the grey-furred wolf before him that periodically emitted dark, ominous energy.
"Apparently, yokai strengthen their souls by eating humans, then use that soul power to enhance their bodies. Since soul energy comes from varied sources – like consuming humans – they turn into these bizarre creatures."
"Ordinary humans don't use soul power to strengthen their bodies, probably aware of the side effects. Hence, no mutations occur?"
"Heh, that's one possible explanation."
Luo Shu closed his notebook and coolly addressed the grey wolf:
"You may leave. I'm sparing you."
"What?" The wolf froze momentarily before ecstatically scrambling to its feet and bolting into the forest without waiting for further words.
The yokai's swift reaction surprised Luo Shu.
Just then, an arrow streaked across the sky, piercing the wolf's flank with perfect accuracy.
The beast howled in agony, twisting its head in its death throes to snarl at the bow-wielding woman emerging from the trees:
"Kikyo————!!"
Instantly, the massive wolf's body underwent complete purification, leaving only an oversized grey pelt behind.
Observing this, Luo Shu tilted his head slightly as Kikyo stepped from the forest, her appearance somewhat dishevelled, and remarked with a smile:
"How come you're in such a state after just a short while apart?"
Kikyo, who'd been about to question Luo Shu's decision to release the wolf, promptly closed her mouth, shooting him an irritated glance.
The beauty's glare genuinely startled Luo Shu:
"Wait... don't tell me you noticed that wolf attacking the Shrine and came rushing to save me?"
Kikyo didn't answer. Instead, she removed her wooden geta, stepping forward in just her tabi socks until stopping five metres away, her bow now trained on him.
Luo Shu's eyes flickered, yet he remained seated motionless on the metal case.
Drawing her bowstring taut, Kikyo demanded sternly:
"Human? Or yokai?"
"Couldn't I be one of the gods?" Luo Shu quipped.
After a pause, Kikyo replied: "Unlikely. You're not ugly."
'What?'
Luo Shu blinked in confusion.
'Not ugly, therefore not a god? What kind of logic was that?'
Suddenly, Luo Shu thought of Japan's 8 million gods with their bizarre appearances, and he immediately understood something.
It seemed that not looking ugly hardly qualified one as a god from Japan.
At this moment, noticing Luo Shu seemed deep in thought, Kikyo said in a calm voice:
"Do not harm the village, do not let any more yokai escape. Other than that, I won't interfere with you."
Hearing this, Luo Shu couldn't help but laugh:
"Is this the condition for allowing me to stay here?"
Kikyo nodded, then looked at Luo Shu with serious eyes:
"You're strong, so it would be best if you stayed here."
Kaede's Village gaining another powerful yokai exterminator would give Kikyo some peace of mind. However, she also understood clearly that a powerful exterminator like Luo Shu was unlikely to stay in one place for long.
At this thought, Kikyo paused and said, "The daimyo of Musashi Province is recruiting yokai exterminators. If you're interested, you could try your luck there."
Luo Shu was somewhat confused by now and couldn't help but retort:
"First, you allow me to stay here, then you mention the daimyo recruiting yokai exterminators... Do you actually want me here or not?"
Hearing this, Kikyo's face flushed slightly, as if she had realised the contradiction in her words.
She glanced at Luo Shu, hesitating to speak further, then silently ascended the shrine steps without another word.
Seeing her like this, Luo Shu asked curiously, "What are you...?"
Kikyo replied calmly, "Purification bath and changing shoes. Come up in half a shichen. Anything else?"
"...Nothing." Luo Shu's expression turned odd.
'You're telling me you're going to bathe - what else could I possibly have to say? Suggest I peek or something?'
Under Luo Shu's bemused gaze, Kikyo ascended the shrine steps one by one, finally disappearing inside.
Luo Shu withdrew his gaze, sitting on the metal case while staring at the distant forest scenery, though his thoughts lingered within the shrine.
'Come to think of it... was Kikyo's earlier remark an invitation of sorts?'
He found himself rather tempted to bathe as well...