"So slow..."
Beneath the sacred tree at Kikyo Shrine.
Fumonshichi, chewing on a blade of wild grass, looked puzzled at the dark void before him:
"How long has Director Luo been inside?"
Beside him, Kikyo continued sweeping the shrine grounds calmly without responding, her broom moving steadily through the dust.
Meanwhile, Yukari Oikawa—who was helping Kikyo sprinkle water on the ground—glanced at Fumonshichi with an indifferent expression and said:
"No one asked you to wait here, kid."
Hearing this, Fumonshichi wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he chuckled and said:
"But no one said I couldn't wait here either!"
After speaking, Fumonshichi turned to Tsurara Oikawa with a grin:
"Though come to think of it, as an executive of the Nura Clan, shouldn't you be out collecting useful Abyss Artefacts for them? What are you doing here, helping little Kikyo with cleaning?"
"Could it be... you're trying to steal her away? Planning to lure little Kikyo from the SDS into the Nura Clan?"
"You've got quite the mouth, kid."
Yukari Oikawa narrowed her eyes, covering her lips with her wide sleeve as she gave Fumonshichi a dangerous look, clearly ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
Meanwhile, Kikyo merely glanced at Fumonshichi upon hearing this but showed no intention of engaging. Having travelled extensively for shrine maiden training since childhood, she was no fool - she'd encountered plenty of people with personalities like Fumonshichi's before.
If you ignored them, they'd eventually quiet down on their own.
Under Yukari Oikawa's intense gaze, Fumonshichi began to feel nervous.
A grudge-holding Yuki-onna was bad enough, but a Great Yokai Yuki-onna? That was downright terrifying.
Anxious, Fumonshichi quickly changed the subject, addressing Kikyo instead:
"Uh, little Kikyo, when's dinner ready?"
Hearing this, Kikyo gave Fumonshichi another glance before replying calmly:
"There are some leftover rice balls in the shrine's back kitchen. You can have those to tide you over."
"Oh, and if you wouldn't mind, bring me the prepared lunchbox from over there."
"Got it! Thanks a bunch!"
Fumonshichi reacted as if granted a royal pardon, quickly getting up and heading towards the rear buildings of the shrine.
Watching this, Kikyo said nothing, continuing to sweep the courtyard in silence.
Yukari Oikawa glanced at Fumonshichi's retreating back, only turning back to Kikyo once he'd disappeared inside:
"You'll talk to even Fumonshichi, but not me?"
"How stubborn, shrine maiden."
Hearing this, Kikyo slightly raised her head to look at Yukari Oikawa before stating evenly:
"I don't enjoy conversing with yokai."
"Oh? That tone of yours..."
Yukari Oikawa seemed surprised by Kikyo's words:
"What, have the yokai around here actually dared to trouble you?"
Though they'd never fought, Yukari Oikawa could clearly sense the terrifying intensity of Kikyo's Spiritual Power—the kind that would make even Great Yokai think twice before crossing her. That such a powerful individual would dislike yokai...
'Did some fool actually provoke this dangerous woman?'
Kikyo didn't respond. It wasn't that she particularly disliked Yukari Oikawa, but years of exorcising yokai had left her with an instinctive aversion to them.
The only reason she'd exchanged even a few words was because Luo Shu had mentioned Yukari Oikawa was a yokai from another world.
But whether yokai from other worlds would covet the Shikon Jewel, Kikyo couldn't be certain.
Compared to fellow human Luo Shu, Kikyo remained most wary of Yukari Oikawa.
Seeing Kikyo's reluctance to speak, Yukari Oikawa sighed:
"I'd hoped helping with cleaning would at least demonstrate my goodwill."
At this, Kikyo nodded slightly, offering rare praise:
"You're a good yokai."
Every yokai Kikyo encountered would incessantly chant "Shikon Jewel, Shikon Jewel," making communication utterly impossible.
To Kikyo, a yokai like Yukari Oikawa—not only capable of conversation but also willingly offering to help with cleaning—was truly an exceptional specimen.
However, upon hearing this near-equivalent of "you're a good person," Yukari Oikawa's face twisted in dismay:
"You really are an unlovable little girl."
She, Yukari Oikawa, was, after all, a Great Yokai who had thrived in the turbulent eras, a high-ranking officer of the Nura Clan, with countless humans and yokai fallen at her hands.
For someone like her to be called a "good yokai" by Kikyo filled Yukari with no small amount of shame.
Just then, Fumonshichi's voice called out:
"Oi, these are the lunchboxes, right?"
Fumonshichi strode over casually, holding two bamboo containers:
"I took a peek inside—they've got rice balls. As for the ones in the pot, I already ate them."
"Here!" He handed the containers to Kikyo...
Kikyo paused, glancing at Yukari.
"Why look at me?"
"I need to go out for a while." Kikyo took the containers, her tone cool.
Yukari nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. We'll wait here then. If you have matters to attend to, go ahead."
Kikyo gave a slight nod and wordlessly walked toward the shrine steps, bamboo containers in hand.
Once she had descended the steps and moved out of earshot, Fumonshichi licked his lips, catching stray grains of rice, then narrowed his eyes.
"That shrine maiden's keeping someone outside!"
"No way?" Yukari looked surprised. "With her personality, she doesn't seem the type to break shrine maiden rules."
"It's just a figure of speech."
Fumonshichi rolled his eyes, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"When I was eating in the kitchen earlier, I noticed two bamboo containers. Besides that, there was the smell of boiled burn ointment."
"Not just that—I followed the scent to the medicine storage and found used bandages."
"Your point being?" Yukari had already guessed what he was implying.
Fumonshichi narrowed his eyes meaningfully.
"Little Kikyo's tending to an injured person. Judging by the medicine, the injuries are burns and sprains. But the odd thing is, she didn't choose to care for them at the shrine. Instead, she's keeping them outside... Suspicious, wouldn't you say?"
Yukari gave him a startled look.
"You planning to follow her?"
Fumonshichi shrugged. "Nah, I don't have the nasty habit of digging into others' secrets."
"Besides, chances are they're with the SDS. I'd rather not mess with those emperor's lapdogs."
"Hmph!" Yukari scoffed, then turned her gaze toward the forest where Kikyo had already vanished, her expression pensive.
...
Not far from Kikyo's shrine, nestled in the woods near the village, lay a small cave.
Kikyo, carrying the two bamboo containers, arrived there and stepped inside without expression.
At the centre of the cave, illuminated by torchlight, lay a figure wrapped tightly like a mummy.
Hearing Kikyo's footsteps, the bound figure twitched its lips and spoke:
"You're much later than yesterday, Kikyo."