The 'Bi' banner snapped in the twilight.
A thousand-man army surrounded Kaede Village. Iron armor reflected the last rays of the setting sun, like a shimring chain.
Steel armor stood dense. Spears stood like a forest.
Cavalry ford the outer periter. Infantry compressed the inner ring. Archers occupied the surrounding high ground.
The formation was neat and disciplined, as if a single entity.
Shinji stood at the village entrance.
Grey robes, white hair, crimson demon mask. Bone armor seeped from beneath his skin, covering his chest and arms. White bone spurs trembled slightly at his shoulders.
He watched the woman riding out alone.
Silver-grey hair, dark silver armor, the tachi carved with Sanskrit in her hand.
Young, sharp, her gaze like a blade.
This was undoubtedly a female general. Or perhaps, a war maiden.
"In the na of Bishamonten, exorcise it." She spoke again, her tone asured, but her voice carried across the entire battlefield, clear in everyone's ears.
Shinji didn't move.
He just looked up.
"Exorcising demons?" His voice ca from beneath the demon mask. "You've co all the way from Echigo, burning three demon settlents."
"Those places were inhabited by little demons who could speak."
"Have they killed people?"
"Have they hurt people?"
"Or..." He raised his hand, pointing at the 'Bi' banner. "In your eyes, just being a demon is enough to deserve death?"
The silver-haired war maiden didn't answer.
She just slightly narrowed her eyes, coldly gazing at the demon before her.
She could feel that this demon was different from the ones before. It hadn't lunged like a beast, nor tried to flee.
She could also feel that this demon was strong.
Stronger than any demon she had encountered on her journey.
Its demonic aura, though not overwhelming, seed very heavy, like thunderclouds compressed to their limit, ready to explode at any mont.
"It seems you are the strongest demon in this area," she spoke. "The demon leader around here."
Shinji raised an eyebrow but didn't imdiately respond, waiting for her to continue.
"My duty is to purge malevolent entities." The war maiden raised her tachi, pointing its tip at him. "Your existence is malevolent. By the decree of Bishamonten, any malevolent entity that threatens the human world must be eliminated!"
"Then try." Shinji's hand rested on Muramasa's hilt. "Let's see if you can eliminate ."
As he spoke, he moved.
[Phantom Step] activated.
His form turned into a grey blur, lunging straight at the silver-haired woman.
Fast.
After fusing the Lightning-Muscle Sharp Body, his speed had increased by more than a notch.
Ordinary eyes couldn't even track his trajectory.
But...
Clang!
tal clashed.
Shinji's Muramasa was blocked.
That war maiden's reaction speed was equally astonishing.
Her tachi was held horizontally before her, the blade glowing faintly with golden light, firmly stopping Shinji's strike.
"Hmm?" Shinji's pupils contracted slightly, sowhat surprised.
Not just at her speed, but at the blade itself.
That tachi carried a power he had never seen before.
Not demonic aura, not spiritual power.
Sothing purer, more elevated.
It felt like… the aura of a god, of faith?
Just then.
The familiar translucent panel appeared before him.
[Detected target]
Shinji froze.
What?
He instinctively looked at the war maiden.
The text on the panel continued to scroll.
[???] [Quality: ???] [Current Affection: -5 (Hostility)] [Evaluation: Her body contains so kind of special power. That power does not belong to humans, nor to demons. But one thing is certain—she ets the claiming conditions.]
ets the claiming conditions?
Shinji's mind raced.
His system did not include living humans or demons in its claiming range.
But this woman, she was human.
A living human, yet she t the claiming conditions. What did that an?
It ant that her essence might not be entirely 'human.'
Or the source of that power within her was itself so kind of claimable 'object.'
"Interesting," Shinji murmured.
He withdrew his blade and stepped back, putting distance between himself and the war maiden.
They faced each other, ten yards apart.
"Who are you?" Shinji asked.
"Echigo Uesugi clan." The war maiden's voice remained cold. "Kakizaki Kageie."
Kakizaki Kageie.
That na rang a bell.
In the historical records he had read before crossing over, Kakizaki Kageie was one of Uesugi Kenshin's most valiant generals.
Called the 'Peerless of Echigo's Seven Districts.'
"That power inside you…" Shinji's gaze fell on the tachi in her hand. "What is it?"
Kakizaki Kageie's expression shifted slightly.
"You can sense it?"
"I'm not blind."
Kakizaki Kageie was silent for a mont.
"Given your exceptional skill and your apparent sense of honor… demon, I will tell you. This is power granted by Lord Uesugi Kenshin, the incarnation of Bishamonten." She said, "It is the power of a divine artifact, bestowed by the gods and buddhas."
Divine artifact.
That word stirred Shinji's heart.
He was not unfamiliar with the concept of divine artifacts.
In the works he had read before crossing over, divine artifacts were weapons or tools used by gods, possessing power beyond ordinary reason.
He had left behind that famous blade Sōza Samonji, now called Raikiri, in an attempt to create a divine artifact.
He didn't yet know the result; it had only been an attempt.
In this world, he had not actually encountered a god-level existence.
Though the Shikon Jewel was of divine artifact quality, and the sacred tree was also of divine artifact quality.
They were both 'objects,' not gods. They had nothing to do with gods; they had rely entered the divine realm by quality, thus being classified as divine artifacts by the system.
But this woman before him, she said her power ca from Uesugi Kenshin, the incarnation of Bishamonten.
From a god.
A so-called divine artifact.
Could it be that Uesugi Kenshin in this world truly was the reincarnation of a god?
"What are you to Bishamonten…?" Shinji asked tentatively.
Kakizaki Kageie did not answer. She simply raised her tachi again.
"Enough talk," she said. "Let's fight."
Blade-light flared.
She charged again.
Shinji said no more. He raised his blade to et her, whatever that divine artifact was, he wouldn't hold back.
The two figures clashed in the twilight. Blade-light and bone spurs collided, sparks flying.
Kakizaki Kageie's swordsmanship was sharp and decisive. Her speed was slower than Shinji's, but she could barely keep up. Her strength was surprisingly great, far beyond normal, almost on par with Bankotsu of the Shichinintai.
Most importantly the tachi in her hand could suppress demonic aura.
Each ti their blades t, Shinji could feel his demonic power being weakened by that golden light.
"So this is the power of that so-called divine artifact?" Shinji's thoughts raced.
"Sothing specifically ant to counter demons? No… it feels more like it suppresses anything 'extraordinary.'"
Whether demonic aura, ghostly energy, or even spiritual power…
It could suppress any extraordinary existence, as if from a position of superiority, truly god-like.
No wonder she had dared to charge alone.
No wonder she was confident in exorcising demons.
But Shinji wasn't worried.
Because during his ti by Kikyō's side, he had gained a deeper understanding of the various power systems in this world.
The information he could access as a transmigrator also taught him a principle.
All things counterbalance each other; it's never one-sided.
Just as water can extinguish fire, but fire can also evaporate water.
Just as fire can burn wood, but wood can also smother flas.
The sa went for spiritual power and demonic aura.
That was always how it was.
If you were strong enough, you could ignore any suppression and, in turn, suppress the other.
Right now,
He was still testing.
Testing her speed, her strength, her reactions, and the limits of that so-called divine artifact's power.
At the sa ti he was waiting.
Waiting for the barrier behind him to take effect.
The barrier of Kaede Village was personally set by Kikyō. Even though she was in seclusion, the barrier still functioned.
Ordinary people couldn't enter.
As long as the village was safe, he could fight freely.
"Enough." Shinji suddenly retreated.
He stood under the torii gate at the village entrance, Muramasa held horizontally before him.
"You're strong," he said.
"But you can't kill ."
Kakizaki Kageie stopped, her gaze cold.
"Are you stalling for ti?"
"No." Shinji shook his head.
"I just wanted to confirm one thing."
He raised his left hand. Purple electric arcs jumped at his fingertips.
"Confirm whether you're worth taking seriously."
Thunder roared.
In the twilight, lightning flashed.
User Comments
0 comments from readers