But just as he slew the thirtieth Small Fry—those four high-level demons finally moved.
Compared to Hikaru's side, which was beaming with joy, the mood of these four high-level demons was clearly not so pleasant; one could even say it was terrible.
As demons of Six Transformations or higher by Hikaru's definition, their intelligence was clearly incomparable to those muddled lesser demons.
They could think, cooperate, and even curse.
Buzz!
Another Sacred Arrow was fired, covering Hikaru while drawing their attention—it exploded beside the One-Horned Oni, making it flee in panic to avoid being directly eliminated.
"What did this Priestess grow up eating? She's so fierce!"
The One-Horned Oni cursed, its blue-faced, fanged demon face looking extremely ugly.
At the same time.
"Boom—!"
The spiked club in its hand swung forward, smashing into the surface of the Barrier with a thunderous roar.
Ripples spread across the Barrier.
"Blast it open for me!"
The One-Horned Oni roared.
It knew they couldn't keep stalling like this; if they did, the Priestess might get tired, but they would definitely die first.
Only by breaking this Barrier and rushing in...
...would they have a chance to win.
And only by getting close could they pose a threat to that Priestess.
As the words fell, the Giant Python opened its bloody maw and spat out a cloud of deep green poisonous mist, spreading across the side of the Barrier.
The Three-Eyed Crow dove from high above, its three eyes simultaneously firing three beams of demonic light, slamming into the top of the Barrier.
Attacking from three sides.
Cracks finally appeared in the Barrier.
The Hannya Mask Oni Samurai seized the opportunity and swung its blade at the crack.
Intense Demonic Qi erupted from the rusted tachi, and with one slash, the crack was torn wider.
"It's working!" the One-Horned Oni rejoiced: "Keep going! Blast the Barrier open!"
But inside the Barrier, Kikyo opened her eyes.
Her gaze swept over the cracks; without the slightest panic, she simply said one thing.
Just one word.
"Seal."
More Spiritual Power surged from her palm, turning into countless threads of light that flew towards the cracks.
Those light threads were like needle and thread, sewing the cracks shut bit by bit.
In an instant, the Barrier was restored to its original state.
The small opening the four high-level demons had worked so hard to create didn't even last half a breath before it vanished.
"How is that possible?!"
The One-Horned Oni was in disbelief; the four of them joined forces, and they still couldn't break it?
They had been fighting for so long,
How could that Priestess still have such abundant Spiritual Power?
But Kikyo's brow furrowed slightly.
She could feel that her Spiritual Power was still abundant, but her physical stamina was depleting faster.
Maintaining the Barrier, firing arrows to purify the demon swarm, covering the Ghost Samurai who came with the shikon jewel, and repairing the cracks—fighting on four fronts, even she was beginning to feel the pressure.
Her arrow speed began to slow down.
The rhythm that had originally coordinated with Hikaru was disrupted.
Hikaru also felt this change.
"Looks like they're getting serious."
He looked at those four high-level demons.
The One-Horned Oni, the Giant Python, and the Three-Eyed Crow were continuing to bombard the Barrier.
But the Hannya Mask Oni Samurai—it didn't continue attacking the Barrier.
It turned its head.
It detected the anomaly behind it, and it also saw Hikaru.
The gazes of the two Ghost Samurai met across the battlefield.
Behind the Hannya mask, cold killing intent burned within a pair of ashen eyes.
"You!"
The One-Horned Oni finally noticed the commotion on the flank. It pointed at the Hannya Mask Oni Samurai and roared, "Go kill that traitor!"
The Hannya Mask Oni Samurai didn't speak, merely tightening its grip on the rust-covered tachi in its hand.
Then, its figure vanished from its spot.
At the same time, Hikaru felt a dangerous aura.
It wasn't sensed through the blood mist.
It was instinct.
The instinct of one Ghost Samurai for another.
He stepped aside.
A flash of a blade swept through the spot where he had been standing, leaving a deep gouge in the ground.
The Hannya Mask Oni Samurai stood five paces away, the rusty blade in its hand still dripping blood.
It was Hikaru's own blood.
A gash had been cut into his left shoulder, and faint gray smoke rose from the wound—a trace of Demonic Qi erosion.
"A yokai, yet helping humans kill yokai?"
The Hannya Mask Oni Samurai spoke, its voice as raspy as if it had crawled out of a grave.
Hikaru did not answer.
He simply gripped his muramasa tightly and lowered his center of gravity.
He knew the opponent before him was different.
Stronger than all the small fry he had killed before, this was an existence that had achieved at least the Six Transformations of Physical Transformation.
The Six Transformations was already the pinnacle of 'Physical Transformation,' possessing Six Transformations vastly different from normal biological beings.
Whereas he only had five transformations; the gap was obvious.
But—
With Kikyo providing support, he naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
He just didn't know if Kikyo could spare the focus right now... those three high-level yokai were attacking the Barrier again, and she was continuing to repair the cracks they had blasted open.
In other words—at least for a short period, he might have no long-range support.
"Then... I'll just have to hold out on my own."
Since he had already made his move, there was nothing to hesitate about.
It was nothing more than a battle.
He had already experienced so much on the path he had walked.
Living on the edge of a blade, expecting one hundred percent safety was absolutely impossible.
Opportunity always goes hand-in-hand with danger.
At least this time, he wasn't alone. There was someone behind him, helping him.
That was enough!
"Come on!"