Kaede had poked her head out from behind Kikyo at some point, her eyes sparkling.
"Big brother is so handsome!"
Hikaru: "..."
This contrast is too much, isn't it?
She was screaming in fear just a moment ago, and now she's become a fangirl?
A child's emotional shifts are truly unpredictable.
Kikyo was also looking at him.
Her cold, clear eyes seemed to hold a hint of unexpected surprise.
Perhaps she hadn't expected that hidden beneath this Oni mask was the face of a young boy.
"You..."
She started to speak, but swallowed her words.
What had she originally wanted to ask?
Did she want to ask who he was before he died?
Or why he had become an Ghost Samurai at such a young age?
Did he die young...
But in the end, she asked nothing.
She simply withdrew her gaze and said to Kaede.
"It's getting late, you should go home."
"Eh—?"
Kaede pouted discontentedly: "But I still want to talk to the handsome big brother!"
"Your aunt and uncle will be worried." Although she was a younger sister, Kaede mostly lived with other people in the village.
"...Alright."
Kaede replied dejectedly.
But after walking a few steps, she turned back and waved at Hikaru.
"Big brother, can I see you again tomorrow?"
Hikaru glanced at Kikyo.
Kikyo did not speak.
"...Maybe."
He answered vaguely.
"It's a promise then! I'll come find you to play tomorrow!"
Kaede's voice gradually faded into the night wind.
Not until her figure disappeared below the stone steps did the Shrine Hall fall silent again.
Only Hikaru and Kikyo remained.
Two people.
One human.
One demon.
Staring at each other under the moonlight.
The night wind blew gently.
Below the stone steps, one could faintly hear Kaede's parents urging her to go home.
"Hurry up, hurry up! It's already dark and you're still out here running wild!"
"But that big brother is really so handsome..."
"What big brother? That's a demon! Stay away!"
"He's not a bad demon! He helped Kikyo-nee-san drive away the other demons! And when he stands with Kikyo-nee-san, they look just like a painting—very beautiful and a perfect match!"
Hikaru stood under the torii gate, hearing those conversations clearly.
The hearing of an Ghost Samurai far exceeded that of an ordinary person; even from tens of yards away, those whispers sounded as if they were right beside his ears.
"It seems that little girl is quite protective of me."
He muttered.
A perfect match, huh... That sounded exactly like what he wanted, didn't it?
Hikaru was still holding the crimson Oni mask in his hand, not putting it back on.
Since he had already taken it off, there was no point in putting it back on, especially since he was tired of wearing it.
The feeling of not seeing the sun for three months was actually quite uncomfortable.
Although an Ghost Samurai didn't actually need to breathe, the psychological stuffiness remained.
After all, he had only been a demon for three months, while he had been a human for nearly twenty years.
The habits and perceptions accumulated over twenty years were hard to change.
"Are you not going to put your mask back on?"
Kikyo's voice came from behind.
Hikaru turned around.
Under the moonlight, the shrine maiden stood on the stone steps in front of the Shrine Hall, looking down at him.
Her white robes were like snow, her red hakama like fire.
Her black hair draped over her shoulders, gently lifted by the night wind, occasionally brushing against the contour of her neck.
To be honest, from this angle, she was quite beautiful.
Hikaru withdrew his gaze and tucked the Oni mask into his waist.
"It's too stuffy wearing it."