Behind the Demon Slayer Village, the two walked down along a small path.
The mountain path wound ahead, flanked by lush pine trees. Morning dew still clung to the needles, occasionally dripping down with a faint sound.
Kanbe Hikaru continued to walk behind, watching the figure in the white top and red hakama ahead of him.
Kikyo still didn't speak; ever since Tsubaki left, she had remained silent.
Kanbe Hikaru didn't open his mouth either; he knew that sometimes, silence was better than words.
Some things were better left for Kikyo to say herself.
Isn't the so-called matter of men and women all about 'tension'?
Whoever speaks first, loses.
In this silence, they walked for about a quarter of an hour.
The mountain path came to an end.
It was a corner of a cliff.
It wasn't very high, but the view was expansive.
Standing here, one could see the entire Demon Slayer Village, the rolling mountains in the distance, and the rising sun on the horizon.
Kikyo stopped.
She stood at the edge of the cliff, her back turned to Kanbe Hikaru.
Her black hair fluttered gently in the morning breeze, and her white top and red hakama were bathed in a faint golden hue by the rising sun.
That figure looked very still, so still it was like a painting.
Kanbe Hikaru walked to her side and looked at the rising sun; the silence continued for a while longer.
"I'm sorry."
Kikyo spoke, her voice very soft but clear.
Kanbe Hikaru turned to look at her.
"Hmm?"
"Forcing you to act as a shikigami for the past few days."
Kikyo didn't look at him, her gaze still fixed on the distant horizon: "And dragging you into the dispute with Tsubaki."
"That demon last night had nothing to do with you either."
She paused.
"I was too self-righteous."
Kanbe Hikaru looked at her profile.
That cold, elegant face now wore a rare expression—apology.
"You were silent the whole way just to build up to saying this?"
He smiled.
"If I didn't want to, I would have run away long ago."
Kikyo parted her red lips: "But—"
"No 'buts'."
Kanbe Hikaru interrupted her: "I promised to return the Hiraikotsu myself, so I returned it."
"As for the shikigami identity, that was something we both agreed upon."
"As for Tsubaki, she came looking for trouble herself."
"That demon last night..."
He thought for a moment: "For me, it was actually an unexpected gain."
Kikyo finally turned her head to look at him.
A certain light flickered in those pitch-black eyes.
"Unexpected gain?"
"Hmm."
Kanbe Hikaru nodded: "I learned some useful information."
He didn't elaborate, and Kikyo didn't press for details.
She just looked at him quietly.
"Thank you."
She said again.
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