Kikyo did not pull away.
She merely looked up, gazing into his crimson eyes.
"So what?"
Kanbe Hikaru smiled.
"It's nothing."
He said, "I just think this is nice—whether human or demon, it's better to be honest and not bother with pretenses."
Kikyo deeply agreed.
Silence immediately spread between them again.
But the silence was not awkward.
Instead, it allowed the two of them, sitting quietly, to better feel each other's presence.
Then—
Kikyo moved.
She turned slightly and tilted her head up.
Those jet-black eyes met his, and her cherry-colored lips parted slightly.
Kanbe Hikaru was stunned for a moment; he truly hadn't expected Kikyo to take the initiative.
But the next second, he reacted and lowered his head.
Their lips touched gently.
Very light, very shallow, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
But for that instant, Kanbe Hikaru felt truly, genuinely great.
When they separated, a faint blush had already appeared on Kikyo's cheeks.
This was the first time Kanbe Hikaru had seen her like this.
The priestess, usually so cool and self-restrained, looked like an ordinary girl at this moment... Or rather, she was supposed to be an ordinary girl, meant to enjoy the things someone of her age should.
"...Stop looking."
Kikyo lowered her head, her long, raven-black hair falling down to hide her expression.
"Look at what?"
"Look at me."
"You are my lover; if I don't look at you, who should I look at?"
Kikyo's body stiffened.
Immediately after, the corners of her mouth curved upward.
[shikon no tama: naohi: favorability + 1]
[Current favorability: 68 (Intimate)]
[It says: "Continue."]
Kanbe Hikaru looked at the notification on the panel and couldn't help but complain internally.
Even if this was thanks to you... why is a jewel like you joining in the fun?
Do you even know what 'gradual progress' means!?
Kanbe Hikaru performed a 'tactical lean back' in his mind.
Kikyo didn't know what he was thinking; she simply stacked the two empty bowls together and placed them into the wooden tray.
Her movements were calm, her breathing steady.
But the blush on her face did not fade for a long time.
Still, this kind of daily life was indeed nice.
Very nice.
So nice that he almost forgot—he actually had a pile of serious matters to attend to.
...
The crisis had truly not gone away.
After finishing breakfast, Kanbe Hikaru reviewed his trump cards once more.
Six Transformations.
Body, Eye, Hand, Waist, Bone, Blood.
Among them, Bone Soul Transformation, having fused with the ability of Hiraikotsu, allowed him to freely manipulate the hardness, form, and growth direction of his bones.
This was currently his strongest means of attack.
Blood Transformation remained his strongest sensory ability.
But this alone was not enough.
The battle with Kidomaru had already proven that.
Even with the recognition of the land and Kikyo's cooperation, he had only barely managed to force back and narrowly survive against his opponent.
If Kidomaru were to spare no cost, even at the price of burying himself here, Kanbe Hikaru might not be able to retreat unscathed, even with Kikyo's protection.
Not to mention that behind Kidomaru, there were other demons in Kyoto.
And even more so... Hagoromo Gitsune.
That was a true Great Yokai.
In Kanbe Hikaru's deduction, she was an existence that had completed at least thirteen transformations.
Besides that, there was Kibutsuji Muzan hiding in the darkness, that Progenitor of Demons, a guy with an immortal body; although not very powerful compared to these Great Yokais, he was still a troublesome annoyance.
There were too many enemies in this world.
And his current strength was far from enough.
He needed to pick up the pace a little.
Thunder Horn, Reverse Scale, and Nekomata Claws—he needed to max out the favorability of these three items as soon as possible.
As long as he could integrate their power into his Six Transformations, his strength could reach the next level.
Quantitative change leads to qualitative change.
This was still the path he had planned for himself.
Turning six small bumps into six great mountains, using pure quantity to shake the threshold of qualitative change.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kikyo's voice sounded again.
Kanbe Hikaru came back to his senses and found her looking at him.
"Thinking about how to become stronger."
He did not hide it: "Kidomaru will not give up."
"Next time, it might not just be one Kidomaru."
Kikyo nodded.
Her expression also became serious.
"I know."
She said.
"So—"
She stood up, her longbow already grasped in her hand.
In those jet-black eyes, that look of determination ignited once more.
"I will not slacken either."
"You get stronger, and I will get stronger too."
"Only then can we fight side by side and be together always."
Although she was already strong enough, there was no doubt that Kikyo could refine her use of spiritual power even further.
At the very least, when facing an existence of Kidomaru's level next time, she must be able to effectively subdue the opponent!
Kanbe Hikaru looked at her.
However,
Looking at the priestess in her white and red hakama, holding her longbow in the morning light, her black hair fluttering,
Kanbe Hikaru suddenly had a flash of inspiration... and asked,
"Does 'always together' include tonight as well?"
Even if it's just simply holding each other, that would be enough.
Kikyo was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then rolled her eyes at him, yet inexplicably, she did not refuse.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"