[muramasa has conveyed its final bond message to you: "I am very satisfied. It is my honor to be wielded by you. Now, let my abilities merge with your body." (After the fusion, basic bonuses and dialogue functions are retained, but there are no more special talents.)]
Kobe Hikaru, having anticipated this, looked down at the muramasa in his hand.
The black katana was glowing.
Purple light overflowed from the blade, climbing along his arm and seeping into his skin.
It didn't hurt.
Instead, there was a strange sense of comfort.
It was like... returning home.
[The abilities of the demon blade muramasa are merging with the host's body...]
["Bloodthirsty Immortality" has been bound.]
["Resonance with Blood" has been bound.]
["Bloodthirsty Madness" has been bound.]
The blood that had stopped flowing after his death began to move again—along with his heartbeat. For an Oni Samurai like Kobe Hikaru, so-called demonization and transformation were essentially about making his dead body move step by step and restoring its vitality.
From then on, even without holding the blade, Kobe Hikaru could unleash the power of "Blood."
He looked at the prompts on the panel.
He could also feel his own progress.
He had completed the sixth transformation of the Physical Transformation stage: Blood Transformation.
From now on, he could use blood as an eye to achieve Resonance with Blood, stimulate the blood in his body to enter a berserk state without side effects, and even more—fight while bathed in blood, absorbing blood from the battlefield to continuously recover himself.
Six Transformations.
Physical Transformation complete.
He had finally forged the first major stage of yokai evolution, reaching the pinnacle of Physical Transformation.
He had obtained permanent abilities from muramasa.
This was a huge gain.
He opened his other hand.
An invisible blood mist rose from his palm.
"...Not bad."
He clenched the blood mist, then let it dissipate.
Light footsteps came from behind him.
Kikyo walked over.
Her face was a bit pale; she had consumed a significant amount of spiritual power.
But her gaze fell on Kobe Hikaru's hand, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"You... have become stronger?"
"Mm."
Kobe Hikaru answered briefly.
"I have become stronger."
Kikyo was silent for a moment.
But she did not press for details.
She just turned around and looked at the shikon jewel floating in mid-air.
The jewel was still emitting a pitch-black light.
Magatsuhi was still restless.
"It's not over yet."
She said.
She added, "Tonight is still long."
Kobe Hikaru gripped the demon blade muramasa tightly again. Although the blade's abilities had already merged into his body, its inherent sharpness and the perfect control brought by maximum affinity still made it an indispensable weapon for him at the moment.
He replied:
"I know."
Volume 1: Chapter 23 – The Surge in naohi Affinity and the First Bond Dialogue, Its Warning
The night deepened, and the evening breeze grew colder. After the last yokai fell, the battlefield went completely quiet.
Kobe Hikaru stood in the middle of the pile of corpses, the muramasa in his hand still dripping with blood.
The panel in front of him suddenly popped up.
[shikon no tama: naohi: Affinity +5]
[Current Affinity: 14 (Trust)]
Kobe Hikaru was stunned for a moment.
It increased by 5 points in one go?
This jewel had been stingy before, increasing by at most 2 points at a time; why was it so generous now?
[shikon no tama: naohi: Affinity +3]
[Current Affinity: 17]
It increased again.
Kobe Hikaru glanced sideways at the shikon jewel in front of Kikyo's ample chest.
The light of the jewel was changing.
The originally ink-black evil energy was being suppressed by a faint layer of white light, like milk dripped into ink; the black and white were distinct and clearly separated.
[shikon no tama: naohi: Affinity +4]
[Current Affinity: 21]
[Bond Dialogue (1) Unlocked]
[It is conveying a message to you—]
Kobe Hikaru waited for what would follow.
The words on the system panel popped out one by one, slower than ever before.
["Thank you."]
["No one has helped her for a long time."]
["You are the first."]
The shikon jewel's bond dialogue was actually a direct "dialogue," rather than just conveying more information?
As expected of a treasure that even high-level yokai desire.
It really is much more intelligent than muramasa!
Kobe Hikaru looked up at Kikyo.
The priestess was standing in front of the floating shikon jewel, her hands forming seals, her spiritual power turning into threads of light, firmly binding the jewel.
Her expression was solemn.
While Kobe Hikaru was dealing with the remaining yokai, she naturally began to "suppress" Magatsuhi.
["She is strong, but she is also just one person."]
["Those who guard the shikon jewel are all lonely."]
["Because this duty cannot be shared, and should not be shared."]
["So... thank you."]
Kobe Hikaru did not reply.
He didn't know how to reply either.
Say "You're welcome" to a jewel?
It didn't seem impossible...
[shikon no tama: naohi: Affinity +2]
[Current Affinity: 23]
[It is conveying a warning to you—]
["Tonight is not over yet."]
["Those just now were merely an appetizer."]
["The real threat has not arrived yet."]
Kobe Hikaru's brows furrowed.
The real threat?
The group of yokai just now didn't count as a threat?
That four-armed ape was a Five Transformations, and that mist yokai was at least Six Transformations; if these didn't count as threats—
["Watch out above."]
["Watch out for... me."]
When the last three words popped out, Kobe Hikaru's heart skipped a beat.
Watch out for you?
What does that mean?
But the system panel stopped displaying text.
The light of the shikon jewel also stabilized, with the white light and black energy maintaining a delicate balance.
Kobe Hikaru wanted to ask more, but he knew it was useless.
This jewel was not like that chatterbox blade muramasa, which would pour out all the thoughts in its head when it wanted to speak, but couldn't squeeze out a single word when it didn't.
"What's wrong?"
Kikyo's voice came.
Kobe Hikaru put away the panel and turned around.
"Nothing..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
A chill suddenly ran down the back of his neck.
That was an Oni Samurai's instinctive reaction to danger.
Kobe Hikaru looked up abruptly.
The moon in the sky was rounder, so round it looked like it was about to fall.
The moonlight was pale, casting a deathly gray hue over the entire shrine.
Then he saw it.
A black shadow was approaching on the horizon.
No, not just one.
It was a whole mass.
Dense, covering the sky and earth.
Many times more than the wave of yokai from before.
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