Chapter 104: The Day Parade of Twenty-Three Demons
Now that the decision was made, Hikaru already had a clear path forward in mind.
Some things were best left undone. But if he was going to do this, he would do it perfectly. His thoughts rapidly coalesced, forming the framework of a plan.
Several days passed in a flash.
Kikyo stood on the veranda of the shrine, a simple, ancient longbow held firmly in her hand. Her white kosode was immaculate, the collar tied neatly, and her red hakama billowed gently in the breeze. A single white ribbon gathered her jet-black hair, the ends spilling over her shoulders while a few stray strands framed her delicate, beautiful face.
She was practicing her archery, a skill she hadn't needed for many days. With practiced ease, she raised the bow, drew the string, and loosed an arrow. An instant later, it accurately pinned a single drifting leaf more than a hundred paces away.
Hikaru sat to one side, leaning back against a pillar as he watched her. He marveled at the girl's terrifying skill. Even without a single shred of spiritual power, her archery alone was a force to be reckoned with, a talent that would allow her to shine anywhere. As she practiced, he began to speak, laying out the final details of the plan they had been discussing.
When he finished, Kikyo lowered her bow, her practice momentarily forgotten.
The young shrine maiden glanced sideways at him. "You want to go to the Hojo clan."
Hikaru's crimson eyes met hers. Dressed in simple gray, with his pale hair stirring in the wind, he looked every bit the wandering ronin. "The news that ashigaru brought us… Echigo is invading from the north. The Hojo clan doesn't know the specifics yet, which makes this intelligence valuable to them."
"At the same time," he continued, his gaze sweeping over the motley group of minor demons huddled nervously in a corner of the yard, "they cannot stay here."
Kaede Village was a human village. Although its people were grateful to Hikaru, that gratitude was predicated on him being a guardian deity, a protector fighting alongside their priestess. It did not extend to him becoming a neighbor who brought a pack of demons to live at their doorstep.
, the barrier protecting the village had its own rules. It was a construct of pure spiritual power, and by its very nature, it repelled demonic energy. While Hikaru was exempt due to Kikyo's explicit acceptance, forcing over twenty minor demons to squeeze inside would multiply the strain on the barrier exponentially.
"I have to find a place for them," Hikaru stated plainly. "It can't be too far from here, but it can't be too close, either. We need to be able to support each other if necessary. And I think the Hojo clan, which rules both Musashi and Sagami provinces, should be able to help me with that."
These minor demons, who needed to huddle together for safety and subsisted on things other than human flesh and blood, were a peculiar sort. Their early Physical Transformation was focused on developing intelligence, but without the strength of numbers, their actual survival ability was pitifully low. Any random demon, a skilled samurai, or even a particularly bold farmer could likely eliminate them.
Therefore, what Hikaru needed was not some secluded wild stronghold. It was the opposite.
He needed the power of humans. He needed rumors, and the specific kind of dread that gave birth to reverence.
He needed to cultivate their 'Awe'.
Although they were only minor demons, they possessed the rare ability—for first or second-stage Physical Transformation demons—to communicate with humans. Hikaru felt that allowing them to gain strength from human 'Awe'might be the best path for them. Their natural talent was limited; relying on their own power, it would be nearly impossible for them to grow to any significant level.'Awe'was an external force. It could make them stronger in a short time, but its loss would return them to their original state. This made it a perfect fit. After all, as long as they never lost that'Awe', they would be fine.
And once they became stronger... they could become a true asset to him, more than just a network of eyes and ears.
Hikaru could even use them as a conduit to collect 'Dread'for himself. While he had no need for such external power—in his view, any true great yokai would look down on relying on'Awe'—that didn't mean he couldn't let those around him use it. He could let Muramasa in his hand become a true demon blade, a tsukumogami. He could allow the other beings who had reached full favorability to use it to become demons themselves.
These would become the true foundation of his power.
Of course, Hikaru was only going to create the conditions for them to settle within human territory. How much they could actually achieve would be up to them.
Kikyo found herself agreeing with his logic. "To the southeast of Kaede Village, there is a range of rolling hills. It is sparsely populated, and the Yao Qi is not thick. The areas previously swept by the Echigo army have become empty land."
She paused, then added, "You can pass through there. You won't face any obstacles on the way."
Hikaru was slightly taken aback. "When did you scout the terrain over there?"
"In my spare time," Kikyo replied, her tone perfectly calm. "The barrier's perception covers a ten-mile radius. In the days since I left the Sacred Tree, I've been familiarizing myself with the surrounding environment."
Hikaru simply looked at her, a slow smile spreading across his face. This girl…
"You really are..." he began, shaking his head in admiration.
"...good at everything," he finished.
Kikyo didn't respond, but the tips of her ears turned a faint shade of pink. The corner of her mouth tilted upward in an irrepressible curve—subtle, yet undeniably there.
"I'll be back as soon as possible," Hikaru said, standing up. He tucked Muramasa into his waist and checked the dragon scale, the Nekomata Claws, and Yura's red comb in his breast pocket, ensuring they were all secure. "The Hojo clan's main castle, Odawara, is to the south. The journey isn't too far for us. I'll settle them first, then head to Odawara Castle."
"That army from Echigo won't let this go easily," Kikyo's voice came from behind him, a note of caution in her tone.
"I know." Hikaru turned back to look at her. "That's why I'm going to find the Hojo clan. I'm not just delivering a message." A glint of sharp resolve entered his eyes.
"I'm going to recruit them."
Kikyo nodded, her expression serene. She understood his meaning perfectly. The Echigo army marched south to exorcise demons under the banner of 'Bishamonten', led by Uesugi Kenshin, a man who claimed to be a god's incarnation. That kind of power wasn't merely human; it was touched by the divine. With just the two of them, they could hold back demons, but dealing with the pincer attack of a human army wielding sacred artifacts would be a different matter entirely.
Sometimes, human affairs had to be resolved by humans. The Hojo clan were the nominal rulers of Musashi Province; they had soldiers, castles, and resources. And Hikaru just happened to possess a piece of intelligence they desperately needed.
An exchange of equal value.
Hikaru took one last look toward the shrine. Kikyo stood under the eaves of the corridor, her longbow hanging by her side, her white top and red hakama a striking vision in the sunlight. Her slender waist was cinched by the hakama's belt, the trouser legs fluttering in the wind to reveal the white tabi socks on her feet, the curves of her legs faintly outlined beneath the red fabric.
Her expression was as cool and detached as ever, yet it held a softness that only he could perceive.
"Go on," she said, her voice soft, like a wife seeing her husband off on a long journey. "Come back soon."
Hikaru nodded, then turned to leave.
"Big brother!"
A small head poked out from behind the torii gate, twin tails swinging back and forth. "Are you leaving?"
"I'm going out to take care of some things," Hikaru replied. "I'll be back soon."
"Then you have to bring back a gift! You still haven't given me the candy you promised last time!" the young girl pouted, clearly still dwelling on it.
Hikaru fell silent for a moment. "...We'll see."
Kaede seemed to want to say more, but a hand reached out from behind and gently pressed down on her head. Kikyo said nothing, simply pulling her younger sister back behind her.
Her gaze, however, never left the receding grey figure.
Outside Kaede Village, twenty-three demons formed a crooked, shambling line.
At the very front was the boldest of the lot, a tanuki spirit, carrying a tattered flag it had scavenged from a battlefield. On it, a crooked skull was crudely drawn—its self-proclaimed 'military banner' to show its loyalty to Hikaru.
A hitotsume-kozō followed close behind, holding up a battered paper umbrella, the single eye painted on its surface darting left and right. Further back, a fox-eared girl rode atop a giant rat with a broken leg, her two furry ears pricked high. Behind them shuffled two crow demons, three kappa, half a centipede, and several other miscellaneous yokai whose names were lost to obscurity.
They lined up and trudged along behind Hikaru. The scene could be described as spectacular.
Or, perhaps, comical.
"Is this your Night Parade of One Hundred Demons?" Yura of the Hair's voice dripped with unmistakable disdain from his breast pocket.
"First of all, it's daytime," Hikaru replied without looking back. "Secondly, it's not the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons."
"Then what is it?"
"It is the Day Parade of Twenty-Three Demons." Hikaru's expression was one of dry amusement as he delivered the deadpan joke.
Yura of the Hair was silent for two seconds. She was not impressed.
"Even if they're just a bunch of small fry, taking a group of demons down the main road in broad daylight—do you think you aren't drawing enough attention already?"
"What's there to fear?" Hikaru's tone was casual. "The human army in this area was just driven off by me. No one will dare cause trouble for a while." He smirked. "Besides, others might not necessarily see us."
He raised his hand.
[Blood Transformation] activated.
A crimson mist began to seep from his skin, slowly spreading out and blanketing the ground. It wasn't a thick fog, just a thin layer that clung to the earth like morning mist drifting from the mountains.
But under the cover of this haze, the forms of the small demons grew indistinct and blurry. From a distance, one would only see a lone, grey-clad, white-haired figure walking through the mist. As for the crooked shadows trailing behind him, they were warped by the refraction of the blood mist until only hazy, unsettling outlines remained.
Like ghostly phantoms.
Mist rising at high noon.
It was a phenomenon known as… Peak Yang begetting Yin.
The Day Parade of Twenty-Three Demons had begun.
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