Chapter 29: Festival in advance 3

Time passed quickly as I talked to Kikyo and by the time dusk began to appear on the horizon, we gave up trying to come to a consensus among ourselves and began to prepare for whatever was to come. 

"Sword, ready. Fake papers, ready. Fan, ready. I don't think I'm missing anything and I see you're ready."

Finishing getting everything ready and even smoothing out my beautiful wardrobe, I look towards Kikyo who has her eyes fixed on my waist, more exactly on Clouded Fang. 

"Are you going to use that sword again?"

Giving her a slight look of surprise at her concern, she quickly changed it to a smile before reassuring Dr. Kikyo. 

"The plan is no, but better to have it and not use it, than to not have it and want to use it. Although rest assured that after the last time, I won't use it lightly. healer Kikyo."

Looking at me with her brown eyes for a few moments as if she doesn't know what I'm talking about, then she nods slightly in understanding as if she had thought about it. What a strange situation that was... Maybe she's not saying it as a doctor... Nah. 

Ignoring all this we move out of the room and out into the long corridors of the castle, in a few minutes we arrive outside towards the inner walls, if you can call them that. Here the other monks, some soldiers and the feudal lord are already here, all of them looking down at the city carefully. 

"Look down, though night has not yet taken the lead, those vile demons are beginning to take prominence anyway."

"Oh, Buddha..."

*mumbles* *mumbles* *mumbles*

With the feudal lord's words, we all approach the edges of the walls to look out towards the city that is in complete silence. From every edge, nook, cranny and corner, beings that can only be described as demonic begin to appear throughout the city. There were goblins, yokais with animal shapes, some that would fall into the category of ogres and even bigger than a house, the only thing that was the same among all of them was their skin color which was totally black and their deep red eyes.

"Can you feel anything?"

"Nothing, everything is the same. The presence is still divided, except it went from the shadows of the buildings to the bodies of those demons."

Listening to Kikyo's reply who gently tenses the bowstring continuously as a test. I withdraw the fan inside my suit and slowly fan myself as I pick up a few talismans between my fingers, finishing my entire look for the current battle. 

"Release the arrows!"

With the sound of the air being slashed by the arrows, I snap out of my mental self-appreciation and turn my attention towards the yokais running towards this direction with nothing else in mind. The newly launched arrows were extremely ineffective, as they hit their skin they bounced to the sides, others broke due to the impact and many others failed to hit anything. 

His charge seemed unalterable and for every second that passed, a depressing aura seemed to hang over everyone watching. Though their luck soon runs out thanks to Kikyo springing into action, firing one of her arrows and obliterating a large portion of the cluster of demons. 

"This is strange... I can't feel it."

"Would you like to share the information, Oh Amaterasu-sama... Eh Fire!"

Asking Kikyo to share what she is feeling, I bring my left hand forward to my face before chanting a half strange mantra and throwing the lit talismans into my flames causing a few demons to burn at their touch.

"My arrows have only removed the physical body, the spiritual part was not affected and I can confirm that because I could not feel the purification of any being."

Finishing his explanation, he extends his arm back and withdraws an arrow which he slowly places in his bow before it takes on a light pink color. Being released this new shot wipes out another abysmal amount of yokais though honoring the ones he warned us about during dinner, they keep coming to replenish their lines and in a few minutes they reach a barrier that stands around the castle. 

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

Striking the barrier continuously with their dark bodies, the yokais try to force their way inside the castle's territory, although the barrier shows no signs of damage, breakage or trembling, almost as if its strength was a bad joke. Seeing Kikyo prepare to launch another of her arrows, I stop her with my gaze and set my fan ablaze and then release them into the crowd of raging yokais, creating an inferno of flames outside the barrier. 

"We are safe!"

"The lord was right to trust the Onmyōji practitioners - now the demons are over!"

With the soldiers celebrating as they watched the yokais being burned and wiped out completely. Kikyo's face, some monks' faces, as well as mine, start to become more serious with each passing second. Our concern is right because in a few moments, the ashes that were flying freely are attracted to a common point and come together to form a completely new being. 

*Roar

Letting out a roar full of power that makes the barrier tremble slightly, an imitation of an oriental dragon with a serpentine body, whiskers and four strong limbs at its ends, makes its appearance from the ashen remains, leaving everyone speechless.