Chapter 17: The Eldest Sister Beast

"Master!"

After defeating the monster, the little monk looked at the bloodied corpse with a bite mark in its center and cried out sorrowfully.

"My apologies! We arrived too late..."

Kikyō glanced at the body before her and covered Kaede's eyes behind her back. If they had come earlier... Ensei might not have...

"Sigh..." Yae Sakura cast a glance at the corpse; it was beyond saving now.

This world was just like that...

Whether you were a priest or a shrine maiden, from the moment you took up your profession, you prepared yourself for the possibility of being eaten by monsters.

Even without taking on such professions, ordinary people faced even worse fates when encountering terrifying monsters!

But this scene... might be too cruel for Kaede!

Yae Sakura watched as Kikyō held the girl, who continued to tremble uncontrollably.

"Monsters! These wicked monsters! I must become the most powerful mage and rid the world of all such beasts."

The little monk suddenly stood up, shouting furiously at the sky.

"..."

Yae Sakura quickly adjusted her hat to completely cover the fox ears. This monk has lost it, she thought. If he starts taking his anger out on me, I'm in trouble.

-

Since Ensei was dead, even though they'd completed the job, he didn't get paid.

But Kikyō didn't care about that. She took on these jobs not for money, but because it was her duty as a shrine maiden.

For Yae Sakura, it wasn't an issue either.

All she cared about was getting the crystals from the system; she didn't mind missing out on some coins.

Between killing monsters and completing the job, they earned 13 crystals in total—a huge haul!

They also unlocked an achievement and finished two side quests along the way.

Achievement: Monster Slayer

Unlocked title: Ten Thousand Monsters Slayed

Title: Ten Thousand Monsters Slayed (3-star)

Effect: Increase damage to yokai by 10%; frightens all monsters below great monster level.

Just like in Honkai Impact 3, you could only equip two titles at once.

Finally, they completed the first main quest—even though their fame had already grown quite a bit before finishing this one.

After claiming the reward of 100 crystals, the second main quest opened up.

Main Quest – Kill a Great Monster

Quest Reward: Crystals +200, unlock next main quest

Main Quest Completed

Reward: 200 Crystals Right to Enter New World

"Huh? Wait..."

That's it? My goodness...

Yae Sakura was truly amazed; she had completed Main Quest 2 directly.

She claimed her reward once again, earning another 200 crystals.

Main Quest - Defeat 15 Great Yokai (1/15)

Quest Reward: +300 Crystals, Right to Enter New World

Defeat 15 great Yokai? And that would open up the next world?

Just defeat them? Not kill them? So I only need to beat each opponent?

But 15 great yokai... Where am I supposed to find 15 of these creatures?!

These great yokai were at the very top of this world's hierarchy. There were only a few known ones, and most of them were already dead.

At this point in time, Dog #1 and Dog #2 haven't risen yet. And... let's rule out Naraku for now; he's still just a bandit, right?

Setsuna no Takemaru? Without his sword So'unga, he's nothing but a weakling...

Toga-oh, Flying Demon Moth, Ryukotsusei, Panther Cat Lords... they're all dead already.

Wait! Ryukotsusei isn't dead after all...

And there's also Sesshomaru's mom—she must be a great yokai too.

But even if I count them all, it's not enough...

If only I knew earlier—I should've fought that Princess Seiki...

Hey, wait a minute! I can still go after her!

But remember, neither the earth spider nor Princess Seiki were main villains in Inuyasha's story. That means there are lots more big monsters we haven't seen yet. When I think about it like that... maybe there is enough.

I shouldn't take on any more bounty quests right now, though. If Higyokumaru suddenly showed up, it'd be hard to explain to Kikyo and the others.

Back in Maple Village...

Yae found a quiet spot before claiming her bounty rewards.

Another 200 crystals in hand—she'd earned over 500 today, roughly equivalent to her yearly income.

How I miss my monthly pass! she thought ruefully.

She had paid for several months' worth of access, but now they wouldn't even give her a single crystal. What a rip-off...

Apart from crystals, there was also... Higyokumaru.

"Huh? Where's Higyokumaru? Did I get screwed?" Yae looked around but couldn't find the little creature.

"Big sis, I'm coming! Catch me!"

Just then, a familiar voice came from above Yae's head. Right! It was that big sister beast... Tako.

Yae looked up and saw something descending—a kid who could've been either a girl or a boy—who spread their arms wide as if expecting Yae to catch them.

But...

As Higyokumaru was about to land on Yae, she quickly stepped back. The child crashed straight onto the ground instead.

Even watching it happen hurt Yae's eyes.

Yet why did she feel so happy seeing Higyokumaru unlucky?

"Aww, that hurts! Big sis... Why didn't you catch me? Do you not love me anymore?"

Higyokumaru crawled up from the ground, looking pitifully at Yae with an innocent expression.

"Love my foot! Don't call me 'Big Sister'."

"Got it, Big Sister! Understood, Big Sister!" Higyokumaru nodded quickly at her words.

What was I thinking? Can I take it back now? Even ten crystals would be fine!