I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"I smell it—the scent of the Shikon no Tama. Hand over that jewel..."

A horde of grotesque monsters charged at two shrine maidens dressed in white above and red below.

"Slash!"

The pure and beautiful maiden wielded a strange katana, swinging it casually. Instantly, a zigzagging tornado burst forth, sweeping up and freezing all the monsters in its path.

After the twister passed, every monster before them had vanished without a trace.

"More and more monsters are gathering..." Yae Sakura said, standing behind Kikyō with Higokumaru in tow as they watched her test the Anemoi.

"Hmm, this blade is incredible," Kikyō replied, holding the sword in both hands. "I barely used any spiritual energy, yet I unleashed such a powerful technique. You really want to give me this?" Although Kikyō wasn't skilled with swords, she didn't need fancy techniques for this blade—it could summon a tornado directly.

"Here you go! I have my own weapon."

Although it wasn't enhanced, the Anemoi was still incredibly powerful.

The Anemoi blade was created by ME Corporation using Honkai Impact technology. They extracted a strong wind-type biological core from the Fourth Herrscher and fused it into a special Honkai-adapted alloy to make an absolutely terrifying knife.

In the background world, the Anemoi wasn't mass-produced, but in the game, it could be obtained through regular play.

All you had to do was complete some dungeons to get one.

However, while the Anemoi was decent enough, it was only meant for temporary use. Yae Sakura had better blades available.

Whether it was Spiritual Blade: Sakura Blossom or Void, they were more suitable for Yae Sakura.

"Oh right, how's it going with the power of the Stigmata?" A sudden increase in strength would take some getting used to.

"It's fine, I've already adjusted..."

"As expected from Kikyō."

-

By noon, after cutting down countless monsters drawn to the Shikon no Tama, Yae, Kikyō, and their companion finally returned to Maple Village.

But no sooner had they arrived than a village official approached with two samurai in tow.

"Lady Kikyō! Lady Yae!" The headman hurried over, bowing quickly before Kikyō. He introduced her to the official standing beside him. "These three are attendants and samurai from the Uesugi clan. They've come to deliver a message from the lord."

The official turned to the samurai. "Gentlemen, these are Lady Kikyō and Lady Yae, powerful shrine maidens. I'm sure you've heard enough about them not to need my introduction."

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Kikyō, Lord Yae!" the official began again. "Your reputations precede you. You're the finest shrine maidens in Musashi Province. In recent years, thanks to you, we've been spared from monster attacks..."

"You flatter us too much," Kikyō said calmly when the official finished. "What brings you here this time?"

Kikyō's face was usually impassive, neither sad nor happy... like that of a saint. Only someone with such a unique presence could carry themselves so serenely!

Yae had seen Kikyō smile once—it was truly beautiful!

"We bring a request from the Uesugi clan on behalf of the lord..."

Musashi was actually just a small country, one of the sixty-six nations in Tōei. But in this world of Inuyasha, Tōei had been blown up many times larger than normal. As a result, Musashi grew from a single county into an area almost as big as several counties put together.

The Uesugi family ruled over Musashi, and they were always at odds with the Ashikaga clan for control of the Kwantō region. This constant fighting left the area in chaos.

Recently, the Hojo clan—ambitious to unite all the lands—had seized their chance to attack Musashi while things were unsettled. Surprisingly, despite being outnumbered, the Uesugi managed to win a hard-fought victory against the powerful Hojo forces.

After losing, the Hojo pulled back to regroup and recover.

But during cleanup, something unexpected happened on the battlefield. The dead soldiers' bodies attracted countless ghosts and monsters to the area, turning it into a dangerous zone.

Normal soldiers and samurai weren't a match for these creatures. Even when the Uesugi lord sent in miko shrine maidens, onmyouji diviners, and other magic users, it made little difference.

Instead, they suffered heavy losses.

"So, you want us to get rid of the monsters gathering on the battlefield?"

"Exactly! Lord Uesugi hopes you can drive away those creatures. He's prepared a rich reward for you, so... please help!" With that, the official suddenly bowed deeply to Kikyō.

"Hold on! Sir, stand up! I accept! As a member of Musashi Province, driving away monsters is part of my duty as a shrine maiden."

"I'm truly grateful!"

After Kikyō accepted the commission, Yae Sakura, who was teamed up with her, also received a system quest:

Quest: Clear the Battlefield

Reward: 50 Ability Experience Chips (Purple), 50,000 Gold Coins, 100 Crystals

Accept/Decline

"Kikyō, when do you plan to leave?"

Upon entering Kikyō's room, Yae Sakura didn't bother with pleasantries and lay down on her bed.

"Tomorrow!"

"Oh, but I have to warn you. This mission won't be easy." Typically, rewards for missions never exceeded five crystals.

The unusually high reward immediately indicated that this wouldn't be a simple task.

"Hmm? What do you know?"

"We might face... a great yokai!" Sitting up, Yae Sakura looked Kikyō in the eye, speaking with utmost seriousness.

"A great yokai..."

Kikyō's eyes widened at these words. Why would they encounter such a powerful creature just by cleaning up the battlefield?

However, she quickly composed herself. "A great yokai, huh... I'd like to see how far I am from being able to handle one."

"Heh heh, that's my Kikyō all right—never backing down from any enemy." Yae Sakura was pleased by Kikyō's words.

"What do you mean 'your'? Are you claiming me as your possession?" Kikyō turned to look at Yae Sakura seriously.

"Uh... sorry, I misspoke," Yae Sakura realized her mistake, feeling awkward.