The Women's War

"No, this place is very remote. Even bandits probably wouldn't find it," Shirou comforted the village chief. However, he had made up his mind to investigate the surrounding area and to set up the barrier around the village as soon as possible.

"If that's the case, that would be wonderful," the old village chief said, still somewhat worried.

As night fell and after Afeng and Tanabe fell asleep, Shirou quietly left the village and headed east. He began to investigate the destroyed villages; their geographical location seemed to be closer to Shimousa than when he first saw them.

The village reeked of decay and was surrounded by desolation. Like the villages we had seen before, it was littered with corpses, and the blood-stained ground emitted eerie black smoke.

"Roar!!!" The black bloodstains on the ground howled, and the Demon Wolf and demonic boar crawled up from the ground, shaking their bodies, opening their blood-red eyes, and staring at Shirou in front of them.

"Is this why the village was destroyed?" Shirou wondered, holding the katana he had forged himself, Myojin-giri. With each stroke, black energy formed wild dogs, leopards, and birds that severed his body, and even his head would grow back.

"Roar!" The monster lunged at Shirou again.

No matter how many times he swung his sword, the number of monsters did not decrease. Shirou gripped his sword and smashed away the black demonic hound that pounced at him. He cleared away the surrounding monsters again and again, but he could not eliminate them all. Wave after wave of monsters kept pouring out.

In the end, the monsters merged together in the black smoke, eventually transforming into a giant python with sharp fangs in its mouth.

Shirou realized he had seen this kind of snake before; it was during the battle with Sasaki Kojiro and the others against the mountain bandits, when the snake monster that went berserk appeared on the body of that poor female ninja.

Shirou Projection a giant stone axe blade and activated his Noble Phantasm!

"--Shoot down a hundred heads!"

This is a demonstration of the essence of martial arts by the Great Hero Heracles during his Twelve Labors, when he faced the Hydra, a multi-headed serpent.

The basilisk possesses extraordinary destructive power; even the Hydra, which can resurrect itself as long as it has one head, cannot escape its ultimate demise.

The basilisk's head was severed with a single blow, then hacked to pieces by a frenzied barrage of attacks. This time, the basilisk collapsed to the ground with a thud, its headless body writhing in agony before finally lying motionless on the ground.

After the giant serpent was slain, peace returned, the strange monsters ceased to appear, and the surrounding villages survived. Everything seemed calm again. However, undercurrents were swirling, and the matter was far from over.

A few days later, a blue figure quietly entered the village and headed towards the small thatched hut where the blacksmith was hiding.

At this moment, Kiyohime was knitting with her elder sister, sniffed and said with a wary look, "Hmm! Why does it smell like fox spirit!"

As she walked back into the hut, her eyes met those of the blue-robed dancer who was standing outside the door, preparing to sneak in.

"Rice Jar!!! Why are you here?" Tamamo-no-Mae exclaimed in surprise. Isn't this the Princess of Shimousa?

"Hiss~!" Kiyohime hissed like a little beast guarding its territory.

"Rice bin!"

The two men emitted unintelligible sounds, like the defiant roars of wild beasts when threatened.

Kiyohime held a folding fan in her hand, Tamamo-no-Mae also held a colorful fan.

Kiyohime silently picked up the black sphere bomb, while Tamamo-no-Mae took out a talisman with a flame pattern.

"Wait! No fighting here! Do you want this house and the forest to burn down?!" Shirou came up from behind, picked up the two of them, and carried them towards the house like two small animals.

"Ah, darling, you're back~!" Kiyohime had been lifted up, turned around and said to Shirou with a grin.

"Darling?! You're the Princess of Shimousa, aren't you? Why do you seem so close, Shirou?" Tamamo-no-Mae exclaimed in surprise, looking at Shirou with astonishment, then at the girl.

Chapter 366 The Women's War

"What exactly happened?" Tamamo-no-Mae grabbed Shirou's collar and asked.

"Identity or bloodline, as long as there is love, the status of a mere Princess of a small country can be given up easily. I can overcome this obstacle with a smile." Kiyohime said with a smug smile.

"Hey, don't give up!" Shirou retorted.

Although Shirou wasn't welcoming, there were others in the house who were quite pleased with the fox dancer's arrival.

"Ah! It's the dancer sister! Did you come to play with us?" Afeng heard the voice, came out, saw Tamamo-no-Mae, and ran up to her in surprise.

"Yes, I haven't heard from you all in the city for a long time, so I came here specifically to see you," Tamamo-no-Mae said with a smile, patting the children's heads.

"I was the one who met you first... Why did things turn out like this after only a week apart?" Tamamo-no-Mae- no-Mae was stunned, muttering to herself.

"Hmm? I remember meeting the dancer sister and the Princess around the same time in the city, right, Tasso?" Little Afeng said, recalling her previous experience.

"Ya ya," the baby on his back cried out in agreement.

At the time, Tamamo-no-Mae was dancing, and Kiyohime was watching the commotion nearby. In order to avoid getting involved with them, Shirou simply pulled her and Tsuke away. However, when they stayed at an inn, they encountered the dancing girl Tamamo-no-Mae again.

"Whew, we won~!" Kiyohime happily flashed a V-sign and whispered.

"Migu gugu gugu... Nunu nunu, I'm not reconciled!" Tamamo-no-Mae clenched her fists, almost biting her handkerchief, so excited that even her hidden fox tail bristled.

She's a master of romance with over a thousand years of experience! In a tiny, nameless rural country like Shimosuke, she's absolutely the most popular person there! Right?! How could she possibly lose?!

"Calm down," Shirou said helplessly. One Kiyohime was already enough for him, and now another one had appeared. It was really too much. If he had to say, he had known these two for a long time, although they were separate individuals in another world.

"Kiyohime is just a guest," Shirou explained indifferently. To be honest, lately, he was too lazy to explain anymore because of the endless teasing from the villagers. He simply said:

"Anyway, please come in and have a seat. I'll make some tea."

"Yes, yes, come in. This is our home!" Kiyohime emphasized, making room for her.

"I can walk by myself!" Tamamo-no-Mae said irritably.

"So, something happened in the city after all?" Shirou asked.

"Hmm, Shirou. Strange things have been happening in the city lately. I think you should perhaps go into the Shirou and take a look." Tamamo-no-Mae changed her expression and looked at Shirou seriously.

"I understand, thank you." Shirou nodded, understanding the situation.

"Hehe, I helped out! It's not the same as just eating for free. This is what a virtuous wife should be like!" Tamamo-no-Mae curled her lips, glanced at Kiyohime beside her, and said with a sly smile.

"Mmmmmm..." Kiyohime was simmering with anger, looking like she was about to breathe fire.

Tamamo-no-Mae continued, rolling her eyes as she looked at the girl, "By the way, Princess, the city is in complete chaos because of your disappearance."

"Huh? I clearly left a letter telling them not to worry. It's just a week-long trip. What a fuss," Kiyohime muttered.

"Kiyohime, it's definitely better for you to go back," Shirou said at this moment.

"What!" Kiyohime cried out, injured.

"Hehehe, snake woman, you can go back now. I'm enough for you here," Tamamo-no-Mae said smugly.

"Ugh..." Kiyohime puffed out her cheeks in a huff.

"No, Tamamo-san, you go back too," Shirou said to Tamamo-no-Mae.

"Pfft~!" Kiyohime burst out laughing.

The fox dancer pricked up her pointed animal ears and protested, "A rice bin!? Why should I?! I just arrived! At least let me stay for a full week!"

"Alright, it's decided then. You can stay here tonight, and I'll take you back to the city tomorrow morning," Shirou said, glancing at the sky.

Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime exchanged a glance, then simultaneously let out a cryptic laugh.

"Hehehe..."

"Hehehe..."

Afterwards, Shirou prepared a sumptuous dinner, since Tamamo-no-Mae had come all the way from the city, so it was definitely worth celebrating. The dinner included venison from a hunt in the mountains, and inari sushi, which foxes would love.

After dinner, Afeng had A-feng take Tsuke upstairs to sleep. Shirou tucked the children in and then went to find Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime, who also lived in the other two rooms on the second floor.

Tamamo-no-Mae's room was dark, with no lights on. They were in Kiyohime's room at the moment, and just as they were about to push open the paper door, they heard the two girls talking, with laughter mixed in between.

"He's really gone too far! I invited him like that, but he was completely unmoved. I already said I didn't care," Tamamo-no-Mae complained, lying on the bed and waving her feet.

"That's right!" Kiyohime nodded repeatedly, completely empathizing with the fox woman's words, as she herself had been tied up in a quilt all night.

Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime stopped arguing and started discussing criticizing Shirou, gradually developing a shared sense of righteous indignation.

"Girls' friendships are really hard to understand. But if they could just get along quietly like this, that would be the best." Shirou thought to himself, and without going in to disturb them, he turned and left.

One o'clock in the morning...

A Black Shadow stealthily appeared on the first floor of the thatched hut.

Another Black Shadow silently descended the stairs.

Two Black Shadow collided in front of the room door at the corner of the stairs and fell to the ground.

A Black Shadow figure crawled on all fours, trying to get into the room around the corner first.

The other one grabbed the first one's legs, preventing her from taking another step forward.

The former, of course, refused and struggled to break free.

Neither of them dared to make a sound, because Shirou was fast asleep inside the room. Their goal was to sneak into the bed without anyone noticing and force themselves on him.

Finally, the two seemed to compromise, and each opened the white paper door to Shirou's room, one on the left and one on the right.

Unfortunately... it was completely empty.

The blue-haired girl, whose hair had become a mess from arguing, and the fox dancer stared at each other blankly.

At this time, Shirou was actually working in the blacksmith's workshop, trying to forge a treasure sword that could fight monsters. However, due to the limited materials, he was not very satisfied with his work, and what he made could only be considered failures.

The next day, it was past noon when they set off from the village. Because the women refused to leave, they were delayed for quite some time. It wasn't until after lunch that they were finally dragged off to head towards the city of Xiaozong Kingdom.

"Even if you asked me to stay, I could stay for a few days," Tamamo-no-Mae said, dissatisfied.

"I'm going to get scolded when I get back," Kiyohime said, squinting her eyes, looking conflicted.

"I'll take you to your doorstep, so don't worry about it. Once you're ready, we'll set off," Shirou said.

"Hehe, that's true. After all, we're living together now, so it's time to introduce Shirou to my family." Kiyohime smiled, seemingly lost in a wonderful fantasy again.

"Well then, I'll go out and take them back to the city. You two stay home and behave yourselves, Don't Run too far! There might be bandits coming out after dark," Shirou said to Afeng and Tasso.

"We know, Grandpa!" Afeng replied obediently. She followed Shirou, Tamamo-no-Mae, and Kiyohime all the way to the village entrance before stopping and waving to them.

We set off in the afternoon, crossing two mountains. Considering Kiyohime's pace, we didn't rush. Listening to the two girls bickering along the way, we arrived without realizing it.

As dusk fell, the time of descent, a time when demons and monsters would appear in ghost stories, a strange wind blew by, and mist rose, making the three men and women seem to have entered another place. Music, like that of a festival procession, rose from the road ahead, and the Demonic Beast that had previously only been seen Black Shadow now revealed their true forms.

A paper umbrella hopping along, red lanterns fluttering, a broom with small eyes, a kappa balancing a plate on its head, an old man riding on a goldfish, a girl followed by a puppet—one strange-looking monster after another walked along the country road.

There were also monsters holding flutes and small drums, playing and striking them to the rhythm, creating a mysterious and eerie musical performance.

A banshee with horns resembling tree branches on her head was scattering pink peach and cherry blossom petals, which danced in the swirling wind.

There were even red, white, and black roly-poly toys with painted mustaches and human faces, hopping and bouncing on the ground.

"Speaking of which, tonight is the night of the Hyakki Yagyō," Tamamo-no-Mae her with surprise.

"Are the yokai going to have a banquet?" Kiyohime asked curiously.

Shirou saw scenes that did not exist in the original world, and even the long sword in his hand trembled slightly. This world was indeed very unusual.

The old man riding on the back of the goldfish stopped in surprise when he saw the dancer in the blue robe and swam over on the goldfish.

"Oh my, oh my, isn't this Tamamo?" The short, elderly man wearing a black official hat bowed slightly and said with a smile.

"Greetings, Lord Ebisu," Tamamo-no-Mae returned the greeting.

"Are you also here for the banquet after the parade?" the old man asked, puzzled.

Tamamo-no-Mae shook her head and said politely, "No, my current setting is a human dancer, so I won't go. Have a good time."

"Is that so? Well then, I won't bother you any longer." The old man riding the goldfish nodded slightly, and drove away, muttering to himself, "Oh ho ho! I never expected to meet such an important person. I really made the right choice coming here tonight."

"Was that Ebisu just now?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"Eh? That little grandpa, is he the God of Commerce?" Kiyohime tilted her head, looking somewhat incredulous.

"If I had known, I probably should have paid my respects earlier," Shirou said with a hint of regret. After all, he had to raise his son and daughter, and there were two freeloaders to feed him. He couldn't afford not to earn more money.

"Well, it's just an avatar that descended to the human world, another form of familiar. There are many such beings, so it's not really surprising. After all, the Shintoism in this place believes in animism and has eight million gods. It's not uncommon for beings to be both monsters and gods."

"So, I advise you not to have too high expectations of the gods. Even if you worship them, it won't change your fate. After all, bloodline and such are predetermined from the beginning," Tamamo-no-Mae said, shrugging.

"Oh my, what a rare combination! Miss Fox, and a snake? And the user of the demon sword?" A blue clam shell, spewing water out of thin air, floated over, inside which sat a black-haired girl with oriental dragon horns, curiously observing Shirou and the others.

"I'm not a monster!" Kiyohime said angrily!

"Eh? Did I mistake you for someone else? Then... young man, are you the monster? A sword monster in human form?" The dragon-horned girl asked Shirou in confusion.

"No, this is indeed a sword I forged," Shirou said.

"Long time no see, Miss Jiaotu. Are you here for the parade too? Where have you been all these past few centuries?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked the dragon woman of her generation with a puzzled look.

"Ah, Miss Fox, the last time I saw you was when you were being chased by Seimei and his army, wasn't it? After that, I slept in a bit and accidentally overslept. When I woke up, I was shocked to hear that back in my hometown, the human dynasties had changed several times. Anyway, there's no rush, so I'll stay here and play for a while," Jiaotu said with a smile.

"Hehehe, can we not talk about those things? We can have a pleasant chat!" Tamamo-no-Mae said with a gloomy expression.

"Okay, so what exactly is your relationship?" Jiaotu, a woman with a kind of innocent and adorable air, similar to Mashiro, with a touch of the unbelievable, naive, and unusually imaginative mind, looked at the fox dancer and continued to ask without any concern.

"However, you're not wrong either. It's true that Shirou and I fight side by side, and we're bound by life and death. Shirou is a swordsmith, so I am Shirou's sword. You can hold my hand now, okay?" Kiyohime said, her face slightly flushed, as she indulged in another wonderful fantasy.