[Special item obtained. Recharge?]
Yae Sakura was very surprised to be holding the Jewel of Four Souls.
In the Inuyasha story she had watched, the Jewel of Four Souls had always been in Kikyo's hands, so Yae Sakura had never paid it any attention.
Yae Sakura knew that the Jewel of Four Souls merely had the power to increase a demon's strength. The idea that it could grant wishes was a lie.
Even when a demon used the Jewel of Four Souls to increase its strength, its demonic energy became extremely impure.
It was of no use to Yae Sakura, so she had never paid it any attention.
Now that she was holding the Jewel of Four Souls herself, she was surprised to see a prompt saying she could use it to recharge?
What a pleasant surprise.
"Kikyo, you won't be angry if I use this Jewel of Four Souls, will you?" Yae Sakura didn't recharge the jewel right away. Instead, she asked Kikyo.
"Sakura... are you going to use it to make a wish or increase your strength? Didn't you say it—"
"Neither..."
"Then what?"
"How should I put it... You know how I can produce all sorts of strange weapons, right? I can use it to create even more weapons..."
After thinking it over, that was the only explanation Yae Sakura could come up with.
"Create weapons? Then go ahead and use it... It's better that this thing is gone. Leaving it around would only bring trouble." Kikyo's expression relaxed at her words.
"Thank you." Yae Sakura thanked her sincerely, then began recharging the Jewel of Four Souls.
[Recharge successful] [Congratulations! You received: 2000 Crystals, four-star Stigmata: Midoriko (full set)]
"Hm? Stigmata: Midoriko? What's that?"
Getting 2000 Crystals from the recharge was pretty good.
One Jewel of Four Souls was worth 200 yuan, and it even came with a set of Stigmata.
Yae Sakura took a look at the Midoriko set. It mainly boosted attack and speed, and its set bonus even granted the ability to purify and extract souls.
The Jewel of Four Souls had been formed from the souls of Midoriko and the demons. Turning Midoriko into Stigmata now... actually seemed pretty normal?
"What's wrong?" Kikyo watched the Jewel of Four Souls disappear from Yae Sakura's hand, then saw her staring off into space.
"Nothing. It's just that from now on... there won't be a Jewel of Four Souls."
Without the Jewel of Four Souls, the story would change completely, wouldn't it?
But Yae Sakura had never planned on relying on the story to do anything. Most people who followed the original plot in fanfiction did it for the girls in the story.
But did Yae Sakura need that?
No!
Looking at those 41 Valkyries, she was basically 41 beautiful girls herself, even if many of them were the same person.
But their personalities were completely different, okay?
For example... the Crimson Impulse was girlish, right? Flame Sakitama... Yae Sakura had the air of a married woman.
Then there was Goushinnso Memento, with her cold goddess-like appearance.
They were all Yae Sakura, but they were completely different!
Even in bed... ahem... ahem, some strange thoughts had come to mind.
So...
41 Valkyries were the same as 41 wives.
Though all 41 of those wives were... her...
So did Yae Sakura still need other girls?
No! She didn't...
Twins, girls, little girls, goddesses, Eurasian bloodlines, animal ears, tails...
She had it all.
"Maybe it's my good fortune that the Jewel of Four Souls is gone..." Kikyo had a feeling that as long as the Jewel of Four Souls remained with her, her future was bound to be rough and unhappy.
As for how to explain to the Demon Slayer Clan that she had given the jewel to Yae Sakura without permission?
Kikyo had already made up her mind.
"True..."
Without the Jewel of Four Souls, Inuyasha and Kikyo would have no chance of meeting. She might not even encounter Onigumo again.
At least Kikyo could live out her life in peace.
On a remote mountain road, a little girl-sized Higokumaru, with a pair of fox ears and several fox tails swishing behind her, held a whip and slowly drove an ox cart along.
Two shrine maidens sat in the back of the cart.
"We left Kaede behind all by herself again. Do you think she'll resent us?" Yae Sakura looked at Kikyo beside her and caught a special, delicate fragrance coming from her. She had no idea where it came from.
Kikyo didn't seem to use any perfume. Could it be that legendary natural body scent?
Whatever it was, it smelled pretty good.
After becoming the Crimson Impulse, not only had Yae Sakura's hearing improved, but her sense of smell had become many times stronger too.
Was that another reason Inuyasha liked Kikyo?
After all, Inuyasha was a dog, and dogs had even more sensitive noses than foxes.
"Kaede won't. I know her." Kikyo sat cross-legged in the cart, resting with her eyes closed. She opened them when she heard Yae Sakura speak.
"Okay..." Though they had left Kaede Village, Kikyo had left a barrier around the village. Now that the Jewel of Four Souls was gone too, nothing should happen.
But when Yae Sakura looked at Kikyo, she wanted to laugh...
Kikyo had said she wasn't going to come with her, but now she had come along after all.
The ox cart they were riding in had been bought by Yae Sakura.
An ox was expensive in this era, but that was only true for other people. With over a hundred million gold coins to her name, Yae Sakura might be richer than the emperor himself.
She was rich enough to rival a nation!
That described Yae Sakura now.
But...
"Higokumaru, why can't you turn into a big fox?"
Just look at Kirara. She could be an adorable pet and a mount, too.
What use was her own Higokumaru?
A little girl to dote on? Or a tempting young woman?
"Mm... I want to, too! But, Big Sis, you have to give me Jizo Mitama! Without Jizo Mitama, these are the only abilities I have."
Higokumaru turned around and looked at Yae Sakura helplessly.
"Jizo Mitama..."
Yae Sakura checked her inventory and quickly found the five-star, fully upgraded Jizo Mitama.
"If you have Jizo, you can turn into a big fox?" Yae Sakura took out the Jizo Mitama katana.
"Mm-hmm. With Jizo Mitama, I'll have Hellmaru's strength." Higokumaru nodded eagerly.
Higokumaru wasn't the same as Hellmaru. Higokumaru was the cute little thing who picked up trash in the open world, while Hellmaru was a super boss in the Memory Battlefield.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Yae Sakura went straight over to Higokumaru and punched her on the head.
Just thinking about all the traveling they'd done before...
Yae Sakura immediately felt it was unfair.