Why can't humans do it too?

There was no great wind or rain; it was just a simple, indirect touch of her hand, more like a stretch than a strike. But the moment her hand landed, her previously calm expression vanished.

The leaves falling from the trees seemed to freeze in mid-air, but it wasn't time that stopped. Even the ever-rustling chirping of insects vanished from our ears. It was as if a stone had been forcibly stuffed into a glass that was already full of water, yet not a single drop of water was allowed to spill out. It was a sense of oppression that rose from the bottom of our hearts, and even the space around us seemed to expand because of this compression.

For Yukari Yakumo, whose abilities are unique, this feeling was more pronounced than for anyone else, and it was the main reason for the sudden change in her expression—but it was not just because of the sudden and unusual nature of the light that shot into the sky.

As if to paint the daytime in another color, the crystalline light points, like fireflies stirred up in a forest at night, spread outwards like rain of emerald green light.

The smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by the most primal intent of a being called a demon: murderous intent. Her sinister rhymes were almost impossible to conceal. Black energy emanated from her body, and the space behind her tore apart. Those scarlet eyes once again gazed at the outside world, but this time they were no longer inorganic eyes, but undisguised evil.

The arrogant curl of her lips shattered all pretense of civility and kindness. She was indifferent to methods and killing, trampling everything under her feet. This was the true leader of the demons, matching the declaration she had just made, attracting the attention of the other demons with her heroic spirit.

She devours bones and gnaws at blood, inspiring both awe and fear in all the monsters that follow her, as if she intends to annihilate all life.

The soaring black aura was the manifestation of her demonic energy, blocking all the scattered, emerald-green light in front of her. With a gloomy face, Yakumo Yukari raised her right hand, on which was half a charred palm print, deeply etched into the bone, even the transformed flesh was burned to charcoal. In Yakumo Yukari's eyes, this incomplete palm print was undoubtedly a woman's palm print, and its owner did not need to be guessed, and was even right in front of her at this moment.

Her translucent body, with its scattered bands of light forming even the most minute details, was flawless down to the last strand of hair. Although her body was clearly made of illusory energy, when the breeze blew again, her hair swayed in the wind—without a doubt, at just one glance, Yukari Yakumo confirmed that the strange feeling came from the eerie 'soul' before her.

The so-called 'soul body' is just a name that Yukari Yakumo gave to this unknown thing in a moment of desperation, using a concept she was familiar with. At the very least, a normal soul body would never have the ability to forcefully push aside an intangible and insubstantial concept.

A phantom half-body emerged from the male demon in front of her, binding them together like chains. From the moment it appeared until now, it has been radiating a dazzling and bright energy, like a campfire in the night, indescribable. However, Yukari Yakumo has no doubt about the destructive power that this unknown energy can cause.

Is this still demonic power? It should still be demonic power, right?

"Please don't touch my lover... okay?" A languid yet full voice, like someone stretching after just waking up, yet utterly awake, the semi-transparent spirit gazed into Yakumo Yukari's eyes and said, "He's a little shy about being touched so enthusiastically by a complete stranger like you."

"Huh? Really? I don't think I'm any different from usual, am I?"

Unfortunately, what followed Xinke's righteous and assertive counterattack was Suer's sarcastic remarks.

"...You, at least wait until I've finished negotiating with the other side before you speak, don't you think it's ruining the atmosphere?" Xin Ke said with a sigh, turning to Su Er with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

Lord Hua Guanqing's prestige seems to have been completely tarnished by this.

"..."

Without responding to the banter between the two youkai in front of her—or rather, it was uncertain whether they could even be considered two youkai at this moment—Yuko Yakumo, her injured hand still raised, with an extremely serious expression, glanced back and forth between Shinko and Suer several times before suddenly breaking into a bright smile.

"Of course~, it's only right~," Yukari Yakumo said lightly, her fingers gently touching the wound with her other hand, which was missing its other hand. "It was just a joke~"

As she spoke those nonchalant words, her fingers traced across the surface of the wound.

Unable to discern what methods the blonde banshee had used, all Suer and Xinke could see was that with each stroke of Yakumo Yukari's finger, the horrific injuries diminished, until they disappeared completely.

"...Oh dear~, it was just a joke~", Xin Ke said with a sudden realization, lightly patting her forehead. With a half-transparent smile, she asked with concern, "I almost misunderstood. Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, it's not a difficult problem to solve, hehe~"

"Hehehe~"

The two women exchanged forced smiles, but Sue knew it was no joke and that everything that had just happened was no laughing matter.

Ultimately, in the world of monsters, only strength is the currency that prevails.

Whether it was Yakumo Yukari, who suddenly launched an attack and tried to take action, or Shinko, who retaliated, they were both following the same principle—a cold and cruel one.

—Even if Xin Ke isn't a monster.

Chapter Seven Reminder

What happened just now was actually quite simple. When Suer and Yakumo Yukari were about to pass each other, Yakumo Yukari attacked without warning, intending to test Suer's strength. It wasn't entirely accurate to call it a test; it was indeed a serious strike from her. If Suer couldn't withstand that blow, then his death would be in vain.

There are only two possible outcomes: either Sul doesn't survive and dies, or she survives and gets the information she wants.

The only thing that surprised Yukari Yakumo was the injury on her hand. Because of her special abilities, Yukari Yakumo, a gap youkai, had rarely been injured since her debut many years ago. Whether it was a youkai that relied on physical strength or a youkai that was good at magic, it was difficult for them to really hit her. But now she was really injured.

Her hands were indeed missing flesh and blood, and the charred wounds still caused waves of excruciating pain. However, Yukari Yakumo didn't care about this pain. All she cared about was the information she had gained from that brief exchange.

It seemed like they had figured something out, yet it also seemed like they hadn't figured anything out at all. The only thing they could confirm was that this male demon and his 'soul' were very powerful, and they shouldn't rashly antagonize him. As for their race or the nature of their abilities, they had no clue what to do.

Is it a single entity with two souls? No, there's no such thing as two souls. Is it reincarnation? Parasitism? Or fusion?

No, it doesn't seem like anything. I've never seen such a strange being before. Is it a new race? Or is it a race consisting of only one demon like myself?

Ignoring her minor injuries, Yukari Yakumo instead focused on observing the strange creatures before her, trying to decipher their composition and the nature of their abilities.

Unfortunately, based on Yakumo Yukari's current experience, she couldn't discern much from either the part of the male demon that was closely connected to his soul or the power that the soul had used to injure her. The only conclusion she could draw was that there was no need to become hostile because of this.

So... it was just a joke.

The black demonic energy that surged into the sky with the tide of power vanished instantly, along with the huge rift behind her filled with malevolent eyes. Yakumo Yukari was as clean and refreshing as when she first appeared, so pure that she didn't seem like a demon.

"It seems our first meeting will have to end here..." With a troubled expression, as if she wanted to have a long talk but couldn't, Yakumo Yukari sighed and continued with a smile, "As a sign of our friendship, I'll leave you with a word of caution... Be careful of the nine-tailed fox from the west. That proud being isn't as easy to talk to as a little demon like me~"

As she turned to step into the newly opened gap, Yakumo Yukari's eyes suddenly lit up. She noticed a tiny detail—both the male demon and the spirit wore exquisitely crafted rings on their fingers, and even their appearances were remarkably similar.

Is that why they've become like this? Is it a curse? Or something else entirely?

Unable to find out, and with this question lingering in her mind, Yukari Yakumo chose to save this curiosity for their next meeting.

After all, today will certainly not be the last time we meet.

An interesting monster.

--------------

The golden-haired banshee, who caused immense mental stress, has finally left.

With his eyes closed, Suer reached out and tried his best to sense everything around him. After confirming it again and again, he finally confirmed the fact and felt a sense of relief.

Even if he appeared calm and collected on the surface, he was actually panicking inside.

No longer possessing the power of a near-omnipotent, one-of-a-kind god, in a completely new and unknown world, they hadn't even figured out how deep the waters of this world were, let alone that neither he nor Xin Ke understood how Yakumo Yukari had healed the wounds Xin Ke had inflicted on her, or what the purpose was of all those eyes in the gap that appeared behind the gap monster, eyes that would make anyone with trypophobia's scalp tingle. All of this was unknown, and what the unknown brought was fear.

It can only be said that after surviving cautiously in the cracks of the great war for decades, it is unlikely that Suer's caution and prudence will change anytime soon.

However, it's not necessarily a bad thing; exploring the unknown world with such caution is quite enjoyable.

Although it seemed that Suer was still joking with Shinko as if no one else was around after she appeared and defeated Yakumo Yukari, Suer was actually prepared to go all out. If things really went in the worst direction, then they would have to crush this highly skilled youkai right here and now.

Fortunately, sensing something was amiss, the blonde banshee quickly retreated.

"What do you think of what she said? Nine-tailed fox?" Xin Ke turned to Su Er and asked, turning her gaze away from the direction where the blonde banshee had disappeared.

“…It feels like there’s so much to say, yet so little to say,” Suer replied helplessly, spreading her hands. “There are so many stories about nine-tailed foxes. After all, it involves beautiful female foxes, and there have been so many kinds of nine-tailed foxes from the past to the present. Who knows which kind she’s talking about?”

"Then tell me about them one by one."

"It would be a miracle if I could remember it! It's been so long! -- Okay, okay, don't look at me like that, I'll try my best to think of the most famous one to tell you in a bit," Suer pleaded repeatedly under Xin Ke's piercing gaze. He could only raise his hands in surrender and said, "So, how are you feeling now? Are you mentally sound?"

“Very stable, your guess was right,” Xin Ke replied immediately, having already checked her condition countless times. “Although it feels a little strange to exist in this form, to be honest, it’s quite interesting. Being directly in your heart feels like our souls are intertwined.”

"...Why do you make something so normal sound so strange?" Su Er squinted and complained.

"Oh dear~, maybe the person listening has something to hide?"

"Hey, the way you're talking is starting to sound more and more like me. Are you sure that's okay?"

"Absolutely no problem? We're so in sync!"

Hearing his wife's nonchalant reply, Su Er couldn't help but sigh—what to do? He felt his temples throbbing again.

"Speaking of which, will our way of existence continue indefinitely?" Xin Ke asked, her smile fading slightly, her expression becoming somewhat serious.

Chapter Eight: Two People Intertwined

Long before Xin Ke used all her strength to drag Su Er down from the sea of ​​elves burning with blue flames, their blood mingled together through the hole they had been pierced, flowing into their abdomens, through their flesh, and covering their entire bodies. In the primordial sea that dissolved everything, their bodies also melted away. Except for the will that remained under Su Er's power, everything else was assimilated into the purest form of elves.

And that is the root of all the problems.

Like those who had already sacrificed themselves and completely lost their will, Xin Ke's will was also gradually disappearing in that ocean of light, and she was gradually being assimilated in the direction of Su Er—which was precisely the future that Su Er least wanted to see.

When the spiritual oil that the Forging God had used to suppress the unknown thing in Sul's soul gradually lost its effect, unlike those humans who had long consumed Sul's blood, Xin Ke was only making contact for the first time. However, just like the people that Sul could not save until the very end, his existence was like a poison. Once you were infected, you could never recover, not even with the power of the One God.

Realizing this, Suer had no choice but to cut Xinke's soul together with his own, deceiving the power within him that, even though it had gained independence, could not change its nature. Conceptually, he regarded Xinke's soul as a part of his own soul that shared the same root but manifested differently. This was the only way he managed to prevent things from developing in the worst possible direction.

When the power of the One God was still there, it was fine; Sul could let Xinke move freely in the outside world. But now he has lost that power, and after being sent out by Tet and traveling through the gaps between worlds for too long, Sul can no longer do such arrogant things.

Suer gazed at Xinke in front of him. She was still wearing the white robe that he remembered most vividly. Every detail of her body was intact. If he reached out to touch her, he could feel the touch of Xinke's hair brushing against his palm—but it was translucent, radiating a beautiful color, like a crystal-clear emerald.

The illusory part below the thighs gradually disappeared into Suer's chest, but this was just a randomly chosen location; the connection between them had long since transcended the limitations of the physical body.

"Don't worry, I will definitely find a way... so that you can walk on the earth with your own strength," Suer solemnly vowed, taking a deep breath.

"Huh? No, I'm not complaining about the current situation, okay?" After a slight surprise, feeling the emotional fluctuations coming from the bottom of her heart, Xin Ke smiled and approached Su Er, gently lifting his cheeks with her two translucent palms. "Don't feel burdened like that. Rather, I really like this state of being in sync with you... and we will never be apart."

Their lips were locked in a kiss, and as Su'er relaxed slightly, Xin Ke suddenly winked playfully and said with a mischievous smile, "But while this state is great, sometimes I also crave physical pleasure... Hmm? For example..."

Amidst their ambiguous conversation, Xin Ke's hand slowly slid down Su Er's chest, but the next second Su Er grabbed her wrist tightly.

"At least have some sense of atmosphere! Don't make lewd jokes at such a romantic and solemn time!" Su'er said, sounding quite exasperated. She practically dragged the semi-transparent Xinke, who was connected to her, and turned to walk towards the bamboo house.

Aside from the time they were still in the previous world, when they did a lot of things passionately in that palace built of petals and wind, in this world they could only cling to each other in the ocean of souls... Well, anyway! How could they say something like this openly in broad daylight?!

boom!

Slamming the bamboo hut door shut, Suer immediately made himself a cup of green tea.

--------------

Whether Yakumo Yukari is a friend or foe is still too early to draw conclusions. The stance of a youkai with such ambitions cannot be determined in a few words. However, in any case, her last words have drawn the attention of Suer and Xinke.

[Beware of the nine-tailed fox from the west. That arrogant being is not as easy to talk to as a little demon like me~] — Is this really a hint?

Is it a sign of goodwill? Or is it hiding some kind of trap?