Don't force me to use my right fist.

She clearly only had this one person left to rely on, yet even that couldn't be reunited with her?

The look in Ai's eyes as she looked at Sōyū was filled with despair and loneliness; Ai felt like a girl abandoned by the world.

"Hey, well, actually I'm not in such a hurry to leave, so don't be so sad."

Seeing Shibata Ai's expression, Saya's heart broke. He was the kind of person who couldn't stand seeing girls cry, and since it was his fault, he felt even more helpless.

He frantically reached out to wipe the tears from the girl's face, completely losing the leisurely air he had displayed during his battle with Naraku.

Even Kikyo, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but shake her head. It was no exaggeration to say that Saya was like an old father. In this way, he was probably even more humble than an old father.

Just a moment ago they were making solemn vows, acting like they were entrusting their children to someone, and now this is how it is. Were they really in such a hurry to leave?

No wonder this girl is so dependent on him; it's all because Sawa spoiled her.

But it's clear that Sōyū's words of comfort were very effective.

This girl is completely susceptible to this kind of thing.

She rushed into Saya's arms once again, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Shibata Ai used a force that seemed to want to meld herself into Saya's body as she pressed herself against his chest.

Having already lost everything, she didn't want to experience the pain of loss again.

"Mr. Monster, I have nothing left, Mom and Dad..."

Feeling the warmth of Saya's hands resting on her head, as if she had finally found someone to confide in, the girl raised her head, her tearful eyes staring straight at Saya.

Only in front of Saya, who is her last guardian angel, can she let down her guard and express her grievances.

Saya wasn't good at comforting others, so he could only pat her back and gently stroke her head with his other hand, whispering words of comfort.

After such a surreal day, her emotions were clearly not going to settle down so easily.

Shibata Ai didn't say anything more, but buried her little head in Saya's chest again and again, soon soaking a large area of ​​his clothes.

"What are you going to do next? Are you going to find a place to settle her down, or...?"

Kikyo had no interest in watching him coax the child anymore. Now that Naraku had been defeated and the Shikon Jewel had disappeared, it was time for her to go back.

Having a troublesome younger sister at home, she didn't want to remain a background decoration in such a place forever.

"Um, could I bother you for a little longer? I'll pay all the accommodation fees properly, I just need you to let me stay for a few more days."

Sōyū gestured helplessly, pointing to the girl who was clinging to him as if she would never let go.

Chapter 495 We'll Meet Again

As Saya delayed, it actually dragged on for almost a week.

He did nothing else but deal with Shibata Ai, who practically wanted to be inseparable from him like a conjoined twin. Saya's head was about to explode.

He wasn't without similar experience; Zuo Mo had been similar back then, but at least that girl Zuo Mo listened to him. Unlike Ai, who stared at him with that resentful look every day, as if afraid Zuo You would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, no matter how Saiyu tried to comfort her, she never smiled again. Only when she was with Saiyu did her face stop showing a flustered expression.

Once he was out of her sight, the girl seemed to flip a switch that turned her off; her mood would quickly plummet, as if she were about to do something drastic.

Even Kaede, who is roughly the same age as her, cannot gain her trust. Everyone except Saya who speaks to her is ignored.

"I feel that some things need to be made clear about love."

Finally, after spending almost a week touring all of ancient Japan with Shibata Ai, doing nothing but simply relaxing with the child, Saya brought her to the back of Higurashi Shrine and found a flat spot to sit down.

He couldn't stay by this girl's side forever; she still had her own path to walk.

So, even if he might see her tears again, Saya had to harden his heart and tell her that he had to leave.

"What's wrong, Mr. Monster?"

The girl who had been leaning against Saya as an unnamed accessory still had somewhat vacant eyes. Only when she looked at Saya could one see a glimmer of light in her eyes.

Are you regretting your past decision, or are you simply feeling lost about the future?

After gathering his thoughts, Zuoyou asked the girl with a serious expression.

"...

"To be honest, Mr. Monster, I don't feel any regret at all. Now, when I think of what those villagers said, I still wish I could grind them to dust."

"Am I a bad kid?"

The girl who raised her head again had lost her sparkle; at that moment, she truly resembled a doll.

"Didn't I tell you a long time ago that you shouldn't ask me whether someone is a bad kid or not? You should ask yourself. You have to find the answer to this question yourself. Even if I say it, it doesn't count."

Sōyū rubbed her head, which had become shoulder-length short hair due to lack of trimming, and answered her without a trace of blame or disdain.

"But there's at least one thing I want you to understand: no matter what conclusion you draw, at least for now, I still like you very much, and I won't hate you just because you're a bad kid."

After speaking his mind, Saya paused for a moment before revealing his true purpose in telling her what he had said.

"But I will eventually leave. You can't live forever just for my opinion. You have a future, a path to walk, and so do I."

Sōyū stretched his hand towards the sky and spoke without looking at the girl beside him.

He wasn't born at this point in time, and his encounter with the girl was purely accidental. Perhaps their destinies will intertwine again in the future, but it definitely shouldn't happen in this timeline.

"In the end, does Mr. Yokai still want to talk about leaving?"

A glint of tears welled up in her eyes, but the tears that should have rolled down her cheeks were forcibly held back by the girl.

The words that Sōyu had already spoken to her echoed in her heart once again, like a ray of light guiding her on the path forward.

Clinging to the last vestiges of hope, Shibata Ai tugged at Saya's sleeve, making a final, desperate attempt to hold on.

She wasn't just going through the motions to appease Saiyu's decision. If Saiyu agreed, she would absolutely do everything in her power to stay by his side, even knowing Saiyu's strength.

But Sōyū just shook his head and rubbed the girl's head vigorously once more.

"It's not like I can bring you along just because I agreed. It's more like, even if I told you now, I don't really expect you to understand. In short, I simply can't bring you along, and there's nothing I can do about it." whl

Sōyu frowned in distress. This wasn't like using the Well of Bones to travel back in time. If it were Shibata Ai now, jumping nearly a thousand years would inevitably cause some strange trouble.

Sōyū wouldn't dare take that bet.

But after seeing Ai's distressed little face, Sawa could only sigh and reveal a secret that wasn't really a secret to him.

"Although you may not understand now, I am from the future, which means I cannot take you to the future."

"But it doesn't matter. We'll meet again in the future, and then you might be able to tell me what your answer to yourself is."

Saya, who didn't want to be a riddle teller, simply stated his reason for rejecting her, preventing her from overthinking things. Even though her expression now clearly showed she didn't understand what Saya meant, that didn't mean she wouldn't understand in the future.

"Will we meet again? If that happens, will I be able to stay by Mr. Yokai's side forever?"

A glimmer of hope returned to Ai Shibata's eyes. She knew that it was wrong for her to stay by Saiyu's side like this, and that she was only adding to his troubles.

But if it's the kind of meeting that Saya mentioned, where they'll definitely meet again, then perhaps she could use this time to strive to become someone worthy of being by his side.

"Well, maybe, but how should I put it, you might not think that way in the future."

When Sōyu thought about his theoretically planned first meeting with his future love, it was anything but harmonious.

Chapter 496 I Smell the Scent of the Theory of Lifespan

Compared to winning over Shibata Ai, saying goodbye to Kikyo was much easier.

Sawa and she were just friends. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Sawa casually built a gate to hell.

"After I leave, I entrust love to you. We will meet again someday, perhaps by chance."

Saya smiled and waved to Kikyo. This woman was probably the easiest girl for him to get along with besides Amakawa Tsubasa. Even if we exclude the fact that Amakawa Tsubasa would sometimes make strange jokes to him, being with Kikyo was the most comfortable thing for Saya.

It feels like Kikyo is more of a support character who always thinks of her teammates than a man to Sasuke. Their relationship is more accurately described as that of close friends. Kikyo shares similar thoughts; Sasuke might be considered a bit strange, but it's undeniable that you can absolutely trust him and entrust your back to him.

At the same time, his somewhat eccentric personality became a spice that made their interactions more interesting.

"Well, see you again sometime."

Smiling as she watched Saya's departing figure, Kikyo felt an unexpected pang of melancholy. They were said to be destined to meet, but both she and Saya understood that this parting might...

Saga has already stated that he is from a thousand years in the future, but no matter how powerful Kikyo's spiritual power is, she is still just a mortal, and cannot escape the concept of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Theories about lifespan are always regrettable, yet they are something we cannot ignore.

"Oh right, after I leave, remember to dismantle this. Once you've opened the gates to hell, I can't dismantle this place from over there."

Saya, who should have been approaching the opened gates of hell, suddenly poked his head out and patted the obsidian gates of hell beside him, solemnly reminding Kikyo.

This thing isn't just for him to pass through; it's actually bidirectional. He'll definitely dismantle it once he gets to Hell, but if he doesn't dismantle the one in the present world, then when some unlucky soul walks in, Hell will have to create a completely new door.

Sawa didn't want the demons and monsters in this hellish place to escape, so instructing his trusted Kikyo to dismantle the door became a necessary measure.

"Okay, I understand. Is there anything else you forgot to say? It's best to say it all at once, instead of making such a fuss, okay?"

Kikyo's carefully cultivated melancholy vanished completely after Saya's long speech. As she spoke, a smile involuntarily crept onto her face.

Kikyo hadn't laughed so easily in a long time. Perhaps it was because she had broken free from her destiny, Kikyo relaxed her emotions a little.

Saya stopped, like a mother hen, and began to ramble on about the supplies she had left for Kikyo and Ai.

From gold nuggets to wool and leather that might be used to make clothes, and even food and bone meal, Zuoyou left her an entire warehouse full. Zuoyou took his fatherly nature to the extreme, almost leaving her behind.

"Alright, alright, if you keep dragging this out, are you ever going to leave or not?"

Kikyo waved her hand helplessly at him. How could someone with such unparalleled strength be so strange?

"Then I'll be going. Lastly, I think there's one more thing I need to discuss with you."

Sōyū stepped into the Gates of Hell, leaving behind only a slightly flippant remark.

"You really should smile more often in the future; it suits you very well."

Kikyo paused for a moment when she heard his words, then shook her head helplessly and walked towards the hellish place where Saga had disappeared.

This guy, even at the very end, couldn't resist making a self-deprecating joke, could he?

After a familiar dizzying sensation, Zuoyou finally saw once again the pure sky that belonged only to hell, and the seemingly endless sea of ​​spider lilies.

Whether it was fate or not, when Sōyū emerged from hell, the first thing he saw was that somewhat familiar dock.