My personal opinion on Gensokyo

……

"I hope you can co-host this year's festival..."

The witch's gentle tone, which seemed to contain a hint of expectation in her calmness, seemed to reappear in my thoughts.

"...I understand your wish."

Muttering to himself, gazing at the Four Souls Jade in his palm, which was emitting an ominous deep purple light, the master of Yunzhongting, who had existed on this land for thousands of years, slowly shook his head with regret.

"But, Kikyo, some things don't turn out the way you imagine."

Such as now.

Raising his head, the young man with gray and white hair looked indifferently at the shrine maiden who was completely stunned outside the shrine. The tenderness in the young man's dark eyes, which had always been there when he looked at the shrine maiden, gradually faded away, as if it had never existed in these cold eyes. What remained was only the coldness and indifference that was filled with no human emotion at all.

"...Looks like you've noticed it, Kikyo."

"……Why?"

The witch's tone seemed to be as cold as usual, but anyone could hear the unspeakable sadness buried deep beneath this cold disguise...

I thought I found it... I really found it...

……

A snowy night a year ago.

The young man with gray hair, who barely propped up his upper body and leaned against the rock wall of the cave, let out a long breath.

"Is that so... So it was the miko who saved me... I'm so grateful for saving my life. I'll definitely repay you handsomely one day."

"I didn't do anything."

The cold witch shook her head slightly, looked away, and answered calmly.

"You suffered such severe injuries and were buried under the snow, yet you still managed to survive. This shows that you are not destined to die."

……

Maple Village a year ago.

"But you, Shang Yang, don't you want this Four Souls Jade?"

She tried softly.

However, the young man with gray hair casually shook his head indifferently.

"Don't test me, Miko-sama. I know my own limitations. Although this Four Souls Jade can indeed make an alien like me extremely powerful, the consequences will definitely make me lose myself."

"I haven't reached the point where I'm willing to sacrifice my life for the sake of power."

……

The night at the end of the year.

"How about clinking glasses during the New Year? I heard it's a custom that came from Tangtu."

In the shrine, a young man with gray and white hair suggested this, and there seemed to be some expectation on his face.

Seeing the young man's expectant expression, she smiled faintly and gently picked up the teacup.

"Please take care of me next year."

……

On the dangerous Penglai Island.

"careful!"

As she was stunned, a young man with gray hair stood in front of her.

Then, she felt a slight sting, and the gray-haired young man's left shoulder was severely injured by the monster's attack...

……

Inside the shrine in autumn.

"So, what are your plans for the future?"

She hid a little uneasiness and asked in a soft voice to the young man with gray hair.

"I haven't thought about this yet..."

Hearing this question, the young man with gray hair also showed an expression that seemed to be annoyed.

"To be honest, I'm not very fond of fighting, but it seems that this land is full of humans and monsters who love fighting."

"Other humans and monsters are all trying to get ahead, but I seem to have no ambition."

"Won't……"

Hearing the young man's emotion, she inexplicably felt a little relieved, so she whispered her own opinion...or perhaps a wish.

"If everyone were like you, the world would be much more peaceful..."

……

I thought I found it...

I really found it...

...In the end, am I still the naive one...

In fact, the answer is no longer important, but the witch wants to know, desperately want to know.

What was the purpose of everything that was unfolding before him...

Why do I allow myself to harbor such hypocritical feelings...

Why... do I have to make myself feel that he can be relied on...

Volume 5: The Miko of the Warring States Period: Chapter 305: Broken Wishes

Hate...

……have no idea.

At this moment, there was no longer a trace of calm and gentleness in the witch's cold tone, and it was filled with the coldness of ten thousand years of ice.

"……Why?"

After this winter, she would hand over the Four Souls Jade to him, and he would continue to protect it and this small village until the long period of chaos ended and a peaceful era arrived where everyone could live well...

Her body is gradually weakening, and her spiritual power is gradually fading. Before long, she will completely lose the power to protect the Four Soul Jade.

No matter what, Kikyo hopes that Shang Yang can continue to guard the Four Souls Jade on her behalf, and continue to guard this peaceful little village on her behalf.

I can replace myself and grow up with Feng...

Obviously, just wait a little longer...

A voice filled with deep sorrow and bitterness. She was clearly the shrine maiden who protected the Four Souls Jade, yet now, Kikyo was questioning with the stubbornness of a child. Her questioning, overflowing with sorrow, seemed as ethereal as a rootless duckweed floating on the water...

Why... to free you from this miserable fate...

These were words that he could say with a clear conscience, but looking at Platycodon's confused and sad face, Shang Yang knew that he couldn't say a single word of these words.

"…It's all over, Kikyo."

The indifferent words were like the beautiful witch in front of him, just an ordinary stranger.

“It’s over… huh…”

Gently closing her clear eyes like a spring, Kikyo's tone was filled with loneliness, bitterness, and confusion...

...That's right, I shouldn't have expected it from the beginning.

From the beginning, you shouldn't have had such a wish.

I am a shrine maiden, the shrine maiden who guards the Four Souls Jade, destined to wander alone in the mortal world forever.

This is my destiny.

...Do you want to cry?

do not know.

As expected, I don't look like an ordinary human being at all.

My heart aches, and my hands can't hold the bow firmly.

However, even so, the magic-destroying arrow was slowly placed on the bow, and the string was slowly pulled to full strength, thread by thread.

Kikyo's tone was as cold as ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years.

"...From the very beginning, you were the chief monster commander!"

"Indeed, those claims of origins being a trace of consciousness are just false pretenses."

Shang Yang replied calmly.

"It's just an excuse to deal with you."

Feel sorry……

"I don't have any desire to obtain the Four Souls Jade. The Four Souls Jade is useless to me."

"All I care about is its future."

The expressionless young man with gray hair revealed a cold and sarcastic look as he looked at the cold witch who couldn't even hold the bow steadily and whose mind was completely confused.

The master of the monsters faced the indifference of the weak human priestess.

"As long as this Four Souls Jade exists forever, the fighting surrounding it will never stop."

"Humans and monsters who desire the Four Souls Jade will fight and die forever."

"Kikyo, I know you want to purify this Four Souls Jade and put an end to this sad future that seems meaningless to you."

The ancient giant monster with gray and shaggy hair spoke indifferently.

"But, from our perspective, why should we end it? Kikyo. Don't you think this future is very interesting?"

Feel sorry……

"Whether human or youkai, they all lost their minds and killed each other for the sake of the Four Souls Jade."

The young man with gray and shaggy hair, who is the Lord of Monsters and rules over the countless monsters in this land, seems to have finally revealed his indifferent nature.

In Kikyo's memory, the face of the gentle young man who always had a soft expression disappeared completely from the same face in front of her.

All that was left was the ancient monster with the same appearance as the young man, who was at the top of all the demons and monsters in the world. He looked at weak humans and living beings with indifference that naturally emerged from his nature.

"The strong become swords, the weak become prey. The Four Souls Jade is this future, the perfect seasoning. From the mountains of corpses and seas of blood where humans and monsters slaughter each other, countless evil, dark, and terrifying monsters will be born."

Feel sorry……

"So, Kikyo, give up..."

"The Four Souls Jade doesn't need you to protect it. It's destined to be passed around in the hands of one human and monster after another, each one craving its terrifying power."

Like a flowing magic-breaking arrow, it cuts through the air and draws a beautiful arc.

However, this magic-destroying arrow, which can be regarded as the nemesis of all evil spirits and monsters, did not show any power in front of the Lord Commander of Monsters in the World.

He raised his left hand, extended his index and middle fingers, and faced a childish attack that was not worth mentioning. He blocked the oncoming magic-destroying arrow, and the big monster with gray and white hair showed a playful smile that seemed to be ironic, and spoke lightly.

"As expected of the miko Kikyo-sama... Even now, you still refuse to give up your responsibilities?"

"...It seems that your body can no longer hold on?"

The Demon-Breaking Arrow was easily grasped, but this was not surprising.

The witch breathed softly, and her cold tone seemed to have dispelled her confusion.

"...You are no different from those monsters who crave the Shikon Jewel."

"Put down the Four Souls Jade, leave Maple Village, and never come back!"

"Even now, he's still showing off."

The tone of the Lord Commander of Monsters in the World was still filled with a hint of indifference.

"Even if I leave the Four Souls Jewel behind, how long can you hold on? Whether it's Kaede or that half-demon Inuyasha, who else can purify the Four Souls Jewel like you?"

The witch was still breathing softly, and another magic-destroying arrow was placed on the bow.