Supernatural/Anime Crossover: Where Did My Romantic Comedy Go?

There's also the dashing image of someone drawing a bow and arrow to vanquish monsters.

It's hard to imagine that this elegant and graceful shrine maiden would sit in front of a mirror applying lipstick.

and……

"Fifty years have passed? By now, Kikyo must be almost seventy years old."

Kujo Toru placed the bedding he was carrying on the wooden floor and stroked his chin.

Because Kaede and Kikyo are sisters, they actually look quite similar, and their spiritual powers are also quite alike. That's why he mistook Kaede, who had turned into an old woman, for Kikyo.

Conversely, a 50-year-old Kikyo should look similar to a kayakashi (maple) now.

I imagined what it would be like if Old Feng were sitting here putting on makeup, hmm...

Given Kikyo's personality, she shouldn't be capable of doing something like this... right?

Shaking his head, Kujo Toru banished the somewhat peculiar images from his mind and began making the bed.

He then lay down on it.

I drifted off to sleep.

He planned to go to the Bone-Eating Well in the forest after he woke up tomorrow to figure out how to return to the modern world.

I'll also visit Kikyo.

Although the conditions at the shrine were harsh, and he slept on hard wooden floors, Kujo Toru slept very soundly.

It seems that the herbs added to the white plum fragrance powder contained some sleep-inducing ingredients, and the bedding and cosmetics had been stored together in the box for some time, so they had also picked up some of the scent.

In short, when he woke up, the sunlight was already shining on his face through the window.

"call……"

He let out a long sigh of relief and stretched.

Kujo Toru felt like he hadn't slept so well in a long time.

It has to be said that if Kikyo lived in modern times, she would be quite a wealthy woman.

The formula for this white plum fragrance alone is a godsend for countless insomniac office workers. If it were actually made into a product, it would definitely sell like hotcakes.

After folding the bedding and putting it back in the box, Kujo Toru pushed open the door and went out.

The melodious chirping of birds reached my ears.

Looking around, smoke was already rising from the village at the foot of the mountain, clearly indicating that they were preparing to start a busy day.

In this era, eating one meal in the morning and one meal in the evening is the real mainstream, and for ordinary people, it is already quite a rare thing.

Instead of rushing down the mountain to the Bone-Eating Well in the forest, Kujo Toru turned his head and looked in another direction.

He sensed a familiar, powerful, and pure spiritual energy over there.

The roar of the waterfall echoed outwards in layers.

The air gradually became humid.

The priestess removed her outer white robe and scarlet trousers, leaving her only in a simple, snow-white undergarment, and squatted by the pond.

She held her long, jet-black hair in both hands and was slowly washing it.

Her clothes were soaked and clung tightly to her body, outlining her beautiful curves.

A moment later, she twisted her hair, raised her arm, took a gentle sniff, and nodded in satisfaction.

The stench left from our long journey to exorcise the monster has been mostly removed.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

That voice, unheard for fifty years, entered my ears with a relaxed tone:

"Long time no see, Kikyo."

The priestess turned her head away, showing no shame or annoyance at having her private scene witnessed.

Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, reflected the boy's figure, unchanged from the past, and she nodded slightly.

"Yes, welcome back."

Inside the shrine's rear hall, Kikyo ladled cooked rice porridge from the hanging stove, handed the bowl to Kujo Toru, and then ladled a bowl for herself.

She changed back into her shrine maiden outfit.

His gaze swept over the wooden crate by the wall, his expression slightly fluctuating, before he glanced at Kujo Toru without leaving a trace.

"How long have you been back?"

"last night."

Kujo Toru gently blew on the rim of the bowl in response to Kikyo's words.

Even after so much time has passed, the shrine maiden still looks the same as when she and her companion defeated Ama-no-Kurakumo.

Time seemed to have left no trace on her.

This contrasts sharply with the maple leaves.

This also relieved Kujo Toru.

If Kikyo were to sit here like an old woman, just like Kaede, he might not be able to treat her the same way he did before.

However, this is also a very strange thing.

Human lifespan is ultimately finite.

No matter how powerful one's spiritual energy is, it cannot slow down the aging of the physical body; one will inevitably pass away sooner or later.

Throughout history, all those renowned and exceptionally talented priestesses, monks, and onmyoji (yin-yang masters) have fallen victim to this.

Although for them, transforming themselves into celestial beings or shikigami is a very simple thing.

However, after so many years of exorcising non-humans, it is difficult for these people to accept that they have to give up their human identity on the verge of death.

In contrast, they would rather die than linger in the world forcibly.

This method is only used temporarily when there is a disaster that needs to be suppressed.

This is their pride.

Kujo Tetsu could see very clearly that Kikyo was still alive, and her spiritual power was as pure as before. Obviously, she was not one of those who had fallen into the demonic path in order to prolong their lifespan.

"So, what's going on with you right now?"

He asked directly and frankly.

Kikyo did not try to hide or cover up anything, and answered his questions truthfully:

"It is the Shikon Jewel."

As she spoke, Kikyo reached into her collar and pulled out a cherry-pink gem.

It was exactly the same as the fragment in Kujo Tetsu's hand, the only difference being that the shrine maiden held the intact Shikon Jewel.

It is crystal clear and without any impurities.

Even sitting opposite, you can feel the surging spiritual energy contained within.

A rare look of confusion crossed Kikyo's face:

"To be honest, I don't really know how it turned out this way either."

Volume 1: Chapter 216 Penglai Island

"How to say?"

Kikyo glanced at Kujou Toru, who was pressing for answers, and asked him a question:

Do you know about Penglai Island?

The somewhat unexpected name caused a look of surprise on Kujo Toru's face:

"The one from Three Immortals Mountain?"

"Correct."

Kikyo nodded and continued:

"Legend has it that more than 1,700 years ago, Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu to search for this legendary island, but he found nothing."

"But in reality, it's because the island is hidden in the intermediate state between the dead and the dead, and it appears in the mortal world every fifty years accompanied by thick fog."

At this point, Kujo Toru roughly knew what was going on: "You found it?"

"Yes, fifty years ago, not long after you left."

Kikyo's voice was calm as she began to tell her story.

Kujo Toru listened silently without interrupting her.

According to Kikyo, although Ama no Murakumo was defeated by Tsukuyomi using his body, it almost destroyed the entire Kai province.

The resentment and filth generated by the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people did not dissipate with the extermination of the Ama-no-Kumara. Instead, it gave rise to many monsters and vengeful spirits, which wandered all the way to the neighboring Suruga Kingdom.

Because she had also participated in the battle to subdue the Kusanagi, and its host was the priestess Tsubaki, Kikyo felt that this matter was inextricably linked to her, so she stayed in Suruga Province.

He traveled around both to exorcise monsters and to hone his spiritual power.

As he said this, Kujo Toru felt that the shrine maiden had glanced at him almost imperceptibly.

It seemed as if she was blaming herself for suddenly running away, leaving her to clean up the mess all by herself.

However, given Kikyo's personality, she probably wouldn't think that way; she's likely overthinking it...

Kujo Toru was a little embarrassed. He lowered his head, took a sip of porridge, and continued listening.

But things took a turn here. When Kikyo was fighting off the wet women for a small fishing village on the coast of Suruga Province, she happened to encounter the appearance of Hourai Island every fifty years.

"Later I found a group of half-demon children on that island. In addition, there were four great demons on the island, known as the Four Fighting Gods."

"Those four great demons were invaders from Penglai Island. They once fought with the island's guardian priestess, but the priestess used a suicidal technique to strip them of their impurity."

"Without the foul air, the existence of demons would also perish. Therefore, in order to maintain their own existence, the Four Gods threw the half-demon children on the island into a magical vessel called the 'Cup of the Roaring Dragon' to extract the foul air from it to sustain their own existence."

The priestess lowered her eyes, seemingly telling a story that had nothing to do with her.

You wouldn't guess she was actually a participant.

"I tried to defeat them, but although they were in poor condition, they were still great demons. I was defeated after only managing to eliminate two of them, and eventually left the island with the help of the half-demons."

Kujo Toru put down the ceramic bowl in his hand and carefully examined the shrine maiden kneeling in front of him.

There was no sign that she had suffered such a severe battle; she had no injuries whatsoever.

"And then what?"

"Here."

Kikyo put away the Shikon Jewel in her hand and put it back in her bosom.

"Then the Shikon Jewel became like this, and my body seemed to be frozen at that moment, never to age again."

As she spoke, she glanced again at Kujo Toru's arms.

As a priestess who had guarded the Shikon Jewel for fifty years, she could naturally sense that Kujo Toru also possessed the aura of the Shikon Jewel.

However, trusting him, Kikyo never asked about his origins.

However, she was actually hiding some things.

For example, on Penglai Island, she was not only defeated, but also on the verge of death.

For example, she actually knew what was really going on with the Shikon Jewel.

A great monster is still a great monster.

Even though the Four War Gods could only rely on the filth extracted from the half-demon child by the Roaring Cauldron to prolong their lives, making them extremely shameful among the great demons, they were still far superior to ordinary demons.

Having managed to defeat two of them with all her might, she truly deserves to be called the strongest priestess of this era.

However, as she approached death, the usually detached and ascetic priestess inevitably experienced intense emotional turmoil.

It activated the Shikon Jewel that she had always worn.

The priestess who guarded the jewel eventually used its power.