From the darkness emerged a gallant young woman.
She wore a modified shrine maiden's outfit that clung closely to her body, allowing complete freedom of movement in battle. Over the red and white layers of her attire, she wore a gray breastplate and pauldrons secured by red sealing cords. Her skirt armor fit neatly over her red miko skirt, with several pale green gems glowing faintly under the moonlight, strung across her waist.
A cross-shaped sigil adorned her forehead, and her long, jet-black hair fell like silk down to her waist. In terms of beauty, Satsuki had to admit—the girl before her was almost her equal.
In the miko's hands rested a weapon unlike any Satsuki had ever seen: it resembled a highly curved sheathed divine blade, yet from the hilt to the sheath's end stretched a bowstring made entirely of spiritual energy.
The power radiating from the weapon was equal to that of its wielder; the two were like a perfect match made by the heavens. Though the weapon's size seemed large for her frame, the young woman wielded it effortlessly with one hand.
What truly caught Satsuki's attention, however, was the girl's immense spiritual pressure—and the proud, battle-hungry glint in her eyes.
It was an expression rarely seen in women... one that mirrored Satsuki's own.
"..."
The unfamiliar miko eyed Satsuki and Ruri warily. Satsuki's quick reflexes in dodging the beetle's ambush had already shown she was no ordinary person.
In this era, a traveling exorcist miko could afford no carelessness. Vigilance had long become second nature to her.
However, her divine bell—meant to react to yokai presence—remained silent, and she sensed no demonic aura from the pair.
It wasn't enough to completely rule out suspicion, but at least the likelihood that they were yokai was very low.
This conclusion allowed the miko to lower her guard slightly.
Without speaking, she stepped toward the beetle's corpse. Crouching beside it, she gathered spiritual energy into her hand, using it as a blade to dissect the creature's remains.
After a few moments of silent inspection, she stood again, thoughtful.
Satsuki, who had remained still throughout, keeping a measured distance, finally spoke. "Thank you."
"No need. Judging by that dodge earlier, even without my warning, this pitiful little yokai wouldn't have been able to harm you," the miko replied calmly.
She didn't sheath her weapon—danger lurked in every shadow here. Turning her head slightly, she glanced at Satsuki again, as if truly seeing her face for the first time.
In that instant, Satsuki noticed the flicker of astonishment on the girl's expression.
It was a reaction she had come to expect. Almost everyone who saw her face in this world responded the same way.
Though Satsuki's attire differed from the red-and-white style of shrine maidens, her presence carried a certain aura that made the miko's eyes light up—with the faint recognition of encountering a kindred spirit.
"Are you also a miko?"
"No," Satsuki shook her head. "My name is Satsuki. I'm merely a physician from the Demon-Hunting Village."
At that, the system turned its attention toward the miko, speaking in a childish voice. "I'm Ruri."
"I'm Miko," the girl said. "A traveling exorcist shrine maiden."
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Ruri, filled with a trace of wistfulness—what a pity, she thought. If this woman hadn't already borne a child, she would have made an exceptional shrine maiden.
"Miss Satsuki, why have you come to such a dangerous place at night?"
"Because of that."
Satsuki gestured toward the now-destroyed beetle carcass. The creature had already been completely vaporized by Miko's spiritual energy, leaving no trace behind.
"There have been recent attacks on demon hunters in the village by an unknown assailant. I suspected it might be caused by a beetle with twin mandibles, so I came to investigate."
"I see... all alone? And bringing a child with you?"
"Child?" Satsuki glanced at the system, then replied coolly, "She's no child—she's a shikigami gifted to me by an onmyoji."
"Shikigami?"
Miko looked surprised. She had seen shikigami before—she could even create them herself using spiritual energy.
As a shrine maiden, the shikigami Miko could create were simple in function—mostly used for transmitting messages or maintaining communication. When it came to direct combat, they were far inferior to those crafted by the onmyoji of Kyoto.
Even so, she had a clear understanding of how to gauge a shikigami's strength.
It was said: The more humanlike a shikigami's demeanor, the stronger it is.
Appearance could be altered—divine energy, yokai power, or spiritual energy could all be disguised. But the glimmer in one's eyes, the subtleties of movement, and the minute expressions of the body could not easily fool an experienced miko.
Moments ago, she had almost immediately judged Ruri to be merely a child.
If that child truly was a shikigami, then it must be a powerful one—strong enough to face yokai head-on without being at a disadvantage. No wonder Satsuki could travel alone into such a dangerous place at night.
However, Miko's next question left Satsuki momentarily speechless.
"So, Miss Satsuki... are you still a virgin?"
?
When confusion spread across Satsuki's face, it wasn't because she doubted herself—it was because she wondered if the girl before her had something wrong with her.
"Hahahahaha~"
Even inside her consciousness, the system couldn't contain its laughter.
Satsuki, expressionless, smacked the floating orb of the system with a wave of mental force, watching it tumble and roll away into the depths of her mindscape.
Returning to reality, she sighed. Though she couldn't quite follow the other girl's train of thought, she wasn't offended by the question the way women of this era likely would be. Still, she replied evenly, "Forgive my ignorance, but are shrine maidens nowadays always this... straightforward in speech?"
At that, Miko blinked, realizing what she had just blurted out was terribly impolite.
Her face flushed as she hurriedly stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Please don't misunderstand, Miss Satsuki. I only got too excited—my words had no other meaning."
Satsuki, who in truth had lived for decades and far surpassed the age of this young woman, naturally wouldn't take offense. She understood perfectly well why the girl had asked such a question.
"Do you need to hear my answer?"
As soon as she said that, Miko lifted her head. In her amber eyes shone a brilliance deeper and more beautiful than the stars above.
"Please, I must know."
"Yes," Satsuki replied calmly. "I have no interest in matters between men and women. For the foreseeable future, I'll likely remain single."
"Wonderful!"
Miko's smile grew radiant. "Then, Miss Satsuki—would you be interested in becoming a shrine maiden?"
Become a shrine maiden?
The thought lingered briefly in Satsuki's mind. To be honest, she didn't find the idea disagreeable.
In this world plagued by yokai, shrine maidens were not merely priestesses devoted to spiritual rituals, as she had once imagined. They were powerful exorcists—symbols of both martial strength and sacred authority.
If she had to compare, they were much like ninjas in the world of Naruto.
Just as ninjas relied on chakra, shrine maidens in this world wielded spiritual energy to exorcise demons and purify corruption.
In their respective environments, both professions shone with extraordinary brilliance—far beyond Satsuki's expectations.
However, she didn't decide right away.
Instead, she glanced at the beetle's remains and said, "The reason I came to the forest was to investigate that yokai beetle. Since it's already been destroyed, would you mind accompanying me back to the Demon-Hunting Village to report the situation?"
"No problem," Miko nodded. "I only came here after hearing rumors that someone nearby was selling powerful spiritual artifacts. I had no particular destination in mind."
How convenient, the system thought silently. The person you're talking about is standing right in front of you.
"I see. Then let's go together," Satsuki said.
...
By the time dawn broke the next day, Satsuki, Ruri, and Miko arrived at the gates of the Demon-Hunting Village.
The village sat at a high elevation. The early winter winds carried a chill dampness, and the air was cold and heavy with moisture. The only comfort was the faint fragrance of mountain plants drifting along the paths. Villagers were already up and moving, carrying tools and greeting one another as they began their day.
From several homes came the rhythmic sounds of hammering and carving. Within moments, uniquely shaped weapons began to take form under the skilled hands of the demon hunters, then were set out on the grass before their homes to await finishing touches.
The moment the three entered the village, they drew every eye.
Many of the demon hunters stared at Satsuki, but even more turned their attention to the shrine maiden walking beside her.
A senior demon hunter blinked, then shouted, "A shrine maiden has arrived! Quick—notify the chief! We must give her a proper welcome!"
Hearing the order, another hunter's face lit up with excitement. He sprinted toward the central wooden house and began pounding on the door.
"Chief! Wake up! A shrine maiden is here!"
"What? A shrine maiden?!"
His voice carried far, instantly spreading the news throughout the entire village.
Soon, people poured out of their homes.
The atmosphere resembled that of fans rushing to meet a celebrity.
But these villagers were no ordinary folk—they were demon hunters.
Even so, the awe and excitement in their eyes made it clear how highly they regarded the existence of shrine maidens.
Meo soon appeared, sporting dark circles under his eyes. The previous day, Satsuki had used Veil of Light and Shadow to instruct him to oversee the transport of rice. The mountain path had been slippery, the work exhausting, and afterward he'd had other matters to handle—he hadn't slept all night.
Still, the arrival of a shrine maiden was an event of great importance. He had to be present.
When he finally arrived, he was surprised to see that the guest had come with Satsuki and Ruri. The trio standing together instantly became the focus of the entire village.
The crowd formed a loose circle around them, leaving a narrow path open for him to approach.
"Welcome to the Demon-Hunting Village, Lady Shrine Maiden. And welcome back, Miss Satsuki."
At least in such formal situations, Meo looked the part of a leader. He was far more composed and dignified than he'd been the day before.
Satsuki, however, had no patience for ceremony. Pretending to stifle a yawn, she went straight to the point. "This is Miss Miko, a traveling exorcist shrine maiden. We met last night in the forest."
"Lady Miko."
Miko seemed used to such deference; her expression remained calm. Yet she still spoke up in a gentle tone. "There's no need for honorifics. Please, just call me Miko."
"Understood, Lady Miko," Meo replied with a wry grin.
His humorous response drew a round of good-natured laughter from the surrounding demon hunters, lightening the atmosphere considerably.
Satsuki spoke at the right moment. "Last night, we encountered the beetles that had been attacking the demon hunters. However, by the time I arrived, Miss Miko had already destroyed the creature. If you want to know the details, you can ask her."
Her words caused an immediate stir among the gathered crowd.
The culprit behind the recent attacks on several demon hunters had long eluded every search party, leaving the villagers deeply unsettled. Some had even begun whispering that the incidents were caused by a curse.
Now, with an authoritative figure confirming the truth, the relief spreading through the villagers was palpable. It was as though a massive weight had been lifted from their hearts.
All eyes turned toward Miko.
She didn't keep them waiting. "Miss Satsuki is correct. The creature was a beetle with twin mandibles extending from its jaws. However, it was not a yokai. That's why your usual demon-hunting wards and aura-detection techniques failed to work. On the way here, Miss Satsuki told me about the nature of your men's wounds—their size, placement, and pattern all match this creature's behavior. There's a very high probability that it was responsible."
Satsuki continued smoothly, "Now that we've identified the species, the rest will be simple. In a few days, I'll prepare an insect-repelling medicine. When your patrol teams go out, they can carry it to prevent future attacks."
"Thank you so much!" Meo said gratefully.
The surrounding villagers and demon hunters immediately broke into another round of praises and admiration.
Satsuki didn't pay them much mind, but the traveling shrine maiden, Miko, did. She paid close attention to how the villagers spoke of Satsuki.
To become a shrine maiden, spiritual talent was, of course, important.
But not every shrine maiden was born with powerful spiritual energy—enough to become a wandering exorcist like Miko herself. In fact, shrine maidens like her were exceedingly rare.
Most lacked the innate strength or combat potential necessary for such a life. (Much like the difference between Kikyo and Kaede.)
Therefore, the true criteria for becoming a shrine maiden lay elsewhere: a kind and courageous heart, and an unyielding will. Of course—being unmarried was also a strict prerequisite.
After all, it seemed that no matter the world, the gods shared a certain... lecherous tradition.
Or perhaps it was simply for the convenience of certain clergy members' peculiar preferences.
Most shrine maidens served as spiritual leaders in their home villages, handling prayers, exorcisms, and rituals. Those more experienced often studied medicine to act as village healers.
In the Sengoku era, when knowledge was scarce, the role of a shrine maiden carried tremendous weight.
Through her brief encounter the night before, Miko had already seen in Satsuki the makings of an almost perfect shrine maiden. And hearing the villagers' glowing praise today only strengthened that conviction.
However, as they spoke, Miko suddenly furrowed her brow, turning her gaze sharply toward the distant sky.
The villagers noticed her expression shift to one of grave seriousness. "Lady Miko, what's wrong?" one of them asked.
"Yokai energy—rapidly approaching the village. And... there are a lot of them."
In one swift motion, Miko drew the weapon from her back and channeled her spiritual power into it. The weapon roared to life like a slumbering lion awakened, bursting forth with immense energy.
And as if to confirm her words, urgent bells suddenly rang out from all four corners of the village.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
"A large-scale yokai attack! All units, prepare for battle! Full alert—everyone to positions!!"