Shinnosuke swung his arm, sending the Inukami flying with telekinesis and smashing it into a building. Without pausing, he stepped past Himari and moved forward, drawing his blade.
“This always happens when I take my eyes off you.”
The sword bore the name Echigo no Kami Rai Kinmichi, crafted by Rai Kinmichi, a swordsmith of the Mishina school from the early Edo period. It was a blade Shinnosuke had inherited from his late father.
In the distance, the Inukami sprang back to its feet.
Shinnosuke raised Rai Kinmichi, slightly crouched, and gathered strength in his legs. In the next instant, his figure blurred and vanished, only to reappear behind the Inukami, frozen in the posture of a finishing strike.
He had infused his body with shikon—warrior spirit—moving at a staggering speed.
The Inukami split cleanly in two and crumbled to the ground. Shinnosuke flicked the blood from his blade and turned, glancing at Himari. He noticed her slight surprise but confirmed that she was unharmed.
—Who’s that?
Only then did he finally take proper notice of the figure beside his sister. He had sensed their presence earlier but hadn’t focused on them until now.
A girl with hair the color of nadeshiko blossoms and golden eyes—a hallmark of noble lineage. It was unexpected to see Himari with someone like her. But more concerning was the fact that she had witnessed him wielding shikon.
“Onii, she’s my friend,” Himari said, smiling as if sensing his unease.
That alone made Shinnosuke stop worrying about being seen. Right now, the priority was his sister’s safety. The other details could wait.
“Fine. Stay put. I’ll handle this quickly.”
Shinnosuke surveyed the area.
A significant number of Tesso—iron rats—were present, and Satsuki was already fighting them. Likely drawn by Himari, the Tesso had gathered here. While weak individually, their numbers were causing Satsuki trouble.
He needed to ensure the area was secure, including assisting Satsuki.
Drawing from deep within, his resolve summoned forth the power of shikon, spreading it throughout his body. His nerves tingled from head to toe, and a shiver ran down his spine.
The irregular blade of Rai Kinmichi began to emit a faint glow, resonating with the energy.
“Let’s clean this up.”
Kicking off the ground, Shinnosuke closed the distance, slicing a Tesso’s head in half. He advanced, cutting to the right and left with precision. As he exhaled and stopped, all the Tesso behind him collapsed lifelessly.
Satsuki, who had been struggling, now looked stunned and unsure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed.
But Shinnosuke didn’t notice her expression. His attention shifted to a nearby construction site, marked by barriers, cones, and blue tarps.
“That’s… that place.”
His mood abruptly soured. It was the site of a problematic construction project, where a massive, dirt-encrusted concrete block had been unearthed during excavation.
Shinnosuke glared at the site with thinly veiled frustration.
—If only they could work on it now.
With the area evacuated and no residents nearby, it was the perfect opportunity to resume construction without noise complaints. If only the crew could be summoned to break apart the concrete, it would be ideal.
“…That’s it!”
Shinnosuke had an epiphany—it was time to destroy it now.
If he treated it like demolishing the complainer’s building earlier, the problem would be resolved. The timing, the circumstances, and the power were all aligned. The only thing missing was more phantom beasts.
“Wait, big brother?! What are you doing?”
“This is it, Himari. Don’t you see?”
“Huh? See what? Wait, big brother—Inukami’s coming!”
“Inukami?! Perfect timing!”
Turning around, Shinnosuke spotted three Inukami racing through the gray buildings, rapidly approaching.
He welcomed them with the brightest grin, slicing through them with his Raikindo sword as they passed. The momentum sent the first one tumbling across the road, but he swiftly hurled it away with telekinesis.
The second Inukami launched itself from the ground, kicking off the building wall to attack from above. Shinnosuke caught it mid-air with his telekinesis and flung it aside.
The third charged head-on. As it leaped at him, he vaulted onto its back, driving Raikindo into its skull before tossing it away like the others.
The three Inukami landed precisely where he had intended—the problematic construction site.
Shinnosuke sheathed Raikindo, channeling his shikon (warrior spirit) into the blade.
“This is it…!”
He leaped, bounding from the ground to a guardrail and then to the building wall, soaring high. Drawing Raikindo in a flash, he released a radiant, slicing energy that surged forward.
The unleashed shikon carved clean through the piled-up Inukami, slicing even the concrete beneath. The power detonated, reducing everything—the Inukami and the construction site’s problems—into fragments.
Shinnosuke deftly deflected the incoming debris with telekinesis.
“Big brother! Thank you!”
Himari ran toward him, her face glowing with relief.
Grabbing her hand, Shinnosuke broke into an awkward celebratory dance.
“No, no, thank you, Himari!”
“Wait, what? Why?”
“You’re the best little sister ever!”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? I mean, of course, I’m the best sister, but this is so confusing!”
Himari looked to Satsuki for help, but Satsuki, equally baffled, simply tilted her head.
Oblivious to their confusion, Shinnosuke reveled in his victory. While part of his joy came from solving a significant problem, most of it stemmed from protecting his sister. However, his expression quickly turned serious.
“Why didn’t you evacuate properly? That was reckless.”
He lightly tapped her on the head with his fist.
Himari only laughed sheepishly, showing no signs of genuine remorse.
“Uh… well, you see, there were… circumstances.”
“Circumstances or not, it was dangerous!”
“I knew you’d come save me, big brother!”
“Don’t try to dodge the issue!”
He playfully ruffled her head with his knuckles, making her feign exaggerated cries of pain. Their sibling banter brought a small smile to Satsuki’s face.
“You’re really incredible, Shinnosuke.”
“Hey, hey, Satsuki, is my big brother amazing? Is he super strong for a samurai?”
“Strong doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s on a whole different level. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Shinnosuke has agreed to assist my unit. He’s going to be an invaluable asset.”
As Satsuki and Himari chatted, Shinnosuke’s attention drifted to the other presence nearby—the girl with nadeshiko-pink hair and golden eyes. She was staring intently at him, her gaze unwavering.
Himari noticed his shift in focus after being nudged.
“Oh, this is Shizuna. She’s my friend!”
Himari turned to Shizuna and spoke in an almost pleading tone.
“So, Shizuna, I have a favor to ask. My big brother’s use of shikon is a secret, okay? You have to keep it a secret!”
Himari casually entrusted her with a major responsibility, showing the closeness of their bond.
While Shinnosuke wondered about their friendship, Shizuna’s unexpected reaction surprised him.
“A secret…?”
She giggled softly before breaking into a slightly smug expression.
“A secret. Hmm, I see. So, it’s a secret, is it? Hmm… a secret, indeed.”
She let out a mischievous laugh, puffing herself up slightly.
“Then… you’ll do as I say! Obey me! Do as I command! Obey—uh, please obey me!”
“What did you just say?”
“You all… b-become my… friends. Become… friends with me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Confused, Shinnosuke turned to Himari for an explanation, but she only shrugged lightly. Unsure of what to do, he looked to Satsuki for advice, only to see her hesitantly nodding in agreement.
Deciding there didn’t seem to be any harm, Shinnosuke nodded in acceptance.
