I have an infinite number of shikigami

In my sight, Yukino Ritsuko was talking with a girl from Furukawa Conference Hall. The girl sometimes laughed, sometimes looked dejected, and occasionally showed a bit of coquettishness. As they talked, she would bounce around, looking particularly happy. Although Yukino Ritsuko was conversing with her, her eyes seemed to be searching for something, scanning over the surroundings and the guests.

The lake beside the pavilion, the cherry blossoms were beautiful.

Such a beautiful view seemed to hold no weight in her eyes.

She ignored all the beauty, focusing entirely on seemingly searching for someone she had agreed to meet.

Such behavior from the Snow Woman was truly strange. The Snow Woman Takeuchi Akira knew, who hadn't left the conference hall, never had this side to her.

The Snow Woman from back then liked peace and quiet and had extraordinary talents in music and dance, yet she never showcased them. She was beautiful, held a special and esteemed position in the conference hall, but she never flaunted it, treating everyone amicably. She was a truly serene and elegant woman.

Upon seeing her again, Takeuchi Akira's idea of her deepened even further.

Learning that she had left the conference hall and no longer had any dealings with the demon world, Takeuchi Akira initially felt a bit disappointed. But upon further reflection, with the conference hall's constraints gone, he indeed had no chance of success; leaving the conference hall was instead a good thing. Moreover, she was living quite frugally, which made it better.

Takeuchi Akira felt that since they knew each other in the past, and both were demons, they should be able to sit down and have a good talk.

In the past, he indeed did not have a good image, but if he could pursue her, changing wouldn't be a problem. Until the day he got slapped in the face, he was startled to realize that things weren't as simple as he thought.

Thinking it over, Takeuchi Akira walked a bit closer to the pavilion.

In the pavilion, some guests were resting, drinking tea, eating, while children ran around. The girl from Furukawa Conference Hall said something that made Yukino Ritsuko, who was dressed in a simple kimono, smile with both complexity and cuteness, then helplessly raised her hand and tapped the girl's forehead. The girl then said something else, and Yukino Ritsuko glared at her with feigned anger, arguing back. After a while, the girl suddenly hugged Yukino Ritsuko, made a funny face towards the lake, and shouted out: "Fujiwara Scumbag, Ryoko is monopolizing Sister Yukino now!"

After the loud shout, the girl leaned back, giggling and playing around.

So they were talking about Fujiwara Reya... Takeuchi Akira watched Yukino Ritsuko from the side, noting her conflicted expression on whether to tap the girl's head over what she just said, with her brow furrowed in slight annoyance. But the next moment, she helplessly smiled, indicating with open hands to stop the fuss; at this moment, her frown and smile all showed the demeanor of a woman in love... These expressions had never appeared on her face before.

In the past, Takeuchi Akira had seen her incompatible and sorrowful demeanor when not in the conference hall, and he had seen her reserved yet classically warm smile. But the present adorable demeanor...

It was hard to clearly say what the feeling was now.

Takeuchi Akira watched expressionlessly for a while and suddenly punched a nearby cherry tree.

Amid the fluttering petals, he laughed out "Haha," and walked towards the pavilion. If he couldn't have it, he'd destroy it... or so he thought, with the ideas he held in his heart suddenly budding and expanding as he got closer.

Envy-driven men are truly uninteresting... Yayako leisurely followed behind, her eyes scouring the surroundings, clearly waiting for someone too.

In the pavilion, Kitagawa Ryoko was talking.

"Sister Yukino, tonight Ryoko will be performing; will you come with me, please?"

Tonight?

Yukino Ritsuko shook her head.

Tonight is my wedding night, there's no way I could accompany you...

"Sister Yukino, just for one night, ignore that Fujiwara Reya, isn't having Ryoko's company enough? Hey, hey, why are you looking away again? Ryoko is talking to you. Are you waiting for Fujiwara Reya? Look at Ryoko, look at Ryoko—"

The pouting girl was suddenly pushed from behind.

She stumbled forward, and an abhorrent voice came from behind.

"Yukino, you're here too, let me take you for a walk..."

As Kitagawa Ryoko was about to fall, she pushed off the ground with her small hands, springing back up. In her view, with a scarring at the corner of the eye more loathsome than Fujiwara Reya by a mile, Takeuchi Akira reached out his hand...

"Mr. Takeuchi, please mind your manners." Yukino Ritsuko took a step back, helping Kitagawa Ryoko up.

Seeing the girl's hand being a bit dirty, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her palm, then led her around Takeuchi Akira, saying, "Let's go, there's no point in waiting here."

Just as they were about to move towards the pavilion, Takeuchi Akira sidestepped into their path, blocking them.

"Where are you going?" His expression began to turn a bit grim.

Yukino Ritsuko said coldly: "None of your business!"

"Going to find that brat, right?" Takeuchi Akira, acting out of character, reached out towards her shoulder, "Oh you, always pretending to be so serene and modest, but aren't you just a wanton demon..."

Meanwhile, being protected by Yukino Ritsuko, Kitagawa Ryoko suddenly stepped forward: "What are you doing—"

The lively and cute girl suddenly turned fierce like a little tigress.

Takeuchi Akira, now beside himself, switched from grabbing Yukino Ritsuko's shoulder to trying to punch the girl: "Keep out of it, get lost!"

Kitagawa Ryoko was struck, crying out in pain, stepping back, while Yukino Ritsuko quickly grabbed her arm.

The visitors in the pavilion were all frightened, retreating outside to hide.

"Who is that—"

"How rude!"

In the indignant voices, some people couldn't take it anymore and planned to step in and stop him.

"Hey, hey, don't..."

Recognizing which demon it was, they quickly stopped those who wanted to interfere.

This is the Demon King's ghost tribe. To dare to speak out could risk gaining the attention of Yoshitsune behind him, which would be courting death.

"Come with me!" Takeuchi Akira's sinister gaze swept over them, reaching out again.

Suddenly, an icy wind blew.

Forced into her Snow Woman form, Yukino Ritsuko immediately raised an ice barrier.

There was a strange red light flashing in Takeuchi Akira's eyes.

Then there was a crisp "crack" sound as his red fist smashed through the light-blue barrier, scattering icy fragments that disrupted the sunlight and leaves.

The ghost tribe is so unreliable... Yayako stepped back a bit.

Being from the Fox Clan, she never thought highly of the ghost tribe, who liked to solve things through brute force.

"I said come with me!"

In a state of madness, Takeuchi Akira reached out once again towards Yukino Ritsuko, this time developing ghost horns on his head and long bristles on his cheeks, his eyes blood-red.

At this moment, someone tapped on his shoulder.

"Who's there..." Roaring as he turned back, in his vision, Fujiwara Reya punched him squarely on the face.

With a loud boom.

Takeuchi Akira was forced to step back a few steps from the blow.

In his staggering, he noticed Fujiwara Reya's gaze — the kind of gaze filled with arrogance amidst gloom. He had only seen it once in his life: that was decades ago when the news of Lord Ibaraki's death returned to the tribe, and he went to meet King Yoshitsune that night. That night, there was no light in the room, King Yoshitsune sat on the sofa, his figure almost melding with the darkness around him. The king's gaze was just like now.

Though the daylight was bright, in the moment his gaze met Fujiwara Reya's, he seemed to see that devouring darkness again.

One punch landed on the face of this ghost tribe member, and as he stumbled backward, Fujiwara Reya chased after him, delivering a powerful backhanded slap.

"Slap—"

Takeuchi Akira's body spun in the air inside the pavilion.

Then there was another loud thud, as Fujiwara Reya delivered a vicious side kick, sending him flying into the nearby lake.