Ultraman: This Belial only wants to make money.

Chapter 72. Lonely souls are all alike.

The grudges that had entangled them for a century vanished overnight. Although Ida Keiryu felt a sense of relief, he did not feel much regret.

A samurai's gaze is always forward. The story of Sukuna-ki has ended, but another troublesome matter has befallen him.

"Mr. Jin, you've really presented me with a difficult problem. I'm really not good at lecturing..."

Ida Keiryu scratched his head, looking at Kirino Makio, who was sulking in the corner, unsure of how to start a conversation.

In the battle between Sukuna and Haku, Kirino tacitly allowed Keiryu to borrow his eyes, so the samurai could witness his old rival's final downfall. He wasn't surprised by this ending, after all, it was the all-powerful Mr. Kin, and no matter how strong Sukuna was, he couldn't turn the tide.

However, the reaction of the possessed person, Kirino Makio, was quite interesting. Galactron appeared before everyone with the head of Sukuna Oni and executed the evil spirit on the spot. This should have been a happy occasion for everyone, but in this sea of ​​joy, his host's mood became increasingly depressed.

Jinglong Ida was skilled with swords but not with words; otherwise, he would have opened his heart long ago and won over the widow of the White Fox Forest.

There's no need for much communication with enemies; a single sword strike is enough. But with friends... you can't use such brutal methods.

But Mr. Jin had done me a great favor, so I should do my best to fulfill this request.

After a moment's thought, Ida Keiryu organized his thoughts before attempting to speak: "Lord Kirino... besides feeling lost, you must be quite lonely, right?"

Kirino Makio didn't react much, but Keiryu, with his samurai's keen dynamic vision, could still see that Kirino's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

Mr. Jin once said that Kirino's situation was very similar to his own, so Jinglong tried to express some of his feelings.

A warrior who has spent his life in battle has cultivated his mental fortitude to its peak, making him difficult even for Kirino to break through. However, Keiryu has let down his guard; he has lived an open and honest life with nothing to hide.

Although Kirino has strange ideas, he is not a bad person. Jinglong allowed him to go through his memories because a sincere exchange should not be reserved.

This situation is less like lecturing and more like a form of venting.

Even the invincible demon-slaying swordsman is actually lonely at heart.

"Although human joys and sorrows are not shared, I can somewhat sense... the feelings you are experiencing."

"Because I was born with the ability to distinguish between demons and ghosts, the world I see is different from that of ordinary people."

"A stunningly beautiful woman, her eyes sparkling with desire, gazes at a wanderer by the roadside; an old woman with a full head of white hair, holding her grandson's hand, walks into a house with smoke rising from its chimney... How beautiful the world is in the eyes of mortals."

Jinglong Ida sighed, pointing to his eyes.

"But in my humble opinion, they are nothing more than fox demons sharpening their teeth and claws, eyeing men's hearts; evil spirits in human skin, deceiving children; and the firewood under the stove is nothing but human bones..."

"Before I became famous, few people believed what others said. What ordinary people saw was nothing more than a mad ronin, covered in blood, hacking at corpses..."

"My portrait has appeared on wanted posters quite a few times!"

Jinglong Ida let out a hearty laugh, as if the protagonist in his story was not himself, but a stranger.

"But...don't you feel bad, Jinglong?"

Kirino Makio, who was in the corner, finally spoke.

People who share similar experiences are more likely to empathize with each other and band together for warmth; it's a human instinct.

Kirino faces discrimination because of his superpowers, and his human instincts make him yearn for warmth and to find someone who understands him.

However, the superpower turned Kirino into a hedgehog. No one wanted to get close to the hedgehog, and even if a kind person approached Kirino, the hedgehog's quills would drive him away.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not upset. After all, I did a good deed, and even if I don't get any reward, a few words of thanks are good enough."

"The insults and disdain were too much; I felt terrible at the time."

Without hesitation, Ida Keiryu spoke his mind, saying that since it was a frank exchange, there should be no reservations.

"However, as I continued to slay demons and gained some fame, the situation gradually improved, and I was able to receive some tea money."

He then changed the subject and steered it back to Kirino Makio.

"I am not very familiar with your problems, and I hope you will forgive my presumptuous remarks."

Jinglong bowed, and seeing that Tongye did not object, as if tacitly approving Jinglong to continue, he continued speaking.

"Your abilities were exceptional even in that era. I merely possess brute strength, far inferior to yours, but..."

"Mind reading, in the end, is an invasion of other people's private space. Everyone has some secrets in their heart that they don't want to be made public. In a sense, those secrets are like valuables in a house. It is only natural that you, who have broken into the house, would be treated as a thief."

"As for me, I am an official who wields swords and guards the property of ordinary people. When demons and ghosts are eliminated, the property and lives of ordinary people are no longer threatened, so they will feel at ease, and I can see their smiling faces."

Even though he wasn't good at preaching, Ida Kagetatsu, this samurai, still managed to pinpoint Kirino's predicament.

To some extent, ordinary people are simple-minded. They will greet you with smiles if you can bring them benefits, but they will hurl insults if you infringe on their interests.

Kirino's mind-reading ability is powerful, but it makes those who know him feel insecure. Keiryu's swords are sharp, but they only fall on ghosts and protect the lives of ordinary people, which is why they are cheered by the people.

"So...that's how it is..."

Kirino let out a barely audible sigh.

Recalling the feeling in the SUV, as if Boss Kim had anticipated every move I made, and the moment my personal information was exposed.

Kirino now understands why others look at her younger self with that kind of gaze.

Humans tend to take what they possess for granted. Mind reading is an innate ability of Kirino, who can freely intrude into the minds of others, so naturally he has little reverence for the mind.

This is also a blind spot in Kirino's psychology.

I don't know the true face of Lushan, I am only in this mountain.

Jinglong's explanation made Tongye suddenly realize the truth.

But... is it really true that you can be praised simply for doing good deeds that benefit others?

Kirino's eyes followed the river of the samurai's memories downwards. This honest samurai had revealed his life experiences to this stranger he was meeting for the first time, almost without reservation.

"You're lying..."

Therefore, from Keiryu's memories, Kirino saw something even more unbearable.

A demon was causing trouble somewhere, and Jinglong went to fight it with his sword. After three days and three nights of fierce fighting, the swordsman, wounded and starving, returned to the village with the demon's head, and the crisis was over.

However, the villagers didn't want to offer a high reward. After all, the swordsman eating porridge on the tatami mat was weak, his clothes soaked with blood, and he probably couldn't even defeat a small child. So...

Why do they dare not wield their swords against demons and ghosts, yet attack their benefactors who protected them?

A long-forgotten anger rose in Kirino's heart. It wasn't for himself; anyone with a sense of justice would be furious at the sight.

"Oh...you mean that?"

However, Jinglong appeared extremely open-minded and calm.

"There was nothing we could do about it... After all, it was a year of famine, and the vicious demons had slaughtered half of the men in the village. If we had given them that money, the whole village would probably have starved to death..."

"I was indeed very angry at the time. Couldn't we have communicated properly? I am not an unreasonable person, and besides, I didn't come here for the bounty."

Jinglong Jingtian sighed.

Despite being attacked by someone who had shown him kindness, the heavily wounded samurai, who possessed enough strength to wipe out the entire village, fled the village in a sorry state, never once considering wielding his sword against ordinary people.

This samurai's heart... seems to be completely free of any filth.

"But what impressed me the most was that incident..."