Able to subdue a ferocious demon beast and then command it in battle...
Within Yae Sakura's limited understanding, only the profession of an onmyoji matched Ren's previous actions.
The only oddity was that Ren didn't summon his shikigami using paper talismans like typical onmyoji, but by throwing a mask forward. Of course, such a minor detail was unimportant; Sakura simply chalked it up to Ren's personal preference and style.
"...Uh, yeah, that's right. We're just a traveling onmyoji pair passing through. I'm Joker, and she's Hare."
Ren blinked, paused for a moment, and then readily confirmed the identity Yae Sakura had mistaken them for, providing their code names. It wasn't like he could admit they were Palace infiltrators, could he?
Since this Palace didn't belong to Mei-senpai, Yae Sakura's friendly attitude might only be temporary. Rather than reveal their true status as intruders and risk her drawing her sword, Ren decided it was best to go along with her assumption for now and maintain her goodwill.
"Esteemed onmyoji visiting Yae Village... As the village miko, I should normally accompany you both and show you the sights. However, demon beasts are currently plaguing the village, and I truly cannot spare the time to escort you..."
Despite having just met, Yae Sakura held a surprisingly high initial favorability towards Ren, an outsider. Her attitude was very friendly, even wanting to give them a tour of Yae Village to fulfill the duties of a host. But pressing matters caused her lovely eyebrows to furrow slightly, a troubled and apologetic look crossing her delicate features.
"For some reason, many unfamiliar demon beasts have appeared around the village recently. The one beside you, Sir Onmyoji, which you've already tamed as a shikigami, is one of those that suddenly appeared near Yae Village."
When mentioning the Huodou, Yae Sakura's blue eyes couldn't help but glance towards the terrifying Emperor-class Honkai Beast squatting obediently beside Ren like a large cat. A flicker of regret crossed her eyes.
Yae Sakura could sense an extreme level of danger emanating from the Huodou. Even with her skills, she couldn't guarantee victory against this beast, the strongest she had ever encountered. If she had truly fought it, Sakura believed she likely would have perished defending Yae Village.
Regrettably, however, by the time she arrived, someone else had already gotten there first. Yae Sakura had watched helplessly as Ren subdued the Huodou and made it his shikigami, unable to do anything herself.
"No problem. We can look around the village ourselves even without a guide. If we run into any demon beasts, we'll help take care of them. Please, Miss Yae Sakura, go attend to your own business."
Letting the enigmatic Yae Sakura tag along felt like having a ticking time bomb strapped to him. Since Sakura herself suggested letting Ren and Hare roam freely while she hunted the beasts menacing the village, Ren naturally agreed wholeheartedly.
"Then I thank you both, esteemed onmyoji. Sakura must take her leave now. If you encounter any difficulties, you can find me at the Yae Shrine on the rear mountain."
Perhaps due to the urgency of the demon beast attacks, Yae Sakura didn't linger. She quickly turned and left without hesitation, rushing off to the next battleground without a moment's delay.
"...Has this Yae Sakura spent too long cooped up in her shrine, unaware of how treacherous people can be? Or is she the type who looks calm but is secretly a battle junkie? She trusts strangers way too easily, doesn't she?"
Watching Yae Sakura's agile figure depart, Ren raised an eyebrow slightly, marveling at her reaction. He had keenly caught the look of regret in her eyes when she glanced at the Huodou earlier. This led Ren to form a strange hypothesis about her true nature hidden beneath the gentle and dignified exterior – perhaps she was secretly a battle-crazed psycho?
Towards suspicious outsiders like them, Yae Sakura, who claimed to bear the duty of protecting the village, just... let them go? Allowing them to freely enter, exit, and explore Yae Village?
Wasn't she worried he might actually be some evil onmyoji who'd unleash his shikigami to rampage through the village, slaughtering all the inhabitants for some kind of blood sacrifice ritual?
Ren clicked his tongue, amazed at the miko's naivety.
However, her actions suited Ren's intentions perfectly. He didn't want to travel with the mysterious Yae Sakura either. What if she suddenly backstabbed him, slapped the white fox mask from her waist onto her face, smeared blood from his wound onto it, and summoned some giant nine-tailed fox Persona from behind her? That would be really tilting.
"Joker, if we encounter any Shadows along the way, let's help Miss Yae Sakura eliminate them."
Hare, who had remained silent until now, letting Ren handle the conversation with Sakura, suddenly spoke up with a suggestion.
Yae Sakura had mentioned that unfamiliar demon beasts had suddenly appeared near Yae Village. Those demon beasts... those Honkai Beasts... obviously didn't just sprout from the ground.
When Hare had scouted the Palace's signature for Ren, she had experimentally entered this Palace alone by following the fluctuation coordinates. And this time, she had brought Ren along, forcing their way into the Palace together.
This Palace's defenses were incredibly strong. Under normal circumstances, Ren wouldn't have felt such intense dizziness from the teleportation intrusion. The price for forcibly breaching the Palace's defenses and invading the land of Yae Village with Ren wasn't just their arrival.
It wasn't only Ren and Hare who had entered this Stigma Space.
Many Imaginary Constructs and certain Honkai Beasts wandering the Imaginary Space had also come through!
The true culprit behind the chaos keeping the guardian miko Yae Sakura so busy, and causing casualties among the Yae Village residents, was actually Hare herself.
Even knowing that all life within a Stigma Space was illusory, that death wasn't permanent and they would eventually revive over time... and knowing that the lives of these cognitive beings couldn't compare to the importance of her companion Ren's request... Hare still felt a pang of guilt.
She wanted to eliminate the invading Honkai Beasts as much as possible, partly to soothe her own conscience.
"Of course, no problem. I was planning on doing that anyway, even if you hadn't mentioned it."
Ren nodded, agreeing to Hare's suggestion without hesitation.
Fighting monsters, leveling up, getting loot – that was a crucial and indispensable part of exploring any Palace. An experience not to be missed!