After Kiko's unexpected surrender, an awkward silence fell between them. Ren, still gripping the divine sword, watched her warily. The yokai, her pride wounded and her body bruised, avoided his gaze.

"Well?" Kiko finally said, breaking the silence with a defiant tone. "What are you going to do now, human? Are you going to kill me?"

Ren hesitated for a moment. Despite the threat Kiko represented, he couldn't forget that she was his only hope of finding Aiko. Besides, there was something in the yokai's gaze, a mix of vulnerability and curiosity, that stayed his hand. "No," Ren replied firmly. "I'm not going to kill you. I need your help to find my sister."

Kiko looked at him in surprise. "Really? After everything that's happened?"

"Yes," Ren insisted. "I know you don't trust me, and I don't trust you either. But we're in this together. If we want to find Aiko, we have to work as a team."

Kiko was silent for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, with a sigh of resignation, she said, "Okay. I'll help you. But don't expect me to be nice to you."

Ren nodded. He knew the road ahead of them wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to walk it to find his sister. He sheathed the divine sword and approached Kiko, offering her his hand. "Deal," Ren said with a smile.

Kiko eyed him suspiciously, but eventually accepted his hand. In that instant, a ray of light illuminated the forest, and they both felt a strange connection, as if an invisible thread had tied them together.

"By the way," Kiko said with a mischievous smile. "What was that about before? I've never seen a human wield a divine sword like that." Ren shrugged. "I don't know. It just… happened. I felt a surge of energy, and the sword reacted." He tried to draw the sword again, but this time it didn't glow. The blade remained dull, like an ordinary sword. Ren frowned, confused.

"What's wrong?" Kiko asked, noticing his expression. "It's not working," Ren replied in frustration. "I can't activate the sword's power." Kiko walked over to him and examined the sword carefully. "That's strange," she muttered. "It seems like the energy has faded." "But… how is that possible?" Ren asked, puzzled.

Kiko shrugged. "I don't know. Divine swords are capricious weapons. Maybe they only activate in times of extreme danger."

Ren sighed. "That means I won't be able to use it to protect us."

Kiko smirked. "Don't worry, human. That's what you have me for. I'm a powerful yokai, remember?" Ren eyed her suspiciously. "I'm not sure if that reassures me or worries me more."

Kiko laughed. "Don't be so serious, human. You'll learn to trust me. In time."

And so, with a mix of mistrust and hope, Ren and Kiko set out on their journey to find Aiko. The path that awaited them was full of dangers and mysteries, but together, perhaps they could overcome them. And who knows, maybe in the process, they would discover that friendship, and even love, could blossom in the most unexpected places.