"No, you will."
Kikyo looked at Tsubaki, a mysterious smile curling at the corners of her lips. Her tone carried quiet certainty.
"Hmph. Self-righteous woman."
Tsubaki felt strangely uneasy under Kikyo's gaze but refused to show it. She simply snorted coldly, her face full of disdain.
After that, the three traveled in silence.
Kikyo and Tsubaki sat atop Kuro-Maru as the bear shikigami ran swiftly through the forest, while Kagetsu followed beside them, leaping lightly through the trees.
Before long, the outline of a courtyard appeared faintly through the forest ahead.
As they drew closer, a large temple slowly emerged among the trees in this quiet, sparsely populated region.
Kuro-Maru began slowing down as they followed a narrow path toward the temple's gate.
When they were about ten meters away, Kagetsu noticed something.
The entire temple was surrounded by a faint barrier.
However, when he walked forward, he passed through it easily without being blocked.
Although he had never formally studied barrier techniques, after spending so long around Kikyo he could roughly understand its function.
This barrier was meant to prevent demons from entering.
It had no effect on humans.
The shrine where he and Kikyo lived had a similar barrier.
Kikyo paid no attention to it at all. She didn't even recall Kuro-Maru, simply leading it forward as they stepped through the barrier.
"Who goes there?!"
Just as they reached the temple gate, it suddenly swung open.
Two young girls rushed out holding wooden sticks, staring warily at the strangers.
They were both around thirteen years old, with petite builds and slightly chubby cheeks that still held traces of baby fat.
The girl on the left had short light-brown hair and wore a red shrine maiden outfit.
The girl on the right had long dark-blue hair and wore a light-blue shrine maiden outfit.
They stood side by side in perfect synchronization.
The scene looked surprisingly cute.
"Momiji, Botan. It's me, Kikyo."
Kikyo jumped down from Kuro-Maru's back and spoke gently.
"I visited here not long ago."
"It's Miss Kikyo!"
The moment they recognized her, the two girls immediately dropped their guard.
They threw aside their wooden sticks and ran over excitedly, chattering around her happily.
Their faces were full of joy at her arrival.
Kagetsu watched the scene with mild surprise.
He hadn't expected Kikyo to know these two young shrine maidens.
Clearly, she had visited here before.
"In the original story, Kikyo never seemed to know them," Kagetsu thought silently.
"If she had, they probably would have recognized Kagome too."
"Looks like this is another change caused by my presence."
"This is Uchiha Kagetsu, my companion," Kikyo said, turning to introduce him.
"You can just call him Kagetsu."
Then she gestured toward the two girls.
"These are Momiji and Botan, the shrine maidens guarding this temple."
"Hello, Momiji. Hello, Botan."
Kagetsu greeted them with a friendly smile and a slight nod.
"Greetings, Lord Kagetsu!"
The two girls immediately bowed deeply with serious expressions.
Their voices were crisp, and even their movements were perfectly synchronized.
"There's no need to be so formal," Kagetsu said with amusement.
"Just call me Kagetsu."
"Understood, Lord Kagetsu!"
They nodded solemnly again.
"…"
Kagetsu couldn't help chuckling quietly.
"These two are interesting."
"This is Tsubaki," Kikyo continued, pointing toward the woman who had been silent the entire time.
"She is your senior sister,a shrine maiden who once trained under your master."
"Ah! Our senior sister?!"
Momiji and Botan stared at Tsubaki in surprise before their faces lit up with delight.
Neither of them doubted Kikyo's words for even a second.
Looking into their innocent eyes, Kagetsu felt slightly sentimental.
"With personalities like this… no wonder they were so easily tricked by Tsubaki in the original story."
"Yes," Tsubaki said calmly.
"I am the shrine maiden Tsubaki. I trained here under our master."
She reached into her robe and pulled out a carefully preserved paper talisman.
On it was a special mark,the sun and moon intertwined.
It was clearly proof of her identity.
"It's real!"
The two girls' eyes immediately sparkled with excitement.
They introduced themselves loudly.
"I'm Momiji!"
"I'm Botan!"
"Are only the two of you guarding the temple now?" Tsubaki asked while observing them.
"Yes," Momiji nodded seriously.
"We are Master's final disciples."
"I see."
Tsubaki nodded slightly and stepped into the temple.
Walking slowly through the familiar courtyard, she observed the buildings and old trees around her.
A trace of nostalgia flashed through her eyes.
"How nostalgic…"
"Almost nothing has changed."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Miss Tsubaki… since you are also Master's disciple… may I ask something?" Momiji said hesitantly.
"What question?"
Tsubaki stopped and turned toward her.
Momiji stared at her youthful face curiously.
"How old are you?"
"You look so incredibly young!"
Botan nodded vigorously beside her.
"I am much older than you," Tsubaki replied calmly.
"This is the result of my cultivation."
"If you train hard, you can achieve it as well."
Kagetsu and Kikyo exchanged glances.
A faint smile tugged at both their lips.
Neither of them exposed her lie, letting her show off in front of the two young shrine maidens.
"That's amazing!"
As expected, Momiji and Botan immediately looked at her with admiration.
Tsubaki secretly felt very satisfied.
"Miss Tsubaki, why did you and Miss Kikyo come here?" Momiji asked curiously.
The moment she heard that question, Tsubaki's expression darkened.
She stood there silently, looking extremely displeased.
"Your senior sister became a Black Miko," Kikyo said calmly.
"I captured her while she was doing evil."
She didn't hide the truth at all.
It was better for the two girls to know the truth now rather than be deceived later.
"A… a Black Miko?!"
Momiji and Botan's faces immediately changed.
They hurriedly hid behind Kikyo, peeking out cautiously at Tsubaki.
All their previous excitement disappeared.
"Don't worry," Kikyo reassured them gently.
"The spiritual power inside her has been sealed."
"She isn't dangerous now."
"It's been sealed…?"
The two girls relaxed slightly, though they still watched Tsubaki nervously.
"Hmph!"
Tsubaki snorted in irritation at their reaction.
Without another word, she turned and walked toward the main hall.
She pushed open the wooden doors and stepped inside.
Walking to the center of the hall, she slowly looked toward the altar at the front.
The old tatami mats beneath her feet were exactly the same as before.
Memories flooded into her mind.
The familiar interior instantly brought her back to the days when she had trained here under her master.
Her gaze slowly moved to the right side of the tatami mats.
That had once been her seat.
For a moment, she could almost hear her master's voice again,praising her talent.
And she could almost see the proud smile she once wore when hearing those words.
The past seemed so close… yet impossibly distant.