"Tsubaki, do you regret leaving?"
Kikyo stepped into the main hall behind her. Her gaze rested on Tsubaki, who was staring quietly at the old tatami mats, lost in memories.
"Because of your departure, your master's temple has fallen into this state."
"Now only two little girls remain to guard it."
"Hmph!"
Tsubaki snapped out of her memories and avoided the question entirely.
"I just didn't expect time to pass so quickly."
Her tone was calm.
"From the moment I entered this temple to train under Master… sixty years passed in the blink of an eye."
Kikyo looked at her steadily.
"I believe your master was waiting for you to return."
"Otherwise he wouldn't have hurriedly taken Momiji and Botan as disciples when he knew his end was near."
A faint emotion flickered in Tsubaki's eyes.
After a brief silence, she spoke.
"That's why human life is too short."
"That's why the Master died so early."
She lowered her gaze.
"But for someone like me, who gained the demonic power of a yokai… several decades leave no trace on my body."
Kikyo studied her expression.
"Since you've returned, why not stay?"
"Inherit the temple."
"Train your two junior sisters and guide them to become proper shrine maidens."
"How about it?"
At that moment, the main hall contained only the two of them.
Momiji and Botan had taken Kagetsu outside to tour the temple grounds.
"Hmph."
Tsubaki glanced sideways at Kikyo.
A hint of hesitation flashed across her eyes before disappearing.
"Do you think a Black Miko like me would follow your arrangements?"
Her tone became firm.
"Stop dreaming, Kikyo."
"I will never stay here."
"Is that so…"
Kikyo looked at her quietly and sighed.
"At first, I didn't want to disturb that person."
"But now it seems I have no choice."
Tsubaki felt a chill run down her spine.
"Kikyo… what are you planning?"
If her spiritual power hadn't been sealed, she would have run away immediately.
"Nothing much," Kikyo replied calmly.
"I'm just going to find someone who can convince you."
"Someone who can convince me?"
Tsubaki frowned in confusion.
Then she scoffed.
"No one can do that."
"Unless you can resurrect my dead master."
"If that old man came back, then maybe I'd listen."
"Remember what you just said."
Kikyo cast her a strange look.
"I hope you don't go back on your word when you see him."
With that, she turned and walked out of the hall.
"Come along."
"We need to catch something first."
"Wait!"
Tsubaki's eyes widened with panic.
"You're not actually planning to bring my master back, are you?!"
She hurried after Kikyo.
"Tsubaki," Kikyo said while walking through the courtyard, "Momiji and Botan mentioned that a monster is sealed here."
"Do you know where it is?"
"A sealed yokai?"
Tsubaki paused briefly before realization dawned on her.
"You mean the Precious Pagoda?"
"The Precious Pagoda?" Kikyo stopped and looked back at her. "Explain."
When Kikyo had first arrived, the two young shrine maidens had mentioned guarding a sealed demon inside a pagoda.
Tsubaki reluctantly explained.
"Back when I trained under Master, he once took me to the base of that pagoda."
"It's called the Forbidden Tower."
"He told me that a powerful monster was sealed inside it."
"It's a seal that the temple's lineage has protected for generations."
She paused, recalling the memory.
Then a mocking smile appeared.
"Back then, the Master said that I would inherit that responsibility someday."
"To watch over the sealed monster."
"What kind of monster is it?" Kikyo asked.
"An oni," Tsubaki replied directly.
"According to the Master, it's an extremely powerful oni that was sealed over a hundred years ago."
Then she laughed lightly.
"Don't tell me you want to release it."
To her surprise,
Kikyo nodded.
"That's exactly what I plan to do."
Tsubaki's eyes widened in horror.
"Are you insane?!"
"If you release it, we'll all die!"
"If you want to kill yourself, don't drag me down with you!"
"Relax," Kikyo replied calmly.
"Nothing will happen."
Then she turned to find Kagetsu.
Seeing that Kikyo wasn't joking, Tsubaki truly panicked.
Her spiritual power and demonic power were both sealed.
If the oni was released and Kikyo's group escaped, she would definitely be the first to die.
"Kikyo!"
"If you're really going to release it, at least remove my seal first!"
"I refuse to die because of your madness!"
"What?! Miss Kikyo, you're going to release the oni sealed in the Precious Pagoda?!"
Two shocked voices suddenly rang out.
Momiji and Botan stood nearby.
They had clearly overheard the conversation.
"No!"
Botan shook her head vigorously.
"Before the Master died, he told us to guard the Precious Pagoda's seal!"
"We must never allow the oni to escape!"
"Absolutely not!"
"I can handle it."
Kagetsu spoke calmly from the side.
His voice carried quiet confidence.
"No! You can't release it!" Momiji insisted firmly.
Seeing their determined expressions, Lie sighed and looked at Kikyo helplessly.
"This was your idea."
"You deal with them."
"Leave it to me," Kikyo said with a smile.
She walked toward the two girls.
"Miss Kikyo, you really can't release it!"
Botan pleaded anxiously.
"It's too dangerous!"
"Master said many monks and shrine maidens died just to seal it inside the Precious Pagoda!"
"Don't worry."
Kikyo smiled gently.
"There's no danger."
She reached out and lightly rubbed their heads.
Suddenly,
Botan froze.
"Huh…?"
"Why can't I move?! Miss Kikyo, let me go!"
"Me too!" Momiji cried.
"My body won't move!"
They were completely immobilized.
Looking at their frightened expressions, Kikyo pinched their cheeks lightly.
"Don't worry."
"I'll release you after the oni is dealt with."
They tried to speak again,
But they couldn't even open their mouths.
"Kikyo…"
Kagetsu stared at her speechlessly.
"So this is your way of persuading them?"
"I thought you had a better method."
"You just silenced them."
Kikyo grinned mischievously.
"Well, now there's no one objecting."
Then she rubbed the girls' cheeks again and spoke seriously.
"Take this as a lesson."
"Don't trust strangers too easily."
"And always remain vigilant."
"Tch."
Tsubaki clicked her tongue from the side.
"Kikyo, you're just bullying my two adorable junior sisters."
She walked over and crouched beside the immobilized girls.
With a pitiful expression, she whispered dramatically:
"That woman is a hypocritical villain."
"Don't believe a single word she says."
"Sadly, your senior sister's powers are sealed."
"Otherwise I would definitely rescue you from her evil hands!"
Momiji and Botan could only stare helplessly.
Their little heads spun in confusion.
Miss Kikyo had said Tsubaki was a Black Miko.
But now Miss Kikyo was about to release a sealed oni and had even immobilized them.
No matter how they looked at it,
Miss Kikyo seemed far more like the real Black Miko.