Kikyo watched Kagura disappear into the distance, her brows knit together as she spoke gravely.
"What kind of abilities does this demon, Kamihime, possess?"
Kagetsu smiled faintly.
"I've heard of her. I have to admit,Naraku's being unusually clever this time. If he truly succeeds in devouring Kamihime, he might actually resolve the problems with his body."
"Oh? You know her?" Kikyo asked, clearly surprised.
Kagetsu rose to his feet and walked over to the swing. Sitting down, he reached out and gently pulled Kikyo beside him, guiding her into his arms with practiced ease.
Kikyo didn't resist. She leaned quietly against his chest as the swing swayed back and forth. The evening breeze brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of grass and earth.
"Kikyo," he said softly, his voice low and steady, "have you ever heard this legend?"
"One day, a Celestial Maiden was bathing in a lake. A man saw her… and stole her robe,the one thing she needed to return to the heavens."
"I know that story," Kikyo replied, looking up at him, puzzled. "Without her robe, she couldn't go back, so she was forced to stay and marry the man. But in the end, she found it again and returned to the celestial realm."
She smiled faintly. "The village children love that tale."
Kagetsu nodded.
"It's a common version. But I know a different one."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"In this version, the Celestial Maiden was furious. To retrieve her robe, she slaughtered the villagers one by one."
Kikyo's expression stilled.
"Just as the village was about to be wiped out, a wandering monk appeared. He defeated her… and sealed her away."
Kagetsu let out a quiet scoff.
"It's a darker version,but far more realistic."
"That man spied on her, then stole something vital to her very existence, all out of lust. Without a shred of awareness of the power gap between them, he tried to force her into submission."
His voice grew colder.
"If it were me, I would've done the same."
"The villagers' deaths weren't her fault. They chose to protect a thief driven by greed. They paid the price for it."
Kikyo fell silent.
She didn't argue.
Though the maiden's actions were undeniably cruel, Kikyo couldn't call them unjust. If she herself had been placed in such a situation, she would never have yielded either.
Perhaps she wouldn't have slaughtered an entire village… but anyone who shielded the culprit or stood in her way would not have been spared.
Kindness was never meant to be exploited.
"…Is that Celestial Maiden Kamihime?" Kikyo finally asked.
"Yes,and no," Kagetsu replied. "Like Naraku, she can devour others to steal their power."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The real Celestial Maiden… has already been devoured by her."
Kikyo stiffened, her eyes widening in shock.
"She devoured a Celestial Maiden… and took her power?!"
Kagetsu nodded.
"Not just her power. By devouring her, Kamihime gained an immortal body as well."
"That's why I said Naraku's plan might actually work. If he absorbs her,"
He raised a finger.
"The Maiden's immortality could halt his life-force drain. And Kamihime's devouring ability might allow him to fully assimilate the demons within his body, eliminating the risk of losing control."
"I see…" Kikyo murmured, slowly piecing it together.
At that moment, a wash of silver light spilled across the land.
Kikyo instinctively looked up.
A full moon hung high in the sky, bright and unnaturally clear.
"…A full moon?" she frowned. "That's not supposed to happen tonight."
"They're moving faster than expected," Kagetsu said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Kamihime's seal is likely about to break."
"She caused this?" Kikyo asked, startled. Then her expression turned grave. "If she's that powerful… isn't Naraku risking being devoured instead?"
"That's very possible," Kagetsu admitted. "But even if Naraku dies, as long as the Shikon Jewel exists, another 'Naraku' will simply be born."
"…And that one would be Kamihime," Kikyo concluded.
She immediately stepped off the swing, her tone resolute.
"We should leave now. This is too dangerous to delay."
"No need to rush," Kagetsu replied calmly, rising and taking her hand. He led her toward the shrine's main hall.
"Tomorrow morning will be soon enough."
Kikyo glanced at him, puzzled.
"Don't forget," he continued, "in the legend, the Celestial Maiden's robe was stolen. For Kamihime to regain her full strength, she'll need to retrieve the Robe of the Four Souls first."
In the original course of events, it took several days after the appearance of the full moon for that robe to surface.
Even if things had changed, the one holding it now was just an ordinary human. He wouldn't act recklessly.
There was still time.
After a brief hesitation, Kikyo nodded.
"…Alright."
"...Kikyo. Wake up. Something's happening ahead."
Kagetsu's voice was gentle as he lightly shook the woman resting in his arms.
They were riding atop Kuro-Maru, the large demon moving steadily along the forest path.
Kikyo stirred, her lashes fluttering before her eyes slowly opened.
"…Mm… what is it?" she murmured, still half-asleep.
But the moment she looked ahead,
Her drowsiness vanished.
"This is…!"
She straightened abruptly, her gaze sharpening as she sensed the heavy demonic aura saturating the air.
"…A demon attack."
"Caw,caw,"
Harsh cries of crows echoed overhead.
Kuro-Maru slowed his pace, clearly agitated by the stench.
The village before them was eerily silent.
No voices. No movement.
Only the suffocating smell of blood… and lingering malice.
Bodies lay scattered along the dirt road, their lifeless forms twisted in unnatural angles.
It was a massacre.
They had been heading toward the Sea of Motosu,and had passed straight into the aftermath of slaughter.
As they moved deeper into the village, Kagetsu's eyes suddenly sharpened.
"…There's someone alive."
Kikyo reacted instantly, leaping off Kuro-Maru's back and rushing toward a nearby stone staircase.
At its base lay a small girl.
Her pink kimono was soaked through with blood. A deep, gruesome wound tore across her abdomen, her breathing so faint it was barely there.
Kikyo carefully lifted her into her arms, heedless of the blood staining her sleeves.
"Kagetsu,quickly! Save her!" she urged, her voice tight with urgency.
Kagetsu knelt beside them without hesitation.
His fingertips brushed lightly over the wound as his hands began forming seals in rapid succession.
A soft green glow blossomed between his palms.
He placed his hands over the injury, channeling chakra with precise control.
This was the Mystical Palm Technique,a high-level medical ninjutsu.
Back in the shinobi world, he had devoted considerable time to mastering medical techniques. Not just to save lives,
But to ensure perfect compatibility when transplanting Sharingan.
If he couldn't perform delicate procedures flawlessly, even the most powerful eyes would be useless to him.
Under the steady glow of healing chakra, the girl's wound began to stabilize…