Warmth.
Yuzuki felt as though she were wrapped in something soft and comforting. A gentle heat spread through her body, easing her into a rare sense of safety.
Then,Fragments of terror shattered that peace.
Demons storming into the village.
The desperate screams of villagers.
The Head Priest's final, hoarse cries.
And the unbearable pain,sharp claws piercing her abdomen, followed by a suffocating, bone-deep fear.
She jolted awake.
Her eyes snapped open, dazed, only to be greeted by a vast full moon hanging in the sky, its silver light washing over everything.
"Where… am I…?" she murmured weakly.
"You're awake?"
A gentle voice reached her ears.
A moment later, a beautiful face entered her vision,calm, serene, almost sacred in the moonlight. The woman's clear eyes were filled with quiet concern.
Noticing the red-and-white robes, Yuzuki hesitated before asking,
"Are you… a miko, my lady?"
She tried to sit up,
But her body refused to cooperate. Strength abandoned her limbs, and she collapsed back almost immediately.
A warm hand caught her just in time, steadying her gently.
"Your injuries were severe," Kikyo said softly, supporting her upright. "Though the wounds have healed, you lost a great deal of blood. You're still very weak,don't push yourself."
Once seated, Yuzuki realized where she was.
She was lying atop a massive black beast.
The warmth she had felt… came from it.
The creature lay calmly beneath her, its breathing slow and steady.
Her tense nerves eased slightly.
It must be the miko's companion.
Suddenly remembering something, Yuzuki's hands began fumbling anxiously at her side.
When her fingers touched the familiar gray bundle, she let out a long breath of relief.
Clutching it tightly, she looked up at Kikyo.
"My name is Yuzuki… Thank you, Lady Miko, for saving me."
Kikyo watched her quietly before gently brushing a hand over her hair.
"My name is Kikyo," she replied. "There's no need to thank me. The one who saved you was Kagetsu."
She gestured toward the campfire.
Yuzuki turned her head.
There, a man sat beside the flames, calmly stirring a pot with a wooden ladle.
"Lord Kagetsu,thank you very much for saving my life!" she said immediately, bowing her head in gratitude.
"It's nothing," Kagetsu replied without looking up, his attention still on the pot as he stirred to keep it from sticking.
At that moment,
Grrr…
A soft but unmistakable sound broke the quiet.
Yuzuki froze.
Her face flushed bright red as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Kikyo smiled gently.
"Hungry? You've been unconscious for an entire day. I'll get you something to eat."
She rose, walked to the fire, and took a ceramic bowl from Kagetsu. After filling it with warm porridge, she returned.
Yuzuki instinctively reached out,
But Kikyo lightly pressed her hand down.
"You're still weak. Let me."
Before Yuzuki could protest, Kikyo had already sat beside her, scooping up a spoonful, cooling it with a soft breath, and carefully bringing it to her lips.
Off to the side, Kagetsu watched the scene.
Kikyo's expression was gentle, her movements patient and meticulous.
No wonder Onigumo fell that far…
He couldn't help but think.
To trade one's soul to demons for a woman like this,
Looking at Kikyo now, it didn't seem so incomprehensible.
Not just men.
Even girls wouldn't be immune.
He glanced at Yuzuki,Her face was flushed, her gaze unfocused, clearly overwhelmed.
As she ate, her defenses slowly crumbled.
Her eyes reddened.
A soft sob escaped her lips.
Tears began to fall,one after another, like a broken string of pearls.
Kikyo slowed her movements, her voice growing even softer as she tried to comfort her.
But the next moment,
"Waaah,!"
Yuzuki broke down completely, throwing herself into Kikyo's arms as all her fear and grief burst forth.
Kikyo gently set the bowl aside and wrapped her arms around the trembling girl, one hand softly stroking her back as she murmured quiet reassurances.
She understood.
The weight of losing an entire village was far too much for a child to bear.
Kagetsu said nothing.
He was never good at comforting others.
This… was Kikyo's domain.
He continued eating quietly, though his gaze occasionally drifted toward them, a faint softness in his eyes.
After some time, Yuzuki's sobs gradually subsided.
She pulled back, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Then, with a determined expression, she took out the gray bundle and handed over the contents.
"Lady Kikyo… this is the Buddhist Stone Bowl the Head Priest entrusted to me. I… I want to give it to you."
Kagetsu wasn't surprised by her composure.
Even in the original timeline, she had held on long enough to deliver the item before dying.
That alone proved her strength.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Kikyo asked softly, accepting the bowl as she sensed the faint spiritual power within it.
"…Demons…" Yuzuki's voice trembled. "They attacked the village… everyone…"
Her eyes filled with pain, but she forced herself not to cry again.
"They came… for this."
"It's over now," Kikyo said gently, patting her head. "Eat first."
She picked up the bowl again and continued feeding her.
After Yuzuki finished eating, Kikyo went to have her own meal, leaving Kagetsu to speak with the girl.
He picked up the stone bowl and turned to her, his expression serious.
"Yuzuki, there's something you need to understand."
Yuzuki straightened slightly despite her weakness.
"Yes, Lord Kagetsu."
"Our arrival at your village… is related to this."
He held up the bowl.
"This is one of the keys needed to break the seal on a powerful demon,Kamihime."
"There is another demon, Naraku, who intends to release her and devour her power."
"Our goal is to kill Kamihime before he succeeds."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But to do that… the seal must be broken first."
"So we will hand this over to Naraku's subordinate,the one gathering these items,so the seal can be undone."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"Do you understand?"
Yuzuki fell silent.
In truth, Kagetsu knew the attack on her village likely had nothing to do with Naraku himself.
The one responsible for collecting the items was Kagura.
If she had come personally, things might not have ended in total slaughter.
More likely, this had been the work of lesser demons,drawn by greed.
After a moment, Yuzuki nodded.
"I understand… Lord Kagetsu."
Her eyes were steady now.
"This was entrusted to Lady Kikyo. Please… use it as you see fit."
Just then, Kikyo returned, having finished her meal.
She reached out and gently ruffled Yuzuki's hair.
"Aren't you worried?" she asked with a soft smile. "That we might be working with demons?"
Yuzuki blinked, then smiled faintly,fragile, but sincere.
"I trust you, Lady Kikyo."
"No matter how I look at it… you're not a bad person."
Kikyo paused.
Then a gentle smile spread across her face.
"Don't worry," she said softly.
"We will stop her."