Shinji had naturally known for a while that this world wasn't simple.
On his very first day here, he'd discovered the existence of yokai.
Those ferocious, monstrous faces, those twisted bodies, that instinctive bloodlust, they didn't match any movie or show he'd ever seen.
For a while, he thought he'd been transported to some original otherworld, a pure chaotic era ruled by demons.
In his first week, he witnessed the spiritual power of exorcists.
That day, a purification arrow flying from afar nearly skewered him, driving home the iron law that spiritual power restrains demonic energy.
In his first month, he pieced together the general setting of this era from snippets of yokai chatter.
The Sengoku period of Japan.
Warlords vying for power, provinces locked in constant war, human life worth less than straw.
Demons rampant, night parades endless, villages living on borrowed time.
Human forces, exorcists, onmyōji, shrine maidens, and yokai factions checked each other, neither able to wipe the other out.
But he'd never been able to pinpoint exactly which world this was.
Was it some original, made-up Sengoku setting?
Or was it a work he'd seen before?
Until now.
Shikon no Tama.
Kikyō.
The demon slayer clan, ancestors of Sango and Kohaku.
These keywords together, the answer was staring him in the face.
An anime he'd watched countless times before his transmigration.
Its name was Inuyasha.
Shinji looked at the Shikon Jewel in his hand.
This bead was, arguably, the central artifact of the entire Inuyasha series.
Legend said it was born from the Shikon War, formed when a shrine maiden and several hundred powerful yokai obliterated each other.
The jewel sealed four souls within, the Aratama (Wild Soul), the Nigitama (Gentle Soul), the Kushimitama (Wise Soul), and the Sakimitama (Loving Soul) representing the four human virtues: valor, amity, wisdom, and love.
But at the same time, the jewel also sealed the resentment of yokai.
These two forces, good and evil, eternally confronted each other within the jewel. Whichever gained the upper hand, the jewel would lean towards.
If held by someone with pure intentions, the jewel would unleash its purifying power. If held by a yokai with evil intent, it would grant them a monstrous boost in power.
That was probably why those yokai had been hunting the old man at any cost.
If they got the Shikon Jewel, they could leap to the top, become high-ranking yokai.
Or even, a Great Demon!
Not just in the moment.
In the original story Shinji knew so well, countless factions also fought tooth and nail over this bead.
The half-demon protagonist, Inuyasha, wanted it to become a full demon.
The main villain, Naraku, an amalgamation of countless yokai, wanted it to become the ultimate being.
Even Shinji himself had fantasized in front of his screen: if only I could get the Shikon Jewel.
And now?
It was lying in his palm.
"Shit."
Shinji cursed, unsure what expression to wear.
Surprise?
Definitely.
But more than that, a sense of absurdity.
Then again, if this really was the world of Inuyasha, the current point in time should be…
The era when Kikyō was still alive.
Because the old man said Kikyō was the only one who could suppress the Shikon Jewel.
In the original plot, Kikyō was, in fact, the shrine maiden who guarded the Shikon Jewel.
Right now, there was still at least fifty years until the original timeline of Inuyasha!
Which meant…
He had plenty of time to do a lot of things.
For example…
He looked back at the system panel.
[Shikon no Tama]
[Quality: Divine Artifact]
[Current Status: Dormant]
[Affection: Cannot unlock]
[Unlock Condition: Find the 'Jewel's Keeper']
The Jewel's Keeper.
The name the old man had mentioned with his dying breath.
Kikyō.
"So I have to find Kikyō first, before I can unlock affection with the Shikon Jewel?"
Shinji frowned.
That condition was a bit troublesome.
Kikyō was the shrine maiden who guarded the Shikon Jewel.
Overwhelming spiritual power, archery skills like a god, specializing in dealing with yokai.
In the original story, she had once shot down countless demons with a single arrow, earning the title "The Strongest Shrine Maiden of the Sengoku Era."
And what was he right now?
A demon warrior.
A yokai.
Kikyō's prey.
He even suspected now that the purification arrow that had nearly blasted him to bits back then might have been from Kikyō!
"If I just walk up to her door, won't I just get turned into a pincushion by another arrow?"
Shinji's head hurt.
He could picture the scene,
That would be way too unfair.
But then another possibility struck him.
The system only said to "find" the Keeper. It didn't specify direct contact.
Maybe if he just delivered the Shikon Jewel somewhere near Kikyō, triggered some condition, it would unlock automatically?
"Worth a shot."
Shinji tucked the Shikon Jewel into his robe.
Anyway, the old man's dying wish was for him to deliver this thing to Kikyō. It was on the way.
Whether to fulfill the old man's last request, or to unlock affection with the Shikon Jewel, he had to go find Kikyō.
Sure, he could just use it directly, but remembering the original story, anyone, human or yokai, who used the Shikon Jewel directly never ended well. They all ended up dependent on its power. Shinji figured the affection route was better.
He stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and looked out at the night.
The demonic energy in the distance had dispersed.
The group of yokai chasing the old man seemed to have given up.
Maybe they'd lost track of their target.
Maybe they'd sensed the Shikon Jewel had changed location.
Either way, he couldn't stay here long.
Those yokai would come looking eventually.
"A village a few mountains over…"
Shinji recalled the old man's words.
That should be where Kikyō was.
He glanced down at the system panel.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa: Current Affection 27]
Fighting his way through just now had bumped the affection up quite a bit.
But still three points short.
After all, killing a yokai didn't always guarantee a point increase.
"No rush."
Shinji slid Muramasa back into its sheath.
"Should run into plenty more yokai on the way to find Kikyō."
After all, he was now carrying the Shikon Jewel on him. That thing's attraction for yokai was probably like walking around as a giant piece of fat dripping with scent.
"Perfect. I can travel and grind for levels at the same time."
He stepped out of the cave and vanished into the night.
But before leaving, he looked back one last time at the old man's body.
"Don't worry."
He said.
"Your grandkids, I'll let them know you're dead."
"If I get the chance."
With that, he turned and left.
Moonlight spilled over the cave entrance, stretching his shadow long behind him.
He walked a few steps, then stopped, looking up at the moon.
"Kikyō, huh…"
He murmured.
Truth be told, he wasn't opposed to this task.
In fact, he might even say he was looking forward to it.
Kikyō.
In the work he'd watched before his transmigration, Kikyō was one of his favorite characters.
That shrine maiden in white robes and red hakama, her black hair like a waterfall, her expression cool and aloof, yet sometimes revealing a softness and vulnerability.
She was strong, yet toyed by fate, dying with regrets.
Even after being resurrected as a walking corpse, she still retained that nobility and pride.
Shinji still remembered how he felt when he first saw the scene of Kikyō fading away completely.
It was deeply unsatisfying.
Very deeply unsatisfying.
Of course, even setting all that aside, just based on his own experiences in this world, Shinji would find it hard not to be interested in Kikyō.
After all, she was a sufficiently powerful and beautiful young woman.
And even though he'd become a yokai, Shinji still retained human self-awareness and perception.
"What if I could save her?"
This thought flashed through his mind.
But it lingered, echoing.
As for Inuyasha and all that… he could go cool his heels somewhere else.