Both Shinji and Kikyō had been mentally prepared for something like this from the beginning.
Because of the Shikon Jewel, this thing had always caused conflicts between various factions. No wielder had been able to hold onto it for long.
The previous wielder, the demon slayer village chief, had relied on the combined strength of his entire village, plus the covert support of great monks like those from the Tahōtō, yet he'd only lasted less than a decade before he couldn't maintain it any longer, he needed to pass it to a stronger guardian.
And now even more so.
At that moment, Shinji suddenly remembered some rumors he'd heard on the road.
He recalled the war between the Imagawa and the Hōjō.
Both were major powers in the Kantō region. The Imagawa ruled Suruga, Tōtōmi, and Mikawa. Though much of that territory was not fully under their control, they were still a formidable force.
The Hōjō, though the "Later Hōjō" who had moved in rather than the original Hōjō lineage, also held Sagami and Musashi, bordering the Imagawa.
The two clans frequently clashed over territory.
Rumors said a large-scale war was about to break out again.
And coincidentally, at this time, the Shichinintai had appeared in this area, specifically creating slaughter and resentment… It was hard to imagine the impending war between those two clans wasn't connected to the machinations of the so-called Kyoto demon backing the Shichinintai.
Then a name came to him.
A great demon from the same work as Nurarihyon, Nurarihyon no Mago.
A great demon that lurked in Kyoto, nurturing the King of Demons.
Her name was Hagoromo Gitsune.
A great demon deeply connected to Tamamo-no-Mae, one of Japan's three great demons!
If this incident really was connected to Hagoromo Gitsune…
"That's a problem." Shinji murmured.
"What?" Kikyō turned to look at him.
"Nothing." Shinji shook his head. "Just thinking that the Kyoto demon might be even more troublesome than we imagined."
Kikyō didn't press.
She just quickened her pace.
Not just Shinji, Kikyō also understood that if that demon from Kyoto really had its sights set on the Shikon Jewel, Kaede Village would be the next target.
It was the village Kikyō protected.
It was also her home.
"Can we go faster?" Kikyō asked suddenly.
Her tone was still calm, but Shinji heard the urgency beneath.
"Yeah." He reached out. "Take my hand."
Kikyō didn't hesitate. She took his hand.
The next moment
Shinji's leg muscles swelled. [Spear Waist Change] and [Sharp Body Change] activated simultaneously, the strength flowing through his entire body.
Then,
[Phantom Step] was used repeatedly.
Their speed suddenly increased. They were like two winds racing through the forest.
Trees flew past. Mountain rocks blurred into shadows.
Kikyō was pulled forward, her white robes and red hakama snapping in the wind, her black hair streaming behind her in a straight line.
She could feel the warmth of his hand.
Cool.
But reassuring.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the land.
Kyoto.
The underground palace in the capital region.
A place where sunlight never reached, filled with stone pillars and faded murals.
A woman sat on a raised platform.
She wore a jūnihitoe, the attire of Heian-era noblewomen, layer upon layer, so ornate it was almost blinding.
But what drew the eye were the nine tails behind her.
Black. As if they could devour light itself.
Hagoromo Gitsune.
Her face was hidden in shadow, her expression unreadable.
But her eyes, golden vertical pupils, gleamed in the darkness.
"Kidōmaru," she spoke.
Her voice was soft, yet it echoed clearly through the hall.
"Here." A figure emerged from the shadows.
A man.
No.
A demon.
An old demon, hair and beard white, wearing a kimono, an exceptionally long tachi at his waist.
But the cold aura he radiated made it clear he was not human.
His name was Kidōmaru.
In the ancient legends of this land, he was a child abandoned in the mountains, raised by demons, and became one himself.
His essence was the physical manifestation of the resentment of countless abandoned infants.
He had once served under Shuten-dōji, the great demon king of Mount Ōe five hundred years ago. After Shuten-dōji was defeated, he had disappeared from sight.
No one knew he still operated in Kyoto.
He was one of the most powerful demons active in Kyoto today.
"How are the forward forces progressing?" Hagoromo Gitsune asked.
"Deployments are complete." Kidōmaru's voice came from deep in his throat, old and hoarse.
"I've hired a band of mercenaries infamous among humans. They've infiltrated the battlefield between the Imagawa and Hōjō."
"They'll constantly attack the border between the two clans, creating killing and chaos."
"The more intense the war, the denser the resentment."
"The denser the resentment, the more demons it will attract. Those demons will become the forward forces I send there."
Hagoromo Gitsune nodded, her hidden eyes clearly satisfied.
"You've planned well, Kidōmaru. Using humans won't raise suspicion during the day."
"But remember, remember. we want resentment. We want the Shikon Jewel to accelerate the birth of my child. Not victory for either side."
"The more devastating the war, the better."
"When there's enough resentment to support you… that will be the time for you to appear."
Kidōmaru smiled. "Understood."
"I've also summoned the many demons gathering near that area to conduct probing attacks."
To test the strength of the shrine maiden who held the Shikon Jewel.
And to wear her down.
Hagoromo Gitsune nodded, clearly pleased.
"Go ahead."
"And remember...." Her voice grew cold. "Don't lose sight of the main objective."
"Collecting resentment is the highest priority."
"Then, the Shikon Jewel."
Kidōmaru bowed.
"Understood."
He exited the hall. In the interplay of light and shadow, his aged face revealed a ferocious pattern.
…
Meanwhile.
Suruga Province, Imagawa main camp.
This was the heart of the Imagawa domain, a castle built into a mountain.
Within the castle, in the main keep, the highest, farthest hall at the top of the tenshu.
A young woman, almost a girl, knelt on the tatami.
She wore an ornate jūnihitoe, a golden tiara in her hair. Her long, chestnut-brown hair fell like a waterfall, framing her delicate, refined features, and her slender, small form.
Imagawa Yoshimoto.
The head of the Imagawa clan.
Though a woman, she was also a daimyō ruling over a domain.
In this chaotic Sengoku era, female clan leaders were not uncommon.
Imagawa Yoshimoto was one of the most prominent.
Now, her brow was furrowed.
"What are the Hōjō's movements?" she asked.
"Report, my lord." A samurai knelt on one knee. "The Hōjō forces are gathering. It seems they're preparing for a large-scale offensive."
"Do we have enough troops?"
"For a direct confrontation…" The samurai hesitated. "Normally, we would."
"But—"
"But what?" Imagawa Yoshimoto frowned.
"A few days ago, urgent news came from the front." The samurai swallowed. "Both our forces and the Hōjō's were attacked."
"Attacked?"
"Yes." The samurai nodded. "A mercenary group calling themselves the 'Shichinintai' has been slaughtering near the battlefield."
"They kill indiscriminately. Friend or foe."
"Our forces lost over three hundred men. The Hōjō side reportedly suffered similarly."
Imagawa Yoshimoto's expression darkened.
"The Shichinintai?"
She had heard that name.
The most brutal mercenary group in the Kantō region. They'd do anything for money.
But the question was
"Who hired them?"
"Unknown." The samurai shook his head. "We investigated. The Hōjō are looking too. No leads."
"They appeared suddenly, specifically sowing chaos in the war zone."
Imagawa Yoshimoto tapped her fingers on the armrest.
This wasn't right.
The Shichinintai were mercenaries. Their employer must have had a purpose.
But if they killed indiscriminately, what was their goal?
"Spread the word." She spoke. "Gather more troops. Prepare to surround and eliminate this Shichinintai."
"They're small in number. If we locate them, our numerical advantage will crush them."
"Yes, my lord!"
The samurai was about to leave when another messenger rushed in.
"Report—!"
"Urgent news from the front!"
Imagawa Yoshimoto looked up.
"Speak."
"The Shichinintai… the Shichinintai have been driven back!" The messenger was out of breath. "According to witnesses at the scene, they encountered a powerful demon and a shrine maiden."
"The other side killed four members of the Shichininshū. The rest fled."
Imagawa Yoshimoto froze.
The Shichinintai… had been defeated?
She stood and walked to the window.
Outside was the camp. Soldiers were training.
This was good news—with the Shichinintai defeated, her forces had one less threat.
But
The existence that could defeat the Shichinintai was itself a threat.
And it was a demon.
"Send word." Imagawa Yoshimoto turned. "Order the intelligence unit to investigate this demon and shrine maiden immediately."
"Where they are now, where they're going, what their purpose is."
"Find out everything."
The samurai bowed.
"Yes, my lord!"
Imagawa Yoshimoto sat back down.
She looked at the markers on her map, her brow still furrowed.
The Sengoku era was chaotic enough.
Now there were demons involved…
"I hope there won't be more trouble," she murmured.
She looked out at the distant sky, where lightning seemed to flicker, and demonic aura spread.
.
.
.
.
T/n: For reference Hagoromo Gitsune is from 'Nurarihyon no Mago' And Imagawa Yoshimoto is from 'Oda Nobuna no Yabou'