Kagetsu didn't hesitate. He swiftly returned the corrupted shard to its bamboo container, infused it with chakra to reinforce the seal, and slipped it back into his ninja tool pouch.
"This is what a shard looks like once it's been tainted," he said gravely. "I can only seal it temporarily. I have no way to purify it completely. As far as I know, there's only one priestess alive who can do that."
"That thing is terrifying…"
Only after the oppressive aura had completely vanished did Natsume slowly relax and sit back down, though the lingering fear still clung to her face.
"That's why I can't give the shard to you," Kagetsu continued, fixing her with a serious gaze. "If you try to use it to resurrect the Leopard Cat Lord, you'd be courting disaster. The one who returns won't be the lord you remember,it'll be a monster consumed by corrupted energy, driven only by slaughter."
His voice hardened.
"And when that happens, forget about defeating the dog-demon clan or reclaiming your lands. The first ones it will kill… will be your own tribe."
"I… I'll find a way to convince the Big Sister Leader."
Natsume's expression turned solemn as she nodded firmly.
She could be impulsive,but she wasn't foolish. She would never gamble with the safety of her entire clan.
"Don't look so grim, kitty."
Kagetsu reached out and gently stroked her head. This time, she didn't dodge. She simply let him smooth her hair.
"Even if you can't persuade her, it's fine. If the resurrected Leopard Cat Lord truly turns into a monster, just summon me. I'll cut it down again."
"Mhm! It's a promise!"
The heaviness vanished from Natsume's face in an instant. Her usual brightness returned as she nodded vigorously.
Worst case? They'd just kill the resurrected lord again.
She had complete confidence in Kagetsu's strength.
After their first encounter,when she'd been defeated far too easily,she had challenged him several more times out of stubborn pride. Every attempt had ended the same way: total defeat, without even the slightest chance to resist.
By now, she fully understood how monstrously powerful he was.
Standing up straight, she said seriously, "I'll do my best to persuade Big Sister Leader. If she insists on reviving the Lord… I'll call you."
Kagetsu smiled faintly. "Travel safely. Summon me anytime."
"Alright, I'm off!"
She waved and headed for the door, clearly eager to return to her clan. But just as she stepped outside, she paused and looked back.
"Oh! When I summon you in the future, don't forget to bring fresh fish!"
Kagetsu laughed. "There'll be plenty."
As he returned the pink shard to his pouch, something occurred to him.
"Wait. There's one more thing."
"What is it?" Natsume turned back, hand still resting on the doorframe.
"If you truly end up using the Shikon Jewel to resurrect your lord," he said slowly, "there's a high chance you'll cross paths with a girl named Kagome. If that happens, you must not harm her."
He spoke with unmistakable seriousness.
"Oh?"
Natsume's expression shifted instantly into one of playful curiosity. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"And who is this Kagome to you, hmm? For you to warn me so specifically?"
"You nosy cat."
Kagetsu stepped forward and placed a hand on her head, turning it from side to side as she squeaked in protest.
"She's no one special to me," he explained. "She's the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo,the one who died fifty years ago. She's the current priestess responsible for the Shikon Jewel."
He released her and added, "She's also gathering shards. If your clan uses them, you're bound to run into her eventually."
"Kikyo's reincarnation?"
Still dizzy from being spun around, Natsume shook her head.
"Do I look suicidal? Why would I pick a fight with someone like that?"
"She hasn't fully awakened Kikyo's power yet, so she's not overwhelmingly strong at the moment," Kagetsu admitted. "But she's the only person who can purify the Jewel."
His gaze sharpened.
"When the time comes, protect her. Make sure nothing happens to her."
"Got it."
This time, Natsume put away her teasing expression completely and nodded with genuine seriousness.
"Alright, I'm really going now!"
She waved one last time and dashed out without hesitation, her red figure disappearing into the forest path in the blink of an eye.
Kagetsu watched her go, smiling faintly.
Perhaps this was the difference between humans and yōkai.
Human lifespans were short. Partings always felt heavy, tinged with uncertainty.
But yōkai lived for centuries. Meeting and parting were simply part of an endless cycle. So long as time stretched on, there would always be another chance to meet again.
They did not linger in melancholy.
"Well," he murmured, turning back inside, "I've stayed here long enough. Time to move."
He stored the bedding, daily supplies,even the fur cushions and kitchenware,into the Kamui dimension.
In this era, resources were scarce. Many of these items couldn't be easily replaced, even with money. Without Kamui, he'd have to lug around massive storage scrolls filled with pots and pans,a headache he had no intention of dealing with.
Once everything was cleared out, he stepped outside the wooden house and walked toward the distant mountain forest.
After only a few steps,
Rumble.
A deep crash echoed behind him.
Without looking back, Kagetsu manipulated the surrounding trees and soil with chakra. The wooden structure collapsed in an instant, swallowed by shifting earth until no trace of it remained. The forest returned to its original, untouched state.
If left standing, it would soon become a den for mountain yōkai. Better to erase it entirely.
Later that evening,
In the deep forest, as dusk bled into night, Kagetsu sat beside a small campfire, preparing to rest.
Suddenly,
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the silence.
He snapped his head toward the sound.
In the distance, a brilliant flash erupted atop a hill, followed by the violent dispersal of countless minor yōkai auras,instantly annihilated.
A fierce battle was unfolding.
"…Hmm."
A spark of interest ignited in his eyes.
"Looks like there's something entertaining happening. Maybe I can even pick up a few leftovers."
In the next instant, his figure dissolved into a streak of darkness, racing toward the source of the explosion.