On the other side, Kagetsu's Shadow Clone concealed himself along the mountain path that led down from the Demon Slayer Village, silently waiting for the slayer unit to depart for Hitomi Castle.
Since Sango had already returned, he judged they would likely set out by evening.
As expected, his prediction proved correct. By dusk, when daylight bled into shadow,the Shadow Clone saw the demon slayers marching toward Hitomi Castle.
I wonder if they took my warning seriously…
He cast one last glance at the stronghold perched atop the mountain, then slipped into the forest and tailed the group from a distance.
What followed unfolded almost exactly as it had in the original story.
The slayers quickly exterminated the spider demon that appeared along the road. But just as they prepared to deliver the final blow, Kohaku,standing at the rear,suddenly stiffened.
Invisible spider threads bound him.
Naraku's silk.
Then came the massacre.
Kohaku, manipulated like a puppet, slaughtered his own comrades. When only he and Sango remained, soldiers under the command of Hitomi Castle's lord loosened a volley of arrows.
Through the Sharingan, the Shadow Clone observed carefully. Though Sango was struck multiple times, none of the arrows pierced vital points. She was gravely wounded, unconscious,but alive.
Just as in the original.
Soon after, Hitomi Kagewaki ordered the corpses buried. Not long after the soldiers left, Sango clawed her way out from beneath the earth, half-delirious and drenched in blood,only to be discovered and "rescued" by Hitomi Kagewaki himself.
Seeing events align with the original timeline, the Shadow Clone finally relaxed.
His gaze drifted toward a section of Hitomi Castle. There, he sensed Naraku's demonic aura.
But it wasn't the true body.
Only a puppet.
In the original course of events, Naraku's real body would now be at the Demon Slayer Village, devouring the demons drawn by the scent of the Shikon Jewel shards before seizing them for himself.
But this time, Kikyo had already taken the shards.
Would Naraku still appear there?
It was uncertain.
Still, now was not the time to capture him.
Kikyo's soul had not yet fully recovered, and Naraku himself had not matured into a suitable sacrifice. Better to let him grow comfortable a little longer.
The Shadow Clone infiltrated Hitomi Castle without a sound and slipped into Sango's room.
She had already been treated. Though pale and unconscious, her breathing was steady.
After confirming she was not in immediate danger, the Shadow Clone withdrew.
Finally, after verifying that Naraku's puppet sensed nothing amiss, he dispelled himself.
With a faint puff of smoke, he vanished.
Deep within the forest, inside the wooden house constructed through Wood Release, Kagetsu opened his eyes.
The memories flowed back to him.
Across the room, Kikyo stood before Kuro Maru, weaving spiritual energy into intricate seals as she transformed the blade into a shikigami. Pale light shimmered around her hands.
Lie remained silent, unwilling to disturb her.
He had briefly considered having the Shadow Clone eliminate Naraku's puppet.
But after some thought, he abandoned the idea.
Destroying a puppet would accomplish little,and might alert the real body.
More importantly, in the original sequence of events, this very puppet would bring Sango into contact with Inuyasha and the others. Interfering now might disrupt the flow of fate too drastically.
Patience.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his companions were searching for the Demon Slayer Village.
They hoped to retrieve the shard of the Shikon Jewel rumored to be in the slayers' possession. They had also heard from nearby villagers that the Shikon Jewel itself had originated from the Demon Slayer Village and wished to learn the truth behind it.
Suddenly, a strange wind swept past them.
All of them froze.
Kagome's eyes widened. "Something's coming… and there are a lot of them!"
Before she could say more, the sky darkened.
A massive swarm of demons surged overhead, flying toward the distant mountains.
"That's a whole horde!" Inuyasha barked, baring his fangs.
Kagome stared at the writhing mass in the sky. "Their aura… it's wrong. It feels twisted."
Miroku tightened his grip on his staff, sweat forming on his brow. "Such an ominous demonic presence…"
Inuyasha's expression hardened. "They're bloodthirsty. They're going to attack something."
Without another word, they gave chase.
By early morning, they followed the lingering demonic scent to the mountain stronghold of the Demon Slayer Village.
But what greeted them was devastation.
The wooden palisades had been smashed apart. The main gate lay splintered and overturned. Smoke drifted through the air, carrying the stench of blood and burnt timber.
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Miroku stepped inside.
Corpses were everywhere,humans and demons alike.
Collapsed houses smoldered. Broken arrows littered the ground. Weapons forged from demon bones and fangs lay shattered amid the carnage.
It was a battlefield.
Kagome's voice trembled. "This… this is awful…"
"They were fighting demons," Miroku said gravely, surveying the scene. "And it became a slaughter."
"There's no doubt," Inuyasha muttered. He crouched and picked up a broken weapon, inhaling faintly. "These are demon-slayer tools. This is the village we were looking for."
Kagome scanned the area, confused. "I don't sense any Shikon Jewel shards…"
"They must've been taken," Miroku said quietly. "There are no survivors."
"If we go after that swarm now, we might still catch them!" Shippō called from Miroku's shoulder.
Inuyasha's gaze swept over the bodies of villagers tangled with demons. His jaw tightened.
"First, we bury them," he said. "They deserve that much."
Miroku nodded solemnly. "You're right."
Just then,
A roar echoed through the ruins.
Kagome instinctively ducked behind Inuyasha. "Something's still here!"
Inuyasha drew Tessaiga in one swift motion, the blade transforming with a flash of light. He pointed it toward the sound. "Another demon?"
Miroku readied himself as well.
From behind a half-collapsed house, a massive yellow-furred beast stepped forward,its body as large as a lion. Blood-red vertical pupils locked onto them. Between its jaws hung the severed head of a demon.
It growled low in its throat, muscles tense.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "You want a fight?"
"That voice… Master Inuyasha?"
The group froze.
"It talks?!" Kagome whispered.
"Calm down, Kirara! They're not enemies!" the familiar voice called urgently.
At the sound, flames erupted around the beast's body.
Fire engulfed its massive frame,
,and then shrank.
When the flames vanished, a tiny, two-tailed creature stood before them. It resembled a small fox-cat hybrid, with fluffy yellow fur and wide, gentle eyes.
The contrast from moments before was staggering.
"So… so cute…" Kagome breathed, completely disarmed.