"Is this the place?"
Kagetsu surveyed the ruined shrine before him.
Dark green moss filled the cracks in the stone steps. The once-vermilion torii gate had long since rotted, its surface blackened with age. Broken walls sagged inward, and a heavy air of abandonment clung to the entire mountain clearing.
He narrowed his eyes, extending his senses.
As expected,a faint, lingering demonic aura still tainted the air.
"Let's go," Kikyo said calmly, lifting the longbow from her back. "We'll check inside."
They stepped onto the stone stairs.
Dry leaves and brittle branches crunched beneath their feet, the sound unusually sharp in the stillness of the mountain forest. Beyond the crooked torii, the silence deepened. Their breathing became audible. Only an occasional distant birdcall broke the oppressive quiet.
After leaving Kaede's village, the two had remained in the forest for some time. Kikyo had successfully mastered sensing natural energy, but integrating it with her miko spiritual power proved far slower than expected. With progress stalled, they chose to move on.
Soon after leaving the forest, they noticed a posted commission in the nearby castle town. The local lord was seeking someone to exorcise a demon occupying this shrine.
Following the map attached to the notice, they arrived here.
This shrine had long ago been seized by a powerful demon.
Because the village below lay dangerously close to the castle town, the location held strategic importance. The lord had once dispatched soldiers to suppress the threat,but the force was crushed and scattered.
Afterward, he sought priests and shrine maidens from far and wide. Most were frauds. The few with genuine ability lacked sufficient strength. None returned alive.
Over time, the shrine fell into complete ruin. The village beneath it slowly emptied, eventually becoming abandoned altogether.
Now, only silence remained.
They followed the stone path deeper inside.
Shrines in this era were simple by nature. Whether because demons plagued the land or because miko themselves possessed spiritual power, few shrines were grand structures.
This one was no exception.
Beyond the sando pathway, the temizuya purification basin had collapsed to one side. At the center stood a single dilapidated wooden building,the only structure still upright.
Kagetsu nudged aside a skull with his foot. Human or demon,it was impossible to tell.
His gaze settled on the wooden hall ahead.
The demonic aura emanating from within was thick.
"There's no need to preserve it," he said evenly. "The demon's inside."
Kikyo nodded. "We'll rebuild afterward. A place steeped in demonic energy for this long is unusable."
"Good."
Kagetsu wasted no time. His hands flashed through seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive sphere of flame,nearly ten meters wide,erupted from his mouth. Scorching heat distorted the air as the fireball slammed into the rotted structure.
The building collapsed instantly.
Flames devoured the dry timber in seconds. The entire shrine hall was swallowed by roaring fire.
"ROOOAR,!"
A furious, bestial howl tore through the inferno.
The burning structure exploded outward. Flaming debris and shattered wood rained across the clearing, scattering sparks in all directions.
The earth bulged violently,
,and a hulking demon burst upward from underground.
It was massive and muscular, its body covered in coarse, bristling fur.
Now that fur was ablaze.
Fire crawled across its frame, clinging to its flesh. Yet even engulfed in flames, the demon locked onto Kagetsu and Kikyo with bloodshot eyes.
With a thunderous roar, it charged.
Each step left burning streaks in the air, flames trailing behind like a blazing comet's tail.
"Swoosh,!"
An arrow split the wind.
Pure white spiritual power flared brilliantly around the shaft. The sacred arrow struck the demon squarely in the chest.
For a heartbeat, everything froze.
Then,
The demon-slaying power detonated.
Blinding white light erupted outward, swallowing the demon whole. Before it could even scream, its body disintegrated into smoke and ash, purified down to nothing.
Silence returned.
Kikyo lowered her bow and scanned the clearing.
Years of demonic corruption had left the ground barren. Not even weeds dared grow here.
Scattered bones lay everywhere,human, animal, demon alike,bleached and abandoned.
"We'll need to cleanse it thoroughly before living here," Kikyo said, faint displeasure flickering across her composed expression.
"It's small," Kagetsu replied casually. "Half a day will be enough."
When they had accepted the commission, the city lord,upon seeing Kikyo's miko attire,had made an additional offer.
If they successfully exorcised the demon, they would receive their reward… and permission to reside at the shrine.
Since neither of them currently had a fixed place to stay, they agreed immediately.
The lord had likely assumed no one would willingly inhabit such a forsaken place. He had mentioned it offhandedly.
He hadn't expected them to accept on the spot.
Delighted, he even added extra compensation.
They worked together to clear the remains.
Debris and bones were gathered and thrown into the still-burning fire pit. Once the flames died down, Kagetsu used Earth Release to bury the ashes deep beneath the ground.
When the clearing was finally purified of visible corruption, he stepped forward again, hands weaving seals.
"Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique!"
Crack,!
Timber erupted from the earth.
Thick wooden beams rose and interlocked with precision. Walls formed. Pillars locked into place. A roof assembled overhead.
Within moments, a sturdy two-story wooden residence stood proudly at the center of the shrine grounds.
Warm, polished wood gleamed beneath the descending sun.
"Done."
Kagetsu exhaled slowly, satisfaction evident in his expression.
"Is it finished?"
Kikyo's voice came from behind him.
She had just returned from the stone stairway entrance. Upon seeing the newly constructed building, she nodded in approval.
"The barrier is set," she added. "Ordinary demons won't be able to enter."
"Perfect." Kagetsu turned to her with a faint smile. "Shall we inspect our new home?"
Kikyo inclined her head.
Together, they pushed open the wooden doors.
The scent of fresh timber greeted them as they stepped inside,side by side.
For the first time in this era,
,they had a place to stay.