A missing man. A barrier designed specifically to repel women…
If Kagetsu remembered correctly, this was the same demon Miroku and Sango had encountered before.
In the original events, when Miroku and Sango passed through the barrier, Sango had been separated from him precisely because of its resistance against women.
Lowering his gaze to Kikyo, who leaned lightly against his shoulder as her breathing gradually steadied, Kagetsu finally understood why she had been so exhausted.
Sango was a seasoned demon slayer. She carried the massive Hiraikotsu year-round,a weapon she could wield in close combat or hurl with enough force to split a demon clean in two. That alone spoke volumes about her physical strength.
Yet even Sango had struggled to keep pace with Miroku inside that barrier.
That meant the suppression it placed on women was no trivial matter.
Kikyo, though blessed with tremendous spiritual power, was ultimately still a shrine maiden. In terms of raw physical strength, she couldn't compare to someone like Sango, who fought demons head-on.
No wonder only men had gone missing from the nearby village. Even if the women had discovered this place, they would never have been able to pass through the barrier to investigate.
Realizing this was an event drawn straight from the original storyline put Kagetsu in a surprisingly good mood.
Not because the enemy was weak.
But because he remembered what came after.
After this demon was dealt with, the group had stumbled upon a place known as the Peach Blossom Spring, said to be connected to mysterious "Sages."
Sages…
Were they truly immortal beings?
Or were they more like the Sage Mode practitioners of the shinobi world,power enhanced, yet lifespan unchanged?
In the world of the Hokage, aside from the ancient leaders of the three great sage lands, most who cultivated Sage Mode remained mortal.
It was… intriguing.
"Alright. Let's go."
With Kagetsu's chakra replenishing her strength, Kikyo soon recovered fully. She straightened and rose to her feet.
He helped her up, eyes sweeping through the pale sea of mist before them. Then he pointed ahead.
"There's demonic energy coming from that direction. That should be our target."
"Mm… wait."
Kikyo nodded but paused mid-step.
She lifted a slender finger and gently touched her brow. A soft white radiance of spiritual power flowed over her body like moonlight on water, then faded without a trace.
"Now we can go."
Only then did she move forward.
"What was that just now?" Kagetsu asked as he walked beside her.
"This barrier repels women," Kikyo replied quietly. "If the demon senses me, it may become agitated."
She tilted her head slightly toward him.
"I placed a concealment spell on myself. As long as I don't draw attention, it shouldn't detect me."
Kagetsu frowned faintly.
"Is that really necessary? Wouldn't it be easier to find it and cut it down?"
He remembered Miroku had once given Sango prayer beads to mask her presence in much the same way.
"There's no need to rush," Kikyo said calmly. "I have some suspicions about this demon. I want to confirm them first. Let's observe before we act."
They hadn't gone far when the outline of buildings began to emerge through the mist,a manor, half-swallowed by white haze.
Then a woman's voice drifted toward them, soft and distant.
"Who are you?"
Kagetsu looked up.
From the mist stepped a woman clad in an elegant kimono. Her features were refined and delicate, her bearing graceful. Long black hair flowed down her back to her waist, and her pale skin seemed almost luminous in the fog.
Her dark eyes, however, held a faint emptiness.
Fragile.
Lonely.
Beautiful.
But beneath it all, Kagetsu could clearly sense the faint trace of demonic aura.
He knew exactly who she was.
A mountain dog demon that had stolen the bones and soul of a long-dead princess, taking her form to lure men to their deaths.
"Why have you come so deep into these mountains?" she asked gently.
"To slay demons," Kagetsu replied without hesitation.
"…."
The woman froze.
Clearly, she had not expected such a blunt answer.
For a brief moment, she was at a loss.
"Hiss,!"
Before the silence could stretch further, a sharp pain shot through Kagetsu's side.
He turned stiffly.
Kikyo was staring at him with a cool, warning gaze, her fingers neatly pinching his waist.
Idiot.
Her eyes said it plainly.
"S-Sir? Are you alright?" the woman asked with concern, recovering from her surprise.
"N-Nothing!" Kagetsu quickly waved his hand, forcing a smile under Kikyo's threatening stare. "Just a cramp. It's nothing."
He cleared his throat.
"More importantly… Miss, are you alone in these mountains?"
"Yes." Instantly, sorrow flooded her expression. "I have always been alone here."
She gestured toward the mansion barely visible through the mist.
"Please, Sir Samurai. Come inside."
With that, she turned gracefully and walked toward the estate.
Kagetsu glanced sideways at Kikyo. She gave him a subtle urging look.
Suppressing the urge to end this immediately, he followed.
,
Inside, the demon led him into a sitting room and motioned for him to sit.
She brought tea, kneeling gracefully as she poured it for him.
Kagetsu accepted the cup but did not drink.
Instead, he watched her.
Silently.
Carefully.
Every movement. Every breath.
The "Princess" did not seem bothered.
Lifting her hollow gaze to him, she began her tale.
"Not long ago, my country was invaded. My father sent loyal retainers to escort me into these mountains to preserve the royal bloodline."
Sorrow deepened across her delicate features. Tears shimmered faintly in her eyes.
"To protect me… they all perished."
Her voice trembled.
"I am alone now."
It was a performance capable of stirring the heart of almost any man.
"How tragic," Kagetsu said flatly.
His tone held no warmth.
No sympathy.
His eyes drifted elsewhere.
Across the room.
To Kikyo.
She stood near the edge of the chamber, unnoticed by the demon. Like a ghost, she moved silently, placing talismans one after another across the floor. Spiritual lines began forming a subtle formation,one Kagetsu didn't recognize.
The demon noticed his wandering gaze.
She forced herself to continue.
"The men who fled with me… they all died. I am so very lonely…"
"Mhm. Terribly lonely," Kagetsu responded absentmindedly, nodding as if distracted.
Inside, irritation flared within the disguised demon.
What kind of man was this?!
She,a woman of breathtaking beauty,was sitting before him, yet he barely spared her a glance!
Instead, he kept looking around as though searching for something far more interesting.
Was he made of wood?!
Her fingers tightened subtly within her sleeves.
Fine.
If gentle methods failed,
Then she would simply take what she wanted.