The demon did not drop its disguise.
It still wore that fragile, lonely expression as it gazed up at Kagetsu, voice trembling faintly with grievance.
"Sir… I am someone who cannot leave this place. At least…"
Its tone shifted abruptly. The sorrow vanished, replaced by coy sweetness. Its dark eyes shimmered with feigned affection as it looked straight at him.
"At least for tonight… will you stay with me?"
"…Oh?"
Kagetsu's mouth twitched.
The face before him was that of a breathtaking princess. But the way she leaned closer,her voice syrupy, posture suggestive,felt utterly at odds with that noble appearance. The contrast was so jarring it nearly gave him goosebumps.
Unaware of his internal disdain, the demon mistook his silence for hesitation.
It slowly lifted its chin, black pupils locking onto his.
"Sir… look into my eyes."
Kagetsu met its gaze.
He had to suppress the instinct to activate his Sharingan on the spot and crush it with a genjutsu. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, pretending compliance.
In the next instant,
A cold, sinister wave of demonic energy surged from the woman's eyes, slithering toward his mind in an attempt to bind him in illusion.
Seeing him stand still and unresponsive, the demon's eyes flashed with triumph.
It rose gracefully, closing the distance between them. Pale face tilting upward, lips parting softly, it leaned in,intending to seal his mouth with a kiss and drain the life force from his body.
Just as their lips were about to meet,
A glint of frost flashed through Kagetsu's eyes.
His hand shot out.
Crack!
His fingers clamped tightly around her throat.
"Gah,!"
The demon's expression twisted instantly. All tenderness vanished, replaced by shock and terror.
Demonic power exploded from its body. Jet-black hair bleached to snow-white in an instant. Coarse yellow fur tore through delicate skin. Bones cracked and expanded as it attempted to shed its human shell and reveal its true form.
But before the transformation could complete,
Kagetsu's arm flexed.
With a brutal flick of his wrist,
Boom!
The half-transforming body was hurled across the room and smashed violently into the floor.
By the time it staggered back up, its disguise was gone.
A grotesque yellow hound stood upright before him. Its canine maw bristled with jagged fangs. Hooked claws replaced hands and feet. Blood-red pupils glowed with savage fury. Tattered human garments clung absurdly to its beastly frame.
It growled low in its throat.
"Damn you…! If that's how it is,then you'll become my nourishment too!"
Before the final word fell, it lunged.
"Kikyo! If you keep enjoying the show, I'm just going to chop this thing in half!"
Kagetsu sidestepped smoothly, avoiding the snapping jaws, and shot an annoyed glance toward the side of the room.
A soft laugh answered him.
"With such a beauty throwing herself at you, I thought you were enjoying it. I didn't want to interrupt."
Kikyo's tone carried unmistakable amusement.
"You're blaming me instead?"
"A woman's voice?! Where?!"
The demon froze mid-motion.
Its crimson pupils darted wildly around the room, suddenly tense. Its sensitivity toward female presence was almost manic.
From the corner of the chamber, Kikyo's figure gradually revealed itself.
"Woman,die!"
The moment it saw her, the demon erupted into frenzy. It twisted mid-step and slashed toward her, claws tearing through the air with a violent gust of demonic wind.
"Rise."
Kikyo's voice rang clear.
Spiritual power surged from her like a tidal wave.
A brilliant white magic circle flared to life beneath the demon's feet. Sacred light engulfed its body.
"AAAGH,!"
Holy flames ignited instantly, crawling across fur and flesh. The demon shrieked in agony.
It tried to leap away,
,but found itself completely immobilized.
The formation held it frozen mid-swipe, claws suspended in the air as if time itself had halted.
"A shrine maiden…? When,?!"
Its voice cracked with disbelief.
Kikyo ignored its struggle.
She raised one hand, gathering a pure stream of spiritual power between her fingers, then flicked it lightly toward the demon.
"Come out."
The moment the energy touched it,
A faint, translucent figure was forced from its body.
The illusionary princess drifted downward, landing gently at the demon's feet.
It was the true princess.
"Give her back to me!!"
The demon went mad, thrashing uselessly against the barrier, trying to reclaim the soul.
But the formation did not waver.
Kagetsu stepped forward calmly. He bent down, lifted the unconscious spirit gently, and carried her to Kikyo's side.
He arched a brow.
"You went through all that trouble just to save her?"
"Yes."
Kikyo nodded, gaze soft as she looked at the fragile soul.
"This demon stole her remains and bound her spirit to its own. It used her form to lure men into the mountains."
She turned toward him.
"The villagers it took are likely still alive. Their life force was siphoned, not consumed. Kill it, and what it stole will return to them."
Kagetsu's lips curved.
"Gladly."
He formed hand seals in one fluid motion.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
A razor-thin blade of compressed wind materialized and shot forward with a shriek.
Slash,
The demon's feral snarl froze.
A thin red line appeared across its neck.
Then its massive head slid cleanly from its shoulders.
Before blood could spill or flesh hit the ground, sacred flames consumed everything. In moments, the demon was reduced to ash.
As its body crumbled, the surrounding mansion trembled.
Walls dissolved.
Beams collapsed into mist.
The white fog blanketing the mountain began to dissipate rapidly, revealing open forest and bare earth.
Not far away lay a group of unconscious men,the missing villagers.
Kagetsu turned back.
Kikyo was crouched beside the princess's soul, speaking softly to her.
He did not approach.
He understood.
The princess had died long ago. What remained was only a lingering spirit, bound by loneliness and regret.
Kikyo was granting her peace.
Soon, bathed in gentle spiritual light, the princess's form began to fade. Her features softened. The tension left her expression.
Finally, she dissolved into a small orb of pale radiance.
It drifted upward,
Higher.
Higher,
Until it disappeared into the heavens.
Kikyo stood and walked back to him.
"She died alone," she said quietly. "Her heart clung to this world. That demon exploited her remains and spirit, using them as bait to gather life force."
Then her lips curved slightly.
"It seems the beast-eared girl you were hoping for never appeared… and even the beautiful princess was long gone."
Kagetsu smiled faintly.
"That's fine."
His gaze lingered on her.
"A beautiful shrine maiden at my side is more than enough."
"…!"
Kikyo froze.
The teasing smile vanished. A faint blush crept to the tips of her ears.
She quickly turned away, lowering her head as if searching for something.
"I,I'll retrieve the princess's remains and give her a proper burial," she said stiffly. "You check on the villagers."
Kagetsu's smile deepened as he watched her retreating figure.
With this level of teasing, you still think you can outplay me?
He turned toward the fallen men and formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave."
A broad but gentle surge of cool water washed over them.
The men sputtered awake one by one, coughing and blinking in confusion.
Meanwhile, Kikyo carefully located the princess's remains and wrapped them respectfully in cloth.
Once reunited, the two guided the shaken villagers down the mountain together.
The mist had lifted.
And the mountain, at last, was quiet.