"Is this the place?"
Uchiha Retsu swept his gaze over the dilapidated, gloomy shrine before him. Dark green moss filled the cracks between the stone steps. The vermilion torii gate had long since rotted and turned black. Among the broken walls and crumbling ruins, a heavy aura of desolation lingered in the air.
He frowned and carefully sensed his surroundings. Sure enough, he caught traces of faint residual demonic energy.
"Let's go. We'll check the inside," Kikyo said, reaching back to take down her longbow before stepping onto the stone stairs.
Her shoes crushed dry leaves and twigs beneath her feet, the soft crackling sounds echoing clearly through the silent forest.
Passing through the crooked torii gate, they continued upward. The surroundings were so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing. Only the occasional call of distant birds broke the stillness, making the area feel even more lonely and abandoned.
After returning from Kaede's village last time, the two of them had stayed in the forest for a while longer. Kikyo had successfully learned to sense natural energy, but their attempt to combine it with her spiritual power had progressed slowly. In the end, they decided to leave.
Not long after departing the forest, they saw a notice in a nearby castle town—an official request from the local lord to exterminate the demon occupying this shrine. Following the location on the notice, they eventually arrived here.
This shrine had been overrun and seized by demons long ago.
Because the nearby village was close to the castle town and held strategic value, the lord had once sent troops to suppress the demon. However, they were utterly defeated and forced to retreat in disgrace.
After that, the lord continued searching for monks and exorcists to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, most were either frauds who deceived people for money or lacked the strength to fight demons. Not only did they fail, but they all became victims of the monster.
Over time, the shrine was completely abandoned. Even the village at the foot of the mountain gradually turned into a deserted wasteland.
Retsu and Kikyo quickly climbed the stone steps and entered the shrine grounds. Perhaps because demons were everywhere in this world—or because shrine maidens naturally possessed spiritual power—most shrines here were extremely simple, without complicated structures.
This place was no exception. Along the approach path, aside from a collapsed purification basin, there was only one ruined wooden building in the center. Nothing else remained.
Retsu kicked aside a skull that rolled across the ground. He couldn't tell whether it belonged to a human or a demon. His gaze fell on the only remaining building ahead, from which thick demonic energy was continuously seeping out.
"Looks like there's no point preserving this place," Retsu said bluntly. He already knew the demon was hiding inside.
"Mm. We'll rebuild it later. After being occupied by demons for so long, this place can't be used anymore," Kikyo nodded in agreement.
"Alright."
Retsu didn't waste any more words. He quickly formed hand seals and shouted in a low voice,
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The next moment, a massive fireball nearly ten meters in diameter erupted from his mouth, carrying scorching heat as it slammed into the wooden structure. The decayed wood couldn't withstand the impact at all and collapsed instantly, then burst into flames. Within seconds, roaring fire engulfed the entire building.
"ROAR—!"
A furious beastly howl suddenly rang out. The burning structure exploded apart, scattering sparks and flaming debris in all directions.
Then, the ground beneath the building bulged upward. A massive demon covered in coarse fur and bulging muscles burst out from underground.
Its condition was miserable. Its fur had caught fire, and its entire body was rapidly being swallowed by flames.
"ROAR!"
The moment it emerged, the demon spotted Retsu and Kikyo in the distance. Enduring the searing pain, it let out a deafening roar and charged straight toward them. Flames trailed behind it like a blazing tail, making it look terrifying.
"Whoosh—!"
Just as it broke free from the fire, an arrow suddenly tore through the air. Pure white spiritual light flashed like a shooting star and struck the demon with perfect precision.
The instant it hit, the powerful purifying energy erupted.
Brilliant white light spread outward, completely enveloping the demon's massive body. Before it could even react, it was purified into dust and dispersed into the air.
After killing the demon with a single shot, Kikyo slung her bow back over her shoulder and surveyed the surroundings.
Because the area had been occupied by demons for so long, hardly any grass grew on the corrupted ground. Instead, scattered human bones, demon remains, and animal carcasses littered the place, giving it a chilling, eerie atmosphere.
"We'll need to clean this thoroughly before living here," Kikyo frowned slightly, her tone showing faint displeasure.
"It's fine. The place isn't big. We can finish in half a day," Retsu said casually, waving his hand.
When they accepted this commission, the town lord had noticed Kikyo's shrine maiden attire and promised that if they succeeded, not only would they receive their reward, but they would also be allowed to live in the shrine.
Since neither of them had a permanent place to stay, they accepted without hesitation.
The lord had probably thought no one would want to live in such a long-abandoned place anyway and mentioned it casually. He hadn't expected them to agree so readily, and in his delight, he even increased their reward.
After that, the two worked together to clean up the area. All the scattered debris was thrown into the burning ruins. After the flames died down, Retsu used Earth Style to bury the ashes underground.
Once everything was cleaned, Retsu formed seals again and said in a low voice,
"Wood Style: Four-Pillar House Technique!"
"Crack—crack—!"
With the crisp sound of wood growing, countless wooden beams surged up from the ground. In moments, a magnificent two-story wooden building took shape, standing firmly in the center of the shrine.
"Done!"
Looking at the renewed shrine under the setting sun, Retsu let out a breath and smiled in satisfaction.
"Is the house finished already?" Kikyo's voice came from behind.
She had just climbed up from the stone steps at the entrance. Seeing the brand-new building, she nodded approvingly.
"I've finished setting up the barrier as well. Ordinary demons won't be able to get in easily," she added.
"Let's go take a look," Retsu said with a smile, turning toward her.
"Mm."
Kikyo nodded softly. Together, they pushed open the door and walked side by side into the room, which was filled with the fresh scent of wood.
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