The missing men… a barrier that specifically repelled women…
If Uchiha Kasage remembered correctly, this matched an incident involving Miroku and Sango from the original story.
Back then, when they crossed the barrier, Sango had been separated from Miroku due to the resistance affecting her.
Kasage lowered his gaze to Kikyo, who was resting lightly against his shoulder, her breathing gradually calming.
Now he finally understood why she had been so exhausted.
In the story, Sango—an experienced yokai slayer—always carried her massive Hiraikotsu. Not only could she fight yokai head-on, but she could also hurl it as a devastating weapon.
A single throw from Sango could shatter a yokai instantly.
And yet—even with her strength—she had struggled against this barrier.
Kikyo, despite her powerful spiritual energy, was not physically comparable to someone like Sango, who specialized in close combat.
No wonder none of the village women had come searching for the missing men.
Even if they reached this place, they wouldn't have been able to pass through a barrier designed to stop them.
Realizing that this event was unfolding just like in the story, Kasage felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Not because the yokai would be easy to deal with—
But because he remembered what came after.
After defeating the yokai, the protagonists had discovered a place nearby known as the *Peach Blossom Spring*, said to be connected to so-called "immortals."
That… intrigued him.
Were they truly immortal beings, capable of living forever?
Or were they something like Sage Mode users—powerful, but not truly eternal?
After all, aside from the rulers of the three great sacred lands, most who cultivated Sage Mode didn't live much longer than ordinary humans.
"Alright, let's go."
With Kasage's chakra restoring her strength, Kikyo quickly recovered and sat upright before standing.
Kasage helped her to her feet, his eyes scanning through the dense white mist.
"There." He pointed ahead. "A demonic aura is moving in that direction. That should be our target."
"Mm… wait a moment." Kikyo nodded, about to step forward—but suddenly stopped.
She raised a finger and lightly touched her forehead.
A thin layer of pure white spiritual energy flowed across her body, then vanished completely—as if it had never been there.
"Alright. Let's go."
She stepped forward in the direction Kasage had indicated.
Kasage walked beside her, glancing at her with curiosity. "What did you just do?"
"This barrier is designed to block women," Kikyo replied quietly, turning her head slightly toward him. "If the yokai detect my presence, they may react violently."
Her voice softened, controlled.
"I cast a concealment spell on myself. As long as I don't draw attention, they shouldn't be able to sense me."
"…Is all that really necessary?" Kasage asked, slightly puzzled. "Why not just find it and take it down directly?"
He remembered that in the original story, Miroku had used a similar method—giving Sango a bracelet to conceal her aura.
"There's no need to rush," Kikyo replied calmly, continuing forward without hesitation. "I have some suspicions about this yokai. I want to observe first before acting."
Kasage nodded faintly, accepting her reasoning.
The two followed the direction of the demonic aura.
Gradually, through the thick mist, the outline of a building began to take shape.
Then—
A soft female voice drifted through the fog.
"Who are you?"
Kasage turned toward the sound.
From within the mist, a woman emerged.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, dressed in a luxurious kimono, her bearing dignified and elegant.
Her long black hair flowed down her back to her waist, her pale skin like snow. Her delicate features were flawless—but her dark eyes carried a faint emptiness.
Yet Kasage could clearly sense the weak demonic aura emanating from her.
Knowing the story, he already understood—
This "princess" was actually a mountain dog yokai, one that had stolen the bones and soul of the deceased princess and taken on her form.
"Why have you come to such a remote mountain forest?" the woman asked softly, noticing his gaze lingering on her.
"Obviously, we're here to exorcise yokai," Kasage replied without hesitation.
"…"
The woman froze for a brief moment.
Clearly, she hadn't expected such a direct answer.
For an instant, she didn't know how to respond.
"Sss—!"
Before the silence could stretch further, Kasage suddenly winced as a sharp pain shot through his side.
He turned his head—
Kikyo was glaring at him.
Though invisible, her presence was unmistakable, her fingers lightly pinching his side in warning.
"My lord, is something wrong?" the woman asked gently, concern appearing in her eyes as Kasage reacted.
"N-nothing!" Kasage quickly waved his hand, adjusting his tone as he played along. "By the way, miss… are you living here all alone in this forest?"
"Yes… I have always been alone here." A trace of loneliness flickered in her eyes as she spoke.
Then, gesturing toward the faintly visible estate behind her, she added softly, "My lord, please come inside."
With that, she turned and walked toward the residence.
Kasage watched her retreating figure, then glanced briefly at Kikyo's unseen but very insistent presence beside him.
Suppressing the urge to strike immediately, he followed.
Inside, the woman led him to a seat and gracefully poured him a cup of tea.
Kasage sat across from her, expression calm and unreadable.
He accepted the cup—but made no move to drink it.
Instead, he simply watched her in silence, observing every subtle movement.
The "princess" didn't seem to mind.
Lifting her gaze, she spoke softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Not long ago… my homeland was conquered by an enemy nation."
"To save my life, my father sent loyal soldiers to escort me as I fled into these mountains."
As she spoke, her expression grew mournful, her eyes glistening faintly with unshed tears.
Her fragile, helpless demeanor would have stirred protective instincts in most men.
"Is that so? That's unfortunate," Kasage said.
His words were polite—
But his tone was flat, his expression indifferent.
Not the slightest hint of sympathy.
His gaze drifted occasionally around the room… briefly landing on Kikyo.
At that moment, Kikyo—still concealed—was quietly working in a corner.
Holding a stack of talismans, she was swiftly drawing a magic circle on the floor, one so intricate that even Kasage couldn't fully decipher it.
Noticing his lack of attention, the disguised yokai spoke again, trying to pull his focus back.
"The soldiers who fled here with me… they all died. I am very lonely…"
"Yes, yes. That's quite tragic," Kasage replied absentmindedly, nodding without even looking directly at her.
At that moment—
A flicker of irritation rose within the yokai.
"This man… is a complete fool!"
She fumed inwardly.
"A woman like me is sitting right in front of him… and he keeps looking around instead of paying attention—even for a second!"