Using a paper parasol to block the rays of light coming from the afternoon sun, a young man with golden hair and blue eyes observes the clear path.
More than a path, it is a trail of flattened grass and missing trees, thanks to which the rays of sunlight can enter the depths of the forest, easily drawing the young man's attention for several reasons.
The first because… It is literally a path in the middle of the forest, is there anything more striking than that? While the second is for something more instinctive, the "mark/trail" that he feels from Kikyo is further ahead.
"What do you say, Saya? I say this style is perfect, although perhaps an imitation that is too obvious?"
Transforming the nearby tree into a full-body mirror, he truly learned nothing from being chased by a horde of yokai after running out of energy, Asahiko smiles proudly and looks at himself with a flash of vanity.
And it was no wonder, since being a pure demon… For now, he possesses a supernatural beauty that would put any actor or model to shame, and combined with both his oriental and occidental features. Yes, he is a 10/10… At least from his point of view.
"I believe that… Inuyasha would be a better influence for you, young Asahiko"
Looking at the opulent, noble clothing clearly heavily influenced by a certain young man named Sesshōmaru, the old spirit begins to worry a little about his master's acquaintances.
Of course, despite that he cannot deny that Asahiko's clothes have style, whether due to the pristine white tone impossible to achieve by human means, or the chest armor with beautiful engravings on it.
"I'd rather die than wear that Japanese overgarment, besides wearing such a flashy red color? God please save me from such a future!"
Shuddering at remembering Inuyasha's way of dressing, who by the way always goes barefoot like a brainless beast, Asahiko once again confirms that Sesshōmaru's style is the best model to follow at the moment.
[May he save us both if that ever happens… Because death is momentary, but style is eternal!]
"… Do you see, Saya? That's why I am being corrupted by the 'evil' Sesshōmaru and Souga"
"But Inuyasha's 'style' is simpler and easier, making it ideal to spend less energy transforming your clothes and…"
Being swallowed by the sheath of Cloud Fang after being struck by Asahiko with it before he could finish, Saya is removed from the scene, leaving only the young man in front of the mirror.
"Anything to say, Souga?"
[You did the right thing, his ideas were… Radical for us]
"… Hadn't you died in an ambush? Also… don't tell me"
[Zero regrets…]
Stopping speaking from one second to the next, Souga withdraws into the interior of the gem embedded in the hilt of Cloud Fang, thus expanding the feeling of emptiness in the forest.
Obviously, Asahiko could have used the mental link between them to continue the conversation, but now it was time to do more important things, so he makes the full-body mirror disappear and advances along the "rural" path.
This walk stretches on until the sun begins to retreat beyond the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful orange tone and leaving the world in silence. Obviously, he did not really have to take that long, but if Kikyo was thinking about what happened… Asahiko, who avoids major "problems", is much more confused.
That is why all the theatrics, all the delay… He knows he has to take action, that is why he left Inuyasha's group behind, but in what way and how? After all, Kikyo is his only "friend" and he is hers, almost a symbiotic relationship… Both need and use each other, whether as a moral or emotional anchor.
"Damn it, isn't this when you're supposed to give me some advice like the old wise men you are supposed to be?"
Stopping at a tree with a view of an old temple surrounded by soldiers, several of whom look in quite bad shape, Asahiko once again turns to the two "wise men" who accompany him during his adventure.
[If you want to mate with her just go and tell her, I'm sure she won't—]
"I expected too much from an idiot dragon. Saya, do you have anything?"
"I regret disappointing you, young Asahiko. Both Souga and I are not so… 'human', which makes it impossible for us to understand the complications of your situation"
Sighing at Saya's words that make some sense, in the end they are yokai and not humans, Asahiko decides to go with his favorite technique. He is going to go straight ahead, whatever happens happens, if she ignores it he will let it pass, and if she doesn't… it will be figured out along the way.
Filled with confidence born from recklessness with a certain touch of adrenaline, Asahiko jumps from the branch and quickly covers himself with an illusion in the air, landing easily on the roof of the old temple.
Up there, without fear of being seen by anyone, Asahiko slips inside the temple without hesitating for another second. Inside it was dimly lit, mainly thanks to the light that enters through the sliding paper door, some holes in the ceiling and cracks in the poorly repaired walls.
"So much time watching that I almost thought you weren't going to come, Asahiko. But since you did, you could have fixed the roof as a way of apologizing while you were up there"
"Ha, ha, ha… How did you know? I was quite far away"
Observing Kikyo's back who continues working on what seems to be a stone mortar without turning around, Asahiko laughs awkwardly and tries to guide the topic elsewhere.
She does not care about that, but continues working with an almost perfect millimetric precision… Not to say mechanical, as if her body were actually on automatic mode.
"It was not very difficult to feel you when all energy is guided more easily by emotions than by technique, a situation in which you found yourself and that made it easier to detect your presence"
"Oh, another thing I didn't know…"
"Yes, there are many things you don't know"
Raising the tension to the ceiling with words perhaps said unconsciously, both Kikyo who continues with her back turned and Asahiko remain silent, creating a very uncomfortable and strange atmosphere between them in the darkness of the old temple.
"Sss… That's quite a low blow, Kikyo. And I came fully willing to leave the past aside, for our relationship and all that"
"Oh, even when I used your 'gift' to deceive them all and rummage through their memories? Can you leave that aside so easily? I seem to remember you were quite angry… Or perhaps it is because of the words that imitation said in Inuyasha's nightmare?"
Changing position for the first time since Asahiko arrived, creating a beautiful black river with her hair as she moves, Kikyo looks at him with a sarcastic smile on her face.
This could have angered anyone who did not know her, she gives you a couple of metaphorical slaps and then mocks you? God, anyone would have been quite annoyed.
"… Don't tell me… Kikyo, are you perhaps embarrassed?"
"Wh, what"
"I understand, I understand, being deceived by Naraku just like all of us and on top of that saying what you think of the incredible me, that must be difficult"
Circling Kikyo several times while giving her 'encouraging pats' on the shoulders, Asahiko even manages to imitate the priestess's sarcastic smile while doing so, although his smile soon disappears when he has to dodge the tip of an arrow flying toward his face.
It was terrifying, literally a second ago she was embarrassed and the next she had an arrow in her hand with the intention of driving it into his face, saying she is crazy would be an understatement.
"Speak seriously, Asahiko"
"… Tsk, fine, I see you don't want to leave that topic aside and are looking to embarrass both of us"
"Heh, coward"
"I just wanted to keep this as long as possible, Kikyo. The status quo between us, what allows us to be like this so easily and without wanting to kill each other… Despite the jokes"
Touching with his index finger the cold metallic tip of the arrow that she still held in her hand, Asahiko steps aside before creating a dark wooden chair and sits on it.
Several possible "solutions" passed through his mind at that moment, from whether to lie to Kikyo or not, curse her until leaving her speechless and even take it all as a joke, although in the end… He really does not want to lose this friendship they currently have.
Fortunately, more than anything for his mental health, Asahiko has the "ability" to ignore problems and also to take action instantly in certain situations, so determined to keep their "destinies" united, he simply tells the whole truth.
"I… I was certainly furious, eager to separate Naraku's head from his body when I finally managed to get out of that nightmare. Those memories were not gray or bittersweet, they were black, traumas in every sense"
"…"
"Mainly the death of my parents… It was not only their death that hurt me, which was absolutely heartbreaking, but it was also the day I began to live in fear"
Letting out a sigh full of exhaustion that probably was not from now, Asahiko brings his hand over both eyes and remains silent for a few seconds.
"Are you talking about that 'curse' the guests mentioned?"
"Of course you heard it. Yes, all the descendants of my family branch die at a young age, whether my grandparents, uncles or parents… No one surpasses twenty-five years in our family"
"But… I cannot feel any curse on you"
"Benefits of this new form, I suppose. The important thing is that my family fought against the curse for generations, they even followed the successes of the North American branch and married Japanese women… Don't ask me, I don't know why either"
Capturing Kikyo's interest, he silenced her with the last part of his words, because he himself does not even know why of the above, although he can suppose it by seeing what he became upon arriving here.
Perhaps everyone in his family, on his father's side, were some kind of descendants of fox demons? Maybe that is why they married Japanese women to "stabilize", or maybe the "curse" was simply a side effect of a world without spiritual energy… Things to investigate later, perhaps.
"And even so, with all that, are you just going to ignore what I did to you and move on?"
"At some point this was going to explode, your doubts were already clear, but I never thought it would be so… Deep what was revealed from one moment to another"
"Hahaha, so that's all, a small problem that ended up working in your favor?"
Laughing slowly with a minimal trace of hidden bitterness, Kikyo accepts that in the end there was nothing here… "Strange" guiding his actions, just cold logic.
It was something to be expected, what was she even considering? It was impossible that he would leave everything she did behind just for something as volatile as emotions, clearly there had to be a calculation behind it.
"In fact, but 95% of the reason why I left it aside is because it was you who did it. Good, if that's resolved let's move on!"
"Wa, wh"
"Let's move on I said!"
Transforming the chair beneath him into a confetti cannon that explodes around him, Asahiko quickly dodges Kikyo's next question and leaves the temple, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
"… Because of me?"
Hitting the wooden floor repeatedly with her sandals to the rhythm of something inside her, Kikyo's expression changes several times in a few seconds, showing a kaleidoscope of emotions.
But being who she is, a display of emotional control and the use of "masks", Kikyo quickly controls her emotions… At least the external ones, because the ones twisting inside are more difficult.
"It must be because of the fragments, I have noticed the increase of his power and the fragments he carries are connected. Yes, it must be because of that, maybe even because he knows nothing about this place and does not know anyone"
Weaving a "truth" both for herself and for the souls within her, Kikyo finally manages to calm down completely and returns to her work, creating ointments in the stone mortar.