While the villagers busied themselves collecting the corpses of the fallen demons, Priestess Sakura Masaya strode forward, her majestic naginata resting diagonally across her back.
The golden blade shimmered faintly as she walked, each of her bloodstained steps leaving behind a dark crimson print on the earth. Yet, as the purification array activated, streams of spiritual light began to flow toward the path she tread. In mere moments, that bloody trail was illuminated with a faint, ethereal glow.
That soft white radiance resembled the fragile yet enduring hope for peace that lingered in the hearts of all who survived endless battle—weak, perhaps, but never extinguished.
For the exorcist priestess returning from the front lines, such sights and struggles were nothing new. Her expression bore no joy nor despair, only the same unshakable resolve and solemn fierceness that had long defined her.
When Priestess Masaya reached the barrier's edge, her gaze fell upon Satsuki standing beside her younger sister, Chizuru.
Chizuru immediately rushed forward, casting a purification spell. The divine light enveloped her sister, washing away the malice and curses clinging to her body.
Once the ritual was complete, she asked worriedly, "Sister, are you hurt?"
"These few demons?" Masaya replied with a bold grin. "Not even enough to warm up with. It'll take a lot more than that to injure me."
Her words were as hearty as her spirit. Despite her priestess garb, her tone and bearing were more like that of a warrior.
Then she turned to Satsuki. "Priestess Satsuki, are you preparing to leave?"
"Yes."
"I see," Masaya said. "Would you like us sisters to escort you?"
"Thank you, but there's no need," Satsuki replied, shaking her head. "You both still have duties to fulfill. This demon attack will surely keep you busy."
In this world, nothing was ever wasted. The remains of such a vast number of demons could not possibly all be carried away by the villagers. Beyond the village, countless lesser demons and scavenger yokai were already lurking in the shadows, waiting to snatch up fragments of flesh to devour and strengthen their power.
Even with Chizuru's great spiritual strength, purifying so many corpses would take considerable time. And if left unattended, it would not be long before another horde descended upon them.
"In that case," Masaya said, "we won't see you off."
With that, the two shrine maidens turned and resumed their work.
In this age, courtesy was a luxury few could afford—and for the priestesses of Yasaka Shrine, time was far more precious than life itself.
"Lady Satsuki, are we leaving now?" Ruri's voice came from above as she lightly dropped down from a nearby tree, landing gracefully beside her host.
Satsuki glanced at her. "I told you to stay with Sesshōmaru. Why are you here?"
"That guy's like an iceberg—no one would dare approach him." Ruri shrugged. "Besides, he doesn't seem to like the energy here. Halfway through the battle, he went outside the village."
Then, tilting her head slightly, Ruri asked, "Lady Satsuki, are we really leaving now?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just a deduction based on what I know of your personality," Ruri said with a teasing smile. "I may not be human, but I do learn. From the moment you arrived, you've known the fate of these shrine maidens. Judging by your actions, I doubt you intend to simply walk away."
"..."
This time, Satsuki did not deny it.
Ruri's tone softened slightly. "Lady Satsuki, I'm not human, so I don't really understand the concept of a lifespan. But if someone knew their life would only last five years… wouldn't that be a sad thing?"
"..."
Satsuki was silent for a moment before replying quietly, "It seems you haven't been idle during this time."
"Compared to you, Lady Satsuki, I still have a long way to go." Ruri shook her head. "It wasn't until I witnessed their battle that I realized—through the Akasha Records—that they are descendants born of divine unions. The green gems on their foreheads contain two immensely cruel curses. One prevents any of their bloodline from living beyond five years. The other forbids them from bearing normal human offspring."
As Satsuki walked slowly through the village, she spoke in a calm, even tone. "To be precise, they mature rapidly—reaching full physical adulthood within eight months. Then, after about four and a half years, death may come at any time. The chances of surviving past five are nearly zero."
She turned slightly, glancing at the two priestesses still working in the distance. "Those two… are only two and a half years old."
Two and a half. Even among the greatest heroes recorded in the Akasha Records, that age would mark a child still learning to walk. Yet those two were already bearing the full weight of their destiny.
...
The two continued walking aimlessly—or so it seemed. But somehow, their steps led them to the enormous sacred tree at the heart of the village.
Countless talismans inscribed with kotodama encircled its massive branches. The air was alive with spiritual energy, causing the charms to shimmer faintly, their light pulsing like the quiet rhythm of breathing.
Through Satsuki's gaze, dozens of powerful spirits could be seen revolving around the sacred tree, each radiating its own soft glow.
Focusing her Tenseigan upon one of the kotodama seals, she watched as the holy white light within began to shift, slowly taking the form of a young woman.
The spirit wore a simple red-and-white shrine maiden's robe, her hair bound with a white cloth. With arms crossed and eyes closed, she stood silently—and though she existed only as a soul, the same green gem gleamed upon her forehead.
The moment Satsuki beheld her, a gentle yet resolute voice echoed directly in her heart:
—"What do humans live for? I believe that realizing this makes all the difference in life's worth. Thankfully, I was spared the trouble of searching for my answer."
It was the final testament of the deceased priestess—a message left to her descendants, an affirmation of her brief yet unwavering life.
Satsuki's gaze shifted to the next spirit. This time, it was a man clad in the armor of a warrior. His voice, firm and steady like hammer striking steel, rang through her heart:
—"If destroying the demons in this world causes more to appear in the next, then I'll just keep slaying them there too."
The third spirit appeared as a monk holding a staff, his tone half-jesting, half-defiant:
—"If it's to defeat Shuten Dōji, then even a god can serve as a stepping stone. It's fine—I give my permission!"
The fourth was a shrine maiden holding a bow, her voice tender, filled with farewell:
—"I'm about to leave. Just stay by my side a little longer, won't you?"
The fifth was a warrior wielding a sickle and chain:
—"In my first battle, I was so terrified my legs wouldn't stop shaking. Feels like it happened just yesterday."
The sixth was a swordsman carrying twin blades at his waist:
—"This is a good family. In my next life, I hope we'll meet again."
...
As Satsuki listened to each of their final words, the surrounding spiritual energy began to drift toward her, drawn to the living vessel that could hear their voices.
Then, within her vision appeared the most radiant soul of all.
She was surrounded by the others, her aura bright and unwavering. Through the Tenseigan's gaze, Satsuki discerned the form of a red-and-white shrine maiden wearing a forecrest crown. Yet even she bore that same green gem of curse upon her brow.
And as their eyes met—across life and death—the spirit's final words resonated within Satsuki's heart.
Even the ever-calm, ever-cold Satsuki felt a stir in her chest.
—"Always move forward. No matter what sorrow awaits, never surrender… So, my children—step over my corpse and go on!"
Listening to the final words of all the souls here—this was already the second time Satsuki had done so.
From the night she first arrived in the village until the early hours of the morning, she had been listening ceaselessly.
That was why she had appeared so uncharacteristically silent that night.
From the fragmented words of the dead, Satsuki saw their past.
All of it was connected to one great yokai—Shuten Dōji, the Demon King of Mount Ōe.
Hundreds of years ago, before Yasaka Shrine was founded, the first ancestors of the Sakura clan were commissioned to slay Shuten Dōji.
Shuten Dōji was the leader of the oni race—the Demon King of the infamous ritual known as the Hyakki Yakō, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
He was a brutal and terrifying creature who often took the form of a handsome young man to seduce women. Once he lured them in, he would devour their flesh and drink their blood. Those of exceptional beauty were kept alive as slaves within his mountain stronghold.
The ancestors of the Sakura clan, however, possessed immense spiritual power. But as the ruler of the oni, Shuten Dōji's might was no less than that of the greatest yokai of later ages.
What made him truly fearsome was not only his strength, but his cunning and deceit.
In their first battle, Shuten Dōji pretended to be overpowered by the two founding ancestors of the Sakura clan. Feigning defeat, he retreated to his palace deep within Mount Ōe.
But this was not a retreat—it was a trap.
At the time, everyone believed that Shuten Dōji could only transform into a handsome young man. In truth, he could also take the form of a beautiful woman.
Within his palace were countless women he had captured and imprisoned. The two Sakura ancestors, unaware of his trickery, began freeing the captives when they failed to find any trace of him.
It was then that Shuten Dōji, disguised as one of those rescued women, struck.
One ancestor was slain instantly.
The other barely escaped, gravely wounded—and cursed.
Two curses were laid upon the Sakura clan that day.
The first was the Curse of Short Life: all descendants would mature at dozens of times the normal human rate, reaching adulthood within months, only to die within a few years.
The second was the Curse of Extinction: all descendants would be unable to bear children with ordinary humans.
Thus came the origin of the green cursed gem upon the priestesses' foreheads.
And to lift these two curses, one would have to slay the caster himself—Shuten Dōji.
By all logic, the Sakura clan should have long perished.
But this world is one where gods truly exist.
The bravery of the Sakura clan earned divine favor. The gods permitted their descendants—once they reached physical maturity equivalent to adulthood—to form sacred unions with divine beings, producing new offspring.
That was why, in Satsuki's Tenseigan vision, the two priestesses of Yasaka Shrine bore such profound divine blessings.
From the moment of their birth, their fate was sealed—to grow stronger, and one day, to slay Shuten Dōji and lift the curse of their bloodline.
Yet as the number of yokai in the world grew, the Sakura clan realized that their battle extended far beyond their ancestral foe. They had to confront countless other monsters threatening humanity.
Thus, they chose to establish their stronghold in the most perilous of lands—the prototype of what would one day become Yasaka Shrine.
Generations passed. The women became priestesses; the men, monks or exorcists. Each generation inherited the same destiny.
And until the curse is broken, until the family's suffering ends, they continue to march toward Shuten Dōji—each willing to sacrifice their life, even if their death only advances their family's purpose by a single, fleeting step.
It was for this reason that the crowned priestess had declared:
"Always move forward. No matter what sorrow awaits, never surrender... So, my children—step over my corpse and go on!"
These two priestesses now carried the power and the will of their ancestors—not merely as warriors seeking vengeance, but as guardians of the peace they fought to preserve.
To protect the humans living in this region ruled by demons—to ensure that they could continue to survive—had become part of the priestesses' sacred mission.
...
After listening to Satsuki's account of the Yasaka Shrine lineage and their cursed destiny, even Ruri—who rarely showed emotion—spoke with uncharacteristic coldness in her tone.
"Lady Satsuki, may I go and kill that Shuten Dōji myself?"
Satsuki shook her head. "No. I must first visit Yasaka Shrine and meet their current head. Shuten Dōji has been their family's sworn enemy for centuries. Whether this vengeance should be claimed by an outsider or by their own hands—that is for them to decide. The outcome may be the same, but the meaning behind it is entirely different."
To avenge one's kin by one's own hand and to have another do it in one's stead—those were two very different things. For a lineage that had endured centuries of grief and sacrifice, such distinctions mattered deeply.
Ruri clenched her fists. Though fury burned within her, she forced herself to remain composed. "You're right, Lady Satsuki… Then let's set out right away. Just knowing that such a monster still exists in this world makes me want to tear it apart."
Satsuki nodded lightly. "We will. But before that, there's something I must do first."
As she spoke, a soft blue radiance shone from her sleeves. Threads of light streamed forth, recording the forms and energies of the lingering spirits surrounding the sacred tree.
Since the number of souls here was limited and scattered, the process did not take long.
"Done. Let's go."
With a sweep of her long sleeves, Satsuki turned and began walking down a narrow forest path leading to the far end of the village.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Akasha Records—or even the lingering essence of the Nine-Tailed Fox—the once naive "Strongest System Across All Worlds" had gradually grown more… human.
Following behind, Ruri bowed deeply toward the surrounding spirits before hurrying to catch up with her host.
Behind them, the glow of the sacred tree grew purer and brighter, illuminating their departing silhouettes.
High among the branches, hidden in shadow, Sesshōmaru had been silently watching all along.
Expressionless, he gazed at the massive sacred tree and the countless talismans wrapped around it, lost in thought.
After a long moment, the cold noble turned away without a word—and in the next instant, his figure vanished, swiftly pursuing the path that Satsuki and Ruri had taken.