Shinji woke again from his slumber.
As a demon, he didn't need to sleep, but as he gradually "came back to life," he had also come to enjoy the peace of rest.
The past few days of recovery had improved his condition significantly, and his demonic aura had returned to its peak.
He pushed open the shrine's wooden door, ready to begin the day's work on the demonic artifacts.
Then he stopped.
The scene outside the shrine was different from usual.
Kaede Village was enveloped in a faint white glow. The light was soft, not harsh, and gave a sense of reassurance.
A barrier.
But unlike the simple defensive barrier before, this one was more complex and more expansive.
Shinji could see the barrier's patterns flickering faintly in the air, intertwining into formations he couldn't decipher.
Those formations seemed alive, slowly flowing.
At the center of the barrier stood Kikyō.
White robes, red hakama, black hair like a waterfall.
Her hands were in hand seals, spiritual power surging around her, transforming into white ribbons of light that merged into the ground beneath her feet.
Shinji's Inspiration talent activated automatically.
That ability, gained from the Shikon Jewel's pure spirit, let him perceive the flow of spiritual power.
And now, he sensed something unusual.
Kikyō's spiritual power had become stronger.
Noticeably, visibly stronger.
The total amount hadn't changed, but its purity was higher, its flow smoother, and its oppressive force on demons was greater.
If a few days ago Kikyō had been a drawn sword, sharp and exposed, now she was a divine blade hidden in its sheath, inwardly focused and weighty.
'She's gotten stronger,' Shinji thought.
He walked down the shrine's steps toward Kikyō.
Kikyō seemed to sense his approach. She withdrew her hand seals and turned.
Her red hakama swayed. The hem folded, revealing a corner of white socks. Her legs, wrapped in fabric, tightened in the breeze. The curve of her hip was prominent, shadows softly falling.
Her long hair was tied at the nape with a white cord, the ends still loose, framing her stunning face.
Beads of sweat dotted her cool features, making her eyes and brows look even more radiant.
"You're awake?" she asked.
"Yeah." Shinji stopped beside her, looking at the still-flowing barrier patterns. "What are you doing?"
"Repairing the barrier." Kikyō raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, the movement natural.
"The battle with Kidōmaru damaged the barrier. I've been mending it these past few days."
"And—" She paused, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding buildings. "Made some improvements."
As the shrine maiden spoke, she suddenly reached out and took Shinji's hand.
Her fingers were slender, her palm soft.
Their fingers intertwined.
Shinji was momentarily taken aback.
That she had improved the barrier, Shinji didn't need Kikyō to tell him that; he could "see" it.
But only "see" it.
Now, with Kikyō's deliberate guidance, he could understand more precisely what had changed.
Shinji activated Inspiration and carefully perceived the new barrier's structure.
If the previous barrier was a simple defensive wall, blocking demons from the outside,
Now,
It wasn't just defensive.
It could also warn. Any demonic aura approaching within a few hundred meters of the barrier would trigger a reaction, letting Kikyō sense it immediately.
It could also purify. Within the barrier's coverage, the turbid energy in the air would be slowly purified, suppressing demons.
Shinji's gaze fell on the barrier's deepest structure.
There was an extremely complex pattern there, like some kind of formation.
He couldn't understand what it was.
But he could feel, it was dangerous.
"What's that?" He pointed at the pattern with his free hand.
Kikyō followed his gaze.
"The prototype of an earth barrier," she said calmly.
"Earth barrier?"
"A barrier targeting a specific opponent." Kikyō explained. "Once you obtain something from the target blood, hair, or soil tainted by their aura, you can set up a barrier against them."
"Within this barrier's range, the target's power will be significantly weakened, and anything connected to them will be suppressed."
Shinji's eyes lit up.
Wasn't this the method used against the Naraku in the original story? Though in that case, they exploited the heart of the human Onigumo hidden within Naraku, leaving him unable to resist… This was clearly different.
It could only suppress an enemy, not as powerful, but more universally applicable. Perfect for preventing Kidōmaru from returning.
And not just Kidōmaru, it would be very useful against other hidden enemies as well.
After all…
"That arrow severed his arm," Kikyō's lips parted, a beautiful, faint smile appearing. "A lot of blood fell on this land."
Shinji was momentarily stunned by that smile.
Then he smiled.
"You're really…"
"What?"
"Smarter than I thought."
Kikyō didn't respond.
But there was something almost smug in those dark eyes.
....
The morning sun was jagged.
Beyond them, they still held hands, standing side by side at the barrier's edge.
The morning light fell, making the white-and-red shrine maiden especially radiant.
Shinji turned to look at her, suddenly remembering something.
"Kikyō."
"Hmm?"
"You've definitely gotten stronger."
Kikyō's movement paused. "You could feel it?"
Shinji nodded.
"Your spiritual power is purer than a few days ago, and its flow is smoother."
Kikyō was silent for a moment.
"Maybe it's because…" Her voice grew soft. "My state of mind has changed."
State of mind?
Shinji looked at her.
Kikyō didn't avoid his gaze.
In those dark eyes was something he had never seen before.
Not the usual cool detachment.
Not the resolute determination of battle.
But something softer, warmer.
"My late teacher once told me," Kikyō began, "that a shrine maiden's spiritual power is closely tied to her state of mind."
"The purer the heart, the stronger the spiritual power, and the steadier its use."
"But if the heart is troubled, if it wavers… the spiritual power weakens."
Shinji understood.
He also suddenly remembered that in the so-called "original story," it was like that too.
It was said that once a shrine maiden fell in love, she would lose her power.
But Kikyō had grown stronger.
That meant…
"Your "feelings" aren't a distraction," Shinji said.
Kikyō blinked, then smiled.
It was a faint smile, but it stirred Shinji's heart.
"Perhaps," she said. "Or maybe it's because…"
She raised her hand, pointing to her chest, to her heart. "It told me that my choice wasn't wrong."
[Shikon Jewel · Pure Spirit: Affection +1]
[Current Affection: 69 (Intimacy)]
[It says: "Of course it's not wrong."]
Shinji: "…"
At that moment, he strongly suspected it was actually the Pure Spirit telling Kikyō that.
But just then, Shinji's gaze sharpened.
He saw the center of the barrier.
At the very heart of this land enveloped by spiritual power.
There was a tree. A massive, ancient, lush and flourishing tree.
The tree was very tall, far taller than the others around it. Its trunk was thick, requiring nearly ten people to wrap their arms around it.
Its canopy was like a lid, seeming to cover a large stretch of sky.
Most importantly, in Shinji's Inspiration view, the tree was glowing.
A vast radiance emanated from its trunk, interweaving with the barrier's white light.
"That's…?" Shinji's voice was faintly startled.
"The sacred tree." Kikyō's voice came from beside him. "The guardian tree of Kaede Village."
"This tree has been here longer than the village itself. It's said that even before Musashi Province existed, it was already there."
The sacred tree.
Shinji could never forget this name, this existence.
In the original Inuyasha story, it was an extremely important presence.
The place where the Shikon Jewel was burned in the timeline that would never happen again.
It was said to have the power to connect past, present, and future. The "Bone-Eater's Well," made from its wood, was the opening of the entire story.
He had actually been looking for this tree before.
Such a divine tree, if he could find it and claim it, the gains would be immense.
But he hadn't been able to find it.
Now, it had appeared on its own.
"Before…" Shinji frowned. "I never saw this tree."
Kikyō's voice was calm, unsurprised. "Because the sacred tree is the heart of this land, and the foundation of Kaede Village's barrier."
"It doesn't easily reveal its true form to outsiders."
"Only those recognized by this land can see it."
Shinji understood.
That night, in the battle, his blood mist and bone spurs had covered the entire Kantō region.
He had slain four materialization-level demons and purified the demonic miasma that shrouded this land.
He had earned the recognition of the Kantō land.
Affection of only 1 point.
But that 1 point...
Had finally let him see the sacred tree.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
This world wasn't purely Inuyasha, after all. It was a mixed world, with more and more complex existences. A sacred tree with time-related properties, if it didn't hide itself, would have long been fought over by all sides.
How could it have remained safe until now?
"I see." Shinji murmured.
He looked at the great tree radiating sacred light, his eyes full of interest.
If he wasn't mistaken, this sacred tree should also be claimable.
And…
Its quality was likely on par with the Shikon Jewel, possibly even surpassing it.
Shinji's breathing quickened slightly.
"Kikyō," he spoke.
"Hmm?"
"I want to go see that tree."
Kikyō looked at him.
There was no suspicion in her dark eyes.
She had seen his goodwill toward all things.
"Let's go," she said, still holding his hand tightly, as if she didn't want to let go for a moment. "I'll take you."
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Don't forget to vote powerstones guys