"Hmm. This time turned out rather well."
"But the Dragon Balls seem to have landed somewhere interesting."
Sensing the wishes fulfilled and the Dragon Balls scattering toward a distant world, God smiled with quiet anticipation.
He had always programmed the Dragon Balls this way. Once a wish was granted, they would automatically drift to another world.
Which world? That was never for him to decide.
Perhaps an ordinary modern world, untouched by the supernatural.
Perhaps a chaotic realm of magic and monsters.
Or perhaps a world in the grips of a full-blown war between gods and demons.
But no matter where they landed, the result would always be the same.
A new conflict would ignite.
A struggle called the Dragon Ball War!
"And who will be this time's lucky contestants?"
"YAAAH!!"
"BIG TROUBLE!!"
"What happened, Shippo?!"
"Kagome! Kagome's hand is glowing red!!"
"What?!"
They had been resting for the evening when the little fox demon looked over and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Kagome-chan!"
"Kagome-sama!!"
"Out of the way! Is this a curse? Is it Naraku again?!"
The half-demon in the Robe of the Fire Rat vaulted over his companions and landed in front of the girl, seizing her right hand and glaring at the crimson sigil burning into her skin.
"No..."
"I'm fine."
The girl named Kagome blinked, dazed for a moment, then waved her hand to calm everyone down.
"Inuyasha, relax. It's not a curse."
"It seems to be some kind of ritual. And I got selected."
As she spoke, a small orange sphere materialized from the glowing mark. A single star gleamed inside it, clearly visible even under the twilight sky.
"A ritual?"
"That bead is so pretty!"
"You idiot! Is this really the time to admire it?!"
The group stared, still trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Just... give me a second."
Kagome closed her eyes, absorbing the surge of knowledge flooding into her mind. Her companions fell silent.
Inuyasha's anxious fidgeting stilled. Beside them, the monk Miroku and the demon slayer Sango waited patiently.
"Oh no. We're so screwed."
Kagome's eyes snapped open. She buried her face in her hands, groaning.
"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"
Sango leaned forward, reading the complicated expression on Kagome's face with growing concern.
"This thing is called a Dragon Ball."
"If you collect all seven of them, any wish can be granted."
"That's basically the Sacred Jewel all over again!"
"And what do you mean 'collect seven'? Are we supposed to hunt these down too?! We don't have time for that!"
"We need to take down Naraku first!"
Inuyasha wanted nothing to do with it. The Sacred Jewel alone had been dragging them through chaos for ages.
And now another wish-granting artifact had just dropped into their laps?
What kind of joke was this? They didn't have the luxury of chasing after more magical trinkets!
"Calm down, Inuyasha. Think about it for a moment."
"Kagome-sama said she was 'selected.' Based on what just happened, that means there are six other people out there with Dragon Balls of their own."
"Miroku-sama, are you saying..."
"Yes. I don't know how this 'ritual' works, but in the worst-case scenario..."
"Naraku could have one too?!"
Sitting in the darkness of his castle, Naraku gazed at the mark on his hand. Between his fingers, an orange sphere bearing three stars gleamed in the shadows.
"What a terrible joke."
The corners of his mouth curled upward. He hadn't expected this.
"Seven Dragon Balls."
"And so-called Servants."
"Interesting."
He rose and walked toward the doorway. Behind him, Kanna, dressed in white, followed in absolute silence.
"I don't know how it compares to the Sacred Jewel, but it's certainly worth exploring."
The Sacred Jewel needed to be collected. The Dragon Balls needed to be collected.
To Naraku, this was simply one more opportunity, one more avenue of possibility. He didn't mind that at all.
With his current influence and strength, locating the other Dragon Ball holders would be child's play.
"But first... let me test this so-called Heroic Spirit Summoning."
"Yo!"
"Servant Lancer, answering the call!"
"You..."
A spearman clad in skin-tight blue materialized before them. The sight was, to put it mildly, unexpected.
"Koga, is this the 'Servant' thing you were talking about?"
"I think so..."
"Hm? Master, you don't seem to be human."
"Why does it sound like you're insulting me?"
A vein bulged on Koga's forehead. His mood was souring fast.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about it, don't worry about it."
"You summoned me, so I'm going to make sure you win."
"Name's Cu Chulainn. Nice to meet you!"
Hearing that bold, easygoing voice, Koga let it slide. The man's bravado aside, the aura rolling off his body was the real thing. No ordinary warrior could exude pressure like that.
'So there are six others out there. Wonder what kind of people they are.'
"Sesshomaru-sama! I summoned a Servant using the chant!"
Rin beamed at the red-eyed girl standing before her.
"Huh? This is just a human!"
"Keeping you around was already enough trouble for Sesshomaru-sama, and now you've summoned another..."
Jaken's bulging eyes swept over the newcomer, his displeasure written all over his face.
But before he could finish complaining, Sesshomaru had already drawn Tokijin and swung.
The girl dodged it. Effortlessly. With speed that bordered on inhuman.
WHOOSH!
She carried the scent of a human, but her agility told a different story entirely.
"Bur..."
The frigid syllable barely left her lips before Sesshomaru caught the blade she was about to swing with his bare hand.
"!"
"Ah... please, please stop!"
"Nobody here is an enemy!!"
Watching the two of them bristle at each other, Rin pleaded with open panic.
"Sufficient. For a human."
Sesshomaru released his grip, his evaluation delivered in a tone of cold finality.
"..."
The girl withdrew her killing intent and lowered her sword, obeying Rin's wishes.
"Huh?!"
Only Jaken stood there in total bewilderment, unable to figure out what had just happened.
"Servant... Assassin, answering the summons."
"Hehe, welcome! Um, Miss Assassin, what's your name?"
Rin trotted up to the cool-looking girl, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"..."
"Akame."
"Yoha! Archer has arrived!!!"
"Where the heck is this place?!"
"Huh..."
Moroha hadn't expected anything this exciting. This was going to be great! If she gathered all of these so-called Dragon Balls, she could definitely save her parents!
But when she got a clear look at her Master, she froze.
"You're... the Tree of Ages?!"
She stared, wide-eyed, at the figure in priestess robes standing before her. Her brain refused to process what she was seeing.
What was going on?
Why was the Tree of Ages walking around like a person?
"..."
Kikyo gazed at the spirited half-demon girl before her, unable to speak.
She could sense a familiar presence emanating from this child. From her face, her energy, the very clothes on her back.
That aura belonged to...
Inuyasha and Kagome.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]