"Kagome, what are you looking for?"
"You've been checking out all these specific books from the library lately..."
"Yeah. Since when were you interested in this kind of stuff?"
During a break at school, Kagome's friends gathered around her desk, their curiosity piqued. Kagome looked up and gave them a sheepish smile.
"Oh, it's just something I was curious about. I'm just doing a bit of research."
"Perfect timing! You guys can help me!" Kagome said, handing out several volumes without a hint of hesitation.
"Uh, sure, no problem. But what exactly are we looking for?"
"Have any of you heard the term '`[Gae Bolg]`'?"
"Gae... what? Never heard of it. Is it English? It sounds too weird for that," her friends replied, clearly baffled.
"Then how about the name 'Cu Chulainn'?"
"Oh! I know that one!" one of them exclaimed. "Remember that substitute teacher who filled in for us a while back? He mentioned it during a lecture. Back before Kagome... you know, became so 'fragile and sickly'."
"That's it! I remember now! It was from some kind of mythology, right?"
"Celtic Mythology!"
Kagome felt a jolt of realization. She knew she had heard the name somewhere, but it hadn't clicked until now. But as the realization settled in, her expression stiffened.
'A figure from mythology? Are you serious...?'
She had suspected the Heroic Spirits were historical figures, but to think she was dealing with someone of that legendary stature... It was one thing to travel back in time, but to interact with a living myth? This world truly was full of impossible things.
"By the way, is your right hand okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's fine. I just... accidentally burned it, that's all."
"Is that so? You really should be more careful. You're already sick so often, you don't need to be adding injuries on top of that."
Kagome instinctively pulled her hand back, a nervous laugh escaping her. If anyone saw the `[Command Spell]` etched into her skin, there would be no end to the questions. Her teachers certainly wouldn't ignore it. She had already used the "hot water burn" excuse, but she knew she couldn't keep it hidden forever.
'So Koga's Servant is a legend from Ireland... I'll have to look up more about him later.'
'Now, as for the `[Nura Clan]` Rikuo mentioned...'
'`[Ukiyoe Town]`... I've never heard of such a place.'
She had solved one mystery only to be met with another. Rikuo had given her a small slip of paper with the address of the Nura Clan's main residence, suggesting she check it out if she had the chance. At first, the others had questioned if it was wise for a Yokai Commander to reveal his headquarters to a Miko, but Rikuo had been insistent.
'It's fine. My Master will be fine. the yokai at my home are actually quite friendly toward humans.'
Kagome had been inclined to believe the human version of Rikuo, but now she was facing a problem. She had opened the map and searched every database, but the result was always the same.
There was no "Ukiyoe Town" in Tokyo.
'Is he a yokai from another world entirely?'
'This is getting way more complicated than I ever imagined.'
She was just an ordinary student; how did she keep getting caught up in these bizarre, world-altering events?
"First it was the `四魂之玉` (Shikon Jewel), now it's the `龙珠` (Dragon Balls)..."
"When is it ever going to end?"
"I see..."
"So this is how it is."
Standing on the steps of the Higurashi Shrine, a man in a sharp business suit and round-framed glasses murmured to himself.
'My right arm... go and seize the Dragon Ball!'
The man's thoughts were a tangled mess. He never expected the day would come when his "Main Body" would reach out to him like this.
The Dragon Balls.
He had heard whispers of such things, but why his "Main Body" was so desperate to obtain them remained a mystery. He had consulted countless historical records and asked around, but there was no record of such items ever existing.
But if his "Main Body" placed such value on them, they had to be exceptional.
Following the faint resonance he'd felt from the presence of his "Main Body," he had finally tracked the source to this location.
"A shrine, is it?"
"I wonder... is the guardian a Priestess or a Priest?"
He had no intention of using force--not yet. He wanted to talk to the one who held the Dragon Ball and understand what his "Main Body" was truly planning. It seemed something entirely unforeseen had occurred back in the Sengoku period.
The man's name was Osamu Kirin.
Six hundred years ago, he had been the right arm of Kirinmaru, severed by the Great Dog Demon and cast into the `食骨之井` (Bone-Eating Well). He had ended up in this era, where he had eventually taken on a human form.
He had lived a quiet, stable life for centuries, occasionally acting as an exorcist when the need arose. He had traveled the world, recording its sights and sounds, always believing he had left that other world behind forever.
But now, for reasons he didn't understand, he was back in contact with Kirinmaru.
'Is the Main Body trapped in some other dimension? Is that why I can sense him now?'
He didn't know what state Kirinmaru was in, and he had no leads. Everything was too new, too strange. He needed someone who could explain the situation.
'Hmph. `四魂之玉` (Shikon Jewel)... it seems you've done me a far greater favor than I expected.'
Floating in a lightless void, Kirinmaru marveled at his stroke of luck. He could have escaped this place long ago, but he had recently sensed a resonance caused by the Dragon Balls.
One of the Dragon Balls was no longer in the Sengoku era.
And by some miraculous coincidence, he had sensed "himself"--his own right arm--in that very same era.
Could there be a more perfect alignment of fate?
'I will have that Dragon Ball brought to me, and then I will depart from this place.'
Uncertain if he could maintain his connection to that era once he left the void, Kirinmaru decided to stay his hand for now. He didn't know the full state of the world outside, but he was certain the Great Dog Demon would be more than enough to handle the other participants.
When the time came, he would emerge, reunite with his missing piece, and claim the ultimate prize.
"It will be as easy as turning over a hand... Hahaha!!"
The prospect of such a simple victory was almost too much to handle. To face the Great Dog Demon once more, to resurrect his beloved daughter...
All his desires were within reach.
How could Kirinmaru not be overjoyed?
"Hmm..."
"How long has Inuyasha been at it?"
"I think this is the third day now."
Shippo and Miroku sat bored on the grass, watching Inuyasha and Rikuo from a distance.
"Tch!"
"I knew this kind of training was more my style!"
"As expected, Inuyasha-san! A complete success!"
Watching the shift in Inuyasha's demonic energy, Rikuo knew that even in this short time, their efforts had yielded results.
"Let's call it a day. I'm going to go pick up Kagome."
"Oh! Safe travels!"