Kikyo stepped forward, intending to enter the cave—but suddenly stopped.
A faint, invisible force blocked her path.
"…This is… a Barrier."
"Yes," the leader of the Yokai Slayers said, his voice calm but serious. "A very strong Barrier. It prevents anyone from entering."
"Then how do we dispel it?" Myōga asked from Kikyo's shoulder. "Is there some incantation passed down through your village?"
The leader shook his head.
"No. There is no such incantation… because this place is, in truth, a tomb."
"A tomb?!" Myōga exclaimed in shock.
"Yes," the leader continued. "The one who created the Shikon Jewel did not wish for anyone to approach this place. However…"
He looked at Kikyo.
"…you should be able to enter, Lady Kikyo."
Kikyo said nothing. She simply stepped forward again.
This time, she passed through the Barrier effortlessly—as if it had never existed.
But in the next instant—
"Ahhh?!"
Myōga was violently repelled and sent flying backward, landing flat on the ground.
"Why me?!" he cried, dazed and indignant.
"The Barrier rejects those who carry greed or ill intent toward the Shikon Jewel," the leader explained as he calmly walked forward, passing through it himself. "Only those with pure hearts—free of malice—may enter."
Kasage watched silently.
*Pure goodwill toward humans…?*
He wasn't so sure that applied to him.
Still, after a brief pause, he stepped forward.
For a moment, he felt a slight pressure brush against him—
Then it vanished.
He passed through without resistance.
Kasage's eyes narrowed slightly.
*…Interesting.*
But he said nothing, continuing forward behind Kikyo.
---
The cave was dark, damp, and suffocatingly quiet.
Each step echoed faintly against the stone walls.
*Drip… drip…*
The slow sound of water falling somewhere deep within the cave only made the silence heavier.
Beneath their feet—
Bones.
Cracked and aged.
Every step produced a faint *crunch*, echoing like whispers of the past.
As they moved deeper, the remains grew older… and more numerous.
Until finally—
They reached the deepest part of the cavern.
Light filtered down through cracks in the ceiling.
And what it revealed—
Was horrifying.
A massive mound of yokai corpses, piled endlessly upon one another.
They twisted together—overlapping, devouring, fusing—as if locked in eternal conflict.
It formed a grotesque mountain of death.
At its peak—
A woman.
Clad in armor.
Only her upper body remained visible; the rest of her was swallowed by the mass of yokai beneath her, fused into a single entity.
Her body, like the corpses below, was covered in thick layers of mineral deposits—like a statue frozen in time.
Ancient.
Unmoving.
Yet suffocatingly alive with history.
Kasage's gaze sharpened.
*…Suiko.*
He already knew.
The priestess who created the Shikon Jewel.
---
The leader's voice echoed quietly through the cavern.
"These are the remains of countless yokai—ogres, dragons, earth spiders… all of them united."
His tone grew heavier.
"They joined forces… and gave everything… to kill a single human."
Kikyo's eyes lifted toward the figure at the top.
"…That woman," she said softly, "the one devoured by the yokai… is she the one?"
"Yes," the leader nodded. "She was a priestess from hundreds of years ago—Suiko. The creator of the Shikon Jewel."
He continued:
"At that time, the world was consumed by war and famine. Countless people died… and yokai fed upon their corpses, growing stronger and multiplying rapidly."
"There were monks and warriors who fought them. Among them… Suiko stood above all."
His voice carried a trace of respect.
"With her ability to extract and purify the souls of yokai, she was the greatest exorcist of her era."
Kikyo's expression shifted slightly.
"…Extract and purify souls…"
She turned slightly toward Kasage.
"It is likely connected to the power of the Four Souls."
Noticing his silence, she explained gently:
"All things in this world—humans, animals, even trees and stones—are composed of four souls."
"Aramitama—courage.
Nigimitama—affection.
Sakitama—wisdom.
Kushimitama—love."
"When these four exist in harmony, they form the heart."
Kasage listened quietly.
Kikyo's gaze grew deeper.
"When they incline toward good, they become righteous spirits. When they fall into darkness… they become evil."
She paused.
"…That is the true nature of the Shikon Jewel."
The leader nodded.
"For yokai, Suiko was a terrifying existence. She could strip away their power by purifying their souls."
Kasage looked at the battlefield before them.
"…So they united… and killed her."
"They did," the leader replied.
"…But she did not truly die."
He raised his hand, pointing toward Suiko's chest.
There, a large, hollow wound could be seen.
"Suiko fought them for seven days and seven nights."
His voice lowered.
"In the end, her strength failed… and the yokai began to devour her."
The cave seemed colder.
"But with the last of her power…"
"…she extracted the souls of all the yokai… and fused them with her own."
Kasage's eyes sharpened.
"…And expelled them from her body," Kikyo finished quietly.
Her gaze was fixed on the hollow in Suiko's chest.
"That… became the Shikon Jewel."
"Yes," the leader said.
"However, she no longer had the strength to purify those souls."
"So even after her body perished…"
"…within the Shikon Jewel, her soul and the yokai continue to fight—endlessly."
Silence fell.
Kikyo slowly brought her hands together in front of her chest.
Her eyes softened.
"…What an extraordinary priestess."
There was admiration in her voice.
But also something heavier.
Understanding.
---
After learning the truth, the three left the cave.
Outside, the air felt lighter—but the weight of what they had seen remained.
Kikyo turned to the leader.
"Thank you… for telling us the truth about the Shikon Jewel."
The leader quickly waved his hands.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. It was our elders who entrusted the Shikon Jewel to you… and it led to your death."
Kikyo shook her head gently.
"What happened back then… was due to my own carelessness. I fell into a yokai's trap."
"I do not blame anyone."
Her voice grew firmer.
"But now, the Shikon Jewel has returned… and chaos follows in its wake."
"We must resolve this… as soon as possible."
Kasage glanced at her.
There was determination in her calm tone.
And something else—
A quiet resolve that didn't waver.
---
"Lady Kikyo!"
Myoga leapt back onto her shoulder the moment they exited.
"What did you see inside? Did you uncover the secret of the Shikon Jewel?"
Kikyo nodded slightly.
"Yes. We understand now."
But she said nothing more.
Instead, she turned and began walking back toward the village.
Myoga waited.
And waited.
But no explanation came.
He opened his mouth several times—
Then closed it again.
Looking at Kikyo's calm, unreadable expression…
He ultimately didn't dare to ask.