"Master!" Momiji and Botan exclaimed in shock, their eyes wide as they stared at the familiar figure before them. Instinctively, they rushed forward—but after only two steps, Tsubaki grabbed them by the collars and pulled them back.
Recovering from her initial shock, Tsubaki firmly restrained her two restless junior sisters, preventing them from running ahead. She then turned sharply toward Kikyo, her eyes filled with caution and confusion.
"Kikyo… what exactly is going on?" she demanded in a low, tense voice. "Who… who is he?"
Uchiha Kasage stepped calmly to Kikyo's side and explained, "This is the Impure World Reincarnation technique. I used that yokai as a sacrifice to summon your master's soul back from the underworld. It's not true resurrection—but it's enough to bring him back temporarily to settle unfinished matters."
A chill ran down Tsubaki's spine, cold sweat forming instantly across her back.
This man… he could summon the dead so effortlessly?
A disturbing thought crossed her mind—what if Kasage decided to kill her someday, only to summon her soul back afterward and control it at will? Even in death… she wouldn't be free.
"If you don't believe me," Kasage added casually, noticing her pale expression, "ask your master yourself."
Tsubaki steadied herself, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. Holding Momiji and Botan's hands tightly, she walked forward step by step toward the man who had returned from death.
"Master… is it really you?" Her voice trembled as she stared at the familiar yet deeply unsettling figure.
Enju slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.
At that moment, Tsubaki clearly saw it—her master was surrounded by a dense aura of death. His skin was a lifeless gray-white, crisscrossed with faint cracks. His eyes… the whites had turned a dull gray-black, and his pupils were empty and ashen.
They were not the eyes of the living.
Enju raised his pale hand, examining it quietly before letting out a soft sigh.
"I remember… I was already dead. It seems I've been brought back into this world as one who no longer belongs to it."
His gaze fell on Tsubaki, and a gentle smile slowly formed.
"Tsubaki… it's you. You've finally returned." His voice softened. "I regretted not seeing you before I died. I never imagined we would meet again like this."
Then he turned to Momiji and Botan, whose eyes were already brimming with tears. Guilt filled his expression.
"Momiji… Botan… you're here too." His voice trembled slightly. "I'm sorry. Your master couldn't stay with you until you grew up. I don't know how much time has passed… but it must have been hard for you, hasn't it?"
"Master—!!"
At those words, the two girls could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down their faces as they threw themselves into his arms, clutching his robes tightly.
Despite his frightening appearance… they could still feel it—that same warm, gentle presence.
This was their master.
Since Enju's death, they had only had each other. Alone in the remote mountain temple, they endured loneliness, trained tirelessly, and guarded the place he left behind—hoping one day to become strong priestesses.
Enju gently stroked their heads, soothing them with quiet tenderness.
After a moment, he lifted his gaze to Tsubaki, his expression turning serious.
"Tsubaki… I later learned that you had become a black witch." His voice carried both sorrow and firmness. "I went searching for you, hoping to bring you back… to guide you onto the right path. But I never found you."
He studied her youthful face, his eyes filled with regret.
"You haven't aged at all… Did you merge with a yokai?"
He shook his head slowly.
"I never thought… you would come to this."
Tsubaki didn't deny it. Her voice was calm, but edged with defiance.
"Back then, I was struck by a shikigami's backlash during a battle. I had no choice—I merged with a yokai to survive." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But I gained power… and eternal youth. That's enough for me."
Enju closed his eyes, pain evident on his face.
"If you continue down this path, your soul will become entangled with the yokai… and one day, it will devour you."
"Hmph!" Tsubaki scoffed coldly, her stubborn pride flaring. "Maybe. But I gained strength—and I won't regret that."
"Alas…" Enju sighed deeply. "My greatest regret before I died… was failing to stop you."
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open—sharp and resolute.
Before anyone could react, he formed a hand seal. Spiritual power surged violently around him.
In the next instant, countless glowing lights burst from a distant temple room at the foot of the mountain. Like streaking stars, they shot through the air, racing toward Tsubaki with unerring precision.
Tsubaki's pupils shrank.
She tried to move—but then remembered her spiritual power had been sealed. She couldn't resist.
She took two instinctive steps back.
Too late.
The lights struck her body all at once, wrapping around her limbs. In seconds, they solidified—forming luminous white prayer beads around her neck, wrists, and ankles.
Each bead pulsed faintly with spiritual energy, binding her completely.
Tsubaki looked down, her expression darkening instantly.
She recognized them.
Clenching her jaw, she tried to tear them off—but every attempt triggered a surge of spiritual force that locked them firmly in place.
They wouldn't budge.
"Old man!" she snapped angrily, glaring at both the beads and her master. "You actually put a binding rosary on me?!"
From the side, Kasage watched quietly, then glanced at Kikyo with a thoughtful look.
These beads… they reminded him of the ones around Inuyasha's neck. The principle felt strikingly similar.
He had once asked Kikyo about them out of curiosity—he had even jokingly asked her to make one for him. She had refused immediately.
Kikyo caught his glance and seemed to read his thoughts. A faint, knowing smile touched her lips as she leaned slightly closer.
"You're right," she whispered softly. "They serve a similar purpose… though the exact effects differ. These are meant to restrain her movements."
Kasage gave a small, amused exhale but said nothing more.
Meanwhile, Enju gazed at the rosary with quiet satisfaction.
"Ever since I learned what you had become," he said, his voice heavy, "I considered killing you with my own hands."
He paused, his expression softening.
"But… you are still my disciple. How could I bring myself to do that?"
His eyes lowered slightly.
"So I created these prayer beads… hoping to keep you within the temple, to prevent you from harming others."
A trace of regret lingered in his voice.
"Unfortunately… I never found you before my death."
He looked at her again, thoughtful.
"And now… fate has allowed me to fulfill that wish."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your spiritual power has already been sealed… no wonder you couldn't resist."
Finally, he turned toward Kasage and Kikyo.
"You two…" he said calmly, yet with clear awareness, "you are the ones who sealed her power… and summoned me back, aren't you?"