"Is another war about to start?" Inuyasha glanced at the passing army, his expression serious as he crossed his arms.
"No… there are no signs of war in this area," Miroku replied, shaking his head slightly. His gaze drifted toward the villagers still calmly working in the fields nearby, confusion flickering in his eyes.
"Then maybe they're going to deal with a powerful yokai?" Sango suggested, her voice low as she observed the armored samurai leading the column.
"Who cares," Inuyasha scoffed, turning away. "I've got no interest in human wars."
The group ignored the marching troops and continued forward.
Before long—
Fragments of conversation drifted from two villagers by the roadside.
"I heard the neighboring lord's army was wiped out…"
"Hah. Humans are always fighting for no reason," Inuyasha muttered dismissively.
"But I heard the scene was horrific… not something a human could have done…"
That sentence made everyone pause.
Their expressions changed.
"…Is it true? Have the spirits of the Seven-Person Mound returned?" one villager whispered nervously.
Kasage's steps halted.
His eyes shifted slightly.
*The Band of Seven…*
---
"What is it?" Kikyo noticed immediately and turned toward him.
"…Nothing," Kasage replied calmly, catching up to her without further comment.
---
"The Seven-Person Mound… what is that?" Kagome asked quietly, curiosity evident in her eyes.
Miroku stepped forward at once, adjusting his robes and adopting a dignified expression.
"Excuse me," he addressed the villagers politely, "could you tell us more about it?"
Inuyasha sighed.
"Do we really need to get involved?"
"We can't just ignore it!" Kagome shot back.
"…Tch."
He didn't argue further.
---
Seeing Miroku dressed as a monk, the villagers immediately became respectful.
"The Seven-Person Mound is a burial site," one began. "It was built to appease the Band of Seven."
"The Band of Seven?" Miroku prompted.
"That was over ten years ago…"
"They were mercenaries from the eastern lands," another villager explained, his voice lowering. "Seven of them. They didn't serve any lord—only fought for whoever paid them."
"And they were terrifying," the first villager added, his face paling. "Each one was as strong as a hundred men."
"But their methods…" the second villager continued, visibly shaken.
"They butchered their enemies… cut them to pieces… burned them alive…"
"They were like monsters."
---
Shippō trembled, clutching Kagome tightly.
Kagome, equally shaken, held him so firmly that he nearly couldn't breathe.
---
"Eventually," the villager went on, "the lords joined forces to eliminate them."
"The battle was brutal. Many soldiers died."
"The Band of Seven fled into the mountains, but in the end… they were surrounded."
"They were captured in a northern village."
"And beheaded."
---
Miroku nodded.
"And the Seven-Person Mound?"
"People feared their spirits would return," the villager explained. "So a burial mound was built at the foot of a sacred mountain to suppress their resentment."
"That's how it came to be."
---
"…And the haunting?" Kagome asked.
The villager's face turned pale.
"The mound… split open not long ago."
"…Everyone says their spirits have escaped."
---
"…I see. Thank you."
Miroku bowed politely.
---
As they resumed their journey—
The atmosphere had changed.
Heavy.
---
"For the dead to return…" Kikyo spoke after a moment of silence.
"It must either be intentional—someone using forbidden techniques to revive them…"
"Or their remains were corrupted by evil energy, turning them into malevolent beings."
---
"Makes sense," Miroku agreed.
"Those who committed great evil in life are easily drawn to dark forces after death."
"This could very well be Naraku's influence."
---
"There's another possibility," Kasage added.
"Shikon Jewel shards."
"If shards were used… the dead could be revived."
---
Sango's expression darkened.
"Then it's almost certainly Naraku. Most of the shards are in his hands."
---
"Whatever they are—spirits or yokai—it doesn't matter," Inuyasha said confidently.
"We're heading to Mount Hakurei anyway."
"If they show up…"
He gripped Tessaiga.
"I'll cut them down."
---
Kasage glanced at him briefly.
A faint, unreadable look crossed his eyes.
*In the original timeline…*
Inuyasha hadn't handled them so easily.
The Band of Seven had pushed them hard—
Poison, ambushes, near-death situations.
Even Kagome had been placed in danger more than once.
---
"…Inuyasha," Kasage said lightly.
"If we run into them, I'll leave one for you."
A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
---
"Hmph. I'll send all of them straight to hell myself," Inuyasha replied, baring his fangs.
---
After resupplying in a nearby town, the group rested briefly before continuing north toward Mount Hakurei.
---
The road ahead grew easier.
No more dense forests—
Just open paths.
Their pace increased.
---
Kasage had expected them to encounter the Band of Seven soon.
After all—
Based on what he knew, they should have appeared already.
---
But days passed.
Aside from a few reckless yokai—
There was nothing.
No sign of them.
As if—
The rumors of their return…
Were nothing more than a distant legend.