Beneath the illuminated interior of the reception hall of what appears to be a spacious traditional mansion, a beautiful young woman with long black hair and shrine maiden attire can be seen.
She remains in a seiza position upon the surface of elegant polished wood, causing the tips of her long black hair to touch the floor, that same hair making a beautiful contrast with her abnormally pale and flawless skin.
Of course, all of that is not the only thing that makes her stand out among everyone present, rather that "medal" belongs to her deep brown eyes, sharp as swords and as cold as ice in the middle of winter.
"I regret having..."
Wiping away the cold sweat flowing across his forehead with a rough cloth rag, a man clearly of middle age due to his gray hair and probably suffering from morbid obesity rubs his hands together as he hesitates on how to continue his words.
And it was no wonder, just the gaze of that shrine maiden was as terrifying as having a sword at his neck, besides the problem he has on his hands can only be solved by her... So he cannot offend her any more than he already has!
"Being captured by your troops? Forced to come to your residence? Or perhaps showing me this crude spectacle?"
"Watch your tongue, Priestess!"
"Heh, sorry, you may begin speaking now."
Twisting her lips for only a few moments into a small hidden smile, the shrine maiden fixes a few rebellious strands of hair behind her ear and regains her stoic bearing.
Apparently being intimidated by one of the several nearby soldiers did not really affect her at all, but no one is surprised by that, since they had previously seen her eradicate an ogre with a single arrow from her longbow.
"A ghost, Priestess! Since this afternoon a ghost has been wandering the halls of my residence, no man or weapon can do anything against its pale and elongated body!"
"Pale and elongated...?"
"Yes, that creature's body is completely white and resembles a cloud, although it has two black eyes and a pair of human arms."
Describing as best he could that strange creature moving through the halls of his residence, the obese owner of this house turns pale for a few seconds, and this time it was not only because of the shrine maiden's gaze.
But it makes sense, only God knows what that specter wants. What if it belongs to one of the dead in his closet? Certainly he has not "swept under the rug" too many others, but he does have a corpse or two on his conscience, and what he fears most is their revenge.
"An interesting... ghost. I had never heard of one with such an appearance."
"But you can do something, right, Priestess? It would not be a problem to give you money and lodging if you solve this, if not for me then for the safety of my young daughter."
"Oh, and what does your daughter have to do with all this?"
Now looking directly at the man before her, something that only causes him more pressure and a certain amount of fear, the shrine maiden puts on a beautiful smile that does not reach her brown eyes in the slightest.
Something from what was previously mentioned seems to have angered her or at least unsettled her, since her current attitude is clearly different from what she had shown until now, a calmness and composure worthy of a flower atop a hill.
"Well... At first the ghost moved throughout the entire house, but later it was only seen around my daughter's section, and now only-"
"Say no more, I'm going to kill that ghost."
"Thank you very much, Priestess!"
"You're welcome, and I prefer to be called by my name; Kikyo."
Taking the red longbow that had always been at her side, Kikyo lifts her body from the floor with a hypnotic elegance for any man and enters the depths of the residence through a nearby hallway, leaving the astonished extras behind.
Which was understandable, she suddenly went from zero to one hundred in a second, but it is not her fault... but that "ghost's." Harassing another woman? She is going to show him that he can only harass her to... ahem, ahem, she is going to show him that this is something very bad!
Yes, everything is to make that "ghost" come to his senses, not because perhaps she is upset by such news about his behavior, yes... All for a greater good.
"Perhaps just one arrow, he is a demon and he will recover quickly."
Nodding to herself with her beautiful pale face while her dark eyebrows furrow for a brief moment, Kikyo continues walking through the extensive hallways, glancing into one room or another only from above and without paying too much attention while doing so.
And it is not that she would really need to, since she can easily sense Asahiko's direction with her spiritual senses, mainly because a certain golden-haired young man does not work very hard on control.
"Oooo, Kikyoooo... I'm speaking to you from beyond the grave, Kikyooo... Oooo."
"...I only imagined it. Yes, they are only my illusions."
Actively doubting her ears, because what she is hearing from ahead makes no sense at all, Kikyo fixes her noble posture that had at some point fallen apart due to the "surprise" and walks again through the luxurious hallways.
But the "ghost," furious at such impertinence, takes action directly, passing through one of the nearby walls with his body and materializing in front of the shrine maiden's face.
The thing is that instead of frightening her, what the "ghost" causes the shrine maiden is... doubt. Since when is what she has before her a ghost? Where did she go wrong? Yes, it was all because she played along with him and now she has this... thing in front of her.
Thinking that last part and looking the "ghost" up and down, Kikyo's eyebrows furrow by force. It's just... What the hell is this?! It was clearly Asahiko covered with a white sheet, also with a pair of holes in the eyes so he could see and with an illusion on his legs so they could not be seen.
"BOOO! Huh, what's wrong with you, Kikyo? It's me, Asahiko."
Floating gently around the shrine maiden who still does not seem to have come out of her existential doubts, Asahiko even introduces himself and everything, since perhaps his disguise was so good that Kikyo does not recognize him. Long live the Western ghost!
Seriously speaking, not even he believes that last part, but well, better to go through a little embarrassment than sleep in the forest tonight. Yes, this whole spectacle is a game to get a free room, a technique learned from the great monk Miroku.
"Perhaps two arrows..."
"Hahaha, what are you talking about? Hey, hey, lower that bow, it's dangerous."
"Relax, I only want to help you understand what a real ghost is."
"No, no... You don't have to do that, I think I currently look great."
Taking several steps backward with fear in his actions, mainly because Kikyo had really drawn her longbow, Asahiko finally stops doubting and runs through the hallways.
It was a good choice, because only a few seconds after he starts running, several arrows fly past his side. God, he really doesn't know what he did wrong, he only became a ghost just as they had planned, perhaps a little strange, but it works all the same!
"Stop, just let me help you, or would you rather the daughter of that man you've been harassing do it?"
"What are you talking about?"
Jumping until he touches the ceiling and using it to propel himself to one side, Asahiko wipes away metaphorical sweat upon seeing the arrows embedded where he had been before, while beginning to doubt the "purity" of Kikyo's help.
"They told me you've spent most of your time in the lord's daughter's room. How dare you harass another, ahem, harass that poor girl!"
"Well... that... is a little correct, but she has a-"
"So you don't even deny it!"
"Everything has a very long explanati- Watch out, you really almost hit me!"
Half dragging his body across the floor as he watches several arrows pass over his head, running in a straight hallway really does not help his chances of escape, Asahiko decides it is time to bring this performance to an end and changes direction.
Now he no longer runs deeper into the extensive residence, instead he turns into one hallway after another and quickly manages to get around Kikyo, thus running toward the hall from which she had emerged at the beginning, the place where the lord and some of his troops are.
*Boom*
Kicking the sliding door separating the sections of the residence, causing it to explode into pieces all around, Asahiko ignores everyone's surprise and quickly slips outside through a nearby window.
Just as the latter is happening, Kikyo arrives at the room, drawing her red longbow and firing several arrows after Asahiko, although these were clearly more for show than anything else.
"The Priestess has done it!"
"The spirit has finally been expelled!"
"I knew it stood no chance against her, even that ogre was defeated!"
Everyone celebrates the Priestess's "victory," especially the obese lord who seems to have obtained divine salvation, and the atmosphere in the room becomes joyful and happy.
"Uh... I hope you can accompany us to the banquet for your victory, Priestess Kikyo."
"It is unnecessary. I am now tired due to expelling the ghost, I hope I may use one of the rooms."
"Of course, of course, Priestess. Take her to her room, since she is tired I will have her food sent there."
"Perfect."
Turning her back on the lord who had called over a pair of maids by clapping his hands, Kikyo follows the latter and brings this play to an end.
...Some time later...
"So, tell me if I'm not a beautiful thing~"
Scratching his furry ear with his paw, a small golden fox stands on the tea table and looks at the shrine maiden with his proud blue eyes, causing her to raise an eyebrow instinctively.
But such a thing does not interest the golden fox, instead he even stretches his body just as cats do and then wiggles his little dark nose, thus increasing his supernatural beauty by several points.
"You're not..."
"Oh, come on, you're devouring me with your eyes. If you want, you can pet me, hahaha it's a-. Wait, what are you doing?"
"Stay still."
Lifting the fox who still doubts reality with her pale hands, Kikyo carries him onto her lap and begins gently stroking his soft golden fur, forcing the poor animal to remain motionless.
He may really be Asahiko transformed, but if she does not consciously make the effort she cannot see through his trick, so why not enjoy it? It is a really cute form... No, she is teaching him who is in charge!
"Umm, by the way, why were you after the pearl fragment?"
"If I don't do that, then what do I do? It's not like I can do much with the form I currently have."
"That sounds like a very- Ah!"
Shivering as she feels her hair suddenly being tugged, a clear warning from Kikyo who does not seem to want to continue with the topic, Asahiko covers his face with his two furry paws.
Clearly this time she was looking for the pearl fragments for something special, but the question is why? It is difficult to know, since until now the pearl seems to be omnipotent, so it could be anything.
"Kikyo..."
"What?"
"Let's say... How many fragments do you think we would need to make you human again? Since the pearl seems to be omnipotent, couldn't it do it?"
Removing his paws from his face, Asahiko makes a small jump from Kikyo's lap and returns to his human form as he lands before her, finally noticing the lost look in the shrine maiden's eyes.
"It... It is something impossible even for the pearl fragments. My real body was eaten by worms a long time ago, while my soul is no different from a puzzle of remnants with Kagome's soul fragment as its center. So... Am I really Kikyo?"
"The fragments... But what if we raise the stakes? If we use the entire Pearl of Shikon I'm sure something can be done, besides I have my sword that controls hell and Sesshōmaru has that controls heaven... Something can be done."
"...Hahaha, if you keep talking like that you'll make me think you'll actually carry it out."
"Eh, you don't have to think about it, I will. Yes, it's not a bad secondary objective, beat up Naraku to get the pearl and Sesshōmaru for his sword, while at the end a beautiful lady awaits me~"
Humming the last part of his words in a playful tone, Asahiko places one of his legs on the tea table and points his sword toward the ceiling, assuming the pose of a knight in shining armor.
By the way, he even creates the classic effect of a ray of light falling upon him thanks to his illusions, increasing his "noble aura" during this important moment.
"What confidence, who said I'd be waiting for you at the end?"
"And who said that beautiful lady is you, Kikyo?"
"Do you want to die, Asahiko?"
"Hahaha, come on, come on, you know you're the only one in my heart~"
Emphasizing once again the last part of his words, Asahiko looks away and laughs uncertainly when he notices Kikyo's piercing gaze, thus missing the fleeting and almost imperceptible blush covering her pale cheeks.
It seems she is not as indifferent to feelings as she always appears, although it was somewhat expected, Asahiko's "attack" was as sudden as it was lethal. Who would have thought he would suddenly go for the jugular?.