— — — — — — —
Higurashi Kagome had a complicated expression.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off… but at this point, there was no turning back.
Besides, she was genuinely curious about the secret hidden within that ancient well.
---
Higurashi Shrine
Standing before the old well, Lynn spoke up. "Let's go."
"Go?" Kagome looked around in confusion. "Go where?"
Lynn silently pointed at the well.
Kagome's face stiffened as she stretched her neck to peer inside. A pitch-black abyss, seemingly bottomless, greeted her.
She shivered instinctively.
"Do we really have to go down there? That monster came out of this thing, you know!" She hesitated, nervousness creeping in.
But Lynn didn't care about her reluctance. Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the waist and leaped straight down.
"Aaaaahhhhh—!!!"
Kagome's scream echoed through the well.
The inside of the well looked completely different from before. It was like stepping into a time tunnel, flashes of historical images passing by.
Dark, resentful energies of numerous yokai filled the space.
Lynn remained expressionless, releasing a faint burst of magic that instantly shattered the ghostly forms trying to pounce at them.
"So, it really is tied to her."
He glanced at Kagome, who had closed her eyes in fear. Then he also closed his own eyes, trying to sense the shifts in space-time within the well.
But…
"As expected, it's not that simple."
Lynn frowned.
The energy of space-time was at a level far beyond what he could easily grasp. Capturing it was proving to be quite difficult, and he didn't have the luxury of lingering here for too long.
In the blink of an eye, they had reached the bottom.
Kagome was still screaming.
Lynn calmly reached out, covering her mouth to silence her physically.
"Mmmph—!"
She blinked in confusion before realizing that nothing had happened.
"Huh? Nothing changed?" She sighed in relief, patting her chest.
Lynn shot her a look. "If you keep your eyes closed the whole time, of course, you won't notice anything."
Kagome gave an awkward laugh.
Then, she looked up at the exit. The night sky remained the same.
Then they heard faint noises in the distance.
"Let's go take a look," Lynn said.
— — —
"Five hundred years ago…"
Lynn was curious about this era too.
Saying no more, he tightened his grip on Kagome's waist and jumped out of the well effortlessly.
"Wha—?!"
Kagome's eyes widened in shock as she took in the scenery.
"This… is this still my home?"
She didn't remember the shrine's backyard looking anything like this.
Then she spotted the giant tree in the distance.
"It looks exactly like the one at home!"
"What the heck is going on?!"
Kagome was completely dumbfounded.
Lynn didn't bother explaining. Instead, he turned eastward.
A massive surge of yokai energy rose in the distance!
Judging by its intensity, it was on par with a high-class Devil.
Lynn frowned slightly.
There wasn't a scene like this in Inuyasha, was there?
…Then again, this was already a mashup of anime worlds. Surprises were expected.
Suddenly, a huge creature crashed down from the sky!
A giant boar-like yokai with an arrow lodged in its forehead.
Lynn sensed a powerful purification energy emanating from the arrow.
"This power… could it be Kikyo?"
Lynn was slightly surprised.
Meanwhile, Kagome gasped at the sight of the yokai barreling toward them. Her mouth opened, about to scream in terror—
Lynn was fast as he closed her mouth.
Then a sharp, powerful slash flew out, slicing the yokai into pieces before it crashed into the ground!
Blood splattered across the earth.
Kagome gulped down her fear and instead stammered, "Th-That was amazing!"
The Supernatural Research Club's president was seriously strong!
She felt a sense of security!
Kagome inched a little closer to Lynn.
Only to feel his warm hand grip her waist again.
"Eh?"
Before she could react, Lynn took off toward the east in a flash.
Kagome was internally screaming.
'Can't he find a less rough way to travel?!'
— — —
Musashi Province – Kaede's Village
The village was completely surrounded by yokai, leaving no room for escape.
Blue ogres, red ogres.
Wolf demons, snake demons…
A chaotic mix of yokai unleashed attacks upon the barrier protecting the village!
BOOM!
A ball of demon fire slammed into the barrier.
"Human girl! Hand over the Shikon Jewel to me!"
A massive purple-black snake demon lashed its tail against the barrier, its voice filled with arrogance.
The other yokai howled with laughter at its words.
Then—
A loud crackechoed through the air!
The attacking yokai all paused for a moment.
Then their eyes turned blood-red with greed, their breathing ragged.
"Haha! The barrier's finally breaking!"
"The Shikon Jewel is mine!"
"Once the barrier shatters, it's every yokai for themselves!"
They all roared in excitement, their hopes of obtaining the Shikon Jewel soaring. However, their eyes were also filled with wariness as they glanced at one another.
The power of the Shikon Jewel was too enticing—it wasn't something that encouraged cooperation! If not for their common enemy, the human priestess, they never would have joined forces in the first place.
Crack... crack...
The barrier trembled, on the verge of shattering.
---
Inside the barrier
A priestess dressed in traditional white and red robes stood firm, her gaze as calm as ever as she watched the frenzied monsters outside.
Her dark eyes were deep and unwavering, her delicate yet resolute features framed by long, flowing black hair tied back with a simple white ribbon. A bow was slung across her back, exuding an air of ancient solemnity.
"Lady Kikyo, I don't think the barrier will hold much longer."
A steadfast-looking man stepped forward, his voice laced with concern. Fear flickered in his eyes as he looked at the horde of demons outside, but he didn't back down. Instead, he stood beside Kikyo at the village's edge, prepared to face the monsters head-on.
Many villagers, much like him, had gathered behind her.
Kikyo wasn't fighting alone.
Even if they couldn't help much, they refused to let her face danger by herself.
Kikyo's gaze swept over the countless demons. Her expression remained cold and unreadable, but deep down, she felt the weight of the situation.
Ever since she took custody of the Shikon Jewel, the village had been under constant attack. But this time… it was worse than ever.
These demons hadn't come randomly; they were organized, as if following a plan.
There weren't any high-level demons among them, but their sheer numbers made up for it. The barrier wouldn't last much longer.
And even if it broke, Kikyo was confident she could still deal with them.
But…
Her lips pressed together as she looked back at the villagers.
The village would inevitably suffer in the battle.
People would die…
'No, I can't let that happen.'
'This is my responsibility.'
Kikyo took a deep breath, her resolve hardening.
With a steady hand, she pulled an arrow from her quiver.
She drew her bow and released.
A brilliant flash of white light streaked through the sky, cutting through the night like a shooting star.
"Sacred Arrow!"
Boom!
The arrow struck the massive snake demon right between its eyes.
Kikyo's gaze sharpened as she infused the arrow with her spiritual energy, triggering an explosion of purifying light.
The blast instantly wiped out a portion of the enemy ranks.
But the demons only hesitated for a moment before surging forward once more, quickly filling in the gap.
The priestess was powerful, sure.
But there were too many of them.
If she pushed them too far, they'd just merge into a larger, more monstrous form!
They would claim the Shikon Jewel no matter what!
"Raaaargh!!"
Instead of retreating, the demons grew even more frenzied.
The barrier was cracking apart, its fractures growing wider.
Kikyo continued firing her arrows, desperately trying to hold them back.
But…It was pointless.
She knew it.
A deep sense of helplessness weighed down on her.
She was strong, but she had no large-scale attacks to wipe them out all at once.
And she wasn't naive enough to believe this attack had happened by chance.
Someone had orchestrated this from the shadows.
What should she do?
For the first time in her life, Kikyo felt powerless.
Had she been too arrogant to take the Shikon Jewel for safekeeping?
A bitter thought crept into her mind—perhaps she should have left the village the moment she took possession of it.
Because of her, the villagers were suffering.
Kikyo lowered her gaze, her voice soft as she murmured,
"Oh gods…"
"If you can hear me…
"Please answer me…
"Please… save this village…"
The mighty priestess revealed a moment of vulnerability.
And as a priestess, the first thing she thought to do was… pray to the gods.
But…
"It's useless, isn't it?"
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
She had been praying since the day she became a priestess.
Yet never once had she heard a response.
Sometimes she wondered…
Was she even a good priestess? Had the gods ever truly existed? Why had they never answered her?
…And now, she expected them to?
As that thought crossed her mind, something unexpected happened.
The demons outside suddenly froze.
Whoosh—
A small flame flickered to life in the darkness.
A mere ember, dancing like a tiny star.
Then, in the blink of an eye— It erupted into an inferno, spreading like wildfire!
The sea of demons was instantly engulfed in the raging blaze!
The night sky burned.
The villagers inside the barrier stared in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Is… is it a god?"
A trembling voice broke the silence.
And that was all it took.
"Yes! It must be a god! A divine miracle!!"
"The gods have finally answered our prayers!!"
"The gods are watching over us!!"
The people of the village fell to their knees, bowing toward the raging flames.
Despair vanished from their hearts, replaced by newfound hope.
If the gods were here… Then they would be saved!
"…A god?"
Kikyo stared at the fire in a daze.
And then, through the flames, a figure emerged.
A tall man walked forward, his steps slow and deliberate.
Behind him, the inferno raged, glowing with an eerie, star-like brilliance.
Lynn lifted his gaze, crimson eyes locking onto Kikyo's.
Then he grinned and spoke.
"The gods of Japan are long dead."
"Priestess…"
"How about becoming a Devil?"
.
.
.