Three days later.
The three of them walked out of the rolling mountains, and an open plain appeared before them.
The plain was covered in waist-high wild grass. When the wind blew, waves rippled through it like a green sea.
In the distance stood a small hill, and on the hill was a dilapidated building. Under the glow of the setting sun, it cast a long shadow.
"What's that?"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, raised a hand to his brow, and peered in that direction.
Sakura looked for a while.
"It looks like... a shrine?"
"A shrine?"
Inuyasha's ears twitched, and a trace of disgust appeared on his face.
"Aren't those places where humans worship gods?"
"Mm."
"Then we should go around it."
Inuyasha curled his lip.
"Shrines usually have barriers around them. If Half-demons like us go in, we might get bounced right back out."
Sakura thought about it and felt he had a point.
She was just about to nod when Saku suddenly spoke.
"Sister, over there... there's Demonic Energy."
Sakura and Inuyasha turned to look at Saku at the same time.
"Demonic Energy?"
"Mm."
Saku nodded, her golden eyes fixed on the shrine.
"Very weak Demonic Energy... but there's more than one."
Inuyasha's brow furrowed.
"There are demons in a shrine?"
"It's not impossible."
Sakura pondered for a moment.
"Some shrines don't enshrine real gods, but powerful demons. Some humans don't know that and worship them as gods."
"Then should we go take a look?"
Inuyasha's eyes lit up, and he pressed a hand to his short blade.
"If they're the kind of bad demons that harm humans, we can take care of them while we're at it. That counts as doing a good deed."
Sakura glanced at him, the corner of her mouth moving slightly.
"When did