Prologue: Kikyo the Priestess

Kikyo the Priestess (I)

After the Muromachi era, Japan entered the Warring States period, and the flames of war spread across the land.

Some small mountain villages were fortunate enough to retain their quiet, peaceful lives. This was not merely because they lay in remote places of little strategic importance, but also because powerful priestesses lived among them, helping defend their villages against demon attacks.

Kikyo of Kaede's Village, known as the strongest priestess of the Warring States period, guarded just such a little village nestled among the mountains.

Early summer, morning.

The first pale light of sunrise shone through a thin veil of mist drifting over the fields.

Kikyo had already washed and dressed. She sat quietly beside the house, sorting the medicinal herbs she had collected over the past few days, ready to spread them out to dry once the sun rose. Her well-behaved younger sister, Kaede, helped beside her, asking questions from time to time. Kikyo answered gently, explaining the properties of each herb. For a priestess like Kikyo, preparing medicine for the villagers in peace, without having to fight demons to the death, was already a rare blessing.

But that peace did not last long.

"Lady Kikyo, someone has collapsed at the village entrance!" A villager with a hoe on his back hurried over, his voice frightened. "That samurai is covered in blood. We didn't dare move him." If anything happened to a samurai here, the lord of the castle would surely hold them responsible!

"All right, I understand. I'll go at once." Kikyo put down the plantain herb in her hands and stood. "Kaede!"

"Yes, Sister." Kaede had already risen with her and slipped the medicine basket onto her back without needing to be told.

At the village entrance, a man in samurai clothing lay with his eyes tightly shut, seemingly unconscious. He was gravely wounded, his blood giving off an ominous metallic smell as he lay helpless on the ground. The frightened villagers stood carefully around him, not daring to approach.

Seeing Kikyo coming in the distance, the villagers hastily told him, "The priestess is here. Please hold on a little longer."

The blood-soaked man struggled to open his eyes at those words. A final surge of strength rose within his exhausted body, and he seized Kikyo as she knelt beside him to tend his wounds.

"Priestess... Lady Priestess..." Blood clogged his throat, breaking his words into fragments.

"Stay with me! Were you attacked by demons?" Kikyo asked urgently, though she already knew the answer. His wounds were long and narrow, the flesh gouged out of them. They clearly had not been made by human blades; they looked more like the work of demons' claws. Kikyo released spiritual power from her hands, purifying the demonic poison in his wounds. But he had lost too much blood, and there was no saving him. Only the last flicker of life kept him conscious.

"Sawada... Castle... demons... under siege... please... please..." The blood on his hand stained the priestess's white sleeve. Even at death's door, he had not forgotten his mission. He pleaded with the one person capable of saving the castle.

"Yes, I understand! I'll go to Sawada Castle at once!" Holding the samurai's hand, Kikyo made him a solemn promise.

The mortally wounded man smiled in relief. He had finally delivered his message, and he breathed his last with his mind at peace.

"Kaede, fetch my bow and arrows." Kikyo had not brought her weapons with her.

"Yes, Sister." Kaede swiftly ran back to their little house.

Kikyo approached the black horse that had carried the wounded samurai all the way here. The horse watched her calmly with innocent eyes.

Kikyo gently stroked its wounded, bloodstained back. "Good horse. Take me back to where you came from."

As though it understood her, the horse answered with a whinny.

Taking the bow and arrows Kaede brought, Kikyo mounted and galloped away, a faint suspicion stirring in her heart.

The night before, two mighty thunderbolts had split the sky, one falling in the west and the other in the east. Sawada Castle lay to the east. But Kikyo had never imagined that last night's strange occurrence would bring demons to attack a castle. Generally, the greater a demon's Demon Power, the less likely it was to attack a human stronghold without cause. This was an unspoken understanding between humans and demons.

When the besieged Sawada Castle came into view, Kikyo's delicate brows drew together. Even with all her experience, she had seldom seen so many demons gathered in one place. Their towering demonic aura nearly blotted out the sunlight. Most of them were not particularly powerful, but their sheer numbers were alarming. Fortunately, monks and priestesses inside the castle were sustaining a powerful barrier to protect it, though their efforts could barely hold back the tide.

Letting the black horse gallop on, Kikyo drew her longbow and nocked an arrow. Wrapped in the brilliant violet glow of pure spiritual power, it flew toward the demons blocking her path. Every demon in its path was purified.

Arrow after arrow, Kikyo forced open a road for her horse. The demons attacking the castle dwindled rapidly, but most of those destroyed were weak. The stronger ones deftly evaded her arrows and continued their relentless assault on the barrier.

The monks on the walls saw Kikyo too-the straight, empty path through the throng of demons outside was impossible to miss.

As she approached the gate, Kikyo swiftly cleared away the demons lurking nearby. The monks and priestesses inside hurriedly opened a narrow passage through the barrier to let her enter.

The moment she entered the castle, Kikyo's brows, which had just begun to relax, tightened again. The spiritual energy inside was unnaturally dense, and the immense power within it made anyone capable of sensing it draw a sharp breath. A faint fragrance of plants seemed to mingle with the overflowing energy.

A solemn-faced monk in a plain black robe and dark blue kasaya came toward her. The others remained on the gate tower, maintaining and strengthening the barrier. But unless they dealt with the source of the spiritual energy, more demons would keep coming. The barrier could contain only a limited amount of energy, and its extraordinary concentration inside the castle was partly due to its being trapped there, unable to disperse.

"What happened here?" Kikyo dismounted and asked urgently.

"Lady Kikyo?" The monk hurriedly bowed, asking in return.

"Yes." Kikyo nodded.

The monk relaxed a little and immediately began explaining what had happened.

It had begun the night before last, when a thunderbolt struck a valley behind the castle. Though its force had been startling, it had caused no fire, so no one, including the monks and priestesses, had given it much thought.

But in the early hours of this morning, things had begun to change. As the sun rose, spiritual energy spread throughout the castle. Ordinary people noticed nothing beyond the unusually fresh air, but the priestesses and monks could not help becoming wary.

Something was wrong, and this was only the beginning.

The spiritual energy grew increasingly distinct. After sensing it, the priestesses and monks discovered that its source seemed to be the valley behind the castle. They tried to enter, but their power was insufficient, and they were all kept out. The situation worsened until even demons noticed the anomaly.

As the spiritual energy spread, it drew more and more demons. At first, the priestesses and monks could dispatch them easily. But as their numbers continued to grow, the defenders could no longer keep up. They could only raise a barrier around all of Sawada Castle and endure its relentless battering.

Had Kikyo not just destroyed so many demons, the castle would probably have fallen already.

Even so, the remaining demons were still a grave threat.

Their only option now was to deal with the problem at its source.

"So, Lady Kikyo, we must entrust this to you." The monk bowed deeply.

"Yes. Please take me there." Kikyo's reply was solemn.

The monk nodded and led her to the valley entrance, which beckoned to them yet barred everyone from entering.

"This is as far as I can go." The monk gave a helpless, bitter smile. The others could not even approach this spot.

"All right. Leave the rest to me." With that earnest promise, Kikyo walked into the white mist without looking back.

The slender priestess remained inwardly on guard. This vast mist was spiritual power condensed into tangible form; it was easy to imagine how powerful the being within must be. Fortunately, the energy was utterly pure, so it was unlikely to belong to anything evil.

Even if that being's very existence had already brought disaster.

Kikyo advanced slowly through the dense mist, enduring its invisible trial.

The farther she went, the denser the spiritual energy became, resisting every step of anyone who entered. Kikyo moved more and more slowly, until even she could barely walk, relying entirely on the spiritual bow in her hand to keep going.

Fortunately, the valley's contours had begun to emerge, close at hand. Gritting her teeth, Kikyo took the last few steps and entered a cave within the mountain. The pressure around her immediately eased.

She followed the narrow path through the cave, where a faint light glimmered in what should have been utter darkness.

Water dripped intermittently from the stalactites onto the dark ground, making this seldom-trodden place all the more slippery.

Kikyo steadied herself against the rough cave wall and moved cautiously forward.

Deep within the cave lay a milky-white pool, with a single unopened lotus floating quietly at its center.

Warm sunlight streamed through a crack overhead, falling directly upon the pure white bud.

Within that halo of light, the white petals slowly opened, gradually revealing the delicate body of a little girl.

She tilted her face up to bathe in the sunlight. Her soft skin shone with a pearly glow, and the silver hair falling down her back reflected a faint radiance.

Before Kikyo realized it, the lotus had quietly vanished. Only the little girl in white remained in the pool.

As though sensing movement nearby, the girl turned toward Kikyo and watched her quietly with emerald eyes. Her exquisite little face was expressionless, yet still adorable, leaving Kikyo momentarily at a loss.

Was she a newborn demon, or a spirit? Kikyo wondered. According to legend, beings born from nature with pure hearts untouched by worldly impurities were spirits, who could become deities through human worship. If they already possessed worldly emotions before birth, however, they became demons. Kikyo hesitated, but she could not simply abandon the little girl. Her appearance had already brought disaster.

Kikyo made her decision.

Among everyone she knew, only one person had the power to protect and teach this girl. Whatever she might be, she was now merely a child who understood nothing. Good and evil could hinge on a single thought, and Kikyo hoped she would have the chance to choose for herself.

The beautiful priestess in white robes and red hakama extended her hand to the unfamiliar little girl. Smiling as gently as she did at the village children, she softly asked, "Would you like to come with me?"

Dimly sensing the kindness of the person before her, the girl nodded innocently and placed her tiny hand in the priestess's lightly callused palm, forging a bond between them.

Kikyo the Priestess (II)

Kikyo stood with the girl on a Paper Kite shikigami. Rather than return to the castle, she had chosen to leave without saying goodbye. Ordinary people could not be allowed to learn the secret of the girl's birth, and the demons' assault would stop once they departed, allowing the castle to survive.

The fierce wind high above tossed her hair, but she paid it no heed. She focused entirely on guiding the shikigami toward that sanctuary. Cradled in her arms, the little girl rested her cheek against Kikyo's shoulder and gazed down at this wondrous, beautiful world.

Behind them, the demons pursued relentlessly.

Shikigami moved through Kikyo's spiritual power. A Paper Kite shikigami in particular could carry people high into the sky, but consumed considerable power, which was why she seldom used one. If she reached her destination only to find demons there after exhausting her strength, she would be left at a terrible disadvantage. But Kiyomori Temple was different. It was a pure sanctuary guarded by her master and the others, where no demon dared intrude. It was Kikyo's last refuge.

Several demons born with Wind Control followed close behind, gradually gaining on Kikyo and the little girl.

Looking toward the shrine that remained so distant it seemed it would never come into view, Kikyo made up her mind.

"Hold on tightly." Kikyo set the girl down and instructed her earnestly.

"Mm." Standing beside her, the girl understood and wrapped her arms around Kikyo's waist.

The priestess turned, drew her bow, and loosed an arrow. Though the wind tangled her hair and obscured her vision, she still trusted her arrows. Bearing the priestess's unwavering resolve, the demon-purifying arrow destroyed the foremost demon.

Kikyo's attacks slowed the demons' fierce advance, buying them a chance to survive. But her arrows were limited. When her hand touched the last one, she hesitated. Never fire the final arrow—that was a lesson she had always lived by, and every priestess's last safeguard. Kikyo lowered her hand and stroked the little girl's hair, urging the Paper Kite onward in her heart.

But things did not go as she hoped. Though Kiyomori Temple was now visible in the distance, the demons had also discovered Kikyo's predicament.

The demons that had been fearful moments before immediately grew brazen, though they still remained wary of the priestess.

"Priestess, hand her over, and we'll let you go." Demons did, in fact, keep their word; it was the weak ones, dependent on deception to survive, that broke their promises. Though these demons might not know the girl's secret, her abundant power still drew them. If they could just devour her, surely their Demon Power would rise to greater heights. Their greedy eyes brimmed with hunger as they stared at her. The little girl leaned silently against Kikyo and lowered her head.

"Never!" Kikyo answered without hesitation. The girl beside her looked up in surprise at the resolute priestess. Deeply moved, she tightened her small hand around the hem of Kikyo's clothes.

Kikyo looked into the distance. Kiyomori Temple was drawing closer.

Just a little more time, Kikyo prayed silently.

She had held on this long. At least let her deliver this child there.

But she feared the demons would not grant her even that much time.

Sure enough, the demons gradually surrounded them.

A human suspended in midair had nothing to rely on.

"Priestess, this is your last chance. Will you let her go or not?!" The demons had lost their patience.

"Do you trust me?" This time, Kikyo did not even look at them. Instead, she addressed the little girl beside her.

"Yes." The girl nodded firmly, her large emerald eyes filled with trust.

"Good." Kikyo smiled with tenderness and resolve.

"Ah-" The little girl never could have imagined that Kikyo would suddenly descend and push her away. But she was not pushing her toward the demons. She pushed her down to safety, toward the soft grass below. Why? Why was she protecting her like this? Instinctively recognizing that selfless sacrifice, the girl burst into tears.

"Keep going forward. Don't look back." Kiyomori Temple was not far away, and there were people there who could protect her.

Leaving her with those words, Kikyo turned to face the demons without hesitation. At the last moment, she drew her final arrow and fired at their leader. Then, before the others could react, she unleashed her spiritual power.

Almost all the demons howled as they were reduced to ash within its radiant glow.

"Kikyo!"

Who was calling her? In her weakened state, Kikyo dimly heard the cry.

She soon recognized it, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

Of course. Even from so far away, you sensed it. That child must be with you. Thank goodness.

Without her spiritual power to sustain it, the shikigami became an ordinary piece of paper. With her heart at ease, Kikyo fell straight from the sky.

Her last impressions were darkness and the blurred face of her master.

Holding Kikyo in his arms, Zhiyá sped toward Kiyomori Temple. The silver-haired, green-eyed little girl stumbled along beside him-or rather, followed Kikyo in his arms. Though he had sensed Kikyo's spiritual power from afar, he had still arrived too late. All he had been able to do was catch her, gravely injured, after she unleashed her power.

"Master!" Peony, who was guarding the mountain gate, bowed to him. He nodded without slowing and hurried inside. Though he had continually fed spiritual power into Kikyo along the way, the consequences of that eruption could not be eased merely by replenishing her strength.

Laying Kikyo on a bed and placing spirit-gathering Talisman Paper around her, Zhiyá sighed softly.

After unleashing her spiritual power in such a burst, a priestess would be unable to generate more for a time. In severe cases, she might lose it entirely, becoming helpless and weaker than an ordinary person. In the brutal Warring States period, such a person would struggle to survive.

He could not believe Kikyo had been unaware of the consequences, yet she had done it anyway. That was Kikyo. He had always known she would make the same choice, no matter when. His hands kept working until the formation was complete and Kikyo's body slowly began recovering its spiritual power on its own. Only then did he release a long breath.

Someone was tugging at his clothes. Zhiyá looked down to find the girl Kikyo had risked her life to save staring intently at him, her eyes filled with tears.

In human form, the girl looked no more than seven or eight. When Zhiyá saw her pointed ears, long silvery-white hair, emerald fingertips, the markings on her forehead, and the spiritual energy suffusing her body, he understood why Kikyo had fought so desperately to save her.

"It's all right now." He gently rested his hand on the girl's head and felt her body tremble faintly.

Her kind should not become involved in human affairs, but he was human, after all. So, gods, please forgive his selfishness.

"Become a priestess. That way, next time, you can stand beside Kikyo."

And help those struggling so desperately in this troubled world.

"Yes!" Looking at Kikyo, who still lay unconscious on the bed, the girl bit her lower lip with her white teeth and gave her solemn agreement.

"Then from this day onward, you are a priestess named Han!" Zhiyá did not ask the girl's name. Among nonhuman races, true names often held tremendous and deadly power. That was why he gave her a new one, an ordinary, safe name. Though naming her after a lotus carried ominous implications, for some reason it was the first name that came to mind. Becoming a priestess would at least allow her to learn how to use her power. With a priestess's desire to help the world, she would be less likely to stray down the wrong path.

Kikyo the Priestess (III)

Two days later.

"Kikyo, how are you feeling?" Sitting beside her bed, Zhiyá asked softly. The one fortunate thing this time was that the consequences of her outburst had been limited to physical weakness and depleted spiritual power. No irreversible harm had been done.

"Much better. Thank you. Where is that child?" Kikyo looked up but did not see the little girl.

Ever since Kikyo woke, the girl had clung to her hand and refused to let go. Apparently, she had stayed beside Kikyo throughout her unconsciousness, unwilling to leave. She must have been terrified; she was only a child, after all. Kikyo could not help smiling.

"Gardenia is keeping her company." Zhiyá thought of the little girl, still so innocent and uncomprehending, no different from an ordinary human child-just as guileless, just as adorable. Children always touched people's hearts, and a peaceful smile appeared on his face.

"Really?" Kikyo was still surprised. At first, even she had been unable to persuade the girl to leave her side.

"Yes. Gardenia is very good at this sort of thing. She told Han that only by adapting quickly could she communicate with you and help you. That was how Han finally agreed to go with her." Remembering the standoff between Han and Gardenia, Zhiyá could not help chuckling.

"Is that so?" Imagining Gardenia and the little girl staring stubbornly at each other, Kikyo laughed too.

"By the way, her name is Han now," Zhiyá reminded her softly.

"All right." Clever as she was, Kikyo immediately understood her master's meaning. An ordinary name would be better and safer for the girl.

"Now, get plenty of rest. You'll recover in a month." Zhiyá withdrew the hand with which he had been checking her pulse.

"A month?" Kikyo frowned. She could not leave the village for so long. Kaede was still too young.

"Yes." Zhiyá nodded firmly. His voice was no longer gentle; it had become distinctly stern. "At least a month! Do you think the aftermath of unleashing your spiritual power is some minor injury?!"

"But..." Kikyo hesitated, then spoke anyway. "I'm truly sorry, but I must return by tomorrow at the latest. Even as I am, I can still handle ordinary demons easily."

"And what if you encounter a stronger demon?!" Zhiyá demanded angrily. Did Kikyo really care so little for herself?

"But..." Kikyo paused, her smile turning helpless, perhaps even bitter. "Fighting demons until death is a priestess's fate."

Her words stunned Zhiyá. But she was right, and he could find nothing to say that would stop her. He could only look silently at her pale face before saying softly, "I'll prepare Talisman Paper that you can use easily in your present condition."

When the previous priestess of Kaede's Village died, Kikyo had been so eager to return that she left while still studying, with many things yet to learn. Though she had learned everything an ordinary priestess needed, her gifts could have allowed her to learn much more. Even becoming a court priestess might not have been beyond her reach. Yet she had insisted on returning to the village where she was born and raised, to protect that little place.

"Thank you, Master. Then I'll take my leave tomorrow," Kikyo said gratefully.

Clatter! At the sound of a bamboo bowl falling, Kikyo and Zhiyá both looked toward the doorway, where the little girl stood with a pale face.

"Kikyo, are you leaving tomorrow?" the little girl asked softly.

She knew she would be left here. That was why Kikyo had brought her in the first place, and sooner or later Kikyo would have to leave. Gardenia had told her that Kikyo needed to return and protect many other people, but she had not imagined it would be so soon.

Gardenia had also told her she must stay here, because her presence in Kaede's Village would have bad consequences. Though Gardenia had not explained what those consequences were, she understood: disaster. Kikyo could not protect her, and she would only become a burden.

Though Gardenia had spoken tactfully, taking great care with her feelings, she understood everything. She understood why Kikyo had first extended her hand, why she had taken her away so quickly, and why she had ultimately been willing to sacrifice herself to save her.

But leaving so soon... she still could not accept it...

"Han, come here." Rather than answer her question, Kikyo beckoned for her to sit beside the bed.

Han approached Kikyo and carefully helped her sit up. Kikyo held her hand with one hand and gently stroked her hair with the other. Yet the gentler Kikyo was, the more she wanted to cry.

"You're doing so well, Han. You've adapted to life here so quickly, and you're getting along with everyone." Kikyo looked at her with gentle, smiling eyes. "So I can leave without worrying. You'll be very happy here."

Was Kikyo leaving tomorrow because she was doing so well? Then she would rather not! But if she did not become capable, would Kikyo have to sacrifice herself to save her again if demons surrounded them as they had before? The little girl hesitated.

As though she could see the turmoil in the girl's heart, Kikyo gently gathered the anxious child into her arms and softly patted her back, just as she would comfort her younger sister. Han's eyes widened. This was the first embrace she had ever received. It felt so gentle, so comforting, like the ray of sunlight she had felt every noon throughout all those years-unforgettable and warm.

"Han, I'm human. What makes humans different from demons is that we rely on one another and live together. That's why I have to return to the village and protect everyone." As Kikyo spoke, a sacred radiance lit her face, though Han could not see it.

"Do you really have to?" Han asked insistently, as though she still hoped for an impossible answer.

"I do." Kikyo lifted Han's head and gazed earnestly into her emerald eyes.

"I understand." Han lowered her head, avoiding Kikyo's gaze, then quickly stood up. "I'll get you another bowl of porridge." If she did not say that, she feared she would beg Kikyo to stay, refuse to let her leave. Even knowing why Kikyo had to return, she still did not want to accept it. But she could not say anything that would put Kikyo in a difficult position...

"Han..." Watching Han hurry away, Kikyo sighed helplessly. "You still don't understand, after all."

The next morning.

"Please be careful on your way." Gardenia earnestly reminded Kikyo, bowing in farewell.

It was time for Kikyo to leave, but Han still had not appeared. Perhaps she, too, did not want to face such a sorrowful parting.

"Yes. You all take care, too. Thank you for looking after me these past few days." Kikyo bowed to each of the priestesses who had come to see her off. Finally, she bowed toward Zhiyá, who met her gaze and nodded. Then Kikyo hesitated a moment before preparing to turn and leave, though she regretted not being able to see Han one last time.

"Kikyo!"

Hearing the voice behind her, Kikyo turned and looked at Han with a gentle smile. She came after all.

Han stopped in front of her, her gaze burning with resolve, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, betraying her stubbornness.

"Can I come see you someday?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll always be waiting for you in Kaede's Village," Kikyo replied.

In truth, Kikyo knew that Han probably would not be able to leave this place in the future. Otherwise...

"Okay, it's a promise." A broad smile spread across the little girl's face, pure and dazzling as the rising sun. She reached out and hugged Kikyo. "I'll definitely, definitely come see you, Kikyo!" Once she could protect herself-and Kikyo.

"Yes, I'll be waiting." Kikyo gently hugged Han back.

Kikyo stroked the girl's long hair one last time before turning to leave. This time, she did not hesitate.

At the sight of her resolute departing figure, tears instantly welled in the girl's eyes. But the priestess would not look back again.