As they walked back, the priestesses were still faintly flushed with excitement.
For the earnest priestesses, Tanabata was a rare chance to relax. Once they returned, they would chat merrily, and some of the younger priestesses who were skilled dancers would even perform the Kagura Dance, a dance of prayer and reverence for the gods, sharing this rare moment of leisure with everyone.
Suddenly, Han heard heavy sounds in the distance, like violent collisions of metal or bodies, mingled with trees being crushed and heavy footfalls pounding the ground. It sounded as though a tremendous battle was drawing closer. Though Han had never truly fought a demon, perhaps her innate nature had indeed given her sharper hearing.
"Everyone, hurry! It sounds like a powerful demon is coming!" Han urged them.
Perhaps because of the festival, everyone had let their guard down. They had not even brought weapons on this outing, only the Talisman Paper they carried on their persons. Against a great demon, however, that would never be enough!
The priestesses listened intently. They could only faintly hear the distant sounds, but even those quiet noises stood out clearly in the stillness of the night. Their steps quickened.
Yet the demon seemed to be moving even faster. Before long, the tremendous crashes grew clearer, as though they were right beside them. Watching the enormous outline of the demon emerge into view, Han frowned and prepared to slip away from the group to face it alone.
"Han, what are you doing?" The observant Gardenia gripped Han's hand tightly, her normally gentle expression now utterly serious.
"The demon is almost here. I'll buy everyone some time!" Han explained quickly, trying to pull free of Gardenia.
"Do you think we'd let you risk your life alone? We're leaving together!" Gardenia tightened her grip.
"But..." Before Han could finish, an enormous Bear-Shaped Demon caught up with them. This close, she could almost smell the blood on its body.
It's too late...
The thought rose in Han's mind.
A wounded demon was even more wary, and even more hostile toward priestesses.
To the demon, these unarmed priestesses were nothing more than an opportunity for a massacre to vent its rage.
"Run!" Han suddenly shoved Gardenia away from her.
Though the other priestesses had spent longer at Kiyomori Temple than she had, her spiritual power far surpassed theirs. Her master had always said she lacked an opportunity to learn how to fully wield her strength. Even now, she still could not use all her power, but compared with the other priestesses, who had no bows and arrows and few Talisman Papers, she was undoubtedly the one who needed to step forward.
"We can't possibly leave Han alone!" Gardenia was the first to object, and the other priestesses stopped as well.
"Hurry and go!" Han was frantic.
The enormous Bear-Shaped Demon now stood fully revealed before the priestesses. It had dark brown fur, iron armor covering its body, and a thick Wolf-Tooth Club in its hand. One eye was bleeding, while the other, uninjured eye stared at the priestesses as low growls rumbled from its mouth. Turning its entire body toward them, it brought the thick club down mercilessly, its tremendous force tearing through the air.
Han gritted her teeth and released spiritual power straight from her hands, forcing a powerful barrier into existence before them all. The iron club struck the barrier with a dull thud. Pain stabbed through Han's chest. She knew the tremendous impact against her spiritual power had caused a backlash, but she had no other choice now.
The other priestesses were almost stunned by the sight. Gardenia, too, was astonished by the barrier Han had conjured with her bare hands. They had never heard of a priestess creating a barrier of spiritual power out of thin air without any medium or incantation. Even spellcasters skilled in talismans and monks adept at formations could scarcely accomplish such a feat barehanded.
Even the strongest battle priestesses needed their weapons in combat, whether bows and arrows or blades. In recent years especially, with the passing of the Sword Priestesses represented by Priestess Midoriko, priestesses had come to rely increasingly on bows and arrows. Without them, there was very little they could do.
But there was no time left for astonishment or hesitation. Considering her own fighting ability and that of the other priestesses, Gardenia made an immediate decision. "Everyone, hurry!" They could not burden Han any further.
Han cast Gardenia a grateful glance, then turned back and focused more power into the barrier in her hands, buying the priestesses more time.
Though it pained the other priestesses to leave someone as young as Han holding out alone, they had no choice but to hurry back to Kiyomori Temple and return with weapons in time to help her.
As the priestesses hurried away, Han felt a little relief. Seeing them trying to escape, the Bear Demon roared in fury and strained to pursue them. Han released the power sustaining the barrier in her hands and nimbly leaped aside.
The Bear Demon immediately pitched forward uncontrollably in the direction it had been pushing. Yet even with one eye blinded, the bear's enormous size did not make it clumsy. It swiftly adjusted its course and lunged at the girl, who looked tiny beside it.
Faced with such an immense difference in strength, Han could only dodge and wait for a chance to strike back.
Before long, the Bear Demon seemed to run out of patience. It suddenly threw back its head and roared, then began gathering Demon Power in its mouth, forming an enormous, constantly swirling sphere. A sense of dread struck Han, and she immediately tried to retreat. But the Bear Demon had already unleashed its gathered Demon Power straight at her.
Han hurriedly formed another barrier with her spiritual power, but she had little left after the first direct clash with the demon's iron club. She could barely withstand the Demon Power crashing toward her. She spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying along the ground, her back burning with pain. With no time to tend to it, she immediately rolled aside, dodging another blow from the Bear Demon's iron club.
But the Bear Demon suddenly gave a sly grin, reaching its other enormous claw toward Han to seize her. Han closed her eyes in despair, her heart filled with defiance. Was this really where it all ended...?
The pain she expected never came.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw a figure in white standing in front of her.
The figure was clearly not human. Most striking were the fur that covered nearly his entire back and his cascading silver hair. He looked incredibly small before the enormous Bear Demon, yet his presence utterly overwhelmed it.
"Stand up yourself, if you can." The unfamiliar demon's voice was cold.
Enduring the excruciating pain in her lower back, Han gritted her teeth and stood, leaning against a large tree and doing her best not to interfere with his fight.
Once she was clear of the battlefield, Han saw that the unfamiliar demon had caught the Bear Demon's enormous paw in one hand.
After a brief stalemate, he exerted a little force and crushed the entire paw.
Han was stunned by the demon's tremendous strength!
The Bear Demon, however, gave no thought to that. After the agonizing pain, it roared again and brought its iron club crashing down at the unfamiliar demon. He deftly leaped backward, a green Light Whip appearing at his fingertips. With a sweep, it not only shattered the iron club in the Bear Demon's hand but also lashed the bear back step by step. Before long, it collapsed, covered in wounds.
The unfamiliar demon quickly withdrew his attack. Only then did he come to stand before Han.
Han cautiously studied the demon standing proudly before her. Purple Demon Marks adorned both sides of his face, and a blue crescent moon marked his forehead. His golden demonic eyes were cold and filled with violence. Though his face was exceptionally handsome, it seemed covered in a layer of ice and snow, devoid of any human warmth.
Han's heart trembled. Though he had saved her life, she did not dare let down her guard.
The sight of countless demons relentlessly pursuing her at the very beginning of her life was forever seared into her heart.
"You're not human." The demon regarded her coldly, his words utterly certain.
"That's right." Han did not deny it. Since he had already discovered it, there was no point in concealing the fact. But she had no intention of revealing her true form. That was her greatest secret.
"Then," the unfamiliar demon asked with rare hesitation, "what are you?" She was not human, not a demon, and certainly not a vengeful spirit. Yet she wore a human priestess's robes, and the power she had just used was spiritual rather than Demon Power. For a moment, he could not determine what kind of being the girl before him was.
When the girl had spat blood and suffered that grievous injury to her back, he had sensed a trace of an unusual aura. It was as though what stood before him was not a girl, but a spiritual medicine encountered only once in a century, capable of enhancing a demon's Demon Power. It had made the blood throughout his body boil uncontrollably. This was certainly no illusion, which was why he had taken the unusual step of intervening. Now that he was closer, the aura was even clearer.
"Just a priestess. My name is Han." Han did not want to say more. Gardenia and the others should be arriving soon. Though the demon before her had saved her life, that did not mean he was entirely harmless. In fact, he looked anything but harmless.
"Sesshomaru." The demon gave his name as well.
"All right. I'll remember it. One day, I will repay you for saving my life." Han made the promise solemnly.
"No need." Sesshomaru refused coldly. He had acted only out of a moment's curiosity.
Han said no more, simply leaning quietly against the tree behind her as she waited for the others. Even standing was a struggle now; walking back on her own was impossible. Her eyes happened to pass over the demon named Sesshomaru before her: silver hair, golden eyes, purple markings, Demon Armor, white robes, a sash, and the Katana at his waist...
Wait, that sword? Han's gaze lingered on the Katana at the demon's waist. It was no ordinary blade. She could faintly sense the life within it, as well as a power that did not belong to the mortal world.
Seeing her take particular notice of Tenseiga, which his father had left him, Sesshomaru was about to question her when he spotted a group approaching in the distance by lamplight. With his dislike of humans, he immediately abandoned any further conversation and simply left.
Watching the demon turn and leave without a backward glance, Han thought of his Katana and could not help remembering the Spirit Bow she still had yet to obtain. If I had a suitable weapon too, surely I wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state today...
"Han, Han, are you all right? How are you feeling?" Her master and the priestesses finally arrived.
"Heavens!" Seeing the blood at Han's mouth and the wounds on her back, tangled with scraps of clothing and dirt and still bleeding profusely, Gardenia covered her mouth and cried out.
"I'm all right, it's just..." Han had only begun trying to reassure Gardenia when her vision went black, and she knew nothing more...
Before you continue