A Pleasant Surprise!

"She's already gone? Ah..."

When Inuyasha learned that Kikyo had left two days earlier, all his anticipation and anxiety dissolved into a quiet sigh.

"Don't worry. Enju repaired all the injuries to her Clay Body, and she's a lot more emotionally stable now. She still resents you, but it isn't nearly as overwhelming as it was at first! Give her some time. I'm sure she'll come around!"

Li Xia stepped forward and patted Inuyasha on the shoulder.

That put his companion considerably more at ease.

"Mr. Xia, thank you! I really don't know how to repay you for everything you've done for me..."

Inuyasha was deeply touched.

He guessed that his companion must have spent the past few days talking Kikyo through her feelings. Otherwise, given how bitterly she had hated him when she first returned to life, she probably would have stormed back to the village by now.

Mr. Xia really had his work cut out for him.

"There's no need for that kind of talk between us!"

Li Xia grinned.

Then he looked Inuyasha up and down again.

"We haven't seen each other for a few days, and those serious injuries you suffered are already mostly healed? I'm really envious of that constitution of yours!

"Huh? Even your torn Fire-Rat Robe is back to normal? How did you manage that?"

"I'm a half-demon. It's only natural that I heal a little faster!"

Inuyasha, who had always been shunned by humans and rarely received praise to his face, broke into a bright smile.

He could tell that his companion's praise and envy were genuine.

So he held nothing back.

"As for this Fire-Rat Robe? Mother said Father left it for me when I was born. It doesn't just protect me from ordinary weapons and all kinds of fire-it can repair itself, too! It also grows or shrinks to fit my body. I've been wearing it since I was little..."

"What an amazing robe!"

"It's all right..."

"Although I never met your father, the fact that he left both Tessaiga and this Fire-Rat Robe to you shows how much he loved you and your mother! He might have had great hopes for you, too! It's a shame he died in battle so early. Otherwise, I'm sure you would have had a wonderful childhood!"

Li Xia did not stint on his praise for the Dog General.

That won him even more of Inuyasha's goodwill, while indirectly earning the goodwill of an old flea perched on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"That's all in the past..."

Remembering the many unhappy moments of his childhood, Inuyasha grew somewhat downcast.

Seeing this, Li Xia promptly changed the subject. "Your injuries and my absence didn't hold up our search for Shikon Shards, did they?"

"Of course a few little injuries weren't going to get in the way! I spent three days recovering, and once I was mostly healed, I went out twice..."

Two trips.

The purpose of the first was to recover a weapon.

But along the way, he met a monk-the second male lead of the original story, Miroku with the Wind Tunnel.

On the other trip, he encountered a human painter who could use the power of a Shikon Shard to summon evil demons from his paintings.

This man was known as the "Magic Brush Ma Liang" of the Inuyasha world. With the power of just a single Shikon Shard, he had painted thousands of evil demons that could emerge from his paintings! And that was by no means the limit of how many he could paint! As long as he did not run out of ink imbued with demonic power by the Shikon Shard, that ordinary human painter could keep painting indefinitely!

According to Inuyasha's description.

Those painted demons were far stronger than ordinary humans. Any one of them could easily kill several human soldiers.

The stronger ones could even spew fire and lightning, slaughtering humans over a wide area.

With thousands of such demons at his command, the painter could do practically whatever he pleased in the human world. In the demon world, too, he could enjoy complete freedom, provided he did not encounter powerful three- or four-star high-ranking demons or demons with certain unusual abilities.

"Inuyasha, if those painted demons turned into puddles of pungent ink after you killed them, irritating your nose so badly that you passed out, how did you deal with them and get the Shikon Shard?"

Li Xia asked despite already knowing the answer.

At that, Inuyasha immediately began introducing Miroku.

"Mr. Xia, our group has grown. We've got another companion!

"His name is Miroku. He's a young human monk, and he's pretty strong!

"It was thanks to Miroku's help that Kagome and I could easily take care of the enormous demon army that awful painter created! You have no idea how dangerous his Wind Tunnel is..."

"Wind Tunnel?"

Li Xia sank into thought.

Naturally, he knew a thing or two about the Wind Tunnel.

Whether early or late in the story, it was an absurdly overpowered ability.

It was not hard to imagine the spectacular sight of the Wind Tunnel opening wide and sucking in every last demon.

"Oh, right. I also found the Thunderstrike Blade dropped by the Thunder Beast brothers I defeated. Here..."

As Inuyasha spoke, he pulled a bundle from behind his back and handed it over.

Li Xia took it, opened it, and his eyes lit up.

He had already prepared himself for the possibility that another demon had picked up the weapon.

He had not expected Inuyasha to find it for him among the battlefield's ruins.

The Thunderstrike Blade was a long-handled weapon shaped like a bolt of lightning. Its wielder could use it to unleash continuous blasts of thunder and lightning at opponents.

It could be used in close combat, releasing electrical waves from its tip; or thrown to pierce enemies, after which the Thunderstrike Blade would automatically return to its wielder's hand. Its spearhead could also be driven directly into the ground to attack enemies with pillars of lightning erupting from beneath them.

It was suited to both close combat and ranged attacks.

It was a demonic blade passed down through generations of the Thunder Beast Tribe, previously wielded by Hiten, the elder of the Thunder Beast brothers.

Early in the original timeline, Hiten had used this weapon to put Inuyasha through a fierce struggle. Had his VIP benefits not arrived just in time, granting him the ability to "summon Tessaiga with its sheath," Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo would most likely have died horrible deaths.

A little over a week earlier, Li Xia had approached the matter through Shippo to avoid arousing anyone's suspicions. While spending time with the little fox demon, he had subtly steered their conversations and drawn out stories about the brothers Hiten and Manten. That gave him a natural way to learn of the Thunderstrike Blade's existence.

Thus, when they parted a few days earlier, he had struck while the iron was hot. Taking advantage of Inuyasha's soaring goodwill toward him, he had earnestly asked Inuyasha to find the Thunderstrike Blade, which the Protagonist Group had previously overlooked.

Had he asked when they first met, Inuyasha probably would not have made a special trip for him.

He might not even have acknowledged him.

But after going through two incidents together, they had established the beginnings of a bond. Inuyasha also owed him a favor from each incident. Besides, he was not asking Inuyasha to brave terrible dangers-just to help with a small matter...

Under those circumstances, Inuyasha had agreed without hesitation, just as expected.

As for why Li Xia had specifically sought out a weapon that only demons could use?

First, with the Great Katsura Tree Mask shikigami and Shikon Shards in his possession, he had no shortage of Demon Power.

Second, with spirit fluid on hand, he had no shortage of ways to recover.

Third, although this weapon had been defeated by Tessaiga, that did not stop it from being a rare, exceptional blade. Even if only its main upper section remained intact, he could still put the damaged weapon to use.

Li Xia toyed with the weapon, now reduced to its "upper half," and said regretfully:

"If only I could find a skilled Swordsmith to help reforge this weapon..."

The speaker meant little by it, but the listener took it to heart.

On Inuyasha's shoulder, an easily overlooked old flea rolled his eyes thoughtfully. Gradually, the idea of securing a few things for his young master Inuyasha took shape in his mind.

The old flea's name was Myōga.

As a retainer, he was still very loyal.

"Enju, we're leaving..."

As they parted, Li Xia patted the little girl's head.

He also noticed that Enju was lightly biting her lip, a complicated look flickering in her eyes.

But he did not dwell on it. Instead, he cheerfully set off with Inuyasha on the road back to the village.

Earlier, pressed for time while pursuing that old hag Demoness Urasue, he had been forced to travel light. As a result, he had left many belongings at Kaede's house, including the spirit fluid he could use to quickly replenish his magical power!

For their next venture, the more thoroughly prepared they were, the better!

And the direction they would be exploring was not this way!

Therefore, they had to return to the village first.

Along the way, Li Xia rode his bicycle at full speed, while Inuyasha bounded swiftly through the trees and along the mountain paths, checking for danger.

When night fell, the two found a spot with an open view and made camp.

"Mr. Xia, do you have any plans for what we do next?"

After dinner, Inuyasha asked in a serious tone.

Unlike the unreliable Kagome, Li Xia was extremely dependable in Inuyasha's eyes.

The map of this era alone was a convenience Kagome had never thought of.

"Inuyasha, as far as you know, aside from Miko and monks who can fight demons, who else in this world makes a living hunting them?"

Huh? Humans who made a living hunting demons?

Apart from Miko and monks, weren't there only those tough fighters?

"Are you asking about Demon Slayers, Mr. Xia?"

The one who spoke was not Inuyasha beside the fire, but a flea on his shoulder who had lived for over two thousand years.

It was old Myōga himself.

"Grandpa Myoga, do you know where the Demon Slayer Village is?"

Li Xia feigned mild surprise.

"Yes, I do. I also have some connections there!"

The old flea folded his four arms across his chest and nodded confidently.

"Good. Then we'll head to the Demon Slayer Village next!"