The night was hazy, the stars brilliant.
Everyone sat in a circle around a campfire.
Miroku and his little follower Aba leaned against a large rock, each sitting on a soft cushion. (At Li Xia's suggestion, Kagome had made a special trip back to the Modern Era to bring these supplies to share with her companions.)
Li Xia leaned against a large tree, tucked inside a sleeping bag.
Then there were Inuyasha and Myōga: one sat quietly in the treetop, cradling Tessaiga, while the other lay quietly on his young master's shoulder.
As for Kagome, the only girl in the group? She reclined comfortably in the sleeping bag she had brought.
Last was the little fox demon Shippo, who leaned against a sleeping bag and gazed at the starry sky. "There are so many stars up there! I wonder which there are more of, stars or Shikon Shards?"
His eyes shifted, and he let out another soft sigh.
"We've only collected ten Shikon Shards so far. Looks like we've got a long road ahead..."
"Not necessarily."
Inuyasha piped up from the treetop.
"Why?"
Little Shippo blinked.
"If we can find someone else who's collecting Shikon Shards, gathering them all won't be as much trouble as you think... Look, we just wait until they've collected a bunch, then go snatch them away! Simple, right?"
Inuyasha's answers were always blunt and simple.
Shippo sighed at that.
"Inuyasha, don't forget, the more Shikon Shards a demon gets, the stronger they become! And demons of different levels get different boosts from the shards! The stronger the demon, the more effectively they can draw out a shard's power! If the demon collecting shards behind the scenes is a great demon, and they've gained a huge boost from the Shikon Jewel, could we really handle them?
"By then, it might already be too late!
"Don't forget Hiten of the Thunder Beast Brothers. He gave you a really hard fight! And Hiten was only an upper-level demon at best!"
If Hiten alone had been that difficult, how terrifying would a great demon with numerous Shikon Shards be?
"So we still need to collect more shards before they do!"
Shippo put on the air of a wise old man.
"Oh, Inuyasha, even a little kid like me understands that. How come you don't? Honestly!"
"You little brat..."
Inuyasha ground his teeth in anger.
Being mocked by a little kid made a vein bulge on his forehead. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, baring his teeth without knowing how to argue back.
"Am I wrong?"
"Hmph! You're asking for a beating, aren't you?"
The red-clad figure leaped down from the tree, about to give the little fox a loving punch. Just then, Miroku spoke. "Inuyasha, if you manage to collect all the Shikon Shards, what do you plan to do afterward?"
At those words, Inuyasha stopped roughhousing with Shippo.
Once I've gathered the whole Shikon Jewel?
After a moment's thought, he found a spot beside the fire and sat down.
"If I gather the whole Shikon Jewel, I'll probably wish to become a true great demon!"
"And give up being a half-demon?"
Miroku looked up at him.
Li Xia and Kagome also gave him searching looks.
Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and faced their attention without flinching.
"My dream from the start was to become a great demon who could stand on his own, just like Dad!
"After all, if you aren't strong enough, you can't do anything!
"Even if you run into someone you can't stand, if you're weaker than them, there's nothing you can do about it!
"But once I become a great demon and get strong enough, things will be different! I can do whatever I please! If I don't like someone, I'll beat them until I do! Then I'll be free to do anything I want!"
Li Xia wholeheartedly agreed with Inuyasha.
That simple power was what he would pursue from here on.
"But Inuyasha, after you use the Shikon Jewel's power to become a full demon, will you still be who you are now?"
Miroku asked seriously.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"Miroku, what do you mean?"
"Inuyasha, surely you've noticed...
"Over the centuries, the Shikon Jewel has passed through the hands of all sorts of demons and humans. There must have been plenty who made wishes upon it!
"But have you ever heard of any of them coming to a good end?"
Miroku slowly breathed out.
Beside him, Li Xia added a few words in a grave voice.
"Inuyasha, after studying the Shikon Shards, I've also come up with a tentative theory...
"I suspect that those who obtained the Shikon Jewel lost their minds as the price of making a wish!
"And perhaps the Shikon Jewel wasn't as powerful at first as it is now! Over the centuries, it kept feeding on the emotions and desires of living beings, until even a single shard could produce such incredible effects!"
"You're worried it'll turn against me while I'm becoming a demon?"
"Exactly."
"Hmph, so what? I never said I wanted to become a good demon..."
Inuyasha lowered his head slightly as he said that.
Across from him, Li Xia gave Two-Dog a long look.
Beside him, Miroku added a piece of wood to the fire, then asked:
"Inuyasha, what if the first thing that happens after you become a full demon is that the Shikon Jewel takes control of your mind and makes you slaughter the people around you? Kagome and Shippo, for instance. Grandpa Myoga and Mr. Xia. Even Miss Kikyo and Kaede back in the Village! Are you sure that version of yourself is the dream you're pursuing?"
"Kill us?"
Shippo slowly sat upright, looking a little nervous and frightened.
Then something suddenly occurred to him, and he hurriedly voiced his question.
"If Inuyasha will attack us after becoming a demon, what about you, Miroku? Why wouldn't he attack you?"
The womanizing monk Miroku smiled gently.
"Of course I'd run away well beforehand! Why would I stay beside Inuyasha when he's about to make his wish?"
Everyone's lips twitched at that.
Just what they would expect from Miroku.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tessaiga and frowned.
Nonsense!
How could I ever do something like that?
Besides, the rumors about the Shikon Jewel have always been bad only because every demon or human involved with it so far has been rotten!
With my strength of character, there's no way the jewel could bewitch me!
"I'm not like those guys!"
"Let's hope so..."
Nothing more was said that night.
Everyone went to sleep with their own thoughts.
They rode Miroku's little follower Aba the whole way.
The tanuki demon Aba transformed into a long, loaf-shaped flying vehicle to carry them.
By noon the next day.
They had arrived at the Demon Slayer Village.
Compared with trudging over mountains on foot, Aba's flying speed might not have been fast, but it certainly wasn't slow.
Flying two or three hundred kilometers in a straight line each day was no problem.
Once they reached the Demon Slayer Village, Grandpa Myoga made the introductions, and the first one they met was one of the village's greatest treasures: Kirara!
Hundreds of years ago, Kirara had been the battle companion of the Shikon Jewel's creator, the Miko Midoriko.
She was a spiritually awakened Two-Tailed Cat Demon.
Covered in fluffy fur, she had an exceptionally keen sense of smell and perception! She could grow or shrink at will; little Kirara was her pet form, while large Kirara was her mount form!
Large Kirara looked fierce: after transforming, her Demon Power reached the level of a two-star mid-tier demon. In this form, she had sharp fangs and claws, greatly increased strength, and swift, agile flight. When flying, she came wreathed in flames.
Moreover, the little one had good defenses and an exceptionally long lifespan!
Kirara was deeply loyal to her masters, whether the long-dead Midoriko or her current master, Sango. In the original timeline, she had always followed quietly behind Inuyasha's group. Even though she was constantly overlooked and often injured, she never complained.
After arriving, Li Xia's group requested an audience with the Village Chief.
He was Sango's father.
"We've come on important business. Please help us arrange a meeting!"
They wanted to see the Village Chief?
"Your timing is unfortunate. The Village Chief, Sango, and the others have all gone to the Castle over fifty kilometers away to slay demons! If you aren't in a hurry, you can wait here in the village for them to return!"
"They've gone out? When?"
"Yesterday morning! At their pace, they must have arrived by now!"
Having received a definite answer, Li Xia and the others exchanged looks.
Li Xia in particular looked deeply unsettled.
How could this be?
The timing didn't add up!
And with all the elite fighters away, only Kirara had been left to guard their home base. Something was very wrong.
Granted, demon slayers made their living by hunting down demons that committed evil.
But leaving the village without even one or two elite fighters to protect it seemed wrong no matter how he looked at it.
It was as if they had been deliberately drawn away.
"This is bad. That guy may have made his move early!"
Realizing he might have underestimated the final boss, Naraku, Li Xia's heart lurched, and an ominous feeling suddenly surged through him!
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P.S. There are only two days left this month. Brothers, if you still have any votes left, give them all to me!
Before you continue