Haru's question silenced Tsuda. After a pause, he looked up, his eyes red and teeth gritted. "Yeah! So what? I don't want it anymore, got it?!"
He tore the orb from his neck and threw it. The silver sphere rolled across the shrine floor.
Haru picked it up, studied it briefly, then set it back beside Tsuda without a word.
"It's easy to toss, hard to get back. I grabbed it this time, but there won't be another… Don't regret it later."
Tsuda took the orb, staring at it, still as stone.
Haru didn't wait for a reply. He walked into the shrine; food came first.
'Let's stew the fish… A kitchen this size has to have something.'
He searched but found no vegetables, not even a scrap.
'Just salted fish is too… Wait, what's this?' He pulled a book from under a table leg, surprised before even opening it.
It was paper, machine-made, pages glued together. That shouldn't exist here, and paper was too rare to prop up tables.
The book was worn, hinting at age.
Brushing off the dust, Haru read the title: "Guide to Raising Dogs?"
Inside, the back half was sewn in, filled with neat, feminine handwriting of diary entries, written days or months apart.
April 5th, clear with wind.
Brother came to the village again today. He's been around more lately; he might take Moroha away soon.
It's been three years since we married, but he still clashes with Brother. Yesterday, they nearly fought again."
…
January 13th, cloudy.
Our daughter's two and starting to talk. I don't know how other half-demons grow, but is she late? I told him my worries, but he just said, 'Kids turn out fine when they're older.' Honestly…
I miss when I could just tell him to 'sit.'
…
June 7th, rainy and windy.
What now? A neighbour's kid likes our daughter. As a mother, should I teach her how to keep things innocent?
Her dog ears… I hope they don't make life hard for her."
…
Judging from the daily entries, it looked like a housewife's diary.
But Haru's face grew stranger as he read. 'No way… really?'
He flipped faster, hunting for proof, and found it near the end.
…
October 13th, heavy snow, no wind.
The villagers asked me to deal with a mountain beast today.
After we beat it, he wanted to crush it and use its heart for charms for the kids. I said no; I don't like killing for trinkets.
In the end, we didn't kill it, just raised it on a nearby mountain. If it grows well, it might match the mountain one day… Just kidding, Haha.
He sulked for ages. I told him, 'We can make our own charms,' Sigh, why are we having arguments now, after being married for decades?
Is this a midlife crisis thing? Wait, how old is Inuyasha now…"
…
Haru took a deep breath, confirming his guess.
'I get it… The elder said this is 'Inugami Shrine.' It's 'Inuyasha and Kagome's Shrine.'
Am I in Inuyasha's world? But Mount Enzou and Inuyasha don't connect!'
Then he remembered the StarGate's warning: this was a parallel world.
That explained the orb's demonic energy.
In the original story, Inuyasha was a great demon standing at the top by the end. After decades with Kagome, he'd likely grown stronger.
So, the shrine's keepers were their descendants, and Shion, the "Inugami Shrine Maiden," was their last kin.
But a question lingered: Inuyasha and Kagome lived in the Sengoku era, and this was near its end. Even if Kagome had died of old age, Inuyasha's lifespan was longer. So where was he now?
Those answers wouldn't come easily…
Suddenly then a sound came from outside. Haru checked and saw Tsuda packing tightly.
Haru smiled faintly. "What are you doing?"
Tsuda paused. "I… I'm going to save Shion!"
"How? Can you fight demons?" Haru pressed. "Even if they're hurt from the Mountain God, you're a kid. Could you kill them even if they stood still?"
Tsuda dropped his bag, furious. "Then what do I do? I've decided; I'll save Shion, or die with her!"
"You are brave, but do you even know where to go?"
Tsuda held up the orb. "This pairs with Shion's. The light shows her direction. I'll find her with this!"
Haru's eyes lit up. If both orbs matched, he'd have all the energy he needed!
He raised an eyebrow. "If it's that precious, why throw it earlier?"
Tsuda flushed and mumbled, unable to speak.
Haru chuckled. "Here's a deal: I'll save Shion for you, and as a reward both orbs are mine."
"You'll save her?" Tsuda wavered.
"What, don't trust me? You think I'll grab them and run away, or that I don't have the ability to save her?" Haru grinned.
"No, I saw you fight the demons… but how do I know you're honest?" Tsuda thought hard, then decided, "I'll come too! Once she's safe, I'll hand over the orbs myself."
…..
Haru's choice to rescue Shion wasn't a sudden urge to play hero; it was calculated.
First, the demons were battered by the Mountain God; most might be dead and others remaining weakened. The gap between him and them wasn't so wide now; maybe he was stronger.
Second, he needed those orbs. With them, he could activate the pseudo-Grail and go home without scrounging for other sources. Finding more could take years, and demons like Inuyasha were rare and unbeatable for Haru.
Plus, saving Shion didn't mean a straight fight; he could plan. With care, it was doable.
So, Haru and Tsuda set out, carrying salted fish from the villagers, armed with just the Muramasa and a rusty sword.
Unknown to them, soon after they left, a visitor arrived at the Inugami Shrine.
Silver hair flowed in the wind, draped in a fine long-sleeved kimono, a short sword at his waist.
A crescent moon marked his forehead, demon stripes lined his cheeks, ears pointed… His striking characteristics marked him as more than human.
Like a cold prince from a story, he stepped into the shrine. His nose twitched as he sensed something making his eyes narrow.
He glanced where the demon cloud had fled and scoffed.
"Weaklings… My idiot brother's bloodline has fallen so low that he can't even deal with a few trashy demons."
Despite his words, he summoned a cloud and followed. They were family, and though he acted distant, his wife had warmed him into someone who cared quietly; a classic tsundere.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yumeko rested on the blue ogre's shoulder, pale and bloodied. Only eight or nine demons remained, all torn up.
She spat, "Damn it, I didn't think that giant could hit from afar… I thought flying off would work, but I was wrong."
The ogre rumbled, "It's fine. We got the maiden. The general will reward us when we get back."
The ogre had been rattled too, but its tough skin and stamina let it move again. The others slumped, too weak to form a cloud.
Yumeko grew angrier at its words, smacking its head. "What do you know? Without followers, the other captains will look down on us. We were the weakest already and our numbers were our only strength. Now it's gone!"
The ogre, unbothered, grinned. "Don't be mad… We can grab more later. We lived; that's good enough."
Yumeko snapped, "You fool, we're about to lose our rank, and you're grinning!"
"Heh, as long as I'm with you, Yumek—"
"Wait!" She stopped him, face tense. "Something's coming… fast! No, what's this? Such huge demonic energy!"
Even the slow ogre felt it now. They all turned.
A demon cloud raced in, ten times faster than theirs, its demonic energy overwhelming.
The figure inside didn't hide, its heavy aura pressing down like a mountain.
"Ahh!!"
A water demon burst under the weight, unable to take it.
The others wobbled.
Yumeko and the ogre held up better but paled. She nearly fell but was caught by the ogre.
The cloud landed, revealing a noble figure in rich clothes.
Sesshomaru's gaze swept over them, and every demon bowed, avoiding his eyes. His focus settled on the ogre's hand or what it held.
Seeing the unconscious shrine maiden, he recognized her scent, and his cold stare turned icy.
Yumeko stood up and asked respectfully. "Sir, may I ask what brings you—"
Before she finished, Sesshomaru flicked two fingers.
A glowing whip lashed out, moving like a snake, impossibly fast. In a second, nine demons were sliced in half, before they could even react.
Yumeko's eyes shrank, her body frozen. Facing such an enemy, how could she fight this… or escape?
She couldn't. One move, and she'd be next.
Desperate, she thought of seducing him, but he didn't seem the type swayed by looks.
As she froze, the ogre lunged, fist roaring toward Sesshomaru.
"Don't hurt Yumeko!"
Sesshomaru didn't flinch. With two fingers, the whip cut the ogre's arm off at the shoulder.
"Ah!!!"
The ogre screamed as he felt a pain it had never known.
The sound snapped Yumeko into focus. She glanced at the ogre, then at Sesshomaru, and a plan clicked.
"Ogre, open your mouth!" She vanished, reappearing on its last hand, grabbing the maiden. In half a second, she leaped into its jaws.
Sesshomaru moved to stop her, but the ogre swung again. Although he cut it down instantly, the delay let Yumeko slip inside.
The ogre's face twisted, its belly swelling like a warped pregnancy, growing grotesque.
It mumbled, "...Yumeko?"
Then it exploded, flames bursting outward.
Sesshomaru, untouched, cleared the fire. Nothing remained among the ogre's scraps.
"…Shedding skin?" he murmured. "A snake, then."
…..
(He is in Sengoku Period 1467-1568. It's a mix of Fate, Inuyasha, and Nurarihyon no Mago.)
....
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