"Haa... haa... haa..."
On the back of the nine-tailed fox, Miko, who had just performed the Extreme Mastery Iaijutsu, felt every muscle in her body ache. Even though she had endured strict training during her shrine maiden apprenticeship, using such a divine technique midair was an enormous burden.
"You're really reckless. If you use a move like that and there are still enemies hiding in the dark, you'll be in trouble."
The white fox beneath her adjusted its speed. At that moment, Ruri could clearly sense the weakness of the shrine maiden on its back.
Using such an ultimate technique with a human body was still far too much of a strain.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
The valiant shrine maiden continued to regulate her breathing without pause. She didn't have time to argue with her shikigami below—her only focus now was to recover from her weakened state as soon as possible.
However, the hidden enemies in the shadows clearly had no intention of letting her off so easily.
Whoosh~
A minuscule poison needle, less than half an inch long, shot out silently. The needle was completely black, and under the heavy cover of demonic miasma, it was impossible to perceive its trajectory.
Moreover, to specifically target shrine maidens like Miko, the poison needle carried no trace of yokai energy—clearly crafted to bypass spiritual detection entirely.
Although Miko sensed a faint killing intent in the air and moved to dodge, her reaction was a moment too slow.
The poison needle didn't strike her heart as intended, but instead embedded itself in her left waist. In an instant, blackened blood began seeping from beneath her proud armor.
"Ugh..."
Struck by the sneak attack, sharp pain surged through her body like a wave—then quickly turned into numbing paralysis. Miko could only raise her divine blade defensively, gritting her teeth to keep herself from collapsing.
Though her expression remained composed, cold sweat flowed down her forehead like a stream.
"Miko, what's wrong?"
Ruri, her shikigami, finally sensed something was wrong with the person on her back.
"I'm fine... just a little dizzy from the miasma."
Miko frowned slightly. Enduring the pain, she immediately channeled her spiritual energy to counteract the toxin spreading from the black needle.
But the poison had clearly been prepared with shrine maidens and spellcasters in mind—it directly disrupted the flow of spiritual energy within the body.
Very soon, Miko's complexion turned deathly pale, and even her lips began to lose color.
"You call that fine?!"
Ruri finally realized the severity of the situation. She wrapped her nine tails around Miko's body and sped back toward the Demon-Hunting Village.
"Slow down a little... I'm afraid of heights..."
Those were Miko's last words before her consciousness completely faded.
"Afraid of heights, yet using such a move in midair... what a stubborn girl."
Transforming into a streak of white light, Ruri flew straight through the Demon-Hunting Village's barrier and swiftly entered Satsuki's room.
"Master, Miko was ambushed—she's been poisoned!"
The white fox's voice carried rare urgency, though her movements were still careful as she gently laid Miko on the floor. In the next room, Satsuki had just finished brewing a batch of herbs.
"I understand. Step aside for now."
Hearing Satsuki's calm command, Ruri nodded, transforming back into her childlike form and sitting quietly in the corner.
Satsuki approached slowly. In an instant, her Tenseigan penetrated Miko's body, revealing the full extent of her injuries.
The black toxin coursing through her veins carried both neurotoxic and muscle-paralyzing properties—a dual-layered attack rooted in biological venom rather than spiritual corruption.
It was a method distinct from that of ordinary yokai, who typically relied on miasma or curses. The latter could be resisted temporarily with barriers or spiritual power, but this poison—though less destructive—operated on an entirely different mechanism, making it even harder for shrine maidens to guard against.
Satsuki extended her hand and pressed a few points along Miko's body.
As the creator of the Gentle Fist, she knew the human body's meridians intimately. With just a few precise strikes, she sealed the channels leading the poison toward Miko's heart.
Then, she tore open a small section of Miko's shrine robe at her waist, revealing her firm abdomen, hardened through years of rigorous training. But now, the beauty of that body was marred by the oozing black blood steadily seeping from her right flank.
Satsuki immediately extended her hand, lightly touching the wound—and then, a miraculous scene unfolded.
As if time itself were flowing backward, the blackened blood reverted to bright crimson. The poison within seemed to reverse its course, retreating impossibly back into the needle.
The sight was strange and surreal—had anyone else been present, they might have mistaken it for some kind of yokai sorcery.
Even in her unconscious state, Miko instinctively felt her body being healed at a rapid pace. The searing pain receded, replaced by the comforting surge of spiritual energy rushing through her body.
Then, with a faint whizz, the poison needle was drawn out of her wound.
Satsuki caught it delicately between two fingers and placed it onto a nearby dish.
"So, this was meant for me originally... who would've thought you'd be the one to enjoy it instead? Well, not that it would've worked on me anyway."
With a calm gaze at the now-stabilized Miko, Satsuki dipped a towel into the spare warm water she had prepared for brewing herbs. She gently wiped the blood from around the wound, then took the freshly made medicinal paste and carefully applied it to the affected area.
Although the poison had been purged, Miko's condition had yet to fully recover.
The Iaijutsu of Ultimate Truth she had performed earlier was much like the Eight Gates Taijutsu—it placed an immense strain on the body itself.
Under normal circumstances, following the correct Katori Shintō-ryū breathing and recovery patterns would allow her to recuperate naturally.
But because she had been ambushed mid-adjustment, not only was she poisoned, but she had also sustained serious internal injuries.
"If it were an ordinary physician, removing the poison would already be the limit of their ability."
Satsuki lifted one hand lightly. A deep blue light shone through the sleeve of her black robe and enveloped the shrine maiden's body.
"However," she said softly, "your performance earlier truly impressed me. To wield such a technique with a mortal body... it was dazzling."
The soft blue light swept across Miko's entire form. Instantly, countless ruptured capillaries, damaged neural links, overstrained adrenal glands, and battered internal organs all returned to normal.
No—this light did more than restore Miko's body. It also amplified her spiritual power considerably.
After scanning and recording the spiritual energy within Miko, Satsuki finally completed the missing component in her own yokai-suppressant formula—allowing her Vipralopa power to function in this world as it had in the Fate world.
Miko's previously rapid breathing slowed to a steady rhythm.
Only the sweat-soaked collar of her robe bore witness to the ordeal she had just endured.
After finishing her work, Satsuki stood up and turned her head slightly toward Ruri.
"This game has gone on long enough," she said coolly. "Go—take care of the remaining trash."
Was Ruri powerful?
From Satsuki's perspective—not particularly. After all, among the beings she had fought, there were already god-tier entities, and even those of cosmic scale known as "Awakened Ones."
But in the world of Inuyasha—Ruri's power was nothing less than that of a natural disaster.
Her current shikigami form originated from the Nine-Tailed Fox of the Naruto world, later transcribed through the Akasha Records into the form of a "Sky Fox."
Its strength far surpassed any so-called "Great Yokai" of this world.
The only reason she had always appeared harmless was because, in the presence of the far more powerful Demon Buddha Satsuki, there had never been a need for her to fight.
But now—she could finally feast.
Originally, as a support system, Ruri's true form was not allowed to directly engage in battle. However, through years of studying puppet techniques and analyzing the four shikigami once belonging to the Great Onmyōji Yaobikuni, Satsuki had long since crafted a vessel that complied with the rules of this world, allowing Ruri to act freely.
"The flock of bird yokai on the west side has already been dealt with by the shrine maiden. That only leaves the insect yokai in the east. As for the yokai down the mountain—it would be too difficult for them to break through the village's defenses from the front."
Not impossible, but if they had that kind of strength, they wouldn't have wasted so much effort setting up these elaborate plans.
Having served Satsuki the longest, Ruri—though lazy by nature—was capable of serious thought when necessary.
A glimmer of spirit light flashed across the Sky Fox's body, and in the next moment, she shifted from her yokai form into her humanoid shikigami form.
This transformation was deliberate, to avoid startling the exorcists too much.
Then, with a powerful leap, Ruri shot upward like a streak of light, soaring into the sky.
In the bewildered eyes of several exorcists below, she suddenly vanished—rushing westward at blinding speed.
...
In the skies west of the Demon-Hunting Village, Meo, the village chief, was still locked in a desperate battle against the swarming insect yokai.
He had already reached his limit. Even the old yokai Kirara, who usually liked to disguise himself as a youthful cat, was panting heavily beneath him.
Fighting against hundreds of yokai insects was no easy task. Meo had nearly exhausted his supply of "repelling powder" and "stink bombs."
His flying weapon, the Hiraikotsu, was covered in crushed insect carcasses, its weight and balance heavily compromised.
If they were ordinary bugs, it might not have been so bad—but among them were numerous "Saikyōsei," enormous venomous wasp-like yokai with blood-red compound eyes and mandible jaws as sharp as blades. Each was roughly the size of a human head.
No matter how many he slew, more kept emerging from the miasma behind them, as if endless.
He had no idea where the enemy had found such a swarm of toxic insects, especially ones so rare in the Musashi region.
Worse still, the poisonous gases released by the slain insects polluted the air, drastically limiting the safe space he could maneuver within. That was one of the main reasons Meo was beginning to feel cornered.
And yet, the number of enemies ahead showed no sign of diminishing.
The incessant buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz~ filled the air, grating on the nerves.
"Troublesome pests... Maybe next time, I'll have the villagers develop some kind of flame-spewing device."
Breathing heavily, Meo glanced at the ever-tightening formation of insects surrounding him—but instead of fear, his expression softened into a relaxed smile.
Because moments earlier, he had witnessed Miko's dazzling display in the sky.
Even with his experience, her performance had left him speechless—but along with his astonishment came an overwhelming sense of relief.
He knew then that the yokai assault had been repelled.
According to his earlier orders, most of the exorcists who had been guarding the east were now fully armed and gathering at the western front, leaving only a few to cover potential stragglers.
It was time for him to fall back, regroup with his people, and finish off the remaining yokai.
But just as that thought crossed his mind—
A figure suddenly shot across the sky, rushing straight toward him.
The intruder's speed was too fast. Meo's human reflexes couldn't keep up—but Kirara's instincts kicked in first.
With feline agility, the cat yokai twisted midair, narrowly dodging the sneak attack.
But the enemy seemed utterly determined. Having missed its mark once, it immediately turned midair and came charging back toward Meo and Kirara. From his vantage, Meo clearly saw the attacker's face—it was none other than the young lord who had provoked them earlier in the village, Amari Kento.
Now, however, the so-called young lord was nothing more than an empty shell possessed by a yokai.
"Mask of Death?"
Even in the darkness, Meo could recognize the creature's identity.
In this war-torn age of rampant yokai, human-shaped demons were no rarity—but that didn't make them any easier to deal with.
Any yokai capable of assuming human form possessed power and intellect far beyond that of ordinary beasts. They could be considered the elite among yokai.
And though the Mask of Death's aura wasn't particularly strong, the threat it posed far exceeded that of the surrounding insect swarm.
The key lay in its intelligence—it was nearly on par with that of a human.
Seeing its repeated attacks thwarted by Kirara's quick reflexes, the Mask of Death let out a furious roar.
"Damn exorcists! Why can't you just die peacefully?! This era belongs to us yokai! In this world of survival of the fittest, there is no place for you humans!"
Meo remained calm, even as the creature's claws and insults came flying his way. He knew its rage meant one thing—it had been forced into a corner. The more it fumed, the clearer it became that his strategy was working.
That didn't mean he couldn't return the provocation.
"How laughable. If the weak don't deserve to exist, then Mask of Death—how does a pitiful yokai like you still draw breath?"
"What? Weak... me?!"
The word struck a nerve. In an instant, memories flashed through the Mask of Death's mind—of that day when the three divine beings had descended from the heavens. It had seen the truth of its own insignificance.
It was precisely because it understood its weakness that it had so desperately obeyed the magatama's command, chasing the promise it had been given.
And anyone who stood in its way—had to die!
"Exorcist!!!"
Its voice warped into a roar of pure, unrestrained fury. With the failure of the Root-Head plan and the utter collapse of its proxy forces, it had reached its breaking point.
It placed both hands on its own face—then tore it off, flesh and all.
With a guttural scream, the Mask of Death lunged toward Meo.
"As long as I possess your body, the fall of the Demon-Hunting Village will only be a matter of time!"
Its speed was terrifying. Even Kirara couldn't react in time. All he could do was watch as the creature hurtled straight toward the man on his back.
But—at the very last moment—
A slender arm appeared beside Meo's field of vision and caught the Mask of Death mid-lunge, gripping it effortlessly.
The owner of that hand spoke, her tone laced with faint irritation.
"You carry the same scent as that poison needle."
"You... you—"
The Mask of Death froze the instant it saw her. Its entire body trembled involuntarily. From her gaze and the immense power she restrained within, it felt the same divine terror as that day—the day the three beings had descended from the sky.
"It seems you have nothing worth saying," she murmured coldly. "Then die."
With a simple flex of her fingers, the childish-looking hand crushed the Mask of Death's body completely, shattering it to dust.
Meo stared blankly, his eyes wide in disbelief. In the next instant, the entire swarm of yokai insects surrounding them erupted in a violent burst of spiritual energy—and was obliterated into nothingness.