The moment the idea was raised, the village chief brightened, excitement flashing in his eyes.
He clambered up onto the Dragon Bone Spirit's massive skull, surveying the surroundings from above.
The view truly was spectacular. The canyon spread out beneath him like a jagged sea of stone, cliffs torn and scarred from ancient battles. It felt like a place of legend.
But there was a problem.
The land was barren. Not a trace of farmland could be seen, nor even a patch of wild vegetables.
No matter how grand the site, it lacked the most basic necessity: food.
The chief scratched his head awkwardly. "Lady Kikyo, settling here won't be difficult, but what about food? How will we feed so many people?"
It was a fair concern.
Strength brought hunger. Now that the villagers had become stronger, their appetites had grown as well. Far more food would be needed than before.
At this, the Thunderbird couple spoke up.
"If it's food transport you're worried about," the husband said, "you can recruit flying yokai. Their needs are simple. So long as you guarantee their safety, they'll be willing to work as porters."
Unlike humans, yokai valued survival above all. If safety was promised, many would gladly labor in exchange.
Kikyo and Kaede shared a smile.
"Then we'll do it this way," Kikyo decided. "We'll purify the miasma and reshape the environment. Chief, take your people and build some simple houses first. The Thunderbirds will recruit yokai. If you find any craftsman monsters, invite them here. Make sure they know the forging materials are the famous Dragon Bone Spirit itself!"
The Thunderbird pair bowed deeply. "Yes, Lady Kikyo. We've traveled widely and know many yokai. We'll handle it."
The husband took wing, heading toward Chuyao Village to gather reinforcements, while the village chief and his deputy busied themselves surveying land for homes and forging furnaces.
Kikyo and Kaede set out with bows in hand, purifying the valley.
Streaks of sacred light flashed like meteors across the miasma. Each arrow cleansed an area a kilometer wide.
Progress was fast.
Soon they found a black, polluted water source, stagnant and foul-smelling. Kaede drew, loosed, and a shining arrow sank into the waters.
The corruption dissolved instantly. The water ran clear again, sparkling like glass.
Kaede wrinkled her brow. "Sister, this miasma is troublesome. I don't understand why yokai in other worlds have none of it. Isn't that strange?"
Kikyo's expression grew thoughtful.
Through her sister's connection with the divine, she had learned a curious truth: in other worlds, monsters—be they born of beast or plant—lived freely without releasing miasma. Humans and monsters could even coexist without issue.
But in their world… miasma poisoned land and water, forcing eternal strife between human and demon.
"Perhaps something is wrong with this world itself," Kikyo murmured. "Before, I was too weak to even think of such matters. But now… with divine power in my hands, and Kaede able to hear the voice of the gods… I can no longer ignore it."
This was her homeland. She could not simply watch as it withered beneath a hidden sickness.
Meanwhile, far away, the Thunderbirds were hard at work.
"Master Thunderbird, are you serious? A powerful maiden is truly willing to protect us?"
"You'll see when you come with me," the great bird answered curtly.
"Which maiden? Do we know her name?"
"It is none other than Lady Kikyo, chosen envoy of the Eternal God."
Gasps rippled through the crowd of yokai.
Kikyo?
The shrine maiden who wielded the Shikon Jewel? The one whose arrows could pierce even the mightiest demons?
And she would bless monsters?
It seemed impossible.
Thunderbird clicked his beak impatiently. "If you doubt me, stay behind. But when you're slaughtered later, don't say I didn't give you a chance."
As a great demon, Thunderbird had his pride. To lower himself to recruit laborers was already humiliating. To be questioned on top of it? In the past, he would have struck them down with lightning on the spot.
The yokai quailed before his glare. "N-no, Master Thunderbird, we believe you! We'll come, we'll come! Don't kill us!"
Hundreds of lesser demons fell over themselves in submission.
Thunderbird snorted. "Pathetic. A bunch of cheap bones."
He remembered how he himself had once nearly wet himself at the sight of Kikyo's power. These little monsters would learn soon enough.
By day's end, Thunderbird had recruited over six hundred yokai, including two craftsmen.
Just as he prepared to return, a strange figure appeared—a demon riding a bull through the skies, surrounded by the aura of flame.
Thunderbird narrowed his eyes. A craftsman?
He swooped closer.
The rider was an old man, hair wild, cheeks flushed with drink. A hammer hung at his side, and the bull he rode carried bundles of materials and half-finished blades.
Thunderbird's eyes gleamed. "Old man, are you a craftsman?"
The drunkard belched, eyes hazy. "So what if I am? You want a weapon forged? Without good materials, don't waste my time."
It was none other than Tōtōsai, the legendary swordsmith.
He had forged countless blades in his lifetime. Since the death of the Great Dog General, he had wandered, forging for whichever demon could protect him. His own power was meager; without such work, he would have been devoured long ago.
Thunderbird grinned. "Then perhaps you'll be interested. I know of a material beyond compare. Care to see?"
Tōtōsai leaned forward suspiciously, sniffing. All he smelled was Thunderbird's feathers and lingering miasma.
"A liar, are you?"
"The material isn't here," Thunderbird explained. "It's in Dragon Canyon. My mistress has subdued the monster there and is preparing to forge weapons."
At those words, Tōtōsai froze. His drunken haze cleared instantly.
Dragon Canyon… That means… the Dragon Bone Spirit?
"The material you speak of… is Dragon Bone Essence?"
"Exactly. Interested?"
"Interested—of course!"
But inside, Tōtōsai's heart pounded with dread.
Not for the material, but for the danger.
The Dragon Bone Spirit, once unsealed, could wreak untold havoc. With the Great Dog General gone, there was no one left in the West who could resist it. Sesshōmaru brooded over his swords, Inuyasha was still but a boy… the world was defenseless.
He had to see for himself.
As Tōtōsai urged his bull forward, a flea demon—Myōga—dropped silently from his clothing, scurrying across the ground.
"This is serious. I must inform Lady Sesshōmaru's mother at once," he muttered, leaping away.
Three hours later, evening fell as Tōtōsai reached Dragon Canyon.
The sight before him left him speechless.
The Dragon Bone Spirit still sprawled across the cliffs, but its once-dreadful form was covered in bustling yokai. Lesser demons swarmed across its body like ants, hammering and chiseling, jeering as they went.
For centuries, none had dared even approach this monster.
Now it was trampled, humiliated.
The Dragon Bone Spirit's massive eyes glistened with tears.
If you wish to kill me, kill me. Why must you torment me like this?
Tōtōsai's gaze hardened. The beast still lived.
Memories of the Great Dog General surged in his chest. Rage boiled up.
He urged his bull forward, leapt onto the monster's skull, and brought his hammer down with all his might.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike rang like thunder.
"You killed my master, damn you!"
"You brought nothing but disaster!"
"Now taste your punishment!"
The Dragon Bone Spirit's eyes burned with hatred.
That flea-ridden old man dares piss and curse on me?
If not bound, it would have crushed him with a single breath.
But bound it was—helpless under the shrine maidens' seal.
After venting his fury, Tōtōsai wiped his brow, strangely satisfied.
The valley had changed. The miasma was gone.
Over a hundred yokai and humans worked together, building homes and forges. Flying demons ferried supplies and hunted prey. Deer, horses, and boar were brought in; fishing expeditions to the sea were planned.
The Dragon Canyon was becoming a new settlement.
Inside a stone house, firelight flickered.
Kaede slept soundly, exhausted from the day's labor.
Kikyo sat with the village chief, discussing the future.
"When things are settled here, Kaede and I will leave," she said softly. "Tōtōsai may be eccentric, but his skill is genuine. With the Dragon Bone Spirit's remains, he has already forged a fine weapon."
The chief frowned. "Why leave so soon? Shouldn't you stay and continue growing the Faith? We could spread across the land from here."
Kikyo shook her head gently. She brushed a strand of hair from her sister's brow, her eyes solemn.
"We must prepare sacrifices. We have received the God's grace, but we must also give back. Otherwise, His wrath will not be easily stilled."
The chief swallowed.
She continued, voice low. "Others have suffered for neglecting this. I will not let my sister face that fate. Sacrifice is the top priority. And the heart of the Dragon Bone Spirit… shall be one of them."
Her words hung heavy in the firelit room.