Sesshōmaru had no desire to resurrect his father.
It had been his father's choice to fall in battle, and he would not insult that choice by undoing it.
What Sesshōmaru longed for instead was to see the world restored to its original form. To sweep away corruption, to crush every rival and stand above all as the supreme power.
Yet even that ambition, fierce as it was, faltered.
For before the figure of God—towering, radiant, his very presence shaking the depths of the soul—Sesshōmaru felt something he had never known.
Despair.
The proud demon lord, who never once bowed his head before foe or ally, felt his spirit wither. Before a god, he was nothing more than a crawling reptile, stripped of pride, stripped of dominion.
What arrogance? What conceit? How laughable they seemed now.
His golden eyes narrowed, thoughtful. So this is divinity. This is power beyond all things.
A new goal sparked in his heart.
"The divine world must harbor countless strong ones… One day, I too will step into that realm, and meet them face to face."
For the first time in centuries, Sesshōmaru envisioned a future he truly desired.
Upon the altar, Kikyo knelt in her white shrine maiden robes. Her voice, serene yet resolute, rose to answer the god's question.
"Merciful Lord," she said, lifting her face to the heavens, "our world is fraught with flaws. The cycle of souls has been broken, and new lives are born incomplete. This humble maiden, Kikyo, is willing to give herself wholly. I beg you, show your divine power, and grant this world a future bathed in light."
Even in surrender, she thought not of herself.
Even on the brink of death, her mind lingered only on the fate of the world.
Liu Che's eyes softened. He understood the truth of her words.
This realm's underworld had been shattered, trampled until its balance lay in ruins.
The Tenseiga, one of the treasures meant to suppress the underworld, had long been taken by the Great Dog Demon. He had taken it not from greed, but from necessity—for if the messengers of the underworld had seized it, disaster would have followed.
The will of the world remained, but the consciousness of its underworld was fractured beyond recognition.
What a chaotic realm this was.
"You ask only this?" Liu Che said quietly.
"Yes," Kikyo replied, bowing until her forehead touched stone. "This is the sole wish of your servant."
"So selfless," he murmured. "I like it. Then… let it be as you desire."
He stretched forth his hand. The barrier of space quivered, then shattered like glass.
Gasps rippled across the crowd as the god drew forth a black sphere, holding it effortlessly in his palm.
"Is… is that the underworld?" one whispered.
"Is that… the world after death?" another breathed, shivering.
Within the orb, Sesshōmaru's sharp eyes glimpsed a figure moving in the depths—tall, proud, overseeing every corner of that dark domain.
His breath caught.
He knew that face.
His father.
The Great Dog Demon was not truly dead. His body had perished, but his soul, weighted with immeasurable merit, had been chosen by the will of the world to govern the deepest reaches of the underworld.
It was a realm no ordinary soul could touch, the very core of death itself.
"The disorder in your world stems from the underworld's corruption," Liu Che declared, his voice ringing across heaven and earth. "Its order was broken, and so the living world grew unbalanced. To fill the void, it devoured miasma and resentment."
His gaze fell on the figure within the sphere.
"This hound sought to mend that rift, using his powerful soul to sustain the underworld. But the sacrifice is too great. That path cannot stand."
A smile touched his lips.
"For your sake, shrine maiden, I shall appoint him Lord of the Underworld."
Golden light poured from his hand, sinking into the sphere.
At once, a cry echoed through every corner of creation—the mournful wail of a thousand ghosts.
Then, silence.
Under Liu Che's divine radiance, resentment was purified. The twisted underworld lords shed their monstrous forms, returning to their original shapes.
This was no longer a realm choking on poison to survive. Order was reborn.
Souls could once again find peace.
The Great Dog Demon lifted his head within that realm, awe filling his eyes. He bowed deeply, his tribes behind him lowering their heads in worship.
"Thanks be to the god's grace," his voice resounded. "This King shall guard the underworld, and preserve its balance."
"Praise be to the god's gift!"
Even the lords of the underworld, now restored to sanity, knelt as one.
Faith surged like a tide.
Liu Che raised a brow in surprise. The will of the world itself did not resist, but rather yielded.
Because I saved its underworld, it allows my faith to spread…
A wise consciousness indeed.
His heart lightened. His gaze turned toward Xiao Feng.
His high priestess.
Under the weight of his attention, Xiao Feng trembled. She had no wish for herself. She had only one—one so small, so fragile, it shamed her to voice it.
At last, tears stinging her eyes, she whispered:
"Lord God… please, take care of my sister. All her life she gave. All her life, she never once was cared for."
The god's lips curved. What rare, lovely sisters they were.
One gave her soul for the world. The other sought only her sister's joy.
"Such pure hearts," he said. "And you do not regret this?"
"No, Lord," Xiao Feng answered humbly. "This is my only wish."
"Very well. So be it." Liu Che's smile deepened. "Yet as my chief priestess, you deserve more than a single humble boon. Accept this—become a three-star envoy, and take with you a sacred beast as your companion. Spread my power through this world."
Rainbow light descended.
Xiao Feng gasped as her soul blazed, rising higher, brighter. Her strength surged like a tide.
Once, she had merely surpassed the great demons.
Now she stepped into immortality itself.
By her side, light shimmered, coalescing into a dreamlike form—a radiant deer with a coat of iridescent hues. Its eyes shone with wisdom, its hooves sparked with divine fire.
An eight-star sacred beast.
It nuzzled against her, gentle and strong.
Sesshōmaru's jaw tightened as he watched. This ridiculous little deer already eclipsed his power.
What humiliation.
But Liu Che was not done. With a sweep of his hand, he pressed the underworld back into its rightful place. The Tree of Ages shimmered as his gaze passed over it, opening a hidden gate through time itself.
The heavens cleared. The divine light withdrew.
Kikyo's soul ascended in that radiance, carried to the God Realm.
And the world of Inuyasha… was whole once more.
The air grew clear. The land breathed again. Suppressed creatures stirred, lifting their heads in wonder.
Xiao Feng stroked the deer's neck, then turned to the believers beside her.
"You have witnessed his power," she said firmly. "You know now what we must do."
The faithful nodded, voices rising in unison:
"Quell the chaos! Spread the doctrine!"
Xiao Feng's heart warmed. Yes. This is the path.
Elsewhere, Tōtōsai sat outside his cave, still trembling at the memory of the god's descent.
Never had he thought to glimpse his master's soul again.
"How wondrous…" he muttered. "From this day, I'll forge for the gods alone. Perhaps when I die, I too will see my lord once more."
Moments later, Sesshōmaru's shadow fell across him.
The old swordsmith narrowed his eyes. "You still seek Tessaiga?"
"Will you give it?" Sesshōmaru asked coldly.
"The key lies in the black pearl hidden within Inuyasha's eye," Tōtōsai said slowly. "But can you promise not to kill him?"
"Hmph. That fool is unworthy of my blade." Sesshōmaru turned away. Gods had walked this world—why should he trouble himself with petty quarrels?
His father's weapon he would claim, yes. But not to slay his brother. Only to forge anew, to walk forward, to prepare.
For the world was changing.
And soon, unification would come.
God's Domain
Kikyo, bathed in light, found herself standing within the Ziwei Palace. The great hall shimmered with radiance, its marble floor glowing with holy luster.
She blinked, dazed. One breath ago, she had been in her world. Now she stood here.
"Foolish girl," a voice snapped. "The god himself is before you. Kneel!"
An unseen force pressed down. Kikyo dropped to her knees instantly, unable to resist.
A finger lowered, and the pressure eased. Lin Qing'er's calm voice followed: "That is enough."
"Thank you, Lord," Kikyo murmured, bowing again.
At last, her eyes found him.
The Eternal God.
Liu Che.
Her breath caught.
He was impossibly handsome, his gaze steady yet kind. Her cheeks flushed, heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Even knowing, even preparing—she could not help herself. To face a god in the flesh was to be overwhelmed.
"Kikyo," his voice rumbled, warm. "I promised your sister I would watch over you. From this day forth, you are priestess of the Ziwei Palace. Stay by my side."
"Thank you, Lord God," she whispered, trembling.
The Multiverse Chat Group
As always, after a sacrifice came the sharing of records.
This time was no exception.
Ji Se Miko uploaded a video.
[1.4 Sacrifice Ceremony: Bathed in God's Grace]
Messages flowed instantly.
Pursuing All Beings: Incredible! Xiao Feng advanced straight to a three-star envoy. Congratulations!
Chu Dashan: See this? This is true devotion! Look at her—God granted wishes, yet she asked nothing for herself.
Demon Sword Spirit: That's the heart of a true bodhisattva. Complete selflessness.
Greedy Little Fox: Ugh… compared to her, I feel ashamed. All my wishes have been selfish!
Second Li: Same here. But still, that underworld… no wonder this world overflowed with demons and resentment. A broken underworld poisons everything.
Ninth Uncle Demon Slayer: Damn it! While I exhaust myself conquering provinces, she flips her hands and saves a whole world with one sacrifice. Am I the fool here?!
Tanjiro: Told you. You should have tried sacrificing first.
Vampire Queen: Wait—this Eternal Priestess… is that a new class? I just saw the announcement.