Since Shiori took the initiative to speak up, Hikari decided to drop the formalities.
After taking the Blood Coral Jewel from the half-demon girl, she started asking about how to use it.
"Well…" Shiori, being young and not the best with words, struggled to explain clearly despite being the jewel's original owner.
Kikyo stepped in, listening patiently before translating for Hikari. "This artifact needs the demonic energy of the Hyakki Bat Clan to activate it. The stronger the demonic energy you pour in, the tougher the barrier it creates."
"Even though Shiori's a half-demon, her demonic energy is top-tier," Kikyo continued. "That's why, even at her age, she can produce barriers as strong as her father's."
According to the official Inuyasha guidebook, Shiori's demonic energy was rated five stars—on par with Sesshomaru and a whole tier above Inuyasha, a fellow half-demon with the Great Dog General as his father. If Shiori weren't so gentle by nature, she might've been the most powerful half-demon of her era.
"Miss Hikari, you absorbed Taiyumaru's demonic energy earlier, so you should be able to use the Blood Coral Jewel now," Kikyo explained. "You might not be able to push it to its full potential, but Shiori says there's another way…"
Kikyo paused mid-sentence.
Shiori, meanwhile, picked up a long sword from the ground and sliced her wrist.
"?!" Hikari's eyes widened.
As Shiori held her bleeding wrist over the Blood Coral Jewel, it glowed brilliantly, radiating a vivid crimson light.
The glow lasted for dozens of seconds before slowly fading. Shiori's face had gone pale, clearly drained, but she gritted her teeth and held on.
"That's enough," Kikyo said quickly, pulling herbs and bandages from her satchel to dress Shiori's wound. Turning to Hikari, she added, "Shiori used her blood as a medium to infuse her demonic energy into the jewel, breaking its restrictions. Now you should be able to wield its power as freely as she does."
"It can work like that?" Hikari asked, skeptical.
She pulled out a Senzu Bean and handed it to Shiori. "Eat this."
Gulp.
After swallowing the bean, Shiori's wrist healed instantly, and some color returned to her face.
Kikyo raised an eyebrow, glancing back. "Is that the same thing you gave me last time? I didn't realize it had such an impressive healing effect. Shame it doesn't work on this clay body of mine. You wasted one on me."
"No such thing as a waste," Hikari said with a smile, brushing it off. "I've got a decent stockpile of these."
Thanks to her wish-granted regenerative abilities, Hikari rarely needed Senzu Beans for herself. The ones she'd given to Kikyo, Shiori, and others barely dented her supply.
Once she confirmed Shiori was okay, Hikari picked up the Blood Coral Jewel and gave it a try.
With a trickle of demonic energy, a faint reddish barrier spread outward, stretching over a hundred meters before stopping.
"Shiori says you can control the barrier's size with your mind," Kikyo relayed. "The smaller it is, the stronger it gets. At its max, it can cover a sphere about a kilometer in diameter. Oh, and if there's someone inside the barrier you don't like, you can forcibly eject them."
"Got it," Hikari said, experimenting a few more times. She was getting the hang of it.
She planned to test the barrier's defensive limits later. For now, it felt like it was somewhere between 70% and three-to-five times the strength of the Four Violet Flames Formation, depending on its size.
Unlike the Four Violet Flames, which needed four people and a complex setup, the Blood Coral Jewel's barrier was a breeze to use. Just a bit of demonic energy, and it activated instantly, adjustable with a thought. Perfect for home or travel.
With that settled, Hikari's group took a short break before boarding a larger helicopter Bulma pulled out, taking Shiori and her mother along as they headed toward Maple Village.
Having seen the flying Hyakki Bat Clan, Shiori and her mother weren't too shocked by the helicopter, assuming it was some kind of special mount.
During the flight, Shiori pressed her face against the window, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Is Maple Village up ahead, Miss Kikyo?" Bulma asked, piloting without turning around.
"That's right," Kikyo confirmed after a quick glance.
A few minutes later, the helicopter landed gently at the edge of the village.
The group hopped out, and after Bulma stored the helicopter in a universal capsule, Kikyo led them into Maple Village.
Villagers had already noticed their arrival and informed the village elder, Grandma Kaede.
Seeing her sister again, Kaede's expression was a mix of emotions. But Kikyo seemed at peace, casually greeting her before explaining Shiori and her mother's situation and introducing Hikari and Bulma.
Just then, a commotion broke out nearby.
Inuyasha's group had returned to the village, rowdy as ever.
Spotting Kikyo, Inuyasha's eyes lit up. "Kikyo, you're back?!"
Hikari and Bulma exchanged a glance.
The shrine maiden looked at Inuyasha quietly, then gave a soft, serene smile. "Yeah, it's been a while."
Since it was a rare reunion, both groups settled in at Kaede's house to catch up on their Shikon Jewel shard hunts.
During the conversation, Inuyasha's eyes kept drifting toward Kikyo. At 200 years old, the guy was still a kid at heart, his feelings plain as day. And Kagome, the 15-year-old schoolgirl, couldn't hide her crush on Inuyasha either—not from Hikari and Bulma, who knew the story's ins and outs.
Still…
"Let Kikyo handle it," Hikari thought. "She's probably already made up her mind."
While Kikyo purified some Shikon Jewel shards, Hikari pulled Inuyasha and Kagome aside to ask about Totosai and Ryukotsusei.
"You mean old man Totosai? We ran into him not long ago. He's usually…" Inuyasha trailed off. "Wait, who's Ryukotsusei?"
"Never mind," Hikari said, waving it off. Then, her curiosity got the better of her as she eyed Inuyasha's fluffy dog ears. "This might be a weird request, but… can I touch your ears?"
"?"
Under Inuyasha's baffled stare, Hikari reached out, rubbing his soft ears and giving them a gentle tug. "Nice. They feel pretty real."
"??" Inuyasha bared his fangs, bristling. "What do you mean, 'pretty real'? Are you mocking me for being a half-demon?!"
"…Aren't you being a bit too sensitive?" Hikari shot back.
After a day and a half in Maple Village, Hikari's group set off again.
This time, she finally found Ryukotsusei.
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