"He… he's the demon I saw earlier!"
Ruji trembled as she shrank deeper into Amari Nobunaga's embrace, clutching him tightly. Her entire body was shaking, and her voice was filled with fear.
Being suddenly hugged by the woman he admired, Nobunaga's face turned bright red. His mouth stretched into a foolish grin.
"To be relied upon by Lady Ruji like this… even if I die now, I have no regrets!"
"Boring."
Hearing that, Inuyasha snorted in disgust and ignored the lovestruck samurai. His golden eyes locked onto Uchiha Lie again.
"Hey. Where did the lord of this castle go?"
Uchiha Lie raised an eyebrow slightly.
"First of all, I have a name. It isn't 'Hey.'" His tone carried faint annoyance. "Second, shouldn't you introduce yourselves before asking questions?"
Kagome quickly stepped forward, sensing the tension rising.
"Sorry! Sorry!" she said with a nervous smile. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. This is Inuyasha."
She pointed gently toward the tiny flea demon perched nearby.
"And this is Grandpa Myoga. And he—" she gestured toward the still-grinning Nobunaga—"is Amari Nobunaga."
After finishing the introductions, Kagome looked back at Uchiha Lie.
"Mr. Lie… what exactly happened to the lord here?"
"The demon-possessed lord?" Uchiha Lie replied calmly. "I killed him."
The words fell flat and direct.
He pointed toward the courtyard outside.
"I buried his body in the open space in the front yard. It was done today, so it shouldn't smell yet. If you want to see him, I can dig him up."
Kagome froze.
"Ah—no! No need!" she waved her hands quickly, forcing a dry laugh.
Inside, she was screaming: Why is he so blunt?!
Ruji's body stiffened in Nobunaga's arms.
"My husband… is he truly dead?" she asked softly, her voice trembling.
"Yes," Uchiha Lie replied without hesitation. "He was possessed for too long. There was no saving him."
He did not mention everything. There was no reason to hurt her further.
"I cut off his head in one strike. You could say I freed him."
Ruji lowered her head. Tears filled her eyes.
"After I married into the family… he changed," she whispered. "One day he collapsed near the pond. He burned with fever for days. When he woke up… he wasn't the same. His movements were strange. His eyes felt empty. It was as if another creature lived inside him."
Silence filled the room.
The oil lamp flickered softly.
---
A Sudden Question
Uchiha Lie suddenly shifted his gaze.
"Myoga."
The old flea demon blinked in surprise.
"Me?"
"You've lived for a long time," Uchiha Lie continued calmly. "You must know many things. I have a question."
Myoga puffed his chest slightly.
"Well… that's true. What is it?"
Without answering immediately, Uchiha Lie's eyes suddenly changed.
The grayish-black faded.
In their place bloomed a deep crimson pattern—the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The dim room glowed red for a moment.
"Kamui."
Space twisted violently before him.
A swirling vortex opened in midair.
Everyone stepped back instinctively.
From the vortex, three unconscious girls slowly emerged, floating gently before landing on the floor.
The room fell completely silent.
Kagome's eyes widened.
"Is… is that another dimension?"
She came from the future. She had seen enough fantasy stories to recognize what she was witnessing.
Ignoring their shock, Uchiha Lie spoke calmly.
"The lord was possessed by a Toad Demon. In a hidden room, I found giant egg sacs. They were filled with kidnapped girls."
He pointed at the three unconscious girls.
"Most of them woke up after I broke the eggs. But these three won't respond."
His gaze fell on Myoga.
"Can they be saved?"
Myoga hopped onto one girl's cheek and inspected closely. He sniffed carefully.
His expression darkened.
"That demon… was likely a Tsukumo-gama," he said slowly. "A toad demon that traps young girls in eggs. It lets them 'ripen'… then devours their souls."
He sighed.
"These girls' souls have already been eaten. Their bodies are still alive… but without souls, they will soon die. There is no way to save them."
The weight of those words filled the room.
"In other words," Uchiha Lie said quietly, "they are living corpses."
Myoga nodded silently.
Kagome felt her chest tighten.
Inuyasha clenched his jaw.
---
The Proposal
Without another word, Uchiha Lie took out a small pouch of coins and walked toward Kagome.
He placed it directly into her hands.
"In the west wing of the castle, there are other girls I rescued. Some were captured recently. Others were freed from eggs. Please help send them home."
He looked at her steadily.
"Consider that your payment."
Kagome blinked in confusion, holding the pouch.
Before she could speak, Inuyasha crossed his arms irritably.
"Why should Kagome help you? We've got our own business!"
Uchiha Lie calmly pointed to the cracks on his face.
"In my current state, it is inconvenient for me to appear publicly."
He paused for a moment.
Then he reached into his pouch again.
This time, a soft pink glow illuminated the room.
A shard of the Shikon Jewel rested between his fingers.
Its light shimmered beautifully in the darkness.
"How about this… as additional compensation?"
Kagome's breath caught.
"A shard of the Shikon Jewel…"
Her eyes sparkled instinctively.
Then she noticed something else.
From Uchiha Lie's pouch, several faint pink glows were visible.
"You… you have more than one shard?"
"What?!"
Inuyasha immediately perked up.
He stepped forward and pointed at the pouch.
"If we send the girls back, give us all the shards!"
"No," Uchiha Lie replied without hesitation. "Only this one."
He shook his head firmly.
"I have use for the others."
Inuyasha's expression darkened.
"You bastard…"
He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Kagome.
From the beginning, he had felt something strange.
"You're not alive," Inuyasha said sharply. "Why are you collecting Shikon Jewel shards? Trying to use their power to revive yourself?"
Uchiha Lie smirked faintly.
"You may look foolish… but you're sharp."
He twirled the shard between his fingers.
"Something like that."
Technically, he was not lying. The shards were useful to him—but not for the reason Inuyasha imagined.
That answer was enough.
Inuyasha's grip tightened.
"You bastard! Hand over the Shikon Jewel!"
With a powerful motion, he drew Tessaiga fully.
White demonic energy surged along the blade.
The rusted appearance vanished.
The sword transformed into its massive, majestic form.
The air in the room trembled.
Kagome gasped.
Ruji clung to Nobunaga in fear.
The glowing blade pointed directly at Uchiha Lie.
And yet—
Uchiha Lie did not move.
His crimson Sharingan spun slowly in the dim light.
For a brief moment, silence reigned between them.
This was no longer just a conversation.
It was the beginning of a clash between two powerful beings—both walking the thin line between human and demon.