"Don't you plan to resurrect your Lord anymore?"
A trace of surprise crossed Kagetsu's face as he listened to Shunran.
From what he remembered, the Leopard Cat Tribe had once clashed fiercely with the Dog Tribe in order to revive their Lord,only to be betrayed by that very same Lord after his resurrection. That disaster had forced them to abandon the idea entirely.
But this change of attitude… it felt far too sudden.
He didn't believe for a second that Natsuarashi could have talked their elder sister into giving up.
At his question, a sly glint flashed through Shunran's eyes.
She suddenly leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing against his ear.
At such proximity, Kagetsu could clearly catch the faint scent of grass and flowers clinging to her,like a soft breeze in early spring.
"Big Sister wasn't willing to give up at first," Shunran whispered conspiratorially. "So she secretly snuck into those mutts' territory to search for Shikon Jewel shards. But she got tricked by a demon named Naraku."
Lowering her voice further, she continued, "That Naraku tampered with the shard he gave her. When our Lord was revived, he immediately went berserk,turned into a monster that only knew how to slaughter. He even tried to devour our demonic power."
As she spoke, she pressed a hand to her chest, her expression still tinged with lingering fear.
"We were almost killed by him. If Big Sister hadn't been prepared and forcibly removed the shard from the corpse, we wouldn't have made it out alive."
Her expression suddenly turned serious as she pointed a warning finger at him.
"Big Sister is in a terrible mood right now after being played by Naraku. She doesn't want anyone to know about this. So you must keep it a secret. Whatever you do, don't let her find out I told you!"
"Don't worry," Kagetsu replied solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. "I won't say a word."
Watching Shunran spill everything while acting so serious about secrecy, he nearly laughed,but managed to hold it in.
"I knew you were reliable!" Shunran beamed, patting his arm.
Her demonic power had recovered somewhat by now. She raised her hand and pointed ahead.
"Come on,help me find a proper burial site for our Lord!"
"Alright."
Kagetsu nodded and fell into step beside her.
Truth be told, he was quite curious about this place.
From what he remembered, there was a gateway in the human world that led here, guarded by the statues of Gozu and Mezu. Interestingly, that gateway was located in a region also called the Land of Fire,though unlike the shinobi world, it had no hidden village like Konoha.
As they moved forward, he observed their surroundings.
Aside from the ever-present mist, the occasional skeletal monsters, and the scattered remains of massive demons, the place was surprisingly similar to the living world.
There was sunlight overhead, a blue sky, drifting white clouds. The air was breathable. Trees grew thick and green, weeds sprouted stubbornly from the soil, and from time to time, he even spotted ordinary animals.
Following behind Shunran, Kagetsu had no idea where she was heading.
But Shunran clearly knew the terrain well. She moved nimbly through the heaps of bones, weaving between giant remains with practiced ease. As demons, the Leopard Cat Tribe evidently possessed inherited knowledge of this graveyard.
Boom!
Another skeleton demon lunged toward them.
A skeletal phantom flickered in Kagetsu's eyes as Susanoo manifested for an instant,
A massive fist slammed down and crushed the creature into fragments.
Watching the chakra construct fade, Shunran couldn't help but laugh.
"Your technique really suits this place," she teased. "Both of you are giant skeletons!"
Kagetsu smirked. She wasn't wrong,the visual match was almost perfect.
Kicking aside a large bone, he asked, "If I remember correctly, you specialize in illusions. That's not exactly effective against things like these. Why come alone? Where are Natsuarashi and the others?"
"They couldn't come. So it had to be me."
Shunran rounded a massive stone pillar and continued along a river at the mountain's base.
"Big Sister has to stay behind and watch over our Lord's body. Ever since the shard was removed, something's been wrong with it. A strange, evil aura keeps lingering. She's worried something might happen."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Natsuarashi and Akiarashi were injured when the Lord went berserk. They're still recovering back home."
"Natsuarashi's injured?" Kagetsu asked. "Is it serious?"
"It's fine," Shunran said, shaking her head. "We demons recover quickly as long as we're alive."
Then her tone shifted,and what she said next left him momentarily speechless.
"Actually, she wasn't badly hurt at first. She's fast, after all. But after we subdued the berserk Lord, Naraku showed up. He'd been hiding nearby, waiting for us to exhaust ourselves. Then he snatched the Shikon Jewel shard back."
Her eyes flashed with irritation.
"He'd been playing Big Sister from the start."
"And then Natsuarashi mocked her?" Kagetsu guessed immediately.
"Exactly!" Shunran burst into laughter. "Big Sister was already furious, and Natsuarashi just had to rub it in,saying she got tricked because she didn't listen."
She shook her head, still amused.
"She got beaten so badly she ended up more injured than Akiarashi."
"…She had it coming."
Kagetsu's lips twitched.
If it were him, he wouldn't have held back either. Some things just weren't meant to be said out loud.
Shunran, at least, had the sense to laugh behind her sister's back.
"Still," he continued, "couldn't you wait until they recovered? Isn't it too dangerous to come here alone?"
"I don't have that luxury."
Shunran shook her head.
"The failed resurrection caused a problem. Our Lord's body is starting to turn into a demon. We have to bring it here before that happens completely."
She smiled lightly.
"Besides, if things get dangerous, I have a way to leave immediately. It's just that the gems needed to enter this place are rare. We don't have many left, so leaving halfway would be a waste."
She glanced at him with a grin.
"That's why I tried summoning you. I didn't think it would actually work."
"I see."
Kagetsu nodded thoughtfully.
He recalled that in the original story, the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye served as a key to this place,something crafted by the demon Hōsenki.
"By the way," he asked, "you said your Lord's corpse is turning into a demon. What exactly does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like," Shunran replied. Seeing his confusion, she pointed ahead.
"Like that."
From behind a massive boulder, a skeleton demon clad in broken armor leapt out, crimson flames blazing in its eye sockets as it charged toward them.
Kagetsu raised a hand and crushed it with a single punch.
"…You're saying these things are former demon corpses?" he asked.
"Yes," Shunran nodded. "When powerful demons die, the demonic energy left behind can give birth to new creatures under certain conditions. Most of them lose all reason,they're nothing but killing machines."
"I've heard something like that before…"
Kagetsu recalled Kikyo mentioning the need to properly dispose of demon remains.
"Then what does that have to do with bringing your Lord's body here in such a hurry?"
"Simple," Shunran said matter-of-factly. "If a corpse turns into a demon, it becomes a mindless monster. That's a problem in the living world."
She gestured around them.
"But if we bring it here before that happens, then even if it transforms, it'll be trapped in this graveyard. It won't be able to leave,so it won't cause any trouble."
"…So basically," Kagetsu said slowly, "you're dumping it here so it becomes someone else's problem?"
Shunran blinked, then nodded without hesitation.
"Exactly."
Kagetsu fell silent.
It was crude. Blunt. Almost absurd.
…and yet, in its own way, perfectly logical.