At this time, Kagetsu and the monk he had awakened earlier were sitting in a room inside a village that hadn't suffered too much damage.
"You mean you guessed these monsters would attack the village because you were tracking a terrifying evil aura?" Kagetsu looked at the monk, who had just recovered his strength, raising an eyebrow slightly. His tone carried a hint of inquiry, serious and calm.
"Exactly," the monk replied, his eyes still shadowed with lingering fear. His expression was solemn. "Not long ago, I suddenly sensed an unprecedentedly terrifying evil aura moving from afar, sweeping across the skies of this region. That aura was so massive it attracted countless surrounding monsters. That's why nearby villages have been attacked recently."
"In which direction did the aura go?" Kagetsu's heart stirred. His thoughts immediately went to the missing Naraku, and his eyes sharpened as he asked.
The monk did not hesitate, pointing decisively toward the northeast. His tone was helpless. "It went that way, but I don't know its exact destination. At the same time, the monsters drawn by the aura began frantically attacking the villages, so I had to abandon pursuit and protect the villagers instead."
"I understand. You should rest now." Having obtained the key information, Kagetsu asked no further questions and began to stand.
"Lord!" Just as he was about to leave, the monk's voice carried a hint of awe and hesitation. "Are you… really a god?"
"No, that's just what the villagers say," Kagetsu replied calmly, a trace of helplessness in his tone. Then he turned and left.
Whoever had spread the rumor didn't matter. The surviving villagers unanimously believed he was an incarnation of a nearby Mountain God who had taken human form to slay demons and exorcise evil, saving the village from the monster attack.
Kagetsu could not help but be speechless,but he understood it. In a world where gods like the Mountain God and River God truly existed, it was only natural for a man who had casually created a forest with Wood Release and annihilated monsters to be regarded as a deity.
He did not bother to explain. After all, he would soon return to Kikyo.
Yet, being summoned by Yuriko this time had worked in his favor. He had long suspected that Naraku might be hiding at Mount Hakurei, reshaping his body as in the original plot,but the exact location of Mount Hakurei was unknown. The plot only indicated that Naraku had moved toward the Ushitora direction,the northeast,but offered no specifics. Now, thanks to Yuriko's plaque, he had gained Naraku's approximate whereabouts.
Kagetsu quickly found Yuriko, who was repairing her house with her husband, and casually tossed her a new plaque. "I got some useful information this time, so take this as a thank-you gift. The usage is the same as before."
He had prepared many such plaques, all originally for Kikyo. Kikyo usually carried one, containing both the summoning technique and the Flying Thunder God mark. However, making these plaques was tedious, so she rarely used them. If she needed him quickly, she would use the wooden Kunai he had given her. The Kunai, engraved with the Flying Thunder God mark alone, allowed him to arrive instantly, but the plaque was necessary for places unreachable by that technique,like the Demon's Graveyard, an alternate dimension at the boundary between the Mortal World and the Underworld.
Yuriko's husband glimpsed the plaque, a flash of envy in his eyes. Yet he dared not covet it, fearful of angering this "god" and losing his life. He bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Lord, for your life-saving grace!"
"It's nothing," Kagetsu replied, waving his hand.
When first summoned via the plaque, he hadn't even noticed Yuriko's husband, thinking he had perished in the monster attack. Later he learned that the men of the village had taken positions at the outskirts with weapons and farm tools, while Yuriko, Little Chrysanthemum, the elderly, and the weak were protected in the village center. Yuriko's husband had been lucky,he had suffered only minor injuries.
Yuriko clutched the plaque tightly, excitement radiating from her face. If not for this plaque, her village would have been annihilated. She had thought she would never receive another, yet here she held one once more. Bowing deeply, she said, "Thank you, Lord! It is our honor to be of help to you!"
Kagetsu glanced around and did not see Little Chrysanthemum, assuming she had gone to play with other children. Though he could not say goodbye to the innocent girl, he spoke to Yuriko.
"Things here are finished; I should go."
"Is the Lord leaving already? We haven't even had a chance to host you properly…" Yuriko hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay.
"No need. You still have to rebuild the village, so I won't disturb you," he interrupted. Before his voice faded, the summoning technique activated, and he vanished instantly.
"You're back? What happened?"
As Kagetsu returned to his original location, he heard Kikyo's voice. She crouched by the campfire, carefully turning grilled fish skewered on wooden sticks. The faint smoke softened her profile, and when she looked up at him, curiosity shone in her eyes.
They were in an open space by a small river. On the Wood Release table Kagetsu had previously created, various foods were already laid out. Clearly, during his absence, Kikyo had prepared the meal. Earlier, after clearing surrounding monsters, he had suggested a picnic. Who would have thought that just as everything was ready, he would be summoned away by Yuriko's plaque.
"The small village where I stayed when I first came to this world,I left behind an item that could summon me. Just now, the village was attacked by monsters, so I was called over," he explained simply, picking up a grilled fish and taking a hearty bite.
"Is it the village from the time of your resurrection?" Kikyo asked, placing another fish on a plate, surprise in her eyes.
"Yes. A large number of monsters attacked the village," he replied while chewing.
"A large number of monsters?" Kikyo paused mid-chew, her instincts as a demon slayer instantly alert. Her brow furrowed. "Is there something special about the village? Or did a shard of the Shikon Jewel appear there?"
Kagetsu noticed her enjoying the dried food on the table,a delicacy she had brought back from the mountains. Curious about its taste, he sampled a piece, savoring its unique texture.
While chewing, he added, "According to the demon-slaying monk who came to the village, an extremely terrifying evil aura passed nearby some time ago. These monsters were all drawn by it."
"A terrifying evil aura?" Kikyo's expression stiffened. She almost forgot to chew, her gaze sharpening. "Is it… Naraku?"