Chapter 501. Prejudice and Salvation
"—"
At their resting place, Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango all turned their heads in unison to look at Higurashi Kagome, leaving her stunned. "W-what is it?"
"No, I was just thinking... could it be that people from five hundred years in the future are all as kind-hearted as Lady Higurashi?"
Though he was occasionally indecent, at this moment, Monk Miroku's praise stemmed from genuine yearning. The reason he chose to travel with Inuyasha and Higurashi to collect the Shikon Jewel shards was partly due to a twist of fate, but also because in this Warring States period—where villains were everywhere—finding teammates who were such "good people" was incredibly difficult, almost unheard of.
Furthermore, both people from five hundred years in the future, Higurashi Kagome and Shirogane Miyuki, possessed courage, kindness, and excellent moral values. It was impossible for him not to long for the prosperity of five hundred years later.
"That's not necessarily true; there are actually all sorts of bad people... well, but it is indeed much better than this era. At least back then, ordinary residents weren't as ignorant as they are now."
Higurashi sighed. Seeing the treatment Jinenji received reminded her that Inuyasha must have had a very difficult time as a child, and she couldn't help but look at him with pitying eyes.
Inuyasha, occasionally a bit tsundere, crossed his arms and pretended not to care as he turned away... but then, he still couldn't help but be drawn in by the "future." He wanted to see Shirogane Miyuki succeed; he wanted to see Jinenji's treatment improve. If Jinenji, a fellow half-demon, could live happily with the help of a human, he too could find some peace and no longer be bound by his unfortunate childhood.
"Do your best... Shirogane Miyuki!"
Inuyasha was far from the only one cheering for Shirogane Miyuki. Hikigaya Hachiman, Kousaka Kyousuke, Izumi Masamune, Oreki Houtarou, Julius, and others—sincere people who were "the real thing" and just as kind as Shirogane—all whispered their blessings from their hearts.
"You have the scent of a demon on you."
During dinner, Kikyo pointed out this fact. Therefore, Shirogane Miyuki didn't hide anything and explained the situation regarding Jinenji and his own thoughts to her.
Kikyo's expression suddenly turned cold for a moment. In a voice filled with immense resentment, she whispered to herself: "Half-demon..."
This... could it be that a half-demon once made her suffer a great loss?
Shirogane Miyuki's heart skipped a beat. It was hard for him to imagine what kind of deep-seated hatred could cause the elegant, orchid-like, and serene Kikyo to reveal such a look of bitter resentment.
The priestess looked at him and said plainly, "I will not hinder you. I know very well that demons and half-demons are not inherently evil."
"No, while I care about that too, I actually..." Shirogane stammered, ultimately failing to ask about Kikyo's past. Given their current relationship, he didn't have the right to pry into such private matters.
"...Shirogane Miyuki."
Beneath the trees, feeling the souls delivered by the Soul-Collectors into her body, Kikyo's health gradually restored. She looked toward the "future" with a touch of admiration amidst her indifference. She then stood up and left the scene. Because of the exposure of the future, many demons or ambitious humans would surely come here looking for her, and Inuyasha would likely be among them.
And right now, she had absolutely no desire to see Inuyasha.
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Regarding how to change a group's prejudice toward an individual, Shirogane Miyuki had a good idea of what to do, as his senior—the "Great Teacher" Hikigaya Hachiman—had already demonstrated it for him.
First, he announced he would teach the village children to read and write for free. In this era, this was a massive favor, allowing him to win over the people's hearts. Only after this did he let the villagers discover that he was actually associating with Jinenji, and that their relationship was gradually deepening.
The villagers were furious but dared not speak out. They didn't want their children to lose the opportunity to learn literacy, so they couldn't be forceful with Shirogane Miyuki. Instead, they resorted to roundabout hints that it would be best for him to stay away from the half-demon.
Shirogane Miyuki remained unmoved.
While the adults' attitudes hadn't changed much during this period, the children—taught by Shirogane's personal example and possessing immature worldviews—gradually lost their prejudice against Jinenji.
At that time, everything was going well... until a few days ago, when the recovered Kikyo suddenly mentioned she sensed an aura of demonic energy nearby. She left the village briefly to exorcise the demon.
After her departure, the village crops were damaged every night, and eventually, people began to be eaten. The villagers were terrified.
"It must be Jinenji! Yes! Something happens as soon as the Priestess leaves; it's definitely him!"
Having already harbored immense prejudice against Jinenji, the villagers—driven by fear—shouted as they grabbed their hoes and formed a mob to hunt him down.
"I swear on my honor that Jinenji did not do this! If he wanted to eat people, couldn't he have done so long before Lady Kikyo and I arrived?"
Shirogane Miyuki tried to block them, but unfortunately, under the threat of death, the villagers had lost their reason. They knocked him unconscious and threw him into a warehouse.
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"—Did, did we...?"
In the village, seeing themselves knock out the sincere Shirogane Miyuki, the villagers felt a pang of guilt and looked at each other. Through the broadcast, they had all seen Shirogane's sincerity, as well as a Jinenji who appeared clumsy, completely non-threatening, and seemingly trustworthy when interacting with him.
That prejudice against Jinenji had, unknowingly, partially melted away.
As everyone struggled with these feelings, the Village Chief's eyes suddenly widened as he pointed at the screen of light in the sky: "Look! Look at that!"
It was the children.
The children taught by Shirogane Miyuki had sneaked into the warehouse to untie him. Before Shirogane could even manage a smile, cold sweat began to roll down his forehead from fear.
A snake—a massive python—was slithering through the village. Given its size, it was clearly the culprit behind the recent man-eating incidents. Now that the village adults were away, it appeared brazenly to devour the children.
Shirogane Miyuki's hands and feet went cold with fear. In this scene, he once again recalled the past when he first entered Shuchiin; he had seen someone falling into the water, yet was so terrified he couldn't move.
However, today was different from the past.
"Having witnessed Hikigaya's heroic spirit in saving people... to become a man worthy of Shinomiya, I will no longer be paralyzed by fear!"
Gritting his teeth and bursting forth with his own courage, Shirogane Miyuki led the small children, cautiously running in the direction of Jinenji's thatched hut.
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