Chapter 506. The Underworld Painter
"That description... it's talking about me, right?"
At the resting place, Kagome blinked, and upon realizing the truth, she was instantly overjoyed. If Shirogane Miyuki found her, he might hear her and Inuyasha speak about Naraku and the truth from fifty years ago. If that happened, the current Kikyo probably wouldn't hate Inuyasha so much.
Although Kagome was worried about whether Inuyasha would choose Kikyo over her when the time came, she would rather risk losing her love than watch Inuyasha suffer.
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「After obtaining news of a suspected modern human, Shirogane Miyuki prepared for a while and set out alone.」
「The reason he dared to set out alone was that he no longer had to worry about the small amount of spiritual power in his body attracting other demons.」
「This was all thanks to Jinenji.」
「The flesh and blood of demons possess power; if used correctly, they can be consumed, forged into swords, made into armor, and so on, allowing a person's strength to improve.」
「The more powerful a demon, the more potent the energy and nutrition found in various parts of its body.」
「Normally, humans cannot—and will not—consume demon flesh and blood, even if it could increase their strength, because they would be eroded by the demonic energy. This leads to a shortened lifespan, physical mutations, or even instant death on the spot.」
「But Jinenji was different.」
「He was a half-demon. His blood was more neutralized than that of a pure demon, making it easier to absorb and less harmful.」
「Jinenji himself was willing to cut his own flesh to let his friend become stronger. This intent, fused into the blood, further reduced the erosion.」
「Finally, using his knowledge of herbs and medicine, Jinenji created auxiliary potions. Through these three steps, his blood became a harmless tonic capable of increasing Shirogane Miyuki's spiritual power, allowing Shirogane to improve at a visible rate.」
「Initially, Shirogane Miyuki completely refused to drink Jinenji's blood. However, even if he didn't drink it, Jinenji would still draw his own blood, using this method to express his determination to give his best friend the power of self-preservation.」
「"If you hadn't appeared, it's very easy to imagine how miserable that child's life would have been... Even if it's such a bloody method, the child truly wants to repay you!"」
「Jinenji's heart was moving, and the old mother's persuasion became the final straw. Weighing the options, Shirogane Miyuki steeled his heart and followed Jinenji's wishes.」
「From then on, a radiant, honest, and sunny smile appeared on Jinenji's face.」
「He and his mother moved from their original secluded spot into the village, living harmoniously with the reformed villagers.」
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Kaede, who was in the middle of migrating the village, looked up at this content and let out a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, the ambitious men are currently blinded by the Shikon Jewel shards."
Even if one or two slipped through the cracks and, realizing they couldn't grab a shard, decided to change course to hunt Jinenji, they wouldn't be able to defeat him. If the Shikon Jewel hadn't driven people mad beforehand, there would surely be many warlords leading armies to hunt Jinenji down to make themselves stronger. If the numbers were too great, Jinenji would be doomed; he wasn't strong enough to resist a vast number of soldiers alone.
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「Jinenji was not powerful; he was only slightly stronger than an average demon, and by no means could he be called formidable.」
「Therefore, even by consuming his blood, it was impossible for Shirogane Miyuki to leap forward in strength; for now, he remained at the level of a 'small fry.'」
「However, Shirogane Miyuki still set out alone because, in this world, the vast majority of demons were actually small fry.」
「While the number of powerful demons wasn't small overall, they were rare when spread across the entirety of Japan. If one encountered one, they shouldn't be stubborn—just run away from a distance.」
「Shirogane's safety wasn't a major issue, but the village needed Jinenji's presence. Thus, he convinced Jinenji and departed on his own.」
「...Following the trail of information, Shirogane Miyuki searched along the route. By questioning everyone who had seen that modern person, he built a basic profile.」
「A girl with black hair, wearing a modern school uniform and skirt, riding a bicycle, carrying a school bag and a bow and arrows, always traveling with several companions.」
「A female demon slayer, a lecherous monk, a dog demon, a small child, and a pet.」
「As for their names, he learned most of them because passersby had heard the group calling out to each other.」
「Modern human Higurashi Kagome, slayer Sango, monk Miroku, dog demon Inuyasha, the child Shippo, and the pet Kirara.」
「The more details he learned, the more excited Shirogane Miyuki became. Based on the descriptions of Kagome, he felt she always seemed to pull out various modern tools and didn't seem to possess the gloom or despair of being trapped in the Warring States period.」
「Could it be that she possesses a way to communicate with the modern era?」
「With this expectation, Shirogane Miyuki arrived at a new town. If Higurashi Kagome's group was traveling at a normal speed, they should be right here.」
「Taking a deep breath, just as Shirogane Miyuki was about to begin his final search, his attention was drawn to a certain place.」
「It was a general's manor—the residence of the lord of this territory.」
「"No, I am not some failed painter, I am a hero who slew wandering samurai!"」
「A man was thrown out of the manor. He had clearly lied, trying to fabricate a false identity and fake achievements to become a guest at the general's house, but he had been found out.」
「The guards were furious. How could someone who could slay samurai be so weak and pathetic? "You still want to talk tough? Do you really think we're stupid!"」
「Just as they were raining blows upon the painter with clubs, a princess from the manor appeared and softly instructed: "That's enough, don't overdo it."」
「"Count yourself lucky!"」
「The guards followed her orders and stopped the beating. They simply wrapped the painter in a reed mat and threw him into the turbulent river.」
「Shirogane Miyuki watched the whole thing from the side. He originally didn't want to interfere, but throwing the painter into the river exceeded his limit. He couldn't help but jump into the water to rescue the man.」
「"Pfft, cough... Damn it, I am a warrior, a strong man, an aristocrat, I'm not... Ahhh, I want to marry the princess, such a gentle and beautiful princess, I love her, I love her, Hahaha!"」
「Upon being saved, the painter's first reaction was neither to thank his savior nor to celebrate his survival. Instead, he laughed toward the sky, falling into his own delusions and desires.」
PS: The "Underworld Painter" is from Episode 17 of the Inuyasha anime.
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