"Tsubaki, have you ever regretted leaving?"
Kikyo followed her into the main hall, her gaze resting on Tsubaki, who was lost in memories.
"Because you left, your master's temple fell into this state. Now only two little girls are left to guard it."
"Hmph. I just didn't expect time to pass so quickly."
Tsubaki snapped out of her thoughts and avoided the question, her tone calm.
"From the moment I entered this temple to train under Master, sixty years passed in the blink of an eye."
Kikyo ignored her evasion and continued,
"I think your master must have been waiting for you to return. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hurriedly accepted Momiji and Botan as disciples when he was close to death."
A flicker passed through Tsubaki's eyes. After a moment of silence, she said,
"That's why human lives are so short. Master died early. But for me, who gained demon power, decades leave no trace at all."
"Since you've come back, why not stay?" Kikyo asked softly. "Inherit this temple and train your two junior sisters into proper shrine maidens."
At this moment, only the two of them were in the main hall. Momiji and Botan were showing Retsu around outside. Kikyo brought up her suggestion again.
"Hmph. Do you really think a dark priestess like me would listen to you?"
Tsubaki glanced at her. Hesitation flashed in her eyes, but in the end she spoke firmly.
"Don't dream, Kikyo. I will never stay here."
"Is that so?"
Kikyo looked at her seriously, then sighed.
"I didn't want to disturb that person… but it seems I have no choice."
"Kikyo, what are you planning?"
A strong sense of foreboding rose in Tsubaki's heart. She hurriedly asked.
If her power hadn't been sealed, she would have already run away.
"Nothing special," Kikyo replied calmly. "I'm just going to find someone who can convince you."
"Someone who can convince me?"
Tsubaki looked confused, then sneered.
"No one can. Unless you can bring my dead master back to life."
"Remember what you said," Kikyo replied with a strange look. "Don't go back on it later."
She turned and walked out.
"Come on. Let's go catch something first."
"Wait—are you seriously going to dig up my master?!"
Tsubaki panicked and rushed after her.
"Kikyo, are you crazy?"
"By the way," Kikyo said without answering, "Momiji and Botan mentioned that there's a sealed monster here. Do you know where it is?"
"A sealed demon?"
Tsubaki froze, then realized.
"You mean the Treasure Pagoda?"
"The Treasure Pagoda?" Kikyo stopped and turned to her. "Tell me more."
When Kikyo had visited before, the two girls had mentioned a tower sealing a demon. Their duty was to maintain that seal.
Tsubaki didn't understand Kikyo's intentions, but she had no power to resist and could only answer honestly.
"When I was training under Master, he once took me beneath the tower known as the 'Forbidden Pagoda.' He told me a powerful demon was sealed inside. It was a seal passed down through generations."
She paused, memories flashing in her eyes, then sneered.
"He even said I would inherit the duty of guarding it someday."
"Do you know what kind of demon it is?" Kikyo asked.
"A demon spirit. A ghost," Tsubaki replied. "According to Master, it was sealed more than a hundred years ago. It was extremely powerful."
Then she joked,
"What? Don't tell me you want to release it."
She had only meant it casually.
But Kikyo actually nodded.
"That's right. I plan to release it."
Tsubaki's eyes widened in shock.
"Are you insane?! If you release it, we'll all be killed! If you want to die, don't drag me with you!"
"Relax. Nothing will happen," Kikyo said calmly, turning to find Retsu.
Seeing that Kikyo wasn't joking, Tsubaki truly panicked.
Her powers were sealed. If the demon was released and the others fled, she would be the first to die.
"Kikyo! If you're going to do this, undo my seal first! I'm not dying with you!" she shouted anxiously.
"What?! Lady Kikyo, you're going to release the demon from the Treasure Pagoda?!"
Momiji and Botan's shocked voices rang out.
They stood nearby, clearly having overheard everything.
"No! Absolutely not!" Botan shook her head vigorously.
"Master told us before he died that we must guard the seal at all costs!"
"Don't let that demon escape, no matter what!"
"I can handle it," Retsu said confidently from the side.
"No! We can't let it out!" Momiji insisted.
Seeing how resolute they were, Retsu looked helplessly at Kikyo.
"It was your idea. You deal with them."
"Leave it to me," Kikyo replied with a smile and walked over.
"Lady Kikyo, please don't! It's too dangerous!"
Though they liked Kikyo, they still tried earnestly to dissuade her.
"Master said many priests and shrine maidens died just to seal it back then!"
"Don't worry. There's no danger," Kikyo said gently, rubbing their heads.
"Eh? Why… why can't I move?" Botan suddenly panicked.
"Lady Kikyo, let me go!"
"M-Me too!" Momiji cried. "I can't move either!"
Kikyo smiled and pinched their cheeks lightly.
"Relax. I'll release you after the demon is dealt with."
They tried to speak again, only to find they couldn't even open their mouths.
"Kikyo, this is your way of 'convincing' them?"
Retsu stared at the scene, speechless.
"So now no one's opposing us," Kikyo replied with a mischievous grin, still kneading their cheeks.
"Consider this a lesson. Don't trust strangers so easily. Always stay alert."
"Kikyo, you're just bullying my cute junior sisters," Tsubaki said from the side.
She walked over to Momiji and Botan and put on a pitiful expression.
"She's a fake saint and a bad woman! Don't believe her! If my powers weren't sealed, I'd save you myself!"
Unable to speak, Momiji and Botan could only dart their eyes between Kikyo and Tsubaki.
Their minds were in complete chaos.
Lady Kikyo said Tsubaki was a dark priestess.
But now Lady Kikyo wanted to release a sealed demon and had immobilized them.
No matter how they looked at it, Kikyo seemed more like the real dark priestess right now.
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