Kagetsu's eyes flashed scarlet.
Three tomoe spun into place.
The instant the Toad Demon's slimy tongue shot toward him, he ducked sharply, the foul wind grazing past his cheek.
At the same time, his hand moved.
Steel rang as he drew the samurai sword at his waist. Wind Release chakra surged along the blade, wrapping it in a sharp, howling aura.
With a violent flick of his wrist, he hurled it forward.
Shhk,!
The blade tore through the air like a streak of white lightning.
It grazed the Toad Demon's cheek, Wind Release chakra carving deep into flesh,so deep that bone showed beneath the split skin. Dark red blood sprayed outward.
The sword embedded itself into the wall behind the demon with a heavy thud.
The Toad Demon recoiled, eyes flicking toward the blade in lingering fear. Then it sneered, about to mock him,
When Kagetsu vanished.
"Flying Thunder God."
In the next instant, he appeared beside the embedded sword, hand closing precisely around the hilt.
Wind Release chakra flared several times stronger than before, roaring along the blade's edge.
He twisted his wrist.
And brought it down.
Slash,!
The demon's grotesque head flew into the air.
Blood erupted like a fountain.
Its bloated body collapsed heavily to the floor. The severed head rolled aside, bandages unraveling to reveal bulging, resentful eyes frozen in disbelief.
Silence fell.
Kagetsu crouched and retrieved a Shikon Jewel shard from the corpse.
The moment the shard left the body, demonic energy began to dissipate rapidly. The monstrous form shrank and withered,
Until only an ordinary human corpse remained.
The lord of this castle.
"Damn," Kagetsu muttered, slapping his forehead lightly. "I forgot to harvest the life force."
He looked down at the body.
"Your fault for being too weak. Dead in one strike."
He was about to bury the corpse when something caught his eye.
The sword at the lord's waist.
He drew it.
Cold steel gleamed. The blade was finely crafted,far superior to the battered weapon he'd been using.
"A decent trophy."
Satisfied, he secured the new sword at his waist.
Then he pressed both palms to the floor.
"Earth Release."
The soil churned and rose, swallowing the corpse whole before smoothing flat once more. No trace remained.
"Now… the girls."
Chakra gathered at his feet.
He leapt upward, moving swiftly across rooftops and courtyards toward the location where he had sensed them earKagetsur.
Soon, he arrived at a secluded room.
Inside lay dozens of girls,the ones escorted here earlier. All were asleep under his genjutsu. The demon hadn't yet touched them.
Good.
He left them undisturbed and turned toward another concealed chamber nearby.
The moment he pushed open the hidden door, a strange, sickly-sweet stench drifted out.
Inside,
Massive translucent spheres filled the room.
They resembled enormous toad eggs, clinging to one another and covering the walls.
And within each sphere,
Was a woman.
Curled, suspended.
"Toad eggs."
He exhaled slowly.
Such a feeble demon… yet it had harmed so many.
This world truly survived only because priestesses and monks still stood between humanity and extinction.
According to the story, the demon would wait until the souls of the girls "matured" before devouring them.
What that meant, he didn't know.
Nor how long they had already been trapped here.
He could only act.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Bang!
Nine identical clones appeared beside him.
"Get them out. Carefully."
Steel flashed.
They sliced open the gelatinous sacs one by one.
Most of the girls inside were pale and frail. Some regained consciousness after being freed, blinking in confusion. Others remained unconscious, breathing faintly.
Nearly half an hour later, every egg had been cut open.
The conscious girls were brought back to the previous room and gently placed down. Kagetsu reapplied genjutsu to let them sleep peacefully.
When the castle staff awoke, chaos would erupt. Better the girls remain unaware until it is all over.
Finally, he returned to the secret chamber.
Three girls still lay on the floor.
Breathing.
Heartbeat steady.
But unresponsive.
Their eyes were empty.
Hollow.
"…Their souls have already been consumed."
His gaze darkened.
This was why he had killed the lord outright instead of simply forcing the demon out.
The lord had not been entirely innocent.
When first possessed, his consciousness had remained intact. Even later, a strong blow could restore clarity temporarily.
As a ruler, he must have known.
He must have understood that priests and miko could perform exorcisms.
Yet he sought no help.
Instead, he cooperated,offering up girls from his own domain.
Whether driven by greed, fear of death, or sheer cowardice, it made no difference.
He had chosen.
And he had paid.
Otherwise, what justice would there be for the girls he personally delivered to death?
Kagetsu's eyes shifted again.
Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed.
"Kamui."
Space distorted into a spiraling vortex, swallowing the three soulless girls into the Kamui dimension.
"When Inuyasha arrives… I'll ask Myōga whether there's any way to restore them."
He cast one last look around the ruined chamber,the torn egg sacs, viscous liquid dripping along the walls, the lingering sickly scent.
Then he turned and left.
He returned to the lord's chambers.
The door slid open with a soft scrape.
A pink figure lay on the floor.
A young woman in a pale pink kimono, a red haori draped over her shoulders. Her features were delicate and refined.
Ruji.
The newly married lady of the castle.
"She really is beautiful," Kagetsu muttered quietly. "Shame she married the wrong man."
He crouched, adjusting her position so she lay properly on her back. Finding a quilt nearby, he covered her gently.
Then he moved to a shadowed corner of the room and sat down.
Waiting.
In the original timeline, Inuyasha and the others had arrived at night.
Whether it would be tonight, he wasn't certain.
If not, he would release the genjutsu at dawn and leave.
Outside, the sky darkened gradually.
Night settled over the castle.
The silence was heavy,broken only by the distant hum of insects.
And within that stillness, Kagetsu waited for the protagonists to arrive.