Kikyo stepped forward toward the cave entrance, but just as she was about to cross the threshold, she felt resistance.
A faint shimmer rippled in the air.
She raised her hand slightly.
"This is… a barrier."
The invisible wall was not aggressive, but it was firm—like standing before a calm but immovable current of spiritual power.
"Yes," the leader of the Demon Slayers confirmed. "A powerful barrier protects this place. It prevents those who should not enter from stepping inside."
Myoga, still perched on Kikyo's shoulder, blinked in surprise.
"Then how is it lifted? Is there an incantation passed down in your village?"
The leader shook his head slowly.
"There is no incantation. This cave… is a tomb."
"A tomb?!" Myoga yelped.
"Yes," the leader continued solemnly. "The one who created the Shikon Jewel did not wish for just anyone to approach her resting place. However… Lady Kikyo, you should be able to enter."
Kikyo did not hesitate.
She stepped forward again.
This time, the barrier did not resist her. It parted gently, like mist before sunlight.
But Myoga—
"Waaah!"
He was flung backward instantly, bouncing off the unseen barrier and tumbling to the ground outside.
"Why am I rejected?!" he cried indignantly, brushing dust from his tiny body.
The leader answered calmly, "This barrier rejects those with malice, greed, or selfish desire for the Shikon Jewel. It allows only those who carry pure goodwill and compassion to pass."
He stepped forward and entered without difficulty.
Kikyo glanced back briefly at Myoga, then continued inward.
Lie stood outside the barrier for a moment.
To be honest, he did not consider himself particularly compassionate toward humanity. He was not here out of noble ideals. He was curious. Observant. Calculating.
Still—
He stepped forward.
To his quiet surprise, the barrier did not stop him.
It parted just as it had for Kikyo.
He paused briefly inside the threshold.
Strange.
But he did not dwell on it.
Instead, he followed the leader and Kikyo deeper into the cave.
---
The interior of the limestone cavern was dark and damp.
Water dripped rhythmically from the ceiling.
Drip.
Drip.
Each sound echoed softly through the hollow space.
The air smelled ancient—like stone, moisture, and something long decayed.
As they walked deeper, the ground beneath their feet grew uneven.
Bones.
Fragments of skulls.
Claws.
Broken fangs.
The remains of countless demons littered the path. Occasionally, a step would produce a faint crack as old bones crumbled beneath their weight.
The further they went, the older the remains appeared.
Time itself seemed frozen here.
Finally, they reached the deepest chamber.
A beam of light pierced through a crack in the cave ceiling, illuminating the scene ahead.
Kikyo stopped.
Lie's eyes narrowed.
Before them stood a horrifying yet awe-inspiring sight—
A mountain formed from the corpses of enormous demons.
Oni.
Dragons.
Tsuchigumo.
Countless monstrous forms fused together, overlapping, devouring one another even in death.
At the very top of this grotesque mountain—
A woman.
She wore ancient armor.
Her upper body was visible, upright and resolute.
Her lower body was fused into the mass of demon remains.
Both she and the demons were encased in thick layers of mineral deposits and stalactite formations. It looked less like a corpse and more like an ancient statue carved by time itself.
Lie recognized her immediately.
Midoriko.
The priestess whose battle created the Shikon Jewel.
The leader's voice echoed in the cavern.
"These are the marks of a war from centuries ago. Countless demons united… just to kill a single human."
Kikyo's gaze remained fixed on the armored figure.
"That woman… devoured by demons. She is the one?"
"Yes," the leader nodded. "She was a priestess from hundreds of years ago. The creator of the Shikon Jewel."
He stepped forward slightly.
"In those days, war and famine devastated the land. Countless corpses lay unburied. Demons fed upon them and grew in number and strength. Humanity was weakening."
"Many monks and warriors fought them. Among them, Priestess Midoriko was the strongest exorcist of her time."
Kikyo's expression shifted slightly.
"She could extract and purify the souls of demons…"
She murmured softly, "The power of the Four Souls…"
Lie glanced at her.
Kikyo continued, as if recalling ancient doctrine.
"All things in existence are formed by four souls—Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. Courage. Love. Wisdom. Affection."
"When balanced, they form a pure heart."
"When tilted toward darkness… they become evil spirits."
Her eyes sharpened.
"That is the nature of the Shikon Jewel."
The leader nodded.
"To demons, Midoriko was a nightmare. She purified their souls, stripping them of power. So they united."
Lie asked calmly, "And they besieged her here?"
"Yes. They attacked her together. She fought for seven days and seven nights."
The leader pointed toward the armored figure's chest.
There was a large, hollow cavity there.
"In the end, her strength failed. As demons devoured her body, she used her final power."
He lowered his voice.
"She extracted the souls of every demon present—and fused them with her own."
Kikyo stepped forward slightly, staring at the hole in Midoriko's chest.
"And she expelled that combined soul from her body."
"Yes," the leader confirmed.
"That expelled mass became the Shikon Jewel."
Silence filled the cavern.
"Because her strength was exhausted, she could not purify the fused souls. Thus, within the Shikon Jewel, Midoriko's soul and the demon souls continue to battle endlessly."
An eternal struggle.
A prison of conflict.
Kikyo clasped her hands before her chest.
"What a powerful priestess…"
Her voice carried deep respect.
Lie remained silent.
So the jewel was not merely a source of power.
It was a battlefield.
A war that never ended.
---
After a long moment, they turned and left the cavern.
Outside, the air felt lighter.
Myoga, who had been anxiously pacing near the entrance, immediately leaped onto Kikyo's shoulder.
"Miss Kikyo! What did you discover? What is the truth of the Shikon Jewel?"
Kikyo paused briefly.
"Yes," she said quietly. "We know now."
But she said nothing more.
As they walked back toward the village, Myoga fidgeted nervously.
He wanted to ask again.
He desperately wanted to know.
But Kikyo's expression was calm and unreadable.
In the end—
He did not dare press further.
Behind them, the cave remained silent.
Inside—
Midoriko's body stood frozen in eternal struggle.
And somewhere far away—
Naraku would surely feel it.
The origin of the Shikon Jewel had been revealed.
And with that knowledge—
The next thread of fate had tightened.**