"Who are you calling a perverted monk? Don't talk nonsense. I am the most upright person there is." Miroku hurriedly formed a Buddha seal with his hands and cast a solemn glance at Inuyasha. Despite his serious expression, it was obvious that he didn't truly care about the insult implied by Inuyasha's words.
"Then yesterday, in the fishing village," Inuyasha continued leisurely, "what color were the underpants of that pretty girl you mentioned?"
"White... I have no idea!" Miroku almost blurted out the answer instinctively, but fortunately, he reacted in time and hastily corrected himself. His face stiffened for a moment.
After a brief pause, Miroku coughed lightly, turned his gaze toward Inuyasha, and decisively changed the subject. "I heard Sensei say that as long as you're willing to guarantee there will be no trouble for the next few years, you'll be free to come and go as you please afterward."
"I'll think about it carefully," Inuyasha replied lazily, stretching his arms. "After all, I'm usually very busy~!"
Once he confirmed he could truly walk freely, Inuyasha finally relaxed. He straightened his posture abruptly, suddenly aware that he had revealed too much emotion. Forcing himself to suppress the excitement and joy swelling in his chest, he carefully restored the arrogant, aloof expression he often wore.
"You bastard, why are you pretending to be calm in front of us?" Seeing Inuyasha clearly wanting to laugh but desperately holding it back, Miyatsu, who had just swallowed a mouthful of food, burst into laughter. He choked mid-laugh and began coughing violently.
They all knew Inuyasha far too well. How could they not understand that if it weren't for his stubborn pride, he would already be jumping around with happiness?
"Quick, wine monk, give me a sip!"
"Who are you calling a wine monk?!" Miyatsu scolded him with a grin but still tossed the wine gourd over without hesitation.
The fiery liquid slid down Inuyasha's throat. Along with the familiar warmth and joy, a faint sense of confusion about the future quietly crept into his heart. Over the past few years, he had grown accustomed to life at the base, and had even begun to love this place without realizing it.
As a half-demon, Inuyasha had once been rejected by both the demon realm and the human world, despised and excluded by both sides. Yet here, he had gained respect and recognition for the first time. If he truly became free one day… where would he go?
Lost in thought, Inuyasha lifted the gourd and took another deep sip.
Time moved on, and the future arrived. After a long stretch of unending drizzle, not only did the rainfall fail to weaken, it grew heavier still. The mist shrouding the heavens and earth showed no sign of dispersing; instead, it thickened into a gray veil.
"That's the G.D.I. base," said one of the figures on the high mountain. Three figures, clad in coir raincoats and bamboo hats, stood beneath a towering tree, gazing toward the distant city. A faint trace of greed flickered in their eyes.
They were Naraku, Onigumo, and Rasetsu, three notorious figures who had traveled far to reach this place. After a grueling journey, they had finally arrived at the outskirts of Jiuxia.
"As expected, it's truly prosperous," Rasetsu licked his chapped lips, eyes lingering on the city hidden beneath the rain. His gaze was filled with astonishment.
He had never seen such a city before. Steel buildings soared tens of meters into the sky, forming a dense forest of metal. Strange vehicles, beyond the understanding of ordinary people and utterly out of place for this era, moved ceaselessly through the streets.
But after only a few seconds, the shock in his eyes shifted into naked greed, like a jackal eyeing prey it couldn't wait to devour. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and turned to the person beside him.
"So, what should we do now?"
"You know as well as I do how tightly the place is guarded," he continued. "It won't be easy for just the three of us to stir up trouble inside."
Before Naraku could reply, Onigumo shook his head, staring at the towering structures shrouded in rain.
"The G.D.I. is even more heavily defended than I imagined." After the previous failed assault by the monster army, the city's defenses had become far stricter.
"With people like us, making waves here would be nearly impossible."
"But if we can stir enough chaos," Rasetsu suddenly interjected with a smile, "it could give us an opportunity. We just need to muddy this pool until it's impossible to see the bottom."
Stuffing a piece of dried food into his mouth, Onigumo leaned lazily against the tree. A cunning gleam flashed in his eyes. On the way here, he had already been devising plans for infiltration and action once inside. Strategy was his strength, and he had long since formulated a fairly reliable approach.
"Since you already have a plan, I won't worry," Rasetsu said, nodding in satisfaction as he glanced behind him.
Behind them stood dozens of vicious bandits, their faces feral, weapons at the ready, still carrying the scent of blood. Wherever they went, burning, killing, looting, they left chaos in their wake. These men had been gathered along the journey.
Many of them, however, were inexperienced youths who had only recently become bandits. They lacked real combat experience. It had been suggested to bring them along as expendable bait, cannon fodder to draw attention and chaos.
Naturally, these nameless thieves had no idea. Instead, they excitedly believed they would accomplish great feats alongside powerful figures. Having cooperated with him for many years, they admired his scheming mind.
"Before we act," Naraku said, straightening his posture and removing the bamboo hat, "we need to scout the enemy first."
He gazed toward the base, a rare seriousness in his eyes. Though confident in his plan, he couldn't fully settle his heart without investigating himself. That place exceeded his expectations.
And besides, there was someone there he desperately wanted to meet, Kikyō. The woman from the portrait was an image he couldn't forget. No matter the cost, he needed to see her.
"We've known each other for almost four years now." On a tall building, Kikyō and Tsubaki stood side by side, watching the heavy rain cascade from the sky.
Tsubaki's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. "I still remember the first time I saw you, back when you were just a shy little girl."
"Why did you suddenly bring this up?" Kikyō asked, turning to look at her in surprise.
When they went on missions together, it wasn't uncommon for them to stand like this and talk. But in the beginning, things had been very different. When they first started working together, they were cold and distant, like icebergs that refused to melt. Silence often filled the space between them.
Yet over time, as missions piled up and trust grew, that distance quietly dissolved. Unknowingly, they had become who they were now.