Uchiha Retsu closed his eyes, sensing the flow of natural energy around him.
Suddenly, several unfamiliar presences entered his perception.
One was pure and warm—spiritual power belonging to a shrine maiden.
Another was demonic aura.
But unlike the demons he had encountered before, whose power was purely demonic, this one carried a distinct trace of human presence within it.
"So this is a half-demon," he realized. "No wonder other demons can immediately tell Inuyasha is one. That human scent mixed into his aura is far too obvious."
He opened his eyes and rose to his feet, lighting the oil lamp in the room.
The dim yellow glow pushed back the darkness.
He walked to Ruki's side and lightly tapped her forehead.
"Release."
Her brows twitched slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision focused.
First, she saw the faint lamplight—
Then she saw him.
A pale face marked with long, jagged cracks. Gray-black eyes that carried no warmth of the living.
An unmistakable aura of death.
"Ahhh—!"
Her terrified scream shattered the silence.
Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.
Retsu blinked, then let out a helpless chuckle.
Just as he was about to wake her again, several approaching footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Clearly, her scream had drawn Inuyasha's group.
He stopped and returned to his seat in the corner, waiting calmly.
A few minutes earlier, outside the castle.
Inuyasha, Kagome, Myōga, and a visibly anxious Amari Nobunaga had slipped into the castle under cover of night.
But once inside, they discovered something strange.
Samurai. Soldiers. Servants.
Every single one of them was asleep.
"Inuyasha-sama, be careful! These people have been put under a demonic spell!" Myōga, the flea demon, clung to Inuyasha's shoulder with a grave expression.
"Lady Ruki! Lady Ruki! Where are you?!" Nobunaga called out anxiously as he searched.
"Is it really smart to shout like that?" Kagome muttered. "What if we attract the demon?"
"Who cares?" Inuyasha sniffed the air, his dog ears twitching. "Everyone's already asleep. If we make enough noise, maybe the demon will come to us."
The moment he finished speaking—
Ruki's scream rang out from deeper within the castle.
"That was Lady Ruki!" Nobunaga's face changed instantly.
"Kagome, something's happening. Follow me!"
Inuyasha's ears shot upright as he dashed toward the sound.
"Hey! Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome hurried after him, with Nobunaga close behind and Myōga clinging desperately to Inuyasha's Fire-Rat Robe.
They turned a corner.
Ahead, a room glowed faintly.
The door stood open.
Dim lamplight spilled onto the corridor floor, casting a long streak of light. A shadowy figure could be seen inside.
"Careful," Inuyasha muttered, nose twitching as he drew Tessaiga. "There's someone strange in there. Smells like demon… and like a corpse."
He stepped forward cautiously.
Kagome followed close behind, gripping her bow nervously.
"Come in. I mean no harm."
A calm male voice echoed from within.
Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a glance.
Before Kagome could warn him about traps, Inuyasha had already strode inside.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome sighed and rushed after him.
The moment she entered, Kagome shrank behind Inuyasha.
The man sitting in the corner looked… wrong.
He wore a dark-blue outfit unlike anything from this era.
More unsettling was his body.
Cracks covered both his skin and clothing, like a porcelain doll about to shatter.
And his eyes—
The whites were gray-black. His pupils held a dull, lifeless hue.
Under the lamplight, he looked chillingly unnatural.
"Lady Ruki!"
Nobunaga, entering last, immediately spotted her lying on the floor and rushed forward—
Only to be yanked back by the collar by Inuyasha.
"Don't move!" Inuyasha held Tessaiga defensively, staring at Retsu. "Who are you? The lord of this castle?"
"My name is Uchiha Retsu," he replied calmly as he stood. "I'm not the lord. I discovered that the castle's lord was possessed by a demon and ordering his soldiers to abduct girls from nearby villages. So I stopped by to take a look."
His gaze swept across Inuyasha and Kagome.
This was his first time seeing the protagonists in person.
The boy standing in front—
Long silver hair. Two furry dog ears atop his head.
Wearing the iconic red Fire-Rat Robe.
The sword in his hand must be Tessaiga.
Retsu sighed inwardly.
What a pity he wasn't a white-haired, animal-eared loli. That would've been perfect.
Behind him stood the girl with long black hair.
She wore a sailor-style school uniform completely out of place in this era—white blouse with green pleated skirt.
Fair skin. Bright eyes.
Youthful and vibrant.
Higurashi Kagome, the girl from the future.
"The woman on the floor—I found her here," Retsu said, gesturing toward Ruki. "If you know her, wake her up."
He stepped aside deliberately to show he meant no harm.
"I've already released the spell on her. She just fainted again after seeing me."
Kagome watched him retreat.
Still wary—but rescuing Ruki came first.
"Inuyasha, bring Lady Ruki over."
"Got it."
For once, Inuyasha didn't argue.
"Don't move," he warned the others before stepping forward.
He kept his eyes locked on Retsu the entire time as he picked Ruki up and quickly retreated to Kagome and Nobunaga's side.
Retsu simply watched without moving.
"Lady Ruki! Lady Ruki!"
Nobunaga held her anxiously, calling her name again and again.
Finally, she stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, still dazed.
"Lady!" Nobunaga exclaimed.
"Nobunaga? Why are you here?" she asked weakly.
Then her expression changed.
"I just saw… a demon! Nobunaga, did you see it?"
"Lady Ruki, I'm not a demon," a calm voice spoke from nearby.
Ruki looked toward the sound.
It was the same man she had seen earlier.
He stood not far away, watching her quietly.