"He… he's the Yokai I just saw—it was him!" Miss Tsuyu, terrified, immediately shrank into Amari Nobunaga's arms, clinging tightly to him, her voice filled with fear.
Suddenly embraced by the young woman he admired, Amari Nobunaga's face instantly turned red. The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and he chuckled foolishly: "To be considered so reliable by Miss Tsuyu… I have no regrets in my life now!"
"Boring."
Seeing Amari Nobunaga's behavior, Inuyasha snorted in disdain and turned his gaze toward Uchiha Kagase. "Hey, where is the lord of this castle?"
"First of all, I have a name. I'm not called 'Hey.'" Uchiha Kagase raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly irritated. "Second, before asking others a question, shouldn't you introduce yourself?"
"Sorry, sorry!" Kagome quickly stepped out from behind Inuyasha and smiled apologetically at Uchiha Kagase. "My name is Kagome—Higurashi Kagome—and he is Inuyasha."
Then, pointing to the small flea Yokai that looked like an old man on Inuyasha's shoulder, she said, "This is Myōga." Then she pointed at Amari Nobunaga, who was still grinning foolishly. "And this is Amari Nobunaga."
After introducing everyone, Kagome asked curiously, "Mr. Kagase, what exactly happened to the lord of this castle?"
"That lord possessed by the Yokai? I already killed him," Uchiha Kagase stated bluntly.
He raised his hand and pointed toward the door. "His body is buried in the open space of the front courtyard. I buried it just today, so it shouldn't smell yet. If you want to find it, I can help you dig it up."
"Uh… No need, no need!" Kagome's expression froze instantly, and she waved her hand with an awkward laugh, silently complaining to herself: This guy talks way too directly!
"My husband… my husband is already dead?" Miss Tsuyu, hidden in Nobunaga's arms, heard these words. Her eyes reddened as she asked in a choked voice.
"Yes, he had been possessed by a Yokai for too long—there was no way to save him," Uchiha Kagase said lightly.
He did not tell the whole truth; since the man was already dead, the lord could not rise from the ground to refute him. "I cut off his head with a single strike, which can also be considered a form of release."
Miss Tsuyu lowered her head, her tone sorrowful. "My husband's appearance had become very strange. Not long after our marriage, he suddenly collapsed near the pond in the courtyard, and then had a high fever for several days.
From that moment on, he was like a completely different person. Every movement of his exuded something strange, as if he had turned into another living being."
"Alright, Myōga." Kagase suddenly remembered the three girls in his Kamui Dimension, and his gaze fell on Myōga on Inuyasha's shoulder. "You've lived for so long, you must be very experienced. I have a question for you."
"Hm? Me?" Myōga was startled at being addressed, then asked curiously, "What is it?"
"Kamui!"
Uchiha Kagase's eyes instantly transformed into a scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan. A second later, the space in front of him began to swirl, and three unconscious girls slowly emerged from the vortex, landing gently on the floor.
Everyone in the room was stunned by the scene, staring in shock at the Sharingan glowing red in the dim light and the three girls emerging from the spatial vortex.
"I-Is this… an alternate dimension?" Kagome, coming from the future, immediately thought of abilities involving alternate dimensions seen in anime and novels and exclaimed.
"The one who possessed the lord was a Toad Yokai."
Uchiha Kagase ignored everyone's shock, pointed at the three girls on the ground, and said to Myōga:
"I found a large number of enormous egg sacs in the castle's hidden room, all filled with young girls kidnapped by the lord of this territory. Most of the girls woke up after being rescued, but these three show no reaction no matter how much I try to wake them."
After explaining the situation, he looked at Myōga and asked, "Is there a way to save them?"
Myōga jumped onto one of the girl's cheeks and examined her carefully, then leaned down to sniff. His expression gradually darkened. "That Toad Yokai should be a type of demon called a Tsukumo Toad. It traps girls inside eggs and eats them after their souls have 'matured.'"
He sighed, his voice heavy. "The souls of these girls have already been devoured by the demon. Their bodies are still alive, but their souls have dissolved. In a few days, their bodies will die as well. There is nothing that can be done to save them."
"In other words, right now they are just 'living corpses,' correct?" Uchiha Kagase nodded, understanding in his heart.
He took out a money pouch from his ninja tool bag and walked over to Kagome, placing it directly into her hand. "In the room on the west side of the castle, there are other girls I saved—some were just captured, others were freed from the demon's egg sacs. Please help me take them home; this money is your reward."
"Why does Kagome have to help you take them home?!" Kagome still held the money pouch, confused by the situation, while Inuyasha grumbled impatiently, "We still have things to do!"
"My current appearance isn't very convenient," Uchiha Kagase explained, pointing at the cracks on his face.
After thinking for a moment, he took out a Shikon Jewel fragment from his ninja tool bag and held it between his fingers. The pink light was especially noticeable in the dark room. "Also, as an extra reward, I'll give you this. What do you think?"
"A Shikon Jewel fragment!" Kagome was about to return the money, but when she saw the fragment in his hand, she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
Then she looked in surprise at Uchiha Kagase's ninja tool bag, from which several faint pink lights were emanating. "You actually have so many Shikon Jewel fragments with you?"
"What?!" Inuyasha instantly became energized upon hearing "Shikon Jewel." He stepped forward and pointed at Uchiha Kagase's ninja tool bag. "Hey! We'll help you take those girls home, and you'll give us all the fragments!"
"No, only this one." Uchiha Kagase shook his head and refused without hesitation. "I still need the others; I can only give you this one."
"Bastard!" Inuyasha's face darkened. He blocked Kagome and slightly raised Tessaiga. "I noticed it from the beginning—you're not a living person! What exactly are you trying to do by collecting so many Shikon Jewel fragments? Are you trying to resurrect yourself using its power?!"
"You may look like an idiot at first glance, but deep down you're actually quite smart," Uchiha Kagase said sharply, spinning the Shikon Jewel fragment between his fingers.
Using Shikon Jewel fragments to attract demons could also be considered a way of utilizing the power of the Shikon Jewel.
"Bastard! Give me the Shikon Jewel!"
Hearing his words, Inuyasha forcefully drew Tessaiga. The blade shone with white demonic power, transforming from its worn state into a majestic fang-like sword, pointing it at Uchiha Kagase as he spoke.