Just as Inuyasha and the others stood stunned, Myoga suddenly leapt off Kirara and landed squarely on Inuyasha's face, immediately taking a deep gulp of blood.
"Ahh! How I've missed you, Young Master Inuyasha!" he cried happily.
Slap!
A sharp sound echoed as Inuyasha flattened Myoga with a single strike, his expression twitching in annoyance.
"…Myoga."
"Why are you here?" Kagome asked, staring at the paper-thin Myoga lying in Inuyasha's palm, her face filled with confusion.
"Wait—you two know each other?" Miroku interjected, clearly curious.
---
Afterward, Inuyasha and the others finished burying the villagers.
Myoga then explained why he had come:
"This is the hidden village of the Demon Slayers. For generations, its people have made slaying yokai their duty. But… I didn't expect Uchiha Kasage's prediction to be correct—that the yokai would attack at this exact time."
"Uchiha Kasage?" Inuyasha and Kagome both reacted in surprise.
"Yes. Yesterday, he and Kikyo came here to investigate the origin of the Shikon Jewel. They also took a shard from the village."
"Kikyo… she was here too?" Inuyasha immediately asked, his voice tightening.
Kagome glanced at him briefly, noticing the change in his tone, but said nothing.
Instead, she turned back to Myoga.
"Myoga, did they find out why the Shikon Jewel was created? And… did they really take the shard?"
Overwhelmed by their questions, Myoga quickly raised his tiny hands.
"Please, one at a time! Young Master Inuyasha, I'll explain everything."
"Then hurry," Inuyasha said bluntly.
---
"Well…" Myoga began, steadying himself. "Recently, I've been investigating the Shikon Jewel. Something about it has always felt… wrong. Anyone connected to it seems destined for tragedy."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"So I followed the rumors… and they led me here."
Inuyasha frowned impatiently.
"What about Kikyo?"
"…Right, right!" Myoga nodded quickly. "Yesterday, some unexpected guests arrived. When I secretly followed them, I discovered it was Lady Kikyo… and with her was that unusual man—Uchiha Kasage."
"Kikyo… and Kasage together?" Kagome murmured, unable to hide her surprise. "So they really came for the Shikon Jewel…"
"That's correct," Myoga replied. "From what I overheard, fifty years ago, a Demon Slayer entrusted the Shikon Jewel to Kikyo, and she became responsible for purifying it."
"So that's why she came back," Kagome said softly.
"To learn the truth behind its origin," Myoga confirmed.
---
"I see…" Inuyasha muttered, his gaze lowering slightly. "So Kikyo got the Shikon Jewel from here… No wonder she became its guardian priestess."
Kagome looked around the ruined village, then back at Myoga.
"Then this really is where the Shikon Jewel was born? Do you know how it happened?"
"Yes," Myoga said with a nod. "There is a cave near the village—a stalactite cave. That is where the jewel was first discovered. However…"
"Take us there," Inuyasha interrupted immediately, grabbing Myoga.
"R-right away!" Myoga squeaked, quickly jumping onto Kagome's shoulder as he guided them forward.
---
"Myoga," Miroku suddenly spoke, his tone thoughtful, "there should still be survivors, correct?"
"Yes," Myoga replied. "The Demon Slayers who went to the city are still away, and the elderly, women, and children are hiding in that cave."
"Eh? How did you figure that out?" Shippō asked.
"When we buried the dead," Miroku explained calmly, "only able-bodied men were present. The others were missing. It's only logical they hid somewhere safe."
Myoga nodded.
"Before Kikyo and Uchiha Kasage left, they warned the village chief that many yokai were gathering nearby. The villagers have hunted yokai for generations—they've built deep grudges. So after the chief departed for the city, everyone unable to fight took shelter in the cave."
He hesitated, worry creeping into his voice.
"But… all the strongest fighters left the village. That was when it was most vulnerable… I can't help but worry about those who went to the city."
---
Miroku glanced ahead.
"With so many people hiding there, aren't they afraid the yokai might break in?"
"They won't," Myoga said firmly. "Yokai cannot enter that cave."
"Can't enter?" Inuyasha frowned. "Why not?"
At that moment, Myoga pointed ahead.
"We're here."
---
Without waiting, Inuyasha rushed forward.
"Wait—Young Master Inuyasha!" Myoga shouted.
"What now?" Inuyasha snapped, not slowing down.
The moment he crossed the cave's threshold—
"Gah—!"
A powerful, invisible Barrier flared to life, violently repelling him. He was thrown backward and crashed hard onto the ground.
Myoga sighed.
"This cave is protected by a very strong Barrier. You can't just walk in."
"You could've said that sooner!" Inuyasha growled, pushing himself up and glaring at him.
---
"So that's why the villagers are hiding here," Miroku said, observing the shimmering Barrier. "With this protection, the yokai cannot enter."
"Exactly," Kagome added quietly. "It's their only safe place…"
She stepped closer, studying the Barrier.
"Myoga… do you know how to remove it?"
"I do," Myoga admitted, looking uneasy. "But… it's better not to enter right now."
"Why?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Because of the people inside," Miroku answered before Myoga could speak.
Myoga nodded.
"The village was just attacked. If strangers suddenly break in, it could cause panic… or worse."
---
Inuyasha clicked his tongue in frustration.
"So what, we just sit here?"
Miroku folded his arms calmly.
"We wait. Either the villagers come out… or the Demon Slayers return."
"…Tch. What a pain," Inuyasha muttered.
He sat down on a nearby rock, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the cave entrance—impatient, restless… and quietly troubled.