Chapter 21. The In-Between
Humans had fared pretty well after the demons had gone to sleep. Wars ensued as always. New inventions were created, sciences and learning advanced, they traveled and explored unknown places, settling all over inhabitable areas, making better modes of transportation and communication. Eventually, electricity, light bulbs, cars, and so on and so forth were being used.
As for the demons, everyone who lived at the time was confused and believed they had disappeared. Humans continued telling their stories about demons and they were known throughout the world but after three hundred years or less, in the early 1800's, humans had deemed demons illogical and only myth, stories to entertain and the results of old beliefs.
As for Sango and Miroku's family, they continued living, the only ones left to tell the story of what truly happened, the only ones who knew for sure that demons existed and were living proof that fantasies could become real.
Sango and Miroku watched over the castle as they had promised and the barrier stayed up.
Yuuko and Muro finished their training until they had nothing more to be taught. Muro, who had harbored a secret crush for the handsome Lord Daichi, had become a bit depressed and it took a long time for her to find a husband that she truly loved. He became immortal like her just as the spell was set to do and she told him of her life story and the stories she had heard of the family she had served. She had moved to England where she met him, a man with brown hair and brown eyes that differed from her sleek dark brunette hair and green eyes. Muro had a daughter with the man in the late 1700's, whose name was Ellen. She was taught everything her mother knew about being a demon slayer priestess and history, writing in kanji, dancing, how to speak Japanese, art, and cooking, cleaning, sewing, and serving tea. She went to an English school to learn about math and science and how to speak and write in English. Ellen took her time finding a husband for she immigrated from England to America a few years after her training was complete. Muro had drawn many elaborate pictures and portraits of the demons she had grown up with and the things in her ancient culture. She gave these pictures to Ellen and Yuuko so he could give it to his children as well for when they told stories and when the time came for the family they served came back, they could recognize them. Ellen finally found a man to love and marry in the 1980's at around 280-years-old but appearing to look 20. She had a girl and a boy in the 1990's while living in Mississippi before moving once more with her new family to Washington state. She had yet to tell her children the truth.
Yuuko, though, did not wait long to find a woman. He may not have shown it, but he was quite the lecher like his father. He was just more of a gentleman about it rather than grabbing a pretty girl's butt or asking that she bare his children. His mother had made sure of that. He moved to the continent into China, learned Chinese, and married a young pretty Chinese girl. This was only around ten years after the demons had vanished. His new wife had known of demons and seen them but was only a child at the time and did not understand what had happened. His descendants went all over the world, learning different languages but still passing on the family tradition and responsibility of remembering the past for when the time comes that the past catches up with them. There were slayers all over Asia, Europe, a couple in Africa, some in South America, quite a few in North America in the states, and even a few in Australia. None except Sango and Miroku were left in Japan, though.
Rin had been right about demon slayers, monks, and priestesses. Since they were no longer needed to kill the demons and protect the humans, others stopped practicing it. Slayers were completely gone (aside from the immortals), monks did not have the same abilities they had as before and would work in churches or shrines. Priestesses became nuns. Priests became more popular, especially in Europe and the Americas. Fighting at its best was sloppy for humans had always been given a special strength with that magic that had encompassed the world but that magic was now gone as people gave up and the demons were absent from there. Prayers were used for enlightenment and peace. Purification only went as far as holy water.
And yet, with the world seemingly relieved of its unearthly troubles, only new, even worse ones arose. Pollution increased by a large amount because of new technology and discoveries in science, like plastic and nuclear waste. Wildlife and forests were being cleared away for new human settlements and buildings for there was no demon to stop them from destroying their homes. Greed and overpopulation overcame many into expending many resources in the lands. People became crude and disrespectful to others. Justice was being overlooked for personal profit.
The world as the knew it, only became worse.