Chapter 26:
Feeling the uneasy atmosphere, Kaede quickly tried to disperse it.
"Setting that aside, onmyoji tricks are really good, because you don't need to consider using all the cuts...unless you want to learn the bonus part."
"And that would be…?" Arisa asked quietly.
"The use of shikigami. They can act as your messenger or you partner-in-crime. They will obey and protect you, as long as your contract with them does not falter."
"Is it hard to learn as well?"
"Not really. When you master the nine cuts, you can summon yourself a shikigami. But you will need a sacred object for that, like sutras."
"I see…I think the messenger type will be useful." She said with a small smile.
"Well then, let's start your training."
"Okay…!"
Kaede asked some of the village hunters' assistance as they went to an area where demons were constantly lurking.
Arisa felt nervous as they drew near the said area.
"Don't worry. The demons here are manageable. We'll be there to back you up." Kaede said, comforting her.
Slowly, they entered the forest, and upon their entry, demons of different categories and appearances welcomed them.
"Kaede-san…! How am I supposed to know if they are weak or not…?" Arisa asked as she stepped back, trembling a little.
"You can use your ability to sense. If they don't release any dark aura, you can use one of the first two cuts, or both. If they release a light aura, use the three cuts. But if they exude darker ones but not that close compared to Naraku's as what you have previously seen, then you should use the five cuts. But don't forget to take note of harmless demons. Usually, they don't emit any aura at all."
"Alright…"
She started focusing, and soon, she could see that most of them release light auras. She then chose to target the weaker ones first. She began to chant the symbols, together with imploring its hand signs.
"Rin, Kyo!"
A wave of pure light came out of her palms, and the demons which were at close range were purified in an instant, vanishing like glitters of light.
"That's wonderful, Arisa! Keep going!" Kaede called out, and she continued battling the weaker ones. She quickly sensed the others that had lighter aura coming for her from behind, and faced them.
"Rin, Kyo, To!"
A slightly bigger wave of pure and pearly white glow came out and the demons which sneakily attacked her disappeared.
The demons who were flocking the forest were now gone, and the forest looked like it had never been occupied by demons.
"It seems you have purified the forest as well. The gloomy energy all over it has been erased." Kaede said with a smile.
"I…I did it, Kaede-san!" Arisa exclaimed, holding both the old woman's hands; her eyes beaming with gratitude.
"I'm sure that you can extend the coverage of your power. With just a little more training, you can defeat demons even at a distance."
"That would really be great…!"
"Yes, but you still need to be careful."
"Yes, I will."
Little did they know that a wretched bug was watching them, hidden among the trees. Once it was done gathering information, it flew off, going back to its owner.
They returned to the village by dusk, and as soon as Kaede and Arisa reached the hut, they were welcomed by a familiar group.
"Arisa…is that you?" Kagome greeted.
Arisa's eyes widened in surprise.
"K-Kagome!" she greeted back and quickly went and hugged her. The young priestess hugged her back.
"What brought you here?"
"Oh, so many things happened." She said, smiling a little.
"Keh, so it's you again." Inuyasha said, snorting.
"Come on, Inuyasha. It has been a while and you still treat me like that?"
"But of course. You awfully reek of Sesshomaru's scent!"
"So you're still travelling with Sesshomaru…?" Miroku asked, a little surprised.
"Yes…actually, I was with him before I came here to see Kaede."
"But are you okay, being with him and all?" the woman with the bone-like weapon asked.
Arisa gazed at her for a while.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I am Sango, by the way. And this little one here is my cat, Kirara."
"They both joined us several days after that incident with the same goal of killing Naraku and completing the sacred jewel shards." Kagome inserted.
"Oh, I see. Sorry about that, Sango. I am Arisa. And yes, I am fine with accompanying Sesshomaru. At least, I managed to." She said with a short laugh.
"…well, if you ever find trouble being with him, you can always come to us." Kagome sincerely said.
"Kagome…!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled, and she only glared at him.
"Seriously…chill out, Inuyasha." Arisa said, trying to calm him down.
With that, she started sharing her story and her purpose as to why she came to visit Kaede. All of them were astonished, as Kaede eventually explained her situation.
"So you're more of a healer… but now you're an onmyoji as well…" Kagome commented.
"Doesn't look like it…right?" Arisa replied, chuckling nervously.
"Of course! You're clothes do not match with…"
Arisa cleared her throat. "Well, I am sorry about that…!"
"Inuyasha…sit." Kagome said, her tone a bit annoyed. Immediately, the half-demon's face slammed on the floor.
"He never learns." Sango commented, while Miroku nodded in disappointment.
Arisa laughed inwardly, and she could tell how fun and comfortable they are with each other. She then noticed the subtle, careful movements Inuyasha had been making, and she couldn't help but be a little curious about it.
"Are you wounded, Inuyasha?"
He winced. "H-how'd you know about that!?"
"It's more of an honest observation…"
"Yes…it's true, Arisa. We battled Goshinki and unfortunately, he was badly wounded and Tetsusaiga broke. That's why we forced him to rest for now and look for Totosai tomorrow, to fix his sword." Kagome explained.
"I see… I can heal you, if you want."
"Don't bother. I'll be fine in no time." he quickly protested.
"Are you really sure?"
"Yes, I am!"
Kagome then went beside him and offered to check on his wound. In no time at all, he gave in, his face flushing pink a little.
"Why didn't you just tell me that it's Kagome you want?" she said, making the aforementioned woman blush. Miroku, Sango and Shippo snickered on the corner.
"Shut up! It's not like that...!"
Arisa sighed in defeat.
Cheers to another stubborn dog demon I know.
The next day, Inuyasha's group departed early.
"Then, we'll be going." Kagome said, as Arisa and Kaede stood at the door.
"Good luck on your training, Arisa-chan." Sango added, and she smiled.
"Thank you so much. I hope you find Totosai right away. I'm somehow worried about Inuyasha, his sword being broken and all."
"Yes. I hope we'll see each other again." As Kagome said that, she waved the two of them goodbye and followed the others who went ahead.
"Can't Kagome heal? I mean, she's a priestess too…" Arisa suddenly asked Kaede as they returned inside the hut.
"She is the reincarnation of my sister, Kikyo. Just like her, she can, but with the use of herbs and such. They harness good purification powers, and use the bow and arrow as their weapon. But right now, her powers are yet to match with my sister's. But eventually, she will, if she puts more effort on it."
Arisa only nodded, as she cannot really differentiate. At the beginning, she had used herbs too, not until she discovered she has natural healing powers.
I wonder...
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