Chapter 4: Powers Reawakened: The Girl Who Overcame Time

"DEMONS!"

"Demons are approaching!" somebody cried out.

The villagers screamed and panicked when they heard the scout's alert. Quickly they grabbed what was precious to them and evacuated the area methodically, almost as if they had done this numerous times before. They scattered in different directions, some escaping on horseback, while others ran away on foot.

On the outskirts of the village, an old woman with an eyepatch and bow and arrow prayed outside a hut briefly before leading groups of people out the village. The scared villagers that followed looked towards her helplessly, but they walked behind her as closely and quietly as they could. They had no desire to be slaughtered by demons.

'Please protect our people, God,' the old woman silently asked while they trekked through the forest. She did not know how long they would have to hide, but she hoped the demons heading towards their village would move on quickly.


Souta ran out of the well house screaming, "Mom! Grandpa! Help!"

He ran to the front of their home and banged on the door. He continued to call out for them until the pair opened the door. They looked down at him with concerned faces.

"What's wrong, Souta?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

His eyes were wide and he was shaking furiously, "K- Kagome! Something took Kagome!"

"What?" she asked in disbelief and tilted her head.

"The cursed well!" Souta cried.

Grandfather Higurashi nearly fainted at hearing the boy's words. He regained his footing and leaned close to Souta's face, "Don't tell me you both entered the cursed well house."

Tears began to form in Souta's eyes, "I'm so sorry grandpa! Buyo was trapped in there, we tried to get him out!"

"Sweetie, what are you trying to say?" Mrs. Higurashi asked while she kneeled down to his eye level and placed a soothing hand on his forehead.

"Kagome went into the well house to get Buyo. I- I was too scared… A monster grabbed her mom. It grabbed her and pulled her down the well!" he cried.

His grandfather took a step forward and pulled out sutras he kept in his sleeve, "It be a demon, I'm sure of it!"

Mrs. Higurashi looked up at her father-in-law with a skeptical expression, "Dad, I don't think a demon actually took Kagome. Souta is probably imagining things because you talk about these things all the time."

Souta shook his head, "No mom! It was real! Believe me, Kagome needs our help," he said and started running back towards the well house.

His mother and grandfather looked at each other briefly before running after him. They both came to a stop once they caught up to Souta, who waited in front of the well house's open door. Buyo sat out on the patio licking his paws carelessly.

"Well Buyo doesn't seem to be shaken," Mrs. Higurashi remarked.

"Mom, I'm telling the truth," Souta insisted, "just look down the well!"

Mrs. Higurashi reached out to gently take hold of his hand. She locked eyes with her father-in-law once more, and with a nod the trio walked into the well house together. Cautiously they walked down the stairs and stopped only a few feet before the well. Grandfather Higurashi put his index finger to his lips to signal that they should all remain silent. He looked around a few seconds before taking a few more steps and glanced down into the well. It was too dark to tell if there was anything at the bottom of the well floor.

"Kagome!" he called.

His voice echoed throughout the well and they waited to hear a response, but there was no answer. "I don't see anything," grandfather Higurashi said while he held up a sutra to the level of his eyes.

"What?" Souta yelled in disbelief and ran up to the well's edge, "But I saw it!"

Mrs. Higurashi placed her hands on Souta's shoulders and pulled him back gently, "I'm sure Kagome is alright. She must have gone to school already."

"No! She's been taken! I swear!" Souta shouted. He shook his mother's hands off, and ran out of the well house.

Mrs. Higurashi ran after her son while grandfather Higurashi remained in the well house, closely investigating the structure. She came to a sudden stop when she realized Souta was standing only few meters away. The young boy stood still in front of someone she'd never seen before.

"Who are you?" she asked the stranger. She walked over to the pair and saw that the boy in front of her son was only a few years older. She recognized the black uniform he wore as the clothing assigned to the male students at Kagome's school.

The stranger looked at Mrs. Higurashi with piercing blue eyes, "He's telling you the truth."

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

The boy put his hands in his pockets and took a breath before he spoke again, "My name is Yuuta Kouga, and I'm a friend of your daughter's."

"What do you mean Souta's telling the truth? Do you have something to do with this?" she asked, "I hope you two aren't pranking him."

Kouga shook his head and frowned, "No, we're not pranking your son. Can we speak together in private?"

Mrs. Higurashi eyed him suspiciously, but nodded her head in agreement, "Souta, why don't you go back to grandpa and make sure he's alright."

"But mom-"

"Souta, please listen to me," she said in a tone that told him he shouldn't argue with her.

She turned her attention on the teenager before her, "Yuuta, you may follow me."

He nodded and walked with her in silence. She led him inside their home and continued their way into the family kitchen. She gestured for him to have a seat by the counter. Kouga glanced at his surroundings, trying to take in details of the décor. It was simple and quaint, just like the Higurashi family.

"I was making myself a cup of tea, would you like one?" Mrs. Higurashi asked while she walked over to the stove and grabbed the teapot. She placed two cups on the counter before Kouga and smiled at him softly, "I hope you like matcha."

Kouga took hold of one of the cups while Mrs. Higurashi poured the green liquid within it, "Yes mam."

He looked at Mrs. Higurashi. The resemblance between her and Kagome was astounding. They could pass for twins easily, except for the differences in hair and eye color. Time had been kind to the young widow appearance-wise.

"So… you were saying?" Mrs. Higurashi prompted, breaking Kouga out of his reverie. She poured herself a cup of tea and firmly gripped the cup before she brought it up to her lips. She watched him closely while she sipped her tea.

Kouga took a deep breath before he began, but he made it a point to lock eyes with her, "You're not going to want to believe what I have to tell you."

"Try me," she said simply.


Kagome frantically looked at her surroundings. All she could see was green. The well she climbed out of was surrounded by a forest, and her home was nowhere in sight. 'What is going on?' she wondered while she bit her lip and walked in a random direction; she had to run into another person at some point, they'd be able to tell her where she was. At least that's what she told herself.

Eventually she found a path and tentatively walked down it. It perturbed her how quiet it was, all she could hear were birds chirping and the occasional twig that broke under her feet.

"Souta!" she called out to break the silence. Unlike most days, Kagome was disappointed to not hear her brother's prepubescent voice yell back.

With heavy shoulders, she continued her walk. Occasionally she glanced from one side of the forest to the other, "Buyo!"

"It's like the family shrine isn't even there-" she began to say. But luckily for her, she didn't get to finish her sentence because she finally recognized something in the distance. "Oh!" she gasped.

In plain view was the Goshinboku, only a short distance away. "The tree," she said to herself before running towards it. 'That means I'm practically home!' she thought hopefully while she pushed through the shrubs in her way.

Quickly, she thrust herself forward with a smile on her face, not caring for the scratches she received from the branches. Her celebration was brief however when she took in the sight before her, "Huh?"

Her body came to an abrupt stop while she looked up with widened eyes. A boy dressed in all red traditional attire was pinned to the Sacred Tree with an arrow in his chest. The tree's roots wrapped around his form in such a way that it looked like it was meant to hold him in place. It looked like an illustration from a fairytale.

"Is that a- boy?" she asked unsure of herself while she examined his long flowing hair, which was white like snow. Under the sun's rays, it almost looked silver.

'I-is he dead?' she wondered and moved closer, 'I see no blood…' She examined his face from a distance. He seemed peaceful, as if he were asleep. Typically, Kagome would be terrified given the situation, but instead of being fearful, she felt a vague sense of familiarity. Silently she walked up to the figure and cautiously climbed up the curved roots without much thought. "Hey there, whatcha doing?"

Her eyes slowly moved up, and she gasped at what she saw. On top of his head were two little furry triangular-shaped ears, much like an animal. 'Oh wow, like dog ears?' she asked herself. Deep inside she knew she should be freaking out, but she wanted to believe this was all a dream. She had to be, people didn't have dog ears- well except for strange cosplayers. Maybe he was just a guy who hadn't recovered from Halloween.

'I think I want to touch them,' she thought to herself, not realizing just how close she was to him. Before she could stop herself, she had both hands outstretched and began petting his ears. They were soft and warm, which should have been a warning sign- but she didn't take notice of this fact. She gave the ears a few more gentle squeezes before she was satisfied.


"Yo! Kouga there aint' nuthin' in this village," a man in dark brown furs called out while he rummaged through the artifacts in one hut.

Outside of the hut, and a short distance away, stood a man with his arms crossed. He wore similar attire to the man that called out to him. Fixed in his spot, he watched the men he was with pillage through the small village they were currently occupying.

"Ya ain't finding anything nice?" he asked with a frown.

"No, this village seems to be really poor. They don't have anything of value from what we can see," replied the one with a pale blonde Mohawk.

"Not even in that shrine they have. There's nothing in there," chimed in another with gray and charcoal speckled hair.

"Iwao isn't going to be pleased with this," Kouga sighed.

"Why'd he even send us on this mission?" asked another.

Kouga laughed mirthlessly and looked back at the men surrounding him, "Because he's a greedy bastard, that's why."

"But why? We don't need human things, do we?" another voice asked.

The group gathered around Kouga, sharing their thoughts on the matter and how they disagreed that they needed human riches. It just didn't mesh well with their way of life.

Kouga listened to their grievances but shook his head at the same time. He waited until they were finished before he spoke again. "Okay, look. Iwao's trying to expand our reach from the eastern lands. That's why he sent us out here. We don't need these frivolous things, but he wants to exert his power. Shake up the humans a bit," he explained.

"Besides," he smirked, "ya'll love menacing humans."

"Yeah, but they fled before we had the chance to take a bite," complained one of the more animalistic looking men.

Kouga's face showed disgust at that statement, "At least pick meat that doesn't smell so bad."

They all laughed at Kouga's response, and made fun of the man who made his taste known. For many of them, human wasn't their food of choice, but a lot of them weren't opposed to eating them if hungry enough and given the chance.

"You should be the tribe's leader, Kouga!" yelled one of the men.

Kouga simply looked at his men and smiled knowingly. He didn't make any remarks on whether he'd be fit for the role, but hearing others say such things were a huge boost to his ego.

"You guys are right. This place is dull. Let's go hunting in the next one," Kouga said.

He threw his head back and howled to the sky. Only a few moments after, howls were returned and a dozen or so wolves came running towards the group. None of the men showed fear at having the wild animals run in their direction. They welcomed the creatures with open arms. Some even reached out to pet the wolves lovingly- as if they were household pets.

Once the wolves settled down, the men began to walk towards the forest- with the wolves close on their heels.


"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahwoooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Kagome flinched in response to the startling howls filling the air. Quickly she released her grip on the boy's ears and pulled her hands back. If she was impressed by the howls she heard at the dance, then these sounded real enough to send chills down her spine.

Clumsily she climbed down the tree's roots, 'I need to get out of here. That sounds too close for comfort,' she thought to herself. With one last look at the boy behind her, Kagome began to briskly walk in the opposite direction of where she came from.


"Do you smell that, Kouga?" the man with the Mohawk asked.

"No, what do you smell Hakkaku?" he asked curiously.

The blonde named Hakkaku took a moment to sniff the air some more, "I don't know, but it smells delicious."

They all began to take a whiff in attempt to identify the strange scent. None of them could agree on what it was, which motivated them to investigate the source after a moment's deliberation.

"I think it's actually a human," the gray and charcoal haired one remarked.

"As if, Ginta! Like Kouga said, humans smell gross," replied one of the men.

"Yeah! If humans smelled like that, we'd eat them all the time instead of a last resort," said another.

"It's probably an exotic animal, we're never out west," one of the men replied and licked his lips dramatically.

They continued to debate and make bets while they leisurely walked towards the scent. Kouga was silent during their exchanges. He wasn't sure what was going on or why, but he felt anxious while they walked to whatever it was they were going to find. It was an unusual feeling, especially since he was known to be very confident. He also couldn't figure out why he was so curious as to what the scent was. On a normal day, he'd say his men were being immature- but he felt drawn to the scent in a way he'd never been before.

As they closed in on their soon-to-be prey, they stealthily traveled through the foliage so they wouldn't be detected. The wolves at their sides followed their lead obediently rather than chasing after the scent.

The men split into two groups so they could surround their hunt. Carefully they positioned themselves behind bushes, peeking between branches so they could get a clear view of what possessed the delectable scent. Ginta was the first one to notice the strange girl in green walking through a clearing. She was alert and nervously glancing around her surroundings. For a moment, it almost seemed like she spotted them because she paused and looked in their direction, but she shook her head and began walking again.

"Hey look," Ginta whispered to the assorted pack of men and wolves, he extended his arm and pointed towards Kagome.

"Well I'll say, Ginta was right! It is a human," Hakkaku said in shock.

"Do we eat her?" asked one demon, causing the men closest to Kouga to look at him expectantly.

"Yeah! We haven't eaten human in a long time," growled another with hungry eyes.

But Kouga didn't respond. His eyes were glued on the girl. He'd never been captivated by a human before, but he couldn't stop himself at this very moment. She was definitely different. Her scent was a dead giveaway; she smelled clean and almost sickly sweet, which was a trait many of her kind didn't share. Her attire also stuck out from the many humans he'd briefly encountered. She wore a strange white and green top that covered the length of her torso and arms, while a short green kimono-like garb barely made it past her thighs. It was indecent by human standards; even ladies of the night made an effort to cover their entire bodies. Luckily for her, he wasn't human, and didn't care much for her revealing outfit- especially since his kind was known for wearing far less.

As for her physical appearance, even from a distance he could tell she was beautiful. If he hadn't already known she was human, he would have been convinced she was a demoness. Her skin was pale, and she looked to be a healthy weight- so he knew she wasn't starved or of a lower class that toiled in the sun. Her hair was waist length with a slight body wave towards the end, and was such an inky black that in the light it almost looked like she had indigo highlights. But it was her eyes that had him so taken aback, they were large and the shade of sapphires, something that he had never seen on a human in all his travels.

And most importantly, something about her was just familiar. He couldn't explain it, but his mind and soul felt as if it was yearning to reach out to her. But, he was Kouga! A descendent of fierce wolf demons! How could he find a human attractive? His people were supposed to hate her kind.

Kouga shook his head and shrugged his shoulders with as much aloofness as he could muster. "Whatever. Makes no difference to me. We were out hunting anyways."

His men howled in excitement. They were going to eat good today.


Kagome whipped around wide eyed. She heard the howls directly behind her. She was surprised to see a bunch of wolves and muscular men dressed in fur and armor approaching her from both sides. However, her eyes were focused on the wild canines more so than the imposing men. 'But wolves aren't supposed to inhabit Japan!' Her mind tried to come up with an explanation for what was going on, but it was interrupted by all the growling.

She remembered reading her father's journals and immediately placed her hands around her neck as a means to protect her jugular. Slowly she took a few steps backwards, making sure not to break eye contact. She was terrified and her legs shook.

The men and wolves took steps forward to intimidate the girl, but Kouga observed her closely and was impressed by her intelligence. 'Protecting her throat, huh? She knows more than other humans,' he thought.

"Can I have one of her legs?" Ginta asked Kouga.

"I call first dibs on her liver," Hakkaku announced.

"She's not running away!" said another in shock.

"She's really dumb-"

"No she's not," Kouga interrupted.

Kagome's eyes widened at the sound of the familiar baritone voice. Her eyes scanned through the crowd until she found its source. She couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp.

"K- Kouga?" she whispered.

They all paused. This girl, she knew their impromptu leader's name. How on earth could she possibly know of him? Kouga looked just as shocked as they were. He moved to the front of the fray. Carefully they watched him get closer to the girl.

"How do you know me?"

Kagome didn't immediately answer. She was too busy staring at the man she thought was her classmate. But he couldn't be the same Kouga from her school, though he nearly looked identical. He had the same messy bangs, but the rest of his black hair was tied back in a long sleek ponytail; and he wore brown furs and armor similar to the rest of the men instead of a school uniform. His skin was the same tan color as the other Kouga, but this man's form seemed much bigger, and he had pointed ears like an elf. His eyes were also the same pale sky blue color, but they also had an inhuman glow to them- not to mention his irises were more oval-shaped and lacked pupils. Despite this however, he was still rather handsome.

He looked at her with a piercing gaze, "Speak girl!"

Kagome jumped back at the sound of his stern voice, "Kouga? Is that you? It's me, Higurashi Kagome."

He tilted his head for a moment and gave her a once over, "I don't know you."

"But-"

Kagome's objections were promptly silenced however when her body was flung into the air. Before she could finish screaming, she found herself cradled in strong arms. They held her firmly while they fell to the ground in a graceful manner. Kagome looked up at her savior, who happened to be the man that was also named Kouga. Quickly he placed her down on her feet while he turned his attention forward.

"What the hell?" the men asked. Everything happened faster than their eyes could follow.

Kagome steadied her stance, following Kouga's line of vision. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized the Mistress Centipede from earlier was still alive, with a fully regenerated body- minus the arm she detached, "It's that thing!"

Kouga didn't turn his head, but he glanced back at the girl from his peripheral vision. She recognized the centipede demon before them. What on earth was going on?

"Give me the Sacred Jewel!" the demoness demanded in a terrifying voice.

Kouga's men murmured amongst themselves. According to the Mistress Centipede, the girl before them supposedly possessed the legendary Shikon no Tama. But if that were true they'd feel an immense power from her, wouldn't they? She seemed normal to contain such a trinket.

Before anybody could react, the Mistress Centipede dived down and knocked the girl down in a passing swoop. Kouga jumped out of the way just in time and looked directly at the girl, "It said you have the Sacred Jewel. Are you its keeper?"

Kagome pushed herself up on her knees and looked back at him, "Uh, I have no idea! I mean I heard of the jewel, but I-"

Her words were cut off by the sound of wolves charging at the monster. The men took formation behind them, raising bows, arrows and throwing spears. She was grateful that they were no longer set on attacking her.

The Mistress Centipede spun at an incredible speed, deflecting the weapons shot at her- taking down some of the wolves and men in the process.

Kagome rose to her feet, 'That thing, it's after me-' she thought.

"Spears and arrows, nothing works!" one of the men shouted.

Kagome glanced around in the chaos, she saw a glowing light in the distance. It shined in the middle of the forest. She wasn't sure why, but something inside her told her to run for it.

She jumped down a lowered cliffside, into a running creek. She didn't let the cool water hinder her progress, and continued her pursuit towards the shining light, "I'll draw it away!"

"Where the hell is she going?" cried one of the men.

Kouga took a moment to glance at what his comrade was talking about, but he couldn't dwell on the girl's fleeing form. He dodged the Mistress Centipede's attack and issued a blow of his own. The demoness pulled away at that very moment and changed course, setting her sights on Kagome.

Meanwhile Kagome ran along a thin dirt path in the middle of the creek, 'Someone will save me right?' she asked herself, 'They've got to!'

'Grandpa! Mom! Anybody!' she mentally begged while she dared to look back. To her dismay, the Mistress Centipede was right on her tail.

"Whoever you are, please, somebody help me!" Kagome cried with all her might.

A not-so-far distance away, the white-haired boy she had encountered earlier twitched at the sound of her shouting voice. His eyes cracked open, but he could not move due to him being pinned to the Goshinboku.

However, where the dog-eared boy was helpless, the blue-eyed wolf was not. Kouga followed after the pair in haste. The girl would die if he didn't catch up in time, and for whatever reason he didn't want to see her perish.

"The jewel! Give it to me!" the Mistress Centipede screeched.

Kagome made an abrupt turn and began to run up-hill, "I told you, I don't have it!"

The Mistress Centipede slithered up the hill with incredible ease, taking full advantage of the human's slowed speed. As she reached the top, the demoness slammed into the ground, knocking Kagome and debris into the air.

Kagome couldn't help but let out a yell while she fell to the ground. With great force, she slid across the grass. Her head snapped up in search of the Mistress Centipede, but she was shocked to see she was in front of the Sacred Tree, and in front of her- the white-haired boy looked down at her with hooded eyes.

"She's here," he mumbled.

Kagome rose to her feet and scanned her surroundings. Without her noticing, the Mistress Centipede descended from the Goshinboku's branches. She swerved around until she faced Kagome directly, ready to strike.

However, luck was on Kagome's side and the pain didn't come. Rope-tied arrows pierced the demon's torso. Kagome looked up from her fallen position and was somewhat relieved to see the fur attired men reeling the demoness away.

"So, I was saved?" Kagome whispered to herself while she looked on in a confused state.

"You're pathetic, Kikyou," said the white-haired boy from his pinned position.

Kagome glanced up at him, not exactly sure of what he was talking about. "My name is not Kikyou," she said.

She wanted to ask him what he was talking about and why he was bound to the Sacred Tree, but she was startled once she felt multiple pairs of hands on her shoulders. Before she knew it, she was being pulled back once more.

"The Sacred Jewel!" the monster cried while she pulled the girl back. The white-haired boy's eyes widened at the Shikon no Tama's mention, but there wasn't much he could do. He looked on fully expecting to see the girl devoured.

The Mistress Centipede opened her mouth wide, and huge fangs protruded in its place. The armored men let out gasps, knowing the human girl didn't have much time left to live. Kouga made a last-ditch effort to reach the girl, but inside he doubted he would make it to her in time.

Kagome extended a hand to block the centipede's mouth, "Stop it!"

And like that the Mistress Centipede lost her grip and was thrown back by a powerful force. A faint lavender glow extended from the human girl's fingertips, before she fell to ground.

The onlooking men were shocked at the sight before them. It had honestly looked like the girl was going to be eaten.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Did you see that?"

"She's a priestess?"

Kouga paused to observe the sudden commotion. He looked at Kagome once more, this time with a bit more respect. 'Heh, she's stronger than she looks. She's got some guts,' he thought. It appeared the strange human girl wouldn't go down without a fight and it was impressive. Not many women in their time would be so courageous to provoke a demon like that.

Kagome sat up from her seat while three of the mistress's arms fell before her. Smoke lightly burned from the detached limbs. Kagome glanced at the hand responsible for sending the demoness flying, "Hey. I did that before too, in the well."

"But how did I do it though?" she asked pulling her hand back to her chest. Slowly she felt a warmth on the left side of her ribs. She looked down and saw the now familiar lavender light glowing through her skin. "What's happening now?"

Before Kagome could look up, the Mistress Centipede curved around with bared fangs and dove towards her yet again. Unfortunately, this time around the demoness managed reach her. She bit down with full force on Kagome's torso, ripping the flesh apart. Kagome screamed in agony, but the Mistress Centipede felt no sympathy- she flung her frail body in the air.

And then that's when she saw it, the small lavender jewel her grandfather had lectured her about, the Shikon no Tama. It slipped out of her wound, shining brightly in the sky. In a daze, she watched the jewel fall, while gravity took its toll on her body, 'It came from inside me?... Is that the Sacred Jewel?'

On her way down, her back slammed against the centipede's tail and she winced in pain. Her body flipped over and she had clear view of the ground below. Her life flashed before her eyes, 'I have to be strong,' she said to herself while she clutched her eyes shut.

She expected to feel more pain, but instead she felt warm arms around her form again. Kagome craned her neck upwards and saw it was Kouga again, holding her close. Unfortunately, he didn't stop the fall from happening, but his body absorbed much of the impact.

They rolled in the grass until their bodies lost momentum. The rough landing was not kind to Kagome's fresh wound. Tears formed in her eyes, but she bit her tongue to hold in her screams. The pain she felt was excruciating.

"Girl, are you okay?" Kouga asked while he rose to a kneel beside her.

Kagome weakly nodded, but he could see the attack had taken a lot out of her. She was holding back her tears instead of sobbing outright, which he found very surprising.

"This needs to be ended," he said with determination.

Carefully he walked around Kagome's prone form. He turned to face the demoness, who was occupied with fighting off the men and wolves again. From his place, he saw one of his men run to grab the Shikon no Tama as it was falling. He caught it but screamed in agony while he was disintegrated in his spot. The Mistress Centipede took this moment of shock as her chance to swoop in and grab the jewel. Before she could be stopped, she picked up the jewel with her tongue.

"It swallowed the jewel!" Hakkaku cried.

They watched as the Mistress Centipede's arms glowed red and reattached to her body. Once all together, her body dropped to the ground while her human skin fell away, exposing a dark brown exoskeleton, "Yes, my power is complete!"

"I am getting sick of you!" Kouga shouted as he leapt towards the troubling demoness.

The Mistress Centipede shrieked and glared at the wolf demon with red bug-like eyes. She exposed her mouth in attempt to bite him, but the young warrior dodged it with ease and sliced the monster with his sharp claws.

He didn't know where this reserve of strength and speed was coming from, but he continued circling the centipede demon and issuing blows. The Mistress Centipede couldn't keep up with his movements and tried to block his attacks with her tail.

But that was a grave mistake on her part because Kouga successfully tore through the demon's flesh from tail to neck. The Centipede Mistress let out harrowing screams while her body splintered off into pieces. Kouga was satisfied with his work, and his men even cheered in the background- but from the corner of his eye, he saw the girl he rescued limping over, clutching her side.

"It will regenerate if you leave the jewel in. I've seen it happen more than once now," she said.

He nodded in understanding while he watched the girl walk towards a chunk of the centipede's body. Slowly, she kneeled and plucked the jewel from its flesh- which disintegrated from her very touch. His men cooed, very impressed with what they observed.

Kouga moved closer to the girl he suspected to be a priestess. Her breathing was getting heavy and she began to sweat profusely. "I- I don't feel good," she mumbled. And not even a moment later, she lost consciousness and started to fall over.