Chapter Four: The Traveling Onmyouji

It took about a week for Akari's wounds to heal. After she was healed, Masahiro told them of his plan to go to Kaira's nest and stop him from harming the human villages. Akari protested at the thought at first, but when she heard his reason, she agreed to it.

"By the way, Akari." Masahiro said.

"What is it?" Akari asked.

"How many tengus were there in Kaira's nest?" Masahiro asked.

"Roughly around a hundred or so." Akari said.

"Four against one hundred. The odds might be against us." Masahiro said.

"I have to agree with you, Masahiro." Shippo said.

"We should probably find some more allies to help us." Kagome said.

"You're right. But where are we going to find them?" Masahiro asked. Everyone was stumped at that moment. They didn't really know anyone in the Eastern lands. Masahiro felt so embarrassed at that moment. How can the Eastern Lord's second son not know much about the lands he was raised on? Then Kagome felt a tug nearby.

"I sense jewel shards nearby!" Kagome said.

"Where?" Masahiro asked.

"That way!" Kagome said, pointing up ahead.

"Hop on!" Masahiro said as he crouched down and waited for her to get onto his back. That pose reminded Kagome of Inuyasha when he was in a hurry to get along the road or when there was a jewel shard up ahead. Kagome got onto Masahiro and placed her hands onto his shoulders. They both blushed at the intimate contact.

"Up ahead, Reina?" Masahiro asked, blushing. He was glad that Reina (Kagome) was on his back so that she wouldn't be able to see his blush on his face. He never had a female this close to him before. He felt his body heat rise by the second as Reina held onto to him.

"Ye-Yeah." Kagome stuttered. She was also glad that Masahiro wasn't able to see her blush. Masahiro held both of her legs as she clenched his shoulders.

"Let's go!" Akari said as she opened her white wings and went up into the sky. Kagome held on tight to Masahiro as they rushed through the forest. Then they arrived in an opened field where they saw three bear demons scaring the villagers.

"We should help them!" Masahiro said.

"Right!" Kagome said. She knew that they needed to save the villagers first. Masahiro helped Kagome slide off his back. Kagome quickly notched an arrow and aimed it at one of the demon bears. The bear demon was instantly turned to ash. Seeing one of their kind dead, they saw the one who killed him. The two demons went right towards the group. Masahiro lengthened his claws and Kagome notched another arrow.

"I'll handle this, guys!" Akira said as she flew over them. She started to glow in a white light and her white wings grew big and spread out. The demon stopped in their attack and stared at the white tengu. Feathers of white light surrounded Akari and she opened her eyes at the bear demons in front of her.

"HEAVENLY FEATHERS!" Akari yelled. The feathers shot down onto the bear demons like Kagome's arrows. The demons screamed in pain as they inflamed with white flames. Proud of her attack, Akari slowly descend to the ground.

"That was amazing, Akari!" Kagome said when Akari landed.

"Really?" Akari asked, blushing while scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah." Kagome said, excited.

"Um, Reina. Didn't you say that you sensed jewel shards out here?" Akari asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, right!" Kagome said. She ran over to the scorched bodies of the bear demons and then she walked back over to the body of ashes of another bear demon. When the jewels touched her palm, they were purified.

"That's three so far, mama." Shippo said.

"Yup!" Kagome said as she took out her little jar and put the jewels inside it.

"By the way Akari, what was that attack?" Masahiro asked, curious of her power. Kagome and Shippo also grew curious of Akari's attack.

"Oh, well that's...um…" Akari stuttered. She had never shown or told anyone of her powers. Maybe she should have told her new pack mates.

Suddenly, another roar came from behind Akari. They saw another bear demon, but it looked bigger than the other three they just fought. It roared loudly in front of the group as they stared at its size. Then it charged towards them. Before they were fully ready to attack, three small white lights shot passed by them and landed on the demon's forehead. The demon roared with pain. Kagome could see three ofudas on top of the demon's face; one on the forehead and one on each eye. Small vines of lightning were quickly wrapped around its body.

"Cleansing Light!" A male voice said. The demon roared one last time before it turned to dust.

Kagome and the others turned and saw a man dressed in a green kimono and a black haori coat along with a dark green hakama. He had long inky black hair that was tied back in a low ponytail. But his eyes were a strange color. They looked like gold, almost like Inuyasha's golden eyes. He looked about the same age as Miroku, but there was something different about him. She sensed some sort of aura coming from him. It was pure, yet demonic.

"Thank you for that attack, but who might you be?" Kagome asked.

"I'm known as Hansuke, a traveling onmyouji." Hansuke said.

"I'm Reina." Kagome said.

"I'm Akinobu." Shippo said.

"I'm Masahiro." Masahiro said.

"And I'm Akari." Akari said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Hansuke said as he gave a small bow. Hansuke stared at the group before him. He could tell that the girl wearing miko garments had a powerful amount of reiki inside her. He had never met anyone with that huge amount of reiki before. Then he looked at the kitsune cub that sat on the miko's shoulder. He found it odd that a miko would have a young demon with her. Then he glanced at the white tengu standing beside her. He never thought he would find a white tengu. He gazed at the young man with long purple hair. He could see the horns that were on both sides of his forehead.

That young man is a dragon demon. Hansuke thought, A Miko, a kitsune cub, a young dragon demon, and a white tengu. Quite an odd group of individuals.

"Thank you for helping us with that bear demon." Kagome said.

"I'm glad that I could help." Hansuke said, "By the way, where did you learn to use holy powers, Akari?" Akari sweat dropped when Hansuke asked about her powers. Not only her pack mates see her powers, but also an onmyouji. This wasn't going to turn out good.

"How about we stop somewhere for a rest and we'll explain everything." Masahiro said.

"Sounds good to me." Hansuke said.


Kagome and the others, along with Hansuke, were resting at an inn that was nearby the village they had just saved. The villagers were glad that they came and helped them. What Kagome didn't expect is that they didn't mind Shippo and the others. The people of the village kindly gave them a room to stay in.

"So tell me, Akari. How is it possible that you have holy powers, even though you are a demon?" Hansuke asked. He wondered how she could've obtain such power. Normally, a monk or a priestess who have that kind of power. But a priest has equal power to a monk though.

"It kind of hard to explain actually." Akari said, fidgeting.

"Can you at least try?" Hansuke asked. Akari sighed. She knew that she had to tell them sooner or later.

"A priestess gave them to me." Akari said.

"A priestess?" Hansuke asked, his brow arched.

"A few years after my mother died, a kind elder priestess found me when I was injured from a demon attack. She took care of me for a while. But when she was dying, she transferred all of her powers to me. I asked her why she gave me them. She said that there are dark forces that will use her powers for their evil deeds." Akari said.

"So even if she is revived, she would be powerless." Hansuke said.

"Yes." Akari said.

"To make sure that she wouldn't be used, she gave her powers to someone she trusted." Kagome said.

"And that person was you, Akari." Shippo said.

"Everyone." Akari said. It was true, the elder priestess trusted her as a good friend and gave her something that needed to be protected. It give her a warm feeling inside her. She hoped that the elder priestess and her parents were watching over her. Seeing how she gained new friends who filled in the empty space of her life.


Hansuke looked at Reina (Kagome) with curiosity. The amount of reiki inside her signifies that she is a powerful miko. But he was very curious of why this powerful miko was traveling with a bunch of demons. Even though mikos and demons are sworn enemies.

"Why are you traveling with demons, Reina?" Hansuke asked.

"Akinobu was an orphaned kit and I didn't want to leave him by himself. Masahiro wanted to join me because he wanted to help those in need. Akari is with me because she has no one else." Kagome said.

She is a very rare miko. Hansuke thought.

"But why are you traveling together?" Hansuke asked.

"We're searching for the sacred jewel shards." Kagome said.

"The sacred jewel shards? Why are you searching for them? You're not the Shikon Miko. Only she can sensed and purify the shards." Hansuke said as he closed his eyes and folded his arms. As if the miko in front of him could purify the tainted jewel shards.

"Reina is the Shikon Miko!" Akari said. Hansuke froze at that moment. He turned his gaze back at Reina (Kagome). Of course! Why didn't he realize it? The powerful amount of reiki in her signifies that she is a very powerful miko.

"Let me see the jewels." Hansuke said. Not that he didn't believe her, but he wanted proof that she really is the Shikon Miko.

Reina (Kagome) took out the small jar of jewel shards she had around her neck and held them out to Hansuke. He stared at them with curiosity. He had heard rumors about the powers of the jewel shards, but he never thought he would get the chance to see them. Let alone meet the Shikon Miko. He handed the jewels back to Reina (Kagome).

"It seems you speak the truth, Reina. I apologize for doubting you." Hansuke said.

"It's okay, Hansuke." Kagome said as she put away the jewel shards.

"Hansuke, what are your traveling plans?" Masahiro asked.

"I planned on leaving tomorrow to help out other villages, why?" Hansuke asked.

"How about you travel with us?" Masahiro asked.

"What? Why?" Hansuke asked, confused.

"We're also helping out villages with demon problems." Masahiro said.

"It's a lot better than traveling alone, Hansuke." Akari said.

Hansuke thought about what Masahiro and Akari said. He had been traveling by himself for quite a while. He had been secretly wishing that he could have a traveling companion. He used to have one. But his life ended with a cruel fate. A fate he was unable to prevent.

"Hansuke, will you join our pack and help us gather the jewel shards?" Kagome asked. Hansuke was shocked when Reina (Kagome) asked him about joining them. He found it odd that a miko would join with other demons on her journey to find the jewel shards. But when she told him of their part of loneliness that they share, he realized that she was able to fill in that loneliness of those who stood beside her. He made his decision.

"I shall join you on your quest, Miko Reina." Hansuke said.

"Thank you, Hansuke. But first we have to go to Kaira's nest." Kagome said.

"Kaira's nest?" Hansuke asked, his brow arched.

"We have to stop this band of tengus from terrorizing the human villages." Masahiro said.

"I agree with you, Masahiro. Those tengus are nothing but a bunch of thieves. They are very bothersome." Hansuke said.