(A/N: Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!)
Inuyasha
"I should do some exploring, I said. Who would miss out on a great opportunity, I said?" I inwardly grumbled and berated myself as I sat on a straw mat in the middle of a rustic, impoverished village with my hands and feet tied. I scowled at my own stupidity. The reason I'm in this predicament was because I let my guard down.
I was a mage. The Fukumoto heiress. How could I make such a pathetic blunder?
Granted, I could have gotten out of this situation by casting a small sleeping or hypnosis spell on the group of men who captured him. But I didn't want to blow my cover as a mage. The people who captured me and dragged me where and the villagers all looked like ordinary humans to me. I can't feel a lick of mana from them or anything indicating that they are mages simply masking their presence.
I know it might be a bit… tedious to be following mage laws and traditions at a time like this, but… I grew up with it, okay?! I can't just drop the 17 years I spent learning and thoroughly engraving the customs and traditions into my mindset overnight!
Mages must keep their identities a secret.
I gazed at my surroundings more calmly this time- putting my frustrations aside from now. Everyone was wearing old-fashioned kimonos. The men wore their hair in topknots, and their hands were dirty- most likely from plowing in the fields all day. The women's hair were fixed in various styles of low ponytails. Some of them wore clothes around their hands as makeshift caps. Some carried their infants and young in neatly tight and wrapped up clothes tied to their backs and person. The children clung close to their mothers. Classic old-fashion traditionalism. Women raise and take care of the children while men work in the fields. Or gear up and get ready to go to war or whatever.
The entire village was pretty idyllic- given the time period. Their "houses" were basically enlarged wooden huts. Besides the houses- that seemed like they would blow away under the pressure of a terrifyingly strong storm- the village was what I would for a Feudal Japan-esque village to look like. Very… unappealing.
Don't get me wrong. This place seemed nice and good to visit during vacations. Never know what interesting creatures I could encounter like that silver-haired guy back there.
But as a place to live in, no.
Give me the ease and comfort of a big city and the convenience of technology any time. I might sound a little spoiled- given that I come from the future where the advancement of technology has made life a little easier- but I don't care. At least- the village had great sceneries for inspiring artists to paint. It has that going for it, doesn't it? That's worth something, right? I remembered the picturesque view of the rice paddies as I passed by the village. It was very beautiful, I must admit. Would've enjoyed it more, if I wasn't shoved around like a wild boar they caught in a trap! I mean- if I was an artist- I could imagine sitting on top of a wide open hill overlooking the village with my canvas and paintbrush- painting the delicate, breathtaking scenery of the village. But I'm not. So…
They kept apprehensively whispering some type of nonsense among themselves about me being a demon. A fox demon in disguise.
By channeling magical energy into my ears and ear canals, I was able to boost my sense of hearing quite a bit. Using mana to increase one of the five senses was a pretty fairly hard magic for a mage to master. Most mages don't bother with this particular type of a magic- finding it rather useless for something relatively difficult. The difficulty of the magic lies in its very precise delicate control to execute it. The basic requirement for the technique was to boost the heightened stimuli of the nerves used to operate that specific sense- which was not an easy thing to do. One slip and a mage could permanently damage or cripple their sensory organ- making themselves partially or completely blind, deaf, or whatever. The more pompous mages call it a useless skill, but that's just their stuck-up pride and arrogance talking as they are too scared to take the risk. After all, a sane person would not take the high-chance risk of leaving themselves with a disability.
This particular craft of magic is part of the body modification brand of magic. The category of magic that mostly anyone could use- theoretically- but requires a very precise control of mana. This was a type of magic focusing- as the name suggested- on increasing a mage's physical capabilities. Mastering this in some type of form of magic could heighten the five human senses or strengthen one's durability, strength, or agility by channeling magical energy into the necessary parts of a person's body.
But as I said before, this was a pretty hard technique to be proficient at. It required a lot of patience, control, and skill- focusing magical energy into a person's bones, muscle tissues, and even their nervous system. One screw up and it could very much lead to a mage's death. They could accidentally end up shattering a bone, puncturing an organ, or tearing muscle tissue, if they are not careful. This was why body modification was one of the most dangerous magic to master- beyond its most basic levels- because it could lead to life-threatening consequences, if done poorly. Granted- learning to master any kind of magic could be dangerous to some level- but body modification magic was by far the most noticeable as any mage could potentially do it.
There are some mages that enjoy using body modification magic. I- myself- was more of a jack-of-all-trades when it came to the magic. I was not particularly bad at it. I could increase any of five senses or heighten my durability, agility, and strength to some degree. However, it wasn't not to the significant degree of other mages who had focused and completely mastered a specific type of body modification.
Let's see… If I were to put it in numbers… a mage could make their sense of hearing or smell 2 times stronger than the average human, and only those two senses and not much else. Or they could increase their physical strength by 1.5 times it normally was just by channeling mana into their arms and legs. The downside was that they become cripplingly overspecialized at that specific thing- skilled in one thing and not much else. Body modification takes a lot of time and dedication to master. I- while not much of a master- was decently skilled enough to increase any of my five senses or any of my physical capabilities by 0.5 times. It's not much compared to a more specialized mage, but it wasn't bad either- given that I could do it to all my senses and physical capabilities instead of just a very select few.
Anyway, I was getting distracted.
The villagers shot me wary, suspicious looks. They muttered some about a "Priestess Kaede coming to exorcize the demon". Hmm, demons exist in this time period, huh? There were legends and myths- and myths and legends are believed to be facts that have been skewed over time leading to a lot of skeptical fabrications of the truth. I don't know if I should be surprised or not be surprised that demons exist. I was leaning more towards being somewhat surprised because I thought demons would have existed much further back than this in the Age of Gods. I guess demons survived longer than I or anyone else had thought.
The image of that spell-bound boy flashed in my head. Was he a demon as well? That would explain his supernaturalness. If he was, my interest in him has piqued even more. But… He looked more human than human. The only things otherworldly about him were his fluffy dog and his claws.
My ears perked up at the villagers' relieved and cheerful chants of somebody- apparently important- approaching.
"Priestess Kaede is coming!"
"Make way for Priestess Kaede!"
I gazed impassively at an elderly woman who was dressed in a white kimono top and red hakama pants as she pushed past the crowd of people. She was a bow as a walking stick. Her long, gray hair was tied into a low ponytail by a white hair ribbon, and her right eye was covered by a black eyepatch.
I hardened my expression- not showing any emotion on my face. If this old lady was the one who was going to torture and interrogate me, I was not gonna give in. I was the proud Fukumoto heiress. I would fight back with all the power in my arsenal. It took a lot more than any form of pain or torture to get me whimpering in fear. No mage in their right mind would give in to their suffering! Learning magic was expected to be painful. Any mage afraid of pain shouldn't bother learning the craft.
I was cut off from my thought process when something was thrown at my face. It was white, powdered grains of some sorta substance. I instinctively flinched and closed my eyes. Some of the sprinkles of white dust landed inside my mouth. It tasted like… salt? Was senile, old lady throwing salt at me?
"Demon begone!" she chanted as if performing an exorcism, throwing more salt at my face.
I could feel the angry vein throb against my forehead, but I suppressed it. Not because she called me a demon, but because I was getting sick and tired of salt being thrown at my face.
I gritted my teeth behind my mouth. I was trying not to lash out. Nothing good would come from lashing out. Nothing good would come from letting my emotions in this unknown situation I found myself in.
I am mage. Prim, proper, powerful, and elegant.
I had to cool my head. Think calmly. I was in a disadvantageous situation. I could hypnotize the villagers- sure- but I do not how the rest of the world was. Unfortunately, my mana supply was not infinite. It's better for me to gain this old woman's favor since she seems to be the leader of this village.
"I am not a demon," I stated calmly and clearly.
She paused. I could feel her gaze scrutinizing me. Since the rain of salt halted, I opened my eyes.
"Are ye not? Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inuyasha?" she questioned, her suspicious gaze never leaving her face.
Forest of Inuyasha? That was probably the name of the forest they captured me in. The forest that sleeping boy resided in. And the forest I arrived in when I accidentally time traveled here through the Bone Eater's Well.
A villager came up to whisper in the woman's ear. "She may be a spy from another village."
She whispered back to him. "If she were, then she'd be a fool. Who would spy on a poor village such as ours?"
I could hear every word they were saying, thanks to my slightly heightened sense of hearing.
The one-eyed woman's eyes fell upon me again. Her eyes widened in shock when she gazed upon me once more.
"Wait… Let me have a look at ye."
There was a tinged of bewilderment in the elder's voice, and- before I knew it- she twisted my head every which way- carefully examining my facial features. For what? I don't know. However, I was getting annoyed at having my head and face manhandled.
"Ye eyes may be different, but… it's there. Though I know not why."
The stunned surprise was clear in her voice. I did not miss the bafflement and mystified recognition spread across her facial features. Her eyes held the expression of longing. For a split second- she was not staring at me- but through me as if she was looking at someone else. I must've held some resemblance to this person. That's the only explanation. There was a joking, harmless theory of everyone having their own identical stranger.
"Untie her ropes," Kaede said to the man next to her.
The villager gasped in shock at her request. "But Lady Kaede! Is it safe to let this girl go freely? She could be an enemy!" he protested.
He probably thought she was crazy for practically suggesting letting a complete stranger wander their village freely. I'd be inclined to agree with the villager. Letting a stranger roam free because they reminded the person of someone they knew was beyond stupid. But hey… Since I was "said stranger" in this situation, I was not gonna complain. It made this much easier if this old lady was going to let sentimentality override her sense of rationality. Beats having to waste time sweet talking my way out with a little help of some subtle hypnosis.
"Do not worry. She'd be under my care. I'll keep watch over her," Kaede replied smoothly, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear.
The instant I was free- I stood up- stretching my legs and rubbing my wrists.
A few moments of uncomfortable and dubious silence- which I don't blame the villagers for their hesitancy- a nearby villager untied my ropes. The rough, scratchy material of the rope was irritating my skin. I expressed neither relief nor joy at being freed, keeping my emotions guarded.
Just because I regained my freedom because of the old woman's soft-heartedness doesn't mean I was out of the woodworks yet. Everyone else was still slightly wary of me, which was to be expected.
Judging by the time period, I figured I was in Feudal Japan. The Warring States Era. Being raised in the war torn era of Japanese history, it's expected to be wary and suspicious of any and all strangers. That's why I found the old lady's behavior strange and unusual. Even modern-day mages are ruthlessly more cautious and careful than this woman who was literally living through one of Japan's bloodiest periods in history.
Kaede's stern expression returned- the expression she wore when she chunked salt at my face, except softer. Perhaps in response to my unsmiling face for someone who was supposedly no longer deemed a threat. Maybe she thought I would be happy. Which I am. But I am a mage. I don't let my emotions overtake my cool, sensible mind.
"Come with me, child," Kaede said, beckoning me to follow her- to which I silently nodded and did without a word.
Lady Kaede- who was the priestess of the village apparently- took me to a small hut that only had one, semi-large room with a straw flap that served as a poor doorway.
Silently, she began preparing dinner. No surprise. It was almost sundown. I stayed wordlessly in a corner, observing her make vegetable stew in a pot over a fire pit uninterrupted.
My mind jumbled with everything that happened so far. When was the last time I had this much excitement in one day? Not since I was on that mountain trip to subdue a bunch of disgusting-looking, chimera-esque humans who were driven mad due to a careless mage's experiment with Felix and Claudia, I believe. There were lots of heart-racing, high apprehension- inducing moments that kept her on her toes during that time. It was in the past now though, and there was no sense in dwelling on it. It was not a very proud or fond experience I like looking back on.
I have barely spoken more than a sentence or two since I have been captured. I was not much of a quiet type. I've been too focused on processing everything, was all. There were many things I wanted to ask and inquire about- however- I had to choose my words carefully. I needed to gather information. And if this Lady Kaede was gonna throw caution to the wind because of naive, wistful yearning, I could take advantage of her gullibility.
First, I need to introduce myself to break the ice. I know this woman's name. It's only fair I told her mine. There was no harm in it. I hope.
I straightened my posture, sitting more properly with my back straight and legs neatly folded underneath me. The form of a proper and polite Japanese woman.
"I haven't introduced myself. My name is Mirai," I said courteously. I did not drop my family name. It was in my best interest that I kept the fact that I was mage concealed for now. "Thank you for taking me into your village," I added, sincerely showing her my gratitude.
I saw Kaede nod as if easily accepting how thankful I am for her hospitality. The delicious smell of the stew entered my nose. It was best to start my questions now. Staying here silently was not getting me anywhere.
"Everybody seemed pretty tense. Why is that? Pardon me, but I think it's pretty rude of them to manhandle a lady in a forest." I asked my question while- at the same time- letting a tiny trace of annoyance slip out my voice.
"Bear us no ill will, child. For I now see ye mean us no harm." I resisted the urge to contradict her statement more out of rhetorical skepticism than anything else. She doesn't know me. "In these troubled times of war, no stranger may be welcomed among us without deep distrust."
That's right. She just confirmed to me why I found her odd behavior unusual.
I nodded my head- nonetheless- accepting that answer. It sensed no lie or any sign of deception from the old lady.
I'll trust her. For now.
I shifted a little. The bare, unpolished wooden floorboard was somewhat hard and uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time. This was probably something I was gonna have to get used to. There was no soft carpet or smooth laminate flooring during this time period. Through the window, I saw that the sun had long since set and it was pitch black outside. The full moon high above the sky.
"I don't mean to cause you any trouble. I was merely exploring the forest. I did not know it was near your village," I replied, remembering her question from hours ago. I was subtly trying to lead the conversation to my next question.
My curiosity went right back to the strange boy. If this village was near the forest I found myself in, then this woman must know about that boy. I mean, it was not exactly hidden. I did not detect any concealment spells or anything of the sort. His spell-bound body was on full-out display. No offense to the dog-eared boy, but he was an amusing art graffiti pinned to a tree.
There was something… different about him that I can't help but be captivated by. His presence… His aura… was nothing I have ever felt before. I was just… fascinated by him. So fascinated that I carelessly let my guard down when I was alone in an unfamiliar area.
I wonder what Kaede's reaction would be, if I asked about that mysterious boy. Does she even know him? Or any history or local legends regarding that boy? Surely, there must be some. A person doesn't just put a spell of eternal sleep on someone without some kinda reason or story behind it.
"But I would not think a harmless girl exploring the forest would be a reason for the villagers to be so aggressive. I honestly did not know there was a village nearby."
The old priestess smiles as if chuckling to herself.
What's so funny? I resisted the urge to sulk. Perhaps, I sounded too much like I was pouting. She had already told me the villagers distrust lurking around in their territory. Bringing it up any further makes it sound like I was complaining.
I was not deterred though. The old woman was wise and sharp. I'd give her that. I gotta be more careful not to show any weaknesses.
Sometimes I wondered if I should straight-up ask her about the strange boy, or carefully steer her into the direction I want the conversation to go. But I didn't want to beat around the bush any longer. I know my father would pull me aside, and give me a stern, strict lecture on how my patience and diplomacy needs more work. However, I was in a place where I believed my clever, tactful form of finesse speech hardly matters.
I inwardly sighed. I wished I had a cup of tea at the moment. I felt somewhat annoyed that I am disgracing my magnificent presence, and having a cup of hot tea would do me and my nerves some good.
"Could you tell me about the strange, white-haired boy in the forest, Lady Kaede?" I asked without missing a beat. I made sure to be extra polite to ease the tension my question might have caused.
I watched diligently as Kaede frowned. She stoked the fire with a metal rod. It doesn't take a genius to know she was gathering her thoughts. Although- judging by her pained expression- the mysterious boy brought up some unpleasant, complicated memories for her. So… she had a history with him?
"That boy is a demon by the name 'Inuyasha'," Kaede answered, tone even. I admired the old priestess for keeping her composure. "Fifty years ago, my sister used the last ounce of her powers to seal him away."
Truthfully, I hardly cared for that information. I did not care how he was sealed. My only interest lay in what the boy is, and why he was sealed. But my ears did perk up when she mentioned he was a demon. Demons really do exist in this time period?
Something did not make sense to me though. "Why did she seal him away?"
"He attacked our village, and tried to steal the Sacred Jewel." Kaede grabbed a clay bowl, and poured some of the finished stew in it. She handed it to me, and I mumbled a small "thanks" as I took it.
The Sacred Jewel? That's the second time I heard that term. The centipede woman- who was probably also a demon- tried to kill me for this "Sacred Jewel"- which I don't have!
"The Sacred Jewel?" I tilted my head, showing my curiosity.
Kaede made a sound. It was a sad, slightly harrowing sound. I respectfully stay silent, giving the old lady time to reminisce and grief the past.
"The Sacred Jewel was a powerful object able to grant people's wishes."
Now that definitely piqued my interest. The Sacred Jewel grants people's wishes? How does it do that? Does it perform some ridiculously strong reality-warping magic? If so, it's closer to mysticism than magic!
I listened to the old woman more with rapt attention, quietly taking a bite of my stew to subdue my hunger pains. It was quite good, I inwardly noted offhandedly.
"My sister, Kikyo, was in charge of its protection and keeping it pure. Kikyo had unusually strong spiritual powers, even for a priestess. My sister's duty was to keep the jewel pure and untainted from evil specters and demons. It was during that time Kikyo met Inuyasha. Inuyasha desired the jewel, and- in that battle- my sister sealed Inuyasha to the Sacred Tree and perished soon afterwards. I was but only a child at the time."
She finished her tale, her tone solemn the whole time. Her expression was pensive and dour. She never wavered as she told me her story. She never gave in to her sorrow and anguish. The old woman had a great poker-face. And I respected that.
I could also tell she was giving me the cliff notes version of events. That was fair and understandable. I sensed there was more to the story. I figured she was omitting some facts. Nevertheless, I was satisfied to get some information.
I wordlessly took another bite of stew, taking the time to process everything. Admittedly- a tinged of annoyance surged within me- but I suppressed it. There were lots of complaints and criticisms that I had. Mostly how ludicrous and stupid everyone acted over a stupid object. I had the urge to yell at someone, but I did not know who. People losing their mind over a rock was beyond stupid to me. Even if it was a wish-granting rock in this case. If they wanted to fulfill their heart's desire- do it themselves with their own two hands- instead of relying on some jewel to do it for them.
I shrugged internally. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just my personality. Everything I strive to achieve, I have done it through my own hard work and perseverance. I don't know why, but it really irks me to rely on something or someone else to do something for me that I can't possibly do myself. I had always been ridiculously independent like that. To the point where I could be stubborn and obstinate in my objectives and goals. So much so that it might be hair-pulling frustrating to others. Claudia seemed to believe so. I guess it was one of my strengths of character and character flaw at the time.
I realized how rude I was being when I offered no response to Kaede's reverent story. I scolded myself for my lack of manners. I honestly do not care if the old lady thinks of me as rude, but I can't give myself away. Have I forgotten my proper social etiquette? Shame on me! I genuinely don't care for strangers' opinions of me, however… I was the Fukumoto heiress. I should act like it! I must maintain my elegant composure!
Plus, I don't want Kaede finding me suspicious. I do not feel comfortable fighting old people. Nonetheless- if she retracts the order on the villagers to let me walk freely- there will be a fight on our hands.
I could feel her gaze on me- watching me intently- as I continued to eat. I have been silent for too long. In reality, it's only been a minute or two. I had to say something and fast, so I said the first thing that came to mind.
However- before I could put down my bowl and open my mouth- there was a loud crash outside. I instantly shot up to my feet.
"What was that?!" I asked in a panic to no one in particular with a contrasting sense of calm. Not waiting for a reply, I stepped outside the hut.
The scene I was introduced to, left me staring at it in blank amazement. The woman-centipede monster that dragged her through the Bone Eater's Well and into this feudal time period had crashed into the many huts- pieces of wood flying everywhere- and emerged with a groaning horse in its mouth.
With a sickening crunch- it snapped its jaws shut- the horse's body was bisected in half. The remaining pieces of the horse's flesh, guts, and bones make a disturbing sound as they scattered on the ground. If I was an average high school girl, the gory scene would have very much left me squeamish and quaking in terror at my feet. But I was not an ordinary teenage girl. I was a mage. And death… was something every mage had to get used to once they began their training.
I hardly acknowledged Kaede as she stepped up beside me to discern the commotion outside.
"Where is it? Where's the Sacred Jewel?!" it continuously cried in impatient hiss as it tore through the ground, causing it to break apart and rocks and debris soar in dangerously rapid speeds like bullets everywhere.
The villagers retaliated at the demon destroying their village by fending it off with poorly made spears and flaming arrows. The women escorted their scared children to safety. The villagers efforts proved fruitless as their attacks had no effect on the monster as it mindlessly rampaged about.
Kaede tried lending a hand to fight off the menace smashing her village to pieces. She pulled out her bow and notched the arrow on it. I felt a bit of power flow into the bow. It was not magical energy. It was different. Something vaguely the same, yet- at the same time- distinctively different from magical energy.
I always knew that- compared to the ordinary men and women of this village- Kaede was different. I felt some sort of power flowing from the old priestess. Kaede had told me less than half an hour ago that her deceased sister held vastly strong spiritual powers. So, it was not weird for her to hold some power herself. It's pretty common for blood-related relatives to inherit relatively the same type of power.
It's the same for mages as well. Siblings may have different affinities and differing numbers of Magic Circulatory Systems. However- if the first-born child was born with enough mana to be a mage- then second-born and any child after that have high chances of being potential mages. Although, it's also not impossible- uncommon but not impossible- for a child not to have any mage potential even though their siblings do. It was one of the reasons why successorship could be so difficult at times, and mage families choose to have only one competent child to avoid unnecessary and troublesome repercussions.
Unfortunately, the centipede demon noticed the arrow flying at her- well, noticed me should be accurate- and swatted the arrow as if it was an annoying mosquito.
"You!" it hissed, glaring daggers of contempt and hatred at me. It nosedives in my direction. "Give me the Sacred Jewel!"
I instinctively pushed myself and Kaede out of the way. I might've only see old priestess and the villagers as mere strangers and was more than willing to act as a cold-hearted mage to escape with my freedom if need be, but I was not heartless enough to let an old woman who had shown me some hospitality to a lost girl like me be eaten alive by a monster.
The old priestess' lone eye gazed at the insect monster and then at me with baffled horror. "It said 'Sacred Jewel'. Ye have it?!" she exclaimed, her shockingly alarmed voice directed at me.
I offered the old woman a quick reply. "I don't know what it's talking about. I only heard of the jewel moments ago," I half-lied smoothly.
The woman-centipede slithered around, and dived at us again- fangs bared and all. I was ready for it this time.
I did not contemplate on whether or not revealing myself as a mage would be a good idea at the moment. The villagers seemed to be very much aware of the supernatural plaguing this world. Therefore, hiding my powers for that reason would be pointless. Besides that, I felt a flame of irritation boil up inside me at the demon still rampaging in my territory. Yes- it was a different time period- and perhaps the Fukumoto family won't claim this land until centuries later. But the fact of the matter was that this region was going to belong to the Fukumoto household in the future. Making this my territory. And I do not take kindly to annoying pests doing as they please on my property!
Hmph, and if the villagers have issues with my powers later… Well, a little memory-wiping spell should do the trick.
I dug into my pockets to pull out a couple of green emeralds. I chanted a quick incantation, and sent the glowing gems rocketing towards the monster. The gems frantically flickered and glowed brighter and brighter as they hit the demon at various parts of its body before exploding and releasing a strong burst of wind.
Everyone shielded their eyes as the D-rank wind spell hit its mark. The woman-centipede shrieks in pain as her body was cut up by razor sharp wind powerful enough to slice through concrete. So- it's immune to E-rank magic- but D-rank ones are fine, huh? That reassured me that demons can be injured by magic. Perhaps, they each have various levels of magic resistance. I mentally filed all that information away for later. There were some theories I wanted to test- however- not now. Now I had a disgusting monster I needed to destroy!
The woman fought through the pain, glaring at me viciously. Her body was covered with lacerations thanks to the razor-sharp wind blades created by the spell. I clicked my tongue in mild annoyance at the fact that the attack did less damage than I had hoped. I ignored the surprise looks of Kaede and the villagers. I quickly scanned my surroundings. Fighting this creature in the middle of a village with lots of people around was not ideal.
"Is there anywhere around here where we have a chance of beating that monster?" I asked Kaede sharply since she was more familiar with this land than I was.
The centipede monster charged once more. "I must have the Sacred Jewel! I must!"
Unfortunately for it, I was ready for its assault. I was helped by the fact that I was slowly becoming familiar with its attack pattern. So far it has been stupidly straightforward and predictable. The woman-centipede seemed to have no other strategy besides attack, attack, attack until it gets what it wants.
More spears and arrows struck at the monster and bounced off it harmlessly. It paid no attention to the villagers' efforts, eyes entirely focused on me.
"Spears… Arrows… Nothing works!" one villager yelled angrily from the background.
"Really? What was your first clue when your first attempt failed?" I inwardly grumbled sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. At this point- the villagers weren't really useful- and were only getting in my way. They were more of a liability than an asset.
Grabbing one of the stray arrows on the partially destroyed ground, I carefully maneuvered myself over the monster's charged body and landed on its back. Focusing and charging the arrow with mana- which was easier said than done- I stabbed the mana-filled arrowhead onto one of the creature's reddish-brown segmented back. The villagers gaped at me in stunned amazement.
The woman screamed in pain and thrash about, trying to fling me off. "You wretch…!" it roared, resentment and enmity radiating off it in heated waves. I frowned, drastically running out of options. I don't have enough jewels left. It seemed like I needed a more powerful burst of power to take this monster out. Pouring the amount of mana I need into a proper weapon would take too much time. I wasn't as compatible with weapons as I was with jewels. I do have one more jewel that could probably do the trick, but I needed to find a vulnerable spot on the creature's body for it to have the most devastating effect.
Unfortunately, I did not have time to contemplate my next move as the woman-centipede twisted her body around until the human-looking part of her was facing me. I could only watch in morbid amazement as the demon's jaws opened and stretched at an impossibly wide until her whole was practically split in half.
"I shall devour you whole! Sacred Jewel and all!" the woman-centipede declared maliciously. Its fangs grew to monstrous proportions- reaching down towards her lengthened jawline. Her deadly eyes were alight with murderous intent.
"Mirai! Get away, child!" Kaede yelled in obvious fear for my safety. The villagers shouted and screamed in panic as the monster closed in on me.
While everyone stared in alarming horror at what they perceived would be my impending demise, I saw this as my golden opportunity. Judging by the angle of the monster's body from my position, it was gonna launch at me with an overhead dive- hoping to eat me whole, or- at least- leave me wounded enough, so I won't be able to move any more from the pain. If I moved by swerving my body to the side to dodge the demon's fierce attack, a huge chunk of my torso would be bitten off.
So instead- I pumped mana into my legs. I dug inside my pocket to pull out the last of my rubies. Only three more left, which means I only had three more E-rank fire spells to cast.
When the woman-centipede was mere inches away from me, I lept backwards while I simultaneously tossed the red gems into the creature's wide, open mouth. The gems exploded inside the monster's mouth. While the monster was screaming in agony as fire engulfed the inside of its mouth, I let out my own cry of pain as I was smacked by its tail.
It was…fine. I was expecting myself to be injured in some way or form. I simply chose the option that was- hopefully- least painful because there was no way I was gonna escape unscathed. I crashed unceremoniously onto the hard ground.
I was winced in pain as I tried to get up. My right side burned a bit. I carefully placed my hand over it to expect the damage. It did not seem like anything was broken, but it was hurting. I must've bruised my ribs. I clicked my teeth in frustratingly annoyance. This would slow down my mobility. As if I needed more of a handicap.
I'm injured. I did not bring a decent enough arsenal of my Jewel Magic. I gritted my teeth. What now? How can I possibly defeat this monster?
I felt something wet and warm trickling down the right side of my face. I lightly touched it, and then calmly observed the tiny, red splotches on my fingertips. Blood. Huh, I must've scraped my cheek when I landed roughly across the earth.
That's fine. As long as nothing vital was damaged, I could still fight.
"Mirai!"
Never taking my green eyes off the screeching monster, I heard Kaede's worried voice call to me as she ran to my side as fast as her elderly body could take her- which was pretty impressive for a woman in her late 50s - early 60s, I believe.
"Are ye alright, Mirai?" the old priestess asked me with concern clear in her voice.
"I'm fine," I replied in my utmost serious tone. "Just focus on the demon." After all, this was no time to get distracted by something as trivial as a minor injury like this.
The red flames finally diminished, and the demon stopped its thrashing and painful screaming. It turned its enraged eyes on me, glaring at me with all the hatred it could muster.
"You…! Damn you, you wretched girl!"
The demon lunged its body up high into the air. It twisted its body in viciously rapid speeds until it resembled a spiraling drill. And- like a drill- it launched at me with all the violent destruction of a roaring torpedo.
I thought about my options. I could easily run and dodge the woman-centipede's attack. However, Kaede and some of the innocent villagers would get caught in the crossfire.
"Mirai. You are the treasured successor of the family. For the sake of the Fukumoto family's future, you must survive at all costs. You are not living for yourself, but rather for your predecessors who spent centuries cultivating our family's magic to where it is now and for your descendents who you'd eventually pass the family's magic down to. Dying before that happens would be deemed most unforgivable. Your death would mean the death of the entire Fukumoto family. Remember that well, Mirai. Use any and all means to survive."
"Sorry, Father. You have a horrible daughter."
Without hesitation, I tossed my remaining green jewels at the monster- hoping to use the wind spells as an improvised shield to lessen the damage from its assault. Once again, I cursed myself for not bringing my stronger supply of jewels. If I had, I could've taken this hideous monster down easily.
But then again… How was I supposed to know I would be transported into the past where demons and mythical creatures- thought to be extinct by the Age of Gods- actually exist? History… Myths… Legends… They all need to get their facts right!
Well, there was a saying that "history is written by winners". And people don't write about things they don't believe in, and modern books are sometimes altered to reflect that- especially if knowledge of prior information was iffy at best.
I mentally shook my head. This was no time to complain. The demon was obviously after me, so I needed to lure it away. Fighting in the village was no longer an option. Well, it wasn't an option in the first place. But I have ran out of gems, and I can no longer protect the villagers without them.
Luckily- the spell did its job- and successfully halted the demon's attack. Now, how was going to defeat this monster?
Suddenly the image of Inuyasha flashed in my head.
Inuyasha was a demon as well, wasn't he? No ordinary person has dog-like ears. I could use a demon to fight off another demon. Removing the spell from him though was gonna be tricky and may take some time. Time I won't have with the woman-centipede attacking me in a mindless rampage.
Nevertheless, I was treading dangerous territory. Unsealing a demon to kill another demon was reckless beyond all belief. What if he's hostile? What if he turned on me the moment I broke the seal? What if he was still after this Sacred Jewel thing too, and mistakes me for having it? Every possibility of something going horribly wrong marathons through my head.
"Well- if he won't obey me- I'll just force me to," I thought pragmatically coldly as I fingered with a small, pink pearl in my pocket. "I will use every possibility I have in my arsenal. Worry about the consequences later."
Without a moment to lose- I dashed as quickly as I could towards the direction of the forest- fully knowing and expecting the monster to follow after me. I heard Kaede shout my name- perhaps out of worry and concern- but I paid her no mind.
"Use whatever available tool you have, even if it happens to be an ally. Just focus on the objective, and remove all unnecessary feelings and thoughts that have nothing to do with the objective. We are mages, Mirai. We don't get distracted by concepts as frivolous as emotions or morality."
"Besides-l, if this world is filled with demons… for my own safety… I should probably have a useful demon-hunting tool at my disposal. And what better tool than another demon? I could get this Inuyasha guy to be my familiar or whatever."
I could hear the unnerving sound of the woman-centipede slithering across the grassy terrain as she continued to chase me. "Give me the Sacred Jewel!"
"For heaven's sake…! You're persistent!" I yelled back at the demon annoyed as I continued to pump mana into my legs. I ignored the pain on my side as every rough movement aggravated my injured ribs, and kept sprinting across the fields. It's a good thing I remembered the general area of when I was captured by the villagers. I don't know whether to praise my luck or their stupidity for not knocking me out first. "I don't know if I told you this- and it might be too late now- but I don't have the Sacred Jewel!"
The demon had no problem keeping up with me, even if I was using Body Modification Magic to increase my speed. Dang it, I was hoping it would catch up to me quickly, but not this quickly. I was intending to break the seal before it caught up.
Unexpectedly, the monster dive-bombed at me. Thankfully- it missed- however- the force of it caused a forceful tremor, making me lose my balance. Mercifully, I was saved from the indignity of being sent flying. Though, I don't think clumsily stumbling forward and falling on my knees was any better. I could feel the hissing burn of the skin of my knees and the upper parts of my front legs being torn. I instinctively understood that I was bleeding.
"Heh! You're grown hopeless, Kikyo. Being chased like a cornered rat by a pathetic centipede monster?"
A gravelly, masculine voice caught my attention.
The moment I laid eyes on him, my mind stopped.
Time froze.
The blades of grass rustled strongly along the wind.
A red, imposing figure trapped by giant vines and an arrow, glared down at me with such intensity behind magnificently stunning, golden eyes.
The boy- no man's sharp features encased my vision. I was speechless- not because the boy had awoken from his seal without me having to do anything- but from his overwhelming, striking beauty. The moonlit shining against his silver hair made him look so radiant, it almost took my breath away.
I instantly now more sure than ever that this guy was a demon. However, he was different from the woman-centipede. And it wasn't because he was more human-looking than the creepy centipede demon. There was something about him that screamed "power". Something about his eyes that roared- like a vicious torrent in a sea- "strong and powerful". That only caused me to feel more mesmerized by him. The two pointy, dog ears on his head just added to his attractively cute features.
It was rare for me to feel even a smidgen of attraction towards a guy. So when I say a guy was handsome, they are handsome! It was incredibly unheard of for a devilishly good-looking boy to catch the attention of Mirai Fukumoto- heiress of the Fukumoto family- without having anything to do with magic or her "family's business".
Were there other demons this beautiful? Do I have a thing for otherworldly beauty? Or was he the exception? He had an unkempt, wild handsomeness that was unparalleled and unmatched. Everything about him signified "free, untamed, and uncontrollable".
"Why are you taking so long to kill it? Just kill her in one shot like you did me."
His voice was gruff and very decidedly boyish. It snapped me back to reality. I internally scolded myself for being distracted with a freaking monster on my tail! This was no time to be fascinated by a guy!
"You look pretty dumb there, Kikyo. The Kikyo I know wouldn't waste her time."
I quirked an eyebrow. Was this boy confusing me for a dead person?
I moved to stand up- flinching from the pain of my scraped knees- but I didn't show it. I can't show any weakness. The tiny splotches of blood stained my black tights.
Mentally, I shook my head. I don't have time to deal with this demon's identity confusion due to being out of touch with the current reality. I could hear the cracks of my spellbinding fascination falling into tiny shattering dusts of unsatisfied disillusionment. The demon boy was handsome, I'd give him that. He had a ruggedly pretty face and a strong and attractive physique, but his personality was-
"Not cute," I muttered out loud with disappointment clear in my tone. I rose a dark brown brow in mild intrigue when I saw one of the boy's ears twitch and he glared down at me. He heard me? Granted, I was only a yard or two away from him. Any mage with advanced hearing due to pumping magical energy into their eardrums and ear canal would be able to hear me. But still… It was slightly impressive.
He might be a useful tool for me after all. At least- I could use him to get rid of the woman-centipede for me. Afterwards… Afterwards… We'd see…
"What are you gawking at, Kikyo?" the boy demands angrily.
I frowned. "You are incredibly stupid, aren't you?" I deadpanned. I climbed up to my feet, casually dusting some invisible dirt off my tights- being mindful to avoid the more tender parts of my legs. "I heard about the theory about everyone having their own "identical stranger"- sure- but I think you need to get your eyes checked."
The demon boy snarled, baring his fangs at me. He stopped growling suddenly, and glanced upwards with a grim expression on his face.
My body immediately tensed. I sensed the presence of that demon approaching. It was trying to catch me off-guard with a predictable ambush. It probably would've had a smidgen of a chance of its pathetic attempt working, if it had bothered to conceal its murderous intent.
The minor stung from my legs were nothing. I barely noticed it. It was bruised ribs that were the problem. If I weren't dealing with this creepy centipede, I would heal no problem. I did learn a fair bit of healing magic from my mother.
I jumped back, easily sidestepping the demon's attempt to catch me. I grabbed the nearest, sharpest, stray branch I could get my hands on, and wasted no time pumping mana into it- to increase its penetrating power- and hurled at the demon.
The woman-centipede smoothly dodged the thrown tree branch by maneuvering her body to the side.
"You think that trick would work twice on me, girl?" it laughed smugly. I could discern the tiny specks of burns around its mouth. Huh, my spell was more effective than I thought.
I gritted my teeth in frustration. If only I had more gems, or a proper weapon. The only thing I could do was stay on the defensive. I do have other "tools" I could use, but I don't reveal the cards in my hands to so many people.
Surprisingly, several arrows with ropes attached to them struck at the monster.
"Okay, good. Now pull!" I heard one of the villagers shout from over my shoulder. I could only let out a breathless sigh under my breath. I appreciate the help, but don't they realize that they are just useless fodder? However, it was not my place to criticize them. They most likely dealt with malicious demons like this woman-centipede nearly everyday. If they wanted to throw their lives away, who was I to stop them? It's not like I had any personal ties to the villagers anyway.
"You're so pathetic, Kikyo," the silver-haired demon sneered.
I shot him an unimpressed look, not taking my eyes off the centipede monster. "You know- for someone's art project- you are pretty annoying," I countered.
I ignored the glare directed at me. Maybe I shouldn't free this guy after all. His personality was really aggravating. Ever since he had awakened from his seal, he has not shut up! It seemed to be not worth the effort or headache to release him from his spell.
My eyes widened slightly as I realized something crucial. I turned to him fully.
"How come you are still pinned to that tree?" I asked genuinely curious.
He scowled at me, golden eyes flashing with resentment. "What do you think? You're the one who sealed me to this tree, Kikyo," he snarled, voice dripping with animosity.
I offered no response. I was not a therapist. I was not here to deal with this guy's personal hangup and grief with Kikyo. From Kaede's story, I was fully aware that he and Kikyo were bitter rivals. Nonetheless, I had some questions about the story. But not now. I had bigger things to worry about than clearing up some identity confusion. Sure, being confused with another person- a dead girl- was a bit annoying. However- I was not an insecure teenager. I merely brushed it off for now. Deal with it later.
"Lady Kaede! Inuyasha has revived?!" a villager exclaimed, fearfully astonished.
Several arms tried to grab at me, and I wasted no time ducking out of the way. The woman-centipede attempted to catch me by surprise while I was mildly distracted. A smart move, I would give it that. Perhaps the smartest move it had made so far given its single-minded brain cell.
This was starting to become incredibly tedious and annoying now.
I'm beginning to retract my earlier conflict about not freeing the guy. It seemed like breaking the seal really was my only chance of killing this annoyingly persistent centipede. Best-case scenario, they would both kill each other. Second best-case scenario- next time I'd come back better prepared for this grisly stuff- I would have my own hunting dog. Worst-case, I would make the problem even worse.
It was unfortunate, but I couldn't just casually free the silver-haired demon boy either. Not knowing to break the spell because I don't have time to study it aside, Kaede and all the other villagers were here. I can't leisurely walk up and destroy the spellbinding arrow with them watching. Kaede's village was the only safe place I could go to in this world at this point. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. I need to think of a way to manipulate everything in my favor.
"Give me the Sacred Jewel!"
The woman-centipede lunged at me again. Dodging its attacks had become incredibly mundane at this point. It really was a one trick pony. Were all demons this simple-minded or was it the exception? From the corner of my eyes- I saw the demon boy's eyes narrow- though I did not comment on it. I filed his reaction away for later. It could be something I could use to my advantage in the near future.
However- the centipede demon made an unexpected turn after I jumped out of the way of its attack- and headed straight for the defenseless demon boy.
I was mildly baffled by the monster's change of course. I thought it was after me? Wasn't I it's top priority? So what was it doing? It gained no benefit from going after the silver-haired boy pinned to the tree. Did something else catch its interest?
My green eyes narrowed. No. The demon had been hot in its pursuit to capture or kill me ever since I stopped inside the hut where the Bone Eater's Well was located back in my time. It had been annoyingly determined to claw the "Sacred Jewel" out of me. Enough to follow me to Kaede's village.
So…? What was it after? What was its goal? Was it trying to use the demon boy as a hostage? Or was attempting to appeal to my human nature- thinking I might selflessly throw myself in harm's way in order to protect the guy? A decent plan. But only one problem. I'm not as good-natured as all that.
An idea bulb flashed above my head.
It took only a split second to make my decision. I rushed at the demon as swift as my feet could take me- making sure to cease the magical energy flowing through my body. I am taking a huge gamble with this reckless tactic. But if it all works out, everything would be in my favor. Both strategically and politically.
Everything happened in less than 3 seconds. I could vaguely hear the demon boy yell something in anger and frustration with a faint hint of worry between the rushes of pain. I had attempted to protect him, only to be rewarded with red-hot searing pain at my side as I flung in the air like a ragdoll. My green eyes widened in blank astonishment as- ignoring the gush of blood- a pink pearl- the size of a small marble- flew out of my body.
"That's the Sacred Jewel?!" I thought in flabbergasted disbelief. "It really was inside my body?! If that's true, how come none of the mage doctors saw it? How come Father never sensed a powerful jewel inside his daughter's own body?"
I was lucky that the demon's insect body managed to break my fall. My backside landed on the demon's body, and I unceremoniously stumbled onto the ground. I held the gaping wound at my side as if trying to keep the blood from following out. The pain was a bit annoying, but not unbearable. I've dealt worse. With a bit of healing magic, I should be able to stop the bleeding in a few minutes.
"Kikyo! What the hell are you doing?" the demon boy yelled- almost infuriated- but I took note of the panic, fear- for my safety- and concern in his voice. This guy's feelings for this "Kikyo" chick was really complicated, wasn't it? It's almost as if…
It did my best to suppress the devilish, almost evil, smile that was threatening to spread across my lips. Heh…! Another piece of information I could use to my advantage.
"Get the jewel, Kikyo! Hurry!" he said urgently.
He did not have to tell me twice. I crawled over to grab the seemingly all-powerful jewel laid out in front of me. Unfortunately- I only managed to brush it before the centipede's body circled a few meters around the tree- and restrained me, pressing me flat against the demon boy's soft yet sturdy body. Being crushed between two demons was not ideal. I could feel my bones threatening to break behind the force of the woman-centipede's grip. I was kinda envious when the silver-haired did not bat an eye or so much as twitch in pain. Does this mean that demons' bodies are sturdier and more resilient than humans'?
Much to my slightly stunned puzzlement, I felt someone's brush against my hair. The appendage that operates a person's sense of smell took a few, deep whiffs. Was the boy… smelling me?
"You're… not Kikyo," I heard him mutter in utter stupefaction. I glanced up at best I can to see his golden eyes narrowed darkly at me. "Who are you?" he demanded.
I only stared back at him incredulously. He seriously could not tell I wasn't this "Kikyo" person until he literally had to sniff me? Was he a dog? Could he only identify people and objects by their scents? What were his freakin' eyes for then?
"I heard some half-demon spawn was after the Sacred Jewel. It's you, isn't it?" the woman-centipede scorned mockingly, causing the boy to turn his attention back on it.
"Half's all I need to kick your scaly hide. Anything more than that would be a waste of my time," the demon boy retorted smugly.
Sheesh! Talk about arrogant. Were all demons exasperatingly conceited? First the disgusting centipede? Now this demon boy?
"If you could destroy this demon, then just do it already," I commanded, annoyed. The boy merely stared at me blankly.
The centipede demon chuckled darkly as if amused by the mere absurd thought of the demon boy defeating her. "What can he do? Pinned there like that? Or you for that matter?" It lowered its body towards the jewel while still sneering at us. "You're powerless to stop me. You're helpless- the both of you." Its revoltingly long tongue slithered out of its mouth, and gingerly wrapped it around the Sacred Jewel. The unappealing, pink appendage picked up the jewel, and it swallowed it whole.
"It swallowed the jewel!"
"Lady Kaede! What should we do?"
The villagers started to cry out in apprehension, fear, and panic.
I was forced to bore witness to the most disgusting thing to happen so far today. The demon shedded its human-like skin! The discarded skin revealed a sickly pink, reddish-brown flesh underneath! Its entire human-like body looked totally grotesque and was no longer human anymore. It had bulging, blood-red eyes and its sickeningly yellow fangs were bare for all to see.
All I could say was that the centipede monster had one heck of a nasty makeover. Talk about a major downgrade. I liked it better before it swallowed the jewel, and that wasn't much.
Urgh! Kill it with fire!
The centipede section of its body tightened around the tree constraining me and the demon boy. I bit back a cry of pain as I could feel my bones painfully creek under the pressure.
"Hey… Can you… pull out this arrow?" I could barely hear the silver-haired guy mutter out the request.
He did not have to tell me. Was I gonna try to do it anyway? But- in this case- it's a good thing he brought up the suggestion instead of me. It helps me give off the appearance of a desperate girl trying to survive a desperate situation.
I feigned innocent confusion. "Huh?"
"Look! Can you pull out this arrow or not?" he said, more forcefully this time.
"Nay, child! Once the arrow is removed, then Inuyasha would be free to destroy us all!" Kaede warned, urgently.
"I don't really have a choice, do I? We will all die at this rate!" I yelled back at her, almost pleadingly. I probably seemed like a helpless girl desperately clinging on to the last bit of hope laid out before her. "If I remove the arrow- you will save us- won't you?" I practically begged the boy.
The demon boy stared at me, face devoid of emotion. "Yeah, yeah. Stop yapping and start pulling out this damn arrow, would ya?"
That was all confirmation I needed. With determination pumping through my veins, I gripped onto the arrow firmly. There was no way I was gonna die here! There was too much at stake! My death here would spell the end of the entire Fukumoto family line! And I can't let that happen!
I don't care what enchanted spell was placed on this arrow. I am Mirai Fukumoto- a prim, proper, powerful, and elegant mage of the Fukumoto family- and I would not be disgraced by a stupid spell!
I pulled the arrow out with all my might. To my slight surprise, the arrow disintegrated in a brilliant flash of pink light.
"It's gone…! My sister's spell vanished!" Kaede exclaimed astonished.
The demon boy's body began to pulse. I had the distinct feeling that power was returning to him. I could sense it. He was regaining his former strength. His seal has been completely and utterly removed.
The silver-haired boy started chuckling ominously before erupting into a full-blown maniacal laughter. The laughter made the hairs at the back of my neck stand on end. My instincts were warning me I should be fearing this guy- not the Sacred Jewel-empowered woman-centipede.
The demon boy wasted no time- and- with an impressive show of brute strength- he shredded apart the abhorrent flesh that kept us trapped to the tree.
I did my best to land gracefully on my feet, which was not much. I landed on my side- which was better than being flat on my butt- at least. I think.
"Wretched child!" the woman-centipede jeered.
"Nasty hag!" the demon boy taunted in return. He leapt at the monster- calling out the name of his attack, "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" With a quick flex of his claws, he easily tore the demon to pieces as if it was nothing more than wet tissue paper.
How… anti-climactic.
I looked on in mild revulsion and fascination as the mutilated body was still twitching. "It's still moving," I pointed out amazed. Shredded to bits, and it was still alive?
"Quickly, child! Find the glowing flesh. Lest Mistress Centipede revive!" Kaede urged me.
My eyes widened in wonderment at that. Really? Do demons have incredibly strong vitality? Or was the Sacred Jewel that power? Almost makes me interested. From a researcher's standpoint.
I scanned the dismembered pieces of the seemingly slain demon's body. Spotting a small, round, pink glow, I quickly plucked the jewel out of its body. Taking a powerful jewel out of a decaying body did not bother me at all. As if I let anyone get their hands on an object as powerful as this. That would be crazy. Normally, something like this would be reported straight to the Magic Society. To be kept under close surveillance and tight security. Besides, being relentlessly studied from every angle.
The demon's flesh immediately disintegrated into dust, leaving only its bones behind. I stared at the pink jewel in my hand in wonder. Although…
"Why is something thus powerful inside my body?" I muttered out loud to myself in bafflement.
I heard the crunching sound of bones break, and turned my head around to see the silver-haired demon boy glowering at me menacingly.
"Exactly. Humans can't use it. So why bother keeping it? If you hand over the jewel right now, I won't have to start sharing my claws on you," he threatened me maliciously.
Right… Now… How to deal with this guy?
I'm starting to wonder if I made a grave mistake.
(A/N: That's it for the 3rd chapter! Hope you like it! Honestly, I did most of this episode by memory. Only went back to revisit a scene or two. And even then… I didn't actually "rewatch" it. Just wanted to look at some background scenery. Wanted to get the description of Kaede's hut right. That and more. I feel like… I did Kaede a little dirty though. I remember her, but all I remember about her is the "wise, old woman".
Although- as you can see- while I kept most of the scenes relatively the same- I changed the context of it to give a whole different vibe from the original. While in the original the scenes [or episode, I say this case] established Kagome as- besides being a typical teenage girl- being ignorant, naive, and in hopeless denial in order to cope with her situation- the changes of the context in this chapter from the original anime make Mirai- on the other hand- come off as somewhat self-serving and manipulative. I was honestly amazed by just… changing several things from the original… the scenes/episode gives off a whole different tone. Yes, yes… Mirai isn't the typical goody two-shoes OC/character that we see a lot in the Inuyasha fandom. She's not a bad person though. Trust me, she has a good side. She's more of an anti-heroine than anything else [partially due to her upbringing and her "cold-hearted, objectively-minded, and ruthlessly pragmatic mage" mentality {a personality that she admits- by her admission- that's "inhuman"}]. I figured Mirai being an anti-heroine would make an interesting contrast to Inuyasha's villain protagonist status in the beginning of the series. And- just like him- she would learn to be more traditionally heroic as the story goes on.
*Sigh* When I was rewatching a small portion of the episode, I could only let out a frustrated sigh. Inuyasha, shut up! You are not helping the situation. And Kagome… Get your fucking priorities straight! This is no time to have a pissing contest with a guy you literally just met when there's a motherf-ing monster 5 ft from you! *sigh* I don't know. I just don't know. Anyone would get annoyed at Inuyasha mocking them. But- in this scene- Kagome was just as annoying as him- if not more so. Yes, Inuyasha confusing Kagome for Kikyo is a case of mistaken identity. And should be addressed. At a later date. But Kagome gets irritated way too quickly by it to the point of having her priorities skewed over it. Then gets more irritated when Inuyasha calls his acquaintance/friend/ lover prettier than her (a complete stranger). Or maybe Kagome is just reminding me just how cringe-y, frustrating, annoying, and/or stupid a teenager could be. I'm sure I was. And I'm sure many of you were too. Either way… Damn! I knew Kagome's self-esteem/self-worth was fragile. But I didn't know it was this fragile. Probably should have been my first hint at Kagome's insecurity issues [with how much she can'tstand the thought of someone even a complete stranger disliking her] that's expanded upon later. Oh, the annoyingly frustrating teenage drama of a teen's self-esteem/self-image being threatened and/or stomped on being more important than a literal life-or-death situation!
And that sends off red flags to me. I have no quells with people with insecurity issues. I have it, and I'm sure you guys have it. Heck, I still have it. My only issue is those who use their insecurities as a free pass to be a toxic individual. I am not gonna say anything I haven't complained about before. This simply goes back to my earlier complaints about Kagome's self-worth being strangely overly-dependent on Inuyasha- which makes me go "Kagome, you need to do a bit more growing up before you are mentally ready to be dating anyone"! And maybe it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth because I have personal issues dealing with/dating people like this. And it wasn't pleasant. I had insecurities issues- sure- but even back then it was up to me to deal with it and change. It was no one's responsibility but my own. When someone forces [whether unintentionally or not] the responsibility onto someone else, that's a warning sign for a toxic relationship [whether it's platonic or romantic].
But besides that, the scene was another reminder to me of Inuyasha and Kagome arguing/fighting. All. The. Goddamn. Time! Is not cute. It's not endearing. It's just annoying. Where's the teasing action?
I am not saying Inuyasha and Mirai won't have their own fights. Because- c'mon- any relationship with Inuyasha would start off belligerent. I'm just trying to make them fight over childish and trivial stuff all the damn time like Inuyasha/Kagome. Mostly due to the fact that Mirai did not start out as an "ordinary teenager", so she has a sense of wisdom and maturity that Kagome does not. I do know Kagome is a kind and caring person and she means well… But I am constantly reminded she's a child who was suddenly thrust with adultlike responsibilities. And since she's unprepared with such responsibilities, she throws a temper tantrum more often than not. Makes me go "Girl…! Quit whining about life! You are a child!"
But anyway… Back on track… Mirai and Inuyasha will clash and buttheads, but it is mainly because they are both very prideful and highly independent people who have spent most of their lives being almost completely self-sufficient. Not because of shared childish immaturity. That's what Inuyasha shared with Kagome- not Mirai. That's all I say about the matter.
However, I will say one thing… Who is wearing the pants in the Inuyasha/Mirai relationship? Because Mirai is cool-headed, hardly driven by her emotions, and deals with things with cold logic and reasoning while Inuyasha is irritable, quick-tempered, easily provoked/annoyed, and is driven by his emotions [even if they are his more volatile ones]. As you can see… In the more traditional role… The female character would be the emotional one while the male character would be the stoic one. But fuck gender roles. If I want a dominant female character, I will write a dominant female character.
P.S. How fucking naive can Kagome be? Even as a child- when I heard Inuyasha's maniacal laugh- I knew he didn't have the best intentions. And all other OCs who follow Kagome's naive example… All I can say… Are you fucking serious?
P.P.S. I'll stop with the complaints. This is me letting out my frustrations with the characters and story I didn't know I had before. Have I grown more cynical?
P.P.P.S. Should I add the movies? If I do, I'm gonna have to figure out where to put them in the plot of the story. Granted, I am not putting all the movies in. Maybe only the first two.
P.P.P.P.S. I am following the plot, but- after careful consideration- I have decided to make some changes to it. For instance, some plots would remain relatively the same, some may be altered, and others may be removed. For example, there may be some plot episodes that come before or after others. In other words- if you think the story would follow episode by episode- you are [somewhat] wrong.
P.P.P.P.P.S. I have never noticed it before, but the animation of Inuyasha is very distracting. Why does it change every episode? How many main artists were working on the anime? But it does bring back some fondness for hand drawn animation.)