Chapter 288

They did not spend much longer discussing whether yōkai were edible.

Compared with the question of eating demons, Inuyasha and the others were far more curious about the existence of other worlds.

Haruto did not mind. He simply told them in more detail about the different worlds he had visited.

One completely different world after another unfolded before them.

From the Jewel Meat of the Toriko world, to the Super Chef Examination in the Cooking Master Boy world, to the colossal Skyvein Dragon from the world of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End...

Every story left Inuyasha’s group alternately holding their breath and exclaiming in amazement.

When Haruto finally finished, Inuyasha could not help saying,

"Man, I’d really like to see those worlds for myself someday. But we’ve gotta deal with Naraku first."

Sango and the others did not say anything, but the anticipation in their expressions made it obvious they felt the same way.

"Sure. When the time comes, just find me."

Haruto smiled.

He had already promised Serie a trip to another world, so adding Inuyasha and the others hardly made much difference.

That promise noticeably eased the atmosphere between them.

A moment later, Haruto turned toward Inuyasha with a more serious expression.

"Inuyasha, there’s something I’d like your help with."

Inuyasha blinked, then waved a hand casually.

"Sure. What is it?"

Kagome and the others looked over curiously, wondering what Haruto could possibly need Inuyasha’s help for.

"I want to have a kitchen knife forged."

"A knife that can travel with me through countless worlds."

"So I’d like to ask Tōtōsai to make it. Could you take me to see him?"

Haruto stated his request plainly.

He knew Tōtōsai lived somewhere near a volcano, but finding the exact place on his own would take far too much time.

It was much easier to ask Inuyasha for help.

Besides, if Inuyasha introduced him personally, there was a better chance Tōtōsai would actually agree to forge the knife.

After hearing the request, Inuyasha stared at Haruto with a strange expression.

"Huh?! You want that weird old man to forge you a kitchen knife?!"

Inuyasha knew perfectly well how eccentric Tōtōsai could be.

More importantly, Tōtōsai forged weapons for battle.

And now Haruto wanted to ask him to make a knife for chopping vegetables and cooking?

Inuyasha could practically picture the old man hearing the request, raising his hammer, and chasing Haruto straight out of the workshop.

Then Inuyasha’s eyes suddenly shifted.

A mischievous grin spread across his face.

Tōtōsai had tricked and annoyed him plenty of times before.

If Inuyasha brought Haruto over and actually got the old man to forge a kitchen knife...

He would be able to mock Tōtōsai about it for the rest of his life.

"Sure!"

Inuyasha agreed immediately.

"You wanna find Tōtōsai? I’ll take you there!"

"Thanks, Inuyasha."

Haruto thanked him sincerely.

Whatever Inuyasha’s reasons, the fact that he was willing to help was still a favor Haruto would remember.

What surprised him was that Inuyasha immediately started insisting they leave right away.

Haruto naturally had no objection.

At the moment, forging his kitchen knife was far more important than hunting yōkai for ingredients.

Kagome and the others exchanged looks, then began packing without complaint.

They had already rested in Kaede’s Village for several days. Even without Haruto’s request, they would soon have left again to search for Shikon Jewel shards and Naraku.

Once everyone had packed their belongings, they departed the village without wasting any more time.

The group headed west.

Tōtōsai’s home was quite far from Kaede’s Village, and by sunset, they still had not reached it.

"Looks like we won’t make it today."

Miroku glanced at the sun sinking toward the horizon.

"We should find a village to stay in tonight and continue tomorrow morning."

No one objected.

So the group headed toward a village visible in the distance.

As they approached, Inuyasha suddenly stopped.

His nose twitched several times.

His expression immediately sharpened.

"Something’s wrong."

Inuyasha looked around warily.

A moment later, an intense wave of yōki swept over them from every direction.

"What is this? That’s a lot of demonic energy..."

Kagome instinctively tightened her grip on the bow across her back.

Sango seized her Hiraikotsu and moved into a ready stance.

Miroku brought his staff across his body while drawing several sutras with his other hand.

"Everyone, be careful. It’s approaching quickly!"

Inuyasha scanned the surroundings but saw nothing.

His irritation immediately rose.

"Tch. Quit hiding!"

"If you’ve got the guts, come out already! Stop skulking around! I’ve been itching for a fight anyway!"

He was already eager to clash with whatever creature was giving off such a powerful demonic aura.

Haruto, who had remained silent until now, suddenly lowered his gaze toward the ground.

He could clearly feel a faint vibration beneath his feet.

It was growing stronger.

Closer.

Something enormous was moving underground at astonishing speed, heading straight toward them.

"Careful."

Haruto warned them.

"It’s underground."

Inuyasha and the others reacted immediately, looking down.

Under their combined gaze, the earth suddenly bulged upward.

The hard-packed ground split apart and exploded in every direction.

Then a gigantic centipede yōkai burst from beneath the soil.

Its body stretched twenty or thirty meters long.

Each segment was as broad as a millstone and covered in thick, dark-green armor that gleamed with a metallic sheen beneath the fading sunlight.

Countless legs lined its body like curved blades.

Each was as thick as a grown man’s thigh, and every tip flashed with cold light.

The surrounding yōki became even denser.

"HISSSS—!"

The giant centipede released a piercing shriek.

Then it opened its enormous maw and sprayed a massive torrent of milky-white venom toward the group.

Inuyasha kicked off the ground and leapt aside.

Kagome grabbed Shippō and climbed onto Kirara, who shot into the air and avoided the spray.

Haruto simply shifted sideways and landed farther away.

The venom splashed across the ground.

Sssssss—!

A horrible sizzling sound followed.

The earth began melting beneath the corrosive liquid as though butter had been pressed against red-hot iron.

Within moments, a pit nearly half a meter deep had been eaten into the ground.

Everyone’s expression changed slightly.

The venom was terrifyingly corrosive.

If even solid earth could be dissolved that quickly, a human body caught in the spray would probably be stripped down to the bones—or worse.

"You’re dead!"

Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, which transformed into its enormous fang-like blade.

Sango raised her Hiraikotsu.

Kagome pulled her bow from her back and nocked a Sacred Arrow, aiming directly at the centipede yōkai.

Haruto, however, only watched with a strange expression.

He made no move to attack.

The giant centipede certainly gave off an impressive aura, but something about it felt strangely hollow.

Almost as though all that power would collapse the moment it was touched.

Haruto trusted his instincts, so he saw no reason to interfere.

Miroku was the first to move.

With several quick steps, he rushed within striking distance of the giant centipede, leapt into the air, and raised his staff.

Using the force of his descent, he brought it down directly onto the hard shell covering the creature’s head.

THUD!

A heavy impact rang out.

Spiritual power surged through Miroku’s staff and poured into the giant centipede’s body.

The monster instantly froze.

Seeing the opening, Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tessaiga and prepared to swing.

Sango was already about to throw Hiraikotsu.

"Wait! Don’t attack!"

Kagome suddenly shouted from Kirara’s back.

Inuyasha and Sango both stopped.

They turned toward her with puzzled expressions, unable to understand why she would call them off now.

Kagome frowned as she stared at the enormous centipede.

"It... I think it can’t fight anymore."

"Its yōki is disappearing really fast."

In Kagome’s eyes, the centipede’s demonic energy was leaking away like air from a punctured balloon.

As if to prove her right, the enormous body swayed once.

Then it collapsed stiffly onto the ground with a thunderous crash, sending dust billowing everywhere.

It did not move again.

Inuyasha stood there holding Tessaiga, staring at the dead centipede with obvious irritation.

"What the hell?! I was just getting ready to cut loose, and it dies like that?!"

"What a letdown!"

"Exactly!"

Shippō jumped down from Kirara’s back and immediately joined in.

"It looked huge and scary, but it was totally useless! Miroku hit it once and it just died!"

Sango sighed and lowered Hiraikotsu.

"For something with that much presence, it really was all bark and no bite."

Unlike the others, Miroku looked distinctly pleased with himself.

"Well, well. No harm done."

He smiled with satisfaction.

"The important thing is that everyone’s safe."