Chapter 302

Haruto ignored Jaken and kept his attention on Sesshōmaru.

Unfortunately, that only gave Jaken the wrong idea. He assumed Haruto had come specifically for Sesshōmaru.

Jaken stole a glance at his master. When Sesshōmaru made no move to intervene, he immediately decided that Sesshōmaru simply expected him to drive this stranger away.

So Jaken puffed himself up and snapped at Haruto,

"You’re a demon slayer, aren’t you?! I suggest you give up whatever foolish idea brought you here! Lord Sesshōmaru is not someone an insignificant nobody like you can provoke!"

Unlike the thoroughly suspicious Jaken, Rin merely tilted her head and regarded Haruto with curiosity.

She sensed no malice from him at all.

Haruto finally lowered his gaze toward the bristling little yōkai and waved a hand.

"I’m not a demon slayer."

"I’m just a chef passing through."

Though Sesshōmaru was a pure-blooded dog demon with exceptionally refined yōki. His meat would probably be firm, springy, and—

Haruto immediately abandoned that train of thought.

Sesshōmaru was anything but weak. Picking a fight with him just for the chance to taste dog meat would hardly be worth the trouble.

More importantly, Sesshōmaru normally walked around in human form.

That alone severely dampened Haruto’s appetite.

Jaken visibly faltered at the word "chef." Some of the suspicion in his eyes faded, though he kept the Staff of Two Heads raised as he muttered,

"A chef? What kind of chef wanders around a mountain this deep in the middle of the night...?"

Sesshōmaru glanced at Haruto but said nothing.

Since Haruto showed no intention of attacking him, Sesshōmaru likewise saw no reason to pay him any further attention.

He turned to leave.

Then a breeze swept through the clearing.

Sesshōmaru’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

He suddenly turned back, his golden slit pupils narrowing as they fixed on Haruto.

The wind had carried the scent of a blade.

Sharp.

Powerful.

And strangely similar to the scent of Tenseiga at his waist—and to Tessaiga.

"You possess a powerful blade."

"Tōtōsai forged it, didn’t he?"

Sesshōmaru’s voice was cold as ice, and his yōki began to stir around him.

Yet when he focused his full attention on Haruto, his brow tightened ever so slightly.

For some reason, this human gave him a faint sense of danger.

"That’s right. I recently had Tōtōsai forge a kitchen knife for me."

Haruto nodded casually, though inwardly he was rather surprised.

Myriad Worlds was currently resting safely inside the Gourmet Restaurant. He was not even carrying it on his person.

Yet Sesshōmaru could still smell it.

’Pure-blooded dog demons really do have absurd noses.’

"A kitchen knife?"

For the briefest instant, Sesshōmaru’s expression froze.

A faint trace of genuine surprise flickered through his golden eyes.

He could tell Haruto was not lying.

Which meant the powerful blade he had sensed really was... a kitchen knife.

Sesshōmaru had assumed Tōtōsai had forged another legendary combat blade on the level of Tessaiga.

Instead, the old swordsmith had apparently made something intended for cooking.

’Since when did Tōtōsai forge kitchen knives?’

Sesshōmaru did not bother pursuing the subject.

If Haruto possessed another famous blade comparable to Tessaiga, Sesshōmaru might have considered taking it for himself.

But a kitchen knife?

He was no chef.

What use would he have for one?

"Let’s go."

Sesshōmaru withdrew his gaze and turned away without another word, walking toward the forest ahead.

"Yes, Lord Sesshōmaru!"

Jaken hurriedly bowed, then shot Haruto one last vicious glare. He shook the Staff of Two Heads threateningly before scampering after his master on short legs.

Rin, meanwhile, gave Haruto a cheerful little wave.

She flashed him a bright, innocent smile before skipping after Sesshōmaru.

Haruto shook his head and prepared to return to his campsite and finish roasting his rabbit yōkai.

Then a fierce gust howled down from the night sky and swept across the entire clearing.

Sesshōmaru stopped.

So did Haruto.

He looked up.

A huge white feather drifted slowly down through the moonlight.

It was broad enough to serve as a boat, and seated atop it was a woman dressed in a kimono.

Long black hair framed pointed ears, a delicate nose, and small lips. There was a natural allure to her graceful, carefree bearing, something seductive without appearing deliberately so.

The wind tugged freely at her hair and sleeves, carrying an untamed air around her.

Yet beneath that freedom lingered a faint, almost imperceptible sense of confinement.

Haruto recognized her immediately.

Kagura of the Wind.

Naraku’s second incarnation.

A woman born as the wind, forever chasing freedom—only to finally become part of the wind once that freedom was hers.

Kagura rode the white feather down and landed a short distance in front of Sesshōmaru.

Her bare feet touched the grass lightly, while the turbulent winds curling around her obeyed as gently as trained servants.

Sesshōmaru watched her without expression.

His long silver hair streamed behind him in the wind, and the pale fabric of his robes snapped sharply in the gusts.

Haruto had abandoned any thought of leaving.

Instead, he folded his arms and settled in to watch the scene unfold.

Kagura’s winds had swept through the entire clearing as she descended, so naturally she had noticed Haruto as well.

From what she could sense, however, he possessed only a modest amount of spiritual power.

Nothing worth worrying about.

"Hey."

Kagura lifted her chin slightly and gave Sesshōmaru an intentionally casual smile.

Her fingers, however, tightened almost imperceptibly around her fan.

Kagura knew exactly how powerful Sesshōmaru was.

She also knew how deeply he despised Naraku.

That was why she had come despite the danger.

Sesshōmaru gave her no response.

He merely stared at her.

Kagura did not seem bothered.

She leaned forward slightly, a flicker of hope hidden deep in her eyes—one she herself might not even have recognized.

"Sesshōmaru, did you come here because you smelled Naraku too?"

Jaken immediately sprang forward.

He thrust up the Staff of Two Heads and planted himself in front of Sesshōmaru.

"Lord Sesshōmaru, be careful! That woman is one of Naraku’s incarnations!"

He pushed the staff forward for emphasis, trying his best to look threatening.

Sesshōmaru completely ignored Jaken.

His cold gaze remained fixed on Kagura.

"You’re Kagura of the Wind."

"I’m flattered you still remember my name."

Kagura’s eyes curved slightly as if amused, but there was no real joy on her face.

Quite the opposite.

The moment Sesshōmaru spoke, her heart sank.

His hand had already settled on the hilt of Tōkijin.

The pressure of a blade moments from being drawn seemed to become almost tangible.

Kagura tensed.

She was already prepared to summon the wind and flee at the slightest movement, but she forced herself to remain composed.

"Take your hand off the sword. I didn’t come here to fight you!"

Not daring to waste any more time, Kagura quickly explained why she had come.

"Sesshōmaru, how about making a deal with me?"

Her eyes locked onto his, filled with desperate resolve.

Kagura understood perfectly well what she was doing.

The moment she decided to seek out Sesshōmaru, she had already stepped onto the path of betraying Naraku.

And Naraku possessed her heart.

Her life, her death, her freedom—everything was literally in his hands.

If Naraku wished, he could kill her whenever he pleased.

Betraying him was no different from dancing on the edge of a blade. One wrong step would destroy her completely.

But she was the wind.

She had been born to roam freely beneath the heavens, beholden to no one.

If she wanted control over her own fate—if she wanted the freedom that always seemed just beyond her reach—then she had no choice but to gamble everything.

Sesshōmaru regarded her with faint confusion in his golden eyes.

Looking at Kagura, who was clearly nervous despite her attempt to hide it, he asked coldly,

"A deal?"

Kagura took a deep breath and raised her right hand.

Two shards of the Shikon Jewel rested in her open palm, faint purple light flowing across their surfaces.

She had taken them from Kōga of the Wolf Demon Tribe despite the risk of Naraku punishing her for it.

They were the only bargaining chips she had.

"You know what these are."

"I’ll give you these Shikon Jewel shards."

Kagura extended her palm slightly toward him.

Then her expression hardened with even greater resolve.

"But in return, you have to kill Naraku for me."

"With your power, I know you can do it."

For the first time, a faint plea entered her voice.

"Once Naraku is dead, every Shikon Jewel shard he’s collected will be yours too."

"After that, you can do whatever you want with them."

A short distance away, Haruto raised an eyebrow as he watched.

He glanced at Kagura’s hopeful expression, then at Sesshōmaru, and shook his head.

Sesshōmaru would never accept a deal like this.

He certainly would not lower himself to kill Naraku on behalf of one of Naraku’s own incarnations merely in exchange for a few Shikon Jewel shards.

From beginning to end, Sesshōmaru had never cared much about the Shikon Jewel.

He wanted power capable of surpassing Tōga, certainly—but never through dependence on an external shortcut like the Jewel.

Haruto lightly rubbed his chin.

An idea had already begun taking shape.

He intended to give Kagura a little help.

But the best moment to speak would be after Sesshōmaru had completely shattered whatever hope she had placed in him.

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