Uchiha Lie sat quietly in the darkness, his eyes closed as he sensed the Natural Energy flowing through the world around him. The castle was silent, far too silent. Even the wind outside seemed to move carefully, as if afraid to disturb something hidden within its walls.
Then, suddenly, several unfamiliar presences entered his range of perception.
One was warm, pure, and filled with the calm strength of a shrine maiden. It carried the gentle glow of Miko Spiritual Power. The second was clearly Demonic Power—strong, wild, and sharp. But unlike the pure demon aura he had encountered before, this one carried something else.
A faint human scent.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"A half-demon…" he murmured to himself.
Now he understood. That was why full demons could immediately recognize Inuyasha. The mixture of human and demonic energy was obvious to anyone sensitive enough. It was neither fully one nor the other.
He stood up and lit the oil lamp in the room. The dim yellow flame flickered, pushing back the darkness just enough to reveal cracked walls and scattered furniture.
Walking toward the unconscious girl lying on the floor, he gently tapped her forehead.
"Release."
The Illusionary Art he had placed on her shattered like thin glass.
Ruji's brows twitched. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open.
At first, her vision was blurry. She saw the faint light. Then a pale face leaned into view—one marked by long cracks across the skin, as if the body were made from porcelain. His grayish-black eyes seemed lifeless, holding a faint sense of decay.
For a brief second, silence filled the room.
Then—
"Ahhh—!"
Her terrified scream shattered the night.
Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.
Uchiha Lie blinked.
"…I didn't expect that."
He gave a helpless smile. Before he could wake her again, he heard footsteps rushing toward the room. Several people. Fast.
Clearly, her scream had drawn them here.
Instead of reacting, he calmly stepped back into the corner and sat down. He would wait.
---
A Few Minutes Earlier
Outside the castle, under the cover of darkness, Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi, Myoga, and the anxious samurai Amari Nobunaga had quietly entered the grounds.
But the moment they stepped inside, they noticed something strange.
Everyone was asleep.
Samurai guards lay slumped against walls. Servants were collapsed on the floor. Even the patrol soldiers were unconscious.
"Young Master Inuyasha," Myoga said seriously from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder, "this is sorcery. They've all been hypnotized."
Amari Nobunaga clenched his fists. "My Lady! Lady Ruji! Where are you?!"
"Is shouting really a good idea?" Kagome whispered nervously. "What if you attract the demon?"
Inuyasha twitched his ears, sniffing the air.
"Hmph. If we make enough noise, maybe the demon will come to us."
At that very moment, a scream echoed from deep inside the castle.
"Lady Ruji!" Nobunaga gasped.
Inuyasha's ears stood upright.
"Kagome. Something's wrong. Follow me!"
Without hesitation, he ran.
Kagome hurried after him, gripping her bow tightly. Nobunaga followed close behind, while Myoga clung desperately to Inuyasha's red fire rat robe.
They turned a corner and saw a room glowing faintly with yellow light.
The door stood open.
A figure's shadow stretched across the corridor floor.
Inuyasha's nose twitched.
"There's someone inside," he muttered. "Strange aura. Demonic… but also smells like death."
He drew Tessaiga from his back. The blade gleamed in the dim light.
Slowly, he stepped forward.
"Come in. I mean no harm."
A calm male voice spoke from inside.
Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a glance.
Before Kagome could warn him, Inuyasha had already walked in.
"Inuyasha!" she whispered, rushing after him.
The moment Kagome entered the room, she froze.
In the corner sat a man unlike anyone she had ever seen.
He wore deep blue clothing in a style that did not belong to this era. Cracks covered his skin and clothes, as if his body were fragile porcelain. His gray-black eyes seemed cold and distant.
Kagome instinctively stepped behind Inuyasha.
Amari Nobunaga rushed inside and immediately spotted Ruji lying on the ground.
"Lady Ruji!"
He tried to run to her, but Inuyasha grabbed him by the collar.
"Don't move!"
Inuyasha held Tessaiga in front of him.
"Who are you? Are you the lord here?"
The man stood up slowly.
"My name is Uchiha Lie. I am not the lord. The lord of this castle was possessed by a demon. He ordered soldiers to capture girls from nearby villages. I came to deal with it."
His voice was calm and steady.
His gaze passed over Inuyasha.
Long white hair. Dog ears. Red fire rat robe. The legendary blade Tessaiga.
So this was Inuyasha.
Then his eyes moved to Kagome.
Black hair. Sailor uniform completely out of place in this time period. Bright eyes filled with worry but also courage.
The girl from the future.
For a brief moment, Uchiha Lie sighed inwardly.
It was a pity Inuyasha was not a white-haired beast-eared girl, he thought with silent amusement.
But his expression remained neutral.
"The girl on the floor is someone I found here. I have removed the illusion. She fainted again after seeing me."
He stepped back deliberately to show he had no intention of attacking.
Kagome watched him carefully.
He didn't seem aggressive.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, "bring Lady Ruji over first."
Inuyasha nodded.
"Stay where you are," he warned Uchiha Lie.
Without lowering his guard, he moved quickly, picked Ruji up, and retreated to Kagome and Nobunaga.
Throughout the entire process, Uchiha Lie did not move.
Not even a finger.
"Lady Ruji! Lady Ruji!"
Nobunaga's voice trembled.
After several calls, Ruji slowly opened her eyes again.
"My Lady!" he cried in relief.
"Nobunaga…? Why are you here?"
Suddenly, her expression changed.
"I saw a demon! A terrifying demon!"
She looked around in panic.
Uchiha Lie spoke calmly.
"I am not a demon. I am simply a passing warrior who discovered the possession and came to stop it."
Ruji saw him again.
Her face turned pale.
But this time, she did not faint.
---
The Tension Builds
Inuyasha did not lower Tessaiga.
"You smell strange," he said bluntly. "You're not fully human."
"That is correct," Uchiha Lie replied honestly. "I am not entirely alive either."
Kagome stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
Uchiha Lie looked down at his cracked hands.
"This body is sustained by power that does not belong to ordinary humans."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.
"Are you the one controlling this castle?"
"No."
"Then where's the demon?"
A faint smile touched Uchiha Lie's lips.
"It fled when I arrived. It likely sensed you approaching as well."
Inuyasha scoffed.
"Tch. Coward."
Suddenly, the air in the room shifted.
A dark wind howled through the hallway.
Candles flickered violently.
A chilling demonic aura began to gather.
Kagome felt it instantly.
"It's coming!"
Inuyasha grinned.
"Finally."
Uchiha Lie stood straight.
Gray-black energy gathered faintly around him.
This was their first meeting.
And already—
They were about to fight side by side.
Outside, a twisted shadow began forming in the corridor, its voice echoing with hatred.
"You dare interfere in my feast…?"
Inuyasha stepped forward, raising Tessaiga.
Kagome drew an arrow.
Uchiha Lie lifted his hand slowly.
The demon would soon learn—
This castle was no longer its hunting ground.
End of Chapter 8