V1 Chapter 8: Why Are You Wearing Kikyō's Clothes?

"Yae-sama!"

"Yae-sama, where are you?"

Just as Yae Sakura and Kikyō were speaking, Natsuki's shouts echoed from nearby.

"That girl..." Yae Sakura frowned. She had specifically told Natsuki to stay put, yet here she was, rushing out anyway.

"Want to come with me?" Yae Sakura glanced at Kikyō, preparing to head toward Natsuki.

"......"

Kikyō didn't reply, but nodded. She was curious about the girl who was calling out.

"Then let's go together!"

Yae Sakura rushed to Natsuki's side, finding her sprawled on the ground, her face twisted as if she were about to burst into tears.

It was understandable. Though considered an adult in this era, Natsuki was only around thirteen years old. Lifespans were short; living past fifty was considered a long life.

In the original story, Kikyō's younger sister, Kaede, looked a hundred years old despite being just over fifty.

"Yae-sama! Are you alright?"

Hearing the commotion, Natsuki, who had been lying on the ground, looked up and saw Yae Sakura approaching. Her face instantly lit up with relief.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the cave?" Yae Sakura sighed, walking over to Natsuki and helping her up.

"But... I was scared... I was worried about you, Yae-sama," Natsuki mumbled softly, her voice barely audible.

I heard there were yokai, and you're the only one who can drive them away. What if... something were to happen to you?

That was why Natsuki had ventured out of the cave.

"You're worried about me? But... how does running off to find me help?"

Yae Sakura was speechless. Didn't Natsuki realize she was a liability? Running off wouldn't help at all; in fact, if something went wrong, she'd only make things worse.

"I... I..."

Natsuki couldn't find the words, but she felt deeply wronged.

At that moment, Kikyō approached, glancing between Natsuki and Yae Sakura, her thoughts unreadable.

"Yae-sama, this miko is..."

Natsuki also noticed Kikyō. She quickly composed herself, erasing her hurt expression, and turned curiously to Yae Sakura.

"I don't know," Yae Sakura replied. Although she recognized Kikyō, this was their first proper meeting, and she hadn't yet learned her name. She couldn't simply call her by it.

"I am Kikyō, a miko. I've been commissioned to exorcise yokai in this area," Kikyō stated concisely, offering a brief introduction.

"Kikyō..." Natsuki murmured, startled. Isn't that the person Yae Sakura asked me about earlier? Natsuki's gaze flew to Yae Sakura in surprise.

Then, she quickly introduced herself, "I'm Yuhara Natsuki."

"Natsuki's escort was devoured by yokai. I'm just escorting her home," Yae Sakura added.

"Yuhara? The Yuhara Clan's daughter?" Kikyō recognized the name, realizing that Natsuki was the daughter of the local daimyo.

After getting to know Kikyō, Yae Sakura learned that they were in Musashi Province. However, Maple Village, Kikyō's home, was still a considerable distance away.

Kikyō had been commissioned by the village head of a nearby settlement to exorcise the yokai plaguing the area.

At this time, Kikyō had not yet acquired the Shikon no Tama. While her reputation was growing, it wasn't yet widespread. Her fame was primarily confined to a small area within Musashi Province, particularly around Maple Village.

Though her name was known in other regions, it mostly circulated among specific circles. The common people remained largely unaware of her deeds, or treated them as mere folktales. After all, this wasn't the modern era; many villagers lived their entire lives without ever leaving their own village.

As for why Natsuki hadn't heard of Kikyō, it was simply because the princess had little knowledge of such matters. From childhood, she had been immersed in studying courtly etiquette, calligraphy, and painting, leaving her little time to learn about the world beyond her noble upbringing.

"Does that mean there's a village nearby? Could you take us there to stay for the night?"

If there was a village, they wouldn't have to sleep in a cave.

Kikyō glanced at Natsuki. As the daughter of a noble, it was too dangerous for her to spend the night in the wilderness. With a nod, she agreed.

"Follow me!"

Kikyō trusted Natsuki completely, unlike Yae Sakura, whom she was still wary of.

It was already dark when they finally reached the small village after walking along the Kikyō Road for over half an hour.

The village was home to barely a hundred people. Most of the buildings looked so dilapidated that a strong gust of wind could easily collapse them; the majority were simple thatched huts.

Since the villagers were already asleep, their arrival went unnoticed. Kikyō led the two directly to an abandoned shrine.

Though the shrine's roof was partially rotted, it appeared far sturdier than the thatched huts they had passed.

"We'll rest here for the night. This shrine has been abandoned for a long time," Kikyō said, setting down her pack.

"Okay," Natsuki replied.

The place wasn't ideal, but the dried grass scattered on the floor was a definite improvement over the damp cave they had previously occupied.

"It's late. Natsuki, go to sleep," Yae Sakura instructed.

Yae Sakura arranged a makeshift bed of dried grass for Natsuki and then settled herself on a stone step.

"Yae-sama, you should sleep here..." Natsuki murmured, touched by the gesture.

"I told you to sleep, so sleep," Yae Sakura replied firmly, unwilling to waste time on further argument.

"Yes..."

As expected, Natsuki immediately fell silent and obedient.

"Here."

Just as Yae Sakura was about to close her eyes and rest, Kikyō suddenly produced something and tossed it to her.

"What's this...?"

Yae Sakura's eyes snapped open, and she caught the object. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a red-and-white miko outfit.

"Even if you're a half-demon now, you should still maintain some self-awareness as a woman, especially since you were a miko. This is a spare outfit I had. See if it fits. If you still consider yourself a miko..."

"Uh..."

Clothes that Kikyō had worn?

But... their figures were roughly the same!

Still...

If I remember correctly, when Kagome first crossed over, her school uniform skirt was about the same length as this one, wasn't it?