Why can't humans do it too?

"...What, what is this?" This scene was far too shocking for Kagome Higurashi, who was still an innocent, cute and kind middle school student. The little girl's face turned bright red, and she stammered as she asked Sull.

“…Good children shouldn’t learn from them, okay? Don’t become an adult like them in the future,” Sue muttered softly, patting Kagome Higurashi’s head.

"what?!"

"Um?!"

It seems that whispering doesn't work very well.

Although Jibril's attack did not directly penetrate the bubble, everything that existed here seemed to be visible to the world inside the bubble, and the startled flock of birds flapped their wings and flew up from the dense forest of leaves.

Suer even saw several panicked rabbits, scurrying away in fear like little gray-white fur balls—ah?!

To the astonishment of the group, a rabbit, preoccupied with its escape, charged straight into the bubble, appearing before Suer and his companions in the blink of an eye, before falling directly into the ancient well.

They looked at each other, and Suer could still hear the sounds of the rabbit thrashing and bumping around in the well.

“Good, it seems we don’t need to worry about it having any harmful effects on life,” Shinke concluded, having unilaterally ended the fight with Jibril.

It's not a mirage, but a real door, a door to the past.

It is much cooler than modern cities where temperatures are exceptionally high due to the heat island effect. Even with the shade of the trees, the humid and hot wind blowing from the sea still carries an unavoidable heat wave.

It is full of the original flavor of nature.

He stomped hard on the ground beneath his feet. It was soft and spongy, and the forest floor, covered with various leaves and weeds, felt like stepping on a sponge. Su Er tried jumping, but was somewhat disappointed that the ground didn't have the power to bounce him up.

Then, when he turned his head, he saw Xin Ke's disdainful gaze. The forest elf, who understood him perfectly, had already seen through his childish behavior.

"Let's look for any signs of human activity nearby first," Su'er said with an awkward chuckle, changing the subject. "By the way, Kagome, uh, I'll just call you that, are you feeling anything unusual about your body right now? Like, having trouble breathing or anything?"

Needless to say, Shinko and Jibril are also very strong now. Sull remembers that Kagome's body is still within the realm of ordinary humans.

"Ah? Okay, sure... Hmm, I feel fine now!" It has to be said that after experiencing all the events of today, especially since her shrine was saved from being destroyed by those monsters thanks to the protection of Su and the others, Kagome Higurashi, being an upright young girl, spoke much more politely.

"That's good. Although we haven't seen anything strange yet, based on our experience, we should have arrived in ancient times by now. You need to be careful," Su'er kindly reminded him.

“Ancient times…yes, I will! Thank you, Mr. Sue!” Kagome nodded vigorously.

After Suer and his companions crossed over, this bubble that connected two eras still existed. From here, one could still see the dilapidated ancient well that had been ravaged beyond recognition, and even the ground around it, soaked with demon blood, was clearly visible.

Just in case, under Xin Ke's command, they set up concealment and defense spells around the large area of ​​shadowy bubbles before choosing a direction to head down the mountain. However, the further they went, the more eerie it felt.

Although they did encounter some monsters along the way, their numbers and ferocity were far inferior to those monsters that poured out of the well. They were completely different from the monsters. More importantly, the group had not yet found a place where the monsters could crowd through the well.

There were no signs of large numbers of monsters fighting each other, nor any indication of large numbers of monsters rushing headlong towards any direction, to the point that Xin Ke began to suspect that this new time tunnel might have landed in a very different place, like when Jibril took them back to the modern era.

In ancient times, living deep in the mountains and forests was always very difficult, whether it was the collection and storage of food or the threat of wild animals. In this world where cannibalistic monsters existed, these dangers were magnified many times over.

Chapter Forty-Seven Cherry Blossoms

For this reason, if ancient people wanted to live as safely and comfortably as possible, most of them would choose to settle in places that were close to mountains and water, but not too close or too far away, and preferably flat.

Based on this concept, Suer and his companions discovered traces of human activity as soon as they moved a short distance away from the mountains.

These were likely traps set by hunters who went into the mountains to hunt, or perhaps marks made by woodcutters. Further ahead, one could even see human dwellings, far more exquisite than the ancient humans—scratch that, ancient Japanese humans—that Suer had imagined could have built.

After all, in his mind, for these people who dared to claim to have built a city in a day after building a wall that was less than half a person's height, it would be good enough to have a place to live. But what appeared in his eyes now was a delicate courtyard with well-defined edges and tiles, and even white paint on the walls.

This courtyard occupies the best location on a low hill that has been completely occupied by humans, while at the foot of the hill are a few simple thatched huts, which are obviously the residences of ordinary people.

Surprised, but when he thought of the Oni race who had built magnificent underground cities out of iron in the primitive era, Sull felt that he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Monsters are the primary productive force.

In this ancient society where technology was not advanced, monsters with immense strength and all sorts of strange abilities could use this power to create all sorts of amazing things.

Ordinary people dressed as servants, and practitioners dressed in monks' robes—Suer also noticed the radiance of spiritual energy emanating from them. However, what also attracted the group's attention was an incredibly enormous tree.

For a moment, Suer thought they had arrived at the place where the enormous sacred tree behind the Higurashi Shrine had existed in ancient times, which meant that they had also found the ancient well in this era. However, after the initial surprise, Suer discovered that this huge tree was not the sacred tree they had become familiar with.

His long stay in Japan was enough for him to identify the tree species whose leaves were unique to him. Without a doubt, it was the cherry blossom, the flower that the Japanese people love most in later generations.

But how could a cherry blossom tree possibly grow so thick and tall?!

If such a giant tree truly existed in history, then the history of the Japanese people would certainly not forget its trace, not to mention that even if Su Er surfed the internet all day in the future, he would never have seen such a tall cherry blossom tree.

If it truly exists in the future, then given the unique status of cherry blossoms in this country, such a thick, ancient, and tall cherry blossom tree would surely become the national tree of the entire country, and there would even be a shrine built specifically to worship it.

So... it was cut down?

The entire history was also obscured.

Suer had figured it out, and he was certain that there was definitely a monster behind this, after all, only monsters with all sorts of strange and bizarre abilities could ensure that humans would not leave any information about this giant cherry blossom tree in future generations.

After sharing her guess with the others, Xin Ke had no other opinions. Without a doubt, the cherry blossom tree that was not lucky enough to survive into the future society was definitely related to some kind of secret. Therefore, when exploring the large area around the time portal, this tree became a key point.

But before that, they have to go back first.

"How much time has passed?" Suer asked casually, constantly checking the changes in his body.

"There doesn't seem to be a problem with the flow of time. It's the same as the flow of time in modern society, which is much better than the speed in ancient times when a few days were equivalent to several months... Is it because the time since this return hasn't been too long?" Xin Ke guessed. "Where's Miss Empty-Headed?"

"Everything's fine~, Miss Bonsai~", Jibril replied with a smile, but Sue was still a little worried.

"Are you really okay? Feeling sleepy or tired counts too. Try to feel it more carefully," Sue said again, pinching Jibril's cheek.

In this world without elves, Jibril's current existence is sustained only by a tributary of the broken galaxy that possesses the power to travel through time and space. After returning to modern society with Sue and Xinke, this energy is no longer enough for Jibril to maintain her most powerful form. Her current mature appearance is merely a transformation she has created because she dislikes Xinke and wants to rival her. In essence, she is still that little angel.

The appearance of this time-space gate undoubtedly still relies on the ancient well that can somehow borrow the power of that galaxy. Therefore, what it consumes can be regarded as the foundation of Jibril's existence. This is also the reason why Suer forced a few people to return in a hurry. He was afraid that if he stayed too long before figuring it out, Jibril would suddenly disappear.

"Don't worry~, it's all fine~~~", Jibril was so happy to see Suer's concern for her that she squinted her eyes. She rubbed against Suer's hand that was pinching her cheek. "The energy consumption was much less than I expected. The unknown energy that Weed and I discovered before actually accounted for the majority of it. It's like climbing up by pulling on a rope, which is much less strenuous than flying directly."

Although there were no safety issues, the confusion on Jibril's face did not seem to lessen. In the end, even though she always looked down on her, Jibril never underestimated Xin Ke's intelligence. After all, if she really underestimated that weed, what was she who couldn't even understand the experimental records in the diary that the weed had written?

However, even now, Xin Ke has never been able to figure out what the concept of this unknown energy is, nor can she know why it grows.

"It's good that you're alright," Su Er nodded, then looked at Kagome Higurashi beside him, "Go back and explain these things to your grandfather first... Oh, and remember to keep that jade safe, don't tell anyone else or let them see it—Xin Ke, can you help her set up a concealment spell?"

Suer waved directly to Xinke.

“…Hmm, thank you.” Clutching the pink jade in her hand, Kagome Higurashi was still immersed in the series of dreamlike events that had happened today, staring blankly as Shinko’s finger lightly touched the surface of the jade.

"Go back and get some rest first. Things here are definitely not over yet, and we might need your help again later," Su Er said with a sigh, rubbing the little girl's head.

Is it the Shikon Jewel?

I have a feeling this isn't anything good...

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Trap of Power

“I thought you were going to take that jade,” Suer said, squinting at Shinko beside him as Kagome staggered away like a sleepwalker. “Didn’t your research drive pick up this time?”

"Is there any difference between this little girl's hands and mine?" Xin Ke shook her head and said, "There are too many things to study, and you and that brainless guy over there won't be of much help... Aren't you going to ask Nurarihyon? Then hurry up and go, I'm a little curious too."

Although everyone knows that Xinke is the only one here who can conduct such sophisticated research, it is still very difficult for Suer and Jibril to admit that they are not intelligent enough.

Jibril stayed behind the Higurashi Shrine to prevent any monsters or other anomalies from appearing while the others were away, while Sull took Shinko, who couldn't stray far from him, and headed straight for the Nura residence.

Nurarihyon was having a free meal at the house next door when Sullar quickly appeared and carried him to the Nurarihyon residence, putting him down.

"Can't you just tell me all those weird things at once?" Sour said irritably as he sat down opposite Nurarihyon.

"...Strange thing?" After the initial tension subsided and she gave up resisting upon realizing it was Sull, Nurarihyon was still speechless at the sudden change in her surroundings. "What are you talking about?"

The old monster with the long back of his head blankly stuffed the pastries he had taken from next door into his mouth and chewed them. He had no idea what this nonsensical talk was about.

"Speaking of which, if you're here... has the fight over there already ended? Did that vampire guy win?" Nurarihyon asked curiously. "Rikuo and the Nura Clan's yokai all went to cheer him on, making this house quite deserted. Didn't you all come back together?"

Suer: "..."

Oh right, Araragi Koyomi is still fighting.

Completely absorbed by the large number of monsters that appeared behind the Higurashi Shrine tonight, along with the new portal to another dimension, Sull almost forgot that there was someone he knew who was fighting desperately for the vampire girl.

"Let's not talk about that. There's something more important right now," Suer said with a serious expression. "Do you know about the Shikon Jewel? Tell me the truth quickly."

"Shikon Jewel—the Shikon Jewel?!" Nurarihyon's relaxed expression instantly turned to astonishment. "You saw the Shikon Jewel?"

"Ah, I know what you mean by strange things... If you live long enough, you'll see a lot of these things. In fact, every ten years or so, some people or monsters will discover these strange things that can enhance their strength because of their ambition, desires, or conspiracies. Then, after these treasures become famous for a while, they will disappear into thin air. How could I possibly tell you all of them one by one?" After the initial surprise, Nurarihyon returned to his unhurried demeanor.

“...The Shikon Jewel,” Sull repeated, his eyes half-closed.

Is this guy trying to get beaten up by acting like an old man telling a story?

"Alright, alright, you're really impatient. You don't seem like a great yokai who's lived for so long at all," Nurarihyon muttered. "In short, as I just said, in the history of yokai, there are always things that can make a yokai very strong in a short time. Although most of them are traps set by other yokai or onmyoji... Among these numerous treasures that can enhance strength, the Shikon Jewel is also a very special one."

"Hmm, if it were when I was young, I probably would have taken the bait too if I had known about the Shikon Jewel," Nurarihyon remarked. "Fortunately, I'm old now."

"It's strong? It can greatly enhance the power of monsters?" In an instant, Suer understood why the monsters that crawled out of the well had unleashed such frenzied energy when they saw the small pink jade stone and heard the name Shikon Jewel.

As mentioned before, in the world of monsters, power is everything.

"It can directly elevate the power of a small demon to that of a great demon, or even far exceed the level of a great demon, don't you think?" Nurarihyon retorted, "To be honest, if I didn't know that those demons who obtained the Shikon Jewel didn't end up with good fates, I would have been tempted to use my treasured sake to exchange for information from you so that I could give it to Rikuo... With your strength, you wouldn't need it, would you?"

"You even have such good wine?" Su'er's eyes lit up; this was an unexpected delight.

"Get lost!" Nurarihyon rolled his eyes in annoyance. To be honest, only when he was with this guy he couldn't beat did he feel like he wasn't a Nurarihyon. Why was he always the one getting taken advantage of?

This is a disgrace to Nurarihyon!

"That can't be right. That jewel can also produce a strong reaction in the hands of humans, and it even has an effective killing power against monsters," Xin Ke said, tapping the table as she appeared. As she spoke, Su Er also saw the image of the Shikon Jewel shining with white light in Kagome Higurashi's hands.

The fact that they discovered the Shikon Jewel would absorb those monsters was temporarily omitted.

“Ah, that was my oversight. I should have been more precise in what I said earlier,” Nurarihyon nodded and continued, “The correct statement should be that neither humans nor yokai have a good ending after obtaining the Shikon Jewel.”

"It's like a life-devouring evil creature, without its own stance or likes and dislikes. Perhaps at first, it can gain great power because of it, but in the envy of others, nothing can protect it, and so it devours the lives of its past masters as well." Recalling the rumors he had heard in his memory, even Nurarihyon's voice couldn't help but show a trace of fear.

"It constantly circulates between humans and demons. In the hands of humans, it grants the user greater spiritual power, even enabling them to directly destroy demons. However, in the hands of demons, it elevates the demon's power to an unimaginable level, along with the demon's desires and ambitions, until they die."

"Hmm, thinking about it that way, let's forget about giving it to Rikuo," Nurarihyon shrugged nonchalantly. "Have you guys figured out how to deal with it? Seal it up or just... Oh right, with your strength, can't you break it or destroy it completely?" Nurarihyon asked curiously.

When Sull asked about the Shikon Jewel, the old monster seemed to have already decided that it would fall into Sull's hands hundreds of years later.

Chapter 49 She Jumped Out

“No, as I’ve already said, I’ve only heard about this thing. It’s not actually in my possession right now. Why would I need to lie to you?” Suer said frankly.

"I see. I was thinking that even if I didn't know how to use it, I could at least take a look and broaden my horizons... You know, the Shikon Jewel is a story that many yokai have heard since they were young," Nurarihyon shook his head with some regret.

Without answering, Suer simply rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Although there was no clear evidence, he felt that the two things—that the portal to time travel could appear in the back mountain of Higurashi Shrine, and that Higurashi Kagome, who possessed the bloodline passed down from Higurashi Shrine, had the Shikon Jewel within her body—were not unrelated.