Chapter Five: The Prelude to a Quiet Unfolding

“Grandma Maple! What is Lord Hojo coming here for?”

As soon as Grandma Maple returned to the village, she was immediately surrounded by the villagers, who anxiously and eagerly bombarded her with questions. Although Lord Hojo accepted the supplies offered by the villagers, the young girl who accompanied them was sent back. This left the villagers, struggling to survive in these turbulent times, feeling uneasy and lost.

“Don’t worry.”

Though Grandma Maple herself was anxious inside, she forced herself to remain composed in front of the villagers, signaling to Gohye and Inuyasha at the outskirts to stay calm for the time being. Then, facing the expectant crowd, she spoke soothingly.

“The visitor is the renowned and illustrious Lord Hojo Akitoki. I’m sure everyone has heard of his noble reputation.”

“Compared to most warlords, Lord Hojo Akitoki is famous far and wide for his kindness toward common folk.”

“The reason Lord Hojo came this time is because it is said that a demon appeared on the battlefield of the Kawagoe conflict.”

“To ensure the smooth progress of the war and protect the surrounding people, Lord Hojo hoped to enlist the power of the late Kikyo-sama.”

“Thus, they aim to exterminate the great demon that threatens everyone!”

Upon hearing Grandma Maple’s explanation, the villagers who hadn’t gone to the camp looked toward those who had, including the young girl. Seeing no unusual expressions on their faces, most villagers felt reassured as if a huge weight had been lifted.

“Indeed, Lord Hojo Akitoki’s reputation is quite good. He’s very considerate of us commoners.”

“Right, right. I heard from those who have been to Odano Castle, where Lord Hojo resides, that he is as merciful as the legendary Liu Bei.”

“Yes, in these chaotic times, the only one who upholds the banner of righteousness is probably Lord Hojo Akitoki.”

Whether truly believing these tales or simply comforting themselves, the villagers suddenly bubbled like boiling water, each praising Lord Hojo’s virtues.

Seeing this, Grandma Maple hastily found an excuse, saying she needed to retrieve the late Kikyo-sama’s relics to present to Lord Hojo. Only then did she slip away from the lively crowd to join Gohye and Inuyasha, whose eyes were filled with curiosity and caution.

“Grandma Maple, who exactly is this Hojo Akitoki?”

Following closely behind the briskly walking Grandma Maple toward her home, Gohye whispered. At first, her mind was in turmoil from the cavalry charge, then shocked by the appearance of Akechi Mitsuhide and the revelation that his lord was not Oda Nobunaga. Gohye had been unable to make sense of it, unsure whether her poor history knowledge was to blame or if a person named Hojo Akitoki really existed.

After some time to calm down, Gohye finally became certain: in her history, the Aso clan only had lions, not kirin, and Akechi Mitsuhide’s lord was definitely Nobunaga—not some Hojo Akitoki!

“Hey, old lady, is this Hojo here to seize the Shikon Jewel?”

Compared to Gohye, Inuyasha’s thoughts were more straightforward. For him, the only concern was whether these sudden human troops were rivals vying for the Shikon Jewel. If not, that was ideal; if they were—then!

Inuyasha bared his gleaming claws through clenched teeth. If that were true, tonight he would sneak into the camp and kill this Hojo Akitoki! Anyone coveting the Shikon Jewel—demon or human—would die!

“Hojo Akitoki, huh?”

When alone, Grandma Maple no longer added honorifics when mentioning Hojo. Inside the house, after carefully checking outside to ensure no villagers or Hojo ninja spies were watching, she hurriedly used her limited spiritual power to draw talismans while rapidly recounting the events at the camp. During her explanation, she also addressed Gohye’s doubts.

“Is Hojo Akitoki really such a great man?”

To be fair, even though Grandma Maple remained wary and suspicious of Hojo’s true intentions, she still spoke with some admiration. After hearing everything, Gohye was dumbfounded. This didn’t add up—how could someone so famous and kind have been completely unknown to her in the future? Could it be that the Sengoku era she had entered wasn’t the same as the one in her history books? After all, her history never mentioned demons.

With a puzzled expression, Gohye lowered her head, unsure what was true or false.

“Hey, old hag, you still haven’t told me what this Hojo is really here for.”

Uninterested in Hojo’s character or past deeds, Inuyasha pressed on, especially irritated by Gohye’s infatuated, dazed look toward Hojo. It grated on him like a thorn.

“I don’t know.”

Grandma Maple quickly finished drawing a dozen talismans and hung them up to dry. She herself hadn’t figured out the answer to Inuyasha’s question, so how could she explain it to him?

“You damn old woman.”

Frustrated, Inuyasha clenched his fists and stood up, intending to storm out and confront Hojo Akitoki directly at the camp.

“Gohye.”

Seeing Inuyasha’s impulsive move, Grandma Maple immediately called out to the reincarnation of Kikyo, Gohye.

“Sit down!”

Instinctively, Gohye shouted a binding spell at Inuyasha before he could take more than a few steps. Under the spell’s effect, Inuyasha suddenly crashed face-first into the ground, even tasting the dirt.

Struggling to lift his head, Inuyasha cast a sharp glance at the two women before him.

“Gohye, watch Inuyasha here. Don’t let him do anything rash.”

Holding the freshly made talismans, Grandma Maple pretended to deliver what she claimed were Kikyo-sama’s relics to Hojo Akitoki. Before leaving, she stressed repeatedly that Inuyasha must not be allowed to endanger anyone.

“I understand.”

Nodding firmly and understanding the gravity, Gohye promised to keep him in check. Originally angry enough to want to return to her own time, Gohye put aside thoughts of going back after Hojo’s sudden arrival, instead worrying whether his presence would threaten the village’s safety.

Elsewhere, Hojo Akitoki and his entourage prepared to face the possible demon attack. The demon in question was the reverse-haired Ketsuro, making his debut in Inuyasha’s timeline. This beautiful-haired demon quietly approached the forested mountains surrounding Maple Village. From a distance, he gazed at the seemingly peaceful village and the Hojo army’s camp.

The end.