The sudden appearance of the demon, Mouryou, made Miroku's heart sink.
She quickly strode to the shrine's window and gazed at the Land of Demons engulfed in thick black smoke. Countless civilians fled in all directions, while the guards and soldiers tasked with protecting them were overrun by Mouryou. Most abandoned their armor and fled in panic.
Those who resisted to the bitter end were mercilessly crushed under the overwhelming power disparity.
Watching this scene, Miroku remained silent, completely convinced of Shimizu's earlier words.
"Priestess, a monster has appeared outside!"
A guard pushed the door open and entered, catching sight of Shimizu sitting casually on a chair. For a moment, he froze.
Miroku cleared her throat and said in a commanding tone, "This is my guest. Go and evacuate the people immediately. I will head out soon to seal Mouryou."
"Uh… understood, Priestess," the guard replied hesitantly. The urgency of the situation left no room for further questions about Shimizu's sudden presence. He quickly ran off to follow Miroku's orders, organizing the crowd to flee into the mountains in an orderly fashion.
Once the guard had left, Miroku turned back, her brown-golden hair glowing brilliantly under the dusk's fading light.
"You are... Uchiha Shimizu, correct?"
Miroku had seen Mei Terumi ask for Shimizu's name during the contest and had remembered it since. Until now, she had deliberately referred to him as "the Konoha ninja" due to his unannounced arrival, which she had considered an intrusion.
But now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Miroku believed it was necessary to foster some rapport with Shimizu for the sake of the innocent people of the Land of Demons.
"Priestess, I'm honored that you remember my name," Shimizu said with a faint smile.
"It's nothing. Though I'm a priestess, I am still just a person. Don't place me on too high a pedestal," Miroku replied, shaking her head. She failed to notice the subtle amusement hidden in Shimizu's smile as she introduced herself. "The daimyo has likely mentioned my name to you before, but let me formally introduce myself again: I am Miroku."
After speaking, Miroku returned to the altar and adjusted the sacred crown she had just removed.
"Now, let's go stop Mouryou!" she declared, preparing to run toward the door.
"Wait a moment," Shimizu called after her.
"What are we waiting for? Every second we delay, more lives are lost," Miroku said urgently, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. The anguished cries of countless people outside made her feel as though not a moment could be spared.
"Priestess, you alone will likely find it difficult to handle Mouryou," Shimizu said calmly.
"That... is true. Having another person to help me might improve our chances," Miroku admitted.
She had never directly faced Mouryou before, and sealing it away always required the ultimate price: a priestess's life. Her knowledge of Mouryou came solely from generational teachings passed down among priestesses.
The sealing of Mouryou was a tradition that spanned millennia, but not every priestess in history had been called upon to carry it out. If each generation of priestesses encountered Mouryou and sealed it away, it would have been freed every few decades. Even with saboteurs breaking the seal, such frequency would be unheard of.
"Would you be willing to periodically lend me your chakra for research? It could help us deal with Mouryou more effectively," Shimizu suggested.
"Absolutely not. The power of a priestess is far too dangerous to be given to an outsider," Miroku rejected him without hesitation.
Although she did hope for Shimizu's assistance, spreading the priestess's power could lead to disastrous consequences. Human nature was unpredictable—there was no telling how others might misuse such power.
"In that case, you won't be going anywhere," Shimizu said.
The figure of Shimizu sitting in the chair slowly faded away, leaving behind only an afterimage. In an instant, he appeared behind Miroku and slammed his palm onto the wooden floor.
Black sealing patterns erupted from Shimizu's hand, spreading across the entire space of the shrine's floor.
Buzz.
A faint sound echoed. Before Miroku could react, a near-transparent barrier formed around the room. Shimizu had completed the setup in less than two seconds.
"This entire floor is now covered by a barrier. Priestess, while you may be adept at sealing Mouryou, are you skilled at breaking barriers?" Shimizu asked, standing and leaning close to Miroku's ear.
This barrier, derived from the Uchiha clan's techniques, was only classified as C-rank—but it was more than sufficient for this purpose.
"Outrageous!"
Miroku took several steps back, attempting to leave.
Thud!
Her slender hands pressed against the near-invisible barrier, only for her body to be repelled back, nearly causing her to stumble.
She immediately examined the intricate patterns of the barrier's seals, realizing they were entirely different from those passed down through the priestess lineage.
"Aren't we on the same side?"
Taking a deep breath, Miroku tried to remain calm. She had little understanding of external sealing techniques, as the most effective methods against Mouryou came from the priestess's inherited ones.
If Shimizu refused to lift the barrier, she would be trapped here indefinitely.
"As a priestess, you failed to realize that Mouryou had already begun residing within the daimyo's body. If left unchecked, Mouryou would completely possess him in a few years," Shimizu said, spreading his hands.
According to the events of the movie, Mouryou would rise again after Miroku gave birth to Shion, erupting when the child was only three or four years old.
"Now isn't the time to blame me! Mouryou is out there wreaking havoc!" Miroku shouted, pointing at the destruction outside. Her previously serene face now showed anger as she internally cursed Shimizu for not understanding priorities.
However, trapped within the barrier, she had no choice but to soften her tone.
"Please let me out, Shimizu. I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself trustworthy," she pleaded.
"Of course, I can let you out—but you need to prove it first," Shimizu replied.
"Prove what?"
"Prove that you won't betray us. Who's to say you won't soften your stance on Mouryou because of your past relationship with the daimyo?"
Miroku's lips parted, but she couldn't refute his reasoning. It was her failure, and Shimizu's suspicion was not unwarranted.
"How do you want me to prove it?"
"Simple..."
Shimizu's gaze seemed to pierce through her entire being, leaving Miroku feeling exposed, as though she were standing there without a single garment.
"Kneel!"
Shimizu's voice carried an undeniable authority, enhanced by his Sharingan's three tomoe and the chakra-empowered body he maintained through constant training.
"You—!"
Miroku's eyes widened, shock and indignation evident on her face. A blush crept up her cheeks as she stared at him in disbelief.
Never in her life had she expected such an audacious demand.
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