Gojin hummed a song that Sakura didn't recognize, prompting her to question him. However, Gojin ignored her and began stretching his arms, a wave of relief washing over him and soothing him.
"Now, let's keep moving. We don't want to arrive at night; remember, it's a city, so security will be tight."
Gojin snapped his fingers, signaling them to get up and start walking. Chop chop!
Heian-kyo was heavily guarded primarily because it is home to the imperial palace. As the political and cultural center, the palace houses the emperor and serves as the seat of government.
Heian-kyo became the capital, replacing Nara. Emperor Kammu - the current emperor of the era wanted to escape the influence of powerful Buddhist temples in Nara and sought a more secure location for the imperial court.
Sakura and Kenji reluctantly stood up from the large rock, trailing behind Gojin with a frustrated sigh.
Author's Note: Some readers have mentioned difficulty understanding certain words because they are in Japanese. This was part of the original story plan. For instance, "Akumas" translates to "devils" in English and can also be referred to as "demons," while "demons" are essentially "Oni."
To enhance readability, I will be using the English names for these terms moving forward. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.