Cutting through the multiple bony hands reaching toward him from every possible direction and beyond, Asahiko halts his golden flames that had spread across the surroundings, then kicks a "Human" in the chest.
This simple kick pierces the "Human's" chest as if he were made of paper. But just when everything seems over and Asahiko prepares to move on, the fallen body swells grotesquely before dozens of wasps burst out to attack.
"Damn it, these things are everywhere. How are you holding back there, Kikyo?"
Trying to turn his head to look behind, Asahiko's attention is drawn once again as a wave of skeletons marches toward him down the corridor.
"Bad. I'm starting to run out of arrows."
Striking three wasps with her long red bow, Kikyo loads an arrow bathed in a pink hue and opens a gap in the skeletal ranks chasing them from behind, but the opening only lasts a few seconds before closing again.
This doesn't surprise her in the slightest. Ever since they left the room, they had accepted that Naraku had turned this place into a death trap, so the insane number of human skeletons came as no shock.
"Give me some bones. I'll turn them into arrows for you to use."
"I'd like to, but there are too many, and they're too close together."
"Yeah… maybe it's time to bring out Plan B. Hold on, Kikyo."
Stopping his advance and bumping into Kikyo, who hadn't noticed yet, Asahiko wraps an arm around her waist, then gathers energy into Clouded Fang and brings down the nearby wall.
Yes, the so-called Plan B is to abandon the prescribed paths filled with traps, skeleton hordes, and "humans" full of wasps, and instead start smashing down walls until they manage to get out of here.
Unexpectedly, that madness actually works. For every wall Asahiko brings down, he loses dozens of skeletons and "humans"—not because they can't enter, but because the walls repair themselves as if by magic.
"I sense a shard…"
"Sorry, but this is a bad time to say that."
"It's far away, almost at the edge of my perception and… it's not just one. It's outside this labyrinth, Asahiko."
"Alright, I'll need both hands to get out faster."
Moving Kikyo from under his arm onto his back—now carrying her piggyback—Asahiko grips his sword with both hands and swings forcefully, breaking through two or three walls at once.
Thanks to this new display of strength from Asahiko and Kikyo's constant guidance, they finally manage to reach the main courtyard of the residence. However, what awaits them there is nothing less than an army of skeletons.
"Are you kidding me? Isn't this supposed to be the sword that rules hell? This is starting to make no sense!"
"Watch out, they're coming."
"Hold on tight, Kikyo. I'm—no, we're going to break through them!"
Covering both himself and Kikyo in a reddish glow that terrifies the souls within the priestess, Asahiko maximizes his energy output and charges forward without fear.
It was like the charge of an out-of-control rhinoceros. There was nothing and no one who could stop him. Whether it was the hordes of bones or the reinforced gate, everything in his path flattened as he pressed forward, trusting Kikyo's directions.
This lack of hesitation, along with his desire to avoid those skeletons unaffected by his illusions, leads Asahiko to run without thinking—until a voice interferes with him…
Too late, considering the laws of physics.
Boom
Chunks of rock, dust, and gravel rained down on them as they crashed into something solid, though it didn't affect them at all thanks to the reddish energy flowing around them.
"Kagome… do you think they're dead?"
"What are you saying, Shippo?! Come here and help me get them out of there!"
"Kagome… cough, that power was clearly demonic, I don't think—"
Before the girl in the kimono with a face mask covering only her mouth could finish speaking, the rock explodes into thousands of small fragments, and a voice resembling a growl emerges from within.
"Who are you calling a demon, you rude girl?!"
"Ahh, he's alive! He's alive, Kagome!"
"Shippo… saying that in front of him is rude."
"Both of you, cough, step back. I can feel he's a dangerous demon."
Seeing the state of the unfamiliar girl with long black hair, a light kimono wholly unsuited for the mountains, and a bone boomerang on her back, Asahiko dismisses her without much thought.
That doesn't make her lower her guard—quite the opposite. She sets her boomerang on the ground and seems ready to fight, though her body appears to be the most affected by the miasma in the air.
"That's enough. Don't push yourself any further—you're injured, Sango. Besides, he's an… old acquaintance."
"Acquaintance?"
"Yes. He and his friend Kikyo tried to kill Kagome and Inuyasha before. Relax, it's normal—Miroku tried too, and you… am I the only one who didn't?"
Grabbing his small brown-haired head with both hands, Shippo—a child with a fox tail and paws—starts questioning life, though luckily he's still a child and quickly forgets about it.
"Relax, I didn't either. Actually, Kikyo and Inuyasha opened that gate to hell, so I just left it for them to deal with. Anyway, I told you to hold on tight, Kikyo."
"How did you not see a mountain?"
"Hahaha, it could've been worse… On the other hand, look at what we have here. Kagome, Shippo, a stranger—and I'm sure Inuyasha and that perverted monk are inside. In other words… jackpot!"
Patting Kikyo's clothes with his own hand, Asahiko quickly changes the subject and points toward the group in front of them, drawing Kikyo's attention.
But that's not really the case. Kikyo merely looks them up and down as if they were nothing more than a stone in her path, then steps away from Asahiko and heads straight toward the deep entrance leading into the mountain.
"Kikyo, you—"
"Heh, not everything revolves around Inuyasha, Kagome."
"Then… why are you here?"
Blocking Kikyo's path as she tries to ignore her, Kagome spreads her arms to cover as much space as possible and looks at the priestess with a vigilant expression.
That was amusing—at least for Asahiko, watching from a distance. For Kikyo, however, it was no different from being slapped in the face. Even so, she doesn't react negatively—perhaps she's more interested in why the souls within her aren't going mad.
"Why do you think I'd tell you? Now move aside—I don't have time for this."
"I won't until you tell me what you're doing here! Inuyasha is fighting in there—I won't let you in if you plan to hurt him!"
"Do you think you can stop me, cheap imitation?"
"Grr… I am Kagome Higurashi! I will never be your substitute!"
Stomping the ground with her brown leather shoe, Kagome lets out a thunderous shout that briefly makes Kikyo's body glow, causing her to narrow her eyes.
The situation was clearly critical—mainly because Kikyo's logic seems to go on vacation whenever the topic revolves around Inuyasha and Kagome. Still, that's understandable; everyone has a sensitive subject that drives them crazy.
"And then I said, isn't an illusion better than reality? Just think about it—every bite of the apple is a new flavor, very different from a normal apple."
"Ahhh! W-what are you talking about?! No—how did you even get here?!"
"Heh, by walking, obviously, Shippo. By the way, unknown girl, could you stop pointing that boomerang at me? You're scaring me."
Pointing out the stupidity of his question, Asahiko taps the edge of the boomerang and even squeezes it briefly before switching to a victim act.
"Hahaha, Sango never would. She's a demon slayer—her whole family is. She'd never—"
"Heh, let your senpai teach you a trick, little kid. Now just watch this."
"Yeah… okay…"
As Sango pulls the boomerang away from Asahiko's neck while a blush spreads across her face, she steps back and fidgets with her hands, leaving Shippo wide-eyed.
"What did you do to Sango?!"
"Ahh, stop biting my leg, you little idiot! I just briefly used charm on her—who knew it would work so well?"
"Grr—no! I won't let go until you release her!"
"Fine, fine—but stop drooling on my leg, it's disgusting."
Pulling Shippo off his leg with a look of disgust, Asahiko approaches the blushing Sango and removes the metal mask covering the lower part of her face.
Beneath it was true beauty—not quite like Kikyo or Kagome, but she had her own charm: the faint shadow under her eyes, her small nose, her brave expression.
"What are you doing?" x2
"I… would you believe me if I said I'm helping her?"
"Just die, Asahiko." x2
Under the scornful gazes of Kikyo and Kagome—to the point he considers hiding behind Shippo—Asahiko ultimately continues and touches Sango's forehead.
From that point of contact, a golden flame spreads throughout Sango's body. Before Kagome and Shippo can react, a purple miasma begins to be expelled by the fire, proving its purpose.
Essentially, he saturated Sango's body with harmless flames, forcing the miasma inside her to be expelled and giving her a second wind.
"See? I was the good guy all along!"
"And my fist is good too!"
"Hey—what do you think you're doing, you crazy woman?!"
"Get back here—don't run!"
"Kikyo, help!"
Running behind Kikyo after being chased by Kagome—who fears absolutely nothing—Asahiko gulps and looks at her from a safe distance.