Deep within the temple courtyard on Mount Hakurei, Aomori and Kikyo encountered Saint Hakushin, seated upon a black lotus pedestal and draped in monastic robes.
The courtyard was saturated with spiritual energy, even denser than that of the mountain's exterior. Demons dared not enter, saving the two travelers a great deal of trouble.
"A Sokushinbutsu? This is Saint Hakushin?" Kikyo asked in astonishment.
"The one and only," Aomori replied, nodding as he studied the solemn yet frightening visage of the mummified corpse.
Saint Hakushin's skeletal face suddenly became animated. Two golden-yellow eyeballs sprouted within the pitch-black sockets, and a row of bright white teeth appeared behind his lips. His mouth opened and closed, producing a raspy voice: "Who are you? Why have you intruded upon my holy ground?"
"He's still alive?" Kikyo immediately corrected herself. "No... is it that his body attained Buddhahood, but his soul could not transcend and remained trapped within the flesh?"
"She is the priestess Kikyo, and I am Aosora, a passing god," Aomori introduced, noting that the newly awakened Saint Hakushin seemed somewhat disoriented.
"A god?" Saint Hakushin froze, scrutinizing Aomori. He perceived a crystal-clear, indefinable spiritual entity, unlike any human, demon, or ghost he had ever seen. It radiated a high-level pressure that left him seventy percent convinced.
"A god, is it? I suppose my actions have offended the heavens and shamed the Buddha, and you have been sent to punish me. But if you exist, why did you not come to grant me release back then?!"
"A god?" This was the first time Kikyo had heard Aomori declare his identity. Though she had long recognized his extraordinary nature, she hadn't expected him to be of divine origin.
"Don't misunderstand; those guys up there don't have the leisure to meddle in your business," Aomori said. "As I said, I'm just a passing god who felt a calling to slay some demons."
"Slay demons?" Saint Hakushin sighed. "Indeed... I have become a demon."
"Why?" Kikyo asked, bewildered. "You were such a virtuous and esteemed holy man in life. Why would you choose to help Naraku? With your level of training, you surely must have seen that Naraku is an evil demon."
"Of course I could see it. But whether he is evil has nothing to do with me. I simply acted according to the thoughts in my heart."
"The thoughts in your heart? What kind of thoughts could drive a holy man to abandon the humans who once worshipped him to aid a monster like Naraku? I am curious," Aomori asked.
"In life, I truly wished with all my heart to help every person I met. There was no hesitation in my soul."
Saint Hakushin began to reminisce. "People trusted me, respected me, and revered me as a saint. But in the end, I was only human. A mortal coil cannot escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. Eventually, during a long period of famine and plague, I fell ill."
"The people feared losing my protection and knelt by my bed, weeping. I could not bear it, so I promised them I would become a living Buddha to protect the people of this land forever. Later, as agreed and under their watchful eyes, I was buried alive."
"Is that why your body attained Buddhahood?" Kikyo sighed, already guessing the rest of the story.
"Do you regret it?" Aomori asked.
This was the first time he had used a respectful tone in this world.
"Regret? No, I do not regret being buried alive or becoming a living Buddha; that was my true desire, to dedicate my life to the people. I do not regret it! I should not have regretted it..."
Saint Hakushin continued, "At that time, I was placed in a wooden tub and buried underground. The only connection to the outside world was a single bamboo tube for air. I rang a bell continuously to let people know I was still alive. When the ringing stopped, it would signal my death. Everyone was outside praying for my successful passing. Everyone... wanted me to die."
"In that seemingly eternal solitude and darkness, a thought of regret was born for the first time. I spent my life helping others, so why must I die in such loneliness? I... I didn't want to die!"
"There is great terror between life and death. The fear of dying is only human; no one can blame you for it," Aomori said softly, lowering his eyes.
"No, I cannot forgive myself for that," Saint Hakushin said wanderingly, appearing as if he had returned to that moment of hesitation. "My remains became a living Buddha, but my soul was trapped in the darkness, never to find peace."
"So Naraku came here and exploited the darkness in your heart, making you work for him?" Kikyo said, her face filled with compassion.
"Yes. He appeared beside my soul and said, 'Hate. Hate. It is alright to hate.' He was the first person to let me do what I wanted to do. I was moved by his words. To find a way to live again, I accepted his invitation. He helped me manifest, and I set this barrier for him."
"So that is the cause of it all." Saint Hakushin looked at Aomori and Kikyo. "A respected god and a priestess who lives on as a wandering spirit, do you intend to scold me?"
"I never waste time on verbal disputes; I only believe in power," Aomori said. "However, out of respect for Saint Hakushin, I will say a word or two."
"I am listening."
"You were wrong. You shouldn't have placed yourself on such a high pedestal. You are only human; you aren't made of anything different from the rest. When saving others, you shouldn't use yourself as the bargaining chip for sacrifice. Your own life is a life; it is not inferior to others, and it deserves to be valued. Therefore, I save myself first, then I save others."
What Aomori said was exactly what he had always practiced. He was no self-sacrificing saint; he helped others only after ensuring his own safety.
"My own life is not inferior? I should be saved too?" Saint Hakushin shed two rows of tears, weeping. "Even someone like me... deserves to be saved?"
"Of course," Aomori nodded.
"Is that so? Then do you approve of my current actions? For I have been saved by Naraku."
"Have you truly been saved? Then what is this sadness I feel emanating from you?" Kikyo asked.
"Sadness? Yes... why am I so sad?" Saint Hakushin covered his face, tears flowing uncontrollably. "What is right? What is wrong? Must I be a saint? Am I not allowed even a single moment of selfish thought?"
Aomori shook his head. "No, you aren't. Others may view you as a saint, but you cannot believe it yourself. For a mere human to see themselves as a saint is the height of arrogance. A saint is a perfect existence to strive toward, not something to be replaced."
Kikyo also saw the root of Saint Hakushin's internal conflict. "Does such a thing as a saint, pure, stainless, and without doubt, truly exist in this world?" She thought of Kansuke, who sought redemption in his wicked old age, and Suikotsu, who was torn between good and evil. "Good and evil... one side can never completely disappear."
"But in life, I wanted to be that kind of saint. I worked so hard to be him," Saint Hakushin said.
"I was the same in my life," Kikyo said with a faint sadness. "I struggled to never be lost, to never make a mistake. So, I can understand your pain to some extent. We cannot become saints. We can only do as Aosora-sama says—lean toward that ideal and do our best. We shouldn't be so hard on ourselves."
"It's too late for these words. I have fallen; there is no turning back. I hate the humans who wanted me to die, I hate everything in this world. Those are my true feelings now."
"No, it is not too late." Kikyo stepped forward toward the lotus pedestal. Looking into Saint Hakushin's eyes, she said, "I wish to touch your soul. May I?"
"You wish to pacify me? A dead priestess? It's impossible. This soul, corrupted by darkness, can no longer be redeemed. Even if it could, it would require the Kami-sama," Saint Hakushin said, looking toward Aomori with conflicted eyes. He hoped for release, yet feared his life's work would be negated.
"No, let Kikyo-san do it," Aomori sighed. "While I have the confidence to grant you salvation, my method is somewhat... unrefined. You might not appreciate it."
"I am but a priestess. I do not expect to redeem you," Kikyo said. "I only wish to feel your sadness."
"My sadness?" After lockin eyes with Kikyo's clear gaze, Saint Hakushin finally nodded and floated down from the pedestal.
Kikyo knelt and opened her arms, gently pulling Saint Hakushin into an embrace, her hands resting on his back.
"Even touching your soul like this, I feel no hatred. Only sadness."
"How can that be? I should feel hatred. Why is there only sadness?" Saint Hakushin murmured.
"This sadness... it isn't for the people of the world. It is purely for yourself."
"For myself?" Saint Hakushin finally remembered. "Yes... I wanted to pass away as a true living Buddha, but things didn't go as planned. I didn't want to see my own weakness. I am crying because I was defeated by the weakness in my own heart."
"You viewed yourself as a saint and suppressed your emotions for so long. It must have been painful," Kikyo said with deep empathy.
"Yes... it was very painful," Saint Hakushin's expression was one of grief.
"You have sacrificed enough for the people. Please, set yourself free."
"Is it... is it alright?"
"It is. It is enough."
"Very well." Saint Hakushin's expression relaxed. His entire body began to glow with holy light, eventually turning into tiny specks of light that rose into the sky.
With Kikyo's help, Saint Hakushin's soul finally found peace.
'As expected of Kikyo. If it were me, I'd have had to rely on a "physical salvation" method.'
Aomori sighed and looked at the pensive Kikyo. He finally asked the question he had been holding: "And what about you, Kikyo? When will you let yourself be truly free?"
"My freedom?" Kikyo looked at her pale palms. "Perhaps after I settle things with Naraku and Inuyasha."
"What counts as 'settling things'? Killing Naraku? Handing Inuyasha over to someone else? Can things truly be settled that way? Ask yourself, what is it you truly want to do?"
"What I truly want? I don't know," Kikyo sighed. "Even if I can see into Saint Hakushin's heart, I cannot see into my own."
'As I thought, Kikyo is exceptionally sharp. She isn't someone easily swayed by words.'
Aomori laughed nonchalantly. Sensing the spiritual energy rapidly dissipating with the saint's departure, he said, "Once the spiritual energy fades, the barrier will break. Let's head out and regroup with Inuyasha and the others. I wouldn't want to accidentally injure them."
"Accidentally injure them?" Kikyo nodded. "Very well."
Aomori used his telekinesis to lift Kikyo and himself, flying at top speed to evacuate the area.
…
"They're so slow!" Inuyasha was at the foot of the mountain, losing his patience. To make matters worse, an uninvited eyesore was hovering around him.
"Kagome, just wait. You're going to see me defeat Naraku in style," Koga said, hands on his hips and grinning. He had arrived at Mount Hakurei, found he couldn't enter, and then followed Inuyasha's scent here.
"Hehe, okay..." Kagome said politely while breaking into a cold sweat. She was holding the still-unconscious Shippo in her arms.
"You! Get lost!" Inuyasha didn't mince words. "Your wounds haven't even healed. Don't go in there and get in our way. Just stay here and watch us beat Naraku!"
"A minor scratch like that? I healed ages ago." Koga rubbed his nose, staring Inuyasha down. "If anyone looks weak, it's you. Did you get into a fight with some female demon last night or something?"
"What are you talking about?!" Inuyasha felt a pang of guilt, remembering his meeting with Kikyo. He glanced nervously at Kagome and felt relieved when he saw her looking up at the mountain, seemingly not paying attention to them.
"Um, Inuyasha? Your eyes are better than mine. Look up there... doesn't something look wrong?" Kagome pointed toward the middle of the mountain.
"Where?" Inuyasha looked where she was pointing and saw the white mist roiling violently. Then, as if evaporating, the mist cleared, revealing the rocks and trees that had been hidden.
"The spiritual energy is dissipating?"
"No doubt about it," Koga agreed. "The pressure is lifting. My strength is coming back."
"It seems Aosora-sama and the others were successful," Miroku said, walking up with Sango.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get up there!" Inuyasha was already reaching for his blade, unable to wait any longer.
"Right!"
Just as they were about to charge up the mountain, a streak of white light flew down from above and landed before them. Aomori and Kikyo appeared from within the glow.
"Kikyo?!"
"Aosora-sama?!"
"Yes, mission accomplished. We successfully broke the barrier," Aomori said, nodding to them with a smile. "But wait a moment before you go up."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because there are too many demons. Allow me to clear the floor first."
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