"For… for me? Thank you!"
Kagome could clearly sense the spiritual power sealed within the bamboo tube. These were the Shikon no Tama shards Kikyo had been carrying. She hadn't expected Kikyo to entrust them to her so readily.
"Yes." Kikyo placed the tube firmly into Kagome's hands, her voice calm and steady. "Kaede told me everything. You were the one who brought the Shikon Jewel back into this world. Now, you are the priestess who guards it. It belongs with you."
With that, she said no more and returned to Kagetsu's side.
"It's done."
Kagetsu cast a brief glance at the bamboo tube in Kagome's hands, mildly surprised. He hadn't expected Kikyo to surrender the shards so decisively.
But the Shikon Jewel no longer held any value for him.
Moreover, after tonight, Naraku's life force would continue to drain under the lingering effects of the Rinne Rebirth. He would likely remain in hiding for some time. Leaving the shards with Kagome posed no immediate issue.
Kagetsu placed a hand on Kikyo's shoulder, preparing to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Kikyo, could you… could you come with us,"
Inuyasha's voice rang out, uncharacteristically hesitant.
But before he could finish, Kikyo cut him off.
"Inuyasha. Protect Kagome."
Her gaze swept across the two of them.
"Do not let her repeat my fate."
"…Yeah." Inuyasha stiffened, instantly understanding. Fifty years ago, distrust had driven a wedge between them,manipulated by Naraku, yes, but fueled by their own hesitation.
He lowered his eyes briefly, then nodded with firm resolve.
"Inuyasha," Kagetsu added evenly, "Naraku will likely lie low for a while. Use this time well. Grow stronger. The sword you carry has far greater power than you've yet drawn out."
Tessaiga's potential was enormous,Wind Scar, Backlash Wave, countless evolutions yet to unfold.
In truth, Inuyasha's growth and Tessaiga's evolution were intertwined.
"Hah! Of course it's strong!" Inuyasha slung Tessaiga over his shoulder proudly.
Kagetsu gave a faint smile. "We're leaving."
"Wait,Kagetsu-kun!"
Sango's urgent voice stopped him.
He paused, already knowing what she would ask.
"Can you… resurrect my younger brother, Kohaku?"
Her hands clenched at her sides. She forced herself to continue.
"If Kohaku can return to himself… I'm willing to be the sacrifice in his place."
"Sango…" Kagome whispered.
Miroku and Shippō fell silent. None of them tried to stop her. They all knew what Kohaku meant to her.
Kagetsu studied her determined eyes.
Though he already understood Kohaku's condition,and had even observed it through a Shadow Clone,he asked anyway.
"Is your brother truly dead?"
Hope flared instantly in Sango's gaze.
"Naraku revived him with a Shikon shard," she said hurriedly. "But Kohaku lost all his memories. He's completely under Naraku's control. That's not my brother. Not the real Kohaku."
Kagetsu considered her words.
The life force he had stockpiled for his own resurrection plan remained abundant.
"It won't be simple," he said at last. "But it may be possible."
Sango's breath caught.
"However," he continued calmly, "I must see him myself before I can guarantee anything. Bring Kohaku to me once you've freed him from Naraku."
He flicked his wrist.
A wooden kunai spun through the air and landed neatly at Sango's feet.
"There's a Flying Thunder God formula carved into it. Break it when you need me. I'll sense it immediately."
"And don't worry," he added lightly. "I have more than enough sacrifices available. I won't require yours."
With that, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In a flicker of space-time distortion, both he and Kikyo vanished.
"They disappeared?!" Shippō yelped.
"That guy's always like that," Inuyasha muttered. "Nothing new."
Still, he couldn't deny it,
Today was overwhelming.
Kagome let out a long breath, stretching slightly.
"We ran into Naraku… watched two people come back from the dead… Honestly, it still doesn't feel real."
"Indeed," Miroku agreed solemnly.
Sango bent down and picked up the wooden kunai, tucking it carefully into her clothing.
She glanced at Miroku's pale face.
"Let's find somewhere to rest. You need treatment."
Supporting him, she guided him toward Kirara and helped him onto the transformed demon cat's back.
"Thank you, Sango," Miroku said softly.
"It's nothing," she replied .
For the first time in a long while, hope had taken root in her heart.
Meanwhile…
A ripple of space distorted quietly within a temple chamber.
Kagetsu and Kikyo reappeared inside the same room they had once occupied.
"This is… the temple from before?" Kikyo asked, recognizing the familiar interior.
"It's late," Kagetsu replied casually, pushing open the wooden shutters. Cool night air drifted in. "I didn't feel like walking back."
Kikyo did not leave.
Instead, she stepped closer, studying him.
"You let Naraku go earlier . That wasn't only because of the Rinne Rebirth's lingering effect, was it?"
Her gaze sharpened.
"Even if you could have killed him completely… you wouldn't have."
Kagetsu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Woman's intuition?"
She shot him a look.
"So I was right."
He gave a soft chuckle, then nodded.
"Yes. There's another reason."
His expression grew serious.
"If Naraku dies now… I'm concerned another Naraku may emerge."
"A second Naraku?" Kikyo frowned. "Explain."
Kagetsu regarded her steadily.
"How was Naraku born?"
Kikyo answered slowly. "Onigumo, consumed by greed and lust, offered his body to countless demons. Their fusion gave birth to Naraku."
"On the surface, yes."
Kagetsu's tone shifted.
"But Onigumo was nothing special. Not a monk. Not a priest. Not even a minor demon. Just an ordinary bandit you once saved."
He looked at her intently.
"In a world overrun by yōkai,where people die every day in misery,why was he the only one who succeeded?"
Kikyo fell silent.
This was a question she had never truly examined.
"Countless people suffer more than Onigumo did," Kagetsu continued. "Countless souls are darker, more desperate."
"If creating a Naraku were that simple, don't you think desperate men would line up to offer their bodies in exchange for power?"
His voice carried a faint edge.
"But in fifty years, there has only ever been one Onigumo."
"And only one Naraku."
The implication lingered heavily in the air.
Naraku's birth had not been a coincidence.
It had been… selection.