"Better than an old woman no one wants."
Facing Tsubaki's mockery, Kikyo's expression did not change in the slightest. Her tone was as flat as if she were simply stating an obvious fact.
"You,!"
The words struck Tsubaki's sore spot with perfect accuracy.
Her eyes widened instantly, and her pale face flushed red with anger.
For her entire life, she had envied Kikyo.
She envied Kikyo's talent.
She envied Kikyo's overwhelming strength.
She envied the fact that Kikyo had been chosen as the priestess responsible for purifying the Shikon Jewel.
And most of all,
She envied that even as a shrine maiden, Kikyo had once experienced love like an ordinary woman.
Meanwhile, Tsubaki herself had exhausted every ounce of effort she possessed… yet she had always lived in Kikyo's shadow.
The rage nearly overwhelmed her.
Clenching her fists tightly, she barely suppressed the urge to attack and instead said coldly:
"Kikyo, what are you doing here?"
"That half-demon abandoned you. Kagome's life or death has nothing to do with you anymore, does it?"
As she spoke, Tsubaki suddenly examined Kikyo from head to toe. A playful glint flashed in her eyes.
"You're not here to beg for that girl… are you?"
The thought amused her.
True to her cruel nature, Tsubaki curled her lips upward, a triumphant smile returning to her face.
"Go on. Beg me."
"Maybe if I'm in a good mood… I'll let her live."
"They're here."
Just then, Kikyo suddenly turned her head toward the outside of the barrier.
Her voice was calm.
Hearing that, Tsubaki froze.
She quickly lowered her head and looked at the Shikon Jewel resting in her palm.
Her eyes widened in shock.
The dense evil aura within the jewel was slowly being purified by an incredibly pure spiritual power.
"…That woman named Kagome did this?"
She raised her head abruptly, disbelief written all over her face.
Kikyo glanced at her coldly.
"I told you, Tsubaki."
"With your power alone, you could never curse Kagome."
She raised her chin slightly.
A hint of arrogance appeared between her brows as she looked down at Tsubaki.
"Kagome is my reincarnation."
"Fifty years ago you couldn't defeat me. Even now… your curse still cannot harm Kagome."
Clearly, Tsubaki's earlier provocation had angered Kikyo after all.
Her retaliation came without the slightest restraint.
Tsubaki stared at her expression,
And suddenly the memory from fifty years ago flashed through her mind.
Her carefully prepared ambush.
Crushed effortlessly by Kikyo in a single strike.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she shouted furiously.
"If you hadn't suddenly interfered, Kagome would have died from my curse!"
The moment her voice fell,
The barrier surrounding the area suddenly trembled violently.
Then it shattered into countless particles of spiritual light that drifted into the night sky.
"Ah,my barrier!"
Tsubaki froze in shock.
Through the fading spiritual light, a figure could be seen descending from the sky.
Inuyasha landed lightly on the ground.
On his back was Kagome.
She held a long bow, still frozen in the posture of firing an arrow, spiritual light lingering at her fingertips.
Clearly,
It was her arrow that had destroyed Tsubaki's barrier.
"Hehe."
Kikyo suddenly let out a quiet laugh.
To Tsubaki, that soft chuckle sounded like a loud slap across the face,more humiliating than any insult.
Her face turned crimson.
"I suddenly realized… Miss Kikyo is also very good at making people angry," Sango whispered quietly as she leaned toward Miroku.
She glanced at the red-faced Tsubaki.
"Indeed," Miroku nodded seriously.
"This priestess named Tsubaki is no match for Miss Kikyo."
"Kikyo…"
Just then, Inuyasha finished landing with Kagome.
The moment he saw Kikyo standing before Tsubaki, his steps halted.
He stood there awkwardly, his expression complicated.
"Inuyasha! Miss Kagome!"
Miroku and Sango hurried over.
"You two came too?" Inuyasha asked, snapping out of his thoughts when he heard them.
"Miroku… Sango…"
Kagome weakly raised her head, her voice filled with pain. The curse was still tormenting her body.
When she noticed Kikyo standing nearby, she softly called out:
"Kikyo…"
"Inuyasha?"
Tsubaki stared at Inuyasha carrying Kagome.
Her teeth clenched in frustration.
"Kagome actually missed?"
Hearing that, Kikyo frowned.
Her icy gaze locked onto Tsubaki.
"You tried to make Kagome kill Inuyasha?"
"What's wrong, Kikyo?"
Tsubaki grinned provocatively.
"Does it remind you of what happened fifty years ago?"
"That's right!"
"I made Kagome shoot an arrow at Inuyasha,just like you did back then!"
She expected anger.
Instead,
Kikyo suddenly chuckled softly.
Her expression returned to complete calm.
"It was Naraku, wasn't it?"
"A rather boring trick."
"Kikyo, you pretentious woman! You're really infuriating!"
Tsubaki snapped angrily.
But Kikyo ignored her completely.
She turned around and walked straight toward Kagome.
Her back was fully exposed to Tsubaki without the slightest hint of caution.
It was clear she simply didn't consider Tsubaki a threat.
"Tch…"
Tsubaki glared at Kikyo's back, teeth grinding.
Yet she didn't dare move.
The memory of her crushing defeat fifty years ago resurfaced vividly in her mind.
She could only watch as Kikyo reached Kagome.
Kikyo placed her hand gently on Kagome's body.
"Kikyo… why are you here…?" Inuyasha asked quietly as he carefully set Kagome down.
He knew what Kikyo intended to do.
"I sensed something unusual happening with the Shikon Jewel," Kikyo replied briefly.
"So I came to check."
A bright white spiritual glow appeared in her palm.
She pressed it gently onto Kagome's shoulder.
Light immediately enveloped Kagome's entire body.
As the curse was purified,
Ding.
With a crisp sound, the shard of the Shikon Jewel embedded inside Kagome as the curse's medium popped out and fell onto the ground.
"Thank you very much, Kikyo!"
The moment the curse disappeared, Kagome felt her body grow lighter.
The uncomfortable pain vanished instantly.
She quickly sat up and thanked Kikyo.
"Kagome."
"As my reincarnation, possessing such strong spiritual power yet falling victim to such a person…"
Kikyo looked at her with mild reproach.
"It's quite embarrassing."
Hearing that, Kagome lowered her head awkwardly.
"I,I'm sorry…"
"It's fine."
Kikyo sighed slightly.
"It's also that idiot Kaede's fault for not noticing the curse earlier."
Although Kagome possessed powerful spiritual power, she had never received proper shrine maiden training.
Considering that,She had already done remarkably well.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound suddenly cut through the air.
Tsubaki, who had been quietly backing away in preparation to escape, froze instantly.
An arrow wrapped in spiritual power flew past her ear.
A few strands of her gray-white hair were cleanly severed and drifted away in the wind.
"Stand still."
"Otherwise… the next arrow will kill you."
Kikyo stood there with her longbow raised.
The arrow tip pointed directly at Tsubaki.
Her voice was calm and cold.
"Kikyo, you,!"
A chill ran down Tsubaki's spine.
Looking into Kikyo's icy eyes, her anger instantly turned into fear.
Even if she didn't want to admit it,
The memory of being defeated with a single strike fifty years ago still haunted her like a nightmare.
She desperately wanted another chance.
She wanted to defeat Kikyo using the demonic power she had cultivated over the years.
But deep inside, a voice whispered that such a fight would only lead to her death.
"What do you want?" she demanded, forcing herself to sound calm.
"Kagome's curse has been lifted. Why won't you let me leave?"
Behind her back, she secretly gripped the nearly completed Shikon Jewel tightly.
Feeling the immense power within it, she roared inwardly:
With this Shikon Jewel… my strength will grow even greater!
Next time,Next time I will definitely defeat you, Kikyo!