Hearing Tsubaki's words, everyone froze.
Their gazes shifted toward Kikyo, confusion written across their faces. None of them understood why she had spared Tsubaki.
Inuyasha slid Tessaiga back into its sheath and was about to speak when Kagome suddenly gasped.
"The Shikon Jewel,it's gone!"
"What?!" Inuyasha's attention snapped back immediately. His eyes locked onto Tsubaki. "Tsubaki! Where's the Shikon Jewel?"
At the mention of the jewel, Tsubaki instantly recalled how Naraku had deceived her. Her fists clenched as she spat through gritted teeth.
"That bastard Naraku stole it! He tricked me… and I'll never forgive him for it!"
"Naraku again?" Inuyasha slammed his fist into his palm in frustration. "Damn it! He got it again!"
"Sigh… we worked all night only to get played by Naraku in the end." Miroku shook his head helplessly. "And we gained nothing."
"Hmph." Tsubaki suddenly sneered, a calculating gleam flashing through her eyes. "Did that fool really think a Curse Miko like me wouldn't take precautions?"
"Miss Tsubaki, may I ask what you intend to do?" Miroku instantly stepped forward, his tone becoming respectful and flattering,as if the battle earlier had never happened. "Please enlighten us!"
"Monk, I quite like your personality." Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down with amusement.
"Miroku isn't trying to ask her to bear his children, is he?"
Shippō, sitting on Kagome's shoulder, whispered the question,though his voice carried clearly through the quiet night.
"Oh?" Tsubaki tilted her head slightly, a teasing smile appearing on her lips. "Does the monk want children with me? I wouldn't refuse such a handsome monk~"
"Ah,no need to trouble yourself!" Miroku waved both hands quickly, looking flustered.
Although he did wish to have children with a beautiful woman to continue the Miroku lineage, having children with a shrine maiden who was even older than Kaede was definitely crossing the line.
"What a shame." Tsubaki sighed theatrically.
But when she caught Kikyo's cold gaze, she quickly stopped teasing.
From within her sleeve, she produced a small paper figure folded from talisman paper.
"This is a curse proxy I secretly made using Naraku's demonic aura when he came to meet me," she said with a sneer. "It can be used to cast a curse on Naraku."
"Curse Naraku?" Kikyo replied bluntly. "Your power isn't enough for that."
"Kikyo!" Tsubaki's face flushed red with humiliation. Though anger filled her eyes, she didn't dare attack. At the moment, she knew she was no match for Kikyo.
She could only snort coldly in resentment.
Ignoring her reaction, Kikyo reached out and took the paper figure, examining it calmly.
Kagome stepped closer, glancing curiously at Tsubaki.
"Didn't you cooperate with Naraku? Why would you curse him?"
"Hmph." Tsubaki didn't bother hiding her disdain toward Kagome, but she still answered.
"Anyone who seeks cooperation with a Curse Miko like me is never a good person. Every time I work with someone, I secretly take something connected to them and make a curse proxy."
"To prevent them from backing out of the deal,or trying to silence me."
"You're pretty self-aware," Inuyasha said with a surprised look. "You know you're not a good person."
Tsubaki simply snorted again without replying.
"Alright."
Kikyo suddenly finished working with the paper talisman.
She tossed a small wooden doll,only a few inches tall,to Kagome.
"I modified the curse formula and sealed it inside this doll," she explained. "If Naraku's aura appears nearby, it will react. If you channel your spiritual power into it, it will point in Naraku's direction."
"But if he's too far away, it won't work."
The doll had actually been made earlier by Kagetsu at Kikyo's request.
Shrine maidens often used such dolls as mediums for spells, but crafting them normally took a long time.
Ever since Kikyo discovered that Lie could create objects easily with Wood Release, she had asked him to make many of them in advance so she could use them whenever needed.
"It can find Naraku? That's amazing!"
Kagome looked at the doll in her palm with shining eyes.
She tried sending a bit of spiritual power into it.
Immediately, the doll stood upright in her hand, wobbling left and right.
Unable to detect Naraku's aura, it slowly tipped over again.
"So cool!" Kagome laughed happily, clearly fascinated.
Tsubaki curled her lip disdainfully.
"It's just a spirit-seeking curse doll. You really know nothing, do you?"
Though she had become a Black Miko, Tsubaki originally came from a prestigious orthodox shrine lineage,far more respected than Kikyo's humble village priestess background.
This was one reason she had always harbored hostility toward Kikyo.
Naturally, she recognized the doll's true function at a glance.
"Still," Miroku said thoughtfully, stroking his chin, "for Miss Kikyo to create such a curse doll in such a short time is truly impressive."
"Hmph."
Even Tsubaki knew the feat wasn't easy.
She turned her head away irritably but didn't argue.
"Very well." Kikyo watched Kagome experiment with the doll until she understood how to use it.
Then Kikyo turned back toward Tsubaki, her expression becoming serious.
"The matter of the Shikon Jewel and Naraku is now for Inuyasha and the others to deal with."
"Now we will deal with your problem."
"Kill me or torture me,do as you like." Tsubaki lifted her chin stubbornly, forcing herself to appear calm despite the tension in her chest.
"To prevent you from escaping and causing trouble," Kikyo murmured thoughtfully, "I should first seal both your spiritual power and demonic power."
"I won't run!" Tsubaki retorted immediately,though in truth she had already been looking for an opportunity to escape.
Kikyo ignored her protest.
From beneath her collar, she pulled out a wooden kunai.
With a sharp crack, she snapped it in half.
A faint glow flickered from the sealing formula engraved inside it.
The next instant,
A figure appeared beside Kikyo out of thin air.
"Kikyo, did something happen?" Kagetsu asked calmly. "Did you run into danger?"
"No."
A soft smile appeared on Kikyo's face when she saw him.
She gestured toward Tsubaki.
"Her name is Tsubaki. She fought me fifty years ago."
"To prevent her from escaping, I want you to seal the spiritual and demonic power inside her."
Kagetsu turned his gaze toward Tsubaki.
Although she looked somewhat disheveled after the battle, her beauty was still striking.
If he didn't already know the story, he would never guess that this woman was actually around seventy years old.
The phrase a woman's age is a mystery truly applied to her.
Even though both she and Kikyo were shrine maidens, the feeling they gave off was completely different.
If Kikyo resembled a saintess of light, then Tsubaki was like a witch of darkness.
Even their clothing,white and red versus dark robes,created a striking contrast.
Standing together, they almost gave off an oddly complementary aura.
Kagetsu had originally assumed she would die at Inuyasha's hands like in the original story.
But judging from the situation now…
She had instead been captured by Kikyo.
"Alright." Kagetsu nodded.
He didn't ask why Kikyo wanted her alive.
Even if Kikyo decided to keep Tsubaki around as a servant, it wouldn't matter to him.