Kagetsu had originally assumed that after Kanna and Kagura left, it would be quite some time before they returned.
To his surprise, only three days later,accompanied by a faint breeze that quietly faded away,Kagura, dressed in her gorgeous pink-and-purple kimono, suddenly appeared in the shrine courtyard.
It was the night of the New Moon.
The shrine lay shrouded in darkness and silence. The only light came from the candles glowing through the windows of the Main Hall, their faint illumination spilling into the courtyard.
Inside the hall, Kagetsu and Kikyo were sitting on the tatami, playing poker.
He had specifically asked Kagome to bring the deck from her world because he had been bored.
The moment he sensed Kagura's presence, his eyebrow lifted slightly in surprise.
What was she doing here so late?
"That incarnation of Naraku,Kagura,has broken through the barrier," Kikyo said, a hint of confusion in her voice. "Why would she come here at this hour?"
As she spoke, she quietly tossed the cards in her hand back onto the table and inconspicuously began shuffling them, clearly relieved.
"Kikyo, you're cheating!" Kagetsu immediately protested. "You were obviously about to lose!"
"I'm not!" Kikyo retorted, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment.
She quickly turned toward the black bear sitting nearby.
"Kuro-maru, hurry and put the cards away. We have a guest coming."
Kuro-maru raised his bear-like head and looked helplessly at his master. With his thick paws, he began skillfully gathering and organizing the poker cards scattered across the table.
If he could speak, he would certainly have complained.
Being dragged into card games as a substitute player because they couldn't find anyone else was one thing. But being forced to shuffle the cards every round had forced him to train his bear paws until they were more nimble than human fingers.
Seeing Kikyo shamelessly resetting the game, Kagetsu could only sigh and toss his cards back onto the table.
He had gone through quite a bit of trouble to get that deck from Kagome. If they lost it, they wouldn't have anything left to play with.
"Come in. The door's unlocked."
Sensing Kagura hesitating outside,likely debating whether she should knock,Kagetsu called out directly.
Outside the hall, Kagura stood silently, staring at the candlelight spilling from the window.
Her heart was conflicted.
When she heard Kagetsu's voice from inside, she felt a wave of relief.
Fortunately, he was here.
That meant half the purpose of her visit had already been achieved.
Taking a deep breath, Kagura stepped forward and gently pushed the door open.
Several candles illuminated the room.
The shrine interior looked nothing like she had expected. There were no imposing altars or sacred stones. Only a small sanctuary in the rear, surrounded by a shimenawa rope, with something placed upon it.
In the center of the tatami, facing the doorway, sat a low table. Kagetsu and Kikyo were seated beside it, both looking at her with calm, piercing gazes.
Next to them sat a black bear demon, its head lowered as it busily sorted through a pile of paper cards.
Along the left wall stood rows of tall medicine cabinets, each drawer labeled with the names of medicinal herbs.
On the right side of the room was a rare luxury in a shrine,a small table and chairs,which gave the place a slightly lived-in atmosphere.
As Kagura quietly took in the scene, Kagetsu spoke again, curiosity evident in his tone.
"Kagura. What brings you here so late at night?"
"I want to make a deal with you."
Kagura walked forward and sat down on the tatami beside him and Kikyo.
She extended her right hand.
Resting in her palm were two glowing fragments of the Shikon Jewel, faintly shining in the candlelight.
"I can give these jewel shards to you."
Seeing the surprise flicker across their eyes, she quickly continued, her voice tinged with urgency.
"But in return… Kagetsu, you must help me kill Naraku!"
Kagetsu froze for a moment.
Looking at the scene before him, a sense of déjà vu struck him.
Today… was the night of the New Moon.
He remembered this moment from the original story.
In the original plot, Kagura had sought out Sesshomaru with the same request,only to be rejected.
He hadn't expected her to come to him instead.
Had Sesshomaru already turned her away?
Or had she come directly to him from the beginning?
"Are you planning to betray Naraku?" Kikyo asked curiously, glancing at the Shikon Jewel shards in Kagura's palm before looking back at her.
"I want freedom!" Kagura replied through clenched teeth. "I want to escape Naraku's control!"
Her grip on the folding fan tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
Looking up at Kagetsu, her eyes shone with desperate hope.
"I know Kikyo is collecting the shards of the Shikon Jewel. If you kill Naraku, every shard he possesses will become yours!"
"With your strength… you can definitely defeat him!"
But Kagetsu simply watched her silently.
Seeing no response, Kagura's jaw tightened.
Suddenly, she bowed deeply.
Her forehead pressed against the backs of her hands as she knelt on the tatami in a formal dogeza.
Her voice trembled.
"Please…! I can't escape Naraku's control on my own. For some reason, his power suddenly weakened tonight. I seized the chance to sneak away and come here to beg for your help!"
Kagetsu looked down at Kagura kneeling before him.
He exchanged a glance with Kikyo.
Seeing Kikyo nod slightly, it was clear she had been moved by Kagura's plea.
After all, they had already helped Kanna.
Helping Kagura once more wouldn't make much difference.
Besides…
Kagetsu was curious to see Naraku's expression when he realized that his own incarnations were betraying him one after another.
That scheming bastard would probably be furious.
Turning back to Kagura, Kagetsu spoke in a calm but serious tone.
"Although killing Naraku wouldn't be difficult for me… I won't help you kill him."
"He can't die yet."
"At least, not by my hand."
"Why?!" Kagura suddenly lifted her head, disbelief written all over her face. "Are you afraid of Naraku?"
"No."
Kagetsu shook his head.
"Naraku's existence involves too much karma and hatred. His death must come at the hands of a certain person."
"Only then will everything truly come to an end."
"A certain person?" Kagura asked urgently. "Who is it?"
"I can't tell you," Kagetsu replied. "If the wrong information reaches Naraku, it could ruin everything."
"Hmph!"
The hope in Kagura's eyes instantly faded.
Snorting coldly, she rose abruptly to her feet, ready to leave.
"Wait."
Kagetsu suddenly spoke.
"Just because I won't kill Naraku doesn't mean I won't help you."
"We can still make a deal."
Kagura stopped in her tracks.
Hope flickered back into her eyes.
Turning around, she asked quickly, "What kind of deal?"
"I want you to provide us with information about Naraku while you remain by his side," Kagetsu said slowly.
"His plans. His hiding places. His movements."
"Anything you believe might be useful."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"
"In exchange, I'll leave a technique on your body."
"When you reclaim your heart, the technique will activate immediately. It will teleport you away at once and help you escape Naraku's pursuit."
"And what you need to do…"
"…is find a way to take your heart back from him."
Kagetsu fixed his gaze on Kagura.
"Well?"
"Do you agree to the deal?"