"Hahaha…"
Watching the two of them scramble away in flustered panic, Kikyo finally burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Kagetsu looked at her,clearly pleased with the success of her little prank,and chuckled as well. He stood and walked over to shut the door.
Just then, Kagome, her face still bright red, suddenly pushed the door open again and rushed back inside.
She hurried straight to Kikyo, quickly stuffing something into her hands.
"This is a gift I brought from my hometown. Think of it as a thank-you,you have to accept it!"
Before Kikyo could even react, Kagome spun around and bolted out of the room again. The door slammed shut behind her as if she were fleeing for her life.
Kikyo blinked in surprise, staring at the object now resting in her palm. She shook her head helplessly at Kagome's retreating footsteps, then lowered her gaze in curiosity.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Kagetsu leaned closer to look as well.
Resting in Kikyo's hand was a teardrop-shaped amethyst pendant. Its surface had been carefully carved with a delicate bellflower pattern. A red woven cord threaded through the top, and under the flickering candlelight the translucent crystal shimmered softly, giving off an elegant glow.
It was simple, yet strikingly beautiful.
"This is far too precious," Kikyo murmured.
She examined the craftsmanship of the pendant, a trace of amazement flashing across her face. A moment later, her expression changed and she stood up abruptly.
"I should return this to her."
Before she could move, Kagetsu reached out and stopped her.
"There's no need," he said with a small smile. "Something like this probably isn't considered particularly valuable where Kagome comes from. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given it to you so casually."
Seeing Kikyo hesitate, he added thoughtfully,
"She knows you wouldn't accept an expensive gift. That's probably why she chose this,something meaningful, but not overly costly."
From his perspective, the crystal was clearly processed using modern industrial methods. Though beautifully polished, faint cotton-like inclusions could be seen within it. It wasn't top-grade crystal,most likely a simple accessory bought from an ordinary jewelry store.
But Kagome probably chose it because of the bellflower carved into it.
After all, Kikyo's name itself meant bellflower.
Kikyo recalled the "strange items" Kagome had brought before,things unlike anything in their era. Many of them had seemed incredibly precious at first glance. Combined with Kagome's casual attitude when handing it over, Kikyo slowly nodded.
"In that case… I'll accept it."
She handed the pendant to Kagetsu, her eyes bright with anticipation.
"Help me put it on."
"Alright."
Kagetsu took the pendant and held the two ends of the red cord. Moving behind her, he gently draped it around her neck and tied a simple knot.
Kikyo lowered her gaze to look at the pendant resting lightly against her chest, the crystal swaying softly with her movement.
"Well?" she asked, looking up at him expectantly. "Does it look good?"
"Of course it does," Kagetsu said sincerely.
But the thing that caught his attention wasn't the pendant,it was the quiet light in Kikyo's eyes.
Before Kikyo could respond, he suddenly pulled her into his arms and lowered his head, capturing her lips in a kiss.
Kikyo froze for a moment, surprised by the sudden gesture. Then her expression softened. She lifted her arms and wrapped them gently around him, returning the kiss.
After a long while, their lips finally parted.
Kikyo looked up at him, her gaze tender.
"Why the sudden kiss?" she asked softly.
Kagetsu grinned.
"Heh. No particular reason. I just suddenly wanted to kiss you."
Kikyo shot him a playful glare.
Then she stood on tiptoe, giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"Alright," she said in a tone that sounded suspiciously like she was humoring a child. "Time to sleep."
Meanwhile, as Kagetsu and Kikyo prepared to rest, Kagome and Inuyasha had already left the shrine.
They retrieved the bicycle Kagome had hidden in the bushes earlier.
Kagome took the seat and began pedaling. Inuyasha sat on the rear rack, while Shippō squeezed himself into the front basket. Together, they set off down the quiet road under the night sky.
For a long while, none of them spoke.
"…Hey, Inuyasha."
Kagome's voice suddenly broke the silence. It was soft, but in the stillness of the night it carried clearly.
"Do you think… that child would really be a half-demon?"
"I–It probably would be."
Inuyasha's face turned bright red again. He stammered awkwardly, staring stubbornly at the side of the road rather than Kagome's back.
Kagome didn't reply.
She simply kept pedaling.
But the tips of her ears were red enough to rival his.
The awkward tension from earlier,when Kikyo teased them about children,had completely taken over their thoughts again. Their hearts were pounding so loudly it almost felt audible.
"But Kagome's human," Shippō suddenly said from the basket, tilting his head in confusion. "And Inuyasha's mom was human too, right? So wouldn't the baby be more human than demon? Would that still count as a half-demon?"
"Shut up!" Inuyasha barked, his face turning even redder. "Kids shouldn't be worrying about stuff like that!"
"Roar,!"
At that exact moment, a powerful surge of demonic aura suddenly erupted from the distance.
The oppressive energy instantly shattered the strange atmosphere between them.
All three of them stiffened.
"That's…!"
Kagome's expression turned serious. Without hesitation, she pedaled faster, steering the bicycle toward the source of the demonic energy.
Before long, they arrived near the battlefield.
"Kagome! Wait,!"
But Kagome had already seen what was happening below.
"Kagome!" Seeing her move, Inuyasha grew anxious and started to jump down.
But before he could follow,
BAM!
Shippō leapt out of the basket and smacked him on the head.
A lump instantly appeared.
Shippō glanced at it with clear satisfaction.
"Shippō!!" Inuyasha roared, clenching his fists.
But Shippō stood his ground fearlessly. Without his demonic powers, Inuyasha was hardly a match for him right now.
"You can't go out there!" Shippō declared firmly. "If Naraku sees you like this, it'll be dangerous!"
"Damn it!"
Inuyasha ground his teeth in frustration, fists clenched as he stared toward Kagome on the battlefield.
If even the slightest danger came her way, he would rush in without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kagome had already leapt onto a nearby boulder.
Relieved that Inuyasha hadn't followed her, she took a steady breath and drew her bow.
Below, chaos filled the battlefield.
Kōga was currently fighting Kagura,
Or rather, Kagura was completely overwhelming him.
Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku rode through the air on Kirara, battling a swarm of Naraku's demons.
Kagome drew an arrow and infused it with spiritual power.
The bowstring twanged.
The arrow streaked forward in a brilliant white flash.
Several demons that had been sneaking up behind Sango and Miroku were instantly purified.
Feeling the surge of sacred power behind her, Sango turned.
She saw Kagome standing atop the boulder, already nocking another arrow.
"Kirara, take us to Kagome!" Sango called.
"Roar!"
Kirara veered through the air toward the rock.
Seeing them approach, Kagome quickly loosed another arrow, striking down a demon that tried to intercept them.
With Kagome's sacred arrows clearing the path, Kirara soon reached the boulder.
After landing, Sango immediately turned to Miroku.
"Monk,go protect Inuyasha. Kagome and I will provide support from the air."
"Understood."
Miroku didn't waste a moment. He jumped down from Kirara's back.
With Mōryōmaru nearby, his Wind Tunnel was far too dangerous to use. In this situation, Kagome's sacred arrows were far more effective.
"Kagome, ready?"
"Ready!"
Seeing Kagome firmly seated, Sango patted Kirara's head.
Kirara roared and leapt skyward once more, carrying the two of them straight toward the dense swarm of demons overhead.