"Kikyo, I've figured it out."
Kagetsu released the genjutsu and turned to her. "Naraku is planning to devour Sesshomaru's demonic power to strengthen himself."
Before she could respond, he added in a low, warning tone, "The miasma is laced with Gyūki's poison. Don't breathe it in,it's a trap he prepared specifically for Sesshomaru."
Kikyo's expression shifted in surprise. She looked down at the castle shrouded in swirling violet miasma and asked, "Then what should we do? Intervene and warn Sesshomaru?"
"Yes. I'll strike the main hall and force both Naraku and Sesshomaru out," Kagetsu said, his gaze fixed below. "Stay alert. The moment Naraku reveals himself, finish him with a Sacred Arrow."
Kikyo silently drew an arrow from her quiver, set it against the bowstring, and took aim at the largest structure in the castle. She gave a small nod. "Understood. Go ahead."
Kagetsu glanced at her in mild surprise. "You're not going to ask what happens to the Shikon Jewel if Naraku dies?"
"Naraku is far too cautious to act recklessly without a safeguard," Kikyo replied, her eyes focused on the faint aura of the Shikon Jewel. A subtle smile touched her lips. "He must have prepared a way out."
Her expression grew serious. "And even if he hasn't… it doesn't matter. I want to see whether the Shikon Jewel will truly save him."
Kagetsu chuckled. "I didn't think that far ahead. I just figured,after tricking him so many times, he must hate me by now. If I don't keep him busy, he'll definitely come looking for trouble."
"Alright… get ready."
He dispelled the concealment cloaking them. Their figures gradually appeared beneath the night sky.
"Let's drop the barrier too. It's useless now."
His gaze locked onto the tallest building.
Through his Sharingan, he could clearly see Naraku's demonic aura permeating the entire structure, while Sesshomaru's presence burned fiercely at its core.
"So he's planning to swallow him whole…"
A cold sneer crossed Kagetsu 's lips as his hands flew through a series of seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
He inhaled sharply, chakra surging through him before erupting outward in a roaring torrent of flames. The inferno crashed into the roof of the towering building like a blazing tidal wave.
Boom,!
A deafening explosion split the air as the structure collapsed instantly. Flames surged outward, painting the night sky in blazing orange and red, as bright as day.
Under the intense heat, the thick purple miasma began to disperse, leaving behind the acrid stench of burning corruption.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Jaken's shrill cry rang out as he watched the building vanish into flames. Panic seized him, and he rushed forward without thinking.
In the next instant, a wave of scorching fire swept toward him.
"Ah,!"
Startled, Jaken skidded to a halt and raised his Staff of Two Heads, pouring his demonic power into it in an attempt to counter the flames.
But the fire from the staff flickered for barely a second before being completely snuffed out.
Jaken froze.
His body went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, eyes wide with disbelief.
"W-What…? My demonic power… it's gone?!"
"Lord Sesshomaru, save me! I… I can't even serve you like this anymore!"
Trembling, he tried to crawl away, tears streaming down his face as the flames closed in.
Just as they were about to engulf him, a vine shot forward from the darkness, wrapping around his neck and yanking him backward,dragging him clear of the inferno.
"Cough,! Cough!"
The vine loosened, and Jaken clutched his throat, gasping for air. Once he recovered slightly, he snapped, "Who dares,?! I am Lord Sesshomaru's retainer, the great Jaken! How dare you,"
His voice died in his throat.
In the darkness, a pair of crimson Sharingan eyes stared back at him, gleaming faintly. Kagetsu watched him with an amused half-smile.
Jaken immediately fell silent.
"What kind of yōkai is this?" Kikyo's voice drifted over as she studied him curiously. "A kappa? …No, not quite."
"Jaken… My name is Jaken," he muttered instinctively, his tone far less confident than before.
"I see." Kikyo nodded faintly.
Boom!
Another explosion drew everyone's attention.
From within the burning ruins, flames burst apart as a white figure shot through the inferno, landing lightly atop a nearby watchtower.
Clad in immaculate white, silver hair flowing behind him, Sesshomaru stood tall and unmoving. His expression was as cold and indifferent as ever, one hand resting on the hilt of Tōkijin, which was embedded in the rooftop beneath him.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Relief flooded Jaken's face as he shouted, "You're safe!"
Sesshomaru cast him a brief glance before his gaze shifted to Kikyo and Kagetsu . After a moment's pause, he looked away again, his golden eyes fixed on the flames below, their flickering glow reflected in his pupils.
"He's not entirely unharmed," Kagetsu said lightly, noting Jaken's relief. "Naraku mixed Gyūki's poison into the miasma. It's already affecting him. Hard to say how much of his strength he can still use."
Jaken's face turned pale. Memories of his own powerlessness hit him instantly.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" he cried out in alarm. "Be careful! The miasma is poisoned,Naraku mixed demonic poison into it!"
Sesshomaru's gaze flicked once more toward the swirling violet haze below, his expression darkening ever so slightly. His grip on Tōkijin tightened.
Clearly… he had already noticed.
"So that's Sesshomaru… Inuyasha's elder brother?" Kikyo observed quietly, studying him. "They share the same silver hair, yet their natures couldn't be more different."
"That half-demon Inuyasha isn't worthy of comparison to Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken snapped immediately.
Before he could continue, the ground erupted with a series of violent tremors.
Boom,! Boom,! Boom,!
The ruined castle began to writhe like a living thing. The earth churned and split apart as the remaining structures crumbled instantly.
From beneath the ground, massive, grotesque limbs and writhing demonic tendrils burst forth. Thick, dark miasma surged upward like a geyser, swallowing the lingering flames.
Though the fire burned fiercely, the endless tide of miasma gradually smothered it until nothing remained.
Once more, the castle was engulfed in a suffocating sea of violet haze,its malevolent aura even stronger than before.
Twang,!
The sharp vibration of a bowstring rang through the night.
A Sacred Arrow, radiant with purifying spiritual power, shot forth from Kikyo's bow like a streak of light, piercing straight into the heart of the roiling miasma.
The arrow's power erupted instantly.
A brilliant wave of purification spread outward, erasing demonic limbs and dissolving the miasma into drifting wisps of smoke.
A clear opening was torn through the darkness.
And within it,
Naraku's figure finally revealed itself.