"It's so nice not having to sleep outside!" Kagome stretched, a bright, satisfied smile on her face.
"Yeah… we can finally rest properly," Sango agreed, clearly relieved. Even Miroku nodded, looking far more refreshed than before.
"Tch."
Only Inuyasha looked mildly annoyed,but no one paid him any attention.
"Alright. We're ready,let's move."
Kagetsu stood beside Kikyo, his gaze fixed in the direction of Mount Hakurei.
The group set off together.
"Kikyo," Kagome said as she walked up beside her, "do you know exactly where Mount Hakurei is?"
"I caught its general direction earlier from higher ground," Kikyo replied calmly. "But for the exact location, we'll need to ask the villagers nearby."
She paused briefly before adding,
"Still… the Saint Hakushin is well known. Mount Hakurei is famous in this region. Finding it shouldn't be difficult."
"I see…" Kagome nodded, then hesitated. "But… do you really think Naraku is there?"
"He should be," Kikyo said softly. "But…"
She reached into her kimono and took out a shard of the Shikon Jewel.
"As long as I have this… Naraku will come to me."
Kagome froze slightly,then hurriedly pulled out a small bottle of her own.
Inside were three glowing shards.
"…Right," she murmured. "If he wants to complete the Shikon Jewel… he'll definitely come after us."
"Exactly," Kikyo nodded. "Even if we don't find him, he'll reveal himself eventually."
Her expression grew more serious.
"But the fact that he's hiding now means he's planning something bigger. The sooner we find him, the better."
Seeing Kagome's tension, she added reassuringly,
"Don't worry. There's a high chance he's at Mount Hakurei."
"…Why?" Kagome asked.
Kikyo's gaze turned distant.
"Because… he wants to lure me there."
There was something deeper behind those words,
Something left unsaid.
But she only added lightly,
"My purification power is a threat to him."
",Hm?"
Kikyo and Kagome suddenly stopped at the same time.
Both turned in the same direction.
Their eyes met.
"The aura of the Shikon Jewel?"
"…But something's off," Kikyo murmured, frowning.
"Yeah… it feels different," Kagome agreed, unease creeping into her voice.
"Kagome? Kikyo?" Inuyasha immediately noticed. "What is it?"
"I can sense a shard nearby, but…" Kagome hesitated. "It doesn't feel like the others."
"…What does that even mean?" Inuyasha frowned.
"It's just… strange," she tried to explain.
"…Forget it. Which direction?"
"That way!" Kagome pointed instantly,then her eyes widened.
"It's getting closer!"
Inuyasha tensed, ready to charge,
"No need."
Kagetsu 's voice stopped him.
He looked ahead, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.
"Whatever it is… it's coming to us."
"…What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"You're all carrying shards," he said casually. "If a demon senses that… of course it would come hunting."
Inuyasha hesitated,
But before he could argue,
"He's right!" Kagome said quickly. "It's definitely heading this way!"
"…Tch." Inuyasha clicked his tongue, stepping back into position, eyes locked forward.
"Stop right there!"
A figure burst out of the forest.
A demon,
Chasing a fleeing man in priestly robes.
"Leave this to me!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping forward to intercept.
"Get over here!" he called to the man.
"Quick, this way!" Kagome and the others urged.
The man rushed toward them, panic etched across his face,
But the moment he reached safety,
His expression… calmed.
Too quickly.
Kikyo was about to speak,
But she noticed something.
Kagetsu 's gaze.
Cold.
Sharp.
Fixed on the man.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Something wasn't right.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out. "The shard,it's inside that demon!"
"…Got it!"
The demon before him was weak,nothing special.
Inuyasha drew Tessaiga and lunged.
"One strike!"
Slash,!
The demon was cut clean in half.
"…What the,?!"
Something rolled out from its body.
A crystal-clear orb,
Glowing with a faint pink light.
"The Shikon Jewel…?!"
Kagome and Kikyo froze, eyes wide.
Even Inuyasha stared in shock as he bent down to pick it up.
Crack.
A sharp sound echoed.
The jewel split.
Fractures spread instantly,
Then,
It shattered into countless fragments of light, scattering into the air.
Gone.
"…Huh?" Shippō blinked. "Did you just… break it?!"
"Idiot," Inuyasha scoffed. "The real Shikon Jewel wouldn't shatter that easily."
He straightened, already certain.
"It was fake."
Kagome frowned, still confused.
"But… it felt so real…"
"That's because,"
The priest spoke.
His voice calm.
Too calm.
"That was a forged Shikon Jewel."