"Kikyo... is her body really at its limit?"
"She's been hollowed out by miasma, and there are no souls nearby to replenish her. Combined with the energy she spent at the summit... that vessel of mud and bone won't hold together much longer."
"Dammit! Kikyo's Soul Collectors have scoured the entire valley and haven't found a single wandering spirit."
"It's too deliberate. Someone cleared them out--specifically the types of souls she needs to sustain herself."
Rin, Kohaku, Kagome, and Jaken listened to the whispered conversation between Miroku and Inuyasha, their faces etched with varying degrees of worry and sorrow.
"Lord Jaken, can't we do something for her?" Rin asked, her voice small.
"Don't speak such nonsense! If there were a way, we would have found it by now," Jaken snapped, though it lacked his usual bite. He looked at the way Rin was clinging to his sleeve and sighed.
"Kikyo..."
Kagome murmured the name, her fingers tracing the [Command Seal] on her right hand. She fell into deep thought.
'If I can't hold on... let that child choose.'
'Whether she returns to her own era or stays here to help you and Inuyasha.'
'You should already know the words to the contract.'
Recalling the bitter, weary expression Kikyo had worn when they first met, Kagome felt as though she finally understood the other woman's heart.
Kikyo, who always remained composed regardless of the disaster, had only ever wavered when it came to Moroha. The only other time her heart had been this unsettled was back when her "grudge" with Inuyasha was still a fresh wound.
Moroha's existence was a constant, sharp stimulus to Kikyo's soul.
The more time she spent with her, the more she likely saw the future that should have been hers and Inuyasha's.
It was impossible for there to be no regret.
Yet, looking at Moroha's healthy, vibrant smile, Kikyo found it impossible to harbor any ill will.
Hate? Resentment?
It seemed as though every dark impulse hidden in the depths of her soul was silenced just by looking at that girl's face.
For the longest time, Kikyo had viewed the destruction of the Jewel and Naraku as her only "motive force." She had convinced herself that she was beyond selfish desires.
But then she had met Moroha. And slowly, a new, forbidden hope had taken root.
A wish to see the child grow--if only for one more day.
To care for her. To teach her.
As Kohaku had once noted, Kikyo's concern for Moroha had reached a point where it arguably surpassed her interest in Inuyasha himself.
Kikyo was sitting on a grassy slope, the morning breeze pulling at her hair. Moroha was crouched beside her, a look of profound sadness on her face.
"If it were possible, I would wish for you to return now," Kikyo said softly.
"Your own era has its dangers, I know. But the Inuyasha and Kagome of that time will protect you."
"Here... there are far too many variables. The risk is too high."
Kikyo didn't try to hide her condition. She spoke with the quiet, heavy concern of a mother.
If anyone died near the Shikon Jewel now, their soul would be devoured instantly, denied the cycle of reincarnation forever. Even a Servant wouldn't be safe.
The battle they were about to enter was a desperate gamble in the dark. One only had to look at Muzan's fate to see what happened to those who were "consumed."
"I'm not going back!"
"I finally got to meet my parents in this era... I won't just dump them and run!"
"Even if I die, I want to be with my parents."
Moroha's hands gripped the grass, her knuckles white.
"I spent fourteen years alone. I only found a family because of these Dragon Balls. You think I'm just going to walk away from that?"
"You might not have been the one who gave birth to me here, but to me, it doesn't matter."
"You... and her... you're BOTH my favorite moms!!"
The final sentence was a defiant shout that rang across the valley, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Though she had only known them for a short time--and had only just recognized Kagome during the battle--Moroha could feel the weight of their love and tenderness.
'I'm so glad you and Dad could meet.'
Recalling Moroha's previous words, Kikyo reached out and gently stroked the girl's head. A smile spread across her face--a look of peace and genuine joy that none of them had ever seen on the priestess before.
"It will be a difficult path for you."
"But find a way to overcome it."
Kikyo withdrew her hand and reached for the longbow resting beside her, holding it out to Moroha.
The [Mount Azusa Sacred Bow].
It was the weapon she had used since her journey to the sacred peak. She had originally intended to give it to Kagome.
But she had changed her mind.
She wanted to leave something of herself with this child. A piece of her soul to guide her in the dark.
Her existence had a meaning. Her life, though filled with tragedy and bone-deep fatigue, was not a void.
"It's heavy..."
Moroha took the bow--it was nearly as tall as she was. As her fingers brushed the wood, she could feel the warm, purifying spiritual energy pulsing within it.
It felt like a hug.
"I will teach you everything I can," Kikyo said. "The rest... will depend on you."
"I'm ready!!"
Kikyo didn't know how much longer her broken body would hold, but she would squeeze every second of life she had left for this one purpose.
"There?"
Kirinmaru and Toga came to a halt on a vast, empty plain.
The landscape was deserted, but the sky above was a churning vortex of black clouds. The atmosphere was so thick with malice it felt like a physical weight.
They had sensed the Shikon Jewel's energy from miles away--an explosion of power that had flickered for a heartbeat but left a permanent mark on the world's map.
"This reeks. The evil aura alone far surpasses the malice of [So'unga]," Toga noted, his brow furrowed.
To have this level of spectral energy and demonic pressure condensed into a single location... he had encountered very few creatures in his long life that could match this scale.
"Hmph. So this is the Jewel's final card?"
"It seems it was planning to face us from the very beginning."
Kirinmaru stood with his arms crossed, a look of cold amusement on his face.
The sight was impressive, certainly. But Kirinmaru did not believe there was anything in this world that could stop a combined assault from himself and the Great Dog Demon. No shift in the Jewel's power could ever account for the gap between a tool and a King.
"At this rate, it will take another two days to fully stabilize," Toga said.
"We're not going to wait for it."
"It doesn't have the luxury of our patience!"
At Kirinmaru's proud declaration, Toga tightened his grip on the [Tessaiga]. The fact that Great Demons viewed the Shikon Jewel with contempt was a common truth of the demon world.
"[Meido Zangetsuha]!!"
With a massive swing, Toga tore open a circular portal into the abyss.
"Hmph!"
Kirinmaru didn't hesitate. He dived into the rift, with Toga following close behind.
They flew through the infinite darkness of the Netherworld, searching for the core of the spatial distortion.
"Hah..."
Suddenly, Kirinmaru let out a cold laugh and veered toward a localized pocket of darkness.
"Found you!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]