IW: Chapter 247 - A Fateful Encounter: Kikyo and Inuyasha Bai Ye's First Meeting!
"Someone is coming to take the Shikon Jewel?!"
A flicker of genuine surprise pierced through the agonizing pain etched across Onigumo's scarred face. If the spider demon's words were true, then the fragile reality he had grown accustomed to was about to violently fracture. Kikyo would have absolutely no reason to remain anchored to this desolate village.
Lately, the woods surrounding the perimeter had grown strangely quiet. Thanks to Kikyo's immaculate spiritual barriers and lethal archery, the swarms of lesser monsters that used to plague the valley had been systematically purged. The only reason a continuous stream of ravenous entities kept throwing themselves against the village walls was the presence of the Jewel itself. It was a beacon of ultimate power, and even a broken thief like himself wasn't immune to its siren song.
If I could somehow lay my hands on that sacred jewel... could I wish upon it to bind Kikyo to me forever?
That woman...
She was fully aware that he was a vile, unrepentant criminal, a parasite of the lowest order, yet she still chose to bring him food, tend to his horrific burns, and keep him alive in the damp gloom of this cavern. She truly was a hopelessly, naturally foolish creature. Onigumo had fully accepted his impending death, resignately waiting for the rot to take him, never anticipating that a pure priestess would extend her light to save his wretched skin.
It was that very act of mercy that had planted a dark, obsessive seed of longing deep within his chest.
He didn't just admire Kikyo. He wanted to possess her entirely, to drag her down into the mud with him.
Seemingly tracking the volatile, jagged spikes in Onigumo's emotional aura, the spider demon lurking on the cavern ceiling smiled a grotesque, multi-eyed smile. Its psychological trap was already halfway to success.
As it predicted, Onigumo harbored a bottomless, toxic fixation on the priestess. By continuously twisting that desire, the demons could slowly guide him toward the precipice where he would willingly sacrifice his identity. The individual spirits swarming the cave were weak, bottom-feeding scavengers; if they hadn't stumbled upon Onigumo's mangled form, they would have spent their miserable, fleeting lives hiding out in the dark corners of the Musashi province, utterly defenseless against the apex warlords of the demon world.
But they refused to accept a fate of perpetual hiding.
To a pack of weak, ambitious parasites, the manifestation of a uniquely corrupted, hyper-evil human soul was a once-in-a-millennium ticket to defying the natural order. Onigumo's sheer, concentrated malice acted like a beacon, drawing every wandering, hungry spirit for miles directly into the deep fissures of the earth.
"Who is it?!" Onigumo let out a low, guttural growl from the depths of his throat.
For a split second, a wave of profound self-loathing washed over him. He utterly despised his own useless, charred carcass. Why did his body have to be so completely broken, lacking even the strength to lift a finger while his entire world was poised to be stolen away?
"The Lord of the Western Wilds... Inuyasha Bai Ye!"
The moment that name rolled off the spider demon's tongue, the creature's mocking tone completely vanished, replaced by an instinctual, shuddering wave of absolute awe and terror.
He had pacified the Leopard Cat Clan, dealt with Ryukotsusei, killed the Four War Gods, and he had even been with Tsukuyomi, the strongest priestess at the time.
After all these years, he hadn't aged, and it seemed Tsukuyomi had also obtained a long life through some means.
This could also be related to Bai Ye.
It had once watched Inuyasha Bai Ye's battle in the Leopard Cat Clan from afar, and that battle still filled the spider demon's heart with immense awe.
At the same time, it was also because of this battle that a hint of longing arose in the spider demon's heart—if it also possessed such power to change the tide of battle, possessing the power to make all demons submit...
At that moment, it had decided to aim to surpass Bai Ye.
However, the spider demon also clearly knew that it was just a small demon; to surpass Bai Ye, it could only resort to crooked methods.
"How could it be him..."
Onigumo murmured; upon hearing the name Inuyasha Bai Ye, even he felt a chill.
Even as a human, he had heard of his great name—a great demon lord, whose casual actions could destroy a country.
His subordinate demons numbered in the tens of millions.
If Bai Ye came to take the shikon jewel, then he truly would be able to take it.
"Moreover, that guy's wife is a priestess; speaking of which, he likes priestesses, doesn't he? Don't forget Kikyo is also a priestess, and the priestess you like might be taken away by him!"
The spider demon said, suddenly feeling that this might actually be possible.
However, this was mainly to provoke Onigumo.
Who knew what Bai Ye would do?
He didn't care at all; he just wanted Onigumo to willingly hand over his soul and merge quickly.
After all, Bai Ye would be arriving soon.
If Bai Ye arrived, the immense demonic aura would definitely attract Bai Ye's attention, and then whether they could merge wouldn't be up to them; even if the merger was completed, he knew that in that newly merged state, how could he be Bai Ye's opponent?
"Will Kikyo also be taken away?"
What a boring lie.
How could that guy, who could become the King of the West Country, fall in love with every priestess he met?
Onigumo couldn't help but mock the spider demon in his heart; did it really think he was a fool?
It's just...
Why was his heart uneasy?
Onigumo felt a hint of doubt about his own thoughts; later, he also understood that even if the other party wasn't like that, Kikyo would still leave.
Without the shikon jewel, no demons would continue to target this Village.
He would be left behind by Kikyo, a pitiful wretch with no one to care for him.
As a bandit, everyone would want to kill him, right?
And even if there was only a one percent chance that Bai Ye would take Kikyo away, this was not what he wanted to see.
That woman's beauty and gentle nature might truly attract that guy's attention.
So...
Was he still afraid of losing her?
"Take it; don't you want my soul? Then take my soul; I want Kikyo!"
Onigumo looked at the ceiling, finally resolving to trade his soul away.
Since they wanted his soul, then he would give it to them.
He wanted to obtain Kikyo!
His desire to obtain Kikyo was incredibly strong; no matter the possibility, he could not accept it, and even less could he accept lying in this dark, damp cave like a useless person, waiting to die.
Onigumo had always seized what he wanted in his life.
Kikyo was no exception!
"Good!"
The spider demon rejoiced inwardly; it had finally made Onigumo open his heart.
As soon as his soul was ready to accept the demons, the countless demons waiting around had already impatiently rushed towards Onigumo's soul.
They were going to merge with Onigumo and become a new demon.
Naraku.
A fire inexplicably broke out in the cave where Onigumo was; when Kaede came here again, she only saw a burnt human-shaped imprint, and Onigumo was no longer there.
Young Kaede, having never seen such a thing, quickly ran home and told Kikyo everything.
"Onigumo was burned to death?"
Listening to Kaede's words, Kikyo frowned.
Onigumo just burned to death like that.
Did he just die like that?
That bandit's will to live was so strong; how could he die so easily?!
Besides, it was indeed a bit strange for that cave to spontaneously catch fire.
However, at this moment, Kikyo was not in the mood to continue dealing with Onigumo's matter.
Kikyo already knew about Bai Ye coming here to take the shikon jewel.
She was actually a bit conflicted.
On one hand, she had promised to secretly protect this jewel.
However, because the jewel itself had always been attracting demons, it seemed it would be discovered no matter how much she concealed it.
Before, only some small demons would target this jewel, hoping to use it to increase their strength.
But now, what caught Kikyo off guard was that even Bai Ye had set his sights on this jewel.
This also made her unsure what to do.
Although her spiritual power was strong, she didn't have absolute confidence in defeating Bai Ye.
Moreover, there was also Priestess Tsukuyomi; if they started fighting, she might not be the opponent.
But should she hand over this jewel?!
Kikyo was very clear about how evil this jewel was.
So she had been working hard to purify it, hoping to solve the jewel's problem as soon as possible.
"Sister, what are you thinking? It doesn't matter if Onigumo dies; at least a menace is gone!"
Kaede thought Kikyo was still thinking about Onigumo, so she quickly advised her.
Although Kaede never understood why her sister insisted on saving Onigumo.
Even though he was a person who had committed many evil deeds.
But now that Onigumo was gone, there was no need to dwell on it so much; wasn't it better that he died?
"No, it's not about that."
Kikyo came back to her senses, shook her head, a gentle smile flashing across her face, and raised her hand to stroke Kaede's back of the head, telling her not to worry.
She didn't intend to tell Kaede about this matter; even if she told her or others, no one could help her, and it would only make Kaede more worried, right?
"Sister, are you okay?"
Kaede seemed to have noticed a hint of abnormality in Kikyo.
Did she have other thoughts?
"I'm fine, Kaede. I might have to go out for a while recently."
After some hesitation, Kikyo finally decided to leave the Village with the shikon jewel.
Regardless of whether she would fight Bai Ye later or reach an agreement.
She had decided not to leave the shikon jewel here.
Because once a fight broke out, this place might be affected by Bai Ye, so to avoid this situation.
Kikyo decided to leave here.
"Is Sister going out to exorcise demons again?"
Kaede didn't think much of it.
Kikyo had gone out before, so Kaede naturally assumed Kikyo was preparing to go out and exorcise demons.
"Yes."
Following this lie, Kikyo did not expose it.
That same day, she packed her belongings, then took the shikon jewel and left the Village.
Following the attraction of the shikon jewel, Bai Ye should be able to find her.
Watching Kikyo's departing back, Naraku felt a strange sensation in his heart at this moment.
Was that guy acting up again?
Naraku knew it was Onigumo's admiration, his admiration for Kikyo.
But now he was no longer Onigumo.
After becoming Naraku, he had been constantly leaning towards the demon side, while also continuously hiding Onigumo's inner self.
In his opinion, Onigumo's weak human emotions were not what he needed.
"The shikon jewel cannot fall into Inuyasha Bai Ye's hands."
Naraku plotted in his mind; he wanted to become a true demon, and that required the power of the shikon jewel.
But now, it was basically impossible for him to approach Kikyo.
With his demonic aura, if he got any closer to Kikyo, he would probably be discovered by her.
And if he was hit by a single demon-purifying arrow, he would surely die.
Follow?
No.
If he just followed from behind, not to mention whether he could snatch it, just following would give him no chance at all!
But even if his intelligence was high, what good was it?!
A sense of powerlessness made Naraku clearly understand what pure strength suppression meant.
"Do you want the shikon jewel?"
A voice sounded in his mind, and Naraku was startled in his heart.
Who!?
Naraku suppressed the shock in his heart, and his mind became active: "You're in my mind?!"
Onigumo?!
Impossible!
That Onigumo guy is currently suppressed.
How could he appear?
Then if it's not Onigumo, who could it be?
To be able to invade his mind without any preparation on his part.
Naraku also knew that the opponent's strength must be stronger than his own, so who could this guy be?
Or rather,
What is the opponent's purpose?
Naraku didn't have time to think, and that voice sounded again.
"To be precise, I'm just talking to you through some means."
Not appearing in his mind.
After hearing this answer, Naraku breathed a sigh of relief.
This way, he could prevent the other party from knowing his thoughts.
And it wouldn't hinder his future actions.
"So who are you?!"
Naraku asked.
If cooperation was beneficial to him, then he wouldn't hesitate to cooperate with the other party.
But at the very least, he had to figure out the other party's identity, but it was a bit regrettable that he couldn't control the overall situation.
This sudden feeling of powerlessness also made Naraku's resolve to possess great strength even firmer.
"shikon jewel."
"shikon jewel?!"
The shikon jewel actually has its own consciousness!?
This couldn't help but shock Naraku; he was actually talking to the shikon jewel.
"That's right, I don't want to be taken away by Inuyasha Bai Ye, so let's cooperate."
Seimei's soul, having already mastered everything within the Jewel, naturally possessed such abilities.
Compared to the shikon jewel in the anime, the current him is stronger, because he doesn't need to fight the demons inside; he has long since transformed the interior of this Jewel into an evil part.
Over the years, he also tried to wander by the side of priestesses and high monks; all priestesses and high monks who obtained the Jewel would encounter misfortune.
These were all done by Magatsuhi, wasn't it just to absorb the other party's soul, thereby strengthening the power of the shikon jewel?
And the current situation is that he cannot get rid of Kikyo that quickly; originally, according to the timeline, he still needed some time to arrange everything.
After all, compared to other priestesses and high monks, Kikyo's power was too strong.
So he needed more time to prepare.
However, what Seimei didn't expect was that Bai Ye actually came.
So now, all Seimei can do is cooperate with Naraku.
The previous demon was also his power used to find Naraku; Seimei was also saving himself.
"So the legendary first Onmyoji isn't dead yet?!"
Naraku said with a hint of awe.
As legends about the shikon jewel circulated, Naraku naturally had heard of them.
According to legend, the shikon jewel was formed after Seimei fought Bai Ye, and being unable to defeat Bai Ye, he then absorbed the surrounding demons and transformed into the shikon jewel.
Naraku had always thought this was just a legend.
After all, Seimei was once known as the first Onmyoji of Heian-kyō.
And there couldn't possibly be any connection between Seimei and Bai Ye.
How could they have fought fiercely?
But combining it with the current situation, Naraku felt that this legend didn't seem to be false after all.
"The winner takes all, losing means losing. This time, I might still lose. If I am taken away by Inuyasha Bai Ye, then your wish will be completely shattered. Without the help of the shikon jewel, you will never be able to achieve your ambition!"
In Seimei's view, their interests were equal.
Naraku was an ambitious demon, but he didn't think much of Naraku; everything about him was created by himself.
However, if he could help him deal with Bai Ye, it seemed pretty good.
At least Seimei still had to wait for his return from hell.
It's almost here.
As long as the Jewel merges again, after so many years of absorbing the evil thoughts and demonic power of so many demons, as well as the sacred spiritual power of monks and priestesses, as long as it merges with his self returning from hell again.
Then he will become incredibly powerful!
At the same time, he also admitted his failure and pointed out Naraku's ambition.
It could be said that both of them currently harbored their own ambitions.
"Then what can I get?!"
Since the other party was unwilling to be taken away by Bai Ye, Naraku also clearly knew that the other party certainly wouldn't want to be controlled by him.
Then, sooner or later, the shikon jewel, or rather, Seimei within it, would definitely leave him.
Unless he could find a way to control the shikon jewel and keep it under his control forever, otherwise, he simply couldn't solve this problem.
But this might not be achievable; when working with Seimei, Naraku had to be careful.
So he also believed that he must be given some benefits.
"To make you a true demon, and to possess supreme power!"
What is Naraku's ambition?
Of course, it is to become a true demon and also gain power.
And he can give him all of these.
However,
After that, he would also become a slave to the Jewel, and after death, he would be absorbed by the shikon jewel.
"The first one I think is possible, but the second one, I feel like you might not be able to achieve supreme power, right?"
"To surpass that guy, at least for now, you are not qualified. You don't even have the qualification to meet him!"
Seimei smiled faintly.
As a former opponent, Seimei also understood Bai Ye's power.
Based on the current situation, he could confirm that Naraku was absolutely out of his mind compared to Bai Ye.
"Then let's cooperate."
Naraku ignored Seimei's words.
He also knew that Seimei was right; the current him really wasn't even good enough to carry his shoes.
"Okay."
Smart people don't need many words.
Everyone has a scale in their heart; since it aligns with their interests, then they should decide to cooperate early, rather than dragging everything out.
"Since we've cooperated, then give me power now, otherwise I can't do anything!"
Naraku wasn't just talking; his current strength was very weak, although he had absorbed some demons specially arranged by Seimei.
But he was still weak; he was just a newly born Hanyo, how strong could he be?
So if Seimei didn't give him power, then no matter how long they planned, they still wouldn't be able to obtain the shikon jewel in the end.
Let alone Bai Ye, he couldn't even defeat Kikyo himself.
"Go to Heian-kyō, there are some things I left there, and you will become very strong after using them."
Seimei said faintly; he had preparations there, and also needed someone to help open the Gate of Hell.
The Gate of Hell has also been hidden beneath Heian-kyō; there is a gate there, but that gate can only be opened by himself. Before his death, Seimei left his magic power there.
As long as someone triggers it, the Gate of Hell can be opened.
However, there is a space isolated there, and ordinary people without his magic power cannot find it.
So the Shadow of Heian-kyō has not been discovered all these years.
The seemingly peaceful and prosperous Heian-kyō actually hides evil spirits beneath its Shadow.
And Seimei will also use this opportunity to lead the Hyakki through the Gate of Hell from Heian-kyō's Gate of Hell.
"Heian-kyō?"
Naraku muttered, then continued to ask: "If I leave, what if you are taken by Inuyasha Bai Ye then?!"
This was something that needed to be considered.
However, after a second thought, Naraku reasoned that he hadn't truly lost anything in this transaction. As long as he successfully absorbed the raw demonic essence and secured a new, apex body from the swarming hordes, it wouldn't matter if the Shikon Jewel was ultimately seized by Bai Ye. He would have already pocketed the immense baseline benefits.
Wasn't that more than enough to defy his fate?
"Then it simply means it is destiny," a cold, mocking echo reverberated from the depths of the jewel.
"..."
Naraku was left temporarily speechless, a dark grimace twisting his new features. Destiny?! If everything was preordained, what would become of him if he failed to retain the jewel?
"Forget it. Since your mind is already made up, so be it," Naraku muttered, choosing not to press the entity any further. If the ancient spirit of the jewel didn't care about the immediate risks, why should he? His own gaze was already shifting past this damp cave—he wanted to journey straight to Heian-kyō to unearth the esoteric legacies Abe no Seimei had left buried in the ancient capital.
For Seimei, the stakes were entirely transparent. He knew with absolute certainty that escaping Bai Ye's net in the mortal realm would be an impossible feat this time around. His singular, desperate priority was to manipulate Naraku into forcefully ripping open the Gate of Hell before the hammer fell.
Seimei took solace in a hidden truth: Bai Ye did not possess the exact, esoteric method required to completely extinguish his soul. If the traveler resorted to mere physical obliteration or standard spiritual sealing, it wouldn't truly kill him. As long as the absolute core of his existence remained intact, Seimei wasn't worried at all. At worst, he would allow himself to be captured or suppressed by Bai Ye for a time—but the underworld gates had to be breached immediately.
Meanwhile, back in the sacred shrine of the village, Kikyo stood alone, staring down at the Shikon Jewel resting in her palms. It was pulsating with a brilliant, almost blinding lavender radiance, causing her eyes to flicker with deep suspicion.
She had always harbored a lingering, unsettling intuition that this artifact possessed a hidden, calculating consciousness of its own, but its tracks were so flawlessly covered that she had never been able to unmask it.
"This jewel truly is immaculate on the outside, yet utterly foul and rotten to the core within. You really do live up to your reputation, Seimei."
The sudden, smooth voice shattered the silence of the shrine.
"Who goes there?!"
Kikyo spun around instantly, her hand dropping to the hilt of her bow as she locked her piercing gaze onto the newcomers who had materialized behind her. "You... you are the Lord of the Western Wilds, Inuyasha Bai Ye?!"
A man and a woman stood in the sacred courtyard. If the man matching the legendary descriptions was indeed Bai Ye, then the ethereal, commanding woman walking beside him had to be Tsukuyomi. For the duo to breach her immaculate spiritual barriers without triggering a single alarm meant their immense demonic power was perfectly, flawlessly suppressed.
"It's me," Bai Ye replied smoothly, taking a step forward. "I'll cut straight to the chase—I need you to hand over the Shikon Jewel to me. Its current state is far too volatile, and it isn't something you can safely protect right now."
Bai Ye was secretly a bit surprised. Has the news of my arrival in this province already leaked to everyone? He hadn't uttered a word to outsiders about his trajectory, so where had the rumor originated?
Ultimately, he brushed the mystery aside. It didn't change his objective. Since Kikyo was already fully aware that he had come for the artifact, a direct, honest demand was the most efficient path forward.
Looking at her standing there, a wave of profound irony washed over Bai Ye. The Shikon Jewel, after a labyrinthine series of twists, turns, and altered timelines, had still inevitably found its way into Kikyo's hands. Yet, in this rewritten world—devoid of her fateful, tragic romance with the original Inuyasha—she hadn't met an untimely demise from a backstabbing curse.
It was a fascinating paradox of fate. Historically, when facing the sacred duty of guarding the jewel, a priestess assumed her heart would remain an unyielding fortress, utterly immune to the weakness of love. Because she didn't guard against her own emotions, she invariably ended up falling the hardest.
But looking at the pristine, unblemished spiritual aura radiating from the living priestess before him, Bai Ye knew this timeline's script had been completely thrown out the window.