"Kikyo, I've confirmed the situation," Uchiha Kasage said as he dispelled the genjutsu, turning his gaze toward her. "Naraku intends to devour Sesshomaru's yokai power to strengthen himself."
Before Kikyo could respond, his expression sharpened slightly.
"There's more. The miasma is mixed with poison from a cow yokai. Do not inhale it under any circumstances. This entire place is a trap Naraku prepared specifically for Sesshomaru."
Kikyo paused, her eyes drifting toward the purple haze blanketing the castle below.
"What should we do?" she asked quietly. "Should we warn Sesshomaru?"
Kasage shook his head slightly. "No… I'll force them out instead."
His eyes locked onto the largest structure in the castle.
"I'll attack that building directly. That will draw both Naraku and Sesshomaru out into the open," he said. "You stay ready. The moment Naraku shows himself, strike him with a Demon-Slaying Arrow."
Without hesitation, Kikyo drew an arrow from her quiver. She pulled the bowstring back smoothly, her posture steady, her gaze unwavering as she aimed toward the building below.
"…Understood," she replied softly.
Kasage glanced at her with mild surprise.
"You're not going to ask what happens to the Shikon Jewel if Naraku dies?"
Kikyo's eyes remained fixed on her target, though a faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
"Naraku is far too cautious to act recklessly without a plan," she said. "If he's taking such a risk, he must have prepared a way to survive."
Her expression hardened slightly.
"But even if I'm wrong… it doesn't matter. I want to see whether the Shikon Jewel will ultimately protect him."
Kasage let out a short laugh.
"I didn't think that deeply," he admitted. "I just know Naraku's been tricked by me more than once. He probably hates me by now. If I don't keep him busy, he'll definitely come looking for trouble."
He straightened slightly, releasing the camouflage surrounding them. Their figures slowly became visible under the moonlit sky.
"Alright. Get ready," he said. "We don't need the barrier anymore."
His Sharingan spun as it locked onto the building.
Naraku's yokai aura spread throughout it like a web, while Sesshomaru's presence burned at its core.
"So… he really plans to swallow him whole," Kasage muttered coldly.
His hands moved rapidly through a sequence of seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
He inhaled deeply—then unleashed it.
A massive torrent of flames burst from his mouth, roaring forward like a blazing river and crashing into the building.
"BOOM—!"
The explosion shook the entire castle.
The structure collapsed instantly under the overwhelming force, swallowed by a violent inferno. Flames surged outward in all directions, painting the night sky in blazing orange and red.
The dense miasma evaporated rapidly under the intense heat, leaving behind the sharp scent of burning air.
"Lord Sesshomaru!!"
Jaken screamed in horror as he watched the building vanish into fire. He instinctively rushed forward—
But a wave of searing flames erupted toward him.
Startled, Jaken halted abruptly, raising his skull staff and pouring yokai energy into it.
"Ugh—!"
A weak burst of flame emerged… and vanished almost instantly.
Jaken froze.
His body trembled as his strength drained away. He collapsed heavily to the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"M-My power… why… why is it gone?!"
Panic seized him as the flames surged closer.
"Lord Sesshomaru, save me! I—I can't serve you anymore!"
Desperate, he clawed at the ground, trying to crawl away.
Just as the fire was about to consume him—
A branch shot out from the side, wrapping tightly around his neck and yanking him backward, dragging him out of the inferno.
"Cough—! Cough—!"
The branch loosened, and Jaken clutched his throat, gasping for air.
"Who dares—?! I am Lord Sesshomaru's retainer, the great Jaken! How dare you—"
His voice abruptly died.
Before him, in the shadows, a pair of crimson Sharingan stared back.
Uchiha Kasage watched him with a faint, amused smile.
Jaken fell silent instantly.
"What kind of yokai are you?" Kikyo's voice came from beside Kasage. She studied Jaken with quiet curiosity. "A kappa? No… not quite."
"J-Jaken… my name is Jaken," he stammered instinctively, his earlier arrogance gone.
"Kagura mentioned you," Kikyo replied with a small nod.
"BOOM—!"
Another explosion tore through the air.
All eyes snapped toward the burning ruins.
A violent surge of flames erupted upward—and from within them, a white figure burst forth.
Sesshomaru.
He landed lightly atop a nearby tower, his pristine white kimono untouched by the fire. His silver hair flowed behind him, his expression cold and unreadable. One hand rested on the hilt of Tokijin, embedded in the roof beneath him.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Relief flooded Jaken's voice.
"You're safe! Thank goodness!"
Sesshomaru gave him a brief glance. His eyes lingered for a fraction of a second on Kikyo and Kasage… before shifting away, focusing instead on the burning ruins below.
The flickering flames reflected in his golden eyes.
"He's not unharmed," Kasage said calmly, his gaze still sharp. "He's already been poisoned by the miasma. The question is how much strength he can still use."
Jaken's face went pale.
The memory of his own powerless state hit him instantly.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" he shouted desperately. "Be careful! The miasma—it's poisoned by Naraku!"
Sesshomaru's eyes flicked briefly toward the swirling purple haze below. His expression darkened, though he said nothing. His grip on Tokijin tightened slightly.
He had already noticed.
"So… he's Inuyasha's older brother," Kikyo murmured, studying him. "They share the same silver hair… yet they feel completely different."
"How dare you compare that half-yokai to Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken snapped, his loyalty flaring back—only to be cut off.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
The ground beneath the ruins began to twist violently, like water in a storm.
The shattered remains of the building collapsed inward—
Then erupted.
Grotesque, massive tentacles and limbs burst from the earth. Thick, dark miasma surged upward like a fountain, swallowing the flames whole.
Though the fire burned fiercely, the miasma kept pouring out, suffocating it little by little… until the flames were extinguished entirely.
Darkness returned.
The castle was once again consumed by a dense, suffocating purple haze—stronger than before.
"—Twang!"
The sharp sound of a bowstring cut through the silence.
Kikyo released her arrow.
It streaked through the air like a falling star, carrying brilliant spiritual power straight into the heart of the surging evil.
Light exploded outward.
The purifying energy spread instantly, erasing everything it touched. The grotesque limbs dissolved, the miasma scattered, turning into wisps of fading green smoke.
A clear opening tore through the darkness.
And within it—
Naraku finally appeared before them.