"It's so nice not having to sleep out in the open!" Kagome stretched, her face glowing with satisfaction.
"Yeah… we can finally rest properly," Sango added with a soft smile, while Miroku nodded in agreement, clearly relieved after days of fatigue.
"Tch." Only Inuyasha seemed unimpressed, though no one paid him any attention.
"Everything's ready. Let's move," Uchiha Kasage said calmly, standing beside Kikyo as he looked toward the distant direction of Mount Hakurei.
"Kikyo, do you know exactly where Mount Hakurei is?" Kagome asked, walking closer to her.
"I saw its general direction from a high vantage point earlier," Kikyo replied gently. "But for the exact path, we'll need to ask the villagers nearby."
She paused slightly before continuing.
"Hakushin Bodhisattva is well known in this region. Mount Hakurei is a famous sacred place—finding it shouldn't be difficult."
"I see… but do you really think Naraku is there?" Kagome asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"He should be," Kikyo said quietly, though uncertainty flickered faintly in her eyes. "However…"
She reached into her robes and took out a shard of the Shikon Jewel.
"As long as I carry this… Naraku will come for me."
"A shard…" Kagome murmured, then quickly pulled out a small glass bottle.
Inside, three shards glowed faintly.
"That's right… if he wants to complete the jewel, he'll definitely come after ours."
"Exactly," Kikyo nodded. "Even if we cannot find him, he will eventually reveal himself."
Her gaze hardened slightly.
"But if he's hiding now… it means he's preparing something even greater. The sooner we find him, the better our chances of stopping him."
Then, noticing Kagome's tense expression, she softened her tone.
"Don't worry. There's a strong chance he's at Mount Hakurei."
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"Because… he likely wants to lure me there," Kikyo replied calmly.
There was more to it—the unresolved fate between her and Naraku—but she chose not to say it aloud.
"My purification power is… a threat he cannot ignore."
"Hm?"
Suddenly, both Kikyo and Kagome froze.
At the same time, they turned in the same direction.
They exchanged a glance.
"The aura of the Shikon Jewel…?"
"But… something feels off," Kikyo murmured, her brows knitting slightly.
"Yeah… it's different from before," Kagome added, clearly confused.
"Inuyasha," she said quickly, "I can feel a shard nearby, but…"
"Then what's the problem?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. "If it's a shard, that's all that matters. Where is it?"
Kagome pointed ahead.
"That way… and—it's coming toward us!"
Inuyasha immediately leaned forward, ready to charge.
"No need," Kasage's calm voice stopped him.
He looked ahead, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.
"If I'm not mistaken… the one carrying that shard was already heading for us."
"Why?" Kagome asked, puzzled.
"You both carry Shikon shards," Kasage replied. "It's only natural a yokai would come to steal more."
Inuyasha frowned slightly, still unconvinced—but before he could argue—
"K-Kasage is right!" Kagome said urgently. "It's getting closer—fast!"
Inuyasha clicked his tongue but stepped back beside her, watching the forest carefully.
---
"Stop right there!"
A roar suddenly echoed as a yokai burst out from the trees.
In front of it, a man in priest robes was running desperately, clearly being hunted.
"I'll handle this!" Inuyasha shouted.
With a powerful leap, he landed between the yokai and its prey, blocking its path.
"Get over here!" he called to the fleeing man.
"Quick, this way!" Kagome, Sango, and Miroku urged.
The man rushed toward them—but the moment he reached safety, the panic on his face vanished.
His expression turned calm.
Too calm.
Kikyo was about to speak… but she suddenly noticed Kasage.
He was staring at the man with a cold, unreadable smirk.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Something was wrong.
She looked back at the priest—studying him more carefully.
And then—
She understood.
---
"Inuyasha," Kagome called, "it's that yokai—the shard is inside it!"
Inuyasha nodded. The enemy before him was nothing more than a low-level yokai.
"Then don't blame me!"
He drew Tessaiga in one swift motion.
With a sharp burst of speed—
Slash!
The blade cut cleanly through the yokai's body.
It split in half instantly.
As the corpse hit the ground—
Something rolled out from within.
A crystal-clear sphere.
Glowing faintly pink.
A complete Shikon Jewel.
"…What?!" Kagome's eyes widened.
Kikyo's expression changed as well.
Even Inuyasha froze for a brief moment before stepping forward and picking it up.
Then—
*Crack.*
A sharp sound echoed.
The jewel fractured instantly—spreading cracks across its surface before shattering into countless glowing fragments that dissolved into the air.
Silence fell.
Kikyo's surprise faded, replaced with calm understanding.
"Inuyasha… did you just destroy the Shikon Jewel?!" Shippō shouted in shock.
"Idiot," Inuyasha snapped. "The real thing wouldn't break that easily."
He tossed his hand aside.
"It was fake."
Kagome nodded slowly, though confusion still lingered.
"But… it felt almost identical…"
"This is a forged Shikon Jewel."
The voice came from behind them.
The priest.
His tone calm.
Too calm.