"You… you…"
Inuyasha's face turned red as he struggled to respond. Words failed him, and a thin layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Cough… cough…"
Jakotsu lay on the ground, his eyes unfocused. He ignored the awkward tension completely.
"Do it, Inuyasha… If I can die by your hand… I'll have no regrets."
That only made things worse.
Everyone's gaze on Inuyasha became even more complicated.
"…Tch."
Inuyasha crouched down and reached toward the Shikon Jewel shard embedded in Jakotsu's body.
But just before touching him—
he stopped.
His hand hovered in the air for a moment…
then slowly pulled back.
"…Forget it. If he shows up again, I'll deal with him then."
In the end, he stood up and turned away.
No one was surprised.
The teasing earlier was just that—teasing. But this hesitation? That was exactly who Inuyasha was.
"Inuyasha… you really are naive…"
Jakotsu smiled faintly. But this time, there was resolve in his eyes.
"How could the Band of Seven… be missing me?"
Before anyone could react—
he suddenly thrust his fingers into his own throat.
Blood spilled as he grabbed the Shikon Jewel shard lodged inside.
The shard's power surged briefly, suppressing his injuries.
His gaze fell on Inuyasha.
"You're looking for Naraku… right?"
His voice came in broken breaths.
"He's inside Mount Hakurei… but I don't know exactly where… Only Big Brother Bankotsu met him…"
Then—
without hesitation—
he tore the shard out.
The light vanished.
His body collapsed instantly into white bones.
"…Naraku, as expected," Miroku said quietly, looking at the remains.
"These Shikon shards were obviously given by him," Sango added, holding Kirara.
"Hey… what were these guys even called?" Shippō peeked out from Kagome's arms, staring curiously at the bones.
"The leader was Bankotsu. That one was Jakotsu. The others… we didn't even get their names," Kagome said, bending down to pick up the shard.
"…Looks like we ended things too quickly," Kasage muttered, rubbing his chin.
Unlike before, the Band of Seven hadn't lasted long enough to introduce themselves properly.
He held out the shards he had collected and handed them to Kikyo with a faint smile.
"Naraku's quite considerate. Sending us gifts before we even meet him."
Kikyo gave him a brief, unimpressed look—
then a faint smile touched her lips.
She handed all the shards to Kagome.
"Kagome, keep them."
Then she added,
"There's still one more—the one Kasage sent flying. We should retrieve it quickly before Naraku does."
"Right!" Kagome nodded, placing all the shards into her bottle.
"Inuyasha, let's go!"
Inuyasha crouched slightly.
Kagome climbed onto his back, and in the next instant, he leapt toward the distant crash site.
Kasage watched them go.
Then—
"Kasage," Kikyo said, her gaze shifting to the massive weapon in his hand, "that belongs to Bankotsu, doesn't it? Are you keeping it?"
"…Yeah."
Kasage lifted the massive halberd slightly and gave it a casual swing.
The air split with a sharp whistle.
"This is Banryū. Not a bad weapon… especially for cutting down yokai."
He paused briefly.
"And it's close to becoming a demon blade."
Kikyo stepped closer, placing her hand lightly on the weapon.
Her expression changed immediately.
"…This blade is soaked in resentment."
Her brows furrowed.
"It was nurtured through slaughter. If it becomes a true demon blade, it will only bring harm. It should be destroyed."
Kasage shook his head lightly.
"It won't affect me."
With a flick of his hand, Banryū vanished into the Kamui dimension.
"And besides… with you here, what's there to worry about?"
Kikyo studied him for a moment.
"…If anything feels wrong, tell me immediately."
"I will."
Seeing her lingering concern, Kasage added,
"Mount Hakurei is known for its purification barrier. We can try cleansing the blade there."
That was his real intention.
Not just keeping the weapon—
but refining it.
After all, Banryū had already slain nine hundred ninety yokai.
Only ten more…
and it would fully awaken.
Still—
resentment clung to it like filth on steel.
Unpleasant.
But Mount Hakurei might be able to cleanse it completely.
Even powerful yokai were suppressed within its barrier.
Sesshomaru himself avoided its core.
And Inuyasha, as a half-yokai, would revert to human form under its influence.
If anything could purify Banryū—
it was that place.
Inside the shrine.
Kasage's wood clone stood quietly, fastening a bracer engraved with a summoning formula around his wrist.
Chakra flowed into it.
Poof.
Smoke burst outward.
Banryū appeared instantly in his hand.
He gave it a few testing swings.
The weight.
The balance.
Perfect.
"…Good."
With another pulse of chakra, the weapon vanished again.
He stepped outside.
In the courtyard, Yuzuki stood with a bow drawn, her posture steady despite the sweat on her brow.
The arrow flew—
and struck the center of the target.
"Yuzuki."
She turned quickly.
Kasage's clone smiled faintly.
"You've practiced enough. Let's go find a yokai."
"…Huh?"
Her grip tightened on the bow.
"I—I'm not ready. I don't even know how to use spiritual power properly…"
"You don't need to worry."
He stepped closer.
"I'll be there."
Before she could protest further, he turned and began walking toward the forest.
After a brief hesitation—
Yuzuki followed.
Nervous.
But determined.
Her first real battle awaited.