"You're back! Did you find Naraku?!"
Inuyasha and the others had been waiting anxiously at the foot of Mount Hakurei, their eyes fixed on the narrow path leading upward.
Suddenly—
Kikyo and Uchiha Kasage appeared beside the kunai left in the ground.
Everyone rushed forward.
"We found traces of him," Kikyo said with a calm nod. "We didn't see Naraku directly, but we encountered Kanna… one of his incarnations. Kasage also confirmed that Naraku—and a large number of yokai—are hiding inside Mount Hakurei."
"Inside the mountain?" Miroku looked up in shock at the mist-covered peak.
"…So Hakushin Bodhisattva's power is really protecting Naraku?"
"Yes," Kikyo replied quietly.
Her expression grew more serious.
"We also saw Hakushin Bodhisattva's fleshly mummy. His soul has been awakened by Naraku… and resides within it. The Barrier surrounding Mount Hakurei was created by him."
"…That monk's lost his mind!" Inuyasha snapped, gripping his sword.
"He knows Naraku is a yokai! So why protect him?!"
"If it weren't for that Barrier, I'd have cut him down myself!"
Kagome Higurashi frowned, worry clear in her eyes.
"Kikyo… what should we do? The Barrier is still active. Even you couldn't deal with him?"
"We didn't fight him," Kikyo said.
Everyone froze.
Four pairs of eyes turned toward her in confusion.
Instead of explaining, Kikyo looked at Kasage.
"…Kasage. What are you planning?"
At once, everyone's attention shifted to him.
Kasage calmly stored Banryu inside his Kamui space, then lifted his gaze toward the mountain, as if seeing through its surface.
"Kikyo," he said quietly, "you remember what I told you?"
"There are many yokai inside the mountain."
Kikyo's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're planning to use the Barrier… to purify them?"
Kasage smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
"These yokai were gathered by Naraku. If we destroy Hakushin, the Barrier disappears… and they'll all escape."
"And then we'd have to hunt them down one by one."
His tone sharpened slightly.
"But if the Barrier stays active…"
"…then the moment they come out, they'll be purified."
Sango, holding the weakened Kirara, nodded in realization—
then frowned again.
"But how do we force them out?"
Kasage chuckled softly.
"It's simple."
He looked up at the towering mountain.
"If they're hiding inside…"
"…then we just remove the mountain."
Silence.
"…You're going to split Mount Hakurei?" Miroku asked slowly.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Kasage's expression didn't change.
"The inside is already hollow. It'll take some effort…"
"…but it's not difficult."
He turned to them.
"Move back. Far enough so you won't get caught in the collapse."
"Got it!" Inuyasha didn't hesitate, grabbing Kagome and Shippō as he leapt away.
"Be careful," Miroku added before retreating with Sango.
Kikyo took a step back—
but suddenly felt an arm wrap around her waist.
She looked up, slightly startled.
"…Kasage?"
"No need to leave," he said quietly, holding her close.
"We'll go together."
For a brief moment, Kikyo hesitated—
then relaxed slightly against him.
"…Alright."
Kasage lifted his gaze.
His crimson Mangekyō Sharingan ignited.
"Susanoo."
A low voice—
and then—
power erupted.
Pale blue chakra surged violently around them, forming a massive skeletal structure. Flesh, armor, and flowing garments rapidly manifested over it.
The ground trembled.
The air grew heavy.
The figure kept growing—
larger—
and larger—
until—
a colossal warrior nearly two hundred meters tall stood between heaven and earth.
Complete Body Susanoo.
"What… is that?" Inuyasha stared upward, completely stunned.
"It feels like…" Sango covered her mouth, her voice trembling slightly, "…a god."
Inuyasha gritted his teeth, gripping Tessaiga tightly as the overwhelming pressure bore down on him.
"…Damn it…"
Inside the crystalline space at the Susanoo's forehead—
Kasage and Kikyo stood side by side, overlooking the world below.
Kikyo's calm expression finally broke.
"…Kasage… this power…"
"Yes."
His voice was steady.
"The true form of Susanoo."
He looked ahead, eyes sharp.
"…but I'm not finished."
Chakra surged again—
wild and immense.
From the Susanoo's back—
a pair of enormous wings burst forth.
With a thunderous beat—
it rose into the sky.
"It's flying!" Kagome shouted in disbelief.
The colossal figure soared upward, stopping high above Mount Hakurei.
Everything grew still.
Kikyo looked ahead, already understanding his intent.
Her voice softened.
"…Do it."
Kasage didn't respond.
His gaze locked onto the mountain.
The Susanoo slowly raised its massive chakra blade—
then—
with a single, decisive motion—
swung.
BOOM!
A blinding arc of light tore through the air.
The mist was instantly blown away.
The strike carved across Mount Hakurei—
clean—
precise—
unstoppable.
For a heartbeat—
everything went silent.
Then—
RUMBLE!!!
The mountain shook violently.
A glowing red fissure split across its surface—
and then—
it burst apart.
Rock, molten debris, and shattered earth erupted outward like a storm.
The upper half of the mountain—
slowly—
began to slide.
Then—
it collapsed.
The earth trembled as the massive peak split open, its insides exposed to the world.