"As expected of Lord Sesshomaru! He took care of that guy in a single strike!"
Jaken immediately burst into praise, his voice overflowing with flattery.
"But Jaken, the person who was just standing on that rock moved over there!"
Rin's clear and innocent voice rang out, instantly contradicting him.
"Huh—?!"
Jaken's words caught in his throat, his expression freezing awkwardly.
Sesshomaru stood still, his head slightly tilted upward. His long silver hair swayed gently in the wind, and his golden eyes were as cold and sharp as ever.
Following his gaze, Jaken quickly turned—
Sure enough, Uchiha Kasage was hovering in midair atop Blazing Hoof, calmly observing them from above.
Seeing Sesshomaru preparing to move, Kasage spoke first, her tone steady but firm.
"Sesshomaru… now isn't the time to fight."
Sesshomaru's gaze remained cold, fixed on her without a word.
Kasage smirked faintly before continuing,
"Naraku and Inuyasha have already gone to your father's grave. You're too late—by now, Naraku may have already disturbed Inu no Taisho's resting place."
That—
Made Sesshomaru pause.
His grip on Tokijin loosened ever so slightly, and the surging Yokai energy around the blade faded.
He let out a quiet scoff and sheathed the sword, his eyes still locked onto Kasage—demanding an explanation.
"She's telling the truth."
A gust of wind swept through the area—
And Kagura appeared.
"I saw it myself," she continued calmly, glancing toward the place where the blood river had once flowed. "Naraku and Inuyasha entered the boundary between the underworld and the living world from here."
She crossed her arms lightly, her tone turning slightly teasing.
"But you're too late. The entrance has already closed."
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Rin instinctively stepped back, hiding behind him as she saw Kagura.
"Kagura! How dare you show yourself here!" Jaken shouted, raising his staff angrily. "Are you trying to kidnap Rin again?!"
Kagura blinked, genuinely confused.
"…Did I actually do that?"
"You—don't act like it has nothing to do with you!" Jaken snapped, nearly stumbling over his own words in frustration.
Ignoring him completely, Sesshomaru looked straight at Kagura.
"What do you mean by 'entrance'?"
Kagura's expression grew more serious.
"Naraku killed a Yokai called Tekkei here," she said, glancing briefly at the massive trench left behind. "Its blood opened a passage to the boundary between the underworld and the mortal world. Naraku and Inuyasha went through it."
Sesshomaru remained silent, his gaze unwavering.
Kagura smiled faintly.
"…But I know another way in."
She tilted her head slightly, her voice lowering.
"I can take you there. Though I should warn you—it's dangerous. Even for you, Sesshomaru… it won't be easy to survive."
There was no hesitation.
"Lead the way."
Two simple words.
Cold. Absolute.
Kagura held his gaze for a moment, then nodded.
"…Alright."
She turned slightly, then looked up toward Kasage.
"What about you?" she asked. "You want to come? That place isn't exactly welcoming. I barely made it out alive last time."
Kasage shook her head calmly.
"I have my own way in."
Then her tone shifted slightly.
"Kagura… you once asked me to help you kill Hakudoshi. Still no opportunity?"
At the mention of the name, a flicker of frustration crossed Kagura's eyes.
"…No," she admitted quietly. "He and Naraku are planning something. They don't trust me anymore."
Kasage nodded once.
"I see."
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Sesshomaru, a faint, knowing smile appearing.
"Well then… I'll be going."
She paused just long enough to add—
"If you don't hurry, Sesshomaru… Naraku might not leave even your father's remains intact."
Before anyone could respond—
Her Mangekyo Sharingan activated.
"Kamui."
Space twisted violently.
A dark spiral formed and swallowed he completely.
Gone.
Blazing Hoof remained in place for a moment.
Deva Akane, seated calmly on its back, glanced down at the group below with quiet indifference. She gently tapped its neck.
With a sharp neigh, flames burst from its hooves—
And it shot into the sky, disappearing into the distance.
"It's gone…" Rin whispered, watching the fading distortion in the air.
Sesshomaru's expression hardened.
"Kagura. Move."
Kagura smirked slightly.
"Try to keep up."
She leapt onto her feather and took off toward the Land of Fire.
Sesshomaru followed without hesitation, his figure slicing through the air.
Behind him, Jaken and Rin quickly climbed onto Ah-Un and hurried after them.
---
The Boundary Between Worlds
A distortion suddenly appeared in midair.
Space twisted—
And Uchiha Kasage emerged, falling rapidly from the sky.
Wind roared past her ears as the ground rushed closer.
Her Rinnegan activated instantly.
"Summoning Technique."
"Bang!"
A burst of smoke exploded beneath her—
And a massive white hen appeared.
Its feathers burned with pale blue, eerie flames. Black receivers protruded from its body, and its eyes glowed with the unmistakable pale purple Rinnegan.
This was Tekkei.
Now a summon of the Animal Path.
With a powerful flap of its wings, it caught Kasage and rose back into the sky.
Despite its somewhat absurd appearance, Tekkei's strength was undeniable. As the former leader of the Hell Bird Yokai, its power remained formidable—even in death.
Below them—
A vast, eerie landscape stretched out.
Thick fog blanketed the ground, broken only by jagged mountain peaks rising like broken teeth through the mist.
Strange birds circled in the sky—skeletal, their wings ragged, their bodies reduced to bone.
And in the distance—
Something colossal stood.
Kasage's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was a skeleton.
Massive beyond comprehension.
Tattered red armor clung to its enormous frame. Its skull loomed over the land, its size rivaling mountains themselves. The fog barely reached its waist.
It was unmistakable.
The remains of Inu no Taisho.
"…This size…"
Even Kasage couldn't help but pause.
"…That's absurd."
It rivaled even the largest constructs she knew—comparable to the complete Susanoo, perhaps even the scale of Hashirama's Thousand-Armed Buddha.
Then—
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion erupted from the skeleton's chest.
Smoke and dust burst outward violently—
Something inside had just been disturbed.