Kirara stopped beside the stone steps of the shrine. Sango and Kohaku sat on her back, turning to wave goodbye to Uchiha Kasage and Kikyo.
Sango planned to take Kohaku back to the Demon Slayer Village.
Although the previous disaster had caused heavy losses, many villagers had survived by hiding in Suikotsu's cave. Over time, the village had gradually begun to recover.
The return of Kohaku—the son of the former leader—would surely bring hope and joy to everyone.
"Lady Kikyo! Lord Kasage! Goodbye!" Kohaku called out, waving enthusiastically, his face bright with excitement.
"Thank you… truly," Sango added, her voice filled with sincere gratitude. She gave them one last look before urging, "Let's go, Kirara!"
"Roar!"
Kirara let out a low growl as pale crimson flames flared beneath her paws. In an instant, she leapt into the air, carrying the siblings toward their home.
A soft wind trailed behind them.
Kasage and Kikyo stood quietly, watching their figures fade into the distance.
—Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind stirred behind them.
Kasage turned slightly.
Kagura was already seated on her feather, slowly rising into the air.
"I'm bored. I'll wander around nearby," she said casually, noticing his gaze.
Kasage nodded, his tone calm but firm.
"Be careful. If you encounter Naraku, break the wooden talisman I gave you. I'll come immediately."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Don't forget it this time."
Kagura froze for a split second, clearly remembering her previous near-death experience.
"…Yeah, yeah, I know," she muttered, slightly embarrassed.
With a flick of her hand, the feather surged forward. In moments, she vanished into the horizon.
Kikyo watched her departure, a faint smile on her lips.
"Although Kagura is one of Naraku's incarnations, her nature is completely different from his."
"If she were like him," Kasage replied calmly, "she would never have thought about betraying him in the first place."
Kagura wasn't truly malicious.
In many ways, she was even more straightforward than Sesshomaru had once been.
"…Even his own incarnation turned against him," Kasage added with a faint scoff. "Naraku really is pitiful."
Kikyo's gaze softened slightly.
"Naraku is a being born from Onigumo's twisted desires, fused with countless yokai. It's only natural that he cannot trust others."
Her voice grew quieter.
"He never believed in bonds. Even Kagura… was controlled from the beginning through her heart. He never truly trusted her."
She paused.
"In the end… he is a very tragic existence."
Kasage gave a dismissive shrug.
"Tragic or not doesn't matter. Once he completes the Shikon Jewel… we'll kill him."
Without another word, the two stepped inside the shrine.
---
"Lady Kikyo! Lord Kasage!"
Yuzuki looked up briefly, then quickly lowered her gaze back to the board in front of her.
She was playing a game with Deva Akane and Kikyo's shikigami, Kuro-Maru.
Now that her basic shrine maiden training was complete, Yuzuki no longer spent all her time studying and practicing archery. She occasionally accompanied Kikyo to exorcise yokai, but otherwise, she was free to enjoy her childhood.
Most of the time, she played either in the village… or here, with Akane and Kuro-Maru.
Ever since discovering that Kasage could secretly manipulate Deva Akane to cheat, she had completely refused to play against him.
Instead, Kuro-Maru had become her new rival.
Against Deva Akane—whose thinking was still somewhat slow—and Kuro-Maru, who wasn't particularly sharp, Yuzuki had finally regained her confidence.
Seeing this, Kikyo entrusted Kuro-Maru to her care, allowing her to practice controlling shikigami as well.
Kasage, for his part, was satisfied with the arrangement.
With Yuzuki around, Deva Akane no longer required constant attention—and these games subtly helped her mental development.
Kasage casually sat down beside the board, pulling Kikyo with him.
With a single glance, his Sharingan grasped the entire flow of the game.
As he spoke with Kikyo, he quietly guided Deva Akane through a mental link, directing her moves.
Kikyo noticed immediately.
She shot him a silent, exasperated look—but didn't expose him.
Instead, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"…Naraku should have almost gathered all the Shikon Jewel shards by now, correct?" she asked.
"More or less," Kasage replied. "One is with Kagome, and two are in the hands of a wolf yokai."
"A wolf yokai?" Kikyo's eyes showed a hint of curiosity.
"Koga, leader of the wolf tribe," Kasage explained.
Ironically, neither of them had ever met him.
Originally, Kikyo would have encountered Koga at Mount Hakurei—but due to Kasage's interference, the events there had been resolved far too quickly.
"What do you plan to do?" Kikyo asked. "Take the shards from him?"
"Not necessarily."
Kasage shook his head.
"Even if we don't act, Naraku will."
His tone turned more serious.
"Kagura has escaped. The White Child is gone. That leaves him with only Kanna and Akago."
"He'll accelerate his plans."
Kikyo nodded slightly.
"I hope that when the time comes… we can extract Midoriko's soul and make the Shikon Jewel disappear forever."
As they spoke—
"…Wait a second."
Yuzuki stared at the board, her brows furrowing.
She had just lost three games in a row.
Slowly, she turned her head toward Kasage, suspicion written all over her face.
Then she looked at Deva Akane, who had suddenly started winning.
Her cheeks puffed out.
"Lord Kasage! You're helping her cheat, aren't you?!"
"No," Kasage replied immediately, his expression perfectly calm. "You've just gotten worse."
Yuzuki stared at him.
Clearly unconvinced.
"Hmph!"
She made a face, dropped her piece, and jumped to her feet.
"Lady Kikyo, I'm going to play with Miss Enju!"
With that, she ran off.
Kasage watched her leave, a faint smile forming.
"…So she noticed."
He reached out and pulled the board closer.
"Come on," he said to Kikyo. "Your turn."
At the same time, he guided Deva Akane to sit beside him again.
Kikyo glanced at them, then, on a whim, summoned Kuro-Maru to sit opposite them.
The shikigami obediently took its place.
A quiet, peaceful game began.