"This miasma... is it really the Shikon no Tama?"
"Hard to imagine it would have such staggering youki."
Those who had been resting also sensed the undisguised aura.
"Naraku kept the Shikon no Tama in his possession and corrupted it. Now it seems the malevolent Magatsuhi has consumed everything..."
Miroku rose and glanced around at the others.
"Shippo, you all should leave this place."
"Huh?"
"That thing is approaching at an incredible speed!"
"Eek! Then hurry--"
Hearing Sango's words, Shippo froze for a moment. But upon learning the Shikon no Tama was closing in, Jaken immediately grabbed A-Un and bolted.
"Lancer, how's your recovery?"
"So-so. Magical energy's restored via Command Spell, but the wounds still affect me."
Koga looked at the bandaged Cu Chulainn and asked, receiving a less-than-ideal response.
"Leave this to us. You and your Master protect those in the rear."
Rikuo gripped Nenekirimaru, gradually transforming into his youkai form.
"Time to end this twisted fate once and for all!"
"Hey--if you guys can't handle it, tag me in."
Seeing Inuyasha clench his fist, Cu Chulainn didn't force himself to intervene.
Given the choice, he'd rather not fight something with immortality.
It had no technique and no spirit of combat whatsoever.
'Hm?'
Kagura folded her fan. She seemed to sense something and paused.
'Kanna... where's Byakuya?'
That presence--identical to her own--was unmistakably "sister."
But if Kanna was here, where was Byakuya?
That one was unlike all of Naraku's other incarnations--utterly "loyal."
She didn't believe the two would stay idle.
'Naraku must have given orders...'
"Kagura, where are you going?"
"Kanna is nearby. Byakuya must be too. I need to find them."
Seeing Kagura take off on her feather, Kagome called out. The hurried reply only raised more concern.
...
"See? The moment we got close, Kagura noticed."
"She really does care about you."
Byakuya sensed Kagura's youki approaching and spoke leisurely.
Kanna beside him remained indifferent, showing no intention of responding.
"Haah..."
"I'll leave her to you. I'll go on ahead."
Gripping the Fuyouheki in his hand, Byakuya slipped into the path beside them.
His mission was more critical than Kanna's.
After all, Kanna's abilities made ambush difficult--Byakuya was different.
With the Fuyouheki concealing his youki, unless someone saw him directly, he was undetectable.
Combined with the weapon he'd acquired, one successful strike would be an instant kill.
"Well, first I'll find a good spot to hide..."
"Kagome will deliver herself eventually..."
......
"Oh?"
"Not running away, but looking to clash head-on?"
"How ignorant and fearless."
"This time, I am--"
"The victor!"
Flying through the air, the Shikon no Tama sensed the gathered auras and sneered.
The surroundings shifted rapidly. Crossing the distance in moments, it soon arrived at that open ground.
It appeared high in the sky, and all eyes rose to meet it.
"Shikon no Tama..."
"Where's Naraku?!"
Not seeing that loathsome figure, Inuyasha spoke first.
"Naraku?"
"Where do you think he went?"
A malicious grin twisted its lips as it licked them.
'The jewel is completely blackened...'
Ignoring Naraku's whereabouts, Kagome focused on the pitch-black orb embedded in its chest.
Not a trace of light--only fathomless darkness.
In this state, spiritual power alone couldn't purify it.
The "darkness" enveloping it had to be dispelled first.
"!"
Miroku hid in the rear, staring at his opponent, silent as he contemplated the Kazaana in his palm.
"He was devoured by me, of course!"
"A half-demon chasing an unrealistic wish..."
"He doubted everyone, trusted no one--yet he believed the rumor of the jewel. What a pitiful fool."
"His feelings for Kikyo made him so blindly laughable!"
Laughing wildly, mocking his fate, the Shikon no Tama's words stirred varied expressions among those present.
"You bastard...!"
Those words were also a jab at Inuyasha. Fifty years ago, he and Kikyo had once believed in the "Shikon no Tama" too.
Yet after finally completing the jewel, Naraku hadn't achieved his wish--only met this end.
"Don't rush, Inuyasha."
"You too will sink into a lifetime of regret and agony."
"That despair--you'll taste it soon enough."
As if recalling something, the Shikon no Tama's expression turned meaningful.
"What?"
Brow furrowing, Inuyasha felt a bad premonition.
SIZZLE!
"Hm?"
Sensing the sudden burst of sword energy, the Shikon no Tama's expression didn't change.
The verdant youki slammed into its body without causing any damage--instead, it was absorbed within.
"Youkai cannot defeat me, Sesshomaru."
Turning to the blade-swinging opponent, the Shikon no Tama spoke coldly.
Sword pressure formed from youki was merely a free meal.
Besides, its body wasn't as "frail" as Muzan's--unable to absorb even two great youkai's worth of youki.
"Hmph."
No intention of wasting words, Sesshomaru charged forward with Bakusaiga.
Youki didn't work?
Then Sesshomaru had no qualms about using Bakusaiga's own power to send it to oblivion.
"What a stubborn one."
Watching Sesshomaru attempt to close in and slash, the Shikon no Tama raised a hand to catch the blade.
SQUELCH!
But contrary to its expectations, the descending Bakusaiga cleaved its hardened hand apart.
"!"
Caught off guard, the Shikon no Tama's face showed shock.
The "Kiryuu Armor" defense, forged from countless youkai powers, was anything but ordinary.
Yet even so, Sesshomaru's single stroke had cut through it.
The blade slid from hand to shoulder, then split its body in two from top to bottom.
"Quite skilled, Sesshomaru!"
"You've truly surpassed Kirinmaru and the Great Dog Demon."
Even with its hardened body cleaved, the Shikon no Tama showed no concern.
A mere wound would heal in the blink of an eye!
But in the next instant, its eyes widened as if witnessing the impossible.
CRACK CRACK CRACK!!
From the severed wound, flesh didn't regenerate--it continued to disintegrate.
"What is this?!"
Realizing what was happening, the Shikon no Tama instantly understood Bakusaiga's terrifying power.
'Not good!'
Even trying to escape was too late. Unknown factors compounded, causing the destruction's speed to outpace its sluggish regeneration.
GAAAAAAH!!!
Under everyone's stunned gazes, the Shikon no Tama's body exploded, then crumbled to dust.
Not a trace remained...