86-90

*Chapter 86: Dessert and the Main Course*

The “classmate’s little sister” cover story was something they’d hashed out on the way.

Uchiha Hikari’s age and height worked fine in the Naruto world, where kids become ninja at like, ten. But in modern society? She looked like a middle schooler, no question. They couldn’t spin a lie too far-fetched.

“So you’re Miko’s friend! Come on in!”

Miko’s mom found the “Uchiha” surname a bit odd but welcomed Hikari warmly anyway, ushering her inside. She sat her down and quickly brought out tea and snacks.

By now, the Spirit-Sight Command Talisman’s effect was starting to fade.

—It only lasted an hour or two. Hikari had one more talisman but felt it’d be a waste to use it now, so she decided to save it for tomorrow.

And so…

While munching on snacks, Hikari noticed Miko, sitting beside her, looking a bit off.

“…What’s up, Miko? Staring at me like that—did I get something on my face?”

“Um…”

Miko’s lips moved, but she didn’t speak, wary of alerting any spirits. Instead, she pinged Hikari in the group chat.

*[Yotsuya Miko: Miss Hikari, that strawberry daifuku you’re holding… it’s got a few tiny old men crawling on it. If you eat it, you might end up eating them too.]*

*[Nameless: …]*

Suddenly, the snack in Hikari’s hand lost all its appeal.

…

That piece of daifuku was quietly set back on the plate. Later, when the table was cleared, Miko’s little brother, Kyosuke, nabbed it and ate it.

Nothing weird happened after, though Kyosuke did make two quick bathroom trips.

That night.

While Miko was in the bathroom showering, Hikari knocked, slipped in, and used Yasakani to suck dry the soggy spirit crouching in the corner.

Later, when sharing a bed with Miko, she dealt a swift slash to the spirit hiding in the blankets.

Come to think of it, there should be two more spirits in Miko’s house.

One was Miko’s deceased father—a rare spirit in the original story with a normal human form and his pre-death consciousness intact. The other was some bizarre, misshapen giant spirit, maybe a dog or something else entirely. But since Miko didn’t point them out, Hikari wasn’t sure if they were hiding in another room or just not around.

“By the way…”

Hikari paused, thinking. “Miko, when you came into the room earlier, did you see that spirit?”

“I’m not sure… I didn’t exactly check the blankets on purpose,” Miko said hesitantly, trying to recall. “But the one in the bathroom? That one definitely showed up after dinner. I didn’t see it when I washed my hands before eating.”

“Hm…”

So where were these things coming from?

Did they just… spawn periodically, like in a video game?

Hikari mulled it over for a bit before giving up. She wasn’t exactly an exorcist and didn’t know much about this supernatural stuff. No point burning brain cells on it. Better to wait until Kikyo’s business was sorted and ask her to handle it.

Time skipped to the next day.

Hikari woke up early, brushed her teeth and washed her face with the toothbrush and towel Miko’s mom had just bought, then headed out with Miko.

Her original plan was to swing by Miko’s school and deal with the issue of Takanotsume’s mother.

But Miko said she didn’t know anyone named Takanotsume.

“Huh?”

Hikari blinked, then it hit her.

Right.

In the original plot, Takanotsume only transferred to Miko’s class as a new teacher after Miko awakened her spirit vision, and there was a time gap between those events. Right now, Miko’s homeroom teacher was probably someone else.

As for the shrine dedicated to the “Fox God”…

“There are a ton of shrines around Tokyo,” Miko said cautiously. “Just in this area, there are four or five nearby, and probably more if you go further out to the suburbs. I’m not sure which one you’re talking about, Miss Hikari… Is it important? I could take a day off school and help you check them out one by one.”

“…No need.”

Hikari scratched her head.

Coming too early had its downsides—lots of plot points hadn’t kicked in yet.

That “Fox Shrine” didn’t exist in the real world; it was in some invisible otherworldly space. Showing up now might mean the door wouldn’t even open. After all, Miko’s busty, food-loving bestie, Yurukawa Hana, wasn’t around, and all signs pointed to her being the one the “Fox God” was most eager to “eat”…

Granny Mitsue knew the shrine’s location, but Miko didn’t know her yet either…

“Let’s switch gears. Miko, there’s an abandoned department store around here, right?”

“…Yeah.”

After watching Miko pull up the location on her phone’s map, Hikari let out a relieved sigh.

“Alright, I’ll help you out this far for now. This magatama necklace—I got it from Tanjiro’s world. You saw yesterday; it wards off spirits. I’ll lend it to you for protection. I’ll check with Miss Kikyo later to see if she’s got any better talismans or can teach you some spells…”

Hikari wasn’t an expert in the supernatural, but since Miko’s spirit vision was so strong, her spiritual energy probably wasn’t weak either.

“If you’re in danger, let us know in the group chat. Worst case, you can jump to me or Bulma’s world… or Tanjiro’s, if it’s daytime.”

“Got it. Thank you, Miss Hikari!” Miko bowed deeply in gratitude.

Hikari waved it off, then remembered something. “Oh, right. Do you have any cash on you? Lend me some, I’ll pay you back next time.”

…

About half an hour later.

Hikari sat on a roadside bench, holding a massive ice cream cone, her legs dangling and swinging lightly. She licked the cone while scanning the crowd on either side with her pitch-black eyes.

On the walk from the bus stop, she’d kept her Mangekyo Sharingan active the whole time, absorbing seven or eight spirits along the way.

No one could see the three-tomoe in her eyes because she’d bought a pair of black contact lenses.

Come to think of it…

This was Hikari’s first time in a proper “modern society.”

Sure, it was Japan, not China, but the Chinese elements scattered around the streets and the occasional passersby speaking Mandarin still made her feel a strange sense of familiarity.

Chomp—

Hikari polished off the last bit of her cone in one bite, hopped off the bench, and gazed down the street at the dilapidated department store in the distance, its exterior looking like it’d been ravaged by fire. “Dessert’s done… time for the main course.”

*Chapter 87: First Meeting with Kikyo*

One step.

The moment Uchiha Hikaru crossed the threshold into the department store, the air around her turned chillingly cold, as if summer had instantly given way to winter.

It was morning, with sunlight blazing outside, yet it seemed unable to penetrate the building.

Beside the support pillars stood cluttered shelves, shattered glass, household garbage, and…

Countless spirits, densely packed.

They came in all shapes, each more horrifying than the last—bloodied, twisted faces, scarlet tongues, hollow black eye sockets. All of them turned toward Uchiha Hikaru, their rasping, saw-like murmurs filling the air:

“Can you see us?”

“You can see, right?”

“She sees us…”

Uchiha Hikaru removed her colored contacts, then slowly raised her head. Her crimson eyes blazed like fire. “Nice to meet you… and thanks for the meal.”

In the next instant…

The spirits surged toward the entrance like sharks smelling blood. Facing the thick, almost suffocating yin energy, Uchiha Hikaru didn’t retreat. Her movements were as nimble as a spectral cat, dodging the claws of the vengeful spirits as she charged toward the deepest part of the building.

Time to feast!

…

That day…

Passersby near the department store recalled the fear once fueled by urban legends.

More than one person heard dull, inhuman roars echoing from inside the building. Some glimpsed flashes of crimson light and overlapping shadows darting past the windows, straight out of the spooky tales circulating on 2h forums.

Rumor had it this department store had suffered a devastating fire years ago, claiming many lives, which led to its abandonment. Over the past decade, ghost stories about the place had spread, and there were even a few bizarre disappearances. Even the police avoided getting too close.

Of course, every place has its thrill-seekers.

But the curious young folks who approached the entrance collapsed one after another, falling into a deep, infant-like sleep.

—With Uchiha Hikaru’s mastery of genjutsu, setting up a trap to knock out ordinary people was child’s play.

Nearly half an hour passed…

Then, with a crash, someone leaped from a third-floor window, vanishing into the shrubbery behind the building in the blink of an eye.

…

A few hundred meters away, in an alley…

Uchiha Hikaru came to a stop.

Since parting ways with Miko, she had used “Yachihoko” to absorb dozens of evil spirits, including an especially massive one inside the department store. The influx of mental energy sharpened her senses to an unprecedented clarity, and she could distinctly feel a significant boost in the ocular power within her eyes.

But there was a catch…

“I might’ve overeaten…”

Uchiha Hikaru pressed a hand to her temple, feeling a faint throbbing pain, like the aftermath of chugging too much ice-cold soda.

She quickly realized the issue—

Just as an Uchiha’s ocular power was steeped in negative emotions, the mental energy of these evil spirits was similarly laced with “impurities.”

These impurities—negative emotions, obsessions, and malice born from the darkest corners of human nature—had flooded into her through “Yachihoko.” Right now, Uchiha Hikaru felt as if countless voices were whispering in her mind, stirring an inexplicable irritability.

Thanks to her dual-soul fortitude, her mental resilience was far stronger than most, allowing her to suppress these foreign emotions and keep her composure.

But if she kept absorbing spirits without restraint…

Who knows what might happen?

The Uchiha clan’s psyche already had a latent tendency toward instability. The stronger their emotions, the greater their ocular power—and the more unhinged their personality could become. If too many dark emotions piled up, she might end up like Obito or Itachi, spiraling into madness.

“Better take a break… I wonder if Kikyo knows any way to purify malicious thoughts. Once we deal with Naraku, I’ll ask her.”

Uchiha Hikaru let out a soft breath, sitting by a flowerbed to bask in the sun and rest her eyes.

Time passed.

The sun, once directly overhead, began to tilt westward.

Finally, a new message popped up in the chat group—

*[Kikyo @ Nameless: Miss Hikaru, I’ve entered Hitomi Castle.]*

*[Kikyo: I’m resting in the room they arranged for me. If you’re free now, you could come over to discuss our plan.]*

*[Nameless: …Give me a sec.]*

Uchiha Hikaru opened her eyes and first requested to enter Bulma’s world.

“Lend me your mini wristband, Bulma.”

Since they were close enough, Uchiha Hikaru didn’t bother with formalities and got straight to the point.

Bulma, still in her student outfit on a school campus, rummaged through her bag and handed over the wristband along with a mirror. She looked concerned. “Hikaru, are you sure you don’t need our help? You don’t look so great… Those dark circles—are you not sleeping well?”

“…Maybe.”

Uchiha Hikaru glanced at her reflection in the mirror and gave a faint smile. “It’s fine. You saw the messages Erii sent, right? That Naraku guy is just a scheming half-demon with so-so strength. Kikyo and I can handle him no problem.”

After a few lighthearted words, Uchiha Hikaru warped again.

*[Nameless has requested to enter Kikyo’s world.]*

*[Kikyo has approved the request.]*

With a flash of white light…

Uchiha Hikaru vanished from the Dragon Ball world and appeared inside an ancient-looking Japanese wooden house.

“…Miss Hikaru? I’m Kikyo. It’s our first meeting—please, let’s work well together.”

A clear, gentle voice came from beside her.

Uchiha Hikaru followed the sound and saw a delicate, refined face.

Kikyo’s dark eyes were striking, her black hair smooth and flowing. Her white kosode and red hakama were pristine, and a simple bow and quiver rested on her back. Her serene, lotus-like aura, paired with a resolute yet faintly sorrowful expression, could make anyone feel a touch inadequate in her presence.

“I’m Uchiha Hikaru. Looking forward to working with you.”

Uchiha Hikaru nodded in return.

Their eyes met.

Kikyo seemed to notice something and furrowed her brow slightly. “Pardon my bluntness, but… Miss Hikaru, have you recently been tainted by the malice of vengeful spirits?”

*Chapter 88: The Harbinger of the Eternal Mangekyo*

“?!”

Uchiha Hikari’s eyelid twitched.

Across from her, Kikyo paused briefly, noting Hikari’s silence, then continued, “I can sense a great deal of malevolent energy surrounding you, especially around your eyes. It’s even starting to erode your will, though you might not have noticed it yourself…”

“Is it that serious?”

“Very serious.”

As she spoke, Kikyo gestured for Hikari to sit, then took a blank talisman from her side. With spiritual energy gathered at her fingertips, she inscribed several runes on it before pressing it to Hikari’s forehead.

When she pulled it back a few seconds later, the once snow-white talisman was stained with a thick, inky gray-black patch.

“This is the malevolent energy I’m talking about,” Kikyo said, her voice calm and measured. “As long as someone is human, they harbor dark thoughts and desires, which give rise to yokai and vengeful spirits. And because these entities stem from the shadowy side of the human heart, they’re experts at finding the cracks in a person’s mind, using vile methods to corrupt their spirit…

That’s how Onigumo became Naraku back then. The Shikon Jewel’s creation followed the same principle.”

“With the intensity of the malevolent energy around you, it’s not just a matter of being influenced. Have you… ever tried absorbing the power of vengeful spirits?”

“…”

Hikari fell silent.

The air grew still for a moment.

Kikyo sat across from her, hands folded calmly in her lap, waiting patiently for Hikari to speak.

Finally…

Hikari let out a soft breath. “Miss Kikyo, you’re right. I did absorb a lot of vengeful spirits in Miko’s world, using these eyes called the Sharingan.”

“Sharingan?”

Kikyo tilted her head slightly, her tone gentle. “Please, tell me more.”

“In my world—and Nagato’s—there’s a cursed clan called the Uchiha. When they suffer a major emotional blow, their eyes undergo a transformation, awakening a power called a dōjutsu…”

“My dōjutsu awakened when my parents died. It’s called Yasakani…”

—To be precise, it was her previous self’s parents who died.

This was the first time Hikari had ever spoken of Yasakani’s abilities to anyone else.

She’d always kept this dōjutsu under wraps, using it sparingly. Its power was too predatory—no one would want to be around someone who could steal their strength or manipulate their mind at any moment. If this got out, even close friends might start to distrust her.

If she were facing the living Kikyo, Hikari might not have been so forthcoming.

But…

The Kikyo before her now was different.

Having died once, Kikyo existed in a clay body—a form her proud, pure self once scorned. To sustain her life, she had to collect dead souls, an act that, for a noble miko, bordered on humiliation.

And the resurrected Kikyo had even used dead soul insects to control ordinary humans.

In a way, they were kindred spirits. Hikari felt Kikyo could understand and empathize with her.

As expected, after hearing about the Mangekyo’s formation, Kikyo’s face softened with a look of compassion.

“I see…”

“Eyes that only awaken through the loss of loved ones… What a tragic story.”

“So, Miss Hikari, you’ve been absorbing spirits to grow stronger, all to break this long-standing curse?”

“Something like that.”

Hikari nodded slightly.

Her reasons for wanting to grow stronger went beyond that, but it was definitely part of it. From the moment she stepped in as the “grandmatriarch” of the Uchiha clan, she’d been sucked into this mess. If there was a way to fix the Mangekyo’s “inherent evil,” she was willing to put in the effort.

“I understand.”

Kikyo closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. “Then, please allow me to dispel this malevolent energy for you.”

“Uh… maybe we can deal with it after Naraku’s taken care of? Even if he tries some possession trick, I’m probably not that easy to take down, right?”

Hikari suggested tentatively.

“No, this isn’t just about Naraku.”

Kikyo’s tone was firm. “The root of it all is the Shikon Jewel. It’s a crystallization of souls, half its power coming from the miko Midoriko, the other half from countless yokai of the past. Naraku—or rather, the bandit Onigumo—was merely a pawn lured by it. He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last.

From what you’ve described, every Uchiha carries an unfillable void in their heart, which the Shikon Jewel can easily exploit, guiding you without you even realizing it. I can’t let you bear that unnecessary risk.

Compared to sealing Naraku, dispelling the malevolent energy around you is far more urgent.”

“…”

Under Kikyo’s insistence, Hikari finally relented.

Kikyo began setting up the ritual.

Hikari watched as she drew intricate, arcane runes on the floor, forming a small barrier. Following instructions, Hikari sat inside, talismans placed on her forehead, neck, and shoulders.

Once everything was ready, Kikyo summoned a holy “light” at her fingertips and began the purification.

The process was far more complex than Hikari had expected.

And it drained both time and spiritual energy.

As the ritual progressed, Kikyo’s face, initially fair, grew pale as paper. Sweat beaded at her temples, and her clay body seemed to waver, on the verge of collapse.

“Miss Kikyo…”

“Shh—”

Kikyo raised a hand to silence her. “Miss Hikari, please don’t speak. We’re at a critical moment in the purification. If we stop now, all our efforts will be wasted.”

“…”

Hikari shut her mouth.

She wasn’t unfamiliar with the “light” Kikyo was using.

It seemed to be a unique spell, one only Kikyo could wield in the original plot. Only this “light” could purify the Shikon Jewel’s corruption and malevolence. But now, Kikyo wasn’t just purging the malevolent energy Hikari had picked up in Miko’s world—she was trying to cleanse the negative emotions that had built up ever since Hikari awakened her Mangekyo Sharingan!

Faintly, Hikari felt a warm current flow into her mind.

Her eyes tingled and itched, her vision growing sharper, as if some heavy shackle had loosened just a fraction.

“This is…”

Hikari’s eyes snapped open, the black tomoe in her pupils surfacing, then spinning rapidly into the triangular pinwheel of the Mangekyo.

In the mirror across from her.

At the center of that triangular pinwheel, a tiny speck of new blackness appeared.

Just a speck.

But…

“The Eternal Mangekyo?!”

*Chapter 89: Barrier Technique: Four Purple Flame Formation!*

Kikyo’s “light”…

It could actually heal the genetic defect of the Mangekyo Sharingan?!

Uchiha Hikaru’s eyes widened in disbelief.

But at that moment…

The “light” at Kikyo’s fingertips suddenly dimmed, and she looked utterly exhausted, swaying as if she might collapse. “I’m sorry… This body’s spiritual power is nearly depleted. I may not be able to continue purging the malice for you…”

“No, it’s already enough.”

Uchiha Hikaru stood up, steadying the faltering Kikyo.

Honestly…

She felt incredible.

As a living weapon of the Sengoku era, sealed in the darkness underground for a century, Uchiha Hikaru’s mind had always been burdened with a heavy load of negative emotions. Thanks to her dual-soul nature, she’d kept them suppressed, much like she’d contained the malice absorbed from Miko’s world.

But now, while not all those negative emotions had been purified, their overall weight had significantly lessened. Her ocular power had slightly diminished in quantity, but its purity had become far more refined.

More importantly…

Kikyo’s spiritual power had partially healed the Mangekyo’s genetic defect. Uchiha Hikaru’s ocular power was no longer just accumulating in “quantity”—it was beginning to transform in “quality.”

The black spot she’d seen in the mirror earlier was a precursor to the Eternal Mangekyo!

In theory, the cycle of “absorbing evil spirits from Miko’s world,” “having Kikyo purge the malice,” and “strengthening the Mangekyo’s ocular power” could be repeated endlessly. This could push her ocular power beyond that of an ordinary Eternal Mangekyo holder, potentially even approaching the Rinnegan!

Uchiha Hikaru had no issue with this—the hundred spirits she’d absorbed today were still well below her “appetite” limit.

Miko probably wouldn’t mind either.

The only problem…

Was that it was a bit taxing on Kikyo.

In her clay-body state, Kikyo was already weaker than in life, and now, drained of spiritual power, she felt so light it was as if she weighed nothing.

“Eat this.”

Uchiha Hikaru supported Kikyo, laying her head on her lap, and pulled a Senzu Bean from her pocket, holding it to the miko’s lips.

“?”

Kikyo hesitated but opened her mouth and swallowed it.

After downing the Senzu Bean…

Kikyo’s body showed no change.

This caught Uchiha Hikaru off guard. Could it be because Kikyo’s current body, made of grave soil and ashes, was akin to an Edo Tensei construct, not a living, flesh-and-blood human body, rendering the Senzu Bean ineffective?

Meanwhile…

Kikyo closed her eyes and meditated for a moment, seemingly regaining a bit of strength. She gently raised her right hand, and several pale-green Dead Soul Insects flew in from outside, feeding her body with the collected soul essences.

Only then did Kikyo’s complexion begin to improve. She stood and bowed. “Thank you, Miss Hikaru.”

“No problem… I didn’t really do much to help.”

Now able to move again, Kikyo prepared to confront Naraku.

“Wait, Miss Kikyo, are you sure you want to face Naraku in this condition? It wouldn’t hurt to wait for another chance. After all, Naraku doesn’t know you’re onto his true identity yet…”

Uchiha Hikaru hesitated.

“It’s fine. My spiritual power has recovered enough, and the clay used to revive me contains the grave soil of the bandit Onigumo. With the ‘Earth Barrier’ it provides, Naraku can’t kill me right now.”

“…Alright.”

Seeing Kikyo’s resolve, Uchiha Hikaru didn’t press further. She slipped on the mini wristband. “This wristband is one of Bulma’s inventions. I’ll shrink down to a few centimeters and hide near you. When we face Naraku, you’ll draw his attention, and I’ll look for an opening to seal his escape route with a barrier…”

After quickly confirming their battle plan…

Uchiha Hikaru pressed the wristband’s button.

With a whoosh, she shrank at a visible rate, ending up thumb-sized on the floor.

“?”

Kikyo’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face, though she said nothing. She grabbed her bow and quiver from the corner, slung them over her back, and held out her palm for the tiny Uchiha Hikaru to hop onto. Then she stepped outside, heading toward the “young lord’s” residence at the castle’s center.

Along the way, a few patrolling guards noticed Kikyo and raised their spears to stop her. But Uchiha Hikaru poked her head out of Kikyo’s bag, casually tossing out a couple of three-tomoe genjutsu, sending them into a deep sleep.

And so…

The two reached Hitomi Ginto’s room unimpeded.

“…The room’s empty?”

Had Naraku already left?

“Outside the castle!”

Kikyo focused for a moment, making her judgment. “Naraku’s set up a barrier in the mountains outside, using witchcraft to cultivate a new body. The vortex of malice in that direction just spiked—he’s likely fusing with the demon acting as the蛊毒. We need to move now…”

As Kikyo turned to leave, Uchiha Hikaru quickly called out, raising her hand:

“Somersault Cloud!”

Within seconds, a black cloud streaked down from the sky, arriving above the castle in a blink and hovering steadily before Uchiha Hikaru.

“What’s that…?”

Kikyo froze.

“No time to explain—get on!”

Uchiha Hikaru yanked Kikyo onto the Somersault Cloud.

Once they were settled, Uchiha Hikaru steered the cloud toward the direction Kikyo indicated, reaching a volcano-like mountain peak in just a minute or two. From hundreds of meters up, they could see two groups facing off on a flat stretch of the mountainside.

One was a tall, naked man radiating an eerie aura—Naraku, freshly equipped with a new body.

The other group included Inuyasha in his fire-rat robe, alongside Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and the others.

The Somersault Cloud’s arrival quickly drew attention.

But since this timeline’s Naraku had never met the revived Kikyo, and Uchiha Hikaru was a complete stranger, they didn’t react immediately.

“…Hold on tight, Kikyo!”

Uchiha Hikaru dove the Somersault Cloud downward, already forming hand signs midair:

“Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!”

With a poof, Uchiha Hikaru split into five. Four shadow clones leaped off the cloud, using Sky Dance Technique to fly to four surrounding points—forming the corners of a rectangle when viewed from above.

With four soft thuds, the clones landed almost simultaneously, immediately sitting cross-legged and weaving hand signs in perfect unison:

Ju-Shin-Shi-Bo-In…

“Barrier Technique: Four Purple Flame Formation!!”

*Chapter 90: Let’s End This, Onigumo*

Chakra surged.

Four deep purple beams erupted from the four shadow clones, shooting up a hundred meters into the sky before connecting horizontally at blinding speed!

In that moment, it was as if an artist wielded a brush, with Naraku at the center, painting a perfectly square cage above the mountain with sharp, unyielding lines!

As Uchiha Hikari and Kikyo dove down on the Nimbus Cloud, the deep purple light curtain closed in from all six directions—top, bottom, left, right, front, and back—sealing off every escape route!

Immediately after, the four shadow clones sat cross-legged at the barrier’s corners, each activating a protective inner shield around themselves.

The Four Violet Flames Formation was complete!!

“?!”

The Four Violet Flames Formation, never before seen in the Inuyasha world, caught Naraku off guard, making him miss his one chance to escape that night.

As for Inuyasha…

The barrier didn’t block vision, so from outside, he quickly recognized the figure in the red-and-white miko attire. “Kikyo?! Why are you here… That guy across from you is Naraku, the one who tricked and ambushed us back then! Get away from him!”

“Let me in!”

Inuyasha swung his Tessaiga, hacking at the barrier with a series of clangs, but it didn’t budge.

As one of the Naruto world’s top-tier barrier techniques, the Four Violet Flames Formation was strong enough for the elite chunin-level Sound Four to trap the Kage-level Sarutobi Hiruzen. A formation set up by Uchiha Hikari herself was, naturally, even tougher.

If this were later in the story, with Inuyasha wielding the Red Tessaiga—powered by Hosenki’s coral and specialized in breaking barriers—he might’ve had a shot at cracking it. But the Inuyasha of now? No way he had that kind of strength.

“…So, what’s your take?”

Hikari glanced at Kikyo.

In the original plot, Kikyo’s feelings toward Inuyasha at this point were complicated, easily stirred by his presence.

Kikyo took a deep breath, pulling her gaze away from Inuyasha without answering. “Dealing with Naraku comes first.”

On the other side.

Naraku shifted his attention from the surrounding barrier, eyeing the four shadow clones and then Hikari herself, a cold smirk curling his lips. “Tch… Another miko skilled in barriers? And a little girl who still reeks of milk, thinking tricks like this can trap me?”

“‘Another’?”

Hikari raised an eyebrow.

If she remembered right, Naraku had indeed met—and killed—a miko skilled in barriers, someone named Hitomi, if she wasn’t mistaken.

But…

“Forget the miko talk for a sec—can you put some clothes on first?”

Hikari’s gaze swept over Naraku’s bare body, and she finally couldn’t hold back. “Your physique’s decent, I’ll give you that, but if it’s all the same, I’d rather not fight a creepy exhibitionist naked dude. Pretty sure Kikyo feels the same.”

“…”

The air went quiet for a few seconds.

Then, with a wave of his hand, Naraku conjured a billowing robe from his demonic energy. “Is this better?”

“Yep, much better.”

Hikari nodded.

In the time it took for this little exchange, Kikyo had steadied her emotions. Her face became a mask of calm, her gaze piercing. “It’s been a while, Onigumo. Thanks to your schemes, my life ended all those years ago. So today… let’s put an end to this fifty-year farce, right here.”

“End it?”

Naraku burst into laughter, as if he’d heard the funniest joke. “Kikyo, you’re as arrogant as you were fifty years ago. You really think bringing along some barrier-casting sidekick means you can take me down? Pathetic!”

“Pathetic or not… let’s find out after we fight!”

The next moment.

A black triangular pinwheel spun to life in Hikari’s eyes!

“Amaterasu!!”

As black flames ignited, a massive surge of purple-black miasma exploded from Naraku, rushing toward her and Kikyo!

“Careful, that miasma’s poisonous!”

“Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!”

As Kikyo warned her, Hikari exhaled sharply, unleashing a fierce whirlwind that dispersed the oncoming miasma. Then, channeling her eye power, she conjured a dark red skeletal frame around herself and Kikyo!

“Susanoo!”

Swirls of dark red energy materialized in the air, weaving into tendons, flesh, and legs…

As the Susanoo took shape, Hikari and Kikyo stood at its head, carried upward by a platform of condensed chakra. Kikyo, meanwhile, raised a spiritual barrier to block out the miasma.

In those fleeting moments, Naraku’s miasma had filled the entire Four Violet Flames Formation. The purple-black haze not only obscured their vision, letting Naraku hide, but also carried a potent corrosive effect. The rocks on the ground were already dissolving, and even the barrier’s light curtain sizzled with white smoke.

Thankfully, no real damage was done.

From the look of things, if Naraku wanted to corrode a hole in the barrier to escape, it’d take him at least twenty or thirty minutes—assuming Hikari and Kikyo didn’t attack.

“Kikyo, can you sense Naraku’s position?”

Hikari scanned the surroundings with her Sharingan.

“…I can, but he’s constantly moving, spreading his demonic energy throughout the barrier. It’s hard to pinpoint him exactly. Also, my spiritual energy can only sustain three Demon-Breaking Arrows at most. Any more, and I might not be able to maintain this protective barrier.”

As she spoke, Kikyo nocked an arrow, her eyes sharpening like blades.

“Three shots… that’s enough.”

On the other side, Naraku seemed to realize he couldn’t break the barrier quickly.

So…

Swish, swish, swish—!

A barrage of spider webs shot out from the miasma, aiming for Hikari and Kikyo in midair.

Hikari maneuvered the Susanoo, swinging its blade in a sweeping arc, the sword light forming a ring that sliced the webs clean in half!

“Over there!”

“…Northeast, sixty meters out!”

Kikyo’s eyes narrowed, sensing his location as she drew her bow. Her fingers released, and the arrow flew like a meteor: “Demon-Breaking Arrow!”

Whoosh—!

With a piercing whistle, the arrow’s power tore through the miasma, carving a narrow vacuum tunnel! It revealed Naraku, hiding just behind!

Hikari’s gaze locked on, pouring her full eye power into the attack:

“Amaterasu: Kagutsuchi!!”

At the edge of her vision, a towering black flame storm, two to three meters high, roared to life like a tidal wave, surging toward the newly exposed Naraku!

Faced with the black inferno, Naraku reacted swiftly.

Without hesitation, he severed his flame-touched arms from his body—a freakish composite of countless yokai, his form could split and absorb at will. Then he raised a purple-black barrier, holding the Amaterasu flames at bay just a foot away.

Using the barrier as cover, he retreated, vanishing back into the miasma.

“Hm?”

Hikari’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s the Shikon Jewel… he’s got a shard of the Shikon Jewel in him!”

*(End of Chapter)*