Naraku was dead.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, his body dissipated like flying ash, vanishing completely without a trace.
"He's dead... just like that?" Inuyasha muttered, a sense of unreality washing over him.
The mastermind who had caused the tragic separation between him and Kikyo fifty years ago had died so easily right before his eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, is it possible Naraku has some final trick up his sleeve? He's full of schemes; we can't let our guard down," Koga added, sharing the sentiment.
"No, there's no need for that." Miroku stepped forward, pulling the prayer beads from his right hand to show them his palm.
"Look. The Wind Tunnel curse caused by Naraku has vanished. That is absolute proof that Naraku is dead."
"He's dead? That's... that's good." Sango pulled the tearful Kohaku into a tight embrace, looking up at the sky. "Father... everyone... please rest in peace. The murderer who took your lives has finally been brought to justice."
While Naraku's death brought a surge of vengeful satisfaction, it primarily evoked a deep longing for the loved ones they had lost to his malice.
Koga, Shippo, and the others all felt it. Even Inuyasha felt a sharp pang in his heart when he thought of the suffering Kikyo had endured.
"Kikyo..." He looked toward her, only to meet a pair of eyes filled with uncertainty.
"Inuyasha, Naraku is dead. Where do I go from here?"
Inuyasha opened his mouth, desperately wanting to tell her to stay by his side, but the image of another young woman flashed in his mind. The words caught in his throat, and he fell into a heavy silence.
Kagome keenly sensed Inuyasha's inner conflict. As she looked at Kikyo, a decision had already begun to take shape in her heart.
On the other side, Sesshomaru watched Naraku's downfall with a pensive expression. He glanced toward the sky, but didn't see the figure he expected. Instead, a single feather drifted down from above, circling before him.
A sudden gust of wind caught the feather, carrying it up into the heavens.
Sesshomaru watched it for a long time before withdrawing his gaze. He did not challenge Aomori; instead, he simply turned to leave.
"I am not your match yet. Once I have surpassed myself, I shall return to challenge you."
As for Aomori, having cleared the boss of this mini-dungeon, he was already planning his next objective.
"As expected, I should still gather the Shikon Jewel fragments and see if it's truly as miraculous as they say."
…
That night, exhausted from the day's events, Inuyasha and the others decided to stay on Mount Hakurei, planning to return to Kaede's village the next morning.
The massive rock created by Chibaku Tensei had settled, pinning the remains of Mount Hakurei beneath it. The former sacred land was unrecognizable, yet this miraculous landscape would likely become a new site of pilgrimage in the future.
They found a relatively level clearing nearby, lit a campfire, and gathered around.
Everyone was lost in thought, making the atmosphere somewhat stifling.
Miroku, usually the one to liven things up, looked around but eventually abandoned the idea of making jokes to cheer everyone up.
It was Aomori who broke the silence. "Naraku has been dealt with, but there is one more critical matter to handle."
"The Shikon Jewel, right?" Kagome said, having anticipated this.
"Exactly." Aomori produced the fragments he had collected. "From the moment I first saw it, I felt the Shikon Jewel was an ominous object. So, if you trust me, let me handle the Jewel."
Kikyo nodded in agreement. "The Shikon Jewel is the root of all tragedy. As long as it exists, the conflict surrounding it will never cease. I intended to destroy it before, but I failed. Do you have a way?"
"Yes, I have a few methods to try. At the very least, I can seal it away so it never appears in this world again. However, we must first complete the Jewel." Aomori turned his gaze toward Koga and Kohaku.
"I don't care." Koga reached down, pried the Shikon Jewel fragments from his legs, and tossed them to Aomori. "Naraku's dead; I have no use for these anymore."
"Then, only Kohaku's piece remains."
All eyes turned to Kohaku.
The boy turned around and loosened his clothing, revealing the fragment embedded in his back. He gritted his teeth and said, "Aosora-sama, please take it."
"Kohaku!" Sango cried out, her face pale with anxiety. She knew Aomori was right, yet she couldn't bear the thought of her brother leaving her again. She was trapped in an agonizing dilemma.
Seeing this, Miroku asked, "Aosora-sama, this fragment is what keeps Kohaku alive. Do you have a way to save him?"
Like the Shichinintai, Kohaku was a dead man brought back to life. If the fragment were removed, he would die instantly.
"No, I'm not afraid to die. There's no need to trouble Aosora-sama," Kohaku said firmly. "I was meant to be dead anyway. To see Naraku defeated and to reunite with my sister before I go... I am satisfied."
He looked at Sango and forced a smile. "Onee-chan, I can't reach it. Can you help me?"
"No, Kohaku!" Sango broke into sobs, hugging him tightly. Her trembling hand moved slowly toward the fragment.
Kagome couldn't watch any longer. She turned to Aomori. "Aosora-sama, isn't there any other way?"
"A way to save Kohaku... isn't out of the question," Aomori said, rubbing his chin.
"Eh?" Sango's hand froze. She looked up in surprise. "Is it really possible?"
"Yes, but the success rate is only about sixty percent," Aomori replied.
In the original canon, Kikyo saved Kohaku. Since she could do it, Aomori logically should be able to as well, but he intentionally gave a moderate percentage to manage expectations.
"Sixty percent is plenty." Sango wiped her eyes. "Please, Aosora-sama, I beg you."
"No need to rush. We can do it once we're back at the village. Use these next few days to spend some time together."
"Yes! Thank you, Aosora-sama!"
After the siblings thanked him, Inuyasha looked at him with trembling hope. "What about Kikyo? Can you save her too?"
Aomori shook his head. "Kikyo-san's physical body is long gone. I cannot fully resurrect her, but I can transform her into a spirit like myself. She would be free from the constraints of a clay body and would no longer need to rely on soul collectors."
"A spirit? That's much better than her current state," Inuyasha said joyfully. "Kikyo, what do you think?"
"If I become a spirit, will ordinary people be unable to see me?" Kikyo asked calmly, not sharing Inuyasha's excitement.
"With your spiritual power, if you wish to be seen by ordinary people, you can easily manage it."
"One more thing... will this affect Kagome?"
"Eh?" Kagome was surprised to hear her name mentioned.
Aomori understood Kikyo's concern. He smiled and answered, "Of course not. Right now, you are a combination of residual souls and lingering obsession. Your main soul has already been reincarnated. You are you, and she is she."
"I am me, and she is she," Kikyo repeated. Then she asked, "One last question: how long can I live as a spirit?"
"Well... barring any outside interference, you should live at least as long as Inuyasha."
"Longer than Inuyasha?" Kikyo suddenly broke into a smile. "Very well. I shall become a spirit. I trouble you, then."
"Is living longer than me really that funny?" Inuyasha asked, tilting his head while admiring her smile.
"Idiot," Kagome muttered under her breath, having realized the implication.
"This is actually quite a hassle," Aomori said bluntly. "So, after I help you, you must do something for me in return."
"That is only fair," Kikyo agreed with a nod.
"Hey, don't go making unreasonable demands!" Inuyasha protested.
"Don't worry, I'm a man of high moral character."
Remembering he still lacked a proper blade, Aomori reminded Inuyasha, "Inuyasha, when are you going to have Master Totosai forge a sword for me?"
"Soon, soon!" Inuyasha looked away guiltily.
"You haven't even talked to him for me yet, have you?"
"Pipe down! We were busy fighting Naraku; who had time for that? I'll take you to see him on the way back!"
"Fine."
…
The next day, Koga said a reluctant farewell to Kagome and returned to his tribe with his two subordinates.
Midway through their journey, Inuyasha took Aomori to find the legendary swordsmith, Totosai.
The old man had been around since the time of the Great Dog General. Not only were his forging skills peerless, but his own strength was also quite formidable.
He squinted at Inuyasha and Aomori. "Eh? Inuyasha? Why are you back? Did the Tessaiga break again?"
"It did not! The Tessaiga is fine!" Inuyasha pointed at Aomori. "I promised him you'd forge a sword for him. Just make a random one or something."
"Huh?" Totosai glanced at Aomori and rubbed his ear. "What did you say, Inuyasha? I can't hear you."
"You old geezer, stop playing dumb!" Inuyasha wasn't falling for his tricks. "Just forge one already. Think of it as me owing you a favor."
"I really can't hear a thing," Totosai said, swaying his head. He clearly had no intention of entertaining Inuyasha.
"Forget it. Let's go," Aomori said, turning to leave.
"Hey, wait for me!" Inuyasha followed him out.
Watching them leave, Totosai yawned. "Gods use divine weapons; asking me to forge a sword is nonsense. Young people these days... no respect for their elders."
Having failed to help, Inuyasha felt like he'd lost face. "That old man is just stubborn. Sorry about that."
"It's fine." Aomori actually didn't mind. He suddenly realized that a demonic blade might not suit a "man of high moral character" like himself anyway.
Rejoining the group, they picked up the pace and reached the village in less than two days.
"I'm back again," Kikyo sighed, looking at the familiar yet changed scenery.
"Onee-chan!" Having heard the commotion, Kaede stepped out of her hut. When she saw Kikyo, tears began to flow uncontrollably.
"Onee-chan... you've come home."
"Yes, Kaede. I'm home."
Upon hearing that Naraku was dead, Kaede insisted on a grand celebration, organizing a massive bonfire festival.
The group cast aside their sorrows and joined in the festivities.
Midway through, the quiet-loving Kikyo left the festival and walked into the woods alone.
She stood before the Sacred Tree, staring at the arrow mark on its trunk. After a long silence, she whispered, "Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I hurt you back then."
"No." Inuyasha appeared behind her. "It was all Naraku's scheme. It wasn't your fault. Naraku is dead; let's just forget about all that."
"Can we really forget?" Kikyo turned to face him. "Inuyasha, am I still the same person to you that I was back then?"
"Of course you are!" Inuyasha said urgently. "You've always been that way."
"Is that so?" Kikyo tilted her face up, meeting Inuyasha's gaze with deep affection.
Just as the atmosphere reached a crescendo, a familiar cry of surprise broke the moment. Kagome appeared before them, looking flustered.
"I-I didn't mean to interrupt! Someone just pushed me!"
On the other side, Aomori turned away with the smile of a man who had done a good deed and wanted no credit.
"Don't mention it. If you have something to say, just say it."
…
No fourth person knew what happened that night, but by the next day, the expressions of the three—Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Kagome—seemed much lighter.
"First, resurrecting Kohaku."
Aomori infused a massive amount of holy light into Kohaku's body to sustain his life force. After removing the Shikon Jewel fragment, the holy light successfully activated his physical functions. This worked largely because Kohaku had been resurrected shortly after death, keeping his bodily functions in good condition.
Next, Aomori prepared to name Kikyo and transform her into a spirit.
"What should your name be? Kikyo is the name of a flower; perhaps another flower name? Do you like Kemei? Setsusho? Or Yaren?"
"No. I think 'Kikyo' is just fine," she replied.
"Very well." Aomori recited the incantation and successfully transformed Kikyo into a spirit.
Just as Aomori expected, because Kikyo's spiritual power was so immense, she did not lose her memories during the transition and maintained her sense of self perfectly.
Finally, the only thing left was the Shikon Jewel.
The Shikon Jewel was now a single, complete orb. Aomori held it in his hand, inspecting it closely.
"Just as I suspected. The Shikon Jewel is strong, but its strength has limits."
Its essence was the combination of Midoriko's soul and those of many demons. Combined, they were at most only slightly stronger than Aomori. While it was a treasure for minor demons and humans, for him, it was merely an underwhelming bauble.
"Then, let it be destroyed."
Following the instructions from his memory, Aomori made the correct wish upon the Shikon Jewel.
The Jewel promptly vanished, and the soul of Midoriko within was finally set free.
"Is that it?" Kagome asked.
"Yes. It's all over."
Kikyo breathed a sigh of relief. Having been a guardian of the Jewel since childhood, she could finally lay down her burden and embrace freedom.
"Inuyasha... I can finally be an ordinary woman."
"Aosora-sama, are you planning to return now?" Kagome asked.
"No, wait for me for a few more days."
Since he might not have another chance to visit, Aomori planned to do something bold.
At the very least, he had to pay Kirinmaru a visit.