The group trekked for quite some time before finally arriving at their destination,a sprawling castle clinging to the mountainside.
The moment they stepped through its gates, Kagetsu felt it.
A suffocating miasma blanketed the entire estate.
At this distance, there was no doubt. Naraku's demonic aura was here,thick, oppressive, festering in the very air of the castle.
Kikyo stepped down from the palanquin and exchanged a quiet, knowing glance with Lie. She had sensed it as well.
Seeing how calm he remained, utterly unruffled, Kikyo felt a measure of reassurance and silently followed the retainer deeper inside.
Since being sustained by chakra, the soul bound within Kikyo's clay body had fully stabilized. Though her body was artificial, her spiritual power had returned to its former peak.
And with Lie at her side, there was no cause for concern.
"Halt! No one may enter!"
They soon reached the lord's bedchamber. Just as the retainer moved to announce them, two guards stepped forward, barring the entrance with stern expressions.
"I have brought a priestess who can cure Lord Kagewaki," the retainer explained hurriedly.
"The lord has ordered that no one is to enter," one of the guards replied firmly. Neither made any move to step aside.
Kikyo took in the stalemate for a brief moment,then simply walked forward.
"Hey!"
Steel rasped from its scabbard as both guards drew their swords to stop her.
Behind her, Kagetsu lifted his gaze.
The crimson of his three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life.
The instant the guards met his eyes, their bodies went rigid. The sharp vigilance in their expressions dissolved, replaced by hollow stillness.
Like puppets with severed strings, they stepped aside and resumed their posts without another word.
Kikyo glanced back at Lie. Seeing the faint, smug lift of his brow, she pressed her lips together but said nothing. Instead, she lifted the curtain and entered the inner chamber.
On the bed, Naraku had already sensed something was wrong.
The guards' voices had abruptly cut off.
In their place came two steady sets of footsteps.
His heart clenched.
He pushed himself upright, prepared to flee at the slightest sign of danger.
Kagome's sacred arrow had torn through him not long ago. He was still weakened,far from fully regenerated. In his current state, a direct confrontation would be disastrous.
The curtain lifted.
A face he could never forget appeared before him.
Naraku froze.
In an instant, he suppressed every trace of his demonic aura, burying it deep.
Not a single movement.
Not a breath out of place.
"What is your name?" he asked hoarsely, feigning frailty.
"My name is Kikyo."
Unaware that the man before her was Naraku himself, Kikyo knelt at his bedside. Yet as she observed him closely, a faint crease formed between her brows. His body felt… wrong.
Cold.
Empty.
Almost corpse-like.
"I will examine you. Excuse me."
She gently placed two fingers against his wrist.
Naraku's entire body went rigid.
If she discovered his true nature,
If her purification power struck him now,
But after a moment, Kikyo withdrew her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Your illness… is beyond my ability to treat."
Naraku nearly let out a breath of relief.
Then Kikyo's next words tightened his nerves once more.
"Lie. Do you have a way?"
She rose and turned to the man standing behind her.
Naraku's gaze followed.
That face,
Though no longer bearing the corpse-like pallor from before, it was unmistakable. The Uchiha fan crest on his clothing confirmed it.
Kagetsu.
The one who had destroyed his puppet incarnation.
Naraku forced his voice to remain steady. "If… if you would be so kind."
Lie stepped forward with an easy smile.
"I'm not certain. Let me take a look."
Naraku wanted to refuse.
But when their eyes met, something cold and sharp flickered in those crimson pupils.
"…Then I leave it to you."
"You're too polite."
Lie crouched beside the bed and placed his hand against Naraku's wrist.
Unlike Kikyo's cool, sacred touch, Lie's chakra slipped into him like a silent blade.
Naraku felt it immediately.
A probing presence,sharp, precise.
He suppressed everything, sealing his demonic aura as tightly as possible.
After a short while, Lie withdrew his hand and shook his head with mild regret.
"Sorry. I'm afraid I can't help either."
Naraku allowed a faint, weary smile to surface.
"I see… Thank you both for coming."
He turned his head slightly.
"Guards. See Miss Kikyo out."
When the guards re-entered, Kikyo bowed politely. "I regret that I could not be of assistance. Farewell."
Lie followed without another word.
Outside, the retainer hurried forward anxiously.
"Miss Kikyo? How is my lord's condition?"
"I'm sorry," she replied with sincerity. "There is nothing I can do."
The retainer sighed deeply. "I feared as much… I did not expect it to be so severe that even you could not help."
"I am but a shrine priestess," Kikyo said calmly, bowing her head. "Please forgive my inadequacy."
Behind her, Lie curled his lip slightly.
An ordinary priestess?
Right. An "ordinary" miko who could purify powerful yōkai with a single arrow.
The retainer straightened. "Thank you for coming regardless. I will have men escort you back."
"There is no need," Kikyo declined gently. "We can return on our own."
The retainer hesitated, surprised,but ultimately nodded. "As you wish."
Lie found it curious.
In the original course of events, Kikyo had been detained here.
But things were different now.
Naraku was afraid.
He might dare confine Kikyo alone, but with Lie present? A battle would be unavoidable,and in his weakened state, Naraku could not afford that risk.
From the retainer's careful attitude, it was obvious he had been given explicit instructions.
Before long, samurai escorted them beyond the castle gates.
They walked side by side along the mountain path, heading back toward the temple.
For a while, neither spoke.
Finally, Kikyo broke the silence.
"You left a mark on him, didn't you?"
Lie's lips curved upward.
"Of course. The moment you asked me to examine him, I understood."
His Sharingan gleamed faintly beneath lowered lashes.
"A spider that hides in the dark still leaves threads behind."