"Cherry blossoms…?"
Hojo Akito muttered in a daze as he watched the soft pink petals drifting down from above, his voice tinged with confusion. Why would cherry blossoms be blooming here?
But in stark contrast, Inuyasha and Miroku tensed instantly.
Without a word, they shifted forward, placing themselves between Kagome, Hojo Akito, and Shippō,instinctively shielding them.
"Watch out! Something's coming!" Inuyasha barked, drawing Tessaiga in one swift motion. His sharp gaze locked onto the shadowed depths of the forest ahead.
Miroku's face darkened as he sensed the rapidly approaching presence. His voice carried unmistakable shock.
"This aura… it's overwhelming!"
"When the time comes to return, I don the robe with ease… yet my longing for you runs deeper than I can restrain…"
A soft, ethereal voice drifted through the forest.
It was cold, melodic,yet laced with an eerie sense of authority, as if it carried the weight of something ancient.
A faint white light flickered deep within the woods.
Then,
In the next instant, Kamihime appeared before them like a phantom.
Her robes fluttered gently in the air, her beauty flawless and distant, like a figure carved from moonlight itself. A faint glow lingered around her, enhancing her otherworldly presence.
"Kamihime!" Inuyasha growled, raising Tessaiga and pointing it directly at her. A vortex of demonic energy began swirling around the blade.
His eyes burned with fury.
One sleeve of his Fire Rat Robe was still missing.
"You actually broke the seal…" Miroku murmured, disbelief written across his face. Ever since reading the letter left behind by his grandfather through Master Mushin, he knew just how terrifying this demon was.
"You again?" Kamihime's gaze swept over them, a flicker of recognition passing through her eyes. She had encountered them before while taking the Fire Rat Robe.
She hadn't expected the Robe of the Four Souls to be in their possession as well.
Still, her interest was fleeting.
Her voice turned cold and commanding.
"Where is the Robe of the Four Souls?"
"The Robe of the Four Souls?" Kagome blinked, caught off guard.
But behind her, Hojo Akito stiffened.
His grip tightened instinctively around the bundle he carried.
That single, subtle motion,was enough.
"I see," Kamihime said calmly, her gaze settling on him. "So it's with you."
Her tone was utterly indifferent, as though the robe already belonged to her.
"Wind Scar!"
The moment Inuyasha realized she had identified the robe's location, he struck without hesitation.
Tessaiga slashed forward,
A brilliant arc of power roared through the air, carrying a violent gale. Trees were torn apart, the ground shattered, and debris exploded outward in its wake.
The attack surged straight toward Kamihime.
Yet,A trace of disdain flickered across her eyes.
She raised her hand calmly, two fingers forming a simple gesture before her chest as she chanted under her breath.
An invisible ripple spread outward.
And just like that,The Wind Scar dissolved.
It vanished like snow under the sun, never even touching her.
"W-What?!" Inuyasha froze, shock flooding his face.
His attack… had been erased.
"I will not allow interference."
Kamihime lifted the Mirror of Life.
In an instant, dazzling light poured forth, transforming into countless glowing strands that lashed out toward the group.
"Move!" Kagome shouted.
Everyone scattered.
Inuyasha dodged several attacks in quick succession,but mid-leap, one strand struck him.
"Gah,!"
Before he could recover, more followed.
They coiled around him instantly.
The moment they touched his body, the light hardened,transforming into thick, vine-like bindings that dragged him back and pinned him against a massive tree.
"What the hell is this?!" Inuyasha roared, struggling violently.
But the vines held firm,harder than steel.
The more he fought, the tighter they constricted.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, rushing toward him.
"Pathetic," Kamihime said coldly, glancing at him with clear disdain. "A half-demon… just as weak as expected."
"So what if I am?!" Inuyasha snarled, straining against his restraints, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Hmph."
The vines suddenly crackled.
Brilliant arcs of electricity surged through them.
"AAARGH,!"
Inuyasha's body convulsed as pain tore through him.
"I've had enough of this,Wind Tunnel!"
Miroku stepped forward, jaw clenched. With a swift motion, he tore away the seal covering his right hand.
A powerful vortex erupted instantly.
The Wind Tunnel howled to life, dragging in everything nearby,dust, stones, leaves,swirling violently into its depths.
Unlike before, it remained stable.
Without Naraku's interference, it had never disappeared.
"Hmm?"
Kamihime turned toward him, mild surprise flickering in her eyes.
Then she scoffed.
Reaching up, she pulled a golden hairpin from her hair.
It expanded instantly,
Transforming into a gleaming longsword.
She drove it into the ground, anchoring herself against the Wind Tunnel's pull.
"Wind Tunnel… so you're his descendant," she said coldly, her voice laced with disgust. "If even a half-demon can serve as a pawn… then a monk like you is no different. You can die as well."
The Mirror of Life blazed.
A massive pillar of white light erupted forward.
"Boom,!"
The beam struck the ground with devastating force.
An explosion tore through the area,earth and shattered wood blasted into the air. The shockwave sent Kagome, Sango, Shippō, and Hojo Akito flying.
They tumbled violently before crashing into tangled roots, barely managing to stop.
"Miroku!" Sango cried out.
Smoke rose from a massive crater where he had stood.
For a moment,
There was nothing.
Then,"Cough… I figured as much…"
A strained voice broke through the silence.
Miroku staggered out from behind a shattered tree trunk. His robes were torn and dirt-streaked, a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth.
"Miroku!" Sango exhaled in relief.
"Oh?" Kamihime raised a brow. "Still alive?"
Her lips curved faintly.
"Let's see if you survive another."
The Mirror of Life lit up again.
"Hiraikotsu!"
Sango reacted instantly, hurling her massive bone boomerang with all her strength.
It tore through the air toward Kamihime.
"Nuisance."
Without even turning her head, Kamihime raised her sword,
Clang!
The impact rang out sharply.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying back.
Faster.
Stronger.
Empowered by her demonic energy.
Sango's eyes widened in shock.
She hadn't expected it to be reflected.
With no time to react, she threw herself aside desperately.
"Sango!"
Miroku's voice rang out.
A moment later,
His khakkhara shot forward, striking the side of the hiraikotsu mid-flight.
The impact knocked the staff away,
But it also deflected the hiraikotsu just enough.
It grazed past Sango's hair,
Missing her by a hair's breadth.