Somewhere far enough away from Inuyasha and his group, but also close enough, stands Kikyo.
She had not moved from her previous location, but anyone with an awakened spiritual sense will be able to sense the profound changes that have taken place in this old temple.
The main source of change and why the youkais have not come to attack, since Kikyo needs to absorb souls to live, is due to the surrounding spiritual barrier. This is invisible to the human eye, but anyone who can feel it will instinctively know not to go there.
"Priestess, another group of wounded has arrived."
Finishing squeezing out the water found on the piece of cloth, Kikyo places it on the forehead of the person lying in front of her.
Finishing that action thoroughly, she gets up from the ground she was leaning on, then cleans her clothes and speaks slowly.
"I understand, take them to the shade and get something for them to eat. I'm going to have to go look for healing herbs in the forest."
"But priestess."
Without any interest in what that person has to say, Kikyo starts walking slowly towards the edge of the forest, but just before entering its depths, she stops her steps and waves her hand in the air.
Having confirmed something, most likely the situation of the barrier around the temple, she began to walk with firm steps towards the interior of the forest.
Strangely everything is silent here, the only thing that generates noise is the wind stirring the leaves and Kikyo's long hair. Satisfied with where she is, she glances out into the forest and lets out a mocking voice.
"What's wrong Naraku, are you still afraid?"
Even the previously fierce wind was calm at her words, but the peace was short lived, as someone answered her from the forest.
"Hahaha Kikyo, I could already tell it's a trick what I'm feeling."
"And yet you dare not approach, are you perhaps cautious or cowardly?"
Unflinching to Naraku who only speaks from afar, Kikyo's mocking tone increases a little more, she even goes so far as to smile coldly towards the forest.
"Who knew that one day you would be proud to have a demon protect you, you really have changed."
Frowning for a few moments, Kikyo easily brushes that issue aside and shoots back at him.
"Jealous Naraku? I could feel you watching me every day, coupled with jealousy... Is Onigumo's heart still in there?"
As her words end, a fierce draft whips through the surroundings and Kikyo stands defensively, but noticing that nothing is happening, she lets out a smile before walking away.
"Heh, he gone."
...On the other hand...
Naraku's ghost fortresses have always been found to be filled with lethal miasma, this fortress is no exception, but if it must be said there are more, much more than usual.
"Kikyo... It will cost you dearly for underestimating me."
In one of the dozens, perhaps hundreds of rooms there may be in this massive palace, the regal form of Naraku leaned against the wall. He was a young man with fair skin, black hair that easily reached his waist and had deep red eyes.
"She's still not wrong. My rational mind tells me I can kill her, but there is something inside me that stops me."
Clenching his right hand tightly, Naraku closes his red eyes and thinks deeply.
"It must be because of that bandit named Onigumo. His mortal body was the one used as a vessel to create Naraku, even after the fusion of thousands of demons, his heart is still here."
Speaking with clear distaste in his voice, across Naraku's face a crooked smile spreads, then he reaches out his hand underneath his clothing.
What he removes from there, is nothing more nor less than the pearl fragments, it can easily be said that he has half of it in his possession.
"Now your own pride will destroy you Kikyo."
Seeming to enjoy this cause and effect that is now going to strike Kikyo, he waves his hand outward from the castle, causing multiple youkai insects to move in a certain direction.
...Kikyo pov....
"Where did these dark clouds come from?"
"It 'a bad omen."
Stopping my hands swinging the hammer of the mortar, I stopped crushing the medicinal herbs and lifted my face to look at the clouds. They were strangely dark in shape, but that was the least of my worries.
"What are those things!"
"They're the S's, so. Souls of the dead!"
They weren't wrong, the surrounding souls were being drawn into the clouds... I see, Naraku has set me up.
Understanding the situation, the first thing I do is reach for the bow inside the temple, grab the quiver of arrows that was next to it and run into the depths of the temple.
After quickly passing through the last sliding door, my eyes are fixed for a few moments on the core of this barrier. It was the piece of Asahiko's hair, it seemed to glow slightly and it is her energy that holds everything.
"Priestess what's happening!"
"I'll take one of the horses."
Keeping the hair inside my robes, I pushed the one who had just arrived out of my way and in a few moments I stepped out of the temple. On the ground a figure was reflected, it was not the shadows of the clouds, but of the being hiding there.
Without hesitating even for a second, I jump on the horse and shake the reins so that it starts running at full speed.
Noticing my escape and with no desire to let me go, the youkai finally comes out of the clouds. Surprisingly it has the same shape as my shikigamis, though its body easily reaches 15 meters, it has a mouth full of fangs and is bright red in color.
"A soul snake... It's trying to devour my souls, it must be stopped!"
Ordering my shikigami to interfere with its actions, the soul snake just ignores them, proving that it is not something they can do.
Learning from my mistake, I keep my body firmly on the horse, before raising my bow to the sky and firing an arrow. The youkai wasn't an idiot, taking advantage of its ability to fly, it glided through the sky and easily dodged the arrows, before opening its huge mouth.
"My souls!"
Feeling the strength leave me and seeing how the souls leave my body to go towards its mouth, the arrow I was carrying falls to the ground, due to the trembling of my hand.
Clearly I was at a disadvantage, I had to get away from its absorption range and then I might stand a chance. With a plan in mind, I shook the reins again and the horse picked up speed again.
*roar*
Listening as he lets out a furious roar at my escape, I again feel the souls quickly escape my control, to make it all even worse, the horse abruptly stops as it reaches a ravine.
"He was leading me all the way down a dead end path..."
Reviewing the situation with mild surprise, as the youkai was smarter than expected, he hurriedly jumped off the horse and I watched as he was devoured in one bite.
I was cornered with the cliff behind me, the youkai in front of me and a body that almost did not respond to my orders. It was necessary to attack and having that clear, he forcibly raised the bow, then shot an arrow.
"Was I seeing double?"
I could only let out a few words of surprise, as I watched the youkai's jaw open to finish the job. In those moments, just before I lose consciousness, heat bursts from my chest and the last thing I see are huge flames.
*Boooooom!