Chapter 306

Kagura stood motionless, the light in her eyes growing brighter by the second.

Her hand slowly clenched into a fist, nails digging deep into her palm, yet she did not feel the pain.

She had waited far too long for this day.

Naraku had given her the power of the wind, only to bind her with the chain around her heart and reduce her to a puppet.

Countless times, Kagura had watched birds soaring freely across the distant sky and wished she could be like them, able to fly wherever she pleased without anyone deciding her path for her.

And now, at last, the wind was about to become free.

Kagura closed her eyes and let the breeze brush through her hair.

As though sensing her joy, the wind began circling around her playfully, lifting fallen leaves and flower petals from the ground until they danced around her in a light spiral.

Haruto stood nearby and watched in silence, making no attempt to disturb her.

Kagura, meanwhile, began considering what kind of Nen ability she truly wanted.

Haruto’s suggestions had been good. Either one could potentially free her from Naraku’s control.

And yet neither felt quite right.

She wanted an ability that was uniquely hers—something that embodied the very meaning of freedom.

Fortunately, Haruto’s advice had given her a direction.

Nen abilities reflected the will and desires of the person who created them.

If freedom was the thing she desired above all else, then her ability should be built around that concept.

Exactly what form it would take, however, deserved careful thought.

While Kagura remained absorbed in her contemplation, Sesshōmaru suddenly looked into the distance.

His brow tightened almost imperceptibly.

A familiar scent had entered his senses—one he found particularly irritating—along with several mixed human and yōkai presences.

Sesshōmaru glanced once at Kagura, who still stood with her eyes closed in thought.

Then, without saying a word, he turned and began walking in the opposite direction from the approaching scents, his pale robes tracing a graceful arc through the night breeze.

Rin immediately followed him without hesitation.

She understood Sesshōmaru’s personality well enough by now not to ask unnecessary questions.

As far as she was concerned, simply being able to remain beside Lord Sesshōmaru was happiness enough.

Jaken blinked in confusion.

Lord Sesshōmaru had clearly been interested in this strange thing called Nen, so why was he suddenly leaving without even a word?

He looked at Sesshōmaru’s retreating back, then at Haruto and Kagura still standing in the clearing.

A second later, Jaken realized this was hardly the time to stand around wondering.

"Lord Sesshōmaru! Wait for me!"

He shouted and hurried after him on his short legs.

After only a few steps, however, Jaken suddenly remembered something and came scrambling back.

He seized the reins of Ah-Un.

"I almost forgot you! If I left you behind, Lord Sesshōmaru would definitely blame me!"

Ah-Un obediently followed as Jaken hurried after Sesshōmaru.

Before long, their figures disappeared into the depths of the forest.

"He left?"

Haruto watched the direction they had gone with mild confusion.

Still, he did not dwell on it.

He certainly was not going to chase Sesshōmaru down just to ask why he had suddenly decided to leave.

Kagura showed no reaction at all.

She remained where she was with her eyes closed, completely focused on designing her Nen ability.

To her, Sesshōmaru was merely a powerful yōkai she had crossed paths with before.

Whether he stayed or left had nothing to do with her now.

All of Kagura’s attention was devoted to creating an ability that truly belonged to her.

The wind around her shifted with her thoughts, sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes sharp and restless.

A few minutes later, the sound of rapid footsteps came from the distant forest.

Haruto turned toward it, his gaze sharpening slightly.

Koga of the Wolf Demon Tribe came racing toward the clearing at tremendous speed.

Thick bandages were wrapped around his legs and one arm, clear signs that he had been injured recently.

Above him, Haruto also spotted Kirara flying toward them with Sango on her back.

Farther behind, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippō were hurrying in the same direction.

Haruto immediately understood why Sesshōmaru had left so abruptly.

He must have caught Inuyasha’s scent and decided he had no interest in meeting his younger brother, so he had simply left before they arrived.

Haruto watched Koga rapidly closing the distance.

"Stop."

His voice carried clearly through the clearing.

Koga heard him.

He simply did not care.

His entire attention was locked onto Kagura standing beyond Haruto.

She had stolen his Shikon Jewel shards and injured him earlier, and he had been carrying that anger ever since.

Now that he had finally found her, there was no chance he was going to stop just because some stranger told him to.

"Get out of my way!"

Koga roared.

He kicked off harder, increasing his speed, then angled his body to slip past Haruto and charge straight at Kagura.

The instant he was about to pass, Haruto casually extended one hand.

Before Koga could react, Haruto’s hand closed firmly around his shoulder.

An overwhelming force locked him in place.

Koga felt as though an entire mountain had suddenly dropped onto him.

No matter how hard he struggled, he could not move Haruto’s hand even slightly.

"What?!"

Shock spread across Koga’s face.

He was the young leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe, yet this completely ordinary-looking human had stopped him with a single hand.

Worse, Haruto’s strength was so overwhelming that Koga could not even shake him off.

Naturally, Koga had no intention of simply accepting that.

With an angry shout, he swung his free fist toward Haruto’s face.

He never got close.

Haruto flicked his arm.

Koga was hurled away as easily as a sack of grain.

He traced an arc through the air before crashing into the ground more than ten meters away.

His body rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.

Koga struggled back to his feet and stared at Haruto, his expression now filled with both shock and caution.

His shoulder burned where Haruto had grabbed him, and his entire arm had gone partially numb.

That throw had looked casual, but the power behind it had been terrifying.

Koga understood immediately that this man was far stronger than he appeared.

His earlier confidence vanished, replaced by a sense that the situation had suddenly become far more troublesome.

At that moment, Kirara descended from above with Sango on her back.

Once they landed, Kirara reverted to her smaller feline form and rubbed affectionately against Sango’s leg.

Sango stared at Haruto standing between Koga and Kagura, surprise written across her face.

"Haruto? What are you doing here?"

She clearly had not expected to run into him in this place.

Even more confusing was the fact that he appeared to be with Kagura.

Sango’s gaze shifted toward the wind sorceress.

Kagura still had not reacted to any of the commotion and seemed completely unconcerned, as though she trusted Haruto to handle everything.

That made Sango’s expression turn serious.

She tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu and looked warily at Haruto.

"Why are you with Kagura? She works for Naraku!"

Just then, Kagome, Miroku, Shippō, and Inuyasha finally arrived, all breathing heavily from the long run.

Because it was the night of the new moon, Inuyasha had lost his demonic power and reverted to human form.

His silver hair had turned black, his dog ears had disappeared, and at a glance he looked like an ordinary human boy.

Exhaustion was written plainly across his face.

The moment they saw Haruto standing with Kagura, confusion appeared on all of them.

"You guys know this guy?"

Koga rubbed his still-aching shoulder and looked toward Inuyasha’s group.

He had not expected them to know Haruto.

"Yeah. We met him before."

Kagome nodded, her gaze shifting back and forth between Haruto and Kagura.

She was just as confused as Sango.

Why was Haruto with one of Naraku’s incarnations?

"If you know him, then tell him to get out of my way!"

Koga snapped, his expression turning fierce again.

"I’m taking back the Shikon Jewel shards Kagura stole from me!"

At last, Kagura pulled herself out of her thoughts.

She slowly opened her eyes and swept a calm gaze over Inuyasha and the others without showing the slightest concern.

After a brief hesitation, Kagura reached into her clothing and took out the two Shikon Jewel shards she had stolen from Koga.

Faint purple light shimmered across her palm.

Then, with a casual flick of her hand, she tossed both shards toward Kagome.

"Take them back."

"Now stop bothering me."