Chapter 311

Kagura took a deep breath and extended her right hand toward Kanna.

"Kanna, come with me."

"We’ll leave together. We’ll go somewhere Naraku can’t find us and live freely."

Kagura had never said it aloud, but in her heart, she had always regarded Kanna—another being created by Naraku—as something like an older sister.

She could not bring herself to enjoy freedom alone while leaving Kanna behind in this hellish place to remain Naraku’s puppet.

"That’s impossible..."

Kanna gently shook her head.

Like Kagura, her heart was also in Naraku’s possession.

There was no escape for her. With a single thought, Naraku could end her life.

Then Kanna suddenly raised her head and looked at Kagura, a rare trace of confusion appearing in her otherwise vacant eyes.

"How did you escape Naraku’s control?"

"Your heart was in his hands too."

Kagura opened her mouth, intending to tell her about Nen.

If Kanna could learn Nen as well, perhaps she too could find a way to break free from Naraku.

But just as the words reached her lips, Kagura stopped.

Hesitation filled her eyes.

It was not that she did not want to tell Kanna.

The problem was that Kagura had no idea whether Kanna possessed a powerful enough desire for freedom.

Kanna had always been silent, emotionless, and seemingly empty.

She never resisted Naraku’s orders.

She never expressed what she wanted or how she felt.

She was almost like a true mirror—capable only of reflecting others, with no will of her own.

Kagura did not know whether someone like that possessed the burning desire for freedom necessary to awaken an ability capable of severing Naraku’s control.

And if Kanna failed to escape him, then Naraku could learn about Nen through her.

With his ambition, there was no chance he would ignore a power like that.

The simplest way for him to obtain it would be to absorb Kanna back into himself after she had learned Nen.

If Naraku gained access to Nen, he would become even more dangerous.

That was something Kagura absolutely did not want.

Looking into Kanna’s eternally calm eyes, Kagura swallowed the explanation she had been about to give.

She could not take that risk.

The cost of being wrong was too high.

But neither could she simply abandon Kanna here.

Kagura’s gaze hardened with determination.

Haruto understood Nen far better than she did as a complete beginner.

Perhaps he would know what to do.

Perhaps Haruto could find a way to free Kanna as well.

With that thought, Kagura stopped hesitating.

She tightened her grip on her fan and suddenly swung it toward Kanna.

Kagura knew perfectly well that Kanna would never simply walk away with her without resistance.

The mirror in Kanna’s hands flashed white.

Ripples spread across its surface as though something were about to emerge from within.

But the light lasted only an instant.

Then it dimmed and disappeared.

At the same moment, countless threads of wind curled gently around Kanna’s arms and legs.

The currents carried no cutting force.

They simply bound her securely in place.

"Sorry, Kanna."

Kagura gave her an apologetic look.

"But you’re coming with me."

Kanna neither spoke nor struggled.

She simply stood there in silence while the wind restrained her, her expression revealing nothing.

Just as Kagura turned to leave with her, a Saimyōshō silently appeared in the shadows of the corridor.

Its compound eyes glowed crimson as it stared fixedly at Kagura and Kanna.

Deep beneath the castle, Naraku opened his eyes once more.

Through the Saimyōshō’s vision, he saw Kagura clearly.

"Kagura, Kagura..."

A cold smile curved across Naraku’s lips.

His voice was low and hoarse, tinged with mockery.

"You actually came back and walked straight into my hands for the sake of that doll without a heart."

"How touching."

"If you’re so eager to die, then I’ll grant your wish."

At Naraku’s command, the entire castle erupted into chaos.

Countless hidden yōkai poured from every direction like a flood, roaring and shrieking as they rushed toward Kagura and Kanna.

"Damn it!"

Kagura’s expression changed.

Through the wind, she could clearly sense an enormous number of yōkai rapidly converging on them.

Without hesitation, she swept Kanna into her arms, pulled the feather from her hair, enlarged it, and leapt aboard.

The feather shot toward the outside of the castle.

Hundreds of yōkai surged after them like a mass of black storm clouds.

Kagura was incredibly fast, yet the horde behind her clung to her trail relentlessly.

They had no fear of death.

Even when her wind blades shredded the front ranks, the creatures behind them immediately filled the gaps without slowing.

Worse, Kagura had to devote part of her attention to keeping Kanna restrained and protected, preventing her from using her full speed.

One wind blade after another flew from Kagura’s hand, killing the nearest pursuers, but still more took their place.

Fine beads of sweat appeared across her forehead, and her breathing grew slightly heavier.

Then she looked toward the eastern sky.

The pitch-black night had begun to split open.

A pale glow crept up from the horizon, followed by the first golden rays of morning piercing through the darkness like blades.

Dawn was close.

A flash of hope entered Kagura’s eyes.

Once the sun rose, Inuyasha would regain his demonic power.

Haruto and the others should already be on their way as well.

With that thought, Kagura immediately changed course and flew back toward them.

...

Meanwhile, on the road leading toward Naraku’s castle, the first golden ray of dawn fell across Inuyasha.

His human scent vanished almost instantly.

His black hair rapidly turned silver, and two furry white dog ears emerged from the top of his head, twitching once as his yōki returned.

"Great! Inuyasha, you’re back!"

Shippō exclaimed in relief.

Inuyasha becoming human always made him feel considerably less secure.

Inuyasha flexed his arms and legs, feeling strength flood back through his body.

A confident grin spread across his face.

He was just about to pick up the pace toward Naraku’s castle when a rush of wind sounded in the distance.

Everyone looked up.

Kagura was flying toward them at full speed.

In her arms was Kanna.

And behind them came an enormous black mass of yōkai, hundreds strong, blotting out a large stretch of the sky.

"It’s Kagura!"

Kagome cried out.

"Damn it! Why are all those yōkai chasing her?"

Inuyasha’s expression darkened.

"Did Naraku find her?"

He drew Tessaiga, and his yōki surged.

"Wind—"

He raised the sword high as cutting currents gathered around the blade.

One Wind Scar would be more than enough to rip the pursuing horde to pieces.

"Wait!"

Just as Inuyasha was about to bring Tessaiga down, Haruto suddenly grabbed his shoulder and stopped him cold.

"Whoa, whoa, Inuyasha. Calm down."

Haruto stared at the approaching swarm with shining eyes.

He looked almost ready to drool.

"Those are yōkai ingredients coming straight to us!"

"If you blast them apart with the Wind Scar, they’ll lose all their value as food!"

"Huh?!"

Inuyasha whipped around and stared at him in disbelief.

"Is this really the time to worry about that?! We’re about to be surrounded by hundreds of yōkai!"

"Relax."

Haruto patted his shoulder, perfectly calm.

"This is nothing."

"Leave it to me."

"You just stand there and try not to ruin my ingredients."

Haruto stepped forward and extended his right hand.

A tremendous amount of Nen surged above his palm like a rising tide.

The aura compressed and condensed, eventually forming countless miniature kitchen knives, each only about the length of a finger.

"Food Technique: Knife—Rainfall."

Haruto quietly spoke the technique’s name and swept his hand forward.

In an instant, the countless miniature knives shot through the air like a torrential downpour toward the yōkai pursuing Kagura.

Every blade precisely avoided Kagura and Kanna at the front.

With sharp whistles, they struck the creatures behind them one after another.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

A rapid series of blades piercing flesh echoed through the air.

The yōkai at the front did not even have time to react before the tiny knives punched cleanly through their vital points.

Within only a few seconds, all several hundred yōkai chasing Kagura collapsed.

Not a single one survived.

Their deaths were remarkably "clean."

Each corpse bore only a few tiny wounds, leaving the bodies almost completely intact.

"Done."

Haruto dusted off his hands with a satisfied smile.

At least none of those ingredients had gone to waste.

Kagura descended beside him with Kanna still in her arms.

She glanced at the hundreds of neatly preserved yōkai corpses covering the ground, then at Haruto’s delighted expression.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Haruto waved cheerfully, unable to hide his grin.

"Actually, I should be thanking you."

"You just delivered enough high-quality ingredients to match what I collected over the last two or three days!"

With that, Haruto eagerly crouched down and began sorting through his new "spoils."

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