Night fell.
The slaughter on the Wasteland did not stop.
To them, night was no different from day.
The dark-red glow became even more striking in the night.
The Four Souls Jewel was like a dark-red star fallen to the ground, lighting the entire Wasteland until it looked like a sea of blood.
Kagome sat on the hill beside Chiyo, legs drawn up, chin resting on her knees.
Her eyes were red and swollen, with tear tracks still in their corners.
During the day, she had thrown up three times.
After that, there had been nothing left to throw up, only dry heaves.
Later still, she could not even heave anymore. She only cried.
It was because she felt awful.
Seeing so many lives vanish before her eyes, she could not accept it all at once.
She knew she could not change anything.
She knew she could not stop anything.
Chiyo had said this was not something she could interfere in.
All she could do was watch.
Watch those demons slaughter each other.
Watch them die.
Watch their flesh and blood be devoured, trampled underfoot, absorbed by the Four Souls Jewel.
"Chiyo."
"Mm."
"You said cleansing the evil aura was for better protection."
"Mm."
"Then what you're doing now... is that protection too?"
Chiyo was silent for a long time.
So long that Kagome thought he would not answer.
"Some kinds of protection require destruction first."
Chiyo's voice was very low.
"Those demons corroded by evil aura no longer have reason."
"If they live, they'll only kill more people, more demons, and create more evil aura."
"To die at the hands of the Four Souls Jewel, at least...
their evil aura will be absorbed and won't continue to spread."
Kagome did not speak.
She did not know how to answer.