"Kikyo, since you know full well that Li Xia will be here soon, do you think I'd be stupid enough to linger here?
Come inside and settle things with me. It's time we put an end to our grudges.
Oh, and there's a swarm of little bloodsucking bats inside the cave. That girl called A-Bi probably won't last much longer."
With that, the young man disappeared into the cave entrance.
"Wait, Naraku...
That bastard really is despicable."
Kikyo gritted her teeth.
She chased after him for a few steps, then abruptly stopped.
Naraku had gone to such lengths to lure her into the cave ahead. There had to be something wrong inside.
She couldn't let him lead her around by the nose.
If he could force her to comply and jump into a trap just by grabbing some villager to threaten her with, even a hundred lives wouldn't be enough.
Ah, why did I save Bandit Onigumo back then? My own kindness sowed the seeds of this evil.
"Naraku, it really is time we put an end to our grudges."
The girl seemed to reach a decision.
She reached into her loose miko robes and took out a folded sheet of paper.
As soon as it was in her hand, milky-white light enveloped it.
Then she blew toward the cave, and countless glowing butterflies fluttered their little wings and flew inside. These butterflies carried the miko's power of purification, allowing them to eliminate many evil entities while also performing simple reconnaissance.
At the same time, she took out two human-shaped paper cutouts. As she poured a great deal of spiritual power into them, dense, holy radiance soon surrounded them. Two little girl Shikigami then stepped out, taking their places on either side of Kikyo.
"Asuka, Butterfly, go inside and look