"An elixir of immortality, a bond without reunion, sorrowful tears soaking my robes-what use is an elixir of immortality?"
Beneath Mount Fuji, in an underground cavern in the Illusion Forest, two figures, one large and one small, slowly walked through a trickling stream.
They were Naraku and Kanna.
Now that Naraku no longer needed to fear the threat Kikyo posed, he had reabsorbed Akago and Bandit Onigumo's human heart. His evil aura and demon power had soared as a result. Although he had yet to regain the peak strength he possessed just after digesting Tessaiga and Panther Cat Oyakatā, he was not far off.
At this level, his chances of devouring Kaguya in one successful attempt were quite high.
The two walked on the water's surface, stirring faint rings of ripples.
Before long, the father and daughter stopped in front of a spirit shrine.
There was nothing inside the shrine except an antique bronze mirror covered in dust.
This mirror was the precious treasure Monk Mihō had used to seal Kaguya fifty years ago: the Mirror of Life.
Even Naraku could not help feeling a flood of emotions at the sight of it.
Kaguya, a great demon of considerable strength, had crossed paths with him on unfriendly terms back then. Both had coveted the celestial maiden's immortal body and wanted to devour her while she visited the mortal world to bathe in a hot spring, thereby obtaining the heavenly deity's power.
Unfortunately, he had lacked the strength to compete with Kaguya, who was far stronger than him.
After taking over the Heavenly Palace princess's body, Kaguya could originally have slaughtered all before her, even killing Mihō, who arrived later, and Naraku as he fled. However, when she tried to claim the celestial maiden's divine artifact, the Heavenly Feather Robe, she