Inuyasha:The third sword

We walked aimlessly throughout the night and part of the morning, silence was all that reigned around us, making each passing hour more uncomfortable. 

Sometimes it seemed like Kikyo would start talking, only to stop dead in her tracks. Other times she would turn in a different direction, causing us to walk that way for a few hours, before changing course again. It was all very erratic, as if it was a reflection of her current state of mind. 

"Let 's stop here."

My words cut through the silence that had been imprinted around us for the last day, I could even feel Kikyo's surprised look on my back, though I ignored it and approached the river in front of us. It was a flat river, being able to see the stones in its depths, fish brimming with vitality swimming freely and a peaceful current moving the waters.

Thanks to the transparent surface and the slow rhythm of the current, I can easily see my ugly reflection. The yukata is torn and burned in every possible place. Whether it's the sleeves that are completely shredded, the leg region that has a huge cut probably from the high speed and in the middle there are cuts of different sizes. 

"Aghh."

Dipping my right arm into the waters of the river, while kneeling on the bank, I open my hand to see my palm in which multiple purple circles can be seen, almost as if something is trying to break through my skin and enter my flesh. 

These wounds are due to Clouded Fang, which went crazier than usual at the sight of Inuyasha and Steel Fang. 

"Give me your hand."

Hearing Kikyo's voice behind me and getting to see her reflected in the waters of the river, I turned my body without removing my arm from the water, then gave her a slight smile.

"What an intense proposal, haha, joke. OK, OK, here."

I threw in a really bad joke to lighten the mood, though it didn't work, as she keeps her gaze fixed on my hand, causing me to have to get up and show it for her to check. 

"It's a negative energy infection. Your regeneration has stopped the spread, though it hasn't been able to expel it from the body and it has accumulated in certain areas."

Surrounding my palm with her hands quickly and bringing her face close as if looking at every detail, she began to speak to herself unconsciously, though it also serves to inform me of the situation. 

Determining what caused it, she guides one of her hands to the quiver of arrows on her back, and removes one, which she breaks off to get the iron tip. 

"I'm going to have to create an opening in the skin, so the infection flows out and then your regeneration can take care of the rest." 

Nodding towards Kikyo in silent acceptance, her face turns serious and she carefully guides the arrowhead gently through my palm, though it slips through without managing to pierce the skin.

"Calm down, trust me."

Speaking to me without that unconscious burden that always appears, just as if she is fighting against something inside. Kikyo grips my hands firmly and even directs a smile at me, until she stops dead in her tracks and stares into my eyes. 

"Healer Kikyo, please treat my wound."

Maybe changing priestess to healer won't change anything for an ordinary person, but for someone like Kikyo... who is doubting about her existence on this plane, her love/hate relationship with Inuyasha and that the only maintainable thing is her purpose or duty, going as far as obsessing over her uniform, the way you refer to her can change her behavior a lot. 

We looked at each other for a few seconds, until she turned her attention back to my hand. With lightness and expertise, fine cuts began to appear in the contaminated areas, causing a viscous black liquid to flow down my hand before falling to the ground.

Finishing that process, Kikyo cuts a piece of cloth from my ragged yukata, washes it and then wraps my hand with that ending the operation. 

"Thank you."

"To you. Now let's move, this amount of negative energy will attract any yokai in the vicinity."

Thanking her like the well-mannered person I am, she thanked me back leaving me stunned for a few seconds, though those were enough for Kikyo to start walking in a particular direction.

...Days later…

Walking in the evening, as was customary with this group, on the morning of a certain day, we came to what might be considered by all rights a highly populous town. 

This is on the side of a mountain surrounded by fields of crops, through which dirt roads pass up to the entrance of the city, where they are exchanged for stone and a large old Japanese castle sits in the upper area, showing that a great feudal lord lives here. 

"Someone is coming!"

Coming out of my reverie at Kikyo's words, I look off into the distance, a place where a cloud of dust can be seen advancing towards us at full speed and in a few moments I can see it in detail. It's about five riders fully equipped and armed for any situation, though their worried faces don't say the same. 

"You must be one of the people who have answered the call of our Great Lord. We would be pleased to be able to escort you to the castle."

Although they spoke politely and courteously, their actions proved quite the opposite, from the moment they arrived they began to surround us slowly but surely and their words gave no room for discussion. 

Easily, I could knock them out or scare them away and Kikyo seems to know this, as she looks at me for a few moments, though after looking towards the city and briefly closing her eyes, she begins to speak. 

"From here I can sense the dark aura surrounding the city and its surroundings, but I need information no matter how minimal."

I walked in slow steps, while Kikyo spoke loudly to our followers. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she heard her first words and as she listened to the rest, one or the other began to tremble, as if remembering something horrible. 

"Demons, priestess. Demons everywhere and every night they seem to increase. We have tried but they are unstoppable, even the lord's best troops... We humans are nothing against them."

"They are insatiable, at first it was every month. Then it was every week, but now it's every night!"

Answers came from all sides, some were mere ravings, others were personal impressions, but the most helpful was from the first one who had established communication with us. 

Still one could feel the weariness, helplessness and sheer fear, in the face of this supernatural enemy.