The End of Evil

“Tojo-san, I’m scared - but I know what I have to do. I - I was chosen by Saotome’s essence for a reason.”

Kikyo told Asuka, before then stroking Asuka’s hair after they’d finished sharing their kiss. Asuka smiled and nodded, taking a breath and wiping her tears as she stood up, offering her hand to Kikyo.

“Watanabe-sama, my duty is to guard the castle and its sacred grounds with my magic - so I’m afraid I have to stay here, while you venture out to slay those four evil Kami.”

Asuka replied Kikyo took her hand, nodding and standing up, taking another breath before looking into Kikyo’s eyes for what she thought may be the last time. All the while, she could sense the pink diamond of the talisman in her forehead, and her grip on the divine sword in her right hand. Kikyo knew that her senses were racing because she was scared, while also knowing that she couldn’t afford to give into fear.

“Well, if Kyoto University’s Museum Studies Masters Degree Program can’t break me - then neither will those four! I’ll send them all to this world’s version of Hell - so that I can be with you, and so you can be safe, Tojo-san. Plus, who am I to turn away from Princess Saotome’s legacy?”

Kikyo added, putting on as much of a brave face as she could, despite the screaming fear that she felt internally. Asuka then placed her right index and middle fingers on the talisman’s pink diamond in Kikyo’s forehead gently. As she did so, Kikyo felt a rush of strength, as Kikyo’s eyes glowed pink, with the diamond sparkling all the more.

“I’ve enhanced the talisman and its jewel as much as I can, Watanabe-san. Now - go slay those four vile Kami!”

Asuka gently commanded as Kikyo nodded, sprinting at a pace she never thought possible, feeling as light as air itself, as she dashed with the divine sword to meet her foes! Before long, she was at the bloodstained village of scattered and stacked corpses in various horrifying states - with flies swarming all around. Kikyo gulped better refocusing, reminding hers if to be ready!

“Pathetic successor - have you come here to have your soul devoured!?”

Harada bellowed in his demonic voice as he charged at Kikyo, as she let herself be picked up at her sides by him! Kikyo smiled as Harada growled! 

“Why do you laugh, weakling!?”

Harada demanded!

“Because you should’ve gone for my arms, you voracious fool!”

Kikyo exclaimed as she swiftly chopped off his long, thick, black, curved horns that pointed towards her, before throwing the divine sword into the air, catching his horns, and jamming them into his mouth!

Kikyo then double push-kicked off of him, caught her sword, and slashed open his midsection as the souls he’d consumed flew out in droves! All the while, Harada’s body burned to ashes thar scattered in the wind.

“You spoil all the fun! And for that, I’m going to rip your bones out and wind chimes with them!”

Arashi screamed as he bolted towards Kikyo with his hands out, both of them holding rounded masses of the sickly yellow energy that he used! 

“No - you first!”

Kikyo yelled back as she landed in the splits, while simultaneously slashing upwards from the ground to Arashi’s head, slicing him clean in two - before his body also burned away into ashes.

“Die, you callous little wretch!”

Boroshi yelled in a fury, though he was too slow to move his heavy, shining, golden-skinned body from his throne of corpses that he’d made for himself. As a result, Kikyo dashed at him, smashing his cursed vase into his torso and his face!

Boroshi screamed as the gold dust turned into countless emaciated corpses who tore at him mercilessly - until he too, turned to ashes, and those enacted corpses into souls that soared into the sky!

“So you’re Saotome’s successor!? A smart mouth little murderous wretch who doesn’t know her place!? I’ll not only slay you - I’ll consume you bones and all!”

Kyashi screamed as she charged at Kikyo with her identical sword; ready to pierce Kilyo’s torso.

“I sure am - but I’m the one who’s slaying you, slit-mouth!”

Kikyo screamed back as she effortlessly dodged the attack, before grabbing the grip on Kyashi’s sword with her left hand and push-kicking Kyashi off with her left leg! 

“NOW GO HELL ONCE AND FOR ALL!”

Kiki screamed with a rush of the talisman’s power and pure adrenaline - as she simultaneously stabbed Kyashi’s sword through her wide, slit-mouth and out the back of her head, and her divine sword through Kyashi’s chest!

Kyashi then swiftly exploded into ashes, as her cursed sword slowly degraded into ashes!

Kikyo stood there in the blood-soaked village, taking deep breaths and looking around, as she felt her forehead - due to the pink diamond feeling loose! As soon as she did, it fell pot into her hand, once again emplaned in the talisman! 

Before Kikyo could react, the world around her changed, and so did she! As she regained her focus, Kikyo once again found herself in the museum, and on the step ladder in front of the statue of Princess Saotome! The divine sword was back in the posed hands of the statue, the talisman was safely in the forehead of the statue, and Kikyo was back in the outfit she’d been in before her Isekai adventure, but something was different.

As Kikyo looked into the face of the statue of Princess Saotome, it briefly flickered with the spiritual flash of another face on top of it, Asuka’s face, which mouthed a single phrase before disappearing: 

“I love you.”

Kikyo nodded, stroking the face of the statue of Princess Saotome, knowing that even if she never got to see Asuka again, she’d lived up to her destiny, and shown her true love.