Inuyasha ripped down every door with his claws, searching the interior of every room that occupied the long, gloomy passage. Finally, after what seemed forever of searching, Inuyasha found his beloved Kikyo in Naraku's quarters, protected by another one of his glowing, shield-like barriers.
"Naraku!" he shouted, pointing the sword at him. "Hand Kikyo over to me! If you do, I'll make your death a little easier!"
Naraku sat on the other side of the room, on his familiar perch by the window. "Do you honestly think I would hand my lover over to a loud-mouthed, over-confident half-demon such as you? You are a powerless, sniveling worm, Inuyasha, with no regard towards others. You are rejected by demons and humans, and you wouldn't even belong with Kikyo."
Inuyasha clenched his fists. "Are those your last words? I was thinking somewhere along the lines of 'I'd better say my prayers'!" Naraku smiled and let out a long, cold laugh that nearly chilled Inuyasha to the bone.
"Your mouth is still your only weapon, Inuyasha. You'll never unlock your real power, and you'll never be worthy enough to be with Kikyo. You don't even deserve to be in her presence..."
Inuyasha turned to Kikyo, who had the same, sad expression on her face from the last battle. "Kikyo...make up your mind. You have to choose who you want to be with." Kikyo, who had cried more tears than she ever thought existed, spilled over her face and splattered slowly on the back of her hand. Inuyasha was saddened, and he suddenly remembered the evening that Kagome had spent taking care of him, back in Kaede's hut.
"I...I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know!" she said again, louder and more exasperated. Naraku, who had been watching Kikyo's crying ritual for days, walked slowly over to Inuyasha, grabbed Tetsusaiga with new, re-defined power, and threw it across the room into a bunch of old candles.
Inuyasha, startled, jumped back. "I've still got my claws!" he shouted, and swiped at Naraku with all his might. Naraku smiled, and laughed every time Inuyasha hit him. Inuyasha, his eyes filling with tears of his own anger, lashed out at Naraku with concentration that he never knew he had. Suddenly, Naraku drew back his other arm, and his fist crashed into the side of Inuyasha's head.
"Stop losing on purpose," he hissed. "Stay still, and fight like the man you claim you are!" Naraku lashed out his fist once more, beating Inuyasha's worn-down skin til he practically leaked blood. Kikyo, who had been watching in sheer horror, raised her hands to her eyes, obscuring the blood that was smeared on Naraku's hands.
"Stop, both of you!" she cried. "Please!" Naraku turned, and watched as Kikyo miraculously broke the barrier. She ran to Inuyasha, and examined his body with the most passion Naraku had ever seen her display. It was as though Naraku had ceased to exist, and Kikyo saw only her hardest decision before her.
"I can't bear it. I don't want men to fight over me. I just want to live my own way!" she wailed in sorrow. Naraku watched her in silent shame, and looked down at his own hands. His hands were sleek and red with Inuyasha's blood, and he realized what a monster he had become. "Kikyo...my love," he choked. "Don't...don't weep anymore. I've seen my ways at last. You must not be Inuyasha or myself. You must be...on your own."
Kikyo looked up in despair. There was a large, painful scar in Naraku's conscience, one that would never leave. He was in pain just watching Kikyo. Her beautiful, caring smile was gone, and her soft, brown eyes reflected not happiness, but pain. The young woman's moods were too fragile and delicate, and Naraku feared she would break into a million pieces if he touched her once more. Naraku hung his head low, and felt his own tears fill his red, piercing eyes.
Inuyasha, who had been listening to the whole thing, reached up to touch Kikyo's face lightly. She choked and gasped, trying to hold back the tears that she feared were still inside her. "Kikyo...I lost to Naraku on purpose."
She touched Inuyasha's face, too, and stared at him in sad confusion. "W-What?"
Inuyasha smiled, his lips cracked. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth, but he still continued to speak with all the strength he had left.
"I-Inuyasha..." Kikyo whispered, her tongue swollen in her aching throat. "Please, hang on. I'm here with you. Fight hard for your life!" Inuyasha laughed weakly, his breaths shallow and very far apart. Kikyo could barely hear him as he spoke his final words to her:
"Kikyo...remember what you kept telling me long ago. You begged me to die, so we can live together as spirits." He paused to take another ragged breath, and continued. "Now, I will fulfill your wish. Please...take Tetsusaiga, and shove it into my heart. Do it now....."
The young priestess swallowed, and nodded her agreement. Her last tears burning in her eyes, she grabbed Tetsusaiga from across the room. Naraku felt as though his feet were cemented into the ground. He could not move an inch, even though he desperately reached out to the woman he loved.
With her eyes closed, Kikyo choked back her despair. With a long, piercing scream ringing inside her head, she stood over Inuyasha; grasped the blade with the most strength she ever had, and plunged it deep into her lover's heart, letting the pain of all her years control her wounded heart at last.