Chapter 44: Customs
When Kikyo told her mother about the reason, Miyuki feels reluctant. "Are you sure you want to go with that, Kikyo?" Miyuki asks her daughter. Kikyo knew for sure her mother was like this. She knew for sure the revenge was never recommended no matter how hard it affected her. "I have no choice. I had to face her no matter what. Why can't you just acknowledge that?" Kikyo asks her as calmly as possible while holding in her upset. Miyuki always knew that Kikyo would do what it took to make sure she gets her way. "All I'm asking is what will this accomplish?"
That's when Kagome's body begins to pulsate. "I knew you wouldn't understand." Kikyo spoke before fading away. Kagome begins to fall forward until Inuyasha catches her. "She's ok. Just unconscious." Inuyasha informs the parents. "I guess Kikyo's will power was too much for Kagome's body." Ai points out as Inuyasha takes the girl back into her bedroom to recover from being possessed for that long.
Miyuki sits back onto the couch quickly while holding her head with her hands. "I know how it feels." Ai spoke as she sits next to her. "I would never make Kagome go through that." Miyuki knows what she's talking about. "Even though I'm not a priestess, I know fully well the revenge was never the answer. Even if their reason is for their behalf. However, doing it would taint their own soul." Miyuki explains the situation. "I know that Kikyo is after Tsubaki for what she did to her. I just don't want to get in her way. No matter how tempted I want to do something about it." Miyuki groans in the end. Ai comforts her sister but taking her shoulder. "Then maybe there could be a different approach that won't involve any violence." She gives her an idea. Miyuki is willing to listen to what she has to say.
Inuyasha watches Kagome resting from being possessed by her cousin. He's not the patient one so he tries to distract himself by doing something else that Kagome wouldn't mind doing. He notices that the locket is exposed to him from Kagome's chest. He can see it pulsing rapidly. He yanks it off of the girl's neck without waking her up. He runs into the bathroom to get a bit of privacy. He still sees it keep pulsing. 'What is going on here?' He asks in his head. All of a sudden, the locket glows white. The glows begins to form Kikyo's body but at a much smaller scale than she was when possessing Kagome's body.
"What is the meaning of this, Inuyasha?" Kikyo's voice spoke angrily. Inuyasha can see the hurt in her eyes right away. "Your soul was affecting Kagome's body and you had to leave the host." Inuyasha said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I was aware of that. Why didn't my mother approved my choice to confront Tsubaki?" She is crossing her arms. Inuyasha shakes his head. "Think about it, Kikyo. do you think that it's right to get revenge for what she did to you?" Kikyo knows for sure that Inuyasha is right about it. "I know that if I did get revenge, it would taint my soul and cannot let that happen. All I want to confront her, not kill her."
Inuyasha should see this coming. "Confrontation and Killing are two different things, Kikyo." He tells her seriously. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Kikyo asks him calmly. Inuyasha sits on the toilet seat. "For what you're telling me is what you believe is the same thing. But it isn't. Confrontation is when you face someone, while killing is ending someone's life." He wisely explains the two words and their definitions. "And your point is?" Kikyo raise her thin brow. Inuyasha sighs at that remark. "All I'm trying to say that it's not worth it." He boldly admits his point.
Kikyo, being so calm throughout the time has finally flipped. "Not worth it? Inuyasha, do you have any idea what it was like for me? I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about our relationship and how it cost me my life. I know fully well how much you cared about me and I respected that." She screams from the top of her lungs. Inuyasha can tell she's very upset about this and has every right to be. Then it came to him. He didn't hear any reactions from around the house. The it makes sense, only he can hear or see her.
"If you were killed, Inuyasha. I would've done everything I could to bring whoever it was to justice." Kikyo tries to reason her opinion. "That's what you think Kikyo. But it doesn't work like that on the demon side. My father would know right off the bat who it was before the act happened. Even if you tried to confirm it, it wouldn't work on the human customs." He gives her his knowledge about the demon customs justice system. "But does the human custom system matter as well?" Inuyasha Kikyo has a point there. When it comes to punishments. If it's the human who was killed by another human, the demons have no right to say anything about it.
Inuyasha has to tell Kikyo about the two systems. If the demon or half demon is killed by a human, then both parties are involved, and they have to agree on how the murderer is punished based on the scenario. But if a demon is killed by another demon, then the human society is not to know anything about it because their laws are too complicated to understand.
Kikyo basically understand the topic but the demon customs was at a lost cause. She had no idea that such a society existed. "So then what should I do? If revenge is not to be done, what can I do instead?" Kikyo is now lost on what she should when she faces Tsubaki. Inuyasha doesn't know himself. He's not the person to ask for something like that. "If anyone has the answer, it'd be your mother." Inuyasha tells her confidently.
