In the heat of battle, Sebastian had slain many monsters. Although most of these were low-level, insignificant creatures, Ayame, as a wolf monster, gazed at him and saw something far more formidable, almost devilish, in his relentless slaughter. To the monster clan, Sebastian's feats were unparalleled; no one in the world could do what he did.
Yet, as they spent more time together, Ayame gradually realized that Sebastian wasn't as intimidating as she had initially believed. Surprisingly, he was quite easygoing. Despite his reputation as a demon exorcist, Sebastian didn't seem to harbor any hatred toward monsters. Instead, he approached them without prejudice, making it easy for her to get along with him.
After becoming acquainted with Sebastian, Ayame found herself completely at ease with the idea of serving as his attendant.
"Um," Sebastian acknowledged her gratitude with a slight nod, sensing her sincerity.
Though she had once trespassed on his territory, she hadn't done anything harmful; she even came to inform him of her presence. This was part of the reason she had survived until now. Sebastian, known for his decisive cuts and deadly precision, had kept her alive merely to punish her a little, not out of malice.
Following their first encounter, Ayame revealed her true purpose, and Sebastian chose to release her. However, Ayame didn't hear his words clearly; fear had silenced her, so she remained where she was, despite Sebastian's repeated assurances that she could leave. To her, this was merely a test. Sebastian, on the other hand, saw no reason to keep her confined.
Once she departed, Sebastian cast a glance out the window. Autumn had arrived, stripping the trees of their leaves, which blanketed the ground in a shimmering gold carpet. The persistent autumn rain had finally ceased.
"Ahem, you bastard! Is this your solution? If no one shows up, we'll be roasted alive!" Naraku shouted in panic as thick smoke billowed from the prison's vents.
Naraku, Onigumo, and Rasetsu clung to their clothes, stretching out from a small vent hole in the wall. They dabbed at their faces with water, then covered their mouths and noses. Onigumo and Rasetsu crawled on the ground, their bodies trembling.
Onigumo seized Naraku by the collar, coughing violently, his face contorted with pain and fury. "The fire's spreading! You're killing us all!"
"Stop this nonsense. We'll die sooner or later anyway," Naraku retorted coldly, indifferent to Onigumo's anger. "At least this way, we have a chance to escape the chaos."
Naraku knew that if they didn't act quickly, the hunters he had previously enticed would still be lurking nearby. Rasetsu's contacts with the robbers could spark a commotion, exposing their plans. If caught, their entire scheme would unravel. Even if those men didn't cause trouble, three months was too long; eventually, they'd be recognized. If not as wanted criminals, then dead by other means. Their only choice was to fight to the death; after all, death was inevitable, so survival became their ultimate goal.
When Naraku first arrived here, he had already seen their wanted posters plastered across the streets. The trio was notorious, and nearly the entire country was hunting for them.
This urgency explained Rasetsu's frantic handover of gold to Inuyasha during their patrol; he desperately wanted to avoid revealing their identities through prolonged entanglement. In any case, the risk of execution was high.
For now, the only glimmer of hope was that their identities hadn't yet been uncovered. But the longer they remained behind bars, the greater the chance of exposure. To prevent that, Naraku decided to act immediately. Using sticks and dry grass from the cell, they started a fire. Without hesitation, the ghost spider hurled the lit torch into the neighboring cell.
As flames grew and the structure began to collapse, Naraku's face twisted into a manic grin. He was gambling on a rescue. Before executing this reckless plan, he was prepared to be consumed by the blaze.
"Cough, cough, cough," Rasetsu covered his face, his bloodshot eyes peering through the thick smoke. Gripping his blade tightly, he cast a murderous glance at Naraku. This act was too extreme; neither their lives nor his own had been fully considered. When they had discussed escape plans earlier, Naraku had only offered this fiery solution. Rasetsu, always trusting Naraku, now felt a surge of anger.
But now was not the time for arguments. Suppressing his fury, Rasetsu suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside. Relief washed over him; perhaps their gamble was about to pay off.
"Ahem, what do we do now?" Rasetsu shifted and looked at the solid stone wall around them, a complex mixture of hope and dread swirling within him.
Earlier, both he and Onigumo had lamented how impenetrable the cell was, preventing any chance of escape. Now, if the walls had been weaker, they might have already been burned alive.
Naraku remained silent. The situation was too uncertain to act rashly. Only once they escaped the cell could they hope to proceed further. All his previous plans depended on getting out.
Suddenly, Naraku's mind drifted to Kikyō outside, her kindness, her strength. From rumors, he knew she was a compassionate priestess. If the fire threatened her, she might rush straight into danger. Priests and exorcists possessed extraordinary abilities; putting out a fire would be effortless for her. That thought was part of why Naraku dared to gamble.