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Would anyone here be so kind as to tell those of us without access to the manga about the events that lead up to her death? How she died and any bit of mourning or closure (probably private) afterward?

At the end of chapter 462, Kagome is shocked to find that the Jewel is now inside of Kikyo's body. In chapter 463, with the help of Kagome's sacred arrow, Kikyo purifies the Jewel, and fires the arrow out of her body and at Naraku. His shouki is only able to corrupt half of the Jewel, and Kikyo's spiritual power and Naraku's jyaki begin to battle within the Jewel.

However, Naraku's darkness proves too powerful and overcomes Kikyo's power, completely corrupting the Jewel. Kikyo weakly tells Kagome that the rest is up to her, and that the bow from Mt. Asuza now belongs to Kagome. Shocked, Kagome asks what Kikyo means, but before the miko can continue, Naraku claims that Kikyo's lost to his jyaki and he strikes out at her with one of his tentacles. Inuyasha slashes through it before it reaches Kikyo and Kagome, but Naraku merely laughs and tells Inuyasha that he'll need to start thinking of how to defeat him without Kikyo.

Sesshoumaru, in an overgrown field with Kohaku and Rin, comments that the scent on the wind has changed, and that it is too late. Kaede also notices some sort of change, noting that the sunset is the color of blood.

With Naraku gone, a devastated Inuyasha holds a content Kikyo in his arms with his hair covering his face. Inuyasha then asks the others to leave them in private. Kagome has her face in her hands, attempting to hide her tears as she laments over being unable to save Kikyo. In thought, Kikyo wishes for Kagome not to cry, for she feels her soul has finally been saved.

Alone together, smiling, Kikyo tells Inuyasha of how she wished to become an ordinary woman when the Jewel vanished. Inuyasha tells her that ever since he was born, Kikyo was the very first woman that he loved. His tears splatter on Kikyo's cheek, and she comments that this is the first time she's seen him make such a face and cry.

At that, Inuyasha cries that he was unable to save her. With his tears splattering on her face, Kikyo continues to smile at him, saying that he came for her and that was good enough. He then looks at her tearfully. She is still smiling up at him lovingly, her first real smile in a long while, and Inuyasha kisses Kikyo one final time. Kikyo calls his name in her thoughts as she looks at him with tear-filled eyes.

Still smiling, Kikyo peacefully disappears into a bright cluster of souls and light, which the Shinidamachuu whirl around as it glows among the group. Shippo says that it looks as if her soul is bidding farewell to them all, and Kagome notices how warm it is. The Shinidamachuu then carrys Kikyo's soul into the sky. Inuyasha is mournful as he looks into the sky, but says that Kikyo will not suffer anymore, and that her soul doesn't want them to mourn. Kikyo's last departing words are a promise that she'll always protect Inuyasha.