Chapter 49: Kaijinbō's Evil Sword

It has been a couple hours since the battle with Goshinki, and as night falls over the barren village, we see two figures rushing out of the fog: Rin (now wearing a new kimono of light orange and pale yellow in a checkered pattern with a brown belt) and Jaken.

They were heading over to where the flesh and head of the dead demon was, with Jaken muttering between pants,

"These old legs can't keep up..."

Once they stop, Rin cheers with a double fist-pump,

"I beat you!"

"Doh, you fool, we weren't in a race!"

Rin then focuses on Goshinki's remains:

"Look at that, Master Jaken: It's a slain demon, just as Lord Sesshomaru explained to us."

"Who on earth could've done this?"

"Inuyasha."

"Huh?"

The imp and young girl turn around, as Sesshomaru emerges from out the mist:

"O-Oh, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Inuyasha did this, though I doubt he managed to escape unscathed."

Sesshomaru then picks up the head of Goshinki by the horn, causing Rin to scream. His focus, however, was on the scent he was picking up:

I can smell it on the demon's fangs: The scent of Tessaiga...

...Hm, so I was right: These fangs broke the sword in half.

A plan begins to form in his mind, as Sesshomaru slings the demon head over his shoulder and begins walking away:

"Come with me."

Jaken asks while Rin screams dramatically,

"We're taking the head with us?"

Ignoring Jaken's question, Sesshomaru then says calmly to Rin,

"Enough of that, Rin. Stop it."

She obeys without any hesitation:

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshomaru goes into thought over what had caused the demon currently in his hand to die:

The scent in the wind tells me what transpired here, but one thing baffles me...The scent of Inuyasha's blood has changed.

...It is not the smell of half-demon.

Inuyasha's blood has the same scent as my own blood, and of our father's.

Time Skip

Come a new day, we zoom in on a riverside, as Shippo digs into some cooked fish on a stick, sitting between Coraline and Freeman as they, Sango, Miroku, Kilala and Besa huddle around a small fire...

The odd one out is Inuyasha, who's sitting closer to the river with his broken Tessaiga laying on a small blanket...

When Tessaiga was bit in two, I was certain I was gonna die. My entire body was suddenly filled with the desire to live.

Next thing I knew...I killed Goshinki.

That's when I felt something strange. Something I never felt before...

He looks down at his hand:

Pure pleasure for killing Goshinki...

"...Inuyasha?"

"Huh?"

He then turns to see Coraline offering him something to eat:

"(Smile) Grilled fish. This one's all yours."

"Yeah? Thank you."

Shippo was there too, holding his own, and waves it while saying,

"Oh, snap out of it, would you? Quit moping over your broken sword!"

Before Inuyasha could retort in some way, Freeman came over and scooped up Shippo:

"Whah! Freeman!"

"Come on, little dude. Don't kick a man while he's down. Let's go back by the fire, 'kay?"

And he walks back with the fox demon in his arms, as Coraline hands Inuyasha the fish while commenting,

"...Huh. Freeman's a good Shippo distractor."

Inuyasha bites into his fish and replies,

"Keh, well, he's definitely keeping the runt in line, I'll give 'im that."

...Suddenly:

(Rumble...)

The sky darkens...before a lightning bolt crashes onto the ground!

"Uh!" "What the-?!"

...The dust clears, revealing a very familiar three-eyed cow:

(Mmmmooooooooo...)

Everyone steps over to get a look, Miroku identifying the animal:

"The bull that belongs to Tōtōsai, the swordsmith that forged Tessaiga." Sango wonders,

"It came alone?"

(Hop)

"Master Inuyasha!"

It was then that Myoga the Flea comes out from the bull's fur, and jumps onto Inuyasha's nose, sucking some blood...

(Slap)

He's then hit by the palm of an irritated Inuyasha, and floats down into the hand, Coraline saying,

"Myoga? You found us!" Miroku then asks,

"It is him. You were hiding out at Master Tōtōsai's place this whole time?"

"How rude! Making me sound like a coward!"

Inuyasha comments with a deadpan,

"Well you did run away..."

Coraline sighs, as Freeman and Besa step over to get a closer look at the newcomer:

"Huh, so you're Myoga?"

"Wow, Cora told us about you, but I wasn't sure what to expect..."

Myoga turns to address the twins:

"Hm? Oh, new faces! Heheh, and Coraline has told you two about me? Good things, I hope..."

"Mhm. My name is Freeman, and this is my twin brother, Besa."

"Nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, young man." Myoga then turns back to Inuyasha:

"Now where was I? Oh yes: Tell me what happened to Tessaiga!"

He then glances over where the broken blade laid:

"Gah, what's that?!" Inuyasha explains:

"A demon called Goshinki bit it in half while fighting him."

Myoga thinks to himself,

Just as I suspected. That explains why the scent of Inuyasha's blood has changed...

"My lord, please: You must take the pieces of the sword and go to Master Tōtōsai, Tessaiga's swordsmith!"

Inuyasha forms a confused look, but Coraline's face grew a hopeful smile:

"Are you saying that Tessaiga can be repaired?"

"Yes, yes! Now hurry, please, there's no time to lose! Mōmō the bull will take you to Master Tōtōsai's home!"

Inuyasha replies,

"Riiight..."

So with no hesitation, he gathers the Tessaiga's pieces and hops aboard Mōmō to seek out the swordsmith:

"Bye for now."

Time Skip, Coraline's POV

It's now nighttime, and we're all sitting around the fire as we finish informing Myoga of everything that's happened to us since we last connected...including what had happened to Inuyasha recently...

"My goodness, alot has happened to you all since we last chatted! To think, you traveled to Coraline's old village in her era..."

Freeman nods and replies to Myoga,

"Yeah, and if Besa and I hadn't taken that chance downtown, we probably wouldn't be here with everyone now. And sis has her own sword to learn how to handle."

I unsheathe ShatterSoul so Myoga can get a closer look:

"Here it is."

"Amazing...The craftsmanship is unlike anything I've seen before. I'm assuming this is how the humans of your origin country made them?"

"Mhm, or at least this is how Celts crafted a sword in the old days. I estimate that ShatterSoul was made sometime between the fourth and fifth century, during the Roman occupation of Britain, which would be about...I'd say roughly eleven or twelve centuries before now."

Shippo widens his eyes at the number and exclaims,

"Whoa! Does that mean your sword's older than Inuyasha's?!"

"There's a good chance. Anyway, it's not only used as a blade on its own, but by concentrating my Aura Energy to flow from myself into the sword, I can actually project an attack with my own Soul."

"Interesting...And this was how you killed this Bishop character, correct?"

I nod at Myoga:

"Yes...The attack left such a devastating impact on his body, that his Soul erupted out, and...I sliced it in two."

My eyes sharpen a bit from the memory:

"...A part of me is still, processing what I did. I had the scenario run through my head many times these last couple years on how, I would put Bishop to an end...but to do it in such a, destructive way...I don't regret killing him, of course. He needed to die, for not only causing my family pain, but the countless other victims he's dealt a wrong to...And yet, that moment, was when I felt so incredibly cold-blooded, I was worried I wasn't gonna recognize myself the next time I looked in the mirror."

Everyone looks at me in wonder from my words...I then add,

"I, saw that same look in Inuyasha's eyes in the aftermath of killing Goshinki: On the surface, it may have looked like he enjoyed it, but, there was a part of him questioning his judgement..."

Myoga hms, before asking me,

"And you were certain that Inuyasha went through this transformation?"

"Yes. Not only that, but, I could even see a change within his Aura...Tell us, Myoga, did this have to do with Tessaiga's shattering?"

"Yes, it does. As you are aware, Tessaiga was an heirloom that was left to Inuyasha by his father...The sword protects him from his enemies, but it has a second purpose: Keeping the demon inside locked up."

I widen my eyes, and Miroku and Besa ask,

"It keeps the demon locked inside Inuyasha?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Inuyasha's death is inevitable, once Tessaiga is broken...His strong desire to live, awakened the demon blood that flows through his veins..."

...Strong desire to live, awakening a monster...That sounds like, my night, with the wolves...

And when I killed Bishop...

Myoga continues:

"And even after Tessaiga is repaired, that demon part of Inuyasha, will be even harder to control, because now he has tasted the pleasure of brutally slaying a demon enemy."

...Could that mean, that the darkness of his Aura is beginning to brutalize on the light within him?

...Oh, Inuyasha...

I felt the bruise on my back act up, and I suck in some air through my teeth while rubbing my muscles a bit...

"Your back buggin' you again, Cor?"

I look up towards Freeman and reply,

"A bit, but not as bad as yesterday..."

"Mm...That was a real crazy thing to do, sis: Taking the bulk of the 'Sit' Command like you did."

Miroku nods in agreement:

"Yes. You could've seriously hurt yourself. It was lucky you wore enough layers of clothing, otherwise you may have ended up with worse than some bad bruising."

Myoga turns to look at me from my shoulder with surprise:

"You did what?! I don't remember that part of the tale...Coraline, why did you-"

"Because his Soul was in enough pain."

Everyone looks at me in confusion from my somewhat harsh statement, so I elaborate, my voice heavy:

"As I said already, I could see into his Aura as I approached him: Usually, it shines with a bright core, with essence spreading outward throughout the body from that center...But, yesterday...the darkness and light in his Aura, were clashing against one another, creating a pressure against the core, making it smaller and smaller..."

I shake a bit, and add in a softer tone,

"It, felt like I was watching a star die..."

Everyone's eyes dilate with concern at my form, Sango chiding my name...Lumos floats over and settles on my free shoulder, sending some soft moans to comfort me as I felt a few tears threatening to fall. I wiped them away, and continued:

"(Sniff) He was suffering spiritually, and I couldn't let him suffer physically too. I, I knew that I probably wasn't gonna be able to coax him with my voice alone...But, (Glare) I've come to hate using the Subjugation Beads on him. I know he has demon endurance, but that doesn't mean he can't feel some sort of pain when he drops to the ground face-down...I've, even been considering taking them off."

That caught everyone off-guard, and Shippo asks,

"Really?"

"Mhm. (Faint smile) But for now, I'll leave them alone. I know that in a twisted way, they've been keeping him in line...Still, I don't want to abuse their power. That's why you've all probably noticed that I've been trying ways to avoid using the 'S word' on him...Anyway, I knew that a jolt from the spell would help snap him out of it...but, I didn't want to hurt him. I know it was a dangerous idea, but it was the right one to me: I wanted to keep Inuyasha from feeling anymore pain, and if it means sharing the pain of those beads...I'd gladly do it over again. Plus, I think the experience has taught me a good lesson on how Inuyasha feels every time I do that to him, so I'm gonna work harder to find alternate ways of keeping him calm."

Everyone gapes at me in awe...

"Damn, Cor: You're amazing. A nutcase, but an amazing nutcase."

I laugh at Freeman's words, and Besa says to me with a serious look but small smile,

"Still, I'd avoid doing something like that again. Inuyasha's body may be able to take a punch from the beads, but I don't think your body can handle a second round."

"(Nod) Got it. I'll be smarter."

"Good...'cause while I applaud where your heart's coming from in your actions, you gotta remember your own health too. Need I remind you what happened during that guerilla raid at the docks?"

I cringe, as does Freeman, remembering the beating we took during our rescue mission with those other teens to save Rikona and some other children...

"What guerilla raid? What are you talking about, Besa?"

I look to see a confused expression spreading from Shippo all the way to Myoga, and I let out a puff of air before saying with a tired smile,

"Oh, that's right: I haven't told you guys the full story about what I did during my temporary eviction out of Edo in the aftermath of that battle with Sesshomaru. Well, bros, mind helping me tell our tale?"

They nod, and for the rest of the night, we tell that story, starting from them introducing me to Shuji, finding and returning his younger cousin Rikona, all the way to when we rescued her and how I was attacked for revenge by the same gangster leader...

Scene Shift: Tōtōsai's Cave, No POV

As everyone at the camp settled down for the night, we turn to the active volcanic mountainside, where Tōtōsai was wailing over his prized work's pieces, tears falling to the heated floor:

"O-Only a simpleton would allow this to happen!"

Inuyasha is sitting near the swordsmith, looking at him with a scowl...

"What has this fool done to you, my precious Tessaiga?!"

"Yeah yeah...Now can you stop bawlin' and start fixin' my sword?"

Tōtōsai glares at Inuyasha and retorts heatedly albeit seriously,

"Listen, youngster: It's not quite that simple!"

"H-Huh?! You mean, you can't fix it?!"

The swordsmith picks up the half of Tessaiga with the hilt with a humph:

"I am a master swordsmith: I can repair it over the course of three days. But, I'll require something to bond it."

"Like what?"

...Tōtōsai picks up a pair of clamps and asks,

"Open your mouth, won't you, Inuyasha?"

"Hm? (Opens mouth) Ho's thas?"

(...Yank)

Inuyasha's scream howls through the mountainside, after Tōtōsai pries out one of his own fangs!

"Well, this fang will have to do..."

(Whack)

Inuyasha slaps Tōtōsai's head and asks angrily,

"What'd you do that for?!"

"Quit your whinin'! Your tooth will grow back in a mere half a day!"

"Good. You're gettin' to be a real pain in the neck, old man. You've got three days to bring me my repaired sword!"

"Hm? Why do I have just three days?"

Inuyasha replies in a strain to the swordsmith's senile demeanor,

"Because that's how long you said you'd need to fix it!"

...Tōtōsai clamps a fist on his open palm when his memory jolts:

"Aaah..."

Inuyasha then takes his leave out of the cave:

"Yeah. I'm countin' on ya, old man. Later."

"Goodbye. I promise not to let you down."

Meanwhile, in an Unknown Location...

We see Sesshomaru and Jaken (Rin was not with them due to the area being too dangerous for her) walking through a dark forest filled with barren trees, bubbling ooze-filled pools that contained random skeletal remains, their specific destination being a hut situated in the middle...

Inside, we see a man with tanned skin, bushy eyebrows and balding black hair, small horns on the top of his head, sharp teeth, and wearing a dark blue kimono with a necklace of skulls around his neck, slurping some sake from a bowl while laying on his side...

He then senses the presences of the travelers:

"Hm?"

The door flaps open, and Sesshomaru enters with Jaken close behind. The man asks,

"Who are you?"

"...You are Kaijinbō, I take it? The smith who forged too many deviant swords, and was banished by his master, Tōtōsai."

"Tōtōsai, you say? The sound of his name is still enough to make my blood boil."

(Thud)

Sesshomaru lightly tosses the head of Goshinki onto the ground in front of the swordsmith:

"How 'bout it, Kaijinbō? I would have you forge a sword for me, with the fangs of this demon."

Kaijinbō takes a closer look at the head, before glaring up at Sesshomaru:

"Don't take me for a fool. I cannot make a sword from something that is already dead."

Sesshomaru then unsheathes Tenseiga, and Kaijinbō backs a bit, while Jaken wonders,

Is Lord Sesshomaru willing to use Tenseiga, the Sword of Healing?

...Sesshomaru casts his eyes down at the head, and the power of his sword grants him the second sight to see the imp demons of the dead:

I can see the messengers from the Netherworld.

(Slash)

He cuts down on the demons, and a few seconds later...

(...Gleam)

The eyes of the demon head glow red!

There's also a brief glow of spectral blue that lined the head, before disappearing as quickly as it came...Kaijinbō was impressed:

"The demon's head has come back to life!"

"Allow me to explain something, Kaijinbō: This sword, Tenseiga, was forged by the same master who banished you some time ago, and the fangs of the demon laid before you broke Tessaiga, a sword that was also forged by Tōtōsai."

That's all Kaijinbō needed to hear:

"Incredible. Yes, these fangs will form a powerful sword..."

Time Skip, Inuyasha Camp

About two days pass, and Inuyasha has been waiting with everyone else for Tōtōsai to come by with the hopefully repaired Tessaiga. In the meantime, Coraline and her brothers have spent their time doing some training with their weapons, as well as improve their skills at hand-to-hand combat by practicing drills from their martial classes back in Tokyo...

Now, as the stars come out for another clear night in Edo, Coraline (wearing a black tank-top, blue jeans and her combat boots, her hair tied back in a low ponytail with a blue scrunchie) was gathering some more water in her canteen with Shippo:

"You and your brothers were on fire today, Coraline!"

"Haha, thanks, Shippo. I definitely felt the burn during our hand-to-hand combat: Freeman almost kicked my arse a few times..."

The two laugh, and Coraline lets out a puff of air before remarking,

"To think it's been two days since Inuyasha came back from Tōtōsai's. From what I understand, Tessaiga should be fixed by tomorrow."

"(Sigh) This couldn't have happened at a worse time. It's gonna be a looong night..."

And why would Shippo make such a characterization? Well, not only would this be a cloudless, star-filled night, but it was also the night of the full moon...Which means that sitting by the fireside tonight, would be a black-haired, human Inuyasha:

"Damn him. I wish Tōtōsai would hurry up and bring me the sword..."

Sango was staring at Inuyasha's form with bewilderment:

"My. He looks like an ordinary human now..."

Miroku smiles at Sango and replies,

"I guess you didn't know this about Inuyasha: I heard this happens to him, but this is the first time I'm actually seeing it myself..."

He then gets up and walks behind Inuyasha for an explanation:

"You see, half-demons like Inuyasha lose their powers on one given night and are rendered mortals..."

He then stretches Inuyasha's mouth open:

"Look here: No fangs, as you see. Very interesting, wouldn't you agree?"

Inuyasha shakes Miroku off and barks,

"Could you get your kicks somewhere other than in my face?!"

"My apologies."

Inuyasha huffs and turns his head away, and Miroku adds,

"If he were to be attacked on such a night, his life would be in danger. So nights when Inuyasha loses his powers must be kept strictly secret."

Freeman and Besa (the first wearing a black muscle tank-top with gray cargo pants and high-tops, while the second wore a green t-shirt with black cargo pants and high-tops), who were also sitting by the fire and listening intently, nod firmly before saying,

"Our lips are sealed."

Inuyasha then turns to Miroku and asks with a suspicious tone,

"And how is it that you know, Miroku?"

He then looks over...and sees Shippo peeking out from behind a boulder upon returning with Coraline from the river with a guilty look on his face...

"Shippo, it was you!"

Inuyasha then pins the fox demon to the ground by his head:

"Let, go, that, hurts!"

"You blabbermouth! I should'a known that you'd go around telling everyone!"

"I didn't, mean to do any harm!"

"That should go without saying, isn't it?"

He finally stands up, letting Shippo go, and curses to himself:

"Damn, this is great. Every time I turn around, more people know about my little secret."

"So?"

"Hm?"

He looks to his right and sees Coraline with the full canteen in her hand, flashing a small smile:

"At least the people who do know are good people you can trust, friends you can count on."

"...Hmph."

Inuyasha decides to head away from the fire for a while, and settles at a hillside with wildflowers growing in moonlight, and do some hard thinking:

When I turn mortal like this, I'm overcome by strong human emotions.

It'll be good riddance to those feelings once I become a full-fledged demon...

(...Step, step)

"Inuyasha?"

He turns to see Coraline approaching with two small bottles of soda...

Then again, if I do become a full demon, how will I react to Coraline and the others?

"(Extends hand) Here. It's your favourite flavour too."

She and him were then sitting beside one another, and after a few minutes, she asks casually,

"You sure you wanna be wanderin' far from camp tonight?"

"Kuh, spare me. Everybody needs a little time to think, and I'm no exception..."

He then turns to see Coraline looking at him with a small frown:

"...What's with you?"

"Inuyasha...are you, still intending to become a full-fledged demon? I mean, I still stand by your decision when the time comes, but...(Sigh) I, got scared by what was happening to you the other day..."

Inuyasha replies with a scowl,

"You should've been scared of the demon! If I hadn't transformed like I did, you all would've been slaughtered by Goshinki!"

"...That's, not what I mean. It wasn't your physical changes, or how dangerous the situation was..."

Inuyasha wonders to himself, noting the fear in her eyes,

...Did I really look that terrifying?

"It's just...from what I saw, in both sides of my vision, it looked like you were being pulled away from me...Like, you were forgetting who I was, and who you were..."

Inuyasha stares at Coraline, as his mind wanders to what he felt during his transformation:

When I transformed the other day, my heart was...

He tries to brush it off:

"Come on. Don't be so stupid. I'm still the same guy no matter what happens to me. I wouldn't forget about you, Miroku, or the others..."

...Coraline half-smiles and nods a bit:

I sure hope so...Please, Inuyasha, hold onto us in your heart, as tightly as you can...

"...So, how's that bruise on your back?"

"Hm?"

She snaps out of her thoughts to Inuyasha's asking, seeing the hidden concern in his brown eyes:

"Oh, um...(Smile) I'm doin' alright. It just acts up a bit if I stretch too hard...Heh, although with what my bros and I have been doin' these past two days, it can't be helped if I'm gonna end up with sore muscles."

"Right, you guys have been training your fighting skills...Why did you do that, Coraline? Why did you go down with me on that 'Sit Command'?"

Coraline looks down for a minute...before replying in a soft tone,

"Two reasons mainly: One, you were under enough stress with your transformation, and I didn't want you to feel anymore pain, so I decided to share the bulk of the impact this time...and Second, (Bitter smile) I've come to hate the power of the Subjugation Beads, and I've been trying to come up with alternate methods to avoid using the 'S Word'...I guess, this time was just a bit more physical."

Inuyasha looks at Coraline with wonder:

She, didn't want me to feel more pain? And she hates the beads?

...Coraline...

"...Damn it, woman. I'm suppose to be protecting you from pain, not the other way around."

Coraline counters,

"Why does it have to be the one way? Why can't we both protect eachother?"

"Because...because...well, um..."

Coraline smirks a bit at Inuyasha's response:

"Havin' trouble forming a sentence there, hotshot?"

"...Shut up."

She laughs a little, before saying quietly,

"...But seriously, I have come to despise those beads on your neck, Inuyasha. They might've been, a good precaution in the beginning of our adventure with how, rocky, our relationship was...but now...I dunno..."

Coraline turns to face him with a sad expression, but with a hidden anger directed at the necklace:

"Maybe, I should take those things off..."

"Uh..."

Just as she reaches to remove the beads:

(Grasp)

"Stop."

"Huh?"

Inuyasha gently takes her approaching hands into his, preventing her from her plans...Coraline looks at him in confusion:

"...Inuyasha?"

"You...don't have to do that...They, can stay on, for now."

"...Why would y-"

"It's been a while since you actually said the incantation, and...(Sigh) I guess in some respects, these damn beads have been keeping me somewhat grounded and from doing anything too crazy..."

He then looks up at her with seriousness shining in his brown irises:

"But you on the other hand, have been goin' a bit far in avoiding using the 'S Word'. Coraline, while I appreciate the care in these, alternate methods, you could really hurt yourself one day, and that would be more painful for me to watch than the change of view when I drop from the force of the incantation."

"...Inuyasha, I..." He lets her hands go and lets out a puff of air before saying,

"Coraline. Just, promise me that you won't do that again, okay? You got lucky walking off with just a bad bruise, but who knows what could happen next time..."

Coraline was taken aback by how serious and worried Inuyasha sounded...before smiling and nodding:

"I promise. Not again."

"Good."

Both bodies turn to look up at the stars, and Coraline's hand reaches to lay on top of Inuyasha's, as they settle into a more comfortable silence...

Jaken's POV

I come back on my lord's behalf to retrieve the sword of the demon head that was promised to him:

"Kaijinbō! Three days have passed!"

I begin entering the home:

"Have you completed the sword forged from the demon's fangs?"

...Next thing I knew:

(SLICE)

No POV

Jaken's body falls into two halves, as Kaijinbō replies a bit darker than usual,

"Yes..."

We see that the blade forged (double-edged straight with a wide tip and narrow base, and a yellow cross guard with a yellow round pommel tied with red thread) had a red glow abound, and the swordsmith's eyes gleaming similarly:

"This is a magnificent demon sword..."

...After a while, Sesshomaru comes by to find out why Jaken had not returned to him...only to find the latter's body inside the swordsmith's home:

"...This must be the work of Kaijinbō."

He then unsheathes his Tenseiga, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the imps clinging to Jaken's body...before:

(SLASH)

Once swipe of the sword destroys the messengers of the dead...and Jaken's eyes blink back to life!

"Uuh...I'm alive. But, how can that be? Wasn't I drawn in half?"

He looks over his shoulder, and sees the lower half of his body not attached to him:

"I-I-I knew it...!"

"...Let's go, Jaken."

"Guh?"

"Pull yourself together quickly."

As Sesshomaru sheathes Tenseiga, Jaken asks,

"M-My lord, is it possible that you revived me with your Tenseiga?"

"Who other is capable of bringing back someone from the dead?"

Jaken's eyes shine with happiness as he replies,

"N-No one, my lord."

"Has Kaijinbō completer my sword?"

"Yes, my Lord Sesshomaru. He has forged a sword from the fangs of the slain demon...But I must add that his eyes have become most fearful, as if, as if he had been possessed by the sword itself..."

"...Hm, interesting."

Back at the Inuyasha Gang's Camp

While Coraline, Shippo, Sango and Kilala have settled into sleep in their respected pairs, Inuyasha, Miroku and the twins were still awake...

"Inuyasha."

Said half-demon turns to Miroku who adds,

"Perhaps you should get some sleep."

"Miroku...Aw, come off it: Leave me alone, I've never once gone to sleep when I've transformed into a mortal."

Besa raises an eyebrow:

"Really? That doesn't sound very healthy for your sleep cycle..."

Freeman waves his hand at his brother:

"Oh, leave the man be. It's just one night, Besa. It's not like he goes long periods without sleeping like soldiers in the trenches during the war."

"I guess so..."

Miroku then asks Inuyasha teasingly,

"Too sacred to go to sleep~?"

Inuyasha makes a face, before smirking a bit back at Miroku while replying,

"Right, I'm scared. So what?"

"As long as you're being honest..."

"...We can relate to the feeling."

"Hm?"

Inuyasha and Miroku turn to Freeman and Besa, occupying small smiles of bitterness as they spoke:

"Nighttime vulnerability is something we still combat, even now that we're living in Tokyo."

"The neighbourhood we occupy isn't one of the safest places to live: Lots of gangster traffic and, there was even a murder or two near our apartment during our first two years..."

Inuyasha widens his eyes a bit, as does Miroku:

"And you two are still living in an area like that?"

"Have you considered finding another place to live?"

Freeman and Besa reply,

"That's just it: Housing isn't cheap in Japan anymore, especially for two teenagers trying to make it on our own."

"We were lucky enough to get the apartment room for a decent price that didn't run our money dry, thanks our friend Shuji...I'll admit, sometimes I wish we lived somewhere like Cora's nieghbourhood where the people aren't so hostile, but that's just the way the ball bounced for us."

The twins then shiver a bit as they thought back to before they came to Tokyo:

"It's no more different than where we used to live: People made questionable life choices, like smuggling illegal substances or going into scam artistry, and it sometimes rebounded on them and others, making the area unsafe to walk through without using the buddy system, especially after the sun goes down...At least now we only have to worry about strangers and not, angry family members."

Freeman's frown became a bit pained:

"...To this day, I still can't sleep without knowing Besa's next to me thanks to, our old man combing into my room when I was little and beating the crap out of me for, reasons that can't be rationalized by any decent person..."

"Mostly 'cause of you liking men and not women, right?"

Freeman nods at Inuyasha, and both the latter and Miroku look at the twins with surprise...Besa wraps an around Freeman in a brotherly fashion with a faint smile and muses,

"But nighttime vulnerability isn't as bad when you got good people with you. Makes you feel like, you got a safety bubble that won't pop until morning..."

Inuyasha hms, then sits back and says with a more serious look,

"I think I get what you mean...But still: A lot of enemies are after me. If any of them attacked me when I'm human like this, I don't stand a chance in Hell."

Miroku replies,

"There might just be a lesson to learn from all this..."

...It was then that he and Inuyasha pick up on something in the atmosphere, and Kilala emits a growl, before Sango blinks awake:

"Miroku? Something in the air..."

Miroku nods, and Sango sits up:

"An evil Aura..."

Coraline snaps awake, and darts her head up, her eyes aglow as Lumos pops out of her satchel, blinking red in warning:

"...Dangerous energy. I sense, vengeance, resentment...and a lust for blood."

...There then came a series of slashes throughout the trees, and just as Miroku and Inuyasha rush upfront to the action...Kaijinbō appears, his body surrounded by a blinding red light for a split second, before it fades away, leaving a shallow crater...

"Which one is Inuyasha?"

Everyone was on the defense by this point, and Inuyasha asks back,

"Why? Who wants to know?"

"(Chuckle) My name is Kaijinbō. I'm a swordsmith."

"A swordsmith?"

"I forged this sword, the Tokijin, and now it cries for the taste of blood from Inuyasha."

Inuyasha glares at Kaijinbō and asks himself,

Why has this smith come after me?

...It was then that the sword throbs a ring of the red light, to which Coraline and her brothers noticed:

"...Did you see that?"

"Yeah, the sword throbbed..."

"It's like, the sword has life..."

Kaijinbō directs the blade's point towards Inuyasha:

"So you are Inuyasha. The sword has told me so. How disappointing: I was expecting a demon, yet instead I'm faced with a mere mortal."

Miroku asks,

"Inuyasha, have you ever wronged this swordsmith that you know of?"

"No."

"(Turn) You heard the man."

"(Chuckle) As I have said, it is the sword that thirsts for his blood. Tokijin was forged from the fangs of the demon that broke your Tessaiga, the sword that was created by old Tōtōsai."

Inuyasha's eyes widen:

"He used Goshinki's fangs? The same monster that bit my sword in half?"

Coraline then says,

"This explains why I sensed that strong resentment and vengeance in the demon Aura...And why it felt so familiar..."

Sango adds to Inuyasha,

"That means that the sword is filled with Goshinki's hatred of you."

"Huh, I've heard all that I need to. Prepare yourself, Kaijinbō!"

Inuyasha begins running in a charge towards the smith:

"I'll hack you to pieces!"

But he's stopped by the head of Miroku's staff, who would reply after Sango,

"Escape while you can, Inuyasha."

"Sango and I will take care of this demon."

As slayer and monk charge to attack, Coraline, Shippo and the twins come over to Inuyasha:

"You don't stand a chance right now!"

"Inuyasha, please, don't charge into a battle that'll get you killed."

"They're right, man." "Just stay back."

Inuyasha curses, but does as they urge, as Sango makes the first move:

"Hiraikotsu!"

(Toss, spin...)

Though it does hit the blade, it does not knock it out of Kaijinbō's hand:

"Ah. Pity about your poor aim."

(Spin...)

Just as Hiraikotsu comes back on the rebound...

"Hrah!"

(Raise, TOK)

Tokijin cuts it right down the middle! Sango was stunned, and Coraline mutters in surprise,

"Sango's weapon...!"

Kaijinbō chuckles and jeers in a mocking tone,

"You fool..."

It would be Miroku's turn:

"I'll admit your sword is formidable, which is why I'll have to resort, to this!"

(Toss)

Miroku then sends out a sutra, which plasters to Kaijinbō's head, stunning him, just as the former leaps forward with his staff:

"Farewell!"

(Whack)

His hit is true, and the sutra's power leaves a devastating head injury:

(...Thud)

Shippo and Freeman cheer,

"He did it!" "Way to go, Miroku!"

Coraline says with an impressed smile,

"Hm, his sutra work's definitely better than Grandfather's. I never expected his spiritual powers to be that great."

...Unfortunately, the battle wasn't through yet:

(...Pulse)

Tokijin throbs...and the hand wielding it twitches, before the rest of the body follows, to which Inuyasha would warn about:

"Behind you, Miroku!"

Miroku whirls back around, just as Kaijinbō rises to his feet, sword at the ready:

"Raaaaaarhhhh!"

(Swing)

Luckily, Miroku was faster, and dodges the slash attack, retreating back a couple feet. Kaijinbō speaks:

"(Laugh) Tokijin is invincible! No enemy can match it!"

Inuyasha focuses on the pulsing sword:

My enemy isn't Kaijinbō: It's the sword!

As the sky begins to lighten, the night wearing thin, Kaijinbō laughs again and boasts,

"Playtime is over!"

Shippo exclaims,

"He's acting as if nothing happened even though his head has split open!"

Coraline realizes,

"...Because Tokijin is in control: It harbours the remaining Aura Essence of Goshinki, and that Aura is screaming for retribution!"

"Come for me, Inuyasha! Or are you completely paralyzed by fear? Will you run and hide like a child?"

Inuyasha growls, and Shippo and Besa urge,

"Inuyasha, don't let him lure you into battle."

"Kaijinbō's not in his right mind: That blade has obviously taken away his senses."

"Well, I'm not gonna fall for any tricks like that. But the thing is, I'm the only one he's come after..."

Inuyasha then removes Shippo from his shoulder, and hands him to Besa with a small shove, before charging forward:

"And I'm not gonna run and hide!" Coraline tries to call him back:

"Inuyasha, wait!" Shippo mutters from Besa's arms,

"Why does he have to always be so stubborn?"

...Suddenly:

(Crash)

There came a bolt of lightning that hits the ground between Inuyasha and Kaijinbō, revealed as Tōtōsai riding on Mōmō:

(Mmmmooooooooo...)

Sango and Miroku address him:

"Tōtōsai..."

"Have you repaired the Tessaiga?"

"I should've known you would have somethin' to do with all this commotion..."

Inuyasha hops on top of Mōmō to get his sword:

"You're late, or maybe you haven't noticed. (Grab) Thank, you."

(Leap)

But just as he readies to draw, Myoga hops onto Inuyasha's shoulder and says,

"Master, don't do it!"

"What?"

"The sword will not transform for you when you're in your human form without your demonic powers!"

Meanwhile, Tōtōsai turns to speak with his former pupil:

"It's been a long time since we met, Kaijinbō."

"I took you for dead, Tōtōsai."

"(Glare) You've been busy crafting another wicked sword, haven't you, Kaijinbō?"

"(Chuckle) Tōtōsai, I shall prove to you without a doubt which one of us is the better swordsmith."

Miroku asks,

"Tōtōsai, tell me: Are you familiar with this Kaijinbō person?"

"Yes. He was once my disciple. I managed him a long time ago. He was most unorthodox: He killed ten innocent children for his sword. What a retched beast. He covered the blade in human blood and oil in order make it seethe with hatred."

Kaijinbō points Tokijin towards their direction:

"Draw your sword, Inuyasha! I shall crush Tōtōsai's creation before his very eyes!"

Inuyasha unsheathes Tessaiga:

"Huh, I won't waste any time doin' you and that sword of yours in."

(Leap)

Everyone else comes over to where Tōtōsai and Miroku were, and Shippo says,

"Master Tōtōsai: I hope that you've made Tessaiga even stronger than it was before..."

"Perhaps a little."

Coraline and Sango urgently reply,

"A little might not be enough!"

"Kajinbō's sword, Tokijin, is full of hatred forged from the fang that broke the Tessaiga."

Tōtōsai turns to focus on the battle, as Inuyasha comes swinging at Kaijinbō with Tessaiga:

"Hrrraaaaahhhhh!"

(Clang)

The blades meet, and energy sparks from the impact, before Inuyasha is thrown back from the power:

"Aaaah!"

(Thud, slide)

"Inuyasha!"

He manages to rise to his feet somewhat, using Tessaiga to steady himself, as Kaijinbō charges at him:

"I may as well put an end to you! Hrrrah!"

(Clang)

Inuyasha blocks the Tokijin, and there's a struggle of opposing strengths, before Inuyasha shoves Kaijinbō back!

They swing their sword points at one another, before Kaijinbō hops back a few feet. Inuyasha then comments,

"Well that's a relief, Tessaiga. You seem even more powerful than before..."

Shippo exclaims,

"It didn't break!" Tōtōsai replies,

"Nope. Didn't expect it would."

But Coraline notes,

"Still, even with Tessaiga's new endurance, Inuyasha can't wield his blade properly while he's in his human form."

Besa replies,

"That might not be a problem for much longer. (Point) Look at the sky."

Coraline, Shippo and Freeman do, and softly gasp, seeing that morning was almost here:

"The sun...!"

"It's going to rise!"

"Inuyasha still has a chance...!"

Meanwhile, Kaijinbo laughs mockingly and says to Inuyasha,

"Your body will give in long before your sword does." The latter retorts,

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kaijinbō. That sword of yours may be pretty strong, but you're not nearly skilled enough to wield it."

...The sky lights up even more, and a mysterious wind passes through Inuyasha's black hair:

"You should've killed me while you had the chance..."

His nails then extend back into claws, and his hair shifts from black to silver-white:

"Before I became a demon again."

Shippo and Freeman say with smiles,

"He's transforming back!"

"The sun's finally shining!"

Now that he was back in his demon form, Inuyasha readies for round two:

"I'm gonna test out Tessaiga's new blade, and you're first!"

He calls on the sword's power to transform into a fang again...but suddenly:

(Sway)

(Tang)

Inuyasha's arm tips downward with the weight of the sword, causing it to hit the ground. He turns his head back and asks,

"Hey, Tōtōsai, what the hell did you do to my sword, ya old conger?"

Coraline tilts her head in confusion:

Huh, that's strange. Inuyasha's usually able to hold the blade upright no problem...

"Answer me, old man! What did you do to my sword?!"

Tōtōsai scratches his head and asks back,

"Hm, what, are you havin' some kind of problem?"

"Incase you hadn't noticed, why is this thing so heavy?!"

"Oooh. It must have something to do with that fang of yours I used. Pay it no mind."

Kaijinbo chuckles and comments,

"No good having a sword you can't even hold. I'll slice you in half, Inuyasha!"

He then begins charging blade-first at the struggling dog-demon, and Tōtōsai calls,

"Ya might wanna raise your sword!"

Coraline retorts,

"Well, duh, but that's easier said than done!"

Inuyasha mutters in a strain,

"Damn that old man," and manages to pull the sword over his shoulder, before charging at Kaijinbō:

"Aaaaarrrrgghhh!"

And the blades meet, beginning the next round...