Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original characters and plot are the property of Chiaztolite, who is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary of Previous Chapter: Sesshōmaru learned the true nature of his parents' relationship with Izayoi. He urged Kagome to explore her feelings for Inuyasha.

Author's Note: Please note this chapter contains references to self-harm / suicide. The following chapter could be potentially triggering. Please be forewarned.

The Way to Elysium

Chapter 18: Mark of the Death God

Izayoi's Elysium: the Palace in the Sky

The moon was high in the sky when they started walking back towards the main house. Kagome was quiet and subdued during the remainder of their stroll. Sensing the miko still had matters to work out on her own, Sesshōmaru decided to not disturb her with further chatter.

When they reached the main courtyard, he had expected her to excuse herself to return to her room, but she did not. She asked him if she could borrow a jacket to ward off the night chill so they could continue to 'hang out'. The term she used was peculiar, but he understood she meant for them to spend more time together. He told her she could get whatever she needed from his wardrobe in his room, if all she required was a light haori to keep her warm. He had seen some pieces of clothing from his younger days. Undoubtedly, she would be able to find something that suited her.

Of course, he restrained from telling her his mokomoko would do a much better job than any haori.

Sitting down on a bench in the garden closest to his room, he waited for the miko to return. He looked up when he caught the scent of plum blossoms, even though there were no plum trees in his vicinity. His keen eyes caught a glimpse of something pink as it stopped abruptly and retreated into the shadows behind some bushes.

"Lady Izayoi," he called out to her. "There is no need for you to hide. Or leave, for that matter."

The woman did not move for a long time. He started to think she was hoping he would forget about her if she stayed still long enough. But eventually, she emerged.

Just as he remembered her, she still wore the very formal jūnihitoe: the twelve-layered robe, all in various shades of pink with only a small amount of spring green peeking through the layers in various places. She looked a little sheepish as she regarded him.

"I apologize —" she said. "I did not intend to disturb Sesshōmaru-sama's rest."

Eyes narrowing at her unnecessary concern, he turned up his nose at her. "Hnn. This Sesshōmaru is not so fragile. Stay if you like. Besides—" He stared at the human woman. "I have been informed this is your realm. In that sense, I am a guest in your dominion, and I have been educated better than to be discourteous to my host."

She glanced at the stone bench opposite him and made a gesture at it with her hand.

"May I?"

"If you wish."

Izayoi sat down and folded her hands demurely on her lap. "I kept your room exactly as it was at your mother's," she said. "I hope Sesshōmaru-sama finds everything to your liking."

He stared at her coldly before turning away. "If you knew anything about me, or my mother, you would have known that I scarcely visit her. I have no room in her palace, and thus have no opinion on it one way or another."

He would have continued to look away had he not heard her soft, suppressed chuckle.

"I am sorry," she said when she noticed his affronted glare. "It's just that—" She lowered her sleeve and smiled. The colour on her cheeks was slightly heightened. "Sesshōmaru-sama. You sound… exactly the way I have always imagined you would."

Have always imagined?

"Why would you be imagining the way I sound?" This time, curiosity — not indignation — won.

"You are the son of the person I love. Surely, some curiosity is natural."

He looked away again. "Hnn. You could have asked my father, I suppose—"

She interrupted him gently. "I was not referring to your father."

He took in a deep breath. His presumption that his father committed infidelity with Lady Izayoi had been so deeply ingrained that, for a moment, he had forgotten the truth.

"I can understand the attraction towards my father," he said. "But— my mother? What led to the two of you becoming lovers?"

"The truth is, Sesshōmaru-sama—" Izayoi said, still smiling. "Your mother… she saved me from drowning."

He frowned. "Literally, you mean?"

She chuckled. "Literally, and figuratively." She folded her hands demurely on her lap. "My tales of woes were not so different from so many others like me. Since birth, I was groomed to be the perfect lady, prepared to be married off to further my father's political ambition. When I reached a suitable age, a marriage with a local daimyō was arranged and, for a while, it looked like my fate was sealed. I was to be a breeding vessel for a man old enough to be my grandfather. To smile and bear it until any hopes and dreams are far beyond recall, or die. Whichever comes first."

Izayoi laughed softly. For the first time, Sesshōmaru detected bitterness in the sound she made, and in her scent. The acrid smell of burning hair tainting the pure sweetness of plum blossom fragrance.

"To be perfectly honest, I felt like the lowliest of insect, crawling through life with no discernible purpose. I wanted much more for myself, but I knew of no way, and no hope, to achieve it. I felt there was nothing to live for, and so I wanted to die. It was going to be first and the last choice I ever made for myself."

She lifted her head to stare at the moon. "On a night like any other, I ran to the lake not far from my home and waded into the water. The weight of my garments alone drowned me. As I slowly sank to the bottom of the lake, my eyes were wide open, and I marvelled at the beautiful moon I could see from beneath the water.

"Suddenly, a large, white dog flew by. As I watched with amazement, her eyes met mine. At that moment, I lost the last breath I had in my body, and I started to panic. I thought I was ready. But in the end, I struggled. My hands flailed, as though I was trying to catch the moon in my grasp. The dog swooped down, fished me right out, and dropped me off on solid ground. Lo and behold, once I finished coughing all the lake water trapped in my lungs, I realized — the giant dog had turned into a female. The most beautiful, magnificent female I had ever laid eyes on."

Izayoi smiled softly, as though she was recalling the most precious memory she ever stored in her brain. "She called me names and cursed me for my foolishness, of course. The next night, I went to the same lake. As though by design, your mother was there too. We struck a conversation. At the end of it, we promised each other we would meet again at the same place.

"At first, it was only friendship. She was the only person I could speak to without the fear of being judged and criticized, or found lacking. With her, I could slip off the suffocating mask I was forced to wear day by day and simply be myself. To have found someone who sees the real me and accepts me the way I am… For me, it truly is a gift."

"My mother… is that person for you?" Sesshōmaru asked, half in disbelief.

She nodded, her blush darkening.

"Soon after, my admiration for your mother grew into love. She was everything I was not: proud, independent, strong. Fierce. Capable of things I could only dream of. All I ever wanted was to be forever by her side. But, well —" She chuckled briefly. "She was already mated to a very powerful male: the Great Dog General who ruled over the western territories. Your father. I knew they had a very strong bond, the kind I could never have with her. Even though I knew I could not compete with your father, I still wanted to be with her anyway."

"And my father — he accepted this straightaway?"

Sesshōmaru was most curious about his father'a immediate reaction. Yōkai, by nature, were selfish, egotistical creatures. He was surprised to learn his father had been willing to share his mate with someone else. It did not matter that 'someone else' was another female.

"Naturally, your mother would not enter any relationship with me without your father's approval. And, my, he was very stern. I quite feared him when we first met. He asked me only one question: why I fell in love with your mother. But as soon as I told him, I could see him softening. I think it was because my reasons were aligned with his own for loving her."

She sighed and smiled. "Well, as you know, eventually your father and I became lovers as well, otherwise Inuyasha would not have existed. Though… nowadays, we are more companions than lovers, as that side of things just does not feel right without your mother here."

Even in yōkai world, same-gender relationships, although not unheard of, were still considered somewhat of an oddity, Sesshōmaru thought. For Izayoi, a human woman, entering into a relationship with another female — a yōkai, no less, was most likely a grave matter. Having borne a hanyō child without a husband was bad enough. And, to have this on top of everything… She would be ostracized even more than she already had.

Would she have been put to death?

Sesshōmaru thought of Tessaiga, and its purpose. He had heard the sword was forged specifically to protect Izayoi. He wondered if his father did it because of this very reason.

"You know what happened after," Izayoi continued. "Following the destruction of my home, your mother once again lent me aid."

"My mother helped you after the fire?"

"Sesshōmaru-sama," Izayoi said patiently. "I was a woman living in the feudal era, with a hanyō baby and no husband. I owned nothing other than whatever I had on my person at the time. Do you think any noble houses would have lent a hand and offered shelter if your mother had not stepped in and offered protection over their lands?" She frowned. "Or perhaps she threatened them. One or the other."

"Why did she not invite you and Inuyasha to live in her palace?"

"She offered it," Izayoi replied. "However, I declined. Back then, I still harboured some hopes that Inuyasha would be accepted by my people, if he lived with them long enough and adapted some of their ways."

"Did my mother visit you often in your new home?" Sesshōmaru asked. "I would have imagined so, but — Inuyasha seemed to have no recollection of her."

Izayoi shook her head. "After your father's death, your mother visited me once in a blue moon. We communicated mostly through letters and messengers. We did not see each other enough for Inuyasha to know her."

"Why so?"

"Not long after your father passed away, she received a secret message from the Southern Isles. It led to an avalanche of discoveries about your past. Since then, she had dedicated all her time and efforts to help you from behind the curtains." Izayoi paused for a moment before she proceeded slowly, cautiously.

"Sesshōmaru-sama, I know your relationship with your parents is strained," she said. "They were never there for you. And because of it, some terrible things happened to you. Your mother and father are now both achingly aware of the fact. To this I can attest… since her discovery, your mother has put you above anything and everything else in her life, as she should be. And now that your father is no longer in the dark, no doubt he will join her efforts."

"I wonder why Mother never spoke to me about it…" Sesshōmaru murmured, more to himself, though Izayoi heard him all the same.

"Your mother believed your proud nature would not allow you to accept help from her, a mother who had done you wrong at every turn. And being a proud female herself, I believe she feared your rejection," Izayoi explained.

That sounded… accurate. Two hundred years ago, still deeply embittered by his parents' neglect and his father bequeathing him with Tenseiga instead of the Tessaiga he desperately wanted, he would not have agreed to meet her, much less listen to her.

"I realize all this must have come as a shock to you, Sesshōmaru-sama." Izayoi's smile was a little uncertain. "To learn your mother had a female lover… It is unconventional at best. Perhaps you are… scandalized, and even—" She drew a shuddered breath. "Disgusted."

Sesshōmaru stared at his hands on his lap and thought for a moment.

"Surprised, perhaps," he corrected her. "Scandalized—" He paused to scoff. "Hnn. This one is made from sterner stuff than most. As for disgusted…" His lashes lowered, he thought back to some terrible, unforgettable events in his past. "I have learned from a young age what the truly disgusting looks like." He gave her a straightforward gaze. "And this is not it."

The woman looked stunned. The moisture that welled up in her eyes at his response and the accompanying salty scent of tears were unexpected, and they made him frown.

Did he not make his view on the matter clear enough?

"Ah, the wind seems to have irritated my eyes," she said as she dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her jūnihitoe before she abruptly rose to her feet. "Please excuse me, Sesshōmaru-sama. I will leave you to your rest." She gave him a slight bow and rushed away.

Kagome arrived just in time to see Lady Izayoi scurrying away. A light blue haori was clutched in one hand.

"Is that… Inuyasha's mom?" She asked. "Were you speaking to her?"

"Yes…" He said, tucking a lock of silver hair behind his ear. A slight frown still marred his forehead. "But, I seem to have made her weep, somehow."

"What?! Why? What did you say to her?"

"I said— I do not find her relationship with my mother disgusting."

Kagome stared at him, at his eyes that were still following the retreating figure of Lady Izayoi. The miko smiled.

He did not even realize what he had done.

"It's okay," Kagome told him as she draped the light jacket on top of her shoulders. "Lady Izayoi is weeping tears of joy."

Those golden eyes shifted onto her now. "Tears of joy?"

"To learn the son of the woman she loves accepts her relationship with his mother without prejudice… You've made her really, really happy."

"I've made her… happy?" He frowned and looked at Kagome, arching a brow. "It seems an excessive amount of emotions for something so trivial."

"Obviously it's not trivial to Lady Izayoi. It's very important to her."

"Hnn. So, humans shed tears when they are sad and joyful. Miko, your race is truly strange."

Kagome chuckled. "Be that as it may, it seems you had a good conversation with Inuyasha's mom. It even seems that you like her," she said, giving his ribs a gentle nudge with her elbow.

He gave her an answer she knew he would give: a scoff. What he said after, however, was quite unexpected: "I will concede she is a degree or two more agreeable than her son." He turned away and murmured: "It makes me regret a thing or two I have done in the past for the sake of finding the way to my father's tomb to obtain Tessaiga."

Kagome only smiled. Sesshōmaru said nothing else on the matter, but she believed she hit the mark: he liked Lady Izayoi a good deal.

As the hours grew late, they did not go anywhere else. They ended up on the porch directly outside of his room, sitting together side by side, watching the silver moon hanging large above them.

"Beautiful night," Kagome commented as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the porch. "Kind of makes me wish we have sake and snacks."

A small smile curled on Sesshōmaru's lips. "You think about jerky a little too much, miko," he said.

Kagome laughed but said nothing else as they both let themselves descend into companionable silence. She stole quick glances at him. In his yukata and without armour, lounging on the porch with his upper body resting on his elbows, Sesshōmaru looked so relaxed. She never thought she would see this side of him. It felt… intimate. Enough to light the heat in the base of her stomach.

"Nē, Sesshōmaru. What do you think the Death God is like?"

"I don't know," he replied. After a slight pause, he added: "I am, however, surprised I have yet to meet him."

"Really?" Kagome flashed him a questioning look. "Why?"

"Tenseiga, So'unga, and Meidō stone…There are at least three artefacts belonging to the inuyōkai that are capable of bringing the dead back to life or opening a portal to hell. Not to mention —" He turned to point at the massive painting on the opposite wall of his room. "That."

"I wanted to ask you about it," Kagome said, leaning back on her elbows until she could catch the sight of the painting upside-down. "The four-tailed beast made me think it might be a painting of your grandfather."

"That is not my grandfather, but the first King of the inuyōkai. They both had managed to advance themselves to four tails by the time they passed away." He turned to look at her, and froze when he saw the bow-like arch of her back, the enticing thrust of her breasts. As innocent as she was, he would wager she did not even realize she had struck quite an erotic pose.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "Do you know the tale, miko?"

She laid her back down flat on the varnished wood floor of the porch, shaking her head as she gazed up at him. "I'm not familiar with any inuyōkai tales. Tell me."

"It is said that thousands of years ago, the first King of inuyōkai fought for the Death God during the war between the deities and brought the god victory. In gratitude, the Death God bestowed upon him a jewel, made from the congealed drops of the god's blood, capable of opening a portal to the realm of the dead where the most wicked souls reside. That jewel was then inset into the blade collar of the King's sword."

"So — it is a sword with similar power to So'unga?"

"Similar, but not the same," he replied. "Based on what I have heard from my father, So'unga opens a portal to the generic hell. But the King's sword is connected to a specific place: the realm of the evils. That female Death God's Advocate, Yami, told us a little about it in the beginning. Do you recall? Tartarus: the fiery hell for the wicked."

Kagome nodded. Yami. They had not seen her for a while, not since she saved them from the bowels of Gaudia. She wondered if they would see her again. Perhaps at the Death God's residence, since she herself had told them from the start that only with the god's blessing could the dead return to the world of the living?

"Who has the sword now?" She asked.

Sesshōmaru's smile turned acerbic. "The sword belongs to all the Kings of the inuyōkai. Which means, my uncle Zetsubōmaru is its current master."

That sounded very ominous to Kagome's ears. "Would he use it… for ill purposes?"

"I am not familiar enough with his wants and ambitions to know what he plans to do with the sword," he said. "But you see — with all these swords and objects capable of blurring the barriers between life and death in our possessions, it is a wonder that the Death God has not seek us out so far, if only to ask: what on earth we are doing with these extraordinary objects."

"Perhaps he left you all alone because he trusts the inuyōkai?"

He flashed her a look of disbelief. "If you were a god ruling over a kingdom in the afterlife, would you hand over the keys to a group of mortals? Throughout the centuries we are known to wreak havoc and to be generally destructive."

"Good point," Kagome sighed.

She sat up and hugged her knees, gazing at the moon again. Hopefully, they would find the Death God and he would be merciful enough to let her return to the world of the living. Hopefully, soon, she could stare at the moon in her own realm.

She stole another surreptitious glance at Sesshōmaru, who had returned to watching the moon with rapt attention.

One did not make a wish upon a moon in Elysium, but she closed her eyes and made one anyway.

The next morning, as the bright sun shone over the palace in the sky, Kagome and Sesshōmaru bid farewell to Inu no Taisho and Izayoi.

"Kagome, a word of wisdom, if I may," Izayoi said, as they strolled together to the border of her realm. Kagome looked at the beautiful woman walking beside her. Inuyasha's mother. She could see little of the noblewoman in her betrothed, since Inuyasha took so much after his father. But — she could see the resemblance during those rare days when he turned into full human.

"You will not do anyone any favour by denying your heart's wish," Izayoi continued. "When you have discovered what it is, take hold of it and pursue it with all your might. Will you promise me?"

Kagome slowed her steps. "Lady Izayoi, are you saying… what I think you are saying?"

"You must think it is so strange that I am encouraging you to part ways with my son. But you see—" She smiled. "It is precisely for his sake that I told you so. I believe everyone deserves that person whose heart belongs to them unreservedly. If you are not that person for Inuyasha, then I would want him to find the one who truly wants him. He has the right to find such a person." She reached out to squeeze Kagome's hand. "Just as you have the right to be with the one you truly want."

They have reached Inu no Taisho and Sesshōmaru who had been walking ahead and were now waiting for them just at the edge of the border. Tendrils of mist reached out to touch them, as if beckoning them to return to Asphodel Meadows.

"Miko," Inutaisho addressed her. He surprised her when he handed over a small rectangular box wrapped in cloth. "I asked Sesshōmaru's mother to have some food prepared for you. Hopefully, this will tide you over until your return to the living realm."

The bottom of the box was still warm to the touch, meaning he picked it up from his mate perhaps only moments ago.

"Thank you, Taisho-sama," Kagome said. "This will go a long way to help me survive. And I won't have to take any blood from Sesshōmaru."

He nodded. "Needless to say, we both wish you a speedy return to your own realm, miko."

"Father, could you tell us how we could find the Death God?" Sesshōmaru asked.

"Look for the crimson spider lilies," his father said. "But— knowing him, he is most likely aware you are searching for him. Perhaps, he will find you first."

It was time to leave, yet Sesshōmaru found it difficult to depart. Something unsaid was weighing on his chest. He considered leaving it unsaid, but his eyes caught sight of the furoshiki-wrapped bento box his father gave the miko.

"Your yōki," Sesshōmaru finally said to his father. "You said it was all you have ever given me. It is not true. Despite my initial feelings and resentment, Tenseiga did give me two things that have become precious to me."

His father looked stunned at first, then he smiled. "Again… You continue to surprise me with your generosity. Thank you, my son, for telling me. I cannot ask for better parting words."

"Until we meet again, Father." Sesshōmaru did not address Izayoi directly, but he looked at her and inclined his head, which, coming from Sesshōmaru, showed a significant amount of regard.

Then, there were only Inu no Taisho and his lady companion standing on the terrace of the palace in the sky, staring at the retreating figures of the daiyōkai and the miko.

"My, what a magnificent daiyōkai he has grown up to be," Izayoi sighed, pressing her fingers to her cheek as she watched the pair disappearing beyond the mist.

Tōga lowered his head and smiled. "Just like his mother, am I right?"

Izayoi laughed and swatted at his arm, but she did not correct him.

Back in the Asphodel Meadows, hopefully for the last time, the daiyōkai and the priestess strolled side by side. The sight of the grey fields was becoming extremely familiar now, Kagome mused. Almost like home. She shook her head to rid herself of that unlucky thought.

She did not want Asphodel Meadows to be her home. She did not even want Elysium to be her home. At least, not yet. She still wished to return to the realm of the living where her friends and her loved ones were.

Where Sesshōmaru would be.

"Nē, Sesshōmaru," she said to her companion. "You know you didn't have to tell your father about what Tenseiga had given you. It's not your duty to make him feel better about what happened. You don't owe him anything."

The box Tōga had given her felt heavy in her hand. She admitted it was thoughtful of Inu no Taisho to procure it for her. But — she did not want Sesshōmaru to feel indebted to his father just so she could have some food in her stomach.

"That is true," Sesshōmaru replied. "But, what I said is true also. He had given me Tenseiga, which in turn gave me the two precious things."

"Is it a matter of parting on good terms?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. More like parting on fair terms. I wanted to give acknowledgement where it is due, that is all. That way, no matter how this ends, I can be sure I have been fully honest on my part."

He wanted to be fair where his father had not always been, Kagome thought. She supposed she could respect and appreciate his intention. She herself still felt indignant on Sesshōmaru's behalf for the years of neglect his parents imposed on him. Tōga could not help but left Inuyasha because of his death. But, he had ignored Sesshōmaru while he had been alive. By choice.

"The two precious things you spoke of… Rin is one of them," she said. There was no doubt in her mind about it. "Who is the second?"

"Jaken was also revived by Tenseiga at one point."

"Jaken?! Jaken is precious to you?"

He glanced at her, looking bemused that she was so surprised. "He was the second to follow me after Chikatani's death. And despite my horrendous treatment of him at times, he never threatened to leave, much less departed my company. I think that deserves high regards."

"That's very kind of you," she commented, still reeling from the discovery that Sesshōmaru indeed valued the little imp quite a lot.

Upon hearing her, Sesshōmaru's face took on a moue of severe distaste, as though she had called him something awful.

"Miko, I have been called many things, but never 'kind'. I would much prefer to not be associated with that word."

"Why not?"

"Hnn. It ruins one's reputation. The title 'a kind daiyōkai' does not strike fear in the heart of any foes."

"I completely disagree. There is no reason why you cannot be a kind and fearsome daiyōkai at the same time."

He looked at her questioningly. "Would you fear a kind daiyōkai? The word 'kind' itself negates the fear."

"So— I suppose I should not refer to you as kind in public, even though I do think you are?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Miko, perish the thought. Under no circumstances should you refer to me as such," he said with conviction. A few moments passed in silence before he added thoughtfully: "However, I would deign to be referred to as 'tolerant'."

"Tolerant?" Kagome wrinkled her nose. "'Sesshōmaru: the tolerant daiyōkai of the west'. Is that really how you want others to remember you? It doesn't have a good ring to it."

"Perhaps so. But it is apt, as I had to tolerate most creatures I have ever come across." He leered at her. "Including you, miko, at one point."

Ah, here was an opening she just could not miss.

"So… you're no longer tolerating me now?"

"No," he replied, lips curling into a small smile that looked even more appealing due to the mysteries it held within. "I have an entirely new word for you."

A new word? A swirl of pleasure wrapped itself around her heart. She was about to ask what it was when the earth beneath them shook and groaned. Large, jagged lines appeared as the ground cracked and fractured.

A creature broke through the splitting terrain. It crawled up to the surface from the depths below. Once emerged, it continued to rise to immense height. Its body eclipsed the sky, casting shadows on the ground for miles. At least eight giant tentacles protruded from the base of its main body: a lumbering one-eyed behemoth. They slithered across the ground, searching for something to crush, or choke.

Sesshōmaru nearly laughed. He had wished for a large animal to kill. Now, he found one.

And it was massive. Colossal.

When one tentacle shot out and swooped down to impale them both, he curled his arm around Kagome's waist and carried her out of harm's way. The miko made a short, surprised sound when the box of food fell out of her hand and crashed onto the ground. At the same time, the tip of the tentacle bore into earth, spraying bits of soil and crushed rocks.

Her provisions were now destroyed, Sesshōmaru thought ruefully as he leapt back twice to deposit her in a safe place. No matter. At the moment, her immediate well-being was of priority. They would figure the rest out later.

"Wait here," he told her.

He went back to face the behemoth. As his hand moved to grasp the hilt of one of his swords, he paused to think for a moment. Bakusaiga or Tenseiga?

Sometimes, he felt like a sloth when he used Bakusaiga. He only had to perform one swing to disintegrate his enemy into nothingness. He could do it standing still without any need for fancy footworks.

But — what a monumental waste of the skills he had honed for centuries.

As a swordsman, he generally favoured an efficient battle, not a lengthy and drawn-out spectacle. But, right now, still experiencing the rush from the recovery of his yōki, he wanted to let loose a little. Right now, he wanted to let his beast come out and play. Right now, he wanted to tear flesh with his claws. To spill blood and innards.

It was exactly what he planned to do.

For this colossal beast, he chose Tenseiga, betting on its ability to slay creatures from the underworld. He attacked one of the tentacles, splitting it open from tip to base, as though gutting a fish. Blood and goo poured out, spilling onto the ground with a satisfying plop. He moved on to the next, dodging its trajectory easily as he leapt and sliced it crosswise with his claws. Giant tentacle pieces littered the ground now, covered in their own blood and mucus. When four tentacles attacked at the same time, he weaved through and around them gracefully. He let the whip come out to play too, slicing it across the appendages and coiling it around one of the malleable arms as he tore it apart with his acid-tipped talons.

Finding the head and the heart was a child's play. The creature was enormous but stupid, its weakness obvious. At some point while Sesshōmaru dealt with the tentacles, its main body had burrowed back into the ground whence it crawled out. It was hiding its vital organs within the mound of earth at the junction of where the base of all its tentacles met.

Sesshōmaru leapt high above the mound. As he descended, he made sure the tip of Tenseiga was aimed at the creature's head. He used his body weight to drive the blade straight into its brain. Deep. Blood, mucus, and brain matter erupted from the puncture wound as soon as he withdrew his blade. The creature let out a deafening shriek as it fell over into a useless heap, dead.

After he finished, all around him was a scene of a massacre. Blood soaked the ground dark red. There were torn pieces of flesh everywhere. Tenseiga was streaked with blood and other fluids. It took him several tries before he managed to shake the blade clean.

He looked down at himself. He was dressed in blood, but he had never felt lighter. Satisfied.

Sesshōmaru turned around to look at Kagome, still standing at the same spot where he had left her. When he caught sight of her face: shocked to stone stillness, he realized… He might have overdone it.

He did not even notice until now that he had splattered blood all over her face and clothing. Droplets of red travelled from her temple down to her chin, mapping a crimson trail along the curve of her cheek. They pooled underneath the pointy end of her chin before they fell onto the ground in a steady drip.

Sesshōmaru's heart dropped into his stomach. Such carnage was not for everyone. And certainly not for her. But, as aristocratic as he appeared, he was still a yōkai. The beast was an inherent part of himself, always lurking beneath the surface. Most of the time it was held back merely by a thin veneer of humanity. And sometimes, it favoured darkness and blood.

It was as much part of his nature as his finer qualities. The light and the dark. The noblesse and the macabre.

Would she accept it too?

Slowly, he opened his hand, inviting her to come to him. Her widened eyes stared at it, still shell-shocked.

At first, she did not move. At first, he thought she would never move. Then — in mere seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity, she ran to him. At that profound moment, when she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight as though she would never let him go… That moment when she pressed her face in the crook of his neck, her lips moving against his skin as she whispered his name repeatedly as though in prayer… He felt it.

The tugging at his chest. The cleaving of his soul as it split and divided, preparing itself to be gifted away to his one and only true mate.

He had said something to Kohaku, a long time ago when they were all trapped in the death realm in pursuit of perfecting Meidō Zangetsuha. That time, with his only arm, he had to go out of his way to carry Kohaku and Rin out of danger. He had warned the boy to not hinder him unnecessarily during fights, saying: 'This hand is meant to hold a sword.'

But now, he dropped that sword in favour of holding her. In both arms. As though his arms had no purpose other than for holding her.

He nearly shuddered when he experienced that feeling like someone had reached into his chest to pull his heart out, just like his father had said. It was excruciating beyond belief, but he would go through it again — over and over — if it meant she would be in his arms like this. Just like this.

Kagome.

The soul pulsed with the strength of a hundred heartbeats; the beast rumbled in approval at the sound of his mate's name. And the heart… The heart felt so full it was nearly bursting.

Sesshōmaru pulled away slightly so he could look at his chosen female. She tilted her head up, eyes gazing deeply into his. With the edge of his sleeve, he wiped the trails of blood away from her face.

He touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers. Perhaps he should not have been so amazed. He had known he wanted her, after all. But, the realization that all three parts of him: his heart, his soul, and his beast decided on the same person… It was still an extraordinary feeling.

He cupped her face in both hands, staring into the fawn depth of her eyes. Seeking her soul.

So, it is you. It is you all along.

She was shivering, so he wrapped his mokomoko around her, enveloping them both within the cloud of his fur. He laid her head on his shoulder and pressed his lips against the top of her head.

My mate, why do you tremble so?

He tried rubbing her back in broad, circular motions which he hoped would have a soothing effect on her. The shiver lessened, and she seemed to melt more into him. His beast growled contentedly, pleased with the closeness of their bodies.

"Have I finally made you afraid of me?" He spoke against her hair.

"Nope," she said, her voice muffled by his fur. "Still just afraid for you."

"Afraid for me?"

Her fingers clutched his fur as she rubbed her face against the crook of his neck, as though seeking his scent. "The concern was not needed. You were magnificent. A delight to watch in action. Truly."

"The brutality was… unnecessary, I suppose. I'm sorry —"

She shook her head, silencing him. "You are not the type to slaughter with unnecessary violence. I've known that for a long time. Just now — you, your beast, or both, must have needed the release so desperately."

His arms tightened around her as he kissed her forehead, her temple. Lady Izayoi's words resounded in his mind:

To have found someone who sees the real me and accepts me the way I am…

It is truly a gift.

His lips travelled down to press hungry kisses against her closed eyelids, the precious curve of her cheek, the corner of her mouth. Her body, pressed up so close against his like a second skin, quivered in pleasure. Her scent of mandarin peels intensified. She let out a soft sigh as she tilted her head up, parting her lips in invitation.

Their lips barely touched when the smallest tentacle — still alive, unbeknownst to him — silently rose high in the air before plunging down upon them at lightning speed. Sensing an attack, Sesshōmaru snarled and turned around. It was nearly too late. Clawed fingers flexed as one hand pulled Kagome behind his body, sheltering her from the incoming strike.

"Waka-sama!"

Time seemed to stand still. He heard that voice as though in memory. Or in a dream. So many times he had dreamt of this voice, calling him just like this.

The next thing he knew, as he shielded the miko behind his body, someone shielded him too.

Sesshōmaru watched, in a mix of horror and awe, as the tentacle impaled the torso of Yami, the female Death God's Advocate. As soon as she was struck, she fell onto her knees; the tentacle pushing through her chest cavity with a nauseating squelch. Her long, raven locks fell around her like a shroud as her body quaked.

Sesshōmaru knelt in front of her, peering at her, not quite understanding what had just taken place. But, even as he sought to see her face, his mind screamed at him.

There was only one person who ever called him 'Waka-sama'.

Only one.

Agonizingly slow, she looked up, smiled, and reached out her hand.

"Young master… Are you hurt?"

That voice. The hand that grazed his cheek lacked the warmth it used to carry, but the nostalgic feel of the touch was still intact. Sesshōmaru had never forgotten, for it was seared onto his heart. A hundred times he had been touched like this, after every beating and every encounter ending in bruises and wounds that bled.

"Chika… tani?"

As though the mention of the name had broken a spell, Yami's features began to morph. Raven hair turned silver. Crimson eyes turned gold. Feminine features turned masculine. Even the clothes… the red kimono transformed into a set of clothing more suitable for a male body.

Before Sesshōmaru's eyes, the female turned fully male.

She turned into… Chikatani.

Not the Chikatani he remembered and kept locked in the deepest recess of his memories. That Chikatani had been a child. But this person — he was Chikatani grown up. As though during the seven-hundred years that had passed, he too aged as though he had been alive all this time.

I will never leave you.

"There I was… hoping for a more dignified reunion." Chikatani grunted softly as he wrapped both hands around the tentacle that impaled him. It was still wriggling inside his chest cavity. The monstrous appendage burst into dust, disintegrating from tip to base by the power of his touch alone. Almost immediately, the gaping hole in his chest closed; the damaged flesh stitched together. His clothing too, repaired itself. Within seconds, he appeared fully unscathed.

When Chikatani unfolded his hands to release more dust particles, Sesshōmaru caught sight of the tattoo on the centre of both his palms: higanbana flowers, the crimson spider lilies that were the mark of the Death God.

"Chikatani. What —" Sesshōmaru could not even speak past the lump that was clogging his throat. "How… How did you —"

Chikatani looked at him with a pair of eyes that carried crimson embers far beneath the golden depth. But he smiled just like he did that night on the beach.

"Sesshōmaru-sama. I promised you, didn't I?" He said gently. "I said I will never leave you."

A/N:

Introducing… Chikatani 2.0 !
I must have imagined this scene a thousand times. I hope you find it satisfying 😊 I am so excited to be able to write him in real time instead of in flashback, or in memoriam.
There will be some big reveals in the next chapter, so stay tuned.

There has been some concerns about Kagome being hungry. A couple of readers from FF net: 'JadeUne2' and 'Kagome Past and Present' have suggested that Inutaisho bring food for her from the living realm, also to earn the parents some brownie points. I like the idea that food for Kagome could be the way to earn Sesshōmaru's forgiveness, so I decided to add in a little scene. If you've read the chapter, you would have read that the food got destroyed. Please do not worry — she will be fed one way or another 😆

As always, thank you so so much for reading. This is all for you. There will be so many exciting things coming up in future chapters, and I am so excited that we have reached this point.

Reviews and comments are more than welcomed. They are crucial to the development of the story. If you have an opportunity, I would love to hear from you. Thank you and see you next time!

Response to Review:

Pink Sakura: Thank you so much for the comment. I am flattered you have also read my other work. Those were written 10 years before I started this one, so it is a relief to know my skills have improved haha. There is a definite happy ending to this story. It might take them a while to get there, but I can promise a satisfying happy ending :) Thanks again!