Heroic New Era: New Beginnings
Chapter 2, Side B: Demon Bites
Gus and Makoto soon set down in a forested area to hide the F-15, as they utilized a camouflage feature to hide it better before exiting it.
"Okay, so we gotta find this Seal piece thingy, right?" Makoto asked Gus as she started stretching. "This should be easy!"
"Hopefully." Gus remarked. "This world seems to be ripe with magic, at least I'm in a partially-familiar environment. Technology has been slightly foreign to me since I accustomed myself to Gensokyo…"
As Gus made this remark, Makoto noticed a squirrel running by with two things in its mouth, one happened to be a piece of the Shikon Jewel, and the other… was a piece of The Great Seal.
"I found it! I found it! The seal piece!" Makoto exclaimed as she began chasing the squirrel. "Get back here, you little rascal!"
Makoto chased the squirrel for quite a while, as one turn led her face planting into a tree, allowing the squirrel to gain some ground as Makoto saw it running into an old temple-like structure.
"Ah-ha! There it goes!" Makoto yelled as she ran after it, forcing Gus to keep up in order to make sure she didn't get into trouble.
As the squirrel ran through the temple, it kept running before seeing a dog demon man in red and a Ratel woman smirking as they laid their eyes on it.
"There, Hitomi! Grab that little sucker!" The man yelled as he was ready to pounce.
"I've got you now!" Hitomi cackled, as she leapt towards the squirrel, who did an evasive maneuver as Makoto saw the Ratel flying straight for her.
"Eep!" Makoto squeaked before being tackled, as the dog demon tried snatching the squirrel, as the squirrel leapt towards Gus.
"Get back here!" The dog Demon man roared as he leapt straight at the squirrel.
Gus quickly raised his blade to deter the dog demon from getting closer, keeping it pointed, while using the other hand to catch the squirrel by the waist.
"Who are you?" Gus asked with a stern expression.
"The ones who are going to tear you apart, if you don't hand that squirrel over to us." Hitomi growled back, as she flexed her claws. "That thing has something we want."
"It has what we need as well." Gus responded back. "But now that it's caught, we can-"
"I couldn't give a damn what you need!" the dog demon man snarled. "Give us that squirrel or you're gonna be in a world of hurt!"
"Did you not hear us? We'll give you what you want as long as you let us get what we want!" Makoto yelled at the two. "Sheesh! It's not hard!"
"I don't buy it. Last time Hitomi and I fell for a trick like that it cost us a shard of the Shikon Jewel." The dog Demon man said.
"The Shi… what?" Makoto asked, which prompted a slap to the back of the head by Hitomi. "Ow! Hey, I just asked what it was, I don't know these things!"
"Idiot, that Shikon Jewel has more value than you think!" Hitomi shouted back. "That thing can turn any ol' yokai into a living natural disaster of a demon if they have it. And even a shard is enough to make you stronger several times over."
"On top of that, it gives us the power to make any wish we want. You said it yourself, Hitomi, you want to use it to bring an end to that… son of a… what did you call it? Killing Fang? Deadly Bites?" The dog demon man asked as he was trying to remember the tournament name.
"It's Killing Bites! How many times does it take for you to get it!" Hitomi shouted, smacking the dog demon on the side hard, as she grumbled. "Yeah, that's why we're going for the fragments of the Shikon Jewel. I don't care if you think that the wish is justified or not, it's our problem to deal with. So could you hand over that Shikon Jewel fragment, before someone less nice comes to take it."
Gus was silent, as he was pondering his options.
"Gus, just give them what they want! Besides, if this problem is as serious as they let on, this could be one hell of an issue." Makoto reasoned to Gus.
"Finally! One of you is talking reasonable!" The dog Demon man smirked.
"Alright, I suppose that this might be suitable." Gus remarked, as he took the Great Seal fragment from the squirrel, taking a few scratches, before putting the squirrel out for Hitomi. "Here."
Hitomi wasted no time in squeezing the squirrel with a snatching hand, before ripping the Shikon Jewel fragment out of the squirrel's grasp.
"Good, finally I don't have to deal with trouble again." Hitomi remarked back. "I do like a good fight or two, but not for stupid reasons like this."
"So… Gus, I know we got what we came for but… we didn't come here just to get what we need. It sounds like we should help them before heading back." Makoto reasoned with Gus.
"I agree. If there are problems in this world, it's best that we ensure that they are dealt with. After all, it's better when we have allies on our side." Gus stated. "So once again, your names, please?"
"Hitomi Uzaki." Hitomi answered back simply.
"Inuyasha." Inuyasha answered as well. "...And you two are…?"
"Gus Campbell. I'm an outsider to this place." Gus introduced himself. "And beside me is Makoto Nanaya, who I feel best for her to introduce herself a bit more."
"I'm an outsider myself, like Gus." Makoto would finish introducing.
"Well, since you two helped us get a shard of the Shikon Jewel, it's only right that we take you all to where we live. Come on, Kagome's probably wondering how long it takes me to get a piece of the Shikon Jewel…" Inuyasha sighed as he was preparing himself to hear that talk from Kagome.
"Very well." Gus answered back, as the group headed towards the residence where Kagome was living.
Once they got inside, Inuyasha soon had a girl dressed in red jump into his face.
"Heya dad!" The girl yelled, as Inuyasha yelped and fell backwards from the scare.
"Uuugh… Moroha…" Inuyasha groaned in annoyance.
"There you are, Inuyasha!" Kagome said as she came into view. "Sheesh, what took you so long?"
"Damn squirrel grabbed the Shikon Jewel shard and began running, but luckily Hitomi and I got some help." Inuyasha said as he got up, gesturing to Makoto and Gus behind him.
"Oh! Hello there! And you are?" Kagome would ask.
"Gus Campbell and Makoto Nanaya." Gus responded back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kagome."
"The pleasure's all mine! Oh, Hitomi! Eruza dropped by earlier… something about training for the upcoming Killing Bites Tournament?" Kagome would ponder as she looked at Hitomi.
"Is that so… Where did she go?" Hitomi asked back.
"She went off towards where Towa is… Setsuna's still recovering, by the way… we're starting to believe if she'll ever recover at this rate…" Kagome said in concern.
"I really hope Setsuna gets better…" Moroha said, her chipper mood dampening a lot from remembering the fatal blow Setsuna had taken for Towa.
"Hey, hey, let's not get morose here." Hitomi remarked. "Setsuna ain't going to be dying that easily, considering how much fighting she has to deal with. She'll get up soon enough, there's no way she couldn't."
"Heh, glad you're optimistic on the situation." Inuyasha said to Hitomi. "I mean, what do you have to lose? Not like you have any relatives with lives on the line."
"So? Friends hit a close second." Hitomi answered back. "More likely a first since I don't have any kin I know of. But enough about that, let's find Eruza and Towa, and see what's going on with them."
"You go on ahead. We've got only 2 shards of the Shikon Jewel left to find, and we need to find them if we want to bring down that Killing Bites Tournament of yours." Inuyasha said.
"Can I go dad? Just to see if Setsuna is still kicking?" Moroha asked.
"Sure. You're pretty attached to her, so go on ahead." Inuyasha said as he soon sat on the floor, collapsing with a groan as Kagome saw this.
"Yeah… he sometimes gets like this when he's tired…" Kagome explained to Makoto and Gus.
"Well, we'll come with you guys to see Towa and Setsuna, I'd like to meet them myself." Makoto said, before nudging Gus and whispering. "You got anything that could get someone back on their feet in a condition like Setsuna's?"
"If possible, I could cauterise any severe wounds she has, and the pain might wake her from unconsciousness, but that also runs the risk of making her condition far worse. So unless it's a last resort, I have no other choices." Gus answered back quietly.
Makoto nodded slowly as they soon walked towards the residence Towa lived in, as it was not too far from Inuyasha's residence with Kagome, as they walked inside to see Towa looking over Setsuna as they had brought with them a modernized hospital bed from the Modern Day, as Towa was holding Setsuna's hand, having tear marks on her face as Eruza was in the room with her. Setsuna appeared to be conscious, but incredibly weak, as she soon saw Hitomi walking in with the others, causing Eruza and Towa to look.
"Heh. About time you showed up." Towa spoke, trying to keep her usual tone of voice as she smirked at Hitomi. "Eruza's been waitin' here a while. Thought you'd never show up."
"Can't exactly leave her like this, can I?" Hitomi grinned back, before turning to Eruza. "Hey, Eruza, how's the training been for you?"
"It's been quite fairly well. Although I can't exactly focus, with how Setsuna is…" Eruza answered back, as her expression dimmed slightly.
"How did this happen, anyways?" Makoto asked, as Towa glared at her lightly before sighing.
"Thought we could all take him at once… but Naraku's always a tricky bastard to deal with…" Towa said with a sigh. "Everything came to a stop, he had me dead to my rights… then… then Sis…"
"...Stop… crying for me, you're… embarrassing me sis…" Setsuna weakly said to Towa, as Towa looked at her with a sad chuckle.
"Sorry…" Towa only said, looking solemnly at Setsuna.
"Then do you have any ideas where the other Shikon Jewel Fragments are?" Gus asked the group. "...Perhaps we might be able to siphon some power off it to help further improve Setsuna's condition, if possible."
"Wish I could say I had both of 'em." Towa said, procuring one shard. "I found this while trying to rush Setsuna here from her injury. I was so focused on her I completely forgot about it until now."
"That leaves us one lone shard left to find…" Makoto stated, as she groaned. "And now comes the part where we look for a needle in a damn haystack!"
"...I'm sorry, what?" Towa would ask, confused by the terminology.
"...Oh, you haven't heard that before? Basically I'm saying this search became near-impossible. We don't know where to start looking and we have zero idea on even a general area of where the last damn shard is." Makoto explained.
"I could try to sense the shard… Although even then, it would still be a wide search." Gus answered back. "I need a region to start the search effectively."
"Well, sadly we can't be of help there. We have no idea whatsoever on where the last shard could be." Towa admitted.
Suddenly, a broadcast came on, as the group looked to see a white haired Lynx and a white haired bunny on the television.
"Greetings one and all. I am Weiss Schnee." The Lynx introduced, looking incredibly regal in appearance. "And alongside me is my fellow champion, Reisen Udongein Inaba, and we are pleased to update you all on the prize for winning the Killing Bites tournament! An incredibly valuable and sought out item that all seem to be looking for, a Shard of the Shikon Jewel! Only the strongest survive Killing Bites. Come one, come all, but know that your very lives could be at stake."
Gus then looked at the screen with astonishment, as the Reisen of this world struck a stunning resemblance to the one he knew, save for the black jacket and black jeans that she was wearing, which made her seem like a proper pugilist.
"...So that's how it is…" Gus answered back, before turning to Hitomi. "Hitomi, you said that you were intending to put an end to Killing Bites, right?"
"Don't say more, I already know what you want." Hitomi answered back. "Old Man Shidou would be turning in his grave after the promise I made him to try and stay away from all of this, and bring it down, but if what it takes to get that wish done is to partake one final tournament, then I'm willing to take that act up."
"Another tournament with a freaking bad case of backstage stuff that's Dark as hell… just another day in my life…" Makoto sighed.
"Well, if this is for the final piece of the Shikon Jewel… count me in." Towa said as she stood up. "As I recall, you have to enter this thing in teams of two, right?"
"That's the rules they put in place now, yeah." Eruza explained as she looked towards Towa.
"I'll go get Moroha then. I can't see anyone else being my partner other than Setsuna, and with her being down… well not like I have much of a choice, do I?" Towa asked rhetorically, as she soon left the room.
"I'll stay here with Setsuna." Makoto offered up. "Someone's gotta make sure no crazy sonofagun tries to sneak in and finish her off."
"I'll come with, although likely as a spectator, to keep watch of the tournament." Gus stated.
"Suit yourself, come on, Eruza, we got a jewel fragment to get for our dear friend." Hitomi remarked, as Eruza stood up, and followed the Ratel Brute out of the room. Towa followed to get Moroha from Inuyasha's place, as Inuyasha tried to figure out a way to join the tournament as well, considering there was a Shikon Jewel Fragment up for grabs.
"I'll take anyone as a partner just so it gives us another shot at the Shikon Jewel! Is there anyone available?" Inuyasha asked, looking expectantly for someone to step up as a partner.
"...I suppose that I have no choice then." Gus sighed, turning to Inuyasha. "If the rules allow it, I will be your partner, Inuyasha. If the others fail, we can at least ensure that there is one more chance that the fragment does not fall in the hands of those who have ill intentions."
"Thanks Gus! You're one swell guy!" Inuyasha said with a smile, as Kagome shook her head.
"Well… I'll watch you all from Towa's home. You said Makoto was staying behind to help watch Setsuna, right? Well, I'm gonna be there with her, as extra security." Kagome said.
"Thanks a bunch, Kagome." Towa said with a smile. "I'm real grateful you're so supportive of trying to keep my sis safe."
"Well of course! We're family, after all." Kagome smiled.
With that, the group set off to get registered for the Killing Bites Tournament.
Meanwhile…
The setting switched to a regal-looking room, as the tournament was set to take place in the Modern era, as a glass of red wine was poured into a glass for someone, as a gloved hand picked up the glass, as the person took a sip of the wine.
"Can I get you anything else, Miss Schnee?" A male voice would ask.
"No…" The voice of Weiss said as she set down the glass of wine. "You may leave me be… I have many things to ponder on my mind."
"As you wish." The male butler said as he left the room, as Weiss sighed, sitting upon a throne-like chair, as she lowered her head, sighing as she put her hand to her head.
"Another year… another decision that I don't have a choice on… another Killing Bites Tournament ready to go by public demand…" Weiss sighed as she soon looked up, her eyes showing pain, as well as a slight hint of emotionlessness from not being able to do anything to stop the tournament from beginning. "Yet another year I am claimed to have all the power in the world… and yet the shackles of being an acclaimed champion of the tournament bind me…"
Weiss resumed her original posture in her chair, taking another sip of wine as she set it down, as she emotionlessly stared at the preparation checklist she had on the screen in front of her, as she kept pondering ways she could stop the tournament, to stop the amounts of pain she and Reisen shared day in and day out… but every idea came up blank as Weiss sighed solemnly. She soon looked towards the direction of Reisen's room of the rather elegant manor, as Weiss rose, deciding to head there to see if Reisen could offer her some comfort… or if Weiss could offer Reisen some comfort.
Reisen was sitting on her seat, as she stared out into the open world outside, watching the days pass by with a stoic expression, while her room was filled with various prizes she had won through her days, although it did nothing to raise her spirits, as she was fully turned away from them.
"...It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Reisen asked Weiss softly as she heard Weiss walk in.
"It is, Reisen. Almost as beautiful as you are to me." Weiss responded as she wrapped an arm around Reisen and brought her in close. "...Days like these and you are the only things that seem to have any beauty to them anymore, it seems…"
"Indeed…" Reisen remarked with a faint smile. "At least that we still have this pleasure to help us forget all of the pain and misery we have to dive into, in order to hold this facade. Blood washed with blood, some pure of heart, some malicious, but they all bleed the same, leaving the field, never to return save for some miracle that would raise them to fight again."
"...I can't tell you Reisen… what I wouldn't give to end this… to put an end to this accursed tournament…" Weiss said solemnly. "But I sit on a throne of incredible power, and yet you and I are still their puppets on their strings, unable to find freedom, for no one has stepped up to be as strong as you and I… One came close, I forgot his name… Sesshomaru, was it? ...And in the end by pure accident we won, for he found himself pierced by my blade after going in for a finishing blow… I still remember the horror from his death in my eyes…" Weiss said as she rose from her embrace on Reisen, walking to the windows to the outside world, looking out of them solemnly. "...The wheels of fate continue to turn, regardless, and our cycle of being the images of what this tournament should be lives on… even with all the corrupt nature, everything that goes on within it… We can do nothing to stop it…"
"We can only hope that there is actually someone who can relieve us of this burden." Reisen answered back, as she leaned on the back of her chair, raising her eyes to the ceiling. "Whether it be bloody conquerors, or people who use their strength for freedom and equality… Our defeat could create a large enough ripple to end all of this… I have a feeling… Weiss, a feeling that this will be the last Killing Bites tournament for all of this world. What happens after… It depends on fate itself."
"...I hope you're right, Reisen… I hope you're right…" Weiss sighed as she looked out to the open world, longing for freedom from the tournament.
The next day…
The Killing Bites Tournament was raring to start as everyone was getting signed up and getting their sponsors. Eruza had to switch up her team, due to Taiga insisting they fight as a duo, since they had met Taiga at the entrance to the event. So Gus was spared from fighting, as Inuyasha would partner up with Hitomi instead. They all began to look for open sponsors they could share, when Gus caught something in his peripheral vision.
Siege and Richard sitting at one of the sponsor tables, both looking highly professional, and turning down quite the number of people, as if waiting for the right ones for them to sponsor.
"Hm? Who are those two?" Inuyasha wondered aloud, as everyone looked towards Richard and Siege, as no one recognized them. Not even Hitomi or either of the Nakanishi siblings.
"They seem highly professional… but it looks like our chances of getting sponsored by them…" Towa started.
"Are highly slim." Moroha finished, before she looked at Gus. "Hey, you're an outsider, right? Maybe you recognize those two?"
"...Yes, I do. Trust them, they're our way of getting sponsored… and in case things get ugly, they'll be helpful." Gus nodded back.
"What do you mean? Are they pretty influential… or is it the fact that they're not suits at all." Hitomi asked.
"I'll leave that to your choice." Gus responded back.
"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt here." Inuyasha said to Hitomi. "You and I go see if we can sign up with them first. We should get an impression of how trustworthy they are if they'll accept us."
Inuyasha and Hitomi would approach the table, as Siege brightened up, or acted as such, when he saw them. "Ah! Finally! A duo that's worth our time!" Siege said with a grand smile on his face. "The Legendary Brute Ratel herself, and the wielder of Tessaiga, Inuyasha! This is an incredible honor to be greeted by you two!"
"You know us?" Hitomi asked back.
"Pretty much, you're quite infamous in history, after all." Richard nodded back. "I suppose that we need to check if you're the genuine article though, fakers tend to fold easily."
"Oi, I ain't no fake!" Hitomi exclaimed with anger, as she instinctively grew her claws out.
"And that's a big part of that done." Richard answered back coolly. "You know what, you got a fair group behind you. We'll sponsor you all, so long as you take a walk with us into the rooms. No funny business, guaranteed."
"Wow. Uhm, that was… rather fast." Inuyasha said as he heard the fact all three teams were sponsored already. "One thing we want to know though. Your names."
"Oh! Of course, Siege Sukui, at your service." Siege would introduce.
"Richard Liu. Pleasure." Richard smirked. "Now come along, before we get attention on us."
"Wait!" Yelled a familiar voice as the group saw something that was most definitely not expected. Makoto was running in, with Setsuna alongside her, as this caused Towa to look at this in shock.
"You… how did you get her on her feet? And so quickly!?" Towa yelled.
"Long story but she wouldn't stop complaining about not being able to participate." Makoto said. "So, reluctantly, I decided to use some special medicine I brought with me for emergency purposes, and used one on her." Makoto said, as Gus knew she was referring to Healing Dust, as she looked at Gus with an apologetic expression.
"I suppose that it can't be helped…" Gus sighed. "Just… refrain from pushing yourself, Setsuna, the medicine you are given, isn't a perfect cure. You still need time to recover your wounds naturally."
"I'm well aware…" Setsuna said, holding the scar still present on her abdomen. "But with a Shikon Jewel Fragment on the line… I could not sit idly, I had to get on my feet somehow… I'm not just going to sit back and watch as potentially we all lose the one chance we have of stopping this damned tournament."
"Setsuna…" Towa said, smiling at her sister. "Knew you couldn't stay down, sis."
"Don't flatter me." Setsuna said to Towa, blushing yet hiding a smile.
"Ah, it seems we have another team to sponsor." Siege said, giving them a quick look-over. "The fact that one is still raring to go even with an injury is good enough for me. Come, we have much to discuss, teams."
The teams did so, as they went into one of the larger waiting rooms, before Richard sealed the door with some magic, to ensure no-one could eavesdrop, as everyone took a seat.
"Now then, I assume that this will be the end of Killing Bites, if any of you emerge victorious?" Richard asked the group.
"Yeah, we have the rest of the Shikon Jewel Fragments, the one that the tournament holds is the last one we need to complete it." Eruza answered back. 'At least that means that we're certainly going to have a wish to make when either of us teams win."
"Then we will give you some forewarning going forward." Siege explained as he looked at the group. "We've done our research and there are few teams you need to worry about. However, there is the concern of two things. One: An experimented combatant will be entering this tournament… and she bears your surname, Ratel." Siege said, looking to Hitomi.
"Another Uzaki… What the hell?" Hitomi answered back. "Surely that's just some coincidence. I might be a real good fighter, but I don't know if there's anyone who can replicate the same conditions that I went through… Actually, I think I might know how."
"I suggest that you keep an eye on the name 'Koyomi Uzaki'." Richard responded back. "She's quite volatile and every fight that went with her… ended with the severe mauling of her opponents, if not DOA within minutes."
"If at all possible, try to keep her alive. She's just a child, robbed of her childhood by a primal sense of rage." Siege informed. "Perhaps if she is knocked out, or has an incredible amount of fear instilled into her… she'll regain her senses and come to us for protection, considering at that point they'll want her killed. Now then, that is the only opponent you have to be any sort of concerned about leading up to the finals. The final match however… is very brutal, and you know this fact, Inuyasha."
"Damn right I do… they came to me afterwards saying it was an accident… looking at the footage from it I believe them now… but I haven't seen them since I harshly ripped into them from killing my brother." Inuyasha said solemnly.
"Weiss Schnee and Reisen Udongein Inaba have their reputation as champions for a reason. Where Weiss is graceful and skillful, Reisen is fast and ruthless. A perfect combination to most, but their flaw is using their pain and suffering through this tournament forcing them to continue it on, to fight their opponents." Siege explained. "There's a simple way to beat them if you can find the opening for it. The ideal team we want for the finale of this grand scheme that I know could pull off the victory is either Makoto and Setsuna, or Inuyasha and Hitomi."
"What qualities do we have that the others don't?" Makoto asked, looking towards the Nakanishis as well as Towa and Moroha.
"Quite simple." Siege said. "Hitomi and Inuyasha, you two have a ruthless form to your attacks, and while Inuyasha doesn't have a full grasp of reigning in his ruthlessness, Hitomi, you have the cunningness of a Ratel on your side, allowing you to use Inuyasha's ruthless attacks to your advantage. He'll be beating down on the guard of Reisen and Weiss from one side, where you can use that to sneak around and shatter it in a single blow, setting up an incredible devastation of a combo. As for Makoto and Setsuna, the same trait goes, yet Makoto is a little more calculative with her aggression than what Inuyasha is. Concerning the other two, while Taiga and Eruza would be formidable… well… sad to say, no offense but… you two are predictable."
"Eh." Eruza remarked with a shrug, while Taiga merely let out a 'Hmph'. "It's understandable, really. Many people have seen our pairing before, the speed and the brawn… At least we can clear the ladder a little for the rest of you."
"And concerning Towa and Moroha… well… you two are both as equally as reckless, and go into fights without much of a plan." Siege said, which made Moroha gain a tick mark.
"Now you take tha-" she was about to yell when Towa stopped her.
"No, he's right. You and I are ruthless, sure. We can hold our own, we're a balance of ruthless and calculative… but that's also predictable for us. Setsuna said it herself when we fought her two on one before, remember?" Towa asked Moroha.
"...Rrgh… damnit you're right." Moroha sighed as she remembered.
"So, our best chances for that Shikon Jewel lies with Inuyasha and Hitomi, or with Makoto and Setsuna. I can almost guarantee, if one of those two teams make it, the Jewel Fragment is ours." Siege said with a smirk.
"So what's the plan up until then?" Makoto would ask.
"Just survive. This first round is essentially a free-for-all bloodfest. They don't count kills or wins there. If your team lives, along with seven other teams, bam, you're in the Quarterfinals." Siege explained. "So to start off with. Don't die."
"Huh. Easier said than done with this tournament…" Inuyasha smirked. "But we can do it."
"Great, then we have our gameplan." Siege said. "Don't make any moves to try and spare Koyomi Uzaki or even engage her either. Save that for the Quarterfinals."
"Yeah, yeah." Hitomi answered back nonchalantly.
"Well, with the game plan set, I see no reason for this discussion to continue much further." Siege said. "Make the preparations you see fit. Tournament starts tomorrow."
The next day, the teams met up and got ready, as the tournament began, with all the teams being deployed in the arena at once. What could be described next was a terrible and horrible amount of bloodshed. The main four teams made it out alive, but Makoto may have been affected emotionally the most. Left and right she saw young people with great lives ahead of them, only to see them murdered by ruthless beasts. It was tragic for Makoto, seeing the carnage play out like it had. Along with their teams of four, notable people moving on was Brute Leo. He wasn't in a team anymore due to his partner being slain. Koyomi Uzaki was also moving on, as her emotionless eyes looked at her opposition with malicious intent. The other two teams moving on was Inui Pure along with her partner Kuroi Tasuku. The final team moving on was a shock, especially towards Towa, Moroha, and Setsuna considering what he had done to Setsuna. Kirinmaru, the final foe that Towa and Setsuna had fought, before he had laid a Fatal blow on Setsuna, was the last "team" moving on.
"Why… why him…!?" Towa yelled as she saw this. "Why is he…!?"
"He's probably after the Shikon Jewel Fragment, same as us." Inuyasha said. "Whoever gets matched up with him next round… make sure that bastard pays for what he did to Setsuna."
"Who is he, anyways?" Makoto would ask as she looked at Kirinmaru.
"Kirinmaru… Funny thing is that I had no idea about who he was, until I learnt about it all." Hitomi remarked with a snarl. "He's the bastard father of Sesshomaru, who was one of the most 'memorable' casualties. Sesshomaru may not have been much of a decent guy, but he changed for the better, only to get torn apart by the champions by being too damn persistent. As for his father… Let's just say that the further the Shikon Jewel is from him… the better. If he's here, we're definitely going to have shenanigans happening."
With the teams set for the next round, everyone was given a reprieve from battle, as Towa soon went into her room of the tournament hall to grab something, as the others pondered what it might be… until she came out, Tenseiga on her side.
"If I'm gonna fight that bastard… I'm going to need every inch of power I can get." Towa said. "While the champions may have killed my father… they were decent enough to allow me to receive his sword… and I'll wield it in his honor, to bring down that son of a bitch if I have to."
"With Kirinmaru in this, things got incredibly interesting…" Moroha said.
"Indeed they have." Siege said as he and Richard came into the room. "Kirinmaru in the picture is something Richard and I hoped we wouldn't encounter… but it seems that's no longer possible at this point."
"You got a game plan for this next round?" Inuyasha would ask.
"As a matter of fact we do." Siege said. "Brute Leo is into the next round. And as luck would have it, they're giving the Nakanishi siblings the first choice." Siege said, looking towards Eruza and Taiga. "Now I know you've got quite the grudge with Tani Yuugo, Taiga. So I would expect you wouldn't mind it if I suggested that your pair takes on Yuugo?"
"Then we'll gladly accept." Taiga answered back. "I have a grudge to settle with him, and if he intends to try to fight both of us at the same time… he will not win this fight, even perish if he does not concede."
"Very well. The next one who's getting the choice will be Inuyasha and Hitomi. It doesn't matter to us who you pick, since we've got a gameplan no matter who you two decide to take on." Siege explained.
"If you're going to ask me, I'll deal with the other Uzaki." Hitomi responded back. "Don't get me wrong. If she's going to become a sister stereotype for me when she finally gets her head together, I should be the one to educate her. After all, it's the big sister's role to keep her little sister in line. She might be a wild dinosaur, but I don't give two fucks, because I can handle worse."
"Alright… now the real wild card for all this is Kirinmaru… he's got the next pick. If he picks Makoto and Setsuna… Makoto, you're going to need to do the grunt work to keep Setsuna from a second blow from him." Siege said.
"You got it. Trust me, for that guy, now that I heard he's like so many other people I fought… I've got quite the pent up frustration I want to let out against him." Makoto explained.
"And that leaves the remaining team to fight Pure and Tasuku." Siege rounded off. "Keep an eye on the television, people, they'll be broadcasting the bracket soon."
The group nodded, keeping close tabs on the television. The bracket soon appeared with the following matchups:
Battle 1: Inui Pure and Kuroi Tasuku VS. Makoto Nanaya and Setsuna
Battle 2: Towa Higurashi and Moroha VS. Kirinmaru
Battle 3: Inuyasha and Hitomi Uzaki VS. Koyomi Uzaki
Battle 4: Taiga Nakanishi and Eruza Nakanishi VS. Tani Yuugo
"Looks like Kirinmaru still wants a piece of me…" Towa said as she looked at the bracket.
"Well, you and Moroha can handle him, right?" Siege asked Towa.
"Without a doubt… I won't let him score another victory over us like that." Towa growled, soon looking at Setsuna, who looked towards Towa in concern.
"...Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Setsuna asked Towa.
"...I'll be fine." Towa smiled. "I'm not going to die on you, sis."
The next round of the tournament began as the bracket got underway. The first battle was rather uneventful. Pure and Tasuku were able to mount a slight offensive, but Makoto's strength and speed, combined with Setsuna's tact and precision, put down the Brute Tasmanian Devil and Brute Beagle.
Then came the match between Towa and Moroha, and Kirinmaru.
"Okay… you ready, Moroha?" Towa asked as they were preparing to head into the arena.
"Ready, Towa. I'm not gonna let this bastard win over us like he did you and Setsuna." Moroha said, as Towa and Moroha walked into the ring, while Kirinmaru strided in, standing tall.
"So you have come again." Kirinmaru stated with a stoic look under his masked head. "It seems that you seek vengeance from the last fight you had, Towa Higurashi, and you have brought a daughter of Inuyasha with you. Moroha, wasn't it?"
"Hmph. Spare me your words, Kirinmaru." Towa coldly spoke, drawing Tenseiga. "While you may have wounded Setsuna, she is no longer in the condition you put her in. But I intend to bring you down myself, in honor of my father!"
"Your father, my son…" Kirinmaru answered back, before he then slowly prepared himself to fight. "If you wish to defeat me, it will require far more than what you had before. If you learned nothing from our last fight… then I will not be merciful a second time to you."
Towa growled at Kirinmaru, as the signal blared for the fight to begin, as Towa charged in at Kirinmaru, while Moroha began firing Sacred Arrows at Kirinmaru from a distance. Kirinmaru did not even dignify the attacks with any offence, as he merely conjured barriers that blocked most of the hits, as he waited for either combatant to expose themselves to his eventual attack. Towa, remembering this well, leapt far back as she assumed a defensive stance, not going to fall for another blow.
"Huh!? Why did you stop!?" Moroha yelled.
"Idiot! He's on the defensive, continuing an assault on him is pointless! Wait until he's open!" Towa yelled.
"A calm mind… you honed that, or perhaps the pain has taught you that lesson." Kirinmaru stated, before he then folded his hands out. "Very well then, I shall see if you have the skill to evade my attacks then."
Kirinmaru then charged demonic energy into his palms, before firing them across the entire ring, forcing both Towa and Moroha to evade constantly to avoid being hit, knowing that a few hits from them was all it took to take them out. They expertly dodged, as Moroha got a slight graze on the cheek from one, but otherwise, neither had taken notable damage from the onslaught, though Moroha was panting, slightly exhausted from the extreme athleticism she had to pull off.
"It seems that merely blasting you will not work at all this time." Kirinmaru stated, before he then zoomed before the two of them. "Perhaps I can truly take you seriously, daughters of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Consider yourselves honoured that you have lasted this long against me."
Kirinmaru then began to start his own assault against the pair, as he threw unarmed blows rapidly, using both his frightening power and speed to a great extent. Towa and Moroha were caught on the defensive, either evading or blocking the blows, as Moroha got some distance, as she went to assault Kirinmaru from behind with a Sacred Arrow Barrage. Although Kirinmaru didn't seem to flinch much from the back-attack, he did show some physical reaction, before he then blew Moroha across the field with his aerokinesis, before going for a rising kick on Towa's chest, which she was grazed by. Towa, seeing an opening, landed a solid blow on Kirinmaru with a fist, dealing enough damage to send him skidding, if only slightly.
"Forcing me back, hm…?" Kirinmaru stated, as amusement snuck into his voice. "It seems that you have improved drastically over the time between our fights. Your drive to beat me, it has spurred you to grow stronger than I expected. Perhaps you might win this fight with the charade of rules it is bound by."
"Why do you talk so much!?" Towa yelled as she landed slashes on Kirinmaru with Tenseiga, surprising him with how much faster Towa had gotten, compared to their last fight.
"Because for once in my long-lasting life… I have been impressed by someone who deserves respect under my standards." Kirinmaru answered back, he blocked a series of strikes with his arms, only for Towa to smash him with an upwards slash, knocking his head back. "It is truly intriguing. If your friend is this powerful, then what of Inuyasha then? Has he trained himself for the sole purpose of slaying me? Or you, Towa Higurashi… are you trying to follow in the footsteps of your own father, my son, and succeed where he cannot?"
"I don't care what you say… I'm forging my own fate, my own destiny. Most would say I can't do it… most would say that we were doomed to die at your hands… Setsuna survived, because I was able to use Tenseiga in the nick of time…" Towa said, growling. "Most visions I have seen… it was too late for me to save Setsuna… But I'm forging my own future because I was able to save her. I may not have my father around anymore, but I feel him guiding me with every swing of this blade! And if this means I have to kill you to prove it… grandfather… THEN SO BE IT!" Towa yelled as she landed a slash strong enough that even though Kirinmaru guarded it, it shattered his guard, as Towa landed multiple slashes on him after the fact, as blood began to fly from Kirinmaru after enough slashes, before Towa unleashed an Azure Dragon Wave strong enough to send Kirinmaru flying a good ways away, as Moroha, hiding in an ambush point, dropped down with a spiking foot to Kirinmaru, slamming him down into a crater in the ring.
There was a moment of silence, before Kirinmaru rose up, and shoved Moroha off, although it wasn't so forceful that Moroha could not recover long before she even touched the ground. To Towa's and Moroha's surprise, Kirinmaru rose up, as he touched where one of his wounds was, and saw the blood staining his fingers, letting his arm fall.
"...So this is the extent of your resolve, Towa Higurashi." Kirinmaru remarked, before he then turned to leave. "...Then I assume that this fight… and this grudge of mine is over. To the one who is dictating this match… I declare my forfeit."
This caused Towa's eyes to widen as she looked at Kirinmaru in shock. "...You're… giving us victory…? Why? What purpose do you have for this?" Towa couldn't help but ask.
"Do I require a reason to recognise your actions?" Kirinmaru asked back with genuine respect. "If you wish for that reason… Then I'll tell you. It's because you have finally defeated me, as the prophecy stated. Perhaps it was foolish for me to try and escape it. Everything I do would have driven you to either conquer or slay me. If you wish to kill me, then when I leave this arena, I will wait for you, and you can finish what you have started."
"...No." Towa said as she heard the offer to kill Kirinmaru. "I will not kill you… not when I've already fulfilled what I came to achieve. I have a greater goal ahead than to simply kill you needlessly, when you've already conceded defeat. ...Even now I can feel father smiling upon me for a decision like this… If anything… I need to thank you, Kirinmaru. You drove me to become stronger. You even drove Setsuna to become stronger, and persevere through the incredible wound you gave her…" Towa admitted, before bowing her head in respect to her grandfather.
Kirinmaru was silent, before he allowed a smile to appear on his face, out of warmth, a feeling he has never shown for a long time.
"...So you believe that he is watching you forge on with your life… If he saw upon me, he would be scowling, since I have grown so distant and cold with him, even to his last days." Kirinmaru remarked. "But I share your sentiment, if I am to perish soon, then I pass on with no regrets, knowing that you would continue your father's legacy. Claim your prize as you wish, I believe that the Shikon Jewel is your object of desire for its wish, not the power it holds. And I will be awaiting what wish you will make when the time comes."
Kirinmaru then left the arena, standing tall like he had entered before. Towa smirked as she sheathed Tenseiga, and exited the arena with Moroha, feeling a sense of pride in her for accomplishing what her father could not.
But celebration of overcoming the concerning foe would have to wait. The next match was already beginning, as Inuyasha and Hitomi were in position, ready to face the rampaging Koyomi Uzaki.
"So what's the plan here? Make her so afraid of us that she eventually gives up out of fear?" Inuyasha asked Hitomi.
"Like I said, she needs to be beaten out of her feral mind-set. Don't do anything permanent to her, just bruise her a little, and leave some cuts. It's a battle of trying to whittle away at her own will-power to fight, rather than her durability." Hitomi responded back, as she transformed. "And how to do that easily? Just make it clear that she stands no chance, and she'll end up weak, and that's the moment we conk her out."
"Gotcha. I can do that easily." Inuyasha smirked as he prepared to draw Tessaiga when the time came.
Koyomi raised her vacant eyes, before she then transformed immediately into her Deinotychus form, as dinosaur and Ratel clashed with each other, as they traded blows with each other, leaving each other with bruises and gashes with each strike, although Hitomi was less injured, despite having more gashes, as her pelt prevented many of the cuts from going deep enough to actually affect her fighting performance.
Hitomi then smashed both of her hands right down into Koyomi's head, knocking her flat, before Koyomi swiped a claw onto Hitomi's leg hard enough, that it grazed her leg, causing her to wince and flinch. However, Hitomi noticed that Koyomi was slowing down, and her own actions were turning sluggish.
"Alright, this is done now. Inuyasha!" Hitomi shouted, as she grappled with Koyomi tightly, keeping her restrained, as the dinosaur Brute tried to wriggle out of her grip, only to fail with Hitomi's great strength.
Inuyasha smirked as he heard the signal, drawing Tessaiga in its Diamond form to unleash an attack powerful enough yet not lethal enough to kill Koyomi. "Adamant… BARRAGE!" Inuyasha yelled as diamond shards shot at Koyomi.
The diamond shards cut into Koyomi, as they harmlessly bounced off Hitomi's pelt, while Koyomi wasn't faring well against the diamond shard onslaught, as Inuyasha smirked, preparing one more attack.
"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha yelled as the wind based attack slammed into Koyomi, as Hitomi let her go at that point, sending the dinosaur Brute flying as she tumbled across the ground, as she looked up at Inuyasha and Hitomi, and saw them both now in fear as opposed to her ferocity before. Inuyasha and Hitomi watched as the once feral Koyomi now began scrambling back from them in fear, soon having her back against the wall as she could only look at them in fear.
"Alright, it's nap-time for you." Hitomi remarked, as she lunged at Koyomi, and knocked her out with a powerful upper-cut that rattled her head, and caused the Deinonychus Brute to slump down unconscious.
"Welp, that's a wrap." Inuyasha smirked as he hefted the Deinonychus Brute over his shoulders, as they walked out with the unconscious Koyomi.
For the bout between Taiga and Eruza going up against Yuugo, it was an easy victory for Taiga and Eruza, as Taiga got his revenge on the Brute Leo, even killing him to finish the match.
The next round pitted all four teams against one another, but suddenly, a press conference came up involving the, regardless of which team won, winning sponsors of the event, Siege and Richard, as they were called into the press room with multiple therianthropes and humans in the room.
"Thank you for coming in on such a short notice, Mr. Sukui and Mr. Liu, we have some questions for the both of you in regards to the success you recently had as sponsors, as well as other issues that happened during the tournament." A male reporter explained.
"We'll answer any and all questions as you ask them. Go ahead." Siege said.
"Well, obviously the first question to ask is how are you two taking the fact that regardless who wins this tournament, that you two have already won the Killing Bites Tournament itself, and have a shot to defeat champions Weiss Schnee and Reisen Udongein Inaba?" A Leopard Brute reporter would ask.
"We are well aware of that." Richard responded back calmly. "...That is why we will let it be done by choosing which team will take the challenge to the champions. I would be interested in putting the sponsored team against each other, but I doubt it would accomplish much, other than prolong a inevitable conclusion, and even scuffle up the contenders before they take their shot against the champions. After all, the champion's match has to be best-of-all-time in its period, after all, and they've got enough of a warm-up against the other contenders."
"Well that already takes care of a large amount of our questions." A male reporter said. "But here is one very… pressing question we have. It's in regards to Koyomi Uzaki, whom you have decided to take under your care, considering the fact that your combatants drug her unconsciously out of the ring. Just what are your plans for Koyomi Uzaki? What reason do you see sparing and kidnapping an experimental Brute?"
"Consider it sentiment on our behalf." Siege answered back. "We have disdain towards experiments that go beyond the ethical norms, and what we heard about Koyomi… is unpleasant enough for us to reject disclosing about. So sparing her means taking her under our wing, so to speak."
"So, so what, you're going to rehabilitate her?" A male reporter rudely interrupted. "You intend on making her completely different from what she was intended to be?"
"For your information you could see it as rehabilitation, yes." Siege said. "And she was never 'intended' to have a life like this. She's a child, and a child should ha-"
"She's an experiment, sir, an experiment that the people of Killing Bites require to see if something to what she has become is possible for other human-" the reporter began before Siege slammed the desk forcefully, quieting him.
"I would like you to remain quiet and allow me to finish my statement. And since you were so bold, sir, allow me to be just as bold with my intentions for Koyomi Uzaki. You people here kidnapped her and experimented on her, ridding her of the life a child should have. All for what!? A blood sport!? A sport that people watch and seeing children, LITERAL CHILDREN! Be murdered on public television, and get enjoyment out of!? Frankly, the moral of the entirety of the Killing Bites Tournament sickens my comrade and I. So for us to at least bring one child back with us for rehabilitation, it hurts us that we cannot do more, but it gives us some relief to know that we may not be able to save all the children you toss into this corrupted sport… but we were at least able to spare one valuable and precious life. That is our intention for Koyomi Uzaki. That is also our view on this tournament as a whole. Hate us for it if you want but you no longer have a lick of power in this scenario, considering we are the only ones who have remaining teams in this tournament." Siege harshly spoke. "There is your answer. Any more questions for us?"
"...N-no sir…" The reporter shakily spoke. "That is all…" he added, before the reporters hastily left the room.
Siege sat back down, looking at Richard. "Sorry, but that jerk pushed my buttons enough I couldn't keep it in."
"It's fairly understandable." Richard answered back. "I would have conveyed my point more coldly, so it was better for you to answer instead of me. Either way, we should pick the pair that will face the champions. Between Makoto and Setsuna, or Hitomi and Inuyasha… Or have your choices changed after what you have seen from how Towa and Moroha earned their victory?"
"No. I've made my final verdict on the last showdown. Inuyasha and Hitomi are recognized by the crowd as legends in this arena. No doubt they're still craving an epic finale, even after our comments. So I'll divulge them their pleasantries, if only for one final match." Siege said. "Richard, it's time to inform them. Inuyasha and Hitomi will face off against Weiss and Reisen for that Shikon Jewel Shard."
"As you wish." Richard nodded back, before he then headed to the break room, as all four of the teams were there, recovering from the last few matches. "Hitomi, Inuyasha, the honour of picking your fight with the Champs is yours to take."
"Really? Nice, I suppose that this is quite fitting, considering its Brute vs. Brute, well Brute and Dai-Yokai vs. Brutes." Hitomi responded back. "When's the match? I'm already pumped for the fight just from hearing it."
"The match will begin within the hour." Said a voice as the group turned to see Weiss and Reisen striding into the room. "And I must say, that press conference was shut down as quickly as it got heated… you two have your way with words." The white Lynx Brute said, eyeing Siege and Richard, as Weiss acknowledged them respectfully. "As champion of the tournament, allow me to congratulate the both of you for an incredible display, with all of your teams surviving the rounds leading up to this."
"The pleasure is ours." Richard responded back with a gentle nod. "I assume that you will be well prepared to take our candidates on? After all, they expect you to fight as your position demands, and although I respect the power… My condolences for what lurks in the darker shadows of bearing such a title."
Reisen was silent, as she eyed Richard, and mouthed a silent word of thanks in response.
"Your concern for us is greatly appreciated, Sir Liu." Weiss said with a nod, before looking at Inuyasha, as the pained expression from her slaying Sesshomaru returned.
"...Hey, look… I watched it after the fact and… I realize I was wrong." Inuyasha bluntly stated to Weiss. "You never meant to kill my brother… it just… happened."
"I'm rather glad you see that. But what was said was said, and the wound still remains." Weiss said solemnly. "But I am glad to know we are on better terms after the fact. Now I do have an important question to ask. By chance do you have all other pieces of the Shikon Jewel?"
"That's the main reason we entered this tournament." Inuyasha spoke.
"...Then we have decided. Reisen, hand them the Shikon Jewel Fragment." Weiss said, looking at her partner.
Reisen eyed Weiss for a moment, before she then slowly reached into her jacket, before she then pulled out the radiant jewel fragment out, showing it clearly before them.
"The Shikon Jewel fragment… It's genuine." Richard answered back. "What is the purpose of this? Are you handing this to us for some personal reason?"
"...With the fragments gathered, this tournament can be wished away." Reisen answered back. "No more, will we have to kill for the sake of defending an empty title, to shatter hopes and dreams because of the weight we bear. It is not right for a blood sport to be worshipped like a long-lasting religion. From feudal times to the modern era, it has existed in one form or another. But with a single wish to twist reality… it will finally disappear."
"...Now more than ever I want to wish this whole damn thing away…" Inuyasha said, seeing this. "You… neither one of you have been able to find a sense of peace have you?"
"None. Reisen and I may be close and can comfort one another… but the pain is so deep, the terror is incredulous… the puppet strings are just as controlling… we have been puppets on strings, forced to watch as children and elderly thrown into the tournament die at the hands of ruthless beasts… only the year Sesshomaru entered did we have some form of peace… and accidentally it was ripped away by us… it was an endless cycle of pain, torture, and no remorse from the puppet masters… now… maybe now… maybe now… people like Mai… people like Ui Inaba… those who want this tournament gone… they'll finally see it come true." Weiss said with the first gleam of hope in her eyes in years.
"Then… I suppose that if you are defeated, then it might be the release of all of the misery you have been carrying." Richard answered back. "Fighting with all you got, and being defeated, it does wonders in enlightening someone. Do not worry, win or lose, this cycle of blood will end. What matters is how you'll face the end."
"Yes… yes I truly believe that." Weiss said with a smile.
"Then why wait any longer? This is near the closing curtain for you both. As Kagome would say in a matter like this: "A grand finale deserves a spectacular performance for it to be truly considered a finale." I think that applies just as much here as anywhere else." Inuyasha said with a smirk. "Just say the word and we'll start that final battle."
Reisen ws silent, before she then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as she opened her eyes with determination, and hope in her eyes. "...We are ready." She stated.
"Great. Best one wins out there." Hitomi chuckled lightly.
With that, the four combatants headed to the arena to begin the grand finale spectacle for the crowd.
Inuyasha and Hitomi entered the arena first, as Weiss and Reisen soon followed suit, both sides entering with a display of pyrotechnics and light shows, as the crowd was pumped to see such a large scale final bout.
Hitomi wasted no time in transforming, as Reisen stripped her jacket off, the pair transforming into their Brute forms as well.
Weiss formed her Lynx features but didn't shed clothing, drawing Myrtenaster as Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, as the fight began, with Inuyasha and Weiss charging at one another to begin a clash of broadsword against rapier, while Reisen and Hitomi engaged each other in close-combat, as speed was pitted against force.
Reisen went for a series of rapid-fire kicks on Hitomi, although they did nothing but force the Ratel Brute back, as she countered by grabbing Reisen's furred leg, and slamming her over onto the ground, before trying to land a axe-kick onto Reisen's chest, as the hare Brute dodged with flashing speed.
As for Inuyasha and Weiss, a large number of projectile attacks were being thrown, as Inuyasha used Backlash Wave against an icicle onslaught before retaliating with Adamant Barrage, Weiss managing to avoid both attacks as she dashed back in for more up close and personal sword clashing.
The match was long, fierce, and going back and forth for quite a while as neither end was set on giving in one bit, as both sides looked to be charging up one final strike against their opposition.
"Alright, this is going to finish it! Hope you got your own speciality up for the bat!" Hitomi remarked, as she adopted a stand with her dominant hand raised.
"I don't intend to lose to whatever your blow is." Reisen answered back, as a smirk appeared on her lips, crossing her leg behind her back.
Hitomi and Reisen then launched their attack, as Hitomi swung her arm down with hammering force, the claws fully extended to claw through its target, while Reisen's kick literally glowed as it trailed through the air, as the two attacks blocked each other, leading to a stalemate of both attacks pushing each other back and forth.
"Alright! Time to finish this!" Inuyasha yelled as Tessaiga transformed into Meido Tessaiga. "Meido… ZANGETSUHA!" Inuyasha yelled, sending a large amount of black energy at Weiss.
"Hmph. See how you handle this!" Weiss said as she soon formed a large glyph, firing a high energy ice beam at Inuyasha's attack, as a beam war ensued, both sides being at a stalemate, which brought to a close when Weiss's and Inuyasha's beam war exploded, catching both them as well as Hitomi and Reisen in the explosion.
The result was Inuyasha and Hitomi rising to their feet first, as Reisen and Weiss couldn't get up in time before the decision was made. Inuyasha and Hitomi had beaten the champions.
When they went to see if Reisen and Weiss were okay, they saw them both laying down with smiles on their faces.
"Hm? Why are you two smiling? You just lost." Inuyasha joked.
"It matters not whether we lost or won… that match showed us just how much resolve you have to end all of this." Weiss said to Inuyasha with a smile. "It was an honor to have been defeated by you and Hitomi."
With that being said, all four of them were able to leave the arena by their own power, as Weiss had the smile still present on her face. "The cycle is over… the play has ended and our strings will finally be cut Reisen… we will be free…"
"Hahaha… I never thought that to lose would feel this good…" Reisen remarked, as she wrapped an arm around Weiss to keep her standing, as the two of the trudged along with the other duo.
Eventually, things wrapped up with the Killing Bites Tournament, as Siege and Richard took it upon themselves to transfer Koyomi to the OSA Golden Blaze, as everyone made their way back to the Feudal Japan Era, and formed the Shikon Jewel in its entirety.
"Well… this is it…" Inuyasha said. "Now, we're dead set on using this to abolish the Killing Bites Tournament, right?"
"That was the idea." Towa said, soon looking towards Hitomi. "Well, you were the one who wanted this the most… you make the wish."
"Really?" Hitomi asked back, before she then took the completed Shikon Jewel in her hand. "...Alright, Shikon Jewel… Grant me this one wish… let the very concept of Killing Bites fade from the minds of the world's people, save for those by my side, and never let it arise again."
The change was almost instant. The Killing Bites Tournament was no longer talked about. Instead people lived in harmony with therianthropes, and nothing of the Killing Bites Tournament ever rose up again.
Weiss and Reisen, who had hoped for such a thing, traveled to the Feudal Japan Era, both filled with utter joy that they were no longer bound by the tournament, and were now free. As the main group exited the home of Inuyasha, they saw Reisen and Weiss coming up to them.
"Well, there you two have it! No more Killing Bites!" Inuyasha said with a smile.
"Thank you all so much…" Weiss said. "You… you have no idea how much it means to Reisen and myself… to finally be free."
"Well… in any case, Gus and I need to go." Makoto said.
"Where exactly are you two going? You know, we've hardly gotten to know you over the course of all this, you know." Moroha said.
"We have to move onto different worlds." Gus remarked, showing the piece of the Great Seal he was holding. "We came here in order to collect these seal fragments, as it sealed a great evil behind them, so we must make haste, after ensuring this world is put to peace."
"If you're so inclined to get things done, why don't you take us with you?" Eruza answered back. "Now that Killing Bites is gone, we don't exactly have anything to do, so may as well help you ou for that great favour."
"...Makoto, do you believe that Siege will accept more people?" Gus asked Makoto.
"Did you already forget one of our primary goals, Gus?" Makoto asked with a smirk. "Magina tasked us with recruiting an army! Of course Siege would let us take people with us!"
"In that case if you'll allow Reisen and I a moment, we have two others who are interested in… leaving this world behind." Weiss explained, soon looking to Reisen. "Your sister is one of them. Ui Inaba, right?"
"She is my descendant, so to speak." Reisen answered back. "She may be slightly timid, but she has devotion to her actions, and she'll do her best to meet expectations in what she is assigned."
"As for me, I have a fox to track down." Weiss said. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Go ahead. If all of you are planning on coming, we'll have to make multiple trips anyways." Makoto explained. "Our vessel we brought here… isn't exactly meant to carry more than 8 people at a time. Including the pilots."
"It's fine, we can wait for our turn." Hitomi responded back. "So then, who's the first batch?"
"Since Weiss and Reisen are getting people, we'll take… Inuyasha, Kagome, Moroha, Towa, and Setsuna." Makoto suggested.
"Fair enough." Gus remarked, as he guided the group, where their aircraft was, as it opened up to reveal the passenger seats inside. "Hop in, I'll ensure that our trip is smooth."
After a couple trips, everyone was soon onboard the OSA Golden Blaze, soon seeing Rutega and Mokou having returned with a group of 6 allies of their own. Rutega's mother and father, Caulifla and Shallot, along with Trunks, Mai at his side, a blue skinned warrior named Zahha, and a pink skinned Android who only went by her Android number, 21. Rutega soon saw everyone returning as she waved at them. Rutega and Mokou had been through quite the adventure, battling various warriors corrupted by Dark ki, and ending up battling the Mastermind behind it all, which was Demon God Demigra. The battle against him was fierce, and sadly, Shallot's brother Giblet fell during the battle. It was through this Rutega unlocked her Super Saiyan Blue form, and Mokou accessed a greater power herself.
"Gus! Makoto! Looks like you two made one hell of a difference down there, eh?" Rutega asked with a smirk as everyone walked in.
"Quite a lot." Gus answered back. "I witnessed the reconciliation of daughter and grand-father, as well as the fight between two very powerful pairs. It's not much, but it was quite enlightening. From the looks of it, you had a stronger fight than us, right?"
"Yeah… In the form of one power hungry Demon God trying to force his rule over the universe. Mokou and I both pushed our limits pretty damn hard down there. So much we both surpassed them greatly." Rutega explained.
"Wow… sounds pretty rough." Makoto remarked.
"As much as I love sharing adventuring stories, we don't have much more time." Zatanna explained.
"Rutega handed us the second Great Seal piece. Do you have the third?" Allison would ask Gus.
"Of course." Gus responded back, handing the seal piece over. "I understand the urgency. Let us prepare for what will come next."
"Right. Okay, Richard, chart our course back to Prime Earth, so Zatanna and her allies can finish what we came to help them start. In the meantime I'll check up on young Koyomi Uzaki." Siege said.
"Aye, aye, cap." Richard jubilantly stated, before he then went towards the bridge of the ship to do exactly that.
Meanwhile, Siege walked to the medical bay area of the ship, when he heard something behind him, as he stopped and chuckled. "Come to see about your 'little sister', Hitomi?" Siege asked, having heard Hitomi's footsteps despite her best efforts to mask them.
"Yeah. Thought that I could try and get here quietly, before you did." Hitomi answered back, before she then shrugged. "Well, she gotta wake up to me, so that I can introduce our sisterhood. Always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling like Eruza. Must be interesting from what she tells me."
"Well, you're about to find that out." Siege chuckled as he opened the door to the medical bay. "Come on, let's go see if she's about to wake up." Siege suggested before walking inside.
Koyomi was still asleep, although she did show signs of waking up already, as her fingers twitched, and her eyes squinted a few times, before she then opened them.
"Where… Where am I…?" Koyomi asked softly.
"You're safe." Siege explained bluntly, as Koyomi looked his way. "Thanks to our efforts, you've been dragged out of the hell they forced you in, and now you're safe with us here." Siege explained with a warm tone to his voice.
"Hell…?" Koyomi remarked, as she slowly sat up. "...That's right… hell… I can't remember what it was… but it was hell… I still remember the needles… I remember the tests… the fighting… I remember the people in the coats… saying things about me… optimisation… And then… And then.."
Koyomi then placed her hands on the side of her head gently, with a slightly disturbed expression. "I remember that they did all of this for something... " She quietly whispered. "But what was it…? Why can't I remember? Why can't I remember the reason I had to live through this…!?"
Hitomi turned toward Siege for a moment, before walking over and placing a gentle hand on Koyomi's shoulder, adopting a sincere expression of genuine care on her face. "Siege is right… you are safe from it all…" Hitomi answered back. "They were about to make you do something very terrible, but we stopped it before it could happen. You don't need to remember all of that anymore. Just remember that you have a sister who will take care of you, and a lot of people who will treat you like a close friend."
"Sis… ter?" Koyomi asked softly, turning her head towards Hitomi with a curious expression.
"I'm a Uzaki as well, Hitomi Uzaki." Hitomi answered back, before grinning back. "You're more or less my younger sister, so glad to meet you."
Koyomi was silent for a moment, before her expression morphed into one of surprise and love, before she then slowly leaned over and hugged Hitomi with her arms, as Hitomi returned the hug, as the child Brute gently laid her head against Hitomi's chest. After a while, Koyomi let go, as she seemed to look a lot more content than before.
"...When will I leave here?" Koyomi asked Siege. "I'm not… broken, right?"
"No, you're just fine." Siege said. "You'll be able to leave here as soon as you get your bearings about you." Siege answered with a warm smile. "Since your sister is taking good care of you at the moment, I'll leave you two alone. After all I have something to oversee, to make sure it gets done." Siege added on, before he began to walk out.
When Siege decided to check on Richard, he noticed that his comrade already inputted the coordinates, as Richard himself was looking out, keeping an eye out the bridge window.
"You're back. I assume that the recovery went well?" Richard asked Siege.
"Yep. Koyomi is doing just fine. Hitomi is watching over her right now." Siege explained. "I see that Zatanna and her allies have already headed down to Prime Earth. Things seem to be going well for them in regards to the Great Seal from my view."
"That's nice to hear, I've seen Kaguya's new pet, and how Mokou is burning up with her new powers." Richard responded back. "I suppose that out of the three of them, Gus was the one that came with the least personal gain, but also the greatest organisational gain. I suppose that's a fair judgement on how the three ventures went. So then, what do you expect we'll have to deal with, when things might go wrong?"
"Well… if things go wrong, Richard, on any circumstance, I have a firm belief that together, with the allies we have just acquired, we'll have the strength and capabilities to take it head on." Siege said.
With that said, Richard and Siege watched as Zatanna successfully placed the Great Seal on the Evil Magic on Prime Earth, as she soon returned with Allison and Rachel.
"Zatanna? You came back?" Siege asked as he saw the trio walk back in. "You had no need to."
"Sure, we didn't have a need to." Zatanna said. "But Justice League Dark never stays together long… Allison, Rachel, and I want to know what it's like being a part of a team. And we'd love to be a part of yours."
"Your aid is welcome, Zatanna. Welcome aboard." Siege said, before contacting Magina. "Lady Magina, we've completed the main mission, and acquired a large number of allies in the process."
"Excellent work, you two. But there is more work to be done." Magina said. "3 more worlds are in danger of a new threat. One of them is familiar for you, Siege."
"Oh? Bring up the troubled worlds on display." Siege said, as the display pulled up, showing two different versions of earth, along with a universe that had a number of worlds in it, being truly demonic. "...Ah, I've been to the high tech world on the radar… and it seems that it's of most importance if I'm reading this right."
"Indeed." Magina said. "I leave the task to you two and your new allies." Magina added, before ending the feed.
"Alright… so looks like we'll need to get to work again immediately. I'd suggest not a large force going into this next world, considering the fact that the two main protagonists there can do a hell of a lot of damage by themselves." Siege said.
"This world intrigues me, as well as Rachel." Allison said. "We'll go."
"Hey! I want to get in on the action here!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Can't I go?"
"Well… yes but…" Siege began, looking at Inuyasha's appearance. "You need… a bit of modernization to your look."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.
"Richard can show you what I'm talking about. Take him to the armory, if you would." Siege said. "Inuyasha is exactly the kind of swordsman we need for this. Allison, Rachel, you two better get a bit of upgrading yourselves, in order to be of utmost effectiveness down there."
"I understand." Rachel responded back, before she then gestured for Allison to follow, as they decided to leave to change their own equipment for more modern-like analogues.
"Right, Inuyasha, come with me." Richard responded back, as he guided Inuyasha to the armoury, as it was a large room, that was filled with weapon racks, which could be accessed with a few touch inputs. "Alright then, as much as you can keep that Tessaiga of yours to handle whatever fight down there, you're going to need more than your cloth to handle what's down there. And in addition to that, you would look like you're dressing up as a feudal samurai down there, even though that kind of fashion was phased out."
"Oh, Kagome talked about a term like that… 'cosplay' she called it." Inuyasha said. "Okay, so I'd look out of touch, fair enough. You got something that would fit the times and would fit as a warrior?" Inuyasha would ask Richard, as he began looking through the High-Tech Armor, which was in different colours and styles.
Richard looked towards where Inuyasha's eyes were going, as he smirked slightly. "I think that you know what you want." Richard responded back, before he then walked over to the armour rack, taking out a red futuristic armour-suit that seemed to look fairly loose and plain, save for the crevices between the armour-plates on the suit. "I think this suits you better, conforms to its own user, and keeps a strongly… warrior-like look. I should know, tried a set before while you guys were off on the worlds."
"Sweet." Inuyasha said to Richard as he eyed the armor. "I'll take it!" He added, smirking at the suit of armor. "Yeah! I could get used to this! Ehm… might have to walk me through some of this technology stuff though… Like how to work the scanners, the communicators and stuff… I've only heard about stuff like this from Kagome." Inuyasha admitted.
"Of course, let the commander here give you a well-needed crash course." Richard stated, as he slowly moved Inuyasha to the changing-room to try his armour, all while Richard explained the functions one-by-one to him, keeping it to basic terms to help Inuyasha's understanding. Pretty soon, Inuyasha had all the functions of his armor down, as he walked into the main room for all to see him, as Kagome did a double take and got heart eyes at seeing Inuyasha.
"Oh wow! That looks great on you, Inuyasha!" Kagome said with a bright smile.
"Heh, thanks." Inuyasha chuckled as he moved to meet up with Allison and Rachel.
Allison was decked out in a futuristic dark blue suit of armor, wielding a HF Naginata, as the double sided spear sparked with energy. Rachel was equipped with a fairly slim black cyborg suit, as the only pronounced part of her suit was the reinforced armour plates around her upper chest, and the metallic gauntlets on her arms, as in her hand was a large halberd build from HF technology, as the edge of the blade was white for the moment.
"You're here… I assume that you are prepared enough for what is ahead?" Rachel asked Inuyasha.
"Definitely." Inuyasha said. "Whenever you're ready, commanders, send us down."
"Roger that. Also expect your communication form to change a little bit. They only go by codec down there, nothing like what we have. I've already contacted a close friend of mine below, he'll be informing the two people you'll meet of your coming. Their real names are Jack and Yae Sakura, but they usually answer to codenames Raiden and Scarlet." Siege explained. "I'd take the F-15 now, so you can land it in an area and camouflage it so you can meet up with Raiden and Scarlet ASAP."
"Copy that." Allison said. "We're going." She added, before the trio left.