February 2021 (Update): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 44: Murderous Song on the Wind
Almost a week has passed since our titular hero and his team of friends returned to Japan, after taking an unexpected detour to the Village of Majora in Ireland to escape from one of Trinity's several headquarters. During this surprise adventure, Coraline would reconcile with the memories of her past and the people she left behind, eventually leading her down the path to reclaim a lost artifact of her ancestors...The ShatterSoul Sword.
Such a fabled blade would require an equally fine scabbard, an item the girl is currently finishing the final sewing for while sitting at the foot of the incline where Kaede's home is built...
Now usually, there's rarely a long pause in action before the group of young souls would set off to parts unknown. However, considering the exhausting excitement from their super-long distance travel (among other things), even Inuyasha was easily persuaded into taking some time to recuperate and prepare. Plus, while he'd never dare say this aloud due to pride, the half-dog demon wanted to be sure that his closest companion heals properly from her grueling duel to the death against Bishop...
"Hey, sis! We're back!"
And let's not forget that there were two new members to the questing team that needed time to gather their own wares, so they wouldn't be caught vulnerable to the trials ahead...
Pausing her work, Coraline looks up to see Freeman and Besa returning with Sango and Kilala from the abandoned village of the Yōkai Taijiya. The surviving member of this hidden clan had come up with the idea of introducing the twin brothers to whatever slayer weapons they could salvage, then engage in some basic training to make sure each young man could handle the figurative and literal weight.
The redhead smiles at the small group and calls,
"Welcome back!"
The brunette in the misty rose/light mulberry kumon kimono and avacado green skirt wrap is the first to gently jump off the twin tail.
"How is the scabbard coming along?"
"I'm in the final stage for th' sewin'."
"...Hey, you guys!"
Shippō pops out of the aging miko's hut and bounds over to the quartet that had come home, hopping onto Freeman's waiting shoulder.
"Haha, hey, Shippō!"
"Did you and Besa find some weapons you can use?"
"Yeah. Took a while to pick the right one, but we each eventually found something we can wield without lookin' like idiots."
The other young man with an espresso complexion whaps the back of his brother's head with a slightly puff-off glare.
"Dude!"
"What? No offense, bro, but you looked ridiculous trying to swing those giant nunchaku."
"Like you looked any better?"
"...Oi! You guys are back, finally!"
The argument is cut short before it could begin by the arrival of Inuyasha, with Miroku trailing behind.
"Good to see you're all well."
"Hey, Inuyasha, Miroku!"
Coraline playfully rolls her eyes at the quick change of focus, and goes back to work on her scabbard.
Boys will be boys...
I still can't believe me brothers are actually here in Edo, an' now they're back from Sango's old village with prop'r weapons...
It feels good t' have them here, and everyone else has been taking th'm in with open arms too.
Her thoughts finish as the half-demon in red asks,
"So did you guys find something you can use or what?"
Freeman holds a finger up:
"One sec..."
He and Besa then wander back to Kilala to relieve her of the two large blankets leaning against her side, before setting them on each side of their sister...
"I chose what's called an ōtsuchi, or war mallet."
Freeman unwraps his cloth, revealing a mallet of similar design to Tōtōsai's, though made with a wooden shaft of about six feet, and a large head of iron that has pieces of demon bone wrapped around the faces, matching a smaller piece on the handle's end...Miroku is the first to comment.
"Well, this is a rather unique weapon choice..."
"(Grin) Yeah, I know it's a bit weird, but I have a good arm for bats and bars, and the second I picked this baby up, I just knew it was for me."
Inuyasha scratches a brow and says,
"Kind-a looks like that old metal-bender's weapon...You sure your swing can handle somethin' like this?"
"Heck yeah! Just holdin' it feels right, like I can take on a whole samurai army."
Besa shakes his head in amusement from the glint in his twin's eyes, before doing his big reveal.
"Well, here's my new weapon. I decided on a twin set of kama."
Getting a closer look, we see that they're made with polished wood handles, and blades made with demon bone for the rib and half the belly, while the rest including edge and tip are made of steel. Sango comments with a impressed smile,
"Besa was quite a natural with these based on what I saw during our basic training."
Said teenager blushes a bit bashfully while rubbing the back of his head.
"Haha, I dunno about a natural. I'm just glad I didn't cut anyone's head off during sparring."
Coraline looks up briefly from her work to glance at the weapons on either side of her, then nods approvingly at her brothers.
"You guys made some good choices."
"Thanks, sister."
...
...
"Hah, finally, I'm done!"
A small while passes, and Coraline puts the sewing needle back into her tiny travel kit, then stands up to hold out her completed work.
"Looks great...Whaddo you think, Lumos?"
Said Will O' Wisp comes down from the tree he was hovering in, and slowly circles the scabbard...before chirping in praise.
"Hehe, glad you approve."
I also hafta thank Sōta next time I see 'im for his contribution...
A couple days prior, she had returned to Higurashi Shrine to regale what happened to her and the others recently to her family. By now, all of the Higurashis have finally been told about Coraline's quirk and her war against Trinity. By the end of the girl's latest tale, shock and awe had a tight grip on their beings, before settling into happiness and support for this new stage in the grl's life. The appearance of Lumos did cause a minor scare when Hayato mistook the creature for a haunting spirit, but once Coraline explained the nature of Will O' Wisps, everyone calmed down and welcomed the little orb creature with open arms, especially Akari who thought he was adorable.
Sōta got particularly animated by the new information about his sister's ancestors consisting of Celtic warriors, and was more than eager to help in some shape or form in making the scabbard for the ShatterSoul Sword. His contribution included getting special oil for the furred inside so that the blade would always have a smooth draw, and help in painting two symbols on the scabbard with long-lasting multi-coloured inks.
Looking at it now, the sheath had been sewn to perfect size for ShatterSoul's blade, the leather shining a deep rust brown that matches the sword belt which could be adjusted for her back or hip at her leisure, and an iron chape and locket - basically the throat and tip - fashioned by a blacksmith in the Goshinboku Village...As for the symbols, the first one created on the higher portion of the body is a replica of the Croft Family Crest, a woad blue Phoenix with a silver letter C over top, while the second - suggested by Hayato - is a bright green Goshinboku Tree with the Higurashi name 'carved' into the bark in Celeste blue.
"...That the finished product?"
"Hm?"
Coraline turns to see Inuyasha wandering her way, stopping to check out the handmade scabbard.
"Looks good."
"Thanks. I'm especi'lly proud of the symbols painted on, with Sōta's help, of course. He's got'a talen' for calligraphy, heheh, not tha' he'd admit it."
They move to sit down on the grass, and the silverette found his eyes wandering the symbols on the leather.
"...That first one at the top. What kind of bird is that?"
"That's suppose te be the legendary Phoenix, or fire bird. The name comes from Greek Mythology, bu' they've taken form in oth'r cultures too an' will usu'lly represen' resurrection and life renewed...I's said when a Phoenix goes old, their bodies combust into flames, before risin' from the ashes reborn."
"Whoa...And how 'bout the other symbol? Is that suppose to be..."
"The Goshinboku Tree? Auy...It was grandfather's idea, and Sōta wrote th' Higurashi name into the trunk with blue ink."
Coraline smiles distantly and adds,
"I decided to incorporate these, as'a way of honourin' my family...The family I was born from, an' the family tha' took me in as their own...I feel like, bringin' two pieces of my life together, will help guide me on this new phase in m' personal journey, to find out who I'am."
Inuyasha eyes her oddly for such a statement.
"Find out who you are?"
"Mhm...I'm still searchin' for my place in the world, tryin' to find wha' truly makes me, well, me..."
"Kuh, well I got your answer for that first part: your place is with me."
The young woman turns to the equally young man in surprise.
"Huh?"
"U-Uhm, and everyone else too!...Your place is with all of us, as a friend and teammate."
"Uh, (...smile) righ'."
...I have the strangest feelin' he was hinting a' somethin' else...but never mind.
That can wait anoth'r time...and I don' mind waiting.
At the same time our main group was relaxing in the Goshinboku Village, deep in the Eastern Mountains where the den of the wolf demon tribe resides, Ginta - one of Kōga's two main men - returns from scouting part of the territory with a few fellow wolves.
"Alright, men. This side's all clear...Hm."
He looks down below from his vantage point by the top of the waterfall, and sees his friend Hakkaku snoozing on the job...
"Look at 'im down there..."
He decides to teach his buddy a lesson about staying alert during guard duty. The wolf demon with the understated smoky gray/navy black Everly pompadour hops down to the lower ledge...then shouts,
"The enemy!"
The other one with the white-blond Mohawk immediately jumps awake, darting back and forth with his spear at ready.
"What, where; is it the Birds of Paradise?!"
In his haste to appear alert, Hakkaku slips on the grass and falls down to the pool below.
"A-Aaaah!"
(Splash...)
Ginta laughs at his companion and calls down below with a mischievous gleam in his silver-blue eyes,
"What're you talkin' about, Hakkaku? The Birds of Paradise are all dead! But you looked funny flying over that cliff! Ah-hahahaha..."
The blond with periwinkle blue eyes pulls himself out of the water, unimpressed by the prank to say the least.
"Shut up! That was a dirty trick!"
"That's what you get for slackin' off and sleepin' on guard duty!"
Hakkaku curses to himself, knowing that Ginta is somewhat right...
Their attention then focuses on some new arrivals, namely, five unfamiliar wolf demons.
"Huh? Hey, who are they?"
"They're our brothers from the Northern Caves..."
Once they meet up with the small group and lead them inside the den, two of the wolves from the Northern Tribe - one bald and the other with cropped black hair, but sharing scars across a single eye and a similar dress in black furs and minimalist armor - speak with Kōga about some interesting news they recently heard...
"There's someone who possesses a huge Shikon-no-Tama shard."
"He's a lord of a castle. I know it's hard to believe, but we're not jokin' about this guy."
"Let's combine our forces and join the Northern and Eastern Tribes together. Then we can storm the castle, steal the shard and divide it up equally."
"Well, Kōga? You wanna join us?"
...The leader of the Eastern tribe bluntly replies,
"Sorry, not interested."
"What?!"
"Why the hell not?"
"I have something else to take care of first before I do anything else."
The Northern wolf demons were taken aback, but understood.
"I see...Well, no sense of forcing the issue."
"(Whisper) He's got an injury. Do ya see that?"
Kōga's eyebrow twitches in annoyance, and we see that his right arm was still scarring over from having its jewel shard ripped out by the leading avian of the Birds of Paradise a while back...
As the Northern Tribe members exit the cave, one of the Eastern wolves asks,
"You sure you wanna turn them down, Kōga?"
Another tries to reason,
"If we don't join them, then the Northern Tribe will get all of the Shikon-no-Tama shards!"
"...Let them go. It doesn't matter."
Kōga's unenthusiastic response does not sit well for some.
"Well, it matters to me! I'm gonna go with them!"
"Me too!"
"Go ahead, I could care less. If you wanna leave, I'm not gonna stop you."
Taking the hint, those two wolf demons call out to the rest to see if anyone else felt the same as they.
"We're gonna go join the Northern Tribe!"
"Whoever wants a piece of the Shikon-no-Tama shard, you better follow us!"
In the end, at least a dozen or more wolf demons charge out of the den to catch up with the Northern Tribe members and take a chance at obtaining a piece of that fabled jewel...Such actions don't seem to deter Kōga's demeanor much, his mind still stuck on the events that caused the injury in his arm to begin with.
...Damn.
I never thought that Bird of Paradise would be able to steal the Shikon-no-Tama shard out of my arm, but I'll get it back, just wait.
...But first, I have to take care of that dog.
Rgh, I can't believe he was able to kill that Bird of Paradise with only one sweep of his sword...the jerk.
I won't be satisfied until I wring his stupid neck with my bare hands!
...Mph, this injury isn't healing as quickly as I want it to.
Moving away from the brooding wolf demon, we now turn to a deep canopy of green leading away from the Forest of Inuyasha, and watch Coraline emerge from behind a large bush as she leads the group to the location of a jewel shard she just picked up on in their new start of the arduous quest...
"I'm definitely gettin' a strong reading this way. The Shikon-no-Tama shard shouldn' be too far ahead naow."
Getting a closer look, we see the girl has chosen an antique white cropped tank top with an azure/black/carnation pink flannel shirt, olive-green jeans and her black combat boots for her day outfit. We also notice her newly acclaimed ShatterSoul sword sitting across her back in its new scabbard behind her backpack, her combat knife strapped to her thigh, and a new bow and ebira-style quiver attached to one side of the surplus bag with hook-and-loop fasteners for easy carry and access. After some debate, she chose to leave her satchel behind in her era...
Her friends follow close behind, including Freeman and Besa who were dressed in similar outfits of dark cobalt jeans, monochrome high-top sneakers and eggshell white tee shirts. But while the former wore a black leather jacket over top his tee, the latter chose a gunmetal black v-neck woven sweater. They're also carrying their own tropical-style rucksacks procured sometime ago, remembering from watching their sister to pack smartly so they weren't slowed by unnecessary weight. Finally, Freeman is carrying his ōtsuchi over his shoulder, while Besa has his kama resting in belt hostlers recycled from pieces of leather unused by Coraline when she was crafting her scabbard...
"Man, this is wild, traveling through Japan's landscape before heavy industry took over, eh?"
The young man with cornrowed hair quirks to his brother,
"I'll tell you what's really wild: following our sister who's tracking down a jewel shard only about the size of the crystal fragments in our bracelets."
Yes, the twins still held onto the prototype transporters stolen from Trinity, but are now calling them bracelets or wrist bands since their original intended function isn't as heavily required...Anyway, Miroku builds onto Besa's observation by saying to Inuyasha,
"You see how helpful Coraline is? She's the only one with that ability."
Shippō chimes from the monk's shoulder,
"Yeah, Inuyasha! So don't you go picking a fight with her like last time, okay?"
The girl with her long dark auburn red hair tied into a fishtail braid sighs with an exasperated smile,
"Guys, can ye stop givin' ou' on the poor man? That was almost a for'night ago now, and we already reconciled like adults. Let's stay focused on present matters, alrigh'?"
Inuaysha 'fehs' but mutters,
"Yeah, what she said..."
Though slightly surprised by the cooperation in responses, Miroku and Shippō nod warily as Sango - clad in her slayer uniform - speaks up on the current topic, namely, an extermination job they were asked to do by some victims of a recent demon attack.
"So we're hunting for a demon bear that attacked the village?"
"According to one of the survivors, yes...He said it started as just a mischievous cub ruining the fields, but then it suddenly grew large and attacked the village."
The monk then sees the closed-eyed scowl on his fellow's face.
"Inuyasha. You seemed displeased about something..."
"Kuh, that's the understatement of the year. Sure, we gotta seek out the jewel shards that Coraline senses, but why should I waste my time on a bear hunt when I could be hunting down a wolf?"
Coraline turned to glance at her silver-haired friend a touch worriedly on that last bit.
Wolf? Oh, damn, he must be thinkin' about tha' eejit Kōga...
"We already know that Kōga the Wolf Demon has two of the shards jammed into those skinny little hairy legs. (Sniff, sniff) I'd feel more like fighting if I smelled the reek of wolf on this mountain and not the stench of bear."
Yep, called it. Urh, nice going, Miroku and Shippō; yous had to remind him of those events, didn' you?
Ignoring the redhead's glare, Miroku smirks knowingly at Inuyasha and replies,
"So in other words, now that we've returned from Coraline's old home, your first priority is to butcher Kōga..."
The little fox demon blankly comments,
"He's his arch-rival in love."
(Bonk)
"Aowh! Aaawah-goh!"
That earned a fist on the noggin from the larger canine demon, and Shippō falls off the monk's shoulder with a bump on his head, before jumping to his feet to exclaim,
"What'd you do that for?!"
Inuyasha just huffs with his arms folded and head turned away, leaving Miroku to reason with the bristled fox demon.
"Shippō, if you bug Inuyasha, you'll only feel his fist."
Or in my case, a reprimanding glare from Coraline...
As this was going on, Freeman turns to his brother to converse in a whisper,
"What the heck is Shippō talkin' love rivals for? Heh, I mean, sure that picture book he showed us was hilarious, but I don't think it's payin' homage to what's really going on in Cor's head when it comes to Inuyasha and Kōga."
"Yeah, I know. If anything, it's more likely Coraline's gonna beat that wolf guy up before Inuyasha does."
They laugh a bit before Besa looks ahead, spotting some impressions in a patch of dirt.
"...I think I see some bear tracks, so adding onto Cora's shard detection, we're definitely heading in the right direction."
Snapping out of their respected focuses, the other boys turn in surprise at his deduction. The little ginger fox demon asks curiously,
"How can you tell they belong to a bear?"
"(Nervous smile) 'Cause back where Freeman and I are originally from, bears were an occasional neighbourhood problem, especially in backyards with lots of fruit trees."
"Really?"
"Mhm. That's why you gotta be careful when you live close to or in woodland areas. You're not just living in nature's space, but you're sharing with the other creatures who call that place home too."
(...Rustle)
"Hm?"
Everyone turns their eyes towards the shrubbery a few feet in front, and several bandits dressed in worn kimonos and stolen armor come walking into view, occupying menacing smiles on their faces...
"Is that the bear?!"
Miroku calmly replies to the jumpy Shippō,
"Not to worry; they're just ordinary thieves."
One of the bandits calls the monk out on his description.
"Who're you callin' 'ordinary'...you arrogant bastard? And by the looks of ya, y' ain't got no money, so why don't you just leave us the women and we'll call it even!"
The girls grit their teeth in repulsion from the lusty stares, and Inuyasha remarks,
"Ya know what? I don't wanna waste anymore of my time, so if you don't wanna get hurt, ya better leave."
"Grr, what did you just say to us?!"
...Sango suddenly tenses up, grasping Hiraikotsu around the same time Coraline's new partner pops out her rucksack pocket, letting out warning moans while blinking red!
"Coraline."
The redhead nods with a newly serious stare into the trees ahead,
"Auy. I can sense the shard comin', (glance) and Lumos detects danger."
Freeman and Besa move to either side of their sister, feeling their brotherly instincts rise.
"We got your back, sis."
"Yours too, Sango. Just say the word."
The girls nod as the demon slayer readies to unleash her boomerang.
"Get back."
The bandits are confused by the rise in hostility, unaware of the real source of trouble.
"What're you-"
"What's she talkin' abou-" "What's going-"
(STOMP...)
Their chatter is cut short by the rumble of a large footprint...which is quickly followed by a giant clawed paw swinging from inside the thick tree cover to slam a trunk out into the clearing! The bandits scatter before they got hit, and Sango makes her move.
"Hrr-nyh!"
(Toss, za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za...SLICE)
The Hiraikotsu cuts the incoming trunk down the middle, leaving the twin large pieces of wood to land with a hop on opposite sides of our group.
"...Arroooaaaaaaahhhhh!"
The demon bear then finally makes its entrance. True to the description, they were massive in size, with bright red eyes, slate black fur lining the arms and a tousle at the top of the head while the rest of its skin is an armoured ebony grey, and had limestone grey bumps going down the spinal cord!
As the bandits run away like the cowards they really were, Coraline spots the jewel fragment giving the bear demon power.
"The shard is embedded in th' beast's forehead!"
Inuyasha smirks and comments,
"Huh, he would make one hell of a bear rug. (Frown) He might be huge, but he's still got the brain of a bush pig! (Leap) Hrrrrr-raah!"
(SLASH)
Wasting no more seconds, the silverette lands a good hit to the demon bear with Tessaiga across its middle...But when he lands atop a tree, his ears pick up on another sound.
(Buzzzzzz...)
"Huh?"
He turns around, and looks towards the sky, spotting a horde of very familiar and unpleasant pests.
"Naraku's poisonous insects!"
The dog demon hurries to jump back down to the others, and Miroku calls,
"Inuyasha, look!"
Following his direct of sight, we watches the quote 'Insects of Hell' swarm against the demon bear...While the main bulk distract the beast, one insect focuses on the forehead, using its legs to extract the Shikon-no-Tama fragment!
"They're taking out the jewel shard!"
...Something about this tactic didn't sit well with the Will O' Wisp, and he shoots into the air after the one insect, much to Coraline's protest.
"Uh, Lumos, wait!"
Seeing the direction the creature was going, Besa realizes,
"I think he's is going to try and get the shard from the wasp!"
Luck was on the Will O' Wisp's side, and he reaches the single Saimyōshō and grabs the gem piece before trying to tug it out of the insect's grasp...Unfortunately, the other's grip held fast. Worse still, the rest of the swarm caught onto Lumos's actions, and respond by sending a couple agents to batter against the Will O' Wisp!
Shippo points to the sky and exclaims,
"Heeey! That's not fair; they're ganging up on Lumos!"
Miroku remarks in a bitter tone,
"It seems they share their master's interest in not being merciful..."
Coraline and Inuyasha each call up,
"Lumos, turn back!"
"Don't be a hero, stupid; let the shard go if you have to!"
But the Will O' Wisp remains stubborn...which would be his undoing come another minute, when the continuous bombardment of the Saimyōshō became too much for him.
"(Ghostly moan...)"
Lumos loses his grip, and began drifting downward with the newly dead demon bear! Crying out her partner's name, Coraline rushes to catch the beaten Will O' Wisp as the flesh of the monster disintegrates to leave behind a giant skeleton, and the swarm of demonic wasps fly away with the Shikon-no-Tama shard...
The group watches the swarm leave, and Miroku wonders aloud,
"Is it a trap?"
Sango replies,
"Probably," but Inuyasha isn't worried:
"Huh, fine with me, and this time, Naraku won't manage to escape."
He then turns to Coraline and glances at the resting Will O' Wisp in her palms.
"Is he alright?"
"I think so. I don't believe their stingers penetrated, but 'e definitely go' pelted like an apple in hail. (Looks down) I think Lumos is more disappointed in himself that he couldn' get the jewel shard."
Said Will O' Wisp lets out a discouraged chirp, and Shippō says to him with a reassuring smile,
"Aw don't be sad, Lumos. You tried your best and that's what really counts."
Freeman nods,
"Yeah. Crazy as that move was, it was pretty gutsy too. So we'll go after that swarm, and make those pests pay for pummelin' you."
...Lumos makes a sound of appreciation, and floats up from Coraline's hands, feeling empowered by the caring words...He then floats a few feet ahead of the group, and bobs up and down in anticipation, causing his human partner to giggle a bit.
"Well, you don' take much time t' sulk, do ya? You're ready to find those insects and pay 'em back double, huh, Lumos?"
...
...
We take our leave of Inuyasha and company to pay a visit to the object of evil they were seeking out alongside the Shikon-no-Tama. Specifically, inside their illusionary stronghold...We see a new figure - a woman - walking silently down the hall...stopping in front of a wicker screen door, behind which sat Naraku...
"Well, dear. You've decided to watch this from a distance, have you? Let me do all the dirty work? Well, that makes things easier for me in the long run..."
Using a fan, the yet-to-be-named woman - whose origins were likely that of demon - parts the screen door away some, and walks in to look over at a small pedestal where the recently stolen jewel shard now resides.
"The Shikon-no-Tama shards make demons even stronger, don't they? What an utterly enticing opiate. (Frown) You're planning to lure them all here with this?"
She then bends down to reach for the gem piece...
(Bzzzt)
And her fingertips are blocked by a bright crimson barrier...Retracting slowly, the woman then asks,
"But why? You couldn't conquer them without all of this. I dunno if you're being extra careful or if you're being cowardly...or perhaps it's simply your insatiable love for clever entrapments. Well, (smirk) Which is it, my master?"
Moving out into the courtyard as the stars come gleaming out for the night (not that they can be seen through the clouds overhead), we see a large number of Wolf Demons from the Northern Tribe - along with some Eastern cousins - gather and prepare to attack...
"Alright, this is it, brothers: the castle full of Shikon-no-Tama shards! When the castle guards appear, don't hesitate. Kill them all!"
Most cheer at the coming victory, but one member from the Eastern Tribe was confused by the castle's actual lack in security.
"What castle guards is he talkin' about? I don't see anyone..."
...Suddenly, they see a figure enclosed in a purple-red aura behind the wicker screen door up ahead.
"Look, someone's there!"
"Let's get 'em!"
The wolf demons start their attack, with four of them throwing spears into the screen to knock it down and expose the woman from before. The whole army then charges forward with their weapons poised, ready to take out whoever else may be coming besides this singular person.
...However...
(Swip)
The woman shows no fear to the charging wolf demons, and brings out her fan, before sending a gust of wind against them, a gust so powerful that it rips them off the ground and into the air! Watching them cry out in shock from the quick turn in events, she mocking mutters,
"Is that all they got? They're pathetic..."
Getting a closer look at her now, we see she's about five foot six, has a pale beige complexion, short black hair with hime cut bangs while the rest is worn in a simple updo with a few white feathers woven in, pointed ears with long beaded earrings and ruby red lips matching the colour of her irises. Her outfit is typical to that of a dancer (possibly Su odori), including a striped floral Susohiki of indigo and light blue, worn in a way to show off the coral red and white robe underneath, and a light green kusode that matched her earrings.
She smirks and takes a few steps forward to address the pack on the other side of the demonic wind.
"You'll have to do better than that!"
She fwips her fan out:
"Bring me someone worth my effort."
(...SWIPE)
She then sends a series of attacks through the air which mimicked blades, swiftly cutting down the wolf demons one by one!
...
...
Meanwhile, back at the den of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe, Hakkaku comes back from his evening tour of duty with two wolf companions...only to find Ginta sleeping on the job this time! Smiling mischievously, the former decides to pay the latter back for the earlier prank, and hushes the wolves before creeping up on his friend...But then, the canines let out a warning growl, much to Hakkaku's confusion.
"Huh? I told you to be quiet..."
When he turns around, however...he's suddenly startled by the sight of one of the Eastern tribe members who left with the Northern Tribe, coming back with grievous injuries!
"Aaah!"
Hakkaku's cry startles Ginta awake:
"Du-hh?! What's the matter?!"
Once he sees the problem, the pair lead their injured fellow into the den, sparking confusion and worry from the rest of their pack.
"What's going on?"
"Didn't he go with the Northern Tribe?"
"Yeah..."
Kōga pushes through the crowd to speak with the injured member.
"What's wrong?! What happened?"
"I was, only able, to get one..."
The returning demon holds out his hand...and presents his leader with a fragment of the Jewel of Four Souls!
"Uh! You got a Shikon-no-Tama shard...!"
"Hurry, to the castle, Kōga...If you don't, everyone, will be slaughtered..."
Taking the shard, Kōga wastes no time and begins dashing off for Naraku's castle, clambering up the mountain while following the scents of his tribal brothers...Upon his next grand leap into the air, the wolf demon leader finds himself tempted by a promise of increased power.
"A jewel shard...I'll put it to good use!"
He then jams the shard into the arm he previously had endowed with the energy of the Shikon-no-Tama, before doubling his speed...Back down below, Hakkaku says to the returning wolf demon,
"Come inside and rest," while Ginta comments,
"You are amazing. How did you make it back with all of those injuries?"
He claps the fellow's back...only for them to suddenly split apart with a great gush of foam erupting from the large gash on their torso, spooking everyone around them!
"Aaaah!"
"He's dead...!"
...
...
At the same time the wolf demons of the Eastern Tribe receive that unpleasant surprise, Inuyasha and the others had followed the swarm Saimyōshō right back to their place of origin...
"Hrrrraaaah!"
(Crash)
The half-dog demon punches the doors down...and as the dusts clears, he comes across a rather unseemly sight.
"...What's all this?!"
Unfortunately, by this time, all of the wolf demons who came to pilfer the Shikon-no-Tama shards have been killed, their bodies pooling blood all over the grounds...!
"They're wolf demons!"
Sango asks aloud after Coraline,
"Are they of the Wolf Demon Tribe?"
"...I recognize a few faces from Kōga's pack, bu' most of th'm are unfamiliar...They must be anoth'a tribe."
Miroku wonders,
"What were they doing in this castle?...But more importantly..."
Besa answers while skipping over the 'what happened' part for now,
"They likely came here for the same reason we did: the jewel shards."
...Inside the castle, we see the demon woman kneeling...then rise to a stand while sending another gust of wind with her fan, aiming for the fallen wolf demons...who would not remain fallen for long, as Shippō and Freeman would point out.
"Aaa-aa-aah! That's impossible; they can't still be alive!"
"What the hell is this, the 'Zombie Wolf Uprising'?!"
As the moaning corpses begin to slowly move towards the group, Miroku comments with a shiver,
"I don't sense any life left in these men; their souls have left them!"
Sango calls after,
"Which means Freeman's characterization is correct: they're undead!"
With that, the zombified bodies begin their assault. Sango staves some off with her short blade, Miroku his staff and Inuyasha takes a bulk of the army down with his claws and feet...Even so, since the dead technically feel no pain, it wouldn't be more than a couple seconds before the bodies rose to their feet again!
"Do you see that? Even if you knock them down, they revive again right away!"
The little fox on Freeman's shoulder wonders aloud after Miroku,
"How can they even come back to life if they were already dead in the first place?"
Coraline narrows her eyes and mentally quirks,
...I sense necromancy a' work.
Inside the castle, we see the demon woman in the dancer's kimono conduct her re-animation spell.
If a man loses his head, I'll put it back on. If he's cut down to size, he can still take a blow.
He's simply dancing with my undead death song.
"(...Opens eyes) Ah. He's here already? Too bad...I wanted to play a little while longer..."
By he, she was referring to Kōga who was closing in on Naraku's Castle...At that, the unnamed soldier of the fiendish spider switches tactics, using her power to send the wolf demon corpses into the air over Inuyasha.
"What?"
...They then shoot down against the dog demon's body, and the woman closes her fan, cancelling her spell and causing the wounds on the bodies to foam and spill their blood!...Inuyasha looks down at his newly bloodied hands and robes and mutters,
"What's goin' on around here...?"
Everyone else watches the undead wolf demons drop to meet their true farewell, and Shippō asks aloud,
"What's makin' them all collapse like that? I don't get it..."
Besa puts a hand under his chin in thought, and Freeman turns to see the expression on his brother's face.
"...I know that look; that's your thinkin' look. What's running through your head, bro?"
"It's just...this is obviously a trap, but I'm not sure if it's just us that are the targets."
The young man with cornrowed hair turns to Coraline and asks,
"Sis, you've mentioned that Kōga is a tribe leader, and I heard you say you recognize a few of the bodies belonging to some of his pack members, right?"
"Auy. Why do you...Hang on. Besa, are you thinkin'-"
"Yes...and if my hunch is correct, we should be seeing one more wolf demon arriving any second now."
...And right the dark-complexioned boy was.
(Leap)
Kōga has now arrived on scene, and as he stands atop the wall surrounding the castle, he became shocked frozen by the sight before him.
"Huh?!"
...No...No...!
For you see, from his perspective, it looks as though Inuyasha was the one responsible for the slaughter of the wolf demons...and he would not take to the image sitting down.
"It's, him...!"
Sensing the other's presence, the silverette turns to meet eyes with the appalled and enraged young leader.
"Inuyasha!"
The others turn around to see the wolf demon, and Miroku calls out,
"It's Kōga of the Wolf Demon Tribe! Your hunch was right, Besa!"
Coraline stares at the demon with a mix of shock and bitterness.
Crap, Kōga!
...Ugh, one of the last faces I ever wanna see...'cept this time, the situation couldn' be anymore badly-timed.
"Inuyasha...how dare you do this!"
Remaining calm, the half-dog demon calls back to the full wolf with long black hair,
"Before you jump to conclusions, your pals here were already dead by the time I got to the castle."
"Shut up! You can't lie to me; you're covered head-to-foot in their blood!"
Inuyasha looks down at his hand again...and realizes,
Damn it. I've been set up!
Though Coraline's thoughts on Kōga were still somewhat muddled by their last encounter, she nevertheless felt the urge to try to set the records straight.
"This is not wha' yeu think, Kōga! It's all a trap!...We came here lookin' for a demon named Naraku, only to find these wolf demons slaughtered! The corpses then reanimated and tried to attack us, before springing a' Inuyasha and spillin' their blood on his body! Naraku is obviously tryin' to set us agains' eachother!"
"Coraline..."
"I'm serious, Kōga! Don't be an eejit and take t'ings in by first sigh'!"
A part of him wanted to believe her, but the image of his bretheren's bodies has overwhelmed most of his willingness to listen.
"Coraline, don't even try protecting that cur! Already dead when you got here; (glares at Inuyasha) how stupid do you think I am, you bloodthirsty mutt?!"
The young Croft curses to herself, and Freeman looks up at Kōga while muttering with a narrowed eyebrow raise,
"Does he really wanna hear the answer to that question?"
Besa and Miroku say to one another,
"It's as I said: this was a setup by Naraku."
"Indeed. It was his poisonous insects that lead us here in the first place. (Glance) These wolf demons were somehow enticed here too, and then they were quickly slaughtered."
Sango concludes,
"Kōga came to rescue his comrades; he rushed over and arrived just in time to find Inuyasha covered in their blood."
"Kōga won't be reasoned with. The sight of this slaughter has put him into a fixed rage of vengeance. They'll fight to the death."
Shippō confirms the monk's judgement.
"You're right: the blood's gone straight to Kōga's head, and I don't think there's anything that'll get him to back down."
Coraline stares up at the enraged wolf demon, then down at the defensive dog.
...There hasta be a way to preven' this senseless malarkey...but what?
Kōga waits no longer and leaps off the wall, determined to avenge his fallen comrades.
"Dyrrrraaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
Inuyasha is forced to jump backwards to avoid getting hit, but the wolf demon's enhanced speed made the time break between attacks incredibly short...The next punch the former evades would leave an impact on the ground, upturning the soil and shooting a bolt of energy in a straight line across the area, before exploding on impact against one section of this castle!...As the dust clears, we see the earth has a new chasm scar, causing the twins to shiver.
"Yikes..."
"That's some burst of power..."
Inuaysha lands a couple feet away from Kōga and calls out,
"You got your strength back, Kōga? I see you've managed to find another jewel shard for your arm!"
The demon dressed in fur and armour pulls his fist back up with a growl and replies,
"Yous stole my original jewel shard the last time that we met. But I warn you, this new one's even better!"
(...Gleam)
We see that the area where the shard resides begins to glow in a mix of crimson and mahogany black, suggesting that there's something sinister afoot with its power...Coraline and the others rush closer to the action, and she catches the glow.
"...That light...That's no' the regular glow of the Shikon-no-Tama..."
Everyone looks at her confusingly, while she uses her Aura Sight to get a better look.
"(Sheen) Uh! The energy...It's incredibly dark-ridden, like the poison of th' dark ones tha' wander the glen of m' village!"
She cancels out her aura and mutters,
"Which means tha' can't possibly be a fragmen' of the jewel. It has't be an imitation of sorts."
As Coraline makes this discovery, Kōga continues his assault on Inuyasha, the latter barely dodging three more punches, two of which creating more craters in the earth...The aura reader tries to reason with the misguided wolf demon again.
"Kōga, stop! This figh' will go nowhere; it's a ruse!"
Freeman and Besa add,
"Yeah, listen to her, man!"
"Use your common sense for a second: do you honestly believe Inuyasha to be this irredeemably cruel?! The only one capable of such an atrocity is Naraku!"
Kōga growls back at those three,
"Shut up! Words are cheap! I believe what I see with my own eyes!"
The trio born centuries from now glare at the wolf demon and bark,
"Y'ur eyes are blind then!"
"You're setting yourself up for death with that thinking!"
"Face-value's a horrible liar, Kōga; can't you get that?!"
"Forget about it, you guys."
They and the others turn to look over at Inuyasha in surprise, who adds somewhat seriously,
"He's got a block of wood for a brain, so he can't grasp anything too complicated...There's no reasoning with the moron; all he understands is a few punches to the head."
Shippō partially agrees with the silverette, but appeals to a more sympathetic view.
"The demon wolf tribes live in packs, and they cherish their comrades like family. Seeing so many of his brothers dead at once would make him insane with grief."
Miroku adds grimly,
"I thought he might listen to you, Coraline...but I was wrong, and it seems that your words didn't work either, Freeman, Besa. He's too far gone."
Sango then says in a reasonable tone,
"You can't blame Inuyasha for fighting back. He's only trying to defend himself against Kōga's attacks."
Coraline nods,
"I know...I don' blame Inuyasha. I blame Kōga's ignor'nce, and the one who orchestrated this."
The mentioned dog demon accesses the increasingly unstable anger radiating from his opponent, and thinks to himself,
Naraku's trying to make me fight with Kōga.
He's pitted us against eachother with this setup, and he's sittin' back watching the whole show in some hideout close by...
I can smell him from inside the castle.
Kōga notices that his forced enemy was losing focus.
"Pay attention if you wanna live. What the hell are you lookin' at, (SWING) cowaaaaard?!"
...While Inuyasha gets pulled back into his current problem, Sango turns to everyone else to discuss their roles.
"What do think we should do? Should we try and help?"
Miroku replies,
"Inuyasha came here looking for Naraku, the one who set this whole stage."
"Do you think Naraku's inside the castle somewhere?"
"Charging right into the enemy's trap is generally not a wise strategy..."
Just as Sango's about to reply...
"(Ghostly moan)"
"Huh?"
Lumos pops out from Coraline's rucksack, and begins floating towards where Inuyasha had glanced at a moment ago, making circles at the entrance...The girl with the red fishtail braid quickly clues into the Will O' Wisp's meaning.
"Ah! I think Lumos is pickin' up on Naraku's aura!"
Rather quickly too, bu' then again, considering how malicious th' sleeven is...
The slayer readies to throw Hiraikotsu:
"Then I shall follow in his direction. Here it, (toss) goes!"
(Za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za...)
The giant boomerang flies, and the little creature orb quickly moves to the side to avoid being hit as the weapon lands directly where Naraku's agent stood earlier...Sango and Miroku head inside, and the Will O' Wisp stops over by Coraline briefly before she tells him,
"Go with them to help, Lumos; I'll be fine. I have a feelin' they'll need yor assistance at present."
Lumos 'nods' and darts after the slayer and monk...just as a spotlight pops on a couple feet away from then, illuminating the demon woman on the other side of a screen door for their eyes. Miroku and Sango waste no time in dashing over to confront her, the former asking in an authoritative tone,
"Who are you; what're you doing here?"
"...You want a formal introduction? (Turn, smile) Good evening, my name is Kagura. You must be Sango, and you Miroku, am I right?"
"(Glare) Yes, and you must be one of Naraku's minions. Tell us where he is!"
"He's not in right now...but he left you a little something to keep you entertained. Naraku hopes you will find his little gift amusing."
(...Bzzz-pip)
A wooden doll with a hair strand wrapped around its body pops into the room, one which Miroku recognizes instantly.
"Demon Puppet!"
"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see to the outdoor entertainment...Kōga and Inuyasha, hm? Neither of them take my fancy, so I don't care which of them wins the duel."
With that, Kagura vanishes...The Demon Puppet doll then stands upright on its own, before glowing and manifesting into a Naraku copy with massive tree roots for limbs!