Update (February 2021): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 49: The Malice of Tokijin
"...Hah, hah, hh, these old legs can't keep up..."
It's been a couple hours since the battle with Goshinki came to its rather startling conclusion, and as night falls over the barren village, we watch two little figures rush out of the fog. The first is Rin, wearing a new kimono with a saffron orange and flax yellow checkered pattern, and a sienna brown obi sash. Coming up behind her is Jaken, who was actually struggling to keep up with the child...
They stop once they're a few feet away from the remains of the Naraku incarnation, and the little human cheers with a double fist-pump,
"I beat you!"
"Doh, you fool, we weren't in a race!"
"(Point forward) Look at that, Master Jaken: it's a slain demon, just as Lord Sesshōmaru explained to us."
"Who on earth could've done this...?"
"Inuyasha."
"Huh?"
They turn around to see the third member of this small travel party emerge from the mist.
"O-Oh, Lord Sesshōmaru!"
"Inuyasha did this, though I doubt he managed to escape unscathed..."
The dog demon then picks up the head of Goshinki by a horn, causing Rin to scream...
His focus, however, is on the scent he was picking up.
I can smell it on the demon's fangs: the scent of Tessaiga...
Hm, so I was right. These fangs broke the sword in half.
A plan begins to form in his mind, and he slings the severed cranium over his shoulder before turning to walk away.
"Come with me."
Jaken asks while Rin screams dramatically,
"We're taking the head with us?"
Ignoring the question, Sesshōmaru then calmly orders his youngest vassal,
"Enough of that, Rin. Stop it."
She obeys without any hesitation, snapping to attention in a manner similar to a committed samurai.
"Yes, my lord."
Jaken eyes her with a deadpan, while the dog demon lord goes into thought over the most likely scenario regarding the creature in his hand.
The scent in the wind tells me what transpired here, but one thing baffles me...
The scent of Inuyasha's blood has changed...It is not the smell of half-demon.
Inuyasha's blood has the same scent as my own blood, and of our father's.
Time Skip
Come a new day, we zoom in on a section of the Tenryū River as Shippō digs into some cooked fish on a stick, sitting between Coraline and Freeman as they, Sango, Miroku, Kilala and Besa huddle around a small campfire set on the drier dirt ground...The odd one out is Inuyasha, he sitting closer to the riverbed with his broken katana laying on a small blanket nearby. Based on the look in his eyes, it's clear that his thoughts were still somewhat racing over yesterday's fight.
...When Tessaiga was bit in two, I was certain I was gonna die. My entire body suddenly burned with the desire to live.
Next thing I knew...I killed Goshinki.
That's when I felt something strange. Something I never felt before...
He looks down at his hand:
Pure pleasure for killing Goshinki...
"Inuyasha?"
"Huh?"
He turns to see Coraline - dressed in a simple salmon red tee, deep blue knee-length jean shorts and her brown hiker shoes - offering him something to eat with a small smile.
"Grilled fish. This one's all yours."
"Yeah? Thank you."
He takes it just as Shippō wanders over, and the latter chides while waving their own food,
"Oh snap out of it, would you? Quit moping over your broken sword!"
Before Inuyasha could retort in some way, Freeman - whose day outfit consists of an equally simple light Alice blue v-neck short-sleeve, black loose-fit khaki capris and his monochrome high-tops, matching his brother save their own steel grey khaki capris - comes over and scoops up the little fox.
"Whah! Freeman!"
"Come on, little dude; don't kick a man while he's down. Let's go back by the fire, 'kay?"
He walks back with the kit in his arms, and his sister watches them go while commenting,
"Huh. Freeman's really becomin' a good Shippō distract'r."
"Keh, (munch) well he's definitely keepin' the runt in line, I'll give 'im that."
(...Rumble...)
"Uh!"
"What the...?"
Suddenly, the sky darkens...and a bolt of lightning crashes down at a barely safe distance from the camp!...The dust clears, revealing a very familiar three-eyed cow demon.
"(Mmmmooooooooo...)"
Miroku identifies the animal as he and the others gather near it.
"The bull that belongs to Tōtōsai, the sword-smith that forged Tessaiga."
Sango wonders,
"It came alone?"
"(Hop) Master Inuyasha!"
It was then Myōga the Flea comes out from the bull's fur, jumping onto the silverette's nose to suck up some blood...
(Slap)
He's of course hit by the palm of an irritated half-demon, and floats down into the hand as Coraline greets,
"Oh, Myōga, hello!...My, it's been an age since we las' saw yae, i'has."
Miroku inquires,
"You were hiding out at Master Tōtōsai's place this whole time?"
"How rude! Making me sound like a coward!"
Inuyasha comments with a deadpanned expression,
"Well you did run away..."
Freeman and Besa wander a little closer to get a look at the newcomer (well, new to them).
"Huh, so you're Myōga?"
"Wow. Cora told us about you, but I wasn't sure what to expect..."
The flea demon turns to address the twins.
"Hm? Oh, new faces! Heheh, and Coraline has told you two about me, has she? Good things, I hope..."
"Mhm. My name is Freeman, (glance) and this is my twin brother, Besa."
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"Likewise, young man."
Myōga then refocuses on his reason for showing up out of the blue.
"Now where was I? Oh yes: tell me what happened to Tessaiga!"
He then glances over where the broken blade lays.
"Gah, what's that?!"
"A demon called Goshinki bit it in half while fighting him."
Myōga thinks to himself,
Just as I suspected. That explains why the scent of Inuyasha's blood has changed...
"My lord, please, you must take the pieces of the sword and go to Master Tōtōsai, Tessaiga's sword-smith!"
Inuyasha forms a confused expression, but Coraline feels a hopeful smile emerge.
"Are you sayin' Tessaiga can be repaired?"
"Yes, yes, now hurry, please; there's no time to lose! Mōmō the bull will take you to Master Tōtōsai's home!"
"Riiight..."
The silverette gathers Tessaiga's pieces, and quickly hops aboard the demonic bovine to seek out the sword-smith.
"(Mmmoooo...)"
"Bye for now."
Time Skip, Coraline's POV
The night's darkness soon blankets over the lands, and we're all sitting around the fire as we finish catching Myōga up with all that's happened since we last spoke...including what had happened to Inuyasha recently...
"My goodness, alot has happened to you all since we last chatted! To think, you traveled to Coraline's old village in her era..."
Freeman nods,
"Yeah, and if Besa and I hadn't taken that chance downtown, we probably wouldn't be here...And now sis has her own sword to learn how to handle."
I unsheathe ShatterSoul so Myōga can have a closer look.
"Here i' is."
He hops onto the blade to inspect for his own eyes.
"Amazing...The craftsmanship is unlike anything I've seen before. I'm assuming this is how the humans of your birth country make them?"
"Mhm, or a' leas' this is how the Celts crafted in the old days...I estimate tha' ShatterSoul was made sometime b'tween the fourth and fifth century durin' the Roman occupation of Britain, which would be abou'...I'd say roughly eleven or twelve cent'ries before now."
Shippō widens his eyes at the number and exclaims,
"Whoa! Does that mean your sword's older than Inuyasha's?!"
"I' depends on when h's father had the Tessaiga commissioned, bu' perhaps. Either tha' or they share a similar age...Anyway, it's not only used as'a blade on its own, bu' by concentrating my aura to flow into the sword, I can actu'lly project an attack with my own soul."
"Interesting. And this was how you killed this, Bishop character, correct?"
I nod at Myōga,
"Auy. The attack left such'a devastatin' impact on his body, h's soul erupted out, and...I sliced i' in two."
My eyes sharpen a bit from the memory.
"A part of me is still, processin' what I did...I had the scenario run through me cloigeann many times of how I would, put Bishop to an end, bu'...to do it in such'a destructive way...I don' regret killin' 'im, of course. He needed t' die, not only f'r causin' me kin pain, bu' countless other victims he's deal' a wrong to...Yet, in tha' moment...I felt so incredibly coul-blooded, I was worried I wasn' gonna recognize meself th' next time I looked in the mirror."
Everyone looks at me in a mix of wonder and worry...
"I saw tha' same look in Inuyasha's eyes in the aftermath of h's battle agains' Goshinki. On the surface, it may've looked like he enjoyed i'...but, there was a part of him questionin' his judgement."
Myōga hums before asking me,
"And you were certain that Inuyasha went through this transformation?"
"Auy. No' only that, but I could even see a change with'n his aura...Tell us, Myōga: does this have anything t' do with Tessaiga's shattering?"
"Yes, it does. As you are aware, Tessaiga was an heirloom that was left to Inuyasha by his father...The sword protects him from his enemies, but it has a second purpose: keeping the demon inside locked up."
I widen my eyes as Miroku and Besa each ask,
"It keeps the demon locked inside Inuyasha?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
Myōga explains as he hops onto my left shoulder so I could sheathe ShatterSoul,
"Inuyasha's death is inevitable, once Tessaiga is broken...His strong desire to live, awakened the demon blood that flows through his veins."
I found my eyes drifting to the flames of the fire as I think on his words.
A strong desire t' live, awakening a monster...
Tha' sounds like, my nigh' in France with those wolves...an' when I killed Bishop...
"And even after Tessaiga is repaired, that demon part of Inuyasha will be even harder to control, because now he has tasted the pleasure of brutally slaying an enemy."
...Could tha' mean, the darkness in h's aura is beginnin' to brutalize the light?
...Oh Inuyasha...
I feel the bruise on my back act up, and I suck in some air through my teeth while reaching to massage those sore muscles...
"Your back buggin' you again, Cor?"
I look up at Freeman and reply,
"A bit, bu' not as bad as yesterday..."
"Hm...That was a really crazy thing you did, sis, taking the bulk of the 'Sit' command like you did."
Miroku nods in agreement,
"Yes, you could've seriously hurt yourself. It was lucky you wore enough layers of clothing, otherwise you may have ended up with worse than some bad bruising."
Myōga turns to look at me in surprise.
"You did what?! I don't remember that part of the tale!...Coraline, why on earth would you-"
"Because his soul was in enough pain!"
Everyone looks at me in confusion from my harsh exclaim, so I elaborate, my voice heavy.
"Hhh...As I said already, I could see into his aura as I approached. Usually, it shines with'a bright core, the essence spreading ou'ward throughou' the body...Bu', yesterday...the darkness and ligh' were clashin', creating a pressure tha' was makin' the core smaller and smaller..."
I feel myself shake a little as I add,
"It...I' felt like I was watchin' a star die."
Everyone's eyes dilate with concern, Sango going as far as chiding my name...Lumos floats over and settles on my free right shoulder, sending some soft moans to comfort me as I felt a few tears threatening to fall. I wipe them away in a haste and continue.
"(Sniff) He was sufferin' spiritu'lly, so I felt I couldn' let him suffer physic'lly too. I...I knew I probably wasn' gonna be able to coax 'im with my voice alone...But, (glare) I've grown to hate usin' the Subjugation Beads. I know 'e has demon endurance, but tha' doesn' mean he can't feel some sort'a pain when he drops hard...I've, even been considerin' taking them off."
That caught everyone off-guard, Shippō especially.
"Really?!"
"Mhm. (Faint smile) Bu' f'r now, I'll leave 'em alone. I know tha' in a, twisted way, they've been keepin' him in line...Still, I don't wanna be a coul bi'ch and abuse their power. Yu've all likely noticed tha' I've been tryin' ways to avoid using the 'S word' on him...Anyway, I knew a jol' from the spell would help snap him out of it...bu' again, I didn' wan' to hurt 'im. I know i' was a dangerous, but it was the right thing t' do in my eyes. I wan'ed to keep Inuyasha from feelin' anymore pain, and if it means sharin' the brun' of those beads...I'd gladly do i' over again. Plus, I think the experience has taugh' me a good lesson abou' how Inuyasha feels every time I do tha' to him, so I'm gonna work harder than ever to find alternate ways of keepin' 'im calm."
Everyone gapes at me in awe, and Freeman comments,
"Damn, Cor...you're amazing. A nutcase, but an amazing nutcase."
I laugh at his words, and Besa says to me with a serious smile,
"Still, I'd avoid doing something like that again. Inuyasha's body may be able to take a punch from the beads, but I don't think your body can handle a second round."
"(Nod) Got i'. I'll be smarter."
"Good, 'cause while I applaud where your heart's coming from in your actions, you gotta remember your own health too. Need I remind you what happened during that guerilla raid at the docks?"
I cringe, remembering the beating my brothers and I took during our rescue mission with those other teens to save Rikona and some other children...
"What guerilla raid? What are you talking about, Besa?"
I look to see a confused expression spread from Shippō all the way to Myōga, and I let out a puff of air before quirking with a tired smile,
"Oh, that's righ'. I haven't told yous the full story abou' what I did durin' my temporary eviction out'a Edo in the aftermath of tha' battle with Sesshōmaru. Well bros, shall we tell our tale?"
They nod, and for the rest of the night, we regale that short adventure, starting from meeting Shuji, finding and returning his younger cousin Rikona, all the way to when we rescued her and how I was attacked for revenge by the same gangster leader...
No POV
As everyone at the river camp settles down for the night after a round of stories and discussion, we turn to the active volcanic mountainside where Tōtōsai calls home as his wails echo for all to hear, his eyes misty over the current state of his prized work.
"Whaaaa-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh, o-only a simpleton would allow this to happen!"
Inuyasha is sitting near the sword-smith, staring at him with a scowl...
"What has this fool done to you, my precious Tessaiga?!"
"Yeah yeah, now can you stop bawlin' and start fixin' my sword?"
Tōtōsai glares at the half-dog demon and retorts heatedly albeit seriously,
"Listen, youngster: it's not quite that simple!"
"H-Huh?! You mean you can't fix it?!"
The sword-smith picks up the half of Tessaiga with the hilt with a humph.
"I am a master sword-smith. I can repair it over the course of three days, but, I'll require something to bond it."
"Like what?"
...Tōtōsai then picks up a pair of clamps.
"Open your mouth, won't you, Inuyasha?"
"Hm? (Opens mouth) Ho's thas?"
(YANK)
Inuyasha's scream howls through the mountainside after Tōtōsai pries out one of his own fangs without so much as a warning!
"Well, this fang will have to do..."
The former harshly whacks the latter on the head with a clenched fist and exclaims angrily,
"What'd you do that for?!"
"Quit your whinin'! Your tooth will grow back in a mere half a day!"
"Good. Hmh, you're gettin' to be a real pain in the neck, old man. You've got three days to bring me my repaired sword!"
"Hm? Why do I have just three days?"
Inuyasha replies in a strain to the sword-smith's senile demeanor,
"Because that's how long you said you'd need to fix it!"
...Tōtōsai clamps a fist on his open palm when his memory jolts.
"Aaah!"
"Yeah. I'm countin' on ya, old man...Later."
With that, the silverette takes his leave, the older demon calling,
"Goodbye. I promise not to let ya down."
...
...
At the same time Inuyasha meets with Tōtōsai to see about getting Tessaiga repaired, we catch up with Sesshomaru and Jaken as they enter a dismal-looking swamp nestled in a valley of barren trees. The area is dominated by a dark quagmire, bubbling with ooze and containing random skeletal remains, and situated on a little isle is a modest shack. For obvious reasons regarding the environment, Rin was left behind in a more vegetative and peaceful section of the nearby forest, most likely with the two-headed equestrian dragon watching her...
Zooming inside the hut, we find a man with tanned skin, bushy eyebrows and balding black hair, small horns on the top of his head, sharp teeth, and wearing a muted blue kimono, dark cyan hakama a necklace of skulls around his neck. He's casually slurping some sake while laying on his side...but stops when he senses the presence of the travelers.
"Hm?"
The door flaps open, and Sesshōmaru enters with Jaken following close behind...
"Who are you?"
"...You are Kaijinbō, I take it? The smith who forged too many deviant swords, and was banished by his master, Tōtōsai."
"Tōtōsai, you say? The sound of his name is still enough to make my blood boil."
Sesshōmaru lightly tosses the head of Goshinki onto the ground in front of the apparent sword-smith.
"How 'bout it, Kaijinbō? I would have you forge a sword for me, with the fangs of this demon."
The latter takes a closer look at the head, before glaring up at the former.
"Don't take me for a fool. I cannot make a sword from something that is already dead."
The dog demon unsheathes the blade inherited from his father, much to his imp vassal's surprise.
Is Lord Sesshōmaru willing to use Tenseiga, the Sword of Healing?
...Sesshōmaru casts his eyes down at the head of the deceased incarnation, and the power of his sword grants him the second sight that allows him to see the demons of the dead.
I can see the messengers from the Netherworld.
(...Slash)
He cuts them away...and a few seconds later, the eyes of the demon head glow red! There's also a brief glow of spectral blue that lines the skin, before disappearing as quickly as it came...Kaijinbō is reasonably impressed:
"The demon's head has come back to life!"
"Allow me to explain something, Kaijinbō. This sword, Tenseiga, was forged by the same master who banished you some time ago, and the fangs of the demon laid before you broke Tessaiga, a sword that was also forged by Tōtōsai."
That's all the smith needed to hear:
"Incredible. Yes, these fangs will form a powerful sword..."
Time Skip
Two days come and go, and Inuyasha has been waiting patiently - well, as patiently as his personality would allow - for Tōtōsai to come by with the hopefully repaired Tessaiga. In the meantime, Coraline and her brothers have spent their time doing some training with their weapons, as well as improve their skills at hand-to-hand combat by practicing drills from their martial classes back in Tokyo...
The stars come out for another clear night in Edo, and we find the girl - dressed in a black tank top, her jean shorts and combat boots, her hair tied back in a low ponytail with a blue scrunchie - gathering some more water in her canteen with Shippō...
"You and your brothers were on fire today, Coraline!"
"Haha, thanks lad. I definitely felt the burn durin' our hand-to-hand combat; Freeman almost kicked my arse a few times..."
The pair of gingers laugh...and Coraline lets out a puff of air before remarking,
"T' think i's been two days since Inuyasha came back from Tōtōsai's. From wha' I understand, Tessaiga should be fixed by the-marra."
"Hauh, and this couldn't have happened at a worse time. It's gonna be a looong night..."
The fox demon is of course referring to the lunar cycle of this month, specifically, the new moon...and a certain silverette's monthly transformation...
"Damn him. I wish Tōtōsai would hurry up and bring me the sword."
As she sits by the fireside tonight, Sango found herself staring at the black-haired Inuyasha's brooding form in bewilderment.
"My...He looks like an ordinary human now..."
Miroku smiles at her and replies,
"I guess you didn't know this about Inuyasha. I heard this happens to him, but this is the first time I'm actually seeing it myself."
He then gets up and walks behind the temporary human before explaining,
"You see, half-demons like Inuyasha lose their powers during one given night and are rendered mere mortals."
He then stretches Inuyasha's mouth open, much to the latter's displeasure.
"Look here: no fangs, as you see. Ve~ry interesting, wouldn't you agree?"
Inuyasha shakes Miroku off and barks,
"Could you get your kicks somewhere other than in my face?!"
"My apologies."
He huffs and turns his head away as the monk adds,
"If he were to be attacked on such a night, his life would be in danger, so nights when Inuyasha loses his powers must be kept strictly secret."
Freeman and Besa - the first wearing a black muscle tank-top with his black loose-fit khaki capris and monochrome high-tops, matching his brother save their own light green tee and his steel grey khaki capris - nod firmly before saying,
"Our lips are sealed."
Inuyasha asks with a suspicious tone,
"And how is it that you know, Miroku?"
He then feels a stare...and turns to see a certain fox demon peeking out from behind a boulder with a guilty look on his face...
"Shippō, it was you!"
The currently human half-demon quickly pins the other to the ground by his head.
"Let, go; that, hurts!"
"You blabbermouth! I should'a known that you'd go around telling everyone!"
"I didn't, mean to do any harm!"
"That should go without saying, isn't it?"
He finally stands up, letting Shippō go while cursing to himself,
"Damn...this is great. Every time I turn around, more people know about my little secret."
"So?"
"Hm?"
He looks to his right and meets eyes with Coraline, she occupying a small smile while holding the refilled water canteen.
"A' least the people who do know are good people you can trust, friends yeu can count on."
"...Hmph."
Inuyasha decides to head away from the fire for a while, settling on a hillside with wildflowers growing in moonlight to do some hard thinking...
When I turn mortal like this, I'm overcome by strong human emotions.
It'll be good riddance to those feelings once I become a full-fledged demon.
"...Inuyasha?"
He turns to see a certain girl approaching him again, this time carrying two small bottles of soda.
Then again, if I do become a full demon, how will I react to Coraline and the others?
"(Extends hand) Here. It's yur favouri' flavour too."
Both teens would soon be sitting beside one another...and after a few minutes, Coraline casually asks,
"You sure yeu wanna be wanderin' far from camp tonight?"
"Kuh, spare me. Everybody needs a little time to think, and I'm no exception...Hm?"
Inuyasha turns to see his companion looking at him with a small frown.
"What's with you?"
"Inuyasha...do you, still intend on becomin' a full-fledged demon? I mean, I'll still stand by yor decision when the time comes...but...hauh, I mus' confess, I go', scared by what was happenin' to you the other day."
The black-haired teen scowls in disbelief.
"Whuh?! You should've been scared of the demon! If I hadn't transformed like I did, you all would've been slaughtered by Goshinki!"
"Tha's, no' what I mean...It wasn' your physical changes, or how dangerous the situation was..."
Inuyasha wonders as he notes the fear in the girl's cerulean-sky blue irises,
Did I really look that terrifying?
"From wha' I saw in both sides of my vision, it, looked like yeu were bein' pulled away from me...Like, you were forgettin' who I was, and who yeu are..."
He could only stare at Coraline as his mind wanders over what he felt during his character shift.
When I transformed the other day, my heart was...
He tries to brush it off:
"Tch, come on, don't be so stupid. I'm still the same guy no matter what happens to me. I wouldn't forget about you, Miroku, or the others..."
Coraline half-smiles at his attempt and nods a bit.
I sure hope so...Please, Inuyasha, hold onto us in yur heart as tigh'ly as yeu can...
"So how's that bruise on your back?"
"Hm?"
She snaps out of her thoughts at Inuyasha's next question, seeing the hidden concern in his amber-gray eyes.
"Oh, um, (...smile) I'm doin' alright. It jus' acts up if I stretch too hard...Heh, though considerin' what my bros and I have been doin' these past two days, i' can't be helped if I'm gonna end up with sore muscles."
"Right, 'cause you guys have been training...Why did you do that, Coraline? Why'd you go down with me on that 'Sit' command?"
Coraline looks down for a minute...before replying in a soft tone,
"Two reasons mainly. One, yeu were under enough stress from yur transformation, and I didn't wan' yae to feel anymore pain, so I decided to share the bulk of the impact this time...Second, (bitter smile) I've grown to hate the power of the Subjugation Beads, so I've been tryin' to come up with alternate methods to avoid using the 'S Word'...I guess, this time was jus' a bit more physic'l."
She, didn't want me to feel more pain...and she hates the beads?
...Coraline...
"Dammit, woman, I'm suppose to be protecting you from pain, not the other way around."
"Why does it have t' be one way? Why can' we protect eachother, like when I protected yousuns from Kanna?"
"Because...because, well, um..."
Coraline smirks a bit at Inuyasha's indecisive response.
"Havin' trouble forming a sentence there, are ye, ho'shot?"
"...Shut up."
She laughs a little before saying quietly,
"Bu' seriously, I've come to despise those beads 'round yur neck, Inuyasha. No disrespect to Kaede, of course, and, they might'a been a decent precaution in the beginnin' of our adventure considerin' how, rocky our relationship used t'be...But now...I dunno..."
Coraline turns to face him with a sad expression that did little to mask the anger directed at that certain string of beads.
"Maybe, I should take those things off."
"Uh..."
Just as she reaches to remove the beads...
(Grasp)
"Stop."
"Huh?"
The one wearing them gently takes her approaching hands into his, preventing her plans...
"Inuyasha?"
"You...don't have to do that...They can stay on, for now."
"...Why would yeu-"
"It's been a while since you actually said the incantation, and...hauh, I guess in some respects, these damn beads have been keepin' me from doing anything too crazy..."
He then looks up at her with seriousness shining in his amber-gray irises.
"But you on the other hand, have been goin' a bit far in avoiding using the 'S Word'. Coraline...while I appreciate the care in these, alternate methods, you could really hurt yourself one day, and that would be more painful for me to watch than the change of view when I drop from the force of the incantation."
"...Inuyasha, I..."
He lets her hands go and lets out a puff of air before saying,
"Just, promise me you won't do that again, okay? You got lucky walkin' off with just a bad bruise, but who knows what could happen next time."
Coraline is taken aback by how serious and worried Inuyasha sounded...before smiling and nodding,
"I promise. Not again."
"Good."
Both bodies turn to look up at the stars...and one of the girl's hands found their way to the boy's as they settle into a more comfortable silence.
Jaken's POV
I come back on my lord's behalf to retrieve the sword of the demon head that was promised to him...
"Kaijinbō! Three days have passed!"
I begin entering the home:
"Have you completed forging the sword from the demon's fangs?"
But little did I know, I was walking straight into my death.
...Oh, damn.
(SLICE)
No POV
Jaken's body falls into two halves as Kaijinbō replies in a dark tone,
"Yes..."
In his hand is the completed sword built from the fangs of Goshinki. Getting a better look, we see that it's made in a style similar to the Indian Khanda, the large blade cut double-edged, straight with a wide tip and narrow base, and a bright yellow cross-guard matching the pommel atop a dark red hilt...Not only that, but the sword is glowing a mysterious pink-red, matching the colour of Kaijinbō's eyes.
"This is a magnificent demon sword..."
He then exits his home, guided by a will that isn't his own...After a while, Sesshomaru comes by to find out why Jaken had not returned to him...only to find the latter's body inside the swordsmith's home.
"This must be the work of Kaijinbō."
The dog demon unsheathes his Tenseiga, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the imps clinging to Jaken's body...
(SLASH)
Once swipe of the sword destroys the messengers of the dead...and the vassal's eyes blink back to life!
"Uuh...I-I'm alive! But, how can that be? Wasn't I drawn in half?"
He looks over his shoulder and sees the lower half of his body that isn't attached to him.
"I-I-I knew it...!"
"...Let's go, Jaken."
"Guh?"
"Pull yourself together quickly."
As Sesshōmaru sheathes his healing sword, Jaken asks him,
"M-My lord, i-i-i-is it possible, tha-that you revived me with your Tenseiga?"
"...Who other is capable of bringing someone back from the dead?"
The imp's eyes shine with happiness as he replies,
"N-No one, my lord!"
"Has Kaijinbō completed my sword?"
"Yes, my Lord Sesshōmaru. He has forged a sword from the fangs of the slain demon. But I must add that his eyes have become most fearful, as if, as if he had been possessed by the sword itself."
"...Hm, interesting."
...
...
A few hours pass, and we return to Inuyasha's camp as he continues to sit wide awake while staring into the fire. The only ones actually asleep were Coraline and Shippō, and Sango and Kilala in these respected pairs, while Miroku, the twins and Lumos also dodge the road to dreamland...
"Inuyasha."
Said half-demon turns eyes to the monk who suggests,
"Perhaps you should get some sleep."
"Miroku...Aw, come off it; leave me alone. I've never once gone to sleep when I've transformed into a mortal."
Besa raises an eyebrow:
"Really? That doesn't sound very healthy for your sleep cycle..."
Freeman waves his hand at his brother and chides,
"Oh leave the man be; it's just one night, Besa. It's not like he goes long periods without sleeping like soldiers in the trenches during the war."
"I guess so..."
Miroku then teases,
"Too sacred to go to sleep~?"
Inuyasha makes a face, before smirking a bit and retorting,
"Right, I'm scared. So what?"
"As long as you're being honest..."
"...We can relate to the feeling."
"Hm?"
They turn to Freeman and Besa, each occupying a small smile of bitterness as they spoke.
"Nighttime vulnerability is something we still combat, even now that we're living in Tokyo."
"The neighbourhood we occupy isn't one of the safest places to live. Lots of gangster traffic and, there was even a murder or two near our apartment during our first two years..."
Inuyasha widens his eyes a bit, as does Miroku.
"Mh! And you two are still livin' in an area like that?"
"Have you considered finding another place to live?"
The twins shrug,
"That's just it: housing isn't cheap in Japan anymore, especially for two teenagers trying to make it on our own."
"We were lucky to get the apartment room for a decent price that didn't run our funds dry, thanks to our friend Shuji...I'll admit, sometimes I wish we lived somewhere like Cora's nieghbourhood where most people aren't so, hostile or cautious, but that's just the way the ball bounced for us."
The twins then shiver a bit as they think back to where they lived before they came to this country.
"It's no more different than where we used to live: people made questionable life choices, like smuggling illegal substances or going into scam artistry, and more often than not, it finds a way to rebound on them and others, making the area unsafe to walk without using the buddy system, especially after the sun goes down...At least now we only have to worry about the actions of strangers and not, angry family members."
Freeman's frown becomes a bit pained:
"To this day, I still can't sleep without knowing Besa's next to me thanks to, our old man coming into my room when I was little and beating the crap out of me for, reasons that can't be rationalized by any decent person."
"Mostly 'cause of you liking men and not women, right?"
He nods at Inuyasha, and both the latter and Miroku look at the twins with sympathy...
Besa wraps a comforting arm around his brother with a faint smile and muses,
"But nights aren't as bad when you got good people with you. Makes you feel like, you got a safety bubble that won't pop until morning."
The half-demon hums, then sits back and says with a more serious look,
"I think I get what you mean...but still, a lot of enemies are after me. If any of them attacked me when I'm human like this, I don't stand a chance in Hell."
The monk muses,
"There might just be a lesson to learn from all this."
...It was then that they pick up on something in the atmosphere, and Kilala emits a growl at the same time Sango blinks awake.
"Miroku? Something in the air. (Sits up) An evil aura..."
The named young man nods, and Coraline is the next to get up, her movement causing the fox demon with her to stir awake as Lumos stops his circuit around the fire, and begins blinking red in warning. Seeing his fellow redhead's eyes were glowing, Shippō asks,
"Whaddo you sense, Coraline?"
"Dangerous energy...Vengeance, resentment...and a lust for blood."
...There then came a series of powerful cuts through the nearby thicket, and just as Miroku and Inuyasha rush upfront to the action...Kaijinbō appears, his body surrounded by a blinding red light for a split second before it fades away, leaving a shallow crater in its wake.
"...Which one is Inuyasha?"
"Why? Who wants to know?"
"Neheheh, my name is Kaijinbō. I'm a sword-smith."
"A sword-smith?"
"(Holds out blade) I forged this sword, the Tokijin, and now it cries for the taste of blood from Inuyasha."
The youth cloaked in red glares at Kaijinbō and asks himself,
Why has this smith come after me?
It was then that the sword, Tokijin began to throb a ring of that red light, an action that wasn't unnoticed by Coraline and her brothers.
"...Did yous see tha'?"
"Yeah, the sword throbbed."
"It's like, the sword has life..."
The smith who crafted the Khanda-inspired sword directs the blade's point towards the currently human half-demon.
"So you are Inuyasha. The sword has told me so...How disappointing: I was expecting a demon, yet instead I'm faced with a mere mortal."
Miroku asks his friend,
"Inuyasha, have you ever wronged this sword-smith that you know of?"
"No."
"(Turn) You heard the man."
"Nehaha, as I said, it is the sword that thirsts for his blood. Tokijin was forged from the fangs of the demon that broke your Tessaiga, the sword that was created by old Tōtōsai."
Inuyasha's eyes widen:
"He used Goshinki's fangs? The same monster that bit my sword in half?"
Coraline remarks,
"This explains why I sensed tha' strong resen'ment and vengeance in the demonic energy...an' why it felt so familiar..."
Sango concludes,
"The sword is filled with Goshinki's hatred."
"Huh, I've heard all that I need to. Prepare yourself, Kaijinbō!"
Inuyasha begins running in a charge towards the smith.
"I'll hack you to pieces!"
But he's stopped by the head of Miroku's staff, who would reply after Sango,
"Escape while you can, Inuyasha."
"Sango and I will take care of this demon."
The slayer and monk charge to attack, leaving Shippō, Coraline and the twins the task of persuading the youth in the fire rat robes to stay out of the pending fight.
"You don't stand a chance right now!"
"Inuyasha, please, don' charge into a battle tha'll ge' you killed."
"They're right, man."
"Just stay back."
He curses but does as they urge, just as Sango makes the first move.
"Hiraikotsu!"
(Toss, za-za-za-za-za-za...)
The boomerang does hit the side of the blade, but it does not knock it out of Kaijinbō's hand...
"Ah. Pity about your poor aim."
Just as Hiraikotsu comes back on the rebound...
"Hrah!"
(Swing, TOK)
Tokijin cuts it right down the middle!...Sango is stunned, and Coraline mutters in surprise,
"Sango's weapon...!"
Kaijinbō chuckles and jeers,
"You fool," and Miroku makes his counterattack.
"I'll admit your sword is formidable, which is why I'll have to resort, to this!"
He then sends out a sacred sutra, which plasters to the smith's head and stuns them long enough for the former to lunge with his staff.
"Farewell!"
(WHACK)
His hit is true, and the sutra's power leaves a devastating head injury as Kaijinbō falls backwards, seemingly defeated. Shippō and Freeman cheer,
"He did it!"
"Way to go, Miroku!"
Coraline comments with an impressed smile,
"Hm, his sutra work's definit'ly better than grandfather's...though I never expect'd his spiritu'l powers to be tha' great."
(...Ba-bump...)
Unfortunately, the battle isn't through yet. Tokijin throbs...and the hand wielding it twitches before the rest of the body follows, an action that Inuyasha would warn about.
"Behind you, Miroku!"
The monk whirls back around just as Kaijinbō rises to his feet, sword at the ready!
"Raaaaaarhhhh!"
(Swing)
Luckily, Miroku is faster and dodges the slash attack, retreating back a couple feet...
"Nehahaha, Tokijin is invincible! No enemy can match it!"
Inuyasha focuses on the pulsing sword...and realizes,
My enemy isn't Kaijinbō. It's the sword!
...The night finally wears thin and gives way to the coming dawn, just as Kaijinbō boasts,
"Playtime is over!"
Shippō exclaims,
"He's acting as if nothing happened even though his head has split open!"
Coraline then makes a conclusion similar to Inuyasha's revelation.
"...Because Tokijin is in control. It harb'rs the remaining essence of Goshinki, and tha' aura is screamin' for retribution!"
The smith acting on the sword's wishes calls out,
"Come for me, Inuyasha! Or are you completely paralyzed by fear? Will you run and hide like a child?"
Said half-demon growls, and Shippō and Besa each urge,
"Inuyasha, don't let him lure you into battle."
"Kaijinbō's not in his right mind. That blade has obviously stolen most of his common sense."
"Well, I'm not gonna fall for any tricks like that. But the thing is, I'm the only one he's come after..."
Inuyasha then removes the fox demon from his shoulder, and hands him to the young man with cornrowed hair before charging forward.
"And I'm not gonna run and hide!"
"Inuyasha, wait!"
Shippō mutters irritably from Besa's arms,
"Why does he have to always be so stubborn?"
(...Ka-BANG)
Just then, a bolt of lightning hits the ground between Inuyasha and Kaijinbō, and out comes Tōtōsai riding on Mōmō! Sango and Miroku are the first to address him.
"Tōtōsai..."
"Have you repaired the Tessaiga?"
"I should've known you would have somethin' to do with all this commotion..."
Inuyasha hops on top of the demon bovine to get his sword.
"You're late, or maybe you haven't noticed. (Grab) Thank, you."
...But just as he hops back down to the ground and readies to draw, Myōga hops onto Inuyasha's shoulder and says,
"Master, don't do it!"
"What?"
"The sword will not transform for you when you're in your human form without your demonic powers!"
Meanwhile, Tōtōsai turns to speak with his former pupil.
"It's been a long time since last we met, Kaijinbō."
"I took you for dead, Tōtōsai."
"(Glare) You've been busy crafting another wicked sword, haven't you, Kaijinbō?"
"Nehehaha, Tōtōsai, I shall prove to you without a doubt which one of us is the better sword-smith."
Miroku asks the more benevolent smith,
"Tōtōsai, tell me, are you familiar with this Kaijinbō person?"
"Yes. He was once my disciple. I managed him a long time ago. He was most unorthodox: he killed ten innocent children for his sword. What a retched beast...He covered the blade in human blood and oil in order make it seethe with hatred."
Kaijinbō points Tokijin forward:
"Draw your sword, Inuyasha! I shall crush Tōtōsai's creation before his very eyes!"
The currently human half-demon unsheathes his blade.
"Huh, I won't waste any time doin' you and that sword of yours in."
Everyone else comes over to where Tōtōsai and Miroku were, and Shippō says to the smith,
"Master Tōtōsai, I hope that you've made Tessaiga even stronger than it was before."
"Perhaps a little."
Coraline and Sango urgently reply,
"A little migh' not be enough!"
"Kajinbō's sword, Tokijin is full of hatred forged from the fang that broke the Tessaiga."
Focus turns back on the battle as Inuyasha comes swinging at Kaijinbō with the dog fang sword.
"Hrrraaaaahhhhh!"
(Clang)
The blades meet, and energy sparks from the impact before the wielder of Tessaiga is thrown back from the power!
"Aaaah!"
He slides against the dirt...then stumbles to his feet, using his katana to steady himself as Kaijinbō takes a turn to charge.
"I may as well put an end to you! Hrrrah!"
(Clang)
Inuyasha blocks the Tokijin, and there's a struggle of opposing strengths before he shoves the smith back! They swing their sword points at one another, before Kaijinbō hops back a few feet...
"Well that's a relief, Tessaiga. You seem even more powerful than before..."
Shippō exclaims,
"It didn't break!"
Tōtōsai replies,
"Nope. Didn't expect it would," but Coraline notes,
"Still, even with Tessaiga's new endur'nce, Inuyasha can't wield his blade properly while he's in 'is human form."
Besa points to the air:
"That might not be a problem for much longer. Look at the sky."
She does, and softly gasps with Freeman and the fox demon when they see the big star coming out over the horizon.
"The sun...!"
"Inuyasha still has a chance...!"
Meanwhile, Kaijinbo laughs mockingly at his opponent,
"Your body will give in long before your sword does."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Kaijinbō. That sword of yours may be pretty strong, but you're not nearly skilled enough to wield it."
...Daylight breaks through the last of night's darkness, and a mysterious wind passes through the half-demon's black hair.
"You should've killed me while you had the chance..."
His nails extend back into claws, and his hair shifts from black to its true pale silver.
"Before I became a demon again!"
Shippō and Freeman exclaim happily,
"He's transforming back!"
Now that he's back in his demon form, Inuyasha readies for round two.
"I'm gonna test out Tessaiga's new blade, and you're first!"
He calls on the sword's power to transform into its full spelndor...but suddenly-
(Tang)
Inuyasha's arm tips downward with from a new weight, causing the tip of the blade to hit the ground...
"Hey, Tōtōsai, what the hell did you do to my sword, ya old conger?!"
Coraline tilts her head in confusion:
Huh, tha's, odd. Inuyasha's usu'lly able til hold th' blade uprigh' no problem...
"Answer me, old man! What did you do to my sword?"
Tōtōsai scratches his head and asks back,
"Hm, what, are you havin' some kind of problem?"
"Incase you hadn't noticed, why is this thing so heavy?!"
"Oooh. It must have something to do with that fang of yours I used. Pay it no mind."
Kaijinbō chuckles and comments,
"No good having a sword you can't even hold. I'll slice you in half, Inuyasha!"
He then charges blade-first at the struggling dog-demon, and Tōtōsai calls,
"Ya might wanna raise your sword!"
Coraline retorts,
"Well, duh, but tha's easier said than done!"
Inuyasha mutters in a strain,
"Damn that old man," and manages to lift the sword over his shoulder before charging at Kaijinbō.
"Aaaaarrrrgghhh!"
(CLANG)
And the blades meet, beginning the next round...