Chapter 94: Secret of the Possessed Princess
Recap:
Continuing their perilous search of the accursed half-demon, Naraku after he mysteriously vanishes, Inuyasha and company cross paths with an elder exorcist, whom despite her, obviously (yet not to her) waning powers, came out of retirement to combat the increasing numbers of demons surfacing. Following her to a quiet town ruled by a castle blanketed in fear, the group is hired by the folks to help rid a creature known as the Demon Head, that is supposingly the source of this growing dark energy that had been lingering the royal grounds.
But come nightfall, when everyone faces the Demon Head, it's revealed to actually be a dark illusion created to bring attention away from the real demon! With that in mind, plus the thought that the lord of the castle may also be possessed by the demon, the princess calls on Miroku to escort her to the burial chambers of the original demon that was slain many years ago, with Lumos tagging along per Coraline's request, in accordance to the Will O' Wisp's odd, paranoid behaviour around her majesty.
It wouldn't be long until the reason why is unveiled: Down in the basement, alongside where the demon was once sealed, was a mass grave of dozens of priests, priestesses and monks whom have failed with their lives to combat the demon, who is actually the princess in disguise! Miroku, now paralyzed by the Demonic Aura after fighting against it for too long, sends Lumos away to get help, while at the same time, the Princess Demon Head uses her dark powers to manipulate the lord into another malicious rage, prompting Inuyasha and the others to go and stop him, unaware of the true sinister events taking place...
Now...
We check back in the room outside the lord's chambers, as he, now transformed into a more demonic persona, stands with a fierce expression against Inuyasha and company, his left hand still gripping the hair of the teary and fearful maid. The elder retainer mutters,
"Dear god!"
Our silver-haired dog demon, however, remained calm if a little mocking:
"You've got some nerve, showin' your true self, huh, demon?"
The demon lord only growls, and Inuyasha readies his Tessaiga:
"Prepare to die!"
But he's then forced to back off from charging, when the possessed lord holds the maid up in front of his body...Coraline curses,
"Bastard's using the human shield tactic!" Sango warns,
"Inuyasha: Don't use the Tessaiga!"
He curses, before switching from using his blade to using his claws:
(Leap)
"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
(Slash)
His attack makes a hit across the demon lord's torso, causing it to stumble backwards with a pained growl...And if that wasn't enough:
"Hah!"
(Slash, slash)
Besa suddenly sneaks over and uses his sickles to hack and swipe at the arm that held the maid, prompting the demon to release her with a hiss, and the former shifts his grip so he's holding both weapons with one hand while using his free hand to take the maid's:
"Come on!"
"Oh!"
They scramble to the outside entrance where it was safe, with everyone looking at Besa in amazement:
"Whoa..." "Nice one, bro!"
"Waita go, Besa!"
He gently sets the maid to her knees while chiding,
"It's gonna be okay. You're safe now."
"T-Thank, you."
He and Inuyasha then meet eye-to-eye, and share a nod of silent acknowledgement, before the latter refocuses on the demon lord while sheathing his Tessaiga:
"Keh, not too strong, are ya, 'specially if ya can't stop a human from gettin' one over?"
The demon lord growls, before it decides to retreat by leaping upwards and crashing through the ceiling!
"Hold it!"
Inuyasha jumps through the hole after it, leaving everyone else back below...One retainer sighs in relief:
"He's gone! Safe at last!" The elder scolds,
"Don't be so foolish! It's too early to feel at ease. (Turn) You women, and two young men, should protect the princess."
"...I'm afraid that we cannot."
Everyone turns to the elder maid in confusion, and Coraline asks,
"What do you mean? Did something happen before now?"
"Yes..."
The elderly maid then explains why the princess had requested Miroku's presence before the events now, which did not sit well with Sango:
"The underground site of the Demon Head?!"
"Yes, that's right. She wanted to show it to the monk."
"(...Ghostly moan)"
"Hm?"
It was then that Lumos finally found everyone after scouring the halls for them, and stopped in front of Coraline while circling around in a panic:
"Lumos! What's wrong? Wait...Miroku: Where is he? Is he in danger?!"
The Will O' Wisp emits his warning flashes of red from his body, and bops up and down in urgency, which was all Sango needed to be informed of, before she darted down the outer corridors with Kilala in tow. Coraline calls after her:
"Sango!"
"I'm going to get Miroku!" She nods, before turning to her partner:
"Lumos: Help guide her to where Miroku is!"
The Will O' Wisp 'nods', and flies after the slayer until he was lighting the way up front. The elder exorcist would then appear beside Sango:
"I'm coming with you. It's safer than staying here."
"Madam Exorcist! What're you-"
"That turned out quite well, don'tcha think?" The slayer looks at the other in confusion, as the latter adds,
"You must've been quite worried, knowing that the monk and the princess were in eachother's arms..."
Sango gasps...The elder then scoffs offhandedly,
"But at an underground burial site...Of all places, nothing romantic could ever happen there."
"Please! This is hardly the time for such nonsense!"
The blush and defensive tone told the exorcist otherwise:
"You're quite fond of him. I can tell that the monk means quite alot to you."
Sango's blush increases a little as she avoids the elder woman's eyes, and the latter teases,
"It's written all over your face, (giggle)!"
The slayer screeches to a stop and shouts,
"It's not like that, old woman!"
But, the exorcist was not there...
"Where'd she go?"
The elder calls from up ahead with Lumos,
"Hurry up, or the spirit and I shall leave you far behind!"
Sango growls in exasperation with an annoyed tick-mark and raising fist, while Kilala, who was sitting on her shoulder in her dormant form, looks at the other with a mildly concerned mewl...
Meanwhile, back in the underground burial site in the basement of the castle, the true demon that was orchestrating this whole charade continues to mock the paralyzed Miroku:
"(Laugh) You cannot move, I see. None can overcome the grip of my Demonic Aura."
Keeping a straight glare, Miroku asks with a bit of strain,
"Y-You intend to consume me?"
"All the monks and priestesses who came to slay the demon were devoured by me, (chuckle). Lucky monk: You are exactly my one-hundredth victim. I shall devour you and your spiritual powers, then I will be completely reborn, and I shall discard this empty shell."
The Demon Head Princess kneels down in front of Miroku and grips under his chin while complimenting in a mirth,
"Such a fine countenance, sweet monk."
All he could do was stare back, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face...
Coraline's POV
After directing the maids to go and gather as much medical supplies as they can find and set up a makeshift ward, Shippo, my brothers and I start scoping around the rooms to find any retainers still alive...The first one I assist is one who got injured in the recent shake with the possessed lord. Shippo reassures him,
"Don't worry! You're not fatally wounded."
"The bleeding just needs to be slowed..."
I pull out my small first aid kit, and call over my shoulder to my bros,
"You guys found any others yet?" They call back,
"Just two!"
"Might be more in other rooms!"
The retainer I was currently helping grimaces before muttering,
"Miss, thank you, for helping. The young men too."
"Of course, but please save your energy."
I bring out the bottle of antiseptic gel and a gauze:
"You will feel some stinging, but it'll cool off as quick as it'll come."
As expected, he does wince from pain as I gently rubbed the gel onto his wound before bandaging it...Once he was done, I hand him over to the maids before moving my search for survivors to another room with Shippo and my brothers joining me. Unfortunately, the next room we came to did not offer up any live retainers...
"Gh!" "Damn..."
"They've all been killed by the demon!"
I chide to the three,
"Let's not lose hope yet: There could still be a few survivors here somewhere."
As we kept running through various rooms to find someone who wasn't dead, Freeman asks me,
"Hey, Cora: How about using your Aura Sight to get a better look for any Souls that haven't departed?"
I shake my head regrettably:
"Wish I could, but because we've been here for so long, the Demonic Aura's begun to effect me. If I try to use my ability now, I'll just get a massive headache and my vision will blur."
Which also means I better avoid using my sword unless I absolutely must...
A couple minutes later, we all found ourselves at another entrance into the lord's chambers:
(Slide)
"Anyone in here?"
As we stepped inside, Besa wonders in a low tone,
"Isn't this the room where the lord refused to leave from?" Freeman replies,
"Yeah...what was makin' him so antsy anyway? There has to be more to this whole thing than just possession..."
Shippo would be the one to provide our answer, pointing at something behind a blind:
"Guys, look at that!"
Getting a closer look, I see that the figure was that of a young woman...an oddly familiar woman:
Strange...She, looks alot like the princess. Is she a relative?
Or, maybe...
Pulling back the blinds, I lead everyone in to where the woman was:
"Excuse me..."
"Miss?"
"You alri-Huh?!"
Freeman's sentence would cut off in shock, and I couldn't blame him: Now that I had a much more clear view, the young woman didn't just look like the princess, but rather, was an exact copy (minus the makeup and regal robes)!
As we knelled around her, Besa mutters with edge,
"What the heck is going on? How can the princess be here when she's suppose to be down in the burial site with Miroku?...Unless..."
He hovers a hand over the woman's face to check for breathing, and recoils when he finds,
"Guys...she's not breathing: She's dead!"
We all gasp, and I realize,
This means the princess we've been speaking with must be the real demon! No wonder Lumos was so tense!
...Oh man, I hope Miroku gets help in time! Who knows what the demon has in store for him!
No POV
At the same time Coraline, the twins and Shippo uncover the truth behind the princess, Inuyasha was busy on the roof trying to hack at the demon lord with his claws, but kept missing due to the latter backing away from each blow...
"Damn you! Enough of this already!"
The demon lord just kept on dodging, and Inuyasha hops back in frustration:
"(Growl) What's he doin', backin' off?"
That's when he saw it:
(Flicker...)
The body of the demon lord briefly faded out and in, like it was losing control of its structure...
What was that? The demon was transparent for a second there...
Something's wrong here: This demon keeps backing away and never attacks...almost as if-
Inuyasha gasps:
Almost as if he's buyin' time!
...We check back with Miroku and the Demon Head Princess in the burial mound, shortly after the taunt of devouring the other was made, when the latter suddenly sensed something amiss:
"Uh! (Stands) Who was that?! Someone has touched the host body!"
"...Miroku!"
Sango and Kilala (in full form) then arrive on scene with Lumos lighting the way, but stop at the glare from the blue-skinned menace...
"Why you...!"
(Swing, freeze)
Just as the slayer readies to bring her weapon down on the demon, the Demonic Aura hits her with full force, paralyzing her too!
I, can't move!
A growl from her twin-tailed companion tells her a similar story:
Kilala: You can't either!
"(Ghostly moan)"
Oddly enough, the Will O' Wisp of our group was still able to move about, but it seemed his power was waning, as his glow becomes a bit dimmer than before, and was very slowly dropping from the air, not unnoticed by Sango:
Oh no...Lumos's stamina must be wearing off. Even he won't be able to fight the power of the Aura for much longer!
The Demon Head Princess grasps miroku by his hair and laughs while taunting to the slayer,
"Stand still and watch my every move! I will devour this delectable monk!"
Damn, her!
(Jingle...)
"Uh!"
"The exorcist!"
Said woman charges forward while calling out,
"Disperse to the wind, evil powers that prevail!" She throws some of her powder at the demon:
"Grh! Here: A little purification salt!"
Sango was speechless, as was the Demon Head Princess:
Why does my Demonic Aura not work on this old woman?
...Moreover, (glances at Lumos) how did that orb of light fight it off for so long?
"Exorcist: Use it all! Throw all of your purification salt on her!"
Though confused by the request, she does as Miroku asks:
"Take that!"
The salt is bathed all over the monk and demon, and using his spiritual power, Miroku raises two fingers to send a static spell against the fake princess! The demon flinches back in pain and shock, and her hands rot away, before Lumos dives in and uses a burst of his own power to supercharge the static energy, forcing the body and head to separate!
"Damn you to hell, monk! You put a spell on the purification salt!"
Miroku falls back on his behind, before quickly holding his hands up to catch the exhausted Will O' Wisp:
"Oh, Lumos! (Grateful smile) Thank you for the extra help; try not to move for a little while..."
Lumos lets out a quiet moan of content, just as Sango, she and Kilala no longer bound by the Demonic Aura, rushes over to check on the monk and Will O' Wisp:
"Miroku! Are you alright? And Lumos..."
"He should be alright in a bit, but I didn't think I was gonna make it. Um, Madam Exorcist..."
"Yes, what is it now?"
"How did you overcome the grip of that Demonic Aura?" The elder woman forms an innocent expression:
"Uh? What Aura? I didn't sense anything unusual..."
Sango eyes her in disbelief:
You really don't sense it?!
And Miroku just chagrins while quirking mentally,
I suppose she's special in some ways...
The exorcist gets the two back on track:
"We can't afford to sit here wasting precious time. The Demon Head flew off and is still alive!"
Shaking off their stupors, the slayer and monk nod, before moving to stand and run out of the burial ground after the monster, with Miroku placing Lumos in Kilala's care until he could move on his own again:
This creature, on the other hand, keeps getting more mysterious by the day...
Yet much like his partner, he is a true asset and friend to have in life.
Inuyasha's POV
As I kept my gaze on the demon lord, I suddenly felt a shiver go down my spine:
"Guh!"
What's this? The presence is growing stronger!
...But not from the lord...The Demonic Aura is rising from the Demon's Head Castle.
My eyes narrow at the beast before me:
This demon is just a diversion to sidetrack me! The real demon is inside the castle! Grh, I better hurry!
Sprinting forward, I slug the faker in his face while jeering,
"Why don't you get back inside the castle where you belong?!"
(Crash...)
We fall back into the room where we left, and I turn in the direction where I could sense the true presence:
...That way.
(Leap)
Sango's POV
As we ran out of the underground burial site, Miroku filled me and the exorcist in on what the Demon Head has been doing since its rise...
"So the demon took the guise of the princess, and devoured the priestesses and monks who came to exorcise the castle?"
Then this explains why Lumos was so edgy around her: He could see right through her trickery.
Miroku nods and adds,
"She said that I was to be the one-hundredth victim."
The exorcist wonders more to herself,
"Hmm, makes no sense...Why did the demon come after you and not me? After all, I'm the stronger one."
Miroku and I couldn't really reply aside from forming chagrins, while I muse in my head,
Stronger in terms of obliviousness, maybe...
"The demon devours spiritual power. Once it consumes the power of one-hundred, she's going to be completely reborn."
Madam Exorcist replies thoughtfully to Miroku's summary of the Demon Head's plans,
"I understand now. (Slaps a fist to her palm) Then I must've been one-hundred and one, otherwise there's no way it would ignore someone with my extraordinary powers...Mm?"
We just kept going on ahead, not really paying attention to her words:
"Are you listening to me?!"
Whatever you need to tell yourself, old woman...
Wait: If it's looking for power...what if it goes after the jewel shards?
(Gasp) Coraline!
Freeman's POV
As we all kept hovering over what we're now sure is the real princess, I suddenly feel the room grow cold:
"Gh!"
Everyone else with me was feeling something too:
"What the-"
"What was that?"
"Something's approaching..."
That's when my brother made the call, pointing back where we came from:
"Cora, Shippo, behind you!"
We look in his direction, and gasp, at the sight of a huge demon head with blue skin, small horns protruding from its forehead, pinkish red eyes, fangs poking out from its closed mouth and the hair of the princess!
Scrambling to our feet, we all cluster by the feet of the dead princess, I readying my hammer, Besa his sickles, and Coraline her combat knife:
"The Demon Head!"
"And this one's gotta be the real deal, no mistake!"
The Demon Head moved through the blinds and closer to the body of the dead princess, and after a few seconds...something strange begins emitting from the second:
(Glow...)
What are those? Souls?
...No...this is something else.
Next thing we knew, the monster began consuming all the yellow-glowing orbs into its mouth! Shippo asks fearfully from my shoulder,
"L-Look! What are those things it's eating?!"
Coraline whispers back,
"They aren't Souls, I can say that much, or I'd feel the presence of Auras...I think they're sources of pure energy!"
The Demon Head laughs and jeers,
"Right you are: I buried the spiritual powers of ninety-nine victims inside this body. I need just one more, and that monk would've been my last..."
That monk? (Gasp) Miroku!
But it sounds like Sango and the Exorcist made it to him in time...
"Huh? Young woman."
I jump back to attention when the Demon Head addresses my sister:
"What is that? What is that you're carrying with you?"
I watch Coraline place a hand over her pants pocket that was zipped up, and I widen my eyes when I realize,
Oh crap! This freak senses the jewel shards!
"(Laugh) This might be better than consuming the powers of a mere human!"
Knowing exactly what this monster's intent was, we all turn to eachother and say,
"Split up!"
We then sprint in two directions, I taking Coraline and Shippo to the left and Besa running right, to dodge the Demon Head's jaws:
(Crash...)
It only gets a bite of the door frame instead, and while it shakes itself off, Coraline turns to me and asks in a whisper,
"Bro: Any chance you or Besa still got that lighter fluid?"
Lighter fluid?
...Wait!
I saw where she was going with this, and nod firmly, before we both scrambled out of the way of another charge from the demon:
(Lunge)
"Whoa!" "Yipe!"
I somersaulted to Besa and tell him,
"Open up your bag, quick!" He does so, and turns his back to me while asking,
"What for?" I shuffle for the item in his satchel while replying,
"You'll see!"
There's a chance we can't use our weapons on it, even though it's the real demon...
So we'll try a makeshift illusion canceller like Miroku did a couple hours ago!
"Freeman, hurry!"
I grab the bottle out and turn back to the action, just as Coraline ducks and rolls out of the way with Shippo from the beast, leaving it wide open for me to soak with the lighter fluid:
"I won't let you chomp your fangs into my sister, you freak! Take this!"
(Squeeze, splash)
The Demon Head recoils in pain from the sting of the fluid in its eyes, and I call to the little dude,
"Shippo: Use your Fox Fire on it!"
"Right! (Leap) Fox Fire!"
(Fwoooooom)
"Aaaaarrrggghhh!"
The Demon Head is set to flames, and we takes this opportunity to make a break for it:
"Let's bail!"
"Gone and gone!"
As we run out of the room, I hear the Demon Head call behind us,
"Stop! Not so fast!"
We get about as far as four or five rooms away, when the ceiling caves in and blocks our way!
"Auh, crud!"
"Now what?!"
The Demon Head, somehow shaking off the fire from itself, caught up with us before we could come up with an exit strategy:
"You won't escape! Surrender and get it over with!"
We turn around and brace ourselves for the battle that would ensue:
If we're goin' down, we'll go down fighting!
No POV
...But just as the Demon Head makes its charge, Inuyasha comes crashing into the room through one of the walls with his Tessaiga at ready:
"No you don't!"
(Slash)
"Aaaagh!"
He lands a straight cut across the demon's face, forcing it to retreat back...
"So she's finally shown herself."
"Inuyasha!"
"Good timing, man."
Shippo wasn't as enthusiastic for the dog demon's arrival as Coraline and Freeman were:
"You're late! A second later and they would've had to fight to the death with this creep!"
"Shut up! You should be thankin' me for even showing up!"
"What'd you say?!"
Besa chides to them,
"Come on, you two, this is hardly the time..."
"(Growl) Why, you...!"
Focus turns back to the Demon Head, who sends a seething glare at Inuyasha:
"How, dare you, you fiend! By beautiful face is scarred! You've ruined me! You'll pay with your life!"
"Like they say, it's only skin deep!"
(KICK)
Inuyasha knees the Demon Head back at the side of its face, sending it flying into a dressing screen:
(Crash)
"You've caused enough trouble around here. Time to put an end to this!"
"Grh, you half-breed!"
"This time, you're goin' down! (Charge) Prepare to die!"
...As this was going on, we quickly check back with the demon lord, as his fallen body is surrounded by several retainers with their swords raised at ready incase he gets back up to attack.
"The demon...!"
"Is it unconscious?"
...The demonic guise suddenly disintegrates away, leaving behind the real lord!
"M-My lord!"
But any small amount of relief would be quickly snuffed out, when that body evaporates into ash save the robes...Sango and Miroku arrive just as that occurred, and the Will O' Wisp floated over from Kilala's fur to hover over the area with a troubled moan...
We get back to the fight between the Demon Head and Inuyasha:
"Die!"
(Swing, clatter)
But the latter's blade would only connect with wooden paneling and not the flesh of the monster as it swiftly dodged the Tessaiga...
"Stay still, would ya?!"
The Demon Head just laughs, and Inuyasha would ask with a growl as the others catch up (minus Sango, Miroku and Lumos) to his side,
"What's so funny?"
"The occupants of this castle buried my head underground. They hoped that it would help ward off evil...Those foolish humans! That's why I cursed the princess to death, then assumed her appearance, and into her corpse, I hid away the spiritual powers of those I devoured."
Inuyasha concludes,
"So the lord was merely guarding the princess's body...and acted as a decoy if the truth were ever learned...Kuh, well that's too bad, Demon Head: You're messin' with the wrong people this time!"
"(Laugh) Do you think so?"
"I know so!"
"Wait, stop!"
"Hm?"
The last few members of the group finally catch up, including the Exorcist. Coraline greets them:
"Miroku, Sango, Madam Exorcist!"
"(Ghostly moan)"
The Will O' Wisp floats gingerly towards the redhead and rests himself on her shoulder, still a bit tired from before:
"Lumos..."
What the heck did you do to get so winded?
Inuyasha asks the monk with an irritated glare,
"What do ya want, Miroku? Quit interferein'!"
"I have something I want to ask the demon before it's destroyed."
"Like what?"
The Demon Head addresses Miroku:
"Monk."
"Tell me, why didn't you make your escape sooner? You had easily overpowered me...With such an easily overwhelming Demonic Aura, you could've escaped anytime you wanted."
The twins whisper to one another with narrowed eyes,
"He's got a point."
"Why didn't it?"
The Demon Head laughs and answers,
"Until now, I had to be careful about appearing. I knew there was a stronger presence, one that could take complete control of me."
That caused a wave of uneasy confusion to pass through the group, and Inuyasha narrows his eyes:
"...A stronger presence?" It clicks to Coraline instantly:
"(Gasp) Naraku!"
"Correct. Naraku, and the Demonic Aura he controlled. However, Naraku is no longer around, and I don't have to hide myself in this castle anymore!"
The Demon Head then turns to exit out of the castle via the roof:
(Crash)
"It's escaping!"
"Now I can have my fill of monks and priestesses!"
"Not happening, ugly! Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
The clawing whirlwind of power shoots straight up after the demon, and it lets out a howl of pain upon impact! Shippo exclaims,
"He did it!"
...But when the Wind Scar fades, we see that the Demon Head is not dead, as pointed out by Shippo, Coraline and Besa respectively:
"It's still alive!"
"The Wind Scar wasn't enough!"
"Aw come on, seriously?!"
The Demon Head cackles,
"It's just a start: I'll restore my body, and reek havoc on this land!"
(Rattle)
Miroku then removes the prayer beads on his cursed right hand...
"What?!"
"Wind Tunnel!"
(Whooooooooosssssssshhhhhhhhhh...)
There would be no escape for the monster, as it's dragged into the raging vortex with a final high-pitched screech...Once that was done, Miroku refastens the beads around his hand before turning to Inuyasha to say,
"It's all over, finally."
"About time. (Sheathes Tessaiga) What a pain that was."
The group moves to the outside, and watches as the darkness that was surrounding the vicinity of the castle above vanishes, leaving behind the normal deep-shaded blue and the moon...Shippo and Sango point out,
"Look!"
"The sky is returning to normal...!" Miroku adds,
"The demon's destroyed, and Demonic Aura that was surrounding the castle has finally disappeared..."
Time Skip
Come the next day, the group would have a last audience with the elder retainer and a few others, who bow in gratitude for their services...
After receiving their reward, and splitting it evenly with the Exorcist, they all leave the town and find themselves sitting on a fallen log just by the treeline bordering the forest and the open field to discuss what had happened, as well as inform the elderly woman (she sitting on a stone) about the despicable half-demon in question...
"So it's all because this demon named Naraku has vanished, and that's why the demons in this region are acting up so much?"
Miroku replies,
"It seems so."
"Ah, then I can see that I'll be gettin' really busy! Business will soon be booming!"
The monk and slayer gape a bit from their place on the log, and Inuyasha, who was standing near with the others, bluntly tells the exorcist,
"Old woman, I have one piece of advice for you: Retire. You're nothin' but a fake exorcist, anyway."
Coraline sighs,
"Come on, Inuyasha, was that necessary?"
Freeman whispers in her ear,
"At least he's being honest..."
The elder glares at the dog demon:
"Shut you mouth. If it weren't for me and my purification salt, the monk would be nothing but a memory now!"
Miroku smiles uncomfortably and says,
"And I'm grateful to you..." Inuyasha scoffs under his breath,
"Would you listen to her?"
Sango whispers to Miroku,
"I think this experience has made her overconfident."
"And unfortunately for us, she'll probably live a long life..."
"Yeah, meaning she won't be so easy to get rid of..."
The exorcist turns to the two on the log with an innocent expression:
"Hm? Did you say something?"
They both stutter with chagrins,
"U-Uh, nope!"
Inuyasha thankfully cuts in before the conversation could get anymore awkward:
"Hey. Come on, let's get goin'!"
"Good idea!"
The group parts ways with Madam Exorcist on a path more into the woodland area, she waving over her shoulder with a smile:
"If anything comes up, I'll be happy to help you youngsters!"
"Thanks, we, might take ya up on that!"
"Safe travels!"
Once the other was out of sight, our group turns to walk in the other direction and continue with their journey...Miroku notes with a serious air,
"Well people, this is becoming a real problem: With Naraku gone, even the demons who were in hiding are starting to look for the jewel shards."
Besa nods and adds,
"Makes sense, though, thinking on what the Demon Head and that hair demon have said: If any had tried surfacing when Naraku was here, they'd more likely become another part of his body...Now, the game's changed, and they're free to invoke their own brand of terror, all for the same prize."
Freeman mutters bitterly,
"Tch, some prize..."
Inuyasha wasn't afraid:
"Kuh, they're nothin' but a bunch of puny demons who were scared of Naraku. I can take care of every single one of 'em."
Everyone eyes him in silence, showing him their bravery in continuing this risky quest, and he adds to himself while taking Coraline's hand,
Besides, it's not like Naraku has completely vanished off the face of the earth. I definitely will find him!
As if reading his thoughts, Coraline gently but firmly squeezes his hand back, facing the road ahead with her head held high:
I know you will find him, Inuyasha...We all will.