Chapter7. August 1996 Naraku
The group of bandit was happy to find an easy prey as they stumbled upon the lone figure of a slender man with a nearly feminine beauty and rich clothes proving his wealth.
Of course, their joy was of a short length, as their robbery was cut short by the seemingly easy prey cutting them all in half with an elegant snap of a whip.
"As if you low life could hope to touch Sesshoumaru-sama!" a small toad sneered
"Jaken. Shut up." the regal inu youkai ordered in a bored tone, eyes darting around – someone was skulking in the shadows "I know you're here. Come out."
"Ku ku ku. Of course, the famous Sesshoumaru would feel my presence."
The youkai that had been observing him, hidden in the trees, was concealing his appearance under a thick white baboon skin. The young Lord of the West stared at him, outwardly impassible and neutral – inwardly scornfully measuring up the youkai who dared spy on him, yet didn't have the guts to show his appearance; a youkai whose youki, while oozing evil, was also clearly very potent, yet seemed so disregardful of their society laws...
"I don't have time to waste with petty talk. What do you want?"
"There has been rumors going around..." the youkai said, dark amusement in his tone "The Lord of the West is growing soft..." he avoided the whip lashing at him with a leap "He's granted his hanyou of a brother pack status!" this time he laughed outright "These idiots don't understand, don't they?"
Sesshoumaru didn't answer, instead raising an eyebrow, wondering where the idiot was going – he would refrain from killing him right now, as it seemed the uncouth youkai may have interesting information.
"What you've done with granting that damn hanyou pack status was genius!" the baboon-wearing youkai affirmed, laugh nearly demented "It was a death sentence hidden under a boon! You're just like me, wanting to get rid of InuYasha!" a sigh "But that idiot is stubborn in keeping alive, so I've decided to help you."
"In other words, you want to kill this Sesshoumaru's brother and decided to make use of him for this task." the shiro inu summed up, barely hiding his disdain "Why would I need your help?"
"I'm sure you don't need my help against him," the demented youkai assured swiftly "But he's got a new traveling companion who could prove... troublesome." a round item was thrown his way "This is a saimyoushou nest. It will prove useful in neutralizing the houshi accompanying him."
"I see." Sesshoumaru mused, observing the unassuming insect nest in his hand "What's your name, youkai?"
"You can call me Naraku."
"I'll remember the name." Sesshoumaru affirmed, a dark smile promising untold violence to the idiot that had so thoughtlessly yapped about his murdering intention toward his family pack
Dismissing the newly named Naraku without a second thought, the inu youkai was already following his keep senses in the direction where two familiar youki were calling to him.
He had been thinking about checking on the hanyou and his musume, to see if the young alpha was maybe having more success than him in educating their hanyou family member – and now, he had to test whether they would be up to the fight against the annoyance that seemed to hold a grudge against InuYasha.
¤.¤.¤
[Event LV150! Family Love...
Goal: Survive Sesshoumaru's "Improvement Test"
Bonus goal 1: force Sesshoumaru to defend against on of your attack rather than avoid them
Bonus goal 2: land a successful attack against Sesshoumaru
Bonus goal 3: use at least one pack attack against Sesshoumaru
Reward: +50XP per goal, +1 Beginner Survival Skill Tome and +1 Enhancement Stone to be chosen upon completion
Bonus Reward: +100XP per goal, unlocks Sesshoumaru's Approval Perk (+10 to one Fighting Skill) upon completion]
The new notification was met with wary glances in the pack – even Miroku picking on the suddenly tense atmosphere.
"It's always a bad sign when the goal is only 'survive'..." Tsukiko mumbled, wondering what could have worried her father enough that he'd decided to inflict to them such a harsh survival test – the last time he'd done so was when she'd announce her intention to get her hunting license at barely thirty year old
She looked around her.
They had just left the village where they'd spent the night, Miroku proving once more that a holy servant didn't have to be pure of intent by somehow founding a malevolent curse on the largest and wealthiest mansion in town – like always. To think the man, on top of proposing to nearly every girl around, was also a con-artist; it made her wonder about the houshi who'd educated him...
Still, they were out of town, the country around them mostly grassy lowland with a few sparse groves. Not a lot of space to hide for a surprise attack, but good enough to have an all-out fight.
"Chichi-ue is coming for a visit." she explained to Miroku "And he is apparently intent on testing our skills."
Miroku's eyes widened at the affirmation, quickly identifying just who was coming and she warned "This is going to be bloody, and violent. If you don't want to be involved, now's the time to put a bit of space between you and us."
The houshi, as a traveling exorcist, had seen all kind of youkai and spirits – and even if he hadn't ever fought a daiyoukai, he'd seen them fight once or twice, each time lucky enough to get out of the battleground in one piece. In other words, he understood well the dangerous fight that would be happening – a fight he didn't need to participate in, as it didn't have anything to do with Naraku.
"I may have decided to travel with you to find our common enemy..." he said with more assurance than he felt "It doesn't mean I'm going to abandon just because this doesn't have anything to do with the Shikon no Tama."
"Tch. Don't come crying if you get hurt." InuYasha answered back immediately – the usual harsh tone belied by the approval in his eyes
In the few days he'd been traveling with them, the houshi, if he'd proved himself to be a con-man and a smooth-talker, had also managed to seamlessly integrate with the pack, helping with Kagome's reiki lessons just as much as with Shippou's fighting ones, and taking on lecturing about any topic that caught his interest on the road just like Tsukiko tended to do.
Between his skills in teaching, and his ability to provide a roof on their head, InuYasha had to admit – if he'd been a youkai, the houshi would have made a good beta, and this had both awakened his competitive streak, and helped him accept the man among them.
And now, by affirming his intent to fight with them, Miroku had unknowingly achieved the feat of gaining the approval of all of them.
"Let's do this as a pack then." Tsukiko confirmed with a smile – and the houshi was skilled enough with words that he heard the newfound approbation in the short sentence, and the place he'd just gained in their small-knit group
By his side, Padfoot was nudging him, reiki swirling lightly around the Grimm – and he realized where the pack mark they all wore proudly had come from.
"Will you take it?"
He hesitated a second – never had he heard before of a pack where humans and youkai mingled so easily, and here he was, offered a place among them – then with a smile, he nodded offering his hand to the holy servant he hadn't identified before...
[Hidden Quest Complete! No one gets left behind...
Miroku is now part of Shadow's Pack
Reward: +100XP, Miroku gains Chaos Game 3.0]
[Level up! Kagome is now level 69!
+1SP]
[Level up! Shippou is now level 56!
+3SP, +2CP]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 34!
+1SP]
The green word suddenly appearing in front of his eyes would have made the priest freak out – if not for the fact that he'd already gathered something strange was going on in the pack he was now a part of, the feeling of his houriki suddenly expanding to mingle harmlessly with the people around him surprising too, and Tsukiko's sigh of "Well... I'd hope to have time to explain things to you a bit before this happened, but no matter..."
"This is Chaos Game!" Kagome was enthusiastically saying "It's a gift from the gods to help us!"
"That, and to entertain them..." InuYasha completed, who like all of them had grown used to find strange perks and quests' name aimed at him
"Chaos would made a good kitsune." Shippou nodded with a smile
"The most important thing for now, is that it answers to you thoughts, so as long as you want to make the text disappear, you just have to mentally wish so." Tsukiko explained "For the rest, I'm afraid we're going to have to wait a bit."
"Indeed." the houshi nodded "After all there's a powerful youki heading our way."
And with that, Sesshoumaru appeared.
"Chichi-ue."
"Musume. Otouto. Your pack has grown in number." the regal inu noted "Let's see if it has grown in strength too."
The next second, he was attacking, swift and unrelenting as a storm – and the pack members all jumped out of the way, instinctively spreading out in a half-circle around the daiyoukai in order not to hamper each other as they battled.
"He didn't seem nearly as strong last time!" Kagome protested as she flared her reiki into her weapon creating a defensive shield that barely held out a few seconds – enough thankfully for Sesshoumaru to be forced to jump back to avoid an attack from his daughter, who was clearly both the one who knew best how he fought, and who was the strongest among them
"He was holding back." InuYasha grunted in a matter-of-fact tone, the youki focused in Tessaiga creating a crescent-moon shaped aura as he slashed the sword
"He's still holding back." Tsukiko added as she was sent flying with one swift attack of the dripping poisonous claws "Otherwise we'd already all be dead."
The miko's eyes widened at the affirmation – who knew how much more powerful the shiro inu was in their era, if he already was this strong here in the Sengoku Jidai?
But as she barely held out, surviving each time by shear luck or thanks to another pack member saving her – and saving just as many times each of her pack-mates - Kagome realized something...
Tsukiko too had been holding back in all of their fights, something she subconsciously knew, but only really clearly understood now, as she witnessed the truly beautiful and deadly dance that was the huntress fighting.
Still, just as the Event description had suggested – there was no way they could win against Sesshoumaru, and right now, they were all getting more and more tired. And yet, she knew they could – should – be able to do better. Hadn't they all managed to coordinate their attack well enough against the bosses they'd fought in the Arena System?
But of course, their two heavy hitters were wasting more time saving both her and Shippou than attacking – as for Miroku, his level may be lower than even Shippou's, he was proving to be a true survivor, able to avoid many attacks that would have been deadly for any human.
Barely dodging the dangerous youki whip, she started to make her way toward Shippou, activating the party chat with a thought and explaining the plan she'd came up with.
Soon, Miroku was unleashing his kazaana – and like they'd expected, Sesshoumaru had been momentarily surprised, as he hadn't heard about the houshi's strange curse. InuYasha had rushed to take advantage of the momentarily lapse in attention – coming close enough that Sesshoumaru had to use his claws rather than his whip, right hand thrusting into his left side without any hesitation.
The hanyou faltered, nearly falling to the ground and not able to avoid the next attack.
"You should stop here." Sesshoumaru idly commented "You can't see anymore," the nest given by Naraku was taken out of his haori, insects swarming toward the houshi "With this, the houshi will soon be out if this fight too..."
The pack shared worried glances at the strange insects that seemed to voluntarily be flowing toward Miroku, but the priest stayed steadfast in his attack.
"As if!" InuYasha retorted, tone still full of bravado "I don't need my eyes as long as I can smell you!" the brash hanyou affirmed – they had a plan and he would held out long enough for it to be enacted
Kagome looked like she wanted to protest, the blood gushing out of their beta a clear indication that he would soon loose consciousness. But the unseeing eyes were hardened in resolution, and so she didn't say anything, instead flaring her reiki as strongly as she could, imbuing the unfamiliar weapon she'd taken out of her Inventory.
Mounted behind her on Padfoot, Shippou's flames were flaring too, dancing around her bow - and with a last surge of power, she let loose the arrow charged with both their powers.
The kitsune's youki acted as a cover, and Sesshoumaru dodged a fraction of a second too late, not having felt the miko's reiki until it was nearly upon him. This small delay was enough for Tsukiko to be able to predict where he was going to jump, and force him to parry her sword with his own uncutting blade, whose scabbard flared with protective power. This power, nevertheless wasn't enough as InuYasha, who'd attack with only his nose's indications just as he'd affirmed, had launched a powerful attack toward them.
Even the hanyou was stunned as the youki enhanced Tessaiga unleashed several powerful blade of wind, cutting through the ground and the inu and ookami, effectively ending the fight.
[Goal complete!+50XP
Goal updated: learn about why Sesshoumaru tested the pack
Bonus goal 1 Complete!(100+50)XP
Bonus goal 2 Complete!(100+50)XP
Bonus goal 3 Complete! (100+50)XP
Bonus Goal Complete!(100+50)XP, Sesshoumaru's Approval Perk (+10 to one Fighting Skill)]
[Goal complete! +50XP
Goal update: learn the upgraded version of the Kaze no Kizu]
[Level up! You are now level 140!
+3SP, +2CP, +1PP]
[Level! Kagome is now level 76!
+8SP, +4CP, +1PP]
[Level up! InuYasha is now level 115!
+4SP, +2CP]
[Level up! Shippou is now level 66!
+9SP, +4CP, +1PP]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 51!
+15SP, +8CP, +2PP]
[Perks
- Tango under the Stars(3/3):+7 Charisma
- Faster than the Wind: unlocks Shadow-Step Ability (progress scaled on Parkour skill)
- I am the Night: unlocks Shadow-Blending Ability (progress scaled on Discretion skill)
- Way of the Shinobi(1/2):+10 to Discretion, Parkour and Battle Sense(locks Path of the Samourai)
- Path of the Samourai(1/2):+10 to Strategy, Meditation and Killing Intent (locks Way of the Shinobi)
available: 1]
[Miroku is now Two-Tailed!
Two-Tail Perks
- Family Trade: your family has been producing for so long it's in your gene, giving you a natural understanding of Holy disciplines, making Wards and Ritual fast learning skills
- Exorcist: dealing with spirits is your trade, and you know well how to do it, making Runes and Spiritual Resistance fast learning skills
- Pack Symbiosis: you learn from your pack mate, unlocks Elemental Manipulation as a fast learning skill (with an element to be chosen)
available: 1]
Sesshoumaru was the first to break the silence, somehow managing to stay calm and dignified in spite of the large wound that would have taken out his left arm had the hanyou not held back, somehow guessing the new attack he'd glimpsed at would be deadly if he'd gone all out.
"I see you've managed to learn otou-sama's Kaze no Kizu."
InuYasha's answer was cut by the sound of Miroku falling to the ground, and Kagome's panicked shout at his state.
"I see." the shiro inu mused "Those saimyoushou must be able to poison the houshi from within his kazaana. You've made a dangerous enemy."
"Keh what would you know about this?" InuYasha muttered
A flash of a whip, and a baboon, skin was torn in two, as a malevolent youki flared before disappearing "How disappointing, Sesshoumaru."
"I told you not to spy on this one, Naraku."
The proclamation surprised the whole pack, who tried to take a better look at the youkai – but already, he'd disappeared, leaving but a faint feeling of tainted youki behind.
"This fool came to this Sesshoumaru and tried to make use of him to kill you."
[Goal complete!+50XP
Goal update: face Sesshoumaru's judgment]
Tsukiko didn't manage to repress an amused laugh at this affirmation "Manipulating one of the four Cardinal Lords? What kind of youkai would be stupid enough to do something like this?" she wondered while nearing the weakened houshi
"An idiotic one." InuYasha answered while settling down heavily by Miroku's side "So?" How's the bouzu?"
"He's a priest." Kagome corrected distractedly, hands glowing with holy power "And these insects did a number on him."
"Naraku is the one who cursed him," Tsukiko noted while calling up her own reiki "He knows exactly how to affect him." she affirmed somberly, before turning her attention to her uncle, who was the most harmed among them after Miroku
While usually he would have balked and protested, the hanyou kept his silence this time, a testament not only to how badly hurt he was, but out of consideration toward his niece that was hurt herself – and by his own attack at that.
A flash of guilt flared in InuYasha's eyes as he took on the young ookami's appearance with his newly regained vision – while most of the wounds had been inflicted by Sesshoumaru's whip and claws, there was no mistaking the large cut left behind by his Kaze no Kizu, partially hidden by her blood-soaked clothes.
Between the fact that he'd held back the attack, and the pack perk reducing the harm they could inflict to each other, the wound wasn't as bad as Sesshoumaru's – but that didn't matter, Sesshoumaru was Sesshoumaru, his elder brother, and an annoying bastard, while Tsukiko, even if she tended to be just as annoying as her father, was still a pup, alpha mark or not...
"I've done all I can for Miroku-sama." Kagome said as she came nearby, a worried Shippou by her side "And Shippou won't let me heal him as long as you haven't been cared for." the tone of her voice left little doubt to the fact that she clearly agreed with the kit's assessment
With a shrug Tsukiko dropped the nearly shredded sleeve of her haori, and of the lighter kimono she was wearing under, revealing the bands biding her chest, and a large set of scar that made their eyes widen.
"Tsuki-chan! What the hell is this!" Kagome exclaimed, shocked at the gruesome marks
An absentminded glance to her should, and the hime shrugged, still focused of InuYasha's wound "Automail scar." she answered easily "I must have forgotten the illusion. I lost my arm in my last life, and had to be fitted with a replacement. Hurts like a bitch." she reminisced with a wince "But worked like a charm."
"Wow. Must have been a pretty advanced world then." Kagome commented, a bit awed
"Not really. It was a lot like the early nineteenth century. Except for the automail, and alchemy, of course."
Kagome, who was now focusing on her healing, noted "This is going to scar."
"Not a problem." Tsukiko shrugged "Most scars don't follow me in the next life."
InuYasha looked a bit relieved at the affirmation – the mere thought that the wound he'd inflicted could have scared enough that it followed his niece through her next life...
Finally, Tsukiko and InuYasha were patched up – as good as the two girls healing powers were, neither could completely heal such heavy wounds as those InuYasha, Tsukiko and Miroku had sustained, but they weren't defenseless anymore.
While Kagome started to focus on Shippou lighter, but not insubstantial, wounds – Tsukiko turned toward her father, who'd been watching the pack while leaning negligently against a tree, so silent InuYasha had nearly forgotten he was there.
"Will you let me heal you?"
"This Sesshoumaru doesn't need healing for such trifling wounds."
"Not even to indulge his daughter?"
The young youkai lord was surprised at the pleading question – but under the fearsome power of puppy eyes, even the powerful Lord of the West had to cave.
It took InuYasha all his strength of will not to comment on the fact that not only was Tsukiko a papa's girl – but the father too seemed to be rather dotting for such a notoriously icy lord. To think it was only the second time he was seeing the girl...
Armour on the ground and haori to the waist, Sesshoumaru was observing his daughter's healing prowess with nearly unconcealed curiosity, his canine ancestry never so evident. After all, it wasn't everyday that a daiyoukai could claim to have been healed with reiki by his purely youkai daughter from the future...
"So?" said daughter asked as she worked her magic "Was our fight satisfactory?"
"Tolerable." he answered, which coming from him was a glowing endorsement "You've grown stronger in a short time, and gathered a good pack." he praised, making the young ookami smile brightly "The House of Moon is honored to have you as it's heir, and will endorse your pack, young alpha."
[Event LV 150 Complete! Family Love...
Reward:+50XP, +1 Beginner Survival Skill Tome and +1 Enhancement Stone to be chosen]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 52!
+1SP]
At this affirmation, Tsukiko's eyes widened, and without a second thought she glomped her stunned father – under the no less stunned stares of her pack. As for Sesshoumaru, the only sign of surprise he showed under such an assault was a minute widening of his eyes, before they softened ever so slightly – and a few seconds later Tsukiko was remembering the usual rules of propriety among youkai outside of the private circle, letting her father go before bowing perfectly, suddenly the perfect image of the proper heir to the West...
"This Tsukiko is honored by your trust, chichi-ue."
[Hidden Quest Complete! The pride of the pack...
Reward:+100XP, Political System unlocked]
[System log: Political System
The Political System contain the tabs related to the relation within the House you are affiliated to, and the relation with the other Houses.
Being part of a House means not only you are under it's leader's protection, but also that should this leader call to arm, you are obligated to respond. Each House posses different ranks internally, the lower being that of retainer and the higher that of noble. Those ranks each having different boons and duties.]
[Shadow's pack is now recognized as part of the House of Moon
House of Moon Member Pack Perk ( +3 Endurance ) unlocked]
["Heir of the House of Moon" title activated
+1 Intelligence, +1 Agility, +2 Charisma]
[Level up! You are now level 141!
+1SP]
[Level up! Kagome is now level 79!
+3SP]
[Level up! InuYasha is now level 116!
+1SP]
[Level up! Shippou is now level 68!
+2SP]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 57!
+5SP, +2CP]
The pack's eyes widened at the multiple notifications – most hadn't realized just what exactly Sesshoumaru's simple praise had entailed, but Chaos' Game had been kind enough to put it in term simple enough for all to realize that their pack now had a recognized place in youkai society.
Just like marking InuYasha with the pack marks of an adult, this was a bold statement from the Lord of the West.
¤.¤.¤
There was no mistaking the small pang of sadness as Tsukiko watched her father leave the camp her pack had set for the evening – and InuYasha was the first to react, dropping his bedding for the night next to hers and curling beside her in a very canine fashion, making a still weak, but now awake Miroku point out "InuYasha is very protective of his family, isn't he?"
"Well, it is the first one he's ever had." Kagome answered in a low voice – and even though the hanyou had heard both, he didn't react, for there was no pity in either comment, simply camaraderie and a true statement
The next day, they decided to make their way back to Edo – all of them needed to rest a bit because of their wounds, Chaos Game still had to be explained to the houshi, and the fact that Naraku clearly was after InuYasha as far back as fifty years ago even thought the hanyou hadn't even known his name before they met Miroku had to be discussed, preferably with Kaede present; not to mention Kagome needing to drop by her time to pick up her studying packets, the girl's studies progressing quite fast seeing as she now had nearly individual tutoring from two holy servants...
They were nearing the village when the young ookami's eyes lightened up with delight, while Shippou's nose twitched, the kit clearly unsettled by a smell both familiar and alien...
"Ryo!"
Kagome and InuYasha watched knowingly the girl jump into her fiancé's arm in a motion clearly done countless time before, while Miroku and Shippou shared a non-plussed glance – before the kit finally recognized the name.
"Oh! So this is Tsuki-chan's intended! That must be why his smell is so familiar." Shippou decided, not noticing the amused look Kagome and InuYasha shared at the affirmation
"How are you doing, Ryo-kun?" Kagome greeted with a smile
"Good enough." the red kitsune answered with a charming smile "I'm traveling as a hunter while looking out for the kids." he explained
"Did you have any success so far?"
"One encounter with a group of Demon Hunters that found it weird that a youkai was doing the same job as them, a few jobs here and there." his eyes darkened "And far too many orphans for such as small lapse of time." he pointed vaguely toward the forest where the bone-eater well laid "I just came back from home, I've already brought back a dozen of full-blooded kids from several species, and countless harmless beast youkai."
"Good then." nodded Shippou, before explaining himself "Well not good that they are orphans, but good that you found them to give them a new home." as an orphan himself, hearing about the up until now unknown fiancé of his alpha's self-assigned task he had of course approved, not wanting to think about would have happened to him hadn't his pack found him
"You got that right, chibi." the elder kitsune nodded, gaining a glare from the younger one
"I'm not a chibi!"
"Yeah right! You look like you're six or seven year old!" Ryo laughed
"Need I remind you how old you looked like before your second growth spur?"
"No need to be so mean, bambina!" the former hitman protested immediately
"Second growth spur?" Miroku repeated
This of course, launched a small lesson on youkai development, from the two major growth spur they passed through at birth and at the end of childhood to the significance of looking as young as Tsukiko and Ryoichi had, or Shippou was – Kagome amused at the fact that for once she wasn't the one being taught, as Miroku, as open-minded as he was, just couldn't know everything about youkai.
While they were talking, the pack plus Ryoichi had made their way toward Kaede's hut, where they were welcomed by the old miko, who was singing the praises of Tsukiko's fiancé – apparently, he'd not only taken a few job as a hunter around, but also dissuaded a few of the more adventurous youkai from coming near the village, a task usually left to the old woman, that relished in the unexpected lightening of her workload.
They had soon caught up the miko and the kitsune about what had happened during their traveling, even if Ryoichi had already heard about most of it from Tsukiko thanks to the Communication System. From describing how they'd started traveling with the priest, they went on explaining to him about how three people in the hut were time-travelers, and then about Chaos Game.
As a learned man who'd already had a few days to play around with the strange power, Miroku was swift to understand just how precious a gift Chaos Game truly was, and reiterated how thankful he was to have been given a place in their pack and family.
Then, they explained about Naraku, how he'd cursed the houshi's ancestor, and seemed to have a grudge against InuYasha...
"So this Naraku is the one who've tricked InuYasha and onee-sama?" Kaede thoughtfully repeated "I see..."
She heaved herself up, and gestured the pack to follow her "I've been thinking about it ever since that hag tried to resurrect Kikyou-onee-sama," she explained as they left the village "Wondering about who could have held such a grudge against her..." a frown "And at that time, there was only one person who fit this description."
(flashback start)
Kikyou's benevolence was such that the pure hearted miko hadn't hesitated a second when she'd happened upon the badly burnt and broken-boned body of a bandit who'd committed all sort of atrocities in a neighboring country.
Hauling the incapacitated man toward a nearby cavern, she went everyday to take care of him.
But despite the horrific wounds the disfigured man sported, and the fact he likely never again would be able to move – Kaede couldn't make herself pity the man.
Because even as broken as he was, as soon as he opened his mouth, the evil tainting his heart was apparent...
"Your sister," he'd said one day to the young girl "She's the one guarding the jewel called the Shikon no Tama, isn't she?"
"What is it to you?" she'd snapped back mistrustfully
"All the villains are after it, you know." he'd commented conversationally "Because this jewel, the more malice it absorbs, the more evil it becomes. How nice."
The wishful tone of the man repulsed the young girl, who couldn't help but retort "Onee-sama keeps it pure. It won't become evil like you say."
"Kikyou always has this fucking unruffled face." he commented, as if agreeing with her – then something akin to lust was heard in his tone "I really want to see it... this girl's with a disrupted face. It would be thrilling."
The following laugh creeped out the little girl, who was soon running out and reporting the discussion to Kikyou.
The miko hadn't been surprised, nor shocked – and simply commented that in any case, the bandit would never be able to move again, and as such wasn't a danger to her...
(flashback end)
"Onee-sama died soon after, and when I finally visited the cave several days later, it was burnt down. I thought a lamp had fallen to the ground, and he had burned to death, not even his bones remaining..."
"This man you're talking about," Miroku realized "he was human, right."
"That he was." the old miko nodded, before gesturing to a small cave "Here it is."
They weren't even a few feet into the cave when all holy servant shuddered "There is an intense feeling of evil," Kagome whispered
"And it's all centered around here." Kaede realized, pointing on a burnt patch of dirt "This is where Onigumo used to lay..."
"Then it is likely than this man was so corrupted than he got possessed by a tainted youkai." Miroku commented
Suddenly, a new smell filled the small cavern – a sickly sweet incense – and as fumes started to fill the space, a silhouette all but Ryoichi and Miroku knew appeared in front of them...
"I've been waiting for you, InuYasha."
Indeed – it was Kikyou standing in front of them, or rather, InuYasha corrected himself, an image of Kikyou. Because the true miko he'd seen accept her place in the reincarnation circle, so this bloody image could only be a mimicry...
"I wouldn't have died if it weren't for you, InuYasha, so come and join me in hell."
Then, the image disappeared as the houshi's shakujou pierced through the body of a lizard on the ground.
"The incense for the spell was hidden in its body." he explained "Naraku knew we'd come here."
"What kind of psychological harassment is this?" InuYasha protested loudly as he stomped out of the cavern "Can't this bastard just come and face me?"
"At least we've confirmed that Naraku and Onigumo must be linked, one way or another."
"What I don't understand is why he didn't just take the jewel once he tricked InuYasha and Kikyou?" Shippou wondered "He had the jewel, yet he let it go..."
"Because it was still too pure for him to use. By making Kikyou and InuYasha believe each had deceived the other, he must have hopped that Kikyou would have let herself become corrupt, thus making the jewel rip for the taking..." Kaede guessed
"But instead, Kikyou sealed me and let herself die with the jewel..." the hanyou completed darkly, yet pride for the miko clear in his voice as he concluded "Thus putting it out of Naraku's reach."
"Until I fell into the well..." Kagome sighed, disheartened that the jewel she'd inadvertently broken was once more the source of so much heartache
"You falling into the well and breaking the Shikon is something that was meant to happen." Tsukiko reminded the girl with a comforting smile "And right now you're doing everything you can to gather it back, so don't dwell on it."
"Tsukiko-hime is right." Miroku nodded "You cannot let yourself feel guilty over something you couldn't stop from happening."
"Besides," InuYasha nearly growled "The shards being scattered around is the only reason we've even learned about the bastard."
"Indeed." Miroku confirmed "Before the shards made their appearance in the countryside, I hadn't heard anything about Naraku in ages."
Before anything more could be added, Ryoichi and Tsukiko had shared a glance, feeling a fraction of second before the rest of the group the arrival of a new youkai. Jumping together without needing to say a word, so used they were to fight side by side, the couple easily stopped the large youkai looking like a mix between a wolf and a human.
"What do you want."
Eyes widening at how quickly he'd found out and cornered, the other quickly explained "I'm Rouyakan, the wolf from hell! I was told that InuYasha would be an easy prey because of his wounds!"
"By whom?" Ryoichi asked
"He called himself Naraku! He said that if I won against the hanyou, the forest would be mine!"
"And did he say that InuYasha was beta of a pack of the House of Moon?" Tsukiko wondered, tone light yet menacing
"What? No of course not!" the youkai quickly denied "I'm not very smart, but I'm still not stupid enough to mix myself in all those daiyoukai political games!"
"It seems you were fooled by Naraku, then." the young heiress of the House of Moon realized "Get out and we'll let you live."
"Yes! I will! Thank you!"
[Hunting Complete! Rouyakan
Reward:+25XP, +1 Hunting Trophy]
"Seems like the bastard is keeping an eye on us." InuYasha commented as the made their way back to the village, wolf of hell already out of their mind
"Not well enough." Tsukiko added with an amused smile "It's as if he doesn't know anything about the youkai society."
"He knew about pack mark." pointed out Kagome
"Yet he thought them meaningless," reminded Shippou "if he'd truly understood, he'd never thought Sesshoumaru-sama was trying to get InuYasha killed by granting them..."
"Could Naraku simply be the name Onigumo choose after getting possessed?" the young miko asked "After all, if he was previously human, it'd explain why he doesn't know that much about youkai society..."
[Goal complete!+50XP
Goal update: find about Naraku's weakness
Hidden bonus goal complete!
You've put all the pieces together and guessed about Naraku's origins
Reward: (100+50)XP]
[Level up! Kagome is now level 81!
+2SP,+2CP, +1PP]
[Level up! InuYasha is now level 117!
+1SP]
[Level up! Shippou is now level 70!
+2SP, +2CP, +1PP]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 61!
+4SP, +2CP, +1PP]
"Well, there's your answer." the hanyou answered as he read the latest update, rather impressed by the young miko's good guess-work
"And with your hunch, you've also given answer to the next goal." Tsukiko added, amused
"Eh?"
"Naraku is what was born from Onigumo letting himself possessed." Ryoichi pointed out, the other having understood the same thing as his intended easily "In other words, Naraku is a mix of human and youkai. Not a youkai."
"The bastard's a hanyou!'" InuYasha blurted, eyes widening "He's got the same weak point as any of us!"
"Er... Hanyou have a well-known weak-point?" Kagome asked, surprised
At that, InuYasha hesitated for a moment, before making up his resolve.
"One day per month, hanyou loose all their powers. We're no better than any other humans for a sun rise until the next. This is a day we hide carefully, and it isn't the same from one hanyou to the other." he explained
Kagome and Shippou shared a glance, both realizing in retrospect which day that must have been for their beta friend – while Miroku, who hadn't been with them at the time, focused on the other fact this explanation pointed out.
"In other words, Naraku's human once a month."
"Without a doubt." InuYasha nodded, with a satisfied smile "Now we just have to find out when, and get the bastard!"
[Goal complete! +50XP
Goal update: confront Naraku]
[Level up! Miroku is now level 62!
+1SP]
"Well, this isn't a goal we're going to succeed at quite as fast." Tsukiko commented "he seems quite good at running away."
"Knowing what kind of hanyou he is would probably help." Miroku affirmed as they headed back to the village
"The houshi's right." Ryo confirmed "You don't go about tracking a canine or a feline the same way, for example."
As they neared the village, Kagome split up from the pack, deciding it was still early enough for her to drop by Mahoutokoro in order to keep up with her studies.
¤.¤.¤
While she was doing this, Ryoichi had somehow roped both InuYasha and Shippou in a training session, neither the hanyou nor the kit understanding the commiserating look their alpha was giving them until it was too late...
"Your fiancé is a harsh trainer." Miroku commented as they witnessed the beating down both pack member were getting from the spectator section of the Arena
"He already was fond of beating the understanding into his students during his first life... Being reborn as a youkai didn't help with the tendency." Tsukiko confirmed with a wince at one particularly sharp blow Shippou was taking "That and he's getting a bit of revenge I think." she added
"How so?"
"Shippou will eventually grow up and become his father. Can you imagine having a prankster as a father?" she asked remembering some of the worst things the golden kitsune had inflicted to his elder son
Miroku's eyes widened in understanding. In the pack, InuYasha tended to be the one at the end of the kit's pranks more often than not, but all were well aware of his mischievousness – and somehow, the priest didn't think maturing would make it disappear...
"Ah, so this is family bonding then." he decided with a firm nod "No need to get involved!"
"Indeed. Now tell me what did you want to ask me about?"
The houshi wasn't surprised their young leader had guessed why he'd taken her apart "Now that you explained about your unique gift, I went back and explore a bit the information it was giving me, and realized I needed more knowledge to make a few choices."
The next hour, Tsukiko spent explaining more about the game mechanic which were becoming a second nature to her – from the impact of characteristic points to perks, and finally the last choice left for the houshi was that of his Two-Tail Perk.
To her surprise, he seemed already more or less set on one of the perk.
"Naraku has something to neutralize my kazaana," he explained as she expressed her surprise "And the fight against Sesshoumaru-sama pointed out that we can't all be fighting at a close range when there's only one enemy. Not to mention my only defense outside of my kazaana is either my shakujou, which is a melee weapon, or my sutra, which takes time to write."
"You're right." a smile "You've taken to this gift really fast for someone who'd never seen something like it before. So do you already have an element in mind?"
"It would be rather redundant to choose fire, even if it is rather often associated with holy servants."
Tsukiko nodded "With both Shippou and I using Fox Fire, I can easily agree."
"And I'd like something that can be good for defense too, but still flexible. Fox Fire is at it's core illusionary fire with youki mixed in, so it stands to reason that I'd eventually be able to add by own houriki to the element I choose."
The ookami nodded, an approving glint in her eyes at the intelligence the houshi was proving once more he possessed.
"You should also chose an element you've got a good understanding of." she warned "In my previous life, I struggled with the use of air alchemy because I lacked a basic understanding of the way winds and air worked around me. To work with fire, I must understand what makes a fire start or stop, what makes it stronger or weaker, how it interacts with the world around..."
"I thought as much." Miroku mused, more for himself than as an answer – resolve made, he smiled brightly "Thank you for taking the time to walk me through all of these decisions. I think my path is clear now!"
She raised an eyebrow as he shared his choice "I thought you'd have chosen air, to be honest." she admitted
"It is the element I know the best." he confirmed "But this knowledge comes from Naraku's curse. I'd like... to work harder at something my own. I don't want to owe him anything."
The rest of the day, Miroku spent training on his own, after being given several useful advice by Tsukiko – the houshi may present an easy-going front to the world, he was anything if not hard-working when it came to his skills, and as such, he'd decided he'd master the basis of his newly gained talent by the time they hit the road again.
Smiling at her new pack member's resolve, Tsukiko had proceeded to save InuYasha and Shippo from her fiancé's personal strand of torture – and spent the rest of the day with him, the couple bonding in the unique way they were used to by promptly getting into a heated sparring session.
The next morning, the two of them were the first awakened, the couple leaning against each other on the steps of Kaede's hut while the sun was rising.
"I'll be headed north tomorrow." the former hitman explained "I'll probably be gone for a while, I want to go as far up as I can before the cold season start."
Tsukiko merely nodded, easily understanding his intention – even if youkai were better at surviving harsh weather conditions than humans, children weren't necessarily educated enough to know how to face the coldest months, and by gathering the orphans up before winter, he would probably save a lot of them.
It also meant they wouldn't see each other for weeks, if not months.
With a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder, before announcing "We're heading south, Miroku has heard about some kind of immortal hermit living in the mountain, it sounds a bit fishy for a human." a shrug "With any luck, there's a shard involved, at worst it's some kind of youkai posing as a human for who knows what reason..."
"A weak lead is better than none." the kitsune commented, echoing her thoughts
She was about to answer when their senses announced a new youkai presence, approaching rather fast – an aura they had felt only the day before, yet which had been twisted and changed in that small lapse of time...
"I am sorry alpha-sama! I tried to tell him I wouldn't attack again, but he cursed me!"
Indeed, this was Rouyakan, the wolf youkai they had send flying with mere words the day before – but some strange vines were now flowing out of the single point on his brow, and growing by the moment.
"I'd rather die a swift death by your claws than eaten away by this thing alpha-sama!" the wolf beseeched, clearly already suffering so much that sanity was leaving the to begin with simple youkai
The rest of the pack, who'd been awakened by the loud explanation, and errant youki, was out of the hut by this point, and it was Kagome who pointed out "But wouldn't you rather live?"
"Of course I would!" Rouyakan affirmed, sensing in spite of the pain he was in that the young miko wasn't mocking him "But only that damn Naraku can take this out since he's the one who put it in!"
Even if Kagome was rather swift for a human, the wolf youkai had more than enough time to see her come toward him and reaching her hand toward him – but in his hazy mind, it was so evident that she was going to end his suffering that he didn't even try to avoid the petite miko and her potent reiki.
Closing his eyes in acceptance – he soon reopened them in stupor, as the suffering did indeed come an end – but not the way he expected...
"The curse was embedded in a Shikon shard." Kagome commented, the small item held between to fingers already purified by her reiki "You'll be alright now."
And indeed, the plant that was stealing the wolf's life away was withering and falling to the ground now that it'd lost it's life source.
Tsukiko smiled at her friend in approbation – she would have done the same after all, if the young miko hadn't understood the situation fast enough. The youkai may be loud, a bit annoying, and a bit simple, he just was someone who'd got stuck in Naraku's schemes and didn't deserve such a cruel death.
"You saved me!" the wide-eyed youkai realized "How can I ever repay you?"
"Well... I don't really need anything really..." Kagome mumbled, not expecting the exuberant thankfulness of the wolf
"There must be something! It's the second time all of you let me live!" the youkai insisted
Kagome's eyes turned toward Tsukiko, silently asking for help. Amused, the young alpha suggested "Well our pack is traveling a lot." Tsukiko said "You could protect InuYasha's territory for him."
"Yes! I'll do it!"
"But you'll have to remember that this village is a part of that territory too, and it's inhabitant to be protected."
"I'll remember!" the wolf nodded enthusiastically "Anyway I don't eat humans, deers are much better!" he affirmed, making Kagome whiten at the reminder that quite a lot of youkai did indeed consider humans as food in these days and age
"Good." Tsukiko praised, her aura flaring around her to mingle with the wolf's for an instant "With this you are now considered a retainer of the West, indentured to my pack."
"I won't let you down, alpha-sama!" the youkai promised, before rushing away, eager to start his new duties
¤.¤.¤
"You are too kind." Ryu commented, nuzzling fondly his mate-to-be hair
"The fox is right." Inuyasha added "Someone tries to kill us twice, and you give him a job most normal youkai would never dream of!"
"Is being a retainer that good?" Kagome asked, a bit lost in the political posturing that had just happened
"For a mid-level youkai like Rouyakan, it's something he probably never even dreamed of. He is now officially under the House of Moon protection, even if he's far from being a part of it," Ryoichi explained patiently "still it was a good move." he admitted "With InuYasha traveling around, some low-level trash may have forgotten that this territory was his and thus a part of the West, and try to take it over."
"Which would have meant more youkai attacks against the village." Shippou realized "Whereas with Rouyakan bearing the mark of a retainer, even if he's not all that powerful they'll realize that InuYasha hasn't abandoned his territory."
[Political System updated!
Royakan (wolf youkai level 27) has been added as a Shadow Pack retainer: +25XP]
[Hidden Political Goal Complete! The path of supreme conquest...
you have gained your first retainer
Reward:+100XP, +1 Recall location unlocked in the Map System]
[Shadow Pack is now LV3!
- pack LV1 bonus (3/10): +3 to all Regeneration Rates
- pack LV2 bonus (2/10):+10 Spiritual Resistance
- pack LV3 bonus (1/10):unlocks +5 Synergy as a Ground Skill
- XP to LV4:0/1500]
Kagome stiffened – and clearly, it wasn't the notifications that had caught her attention "I wasn't sure at first, because of the shard that was in Rouyakan but... she frowned her eyes looking searchingly toward the forest "There's a Shikon fragment over there."
Now that his nose knew to look for something, it took but a moment for InuYasha to realize that the young miko was right. Someone was spying on them, and there really was only person whom he knew of that would be doing something like that right now.
"Naraku! You won't get away this time you bastard!"
In one powerful jump, her was heading in the direction where he'd just felt a cleverly hidden youki, the rest of the pack following without missing a beat.
"Stop running away you bastard! What is your problem with me!" InuYasha roared, the anger and frustration of the last day's revelation finally free to rage
"Eh." the youkai, hidden under a white baboon pelt, came to a stop, the pack members having cut his escape "I guess I can tell you that much before you die…" he mused whimsically
Even with the pelt hiding away his feature, the intense hatred was easy to felt "It's because while Kikyou fell in love with a worthless hanyou, and degraded herself into a powerless woman... Onigumo, fueled by his despicable desires, filled that cave with his evil, calling countless demons to him... Giving up even his soul for a body that could move, to steal the Shikon no Tama and make Kikyou his!"
Tsukiko went still at that affirmation, focusing her senses on the one who was speaking seemingly lost in his reminiscences – the hanyou's story was far more revealing than he knew...
"And thus this Naraku was born from the ashes of Onigumo's body and soul!"
"And you went on plotting to put Kikyou against me!" InuYasha interrupted, fury still evident in his eyes, but far calmer than before, even if their enemy didn't realize it
"You should have hated each other, and she would have asked the jewel for help, tainting it! Then I could have destroyed her, limb from limb, and taken my prize!"
Kagome shuddered in disgust at the demented joy and lust she could hear in the man – no the demon's voice, admiring the former protector of the jewel's strength, as she had instead kept to her duty to the end...
"The Shikon no Tama would have been mine, if not for you worthless hanyou and this stupid woman!"
"You bastard."
InuYasha's anger had gone from hot to cold, and it was terrifying to witness – in any other occasion, Kagome would probably have been deadly afraid of these icy eyes aimed at the hidden hanyou like a predator looked at its prey.
But right now, she wasn't afraid – because this was her pack-mate that was angry, and under that anger, she could feel so much hurt, despair and longing for what could and should have been. And so instead of being afraid, she was angry too.
For InuYasha, who'd spent fifty years stuck to that tree without knowing the truth.
For Kikyou, the girl that she had been in a previous life, who died without knowing either.
All because of the twisted fantasy of a man so evil he'd let himself get consumed by it...
"How dare you do this to Kikyou!" Tessaiga was glinting in her owner's hand, the large blade heavy with youki "I won't forgive you!"
The inu hanyou was fast, and powerful – and if Naraku was able to dodge, it was directly into the path of Miroku's shakujou, who dispelled the white pelt into the youki it had been materialized from, letting them see the face of their enemy for the first time...
The man was wearing a kimono ornate enough to be that of a noble, and had long wavy hair simply tied in his back, and dark eyes speaking of all his madness.
"I guess I'll have to take you a bit more seriously, eh." the dark-haired hanyou idly noted, saimyoushou materializing around him to neutralize Miroku's kazaana while youki suddenly filled the air, materializing into an heavy fog with an ominous sulfuric smell.
"Miasma." the houshi recognized first
"Tch. As if that would stop me!" InuYasha commented jumping forward, the winds gathering around his sword as for the second time he unleashed the Kaze no Kizu, cutting a large gust of clean air through the enemy's youki – and revealing a stunned Naraku, who'd hidden in his miasma
"Impossible!"
Not wasting time, the hanyou gathered his remaining miasma around him, using the poisonous fog to protect him before escaping, under InuYasha's furious glare.
[Goal complete!+50XP
Goal update: find Naraku's lair]
"Damn it." the beta muttered, before turning toward his alpha "Thank you. For not interfering."
Tsukiko merely smiled "You were doing just fine."
"Yet he escaped."
"I couldn't have stopped him either." their alpha admitted candidly "He'd have fled before any of us would have had the time to deploy a ward to trap him. And he tends to send minions rather than to the job himself. He's really crafty, isn't he."
"That he is." InuYasha admitted, eyes darkened "That damn spider."
"Spider?" Miroku asked, surprised at the choice of word
"Spider." Shippou was the one to confirm "It was probably to fast for a human to see, but when he ran, his back was exposed to us. There was a large burnt mark on it, in the form of a spider."
"Probably what's left of the day Onigumo became Naraku." Ryoichi pondered "The hanyou doesn't realize what he's revealed to us with that..." he added with a smirk
"What do you mean?" Miroku wondered, curious about what he could have missed
"He revealed that he was born of an aggregation of multiple youkai." Tsukiko explained "In other words, several low-level youkai used his human body as an anchoring to create a new, more powerful youkai."
"And why is this important?"
"Because it means he maybe powerful, he has neither the training nor the experience at being so." Roy said succinctly
"Daiyoukai are much more powerful than youkai, but there is only two natural ways to become one. Being born as one, or becoming one from growing strong enough. In this case, we can safely say that Naraku is a hanyou daiyoukai, just like InuYasha. And to be honest, right now he's much more powerful than InuYasha..."
The inu growled in a low voice at his alpha's affirmation, but didn't try to refute it.
"But InuYasha has an important advantage on him. He is used to being a hanyou daiyoukai, he was born as one. Even if has less training than he should have because he was orphaned so young, he still have the important advantage of experience."
"Oh." Miroku understood "Naraku is only fifty years, isn't he."
"That's right. In other words, he is but a child in terms of experience."
"Is this why he is always sending people after us rather than attacking himself?" Kagome wondered
"Probably. That and he is a spider, apparently. He probably took on the powers of the more powerful of the youkai when he was born, thus that scar in his back." Ryo explained
"So... What do we know about kumo youkai, then?" Shippou wondered, looking a bit lost "Now that I think about it I haven't hard about a lot of them except for the one we met before that hag tried to resurrect Kikyou..."
"Because there aren't a lot of very small youkai who manage to grow powerful enough to be considered more than beast youkai." Tsukiko explained "Myouga would be an example of those few, and he's not even a daiyoukai. And most of them usually are very smart and have a strong survival instinct."
"So... Is there anything well-known about spiders, then?"
"They are plotters, and then to use underlings to do the job for them, just like Ryo said." a sigh "But their main strong point is that once they grow in power they manage to take on a lot of powers from other species. And Naraku already has all those powers available thanks for being born from multiple youkai."
The affirmation made the pack wince, but the heavy silence that followed was soon broken by InuYasha's loud affirmation "Bah. All powerful or not, it doesn't change anything! We're still going to find him, and kick his ass."
"That we are, oji-san." Tsukiko was the first to confirm, an amused smile on her lips "That we are."