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ABC Thought

Chapter 27

A couple of days later

At some unknown mountain

At that time... Sora almost took over my body when I was still conscious. But how could that possibly be? Did it have something to do with Kanna's mirror from back then? Did she mess up our souls by any chance?

I keep walking mindlessly until hearing Rin shouts from behind. "Onee-chan! Look out!"

"Huh? Wha-Wah!"

Instantly snap back into reality, I realize my foot misstep the mountain's border and fall on my knees, heart racing as my leg hanging on the air. "T-That was close…!"

"Are you okay, one-chan? You've been spacing out a lot lately."

Rin rushes over to check on me.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

Therefore I assure her and she nods. Taking my hand and leads me toward to where Sesshomaru and Jaken are.

Soon we find ourselves standing before a white giant headless bird, which is lying lifelessly on top of the mountain and its blood completely drained.

Who would be able to behead such a thing?

Needless to say I'm shocked by the sight.

"It looks like you didn't make it in time, eh? Sesshomaru. The entrance has already closed."

All of a sudden there's a female voice behind us and turns our it's Kagura, the wind-user, who is standing from the border above.

"Kagura?!"

Scared, Rin rides Ah-Un away from her and Jaken yells, pointing his two-heads staff at her.

"What's with you?! You have been randomly turning up around Sesshomaru-sama lately! Sesshomaru isn't the least bit interested in you!"

She does? I glance back and forth between Sesshomaru to Kagura. Not a surprise since I'm not around him all day long like Jaken to know about their relationship well.

"Speak, what do you mean by this entrance?"

Sesshomaru jumps up to confront her and the woman smirks.

"A path that continues to the boundary between this world and the next. You see, Naraku and Inuyasha have already gone in there."

The next world? Does she mean by the Netherworld?! But what exactly are they doing in such a place?

"Hmph, The way you say it… Sound like you know something else."

"Oh I do know the other path. Though I won't be so sure if you will be able to pass through alive, Sesshomaru"

Annoyed that Kagura's underestimating his lord, Jaken shouts from below. "There's nothing in this world he can't come across! So stop your yapping and show us the way!"

"Hmph, if you insist."

Once settled, Jaken turns to us. "Alright, you two go back and wait. Because I'll be the only one coming with Sesshomaru-sama this time"

"Okay."

While Rin follow his decision without an objection, I voice out my opinion to come along. "Hold on! I want to go too!"

"What?! No way! We are not there to play! You will only be a nuisance to Sesshomaru-sama if you go!"

Jaken refuses in a blink of an eye and points his staff at Rin and Ah-Un, trying to give me an excuse not to follow. "And beside, who is going to look after Rin once you're gone?! Are you intending to leave her alone, all by herself?!"

Seeing me hesitated, Rin chimes in. "Actually I'm not really all by myself. I still have Ah-Un with me."

"Huh?! Are you sure, Rin?"

"Yup. I will be fine."

Now knowing that there's nothing can hold me back, I turn to Jaken but still receives a no. Not giving up so easily, I turn to Sesshomaru and ask for his permission.

"It's not safe"

He refuses me within a heartbeat.

"I promise I will hide in a place that no one can see me! Please? I won't do anything to slow you down! I just want to know if my friend is okay!"

I try to persuade him with everything I have.

"Quit your blabbing already. You're not going anywhere, you hear!? So stop bothering Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Pretty please, Sesshomaru."

Ignoring Jaken's outburst from behind, I plead and show my poor puppy face to Sesshomaru. Until he frowns and finally gives in. "Fine!"

"Eh?!" Jaken gasps, almost falling backward out of shock.

Hm? Interesting, this guy seems to only be weak against that human girl.

Kagura, who has been standing aside watching everything from the start, amazed by the turn of event.

"Are you guys done? Can we go already? I still have many other things to take care of."

Since there is nothing more for her to do here, Rin bids us goodbye and flies away with Ah-Un. "Be careful, everyone."

"Alright, follow me."

Kagura summons a giant feather and flies off on it. Not wasting time, Jaken holds onto Sesshomaru's Mokomoko as I hug him by the side to fly after her.

Mountain in the Realm of Fire

"In this Land of Fire is a gate that connects to *the other side*"

Kagura describes about the place while leading us into a big cave's entrance. "Over here."

Standing right at the entrance, Jaken asks his lord. "Sesshomaru-sama, Can we really trust that Kagura? She may be luring you into a trap again"

"Settle down."

"E-Eh?"

"Not you, I mean Tenseiga."

Sesshomaru frowns, and we notice one of his swords is glowing with blue aura and shaking on its own.

So the other sword is named Tensaiga. Now that reminds me, I've never seen him wielding that sword even for once. I wonder why.

Inside the cave

What a dark, scary looking place. Are those youkai bones on the ground..?

The cave's gloomy atmosphere sends a chill down my spine. After a bit more of walking, Kagura halts her feet.

"Alright, this is as far as I can go. I don't want to get involved in this."

Sensing something is wrong, Jaken speaks up. "What do you mean, Kagura?! Is it really dangerous up ahead?!"

"Will you shut up? You're the one who asked me to show you the way!" Kagura scoffs, reminding him that she will not guarantee their safety if they want to come here.

Not going to stop her from retreating, Sesshomaru continues further inside as I and Jaken quickly follow. Soon after, we reach to a big round gate which is guarded by two giant statues on each side, carrying weapons on their hands.

Then I notice the the familiar ox and horse faces on their bodies. Don't tell me they are Gozu and Mezu, the guardians of the Underworld?

"Do you want to pass? Or do you not wish to pass?"

Suddenly we hear voices, must be coming out from those statues.

"Of course we want to pass! That's why we're here!"

Jaken yells and in instant, they move out of their spot. Engaging in a fight with us and Jaken quickly climbs onto Sesshomaru's Mokomoko to hide behind his back.

Not wanting to be a hidrance, I retreat further behind them to find a safe spot and there I find Kagura, who is leaning onto one of the rocks nearby and seems to have been watching the whole thing from the beginning.

"Eh? You're still here?"

Surprised that after hearing all bout not wanting to get involved from her just a while ago and yet here she is, I ask what is keeping her from leaving and Kagura snarls.

"Just be quiet and watch!"

After having failed killing Gozu and Mezu with Tokijin, Sesshomaru decides to give Tenseiga a try. Once being draw out, Tenseiga shines up and the gate behind him suddenly opens on its own, flashing the whole dark cave with its white light.

My jaw drops in awed, watching Gozu and Mezu kneel before him.

"You, who wields the sword of the other world…Shall pass."

Soon I learn that Tenseiga is a sword which cuts down those who do not belong to this world. It's rational for them to fear being cut by it since they are beings from the other world.

"You won't struggle futilely…Huh. How wise."

Once everything is safe, Sesshomaru calls out to me. "Shiomi."

Jaken tilts his head at the unfamiliar name and I flinch. "T-That's me…!"

"Wait a minute, I thought your name was Sora?"

"Well…you can say that it's a nickname…?"

Realize that he has been tricked for the whole time, Jaken yells. "What?! So you lied to us?!"

"I'm sorry Jaken-san. I will explain everything to you and Rin when we return. Okay?"

Since right now is definitely not the time to argue with him over trivial stuff. I apologize to Jaken so that we can move on quickly.

"Yeah! You better be! You-!"

Jaken halts his scolding the moment he sense the Inu Daiyoukai intense glare behind his shoulder and he gulps.

"I-I mean it's doesn't matter! I have no interest in your name or whatsoever! So keep that explanation to yourself!"

Once prepared, we step through the giant gate.

"Wow!"

A secenery of mountainous land covers itself with endless of spiky rocks on the ground lays right before our eyes. There's an enormous dog-like skeleton figure wearing armor standing alone within the mist faraway. Plus some weird looking skeleton birds flying all over the place.

Needless to say, I'm totally awed by everything's presented. Surely it doesn't look like how I had imagined the Netherworld would look like.

"Inu no Taisho"

Sora's voice appears in my head, causes me to yelp in surprise and instantly catches Sesshomaru's attention.

"What is it?"

Not being certain about what just happens, I brush it off. "I-It's nothing."

Inu no taisho, was it? I wonder if that name has anything to do with this place.

When getting near to the giant armored skeleton, I notice Naraku is standing in the air with his barrier on and Sesshomaru draws out Tokijin to fire an energy ball at him.

Seeing us up on the air, Kagome calls out. "Sesshomaru! Senpai!"

Notice that the girl's unharmed, I sigh in relief. "Kagome-chan! Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. But…"

She glances at the big hole within the huge skeleton in concern. There, I see Sesshomaru's half-brother is standing inside. "It's Inuyasha."

Displeased by Sesshomaru's appearance, Naraku scoffs. "Hmph! Sesshomaru. Did you rush over to save your little brother? Such a kind brother you are…"

However, Sesshomaru ignores him and floats into the skeleton body up ahead. Once reaching inside, I let go and watch him approach Inuyasha just to punch him in the face.

Shocked by his action, my eyes widened and Kagome rushes to his side. "Inuyasha!"

"Why you…Bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Inuyasha growls and wipes the blood off his mouth as Sesshomaru spat.

"How dare you, the worthless Hanyou tainting Chichi-ue resting place!"

Confused, I turn to Jaken for some clues. Only then he starts to explain that the place we are standing on right now is Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's father's grave.

Eh?! Their father's grave?! This place?!

"Does that mean this huge skeleton is..."

"Yes, that is Inu no Taisho himself."

"You are telling me this is him?! He is this huge?!"

Hold on, Inu no Taisho?! Wasn't that the name Sora spoke of earlier? But how does she know about it? Did she hear of their father from someone else or they actually know each other in the past?

"Hey…kid…Do you still have the strength to fight?"

My train of thoughts get cut off by an unfamiliar voice coming from further inside. Turn out it's belong to the big skull with two horns. The heck?! A talking skull!

After a long conversation between Inuyasha and the head of a youkai that called itself Hosenki. Therefore Hosenki demands Inuyasha to prove his worth to possess the shard of Shikon no Tama, by slaying it. And if he fails, Inuyasha will lose his life.

All of a sudden my right cheek feels itchy and in reflex, I slap it then notice the weird-looking tiny figure in my hand. "Huh? What's this?"

Despite being squished badly, the flee still introduces itself to me.

"G-Greeting, I am called Myouga. A loyal servant of Inu no Taisho-sama and Inuyasha-sama. And you must be Shiomi, the new human companion of Sesshomaru-sama."

"You know about me?"

"Indeed, it's really not that hard to gain information about you, little girl."

"Well of course, considering you're traveling with Inuyasha's group."

I shoot him a bored look and he laughs, jumping onto my shoulder to take a seat.

There's definitely Youkai blood flowing within her body, despite being quite faint.

He frown, curious about the girl's strange condition.

"What's wrong? Why are you keep staring at me?"

Shiomi's voice ringing by his ears startled him.

"It's nothing! Nothing at all!"

At the moment, Sesshomaru's keeps attacking Naraku all over and over in order to find a way to break his annoying barrier.

"Hmph! Sesshomaru. Do you wish to strike me that badly?"

Naraku smirks at his futile efforts. "Very well then…I shall grant your wish!"

Three tentacles behind Naraku's back grow out of his barrier and reach to Sesshomaru to strangle him. Sesshomaru easily dodges his attack and destroy them with energy wave.

However, the destroyed tentacles release Shouki at Sesshomaru and some of them is carried by the wind toward to where we are standing.

"H-Huh? What is that?!" Jaken gasps upon first time seeing the poisonous gas and I quickly drag him backward. "That's Naraku's shouki! You will die if continue sitting there!"

"Kagome-chan! Naraku's shouki is covering up this place!"

I shout to alert everyone inside the cave as Jaken trembles beside me, watching the deadly shouki's slowly eating up the bones on the ground.

"Get back! I'll purify them!"

Kagome holds her bow up and shoots.

After the shouki is cleared up, I notic that Sesshomaru seems to be completely fine. Guess that Naraku's shouki isn't powerful enough to harm him…

"What will you do, Sesshomaru? Every time you cut me, the shouki will increase and everyone in this area will die eventually…"

The long back haired man in armor taunts the lord and he frowns. "You definitely are not going to let *her* die here. Right, Sesshomaru?"

"It's all right! As long as we have Kagome's arrow, I ain't afraid of any Shouki!"

Shippou assures the distress Jaken standing next to him.

"I'm out of arrow."

However, Kagome's response instantly breaks all of their hopes. "What?!"

"I'm sorry but that was my last one."

She loweres her head apologetic and I point at an arrow behind her shoulder. "Kagome-chan, what about that one?"

But the girl refuses to use it. "This one is different. For some reasons I still cannot use it…"

After spending a short moment to think, Sesshomaru finally speaks up.

"Hmph! If you think that I'm going to hold back my sword just for the sake of some humans. Then I will be no longer be Sesshomaru!"

And just like that, Sesshomaru fires another blue wave of energy toward to Naraku's tentacles and cause them to spill out the poisonous Shouki once more.

Damn, that Naraku just has to know where to scratch.

From below, I watch the poisonous cloud approaching our place hopelessly.

"T-The shouki! It's approaching!"

Shippou cries out and Inuyasha leaps to the entrance to stop it. "Everyone, go further back! I'll handle it!"

Seeing that the hanyou has changed his objective to saving his friends, the diamond skull asks him. "What's the matter, brat? I thought you were going to slay me and strengthen your sword?"

"Shaddup! Just you wait! I'll get you later!"

"Hm… Inuyasha. Has seeing your comrades in danger made you forget about your goal? What a big fool you are! Is that because you're a Hanyou?!"

This annoying skull…! After hearing its unecessary mockery, I've never feel the urge to kick someone's head this badly.

Even so, Inuyasha doesn't mind too much about that and keen on following his instinct. "I am what I am! And I'll do things my way!"

"Inuyasha! And if you obtain my demon power in such a way, will you be able to control it?"

"Hah! Then I don't want it! You can go ahead and keep that *Great* demon power to yourself for all I care!"

Inuyasha uses Kaze no Kizu sweep the shouki away successfully, but what shocks us the most is that his Kaze no Kizu carrying diamond spears with it and eventually destroys Naraku's magical barrier. Not only that, Inuyasha's sword edge is also transformed in to the same material as Hosenki's head.

"Inuyasha, keep that spirit of a Hanyou. And inherit the Kongousouha!"

The skull speaks to him one last time before its head is split apart and Inuyasha continues firing more shards of diamond toward Naraku. "Kongousouha!"

"They pierced Naraku! Did he get him?!"

Everyone cheers once seeing Naraku is getting hit by the diamond spears and Sesshomaru approaches him with Tokijin in his hand.

"I see that you're no longer have the strength to put up another barrier. Then I, Sesshomaru shall be the one to finish you off!"

He swings his sword and fires another blue energy wave at Naraku. Causing his body to be torn apart into small pieces.

Kagome takes out her last arrow and shoots at his head to deal the final blow. Creating a purple explosion and clearing up the whole area, turning the sky all bright again.

When everything is back to normal, Sesshomaru lands on the spot beside me and Jaken rushes to his lord in joy. "Sesshomaru-sama!"

"We're going."

Sesshomaru orders us to move and the little youkai instantly obglibes, holding onto his Mokomoko tightly and ready to take off in any second. "Right away!"

After all the chaos that has happened in here. It's not really surprising for him wanting to get out as soon as possible.

"Senpai, you shouldn't have come here! Who know what would happen if Naraku capture you again?"

Kagome approaches me from behind and starts scolding me for my recklessness in Sesshomaru's stead.

"I'm sorry... It's just that I was so worried something bad may happen to you and..." I lower my head to apologize.

Hearing my excuse, she huffs. "I will be fine, senpai! You realize that I've already gotten used to dealing these kind of situations way before you do, right?"

When making sure that I'm taught a good lesson. She asks me about my health. "But more importantly, how have you been? Has anything strange happened to you lately?"

"Well actually..."

This is a very long story if having to tell all the way from the beginning, and I notice Sesshomaru is still waiting for me. Since he isn't fond of wasting his time over chit chat, I promise her to continue our talk the next time we meet.

"I will see you later okay? Kagome-chan. Take care!"

"Okay. See you, Senpai." Kagome waves at me as Sesshomaru flies off, carrying us with him into the sky.

Only some minutes later…

"Sesshomaru-sama! Please wait for us, Sesshomaru-sama!"

Hearing Myouga's cries from further back, I ask Sesshomaru.

"Someone's calling for you, should we slow down a bit?"

"You're imagining it." However Sesshomaru ignores it all and not showing any sigh of reducing his speed.

I peek out from his right shoulder to see that Inuyasha, Kagome with the others are following after us, while Myouga's still pleading for him hopelessly.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"