A/N:
I've had some spare time, therefore here's an early chapter for you this month, my wonderful readers. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty-Five
"Kikyo-sama and Kohaku-kun are sure taking a while, aren't they?" Rin's words tinged with interest, and she turned her head once more to the direction in which both the priestess and the taijiya had disappeared to.
Chucking another piece of wood into the fire before him, Jaken followed in her example.
"Well, it is better this way." He determined, his attention once more shifted to the source of warmth before him and his hands soon rising to absorb its soothing heat, "The miko said that she had come up with a way to keep Kohaku's jewel fragment pure, thus potentially decreasing the chances of that despicable Naraku being able to work his way into the boy's mind again..."
Slumping her shoulders to the reminder, the girl hugged her knees closer to her chest.
"Rin wanted to come and see, but Kikyo-sama said that it's better if there were nobody else around." She explained, placing her gaze onto her green companion sitting before her, "Kikyo-sama probably needs to concentrate, huh?"
Jaken nodded with agreement to the theory, yellow orbs lifting to the girl.
"Like I said, it is better this way." He repeated and then shrugged, "At the very least, it means that woman is taking her job seriously."
Falling back into silence with that short exchange, they lowered their stares back to the cascading flames in front of them.
However, lead by a slightly different kind of curiosity, Jaken's eyes soon located his master sitting elegantly on a flat-faced rock not that far from them, vision intently fixed on the unknown distance and expression devoid of any hint as to what was currently going through his mind.
Then, he only raised his head upwards to observe the afternoon sky above him.
'The days have turned so cold lately...' The imp-demon evaluated, watching as the heavy clouds slowly drifted along the high wind, the already setting sun marking them with potent strokes of red and orange and only augmenting their colossal size, 'Almost as if something truly ominous is residing in the air...'
"Jaken-sama?" Rin's hesitant voice pulled him back from his thoughts, causing him to drop his attention back to her.
And studying the quiet girl for a moment, confusion followed by a sudden realization soon found their way through his green features.
"What is it?" He asked dryly and leaned the back of his head to the rocky surface he was sitting against, already recognizing a certain unnamed issue that was bothering the girl's peace of mind.
And worried gaze soon found him once more as Rin merely breathed in deeply.
"Do you think... it could maybe help Kohaku-kun rethink giving away his life?" She asked, her once cheerful voice now plagued with heaviness.
The wind flowed through the tall grass covering the earth all around them, sending a gentle hum into the air which managed to fill the momentary silence and with that somewhat add to the weight of Rin's question.
And refraining from answering to that inquiry for another moment, Jaken only kept his tired stare on the girl.
"How should I know." He eventually dismissed, releasing a deep sigh and closing his eyes, "That brat Kohaku seems hellbent on his decision to avenge his family members, who knows if anything could even change his mind at this point."
Hearing those unfortunate words, Rin's brown orbs found the fire, once more.
But a sudden, unforeseen low voice soon cut through the silence, making both the girl and the imp-demon turn in the direction of its source with surprise;
"You fully trust that boy, huh." Sesshomaru tested, his head turned over his shoulder and his golden gaze aimed at Rin, apparently keenly aware and listening closely to their conversation.
Wide-eyed, she blinked up at him.
Then, the girl simply nodded and averted her eyes once more, this time, to the grassy ground surrounding her bare feet.
"Rin knows Kohaku-kun will never want to do anything bad." She answered, her smile sad, "And Rin also feels that... maybe if he got stronger... he wouldn't want to die."
"Do not be foolish, Rin." Jaken sighed loudly and shook his head at her missing the point so casually, "That boy believes that the only way to atone for his previous weakness is by sacrificing his life now, does he not? Enhanced strength and protection from Naraku's control will hardly convince him otherwise on the matter."
Sesshomaru maintained his quiet gaze on her, studying the child in silence as her vision still aimed at the tall grass enveloping her legs.
"Rin just wants Kohaku-kun to be happy." She admitted, taking in a deep breath, "Because Kohaku-kun is Rin's dear friend."
Processing her words, the daiyoukai slightly raised his head in response.
And eventually, he turned away from the conversation, stern golden eyes once more settling on the far distance between the trees overgrown with moss, to the general, secluded area he knew both the priestess and the boy were currently occupying.
"The choice shall be his to make." Sesshomaru concluded the discussion simply.
The gentle sounds of freshwater gliding over smooth pebbles reflected through the space all around them, bouncing off the trees surrounding them from every side as if forming a protective, organic barrier and allowing both Kikyo and Kohaku to drift into comfortable silence. In stillness, they sat on a large rock positioned on the edge of the river, each of them lost in their own set of private thoughts as the afternoon skies above slowly but surely kept track of their limited time, with the density of clouds only assisting the darkness in its inevitable and ultimate conquest.
"Just a bit more and we shall be done for today, Kohaku." Kikyo calmly voiced into the air, fair hands spread and hovering over the boy's nape as he sat before her, his dark brown eyes aimed at the flow of water beneath him.
"Yes." He confirmed simply.
The priestess inhaled deeply to the familiar lack of hesitance in his compliance, mahogany orbs fixed on her current duty and the steady waves of holy spiritual aura emanating from her palm, resonating with the Shikon Jewel shard embedded at the back of his neck and clearing it from all source of potential evil.
Somehow, Kikyo found that the purifying act in itself had better results than she expected.
However, the notion of the eventual goal for which one of them was currently striving loomed heavily over her shoulder, never failing to elicit a feeling of both regret and sadness inside her.
Maintaining her silence for another moment, the woman ultimately released her deep breath into the already cold air before her.
"How are you progressing with your training?" The words found their way out of her mouth guided by a will of their own, making Kikyo tilt her head slightly to the side at her own sudden and unexpected need for a small talk.
And hearing that, Kohaku merely raised his head slightly with definite surprise.
"I'm doing well, Kikyo-sama." He responded, eyes still set forward and his expression unknown, "I'm very lucky to have Sesshomaru-sama as my master... I appreciate his will to help me become stronger, very much."
Kikyo allowed herself a moment to take in his words.
"I see." She breathed, her gaze lifting to attempt and evaluate his hidden features despite her position, "And are you feeling more capable this way?"
The boy fell into sudden silence to that inquiry.
"I'm feeling less like a burden, Kikyo-sama." He corrected, his voice suddenly weighted by the meaning behind his words.
And the priestess did not require to see his face in order to estimate the kind of expression he was wearing.
"If he deemed you a burden at all, Kohaku, Sesshomaru would have never accepted you as a companion." She steadily reasoned, recalling that one night in which the daiyoukai had witnessed her own incapacity; the biggest issue shadowing her cursed and imbalanced existence, and yet did not pay it any special mind, instead choosing to focus on who she was rather than the condition which she regrettably possessed.
But her logic failed to properly reach him, and Kohaku only raised his head once more, shoulders easing to a certain kind of quiet and unnamed realization within him.
"I appreciate your worry as well, Kikyo-sama." He said, voice now clear from any telling emotion, "But my resolve hasn't changed. This is only a good preparation to promise that I'm not a liability to the group in the meantime."
Lips forming a thin line to his keen judgement of her actions, Kikyo kept her studying quiet.
Regardless of what she could possibly tell him, this boy sitting in front of her seemed to have already locked both his mind and his will behind the thickest of doors, away from anyone's reach and potential ability to alter his thinking...
And taking all that into realistic consideration, the priestess had to wonder as quietly as she could, if only to herself;
Was there even a point in denying Midoriko's specific instructions and coming up with an alternate way to end Naraku's existence when Kohaku himself was so invariably fixed on his own resolve, this way?
"Do you intend to use his life, after all?"
As if to force that thinking right out of her head, Sesshomaru's firm voice and testing words soon surfaced in her mind, rattling her being to the core and making Kikyo swallow harshly to the frightening realization which sunk deeply into her conscious;
It was so easy, so tempting, to relapse right back into old habits... into believing in a dangerous, extreme way of thinking that interfered with her ability to develop any sense of moderation and one which could grant her with a solution to her problems, but at a cost that was most likely heavier than truly required...
Was this not exactly what she was trying to avoid?
Was this not the precise challenge that she wanted to overcome?
And just like that, Kikyo suddenly found herself arriving at a different conclusion on the matter, an idea that she had not considered before;
Kohaku is tormented by the heavy guilt which he was currently carrying.
By purifying his Shikon Jewel fragment and making sure that Naraku would not be able to seize control of the boy's mind ever again, she was also inevitably cleansing his soul, healing his being along with his tainted spirit.
And that, perhaps, could potentially be enough to ultimately restore both the boy's faith and will to live, once more.
Eyes flashing with quiet intent, Kikyo anchored into her new plan.
But realizing that she was unquestionably choosing to place her momentous bets on something as fragile and baseless as hope this time, the priestess couldn't help but simply let out a quiet, amused breath to herself.
'Only the lengthy company of my current group members could have influenced me enough to evoke something that I was certain I had already carefully discarded, huh...' She mused, analysing her own decisions.
And still, something inside her was also just as sure that at the very least, it was all definitely worth a try.
Night engulfed the land with fairly expected ease, carrying with it a scent of a distant storm steadily approaching their area, the subtle hint of an odd reading masked well throughout the dense air prompting both Sesshomaru and Kikyo to remain alert, monitoring its movement carefully from afar and unbeknownst to most of their other companions.
However, the more time passed, the stronger the calling proved, and eventually the signals emanating from somewhere not even that far from their current position were undeniable, exposing not only Moryomaru's whereabouts but also Naraku's putrid and undeniable existence to them.
"Kikyo-sama, this feeling..." Kohaku approached the priestess standing outside of the campsite's boundaries, prompting her to turn her head halfway over her shoulder in response, meeting his troubled gaze.
Golden eyes flickered to their exchange, and Sesshomaru soon strode in their direction until he reached Kikyo's side, coming into an even stop next to her.
"The worm has finally made his move, huh." He determined, head raised upwards and vision narrowing to the mixed reading.
The night wind picked up through their area, cold prickling their faces and swaying through their grabs and hair, only further verifying the relevancy of the various scents and causing both Kikyo and Sesshomaru to cross their calm gazes together.
With that, their wordless, mutual decision was finally formed.
"Kohaku." Kikyo addressed firmly, turning her head to the boy and eyeing him for a moment in silence before resuming her order, "I want you to remain here."
Confusion immediately crossed his freckled features to her unexpected words, and the boy took an impulsive step forward as dark eyebrows lowered into a frown.
"But, Kikyo-sama..." He uttered, voice hesitant, "I have to –"
"You must stay." She cut him before he managed to voice his full disagreement, her expression composed to cold perfection before him, "That is the end of this discussion."
Hands clenched into tight fists at each of his sides as Kohaku's gaze lowered to the grassy earth beneath him, a single drop of sweat running down his temple and his features clear with silent frustration to her so easily revoking his will.
And watching his quiet turmoil like that for another long moment, Kikyo eventually released a deep breath, the harshness in her expression easing ever so slightly.
"I want to ensure Rin's safety, Kohaku." She explained down to him, causing the boy to blink with acknowledgement.
But her reason was still not enough to fully convince him.
"Then... how am I ever going to contribute this way, Kikyo-sama?" He asked with sadness, swallowing harshly.
In stillness, Kikyo resumed back into laboured silence to that honest wondering, the truth behind her current path of thinking rendering her words very limited as a result, and the more she refrained from answering, the heavier the atmosphere between them became, causing even Rin and Jaken to eventually notice what was currently unfolding around them and soon curiously step closer to the trio.
However, before the priestess could finally respond with words sufficient enough to calm Kohaku's troubled mind;
"We have not finished our training yet, Kohaku." Sesshomaru's inflexible assertion suddenly cut into the mutual silence, making the boy raise his head to the inu-daiyoukai, dark brown eyes wide with surprise, "Until I decide you are fully prepared for battle, you will stay put and refrain from engaging in any sort of impulsive behavior."
The taijiya fell silent to his words, jaw clenching to the intensity in Sesshomaru's sharp gaze, pinning him down with a directive so strict it sent a chill down his spine.
Yet despite that, he still remained quiet with passive reluctance.
"Why, you disrespectful child!" Jaken soon reprimanded with annoyance, "Confirm Sesshomaru-sama's command at once!"
And sighing heavily before them all, the boy simply lowered himself on one knee in front of both Sesshomaru and Kikyo, head hanged low with acceptance, at long last.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama, Kikyo-sama." He confirmed, removing any emotion which still roamed within him from his voice.
Neither soul present said anything for the longest time as the distant sounds of wild animals camouflaged in the depths of the forest circling their clearing reached their space and soon took over their lengthy silence.
And Kikyo merely sustained her unreadable features to the gesture.
The following, unpredictable words which were next released into the air, however, were enough to sent her eyebrows rising with surprise.
"Protecting your companions is a test of strength in itself." Sesshomaru steadily told the boy, making Kikyo glance up to him and notice his reluctant stare was already placed on her, soon shifting down in the taijiya's direction, "Make sure to remember that."
The priestess kept her amused gaze up at her unexpected companion as a small hint of a smile inevitably crept through her expression.
And Kikyo simply turned on her heel, a single fair hand rising upwards to perform the seal calling upon her Shinidamachu, concentrating on her current task for another moment before the long, eel-like creatures answered to her command, gliding elegantly through the air with their already forgotten and haunting whisper once more sending through the space above their heads.
With that, both the daiyoukai and the priestess shortly departed from the area each by their own means of private transportation, ascending to the obscured night sky and leaving the campsite and its residents behind for an undescribed portion of time.
Dark-clad feet met with the gravel ground beneath them as Sesshomaru gracefully landed on the outskirts of a certain human village, the scents emerging from its depths undeniable and triggering his gag reflex for various reasons combined as if specifically designed to spark sheer disgust deep within him.
Composing himself to cold perfection, however, he simply turned his head over his left shoulder, golden eyes locating Kikyo stepping closer to his side and immediately focusing on her fair features.
And the distinct way her mahogany orbs shone under the subdued light of the crescent moon above was enough to add to his secret displeasure.
'Inuyasha...' Kikyo raised her head slightly to the familiar sensation of the half-demon's unique aura emanating from inside the village, undeniable and fierce beyond the wooden structures scattered before her, his existence apparently being the final station of their current hunt.
But she only breathed deeply to the knowledge, quickly ridding both her heart and mind from any type of dangerous sentiment, altogether.
Lifting her eyes to Sesshomaru, Kikyo wore a look of cold intent on her face, nodding once as a silent agreement to her newly steeled focus.
Then, they both resumed their movement and stepped inside the village's boundaries, steadily making their way towards the potent and undeniable scent of Naraku in the area, along with a large beast of some kind, a powerful youkai that seemed to possess the feature merged within it for reasons still left unclear.
"Naraku's offspring, Moryomaru, seems to have somehow wormed his way into this youkai's body which is currently destroying this village." Kikyo determined, stern gaze still aimed forward.
Processing her words, Sesshomaru fixed his attention at the large amount of youki swirling in the sky above, luring them further inside the array of now broken wooden huts, wildfires eating at the tops of the structures and screams of battle heard in the not-so-far distance.
"Simply another cowardly ploy." He surmised back with indifference, golden eyes narrowing, "No different than his master's usual, pitiful acts of enticement."
"Yes, however..." The priestess continued, "For what reason does he need to possess this nameless youkai?"
Sesshomaru found her being from the corner of his eye, studying the woman's profile for another moment before setting his attention once more to their approaching destination.
"Whatever the vermin's plan is, we shall quickly put an end to it." He concluded.
And soon enough, they reached beyond the final residue of houses positioned before them and blocking their view, the grand middle of the village completely pummelled to the ground by the ongoing battle between the shelled monster above and none other than Inuyasha himself, the latter standing in the center of the field and appearing as full of intent as one can be, holding the sheathed Tessaiga in his hands while yelling something unintelligible up to his floating enemy.
"A meioju..." She breathed, eyebrows lowering into a frown at the odd coincidence.
Quickly assessing the situation now presented in front of her, Kikyo's gaze travelled the open space, locating Inuyasha's group members standing idly and watching the confrontation, along with an unrecognized youkai monitoring the occurrence from the side-lines, near the obscuring safety of a large tree;
One which neither of the group had seemed to notice, and that was unquestionably exuding Naraku's stench.
And needing no more than that single fact to drive his next actions, Sesshomaru immediately charged forward, using his unparalleled speed to land behind Naraku's agent and quickly send his sole clawed hand into the air, releasing a deadly attack in his direction.
But the unknown being managed to dodge the strike at the very last moment, jumping away from the source of current danger and descending safely on top of a higher, wooden structure.
Using the shifted attention followed by the large tree Sesshomaru had just severed, Kikyo nocked a single arrow to her ceremonial bow, taking a few steps forward and aiming it towards their agile enemy. She released a small breath, closing one eye shut and forming herself into perfect form as she aimed her attack with deadly precision, shortly releasing the holy arrow at him.
Brilliant spiritual energy shot through the air above their heads, lighting up the entire area like a fallen star as it hurriedly crossed the wide space and crashed into the edge of the elevated hut Naraku's servant was occupying, effortlessly blowing it up in the process and causing all eyes to shift to her spot, next.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha called, his eyes going wide to her sudden presence and he immediately whipped his head to the other existence which interrupted his current fight, "And Sesshomaru, huh?!"
Now floating in the air and awaiting the smoke to clear and dust in the air to settle, Sesshomaru ignored Inuyasha's yells completely.
Then, his frown only deepened into a scowl.
"Well, damn!" Naraku's offspring called from the roof of another wooden structure as several drops of sweat slid down his face, his eyes darting to Kikyo as she silently approached his location, "Do you people always try to kill someone so suddenly?"
"We could smell the scent of Naraku from you, that is all the reason we need." Sesshomaru answered dryly, presenting him with a bored expression.
But hearing that, the man simply wore an amused smile on his features.
Then, he jumped once more into the dense air, this time, landing closer to Kikyo.
"Heh... Sesshomaru and Kikyo, huh? I've heard a lot about you two." He put the pieces together, voicing his growing interest before them while positioning himself in a way that could grant him with both a clear view and a safe enough distance altogether, "My name is Byakuya; Byakuya of Illusions. it's a pleasure."
Calmly, the priestess placed another arrow into her bow, aiming her next attack up at his direction.
"What is Moryomaru planning? Speak." She demanded, mahogany eyes fierce.
But the sly smile never left the dark-haired man's face for even a moment, instead, he merely leaned forward to take a better look at the woman standing below him.
"Hmm... I can see why Naraku's so obsessed with you." He chuckled and raised his chin before her.
Hearing that, Sesshomaru reached for the hilt of Tokijin, drawing it out and lifting the large blade before him.
"Start talking." He hissed, form stiff and golden eyes glaring daggers.
Turning to him, however, Byakuya quickly raised both of his empty palms to the air.
"Hey now, I'd like to know what Moryomaru's planning, too." He admitted, casually sliding both of his arms into the wide sleeves of his garbs as way to diffuse the tension and prove his disinterest in fighting to them.
And with that odd and unpredictable fraction of knowledge reaching their ears, both the daiyoukai and the priestess exchanged looks for a single moment, then shifted their notice to the battle currently unfolding behind them, weapons slowly lowering from their intense exchange.
The two of them silently observed as Inuyasha fought against the meioju youkai bearing Moryomaru's scent, his hits rendered useless one after the other next to the impenetrable shell protecting his opponent's body. Left with no other choice, Inuyasha eventually summoned one of the unique powers he had managed to enhance his blade with, and once they witnessed the half-demon's sword engulfed with a brilliant, diamond-like surface, both of their visions narrowed as a new theory soared into their thought process.
With no time to waste, Inuyasha released his attack up at his enemy, sending countless diamond spears towards his opponent's being. However, the shell of the meioju was strong enough to effortlessly repel the strike, and every single one of his shards was propelled backwards, hurled at its source and nearly skewering the startled half-demon in the process.
Kikyo tensed on instinct to the frightening sight, swallowing harshly while the grip on her bow tightened.
Sesshomaru, however, was slightly more bothered by her subtle reaction as he studied the woman's momentary shift in body language from the corner of his eye.
Then, he simply inhaled the cold air deeply.
But the confirmation to their shared theory soon rang far louder in their minds than any other notion, and mahogany eventually met with gold once more as they silently confided in each other to the occurrence.
"Heh, remarkable." Naraku's offspring said with interest, "I've heard the meioju's shell is the hardest of all youkai and it really is true, isn't it..."
Ignoring him, both Sesshomaru and Kikyo remained sternly focused on the fight happening before them.
However, this fact hardly deterred the secret porpuse behind Byakuya's sudden small-talk;
"I have to admit, though, the two of you teaming up is truly far more interesting..."
A single eyebrow rose with irritation to his words, but Kikyo still did not bother to face him, prompting Naraku's offspring to continue testing the limit of their patience.
"...Considering the fact that you were once Inuyasha's woman, I mean."
With that, a deadly golden glare immediately sent over Sesshomaru's left shoulder to burn into the man standing on the rooftop behind him, threatening to destroy him all by itself.
But fully-aware of the likely intention behind that remark, Kikyo only turned in her companion's direction, shaking her head once at him.
"You can cease with your obvious attempts of provocation." The priestess addressed into the air, her words obvious as to whom they were directed to despite her stern vision remaining placed forward, "They will not work, this time."
But Byakuya simply broke into an amused chuckle in response.
"Provocation? No, no... merely genuine interest, you see." He nonchalantly corrected, voice laced with craftiness while his coloured lips still stretched into a wide smile, "Traveling now with the elder brother whom the half-demon despises so much... that must be very awkward, right?"
His loaded inquiry was left to hover in the space above their heads with none to answer it.
And just then, as if to specifically support his endeavour at that moment, the three of them witnessed the meioju pull back into its shell and deliver its long-ranged attack down at Inuyasha and his group members, several bolts of powerful jyaki crashing into the ground and used as a mere distraction to allow the beast a clear path in its attempt of smashing his enemy, altogether.
"He isn't doing so well, huh..." Byakuya commented, deliberately adding to the already tense atmosphere, "At this rate, the meioju might actually kill Inuyasha."
Hearing that, Kikyo turned on her heel with a swift motion, composed to cold perfection as she lifted her still nocked arrow up at Naraku's offspring and released her strike with frightening speed, the hit cutting through the air like a knife and successfully tearing through Byakuya's body.
But the pieces of his being soon dissipated into a blue flame, undeniably escaping death at the last second and leaving only a single, floating flower behind.
"Come now, I was only voicing my observations." His playful words echoed from somewhere unclear above both her and Sesshomaru, and once the smoke cleared, the dark-haired man appeared standing unscathed on a different rooftop, this time, positioned to their left, "There is no one to help the poor half-demon, after all."
"I suggest you worry about yourself, scum." Sesshomaru steadily hissed, cold golden eyes monitoring his being closely.
'It seems we cannot truly harm this individual...' Kikyo concluded with annoyance to herself, taking in a deep breath.
And precisely because of that, the daiyoukai's warning held little effect.
"Oh, but my concern for him is fairly justified." Byakuya answered, his hands once again reaching inside his sleeves for leisure comfort, "Since I'm not the one who was abandoned, you see."
Mahogany orbs narrowed to his choice of words as a feeling of heaviness washed over Kikyo's being, sourcing from her chest and eating through her limbs without her control. Stiff in her spot, slender fingers clenched into a tight fist, her mind stumbling into silent and unbearable discomfort to the concept.
She already knew that the last thing she possibly needed and especially then, was to accept this man's poisonous words into her head...
Yet, somehow and beyond her control, Kikyo couldn't help sense the meaning behind his claim resonating deep within her, seeping through open wounds that were still left unhealed, vulnerable and unfortunately so easy to access.
She did not abandon Inuyasha... she could never do something like that.
Her current lack of intervention was entirely understandable;
Sesshomaru is her companion.
She gave him her word.
Her attention shifted to the battlefield in front of her, watching as Inuyasha barely held his ground against his formidable foe now, struggling to even utilize a different set of new powers as those somehow turned on their wielder mid-attack, scorching his being while appearing too unbalanced and dangerous to operate, ultimately forcing him to switch back into his previous ability.
Noticing the woman's subdued change in mannerism with keen interest, Byakuya's line of vision moved to study the inu-daiyoukai, who was invariably fixed on her being, as well.
Then, Naraku's offspring simply released an amused, satisfied breath to the air before him.
And his eyes found the grand occurence yet again, watching as the meioju prepared for its final strike and pulled into its shell once more. With another array of energy bolts hurled into the ground below, he soon charged down with deadly speed, intending to pummel the half-demon with ease.
But against every prediction, the meioju suddenly exposed its vulnerable body to his enemy, taunting Inuyasha and daring him to send his diamond spears once more up at his direction.
The half-demon complied gladly, and his attack pierced through the flesh of the meioju, surprising everyone present in the area, all except for the human monk, who immediately darted forward to frantically shove Inuyasha out of the way, directing his kazaana up at the skewered demon now floating limply above them only for the seemingly dead beast to successfully avoid the sucking gust of wind and flee into the safety of the darkened sky.
"So, that was Moryomaru's plan all along, huh." Byakuya nodded and then found Kikyo's being once more, taking enjoyment in the look of worry and various conflicting emotions now so evident in her previously stoic and unreadable features, "He now managed to acquire Inuyasha's strongest attack."
"Not for long." Sesshomaru snarled, his moko-moko extending far beneath him as he quickly prepared for immediate chase.
But Byakuya only lowered his head with intent, the confident smile never leaving his features.
With no time or additional words to spare, Naraku's offspring dove at the unsuspecting Kikyo standing beneath him, clawed hand on the ready to rip through her existence with little effort.
But against his best calculations, the woman quickly regained her composure as her trained mind swiftly read through his expected attack, and she pulled out a single arrow from her quiver while aiming it straight at his head faster than he could even notice.
Just before she managed to release her deadly strike, however, Byakuya's entire being was viciously torn in half right before her very eyes, silver filling her vision and causing confusion to immediately cross her fair features to the sight of Sesshomaru landing gracefully before her, his scowl deep with pure anger.
Taking a single step backwards, Kikyo distanced herself from him in order to wrap her thoughts around what had just happened.
"Oh, please don't be mad." Byakuya's calm voice rang once more through the open space, yet his presence did not reappear before them, this time, "It's my job."
And with that accomplished act of distraction, the scent of both Moryomaru and Naraku was gone.
"Why did you do that?" Kikyo immediately inquired, lowering her bow back to her side as her eyes bore into her companion, "It was nothing but an obvious method to allow Moryomaru's clean escape, Sesshomaru."
The daiyoukai turned fully in the direction of the priestess, golden orbs fixed down at her and he only took a single, calm step closer before answering to her intense gaze.
"It matters little." Was all he said, his voice low.
Her eyes widened to his nonchalant answer, and Kikyo mirrored his actions, stepping forward as well, closer to his being.
"I am not in need of protection, Sesshomaru." She firmly told him, annoyance hinted in the way her gaze sharpened up at him, "There is no need for you to fight my battles for me."
Now towering over her form, Sesshomaru stared down at the woman through a poised expression, simply lifting his chin before her.
However, before he even managed to reply to that even-tempered and yet peerlessly strong assertion;
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha called, running towards them both and interrupting their charged exchange.
Broken from her thoughts, her eyes left Sesshomaru to evaluate the half-demon's battered being quickly landing before her.
And stern, fair features eased with relief and worry altogether.
"Inuyasha..." She uttered his name throughout a breath dragging far after the words had left her lips, "You're safe."
The rest of his companions followed shortly, reaching their location and coming into a calculated, full stop slightly behind the half-demon, all looks fixed on both the daiyoukai and the priestess, some of them undeniably relieved that a certain young taijiya was not forced to attend the specific occasion.
"I'm fine." Inuyasha claimed, raising his burned hand to wipe away the blood still staining his face from his own strike reflecting back at him, "What about you? I saw that damn fuckin' Byakuya tryin' to kill you."
Kikyo shook her head, exhaling deeply.
"It was of no real issue." She stately promised him, her voice still carrying traces of impatience in it, "More importantly, we must try to locate Moryomaru's whereabouts, now."
"That is correct." Miroku stepped forward, dark eyebrows lowered with intent, "We must not waste any time here, Inuyasha."
The half-demon clicked his tongue with irritation to his companion's unnecessary subtle clue weaved carefully into his advice, and he simply turned on his heel, facing away from the priestess.
"I'll be okay, so make sure you stay safe too, Kikyo." Inuyasha said, both of his hands clenching into tight fists, "We got no clue what that bastard Moryomaru's plannin' now."
"He shall use the attack you so gladly presented to him, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru soon interrupted, words as sharp as a blade and causing his half-brother to tense, "That much you can expect."
Inuyasha turned his head over his shoulder to glare up at him in response, but his rage surprisingly simmered down, and instead of lashing out at Sesshomaru in his usual fashion, he only turned away and exhaled deeply.
"Yeah... I fucked up, alright?" He reluctantly spat, his shoulders dropping to the bitter realization, "So knowing that, be fuckin' careful, ya understand me?"
Blinking to his surprising self-reflection of his own mistake, Kikyo stared at him as he soon resumed his movement and stepped away from the scene, preparing for chase along with all of his teammates.
Then, the priestess raised her eyes to Sesshomaru, mahogany once again colliding with his molten gold.
They stared at each other for a few moments in silence like that, the words still left unsaid charging their quiet exchange again with little effort as those somehow fixed them in their place, in that specific instant, in that odd notion which still remained unravelled and unsolved from before.
But gazing into Sesshomaru's patient pools of gold through a now calm expression, Kikyo only released a small breath, feeling her previous discomfort lessen significantly as she simply resolved to shove her mild confusion aside, for now.
And once the daiyoukai could decipher the waves of her spiritual aura enough to know the woman had finally composed her mind as he knew she eventually would, his expression eased with an undeniable indication of quiet solace, relief washing over him to her mutual, true understanding of the larger issue at hand, here.
"Let us give chase." Sesshomaru told her, head lowered while preserving her keen eye-contact with his newly set purpose.
A/N:
Can you sense it? The angst is approaching. ^_^