To "Guest" who recently reviewed: I'm sorry, but Rin won't be in the story...
Chapter 37:
Jaken felt his soul almost separate from him as he saw Arisa get kidnapped by Kagura.
"A-Arisa…!"
He immediately ordered his feet and rushed over to the spot where Sesshomaru had left them, hoping that he would already be there. As soon as the place was in view, a wave of relief rushed over him. His master was there, sitting beside Ah-un, waiting for them.
"Sesshomaru-sama…!"
Jaken called out when he finally reached the place.
"Where have you been? Where is Arisa?" he quickly asked, not ignoring Jaken's troubled demeanor this time.
"Milord…about that…!"
"Spill it." He said, his tone a little tense.
"Arisa was abducted by Kagura…!"
His brows knitted, and went silent for a while; which scared Jaken.
"I'm very sorry, Sesshomaru-sama! Please, please forgive me!" Jaken reasoned as he deeply bowed down.
He was trembling as he waited for Sesshomaru to punch him or anything, but instead, he heard him whirl around. He looked up quickly, and saw him already on walking away.
"W-wait for me, Sesshomaru-sama!"
While on their way to where Naraku was, one of his puppets gave an advanced greeting.
"Sesshomaru."
He only stared at him impassively, waiting for whatever he was about to spat.
"If you wish to see Arisa unharmed, you must kill Inuyasha."
But, he ignored his request and instead, ripped the baboon figure right away using his poison claws.
"Do not regard me as the simpleton that you are, Naraku." He mumbled lowly as he resumed his hunt for him.
Arisa. Be safe and wait for me until I kill Naraku.
Kagura placed Arisa in a secluded house, and tied both of her hands and feet with a metal rope, so she wouldn't dare to escape.
"Kohaku. I believe Naraku told you to watch over this woman?" She ordered the young boy who was inside the house.
"Yes."
Arisa struggled, trying to break free.
"Let me go…!"
"You just stay there and be quiet." Kagura simply told her before leaving right away.
Arisa looked at the young boy who sat at the corner, his arm resting on top of his knee. He had a stolid expression.
"What is your name again…?" she asked, with the intentions of befriending him.
The boy looked back at her vacantly. "Kohaku."
"Kohaku…as in…Sango's little brother!?"
For a second, Kohaku's eyes glistened, but they went back to being vacant again.
"I do not know who Sango is."
She remembered how Sango once mentioned that Kohaku was being used by Naraku for his evil methods.
"Kohaku, you have to snap out of it…!"
He ignored Arisa, and instead looked at the weapon he was holding - his demon-slaying scythe.
"Please…do not let Naraku play with you soul!"
Just then, Sango and Kirara barged inside, which stunned Kohaku and made him stand up immediately.
"Sango…!" Arisa voiced out, calling her attention, and Sango was bewildered to see Arisa there, tied up.
"Arisa-chan? But why are you here?" Sango asked as she quickly went to her side and carefully untied the metal ropes on her hands and feet.
"Thank you. Naraku ordered Kagura to kidnap me, but I don't know what he's planning with this. He had Kohaku guard me, though he seems to not remember you." Arisa replied, stretching both of his arms and legs, stiff from being tied for quite some time.
Sango sadly looked at Kohaku, and Arisa gestured her to approach him. Sango did, and to her relief, Kohaku did not shove her away. Somehow, Kohaku had recognized her, as he let her sit beside him, and they both had a warm conversation.
As Arisa let Sango and Kohaku bond with each other, she took a peek outside, and saw a lot of demons floating around. She sensed their auras, and half of them emitted lighter ones, and the others emitted dark ones, but not the same as Naraku's.
They are all mixed up…
Meanwhile at Naraku's castle, Inuyasha managed to cut his barrier, and went inside. Naraku sensed that, and ordered Kagura to take care of him. Kagura hesitantly followed his command and went out to seek Inuyasha. At the same time, Sesshomaru reached his place and was able to track Naraku before Inuyasha did.
Naraku let out a menacing smile as he saw Sesshomaru step into his courtyard.
"It seems like you don't really care what happens to that woman."
"Talking with you is a waste of time." He commented, ignoring what he just said earlier and started attacking him. Naraku began releasing his demonic tentacles and one by one, they launched at Sesshomaru, but he dodged them with ease.
Kagura saw Inuyasha getting near Naraku's castle, and that was what she wanted. She was just about to watch him go from afar, but saimyosho suddenly appeared behind her, acting as Naraku's eyes.
Damn it all…
Because of the insects' presence, she had to make it look like she was attacking Inuyasha; therefore she sent blades of wind towards him. The half-dog demon sensed them coming, and he evaded them.
"Kagura…! Get out of my way! I don't have time to play with you." He complained loudly.
"So do I."
Kagura continued to attack him with her blade winds, but this time, she was missing out on purpose. Inuyasha seemed to see through her act, and so he continued on his way to Naraku's courtyard, while avoiding her blades.
Go, Inuyasha. Set me free.
Naraku felt Inuyasha's presence drawing closer, and gritted his teeth.
Damn that Kagura…! I told her to fend him off…!
Naraku decided to end his fight with Sesshomaru; so he suddenly expanded his power. Sesshomaru, who was now getting mad at his slow and wimpy attacks, smirked.
"You are finally getting serious, Naraku."
Naraku laughed maliciously as he attacked him with multiple tendencies. At first, Sesshomaru was effortlessly dodging them, but soon, he got a bit preoccupied by the never-ending attacks, and his worry over Arisa's safety surfaced; catching him off-guard. Jaken, who was observing their fight the whole time from a corner, watched helplessly as his master was being engulfed by Naraku's tentacles.
"I am going to absorb your demonic power."
Naraku commented with confidence as he continued to consume him. Sesshomaru was silent, but he was scowling at him.
"Sesshomaru-sama…!" Jaken cried out worriedly.
But before Naraku could execute his absorption plan, Inuyasha exploded at his courtyard, and made a grand entrance by attacking Naraku with his Wind Scar. He attempted to repel by putting up his barrier; but to his surprise, Inuyasha's attack was able to cut through. Though he managed to evade the full blow, a part of him was still affected.
This time, Jaken was happy to have Inuyasha at the scene.
"Please save Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken immediately informed as soon as Inuyasha landed on the ground.
"What!? Sesshomaru is here? Where?"
"He's in that disgusting demon cocoon…!"
"How long has he been there?"
"It has been quite some time already…"
Inuyasha looked abruptly at the demonic cocoon Jaken was talking about, and for a moment, he felt worried about his brother's situation.
He went straight and started lashing his sword towards it, hoping that he would be able to let Sesshomaru escape.
"Oy, Sesshomaru! Don't tell me you are falling for this bastard's tricks!" he shouted as he continued to stab the cocoon many times.
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