Sesshōmaru had followed the scent of that woman's blood directly to them.

It was irritating, he supposed, that he found himself coming to her rescue yet again. She was destined to die tonight. The blood red moon hanging high in the sky was an omen of that, and the pools of blood that spilled where she stood, the crimson liquid illuminating her sickly pale form, merely confirmed it. Its stench was overwhelming- and quite frankly it disgusted him.

This woman… did she hold no value for her own life? Or was she determined to die in a way she could choose, rather than letting death take her on its own terms? Perhaps her lack of concern stemmed from the fact that she knew of her upcoming death.

She knew it was inevitable.

He could smell it on her- the flickering embers of life starting to fade away. Her body had been screaming at her, the woman bleeding profusely from each and every wound she had sustained, and yet she simply continued to pull little Rin by the hand to approach him, acting as though she were not in any pain. Sesshōmaru knew, from what little experience he had from the few times he's interacted with her, that although she wore that demon slayer's mask and was literally dying where she stood, she was smiling at him.

Why she did so, he still did not quite understand.

Regardless, it just convinced Sesshōmaru that she was indeed a foolish priestess, and even more so a foolish human woman.

She was going to die.

There was absolutely nothing for her to smile about. She escaped, but at what cost? That woman had merely cut what little life she had left short. It was a feat in and of itself that she had managed to rescue and protect Rin the way she had, nonetheless fend off their persistent attacker. Clearly, the spirits she used were indeed quite powerful. It was no wonder why Naraku and Anastasia seemed to covet them so. Her abilities as a priestess were commendable, more so than he had previously believed, but her frail body was too broken to keep up.

Death would be a mercy, putting her out of the constant misery she's in.

And yet… despite Sesshōmaru's better judgment, he gave Rin the order to take that pathetic foreigner with her to Ah-Un. His steed would carry them both away far from this castle, and settle down in the thick forest somewhere safe where the demon lord could find them later. He did not know if Irene would survive the journey there- he doubted it, given the state she was in when he arrived- but it was not as if she would be dead for very long.

There was something incredibly irritating about the scent of her blood and how thickly it pooled. The amount of it spilled on the ground and on her person, covering her head-to-toe and to where her natural scent was hard to detect. The scent of someone that wasn't supposed to be here and yet was. The scent of something pleasant and calming, like the smell of petrichor after rain. For being so blatantly human, Sesshōmaru did not mind her scent.

But the smell of her blood, on the hand… it disgusted him.

Irene was an enigma, there is no doubt about that. She was a strange but curious mortal, who hailed from another time and wielded magic unlike that of which he's seen before. She was still a human, though, and a weak one at that. One that could barely manage to protect herself, nonetheless a small human child. She was in need of protection, and he is not the kind of lord to turn a blind eye to one who shows such loyalty.

Infuriating though it was, she had earned his favor.

Just as Jaken and Rin had done beforehand, so too has Irene earned a place by his side. Due to her ability to communicate with spirits, she has a strange and unspeakable connection to tenseiga- one that irked Sesshōmaru, if only slightly, as he, the owner of the sword, could not comprehend it's intentions. But it hardly mattered. The curiosity over her connection to the tenseiga and to spirits would mean nothing to him, if she had not already shown him the loyalty and honesty he deserved for having once saved her life.

As a great dog demon, loyalty was naturally something he strongly valued. If you have proven yourself and shown him your loyalty, you may just be rewarded. Whether that reward is to be left with your life intact or the honor of his protection, is left to be decided by him when that time came.

Honesty, however, was something he merely preferred.

And Irene was very honest- so honest she would speak her mind, despite the fear radiating from her small, fragile form, and she would babble away whatever she was thinking to rid herself of her nerves. She dared place a bouquet in his armor, utterly terrified, before genuinely attempting to compliment him. She was incredibly audacious for a mortal.

No more audacious than Rin, perhaps, who poured water on his face when they first met, or Jaken, who more often than not had too loose of a tongue.

But an audaciously honest yet loyal creature was far more preferable to Sesshōmaru, than those that would lie and cheat their way through life. The demon lord would much rather deal with a sharp-tongued, incomparably rude piece of vermin that spoke their mind, rather than one that bothered to try and hide their true yet very obvious intentions. It was a waste of time, and he tires of such pointless mind games.

Irene, for her actions- from the day they met to now, despite being nothing more than a weak mortal- has earned his respect.

She has earned a second chance at life.

And tenseiga must have known this, far before he had made his decision, for the dull blade sheathed at his hip was completely silent. It was simply waiting to be used now, waiting for Sesshōmaru to finish off Naraku and find the mortal woman who gave her life to rescue his ward.

That pathetic human priestess that only knew how to smile…

He'll reward her with the gift of survival.

She'll be grateful to him, he knows, as that's all she ever has been towards him, and then that disgusting stench of her blood will be gone. She'll smile, just as she always does, but this time there will be color in her skin and a light in her eyes, and he won't have to stomach the sickening reek of her body being in such extreme pain. It was rather impressive, seeing her cling to life despite how much it hurt for her to so much as breathe. Humans were truly such strange creatures.

Or perhaps… it was merely her.

After all, this boy Sesshōmaru was currently holding up by the throat wasn't even reacting to the massive threat that was the great and powerful demon lord. He had lifted the child up by the throat, the boy's legs dangling lifelessly in the air below him, for daring to attack his ward and the priestess, and for daring to point his blade towards him, and yet there was not a single reaction.

Sesshōmaru was taking this time to consider whether he should crush his throat or sever his head from his neck, and the boy was just dangling without struggle- almost as if he were determined to die by his hand.

What did that woman say his name was? Kohaku? He didn't understand why she dismissed so easily the fact that he was the one who had wounded her so terribly. Her begging for the demon lord to spare the boy's life was senseless. Was it because she was soft-hearted?

She bound his movement rather than attacking him. Even in the midst of a battle, she chose to show him mercy.

Ridiculous.

Humans are such weak creatures, feeling pity for those they shouldn't. Child or no, Kohaku had been determined to kill her before her life could naturally fade away. She should want him dead.

"Let's get one thing straight, Sesshōmaru!" Inuyasha growled, pointing tetsusaiga at the demon lord. "I'll kill you if you don't let him go!" Even his half-brother, despite seeing all the damage that had been done to his friend, wanted to keep the Kohaku alive. "Set the boy down!"

Ignoring the threat and the pleading of Inuyasha's friends to release Kohaku, Sesshōmaru tightened his grip around the boy's neck- testing and waiting to see a reaction. Yet, for some strange reason, the boy did not so much as flinch. His expression was completely blank. He showed no sign of suffering. He showed no sign of fear. He didn't even struggle. His eyes were as dead and lifeless as a corpse… as if he were merely some sort of puppet and had no will of his own.

Sesshōmaru despised that look in his eyes.

So, without further adieu, he released him- letting the boy fall to the ground. Inuyasha and his friends gasped, startled by the uncharacteristic act of mercy, and Sango stepped forward, a hand curled to her chest as she gazed at the younger boy in concern. "K-Kohaku…? Can you hear me?"

The boy seemed to pause at that.

But when the woman tried to move closer, he leapt onto his feet and ran away- deep into the castle. Inuyasha turned to focus his glare on Sesshōmaru, gripping tetsusaiga in preparation to use it if need be. "Aren't you going after him?" He hissed, voice dripping with venom. The smell of his friend's blood had set him on edge, but she was out of sight. As such, his focus had to be on the boy.

"Sango-" Miroku began, turning to look at her, but the demon slayer was already running, Kirara by her side. "Don't go alone! Wait for me!"

"Kohaku, don't go! Please!"

Kagome watched them run away, before turning to look at Sesshōmaru. Furrowing her brows, she shook her head and smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Sesshōmaru. Thanks for letting Kohaku go."

"...That boy was trying to die at my hand." The demon lord coldly replied. "It was Naraku's doing, and I refuse to play by his rules."

"Irene…" A voice murmured.

Sesshōmaru glanced over his shoulder, noticing the scent of the woman was similar to that of the priestess. Kohaku and that demon slayer shared similar scents, as well. Siblings. He's seen this woman once before, as well, back when he had to deal with the panther demons. This was Maria. He watched as the auburn-haired foreigner approached, her freckled face pale and contorted with rage and fear. It was the complete opposite of the ever-smiling priestess.

In Maria's hand sat a katana, and she pointed it at him without hesitation. "Where is Irene!?" She demanded in choppy Japanese. "What typing of demon was it that was taking her away!? She is not dead!"

"...Not yet." Sesshōmaru responded coolly.

"Why you-!"

"Maria!" Inuyasha hissed, holding an arm out to stop the woman from trying to attack him. "Back off. Irene is… Irene is gonna be fine. She can heal herself with the Shikigami, remember? She's fine!"

He said that, and yet it was clear he was trying to convince himself of that more than he was her. The scent of his friend's blood was everywhere, and the sight of the liquid pools of red were obvious for all to see. It was impossible for the half-demon to ignore. Kohaku's life being threatened was just barely enough to stop him from chasing after the direction she had left, and now he was facing the demon lord, perceiving him as the biggest current threat. He clearly felt he had to protect his friends from Sesshōmaru.

Shippō was already choking up, unable to tear his misty eyes away from the bloody footprints that littered the ground. "I-Irene's lost a lot of blood… too much blood. Inuyasha, I-I don't- what if Irene isn't-"

"I said she'll be fine!" The half-demon snapped, ears twitching and shoulders tensing as he became even more on edge. "It's just a little blood!"

"Irene…" Maria's hands shook as she gripped the handle of her blade with both hands. Her hazel eyes were glaring daggers at Sesshōmaru. "You saved her before… so why are you taking her away now!? Where is she!?"

This woman…

She's persistent. What a nuisance. It wasn't as if he saved her sister from the panther demons because he desired to. He simply needed to break the barrier, and she was the only one capable of doing so at the time. It was a means to an end.

Closing his eyes, Sesshōmaru took in a breath and then turned away. "Leave now, all of you. Naraku is mine to deal with. You'll just get in the way."

"Where is Irene!?"

"I will not repeat myself."

Maria let out a low growl, taking a step forward, and glared at Inuyasha when he pushed her back again. Arm held out, but one hand on the grip of tetsusaiga, Inuyasha focused his golden glare on the demon lord. "Sesshōmaru… how did you even find this place? Where did your dragon take Irene!? Who was that human kid with her!?"

"That does not concern you." Sesshōmaru responded, ignoring their demanding stares as he proceeded to step forward, making his way towards the castle entrance. "Take your pathetic friends and go after that mortal boy. Naraku is mine."

"Damn you…!"

"W-Wait, Sesshōmaru!" Kagome called over Inuyasha's swearing, trying to get the demon lord's attention. She ran a few steps towards him, but Sesshōmaru did not stop. "Please! That dragon- you didn't come here to save Irene, did you!?"

Finally, the demon came to a halt. If Kagome was any weaker, she would have flinched at the icy glare she had received in response to her words. Yet, instead of saying anything, Sesshōmaru merely turned away and continued to walk- disappearing into the darkness with Jaken following obediently behind him. There was no point in continuing such a pointless conversation, and he did not feel like honoring such a ridiculous question with a response.

Kagome cradled a hand close to her chest, confused and very concerned by all that just occurred. She looked down at an equally lost Shippō, who was standing near a puddle of Irene's blood with worry in his eyes. "That… wasn't exactly a no, was it…?"

Maria wasn't sure.

The more she sees of this demon lord, the less sense his actions make to her. She didn't really know much about him to begin with, except that he fought in a war with the panther demons fifty years ago to protect his father's lands, and was apparently both an older brother and an enemy to Inuyasha. But despite that, he had saved Irene.

And it wasn't the first time either, if everyone's words were to be believed.

Irene- she had a way of befriending even the most violent and angry of people. If Sesshōmaru truly came here to save Irene, then chances are she's already worked her way into his good graces. It would be just like her, too. As frustrating and painful as it was to not have her in her sights, that dragon must have been brought here by Sesshōmaru to carry Irene to safety.

This demon lord person… can Maria really trust him to help her little sister?

Naraku wasn't expecting the priestess to perform so admirably against his human puppet and the demons he had guarding the castle. She was pathetic and sickly, and on the verge of death itself. By no means should she have been able to fight as well as she did. She should have been the perfect captive, collapsed on the ground with just enough life left in her that Anastasia would be able to absorb her soul.

Yes… just like when that man allowed his soul to be devoured, and became the creature that is now known as Naraku. Pathetic and weak, and unable to move. Irene could hardly do anything without the help of Inuyasha and his friends, and after being mistakenly taken by Kagura and exposed to the miasma in this castle she should be even more helpless.

And yet… she had fooled Naraku.

She wore that mask and stood just a few feet away from him, and had the audacity to lie to his face. The very memory made the artificial half-demon let out a bemused chuckle, his fingers curling across his lips as his red eyes flashed. Such a brave little mortal she was.

Does she know no fear?

No… that's not it. She knows fear too well.

She wouldn't have dared to escape with Rin otherwise.

Things have gotten quite interesting. It was annoying, though, how he had lost both hostages at once. Kohaku was losing his touch.

Perhaps Naraku should spare himself the trouble and absorb Irene before Anastasia can even lay a finger on her? He cared not for the flesh of a mortal, but those Shikigami powers… those were something worth having. He was already planning on taking Anastasia's power for his own once she got what she wanted with the girl, so it would be two birds with one stone, but Irene was starting to become an unwelcome obstacle.

If things kept up like this, he might have to change his plans and devour the two women a bit early. After all, Irene escaping with Rin meant that he can't even use the little girl as a diversion in case things with Sesshōmaru went south. He'll have to think of something else.

But what…?

Why did Sesshōmaru even allow that woman to escape alongside the girl?

It was most unlike him. In fact, even having a human at side was unlike him. He hated mortals more than anyone.

Something was going on with him, and Naraku intended to find out what. He knew they met before in the castle town where he killed all those samurai and cast a spell on them to animate their corpses, cursing their souls, but he didn't realize that there was something more between them. Irene was a mortal, nay- a priestess, which are two of the things Sesshōmaru hates most.

He would not burden himself with her presence without good reason.

Unless…?

Oh.

Oh, now that would be interesting, wouldn't it? Assuming it's true, of course. A cruel smirk splayed across his lips, his dark lashes flickering beneath blue eyeshadow. To think that even a cold-hearted demon like Sesshōmaru could grow soft for a human- it made Naraku laugh. For all he claimed and did, disowning his half-brother and attempting multiple times to claim his life, and mocking the disgrace that was their father's death, it seemed Sesshōmaru was no better than either of them.

And that meant he had a weakness that could be exploited.

One he will surely never admit to having.

Naraku's crimson eyes glimmered with amusement as he called out to the empty half of the room. "Kagura!"

IIn a gust of wind the sorceress was there, landing and kneeling on the floor with practiced grace. Her fan was closed and held across her lap, the hate for him in her matching crimson eyes directed towards the ground. "You called?"

"I'm going to have Kohaku play run-around with the demon slayer and monk." He informed her, not moving from his spot on the comfortable futon. One arm draped lazily over a knee, he looked at the female incarnation. "I want you… to follow Irene and that child, Rin. They can't have gone too far, and I'm certain the priestess left quite the blood trail. You may bring a few demons with you to track their scent, if you must."

They're all disposable pawns, anyhow.

"When you find them… well, I'm sure you know what to do."

Kagura blinked at the order, then let out a small gasp and looked up, her eyes wide. "You don't mean-"

"You know exactly what I mean." Naraku stated, smiling cruelly at her. "Should Sesshōmaru fail to do as I wish, I want you to kill those mortal girls. If Irene is already dead? Then mangle her body, so terribly not even the tenseiga can revive her."

"I…" The demoness faltered, tearing her gaze away from her creator as the understanding of the consequences that would follow if she obeyed his command came crashing down on her.

If Kagura did such a thing, then there would be no way she could use Sesshōmaru as a means to defeat Naraku. If she killed his ward, or made it so Irene could not be revived- then there would be no hope for freedom at all. Inuyasha and his friends would come to claim her life. The only consolation, then, would be the very thing that she despised, and that was that her heart was quite literally in Naraku's hands.

"I… understand." Her throat felt tight as she said those words, a sense of dread pooling grossly in her stomach.

Kagura did not care for Irene. In fact, she could even say she despised her. After the way she had burned her face, it was a miracle Kagura had ever healed back to normal at all. Even more to the point, Irene was able to be close to the demon lord in a way Kagura couldn't be.

When she saw Irene in that melon field with Rin, an anger stirred up in her.

A raging wind of jealousy, as it meant that Sesshōmaru had let Irene stay. That mortal girl was free to do as she pleased, could see the demon lord as she pleased, and he accepted her presence. Meanwhile, Kagura was still trapped- and her every move was monitored. She could only admire Sesshōmaru from afar. She could only try to bribe him to destroy Naraku for her, and yet he turned away any and all offers, telling her to kill Naraku herself.

It was so frustrating.

But… Irene also has a unique power, one that… can break barriers. It could be useful against Naraku. Unfortunately, she's most likely already dead. Anastasia won't be getting her soul. Kagura can't use either priestess now. But if Sesshōmaru decided to revive Irene, then… she may still have a chance.

Kagura doesn't care whether Irene lives or dies, but she does have some usefulness to her, and she knows that if she prevents her from surviving then she would have not only Inuyasha and his friends after her, but mostly likely Sesshōmaru as well. The last person Kagura wanted to cross was the demon lord.

Naraku seemed to know this.

Of course he knows it. That's why he's giving her the order. Gritting her teeth, it took all the demoness had to keep her expression neutral, the woman flicking the fan open and holding it over the lower half of her face as she slowly stood. Such a cruel bastard.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath- then leveled Naraku's stare with her own.

"And what of Anatasia?" Kagura asked. "She's already managed to return to the castle. She even brought guests."

Naraku let out a low chuckle. "I'm aware." As if to prove his point, the buzzing of the Saimyōshō could be heard. The bugs were floating just outside the glowing violet window of his room. Turning his head away, Naraku looked down- a small smirk forming on his pale face. "I believe it's due to she that Inuyasha's mortal friends are able to breathe in this airless miasma. She must have given them barrier stones after leading them here.'

"And?" Kagura snapped her fan shut, tapping it against her chin. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want to do about it?"

"...Nothing." He said. That startled her. "I will allow her to do as she pleases. It may just prove interesting."

"...You're a sick man." Kagura told him after a moment of silence, before reaching a hand to her hair bun and pulling out a moth feather that was pinned in it. Holding it up in the air, there was a gust of wind and then she was gone, flying away by slicing a hole in the ceiling with her dance of blades.

As debris fell to the ground, Naraku started to chuckle again, but then his chuckle turned into a laugh, and the artificial half-demon finally moved, leaning forward and resting a palm to the ground beneath him, turning to look at the doorway where a figure began to approach. A large grin spreading across his crazed features, Naraku's red eyes flashed dangerously.

"It's about time you got here. I'm honored that you came to visit me…"

From the shadows, emerged a man with long silver-hair and cold amber eyes.

"...Lord Sesshōmaru."

Sesshōmaru was growing tired of these games.

He was especially growing tired of seeing such a creature leer at him, as if he had already won against him. Amber eyes burned into Naraku like molten gold, filled with barely restrained fury and disgust. "You're a righteous fool, Naraku. Did you truly abduct Rin and Irene as a means to try and lure me here?"

"Well," Naraku mused, leaning back in his seat, "if I sent you an invitation, I doubt you would have come."

"Naraku…" Sesshōmaru began, his cold gaze hardening even further into an icy glare. "Do me the honor of at least recognizing that I am not here simply to save a pair of humans." Jaken, who had been following closely behind, blinked at those words and looked up at the demon lord, quite surprised by the declaration. "Did you truly believe that taking them as your hostages would work against me? I knew you'd be here, so I came. That is all. Your idiocy astounds me.""

"Oh, but of course." Naraku said, not bothering to hide his amused grin. The insults went completely ignored. "You of all people seem to despise taking orders from others. You will not kill Inuyasha when told to do so… nor did you come here to look for those girls." He then paused, most certainly for dramatic effect. "I realize…"

His crimson gaze flitted over to meet Sesshōmaru's golden one.

"...that you are here to kill me."

Sesshōmaru let out a small hum, a small smirk curling upon the silver-haired demon lord's lips. Naraku truly was a fool. "You sound as if you believe you've led me into your trap."

The artificial half-demon said nothing, merely staring up at him unbothered. Curiosity began to slither its way into his eyes, however. "I must admit… I didn't think you would concern yourself with that mortal priestess, Sesshōmaru. That child was surprising enough, and yet… heh."

Naraku shook his head, thick black locks of curly hair spilling over his shoulders in waves and framing his face. His twisted grin broadened, and as he smiled at the demon lord his crimson eyes fluttered with ill intent.

"You have so much pride. You can't allow someone to get away with taking something that belongs to you. I knew you wouldn't stand back and let it happen, but to help that priestess escape?" A laugh pulled its way out of his throat, and Naraku raised a brow, his clawed fingers curling over his smiling lips. "Lord Sesshōmaru, I'm starting to think you've gone soft. Don't tell me you've fallen for that pathetic human woman?"

"What are you talking about?" The demon lord demanded, flexing his fingers as he raised a hand into the air, ready to tear into Naraku's abominable flesh. Every word out of that creature's mouth was utter nonsense. "Perhaps later I'll have you explain yourself…"

His bones crackled as his claws glinted in the ominous light, his amber eyes seeming just a bit brighter than usual, blue lining the black of his pupils.

"If you should survive the night, that is."

The blood red moon was still high in the sky. That means that the demon lord has plenty of time to rip this abomination limb from limb, in retribution of the betrayal he set upon him by burning his flesh with that wretched arm he once gave him, and as payback for the many insults set upon him since. This night, especially.

Abducting Rin? Insinuating that he, Sesshōmaru, held feelings for Irene? It was already an insult to his intelligence by acting as though Sesshōmaru had fallen into whatever trap he had laid, but to say to his face or even think for a moment that he was in love with a mere mortal?

Sesshōmaru wasn't going to just kill Naraku now. No, that would be too merciful. He's going to make him suffer.

He was Sesshōmaru, the eldest and most powerful son of the great dog demon general, Tōga. He was not so weak as to be trifled with feelings of attachment or burdened by such pathetic emotions as love. Loving a human is what caused his father's miserable death, and loving a human is what caused his already pathetic half-brother to be sealed to a tree in an endless sleep for fifty years. Sesshōmaru was unlike either of them, and he despised being told that he was.

Unlike his father and half-brother, Sesshōmaru's heart wasn't weak.

He didn't come here to save Rin or Irene. That was not his ultimate goal. He came here to kill Naraku, knowing that was why they were abducted. The artificial half-demon had used them to lure him here, and knowing he was scheming something Sesshōmaru did as expected. He wasn't so pathetic as to be affected by something such as the humans under his care being taken or used against him.

If anything, he merely found it to be a nuisance.

The smell of Irene's blood was disgusting. Even now, it seemed to overpower the heavy miasma surrounding the castle. It burned his senses, the scent so strong he could almost taste it on his tongue.

She was a dying woman, and was surely dead now with those wounds and that sickly body of hers. She gave everything she had to protect Rin- to the point where she couldn't even feel the extreme pain her body was in. She just smiled at Sesshōmaru through the mask, brown eyes sparkling as bright and foolishly as ever despite how quickly the life was fading from her warm gaze.

Naraku…

He really believed he would fall for a human woman like that? The audacity of this creature grows day by day.

"Die!" Sesshōmaru lunged with his claws.

Naraku was quick to leap out of the way, hideous muddy brown claw-like legs appearing out from beneath his attire- soon followed by gross green tentacles as he avoided the attack, the excess body taking up the room even as the floor became destroyed by Sesshomaru's claws, the demon's arm tearing halfway into the floorboards as he looked up at Naraku with a glare. The artificial half-demon only grew larger, tearing the castle room and the clothes he was wearing to shreds, and Sesshōmaru wasted no time in avoiding the fallen debris.

Jumping onto a rooftop through the new hole in the ceiling, he watched as Naraku coiled his way outside the building, the bottom half of his body completely transformed. Jaken let out a screech, narrowly escaping getting crushed by wooden beams and bits of wall. "M-M'lord! Wah!"

Sesshōmaru didn't cast him a second glance, keeping his amber gaze rooted on Naraku as he leapt down to the ground, joining him outside in the courtyard and facing him properly once more. Jaken took that chance to scramble over and hide behind the demon lord, Naraku rising to a remarkable height as bits and pieces of amalgamated demon limbs continued to erupt out of his body.

"What's he become!?" Jaken exclaimed, utterly horrified by the abomination.

Sesshōmaru was unimpressed. "A collection of rejected demons... This is your true form, Naraku?"

"True form?" Naraku mused. "No… my body is far from being complete."

A smirk curling onto his lips once more, he sent a large red claw out to stab him- but instead only tore into ground, sending poor Jaken flying while Sesshōmaru leapt gracefully out of the way. The imp screamed and scrambled for safety, taking refuge behind the remains of a wooden column once he had landed.

Sesshōmaru couldn't help but let out a small scoff as he landed back on his feet, looking up at Naraku in amusement. "You'll destroy me for refusing to do as you wish?"

Reaching towards the yellow-and-blue sash at his waist, the demon lord pulled out his favored blade, tōkijin. When Naraku lunged at him again, this time with those hideous tentacles, Sesshōmaru easily slashed them to bits.

"Naraku… you're such a lowly demon." The silver-haired lord said, the frown finally returning to his lips. "You will never have the power or resources to harm me."

Naraku just laughed.

The pieces of flesh that Sesshōmaru cut off began to move, and feeling one attach itself to his leg the demon lord looked down, curious by the action but not at all bothered. When Naraku tried to take advantage of him turning his gaze away, Sesshōmaru simply cut those claws and tentacles to bits- senses and instincts far too sharp to be taken unawares in such a way.

The demon lord proceeded to leap into the air, removing the tentacles around his leg, and swung tōkijin continuously, cutting away at any and all parts of Naraku's filthy abomination of a body that tried to get close. When he landed again, the pieces of flesh fell to the ground, and Sesshōmaru looked down with mild disgust when one landed right on his shoulder guard.

He looked up at Naraku again. It was obvious he was holding back. "How long do you intend to keep up this ludicrous farce?"

The artificial half-demon just continued to smile, chuckling at him. The pieces of flesh that Sesshōmaru hacked up jolted and twitched, slowly moving his way. Sesshōmaru was not blind to this, nor was he threatened by them.

In fact, he found it quite amusing. This filthy vermin truly believed he was a threat to him.

"Naraku, just how long are you planning to ignore me…!?" Sesshōmaru raised his blade, sending forth a strong wave of his demonic energy as he swung tōkijin downward, several long streaks of blue tearing through Naraku's gigantic body. Blood spurted forth, covering the already crimson ground, and now the entire area was covered in the remains of Naraku's scattered flesh. "Answer when I speak to you!"

Kohaku was nowhere to be seen.

He had completely disappeared. His scent had vanished with the wind, and Inuyasha just knew that it meant nothing good. It was probably part of some trap laid by Naraku, to separate everyone and make them run in circles. The scent of random and unfamiliar demons were pretty strong, too, which meant Kohaku most likely took one of them with him as a steed to help hasten his escape, and lead Sango, Miroku, and Kirara away from the castle- knowing they would follow him.

Kagura should be nearby, too, if things played out as they usually did. Her scent was quite faint, though… fresh, but faint. Did she leave? Why? Where did she go? Maybe she went to help Kohaku.

Inuyasha should go help Sango and Miroku before things go south, but… Naraku and Sesshōmaru were in the castle somewhere.

Naraku and Sesshōmaru, and…

"Anastasia!" Inuyasha growled, his feet coming to an abrupt sliding halt as he approached the hall the undead priestess was standing in.

Based on the demon corpses littering the area, it was the probably a hall Irene had run through trying to escape. He could smell her all over this place. Her and that other human that was with her- that… little girl. He still can't wrap his head around why Naraku had abducted a child, or what her connection to Sesshōmaru was. It made zero sense. What made even less sense to Inuyasha, though, was how similar Anastasia looked to Irene.

It was so unnerving, seeing the undead priestess turn to look at him. He could hardly find any difference between them at all, save for the lack of any and all emotion on what he normally knew to be a very expressive face. Gripping tetsusaiga, Inuyasha pointed the blade at Anastasia, and when Kagome, Maria, and Shippō finally caught up to him he could hear them let out small gasps, seeing the priestess standing not too far away from him.

"Turns out you were here!" The half-demon exclaimed. "You didn't think you had us totally fooled, did you? We're not that stupid, you know!"

"Why did you lead us to this castle?" Kagome asked, gripping her bow tight as she moved to stand beside Inuyasha. "Why did you give us those barrier stones? I don't understand! Why did you pretend to be Irene?"

The woman said nothing at first, before turning her cold gaze towards the older, auburn-haired foreigner at their side. A fiery red snake coiled around Anastasia's arms, and she tilted her head with an apathetic stare that sent chills down their spines. "Simple. If anyone could lead me to that girl… it would be you."

"Why!?" Maria hissed, pushing past everyone and pointing the katana at the undead copycat of her younger sister. She was still filled with so much rage and grief, and she needed someone or something to take it out on fast before her strength left her. "Why Irene!? Why do you look like her!? Why do you want her!? Why not me!?"

Anything would be better than losing her little sister. Maria's already lost so much throughout her life, both in her own time period and in this one. She can't bear to lose Irene, too. Anastasia originally wanted Maria's soul, didn't she? Why did that have to change just because Irene could somehow summon spirits?

The undead priestess stared at the freckled-faced woman for several long seconds before closing her eyes. When she opened them again, her cold chocolate brown gaze met Maria's burning hazel green ones directly.

"Because," Anastasia said calmly, "it is the soul of a descendant that I need."

What?

"That girl has the spirits that abandoned me, and I want them back. You do not. As for why we look alike… I suppose one can only say that it is fate at play. Fitting, considering it is fate that has long-since been changed. Perhaps… it has always been this way. Or perhaps… the gods decided to take matters into their own hands. Whatever it may be, it matters not."

Dark lashes fluttering, her apathetic brown eyes flashed with something Inuyasha dared to describe as hate.

"Her soul will be mine in the end."

Confusion flitted across Maria's angry features at her words, her grip on her blade faltering, and Kagome's hands flew up to her mouth in shock, understanding dawning on her as all the pieces clicked into place. "We wondered about it before, but…"

"We thought it was impossible." Shippō continued, stunned by this reveal. "Irene said she didn't have any ancestors or relatives in Japan!"

"But… Anastasia isn't Japanese." Inuyasha realized, glancing back at them from over his shoulder. "She's from the same place Irene is."

"And if Irene looks like Anastasia because she's her descendant…" Kagome added.

"Then that makes her trying to kill Irene all the more twisted." Inuyasha finished with growl. He turned his molten gold glare back towards the undead priestess. "Just what the hell is wrong with you!?"

"What's wrong with me…?" Anastasia echoed. For once, emotion flashed across her pale and empty features- an anger that's been suppressed for many long years. She threw her arm out to the side, and her sleeves and fingertips erupted with red flame. "That I am cursed to live in this form without a living soul! That I am unable to so much as bleed! I am ageless and undying, and have been cast away from that which I love! No one and nothing will stop me from claiming that pathetic girl's soul!"

Maria was shaking now, the rage that twisted her features near identical to the rage twisting Anastasia's own. Before Inuyasha could bark out another insult, the auburn-haired woman was already running, slashing at Anastasia with her sword. "Irene is not pathetic!"

She's sickly and weak and not very bright, but she isn't pathetic. She's strong.

Irene has become so strong that Maria barely recognized her.

She didn't need the protection of her older sister anymore, because she was now able to defend herself. But she was still weak, and able to be killed, and there had been so much of her blood outside and on her clothes and then she was gone with that dragon and little girl, and this wretched look-alike is talking about stealing her soul when Maria doesn't even know if Irene is already dead. It's so…

Infuriating.

Maria wants to tear this undead priestess to pieces. She wants to tear her limb from limb. Unfortunately, Anastasia easily sidestepped Maria's blow and shot out a blast of fire from her palm, sending the woman stumbling as it hit her hard in the back of her armor.

"You should be thanking me." Anastasia stated coldly, watching as Maria whirled around to glare at her with crazed, tear-filled eyes. "That girl is fated to die young, just as I had. I'm doing her a favor, putting her out of her misery. At least in me, her soul will live on."

"Shut up!" Maria roared, spinning on her heel and charging again. She slashed, left and right and left again, and then lunged forward, but Anastasia was agile. She easily sidestepped each swing of the blade. "Irene's soul is Irene's! It will not be belonging to you! Not now, not ever!"

"Tch." Inuyasha clicked his tongue, watching the battle between ancestor and descendant take place, before deciding it was time to end this. He raised the tetsusaiga up over his shoulder, preparing to swing. "Ancestor or not, you're already dead, right? So it's fine if we kill you again!"

"I-Inuyasha, wait-!" Kagome cried, reaching a hand out to try and stop him, but he was already gone.

He was running full speed at the undead priestess, and Maria hurriedly jumped back to avoid the swing of the sword that ended up burying itself into the floorboards when Anastasia avoided getting hit again. "Stay still, you selfish corpse!"

Whirling around, Inuyasha faced Anastasia with enraged amber eyes, swinging the tetsusaiga one more time with all his might.

"Wind Scar!"

Naraku's laughter echoed throughout the castle grounds.

Sesshōmaru was completely surrounded by the remains of the artificial half-demon's body. Naraku's plan was close to completion. Just a little more, and then the demon lord would be swallowed up and absorbed by the bits and pieces of his body, becoming one with Naraku. He would have the power of a full demon at last.

Unfortunately, outside forces never failed to intervene- and Naraku's laugh was soon cut short as the sound of a huge explosion reached his ears. Crimson eyes flickering to the side, there was no missing the view of the large plumes of smoke and dust, part of the castle having exploded from a gigantic wave of demonic energy and wind pressure.

Inuyasha.

Kohaku was currently preoccupied leading Sango and Miroku away, and Kagura was currently following on his orders to hunt down Irene and Rin, so he knew it wasn't either of them that were fighting. Which meant- ah, of course. Anastasia. She must be furious, having her dear descendant escape.

"Naraku." Sesshōmaru called, catching his attention. "You seem rather preoccupied with what's inside the castle. Didn't I already tell you to not ignore me?"

Naraku just let out a low chuckle. "Lord Sesshōmaru, I'm afraid that I'll have to cut our visit short."

When the demon lord narrowed his eyes at him, Naraku just smiled wider- gaze sinister and full of greed.

"I am going to eat you for dinner- and have every last bit of your demonic power."

A large gust of wind picked up then, sending Naraku's wavy black hair billowing ominously in the wind, almost reminiscent of spider legs, and the pieces of his flesh that the demon lord had cut away and surrounded himself with began to squirm and writhe, before suddenly launching themselves at him. Those bits of flesh curled around Sesshōmaru's lithe body, attaching themselves onto him and coiling around his limbs.

"I shall have it all for myself!"

When the wind and dust cleared, Anastasia was nowhere to be seen.

She had disappeared.

In between the large fissures in the earth Inuyasha's Wind Scar had created, a scorch mark in the shape of a pentagram could be seen- and all present knew right away that she had used her powers of Shikigami to somehow escape. Maria let out a loud roar upon discovering this, and it didn't take long for that roar to turn into a wail.

She ended up swinging her katana around blindly in a fit of rage, before getting it stuck in some fallen debris. She kicked and screamed and yanked the blade out just to get it stuck again, and it took Kagome cautiously walking over and calling out to her to get her to stop.

Maria ended up falling to her knees, one hand still gripping the blade stuck in the fallen wooden banister. She brought a hand up to her face, choking back tears and strangling a sob as her lips curled. "M…My sister… she's…" A hiccup tore out from her throat. "She's fucking dead and I couldn't stop it! I couldn't- I couldn't save her! And now that bitch is going to- gods fucking damn it-!"

She was speaking English now. Kagome had trouble understanding most of it, but she knew enough to get the gist- and it didn't take a genius to figure out what she was so upset over. Though, a part of Kagome couldn't help but feel that maybe it was a good thing she didn't understand half of what was being said, because she had a feeling Maria was swearing something unsavory right now.

"Irene…!"

"It's going to be okay, Maria." Kagome promised, kneeling down to sit next to her. She made to reach a hand out and rest it on her back, but the woman recoiled violently at the touch- causing the middle schooler to retract her hand. Okay, so maybe that was not the right approach. Unlike Irene, Maria was not someone who could be touched when upset. "I-I know things look bad, but Irene will be okay! I'm sure of it. She's not… dead."

The older woman said nothing in response.

Shippō, from atop Kagome's shoulder, jumped down and ran to stand in front of Maria, trying to get her attention. He looked just as scared as her, tears welling up in his green eyes, but he was trying his best not to cry. "Irene is really strong, Maria! There's no way Anastasia will get her soul! And… there's no way a little blood loss can get rid of her, either! I-I'm sure Irene is out there waiting for us to find her! So… let's stay strong, too, okay? We'll find her! She's definitely alive and waiting for us!"

"What Shippō said." Kagome told her softly, leaning down and folding her hands in her lap. Maria's body was trembling, her face hidden by the shadows of these dark ruins. "Irene is far from weak- no matter what Anastasia said. Either she'll find her way back to us, or we'll find her. You know your sister even better than we do! So you have to know that's true."

Did she?

Did Maria really know Irene anymore?

She wasn't so sure.

But… Kagome was right. Irene was strong. She may get lost very easily, and even just as scared, but she always finds her way in the end. That's just how she is.

"Y-Yeah." Maria wiped the tears from her face, fighting the hiccups, and she tried with all her might to believe her smiling, sickly little sister was still alive and would be fine until they found her.

Sesshōmaru wouldn't have had that dragon carry her to safety if she was just going to die, right?

"Like I said before, she'll be fine." Inuyasha huffed, swinging tetsusaiga over his shoulder as he gave the area a once-over, before turning to look at the two women and the fox demon child. Inuysha didn't have a single clue what Maria had said during that conversation, but it was obvious she had been crying about Irene. "I don't know what Sesshōmaru is plotting, but whatever it is it doesn't change the fact that Irene was alive when she escaped here. So I can bet you she's gonna keep herself alive until we find her. But to do that, we gotta get rid of Naraku first."

Kagome and Shippō shared a look, then nodded at Inuyasha. Kagome frowned deeply, dark brown eyes burning with determination. "Inuyasha, you go get him. We'll stay here with Maria. She's in no condition to fight like this."

"Heh. That was my plan." The half-demon smirked. "See ya after I lop off Naraku's head."

Naraku's grin grew wider, nearly splitting his face in half, even as Sesshōmaru remained undisturbed by the flesh that wrapped around him. The demon lord glanced at the flesh as if they were no more than an inconvenience, and yet… he made no attempt to free himself of it.

Sesshōmaru simply stared Naraku down as the flesh rose and gathered together, enveloping him completely and trapping him in the darkness. The flesh solidified, sticking to him, swallowing him, and purple vine-like tendrils reached out and dug into the disgusting cocoon, sucking out what power and demonic energy it could.

"At last… I have attained the full powers of a complete demon!"

"Naraku!"

Inuyasha's voice called out from above, and Naraku inhaled sharply at the sound, the artificial half-demon whirling his head around to see the silver-haired teen flying right at him. The half-demon had wasted no time in rushing from the part of the castle he was in to the courtyard, where the main battle was taking place.

"No wonder you've been hiding your true form!" Inuyasha roared, raising tetsusaiga high above his head as he neared. "You're dead! Wind Scaaaaar!"

"I think not!"

Naraku quickly erected a barrier around himself, a sickening violet light surrounding his large body. He watched with certainty as the demonic energy gathered and swirled around the fang in Inuyasha's grasp, firmly believing it would do him no harm. And yet, as Inuyasha swung his sword, the blade colored itself red- and the streaks of power that made contact with Naraku's barrier pushed through it, tearing into his flesh.

Startled, Naraku could only let out a short scream of pain before he caught himself, looking up at the half-demon with shock as the upper half of his body was nearly separated from the amalgamation he had worked so hard to create. He could hardly believe it.

Inuyasha, a half-demon, had broken through his barrier.

He dealt damage to him.

Of all the pests, it was Inuyasha that managed to hurt him.

As the remaining upper half of Naraku's body fell and collapsed on top of the amalgamation of demon parts, Inuyasha landed on his feet, holding tetsusaiga up high. His features contorted in a hateful glare. The smell of familiar human blood burning his nose only spurred on his rage. "I found you, Naraku! And, today, I'm gonna destroy you!"

Pushing himself up, now missing his right arm, Naraku focused his attention towards the half-demon, crimson eyes colder than ever. "Don't make me laugh. Do you really think you can slay me?" The mere thought of it was a joke.

Although… Naraku must admit, he underestimated Inuyasha. He never expected him to make it this far, even with Anastasia's help. He knew fully well that Irene was capable of breaking his barriers, but Inuyasha? This was unexpected. Naraku made quite the mistake in not taking him as a threat more seriously.

Still, it was no matter. There was no way he was capable of actually destroying him.

He was Naraku, a spider from hell.

Not even the sacred jewel itself could rid itself of him.

Body slowly fusing itself back together again despite missing quite a few pieces of flesh, Naraku let out a small chuckle, the corner of his eyes crinkling in wicked amusement. "Inuyasha," He greeted calmly, assessing the situation now that there's been a new development, "you've grown strong enough to break through my barrier. I'm impressed. You're not as weak as I originally thought."

"Naraku, you bastard!" Inuyasha lifted tetsusaiga up with both hands, glaring vehemently at him. "You won't escape this time! Prepare to die!"

Watching the half-demon run at him, Naraku let out another laugh. His voice was a low growl. "You may have grown more powerful, but you are certainly no match for me. Now perish!" As he spoke, waves of demonic energy radiated off of him, sending his hair billowing around him in thick black tendrils as several tentacles twisted into something sharp, flying towards Inuyasha with the intention to skewer him.

"Not this time!" Inuyasha roared, dodging the attacks and leaping into the air to get a good swing at the bits of flesh that made to pierce him. "Hraaah!"

As the remains fell, Inuyasha landed on his feet with practiced ease and burst out into another run, squashing the shredded bits of flesh as he stepped on them. Naraku's grin became more manic, having yet to fade even as he sent more tendrils his way. "I'm not done with you yet!"

Each one pierced the earth, digging into it and sending dirt and debris into the air. Sliding around them and lunging left-and-right-and-back-and-left again to avoid those that were chasing him, he swung his sword, cutting them away. "Oh, yeah!?" Inuyasha jumped back again, letting out a much louder growl as he lifted his sword, preparing another area attack. "Take this! Narakuuuu!"

Foolish.

The Wind Scar may have torn through the earth and his flesh, but at this point that's exactly what Naraku wanted. When Inuyasha tried to approach him, the pieces that he had hacked away began to squirm and come to life, coiling around him and holding the half-demon in place. Inuyasha was more than startled, and could only struggle as the tendrils and pieces of destroyed flesh bound him, preventing him from being able to move.

Most importantly, he was unable to swing his sword.

"Wh-What?" Naraku chuckled darkly as he watched Inuyasha continue to struggle. The pieces of his flesh coiled tighter. "What's happening-!? Aaaaaaagh!"

"I will engulf you body and soul, just like I did with Sesshōmaru."

"What!?" Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. It wasn't until he got a good look at what was next to Naraku, a disgusting green cocoon of flesh, pulsing with life, that he understood what was happening and what he had meant. "S-Sesshōmaru!?"

Realizing that that was about to become him, Inuyasha tried to break free once more. Naraku simply shook his head at his pathetic attempts. "You're too late, Inuyasha. I have already consumed Sesshōmaru. I don't know that your half-demon power will do me any good… but still, I will absorb your body into my flesh!"

It will be a fitting end for such a pest, and if he can absorb him then perhaps he, too, can use the powers of that mystical sword.

"Don't assume I'm as a weak as Sesshōmaru!" Inuyasha roared. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, he pushed against the restraints, gripping tetsusaiga tight with one hand and using the claws on his other to try and tear his way free. He pushed with all his might, and Naraku blinked, startled, when the teen actually managed to cut himself free of the flesh. "Hraaaah!"

The next thing he knew, the teen was charging straight at him again.

"This is the end, Naraku! You're going down this time! Now die!"

In his shock, Naraku was totally unable to defend himself against the Wind Scar that was sent his way. Bone wound up sticking out from his ribcage and arm, his spine clear for all to see, blood dripping from every angle. His left hand was severed from his remaining arm. Tendrils and claws were torn to shreds, twitching and trying to pull themselves back together. Even the cocoon that had swallowed Sesshōmaru had been cut away from him, narrowly protecting Naraku's main body from the blast, and from the pillar of which the imp was hiding Jaken sobbed- firmly believing his master and lord had been killed.

But then a blue light suddenly emitted from the still-intact cocoon, and bursting free from its flesh was Sesshomaru himself, completely unharmed. Jaken's sobs grew louder, the imp pleased to see his lord alive, and Inuyasha shot his head up with a small gasp. "Sesshōmaru!"

"M'lord, you're alive!"

Stepping forward, the demon lord crushed a piece of flesh beneath his foot.

Sesshōmaru raised his gaze slowly, focusing his stare on the wounded enemy. "Naraku… ironic, isn't it? To think that the flesh that bound me to you, would serve as your shield from Inuyasha's Wind Scar…"

"Move it!" Inuyasha barked, rushing forward to stand in front of Sesshōmaru. "I'm taking Naraku down!"

The demon lord was not in the mood. He fixated his little brother with a cold stare. "No. Naraku belongs to me."

"Ha! Not likely!" Inuyasha retorted, turning to face him properly. "This time you won't interfere!"

The demon lord just stared at him, unimpressed, and only looked away upon hearing a large rumble and crash of Naraku expanding his body further, the abominable creature rising high into the air as more and more tendrils appeared, squirming about in the air. One arm was gone, and another hand was missing, and his entire abdomen was destroyed- his main body still attached to the amalgamation only by his visible and very bloody spine- but the twisted and sadistic smile never once left his face.

"I shall absorb you both while you bicker!" Naraku declared. A loud, maniacal laugh escaped his lips. "Die~!"

Multiple tendrils flew towards the pair of brothers, moving with such speed Inuyasha almost failed to dodge it, but Sesshōmaru leapt out of the way just as fast as he had been attacked. While Inuyasha continued to leap left-and-right, using the momentum of the ground as it was destroyed to hasten his speed, grunting when things got a bit too close for his liking, Sesshōmaru easily maneuvered out of the way of the attacking flesh, floating midair and diving out of the way with next to no effort.

"You can not escape my attacks forever!"

"Just die, will ya!?" Inuyasha exclaimed, narrowing dodging a few more tendrils before sending a haphazard swing of demonic energy his way. As he did so, Sesshōmaru let loose a swing of his own, tearing away flesh-after-after and tendril-after-tendril, and after the two brothers had managed to get most of the attacking flesh out of the way, Inuyasha dug his heels into the ground and jumped, swinging tetsusaiga with all of his might. "This should finish you off, once and for all!"

The smell of Irene's blood was still so strong. Even through Naraku's miasma and the remains, it burned Inuyasha's nose. He had no idea if she was still alive- and she better be alive- but if she was dead then it was Naraku's fault. He killed her.

He used Kohaku to try and stop her escape, and caused her to lose far too much blood.

At the very least, Inuyasha will avenge her.

He'll avenge everyone who's lost their lives and/or have been toyed with and tricked by Naraku. He'll get his own revenge, too. This bastard won't get away.

Not if Inuyasha can help it.

Naraku quickly grew alarmed when the Wind Scar spread along his flesh instead of simply tearing through it, the artificial half-demon watching as it rushed towards him with a fervish might. "What's happening-!?" It was completely without mercy, ripping him from the amalgamation he created, fueled by Inuyasha's rage, and Naraku could only shout as he fell through the air and landed hard on his front atop the destroyed flesh.

"One more should do it!" Inuyasha exclaimed determinedly, lunging forward and preparing to swing again, but suddenly Sesshōmaru was there by his side, rushing past him. "Huh!?"

"I told you to let me take him." The demon lord said.

"Back down!"

Sesshōmaru ignored him, instead swinging tōkijin towards the fallen Naraku.

The blue light of the tōkijin and his own demonic energy tore into Naraku's body, threatening to destroy him, and grinding his teeth together as he fought against the pain Naraku allowed the flesh of his amalgamation to explode, releasing thick waves of deadly miasma. The pair of brothers hurriedly jumped back, and Inuyasha cursed as he covered his face with his sleeve.

The miasma expanded and rose, twisting and swirling into a small tornado of death. From the castle many Saimyōshō appeared, buzzing loudly as they followed after the mess of miasma that was Naraku. The tornado of miasma flew high into the sky, and from it Naraku's voice could be heard echoing.

"Lord Sesshōmaru," He said, "I shall withdraw for now."

Inuyasha felt the spike of demonic energy faster than he could smell it, scorching waves of demonic power radiating from Sesshōmaru's form and causing the hair on Inuyasha's neck and ears to stand up. The demon lord's fangs grew considerably, the whites of his eyes bleeding red as his golden irises flashed blue, his silver hair and fur boa flowing ominously around him. He was enraged, filled with a fury Inuyasha had never seen before. He actually had to take a step back, knowing from experience that his older half-brother was mere seconds away from transforming into his true form.

"You fool!" Sesshōmaru growled, his voice no longer quite normal-sounding. There was something guttural about it, something inhumane, and in the back of his mind Inuyasha wondered if Irene would still speak so highly about his bastard of a brother if she could see him now. He watched as Sesshōmaru bared his fangs- fangs that looked ready to rip out Naraku's throat, if he could catch him. "Don't think you can ever escape my grasp!"

But despite the threat, Naraku just laughed. "Lord Sesshōmaru, rather than transforming and hunting me down… shouldn't you be rushing to the side of those young mortal girls? Oh, what were names again…? Rin and Irene? It sure would be a shame if something were to happen to them."

At that, Sesshōmaru's eyes returned to their usual amber, confusion painting across his face.

"As of this moment, one of my incarnations is on her way to see them. Inuyasha, even you should realize the implications. But I wonder… just how is dear Sango faring against her little brother?"

Oh, that wretched…

Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha could only watch as the miasma-filled tornado disappeared into nothing, taking Naraku with it.

He was absolutely vile, in every sense of the word.

Naraku had separated everyone, knowing he could use it as a means to buy time for him to escape. Sango and Miroku were with Kohaku, and Inuyasha had already chased off Anastasia, but Kagura and Kanna were nowhere to be seen. Unless- "Kagura!"

Sesshōmaru glanced at his brother, expression quickly turning dark as he narrowed his eyes at him.

Clicking his tongue, Inuyasha sheathed his sword, whirling around to glare at Sesshōmaru. "He sent Kagura after Irene! He's probably going to have Kanna suck out her soul!" He then paused, looking in the direction Naraku had vanished with a grimace. "And he knew I'd have to stay behind to help Sango with Kohaku. Damn him… his scent is completely gone, too. His scent and every trace of his whereabouts."

He had been so badly injured, there should be some trace of him left behind- but there was nothing. Just the rotten stench of his miasma and the stomach-twisting smell of Irene's blood.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha tried to figure out what to do. He needed to save Irene, but before that he needed to make sure Sango and Miroku were okay. But if he went to them first, Irene might already be dead. She might already be dead now, assuming she died before Kagura could reach her. "Damn it… what do I do!?"

Who does he help?

"Wait…" At that moment, Irene's words flashed through his mind. He looked at Sesshōmaru over his shoulder, angry and fearful for his friends' safety and so very conflicted about what he should do, and even more so about the advice he really didn't want to take. "He said Rin. Is that the little kid Irene was with? Did Naraku take her hostage, too?"

Inuyasha doesn't know what his older brother is doing with a human, but if they're somehow connected then… maybe- just this once- he can rely on Sesshōmaru's strength. He can trust him to save Irene.

Gods, the very thought made him want to cringe and throw up.

Unfortunately, Sesshōmaru didn't answer Inuyasha's question at all. The demon lord just stared at him for a moment, before turning away and slowly rising off of the ground, the fur boa he wore growing in length and wrapping around his legs, flowing behind him as he flew off into the air… towards the direction Irene's blood scent led. Inuyasha furrowed his brows, his jaw clenching tight, as he gripped the handle of tetsusaiga nervously.

"Waaait!" Jaken wailed loudly, chasing after Sesshōmaru with his staff held in both hands. "Please, don't leave me behind!"

Inuyasha really doesn't want to pin his hopes on Sesshōmaru. He doesn't want to trust him to help with anything. But he does have a track record of saving Irene, for some reason or other, so maybe just this one time will be alright…? Especially since one of his own people seems to be involved?

Irene…

"Please, stay alive!" Inuyasha muttered, taking off in the direction he could smell Sango and Miroku's scents. "Don't you dare die on us!"

As always, thanks for reading and have a wonderful day/night wherever you are! Let me know what you think in the comments. 💕