Lone Scarlet Lily, Hidden in the World of Snow: Waiting for the Spring.

Chapter 11: Tessaiga's Fearsome Power

"Snow-woman."

The low voice was expected, as I had sensed the lord coming as soon as he had entered the forest, but I peered curiously out from the shrine when the annoying voice of his vassal didn't sprout up alongside the lord's. With a quick scan, the little green demon was no where to be seen, and with further investigation, the imp was waiting further in the woods. What was surprising, however, was that the great demon held a human arm in his hand – one that had a jewel shard embedded in it. What was more surprising was that it seemed the lord now lacked his left arm.

"Oh? Look who's back again." I stepped beneath the doorway as I watched Sesshōmaru wade through the low water of the pond, his eyes locked on my form, "Aaaand it seems you left the imp at the door, what a good guest you've become Lord Sesshy~!"

The teasing prompted no annoyance to flicker across his face, and as I pursed my lips at him ruining my fun, I took the time waiting for him to approach (which was no time at all) to study him. He was… a little more sullen than usual? The loss of his arm seemed to be having no effect on his coordination, and if it wasn't for the breeze that pulled the flowing fabric against his skin, I wouldn't guess that there was no arm hiding underneath. Made sense, I suppose. For such a proud and powerful demon, the loss of an arm probably stung more in terms of wounding his pride than his body.

…And the fact that he would be coming to me, of all people, with this sort of injury…

He must want (the great Sesshōmaru would never need) my assistance with something. Judging by the human arm, I'd say that he was looking for me to attach the thing to his arm. He could do so himself easily… But perhaps he had come to find out if such a thing would work before attaching it?

For Sesshōmaru to stoop so low as to attach a human arm to his skin, his desire for the Tessaiga must be greater than I could even imagine. It was a wise idea and would certainly allow the great demon to grab onto the Tessaiga… Usually, that alone would not be enough to bypass the charm I placed on Tōga's fang. But with his raw strength, Sesshōmaru could most certainly force Tessaiga to bend to his will and transform even with the wielder being 'hateful towards humans'.

It was a stupid thing to be the thing to cancel out the ward and sealing spell Tōga wanted me to put on it, specifically because it could still be easily bypassed by demons such as his own son… But it hadn't been my job to make him aware of such things. His old age should've brought with it some wisdom. Seeing how his death played out and now how his will was easily being side-stepped, it seems that wasn't the case.

I gripped the handle of Kishikaisei, not even trying to disguise the action (he would notice even if I did try) as Sesshōmaru's demonic energy surged and rid him of the water that had clung to his clothes.

He approached the shrine, stopping just before the wooden platform that held my figure above him, and spoke slowly, "You are the one responsible for the barrier on Tessaiga."

"Figured it out already, huh?" I shrugged, a slanted grin finding its place on my face as my icy blue eyes never left his golden ones, "Did you think your father didn't think you'd covet the Tessaiga? As a precaution, I placed a spell or two on the blade at his request." I brushed my untied hair over my shoulder, "Did it surprise you? Even after I warned you about it?"

I wouldn't be surprised if he thought my 'warning' only pertained to the difficulty of finding out where the Black Pearl containing the gateway to Tōga's remains. Admittedly, the Great Dog Demon had left some obscure hints behind. Not that he'd listen to me if I told him about the ward in the first place. But, seeing as Sesshōmaru had managed to find the Tessaiga and probably lost his arm in the proves…

"So, the Tessaiga fell into the hands of Inuyasha, hmm?" The snarl that formed on his face had me taking an instinctive step backwards, my arm tensing to pull the sword from its scabbard at a moment's notice, "Ooooh~ Now that is a pretty scary face you're making there. Did I strike a nerve?"

"Silence."

…It really is a shame I never learned how to bite my tongue.

"It's cute how you think you can command me like your imp of a vassal." I let out a dark chuckle that quickly turned into a laugh at the way the lord's golden eyes burned into me even as the rest of his face remained unmoved, "Now, now! It's not very wise to give me that kind of look in my own home!"

With my own indirect threat thrown into the air, his eyes narrowed at me as the scathing intensity swirling in the golden pools within. The scowl dropped from his face: it was no longer needed as a warning of the murderous look he stared me down with. A delicate roll of my shoulders as a shrug came to existence fluidly brought my right hand, which was resting on the hilt of the blade, onto my hip instead as I held out my other. Even I knew that pushing this the little bit farther (which I wanted to do desperately to see if the stoic man would lose composure for a flash of a second) would be heading into deadly territory. And I very much still wanted to live.

Most of the fun came from getting to this point anyway.

"Boo. You're no fun. Give me the arm, you just want it attached, right?"

After a moment he nodded brusquely, and the human arm was in my hand. As I directed him to sit down on the wooden walkway, which he eventually followed suit after I did the same, and I took that time to inspect the arm.

It was human, the flesh cut off a few inches above the elbow. The task of figuring out when the arm had been severed was impossible: the jewel shard wedged inside of it preserved the flesh enough to make it seem like it had only just been severed. Judging by the armour that covered much of the weak flesh, the arm had probably come from a soldier in one of the human disputes that seemed to have become numerous in this age. The shard itself was real, not a replicant that would've revealed its nature to me by now.

…Why would someone give a shard willingly away to Sesshōmaru? Sure, Sesshōmaru was strong enough that a shard wouldn't do much for him – even the whole jewel wouldn't really have a noticeable impact on his power – but what purpose did the giver of this convenient gift hope it would serve? Did they want Sesshōmaru to disarm Inuyasha, or even kill him? What was that half-demon up to that warranted such an extreme measure as to grant Sesshōmaru the ability to collect the Tessaiga? At the very least, they'd be squishing a lesser threat and creating one they couldn't hope to contain…

…Just what kind of person was collecting the shards?

"Well, the shard is real. But I doubt it'll do much for you." I placed the arm on my lap, turning to roll up the half-unoccupied sleeve of the lord's kimono as I carefully watched him to see if he would interrupt me to do so himself. He didn't.

The wound had sealed itself from the open air, and it was hard to determine how long ago he had lost the limb. Thanks to the great demon rate of regeneration, it would be hard to determine much of anything about the injury. My eyes closed, and I focused my attention on the great dog demon's energy as it flowed throughout his body as my fingers brushed up against the skin of the arm. I could feel that the lord was carefully watching my every action, but I pushed that thought aside as well.

"…You've reattached arms already, haven't you?"

There were traces of leftover energy from foreign demons, in the fringes of flesh that had been stripped of Sesshōmaru's energy. Because of this, the usual cycling of demonic energy throughout his body couldn't consume that which remained from previous arms, as his energy was unable to reach it. That being said, because of Sesshōmaru's strong energy, any attempt for the foreign energies to take over would be thwarted immediately. Jeeze, great demons were scary.

But, the fact that part of his body had lost its energy could only be because of the Tessaiga's transformed attack… It was a truly fearsome weapon, no wonder it had claimed the lives of so many demons. If only I could've seen it being used by it's first owner…

Well, if Sesshōmaru wielded it, he could no doubt draw out its true powers like Tōga could…

"I'll repair the area before I attach the arm: it's taken some damage that even you cannot heal from alone." My voice held a slight teasing lilt to it, but it quickly fell into a more serious tone, "Don't fight me."

There was no way for my energy to match up with his, and so the only way I could do anything with his energy was if he let me. If he didn't… well, I didn't have the strength required to stop such energy from consuming my own.

With that, I kept one hand on his bicep as my other reached for the human arm. Gently pushing my energy into the stump, I found that the lord's energy didn't fight against my own as I lured the energy back into the furthest reaches of what was left of his arm. Implanting the energy back into the skin, I could feel the muscle twitch against my palm as the energy that had remained from the other arms dissipated at the closeness of the strong energy. After a few minutes of luring the energy back into the area, the great demon's energy was back where it needed to be: within a day or so with his regenerating abilities, the energy would continue to cycle through the area naturally.

I brought up the end of the human arm but paused just before I connected the two.

"The sacred jewel will help the attachment last longer than your other ones probably did. But, because of the jewel's sacred energy, it will constantly be fighting with your demonic one… After a while, it might become painful and try and consume you the more you use it." I opened my eyes, gazing down at the arm in my hand and the sacred jewel within it, before I met Sesshōmaru's golden eyes, "This is just a formality, so you don't blame it on me later. Do you accept those risks?"

The other arms he tried probably ended up crumbling under the strain of conveying his strong demonic energy, and it eventually consumed them. This one would fight him constantly, the potent sacred energy trying to purify him until he rid himself of the arm. Of course, I could always attach the arm myself, using my own energy to connect the two, but because of the nature of the human arm… it wouldn't last long against Sesshōmaru's power. The only thing that would be able to withstand it would be the original arm. But, seeing as how he didn't present that to me when he came here, I doubted he still had it.

…Did the person who handed him the arm know that this could potentially consume Sesshōmaru?

"I didn't come here for your pointless warnings."

"How harsh, Lord Sesshy. If you had listened to the last one, you wouldn't be here at all."

Before he could send me the glare I knew was coming, I returned my eyes to the task at hand and connected the two arms (which conveniently matched up perfectly at the joint). Using a little of my own energy, I linked the two energies together before they took over and attached themselves firmly. The living skin of Sesshōmaru smoothly transitioned into the dead flesh of the human arm, the sacred jewel shard acting as a connecter that made the attachment seamless.

I released his arm from my grasp, noting the movement of the human fingers before they stilled and retrieved the fabric that was bunched up under the spiked armour over his shoulder. Pulling the silk back over his arm, hiding the human attachment completely from view, I then stood up and retreated into my shrine.

Sesshōmaru probably wouldn't use that arm out of spite for its human origins until Tessaiga was within reach: which would keep the conflicting energies from attacking each other too harshly for now.

I refused to let the sigh escape from my mouth as worry weighed heavily on my heart. The jewel had refused to leave my thoughts the moment I retrieved the shard from a corpse, and with another shard just out of reach, my fingertips pressed against my chest. If I was to end this misfortune once and for all by acquiring the full jewel… could I really just wait out the inescapable warring over its power here? If I wanted the past it and I shared to finally be buried like it should've been so long ago… then I should be gaining information about the main candidates trying to complete it. Then I could come up with an appropriate plan to get it back to its rightful place based on who had it.

It was foolish to wait and see who came to me with the jewel.

That path would let the jewel-holder have the advantage, and it was not at all the right way to ensure the jewel fell into my hands again. I had gotten to comfortable with this life, and far too interested in treasuring the freedom that I had clawed back from those priestesses than truly ending what had started all my troubles. To stop this once and for all…

"You know, Lord Sesshy~" I spoke, just as the man had reached the water's edge to return to his waiting vassal, "If Inuyasha dies, then your father's wishes for Tessaiga are destroyed alongside him. If that's the case, then I'm no longer bound to his will."

Sesshōmaru paused, and I took my time collecting what I would need. The quiver was strapped to my body, wooden arrows peaking from behind my shoulder. Red ribbons tied my hair up, the strands falling in two long streams of ebony falling against my red kimono. My right fingers wrapped around Katashi's bow, while my left fingers ensured that Kishikaisei was strapped securely to my side, the sheath entangled in the straps of my black hakama. Leaving the rest of my measly possessions in the corner, all of which I could certainly do without, I left the shrine and met the eyes of the lord who was waiting for me to continue.

"So, should Inuyasha die, I believe the Tessaiga which was forged from his father's fang, should then fall into the possession of the other son of Tōga. I would gladly remove the spells I have placed on the sword, if this were to happen, so that you would be able to use it freely and without the need for…" I trailed off, nodding towards Sesshōmaru's arm.

"Oh?" His eyes watched me closely, roaming over my face in search of my intent. After a few moments, he slowly spoke, "That's an interesting offer, snow-woman."

He couldn't tell what I was after. That was reassuring, at least. If I could escape the scrutiny of the great demon without having my intentions revealed (although there were clearly some suspicions raised), then surely anyone else I came across would be unable to determine them as well.

"Isn't it?" I grinned, "But, of course, to verify Inuyasha's death and subsequently, the agreement with your father, I'm pleased to announce that I'll be travelling with you for now."

I waited for his reply, as while I was confident I'd be of more use to the lord than his current travelling companion was, I could never quite tell what his next move would be. So, as much as there was a chance that he'd let me tag along for a while, there was also a chance that he'd reject my company… A chance that I tried to reduce as much as I could by offering to undo the spell with the death of the lord's half-brother. In doing so, I could probably get the chance to see who gave Sesshōmaru the jewel shard (not asking about it myself, of course, as the last thing I need is the great demon knowing I want something to do with them). And I would also get the chance to see what Inuyasha was doing that made this person want to offer Sesshōmaru help in obtaining the Tessaiga from him…

He turned, stepping through the water with long, but unhurried, strides, "Do as you wish."

I disguised my relief with an impish laugh, "Well, if you insist, Lord Sesshy~"

Following him, my breath fogged the air as I froze the water beneath my feet to avoid getting my clothes wet. It didn't really matter much, as drying off clothes was easy enough to do, but my time in human company had left some human habits behind. As Sesshōmaru sent out another burst of energy the second he left the water to rid himself of the wetness it left behind, I shoot a glance over my shoulder.

The shrine that had housed me for fifty years had faded wood, which had rotted in some places. The stone lanterns that were still rooted in place between the trees that had encroached on the building had been left unlit during the time I spent here. I had left no mark on this place and had made no move to restore the shrine or the grounds at all. Even the small pieces of ice I left floating in the water, the footsteps I left behind, were slowly breaking apart and melting with the warmth the water contained.

Perhaps after the jewel had been dealt with, I wouldn't return here, and would seek out somewhere else for a few years of my life. Or perhaps I wouldn't settle down again at all, and continue making my way around the land…

Shaking my head, I refocused my eyes on the trail of fur before me, watching it sway back and forth in response to Sesshōmaru's steps.

Such thoughts can be left until after I deal with the jewel.

"Oh, Lord Sesshōmaru! You've returned! Have you-" The frown that spread across my face mirrored the one that appeared on the imp, "Eh?! The half-breed!? What are you doing here?!"

Right. Travelling with the lord meant travelling with an annoyance as well, "Oh? I hadn't realized you cared so much, imp."

"Hmph! Anything that concerns my lord concerns me, too!" He sent me a glare, falling in step with me as we followed Sesshōmaru's unfaltering path, "Even if it is a half-breed like you."

"Awwh! What a good little vassal you are, imp." I sent him a sickeningly sweet smile with that 'compliment'.

"You be sure to know your place, half-breed!" He pointed the staff at me like an accusing finger, "I don't know what you're up to, but Lord Sesshomaru has decided to allow you to be in his presence, miserable woman!"

"Woooow. I'm being threatened by a lowly imp, I'm absolutely shaking in terror." I brought up a hand to my forehead, resting the back of my hand against the skin as I continued with the sarcastic tone, "Whatever shall I do now? Is there no hope left for me?"

He stomped his foot on the ground, fuming with anger, "Why, you-!"


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I let out a low whistle as the ogre's footsteps easily crushed the ground under its giant feet. Sesshōmaru had only… 'convinced' the giant demon into giving the three of us a ride just as the sun had gotten half-way through its descent, and now as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, we had travelled far with it's help. Sure, it wasn't the most discrete method of travel, but I suppose being a great demon meant that you could travel whichever way your necessity demanded. According to this magnificent display of thundering steps that would probably alert Inuyasha long before reached him, Sesshōmaru was in quite the rush.

I looked over the muscular red-skinned shoulder I found myself on and saw the ground lurch away from me as the ogre scaled the mountain quickly. His claws loosened the rocks as he released his grip, and a huge chunk of the mountain tumbled down the cliff-face and shattered the wooden hut that had been built into the side of it and had somehow luckily escaped the ogre's foot. With another foot digging into the mountainside, his back straightening as the demon's other foot found the flat ground of the mountaintop, my sight was no longer obscured.

We were heading towards a human village in the distance; the inhabitants of which scurried away from the threatening sight the giant ogre made. With the glowing red eyes, a full set of teeth larger than I was, and the hulking mass that was the muscular body of the demon… I couldn't blame them. From this distance they looked like ants. Small specks that scattered slowly as the ogre lifted his foot from the mountain, yet again causing an avalanche of large rocks, and destroyed the house that had the misfortune of falling under his shadow. We were still on the outskirts: where only a few man-made buildings stood, at least a few strides away from the village, when I spotted a few figures running towards the demon instead of away.

One of them had long white hair and wore the red Robe of the Fire-Rat, distinctly sticking out from the monk-dressed human, weird-clothed human, and the small kitsune* held in the arms of the young woman. The ogre seemed to notice this as well, and his large head tilted towards the group. As putrid air was pushed from the large demon's lungs, I immediately covered my nose with the sleeve of my kimono, rethinking my decision to sit on the demon's shoulder instead of its head. Even sitting with Sesshōmaru and the imp on the other shoulder would've been better: seeing as dog demons had a greater sense of smell and all.

"Sesshōmaru!" Inuyasha growled out his half-brother's name as they came to a stop beneath some stairs that led up to another house on the outskirts of the village.

However, the acknowledgement prompted the full-blooded demon to leap from his seat. The humans, who had stopped behind Inuyasha, were able to back up fast enough. Inuyasha wasn't as quick. The moment the great demon touched the ground, a spherical cloud of poison catching the half-demon before he thought to jump away.

"Slow as usual, huh, Inuyasha?" A large black spot was left behind as the poison wore off, the ground sizzling slightly at its potency.

Coughing, the younger brother sputtered, "Damn you, Sesshōmaru! Whaddya want?"

"Don't ask me stupid questions. I'm here for the Tessaiga."

His hand went to the hilt at his side, his stance widening, "You still haven't given up?!"

The humans and kitsune that had dodged Sesshōmaru's attack were hiding behind some large rocks just outside my hearing, and while I saw them peek out over their cover, I could only see their mouths whisper words to each other.

"Draw your sword, Inuyasha." His voice changed, for once having the slightest amusement in something that wasn't a command, which usually were the only sentences that came from him, "Or will you hand it over quietly?"

"Shaddup! This time, I'll cut off more than your arm!"

With that, Inuyasha leapt forwards as he drew the Tessaiga from its sheath. The blade transformed immediately, making it seem impossible that such a broad blade could come from the slender wood that housed the normally slim katana. He swung down the sword, the blade cutting through the ground and displacing rocks easily as Sesshōmaru sidestepped the attack without issue.

The half-demon seemed to struggle to move the blade effectively, heaving it around with two hands as if it was some sort of club, and the strikes that followed the initial attack all met the same fate: being easily dodged by Sesshōmaru's movements. It was sad to see: the Tessaiga being wielded as nothing more than a stick when it was so much more.

"Inuyasha… You still haven't mastered the use of the Tessaiga."

"W-what?! Cut your jokes, damn you!"

And he didn't even realize it? I scoffed, shaking my head at the half-demon's mixture of anger and surprise.

As Inuyasha took another overhead swing at Sesshōmaru, the great demon easily intercepted the move by grabbing onto his half-brother's wrist and stopping the blade's motion mid-flail.

"Such pitiful swordsmanship…" Sesshōmaru's poison claws flared up, coating his hand in the corrosive energy as he continued talking while the flesh started melting off of Inuyasha's wrist, "You can't handle that large sword."

Inuyasha's pained growl was overpowered by Sesshōmaru's words, "If you don't release the Tessaiga, your arm will rot and fall off."

…Was Sesshōmaru… toying with Inuyasha? I never had the chance to watch the great demon fight before, except for a moment or two during the war, but his actions here… are clearly prolonging the fight. He had more than enough strength to rip the sword out of his grasp with his human arm… Did he not want to win the sword by a human hand?

But even then, with the slow movements of Inuyasha, he would have been able to end this fight quickly… Did he want to have a complete victory over his half-brother? He certainly was commenting on the half-demon's weakness and shortcomings every chance that he got… Did he do that with all his enemies?

…I doubt it.

This was probably a grudge match against Inuyasha.

Although, it seemed like he wanted to beat him using the bare minimum of his power. Was that so that he didn't waste his energy on someone beneath him, which could be applied to all opponents? Or was it just simple arrogance that made him toy with his prey before incapacitating it?

I let out a sigh. The more time I spent studying the enigmatic man, I received more questions than I did answers. How infuriating.

"Before that happens…!" Inuyasha reached up with his other hand, grabbing the hilt of the blade whilst ignoring the rotting of his arm, and pushed him back with a forceful leap.

Well, that's what would've happened, had Sesshōmaru not seen it coming. It was obvious who was still in control of this fight: the elder brother's hand was still tightly clenched around the younger's wrist, and with the sword now in between the two demons, it was impossible to get much force out of a swing. Sesshōmaru was merely moving backwards with Inuyasha because it still worked to his advantage. The half-demon was no threat to him at all… how in the world did Inuyasha managed to strike that lucky blow which took Sesshōmaru's arm?

"I'll slit you in half!"

Once the great demon touched the ground, he left it immediately. Jumping upwards, Sesshōmaru created a poison whip out of his energy, striking at Inuyasha from above and expertly fooling him into blocking with the sword. After the second strike, the whip pulled the Tessaiga from the half-demon's grasp and sent it flying. With an precise maneuvering, Sesshōmaru landed beside it as it embedded itself into the ground and regained it's ragged-looking katana form.

"Damn!" Ignoring Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru reached out with his left hand, the sword's barrier spell remained inactive as it was pulled from the ground by the full-blooded demon, "What?!"

With a skillful arc of the sword, the Tessaiga transformed once more and as Sesshōmaru spun around (lifting the blade easily with one hand) a devastating attack was directed towards Inuyasha. A large burst of energy came from the sword, and as the dust that had been stirred up from the destructive force settled, a deep groove in the rocky earth had been carved out. The straight line bridged the gap between the brothers, but Inuyasha seemed to be unharmed: his dodging instincts not failing him this time.

"I shall show you, Inuyasha… The Tessaiga's true power." He turned his head slightly, and called out to his vassal, "Jaken."

"Yes, my lord! I shall summon all the mountain demons!" The ogre moved, much to my confusion, and turned towards the forested ridge beside us, "Come forth!"

The giant demon lifted his hand before smacking it down against the ridge, the loud thundering sound rattling my bones as I turned my head to watch Sesshōmaru with a confused expression. He had turned his attention towards the forested ridge, facing away from the fight he had lost interest in now that he had the Tessaiga in his grasp. As the ridge he and Inuyasha's group were only reached half the height of the giant ogre, the full moon easily illuminated their faces for my eyes.

Sesshōmaru's expression hadn't changed much, his serious features perhaps having a little smugness hiding underneath as he waited for whatever was coming from the ogre's strike. Inuyasha's group had variations of the same expression of shock, also waiting to see what was coming. As my eyes flickered back and forth between the half-brothers, I noted that while Sesshōmaru's default emotion was indifference, Inuyasha's seemed to be anger.

A few moments after the giant ogre lifted his hand from the wooded ridge, hundreds of lesser demons streamed out from where the strike had landed. They flew into the air, blotting out the starry sky behind them as they fled from their hiding spot.

"Watch me well, Inuyasha, and you will see the power to slay a hundred demons in one stroke… The true power of the Tessaiga!"

As the Tessaiga glowed fiercely with the energy that pulsed through it, Sesshomaru cut through the air easily. Instead of the sole destructive path of energy, this slash unleashed three. They ripped apart the ground in a flash of light and continued up to the demons. In only a moment, all of the demons that had been summoned by the ogre had been disintegrated with not even a trace of dust left behind in the wake of such awesome power. When the light dulled, the fearsome 'claw' of Tessaiga having raked through its enemies, the devastation left behind was enough to pull another low whistle from my lips. Not only had all the demons been destroyed, but the three deep grooves that started in the ground in front of Sesshōmaru had grown and merged together to cut a deep gorge into the mountain. The revealed ground burned in the aftermath, glinting like blackened cinders in the full moon's light.

"Unfortunately, this supreme sword does not have the power to choose its owner!"

And, as both the ogre and Sesshōmaru turned back to Inuyasha, who was still staring with wide eyes at the destruction caused, I began clapping from my seat. The lord's actions were nothing more than a demonstration, after all. The spectacle that this fight had devolved into deserved some applause, as all spectacles did.

The sound travelled far in the hushed air as everyone processed what had come from the Tessaiga, and as a result, not only did it draw the attention of Inuyasha, but also the hiding humans who had crept closer to the sight from their cover.

"Huh!? Who are you?!"

I laughed, content not to answer his question as he brazenly pointed his finger at me. I leapt off the ogre, making sure to keep my distance from Sesshōmaru (from watching that example, I certainly did not want to get caught in that attack), and landed softly on the ground. Letting my breath chill the air as I saw the monk approaching through the cover of trees. I had a feeling that the real fight was going to start soon, now that Sesshōmaru had gotten his display of overwhelming power out of the way.

"Do you realize now that a half-demon like you can never master it?" Sesshōmaru pointed the Tessaiga at Inuyasha, his eyes making note of my presence briefly before returning to the half-demon, "Become a victim of the Tessaiga: it's a fitting end for you."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort in anger, but he was cut off physically by the human monk stepping in front of him, "I can't stay quiet any longer. Enough of this silly sibling rivalry."

I suppressed a laugh as the rest of Inuyasha's group gathered behind the monk, and I quietly made my way around the opposing forces until eventually I had a side view of the action. The monk and half-demon (which I now realized was an odd pairing) fought briefly over who was squaring off against the waiting Sesshōmaru, and as a result I remained unnoticed. As I pulled Katashi's bow from over my shoulder, I waited, too, as all attentions drawn towards the bickering pair before the ogre started to move forward.

"Sesshōmaru, leave this monk to me!" Jaken called out, bringing attention to his form atop the shoulder of the hulking demon, "There's no sense in wasting your time with him."

"That's true."

With his lord's agreement, Jaken's voice excitedly commanded the ogre, "Onward! Smash them!"

Well, this certainly wasn't how I expected a battle between hateful brothers was going to play out.


*PLEASE NOTE*


Kitsune: A race of demons that are foxes that have very long lifespans and develop human intelligence and supernatural powers. Infamous tricksters.

...I'm also trying my best to keep Sesshy in character!


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-Disclaimer-

I do not own the InuYasha movies, manga, or anime. The only thing I own are my characters and the fanfic!


O Reviews O


Purple-pygmy-puff16: That he is! And whaddya know? He's also in this one! Hope you enjoyed reading it!

roronoacami: Hahaha, thanks for being so excited for Sesshy's entrance!

How they met before will definitely be revealed later on, as will what happened with the spells on the swords. I won't say too much here, but you are correct: Nozomi was feed by the spell Midoriko sealed her with after her death. What actually happened after that will be up to Nozo to tell~

Haha! I'm glad you're waiting to see some Nozo and Sesshy action and that you're enjoying the story even with its slow start!

Well, thank you for commenting! Replying is the least I can do when people take the time to express their thoughts on the story so far! ;3


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Ooooh Inuyasha and friends are heeeeeere~

Anywayyyy...

Next time on the LSL, an Inuyasha fanfic...

How will Nozomi participate in this battle?

THE FACE-OFF WILL CONTINUE!

Will Jaken and Nozo actually call each other by their names? (Pfft. Not likely)

Will Nozo figure out Naraku's identity?

What will happen when Nozo interacts with the Inuyasha and friends gang?!

You'll have to tune in next chapter to maybe find out... :3