nuhime walked in the Throne Room with her head held high. She could feel the people staring at her, but she ignored them. When she walked up in front of her brother's cushion, she bowed.

"This Inuhime apologizes for being very late, my Lord Brother."

Sesshomaru knew that she was sincere and he knew why she was late by the scent of his general on her. He knew there was no sexual interactions between his sister and general.

"You will tell this one why you were late after the trial. Is this one in anyway unclear?"

"No, Lord Brother. This one will do as her Lord Brother wishes."

He gave her a nod and pointed to the right of himself to sit.

"Now that everyone is here, we may begin the trial. Bring in the human!"

The human, who Zokushi captured and that was under a controlling spell, was placed in front of the Lord and Lady of the West.

"What's your name?"

The said human wasn't bound by chains or anything. However, he was still a prisoner of war.

"I am called Aimaru, milord," he said as he bowed to the Lord of the West.

"Hn. Tell this Sesshomaru why should this one spare you and your human comrades?"

Aimaru gulped. "Well, milord. We lowly humans had no choice, but to join our former lord. Some of us were coerced by him holding our families hostage. He said when the war was over, he would return our wives and children to us. The others, who didn't have any family to be used against us, were being controlled by a spell. We were forced to obey his every command."

The Lady of the West asked, "Which were you, Aimaru?"

"I was controlled by a spell. I had no family to be used against me, milady." The Lady nodded in understanding. She looked at her Lord. The Lord looked at his mate and sighed. He knew there were no words of deceit in them.

"This Sesshomaru finds you..." He paused so he could make the human sweat in little. "... not guilty for your involvement of the war. This one sensed no deceit coming from your words. You and your comrades will not be held accountable because the former Lord Akuokaesu and his father were using coercion or using dark magic against you. You are free to go, however, you will stay to give any testimony against the other prisoners of war."

"Thank you, milord. You have my utmost respect and loyalty."

Kagome couldn't help, but smiled at Sesshomaru. He seemed at little shocked to hear those words from a human. Although, it didn't show on his handsome face, but it was expressed in his eyes.

Kagome smiled as she looked at the human, now known as Aimaru, "Please sit to our right."

The human bowed and went to sit in front of Inuhime. There's a reason for this. The reason because Inuhime could see whether or not a said witness would give a truthful testimony against the youkai prisoners of war.

"Bring out the other prisoners of war!"

There were at least 20, give or take, that were bound by anti-youkai cuffs. They were also gagged and blindfolded.

"Undo their blindfolds." One of the guards took one of the gags off one of those prisoners. "What's your name, prisoner?"

The youkai who had no gag in his mouth to speak, "I am called Touga, milord."

"Hn, tell this Sesshomaru why should the one spare you and your fellow warriors?"

"Most of the youkai that were with the former lord of the South perished in the battles. We, who are humbly before you, are the ones had never approved of the former lord's policies on us and/or humans. He threaten us by killing our young, raping our mates, and so forth. He made that clear on the first day when he arrived...

Flashback Begins...

Fifty years ago, Akuokaesu had challenged and killed Lord of the South. The battle was unforgettable. There were walls that were blood-stained. Akuokaesu had blood all over him. Most of it was the then former lord.

"Submit to me and live."

The former Lord of the South snarled, "I took you in, because your father never had given you his time or praises! I trained you into something that you are now; a great warrior! You were one of my greatest fighters! I let you mate with my daughter! I promoted you a general whenever you mastered your training! And is this how you show your appreciation?! You showed me your gratitude by killing my heir, my daughter; by rapping my mate?! Have you have no honor?! No pride?! Nothing?!"

Akuokaesu rolled his eyes at the fallen lord. "Is that a 'no' then?"

"Akuokaesu, I curse you this day. When the day comes, you will die a pathetic death!"

Akuokaesu looked at him with no remorse. "Yes, that is a 'no'." He stabbed him in his heart. He quickly pulled it out and then he beheaded him.

The new lord enforced new policies that make youkai and humans alike disapproval. They protested it. However, Akuokaesu taught them a lesson on how to never cross him. He took their mates/wives and their young/children away from them. He made the males watched in helplessness that he or whoever wasn't against him raped their spouses and their virginal maidens. The cries of those females pleaded to their new lord to stop and show them mercy to crossing him. As punishment for it, he had never let the females return home with their mates/husbands. The young males were subjected to menial tasks as their fathers were forced to join his army. If anyone got out of line, Akuokaesu would either beat them to near death or kill them. It was that simple. He was indifferent towards them. The policy was to obey him or else.

Flashback Ends...

... Now do you understand why we must obey Akuokaesu?"

There was long pause until Aimaru said, "Milord, what Touga says is true. All of it."

Then there was another long Aimaru until Inuhime, who have to gather her thoughts before speaking, "It's true, Lord Brother."

Another long silent moment until Sesshomaru spoke which made the prisoners of war flinched, "This Sesshomaru has heard from the witness and this one's Lady Sister to what you had said in front of this court and the other two Cardinal Lords. So this one finds you..." Once again he paused to make them sweat. "...not guilty for your war crimes. However, Toran, your new lady of the South, will determine your destiny. Whether or not she will spare your lives isn't any of this court or the courts of the North and East concern." Sesshomaru looked at Toran. "Do as you wish with them. This trial has ended."

Sesshomaru stood up as the Western Court to stand, he helped his lady up and they left the throne room.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari