Author's Notes: I'm back for the month with another update of One Thousand and One. Writing this chapter has been a blast since I'm getting a more detailed idea of the overarching plotline for this story. It seems that inspirations have finally reached me so I'm excited for the next few chapters to come as this one establishes a fundamental event.
As such, I'm going to give a big thank you to all the supporters out there. Know that the planning and writing for this story wouldn't have proceeded as smoothly if not for all your feedback. So thank you for your support, advice, and encouragement!
fabelliot: Hello again! I'm happy that you liked the last chapter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll enjoy this one too. Yep, Naraku has made his move and it's a safe bet that he's up to no good, just like in the series. I'm also very pleased that you like how I'm depicting Sesshomaru. I do invest time and effort when it comes to adding details and describing Sesshomaru and Kikyo's majestic grace. So it's very rewarding when you say that you love the focus.
8579: And your unfailing support is just as great. Here's a freshly written chapter for you. Enjoy! ;)
Meech Macko: Indeed, you can certainly say that Naraku is what completes the dark side of the Inuyasha series. He is like the yin to the yang that is Kikyo's good. It just isn't the same without him. Naraku is indeed capable of creating terrible feuds between humans and demons but he currently has his sight on something else. A full-scale war isn't listed as number one on his priority list… at least not at the moment.
Although you're right that Kikyo and Sesshomaru's speeches are very similar, in which they both lean towards being formal and distant, they are indeed opposites when it comes to values and attitude. Kikyo could sacrifice her own life for the sake of others while Sesshomaru wouldn't bat an eyelash at the sight of some stranger in danger. And that's what makes them both interesting characters to write about in a setting like this where they need to work together.
With Kotori, she does admire Sesshomaru and her loyalty is firm but there is a distinction between respect and romantic love. Not every relationship between a male and female needs to end with romance. If push comes to shove, Kotori is not one to idle and you can expect her to be decisive with her devotion. I can also assure you that the romantic feelings between her and Inuyasha are mutual and genuine, as hinted throughout the story. In Inuyasha's case, he's more exasperated than bitter. He gets annoyed occasionally when Kotori talks nonstop about Sesshomaru, but he understands that her feelings towards Sesshomaru are built on reverence rather than love. Besides, I do not believe that Inuyasha is so petty that he will get overly jealous of Sesshomaru, especially since he knows he possesses things that Sesshomaru doesn't, such as the Tessaiga.
You raise a good question relating to Inuyasha's skills. He does like to use Tessaiga more than anything else, but he is capable of brawling even if left weapon less. I feel that this is what the original series failed to show after he acquired his sword because for the majority of the battles afterward, he is always seen with it or on the way to retrieving it. For now, all I'm going to say is that his background and past resulted in the development of better observance, patience (?) teamwork, and insight.
yami2703: Don't die on me! XD Here's the continuation of the last chapter's cliffhanger. Enjoy. And yes, you can still see Inuyasha's childish nature despite being more mature in this story. While his past and experience had some impact on his personality, he is still the advantageous, bold, and determined half-demon deep inside (I try to make sure that the fundamental characteristics that make him Inuyasha are still noticeable).
Please bear with me if I make any mistakes or errors, especially in terms of the language (spelling, grammar, etc.).
Disclaimer: All characters (Kikyo, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, etc.) from the series Inuyasha that appear in this fanfic rightfully belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own anything regarding their creation; I have Rumiko Takahashi to thank for that.
Without further ado, here's part 2 of Questionable Intent!
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Chapter 14-Questionable Intent II
While Sesshomaru dealt with Naraku, another battle was taking place simultaneously.
The first wave of attacks came, hard and fast. Three of the closest men pounced on Kotori and Kikyo like hungry wolves. Instinctively, the former shielded the latter with her body and defended against the onslaught. Four long pieces of steel scraped against each other, generating sparks from the friction.
Her ears twitching, Kotori heard the faint sound of something slicing through the air at high speed behind her; she would've been hit if not for Kikyo. To her surprise, the miko placed her back against the demoness and promptly repelled the projectile. There was a sharp clash of metal as the arrow collided with the sickle on a chain and directed it off course.
"Thank you." Kotori gave a quick utter of appreciation before she redirected her attention to her foes. She settled into a defensive rhythm as she parried while searching for an opening. While she was a splendid swordswoman, she was placed at a disadvantage the moment her specialty was sealed. Being a member of the Tori clan meant that she was exceptionally agile, yet she couldn't fully utilize her swordplay when Kikyo was behind her, defending her backside. Adjusting into an offensive stance would expose the miko's back to the fury of steel. 'They can't get us while we're like this, but we can't get them either. We're at a stalemate.'
Like Kotori, Kikyo wasn't left with many options. Left in a perilous situation, she warded off the weapons with her bow and arrows. She dared not shoot anyone, for her morals forbid it. More importantly, she could see the lifelessness reflected in the eyes of the Youkai Taijiya. Realizing that they were under some kind of hypnosis only strengthened her resolve to help them rather than harm them.
Nonetheless, she had to question the time that the spell was cast. There were no indications last night so she assumed that it was done during the early morning or that the one who pretended to be Kagewaki was so apt in the act of concealment that even she was deceived.
'If only I can maintain contact long enough to remove the spell… However, that is infeasible at present. Am I truly left with no other alternative?' And just when she was forced to reconsider her priority, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Get away from them, you bastards!" As if answering the inner prayer within Kikyo's heart, Inuyasha entered with a bounding jump and introduced a fist to a demon slayer's nose. The bone cracked against the vigorous impact and the man crashed earthward, limp like a ragged doll.
Whether or not it was based on pure instinct or actual consciousness was unknown, but the other Youkai Taijiya pulled some distance away from Inuyasha, having realized that he was a potential threat. With that, Kotori and Kikyo were given momentary rest.
"Ha! What's the matter?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, impatient. "If your guys want to pick a fight, then you got yourselves a volunteer right here. Come!"
Taking note of Inuyasha's tensing leg muscles, Kikyo halted him before he could deal more damage. "Wait, Inuyasha. These people are under the influence of hypnosis. They are not their true selves. Refrain from killing them."
"Huh?" His urge for violence was crushed in an instant. Inuyasha clicked his tongue, annoyance clear on his features. "You're asking a lot here, Kikyo. These bastards were trying to kill you and Kotori."
"I'm standing unscathed, am I not?" Kikyo quirked an eyebrow in challenge as she emphasized her point by spreading out her arms so that Inuyasha could check her for any visible injuries. "And so is Kotori."
Inuyasha passed a questioning glance in Kotori's way, to which the demoness responded with a casual shrug. Letting loose a disgruntled snort, he jabbed a finger at the miko's wrist, where dried blood was smeared around a small cut. "I can see that Kotori is fine and all, but is this really what you would call unscathed, Kikyo?"
"Mostly unscathed," she quickly corrected and made a move to pull her sleeve further down, covering the wound.
It was on the tip of his tongue to scoff at Kikyo for being far too compassionate, though he repressed the thought. This was hardly the time to be debating with a stubborn miko. "Keh! Fine, I'll try to leave them breathing. Are you happy with that?"
"If that's the case, then knocking them unconscious should suffice," Kotori added thoughtfully, her chin gesturing at the man who was out cold. "Inuyasha-sama has demonstrated the best way to do so."
Having agreed on their best course of action, Inuyasha turned his attention back to the group of demon slayers. "Listen up, you fools! Just because I'm not gonna kill you doesn't mean you're safe. Nobody gets away with hurting the people under my protection! Ya all got that?"
As impulsive as he was, he didn't wait for a reply — even if that was possible in the first place — and rushed forward. A blurred movement came from the hanyou before he whipped out the transformed Tessaiga and rammed the flat side into a demon slayer.
Not one to be outdone in terms of speed, Kotori moved, unexpectedly fast. She dipped and weaved erratically; her movement seemed as fickle as a cat, giving her enemies little time to improvise. She flicked out her sheathed katana, landing a crashing impact on the closest opponent.
"Not too shabby," Inuyasha grinned, having spared Kotori a glance before throwing a punch.
"Likewise, Inuyasha-sama." Sharing a mutual acknowledgment with Inuyasha, the demoness felt renewed vigor coursing through her as she drove her weapon's hilt into the stomach of another man.
Even without being told, the pair instinctively assisted each other. Whenever Inuyasha moved in for a decisive blow, Kotori would cover for him. Similarly, the half-demon would shield the demoness whenever she withdrew from her high-speed assaults.
'They complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. Impressive.' From Kikyo's perspective, Inuyasha and Kotori were an exceptional team that was more than capable of taking down the demon slayers. Therefore, she left the task of subduing the enemy to them as she crouched beside the closest man and attempted to lift the hypnotic effects.
'As expected, this man's mind has been taunted by evil. Hmm? So it intends to despoil mine? That won't happen.' So engrossed with erasing the complicated spell that had subdued the seasonal demon slayers, Kikyo was startled when a terrifying sound echoed into her eardrums. So fierce, it gave the impression of a tree trunk snapped in half.
No sooner had he broken Naraku's neck did Sesshomaru notice something misplaced. With a phlegmatic face, he flung the body away in the opposite direction of where the others were. It crashed onto the grass. From its broken spine spurt forth an oversized mass of dark clouds. Eerie purple smoke encircled Naraku's body and caused it to disintegrate as rapidly as the nearby patches of grass were wilting.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes when the messy clouds intensified tremendously, causing the air to be contaminated with a foulness that was beyond his description. The corruption spread its radius to cover the entire archery field, sapping away the lives of the plantation that came into reach.
"What the hell is this!?" Inuyasha squinted, pulling up his sleeve to stop the fog-like substance from entering his nostrils. Having dealt with the last demon slayer, the last thing he expected was an unidentified demonic aura that smelled of nothing but muck. Everywhere he looked, purple was the only color he could see, stretching as far as his vision could reach. He doubted that its range had broadened enough to cover the entirety of the west, though it was only a matter of time before it would.
"Ack! This is bad…" Compared to Inuyasha, Kotori wasn't faring as well as she too placed a sleeve to cover half of her face. As a bird youkai, she had more sensitive eyesight than most demons of other species. So it was no surprise that she found herself squeezing her eyes shut, trying to stop the burning sensation that the polluted atmosphere brought to her pupils.
Hence, she was caught off guard when something sped past, leaving behind a swift whoosh. Her youki screamed in a terrified warning, though her heart was calmed by the prevailing yet seemingly tamed aura. The object of concern was undoubtedly dangerous, but it was as though its aura was letting her know that she wasn't its target. There was a sudden pulsation of power that radiated with purity before it vanished as suddenly as it appeared. Driven by curiosity, Kotori cracked an eyelid open and what entered her vision was an arrow embedded into the ground.
"Great work, Kikyo!" Turning his head to the miko who had timely saved them with a purifying arrow, Inuyasha allowed a genuine and pleased smile to overtake his features. In all honesty, he was at a loss until just a moment ago, when he noticed the outline of Kikyo's arrow traveling to where the Lord of the South's corpse used to be. As powerful as his Kaze no Kizu was, he wasn't so eager to use it for ventilation since the people around him would've been caught in the blast. Therefore, he was immensely relieved when the miko stepped in and resolved the crisis.
"Are the two of you unharmed?" The miko's mahogany orbs darted from Kotori to Inuyasha while she inquired in a somewhat raucous voice. As the pair nodded and returned small words of confirmation, a tiny spark of pain flashed within Kikyo's eyes for a millisecond before it was concealed. She was making a considerable effort to hide the burning agony she felt, yet the flashing Beads of Subjugation and the state of her larynx betrayed her. Irritated by the show of weakness, she placed a hand on her throat before giving it a discreet massage.
Having ascertained Inuyasha and Kotori's states, Kikyo turned to regard Sesshomaru. Not even the smallest amount of concern appeared on his visage as he walked up to her projectile. His youki surged and swirled around his dignified figure, serving as an invisible shield that repelled the miasma. 'Such precise control of his youki,' Kikyo noted; it was no wonder that the daiyoukai was unaffected by the jaki that tried to corrode him. Nonetheless, that wasn't what brought a frown to Kikyo's face. For all his grace and emanation of strength, Sesshomaru had remained a passive observer, completely unfazed by the threat that had nearly consumed the west.
'He has remained indifferent throughout. Does he not care about his people…? No, that would contradict his own words... Cold as he is, he is not one to allow his people to die in vain.' That was when the realization struck Kikyo harder than a rock. While she wanted to believe that she was acting according to her own will, she was indirectly being exploited. In a sense, the daiyoukai was true to his words; he was putting her to good use for the west since it was his people that she had saved from the miasma. Had she truly decided to turn a blind eye, then she was certain that he would eventually have to take action. But because she chose to step in first, Sesshomaru was given satisfaction without needing to bat an eyelash.
Kikyo's eyebrows puckered. Although she couldn't question its effectiveness, she did not like how he had handled the matter.
"Know that I care nothing of your agenda. It is a mere coincidence that our objectives happened to align." Pride, which she thought was juvenile, stubbornly clung to the grudge. It prompted her with the declaration, but whether she was persuading Sesshomaru or herself was something it refused to let her ponder on.
"Hmph, I'm aware." Sesshomaru offered Kikyo a curt response. But from her perspective, it would've been better had he ignored her.
Finding a greater urge to slap him than even Naraku, it was self-control that stopped Kikyo from marching up to him with a raised hand. Instead, her irritation manifested in the form of a clenched fist while she shoved his comment aside, opting to inspect the unconscious demon slayers.
'I shall deal with that egotistical demon after. Now, I pray I'm not too late.' Despite her hopefulness, her worst fear became a reality the moment she lowered herself to the closest warrior. Despite the mask, not a single member of the demon slayers survived against the concentrated miasma. Being rendered unconscious, they were defenseless as the jaki devoured their life.
Sympathy leaked out from her pair of mahogany as she regarded the bodies. It was indeed pitiful, though there was nothing she could do other than pray that their spirits would find their way into the afterlife. There was no denying they attacked her, yet the menace was not born from their own will. More importantly, she couldn't help but wonder how many families were going to grieve. The era they lived in was truly chaotic; that fact hadn't changed during her long lifetime. Everywhere she looked, mangled bodies littered the ground that was constantly dyed red.
"There's not much we can do about them now, Kikyo. It's tough but that's life." As if linked by telepathy, Inuyasha's words pulled the miko's attention towards him as he stood beside her. He had two hands by his sides and although pity never quite reached his features, there was a sense of understanding that managed to surface. "But I'm sure you know that more than anyone else, right?"
"I wonder… I suppose everyone wishes to be saved in the end, yet not everyone can be saved." Muttering something cryptic, Kikyo's eyes moved away from Inuyasha and towards the approaching Kotori.
Leaving the three to examine the human corpses at their leisure, Sesshomaru's sharp eyes immediately landed on an odd object lying in the wilted grass. With a swift move of the hand, he picked up the blue fragment, turning it between his fingers. But the object was just as fragile as a piece of glass in a storm, crumbling to dust in his fingertips before he could comprehend its significance.
"A Fuyouheki, if I'm not mistaken." Kikyo suddenly spoke, having taken notice of the blue shard before it vapourised in his hand. She came up beside him. "I'm surprised that a mere fragment is capable of functioning like a whole stone."
"What do you know about it?" Sesshomaru inquired with a raise of his eyebrow, expressing rare but genuine curiosity. Although he had a well of knowledge that spanned centuries, the object in question was still an enigma to him. For him to be clueless was exceedingly uncommon and that alone captured his interest. More importantly, there was the secret behind Naraku's ability to conceal not only his scent but also his presence as well. Sesshomaru was under the impression that the blue fragment could be the key that would solve the puzzle.
His speculations were proven to be on track as Kikyo supplied him with the answer. "It is a mystical stone that masks demonic energy. A demon in the form of a mountain, Gakusanjin, is supposed to be in possession of it. At the very least, that is what it should be."
"Is that so? Then it's conceivable to assume that Naraku stole it. It's anyone's guess as to how the stone got shattered." While Sesshomaru appeared to be making conclusions alongside Kikyo, he was doing it with little attentiveness. Inwardly, he was trying to fathom Naraku's intent.
The Lord of the South was the type to keep his cards close to his sleeves. Although Sesshomaru would resort to cunning when deemed necessary, he was above cheap tricks. His assertive power demanded attention and he was not one to overcomplicate matters, not when his actions and youki spoke volumes. Nonetheless, the other lords weren't being as direct with their intentions as he was. What ulterior motive did they bring with them to the gathering? Sesshomaru could only make assumptions.
The daiyoukai's musings were cast aside when Hibiki arrived with several guards. In one sweep, the chancellor took in the aftermath of the battle. A look of surprise crossed his face, and was soon replaced by flickers of an emotion akin to exasperation.
"Well, this grotesque catastrophe is not what I had imagined… Oh, dear. I suppose, as latecomers, we ought to begin the cleanout." Gesturing to the guards with a wave of his hand, Hibiki watched as his men promptly got to work. With a small nod, he then spun on his heels until he was now facing Sesshomaru.
"My lord," greeted Hibiki, his head tilted humbly.
"I see that you've brought reinforcement," Sesshomaru commented coolly. Although it wasn't important, he did momentarily wonder what could've encouraged Hibiki to assemble all nearby guards.
"I thought it was a wise precaution. That aside, I fear I must not dwell too long. My lord, I'll be eagerly awaiting the details later. For now, I must not keep Koga-san waiting." When all was said and he was contented, Hibiki shot into the sky and disappeared from view as suddenly as the gust of wind that had synchronized with his movements. As the chancellor of the west and a senior to the lord of the manor, he was one of the few who could leave without Sesshomaru's approved dismissal. Despite the privilege, he would abide to courtesy under normal circumstances. At present, the situation meant that he forwent it.
"Keh! Now that I think about it, we let the bastard get away," mumbled Inuyasha. Since they were many hands at work carrying away the corpses, he decided to simply stand around. Disgruntled, he scrunched his nose and folded his arms across his chest. 'Damn it! This ain't war. I said I want commotion, but this is too much for something staged by one person. If something like this happens again, then…'
"It'll be fine, Inuyasha-sama. I'm certain that Sesshomaru-sama has everything under control." Kotori must have sensed the silver-haired swordsman's thoughts, for she chose the exact moment to nudge his back and offered a supportive smile.
"Keh!"
Upon hearing his trademark snort, the demoness left him to cool off and turned to Kikyo with a look of typical sternness on her face. "Kikyo-sama, it seems Lord Kage— I mean, this Naraku, knows you. Are you acquaintances?"
At that, both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru guided their eyes to the miko, though the latter held discretion with his steady head movement.
"As a miko serving the Eastern realms, I've never set foot down south." Kikyo shook her head, and then tilted it at a contemplative angle. "Though, I cannot deny the possibility of coming across him in other places… It just hasn't dawned on me yet."
"That sounds about right. You won't remember every human you come across on a daily basis." Just when Inuyasha was about to nod in agreement to his own words, Sesshomaru's monotone cut in, causing him to nearly bristle.
"Are you blind, Inuyasha? The one we are dealing with is no human. A demon… No, perhaps he was once a human, but never quite became a full demon."
"Huh?" Hearing that, Inuyasha's anger changed into confusion and he noticed with quirked eyebrows that Kotori had perked up in what he assumed was interest.
"The Fuyouheki fragment hid his youki well, though I do suspect that he is a being like Inuyasha," added Kikyo, blinking once in consideration.
When looking from the usual perspective, it sounded like an insult. However, Inuyasha had learned not to judge the miko's words impulsively. After all, there was almost always another meaning buried underneath the connotation. In a way, that was completely different from Sesshomaru's preferred manner of speaking, though Inuyasha knew that Kikyo could be just as direct if she wanted to. Going with that understanding, the half-demon realized what Sesshomaru and Kikyo were implying.
"Naraku. He's a hanyou like me…?" Inuyasha's eyes lit up in realization, and he quickly took up the discussion. He shook his head. "No, that's not quite it. From what you two are saying, he isn't born as one but became one later on, right? That's what you mean by him being a human once… And why I smelled something weird about him last night."
"… In other words, he is not created through the sacred amalgamation ritual, but rather through an alternative process." Wisely ignoring Inuyasha's furrowing brows at her choice of vocabulary, Kotori pursed her lips and spoke her thoughts out loud.
"Pfft… Hahahaha!"
A wild chortle brought all heads concurrently towards the sky, where a swirl of dark miasma akin to a small purple tornado flipped to the side flew above the group. There was a blurred figure in the center, with what appeared to be tendrils of black shadows trailing behind his form.
"A mere half-demon? I, Naraku? Is that what your feeble minds managed to deduce, despite the hints I left scattered about? Disappointing. You in particular, Kikyo." The deep voice resonated, cloaking the entire west with a malefic haze. "Hehehe… And you, Sesshomaru, you made it clear how little patience you have for those who intrude on your possessions. So, it must anger you to realize that I've done so, and under your nose no less!"
"Naraku, you seem to be under the wrong impression that I, Sesshomaru, will be intimidated by a paltry hoax." The daiyoukai's orbs glistened like a daunting predator stalking its prey, with a look that promised death. With one fleeting glimpse of his surroundings, he lunged at his foe with astonishing velocity and ran his claws through.
His poisonous claws didn't cleave the silhouette in half. It disappeared at the last second. The air current around the silver-haired demon ruptured from the force of his swipe, dispersing the miasma into small particles that continued contaminating the surrounding.
"A hoax?" Naraku's disembodied voice rang across the archery field, seemingly unaffected by Sesshomaru's attack. "Yes, that's right. Think as you may. Your arrogance prevents you from understanding. But even still, you are nothing but a pawn — my pawn… And in due time, you will all become aware of that fact… Hehe!"
"Don't you dare mock Sesshomaru-sama! If you have the audacity to goad, then reveal yourself!" For the umpteenth time, Kotori felt irritation bubbling up inside her as she scowled at her inability to fly. Had she been blessed with wings, then she would've soared upwards and confronted whatever residue of miasma there was, not resting until she could confirm its erasure.
Treating her as nothing more than a speck of the backdrop, Naraku completely disregarded the demoness. Rather than saying more, he chose to leave. As sudden as he made his presence known, the thin wisps of miasma vanished, leaving nothing behind except his unpleasant laughter.
"So he escaped."
"Bastard got away... AGAIN!"
In unison, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha voiced their thoughts out loud, though the latter's tone was mixed with exasperation in contrast to the former's casualness. Although the daiyoukai maintained a phlegmatic countenance, his mind vigorously worked as he revisited Naraku's taunt. Being the prideful Inu youkai he was, he refused to let his foe outwit him. There was an irking feeling that he was overlooking something of great importance.
Now, what was it that he said?
"Hehehe… And you, Sesshomaru, you made it clear how little patience you have for those who intrude on your possessions. So, it must anger you to realize that I've done so, and under your nose no less!"
The miko. His appearance. A puppet. His guards. Naraku's mockery. His belonging…!
Like a bolt of lightning, realization flashed inside his head as he summarized the string of events that had taken place. Sesshomaru's eyes widened, then his brows transitorily furrowed as if sharpening with focus before the action was banished just as quickly as his form that shot through the air like a comet.
On a rooftop several miles away from the archery fields, Koga had his acute sight locked onto Sesshomaru, whose blurred figure was rapidly leaving his line of vision. Amused, the Lord of the North cracked a wolfish grin befitting of his species. Having witnessed the entire event play out before him, he was more or less satisfied by the few things he had managed to learn about the other lords. Although there was the slightest pang of vexation at being the only lord excluded, he knew there was much to be gained from the new rivalry going on between the west and the south.
"Hey, Souma. From the look of things, I'll say that the whole alliance thing is now scrapped." With both hands placed on his waist, Koga whipped his head around and ignored his ponytail as it lashed against his face due to his rapid head movement. Behind him stood his brother-in-law, Souma, who regarded the present situation with a pensive expression.
"But this is an interesting development. Using it as a basis, we can predict their next move to a certain degree. What remains now is: what is ours?" Not missing a beat, the wolf youkai in a white pelt was quick to offer his opinion.
"You look like you're in the mood to start something." The grin on Koga's face widened until it threatened to split his face in half. He had expected Souma to be quick-witted and that fact hadn't changed since he married Ayame. It was precisely the reason why Souma was one of the few that Koga brought along as part of his entourage. Whereas the Lord of the North was quick to rely on instincts, his brother-in-law would opt to use his insight first. Together, the two were an unstoppable pair.
"Too early?" asked Souma, catching on to his kinsman's implications.
"Yeah. We don't need to go looking for trouble this early on." Koga casually shrugged his shoulders. He decided to let the tension continue between Sesshomaru and Naraku. Being the third party would benefit him and his clan. The idea that the Yourou clan may become the tipping factor on the scale excited him, and he longed to see the day when his clan would rise to its full glory.
"Avoid trouble? You say that, brother, but I heard you went off and fought one of Sesshomaru's men this morning." It was the small contradiction that curled Souma's lip into a smirk as a twinkle of mischief sparkled in his jade-colored eyes.
"Shut up!" Embarrassed, Koga bared a fang at Souma and raised a fist in challenge. He faked a cough and dismissed the current topic with haste. "Anyways, let's go before that chancellor realizes I'm not where I should be. We don't want them suspecting us right off."
"…That's true, especially if we intend to act neutral for the time being," agreed Souma with a nod.
Letting his brother-in-law slide down the rooftop first, the Lord of the North did not follow straight away. His head turning around to behold the distant forms on the archery fields, he took one long look before pumping a fist outward, announcing an unspoken vow. 'Mark my words. No matter what happens, I'll succeed in reviving the Yourou clan. If that means I'll have to bite off everyone else's heads, then so be it!'
When Sesshomaru arrived at the front of his chambers, he immediately noticed what was misplaced. He had the habit of closing the doors, so it was unusual to see the immediate layout of his chambers instead of white sheets. All his furniture was left untouched, prompting him to identify the missing object without delay.
'It's gone.'
Resting against the wall was Tenseiga, and beside it was a vacant spot devoid of its counterpart. The fang of healing was left slanted slightly to the right, which was different from how its owner had arranged it earlier in the morning. From inference, Sesshomaru assumed that Naraku must have knocked his sword over when he was in the middle of stealing So'unga. However, that little detail did not matter to the Lord of the West, who stood motionlessly as his eyes absorbed the image of everything he could see.
Contrary to the expected, Sesshomaru did not seethe, nor did his aura spike.
"What a crafty audacious character," he muttered to no one in particular.
One of the thirty-six stratagems in a book he once read could summarize Naraku's ploy perfectly. To lure the tiger down the mountain — a simple tactic deployed that managed to deceive even Sesshomaru. To think that Naraku not only stole his weapon in his absence, but also misled him into believing that the miko was his only target. More importantly, the despicable fiend did the unthinkable; he had left the blade incapable of killing behind, with the obvious intent to ridicule Sesshomaru as he stole the most powerful fang in the Lord of the West's territory.
He inhaled a deeper breath than usual.
Never before had Sesshomaru felt such humiliation welling up inside him; not when Tessaiga had chosen Inuyasha over him and not even when she, of all people, pushed him aside for trivial matters.
His lip muscles twitched and gradually carved a thin smile into his typically emotionless features. The temperature plummeted as the air seemed to solidify despite the lack of raging youki. Even nature seemed aware that it was allowed a glimpse of the unapproachable splendor of the empyrean and therefore recoiled in utter terror.
That smile was the point of no return, the invitation to a painful death.
No instigator of that smile would survive long enough to brag about the deed, that much Sesshomaru would ensure.