Disclaimer: All characters 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.
Author's Notes: Hi there! Although it's a few days early to say this, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Honestly, I'm surprised to see that this story has reached 50 favs considering that it is not a very popular pairing to begin with and that this story has nothing to do with the canon story. Those, combined with my relatively slow updates may have been deterring. So it's fantastic to see that there are indeed some avid followers for this tale and I would like to say that I appreciate all the support. In particular, I would like to thank fabelliot, 8579, yami2703, Kate Acy, and electricangel12 for your reviews.
fabelliot: As usual, love your feedback. Haha, Sesshy and Kikyo's interactions are kinda on the colder side at times but their actions do tell what their hearts conceal. Well, it's a bit ambiguous because it's Sesshomaru's POV. Ah, why didn't I make this arc in Kikyo's POV in the first place? :p Still, did you notice how Sesshy gets irritated whenever Kikyo attempts something reckless? He does care for her, even if he isn't too aware of it himself.
Yep, Rin has made her appearance. I like the little girl too but sadly, she's going to play an even smaller role here than in canon, considering that this is a SessKik story.
8579: Thank you. Glad to hear that you liked it.
yami2703: I appreciate the care and support. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Kate Acy: Hi there, glad to see a new face around here. Welcome to this tale and I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it thus far. It'll be great to hear from you again and gather more of your thoughts on this story. XD
electricangel12: Wow, to think that you binged read this. I hope your eyes are not too tired afterward. Yeah, I can understand your reservations but I am thrilled you ultimately gave this fanfic a try (Ah yes, The Rift Between Auras is a fabulous fic; I love it!). I suppose I could've gone with a story revolving around the series' story, but I wanted to explore the characters in depth from a different angle and create a world that I can expand upon through the characters' eyes.
Inuyasha's indecisiveness in the series, I feel like, is meant to drag out this love triangle. The idea of defining a person based on their soul and their memories/experience sounds great on paper but it looks like Takahashi didn't execute it well. Hence, all this continuous and incomplete drama about whether or not Kagome is her own person and Kikyo is but a shell of her past self. I loathed that part as well, so I intend to pair Inuyasha up with Kotori to avoid all the additional hassles. It pleases me to hear that you enjoy Inuyasha's character here; I'm doing my best to make sure that he is still that loveable hanyou that he is in the series.
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(This chapter was betaread by bubu-chibi-chan).
Chapter 29-Kako-hen: Grip!
Wake up right now
Soon we seem to be surrounded
By the real world choking us
Your important person… is who?
In the luxury world, shards of eternity are appearing and disappearing
Touch and seize it, now let's walk this way precisely
-Grip! (4th Opening Song)
"There're eyes in this forest so I cannot speak too much. However, a Hitogata that goes by the name Utsugi lurks in the shadows, protected by a demon that is known to devour spiritual powers. A fearsome fortress, they say, and a natural predator to those who are spiritually aware."
The old woman's words caused Sesshomaru's primal instincts to tingle. Every muscle in his body constricted and the alien sense of unease was amplified when Kochou's petite form flickered in and out of existence like a mirage in the desert.
Kakuju noticed almost immediately after Sesshomaru and the fingers wrapped around her staff pressed the wood until her knuckles whitened. "This is bad! Kochou, is your master engaged in a fierce battle?"
"I can tell no longer. Something has just disrupted the link between my master and I. As it is, my form will not last for long in this world. If you wish to find her with my guidance, then I suggest we make haste." The shikigami's tone was grave, though her countenance was so emotionless that it could rival Sesshomaru on any other occasion. At this point, one couldn't say it was a mask anymore. Rather, as spiritual beings whose sole purpose was to serve its summoner, Kochou was not endowed with the capacity to feel anything.
"Lead the way," Sesshomaru ordered, a touch of pressing urgency surfacing. Time was of the essence since Kochou was their only lead. The saint's garment, crafted by the Youkai Taijiya, was worn with the intent of inhibiting a youkai's acute sense of smell. As for tracking her down by her spiritual energy, that too wouldn't be possible unless he was within a certain radius or was somehow connected to her mind like Kochou was.
"Yes." The shikigami took off in a different direction from the one they came from.
"Hold on, Rin." Offering a short moment for the girl to obey and grab onto his sleeves, Sesshomaru secured her with an arm around the waist before following Kochou.
As he flew with his feet suspended a few inches above the ground, he fleetingly contemplated whether or not bringing the girl along was the wisest choice. In the likely event that they were attacked, she would prove to be a great liability. Yet, to leave her behind in the care of the old miko appealed even less. It had been a terrible mistake to leave the saint in a forest that was being watched by some unknown party. Injury or not, their foe had managed to subdue an individual that was of the daiyoukai's caliber. No doubt that Rin would become easy prey and Sesshomaru, being the perfection that he was, would not permit a repeat of the same blunder.
Rin would be the safest with him, he would ensure that much.
Kochou's form continued to fade in and out of existence like a candle in a storm as she zigzagged through the trees. Because of her rapidly diminishing strength, Kukuju was able to keep up with them on her horse. The old miko steered her stallion to run adjacent to Sesshomaru.
"Please allow me to accompany you. I have information regarding this foe." Apparently, the situation had escalated to the point where she could not afford to be overly wary of their unknown spy.
"This hitogata you call Utsugi, correct? Tell me all you know," the daiyoukai demanded, his eyes never leaving Kochou for a second through the dense foliage as they headed closer to the depths of the forest. While he still did not trust the old woman, there was no harm in listening to her while they traveled.
"Utsugi is a creation of mine. When my beloved husband died from a sickness, my grief tempted me to use a dark art from my family. I made a hitogata that looks like him and breathed life into it. That is how Utsugi was born. Even though Utsugi was only a hitogata, he loved me and we lived happily for many years. But I began to harbor hatred for the Utsugi that did not age. I continue to get older, but he stayed the same…"
The old miko faltered and Sesshomaru gave a disgruntled huff. "So you created a mere imitation to satisfy your needs and then abandoned him out of petty fear. Now, he schemes vengeance against you. The maraudings, the abducted children, and the youkai that devours spiritual energy. You were the target. Not Rin, and certainly not Hijiri."
The accusation was apparent. A suffocating silence fell upon them, only to be broken when Kakuju sucked in a deep troubled breath. "I… I too suspected he was after me when I heard he had managed to enlist the aid of our natural enemy. One heartfelt conversation with Hijiri, who had been passing my village at that time, made me realize my selfishness. I did not care if I was stepping into a trap. I simply want to look for him to say I was sorry and to try to start over. It has been a decade since then… I know he is avoiding me, concealing himself within this fortress that I can never get into. I am not the one he wants to lure into this forest. He wants to keep me away. If I were to guess… Hijiri might be his actual target from the beginning."
A surge of rage ignited within Sesshomaru's golden irises as his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Not only was Kakuju refuting his speculations but she was also implying that he and the saint were negligent and had fallen into a doll's elaborate set-up. The youki he had circling Rin to protect her from the lashing wind reacted to his inner wrath, generating crackles of energy. The raven-haired girl shuddered in his grip and buried her head deep into his chest, which prompted the daiyoukai to unconsciously respond by restraining his aura. Rin was not St. Hijiri; there was no way she was going to shrug off the menace in his youki the way that the saint could.
"From your words, Hijiri served as your consoler, not a participant in the event that led you to this predicament. Should the doll even have the slightest common sense left in him, then he should not bear any grudge towards her."
"That is the correct assumption," Kakuju said, her voice rough from the dryness of her throat.
"Explain why this is not the case then."
"There is no grudge at all. They've probably never met each other before. However, Utsugi knows about Hijiri's existence. An inhabitant of the west like you may not be aware of it, but in the east, St. Hijiri is a renowned figure, for not only what she does but also for the aura she emanates. Her soul is pure, so pure that those who seek salvation are naturally drawn to it. Evil beings that lurk in the dark, on the other hand, are repelled by it. Do you know how rare a soul like that is? And how much power is within it if one could keep it pure?"
"More than what the average child's soul can deliver," surmised Sesshomaru in a low tone, not liking the new conclusion that he was drawing.
"Yes. Utsugi may be planning on using the dark magic of Soul Infusion to turn himself into a human. Normally, it takes more than one hundred children to make that possible… But now that he has Hijiri, he—"
Kakuju's voice vanished like the horizon behind a sea of fog. The world around Sesshomaru began to swirl, the colors lost to him as everything faded into pitch black. The daiyoukai pulled Rin closer to his chest and prepared himself. Kochou and Kakuju disappeared as the forest around him collapsed, seemingly like ice sculptures melting into liquid.
A colossal shadow appeared in front of him. The pitch-dark form opened up its wide mouth and swallowed everything whole.
Vigilant as Sesshomaru was, even he couldn't fully decipher what had taken place. One minute ago, he was traveling through the forest with an old miko, a shikigami, and an orphan girl. In the next, all but the last vanished from sight. All he could tell was that he and Rin had been taken to a different location, the terrain filled with the dirt underneath his boots instead of the previous lash grass.
It was dark but his eyes adjusted rapidly as to dart around to confirm his new surroundings. Around him were rocks of various sizes, piled up to enclose him in an enormous cave. Before him was a long narrow tunnel that seemed to be endless. Behind him was a dead end, a gloomy reminder that there was only one way forward.
"…S-strong youkai-onii-san, where are we?" Trembling, the girl in his hold spoke softly, the wisp of cool mist that left her quivering lips indicating that her reaction was attributed just as much to the chilling atmosphere as it was apprehension.
Although momentarily tempted by the idea to ditch the burden here and venture deeper, his better lapse of judgment brushed it aside and he instead lowered Rin onto the end of his mokomoko, which had curled forward at his mental command. The soft fur circled the girl's waist and latched on gently, keeping her in the air and providing her with the insulation that her thin and ragged kosode couldn't grant.
"Rin, regardless of what happens, you are to close your eyes, keep calm, and hold on until I say otherwise. Do as I say and I shall guarantee your safety." As he spoke, he returned his mokomoko to its original position. He did make sure to keep the end a little more to the right than he normally did so that he could see the girl from his peripheral vision.
"Okay, Rin can do that." Confusion melted away from her delicate face and she snuggled up against the soft fur, her two arms embracing it like a child would cling to her mother in sleep. Even though the daiyoukai's tone was as frosty as the eternal ice in the Arctic, his actions told a different story. He had unknowingly bestowed the girl warmth that she had never been given throughout her childhood.
A human's eyes would've missed it completely but Sesshomaru's perception was so much more advanced that the darkness posed no problem to him. He walked over to a large rock by the side that had captured his interest. Bending down, he reached for the sheet of paper lodged between a crack using his index finger and thumb. Not a drop of spiritual power resided within, though the humanoid shape confirmed that this was indeed the same artifact that St. Hijiri had used to summon Kochou. Upon entering this strange cave, the shikigami must have completely lost her connection with her master and was unable to maintain her form.
Involuntarily, Sesshomaru's lips pressed tightly against each other. Unwilling to linger, he tucked the piece of paper into the sleeve of his kimono and headed deeper into the cave.
The closer he got to the heart of the cave, the more sets of eyes he felt were on him. His claws flexed and his senses went on high alert as demonic energies overfilled the area. He could detect countless low-leveled youkai concealing themselves within the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
'It would appear the one behind this farce intends to show no hospitality. Hmph, does the coward believe that these pests can stop me? What an utter fool.' A haughty scoff emerged from the depths of his throat. If they had the gallantry to strike despite the mass of youki that he discharged as a warning, then he would gladly enlighten them why he was known as the merciless aristocratic assassin of the west.
With shredded flesh that served as a trail of the carnage he had previously unleashed, Sesshomaru entered a clearing of the cave, his claws dripping with the blood of his foes. The area was bright due to the luminescent moss hanging from the ceiling, where the daiyoukai squinted his golden orbs.
Sesshomaru had a talent for keen observations. But he was also a prideful demon. He tended to view his objective with a tunnel-like vision — everything irrelevant would simply fade into the background. That was exactly what happened as his eyes swept past Kakuju, who was within a purple-colored kekkai, and the strange man whose visage remained concealed behind a wooden mask. The two golden pools did not once falter or stop until they rested on the saint.
A greenish goo-like dome kept her imprisoned, its transparency allowing the daiyoukai to take in the pitiful sight that he never thought he would see, nor did he want to see. Notwithstanding her leg's injury, she appeared to have lost the strength to stand for another reason. The knees of her dirtied hakama scraped the floor, her body hauled up by tendrils of tentacles that constricted around her arms. Purple energy continuously coursed through the pink surface of the tentacles, passing through the green cage and heading up the tube-like appendage to be absorbed by the wall. For every bit of purple energy that left the saint, the cavern emitted a larger spike of newfound power.
The cave was devouring St. Hijiri's spiritual energy like a ravaging beast.
And that wasn't where the enemy's greed ended. Towards the circumference of the green kekkai was a ghost-like arm with strange black-like markings. It hovered in midair from a circular portal. Sharp nails were attached to the fingers that were repeatedly curling and uncurling in front of the saint's chest to drag out the object of its desire – a blue flame-like haze that was her soul!
St. Hijiri struggled to wrench her hands free and reclaim her essence back. But everyone who saw her attempts — including herself — knew that it was a hopeless battle. With each passing moment, she was getting weaker and weaker until she would eventually be doomed to being nothing but an empty and powerless shell.
'The woman has reached her limitations.' Sesshomaru's pupils dilated into narrow slits. To have her powers stripped away and be unable to do anything. The Inu prince might not have had such an experience but he could recall how helplessly infuriating it was, back when he was recuperating from the wounds that Ryukotsusei inflicted.
It hurt, a lot. The physical pain was gnawing away his strength bit by bit, but it couldn't rival his mental suffering. His damaged pride hurt more than anything else. The humiliation he underwent was agonizingly unbearable.
That vulnerability had hurt… and now, the saint was made to go through that terrible sensation.
His heart thumped loudly, acting up in defiance and something else he couldn't identify. Had he reverted into his glorious demonic form, then his long ears would've twitched in agitation. In the eerily quiet place, the sounds of her suffering resonated in his eardrums. Her breathing was heavy and slow as she tried to mask the true agony. Yet, the infrequent hisses and grunts told him the real story.
He knew that the strong-willed woman would refrain from letting loose an anguished scream at all cost. Still, that did not change the fact that she was in a great deal of pain.
And that hurt him as well. Not physically. But it felt painful nonetheless. It made him feel dizzy, like there was something invisible compressing his throat and clogging up the oxygen.
Urgency spurred him forth, his movements spontaneous. His boots pressed against the hard ground and he was off in a flash. Like greased lightning, he closed the distance between him and the dome. He pulled his arm back, his claw oozing with poison that would corrode the cursed enclosure.
"Scatter my cries, oh overflowing blue skies!" Following the chant from the deep voice was a wave of dark green radiance that erupted from the masked figure and swept over to the daiyoukai.
The man's abnormal reaction time was unanticipated even by Sesshomaru, who was confident with his agility. In the heartbeat that the daiyoukai had charged in and readied his attack, his opponent had managed to react and counter!
All of a sudden, there was the feeling that he was being bombarded by thousands of invisible air blades. More disinclined to dodge than he was incapable of doing so, he rotated his body to the left and swiped his claw in that direction.
Two exceptionally robust forces met.
The contact was brief before an explosion detonated in front of Sesshomaru. Both his youki and his foe's wind canceled out as the shockwave spread through the entire area. Just before he was pushed back, Sesshomaru noticed the silhouette of a bird that had spread its wings, showcasing the dazzling feathers constructed from pure energy. The daiyoukai squinted his eyes, his lustrous silver mane tossed out behind him, akin to streams of moonlight. Holding back a growl of annoyance, he used his body to shield the screaming Rin and extended the distance. Tendrils of smoke rose from his claw and he gave it a casual flick to rid it of the numbness.
'The elemental powers of the shikigami...!' Inwardly caught by surprise but not stupefied, the Inu prince's mind rapidly processed what he had just seen and felt. The shadow of the majestic bird that had fleetingly graced its presence to the world and the power embedded within its form was phenomenal. Compared to the real deal, the depictions he had read in books were lackluster.
The daiyoukai began to analyze the potential threat that obstructed him. With an aura that was as inanimate as the wooden mask that he was donning, the hitogata known as Utsugi was devoid of any signs of life as he stared back. Red war paint that formed swirls started underneath the circular eyes that gazed unblinkingly with their black dot-like pupils. Two horns protruded from the top of the mask, both jagged like the fangs sticking up from the black hole that was the mouth. Adding to the impression of eccentricity was the wig consisting of blond hair reaching past his shoulders.
Other than the mask, the rest of his physical appearance was that of a shrine's head. He wore a plain white haori with two additional blue bands running down from the shoulders, forming the chihaya commonly seen in traditional ceremonies.
Sesshomaru's appraisal finished at his footwear. The combat boots Utsugi wore were nothing fancy but looked perfect for the situation. However, being swift-footed would not let him escape the demon prince's wrath. Shikigami with the forces of nature or not, there was no way Sesshomaru would forgive the one who had harmed the woman under his protection.
'Protection, huh? Why did this word enter the realm of my thoughts? Odd. It is not the obligation from father that motivates me, but rather this growing desire to ensure her wellbeing, her happiness... and to have her by my side.'
"How odd indeed," The Inu prince muttered, his youki condensing around him. Usually, topics that would stimulate emotions were terminated before they could properly form. But this time, he permitted himself to store the notion away for later contemplation. He did not know why, though he did not question his choice either.
"Ah, I see why none of the demons managed to stop you. However, you are mistaken if you think I can be dealt with in the same manner." Misunderstanding that the slight frown on the daiyoukai's features was due to the injury on his arm, Utsugi let his contempt cut through his flat tone. How the hitogata managed to sound condescending while monotonous was an impressive feat.
"Rin, you may open your eyes now." Ignoring his opponent, Sesshomaru instead talked to the girl he was protecting. He stretched his mokomoko to the closest corner before lowering his charge onto the ground.
"H-huh?"
Confusion and apprehension were apparent on her features as she absorbed the sight before her. Her brain must be overwhelmed with everything that had happened thus far. So much so that the demon prince was mildly impressed that she still managed to do the things he had said. But now that his order was revoked, the little girl seemed utterly lost. Averse to having her panic, Sesshomaru used his mokomoko to push her towards one of the larger rocks sitting by the corner.
"Wait there. I'll have this dealt with before long."
"Okay, Rin will be good over here." The little orphan girl nodded. It was a wonder how something as simple as a set of instructions could ease her worries. Was that how she managed to survive in the village without any parental care, by obeying the adults without any complaints and questions? If so, then life must not have treated the girl well.
"Oh? You sound confident that I would go down easy. You may have done well to get here but as much as you may think you have earned your place to have an audience with me, I can assure you that is not the case. You cannot win against me; you have but tested a small fraction of my powers." Utsugi held his hand up and waved once in a dismissive manner. "I originally planned on having no visitors but St. Hijiri. Kakuju's presence is not ideal but can be compromised. You, however, are not welcome here. I have no business with you. Do not interfere and you may take the little girl with you. Once I have the saint's soul, I will have no use for any other."
"Big words for such small vermin. I came here for the woman and I intend to take her away from your filthy hands," Sesshomaru announced, letting the chillness of his tone soak into the atmosphere. Pride and the foreign sensation that squeezed his heart tempted him forward. His golden orbs glistened with pure determination as he charged at his foe with enough velocity to leave behind a blurry afterimage.
It was as though the daiyoukai had teleported in front of his enemy. Sesshomaru swung his arm in a broad, hissing arc. Instincts rushed in to save Utsugi, guiding him to make a desperate dive to the left. The claw meant for the chest missed, and Sesshomaru readjusted the motion into one meant for grabbing. He seized Utsugi's arm in a crushing grip. Green oozing poison seeped from the daiyoukai's nails and into the body through pierced skin. Shame that there was no blood though. Utsugi grunted in pain. Sesshomaru gave him no time to react. With a fling that generated an intense air current, he hurled the hitogata toward the other end of the cave.
Utsugi slammed into the wall with enough force to shatter every rib in his body. Pieces of rock flew and smoke emerged from the human-shaped crater formed.
Ignoring the final blow in favor of saving St. Hijiri first, Sesshomaru headed over to the green orb. The saint did not even seem aware of his presence as she continued to squirm inside. Her feeble movements were getting weaker and the soft gasps of pain were becoming more frequent despite her holding them back. In addition to the red that stained the right side of her hakama, the daiyoukai now noticed a much larger splotch on her right shoulder. How she ended up with the large wound was unknown, though it was a fresh one that drove wedges into his stomach.
A thin layer of red temporarily rested on his sclera. His urge to get her out fast strengthened tenfold. Not willing to waste time figuring out the inner workings, he resorted to brute force and shoved his claw into the sticky-looking substance. For now, it was best to pull her out of there. Even if there would be consequences for his interruption, nothing could be worse than him not making it in time.
The kekkai imprisoning St. Hijiri proved to be more of a nuisance than assumed. Sesshomaru continued to scrap out goo to push deeper. Yet, it was as though he was clawing through cement. Inch by inch in a painstakingly slow manner, the nail of his middle finger had just touched a bit of the woman's sleeve when a chant rang out sharp in the cavern.
"Dance with my rage!"
The next thing Sesshomaru knew, numerous balls of hot swirling fire appeared out of nowhere and soared toward him. Reluctant to let his effort go to waste, he gave the entire dome one firm tug. It was lodged in place. Inwardly frustrated, the daiyoukai yanked his arm out… only to realize he was being lured into a trap.
As preoccupied as he was with the kekkai, too late was he to notice that his position was completely in line with Rin's. Unable to simply evade, the daiyoukai threw himself at the little girl, out speeding the fiery spheres. He snatched her up just as he felt extreme heat on his back and pushed up into the air.
The projectiles rammed into the wall in a series of loud explosions. Rin gave a startled cry which nearly drowned out the continuous chants from Utsugi.
"I won't deny it, demon. You're strong, stronger than any I've met. But not every battle is won with strength alone. Sometimes, one small factor can change the tides. For example… this!" Utsugi shouted. More fireballs materialized under the hitogata's command, closing in on the Inu prince from the flanks.
Sesshomaru dodged in a chain of bizarre movements. Everything about him was expeditious; he zigzagged in places and his body danced with the grace of a white swan. But the fireballs were unrelenting and concentrated on his right, where the terrified girl coughed and sweat from all the smoke and heat.
A lucky blast managed to blacken the fur wrapped on his shoulder. With jaws pressed so tightly against each other that they clicked, the daiyoukai ascended to escape two flaming balls. The next few proved to be decoys, which brought him closer to the edge of the cave.
"I shall reduce you to cinders!" Utsugi proclaimed, pushing for the final blow. Several of the fireballs gathered, accumulating into one colossal mass.
Sesshomaru found himself caught in between the wall and a sphere of red that could easily engulf him.
With Rin cradled closer to his chest, Sesshomaru stood like the prideful warrior that he was, and would always be. He stretched his left hand out, his expression stoic and his posture radiating with an inner focus.
In the next second, the ball that contained enough energy to mimic a volcanic eruption was halted by Sesshomaru's outstretched appendage. Summoning every ounce of his youkai and keeping his aura protectively encased around him, the daiyoukai compelled the muscles in his arm to drive the attack back with sheer might.
The flaming ball continued its onslaught, burning into his palm.
"Your wound, it's beautiful. It's like the setting sun." It couldn't have been more than a fraction of a second before the droplets of blood that leaked out from Sesshomaru's claw were vaporized. Yet, Utsugi still discerned the crimson liquid and muttered, with traces of jealousy latched onto his even voice.
Sesshomaru paid him no heed; he couldn't afford to. He was being pushed back. His boots left marks on the hard ground. The entirety of his left sleeve had been burnt, exposing the charred skin underneath. As much as he prided himself on his strength, he instinctively knew that he wasn't going to absolve this attack.
Power was one of his fortes, just as most things came naturally to him. However, this was no ordinary clash of strength.
The wall was but an inch away from them. Sooner or later, they would be sandwiched and while he would likely make it out alive with some serious burns, there was no way Rin could survive, even with all the youki he had devoted to barricading her from harm's way.
Despite the dangers of diverting his attention, his eyes flickered downward to glimpse at Rin. His personal investment in keeping the girl safe was due to a promise. It might have led him into this unsightly predicament, but he had no intention of revoking what he said. And more importantly, he also wanted to keep St. Hijiri safe… This wasn't his pride speaking; it was more like a calling that emerged from deep within him, from the organ that thumped irregularly inside his chest.
Thump… Thump… Thump...
The back of Sesshomaru's soles found the wall. His left arm bent and a blazing heat that could melt anything was pressed against his face. Yet, that did not prevent the impulse in him from growing.
Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…
His heart spoke to him, and for the very first time, Sesshomaru listened.
Along with the sudden urge of desperation that burst forth was a soothing yet awe-inspiring storm of power. Sesshomaru's left arm pulsated in time with his quickened heartbeats. As if having rehearsed for this moment in his entire life, the daiyoukai intuitively formed a fist with his left hand.
He could feel it… his grip on an invisible power.
He could see it… a power that was born to be invincible.
That was the power that he wielded, that he was gripping onto. It was vague and ambiguous, just like the concept that his father would ramble on and on about — protection. Yet, it was unmistakably there. Strong and dominating all his senses.
"Bakusaiga!" He called out to the sword within him, the blade that beckoned him. In that instance, the seal temporarily loosened. A dazzling gleam surged from Sesshomaru's left arm, bestowing him the strength to push the fireball back. Following the momentum, the Inu prince flourished his arm in a way that resembled him swinging a sword diagonally.
Rays after rays of energy flooded the cave with the irresistible gush of a roaring tsunami. A bright green overtook everyone's vision, accompanied by specks of purple that purified the air that Sesshomaru breathed in. The mass of youki and spiritual power were a single entity of raw energy as it descended upon everything without discrimination. No one was spared from being bathed in its heavenly light, though it was selective with who to rain its judgment upon.
The barriers holding Kakuju and St. Hijiri in place broke. Rin shut her eyes and ducked behind the rock. They were all embraced by the light, could feel the prevailing power that surrounded them, and instinctively knew that they were safe.
Alas, Utsugi was not as fortunate.
"Unbelievable! This power! Argh!" The hitogata could barely make his disbelief known before he was riddled with immense pain that ripped through his artificial body.
The world trembled in the power's wake and the scenery that had kept them trapped shattered into millions of pieces.
The forest was stunned to silence, the grass and trees in the proximity all bent by an unnatural wind as five figures appeared from nothingness. The one that lay sprawled was ignored despite his control over the elements. Instead, nature itself bowed before the well-built individual standing in the center of the clearing, his golden orbs glistening with a newfound light as he gazed at the unconscious woman that was secured in the left arm that was cured of any wounds.
'You're safe now, Hijiri.' He kept a firm but gentle grip on her body, averse to letting anything else come to harm her. She and Rin were both safe in his arms. For the very first time in his long life, the daiyoukai found solace that his hands were preoccupied with something that was not his sword.