Everything.
Everything could go wrong.
As Kagome found herself bound and tied within the confines of the shrine, her mind raced with a mixture of frustration and determination. She couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief at the predicament she found herself in, yet deep down, she knew that she had made the right choice. Despite the dangers that now surrounded her, Kagome harbored no regrets for her decision to defend the children and Akitoki against the demon ninjas.
"Stupid demons," she muttered under her breath, her defiance evident even in her captivity, she was careful to not roll her ankle.
Luckily she was trapped in the Furei shrine which could only mean that her friends would have to come here and purify it.
Her thoughts strayed to earlier that day that all led to her capture.
"Just ditch the sword, let whoever wants it have it!" Inuyasha sat atop of another, larger boulder, eyes closed and his sword propped against his shoulder.
"It is a wonder that you haven't killed yourself with that line of thinking." Lord Sesshomaru blinked at his younger brother.
"Sesshomaru! You bastard!" Inuyasha growled
Lord Sesshomaru just smirked at him, as if daring him to fight against him.
Akitoki perched atop the imposing boulder, his arms tucked into his sleeves in contemplation. "We can't afford to entertain that possibility. If our adversaries are seeking this blade, it likely means they already possess its twin, the Kon blade."
"The Kon blade?" Inuyasha squinted at the weapon resting in the human's lap, curiosity etching his features.
"Yes, indeed. Legend has it that due to its immense power, the original blade was split into two: Ken and Kon. The Kon was entrusted to my ancestors, passed down through generations," Akitoki explained, lifting the clothed blade for emphasis.
"And what happens if they were to be rejoined?" Sango pressed, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"That, unfortunately, remains a mystery to us," Akitoki admitted with a sigh.
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a shrill voice echoing through the air. Inuyasha swatted at the source as it descended upon him, a tiny flea demon with an insatiable thirst for blood. With a deft motion, he caught the creature in his palm, its presence drawing the attention of Lord Sesshomaru.
"Why do you irritate us with your presence?" Sesshomaru's voice carried a hint of irritation as he addressed the flea demon.
The flea demon, undeterred by Sesshomaru's stern demeanor, cleared its throat before relaying urgent news from Totosei regarding Mount Hakurei. "Totosei is concerned about a demon blade once owned by Kaijinbo," it began, its tiny voice carrying a weighty message. "He implores Inuyasha to seal the blade, for none but him possess the ability. The one seeking the blade is none other than Hoshiyomi."
"Hoshiyomi?" Kagome's brow furrowed in concern as she sought clarification. "Who is he?"
"He was a formidable leader of the demon ninjas, responsible for coercing Kaijinbo into forging the cursed blade," Lord Sesshomaru explained, his face of indifference
With the gravity of their task weighing heavy upon them, Kagome walked over towards Rin, who was coloring by the river they had stopped at. "We should make camp within the next couple of hours." She took note of Rin's slow movements. "The shrine lies only a day's journey from here," she reminded the group
As the group gathered around the crackling campfire, the atmosphere was tinged with a sense of anticipation and apprehension. The children had long since succumbed to the embrace of sleep, their innocent faces bathed in the warm glow of the flames. Kagome, too, had settled herself beside them, her thoughts consumed by the looming task ahead – the purification of the accursed blade that had brought them all together.
Lord Sesshomaru's departure had been sudden, his assurances of a swift return doing little to ease the tension that lingered in the air. Kagome couldn't help but notice the subtle signs of his heightened senses before he left – the twitch of his ears, the keen scrutiny of his gaze, the faint scent of determination that clung to his presence. It was as if he sensed something amiss, a foreboding premonition of the chaos that was soon to unfold.
And then, without warning, the tranquility of the night was shattered by the deafening roar of explosions echoing through the forest. In a heartbeat, Kagome sprang into action, her instincts kicking in with a ferocity born of survival. With practiced ease, she erected barriers around her companions, a reflexive response honed through years of facing danger alongside her friends.
But amidst the chaos and confusion, Kagome found herself confronting a trauma that she had long buried deep within her subconscious. As the bombs continued to rain down upon them, she was transported back to a time of fear and helplessness, a memory of Renkotsu's atrocities that she had fought so hard to suppress. In that moment of vulnerability, she allowed herself to be consumed by her own fear, curling into a ball as tears streamed down her cheeks.
It was a moment of weakness that Kagome had never dared to acknowledge, a stark reminder of the scars that lingered beneath the surface of her brave facade.
As Kagome grappled with the weight of her own vulnerability, she couldn't help but feel the sting of regret for allowing her moment of weakness to compromise the safety of her companions. It was a harsh truth that she had never dared to confront – the realization that her own fears and insecurities had led to a lapse in concentration, ultimately resulting in failure to protect those she held dear.
Separated from her friends amidst the chaos of the explosions, Kagome found herself thrust into a perilous situation, clinging desperately to Rin and Shippo as they tumbled from the cliff into the churning waters below. The icy embrace of the river threatened to swallow them whole, its relentless currents testing Kagome's resolve to its limits as she fought to keep herself and the children's head above the water.
By some stroke of luck, they managed to reach the safety of the shore, their bodies battered and exhausted. With trembling hands, Kagome erected a small barrier around the children, drawing upon the teachings of Kikyo to create an illusion of invisibility that would shield them from prying eyes. She made a small fire to warm the children as she didn't want to give up their location to the demons in case they were looking for them.
Yet, even as she sought to protect those under her care, Kagome found herself struggling with her own fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her senses. The combination of waterlogged clothes, sleep deprivation, and the physical strain of their journey weighed heavily upon her, sapping her strength with each passing moment. Didn't help that she had used up a lot of her reiki to protect the children.
But despite the overwhelming urge to succumb to the embrace of sleep, Kagome remained vigilant, her senses on high alert as she kept watch over the makeshift camp. In a world inhabited by demons, she knew that even the slightest lapse in her guard could spell disaster for them all.
"Lady Kagome?" Rin called out to her from the tree, huddled up with Shippo with a blanket that had luckily been kept dry as she had stored it in a sealed plastic bag.
"Yes Rin?"
"Lord Sesshomaru will save us. He always does." She beamed at her, "Rin knows in her heart that Lord Sesshomaru will save us. He always does."
She smiled, "I have faith that you're correct. Try to get some sleep, yes?"
The smiling girl huddled further into the blanket along with Shippo. Akitoki sat beside her, his eyes looking forward. He had barely moved or said anything.
She was grateful because she needed the silence to concentrate. Glancing at her left ankle, she grimaced. She had injured it in the fall and had a large cut on her leg from one of the rocks in the water when the rapids had slammed her up against it.
She had been grateful that Akitoki had wrapped her leg after applying medicinal herbs to it but it wouldn't hold as they were in a rush to get to safety.
Bound and constrained though she may be, Kagome refused to succumb to despair. With a stubborn resolve, she began to fidget against her restraints.
Surveying the large pentagram underneath her, Kagome couldn't help but recognize the unmistakable aura of priestess magic woven into its very fabric. If only she wasn't bound and weak at the current moment.
Sesshomaru found himself faced with a difficult decision as he reluctantly departed from the group's campsite. It required every ounce of his self-control to resist the urge to throttle the insufferable creature. Throughout the day, he endured the ceaseless mumblings of the human, endlessly praising this Sesshomaru's Miko, while the unmistakable scent of his arousal for her filled the air, testing Sesshomaru's patience to its limits.
Indeed, the concept of intentionally protecting those weaker than oneself is a notion that Sesshomaru finds perplexing, even as he observed his Miko's unwavering commitment to it. In a world where strength and power reign supreme, where survival often hinges upon one's ability to dominate and conquer, the idea of selflessly defending those who cannot defend themselves is a foreign concept to him.
For Sesshomaru, his interactions with her steadfast dedication to protecting the vulnerable challenged his deeply ingrained beliefs and perceptions. It's a pattern of behavior that Sesshomaru has witnessed time and again – the Miko rushing headlong into danger to safeguard others, regardless of their lack of innate strength or power. And yet, despite his best efforts to comprehend her actions, it remains a mystery to him.
As Sesshomaru grapples with this enigma, he finds himself confronted with a fundamental truth – that strength is not solely defined by physical prowess, but by the courage to stand up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming odds. And in the young Miko, he sees a reflection of that strength – a beacon of hope in a world shrouded in darkness, challenging him to reconsider his own beliefs and perceptions.
One of the many lessons that his Father had attempted to teach him before his untimely death. This Sesshomaru found it hard to admit in the beginning when he had first started to watch the Miko more closely than that of his younger brother. Back when he thought that the Miko belonged to his younger brother in a romantic sense.
He growled.
The Miko seemed rather oblivious to her many suitors that
The human that she sought to help. A pitiful and helpless creature that had obvious affection for his Miko. Although reluctant to leave her side, he had sensed a demon following them from a distance for some time. It was a formidable opponent, and knowing that the humans were exhausted and the children were safely asleep, he felt a sense of urgency to confront the threat away from the campsite.
As he raced through the dense forest, the acrid scent of gunpowder and smoke filled his nostrils, signaling danger ahead. Coming to a sudden halt in a moonlit clearing, Sesshomaru's sharp eyes locked onto the figure of a demon with wild red hair and piercing red eyes, its lips adorned with crimson lipstick.
"Aren't you handsome?" the demon grinned, its voice dripping with mischief. "I saw you earlier at that tiny human hut."
Sesshomaru's expression remained stoic as he demanded, "State your purpose before I kill you."
The demon's response was cryptic, accompanied by a sly wink. "To draw you away from them."
The serene ambiance of the forest was abruptly shattered by a cacophony of explosions resonating from the direction of the campsite. Sesshomaru's keen senses instantly snapped to attention as he whirled around, his sharp eyes locking onto the chaos unfolding before him. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins as the grim realization dawned upon him: his companions were in grave danger.
With a primal growl reverberating through the air, Sesshomaru wasted no time. Every fiber of his being was consumed by a singular purpose: the safety of his pack. But above all, it was the safety of his Miko that drove him forward, igniting a primal fury within him that threatened to consume all in its path. The very essence of his beast howled in anger at the dishonor wrought by the lowly demon, a transgression that Sesshomaru could not allow to go unpunished.
In a blur of motion, Sesshomaru darted back towards the camp, his movements swift and purposeful. With each stride, his determination grew stronger, his resolve unyielding as he raced against time to confront the looming threat and ensure the safety of those he held dear. And as he closed in on the source of the chaos, there was no doubt in his mind that justice would be swift and merciless, for the honor of his pack and the protection of his beloved Miko.
Even if she didn't know that she belonged to him yet.
As Sesshomaru entered the clearing, the scene before him was one of chaos and conflict. His younger brother, Inuyasha, stood locked in battle with a green-haired demon, while the rest of their companions – the demon slayer, the monk, Jaken, the cat demon, and Au-Un – were engaged in fierce combat with three other demons. Yet, amidst the fray, there was a glaring absence – his Miko, the ward, the fox kit, and the seemingly worthless human were nowhere to be found.
Sniffing the air with a mixture of frustration and concern, Sesshomaru's sharp senses led him to a faint scent lingering on the cliffside.
His growl of irritation echoed through the clearing, "Inuyasha!"
But his brother's response was terse and preoccupied, "I'M KINDA BUSY RIGHT NOW!"
Sesshomaru's conflicted emotions churned within him as he weighed his options. On one hand, his instinct to protect his kin and ensure the safety of the children and the Miko urged him to search for them without delay. On the other hand, abandoning his brother in the midst of battle went against his sense of duty and honor as a warrior.
However, a nagging suspicion crept into Sesshomaru's mind as he surveyed the scene. One of the demons was conspicuously absent, suggesting that they may have pursued their missing companions over the cliff and into the water below. With a frustrated snarl, Sesshomaru knew that he could not afford to delay any longer.
"Go after Kagome and the kids!" Inuaysha shouted again, jumping back from the demon that seemed to use illusion magic.
With a decisive nod, he turned his back on the ongoing battle, his resolve firm as he set off in search of the missing children and the Miko, determined to bring them back to safety at any cost.
As Sesshomaru tracked down the missing group, his keen senses led him unerringly to their location. However, what he found upon arrival was a scene of distress and turmoil. The children cried out in fear, their tears mingling with the palpable sense of desperation that hung in the air. And amidst the chaos, his ward, Rin, ran to him, her tiny form trembling with emotion as she clutched onto his leg.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" she sobbed, her voice choked with tears. "Lady Kagome has been taken by that demon! You must go save her, my Lord!"
Sesshomaru's heart clenched at the news, his resolve hardening with determination as he took in Rin's distraught expression. Beside her, the fox kit struggled to maintain his composure, his attempts at bravery betrayed by the unmistakable scent of tears that lingered in the air.
Turning his attention to the worthless human, Sesshomaru felt a surge of irritation rise within him. But before he could address the situation, his heightened senses detected the approach of another demon, its presence a looming threat on the horizon.
With a swift motion, Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword, his steely gaze fixed on the approaching danger. "Get behind me," he commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.
Rin, accustomed to following his orders, obeyed without hesitation, seeking refuge behind him. The fox kit, too, moved to his side, a silent testament to his trust in Sesshomaru's strength and protection. Yet, the worthless human hesitated, his uncertainty palpable in the tense atmosphere.
But in the face of imminent danger, there was no room for hesitation. With a sense of urgency, Sesshomaru stood ready, eager to cut down the demon and track down his Miko.
With a flick of his wrist, Sesshomaru cleansed his blade, the metallic gleam reflecting the fading light as he sheathed it with practiced ease. The decapitated head of the defeated demon rolled a few feet away, its lifeless body collapsing to the ground in a final, defeated gesture.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Turning his gaze skyward, Sesshomaru spotted the demon slayer and the monk riding atop the demon cat, accompanied by Jaken astride Au-Un, as they descended towards the clearing. Their timely arrival was met with quiet relief, yet Sesshomaru's attention remained focused on the task at hand.
"Take the children to safety," he commanded, his voice firm and unwavering. He watched as they landed gracefully in the clearing, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.
"I will retrieve the Miko."
There was no room for argument, no time to waste. With a swift movement, Sesshomaru darted into the dense foliage of the forest, his senses keenly attuned to the faint scent of his missing Miko. The only thing that offered him some balance of control over his beast was the heavy stench of purification powers and the singe of demon flesh.