If Lord Sesshoumaru was born with a sword in his tiny clawed hands, then Lord Haruto was born with a silver spoon between his fangs.
So, when the bear demon was tasked with assessing their progress on the battlefield with General Katsu, he struggled to remain impassive. The sight and smell of so many dragon corpses started getting to him. He almost gagged when the putrid smell wafted towards him on a strong breeze.
"As you can see, Lord Haruto, if we continue at this rate, we won't reach the Southern capitol until next century." The General has been stressing the need for further progress. Once the bear's own generals decided to lead the latest attacks, barely any ground had been gained.
Giving into the urge to cover his nose, Haruto brought a sleeve to his face. "Yes… I can see that." At this point, he would agree to any strategies proposed by the dog general if it meant he could return to camp and wash the smell of decay from his hair.
"My troops will take over within the next fortnight." Katsu stepped over the body of a fallen dragon and halted when he noticed the eastern lord had stopped moving. "I think it would be best if you instructed your commanders to follow my orders and-"
"Yes, yes! Anything you want, let's just get out of here." Lord Haruto was turning a sickly shade of green. He was brought up to charm foreign officials, negotiate trade agreements, and stay current on the latest gossip and drama in the royal courts, not to wade through a battlefield strewn with body parts and fluids.
That was easier than Katsu thought it would be. He knew Lord Haruto was no warrior like Lord Sesshoumaru or himself. All it took to convince the bear to relinquish complete control to the Western army was a single trip to the frontline. Lord Sesshoumaru will be pleased.
Not wanting to linger a second longer, Haruto released his demonic aura and transformed into a gigantic black bear. As he sprinted back to base camp, General Katsu let out an uproarious laugh before following.
Sesshoumaru's pointed ears picked up the sound of colossal paws tromping across the ground. It seems the bear was eager to retreat to the comforts of his camp. An amused smirk tugged on the corner of his thin lips. Turning back to Totosai, the demon lord inspected the progressed the smithy had made on his commission.
"Do you think this Sesshoumaru so weak to need such oversized armor?" The Western Lord picked up a spiked pauldron from the worktable and frowned. "Construct it again." Mo-Mo let out a defeated moo as Sesshoumaru dropped the metal into the forge.
One of Totosai's bulbous eyes began to twitch. This is why he didn't want to adhere to the young lord's summons. Nothing was ever good enough for him. "Why don't you tell me exactly what you are wanting, Lord Sesshoumaru."
"Hm." That was the only response the demon blacksmith received before the Western lord departed the makeshift workshop. Totosai's soot covered knuckles turned white from clutching his hammer. It was almost worth dying trying to smack the frustrating dog.
Stepping out of the tent, Sesshoumaru was greeted by the summer sun's heat. It was a scorching reminder that four years had passed since he left his home. Undoubtedly, General Katsu would succeed in his plan to take control of both Eastern and Western armies. Under his leadership, this war will end before the demon lord's promised deadline to the priestess.
A humanoid Lord Haruto rounded the eastern troops barracks followed by General Katsu. Judging by the smug expression on the dog demon's face, the general was indeed successful in his scheme.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," The bear demon greeted the Western Lord while looking rather unwell. "Your General and I have come to an… agreement. I will hold a conference tonight to go over the details with my advisors. Your attendance is very much encouraged." After rushing through his speech, Haruto continued his way to the nearby river to bathe.
"I think we deserve a drink. What say you?" Katsu gave Sesshoumaru his award-winning smile, and the two headed for the lord's quarters.
Upon entering the large tent, the general sat in front of the table where sake had been left out. He noted a parcel had also been placed there for the demon lord. The items were covered in Lady Kagome's floral scent.
"Looks like a present has arrived for you." Katsu peered up at Sesshoumaru while he poured each of them a sake serving.
After removing his heavy silk clothes, Sesshoumaru quickly dressed in a blue yukata. However, in his haste to investigate the gift box, he only managed to put on one sleeve, leaving the other draped around his waist. He sat across from the general while tucking his grown-out silver bangs behind his ear.
As his lord eagerly took hold of the package, Katsu watched as sterling hair pooled around his exposed body. "Maybe it's time you let one of Lord Haruto's concubines trim your hair." The suggestion earned the general a murderous glare as the demon lord used a deadly claw to slice open the parcel.
"Forget I mentioned it…" He sipped his drink silently while Sesshoumaru pulled a strange-looking object from the box.
Sesshoumaru examined the shiny pink mystery item in his hand. Golden eyes took in the glass-like spheres and strange symbols etched into what he assumed was the front. Passing the gadget to the general, he reached back into the container and pulled out a piece of parchment and a smaller box. Unfolding the paper, he read the note left by the priestess.
Sesshoumaru,
You asked that I explain how photographs are taken, but you might also enjoy witnessing the process.
The pink item is called a Polaroid Camera. The smaller box contains Polaroid film used to create images. It is made up of three layers: the top layer is a see-through sheet, the middle layer is the film emulsion (a light-sensitive liquid), and the bottom layer is a developing agent (a chemical that makes the captured image visible). When light enters the camera and hits the film, it initiates a chemical reaction that starts the development process…
As the demon lord read and educated himself on the science behind using film to create portraits, a bright flash of light filled the tent. Blinking a few times until he could no longer see spots, Sesshoumaru looked up at the stunned expression on the general's face. The camera began to make a loud buzzing noise as an object like the ones Rin had sent him fell out.
Both demons stared down at the tiny black window on the Polaroid. As an image began to form, they leaned in closer to try to make out the details.
Staring back up at the dog demons was a closeup picture of General Katsu's face from the nose up.
"Hm." Sesshoumaru broke the silence and took a drink from his cup. The priestess had been correct; it was fascinating to see the process firsthand.
Another flash illuminated the room, but this time, it temporarily blinded the Western Lord. Once his vision returned, he was met with a cheeky grin from Katsu as a second Polaroid landed on the table.