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EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 50: Tenbasuto

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On a dark and stormy night hundreds of years ago, a general stole a bolt of lightning.

The previous Lord of the Western Lands was a cunning and ambitious man – an unfortunate combination for those who encountered him – and it was thanks to those defining traits that he often ended up doing rather . . . questionable things in his youth, such as picking fights with dragons, bargaining with wizards, sailing the seas for a dead pirate's hidden loot, and kidnapping human princesses.

Some were less true than others.

One of these deplorable acts was stealing a bolt of lightning from a panther named Shuran. Now, it should be noted that this wasn't an act done out of malice, nor was it even a proper theft, as such. Touga had a habit of borrowing things and forgetting to return them. This meant that he collected a large number of enemies over the years, and because Touga had another habit of losing the things that he borrowed, he struggled to reconcile with these enemies.

However, this time was different.

He hadn't lost the lightning bolt, but he had no intention of giving it back. Not that he could anymore. He'd taken the lightning bolt to a smith, who had fused it into his sword, the Tessaiga, and the process was quite irreversible. One of Touga's hobbies was collecting new attacks for his sword, although 'collecting' usually translated to stealing, even if he didn't realise it.

The bolt of lightning taken from the panther Shuran allowed the sword to generate its own lightning. It was wildly unpredictable, but Touga wasn't one to give up easily, so he refused to surrender the attack without a fight.

Upon learning this, Shuran and his siblings were furious. Their master, the Panther King, was offended by the warlord's lack of courtesy and challenged him to a battle. This didn't end well for the panthers, for Touga was a seasoned war general and had an array of powerful attacks to prove it, including the new one that had been born from the lightning bolt, Tenbasuto.

Unfortunately, the attack was too much for Touga to handle, and he lost control, which resulted in the Panther King losing his life. Filled with regret, Touga asked his friend the smith to remove both Tenbasuto and the other attack he'd been unable to master, Meido Zangetsuha. The smith created a new sword from the Tessaiga and welded the two attacks to its blade. Touga planned to give the new sword to his eldest son in the hopes that he might succeed where he had failed.

And that was how the Tenseiga came to be.

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Sesshoumaru scowled at the panthers. "You expect me to believe that my father stole from you?" he said with a scoff. "Ridiculous. He was no thief."

"He most certainly was," countered Toran. "You know he was. He stole Meido Zangetsuha from Shishinki, just as he stole Tenbasuto from Shuran. His legacy was built on lies."

"You're wrong," he snarled. "Shishinki was unworthy of the attack."

"So were you," Karan reminded him. "Your brother has it now, doesn't he? It must sting to lose to a hanyou. I'm surprised you gave it up so easily. Your father wouldn't have."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red.

Shunran shot him a sympathetic look. "There's no need to be angry," she said. "We all have our flaws. So your father liked power. Who doesn't? He wasn't the only one with an ego the size of Nihon. Our master wanted to be a conqueror, and his hunger for world domination put him in an early grave. If your father hadn't killed him, someone else would have."

"Six years ago, the four of you were determined to bring your master back to life. You're only alive because I saved you. What makes you think you have the right to lecture me?"

"We're not trying to lecture you," Shuran replied. "We're trying to make you understand. It doesn't matter if you're worthy or not. What matters is your father stole something that didn't belong to him. Tenbasuto was mine. I'm not asking for it back. It's too late for that."

"Get to the point," Sesshoumaru growled.

"You'll never be able to harness its power without my help. The lightning is linked to your heart. If you want to learn to use it properly, you have to master your emotions."

Sesshoumaru paused. Master his emotions, eh? That wouldn't be an issue. He was a staple of control. He always had been, ever since the beginning. He'd learned to hide what he was feeling from everyone around him, and to never act impulsively. Becoming a blank slate was something he excelled at naturally. This was going to be easier than he'd thought.

"Well?" asked Toran. "Have you made your choice?"

"I have."

"And?"

He met her wintry stare and said, "I accept your terms. From this day forth, our clans will be allies, lest of course you betray me. I suggest that you don't do that."

Karan laughed. "We won't."

Shunran dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "My lord," she said.

Her siblings did the same.

Sesshoumaru drew the Tenseiga and told them to rise. He refused to admit it out loud, but he was already having conflicting feelings about his father, and the story about the lightning bolt had only made it worse. The message in Mandarin was still fresh in his mind. Octavia was the first friend he'd had in decades. Why shouldn't he trust her? What had his father known that he didn't?

"We don't have to start right away," Shuran clarified. "We can wait until your guests have left to begin the—"

"That won't be necessary. Go ahead."

"If you insist." Shuran studied the Tenseiga carefully and folded his arms across his chest. "Am I correct in assuming that you can't yet summon the lightning at will?" he asked.

"You are," confirmed Sesshoumaru.

"I thought that might be the case. That's today's lesson, then. You have to be able to call upon the lightning without needing to rely on your emotions to do it for you. Sure, it's handy having it pop up when you need it, but to truly master it, you need to have constant access to it."

He liked the sound of that. Whilst he wasn't overly keen on being bossed around by a cat, it would be worth it if he was able to use the technique whenever he wanted, instead of always relying on it to save him at the last second. The Tenseiga would submit to him in the end. After all, he was its master. He'd treated it poorly in the past, but he'd learned a great deal since then. He'd never abandon it as his father had. It was far too valuable to be cast aside like garbage.

As soon as the thought flashed through his head, the Tenseiga's blade flared to life. A coating of blue light enveloped the sword, warming his hand, which had been cold for so very long.

Shuran grinned. "That's it. The blade is ready. Let's find out if you are, too."

His siblings left the immediate vicinity, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with the lightning user. Shuran cracked his fingers and spread his legs, whilst Sesshoumaru raised his sword and pointed it at Shuran. The light grew brighter and started crackling, responding to the panther's presence.

"Now strike me," he said, extending his arms in invitation.

Instead of running at him in a straight line, Sesshoumaru vaulted over him and swung his sword in a horizontal curve. Shuran spun on his heels and knocked the Tenseiga away with his own lightning. Sesshoumaru did a backflip to avoid being hit and landed on top of the stronghold wall. He had no intention of taking the fight inside where prying eyes might see, so he leapt onto a nearby branch and waited for Shuran's next move.

The panther held both hands in front of him and fired a blast of lightning at Sesshoumaru, which he dodged. The lightning hit the branch he'd been standing on and stripped all colour from the tree. Sesshoumaru used the sounds and smells to his advantage. He appeared behind Shuran and slashed at him with his sword, but somehow, Shuran was still faster. He caught the Tenseiga's blade with his hand and added a pulse of his own lightning, extinguishing the blue light.

Sesshoumaru backed away and examined the sword, which was no longer crackling. Shuran chuckled and wiggled his fingers. Electricity flowed through his joints, turning his skin blue.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sesshoumaru snarled.

"The lightning doesn't trust you yet. Eliminate all doubt from your heart. It will never accept you if you don't."

"What doubt?"

"You feel inferior to your brother. Your father gave him everything and you nothing. You worry that if you master this attack, the Tessaiga will reabsorb it as it did Meido Zangetsuha."

Sesshoumaru gripped the Tenseiga's hilt tighter. Inferior? Him? What a preposterous claim. Whilst it was true that he resented Inuyasha for being the favourite, Sesshoumaru knew his own worth. With or without the Tessaiga, Inuyasha would always be weaker than him.

Apart from when his demon side took over. When Inuyasha lost his humanity, he became a mindless beast that was incapable of distinguishing friend from foe. He stopped holding back. His doubts vanished and he became unstoppable.

Eliminate all doubt from your heart.

"Your father is gone!" Toran shouted from her perch on the wall.

Sesshoumaru glanced up and saw her, Karan and Shunran all watching him from above.

"He's gone," Toran repeated. "Does it matter what he wanted? You're in charge now. Not him. The Western Lands are yours. His allies are yours. What more could you want?"

"I want everything!" he roared. "It's what I'm owed!"

Shuran's eyes danced. "Then take it."

He fired another blast of lightning, which Sesshoumaru evaded with ease.

Despite his attempts to awaken it, the Tenseiga remained unresponsive. Furious, he lunged for Shuran with his claws. They embedded themselves in his broad chest and drew blood, but the panther didn't seem to care.

Shuran opened his mouth and spewed lightning, shattering Sesshoumaru's spiked shoulder plate and scorching his left sleeve. Grunting in surprise, Sesshoumaru quickly leapt away. Blood trickled down Shuran's chest from where he'd been scratched. The blood sizzled as the electricity beneath his skin fizzed and boiled it. Before Sesshoumaru could figure out what was happening, Shuran coated his fingers in his own molten blood and flung it at him.

Sesshoumaru managed to leap out of the way just in time to avoid being burned.

He couldn't understand how any of this was happening. Had the panther youkai always been this strong? Or had he gotten weaker since their last encounter? The thought infuriated him.

He glared down at the Tenseiga, willing it awake.

Come on. Answer me! Or will you only speak to her now?

"Control yourself," Shuran chastised, charging his claws with lightning. "Banish your doubts. The time for chasing ghosts is over. Trust in who you are. And most of all, believe."

Sesshoumaru recoiled at the words. As much as he loathed to admit it, the panther was right. All this time, he'd felt like a poor substitute for his father. Why would the Tenseiga want to serve someone who refused to see its worth? It was no wonder that it wouldn't answer him. He'd been waiting for the sword to prove itself to him when it should have been the other way around.

He wasn't the only one who'd been cast aside and abandoned.

Is that why you protected me? he mused, remembering the time he'd almost lost his life to Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu. Did you think we were kindred spirits? Are we still?

Shuran smirked. "Do you get it now? Do you understand why you weren't able to access the technique before? Tenbasuto is ardent and unpredictable. Control was never an issue for you. It was your heart that was the problem. Before, it was closed, but now it's open."

The Tenseiga pulsed in his hand.

Was it true? Had he really changed that much?

He thought back to the first time he'd used the technique. The crone had been about to catch up to them, but then a searing blue light appeared, and time seemed to stop. Octavia had been in his head. She'd felt his doubt. She'd seen the truth. Why hadn't he listened to her?

You might not want this sword, but it wants you.

Shuran created a whip made of lightning and charged at him without warning. Sesshoumaru avoided it and tore forwards like a bullet. Shuran was fast, but this time, he was faster. He grabbed the panther by the shoulder and plunged the Tenseiga through his neck. Shuran gasped around the blade, unable to talk, and his sisters howled with laughter from the wall.

There was no blood. The Tenseiga couldn't harm living beings, so Shuran felt no pain, but had it been any other weapon, he'd have been dead in an instant. It couldn't have been comfortable having a sword lodged in your throat, though. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he slowly pulled the blade out of Shuran's neck, granting him access to his vocal cords again.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked, rubbing the hole in his throat. It only took a few seconds for it to heal. Once it had, there wasn't any indication that it had been there, at all.

"You talk too much," Sesshoumaru answered.

Shuran arched a brow and grinned. "I'll bear that in mind."

The panther's entire torso started glowing. Blue lines appeared on his skin, and his hands sputtered with lightning. The eyes on his diadem suddenly shone like sapphires, before the cat's head turned from gold to white as electricity flowed through the metal.

Despite the threat, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and reached out to the Tenseiga with his heart. He felt another pulse before the blade once again exploded with blue light. Smirking, he clutched the handle with two hands and stood his ground as the light expanded and hissed like a bonfire.

Shuran's diadem glowed brighter.

Sesshoumaru's face elongated in response, and his large, venomous tongue darted out to moisten his sharp teeth. The Tenseiga sensed the surge of youki and responded in kind. At least half a dozen arms made out of lightning extended from the blade and flailed around him like seaweed, pushing back his hair and clothes. His glee made the lightning thrash harder. It enveloped him in a searing embrace and mingled with his youki, becoming even more powerful.

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Meanwhile, Cyril was in the middle of taking samples from the Reikon Blade.

He was about to apply a couple of drops of potion when a blinding light suddenly filled the room, breaking everything that it touched. Panicked, Cyril attempted to suppress the dagger's magic with his own, but the intensity of the light increased, forcing him to shield his eyes. A burst of purple energy flung him against a mirror on the wall. The mirror cracked behind him and pieces of it tumbled to the floor, creating a bed of knives that sliced open his skin.

Across the room, he saw the crystal in the dagger blinking on and off. Or maybe that was just his vision failing. The purple sparks that the dagger was producing were definitely real, though. But why was it reacting like this? As far as he was aware, he hadn't done anything to activate it.

He wondered if it had anything to do with the burst of youki he'd sensed, before everything went dark, and he could no longer hear the Reikon Blade hissing from the workbench.

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What do you desire most in this world, my son?

Sesshoumaru contemplated his father's words as the blue lights swirled around him. He remembered that conversation well. They'd been training on the beach. It was sunset, but Daiyoukai didn't stop for anything, especially not the dark. After hours of unsuccessfully trying to strike his father with his fists, Sesshoumaru had been too tired to properly think about his answer.

I want to win, he'd said, panting.

His father had laughed whilst he'd dodged another punch. Is that all?

Back then, Sesshoumaru hadn't understood what his father had meant by that, so he'd carried on punching all night. He'd never managed to hit his target. Not even once.

What else did he want besides power? He wasn't sure. He'd just assumed that if he became powerful, then everything would automatically fall into place. He hadn't expected it to be so . . . meaningless. It was like climbing to the top of the world's tallest mountain. It would be a great accomplishment, yes, but there was nothing waiting for him at the top. The view would probably be nice, but that was all it would be – just a view of somewhere better and more beautiful.

What was the point of having power if it didn't make you happy? That was what he'd wanted. Wasn't it? To be accepted? It was the same thing that Octavia wanted. What fools they both were. Being powerful didn't make you feel any less lonely. If anything, it only made it worse.

The Tenseiga rattled ferociously. His eyes were glazed over with red, but his thoughts had never been clearer. His doubts vanished and he opened his mind to the sword, which confirmed his suspicions. That was why it had listened to her that day. That was why it had disobeyed him in favour of her. It had found another kindred spirit. The knowledge almost made him smile.

Almost.

"You're ready," breathed Shuran, giving him space.

Toran, Karan and Shunran leaned forwards in anticipation as Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and focused on commanding the lightning without words. When he reopened them, his irises were a pure cobalt blue, and they were glowing. The light from the Tenseiga tripled in both size and brightness, turning the rest of their surroundings blue.

When Sesshoumaru opened his mouth and spoke, his voice sounded like thunder.

"Tenbasu—"

He stopped before he could finish the word. As the light faded, he sniffed the air and growled, encouraging the panthers to do the same.

He smelled blood.

It wasn't Shuran's.

"Who is that?" asked Karan.

"I don't recognise their scent," replied Toran. "But they're coming this way."

Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword and joined them on the wall. His face was still half transformed when he spotted something in the clouds above the horizon. The sky rumbled and it started raining, much to Shunran's dismay. She removed her outer robe and used it as a veil to cover her hair. If it hadn't been for the silhouette in the clouds, they would have run for cover by now.

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw as he watched it fly closer.

Unlike the panthers, he knew the scent, but the blood was someone else's.

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Octavia was awoken by a clap of thunder.

She scrubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, relieved to see that Rin was still playing with the stray cat they'd befriended earlier. A colossal grey cloud had taken up residence in the sky, blocking out the sun. Octavia frowned and removed the grass from her hair.

Prince Kosuke was still dozing beneath the tree, and his younger brother Rafu was picking daisies for Rin. According to their mother, the prince was experiencing his first ever crush, which Octavia thought was adorable. Unfortunately, Rafu was only a young boy, but even if he was old enough, she doubted that Sesshoumaru would even entertain the idea of letting him court Rin.

Smiling, she glanced over at Sou and realised that he was working up the nerve to touch the cat. Rin showed him how it liked having its ears scratched and encouraged him to try it. The cat sensed his reluctance and miaowed loudly, spooking him. Rin giggled at the bird youkai's shell-shocked reaction and picked the cat up to rub noses with it, which made it purr.

A second thunderclap prompted Kosuke to open his eyes and study the sky.

"It's going to rain," he said.

Octavia snorted. "You think?"

Kosuke smiled. He and Rafu weren't anything like Hiroto. They were both witty and kind. And as for Toshiyuki, she'd only spoken to him once, but he seemed nice enough.

Kosuke was her favourite, though. He reminded her of Koga, except he was less of a flirt. She hadn't told him that it was Hiroto who'd given her the nasty scrapes on her neck, but she had a feeling that he knew. She wondered if the Lord of the Southern Lands did, too.

Rin carried on playing with the cat, oblivious to the oncoming storm. She'd probably ask Sesshoumaru if she could keep it. Saying yes would get him in her good graces again. The cat had been coming here for a while. The fact that it had to scrounge food from a stronghold full of youkai indicated that it was an orphan. What was the harm in adding another one to the family?

Her eyes widened.

Family, huh? Was that what this was? Being with them made her happy. When was the last time she'd felt happy? It had been so long. There might not be a place for her with the other warlords and their courts, but she belonged with Rin and the others. She wasn't lonely anymore. It was a wonderful feeling. She didn't want to lose it. Not when she'd worked so hard to get here.

Kosuke leapt to his feet and inhaled deeply. Thunder boomed in the distance, closer than the first two. His brow creased and he frowned. He seemed confused by something.

A drop of water landed on her head. Then another. And another. Until everything was damp with rain. Rin squealed and sprinted over to the tree they were sheltering under, which didn't actually provide much cover. Sou and Rafu did the same, but the cat darted down a nearby rabbit hole. Rin pouted and tried to coax it out, but the cat stayed where it was.

Octavia shifted her attention back to Kosuke, whose jaw was set firmly.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I thought I smelled . . . Never mind."

"Onii-san," Rafu whispered, tugging his brother's sleeve. "Whose blood is that?"

They all ran to the nearest gate, where a small crowd was gathered. Octavia instantly recognised them as members of the other courts. Even the warlords themselves were present, excluding Sesshoumaru for some reason. They were completely silent as they stood beneath the gate with their heads tipped towards the stormy sky. Kosuke and Rafu saw their mother and jogged over to her. When she turned, Lady Konami was wearing the same baffled expression as Kosuke.

The rain was coming down hard now.

Rin spotted Jaken in the crowd at pointed him out to Octavia. Sou watched from afar whilst they ran to the imp and asked him what was going on.

"Something's coming," he whispered. "I don't know what, but I can sense it. I wish Sesshoumaru-sama were here."

"It's a trick," Hiroto growled suddenly. "It has to be."

Lady Maiha was trembling. Octavia watched as she stretched out her hand and slowly shook her head. The Lord of the Northern Lands held her by the shoulders and whispered something in her ear. The demoness's eyes filled with tears, and she leaned into his touch.

At that exact moment, the sun broke through the clouds, causing the raindrops to sparkle as they fell. Octavia heard Rin gasp beside her and followed her gaze to a shape on the horizon.

It was moving.

She grabbed Rin's hand and gripped it tightly, struggling to breathe. Her body felt cold all of a sudden, and her eyes burned with tears. The despair was too strong. She couldn't think straight.

Her magic was acting by itself. She'd latched onto whatever creature was flying towards them without even realising it and tuned into its emotions. She could feel its pain. It was screaming. But its wounds weren't physical. The creature's body was unharmed, but its mind was in turmoil. She closed her eyes to stop her tears from spilling and tried to locate the source of its pain.

It was grief.

She slapped a hand over her mouth in horror and opened her eyes. She recognised the creature's powerful aura. Kosuke's confusion made sense now. Why hadn't she realised it sooner?

"Arashi!" Maiha choked as the clouds parted above their heads.

A dragon was plummeting towards the ground in front of them. Its azure scales shimmered in the sunlight, and the beads of water in its mane glittered like diamonds. The ground shook when it landed on its hind legs and pinned the crowd with its yellow irises. The dragon's pupils were nearly invisible, and the whites of its eyes were as red as the blood coating its talons.

Octavia squinted her eyes to try and see what it was holding, but a cloud of blue smoke engulfed the dragon, indicating that a metamorphosis was taking place.

The smoke eventually dissolved, revealing a blue-haired woman with grey eyes and gill-shaped markings on her neck. She was carrying a human man in her arms, who was covered in blood.

He wasn't breathing.

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