"I swear to God, I'm going to kill them. Stupid dogs!" Kagome muttered under her breath, struggling to keep up with Inuyasha. Every time she got close, he darted off again, like a coward. She was tired, sweaty, and now had twigs stuck in her hair. Perfect.
"Dammit, Inuyasha! Sit!"
She smirked at the satisfying thud of his body hitting the ground, a startled yelp escaping him. If he was going to act like a child, she was more than ready to treat him like one.
Jogging over to where she'd heard the crash, Kagome found Inuyasha sprawled in a crater, fighting to free himself from the subjugation beads hold, his struggles only deepening the hole he was stuck in.
"Knock it off, I just want to talk!" Kagome huffed, out of breath as she stood over him.
Wild, gold eyes met hers, and instead of calming down, Inuyasha doubled his efforts, clearly trying to find a way to escape. "No way! That basta—I mean, Sesshoumaru will gut me if he sees us together!"
"Ugh!" Kagome dragged her hands down her face, exhausted from both the chase and his refusal to cooperate. She wasn't in the mood for this. All she wanted were some damn answers. Seeing him preparing to dash off again, she erected a barrier, watching with grim satisfaction as Inuyasha slammed face-first into it and toppled backward. "Don't worry about Sesshoumaru. I'll make sure he behaves. Now S-I-T down and stop trying to get away!"
Inuyasha finally stilled but crouched as far away from her as possible, his eyes darting around like a cornered animal. Even now, he was eyeing the barrier, likely trying to figure out if he could claw his way through it. But one more threat of being S-I-T-ted had him sulking in place.
Collapsing onto the ground herself, Kagome took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Where is Shippo?"
Inuyasha still eyed her warily, as if expecting her to lash out at him. "I dropped the brat off at school. If he's not there, it's got nothing to do with me."
Kagome narrowed her eyes, sensing his defensiveness. She was used to his grumpy, arrogant attitude, but this was different. This was fear. "Fine. I believe you. But why are you here? I didn't know you and Sesshoumaru were on speaking terms."
His response was almost evasive, his gaze fixed on the dirt rather than her. "We… came to an understanding, that's all."
Kagome noticed a flicker of movement beyond her barrier, but before she could comment, Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I answered your question, okay? The kid is safe. I'm just trying to lay low."
She knew she wasn't going to get anything else out of him today. He was too spooked, too ready to bolt. "Can we talk later then? There are still things I want to know."
Inuyasha gave a quick nod, his ears twitching nervously. "Sure, whatever, just… make sure he is okay with it. Your guard dog is waiting."
With one last glance at the half-demon, Kagome lowered the barrier, and Inuyasha wasted no time darting into the trees, vanishing like a ghost.
Sighing in frustration, Kagome stood and brushed dirt and leaves from her clothes. She knew whatever had him acting so twitchy had Sesshoumaru's name written all over it. And to think, he had the nerve to threaten to take her in front of the camp just because she wanted to talk to Inuyasha. Always so over-the-top, so needlessly dramatic.
She turned around and called out. "I know you're there. Come out."
After a moment, Masaru stepped out from behind a tree, his blonde hair tousled by the wind, green eyes nervous as he approached. "We should head back, Lady Kagome."
Great. Another timid dog. Just what she needed.
Kagome crossed her arms, glaring at him. "I'll go back, but I don't want to see him."
She didn't miss the way Masaru paled at her words but said nothing more. With a huff, she began marching back toward camp. Sesshoumaru was going to get an earful later—if she even bothered to talk to him at all.
The moment Haruto felt the sharp sting of Sesshoumaru's power rippling beneath his feet, a cold sweat broke out across his skin. He could feel it like an undeniable, deadly omen drawing closer with every pulse through the earth. Sesshoumaru was coming, and he wasn't here for a conversation. Haruto cursed under his breath, trying to maintain his cool as he hastily attempted to wrap up the council meeting. There was a hellhound at his heels, and it wouldn't be satisfied with a simple apology.
"I say we ignore the summons," grunted an elderly brown bear, leaning back in his chair as if the world weren't about to collapse around them. He tossed the scroll marked with the Western seal announcing the gathering of lords back onto the table. "Just because he slayed Lord Raika does not mean he can decide who governs these lands. The other lords had no involvement in this war. Why should we involve them now?"
Another violent shockwave of power surged through the ground, this one stronger. It rattled the wooden beams of the tent, causing Haruto to stumble. The arrogant bravado of his council member grated on him. How could the old fools not feel what was coming? Haruto's hands fumbled with parchment, quills slipping through his trembling fingers as he scrambled to gather his things. Escape was the only thought in his mind now.
"Let's continue this conversation at the Eastern Shiro," Haruto blurted. He had to get out of here—now.
An uneasy silence fell over the tent as his advisors exchanged glances, their eyes narrowing in confusion at their lord's frantic behavior. They could sense the shift in the air, though they didn't understand it. They were used to Haruto's confidence, his bluster. This was something new—something they've never seen from him.
Before anyone could voice their concerns, the temperature inside the tent plummeted, an ominous, suffocating aura seeping in like smoke. Then, without warning, the tent's entrance flap was torn aside with violent force.
"Haruto."
One word. The name alone, spoken in Sesshoumaru's cold, baritone voice, was enough to cause the Eastern Lord's to nearly piss himself. His heart was hammering in his chest as he forced himself to turn toward the Western Lord. A golden gaze, sharper than any blade, swept over the gathering of Haruto's council—a pathetic collection of ancient bears who suddenly seemed all too frail and useless.
Sesshoumaru's lips curled into a sneer. "Attempting a coup," his voice a dangerous drawl, "with such a pitiful maul of mongrels."
The words were dripping with contempt, each one a dagger aimed at Haruto's pride. The elder bears, still seated around the table, exchanged nervous glances, their earlier boisterous behavior evaporating under Sesshomaru's heated gaze. They had been so confident moments ago, so sure of themselves. But now? Now they felt like prey cornered by a predator far beyond their understanding.
Haruto swallowed hard, his mouth dry. He had anticipated many things when he allowed his council to convince him into claiming the Southern lands, but facing down an enraged Sesshoumaru in person had not been one of them. The demon lord's power radiated from him in waves, pressing against the room like a storm about to break.
"This isn't—" Haruto stammered, words failing him as his eyes darted to his useless council members, who sat frozen in their seats. "It was a misunderstanding—"
"A misunderstanding?" Sesshomaru's repeated. His eyes flicked to Haruto, pinning him in place. "You insult me, Lord Haruto. You think you can deceive me and then claim ignorance? Did you believe I would not notice?"
Before Lord Haruto could even attempt to stammer out a desperate defense, a gray-haired bear demon at the table, the one to suggest ignoring the summons, leaned forward and stood with a snarl etched on his weathered face.
"While you were off getting your dick wet with your human whore, Lord Haruto remained behind to finish what he started!" The old bear's voice was dripping with contempt, his black, beady eyes gleaming as they zeroed in on Sesshoumaru's damaged armor and the exposed skin where his haori had burned away. His gaze lingered, gloating. "Looks like even you couldn't tame the priestess. How disgraceful. A young lord like you, repeating your father's—"
The words never had a chance to finish.
Sesshoumaru moved in a blur of deadly grace, faster than any of the eyes in the room could track. One moment he stood by the door next to Katsu, the next he was looming over the councilman like a specter of death. His hand shot out, claws slicing effortlessly through skin and muscle of the bear's throat. The sound of tearing flesh was sickening, abrupt, and final. Sesshoumaru's arm jerked back, dragging with it the elder's trachea.
The councilman choked, his eyes wide with shock as he gurgled in disbelief. Blood spurted from the gaping wound in thick, arterial bursts, splattering the table and the horrified faces of the remaining council members. His body twitched, crumpling into a lifeless heap, crimson pooling beneath him.
Sesshoumaru stood over the corpse with cold indifference, shaking the blood from his claws with a sharp flick of his wrist. His darkened eyes, now gleaming with fury, turned slowly to the rest of the council. The room was silent, the only sound was the faint drip of blood from his hand hitting the floor.
"Does anyone else wish to speak ill of my chosen mate?" He said in a low, deadly voice.
No one dared move. No one dared breathe.
"You overestimate your station," Sesshoumaru pressed on. "You believe yourselves untouchable, protected by titles and age. But you are nothing more than rotting carcasses, clinging to the scraps of power left behind by those greater than you."
The dog demon stepped over the lifeless body without a downward glance, his boots slick with crimson. His glowing golden eyes locked onto Haruto.
The Eastern Lord watched in frozen terror as Sesshoumaru drew nearer. His imposing figure seemed to grow more monstrous with each step, as if the very shadows bent to his will, creeping closer to swallow the room whole.
When he finally stopped before Haruto, his voice was eerily calm. "Do you still wish to undermine me?"
Haruto's mouth opened, but no words came out. His throat tightened, eyes wide with fear as he met the Western Lord's gaze—a gaze that promised only death should he make the wrong move. Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable, save for the simmering amber storm in his eyes.
"Or will it take killing every one of your advisors," Sesshoumaru continued in a menacing growl, "for you to fully grasp the error of your ways?" His claws flexed, as if ready to strike again.
Haruto's eyes flicked down to the blood now pooling around his feet, the sight of his fallen councilman causing bile to fill his mouth.
Sesshoumaru leaned in, his voice a venomous whisper only the bear lord could hear. "Defy me again, and I will lay waste to everything you hold dear. Your lands. Your titles. Your bloodline. I will erase you from history."
A sharp, breathless gasp escaped from one of the remaining councilmen as they watched their lord slowly sink to his knees. His hands, now stained with the blood of his fallen advisor, trembled as they pressed into the ground. His forehead followed, touching the wet earth, a gesture of submission he had never thought himself capable of. But now, with the Western Lord towering above him, his defiance had been shattered like brittle glass.
"I beg your forgiveness, Lord Sesshoumaru," Haruto's voice wavered as it left his lips. "I was weak… I allowed others to dictate my actions."
Haruto dared not look up, the weight of Sesshoumaru's gaze pressing down on him like the edge of a blade hovering just above his neck.
"Myself and my heir," Haruto continued, his voice cracking under the strain, "we will attend the gathering of the lords… and respect the outcome of their decision regarding the Southern territories."
Sesshoumaru's lips curled slightly, disdain flashing across his features as he looked down at the pathetic beast kneeling in the blood of his own men.
"I expected more from you, though, perhaps I should not have." Sesshoumaru's remarked.
He stepped closer and crouched down slightly. "Do not mistake this mercy for forgiveness, Lord Haruto. I offer it not out of kindness, but because your life serves me better in submission than in death."
Without another word, Sesshoumaru rose back to his full height and swiftly left the tent. Leaving behind chaos and terror in his wake.