Chapter 33
Inuyasha and Kagome place Moroha on a bed in the nurse's office with Misako who is still immobilized in a different bed in the next room. Yuki helps put some bandages onto Meiko's forehead.
"How so?" Inuyasha asks her curiously.
"In the past the Sakura Trees are meant to keep the school calm at all times. That's why half demons were sent here to tame their demon blood in check. So far, it's been that way until someone misused the tree's gift and plants a demon tree with the school trees' properties. That's when the curse started." Yuki begins so far.
"How does the curse work though?" Kagome asks as she uses her spiritual powers on Moroha. Yuki signs with a frown. "The demon tree uses its pedals to scatter around the school grounds. If anyone makes contact a single pedal, they become very positive yet calm at the same time. However, it's a side effect. It takes a person's memory of a particular moment of their life. Tell me something, did Moroha wanted to try something that might interest her?"
Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. "Well, Moroha wanted to join a club and it intrigued her because there was a news article about her ten years ago for helping solve a case that put Misako in prison. But out of school, she's more into the combat training and meditation." Kagome explains to Yuki.
"But the twins, our nieces had their sights on something. Towa wanted to tryout with the track and field team while Setsuna wanted to play the violin." Inuyasha said next.
Yuki widens her eyes. "Please tell me that they're ok. They're not hurt." Kagome gently lifts her hands. "It's ok. They're back hold, but there's something wrong with them."
Yuki nods. Inuyasha looks back to Moroha resting with ease. "There's something manipulating their demon blood and my brother is using the sword in the family to hold off their transformation." He said.
"But Moroha is a different case. She's a quarter demon because I'm a priestess as well as a human, while Inuyasha is a half demon too." Kagome spoke to them.
Yuki hmms to them. "You just said the a sword in your family is taking care of the twins' transformation. Is that the sword?" She points to the Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha instinctively holds onto the handle. "No, this is my sword. The one with the twins is the other sword. It belongs to my brother. Ever since Moroha's demon blood acted up, I thought that this sword would calm it down, even if her spiritual powers are not working."
"Then how is it that you're able to get in? Only half demons and quarter demons are allowed to enter." Yuki seems confused. Kagome smiles sadly. "I'm priestess like I said so I was able to put a barrier to gain entry into the school because Misako is the one who's been messing with the twins' and Moroha's demon blood."
Meiko look back to the room where Misako is still there in the same state. "Aunt Yuki. Why would Misako come after us? What did we ever do to her?"
Yuki doesn't know herself. After all she's the new principal of the school.
"Misako is after any half demons she can get her hands on. She was after me and Moroha ever since. But she had to be careful not to be spotted by anyone here. She must've taken your place while you were out cold. And when she heard about the murder of a student, she thought whoever was responsible, she would use the pedals to make sure that whoever killed that student was innocent, hence why the next day no one really knew the student." Inuyasha said with his arms crossed.
"But something bothers me." Kagome said to him. Inuyasha looks at her. "If the demon tree is to calm the students here, would it also corrupt the demon blood and make any of the half demons transform into their full demon form?"
Yuki holds her chin. "Ever since I took the position, I had to go through the archives of the school's history when a student transformed and killed another student. No one didn't really remember as if the day never existed. But I know one thing is for sure."
"Whenever a half demon transforms into a demon, they can't recall what happened." Inuyasha said to her. Yuki nods. "Exactly. The transformation doesn't want their host to know that it was him or her that did the deed. Which was why the pedals was the cause at the time. Each year's murder was always the same. Student being turned into a full demon to kill another with amnesia, all due with the demon tree's pedals."
"According to my partners in my work, the students would get used to fragrance of the plant as well. As such they can't really tell as time goes one. But the longer the student gets to the scent, the more potent the pedal effects the half demon's mind." Inuyasha said to her wisely.
Kagome sighs, "At least that didn't happen to our girls. My daughter created bracelets to prevent the trigger from the pedals if they touched them. But I don't understand why they're transforming."
"That's because I have their DNA." Misako spoke to them from the room she was in. Inuyasha immediately goes into the room to see that immobilization technique wore off. But her cuffs are still locked as well as chained to the metal bedframe. Kagome also puts up another barrier to prevent her from escaping.
"And how was it that you get their DNA?" Inuyasha asks her threateningly.
Misako chuckle darkly. "It's simple. No matter what we do throughout the day, there's a possibility that a piece of us would leave something behind without realizing it until it's too late. For example, hair follicles is a prime example of our DNA. Moroha and twins brush their hair due to how they want to keep it in place. And the one from in this entire school has that. The locker room. I can deter which strain of hair belongs to while girl and use it to my advantage."
Kagome and Inuyasha narrow their eyes in suspicion to see rather or not Misako is bluffing. "And if you think I'm lying, allow me to demonstrate it with Moroha's hair." Misako shows a strain of their daughter's hair. She pulls out a Sakura pedal. "And once they touch each other…" She does just that.
"AH!" Moroha screams in agony as she is trying to subdue the demon blood that is trying to control her mind. "MOROHA! NO!" Kagome shouts in terror as Inuyasha gets in front of her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you two." Misako grins as she pulls apart the two pieces in her hands. Once done, Moroha moans and begins to faint. Inuyasha catches her before she was able to hit the ground hard.
Kagome growls, "How could you do such a thing, Misako."
Misako frowns, "What I've done should've been acceptance."
"Acceptance of what exactly?" Inuyasha asks as he puts his sword onto Moroha's hand to maintain her demon blood.
"I mean to accept someone's identity. Everyone has one, but from time to time, someone else uses their victim's identity to break the law until it's too late to prove that their innocence, thus why it takes a long time to catch the real thief." Misako explains to them. Inuyasha and Kagome don't seem to be fazed by her outburst.
"I take it that you two had fake IDs in order to solve the case at the school we were at. It took me awhile to figure out that none of you have any degrees to teach a class. When your friend took over your position, that's when I knew that you were agents. I had to be careful around you two." Misako confirms it, but Inuyasha and Kagome knew for sure that she'd said that.
"You know, you really do talk a lot. Why is that?" Kagome asks her in a convincing tone. Misako narrows her eyes. "Why should I tell you anything?" Until she sees Kagome smiles. "Yes, you are correct, him and I are indeed agents. And for identification, it's not a total lie. Back then I had to keep my last name so no one would suspect Inuyasha, and I are actually married. It's for business. We have Moroha and she's our pride and joy. We wouldn't have it any other way."
Inuyasha pulls out a recorder. "You should know Misako, that this was a hustle, and we can prove that you have been behind this coupe de ta. And I can tell that you are the tree's slave. You may think that you're in charge, but you're not. The demon tree here is the ring master. I've found out that the reason there was a different principal was because they were the tree's puppets."
