Watching as the last traces of the blue sky are swallowed by the surrounding clouds that had once remained at a distance, Asahiko and Inuyasha instantly apply strength to the lower halves of their bodies so they are not sent flying away.
This shift in the situation had occurred in the last few moments, or rather, it has been taking place over the last few seconds, because this is clearly only the prelude to what is coming with Ryukotsusei's awakening.
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack*
Along with that final crack, the mountain peak on which they both stand begins to split apart, filling their hearts with terror at the possibility of falling. Fortunately, luck seems to smile upon them, because the tremors soon stop and the mountain peak manages to remain intact thanks to the roots.
Yes, those same roots that once made their lives miserable while climbing have now saved their lives, mainly because these roots extend throughout the inside of the mountain, now serving as ropes and steps to keep everything together.
"Are you alright, Inuyasha?"
Asking with genuine concern for his companion's safety, since he has kept his eyes fixed on Ryukotsusei the whole time and has no idea what happened around him, the golden-haired young man draws Clouded Fang from its sheath.
He had never felt anything so dangerous before. Perhaps it could only be compared to the final moments of the battle against Sesshōmaru, although that had been brief, while now the pressure is constant.
"As much as anyone can be... What about you, Asahiko?"
Keeping both hands on the hilt of Steel Fang, which is embedded in the rock, he had used it to remain perfectly upright despite the collapse, and the smile on Inuyasha's face slowly disappeared.
All of his primal instincts were screaming at their highest level, every warning bell and danger alarm in his mind ringing at full volume. For a few seconds, cold sweat even covered the palms of his hands.
"Hmm... What is it that I see?"
Speaking with an ancient and overwhelmingly powerful raspy voice, which unexpectedly comes from a human mask located right between the draconic horns on his head, Ryukotsusei slowly opens his great eyes.
Those shining orbs were filled with excessive arrogance, tyranny worthy of any king, and an almost imperceptible trace of doubt. The latter becomes evident when Ryukotsusei loses himself in thought for a few seconds after looking at them.
"So you are a descendant of Inu no Taisho... What a pity for him, his bloodline reduced to this. And you... What a strange creature, I can sense both the negative energy of yokai and the positive energy of monks... Perhaps some yokai are pretending to be a false god?"
"Bastard, I'm going to show you that I-"
"Don't play his game, he's only buying time, Inuyasha. Just attack already!"
Gathering his power upon the cold blade of Clouded Fang, causing it to become stained blood-red, Asahiko does not hesitate and fires a crimson trail toward Ryukotsusei, who still remains perched upon the mountain opposite them.
The surprise is that the dragon does not even try to dodge or do anything similar. Instead, he takes the attack head-on and remains completely unharmed after the crimson flash, leaving both humans utterly stunned.
"Strange, strange... This disgusting power cannot come from a 'false god,' but it feels familiar. Ah, Clouded Fang, another one of that man's swords."
"Do you know him, Sō'unga?"
[If he truly had, he wouldn't merely be sealed, he would have been sent directly to Hell. So the only reason he is still alive is because Inu no Taisho did not use me during this battle, his condition was fatal when this battle took place.]
Speaking through the mental connection since it is easier and faster, Sō'unga maintains a proud attitude, although at the end of his words he lets out a mocking snort toward his former owner.
"And I see that you possess Steel Fang, what a true shame that such a powerful sword ended up in the hands of a filthy Hanyō."
"Bastard, I'll show you just how powerful Steel Fang can be in my hands!"
"Then try it, filthy Hanyō!"
Roaring with such force that the wind itself turns into razor-sharp blades, Ryukotsusei displays absolute confidence in himself and simply watches the two enemies approach, as though he feared nothing in the world.
And that confidence was not unfounded, because when Inuyasha and Asahiko leap at him and strike him with their swords, it is not his scales that shatter as would have happened with any other enemy. Instead, both swords bounce backward with a dull sound accompanied by scattered sparks.
"Are you kidding me?"
Twisting his body after losing his balance from the previous strike, Inuyasha does not fight against the recoil but instead uses it to his advantage, performing an extremely strange spin before striking Ryukotsusei's scales again.
That action produces a deep sound similar to striking a gong, because this time he used Steel Fang as though it were a hammer, but even then his sword fails to so much as dent the dragon's scales.
"Don't move, Inuyasha!"
Appearing instantly beside the dog boy, Asahiko delivers a downward slash with Clouded Fang, but the sword is not aimed at Ryukotsusei—it heads directly toward Steel Fang, which is resting against the scale!
*Boom*
The impact is so great that even the surrounding air is blasted away, creating a shockwave and a terrifying noise that leaves even Inuyasha pale. But surprisingly, the scale... Did it dent? Yes, they managed to leave only a tiny, faint mark.
"My... So you've actually managed it?"
"You, what?"
"Jump!"
Striking Inuyasha, who remains stunned by the sudden appearance of Ryukotsusei's head before them, the damn dragon is as flexible as a serpent. Every hair on Asahiko's body stands on end when he notices a dark blue glow beginning to emerge from the dragon's mouth, prompting him to leap aside.
His reaction was the correct one, because a few seconds after making that evasive maneuver, Ryukotsusei opens his fanged jaws and a dark blue beam directly sweeps away everything in that direction.
It was not a bad joke or some elegant metaphor. The rock was literally erased, the trees were instantly vaporized, and the clouds were obliterated. Before that powerful electric breath, all of creation seemed like mere trash. Nothing managed to stop it until Ryukotsusei himself closed his mouth.
"Hiding? Mere tactics that only a coward would use! I can easily sense you through the wind!"
"Tsk, Kagura 2.0."
"Thanks for the information, I suppose."
Both humans sounding like Asahiko, something Ryukotsusei could obviously never notice, fragments of rock from the dragon's previous attack drift through the air in an oddly coordinated manner.
When they finally reach Ryukotsusei's head, who had been staring arrogantly at the "hidden cowards," two rocks from the group unexpectedly take the forms of Asahiko and Inuyasha.
The former is completely unharmed after that experience, although Inuyasha looks a little strange. Even so, they coordinate perfectly during their fall, and both attack Ryukotsusei's glowing eyes without mercy.
"This technique... A fox?"
Closing his eyes against such a sudden attack, more out of strategy than anything as absurd as fear, the dragon becomes somewhat confused when the expected damage never comes.
His eyelids may be covered in scales, but they are obviously thinner and weaker than those covering the rest of his body, so he should have taken at least some damage unless... Danger!
Opening his eyes faster than an unfaithful man jumping out of a window, Ryukotsusei locks gazes with the white-haired Hanyō, who is heading straight toward the only opening in his impenetrable defense, the place where Inu no Taisho's claw had once been embedded.
"It's not that I like doing this, but try this!"
"Stupid Hanyō, die!"
"You're forgetting there are two of us!"
Appearing from the sky in free fall, Asahiko sees Ryukotsusei preparing his dragon breath toward Inuyasha and shouts loudly to draw his attention, which succeeds because he is falling directly toward the dragon's face.
Finding himself surrounded from both front and back, Ryukotsusei disperses his dragon breath and unleashes a fierce roar that makes the air tremble, sending it into a frenzy around his serpentine body in an attempt to drive his enemies away.
And it works, with Inuyasha being struck by a cyclonic gust that sends him crashing once more into the nearby mountain, while Asahiko is hurled into the sky and left with no escape before Ryukotsusei.
"Since you desire it so much, then simply die, meddlesome fox!"
Issuing a cruel command that seems to resonate with the surrounding winds and clouds, multiple bolts of lightning instantly descend toward Asahiko, demonstrating Ryukotsusei's control over the storm stretching across the area.
*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
Striking one, cutting another, and dodging several more thanks to Sō'unga's guidance in his mind, Asahiko barely escapes the disaster, although the fear is clearly reflected on his face when he finally reaches the ground alive once again.
"He's a damned monster, is it even possible to defeat him?"
[More than a monster, he is a beast. So far he has only been using his racial abilities. Apparently he has no truly sophisticated techniques.]
"And even so he has us against the ropes."
[YOU are against the ropes. I still have my own methods.]
Smiling from within the seal as he senses Asahiko's growing interest, Sō'unga gradually begins acting mysterious, a very classic con artist's trick.
...Elsewhere...
Slowly inhaling through his nose and releasing the air in a controlled manner through his mouth, a figure with long white hair moves with lethal elegance among the fallen leaves of the trees, causing the metallic blade of his sword to dance through a beautiful fencing technique.
With each strangely slow yet perfectly choreographed movement of his sword, the green leaves are cleanly split in half and fall onto the vibrant grass, becoming future fertilizer for the plants.
"M-Master Sesshōmaru... I-I'm sorry to interrupt y-you, b-but..."
"Speak already, Jaken."
"Y-Yes!"
Wiping the sweat from his ugly green face, a legacy of being an imp, Jaken swallows a mouthful of saliva when he notices Sesshōmaru's icy stare, then quickly begins speaking.
"The servants of your honored mother have come to see you. They brought a communication device and requested an audience immediately, Master Sesshōmaru."
"My mother's servants?"
"Y-"
"I was speaking to myself, so be quiet and lead the way, Jaken."
Returning Tokijin to its sheath, which he had recovered after the battle against Asahiko at Kaijinbō's house, Sesshōmaru silences the imp with a glance before taking the lead to meet the visitors.
This was not because he contradicted himself in the very next moment after ordering Jaken to lead the way, but because he remembered that his other "companion" should have been with the imp, meaning Rin was currently alone.
"Lord Jaken, Lord Sesshōmaru, over here, over here!"
Waving her hand wildly upon noticing two familiar figures emerging through the forest shadows, Rin, the human girl who travels with Sesshōmaru, finally lets out a relieved smile.
She may have had A-Un, the name Rin gave Sesshōmaru's mount, beside her the entire time, but that does not stop her from feeling a deep fear toward the yokai standing before her.
This is because her village had been razed to the ground by a pack of wolf yokai, both animalistic and humanoid. She herself had even died... But thanks to Sacred Fang she had returned to life, following Sesshōmaru everywhere ever since.
"Be quiet, Rin."
"Understood, Lord Sesshōmaru!"
"Stupid girl, Master Se-"
"Be quiet, Jaken."
Going from a winter breeze to a full-blown snowstorm, Sesshōmaru shows a clear preference among those close to him without even realizing it, and even if he did realize it, he would not care, because he does as he pleases.
Something the yokai present—the servants of his honored mother, who by the way are almost all humanoid and "civilized"—seem to know perfectly well. They straighten their clothes, hence the civilized part, and quickly bow.
If someone were to see them from the outside, they would seriously begin to doubt whether they were yokai at all, because their manners and etiquette are flawless. Even when they bring out the communication device, they do so cleanly and elegantly.
"Using an Ungaikyō as a means of communication? That's new."
Looking with mild interest at the bronze mirror as tall as himself and carved with multiple eyes along its frame, Sesshōmaru controls his expression as the reflection begins to blur before stabilizing into a gigantic white beast.
"Sesshōmaru, dear, are you well?"
"Perfectly, Mother."
"I should think so, you haven't even noticed the growing fire in our backyard~"
Speaking with a frivolity completely at odds with the imposing image displayed within the mirror, one that reminds Sesshōmaru of a certain golden-haired young man, the beast's red-and-green eyes curve into crescents.
Apparently that "fire" was not nearly as important as teasing her only son, to the point where she seems to be waiting for him to discover what she means. Perhaps it is some kind of test?
"The Meidō Stone? I am already dealing with that. It will no longer be a problem before long, Mother."
"Wrong answer, dear. Why don't you try again?"
"...That aberration Naraku? I've heard his puppets have been gathering yokai from everywhere, using them as food and eliminating several collaborators."
Barely restraining the instinct to furrow his brows as he remembers that filthy creature, something even lower than Inuyasha and a pathetic imitation of a true demon, Sesshōmaru carefully observes his mother.
She has not shown the slightest change, maintaining the same smile on her face... A monstrously elegant face with fangs the size of three humans stacked one atop another.
"Hm, is that happening? Ahem, haha, I'm sorry to tell you you've gotten it wrong again~"
"Enough. You've already extracted too much information from me. Tell me at once why you called me, Mother."
"Ah... I simply wanted to speak a little with my favorite son. You have no idea how difficult it is to remain up here while discouraging the idiots from the other regions."
Letting out a strangely human sigh, the beast lowers her ears and even her tail, which is out of sight, displaying obvious annoyance through every action.
"I am your only son, and if this was all you wanted, I'm leaving."
"Fine, fine. I only wanted to tell you that those useless Panther Yokai have invaded our region again. Frighten them, kill them, or make them your servants—I don't care what you do as long as they stop being a problem."
"I understand... Is that all?"
"No. Do you think those useless fools deserve to be called a fire? There's been another noisy faction lately. They seem to be the remnants of those who came from across the sea, and they've been increasing their power rapidly. Show them no mercy."
Growling at the end of her words, causing the reflection on the surface of the Ungaikyō to tremble, Sesshōmaru's mother calms herself before dropping one final bombshell.
"Oh, and someone recently awakened Ryukotsusei, your father's old enemy. Since you're nearby, go kill him. While you're at it, perhaps you'll run into your dear brother."
"Inuyasha? Perfect. It will be good practice for my new sword. Jaken, Rin, we're leaving."
"Yes, Master Sesshōmaru!"
Giving a quick bow toward the mirror, which still displays the enormous beast that is Sesshōmaru's mother, the little imp turns around and runs after his master, completely ignoring the gaze following them from behind... Especially the little girl named Rin.