Seeing that her previous strike had yielded no result, Kaguya lightly pressed her legs against the ground and shot forward, closing the distance to Sebastian in a blur.
At the same time, the robe draped around her neck seemed to awaken with a will of its own, surging outward toward him. The silk scarf moved with terrifying speed, writhing through the air like a living dragon. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached Sebastian's position.
Yet just as those ribbons were about to bind him completely, Sebastian remained exactly as he was: calm, unmoving, almost indifferent.
"The wind… accelerates." He let out a soft snort.
In the next instant, a violent gust erupted from nowhere, tearing through the air. The pink silk that had nearly ensnared him was blown apart in a flash, scattered like petals caught in a storm. And with it, Sebastian vanished.
The aura Kaguya had firmly locked onto disappeared without a trace, and her confidence wavered. A sudden sense of dread rose in her chest, and almost instinctively, she shifted her magic mirror behind her in defense.
But at that exact moment, a chilling flash of blade light erupted in front of her. It came too suddenly… from too impossible an angle. Even she froze for half a heartbeat. And in a battle between masters, even a fraction of a second determines life and death.
The blade swept past her, and her body was cleaved cleanly in two.
"I see…" As an immortal, she would not fall to mere physical damage. Even as her body split apart, her mind had already grasped the truth.
Sebastian had used spatial displacement, appearing behind her to mislead her perception, forcing a defensive reaction… then striking from the front at the precise moment her awareness faltered. A flawless deception.
Yet she remained unconcerned. Reforming her body would take no more than a blink. But just as her form began to knit itself back together, an unbearable agony surged through her. Countless markings spread across her body like swarming ants.
Curse poison.
For the first time, genuine horror appeared on her severed face.
At that moment, Sebastian's lips curled into a faint smile. A small blue sphere formed before his chest… then detonated silently. In an instant, the entire world fell into stillness. Everything, wind, dust, motion, and even time itself, froze. This was the ultimate technique once wielded by Esdeath.
Kaguya stared in terror at the frozen world, utterly unable to comprehend what had occurred. Even the cursed poison within her halted mid-spread. After what felt like an eternity, realization dawned. Her time… had been stopped.
"That," Sebastian said calmly, "is true time-stopping. What you used… was nothing but a trick."
With unhurried ease, he returned the blade in his hand to its scabbard.
"Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru." [You're already dead.]
"This blade guarantees it. Once cut… death is absolute."
The weapon he wielded was a modified version of Murasame, a lethal armament that ensured certain death to any living being it struck. Under his refinement, it had become even sharper, even more unyielding.
Kaguya stared at the spreading curse etched across her body. She understood now; this was no bluff. Her composure was shattered completely.
"I beg you! Let me live! I'll do anything… anything you ask!" Her voice trembled with desperation.
Sebastian observed her silently. With his acute perception, he could see straight through her thoughts; there was no deception in her plea.
But to him, it made no difference. Anyone who trespassed into his area of control… and caused such harm to his people… had already sealed their fate.
"Not interested. And...goodbye."
Time resumed. The frozen world shattered back into motion, and the curse poison instantly spread at terrifying speed.
"No…!" Her final cry faded as her body collapsed beyond recovery, disintegrating into nothingness.
At the same moment, the group led by Inuyasha, who had been frozen like statues, began to stir. The gray stillness faded from their bodies as time released its hold. Their halted attacks resumed instantly, slashing forward and striking a nearby hill.
Boom! A thunderous explosion rang out as the hill was obliterated.
Sebastian casually extended his hand. The long blade embedded with the Shikon Jewel flew into his grasp as if summoned. With minimal effort, he extracted the jewel.
Holding it in his palm, he could feel the overwhelming surge of yōkai energy within: violence, greed, jealousy, hatred… a torrent of darkness clawing at his mind.
But it was futile as Sebastian possessed advanced mental resistance through his mastery of control techniques. Such corruption held no sway over him.
Without hesitation, he summoned several people and ordered the jewel sent to the laboratory for purification and transformation. The system-created soldiers were absolutely loyal, devoid of excess emotion, so the Shikon Jewel did not influence them.
"Let's go." Having just emerged from the time seal, Sesshomaru looked toward Sebastian with complicated emotions.
A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips. For the first time, he truly understood the gap between them. Though he had never personally fought Sebastian, witnessing him effortlessly annihilate Kaguya, an opponent even he could not contend with, was enough. The will to challenge him… vanished. Even with the Shikon Jewel in hand, he would stand no chance.
This realization struck deeper than any wound. For someone as proud as Sesshomaru, it was the first time he had ever felt such powerlessness.
"Your Highness…" At his side, Jaken immediately sensed the shift in his lord's state. This heavy, desolate aura… was something he had never felt before.
Looking toward Sebastian in the distance, Jaken could only sigh inwardly, "In his presence… all others lose their light…"
He had always believed firmly in Sesshomaru's strength. But now, even that strength seemed insignificant.
In this world… there was no one worthy of standing above him.