"Hey, Master, you're pretty fast!"
Koga heard the voice beside him and glanced over.
The Lancer in blue tights was running alongside him with an easy, relaxed stride, pumping his arms casually, matching Koga's pace without showing the slightest strain.
"Incredible. That guy's actually keeping up with Koga."
"And he's not even a demon."
The two wolf tribe underlings trailing behind them could barely believe their eyes.
"So where are we headed? Finding other Servants?"
Koga wasn't running at full speed. He was holding back to keep pace with his two tribesmen. Cu Chulainn, however, was genuinely curious about the destination.
"No. That comes later. First, I need to claim a treasure that belongs to the Wolf Demon Tribe."
"Oh? Now that sounds interesting."
The mention of treasure piqued Cu Chulainn's interest. He was the type who got excited by both powerful enemies and shiny new things.
'Goraishi.'
'Don't let me down.'
According to the records passed down through the tribe, the relic was something formidable. Koga hoped it wasn't going to turn out to be a piece of useless scrap.
With Naraku on one side and the Dragon Ball competition on the other, he couldn't afford to slack off.
Lancer Cu Chulainn. The guy looked human, but his power was anything but ordinary. Koga had sparred with him briefly, and neither could take the other down in a short exchange.
If the other Dragon Ball holders had summoned helpers of similar caliber, then he needed to get stronger. Fast.
"What's the matter, Jaken-sama?"
Rin sat atop Ah-Un's broad back, looking down at the agitated imp.
"Shh!! This is all your fault!"
Jaken shot a look up at Rin, then another at Akame, who was trailing silently behind Sesshomaru.
"Huh?"
"Sesshomaru-sama was supposed to be dealing with that insufferable Naraku, and now thanks to you, he's gotten dragged into yet another problem!"
"Well, whatever. Sesshomaru-sama spoils you rotten anyway, so he definitely won't mind. And even without some so-called Assassin, Sesshomaru-sama could crush all the other competitors by himself."
"But Rin, if all seven Dragon Balls are gathered and a wish has to be made... what would you wish for?"
Knowing full well they had no way out of this battle, Jaken let out a weary sigh.
"Hmm..."
As if Jaken's words had sparked something, Rin gazed at Sesshomaru's retreating back and began to think.
"Hehe. I'd probably wish to stay with Sesshomaru-sama forever!"
"That's so unfair!! Just you?!"
"Then Jaken-sama can come along too."
"Well... that's... not entirely out of the question."
The bickering behind him never stopped, but Sesshomaru paid it no mind. He had picked up a trail. A strange, unfamiliar scent.
'Kagura's scent. And something else. Not yokai. Not human either.'
'Is Naraku up to something again?'
'Or is it the same as the human that Rin summoned...'
For some time now, he had been sensing a nauseating odor. Like something dead refusing to stay dead.
He didn't know the details, but nine times out of ten, Naraku was involved.
"Wait here."
"Yes, my lord!"
At Sesshomaru's command, Jaken straightened instantly and bowed.
"Understood, Sesshomaru-sama! We'll wait right here for your return."
Before Akame could voice an opinion, Rin had already answered for them.
She looked up. The magnificent figure of the daiyokai was already soaring through the sky, disappearing into the distance.
"..."
This world was full of things beyond her understanding.
During their brief confrontation earlier, just standing across from him, she had felt the same suffocating pressure she once felt from Esdeath.
The overwhelming weight of raw power.
"Are those creatures called 'Demons'? They're different from normal oni, and they're not yokai either."
"That Muzan fellow is spreading like a plague."
Monitoring Muzan's movements alongside Naraku, Byakuya watched the situation unfold with growing curiosity.
Byakuya of the Illusions. Naraku's newest incarnation.
"Is it really fine to leave him alone? He's been causing quite the commotion."
Thinking of all the warriors converging on Muzan's location, Byakuya voiced his concern.
"Let him. The fool has no idea what he's walking into. Once he gets knocked around enough, he'll come crawling back on his own."
Naraku didn't spare a single thought for whether his Servant lived or died. He squeezed the nearly complete Sacred Jewel in his hand and smirked.
"True. From what I've observed, he seems to avoid sunlight at all costs. What an inconvenient creature."
"Which means the leverage is always on my side. If he gets disobedient, I could use a Command Spell to send him out for a nice sunbath. I imagine the results would be very entertaining."
Even through the barrier separating them, Byakuya could feel the sadistic amusement radiating from Naraku. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the Demon King.
'Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Sesshomaru's group are all converging on his position.'
'That guy...'
'He's not going to die, is he?'
"Tch! What a pain! Cutting him apart doesn't even kill him."
"Just like Naraku and Hakudoshi!"
Riding her feather high above the treeline, Kagura looked down at Muzan, who was hiding in the shadows below, and clicked her tongue in frustration.
She genuinely despised this type of opponent. Give her someone straightforward like Inuyasha any day.
"She can fly too?"
Lurking in the shade, Muzan watched Kagura glide through the open sky and abandoned any thought of pursuit.
While the sun shone, his movements were limited. Chasing an airborne target was out of the question.
He was, in the end, a creature of the night. A Demon bound by a crippling weakness. And that weakness was precisely why he obsessed.
He wanted to conquer sunlight. To become a perfect, flawless being.
The Dragon Balls were his chance. A shortcut to the summit.
This world still held many unknowns, but Muzan was confident. Threats on the level of Yoriichi Tsugikuni weren't just lying around in every corner.
"Hmph. Final..."
SSHHHH!!
"Hm?"
In the span of a single blink, a violent shudder tore through him.
By the time his brain caught up, a wall of green sword pressure was already filling his vision.
SHRRK!!
His body was shredded. A cataclysmic wave of yokai energy sent the pieces hurtling through the air.
"Sesshomaru?! Why is he here?!"
High above, Kagura recognized the newcomer instantly and couldn't hide her shock.
"One of Naraku's incarnations?"
"No. That feeble, unusual scent. It doesn't match."
Sesshomaru studied the remains of the figure he had just obliterated with a single casual swing. He couldn't quite place the creature's origin.
It didn't smell anything like Naraku's incarnations. But that extreme regenerative ability was certainly reminiscent of them.
One thing, however, Sesshomaru was absolutely certain of.
This creature...
Was far too weak.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]