"It seems we've stumbled upon something quite momentous," Osamu Kirin said, his voice smooth and devoid of any overt malice.
"But please, rest assured--Kirinmaru hasn't reached the point where he can control me. I simply hear his call, like a distant echo. That's all."
As they sat in the living room, Kagome hesitated, her mind racing as she searched for a response. Osamu Kirin didn't press her; instead, he continued to project an air of harmless curiosity. "I'm simply intrigued by what could make him care so much. Truly."
Seeing that his words hadn't quite dispelled the tension in the room, he leaned forward slightly, his expression open and frank. "If you still find it difficult to trust my motives, perhaps I can offer you a gesture of goodwill? I can provide you with everything I know about Kirinmaru's current plans and status. How does that sound?"
"Could you give us a moment? I need to discuss this with Inuyasha," Kagome said, rising from the table. She caught Inuyasha's eye and pulled him toward the sliding doors leading to the exterior corridor.
Once they were safely out of earshot, she turned to him. "Well? What do you think?"
"What else is there to think?" Inuyasha grunted, crossing his arms. "The guy seems legit enough. If he wanted to take the Dragon Ball by force, he could have done it ages ago. He wouldn't have bothered with all this tea and polite conversation."
"You're right..." Kagome admitted. She remembered his first visit well. At that time, she had left the Dragon Ball at home, unprotected; if he had wanted to steal it or use her family as leverage, it would have been child's play for a youkai of his stature.
Instead, he had come to their door with the manners of a visiting scholar. For a youkai, he was unusually civilized. And the fact that he was willing to trade information on his "Main Body" was telling. It seemed these incarnations--whether they were born from Naraku or Kirinmaru--shared a common trait: a distinct lack of loyalty to their creators.
But Kagome's real concern wasn't his current politeness; it was how he would react once he understood the true power of the Dragon Balls. Like the Shikon Jewel, they were objects of near-limitless desire. Could even a "proper" youkai like him resist the temptation?
"Worrying about that is a waste of time," Inuyasha interrupted, reading the conflict on her face. "Even if we don't tell him, Kirinmaru will eventually inform him anyway. We might as well come clean now and see if we can get something useful out of him in return."
'If it comes down to it, you and Sesshomaru will have to be the ones to stop me.'
Inuyasha remembered those words clearly. Kirinmaru was his father's Master, and according to what Kagome and Koga had told him about the `[Command Spells]`, a clash with the two legendary overlords was inevitable. He had to be strategic.
"Huh?" Kagome tilted her head, watching Inuyasha with a look of genuine surprise.
"Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Inuyasha snapped, his voice tight with sudden defensiveness.
"It's just... you've grown up, haven't you?" Kagome said, her lips curling into a soft, teasing smile. She leaned forward slightly, her hands clasped behind her back. "The old Inuyasha would have just tried to punch his way through this. You're actually thinking things through now."
"Shut up!" Inuyasha's face flushed a deep crimson, and he looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
He was a father now, after all. He couldn't afford to be the same reckless half-demon he had been a few decades ago. He had a daughter to think about--Moroha. He had to become a "proper" man, someone she could look up to. If he stayed as unreliable as he used to be, he'd never be able to face her with a straight back.
Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, he adjusted his mindset and followed Kagome back into the living room.
"Alright, Osamu-san," Kagome said as they sat back down. "I'll explain everything. But in exchange, I expect you to keep your word about the information on Kirinmaru."
She reached into her bag and placed the Dragon Ball on the table. The single star within the translucent orange orb glowed with a faint, steady light.
"You have my word," Osamu Kirin replied, his eyes immediately fixing on the orb with intense focus.
Slowly, Kagome began to recount the story of the ritual and the origin of the orbs. As she spoke, Osamu Kirin's expression shifted from curiosity to a pensive, analytical silence.
'Gather all seven to grant any wish... it's exactly like the Shikon Jewel from the old days.'
'But why would the Main Body believe in something so ridiculous?'
By the time she finished, he was clearly skeptical. Theoretically, the Shikon Jewel could also grant wishes, yet the original Kirinmaru had altid treated it with nothing but contempt. Why had he suddenly placed his faith in these unknown "Dragon Balls"? It was a contradiction he couldn't reconcile.
"At first glance, I don't sense any inherent youkai power within it," Osamu said, examining the orb. "It doesn't appear to be a catalyst for strength. The craftsmanship is exquisite, but..."
"We don't know for certain if the legends are true either," Kagome added. "We've just been swept up in the wake of this war."
"I see. I understand the situation now," he said, sitting up straight and regaining his composure. "Then, as promised, let me tell you what I know of Kirinmaru."
"You... you really don't seem tempted by it at all, do you?" Kagome asked, surprised by his detached reaction.
"To me, I have long since been a separate entity from Kirinmaru. His desires are not my own," he replied simply. "Besides, I find it hard to place my trust in something so... unverified."
As Kirinmaru's right arm, Osamu Kirin had long ago cultivated his own identity. He had no interest in furthering his creator's ambitions. It was a common phenomenon among powerful incarnations; whether they served Naraku or Kirinmaru, they almost always developed a rebellious sense of individuality.
"As for Kirinmaru... where should I begin...?"
"The streets are lively today..."
Rikuo walked through the bustling roads of Kyoto, his eyes fixed on the familiar silhouette of the castle in the distance. He was in his human form, blending seamlessly into the flow of the city.
"Monks, priests, onmyoji, miko... it's exactly as I expected. Kyoto is a fortress."
He could sense the guardians hidden in the shadows, their presence a constant pressure on the city's underbelly.
'There's not even a hint of Hagoromo Gitsune's influence... or any youkai energy at all, for that matter.'
'The barriers they've erected are quite thorough.'
'No wonder the people here can live with such... peace.'
His suspicions were confirmed. There was no sign of the Keikain main house, nor was there any familiar youkai aura permeating the air. After wandering through the city for a while and finding nothing but a sterile, over-guarded shell, Rikuo decided to depart.
But shortly after leaving the city limits, he felt a sudden, sharp shift in the wind.
WHOOSH!
He twisted his body mid-stride, a jagged bone-spike whistling past his ear and burying itself in a nearby tree.
Rikuo turned to face the direction of the attack. Standing in the middle of the road was a massive, hulking man. He was bald, with a muscular frame that radiated a low, guttural vibration.
A Servant.
Rikuo's eyes narrowed as he shifted into his combat stance, his senses on high alert.
"Nurarihyon..."
A cold, distorted laugh--one that didn't seem to belong to the man's physical form--echoed from his throat. The Shikon Jewel, which had taken control of the Servant's body, stepped forward with predatory slow-motion.
"A truly... fascinating twist of fate."
"?"
Rikuo wasn't bothered by the fact that his identity had been seen through. He was more curious about the enemy's Class.
'He doesn't feel like a Saber or an Assassin...'
'Caster is unlikely. Archer?'
He watched as the man reached for more spikes, but hesitated.
BOOM!
The hulking man suddenly surged forward with explosive speed, the ground cracking beneath his feet. Rikuo didn't wait; he unleashed his internal Fear, his youkai power flaring as his form shifted and grew.
He drew the damaged `[Nenekirimaru]`, preparing to meet the charge, but as he saw the opponent's silhouette shift in the flickering light, he froze.
"Hehe... you see, I am also a Nurarihyon..."
In a blur of impossible speed, the man vanished and reappeared behind Rikuo. A massive, armored arm punched through Rikuo's chest from behind, the Shikon Jewel's voice whispering in his ear.
"Is that so?" Rikuo's voice was calm, almost bored. "I did think there was something familiar about you."
The Shikon Jewel blinked in confusion. There had been no impact. No sense of flesh tearing or bone breaking. It looked down to see Rikuo turning his head back toward it, his expression one of mild amusement.
"To think I'd encounter another of my own kind in this war..."
"But that aura... it's nothing like the Fear I know. It's too wild. Too chaotic."
"You're a `[Berserker]`, aren't you?"
Maintaining his position even with the arm "buried" in his chest, Rikuo spoke with a lethal composure.
"I see... so this is the ability Naraku warned me about," the Shikon Jewel said, its voice rasping with realization. "What I'm looking at... it's nothing but a shadow. An illusion."
It didn't show any urgency. Encountering a Servant on this scouting mission was an unexpected bonus. If it could finish the fight here, all the better. If not, it would satisfy itself with measuring the opponent's limits.
After all, the body it had chosen was a very, very special kind of youkai.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]