"Northeast... it should be this way."
Early the next morning, Kagome and her companions resumed their journey, heading toward the northeast. Kagome pedaled her bicycle, Kirara soared through the sky carrying Sango and Shippo, while Inuyasha and Miroku ran on the ground. Aomori followed behind them, drifting through the air with ease.
They maintained this rapid pace for a significant stretch until Miroku and Kagome could no longer keep up, at which point they slowed to a walk.
"Dammit, where did that bastard Naraku go?" Inuyasha grumbled irritably after chasing for half the day without a sign of their quarry.
"I think it's because you destroyed his barrier, Inuyasha. He's likely gone into hiding," Sango remarked.
"Knowing Naraku, even if he's hiding, he won't stop causing trouble."
"Which means there are likely traps set by Naraku ahead of us."
"Hmph, I don't care about traps. We'll just crush our way through." Inuyasha turned back to Miroku. "Miroku, hop onto Kirara. I'll carry Kagome. Let's move at full speed!"
"I'll handle the bicycle and Shippo," Aomori offered.
"Thank you, that would be a big help," Kagome replied.
The group set off again, moving much faster than before. As they passed through a canyon, Inuyasha's nose twitched.
"What a heavy stench of wolves. That guy Koga just passed through here."
"Koga? The young head of the Eastern Wolf Yokai Tribe? Is he heading northeast too?"
"No doubt about it. Looks like he's on Naraku's trail as well."
"Then we need to move faster. We can't let Koga get there first." Inuyasha, always at odds with Koga, had no intention of letting him take the lead.
"Wait, a yokai is approaching from ahead," Aomori interjected.
"Hmm?" Everyone looked forward. Indeed, a whirlwind was leaping among the mountain rocks, finally resolving into a slender figure that landed before them.
"Ayame?"
"The Wolf yokai girl who caused trouble for Kagome last time? Koga's fiancée?"
Kagome was the most familiar with her, so she hopped off Inuyasha's back and stepped forward. "Ayame, I thought you went back to the Northern Mountains. Why are you here?"
"I did go back, but a vengeful spirit appeared and attacked our tribe. We had to flee."
"A vengeful spirit?"
"Yes, a spirit that eats other ghosts," Ayame said, her face masked with terror and sorrow. "The yokai were terrified of being eaten and fled in all directions. Our tribe was right in the path of their stampede, so we were attacked and forced to migrate the entire clan. We've suffered heavy casualties along the way."
Hearing this, Aomori finally realized where they were in the timeline.
The Mount Hakurei arc, and the Band of Seven? This should be interesting.
Naraku, Sesshomaru, Kikyo, Koga, the Band of Seven, and Inuyasha's group, this was a massive "dungeon" where almost all the major players gathered. The director and Big Boss was, naturally, Naraku, who was busy drawing aggro from everyone. However, he certainly didn't expect an uninvited guest who had read the script to come and crash the party.
"A spirit that eats ghosts?"
"Yes. It's as big as a small mountain. It's eaten ghosts, demons, and spirits alike until they're all gone."
"Inuyasha, this doesn't sound like a coincidence," Miroku said, frowning.
"I know. Naraku definitely cooked this up. He's probably setting another trap," Inuyasha said, cracking his knuckles.
"In that case, why don't I go investigate?" Aomori volunteered. "I'm faster. I can go ahead and see if Naraku is behind this."
"Isn't it too risky to go alone?" Miroku understood the need for speed but worried about falling into Naraku's trap.
"He's right. Maybe Miroku-sama should go with you?" Kagome suggested.
"No need. I'll be faster on my own, and it'll be easier to escape if things go south," Aomori declined.
"But..."
"Let him go," Inuyasha interrupted. "Just make sure you do a clean job. Don't come running back empty-handed." Among everyone present, no one knew Aomori's true power better than Inuyasha.
"Heh, don't worry."
With a wave of his hand, Aomori vanished from their sight like a bolt of lightning.
"Are you really going to let him go by himself?" Ayame asked worriedly. "That vengeful spirit is a terrifying monster that devoured an entire mountain."
"I hate to admit it, but if it's him, there won't be a problem," Inuyasha stated firmly.
"Oh? Is that how you really see Aosora-sama, Inuyasha?"
Seeing the teasing looks from the others, Inuyasha's face flushed red. "What? Is it that weird? I'm not some ungrateful jerk."
Since Ayame had to lead the remnants of her tribe in their migration, she bid Kagome and the others farewell. Before she left, Kagome promised to relay the news to Koga if they saw him.
Ayame also gave them a final warning: "Be extremely careful! That undead gives off the scent of the dead and grave soil."
"The scent of the dead and grave soil?"
Inuyasha made a note of this and continued forward with the group.
…
Aomori flew at high speed and soon reached the mountain Ayame had described. The trees on the mountain had withered due to the demonic miasma, leaving the landscape barren. A giant creature, half a torso taller than the trees, was holding several small yokai and stuffing them into its mouth, its chewing audible and crunchy.
On a tree beside the giant stood a young boy wearing a combat suit identical to Sango's.
"Kyokotsu-dono, the individuals carrying the Shikon Jewel shards have arrived nearby. According to the agreement, it is time for you to act."
"Is that so? Then it was worth it for me to arrive here ahead of my brothers." Kyokotsu, clad in tattered armor, swallowed the demons in his mouth and spoke. "Your name is Kohaku, right? I heard you. I would have acted even without your reminder. You can leave now."
"But before you go, leave your Shikon Jewel shard behind!" Kyokotsu suddenly lunged a massive hand, the size of a man, toward Kohaku. "A treasure like a Shikon Jewel shard is wasted on someone like you."
However, Kohaku was no amateur. With a light leap, he nimbly evaded Kyokotsu's attack. While in mid-air, he used his chain-sickle to deliver a vicious strike, instantly severing one of the giant's hands.
"I suggest you don't try anything reckless."
Looking at the expressionless Kohaku and the Saimyosho, Naraku's poisonous insects, hovering around him, Kyokotsu immediately backed down. He picked up his severed arm, reattached it, and yielded. "Fine, I get it. I went through a lot to be resurrected; I value this life."
Kohaku gave him a cold look and began to retreat, preparing to leave. Just then, Aomori descended from the sky, blocking Kohaku's path.
"Sorry, but neither of you is going anywhere."
"Who are you?" Seeing someone who wasn't in his memory, Kohaku jumped back warily and landed beside Kyokotsu.
"The person who is going to set you free." Aomori stood his ground, unconcerned about them escaping.
"Hahaha, looks like he's your enemy. Then I can eat him, right?" Kyokotsu looked at the youthful Aomori and started to salivate.
"Do as you wish." Kohaku wasn't brainless like Kyokotsu; he could faintly sense how terrifying Aomori was.
"Then I won't hold back." Kyokotsu strode toward Aomori with heavy steps, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Aomori as he looked for a place to bite. "Where should I start?"
"Wait, I have a question." Aomori looked Kyokotsu up and down with interest, asking the question that had been on his mind for a long time. "Are you really human? At this size, calling you a Giant wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Hahaha! You can go to hell and ask my parents! I've wanted to know that myself!" With a predatory grin, Kyokotsu attacked with both massive hands, blotting out the sky like dark clouds over Aomori.
"Never mind. You can ask them yourself." Purple light flashed in Aomori's eyes, and his figure vanished instantly.
When he reappeared, he was standing behind Kohaku, one hand draped casually over the boy's shoulder while the other held a Shikon Jewel shard.
"That's... Kyokotsu's shard. When did he...?" Kohaku watched in shock as Kyokotsu crumbled into a pile of bones, dying without even having time for a final word.
Aomori whispered in his ear, "Don't move. If I take the shard out of you, you'll turn into a pile of bones just like him."
He's so strong! I'm completely outclassed! Kohaku gave up his futile resistance. He looked around and realized that even the Saimyosho had been dealt with, sliced cleanly in half. Where did such a powerful stranger come from?
Kohaku took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you, really?"
"I told you. I'm the person who is going to set you free." With that, Aomori grabbed Kohaku and took to the skies, retracing his path.
It wasn't long before he spotted Inuyasha and the others again.
"Look! It's Aosora-sama! He's back!" The sharp-eyed Shippo was the first to notice. "Eh? He brought someone back with him."
"That's... Kohaku!" Even from a distance, Sango recognized Kohaku from his clothing. She immediately urged Kirara to fly faster, calling out her brother's name repeatedly.
Kohaku heard the voice and saw eyes full of anxious concern. They felt familiar, yet he couldn't quite remember. Before he could process it, he was pulled into Sango's embrace. Behind them, Miroku watched Kohaku's movements tensely, worried that the boy might hurt Sango again like last time.
However, with Aomori there, such concerns were unnecessary.
"Aosora-sama, how did you find Kohaku?" After a long embrace, Sango finally released him as Inuyasha and the others caught up.
Aomori replied, "I went to that mountain and found the spirit Ayame spoke of. Kohaku was right there next to it."
"So Naraku was behind it after all! What happened to the spirit?" Inuyasha asked.
"I eliminated it. Here's the trophy." Aomori produced the Shikon Jewel shard.
"That fast? You were barely gone. I have to say, you're much better than Inuyasha," Shippo chirped, earning himself another punch from Inuyasha.
"Is Kohaku still being controlled by Naraku?" Kagome asked, noting the confusion and hostility in the boy's eyes.
"Yes, likely," Miroku said. Worried Aomori might not know the situation, he explained, "Kohaku is Sango's younger brother, but he's been controlled by Naraku and turned into his pawn."
"I see. I guessed he might be related to Sango-san based on his clothes, so I restrained him and brought him here," Aomori said. "Why don't I see if I can heal him?"
"Please! I beg of you!" Sango immediately made way.
Aomori's series of miraculous feats had already won everyone over; no one doubted his ability to heal Kohaku. Under their watchful gaze, Aomori channeled his all-purpose Holy Light again, letting it permeate through Kohaku's body from the top of his head.
As the light intensified, Kohaku's expression became pained. The memories Naraku had erased began to flood back into his mind. Killing his own clansmen and his father with his own hands... severely wounding his sister... and later working for the man who murdered his family...
These unbearable memories caused his face to twist in agony. "No... stop... it's not true! Why are you making me remember these things?!"
Kohaku opened his tear-filled eyes and saw Sango before him, also weeping. He finally lost control and threw himself into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Onee-chan... I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Kohaku. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you again," Sango comforted him, gently patting his back.
Aomori, Inuyasha, and the others walked a short distance away to give the reunited siblings some space.
"Thank you for bringing Kohaku back to Sango," Miroku said. He knew how much Sango had suffered over Kohaku; his liberation was entirely thanks to Aomori's help.
"Save the thanks until we've destroyed Naraku, otherwise I'm afraid you won't stop talking the whole way there," Aomori said with a grin.
"Haha, fair enough!" Miroku laughed. He looked at Sango, who now had a radiant smile on her face, and a gentle smile touched his own lips.
After a while, Sango and Kohaku returned to the group.
"Go on, Kohaku," Sango encouraged with a smile.
"Yes." Kohaku nodded and first bowed to Aomori. "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I am deeply grateful and will never forget this."
He then bowed deeply to Kagome and the others in apology. "I am sorry. I have done many unforgivable things to all of you. I will spend the rest of my life making amends."
"It wasn't your fault," Kagome said, quickly helping him up. "It's all Naraku's doing. You shouldn't blame yourself."
"Exactly. A real man settles his grudges. You should settle the blood debt with Naraku yourself. He killed your family; you should be the one to turn him into ash!" Inuyasha declared.
"Right!" Kohaku nodded heavily.
"Hey, Inuyasha, don't teach him bad things," Kagome scolded.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"Turning someone into ash... it sounds like a villain's line."
"How? Explain it to me!"
"Ah! Inuyasha's hitting people! Kagome, do something!"
"Inuyasha! SIT BOY!"
"THUMP!"
Watching Inuyasha and the others bickering, the darkness in Kohaku's heart lifted slightly. Feeling his hand wrapped in warmth, he looked back to see Sango's gentle eyes.
"Kohaku, welcome back."
"Yeah... I'm back, onee-chan."