After finishing the charcoal-grilled rabbit heads, the group gathered around to listen to Aomori's story.
"What? You said you met Kikyo? And she's staying with Suikotsu of the Shichinintai?"
Inuyasha began shouting the moment he heard the news.
"Why didn't you just take that Suikotsu out? They're all blood-stained butchers, aren't they?"
"Inuyasha, calm down. Let's listen to Aosora-sama finish first, okay?" Kagome said, feeling a bit piqued by Inuyasha's agitated state.
"How am I supposed to be calm? Kikyo could be in danger at any moment!" Inuyasha blurted out.
Hearing this, the rest of the companions instinctively shuffled a few steps away from him.
Inuyasha realized he had misspoken. Just as he was about to make amends, Kagome yelled, "Inuyasha, SIT BOY!"
The prayer beads around his neck instantly slammed his head face-first into the dirt.
Kagome let out a slow breath. "Aosora-sama must have a reason for what he did. Can't you just listen? Besides, Kikyo isn't some helpless, weak woman."
'At the very least, she's much stronger than I am.'
"Pfft!" Inuyasha pulled his head out of the ground, shaking his head to spray off the dirt.
He didn't dare look Kagome in the eye. His dog ears drooped low as he muttered, "I get it."
"That's a good boy. Here, there's a bit of rabbit meat left. Eat up."
"Oh."
Seeing Kagome discipline Inuyasha so effortlessly, Aomori, Sango, and Shippo all gave a mental thumbs-up. Miroku, however, sighed in empathy for his fellow man.
After this brief interlude, Aomori continued his narrative.
"So, Suikotsu was originally a kind person, and some trauma caused his personality to split, leading him to join the Shichinintai?"
Kagome remarked, "That is a difficult situation to handle. After all, the current Suikotsu is a kind-hearted, dedicated doctor."
"What's so difficult about it? He's a dead man; he shouldn't exist in the living world," Inuyasha grumbled.
"The priestess Kikyo is also a dead person," Shippo reminded him.
Inuyasha was instantly silenced.
"But why would Suikotsu's good side emerge now? He should have been stuck in his evil persona before, right?" Miroku asked, puzzled.
"It likely has to do with Mount Hakurei," Aomori replied.
"Mount Hakurei?"
"Currently, Mount Hakurei is a sacred mountain in every sense, shrouded by a divine barrier. The holy aura it radiates is unbearable for the wicked. That's why Suikotsu's original, kind personality took over the evil one."
"Unbearable just from the aura? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"Not at all. You'll see when you get there. Pure demons like Shippo and Kirara won't be able to stand getting close. Inuyasha might fare better but won't be able to go deep, and even Monk Miroku might find it uncomfortable," Aomori explained.
"I can understand the others, but why would Monk Miroku be affected?" Kagome asked, confused.
Sango arched an eyebrow. "It must be because Miroku-sama's soul is full of lewd impurities."
"Eh, that's highly likely."
"Absolutely impossible!" Miroku declared with righteous indignation.
"Heh." Inuyasha and Shippo gave him a side-eyed smirk.
"What about Kohaku?" Sango looked at the silent Kohaku and asked, "You've been to Mount Hakurei before, didn't you feel uncomfortable?"
Kohaku shook his head. "No, not really."
"Kohaku is a good boy. Keep it up."
"And what about Naraku's whereabouts? Any sign?" Feeling the atmosphere lighten, Inuyasha finally dared to speak up again.
"None. We'll likely have to reach the depths of Mount Hakurei to find him," Aomori said.
"Aosora-sama, you shouldn't be affected by Mount Hakurei, right?"
"Correct."
"Then we might have to trouble you again when the time comes."
If Inuyasha couldn't enter, relying solely on Miroku and Sango would be difficult.
"Don't talk about trouble. We are companions now."
"That's true."
Everyone smiled.
Afterward, Inuyasha asked, "And you ran into Sesshomaru later?"
"Yes. On my way back, I sensed a powerful demonic energy. Out of curiosity, I went to check it out. I didn't expect it to be your older brother, Sesshomaru."
"So, the two of you didn't have a fight?" Recalling that Aomori's breathing was steady when he returned, Inuyasha asked curiously.
"We fought." Aomori pulled out the Tokijin. "This sword is the trophy."
"Is that Sesshomaru's Tokijin? You actually managed to snatch it away?"
Having suffered plenty at the hands of the Tokijin, how could Inuyasha not recognize it? Though, the aura radiating from the Tokijin now felt a bit strange.
"Since you broke my sword last time, Inuyasha, I thought I'd take a suitable one to use for a bit." Aomori gave the Tokijin a few swings. "It actually handles quite well."
"Given Sesshomaru's prideful nature, now that you've taken the Tokijin from him, I'm afraid he'll be hunting you down from now on," Kagome said worriedly.
"Isn't that great?" Inuyasha almost laughed out loud. He had been fed up with Sesshomaru for ages; if Sesshomaru shifted his focus to Aomori, it couldn't be better.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shot him a glare, then turned to Aomori. "After we defeat Naraku, we'll take you to Totosai to forge a new sword. He's a legendary bladesmith, and he's the one who forged the Tessaiga. He can definitely help you make a powerful weapon."
"That sounds perfect," Aomori nodded. "I'm only borrowing this sword for the time being. I'll return it to Sesshomaru once I'm done."
If Totosai agreed to forge a blade for him, he wanted to use the near-shattered Ryuko as the base. He wondered if a sword forged that way could be taken out of this world.
After resting for a while, Inuyasha and the others prepared to set out and continue toward Mount Hakurei. At their current pace, barring any accidents, they would arrive by tomorrow.
…
"Jakotsu, Renkotsu, Ginkotsu... why is it just the three of you?"
Bankotsu, a man of modest stature but with an aura as fierce as a soaring dragon, rested the Banryu, a massive halberd shaped like a decapitating cleaver, on his shoulder.
His face appeared youthful; he had been only seventeen when he died.
As the leader of the Shichinintai, he was the youngest of them all. This served as a testament to his overwhelming martial prowess, which even the scheming Renkotsu was forced to submit to.
Had he not died young, Bankotsu might have even vied for the title of the strongest human.
Behind him now lay a castle town engulfed in a sea of flames. To reclaim his treasure, the Banryu, and exact his revenge, Bankotsu had slaughtered his way through the entire city single-handedly.
Renkotsu and the others had found him just as he was finishing up, ready to depart.
"Aniki, Kyokotsu is dead. There's no word from Mukotsu or Suikotsu; we don't know where they are," Renkotsu answered. "Furthermore, the boy responsible for delivering intel has disappeared. We're flying blind now and have no idea where our targets are."
Kohaku's defection had the greatest impact on the Shichinintai; their intelligence had always been supplied by him.
"Aside from that, on our way to find you, we encountered a demon with Shikon Jewel shards embedded in his legs. Unfortunately, he was too fast for us to catch."
Jakotsu nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, that guy was seriously fast, like a whirlwind. Otherwise, I would've cut his head off."
"I see. That is a bit of a problem. Thinking isn't exactly my forte," Bankotsu said, scratching his head. "Forget it. We won't wait for them. Let's head straight to Mount Hakurei. The final destination for the enemies Naraku mentioned should be there."
"Yes, Aniki. I agree," Renkotsu said.
Jakotsu and Ginkotsu had no objections. And so, they too set off toward Mount Hakurei.
…
Inuyasha was leaping along the path with Kagome on his back when suddenly, his nose twitched, and he came to a stop.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
"I smell that stinking wolf, and the scent of blood." Inuyasha tilted his head back, sifting through the scents in the air.
Seeing Inuyasha stop, the others halted as well.
Hearing Inuyasha's words, Miroku said, "The 'stinking wolf' refers to Koga, right? If there's a scent of blood, is Koga injured?"
"Most likely," Inuyasha nodded.
Aomori closed his eyes to sense the surroundings, then pointed to the side. "That way."
"Let's go check it out. After all, Koga is technically our ally," Kagome said.
"Who's an ally with them? But saving his life and seeing the look on his face when he's in a bind does sound pretty good." With that, Inuyasha ran in the direction Aomori had pointed.
"Inuyasha is always so dishonest with himself," Miroku shook his head and followed.
With Kohaku present, Miroku no longer had the privilege of sitting behind Sango; he now had to run alongside Inuyasha.
It wasn't long before they found Koga in a mountain cave. He was covered in blood and wrapped in many bandages, with his two subordinates, Hakkaku and Ginta, tending to him.
Seeing Koga in such a pathetic state, Inuyasha snorted. "Koga, you're really going downhill. Don't tell me you were done in by some random wild demon this time. If you can't handle it, you might as well hand the Shikon Jewel shards over to us. It's better than letting Naraku have them for free."
However, Koga ignored Inuyasha entirely. The moment he saw Kagome get off Inuyasha's back, he stood up as if he'd been injected with adrenaline. He turned into a whirlwind, reached Kagome's side, grabbed her hands, and said soulfully, "Kagome, we meet again. This must be destiny bringing us together."
"Not really." Kagome pulled her hands back, looking slightly embarrassed. "Koga, you're injured. Don't move around so much. Just lie down."
"Kagome, are you worried about me?" Koga tossed his hair with a flourish. "Don't worry. The moment I see you, I'm filled with strength. A little injury like this is nothing."
"Uhh..."
"You bastard Koga, are you looking to die?" The ignored Inuyasha was furious and immediately shoved himself between Koga and Kagome.
"Heh, Inuyasha, the only reason you can beat me is because I'm injured. Once I'm healed, you won't stand a chance."
"What a joke! Once you're healed, I could beat you with both hands tied behind my back!"
Only after their usual bickering did they remember the matter at hand.
Kagome asked, "Koga, who injured you?"
"Three spirits of the dead. They all had Shikon Jewel shards. I suspected they were connected to Naraku and went to question them, but I was outnumbered. I was no match for them."
"Spirits of the dead? Could it be?" Inuyasha and the others exchanged looks, all suspecting the Shichinintai.
Monk Miroku pulled out their portraits to show Koga, and Koga immediately identified the three.
"It's Jakotsu, Ginkotsu, and Renkotsu."
"You know who they are?" Koga asked.
"Yes. They are the Shichinintai, minions Naraku brought back specifically to deal with us," Miroku answered.
"You almost got slaughtered by only three of them? You're slipping, Koga," Inuyasha said, shaking his head. "We already took out two of them without a single scratch."
"Tch, you've got so many people on your side, of course you had the advantage. If you were in my shoes, you definitely wouldn't have made it out," Koga said, pouting.
In reality, Koga had only faced Ginkotsu and Jakotsu, Renkotsu hadn't even stepped in, but there was no need to go into the specifics.
"Tch, don't compare me to you." Inuyasha didn't believe the Shichinintai were that strong; it must have been because Koga was careless.
"So, Koga, do you want to come with us? We have reliable intel that Naraku is at Mount Hakurei," Kagome said.
"Mount Hakurei, huh?" Koga had also heard of its reputation.
"As much as I'd love to accompany you, Kagome, I'd just be a burden right now. I'll head to Mount Hakurei once my wounds are healed. You guys go on ahead."
"Alright then." Kagome knew Koga's temperament and didn't press further, only instructing Hakkaku and Ginta to take good care of him.
"Don't worry, Ma'am!" Hakkaku and Ginta replied immediately.
Kagome remembered something else. "Oh, one more thing. I ran into Ayame earlier. Because of the attacks from the spirits, she's already led her clan away to find a safer place."
"Spirits? Was it those Shichinintai guys again?" Koga said, filled with concern. "Are Ayame and the others okay?"
"Yes. Kyokotsu was causing trouble, but he's already been killed by Aosora-sama. Ayame and the others are fine."
"That's good." Koga looked at Aomori and asked, "Is he Aosora?"
"That's right."
"Then, thank you." Koga cupped his fists toward Aomori. "If you ever need help with anything in the future, just come find me at the Wolf Yokai Tribe."
"It was nothing, just a minor effort," Aomori said modestly. "And Ayame-san and her people had already started their retreat; it wasn't strictly me who saved them."
"Regardless, you helped the Wolf Yokai Tribe. You deserve our friendship."
"Well, then, alright."
After saying their goodbyes, Inuyasha and the group set off once more.
By evening, they arrived at the small village where Kikyo and Suikotsu were staying.
"Kagome, I..." Inuyasha lost his usual directness, looking at Kagome hesitantly.
"Why are you looking at me? If you want to go, then go," Kagome said, gritting her teeth.
"Kagome, come with me."
"I'm not going." Kagome refused. She had no desire to see the way Inuyasha acted whenever he was around Kikyo.
After a moment of hesitation, Inuyasha didn't foolishly leave to find Kikyo. "Then I won't go either. Let's all rest in the village for a bit and see if this Suikotsu is really a good person."
'At least Inuyasha can handle a simple choice like that,' Miroku and the others thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
And so, they entered the village together.
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