"What on earth… is that?"
Miroku stared at the skeletal giant that was slowly fading into the night, shock written plainly across his face.
"I saw Kagetsu use it once before to block Hiten's attack," Kagome said, equally stunned. "But I never thought it could attack like that too…"
The translucent ribs and arms of the skeletal Susanoo dissolved into motes of light,
,and from within the cloud of shattered stone and dust came a voice as cold as winter steel.
"You… have succeeded in angering me."
From the rubble, Sesshomaru lifted his head.
His once impassive expression had twisted into a snarl. His golden eyes had turned a chilling crimson, and the demonic aura around him surged violently, expanding outward like a storm breaking loose.
The cliff face behind him exploded with a thunderous crash.
In the next instant, his figure blurred,
He vanished.
A streak of silver shot straight toward Kagetsu.
At the same time, Sesshomaru flicked his fingers forward. A whip formed instantly from condensed demonic energy and corrosive poison, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle.
It lashed across Kagetsu's waist,
,and cleaved him cleanly in half.
"Kagetsu!" Kagome cried, her face draining of color as she instinctively tried to rush forward.
Inuyasha grabbed her arm.
"Relax," he said, eyes locked on the battlefield. "That's not the real one."
Kagome blinked, startled.
Across the clearing, Sesshomaru hadn't even spared the severed body a glance. A cold sneer tugged at his lips.
"A petty trick."
Before the words fully fell, he spun sharply, poison whip snapping outward like a striking viper toward an empty patch of ground.
Boom!
The earth burst apart.
Kagetsu sprang from beneath the surface, evading the lash. Meanwhile, the bisected "corpse" behind Sesshomaru vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by a split log.
"The nose on that dog really is sharp," Kagetsu sighed lightly after landing. "Seems the Substitution Technique doesn't fool a Great Yōkai for long."
He drew the samurai blade at his waist in a reverse grip.
Wind-nature chakra wrapped around the edge instantly, forming a radiant layer of cutting light.
Then,
He disappeared.
Clang,!
His blade collided violently with Tessaiga, sparks exploding into the night like fireworks.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan active, Kagetsu pressed forward relentlessly.
The Uchiha clan's sword style was not refined for elegance,it was forged in war. Every strike was direct, ruthless, meant to kill.
Under the Sharingan's perception, his body split into flickering afterimages, blades flashing from impossible angles, weaving a net of steel around Sesshomaru.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The forest rang with the continuous crash of metal.
Sparks sprayed in dazzling arcs as the two figures blurred through the clearing at blinding speed.
From a distance, Kagome and Miroku could see only bursts of light and showers of sparks,nothing more.
Even Inuyasha, relying on his half-demon eyesight, could barely track their movements.
Sesshomaru, who had always crushed his enemies with overwhelming demonic power, was being forced back.
His speed as a Great Yōkai allowed him to parry,but only barely. Each of Kagetsu's strikes seemed to anticipate his movements, cutting off his counters before they formed.
He couldn't find an opening.
Worse, several shallow cuts appeared along his armor and sleeves, thin lines of blood surfacing before being rapidly sealed by his potent demonic regeneration.
The wounds were minor.
The humiliation was not.
This was the first time he had been driven into such a state,by a human.
And the weapon in that human's hand was nothing more than a common mortal blade, relying entirely on that strange chakra coating to bite into his flesh.
"How is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, gripping his sleeve tightly.
"For now, Kagetsu's winning," Inuyasha said, brows furrowed. "But that sword… It's just a normal blade. Against Tessaiga, it won't hold."
As if on cue,
Crack!
Kagetsu's sword slashed across Sesshomaru's chest armor,
,and shattered.
The blade snapped cleanly in two.
Kagetsu had already anticipated it.
He leapt backward, creating distance in a smooth motion, and casually tossed the broken sword aside.
Looking at Sesshomaru's dark expression, he smiled faintly.
"Dog demon, your swordsmanship is truly disappointing."
His tone shifted, losing its mockery.
"Enough warm-up."
Sesshomaru said nothing.
Seeing his opponent now unarmed, killing intent flashed through his crimson eyes.
Tessaiga roared to life.
He swung.
A crescent of demonic light, far more brilliant than before, tore toward Kagetsu.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kagetsu formed hand seals in a flash and slammed his palms against the ground.
Boom,!
A massive wall of earth surged upward, thick and towering.
The blade of light struck it,
,and obliterated it instantly.
The wall exploded into rubble, a deep trench carved into the earth.
But Kagetsu was already gone.
Sesshomaru's eyes sharpened. He scanned the battlefield, tracking scents through the dust.
"What are you looking for?"
The voice came from directly behind him.
Sesshomaru's pupils contracted.
Before he could turn,
Boom!
A savage kick slammed into his back.
Blood burst from his lips as his body shot forward uncontrollably.
Kagetsu erupted after him, chakra flaring violently, closing the distance in an instant.
His fist crashed into Sesshomaru's face.
Then,
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Spinning midair, Kagetsu delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to Sesshomaru's abdomen.
The Great Yōkai was launched skyward.
For a brief moment, his vision blurred.
When it cleared,
Kagetsu had changed.
Orange pigmentation framed his eyes. His presence had expanded severalfold.
He had entered Sage Mode.
Murderous intent ignited in Sesshomaru's gaze.
Clutching Tessaiga, he unleashed a surge of demonic energy and swung downward with all his might.
"A mere human,die!"
The blazing arc of demonic power tore through the air,
,and struck Kagetsu.
A cold smile began forming on Sesshomaru's lips,
Poof.
The struck figure dissolved into smoke.
A Shadow Clone.
The blade of light carved uselessly into the earth, splitting it open in a violent explosion.
"Always shouting 'mere human.'"
Kagetsu's voice echoed from above.
"What's so impressive about arrogant trash like you?"
Sesshomaru's heart tightened. He immediately cloaked himself in demonic energy,
But it was too late.
Kagetsu descended from the sky, killing intent flooding the air.
"Sage Art: Painful Sky Leg!"
Immense sage chakra condensed beneath his heel,
,and crashed down.
BOOM!
Sesshomaru choked on blood as his body was driven downward like a falling star.
He slammed into the earth with catastrophic force.
The ground exploded.
A massive crater formed instantly, cracks spiderwebbing outward in all directions as dust billowed into the sky, swallowing the battlefield whole.
"So… so strong…" Shippō stammered, eyes wide.
"He didn't even get the chance to fight back," Miroku murmured in disbelief. "That power…"
Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged a silent glance.
They had always known Kagetsu was powerful.
They had never imagined he was powerful enough to overwhelm Sesshomaru.