Meanwhile…

“If you want her, miko, why don’t you come and get her!”

Sesshoumaru watched as the girl took off after Naraku’s brat of an incarnation, heedless of the danger. Anger coursed through him at the sight. With a growl, he threw off Mouryoumaru’s tentacled arm and raced to intercept her.

“Retreating so soon, Sesshoumaru-sama?” a gravelly voice called after him.

Sesshoumaru fell back as a barrage of crystal shards shot toward him, cutting him off from the girl. Shouki sizzled from a nick in his cheek.

“Or can you not help but chase after any slip of mortal flesh that crosses your view?”

Fangs bared, Sesshoumaru turned to face Mouryoumaru, Tokijin crackling with youki. “You will regret that remark.”

The daiyoukai sprang forward. He would end this quickly, and then see to the miko and his ward. With a vicious slash, he released a potent kenatsu wave from Tokijin’s blade, aiming precisely for the head of his foe.

As the blue sickle beam streaked toward Mouryoumaru, a set of spikes curved upward from his mottled gray armor, shielding his face and neck. Sesshoumaru’s kenatsu crashed harmlessly against the spikes and dissipated in a mist of youki.

The daiyoukai frowned as his feet touched back to the ground. Mouryoumaru’s spikes receded, revealing his pale, unscathed face.

“Is that the best you can do?” the creature taunted, smirking.

Taking to the air again, Sesshoumaru unleashed wave after wave of blazing youki, targeting Mouryoumaru’s arms, legs, torso, and head once more in turn—to no avail. Each time he attacked, Naraku’s incarnation blocked with his regenerative armor or parried with his shouki-laced appendages.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Sesshoumaru landed. This was taking far longer than he had anticipated. He looked past Mouryoumaru, toward the ridge where the miko had ascended in pursuit of Hakudoushi. Though he could see nothing of her from his current position, he could still feel her presence, small reassurance though it was. Powerful as she appeared to be, the girl was unaccustomed to battle—and human, besides.

His grip tightened around Tokijin’s hilt. He had to get to her. He had to—

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi