Thank You,
Knight Teir: "Jacob", "Ralfs Abele", "Lucas Varnas", and "Joel Vincent"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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The western lands were silent.
"Finally, calm down," Someone muttered. "Is that Inuyasha guy still missing?"
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. The ground was slick, painted in crimson, and strewn with the mangled remains of slain monsters. Blood flowed in rivulets, pooling around shattered limbs and torn wings, a testament to the merciless slaughter that had taken place.
Amid this gruesome scene stood a tall figure with long silver hair cascading over his shoulders, a pale blue crescent moon marking his noble forehead. His features were ethereal, fair, and fine like those of a porcelain doll, yet his beauty carried a sharpness like the gleam of a blade. Two crimson stripes ran down each cheek, like claw marks carved into his skin, and his golden eyes glimmered with cold, predatory light.
He wore pristine white robes adorned with intricate hexagonal plum blossom patterns. Not a single drop of blood stained the fabric, as though the gore of battle dared not touch him. His very presence radiated an air of distant nobility and chilling authority.
Balancing effortlessly atop the corpse of a massive beast, Sesshomaru gazed indifferently at a nearby tree. Perched on one of its branches was a creature no larger than a human thumb, a tiny imp-like servant bowing low before him.
"Master Inuyasha seems to have gone into a human kingdom," the imp squeaked in a trembling voice. "If Lord Sesshomaru wishes, I can track him down."
This was Jaken, Sesshomaru's loyal yet comically cowardly retainer.
Sesshomaru, eldest son of the great dog demon Inu no Taisho, remained silent for a long moment. After his father's death, the Western Lands had been thrown into chaos. Without a ruler, factions of demons sought to claim power, turning villages and valleys into battlefields. Sesshomaru would allow no such insults to his father's legacy. He had taken it upon himself to scour his lands clean of challengers, one corpse at a time. The mangled bodies littering the battlefield beneath his feet were a grim declaration of his rule.
Where his half-demon brother Inuyasha carried both humanity and hesitation in his heart, Sesshomaru was a pure-blooded demon, terrifying in his power. Years of endless battles had only sharpened him into a flawless weapon. Though he claimed disdain for his younger brother, Inuyasha's refusal to face him stirred an irritation he would not voice.
Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed, and his cold voice finally cut through the still air.
"Go. Deliver a message to that fool. When I am done cleansing the West, I will come for him myself. He can come crawling back to die by my hand, or he can waste my time and make me hunt him down."
Jaken swallowed hard, clutching his staff topped with a grotesque demon head. "Y-Yes, my lord!" He scurried away, relief flooding him as he fled his master's suffocating presence. Even knowing that human lands could be perilous, the imp preferred them over lingering under Sesshomaru's oppressive aura.
Far from this bloody field, in Sebastian's territory, the young demon lord sat at his desk, calmly examining a polished jewel that shimmered with an ominous light. It was a perfect imitation of the legendary Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls.
"An impressive forgery," Sebastian murmured, turning it over in his hand. "To craft something of this quality… that Batwan creature must have gone to great lengths." His lips curled in a faint, amused smile. "But to think even the God of Death was deceived by this trinket… laughable."
Batwan's scheme had been cunning. With the jewel as bait, even a seasoned demon slayer would have struggled against Death itself. Yet they had underestimated Sebastian's sheer strength and meticulous intellect. He understood the flaw in their plot; the monster posing as Death had grown too large, and in this world, size often came at the cost of agility and cunning. Its raw power had been fearsome, but its bloated form made it easy prey for Sebastian's strategies.
He set the jewel down, sharp eyes glinting in the lamplight. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, but to a keen observer, its imperfections betrayed it as false.
"You died for this," Sebastian whispered, recalling the lifeless form of the so-called God of Death. "A fitting end."
The days ahead would be filled with trouble, he knew. Already, whispers spread of a powerful lord in possession of the Shikon Jewel. Even if he cast this fake away, none would believe it to be counterfeit. They would come for him regardless, driven by greed and desperation. But no matter how many swarmed, as long as he fortified his village's perimeter and strengthened the outer defenses, their advance would be meaningless.
A knock interrupted his musings. Kikyo, poised and calm as always, stepped into the room.
"Sir Sebastian, those two monks have been standing outside for nearly two hours," she reported softly. "Shall I bring them in?"
"Not yet," Sebastian replied with a measured smile. "Let them wait a while longer. If they are determined to follow me, they must first prove their resolve."
Kikyo's gaze fell on the jewel glimmering on his desk, her eyes widening. "That's… the Shikon Jewel?!"
"No," Sebastian said, his tone cool and dismissive. "A fake, crafted to lure as bait."
"I see… no wonder its aura feels so strange," Kikyo murmured, sensing the faint malevolence radiating from it. "Does it endanger you, Sir?"
"Not in the slightest." Satisfied by his assurance, Kikyo bowed.
"After another two hours, prepare tea for our guests," Sebastian instructed.
"As you wish." She turned to leave but paused. "By the way, Tsubaki has returned… but she seems troubled."
"Troubled, hm?" Sebastian's smile deepened. "Invite her in."
Kikyo departed swiftly, and moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. The door burst open, and Tsubaki strode in, tossing a pouch onto Sebastian's desk with a sharp motion.
"Here's your share," she said flatly.
The pouch clinked with coins and tokens of payment earned through her recent demon-hunting contracts. Tsubaki, though young, was a shrine maiden of remarkable talent, strong enough to dispatch most threats alone. Her expression, however, was grim, shadows clouding her normally sharp eyes.