Thank You,
Knight Teir: "Fire_Fox2590"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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After Ayame took a few hesitant steps, her keen eyes swept across the courtyard, alert yet brimming with curiosity. Suddenly, a deep, calm voice echoed behind her.
"I didn't expect guests to arrive at such an hour." It was Sebastian.
With the quiet hum of his portable teleportation device, he materialized behind her like a specter, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye.
Caught completely off guard, Ayame froze. The sudden voice shattered the silence, causing her heart to leap. She let out a startled cry and stumbled backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Y-you! Who are you?!" she gasped, her voice trembling.
"Who am I?" Standing before her, Sebastian regarded her with an almost bored calm, yet his eyes gleamed with quiet intelligence. He immediately recognized her, the young chieftain of the northern wolf tribe.
Her reaction amused him; the way she glared at him through wide, frightened eyes made him smile faintly.
"I'm the head of this place," he said simply.
"You're Sebastian?!" Ayame blurted in disbelief. "But… you're supposed to be an old man with a white beard!"
Her preconceptions crumbled as she stared at the youthful figure before her. She dusted off her fur-lined garments, her wary gaze darting between his calm expression and the strange luminescence surrounding the courtyard.
"You're not lying to me, are you?" she asked, voice edged with suspicion. In her mind, the man who had slain countless monsters and carved out his own domain had to be an aged, battle-scarred elder, not this composed, almost gentle-looking human.
Sebastian sighed softly. "It's rare for a monster to scale my walls. I suppose those three are lazing about again."
He studied her in silence, the moonlight glinting off his eyes like shards of ice. He could feel the rippling emotions within her: fear, awe, and a curious absence of killing intent. So, he didn't strike.
"What brings you here?" he asked, his tone mild but edged with authority.
"My name is Ayame," she said carefully. "I came to warn you. The clans are preparing to besiege your mansion."
Her voice quivered, but she stood her ground. What unnerved her most was that she could sense nothing from him, no aura, no presence, no pulse of power. He was a void wearing a human shell. How could this be the same man who had slaughtered armies of monsters? He seemed too young, too still, too human.
And yet, he had appeared behind her without a sound. If Sebastian had meant to kill her, she would already be dead. The chilling realization made her blood run cold.
After a long silence, Sebastian's lips curved into a faint smile. "The plan to attack me, and yet one of them comes to warn me? Fascinating. Why would you do that?"
"I… I don't know! Believe what you want, but I'm telling the truth!" she stammered, her thoughts scattering under his calm, piercing gaze. Her rehearsed reasoning crumbled. Words failed her. Even she didn't understand why she had come.
"When you figure out why, then we'll talk again," Sebastian said coolly.
He shook his head slightly. The air shimmered, and he vanished, leaving her alone in the eerie stillness.
Sebastian already knew her excuses were hollow. She carried no malice, only confusion. And though she had no clear motive, her warning was genuine.
The night was deep. He had no patience to help her unravel her doubts. The army of monsters was already gathering beyond the hills, and his preparations were complete. Her words were irrelevant. He intended to draw them all here, every arrogant beast, and annihilate them in a single, devastating strike.
"You!" Ayame cried out, but Sebastian was already gone. Clenching her fists, and stamped the ground in frustration, "You bastard! Wait until I get out of here, I'll bite you to death!"
Her threats rang hollow. Despite her bluster, her heart was tangled in confusion. The man feared by countless monsters hadn't even raised a hand against her. He hadn't shown a trace of killing intent. Still, she only wanted to escape this cursed place. She climbed the high wall and jumped down, only to find herself standing again in the same courtyard.
"What?! What's happening?" she gasped.
Panic surged in her chest. She tried again and again, but each time, violet light flared around her, pulling her back to the same spot. There was no escape.
Outside the Battle Lab, Inuyasha watched her endless struggle with weary understanding. The purple light swallowed her once more, resetting her to the courtyard.
"I know that feeling," he murmured. He, too, had once been trapped by illusions, until he'd stopped resisting.
Half an hour later, Ayame collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. "I… I remember now. My purpose…" she whispered into the empty air.
"Oh? And what is it?" Sebastian emerged beside her like a shadow made flesh. Even when unseen, his devices monitored every inch of his base.
Realizing the full scope of his power, Ayame's defiance melted away. Trembling, she whispered, "I wanted to stop the hostile tribe from obtaining the Jewel of Four Souls…"
"I see." Sebastian's lips lifted faintly. Through his observer's perception, he could tell she was telling the truth. "And do you seek the Jewel of Four Souls for yourself?"
"I, I'm not interested!" she blurted, her lips quivering as she forced herself to meet his gaze.
Sebastian nodded slowly. Her intentions were clear, she only wished to prevent the jewel from falling into the wrong hands.
"You may go now," he said quietly. His tone was neither kind nor cruel, merely absolute. The next instant, he was gone.
Ayame sat motionless, her heart pounding. Never before had she felt so powerless… or so strangely safe.
Meanwhile, within the Battle Lab, the lights in Kikyo and Kaede's quarters flickered softly. The firelight danced over paper walls, warm and alive. A moth drifted in through the window, drawn helplessly toward the flame. It struck the paper with a faint, tragic hiss.
"Sister, why do moths always fly toward the fire?" Kaede and Kikyo sat side by side on the bed, their smiles gentle as the night wind whispered through the room.