"Hmph! As if I'd ever be afraid, I'll go out and slay demons as well!"
Watching Kikyo's departing figure, Tsubaki, still linked to Sebastian's arm, abruptly released him. She summoned her Shikigami, leapt gracefully onto its back, and vanished into the sky above the building like a streak of emerald wind.
"Honestly…" Sebastian exhaled, shaking his head with a weary calm.
Since the war, both his name and the reputation of G.D.I. had surged, and monsters rarely appeared within the nearby territories. As a result, Kikyo and Tsubaki were forced to travel farther, hunting demons in distant cities and isolated villages.
It was widely known that Kikyo and Tsubaki worked under Sebastian's command, so requests for demon-slaying commissions from across the land were almost exclusively directed to them, carried by his lingering name like an endless shadow stretching ahead.
Sebastian stretched, joints cracking faintly, then strode toward the Battle Lab. "Time to see what Ayame is up to."
Since the end of the war, Ayame had remained inside his stronghold for an unusually long time.
"Se… Sebastian?!" Ayame froze in surprise as he entered, her voice trembling with a mixture of reverence and fear, her wide eyes shimmering.
Once the young mistress of the wolf clan, she had believed Sebastian had placed a sealing spell upon her, one that prevented her from ever escaping the mansion. But after witnessing him single-handedly destroy the monster army, she finally understood the truth: she had never escaped because she dared not. Terrified of his strength, she had stayed, gradually resigning herself to a life as a servant, cleaning the mansion day after day.
Yet, as days passed and their lives intertwined, Ayame discovered something startling: Sebastian was nothing like the fearsome stories painted of him. He did not hunt demons indiscriminately nor seek to eradicate them entirely. His actions seemed driven by a desire for balance, stability, an invisible equilibrium between humans and monsters. He struck only when attacked first. He ignored external requests and entrusted demon-slaying to Kikyo and Tsubaki. It was as if eliminating demons was of little concern to him at all.
Ayame struggled to understand him. He was the exact opposite of every terrifying rumor whispered among yokai.
Now, she was washing dishes in the quiet kitchen when Sebastian suddenly appeared before her.
"S-Sir Sebastian… what brings you here?"
Once a sheltered noble, she had never done housework before; her first days in the mansion were riddled with accidents and reprimands. Though more capable now, fear still lingered deep within her. In her mind, angering Sebastian could mean death, perhaps something even worse.
"You can stop for now," he said softly. "Because of today's wea, "
"I-I'm sorry, Sir Sebastian!" Ayame instantly dropped to her knees, tears flooding her eyes like shattered beads. She thought he considered her useless, that he was finally going to dispose of her. "P-please give me just one more chance! I can do better! Please!"
Sebastian blinked, genuinely confused. "Why would I want to get rid of you?"
The girl trembled as if on the brink of execution.
"You… you weren't going to remove me?" Her tears halted abruptly, disbelief flickering across her face. "Then… why did you come?"
"I thought the weather was pleasant today," he replied with a helpless sigh. "I told Kikyo and the others to rest. You may go outside as well, enjoy yourself for a while."
"Really?!" Ayame's eyes lit up, like spring thaw after a long winter. She longed to run outside, to feel the wind against her skin. But then, suspicion crept in, sharp and sudden.
This must be a test. If I go out and play, I'll fail…! Resolving herself, she straightened, pride swelling like a beating drum. "No, I shall not go out for pleasure today!"
Sebastian only shrugged. The wolf girl before him was truly unpredictable.
Outside the lab, Inuyasha was already causing trouble. He held a small wooden stick, glaring at the drowsing Jaken, who leaned lazily against a stone lion statue, his ghost-staff in hand. Inuyasha jabbed him sharply.
During the final battle, every nearby monster had been annihilated by Sebastian. Jaken had tried to escape once the danger passed, but no one escaped Sebastian's grasp. He was captured effortlessly. Since then, Inuyasha finally had someone to tease.
With a wicked grin, he watched Jaken jolt upright.
"Your… Your Highness!" Jaken snapped to attention, panic in his eyes, bowing with unnatural respect.
When he first arrived, he had ignored the half-demon entirely. Yet, no matter how much he despised Sebastian, he dared not provoke him. After countless beatings, Jaken had finally submitted to Inuyasha completely.
Inuyasha smirked, satisfied with the obedient posture and expression. "Good attitude. But if you're so afraid of dying, why not give up your precious Sesshomaru's position?"
Jaken flinched, retreating several steps, defensive like a cornered beast. He had already refused to reveal Sesshomaru's whereabouts, even under Sebastian's overwhelming power; loyalty still outweighed survival in his heart.
"I will never betray His Highness Sesshomaru!"
"Ugh. You're boring," Inuyasha muttered, his interest evaporating like mist.