The youkai-transformed Rikuo appeared before him. Kirinmaru never imagined this Servant was a hanyo.
An unfamiliar face--
But given his "credentials" as a Servant, he had to be quite capable.
Youki swirled around him. The state of this Servant looked exceptionally strange.
'What is this?'
Unable to read the flow of "Fear," Kirinmaru grew puzzled.
The way his opponent wielded youki was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
'Without Nenekirimaru... this will have to do.'
Still pressing his ice blade against the sword hilt, this was all Rikuo could manage for now.
The one Nenekirimaru that came with his Heroic Spirit form had been sent for repairs--he couldn't manifest a second.
In this critical moment, he had no choice but to use [Matoi] and enter the fray directly.
"Boy, are you a youkai from the future era?"
His earlier emotions settling, Kirinmaru observed Rikuo and asked.
The unfamiliar method of youki usage was definitely unknown to youkai of this era.
Especially the way he seemed to assimilate other youkai onto himself and wield their power...
Unlike mere devouring or fusion, it was more like a partnership.
"And if I am?"
Wearing his signature cold smile, Rikuo met his gaze without fear.
"Is that so?"
"Then let me see what you're capable of!"
Even with only his right arm remaining, Kirinmaru didn't care.
He seemed to finally understand what the Shikon no Tama had meant.
"!"
Youki flames surged. The tip of Rikuo's ice blade shattered instantly.
Akame had already retreated to safety.
"Tsurara's power isn't enough?"
Watching Kirinmaru's overwhelming youki, Rikuo knew his "Fear" had been dispersed.
'Without the Reality Marble, three is my limit out here.'
His ultimate technique, [Matoi: Hyakki Tenshin], lacked the environment to execute.
Rikuo had to settle for the next best approach.
Though he probably still couldn't beat Kirinmaru, stalling should be manageable.
That one's presence was drawing near...
"Lend me your power!"
"Kurotabou... Hato..."
Two black shadows appeared from thin air, then merged into his body.
"This is...?"
Witnessing the process, Kirinmaru grew intrigued.
He sensed it--Rikuo's youki had increased substantially.
And the obvious physical changes were even more bizarre.
Strange claw markings covered his body, along with a half-draped dark robe.
"The scent of poison..."
An ominous aura coated the ice blade. Kirinmaru frowned, detecting the shift.
But in the next instant--black gun barrels emerged from behind his shoulders, aimed directly at him, making him freeze.
He recognized them as weapons from the human world called "firearms."
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!
'The bullets carry not only freezing power but also poison...'
Forming a youki barrier to block, Kirinmaru dared not be careless.
This combination from Rikuo had caught him off guard.
TAP TAP TAP!!
Bullets struck the youki shield, rippling like raindrops on water.
"!"
Before long, Kirinmaru noticed his youki barrier was being peeled away bit by bit.
'Faint but definitely there.'
'His youki is eroding mine!'
Without continuously reinforcing it, the barrier would eventually be pierced.
"Interesting!"
Having never seen such power, Kirinmaru charged forward instead.
TAP TAP TAP!!
Braving the gunfire, he rushed straight at Rikuo.
"About time!"
Seeing him approach, Rikuo stopped shooting--and in that instant, launched a barrage of hidden weapons.
"What?"
Swords, spears, halberds, arrows--all manner of weapons bristled from Rikuo's body like a porcupine, leaving no room for close combat.
This was the power of the youkai "Kurotabou"--countless concealed weapons for battle.
With [Matoi], they were further infused with Tsurara's freezing power and Hato's poison.
Even a small graze would cause tremendous trouble.
"Tch!"
Forced to retreat, Kirinmaru saw Rikuo's hedgehog-like state and realized he could only rely on ranged attacks.
This hanyo's techniques were mysterious and formidable.
Even Kirinmaru couldn't immediately devise a way to defeat him conventionally.
"The unknown, hm?"
Murmuring, Kirinmaru thought of the Shikon no Tama.
If it claimed these people could kill it, that wasn't empty talk.
After engaging them, Kirinmaru confirmed their abilities were considerable.
Assassin's curse poison, Rider's assimilation (Fear/Matoi), Lancer's raw strength, and the Great Dog Demon's granddaughter Archer's youki...
Facing them all at once would be exhausting.
'A human wielding a cursed blade...'
'A hanyo who makes youkai offer themselves up...'
His gaze shifted between Akame and Rikuo. Kirinmaru narrowed down the possibilities.
If anyone here could kill the Shikon no Tama through special means, it was Assassin and Rider.
Assassin's curse poison--without analyzing it, one couldn't understand its composition or create an antidote.
Rider was purely... "unknown."
The former was straightforward; the latter held the key to cornering the Shikon no Tama.
'Only attacks beyond the Shikon no Tama's anticipation can truly harm it.'
'It has already figured out my and the Great Dog Demon's attack patterns--that's why it doesn't fear us as it transforms.'
'But if it's this hanyo's power, it would definitely be afraid.'
Unknown meant ignorance.
Ignorance meant inability to handle it.
"But... what is the source of its confidence?"
Having grasped the Shikon no Tama's "weakness," Kirinmaru suddenly thought of something else.
Rider posed such a threat--why was the Shikon no Tama so composed?
Recalling its behavior all along...
Taking attacks, regenerating, shifting forms... ever-growing youki and power.
'It must have some trump card that makes it fearless of any threat.'
Without uncovering this crucial truth, they couldn't completely defeat it.
"Many questions remain..."
"But Sesshomaru--I can feel your murderous intent from a great distance."
His train of thought interrupted, Kirinmaru looked toward another direction.
Everyone followed his gaze.
Catch!
Rikuo saw an object tossed from above and caught it reflexively.
"Nenekirimaru..."
"Fully repaired in just two days?"
Joy surged through him as he felt the familiar heft in his hand.
But before he could admire it further, a voice from above sent a thrill through him.
"Are you ready to fall?"
"Kirinmaru."
There floated Sesshomaru in the sky, his right hand gripping the blade he'd wielded before, voice cold as ice.