As Kagome’s scattered wits slowly reassembled, the outside world drew into keener focus. She gazed up at the blue-grey sky, party obscured by the silvery granite overhang of the cliff they were on. She remembered the hot spring, its heavy steam wafting over them even now, her left side beading with condensation. There had been

Kagome’s hands flew out before her as she was pushed against a smooth wall of stone, her skin heating reflexively—ready to purify the life out of her would-be assailant. As the claws around her arms tightened in a familiar grip, her initial shock cleared, and she quickly reined her power in. “What made you think,”

Meanwhile… “…So this guy Kikkoman has an army of underlings who travel the world delivering these flasks to his patrons?” Kouga summarized, looking thoughtfully at the empty soy sauce bottle in his hand. Kagome nodded. “That’s the gist of it, yeah.” Her brow furrowed. “Except, well, I’m pretty sure he’s dead by now…” The wolf

For the third time that morning, Sesshoumaru dropped the flaming sword with a scowl. “Oh no,” the miko whispered anxiously to the horse beside her, “it happened again…” “Mi-milord…?” Jakken ventured nervously from her other side. Checking them both with a glance, he bent to retrieve Tessaiga, a tendril of smoke rising from his scorched

That night, as the night before, Sesshoumaru watched her sleep. Perched on a high branch, sufficiently elevated from the wolf stench permeating the campsite below, he studied the profile of her face by the faint light of the moon. It was easier to look at her this way–when the world was silent, and she was

“Tessaiga,” Sesshoumaru said, his claws curving around the frayed hilt as he regarded her closely. “You believe the sword to have this power?” “Yep,” the girl said, smiling slightly. “Inuyasha used it to break through Naraku’s barrier once before.” His eyes narrowed. “How?” “With its other form—the Red Tessaiga,” she explained, her blue eyes gleaming.