Within the dense, rolling mist, the crisp rhythm of clashing iron echoed steadily toward the east, each strike precise and unyielding. The sound originated from the casting chamber inside the Battle Lab, a place specially prepared for Izumo, granting him the area and tools to forge weapons of exceptional power.
"How much longer is this sword going to take?" Lying lazily on the ground nearby, Inuyasha watched Izumo repeat the same forging motions again and again. He let out a long yawn, his voice tinged with impatience and boredom.
"Not much longer, Your Highness!" Behind him, Taiki, wrapped tightly in bandages, stood with a conflicted expression as he looked toward Inuyasha.
Taiki had previously attempted to escape from G.D.I. more than once, unwilling to accept his circumstances. But each attempt had been swiftly discovered by Inuyasha's sharp instincts, followed by a merciless beating. That experience explained the bandages now covering his body… and his current, unusually obedient demeanor.
"Please don't rush, my lord. The blade is only half-complete," Taiki said with a careful, ingratiating smile. "Once the time comes, all that remains is to jewel the Jewel and carve the corresponding spell onto its surface."
Standing off to the side, Sesshomaru gave a faint nod, his gaze fixed on Izumo's every movement. As the craftsman carefully set the Jewel of Four Souls into the groove along the sword's hilt, Jaken couldn't help but swallow nervously. With the Jewel of Four Souls added… the power of this weapon would be beyond imagination.
When Sesshomaru first proposed forging the Jewel into a weapon, Inuyasha immediately reported the matter to Sebastian. To his surprise, Sebastian showed no intention of stopping it. Instead, he had instructed Izumo to assist in forging the weapon, something that left Inuyasha quietly puzzled.
"Not bad." Taking the finished blade from Izumo's hands, Sesshomaru felt the heavy, almost mournful aura emanating from it, along with the surging demonic power within, like a vast, churning ocean. He gave a slight nod of approval.
Under Izumo's masterful craftsmanship, the weapon and the Jewel of Four Souls had fused flawlessly, creating something utterly unique.
"Want to test it against me?" Inuyasha's tone turned provocative as he eyed the jade-inlaid blade in Sesshomaru's hand, "I'd like to see if you can actually control that power."
"As you wish." Sesshomaru did not hesitate. With a smooth motion, he turned the blade in his hand. The two brothers instinctively widened the distance between them before stepping onto the training field in silent understanding.
Rumble! A vast surge of demonic energy poured into the blade as Sesshomaru activated its power. The seemingly ordinary weapon erupted with a faint violet glow.
The sword aura trembled and pulsed violently, its resonance echoing like distant thunder. With a single swing, the surrounding mist was cleaved cleanly in two.
Opposite him, Inuyasha had already drawn Tessaiga, unleashing his own power in response.
In the next instant, the two weapons collided. The moment violet and golden energies clashed, a terrifying shockwave burst outward. A sudden, overwhelming sense of danger surged through the air. The violet blade, lightfalter, didn't falter; it pressed forward relentlessly.
Forced into a corner, Inuyasha roared and swung his weapon again with all his strength, smashing directly into the advancing light.
Boom! A deafening explosion erupted, and only then did Sesshomaru's attack finally dissipate. Inuyasha leaned heavily against Tessaiga, breathing hard. Beads of sweat formed across his forehead, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"How much strength did you use just now?" Sesshomaru lowered his weapon, his tone calm as he chose not to continue the assault.
"I gave it everything I had." Inuyasha's expression was complicated. Though he had lost, he made no excuses, only stating the truth plainly, "And you?"
"Thirty percent." Sesshomaru's answer was indifferent, his face devoid of satisfaction. To him, this outcome was far from acceptable.
In the past, Inuyasha had never been a match for him. Now, reaching even this level of resistance felt like a personal failure. Yet as he looked at Inuyasha now, Sesshomaru could no longer deny it; his brother had become someone worthy of respect.
"At my current level… I should be able to challenge Sebastian, right?" Sesshomaru asked at last. Since Inuyasha had spent more time under Sebastian's leadership, he should understand Sebastian's true strength better than anyone.
Inuyasha fell silent. The question left him uncertain. In everyone's eyes, Sebastian's strength had always been unfathomable, an overwhelming force capable of crushing any opponent with ease. And more importantly… it was clear that Sebastian had never once revealed his full power. Even now.
Even with the Jewel of Four Souls in play, Inuyasha did not believe Sesshomaru stood a chance. After all, the fact that Sebastian showed no interest in the Jewel at all… meant that, to him, it was insignificant.
"Not necessarily." Inuyasha shook slowly. slowly, "I don't know how strong he really is… but I'm certain it's far beyond anything we can imagine."
Sesshomaru's brows furrowed slightly, a trace of irritation surfacing at the answer. Just then, an explosion echoed from the distance.
"What was that?"
Outside the city, a woman clad in flowing purple gauze hovered silently in the air.
It was Kaguya.
A faint smile rested on her lips as she observed the battlefield below. The moment she approached the area, she was met with relentless attacks from countless defensive structures. The sheer intensity of the barrage had exceeded her expectations. These weren't ordinary defenses; their destructive power far surpassed that of typical demon slayers.
Even so… it remained within her ability to handle. With a casual turn of her hand, she launched a counterattack. In an instant, rows of machine gun bunkers and sentry turrets were obliterated, wiped out as if they had never existed.
Just as she prepared to advance further, two sharp blade lights suddenly tore through the air, aimed directly at her. Their speed was fearsome, so she had no choice but to abandon her attack and shift entirely to evasion.
The ones who had arrived were Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.