BOOM--!!
The long tachi, shrouded in black-and-red demon energy, carved a path of absolute destruction through the Berserk. The blade sliced through the necrotic flesh as if it were silk, followed immediately by an explosion of sword-pressure so intense it seemed to ignite the air itself.
The entity's frame was swallowed by a crimson light that hammered into the earth, carving a massive, jagged rift into the ground that reached deep into the bedrock. For a split second, the very fabric of space seemed to buckle under the strain.
"Incredible!"
Shippo stared at the pillar of red light, unable to look away. There were no bells or whistles, no complex magical formulas--just the raw, concentrated willpower of a single, perfect strike.
CRA-A-ACK--!!
"What's happening?!"
The earth beneath their feet began to heave and shudder. From every direction came the sound of breaking glass--the conceptual foundation of the Jewel's internal dimension was splintering into a million pieces.
"The interior of the Jewel is collapsing!" Toga shouted.
He didn't need to be told what that meant. If the dimension was failing, it meant the Shikon no Tama was finally, truly dead.
CRACK--!
With a final, violent surge of light, the world of shadow dissolved. The characters felt a sudden, jarring sensation of weightlessness before they tumbled onto solid, familiar ground.
"We're... we're out?" Kagome asked, blinking as she looked around at the clearing in the real world.
"Yeah. It's over," Rikuo said. He stood before them, the six Dragon Balls he had reclaimed floating in front of him. He allowed the [Matoi] to dissolve, separating back into his individual form alongside Inuyasha.
"Tch. That was simpler than I thought it would be," Inuyasha remarked, rolling his shoulders.
The combination of the [Matoi] and the [Command Spells] had yielded a result that was almost anticlimactic in its Efficiency. The Shikon no Tama hadn't even had the chance to scream before it was erased.
"Man..."
"That was almost too stressful for my heart to handle."
Cu Chulainn slumped onto the ground, finally allowing himself a moment of rest. Between the injuries and the sheer exhaustion of the battle, he was running on fumes. Even the legendary Great Demons--Kirinmaru and Toga--were looking worse for wear, each having sacrificed an arm in the conflict.
The truth was, if they hadn't fought as a cohesive unit and stalled for time, they never would have beaten the Shikon no Tama. Its defensive and regenerative capabilities were too perfect; it was a monster designed to endure anything.
"So... what happens now?"
Cu Chulainn's question brought the room's focus to the six golden orbs Rikuo and Inuyasha were holding.
"Actually... about the Shikon no Tama being unable to grant true wishes..."
"Does this thing have some kind of catch, too?" Inuyasha asked, suspicious of the new artifacts.
A heavy silence followed. The Masters didn't know the specifics of the ritual, but after their experience with the Jewel, they weren't about to trust another "wish-granter" blindly. However, the fact that it had successfully summoned someone like the deceased Toga suggested that its power was on a different level entirely.
"We'll only know if we try," a voice said.
"Rin has the last one."
Jaken was uncharacteristically proactive. After all, everyone else's Dragon Balls had been snatched away during the chaos--only the one held by Rin remained. Given the performance of Sesshomaru and Akame, Jaken felt that their group had more than earned the "right" to the wish.
Rikuo, Cu Chulainn, Moroha, and Toga shared a look. None of them had a desperate need for the balls at this moment; they had already found what they were looking for in the fires of battle. Kagome and Koga, too, weren't about to demand a piece of the prize.
Aside from Kirinmaru, who had lost his own Dragon Ball earlier, Rin was the only one left with the legitimate authority to call the ritual to its end.
"Wait... little human girl."
"Would you consider ceding your right to the wish to me?"
"Whatever you desire--wealth beyond imagining, safety for your people--I, Kirinmaru, the Beast King of the East, will grant it in exchange."
The group turned their attention to the Great Demon. Kirinmaru's request was delivered with a humility that felt strange coming from a King.
"That's quite the offer," Koga remarked, sitting beside Cu Chulainn.
A promise from the Lord of the Eastern Lands was worth more than a kingdom to a normal human.
"Is it for your daughter's resurrection?" Toga asked, confirming what they all suspected.
Rin stood there, a small, fragile figure facing a legendary monster. But despite Kirinmaru's imposing presence, she didn't flinch.
"I'm sorry... but I've already promised Akame-san that I would help her," Rin said, her voice soft but steady.
"!"
Kirinmaru's fist tightened for a split second before it slowly relaxed. He looked uncharacteristically defeated. To ask for the wish was already a blow to his pride; to be rejected by a child was the final nail. He knew better than to try and take it by force--not with this group watching.
"Thank you, Rin," Akame said, walking over and looking down at the girl.
"Hehe. Without Akame-san's help, we wouldn't have made it this far," Rin replied with a warm smile. "So there's no need for thanks."
The seven Dragon Balls were gathered on the ground, their golden surfaces beginning to pulse with a synchronized, rhythmic light.
"If anything weird happens, everyone get back!" Inuyasha warned, his hand reflexively going to [Tessaiga].
Rin closed her eyes and shouted the words that had been etched into her mind since the start of the war.
"COME FORTH!! SHENRON!!!"
The young girl's voice resonated through the clearing. Almost instantly, the bright afternoon sky began to churn and darken. Thunder rumbled with a weight that felt like a physical pressure against their chests.
"The weather... it's changing instantly?!"
"But I don't feel any malice or youki at all."
It was as if night had fallen in a single second. The sun was completely swallowed by the storm.
VHM--!!!
A pillar of golden light erupted from the Dragon Balls, swirling upward and forming the massive, celestial body of a green dragon. Its scales shimmered like emeralds, and its size was so vast it felt like it could wrap around the entire mountain.
"Is that thing... a youkai?"
"It's huge!!"
"But there's no demonic aura at all..."
"Man... I never saw a dragon like that when I was alive," Toga remarked, looking up in genuine awe.
Inuyasha's fur was standing on end. He had his hand on his sword, his eyes darting back and forth for any sign of a trap.
"SPEAK... I SHALL GRANT ANY WISH YOU DESIRE..."
"STATE YOUR REQUEST!"
The Eternal Dragon's voice boomed through the valley, deep and ancient. The characters were momentarily speechless.
"Can you really... grant any wish?" Rin asked, standing on her tiptoes to address the massive entity.
"WHETHER IT BE THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD... IMMORTAL LIFE..."
"THE TRANSFORMATION OF ONE'S BODY... THE ALTERATION OF THE WORLD... OR EVEN CROSSING BETWEEN REALMS..."
"WHATEVER YOUR HEART SEEKS... I SHALL MAKE IT REALITY!"
It was a boast of such staggering proportions that it left even someone like Cu Chulainn breathless. He had fought in the wars of myth and served under masters of the Grail, but he had never encountered a "Wish-Granter" with such a big mouth.
This dragon... seemed to be the real deal.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]