WHIP! SMACK!
"Aaacckk!"
Meioshi yelped, twitching and bending over to rub her butt, back, and hip. She was muttering something as she hunched over. Sesshomaru watched the good doctor tighten up as he ever so politely whipped her with his Moko Moko before returning his attention to the crumbling temple ceiling. Deja vu seemed to be a running theme in his life these days. First, the Green Pheasant returned to evaluate another oath involving his family, and now he was staring at an odd ceiling that was breaking apart like the sacred mound of Akabeko Temple. The red stinging of the doctor's struck spots and steam rising from her skin was evident of the punishment he inflicted. She made a hissing sound that made him look at her for a brief second and narrowed his eyes at the visual. For whatever reason, her pained sounds made his ears pull back a bit and reminded him of her art studio along the beach. The location of the art studio was admittedly gorgeous. The view from the hills was mesmerizing, quirky, and different... except for the fact that she sketches naked people handling intimate business and you can see the silhouettes at a certain angle! It was completely inappropriate! And, unfortunately, her hissing and touching herself the way she was doing in front of him was accentuating her... feminine features. Her hips were bigger than he thought, and Tadamasa's armor seemed to pull at her waist to make it appear smaller. She was a busty girl, or woman really, but she wasn't big like Chiyumi or Lady Uo. She was more proportional, he supposed. The talisman on her ankles made her look like a tribal warrior, which made sense when referring to her hell traveler's garb at the parade, but Tadamasa's belt and loin cloth made her legs look long and shapely. For reasons that were unorthodox, his lordship remembered what Meioshi's body looked like both at the lagoon when they crossed paths again just before Homugi interrupted them and at the accursed nude beach with her swimming su...
WHIP! SMACK!
Meioshi demanded, "Ow! The fuck was that for, ya fluffy bastard!?"
Don't be coy... Sesshomaru thought. I'm not here for your seduction games. Straighten up and be more mindful! You'll attract attention.
"Your leeches gave me a bunch of dog toys. Obviously, you gave them that idea," he replied, strapping his furry attachment back on his person. He'll not lecture her on her attire... this time.
"Like hell I did!" Meioshi argued.
Sesshomaru snatched her towards him to avoid another falling boulder. Though their position wasn't nearly as... inappropriate as the beach lovers, Sesshomaru found himself uncomfortable at the proximity of the doctor's body against his. Really, it was his own fault for pulling her towards him. He knew that, yet... he wasn't sure why it felt... no. This Lord Sesshomaru doesn't care about this world's holy warriors, least of all this hell traveler. He did, however..., think about Ohta. He was a good kid despite his mischievousness, and, though he didn't tell him, Sesshomaru sensed Ohta's "mother" in danger, so he left without saying anything. The boy was already emotional about the state of Meioshi's eyes. He didn't need to smoke or worry any more than he already was. The good doctor focused her attention elsewhere and quickly ran past him to continue solving whatever puzzle she was involved with now, but Sesshomaru didn't move for a while. Instead, he mentally kicked himself for the situation he was in now. He was supposed to be visiting Rin for the summer to see how she was doing, but... he was beginning to...
What does that mean? As he followed behind Meioshi, who was busying herself with releasing souls from the sugar garnets, Sesshomaru busied himself with his thoughts and battling the giants coming to take Meioshi's head. Like many of the enemies he had been confronting as of late, they were equally powerful and the Bakusaiga wasn't destroying them immediately like they would a normal enemy. When he first encountered Meioshi, he didn't expect to be wrapped up in battles of this nature or thrown about in her chaotic world. In the few scraps they've had with each other, she's managed to surprise him with quick thinking or deadly techniques that would've killed a low-level demon, and rightfully so. Of all her weapons, the one he probably hated the most wasn't even on her person. That wretched hat! That's what started it all. Yet... that wasn't completely true. What really started it all was his curiosity. The Netherland wolf that entered the mortal realm hunting for the good doctor was the trigger. After chasing it into the farmlands, he learned of her name but not the woman herself. She didn't have a legend behind her or anything, so no one would've known how powerful she really was. Since she takes no pride in her time on battlefronts, she truly gets lost in the fabric of the universe. It sounded like she preferred it that way. Why? Did she simply prefer being known as just a doctor or was there something else she wasn't telling him?
In truth, he wanted to know why she was in hiding if she could fight on this level. Even if she was in a desperate struggle against these demons, she was still able to hold her own. What did it mean to be a holy warrior versus a Shinto priestess? What was the real difference? He had met the Four War Gods, Ryūra, Jūra, Kyōra, and Gōra, and Lady Kanade on Hōrai Island in the past. He even defeated Kyōra with some struggle maybe, but that encounter was nothing compared to his journey now. He confronted Hidorobo just like everyone else, and it was easy to see how overwhelming his power was and, apparently, he wasn't even using his full strength. Just the right amount to send Meioshi running, and it had to have been great. Before he showed up to Heiwa, she was battling a true oni. Kiyonobu has no problem knocking anyone on their ass. True oni seem to be of legendary and ancient strength much like the kappa guards of the hell travelers' threshold. Even though Ichi wasn't as strong as Sesshomaru was, his lordship could at least admit that Ichi put in some real work to get Sesshomaru to question his own strength. Every enemy they've come up against so far... Meioshi's been hiding her real strength from him. She was testing him that day when they finally faced each other for the first time. No, she was testing him when she threw him off the cliff into the ravine, wasn't she? He went too easy on her! He was not a weakling.
I... seem to have one enemy to fight, after all... Sesshomaru thought. Rin, Ohta, I have something to do first... This woman is strong, but I refuse to let a human be stronger than me! I am Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, and I will not be insulted!
Another giant slammed Meioshi into the ground and made her scream in pain as blood started filling up her mouth and lungs. If she didn't get out of his hold, she would drown! But, she stabbed the giant in his arm and unleased a drain attack from the Baohu qi Voluptatis. The giant shot back while Meioshi coughed out the fluid to catch her breath. With no further hesitation, she dodged an overhead strike and threw her dagger into another garnet to release another man's soul. The giant allowed himself to be slain by Sesshomaru, and the inu prince was able to see a man crawl out of the giant's shell to breathe. When his soul returned to his body, the man embraced the doctor in his pure white clothing and rushed to some strange place.
Meioshi squinted her eyes at this. Now, it really wasn't making sense. All of the onmyoji of the past were going straight to Kinzo. None of the other garnets were glowing with power, so she seemed to be done with releasing the giants' souls, but red lights illuminated the floor and black water streamed down the walls. Soft wailing was heard like someone was drowning. Meioshi and Sesshomaru looked down into the waters, but they couldn't see anything other than the lights.
"Sesshomaru," Meioshi called, taking her tanto out of the stone wall and sheathing it. "Can you smell sweet orange or wild cherry from the waters below?"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Meioshi and said, "I've no reason to aid you further. We are done here. Leave this place."
"... Fine," Meioshi replied, dismissing her sword. She stood strong before him and continued, "It appears I am indebted to you once again for reasons you don't seem to like disclosing. My humblest gratitude, your lordship."
Meioshi kept her eyes locked on him and bowed politely before activating her Netherworld predator powers. Her eyes glowed that spidery orange as she rose to straighten up, and she leaped onto a protruding rock to climb up the temple walls. Sesshomaru watched her do this, but... he had a very dangerous thought about those eyes of hers. One that he couldn't help but remember when they became allies to fight against the black wall demon. Her ability to calm herself down in tense moments did something to him - something he was uncomfortable with. Something that matched the feeling of them being too close to each other a little earlier. That willful defiance to do what she pleased... she knows something. She's up to something. In truth, his nose was mainly catching the smell of death with all of the blood, but... there was a faint hint of cypress wood and sage in the stale air of this cavern. Though it could be something else, it smelled like his cookies at the bake-off. That sweet and spiciness from the sugar garnets was mingling with the wood and sage. It was like the sweet lemon of the hinoki tree when they released Hon'no and Piao from their prisons. Sesshomaru looked down into the waters and noticed that the lights in were blood spots being illuminated. Meioshi was finally high enough to stop climbing and merely crouch down to get a better visual of the temple floors below. What she saw was enough to make her heart stop...
"The oracles!"
The lights below were all of the phases of the moon from new to full, and within each moon phase was a drowning or wailing oracle. The good doctor was shaking and gasping for air at the sight until she finally made a decision. Dismissing the arctic sword, she called upon the powers within her medallion and instead summoned the Kaishi Novum to do this work.
"Sesshomaru," she called, earning his attention. "Get out of the waters."
Leaping into the air, Meioshi covered herself in a bright light and spiral of flames before descending swiftly into the floors. Sesshomaru watched her do this and took note of her holy warrior robes. That beautiful combination of orange, deep indigo, and purple and the blooms of snowbells surrounding her made something shift in him. Even though she wasn't smiling or offering some new adventure to a lost soul, she was just as determined to free them even though he couldn't clearly see them. Maybe it was all of this talk of heritage and the past that was making him forget Meioshi was a human. Maybe it was Ohta smoking and crying that made him more protective. Maybe it was just foolishness. Hell, he'd rather it be that! As her silver spearhead came crashing down onto the floor, Meioshi somehow... became a beauty. One that... could destroy him. Not by sheer might, not by purity, not by strength of will, no, something much worse. The good doctor was an analogous beauty. If he didn't turn away from her now, if he continued following her down this new path, if he continued caring about Ohta, if he didn't go see Rin, if he didn't wise up, if he didn't turn away from the Okuri-inu, then... she would be to him what Kikyo was to Inuyasha. His brother's death - his father's death - would be nothing compared to his. That's only if he let her win.
Leaping out of the waters, Sesshomaru landed on a rock protruding from the wall and finally saw what the doctor was seeing. Lost souls were trapped there. The ground shook and a maelstrom formed. Dodging the stones barreling down, Sesshomaru watched as the stones turned to diamonds almost and the temple shifted all around. The praying stairs transformed into palace stairs and Maboroshi no kohime's throne rose up from the stones and started to float. Forming hand signs, Meioshi silently purified the waters and floor and watched as the entire temple... turned into Maboroshi no kohime's palace. This wasn't onmyoji territory at all!
"... She's just like that woman..." Meioshi whispered to herself. "Going so far... to trap her own clan..."