In a place slightly away from the currently destroyed sakura village, under the still dark sky, the ground momentarily deforms and from there a person emerges.
It is Yaeko, not her merged version with Eien, making her look mature and big, but it was her normal human version.
"Ahhh!"
It was a piercing scream that came from Yaeko's throat, but she doesn't seem to be injured in any way, though she still writhes on the ground.
Due to her writhing on the ground, everything on her is a mess, but more importantly, the wounds closed by the bandages open up, revealing a pinkish glow inside her.
"Eien, EIEN!"
Forcibly controlling her wriggling body like a shrimp, Yaeko removes a strange white branch from inside her costume.
That branch was the spitting copy of the extraordinary tree in the complex, only the aura of "Nature" is much more compact and with much more power.
Gritting her teeth tightly, Yaeko grabs the branch and swiftly stabs it into her arm. The branch begins to glow as it devours the blood emerging from under the bandages, before all that glow materializes into a figure.
"What a stubborn person, you can stop suffering and you only must."
"Never, I want my revenge and you have promised me!"
The newly materialized figure that Yaeko talks to is obviously Eien, but she also has the same appearance as Yaeko with the only difference being the hair color.
"Well..."
Resting her hand on Yaeko's head, a green glow starts to emanate from Eien and the blood that was flowing from underneath the bandages finally stops.
Not only was it the blood that stops, but Yaeko's continuously collapsing mental state as well, causing her expression to suddenly become blank.
"Thank you, Eien. Cofg, Cofg, Cofg, Cofg... This body won't last long, we have to hurry."
Covering her mouth with her hand, Yaeko wipes away the blood she just coughed up and guides her eyes towards Eien.
"More worried your mind has me, a few moments without my help and it almost collapses. Umm... Kazuya was unfit to be my contractor, but at least he was sane and no offense."
"Never mind, when we gather more of your body parts, we'll easily fix it."
Ignoring Eien's concern that seems strangely genuine, Yaeko replies mechanically and starts walking in a specific direction.
"The more resilient you are, either physically or mentally, the more power those fragments inside your body can give you... It's a self-destructive cycle."
"Unnecessary worry, I'll stay alive long enough to complete my end of the bargain."
"Maybe suppressing your emotions was a bad idea, now you don't even respect me enough."
Attempting to make a flirtatious gesture, Eien fails horribly, not that she's to blame... If not, her current appearance doesn't help at all.
...Christopher/Asahiko pov…
The warm sunlight bathes my beautiful body, making me feel a comforting warmth, something quite strange during the last night.
What happened during the night? Simple, I thought about it for a few moments and accepted that I've... that I've... lost.
Uggg... Yuck, just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. Yeah, it's not a defeat, it was a clear draw and she withdrew first so I've won.
"This way, no better that way... Now towards that place. because it keeps moving and with my trailing tail!"
Putting aside my existential traumas, I nibble my lips for a few moments and move my eyes to various sides.
As a few people may have noticed, I'm going after Totosai. The previous fight has made me... I need a training bow, but first I must go after what belongs to me.
I must be at my apex, then train and control that apex of power... God how confusing. I just have to be at my maximum power and start training from there.
"Totosai has always had a keen sense of danger, getting to the point where it was a skill. what are you doing!"
"Tsk, looks like it's not your personal skill. You're good at escaping too."
Of course I hadn't tried to grab Saya in a serious way, but that sneaky spirit seemed to have eyes in the back and escaped from my hands easily.
Well, if I remember clearly that yokai flea was also a coward... Was Myoga or something like that his name?
Wait... These three are followers of Inuyasha's father, that great yokai named Inu no Taisho. Does that mean everyone there was a coward.
"We are not! We only know how to avoid danger."
"I didn't say it, you did..."
"That look didn't leave me much room to maneuver."
Who knew Saya had a talent for reading people's body language, irrelevant but certainly new information.
"Are we just going to stand here?"
"Well if you want to take a little color, Kikyo. Although I prefer your white skin, it makes a beautiful contrast next to the black hair."
Avoiding thinking for a few seconds where this sneaky rat Totosai has gotten to, I turn my body and stare at Kikyo.
"Praise that is highly unnecessary."
"That hurts."
Auch, Kikyo and her mood swings that make a storm look like child's play. Literally in a few moments she can give you a warm look, only to then want to stick you with an arrow.
Clearly interesting, this only makes her more interesting... Okay, I have to go hit Inuyasha. Yeah, he's rubbed off on me with his kinky tastes.
"Why haven't you done your whole performance yet? Normally you'd be squirming around, clutching your heart and blurting out something weird."
"Umm... I have to change that choreography, for something more surprising and novel. About what you asked, I'm considering what way to tease Inuyasha."
Nodding my head several times to myself, I completely overlook the slight emotion on Kikyo's face and turn around to move on.
"Again, is it that you don't get bored of the same thing, Asahiko?"
"Recurring?"
"Too recurring I would say, young Kikyo. There isn't a time when I haven't tried to tease Inuyasha, I even think it's already personal..."
Noticing that Saya is trying to turn the tables on me, obviously using the topic Kikyo is most interested in, she quickly took matters into her own hands.
"Saya..."
"What's wrong, aheg."
Enjoying the face of sheer terror, which Saya places upon seeing Clouded Fang heading towards her head, obviously still in the scabbard, she swung it full on with the sword.
My physical body may not be able to touch him, my flames may be a danger of death to him... Hehehe, but Clouded Fang is right on that gray line and yes I'm going to use it.
"Now let's get going. We have a rat to catch and an albino to hit."
"The one from just now doesn't count?"
"Oh, no. Saya is a spiritual albino and I want to beat up a half-dog, red-clad albino with pride as huge as his sword."
I could easily notice Kikyo's slight grimace, she obviously wasn't expecting such a cheeky response and what can I say... I'm a fox, the king of cheeky, no one plays me.
"Too specific, don't you think?"
"Yes it is. Now then, let's go for the right albino!"
Letting out a big Yay! With my hands raised in the air, I watch as Kikyo's face returns to normal emptiness and she continues to advance silently behind me.