Ch34 Of Frost and Fang
(Y/N POV - Home -Modern Era - 2 days later) I have
"And that should do it." I said, finishing wiping off the kitchen counter.
Currently I was cleaning my house, with given the amount of time I have spent in the past and being wheelchair bound until yesterday hadn't received a proper cleaning in about two weeks.
I had recently completed all of my make up work and homework I figured now was a good as time as any to clean up the house before Kagome got back from school. Should be another day before I am well enough to head back.
I had Yura helping me out, which has been a blessing. Would have taken me about have a day given the amount of dust that has caked over in some of the rooms.
Including my father's office were I has heading to right now in case Yura hasn't already...or unless she has broken anything.
Which I hope nod, he kept some breakable artifacts in there and a few things that have been in his side of the family for generations. So it is safer to make sure that nothing happens to them.
I placed down the cleaning rag before grabbing my crutches and hobbling of towards my father's office.
For the past two days things seemed to have calmed down in Tokyo. They were still broadcasting news about the Nikuzuki no Men's rampage though.
Given that at least 60 people including multiple police officers were reported missing, when in actuality they had been killed by that accursed mask.
Add onto the hundred of thousands of yen in damages Kagome and Yura had racked up in their battle with it, than this was single handedly the worst yokai attack in the past 20 years in Western Honshū.
It was unanimously agreed upon to double down on our efforts to gather the jewel shards in the past. It was too costly to have to a repeat of such an event here in the present.
Not sure how the government is covering going to cover this mess up though.
Besides it seems like the Nikuzuki no Men's appearance has caused a resurgence of supposed yokai activity in Tokyo if everything on the internet over the past two days has proven to be correct.
Given how there was barely any yokai left in all of Tokyo and the surround are minus a few hotspots like the Nerima ward it wasn't a surprise.
That accursed tsukumogami was rather powerful for something of this region of Japan, causing any other yokai to test the waters so to speak while the city is still recovering from this attack.
Though looking at a majority of these rumors online and learning from my dad I could at least discern a majority of them were fake or not.
Which about 50% of them were, and another 15% of them were of Yura's doing given the amount of men and now women being reported becoming bald and fitting with the earlier rumors.
I am going to have a talk with her about this once again...
Anyway at least I got proof of this with Kagome encountering the spirit of a rather mean girl yesterday on her way home with her friends. One whose idea of fun seems to be lighting fireworks on fire and frightening the living.
On a lighter note, Grandpa was released from the hospital yesterday. Best part was that they examined him and they deemed one Ginzō Higurashi to be of perfect mental health for a man his age.
Although on the physical side of things he was going to have a bad back for weeks, but with the fact a burning support beam fell on him Grandpa was lucky to be alive.
And yesterday he started to go into the inventory of the storehouse and is basically looking through the history of what survived the fire in order to make sure there were no more nasty surprises like the Nikuzuki no Men.
As for the final major thing to happen in the past two days turned out to be a...mixed surprise for myself.
And made me a little less human once again.
(Two days ago - Higurashi Shrine)
I was just outside of the shrine's front gates, on my way home and waiting for my legs to defrost after have to ice over and dissipate a ramp of frost over the shrine's steps inorder to wheel myself out of there.
Kagome called to let me know that she had finally killed the Nikuzuki no no Men and they were on their way if the jewel shard.
Basically warning me I might want to be anywhere but at the shrine for a bit. Which I agreed with and I was on my way home until they at least felt that the jewel shard was secure.
Could take any risks, and I would prefer not to go through the excruciating pain once again.
Though given that I was currently partly frozen currently, it was a small percentage compared to what a single jewel shard felt like.
Feeling my legs defrost I began to wheel my self away, ready to head home and not-
"You have got to be shitting me!" I heard Inuko shout not that far from me and turned myself around.
Which was a rather stupid decision as the jewel shard rocketed into my chest.
As I could feel the jewel shard trying to embed itself into my chest, Inuko ripped it out in no time flat.
"Damn this is starting to get annoying...and you're still consious?" Inuko said in surprise as Kagome and Yura landed right behind her.
Huh, she's right.
Normally I would have passed out by now from the jewel shards and my powers going out of control...but I did not, at least not as much as I am used too.
It was still there, but it was a lot less worse then what it was before.
"You alright Y/N?" Kagome asked, getting me to nod shakily.
"There is still some pain, but it feels like it has been dulled quite a bit." I groaned out.
"Do you think that you finally gotten used to the shards master?" Yura suggested, getting me to shake my head.
"No that might not be it, it more or less feels like something had been filled in along with the pain." I said, trying my best to describe the sensation.
"It might be as Kaede said with transferring the power of the jewel shards, perhaps it gives you a resistance. You did give Hiten and Yura their excess powers back." Kagome said, grumbling at the mention of Hiten.
Not that I blame her, considering what the raijū tried to do.
Still if that is the case, then this could possibly only be a stopgap measure.
"Damn it all, probably going to see Kaede about this." Inuko grumbled out.
"Maybe, but let's save that for tomorrow. I think we all have had a long day." Kagome suggested, looking tired after everything had happened.
"That I can agree one, along with not waking up the kit. It would take him forever to get him back to sleep." Inuko said with a sigh.
(Flashback end)
After that it was unanimously agreed upon to visit Kaede before school started for Kagome considering the long day we all had between the actions of the Nikuzuki no Men and Inuko's back pain.
Once there and visiting Kaede we learned that what Kagome said was true, something both Inuko and I were not happy about.
For me it was that I would have to spend the rest of the day wheelchair bound due to the strain of absorbing another jewel shard.
For Inuko it was the mere idea of me empower other yokai like with Hiten, given all of our encounters so far have been with those possessing shards aiming to kill or do worse to us.
Still it does spell out that we will have to keep an eye out for anyone who possessed a jewel shard that did not wish us harm.
Given our current luck it was going to be harder to find one or that we are going to find five jewel shards soon enough.
Hopefully we can find someone like that before this new limit gives out and I feel the full strain of the jewel shards once again.
On the other hand I spent the rest of that morning with Shippō, the kit not leaving my side until after lunch.
Really need to figure out away to bring him into the present soon.
Anyway I broke myself out of my musings when I hobbled open to the door to my father's old study when I was smacked in the face with a duster.
"Apologies master." Yura said, sitting at my father's old desk looking at one of the display case he had handing on the wall, pulling her hair and the duster back.
"It's al-" I tried to say, but sneezed due to the dust.
Creating a bit of mist and a small bit of frost covering my shirt and the floor below.
Damn it.
"You alright master?" Yura asked.
"I'm fine, just still need to work on my powers." I sighed out as I defrosted the floor and shirt, uncaring of the patch of ice forming on my left shoulder. "Probably should have knocked on the door. Anyway what are you looking at?"
"Besides some of the what do you call them, photos I found this on the wall. These are dragon scales aren't they master?" Yura said as I hobbled over to her, noticing that several of her hairs where on a photos of my self when I was younger and a few of my father and mother.
After briefly noting that my features were starting to resemble her's even more, I knew what she was talking about.
A display case containing a large black scale and a large patch of smaller, whitish grey scales.
"The black scale is a dragon scale, the patch of scales actually belongs to a mizuchi, both encountered by my ancestor." I said.
"The Ashiya, then he must have been quite the strong onmyōji inorder to survive a dragon and mizuchi." Yura said, getting me to shake my head.
"Your right about the dragon, in fact he played a small part in defeating the last dragon that rampaged in all of Japan over 200 years ago in the Shiga Prefecture.
The mizuchi was from the same area, but he rescued it and the shed scales where part of a gift.
In fact there was a lot of scales from mizuchi he even used them for a wedding gift for his wife.
It might be around here somewhere." I said as Yura used her hairs to place the display case back on the wall.
"That's interesting master, though do you have anything else concerning your ancestor?" Yura asked.
"A few things including including a bunch of notes, not all that much good except for when it comes to information. Not that I could use it, can't use reiryoku minus that one time through my shard and I would prefer not to do so anytime soon." I said with a shake from my head.
Still haven't found any possible origin of t he presences of the Shikon Jewel. Even with what I gleamed from Manten I had been hard set to find anything through my father's notes with limited success. So I would prefer not to tap into it's power at all.
"I suppose so, would have helped a lot considering the girl can barely control her own." She said, getting me to nod.
"True enough, anyway back to cleaning we are almost done and after that we are going have a talk about how much hair you can take back to that past." I said, getting Yura to sigh as she used her hairs to pick up the duster and I started to spray down the door.
It was kind of nice actually, just to do something I used to consider the normal before jumping into the well. Though I know that soon we will have to go back, it was nice to take a break
Back to a time of yokai.
Back to worrying about myself absorbing anymore jewel shards.
And most worrying, back to wondering when Hiten or Sesshōmaru will be back.
Given their grudges against Inuko, and interests in the Tessaiga, myself, and Kagome it was only a matter of time until one of them showed up again.
(Sesshōmaru POV - Sengoku Jidai - Same Time)
"Jalen what have I warned you about disturbing my sleep, you better have a good reason to do so." I said, watching my retainer squirm under my gaze.
It had been a over a week since I had...lost against Inuko.
Lost the Tessaiga and my left arm to my half breed sister...I detest to admit it but it is the truth.
I will claim the Tessaiga from her corpse if I have to, perhaps after disarming her too.
Then again it would possibly be too petty, as I have to thank her for that.
It showed me an issue that I have ignored for the past 200 years since my father's death.
I have grown complacent, not keeping up with my training. In over 200 years I have rarely had a reason to train. Seeing no need with the amount of yokai that provide a decent challenge to be few and far between with even fewer daiyokai.
So the loss of an arm proved to be a ride awakening. And showed just how far I was from becoming a true daiyokai otherwise it would have grown back by now.
So since I landed here I have been training myself to fight with one arm, the human army I decimated proved to be a good starting point and the weak yokai and foolish humans seeking revenge provided to be good points of reference on what I have to improve.
However the training is proving pointless with such weak opponents to test on after a while.
So when Jaken found me, I had him search out potential yokai for me to require a worthy arm to seek out Tessaiga.
As well as a punishment for losing my dragon after my loss.
So for him to wake me up on the verge of taking a rest after being gone for days by sneezing, than he better have a good reason to do so.
"M-My apologies Lady Sesshōmaru, but I believe that I have found a worthy yokai for your new arm." Jalen said in fear.
Good enough, for now.
"Explain." I said, getting him to nod shakingly.
"O-Of course! There is a Oni to the mountains east of here that will provide a worthy arm for you! If not the regenerative properties of this Oni will provide a long lasting replacement if youdeem another yokai of having a better arm Lady Sesshōmaru!" Jaken squawked out.
I thought it over a few moments before deciding that it was the best course of action for now.
"Very well then, you have not failed me this task Jaken. As for my dragon?" I inquired, getting Jaken to start to sweat in fear.
"Still lost." He said shakily.
Of course.
I have had that dragon for centuries as a gift from my father and Jaken just had to lose it.
If he hasn't proven his loyalty I would have had him replaced for a more worthy retainer.
"Spend the next two and a half days looking for it, by the end of the third day I will depart for this Oni. With or without you. Now leave." I ordered, getting Jaken to nod.
"Understand Lady Sesshōmaru, is there anything else I could do for you. Perhaps getting some herbs for the pain." Jaken suggested.
"There is no need for that, it is almost gone. Along with it being a reminder not to fail again." I said, my hand tracing along the scar Y/N had left from when he frozen.
It was a reminder to make sure the next time I encounter him, it would be to mark him as my own.
"If that is what you wish, but what about this human? Should I get rid of her for you Lady Sesshōmaru?" Jaken said, pointing the Nintōjō at a young human woman hiding behind a nearby tree.
The exact same human who had been around me since I arrived here.
I believe that she was from one of the human clans around here, the Asano perhaps?
Normally I would have gotten rid of her existence the moment I first caught onto her scent...except that she was the best flutist I have ever come across.
For that reason alone I will spare here, for now.
"If I wished her too be gone I would do it my self. Just as I have wished you to be gone a minute ago. And unlike with the human I have reason to be send you away." I said tersely, getting Jaken to nod as he began to back away.
"Of course Lady Sesshōmaru, I was just offering any additional services you might wish for me to accomplish before taking my leave." Jaken said.
"Then I have one, bring me any news you have heard about my sister or Y/N during you search. Other then that I will not say it again, leave." I said, getting Jaken to nod.
"Of course Lady Sesshōmaru, I shall take my leave now." Jaken squawked out before he soon faded into the dense forestry around us.
Finally some quiet.
With that I soon found my self ready for a quick rest before continuing my training for the rest of the day and we'll into the night.
All the while falling asleep to the sounds of the flute being played, dreaming of finally ridding myself of my sister and claiming what rightfully belongs to me.
Tessaiga and Y/N.
(Y/N POV - Modern Era - A few hours later)
It had been a quiet day all things considered after cleaning up the house, plenty of time to catch up on my drawing.
Manly of what have happened during our travels, just as I finishing depicting part of our battle against Hiten when I got a call from Kagome.
One that did not go as well as I could have expected.
"So the ghost you saw and the evil spirit that has been bothering Sōta's friends for a while are one in the same, honestly never thought it would happen. And I half expected the spirit to actually be real." I told her over the phone.
Turns out she have just had her third run in with the ghost of Mayu Ikeda, the older sister of Sōta's friend Satori.
The both of which died and fell into a coma due to a fire over six months ago.
I had brought Sōta to see Satoru once or twice over the months, but have never encountered Mayu before.
To hear that she was causing all of this mayhem including throwing shrubbery and a tree at Kagome and actively trying to kill her brother was pretty troubling to be honest.
"Me neither, I just wished Sōta told me about this earlier." Kagome sighed out.
"Honestly I just wished to have invested more insight into this case. How is he anyway?" I asked.
"Sōta is waking up, he only fainted and is uninjured thankfully. But I am more concerned about the yokai that showed up after Mayu disappeared." Kagome said, getting my blood to run colder then usual.
That is never a good sign, there are a bunch of yokai that usually appear after human spirit.
It was usually never a good sign, but what I need was a better description in order to narrow it down.
"Kagome, what did it look like?" I asked.
"It was yellow and roundish, lacking legs, playing a flute, and had large half opened eyes." Kagome said, getting me to hold back a curse.
Izanagi damn it, of course it had to be that yokai.
I'm not just surprised with how Mayu has been behaving, this yokai hasn't turned up sooner.
Then again giving it's nature, it could have only just showed up in Tokyo.
"I take it that from your silence you know what kind of yokai it is." Kagome said, getting me to nod.
"I do, how far are you away from the shrine?" I asked.
"Not that far, why?" She asked.
"Figured we could discuss it while visiting Shippō, we haven't had a chance to visit him." I said.
"True, alright I will see you there." Kagome said.
"Same here." I said before we hung up and I sighed out.
Kagome was not going to like this.
Considering this yokai could potentially drag a kid's souls to the deepest pits of Yomi, I don't blame her.
(Chapter 34 end)
Hey guys Mukuro7 here and I hoped that you enjoyed this chapter. As promised it has come out on the same day Yashahime premiers...which I have not watched yet.
I will after posting this chapter and getting some sleep.
Anyway as you can see we get a bit more insight into Y/N's family pass and Sesshōmaru is adapting to her current situation and planning what to do in the company of one Sara Asano.
How all of this will pay off in the future... wouldn't you like to know.
Anyway the next chapter will be the encounter with Mayu and...something else in Yomi. Not going to tell and it might be obvious but I hope you all enjoy the chapter when it comes out.
That is all for now, so until next time ciao!1