The skies opening up for the first time in God knows how long, the dark storm clouds that once covered the entirety of Dragon Valley show signs of dispersing, allowing long orange rays of sunlight to fall over the terrain.
Thanks to that, the aftermath of the battle that took place earlier can be observed, whether it be the long scars extending hundreds of meters or the almost total disappearance of the rocky pillars.
Amid all that, actually closer to the mountain where the battle took place, the shattered remains of Ryukotsusei can be seen. That was an aberration of flesh, scales, and sharp teeth, the last thing remaining of the once-powerful dragon.
"See, he's already dead and buried, Souga. So let's go, I don't want his ghost following me or something like that."
Talking to his sword as if it were the most normal thing in the world, Asahiko lets out an annoyed sigh and gives one last look at Ryukotsusei's shattered corpse.
[Hehehe, I can assure you there's no chance of that.]
Sounding more insidious than he normally does, Souga seems a little too happy, so much so that even the gem embedded in the hilt of Clouded Fang shines.
"What the hell did you do? No, better don't tell me, I just hope it doesn't become a problem later, Souga."
[Not at all, it's only beneficial for us.]
"God, I just felt a slight shiver at those words."
Trembling momentarily at Souga's "sugary" words, the golden-haired young man finally gives up and turns his head toward the younger albino who is nearby.
This one, Inuyasha, looks thoughtfully at Ryukotsusei's remains while clenching his hand in front of his face, clearly intoxicated by the power he now possesses thanks to Steel Fang.
"Why are you staring at him so much, Inuyasha? Do you want to eat his heart or something? Although I don't think it still exists, but maybe his blood or flesh would work t-"
"No, why the hell would I do that?!"
"... Eh, so that myth about dragons doesn't exist here? Nothing, just ignore me."
Shaking his head to get the mythological vision of the Western world out of his mind, Asahiko gives the fallen dragon one last condolence and directs his eyes toward the figures on the horizon.
Those are obviously the members of Inuyasha's group, who else would be here? At the head comes the two-tailed nekomata known as Kirara; carrying Shippo, Kagome, and Sango.
Farther back and with more problems, there seems to be a civil war on the back of the poor ox; Miroku can be seen together with Totosai. The former tying up the latter.
"Inuyashaaa!"
"Kagomeee!"
Opening both arms at the sudden arrival of his companion, obviously an attempt to catch her during her free fall, Inuyasha's smile disappears when what he receives is Kagome's shoe in his face.
Yes, instead of having a beautiful girl in his arms, what Inuyasha finally receives is Kagome's shoe on his face, and it was quite a powerful kick that she gave him.
"You know how worried I was when you disappeared! You didn't tell anyone, we had to go all the way to Totosai to find out where-"
"But Kagome… I-"
"Down, down, down!"
Continuously activating the "curse" embedded within the necklace Inuyasha wears around his neck, Kagome drags her leather shoe across his entire face, creating a large irregular footprint on his white skin.
"Enough, I-"
"Down, Inuyasha!"
"What an idiot, he doesn't know when to shut up." x2
Saying the exact same words, Miroku and Asahiko immediately share a look, once again confirming that their minds are still on the same wavelength.
…Some time later…
Now that everyone was out of the apocalyptic Dragon Valley, it wasn't a very good place for such an eagerly awaited reunion. Everyone gathers around a trembling campfire.
The latter is because the battle against Ryukotsusei lasted throughout the entire afternoon, making it so that by the time they wanted to think about anything else, night was already over their heads.
"I told you again and again, I warned you that it was dangerous!"
Raising his voice with burning and justified fury, everyone had placed the blame on him for coming here. Totosai points his finger at the young people nearby until Miroku gives him a warning look.
"Even if you silence him, we all know it was impossible for Totosai to have been the one who came up with the idea. Certified coward, remember?"
"Asahiko is right… Damn it, Miroku! How did you let her come, look if something happened to Kagome!"
"I was the one who wanted to come, do you have a problem with that, Inuyasha?"
"No, no, I didn't say anything."
Backing away timidly before Kagome's gaze, still remembering how she walked across his face, Inuyasha looks at Asahiko for help and the only thing he receives is a pitying look.
"I feel sorry for your future, Inuyasha."
"What does that mean?!"
"Nothing, nothing. And, what did you have to tell me, Kagome?"
"Ah, yes! Sesshōmaru left this for you."
Carefully taking the strange envelope that had been left in her care, Kagome lets out a sigh of relief when she finally manages to get rid of it. The truth is that even she doesn't know why she hadn't thrown it far away, since after all it is an object created by Sesshōmaru!
"It's a… Letter?"
"It certainly is, and a very elegant one at that just from the quality of the paper."
"Mm, mm." x6
Everyone nods at Miroku's words, the letter's paper really is almost perfectly white and without imperfections. Everyone remains looking at the recipient.
They don't only want to admire the letter from the outside, but they also yearn to know what it says, because after all it is a letter from none other than Sesshōmaru!
"Let's see… Aha… Yes, yes… Damn Inuyasha!"
"Argh, why the hell are you throwing that at me?!"
"I don't know, read it yourself and then tell me if my fury isn't justified."
"Tsk, you do it, Miroku."
Looking at the piece of paper, straining his eyes and even smelling its surface, Inuyasha finally gives up and hands the letter to the monk Miroku.
It seems that the dog boy, besides being a savage who doesn't even know how to wear shoes, is also a complete illiterate, for God's sake, he even smelled the letter a second ago!
"Um… Cough, cough. I'll be waiting for you in the Tottori region, Asahiko."
"And what else does it say, Miroku?!"
"Nothing else, Shippo. Ah, it has Sesshōmaru's signature at the bottom, I wonder if he was the one who wrote it?"
Admiring the elegant handwriting that naturally gives off a sensation of grandeur and pride, Miroku carefully folds the letter before sending it back to Asahiko.
The latter, instead, takes it with one hand and crumples it until it is unrecognizable, then burns it to ashes with the help of the nearby campfire.
"So… Are you going to go, Asahiko?"
"Sometimes I may act like an idiot, but I'm not one, woman. That man is dangerous, he's absolutely crazy, obviously I'm not going!"
"But won't that make Sesshōmaru angry?"
"Obviously it will, Sango. But that's better than risking my head, besides I don't have the slightest idea where that place he wrote about is, so I have a legitimate reason to skip the meeting!"
"I think Tottori is in Chugoku?"
"Nooo, my psychological immunity!"
Dropping to his knees on the ground in a scene that almost seems poetic, he uses his abilities to create light and sound effects. Asahiko clutches his heart while looking painfully at Kagome.
"I, I'm sorry?"
"A simple I'm sorry won't change anything! Now I'm going to have to go, I'm going to have to risk my life because of you!"
"I, I… What's wrong with you, Asahiko! Aren't you the great demon? Then go and fight head-on like one, or have you become a coward because of the last beating Sesshōmaru gave you? Ah, but you're always-"
Firing curses and truths like a Gatling machine gun, Kagome's face quickly turns red from lack of air, although she continues her merciless attacks.
"She made him angry, Your Excellency."
"She certainly did, Sango."
"Enough, get your hands off me, I want to hear what they're saying!"
Twisting his small body in an attempt to get Miroku and Sango's hands off him, although the two were only protecting his innocence, Shippo learns firsthand what silent cinema is.
Outside of that, Kagome's lungs finally give in to the desperate need for oxygen, causing her to finally end the "lesson" she was giving the stunned Asahiko.
"And… And… And… Ah, ah, ah. Give me, give me some water."
"You haven't said the magic words~."
"Please give me a… Asahiko!"
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Here you go, apple flavor included so you don't think badly of me with your little head."
Throwing the water bottle to Kagome, one made of plastic and obviously brought from his original timeline, Asahiko raises an eyebrow when she finishes drinking and crushes the bottle with her hands.
Luckily for everyone, mainly for the archaeologists of the future, Kagome, despite crushing the bottle afterward, puts it in her backpack, thus avoiding some possible theory about time travel in the future.
"Hump, I forgive you."
"Well, thank you, I suppose? Now then, Inuyasha, my soul mate and-"
"No, I'm not going with you."
"What the hell?! I'm indebted to Sesshōmaru because of you, face him if you're a man!"
Angrily pointing at Inuyasha, who is trying to escape any responsibility, Asahiko rolls up the sleeves of his elegant white outfit and slowly approaches him.
"Hahaha, come then, let's see if you can withstand a Bakuryuha from my powerful Steel Fang!"
"... Tsk, now I'm going to tell Kikyo that you were flirting with Kagome."
"Wait, that's not-"
"Hahaha, it really is necessary! I'm going to give her some juicy details, like how she steps on you and even how you li-"
Automatically closing his mouth upon feeling a powerful iron-clamp-like grip on one of his shoulders, Asahiko forces a smile and looks behind him. There stands Kagome with an impeccable smile, so bright that it burns his eyes and leaves him silent… Ah, no, that last part is due to fear.
"Can you repeat that?"
"I completely regret my previous words and wish to amend my mistakes, so I nobly beg for the continuation of my miserable life, priestess Kikyo~."
"I'm going to… Eh, he's gone already?"
"Hahaha, nothing is ever what it seems, Kagome~."
Appearing on the other side of the campfire along with an explosion of confetti, Asahiko lets out a clearly exaggerated laugh and looks away from her. Yes, he is still a little afraid, whether because of the previous reprimand or because of her resemblance to Kikyo.
"Stop and come eat once and for all, please."
"You heard Miroku, time out."
"... Hump, fine!"
Snorting after giving one last fierce look at both Inuyasha and Asahiko, the former for being a "traitor" and the latter for comparing her, Kagome sits beside Sango. Thus, with the peace restored, the night begins to pass and the flames of the campfire begin to die down.