Chapter 29: Eldest Brother Arrives, Bringing Gifts Along

The mountain demon, as its name suggests, is a malevolent creature as vast as a mountain. With the tremors of the earth and a deafening roar, Hojo Akitoki, Inuyasha, and their group rushed into the open space within the encampment. Alongside all the Hojo troops, they beheld the entity that had blotted out the moonlight above: a colossal monster driven forward by Sesshomaru.

"A monster!"
"It's a giant demon!"

Unlike the spider-demon Rasetsu, who possessed a petite and charming appearance, the Hojo warriors rarely felt fear when looking at her. Even though they knew she was a cold-blooded man-eater, her deceptive physique often led some of the more depraved men to harbor improper thoughts. However, upon seeing the mountain demon—which, in truth, possessed far less combat prowess than Rasetsu—many of the Hojo soldiers trembled, nearly fleeing the scene. Such is the primal fear triggered by gargantuan objects. Moreover, living creatures are accustomed to judging strength by size, and humans are no exception.

"Quiet, all of you! What is there to panic about?"
"Have you forgotten that you are the invincible warriors of the Hojo clan?"

Observing the chaos, Akechi Mitsuhide glanced at Hojo Akitoki, who stood nearby with an indifferent expression. Mitsuhide took it upon himself to play the villain. A roar that shook the entire camp successfully brought the warriors back to their senses. Many soldiers, in particular, noted the calm demeanor of their lord, Akitoki. For the sake of their future prospects and the unparalleled benefits provided by the Hojo army, they were ready to serve. As the saying goes, money can make a ghost turn a millstone, and certainly, Akitoki could make his warriors do the same.

"What are you doing? Are you really frightened by a mere mountain-sized demon?"
"Do not forget, we are the Hojo army, destined to bring the country under one sword! How can you show such ugly cowardice?"

With their mindset shifted, many soldiers, anxious to redeem themselves and avoid lowering Akitoki’s opinion of them, began shouting and kicking at the still-trembling infantry. The skill known as "tongue-clicking"—a specialty of the East—was triggered automatically. Akitoki ignored the surrounding soldiers; the cannons had already been rolled out, and the arquebusiers were forming their ranks. Besides, Sesshomaru had not arrived to slaughter everyone. Akitoki scrutinized the mountain demon, which had stopped less than a hundred paces from the camp. At this distance, the demon could cross the gap in three strides, but it was also close enough for the cannons to fire once and the arquebusiers to unleash three volleys.

Considering the size of the mountain demon, Akitoki instinctively touched his sword, silently calculating the situation. He did not believe this paper tiger was a true threat. The real threat was elsewhere.

"Inuyasha, you are truly a lowly half-demon. From the past until now, you still enjoy wallowing with humans!"

Under the cold moonlight, the stoic nobleman revealed his true form. Handsome and possessing an alluring air of mystery, with waist-length silver hair and pristine white robes, Sesshomaru stood like the center of the world, speaking to Inuyasha with disdainful accusation.

"You bastard!"

Akitoki had caused him enough frustration over the past few days, and now Sesshomaru, whom he detested most, was belittling him as well. It was like being at a New Year's dinner, listening to relatives make snide, backhanded compliments about their own children. Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to tear Sesshomaru’s mouth apart, just as he would those relatives, and ideally, stamp his foot on the face of the great demon, marked as it was with noble markings.

Before Inuyasha could rush out to act on his delusions, a small demon hiding in Sesshomaru’s shadow stepped forward. It was Jaken, wearing a ridiculous courtier’s cap, his entire figure appearing comical and barely half a human's height. In his hand, he held a chain, and at the other end, staggering as she followed, a beautiful young human woman revealed herself.

"That is?" Myoga the flea-demon was startled.
"A human woman?" Kagome and the others were stunned.

Only Inuyasha’s eyes widened, as if he had seen something impossible. He trembled instinctively, taking a step forward, seemingly ready to ignore all danger and walk toward Sesshomaru.

"Hahaha, you see now, Inuyasha!"
"This is a souvenir Lord Sesshomaru brought back from the underworld just for you!"

Sesshomaru seemed to fade into the background, leaving the stage to his servant, Jaken. Standing atop the mountain demon, Sesshomaru remained silent, watching the reactions of those below. He had no regard for Inuyasha and his companions; they were not even worth an extra glance. However... the bearing and temperament of that human man!

As Sesshomaru’s gaze fell upon Akitoki in the center of the group, he felt a strange sense of seeing another version of himself. While Sesshomaru watched, Jaken continued his performance. As the act reached its climax, Inuyasha’s expression shifted wildly. Though he did not immediately admit the woman was his mother, his hesitation was clear.

"Is Izayoi Inuyasha’s mother? She is a truly beautiful person." Kagome, more emotionally sensitive, asked Myoga and began to believe it.

Hearing this, Inuyasha wavered further. Seeing this, Jaken pulled the chain sharply, causing Izayoi to collapse onto the arm of the mountain demon. She let out an instinctive cry of pain, followed by a soft, soul-piercing, "Inuyasha!"

In an instant, Inuyasha could no longer hold back. The relative he had longed for, the mother he had missed since childhood—she was right there! He prepared to rush forward to rescue her and fight the scoundrel Sesshomaru to the death.

"Wait."

At the critical moment, Akitoki grabbed Inuyasha. The Fire-Rat robe strained with a creaking sound, showing just how fast Inuyasha had been moving.

"What do you want!" Inuyasha glared, his hands balled into fists.

Ignoring the enraged half-demon, Akitoki asked the stunned Jaken, "Since Lord Sesshomaru can traverse the boundary between life and death, if he wanted something, wouldn't it be easier to simply ask the Great Dog Demon, who resides in the underworld?"

Before Jaken could reply, Akitoki turned back to Inuyasha. "How old was Lady Izayoi when she passed away, and what did she look like? How old are you now? In all this time, has she never been reincarnated? Even if she weren't, what of the Great Dog Demon? Has he never thought to look for her in the underworld?"

"This..." The barrage of questions cooled Inuyasha’s heated blood. He realized Akitoki was right. How old was he?

"I’m over two hundred years old!" Inuyasha shouted, a sudden realization dawning on him. He stared at the youthful woman who bore his mother's face. He was not entirely certain, but he was nine-tenths sure she was a fake.

Little did he know, his mention of being over two hundred years old surprised Kagome, though at that moment, no one but the parties involved and Akitoki cared. Their focus remained on Jaken’s face, which had turned a dark, bruised purple—though how everyone could see his dark face so clearly remained a mystery.