HAAAH!!
CLANG!!
The magic spear struck its body. Even with mana reinforcement, it barely penetrated.
'This body's defense is... staggering.'
"Watch out!"
Seeing those pitch-black eyes flash red, Rikuo closed in and slashed at its head.
CLACK!
A crisp sound rang out--his blade only managed to knock its head askew rather than break through.
SIZZLE!!
Laser-like beams shot from its eyes, cleaving everything they touched in two.
The ground was gouged into trench-like furrows stretching into the distance.
"What is that?!"
"That's way too dangerous!"
Shippo scrambled to flee, huddling with Kohaku and the others in the rear, terrified.
"That abnormal youki and miasma--never seen anything like it."
"How can such a youkai exist in the world?!"
Miroku was sweating profusely, having never imagined such a dire situation.
"It's so much stronger than before. Is that the Shikon no Tama's true form?"
Sango and Rin tended to Akame's injured leg, their faces taut with worry.
"Akame-san, it must hurt."
Looking at the chunk gouged from her calf, Rin spoke.
"It's fine."
Injuries elsewhere would be manageable, but impaired mobility was devastating for an assassin in combat.
Especially against the Shikon no Tama's overwhelming power--one mistake, and she'd lose not just a piece of leg but her life.
Worse still, souls who died near the Shikon no Tama...
Could never find release.
"Don't let that thing graze you. Even with youki or spiritual power shielding you, it'll pierce through."
Charging forward and slashing the Shikon no Tama away with Sounga, the Great Dog Demon shouted to everyone.
CRACK CRACK...
The gash across its chest was already healing by the time Sounga's blade withdrew.
'As expected--slashes and sword pressure at this level are completely useless.'
Being able to ignore the Great Dog Demon's attacks--among great youkai, only a rare few could do that.
"Sesshomaru!!"
Inuyasha cried out as his "brother" charged in alone.
"[Souryuuha]!"
Sesshomaru swung Bakusaiga up close, launching a blue dragon.
"Hmph--what a stubborn one."
The youki of Souryuuha didn't harm the Shikon no Tama on contact; instead, it was absorbed directly into its body.
"No matter how you attack with youki, it's useless."
Looking at Sesshomaru, the Shikon no Tama sneered.
Still trying the same tricks it used on Muzan?
It wasn't like Caster--its body wasn't that fragile.
This fully unleashed form could devour the youki of not just two, but seven or eight great youkai.
'Trying to overfeed it seems unrealistic.'
Kagome also saw through Sesshomaru's tactic, but compared to Muzan before, the Shikon no Tama was far more complete.
'My and Moroha's spiritual power isn't enough to purify it either. How do we truly destroy it?'
With youki unusable for technique attacks, most of them were severely hampered.
"Die, Sesshomaru!"
Its body lunged forward, a massive fist swinging.
BAM!
Dodging the fist, Sesshomaru still caught a gash across his cheek from the wind pressure alone.
"ORA ORA ORA!"
"Where'd your earlier bravado go?"
Alternating punches, it gave Sesshomaru no room to breathe.
Even when the fists missed, the shockwaves still carved wounds into Sesshomaru's body.
"Bastard!"
Before the next punch could land, Inuyasha rushed in from the side, bringing Tessaiga down on its arm.
SPLAT!
The thick arm was half-embedded by Tessaiga, now wreathed in crimson demon markings--halting the assault.
"Hmph. Meaningless."
BAM!
A casual swat sent Inuyasha--blade and all--crashing to the ground.
His back slammed hard into the earth. The impact was brutal.
"Dad!!"
Moroha instantly drew her bow and fired at that arm.
SWISH!
The arrow lodged into the wound Tessaiga had opened. Purifying power began to spread.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, the Shikon no Tama immediately crushed it with overwhelming miasma.
Inuyasha yanked his blade free and rolled clear.
"Don't think you can run!"
Its eyes locked onto Inuyasha, about to unleash the all-cutting beams.
HAH!
But Kirinmaru closed in from the side and slammed a palm into its shoulder, shoving it off-target.
SIZZLE!
The beams fired, missing Inuyasha and carving another horrific scar into the ground.
The Shikon no Tama didn't give up--twisting its head, it aimed at Inuyasha just as he was rolling to his feet. The beams veered toward him.
"Run, you mutt!"
Koga watched and screamed.
"This is bad--he won't make it."
"INUYASHA!!"
The beams closed in. There was no time to react. Everyone could clearly see Inuyasha's left hand about to be struck.
WHOOSH!
The Great Dog Demon's figure flickered past.
Tackled at close range, Inuyasha was flung clear--spared from being bisected.
"Old man!"
"Hmph. Lucky. You kept your life."
Though Inuyasha wasn't killed outright, the Great Dog Demon wasn't unscathed.
His left hand--grazed and pierced by the beam--dropped to the ground.
"Don't panic. Watch its attacks before you move."
No dwelling on his wound, the Great Dog Demon spoke calmly.
It was only an arm. For a Servant like him, it mattered little.
What mattered now was how to defeat the enemy.
The Shikon no Tama was displaying its full might--besieged by all of them yet completely unharmed, even handling them with ease.
Conversely, the slightest injury from it meant severe wounds.
"What's wrong, Sesshomaru? You look furious."
"Angry that your father lost an arm right before your eyes?"
Extinguishing the beams, the Shikon no Tama regarded Sesshomaru with mockery.
"I see. You're quite afraid of Inuyasha."
Yet unexpectedly, Sesshomaru replied calmly, leaving everyone puzzled.
"?"
"I have no idea what you're babbling about."
Tilting its head, the Shikon no Tama retorted in annoyance.
"It's that power called 'Fear,' isn't it?"
"A technique you can neither analyze nor comprehend."
"So you fear the hanyo who can wield it."
Everyone had witnessed the Shikon no Tama's extreme regeneration.
And just now, Sesshomaru noticed: the wound Inuyasha's Tessaiga carved into its arm hadn't healed as quickly as before.
So he was beginning to understand--Kirinmaru's and the Great Dog Demon's hypothesis was correct.
Only attacks the Shikon no Tama couldn't understand or predict could truly wound it.
In plain terms--
A way to kill the Shikon no Tama did exist...
It lay in the hanyo--Rikuo and Inuyasha!
Grasping this, everyone's stance sharpened.
"No wonder the Shikon no Tama attacks Rikuo and Inuyasha so viciously every time."
"So it's actually afraid of them?"
Watching the group split into two clusters around Rikuo and Inuyasha, the Shikon no Tama only sneered.
"Ridiculous! So what if I can't understand it?"
"A hanyo killing the current me? Absurd."
"They can barely even sever my arm..."
"I need only move my eyes to kill them easily..."
"This is the absolute gap in power!"