At that moment, the site of the explosion had already turned into complete devastation. The ground was fractured with deep cracks, rubble scattered everywhere, and the remains of fallen yokai littered the battlefield.
Inuyasha had just used his body to block a strike from Sesshomaru's Tessaiga that had been aimed at Kagome. Covered in wounds, he struggled to push himself up from the ground, his eyes locked onto Kagome's unconscious form as he shouted urgently:
"Kagome! Kagome!"
But Kagome didn't respond. Her eyes remained shut, her body still.
Inuyasha's head snapped toward Sesshomaru, who stood nearby with Tessaiga in hand, a cold smirk on his lips. Rage flared uncontrollably in Inuyasha's eyes.
"Sesshomaru, you bastard! You didn't even spare Kagome?!"
"Cough… cough…"
Miroku, poisoned, leaned on his staff as he struggled toward Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha… how are you holding up?" he asked weakly.
Inuyasha glanced at him, concern flashing across his face. "Miroku? What about you?!"
Miroku took a sharp breath, steadying himself despite the venom coursing through his body.
"Such power… even with an incomplete transformation of the Tessaiga… If I want to face it head-on… I can only rely on my Wind Tunnel."
His gaze hardened as he raised his hand, ready to remove the seal.
"Stop!" Inuyasha immediately shouted.
"If you open the Wind Tunnel again, you'll just suck in more poisonous insects!"
As he spoke, he kicked a stone toward the nearby bushes. A loud buzzing erupted as a swarm of venomous saimyōshō insects burst into the air.
Miroku froze instantly, his face turning even paler.
Shippo rushed to his side, shouting anxiously, "No, Miroku! If you inhale more of those insects, you won't survive!"
"Take Kagome and run! Go as far as you can!"
Inuyasha's voice was firm and resolute. He looked at Miroku and Shippo with unwavering determination.
"Please… no matter what happens, don't let her die."
Miroku and Shippo were stunned for a moment, struck by the fearlessness in his eyes.
"You think you can escape?"
Sesshomaru's cold, arrogant voice echoed through the battlefield. Slowly, he raised Tessaiga, demonic energy surging violently along the blade.
"With this single strike… I will erase everything."
"In your dreams!"
Inuyasha roared, unleashing his full yokai power as he lunged forward without hesitation.
"You overestimate yourself."
Sesshomaru's voice was icy.
Tessaiga swung down, releasing a massive crescent of demonic energy that tore through the air, crashing toward Inuyasha, Miroku, and the unconscious Kagome.
Behind a massive boulder, Miroku and Shippo shut their eyes in despair, bracing for impact.
But the expected pain never came.
They opened their eyes—only to see Inuyasha standing firm, his body absorbing the full force of the attack. His hands were tightly gripping Sesshomaru's arm, stopping the blade mid-swing, while blood streamed from the corner of his mouth.
"Why are you still standing there?! RUN!"
Inuyasha roared with everything he had, holding Sesshomaru in place to buy them time.
"I understand!"
Miroku didn't hesitate. He grabbed Kagome and fled into the distance with Shippo.
"How touching," Sesshomaru said coldly.
"Stalling for your companions? How foolish."
His left arm was restrained by Inuyasha, but his right hand suddenly surged with dense demonic energy, transforming into a razor-sharp claw.
In a flash, it struck toward Inuyasha's back—enough force to pierce straight through his chest.
But at that exact moment—
A hand appeared from the side, gripping Sesshomaru's right wrist firmly.
The grip was overwhelming. No matter how Sesshomaru tried to move, his arm wouldn't budge even an inch.
"Even if I don't like this stupid dog… I can't let you kill him so easily."
Uchiha Kasage's voice sounded calmly from the side.
He had appeared beside Inuyasha at some unknown moment, effortlessly restraining Sesshomaru with one hand.
"Kasage!"
Hearing the familiar voice, relief surged through Inuyasha.
Even if he had been beaten badly by this guy before, there was no denying his overwhelming strength. With him here, Kagome and the others would definitely escape safely.
Thinking this, Inuyasha tightened his grip, trying to tear Sesshomaru's arm away—
—but suddenly felt a powerful force at the back of his neck.
In the next instant, he was flung backward, landing gently beside Miroku and the others in the distance.
"Inuyasha!"
Miroku and the now-awakened Kagome rushed to his side.
"Damn it! What are you doing?!" Inuyasha shouted angrily toward Kasage.
"Kasage? Why is he here?" Kagome asked in surprise, staring at the familiar figure.
"You know him, Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked curiously. Shippo nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Kagome, who is he?"
"His name is Uchiha Kasage. He's incredibly powerful," Kagome explained.
"Tch." Inuyasha clicked his tongue, annoyed—but he couldn't deny it.
His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield, not daring to relax for even a second.
Sesshomaru shifted his attention fully to Kasage, his golden eyes filled with caution.
This human had approached without being noticed, blocked his attack effortlessly, and saved Inuyasha. His strength was far from ordinary.
"Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.
"The weak have no need to know my name."
Kasage crossed his arms, his expression cold and indifferent, carrying the unmistakable arrogance of an Uchiha.
"Stand there quietly… and wait for death."
His gaze briefly fell on Sesshomaru's left arm holding Tessaiga, already aware of the situation.
Naraku had given him that human arm embedded with a Shikon Jewel shard, using him as a pawn to kill Inuyasha.
And yet, despite knowing he was being used, Sesshomaru had still come.
Worse—despite his disdain for humans, he had willingly attached a human arm to himself.
In the end, he gained nothing.
He failed to take Tessaiga and nearly fell victim to the corrupted arm itself—becoming nothing more than a tool for Naraku.
Kasage had no favorable impression of him.
Perhaps in the future, under Rin's influence, Sesshomaru would learn compassion and develop a deeper understanding of life.
But right now?
He was nothing more than a cold-blooded yokai—one who reveled in slaughter, devoid of humanity, even willing to kill his own younger brother without hesitation.
"Just a mere human… speaking with such arrogance!"
Disdain flashed in Sesshomaru's eyes.
He swung Tessaiga again.
A massive blade of demonic energy tore through the air, shattering the ground as it surged forward with unstoppable force.
Kasage's eyes instantly transformed into the crimson Mangekyo Sharingan.
Chakra exploded beneath his feet.
Instead of dodging—
he charged straight toward the attack.
Just as the energy wave was about to engulf him, the Mangekyo spun.
"Susanoo."
A deep voice echoed.
Pale blue chakra erupted violently, intertwining with ocular power and forming a massive skeletal structure around him in an instant—a towering, monstrous guardian.
"BOOM—!"
The demonic energy crashed into the Susanoo, erupting in a thunderous explosion.
At the same time—
the skeletal arm of the Susanoo surged forward, forming a massive fist that pierced through the attack and slammed directly into Sesshomaru.
The impact was overwhelming.
Sesshomaru's body was blasted backward like a broken kite, crashing violently into a distant rock wall with a deafening impact.
Dust exploded into the air.
When it settled—
his body was embedded deep within the rock.
Standing in the center of the battlefield was a towering, nearly ten-meter-tall blue skeletal Susanoo, protecting Kasage within.
From inside, his crimson Mangekyo Sharingan stared coldly at Sesshomaru.
"So weak…"
"Are you trying to make me laugh?"