"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken rushed toward the deep, smoke-filled crater, anxious to check on Sesshomaru's condition.
"ROAR—!"
At that very moment, the smoke within the crater suddenly exploded outward. A violent gust of wind burst forth, blasting Jaken away and sending him tumbling across the ground.
As the smoke cleared, a massive white dog slowly rose from within the crater. Its enormous blood-red eyes locked onto **Uchiha Kasage**, and its entire body radiated a violent, murderous aura—clear proof of uncontrollable rage.
"Heh… turning into a dog because you can't win? Do you enjoy biting people that much?" Kasage's mocking voice echoed across the battlefield.
That provocation completely ignited Sesshomaru's fury. Throwing his head back, he let out a deafening roar, his massive jaws opening wide, filled with razor-sharp fangs, before lunging straight at Kasage.
In the world of *Inuyasha*, the nature of yokai is somewhat peculiar. In truth, they are often more effective in their humanoid forms.
Although a yokai possesses greater raw strength in its original form, its enormous size results in a significant loss of speed, making it less effective in combat.
This was best demonstrated during the battle between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha at the tomb of Inu no Taisho. Before transforming into a giant dog, Inuyasha could barely keep up with Sesshomaru's speed. But after the transformation, not only could Inuyasha dodge his attacks more easily—even Kagome, in her human form, could avoid them. In the end, Inuyasha even severed Sesshomaru's arm with a single strike.
Thus, rational yokai rarely reveal their true forms in battle. When they do, it usually means they've reached their limit.
To **Uchiha Kasage**, Sesshomaru's choice to transform into a giant dog at this moment was nothing short of a death wish.
Facing the enormous beast charging toward him, pale blue chakra surged once more from Kasage's body. The skeletal frame of Susanoo rapidly formed, followed by layers of muscle and skin, until finally a Karasu Tengu-like armor completely enveloped it.
A towering half-bodied samurai, over ten meters tall, stood imposingly at the center of the battlefield.
"Awooo—!"
Sesshomaru leapt forward, jaws wide open, aiming to bite through Susanoo's neck. Yet this seemingly ferocious attack posed almost no threat to the colossal avatar.
"Heh… did I hit you so hard you lost the ability to think?" Kasage sneered. "You might've lasted longer in your humanoid form. But turning into a giant dog? That's just asking to die."
Before his words even faded, Susanoo's massive fist—laden with overwhelming power—came crashing down onto Sesshomaru's head.
"RAAAGH!"
A sharp cry tore through the night as Sesshomaru's enormous body lost balance under the crushing force and was knocked sideways.
Before he could even hit the ground, Susanoo's giant hand seized him by the neck and slammed him violently into the earth.
Then, Susanoo's right hand clenched into a fist. A long blade, condensed entirely from chakra, formed instantly. With a brutal downward thrust, it pierced through Sesshomaru's body, pinning him firmly to the ground.
"How does it feel?" Kasage said coldly. "When you bullied half-yokai and humans before, did it make you feel powerful?"
Controlling Susanoo, Kasage drove a heavy punch into Sesshomaru's head.
"Did you think you were invincible?"
Another punch.
"Only capable of bullying the weak—women, and your own brother?"
Another impact—blood spilled from Sesshomaru's mouth.
"You despise your brother for being a half-yokai… yet you were manipulated like a puppet by one. Running around like an idiot attacking him. What is he—your father now?"
Punch after punch rained down relentlessly, each strike unleashing violent shockwaves across the battlefield.
"If you're not satisfied, go call that half-yokai to avenge you! Though I doubt trash like him would be any smarter than you!"
With every word, another crushing blow followed.
Gradually, Sesshomaru's resistance weakened. His massive body began to shrink, slowly returning to his humanoid form.
Kasage extended a hand, pulling the chakra blade from Sesshomaru's abdomen, then pointed it toward his throat as if ready to deliver the final strike.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Inuyasha and Kagome rushing toward him. A faint, cunning smile appeared on his lips, and he deliberately slowed his movement.
Sure enough, just as the killing blow seemed imminent, Inuyasha grabbed the fallen Tessaiga, dashed forward, and raised it to block Kasage.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken seized the moment to rush to Sesshomaru's side, trembling as he checked his injuries.
However, Kasage had held back. Though the wounds looked severe, they were not fatal.
Sesshomaru lay on the ground, his earlier rage completely gone. He silently stared at Inuyasha, who stood before him, his gaze calm yet unreadable.
Kagome quickly moved beside Inuyasha, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, both blocking Kasage's path.
"Inuyasha, Kagome… why are you stopping me?" Kasage asked mockingly. "An idiot like him, who lets himself be used as a tool, should be torn apart."
"Let him go. One day, I'll defeat him myself," Inuyasha said, his expression conflicted.
"Think carefully. If I hadn't come today, even if you survived, you would've been gravely injured—and Kagome might've died as well."
Kasage's tone turned serious.
"I…" Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, then at Sesshomaru, and gritted his teeth.
"He's my brother. I can't just watch him die."
"Brother?" Kasage sneered, glancing at Sesshomaru.
"When he attacked you, he certainly didn't treat you like one."
"Even so… a brother is still a brother," Kagome said firmly. "I believe that one day, their relationship will improve."
"Do as you wish."
Kasage waved his hand dismissively, dispersing Susanoo. He stepped aside with his arms crossed.
Seeing this, Inuyasha let out a clear sigh of relief. Deep down, he knew that if Kasage truly intended to kill Sesshomaru, he wouldn't have been able to stop him.
Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga and looked at Sesshomaru, who struggled to stand with Jaken's support.
After a moment, he only managed to say:
"Just… go."
Sesshomaru looked at him silently. His gaze was complex—filled with resentment, humiliation, and perhaps a faint, unrecognizable emotion.
Without a word, he turned and walked into the depths of the forest. His back remained straight, but the arrogant dominance he once carried was gone.
"Lord Sesshomaru, please be careful!" Jaken hurried after him.
"Honestly… even if he doesn't say thank you, he could at least show some appreciation," Kagome muttered.
"Forget it. That's just how he is," Inuyasha replied with a shrug.
Standing to the side, **Uchiha Kasage** watched the direction Sesshomaru had left, a meaningful smile forming on his lips.
At this point in time, Sesshomaru was still a pure antagonist—one who had no respect for life, despised humans, and looked down on Inuyasha even more for his human blood.
But today, he had been utterly crushed by a "human"… and then saved by the very person he despised most.
Kasage wondered what thoughts were running through Sesshomaru's mind after such humiliation.
Knowing the original story, Kasage understood that Sesshomaru's obsession with Tessaiga was a misguided path.
He never realized that, as a dog yokai, the weapon that could truly protect him was not his father's fang—but his own.
Tessaiga was forged from the fang of Inu no Taisho. It was his father's power.
It had been given to Inuyasha only because, as a half-yokai still growing, he lacked the strength to protect himself.
But in the end, no matter who it is, one must rely on their own strength.
Just like in the original story, even though Tessaiga was made from Inu no Taisho's fang, it would eventually break and be reforged using Inuyasha's own fang.
Because by then, Inuyasha had grown strong enough.
As for Sesshomaru, even after obtaining weapons like Tenseiga and Tokijin, he still could not become truly powerful—because they were not his own fangs.
Only when he awakened his own fang—Bakusaiga—did he truly become a great yokai capable of standing on his own.
"I hope today's crushing defeat helps him realize that truth sooner," Kasage thought as he watched Sesshomaru disappear into the forest.
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Se vuoi, posso anche uniformare lo stile con il capitolo 24 così sembrano scritti dallo stesso autore 👍