Some time later, Ray brought Rin, Jaken, and A-Un to join the banquet hosted by Luffy.
Of course, he still took a jug of wine and headed toward a distant tree, maintaining his distance.
Rin wanted to follow him, but after Ray comforted her with a few gentle words, he had Nami take her to join the festivities.
Jaken was also pulled along by Shippo, Chouchou, and Chopper, the four little yokai gathering together and making a ruckus.
If anyone felt particularly awkward at this banquet, it was naturally Ray and Inuyasha.
Inuyasha had it worse.
He had never eaten a meal with Sesshomaru before.
Even when living in the Great Dog Demon's residence, he had rarely seen his older brother.
After all, when Inuyasha was born, Sesshomaru was already 200 years old, a seasoned warrior who spent every day fighting other yokai.
Coupled with his disdain for half-demons, he had practically been a ghost to Inuyasha.
And now, although Ray deliberately distanced himself, his powerful, familiar demonic energy constantly lingered at the tip of Inuyasha's nose.
It would be strange if he wasn't uncomfortable.
"Tch, even if he's Sesshomaru's second personality, I still hate being in the same space as him," Inuyasha grumbled, scratching his head aggressively.
"Ahhhhh, this is so uncomfortable!"
The meat in his mouth tasted like ash.
Seeing him fidget, Ray snorted coldly and looked away, sipping his wine and admiring the moon.
As for improving his relationship with Inuyasha... Ray had decided to do it, but actually acting on it was another matter entirely.
Even asking him to proactively build relationships with Luffy and the others was something Ray struggled with—it went against his nature. Let alone with Inuyasha.
With Sesshomaru's memories and the emotional experiences of these past few months, his feelings toward Inuyasha were a tangled mess of pride, disdain, and buried protectiveness.
Combined with his own inherently stoic nature, Ray simply couldn't bring himself to initiate a conversation.
'Forget it. Let nature take its course,' Ray decided. 'Since I can't force it, I won't.'
As long as his strength continued to improve, whether he obtained the hidden rewards or not didn't matter.
But what Ray might not have realized was that by simply bringing Rin and the others to Kaede's Village, the relationship had already begun to shift.
Deep down, both brothers actually cared.
It's just that with two colossal tsunderes, expecting them to express it openly would be a miracle.
...
Under Luffy's guidance, Rin quickly blended in with the Straw Hat crew, her eyes crinkling into happy crescents, utterly adorable.
Ray observed the scene, his lips twitching into a faint, unseen smile.
Just then, Kagome arrived beside Ray.
She smoothed her short skirt and sat on a tree root about a meter away.
Inuyasha, who had been playing a bluffing game with Usopp, noticed this instantly.
He leaped over to a tree outside the village in a flash.
How could he possibly feel at ease leaving Kagome alone with Sesshomaru? Even if it was a second personality, it was still Sesshomaru.
Above them, a full moon hung heavy in the night sky.
Bathed in its pale light, the elder brother, younger brother, and future sister-in-law found themselves in a brief, tense stalemate.
"Sesshomaru... Ray," Inuyasha broke the silence, his voice tight. "Why did you come to this village?"
Ray didn't respond, his calm face doesnt show any emotion.
"Tch. That condescending attitude is exactly like Sesshomaru's. I don't believe you're a second personality," Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms and turning his back to Ray to express his displeasure.
However, Ray clearly noticed Inuyasha glancing at him from the corner of his eye.
"Hmph. I'm just not used to talking with you," Ray replied indifferently.
Inuyasha's arms dropped, his eye twitching. "Not used to it? Really... is that it?"
"Hmph. Naturally, I don't want to bother with you either."
"Tch! That's your true thought, isn't it! I knew it—no matter what personality Sesshomaru develops, he'd never think highly of a half-demon like me."
Listening to Inuyasha's tough words tinged with disappointment, Ray shook his head.
Instead of continuing the verbal spar, he turned his gaze to Kagome.
"Why would you settle for a mere half-demon?"
Before Kagome could respond, Inuyasha exploded.
"None of your damn business! What happens between me and Kagome is none of your concern!"
Kagome grew anxious.
She had come to talk with Ray hoping to bridge the gap between the brothers.
She knew Inuyasha too well—this dog was lonely, craving affection, yet too stubborn to admit it.
Sesshomaru was his only living blood relative.
But hearing Ray's words, Kagome felt like she was meeting a disapproving in-law for the first time.
After calming down slightly, she detected the underlying meaning in Ray's words.
'Oh my god... this Sesshomaru is actually starting to care about Inuyasha on his own.'
Turning around, Kagome ignored the snarling dog beside her and politely responded to Ray.
"Because he treats me well."
Ray showed no particular reaction to this, simply replying, "Hmm. Good."
"Grrr~~" Inuyasha could only emit threatening growls in his embarrassment.
"Stay out of my business with Kagome!"
In his 200 years of life, Inuyasha had never felt so awkward.
But Ray looked up at the moon, ignoring Inuyasha as if talking to himself.
"Father... it seems Inuyasha doesn't acknowledge me as his brother."
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Inuyasha roared, his sanity snapping.
"RAY! I'LL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH! SOUL-SCATTERING IRON CLAW!"
"SIT!" Kagome commanded.
THUD!
Inuyasha slammed face-first into the dirt, effectively ending the confrontation.
Ray looked down at him coolly.
"Really now. I am your elder brother. You should learn to show some respect."
...
Some time later, Inuyasha sat on Kagome's left like a chastised puppy, though his gaze kept drifting to the right.
On Kagome's right was Ray, still leaning against the tree, drinking and admiring the moon.
"Inuyasha," Ray said suddenly, "remember to protect Kagome properly five days from now. Since you've fallen for a human, don't bring shame upon me. If you can't even protect your own woman, then get out of the dog demon clan."
For some reason, Ray felt compelled to say this.
Aside from his own fondness for their story, Sesshomaru's consciousness—which had secretly accepted Inuyasha after the demon transformation incident—was influencing him.
Inuyasha looked disdainful. "Tch, mind your own business! I can definitely protect Kagome!"
Meanwhile, Kagome caught the warning. "Ray-san, are you saying there will be danger in a few days?"
Ray nodded, then stood up and headed toward the village. "Rin, Jaken, it's time to go."
Jaken was currently having great fun, his face covered with numerous paper tags—the penalty for losing games with the Straw Hats.
Rin had two small braids done by Nami and Robin.
Both were in high spirits, so being called away made them disappointed.
Rin: "Sesshomar-sama, can't we play a little longer?"
Jaken: "Yeah, yeah!"
Thump.
A moment later, a bumpy-headed Jaken led A-Un while bringing Rin along, following Ray out of the village.
Seeing Ray leaving, Luffy waved a meat bone.
"Ray! Aren't you staying to rest with us?"
Ray slowly responded: "I'll come find you in five days."
The Straw Hat crew respected Ray and didn't insist.
"Why do I always feel like Ray is somewhat reluctant to leave?" Usopp wondered.
"Whenever he's in a bad mood, he goes for long walks," Luffy noted.
"Chouchou says we'll be leaving this place in about half a month. Ray must be reluctant to part with his three attendants," Chopper added.
Upon hearing this, Nami and Robin immediately understood the "real" reason.
Both women felt a stifling pressure in their chests.
'Tch, he's abandoning us to have some alone time with her.'
'Although Rin is really cute, I still can't accept that Ray likes young girls.'
Chouchou noticed their confusion and whispered, "That's because Sesshomaru cares deeply about Rin. Our master has inherited Sesshomaru's feelings, understand?"
"Oh right," Chouchou continued, "Master also asked me to tell you something—rest well these five days. In five days, there's another fight waiting for us."
Hearing this, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all got excited.
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper expressed they didn't want to fight anymore. Robin remained indifferent.
"How strong are the enemies?" This was Nami's main concern.
Chouchou shook his head. "Their overall strength seems equivalent to 2-3 Marine Admirals."
"WHAT??? Oh my god!!! I'm not fighting! I absolutely refuse to fight!"
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper huddled together, trembling with fear.