The banquet had ended, with only half an hour remaining before Ray and the others departed.
In the forest outside Kaede's Village, Ray, Jaken, and A-Un sat by a small stream, listening to Rin's gentle murmuring.
"I had so much fun playing with Luffy and the others today," Rin whispered, trailing her fingers in the cool water.
"Since I can remember, I've never met humans as wonderful as them. But when it ended... I felt that everyone was suffering. Though they were all smiling on the surface, I sensed a deep sadness."
She looked up at Ray with wide eyes.
"Sesshomaru-sama... will you remember Rin after you leave?"
Ray didn't respond immediately.
"Grandpa Jaken was crying just now," Rin added innocently. "As an adult, Grandpa Jaken is less mature than I am."
Hearing this, the previously silent Jaken instantly flared up, his bumpy head turning red.
"RIN! I, Lord Jaken, am not as pathetic as you say!"
"Ahhhh... Grandpa Jaken is scary!" Rin squeaked, hiding behind Ray's leg.
Jaken realized he had overreacted and habitually covered his head with his hands, flinching.
Losing his temper at Rin would definitely earn him a beating from his lord.
But after waiting a moment, the familiar fist did not come.
"Eh? Sesshomaru-sama... you... aren't angry?"
Ray calmly looked at Rin clinging to his leg and the familiar yet unfamiliar retainer before him.
After a moment of silence, Ray slowly spoke.
"Jaken, you'll have to work hard to take care of Rin from now on. And let me correct one thing—the Sesshomaru-sama you know has not left."
"For the two of you and A-Un, he is no different from me."
The trio and their mount fell into silence once more.
"Then... Young Master Ray, will you be coming back?" Jaken asked quietly, changing his form of address.
"This old servant has followed Sesshomaru-sama for over a hundred years. Of course I can tell the difference between you two. Whether it's your second demonic personality or another person entirely... Young Master Ray, you've truly been kind to me."
Jaken sniffled, wiping his beak-like nose.
"When I was stung by poison bees, it was you who brought the antidote. When I was hunted by evil spirits, it was you who slew them. When Rin and I couldn't find food, we discovered you'd already caught prey for us."
As he recalled his experiences following Ray during this period, Jaken could no longer hold back his tears.
Ray slowly approached his tear-streaked retainer.
He waved a hand, using a gentle pulse of demonic power to wipe away the tears.
Speaking softly, he asked, "If you had to choose between me and Sesshomaru, who would you pick?"
Jaken stammered, lost in thought for a moment before responding firmly.
"Sesshomaru-sama."
He braced himself for anger, but instead, Ray's expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
Ray didn't comment on Jaken's choice.
"When the real Sesshomaru returns, he'll do all these same caring things for you too. That guy might not say it out loud, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. It's rare to find someone even more stubborn than me."
Jaken thought carefully and realized this was indeed true.
Similar things had happened before, and it had always been Sesshomaru who saved him.
It was just that back then, Sesshomaru's killing intent was too strong, his demonic energy too overwhelming for Jaken to notice the intent behind the action.
When Ray interacted with them, he deliberately restrained his aura, making them feel safer.
...
Fifteen minutes later.
"It's about time. I should be going."
At this point, Ray suddenly looked embarrassed.
With a wave of his hand, a plush toy appeared in his grasp.
A soft, white Shiba Inu with a crescent moon mark on its forehead.
"Rin... this is for you."
Seeing this toy, Ray felt utterly helpless.
Yesterday, the system had sent the mission rewards.
"Congratulations, host, for completing the Tenseiga's second trial mission."
"Reward: Meido Zangetsuha upgrades from crescent to full moon."
"Congratulations on improving relations with Inuyasha."
"Reward 2: Three plush toys awarded. Suggested as gifts for keepsakes."
This white Shiba toy was naturally one of the three.
Ray had nearly spat blood when he saw them.
The system had tried to console him with gleeful malice.
"Aren't you trying to get back at Sesshomaru? Here's your chance! Just imagine the look on his face when he wakes up holding a plushie!"
Ignoring the system's endless chatter, Ray felt goosebumps rising from his body.
'I'm not even a Shiba Inu—why should I care?'
Anyway, since he had no other gifts prepared, he decided to give these out.
"Wow! What a cute dog!" Rin cheered, taking the toy. "So soft and fluffy, but it doesn't move. Sesshomaru-sama, is it dead?"
"Uh... it's just a toy. If you don't like it, you can throw it away..."
Rin hmphed and hugged the white Shiba tightly, pouting.
"I'm not throwing it away!"
A few seconds later, she was waving the toy's little paws up and down, her smile as bright as the sun.
Seizing the moment, Ray stood up and flew toward another forest outside Kaede's village.
Rin and Jaken watched him go, their eyes filled with reluctance.
Jaken sighed. "I really like this version of Sesshomaru-sama."
Rin hugged her toy, fighting back tears as she comforted Jaken.
"Don't be sad, Grandpa Jaken. Rin thinks Young Master Ray and Sesshomaru-sama are actually the same person."
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
"Woman's intuition!"
"You're just a kid—since when are you a woman?!"
"Hmph! Grandpa Jaken is shorter than me!"
Jaken: (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ "Careful, or I'll spank you!"
Rin: (｡♥‿♥｡) "Then I'll tattle to Sesshomaru-sama!"
...
Inside Kaede's village.
Inuyasha had secretly opened the envelope Ray gave him.
Suddenly, two Shiba Inu plushies popped out.
The white one had its arm around the golden one, looking like the best of brothers.
On the white Shiba's belly was written: "Sesshomaru." On the golden Shiba's belly: "Inuyasha."
Seeing this "gift," Inuyasha's face twitched violently.
"This... I CAN'T TAKE IT! I'M TEARING IT UP! SANKON TESSŌ—!"
"SIT!"
THUD.
Kagome, standing nearby, picked up the two brotherly plushies and squealed.
They were utterly adorable.
Especially since both toys had round, blushing cheeks and were deliberately looking away from each other—the epitome of tsundere.
"From now on, these are going in my bag," Kagome declared, glaring at Inuyasha with terrifying intensity.
"If you dare damage them? Hmph!"
Inuyasha broke out in a cold sweat. "Anyway... since we've opened it, let's see what the letter says."
Kagome unfolded the letter while Inuyasha leaned in—keeping his dog face turned away, but his eyes sneaking glances.
On the paper were just one large characters.
[TRUST]
Seeing these words, both their expressions turned serious.
They understood Ray's meaning.
During this period, they'd had numerous small conflicts over trust.
For Inuyasha, seeing these words gave him the strange feeling of an older brother offering guidance.
He felt inexplicably moved.
"Kagome..."
"Inuyasha... Wait, there's more small text below."
They leaned in closer to read the fine print.
[For the next few months, be careful around Sesshomaru. He might beat you half to death out of sheer embarrassment.]
[Can't be helped—he nearly consumed me, so I had to mess with him a little.]
[Inuyasha, wishing you happiness. Take care!]
After reading these three lines, Inuyasha's moved feelings vanished entirely.
'So all this concern was just to piss off Sesshomaru?!'
"RAY!!!"
...
One kilometer outside Kaede's village.
Ray regrouped with the Straw Hat Pirates.
The air around them began to shimmer.
"Twenty seconds until we return."
Suddenly, Ray heard Inuyasha's furious roar in the distance and nearly burst out laughing.
Then he sensed Inuyasha sprinting toward their location at breakneck speed.
With just two seconds left, Inuyasha finally appeared in Ray's field of vision, breathless and frantic.
Watching as Ray and the others began to fade into light, Inuyasha's angry expression suddenly disappeared.
He slowed to a stop, his eyes soft.
He slowly mouthed two words.
Unfortunately, Ray couldn't hear them.
For Ray, Luffy, and the others, all that remained was blinding white light.
...
Inuyasha Arc over.