Sesshomaru took Han away from the human temple, but watching her say goodbye to the priestesses, he saw no sign of distance between them. Instead, they had somehow grown close. He frowned in displeasure. After his father and Inuyasha, he had no fondness for humans, and even less for priestesses. Still, he had no intention of making her change anything. She only needed to be herself. That had always been his view.
Over the several nights before they left Musashi Province, an astonishing succession of full moons appeared. For demons, a full moon meant a surge in demonic power and a mind increasingly ruled by demonic instincts, which was not necessarily a good thing. Even demons with formidable self-control, such as Sesshomaru, could hardly avoid its influence. For him, it meant his demonic nature overpowering his reason, stirring the desire to transform into a dog again. Other, weaker demons might instead celebrate wildly beneath the full moon, rejoicing in their increased power. When Sesshomaru sensed the startling evil aura carried on the wind, his steps faltered, and he turned east. Its source seemed to lie at the Immortal Volcano.
"Han, we're going to Mount Fuji." Sesshomaru offered no explanation, his voice as cold as ever.
"All right." The girl nodded and stayed close beside him. Sesshomaru was not the only one concerned by that powerful evil aura.
They headed east, reaching the vicinity of Mount Fuji in just three days.
The evil aura did indeed grow stronger, but more chilling still was the faint scent of blood on the wind. Even Han, whose sense of smell was only slightly better than an ordinary human's, could just make it out. The silver-haired Dog Demon's brow furrowed deeply. To Sesshomaru's keen nose, the overwhelming stench of blood in the air was nauseating,