The night wind blowing from the pure Mount Hakurei was no longer refreshing. Instead, it carried a biting chill and the foul stench of evil aura.
Sesshomaru frowned in disgust. Besides the nauseating odor produced by the mingling of spiritual energy and evil aura on Mount Hakurei itself, that human's scent drifted faintly through the wind. They had only parted a short while ago. Why had the evil aura around that human grown so much stronger, almost indistinguishable from a monster's?
Han could not distinguish scents on the wind as precisely as Sesshomaru could, but her sensitivity to evil aura as a former miko put her on high alert.
"I'll go take a look." Han rose from Sesshomaru's arms, but he caught her right hand. "Sesshomaru..." The girl looked at him in confusion.
"Let's go." Sesshomaru held her hand and spoke with his usual calm, as though he had not just indirectly asked to accompany her into danger. Mount Hakurei was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous places for monsters.
"No!" Han tightened her grip on his hand and looked at him earnestly. It was rare for her to speak to him so seriously.
Sesshomaru gave her a long look. There was no displeasure in his golden eyes, yet his gaze alone made it impossible for her to keep objecting.
"At least... at least you can't go inside. You have to stay outside," the girl murmured, pressing her lips together. This was as far as she could compromise. Even the outskirts of Mount Hakurei placed a tremendous burden on monsters, especially one as powerful as Sesshomaru.
"All right." The girl's faintly pleading manner softened his hard gaze, and Sesshomaru's eyes slowly grew gentle. He had never intended to approach that sacred mountain, but a vague sense of foreboding made him