"Ho? Transformed from human to youkai... Is the summoned Servant a half-demon?"
Naraku looked at Rikuo indifferently, then spoke.
Half-demons were supposed to be rare creatures, yet he encountered them quite often.
'But... this half-demon seems different from both me and Inuyasha.'
That sudden transformation made Naraku very curious.
The process from Human to Youkai was so smooth that even he hadn't noticed this person was actually a youkai before.
"Eh, Rikuo, isn't your sword like a piece of junk?"
Shippo looked at the greatly changed Rikuo, then pointed at his sword and shouted.
Everyone looked over, and then noticed the blade full of cracks.
"It's fine. After all, the original was indeed broken. Being able to use it again in this form is already quite good."
Not minding the damaged blade, Rikuo responded naturally.
The original Nenekirimaru had already been shattered by Seimei. It was later sent for reforging but he hadn't received it yet.
Descending as a Servant, being able to restore the Nenekirimaru with only cracks was already sufficient.
This sword... Was exceptional against youkai.
WHOOSH!
'Head-on?'
Kagura watched the figure running over, feeling puzzled.
Ignoring her and Kanna, Rikuo just leaped and charged toward Naraku.
"Although I don't know what you want to do, that's a meaningless action. There are gaps even among half-demons!"
Tentacles extended, piercing the figure in the air with pinpoint accuracy.
"Rikuo!!"
"Rikuo!!"
Seeing that pierced body caused Sango and the others to cry out in alarm.
"This guy..."
Looking at that miserable state, Kagura hesitated. Recalling the group she had witnessed, so-called Servants shouldn't be dealt with so easily.
'No... there's no feeling of hitting anything.'
Naraku put away his previous composed expression and made a judgment.
Even though the tentacles had pierced that figure, not a single drop of blood splattered out.
"You can't see through it..."
Revealing a confident smile, Rikuo maintained that struck pose and mocked.
He had noticed from earlier that the youkai here didn't seem to rely on Fear in battle.
His figure disappeared into the air like mist, making Naraku frown.
Although he couldn't see the other party's traces, he could sense that Rikuo was still nearby.
"Disappeared?"
Kagome looked at this scene in amazement, but could feel the domain full of youkai aura around them.
"Rikuo's youkai power is everywhere... What is this?"
Even Shippo could experience that awe-inspiring presence within.
"I see. It seems you do possess power I don't know about."
Coming back to his senses, Naraku wasn't flustered either, speaking indifferently.
He indeed couldn't find where Rikuo's real body was, but similarly, Naraku was confident the other party couldn't do anything to him.
Whether it was the barrier that had been open the whole time or the immortal body, both were insurmountable mountains.
"!"
But at this moment, that solemn killing intent came. Naraku looked up and saw the blade already about to slash down.
SIZZLE!!
The blade touched the revealed barrier, sparking astonishing flames.
"Hmph..."
Just as he thought, the barrier that even Inuyasha's [Wind Scar] couldn't split open, this half-demon Servant couldn't do it either.
"The turtle shell is quite hard... But how about this?"
Unable to split the barrier with one strike, Rikuo wasn't panicked either.
'Mn?'
At this moment, Naraku noticed the surrounding environment and atmosphere had changed.
The verdant land transformed into streets of lanterns and neon lights, filled with bustling sounds.
But the most obvious was Rikuo's change.
He maintained his sword-drawing posture, and pitch-black shadows began emerging behind him...
One, two, three...
"That is...?"
Majestic youkai power emerged. Everyone was astonished.
That was an exaggerated amount of youkai aura... Not just quality, but quantity was also massive.
"Those are all youkai?"
Although unable to see their faces clearly, only vaguely seeing ghostly shadows, Kagome could feel it.
"It's impossible to command so many youkai! Who exactly is he?"
Kagura pulled Kanna back, looking at the ghostly shadows emerging behind Rikuo in shock.
'!'
Even Naraku's expression wasn't good. Although he didn't know what the other party wanted to do, it undoubtedly didn't look like anything good.
"I am the one who commands a hundred demons! An existence who aspires to become the Lord of Pandemonium!"
As if answering everyone's questions, Rikuo declared once more.
"Such fierce youkai aura!"
Miroku blocked with one hand in front. He had never felt such a surging demon collective.
That couldn't be described with ordinary scale anymore.
Everything around was blown by the gale. Bone-chilling cold seeped into the body, making people shudder.
"Didn't expect Rikuo was actually such an existence..."
Having never seen Rikuo fight before, Miroku really had no impression.
But looking at those imposing youkai, he was convinced.
"Miroku? Do you know what that is?"
"Ah, I've heard of it before. Didn't expect to witness it today. There's a legend of commanding youkai... Its name is—"
"[Hyakki Yako]!!"
Accompanying Miroku's narration, Naraku noticed his barrier had already cracked.
CRACK CRACK CRACK!
"What?"
The sturdy barrier began to crumble, startling him.
CRACK!
"The barrier has been split open!!"
"Right now is the perfect opportunity to attack Naraku!"
"But ordinary methods can't kill Naraku!"
The brief exchange also showed Kagome and the others' dilemma.
"Hah!"
But Rikuo didn't care, using that cracked Nenekirimaru to slash at Naraku's head.
"!"
Having keen awareness of danger, Naraku didn't carelessly stand still to take it. He let his body retreat, avoiding the direct hit.
WHOOSH!
But even so, a conspicuous wound was carved across his chest.
'That level of damage can't kill Naraku.'
Although happy to see Naraku injured, Kagura also knew that kind of wound was a drop in the bucket, unable to affect anything.
But the next second, what gushed out drew everyone's attention.
"!"
"My youkai power?"
From the wound, youkai power kept flowing out. Black vapor visibly spread and drifted in the air.
Even Naraku was momentarily in disbelief at this.
CRACK!
"That sword!!"
Looking at that shattered broken blade, Naraku realized.
That wasn't an ordinary sword... But a weapon with special damage against youkai!
That sword couldn't kill him, but it could make all the youkai power in this body until now disappear.
Such consequences, even Naraku couldn't bear.
Retreating without hesitation, Naraku's figure dissolved into a mass of black mist and dispersed.
Rikuo watched Naraku attempting to flee, then declared coldly.
"It's useless! You cannot escape from this domain! This is genuinely my world!"