InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Minoue ❯ Last Man Standing ( Chapter 52 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

AN: Thank you very much to inufan625 for acting as my beta once again. An additional thank you goes to Knittingknots for her help as well. I greatly appreciate the time they've taken to help make me a better writer and this a better story.

Thank you very much for the reviews. I read each and every one of them, and greatly appreciate those of you that took the time to leave one. They do help inspire me to write.

And I also just realized that since I never posted a chapter last quarter, I never thanked landofthekwt for nominating and psyco_chick32 for seconding Minoue for the Best InuYasha/Kagome Romance category at the InuYasha Fanfiction Guild for the 2nd quarter of 2009. Thank you also to everyone who voted for it as it received second place.

Minoue

Chapter 52: Last Man Standing

“Kukukuku… I'll show you what happens to those that betray me.” Naraku wrapped his tentacles more tightly around the struggling Kikyou. “Fight all you want, my dear - you won't be able to free yourself. Kohaku.”

“Yes, Uncle Naraku,” the boy answered, his eyes glazed over and unseeing.

“She has the Shikon no Tama. You know what to do.” He chuckled.

The teen shifted the axe in his hands.

Sango felt frozen to her spot, though in reality Naraku had her trapped, too. “Kohaku, no!!” she screamed when she realized what he was about to do.

All Kagome and InuYasha could do was watch in horror for fear of him turning on Souta or Mama instead if they moved toward him, but even Kikyou didn't deserve the fate she was about to receive at the teen's hands.

Kohaku said in a monotone voice, “You have the Shikon no Tama. Hand it over or die.”

Kikyou was frantically twisting and turning in Naraku's grip. “I don't know what you're talking about! I've never heard of it before today! I can't give you what I don't have!”

“You heard her, Kohaku. She refused to give us the Shikon no Tama. She must be punished.” The insidious monster pushed the trapped real estate agent towards Kohaku, shifting his tentacles and in the process ripping her clothing away so that her chest was bared. Kohaku didn't even blink as her naked breasts bounced freely in her struggle to get away.

Kikyou shrieked as the axe made contact with her upper body. Everyone cringed at the crunch of metal against bone as her breastbone shattered, and her ribs cracked from the impact. Naraku released her and her body collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in her chest.

Bankotsu watched in horror as she crumpled to the ground.

“So, Sango - who will be next? That boy over there, your new friend, her mother, or your boyfriend? I don't have to do it myself - any of these men will be happy to do my bidding. They can shoot them from where they stand.”

“Let me! Let me go next!” Jakotsu shouted. “I have so many things I want to do to this delicious morsel!” He ran the tip of his blade along Souta's jaw line, leaving a trail of blood. Keeping his knife against the boy's throat, he continued, “He's so yummy I could just eat him up!” Jakotsu demonstrated by running his tongue along the cut. “Ummmm, delicious!”

“Stop!” Sango shouted. “Let me go! I'll get you the Sacred Jewel if you won't hurt anyone else!”

“Sango, no! You don't know what will happen if he gets his hands on it!” Kagome yelled. “We knew the chances we were taking today! Don't let it all go to waste!”

Sango shook her head. “I cannot and will not allow you to be hurt if I can do something about it! It's just a legend - it's not worth any of this! Naraku, let me go and I'll get it. I know where it is.”

“Bankotsu, go with her. Make sure she doesn't try anything,” Naraku ordered as he released her from his grip.

Sango just glared at the leader of the Seven as she turned on her heel and started towards the outbuilding that she knew hid the sought after jewel. Bankotsu hurried after her, though he said nothing.

She broke the silence. “I can't believe you stood there and let him kill her like that! What kind of man are you? Wait, what am I saying? You're nothing more than his paid assassin!”

“I thought I was the one he'd go after,” Bank admitted. “I didn't think he'd think she was worth the trouble… I didn't know he'd do that… I thought he'd figure out I'm the one that betrayed him. He really is a monster… there's no hope…”

Sango spun around. “Never say there's no hope. There's always hope as long as you are breathing. There must be some way to stop him.”

Bankotsu shook his head. “I've never dealt with anyone like him, and I mean that in the worst way.” He grabbed her arm and started in the direction they'd been going. “We'd better get moving before he kills someone else because he's tired of waiting and thinks he needs to prove another point.

As they reached the building, Sango stopped and turned to Bank again. Furrowing her brow in thought she said, “So, you're disillusioned with him? You won't just follow his instructions blindly?”

“Did you not notice that I was the one that distracted him so the kids could escape? I may be a killer for hire, but I've never intentionally murdered innocent children. This… this… lunatic… has no boundaries. He doesn't care who he destroys. I thought I was cold-hearted, but I'm warm and fluffy next to him. If we can find anyway out of this, I'll help you. He killed my Kikyou, and I did nothing…”

Sango nodded curtly and turned. “Let's go, then.”

“You're absolutely despicable,” Kagura hissed. “Do you ever do anything yourself, or are you always a coward and use others to do your dirty work?”

“You should know the answer to that better than anyone, my dear. Don't worry, you'll be leaving with me when it is time,” he answered in a smug voice.

“No, I don't think so,” Sesshomaru said as he rose from where he'd been thrown. “My mate will be remaining here, as well as her sibling and my mother.”

“What! You're just human! You can't have survived that! You should be dead, or at least broken and unconscious!” Naraku exclaimed in bewilderment.

“Foolish boy - whatever gave you that idea?” Sesshomaru's mother commented from the sidelines. “Do you honestly think that my son is a mere human and that feeble display would have killed him?”

Naraku was really confused now. “But you're just an old woman, so what else would he be?”

“Are you that stupid or that arrogant?” she continued. “Oh, well, I guess it's just easier to show you.”

The older woman with the elegant formal tomesode and graying hair reached up to remove the large black medallion hanging from a string of pearls around her neck. She was instantly transformed into beautiful woman with white hair, wearing a kimono of the type worn by aristocracy centuries ago along with a thick white fur piece draped around her shoulders. Her face was marked by a single slash on each cheek and a crescent moon on her forehead, right between the part in her bangs. Her hair framed her delicate pointed ears.

Naraku shot one of his tentacles towards her. She lazily slapped it away - and sliced it off in the process.

“Really, is that the best you can do?” she commented as she checked her nails. “You really should have been more selective in the lower youkai you chose to absorb.”

He hissed as he withdrew his tentacles from her vicinity. “So what about him?” he jeered, waving at Sesshomaru. “Does that mean he's a half breed, too?”

She laughed. “You really have no idea who you're dealing with, do you? You actually think that my son would be hanyou?”

Naraku turned to find Sesshomaru facing him, no longer looking the part of the refined director of the National Art Center. Before him he found a male youkai with a crescent moon in the center of his forehead like his mother, but with two slashes defined on either cheek. His thick hair trailed to his knees, and an impressive white fur piece went from his waist, over his shoulder, and behind him, trailing the ground. He, too, wore clothing of an ancient style with an unusual piece of armor to protect his chest.

An evil grin crossed Naraku's face. “Your mother was right - I should have been more choosy about what - or who - I chose to absorb.” With that he spurt numerous tentacles and proceeded to wrap Sesshomaru in them from head to toe. He even managed to draw the ones that had been lopped off back into himself and use them as well.

“Sesshomaru-sama! Nooooo!” Rin screamed as she came running from where she had been hiding. “Let him go!!” she shouted as she pounded on the appendages attempting to absorb the inuyoukai.

“My, my, my, what have we here?” Naraku asked of no one in particular. “Kohaku, restrain her.”

Kohaku grabbed Rin by the back of her kimono and pulled her away. He held her with one hand while keeping the axe in the other.

“Let her go!!” Souta yelled as he started pounding on whatever he could reach of Jakotsu with the hand he'd worked loose, and even leaned over and bit him in the attempt to free himself.

The very gay member of the band of seven moved the blade of his knife to the teen's neck as he hissed, “Stop that, or I'll slit your throat right now - permission or not.”

“Fuck you,” Souta swore.

Jak leaned in to whisper seductively against his ear, “Gladly, when this is all over.”

“You'll be in hell with your boss,” the younger man declared, but stopped fighting as his attention was drawn to where Naraku had Sesshomaru trapped.

Rin struggled against Kohaku's grip until she realized the clump of tentacles was glowing. Everyone watched in amazement and Naraku in horror as the neon green luminescence became brighter and brighter as it started to expand. In an explosion of light and chunks of the nasty appendages, the formation blew apart so that only Sesshomaru was left standing.

In a flash he was at Naraku's throat, his hand wrapped around it and dripping in poison.

Naraku hissed, “You may not be human, but what about her? He'll split her in half at my order or if you kill me.”

“Rin.” The inuyoukai dropped his hand, but did not step away.

They were interrupted when Sango came running back, a box in her hand. “Stop it! I have it right here!”

“Sango…” Kagome's voice trailed away, but she knew there was no changing her mind - not after witnessing her brother murder another on Naraku's orders.

“Give me the jewel,” Naraku demanded while tightening his grip on his hostages, “or I'll kill them all.”

“Here.” Sango held the small wooden chest out for him to take, but when he made contact with it his appendage sizzled and wilted away, dropping it. The container fell to the ground but remained intact.

“Huh… having a problem holding on to it, are you?” she commented as she retrieved it from where it fell. “I won't remove the seals from that box and hand it to you until you have released everyone. When they're free, you can have it.”

Miroku had remained silent, but finally spoke. “Sango, how can you be so sure nothing will happen when he gets his hands on it?”

She laughed, though it wasn't her normal warm humorous tone. Instead, it was the laugh of a person who feels they have no other choice, and they can either laugh or they can cry at the situation. “Didn't he tell you? We've met before.”

“What!” everyone exclaimed. “You know him?”

“It all makes sense now.” She glared at Naraku. “I've been trying to figure out where I'd seen you because you look so different now - I guess age and a makeover with a bunch of tentacles will do that. When I was in college, you weren't one of those `perpetual' students like I thought. You were really there about the information my family had donated to the historical archives of the college. I should have known you weren't actually interested in me or my background - you were trying to find out where the Shikon no Tama was hidden. Of course it didn't occur to me back then because I didn't think anyone had ever heard of it, and I hadn't thought about it in years, myself. You gave the frat boys that story about how you were trying to seduce me, but you used that as an excuse to cut your losses and get out. I can't believe I actually let you take my virginity - though I never did find out: Does it count if you can't even feel it?

“I refuse to be afraid of a monster that probably wants to use this thing to give himself a bigger dick. What happened? With all of the youkai you absorbed and transformations you made, you could make yourself younger and change your appearance, but you couldn't find one that would make your penis larger?”

Naraku roared and tried to grab the box from Sango, but he still couldn't touch it because of the sutra that protected it.

“Naughty, naughty boy,” she chided. “I told you - I will give it to you once you have released everyone you are restraining - and that includes my brother. Tell him to let go of Rin and to drop that axe. Only then will I give you the Sacred Jewel.”

He abruptly dropped everyone he had been holding to the ground. “You heard her, release them. It won't matter once I get my wish, anyway,” he growled angrily at the others. It was with great reluctance that Jakotsu released Souta, but when he did Souta ran straight to Kohaku and Rin. “You're supposed to make him turn her loose,” he demanded.

“Kohaku, release her,” Naraku ordered.

The boy's hand simply fell to his side and Rin ran straight to Sesshomaru with Souta right behind her. “Are you all right?” She looked up, searching the Daiyoukai's face for the answer if he did not respond.

“Of course, Rin. No lower form of youkai or false hanyou can overcome this Sesshomaru.”

Mama and Miroku joined InuYasha and Kagome as soon as they were set free. The hanyou grimly moved in front of them, his sword at the ready.

Naraku was still seething when he heard Sango remind him, “Tell Kohaku to drop the axe and kick it away from him.”

“You'll be sorry once I have that in my possession,” he stated angrily. “Kohaku, you no longer need your weapon. Place it on the ground and slide it towards that tree.”

The others could do little more than stand and watch as Kohaku did as ordered and then just stood there, staring off into space.

“If you really want this, release him from your grip - tell him whatever you have to for him to be normal again,” Sango ordered.

“Kukukuku - you really think he can be normal again? Fine - it won't matter once I have the jewel, anyway. Kohaku, go make some furniture.”

Kohaku blinked and slowly looked around. “Where am I? How did I get here?”

“Kohaku!” Sango cried out.

“Sister?”

“This is all very touching, really - but give me the fucking Jewel of Four Souls!” Naraku bellowed. “Or do we have to start this all over again!”

“Unlike you, I keep my word,” Sango said softly. She peeled the sutra away, but before she had the chance to actually open the chest, Naraku had snatched it away from her.

He crushed the box and allowed the jewel to drop free before scooping it up. Holding on his palm before him, he stared at it in awe. The pinkish color was quickly turning dark. “The more tainted it becomes the more beautiful it is,” he commented before he wrapped both hands around it tightly.

When he opened them again, it was even darker and so he pressed it against his chest with both hands. “It will be completely tainted, and I shall be granted my wish,” Naraku said as he continued to hold it. “Soon nothing will matter and I will have my greatest desire. Then, even full youkai of the highest order will not be able to resist me.”

“You know it is folly to make a wish on it,” Jii-chan commented. “No good will come of it.”

“Kukukuku… since when would I want there to be a good outcome? Or at least good for all of you. What I have in mind certainly won't be. You will be powerless before me.”

When Naraku unclenched his hands and opened his palm, the Shikon no Tama was no longer a pinkish white, but instead had turned insidious obsidian. “Isn't black such a lovely color?”

“It matches your heart, you bastard,” InuYasha snarled, keeping Kagome protectively behind him. “Even Kikyou didn't deserve what you did to her. Do you actually care for anyone, or do you just use them up and throw them all away?”

“Kikyou never did anything to you but what you asked her to,” Bankotsu said in a low, dangerous tone as he raised his weapon. “She helped you reach your goal, and your repayment was to slaughter her. Do you plan to do the same to us?”

Naraku actually laughed.

Bank was so angry at the treachery against them that he fired three times, hitting Naraku squarely in the chest.

Some cringed at the impact, and some looked hopeful. However, the evil hanyou remained standing. Pulling back his shirt, he dug into his chest and pulled out the bloody bullets. “That might have actually done some harm if I had a heart - but I got rid of that nuisance some time ago. It would have served no purpose since I have no need of it.

“Well, you seem anxious to see what I'm going to do with the beautifully darkened Shikon no Tama. Be prepared for the end of your world as you know it. I shall be the last man standing in the end.”

Holding the completely blackened Jewel of Four Souls between his palms, Naraku declared, “I wish I were the most powerful and feared man in the land!”

Everyone watched in silence and horror as Naraku was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of wispy white smoke. They would have sworn that he was wearing a toga and appeared to be fighting off invisible attackers. They heard, “Et tu, Brute?” and then, he vanished.

To be continued…