Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Ninety-Seven ( Chapter 97 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or the Belgariad/Malloreon series. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi/VIZ and the Belgariad/Malloreon belongs to David Eddings/DEL Rey. There is absolutely no profit being made from this story. It merely fulfills a curiosity of mine---and a desire to keep some really old friends around for as long as possible. Please do not sue.Check out my dreamwidth journal for more information on updates and review responses. It can be found here: https://farawayeyes4.dreamwidth.org/Note: This story updates the 17th of EVERY month.

Chapter Ninety-Seven

“Okay, Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha said. “When I count to three, you and Durnik will push on that door. I'll try and pry it open.”

They had spent the last few hours combing through the maze only to reach an impasse. So far they hadn't had any luck finding the Ashabine Oracles. Now a large black iron door stood in their way. It had rusted shut, blocking any further progress. It'd take a concentrated effort to budge the centuries of grime locking it in place.

The Demon Lord nodded curtly, exchanging glances with the smith. Both of them stood, palms splayed over the door. Each bent their knees, bracing themselves. Inuyasha jimmied the crowbar into the fissure surrounding the door. He wiggled it, causing small bits of corroded metal to scatter onto the floor.

“Ready?” Inuyasha gripped the pole tight. “One. Two. Three!”

While Sesshomaru and Durnik pushed as hard as they could, Inuyasha wedged the crowbar deeper. He twisted it, trying to pry the door open. The iron groaned in protest, the sound echoing down the halls. It started to grind, moving a few inches. Just as Inuyasha yanked harder on the pole, forcing the gap wider, it snapped. The door slammed shut, the sound hollow.

“Fuck!” Inuyasha threw down the broken pole. “We almost had it!”

The torch flickered in its sconce, casting shadows across the unforgiving door. Strips of sharp rust curled away from the nearly invisible gap surrounding it. They revealed black iron yet to decay. Thick globs of corrosion wound like ribbons, caulking it effectively. To get through the door, they'd have to chisel it out at this rate.

The hanyou stood glowering at the door. He sized up the rust, trying to arrive at the speedy solution. They had little time to waste. He knew he couldn't use Tetsusaiga on it; the building's unsound structure made it too dangerous. The russet corrosion bloomed around the door, tunneling into every crack. If they couldn't pry the door open, how could they break its hold?

“You had better find a way through that door before Belgarath comes back. If you think you get irritable, you've never seen him at his worst. He hates delays on important deadlines. He may very well turn you into a turnip just to make an example of you---a turnip with cute doggy ears.”

“Fuck you!” Inuyasha retorted aloud. He landed a heavy kick on the door for emphasis. The blow boomed down the hallway. “No one asked you!”

The half-demon peered at the door as a new idea formed. If it'd take too long to chisel through, perhaps---

“Oi, jackass. You think your poison could melt that door open?”

“It could, but---,” Sesshomaru began.

“But what? It'd save us time, that's for sure.” The hanyou glanced at his brother. He crossed his arms, flattened his ears to his head, and tapped his foot impatiently. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Impertinent half-breed! If you'd let this Sesshomaru finish, you would understand,” Sesshomaru retorted through clenched teeth. He sighed, his lips tightening into an irritated scowl. “If this Sesshomaru does that, it'd be far too dangerous for anyone to walk through. My poison would engulf the whole door, turning it into a lethal puddle.”

“Lethal, my ass,” Inuyasha scoffed. “It didn't kill me so it can't be that bad, jackass.”

“That oversight can be remedied, half-breed,” Sesshomaru replied, glaring at the half-demon. He bared his fangs. “Do not tempt this Sesshomaru.”

“I'd love to see you try, asshat,” Inuyasha snarled in his brother's face.

“Hey, you two can say 'I love you' later,” Kagome said, shoving between them.

“Kagome---,” Inuyasha whined, his ears flattened to his head. Heat rose into his cheeks. “We talked about this. Men don't feel that way about other men.”

“Presumptuous woman.” Sesshomaru snorted disdainfully, shifting his baleful gaze to Kagome. He stiffened, thrusting out his chin defiantly. “How dare you think to know this Sesshomaru's mind.”

“I love you, too, Sesshomaru.” Kagome giggled, her hand trying in vain to hide her satisfied smile. “Besides, you're not all that intimidating with an armful of Rin-chan, big brother.”

The little girl wrapped her arms tightly around the Demon Lord. Somehow, though he couldn't confirm it, Inuyasha suspected the girls had worked in concert to put an end to their latest round of bickering. Rin rested her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder, a suspiciously pleased smile on her face.

“One for Kagome's side,” the Purpose taunted. “Time's ticking away, you know.”

“Shut up, asshole,” Inuyasha retorted absentmindedly.

Durnik chuckled quietly. He coughed, hiding his amusement when Inuyasha shot him a withering glare.

“Traitor,” Inuyasha muttered.

“Well, does anyone have any ideas?” Kagome asked.

Nearby, Shippo crept closer, his head bowed. Softly, he asked, “What if I tried my foxfire, Mother?”

“Good idea, Shippo-chan. Give it a whirl.”

The fox kit approached the door, his green eyes determined. His aura flared then solidified around him, a richer emerald than Inuyasha remembered it being. The little boy stood rigidly, his hands balled into tight fists at his side. Shippo's aura sputtered a few times as he concentrated.

“Remember, feel, boy,” Sesshomaru quietly encouraged. “Do not think. Just feel.”

Shippo nodded. His aura flared and he conjured a small ball of his energy into his palm. He threw it, the foxfire engulfing the door. The verdant flames crackled and danced, licking at the rust around its edges. As it waned, only a little bit of it crumbled away.

Shippo's shoulders slumped. He turned remorseful eyes towards Inuyasha. “It wasn't enough, Father. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry. You did your best.” The hanyou plucked him from the floor, handing the boy to Kagome. He eyed the door, seeing smaller gaps appear in the wake of Shippo's fox magic. “I have an idea. Kagome, give me one of your arrows.”

Kagome withdrew one of them from her quiver, and he started to chunk out some of the rust, orange flecks spraying from his violent stabs.

Belgarath, Poledra, and Polgara rounded the corner, joining them. The old man threw his hands up in exasperation, sighing. “You still haven't opened that door? We've been gone a half an hour. With all the brute strength you have, not even an inch? Really? It's the only way forward. If you chisel it, we'll still be here in a few centuries from now at this rate. I have other plans.”

“Told you so,” the Purpose crowed. “He's just getting started.”

“You think you're so smart, but you're just an asshole. Shut the hell up unless you have something useful to say.”

“One notices that you always find a way to make time to complain about delays even though you claim there's no time to waste,” the wolf-woman admonished playfully. Mirth danced in her gold eyes and an affectionate smile graced her lips. “How remarkable.”

“What do you suggest, Old Wolf?” Polgara crossed her arms, an eyebrow arched. “We can't really use our Wills without advertising our current location. We don't know who else is here.”

“Well, we can't just carve through that door. We're on a tight schedule,” Belgarath said, pacing with his hands behind his back. “Besides, that racket from somewhere in this dump has to drown out whatever we do.”

Durnik rubbed his chin, eying the door. “No. Pol's right. We can't blast it open. But maybe---,”

The smith signaled for one of Kagome's arrows, gripping it in a tight fist. The tip started to glow a bright orange. He stabbed it into the gap, burning away a bit of the rust.

“That make much noise?”

“No. Hardly any. Problem is, it might start to attract attention if it comes in small bursts. One continuous focus might bury it in that racket.” Belgarath glanced towards Rin, scrubbing a hand through his short white beard. “Belrin, you're by far the quietest that I've ever known. If you do it slowly enough, you'll easily heat up all those arrows and then they can force that door open. See, Durnik's arrow has already cooled. Think you can?”

“Yes, big brother.” Rin slipped from Sesshomaru's grip. She stood by Durnik, pointing towards one of the arrows. “You want Belrin to make them hot?”

“Yes. Exactly.” Durnik nodded, smiling gently. He handed an arrow to Sesshomaru. “We'll chisel with them. You just think of them being hot enough to turn orange. I don't want them to melt. We'll still need them sharp. Understand?”

“Yes, Durnik-sama.”

A look of deep concentration crossed her face. She whispered, “Hot.”

While she kept her hand up, balled it into a tight fist, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Durnik's arrows all began to glow. The three of them each started to chisel away at the thick rust, making the gap between the door and the jamb that much wider. Little by little, the door creaked and groaned from the heated pressure. Chunks of rust littered the floor as their arrows burned it away.

“Gestures, young lady,” Belgarath admonished absentmindedly.

“Leave her be, Old Wolf,” Polgara retorted. “You've been known to add your own flair sometimes---usually just to show off.”

Inuyasha's arrow poked through first. He crowed, “It's working! You're a genius, Durnik!”

“It's metal. I know what to do with that. Nothing that special. Besides, Shippo should get some of the credit. His fire made me think of it.” Durnik sliced his arrow up and through, knocking a long ribbon of rust away. “It's a bit unconventional. My tools would have been better, but---,”

“Don't be so modest.”

Shippo gasped, bowing low. “Thank you, Durnik-sama.”

“Try pushing now,” Belgarath said. “It should give.”

The three of them pushed hard on the door, the hinges squealing in protest. It slammed into the wall, some stone crumbling away on impact. Inuyasha leaned heavily on it, ushering everyone through. He didn't know if it'd slam shut once he let go. He didn't want to struggle with it again.

A sinister aura swirled around them. It clashed with Inuyasha's making it crackle. The half-demon bristled, growling softly. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This dark aura taunted him. He didn't need to see the aura's owner to discern their identity. Naraku---or one of his incarnations---lurked within Ashaba. Inuyasha gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga, the gesture comforting. He exchanged glances with his brother---nodding when he realized that Sesshomaru had come to the same conclusion.

Belgarath took the lead, marching down the twisted hallways with purpose. The torch in his hand bobbed steadily, a beacon to the group as they increasingly fell behind. He cast glances towards long abandoned rooms, dismissing them as if he knew searching their tattered remnants would waste too much valuable time.

The clammy dark stone closed in around them, the shadows creating eerie shapes as they pressed onwards. At this grueling pace, Inuyasha feared getting turned around in this vast maze. At any time, their current path may turn into a stone wall. That had already happened once, forcing them to backtrack. It could lead them back outside---all without finding these Oracles. Time---despite the looming deadline---had lost all meaning in this unforgiving place.

In the distance, Inuyasha glimpsed a hulking shape dart across an entrance. Eerie green eyes met his, hatred blazing from their depths. Something knew they were there---possibly reporting their presence to the other Grolims the half-demon scented in the place.

“Oi. You in there, asshole?”

“I thought you didn't want me saying anything unless it was useful. Or did you miss my company that much?”

“Forget it. If I wanted to bicker, I'd pick a fight with the jackass.”

“Aw. Kagome's right. You do love your brother.” The Purpose sighed. “Teasing aside, yes. That Hound is important. You're getting closer to Naraku's trap---you'll know what it is when you hear it.”

“Ass.” Inuyasha sighed, exasperated. “Any helpful hints as to what I listen for?”

The Purpose left a hollow absence in its wake.

“Damn it,” Inuyasha muttered. “I can't get him to leave me alone when he's being a dick, but when I need something, he shuts up. What an ass.”

“Little brother,” Sesshomaru whispered. “Any helpful hints?”

Inuyasha jumped, startled. His ears rose high before flattening tightly to his skull. He hissed, “Don't do that, bastard.”

A soft chuckle greeted his ears.

“Not funny.” The half-demon snorted. “Yes and no. The trap---we'll hear it first. Whatever that means. No idea what to listen for, though.”

“Interesting.” Sesshomaru's brow furrowed. “Tell this Sesshomaru if you learn more.”

Kagome tucked his arm around her shoulders, leaning into him as they walked. She whispered, “This place gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

“The what? Can't you ever make sense, wench?” Inuyasha asked, his nose wrinkled in confusion.

Kagome laughed nervously. “This aura. It feels so much like Naraku's.”

“Feh.” Inuyasha pulled her closer, rubbing her shoulder.

“Go on, monk. Absorb his power. Make it your own. You and I---we are so alike---and power is your drug. Use the Wind Tunnel and take it. It's yours.”

Naraku's silky voice sounded faint. Inuyasha perked his ears, trying to catch any more comments. Clearly, the dark hanyou would indeed make an appearance. It concerned him that somehow Miroku had fallen into some trap. The question became, then, was this the trap? The spider half-demon taunted his friend, trying to coax him into using the Wind Tunnel, but for what purpose? So often, Naraku discouraged its use in his presence---mostly for self-preservation. He'd block it with his poisonous insects. He'd put human shields in place to stay Miroku's cursed hand. Why would he now egg the monk on to use it unless---

Naraku wasn't really here.

“Oi, Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered into her ear. “Do you feel any jewel shards?”

Kagome bit her lip in concentration. She shook her head. “No.”

That confirmed his suspicions.

Up ahead, the old man, his mate, and daughter kept a grueling pace. They remained cautious, clustered together in the labyrinth of a long dead God. Belgarath had long shed the irritable and lazy old man exterior. Instead, the old sorcerer moved on sheer determination and purpose. There was a task to be done and nothing would stand in his way. The torch made his white beard ruddy, making his determined expression calculated and harsh as they continued.

Polgara and Poledra walked side by side, their flawless faces unreadable.

Durnik gripped his cudgel, caressing it in obvious nerves.

Shippo kept low to the ground, his movements quiet and cautious. He wedged his way between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, obviously using the two for protection. On the other side of the Demon Lord, Rin gripped his hand, huddled close. Her cautious eyes watched everything.

Explosive crashes, the sound of steel on steel, and angry shouts filtered through the twisted hallways, echoing. The sounds of the battle bombarded him, making it difficult to discern the taunts Naraku made towards Miroku. He perked his ears, straining to hear them.

“---make your choice. Watch them be slaughtered or absorb the demonic power and claim it as yours. Decide quickly.”

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Naraku, the puppet, wanted Miroku to use the Wind Tunnel to commit suicide. No other explanation made sense. He mused there might be a mind game built into it---but this had to be the trap Inuyasha had to stop. Who else would know Naraku's mind games as well? Who else would recognize its maliciousness and artifice as well? After falling victim to so many of them first hand, Inuyasha saw all of Naraku's manipulations.

“So you do have something between---I mean under those adorable ears of yours. You can't charge in just yet. You're close. Wait for Naraku to make his grand offer---we can't let the monk answer, but we can't block the statement.”

“Whatever the fuck that means.” Inuyasha gritted his teeth, furious at being forced to wait. A soft growl emanated from his throat. He wanted to rip the spider hanyou apart. Miroku had become his brother so long ago---by choice---to hear him threatened this way incensed him. It rankled him that he couldn't stop it immediately.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, her voice vibrating with worry.

“I'm fine,” the half-demon bit out. “Just want to get where we're going already.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sesshomaru's troubled frown. His gold gaze reflected Belgarath's torch, taking on an eerie hue.

The battle ahead swelled in intensity. The explosions thundered in impressive booms, resonating off of the black stone. Shouts, blows, and ominous growls floated to the group. Inuyasha zoned out most of them, zeroing in on Naraku alone. He needed to hear that offer so he could prevent the monk from falling into the trap.

“Are you really? You told her, didn't you---that you loved the power the demon gave you. You're a monster just like me. Embrace your destiny, monk. I shall raise you up as my first Disciple when I come into my inheritance,” Naraku said, his dark voice triumphant.

“Now!” the Purpose shouted in his head. “Stop the monk before it is too late, Inuyasha. He fails, everything fails.”

Inuyasha didn't need to be told twice. He thrust Kagome towards his brother and said, “Protect the girls. I've gotta stop that monk from doing something stupid.”

“Inuyasha---,” Kagome called.

“Stay with Sesshomaru!”

The half-demon broke into a sprint, surging passed everyone. He followed the scent of Miroku's fear. He had no time to explain. He sensed that the monk's will would collapse---that Naraku would win if he hesitated even a moment.

The bright fires of multiple torches stabbed into his eyes as he crouched in the doorway. On a dais, his back turned towards Inuyasha, stood Naraku himself. His wavy black hair cascaded down his back, contrasting with the white pelt. Inuyasha sensed no barrier around this most hated figure. It'd be easy. This wasn't the real Naraku. A puppet couldn't take too many blows.

The spider hanyou, distracted by Sango's defiance, became an easy target---too easy. Slowly, Inuyasha withdrew Tetsusaiga, letting it transform bit by bit to lessen the noise. He had one window of opportunity. Creeping into another shadow, he prepared his lunge.

“You sure like to talk a lot,” Inuyasha said, stopping Naraku's attack on the demon slayer. “Anyone ever ask if you like the sound of your own voice?”

Naraku froze. He said, “What? You can't be here. Not yet.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” The inu hanyou rushed from the shadows, impaling Naraku cleanly. “Some trap, you fucking puppet.”

Even so, Naraku laughed. His puppet body disintegrated.  His red eyes met Inuyasha's, malice sparkling in their depths. A cruel smile twisted his lips. “Fool. You still don't get it. You will.”

The broken puppet lay sprawled on the dais, severed in half.

“Thank you, Sango, Inuyasha,” Miroku whispered, his cursed hand clenched into a tight fist against his chest.

His haunted eyes briefly met Inuyasha's. In that expression, the half-demon recognized himself. He may have stopped Naraku's trap, but he hadn't stopped the lingering effects of whatever mind game he had played on the monk. The anguish written all over Miroku's face told the whole story. Miroku cast his eyes to the floor, his slumped posture exposing the heavy weight of this burden. Self-contempt, sorrow, and shame emanated from his lithe frame. It would be years---if ever---for the monk to truly recover from this.

“Don't thank me yet.” Inuyasha glanced at a pedestal, a large book open on top of it. “The Oracles. These it?”

A chilling voice said, “Well done, half-breed. However, I am your true opponent.”

At the back of the throne room, Inuyasha spotted the hulking shape lurking in the shadows. Eerie green eyes of malice met his own. This Hound of Torak seemed different---more menacing somehow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he detected its powerful demonic aura. The aura they had felt this whole time---it had belonged to this vile creature all along. Naraku's puppet had truly been all decoy.

“To read the Oracles, you must get through me first. I am a Hound of Naraku.”

Behind him, the rest of the group entered the throne room. Belgarath rushed towards the pedestal, eager to grasp the Oracles. Just as he reached towards them, a barrier repelled him. It pushed him several feet back. The old sorcerer cursed softly, an intense level of concentration crossing his weathered features. He thrust his power at it, making the barrier crackle, an ultramarine sheen settling over it.

“He can't break it. That barrier is demonic and created by sorcery. He may have the stronger Will, but he has no chance at matching the demonic power,” the Purpose said calmly.

“Oi, old man,” Inuyasha called. He allowed crimson to wash over Tetsusaiga's blade, calling upon the demonic barrier-breaking ability. It shone a brilliant scarlet. “You use your power, I'll use this.”

Belgarath huffed in exasperation. “Okay. It's worth a shot.”

The two of them stood side by side. On the old sorcerer's nod, Inuyasha charged the barrier, slamming his sword into the barrier. It started to slice it, melting before his blade's power. Just as it started to shatter, the barrier turned a shiny midnight. It repelled Inuyasha's sword, sending him flying back. He did a back flip, landing on silent feet.

The barrier turned translucent, mocking them as the Oracles remained just out of reach.

“Fuck!” Inuyasha shouted. “Well, now what?”

The Hound of Naraku stood triumphant, its demonic aura swirling around its shadowy form. A miasma curled through the room, blanketing it in a wretched stench. Mingled with the pungent smell of death that already permeated Ashaba's very foundation, it forced Inuyasha to hold a sleeve to his nose. Its electrified green eyes flared with power as its hulking black form swelled, then shimmered. In its place stood an old cadaverous man, his dingy white beard flowing down his black robes. In a gnarled hand, he clutched a wooden staff. An evil grin revealed yellow teeth.

Beldin swore. “A Hound that can change shape? Unheard of! The transformation is an either or and usually a deadly one at that from what I hear.”

“Was deadly, hunchbacked cur.” The Hound stepped forward, his barrier pushing aside Silk, Velvet, and Sango. “I am a different breed---a better breed---than those against my new Master. They yearn for a dead God. I serve a God to be. He has gifted me with all this new power.”

The barrier sizzled, turning an inky black when it clashed with the bright blue surrounding Garion. As they subsided, Inuyasha spotted the Rivan King cradling his weary mate. A grey cast settled over her pale visage, her green eyes listless. Garion stared out balefully, his sword blazing to match his fury. As those auras clashed again, the half-demon saw Garion's briefly puncture the Hound's, making it waver a moment.

So Garion's power had an effect on it.

“Close, but no. That's all the Orb. It doesn't like a Hound of Naraku anymore than it did a Hound of Torak. That's a hint, you know.”

Behind him, Kagome coughed, the harsh throatiness grating. A dark tendril of miasma curled around her, forming into a thick cloud. It blanketed her and as Kagome struggled to breathe, she inadvertently inhaled its foulness. A coughing fit overcame her, each one deeper and louder than the last. Her face flushed red and her eyes watered. Slowly, she started to slip to her knees.

Next to her, Sesshomaru eased her against his chest. As his powerful demonic aura flared, it sparked and sizzled against the dark miasma. It dissipated, revealing Kagome's wan face. The Demon Lord cradled her small form in the crook of his arm, easing her off her feet. Kagome's fazed eyes briefly met Inuyasha's, her head resting on Sesshomaru's shoulder. Limply, her arms looped around his neck.

Inuyasha needed to take this new incarnation down---not just so Belgarath could read the Oracles---he had to save his mate.

“It's too late to save her, half-breed,” the Hound taunted. “That miasma has polluted her. It will poison her until she dies a slow and agonizing death.”

“Leave my mate alone!” Inuyasha snarled. He gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt, the winds swirling around the blade. “And don't call me half-breed! Only one person gets to call me that, and it isn't you!”

“You can't use the Wind Scar! You'll bring the building down on everyone.”

“Fuck.” Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder. “Find a way to get into a different barrier with the girls, brother. I'm taking this talking corpse out.”

Sesshomaru nodded, his furious gaze meeting Inuyasha's. They flickered red momentarily. The Demon Lord retreated a few feet and sat down slowly. Sesshomaru settled Kagome into his lap, protectively cradling her to his shoulder. His chin rested atop Kagome's head, his clawed fingers threading through her hair. Kagome looked so fragile and limp in his embrace, her shallow breath wheezing as she struggled to take in air.

Next to him, Shippo and Rin huddled nearby. The little girl closed her eyes and a deep blue barrier shimmered over the small group. He hoped it'd protect Kagome while he took this bastard down.

“Durnik!” Polgara's shout snapped Inuyasha's attention back to the rest of the room. “Look out!”

Her cry came too late. A tentacle, not unlike Naraku's, shot out, impaling the smith in the shoulder. He howled in pain, crumpling to the floor as it retracted. Poledra and Polgara rushed to his aid, erecting a hasty barrier around them.

Beldin ushered Silk, Velvet, Miroku, and Sango into another corner, his hideous face twisting into a mask of concentration. He, too, put up a protective barrier around his charges, keeping them from the brewing battle.

It was for the best. It meant that Inuyasha could battle the Hound without catching his allies in the cross-hairs.

Inuyasha stepped forward, the cascading song of the Orb flooding his mind. A calm settled over him. Somehow, even under that barrier, Garion had granted him further access to the Orb's power. Tetsusaiga's winds turned a deep blue, leaving the blade a polished sapphire in its wake.

“You think a second rate sword imbued with a fraction of Cthrag Yaska's power will break my barrier? Don't be stupid.” The old man laughed, his eyes lit up with madness. They flashed green momentarily before the barrier strengthened, turning a dark black. “Go ahead, half-breed. Try it.”

“Don't. Call. Me. Half-breed. Fuckface.” Inuyasha charged the barrier, Tetsusaiga raised high over his head. The blue blade started to breach it. The harder he slammed his sword into the black barrier, the more the blue started to ripple over its surface. As it weakened, Tetsusaiga's hilt began to scald his hands. The barrier crackled, canceling the blade's transformation.

“Fool. You cannot break my barrier so easily.” A tentacle shot out, trying to spear Inuyasha in the shoulder. It missed by mere inches as the half-demon dodged. Soon, Inuyasha juked right and left, up and down, avoiding the multiple tentacles sent after him. He leaped high, a clawed foot digging into a notch in one of the crumbling stones to launch himself into a back-flip. He flicked his wrist transforming Tetsusaiga.

“You can break it. Remember, he's both a Chandim sorcerer and newly demonic. That barrier is, too. Tetsusaiga can defeat both. It has the Will of the Orb infused into it---along with its own demonic power. Time for a new technique. The Amethyst Tetsusaiga. Quickly. Time runs short for both Belgarath and Kagome.”

The old sorcerer still beat futilely on the barrier blocking the Oracles. It turned a dark ebony, shimmering from every blow he delivered. It repelled him again and again, causing Belgarath to curse.

Over his shoulder, Inuyasha glanced towards Kagome. An ashen cast settled over her features. Her small frame trembled in his brother's embrace. Her eyes held such pain---and it made Inuyasha's blood boil to see it mar their beauty.

He would end this. Now.

He tapped into Tetsusaiga's latent power. Its demonic power thrummed through him. The blade pulsed as it bled a brilliant crimson. He saw blue twinge the fur and the ultramarine winds swirl around it.

“So how do I make them merge?”

“The same way you and Kagome merge yours together. Let the Orb fuse with it more.”

Inuyasha held the sword aloft, letting the blue and red clash again and again. In one fluid motion, as the Orb's song crescendoed in his mind, their colors combined. The blade turned a rich amethyst, the surface of the blade gleaming in the torch light.

“No!” The Hound shimmered back into the hulking dog. Its eerie eyes widened in rage. “You can't! You won't win. She'll die anyways.”

“Use it before that Hound flees. He'll take the Oracles with him if you don't.”

“That's what you think, asshole.” Inuyasha grinned at the surprised Hound of Naraku. “Second rate sword, eh?”

He crashed the purple blade into the barrier, slicing it away in one swing. The Hound of Naraku turned to flee. On its back, a scarlet spider mark etched angry lines into its flesh. The half-demon chased after it, his sword a brilliant sapphire. As he surged passed it, he caused the Hound to stumble. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in triumph. He swung Tetsusaiga in a wide arc. Cleanly, the blade beheaded the Hound, its corpse collapsing into a heap.

On the other side of the throne room, Belgarath shouted in triumph. He said, “We go to the city of Karand next. If I'm reading this right, Kagome has an appointment there.”

That mattered little to Inuyasha. Right now, he had to save his mate from the miasma. Nothing else mattered.

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