InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blackout ❯ Friendship ( Chapter 17 )

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.


Friendship


“Damn half-breed,” Bankotsu grumbled under his breath, still fuming. He wanted so badly to kill Inuyasha for what he’d done, but the hanyou had left him with nothing to fight with. A few more good whacks to Banryuu, and his prized sword would disintegrate into harmless shards of metal. There would be no repairing it, either; the only option would be to have Renkotsu melt it down and reforge it, a lengthy and painstaking process. The wait would be excruciating, but Bankotsu refused to fight with anything other than his Banryuu. The two of them were like brothers, inseparable since the day the latter had been forged. And Inuyasha had nearly destroyed that.

This offense went straight to the top of Bankotsu’s list of reasons for taking revenge on the cursed hanyou. And it was so frustrating to him, because he knew he could beat Inuyasha if their swords were equal. The hanyou was slightly better with a blade than anticipated, but nowhere near as proficient as the man capable of leading the vaunted Shichinintai. But that sword…that youkai blade he wielded was quite possibly the strongest sword in existence. How had a half-breed ended up with such a weapon? And why on earth would such a mighty blade choose such an unworthy master?

Asking questions like that wouldn’t help, Bankotsu knew. He should be carefully considering his next moves. Above all else, he had to maintain the aura of invincibility which had kept his comrades in line to this point. Because the Shichinintai were hard men; they would only follow a strong leader. And if Bankotsu showed any sign of weakness, his subordinates might start thinking, which was never a good thing. Renkotsu already did too much of that, though at least he knew his place. In the past, that is. Now, Bankotsu wasn’t sure. Ultimately, there was only one person in the entire world he could truly trust, and that person wasn’t here.

Two figures materialized out of the mist before them, one Bankotsu recognized and one who was new to him, a young girl who was completely white except for haunting pitch black eyes.

“Yo, Kohaku,” he greeted casually, as if nothing was amiss. One of the first rules of leadership: let them think that nothing fazes you.

“Bankotsu-sama,” the young man replied in that boring monotone of his.

“What’s your story, kid?” Bankotsu asked the strange girl, cracking a smirk. “Your oyaji fuck a Yuki-onna or something?” His comrades chuckled behind him, a sound which the head mercenary was glad to hear. His mirth vanished when the girl spoke, however.

“Bankotsu’s halberd cannot defeat Inuyasha’s sword.”

“What did you say?!” he snarled, lifting the brat up by the front of her robes and shaking her. Still, the little shit-stain didn’t even blink. She just stared at him, as if she was physically incapable of feeling fear, or anything at all.

“Bankotsu-sama,” Kohaku interjected, “Kanna is here to help. Please allow her to examine Banryuu.”

Bankotsu growled in annoyance, but he was smart enough to know that their mysterious benefactor wouldn’t appreciate having his minions disemboweled. And until the situation was clearer and Inuyasha’s group was dead, they had to keep Naraku happy. So he dropped Kanna back on her feet and drove Banryuu’s tip into the ground about a centimeter from her toes. The strange girl placed her hand on the blade and was silent for several moments.

“It can become much stronger,” she finally declared, turning to gaze at Renkotsu. The fire-user seemed surprised, but it was the sudden panic in his expression which caught Bankotsu’s attention. It didn’t take him long to figure out what Kanna was alluding to, since he’d already had his suspicions.

“So you were holding out on me after all, eh Renkotsu?” he demanded.

“What are you talking about?”

Bankotsu grinned menacingly. In the next instant, Banryuu’s tip was less than half a meter from Renkotsu’s lying throat.

“You told me that you bargained with Inuyasha for your life,” he declared, eyeing the other man with unconcealed threat in his gaze. “But you managed to weasel the Shikon fragments out of him too, didn’t you? Now hand them over. Or shall I take the shard in your neck right here?”

Time seemed to stand still as the two adversaries stared at each other. Bankotsu could see the wheels turning in Renkotsu’s head, as the fire-user sized him up. Go ahead, Renkotsu. Try me. My Banryuu may be damaged, but I don’t need it to squash the likes of you. Finally, his subordinate’s eyes lowered in defeat, and he drew the bottle of jewel shards from his robes and tossed it in the air. Bankotsu caught it in one hand, whistling appreciatively. Another important rule of leadership: never let a challenge to your authority go unchastised.

“That’s a good boy, Renkotsu,” he sneered. “You’re smart after all. Just don’t think there will be a second chance.”

“Understood,” Renkotsu muttered, and Bankotsu knew he had gotten his point across. They were all on notice now, not just Renkotsu. If anyone disobeyed him again, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them. And crucially, he was about to regain whatever respect he’d lost in the battle against Inuyasha. Eyes glowing with excitement, he crushed the glass bottle in his hand and thrust the shards into an especially large crack in Banryuu’s surface. The transformation was instantaneous; Banryuu practically roared with renewed vigor, as every chip and crack magically healed. Bankotsu rejoiced; his brother was whole again, and more powerful than ever. And it could still become stronger.

“You three,” he told his subordinates, “go find and eliminate that pesky wolf-youkai, Kouga. Take the shards from his legs and bring them to me.”

No one said a word as they departed, and Bankotsu was satisfied that the three of them had been properly subdued. They would bring him Kouga’s shards like the well-trained dogs they were. Even without the two additional fragments, Inuyasha was as good as dead. Yes, we will kill all of Naraku’s enemies for him. And if he decides to betray us to get his shards back, then perhaps I’ll have a little something to say about it. Speaking of Naraku, the child minions were still here.

“Bankotsu-sama, take this.”

“Hm?” He turned to see Kohaku holding out a golden rod, rounded in the middle and topped at either end with what looked almost like large spear points.

“It will prove useful against Inuyasha,” the boy responded to his unanswered question. Shrugging, Bankotsu took the strange object and placed it in his robes. Anything that might help him defeat that damn hanyou was welcome. But right now he was more concerned about something else.

“So where’s Jakotsu?” he asked.

“Jakotsu-sama is not far from here,” Kohaku replied. “He was wounded by Sesshoumaru.”

“Show me,” Bankotsu ordered, concealing his concern behind a mask of neutrality. The boy did so, leading the head mercenary on a trek which only took ten minutes but felt much longer to Bankotsu. He found Jakotsu in a sorry state, lying propped up against some rocks with his clothing cut to shreds and a gaping wound in his side. A large chunk of his torso was literally gone, the frayed edges fluttering in the breeze. Bankotsu immediately knew that this was a wound which would not heal. At least not on its own.

“Oo-aniki,” Jakotsu greeted weakly, gazing at him adoringly. Like a man looking up at a brother from his deathbed.

“Leave us, Kohaku,” Bankotsu snapped. The boy did not need to be told twice. No longer hiding his emotions, Bankotsu knelt by his friend’s side and drew one of the jewel shards from Banryuu’s blade. It was probably just his imagination, but even the sword seemed to agree with his decision. Then he placed the shard to Jakotsu’s wound and watched as the flesh gradually regenerated, until only unblemished skin remained.

Jakotsu sat up and ran his hands over his new flesh, stretching and twisting as if he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Then he raised his head to regard Bankotsu with amazement and gratitude shining in his eyes.

“Oo-aniki…why?”

Bankotsu shrugged, figuring that Jakotsu should know the answer by now. Yes, the shard would have made Banryuu that much stronger. Yes, he could have put it to better use than Jakotsu could. Yes, giving it to Jakotsu as opposed to keeping it himself lessened the Shichinintai’s chances of surviving against their enemies, Naraku included. No, he didn’t give a shit.

“Making Banryuu a little weaker is a small price to pay for your life,” he told his friend. “You’re the only one I can trust, Jakotsu.”

Jakotsu appeared ready to either hug him or start crying. Fortunately he did neither, though he did continue to look deliriously happy.

“So what happened?” Bankotsu asked him, changing the subject.

Jakotsu sighed. “I wasn’t careful enough. I only escaped because of the barrier. He was so freakin’ fast! I’ve never seen anyone dodge Jakotsutou so easily. Eh, but he was kind of a snob. Handsome enough, but definitely not my type.”

Bankotsu smiled and shook his head. If Jakotsu was feeling well enough to start expounding on his tastes in men, then he was going to be fine.

“So what do you want me to do now?”

Bankotsu stared at his companion. It was an honest question, with no hint of a negative attitude. He would go right back and fight Sesshoumaru again if I asked him to. Out of his six subordinates, only Jakotsu showed him such loyalty. But he was truly fortunate to have even one such friend.

“Rest for a bit, or train with Jakotsutou,” he said. “I sent the others to hunt down the wolf-youkai, and I’m going after Inuyasha again.” Bankotsu glanced over and was not surprised to find his companion pouting. “Oi, you had two shots at him. It’s only fair that I get two chances, ne?”

Even Jakotsu couldn’t deny that logic, though he obviously didn’t like it.

“How about this,” Bankotsu proposed, seeking to lighten his friend’s mood. “If Inuyasha manages to beat me again, I’ll give you the extra jewel shards and you can have another go at him.”

Jakotsu brightened immediately. “You really mean it?”

“Yeah, and after Inuyasha’s dead, the two of us will go deal with that stuck-up bastard you didn’t like. You and me, Jakotsu. Just the two of us. Like the old days, okay?”

Jakotsu sighed wistfully. “Those were good days.”

Bankotsu nodded, his grin fading with determination. He did not desire the deaths of the other members of the Shichinintai, but he was a realist. He and Jakotsu were by far the strongest of the seven, and given the skill of their opponents, it could very well end up that only the two of them survived. But no matter what he had to do, or whom he had to sacrifice, he would make sure Jakotsu made it out of this alive.

True loyalty went both ways.

* * *

Inuyasha skidded to a halt, halting his backward momentum and charging forward again. Bankotsu met his attack with Banryuu, still wearing the same cocky smirk he’d sported since emerging from the barrier a few minutes ago. The mercenary had apparently come alone, for which Inuyasha was glad since it allowed his friends to observe from the sidelines. He didn’t want Sango to have to fight again until her hand was fully healed, especially in a lengthy battle. And this engagement was going to take some time. Bankotsu’s body was as strong and quick as before, and his sword now possessed the endurance to challenge Tetsusaiga, courtesy of the jewel shards Renkotsu had blackmailed from them. One thing Inuyasha was learning about the Shichinintai–they were a slippery bunch, and if you didn’t get them the first time, they came back more dangerous.

With his opponent’s previous advantages neutralized, Bankotsu’s superior swordsmanship was starting to tell. Inuyasha was forced to leap to avoid an overhand strike from Banryuu, but in the blink of an eye Bankotsu reversed his grip and swung laterally. Inuyasha blocked with Tetsusaiga, but his arms shook with the force of the blow and he was knocked backward again. Instead of charging in, however, the hanyou paused. He had been waiting for an opportune moment in order to use this technique, and it looked like it was time. Thus far, only Ginkotsu and Renkotsu had seen his Kaze no Kizu, and that one hadn’t been anywhere near full strength. Bankotsu wouldn’t know what hit him. The bastard was still grinning arrogantly, but wouldn’t be for much longer.

As the waves of Tetsusaiga’s youki closed rapidly on his position, Bankotsu leapt into the air, twirling Banryuu over his head with blinding speed. Then, just at the moment of impact, he smashed the Kaze no Kizu away with a dazzling series of lightning strikes. Inuyasha could only stare dumbfounded for a moment, a lapse in concentration which nearly cost him his life. As it was, he just barely managed to catch the incoming Banryuu on his blade. Bankotsu leaned in close, eyes alive with mirth.

“What’re you so surprised for, half-breed? Did you think a weak attack like that would be enough to defeat me?”

Inuyasha snarled and exerted more force, seeking to push his enemy off balance. Bankotsu reciprocated, and the two of them remained locked together in a deadly contest of strength. But this was a combat style which Inuyasha embraced. Pure power on power; no fancy swordsmanship or cheap tricks. Or so he thought.

A golden blur shot out from Bankotsu’s robes and impacted Tetsusaiga with a loud clang. The sword howled in pain, then transformed into its rustic state. Fortunately, Bankotsu appeared just as shocked by this turn of events as Inuyasha, which allowed the hanyou to scramble back and put some distance between himself and his opponent.

“What the fuck just happened?!” he demanded, to no one in particular.

“Inuyasha!” Miroku called. “That is a dokko, a holy object used by monks. It must belong to whoever erected the barrier!”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Bankotsu observed conversationally. “Kohaku said it would prove useful against you, Inuyasha. Now I see why.” He smirked, digging his heels into the ground in preparation for an attack.

“Bastard,” Inuyasha snapped, wielding only the now dormant Tetsusaiga as protection. “Using a dirty trick like that.”

“Fool!” Bankotsu cried as he charged, Banryuu poised for the killing blow. “There are no dirty tricks in a fight to the death!”

Inuyasha was still mentally debating whether to dodge or attempt to block Banryuu with his rusty katana when a pink light soared in from the side. It might have struck Bankotsu around the neck area, were it not for his right arm swinging his sword forward and inadvertently intercepting it. A fortuitous coincidence for him, but still the purifying arrow proved devastating to the affected area. Nothing remained of Bankotsu’s forearm except the two major bones, and the mercenary turned a hateful glare toward the one who had wounded him so.
“You bitch,” he snarled.

“Coward!” Kagome shouted back defiantly, even as she readied another arrow.

Inuyasha sent a mental ‘thank you’ her way and prepared to resume the battle. With Bankotsu’s injury, he wouldn’t be able to swing Banryuu with his full strength. Even the rusty Tetsusaiga could probably handle the pressure now, and Inuyasha didn’t need his sword to destroy the mercenary’s body. His claws would suffice for that. The mysterious holy person had turned the tables on him, but Kagome had turned them right back. Now Bankotsu was going to die.

Evidently, whoever was pulling the strings realized this as well. The dokko flew towards Bankotsu, enveloping the surprised mercenary in white light which caused his body to grow more transparent by the second. Inuyasha sprinted forward, seeking to catch his enemy before he disappeared, but was painfully repulsed by a barrier. He landed in a crouch, and could only watch helplessly as Bankotsu and the dokko vanished without a trace.

“Dammit!” he swore, punching the ground in frustration. He was getting really tired of these bastards slipping through his fingers. But at least the enemy had come out of this battle the worse for wear; neither Inuyasha nor any of his friends had received any significant injuries.

“Are you okay, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked as she knelt by his side. The answer was obvious, but he didn’t berate her for posing the unnecessary question. She almost always asked if he was all right after a battle, didn’t she? For a long time after they met, he hadn’t appreciated her constant concern for his well-being. But he did now.

“I’m fine. Thanks, Kagome,” he replied quietly so only she would hear. If she asked, he would say his expression of gratitude was for the arrow she’d fired, but he was thankful for much more than that. He wasn’t looking at her, but he could sense her smile, so perhaps she understood.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Miroku observed from behind them. Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and rose to his feet. Kagome did likewise, and both rejoined the group.

“It could have gone worse, Houshi-sama,” Sango admonished.

“Yes, but it could have gone better as well. Ah, whoever is aiding the Shichinintai almost makes me ashamed to call myself a monk.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Your lecherous behavior should’ve already done that,” he commented, and both women nodded in agreement. Miroku pretended not to hear them.

“At any rate, we now know a little more about this holy man. He had a very powerful dokko…”

Inuyasha’s head abruptly snapped to the side, his back straightening. His sensitive ears had picked up something, and he strained to see if he could hear it again. Unfortunately, his friends’ conversation was making this difficult.

“Shut up, all of you!” he snapped harshly, and there probably would have been quite a nasty backlash for his rudeness if his companions hadn’t realized what he was doing. They went silent, no one even breathing for several seconds. Then he heard it, an incredibly faint sound, but alarming and unnatural.

“Do you hear it?” he asked Kirara and Shippou, but they only looked at each other in confusion. Well, I guess we know which of us has the best ears.

“What is it, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked.

“Explosions.”

Nothing else needed to be said; within moments, they were off. The likely culprit was Ginkotsu, and aside from their obvious objective of killing him, his chosen victim was probably someone they would want to save. Obviously, the Inu-gang would assist random villagers, and Inuyasha was obligated to protect Kikyou. The hanyou wouldn’t want to rescue Kouga as much as he desired to keep the wolf’s jewel shards from falling into enemy hands. He would even try to help Sesshoumaru, if only so the little girl who tagged along with him wouldn’t perish as well.

So he didn’t mind sprinting from one battlefield to another with Kagome on his back. He was grateful for a second opportunity to finish off a member of the Shichinintai today. This time he wouldn’t let the chance slip through his grasp.

* * *

Kouga swore under his breath and changed direction in a heartbeat, narrowly avoiding yet another shell from the monstrous freak with the giant cannon on his back. All three of these bastards were walking corpses animated by the Shikon no Tama, which meant they were working for Naraku. The battlefield near where he’d found Kagome’s bag had reeked of this foul stench, as had the hut where her scent and that of the other woman had been so strong. Tracking Kagome down had been difficult, and he’d agonized over whether she was alive the entire time. Only to find that she was indeed all right, and still very much with Inuyasha. Somehow, when fearing for her survival, he’d forgotten that she was promised to another. It had not been a pleasant realization.

But that was in the past. If he didn’t focus on the present, he was going to die. The situation was not good. It was one versus three, and the first shell fired from inside the barrier had damaged his legs. So he couldn’t move at full speed, which relegated him to mostly dodging the enemy’s attacks. The one time he’d rushed the metal monster, he’d gotten a faceful of fire from the bald guy riding him. And then there was that big guy with the huge claws roaming about. If Kouga wasn’t careful, he would accidentally run into that creep and get sliced to pieces. If he had any faith in his pack mates, he might call for help. But alas, his allies were a bunch of weaklings who wouldn’t last five seconds in a fight like this. If they actually had the balls to enter the battle in the first place.

Nearby, o’er yonder rise, two frightened ookami knelt, quivering in fear.

“Ginta…it looks like Kouga could use some help.”

“Yes,” Ginta replied nervously, “it certainly does.”

Both males glanced behind them at the same time, but the pack wolves had already fled. Their eyes met, each seeing how badly the other wanted to do the same. But they could not. As loyal ookami, it was their solemn duty to support their pack leader.

*Gulp*

Why couldn’t Kouga have been under attack from a trio of sex-crazed she-youkai? Then the two of them might be of some use. But against these unnaturally powerful professional soldiers…

“Ginta?”

“ Y-yes?”

“Please promise not to make fun of me if I accidentally soil myself.”

“I may have soiled myself already, Hakkaku.”

They stood, nodded to each other once, and clasped hands.

“It’s been an honor, brother.”

“The honor is mine, brother.”

Drawing courage from each other, they firmed their countenances and strode confidently onto the battlefield. It was time to kick some ass.

…

…

“Are we really doing this, Ginta?”

“I don’t know! Should we?”

“Maybe…maybe Kouga would be better off if we stayed hidden?”

“Y-yes! We don’t want to distract him, do we?”

“Oh, definitely not! Let’s go hide again.”

“Good idea!”

They spun around to return to hiding and froze at the sound of a voice which sent shivers of terror streaking down their spines.

“Well, well, a couple wolflings came out to play, eh?”

Ginta and Hakkaku slowly turned to see the man with the massive metal claws gazing at them like a couple pieces of meat for dicing.

“You two look about ready to piss yourselves,” he observed. “You gonna fight me or cry and run away?”

Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other, once again waging an internal debate between two undesirable options: the easy way out, or death. A glorious death which might buy their leader enough time to win victory. Surely, Kouga would remember their sacrifice. If they ran, however, they would have to live with it for the rest of their days. It was enough to bolster their courage, just barely. They stood their ground, but weren’t about to rush to their doom. It was time for some good old fashioned stalling. And a pep-talk wouldn’t hurt either.

“W-w-we haven’t pissed ourselves yet!”

“Y-yeah! My loincloth is dry…and clean!”

Suikotsu grimaced, obviously afflicted with the feudal era equivalent of severe TMI. It did not help that both ookami had literally checked themselves to make sure they really were ‘dry and clean.’ But Ginta and Hakkaku weren’t done, not by a long shot.

“You don’t s-scare us, human!”

“Yeah, with your beady little crazy eyes.”

“And those freaky markings on your face.”

“And your spiky lunatic hair.”

“And your fancy armour.”

“And your big claws…”

“Holy crap, Ginta,” Hakkaku whispered. “All of that really is scary!”

“I know. I may soil myself for real this time.”

“Enough!” Suikotsu bellowed, causing both ookami to cower in fear. “You idiots have run your mouths for the last–what the…”

“We’re saved!” Ginta and Hakkaku cried as a familiar figure landed in front of them. They simultaneously burst into tears, hugged each other tightly and collapsed onto the ground. Sango rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Suikotsu, who did not seem disappointed by the interruption.

“Yo, taijiya. I’m glad it’s you. You’re more of a man than about fifty of those guys.”

Sango’s only reply was to draw her katana.

On a different part of the battlefield, and perhaps a few seconds earlier, Kouga found himself in dire straits. His injured left leg had given out at a very inopportune moment, just as the cannon was about to fire. Now the barrel was pointed straight at him, and he knew he would be unable to rise again before the shell converted him to a smoldering crater and a bit of singed fur. Oddly, he didn’t lament his death as much as he thought he would. Perhaps it was a blessing to be killed before fully moving on from Kagome. The termination of his existence was easier to take that way.

But the Kami, or rather a certain hanyou, had other plans. Kouga suddenly found himself grabbed by the back of his armour and yanked to the side, borne away from the blast zone by powerful strides. All at once two scents assaulted his nose, one very pleasant and the other positively rotten. Kouga didn’t know whether to be grateful to his saviors or mortified.

Inuyasha didn’t give him time to think about it either. He was downright pissed; he’d had to take Kagome and his unborn child into danger to save Kouga’s sorry behind. There hadn’t been time to put her down; the only alternative had been watching the wolf get blown to smithereens. And for Kagome’s sake, he couldn’t let that happen. But he felt fully justified in blaming the wolf, and he didn’t hesitate to let him know it.

“You dumbass, Kouga! Can you ever fight a battle without almost getting yourself killed? Kirara!” he hollered, seeking the fire-cat’s attention. She flew over from dropping Sango off with Kouga’s useless lackeys and landed without prompting.

“Now get on Kirara and stay there,” he told Kouga and Kagome, turning to eye the enemy warily from across the battlefield. “Don’t come down under any circumstances. I don’t really care if you get your stupid ass killed, wolf, but then Kagome will try to save you. And if she gets hurt because of you, I’ll skin you alive.”

Inuyasha waited until both of them were safely in the air, along with Miroku and Shippou, before darting over to confront Ginkotsu and Renkotsu. He fingered Tetsusaiga’s hilt, but the sword was still recovering from its earlier purification. It might transform, but he doubted that any of its higher abilities would be available. So instead he left it sheathed, resolving to rely on his speed and claws instead.

“Picking on weaklings now?” he taunted. “You bastards have sunk even lower since we last fought.”

“Gesh-sh-sh, Inuyasha, you won’t escape this time.”

Inuyasha dodged the incoming shells and charged in, appearing to human eyes as little more than a crimson blur. Ginkotsu and Renkotsu had grown used to fighting a wounded wolf, and had not adjusted to the speed of their new target. As he raised his claws, it occurred to Inuyasha that this was the first time either of them had faced him at full strength. It would also be the last.

He decided to go for Renkotsu first, both because his jewel shard was easier to get to and because he seemed to be the ‘brains’ of the operation. He might’ve even been controlling the gun; it was hard to tell due to Inuyasha’s inexperience with machinery. In any case, he sent his claws straight for Renkotsu’s neck, the sharp points trailing fierce youki as they carved through the air. The fire-user ducked to the side at the last moment and caught the attack on his left shoulder. His eyes went wide with the pain, though the wound did not spurt blood as it would for a living human. But then, this wound was mortal for a living human, so Renkotsu was fortunate to be already dead. Not that Inuyasha intended to grant him any more time on this Earth regardless.

But Renkotsu reacted before the hanyou could follow up. A burst of fire from the mercenary’s mouth blew Inuyasha back, but he remained cognizant enough of his secondary objective to carry it out. As he soared past the twin barrels of the gun, he lashed out with his Sankon Tetsusou. The golden blades of youki sliced through the barrels at odd angles, leaving what remained of the metal cylinders scarred and twisted. Inuyasha landed a fair distance away, smirking as he shook off the last of Renkotsu’s flames. Heh, let them try to fire that gun again. Odds are it’ll blow up in their faces.

His opponents obviously recognized this. Ginkotsu underwent some sort of mini-transformation, as what looked like a dozen or so smaller projectile weapons emerged from hidden compartments in his body. The hanyou was already on the move when the barrage began, and because he had put some additional distance between them, he found it relatively easy to dodge the array of shells and missiles sent his way. Finally he stopped, and stood facing Ginkotsu from approximately seventy-five meters away. The metal monster must surely be out of tricks now.

“Gesh-sh-sh, I will not let Renkotsu die!”

There seemed to be a brief communication between the two of them, before Renkotsu nodded and leapt off. Then Ginkotsu surged forward, his front claws tearing up the ground as he lumbered forth. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles in anticipation. If Ginkotsu wanted to sacrifice himself to buy Renkotsu time to escape, that was fine with him. The fire-user was a weakling, and could be dealt with at any time. But Ginkotsu was a formidable enemy he would make sure to finish off when he had the chance. He would tear him apart piece by piece.

Fortunately for Inuyasha, someone else interpreted this turn of events differently. For although Inuyasha’s view of Renkotsu was obscured by the approaching bulk of his comrade, Kouga’s was perfectly clear. And what he saw filled him with dread; instead of sprinting for the barrier, Renkotsu knelt on the ground and covered his head, as if he was expecting an imminent catastrophe.

Kouga acted without hesitation, vaulting down from Kirara and activating his whirlwind even before his feet touched the ground. He crossed the distance in a matter of seconds, drawing on every ounce of strength in his legs, no matter how much pain resulted. And as Inuyasha unknowingly charged to his death, the wolf prince plotted an intercept course and pulled him away even as the world went white.

The shock wave knocked him off his feet, sent him tumbling to the dirt until finally his momentum dissipated and he lay sprawled on his stomach in an awkward heap. He groaned, taking an inventory of his condition and not liking what he sensed. The exertion and subsequent explosion had torn his legs up worse than before. Even with youkai healing ability, he would be lucky if he could walk again before sundown. There was, however, a nice upside to all of this.

“Kouga-kun! Are you okay?”

Her scent soothed away some of his pain. Warm hands gently rolled him over onto his back, so he could gaze up into her beautiful, tear-filled eyes. This was new, having someone cry over him, and he decided that he could get used to it. He could almost forget that she was promised to another. But she considered him a friend, and cared enough about him to shed tears on his behalf. That would have to be enough. Absently, he wondered why he hadn’t simply let Inuyasha die. That would have solved his little ‘other male’ problem and allowed him to potentially move in on Kagome later, after she’d had a chance to grieve. So why hadn’t he chosen that course? The answer was right in front of him, he reflected. She was his friend. In that moment, he had been driven by the desire to see her happy, no matter who she chose to be with. He didn’t know when the change had occurred, but Kagome wasn’t just a potential mate to him anymore. She was a true friend.

“I’m fine, Kagome,” he told her. It was a lie, but he didn’t want her to worry. Too bad she saw right through him.

“No, you’re–I’ll bandage your legs, okay?” she promised. “I’ll stay with you until you’re better.”

Kouga nodded gratefully. Kagome wasn’t his woman, but he wasn’t about to turn that offer down. If nothing else, it would annoy Inuyasha, which was always a good thing as far as he was concerned.

“Thank you, Kouga-kun,” she said seriously, her lower lip trembling. “You truly are a great friend.”

“Bah, dry your tears. I saved his sorry ass so I wouldn’t have to see you cry.”

She sniffled and managed a watery smile. “I’ll try. Are you thirsty? Is there anything else I can do for you?”

The question was innocent, but could be taken as anything but by someone so inclined. Again, the opportunity to piss Inuyasha off was too good to pass up.

“A kiss might make me feel better,” he replied with a wink that the hanyou didn’t see. True to form, Inuyasha started blustering in the background. For her part, Kagome seemed relieved to see his sense of humor and actually did lean in and kiss him–on the forehead. Still, the display was enough to cause the veins to start popping on Inuyasha’s brow.

“O-oi, wench!”

“Shut up, Inu-kurro,” Kouga told him, all of the playfulness in his tone suddenly gone. The hanyou had yelled at him before for being too reckless, and Kouga could admit that given his wounds he probably should have retreated. Yeah, ‘cause Inuyasha wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing. But that was beside the point, or at least it had been until the hanyou had nearly thrown his own life away. The simple fact was that Inuyasha had much more to lose than Kouga did.

“You’re going to be a father, you idiot!” the wolf prince snapped. “Don’t be so damn reckless all the time!”

Inuyasha seemed taken aback, but quickly recovered his form. “Is that really why you did it?” he demanded petulantly.

“Hmph. Maybe I just didn’t feel like owing you a debt. Now we’re even.”

“I figured as much. Then I won’t thank you.”

“You could thank me.”

“I won’t!”

“Inu-kurro!”

“Smell y wolf!”

Kagome covered her face with her hands, but her smile never wavered. Somehow my tears have already dried up.

“That battle was less anticlimactic,” Miroku observed as Sango rejoined the group. The taijiya only grunted a reply, and seemed generally distracted. “Is something wrong, Sango?”

“Suikotsu…near the end of the battle, I think he realized that there was something wrong with my hand.”

“Ah, I see,” Miroku replied. As a warrior, Sango would naturally hate for enemies to be made aware of her vulnerabilities. Her short battle with Suikotsu today had ended in much the same manner as the previous one, with the mercenary retreating into the barrier when things went south for his comrades. Sango had come out of the exchange no worse for wear, at least physically. But evidently, Suikotsu had seen something in her fighting style. If they met him again, she would have to be extra careful.

“Don’t worry, Sango, I’m sure your hand will continue to grow stronger,” he stated, originally seeking only to reassure. But then a lecherous thought occurred, which he converted into a very pleasant idea.

“You know what always used to help my hand maintain a strong grip?” he asked, just a hint of suggestiveness in his tone.

Sango sighed, feigning exasperation as she held out her hand. But though she would blush and pretend this wasn’t something she wanted, she could not banish the contentment from her eyes. So he took her hand and held it, occasionally running his fingers lightly over her palm in that special way which never failed to draw color to her cheeks, as she bit her lower lip prettily. It was a reaction he had never gotten from caressing her backside, and he delighted in it. Absently he wondered what else he had been missing due to his lecherous habits.

He didn’t know, but it would be fun finding out.


A/N – I enjoyed myself writing this chapter. Ginta and Hakkaku are such lovable little scamps. Sorry if they seemed a tad on the ridiculous side, but we don’t really get to know them in canon, so I’m citing ‘artistic license’ here.

With regards to Bankotsu’s joke early in the chapter, here are some links which provide information on the Yuki-onna, a figure in Japanese folklore. It’s funny to me that the Yuki-onna in the video really does look like she could be Kanna’s mom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuki-onna
https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=3ReEbY5J2HM

I also wanted to say a few words about Kagome’s characterization, as some reviews have said that she is too weak. I don’t mind criticism and I don’t consider any review I’ve received so far a flame, but I thought I should explain why her character is the way it is. I base it on the anime/manga. In canon, she forgives Inuyasha for everything. She never makes him choose, and essentially enables him to two-time her. Also, in this story, she is still only fifteen years old. This isn’t late-canon, ‘has grown a backbone’ Kagome. This is early canon, ‘not quite sure of herself’ Kagome. Yes, she’s become pregnant, but she still has a lot of growing up to do.

Ultimately, I try to portray Kagome as what she is: a fifteen-year-old girl, trying to muddle her way through her first experience with love. She’s afraid to push too hard and drive Inuyasha away, as any teenager in love would be. An older woman with romantic experience might force him to commit fully or leave him, but that’s not Kagome. And remember that Inuyasha has made a commitment to her. Not the one she wanted, but still better than what they had before. So she has reason for optimism. Youthful hopefulness is winning out over wisdom right now, as one would expect from a teenager.

Again, I don’t want to discourage criticism. I just want to explain why Kagome’s characterization is the way it is. I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and I know this is how I want to portray her.