InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blackout ❯ To the Death ( Chapter 20 )

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.


To the Death


Inuyasha growled in frustration. He was making his way deeper into the interior of the mountain, where Naraku’s scent seemed to be the strongest. But the system of caverns and passages was like a maze, and the dark hanyou’s noxious odor permeated the stale air. It was difficult to choose the path which would lead to Naraku rather than a dead end. So his progress was slow, which grated on his nerves. He drew to a halt and inhaled deeply through his nose, once again searching for that elusive olfactory clue which would guide him to his destination. Instead, he caught a scent which was becoming far too familiar–corpse and graveyard soil. And it seemed to be coming from multiple directions. Grimacing, he drew Tetsusaiga.

“Smelled us, did you?” came a voice from just up ahead, a voice which Inuyasha had thought to never hear again.

“You bastard,” he swore as Jakotsu strolled casually into view. “How the hell are you still alive?”

“That would be my doing.”

Inuyasha whirled around at the new voice, in time to see Bankotsu emerging from the darkness in the opposite direction. Instantly Inuyasha realized what had happened. Since he hadn’t finished Jakotsu off–a mistake which he cursed himself for now–Bankotsu had found him and revived him, probably with more shards of the Shikon no Tama. This was bad. While Bankotsu was a better fighter than his subordinate, Jakotsu’s long sword had given Inuyasha fits in the past. It would probably have been easier if Jakotsu was dead and Bankotsu had all the shards, even if it meant the latter was stronger. And that wasn’t even considering the fact that this would be a two vs. one fight, rather than single combat.

As it was, Inuyasha knew that he couldn’t fight both of them at the same time. And if he stood here and allowed Bankotsu to charge, that was exactly what would happen. The Shichinintai leader hadn’t shown himself capable of anything resembling a ranged attack to this point, so he would have to get in close. Normally Inuyasha would relish that kind of battle, but not with an enemy possessing ranged capabilities at his back. Yes, Jakotsu would have to be careful not to accidentally strike his comrade, but he could still be effective. And if Inuyasha had to fight Bankotsu with less than his full focus, he probably wouldn’t last long.

So he quickly made a decision and executed it. In a flash, he spun on the balls of his feet and launched himself toward Jakotsu. He hoped to catch the mercenary off guard, close the distance and kill him before Bankotsu could come to his aid. But his opponent was ready for this. Jakotsutou lanced out, faster than ever before, and Inuyasha was barely able to raise Tetsusaiga in time to block it. A tremendous clang rang out, and the hanyou was driven back, his feet skidding along the ground. He was actually fortunate to have maintained his footing; the unexpected force of the blow had nearly knocked him on his back, which would likely have spelled the end of him. Jakotsu’s strength had not merely increased; it had at least doubled!

The mercenary smirked as he recalled his sword, but Inuyasha had little time to worry about that or his newfound power. Bankotsu was upon him. The overhand strike the Shichinintai leader sent at him buckled his knees when he caught it on Tetsusaiga’s blade. Next Bankotsu swung Banryuu from the side like a giant sledgehammer, driving Tetsusaiga into Inuyasha’s body and sending him flying back to smash against the cavern wall. The hanyou stumbled, but managed to land on his feet. He kept his guard up, growling quietly as he eyed his enemy.

How was this possible? Bankotsu’s strength had nearly doubled since their last meeting as well. Inuyasha wasn’t a math wizard by any means, but he could perform simple arithmetic. Jakotsu had possessed only two shards a short time ago, so now he must have four or five, plus at least one to repair Jakotsutou. Bankotsu had possessed three shards in his neck and a few in Banryuu, so he must now have at least five or six in his body. Even assuming that the other five members of the Shichinintai were dead, and considering Kagome’s stolen shards, the figures didn’t add up. Where had they found extra Shikon fragments? He seriously doubted that Naraku would have given them any more.

“What’s the matter, Inuyasha?” Bankotsu asked in a mocking tone. “You seem confused. Perhaps wondering how we’ve grown so powerful?”

Something in that tone of voice, that knowing smirk, caused dread to settled in the pit of Inuyasha’s stomach. Kouga was the only other person he knew with jewel shards. And if the wolf was dead or wounded…

“What did you do to Kagome?!” he demanded, tightening his grip on Tetsusaiga as a sudden flash of youki surged through his body, hot and alluring.

Bankotsu chuckled. “Worried about that girl? Come take a few sniffs of my blade. Maybe you’ll smell her blood on it.”

Snarling, Inuyasha charged and swung Tetsusaiga with all of his might. But not even his fear-fueled rage could compete with the power of the Shikon no Tama, and after a few exchanged blows he was knocked back in much the same manner as before. As he experimentally arched his sore back and rolled his shoulders, he tried to get his temper under control. It was two vs. one, and a show of brute strength was clearly not going to win the day. Simply put, he couldn’t overpower his enemies. And if he tried, he would wind up getting killed or wounded enough to draw out his youkai side. That had worked to his advantage before, but there was a dramatic difference between Ginkotsu and his current opponents. If he transformed here, Bankotsu and Jakotsu would slice him to pieces.

So Inuyasha resolved to use his brain, something which he could admit was not always his strong suit. It actually helped that Bankotsu had not given him a straight answer about Kagome, perhaps concerned that he would be able to smell a lie. Kagome was clumsy at times, but she was also smart and resourceful. And until the Shichinintai proved to him that she was dead, he would assume that she had managed to survive. He would have faith in her, and in those charged with protecting her. The wolf was clearly useless, but Shippou and Kirara had proven themselves in the past.

Now that he was thinking clearly, Inuyasha remembered something which hadn’t seemed important at the time, but which he now realized might be crucial. When he had charged at Jakotsu, he had caught just a glimpse of another tunnel, leading off to the right. It was probably about halfway between him and the mercenary now, so getting there was not going to be easy. But if he could, then he could at least force both of his opponents to attack him from the same direction. He needed to even these long odds a bit, and that seemed like a good way to do it. But he knew better than to make a mad dash for his objective; this would require a diversion, and some cunning.

The diversion was accomplished easily enough, with a quick Kaze no Kizu directed at Bankotsu. The Shichinintai leader smashed apart the attack as expected and leapt through the resulting dust cloud to counter, but by then Inuyasha was already gone. He wanted his enemies to think this move was merely a delaying tactic, and that his main target was Jakotsu once again. It appeared that both of them did believe this; he could hear Bankotsu sprinting after him, and Jakotsutou was already moving to strike him at long range. Heh, they probably don’t think I’m smart enough to come up with a good strategy. He would prove them wrong.

Jakotsu’s blade assaulted him again, but this time he was ready for the rapidity of the strike and managed to deflect it with Tetsusaiga. The snake-like sword would definitely become more difficult to handle as he drew closer to its origination, but fortunately he had only a limited objective in mind. In furtherance of which, he launched a Kaze no Kizu at Jakotsu as well. It wasn’t a full-strength effort because he was on the run, but it didn’t have to be. The mercenary used his sword to smash the incoming blades of youki away with massive, sweeping swings. It was definitely overkill; with his current level of strength, Jakotsu didn’t need such an effort to defeat the attack. But on the other hand, the fresh memory of his body being torn apart by the Kaze no Kizu must have driven him to be extra careful. Inuyasha had counted on it. He veered right and made a beeline for the other tunnel, putting on an extra burst of speed.

Jakotsu’s eyes widened as he finally realized what his prey was up to. The serpentine blade lanced out again, and Inuyasha did his best to deflect it without breaking stride. The scent of his own blood filled the air, but he kept going. Only a few more steps now…but Jakotsutou was approaching again… Inuyasha dove for the opening. Another slice appeared in his back, but his fire-rat limited the damage. He rolled over a few times, then hopped to his feet and turned with Tetsusaiga raised, breathing heavily but feeling quite exhilarated. He had succeeded! While suffering only a couple flesh wounds, he had executed an intelligent plan and potentially turned the tide of this battle. Bankotsu stood outside the tunnel entrance now, regarding him stonily but with a certain degree of respect. Inuyasha reigned in his newfound confidence and retreated further into the tunnel. This was still going to be a hard fight, even one vs. one.

“What do we do now?” he heard Jakotsu ask as the latter approached the scene.

“This tunnel isn’t a dead end,” Bankotsu replied. “Head down that way and turn right, then circle back around. You’ll see the other end.”

“Are you sure? You know he’ll probably attack you.”

“Either of us could take him blindfolded, Jakotsu. We’ll put a hound at both ends of his rabbit hole, and let the little coward decide which one he wants to face.”

Inuyasha didn’t appreciate being compared to a cowering rodent, but he bit his tongue. Bankotsu could have simply ordered Jakotsu to stand back and support him if needed, but the Shichinintai leader arrogantly believed he was in no danger. He was probably also concerned that Inuyasha might run away, so by sending Jakotsu to cut off his retreat, he reduced that possibility. In reality, the thought of fleeing was far from the hanyou’s mind. Yes, finding Naraku was his most important goal. But these two were dangerous. If he ran away, and one of his friends later died by their hands, he would never forgive himself. Now that this was more or less a fair one vs. one fight, there was no reason for him to shrink from combat. Grinning, he cracked his knuckles and waited, listening intently as Jakotsu’s footsteps faded in the distance.

“You coming out, little rabbit?” Bankotsu sneered. “Or do I have to come in and get you?”

Inuyasha let his actions provide his answer. He literally came out swinging, the momentum of Tetsusaiga’s first two strikes actually driving Bankotsu back a short distance. But then the mercenary recovered his balance and swatted him away with Banryuu like an annoying insect. And as the cavern wall stopped his ungraceful flight for the third time that afternoon, Inuyasha knew he had to come up with a new strategy. Dammit! I can’t match him sword-to-sword. He has too many jewel shards. I gotta figure out a way to remove some of them…

“Still thinking hard, Inuyasha?” Bankotsu taunted. “You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out how to beat me, but it won’t–what?” He broke off as Inuyasha leapt, holding Tetsusaiga menacingly over his head.

“Fool!” the mercenary cried, swinging Banryuu with all of his might. But Inuyasha had no intention of meeting that strike. In the best case, he would wind up making friends with the cavern wall again. Instead, he sheathed Tetsusaiga at the last possible moment, ducking the blade which whizzed past his head and slicing his claws deep into his enemy’s right forearm. Bankotsu stumbled back, clutching his arm as the fallen Banryuu embedded itself uselessly in the earth several meters away. Both combatants observed the two tiny jewel shards which clattered to the ground at Inuyasha’s feet. He was glad his hypothesis had been correct; Kagome had practically destroyed that forearm with her arrow, so logically at least one jewel shard must have been placed there to heal it. Bankotsu glared hatefully at him as the hanyou drew his sword again.

“What’s the matter, Inuyasha?” Bankotsu mocked, though this time his words lacked any real bite. “Too scared to fight me fairly?”

“What happened to there being ‘no dirty tricks’ in a fight to the death?” Inuyasha retorted. Not that he accepted the notion that killing Bankotsu with Tetsusaiga now was a ‘dirty trick’; he had disarmed the mercenary fairly enough, after all. He didn’t even bother to point out that fighting two vs. one wasn’t very fair either. Arrogant bastards like Bankotsu believed they were right, no matter what they did. There would be no convincing him otherwise, but then Inuyasha didn’t require an admission of wrongdoing from his adversary, only his death.

Bankotsu darted in the opposite direction just before Inuyasha released the Kaze no Kizu with a great cry. For a moment it appeared that the mercenary would be sliced to ribbons in front of the cavern wall, but he used his momentum and inhuman agility to run up the vertical rock. As the waves of Tetsusaiga’s youki decimated everything beneath him, Bankotsu somersaulted over the carnage and landed a few meters from the shocked hanyou. Stunned as he was by the acrobatics, Inuyasha could not manage an effective defense. Bankotsu’s first punch knocked Tetsusaiga away. The second pulverized Inuyasha’s right cheek and sent him flying head first into a formation of stalagmites.

Inuyasha worked his jaw as he pulled himself to his feet, deciding he was fortunate that all of his facial bones remained unbroken. He was also glad that he had ripped out a couple jewel shards before taking that hit. Now, he was pretty sure that Bankotsu only had the three in his neck remaining. If that was the case, then he knew from experience that they were evenly matched in terms of strength. He eyed Tetsusaiga and Banryuu, lying at opposite ends of the cavern approximately equidistant from each of them. He debated whether to go for his sword or continue the battle hand-to-hand, and Bankotsu seemed to be doing the same. Finally, Inuyasha decided that the latter approach would be wiser; his claws gave him an advantage that Bankotsu couldn’t compete with. He charged, and whether from arrogance or confidence, the Shichinintai leader accepted his challenge.

They met in a flurry of fist and claw. Inuyasha was ferocity in motion, a crimson blur punctuating his vicious slashes with grunts and animalistic vocalizations. Bankotsu was the silent assassin, using martial arts skill to dodge his enemy’s strikes with minimum energy expenditure. But his own strikes were no less powerful, as Inuyasha himself could attest. Several times the hanyou lunged with what he thought to be a successful attack, only to have Bankotsu spin away at the last moment and plant his fist into his face. But each time Inuyasha found himself lying in a self-made pile of rubble, he bounced back to his feet. Yes, his enemy was a more skillful fighter than he was, possessing far superior technical knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. But he could take a hit and keep on coming. The ability to shrug off blows and continue the battle was one of his greatest strengths, a testament of his determination to win against all odds. It had carried an orphaned hanyou to adulthood, and it was damn sure going to get him out of this mountain alive.

After a few minutes, Bankotsu began to show his frustration. Inuyasha never granted him the opportunity to deal a truly severe blow–to the spinal column at the back of the neck, for example. The hanyou fought with a tremendous amount of reckless abandon, but also with just enough restraint. And with every second that ticked by, every move he observed his opponent make, Inuyasha was gathering information. Finally, it paid off. Bankotsu turned away from a right-handed slash and sent his left fist flying at the hanyou’s exposed cranium. It was a maneuver which had worked two or three times already, but this time instead of skull bone his knuckles impacted the flesh of a palm. Bankotsu’s eyes widened in alarm as the hanyou’s clawed fingers closed around his fist. He howled in pain as Inuyasha wrenched and tore off the appendage, leaving him with only the stump of a forearm.

After that, the battle was essentially over. Bankotsu resisted gamely, but the situation was hopeless. Finally he was driven back against the cavern wall, with nowhere left to retreat to. Inuyasha smashed his remaining hand away, breaking the arm bones in the process, and reared back for a piercing blow directed at the mercenary’s neck. It would have been the end of the battle, but fortune had other plans. For those sensitive ears atop his head swiveled at an unexpected noise behind him, like something sharp cutting through air. He dove to the side, Jakotsutou grazing his fire-rat but failing to draw blood. Bankotsu was not so lucky.

There was a moment when time seemed to freeze, as leader and subordinate gazed at each other from across the cavern. Jakotsu’s eyes were wide with horror, and his hand shook, unwittingly sending tiny vibrations across the sword which carried to where the blade was buried in Bankotsu’s chest. Oddly, the Shichinintai leader smiled, an expression of peace colored only by physical pain, but no anger or blame. Inuyasha did what he thought was the merciful thing, but he had also learned from his previous error. Until a Shichinintai was actually dead, he was never truly defeated. So with a swipe of his claws he removed Bankotsu’s throat without hesitation, along with the three Shikon fragments located there. He was glad when the mercenary dissolved to dust, instead of clinging to life with another hidden jewel shard, but his satisfaction at his victory was short-lived. The instant Jakotsutou withdrew from the rock where it had been embedded, snapping back to its owner with a series of audible metallic clicks, Inuyasha knew he was in trouble.

Jakotsu howled mournfully, a cry which might have been the word ‘no’ but was too inhuman to identify. Then he attacked, his eyes alight with unbridled rage. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and used both hands to block the incoming strike, dropping the jewel shards in the process. Even with that effort, he still could not withstand the tremendous impact. He stumbled back a few steps, barely recovering his footing before the next blow came. This pattern repeated until Jakotsu stood at the spot where Bankotsu had met his end. Then at last the series of frantic attacks and anguished cries ceased. Jakotsu still snarled rabidly with every breath, but there was some hint of sanity left in his gaze, enough to drive him to bend down and pick up Bankotsu’s jewel shards.

Inuyasha, seeing this as the potential disaster that it was, moved to intervene, but Jakotsutou swatted him aside harder than he could have imagined. As he staggered to his feet, Inuyasha could only watch as his adversary claimed each and every Shikon fragment discarded by his former leader, even the few stored in Banryuu. Some he added to his body, and some he placed in his sword. Jakotsu howled again, but this time when he opened his eyes, all traces of sanity were gone. His irises had shrunk to tiny dark specs, bloodshot white sclera giving him a wild appearance. He pulsed with dark energy, which began flowing down his sword, casting the entire blade in a sinister glow. It took only a moment for Inuyasha to realize what was happening. Jakotsu did not possess the mental strength to control all of the Shikon fragments in his possession. The shards, feeding off of his own despair and hatred, were becoming corrupted. And in turn, they possessed him mind and body. He was no longer the man known as Jakotsu of the Shichinintai. He was a monster, driven only by darkness, who would never stop killing until his body was destroyed. Inuyasha vowed to end that rampage here, before it began.

The Kaze no Kizu he launched was more designed to gauge his enemy’s strength than to do actual damage, but even so the results were disappointing. Jakotsu snuffed out the attack with barely a flick of his wrist, then drew back his sword. In that split second when the gracefully curving blade of Jakotsutou hovered in the air, glowing ethereally, Inuyasha could imagine that he was facing not a sword, but a serpentine daiyoukai. And when it struck, faster than a viper, he thought he caught a glimpse of a giant snake’s head, fangs bared.

The power of that strike was indescribable. Inuyasha thought he might have blacked out after the impact, because the next thing he knew, he was lying in a heap twenty meters away from where he’d been standing. And his body hurt, a lot. Jakotsu came on unrelenting, with unavoidable strikes punctuated by hissed exclamations of loathing. By the third, Inuyasha was questioning his ability to survive against this onslaught. By the fifth, he was struggling to stand. He leaned against Tetsusaiga on his knees, glaring at his enemy. In what might have been a final act of defiance, he spit blood onto the ground in Jakotsu’s direction. The mercenary was unmoved. A mindless animal concerned only with blood and slaughter, he raised his great serpentine weapon for the final strike.

A brilliant light flared into existence overhead, shooting into the massive blade like a great spear. Sword and master hissed as one, even as another projectile thunked into Jakotsu’s shoulder. The intensity of the dark youki lessened momentarily, until the crazed mercenary tore the arrow from his flesh and snapped it in his hand. Then the serpentine blade deployed once more, this time with a new target in mind. With a terrified scream, Kagome did the only thing she could–she leapt into the abyss, just before Jakotsutou pulverized the overhanging ledge where she had taken refuge.

Time slowed to a crawl for Inuyasha, as he observed Kagome free-falling, clutching her stomach protectively. It would do no good; from that height, both mother and child would suffer mortal injuries. Somehow he willed his bruised and battered body to motion, half-running and half-limping to the point where Kagome’s trajectory would meet the earth. Fortunately, the distance was not so great. He caught her smoothly, checking his enemy’s position as soon as he had her secured in his arms. Fortunately so, because Jakotsutou was already on its way.

Inuyasha leapt, somehow avoiding the strike. It was dumb luck, he knew, not likely to repeat itself, especially with him wounded and carrying Kagome. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a small open space, barely a crack in the rock really, but large enough to shelter his human cargo. It was located at the base of a large stone pillar rising nearly to the ceiling of the cavern, perhaps two or three meters in diameter near the base. Mentally counting down the milliseconds until Jakotsutou sliced both of them in half, he crossed the short distance and shoved Kagome into the crevice. Then he turned and planted Tetsusaiga into the dirt sideways, crouching and putting his shoulder against the blade.

The impact slammed him back into the pillar as Tetsusaiga howled in pain, but the sword held long enough for him to recover and position himself to receive the next strike. He grunted with the effort, every time Jakotsutou crashed into Tetsusaiga, his hair blackening from the youki which burst from the blades at each clash. Life narrowed for Inuyasha, until he was living only during each dreaded blow and the scant period in which to breathe between them. He lacked the ability to reflect on how long he could hold out like this; he only knew that he would die before Kagome did. That was the best he could do.

Finally Jakotsu, who had closed the distance between himself and his prey, grew tired of the constant barrage. He swung his sword laterally, allowing it to wrap around the pillar like a giant constrictor. Inuyasha cried out as the pressure changed from momentary to constant, a vice-like grip slowly tilting Tetsusaiga’s blade inward. He redoubled his efforts, but was gradually pushed back. His exhausted muscles screamed in pain, the dark youki burning the flesh of his hands and arms as it sparked against Tetsusaiga. He ignored everything except his sword, and keeping it standing firm against the onslaught. Absently he wondered what would fail first: his strength, Tetsusaiga’s blade, or the pillar of rock at his back.

He gasped as he felt her body press against his back, her arms embracing him from behind. At once he was bathed in her soothing scent. It chased away the pain for a moment, made him feel that all was right with the world. But the illusion dissipated quickly, as cold reality settled back in.

“Ka…go…me,” he muttered, attempting to tell her to go back into her crevice but only able to muster those three syllables.

“Shh,” she cooed, her voice oddly calm in this moment of peril. “Let me support you. Trust me, Inuyasha.”

He did, and though he could manage only the tiniest of nods, which she could not see from her position, she seemed to understand. He felt more than saw the energy which emanated from the woman at his back. Hesitant at first, but quickly growing in confidence and power. He understood the reason for her initial reticence; her spiritual energy should logically be burning him right now. In his weakened state, he wasn’t sure he could survive a purification. Even if he did, his human form might succumb to his wounds. He would have told her to go through with it anyway, not that she would have listened. Fortunately, it appeared that she would not have to make that decision. Her spiritual energy washed over him and Tetsusaiga, causing neither pain nor discomfort. He likened it to being immersed in water which was the exact same temperature as his body. He could feel it there, but the sensation was completely neutral.

Kagome’s power was not, however, without potency. The youki of the Shikon fragments reacted violently with the pure energy as soon as the two opposing forces came into contact. The battle raged between light and dark, good and evil, with neither side gaining an advantage. Until Inuyasha decided that he’d had enough of observing. He gripped Tetsusaiga’s hilt tighter with his scorched hands, calling upon the sword’s youki to emerge. Golden lightning erupted, surging forth, swirling with the pink light of Kagome’s aura. Together, the two forces drove back the darkness, as the metal underneath the conflict cracked and strained. Finally, Jakotsutou could take no more. It shattered into a thousand pieces, every centimeter of steel from the tip of the blade to the hilt crumbling to the cave floor.

Jakotsu howled with rage, then clenched his fists and charged. He still possessed many jewel shards within his body, and could tear both of them apart with his bare hands if he so desired. Inuyasha did not intend to give him that chance. He tried to lurch to his feet but stumbled, and would have fallen if not for Kagome catching him under the arms. She supported his body weight long enough for him to get his feet under him again, then helped him stand. He leaned his wounded and exhausted form against her, raising Tetsusaiga with shaking arms. Please support me, Kagome. For just a little longer.

Neither of them would die here today. Kagome would make it out of this cave alive. She would give birth, nurse their child, and raise it to become a fine young man or woman. And he would be there. By all the Kami, he would be there. He poured his heart into the Kaze no Kizu, and behind him he sensed Kagome doing the same. Pink and gold joined together, surging and cascading to a great crescendo. The two powers engulfed Jakotsu, enveloping him in blinding light. His anguished cry ceased abruptly, and when the light faded, nothing remained of the former Shichinintai attack captain.

Kagome slumped limply against Inuyasha’s back, and he hastily knelt as he turned to catch her. He panicked for a moment, but upon laying her down he noted that she appeared to be merely unconscious. Still, he tapped her cheeks and worriedly called her name a few times before she began to stir.

“Inu…yasha?” she asked, clearly disoriented.

“Kagome!” he exclaimed, immensely relieved simply to hear her voice. “Are you okay?”

It took a moment for clarity to return to Kagome’s gaze, but then she nodded. “I’m fine. My head just hurts a bit. I think I overdid it with my spiritual energy,” she admitted, grinning wryly.

“You over–ugh,” Inuyasha groaned as he flopped onto his back next to her. He simultaneously wanted to laugh, cry, and yell at her. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. After an intense period of exertion, and the beating his body had taken, it was an immense relief to simply relax for a few minutes. Naraku ostensibly still waited deep within the mountain, but he needed to recover some of his strength before facing the dark hanyou. Besides, Kagome had just passed out, and he wasn’t about to move her until he was sure she was okay.

“Are you all right, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, concerned by his uncharacteristic behavior.

“Fine,” he grunted, only elaborating when an expectant silence ensued. “No broken bones, nothing that needs bandaging. Just…let me rest for a bit, wench.”

He knew he was covering his weakness with gruffness, and hoped Kagome didn’t take offense. While he hadn’t lied to her, he hadn’t told the whole truth either. His body had endured incredible stress during the battles against Bankotsu and Jakotsu. Even one of those blows from the youki-possessed Jakotsutou would have turned a human into a puddle of fleshy goo with bits of shattered bone sticking out. His body was made of tough stuff, but it wasn’t invincible. None of his bones felt broken, but quite a few of them were probably fractured. Nothing that his youkai blood wouldn’t heal on its own, given time. He couldn’t afford to rest for more than a few minutes, but that was better than hobbling into battle in his current state. The short break would at least take the edge off the pain which would surely result from moving around.

Kagome made no comment, but he suspected that she comprehended more about his condition that she let on. After all, she must have seen him take a few of those blows. Which brought him to the question of how the hell she had gotten here, alone, in the first place. He looked over and opened his mouth to berate her, but froze as he caught her gaze. She was leaning up on one elbow, staring at him with moisture shining her eyes. Suddenly the thought of yelling at her seemed repugnant. She had nearly watched him die, after all, and her intervention had saved his life. There was absolutely no doubt about that. He held out his hand to her, meaning for her to grab hold for comfort. She must have misinterpreted, however, for instead she scooted over and curled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

Inuyasha found that he didn’t mind. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close, savoring her scent. She sniffled once, but held back her tears. Her small form shook with every breath, however, as she recovered from yet another traumatic experience. Inuyasha wished he could make it better, but that was beyond his power. He settled for offering her his free hand, allowing her to clutch it tightly like a lifeline. He wished he could give her a peaceful life, one free of danger. But he also had to gather the fragments of the Shikon no Tama and destroy Naraku, and he could do neither without her. So as much as it pained him to see her like this, it also filled him with pride. His Kagome, his clumsy human girl from a world where water flowed in every house and food was bought rather than caught or grown, was becoming a warrior. In the heat of the moment, her intelligence and determination had shone through brilliantly.

“How did you know you could do that?” he asked gently.

He felt her shrug against him. “I didn’t,” she responded, and Inuyasha waited patiently for her to explain. “I…didn’t know what to do, Inuyasha. You w-were…dying up there. Originally, I just wanted to be by your side, at the end. But then I remembered that Kaede-baa-chan taught me how to channel my spiritual energy around the baby. So I thought, maybe I could channel it around you and Tetsusaiga too.”

“Fucking brilliant,” he told her, completely serious. And it really was. Two opposite and opposing forces, normally mortal enemies, working together in harmony. That was him and Kagome in a nutshell, minus the harmony sometimes. All due to one miko’s ability to accept, and possibly even love, a man with youkai blood. Heh, I wonder what Sesshoumaru and all of his stuck-up daiyoukai buddies would think about what just happened. Or Kikyou, for that matter. He shook his head to clear it. This moment was not about Kikyou.

To his surprise, Kagome snorted and started giggling softly. “Only you could make a compliment sound like an insult,” she said after a moment.

“Keh. I meant it, wench. That was fucking brilliant.”

“Thanks,” she replied sincerely, knowing how rare an Inuyasha compliment could be.

The hanyou only shook his head and sighed in mock regret. “Had my ass saved by humans twice in one day,” he lamented jokingly. When Kagome only glanced at him in confusion, he endeavored to explain. “When Miroku and Sango brought down the barrier, I was already in trouble. Damn stupid barrier.”

“Have you seen them? Are they okay?”

“Dunno. I’m sure they’re fine. The bouzu for one is too stubborn to die before finding someone to bear his child.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kagome stated, clearly worried about their friends. Inuyasha was worried too, truth be told, but he would try not to show it. Turning the conversation away from that topic, he got down to something he was very curious about.

“So what happened out there?” And why the hell isn’t that idiot wolf protecting you? I swear, he’d better be dead, or I’m gonna fucking kill him myself!

“When the barrier went down, Kouga-kun, Shippou-chan, Kirara and I headed for Mount Hakurei to try to help. But we were ambushed by Renkotsu.”

“You were what?!”

Rolling her eyes, Kagome relayed the succinct version of the battle against the fire-user. She left out some details, like how exactly Bankotsu had come to possess Kouga’s jewel shards. The knowledge that she had been at the mercy of the Shichinintai leader might throw Inuyasha into a nervous tantrum. She merely mentioned that Kouga ‘lost the shards’ and Bankotsu ‘took them.’ Fortunately, Inuyasha was too busy contemplating how to best butcher the incompetent ookami to notice. Evidently some of his homicidal thoughts slipped out verbally.

“Inuyasha! Don’t blame Kouga-kun. It’s my fault that we got ambushed too.”

“Yeah, but he’s the one with the good senses. And he’s the one I fucking told to look after you.”

Kagome couldn’t argue with either of those points, but she still didn’t want Inuyasha harboring murderous thoughts concerning her friend.

“Well, things worked out in the end, ne?”

Maybe it was their close proximity, but her voice came out with much more of a sensual undertone than she intended. Inuyasha certainly didn’t miss it, if the way his head snapped around to stare at her was any indication. Matching dustings of pink appeared on both of their cheeks, as each recalled the more pleasant private moments the two of them had shared recently. But both sensed that this moment wasn’t right for such intimacy. Though no one had bothered them since Jakotsu’s demise, this was still decidedly enemy territory. And physically, both of them felt pretty crappy right now, Inuyasha especially.

Kagome gingerly rose into a sitting position, holding her head with a sheepish grin as she gazed down at him. The hanyou did likewise, embarrassed but amused as well. He rolled into a crouch, then hopped to his feet when nothing felt out of place. Moving his body was painful, as expected, but it was pain he could deal with. At least now he could be confident that his body would hold up in a fight, and that he would be able to protect Kagome. Just because some people could fuck up such a simple task, didn’t mean he would. He offered her a hand up and pulled her to her feet, watching the whole time for any sign of dizziness. He was glad that there was none, but still wasn’t completely satisfied.

“Promise me you won’t overdo it again,” he demanded seriously.

Kagome thought about it and nodded. In actuality, she was dealing with moderate fatigue and a dull throbbing in her temple, but otherwise felt good to go. It appeared that her fainting spell really was just a case of overdoing it with her spiritual energy, like a lightning surge temporarily knocking out the electricity in a house. She hoped to avoid using any significant amount of power in the near future, but would be careful if that proved impossible. But since they were on the topic, she had a condition of her own.

“And you as well. Promise me that you won’t overdo it.”

“Keh. I told you I was fine.”

“Inuyasha…”

“All right already,” he agreed, seeing that she wasn’t fooled. Even battered as he was, he could do quite a bit without ‘overdoing it,’ in his own opinion. Whether he and Kagome agreed on the definition of the phrase was another matter, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

“Help me find all the damn jewel shards, will you?” Inuyasha asked, motioning toward the interior of the cavern. “I hope they weren’t scattered too far when we blasted Jakotsu to pieces.”

Kagome nodded, having noticed said shards upon first entering the cavern and seeing the plight Inuyasha was in. There had been other tunnels she could have taken when entering the mountain, but fate or luck had caused her to choose the one which led her to him. Fortunately for both of them. There was a problem, however, one she discovered only upon focusing her miko senses.

“Where are they?” she gasped.

“What?”

“The shards! They’re gone!” Closing her eyes, she stretched out her senses until she located them. “There!” she exclaimed, pointing to an unseen point deep in the mountain. “It feels like…they’re moving deeper as we speak.”

“Let’s go,” Inuyasha replied, kneeling down. Kagome climbed onto his back, and the two of them set off at what for the hanyou would be considered a fast jog. But Inuyasha really didn’t want to push it too hard too fast, not with precious cargo on his back.

He paused in his stride when he reached the interior of the cavern, sniffing the air. It didn’t smell right. The ground didn’t feel right against the soles of his feet. And the walls certainly didn’t look right. There was definitely something disturbing about this place now, but he couldn’t put his finger on it until Kagome spoke.

“Inuyasha, I don’t think this is rock anymore. I think it’s…a wall of flesh!”

She was right, he realized immediately. Things just get creepier and creepier. But retreat was not an option. Naraku was ahead, and both of them wanted their child to be born into a world without the dark hanyou. Now, it was time to make it so.

Clutching Kagome’s legs tightly, Inuyasha raced into the darkness.


A/N – In the manga, Bankotsu had seven jewel shards in his body, while in this story he only has five because he gave some to Jakotsu. So that’s why he isn’t quite as strong as in canon, and Inuyasha is able to defeat him more easily. The Jakotsu thing was obviously new. I hope that wasn’t too confusing. I tried to foreshadow what was going to happen last chapter–remember the uncomfortable feeling Jakotsu had after receiving the extra jewel shards? Once Bankotsu died and he took even more shards into his body, he completely lost it, needless to say.