InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blackout ❯ The Abandoned Castle ( Chapter 30 )

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.


The Abandoned Castle


Shippou chuckled evilly to himself as he eyed his prey. She was breathing heavily while hiding behind a large tree, peering around the trunk in an attempt to spot him. From his perch in a branch above and behind her, the young kitsune observed her fruitless searching, determined that this time he would finally get her. This time he wouldn’t screw it up.

It was late morning on the second full day in which his group and Sesshoumaru’s had traveled together. Yesterday, he’d discovered that Rin was fun to play with. Usually all she had for companionship were Jaken and A-Un, neither of whom made good playmates. Shippou was in a similar situation himself, so he leapt at the chance to interact with another kid, especially a cute young girl. Her guardian didn’t seem to mind, as long as she was happy. His friends had teased him about it after Rin had returned to Sesshoumaru’s separate camp to sleep, but aside from some mild embarrassment, he didn’t really mind. He wasn’t a pervert like Miroku or a bumbling idiot like Inuyasha; he could make a girl like him just by being himself. Rin had indeed taken a liking to him, but didn’t seem to have anything on her mind other than enjoying their playtime. That was fine; both of them really were too young for romance. Besides, he didn’t wish to cross her guardian, who still scared the daylights out of him.

Not that this would stop him from making her scream for mercy. He knew he didn’t have much time left; this would probably be his final attempt. The others would be finished eating lunch soon, and Sango would be satisfied that Miroku had rested enough. The monk had started insisting that he was fine, but hadn’t pushed his luck with his concerned fiancé. Just because he was recovering from Naraku’s miasma did not mean that she wouldn’t give him a lump on the head for being stubborn. So for Shippou it was now or never. Playtime was officially over.

He crept along the branch, taking care to make as little noise as possible. Rin continued to peer around at ground level, never realizing that her demise would come from above. Closer and closer he crept, until finally he was almost in position to pounce. Then she began to drift away, probably seeking a new hiding place while unknowingly thwarting his attempt. Refusing to accept failure, Shippou ran along the branch on all fours and leapt before she had a chance to react to the rustling of the leaves above her head.

Or so he thought. In reality, his target ducked out of the way at the last moment and he ended up kissing dirt at painful velocity. What hurt more than his humiliating face-plant, however, was the bitter sting of failure. He knew what had happened–he’d been too impatient. Instead of following her quietly and creating another opportunity for a surprise attack, he’d revealed his presence too soon and underestimated her reflexes. And now he was going to pay for it. He wasn’t surprised when her body settled on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

“Say ‘uncle!’” she demanded teasingly.

“Never!” Shippou answered, struggling futilely. He knew what was going to happen next, but his wounded pride kept him from surrendering so easily. His will to resist buckled as she began tickling his feet.

“Ah! St-ah! S-stop!” he cried in between involuntary giggles.

“Say ‘uncle,’” she replied in a sing-song voice. When he only continued to struggle, she attacked his ultimate weak spot. A few minutes ago she’d discovered that his tail was extremely ticklish if touched just the right way. He barely lasted another two seconds.

“U-uncle,” he whispered, losing his ability to breathe.

“What’s that? I can’t hear you.”

“Uncle!”

Finally the torture ceased, and his tormenter rolled off of him to lie in the grass, laughing merrily. By the time Shippou was able to pick himself gingerly off the ground, still shuddering, he found her sitting up and grinning at him victoriously. His chin jutting out into a full-blow pout, he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his back on her.

“Aw, don’t be mad, Shippou-chan,” she told him as her arms suddenly wrapped around him and hugged him from behind. Her scent was so pleasant, and her body so warm…why was he mad at her again? Somehow it didn’t really feel like losing anymore.

“I’ll get you next time,” he promised playfully, his pride still not fully recovered. He was nevertheless disappointed when her arms left him and she dropped him on his backside.

“Let’s go again! Start counting!”

“Wait, Rin!”

“What is it?”

“Let’s head back to camp. The others will want to leave soon.”

“Whatsa matter, Shippou-chan? Scared?”

The kitsune bristled at that. “No, I’m not scared!”

“Really?” she teased. “You seem pretty scared to me.”

Shippou’s eyes narrowed as emotion won out over reason. “Start running,” he growled menacingly. The others also told you not to go too far, a little voice whispered in his head as Rin ran giggling deeper into the forest. But he ignored it, unwilling to back down from a challenge like that, especially from a girl he liked. He would get her this time even if it killed him!

He only counted to fifteen instead of thirty like he was supposed to, but it was a necessary alteration to the rules. He had to make this quick and get Rin back to camp so Sesshoumaru didn’t skin him alive. Smiling grimly, he scurried after his prey, following her scent trail. The smell of fresh water reached his nose moments before he burst into the clear to a sight which had his heart lodging in his throat. It was a small river, perhaps only a dozen meters wide. A tree had fallen across the span, acting as a natural bridge. A bridge which his companion was about halfway through with crossing, balancing carefully with her arms stretched out to either side.

“Rin, come back!” he called out of reflex, which proved to be a terrible mistake. She turned quickly to locate him–too quickly. For the swiftness of the turn shook her fragile balance, and she swirled her arms in panic for a moment before toppling backwards into the rushing water. Shippou held his breath, seconds seeming to stretch for hours until she finally surfaced, coughing and sputtering several meters downstream from where she fell.

“Rin!” he cried, charging after her along the bank.

“Ship–” she tried to respond, but her panicked shout was choked off as her head went under again. She surfaced quickly this time, but it was clear that staying afloat was going to be a struggle. The river wasn’t that wide or deep, but she didn’t possess the muscle mass to fight the current. All she could do was try to keep her head above water, though how long she could manage that was a terrifying question.

Fortunately, this part of the river was not rapids, so there were no sharp rocks to tear her tiny human body to pieces. And the flow was not so swift that Shippou couldn’t match it on the run. Thinking quickly, he darted past her and grabbed a large stick, dragging it down the bank and flinging the end into the water with some strength he didn’t know he possessed.

“Rin, grab this!” he yelled, holding onto the other end for all he was worth and digging his heels into the sand. She lunged and managed to grab the wood, and for a fleeting moment he held her in place, preventing her from being swept further downriver. Then his attempted rescue went horribly wrong.

Before he knew what was happening, Shippou found himself immersed in cold water. His feet had obviously lost their purchase and he’d been yanked into the river. Struggling to the surface, he located the stick nearby and swam to it, using it as a flotation device. Rin was panicking now, thrashing in the water, her choked cries no longer identifiable as words. Shippou kicked mightily with his feet, grim determination flooding his being. He didn’t know if the stick would fully support her weight, but its natural buoyancy would certainly help. If necessary, he would give it to her and take his chances with the current. She was not dying today.

Salvation came in the form of a shadow passing overhead. For a moment, Shippou thought it was Sesshoumaru coming to save Rin, having tracked them down when they were long in returning. He rejoiced at this turn of events, despite the consequences which would undoubtedly be visited upon him. But when the actual identify of the person hovering overhead became clear, his spirits sank. Kagura reached down and plucked Rin from the water without even getting her kimono wet, then deposited the coughing girl onto the back of her feather and soared off into the sky. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

“Rin!” Shippou cried, a different kind of fear now fueling his furious kicking. He managed to paddle to the bank, crawling onto the sand with exhausted arms and legs. He flopped onto his stomach, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath before beginning the long sprint back to camp to tell the others what had happened. Then the damp ground was no longer pressed against his cheek; he was hoisted aloft by the strong hand gripping his tail. And when he opened his eyes, he found himself nose-to-nose with none other than Sesshoumaru himself.

“Where is she?” he demanded in a tone which had the kit’s life flashing before his eyes. He gulped, but though he feared that they would be his last words, he told Sesshoumaru the truth. His foolishness had allowed Rin to be kidnapped by the enemy, but he would not fail her now.

“Kagura took her…that way,” he confessed, pointing a shaking hand in the direction the wind sorceress had fled. The daiyoukai stared at him for a moment, and Shippou was sure that quietly irate visage was going to be the last thing he ever saw. Then he was falling, and Sesshoumaru was gone. He landed on his stomach in the mud, too shocked to put his feet under him. He simply lay there, every rapid beat of his heart within his chest an unfathomable blessing. It wasn’t long, however, before the sound of hurried footfalls reached his ears, and someone else picked him up by the tail. This time it was Inuyasha, his expression one of concern rather than anger.

“Shippou, what the hell happened?”

The kit met the worried gazes of each of his friends in turn, Miroku and Sango having ridden here on Kirara. Finally when his gaze panned back around to Inuyasha’s golden orbs, his vision blurred and he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears forming there.

“Rin,” he sobbed, pointing once again in the direction she had been taken. “Kagura…”

“Kagura kidnapped her? Shit!”

“We’ll never catch them,” Sango lamented, and Shippou knew she was right. With Inuyasha unable to fly and Kirara carrying two adult humans, none of them stood a chance of keeping up with Kagura or Sesshoumaru, let alone closing the distance.

“We should follow them anyway,” Inuyasha declared. “Are you up for it, Kirara?”

The fire-cat roared in response, and the hanyou stuffed Shippou into his robes before taking off. He leapt over the river in a single bound, then charged through the forest, skillfully avoiding the trees as though they weren’t even there. He kept Kirara within sight, following her as she flew above the canopy. Safely ensconced within the outer layer of Inuyasha’s robes, Shippou curled into a ball and buried his face in the hanyou’s kosode. There the fragile damn on his tears broke, and he wept his despair into a friend’s chest. Soon he felt a large hand grab his head, and feared that Inuyasha was about to yell at him to be a man and quit balling like a baby. But instead the hanyou only ruffled his hair, gently despite his current level of physical exertion.

“It’s okay, Shippou,” he said, his voice gruff only due to the strain his lungs were under. “If Naraku wanted to kidnap her, he would’ve found a way sooner or later. Sesshoumaru will save her.”

Shippou only cried harder, accepting his friend’s comfort as their pursuit of his lost companion continued. Eventually his tears wound down to sniffles, and he poked his head out of Inuyasha’s haori, watching blankly as the world flew by. After a couple more hours of this, Sango called a halt. Kirara was exhausted, and they had lost sight of Sesshoumaru long ago. There was no scent left to follow; they were really just traveling in a general direction, which might not even be the right one anymore. Given these circumstances, the group agreed that haste was not worth the tremendous amount of energy it took from Kirara and Inuyasha. They still continued along their current heading, at a walking pace. Kirara, relieved of her burden, could be heard purring in Sango’s arms as her mistress petted her. Shippou received no such treatment from Inuyasha, but the hanyou’s cool demeanor was a comfort in and of itself. His friends’ gazes weren’t accusing when they looked at him, nor did they avoid eye contact when he dared to glance in their direction. He had made a mistake, a stupid one, but none of them thought that he deserved to be condemned for it. And he sensed that if Sesshoumaru disagreed with that assessment, his friends would protect him. This revelation finally began to lift the downtrodden kit out of his depression. He still remained worried and rather miserable, though he appreciated their understanding. As he appreciated the fact that Inuyasha never made him leave the warmth and comfort of his robes.

The remainder of the afternoon passed uneventfully. Shippou tried to be optimistic, hoping that Sesshoumaru had caught Kagura by now and rescued Rin. But the more he thought about it, the less sense Kagura’s actions made. So she had separated them from Sesshoumaru–so what? There had to be something else going on here. More than likely, Rin’s abduction was merely the first layer of Naraku’s plot. The only question was the identity of the dark hanyou’s true target. Shippou assumed it was Sesshoumaru, and he figured his friends all thought the same. It was not until the sun dipped behind the clouds hovering just over the western horizon that the first evidence against this theory appeared. Inuyasha suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and inhaled deeply, turning slightly to the right and sniffing furiously as his feet guided him closer to the faint scent he was trying to verify. Shippou glanced at Kirara and found the fire-cat just as bewildered as he. But Inuyasha finally turned to regard them, smiling grimly.

“It’s Naraku’s scent,” he announced, his otherwise excited tone darkened with the gravity of the situation. “The coward has finally revealed himself.” No one said another word, for none were needed. All knew they were walking into a trap, but they didn’t care. There was no hesitation; one way or another, it was time to end this.

An impressive display of speed took them within minutes to the place from which Naraku’s scent obviously emanated. It was a huge castle, one which in its heyday had probably served as home to a truly powerful daimyo as well as thousands of servants and soldiers. But those glory days had long since passed; the castle was now nothing more than a graveyard. Bones littered the grounds, picked apart and scattered by hungry scavengers. The castle itself was crumbling around them, appearing to have suffered under the elements for decades without a single human hand to make repairs. It was a place of death. Considering all of the evil Naraku had wrought upon the world, Inuyasha could not think of a more fitting location for the final battle against him.

“W-where is he?” Shippou whispered, hopping down from Inuyasha’s robes and scurrying over to stand next to Kirara. The hanyou’s fighting style meant that nestled against his chest was far from the safest place on the battlefield; all of the wounds he’d received there over the past year could attest to that.

“Show yourself, Naraku!” Inuyasha demanded, but for several long moments no reply came.

“Kukuku,” Naraku’s voice boomed at last, bouncing off of the dilapidated buildings to produce a haunting echo. Inuyasha’s ears swiveled in all directions, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source of the sound.

“Welcome to my castle, Inuyasha,” Naraku greeted at last, his tone dripping with sadistic pleasure. “I believe I have something you want…and you have something which belongs to me. Did you by chance bring the shard with you?”

“Yeah, I brought it. It’s right here,” Inuyasha answered, patting the right side of his torso. It was a lie; the shard was actually with Miroku since the monk was better able to keep it pure while in the presence of corruptive influences. He didn’t want Miroku to become a target, so he hoped his confident reply had fooled Naraku.

“Good. Drop it and throw down your weapons, and I will grant you swift deaths. Otherwise, you will suffer until your miserable lives finally expire.”

“Give Kagome back, and you can have the damn shard,” Inuyasha retorted, already resigned to what Naraku’s answer would be. He could sense no sign that Kagome was or had ever been here. As he’d feared, Naraku was not in the mood for negotiation. In a way, that was a good thing, since the dark hanyou would certainly be easier to defeat without the completed Shikon no Tama in his possession. The corrupted portion of the jewel was nearly whole already, but once that final shard was added, Inuyasha had a feeling that its power would increase exponentially.

“Kukuku, was that your plan? You are a fool to the very end, Inuyasha. Kagome will not be coming. She has been hidden far away from here. There will be no exchange. You lot will all die here in agony and despair, and I will take what is mine. Then, once I have completed the Shikon no Tama, I will release Kagome from my minion’s spell. I will show her your decaying corpses, and then I will kill her, slowly…and deliciously.”

“Bastard,” Inuyasha snarled, tightening his grip on Tetsusaiga’s hilt. This was normally the point when he would charge in and begin the battle just to shut the enemy up, but Naraku still hadn’t revealed himself.

“Come out and face me, you coward!”

“Kukuku, I think not. Though I will provide you with some company.”

Youki suddenly exploded all around them, countless individual signatures all melding into an overwhelming presence. Huge figures rose up on all sides, surrounding them in a writhing circle of Naraku’s puppets. But these puppets were unlike those the Inu-gang had faced before; they appeared less like artificial creations and more like real youkai, visceral and deadly. Then the light dimmed noticeably, and Inuyasha and his friends gazed upwards to find an undulating mass of thousands of lesser youkai above them. Boxed in on all sides by powerful tentacles and sharp teeth, our heroes were temporarily reduced to stunned silence. Naraku had literally raised an army to destroy the five of them; it was a display of strength the likes of which they had never seen before.

“Witness the true extent of my power, Inuyasha!”

The youkai began to move in, and Inuyasha slowly pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath. He could smell Shippou’s fear, and even Miroku and Sango seemed nervous. But Inuyasha was oddly calm. This is what they had strived for, was it not? And they had come too far to be done in by a bunch of small fry.

“Oi, stay close,” he told them. “Whatever you do, don’t get separated.” He met each of their gazes in turn, reaffirming resolve, until finally he came to Miroku. “And bouzu, you keep your damn kazaana closed. I’m sure Naraku has saimyoushou mixed in with the youkai.”

The monk nodded, but Inuyasha could tell that he didn’t really mean it. If things became desperate enough, Miroku would open his kazaana, insects or no. Sango looked like she wanted to say something, but there simply wasn’t time. The enemy army was closing in. Inuyasha opened the battle with a Kaze no Kizu which decimated two of the puppets, tearing them to ribbons. That was the first sign that this plot of Naraku’s ran deeper than merely overwhelming them with numbers. For as the puppets disintegrated, they rained down miasma, thick globs which stuck to everything they touched and a fine mist which hung in the air, dark and foreboding.

“Shit. Sango!” Inuyasha cried, glancing over his shoulder to find the taijiya already fastening her mask over the lower part of her face. With that protection in place, she would be resistant to airborne poison, as would Miroku due to his spiritual power. Shippou and Kirara were youkai, and wouldn’t succumb easily either. And Inuyasha knew he was tough enough to handle it. But while they could manage a good countermeasure, it wasn’t perfect. Miroku’s power could only do so much, and Sango’s mask didn’t protect her eyes. Even the two full-youkai weren’t so strong as to be completely immune to the toxin. How much miasma in the air would it take to kill them? And who would succumb first?

Naraku seemed fully intent on finding out, and the Inu-gang was forced to oblige. They didn’t have much choice in the matter; the puppets were attacking with intent to kill, and it was either destroy them or die. Inuyasha tried to handle the bulk of that work, leaving the lesser youkai to his friends. His tough hide and fire-rat would protect him if he got covered in the liquefied miasma, and the airborne haze was obviously thicker where the creatures died. But despite his efforts, a heavy fog soon hovered over the entire battlefield, reducing visibility and making it difficult to breathe. Still, they fought on. Sango eliminated scores of youkai with great sweeps of hiraikotsu, while Miroku protected her blind side with his sutras and staff. Kirara soared above them, tearing youkai apart with her fangs and claws. Within minutes, the number of enemies surrounding them was halved.

Then the suffocating miasma began to take its toll. Miroku stumbled, and only Shippou’s timely intervention saved his life; the kit deployed his illusory spinning top to hold the marauding youkai at bay long enough for the monk to scramble to his feet again. Soon after, one of the youkai managed to sink its teeth into Kirara’s hindquarters. She shook it off and dispatched it, but afterwards her mobility was significantly reduced and the close calls became more and more frequent. A phenomenon experienced by her mistress as well, as Sango’s reflexes dulled. Eventually she was swinging hiraikotsu not as a trained killer, but like a blind man hacking at phantoms. Finally she swung too wildly, losing her balance and collapsing to the ground. She tried to rise but was unable to go any further than a shaky sitting position. Miroku, seeing her plight, tried to run to her and tripped over his own feet, going down in a heap. He too was unable to muster the strength to rise. Kirara thumped down to the earth between them, weakened and wounded, growling a vicious warning to whomever might think to attack her family. Shippou crouched underneath her, prepared to unleash every trick he knew. He might not be able to kill a youkai, but he could distract them and buy time. But both the fire-cat and kitsune knew that nothing they could do would hold off the enemy for long. Hundreds of lesser youkai remained, circling hungrily. Soon they would close in for the kill.

“Inuyasha!” Shippou hollered at the top of his lungs.

Some distance away, Inuyasha heard his friend’s plaintive cry. He had purposely drawn the attention of the puppets and lured them away from his companions. This was for their own protection, as the concentration of miasma in this area would likely kill any of them outright. It was even affecting him significantly, despite the strong blood coursing through his veins, but so far he’d been able to escape serious injury while taking out a little more than half of the puppets. But in the heat of battle, he’d drifted further away from his friends than he’d intended. And now they might pay for his mistake with their lives.

Cursing, Inuyasha launched a carefully aimed Kaze no Kizu, which through months of practice did exactly what he wanted it to do. Namely, take out a portion of the youkai circling his friends while the force of the attack drove some of the noxious haze away from them. Immediately Miroku and Sango began gasping for breath, greedily inhaling the fresher air. But the damage had already been done; the humans would need some time to recover from the poison already in their systems. Now Inuyasha had to get over there to buy them that time.

He lurched into a rather sluggish sprint, which was the best he could manage, but a puppet moved into position to block his path. They had taken advantage of his momentary distraction to move in close, where their tentacles and poisonous innards would be more effective. Seeing no other alternative, Inuyasha decided to slice through the creature before him and continue on his way. It went well at first, until miasma from the decimated puppet fell upon him, drenching him to the skin. He staggered, trying vainly to wipe the stuff away from his face. Through blurred vision, he saw another puppet looming over him, and destroyed it with a Kaze no Kizu, only to be further bathed in miasma. He dropped to his hands and knees, gritting his teeth against the pain as his eyes and lungs burned. He sensed another enemy presence above him, but his attempt to rise to his feet resulted in his foot slipping out from underneath him, leading to a graceless fall flat onto his face. And that was it. The internal clock in his head told the wretched truth–he was about to be killed. Tentacles would run him through before he had time to evade them. This was the end. He closed his eyes, his final thoughts turning to the woman he loved. I’m sorry, Kagome.

Nothing happened. After several seconds of this, Inuyasha dared to open his eyes and glance behind him. Sure enough, a puppet was looming over him, but it wasn’t doing anything. A few others nearby were likewise stationary. He looked over to his friends and found that the youkai swarm had backed off as well, circling above them at a fair distance but making no aggressive moves. Miroku and Sango were kneeling now, supported by Kirara, with Shippou sitting on the fire-cat’s back appearing nauseous but otherwise fine. Just as Inuyasha was wondering what the hell was going on, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. It was Naraku himself, striding across the grounds while appearing ridiculously pleased with himself. And suddenly Inuyasha understood why the youkai and puppets had momentarily spared them–their master was coming to gloat. Heh, I should have known. He’s always been that kind of bastard. But he should have beaten me down a little more before showing his face!

This time when Inuyasha pushed up with his arms and planted his feet underneath him, the muscles in his legs held, if not shakily. He raised Tetsusaiga, transforming it into its diamond spear form. It wouldn’t be a full-strength strike, but it would still tear through Naraku’s barrier and damage his body. And once he finished dealing with the remaining underlings, he would figure out a way to destroy the dark hanyou himself.

Naraku, however, only smirked when he saw Inuyasha’s stance and sword. He stopped a few dozen meters away and snapped his fingers. From behind him emerged a figure which caused dread to settle in Inuyasha’s stomach. It was Kohaku, who walked around and stood directly in front of Naraku, so close that the dark hanyou even placed a taunting hand on the boy’s shoulder. Inuyasha initially feared that Kohaku would succumb to the miasma, but that concern proved unfounded. The area inside Naraku’s barrier was the only place on the battlefield untouched by the toxic haze. Kohaku was alive and well, just as his master intended.

“Koha–” Sango called, unable to finish his name before descending into a coughing fit. Miroku rubbed her back, glaring daggers at the bastard who dared to use his soon-to-be brother-in-law as a human shield. Kohaku did not react to any of this, merely staring straight ahead with his usual lifeless eyes.

“Go ahead, Inuyasha,” Naraku taunted. “Unleash the Kongousouha.” Inuyasha swore under his breath, but reversed Tetsusaiga’s transformation. Naraku’s grin widened.

“You are weak, Inuyasha. That is why you will die. The things this boy has done…he would be better off dead. And yet his presence is enough to still your sword. Pathe–” Naraku abruptly cut himself off, turning his amused gaze on Miroku, who had already grasped the beads wrapped around his right wrist. “And you, houshi, you’re thinking that you’ll release the kazaana, and suck up all of my miasma and minions. You’ll sacrifice yourself so that Inuyasha can save Kohaku and Kagome. Well, I can’t allow that, can I? I gave your grandfather that kazaana, and I can take it away!”

Miroku staggered, closing his right hand into a fist and clutching it to his chest. When the pain subsided, he removed the covering with shaking fingers and gazed in astonishment at his unbroken palm. He had always imagined that this sight would fill him with joy, but now it brought only despair.

“How does it feel to be nothing more than a mere human again?” Naraku sneered. “Do you cretins finally understand how hopeless it is to resist me? This castle will be your grave, as it was a grave for thousands of others before you.”

“Bastard,” Inuyasha snarled, at a loss for what else to do or say. Naraku ignored him.

“It is no coincidence that I chose to bring you to this castle. Fifty years ago, after I killed Kikyou–for the first time–I wandered aimlessly, until my journey carried me here. Onigumo’s desires were still strong within me, and he wanted power. So I killed the daimyo along with his entire personal guard. After that, the people recognized me as their new lord, and I ruled this castle as a Kami. I could have anything I wanted–wealth, women, sport. Men fought to the death for my amusement, and children went to sleep at night wondering if my servants would come to take them away. The young ones always screamed the loudest… It was a glorious time, but it was not to last. Soon enough, the people grew tired of being ruled by a lord who was superior to them in every way, and rose up against me. So I slaughtered them. Every last man, woman, and child perished by my hand, or the fangs of my youkai. I left this castle exactly as it was on that wonderful day, a monument to the weakness of humanity.

“So you see, Inuyasha, it is only fitting that you and your friends should die here. This is the place where Onigumo truly became Naraku. And it is here where Naraku, the completed Shikon no Tama in hand, will transcend every power in this world, and become a Kami in his own right.”

“Tch, you’re right, it is only fitting,” Inuyasha replied. “That you should die here, in the same place where you killed all those people!”

“Kukuku, still brimming with false confidence, I see. Very well, then, let’s see if we can’t put the stubborn hanyou in his proper place once more. On your knees!”

Naraku raised his hand, and Inuyasha sensed that he was about to order his puppets to resume their attacks. Then he froze, turning his surprised visage to the west. Inuyasha followed his gaze, noticing what Naraku had obviously sensed–a figure emerging from the gloom. Even before he could clearly make out the newcomer, Inuyasha knew who it was. That exceedingly arrogant gait could be pulled off by no one else.

“S-Sesshoumaru!”

* * *

Kagura swore under her breath. This was not good. She crouched in the shadows of a large building well outside the combat zone, observing as Naraku verbally tormented his intended victims. Soon her master would tire of the game, and those torments would become physical. Inuyasha and his friends were living on borrowed time.

“W-we have to d-do something,” Rin stuttered behind her, clutching the sleeve of her kimono for comfort. She’d managed to convince the girl that she meant her no harm, and Rin certainly trusted her more than she did the rogue youkai flying around. So far they had avoided discovery, but who knew how long that would last?

One thing was for certain–Rin was right. She did need to do something. She couldn’t just sit here and watch while Inuyasha and his friends were slaughtered. But what could she do? As soon as Naraku saw her, he would materialize her heart and crush it in his hand. At best, she could provide a momentary distraction to buy her erstwhile ally more time to recover and come up with a viable strategy. More than likely, that would fail and she’d get herself killed for nothing. But would that really be for nothing, if she acted on her desire to help Inuyasha however she could? At least she would go out in such a way that the survivors of this battle would remember her. And was that not true freedom?

“Sesshoumaru-sama!”

Rin’s joyous cry broke Kagura from her musings. Before she knew it, the girl had raced past her and out into the open, heedless of the hundreds of ravenous youkai hovering between her and her guardian.

“Shit!” Kagura cursed, deploying her fan and taking to the air. As she flew in pursuit of Rin, she located Sesshoumaru’s regal form on the far side of the castle. He had emerged from the mist only moments ago, and was preparing to engage Naraku one-on-one. Kagura growled in irritation. She had hoped to see Sesshoumaru again, but not like this. What the hell is he doing?!

It appeared that his foolishness was going to get his ward killed. Youkai appeared in Kagura’s path, too numerous to slice through easily. As the wind sorceress watched in horror, a serpentine youkai swooped down on Rin and clamped its jaws around her. The girl screamed once, then inhaled and continued screaming as the youkai carried her toward its master. Kagura had mixed feelings about this–on the one hand, Rin was obviously still alive, but on the other, a quick and relatively painless death might be better than what Naraku would do to her. Though perhaps both could be avoided. Sesshoumaru heard his ward’s cries and immediately charged forward, intent on intercepting the youkai before it could reach the safety of its master’s barrier.

“Another step and she dies!” Naraku declared, as his youkai punctuated that statement by tightening its jaws and choking off Rin’s scream. Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks, clenching his fist as he was forced to stand idly by while his ward became Naraku’s prisoner.

“Release her,” the daiyoukai demanded, his eyes wide with fury as his youki swirled wildly around him. No trace of his normally stoic façade remained.

“Kukuku, calm yourself, Sesshoumaru. Rin will be perfectly safe inside my barrier. That is, until Inuyasha decides that her life is no longer worth saving.”

Naraku put his hand on Rin’s head, and Inuyasha could tell that his half-brother almost lost it. The girl shook uncontrollably, obviously in shock, as she gazed at Sesshoumaru with pleading, frightened eyes. Small red spots dotted her kimono, though the wounds appeared to be superficial. Of far greater concern was the monster holding her captive, and the powerful barrier keeping her within his clutches.

“He won’t hurt her, Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha told his half-brother, seeking to prevent him from completely losing his composure. “Tetsusaiga can break his barrier again. He needs Rin to act as a shield against me.”

“Well, technically, I only need one of my two captives to accomplish that,” Naraku observed casually, increasing Sesshoumaru’s ire as he pretended to ponder a difficult decision. “But two shields are better than one, are they not?” Then the dark hanyou sighed dramatically.

“This is not turning out how I planned. I had hoped to engage you separately, Sesshoumaru, as is befitting your station,” he stated mockingly. “But I knew there was a chance that you would show up at an inopportune time. Just as I knew that my incarnation would betray me.” With that, he turned his gaze on Kagura, who had flown fairly close now that the cat was out of the bag.

“Well, Kagura, I believe I promised you a reward.” Naraku smirked and held out his hand. In it appeared a beating heart. Kagura watched, taking in every pulse, wondering which would be her last. She held her breath as Naraku picked up the organ with one of his tentacles, extending it tauntingly towards her, even going so far as to bring it outside the barrier.

“Go on, Kagura. Take it,” he sneered. The wind sorceress reached out her hand reflexively from her position several dozen meters away, but did not dare to move any closer, for doing so would only hasten her death. Unfortunately, at this point it didn’t matter what she did.

Naraku’s tentacle squeezed, and life became pain.