InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Smokescreen ( Chapter 33 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Finally, I know! Another update from me! But this one has been much, much faster than the past couple chapters. I hope this one is as enjoyable as the others have been. I just need more hours in the day, to actually get the writing done!
So, here's to hoping I get inspired for the next chapter like I did this one, and that I can get it out as quickly, if not much faster! I really, really do appreciate the reviews! Without the knowledge that other people are still reading, I wouldn't be so pushed to get the story finished, or to write anything else. So thanks again for leaving them, and I hope you all will continue to do so!
I'm also working on a little post-2nd-movie fic, so watch out for it-- It's turning out to be much longer than I originally intended for a small one-shot!
So, on to the story!
------------------------------------------
Sight Unseen
Chapter 33: Smokescreen
It was amazing, what Inuyasha noticed when he really put his mind to defeating a particular enemy. His concentration in past battles had brought him the smells and changes in airflow that allowed him to utilize the kaze no kizu and the bakryuuha each for the first time. Once he figured one of Tetsusaiga's special attacks out, repeating the action was fairly easy-- he just had to wait for the right moment.
Of course, the ability to be patient and wait wasn't one he normally possessed, but on rare occasions it made itself known, and he was able to find the weakness in his enemy, or, at the very least, observe his opponent's moves with a slightly clearer head.
He'd managed to disarm Ookii fairly easily, and the winged demon had retreated. However, another of the windwalkers blocking his way towards the wooden structure, where he was certain Kagome was hidden, took his opponent's place.
Once again, Inuyasha knocked the rudimentary blade out of the youkai's grip, the demon fell back, and another took his place.
Two other dark-winged demons faced off with him, and lost, before he was back to fighting Ookii for a second time.
He was on to the third demon yet again before he finally noticed the pattern.
None of the winged youkai were truly attacking--they thrust the false swords at him as if they really didn't know how to use them. He could have used only his claws and still disarmed his opponents with little effort.
And none of them used their wings as a means of escape, or to make the fight more balanced in their favor.
Inuyasha attempted to charge one of the demons once he'd knocked the blade from its grip, hoping to break the cycle, but the next in line blocked his path.
He growled in frustration, ignoring his opponent's weapon in favor of snagging the demon's clothing in his hand and flinging it bodily into the other three.
Yet the winged youkai kept coming, one after the other, as if their only purpose in life was to keep him --
Busy. They were merely keeping him occupied, to prevent him from gaining access to wherever Kagome was being detained.
And he'd been stupid enough to allow it to continue this long, when he still didn't know if she was safe. But not any more.
This time, when the next winged demon in line came at him, he meant business. With a snarl, he knocked the primitive sword from his enemy's hand, grabbed the front of the youkai's tunic, and threw it towards the large tree, with much more force than he'd used before.
A slight smirk crossed his lips at the loud thud that followed, but he didn't stop to examine his handiwork. Instead, he quickly put Tetsusaiga back in its sheath and charged his next opponent.
The youkai fared no better than its friend had. Inuyasha launched it through the nearest part of the fence that surrounded the compound.
Ookii and the last of the four, which happened to be the first demon he'd thrown, had watched their companions fall, and decided to attack him at the same time.
He cracked his knuckles and waited as they ran towards him, ducking just as their fists flew out.
The blows weren't hard enough to knock the other to the ground, but the short time they needed to recover gave him the chance to finish the job.
With his would-be-attackers indisposed, Inuyasha took the opportunity to make a run for the wooden structure, wanting to find Kagome before anything else came his way.
------------------------------------------
All the while the hanyou was fighting off his would-be swordsmen, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were dealing with problems of their own.
A dozen or so demons had formed a ring around the two humans and the young kitsune who clung to Miroku's shoulder. The demons kept the trio contained, and obstructed any clear view they might have of Inuyasha or Maruku.
Without Kirara, it was harder to fend off the attacks of air-borne demons-- their opponents weren't so courteous as to stay on the ground as Inuyasha's had done. Miroku couldn't use the air void to just suck them all up-- it would've been a rather quick end to the situation, but Maruku had asked them before not to kill the youkai. Inuyasha had been past the point of worrying how badly he hurt his attackers, but Miroku and Sango were a bit more conscientious, as they were still on a mission from Lady Tamaeri.
Sango managed to block many of the blows with Hiraikotsu, but with the lack of targets she could definitely take out with the boomerang, and her weapon's necessity as a shield, she didn't dare to throw it. She did, however, manage to whack a few of the demons with the hard edge before they leapt back out of range.
Miroku was doing the same with his staff, though the thin metal rod wasn't enough to do much damage to any of his opponents. Most merely grinned at him and moved closer to attack once more.
Shippo had even cast his fox-fire spell once, to force one of the winged demons away from the monk and himself. One youkai had come at Miroku from the left. Another had come from the right, just after he'd turned to block the first. But Shippo saw the new enemy and quickly turned on the monk's shoulder. Without worrying about retaliation, he let fly a "kitsune-bi!" and flung the bright blue flames right into the path of the second demon.
"Good shot, Shippo!" the kitsune heard Sango call as he watched the youkai scramble away holding its hands in front of its face.
As he was admiring his handiwork, a smirk just beginning to show, he was nearly jolted from Miroku's shoulder when the monk ducked low to avoid swinging claws. The sharp nails came much to close for comfort for the kitsune's peace of mind, and he decided that maybe he wasn't so excited about fighting after all.
Sango swung Hiraikotsu in a wide circle above her head, staving off three winged youkai, at least temporarily. She then held the boomerang before her as another demon dove in. Its claws scraped uselessly against the bone weapon, and it flew a few feet away.
The next attacker came at her from the side. It was the only female in the group surrounding her and Miroku, although it was almost hard to tell which was the case due to the size of the youkai. Sango turned towards her opponent, eyes narrowed as she waited for just the right moment. She feinted to the right, then jumped back to the left, swinging Hiraikotsu up and around with her left hand to slam it down on the demon's head.
Sango quickly lifted the boomerang up and swung the center straight for the back of a light-winged youkai that was flying past her, towards Miroku. The blow sent the would-be fighter to the ground a few feet away.
Neither of the grounded youkai moved.
At the downfall of two of their comrades, three of the other demons decided it was time to stop playing with the humans, and dove for Sango from different directions.
The youkai exterminator only saw two of them, each to one side of her. They came in much quicker than any of the demons had before, preventing her from having the time to swing Hiraikotsu to ward them off. Instead, she held the boomerang above her head and ducked, rolling forward in preparation for springing back to her feet.
She was out of their path, just barely, but as soon as she was standing and ready to spin around to face her opponents, she was thrown to the ground once more by something slamming into her from behind.
She recognized the purple fabric of Miroku's robes as he rolled one way and she rolled the other to avoid grasping claws. She heard the clanking of sharp nails against his staff as she herself blocked another attack with Hiraikotsu.
She again rolled to the side, this time towards the monk, quickly gaining her footing and swinging the bone boomerang at the demon hovering over him.
As she turned away to confront another enemy, several Shippos suddenly appeared a few feet to her right. The kitsune had apparently either been thrown by Miroku's sudden dive towards her, or had guessed the monk's intent and had jumped from his perch.
The many kitsunes led most of the attacking demons away on a chase, though the real Shippo rushed to where Miroku still lay on the ground.
Sango didn't realize the monk had yet to get up as she swatted away yet another winged youkai and heard him curse behind her. The demon came at her again, and she performed a maneuver similar to the one that had allowed her to take the female demon out earlier.
She dared a glance over her shoulder after confirming that the youkai was not getting up right away, and saw Miroku pushing himself to his feet, Shippo looking at him worriedly.
"H-houshi-sama!" Sango gasped as she noticed the reason for the young kitsune's distress. Four deep gashes ran from Miroku's right shoulder almost to his left hip. The monk turned as she made to move towards him to check the extent of his injuries.
"Sango! Behind you!" he yelled, wincing as he leaned somewhat on his staff.
She spun quickly, bringing Hiraikotsu up to block the incoming blow, realizing that their attackers had returned after apparently giving up on the illusionary kitsunes.
'If only Shippo's magic would last just the slightest bit longer...' she thought as she took several steps backward.
"Damn it!" she heard Miroku mutter under his breath from just behind her.
They were once again ringed in, and this time, several of the demons held weapons-- tree limbs and a few crudely fashioned blades.
'It was hard enough before!' Sango thought, eyes widening as she stood back-to-back with Miroku. 'What are we supposed to do now?'
"Sango, do you have one of those smoking demon-exorcisers on you?"
Miroku's strained voice startled her as she waited, on edge, for one of the demons to attack. "W-what?" she asked on an almost squeak.
"One of those demon-repelling smoking things you use to get demons out of houses? Do you have one?"
"Um, yes, but, they're not--"
"Good. Then please do not take this the wrong way."
Seconds after that cryptic comment, Miroku suddenly shifted behind her, reaching around her side and under the edge of her belt. His questing fingers were gone before she could truly register what he'd done. She faintly heard Shippo mutter, "kitsune-bi!" and then the world exploded in smoke.
------------------------------------------
Maruku had been dealing with many of the demons, himself. As the group who followed Ataru was mostly made up of rebels and those being punished for their crimes, many of them had lined up to take him on in a fight, believing themselves to be tougher now than they had been before, and uncaring of the consequences of harming a high-ranking hunter since they were already outcasts. For reasons unknown to the windwalker, they tended to attack in pairs, but never in larger groups.
Most of those who chose to fight him were dark-winged like himself, and he recognized many of them as Shiori's kin. His eyes narrowed as he realized several light-winged youkai, not scruffy-looking criminals but those who followed Ataru due to their belief that their tribe was superior to Maruku's, had gathered around to watch.
He fended most of his opponents off fairly easily-- they tended to be predictable when one knew how to read their moves. It was almost comical how few of their blows actually managed to come somewhat close to their intended target.
Until he realized that they weren't really trying. Oh, some of them were trying fairly hard to hurt him, but he was the better fighter. Many of them were putting up the appearance of actually moving into combat, only to allow him to block their fists and claws with little effort.
If he and Inuyasha had been able to compare notes, they might have come to the conclusion that something was out of place.
The light-winged youkai observing the skirmishes didn't notice how easily Maruku was winning. They merely laughed at the many rounds of defeat the other demons were going through.
In fact, it was odd that none of his opponents turned on those mocking them from the sidelines. He began to notice the fury in many of the faces of around him, as if they were contemplating doing such a thing, but were holding themselves back for reasons only they were aware of.
The jeers grew louder as Maruku flipped the next challenger over by the arm, so that the youkai landed flat on its back on the ground.
Though the wind had been knocked from the demon's lungs, Maruku caught the glare being directed his way, as if the attacker was saying, "I'll get you for that later, when this is over."
Or perhaps it was more of an, "I know what's going on, and that wasn't supposed to happen, you jerk. I went easy on you, after all."
He couldn't quite tell, through the pain in the youkai's eyes, whether it was more of a threat or a reprimand.
But he didn't have time to contemplate the thought as the next combatant came at him.
Several moments and three more downed youkai later, he was able to pause and catch his breath.
But just as he did, a foul-smelling odor made him cough, along with all the youkai around him. The air was abruptly filled with dense smoke, or dust, obstructing his view of most of those surrounding him.
He held his breath and pushed through the small crowd, hoping to find at least one of his traveling companions before they would be attacked once more.
He'd only gone a few steps, coughing and gagging along the way, when he heard a faint, yet unmistakable and welcome voice in his mind.
-Brother, I heard you calling me.-
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Of course, Inuyasha should have known he wouldn't make it to the wooden building without being detained, especially when he'd been pushed away from it by the demons he'd fought earlier. Luck had not been with him since he and the others arrived at the compound. But he'd had to try once more, no matter how low his chances were.
Two light-winged youkai, males much stronger-looking than most of the demons he'd already fought, descended to the ground a few feet in front of him as he ran towards the wooden structure.
He didn't bother to slow down-- they'd probably jump out of the way before he could manage to strike one or the other. At least he could count on the winged demons to be predictable, he thought as they did just that.
He knew they'd keep coming at him, but he was determined to make it as close to the building as possible. So he kept going, waiting for them to catch up.
They landed in front of him once more after he'd only gone a few steps.
His patience ran out.
With a snarl, Inuyasha focused on the one to the right. He drew his claws back, ready to strike as soon as he got in range.
The winged demon anticipated his move, but he still managed to get a good swipe down his opponent's leg before it got far enough away.
The second one danced away as he turned in its direction. He'd stepped forward, ready to pursue the youkai, but, with the faintest hint of Shippo calling "Kitsune-bi!" the world was suddenly blocked out by thick smoke.
He put his sleeve over his nose, coughing at the scent he recognized as Sango's demon-repellent.
He didn't question what had happened, and he ignored the scent as best he could. He didn't have the time to waste. He now had the advantage. He could easily make it into the structure before any of the demons knew what he'd done.
He continued on his way, at an almost-walk so as not to alert the other youkai to his determined movements--let them think he was trying to escape or find his friends.
His eyes watered, obscuring his vision. But he knew what direction the structure had been in, and he kept moving.
Faint coughing that sounded vaguely familiar came from a few feet in front of him. The smoke had begun to clear with a faint breeze, but he still couldn't see well through the tears clouding his gaze.
He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and looked up.
He almost thought it was a trick of the light through the remaining smoke.
Or maybe he was just hallucinating from whatever anti-youkai herbs were in the bombs Sango used.
Was it really--
"Kagome!"
Shippo's yell spurred him into running forward.
"Inuyasha, look out!"
The hanyou barely dodged the blow aimed straight for his head. Apparently he'd been standing still for just a moment too long, and Sango's warning allowed him to duck just in time. He swiped at his opponent's midsection as he pivoted away, eyes narrowed on the winged demon as it jumped back.
Kagome was alive and all right, and she had apparently found Morihiko, judging from the look of the windwalker riding on Kirara with her.
And Inuyasha was seriously ticked off at the demon who decided to get in his way.
He cracked his knuckles and went after the youkai, springing into the air when it leaped off the ground. He took a swipe and ended up with a handful of feathers.
The demon landed once again as its flight was disrupted. But the hanyou was right behind.
Before his opponent could attempt to take off, Inuyasha grabbed its robes with both hands and flung it through the opposite side of the fence from where he'd made a hole earlier.
As if they were eager to meet the same fate, two other light-winged youkai, one of them the same one he'd caught in the leg, appeared in front of him.
With a devilish grin, he granted their wish.
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Somewhere on the other side of the compound, near Maruku, one of the dark-winged youkai turned to its neighbor and tapped the light-winged demon on the shoulder. The light-winged one still had a bit of grit in its eyes from the smoke, and barely saw the fist coming at him before it hit him full in the face.
As if that had been the predestined signal, the battlefield exploded into utter chaos.
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A/N: Woo-hoo! Reunion time! Well, I hope this was a decent bit of battle. It's really hard to come up with fighting scenes, especially when I try not to use the same major moves again. I kindof got inventive there with Sango's weapons. I haven't seen her use the smoke bombs too much, but I remember there being at least once where they were smoking a youkai out of a house. So, I assumed the herbs or whatever they're made out of needed to be on fire or heated at lesat. So, add Shippo's foxfire, and... poof! Literally. Of course, foxfire isn't just _normal_ fire...
And I'm sorry it's another cliff-hanger. But I promise things are going to be wrapped up soon! As long as my schoolwork and work-work cooperates!
So, here's to hoping I get inspired for the next chapter like I did this one, and that I can get it out as quickly, if not much faster! I really, really do appreciate the reviews! Without the knowledge that other people are still reading, I wouldn't be so pushed to get the story finished, or to write anything else. So thanks again for leaving them, and I hope you all will continue to do so!
I'm also working on a little post-2nd-movie fic, so watch out for it-- It's turning out to be much longer than I originally intended for a small one-shot!
So, on to the story!
------------------------------------------
Sight Unseen
Chapter 33: Smokescreen
It was amazing, what Inuyasha noticed when he really put his mind to defeating a particular enemy. His concentration in past battles had brought him the smells and changes in airflow that allowed him to utilize the kaze no kizu and the bakryuuha each for the first time. Once he figured one of Tetsusaiga's special attacks out, repeating the action was fairly easy-- he just had to wait for the right moment.
Of course, the ability to be patient and wait wasn't one he normally possessed, but on rare occasions it made itself known, and he was able to find the weakness in his enemy, or, at the very least, observe his opponent's moves with a slightly clearer head.
He'd managed to disarm Ookii fairly easily, and the winged demon had retreated. However, another of the windwalkers blocking his way towards the wooden structure, where he was certain Kagome was hidden, took his opponent's place.
Once again, Inuyasha knocked the rudimentary blade out of the youkai's grip, the demon fell back, and another took his place.
Two other dark-winged demons faced off with him, and lost, before he was back to fighting Ookii for a second time.
He was on to the third demon yet again before he finally noticed the pattern.
None of the winged youkai were truly attacking--they thrust the false swords at him as if they really didn't know how to use them. He could have used only his claws and still disarmed his opponents with little effort.
And none of them used their wings as a means of escape, or to make the fight more balanced in their favor.
Inuyasha attempted to charge one of the demons once he'd knocked the blade from its grip, hoping to break the cycle, but the next in line blocked his path.
He growled in frustration, ignoring his opponent's weapon in favor of snagging the demon's clothing in his hand and flinging it bodily into the other three.
Yet the winged youkai kept coming, one after the other, as if their only purpose in life was to keep him --
Busy. They were merely keeping him occupied, to prevent him from gaining access to wherever Kagome was being detained.
And he'd been stupid enough to allow it to continue this long, when he still didn't know if she was safe. But not any more.
This time, when the next winged demon in line came at him, he meant business. With a snarl, he knocked the primitive sword from his enemy's hand, grabbed the front of the youkai's tunic, and threw it towards the large tree, with much more force than he'd used before.
A slight smirk crossed his lips at the loud thud that followed, but he didn't stop to examine his handiwork. Instead, he quickly put Tetsusaiga back in its sheath and charged his next opponent.
The youkai fared no better than its friend had. Inuyasha launched it through the nearest part of the fence that surrounded the compound.
Ookii and the last of the four, which happened to be the first demon he'd thrown, had watched their companions fall, and decided to attack him at the same time.
He cracked his knuckles and waited as they ran towards him, ducking just as their fists flew out.
The blows weren't hard enough to knock the other to the ground, but the short time they needed to recover gave him the chance to finish the job.
With his would-be-attackers indisposed, Inuyasha took the opportunity to make a run for the wooden structure, wanting to find Kagome before anything else came his way.
------------------------------------------
All the while the hanyou was fighting off his would-be swordsmen, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were dealing with problems of their own.
A dozen or so demons had formed a ring around the two humans and the young kitsune who clung to Miroku's shoulder. The demons kept the trio contained, and obstructed any clear view they might have of Inuyasha or Maruku.
Without Kirara, it was harder to fend off the attacks of air-borne demons-- their opponents weren't so courteous as to stay on the ground as Inuyasha's had done. Miroku couldn't use the air void to just suck them all up-- it would've been a rather quick end to the situation, but Maruku had asked them before not to kill the youkai. Inuyasha had been past the point of worrying how badly he hurt his attackers, but Miroku and Sango were a bit more conscientious, as they were still on a mission from Lady Tamaeri.
Sango managed to block many of the blows with Hiraikotsu, but with the lack of targets she could definitely take out with the boomerang, and her weapon's necessity as a shield, she didn't dare to throw it. She did, however, manage to whack a few of the demons with the hard edge before they leapt back out of range.
Miroku was doing the same with his staff, though the thin metal rod wasn't enough to do much damage to any of his opponents. Most merely grinned at him and moved closer to attack once more.
Shippo had even cast his fox-fire spell once, to force one of the winged demons away from the monk and himself. One youkai had come at Miroku from the left. Another had come from the right, just after he'd turned to block the first. But Shippo saw the new enemy and quickly turned on the monk's shoulder. Without worrying about retaliation, he let fly a "kitsune-bi!" and flung the bright blue flames right into the path of the second demon.
"Good shot, Shippo!" the kitsune heard Sango call as he watched the youkai scramble away holding its hands in front of its face.
As he was admiring his handiwork, a smirk just beginning to show, he was nearly jolted from Miroku's shoulder when the monk ducked low to avoid swinging claws. The sharp nails came much to close for comfort for the kitsune's peace of mind, and he decided that maybe he wasn't so excited about fighting after all.
Sango swung Hiraikotsu in a wide circle above her head, staving off three winged youkai, at least temporarily. She then held the boomerang before her as another demon dove in. Its claws scraped uselessly against the bone weapon, and it flew a few feet away.
The next attacker came at her from the side. It was the only female in the group surrounding her and Miroku, although it was almost hard to tell which was the case due to the size of the youkai. Sango turned towards her opponent, eyes narrowed as she waited for just the right moment. She feinted to the right, then jumped back to the left, swinging Hiraikotsu up and around with her left hand to slam it down on the demon's head.
Sango quickly lifted the boomerang up and swung the center straight for the back of a light-winged youkai that was flying past her, towards Miroku. The blow sent the would-be fighter to the ground a few feet away.
Neither of the grounded youkai moved.
At the downfall of two of their comrades, three of the other demons decided it was time to stop playing with the humans, and dove for Sango from different directions.
The youkai exterminator only saw two of them, each to one side of her. They came in much quicker than any of the demons had before, preventing her from having the time to swing Hiraikotsu to ward them off. Instead, she held the boomerang above her head and ducked, rolling forward in preparation for springing back to her feet.
She was out of their path, just barely, but as soon as she was standing and ready to spin around to face her opponents, she was thrown to the ground once more by something slamming into her from behind.
She recognized the purple fabric of Miroku's robes as he rolled one way and she rolled the other to avoid grasping claws. She heard the clanking of sharp nails against his staff as she herself blocked another attack with Hiraikotsu.
She again rolled to the side, this time towards the monk, quickly gaining her footing and swinging the bone boomerang at the demon hovering over him.
As she turned away to confront another enemy, several Shippos suddenly appeared a few feet to her right. The kitsune had apparently either been thrown by Miroku's sudden dive towards her, or had guessed the monk's intent and had jumped from his perch.
The many kitsunes led most of the attacking demons away on a chase, though the real Shippo rushed to where Miroku still lay on the ground.
Sango didn't realize the monk had yet to get up as she swatted away yet another winged youkai and heard him curse behind her. The demon came at her again, and she performed a maneuver similar to the one that had allowed her to take the female demon out earlier.
She dared a glance over her shoulder after confirming that the youkai was not getting up right away, and saw Miroku pushing himself to his feet, Shippo looking at him worriedly.
"H-houshi-sama!" Sango gasped as she noticed the reason for the young kitsune's distress. Four deep gashes ran from Miroku's right shoulder almost to his left hip. The monk turned as she made to move towards him to check the extent of his injuries.
"Sango! Behind you!" he yelled, wincing as he leaned somewhat on his staff.
She spun quickly, bringing Hiraikotsu up to block the incoming blow, realizing that their attackers had returned after apparently giving up on the illusionary kitsunes.
'If only Shippo's magic would last just the slightest bit longer...' she thought as she took several steps backward.
"Damn it!" she heard Miroku mutter under his breath from just behind her.
They were once again ringed in, and this time, several of the demons held weapons-- tree limbs and a few crudely fashioned blades.
'It was hard enough before!' Sango thought, eyes widening as she stood back-to-back with Miroku. 'What are we supposed to do now?'
"Sango, do you have one of those smoking demon-exorcisers on you?"
Miroku's strained voice startled her as she waited, on edge, for one of the demons to attack. "W-what?" she asked on an almost squeak.
"One of those demon-repelling smoking things you use to get demons out of houses? Do you have one?"
"Um, yes, but, they're not--"
"Good. Then please do not take this the wrong way."
Seconds after that cryptic comment, Miroku suddenly shifted behind her, reaching around her side and under the edge of her belt. His questing fingers were gone before she could truly register what he'd done. She faintly heard Shippo mutter, "kitsune-bi!" and then the world exploded in smoke.
------------------------------------------
Maruku had been dealing with many of the demons, himself. As the group who followed Ataru was mostly made up of rebels and those being punished for their crimes, many of them had lined up to take him on in a fight, believing themselves to be tougher now than they had been before, and uncaring of the consequences of harming a high-ranking hunter since they were already outcasts. For reasons unknown to the windwalker, they tended to attack in pairs, but never in larger groups.
Most of those who chose to fight him were dark-winged like himself, and he recognized many of them as Shiori's kin. His eyes narrowed as he realized several light-winged youkai, not scruffy-looking criminals but those who followed Ataru due to their belief that their tribe was superior to Maruku's, had gathered around to watch.
He fended most of his opponents off fairly easily-- they tended to be predictable when one knew how to read their moves. It was almost comical how few of their blows actually managed to come somewhat close to their intended target.
Until he realized that they weren't really trying. Oh, some of them were trying fairly hard to hurt him, but he was the better fighter. Many of them were putting up the appearance of actually moving into combat, only to allow him to block their fists and claws with little effort.
If he and Inuyasha had been able to compare notes, they might have come to the conclusion that something was out of place.
The light-winged youkai observing the skirmishes didn't notice how easily Maruku was winning. They merely laughed at the many rounds of defeat the other demons were going through.
In fact, it was odd that none of his opponents turned on those mocking them from the sidelines. He began to notice the fury in many of the faces of around him, as if they were contemplating doing such a thing, but were holding themselves back for reasons only they were aware of.
The jeers grew louder as Maruku flipped the next challenger over by the arm, so that the youkai landed flat on its back on the ground.
Though the wind had been knocked from the demon's lungs, Maruku caught the glare being directed his way, as if the attacker was saying, "I'll get you for that later, when this is over."
Or perhaps it was more of an, "I know what's going on, and that wasn't supposed to happen, you jerk. I went easy on you, after all."
He couldn't quite tell, through the pain in the youkai's eyes, whether it was more of a threat or a reprimand.
But he didn't have time to contemplate the thought as the next combatant came at him.
Several moments and three more downed youkai later, he was able to pause and catch his breath.
But just as he did, a foul-smelling odor made him cough, along with all the youkai around him. The air was abruptly filled with dense smoke, or dust, obstructing his view of most of those surrounding him.
He held his breath and pushed through the small crowd, hoping to find at least one of his traveling companions before they would be attacked once more.
He'd only gone a few steps, coughing and gagging along the way, when he heard a faint, yet unmistakable and welcome voice in his mind.
-Brother, I heard you calling me.-
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Of course, Inuyasha should have known he wouldn't make it to the wooden building without being detained, especially when he'd been pushed away from it by the demons he'd fought earlier. Luck had not been with him since he and the others arrived at the compound. But he'd had to try once more, no matter how low his chances were.
Two light-winged youkai, males much stronger-looking than most of the demons he'd already fought, descended to the ground a few feet in front of him as he ran towards the wooden structure.
He didn't bother to slow down-- they'd probably jump out of the way before he could manage to strike one or the other. At least he could count on the winged demons to be predictable, he thought as they did just that.
He knew they'd keep coming at him, but he was determined to make it as close to the building as possible. So he kept going, waiting for them to catch up.
They landed in front of him once more after he'd only gone a few steps.
His patience ran out.
With a snarl, Inuyasha focused on the one to the right. He drew his claws back, ready to strike as soon as he got in range.
The winged demon anticipated his move, but he still managed to get a good swipe down his opponent's leg before it got far enough away.
The second one danced away as he turned in its direction. He'd stepped forward, ready to pursue the youkai, but, with the faintest hint of Shippo calling "Kitsune-bi!" the world was suddenly blocked out by thick smoke.
He put his sleeve over his nose, coughing at the scent he recognized as Sango's demon-repellent.
He didn't question what had happened, and he ignored the scent as best he could. He didn't have the time to waste. He now had the advantage. He could easily make it into the structure before any of the demons knew what he'd done.
He continued on his way, at an almost-walk so as not to alert the other youkai to his determined movements--let them think he was trying to escape or find his friends.
His eyes watered, obscuring his vision. But he knew what direction the structure had been in, and he kept moving.
Faint coughing that sounded vaguely familiar came from a few feet in front of him. The smoke had begun to clear with a faint breeze, but he still couldn't see well through the tears clouding his gaze.
He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and looked up.
He almost thought it was a trick of the light through the remaining smoke.
Or maybe he was just hallucinating from whatever anti-youkai herbs were in the bombs Sango used.
Was it really--
"Kagome!"
Shippo's yell spurred him into running forward.
"Inuyasha, look out!"
The hanyou barely dodged the blow aimed straight for his head. Apparently he'd been standing still for just a moment too long, and Sango's warning allowed him to duck just in time. He swiped at his opponent's midsection as he pivoted away, eyes narrowed on the winged demon as it jumped back.
Kagome was alive and all right, and she had apparently found Morihiko, judging from the look of the windwalker riding on Kirara with her.
And Inuyasha was seriously ticked off at the demon who decided to get in his way.
He cracked his knuckles and went after the youkai, springing into the air when it leaped off the ground. He took a swipe and ended up with a handful of feathers.
The demon landed once again as its flight was disrupted. But the hanyou was right behind.
Before his opponent could attempt to take off, Inuyasha grabbed its robes with both hands and flung it through the opposite side of the fence from where he'd made a hole earlier.
As if they were eager to meet the same fate, two other light-winged youkai, one of them the same one he'd caught in the leg, appeared in front of him.
With a devilish grin, he granted their wish.
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Somewhere on the other side of the compound, near Maruku, one of the dark-winged youkai turned to its neighbor and tapped the light-winged demon on the shoulder. The light-winged one still had a bit of grit in its eyes from the smoke, and barely saw the fist coming at him before it hit him full in the face.
As if that had been the predestined signal, the battlefield exploded into utter chaos.
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A/N: Woo-hoo! Reunion time! Well, I hope this was a decent bit of battle. It's really hard to come up with fighting scenes, especially when I try not to use the same major moves again. I kindof got inventive there with Sango's weapons. I haven't seen her use the smoke bombs too much, but I remember there being at least once where they were smoking a youkai out of a house. So, I assumed the herbs or whatever they're made out of needed to be on fire or heated at lesat. So, add Shippo's foxfire, and... poof! Literally. Of course, foxfire isn't just _normal_ fire...
And I'm sorry it's another cliff-hanger. But I promise things are going to be wrapped up soon! As long as my schoolwork and work-work cooperates!