InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tainted ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: TassanaBurrfoot 
A deadly confrontation.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Horror / Suspense / Thriller | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.15.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 510 | Status: Completed
A deadly confrontation.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Horror / Suspense / Thriller | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.15.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 510 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and its characters. I do not own some of the quotes made either. I do not make any money off of this story.
Warning: May contain scenes of violence, rape, or sex.
Bankotsu sat on a boulder deep within a cave. One leg was propped up and he used it to rest his arm. The other hung off the side of the boulder. Banryu stood next to him, the tip of its blade buried in the cave’s floor.
Kagome…
The mercenary shook his head. He really could not understand why he was letting her get in his mind. When he agreed to do this job, she never was part of the equation. Now, she was all he could think about.
He saw the bump in her stomach again. Could she really be pregnant?
It wasn’t possible. Pregnancy would mean that he could have children. It meant that he actually was alive. It meant he wasn’t just some specter.
His gaze rested on his jewel endowed left wrist and he balled his hand into a fist. If she really was pregnant, then he had more than one reason to keep his life.
Serve me and you’ll have eternal life. That had been Naraku’s promise.
Bankotsu doubted the demon would be true to his word. Demons rarely were. He knew Naraku was using him and knew that he couldn’t trust the bastard. But Naraku had given him a second chance at life. With that second chance, Bankotsu had, somehow, managed to produce life.
His thoughts drifted back to the miko, the mother of his child. She had been incredibly beautiful and kind. Her gentleness was something he had never experienced before. Even more, it made his desire to live even greater than getting revenge.
His whole plan had been to seduce the priestess and taint her. To make her want him and no one else. To his great joy, he had accomplished that very thing. But in the process, she had stolen his heart as well. There was no sense in denying it anymore. At least, not to himself.
Every one of his comrades was gone now, leaving him alone, but was he really alone? Had he wanted, Bankotsu could have a life. He could live. He had a wife and a child. He had an opportunity to take them and leave this area. He could watch his baby grow into an incredible warrior and he knew the child would, regardless of whether the child was male or female. There was so much he could teach his kid.
Bankotsu closed his eyes. A pipe dream is what it was. Even if he would be able to take Kagome and leave, Naraku would find them. Bankotsu would die the moment the shards were taken out of his body.
Then again, if Bankotsu were to defeat Naraku then…
He imagined Kagome being round with their third, maybe fourth child. Maybe they would have mostly boys. One girl. He wanted only one girl. All the rest were boys. Strapping, healthy, handsome boys who would grow big and strong, like their father. The girl would be as beautiful as her mother and become a miko just like Kagome.
The mercenary was jolted from his small fantasy as he heard feet slapping against the cave floor. Looking up towards the entrance, he hopped down from his boulder and picked up his halberd.
His eyes widened ever so slightly as he swung his blade in a wide arch in front of him, causing the rock along the side and top of the cave to crumble. His eyes narrowed and he waited as the hanyou approached, sword drawn.
“Bankotsu!” Inuyasha growled, skidding to a halt several feet in front of the mercenary. Koga stood beside the half breed.
“Two against one,” the mercenary commented. “I think those odds are quite unfair. Perhaps you should turn around and get some help before I kill you both.”
“You’re the one who’s gonna die, you stinkin’ corpse!” Koga snarled his hand clenched in a fist.
“I have no interest in you, wolf,” the mercenary said. He pointed his blade at the hanyou and stated, “You, however… I hope you aren’t on your way to see Naraku, because you won’t actually be meeting him. You and I have a score to settle.”
“You bastard!” Inuyasha shouted. “I’m going to kill you for what you did to Kagome and then I’ll take your jewel shards!”
Bankotsu smirked. “What I did to Kagome, huh?” he taunted. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. By my reckoning, she enjoyed it.”
“Shut up!” Koga roared as he jumped in the air to deliver a kick to the mercenary’s face.
Bankotsu ducked as he raised his halberd to deflect the blow. Koga spun in midair to keep from getting hit by the sword as Bankotsu swung the blade.
“Get outta the way, you stupid wolf!” Inuyasha growled.
The mercenary chuckled as Koga jumped away from him. As Inuyasha unleashed his Wind Scar, Bankotsu batted it away as though it were nothing. The half demon’s eyes widened in shock.
“That trick won’t work on me, Inuyasha,” the mercenary sneered as he advanced upon the hanyou.
As Bankotsu swung his blade, Inuyasha parried it with the Tetsusaiga. The mercenary attacked again and the hanyou blocked again. As they fought, they spoke to one another.
“I’m going to carve out every one of those jewel shards, Bankotsu,” Inuyasha snarled. “So, you better be ready. You should be rotting in your grave like good little corpse and I’m gonna be the one to make sure you do!”
“Ha!” Bankotsu barked. “That’s high and mighty for someone such as you, a pathetic little demon that was nailed to a tree.”
“You son of a…”
“My mistake,” the mercenary corrected. “You’re not a real demon. You’re just a half demon. I was told all about you and that dead priestess, Kikyo.”
“Why you…”
Bankotsu parried another blow before jumping away from the hanyou. “A half demon such as you has no right criticizing those of us who were resurrected.”
“I’ve had enough of this chatter!” Koga yelled as he jumped into the fight.
The mercenary jumped away from the wolf, but Inuyasha stepped between them. “I said, stay out of this!” the hanyou growled. “Wind Scar!”
Bankotsu swung his sword, sending a ball of heat at Inuyasha’s attack. The Wind Scar was easily deflected. Rocks and dust tumbled onto the floor. Inuyasha and Koga quickly jumped out of the way as Bankotsu was surrounded by the rock.
The mercenary’s eyes narrowed as he pushed the rock aside and climbed atop it. When he saw the two demons, he gave a soft gasp. “So, you survived,” he panted.
Both demons growled. Inuyasha had the tip of his sword buried in the soil. It had been the only thing that had protected him and Koga from the falling rocks. Though they were protected from most of the damage, Koga had been knocked out by a rather large rock.
“Good!” the mercenary spat. “Because that means I can kill you!”
The hanyou glared at his foe. “One of us is going to die today, but it isn’t going to be me! Come and get it, Bankotsu!”
Both men swung their swords at the same time in their owned attacks. They parried one another, making more rocks fall and leaving neither man injured. Inuyasha growled. Damn it! There’s no demonic aura, so I can’t use my Backlash Wave!
“You look like you’re deep in thought, Inuyasha,” the mercenary commented. “Thinking about where you want to be buried?”
The hanyou snorted. “I was actually trying to think of the quickest way to defeat you, but never mind. I’m having too much fun!”
As the hanyou let loose another Wind Scar, the mercenary sent a blast of heat with his Banryu. They fought like this for a while.
Inuyasha jumped out of the way of one of Bankotsu’s heat attacks and growled. The mercenary smirked. “What’s the matter, Inuyasha? I thought you said you were having fun?”
The hanyou threw his sword at the man and Bankotsu easily batted it away. Tetsusaiga flew across the cave and landed with its pointed buried in the ground. As the sword was flying, Inuyasha leapt at Bankotsu and, using his claws, cut out the jewel shards buried in the mercenary’s right wrist.
The mercenary threw the hanyou off of him and clutched at his arm, dropping Banryu in the process. He glared at his opponent. “How dare you!”
“Heh! I knew you had shards in your arm,” Inuyasha sneered. “That’s why you seemed so powerful. I’m going to carve each shard out of your body and the next one’s in your neck!”
As Inuyasha attacked the mercenary with his claws, Bankotsu jumped away from him. It was an effective means of not getting hit or sliced open. As he dodged another blow, the mercenary balled his right fist and punched the hanyou across the face, causing Inuyasha to fall backwards to the ground.
“Don’t underestimate me, half demon. Just who do you think you’re dealing with? I am Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven. And I’ve never lost a battle to anyone.”
“You bastard, “ Inuyasha growled.
The hanyou rose to his feet and bounded at the mercenary, attempting to slice him. Bankotsu easily dodged to Inuyasha’s attack and attempted to return fire, throwing punches. Many of the punches Bankotsu gave made contact with flesh. “You underestimate my strength. There was a good reason why I became the leader of the Band of Seven,” the mercenary snarled as he attempted to punch Inuyasha’s face into the wall.
Inuyasha dodged the blow just barely and managed to get behind the mercenary, but Bankotsu whirled on the ball of his foot and followed the hanyou’s movement. He continued, “I controlled a gang of murderers with my own power long before I was resurrected by the Shikon jewel!”
Bankotsu landed a few more punches before sending the hanyou flying backwards and smashing against the stone wall. “Heh. You really are pathetic.”
“One of your jewel shards is imbedded in your left arm,” Inuyasha pointed out as he leaned against the wall, panting. “That’s a pretty straight forward way to use them, especially considering how twisted you are.”
Bankotsu smirked. “So, you let me hit you so you could check me out, huh? Will you take my shards from me or will I pull that head of yours clean off?! Who’s gonna be first?” He jumped at the hanyou with his fists ready.
*8*
Kagome was sitting behind Sango on Kirara. The miko had sensed the Sacred Jewel shards and begged for her friends to help her. Sango and Miroku obliged since they were heading in that direction anyway. It wasn’t just Bankotsu and Koga’s jewel shards the miko had sensed. She felt Naraku, as well.
As the friends hurried towards the mountain, Kagome sent a prayer: not just for Inuyasha and Koga, but one for Bankotsu as well.
*8*
Inuyasha came at Bankotsu at the same time with his claws bared. To his surprise, the mercenary blocked him. Bankotsu used the opportunity to throw another punch across the hanyou’s face and felt the satisfying connection of flesh and bone against flesh and bone.
Inuyasha fell against the hard stone wall again and, as he did, Bankotsu laughed. “What’s the matter, Inuyasha? I’m going out of my way to punch with this hand to make it easy for you to take my jewel shards,” he taunted.
He grabbed the hanyou by the neck and slammed him against the wall, adding a punch to the hanyou’s stomach. Then, he allowed the hanyou to fall to the ground. “You’re pathetic,” the mercenary snarled as he grabbed the hanyou’s haori collar. “I thought you were a lot stronger than that.” He held the hanyou up to face level and added with a sneer, “I don’t understand what Kagome ever saw in you, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of the little miko. Now, die.”
As Bankotsu raised his hand for the killing blow, Inuyasha’s fingers jabbed themselves into the mercenary’s neck. The mercenary grunted in shock. “I’m not like all the other humans and demons you slaughtered,” the hanyou grunted. “I can take a lot more damage than them.”
Three shards flew out of Bankotsu’s neck and as he released Inuyasha, the hanyou snatched them up. Inuyasha kicked the mercenary in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall on the opposite side. He tucked the shards into his haori. “I’ve got five of them,” the hanyou growled. “Once I get the one from your left arm, it’ll all be over for you, Bankotsu.”
It was then that Koga reappeared at Inuyasha’s side, but this time, the wolf was wise enough not to go after the mercenary.
Bankotsu barked a sarcastic laugh. “I will never die!” the mercenary shouted. “I’ll kill you and take back the jewel shards you stole from me.”
Koga’s eyes narrowed. “Wanna bet, corpse?” he growled.
Inuyasha shot an angry glance at the wolf. “Stay out of it, wolf,” he snapped. He turned his attention back to the fallen mercenary. Indicating the cave to show the demons that had gathered around both entryways, he said, “Look around you. Getting out of this cave is only half the battle. Do you think Naraku’s going to let you live when you have Shikon jewel shards?”
Bankotsu knew where Inuyasha was going and refused to take the bait. “Do you think I’ll let Naraku get me?” he spat back. “After I kill you, I’ll go after Naraku. I have to. My wife and child are counting on me.”
The hanyou and demon both hesitated. “What?” they asked in unison.
The mercenary just glared at the two. “I guess you haven’t realized it yet, huh?” he growled. “My Kagome is pregnant with my child. In a few months’ time, she’ll give birth and I intend to be there!”
Without warning, Bankotsu leaped from his position and straight for Banryu. Koga took a step back, his claws at the ready as Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga. The hanyou glanced at the wolf. “Stay out of it!” he snapped, but it didn’t matter.
Once Bankotsu grabbed his sword, he ran past the hanyou and wolf demon and began attacking the demons at one of the entryways. Inuyasha and Koga looked at one another as Koga asked, “What the hell is he doing?”
The hanyou shook his head. He could hear the mercenary counting as he slain the demons. This only worked to further confuse Inuyasha. But the hanyou had his own battle to fight. Apparently, Bankotsu’s attack sent the other demons into a battle frenzy and both Inuyasha and Koga were suddenly busy fighting them off.
Almost immediately after the hanyou and wolf began fighting the demons, Bankotsu shouted, “I don’t need the rest of you!”
Koga glanced up at the mercenary. “What did you say?” he growled. His eyes widened in surprise.
Bankotsu’s sword glowed with a demonic light as he twirled it above his head. Then, he sliced his sword in the air, causing a great rush of demonic energy to be released from the sword, killing everything within its path. With luck, Koga was standing next to Inuyasha as the hanyou held up his sword for protection. Unfortunately, the wolf managed to get knocked out again as the walls to the cave split into piles of rock.
Inuyasha stood strong, his fang bared, against the mercenary. If what Bankotsu said about Kagome was true, the hanyou knew she wouldn’t want the father of her child killed. “If you decide to leave, I won’t get in your way,” he told the mercenary.
Bankotsu rested Banryu on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere until I avenge my brothers.”
The hanyou snorted. “What? Just because your blade transformed a little?”
“Actually, I wanted to chop off your head to complete the transformation,” the mercenary commented with a small smile. He shrugged. “But it might not have been enough with you being only a half demon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Bankotsu jumped into the air and raised his sword. “You’re about to find out!” he shouted as he brought his sword down to come crashing against Inuyasha’s.
Inuyasha remained surprised as the two exchanged more blows and parries. Banryu had grown much stronger. Each time they clashed, the two swords sent sparks flying off of their blades.
As they traded blows, Bankotsu chuckled. “Kagome was born with powers of the divine,” he boasted. “I wonder if our child will inherit that. I wasn’t born with those powers, nor am I spiritual. I have always believed that to be strong, you had to have power. Since I couldn’t have any of those powers, I knew the only other way to gain power was to put it in an object!”
Inuyasha grunted as he blocked another blow. “Bankotsu, that blade of yours has demonic power,” he warned. “Though the Shikon Jewel may have revived you, you’re still human. Having that blade is dangerous. Get rid of it!”
“Go to hell, half breed!”
Inuyasha tried jumping away from the mercenary, but Bankotsu followed him. The power of Banryu pushed the half demon back and it was all Inuyasha could do to keep his sword up for protection. With a blast from Banryu, Inuyasha was thrown into a stone column. The column cracked and broke, sending debris to rain upon the hanyou’s head and shoulders.
Bankotsu took a step back and pointed his blade at the hanyou. “It’s over,” he said with a finality that Inuyasha did not miss.
The mercenary lifted his demonic sword over his head and the sword began to twirl. As it did, an orb of demonic energy began to form right above the sword. “With this power, I will lose to no one!” he shouted as he grabbed his sword and swung it in an arch towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha did not think as he raised his own blade and sent his Backlash Wave back at the mercenary. He then watched as the mercenary tried to protect himself with his blade only to have the blade shattered. Bankotsu was consumed in his own demonic power and the walls around him crumbled to bury him.
The hanyou panted and put his blade back in its scabbard. Then, he approached the half dead mercenary. Bankotsu’s body was crushed under a pile of huge rocks. His head rested on another rock. While his left arm was still attached to his shoulder, the mercenary’s right arm stuck out at an odd angle a few feet away.
Bankotsu was still breathing, but just barely. His eyes were open and he glanced at the hanyou. He knew his time had come and it was over. For him. “I don’t understand,” he whispered.
Inuyasha just stared at the mercenary. “You were too greedy, Bankotsu,” he replied. “You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards.”
Bankotsu glanced away and blinked. “Take care of her,” he whispered.
As the world began to darken around the mercenary, he saw a vision of Kagome. She was standing there with a sad smile as she looked at him. A small baby boy was perched on one hip.
*8*
Kagome felt an odd pressure in her chest and gasped. A single tear fell down her cheek. “We have to hurry, Sango,” she said.
The demon slayer nodded. “Right,” she agreed. She pressed her knees more firmly into the cat demon’s sides. “Let’s go, Kirara.”
*8*
Inuyasha helped the wolf demon to his feet. “Naraku is further in this cave,” the hanyou said.
Koga nodded. “Let’s go then, mutt.”
As the two began to move, the ground beneath them began to shift. They held their arms out to steady themselves. “What the…?”
Neither demon could move their legs as they became trapped and swallowed into the ground.
*8*
The small group of friends entered a large cavern. Kagome looked around it frantically. She knew she had sensed jewel shards around here.
“What’s that?” Shippo asked fearfully as he pointed down at the seemingly bottomless chasm. It seemed like large tentacles were rising swiftly out of the ground.
Kagome gasped suddenly as she saw the hanyou helplessly ensnared within the tentacles. “Inuyasha!” she shouted. She repeated herself several more times before the hanyou finally stirred.
“Ka-go-me,” he whispered. He slowly raised his eyes and saw her.
Inuyasha’s eyes snapped open. “What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous!” he yelled at her.
Shippo changed into a large pink balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. Together they drifted towards the hanyou. “We were worried about you,” Kagome answered.
The hanyou glanced away. With her being so close to him, he could smell the truth of Bankotsu’s words. He closed his eyes. “I’m ok,” he assured her. “But you…”
He was interrupted by a malicious laugh. Both he and Kagome glanced up at the ceiling as Naraku’s face appeared.
Without warning, Kirara was slammed into the wall and both Miroku and Sango were pinned against it. Shippo tried to fly away, but he and Kagome were also swept up by tentacles and slammed into the wall. Kagome grunted, causing Inuyasha to immediately worry about her.
“Naraku,” the miko groaned.
The evil hanyou continued to chuckle. “It’s too late for you now, Inuyasha,” he stated calmly. “You’re already hopelessly entangled in my intestines. The whole of Mount Hakurei has become a part of my body. You are all inside of me.”
Shippo glanced fearfully up at Kagome. “Does that mean he’s going to devour all of us?” he asked.
Naraku scoffed. “Don’t be so naïve. I have no interest in absorbing a weak demon like you.”
The little kitsune was immediately offended. “Hey! Is he talking about me?”
“Nor am I interested in a half demon and a handful of humans,” the evil hanyou added as he raised one of his tentacles to reveal the upper portion of Bankotsu’s body.
Kagome gasped. Bankotsu…
“Bankotsu!” Inuyasha stated.
Both Miroku and Sango gazed at the mercenary. “Bankotsu’s dead?” the monk asked in surprise.
The miko stared at her beloved with a mixture of horror and sorrow. She knew it was going to happen. He had told her as much, but she hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“The stupidity of humans makes me utterly sick to my stomach,” Naraku spat. “Even villains like Bankotsu, who had the chance to run away with the jewel shards, and yet he chose to stay here and avenge his comrades. He fought against you, Inuyasha, when he should have fled. They prove themselves to be fools all the time, these mortals called humans.”
Naraku lifted a tentacle and jabbed it into Bankotsu’s left arm. Kagome watched in horror as the jewel shards were pulled out of his body and the corpse crumbled into dust.
“Naraku, damn you to hell! Sure, Bankotsu may have been a villain,” Inuyasha growled. “He was evil alright, but he was hundreds of times more decent than you. Naraku! Compared to him, Naraku, you are…”
“Why are you so wound up, Inuyasha?” the evil hanyou chuckled. “Ultimately, you were the one who defeated him.”
“Spare me the lectures!” Inuyasha snarled.
The tentacles continued to gather the shards, both from Banryu and viciously from Inuyasha’s haori. As Naraku drew the shards closer to his face, he laughed in victory. “At long last, the jewel shards belong to me!”
The friends shielded their eyes as the jewel shards were combined with one another. They then watched in terror as the evil hanyou’s body began to reform. His new body looked ten times more formidable. His armor had fang-like spikes vertically along his chest and down both of his arms. There was a large, spiked shoulder plate on his left shoulder and an upper arm guard on his right. Two huge fangs were sticking up out of his back near either of his shoulders and he had large, bone and fang bands that flared out of his back to rest behind him. His long black hair fell to his waist and did nothing to cover the big, thick tentacles that were also attached to his back.
He was covered by a long, blue and purple outfit that barely concealed the armor he wore. In the middle of his chest a huge red eye flickered back and forth, taking in all of its surroundings. A large pink orb surrounded Naraku.
Sango gasped. “Is that?”
“It’s Naraku’s new body,” Miroku said, staring at the evil hanyou.
Naraku chuckled. “Look at you all,” he taunted. “You came here to destroy me and now you cannot even lay a finger on me.”
“Yeah, like I’m trembling in fear!” Inuyasha sneered. “After all the trouble you went through to hide yourself, I was expecting you to be some big scary monster!”
“Inuyasha, Naraku’s demonic aura is much stronger than it used to be!” Miroku shouted, trying to warn his friend.
The hanyou barked in sarcasm. “Please!” he spat. “As if! He’s only become more warped than before. That’s the only difference with this loser!”
Inuyasha shoved his hand through the tentacles, managing to slice his way out. Then he jumped onto the wall and used the wall to propel him towards Naraku. Raising a hand in attack, he shouted, “Iron Wreaver, Soul Stealer!”
Naraku laughed at the attempt. He was still protected by his pinkish barrier and Inuyasha and his attack just bounced off. “Only a fool would try to attack me with his bare claws,” the evil hanyou stated with a laugh.
Inuyasha somersaulted to a small landing. “Yeah? If it’s a sword you want, then I’ll cut you to shreds!” he grabbed his scabbard and held it up. “Come, Tetsusaiga.”
As soon as his sword came to him, Inuyasha transformed it into its large blade. Then, he swung it around and sliced it through the air towards Naraku. “Wind Scar!”
“Hn,” Naraku scoffed. “Always the fool.”
Naraku lifted his arm and the fang closest to his hand elongated, piercing the barrier, but not disbursing it. As the Wind Scar approached him, the dark hanyou cut through it, causing the attack to suddenly go all over the place.
The wild attack destroyed the tentacles that held Inuyasha’s companions and Inuyasha quickly jumped to Kagome’s rescue. He brought her to a nearby ledge and glanced at Sango and Miroku. To his relief, they were at another ledge, hiding behind Sango’s Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha used his sword to protect Kagome, Shippo, and himself from the Wind Scar.
“I don’t understand,” the hanyou growled. “Why is the Wind Scar acting like this?”
The attack just wouldn’t disappear and Naraku laughed more. “Inuyasha, I’ve trapped your Wind Scar in the flow of my own demonic aura. The Wind Scar will continue to circle in here. At least until you are all sliced to pieces. Ironic, isn’t it, Inuyasha? To think the unleashing of your Wind Scar will cause the death of all your precious friends.”
Naraku started rising towards the top of the mountain and Inuyasha barked, “You running away again, coward?”
Kagome gasped suddenly as she looked up at Naraku. She tugged on Inuyasha’s haori. “Inuyasha, go after him!” she hissed.
“What?”
“I see Koga!” she said as she pointed to Naraku. “There, at Naraku’s feet! We have to save him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Kagome confirmed. “Koga’s a demon, so Naraku might try to absorb him to get his jewel shards. We’ve got to save him.”
“That’s assuming the guy’s still alive,” he growled as the Wind Scar came back towards them.
Once the Wind Scar was safely away from them, Inuyasha let Kagome climb onto his back as he jumped into the air. She grabbed her bow and an arrow and aimed at the evil hanyou. “Remember, aim for Naraku and take him down,” Inuyasha told her.
Kagome nodded. “Alright,” she said as she pulled back on the bow and released it and the arrow.
Her miko powers were as strong as ever as they cut through the Wind Scar and Naraku’s demonic aura. The arrow sliced at Naraku’s barrier near his feet, causing a large blob to fall from it. Koga was inside that blob.
“Oh, look! It’s Koga!” The priestess shouted and Inuyasha changed his direction to go after the unconscious wolf.
Naraku chuckled. “You’d worry about a friend at a time like this? Your unfailing stupidity thoroughly disgusts me,” he sneered. He lifted a hand. “If your comrades are so precious to you, then you can all die here, together.”
The walls and ground began to shake. The bits of tentacles and the wall fell around them in pieces. Miroku and Sango tried to catch their balance and were lucky enough that Kirara was there to help them. They jumped onto her back and Miroku shouted, “Inuyasha! This entire mountain is beginning to crumble! We have to get out of here!”
The hanyou glanced at his friend and nodded. Landing on a ledge, he let Kagome and Shippo slide off of him. “Shippo? Can you get Kagome out of here?” he asked.
The fox demon nodded, but it was Kagome who asked, “What are you going to do?”
Inuyasha snorted. “What do you think? I’m going after that mangy wolf. You’ll only be in my way if you’re with me. Now, go.”
Shippo transformed into a balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. She glanced at Inuyasha. “You’ll come back to me, won’t you, Inuyasha?” she asked, concern filling her eyes.
The hanyou gave a nod. “Don’t worry about me. Just go.”
As the kitsune moved away and towards Miroku and Sango, the hanyou jumped into the darkness. Kagome glanced around her. “Where’s the exit?”
The monk shook his head. “It looked like we’ll have to make one,” he told them as he lifted his hand above his head and unleashed his Wind Tunnel.
To their relief, he was able to create a passage to the outside. Shippo and Kirara hurried out and landed safely on the ground at a safe distance. They watched as the mountain crumbled and fell. Kagome clutched at her chest in fear.
*8*
When Inuyasha reached the bottom of the mountain, he found himself surrounded by a pool of acid and miasma. He knew that if the wolf had fallen into the pool, there would be no hope in recovering him. To his surprise, or what was that relief, Inuyasha saw the wolf laying on a piece of rock. He was still encased in the blob.
The hanyou used his claws and cut the blob away from the wolf. He checked the wolf’s vitals and saw that he was still alive.
He threw Koga’s arm around his shoulder and grabbed the wolf’s waist. It was at this time that Koga awoke, coughing.
Inuyasha scoffed. “So, you’re awake, you scrawny wolf.”
“Yeah, mangy mutt,” Koga bit back, though there was no real bite in his words. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. “Bankotsu, Naraku! Where are they?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, we’ve got to get out of here,” the hanyou replied. But finding an exit wasn’t going to be easy. “Where’s the exit?”
“You mean you don’t know?” the wolf exclaimed. “You idiot!”
“I used to know,” the hanyou argued, as he felt Koga slipping. “But it seems like all the exits have been sealed.”
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” Koga said. “I ain’t gonna die in this place with you.”
Inuyasha sniffed. “We agree for once. I’m not dying here.”
A beam of light suddenly shone towards them. Inuyasha readjusted Koga before bounding towards the light.
*8*
Kagome waited anxiously as she watched the mountain crumble and implode upon itself, Inuyasha’s red haori was clutched in her hands. Shippo sat on her shoulder, his eyes staring at the mountain as well. Sango and Miroku were high above them on Kirara, trying to catch a glimpse of the hanyou.
It was Kagome who saw them first, thanks to Koga’s jewel shards. “Inuyasha! Koga!” she shouted.
Koga found a new strength as he grabbed the back of Inuyasha’s kimono and propelled off a falling boulder. They were safe within moments. Immediately, Koga abandoned the hanyou and went to Kagome.
He took her hands into his. “I am so sorry to make you worry,” he told her. “I hope you’re…”
The miko watched him as his nose wrinkled and he sniffed the air. She had hoped the dust and miasma would have covered her scent, but… “Are you… pregnant?” the wolf asked.
He released her hands as Kirara landed and the monk and demon slayer moved to stand on either side of the priestess. Inuyasha folded his arms as he glared at them. “So,” he growled, “you’re defending that spawn?”
Kagome gasped as Miroku stepped in front of her. “Don’t do something you’ll regret,” the monk warned. “Regardless of what may have happened…”
“What may have happened?!” Koga snarled. “That asshole forced himself on her. And now, because of him she’s pregnant!”
Miroku nodded in agreement. “But that is neither her fault nor that of the child’s. We cannot allow our own hatreds affect the outcome of this child’s life. It is an innocent, which makes it our responsibility to protect.”
Koga looked at Kagome. She could see that he was hurt. Touching Miroku’s arm, she walked past him and approached the wolf. “It will be ok,” she said softly, but the wolf pulled away from her.
“You’re supposed to be mine,” he told her. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re right,” she replied. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. And now, I have to live with that… I won’t… I won’t ask you to continue…”
She had glanced at Inuyasha and he looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. “Don’t be an idiot,” the hanyou growled. “It’s my fault that it happened in the first place, so…”
“No, it’s not,” she argued.
His eyes snapped to hers as he snarled, “It is! If I had picked you up instead of…”
“There’s no way you could have known Bankotsu and his men were hiding in wait,” she shot back. “It was something they had planned back when Suikotsu was killed. Bankotsu told me all about it.”
“Keh,” the hanyou said, he looked away from her again. “You and Bankotsu got awfully close while you were there, didn’t you? Is it true what he said? Did you start to actually enjoy spending time with him?”
Kagome hesitated, but Miroku stepped in again. “You have no idea what she’s been through, Inuyasha,” the monk pointed out. “None of us do. Anything he may have told you has to be considered a lie. You have to remember, she was kidnapped and tortured for four months. During that time, she may have started to, at least pretend, to enjoy it just to keep him happy.”
Sango nodded. “It’s not fair of you to ask her those kinds of questions,” she said. “When and if she is ready to talk about it, then she will.”
Koga sighed. “So, what do we do now?” he asked, folding his arms. “She’s at least three months along. Any extraneous travelling is probably not a good idea.”
“Koga’s right,” Miroku agreed. “But with Naraku out again, I’m not sure…” He glanced at Kagome. “If we come upon Naraku in battle with you pregnant, both you and the baby can get hurt.”
“And it would be a distraction,” Koga pointed out. “Not that I have a problem with protecting you. Even though you’re pregnant with another man’s kid, I still love you. It just… it would be a lot easier to protect you without a child in your stomach.”
Kagome nodded in agreement. “I was thinking along the same lines,” she told them. “Bankotsu wanted me to return to my own ti… village to have the baby. He told me to have the baby there and leave it with my mother. That way, the child will be safe.”
Sango gave her friend a sideways glance. “You mean the two of you actually discussed the well-being of the child?” she inquired. “Did Bankotsu actually grow to care for you?”
The miko shrugged. “Does it matter?” she returned. “Bankotsu knew how important defeating Naraku is and he wanted me to be a part of that, but not at the expense of our child. He knew he was going to die. If Inuyasha or Koga didn’t kill him first, then Naraku eventually would have. Bankotsu knew this. He also knew that we are doing everything in our power to stop Naraku.”
“He knew he had made a mistake in trusting Naraku,” Miroku surmised.
Kagome nodded. “It may not be the only mistake he ever made, but it was one that cost him his life,” she said softly as she bowed her head in silent sorrow.
“Keh!” the hanyou growled. “I can’t believe you’re defending that creep after everything he put you through! You act like the two of you were old pals or lovers or something.”
“Inuyasha,” the miko said. The hanyou gasped and looked at her fearfully, but there was no malice in her face. She just looked sad. “I don’t expect you to understand,” she told him, “but the sooner you accept that this has happened, the sooner we can move onto our next strategy. I’m not asking for your forgiveness. The gods know Bankotsu would never want it. But things happened. Things that I cannot explain happened.”
The hanyou sighed. “We’ll go back to your village. You’ll have the baby and we’ll leave it with your mother,” he surrendered. “How long do you think it’ll take?”
She shook her head. “Until I see a gynecologist, I have no way of knowing even when I became pregnant.”
“What’s a gyno… guyna…?” Miroku tried, stumbling over the word.
It was the first time in months the companions had seen Kagome crack a small smile. “A gynecologist is a female doctor,” she explained. “Sort of like a mid-wife, but with the ability to help a woman heal faster. And they examine women to make sure the woman is healthy… I think you’d probably enjoy something like that, Miroku.”
The monk’s eyes widened before Sango knocked him upside his head.
Warning: May contain scenes of violence, rape, or sex.
Bankotsu sat on a boulder deep within a cave. One leg was propped up and he used it to rest his arm. The other hung off the side of the boulder. Banryu stood next to him, the tip of its blade buried in the cave’s floor.
Kagome…
The mercenary shook his head. He really could not understand why he was letting her get in his mind. When he agreed to do this job, she never was part of the equation. Now, she was all he could think about.
He saw the bump in her stomach again. Could she really be pregnant?
It wasn’t possible. Pregnancy would mean that he could have children. It meant that he actually was alive. It meant he wasn’t just some specter.
His gaze rested on his jewel endowed left wrist and he balled his hand into a fist. If she really was pregnant, then he had more than one reason to keep his life.
Serve me and you’ll have eternal life. That had been Naraku’s promise.
Bankotsu doubted the demon would be true to his word. Demons rarely were. He knew Naraku was using him and knew that he couldn’t trust the bastard. But Naraku had given him a second chance at life. With that second chance, Bankotsu had, somehow, managed to produce life.
His thoughts drifted back to the miko, the mother of his child. She had been incredibly beautiful and kind. Her gentleness was something he had never experienced before. Even more, it made his desire to live even greater than getting revenge.
His whole plan had been to seduce the priestess and taint her. To make her want him and no one else. To his great joy, he had accomplished that very thing. But in the process, she had stolen his heart as well. There was no sense in denying it anymore. At least, not to himself.
Every one of his comrades was gone now, leaving him alone, but was he really alone? Had he wanted, Bankotsu could have a life. He could live. He had a wife and a child. He had an opportunity to take them and leave this area. He could watch his baby grow into an incredible warrior and he knew the child would, regardless of whether the child was male or female. There was so much he could teach his kid.
Bankotsu closed his eyes. A pipe dream is what it was. Even if he would be able to take Kagome and leave, Naraku would find them. Bankotsu would die the moment the shards were taken out of his body.
Then again, if Bankotsu were to defeat Naraku then…
He imagined Kagome being round with their third, maybe fourth child. Maybe they would have mostly boys. One girl. He wanted only one girl. All the rest were boys. Strapping, healthy, handsome boys who would grow big and strong, like their father. The girl would be as beautiful as her mother and become a miko just like Kagome.
The mercenary was jolted from his small fantasy as he heard feet slapping against the cave floor. Looking up towards the entrance, he hopped down from his boulder and picked up his halberd.
His eyes widened ever so slightly as he swung his blade in a wide arch in front of him, causing the rock along the side and top of the cave to crumble. His eyes narrowed and he waited as the hanyou approached, sword drawn.
“Bankotsu!” Inuyasha growled, skidding to a halt several feet in front of the mercenary. Koga stood beside the half breed.
“Two against one,” the mercenary commented. “I think those odds are quite unfair. Perhaps you should turn around and get some help before I kill you both.”
“You’re the one who’s gonna die, you stinkin’ corpse!” Koga snarled his hand clenched in a fist.
“I have no interest in you, wolf,” the mercenary said. He pointed his blade at the hanyou and stated, “You, however… I hope you aren’t on your way to see Naraku, because you won’t actually be meeting him. You and I have a score to settle.”
“You bastard!” Inuyasha shouted. “I’m going to kill you for what you did to Kagome and then I’ll take your jewel shards!”
Bankotsu smirked. “What I did to Kagome, huh?” he taunted. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. By my reckoning, she enjoyed it.”
“Shut up!” Koga roared as he jumped in the air to deliver a kick to the mercenary’s face.
Bankotsu ducked as he raised his halberd to deflect the blow. Koga spun in midair to keep from getting hit by the sword as Bankotsu swung the blade.
“Get outta the way, you stupid wolf!” Inuyasha growled.
The mercenary chuckled as Koga jumped away from him. As Inuyasha unleashed his Wind Scar, Bankotsu batted it away as though it were nothing. The half demon’s eyes widened in shock.
“That trick won’t work on me, Inuyasha,” the mercenary sneered as he advanced upon the hanyou.
As Bankotsu swung his blade, Inuyasha parried it with the Tetsusaiga. The mercenary attacked again and the hanyou blocked again. As they fought, they spoke to one another.
“I’m going to carve out every one of those jewel shards, Bankotsu,” Inuyasha snarled. “So, you better be ready. You should be rotting in your grave like good little corpse and I’m gonna be the one to make sure you do!”
“Ha!” Bankotsu barked. “That’s high and mighty for someone such as you, a pathetic little demon that was nailed to a tree.”
“You son of a…”
“My mistake,” the mercenary corrected. “You’re not a real demon. You’re just a half demon. I was told all about you and that dead priestess, Kikyo.”
“Why you…”
Bankotsu parried another blow before jumping away from the hanyou. “A half demon such as you has no right criticizing those of us who were resurrected.”
“I’ve had enough of this chatter!” Koga yelled as he jumped into the fight.
The mercenary jumped away from the wolf, but Inuyasha stepped between them. “I said, stay out of this!” the hanyou growled. “Wind Scar!”
Bankotsu swung his sword, sending a ball of heat at Inuyasha’s attack. The Wind Scar was easily deflected. Rocks and dust tumbled onto the floor. Inuyasha and Koga quickly jumped out of the way as Bankotsu was surrounded by the rock.
The mercenary’s eyes narrowed as he pushed the rock aside and climbed atop it. When he saw the two demons, he gave a soft gasp. “So, you survived,” he panted.
Both demons growled. Inuyasha had the tip of his sword buried in the soil. It had been the only thing that had protected him and Koga from the falling rocks. Though they were protected from most of the damage, Koga had been knocked out by a rather large rock.
“Good!” the mercenary spat. “Because that means I can kill you!”
The hanyou glared at his foe. “One of us is going to die today, but it isn’t going to be me! Come and get it, Bankotsu!”
Both men swung their swords at the same time in their owned attacks. They parried one another, making more rocks fall and leaving neither man injured. Inuyasha growled. Damn it! There’s no demonic aura, so I can’t use my Backlash Wave!
“You look like you’re deep in thought, Inuyasha,” the mercenary commented. “Thinking about where you want to be buried?”
The hanyou snorted. “I was actually trying to think of the quickest way to defeat you, but never mind. I’m having too much fun!”
As the hanyou let loose another Wind Scar, the mercenary sent a blast of heat with his Banryu. They fought like this for a while.
Inuyasha jumped out of the way of one of Bankotsu’s heat attacks and growled. The mercenary smirked. “What’s the matter, Inuyasha? I thought you said you were having fun?”
The hanyou threw his sword at the man and Bankotsu easily batted it away. Tetsusaiga flew across the cave and landed with its pointed buried in the ground. As the sword was flying, Inuyasha leapt at Bankotsu and, using his claws, cut out the jewel shards buried in the mercenary’s right wrist.
The mercenary threw the hanyou off of him and clutched at his arm, dropping Banryu in the process. He glared at his opponent. “How dare you!”
“Heh! I knew you had shards in your arm,” Inuyasha sneered. “That’s why you seemed so powerful. I’m going to carve each shard out of your body and the next one’s in your neck!”
As Inuyasha attacked the mercenary with his claws, Bankotsu jumped away from him. It was an effective means of not getting hit or sliced open. As he dodged another blow, the mercenary balled his right fist and punched the hanyou across the face, causing Inuyasha to fall backwards to the ground.
“Don’t underestimate me, half demon. Just who do you think you’re dealing with? I am Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven. And I’ve never lost a battle to anyone.”
“You bastard, “ Inuyasha growled.
The hanyou rose to his feet and bounded at the mercenary, attempting to slice him. Bankotsu easily dodged to Inuyasha’s attack and attempted to return fire, throwing punches. Many of the punches Bankotsu gave made contact with flesh. “You underestimate my strength. There was a good reason why I became the leader of the Band of Seven,” the mercenary snarled as he attempted to punch Inuyasha’s face into the wall.
Inuyasha dodged the blow just barely and managed to get behind the mercenary, but Bankotsu whirled on the ball of his foot and followed the hanyou’s movement. He continued, “I controlled a gang of murderers with my own power long before I was resurrected by the Shikon jewel!”
Bankotsu landed a few more punches before sending the hanyou flying backwards and smashing against the stone wall. “Heh. You really are pathetic.”
“One of your jewel shards is imbedded in your left arm,” Inuyasha pointed out as he leaned against the wall, panting. “That’s a pretty straight forward way to use them, especially considering how twisted you are.”
Bankotsu smirked. “So, you let me hit you so you could check me out, huh? Will you take my shards from me or will I pull that head of yours clean off?! Who’s gonna be first?” He jumped at the hanyou with his fists ready.
*8*
Kagome was sitting behind Sango on Kirara. The miko had sensed the Sacred Jewel shards and begged for her friends to help her. Sango and Miroku obliged since they were heading in that direction anyway. It wasn’t just Bankotsu and Koga’s jewel shards the miko had sensed. She felt Naraku, as well.
As the friends hurried towards the mountain, Kagome sent a prayer: not just for Inuyasha and Koga, but one for Bankotsu as well.
*8*
Inuyasha came at Bankotsu at the same time with his claws bared. To his surprise, the mercenary blocked him. Bankotsu used the opportunity to throw another punch across the hanyou’s face and felt the satisfying connection of flesh and bone against flesh and bone.
Inuyasha fell against the hard stone wall again and, as he did, Bankotsu laughed. “What’s the matter, Inuyasha? I’m going out of my way to punch with this hand to make it easy for you to take my jewel shards,” he taunted.
He grabbed the hanyou by the neck and slammed him against the wall, adding a punch to the hanyou’s stomach. Then, he allowed the hanyou to fall to the ground. “You’re pathetic,” the mercenary snarled as he grabbed the hanyou’s haori collar. “I thought you were a lot stronger than that.” He held the hanyou up to face level and added with a sneer, “I don’t understand what Kagome ever saw in you, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of the little miko. Now, die.”
As Bankotsu raised his hand for the killing blow, Inuyasha’s fingers jabbed themselves into the mercenary’s neck. The mercenary grunted in shock. “I’m not like all the other humans and demons you slaughtered,” the hanyou grunted. “I can take a lot more damage than them.”
Three shards flew out of Bankotsu’s neck and as he released Inuyasha, the hanyou snatched them up. Inuyasha kicked the mercenary in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall on the opposite side. He tucked the shards into his haori. “I’ve got five of them,” the hanyou growled. “Once I get the one from your left arm, it’ll all be over for you, Bankotsu.”
It was then that Koga reappeared at Inuyasha’s side, but this time, the wolf was wise enough not to go after the mercenary.
Bankotsu barked a sarcastic laugh. “I will never die!” the mercenary shouted. “I’ll kill you and take back the jewel shards you stole from me.”
Koga’s eyes narrowed. “Wanna bet, corpse?” he growled.
Inuyasha shot an angry glance at the wolf. “Stay out of it, wolf,” he snapped. He turned his attention back to the fallen mercenary. Indicating the cave to show the demons that had gathered around both entryways, he said, “Look around you. Getting out of this cave is only half the battle. Do you think Naraku’s going to let you live when you have Shikon jewel shards?”
Bankotsu knew where Inuyasha was going and refused to take the bait. “Do you think I’ll let Naraku get me?” he spat back. “After I kill you, I’ll go after Naraku. I have to. My wife and child are counting on me.”
The hanyou and demon both hesitated. “What?” they asked in unison.
The mercenary just glared at the two. “I guess you haven’t realized it yet, huh?” he growled. “My Kagome is pregnant with my child. In a few months’ time, she’ll give birth and I intend to be there!”
Without warning, Bankotsu leaped from his position and straight for Banryu. Koga took a step back, his claws at the ready as Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga. The hanyou glanced at the wolf. “Stay out of it!” he snapped, but it didn’t matter.
Once Bankotsu grabbed his sword, he ran past the hanyou and wolf demon and began attacking the demons at one of the entryways. Inuyasha and Koga looked at one another as Koga asked, “What the hell is he doing?”
The hanyou shook his head. He could hear the mercenary counting as he slain the demons. This only worked to further confuse Inuyasha. But the hanyou had his own battle to fight. Apparently, Bankotsu’s attack sent the other demons into a battle frenzy and both Inuyasha and Koga were suddenly busy fighting them off.
Almost immediately after the hanyou and wolf began fighting the demons, Bankotsu shouted, “I don’t need the rest of you!”
Koga glanced up at the mercenary. “What did you say?” he growled. His eyes widened in surprise.
Bankotsu’s sword glowed with a demonic light as he twirled it above his head. Then, he sliced his sword in the air, causing a great rush of demonic energy to be released from the sword, killing everything within its path. With luck, Koga was standing next to Inuyasha as the hanyou held up his sword for protection. Unfortunately, the wolf managed to get knocked out again as the walls to the cave split into piles of rock.
Inuyasha stood strong, his fang bared, against the mercenary. If what Bankotsu said about Kagome was true, the hanyou knew she wouldn’t want the father of her child killed. “If you decide to leave, I won’t get in your way,” he told the mercenary.
Bankotsu rested Banryu on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere until I avenge my brothers.”
The hanyou snorted. “What? Just because your blade transformed a little?”
“Actually, I wanted to chop off your head to complete the transformation,” the mercenary commented with a small smile. He shrugged. “But it might not have been enough with you being only a half demon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Bankotsu jumped into the air and raised his sword. “You’re about to find out!” he shouted as he brought his sword down to come crashing against Inuyasha’s.
Inuyasha remained surprised as the two exchanged more blows and parries. Banryu had grown much stronger. Each time they clashed, the two swords sent sparks flying off of their blades.
As they traded blows, Bankotsu chuckled. “Kagome was born with powers of the divine,” he boasted. “I wonder if our child will inherit that. I wasn’t born with those powers, nor am I spiritual. I have always believed that to be strong, you had to have power. Since I couldn’t have any of those powers, I knew the only other way to gain power was to put it in an object!”
Inuyasha grunted as he blocked another blow. “Bankotsu, that blade of yours has demonic power,” he warned. “Though the Shikon Jewel may have revived you, you’re still human. Having that blade is dangerous. Get rid of it!”
“Go to hell, half breed!”
Inuyasha tried jumping away from the mercenary, but Bankotsu followed him. The power of Banryu pushed the half demon back and it was all Inuyasha could do to keep his sword up for protection. With a blast from Banryu, Inuyasha was thrown into a stone column. The column cracked and broke, sending debris to rain upon the hanyou’s head and shoulders.
Bankotsu took a step back and pointed his blade at the hanyou. “It’s over,” he said with a finality that Inuyasha did not miss.
The mercenary lifted his demonic sword over his head and the sword began to twirl. As it did, an orb of demonic energy began to form right above the sword. “With this power, I will lose to no one!” he shouted as he grabbed his sword and swung it in an arch towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha did not think as he raised his own blade and sent his Backlash Wave back at the mercenary. He then watched as the mercenary tried to protect himself with his blade only to have the blade shattered. Bankotsu was consumed in his own demonic power and the walls around him crumbled to bury him.
The hanyou panted and put his blade back in its scabbard. Then, he approached the half dead mercenary. Bankotsu’s body was crushed under a pile of huge rocks. His head rested on another rock. While his left arm was still attached to his shoulder, the mercenary’s right arm stuck out at an odd angle a few feet away.
Bankotsu was still breathing, but just barely. His eyes were open and he glanced at the hanyou. He knew his time had come and it was over. For him. “I don’t understand,” he whispered.
Inuyasha just stared at the mercenary. “You were too greedy, Bankotsu,” he replied. “You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards.”
Bankotsu glanced away and blinked. “Take care of her,” he whispered.
As the world began to darken around the mercenary, he saw a vision of Kagome. She was standing there with a sad smile as she looked at him. A small baby boy was perched on one hip.
*8*
Kagome felt an odd pressure in her chest and gasped. A single tear fell down her cheek. “We have to hurry, Sango,” she said.
The demon slayer nodded. “Right,” she agreed. She pressed her knees more firmly into the cat demon’s sides. “Let’s go, Kirara.”
*8*
Inuyasha helped the wolf demon to his feet. “Naraku is further in this cave,” the hanyou said.
Koga nodded. “Let’s go then, mutt.”
As the two began to move, the ground beneath them began to shift. They held their arms out to steady themselves. “What the…?”
Neither demon could move their legs as they became trapped and swallowed into the ground.
*8*
The small group of friends entered a large cavern. Kagome looked around it frantically. She knew she had sensed jewel shards around here.
“What’s that?” Shippo asked fearfully as he pointed down at the seemingly bottomless chasm. It seemed like large tentacles were rising swiftly out of the ground.
Kagome gasped suddenly as she saw the hanyou helplessly ensnared within the tentacles. “Inuyasha!” she shouted. She repeated herself several more times before the hanyou finally stirred.
“Ka-go-me,” he whispered. He slowly raised his eyes and saw her.
Inuyasha’s eyes snapped open. “What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous!” he yelled at her.
Shippo changed into a large pink balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. Together they drifted towards the hanyou. “We were worried about you,” Kagome answered.
The hanyou glanced away. With her being so close to him, he could smell the truth of Bankotsu’s words. He closed his eyes. “I’m ok,” he assured her. “But you…”
He was interrupted by a malicious laugh. Both he and Kagome glanced up at the ceiling as Naraku’s face appeared.
Without warning, Kirara was slammed into the wall and both Miroku and Sango were pinned against it. Shippo tried to fly away, but he and Kagome were also swept up by tentacles and slammed into the wall. Kagome grunted, causing Inuyasha to immediately worry about her.
“Naraku,” the miko groaned.
The evil hanyou continued to chuckle. “It’s too late for you now, Inuyasha,” he stated calmly. “You’re already hopelessly entangled in my intestines. The whole of Mount Hakurei has become a part of my body. You are all inside of me.”
Shippo glanced fearfully up at Kagome. “Does that mean he’s going to devour all of us?” he asked.
Naraku scoffed. “Don’t be so naïve. I have no interest in absorbing a weak demon like you.”
The little kitsune was immediately offended. “Hey! Is he talking about me?”
“Nor am I interested in a half demon and a handful of humans,” the evil hanyou added as he raised one of his tentacles to reveal the upper portion of Bankotsu’s body.
Kagome gasped. Bankotsu…
“Bankotsu!” Inuyasha stated.
Both Miroku and Sango gazed at the mercenary. “Bankotsu’s dead?” the monk asked in surprise.
The miko stared at her beloved with a mixture of horror and sorrow. She knew it was going to happen. He had told her as much, but she hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“The stupidity of humans makes me utterly sick to my stomach,” Naraku spat. “Even villains like Bankotsu, who had the chance to run away with the jewel shards, and yet he chose to stay here and avenge his comrades. He fought against you, Inuyasha, when he should have fled. They prove themselves to be fools all the time, these mortals called humans.”
Naraku lifted a tentacle and jabbed it into Bankotsu’s left arm. Kagome watched in horror as the jewel shards were pulled out of his body and the corpse crumbled into dust.
“Naraku, damn you to hell! Sure, Bankotsu may have been a villain,” Inuyasha growled. “He was evil alright, but he was hundreds of times more decent than you. Naraku! Compared to him, Naraku, you are…”
“Why are you so wound up, Inuyasha?” the evil hanyou chuckled. “Ultimately, you were the one who defeated him.”
“Spare me the lectures!” Inuyasha snarled.
The tentacles continued to gather the shards, both from Banryu and viciously from Inuyasha’s haori. As Naraku drew the shards closer to his face, he laughed in victory. “At long last, the jewel shards belong to me!”
The friends shielded their eyes as the jewel shards were combined with one another. They then watched in terror as the evil hanyou’s body began to reform. His new body looked ten times more formidable. His armor had fang-like spikes vertically along his chest and down both of his arms. There was a large, spiked shoulder plate on his left shoulder and an upper arm guard on his right. Two huge fangs were sticking up out of his back near either of his shoulders and he had large, bone and fang bands that flared out of his back to rest behind him. His long black hair fell to his waist and did nothing to cover the big, thick tentacles that were also attached to his back.
He was covered by a long, blue and purple outfit that barely concealed the armor he wore. In the middle of his chest a huge red eye flickered back and forth, taking in all of its surroundings. A large pink orb surrounded Naraku.
Sango gasped. “Is that?”
“It’s Naraku’s new body,” Miroku said, staring at the evil hanyou.
Naraku chuckled. “Look at you all,” he taunted. “You came here to destroy me and now you cannot even lay a finger on me.”
“Yeah, like I’m trembling in fear!” Inuyasha sneered. “After all the trouble you went through to hide yourself, I was expecting you to be some big scary monster!”
“Inuyasha, Naraku’s demonic aura is much stronger than it used to be!” Miroku shouted, trying to warn his friend.
The hanyou barked in sarcasm. “Please!” he spat. “As if! He’s only become more warped than before. That’s the only difference with this loser!”
Inuyasha shoved his hand through the tentacles, managing to slice his way out. Then he jumped onto the wall and used the wall to propel him towards Naraku. Raising a hand in attack, he shouted, “Iron Wreaver, Soul Stealer!”
Naraku laughed at the attempt. He was still protected by his pinkish barrier and Inuyasha and his attack just bounced off. “Only a fool would try to attack me with his bare claws,” the evil hanyou stated with a laugh.
Inuyasha somersaulted to a small landing. “Yeah? If it’s a sword you want, then I’ll cut you to shreds!” he grabbed his scabbard and held it up. “Come, Tetsusaiga.”
As soon as his sword came to him, Inuyasha transformed it into its large blade. Then, he swung it around and sliced it through the air towards Naraku. “Wind Scar!”
“Hn,” Naraku scoffed. “Always the fool.”
Naraku lifted his arm and the fang closest to his hand elongated, piercing the barrier, but not disbursing it. As the Wind Scar approached him, the dark hanyou cut through it, causing the attack to suddenly go all over the place.
The wild attack destroyed the tentacles that held Inuyasha’s companions and Inuyasha quickly jumped to Kagome’s rescue. He brought her to a nearby ledge and glanced at Sango and Miroku. To his relief, they were at another ledge, hiding behind Sango’s Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha used his sword to protect Kagome, Shippo, and himself from the Wind Scar.
“I don’t understand,” the hanyou growled. “Why is the Wind Scar acting like this?”
The attack just wouldn’t disappear and Naraku laughed more. “Inuyasha, I’ve trapped your Wind Scar in the flow of my own demonic aura. The Wind Scar will continue to circle in here. At least until you are all sliced to pieces. Ironic, isn’t it, Inuyasha? To think the unleashing of your Wind Scar will cause the death of all your precious friends.”
Naraku started rising towards the top of the mountain and Inuyasha barked, “You running away again, coward?”
Kagome gasped suddenly as she looked up at Naraku. She tugged on Inuyasha’s haori. “Inuyasha, go after him!” she hissed.
“What?”
“I see Koga!” she said as she pointed to Naraku. “There, at Naraku’s feet! We have to save him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Kagome confirmed. “Koga’s a demon, so Naraku might try to absorb him to get his jewel shards. We’ve got to save him.”
“That’s assuming the guy’s still alive,” he growled as the Wind Scar came back towards them.
Once the Wind Scar was safely away from them, Inuyasha let Kagome climb onto his back as he jumped into the air. She grabbed her bow and an arrow and aimed at the evil hanyou. “Remember, aim for Naraku and take him down,” Inuyasha told her.
Kagome nodded. “Alright,” she said as she pulled back on the bow and released it and the arrow.
Her miko powers were as strong as ever as they cut through the Wind Scar and Naraku’s demonic aura. The arrow sliced at Naraku’s barrier near his feet, causing a large blob to fall from it. Koga was inside that blob.
“Oh, look! It’s Koga!” The priestess shouted and Inuyasha changed his direction to go after the unconscious wolf.
Naraku chuckled. “You’d worry about a friend at a time like this? Your unfailing stupidity thoroughly disgusts me,” he sneered. He lifted a hand. “If your comrades are so precious to you, then you can all die here, together.”
The walls and ground began to shake. The bits of tentacles and the wall fell around them in pieces. Miroku and Sango tried to catch their balance and were lucky enough that Kirara was there to help them. They jumped onto her back and Miroku shouted, “Inuyasha! This entire mountain is beginning to crumble! We have to get out of here!”
The hanyou glanced at his friend and nodded. Landing on a ledge, he let Kagome and Shippo slide off of him. “Shippo? Can you get Kagome out of here?” he asked.
The fox demon nodded, but it was Kagome who asked, “What are you going to do?”
Inuyasha snorted. “What do you think? I’m going after that mangy wolf. You’ll only be in my way if you’re with me. Now, go.”
Shippo transformed into a balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. She glanced at Inuyasha. “You’ll come back to me, won’t you, Inuyasha?” she asked, concern filling her eyes.
The hanyou gave a nod. “Don’t worry about me. Just go.”
As the kitsune moved away and towards Miroku and Sango, the hanyou jumped into the darkness. Kagome glanced around her. “Where’s the exit?”
The monk shook his head. “It looked like we’ll have to make one,” he told them as he lifted his hand above his head and unleashed his Wind Tunnel.
To their relief, he was able to create a passage to the outside. Shippo and Kirara hurried out and landed safely on the ground at a safe distance. They watched as the mountain crumbled and fell. Kagome clutched at her chest in fear.
*8*
When Inuyasha reached the bottom of the mountain, he found himself surrounded by a pool of acid and miasma. He knew that if the wolf had fallen into the pool, there would be no hope in recovering him. To his surprise, or what was that relief, Inuyasha saw the wolf laying on a piece of rock. He was still encased in the blob.
The hanyou used his claws and cut the blob away from the wolf. He checked the wolf’s vitals and saw that he was still alive.
He threw Koga’s arm around his shoulder and grabbed the wolf’s waist. It was at this time that Koga awoke, coughing.
Inuyasha scoffed. “So, you’re awake, you scrawny wolf.”
“Yeah, mangy mutt,” Koga bit back, though there was no real bite in his words. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. “Bankotsu, Naraku! Where are they?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, we’ve got to get out of here,” the hanyou replied. But finding an exit wasn’t going to be easy. “Where’s the exit?”
“You mean you don’t know?” the wolf exclaimed. “You idiot!”
“I used to know,” the hanyou argued, as he felt Koga slipping. “But it seems like all the exits have been sealed.”
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” Koga said. “I ain’t gonna die in this place with you.”
Inuyasha sniffed. “We agree for once. I’m not dying here.”
A beam of light suddenly shone towards them. Inuyasha readjusted Koga before bounding towards the light.
*8*
Kagome waited anxiously as she watched the mountain crumble and implode upon itself, Inuyasha’s red haori was clutched in her hands. Shippo sat on her shoulder, his eyes staring at the mountain as well. Sango and Miroku were high above them on Kirara, trying to catch a glimpse of the hanyou.
It was Kagome who saw them first, thanks to Koga’s jewel shards. “Inuyasha! Koga!” she shouted.
Koga found a new strength as he grabbed the back of Inuyasha’s kimono and propelled off a falling boulder. They were safe within moments. Immediately, Koga abandoned the hanyou and went to Kagome.
He took her hands into his. “I am so sorry to make you worry,” he told her. “I hope you’re…”
The miko watched him as his nose wrinkled and he sniffed the air. She had hoped the dust and miasma would have covered her scent, but… “Are you… pregnant?” the wolf asked.
He released her hands as Kirara landed and the monk and demon slayer moved to stand on either side of the priestess. Inuyasha folded his arms as he glared at them. “So,” he growled, “you’re defending that spawn?”
Kagome gasped as Miroku stepped in front of her. “Don’t do something you’ll regret,” the monk warned. “Regardless of what may have happened…”
“What may have happened?!” Koga snarled. “That asshole forced himself on her. And now, because of him she’s pregnant!”
Miroku nodded in agreement. “But that is neither her fault nor that of the child’s. We cannot allow our own hatreds affect the outcome of this child’s life. It is an innocent, which makes it our responsibility to protect.”
Koga looked at Kagome. She could see that he was hurt. Touching Miroku’s arm, she walked past him and approached the wolf. “It will be ok,” she said softly, but the wolf pulled away from her.
“You’re supposed to be mine,” he told her. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re right,” she replied. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. And now, I have to live with that… I won’t… I won’t ask you to continue…”
She had glanced at Inuyasha and he looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. “Don’t be an idiot,” the hanyou growled. “It’s my fault that it happened in the first place, so…”
“No, it’s not,” she argued.
His eyes snapped to hers as he snarled, “It is! If I had picked you up instead of…”
“There’s no way you could have known Bankotsu and his men were hiding in wait,” she shot back. “It was something they had planned back when Suikotsu was killed. Bankotsu told me all about it.”
“Keh,” the hanyou said, he looked away from her again. “You and Bankotsu got awfully close while you were there, didn’t you? Is it true what he said? Did you start to actually enjoy spending time with him?”
Kagome hesitated, but Miroku stepped in again. “You have no idea what she’s been through, Inuyasha,” the monk pointed out. “None of us do. Anything he may have told you has to be considered a lie. You have to remember, she was kidnapped and tortured for four months. During that time, she may have started to, at least pretend, to enjoy it just to keep him happy.”
Sango nodded. “It’s not fair of you to ask her those kinds of questions,” she said. “When and if she is ready to talk about it, then she will.”
Koga sighed. “So, what do we do now?” he asked, folding his arms. “She’s at least three months along. Any extraneous travelling is probably not a good idea.”
“Koga’s right,” Miroku agreed. “But with Naraku out again, I’m not sure…” He glanced at Kagome. “If we come upon Naraku in battle with you pregnant, both you and the baby can get hurt.”
“And it would be a distraction,” Koga pointed out. “Not that I have a problem with protecting you. Even though you’re pregnant with another man’s kid, I still love you. It just… it would be a lot easier to protect you without a child in your stomach.”
Kagome nodded in agreement. “I was thinking along the same lines,” she told them. “Bankotsu wanted me to return to my own ti… village to have the baby. He told me to have the baby there and leave it with my mother. That way, the child will be safe.”
Sango gave her friend a sideways glance. “You mean the two of you actually discussed the well-being of the child?” she inquired. “Did Bankotsu actually grow to care for you?”
The miko shrugged. “Does it matter?” she returned. “Bankotsu knew how important defeating Naraku is and he wanted me to be a part of that, but not at the expense of our child. He knew he was going to die. If Inuyasha or Koga didn’t kill him first, then Naraku eventually would have. Bankotsu knew this. He also knew that we are doing everything in our power to stop Naraku.”
“He knew he had made a mistake in trusting Naraku,” Miroku surmised.
Kagome nodded. “It may not be the only mistake he ever made, but it was one that cost him his life,” she said softly as she bowed her head in silent sorrow.
“Keh!” the hanyou growled. “I can’t believe you’re defending that creep after everything he put you through! You act like the two of you were old pals or lovers or something.”
“Inuyasha,” the miko said. The hanyou gasped and looked at her fearfully, but there was no malice in her face. She just looked sad. “I don’t expect you to understand,” she told him, “but the sooner you accept that this has happened, the sooner we can move onto our next strategy. I’m not asking for your forgiveness. The gods know Bankotsu would never want it. But things happened. Things that I cannot explain happened.”
The hanyou sighed. “We’ll go back to your village. You’ll have the baby and we’ll leave it with your mother,” he surrendered. “How long do you think it’ll take?”
She shook her head. “Until I see a gynecologist, I have no way of knowing even when I became pregnant.”
“What’s a gyno… guyna…?” Miroku tried, stumbling over the word.
It was the first time in months the companions had seen Kagome crack a small smile. “A gynecologist is a female doctor,” she explained. “Sort of like a mid-wife, but with the ability to help a woman heal faster. And they examine women to make sure the woman is healthy… I think you’d probably enjoy something like that, Miroku.”
The monk’s eyes widened before Sango knocked him upside his head.