Chapter One: The Interview
Long before he ever met the Priestess Kikyo, Inuyasha had taken to wandering the lands of Japan. He was searching for something, though he did not have a name for it. It was a period of darkness and war, as it always seemed to be in those days. The only order came from Feudal Lords who ruled the people as they saw fit. There was no one to counter their dominion should they prove tyrannical. No one except the demons who were quite simply higher on the food chain. Most demons, of course, couldn't care less about what Lords did in their spare time.
As Inuyasha was traveling one day, he saw a village going up in flames. A gang of soldiers was drinking some ways below, talking as though it were a day like any other. This was likely their handiwork. Feeling a sense of disgust for the soldiers, Inuyasha made his way past them without making a sound. He entered the village. It was a forlorn and terrible sight. Bodies lay strewn here and there, killed by swords and spears. Even so, there were three people left alive, at least. There was a black haired doctor. He was working to bandage the wounds of an unconscious girl. With him was another villager, kneeling by him.
'Come on, we have to run!' said the villager. 'Those soldiers will come up here after us soon enough!'
'Run if you want,' said the doctor, 'I'm going to save this child.'
Inuyasha didn't make any move to intervene. He just stayed in the shadows watching as the doctor continued to work. The villager looked up, eyes going wide with fear. 'The soldiers are coming!' he said. 'We have to go!'
'No.' replied the doctor, determined. The villager fled, leaving the doctor behind alone. The doctor finished his efforts, and the bleeding stopped. He breathed out a sigh of relief and leaned back in exhaustion. Even as he did so, however, a soldier approached, holding a spear. 'Well if it isn't a couple of survivors.' he said, raising his spear, smirking. 'We can't have that; my Lord specifically instructed me to kill everyone in this village.' The doctor stepped back in fear as the soldier towered over the child, and raised his spear. He was smiling.
'No!' said the doctor. 'Don't kill her-'
'Iron reaper soul stealer!' said Inuyasha.
It was overkill. It was also extremely cathartic. All of a sudden, the soldier, once all smug and murderous was in multiple pieces. He'd been carved to shreds by Inuyasha's claws. His blood spilled over the child and doctors face as his spear landed point down in the dirt. Inuyasha looked at the blood on his claws and wiped it away on the soldier's clothes. The half-demon glanced up to the doctor. 'Look, I don't really care what happens to you, but if you want to live, you'd better take the girl and get out of here.'
'R-right…' said the doctor, before picking up the child and rushing away.
Inuyasha watched him go until he was at a safe distance and saw him meet up with his fellow village. Then he looked at the smoking remnants around him. He noted that within some of the houses lay the bodies of people who had not been stabbed or slashed. Their doors had been blocked off with carts and beams of wood that now were charred and broken. The skin of the dead within these houses was burned beyond recognition. The soldiers had set fire and like them die from heat and smoke inhalation.
Inuyasha felt very vengeful. He made his way down the hill to where the soldiers were commiserating with one another. They had only risen to check on their friend, when they saw Inuyasha coming at them, his eyes flaring red. They screamed and screamed in horror and pain as Inuyasha took them to pieces little by little.
Finally, Inuyasha stood alone, surrounded by corpses. The stench of death was all around him, and he wanted to wash it off. Then his eyes were drawn to the castle above. Whatever horror he felt at the blood fell away. Above him was a place where the Lord behind all this lived in luxury. Why had he done this?
Inuyasha looked to the soldier's fire and took up a flaming brand. He rushed off towards the castle. It was as if some primal beast deep within his soul had been unleashed. He was filled with a desire to slash, maim, and kill without mercy. Everyone in this place deserved it anyway! Inuyasha didn't know what had happened to him, but he liked it! He reached the gates and slashed them open with his claws. The samurai guarding it drew their swords. But their slashes were useless against him as he snapped both their necks. He reached the inner ground and hurled the flaming brand into a stable which caught flame in seconds. Even as the guards surrounded him, he heard the neighing of horses. He saw the stablemaster fleeing in terror from the burning building.
Inuyasha mastered himself for a moment and leaped over the head of the soldiers. He kicked two of them into the dirt, before breaking open the walls of the stables to free the poor beasts within. The horses rushed out, mad with terror and scattered the guards. At the same time, sparks had spread to the wooden keep nearby, and it had begun to break into a blaze.
'It's all over for you demon!' snarled a guard. 'You're going to die!'
He was surrounded, outnumbered twenty to one. He liked these odds; he found he relished the challenge. 'Get the hell out of my way if you don't want to join your friends!' he snarled in turn.
The guards charged as one and Inuyasha met them halfway. Spears were broken, swords were shattered. Throats were torn out, and more and more blood spilled out to splash over Inuyasha's face. Something was happening to him! Something had been awoken within him! He loved killing these men!
With that realization, he slowed his pace, as he realized only a few remained. Trembling in fear, they had ceased to attack.
'Run.' said Inuyasha.
And the guards ran out the broken gates, as the flames spread to the rest of the castle. Yet Inuyasha was not done here. He kicked down the doors and entered the place, ignoring the people fleeing around him. He found the Lord holding a katana and surrounded by his best warriors.
His best warriors were dispatched.
Finally, Inuyasha grabbed the Lord by the throat and looked the terrified fool in the eyes.
All he had to do was squeeze. 'The village…' said Inuyasha, his voice a low snarl. 'Why did you destroy it?'
'I… one of the girls there spurned me!' he admitted horrified.
Inuyasha descended into an enraged mania as he tore the fool apart with his bare hands. Then he turned to begin smashing furniture, breaking walls. He tore out beams that were singed by fire. He was heedless of the flames, heedless of the danger.
Inuyasha awoke, though he had never fallen asleep. He was within the flaming wreckage of a once unyielding castle. A horrified lucidity beset him, and he looked at his hands, stained with gore. He could taste blood in his mouth, and he had the feeling it was not his own. What had happened to set him off like this? This had never happened before to him, and yet it felt as though it was… natural. Was this what it meant to be a full demon?
He had liked it.
He caught two unfamiliar scents, one tinged with perfume. He was not alone, regaining his senses; he turned around and faced the people approaching him.
Before him, stood two figures, the first was a handsome dark-haired man with a violet tattoo in the shape of a star on his head. He was clad in flowing white and black garments. He had slung over his shoulder a halberd with a blade so long and thick that it might as well have been a sword. Beside that man was what appeared to be a woman clad in a white outfit decorated with flowers. Over her shoulder was slung a long curved sword.
They looked impressed.
'Hey,' said the man, raising a hand 'how's it going?'
'He's adorable!' proclaimed the woman, clasping her hands close to her heart. 'Can we keep him Bankotsu?!'
That was… odd. 'Who the hell are you people?' asked Inuyasha.
'Oh silly, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Bankotsu,' said the man with an affable demeanor, 'and this is my friend Jakotsu. We're planning to form a band of seven mercenaries to strike terror into the hearts of all who hear our name. You know, the usual stuff. We were just wondering where we'd find decent new recruits, and then we saw the smoke. We followed it, and here you are, atop a mountain of corpses.
'What's your name, friend?'
'I'm Inuyasha.' He snapped, trying to ignore the scent of blood, which was all around him, almost intoxicating. 'And I'm not your friend. What do you want?'
'I want you to join us.' said Bankotsu, looking at the wreckage. 'What you did here is impressive. I'd like someone like you on my team. You'll find plenty of people to kill on my payroll, Inuyasha.' He said that as though it was an incentive.
'I killed these people because they were scum.' said Inuyasha, not liking where this was going. 'I don't kill for pleasure.'
'All evidence to the contrary.' noted Bankotsu with a hint of amusement. 'So are you interested or not?' He offered him his hand.
'Obviously not.' said Inuyasha as he slapped it away. 'I'm way out of the league of humans.'
Jakotsu licked her lips in a fashion which Inuyasha found disturbing. Bankotsu drew back his hand and sighed. 'Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem. See, Jakotsu likes fighting. And the only thing he likes more than that is hacking men he finds attractive into tiny pieces. So if you aren't going to join us…' he shrugged, 'well nice knowing you.'
Jakotsu stepped forward and unsheathed his blade, smiling. 'Those dog ears are so cute! I'm going to hack them off and make them into a trophy to hang around my neck!'
Inuyasha took a step backward and prepared for a spring. Then something about what Bankotsu said hit him. 'Wait a minute; you're a guy?!'
'That a problem?' asked Jakotsu, before swinging his sword.
The blade snaked out from itself, slashing towards Inuyasha who dodged away. Even as he did so, however, the blades came round to try and behead him from behind. Inuyasha rolled away, and the blades passed overhead. It came within inches of his ears as he slid back, stepping aside from another lunge, which cut him across the side.
'More! More!' cried Jakotsu as he pressed the assault.
'I'll answer your question.' said Bankotsu with a shrug. 'Jakotsu identifies as a male because he dislikes woman. However, I can neither confirm nor deny his true gender.'
'That's a big help!' snapped Inuyasha, before leaping over Jakotsu's head, fast pursued by his blade.
Inuyasha was driven back across the flaming wreckage. He took more and more hits with each moment. Jakotsu was obviously drawing this out, and enjoying every second of it. Suddenly Inuyasha saw an opening in Jakotsu's blades and rushed for it. 'Iron reaper-'
And then he was knocked back and caught in countless blades. Jakotsu's sword had surrounded him, twisting around him so that no matter which way he moved, he would be cut. He felt his blood dripping down onto the blades as Jakotsu approached, licking his lips.
'Now all I need to do to cut you into tiny pieces in pull my hand back.' said Jakotsu with a smile as he advanced. 'But first I'll get you to scream my name…' Inuyasha shrank back as a shadow fell over him, and cold terror welled in his heart. Even if he didn't show it, he was beginning to think he had made a serious mistake.
Inuyasha had made a serious mistake, reflected Bankotsu as the screams continued. Admittedly he had put up a better fight than anyone Bankotsu had seen fight Jakotsu. Except for Bankotsu himself, but now that he was caught well…
There were some serious disadvantages to being in possession of rapid regeneration. Bankotsu winced as Jakotsu made yet another incision. She had cut that spot before.
'Come on,' said Jakotsu in a false soothing tone, 'all I want is for you to scream my name, and we can put and end to this. Of course, it's okay if you resist, it'll just make it all the sweeter when I break you!' He gripped Inuyasha by the throat from behind and licked his bloodied cheek.
This was getting out of hand. 'Ah, Jakotsu,' Said Bankotsu 'not to interrupt-'
'What?' snapped Jakotsu in a hard tone as he glanced back. She didn't like being interrupted.
'Look, its been hours,' said Bankotsu in a tired tone, 'sooner or later samurai are going to show up to see what happened here. Don't you think you should finish up?'
'Oh,' said Jakotsu in a pout, 'but things were just starting to get fun…'
'I'll join you!' said Inuyasha in desperation.
'What?' said Bankotsu, surprised.
'I'll join the warband you're putting together,' he said voice almost a sob. 'I'll fight your battles for you; just get this crazy freak away from me!'
'Oh,' said Bankotsu, a smile coming to his face, 'great glad to have you on board. Jakotsu, let him go.'
'But Bankotsu,' whined Jakotsu, 'he's mine.'
'Jakotsu,' said Bankotsu, 'people who can destroy entire castles don't exactly grow on trees you know. We might never find another person like him. Couldn't you not kill your mark just this once?'
'Oh fine.' said Jakotsu, releasing his blades.
Inuyasha fell to his knees, a hunted and rabid look in his eyes as he breathed heavily. Then he realized how close he was to Jakotsu and stumbled away quickly. This wasn't exactly how Bankotsu envisioned beginning his Band of Seven, but he'd take it.
Author's Note:
The hell did I write? I don't know, the original concept of Inuyasha joining the band of seven seemed a good one. But I couldn't imagine him jumping on the bandwagon. As a result, we got this. I hope Inuyasha didn't seem particularly out of character here. But I'm pretty sure anyone who had to spend a few hours as Jakotsu's plaything would be pretty broken too.
Also, I'm not convinced that Jakotsu is male. I openly admit he identifies as male, but he is a touch too androgynous to come down firmly on either side.
The thing about Jakotsu is this. If you are writing him in the same room as an attractive male, your fanfic more or less becomes a slash fic.
Oh and as for why Jakotsu beat Inuyasha so easily, Inuyasha doesn't have the Tetsaiga yet. He and doesn't have anywhere near as much experience as he did before.
Please tell me what you think.
