Chapter One
The group stood in shock, panting slightly, some covered in blood and cuts, others surrounded by tentacles and body parts. Naraku lay on the ground, taking his last breaths and screaming out curses that would make a sailor, or Inuyasha for that matter, blush. The body of the half-demon was covered in long slashes, bleeding profusely. They had finally decided to bring the fight to Naraku, finding his castle through the help of many demons, hanyous and humans alike, and meeting him at his castle. They all were gathered there, ready to take down the demented hanyou or to die trying.
His normal smirk had wavered as he noticed them in his home, with his heart, and he immediately called his minions. Kagura, Kanna, Juuromaru and Hakudoushi, on the back of a newly formed Moryomaru, all flowed out of the castle, making the group take their fighting stances. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and let the energy flow through him, the winds swirling around the demon blade, Kouga pulled out a short sword and got ready to kill anyone in his way.
Ginta and Hakkaku were ready by his sides, prepared to die for Kouga if necessary. Sango had her mask on, Hiraikotsu poised and sword drawn, Kirara by her side. Miroku nervously twisted his staff in his hand before gripping his prayer beads, glad that he hadn't seen any poison insects yet. Kagome's hands were so sweaty that she almost dropped her bow, but pulled the string taut and mentally thanked Kikyo for giving her another sacred arrow. Shippou had his top out, ready to attack at will.
On an unheard count everyone charged, and soon, the score of this lethal game was easy to see. Kagura's fan was broken, and she lay crumpled on the ground, unconscious. Kanna's mirror had shattered, being on the receiving end of one of Kagome's arrows, Juuromaru had had to be confined again, for he attacked everything that moved. His scorpion-like brother had yet to be seen, while Hakudoushi and Moryomaru were battling Sango, Kirara, Miroku, and Kouga, all at once. The former seemed to be losing, Hakudoushi having the look of a doe in the headlights when Kouga slashed at his arm, ripping his kimono and tearing at his skin. Ginta and Hakkaku had realized that they were doing no good, so they took Shippou to get more people against Naraku.
The thing that separated this battle from others was that Naraku had not disappeared. He stood, unable to focus enough on transporting himself to somewhere safe. In order to survive, he stayed, his tentacles around him, flailing wildly, trying to dodge or defect Wind Scars and Sacred Arrows. Each time Inuyasha cut one, one grew in it's place, longer than the first, so Inuyasha settled on disabling them, slashing them in the middle, where the muscle held it all together. Kagome was sending arrow after arrow at Naraku's heart, watching with slight satisfaction as they slowly burned away at the hanyou's flesh and clothes.
Suddenly, a green glowing rope shot across the sky, wrapping itself around Naraku's neck. As it was burned slowly through by the barrier surrounding Naraku, the owner of the whip instantly appeared in the view, coming in as fast as the speed of sound, and stopping in front of Naraku, both arms in use after Kagome and Rin had become so close. When Sesshomaru was considered some what of an ally, Kaede had decided to help the Taiyoukai, putting herbs on his arm as he rested each night. Now, he stood, the only evidence that he had moved coming from the slight swish of his hair and clothes. Sesshomaru stood, sword drawn next to Inuyasha for another split second.
Once he was in sight, Ginta, Hakkaku and Shippou came running out of the woods, grinning that they had convinced the Taiyoukai that quickly. Faster than Kagome could follow with her eyes, the latecomer shot up to near Naraku, the clash of swords filling the air. Inuyasha took this cue to start slicing away at Naraku's tentacles, bringing him close to the ground. As he was focused on Sesshomaru, he couldn't re-grow himself easily, making him slowly lower to the irate hanyou waiting for him below.
Two arrows pierced through the last tentacles, and Kagome looked up in surprise, knowing exactly who the other came from. Kikyo stood, looking peaceful as she died for a third time, her own arrow through her chest. She had apparently stabbed herself, before stumbling over, dust and mud spilling out of her chest, with the occasional stain of blood mixing with it all, making a mess on her red and white clothing, to help them in the final battle. Kagome and Inuyasha both watched in shock as Kikyo hit the ground, a blue ball of light flying into Kagome, making her nearly fall down in surprise. Inuyasha shed a single tear before barreling into Naraku, using his sadness as a source of power to destroy the evil spider half-demon. Kagome got her head back into the battle at hand as well, finding that her arrows were three times as powerful and mentally praying that Kikyo's being would be at peace.
Soon, the others joined in the fight, a defeated Hakudoushi and Moryomaru in their wake, and started attacking Naraku. Using as little energy as he could, Naraku tried to bring his severed tentacles back to his body, but Miroku noticed right away. He opened his Wind Tunnel, using Naraku's curse against him and sucked in all the tentacles and some of his incarnations. The poisonous insects had been destroyed when Sesshomaru had swung his whip back, sword in the other hand, shattering the small honeycomb of bugs. Kagura had already disappeared again, probably enjoying her time left on Earth. Kanna sat, blankly cutting her fingers on the glass shards on the ground, trying to piece the mirror back together, while Hakudoushi tried in vain to get up. His bones were shattered, and his sword-spear was broken, lying by his side. Moryomaru had been sucked into the Wind Tunnel.
As Naraku battled for the last time, Sesshomaru did something they never expected, he gestured subtly for Inuyasha to get behind Naraku. He understood, standing behind him, sucking in some of the hanyou's energy through the Tetsusaiga, and unleashing the Backlash Wave across his shoulders. Sesshomaru immediately sliced Naraku's chest with the Tokijin, watching the green light flash in front of the demon with a glowing yellowish-white one behind, and removed himself and Inuyasha from the way, letting Naraku take the brunt of the blows. Both brothers looked up in surprise or barely veiled shock, Sesshomaru with his arm around Inuyasha's waist moving quickly away from him, as an arrow whizzed between them, finally reaching the place the others hadn't, Naraku's heart in Hakudoushi. The young demon boy screamed and something within him exploded, tearing a hole in Naraku's chest.
A blinding light engulfed them both, and they heard Naraku let out a single piercing scream, along with an explosion from the clashing powers. The group covered their eyes, with the exception of Sesshomaru, who watched the explosion to see Naraku chuckling weakly, watching as eight various styles of demons, each different, went in the eight main directions, all headed to attempt to do Naraku's last bidding, to destroy anything they could reach.
