Ended up writing this to help me survive the last month of the semester and final's week. Short fic, probably around 6 chapters (haven't divided everything out into chapters but have a full draft written). I only fanfiction nowadays when my muse demands it, and she absolutely demanded this. Miroku/Sango, pre-Final Act (I guess, since Naraku's still alive here haha). My finals end Thursday with an organic chem nightmare; unsure if I'll be able to proofread next section before then, so at the latest an update will from Friday. I hope you enjoy!
When the shift in Miroku's breathing came, along with it the snapping of a twig, Inuyasha carefully cracked open an eye and watched.
Silently, the monk sat upright in the pale moonlight, his back to him. He'd been lying still as rock ever since the girls had gone to sleep, even his breaths inaudible- Inuyasha had been able to tell that Miroku had been faking sleep for hours, and now, at last, the reason for that was about to be displayed. He remained still, waiting as Miroku, with an eerie sort of grace that made Inuyasha's hair stand on end, stood and began to leave their campsite. He moved quieter than a human had any right to do, and Inuyasha frowned, sniffing silently.
There, that scent again... Miroku, but not quite. So close to the human's scent the difference was almost unnoticeable- but, there was a difference.
Inuyasha remained motionless, watching as Miroku disappeared into the trees, then glanced around cautiously at their campsite. None of the others had woken, and nodding satisfactorily, he stood himself, grasping Tetsusaiga. Best to confront Miroku away from the others. Something was off and, until he knew what it was, it would be good to leave Kagome out of it. Sango couldn't think straight when the monk was concerned, even he could see that much, and Shippo would be of no help.
He approached Kirara, rubbing the back of her neck to wake her up. When the demon cat's eyes opened, he held a finger to his lips, then gestured for her to stay. It took the cat a few moments to get it, but when she nodded, he turned and headed after Miroku, leaving Kirara behind to protect the camp while he sought out the wayward member of their group.
It wasn't hard to catch up with him; Miroku wasn't trying to run, and even if he had been, he wouldn't have gotten far. Inuyasha prowled behind the monk, deciding to scope out the situation before he intervened; his staff was in one hand, but the sword that had caused all this possible trouble was in the other. If Miroku had really intended to bury it, like he'd promised, then why was he taking it with him now, in this clandestine journey in the middle of the night? And why was it out of its sheath?
Not to mention the questionable something in Miroku's scent was getting stronger.
A growl grew in his throat.
It was time for him to find out whatever was going on.
"Oi, Miroku! Something wrong?" he called casually, breaking into the deadened silence to step out into the open, innocently releasing Tetsusaiga and jogging to get closer. The moment he spoke the monk stiffened, reaching not for his staff, but the sword, and when he turned, there was a split second of darkness in him. Something in his eyes that just wasn't quite right, just like it his scent; something that embodied his entire persona that made Inuyasha want to growl again.
And then it was gone.
"Oh, Inuyasha!" the monk called genially, as if wasn't the middle of the night and he wasn't just walking away from them for no good reason. "What are you doing out here?"
"...I could ask you the same thing, bozu."
Miroku frowned innocently, seeming to have no idea that there was anything wrong. "Mmm? Oh! I just couldn't sleep, is all. Decided to go on ahead; bury this guy." He patted the sword with an eerie familiarity and smiled again. "The sooner that's taken care of, we can get back to our mission, ne, Inuyasha?"
He frowned again. His scent, the look in his eyes, and now his speech... it was all just off. And had been since he'd taken that blade from the strange passerby who, now that he thought about it, had singled out Miroku specifically, asking that the monk take the blade and bury it in his old village. He hadn't given a very convincing reason for why it had to be Miroku, either; some sobfest about youkai still haunting the village that had it out for him- he'd just seemed very insistent on Miroku taking that sword.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, and he looked at the weapon again.
There is something not right about that thing.
Miroku took another step backwards, appearing to want to get away from him as quickly as possible. "One of us, at least, should be sleeping, Inuyasha," he said, chuckling, and gestured back towards the camp. "Don't worry about me, I'll be back in two days!"
And, when the monk took another step backwards, Inuyasha got an idea.
"Eh? But tomorrow's the full moon." He pointed towards the dark sky overhead, watching Miroku's every move as closely as he could. "That's the one night that I'm human, Miroku! You can't leave now; there won't be anyone to protect Sango and Kagome if something happens!"
1. Sango sure as hell didn't need Miroku's protection.
2. Inuyasha would sooner cut his own throat than admit he'd ever be in a state where he couldn't even protect a human.
And, most importantly of all:
The full moon wasn't his transformation night.
So, if he said such a thing to Miroku, the only thing coming his way would be a barrage of logic and confusion.
And Inuyasha waited with bated breath, tension high, ready to grab Tetsusaiga again at the slightest sign that something was wrong.
Miroku paused for a moment, gaze going to the ground, features shifting to become blank. He just stood there stiffly, frozen for a beat, before a false concern suddenly rose again and the monk shook his head in what was probably supposed to be an apology. "I forgot, Inuyasha; forgive me. Of course I will return to the camp with you now. The sword can wait; I will stay and protect the ladies. After you become a demon again, I'll tend to the sword."
Tetsusaiga was drawn in a rippling flash of light, and Inuyasha was on the monk before the man had time to do more than flinch.
"Who are you?! What've you done with Miroku?!" Inuyahsa locked his legs tighter around him when he started to struggle, keeping him pinned down against the forest floor. "Answer me, youkai!"
"Y- youkai?!" the so called Miroku stammered in alarm, and he thrashed again, trying to get away. "You're the one whose possessed! Get off of me, Inuyash-"
"I don't transform with the full moon boz- youkai! The real Miroku knows that! Give it up!"
The man still tried for a moment, putting on a facade of blatant innocence and confusion. His struggles were still a human's, though, too weak to even pay any mind to, never mind enough to give him any chance at escape, and Inuyasha simply continued to pin Miroku against the dirt and fight. He glanced towards the sword still in Miroku's grip and turned Tetsusaiga against it, preparing to swing it at his hand. That sword was the cause of all this. He wasn't stupid enough to touch it- but he could surely provide enough force to knock it out of his hand. "Start talking, youkai," he warned, eyes still flitting between Miroku's and the sword. "Or else be prepared to lose a finger or two."
And with those words, the innocence hung on still for a few desperate moments- and then, vanished.
Inuyasha could pinpoint the exact moment when the light in Miroku's eyes disappeared and a cruel smile started to grow on his lips. The monk's features contorted, shifting from human alarm into a demon's chilling confidence so quickly it was unerring, and Inuyasha could not help but tighten his grip so greatly his claws drew blood.
Miroku- or whatever was in control of him, at this point- simply tilted his head to the side, seemingly entirely unaware about the disadvantage he was at here, and he laughed quietly, one chilling, victorious sound that made Inuyasha growl again.
"You are very correct, hanyou, in your assumption that this sword is the source of all your trouble." The voice started off like Miroku's but fluctuated, meandering between the monk's innocent tones and a deeper, more guttural kind of snarl that was nothing short of horrifying. "However, it is far too late for you to simply make me let go. I did reside in the sword in the beginning, yes; pity you didn't figure this out then- you might've had some inkling of a chance." Miroku smiled again, a dark, perverse version of the monk's usual mischievous grin. "I began possessing your houshi the moment the rest of you went to sleep. I may not have complete control yet, but..." He trailed off again and laughed, a laugh that was nothing like Miroku at all, and the grin turned feral. "To remove that sword now is useless. Of course, hanyou, you are still free to try. Go ahead. Give me a swing or two of that Tetsusaiga. It's very easy for me to just find another body- but I don't think it is quite that simple for a human to find another hand."
Inuyasha blanched, looking towards Tetsusaiga again helplessly. Regardless of whether the demon was telling the truth or not about removing the sword from Miroku's grip, Tetsusaiga couldn't strike delicately. It went all out, every time. If he swung that thing now, it was more likely he'd take out Miroku's entire hand along with the sword.
Cursing, Inuyasha pulled back- but he still didn't release Tetsusaiga. This demon wanted to goad him, step by step, into letting him walk away, because he couldn't risk hurting Miroku. Well, the bastard wasn't going to get his way.
"You're so smug and clever, huh?" Inuyasha growled, stretching his claws. "Hanyou, hanyou, hanyou all you want; you're still in a human's body. You can't lift a finger against me. Kirara, Sango! KIRARA! SANGO! HURRY! IT'S MIROKU!"
There, he thought, satisfied. That last word should get Sango, at least, running, and Kirara with her. Almost certainly Kagome and Shippo, too, but whatever was in Miroku only had a human body to work with. They wouldn't be in any danger while he was there.
"Oh?" the demon chuckled, raising an eyebrow, entirely ignorant to his predicament. "Calling humans for backup? Tch. Only from a hanyou."
Inuyasha growled again, his claws aching to reach out and punch him. "You're lucky I don't want Miroku to wake up with a broken face, youkai," he snarled, and glanced uneasily towards the sword again.
He could hear footsteps now; by the distant smashing it sounded as if Kirara were carrying everyone, and he grinned. Good. They'd get here faster. "Eh, Miroku, you hear me?" he called, cuffing the impudent demon by the ear. "We'll get this guy out of you in no time."
The scowl that rose was ferocious and instant, the growl that grew in Miroku's throat nothing human and entirely animalistic; demon."Optimistic trash," he muttered, eyes flashing. "You think that you have won? Hanyou, this battle has yet to even start." He bared his teeth, growl growing in his throat again- then exhaled.
Out came miasma.
Shit! Inuyasha ducked his head away from the attack, turning away while still keeping his grip on Miroku, but he could only manage for a few seconds before he had to withdraw. The smell was nauseating and if he inhaled anymore he'd pass out. Better he be conscious and at a distance than unconscious at on top of him.
Miasma that potent would kill a human in an instant. And yet, Miroku's body had been entirely unaffected.
Inuyasha swore as he landed and even then backed up further, eyes only for the dark spread of poison in the middle of the clearing. This wasn't the standard possession- there was something about this that was different. And different very rarely meant anything good.
He watched, on edge and tense, as the demon rose from the cloud of miasma, nothing more than a shadow in the poisonous mist. The fact that he was being housed in a human body seemed to bring him no detriment at all. He simply swung that cursed sword a few times, the miasma still hiding almost his entire form, and Inuyasha crouched, already preparing to spring the moment the miasma had dispersed. He heard Kirara bounding up behind him and shifted slightly, but still didn't pull his gaze away from Miroku. Or, whatever had taken their monk hostage.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, what's going on?! Is that- is that Houshi-sama?!" Sango cried out from behind him, by the sound of it, sprinting forward in a panic. He held out an arm to stop her from running towards Miroku- still not releasing his grip on Tetsusaiga.
"Don't be fooled. That's not Miroku, Sango," he warned, glaring angrily at the cloud of miasma. "He told me himself. He's possessed."
"What?!"
Kagome, who had joined him by his other side, lowered her bow, eyes wide in alarm. "Miroku-sama is-?!"
Inuyasha nodded seriously, still not looking at either one of them. "Don't risk using your arrows, Kagome. No telling what they could do to him. Definitely drive the demon out but-"
"May kill him in the process. Of course." Kagome took an uncertain step back, still staring at the miasma, whereas Sango only moved forward.
"Houshi-sama!" she yelled and moved forward again, entirely heedless to her own safety. "Houshi-sama! Can you hear me?!"
The miasma didn't disperse, but, slowly, the monk began to walk out of it, parting his way through the dark cloud as if it were nothing more than dust. At last he emerged, stepping to stand just outside of his defense, half shrouded by the darkness- his eyes, only for Sango. "You..." he murmured, seeming almost curious, and raised his sword, pointing the black blade at her with in a single deft motion. "This body got excited when you spoke. Tell me, hanyou. Does your precious houshi have an attachment to that human?"
Inuyasha heard Sango gasp behind him, and he stared in alarm. So Miroku was definitely still in there, even if only on a subconscious level. They still had time to get to him- but he had no way of knowing how fast that time was running out. "That's no business of yours, youkai!" he shouted back, then turned to Sango, pointing the stunned taijiya forward. "Sango, use Hiraikotsu! Tetsusaiga'll kill him but we just need to get him down, then find someone who can do an exorcism."
"An exorcism?" the demon drawled in incredulity, laughing at them all. "You think such petty magic will work on me? Or a human's weapon, for that matter? Ha! You're welcome to try!" He spread his arms gleefully, smugly, and Inuyasha found himself stopping himself from turning to growl again while he forced the clearly reluctant taijiya forward.
"Come on, Sango, it's the only way! Unless you want me to use my kaze no kiz-"
"I know, Inuyasha!" she snapped, but her eyes were still only for the monk. She closed her eyes for a second, breathing hard, then hefted Hiraikotsu and moved forward. "Houshi-sama! If you can hear me- I'm sorry! But I have to do this! Hiraikotsu!"
Inuyasha grinned, watching as the weapon whirled through the air, headed straight for the monk. Sango had been hit her own attack once before and merely been incapacitated, not killed; with any luck they'd get the same result here. And if he blocked it- well, they'd at least get some idea of his strength.
Despite his welcome to try comment, the demon still moved to try and block Hiraikotsu, crouching in place and raising his sword just in time to meet the boomerang in mid air. He was still hit with enough strength to be forced to slide back more than several feet, the boomerang whirling against him and striving to slice straight through the deadly sword. Inuyasha stared in amazement when he actually weathered the blow, Hiraikotsu driving him to stumble backwards in a frantic attempt to keep himself upright, clearly takenaback by the force behind the blow; even when he at last found his footing, he still snarled and fought, struggling to send the boomerang back and not have it bowl him over in the process.
No human should've had that strength.
Inuyasha stared, tense, watching with bated breath the struggle between the demon and Hiraikotsu- until at last, the boomerang prevailed, and Miroku was sent flying backwards in an uncontrolled flail of limbs to smash into a tree. When he slid down to the ground again and it hit it with a muted thump, it was to fall and lie facedown, motionless, in the dirt.
Once again, that blow and fall was something that should've knocked a human unconscious- if not killed him. It looked painful even to him, and he knew if Miroku had taken such a hit, he'd have been knocked senseless and incapacitated for days.
The look on Sango's face said she was thinking just the same as him- and feeling all the worse, for her part in it.
"Houshi... Houshi-sama?" she croaked, motionless.
Inuyasha growled, waiting for the stone to drop and the demon to rise. Whatever this thing was, it had already proven to have shed at least some of the limitations of its human form. If physical endurance was one of those qualities...
"Houshi-sama!"
"Sango-chan, wait-"
But it was too late. Sango was running straight for Miroku.
Inuyasha swore, preparing to jump after her. The demon had blocked too much of Hiraikotsu's momentum before it had struck him; it hadn't been able to return to Sango and lay now, abandoned, in the grass beside him- and her sword had been left back at the campsite; she was utterly defenseless-
It was a trap.
"Sango!" he screamed, throwing himself forward as fast he could, sprinting to get in between her and Miroku before it was too late. "Sango, stop, he's-"
Inuyasha saw it then. The slightest twitch in the hand that held onto that dammed sword, the hand around the hilt tightening almost imperceptibly- the motion far too minute to have been seen by any human. Sango included.
It was too late to get Sango out of the way. All he could do was take the blow for her.
The cursed sword sliced cleanly down through the robe of the fire rat, the armored fabric barely even giving it pause. His skin, far tougher than any human's, wasn't able to stop it either; Inuyasha stared in more disbelief than pain as the blade pierced directly through his shoulder with a spray of black blood. When he felt it go out his back, he couldn't stop himself from one short, agonized shout of pain.
No regular human should've had the strength to cut him. Whatever hold this thing had on Miroku, it was growing stronger.
He heard Kagome scream from behind him and Sango skid to a stop in horror; he held his ground, grabbing onto the hands that held the sword in him and slamming the demon back against the tree, moving with him all the while. "Sango, get back!" he snarled, clawed fingers digging so deep into Miroku's shoulders they sliced through skin and reached down to tissue. "I'm fine! Get out of here!"
Miroku raised his bowed head to reveal a twisted snarl, eyes burning with hate, the features he was so accustomed to turning so dark and murderous he almost couldn't even recognize him. "Do you want to die, hanyou?!" Miroku growled at him- and his voice, too, was so far out of normal it sounded nothing like their friend. "Stop interfering!" He pushed the sword in an inch further; Inuyasha's knees buckled but he still held his ground, every drop of blood that came from the wound only giving him more determination.
"If you don't let go of Miroku, you'll never escape us alive," he hissed, still standing even when the monk tried to drive the sword in further. Inuyasha grunted in agony, the blow forcing him down to his knees but still not back. "We'll never let you get away with him."
The demon laughed shortly, the black blade in him quivering agonizingly with the motion; Inuyasha had to fight not to cry out. "Oh, but it's been decided you would hunt me down from the moment I chose this one as my target. You would still hunt for me even if I released him here and now. Hear this, hanyou: this monk is mine. And if you you do not stand back and allow it, then I'll simply send you all to an early grave."
Inuyasha growled again, hatred seething. This creature before him was nothing like the Miroku he knew, and it turned his stomach to know that this thing had latched on to Mirkou and, if it had its way, would just use him until he was discarded as an empty shell.
Not on my goddamn watch.
With a cry, Inuyasha brought a foot around to smash it against the monk's ribs, sending Miroku tumbling back head over heels- and bringing the sword with him. At last freed from the cursed blade's grip, Inuyasha rotated his shoulder a few times until, satisfied, he turned back to face the monk who was now climbing to his feet, seething with anger. "Miroku, can you hear me?!" he shouted, straining to reach the monk that he knew was still aware somewhere inside. "Miroku, we're getting you out of this! MIROKU!"
The demon launched himself forward at that, blade raised again, and this time Inuyasha was ready to block with Tetsusaiga. Tetsusaiga should've shattered any normal blade, but this one withstood the blow and returned another one in kind, leaving the two of them to burst into a lightning fast dance of parries and attempted stabs. Miroku was faster than he had ever been in battle before, violet eyes glinting with excitement as he parried off against Inuyasha, moving through battle with a fluid grace that was entirely unlike the monk's brute style of smashing attackers with his staff.
Inuyasha would never admit just how hard pressed he found himself to keep up and swore under his breath, struggling to keep the demon away from the girls. It was clear now that this demon was extremely powerful- by his own admission, he was still in transition period between early possession and complete control, but he was already able to use Miroku to such an extent as to be able to ward him off? If they didn't find a way to trap him soon, Inuyasha was worried they might not be strong enough to stop him without killing him.
All I need is a single kaze no kizu...!
Their two swords met in mid air again, colliding with a metallic clang, and Inuyasha pressed further, striving to break the cursed blade. Miroku's mouth turned into a feral grin, eyes bright with bloodlust, and all of that was just so wrong on Miroku's face he wanted to bring Tetsusaiga down and slice the demon in half. "Miroku, hang in there!" he growled through gritted teeth, beginning to shake with the exertion. "Almost... got... it..."
"You speak to no one, hanyou!" the demon cackled, and the push back against Tetsusaiga was so strong he almost lost his footing. "Your houshi is gone! Any will that remains against me is deteriorating, and when its gone, his soul will be mine to devour! Your-"
"You're wrong!" Inuyasha screamed back, and with a burst of strength he threw himself forward and brought Miroku down to his knees. Tetsusaiga shook against the cursed sword, struggling to cleave it in two. "Miroku wouldn't give up so easily! Small fry like you aren't even worth his Kazanna!"
The demon growled but did not respond, now all his attention devoted to fighting back against Tetsusaiga. It was deadly quiet now, the only sound their ragged breaths against the metallic scraping of their blades, Inuyasha struggling with all his might to take down the demon that had taken up residence inside his friend while Miroku's body snarled in an entirely inhuman sound, eyes still flashing in sheer rage.
Except...
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, staring harder at the demon's- Miroku's- face. The features were strained and tense but no longer focused on him- Miroku simply stared through rather than at him now, seething at some sight that Inuyasha could not see. And even while Inuyasha stared at him in rising unease, the demon began to mutter under in his breath, shoulders shaking with the exertion. "Impossible... you dare to... y-you dare... resist..."
And with that, Miroku's body continued to fight, but the darkness lurking behind his eyes vanished, the bloodlust carved into every cruel feature of his face disintegrated he looked Inuyasha in the eye, and he spoke again.
"Inu... yasha..."
Inuyasha gasped.
"R-r-r... Inuyasha..."
"Miroku!" he cried, so takenaback he almost dropped Tetsusaiga. He stared in amazement as the human shook beneath him, unbelievably tense and strained but very definitely Miroku.
"Inu... yasha..." he gasped again, voice a struggling, dying croak. "R-run..."
"Run?! Are you insane, bozu?! I'm not leaving until-"
"Mia...s...m... miasm...a..."
Inuyasha understood in the exact moment that the demon took over again, stealing the light again from Miroku's eyes in a change that physically hurt to watch, and he got back just in time to miss the burst of miasma that expanded from the monk's mouth and claimed over the area he'd been occupying a mere second before.
Swearing under his breath, Inuyasha slunk back a little, Tetsusaiga still in his hand, and glanced back to see Kagome and Sango still standing and staring in astonishment and horror. "Kagome, get out of here!" he warned, turning back towards the cloud of miasma. "Miroku's a lot stronger right now than I've ever seen him. We can't risk your sacred arrows, so you need to get out of here. I can't protect you now."
"But, Inuyasha-"
"Go!" he snarled, still focused on the dark, clouded form that was sure to be Miroku. "You and Shippo, run! Sango, get ready. He's coming back."
The taijya started, then nodded, moving to his side and preparing to fight. Inuyasha waited with her, only breathing a little easier when he heard Kagome taking Shippo and getting the hell out of there- leaving only him, Sango, and the demon.
Hang in there, Miroku, he thought, growl erupting into a full brown snarl. We're coming for you.
At last, the demon stepped from the cloud of miasma. And he was fuming.
"You dare resist me, filthy human?!" he cried- but not to them. To himself. "You think your interference will spare them?! I'll crush your soul and when I do, these pathetic creatures who can't bear to kill your body will die with you!"
That was enough to spur Sango forward, the taijiya grabbing Hiraikotsu again and bursting into a sprint, preparing to throw. "Houshi-sama!"
The demon's eyes glinted and he raised his head, looking towards them again in a wave of hate. "Impudent fools! Want to finish this, do you?! Then, allow me to test it- the reason I chose this monk above all the rest!"
Sango wasn't stopping, and Inuyasha started to run behind her, uneasily watching the demon. The reason he'd chosen Miroku to possess? So he'd singled out Mirkou specifically? That couldn't be for anything good...
And, sure enough, when the demon began to attack, it was by simply raising Miroku's cursed hand. He sheathed the sword violently in the ground, then reached up with the other to release the prayer beads that bound Naraku's curse.
The Kazanna.
He went after Mirkou for his Kazanna
At last, everything made sense.
Far too late, of course.
Sango skidded to a stop at the sight of Miroku and Inuyasha threw himself after her, linking one arm around hers and thrusting Tetsusaiga into the ground as anchor with the other. He was now doubly glad Kagome had been sent away and he pulled Sango down to the ground with him, using Tetsusaiga's sheath to create a barrier. It wouldn't do much against Mirkou's Kazanna, but hopefully that and Tetsusaiga as an anchor would keep them down until they could come up with some other kind of plan.
All that was left for Inuyasha to do was watch, still crouched in a threatening prowl, as the demon reached up towards Miroku's prayer beads and prepared to rip them off.
And then, his fingers actually touched the beads.
There was a brilliant spark of light, the smell of burning flesh- and, miraculously, the demon yanked his hand back, leaving the Kazanna uncovered. He howled in pain, now gripping the burned hand with the sealed one, screeching profanities at Mirkou while Inuyasha stared, breathing hard.
Of course. Prayer beads.
Miroku was cheap about a lot of things, but his staff and the prayer beads were two things in which no expense had been spared. The beads locked around his wrist had probably been the most powerful, blessed things he could get his hands on, and he'd likely strengthened the charms himself. They'd seal the evil, demon-borne curse in his hand, but humans like Miroku, and even half demons like himself, would still be able to touch them.
And, the demon presence inside of him could not.
His Kazanna is sealed.
He lowered the barrier, yanking Tetsusaiga up and climbing to his feet again, preparing to strike. "What now?! All you've got left is miasma, and if you think that'll hold us off for long you're a fool!"
Sango moved to stand beside him as well, Hiraikotsu raised. She was prepared to attack as well, and Inuyasha watched carefully as the demon, still rubbing his burnt hand, raised his scalding gaze to glare between them all. He grabbed the previously abandoned staff, then pointed at Inuyasha with it, teeth bared in a snarl. "You. Hanyou. Why do you fight so hard for this mortal? Now or fifty years from now, he'll die. Nothing you do can prevent that. Why waste time on mortals such as these?"
Inuyasha growled but didn't respond. There was no point to it. Sesshomaru had asked him the same thing many times, in between traded blows mere inches away from being fatal. Until a full blooded demon stumbled upon someone like Sesshomaru's Rin, they simply could not understand the pull he had towards these soft, fragile creatures that were hotblooded in war and passion and would die all too soon. To demons like this, Miroku, as a human, was nothing more than a pawn. No words would get him out of their friend; only action.
When he did not respond, the demon simply lowered his arm and shook his head in amusement. "Whatever. You've chosen your lot in life; who am I to question it, right?" He chuckled slightly, an eerie sort of sound that was nothing like Miroku.
Then, he raised the black sword to his own throat.
"I tire of this fight. I've bested you every time we've crossed blades, and to do so again is a waste of my time. If you wish to value his life above your own, hanyou? Then fine. Do not strike me, or I will draw this sword and drain him of blood before you ever reach me. You. Taijiya." He pointed at Sango with his free hand, the other still holding the blade across Miroku's throat. "You will come with me, or your precious houshi-sama will die here and now."
"Wh- what?!"
Inuyasha growled at him, taking another step forward. "Don't move, Sango. He's bluffing. Without Miroku he got no way out of here."
The demon chuckled- inching the blade ever closer to its targer. "Oh, but you misunderstand, hanyou. Without that Kazanna I saw him use, this body is useless to me. Paramount to any other human. He is now no more than a vessel to take me to my next form. If you want to take the chance, of course, that I am bluffing- please, do so. This is simply the most convenient way for me to achieve my wishes. I can just as easily do it with him dead." He waited for a second, Sango still frozen, Inuyasha still staring in horror. When none of them moved, he began to draw the blade back- taking skin and blood with it.
"NO! STOP!"
The demon paused- blood, still dripping off the tip of his sword.
Miroku's blood.
The scent alone enraged Inuyasha, enough to want to reach over and tear the demon apart.
Sango stood now in front of him, resolute in her determination. She dropped Hiraikotsu with a thundering smack and took another step, hands raised to show that she was unarmed. "Don't hurt him! I promise, I'll come with you."
"Sango!" God damn it, Sango, you're playing right into his hand-!
"Stay out of this, Inuyasha," she warned, still only facing the demon. "Unless you can see another way to stop him from cutting his throat- this is the only way."
The demon laughed again but did not lower the sword, still waiting for her to join him by his side. "Good girl," he coaxed, dark grin spreading, and Inuyasha reached desperately as he lost, not one, but two of his friends.
"Stop, you bastard! I'll go with you; leave her out of this!"
"You?" The demon chuckled again, casting a quick look at him in amusement. "I'm sorry, hanyou, but you are of no use to me. My sword injected miasma into your wound... you'll be passing out soon anyway. What, you expect me to want a hostage that'll turn into me lugging around some dead weight?" He scoffed. "Taijiya, are you getting cold feet? I think your monk's neck would prefer it if you moved faster."
And, horrified, Inuyasha was left with nothing to do but stand there and stare helplessly as the taijiya walked, her back to him, towards the demon. When she reached him, he wasn't surprised at all that the hilt of the sword came down her head in a blur of black, leaving the taijiya to drop like a stone. He could smell her blood, and the growl that grew, contained, in his throat served no purpose except to make him even more frustrated, and when Miroku's body tossed Sango's over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and melted with her back into the darkness of the midnight forest, he found himself wanting to scream.
Miroku... Sango...
When his head hit the ground, he still found himself reaching out for them, in one final desperate attempt to pull them back before the miasma overtook him, and he passed out.
