Well, Here we go with chapter 4. I wonder... how is this fic going to pan out. Anyway, I guess I'll find out along with all of you.
(-CHALLENGE OF THE DEVIL HUNTER-)
)-Tavern-(
"What's this scent?" questions Inuyasha, sniffing the air, "Can it be... a tiger-demon?"... "Inuyasha!" he hears a monotone voice shout from outside, then gets up and slides opens the shouji door to see a masked man clad in reddish-gray pants and a violet gi-top, and holding a katana in its scabbard, in his left hand.
"Inuyasha!" the masked man shouts again, "Show yourself! Or, Be you a coward?"
"What d'you want!" demands Inuyasha, gripping the handle of Tetsusaiga.
The man turns to the silverhaired hanyou and sniffs the air, "You are... Inuyasha, are you not?" he questions.
"What of it?"
"My name is Toramaru." the man states, his voice remaining monotone and apparently emotionless, "And, I am here to challenge you, Inuyasha."
"Fine!" Inuyasha responds, drawing and transforming Tetsusaiga.
"No, Not here." Toramaru says, holding up his right hand with the palm toward Inuyasha. "There are innocents that may get injured." he adds, turning away from Inuyasha, "Come. Follow me." he dashes off toward the nearby woods.
"Tch!" Inuyasha mumbles before following after Toramaru... Unbenknownst to either, Kagome overheard and also follows, her bow and arrows in-hand.
)-Woods/Clearing-(
When Inuyasha reaches the clearing in the forest, he sees Toramaru leaned against a tree with his head leaned forward and his arms folded, still holding his katana in its scabbard in his left hand. He opens his eyes and shifts his gaze toward Inuyasha, then unfolds his arms and stands up from his leaning position. Toramaru walks forward, Inuyasha still to his left side, "Hmph. Who would have thought that the younger son of Inu no Taishou was the one responsible?" he questions, as he looks up toward the sky.
Inuyasha again grips the handle of Tetsusaiga, "Tell me! Why d'you wanna pick a fight with me!" he demands.
"Silence!" Toramaru states, turning to face the silverhaired hanyou, "I am here to avenge the death of Saiko, whom you killed!" he leaps into the air, "Tsume Zan!" he shouts as he swings his right arm in a left-to-right sweeping motion, releasing a claw attack similar to Inuyasha's. (btw, 'Tsume Zan' translates to 'Claw Cutter').
Inuyasha leaps back to avoid the attack and draws Tetsusaiga as Toramaru lands. The silverhaired hanyou leaps toward Toramaru and slashes with the Tetsusaiga, which Toramaru evades as if Inuyasha is moving in slow-motion. Inuyasha then attempts a right-to-left horizontal swing which is blocked by Toramaru's katana, still in its scabbard.
Inuyasha attempts another overhead swing but, again, Toramaru blocks with his sheathed katana. However, Inuyasha begins overpowering him(well, Inuyasha is using two hands while Toramaru is using only his left). Toramaru, however, steps his right foot to the right and follows with his left, turning his wrist to allow Inuyasha's own momentum to force the Tetsusaiga into the ground.
Inuyasha then goes into his typical 'wild-swing' style, Toramaru avoiding every attack... almost as if he's moving in slow motion, "So much wasted movement, Inuyasha." he says, "You should gauge your moves more carefully." After a couple more failed attacks, Toramaru notices an opening and uses a right backhand to send Inuyasha back several feet.
'What's the deal!' Inuyasha questions himself, practically snarling, 'His movements are completely in-sync at all times. It seemed like he was moving in slow motion, but he avoided all of my attacks. It's like he knows what move he's gonna make four moves before he uses it... it even seems he knows what moves I'm gonna make before I do...'
"Inuyasha." Toramaru says, refolding his arms, "Your strength and speed are excellent, I grant you that. But you are too impetuous."
"What!"
"You must consider the entire situation... the environment, as well as the capacities of both yourself and your enemy." Toramaru continues, "... attacking without forethought is merely a 'barbaric' act - not a brave one."
"Grrr! I'll show you barbaric!" Inuyasha states, drawing up the Tetsusaiga, "Wind Scar!"
"Hmph." Toramaru leaps high into the air to avoid the attack, but then hears...
"Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer!"
Toramaru's eyes widen ever-so-slightly as the claw attack closes in on him and just as it appears to connect, Toramaru vanishes in a swirl of leaves and reappears on the ground in a kneeling position. His right knee and hand are on the ground and he's holding his katana out behind him.
Toramaru stands up, "Too slow, Inuyasha." he says, but then, "?" he shifts his eyes down to the right side of his face as a knick in his mask becomes evident and brushes his right thumb across his face next to his right eye, above the knick in his mask, which reveals a cut there, "Hm..." he lowers his head and closes his eyes momentarily, before raising it and reopening his eyes, "Very well." he says, nodding once, "I suppose I have underestimated you." he grips the handle of his katana, "Let us begin again." he adds, "And, this time..." he draws his katana, transforming it as he does, and discards the scabbard, "I will take you seriously..."
(If any of you have read my SM Rei/Usagi story 'Unconditional Love', then you know what Toramaru's transformed sword looks like. If not, e-mail me and I'll send you a picture that I drew of it)
"Now Inuyasha." Toramaru says, bringing his sword to his right side and gripping the handle with his left hand. The blade is pointed behind Toramaru and he steps forward with his left foot, "Prepare to feel the ferocity of Zanmato!" he tightens his grip on the sword's handle and a fiery aura enshrouds its blade. ('Zanmato' means 'Cutting Demon Sword' or 'Demon Cutting Sword').
Toramaru swings the Zanmato in an upward right-to-left diagonal swing as he begins a step forward with his right foot, he brings the Zanmato around himself in a circle and swings it in a downward right-to-left diagonal slash, "Hijin Kage Zan!" he shouts as he finishes the swing and his forward step. A fiery flash of energy flies from the blade of the Zanmato(looks like a fiery version of the Kaze no Kizu or Wind Scar). The attack flies across the clearing and hits the side of a mountain, which unbeknownst to anyone, Kagome just happens to be on top of... (ya know, I find it amazing how she always seems to get in such places, don't you?)
Toramaru stands up and releases the handle of Zanmato with his left hand, "I am impressed, Inuyasha." he says, without turning around, "I did not think you could evade the Hijin Kage Zan." ('Hijin Kage Zan' translates to 'Burning Shadow Cutter').
"Tch! It wasn't that tough, really." Inuyasha says, confidently with a smirk.
"If that is so, why is there a quiver in your voice?" Toramaru questions, turning to Inuyasha whilehis reddish-gray eyes remainingempty -or, emotionless-as they havesince the fight started.
"Grr... huh?" Inuyasha's eyes widen slightly, 'Kagome?' he wonders to himself, seeing the girl on top of the mountain that was hit by Toramaru's attack, 'What's she doin' here? Huh?' he notices the ground give-way under the girl.
"Now, I'll finish you." Toramaru states, as he advances toward Inuyasha.
Inuyasha jumps back to avoid Toramaru's attack and throws the Tetsusaiga, which flies right past Toramaru. "Hmph." Toramaru says, "What did you hope to do with that? Huh?" then he hears a girl's voice scream and turns to see Kagome falling.
He sees the Tetsusaiga lodge into the side of the cliff to give Kagome something to grab onto, which she manages to do. Toramaru turns his gaze back to Inuyasha, 'Did he just give up his weapon, and perhaps his only chance of survival, to save that human girl...?' he wonders to himself, then narrows his gaze, 'The look in his eyes... he did.' he looks back toward Kagome.
"Hmph." Toramaru states, closing his reddish-gray eyes and holding out his left hand to recall Zanmato's scabbard to him. He catches the scabbard in his left hand and spins Zanmato in his right hand into a reverse grip, then sheathes the sword, "Forgive me, Inuyasha." he says, spinning around toward the woods, "I have made a terrible mistake. Saraba..." he starts walking off and vanishes slowly as he does. ('Saraba' is Japanese for 'Farewell').
"Huh? That was weird..." Inuyasha says, blinking his golden eyes twice, "What's up with that guy?"
"INUYASHAAAA!" Kagome's voice rings in the hanyou's sensitive dog-like ears, "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"
(-TO BE CONTINUED-)
Ramblings: If you have any questions, ask in a review or send them to me via e-mail... though it may take some time for me to reply... --; Sorry. In a-anycase, What do you think, huh? Okay, So maybe that ending line of Kagome's wasn't exactly in-character for her but, it was comical, right? Well, Tune in next time, okay?