Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.
Chapter 11: Demons, Demons, Everywhere…
As Sango marched away from the kitchen, making a point of not looking back, she wandered about the unfamiliar house until she reached the door she had entered it through. Looking out a nearby window, she saw the Shrine which housed the Bone-Eater's Well. For the longest time, she considered rushing over there and jumping back down and returning to her own world and time. If only to put a distance of five hundred years between herself and Miroku.
Why? Why does it hurt so much to watch him do these things? Sango demanded of herself, walking up to a wall and smack her fists against it. Why do I keep letting Miroku get under my skin this way? But even as she asked herself these questions, she found that she already knew the answer; because she felt so alone, even in her own time.
When the Demon Slayer Village had been destroyed, Sango had not just lost her home, her family. She had lost her entire way of life. Everything she had known and loved, everything that meant anything to her, all of it, completely gone. And it was because of this when, after the battle that had cost her family and had allowed Naraku to claim Kohaku, on the verge of death, and tricked into believing that InuYasha had been responsible for the slaughter, she had wanted nothing more than to die. To go out, fight one last battle for the sake of those she had lost, for vengeance…before joining them in death.
But things had not been that simple. Instead, the enemy responsible for the slaughter had proven to be Naraku, an elusive monstrosity that thwarted their every attempt to take his miserable, cowardly life. And during that time, after Sango had been rescued by InuYasha and the others, her body given a chance to heal…she still felt as if she had no real life left to her.
There were other Demon Slayers, other villages out there, to be sure. And Sango did have some good friends amongst them. But nothing that could replace what had been taken from her. And even then, she felt as if she couldn't go to any of them. Naraku was her problem, her enemy. The only people she felt she could trust to help her had been those for whom Naraku was also their enemy. People like InuYasha, Kagome…and Miroku.
Of the original members of that group, Sango had always felt closest to Miroku, despite his lechery. His family had been destroyed, cursed by Naraku, and he had very personal reasons for wanting to destroy the vile demon. And most importantly, he had been good to her when she needed him to be. Had buried her family, and on more than one occasion, had risked his life for her sake.
But at the same time, as much as Miroku had been there for her, he had also been off on his own, indulging in his own selfishness. This had been bad enough when he lived in fear of his Wind Tunnel curse, but in the time after Utsugi's death and Michiru's disappearnace, when all of them had believed that the monster was finally gone for good, Miroku had been much more active in his pursuit of beautiful women. During their quest to retrieve the Shikon Jewel Shards, Sango had born witness to several of his's attempts to garner attention from women, everything from his fake fortunetelling to sweet-talking a girl he happened upon on the streets. All of which he was quick to defend as being his duty as a monk in service to Buddha.
Sango truly hated thinking of these things. She hated thinking of the many times Miroku had asked a girl to bare his child, of how quick he was to cozy up with an attractive female or feel them up or spy on them while they were taking a bath. She hated thinking of these things because they made her question other things. Things such as his feelings for her…and her feelings for him.
Where does it end, Miroku? Sango asked bitterly. Where do all your games and manipulations and cons end? Punctunating this question with another smack on the wall, she stood there, alloing her emotions to run their course, all of them buried beneath the surface. And as she did so, they began to change.
Emotions much more recent began to come into play, bringing to light thoughts of someone else. Someone else who had held her, journeyed with her, comforted her, and protected her with his life. Someone that she'd known for a relatively short time, had been an outsider that had come and left them so suddenly. And somehow, in the span of a few months, he had found his way into her heart and taken up an ever larger part of it. Had found his way into her dreams, and haunted her when she was awake.
As she lost heself in these thoughts, she was brought to the real world when that person gently asked, "Sango? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, you took off so suddenly!" came a second voice. Turning about, Sango found herself looking at Michiru and Kagome.
"Oh…I'm sorry, you two," Sango murmured bashfully. Shoving all of her worries and concerns into the back of her mind, she smiled and said, "I…just needed a little space, that's all."
"Sure, not problem!" Kagome nodded. Then she gave the Demon Slayer an infectious smile and jerked her thumb at the staircase behind her. "Say, I have an idea! Now that dinner's over, why don't you have a nice bath?"
Blinking a few times, Sango frowned as she looked upstairs. "A bath? But…how do you get the water up there? Do you have to carry it, or…?"
"No, no! It's nothing like that!" Kagome assured her, laughing somewhat. Frowning and getting the feeling that she had something stupid, Sango waited as her friend composed herself. "There's pipes and stuff that move water all throughout the house!"
"That's right, Sango," Michiru confirmed. "You…you could say that the house moves the water for you. And it heats it, too."
"It…it does?" Sango frowned, feeling even more confused before realization hit her. "Oh, right. You mean…like for that…dishwasher you have in the kitchen?"
"Yeah, that's right," Kagome confirmed. "Anyway, it's been a few days, so I figured you could use a nice, long soak." Then she smiled and added, "And maybe you'll finally let me use some shampoo on that hair of yours!"
Groaning hesitantly, Sango found herself oddly torn. On the one hand, she liked the idea of having a bath. But at the same time, there was still so much about this world that was strange and unfamiliar. And the idea of using that odd-smelling lotion that Kagome used made her that much more uncertain. "I…I dunno," she finally muttered. "I…it's been a long day, and…"
"Yeah, I know," Michiru noted somberly.
"It sure has," Kagome agreed. "But once we get on the road, it might be a long time before we have a chance to take a real hot bath, Sango."
This got Sango's attention. "A hot bath?" she repeated, more than a bit surprised by this. "You mean…this house makes the water hot, too?"
"That's right!" Kagome confirmed while Michiru nodded. "So what do you say, Sango? If you like, I can show you how everything works!"
Frowning somewhat, Sango considered the matter. While she was still somewhat uncertain, the idea of enjoying a nice, long, hot soak was a temping one. And it was obvious that neither Michiru or Kagome were concerned about these modern devices of theirs. "Well…okay," she finally decided. "I'm not sure about the shampoo, but…I guess I could use a bath."
"Okay!" Kagome grinned, already heading towards the stairs.
As soon as Kagome was gone, Sango asked, "Say, Michiru…is it true that shampoo really makes your hair shinier?"
"Yes," Michiru assured her. Then his cheeks colored as he lowered his gaze. "But…I have to admit, Sango, it's…it's hard to imagine your hair being more beautiful than it already is."
At these words, a compliment that wasn't tainted by manipulation or excessive flattery, was something that was said because it happened to be true, Sango's cheeks colored as well. "Uh…thank you, Michiru…"
"Yeah…" Michiru nodded. Then he frowned and looked towards one of the other rooms. "Listen, I better get going. Mom and Dad are going home for the night."
Starting at this, Sango frowned and asked, "Then…will they be coming to say goodbye tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Dad said that he just wanted to get a few things for me and Kaname before we leave," Michiru explained. "Still…once we're back on the road again, it might be a while before I see them again, so…"
As the modern magician hesitated, Sango smiled her appreciation. "I understand," she told him, meaning every word. Knowing full well of how much she would have liked to say goodbye to her loved ones from her own villages, to say things that will never be said now in this life. "In that case, you better get going."
"Right. Thanks, Sango," Michiru told her before starting away.
Once again marveling at the Shikigami User, at how easily he had found a permanent place in her heart, Sango made her way upstairs. Despite the many differences between Kagome's home and houses in the Feudal Era, the Demon Slayer was still able to find her way without difficulty, thanks to the sound of running water. Frowning at the sound which seemed horribly out of place in a house, she shrugged and kept going until she found an open door.
"There you are, Sango!" Kagome grinned, standing at the side of a large, white trough that was being filled with water spilling forth from some kind of spout. And judging by the steam rising up from it, it was most certainly hot. "I was wondering what was keeping you!"
Catching herself staring at yet another bizarre artifact of the modern world, Sango forced her attention onto Kagome. "Sorry. I just wanted to talk to Michiru for a moment, that's all," she told her friend. Then she looked at the tub, and slowly shook her head as it filled up. "I don't think I'll ever get used to your world, Kagome…"
"Yeah, well…sometimes, I feel the same way about the Feudal Era," Kagome confessed before moving to the spout. When she twisted a strange knob next to it, the flow of water slackened, and finally ceased. "So…are you ready?"
A moment passed as Sango studied the tub. There didn't seem to be anything dangerous about it in and of itself. And she had to admit, the hot water was looking more and more tempting by the moment. "Okay. Just give me a moment to undress," the Demon Slayer replied, already shedding her kimono. As she let it fall, she looked back at the door and frowned. "Ummm…is there anyway to lock this door. I…"
"Don't want a certain someone coming to peep at you?" Kagome concluded with a rueful chuckle. "No problem." With that, she went over to the door and closed it, twisting some kind of latch once it was closed. She then made a show of pulling on the door's handle, making it clear that it was securely locked.
"Thanks, Kagome," Sango smiled before continuing to undress. Once the last of her clothes fell to the floor, the Demon Slayer carefully dipped her foot in the water. To her immense satisfaction, in was indeed nice and hot. Soon afterwards, she slid the rest of her form into the tub, and let out a sigh of relief at the way the water soothed her body. "I have to admit, this is one thing about your world I could get to like."
"C'mon, we haven't even gotten to the best part!" Kagome beamed as she held up a bottle of shampoo. "Now, just sit back and relax…and let me at that hair of yours!"
Blushing somewhat, Sango considered the bottle for a time. "Um…" she hesitated, only to flash back to her conversation with Michiru before. At how he clearly thought of her as being beautiful, at the way he had told her he loved her. How he had told her this and more, all without any expectation of his feelings be reciprocated, and all because they were his feelings.
As she thought of these things, for some reason, Sango found herself wanting to look her best. Which is why she blushed and decided, "Well…okay. But not too much of it!"
"No problem!" Kagome grinned before opening up the bottle and letting a small amount of shampoo pour into her hand.
The next morning, Michiru found himself unable to tear his eyes away from Sango. Whether it when they were going through the motions of waking up to having breakfast or when he and his friends went outside to await his parents returned, there was not a single moment in which he wasn't allowing his eyes to feast on the Demon Slayer's beauty.
Just when I thought she couldn't be even more beautiful… Michiru thought dreamily as they stood outside, the sun flashing in the highlights of Sango's lustrous hair. Hair that flowed and curled in the breeze like liquid metal.
As Michiru watched as the hair seemed to wave at him, daring him to come and bury his face in it, a familiar voice called for his attention "Hey, Michiru?" Shippo piped up from right next to him. Jumping somewhat, the Shikigami User manaed to tear one eye away from Sango to noticed the inquisitive fox-demon. "Watcha looking at?"
A dream that I want to take in my arms and kiss and love and hug forever, Michiru found himself thinking. But deciding that the fox-demon might not understand the seamier aspects of life, he did his best to downplay it. "Uh, nothing. I was just...looking at Sango, you know? I…I think she did something different with her hair, and…"
"Oh, you noticed it, too, huh?" Shippo smiled as Michiru returned his full focus on the beauteous Demon Slayer. "Yeah, Kagome spent last night helping Sango with her hair. It really is shiny now, isn't it?" The little fox-demon paused, then asked, "Say, do you think Kagome would be willing to help me with my hair?"
"Hmm?" Michiru paused, really not wanting to be distracted. "Uh, sure. Sure. I bet she would."
"Yeah. I think…Michiru!" Shippo cried out with a bit more heat. "Are you even paying any attention to me?"
"Uh…yeah, Shippo," Michiru replied, reluctantly depriving one eye of its view of Sango again. "I…guess I'm a bit distracted."
"Yeah. And I bet I know why!" Shippo smirked in knowing fashion.
"I think the entire world knows by now, Shippo!" Now it was both eyes that were forced away from Sango as Kaname entered Michiru's line of sight. "Be careful, bro. I don't think it would be a good idea to let Sango see you drooling over her!"
"Huh?" Michiru gaped, his mind completely overwhelmed by the horror of such a scenario. He hurriedly wiped his mouth as he faced flushed. "I…I didn't realize I -!"
Lauging at Michiru's humiliation, Kaname assured him, "Relax, bro. I was exaggerating…though not by much." Enjoying this moment for a bit longer, his twin cocked her head to the side. "Anyway, sorry I have to drag you back from Cloud 9, but I thought someone should let you know that Mom and Dad just got here!"
If Kaname's teasing remark had sent a rush of horror through him, this last statement was like a bucket of water over Michiru's head. With immense difficulty, he pushed Sango out of the center of his mind, and focused it elsewhere. Sure enough, their parents had arrived, and were meating and greeting with the others as they made their over to the twins.
A bit embarrassed that he had been so lost in looking at Sango that he hadn't even noticed his parents' arrivel, Michiru focused on them and smiled. "Hi, Mom, Dad."
"Hello, you two!" Mrs. Kururugi beamed as she took her children in her arms. "Oh…I can't believe you're really doing this…!"
"Aw, Mom…" Kaname murmured as she lost herself in the loving embrace.
"I know, I know. I suppose all children leave their parents, sooner or later," their mother said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I guess…I was just hoping that you'd put it off for a few more years." Somehow managing to tear herself away from them, she looked at her children with pride. "But…I guess life is never really that simple."
"It certainly wasn't for us," their father agreed, pulling open a tote bag that hung from his shoulder. "Now, before you go, there are a few things I'd like to give to you." With this, he reached into the bag, and pulled out something out that he then gave to his daughter. "Here you go, Kaname. I noticed that Michiru had one of these already, so I thought it might be a good idea for me to make one for you."
"Wha…a Shikigami Disk?" Michiru gaped as he looked down at the one that hung about his own arm. Despite the obvious usage that shown on his Disk, the two artifacts were identical in appearance. "But…how'd you make it, Dad? I…I looked all over the Shrine for magic scrolls and everything, and I never found the instructions for making one of these!"
"The scroll that gave that information was a little dangerous to just leave in the shrine, Michiru," his father explained. "I found a more…secure place to hide it, along with other materials that were too sensitive to leave lying around. Speaking of which…" Their father then reached back into the bag, and pulled out a homemade book which he handed to his son. "This book holds many secret arts that have been passed down in our shrine for centuries, secrets that I found in the various scrolls. I wrote them down here, in the event that others in our family displayed the powers you and Kaname have discovered. Since you have more experience in using your powers, I'm entrusting you with our legacy. Study the secrets of our family, and use them wisely."
"You can count on me, Dad!" Michiru smiled gratefully.
"Now, there is one last thing that must be done," Mr. Kururugi told them. "During my own adventures, I've mastered many of the different powers of the Shikigami, powers that might come in handy for you two. Please, stand before me and hold out your hands." The twins doing as he told, Mr. Kururugi took their hands in his own. A pentagram spun into existence at his feet, and released his Shikigami to mingle with their own spirit familiars, sharing their powers. In this way, they gained the basic knowledge of the powers he had mastered himself, an instinctive understanding of his own techniques that would quickly lead to them mastering these techniques themselves.
"Oh, thanks, Dad! I feel stronger already!" Kaname grinned, hugging her father happily.
"I know what you mean, Kaname," Michiru agreed, thinking of how Grandma Kakuju had instructed him, how each encounter with the aged priestess had left him with more power and knowledge than before.
"Now, now, you two! That power has always been inside of you! All I've done is make it easier for you to access and channel it," their father explained. "As for the rest, that's all up to you."
Smiling sadly, Mrs. Kururugi looked at her children and said, "I wish I could give you something to help you in battle, like your father has. But…I'm afraid that, right now, all I can give you two is…my love."
"That's okay, Mom," Michiru replied easily. "That's more than enough for me."
"And me, too," Kagome assured her. The two of them welcoming her arms as she hugged them again.
"Take care, our children," Mr. Kururugi told them. "And while you're gone, we'll see about making even more tooks and weapons for you to use."
"Thank you," Michiru replied.
"I promise, we'll be back as soon as we can," Kaname vowed.
"We know you will," Mrs. Kururugi assured them, a fond sadness in her voice. "Now, you better get going. Your friends are waiting for you."
Nodding, Michiru and Kaname looked over at where his friends had gathered. InuYasha, Sango, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, all of them were watching the Kururugis enjoying this moment as a family before they parted away, perhaps for a long time. "Thanks again!" Michiru called out as Kaname echoed him. "Goodbye!"
"Take care, my children!" Mr. Kururugi called out as he and his wife waved goodbye. "Watch out for each other, and your friends!"
"Be careful!" Mrs. Kururugi seconded as the twins made their way into the Higurashi Shrine. "And come back safely!"
"We will! Promise!" Kaname assured her as they and the others disappeared into the Shrine.
As they made their way down to the Well, Michiru jumped when he heard Shippo say, "Gosh, you two. Your parents…they're really nice, you know that?"
"Yeah, they are," Kaname agreed. "Even if Dad can be a little strict at times!"
"Heh. If you ask me, your old man ain't too bad!" InuYasha chuckled. "He sure knows how to get his point across!"
"And how to scare someone half to death!" Kagome chimed in somewhat crossly. "Seriously, InuYasha! I thought he'd killed you!"
InuYasha gave a loud, harsh snort at this. "Please! I might wind up getting killed by someone stronger than me, but it sure as hell won't be by a human!" While Kagome was rolling her eyes at this, the half-demon smirked and added, "Still, I wouldn't mind going a round with your old man! It'd probably be a pretty interesting fight!"
Not sure if he cared for the image of his father and his friend fighting each other, Michiru decided to try and change the subject. "Well, maybe next time we come back here, you could spend a little time over at our place."
"Really?" Shippo beamed excitedly.
"Sure, why not?" Kaname decided. "After all, Kagome's mom was nice enough to have us over, so…"
"Boy, I'd sure like that!" Shippo told them. Sadness shadowing his features as he added, "It sure has been a long time…since my mom and dad…we…"
Bending down, Michiru leaned over ant patted the fox-demon on the back of his head. "I know, Shippo," he murmured, aware of the tragedy that befell his parents. "I know…" With this said, he looked up and approached the Bone-Eater's Well.
"Well, then, if everybody ready?" Miroku wondered, looking somewhat hesitantly at the Bone-Eater's Well.
"Sure! Let's get going!" InuYasha grinned dangerously. "And when we get Naraku this time, he ain't coming back!" With the others seconding this sentiment, the group leapt one-by-one into the Bone-Eater's Well, and towards their destiny.
The instant the group were released from the magic that transcended time and appeared in the Feudal Era, they all froze as one of their number cried out in pain. "Miroku!" Kagome cried out as the monk fell to his knees, clutching at his right wrist. From a safe distance, the rest of them watched as the cloth that covered his palm parted, revealing that his theory was correct; with Miroku and Naraku in the same world, the Wind Tunnel was reappearing, the generational curse still in force.
"Aw, damn," InuYasha muttered as the others watched sadly. "I guess it was too much to hope for that the damned thing would stay gone!"
"Yes, sadly enough," Miroku nodded. Then he looked at the others, who were already offering him their apologies and condolences. "It is quite alright, everybody," he told them, remaining quiet and self-assured. "We all knew this was very likely the case."
"But, Miroku…!" Sango protested, at a loss for words, as were the rest of them.
"Relax, Sango. We all know this curse is my strongest weapon against our enemies," Miroku stated firmly before studying the abyssal hole in his hand. "Besides, for some reason, the Wind Tunnel seems a bit smaller than it did before we traveled through the well. Perhaps my being apart from Naraku's evil has done more good than we realized."
"You mean it might have bought you more time before the Wind Tunnel…" Kagome murmured hopefully, not even wanting to think of the fate that would be Miroku's, should they fail to kill Naraku in time.
"It's possible. In any case, we had better get out of this Well, seeing as its bit crowded with all of us down in here," Miroku pointed out, deliberately understating the matter. With all seven of them down there at the same time, there wasn't much room left for breathing.
"Ugh! Next time we do this, maybe we should go two at a time, just so we don't get squished!" Michiru commented, something InuYasha agreed with. As he leapt up and out of the cramped Well, not at comfortable with tight spaces, he noticed that Shippo had transformed into a pink blob and floated up to the surface.
As soon as the last of them were out of the Well, Sango looked about at her friends. "Well, now that we're back home, what's our next move?"
"First we should tell Kaede that Michiru and Kaname are going to be coming with us on our journey," Miroku decided. "As for where we go from there…"
"Maybe we should go to Kasasagi Town," Michiru suggested, recalling the nearby town. "It's as a good place as any, and we might hear something about Naraku while we're there."
"I suppose," InuYasha muttered, deciding it didn't matter, one way or the other. "We haven't been there in a while, and it's better than sitting around, waiting for Naraku to make his next move."
While the others were nodding, at this, Kaname was frowning, looking at Kagome in confusion. "Um, excuse me?" she began hesitantly. "Uh, no offense, but…wouldn't it be simpler just to use the compass to find Naraku?"
"Feh!" InuYasha grumbled dangerously. "If it were that simple, believe me, we'd be right in Naraku's face instead of standing around here!"
"He's right," Kagome seconded, looking sadly at the artifact. "I've already tried using the compass to find him, but it's no good. It still works with most demons and Jewel Shards, and we've been able to use it to find three more Jewel Shards, but whenever I try to lock onto Naraku or his incarnations, it doesn't work."
"Why not?" Michiru wondered. "It seemed to work perfectly when we fought Ryokage! And if it worked on Kanna before, then why not on Naraku now?"
"It's not surprising, actually," Miroku answered. "Kohaku knew all about the compass, and he is presently under Naraku's control. I'm sure Naraku was able to use his knowledge to alter his barrier so as to foil the compass's power. And if he has such a barrier around his castle, then it's safe to say that Kagura and Kanna are hidden from the compass as well, so long as they are within it."
Lowering her head in shame, Kaname murmurered, "Oh…sorry. I guess I should've thought of that…"
"Hey, don't get so down about it! Naraku can hide all he wants, that still won't stop us from catching up to him!" InuYasha growled encouragingly. "Compass or no compass, sooner or later, we'll find that bastard, and give him exactly what he deserves!"
As Kaname started perking up again, Kagome commented, "You know, it really is great that your dad let you come with us, Michiru! It's great to have my favorite teacher back!"
"Oh, that's right! Michiru said he used to help you with your math work, Kagome," Kaname remembered. "You know, now that there are three of us, why don't we all study together? After all, I'm pretty good at literature and geography, and my bro's good at math and science. Maybe if we work together, we can keep up on our studies, even here!"
"A study group? Now that's a really great idea!" Kagome smiled, warming to the notion. Slowly but surely, they were conversing easily.
Damn. It's starting to feel like Michiru never left us! InuYasha smiled as he watched the others friends interacting. Grateful to have one of the few people he dared call his friend back and at his side in battle. And as for Kaname…well, she's a bit nervous, but I'm sure she'll be alright once we get going. A few battles oughta toughen her up, no problem!
Smiling at his companions, and despite everything that had happened, InuYasha fround himself genuinely looking forward to the journeys that lay ahead.
It wasn't long before the group's business in Kaede's Village was settled, and they were on their way to Kasasagi town. As they traveled, Michiru found himself enjoying this almost literal trip down memory lane. The sights, the sounds, everything was familiar, comforting.
Everything, that was, except for the demons. And one thing that hadn't changed since the last time Michiru had last journeyed with his friends was that demons would attack anybody who strayed too far away from the protection of a village. About a half an hour into the forest, a pack of ugly, imp-like demons reared their faces.
Oh, gimme break! Michiru groaned as he scrutinized ther pack of nasties with the senses of his Shikigami, detecting the disruptive effect the demonic auras had on the natural forces of the world. Why are these creeps even bothering? This won't even work up a sweat!
Unfortunately, Kaname didn't share his confidence. "Uh-oh…" she squirmed, looking in disgust at the little monsters. "G-get away from us…!"
Startled by Kaname's revulsion and fear, InuYasha growled, "Hey, what are you freaking out about? These demons are total nothings!"
"InuYasha!" Kagome grumbled, glaring doom at the half-demon. "Have you already forgotten? Kaname's never been in a fight before! Go easy on her!"
"On the other hand, this does represent an opportunity," Miroku mused as the demons began to move in, snarling viciously.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" InuYasha wondered irritably.
"This seems to me the perfect chance for Kaname to get used to actual combat without actually endangering her," Miroku explained. "Why don't we let her give it try?"
At these words, Kaname jumped and turned towards Miroku, clearly horrified by the idea. "What? Y-you want me to fight these things? All by myself?"
Even as his sister panicked, Michiru found himself seein the sense of Miroku's suggestion. It would be much better to get her used to this sort of thing quickly, rather than have her panic at the worst possible time. "Relax, sis, these demons are really weak!" he assured her, smiling his encouragement. "Trust me, you could handle a dozen of them without any trouble!" Her mouth hanging open, Kaname looked at her brother nervously. "Besides, we'll be right here, just in case!"
"Yeah, that's right! Hell, if you can take out a whole building, these little creeps shouldn't give you any trouble!" InuYasha told her. "So just relax and kill those things already!" One by one, the others added their encouragement, and as they did so, Kaname slowly ceased trembling. Eventually, she screwed up her face, drew her sword and moved towards the approaching monsters.
"O-okay, you d-demons!" Kaname stuttered, her sword shaking in her hands. "C-come and – ahhh!" Without warning, the demons decided, enough waiting, it's time for dinner, and charged right at her. Confronted by the encroaching swarm, Kaname panicked and sent a surge of Shikigami power surging into her sword. Bolts of destructive magical power shot out from the sides of the blade as she screamed, the fireballs shot straight at the demons like a rain of shooting stars, incinerating each demon that was unfortunate enough to be hit. Within a matter of seconds, Kaname had single-handedly wiped out each and every one of them.
"Hey, not bad!" InuYasha remarked as they went to Kaname's side. "You did good for a first…" The half-demon cut himself off as they looked at Kaname's face…and started laughing as they realized that she had squeezed her eyes closed during the fight.
"Huh?" Kaname squeaked as the others continued laughing. Realizing that something strange was going on, she slowly forced one of her eyes open. When she was finally able to see that the battle was already over, her face fell in astonishment "What? That's it?" she shouted, looking in astonishment at the shreds of dead demons that were now decorating the path. "I mean, I know you said they were weak, but I never thought they could be that weak! I can't believe the people of this time live in fear of things like this!"
"To most people, these demons would be deadly, especially when they work together like this, hunting down the poor traveler unfortunate enough to be caught unawares by them," Miroku stated, coming up along Kaname's side. "The fact that you defeated them so easily is merely a reflection of your own strength, and though you were hesitant at first, you should be proud of how well you did today."
"Uh, thank you, Miroku," Kaname replied, beginning to blush. "I really owe my brother for working so hard to train me and everything."
"I'm certain Michiru did his best to help you, but in the end it is up to all of us to help ourselves as well," Miroku stated sagely. "It was your determination to better yourself that is responsible for your victory here, not your brother, nor anyone else."
"Oh, well, um – eeeek!" Kaname squealed, cut off in mid-blush by Miroku stroking her backside.
Stunned by the sight of Miroku contently stroking his sister's posterior, Michiru was momentarily helpless to do anything but feel his blood boil while the monk was commenting thoughtfully. "Hmm, so young, yet already so well-formed! Quite rare and wonderful!"
This statement snapped Michiru free of his paralysis. "Miroku! Keep your hands off my sister!" he snarled, sending several fireballs at the perverted monk.
Warned by Michiru's wrathful voice, Miroku turned about and quickly dodged the simplistic attack. However, he failed to notice Sango, who was quick to slap him hard right across the face. "I don't believe this!" the Demon Slayer snarled as the monk staggered backwards. "Don't you have any shame at all?"
"Now, now, Sango!" Miroku said soothingly, a red welt in the shape of Sango's hand decorating his face. "I was merely making note of Kaname's development for future reference!"
While Michiru was loading up to tell Miroku that he was not to lay a finger on Kaname again if he wanted to remain among the living, Kaname was recovering from her shock. To his astonishment, she was actually smiling at the perverted monk. "Sango, you know…you really shouldn't slap Miroku like that."
"What?" Sango asked, obviously shocked as Kaname went up to Miroku, an innocent smile on her face. This was a smile that he quickly returned, though his own smile was soon cut short.
"Slaps only encourage guys like him," Kaname stated as she swung her sword quickly, the end of it connecting solidly with the point between Miroku's legs where no man wants to be hit. As Miroku collapsed to the ground, tears streaming from his eyes as he groped at the injured point, Kaname smiled even more broadly. "When all else fails, that is the only way to get a guy to back off!"
It was slow at first, but then InuYasha, Sango, and Michiru started laughing hard at Miroku's folly. Kagome was helping the monk to his feet, but she was also smiling while Shippo said, "I guess that's Kaname's version of 'sit'!"
"Now, why didn't I ever think of that before?" Sango wondered, only half-joking as she looked at the pained monk. "Maybe you'll think twice before laying your hands on a pretty girl!"
"Like a friend of mine at school said, girls can be like roses. They're very pretty to look it at, but you should always watch out for the thorns," Michiru noted.
"Huh! You said it!" InuYasha smirked, and soon enough they continued on their way. As for Miroku, he quickly recovered from his not-so-gentle treatment at Kaname's hands, but he was still rather miffed over the incident.
"While I understand your ire, Kaname, the fact remains that you could have done me irreversible harm," Miroku commented as they went along, this time taking care to keep his distance from her. "After all, what would happen if I lost the ability to father a child? My entire family line would instantly be wiped out!"
"We should be that lucky…" InuYasha grumbled.
"Oh, come now! I'm serious!" Miroku complained unhappily. "Don't I have as much right to raise a child of my own as everybody else?"
"I suppose so," Michiru grudgingly agreed. "What you don't have the right to do is go around, grabbing at girls like my sister!"
"My bro's right, Miroku!" Kaname chimed in. "I've gotta tell you, that sort of stunt doesn't appeal to the girls at all!"
"No arguments here," Sango agreed. "You'd think he'd have learned that by now!"
Miroku might have continued to protest, but he recognized a losing battle when he saw when, and soon the group fell into relative silence as they kept their eyes open, and were all on the alert for another sneak attack. Sure enough, there were a few more demons that saw that this group consisted chiefly of humans and thought that it was lunchtime. Kaname, feeling a bit more confident in herself now that she had had her first taste of genuine combat, easily pulled her weight and was soon fighting effectively along with the rest of the group. It was an exulting experience for her, and she was thrilled at how well she was now performing.
"Just be careful not to get overconfident," Sango warned her, having warmed up to Kaname a bit since she had put down Miroku so effortlessly. "Remember, there are all kinds of demons out there, and a lot of them are far more dangerous than these little things, and the worst demons…those are the ones that wear human forms as they walk amongst us."
"Like Naraku," Kaname realized as they all nodded their heads at this. "You know, in a way, that's kind of hard to believe. I mean, I've heard all those horror stories Michiru told me about Naraku, about how cruel and evil he is, and yet…it just feels a bit unreal that anything so horrendous could exist."
"I know, but it's something you're going to have to accept," Kagome said sympathetically.
"By the way, what exactly did Michiru tell you about Naraku, anyway?" InuYasha questioned, taking an interest in the conversation.
"Everything I knew about him," Michiru answered. "I mean, about how he was after the Shikon Jewel, how he slaughtered everybody in the castle, that trap he set for all of us back at his castle, how he'd set up InuYasha and Kikyo to betray each other, everything I could think of!"
"That's right," Kaname confirmed. "Still, it's a little hard to believe…"
"I know how you feel," Sango admitted. "Somehow, I also forget just how monstrous Naraku is, despite everything." Smiling in a self-depreciating manner, she shrugged before saying, "I dunno. I guess there's a part of all of us that simply doesn't want to believe such an evil thing could ever actually be real."
"I guess so," Kaname replied, looking a little uncertain. "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to slow us up or anything."
"What are you saying? There's nothing for you to be sorry about!" Shippo protested.
"That's right," Kagome told her. "You're just not used to thinking that way. I only hope you don't have to get used to it too quickly."
Smiling wanly at this, Kaname replied, "So do I."
They got to Kasasagi Town early in the afternoon, and as they looked around, Michiru was once again astounded by the difference between this place and a village such as Kaede's. Instead of a small cluster of simple houses surrounded by fields, Kasasagi town was a much larger, busier place, where the focus of everything was the buying and selling of goods, with merchants and stores everywhere.
"I guess we should split up for now," Kagome decided as she stared at the busy streets. "Hey, Michiru, why don't you go with Kaname? You know the town as well as any of us, and with her being so new to everything, it would be good to have someone she's used to show her around."
"Well…okay, but…" Michiru fumbled, for while he did care deeply for his sister, he already had someone he wanted to pair up with.
Obviously noticing the longing gaze Michiru was casting in Sango's direction, Miroku stepped in. "Good idea, Kagome," the monk smiled sagely. "Meanwhile, Sango and -"
"I'll go with InuYasha, see if we can learn anything," Sango stated firmly. Miroku opened his mouth in protest, only to see that the Demon Slayer wasn't about to change her mind. "Is that alright, with you?"
"Sure, fine by me!" InuYasha decided, looking up in the sky as he folded his arms behind his head. Completely oblivious to the annoyed look Kagome shot him.
"Fine," Kagome finally muttered. "Then Miroku and I will check out the shops and merchents. See if any of them have heard anything."
"Hey!" Shippo shouted, looking a bit put out at this. "What about me, Kagome? What should I do?"
"Hmm…I know! Why don't you take the camera and transform?" Kagome decided, retrieving the video camera from her backpack. "That way, maybe you'll see something that the rest of us might miss!"
His annoyance forgotten as he accepted the camera, Shippo grinned, "Right! You can count on me!" With that, the little fox-demon exploded into a puff of smoke before floating away as a large, pink blob.
Watching as Shippo disappeared into the air, Sango looked about at the others. "Alright, then. We'll meet up back at the entrance to the town around sunset," she decided, to which the rest of them nodded. "I just hope we're able to find something."
"As do we all, Sango," Miroku stated. "Good luck, everyone!" Without further ado, the assigned teams broke up and started searching the city.
As they walked along the town, Michiru felt all the more comfortable, for all of this was highly familiar to him. In fact, a notion occurred to him. "Hey, Kaname, I have an idea!" he began enthusiastically. "Why don't we go see the village headman?"
"The headman?" Kaname asked, surprised by this suggestion. "Are you sure about that? I mean, I know you said he was a nice guy, but are you sure he'll talk to us? After all, he must be a busy person."
"Positive," Michiru assured her. "He's an easygoing kind of guy, and besides, we were on pretty good terms with each other the last time we met." After that, Kaname was easily persuaded, and the two of them went off in the direction of the headman's home. It was easy enough to enter the grounds, and soon they saw why; the headman was currently addressing the whole of Kasasagi Town's resident militia.
"What's going on?" Kaname wondered as the headman stared at his troops sorrowfully, his narrow eyes lined with sadness.
"I don't know," Michiru answered, getting worried. "Maybe we should find out." That said, the two of them approached the headman's home, and soon as they were fairly close, Michiru called out to him. The headman looked once, a cross expression on his face, then looked twice, his expression changing from irritation to surprise, and finally delight.
"Oh! My young friend! How good it is to see you again!" he greeted warmly, gladly shaking Michiru's hand as he and Kaname went up to him. "And who might this young lady be?"
"Hello, sir," Kaname greeted him with a polite bow. "My name's Kaname. I'm Michiru's sister."
"His sister, huh?" the headman said, looking over the two of them. "Well, I can certainly see the family resemblance! But what brings you here?"
"Well, you see, Kaname decided to join my friends and I on our journeys," Michiru explained quickly. "You see, she's training to…further her understanding of the ways of our family." Pausing to reexamine this statement, he nodded, satisfied that it was more-or-less true for for all intents and purposes.
"Well, whyever you're here, your timing couldn't be better, my friends!" the headman stated, his tone becoming serious. "You see, once again I've been having some problems. It seems that a group of demons have taken to terrorizing the people here. I'm at my wits' end, trying to find a way to deal with them!"
"Huh? More demons?" Michiru asked in concern.
"Unfortunately. And things had been so peaceful lately," the headman spoke mournfully. "We've already lost several people to these demons, and I was just organizing the militia to go after them." A few moments passed, and a hopeful glint appeared in his eyes. "However…"
Smiling as he intuited what the headman wanted, Michiru replied, "If you want, my friends and I will be glad to take care of these demons for you!"
"Really? You would!" the headman beamed, almost collapsing in delight. "Thank you so much!"
Frowning in concern, Kaname looked at her brother. "Michiru, are you sure about this?" she whispered, looking a bit concerned at this point. "Shouldn't we talk to the others before deciding something this?" Kaname whispered,
"It's no problem! I know they'd want to help, once we explain the situation to them! They'd never abandon somebody in need." Michiru knew this all too well, for as he spoke, he recalled the last time he'd tried running a solo mission, testing himself against some demons while searching out Utsugi. In almost no time flat, he had gotten in over his head against a demon that had once been part of Naraku, and certainly would have met his end had the others not searched him out and saved him.
"Well…okay," Kaname finally agreed, then turned to face the headman. "So where are these demons, anyway?"
"They've been encountered just south of the village, in the forest," the headman told them. "Please, do everything you can to rid us of those monsters, and when you're done, return here and I'll have a reward for you!"
"Thank you, headman," Michiru smiled gratefully. "Well, we'd better get to the meeting spot so we can tell the others." With that, the two of them bowed to the headman and started searching out the others.
"Are you sure about this, bro?" Kaname wondered.
Smiling, Michiru replied, "Of course! I know they'll want to help, and when we all work as a team, there isn't a demon that can stop us!"
"That's not what I meant," Kaname explained, earning her brother's full attention. "I mean, people are suffering because of these demons, and, well…I just don't like the idea of profiting by it, that's all."
"I understand. Believe me, when I first came here, I didn't want to take any money for what we'd done, either," Michiru responded. "Unfortunately, we still need money in order to pay for things in this world, and taking on jobs like this one was how we earned money for traveling back then as well. Besides, that money comes from good intentions, and we aren't taking it because we're greedy, but because we need it. After all, the police get paid for taking down crooks in our world, right? Well, people like us get paid for taking care of evil demons."
"I guess so," Kaname muttered uncertainly. "I guess I still have a lot to get used to."
"Don't worry, you will," Michiru assured her. With that, the Kururugi twins headed back to the entrance to the village, where they waited for the rest of the group to arrive. When they did, they were disappointed but not surprised to learn that none of them had learned of anything of real value to them. Once they were done listening, the twins explained to them about the job the headman asked them to do. Their reactions were pretty much what Michiru expected.
"You mean we're helping again?" InuYasha barked, immediately annoyed by this. "Have you already forgotten about Naraku? We don't have time to waste on this!"
"Oh, come on, InuYasha!" Kagome countered, smiling soothingly as she spoke. "Nobody's forgotten anything, but we weren't able to get any leads, so we might as well help these people, right?"
"Besides, despite Lord Wyvern's generosity, it remains true that we still need traveling money, something that we've been running low on as of late," Miroku pointed out.
"That's right," Sango agreed. "Anyway, Kaname could use a little more practice, and this seems as good as chance as any."
It took some doing, but evetually, they managed to wear InuYasha down. In a way, Michiru found himself wanting to laugh at the half-demon's obstinance, for he knew the dog-demon really did care about the people there. However, his history with Naraku was as ugly as those of Miroku and Sango, and InuYasha had been hardened by the years of loneliness he had been forced to endure, hated by humans and demons alike.
At last, InuYasha looked away from the others, his arms folded across his chest. "Alright, alright! Fine! Whatever!" InuYasha growled irritably, masking his feelings with an image of fierceness. "Might as well do something. This trip has been pretty boring so far!"
"Thanks, InuYasha," Michiru told him. Trying very hard not to worsen his mood by laughing at him.
"Hey, Michiru, I've been meaning to ask you something," InuYasha started as they proceeded south, the compass guiding them towards the strongest demon power aside from the half-demon's own. "Why the heck did you decide to use those wooden sticks instead of finding yourself some real swords?"
"Come on, InuYasha! I wouldn't know where to buy a real sword back home, and even if I did, I doubt I could have paid for even one, let alone two. And even if I had, I don't think a mortal weapon would do too well against a powerful demon." Michiru protested. "Anyway, it wasn't the material that mattered, but the magic that I put into these swords. That's what enables them to channel the power of our Shikigami, and in the hands of me or my sister, they're way stronger than a regular sword."
"Still, it might be a good idea to get you two some better weapons," Sango stated, looking a bit concerned.
"Maybe later, once we've established beyond a shadow of a doubt that we won't slice ourselves up by accident!" Kaname joked, and with that, the seven of them relaxed a bit more. "Besides, don't knock these things until you see what we can do with them!"
"Looks you'll have the chance to show us, and a lot sooner than you think!" Kagome declared, and at that, Michiru angled his head to get a better look at her. Before their eyes, the compass was acting up, reacting to a demonic power. Kagome had gotten much better at using the compass, and now could tell how far away the demons they were looking for were. "We're getting awfully close to those demons. It feels like a dozen or so, and they're all pretty strong."
"Good! I'm tired of beating up on a bunch of weaklings!" InuYasha stated, smiling as he took the hilt of the Tetsusaiga in his hand. "Maybe this trip won't be as boring as I thought!" Though Michiru was smiling at InuYasha's enthusiasm, he and the others were proceeding more cautiously. Strong demons were not something to be trifled with, something Michiru had learned the hard way.
In a short amount of time, the group reached the place where the demons had made their home, a section of forest as cold, dark, and dismal as a person could imagine. "So that's where the demons are, huh?" Kaname asked, looking nervous again as she stared in the shadows.
"Yeah, according to the compass," Kagome confirmed.
"Seeing as that compass hasn't been wrong yet, we'd better stay close together, then," Sango decided, shifting her Hiraikotsu and letting Kirara down to the ground, where the two-tail promptly transformed into her fighting form.
"Hold on. I'd better check things out first," Michiru told her as he took out one of his cards, invoking the power of his Wind Shikigami. The card then changed into a bird, and flew off into the darkness as Michiru looked through the eyes of the scout created by his familiar spirit. "Kagome was right; it looks like twelve demons, maybe one or two more. Most of them look to be human-sized, but…wait a minute, there's another one, twice as big as the others. It has one eye and huge horns, and it's carrying this monster club!"
"Well, it looks like somebody has a new trick!" InuYasha noted, grinning as Michiru reported his observations. "See anything else?"
Frowning, Michiru continued to report. "Yeah…bones. Several animals, but most of them appear to be human bones." At this point, Kaname and Miroku began to look even more unsettled, while Kagome, Sango, and Shippo started looking ill. "The big demon and a couple others…they're crunching several of the bones. It doesn't look like they know we're here." With that, Michiru recalled his spy, which swiftly returned and transformed back into a card.
"In that case, it's time to bury those demons, along with the other bones," InuYasha growled, looking ready to just leap into the forest, swinging his sword at anything that moved.
"Um, excuse me, but don't we need a plan?" Kaname asked quizzically. "You know, a plan, as in something other than just going in, blasting anything that moves?"
"What's wrong with that?" InuYasha questioned, raising an eyebrow.
While Kaname was staring at InuYasha blankly, Miroku smiled. "You know, it would be nice to have a plan in mind, at least once in a while."
"No arguments here," Michiru agreed. "I got tired of us having to make this stuff up as we went the last time I was here!"
"Give me a break!" InuYasha grumbled. "Why all this fuss about having a plan when we could have already been done with those demons by now?"
"Come on, InuYasha! Let's try using some kind of strategy for once!" Kagome persisted. "Besides, we might save ourselves some trouble in the long run."
"Feh! Fine, whatever!" InuYasha groused, his face saying that he felt like this was a huge waste of time. "Just make it quick!"
"Okay," Michiru started, fumbling as he tried to think of a decent strategy, and then finally recalling a tactic that often got him some sweet results when playing video games. "Well, maybe if InuYasha were to rush past those demons, attacking as he went, he could get their attention so that they were all focused on him. Then the rest of us could come up from behind and take those creeps by surprise."
"If we do that, the rest of us had better split into two teams," Sango stated. "If we don't, we're as liable to hit each other as the enemy!"
"Sounds good to me," Kagome agreed. "So how do we do this?"
"Uh…Kagome, do you want me to work the camera again?" Shippo asked nervously. "I mean, you said Wyvern really pays a lot for scenes of battle, and…!"
Nodding at the fox-demon, Kagome smiled, "Sure thing, Shippo! Good thinking!"
"Gee, what a surprise…" InuYasha growled impatiently. "Come on! Let's get going already!"
"Now, InuYasha, be patient," Miroku spoke. "Now, how about I…"
Noticing the way Miroku was turning towards her, Sango quickly looked away. "Why don't you come with me, Michiru?" she asked, a hint of shyness in her voice. "We can take Kirara, and come at the demons from above."
"Huh?" Michiru responded, his cheeks already burning. "Y-you sure about that, Sango?"
"Of course. Kirara doesn't mind. Right, Kirara?" The two-tailed cat gave a gentle roar, and even managed something approaching a smile as she looked at Michiru. "See?" Sango smiled as she got on Kirara's back. Once secure and with a good grip on Kirara's fur, she extended her free her hand. "Come on, let's do it, Michiru!"
While Michiru was smiling, taking Sango's hand in his own, Miroku was sighing unhappily before looking at Kagome. "How about I come with you and Kaname?"
"Uh, sure," Kagome replied, looking somewhat unhappily at Michiru as he sat himself behind Sango.
"Fine! Now that that's settled, I'll go on ahead! Just be sure to show up before I wipe out all of those demons on my own!" InuYasha boasted, dashing into the forest, followed closely by Miroku and the two girls.
"Well, we'd better get going if we want to keep up," Sango noted wryly as the others went on ahead. "Kirara! Let's go!"
Growling fiercely, the two-tailed cat rose lifted upwards, flying just above the ground. Michiru quickly noted that while they kept a certain amount of distance from the other group, they remained close enough to keep them in view, just in case they ran into trouble.I guess I shouldn't expect anything less of Sango, Michiru decided. She's been in a lot of battles, more than most of us. And as sensible as she is, it's just the kind of…the kind of…
Michiru's chain of through quickly deteriorated as he became aware of just how close he was to Sango, how very, very close he was. As they flew onwards, the lovely scent of Sango's hair teased at his nose, making Michiru's heart do moves that Olympic gymnasts could never dream of performing. He had his hands about her waist, just to make sure he didn't fall off of Kirara, but he could still feel her warmth through her Demon Slayer's garment. He could sense her supple flesh and firm musculature, with only a bit of flimsy fabris keeping him from actually touching her. And the way he was positioned behind her, with so much temptation right at his fingertips…
Oh, good grief! Michiru thought, suffering the urge to smack himself in the face. No wonder Sango's become such a target for Miroku! She's just too tempting for anybody's good!
Fortunately for Michiru, they soon reached the area where the demons had been lounging about, enabling him to forget about his overactive hormones. This was especially true because the demons were doing anything but lounging. Some of them had already been slain, sundered by the power of InuYasha's Wind Scar. But twice as many were still alive, and to make matters worse, the giant Michiru had spied was still going strong, and it was all the half-demon could do to keep out of harm's way.
"Time to even the odds!" Sango declared as they closed in. "Hiraikotsu!" As the warrior woman let fly with the massive boomerang, its cutting edge sliced through two of the demons like there was nothing to it.
Finding himself grinning at the result of Sango's attack, Michiru moved to follow up with one of his own. "Onslaught of Flame!" he shouted, empowering his sword with the force of his Fire Shikigami. When he swung with it, the blade released several huge bolts of fire in a wave of destruction that quickly cut down three other demons.
Meanwhile, while Miroku was casting his sacred sutras at some of the demons, Kagome brought forth a magical scroll Wyvern had given her. "Sacred Lightning!" Kagome shouted, her spiritual power infusing the scroll, the sutras inscribed upon glowing brightly before spitting forth bolts of sacred power that incinerated two more demons.
Kaname then dealt the final blow to two other demons. "Blue Sky Blades!" she invoked, her sword energized by the power of her Wind Shikigami, releasing blades of air that ripped through the opposition.
The sudden demise of more than half their forces was enough to get the attention of the remaining demons, but they were now in even worse trouble, for they were confused, uncertain of what to do, now that they were effectively surrounded. Uncertain of whom to attack first, several demons swung their heads left and right, looking from target to target, which in turn made them targets themselves. Another round of attacks from everybody whittled down their numbers even further, until it was down to just the big demon, who was wildly swinging his club, snarling at the opposition that had taken down his troops.
"Filthy little humans!" the demon snarled, its one eye filled with hate. "You dare oppose me?"
"Gee, what do you think?" InuYasha grinned, giving the demon a shot of the Wind Scar. However, the massive monstrosity wasn't going down easy, and the horrendous case of morning breath it shot out at InuYasha defused the blast from the Wind Scar before it reached him.
"Ugh!" InuYasha howled, waving away the residual stink from the breath-blast as he dodged another swing from the club. However, now the demon's full attention was on InuYasha, and it was Michiru and Sango's turn to attack.
"Hey, Michiru! Care to give that thing a taste of our combo attack?" Sango asked rhetorically.
"Actually, I've got an idea I've wanted to try for some time, Sango!" Michiru grinned, taking out five Shikigami cards and empowering them. "Throw the Hiraikotsu and I'll take it from there!"
"With pleasure!" Sango answered, giving the boomerang another throw, one that Michiru followed by throwing the cards after it. In mid-air, the cards formed a pentagram around the Hiraikotsu, and soon the whole thing was ablaze with blue light that exploded into savage flames, giving the Hiraikotsu the appearance of a legendary phoenix.
"Firebird Attack!" Michiru called out as the Firebird shot straight at the demon, who barely parried the thing with his club. However, the Firebird Attack had successfully melted straight through the monster club, reducing it to puddle of steaming goo that oozed out of the demon's hand. That was just the beginning; with a grunt of effort, the Shikigami User forced the Firebird to turn about about for another attack. But once again, the demon sucked in a double lungful, and sent a wave of putrid wind at the Firebird. The attack stalled in mid-air, the demon breath extinguishing the flames and destroying the cards that Michiru had been using to form the Firebird and guide the Hiraikotsu. The attack busted, the Hiraikotsu fell away to land on the ground.
"Aw, man!" Michiru groaned unhappily. Not only had the attack failed, but now they would have to land in order to retrieve the Hiraikotsu. "I'm sorry, Sango! I thought we had that creep!"
"At least we disarmed that thing! Good work!" Sango smiled, and instantly, Michiru felt a bit better.
Meanwhile, the girls on the ground were taking advantage of the situation. "Reveal your hidden forces, Shikigami!" Kaname invoked, summoning forth the full power of her spirit familiars and channeling them into her Light Shikigami. "Unleash your power!"
As the massive dragon of light rose up into the air, Kagome took aim with one of her Sacred Arrows. "Here goes nothing!" the modern priestess gritted as she made her shot. "Hit it!" As the dragon lashed out at the demon, Kagome's arrow pierced the pentagram on the dragon's brow, focusing the full power of the attack on one point as it shot straight at their target. The aim wasn't the best, especially once the demon started blasting with his breath once again, but this time the attack was too concentrated and the demon was getting winded at this point. While the hit wasn't fatal, the attack was successful in blasting off one of the creature's arms.
"Arrgh!" the demon roared in agony as he staggered backwards. Too blinded by pain and hatred to notice InuYasha leaping at him from the side.
"It's all over! Wind Scar!" InuYasha roared, releasing the destructive power of the Tetsusaiga. The one-eyed giant, too distracted by his pain and too drained to defend himself, could do nothing but watch and screech in horror as the Wind Scar struck him dead-on, disintegrating his body in seconds.
Satisfied that the battle was over, Sango guided Kirara down towards the Hiraikotsu lay. "Well, that went pretty smoothly," she decided as she retrived her mighty weapon. "It's been a while since we've actually used some kind of plan in battle. It's actually kind of refreshing."
"Yeah, whatever!" InuYasha sneered, pinching his nose as fumes rose up from the decimated demon. "Dammit! That bastard's breath was terrible!"
"You're right," Kaname gagged, for the scent of the demon's breath was lingering after the battle. "Maybe we should get out of here, get that reward the headman promised us."
"No arguments here," Kagome grimaced, waving away the residual stench, and with that they left as quickly as they could, their noses wanting no further part in this mess.
Author's Notes: Another chapter done, another demon bites the dust! Please, read and review! And check out my other stories, if you like!
Fire Inu Princess, thank you for the kind words.