A New Leaf
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 13
So it had come to this. Midori could hear the sounds of the scream and scent all of the gore surrounding them. The bodies of the dead and dying littered the battlefield, but she cared not.
"You're going to die!" Sesshomaru was going to die and so she.
That human who had dared to take her eye. Well perhaps, that wasn't entirely accurate. The woman hadn't stolen her eye. Rin had merely made it useless, but for that offense the human would die. Midori would make sure of it.
Sesshomaru lets out a terrifying howl as he charges at her. "You're foolish, if you truly believe that I'm the one who is going to die here today." It was like something straight out of a nightmare.
His demonic form dwarfed her already enormous one. Those blood red eyes and those teeth that were each bigger than even the largest human. Not to mention those claws. Those claws that were acidic.
"You're sadly mistaken." Midori charges right back at him.
Her sense of balance was slightly off due to being partially blind. That didn't matter though. It was difficult to miss a target that big.
She slams into him with all her might. Hoping that she'd be able to knock him off his feet. Once he was down, victory would be hers because Midori had no intention of letting him get back up.
"Ka-Ka-Kaw!" That's when she hears the sound of a great bird nearby.
Midori didn't have any time to process what was actually going on as a large hawk came swooping down at her. Its talons were bared and the bird obviously meant to kill her. She dodges though. Mostly.
"DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!" She could feel the talon's graze against her back.
Blood. She was now bleeding. She could smell her own blood and that didn't bode well for her. She immediately raises her massive paw and smacks the bird, sending it flying back several feet and knocking it against a modest hut that some human had probably been living in. Utterly destroying it.
"I won't allow you to hurt Garuda!" Another voice that she didn't recognize.
It clearly didn't belong to Sesshomaru though. It took her a moment to realize that an impossibly large snake was coming towards her. She didn't even have time to dodge the tail strike.
The strike wasn't a fatal one. It hurt to hit the ground at such a speed, but that wasn't enough to do serious damage. What it did do though was knock her off her feet and of course, Lord Sesshomaru took that opportunity to pounce.
"Thank you, Aoda." So the wretched creature's name was actually Aoda. "I shall take it from here."
No, he most certainly would not. Midori was not done yet. The Demon's Lord's jaws were snapping at her as she struggles to free herself. She could feel a trail of his saliva dripping down on her, but this wasn't the end.
This was only the beginning. After all, Sesshomaru wasn't the only one with powers. She smirks as she summons a tree with her demonic energy. Completely uprooting the thing and slamming it into his side.
"HOWLLL!" It was enormously gratifying to hear him howl in pain like that and to see blood seeping from his side with the tree still lodged in it.
She smirks at the sight. "As I told you, it will not be I who dies today." Midori was many things, but a liar was certainly not one of them.
"SESSHOMARU!" Inukimi's eyes widen in horror as she watches the tree slam into her son.
He was bleeding heavily. Of course, he was a pureblooded demon. So Sesshomaru could heal quickly. That was assuming he didn't bleed out. Damn it! Damn it!
Inukimi quickly tries to hurtle herself towards the two demons. Unfortunately, she was on the other side of the battlefield. Surrounded by demons who were still fighting and not all of them were on the ground.
"Birds of Paradise." Her eyes narrow as she comes upon them.
Lady Midori must have recruited them. Clever. The bitch knew that she could fly in her animal form. It was probably a diversionary tactic, but it would not work. This would not keep her from her son.
"WINDSCAR!" Inuyasha must have seen what was going on.
It was surprising, but the pup was actually coming to her aid. Why, Inukimi didn't know. She had always despised him. Despised what he represented. Inutashio's love for a human. Pathetic.
His power was great enough to cut through several of the birds. Sadly, it didn't get all of them. The demons must have sensed that someone was going to strike and most had dodged.
That was fine though. She would destroy them and she would assist her son. Inukimi was the Lady of the West and that was why the battle had already been won. These third rate demons just didn't know it yet.
"Damn it!" Sasuke stares as Aoda and Garuda attack Lady Midori in her animal form.
Both of them were doing rather well. They had even managed to get her on her back, but it looked as though she had a trick up her sleeve. She'd summoned a tree and struck Sesshomaru with it.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin had seen it and that wasn't good.
He had to get there before she could. A clone was one thing, but Sasuke wouldn't allow his beloved anywhere near the woman who wanted to kill her. Not without a fight, anyway.
"Keep going!" He hears someone say. "I'll try to clear a path!"
It was a man with blue eyes and long dark hair. He was wearing some kind of fur pelt and his sharp teeth and tail told Sasuke something very important. He was some kind of demon.
Despite the fact that he wasn't wearing white, Sasuke knew that he was fighting for the West. The wolf demons had joined their side to turn the tide of battle and for that, Sasuke was grateful.
"Thank you." This battle had to be ended and quickly.
"Chidori Senbon!" He hurls thousands of needles made out of his Chidori at whatever demons happened to get closet to him.
Thud. Thud! Thud! Over and over, he watches as more and more demons fall. Either from his doing or other people's. Some were from Midori's side, but the last Uchiha saw far more people dressed in white laying on the ground than he would have liked.
"This is madness." His eyes narrow.
"TAKE THIS!" A giant boomerang was swinging throughout the battlefield.
Sango. The Demon Slayer and she was in top form. So was her husband. Her husband was using the 'Wind Tunnel' to suck up some demons into his hand.
How that worked, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure. He wasn't in the mood to ask questions as he radiates his Chidori throughout his body and hacks any demons that didn't get hit by the senbon to pieces.
Blood. There was so much blood. He had truly lost count of how many demons had been slain by his hand. Would Rin ever look at him the same again?
He'd have to find out later. "I'm coming!" Sesshomaru needed to get that tree out of his side and he needed it done as soon as possible. There was a chance that just removing that branch could cause him to bleed to death.
"This is bad." Kagura's eyes widen as she watches Sesshomaru and Midori face off.
She'd gotten lucky and Sesshomaru hadn't. Midori was now stumbling to her feet and snarling at Sesshomaru. Her jaws snapping at him as she charges towards the other Inu.
"That will not happen again!" Sesshomaru didn't need to elaborate as he sinks his teeth into the side of the other demon's neck.
Blood trickled down, but he hadn't gotten a firm hold. Midori was now slashing at him with her claws. There were a few shallow cuts, but it was the tree that Kagura was worried about.
"DANCE OF THE DEAD!" She flies towards the battle.
The wind demoness had no hope of defeating Midori in her true form like that. Though she could help Sesshomaru. She could injure the bitch.
There were bodies all over the battlefield. She could control the corpses. They didn't have to kill Midori. Only buy time for Sesshomaru to launch a finishing move.
Dozens of dead bodies stagger to their feet and then make their way towards Midori. Most of them were still holding weapons. Swords, spears, arrows, and the like were now being wielded against Midori.
"YOU FOOL!" The snarl emitting from the demoness's lips was far more animalistic than demonic. "You don't actually think that your dead puppets were ever going to be a match for me. Do you?"
She shakes them off. Their weapons were little more to a nuisance to Lady Midori, but as the woman jumps into the air and lunges at Kagura, the Wind Sorceress was satisfied.
Her attention was off of Sesshomaru now. The fool was charging towards Kagura with her fangs bared. "Dance of the Blades!" She waves her fan fast and furiously at the other woman.
The wind from her fan, quickly transforms into blades and slashes at the beast. Unfortunately, the attacks wouldn't be enough. Kagura was just determined to hurt Midori as much as possible before she died. There was no way that she was going to be able to dodge this attack.
"Oh no!" Kagura hears someone cry out from down below.
Shippo. She was pretty sure it was the fox kit. Not that it mattered. She was about to die anyway. Kagura closes her eyes and braces for an impact that never came.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Sesshomaru's voice.
She could feel wind against her and a loud crashing sound was heard as Kagura slowly opens her eyes. "He got her." She sighs in relief.
Sesshomaru had managed to get her from behind and the two were now wrestling on the ground. With Sesshomaru's larger size, he had the advantage. Though he was still working on dodging the attacks from various plants nearby. Midori seemed fond of using her tree attack.
"You heard him." Jaken looks at Rin. "You are to stay here."
Logically, Rin knew that should be her next move. Sasuke's black flames would probably keep them safe, but she couldn't. Not when the two men she loved more than anything were currently out there. Fighting for their life.
"You stay here." Rin shakes her head as she Flickers out of the flames range.
It was a useful technique that Sasuke had taught her. Actually, all of the techniques she knew were useful. Her lover was an excellent teacher, but now wasn't the time to ponder that. She needed to get to Lord Sesshomaru and Sasuke, quickly.
"Kirara!" Rin sighs at relief upon seeing the fire neko.
The cat was using its massive teeth and the flames it could breathe to fight. Rin saw more than one severed head laying suspiciously close to its paws. It looked like she was doing rather well.
"Meow." The neko prowls over to her, its fangs still bared at anyone who would dare to come near her.
Sadly, someone didn't get the message and came too close. "REOWWW!" They paid the price by having their face shredded to ribbons by the big cat's fearsome claws.
"I need a ride." She points towards Sesshomaru's giant animal form. "Quickly! I have to get to him quickly!"
Thankfully, Kirara was an intelligent feline. She lays down briefly, allowing Rin to climb on her back and the two of them fly off together. Straight towards the thick of the battle.
"Kagura's animated corpses." Rin winces at the brutal sight.
There were so many of them and most of them were far from a pleasant sight. This was just not right. Kagura shouldn't have to resort to such an attack and none of them should be fighting for their lives right now, but they were.
"I need you to get me as close as you can." Rin pets the cat's ears.
Kirara nods as she flies swiftly towards the gruesome scene. Sesshomaru even still had a tree lodged in his side and the two mighty canines were in the midst of a battle for supremacy.
She would die. Sesshomaru would make sure of that, he thinks to himself as he snaps his jaws at her. He was larger than her. He had every advantage. He just had to dodge her trees.
He was bleeding and needed to put an end to this. He did enjoy hearing her howl in pain as he bit whatever was in reach. It was hard to tell whose coat was more bloody. Hers or his own.
"Die!" It didn't matter though.
None of it mattered. Not the corpses that Kagura was still sending at Midori. Not the sounds of the dying. Not the scent of blood that positively drenched the battlefield. Not even the smell of smoke and heat from the various fires that had broken out, all along the battlefield. All that mattered at the moment was killing her.
Wait. That was an idea. Perhaps, he could wield one of those Jutsus that Sasuke had taught him. Yes, that could be interesting.
"I'm going to send you straight to Hell!" Midori sinks her teeth into his left thigh.
"HOWLLL!" The cry of pain that left his mouth was not something that he was proud of, but Sesshomaru was quite certain she had broken a few of his bones with that bite.
He just had to summon up his demonic energy, which Sasuke called chakra. "Fireball Jutsu!" Sesshomaru takes a deep breath and expels a truly gigantic fireball from his gaping jaws straight at Midori. Causing her to howl in pain.
"He's a fast learner." Sasuke smirks as he watches the Demon Lord use his Clan's 'Coming of Age' Jutsu.
The ninja couldn't allow himself to be distracted for long though. He'd only get one shot this, but first the Uchiha needed to do some preparations. That meant he'd have to create some thunderclouds for his Kirin and the raven haired ninja knew exactly how to do that.
The Dragon Flame Jutsu would be enough to create the clouds. So that's what Sasuke focuses on. Creating fireballs in the shape of dragon heads. One after another, in rapid succession.
"I only need one good shot." He'd have to find a way to separate Lord Sesshomaru from Lady Midori though.
The last thing he wanted was for the Demon Lord to get caught up in his Kirin. That simply wouldn't do at all. Rin would never forgive him if that were to happen.
"Kirara, take us down!" Sasuke blinks as he hears Rin's voice and sees her guiding the a large demonic cat towards Midori. "It's me you want, let him go!"
Her eyes briefly lock with Sasuke's and it was at that moment, that he understood exactly what Rin wanted to do. She knew that he was planning a Kirin and was trying to lead Midori away from Sesshomaru.
Sasuke smirks at that thought. Lord Sesshomaru might be a fast learner, but Rin was quite a capable student in her own right.
Midori snarls when she hears that woman's voice. How convenient. She was rushing straight towards her death. Absolutely delightful.
"It was brave of you to face your own demise." Her jaws snap as she wiggles free from Sesshomaru and charges towards Rin. "After all, this is all your fault. You're the reason why so many demons died. I didn't want this. THIS WAS YOUR FAULT!"
Midori throws herself at Kirara, tackling Rin to the ground. "Rin!" She hears someone shot.
The voice was vaguely familiar. Not Sesshomaru's. No. Probably the human's lover. How sweet, he could watch her die.
At least, that's what Midori thought before she shrieks in pain. "AHHH!" Lightning! The girl had surrounded herself in lightning.
That's when she hears someone rush at her. The sounds of heavy paws were hitting the ground at a rapid speed, but that was all she had time to decipher before someone grabs her by the scruff of the neck and throws her back several feet.
"You should have known better than that." It was Lady Inukimi and she was in her animal form. She must have gotten passed the Birds of Paradise. "Did you honestly think that my son would leave his ward completely defenseless?"
So Sesshomaru had taught the bitch some type of magic. Clever. Not clever enough though. No, Rin would die here today. One way or another, the human was going to breathe her last.
"Thank you, Mother." Sesshomaru's voice echoes throughout the battlefield. "Though I shall take it from here." Composed. So composed. Too calm. It didn't fit with the situation.
Not when the Hellish scene was playing out around them. The bodies of the dead were littered everywhere and in some cases, they were coming 'back to life' to do Kagura's bidding. The stupid witch was still up in the air and riding her feather. Hurling attacks at her.
She didn't actually believe that would do anything to her, did she? She was even bigger fool than Rin, if Kagura actually believed that.
"Of course." Inukimi smirks.
This was infuriating. The Midori charges at Rin once again, only to have a slew of strange daggers thrown at her. "I came prepared!" Most of which she manages to dodge, but one lodged in her ear. On the inside of her ear, smashing into her eardrum.
"HOWLLL!" Her howl of pain was blood chilling, even to the one good ear Midori had left.
So consumed by her pain was she, that she didn't even notice that Lord Sesshomaru had lunged at her. That was until she felt a horrifying pain to her leg and notices that the Demon Lord had actually ripped it off.
"Now, Sasuke!" Sesshomaru was now leaving her to bleed out.
Blood was gushing from her wound. Everywhere, but that was the least of her worries. The human was obviously planning some sort of attack. She had to get up. She had to get up and flee.
That was proving to be a difficult feat when the grass underneath her was so slippery. Slippery with her blood. That thought makes her panic, even as she tries to grit through the pain she was in to stand.
It was all over in an instant though. All Midori saw was a flash of blue lightning in the shape of the dragon and then, she knew no more. Lady Midori had just been struck by a Kirin.
"It's over." Sasuke glares at the pile of ash that now laid where the demoness had been only seconds before. "There's nothing left of her." He turns his attention to Sesshomaru. "It appears that we have won the war." To which Sesshomaru nods in agreement before releasing a howl of victory.
Inukimi makes her way over to her son and pulls out the tree branch slowly. Sticking her massive paw over the injury to slow the bleeding, compressing it. "You're lucky that you're a demon." A demon who could heal incredibly quickly, Sasuke thinks to himself.
How Sesshomaru was going to survive that injury without bleeding to death would forever remain a mystery to him. Sasuke had seen and survived horrific injuries in his day, but he had never gotten speared by a tree before.
"We won!" Rin giggles as she runs over to him and Sasuke swings her around happily.
"Yes, we did." Sasuke kisses her forehead and smiles. "Now, we can get married."
That's when Kagura descends from the sky, upon her giant leaf and embraces Sesshomaru. "It looks like it will be a double wedding as well." Sasuke smiles slyly at Rin. Who merely giggles in response.
They had won the war. It was over now. Life could go back to normal. Well whatever normal was in Feudal Japan, anyway.