The Corpse
Chapter 20: The Band of Seven Strikes! Part III
Shippo, cowering beneath Kagome's desk, let out another cry as another explosion rocked her roof. Above the sounds of fighting and the roar of flames, Shippo could hear Kagome calling his name. He searched frantically for a way out, but was trapped under the desk by heaps of flaming wreckage.
"Kagome!" he cried out in vain. "Inuyasha! Anybody!" He was answered by a loud hiss. He looked up to see a blue blob spilling over the wreckage, extinguishing the fire. "Oh no!" he shouted. "The water monster!"
The water monster seized Shippo in its massive fist and climbed out the window, lowering itself gently on the ground and releasing Shippo. The little fox looked up at it. "You're…saving me?" The water monster slunk off to fight. Shippo looked around.
Kurama had unfurled his deadly whip, skillfully batting aside the circular blades spinning at him. The blades came from a creature that seemed part human and part machine. The machine-man spotted Shippo, drew a large hatchet from his belt, and hurled it full force at the little fox demon. Shippo flung up his arms, waiting for the blade to strike. It never did.
The weapon exploded in pink light. One of Kagome's arrows clattered to the ground amongst the broken metal shards.
Kagome was standing by the well house a safe distance away. "Shippo, get over here!" she shouted.
"Gladly!" As Shippo scrambled to the priestess's side, the machine-man's metal hand opened into a claw-like grappling hook and shot after him. Kirara jumped in front of the hook, which latched onto her tightly and pinned her to the ground.
"Kirara!" Sango shouted. She hurled her Hiraikotsu, severing the steel cable that sprung from the machine-man's arm. The Hiraikotsu spun gracefully through the air and returned to Sango's hands.
Meanwhile, Kurama was desperately fending off the discus blades that the machine-man had launched. The blades were getting faster and Kurama was beginning to tire. As he smacked one blade away, another gave a deep cut across his back. Kurama cried out in pain and in that moment of hesitation, a third blade flew from behind him, aiming straight for his neck. By the time he saw it, the blade was too close for his whip to do any good.
"Wind Scar!" The glowing attack from the Tetsusaiga obliterated the blade, turning it to a pile of scrap. "Kurama, I'll hold off the blades. You take care of the machine."
Grimacing against his pain, Kurama spun his whip in a tight circle above his head before bringing it down. The machine-man drew a katana and parried the whip in a single stroke. The Rose Whip was knocked aside but the tip of the sword was broken off. In a swift thrust, the machine-man slashed the remaining shard of his sword along the side of Kurama's neck. Blood gushed from the cut artery. One of the machine-man's powerful legs struck Kurama in the stomach. The fox demon went flying backwards, landing in a crouch.
The machine-man approached Kurama menacingly. "You are…Youko Kurama," he said in his metallic voice.
"I am," Kurama answered.
"I, Ginkotsu, shall end your legend," he said, raising his broken sword. Then he stiffened. Suddenly, there was a loud snap and his mechanical arm hung limply at his side. There was the sound of gears grinding to a halt and suddenly, a great cloud of smoke shot out from Ginkotsu's back. His legs buckled and he collapsed. Kurama heard the discus blades clattering onto the ground behind him.
Water flowed from the shoulder-mounted box that had housed Ginkotsu's spinning discus blades. The water soon floated upward and took a vaguely humanoid shape. Mitarai's water monster had attacked Ginkotsu from the inside.
Inuyasha stepped forward, readying Tetsusaiga for a killing stroke. "Time to finish you off." Just before the Tetsusaiga fell, a great wall of flame sprung up, separating them from Ginkotsu. A bald man with red markings on his face appeared beside them.
"Ginkotsu…" he said. Glaring at Inuyasha and Kurama, he shouted, "You'll pay for this!" The man held up a large black sphere and hurled it at the well house, where Kagome and Shippo were standing.
"Run!" shouted Inuyasha. "Get away!"
Kagome snatched up the little fox demon and sprinted away from the well house, right before it exploded in flames.
The wall of fire in front of Ginkotsu and the bald man flared up. When the flames died down, they were gone.
Inuyasha hurried over to where the well house once stood. There was nothing left but a smoking crater.
"Gone…" he whispered in disbelief. "The well's gone."
"We're stuck here," said Shippo.
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Jakotsu retrieved his sword and, with a snap of his wrist, retracted the extended blades.
"Just who the hell are you and why are you attacking us?" Yusuke demanded.
"Naraku's orders," said Jakotsu. He eyed Yusuke up and down. "I love it when work and pleasure coincide."
"Shut up!" Yusuke's fist began to glow. "Shotgun!" Jakotsu raised his left arm to guard his face against the barrage of spirit energy. The attack did only moderate damage to Jakotsu but burned at his clothing.
"Couldn't wait to get my clothes off, eh Yusuke?"
With a shout, Kuwabara leapt high into the air, his Spirit Sword raised above his head. As he descended on Jakotsu, he made a downward cut aiming for the ronin's right shoulder. The Spirit Sword cut deep, severing bone and muscle. Jakotsu's sword arm hung limply by his side. Jakotsu looked at it with the annoyance one would show a broken nail.
"Well, it looks like the ugly brute won you this round," Jakotsu said angrily. His voice regained its flirtatious tone. "But don't think you've gotten away from me yet, Yusuke." He reached into his robe and drew out a ball the size of a marble. He smashed it on the ground, releasing a puff of thick smoke. "See you soon, darling!" he said. When the smoke cleared, Jakotsu was gone.
"Arrgh! Where did that bastard go?" growled Kuwabara.
"Forget about him. We have to get to Genkai's."
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"Ah. You're back to your old self, are you Suikotsu?" Mukotsu eyed his comrade's clawed hands. "Not exactly. You're able to wield your claws without going on one of your murderous rampages. Apparently your control has improved somewhat."
The gentle-faced Suikotsu ignored the poison master's remarks. "Don't you dare touch her, Mukotsu." The inexperienced fighter went into a clumsy stance.
"And what are you going to do about it? You can't use those claws, Suikotsu. You know what happens when you're in the presence of blood." Mukotsu chuckled as he saw Suikotsu's fighting stance slump. Mukotsu reached down and roughly groped Keiko, mocking Suikotsu's inability to stop him. "In fact, maybe I should help you along." Mukotsu picked up Shizuru's sword and walked over to the unconscious Kaitou. Smiling widely, he raised the sword over his head, preparing a beheading stroke.
"No!" Suikotsu leapt at them. He grabbed frantically for the sword. In their desperate struggle for the weapon, Mukotsu plunged the blade deep into Suikotsu's stomach. Blood spurted out from the wound as Mukotsu withdrew the sword. A red stain spread down the front of Suikotsu's lower body. Petrified with shock, Suikotsu watched in horror as the blood leaked down his legs and began to pool on the ground.
Taking advantage of Suikotsu's shock, Mukotsu slung on his basket of poison canisters and hefted Keiko over his shoulder. "Come along, my dear," he said. "Let's get out of here."
As Suikotsu once again felt the familiarity of blood. Its bright red hue, its metallic scent, and its warmth. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt the reawakening of a snarling, bloodthirsty monster.
"No…" he whispered. "No! Somebody help me!"
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Genkai stirred as she returned to consciousness. She struggled to move her stiff, weak body. She lay in a daze for a moment, wondering how she had gotten outside and why Koenma, Kaitou, and the girls were lying comatose on the ground around her.
Suddenly, memories flooded her mind. She remembered laying in her bed after feelings of weakness forced her to end her daily training early. She remembered her window shattering and the dark gas pouring into her room.
A cry of "Somebody help me!" snapped Genkai from her thoughts. She saw an unknown man with claws attached to his hands and blood on the front of his clothes standing in the middle of her courtyard. As adrenaline coursed through her body again, Genkai forgot her weariness and hurried over to the man.
"Who are you? What's wrong?" she asked.
"My name is…Suikotsu. Please," he grunted, as if in pain, "you must kill me."
"Stop talking like that," grumbled Genkai. "We can find a way to fix this."
"It's not the wound!" shouted Suikotsu. "Whenever I'm near blood, I…please, you have to kill me and get them out of here."
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" shouted Genkai. She gasped as she saw Suikotsu begin to transform. His eyes turned completely white and green markings appeared on his face.
"Run, Genkai," were the last words he said before slashing at the old woman with his claws. Genkai dodged backwards, the claws barely ripping her tunic. Suikotsu slashed wildly. It took all of Genkai's effort to evade his swift attacks.
"Damn!" said the new Suikotsu. "That pussy doctor almost took control of me again." He turned to Genkai, holding up his claws in an expert guard. "Hey, old hag. I'm Suikotsu. The real Suikotsu." He flexed his muscled arm and held out his steel claws menacingly. "So, what do you think?"
"Not too much," said Genkai. She dodged backwards as Suikotsu slashed at her stomach. She managed to duck under his attack and drive a knuckle into the soft, vulnerable flesh of his armpit, deadening his arm.
For a moment, Suikotsu stopped slashing, his wild eyes resting on the comatose Yukina. He raised his claws, ready to tear her delicate skin apart.
"Yukina!" Genkai cried out. As Suikotsu ran for the prone ice demon, Genkai fired a blast of spirit energy, striking him squarely in the back. Suikotsu was blown past Yukina and into the compound's wall.
Genkai quickly put herself between Suikotsu and Yukina. I might be weaker than before, but that blast should have killed an ordinary man, she thought. But he's no demon. He's got spirit energy. Genkai gasped as she realized that Suikotsu had no life energy.
"Just what are you?" Genkai shouted at Suikotsu.
For a moment Suikotsu froze. The green marks on his face faded slightly. Then Suikotsu, the kind, gentle side of Suikotsu, managed to gasp out two words. "Jewel shard."
He's being kept alive with a shard from the Shikon Jewel, just like me, Genkai thought. She dodged another slashing attack from Suikotsu. "Where is the shard?" she shouted. Suikotsu's only response was another mocking laugh and another cut. This time, his claws tore deep into her side. Bits of flesh stuck onto the blades.
Genkai dodged back, grasping her side, feeling blood seep between her fingers. Maybe it's in the same place my shard is in. The heart. With a cry, she drove her hand into Suikotsu's chest, breaking through the rib cage. She felt his beating heart in her hand and crushed it, tearing out as much as she could. The shard wasn't there.
As Genkai flung the crushed heart muscle off her hand, Suikotsu cried out in pain before slumping against the compound wall. Slowly, the green marks on his face disappeared. Genkai saw the kind face of a young man.
"Genkai…" he said, his voice weak. "Kill me."
"Don't talk like that!" snapped Genkai. "We can find a way to free you. Why don't I heal your broken heart?" She reached for the hole in Suikotsu's chest. "You are one tough son of a bitch, Suikotsu."
"No!" Suikotsu grabbed her wrist. "With all this blood on me, my evil personality will soon return. The Jewel shard is in my throat. You must remove it."
Genkai hesitated.
"Please! Even if you could eventually free me, it wouldn't be until I managed to slaughter all your friends. Genkai, watch out for Naraku and the Band of Seven." His words were choked off as a snarl escaped his throat. A hint of green appeared on his face.
"I'll never forget your sacrifice, Suikotsu." With a slash of her hand, she cut open his throat and pulled out the shard. The green markings faded once again, this time for good. For a moment, Genkai saw Suikotsu's kind face at peace right before his body broke down, leaving nothing but bone.
Genkai rose to help her friends. Suddenly, her legs buckled and she collapsed. She was overcome with a coughing spasm. She held her stomach and her wounded side, coughing until her throat felt raw. Even with all her depleted energy, she still managed to heal her friends of the poison that was flowing through their bodies.
By the time she finished awakening and healing the others, Genkai was barely conscious. Her hair matted with sweat, she lay on the ground. She was ready to drop into unconsciousness before…
"Keiko!" Genkai sat up suddenly. "Where's Keiko?" The sudden stress produced a fresh spasm of coughing.
"Calm down, Master Genkai," said Kaitou. "You've stressed yourself enough. Let us handle this."
"That guy with the poisons must've taken her," said Shizuru in her calm deadpan tone. "He seemed pretty eager to bone her."
"Do we know where they are?" asked Koenma.
"The forest surrounding this place is vast," said Genkai. "They could be anywhere."
"I know!" said Botan. "I'll fly over the forest and search for them." She conjured up her oar, hopped on, and flew off in search of her friend.
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Mukotsu laid the paralyzed Keiko on the soft sand of the beach near Genkai's compound. With the beach, the ocean, and the setting sun, Keiko would have found the scene romantic if it weren't for her present company.
"I just love walks on the beach, don't you?" Mukotsu said breathlessly, his eyes never leaving Keiko's chest. "Though I wish we could have shared it with my other brides," he said, shedding crocodile tears. "Suikotsu has probably slaughtered them all by now. But let's not dwell on unpleasant memories. Let's just…enjoy each other's company." Mukotsu sat down uncomfortably close to Keiko. He lowered his ugly face to Keiko's, his lips puckered for a kiss. Keiko shut her eyes, waiting for his lips to touch hers. They never came.
WHAM!
Mukotsu was lying in the dirt, a lump on his head from Botan's metal baseball bat. Keiko found herself floating up into the air, Botan holding her by the wrist. The former fairy girl's healing powers purged the poison from her system and she found the strength to climb onto the oar.
"Come back here with my bride!" shouted Mukotsu. Reaching for one of his bamboo containers, he launched a cloud of deadly black smoke.
"Fly higher!" said Keiko. "The poison clouds won't be able to reach us."
"You think you can escape me? I've prepared for this!" shouted Mukotsu. He reached into a hollow, rotted-out log sitting on the beach and produced a canister that was taller than himself. Ripping off the container, the black smoke shot high into the air, killing trees, animals, and any wildlife that touched it. A strong wind blew in from the ocean, pushing the poison cloud towards its goal. The poison began chemically combining with materials from the surrounding air, growing to an unbelievable size and pursuing them at an unnatural speed. The poison was just about to overtake them when a powerful gale blew it back towards the ocean. Botan saw a familiar red haired figure flying towards them. She waved happily.
"Jin!"
"Top of the evening to ye, lasses!" he said as he flew past. He let loose another gale, blowing the cloud back towards the beach. Conjuring up a whirlwind, he trapped Mukotsu in a tornado of his own poison.
Mukotsu looked up at Jin and laughed. "It's useless! I can't be harmed by my own poison," he shouted at the wind master. His laughter was cut short when he saw a demon standing at the edge of the forest. The demon was short, humanoid, and dark-haired. But what Mukotsu noticed most was the wisp of flame in the demon's hand. "Oh no!"
Hiei tossed the flame into the poison cloud. The cloud ignited with a deafening roar, drowning out Mukotsu's cries. Walking through the inferno, Hiei found the poison master. Much of his flesh had been seared away, exposing the greasy, glistening insides. The Jewel shard in his throat was exposed.
"No! No!" Mukotsu gurgled as Hiei reached in and ripped the shard out.
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That's it for Chapter 20. Thank you to all my reviewers including shadowess, oblivionangel, CraZy Blue MonKey, lil1diva, and everyone else. Don't forget to leave a review.
I've revised this chapter slightly. Why? Well, I wrote this chapter before I saw any episodes with Suikotsu and I wasn't happy with how I had written his character. Hopefully, this works better.
DXM