Chapter 21: Exploding Machinery
Even at this distance, the power of Mt. Hakurei's barrier is stifling. Sesshomaru thought icily, eyeing a drooping Jaken who appeared to be barely able to hold himself upright at A-Un's feet. His yellow eyes were bloodshot, either one threatening to close, almost pitiful to anyone in sight. The lord moved on, glancing at his ward. The snow-haired young boy in only appearance, held an even glare on the fog infested mountain, making no indication of the effects of the barrier like himself. Similar to himself, the child had vastly greater durability and power than lower youkai, but that did not mean that the handicap was pleasant.
The harder pull of the frown, the fractional dull of narrow orbs, and the slight increase of heartbeat and respiratory needs; the both of them felt the barrier's effects all too well.
Which meant that Naraku did as well, to an extent.
A suggestion, Sesshomaru. The ice captain nodded telepathically, omitting Jaken from the conversation as the kappa was too busy complaining and trying to stay conscious. Since the barrier bars our entry, there is not much we can do but allow someone to dispel it.
Do you suggest for us to await assistance? The lord replied, his tone hinted with bite.
Not at all. Toshiro retorted just as scathingly. If an enemy has contained themselves within a confined space, they will have to come out eventually. We are merely awaiting for that opportunity.
This Sesshomaru will remain here and we shall uptake the previous commodities. The said youkai stated, more of a fact than a suggestion to their plans as the ice captain sent a mental nod in reply.
I have no qualms as to that.
Gripping the beast of burden's reins, the ice captain sent off west, startling an exhausted Jaken into attention as he barely was able to latch himself onto his lord's soft tail, the other three members of their group; appearing uncaring and completely goal-orientated as they took off, not paying any turned glances to the poor kappa.
It was a full five minutes after the ice captain had ordered A-Un to be within radial distance to be mildly affected by the barrier, but having enough strength to come to his aid should the captain heeded him; when he spotted a familiarly dressed miko and hanyou; the former holding a semi-conscious kitsune who groaned with what appeared to be a headache.
I'm getting one myself. Toshiro grumbled as he glared at the barrier, narrowing at it, having gotten stronger since he had last neared it.
"The barrier is making Shippo so dizzy." Kagome said with worry as she adjusted her hold on the kitsune, trying to make it more comfortable for the young youkai, frowning lightly.
"Oi Miroku, you sure that Naraku is hiding in Mt. Hakurei?" Inuyasha cried behind him as the white-haired beings turned to the monk and youkai-slayer, who were nearing them, the latter carrying the nekomata who was in the same position as the kitsune.
"It appears so, Inuyasha." Toshiro stated as he landed from his aerial platform, deciding to make his appearance as the monk turned to him with surprise. "Although it appears to be doubtful that one with Naraku's yoki would bypass this barrier unscathed."
"Hitsugaya-taicho." Miroku greeted as the ice captain sent a nod to each in reply, his teal orbs glaring at the mountain as he hid his claws under his sleeves, the monk addressing the young captain. "Has Lord Sesshomaru arrived to this area as well?"
"Following Kohaku's scent." Was all the captain offered as Sango looked away at the mention of her younger sibling.
"I see." Miroku replied as he addressed the question. "And Inuyasha, I am sure that Saint Hakushin is the one creating this barrier."
"And not to mention, that the Saint had protected Bankotsu, one of Naraku's men." Sango added as the ice captain rose an eyebrow as if making an inquiry, Miroku obliging him as he explained their encounter with the leader of the Band of Seven on Hijiri Island, from the missing mummy of the saint and vajra that ensured the mercenary's escape.
Clever. Toshiro stated mentally as he cracked a small smirk internally. Using an emotionally unstable soul that possessed a significant reiatsu to his bidding, this is exactly the reason why shinigami and members of the dead go through the River of Lethe as Greek mythology has accurately told, ridding themselves of unnecessary memories that cause more trouble than needed.
Besides, I don't think it's a particularly fond thing to recall the moments of one's death. Hyorinmaru added as the ice captain shrugged.
A coincidental side benefit.
"But I'd have thought that a mass of evil yoki like Naraku wouldn't be able to enter a sacred place." Inuyasha said with doubt in his voice, breaking the captain from his thoughts.
"As sacred as it is, before Saint Hakushin placed the barrier, I imagine that it was not that difficult to enter the mountain." Toshiro stated as the four taller figures looked at him to explain. "Considering Naraku had 'disappeared', as reported in a direction of the Ox-Tiger; it was probably a breadcrumb trail to lead us here along with the appearance of the Band of Seven to buy him time."
"The barrier is no different along with Saint Hakushin; who are merely decoys for him to hide within this mountain." Toshiro nodded as Miroku's indigo orbs widened.
"And once inside, there's no better place to hide." Miroku concluded as the captain nodded. "The ones who are after him: Koga, Lord Sesshomaru, Captain Hitsugaya and you, Inuyasha. As well as Lady Kikyo… All are unable to Mt. Hakurei."
"It is a common tactic." Hitsugaya nodded to the mountain. "Retreat to where your enemies least suspect you to be. And in this case, Mt. Hakurei is Naraku's retreat."
"But you said that it should be easy for Naraku to come to Mt. Hakurei before the barrier was placed by Saint Hakushin, why would you say that? Wouldn't he have still been purified?" Kagome cut in, her brown orbs demanding an answer.
"Put bluntly, despite Mt. Hakurei's reputation of being sacred, Saint Hakushin's sacred power as you call it, overpowers the mountain's." Toshiro stated blatantly. "Like the concept of yoki, one's yoki could be rendered utterly useless against an opponent that can surpass the former's. The same applies. Saint Hakushin's obviously overpowers the natural sacred power of the mountain; therefore, allowing Naraku passage and even shelter, as long as Hakushin is under him."
"How can you say that for certain?" Miroku added, his indigo orbs narrow.
"I saw the hanyou's youkai within the caverns of the mountain." Toshiro revealed as he turned to Sango and Miroku. "Kohaku led me to them just before he had gone to fetch the Shichinintai. But nonetheless, I suggest the two of you exercise caution within the mountain."
Koga held back the urge to yell at his two subordinates, who were insisting that they leave Mt. Hakurei, seeing as they were full-blooded youkai that could not bypass the barrier without the risk of being purified. Don't get him wrong, the wolf had no intention in being purified, but the blasted Shichinintai were in there and they were their only lead to Naraku. Like hell he would let that stupid bastard off the hook for slaughtering his kin! He was the leader of their tribe and what kind of leader allowed the one who dared to hurt his men escape?
"Shaddup! Shichinintai are here. I'm sure of it!" The wolf youkai barked, pointing to the barrier. "Even if it's only outta pride, I'm gonna break this barrier."
Little to the wolf's knowledge, the Shichinintai were there; behind the barrier. Being Renkotsu and Ginkotsu conversing with one another, the former deciding how to blast the wolf into giving him his Shikon no Tama shards.
"It seems they can't see us, after all." Renkotsu smirked, thoughts formulating a plan.
"Gesh, gesh." Ginkotsu agreed, at least to the mechanic as outsiders would only wonder if the machine could even speak the language. Or at all.
How convenient this barrier is. Renkotsu thought as his smirk grew. As unpleasant as it is, I'll have to use it to my advantage.
"All right, Ginkotsu." The fire-wielding master nodded, plans finished. "First, the legs. Blow his legs off."
"Gesh. Gesh." The machine nodded as he lowered the main cannons, aimed directly to the still bickering wolves.
"But Koga…" The two lower wolves insisted.
"Shaddup! The Band of Seven are hiding in there!" Their leader barked once more. "I'm gonna find them and kill them all myself!"
"Are you able to, I wonder?" Renkotsu called the wolf's bluff just before Ginkotsu fired, aimed at the wolves and more specifically, the legs. Connecting, the blast sent the wolves tumbling, Koga away from the barrier as his two henchmen were blasted to sidelines, their subordinate wolves in every other which way as small jagged debris rained over them.
Not allowing the wolves to gather their wits, Renkotsu ordered the machine-man to march forward, going on into exiting the barrier; both expecting a dead Koga. Only to have their expectations blown off, as Koga glared at them with a scowl, roughed up but clearly alive.
"Huh." Renkotsu huffed as orange-haired machine 'geshed' his agreement. "I intended to have your legs blown away."
Standing, the leader of the wolves growled back a snarl. "Why you…!"
Hiding behind several higher jagged rocks within the terrain, Ginta and Hakkaku commented. "They appeared outta nowhere!"
"Not exactly." Toshiro stated as he appeared beside Koga with a shunpo, startling all with his appearance. "So, this is the rumored Shichinintai that I have heard so much, hiding behind the barrier."
"And you are?" Renkotsu inquired as the ice captain glared with his usual one, his teal orbs locking on the specter.
"Captain Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division of the Netherworld." The said person replied, as the specters' eyes widened. Ignoring their response to his identity, the ice captain turned to Koga with a whisper only loud enough for the wolf to hear. "Did they manage to hit your legs?"
Giving a barely noticeable nod, the wolf gave his confirmation before he shouted at the two mercenaries. "So, you two have been hiding behind that barrier this entire time."
"Yes." Renkotsu confirmed. "We've been here before your very eyes. And even with the assistance of Captain Hitsugaya, we shall have the shards in your legs."
"Hah." Koga scoffed, as the ice captain narrowed his orbs, as he whispered something to the wolf, who nodded. "So, our searching the mountain wasn't in vain. I never thought you'd appear on your own, though."
Chuckling, Renkotsu nodded at the statement, as his fingers twitched to the ignition. "That may be true. But Koga, you have Shikon no Tama shards."
And with a pull, the cannon on Ginkotsu fired once more, aimed at the wolf's legs. But with a clawed hand, the ice captain disappeared with the leader of the wolves with a shunpo, appearing several feet away unharmed as Koga landed a tad slower than usual, as a result of the first shot.
"And so, do you; Renkotsu." Toshiro nodded as he pointed out with a claw as as all of them widened their eyes at the captain's declaration. "The one in your throat that keeps your soul linked to the realm of the living."
Several thoughts traveled in that moment.
That child, he can see where the shards are…! I must eliminate him as soon as possible, he is just like that woman!
He can see them, like Kagome! If they're anything like Kyokotsu, then I have to aim for his neck where the jewel shard is!
And with a pull, the cannon fired once more, this time aimed at the captain as he shunpoed away, leaving nothing to even evidence that he was present in the first place.
"K-Koga!" Ginta's concerned voice broke the wolf from his thoughts as he gestured for them to stand back.
"Stay away!" At their leader's orders, the henchmen obliged with doubt on their faces as they mumbled.
"You sure you can destroy that metal monster?"
"Heh." The wolf smirked, as he charged not allowing the cannon to fire once more. "I'll turn you into bones again!"
Instead, the bald specter smirked. "Ginkotsu, pull back."
"I would advise against that." The icy voice of the captain stated darkly as the fire master turned, to find the white-haired daiyokai blocking the entrance to the barrier; his katana pointed downward. "A tactic using one's surroundings to their advantage, was clever of you; Renkotsu. But do not presume that the enemy is less intelligent than you are."
"Heh. You killers were running?" Koga scoffed as Renkotsu scowled.
"If we cannot destroy you from a safe distance, then close range is the next best thing!" Renkotsu bellowed as he pulled the ignition, cannons aimed for the captain. "Ginkotsu!"
And with a fire of the cannon, the ice captain was enveloped into a cloud of smoke, leaving only a thin trail of ice surrounding the edge of the barrier. Sneering at his apparent victory, the bald mercenary ordered the machine to pull back, stepping into the ice. The moment the thin ice and the machine made contact, tendrils of ice grew like rapid strings of poison latching to healthy cells, freezing every part of the spidery legs of the tank as mercenaries watched in horror, although slower than usual due to their proximity to the mountain.
"W-What is this?" Renkotsu roared as he turned to the ice captain who appeared beside Koga, roughed up as well from the blast but fine relatively speaking.
"Hyorinmaru's Tenso Jurin allows me freeze anything my blade touches, including anything that dares to touch my ice." Toshiro stated frostily as Renkotsu held out his hands, steel threads extending from them as the white-haired youkai dodged them with ease, only to widen as they ignited in flames.
Damn. Toshiro cursed, as he dodged the next barrage of flamed threads, Koga right behind him.
Master, move! Hyorinmaru roared as the ice captain realized a second later.
Shit, he was—!
Was as far as the captain had gotten in his thoughts as the flamed threads had latched onto a mine that Ginkotsu had fired beforehand, exploding behind them as the former shinigami and the wolf youkai fell into the hardened earth with a pained cry.
Not one to miss an opportunity when one presented itself, the bald mercenary called for the final blow, glancing at the growing ice. It had eaten into the lower part of Ginkotsu and had started on his chainsaw wheels while the spider legs were assured to uselessness. They were running out of time.
Heeding his nakama, Ginkotsu aimed his cannons to the air before firing.
In mid-air, the yellow shots trailed by a line of smoke exploded before they rained over the twosome, as the smaller youkai held up his blade defensively as he stood in front of Koga, who had unconsciously held up his arms to cover his face.
"Ryojin Hyoheki!" Toshiro cried as a protective wall of sleet made of finely woven threads of ice covered the wolf and dog youkai, their surroundings exploding in miniature explosives, the two of them completely obscured by the smoke.
Smirking as the smoke lifted, the bald mercenary soon lost it as his eyes traveled upon the figure. Using the lifted debris as a smokescreen, the ice captain remained, with a dark glare on his teal orbs as he held his blade parallel to himself, white yoki covering his silhouette.
"Koga, now!" The ice captain ordered as the wolf youkai erupted from the earth, a claw uplifted as it connected with Renkotsu, who had turned just in time to make the blow, not as lethal as it could have been. Lifting his gourd, the fire master drank before he blew a torrent of flames, surrounding the wolf before he gotten the mercenary's shoulder, unleashing a stream of blood and a deep, fatal wound on the mercenary. Falling back in a pained heap, Renkotsu gripped his wound as Ginkotsu growled, the veins of his face — what was left of it — pulsed with anger as he spoke much to the surprise of the wolves.
"Ren…kotsu…"
"He…" Koga began as he turned to Ginkotsu, too shocked to continue.
"He talks?!" Ginta and Hakkaku cried in surprise as the ice captain shrugged.
"He was once human too."
"That thing was once a human?!"
Nodding at the twosome's shocked cry, Toshiro glared at Ginkotsu, who faced himself and Koga with a narrowed orb, tattooed with his brotherhood mark with a glare of his own as he spoke in spaced syllables, nearly shaking in anger.
"You dare… You dare….!"
"Ginkotsu, you…" The bald mercenary was given no chance to continue.
Lining his cannons at the wolf and captain once more, the machine fired. But to the surprise of the two henchmen of Koga and the mercenaries, the machine's cannons exploded within itself as Koga smirked haughtily, the ice captain cracking a small twitch of his own at the wolf's following claim.
"I stuffed the armor I ripped into the barrel of the cannons, you heap of scrap metal."
"He's not dead yet." Toshiro stated before a string of 'gesh' echoed from the smoke, as if to prove the captain correct as Koga grimaced.
"Why you…!" Renkotsu cursed as he stood to fight once more, but was stopped when the tank machine moved forward, the orange-haired man turning back his head to him, letting out a string of 'gesh' that only he and his nakama could understand.
The bald man's orbs widened. "Ginkotsu, you're going to use that?!"
Rumbling and the sound of an engine his answer, the ice captain stepped back with Koga at his feet, as the ice that covered the tank broke into shards, purified by the sacred land, a full barrage of cannons lining on every side, four more main artillery before the machine's face along with a set of ready to fire bombs just below the destroyed cannons.
Koga was stunned as the ice captain too, held back a small gasp, allowing a widen of his teal orbs as the weaponry fired all at once.
What the hell? The ice captain thought as he grabbed Koga by the arm, shunpoing them in mid-air as he supported the wolf with leverage to jump with a platform of spirit particles, effectively dodging the barrage.
"Hah! Where're you aiming?!" Koga taunted as he lifted a fist aimed at Ginkotsu's face. But to the ice captain's surprise, the half-man and half machine propelled forward with a jet of blue flames, latching wired rings on both the captain and the wolf, at the wrist with Koga and the torso with the captain. About to cut aside the line with a swipe of his claws, the captain's orbs widened as he felt the liquid lining the wire.
Kerosene. Twisting to the best of his ability to get himself out of the tangle, Toshiro bit his lip as his efforts were futile, threatening to spill blood as he was enveloped in a burst of flames, holding back a scream as the flames licked his body.
"Why you..!" Koga cursed as he caught sight of the white-haired captain, anger rising as he heard a small cry come from the boy. Swinging with the wire and using his momentum, the wolf wrapped his legs over the man/machine's neck, and with a cry, propelled them to the earth, Ginkotsu face first.
"I've had enough of you!"
Crashing into the hard earth with large boom, Koga untangled himself from the buried Ginkotsu as he ran to the ice captain, who stood shakily his attire singed with burns and clothing in tattered remains, snowy locks now a tinted grey as his claws gripped his blade; managing to untangle himself in the midst of the aerial struggle.
"Oi, Hitsugaya, you okay?!"
"I'm fine." Toshiro uttered out as he cursed mentally, Hyorinmaru growling his master to activate his Shikai as the captain considered it. "I just do not have a natural affinity towards fire."
"Peh. You're fine, if you are able to talk like that." Koga smirked as he turned back to Renkotsu, who cried out in concern for his friend.
"Ginkotsu!"
"Now, you're the only one left." The wounded wolf smirked, as Toshiro held back the wolf, morphing his smirk to a confused look.
"Ginkotsu is not dead yet, Koga. He's almost there, but not quite yet. Be on guard."
"What?" Koga growled as the machine spoke once more.
"I won't let…Renkotsu be killed."
With a dislodge of his jaw, Ginkotsu attempted self-destructed as all of them were enveloped into a white explosion, firing all of them in different directions as Koga felt himself shielded by a wall of ice.
"Reign over the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro cried as several versions of Hyorinmaru appeared before the ice captain, shielding both the awed wolf leader and the captain as one of the ice dragons wrapped over his master protectively, jaws as long as ivory knives as he roared.
With a direct of his blade, the ice dragons heeded their master's command, freezing upon contact as the explosion was cut short, Koga and Hitsugaya landing beside the barrier unscathed by the explosion as parts of a once complete Ginkotsu littered the area.
"A-Amazing." Koga uttered as he now had a good look of the ice dragon and his master. The ebony stripes on Hitsugaya's cheeks were jagged as he glared with ruby tinted sclera, his claws and fangs elongated as if he had roused his power by the slightest tidbit. Hovering protectively over the child daiyokai, the dragon familiar to the ones he had seen in the wild, only made entirely of water and ice as a mane of icicles running down his back as his snout was narrowed, jaws as sharp as any pair of sharpened claws, his taloned clutches gnarled and made for tearing apart prey with a half-hearted swipe.
"How dare you." The ice captain spoke as the very air froze. "Making me summon my zanpakuto to rid of you. How troublesome of you, Kiganjo Kenpachi."
And with seal of his zanpakuto, the ice captain turned to Koga as if nothing of great importance had occurred as his dragon disappeared in a shatter of snowflakes, having reverted to his former appearance. "So, are you well enough to go after Renkotsu?"
Several miles away from Mt. Hakurei, Sesshomaru opened his golden orbs, turning to the mountain as Jaken too flinched, turning to his liege.
"L-Lord Sesshomaru?"
The lord ignored him. Toshiro is wounded. Has something happened?
Before the lord could continue, the scent of graveyard soil and death wafted toward them. The Shichinintai that Inuyasha spoke of. They're coming.
Putting thoughts upon his ward aside for now, the lord turned toward the forest of the cliffside they stood upon, narrowing his eyes before he floated over with the cry of Jaken behind him. With a sudden draw of Tokijin, the lord parried a set of interlocked blades, folding back with a snap of a purple armguard, belonging to an oddly dressed man.
"One of Naraku's followers?" Sesshomaru stated rather than questioned.
Laughing softly, Jakotsu praised mockingly. "How perceptive of you…"
After healing the wolf from their shared scuffle, the ice captain tsked at his appearance as he knelt at a pond at the base of the sacred mountain. His ebony hakama was torn and singed in random patches along with the haori, littered with thin minuscule wounds as several droplets of blood seeped onto the white fabric. Bone-white locks were now an ashy grey as the captain released it from it's ponytailed state, allowing water to seep and clean out the smoke and grime when a reiatsu entered the captain's radial vicinity.
The leader of Shichinintai. Toshiro identified as the young man / specter appeared after the captain had ordered A-Un to stay back, cobalt orbs colored with interest as teal orbs were veiled and lax.
"Are you Hitsugaya-taicho?"
"And you must be Bankotsu, leader of Shichinintai?"
"Ho." The sixteen-year-old specter smirked as he lowered his oversized weapon into the earth, stabbing the ground beside the captain as he seated himself, leaning against the blade before the pond's surface. "You are more informed than I thought."
"I had heard the stories. Naraku told me that you are a member of the dead and have been for longer than even Kikyo; that you even have leeway and control of the movement of souls throughout the Netherworld. And how you were formerly human but was resurrected a youkai." Bankotsu spoke as the ice captain did not, a smirk on the young leader's lips, the mirth of a cold-blooded killer on his cobalt orbs. "But that is utter bullshit."
"Oh?" Toshiro spoke, as he rose a white eyebrow; tying his hair up as he froze the water off his hair with sharp snowflakes, catching Bankotsu's attention for a moment before focusing on the captain's words. "Do you not believe in my existence then?"
"Your existence? Yes, seeing as you are before me." Bankotsu answered with a carefree smirk. "But in the afterlife? No. I live as I always have, doing as I wish and killing as I wish; consequences be damned."
"Even with the chance of Hell beyond the depths of death for your crimes?"
"Dead is dead." The young leader stated with a carefree shrug. "I don't need reason to kill. In death or in resurrection, I kill and am a mercenary to the very core of myself. I have no care for the other world or any of that nonsense."
To the leader's surprise, the ice captain smirked as he waved a hand at the mercenary's weapon. "You and your antics as a killer have not changed at all, Zaraki. You even have Ikkaku and Madarame by your side. Along with Yachiru, although in a more weaponized form."
"Oi, kid. Have you been bathing in cold water too long or something?"
Toshiro held back the urge to snap at the mercenary and his future colleague. It was oddly comforting and aggravating.
"Call it the ramblings of a dead being that has been like this for too long." The ice captain stated evasively as the mercenary shrugged, standing to make his leave.
"As the dead, perhaps we share the same fate; Hitsugaya-taicho."
"Perhaps, Bankotsu." Toshiro agreed as he held out a pink shard before the mercenary. "It was Ginkotsu's. Renkotsu is still lurking, planning and plotting without even the inquiry that perhaps you have caught on."
"For a smart one, he can be so stupid." The young leader sighed, knowing well of Renkotsu's plotting to have more shards.
"With grander gifts, you are also bestowed greater weaknesses, Bankotsu." Toshiro forewarned as he held out the shard to the mercenary, who looked at him with a questioning glance.
"It's for me?" The mercenary asked doubtfully, looking his age for once as the ice captain rose an eyebrow.
"I have no use for it." Toshiro replied. "I would think that one such as yourself would want and need the shard more so than me. Better for you, one who wishes to have it rather than I, who has no wish or need for it."
"…You're…giving this to me…?"
"And to think I thought you were not that dense here." The ice captain deadpanned as he was enveloped in an arm hug by the mercenary for a moment, shocked by the fact that the older man was hugging and was actually touching him; before sending the specter a glare to release him.
"But, regardless of you believing in a Netherworld or not, you are as reckless as ever." Toshiro snorted in a soft scoff as the specter took the shard.
"Ha." Bankotsu laughed dryly as he placed the shard in his right arm, smirking as he rested Banryuu on his unguarded shoulder. "Good to know that I am living up to my namesake then, even at the second time around."
As the mercenary disappeared into the woods, the ice captain smirked one of his own as he allowed an amused glint to color his teal orbs. "You have no idea, Zaraki Kenpachi."