A/N Hmph. Nobody reviewed the last chapter. Anyways, three things: 1. I've been banned off once again and I'm sneaking on 2. The entire story is complete—I just posted the rest of the chapters in one-sitting because nobody cares, and who knows when the next time I can sneak on is. 3. It's fine with me if you don't want to review. Besides, I think I've already lost completely control over how this story is going. It's like crud now. I'm completing this only because I hate giving up when I'm so close to the end. And almost nobody reads author notes anyways, so big deal.

Chapter 21: Advancement

"M-Miroku!" Koga whimpered while clinging on to his friend for dear life. The giant spider's venom dripped all around the boys while they cowered against the wall. "Th-Throw something at it! Come on!"

"Well, I can't do that while you're hanging on to me, you wolf!" the monk tugged away from the teen, while reaching into his bag for scrolls. He tossed a few at the spider with all the force that he had, but to no avail; they bounced off like cherry-balls.

Sesshomaru covered his face to protect it from all the sparks that came off of the scrolls as they landed near him. Inuyasha attached himself to Sesshomaru and yelled, "Tell my mommy that I love her!"

"Dude, your mom's dead…" Sesshomaru snarled, attempting to keep calm in the situation.

The spider howled, and swooped down towards the group. The insanely large pincers clicked fiercely as the jaws of the spider enthusiastically lunged for its next meal.

"Indeed…" Miroku flatly said, his eye twitching as he tried not to think of impending death. "We are screwed."

The four screamed as loud as they could, shuddering in the corners of the wall behind them.

TWHACK! CRASH!

Sesshomaru opened an eye to find that everything was still in order on his body. The hand was still in place, the head was still on. He opened both eyes to see a smug Rin peering down into his face.

Inuyasha was still yelling his head off about his mother when Sango used her Hiraikotsu and banged him over the head hard. The hanyou instantly blacked out.

"Wow…" Miroku wondered, getting up and dusting off his school uniform. "That's a record—no one except me has ever been knocked out by Sango's boomerang. It must be an honor…"

"Not even a 'Thank you!' or 'Man, Sango, you're awesome, thanks!' or 'I love you for saving my life!'?" Sango screeched, raising her Hiraikotsu menacingly in the air towards Miroku. Her eyes flared, and in a low voice, she said, "I've used this thing many times already—you'll just be another one of the victims of this, Miroku, and it won't make a difference."

"Umm…knocking him out isn't going to really help our situation Sango…" Rin muttered.

"You're right…"

Koga breathed, "Oh, kami, I thought I was dead back there. Thanks loads, girls!"

"Gee whiz…" Sango closed her eyes, while sighing. She strapped the Hiraikotsu on her back, and said, "I can't believe you guys are so stupid sometimes."

Miroku ventured, "H-hey…w-well…we were trapped at a dead end, and—"

Rin took a deep breath, and said, "Baka. That's why you failed the last biology test we took, Miroku. A spider youkai's weakest spot is its center eye. NOT its hard shell."

The petite girl pointed her finger at the spider, whose center eye was profusely bleeding.

"Eww…" Sesshomaru winced, looking over at his stirring half-brother. "Maybe we should make Inuyasha drink some of that stuff up to clean this area up. He did drink toilet water as a kid before."

"Anyways…" Koga cut in, before Rin or Sango could get mad at Sesshomaru for such anecdotes that didn't help the situation. "Where's the exit?"

"Oh yea…it's on higher elevation," Sango said, pointing towards area where the door was roughly located. "I can't believe Naraku can make such a huge area…"

"And we've got to get there before he turns the entire Shikon jewel is converted," Inuyasha groaned, rubbing his head while he stood up. "Dang, Sango. Have you been working out extra hours or something?"

Rin grabbed Sango's wrist before she could do anything again. Miroku shrugged, "Consider it an honor. She's never hit any of her friends with that thing except me."

His hand reached out for something while Sango was saying, "Miroku, I'm really surprised that you haven't—"

POW!

Sango's hand, meet Miroku's cheek. Miroku's cheek, meet Sango's hand…well, for about the thousandth time you guys have met.

"You just groped me, you perv," Sango sniffed, frowning at the swirly-eyed Miroku. "And I thought you'd changed for good. I was wrong."

"OK, can we just pllleeeeaaassseee get to the exit already?" Inuyasha impatiently begged, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Who knows, the frickin' place could just cave in all of a sudden."

As if on cue, the entire place began shaking violently, almost throwing the group to their knees. Sango yelled, "EVERYBODY! FOLLOW ME!"

Jumping up the rocks and climbing a small hill, Sango led them all to where she and Rin had first found the door. Yanking open the door amidst the falling rocks, the group piled through the door. With one last tremble, the entire place caved in.

Sango ran through the tunnel that the door had led them to. She finally stopped, panting extremely hard. Turning around, she made a head count of everyone. Sango gave a sigh of relief, and said, "OK, everyone's here…"

"That's the last time you're ever going to say anything, Yash…" Sesshomaru growled. "Anyways, what does Level 2 have for us?"

All the while, Rin was gazing at the cement walls that were paved perfectly smooth like marble. She frowned, and walking up to the wall and feeling it with her finger, said, "This is odd…the walls are cement, but they have a texture like polished stone."

"Whoa…you're right…" Miroku echoed, running his fingers along the wall. A burst of electricity burst from the tattooed eye on his palm. "OH SHIZ! THAT FRICKIN' HURT!"

"Well, it wasn't all for nothing…" Inuyasha shrugged, pointing to the spot where Miroku's hand had been shocked. "There's our exit right there."

"I really wish surprises these days didn't come with pain or life-threatening issues…" Miroku muttered, adding on a string of colorful words as he did so. The group proceeded towards into the doorway.

Naraku nodded his head while seeing the group slowly advance towards his thirteenth level. Clever girl, that violent Sango…

For almost the millionth time, Naraku told himself that he was bored. Which was why he'd created the cave-in and the door that could only be revealed when the wearer of his tattoo touched the walls.

He'd intended, actually for the group to walk on forever in the tunnel, but it looked like they got lucky.

Which was a good thing as well, or he would've been sitting here in boredom.

He dropped his head. So, what did he want? The group to survive and hurry up to entertain him, or did he just want the group to die? The answer was obscure for himself, still.

Ayame gave another cough, and rolled over, falling unconscious again. Naraku had a feeling that she wouldn't hold out if he kicked her again, and who knew if the team would pull through all the levels?

Naraku decided that he would want the group to survive. He was going to need a healthier sacrifice than some beat up girl. With a wave of his hand and a swiping motion across his viewing portal, he muttered a few incantations, and then sat back.

The rescue group had better thank him later for making life a hell of a lot easier.

Now, just to wait…

"Ya know…this is really, really weird…" Inuyasha muttered, looking all around him from the ceiling to a 360-degree vision around himself. The group was walking in an almost exact replica of the last level. "There's nothing in this third level."

"Indeed…and the walls are oh-so-shiny-cement like the last level…" Miroku bitterly said, rubbing his hand.

Sango patted Miroku on the back, and said, "Well, think about it, Houshi-chan…if you didn't touch the wall, the door probably wouldn't have appeared, and we would still be stuck in Level 2 not knowing what to do."

"So you want me to touch the wall again and be Magician Miroku for another door to appear?"

"No need," Koga called, who was way far ahead from the group. "There's a door at the end of the tunnel."

Rin ran up to inspect it. She said, "It doesn't seem to be a trap either…"

And so, all of them piled through the doorway, and up another flight of stairs to the next level…

Where there was nothing.

And to the fifth level….

Nothing.

And to the sixth level…

Nothing.

The pattern was the same all the way up; there was a long tunnel with cement-marble walls with a door at the end.

"I would've thought Naraku liked to give us hell by now…" Sesshomaru wondered out loud. "I could almost kiss him for making life a lot easier…"

"And if you do that, Fluffy-chan…" Rin turned around and smiled too sweetly, "I'll knock the lights out of you."

"I'm already really sick of all the fighting we've done, OK?" Inuyasha whirled around on everybody, his black human-hair flying in his face. "We've lost two of our comrades, and the world is already in mortal-peril from this lunatic who's taken the Shikon Jewel. Anymore fighting and we'll completely fall apart in front of Naraku. He'll be completely overjoyed. Let's work together, OK? Please. Teamwork."

Rin's eyes dropped to floor, as well as everyone else's. Sango whispered, "You know, you're right. Sorry…"

"And this is the twelfth level, right?" Koga asked, jogging everyone's memory. "Next level…we're battling Naraku and rescuing Ayame and Kagome."

Miroku stuck his hand out, and said, "This'll sound cheesy, and only weird little girls at softball matches do this, but let's all pile our hands and make a promise."

Slowly, one by one, Koga, Sesshomaru, Rin, Sango, and Inuyasha stacked their right hands upon each other. With three pushes, they then lifted their hands and held them by their face in a clenched fist.

"For Ayame, Kagome, and the world…" they all chanted, looking at each other and smiling. They then burst out laughing. It was cheesy alright, but heart-warming.

"Sate…Now…let's go beat up Naraku…" Inuyasha took a deep breath and worded, his hand reaching out for the handle of the door. "Guys, whatever we see on the other end, just DON'T panic. Keep calm, and concentrate…"

Sesshomaru added on, "And if we win, we'll just tell Irino-san that we don't have to take the Final Test in her class…"

"Feh. Like heck that'll work…" Inuyasha smirked, turning the squeaky knob.

He was ready to take on whatever was on the other side…

A/N Yea…this chapter sucked. And so will the rest, I believe.