I don't own Inuyasha.
Chapter 25
For the past few days Kagome was on edge. With Koga's warning about the Birds of Paradise and her new duties of taking care of Onigumo, she was near a breaking point. To add to the troubles, Onigumo wasn't getting weaker like Kaede and Kagome had thought he would. In fact, he seemed to be getting stronger.
As Kagome walked the path to the cave where Onigumo lay she felt the same uneasiness. But as the uneasiness came so did the pity that was slowly growing in her. Despite Onigumo's increases in strength he still wouldn't move from the cave again. For this reason Kagome found herself pitying the broken man.
"Kagome." Onigumo greeted her as she set down her things in the cave.
"Hello," Kagome replied, "How are you feeling today?"
"I feel strong." He rasped out.
Kagome could not stop the pity from showing in her eyes and she quickly looked away. She could tell that Onigumo held out some small hope that he would leave the cave. It was miniscule and barely there but it was there nonetheless.
"I won't be able to stay too long today." Kagome said as she held a spoonful of gruel to the bandit's mouth, "There is a man who wants to talk to Lady Kaede and myself."
"Oh?" Onigumo whispered, "About what?"
"Apparently there's a Lord whose vassals keep disappearing."
"Will you be journeying there to investigate?"
"If the man asks me to, yes." Kagome said as she continued to feed the injured bandit, "That means that I won't be here for a couple of days. Lady Kaede will be caring for you."
"I can accept that, as long as you come back." Onigumo muttered, "So you'll be going alone?"
"Maybe." Kagome replied with a shrug, "But I doubt it. Inuyasha will insist on going with me."
Kagome turned away so she didn't see the ugly look that appeared on Onigumo's partially covered face. He was starting to hate this half-demon that Kagome would mention on occasion.
Kagome left the cave shortly afterwards with everything gathered in her arms. She looked up in the trees and saw Inuyasha swinging Tetsusaiga around. The sword was still dull and rusty looking. Kagome paused in her walk back to the village. Should she tell Inuyasha how to use the sword? She'd thought long and hard about it and she realized that the sword would only work if Inuyasha was protecting humans.
Kagome had talked to Myoga about it but the flea had asked her not to tell Inuyasha what she'd guessed. While Kagome had found this request odd she had kept her word and hadn't told Inuyasha anything. This is probably something that Inuyasha has to figure out on his own. Kagome thought as she resumed her walk. If he's told everything he'll never learn or come to conclusions on his own.
OOO
"Will you please help us?" the man pleaded.
The man had come to seek Kaede and Kagome's help in investigating the disappearance of several young women on a certain Lord's land. The man, Kisuke, had explained that every month the Lord's soldiers would go to surrounding villages in his territory and collect young women. The women weren't seen in the Lord's castle or anywhere else again.
"Hmm." Kaede murmured to herself, "I don't think I will be suitable for this journey. I have grown old and am unable to make the long trip."
"I will go, Lady Kaede." Kagome volunteered.
"Are you certain you are up to this, Kagome?" Kaede asked, "With the Shikon Jewel you might draw more danger to this small problem."
"This is something that needs to be investigated." Kagome stated, "Since you're unable to do it I will. And don't worry, I'm sure that a certain someone will insist on coming with me." Kagome turned to Kisuke. "I will go with you to investigate this."
Kisuke placed his palms together and bowed, "Oh, thank-you, Priestess!"
OOO
Kagome's guess that Inuyasha would insist on coming proved to be accurate. When he found out Kagome was going on a journey and that a demon may be involved it wasn't a question about whether he could come but that he would.
"I hope this isn't a waste of time!" Inuyasha snapped as he, Kagome, and Kisuke walked down the path to the Lord's castle.
It had been two days since they'd departed Kaede's village and Inuyasha was getting angry and impatient with his sword. He'd attempted to use it against some demons that had attacked them on the journey but the sword had refused to transform to the form it had taken when Inuyasha fought Sesshomaru.
"We're almost there." Kagome said tiredly, "Keep your temper till then, okay?"
"Feh!" Inuyasha scoffed while crossing his arms and glaring into some trees, "Whatever!"
The rest of the journey to the Lord's castle was uneventful. They reached the castle just as the sun was setting. Since Kisuke was a servant in the castle he managed to get them past the guards, who would have preferred turning them away.
"I am sorry," the master servant apologized as he greeted them, "but the Lord has retired for the evening and does not wish to be disturbed. Perhaps he will speak to you tomorrow. Until then you are welcome to stay the night here and recover from your long journey."
Kagome clasped her hands in front of her and bowing, replied, "We thank-you for your generosity. If possible, please inform the Lord that I would wish to speak to him as soon as he is willing."
"Of course," the master servant bowed as well, "Please make yourselves comfortable. Kisuke, will you lead them to a room?"
Kisuke nodded and led them to a spacious room with futons rolled up on the side. As Kagome and Inuyasha settled in Kisuke thanked them once again for coming and left them.
"Do you sense anything, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as soon as she was sure Kisuke was gone and no one was listening outside their door.
"Something smells weird." Inuyasha said with a frown, "Boggy, murky. I can't explain it really. Like a pond, I guess. What about you?"
"Yes," Kagome nodded, "I've sensed something ever since we've entered this castle. It's not a strong demonic aura but it's there and I think it may behind the girls's disappearances."
"What should we do?" Inuyasha asked, "Investigate?"
"I don't know." Kagome admitted, "We could be thrown out if we're found wandering around the castle at night and we may never get to the bottom of what's going on."
"We should take that risk, Kagome." Inuyasha argued, "For all we know the Lord or whatever demon behind this is killing the girls as we speak."
Kagome nodded. It was true. They needed more information but she still felt it was dangerous.
"Listen," Inuyasha whispered, seeming to guess that Kagome was hesitating, "I'll be able to sense any humans approaching us, so don't worry."
Kagome bit her lip and nodded. And so it was that Kagome found herself walking down a dark hallway with Inuyasha next to her.
"Is the demonic aura getting closer, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, glancing at her.
"A little bit." Kagome said while glancing around.
Something was wrong. They hadn't met anyone since they started searching the castle. It was like everyone had disappeared. Kagome paused in front of a room. She stared at the door.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked looking over his shoulder questioningly, "What are you doing?"
Kagome didn't answer. She reached out and seized the handle of the door. Slowly and quietly she slid it open an inch. She peeked in. What she saw caused her to pull the door open all the way. Inuyasha cried out for her to stop. But he also stopped when he saw the inside of the room.
"They're all asleep." Inuyasha said.
Inuyasha was referring to the inhabitants of the room. The people were all sprawled out. They looked like they'd collapsed where they were standing or sitting. Kagome walked into the room. She knelt down next to a young woman who was most likely a maid.
"This doesn't make any sense." Kagome said as she placed a hand on the maid's shoulder.
Inuyasha spun around and yanked open the door to the room across the hall. Everyone in that room was asleep as well.
"Well it looks like we won't have to worry about getting caught." Inuyasha noted, "It looks like everyone's asleep. I wonder why we weren't affected?"
Kagome stood up and exited the room she was in and stood in the hallway, waiting for Inuyasha.
"Well," Kagome explained, "you're a half-demon. The demon that cast this spell must not have been expecting someone as strong as you to come. I'm a priestess and was able to withstand it due to my spiritual power."
"C'mon!" Inuyasha said running down the hall, "We don't have to worry about being quiet! Let's catch and kill that demon!"
"Wait!" Kagome shouted, giving chase, "Do you even know where you're going?"
As they ran down the hallway, Kagome could sense the demonic aura getting stronger. They would be coming to the demon soon enough. Finally they came to the last room of the hall. Inuyasha yanked open the door. What they saw stunned them.
There were dozens upon dozens of girls; all sitting in balls of what looked like slime. Some looked like they'd been placed in the slime recently while some were transforming to look like tadpoles.
"What?" Inuyasha snarled, "What is this?"
"It must be the demon." Kagome explained, "The girls must be his source of nourishment."
"Heh, heh," a voice croaked out from behind them, "Very good, Priestess."
Kagome and Inuyasha turned to see the newcomer. It was a stout man dressed in luxurious clothing, with his face and hands bandaged.
"Are you the Lord?" Kagome asked.
"I don't think so!" Inuyasha said quickly, "This guy is just dressing up as the Lord. He's the one who smells like a pond!"
"Treat me with some respect!" the Lord shouted angrily.
"I'll treat people with respect that deserve it!" Inuyasha snapped back, "You're just some demon who possessed the Lord and is using him to get what you want!"
The imposter Lord chuckled. Then he burst out laughing.
"It works!" He hissed, "After all it was I who sent Kisuke to get you, Priestess!"
"What?" Kagome whispered.
"Yes," the imposter snickered, "I knew there was a priestess who guarded the Shikon Jewel not far from this pathetic Lord's territory. So I possessed the Lord and ordered one of his servants to go and get the priestess for me!"
Inuyasha growled under his breath, "Why the girls then?"
"Foolish half-demon!" the demon laughed, "I still needed to feed. And besides, with the missing girls it gave a reason for the priestess to pay a visit."
"You bastard!" Inuyasha shouted while flexing his claws.
"Yes, well, the plan didn't work out too well though." The demon acknowledged, "After all, you're here, half-demon. I wasn't expecting you. But you are a mere wrinkle in my plan, nothing more."
Inuyasha's hand closed on Tetsusaiga's hilt. He drew the sword out. It was as dull and rusty as before.
"You intend to fight me with that?" the demon chuckled, "You must be joking!"
"Shut-up!" Inuyasha hissed coolly, "I'm using this to kill something evil and to protect the poor girls that you've captured to eat!"
With Inuyasha's words the sword pulsed and had changed into the form that was used when Inuyasha fought Sesshomaru. Kagome watched Inuyasha closely. Had he figured it out? Hopefully, Tetsusaiga would help defeat the demon.
"I was hoping that would happen." Inuyasha said, as he examined the sword, "Now I can kill you!"
With that shout Inuyasha slashed upwards with the Tetsusaiga. The imposter jerked backwards at the last second and only his bandages were ripped off.
Kagome gasped. The Lord was no longer recognizable as a human. He now looked like an oversized toad. His bulbous eyes looked around.
Inuyasha didn't hesitate he swung Tetsusaiga in an arc and struck the demon's shoulder, drawing blood. The toad staggered backwards and fell, half-lying, half-sitting, on the ground.
"No, no, no," the demon cried in anger and pain, "I need more strength!"
The toad reached down and ripped the bandages from his hands. Holding up one hand he let out a cry, "Souls! I need more souls to feed me!"
The women who looked the most like tadpoles slipped out of their slime encasements and shrinking down to orbs of light flew into the demon's open mouth.
"No!" Kagome shouted.
But it was too late, the demon had absorbed enough souls that his shoulder wound healed before their eyes.
"Coward!" Inuyasha growled, "Can't fight to the end? Never mind! It doesn't matter! You're dead, toad!"
Inuyasha brought the Tetsusaiga up to bring it crashing down on the demon's head. As Kagome watched she saw into the demon's body. A man reached out to her.
"Help me!" the man cried piteously.
Kagome's eyes widened. This was the real Lord! He was still alive in the demon!
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, "Don't! The real Lord is still alive in there! We can save him!"
Inuyasha managed to halt the swing of the sword but while he was distracted the toad demon shot his long tongue forward. It pierced Inuyasha's shoulder, sending the half-demon off-balance. Another shot by the tongue sent Inuyasha flying into some of the balls of slime.
"How can you save the Lord?" The toad demon giggled, "When you can't even save yourselves?"
Please review. Thanks to all the reviewers: glon morski, Yana5, Peaceful Dragon Rose, HeidiBax, Black and White Kirara, PrincessAnime08, A Feudal Fairytale, KikyoWillDieByMyHands, and GoldenRose88.