On to battle! Hoorah!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Baited
The allies watched as darkness encompassed the sky and the earth, approaching with fatal intent. From within the dark mass, a light emerged. Not a warm light, but a cold one, ghostly and pale; the void child.
The wolf prince snarled. "If I can't sink my claws into the wind bitch, at least I can take out her creepy sister."
"Be wary of that one," Miroku advised sombrely. "She may not look a threat, but she is without a doubt Naraku's most dangerous incarnate. Once she takes hold of your soul, there's no fighting back."
"I'd like to see her catch me!" Kouga barked, disregarding the priest's warning. He leapt toward the throng, his pack close on his heels. Bestial delight coursed through him as his claws claimed the first life, ripping easily through the husk of some lowly creature. Several more followed in rapid succession, dropping like flies. Behind him, his brothers and sisters joined in the killing, vicious fangs and lethal claws rending youkai to bits.
The demon child entered his vision once more through the tangling mass, unflinching as she watched them approach. He smiled grimly. "There you are."
He surged through the scores of lesser beasts, ripping and tearing as he went. He neared, waiting for her to react, to attack, but she did nothing, simply staring with dark, devoid eyes as he grew ever closer. Then, as he drew within striking distance, he saw something- the barest motion, the tiniest tilt of the mirror in her palms. His eyes went wide. Fluidly he came to a stop, leaping back and averting his gaze.
There was loud snarl, and one of his wolves came charging from the fray, jaws stretched wide as it made to set upon the void child. Her mirror flashed, and the wolf fell limp, its body skidding lifelessly across the dirt.
"No!" Kouga shouted as others made to follow. "Stay away from her!"
The warning came a fraction of a moment too late, and three more fell to the ground, soulless.
He snarled, claws crooking as he vowed quietly, "You'll pay for that."
Kanna peered at him, unblinking.
The horde, by this point, had reached the others, bearing down on them without hesitation. Byakuya watched from above as the group of allies engaged them in battle, having little trouble dispatching the lesser creatures. Painted lips quirked in amusement.
"Time to make things a little more… interesting."
The dying screams of countless demons accompanied the steady, whirring hum of Hiraikotsu as it ripped through the mass. Sango was standing at the ready as it circled back, strong, practiced hands catching its strap, swinging, and releasing it for another attack in one fluid motion. Rivulets of deepest red traced the short, curved blade at her wrist, any youkai who drew too near feeling the sting of its edge.
One such serpentine creature coiled to her right, lashing out with maw agape, venomous fangs extended for a lethal strike. She turned to counter it, blade slicing up toward its massive head.
She faltered, gasping is surprise when her steel met no resistance, passing straight through the snake and turning it to smoke. Sango was so utterly confused that she nearly missed the return of her boomerang, turning to dodge at the last moment – just shy of getting her head lopped off. Her hand didn't quite catch the strap, and she fell hard on her backside, watching as the boomerang hurled into the ground and skidded to a stop.
She hadn't the time to retrieve Hiraikotsu, more demons setting upon her the instant she fell. The slayer withdrew the sword at her hip, slashing expertly at the oncoming swarm, though it seemed her strikes only scored flesh a fraction of the time. She gave a frustrated growl.
"Some of these aren't real!" she warned, not sure who might hear her.
"Indeed," came a rasping voice from the side.
Sango chanced a look at the speaker, eyes widening with worry when she saw Miroku standing not far from her, fingers pressed into a wound on his side. The injury was obviously taking its toll on him, the hand holding his shakujo trembling with effort.
Scrabbling to her feet, the taijiya raced to the bleeding monk's aid, burying her blade deep into the flesh of a demon as it attempted to lunge at him from behind. A surge of satisfaction ran through her as she watched the monster fall, its blood hot, and thick, and real. The celebration was short lived, the horde pressing in on them from all sides, and both struggled to keep their feet as their attacks met air time and again.
Pain lanced up Sango's leg as metal bit through meat, and she turned quickly to parry… only to find the attacker had already withdrawn, or rather, that he'd never been near to begin with. Her heart lurched as she watched the chained sickle return to its wielder, the weapon all too familiar.
Her brother's eyes stared listlessly at her, just as dull and devoid as they'd been the last time she'd seen him. He was real, that much was certain, the gash on her thigh a testament to that. Teeth grinding, she whispered his name in desperation, not wanting to fight him, yet knowing she likely wouldn't have a choice.
"Don't do this!" she pleaded. The chances of reaching him were slim, she was aware, but she needed to try all the same. When his only response was to clutch his sickle a little tighter, she grimaced, feet spreading as she prepared to counter.
His attack came quickly, as she expected it might, the weighted end of his chain stretching out and wrapping around her wrist. She attempted to untangle herself, but he was already coming, charging swiftly under her guard and slashing his blade up toward her throat. She pulled herself roughly to the side, his attack sheering off a chunk of the hair that framed her face, narrowly missing her neck. Kohaku recovered instantly, twisting his wrist to point the sickle down and dragging it mercilessly through her shoulder.
Sango screamed, her sword falling from her fingers. She clutched instinctively at the laceration, leaving herself completely open for another attack.
He saw his opening, curved blade swinging for her exposed belly. Metal struck metal, the shriek of steel accompanied by a high, melodious tinkling.
Sango peered through clenched eyes, first at the object that had obstructed the sickle's path, and then at her savior. She smiled gratefully at Miroku, who nodded back as he clenched his shakujo with both hands, Kohaku's blade tangled amid its rings. She reached out with her snared arm, grabbing hold of the chain and pulling just as the monk twisted his staff to the side. Placing her booted foot against her brother's chest, she kicked with all of her strength, relief flooding her when he staggered back, his weapon wrenched from his grip.
The boy lay there a moment, clearly winded – though mostly unscathed. Recovering, he pulled himself to his feet – now unarmed – and took a defensive stance against the pair. Without his sickle, however, he was hardly a match for them.
A deep, ominous hum echoed around them, and both priest and slayer froze, knowing the abysmal sound all too well. Naraku's oily tones reverberated in the night air.
"Defeated so soon? Pitiful. I had expected more out of you, boy. It would seem your usefulness is all but depleted."
The air grew frigid, and a shiver wracked the slayer's frame. From some unseen point within the swarm, she could feel a piercing red gaze settling upon her.
"In that case... Sango, allow me to give you a gift."
"I don't want a damn thing from you, monster!" she swore, lips pulled back in fury.
"Come now, don't deny it. The one thing that you desire above all else, even more than my destruction. I know… I know what you want. You… want your dearest little brother back. Allow me to grant your wish."
Dread gripped her, wrenching a sharp cry from her throat. "Kohaku!"
Faster than a heartbeat, a lone tentacle lashed from the swarm, driving straight into the boy's spine and plucking the shard from his flesh. He arched in response, recognition flooding his eyes briefly before they glossed over with pain. A small, high shout left his lips as he shrivelled, falling onto his side as spasms wracked his body.
"No!" Sango shouted fearfully, dropping to his side. She gathered him swiftly into her arms, cradling his shaking body against hers as she began to rock back and forth.
"S-Sister, I… I'm s-so… sorry," he uttered brokenly, memories of the atrocities the spider had forced him to commit filling his fragile, newly-freed mind.
"Hush," she told him, shaking her head. "You don't say a thing. None of it matters, Kohaku. Right now I just need you to hold on, okay? Keep your eyes open and stay alive. We'll protect you."
Naraku's sickening laughter oozed all around them. "Am I not generous?"
"I'll rip out your filthy black heart with my bare hands!" she roared hatefully.
More laughter was her only response, the sound fading until it was drown out by the horde.
She could feel the wound on his back bleeding steadily, the puncture deep and no doubt filled with Naraku's miasma. They had little time, she realized; he would not last long out here. She set him back on the ground as gently as she could, untying the sash at her waist and pressing it firmly to the injury. Miroku took her place standing over him as she retrieved her sword, a newly kindled ferocity pushing her onward. They stood nearly back to back over the fallen boy, hands tightening on their respective weapons as the demon swarm descended once more. Both silently prayed that Sesshomaru's plan would succeed with utmost haste.
"Damn you, bastard! Come out and fight me like a man!" Inuyasha bellowed, swinging Tetsusaiga in a wide arc at the youkai surrounding him.
"What's the matter, mongrel? Can you not smell me? Are your senses truly so weak that you cannot locate me among these lesser beings?" the spider purred darkly, mocking laughter sharpening each barb.
"Keh. It's damn near impossible to tell you apart from all these lesser beings," the hanyou replied, taking out another cluster of demons, most of which dissipated into nothing upon contact with the blade. He snarled furiously, the illusory youkai causing him to miscalculate the force needed for each strike, making him expend unnecessary energy and nearly falter with every swing. Several times now he'd nearly been struck because of the distraction they posed, and at this rate it wouldn't be much longer before his luck ran out.
As though sensing his uncertainty, one of the monsters snuck swiftly under his guard, dodging a wide swing of his sword to sink its teeth into Inuyasha's side.
"Damn it!" he growled, claws raking through the beast's fleshy underbelly. Its innards spilled out onto the grass with a gurgling squelch, lifeless body dropping to his feet.
Naraku's sickening laughter spurred him into action again, his wound burning as he swung. "Shut up, you damn coward! You won't be chuckling when I've got my fist buried in your gut!"
"You'll have to find me first, wretch," the dark hanyou goaded.
Inuyasha knew it wasn't the wisest course of action, but there was no way he could let that dare go unanswered. He surged further into the swarm, farther from his brother and the others – closer to Naraku.
Byakuya frowned, thinking it rather odd that he was having such a difficult time locating the girl. Her spiritual power should have been shining through the horde like a beacon, but as it was, he could not sense her at all. It was almost like she'd never been there to begin with! Yet, he knew that was not true. He'd seen her with his own eyes when they'd made their approach, standing firmly next to her demon lover, bow in hand!
"Where did you go, little priestess?" he murmured to himself, eyes scouring the ground for any signs of her. The sheer number of lower demons made it difficult to spot any of their enemies, but he could still feel them, could still smell them. So… where had she snuck off to?
He moved closer to the ground, far enough that he needn't fear the others spying him, but close enough that it would give him a much better vantage point. After a few moments of looking, he caught a flash of white from the corner of his eye, pinpointing it instantly and grinning in triumph.
"Ah, there you are!"
There, nestled among the crags of soil and rock, was his target. She was easy to miss, tucked up into the earth as she was, the demon swarm passing directly over her without a clue. Whatever shield she was using to hide herself was an impressive one, the magic erasing all traces of her holy energy and her scent.
She made no move to attack, however, blue eyes darting through the writhing mass, searching – undoubtedly – for his master.
'She does not wish to draw attention to herself, so she sits in waiting for Naraku to draw near,' he surmised as he watched her, thinking their plan somewhat crude. He'd expected something a bit more complicated; the daiyoukai was said to be a master tactician, after all.
He drew nearer, watching her watch the skies. She'd yet to notice him, too focused on her ultimate target, too desperately engrossed in searching to remember that other threats lingered all around. 'It's almost too easy.'
A lesser youkai scurried past her, scrabbling feet knocking a stone loose. It fell with a series of clattering cracks into her hiding space, just missing her by a scant few inches. She leapt back, deeper into the crevice, shield wavering in her surprise.
Byakuya paused, eyes wide as the magic faltered briefly, allowing him to catch the barest flicker of her aura. A wide grin curled his painted lips.
'Ahh, so that is your game, is it?' he purred to himself, thinking their ruse a rather clever one. Had he not been so adept at the art of illusion, he would have likely missed the tiny detail. Unluckily for them, he was a master of the craft, and knew how to spot a fake when presented with one. This 'priestess', was not what she seemed.
"The master will be most intrigued to hear of my findings," he chuckled quietly, retreating soundlessly into the swarm.
What's goin' on?! Hmmm… have to wait to find out… X3
