Ch. 34- Hiten's Fury

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Kagome gasped in horror as she watched Hiten bite down on his dead brother's skull.

"He's...he's eating him?!" she questioned in shock.

"Don't be deceived by appearances!" Myoga exclaimed as he hopped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "Hiten bit into his younger brother's head to fuse the jewel shards he has with the ones he already has. Master Inuyasha...you must proceed with caution, for now, Hiten possesses the power of 5 jewel shards!"

"Gee, you think?" Inuyasha asked, sarcastically. "By the way, wanna explain to us where exactly you've been until now?"

"Err...well, I...umm..." Myoga murmured, nervously.

"Always convenient how you seem to disappear whenever things look even remotely bad, huh, Myoga?!" Kagome questioned.

"Talk about cowardice," Shippo chimed in, glaring at the flea demon.

"Hear that?" Inuyasha asked. "That's sarcasm, meaning it's not convenient that you always run off whenever we need you the most! I swear, Myoga, one of these days, you won't have the luxury of running away when the danger's passed!"

"W-wait!" Myoga cried. "Do you really think that now is the time for that?!"

Suddenly, Inuyasha sensed something behind him, causing him to turn around, only to gasp upon seeing an enormous lightning bolt come straight toward him, Kagome, and Shippo!

"WATCH IT!" Inuyasha yelled as he grabbed Kagome, Shippo, and Shippo's father's fur before he leaped out of the way, just in the nick of time! The only thing that remained in their place was a large ditch...where Hiten stood, glowering down at the group...with five jewel shards now embedded in his forehead.

"...How dare you strike down my only brother...!" Hiten hissed as thunderbolts flashed in the clouds, causing his eyes to momentarily glow red. "I shall not stop until I return the deed!"

'Shit...!' thought Inuyasha. 'His Thunder Pike is a lot stronger than it was before. He has the power of five jewel shards, now...and that means I got a real fight on my hands, here.'

"Kagome," he said, not taking his eyes off of Hiten. "Take Shippo and get outta here."

"But Inuyasha!" Kagome started.

"We can't leave you here!" Shippo added.

"Go!" Inuyasha demanded. "Don't worry about me!"

"...Okay," Kagome nodded...before she gave the half-demon a hug. "Please, be careful."

"...Hurry and go," Inuyasha replied, causing Kagome to nod her head again before she took Shippo and his father's pelt into her arms and ran off.

"Kagome, wait!" Shippo cried. "How is Inuyasha gonna fight without his sword?!"

Kagome gasped in horror before she looked to where she had accidentally dropped the Tetsusaiga!

"You're right!" she cried. "He doesn't have the Tetsusaiga!"

"I will avenge my dear Manten," said Hiten as he raised his Thunder Pike. "DIE, INUYASHA!" He then sent a gigantic thunderbolt at Inuyasha, who gasped in shock.

"Crap!" he cursed. "That's way too big to dodge!"

"Master Inuyasha! Quickly!" Myoga cried. "Use Tetsusaiga's sheath!"

"The sheath?!" Inuyasha repeated. "What are you talking about?!"

"The Tetsusaiga's sheath can put a barrier that should be able to block the lightning bolt!" Myoga cried. "Hurry, milord!"

"You had better be right about this!" Inuyasha shouted as he pulled the sheath from his obi.

"Prepare yourself, half-breed, for your comeuppance!" Hiten yelled.

BOOM! The lightning bolt struck, just as Inuyasha held up the Tetsusaiga's sheath, which immediately absorbed the blast!

"What?!" Hiten questioned.

"...Holy crap...!" Inuyasha whispered. "It worked!"

"Of course, it did!" Myoga said. "The Tetsusaiga's sheath can keep the sword's demonic powers in check, so it should at least the power to stave off a mere lightning bolt...thank goodness my hunch was right."

"A hunch?!" Inuyasha repeated. "You little coward! You sent me to battle on a mere hunch?!"

"GAH!" Myoga cried. "Well...who can say, really?! Anyway, now that we've survived, shouldn't we be running away?!"

"Who said anything about running?" Inuyasha smirked. "With this sheath, this battle is as good as won!" On that, he charged at the Thunder Demon, who growled as he pointed his Thunder Pike at him.

"DIE, DAMN YOU!" he cursed as he shot another thunderbolt at Inuyasha, who leaped right into it while holding Tetsusaiga's sheath.

"If I can just reach him," Inuyasha began, "then he's finished!"

"Not so fast, you fool!" Hiten shouted as he jumped into the air, using his magic wheels to fly. "You forget that I can fly!"

SHUNK! He then stabbed Inuyasha in the shoulder, again, causing him to cry out in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she and Shippo watched from a distance.

"Look out!" Shippo called as he clung to her shoulder.

Inuyasha groaned as he tried to get to his feet, but Hiten began to strike at him with his weapon, forcing the half-demon to raise Tetsusaiga's sheath to block the blows. Not only that, but he had to dodge the lightning strikes that burst from the clouds every time Hiten swung his Thunder Pike at him. Inuyasha panted, the loss of blood beginning to get to him as he staggered with fatigue.

"Inuyasha's starting to get tired," said Kagome. "I don't know how much longer he can last!"

"With those flying wheels," Shippo began, "Hiten's got the advantage of flight!"

"...Flying wheels...?" Kagome whispered as he spotted the wheels at Hiten's heels, then gasped as an idea came to her. "That's it!" She then held up the arrow she pulled out of Manten's nose. "If I can just knock down those wheels, then maybe Inuyasha might have a chance!"

"But how are you gonna shoot it?" Shippo asked. "You don't have your bow!"

"My...bow?" Kagome repeated before she gasped in horror. "AH! That's right! I dropped my bow, earlier today! How am I gonna shoot this arrow if I don't have a bow?!"

"Hmm..." Shippo hummed, thoughtfully before his eyes went wide. "Kagome! Leave it to me!"

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"You and Inuyasha have already helped me, so much," said Shippo as he put a leaf on top of his head. "Now it's time I returned the favor!" Soon, foxfire began to swirl around him, causing Kagome to gasp.

'Of course! Shippo can turn into a bow and I can shoot the arrow with him!'

POOF! A...strange, curly object appeared at Kagome's feet.

"...Uh...Shippo?" she asked. "I asked for a bow, not a snail."

"I am a bow..." Shippo answered with a sweatdrop.

"AAAAAAGH!"

Kagome gasped upon hearing that scream before she turned to see Inuyasha, clutching at his wound.

"Inuyasha!" she cried.

"Hahahahaha!" Hiten laughed. "This is it, half-demon!"

"Ugh...aaahh...!" Inuyasha groaned as blood seeped onto his palm.

"It's now or never, Shippo!" Kagome said as she held Shippo and aimed her arrow at Hiten. "Inuyasha needs us!"

"Hurry and shoot!" Shippo shouted while Kagome began to pull back on the bowstring.

"And...GO!" she yelled before she loosed the arrow, which flew right toward one of Hiten's wheels, which soon broke in half as the arrow hit! "Oh! I got him!"

"Way to go, Kagome!" Shippo cheered.

Inuyasha growled as he got to his feet before he grabbed Hiten's Thunder Pike, only for the Thunder Demon to send electricity through it, causing him to scream in even more pain!

"Your confidence is really starting to annoy me, half-demon!" shouted Hiten.

"Oh, no! Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.

"What is he thinking?!" Myoga questioned...now standing on her shoulder, instead. "Master Inuyasha may be strong, but grabbing hold of the Thunder Pike is foolhardy!"

"...Wait a minute," said Kagome. "When'd you get over here?!"

"Kagome, look!" called Shippo, who had returned to his original form.

"Rrrgh...!" Inuyasha grunted as he looked to the sheath in his hand. "Damn...useless sheath! WHO NEEDS IT?!" He then threw the sheath away!

"No, Master Inuyasha!" cried Myoga. "Don't let go of the sheath!"

"I prefer to do this MY WAY!" Inuyasha yelled...before he punched Hiten across the jaw, sending him flying across the ground!

"WHOA!" Kagome and Shippo exclaimed.

"He...he hit him!" Kagome shouted.

"That was...so cool!" Shippo added.

"Haa...haa...!" Inuyasha panted. "Not bad for a 'lowly half-breed', huh, Hiten?!"

"Hahaha!" laughed Myoga. "That's the way to do it, Master Inuyasha! POW! Right in his kisser!"

"SHUT UP, MYOGA!" Inuyasha and Kagome yelled, causing the flea demon to yelp in fright.

"Ugh..." Hiten groaned as he sat up and realigned his jaw and wiped the blood from his lips. "...In all the years I've lived...none have even dared to so much as even touch my face..." He then glared at Inuyasha. "And I refuse to allow it, again!" Soon, his body began to glow a hot white aura.

"Oh, no...this looks bad!" Kagome said.

"This ends NOW!" Hiten yelled as he charged at Inuyasha and swung his Thunder Pike at him, forcing him to grab his sheath and hold it up, once more, to block the blade of the halberd...but the moment the blade struck, the scabbard started to crack!

"Oh, no!" Kagome cried.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed as he found himself getting pushed back. "This thing won't hold for long!"

"You're quite brave, half-breed," said Hiten, "and for that, I loathe you. I will relish your demise more than any other!"

"That sheath is the only thing that stands between Master Inuyasha and a fiery death!" cried Myoga.

"What?!" Kagome questioned. "That means his only chance at winning is..." She then gasped before she spotted the Tetsusaiga, still stuck in the rocks where Manten lay dead. "The Tetsusaiga...I have to get it to Inuyasha, or else he's done for!"

"I'll get it!" Shippo exclaimed as he dashed toward the sword.

"Wait! Shippo!" Kagome cried as she ran after him while holding the pelt of his father. "Don't go out there!"

"Hmm?" Hiten hummed as he spotted Kagome and Shippo out of his peripheral eye...then opened his mouth, which began to glow a hot white light.

'Oh, no!' thought Inuyasha. 'Hiten must've gained Manten's ability to shoot lightning from his mouth, too!'

"KAGOME! SHIPPO!" Inuyasha called out. "LOOK OUT!"

BWOOOOOOM! Hiten fired a blast of lightning at the two...who screamed as they were soon overwhelmed by the flames it wrought.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Inuyasha screamed in horror.

Dun-dun-dun!

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