Rushing through the trees, following the duo of demons, Kagome found that she was alone now. Shippo, being a demon, was significantly faster than her and she was getting winded. I got to keep going! She urged her tired muscles on, the burning in her lungs growing stronger with every step. Inuyasha, get that stupid demon. Meanwhile up ahead the Hanyou had gotten the demon, his claws striking out and hitting air as it flew back away from him. The area that they had stopped was a clearing that seemed empty of foliage, not even grass seemed to grow here. He hissed at Inuyasha, cursing him for his chase and for the interference to the chaotic village.
"Fuck off," the Hanyou growled. "I don't care about those humans! I just wanted to know if a Shikon jewel shard was involved!" The demon laughed, his eyes twinkling in mischief. "What's so funny?" This caused more laughter, growing louder as the pair stared at the other.
"Ah, you are just a half demon," he said. "What would you need the jewel for?" Then he laughed again. "I know. You want to rid yourself of your human half!" With a snap of his fingers he chanted something low under his breath, the Hanyou in front of him eyeing warily. He wasn't going to give him a chance to do whatever the hell he was doing. Lunging at him again he found himself slamming to a stop midair just as Shippo came to the edge of the clearing. He looked at the Hanyou in confusion, wondering why the male was just standing there, the demon smirking at Inuyasha. He had yet to notice the kitsune, his eyes flashing just before an aura of red flowed around him before it jumped onto Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha?" the kitsune called out hesitantly. Why wasn't the other male attacking the demon? He got his answer as a growl slipped from the Hanyou's lips, his face turning sharply to look at the fox demon. Shippo took a step back, his green eyes growing wide in surprise before fear slid up his spine. Inuyasha's eyes were red, the turquoise orbs looking back at him seeming almost dazed. It was as if he were gone and some other demon stood before him, and when he took a tentative sniff of the scent coming from the silver haired male he was even more surprised to find that the Hanyou no longer smelled as he should. He smelled like a full blooded demon. He took a step toward the child just as the sound of another person running hit both their ears, but Inuyasha was watching him. He took another step closer, his eyes narrowing in suspicion of the kitsune before him and reaching down to grasp the hilt of his sword as it pulsed. He struggled to reach the hilt tho, something in him fighting to keep his demonic form. Maybe it was his desire to become one that pushed his hand away from the hilt, but he seemed to want to grasp it, to stop the pulsing or maybe to answer its call. Either way when Kagome's voice called his name, his hand finally grasped its target and he began to feel the power of his blade calming him. It was strange, it called to him and attempted to calm his Youkai. Just as Kagome came into view from among the trees Inuyasha's golden eyes turned back to the demon, the red of his eyes filtering out like a fog that cleared from his gaze and from his mind.
"What the hell did you just do to me?" He couldn't remember what had happened, he just knew that the blood-lust he had felt was un-nerving. Sure, demons could be blood thirsty for the taste of human flesh, as evident by the demon before him, but he had never felt that urge. He had wanted to avoid the masses of human and demon alike. Humans were unkind but demons would rid the world of all half demons as they were taboo to the race. When the demon looked rather confused as to his return to his senses he figured that this was the first time that this particular demon had had any problems possessing someone, tho what he did to them once they were possessed was a whole other question. Thinking about this he turned to bark at the woman moving closer. "Kagome, get back!" She stopped her approach, a brow raised in question of his command. She almost moved forward, disregarding his command when she could see his stance. It was tense, his energy coming off in waves as the stare down between the older males continued. She tried to move silently to the side to get a better look at the demon he was facing off. Why wasn't he doing anything? When she finally got a good look at the demon she found that she remembered a tale from her grandfather about this demon.
"Inuyasha, that's an Amanojaku!" At the lack of reaction she continued, sure that he was listening and the only reason he refused to look to her was because of what that particular demon could do. Shippo looked to her though, asking without words what the demon's power was. "They are demons that use one's own darkness in their heart against them! They feed off that resulting death and chaos!" The demon chuckled at her, almost seeming pleased with the acknowledgement of his power.
"Ah, you are correct, human," he stated. "I am an Amanojaku and a strong one at that. My name is Dai, tho you will have no reason to know that. I have lived for many thousands of years feeding off the darkness in both human and demon, relishing in the blood that is spilled for my amusement as well as the destruction that is wrought because of me." His eyes flashed as they had before, his aura glowing brightly around him.
"I told you to get back, bitch," Inuyasha hissed, pulling his sword from its sheath, the blade glowing white as it was revealed. The fang shimmered in the lowering sun, the demon looking at it without any show of fear. "Shippo, you too!" Kagome wasn't going anywhere, she refused to leave his side and Shippo shook his head. He growled at them, as if he were over them, but it wasn't the only reason he was acting like this. Knowing that he could force the darkness of the heart of any being made him wary of himself falling under the power again. "Stop fucking playing around and get the hell back!" In the shadows, the stalker that had been following them stopped to watch the fight. He needed to know more about his enemy and he had not been aware of this fang that Inuyasha was now holding out before him. He hadn't been witness to Inuyasha going full demon and the pulsing weapon in his hands, but he could see the weapon itself and he was worried as to what could happen if the half demon were to swing that on him. Kagome backed away now, tho her brown eyes still looked the demon before her up and then down before her eyes found what she was looking for.
"He has a shard! It's in his right wrist!" Again the male growled at her before he went at the demon in front of him. His blade swung low and fast, but Dai was able to move, tho he still managed to get his cape's bottom half sliced off. Inuyasha swung again, Dai again managing to slide under the blade with only a few dark strands of hair being sliced off. He pushed off the forest floor and flew backward towards the trees. He glanced down at his cape, a frown twisting his features.
"Aw, now why did you have to go and ruin my latest cape?" he practically whined in a low voice. "My last one was so worn out, none of them lasting as long as my first one," he said on a sigh now, falling back again as the blade passed closer this time. Inuyasha was quick to strike out again, this time slicing the left hand clean off.
"I don't particularly care about your outfit malfunction!" the half breed hissed as he went on the attack again. As he continued is attack the shadow that was still stalking them moved closer, feeling the urge to complete the first phase of his plan. He couldn't do it right now, tho is looked like a great opportunity he knew it wouldn't go smoothly with the possibility of him failing permanently. Suppressing his urge to snatch the girl he stepped back, noticing that the fox demon failed to detect him. He figured the ears weren't as powerful as the dog demons, but he could have sworn that he would have at least scented him out. Taking a sniff of the air he could smell the fear radiating from the demon child while the female's was more anxious. Was she worried for the dog demon? Or was she just itching to get into the fight? She hadn't seemed to heed the warning from the older male, even after what she had revealed about the full demon that he was fighting. A scream was ripped out of Dai, the demon falling to his knees as his neck gushed a bloody mess all over the grounds before he fell forward with a squishy 'thud'. The shadow stayed still, watching the dog demon as he pulled the right arm up for the human female to examine.
Pointing it out to Inuyasha he sliced the skin, more blood slipping out and revealing the shard, darkened from the evil that was in the Amanojaku. As soon as she touched it, the darkness was gone. The jewel shard glowed brightly in her hand before she pulled the necklace out from under her shirt that contained the other shards. Depositing it into the glass jar she corked it and turned to Inuyasha. "Well, it's still early in the day and I doubt we will get any answers from those villagers." He nodded and looked back to the village where it had quieted down now, save for the soft wails of the now demon free villagers. After such an experience even Kagome knew they wouldn't allow them to stay there or even be willing to do anything except to kill them. "I do need to grab the bag. I left it on the other side of the town."
"I'll grab it," he stated. "Stay here and out of trouble." At his statement her brows went down. He was already heading off down the hill before she could even retaliate.
God dammit...He always has to make a snarky remark or command. I am not his underling! If anything we are equal with him being the muscle and me the one finding the damn shards. She sat down, Shippo sitting by her, his green eyes watching around them. He had the feeling that something was out there, and it was watching them like Inuyasha had said earlier. Tho his hearing wasn't was great as the half demons the fox demon could kinda sense an energy and he voiced his concerns to Kagome. "You think someone is watching us?" He nodded, putting his finger to his lips so whoever was out there would get the wrong idea and think that they didn't know of their stalker. Kagome looked around her too, her brown orbs not able to see anything in the forest that surrounded them, her eye sight just that of a human. Inuyasha and Shippo both had the ability to see sharper because of their demon power. She sighed. "It would be awesome to be able to see better in the darkness, hell, to even be able to keep up with you two would be nice." Shippo gave her a questioning look.
"If you don't like the fact that you can't keep up, why not just let Inuyasha carry you. He hates that you can't keep up," the child supplied in the way most children did...Truthfully and naively. Kagome looked down, her eyes downcast as she considered what the child fox had said. Sure, he was correct, but she felt that the act of getting on his back was too intimate. Inuyasha and her weren't friends or lovers, in fact they were merely companions on the road to find the shards. She couldn't come to rely on him for transportation because that would be unkind. She would be using him instead of using her own energy.
"No, I can't do that," she simply stated. It was at that point that a shadow flew over them, and Kagome thinking it was Inuyasha with her bag looked up to great him only to find herself face to face with a rather ugly looking demon. Before she could do anything, Shippo scrambled behind her in fear, his small form shaking as he pointed up at the male.
"H-He's one of the T-T-Thunder brothers!" Kagome's face went pale as she took a trembling step back. The male before her looked her up in down, his eyes taking in her strange clothing. She almost felt as if he were eyeing her like a snack or perhaps he was eyeing her as if he were looking under her jean overall shorts and her tank top. Was he confused about her attire? Maybe he would think her a witch or something and would leave her alone, but then he noticed Shippo and he took on a more entertained facade.
"Ah, so it is the little brat from before, and look you have not only brought me a little snack, but something fun to play with," he said, his tone growing lecherous. Her eyes narrowed even as her body softly shook. She dared not to take her eyes from the male before her for fear that he would strike. "I am indeed one of the infamous Thunder Brothers!" he boasted proudly. "I am Manten, the younger brother!" She noted that there were two shards in his forehead, just below three single strands of hair rested. Before Manten could elaborate on his identity or whatever was to come from that warped mouth Inuyasha landed, the yellow bag that she carried falling behind him with a 'thud' as he turned his now unsheathed blade on him. "And, who are you?" He took a sniff of the air and began to laugh. "Ah, you are nothing to me, Hanyou." The Hanyou in question growled at the insult as he leveled male before him with a single smack on the head.
"Same goes to you, weakling Youkai," he spat. As Manten hit the ground from the force of the blow, one of his hairs fell out and upon realizing this the larger male flew into a rage of misery and anger to the confusion of the trio before him.
"You mother fucking half demon scum!" he howled as he opened him mouth to spout out a blaze of fire, catching Inuyasha and the group off guard. He was blown back, his fire-rat robe taking the brute of the blast while Kagome was knocked back under him. Shippo was aware of the attack and seeing the other demon fly into a rage he was able to throw up his fox fire in an attempt to protect the human female in front of him. As the smoke cleared the trio found Manten closing in on them, his eyes full of tears. "I shall kill you, half demon and when you lay on the ground bleeding from the insult you have done to me I will kill the fox child and add his body to his father's pelt!" Shippo felt all the color drain from his face, the chill he felt upon seeing his father's pelt wrapped around the wide demon. Inuyasha grasped his sword and with a jump was on the other demon, his own power seeming more than that of Manten's own. Kagome used that chance to grab Shippo and her bag before heading away from the fight. While the pair fought in the distance Kagome grasped her quiver, threw it on her back and after readying her bow aimed for the shards that were on the demon's head. It was tough with the way they pair were moving, but she would give it a try.
"What insult did I give you?!" Inuyasha growled. "You were fucking with my group!" The other male stopped, his anger boiling at the confusion of the half demon.
"My lovely hair!" he whined. "You have taken more of my lovely hair!" Inuyasha stopped, sweat dripping down his face at the absolute strange thoughts of the male before him. He was about to make another move to attack the silver haired male, but stopped short as Kagome's arrow struck his face, the head of it missing the shard by mere inches as it bounced off and hit the ground. For a moment it seemed that he was stunned into submission by the strike of the arrow, but no, he was stunned into silence by the fact that the last two hairs on his head dropped off.
Shit! Kagome thought as she watched his beady eyes dilated further, his fingers grasping his now completely bald head. The shadow watched the group and feeling that should this demon beat the half demon he would lose his opportunity to get to the human female. He needed her alive for his plan to work and should he fail his master would have his head. He wasn't strong enough to deal with the Thunder Brothers! He had seen their transgressions against the countryside and he wasn't planning on losing his life to these brothers anymore than he would against Inuyasha. He was smart and knew when to wait for his chance and when to thwart others interfering with his mission. Creeping closer, he watched for his chance, but it seemed that he would not need it as Inuyasha took the moment open to him and came down on his head, slicing into his flesh. His blade split the demon's head, a cry of pain falling from the dying demon's lips as well as a curse.
"My brother will kill you allllll!" were the last words to escape as blood gurgled out, his skull falling apart and releasing the Tessaiga. Kagome rushed over to collect the shards while Shippo seemed to freeze, the fear still on his face until he noticed that Kagome was also removing the pelt of his father from around the deceased demon's waist. He broke free from his fear and rushed to gather his father's pelt.
More to come!