Warnings for this chapter: threats of violence and death, depictions of injuries, gruesome imagery, misogyny, dynamics of toxic and abusive relationships, and toxic masculinity
The sound of heavy footfalls on wooden steps above her made Kagura open her eyes – not that it made any difference. The room beneath the cellar was in pitch darkness, and she could make out nothing other than the faint shaft of light flowing between the slats of the trapdoor in the ceiling. The footsteps continued along the floor, slow and purposeful before they stopped. Kagura grimaced, propping herself up further against the wall, rattling her heavy chains in the process. But nothing happened. She growled softly. Damn that Naraku. Was he just toying with her again? How long did he intend to keep her trapped in this putrid room, surrounded by the rotting remains of the body parts he had cast aside? Curse him. He had to let her out eventually!
The trapdoor flew open and Naraku appeared before her out of nowhere, illuminated by the light coming down from above. "Kagura."
She bit down a growl and watched him carefully.
"Do you wish to be freed?" he asked calmly.
She shrank back. What did he want from her? What was the right answer? "I promise I won't try to run again," she said softly, wincing at the painful scratch in her voice.
"I shall give you one more chance to prove yourself," Naraku smirked. "Follow the one who calls himself Musou."
"Musou?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes," Naraku said simply, raising a hand. The manacles magically fell away from around Kagura's wrists and around her throat. "He is your younger brother."
Kagura slumped forward, barely catching herself with her hands. She stayed down, carefully not looking up at Naraku. So, he'd made another one, had he? Just how many incarnations did he have stashed away?
"Keep an eye on him," Naraku continued. "And if Inuyasha and his people lose him, tell them where to find him."
That made her meet his eyes despite her intentions. "What?" What the hell was he playing at?
Naraku laughed and began to melt away into a cloud of miasma. "It shouldn't be difficult to find him should he manage to escape. There is only one place that he would go."
He disappeared, leaving Kagura huddled and shaking against the cold floor.
xXx
Musou raised Kikyo higher above himself, a frantic energy in his face and twisting his smile. She looked down at him unblinkingly, unmoving, even as his tentacles wound tighter and tighter around her.
"It was you," Musou gasped raggedly. "It was always you."
Kikyo's eyes flashed. Inuyasha roared and cut Musou in half with Tessaiga before hacking off his arms in rapid succession. He caught Kikyo as she fell. Dozens of Saimyosho immediately dove at them from the sky so Inuyasha leapt away, getting them both a safe distance away. He watched for a moment as the insects fused their body with Musou, speeding along his regeneration. He set Kikyo down and looked her over quickly before meeting her eyes. She was unharmed, the tentacles which had torn through her cloths hadn't drawn blood. Then again, he didn't know if she even could bleed anymore.
"You have to get out of here," he said, grasping her shoulders with his hands. "He's just going to keep coming after you!"
She stared back at him for a moment, calculating, and then nodded and turned to run.
"No!" Musou screamed, dragging his reforming torso after her. "I won't let you get away!"
Inuyasha spun around and hacked off Musou's arms even as they reformed. Not just tentacles, but crablike claws and grasping claws reached for him, Musou's body rapidly losing all semblance of human form. Inuyasha cut through all of them, Tessaiga's blade glowing amber. But more and more kept coming. Musou's movements were getting wild and frantic, ripping at him as soon as they reformed.
"Damn you!" Musou shouted. "This is the last time you'll interfere."
A tentacle snagged his arm and jerked him up, and Inuyasha cut through it with his claws and dropped back to the ground, ducking the next blow. He sliced through tentacles and claws, humanlike arms and insect's limbs. Just what the hell was he? None of the other incarnations had acted like this. He lifted Tessaiga above his head to swing again, but instead his arm was wrenched back as several tentacles wrapped around the blade. Before he could tear them off, the tentacles pulled sharply and Tessaiga was ripped from his hand. He swore and threw himself after it, but more tentacles enclosed around his waist. Musou dragged the sword back to himself, watching as it transformed down, and he grasped it with a humanlike arm. Inuyasha shrank back, heart pounding. Musou was holding Tessaiga!
It hadn't transformed for him, but it was still way too close for Inuyasha's liking. He hurled himself at Musou, tearing through limb after limb. Musou lifted Tessaiga experimentally, but he was frowning. Inuyasha reached him and his fist immediately connected with Musou's cheek, sending him stumbling back. He tore through the humanlike arm with his claws and grabbed Tessaiga before leaping even higher into the air, his youki flaring around him. He lifted Tessaiga above his head and threw a Wind Scar at Musou. Immediately, the incarnation flung all his limbs in front of himself, forming a protecting shield. The lines of power cut through his arms and legs at various intervals and sliced along his torso, but it still wasn't a killing blow. Inuyasha growled and used his youki to push himself back as he fell. Why wasn't this monster dying?
Musou's body shifted and he fell on all fours. His flesh stretched and lengthened as his limbs reformed, and he charged at Inuyasha like an insect. Inuyasha swore and dodged, slicing along one of the limbs which shot at him. A moment later, Hiraikotsu flew through the air and tore off two of Musou's legs, sending him crashing to the ground. Inuyasha whipped around to see Kirara flying overhead, Miroku and Sango on her back. They were both pale and drawn, and he could smell the pain in their scent. Sango caught Hiraikotsu as it returned and immediately threw it again. Inuyasha ducked the flying tentacles as the weapon sliced through them and instead aimed for Musou's head. Sutras fell around him, causing Musou's limbs to shrivel and die. Inuyasha leapt and swung, and Tessaiga cut the incarnation's head from his shoulders. It dropped to the ground and Inuyasha followed.
And then an appendage shot out, knocking him to the side, and wrapped firmly around Kirara. It began dragging her down as she thrashed and struggled, while the binds cut into Miroku's legs and Sango's back where they wrapped around them. They cried out in pain and Inuyasha saw red. Tessaiga burst with power before he even attacked, and the Wind Scar tore straight through Musou's body. The pieces scattered across the ground. He stared at them for a moment, breath ripping from his lungs, before he spun around. Kirara had landed heavily on the ground behind him, blood dripping from her fur, not all of it her own. Miroku and Sango slid gracelessly from her back and braced themselves against her flank.
"You all okay?" Inuyasha asked, moving quickly to them.
"We're still alive," Miroku said with a small smile, though Inuyasha could hear the strain in his voice.
Movement to their left drew his attention and he snarled before the sight hit him. About a dozen villagers had gathered at the end of the path, with even more poking their heads out from behind the nearest houses, all watching carefully. A few had grabbed various weapons and were holding them uncertainly. Kaede quickly pushed to the front of the crowd, a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. She stepped onto the path and walked towards them, her scowl growing more and more pronounced as she did so.
"What have you all done now?" she asked, shoving the end of her bow under Inuyasha's chin and lifting it up so that she could survey the bloody circle around his throat.
"You're a little late," Inuyasha growled, batting away the bow.
Kaede eyed the pieces of Musou scattered around. "So it would appear. What was that demon?"
"Another of Naraku's incarnations," Miroku said tiredly. "He had the scent and the spider mark."
"A weird one, at that," Inuyasha grumbled. "He appeared to have no memories of anything, but he went after Kikyo as soon as he saw her."
Kaede's eye widened. "Kikyo was here?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha shrugged, looking away. "I told her to run. I don't know where she went."
Kaede's gaze was searching as she surveyed him, but she thankfully didn't push. "She will be fine on her own," she said instead, placing a firm hand against his shoulder. "Let us get you inside so that I may tend to your wounds. Ye have done well to slay one of Naraku's forms."
"Yeah…" Inuyasha said slowly, though he didn't sound convinced. He looked over the shreds of flesh and chunks of torso left behind, trying to figure out why he still felt so uneasy.
"He couldn't have survived a direct blow from the Wind Scar," Miroku said, apparently following his thoughts. He shared a glance with both Inuyasha and Sango, their doubts mirrored in his eyes.
"It's over," Inuyasha said decisively, crossing his arms. "It has to be."
"Very well," Kaede said, then turned to the group of villagers that had been steadily shuffling towards them. "Gather all of the demon that you can find and place it outside the village borders. Do not let its poison seep into the ground. I will tend to it later." They all nodded and rushed to do as she'd ordered, while Kaede looked over the group one more time. "Where is Shippo?"
Inuyasha followed Miroku and Sango's gaze down to the other end of the path, where an orange blur was shooting towards them from the forest. He wisely stepped back and let Shippo vault past him, into Kaede's arms. She rocked back from the force of it as he collided with her chest. Inuyasha smirked at the reunion before turning back to the rest of his pack. They were all bleeding much more than he'd like. He jerked his head towards the village and they all started forward. Sango had a hand clamped over her forearm, which was streaming out blood at a rather alarming rate, while Miroku was still leaning heavily against Kirara, limping slightly and breathing heavily.
They sat down heavily in Kaede's hut, and she immediately sent Shippo off to fetch water to boil. Kaede grabbed a roll of bandages and tied strips of it tightly around Sango's arm to staunch the bleeding. She then turned to Inuyasha, who blinked at her in confusion. He glanced down at his robes, which were stained dark red along his arms and shoulder.
"These aren't bad," he muttered.
Kaede didn't bother contradicting him, merely whacked him lightly on the side of the head and pulled away his suikan. His wounds were far from the worst he'd ever had, but the deep gouges around his chest, torso, and throat from the tentacles were still bleeding, and there were visible holes through his arms. Kaede looked like she wanted to smack him again as she began stitching the worst of the wounds, ignoring his protests that he'd heal on his own. Miroku did the same for the wounds on Sango's arm and torso, smiling lightly despite himself as Shippo rushed back and forth, fetching herbs and making poultices with well-earned confidence. After wrapping Inuyasha and Kirara in bandages, Kaede moved on to Miroku while he continued to work on Sango.
"You have damaged your ribs again," she tutted.
Miroku just offered her a shrug and sent Inuyasha a reassuring smile. The hanyou walked over to plop down beside him regardless.
"We just took the bindings off," Inuyasha sighed.
"I suppose that's how it goes," Miroku grinned as Kaede began stitching the wound on his shoulder.
"For a fight against an incarnation, it could have been worse," Sango pointed out. "No one even got close to dying this time."
Inuyasha shot her a withering look. "I guess it doesn't help that he knew nothing about us. I wonder what that was about."
"It does seem like an odd choice," Miroku shrugged. "Assuming it was intentional. We still don't know how all this works."
"He could hold the Tessaiga," Inuyasha said, looking between them. "That's…"
"Naraku did so once before," Sango reminded them. "And it didn't transform either time. I suppose it just confirms that he's still part human. I wonder if the other incarnations are able to hold Tessaiga as well?"
"Goshinki certainly had a go at it," Miroku commented wryly.
Inuyasha glared at him. "Really?"
He was busy wrapping Miroku's torn ankle when he stilled, hearing footsteps approach. He sniffed the air and his stomach clenched. He lowered his hands to press against Miroku's shin and watched the doorway as Kikyo strode inside the hut. She surveyed them all coolly, no hint of emotion on her face.
"Kikyo," Kaede greeted when no one made a sound. "I heard that you had come. Are you unharmed?"
"Musou could never harm me," she said. "He will continue to pursue me, but he will not be able to kill me."
"You speak about him as though he's still alive," Miroku said softly.
"Of course he is," she said. "Naraku would not let him die so easily."
"We sent his body out of the village to be burned," Kaede said. "He cannot have survived."
"We'll have to go investigate as soon as we're done here," Miroku said.
"What do you know about him?" Sango asked. "He seemed to know something about you."
"Naraku has always been interested in me," Kikyo said evasively. "For now, we must find Musou."
Inuyasha shook his head. "We'll find Musou. You stay in the village and keep away from him until we do. I don't trust him at all. Even if he doesn't want to kill you, he can't want anything good."
Kikyo looked at him silently for a long time, her eyes sharp and assessing, before she dipped her head in acknowledgement. Inuyasha nodded in return and finished attending to Miroku's ankle. He could feel her eyes on him. He didn't know how to feel about it. He wouldn't let Musou harm her. He would never leave her in danger. He…he just didn't trust her. He didn't know why seeing her with Tsubaki had broken him, after everything else that she'd done. Her disinterest in their safety was somehow worse than when she'd tried to kill him – it was as though they were only worth the use they could provide her. And that hit a little too close to home. He knew that he still loved her, and her lovely scent still made his heart ache, but he no longer wanted to rush to her side at the first opportunity. He didn't know what to feel.
xXx
He stumbled into the path, grabbing the shrieking villager by the front of his robes.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, voice raw.
"Help!" the man screamed. "Help, a demon!"
Musou sighed and twisted the man's neck deftly. He needed clothes – even the worn, ratty ones of a worthless peasant would have to do. The soft buzz of urgency that had settled into his bones since he first saw this village had grown to a steady, pounding pressure. There was something here, and he needed to find it. It was what had drawn him back together, caused him to claw his way out of the pile of earth where the villagers had buried him. He would not die until he knew the truth.
And how he hated them for trying to keep him away. How dare they bury him! How dare that half-breed whelp try to kill him! He would destroy them all. He would kill anyone who looked down their nose at him, who laughed at him – who failed to respect him. But not yet. He had important business to attend to first.
He turned from the houses, looking across a field to the rocky outcrop beyond. Yes, there was something there waiting for him. He moved quickly, the unease in his chest guiding his movements. He looked at the pile of rocks, otherwise unremarkable except for the entrance to a small cave. He stared at it for a moment, feeling the pressure drawing him inside. He ducked inside, quickly skidding down the steep incline into the mouth of the cave. Yes…this was it. It was so familiar! What was this place?
He knelt down and brushed his fingers on a bare patch of rock on the ground. Something stirred inside him, a half formed memory. After a moment, he turned and lowered himself down on the patch. Yes… He'd been there before. This…this was where he'd been with her.
xXx
Kikyo could feel Kaede eyeing her, but she pretended not to notice. She didn't particularly desire her sister's questions, or her scorn. She had not seen Kaede for many months, nor had she wanted to. It was too painful – a reminder of the life that she had missed, had lost, and would never have the chance to see again.
"Do you truly intend to stay here until they have found the incarnation?" Kaede asked mildly.
"I will wait to see if he comes to me," Kikyo sighed. "If they kill him, so much the better."
"He was completely torn apart by the Wind Scar," Kaede said. "Do you truly believe he is still alive?"
"Don't be a fool, Kaede," Kikyo snapped. "Naraku would never let one as important as him die."
Kaede's eye narrowed. "How do you mean?"
"He is familiar to both of us," Kikyo said, looking out through the village. "And I know where he will be."
Kaede followed her gaze. "The cave?" She frowned. "Surely, you do not think-"
"I do not think," Kikyo said flatly. "I know. I will forever know his presence. Our fates are forever intertwined."
xXx
They were all silent as they walked through the forest path. Inuyasha was bristling with nervous energy, and the others were giving him a wide berth. They'd found the place where Musou's body had been dumped, and the scattered remains of the hole he'd been buried in. The scent of an incarnation moved from the area into the woods, and they realized that they had no choice but to follow it. However, it wandered through the forest, it had seemingly merged with another before splitting. The scent was identical in both trails, though one was slightly fresher than the other.
"Kagura?" Miroku had suggested. "Or perhaps yet another incarnation?"
"What the hell is Naraku playing at?" Inuyasha had muttered, setting off after the older trail.
They had left Shippo behind with Kaede and Kikyo, giving him strict instructions to keep guard over the village and make sure that Musou didn't attack. Inuyasha had pulled him aside and quietly told him to keep an eye on Kikyo as well, just in case.
The sun was beginning to set when Miroku took a chance and spoke up. "He seems to be leading us on a bit of a chase."
"He went in circles around the village for a while," Sango agreed.
"How do we know this is even really him?" Inuyasha grumbled. "This could just be Kagura messing with us. We should go back to where Musou first slaughtered those bandits and find out where he came from! He might be able to lead us to Naraku's castle!"
Miroku eyed him thoughtfully. "You don't think that he's really still alive?"
"I don't think that Kikyo lied about it," Inuyasha muttered. "But I saw him die. He has to be dead!"
"Naraku has always been able to manipulate his body," Sango said thoughtfully. "Even though we've killed three incarnations so far, there's no telling how he's been changing them. Each new form could have new powers."
Inuyasha stopped, sniffing the air before he scowled. "He's killed again."
He took off, the others trailing behind. It didn't take long to find the man lying dead on the side of the road, clothes stripped off. Inuyasha swore softly. "This has to be him!"
"Right you are," a voice said loftily from behind them. They all spun around to see Kagura, lying back against her feather. "Let me give you a bit of advice before you waste more of my time."
"I'll cut your head off," Inuyasha growled, drawing Tessaiga.
"Cool it," she snapped. "I'm not here to fight. I simply want to tell you where Musou is so I can stop following you around this damn forest."
"Why the hell would you tell us that?" Inuyasha snarled. "Why help us?"
"Who says I'm helping you?" Kagura rolled her eyes. "Go to the cave where Kikyo took Onigumo. He's headed there."
"What?" Inuyasha bit out, ears flicking back. "Why would he go there?"
Kagura shrugged. "To revisit fond memories. To piss on his grave. How the hell should I know? I'm just the messenger."
Her feather lifted into the air, but Miroku cried out "Wait!"
She paused and eyed him impatiently.
"Did Naraku send you here?" Miroku asked.
Kagura rolled her eyes again. "What do you think?"
Miroku pursed his lips. "Does he know?"
Inuyasha shot him an incredulous look, unease rumbling through him as he hissed "Miroku!"
Kagura smirked and passed her fan over her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, monk. Try making sense next time."
She shot up into the air and flew off above their heads.
"What was that all about?" Inuyasha growled, watching her go.
"She seems to be back under Naraku's orders," Miroku said slowly. "I don't think that this was about getting back at him. But then again, I don't think she's told him."
Inuyasha glanced at him. "About?"
"The last time we saw her," Miroku said, glancing up into the canopy, wary of any Saimyosho that may be lingering about to overhear.
Sango nodded slowly. "Even so, she's not exactly an ally."
"So what do we do?" Inuyasha grumbled. "What she tells us to do?"
"We might as well see if she was telling the truth," Miroku offered. "We can see what to make of that after."
"Fine," Inuyasha ground out, shoving Tessaiga in its sheath and heading off down the path. "I just want to get this over with. Musou's really starting to bug me."
xXx
Kagura watched them from overhead and sighed, resting her chin on her hand. What was Naraku doing? She just couldn't understand him. Why bother with any of this? If he wanted Musou dead, she'd be happy to oblige. Anything was better than babysitting. Why did he even care? It wasn't as though-
She pulled up short.
Musou was acting on Naraku's orders, right? He was in on the plan, wasn't he? Because all of this really seemed like Naraku was having her keep an eye on Musou because he was curious about his actions. Like he didn't know what he might do. Was Musou not under his control? Was there an incarnation that was actually free?
xXx
Musou pressed his fingers into the floor of the cave. Something…someone had been there with him. Right beside him. Speaking to him. Nurturing him. Someone… He gasped as the image of that woman flashed before his eyes once more. He had known her here. He had wanted her. He had been so close, unable to reach out, unable to claim her. Who was she?
Something brushed along the edge of his mind. He remembered calling out to someone, something that wasn't her, though she had been on his mind. Yes, he had wanted her, been willing to do anything to have her. So he'd sold his soul. Wasn't that right? He'd sold his soul to the demons…
xXx
Kaede insisted on coming with her to the cave. She said that if they were going to break their promise about staying in the village, then there was no way that Kaede was going to let her go alone. Truth be told, Kikyo didn't mind. She had made the journey so often on her own before, always in secret, and it was nice to have Kaede by her side once more. Especially now. No matter how painful it may be. They were returning to the place where it had all begun – at least in terms of Naraku. She knew that there were many more elements at play than just him. As they approached, she could feel the evil lingering inside the cave still. Even this Musou's presence didn't account for all of it.
xXx
Musou staggered to his feet and stumbled up the steep incline. He remembered! He knew what had happened! And he needed her! He could feel her nearby, in the invisible force dragging him forward. He stumbled out and saw her standing there, just across the field, staring at him. Yes, she had come for him! She had come to see him!
"Kikyo!"
Inuyasha swore and broke into a run. That was definitely Musou's voice. And he could smell Kikyo and Kaede's scents coming from that direction. The fools!
Kikyo held Musou's eyes evenly as he careened towards her like a man possessed. She supposed, in a way, he was. She could hear Kaede gasp beside her and she held out a hand warningly. Musou came to a stop before her, eyes wild.
"You," he gasped. "It was always you. You were there! You were the agony that was tormenting me that whole time!"
His right arm grew and stretched into another whip-like tentacle and shot towards her. She lifted her hand and formed a barrier of raw spiritual power, dissolving the limb as soon as it reached her. Kaede immediately had an arrow drawn and was pointing it at Musou.
"It cannot be you!" she said, a tremor in her voice. "How are you here now, after all these years? I thought you had disappeared into Naraku!"
Musou's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you want, old woman? I do not have time for you!"
"Aye," Kaede said gravely. "You said something similar to me fifty years ago. You wanted nothing to do with me, even as I helped care for you. You longed only for my sister."
Something sinister shifted in his expression. "Why do your words anger me so? Why do I remember you?"
"I was the one to see who you really were," Kaede spat.
"Kaede…" Kikyo said warningly.
"You were always a villain," Kaede shouted, raising her arrow once more. "Onigumo!"
His eyes widened, he stumbled back, and then his body exploded into a twisted demonic form. One of the heavy limbs slammed into Kaede and knocked her to the ground, while the other wrapped around Kikyo and drew her towards him. She quickly drew an arrow of her own and shot it at him, aiming for his chest. It caught one of his swinging arms instead and the appendage quickly shriveled and fell from his shoulder. She swung her bow and cut through the tentacle holding her, dropping to the ground just in time to let Inuyasha leap over her head, his sword blazing with light.
He landed in front of her and hacked off the flailing limbs in a single sweep before he hurled himself at Musou, aiming for his head. Spines immediately shot from Musou's body once more, almost catching Inuyasha as he veered sharply in the air. He landed heavily and sprang back, snarling. He could hear Kirara landing behind him, the heartbeats of his pack pounding.
"You again!" Musou spat. "Interfering again, are you?"
"Shut up!" Inuyasha hissed, raising Tessaiga. "This time when I kill you, stay dead!"
Musou grinned, and then he began to cackle, throwing his head back. "How can I? How can I die now that I've finally remembered?" He shook his head balefully. "Oh, what a wretched life I had. I wanted everything. I hungered for so much! But instead I found what I needed when I was broken and burnt, and I couldn't have it. All that time in that cave…"
Inuyasha shrank back, stepping further in front of Kikyo. "What are you saying?"
"I stole the name Musou," he said with a shrug. "I took a different name back then, too, when my new body was born. But that is not who I am."
"Onigumo," Miroku whispered as he stepped to Inuyasha's side. "Naraku tried to cast out his human heart."
"That Naraku," Musou growled. "I can remember him, too." He looked past them to Kikyo. "He killed you." His face twisted. "So why are you not dead?"
"Don't you dare act offended by that!" Inuyasha shouted. "You killed her!"
Musou blanched. "I would never!"
"Is that why Naraku cast you out?" Miroku asked softly. "Because he can't control you?"
Musou sneered. "How the hell should I know what he's thinking?"
"Did he tell you anything?" Sango asked, helping Kaede back to her feet. "Did he give you orders?"
"Ha!" Musou laughed in derision. "I take orders from no one! I take what I want and burn down what I don't and slaughter anyone in my way."
"Onigumo," Miroku said more forcefully. "When you were human, before Naraku was born, you couldn't move. Your whole body was burned."
"Yes," Musou sighed, running a hand down his face. "Everything. Even-"
"You face," Inuyasha finished grimly. "Now I get it."
"But I fixed that!" Musou continued, a little desperately. "That's why I fed my soul to the demons!" He turned once again to Kikyo, pleadingly. "I did it all for you – so that I could have a body to touch you, and the power of the Jewel to take you away and leave this wretched place. I did it all for you!"
"But you failed," Kikyo said calmly. "You created Naraku."
"The first thing that monster did was cut you down," Musou hissed through clenched teeth.
"Were you present inside him this entire time?" Miroku asked.
Musou scoffed. "No. As he gained more power, he shut me out. He locked me away in a deep, dark place."
"And the demons wanted Kikyo dead," Kaede said, leaning heavily on Sango's arm.
Musou growled. "So instead of me having her, I had to watch her give herself to a half-breed and follow him in death." He looked up at her. "They burned your body. I remember they burned your body!"
Kikyo pursed her lips. "You are not the only one who can revive, Onigumo."
"And you," Musou said, turning a predatory gaze on Inuyasha. "You were dead as well. You should have stayed that way. I will not let you stand between us any longer!"
He began elongating his body even further, until no human part remained except for his face. His waving limbs were reminiscent of a demon puppet, but they were joined by claws and spines. Saimyosho began to descend from the clouds, hovering around him. Inuyasha growled, lifted Tessaiga, and sprang at him. He cut off the first limb that reached for him, but another wrapped around him. More and more joined it, trying to cocoon him as Musou lifted him into the air. Inuyasha began tearing at the limbs with Tessaiga and his claws, but Musou was healing even faster than before. Saimyosho repeatedly latched onto his back, dissolving themselves one by one into his flesh. Miroku and Sango immediately rushed forwards to help, quickly cutting him free. Sango threw Hiraikotsu to cover their retreat as they reformed a line between Musou and Kikyo.
Miroku grimaced as he watched the Saimyosho crawling over the incarnation's body. He knew that he should have sucked him up when he had the chance. But now Naraku had sent his insects to protect him…but then why have Kagura tell them where to find him? Had Kagura been betraying him after all? Or had he wanted them to fight? Had they actually just delivered themselves to a demon who wanted them dead and saved Naraku the trouble of having Musou track them down?
Inuyasha growled, his youki flaring around him as Tessaiga glowed amber once more. Musou raised his arms in the air threateningly, creating a web of limbs ready to shoot at them again. Inuyasha met Miroku's eye and nodded slightly. Kaede's arrow shot at Musou, striking him in the chest, immediately followed by a dozen sutras which burned through most of his limbs. Hiraikotsu cut through the rest and then Inuyasha leapt into the air, and hurled the Wind Scar squarely at Musou. Without any of his arms to protect him, his body was torn apart. Inuyasha lowered his sword and slowly crept forward, blinking through the smoke and miasma rising from the remains. His ears swivelled, looking for the heartbeat. A tentacle shot out and wrapped around his throat, lifting him into the air. Hiraikotsu immediately sliced through it, while Miroku's staff batted away several more tentacles which reached for them.
Musou pushed himself to his feet, reverting back into his human form. "It's futile."
"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha shouted, throwing another wave of power at him. Because what else could he do? He glanced back at Kikyo to ask for ideas, but his heart sank as he realized that she was gone again. He ground his teeth and turned back around.
Miroku watched carefully as the scattered pieces of Musou began to slowly pull themselves back together – though not all at once. They were all heading in the same direction, searching for a common thing instead of joining to whatever was closest.
"Damn it all!" Inuyasha grumbled. "There are only so many times he can keep coming back!"
Musou braced himself against the ground with his forearms, smirking up at them even as the lower half of his body slithered back together. "Fools! When will you learn that it's impossible to destroy me? It doesn't matter how hard you try."
Miroku grimaced. Was that it? Was the only way to be rid of him to use the wind tunnel? He felt eyes on him and glanced over at the rocky outcrop above Onigumo's cave to see Kagura watching him keenly.
Musou's body began to transform once more, his torso elongating and a tail emerging from his back with a large barbed stinger at the tip. Sango and Inuyasha both began slicing at his limbs, but they continued regenerating and twisting into something resembling a scorpion. He charged at them, and Inuyasha grabbed Sango and leapt out of the way. Miroku frowned.
"I must admit," Musou grinned. "I enjoy this new body."
Tentacles sprang from his forelimbs and wrapped around Hiraikotsu as Sango attempted to throw it. Kirara dove forwards and bit through the appendages while Inuyasha slashed at Musou's face with Tessaiga. Miroku watched the battle carefully, trying to piece everything together. Surely nothing could be this impossible to kill. There had to be some way to keep him from coming back. His eyes fell to the strange mix of demon hide and human skin which covered Musou, particularly the spider mark still visible on his back. Maybe…
His eyes snapped up as the large stinger twisted above Musou's head, poised to strike. "Watch out!" he shouted.
Inuyasha caught his eye and spun around to follow his gaze. He swore and slammed into Sango and Kirara, knocking them away. Then the giant, barbed stinger punctured through his back and emerged from the front of his chest.
xXx
Kikyo followed the faint youki through the woods. It was difficult to grasp, what with two incarnations nearby, but she knew that it was him. She called her youkai around her and they flew through the trees, chasing away any Saimyosho nearby. She could sense a cloud of miasma forming in the middle of the forest, creating a pull of energy around it. She slowed to a stop and waited. Sure enough, a figure clad in a white baboon pelt stepped into view.
"The insects again, Naraku?" she asked dryly.
"I wanted to see you in person," he answered unusually coolly.
"And why is that?" she asked, though she suspected the answer.
The hood of the pelt fell back and he stared at her with hard eyes. "I want to test my new power."
She smirked. "I told you before – a half-demon who harbours Onigumo's heart has no power to kill me."
His lips pulled into a predatory grin. "So you did, and so it was the truth. If I still had Onigumo's heart, I wouldn't be able to lay a hand on you. Even though your body is nothing but artifice, even though your soul is barely your own…"
He reached out a hand and began walking towards her. She immediately notched an arrow to her bow and levelled it at him. "You have no power here."
His hand shot out and wrapped around her throat. "I knew you weren't real. I knew that you were nothing but a spectre. And yet I was unable to reach out and strike you down. Mere clay and bones stopped me."
She sliced through his arm with her arrow and dropped to the ground. He laughed as she aimed her arrow at him once more. He raised his other hand to strike her. And then he paused. His hand throbbed, then shifted as he stared at it, and transformed into a giant clawed demon's hand. He grimaced and flexed his hand until it reverted back to normal. He was not in control. Their eyes met, and she could read something there. He turned and began to walk away.
"What's wrong, Naraku?" she mocked. "Were you not here to kill me?"
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Don't get cocky," he snapped. "Do not think that you hold sway over me still. I have my reasons."
He took another step away.
"You know that this is not how it will end," she told him flatly. "You cannot kill me this way, just as I cannot kill you. Our destinies are intertwined."
He growled softly and spun around, his youki swirling around him. "I do not need to kill you," he said, far too calm. "I'm going to break you."
With that, he turned and disappeared through the trees. She watched him go.
Thank you Moonwind89 for the comment! Glad you're enjoying it!