Nocturne - Chapter Fifty-Three: Killing Perfection
Rated - M (for extremely suggestive adult themes, references to harsh violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
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"NOW!" The voice inside urged.
Sesshomaru glared at the pompous bastard from his knitted brow. It would take everything he had to keep the beast at bay. Sanguine streaks already crept into his vision, threatening to overwhelm him. It had been nearly a millennia since the beast had taken over, unbidden, back before Sesshomaru had learned to hold sway over the baser parts of himself.
He needed the control only this corporeal form could afford to him. The bestial voice hissed with displeasure as he quashed it down, tamping his thoughts for good measure. Many thought his cool, aloof demeanor was due to arrogance and pride. Little did they know that it was primarily due to the calculated measures necessary to maintain the calm. Still, his yoki buffeted around him, rippling in the air with barely checked power.
Fan Tsenpo stood in front of him, holding his blade in a leisurely fashion - a lopsided smirk on his disfigured face - and riding out Sesshomaru's yoki waves with wicked pleasure. Fan laughed, "Damn, she hasn't gotten far. I can still scent her from here." The words were meant to jab and prod at his control.
He needed to resist, but it became increasingly difficult to do so with the smell that constantly taunted him. For all his machinations and planning, he had failed to protect her again. The thought of the miko's shame scent and crooked face drove another nail deeper under his skin. The red threatened to return, forcing him to take a steadying breath. Fan Tsenpo would mock his lack of composure, surely.
For now, they were locked in a stalemate, both waiting for the miko to vacate the area far enough for one to make their move. It was pertinent that he did not think why Fan Tsenpo would allow the woman to leave unscathed, for her demise would likely result in the reaction Fan waited for now. No, there was another reason, and best not to touch on it just yet.
Sesshomaru could feel her presently, finally outside of Fan's neutralizing aura, making her way steadily farther and farther.
Fan seized the opportunity to taunt Sesshomaru more, making a show of it. His arm dripped with blood, not his own, which he brought to his mouth and salaciously licked off with his tongue, savoring it. "Despite being used, it was not half bad." Fan licked his fingers one by one, allowing the implications to batter against Sesshomaru's mental defenses. "You should have heard her moan my name," he laughed.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened, the sclera turning red. He had lost the ability to contain the beast within.
"KILL...DESTROY...Annihilate!" The voice roared in his head. "Let us kill him!"
Primal thoughts crept into his mind, pushing out those of reason. Ones that told him to wait, that he was being manipulated…The primal thoughts grew louder as Sesshomaru grew in size and strength.
"Kill."
"Dismember."
"Eradicate."
"Disembowel."
"Consume."
The words all jumbled together, breaking down into only mental pictures of what he was compelled to do.
The cave, where the two daiyokai stood, suddenly became a confining place, and the rocks groaned and bulged under the growing size of Sesshomaru in his true form. Poison poured out from his mouth, leaving a diaphanous fog of ichor that was as pungent as it was deadly. The poison filled the cave and began to melt through rock and stone, allowing Sesshomaru to burst free from the confine and grow even larger.
He had no idea where Fan was in the chaos of falling rubble caused by his explosive growth. His sense of smell was rendered useless by the man's new ability to inhibit his keener senses. He would need to rely on vision alone.
The tiny yokai man walked unscathed from the pile of rubble that continued to melt from Sesshomaru's poisonous breath. The rock had turned into a liquid, seeping into the ground before leaving charred remains behind.
The enormous inu-daiyokai roared, making the earth tremor and trees shake from the intensity of the sound. His large fangs still dripped with poison, pooling onto the ground beneath him. Sesshomaru located his pray standing in the open with his sword in hand. The features of his face were too tiny and obscure to make out, and the large yokai did not need to see the face of one who was about to die.
A mighty clawed paw swiped at the tiny yokai but missed by a breath. He growled in frustration and shot his jaws down to crush the nuisance into oblivion. This, too, was met with a similar outcome.
Fan Tsenpo dodged the attacks with ease, utilizing his size and agility to his advantage. After all, he had prodded Sesshomaru to revert to his true form to gain the upper hand. He flew up into the air and whipped his sword in an upward arc, eliciting three blue flashes towards his opponent.
Sesshomaru may have lacked certain reasoning skills in this form, but he was also a deadly, instinctual being whose prowess may only be inferior to few. His tail extended, becoming once again a versatile appendage that he used to bat the oncoming attack away. His tail whipped down, and acidic slime flung out in the motion. Singed fur burned at his nostrils, indicating the disastrous potential of that attack.
He crouched down and burst into the air after Fan. The smaller pest darted from his path, still throwing blue acid in waves. Sesshomaru was swift in the air, easily dodging attacks. It was like a game of cat and mouse, but the mouse was clever and conniving, never attacking with the intent to kill. This infuriated Sesshomaru, who roared with frustration. He could hear the small man laugh. "How far the mighty Lord Sesshomaru has fallen. Nothing but a large curr!"
Fan's laugh transformed into a pompous snarl as he brought the but of the sword to his face, tip down, in a meditative position. His eyes closed, and his lips moved wordlessly. Three blue orbs formed in front of him, a manifestation of his yoki, and began to circle his body.
Sesshomaru flew forward, taking this opportunity to snuff out whatever attack Fan was conjuring. His paw swiped down towards where he expected Fan to retreat. His instinct was right on, but the orbs circling struck him, issuing an acidic blast. Pain throbbed through his limb. Poison Sesshomaru was immune to, but acid was another corrosive matter. It ate into his flesh rapidly and became agonizing very quickly. Even in the air, he limped. But he did not need all four limbs to defeat the bastard.
The blue orbs gleamed wickedly in the light as they passed around Fan, forming a moving protective barrier. "Poor pup," Fan taunted loudly.
Sesshomaru snarled in response and flew towards him again, dodging the acidic balls that swung wildly out to protect their master. The orbs were nearly as big as a robin's eggs in comparison to the large inu-demon. Attack was another clear function these manifestations had, but all were controlled by one being, making it all the easier for Sesshomaru to work around. He feinted multiple times - left, right, back, and up - to draw the balls away from their epicenter. Despite his injury, flight was simple, and Fan could not be everywhere at once. Even so, the spectacle was one to behold! It was a dance between a giant Inu-yokai as it avoided and dodged three tiny, aggressive balls of acidic yoki.
Fan initially sent his orbs out one at a time to assault Sesshomaru, but it had been simple to dodge these and get closer. Next, it was the second orb and finally the third once it became clear that Sesshomaru was up to the task to nimbly avoid anything more than a grazing injury despite his size.
Fan's face was contorted with concentration, and it was beginning to take a toll. Sesshomaru could sense from the slowing movements of the orbs that Fans stamina at maintaining his yoki was waning.
He made another feint to get closer to Fan, barely dodging the three balls as they flit around like tiny angry hummingbirds. Had they been individual entities, capable of independent thought, Sesshomaru may have met his demise. But these were controlled by Fan Tsenpo with decreasing capabilities.
Sesshomaru used the unique opportunity he had created to get inside the perimeter. The window available to attack would be marginal at best, with the orbs flying to protect their master. The surprise that adorned Fan Tsenpos face would have delighted Sesshomaru - inwardly, of course - had he cared about the satisfaction that occurred from besting an enemy.
Perhaps Fan had not thought Sesshomaru capable of critical thinking in this form. Critical thinking and instinct could be deceptively similar for a creature designed to kill, and that is what Sesshomaru was; Killing Perfection.
Fan could not flee quickly enough to avoid the large paw that raked across his chest. His sword, while in hand, had not been enough to deflect the power behind the blow that knocked him to the ground, where he skidded back dozens of yards, taking clods of dirt and debris with him. The blue orbs trailed him for a brief moment and had hissed angrily as they all dissipated into nothing as if mourning the wound their master had taken due to their negligence. He sneered through the pain and laughed while clutching his maimed chest. The armor he wore had been ripped clean through with five enormous score marks. It was a miracle the armor still held together.
Fan rose slowly, "I keep underestimating you." His sword gripped tight in both of his hands now. He raised the blade over his shoulder, lunging down with his left leg. "I shall not make that mistake a third time."
Sesshomaru dropped to the ground, Fans words falling on deaf ears. The despot was on the ground, wounded, and in a prime position to become a smear under his mighty paw. Despite his injured leg, he galloped over to his opponent, his tongue lolling to the side in anticipation.
Fan ran as well, his sword carried in samurai fashion, striking out at the oncoming inu-yokai just as Sesshomaru clamped onto a small bit of flesh.
He'd ripped a good portion of Fan's oblique but had not come from the charge unscathed. Sesshomaru collapsed, his other paw now lame.
Fan grimaced and looked at the gore that had been his right side. Dark blood and matter poured from the wound. It was a significant wound, but not a mortal one. He would be able to make due with time. Time he had aplenty of now that Sesshomaru struggled to rise.
One leg had been rendered useless by acid, and the other had been sliced almost clean off. Sesshomaru could heal these wounds, but it would take an amazing amount of concentration, and that was something his true form did not have time for even now. The hissing voice barking commands was even angrier now, cursing in a primitive fashion within his mind that only came out like a deep growl that shook the earth around him.
Fan stalked slowly towards the maimed Sesshomaru. "I've wanted to kill you slowly for some time. The torture I planned to inflict on you would pale in comparison to the torment your little miko shall endure."
Sesshomaru's red eyes flashed, and he snapped at the approaching enemy, but Fan was able to jump out of reach quickly.
"The experiments I shall conduct upon your get excites me to no end." He held his blade up, summoning the blue manifestation of his yoki and coating the sword with it. "I shall pit her against my own soldiers, just to see whose is better. If she happens to win, well, then I will give her the pleasure of becoming Tsering's newest retainer. After I have handicapped her, of course."
Fan chuckled. "Can you even understand me in that form? Or must I bark and yip?"
He sighed when Sesshomaru only continued to growl in response. "No matter. It will be easier to keep the little bastard alive, at least until the miko has given me the child I planted in her belly."
A/N: Oh, snap! Fan's got the upper hand here. Sesshomaru is at a disadvantage in his true form, unable to utilize his awesome weapons and skills to the max. While in this form, he has limited reasoning skills and cannot use his swords (no opposable thumbs). A little ironic because this is kind of what happened to Fan many chapters ago, where he transformed and was beaten-easily!
It will be curious to find how Sessh is able to come back from this! Especially because I doubt Fan will fight fair, even if Sessh is able to heal up.
Until next time readers! Please drop me a line with your thoughts and well-wishes if you can!