Chapter 23: Barriers Must Fall

The man lunged at them, claws flashing and pale hair whipping in the growing wind; the creature surged from his shoulder, pincers poised to strike as its writhing body surged through the air. Kagome startled, her fingers slipping; her arrow uselessly flew down the alley, shooting wide of her mark as she twirled to watch the muzzled man and monstrous worm descend. Behind her, the woman let loose an eerie chuckle, the empty, dead sound like dry leaves rustling on the ground. Kagome cursed under her breath as she watched their assailants, her hands reaching to draw another arrow. She would be too slow to rebuff their attack, her arrows useless in close-quarters combat; Touma pushed himself up, snagging his katana and raising it up; it waivered in the air as the guard's strength failed. Kagome's eyes widened as unadulterated anguish crossed her face. They were going to die.

"NO!"

Time slowed, then stopped. Kagome threw herself forward, swinging the bone bow like a common club as the man's claws plunged towards her chest. The same pulse she felt earlier echoed, then reverberated what felt like a thousand times, the bow growing warm in her clenched grip. A light flashed, and she closed her eyes, waiting to feel the burn and sting of her flesh tearing away under the yokai's attack, expecting the brittle bow to shatter in her hands in her attempt to deflect him.

The pain never came, the bow never broke– not as she swung, nor the moments after, as she hovered protectively in front of Touma, the bow still extended out from her hand. With heavy trepidation, she lifted her eyes, unsure why the attack had stopped.

The first thing she saw was Touma's face, his eyes wide and his jaw slack. He was alert, still clutching his katana and looking at her with apparent awe. She checked behind her; the man and the worm had retreated to the child, who bore an unsettled stare. She flicked her gaze down the alley; the woman stared, her burning crimson eyes flashing in the light as she snapped her fans shut. Kagome shivered at the sight, then flexed her muscles, wiggling her fingers, her toes. Well, everything seems intact… but why did they stop? I didn't even do anything…

The bow in her hands hummed, and Kagome finally looked at the weapon in her hands. It pulsed a brilliant blue, clear and bright even in the midday sunlight.

With a snarl, the worm leapt again, pulling Kagome's attention. Kagome grasped the bow with both hands, ready to swing again as the creature dove at them from the air. Yet, midway in his descent, the bow sparked, and a shimmering dome swelled to surround the two humans. Through the blueish lens of the dome, Kagome watched in awe as the worm struck it and was repulsed, its writhing body skidding in the dirt and dust of the street. A few screams broke out as those passing by saw the unnatural creature; the crowds of market-goers receded faster than a wave returning to the ocean. A nasty sneer stole across the worm's human face, and it dove into the ground with lightning speed. The worm's compatriots watched in curious silence, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed as they waited for his attack. The bow pulsed again, and the creature shot out of the ground, retreating once more to the muzzled man's shoulder, its pasty skin marred by dirt and singed in several spots.

"Kagome-san… how are you doing this?" Touma gasped.

"I- I don't know," she floundered, "but I don't think it's me," she said, lifting the bow in her hands.

"This barrier you've summoned won't last forever, wench," came the mocking tones of the worm. "And you have nowhere to run."

"Kagura," called the child, the soft, high tones of the youth tempered by callous cruelty; Kagome's gaze flashing to him, then to the red-eyed demoness. Though he was apparently the youngest of their attackers, the child seemed to hold some influence over the others as the woman pivoted on her heel, her fans snapping open as she spun. Wind coiled around her, sending a vortex swirling down the alley, the air compressing into visible razor-sharp blades. Kagome braced herself for the impact, but the barrier absorbed the attack, the bow humming warmly in her hands.

It doesn't need to hold forever. I just need it to hold for now, Kagome realized. With renewed confidence, Kagome pulled an arrow and drew, leveling her sights on the muzzled demon. Hit the mark, she prayed in her mind, her lips forming the words without releasing a sound.

Sesshomaru leapt into the air, flying high over the trail of guards streaming behind the running servant girl. Below him sprawled the palace grounds; ahead of him, the ever-growing capitol city unfurled, a maze of twisting streets and narrow alleys. He caught the girl's scent, following it until he flew over her, a billowing cloud of youki lingering at his feet and tracing his path through the sky. Recognizing the girl's direction, he looked ahead, his sharp eyes scanning the streets for any signs of Higurashi. The girl's path led directly to the market sector of the city, and he sailed through the air, relying on his nose to catch Higurashi's scent.

Ultimately he needed no scent– he retraced the path of fleeing market-goers to an intersection of a small alley and one of the major avenues. Shopkeepers and patrons alike had fled the vicinity, leaving a clear sight of Higurashi and her attackers. At her feet a man lay bleeding, struggling to keep consciousness. With something akin to satisfaction, he watched as she loosed an arrow after arrow at the demons, her attacks only narrowly missing them due to their superior speed and agility. Or, in the case of that one, her witchcraft, he noted, keenly observing the female youkai's twisting vortex of wind that threw Higurashi's arrows wayward. Even with their enhanced abilities, Higurashi still managed to strike a glancing blow on one of her attackers– an arrow struck the man, who grunted, then ripped it out with a sharp jerk, dropping the broken wood on the ground, blood dribbling down his hakama. Yet the four youkai made no move to constrain her, only attacking from a distance. Strange, he mused, cocking his head as he watched from above. Ah, that must be the reason. One of the demons, the worm-like creature, had dove at Higurashi and the injured human, its pincers reared to strike, only to be repelled by a shimmering blue barrier. The bow Higurashi wielded sent out a pulse of energy, but she appeared unaffected by its display of power, continuing to nock another arrow and aiming at the worm. Curious… but this has endured long enough.

He landed without warning, and he attacked without restraint. It's a good thing most of the humans are gone, he thought absently– it was for the best, for if he killed any of the empire's subjects accidentally, his father would not hesitate to show his displeasure. With a feral grin, Sesshomaru summoned his poison, the green acid dripping from his claws as the four demons sprang into action around him. Over his shoulder, he heard Higurashi's sudden gasp, but he dared not turn his attention away from her assailants. Already, he was grateful for his moments of observation from above– he knew what to expect from the wind witch, twisting gracefully to escape the whirlwind of dancing blades. The muzzled demon charged at him, flashing through the air in tandem with the worm. With a flick of his wrist, a brilliant whip of light snapped through the air, slicing through the muzzled man's shoulder and striking the bone. The demon snarled, equal parts pain and anger. Twisting, Sesshomaru sent his whip at the worm, the grotesque little demon growling as it grazed him.

Turning back towards the wind witch and Higurashi, he spared a glance at her and the man at her feet. She had him laying down now, one of her small hands pressing nearly all her weight into the wound at his shoulder. Her other hand, curiously, still held a death-grip on the pale bow; the pulsing blue barrier remained, flashing into sight anytime an attack drew too near. Good. One less thing to worry about, the sarcastic thought came unbidden, and Sesshomaru refocused on the youkai before him. Snapping his whip once more, Sesshomaru sent the demoness sailing back. She flipped through the air, twisting with a dancer's grace to perch on the roof of a nearby shop, too far for Sesshomaru to attack with his whip while remaining close to Higurashi and the injured man.

His golden eyes burned with questions as he surveyed his combatants, circling him at a relatively safe range. Could these be the enemy behind the attacks around the empire? He'd have to capture them, or at least one of them, and bring them to his father to find out.

"Higurashi," he called, his voice soft in the aftermath of so much chaos, his eyes not straying from his prey. The three pale-haired demons circled him; the woman crouched on the roof, watching him from above, her fans poised to unleash another attack.

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama," she answered.

"Will your barrier hold?"

"I don't know, Sesshomaru-sama. I've never–"

"It will hold," came a new voice, light and airy.

Sesshomaru glared as a woman emerged from the shop, just outside of Kagome's barrier. Another pale-haired yokai; he sniffed the air, tensing to spring if she proved hostile. He grimaced. A hanyou.

"It will hold as long as she keeps hold of the bow," the hanyou offered, not stepping out from her shop as another barrier snapped into existence around her. Sesshomaru leveled his golden eyes on her, fiery and unforgiving.

"Who are you?" he challenged, already changing his path to stand between her and Higurashi.

"A friend," she replied softly, her voice holding no hint of deceit.

"As enlightening as this is, we have business to attend to," cried the worm, a vile smile stealing across his face as he pulled Sesshomaru's attention away from the hanyou and Higurashi. The child, now twirling a naginata that stood a head taller than him, edged around the impromptu arena of their battle, then strayed a little too close. Sesshomaru spun, his whip flying to strike the boy across the middle. The boy stood still, not fleeing or dodging the impending strike. An easy kill… His whip met resistance, then disintegrated as a barrier popped into existence around the child, sucking in the yoki that formed his whip… Sesshomaru's brows pinched together, his golden eyes narrowing, his mouth setting in a hard line as, only a moment later, the same energy was unleashed back at him. He spun on his heel, his hair whipping around him in an ethereal silver halo as he evaded his own whip of deadly green light. The worm and the muzzled man lunged for him, the three of them dodging and attacking in an elaborate dance of swinging claws and clashing youki. His claws found purchase; the man stumbled, a gaping stretch of bloody flesh and mangled muscle left in the wake of Sesshomaru's claws. Already, the poison worked, continuing to eat away at the surrounding tissue. Sesshomaru saw, his lips twitching upwards as he let out a huff of satisfaction, crimson bleeding into the corners of his eyes.

Another barrage of wind and blades rained down on him, the witch taking advantage of his distraction. With a growl, Sesshomaru released another whip of light, sending the two closest demons flying out of his range. He carefully avoided sending the whip near the child, though– it would be a waste of energy to fend off his own attack again.

"Hakudoshi!" The wind witch called, still perching on the roof as she sent another volley of razor-edged wind towards him. "There are more coming," she said, a sharp jerk of her head indicating the armored guards streaming towards them, led by the little servant girl. The child, still circling Sesshomaru from a distance, suddenly appeared at the woman's side. The wind built around them, spiralling the pair upwards until they sat, lofted on a massive feather. Up and up they went, before the feather disappeared behind cloud cover.

Sesshomaru snarled, intent on following them; yet the worm and the man remained. Once again reunited with the man, the worm chuckled maniacally as one of its pincers crushed the muzzle. Unchained, the demon seemed to lose all inhibition, the pain of his wounds no longer affecting his movement as he sprung into a flurry of movement. They came at him, their exceptional speed building into a cyclone of slashing claws and flashing hair. The three moved too quickly for any human eyes to follow, though with each lunge and counterstrike they kicked up dust and dirt, making it difficult for even themselves to see. The worm dove into the ground, then shot out underneath Sesshomaru's foot. The daiyoukai twisted, smoothly regaining his balance as his poison-drenched claws stretched to catch the creature's pasty underbelly. The worm cried out, scrambling to get out of range. His blood gushed, hot and thick, staining the ground as he dragged his mangled body away.

The clanking of the guard's armor grew louder, and the man's attention turned from Sesshomaru to them, an insatiable hunger in his eyes as he rushed up the street to meet them. The worm tried to follow, but its wounds were too great, and it crawled lamely, thrusting itself forward with its pincers. With a satisfying crack of his whip, the daiyoukai severed one of the creature's limbs, relishing in the gurgling scream that echoed down the empty street. Confident that the worm could not flee, Sesshomaru bounded down the street, his feet barely touching the ground as he raced to intercept the man, certain that the demon would dispatch the guards in a quick and bloody manner should he not intervene. He reached the man just in time, as the demon leapt into the air, his claws flexing to strike down the guards. Sesshomaru, forgoing his usual grace, physically tackled the demon, knocking them both to the side of the contingent of guards. The little girl screamed, and one of the guards yanked her out of the street. Before the demon had a chance to react, Sesshomaru lifted his claws, his poison searing through the demon's throat. Blood sprayed, perfect red droplets staining the ground, his hands, his clothes. The demon seized, then fell limp. Standing to his full height, Sesshomaru pushed the now-dead youkai to the ground, his golden eyes flashing brilliantly with the fresh kill. Time to take care of the worm.

The soldiers followed in his wake as he shot down the street. A cursory glance showed that the worm still lived, and he left it behind, intent on reaching Higurashi before the guards did. As it was, she was tucked just around the corner of the alley, still out of sight. Doubtless her surprising ability to summon a barrier would not go unnoticed, even by the dullest of humans.

He stepped around the corner, where Higurashi still hunched over the prone form of her guard. Her yukata was ripped, the jagged edge of the fabric hanging in the puddle of the man's blood, one of her bloodstained hands pressing into the wound, the other still clenching the pale bow.

"Higurashi," he said, blood still dripping from his claws. "Higurashi, let go of the bow. It's over."

She didn't hear him.

"Can you not remove this barrier?" he asked, his voice sharp as he addressed the shopkeeper. "That is your weapon, is it not?" he said, nodding his head to the bow as he flicked his stony gaze to the hanyou.

"Yes, the weapon is mine, but I cannot remove the barrier. It feeds off of her; the bow can only shape power. She needs to let go of it, then the barrier will fall," answered the hanyou.

Sesshomaru turned from the hanyou, once more settling his gaze on Higurashi; his eyes softened the slightest bit as he caught the hint of salt and sorrow in her scent. She is crying. He pressed his hands against it, wincing as it stung his palms, the barrier's energy sparking against him. He couldn't get to her, not while she still held the bow, not while it kept the barrier up.

"Higurashi, I cannot help yourself or him if you do not release this barrier," he growled out, conscious of the rapidly encroaching palace guards. The injured man was dying– no human could shed that much blood and not suffer immense consequences. She had to hear him, let him in, before they came and saw and reported to his father.

"Kagome."

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That seemed to do the trick.

Writing fight scenes is the worst. UGH.

Riddle me this: is it "Youkai" and "youki" or "Yokai" and "Yoki"? I've seen both ways and I've written it both ways, but I want to be consistent… and correct.

Next question… It's been a while since I watched the series. I started again, but I don't remember what Hakudoshi's attacks were like… So I may revise that part if it's blatantly wrong.

I cannot thank you enough for all the support. I appreciate every comment and suggestion! It makes me so happy to know that my work is appreciated!

**I had a scene I wrote, between Kagome and Touma while Sesshomaru fights… it's not essential to the story and it doesn't really fit in, so should I put it here? Let me know in the comments if you're interested, and if a few of you are, I'll update the chapter with the deleted scene here!