Update (February 2021): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 51: Brawn or Brain?
"Sure is quiet and peaceful out..."
"Auy. Defini'ly a nice change from the recent string of chaos."
About a week passes since the back-to-back battles with Kaijinbō and Sesshōmaru, and after making a brief return to Sango's village so she could get her broken weapon repaired, our group would set down a new path that took them into what's known here as Kenu Province (specifically, the section that'll later be called Gunma Prefecture). Their latest direction took them up part of Mount Akagi, where the ground is rockier and the greenery sparse...
Zooming in on our modern-born teens, we see that Coraline's day attire consists of a deep red cropped tee, a jean jacket with the frog skin camouflage pattern, indigo blue jeans with a black patch on the right knee, and her brown hiker shoes. Her long, dark auburn red hair has been tied into two ponytails that frame her face...
Meanwhile, Freeman decided to wear a dark blue tank top with his black leather jacket, onyx skinny jeans and his usual monochrome hightops, while Besa stuck with a smoky gray tee with a moss green hunting-style vest, light blue straight-cut jeans and his own pair of hightops.
...Suddenly, Coraline stops, sensing a familiar energy approaching.
"Uh! There are jewel shards near."
Inuyasha asks over his shoulder,
"What?"
"An' they'r comin' in fast!"
(Whoooosh)
A small whirlwind comes blowing past the travel group, causing them to wince from the impact...It stops a couple feet away, then dies down to reveal Kōga!
"Yo!"
The young Croft lightly groans,
"Crap, it's wolf boy," and her brother in leather chides,
"Easy, sis. Let's just find out what he wants."
The wolf demon approaches and says casually,
"I picked up on your scent, Coraline, so I came to see ya. You've been well, I hope?"
She replies politely if a touch stiffly,
"Fine."
Sensing the girl's discomfort, Inuyasha moves in front of her in a protective manner.
"What do you want, ya mangy wolf?"
Kōga growls at the half-dog demon, and Coraline chides puts a hand on the latter male's shoulder,
"It's no' worth yur effort, Inuyasha. Please..."
"Stay out of it. I might just have to kill him, or worse."
The wolf demon with long black hair all but scoffs,
"You haven't changed one bit, mutt. You'd think you could lose some of the arrogance once in a while...Coraline, don't ya get tired of bein' with this guy?"
"Why you-"
"Actu'lly, I don't."
Both males look at her with surprise, and she adds with a cool stare,
"And if anyone's actin' arrogant righ' now, it's yeu. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I have no interest with runnin' off with a cocky wolf."
Shippō hops on Inuyasha's shoulder to toss in his own defense.
"Yeah! Don't be so rude to my poor friend, Kōga! You see, he's not always like this; he just gets uptight when you come around, because he thinks that you're gonna steal Coraline away."
(CLONK)
"Save it!"
The fox demon moans from the new bump on his noggin courtesy of an embarrassed dog demon, and Coraline pinches the bridge of her nose while muttering,
"Tha's not really helpin' matters, Shippō," while Kōga comments,
"You really need to grow up, mutt-face."
"...Kōga!"
"Huh?"
Heads turn to the direction where the named tribe leader came from, and we see Ginta, Hakkaku and a couple regular wolves running their way...
"Hah, hah, finally, you stopped!"
"About time you two caught up!"
"Whaddo you expect?! You have jewel shards in your legs for crying out loud; we can't keep up with that speed!"
Besa looks over at the new arrivals:
"Hm. Must be close friends of Kōga's...I can't help but wonder how they put up with his antics..."
His brother nods...but his eyes are fixated on one wolf demon in particular, a tiny blush creeping onto his cheeks.
That guy, with the shorter hair...He's, Ginta, if I remember Cora's description correctly.
...He's cute.
Once everyone calms down, they all sit down on some boulders so Kōga could ask about a more serious topic...
"You want me to tell you where Naraku lives?! If I knew that, I wouldn't be wasting my time battling his demons!"
Coraline places a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder to help soothe his temper as Ginta asks,
"Does that mean you don't know?"
"It's almost impossible to find; Naraku's projected a barrier around his castle! Let us avenge the death of your comrades. All I ask is that you hand over those jewel shards in your legs."
(...Click)
"Then hightail it back to your den!"
(Crash)
Kōga dodges the incoming Tessaiga, and asks casually after landing a few feet on Inuyasha's right,
"Somethin' the matter, mutt-face? You're swingin' your sword awfully slowly..."
The latter only growls, and Shippō and Miroku each comment,
"The Tessaiga's still too heavy for him,"
"And it won't get any lighter overnight."
"Come back and fight!"
Kōga chooses to leave with his buddies rather than let his rival rile him up.
"Sorry, dog-breath, but I don't have any time to waste sparrin' with you."
"Coward! Come back here!"
"Now you take good care of my Coraline while I go waste Naraku! Don't you dare lay a finger on her!"
"What?!"
With that, Kōga takes off as the mentioned redhead shouts heatedly,
"I ain't yours, ya eejit!"
Sango comments,
"He sure is cocky for someone who just ran away from battle..."
Coraline groans in irritation...then sighs out a breath and says to her arguably more pissed off companion,
"Please calm down, Inuyasha. You-or, rather we shouldn't le' tha' hallion ge' under our skins."
His ear twitches, and he whirls around at the girl to tensely shout,
"Who said I was letting him get under my skin?!"
"Yur tone of voice for one."
"Huh?"
He retracts a bit, and she smiles while adding,
"Tha' wolf's all talk and no real action. He knows how to futer with h's flirting, but I can't really see 'im as a dependable guy, like you are."
...Inuyasha relaxes completely, and found himself blushing a bit from Coraline's words.
She, thinks I'm dependable?
Watching the interaction between those two, Sango whispers to Miroku,
"Is it my imagination, or is Inuyasha's face a bit redder than before?"
"(Smile) I think so."
And they weren't the only one: all through the little discussion about Naraku with the wolf demons, Freeman found himself stealing peeks at Ginta, who gave a few glances back in return, causing them both to look away with light blushes on their cheeks...
"Hey, Freeman. You alright there?"
Snapping out of his daydream, the young man replies to his brother,
"H-Huh? Oh-um, yeah, I'm fine. I was, just thinking about, that friend of Kōga's...Ginta..."
"Oh? What about hi-"
Besa pauses when he sees the dreamy look in Freeman's emerald/dark brown irises...He smirks knowingly:
"Oooh~, I see. New crush?"
"I-I dunno about a full crush. Maybe an inkling?...I think he's cute."
"Who?"
They look over at Coraline, who just heard the tail end of their conversation.
"Who'r yae talkin' 'bout, bro?"
"Uuuhm..."
Besa smiles cheekily and replies for Freeman,
"One of Kōga's friends, Ginta."
The latter punches the former's arm in embarrassment.
"Dude!"
"What? There's nothin' wrong with having a crush!"
Coraline widens her eyes a bit...before laughing a little and commenting,
"Oh dhia. I guess I should'a known 'this' would happen in our travels sooner than later."
No reason f'r me t' feel opposed. I mean, Kōga's a pain in the ass, but his friends are alrigh'...
"What the heck are you guys talking about?"
She explains in a whisper into the half-dog demon's waiting ear...and he breaks out a teasing grin.
"No way!"
"Hehe, no lie!"
Miroku catches onto the topic, and sends his own smirk at Freeman's blushing face.
"I suppose this would explain why you kept eyeing Ginta during our conversation. I must say, you certainly know how to be subtle."
"A-At least I can make it subtle, unlike you! You gaze dreamily at any pretty girl at the drop of a hat!"
Everyone laughs at the characterization, while the monk mildly glares away with his own blush of embarrassment...
...
...
Night soon falls over the mountainous region, and we catch up with the wolves as they pause their travels atop a small cliff protruding from the main mass of rock...Zooming in on Ginta, we see a small blush dust his cheeks as he thought about the mini staring contests he had with a certain espresso-complexioned young man.
That dark-skinned boy...What was his name?...Oh, Freeman!
...He was kind'of good-looking...
W-Wait, what am I thinking?! He's human! I shouldn't be-Then again, Kōga's been pinin' after Coraline, so it must be okay to like humans...
Still, he and Hakkaku don't know...that I like...
Before he could finish his thoughts, he and the others feel a change in the atmosphere.
"Huh? What is that?"
...Suddenly, a drone of Saimyōshō manifest and come buzzing their way...Kōga narrows his eyes at their presence:
"Looks like insects..."
...Wait...That smell!
He starts dashing down the face of the cliff, much to Ginta's protest.
"Wait, Kōga!"
"This is the same scent as Kagura's!...No mistaking it!"
He reaches the bottom and leaps into the forest, sliding to a stop on a path between the thick cypress and beech, and waits...A minute later, Naraku - dressed in the baboon fur comes - emerges from the shadows, riding a carriage pulled by a skeletal horse, the back containing something covered by a large red cloth. He pulls the bony equestrian to a halt, and hops to the ground to address the wolf demon.
"The young leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe. You picked up my scent even before Inuyasha."
"I know you...You're Naraku!"
His scent is identical to Kagura's! He must be Naraku...
You slaughtered my comrades, and now, I will avenge their deaths!
"Heheheh, pity for you, but I'm afraid you shall become fodder for my new incarnation."
A breeze passes, fluttering up the red blanket and allowing us to see an eye pierce the blackness behind some bars...
"A cage? (Smirk) Puh, I dunno what kind of beast you brought, but the timing couldn't be better. I'll gladly get revenge for my men!"
Naraku laughs before replying,
"Kōga, meet your opponent. Emerge from your cage, Jurōmaru."
There's a gleam from within...and the cage opens, leaving a figure free to crawl out on all fours. Getting a closer look, we see they're a male of considerable height with a pale complexion, long lavender pink hair, dark cobalt irises, and wearing a pale aquamarine kimono with a cadmium green hakama and hifu set, and a metal filter mask for his mouth...
Kōga raises a wary brow at Jurōmaru:
What's the deal with him?
Nevertheless, he calls out,
"Have it your way, Naraku! I'll take him out first, then I'll mash you both into the ground!...What's the hold-up here? Hurry up and release his shackles so I can get my hands on him!"
"No. He'll be enough of a challenge for you just as he is."
The wolf demon didn't expect that response, but only growls a bit and replies,
"Alright. It's his funeral!"
He then charges forward, and balances on his hand while dishing a spin-kick to Jurōmaru...But, the incarnation ducks, before swiftly grabbing his opponent swiftly by the throat and pinning them to the ground!
"Gg-gh! Get, off me!"
Kōga tries to kick Jurōmaru, who jumps off and lands on all fours a few feet away, letting the former back up a bit while getting his breathing in check...
He's, fast! Maybe even faster than me...
Wait...what's that chill in the air? It's coming from that bit in his mouth...
"Gh!"
No POV
"I can smell Naraku!"
Just as our main group continues on down their own path for the evening, Inuyasha suddenly makes off into the lower canopy after picking up the scent of said evil demon. Coraline hurries to board Kilala with Sango and Shippō, while Miroku, Freeman and Besa run alongside them.
"Wait up, Inuyasha!"
The monk and the twins each call,
"Don't go running off on your own!"
"You still haven't mastered Tessaiga's new strength yet!"
"This ain't the time to go lookin' for trouble!"
Inuyasha calls back in a retort,
"Spare me!"
It's more than just Naraku's scent: the stench of that pesky Kōga's comin' through too.
I'm the one who's gonna bring Naraku down. I won't let that mangy wolf get 'im first!
It was then that the said wolf demon pops out from some trees a couple feet in front of the half-dog demon...
"Kōga!"
Inuyasha begins catching up with him and asks,
"What do ya think you're doing?"
"Lemme alone! Can't you see I'm busy?!"
"What'd you say?!"
(CRASH)
Jurōmaru then comes barreling through some tree trunks, causing the wolf to ask himself disbelievingly,
How'd he catch up with me?!
The incarnation then dashes over beside Inuyasha, before trying to swipe the other with his hand! The silverette dodges, and says sarcastically,
"Nice job escaping as usual, Kōga," turning to watch his rival 'whirlwind' out of the area...
"He's gone! Huh? Nh!"
He then barely dodges Jurōmaru's fist again, leaving it to connect with the ground instead...
"You finally showed up, have you, Inuyasha?"
Said half-dog demon tenses as the central enemy of this whole quest fades into view from behind his incarnation.
"Naraku."
By this time, everyone else has caught up, Miroku muttering Naraku's name with just as much hate...Said demon comments,
"Kōga must've fled when he saw he had no chance of victory. Hnhnhn, he's more intelligent than I took him for."
Inuyasha retorts,
"Huh, who cares about him? I'm in a whole different class altogether."
The monk then while glancing over at Jurōmaru,
"Wait a minute: is that another one of Naraku's incarnations?"
Besa replies,
"Must be...but there's something about his stare that seems, different from the others."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure. He's got that, trigger-happy look, (narrows eyes) like a bomb waiting for the button to be pushed."
Naraku says to his incarnation,
"Jurōmaru, I shall remove you from your shackles. Go forth and fight to your heart's content."
(Bzz-crack, clack, clach)
The metal filter mask and chains break off...but instead of rushing to attack Inuyasha and company...
(SLASH)
Jurōmaru cuts down on the demon puppet, causing everyone to flinch back in shock!...Looking closer, we see something sparkling from inside his mouth while he makes an eerie cry like a howl from the dead...Inuyasha wonders in a similar fashion to Kōga's first impression,
What's with this guy?
Oddly enough, Naraku wasn't mad about the action, seemingly predicting such a move.
"Hehahaha, Jurōmaru is unstoppable now that his mask has been removed. He will slaughter everything in his wake."
With that, the head of the demon puppet disappears, and the incarnation hisses again while Inuyasha thinks,
I don't like the looks of this Jurōmaru. He's makin' my skin crawl...
Miroku has similar wary thoughts.
"Even if Naraku was a demon puppet, it's hard to believe that he just beheaded his own ally."
Sango wonders in a grim tone,
"Perhaps no one is his ally," and Coraline notes,
"Then that explains the restraints from before..."
Freeman nods,
"Yeah. This guy's gotta be the berserker type: all brute and no reason."
With that, Jurōmaru makes his first move against his new opponent, lunging forward with break-neck speed and swiping his fist against Inuyasha. The latter jumps back, before attempting a counter-strike...It isn't clear if any real damage was dealt, but the incarnation demon does slide to the ground...Still, the silverette remains unsettled:
What's with this guy? He didn't even try to dodge my attack...Is this a trap?
...No. Freeman had the right of it: this demon's all brawn. He couldn't think up complex battle plans.
"Alright. (Knuckle crack) I'm gonna have to finish you off here and now! (Leap) Iron Reaver, Soul-"
(Swosh)
"Huh?"
Everyone gasps, and Miroku exclaims,
"He blocked it...!"
Inuyasha was in shock, and before he could move fast enough, another swipe came at his face.
"Aaaagh!"
Coraline calls out his name, and he rubs the side of his face as he tries to process this latest counter.
How the hell...Did his arms just grow? Can he transform or something?
Kōga's POV
I managed to get away from that freak demon and back to Ginta and Hakkaku, and I'm now sitting with them by the mountain cliff...
"Well? Did you find Naraku?"
"Yeah, how come you came back?"
"Don't tell me you ran away..."
I scoff lightly at Hakkaku and reply,
"No chance. That Naraku brought another stupid-looking sidekick along with him. (Frown) But that guy gave me a bad feeling, and I've learned to trust my instincts..."
I smirk as I thought of mutt-face:
"Heh, bet Inuyasha wishes he'd done the same. He's probably getting beaten to a pulp by Jurōmaru even as we speak."
"You mean you saw Inuyasha?"
"Yep."
My friends make sounds of worry, before Hakkaku says cautiously,
"Um, Kōga? I could be out of line for saying this..."
Ginta finishes,
"If he's in danger and Coraline's with him, doesn't that put her in danger as well?"
...Oh crap!
I shot to my feet and beat them both while shouting frantically,
"Why didn't you tell me that earlier, you clowns?!"
I run off back to where I came from, as they call back in a retort,
"Why didn't you notice it first?!"
Damn it! That mutt better not put Coraline in the line of fire before I get there!
No POV
As Kōga runs back to help for Coraline's sake, Inuyasha continues to dodge and block Jurōmaru's blows, before bringing out his Tessaiga.
"Got you!"
(Slash)
The sword makes 'contact' with the demon's arm, and the other part flies into the bushes!
Shippō cheers,
"He did it," but Coraline wasn't as ecstatic:
...Wait. Something's wrong.
I didn't see any actu'l blade to flesh contact...Could tha' mean...?!
Inuyasha was having similar thoughts:
What the hell? Why didn't I feel his arm sever?
It's almost like it separated from Jurōmaru...
Before he could think on the subject further, he snaps back to reality to leap away from the charging Jurōmaru.
"Daaah!"
(Crash)
As the dust settles, everyone else sees the suspicions of both to be correct, the fox demon going as far as exclaiming,
"His arm's still on!"
Inuyasha tenses:
Uh! I knew it! That wasn't his arm I hacked off...
...Behind him, the ground begins to upturn...
(SHOOM)
"Aaaaaaaaaaghhhhhh!"
And before anyone could blink, something shoots up and through the half-dog demon's torso from back to front!
"Look! From the ground!"
"Inuyasha!"
He grimaces as he falls to his knees from the pain, thankfully still alive due to his demonic heritage...Looking a couple feet ahead, we see a new demon sitting in front of Jurōmaru. It has a grotesque body resembling a grey white-skinned snake with a spinal cord, two arms with razor-sharp scythes for hands, and a head with the same features to the first incarnation, only smaller!
Sango and Besa cringe at the sight as Miroku and Freeman sputter,
"W-What the hell is that thing?!"
The head dips up to address Inuyasha, licking his lips in satisfaction.
"Thanks for the meal...Your innards were simply delicious."
"Damn it. So there were two of you all along? Rgh...Who the hell are you?"
"Heheheh, I am Kagerōmaru, and I have been lying dormant inside Jurōmaru's belly."
Everyone comes to stand protectively around Inuyasha as Coraline wonders,
"Hang on...Tha' mask Jurōmaru was wearing...Hah! Of course; that was...!"
Miroku finishes,
"That bit seems to be the only thing that was keeping it inside!"
Kagerōmaru laughs,
"Jarōmaru obeys no one but me...Not even Naraku."
Sango stutters,
"W-What," but Freeman sees it clear as day:
"I get it. These freaks must represent the wilder and more brutal parts of Naraku!...But the smaller one's obviously the brains of the operation..."
"And now, let us feast on the others, shall we, Jarōmaru? We'll engorge ourselves!"
With that, Kagerōmaru makes his charge, and Miroku readies to unleash his cursed power.
"Wind Tunnel!"
However, just before he could get the beads off, the beast shoots straight past his hand!
"Miroku!"
Besa swiftly pulls out his kama and warns,
"Sango, incoming!"
Jarōmaru charges next, and the slayer tosses her own weapon at him.
"Hiraikotsu!"
(Toss, za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za-za-SWIPE)
But the larger incarnation uses his brute strength to knock it into the ground!...It was then his smaller companion comes shooting down from the air!
"Sango!"
Miroku seizes the brunette and pushes her out of the way, just as the Brownlee with cornrowed hair swings his weapons up to block the scythe-like blades.
(Clang)
"Grrrrh, not on my watch, you cree-Gyah!"
He's thrown back with the other two when Kagerōmaru's tail whips his torso!
"Ha! Foolish human!"
The trio groans collectively and rise to a stand, and Sango asks,
"That was a good attempt, Besa. Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm just glad I was fast enough to protect you and Miroku. (Turn, glare) But something tells me the fight's just getting started."
His stare is directed at the incarnation, who looks at the three with a chuckle...
"Wind Tunnel!"
(Whooooooossssssshhhhhhhh...)
This time, Miroku succeeds in opening the black hole in his hand...Unfortunately, unlike others who failed to fight the vacuum of power, Kagerōmaru somehow dodges the attack, and jeers,
"What are you hoping to eliminate?"
"Gh, (turn) over there!"
"Too late! Do you honestly hope to defeat us with such sluggish speed?!"
And before the monk could move fast enough, Jarōmaru rushes him at his side.
(Shove)
"Aaah!"
Coraline widens her eyes, and Inuyasha mutters his friend's name before getting off the ground and running at the brawny incarnation with his sword.
"Hrrraaaaahhhhh!"
(Swing)
He misses both enemy and ally by a hair, but was more concerned by the latter's condition and creating some distance between them and the incarnation...
"Miroku, you alright?"
"Hah, hah, hah, yeah. Your sword scared me more than anything."
"Kuh, then pull up the covers and don't watch this part. (Turn) He's mine this time..."
Coraline starts running over with Shippō on her shoulder and Freeman running alongside her, protesting the half-dog demon's next action.
"Don' do it, Inuyasha!"
"You've got a hole in your gut for starters!"
"Let me take care of that creep! I can throw him off balance with my hammer!"
Inuyasha scoffs,
"Oh please, it's not like I've never been wounded befo-Uh!"
He stops mid-sentence when he sees Kagerōmaru stalking up behind them!
This girl's life belongs to me now, and the boy will make a good second helping.
Just as Lumos comes flying in making chirps of warning, and Inuyasha shouts the redhead's name...
(Shove, SLASH)
"Aaaaaaaarrrrrhhhhhh!"
Freeman pushes his sister out of the line of fire, and takes the hit to his back!
"Freeman!"
"Freeman, no!"
"Brother!"
Said boy falls on his front, and cries out in pain from the deep slash mark he's now sporting.
"D-Damn...Gah!"
Coraline screeches to a halt and shouts for him with the fox demon.
Meanwhile, Kagerōmaru slides to the ground a few feet away and mocks,
"What a fool's move...But if you insist on getting in the way, boy, (lunge) I'll feast on you first!"
(...KICK)
"Grrrah!"
But before the fiendish incarnation could make such an attempt, Kōga comes to the rescue and kicks them away!...Mind you, there wasn't any real damage done, and Kagerōmaru zips away...Inuyasha is stunned, but Besa quickly snaps out of his stupor to rush over to his brother's side.
"Freeman! Are you okay?!"
"Rgh...Back hurts like hell, b-but I'm still breathing, so I call that a good sign-Agh!"
"I've gotcha, bro. Just breathe deep..."
The able-bodied twin shucks off his vest and presses it against the wound, then turns his head to where the two gingers are.
"Shippō, help me stem the bleeding!"
"Okay!"
As the fox demon rushes over to assist, Coraline turns to address the new arrival.
"Coraline..."
"Kōga...thank yeu for savin' my brother."
I guess I can coun' this as a few good points...
He nods, before turning to call Inuyasha out on his lack of action.
"What do ya think you're doin', dog-face?! How dare you put my Coraline in danger!"
"Who are you to talk, running off with your tail between your legs? I will thank you for saving her and Freeman, ya mangy wolf."
Coraline was surprised by her companion's somewhat mature attitude.
"Wow. He's actu'lly bein' serious around wolf boy. (Turn) Bu' nevermind. Freeman, I'm so sorry; I should'a sensed that bastard coming."
"N-Not, your fault, sis. I-I'll be okay..."
She nods, before turning a hard glare at Kagerōmaru's form.
...Tha' demon's gonna pay for that move.
Meanwhile, Kōga asks Inuyasha,
"Sooo, what's the story with this strange-looking demon?"
"He came out of Jarōmaru's gut, or so he claims..."
Kōga stares at Kagerōmaru's form and quirks mentally,
Figures. No wonder I was sensing a chill from Jarōmaru...It was him.
Miroku remarks seriously as he sits up with Sango's help,
"I can see Kagerōmaru's much too fast for even the likes of us to keep up with him."
Hearing that, the wolf demon retorts,
"Pfh, why don't you speak for yourself, monk? There's no one who's capable of escaping from me."
Kagerōmaru chuckles and jeers,
"Words are your only true weapon."
"I'll call you on that one, after I twist your head off!"
"Outta my way, wolf boy!"
"Huh?"
He and Inuyasha turn around, and widen their eyes at seeing Coraline with her sword at ready, her eyes aglow.
"That spinal cord freak's mine."
"Coraline...?"
She steps in front of her allies and calls out with a growl,
"Yeu, sleeven bastard!...Yeu almost killed my brother; now I'm gonna kill you!"
She then charges right at the demon, much to Inuyasha's protest.
"Coraline, wait!"
"Raaaaaahhhhh!"
She swings down at Kagerōmaru, only for he to dodge the blade and land a few feet away.
"Hehaha, you think you can take me on, little girl? The wolf has a better chance of keeping up than you do!"
Coraline grinds her teeth, before unleashing one of her Aura Attacks.
"Claw Spiorad!"
(Swash)
The talon-shaped ice blue energy cuts into the ground...but Kagerōmaru dodges again, and Jarōmaru makes his lunge at Coraline from behind!
"Uh!"
She readies to block just as Inuyasha comes swinging in with Tessaiga.
"Jarōmaru, I'm your only real opponent here!"
He and his initial target scram out of Tessaiga's path, before the former hops aboard the dog fang sword and lunges at the swordsman to grasp them by the jaw.
"Hrrgh!"
"Inuyasha!"
Kōga hops over to Coraline's side and scoffs,
"Puh, shame on you, mutt-face! That lame excuse of a demon should be easy prey!"
"Rrrgh, what?! (Slap) Get off me!"
He then runs over to stand back-to-back with the other two.
"Who are you to criticize? I don't see Kagerōmaru lying face-down."
"Tch, don't compare yourself to me!"
Coraline groans inwardly and barks,
"Guys, focus!"
...She then hears Lumos making his ghostly chirps, and turns to see him bobbing frantically from the treetop.
"What is it, Lu-Auh, Kagerōmaru!"
Kōga looks up on instinct, and a white blur zips in front of him before stopping a few feet away...
"Heh, I'm startin' to get the hang of this! Hrrrah!"
His fist connects with dirt, but the wolf demon is not discouraged, and keeps up his speed.
"Ha, I gotcha!"
Shippō notes from his place by Freeman and Besa,
"He's predicting Kagerōmaru's moves!"
The twin who shucked off his vest comments,
"Speed and anticipation are good, but how long can he do it? (Turn) Anyway, we should focus here. Freeman, how are you holdin' up?"
"B-Been, better..."
Besa lifts his makeshift gauze to check on the wound.
"(Wince) It's deep...but not so much that it's gonna kill, thank kami. I think the bleeding's stopped for now."
Unfortunately, there's no time to grab out bandages and salve...
There's gotta be another way to stem the wound...Wait!
He looks down at his crystal shard in thought:
"It's a long shot...but maybe..."
He takes off his wrist band, and hovers the crystal over the wound.
Cora did say that these crystals are rumoured to have healing powers...
It may be a shard, but it should still do something.
Please...please work. Please heal my brother!
Just as Besa attempts to call on the healing ability of his Seven Light shard, Kōga performs a hand-stand on one hand to dodge Kagerōmaru before kicking him to the ground...
"You're dead!"
He then pounds his fist into where the demon fell, upturning dirt, rock and hopefully the fiendish creature!...Sango smiles and says,
"Got 'im."
...However, when the dust clears, we see no signs of the incarnation!
"Huh? He's gone! He got away on me!"
(...Rumble...)
We see a new section of dirt shift, before creating a path heading straight for Inuyasha and Coraline!...Luckily, the latter senses the demon first courtesy of her Aura Sight.
"Watch it!"
(Clang)
She then uses her blade to block her companion's arm from Kagerōmaru, while Kōga becomes stunned by the demon's craftiness.
"What? He came out of the ground!"
(...SWIPE)
"Gaaah!" "Aaaah!"
It was then Jarōmaru throws the two teens backwards with a sweep of his arm, and the half-demon crashes through a tree trunk while the human falls into a bush!
"Inuyasha!"
"Coraline!"
The redhead groans and pushes herself to a stand, stealing a glance at her companion.
"Are you alrigh'-Hh!?"
She gasps, seeing Inuyasha was unconscious.
"Oh no!"
Meanwhile, Kōga tries to land another punch at Kagerōmaru, but misses again, making another small crater in the dirt.
"...He got away on me again!"
(Zip, slash)
"Grrrh!"
He's then hit by the incarnation in a surprise attack...On the sidelines, Miroku notes,
"No. There's no way he'll ever win with an injured leg..."
Sango adds while watching her fellow woman trying to wake the silverette up,
"And Inuyasha's still unconscious!"
As Kōga whimpers on the ground from his newly injured leg, Kagerōmaru looks over at Coraline and jeers,
"Hehnhn, perhaps I should eat your liver next, little girl, or maybe I should finish off that other boy while he's down?"
She grits her teeth on the defense, and Inuyasha snaps awake.
"What?!"
The wolf demon isn't anymore pleased by such a prospect, finding the strength to lift himself up some.
"Kagerōmaru, don't lay a hand on her!"
But the demon begins his charge:
"I'll eat her bones and all!"
Coraline darts up, sword in hand at the same time Kōga rushes to try and stop Kagerōmaru.
"No you won't!"
But he's blocked by Jurōmaru!
"Too late!"
"...Claw Spiorad!"
(SLASH)
Unfortunately for Kagerōmaru, his intended target wouldn't dare be caught unawares this time, and her next attack is successful with making contact, leaving a cut mark against their body and slicing off one of his bladed arms!
"(Smirk) Ha! How's that for keeping up?"
Everyone is amazed by her success:
"She did it!"
(...Sheen)
At the same time, Besa's crystal finally activates.
"Uh! The shard...Ah, and Freeman's cut! It's beginning to seal!"
As he and Shippō cheer at the prospect, Inuyasha snaps out of his daze and charges past Coraline to finish the job.
"Good one, Coraline! I have 'im from here!"
"You got it!"
"(Leap) Now die!"
Swinging his sword hard, he leaves another injury on Kagerōmaru, before making another successful swing, yet misses contact...What amazed Sango was how well he's handling the katana.
"What just happened? Did the sword just become lighter? He wielded Tessaiga with one hand!"
Miroku replies,
"He's so simpleminded, that when he got angry, he forgot how heavy the sword was."
Inuyasha retorts from afar,
"Hah, hah, simpleminded, huh?"
"He heard that?"
Ignoring Miroku, the half-demon focuses back on searching for the enemy.
"Is he underground?"
Coraline comes to his side and replies dryly,
"Looks tha' way...Nice add-on with Tessaiga, by th' way."
She holds his shoulder as he replies,
"Thanks...You alright? I can smell your blood."
"It's just'a few scrapes from Jarōmaru's earlier attack. I'll be fine...I'm more concerned abou' you, though; you're seriously hurt."
Meanwhile, Kōga says to himself while dodging some consecutive attacks from the brawn of the incarnation pair,
So dog-breath's still alive, is he?
The two sword-fighters watch, and Coraline comments,
"He's not gonna be able t' jouk for much longer with tha' bum leg..."
"Feh, like he'd be of any use to me...You're a better partner than that wolf cub."
She's taken aback by the half-demon's characterization...but then smiles appreciatively.
"Really?"
Inuyasha half-smiles back and replies,
"Yeah," then turns his focus back on the enemy with a frown.
"But I can get 'im. Stand back and watch the master; I can take out Jarōmaru by myse-uh!"
Just as he made that boast, the weight of Tessaiga gets the better of him...
Sango and Miroku comment from the sidelines,
"Did the Tessaiga get heavy again?"
"So it was his desire to protect Coraline that made it lighter..."
As Inuyasha struggles to lift his blade from the ground, Kōga jeers,
"Coward! Lost your nerve, huh?!"
The young Croft counters with a glare,
"Tch, tha's some rich malarkey comin' from the demon who doesn' use his sword! (Smirk) Seriously, is tha' letter-opener on yur hip for decoration, or a last resort when yo're backed in'a corner like a rabbit?"
Everyone gapes, and Inuyasha laughs at her cheekiness as he lifts his blade over his shoulder with both hands.
"Nice. She's got a point, wolf!...Anyway, (dash) I'll finish you off while I'm at it!"
(...Zip)
"Guh!"
He screeches to a halt to dodge Kagerōmaru, and Kōga dodges him and Jarōmaru with the second incarnation dashing onward to attack the silverette.
"You're a dead man!"
(Swing)
Jarōmaru hops on and off the Tessaiga, and Kagerōmaru erupts from the ground to lunge at Inuyasha before diving underground again!...Coraline then sees the former coming back for another hit.
"No' this time, you freak!"
She unleashes an Aura Attack at Jarōmaru, hitting him dead-on and throwing him back to the ground!
"Yes!"
...But, the incarnation stands up again, and Coraline doesn't see any physical damage.
"Aw come on, wha' the hell?!"
Inuyasha pulls himself up with Tessaiga and says,
"That's weird. Your last attack did damage to Kagerōmaru..."
"Yeah, I don' get it either...Duck!"
They both drop down as Jurōmaru comes barreling at them again...But upon landing on the ground...
(Bzzzt)
Charges of ice blue energy spark up around the incarnation's body, which based on his pained expression, was causing some form of discomfort.
"Huh?"
"Okay, so i' did do something...Bu' what?"
There then came a series of spasmodic movements from Jarōmaru's arms, before he settled down again...
"Hey, Coraline, I think I know what's going on! These guys are suppose to be parts of Naraku, right?"
She turns her head to where Besa is:
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, wouldn't that mean they technically only have a fragment of a soul, or something else that allows them to live? And your attacks are based on soul energy, right?"
"...Oh! I think I see wha' you're getting it: as incarnations, they can't be affected by aura attacks th' same way a normal demon can."
"Exactly! As for why his arms were moving so out control a moment ago...I think you might have screwed up his motor functions a bit."
"What?"
Coraline looks at Jurōmaru with her Aura Sight:
Ah! His essence is sparkin' in his muscles! It's as Besa deduced: he's losin' control of his normal function!
Just as she comes to that realization, Jurōmaru charges at her and forces her to dodges his fist...which then ricochets back his way and forces him to dip backwards.
"Huh?"
Inuyasha hops over to the girl's side and asks incredulously,
"Did he just seriously try to hit himself?!"
"Auy, well, apparently, my earlier attack is causin' his essence to spiral outta control. He's slowly losin' the ability to use his motor skills properly...which, migh' be good or bad..."
"Why bad?"
"Because i' means his movements may become more unpredictable than earlier."
The teens then split up to dodge Jarōmaru again...
Sango watches from outside the battlefield and comments,
"If this battle goes for any longer, even Inuyasha won't be able to hold out."
Miroku adds,
"And there's no way of knowing where Kagerōmaru will emerge from next..."
By this time, the twins were able to change their location to where the other two humans are, albeit carefully to mind Freeman's back. Said boy groans and says,
"If only I could move! I'd whack my mallet onto the ground and force the bastard out with some seismic vibrations."
The slayer thinks on his words...then softly gasps with a smile,
"Wait...That gives me an idea! Miroku, give me your staff please."
"Why? What do you have planned?"
She takes out a small clam shell with purple powder from her holster and presses the end of the monk's weapon against it.
"Watch. This poison won't last long, but it'll at least get Kagerōmaru out of the ground."
Hearing her plan, Lumos dives down from the tree branches and stops to hover around the middle of the battlefield, bobbing up and down intently...Besa watches and says,
"I think Lumos is saying that's the spot to throw the staff."
Sango nods at the Will O' Wisp and throws the staff straight at the spot.
(TOK)
It connects with the dirt...and the powder takes effect, discolouring the dirt into a rust shade. Kōga stops to stare...
(Crash)
"Gyy-aaah!"
Kagerōmaru then shoots out of the ground to get away from the poison! Miroku and Freeman were impressed:
"It worked!"
"Wow! Just like what I had in mind, only sneakier!"
Sango then calls over to the others,
"Now capture Kagerōmaru! He's going to be slowed down by the poison!"
The demon hops up a few tree branches, cursing the slayer.
"Damn you!"
Kōga then tries to punch him, but misses, and Inuyasha goes in with Tessaiga.
"You're mine now! Hrrrah!"
(PUNCH)
"Gah!"
But he's hit by Jurōmaru from behind, and flies into the wolf demon before crashing with him to the ground!...Kōga does land on his feet, however, and says to Inuyasha sarcastically,
"Oh, that was just great, dog-boy. Now are ya gonna die this time 'round?"
Coraline calls the half-demon's in worry, then hops back from Jurōmaru and somersaults to both her demon allies. She hurries to help the more injured into a crouching position.
"I've go' your back, Inuyasha. Don't strain yourself..."
Kōga says to her reassuringly,
"Don't worry, Coraline. I can handle both demons on my own."
She glares at him slightly while Inuyasha growls, and the wolf adds,
"Now that Kagerōmaru can't do his little underground trick, I'll take him out! (Dash) But you're going down first!"
By you, he means Jurōmaru, and though the wolf is confident, Inuyasha darts his eyes back and forth, sensing something off.
Why can't I sense Kagerōmaru?...Is he hiding in the shadows somewhere?
"...Uh! I know where he is!"
Zooming in on the visible incarnation's face, we see him opening his mouth a bit to reveal that sparkle from the beginning of the fight...
"Fool! Stay away from him, Kōga!"
"Take your own advice, why don'tcha?"
Inuyasha rises to a stand, and Coraline exclaims in protest,
"Wai', don't go; you're too weak! Le' me go and smite the demons!"
He shakes his head at her offer and raises Tessaiga into the air.
"You stay here!"
Jurōmaru begins opening his mouth just as the silverette leaps into the air with his sword.
"Move it, or you're goin' down with those demons!"
Kōga glances behind him briefly just as Kagerōmaru shoots out to attack.
"See you in Hell!"
"What?!"
"Your fate is sealed now!"
"We'll see about that!"
(SLASH)
Inuyasha brings down Tessaiga, and Kōga scrambles out of the line of fire, leaving Jurōmaru and Kagerōmaru wide open.
(BOOM)
...And just like that, the demons were destroyed...
Coraline smiles at her friend's success:
"Alright, Inuyasha!"
Shippō and Miroku each comment,
"Nothing but ashes..."
"He did it..."
Sango and the twins smile with relief, and Inuyasha remarks,
"It's over...despite someone getting in my way."
(CLONK)
"Gh!"
He's then bonked on the back of his head by a seething Kōga.
"You, fiend! Were you actually gonna kill me too?!"
Inuyasha says nothing and sheathes Tessaiga...
"That's a good enough answer for me!"
"There you go."
"I'm gonna waste you!"
"Not on my watch yu're not!"
Coraline sheathes ShatterSoul and rushes over to the two feuding males, pushing them away from eachother before standing protectively in front of Inuyasha.
"No more fights, y' hear me?"
Kōga then jeers bitterly,
"Nothin' sacred to you when you're swingin' that thing around, isn't it, dog-boy?"
The redhead isn't pleased by his continuance to act rudely.
"(Glare) Stop it, Kōga. I won't let you hurt 'r insult 'im. Besides, with yor enhanced speed, it was obvious you'd get outta the way in time."
Inuyasha says to her,
"Don't bother explaining anything, Coraline. It's not worth your trouble."
He then shoots a glare at Kōga and says,
"Listen: if you ever get in my way again, next time I really will kill you."
"I'd like to see you try it, you lame excuse for a half-dog!"
"Pardon?"
This would be the girl in the middle's breaking point.
"That's it!"
(Swipe)
"Guh!"
She then brings out her combat knife, and points it threateningly at Kōga's throat!
"Auh, C-Coraline!"
"Shut it. You've go' two options: back off and leave, or I slash yur throat and coa' my blade in your blood!"
Jaws drop from the sight, before Freeman and Besa comment together with spirited smiles,
"That's our sister for ya."
Once the shock wears off, Kōga found himself mildly glaring at the heated redhead.
"Coraline...you're my woman. Why should I leave your safety in the hands of that incompetent mutt-face?"
Inuyasha growls, but then Coraline counters,
"Firstly, I ain't anyone's woman, least of all yours. Second, unlike you, Inuyasha sticks around while yeu leave. What kind of message do y' think that sends?"
"Uh...uh..."
"No answer? Thought so...Hauh, (lowers knife) Kōga, y' need to move onto another girl that's not me. I'm not abou' to fall for someone who's only gonna constantly pop in an' ou' of my life. That's not screamin' dependable; if anything, i' makes you'a deadbeat hero."
Kōga gasps, Inuyasha is stunned, and the twins snicker while whispering,
"She's got a point there."
"That must've stung..."
Once the second wave of shock wore off, the wolf demon huffs...before turning and leaving without another word, much to Miroku's and Sango's surprise.
"Huh?"
"He left her..."
Inuyasha shakes off his stupor and calls at the retreating form.
"Get back here, you coward!"
Coraline turns to him and places a hand on his shoulder with a calm expression.
"Don' waste yur energy on the eejit, Inuyasha. Now c'mon, le's see to your injuries, yea?"
The silverette looks at her funny...before asking,
"Did you mean what you said?"
"Hm?"
"You think he's a deadbeat hero?"
"...Well, yea'. He pops by an' saves the day, before leavin' just as quick. What th' hell kind'a dependability is that?"
She smiles softly and adds,
"You on the other hand, have been with me since the beginnin', along with everyone else...Tha' makes you the better man than wolf boy will ever be."
Inuyasha is taken aback...but then grins a bit from her words.
"Keh, damn right I'm the better man."
Coraline giggles from his quick change of mood as Miroku and Sango watch from afar with smiles.
"Well, things seem to be ending a bit more peacefully than usual. (Nervous smile) I'll certainly need to remember this incase I accidentally set Coraline off in the future...Shall we be off, Sango?"
"Sure. We should see to your wounds, (turn) and make sure Freeman's back wound is okay."
He replies as h's lifted from the ground by his twin,
"I'm holdin' up fine, Sango, but thanks for caring-ouch!"
"Sorry, brother."
"It's cool; just move your hand over a bit."
They all make their way out of the area, and Shippō pauses to say to the remaining pair with his own smile,
"You two really aren't fighting as much anymore...and I'm glad."
He scampers off to catch up with the other four as Inuyasha and Coraline look at one another...before glancing away with matching light blushes.
"U-Um, shall we head ou' with the rest?"
"R-Right...We need to address your scrapes too."
Lumos comes floating to their sides, settling on the girl's shoulder as she wraps a caring arm around Inuyasha's torso...He places an arm over her own shoulders, before all three begin making their trek out of the forest...