Chapter 83: The Panther Tribe & The Two Swords of Fang
As everyone else is preparing for what comes or was already engaged in battle, we turn back to the abandoned town in the aftermath of Karan and Shūran's attack, as Shippo pulls himself out of the rubble of one destroyed home:
"Uh! That's right: Coraline was abducted by the Panther Tribe, and it's up to us to save her!"
After recalling all that has happened so far, Shippo looks to see Hachi and Kilala laying unconscious not too far away...yet does not see the others who were with him:
"Miroku! Sango! Freeman?! Besa!" It was then Myoga hops over to him:
"Oh, you're alive, Shippo!"
"Hi, Myoga. Where is everyone?"
"Probably deep within the castle..."
Speaking about said structure, we jump now to one of the three gates where Inuyasha and Jaken are, as they face with Shunran. Inuyasha demands,
"Hurry up and move outta my way, or you'll regret it!" The panther demon replies,
"Just try and get past us!"
Inuyasha readies his blade:
"Huh, bring it on."
He then leaps up and tries to strike Shunran, but she uses her illusion abilities to split into three images and fade from view:
"Wha-?! Guh!"
Inuyasha just barely balances himself upon landing, and turns around, only to see multiple giggling images of the panther demon pop up across the sky!
"What is this?! (Leap) Damn it!"
He tries to attack again, but his blade only meets with fake images, who continue to laugh tauntingly all the while in each failed swing...
Meanwhile, at another gate, Kōga continues to butt fists and kicks with Shūran, and lands backwards before sprinting ahead to try and land another attack:
"Get outta my way!"
"No chance!"
Shūran then proceeds to rush forward and tries to land hits to Kōga, but he manages to leap back from each strike...He then goes to land another kick at the panther demon, but:
"Huh?"
"Die!"
(Bzz-crack)
Lightning shoots out from Shūran's circlet, to which the wolf demon would barely dodge, meaning Ryoakan would take the hit:
(Bzzzt)
"Gaaaaah!"
He falls backwards and faints from the power of the attack, causing concern to fall over Hakkaku and Ginta:
"They got Ryoakan!"
"What is that?! Is it lightning?!"
Freeman and Besa kneel down and check the demon's injuries:
"...He's still breathing, but he definitely got hit hard."
"Yeah...but I'm sure our Seven Light shards can help him."
As the twins start using their crystal shards to heal Ryoakan, Shūran says to Kōga with a laugh,
"Not too bad, little man." The wolf demon growls as he ponders,
He doesn't move quickly, but his lightning is deadly.
And at the third gate, Karan tries to attack Sesshomaru with her fire magic, but he blocks with Tokijin...
"Fireball!"
(Fwoom)
Sesshomaru holds out Tokijin and sends its Aura at the fire attack, blasting through it, before hitting Karan:
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
She crashes into the wall, before falling into the moat, extinguishing her elemental aura:
(Splash, sizzzz...)
As she growls at the approaching dog demon, suddenly:
(TOK)
Sesshomaru is forced to leap out of the path of an icicle spear, as it unleashes its ice power, freezing the area around it all the way to the forest treeline!
On the other side of the bridge, is Tōran...Karan calls to her with some relief:
"Tōran!"
The ice elemental panther demon addresses Sesshomaru:
"What a surprise. I thought you would be weaker than you were before..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're short an arm. Who could've done such a thing to the mighty Lord Sesshomaru?"
As she laughs, Sesshomaru's eyes narrow, before he leaps up and swings Tokijin's Aura at Tōran, she shooting her ice current at him! Both attacks collide, before ending in a draw:
(BOOM)
Sesshomaru lands on the bridge, while Tōran lands on the roof of the gate entrance...
"At last, the celebrations are about to begin. We'll be waiting for you!"
She lets out another laugh, before vanishing in her icy winds...
Back to Kōga and company
(Crack-boom, crack-boom, crack-boom)
After dodging three more lightning strikes, the wolf demon falls back behind a boulder, with Shūran mockingly asking,
"What's the problem? Not holding back on my account, are ya? Come and get me!"
Kōga says to himself,
"His lightning bolts are fast, but that's all he's got goin' for 'im. Alright!"
Using his enhanced speed thanks to the jewel shards in his legs, he leaps from behind the boulder and sprints towards the panther demon:
"You're dead!"
"Too slow!"
But Kōga rushes from side-to-side, before quickly appearing in front of Shūran!
"Oh no I'm not!"
"Huh?"
"You are!"
(KICK)
"Uuuuhhh!"
The panther demon's hit hard in the stomach by Kōga's foot, forcing the former to jump back...
"Hah! Had enough?"
"Retreat, Panther Tribe!"
The rest of the panther demons follow Shūran, and head over the gate to the inside of the castle...
"Heh-heh, serves you right! (Turns behind him) How's the big guy doin' back there?"
Hakkaku replies from up top Ryoakan,
"He's breathing," and Ginta adds,
"He's no longer injured thanks to Freeman and Besa, but I don't think he even fainted...more like he's sleeping..."
The twins nod in confirmation and Kōga replies,
"Huh, then leave 'im. (Turns to the front) Let's go...I know Coraline's in there."
The twins turn to one another and whisper,
"Yeah...so do we."
Inuyasha's POV
I keep slashing at these annoying images of this damn panther girl, but kept comin' up with nothing but flower petals and giggling..I stop for a second and grumble to myself,
"I can't tell which one of them is real..." Jaken then comes to my side and asks incredulously,
"What are you doing, Inuyasha?"
"Shut up!"
"(Raises his staff) Let me handle this! Now behold as I dispel the illusions!"
(Fwooooommmm...)
The fire from his staff destroys the fake images, leaving only the one panther girl!
"Is that the real one?"
"Mhm."
She says to Jaken,
"Oooh, not bad for a little imp."
"Your tricks can't fool me! Don't underestimate my power!" I mutter,
"Huh, now that I know who I'm dealing with..."
(Dash)
"Hrrrraaaahhhh!"
(Swing)
My sword makes contact with damn flower petals again, and she calls over the wind,
"Let's continue this at the castle!"
And then the panther girl was gone...
"(Growl) Damn her and her stupid tricks!"
But never mind her: I gotta get in there and find Coraline!
No POV
In the courtyard by the altar with the jewel shards and giant demon carcass, a blue hemisphere shines off to the side, while the four Panther Devas and their subordinates kneel in front of the set-up, waiting for their master to come back to the land of the living...
"The time is almost upon us, Master...The moon is almost directly overhead. In moments, the dogs that we despise will be slaughtered, and the Panther Tribe will rule over these lands!"
(...Glow)
A red barrier forms around the area, just as Sesshomaru arrives, and tries to use Tokijin to destroy it:
(Swing, clang)
But, his blade would not be strong enough, and he would be forced to land back on the ground:
...A barrier.
Tōran turns to him and says with a menacing smile,
"Soon, our Master will be resurrected. Sesshomaru, prepare to die!"
The jewel shards emit a soft glow...before the carcass of the panther demon giant roars! It then reaches down and grabs the altar, gobbling down its contents! The panther demons become excited, and Shūran mutters,
"Our Master has awakened!"
The carcass then speaks, with the jewel shards glowing inside his neck:
"Give me blood...flesh...and Soul!"
...The blue hemisphere then glows brighter, before breaking away, revealing Coraline, Sango, Miroku and the villagers, now standing on an stone platform! Miroku asks aloud,
"What's this?" Sango replies,
"It's the Panther Tribe." Coraline narrows her eyes and mutters,
"Great. Now what?"
"...Coraliiine!"
They turn to the right where the shout came from, and see,
"Kōga!"
He leaps up and tries to bust open the barrier with a kick, but is thrown back by the power:
"Grh!"
He lands down by Ginta, Hakkaku and the twins, and as he rises, he mutters,
"Damn it: A barrier!"
Tōran laughs hysterically and calls out,
"As if fools like you could break the Great One's Barrier!" Shunran jeers,
"Stick around and join us for dinner: We're having Sacrificial Lamb!"
The carcass then starts reaching its hand down to Coraline, Miroku and Sango, with the second saying,
"Find yourself another meal!"
He then removes his prayer beads to use his Wind Tunnel, but:
(Pulse)
"Uh!"
Some other force stops him, and he falls to his knees, prompting Sango to rush to his aid:
"Miroku!"
The hand continues to reach down, and Coraline rushes in front of the slayer and monk, arms outstretched while gritting her teeth for the inevitable...
But then:
"Coraliiiiine!"
Inuyasha finally arrives, his Tessaiga glowing red and ready to cut down the barrier, to which Sesshomaru would note:
...The Tessaiga is red!
(SLASH)
One Wind Scar later, and the barrier is completely destroyed! The cat carcass turns to him and growls, while the panther demon subordinates are shocked stupid...
"(Smirk) Sorry to keep ya." Karan grinds her teeth and barks,
"The mutt...He broke our Master's barrier!" Tōran wasn't anymore pleased than she was:
"How dare he...!"
Jaken meanwhile rushes to his master's side:
"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! (Pant, pant) I have searched everywhere for you! (Looks towards Inuyasha) Inuyasha has surprised me: When did he learn to become so powerful and wield the Tessaiga like that?"
The dog demon does not reply...Inuyasha runs over to Coraline, who hugs him around his shoulders:
"Inuyasha!" He places an arm around her in return:
"Coraline. Are you alright?" They pull back, and Coraline grins while replying,
"I am now that you're here, but I never had any doubts you'd come."
...It was then she felt a reassuring hand go on her shoulder, and she turns to see Kōga:
"No need to worry now, Coraline."
"Uuuh, thanks?" Inuyasha growls and barks,
"Hands off her, Kōga!"
Freeman then rushes over and says urgently,
"Uh, hate to interrupt, but we still got a problem to deal with! (Points up with a gasp) Look out!"
"Give, me, blood...!"
Freeman then takes Coraline's hand and drags her away from the area with Kōga following, leaving Inuyasha as the target for the giant hand:
(Slam)
"Inuyasha!"
"Rest assured, Coraline, it's gonna be easy to get'cha outta here."
She turns to glare at Kōga and says fiercely,
"As if I'd leave without everyone else!" The twins nod and add with serious frowns,
"She's right."
"We need to get these villagers out of the crossfire."
...Inuyasha then manages to push the heavy palm back, before using Tessaiga to cut it into pieces, with the carcass howling in pain! Tōran growls,
"That brat, he's attacking our Master!"
Coraline then looks up, and sees a familiar glow in the carcass's neck:
There! That's where the jewel shards are!
She rushes to Inuyasha to tell him:
"Inuyasha, aim for the throat: That's where the Shikon-no-Tama shards are."
"Gotcha. I'll get 'em back."
"I know you will...In the meantime, I better help lead these villagers to safety."
She runs onto the stone platform and starts directing:
"Everyone, stay together and run for your lives! (Points to the nearest gate) Head for the entrance there!"
They nod and begin sprinting for freedom, but Tōran then orders,
"Stop them! Don't let them escape!"
A group of the panther subordinates block the villager's way, much to their fears:
"We're doomed!"
"There's no way out!"
Coraline hurries over, gesturing her brothers to help, and they stand bravely against the panther demons:
"What's up with you dolts?! If we're suppose to be live sacrifices, what's the point in kill us?! Honestly!"
"Yeah, so get outta the way or we'll kill you!"
"What they said!"
With that, Coraline began slugging a few panther demons with her bare fists, while Freeman used his hammer to knock/push some aside, and Besa used his sickles to swipe the air threateningly to scare the panthers back...Ginta and Hakkaku were impressed:
"Would you look at them go!"
"That's our friends!"
Kōga then says to them,
"Alright, don't just stand there: Clear the way for them!"
With that, the wolf demons run to lend a hand, using their own strengths to punch and kick the panther demons aside...At one point, Ginta and Freeman found themselves back-to-back:
"Oh, hey!"
"Hey...You know, for a human, you're a pretty good fighter!"
"Uh...(Smile) Thanks! So are you, as a wolf demon."
They grin at one another, before continuing the fight...Meanwhile, Sango holds up Miroku, as he tries to get his breath back:
"Are you okay? Miroku?"
(...Tok, tok)
"Huh?"
It was then that Miroku's staff and Hiraikotsu landed in the ground, courtesy of Hachi and Shippo flying aboard Kilala:
"Up here, Miroku!"
"Sango!"
They grin while readying themselves with their weapons:
"Help has arrived."
"Let's get going."
"Right!"
(Toss, spin...tok-tok-tok-tok-tok-tok)
(Whack, whack)
With most of the panther demon subordinates taken down, Coraline and her brothers lead the villagers to the gate:
"Hurry, everyone!" "This is the time!"
"Quick, run for it!"
"Coraline!"
"Hm?"
She pauses, and sees Hachi holding her sword and combat knife:
"Here, catch!"
(Drop...grasp)
She grabs each weapon in both her hands, and quickly attaches them to her thigh and back, before calling up with a smile,
"Thanks, Hachi!"
Now I feel more ready to fight...
We cut back to Inuyasha, as he tries to land a hit to the giant cat carcass's skull:
"Die!"
(Clang)
Though there's no cut, the carcass was thrown backwards, and falls on his back:
(Crash...)
"Master!"
The Panther Devas rush to their master's aid, and he utters,
"Give me blood...and, Soul..." Tōran replies,
"We will! Please, wait a little longer! Master, I promise I will bring you the head of the Dog General's son on a platter!"
Hearing such, Inuyasha retorts,
"Huh, I don't care who this master of yours is! I'm not letting you use human flesh and blood to resurrect him!"
Tōran pulls out a sword from her side and calls back,
"We will and you shall be our first sacrifice!"
"You might not feel that way once you've felt how sharp my blade is!"
Sesshomaru and Jaken observe the scene from the sidelines, the former recalling back to the end of the last battle with the Panther Tribe fifty years ago...
Flashback
We see numerous carcasses of panther demons and other species strewn across the plains...Sesshomaru and Jaken survey the damage:
"Aaah, another glorious battle, my lord, and a victory for you!" Sesshomaru saw differently:
"There was no victory. They fled from battle, that's all."
He holds up the Tenseiga:
"I cannot use this sword. The Tenseiga is a Sword of Healing. I cannot kill my enemies with this...I need the other sword my father left behind...The Tessaiga."
End of Flashback
Tōran lunges at Inuyasha with her ice spear, but he dodges and unleashes his blade's power:
"Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
Sesshomaru watches while thinking to himself,
I need it, and yet I do not have the power to wield it...
Shunran and Karan then jump in to battle, combining their powers to slow Inuyasha:
"Rgh..."
"You're, through!"
Shūran then jumps down and pins Inuyasha to the ground:
"What's the matter? Can't you use your sword like this?"
Before any retort could be made:
(Pow)
Sesshomaru leaps in and blasts the Four Panther Devas with Tokijin's Aura!
...Once the air clears, we see the panthers down on the ground, while Inuyasha manages to lift himself up and glare at Sesshomaru:
"I told you not to interrupt!"
"Stay there where you are. These panther demons belong to me."
"(Rises to a stand) Not this time! You're the one that'll have to back up!"
"Enough!"
(Dash, clang)
Sesshomaru and Inuyasha meet in a clash Tokijin against Tessaiga, before Inuyasha shoves back the other's sword:
"No chance! Rrraaahhhh! Outta my way!"
The older dog demon dodges, and as they continue to fight, Jaken clutches his head and mutters,
"Why can't they join forces instead of fighting eachother?"
Sesshomaru swings Tokijin at Inuyasha, who blocks with Tessaiga:
"Back down!"
"I don't need any help from you."
"Oh yeah?"
While this was going on, the cat demon carcass sits back up with a growl, while the Four Panther Devas watch the fight between the half-siblings with disbelief:
"Are they out of their minds?" Shunran comments after Karan,
"It's hard to believe they're brothers!" Shūran then says,
"Yeah, what in the world are they thinking?" Tōran replies,
"The Dog General's sons are fighting eachother, which means that we must stay united. (Smirk) We'll combine our powers and strike them all at once."
The other three agree wholeheartedly to that plan:
"Alright!"
"Oh yeah!"
"Right!"
But just as they charge up their quadruple-elemental attack, the giant carcass demands once again,
"Give, me, life...!" Tōran tries to assure him:
"Yes, Master, please be patient! We shall offer you their Souls in but a moment!"
...But the giant cat had run out of patience:
"Give me your Souls!"
He sends his claws down on the Devas (minus Tōran), and they all cry out in pain, before their lives are absorbed by the cat carcass! Tōran was appalled:
"H...How, could he...?!"
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru watch, as the corpse transforms into the living giant panther demon, fur and all, letting out a feral growl!
"He devoured his own kin so that he could revive himself..."
The giant turns his eyes down on the dog demons:
"You, two...Sons of the Dog General...You're, next."
His eyes glow red...Meanwhile, Tōran is left in agony, as she gazes at the dead bodies of her sisters and brother:
"Shunran...Karan...Shūran...It, can't, be...!"
"Dogs...You will now feel the full extent of my wrath!" Inuyasha retorts,
"Time to wake up from your pipe dreams! Maybe my sword can help!"
The giant panther tries to claw Inuyasha, who leaps back to dodge, while Sesshomaru leaps up to attack with Tokijin's Aura:
(Pow)
It lands a good hit, but not good enough to kill, and the panther giant slaps Sesshomaru away, he landing safe on the ground. Inuyasha then takes a turn:
"Outta my way! Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
"Dead on."
...But as the energy fades, we see that the panther demon was still standing!
"(Chuckle) No such luck!"
"You've got the strength to fight my old man, I'll give you that much. Hah, you won't get past me, though!"
Jaken calls,
"Don't be so sure, Inuyasha: He's become more powerful than Ryukotsusei. He has the power of the Shikon-no-Tama shards now!"
The panther giant them shoots its claws at Inuyasha, who uses Tessaiga to knock them aside, before both he and Sesshomaru dodge a lighting attack...
Meanwhile, outside the castle, everyone watches the action (or what they could see) from the ruined town, with one villager crying out,
"It's the huge panther demon!"
Shippo exclaims from Miroku's shoulder,
"Look: The panther king's come back to life!" Miroku mutters,
"I thought he needed a live sacrifice..." Kōga jokes casually,
"Maybe he had some fresh dog meat."
"No...He took the lives of his own kin."
"Huh?"
Everyone turns to Coraline in confusion, as she cancels out her Aura Sight, a grim expression on her face:
"I can sense one Devas is alive...but the other three Auras are gone."
They all widen their eyes, and Coraline whispers to herself,
"Inuyasha's Aura's still bright as ever...I know he'll prevail."
Good luck, my friend...and be careful.
Back inside, Sesshomaru knocks aside more of the claws, before leaping up to attack the Panther King:
"Perish!"
(WHACK)
"Uh!"
But he was hit rather violently by the panther demon's horn, causing worry to stir in Jaken:
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Luckily, the dog demon recovers and somersaults to a crouch back on the ground...
"(Chuckle) You shall be my next victim!"
Inuyasha then leaps up and begins hitting the giant's horn over and over, but no effect is made...Jaken rushes to his lord's aid:
"Lord Sesshomaru! Uh, my lord...what is it?"
He then quiets down fast...when he sees a dangerous gleam beginning to erupt in Sesshomaru's eyes:
"...Curse him."
His eyes begin glowing that demonic red, and he stands up, sheathing Tokijin, preparing to shift into his full demon form...
Until:
(Throb)
"Rrh! The Tenseiga..."
His eyes go back to normal, and he looks down at the sheathed fang sword:
"...You wish to be drawn."
He looks back up, just as Inuyasha is thrown back to the ground:
(Crash, slide)
Father...Why did you leave me the Tenseiga? I still don't understand...
Nevertheless, Sesshomaru steps forward, before leaping up, and slashing the Tenseiga across the Panther King, much to Tōran's and Inuyasha disbelief:
"Uh...!"
"What was that?!"
Seshomaru lands and sheathes Tenseiga, just as the Panther King turns to to him to jeer,
"You can't harm me with that useless sword! It's blade is far too dull! Vanquish!"
...But upon reaching out, the giant demon suddenly collapses, while Auras begin spilling out his body!
"Aaagh! My, power...! What's, happening?! I'm losing my power! (Reverts back into a carcass) What have you done to meee?!"
Sesshomaru just walks past Inuyasha, telling him,
"...You finish him off with the Tessaiga."
Though somewhat confused, Inuyasha doesn't question his older half-brother, and readies his blade against the Panther King:
"GIVE ME, MY, SOOOOUUULLLLL!"
"Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
The giant is thrown back and hit hard, and he howls in pain, before falling on his back...Inuyasha then hops up and cuts open the carcass's throat to get the jewel shards:
"I'm taking these back, thanks."
Tōran growls at the dog demon, but her attention is then drawn to the soft groaning...coming from her brother and sisters!
"Uh...Tōran."
Shunran blinks awake after Shūran with a tired expression, while Karan shoots up awake:
"Uh!"
"You're all alive!" Karan asks,
"What, the hell, just happened to us?" Shūran replies,
"Yeah, I was sure that the Master had killed us all..." Shunran wonders,
"Someone must have saved us..."
Jaken steps up to explain:
"It was none other than Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Huh?"
"Your own master took your lives, but Lord Sesshomaru used his own sword, the Tenseiga, to bring you back to life."
Tōran was taken aback:
"He saved us?" Karan growls,
"That mutt?!" Jaken scolds,
"You should at least show some gratitude! (Looks around) Isn't that right, Lord Sesshomaru? Where is he?"
He then realizes the dog demon must've left:
"Oh! (Starts running) Please don't leave me behind again!"
Inuyasha then calls down to the Four Panther Devas:
"So, you wanna pick up where we left off?"
Tōran glares at Inuyasha...but then smiles, and looks away while replying,
"No, we shall return to the West."
The others were confused:
"Hn?"
"Tōran..."
"This is finished. There is no reason for us to take revenge. (Looks up at Inuyasha) You can tell Sesshomaru I said that."
Inuyasha replies while sheathing Tessaiga,
"Kuh, we're not exactly a close-root family, if you know what I mean."
"Hm. Just tell him next time you see him."
He calls back while walking out,
"...Alright."
Time Skip
Come the next day, the villagers see Coraline, Miroku, Sango and the twins off from their town, each one having a bundle in their hands...
"We are forever indebted to you all." Coraline smiles and says to them,
"Your village shouldn't be in danger anymore, now that the Panther Tribe has returned to the West."
"Thank you so much. Finally, we can live in peace."
"(Nod) We'll be on our way then."
Nearby across the bridge, all the others including Inuyasha, Shippo, Hachi, Kilala, Kōga, Ginta, Hakkaku, and Ryoakan were leaning against and/or sitting on a boulder.
Ryoakan was in tears because he wasn't able to participate in the battle last night:
"I wanted to assist Lord Sesshomaru so badly..." Kōga chides to him casually,
"It's too late now," and Ginta adds,
"Well, there's always next time, I suppose."
Inuyasha sighs and thinks aloud on the Panther King:
"With guys like that around, it's no wonder humans are scared all the time."
Shippo agrees:
"Yeah, they give a bad name to the rest of us demons." Hachi chimes,
"Yes indeed."
Kōga doesn't miss a word and comments,
"Keh, what's the matter? You actually expect a thank you from those mortals?"
Inuyasha growls back,
"You again? Why don't we finish off that little score of ours?"
The wolf demon slides off the boulder and replies,
"Sure, thought you'd never ask!"
"(Unsheathes Tessaiga) You shouldn't be so lucky!"
"Fellas, if we could cut the testosterone crap out, please!"
The two demons turn to look over at Coraline, as she approaches them and comments while shaking her head disapprovingly,
"Honestly, we all just took on a tribe of crazy cats last night. Can't we just shake hands and see eachother another day?"
They stare at her for a moment...before looking away with huffs and muttering,
"Whatever."
Scene Shift: Open Field
Somewhere far enough away from all the action that took place overnight, we find the young Rin softly singing to herself while sitting on a boulder, with A-Un laying by in the grass with little wild daisies scattered around:
"Hm-hm hm hm, hm-hm-hm,
hm-hm hm hm, hm-hm-hm...
In the mountains, in the breeze,
In the forest, in my dreams,
Lord Sesshomaru, where are you?
Jaken is serving under you too..."
"...Rin."
She gasps, and turns to see the dog demon and imp have returned:
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Let's be off." "Oh, hurry up."
She hops down to the grass and runs to catch up:
"Coming!"
Rin takes A-Un's reigns, and pulls him along to walk with Sesshomaru and Jaken once again, heading off for parts unknown:
"I will wait for you, on my own,
Please return to me, waiting on my own..."