Chapter 133: Swan Song of the Shichinintai, Part Two
Recap:
The road towards the probable elimination of the evil entity known as Naraku steadily reaches a new end in the red rust dirt.
It's certainly been another long stretch for the forces on the hunt for the half-demon whose name passes like rat poison between the tongue, courtesy of the undead septet, the Shichinintai (or Band of Seven), whom were resurrected for the mere purpose of distraction. Battles were fought, blood had been split, and limits pushed beyond reason...
Eventually, it came down to but three of the zombie mercenaries gathering at the mountain to make a last ditch effort in destroying their enemies...Unfortunately, two of those said men would quickly meet their demises, not by the hands of the ones against them, but by their own comrades for reasons related to wavering and maintained loyalty respectively.
...Now, the only one left 'alive' is the young leader, Bankotsu, and if he is to meet the same fate as the other six, he will certainly not go down as easily...
Of course, his fierce battle with Inuyasha was not the only major event taking place within the, dare we say, demonic Mount Hakurei worth noting. Moving up the mountain, past the area where a certain redhead and her team were still dashing and hacking their way through the seemingly endless army of demons to reach their allies, deep within the upper shaft, we zoom down the pit where Sango and Miroku had fallen previously thanks to an attack from Kagura.
Miraculously, they were both still alive and not at the mercy of the malicious being they saw but moments ago, the demon slayer having thrust an end of her Hiraikotsu into the rocky wall to help stop her drop, she now leaning over it as she struggled to hold up the young monk, he hanging on tightly to the other end of the rope she had.
"Nnnh, nh-hh, Miroku, are you alright...?"
With a grunt, the male with pale beige skin and blue eyes calls back,
"Yes, more or less...!"
...But turning his vision below, Miroku would see that he and his partner were in a vantage that was anything but safe.
The remains of demons...
Even so, despite the obvious underlying danger that could be offered by this mass collection of non-exorcised, monstrous appendages and who-knows-what-else, he knew this required further investigation.
"Sango! Lower me down some more!"
...Is this all Naraku's doing?
Returning below around the foot of Mount Hakurei, our infamous half-dog demon was still decking it out against the equally infamous undead human, the former attempting to slug the latter, only to miss and receive a counter-punch to the side of his own jaw.
"Gauh!"
Inuyasha is thrown back against the cave wall with a crashing slide, but recovers well enough that he doesn't face-plant the ground...
"You underestimate my strength."
Bankotsu punctuates his point by punching his palm with a smug expression.
"There was a good reason I became the leader of the Shichinintai!"
He lunges in to hit his opponent again, but the male with long, shaggy silver hair was able to react fast enough to dodge, forcing the former's hand to go straight through the rock face...Still, that hardly slowed Bankotsu down, who lands a series of violent hits shortly after that failed attempt.
"(WHACK) I controlled the gang of murderers with my own power, (WHACK) long before I was resurrected by the Shikon-no-Tama!"
(Swing, miss...TWACK)
The fourth swing would really make headway, sending the recipient flying to the ground with a cloud of dust and upturned rock...
"Tuh, you really are pathetic."
Inuyasha only growls in response at first...before remarking a bit dryly,
"One of your jewel shards...it's embedded in your left arm. (Lifts himself up) Grah...that's a pretty straight forward way of usin' 'em, especially considering how twisted you are."
"Ha. So you let me hit you on purpose to check me out. Will you take my shards from me, (preps himself) or will I rip that head of yours clean off?! (Lunge) Who's gonna be first?!"
The dog demon in red offers no reply, readying himself for another charge...
Sesshomaru's POV
Tch, what pathetic spawn, thinking they can best a demon of my caliber.
It would hardly take any effort to cut down the mass army with a few strokes of Tokijin, the corpses falling to the ground in a rain of flesh. Even Jaken was not having much trouble using the fire power of the Staff of Two Heads to incinerate any demons that tried to get too close.
"Take that, and that!"
Hn. For once, he is making himself quite useful...
Just then, my youngest ward would spot a shift in the enemy's behaviour.
"Master Jaken, look at the sky!"
Following where Rin was looking, Jaken and I would see the larger body of demons rushing overhead for places unknown...as if they were fleeing.
"Duh?...Ah! Look, Lord Sesshomaru: the demons are making their escape!"
Hm...interesting...
I sheathe Tokijin, deciding I need not waste anymore energy on the weaker points of my true enemy, much to the imp's confusion.
"Uh? Aren't you going after them?"
"...They're insignificant."
Looking towards the no longer pure mountain, I realize what these demons were really doing.
So...they are aware of what fate's in store if they choose to stay with their master...
...You are running out of allies in this closing hour...Naraku.
Kikyō's POV
It would not be long before the demons separating from the mass army spilling out of Mount Hakurei to attack me give up, thanks to several arrows shot from my bow...
And yet, watching the sea of dark souls flee for anywhere that was not this no longer pure mountain, I could feel my unease in this shift of events grow.
...Did Naraku set them free on purpose? Or has he no use for them anymore?
My vision turns back to the source:
In any case, I shall go and see for myself...and hopefully, meet with even a few of my, friends, along the way.
Coraline's POV
It took a little more time than expected, having to pause several times to take down a few stragglers of that huge wave of demons making a break for the outside world...but eventually, we would all reach the cave entrance up the mountain where I could feel the mix of Naraku's Aura and the massive piece of the jewel he possessed.
Kōga takes a peek inside first, before asking me as I, Shippo and Kilala come overhead,
"Is this where Naraku's hiding? Sense anything, Coraline?"
"Lemme check. (...Sheen) Yep; the beat of mixed energies is echoing strongest from here."
Soon...we'll be meeting that bastard's face once more...and hopefully for the last time.
"We're going in?"
I reply to the nervous fox demon while wrapping a comforting arm around his little body,
"We are."
"I thought so..."
Peering down left, he calls to the rest of our party (who was able to keep their speed thanks to some certain crystals),
"Hey, Freeman, Besa, Ginta, Hakkaku! You guys ready?"
I look down to see the four gesturing a thumbs up with confident smiles, even with a bit of worry flashing in the irises of the wolf demons.
"Ready!"
Inhaling a deep breath, I say to everyone,
"Okay, this is it; no turning back...Let's go!"
"Right!"
Wolf Boy leads the charge inside, Kilala taking me and Shippo aboard her after him, the other four running between...Of course, our youngest member of the group wasn't feeling overly excited about this likely upcoming confrontation with evil.
"Auuaaah! Wait! I'm not ready for this yeeet!"
I just lifted him up to hug towards my torso, holding him with a motherly smile around the time when Freeman calls up,
"Chill out, little dude; this'll be a walk in the park! Naraku doesn't stand a chance against us all!"
"Y-You think so?"
"I know so! United, we're strong!"
Besa agreed to that idea:
"That's the right attitude, brother! We go in together, come out together!"
Ginta and Hakkaku exclaim a resounding 'Yeah', also feeling pepped by my brother's words...It seemed to calm our little friend down, for he stopped shivering in my arms and shifted so he was sitting on his own in front of me again...
I would have been inspired too, if I wasn't so focused on the condition of the shards.
We need to get into the heart of the action fast, before the Shikon-no-Tama fragments are completely swallowed by the darkness.
No POV
So with everyone's current locations established, focus returns back to the bottom of that inner sanctum where Miroku and Sango were, the pair now standing at the edge of the pile of demon carcasses, bones and fleshy appendages, looking them over with wide, curiously suspicious eyes.
"Look at them all...!"
"Now we know for certain that Naraku has been trying to rebuild himself within this chamber..."
"Then that means, these demons..."
The young monk nods:
"They were probably used to create parts of Naraku's body."
...Though this would be the least of the duo's worries, when they suddenly spot something strange rising out from the cervices of demonic flesh, in the form of...a short, alabaster-skinned humanoid with a perfectly round head and stubby, tentacle arms?!
"What is that...?!"
Miroku wasn't anymore sure than the young woman with long, dark brown hair was.
"It's moving!"
That small entity would quickly be joined by several more clones, as pointed out by Sango.
"There's more of them too!"
And the more that appeared, the more the little beings would cloister, until there were hundreds upon hundreds, molding together into a single shape overtop the demonic dead!
"Incredible...!"
"I know! They're not, demons. More like clumps of flesh...!"
Calming down a little, the young man with short black hair tied back into a small rat's tail remarks,
"Yes...it's as though they're about to spawn something..."
"Spawn?...But what?"
"I don't know..."
The monk casts his blue irises to the above point of the pit, now not so sure of the enemy's whereabouts.
"...Where did Naraku escape to...?"
Meanwhile, back in the winding caves below this area, Inuyasha wastes no time in meeting Bankotsu's offensive measure with his own.
"Grh, why you...!"
Unfortunately, the undead swordsman knew the dog demon would be aiming for his left arm, and was able to punch down the incoming claws, much to the latter's shock!
"Guh!"
He, blocked me...!
Smirking at the loss of concentration, the 'young' male with cobalt irises whirls around before using his own left arm to send a resounding suckerpunch to Inuyasha's right cheek, causing them to fly into the wall of the cave once again...
"What's the matter, Inuyasha? I'm goin' out of my way to punch with this hand and make it easier for you to take my jewel shards!"
The undead male then hurries over to seize his enemy by the throat, raising the choking dog demon high.
"What, is this battle over already?"
He preps another wailing fist...but would be interrupted when Lumos suddenly comes barreling down from above, darting overtop the hand holding his friend before releasing a spurt of power similar to what he did for Miroku during the events of that supposed elder demon exorcist!
(Bzzzzt)
"Argh!"
Wincing in pain from the Will O' Wisp's attack, Bankotsu is forced to release Inuyasha, he falling to the ground face-up, gulping in some much-needed air. Panting, he glances up at his smaller ally who was now hovering over him with soft, worried moans.
"Hah...hah...thanks."
"Kuh, pathetic."
Amber irises focus back on Bankotsu, he looking down at the former almost disappointingly with a side-glare at the little orb of light.
"This is a real disappointment. And here I was convinced that you'd put up much more of a fight, and without having to rely on help from something like that little, fairy or whatever it is..."
Kneeling down, the undead warrior chooses to grab the dog demon by his robes this time, quickly swatting away the Will O' Wisp before they could interfere.
"One side, you little pest!"
Lumos would go bumping into the cave wall a little harshly, his next moan echoing with a bit of a dizzy wobble.
Inuyasha mutters his friend's name with gritted teeth, before glaring hard at the one holding him hostage...
"Don't worry, Inuyasha. I'm not interesting in tormenting someone as feeble as you. Weaklings hold no appeal for me."
...There's a pause...before Bankotsu's face contorts into a more serious expression.
"Hmph, now die."
(Thrust...SHOOK)
"UH!"
...But instead of Inuyasha receiving a devastating blow, it would be the male with the long braid of black hair, specifically, a few clawed fingers in his throat, right where the Shikon-no-Tama shards were!
"R-RH! Damn, you, to hell...!"
"I'm not like all the other humans and demons you've slaughtered...I can take alot more damage than them."
Removing his appendages, the dog demon takes away the three fragments that jump out from his enemy's flesh and blood, before swinging a foot forward mid-air right into the other's gut, sending them flying to the ground this time!...Tucking those jewel pieces away, Inuyasha says with no waver in his tone,
"I've got five of 'em...Once I get the shard in your left arm, it'll be over for you, Bankotsu."
Yet even with those facts out on the table, the undead male wasn't anywhere close to accepting defeat.
"Drrh, silence, fool! I will never die! I'll kill you and take back the jewel shards you stole from me!"
"Don't count on it. I've got news: getting outta here's only half the problem. Naraku will never let you stay alive as long as you still possess the jewel shards."
"I'm sure he's more interested in killing you."
Inuyasha pivots his head left to look towards a further punctuation of where lesser evils really stand in this growing climax.
"Over there."
Bankotsu follows the other's gaze...and would see the dozens of gleaming red eyes in several pathways leading deeper into Hakurei, waiting for their moment to strike...
"Those demons aren't guards. They intend to go after whoever survives."
"...Damn that Naraku...!"
"I have no idea what kind of promise you made with Naraku when he revived you..."
Bankotsu recalls the exact words spoken to him during his brief encounter with the spider-marred half-demon himself...
(Flash)
"Awaken, Bankotsu. Awaken...I grant you life once again."
"I want you to serve me, Bankotsu. If you do, then this new revived life will be everlasting."
"Now go forth with your six comrades...and destroy my enemies."
(Flash)
...Silence blankets the air between the mutual enemies...before Inuyasha gives it straight to Bankotsu once more.
"Naraku used you and the Shichinintai. You're nothing but a human shield to give him protection."
"...Kuh, (small smirk) so what if he did use us?"
Now that was not the response the young dog demon expected.
"What? You don't care?"
"Chuh, the Band of Seven were originally mercenaries. We were hired by clan lords and they didn't give a damn about us either. When we became too strong and dangerous for 'em, they hunted us down and chopped off our heads."
A frown had formed on the undead leader by this point.
"I never trusted Naraku right from the very start, but now that I'm resurrected, I can do as I please. (Stands up) I'll kill anyone who gets in my way, even if it happens to be Naraku."
"Really? Naraku didn't do himself any favours picking you to revive."
"Enough!...What's your story? How did you awaken from your seal?"
Under the surface, Inuyasha was once again taken aback...but externally, he felt no obligation to reflect such to his enemy.
"...None of your business."
"Hmph. It's all about greed, Inuyasha. We're all the same. That dried-up old Saint Hakushin, the dead priestess...Even you, and that woman of yours. You live because of your insatiable hunger for life. Don't make us out to be the only villains here."
"You're the ones who killed countless people here, not us!"
Bankotsu makes no denials, even embraces such fact:
"Yeah, and we've killed our share of demons too."
He then leaps backwards, then sideways towards the forgotten halberd, much to the dog demon's dismay.
Oh no: there's Shikon-no-Tama shards embedded in Banryū!
Inuyasha hurries to snatch up Tessaiga just as his enemy takes hold of the other weapon, before spinning around to charge in for another clash of blades...But to his shock, Bankotsu just rushes past the dog demon, aiming instead for the demons back down the path!
"Hrrraaaah!"
(Slash)
"That's nine-hundred-ninety-one!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-two! Nine-hundred-(slash)-ninety-three!"
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Bankotsu doesn't answer the majorly confused dog demon, focusing his attention on the other demonic entities heading his way.
"Come and get me!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-four!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-five!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-six!"
Seeing that the undead warrior wasn't going to bother with him for a bit, Inuyasha decides to take out some frustrations on the easier targets, throwing a Wind Scar straight at one section of the demon swarm.
(SLASH...)
Meanwhile, Bankotsu was getting closer to the end of his goal.
"Nine-hundred-ninety-seven!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-eight!"
(Slash)
"Nine-hundred-ninety-nine!"
The final demon he destroys with a single, leaping stroke from Banryū housed the appearance of a giant dragonic centipede.
"Naaaaaaahhh! One-"
(SLASH)
"Thousand!"
The beast's body is cut in half, spurting out a fountain of blood before its flesh fell to the ground...
(Ba-Bump...Ba-Bump...)
Suddenly, the halberd is wrapped in a fiery red glow, much to Lumos's worry, who began to spin dizzily while glowing his red/white-blue warning in front of Inuyasha.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I don't need the rest of you!"
He turns around to see Bankotsu prepping his newly-powered sword with a spin.
"What did you say?"
He's then forced to use his Tessaiga block the thrust of Banryū's aura, which this round glowed a red similar to an aging star, and was so potent that the rest of the demons in the area couldn't take the pressure and were destroyed instantaneously!
...
...
Only the dog demon and the Will O' Wisp would emerge visible through the cloud of dirt from that attack, the former panting while the latter drooped onto his shoulder with a tired moan.
Lumos is getting exhausted, and I'm not feelin' any better than he is...
Much as I should take the dead poser out, this fight's taking way longer than necessary.
...I need to get the focus back on my real enemy...and get to my pack.
"...If you decide to get outta here, I won't get in your way."
Bankotsu was too intent towards vengeance to even think about switching tactics to save his own skin.
"I'm not going anywhere until I kill you and avenge my brothers."
"Huh, just because your blade transformed a little?"
"Actually, I wanted to lop your head off to complete the transformation...but then again, it may not have been enough, what with you being a half-demon."
"What's that suppose to mean?!"
"You're about to find out!"
(Lunge, swing...CLANG-bzzzzzzt)
This round, when the sharp metals gnashed their teeth against one another, a series of red electricity sparked...Inuyasha struggles to hold back the opposing blade, pushing it back before speeding backwards to dodge a series of blows from Bankotsu while rethinking the situation.
Why's that sword so powerful? It's like Sesshomaru's sword, Tokijin!
"When I first met Naraku, he told me about the existence of the Shikon-no-Tama!"
(Swing, crash)
"A sacred jewel that could empower both humans and demons! Humans can't possess demon powers, and I didn't care for spiritual powers, and I wasn't born with the power of the divine..."
One particular blow sent from the halberd connects with Inuyasha's body, and he yells in pain as he's thrown back into the cave wall, again...!
"I always thought that in order to become more powerful, you had to make yourself stronger. However, there was one other way, and that's to put power into an object. So I made a wish on my Banryū. I've cut off the heads of a thousand warlords."
Growling, Inuyasha attempts a counter:
"Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
"And just now, I killed by thousandth demon!"
Bankotsu thrusts out another strong aura...which cancels out the energies of the Tessaiga's signature attack!
"Guh! The Wind Scar...!"
"Besides the wish I made on it, Banryū has Shikon-no-Tama shards embedded inside...One thousand humans, one thousand demons. This demon sword that's absorbed the wrath of two thousand lives. You wield a demon sword too, (grin) but can it beat my Banryū?!"
With a resounding outcry, the undead swordsman attempts a leaping strike against his opponent, to which they would leap back from while countering,
"You were resurrected by Shikon-no-Tama shards alright, but you're still human! That sword is surrounded by a demonic aura; get rid of it for your own good!"
Wait...demonic aura...
"Go to hell, half-breed!"
Bankotsu throws down another back-breaking aura, which Inuyasha was barely able to block, the strength enough to shove him back into the cave wall.
"A demon like you could never understand my desires! Or maybe you think you understand because you're a half-demon; is that it?!"
The blades meet in another powerful clash...
"You can't understand man's world, where strength is your only hope of survival!"
...The fight pauses for a moment, and Bankotsu begins spinning his sword above him, channeling all the power he can with the intent of finishing this battle once and for all.
"It's over."
...That's when it clicks to Inuyasha:
"Uh!"
Of course!...That's what Lumos was trying to tell me earlier!
"With this power, I will lose to no one!"
The zombie throws a meteor ball of blazing energy towards the dog demon...but the latter wasn't worried, finally figuring out what he had to do.
Bankotsu isn't a demon, but if his Banryū's producing this demonic aura, then I can use the Bakuryūha!
A vortex of wind begins forming around Inuyasha, as he preps himself to unleash said technique...Then just as the meteor orb of demonic power's but a few feet away, the counter is made.
"Bakuryūha!"
(SLASH, WHOOOOOSH...)
The vortex is released, crashing against the opposing attack before reeling it backwards to its starting point, namely, Bankotsu! Letting out a surprised cry, the undead warrior attempts to block...but the power was too great, and shatters Banryū, leaving the wielder helpless to being hit full-blast by his own attack!
"Aaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh!"
(Ka-BOOM)
...
Once the dust and rubble settles, we find that while he wasn't completely obliterated, Bankotsu was buried 'alive', his dominant arm amputated and reduced to bone a few feet away while still grasping the remains of the halberd.
"Hhhh...I don't, understand..."
A shadow hovers over his form, belonging to the one who defeated him.
"You were way too greedy, Bankotsu. You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards."
...The 'young' warrior chuckles dryly despite himself, before succumbing to his wounds, choosing to forgo any remaining reviving power he may have had left from the jewel shards, and join his brothers in the afterlife once more...
Suddenly, the ground beneath Inuyasha's feet began to shake and crumble, swallowing the corpse of the last Shichinintai, while the dog demon struggles to remain steady.
What's goin' on...?!
Moving back within the center sanctums of Mount Hakurei, that massive pile of mounted flesh...began to vibrate, pulse like a fatty heart.
"Miroku, look...!"
"Now what?...Uh!"
The ground beneath the feet of the priest and demon slayer started shaking too, prompting the former to lead the latter away from the bulk of this mess.
"Run for it!"
...That shaking will travel all over the mountain, reaching the valley cave entrance Coraline and company had just entered, though not as violent. She herself notices parts of the rocky path begin to pulse with a luminous glow.
"Huh? What is this?"
Shippo whimpered a bit and shifted closer to the young woman with two-tone blue irises, feeling a shift in the dark energy growing stronger the further the group rushed in. Just then, the twin males with espresso skin but contrasting styles of coarse black hair feel a vibrating from their pieces of Seven Light Crystal, and peer down while still sprinting, observing a new sickly gray glow to the usually prism-clear viscosity.
"Hoh boy, this don't look good..."
"Yeah. We're in dangerous territory now, people."
Hmming both curiously and nervously, Ginta and Hakkaku ask aloud,
"What could this mean?"
"Are we that close to Naraku's location already?"
Responding to all of the observations, the wolf demon male with deep blue eyes and long black hair tied back in a ponytail calls over his shoulder,
"We'll find out soon enough!"
So despite the rising unease, the group ups their speed, moving further into the cave...which were now pulsing more strongly in a manner likening towards...blood vessels...
Back just outside the valley, the priestess with alabaster skin and long, banged black hair held back by an accessory contrasting her more traditional garments was now looking up at the nature-made structure with a more stoic air.
"...The demonic aura is growing stronger..."
She of course was not the only one feeling the shift in the tides. With the swarm of lesser demons having fled from the area, Sesshomaru's focus would not be distracted from his vantage atop that cliff-side facing Mount Hakurei, sensing the power of his enemy thickening around the mountain like a putrid smog...Knowing that the battle ahead would not be a safe zone for his young human ward, he orders,
"Rin."
"Yeah?"
"Take A-Un and get away from the mountain."
The young girl with big brown eyes was a bit taken aback, before asking with a worried expression,
"But what will you do, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"It goes without saying...Naraku is in there somewhere."
Rin hms more to herself in understanding to her lord's words...just as Jaken approaches the tall dog demon with a somber expression.
"Uh-pardon me, milord..."
"What is it?"
"There is no question that Naraku has kept himself hidden from his enemies until now in order to recoup his strength. He has undoubtedly grown much stronger since last time that we met..."
...While Sesshomaru would be too proud to admit to this moment, here is where we see him reflect a family trait of stubbornness he shares with his younger half-brother, right down to a more, subtle version of Inuyasha's glare.
"Your point is?"
The imp of course would pick up on it quickly, jumping down to a kowtow while dropping his staff.
"Gah-uh, my point, yes! What was my point? Nah-heh, I guess my mind's growing weaker with age..."
He stops mumbling when he senses his lord's departure...which pauses to the sound of Rin's call.
"Lord Sesshomaru."
Golden amber irises peer over the owner's shoulder to beet deep brown, and the younger human latter says,
"...Good luck, my lord."
No reply is made, though there hardly was a need for one between these two...Sesshomaru continues his way into the valley...
Meanwhile, his half-brother feels the ground beneath his heels beginning to soften, and looks down to see the rock had turned into some sort of slate-coloured...jelly, like substance. Cursing, he attempts to hop to another spot where there would be more stable ground, only to land in the same result.
What's with this ground? It's like it's tryin' to draw me in!
(Glances up) And it's not just the ground, either: this entire cave looks like a giant wall of flesh...!
If things hadn't become taxing enough, some of the fleshy gel suddenly oozes upward in the form of tendrils, encasing around Inuyasha! Panicking, Lumos - whom had remained on the dog demon's shoulder to recuperate - tries to pull himself free from the new bindings, but also found himself trapped, moaning a wail.
Damn...we can't move!
And while those two rose upward...Bankotsu's corpse sunk downward...
Kōga's POV
We had all got about several yards into the cave entrance from the valley, when my ears pick up on much louder pulses.
Hm?...That doesn't sound good...
Stopping, I make the observation known to everyone else as they halt, Besa asking,
"What's up, Kōga?"
"Somethin's definitely goin' on; it's getting louder in here."
My best buds comment on the pulsing by their own ears.
"Mm, he's right..."
"(Shiver) Almost sounds like a, giant heart..."
Coraline gets us back on track:
"If the beats are getting noisier, we shouldn't linger longer than necessary. Best to press on."
We all nod in agreement...but just as I make the motion to lead us on, I suddenly found myself sinking into the ground!
"Guh!"
"Kōga!"
"D-Dammit! What is this...!"
Worse still, Ginta and Hakkaku we're experiencing the same a few feet behind me.
"Gah, oh no!" "W-What the hell?!"
Ginta! Hakkaku!
Our human friends, somehow staying in a save zone between these, quicksand spots, waste no time in trying to help, Coraline coming to my aid while her brothers rushed to my friends.
"Kōga, hang on!"
"Ginta!" "Hang on, guys!"
Seizing my hand, Coraline starts pulling as hard as she could, struggling to hold against the strength of this weird ground.
"Rrrrgh! Come on, come on...Wolf boy, ya gotta give me a hand here!"
Coraline...
I peer over to see that Freeman and Besa were a little more successful, which I suspect had something to do with those strange crystals they own, already tugging my best friends halfway back out.
"Hrrrrrh, we've, gotcha...!"
"Just, a little, more...!"
The little fox tyke Shippo, cheers them on from atop the twin-tail, Kilala.
"You guys can do it!"
Guys...
Seeing all three of them working so hard to save us...I couldn't let them get dragged away, or rather,
I can't let her get sucked in with me.
"...Let go, Cora."
She gives me a look of disbelief, and I shove her hand away, sealing my fate with a bitter smile.
"I'd never put you in danger...not to mention, Inuyasha, would never let me live it down."
"No!...Kōga!"
"Don't! This is, definitely...!"
The bastard's name never left my mouth, as I'm dragged into this...flesh entirely, my name being the last thing I hear called...
Coraline's POV
"Kōgaaaaaa!"
No...No, dammit!
I was ready to curse to high heaven over failing to save my friend...
"Sis!" "Cora!"
Darting my head back around, I look to see that my brothers had at least managed to rescue Ginta and Hakkaku, their lower bodies a little smudged by the residue of...whatever this stuff is.
"We got these two out; what happened to...?"
...I could only shake my head with a sad frown, making those four mimic that expression with gritted teeth.
"Crap..." "Kōga..."
"We lost 'im..." "Poor Kōga..."
Swallowing down any possible guilt before it could even rise, I focus back on the spot Wolf Boy vanished into, prodding it with a finger as I notice a...texture difference.
"Hold on...This isn't rock..."
It, feels like...organic flash...
Next thing we all knew, the environment around us receives a makeover, shifting to a sickly green with, vein-like structures running along the walls...!
"Look, guys!"
"We see, little dude!" "Holy-!"
"The whole cave changed!" "Unbelievable!"
"What could've done this...?!"
Whimpering, Shippo characterizes the change as the following.
"It's like being inside the belly of a living being!"
The insides of a monster...Like, that demon Kikyō and I got trapped in which targets those with spiritual power!
Watching as the walls began to throb creepily, I begin to wonder,
...Is this Naraku's intent, then? Is he, trying to harness the mountain for his own designs?
And why take Kōga away?...Something doesn't make sense...
"C-Coraline, are we going to be devoured as well?"
Snapping out of my brewing thoughts, I reply uncertainly,
"I can't say for sure. I mean, if that was to be our fate, shouldn't it have happened earlier?"
Freeman wonders similarly:
"Yeah, and it seemed that the fleshy stuff didn't put up that much a fight with Ginta and Hakkaku, more so Kōga...And then those weak demons we fought before coming here: they bolted out with no issues...It's like, this place no longer cares about demons in general...rather..."
Besa finishes with narrowed irises:
"The mountain's targeting the strongest sources of demonic strength...or more prominent enemies. This has to be Naraku."
Humming with a nod, I turn back to the path ahead us and conclude,
"Whatever's happening, we can't leave Kōga behind. We need to go after him, and find out if this is happening to the others!"
At that, I start the sprint inside this time, my ears catching the sound of footfalls belonging to the other four men and Kilala right behind me. Shippo of course, was understandably skeptical of the new plan.
"But Coraline, we don't know where he's buried!"
"Not yet, but we will! I can sense his jewel shards heading this way under these fleshed walls, on a straight course for where Naraku is!"
The others gasp, but don't make any protests...Eventually, we reach the end of the tunnel, opening into a shaft of more organic mounds.
"Hah, hah, made it...but where are we now?"
The men settle beside me two to a side, Kilala and Shippo near my right, as Besa guesses,
"We're most likely in the core of the mountain now..."
"Gauh! What is that?!"
Following Hakkaku's point and freaked exclaim, we look up near the top, to see a disgusting mass of faceless sacs of flesh encased in an embryo-like substance! Freeman makes a face and mutters,
"Eugh, gross...!" Shippo then quietly asks,
"Are they, demons...?"
Using my Aura Sight, I check before replying,
"Not exactly...They do have a shady aura, but, it doesn't read as very alive."
Ginta sniffs the air and adds,
"And they don't really smell like demons either...They're like, somewhere between dead flesh and demon flesh..."
Our observations don't steer Shippo away from deciding,
"Whatever they are, they give me the creeps."
"...Who's there?! Coraline, Shippo, guys; is that you?!"
Uh!...Miroku?
Suddenly, the tip of Hiraikotsu comes popping out, shoving aside some of those small humanoid things to create a hole big enough to show...
"Miroku! Sango!"
Oh thank god, they're alright!
My brothers were just as ecstatic to see them:
"Heeey, Miroku, Sango!"
"You're both okay!"
Sango calls our three names back, before spotting the two wolf demons among our party.
"Oh! Ginta, Hakkaku; you guys too?"
They wave up with reassuring smiles:
"Hi!"
"Good ta see ya!"
...However, there was one person whom I was most anxious to see, and he wasn't here, nor was my little partner.
Inuyasha...Lumos...
I call up to the pair,
"Have either of you two seen Inuyasha or Lumos recently?"
Their confused expressions made me nervous, and Miroku asks back,
"You mean they're not with you?"
"No! Inuyasha went to find you two a long while back, before I sent Lumos to try and help him!"
Besa adds,
"Neither one returned, so the rest of us decided to barge our way in once the barrier started weakening!"
"We haven't crossed paths!"
...Oh, damn...Inuyasha...Lumos...
As my worries grew, Shippo wonders aloud in a similar tone,
"Where could they have gotten to?"
Hakkaku carefully postulates a probable answer:
"What if...they got caught in that same mess Kōga did a couple minutes ago...?"
Mm, he might be right...but I also hope he isn't.
(...Tha-bump...)
"Hm?"
(Rumble...)
"Uh!"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and that mass of fleshy figures falls apart, taking Sango and Miroku with it! They let out matching cries of panic, and Shippo hops down off of Kilala before directing her to save them.
"Catch them, Kilala!"
She doesn't hesitate, kicking off into the air, leaving the rest of us to brace ourselves for the pending drop...
"Whaaaaah!" "Gaaaaaah!"
"Whoooa!" "Aaaaaah!"
"Craaaaaap!" "Duaaaaah!"
...Thankfully, the men of our group act fast, with Ginta and Hakkaku using their demon claws to grip a part of the cave walls where the veins are thickest, before snatching up Freeman and Besa's hands respectively, who then catch me while Shippo clings onto my back!
"Hah...hah...man, that was a close call."
"You said it, hah...You guys okay?"
My brothers calls back to the wolf demons with grunted smiles,
"We're good!"
"Wayda act fast, you two...Kōga would be proud if he could see this."
That boosted their egos quite a bit, their smiles expanding ten-fold...
"Something's rising up from the cavern!"
Snapping our eyes to where Sango was shouting about as I shift to keep my feet from sliding, we watch as several giant tentacles come shooting upward!
"Whoa..."
"What are those...?"
"Oh man, that doesn't look good..." "What now...?"
...But what would really lock my attention, was the one I saw rising with the tendrils.
"Huah! Inuyasha!"
Oh no...! He must've been ambushed in the lower section of the mountains by this...thing!
I try to shout for him, the others in my space doing the same, but no matter how loud we cried, Inuyasha would not respond...
"(Ghostly moans)"
It only got worse when I catch the muffled cries of my other no-longer-missing friend, he too trapped near my lover's shoulder.
"Guh! Lumos, not you too!"
Christ...what the hell's going on here...?!