Quick disclaimer before the chapter begins: the tale entitled Journey to the West belongs to immortal creator Wu Cheng'en and whomever currently controls his works.
Chapter 141: Xī Yóu Jì and Trouble from Overseas
Overcast conditions cloud the skies of Sengoku Japan above a small populace set a few miles away from the more familiar Goshinboku Village...But rather being a mundane gray, these atmospheric wisps were coloured an unnatural purple, a sight which invokes tension for the people below.
Men stand at ready in the square with farming equipment in their hands to use as makeshift weapons against the appending threat that would soon arrive. Inside one hut, a father kneels with a hoe to shield his daughter, she cloistered with her mother.
"Farewell, father. Farewell, mother. Tonight, I will have to leave you..."
"Don't worry, dear. We are all going to protect you."
"How can I live with myself knowing that I've given my daughter as a bride to a demon?"
The little family stiffens on alert when they hear one of the villagers shout from outside,
"Ahh! Here he comes!"
Heading out of the hut, we watch the ominous cloud formations begin to swirl and twist into a mini tornado, the tip stretching to crash down against the earth. The small army of villagers cringe from the strong wind gusts...and zooming in, we see three pairs of eyes - one red, two yellow - gleaming from within the whirlwind...One of the sources speaks, their voice male, gruff and boisterous.
"Where is she?...Where is my lovely bride?"
No answer is provided fast enough, and one pound of the demon's staff sends the villagers running for cover, forgetting their duty to protect the young lady. With no humans in the way, the entity sends an attack wave through the dirt, shooting a straight course for the hut the girl and her parents were camouflaged in!
(CRASH...)
Thankfully, no one is killed, but only the daughter would remain conscious while her parents had the air knocked out of them. Horror and fear clouds her eyes as she cries into her hands, a reaction which hardly deters the demon.
"Aaah, how lovely..."
...Suddenly, a brass tiara gently drops down onto the girl's head, stopping her crying in an instant as a strange power begins to muddle her judgement...
"My dear girl, will you bear my children?"
With glassy eyes cast his way, the young woman replies in monotonic adoration,
"Yes, my master."
"Eheheh, excellent. Then come, my bride!"
The demon commands the whirlwind forward and scoops her up, his snorting guffaw ringing through the air as he and his servants glide away...Once they're gone, the skies dissipate back to a normal blue and white, leaving the multiple faces of the village to slowly emerge from their hiding places in the forest edge, while the mother and father weep over the loss of their daughter once they awake...
However, one young man with hazel brown eyes, a black topknot and wearing a light blue kimono decorated with arctic triangle shapes only felt his blood boil, deciding now is the time to acquire some outside help...His journey takes him all the way to the Goshinboku Village, and he tracks down Kaede's hut where the infamous band of warriors frequently stop at in-between their travels across Edo...
"What? A demon who steals young girls?"
The youthful man nods in confirmation to the aging priestess.
"Yes. You see, our shrine was demolished by a horde of demons that came flying past. The demon that had been sealed inside the shrine was accidentally set free...Whenever the released demon sees a beautiful young girl, he asks if she will bear his child, and then abducts her."
Coraline - drab in the style of a white tank top, a camouflage-patterned unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up just under her elbows and with the ends tied around her waist, a pair of skinny blue jeans with a tear in the left knee, and her black combat boots - shakes her head with a distasteful frown.
"How utterly shameless..."
Asking a question of that nature only to force an answer? Ridiculous...
Miroku shares a similar opinion, arms crossed and a closed-eyed glare on his face.
"Despicable. Wanting them to give birth to his babies. How dare he...!"
The Brownlee twin with regular, short coarse black hair raises a brow and counters with a snicker,
"Nice one, pot, callin' the kettle black."
Sango adds on with a slight smile in her scrutinizing stare,
"Yeah, Miroku, like you're one to talk...?"
Besa - he wearing a pair of dusty blue jeans, a black t-shirt with slits in the shoulders, and dark brown sneakers in contrast to his brother's choice of gray jeans, a forest green t-shirt under a black leather vest and monochrome sneakers - gestures the two quiet.
"Guys, please. Let's save the heckling for later...As you were saying, Kisuke?"
"Those villages who refuse to give the demon a bride were completely destroyed."
Kaede mutters in her own dislike,
"What a loathsome being..."
Despite feeling for the traveler, the monk of our ragtag group gently explains,
"Oh, we'd love to help you out, of course, but we have the remaining shards of the Shikon-no-Tama left to find. Our apologies."
"Hmph, maybe your apologies, Miroku, but not mine."
Eyes fall on the redhead as she stands up and slings her family's legendary blade over her opposite shoulder.
"That demon was released because of some strays that seeped from Mount Hakurei, and the idea of innocent women being held captive by a carnal beast is already leaving a bad taste in my mouth...Lumos!"
Said orb-shaped entity pops out of Coraline's satchel to attention.
"You ready for some monster-tracking?"
Lumos bops up and down in a 'nod' around the time Kaede asks,
"Do ye plan on venturing by yourself save he then, Coraline?"
"Well unless anyone else wishes to come along and help, I'm prepared to head out and hunt down the demon."
"Keh, not without me you're not."
Inuyasha rises to his feet and slips his own sword under his obi.
The actions alone were enough to make his mate smirk in amusement.
"What, you don't think I can go solo?"
He smirks back playfully and retorts,
"Tch, more like I can't let you hog all the fun. (Focuses on the group) We'll take care of the little cretin and be back in no time."
Miroku says to Kisuke with a sly undertone directed at his volunteering friends,
"I'm sure if our strong couple goes, there'll be no problems at all."
He's met with the response of a huffed glare and delicate blush from the dog demon and human girl each, while the young man thanks them for agreeing to help.
"Thanks so much. The sooner the demon's gone, the better. The beautiful maidens can't stay in the cave forever."
Now that catches the blue-eyed monk's attention.
"What was that?"
"We've gathered up all of the girls in the surrounding areas and put them in a cave where the demon can't find them."
Besa and Freeman meet eachother's similar but contrasting green irises and mutter nervously,
"Oooh crud," around the time their friend shifts his values.
"...C-hm, I, better go too. (Stands up) I worry about the idea of allowing two of my good friends to face danger without substantial backup."
Seeing right through her awry monk friend's intentions, the demon slayer rises to her own feet while barely stifling a disapproving hum.
"Hm? You too, Sango?"
She replies a bit stiffly to the twin with cornrowed hair,
"Definitely. I'm worried for the young girls too...but not for the same reasons as Kisuke and Coraline..."
By the end, it's decided that the entire ensemble of souls would leave with the villager to assist in his cause.
"See you later, Kaede! We should be back by evening at latest!"
The priestess watches Coraline turn back to her front again, before focusing on Freeman to ask,
"How did ye all end up going?"
Shrugging, the young man with espresso skin replies while setting his long hammer across his back,
"No idea, but it's probably for the best. We function better with everyone present."
Shippo hops onto his shoulder while adding in a joking manner,
"Yeah, Inuyasha definitely can't think on his own without the rest of us to argue with him."
The pair hold back a laugh before the human male hurries to catch up with the others.
"See ya, Kaede!"
This time, the middle-aged woman waves a hand to the distant figures with an amused expression.
Heh, I suppose ye may be right. Ye have all become quite the tight unit...
Catching up with the group a little while later, they're seen walking along a dirt path cutting between a large rock formation and the edge of the forests connected to the greenery named after a certain dog demon. Kisuke emphasizes the terrorizing demon's preferences and motivation in their recent attacks.
"The demon has a certain taste in women. He only goes after unmarried young ladies."
Miroku takes these words into...somewhat serious consideration.
"Hm, young and unattached. Interesting..."
Having heard the monk's muttering clearly, Besa sighs before asking the others in a whisper,
"Okay, somebody please tell me one of us will be keeping an eye on our resident monk...?"
Sango replies just as quietly,
"Don't worry. I will be."
Inuyasha asks Coraline in his own confusion,
"How come those two are all worked up? Somethin' I should know about?"
Shaking her head with an exasperated smile, the redhead replies,
"Nothing you really need concern yourself with, dear. Just the usual."
"Usua-...Oh."
"Yeah..."
Having heard the exchange, the young fox demon then shares one with the human whose shoulder he's riding on.
"He's still a bit clueless about this stuff, but Coraline seems to be teaching him."
"Heh, I don't think Inuyasha was ever that clueless to begin with, little dude. More like he's chosen to ignore Miroku and Sango's stubbornness."
"Huh..."
Everyone directs their attention on Kisuke as he stops the group near the heel of a tall incline leading to a small mountain-like protrusion.
"There it is. That's the cave."
After clambering up, the group wanders inside the tunnel to an area lit by two torches on either side...Sensing their presence, a young woman wearing a pink and mauve kimono with a light blue skirt wrap tied overtop pokes her head up from behind the next corner.
"Master Kisuke?"
Said young man smiles in relief at seeing her, and she smiles back before calling over her shoulder,
"Ladies, it's okay to come out! Kisuke has returned and he's brought help!"
Close to two dozen more females dressed in similar garbs - half including a headscarf while others simply tied their dark hair back - cluster out from the deeper part of the cave, beaming at their protector while sending a few grateful expressions at the new arrivals.
"Master Kisuke!" "You've returned!"
"Oh thank you!" "We are in your debt!"
The dog demon only stares at the small sea of women in befuddlement for their behaviour.
"Man, what's gotten into them?"
Giggling, Coraline quietly comments,
"I, think Kisuke's gotten popular with these young women..."
Said male's focus is kept completely on the vulnerable group's safety rather than basking in the admiration.
"You can relax now, ladies. I've brought along these expert demon slayers and they'll take care of everything. (Turns to Miroku) You can trust these folks completely."
...Unfortunately, his example wasn't entirely focused on reality at the moment. Rather, the monk's lecherous imagination began to run wild, much to Shippo's amusement and slight exasperation.
"Definitely...hah, except for a few character flaws."
Having caught onto the meaning earlier on, Inuyasha fights down an irritated growl and grumbles,
"Geez, ya think after all this time, the monk would remember to keep it in his robes..."
That earned a light slap on the arm by his mate around the same time Sango starts glaring at Miroku. Feeling the burn of her stare, the young man dressed in purple robes clears his throat before attempting to steer his mind back on more pressing matters.
"Getting straight to business, I came up with a plan on the way down here, a strategy to keep the demon from choosing you all as brides."
The first young lady asks curiously,
"Is there really such a way, monk?"
"There is. Just one, though..."
He steps up to the eager-listening ears and spells out his case.
"As I understand it, the demon chooses young, unmarried women."
"Yes, that is correct."
"There in lies the crux."
Miroku gently takes the maiden's hand before making his bold move.
"Miss...would you consider-"
(Slap)
"Mph!"
"Aaaand I'm just gonna stop you right there."
Eyes widen some or completely at the sight of a neutral Besa with one of his hands clamped firmly around his friend's mouth, much to their protest.
"Bh-ss, whh dh h'ck?!"
"Miroku, you know damn well how bad that so-called 'plan' of yours is, even as a joke, so if you value your livelihood, stick a cork in it."
Sweatdropping nervously, the monk bops his head up and down in a nod while thinking to himself,
Well, better him berating me than Sango...
...Suddenly, there came a strong rumble from the outside along with the formation of those familiar dark purple clouds. Kilala feels her fur stand on end as she hisses from nearby her demon slayer partner's ankles, and Inuyasha mutters tensely,
"Demonic aura...!"
Kisuke quickly deduces the energy's source.
"Oh no, it must be him! He must've found this hiding place!"
Coraline moves beside her lover, her eyes aglow as she uses her Aura Sight.
"...You feel that?"
"Yep. This must be the demon we were sensing nearby. He stinks like a wild beast."
The pair hurry for the entrance to the cave, their movement prompting Sango to signal the rest to follow.
"Guys, come on, lets-"
She cuts herself off with a puffed sigh when she sees the twin men try and steer the flock of girls away from asking the monk about what he was about to say before.
"So what was that plan you were about to mention before, monk?"
"Uhm, well..."
This time, Freeman ends the conversation by shoving Miroku towards the demon slayer while telling the oblivious females,
"You reeeally don't wanna know, miss, trust me. His ideas of safety are currently clouded by-how'do I put this...gutter-bound fantasies?"
They only look at him with further confusion, but let the matter go as Besa assures them with a kind smile,
"Just stay back here a safe distance from the action. I promise no demon will be forcing your hands anytime soon."
...Catching up with the first souls as they reach the mouth of the cave, Inuyasha orders Kisuke,
"Don't let the girls come out here."
Nodding, the human warns the half-demon in kind,
"That demon wields a huge spear and is very fierce."
"Keh, (smirk) dyin' to get a look at the creep. (Looks at Coraline) You ready?"
"Ha! Try and stop me."
The redheaded young woman hurries onto her lover's back so he could carry them across the forest grounds by his speed, taking off just as their friends catch up. Freeman calls,
"Oi, power couple, wait for us," just as he's scooped aboard Kilala with Shippo and Sango...
"Let's get to him before he gets to us, so he doesn't get close to the girls' cave."
A thought suddenly occurs to Miroku.
"Will the ladies be safe? After all, if he's a beast, he's sure to sniff them out."
Besa replies with a rare wry smirk as he runs beside the monk,
"Then it's possible he could be turned off by Cora's scent. I mean, she i~s a taken woman after all..."
A deep blush coats said girl's face before she calls behind her with a glare,
"Can somebody smack him for me?"
(...Whap)
"Ouch!"
The young man with cornrow hair rubs the back of his newly sore skull courtesy of a whack delivered by his own twin.
"Done and done, sis. And bro, save the innuendos for my mouth; they just sound weird coming from you."
Sango just exhales another sigh while Shippo shakes his head and mutters,
"And I thought Miroku was bad," which receives a rumble of agreement from the twin-tail...
Moving on, once the group reaches a barren clearing, both women decide to separate and act as bait for the coming demon, hurrying to stand atop a small mound in the middle of the dry dirt...
"You sure you wanna play bait with me, Sango?"
"I'm sure. Besides, isn't there a saying from your country that reads 'sisters before misters'?"
Coraline nearly snorts with laughter while nodding back,
"Fair point."
...Skulking nearby in the treeline were all the men and one female cat demon, peeking from behind trunks and bush to watch for danger. Inuyasha in particular was feeling a bit anxious, his claws slightly digging into the bark to prevent himself from rushing over to scoop up his mate.
If this demon even lays one finger on my woman, their hand's going first.
"Don't worry, dude."
He glances over to meet Freeman's jade green with his amber as the late teen.
"Nothin's gonna happen to sis, or Sango for that matter. Not while we're nearby."
"...Right..."
Attention draws back to the clearing as the demonic whirlwind makes its descent from the skies, the source's guffawing ringing from within. Coraline and Sango cringe from the upturned dust, grabbing eachother's free hand to steady themselves while hovering their other arms over their eyes as they peer within to spot the three shapes.
"Hahahuhuhuh! Have you given up, and brought me a bride?"
Both women think simultaneously,
Definitely the demon...
The winds slowly dissipate, revealing the beast and his servants for all to see...
...
...
But the creatures were far from what anyone could've expected. In fact, their appearances were of the underwhelming variety.
The largest of the three herald the guise of an anthropomorphic boar with light brown fur, two small tusks by his pink snout, and red markings under his black irises. His dress suggests probable high class, they being a dark blue kosode kimono tied with a yellow obi that had three orange streams running from the front and back of his waist, grey hakama, a pair of wooden geta, and a necklace of what look to be human skulls. Once more, the staff from before is revealed to be an ō-naginata, a spear-like weapon.
The second demon is much smaller and skinnier than he, a kappa with teal green skin, a moss green turtle-shelled back and a yellow beak. His hands and feet are webbed, his eyes huge and unfocused, a dome-like head, and wears a brown fur loincloth as well as a brass tiara on his head.
Then we have the third and smallest demon of the trio, a monkey with brown fur and slanted eyes of unknown colour, and wearing a red hifu jacket with a white circle decorating each peck. He also wore one of the brass tiaras, and a rope is tied around his waist like that of the kappa.
...Getting over her initial shock, the girl from future Edo clears her throat and asks,
"Are you the demon that's been kidnapping village girls?"
The boar demon replies chirpily and with no shame,
"Correct. Would either of you young ladies like to bear my child?"
Smiling at eachother in a grimacing fashion, Sango and Coraline each comment,
"Gee, doesn't that sound familiar?"
"No kidding..."
"Aw, man."
"Hm?"
Focus turns to Inuyasha as he emerges from his camouflage with the rest of the group, his face set in disappointment.
"Geez, what a letdown..."
Frowning in confusion from the sudden expansion of people, the boar calls,
"Who are you and what do you want?"
The dog demon remains indifferent as he comments,
"From all the talk, I was expecting a way tougher demon. I was kind-a hopin' I could get a workout fightin' 'im..."
Miroku was feeling just as discouraged, sighing out,
"And we get a pig demon."
Insulted, the enemy of the hour sprints over to the men while shouting,
"I resent that; I am not a pig; I am a wild boooar!"
Neither monk nor dog demon flinches.
"Well, clearly I didn't need to come along. Inuyasha, you handle it."
The former begins walking away, the latter joining him with the same level of disinterest.
"Hey guys, do what you like with the pig."
"...Freeman, Besa, you two got this, right?"
Said twins call back with disapproving tones,
"Oi! Don't be lazy!"
"You guys!"
The boar demon scoffs,
"Ha! Look at them fearing my power and running with their tails between their legs!"
"You wish!"
"Hm?"
He looks down to meet Shippo's glare as the latter says,
"They left because you didn't look worth the fuss."
Feeling the burn of their master's insult, the kappa and monkey demon rush forward to claim retribution...by, engaging in a short-lived fist slap with the young fox demon and growling at Kilala respectively...
"How dare you underestimate the power of Chokyūkai."
The name stirs up something in both Coraline and Besa's memory banks.
"Did he say, Chokyūkai...? (Looks at her brother) Didn't you mention that name in conversation one time ago, Besa?"
"Yeah, I think so..."
That small exchange prompts the two previously retreating men to actually turn around and tune into the dialogue again. Inuyasha asks almost incredulously,
"Hang on: don't tell me you two know this guy."
The young man with dark forest green irises surrounded by moist earth replies,
"Were you not listening? We only find the name familiar, not the pig himself."
Having enough of the offense, the boar whirls around - and subsequently swinging his subordinates - to punctuate his case.
"I am not a pig; I'm a boar! Perhaps this will astonish you!"
He then gestures to the two fellows kneeling before him.
"This fellow here is a descendant of Sa Gojō, the great water demon!"
Said kappa makes an unintelligible bird squawk...
"Here we have a descendant, of the heavenly saint Son Goku."
The monkey demon emits his primate chatter...
"And I am Chokyūkai, descendant of Cho Hakkai, the general of the army of Heaven!"
Inuyasha and Miroku gape in disbelief from such a title...
"Well well, are you too impressed even to speak? I have taken a lesson from my ancestor, Cho Hakkai, and decided to marry human girls."
"...What's this swine talkin' about?"
It was Chokyūkai's turn to nearly drop his jaw from the dog demon's confusion.
"Haaauh! You've never heard of The Journey to the West?!"
"...Oooh, of course!"
Eyes fall on Coraline as she widens her blue irises in realization.
"The Journey to the West, or Xī Yóu Jì in the original Chinese script...!"
Inuyasha looks over at his friend for confirmation.
"Did you know that?"
The monk would be just as lost.
"Nope, it's news to me."
Shippo shakes his head and mutters from atop Freeman's shoulder,
"I have no clue what he's talking about, (small smile) but it figures you guys and Coraline would know."
Said twin with the plain coarse black hair shrugs,
"Yeah well, alot of stories from across the globe have become almost universally accessible by the time our era comes around..."
Chokyūkai's focus is all on Coraline.
"So, young miss, it seems you've heard of my ancestor."
"Well actually, I only recall the names on a whim. (Looks to Besa) But my brother knows the story by heart."
Said espresso-complexioned male nods before giving a small summary for those unaware.
"Xī Yóu Jì encompasses a series of adventures about a monk, Tang Sanzang, named after the Tang Dynasty and the historically infamous Xuanzang, on a pilgrimage through western Asia to acquire sacred Buddha sutras. He's accompanied by three entities from the heavens atoning for some misdeeds, named Zhu Wuneng, Sun Wukong, and Sha Wujing. Or at least those are the original names...Although..."
Besa furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he contemplates,
"The story was, or, has yet to be written down in China. Last I checked, we're only approaching the end of the 1560s. How is it we're hearing of the character's descendants now?"
Putting a finger under her chin, the redhead wonders,
"Perhaps the tale is older than what will eventually be recorded down...Either that, or there's been some name bluffing somewhere between generations..."
Gripping the side of his head, Freeman moans in annoyance,
"Aaaugh, I hate it when we run into time conspiracies!"
As if the crap with the Sword of Tengu wasn't already confusing...
Inuyasha shakes his head and cuts in with his own comment.
"I didn't get any of the secondary stuff, but from the sounds of it, you do know the guy?"
"Like I said, not personally, but the Journey to the West is an infamous tale. (Smile) Cora, Freeman and I actually used the story as a way to learn some remedial Chinese, while also noticing some compare and contrast between these lands and theirs in terms of how demons are depicted."
Nodding, the redhead chimes,
"It's almost ironic how much overlap there is between China and Japan..."
Snorting out a laugh, Chokyūkai boasts,
"You know all about my ancestor!...What an exceptional girl you are, learning about my country through the tale. This is your lucky day: I think I'm going to make you my wife!"
"Excuse me?!"
"Oh-ho, I've seen that expression before. When a girl is apprehensive, they're usually just shy."
Forming a glare of indignation, Coraline calls back,
"Far from it! Besides, I'm a taken woman!"
"What?!"
"If you don't believe me, use that snout of yours and see."
Inuyasha widens his eyes slightly on how bluntly his mate uses her words.
Never thought I'd hear that come outta her mouth...
Taken aback, Chokyūkai nonetheless humphs and does as Coraline advises, snorting as he searches her scent...His eyes widen when he discovers,
Ah! The scent of a half-dog on her human skin...and there, on her neck; a mating mark. She is taken!...Hm...
He narrows his eyes in Inuyasha's direction.
Must be the doing of that cur over yonder...Half or full, even attempting to steal any demon's mate is warrant to a death wish...
Still...
He focuses back on the redheaded female.
An educated beauty like her is wasted on a whelp like him.
"I'll take the risk!"
His outburst rings in both Coraline's and Inuyasha's ears.
"What?!"
"Say what?!"
Smirking at the human girl, Chokyūkai reasons,
"Why continue to wander like a ronin with the dog when you could become my wife and lack for nothing?"
Coraline couldn't speak, stunned by such a bold statement, while her lover felt a wave of anger and protectiveness flood his system, as noted by the not-so-subtle raise of one of his knuckle-cracking set of claws.
Oh, hell no...!
"Ah-hahaha, either way, you won't be able to resist this!"
The boar reaches into his kosoke and pulls out a copy of that brass tiara, throwing it the redhead's way!
Coraline's POV
Ah crap!
"Coraline, watch out!"
Moments like this one when I'm glad to have a lover with demonic speed. Inuyasha acts fast as Chokyūkai throws one of those strange circlets my way, pushing me aside and allowing the accessory to plop onto his head instead! I go sliding on my butt in the dirt, and Sango would help me up.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah...Wait, Inuyasha!"
I cast my eyes forward...only to hear a strange giggle come from my man, a noise I never expected to ever hear from him. I mean, aside from those rare moments that scents became too much for his nose and he goes into a near-drunk state.
...Did he just...giggle?
It only gets stranger when he lifts himself onto his hands and knees, revealing a flushed, dreamy expression which directs towards Chokyūkai in an adoring manner.
"...Inuyasha...?"
My friends were feeling just as concerned, Shippo and Freeman asking aloud,
"Is it me, or is Inuyasha acting weird?"
"Uuuh, Inuyasha, are you feelin' alright, man?"
Sango calls his name as well, receiving no reply as he lifts himself to his feet with a ditzy smile...
"What's the matter with you?"
"Come on, dude, snap out of it!"
He ignores Miroku and Besa, starting a wander towards the one responsible.
"Mas-ter..."
...Say wha-Okay, something's reeeeally wrong here, people!
I cry out,
"I don't remember you having homosexual tendencies!"
Shippo exclaims,
"This can only end with a broken heart," and Miroku deduces,
"Something's funny about that tiara!"
My brothers heard all they needed to.
"We're on it!"
They then tackle Inuyasha to the ground, with Freeman pinning my mate to his torso using his long hammer while Besa worked on prying the circlet off.
"Hrrrh, hurry before he breaks free!"
"I'm, trying; it's stuck, tigh', nnnhhhghhh...!...Aha!"
It comes off with a light pop, and Inuyasha's face returns to normal, if seriously perplexed.
"...Huh? What's goin' on? What happened to me?"
Hurrying to his side as Freeman lifts himself off, I give my man a comforting hug and kiss on the cheek before explaining with a nervous smile,
"Erm, there's no gentle way of saying it, but you almost left me for a boar."
...My poor dog demon shivers and growls in disgust before burying his face into my neck, probably to wipe the muddled memory away. Taking the accessory for his own examination, Miroku hums,
"When placed upon a girl's head, this tiara has the power to make her fall in love with its master."
That's, when his perverted imagination takes flight.
"If I place this on a girl's head, I can make her fall madly in love with me!"
"No!"
By no surprise to any of us, Sango snatches the circlet away with an insulted glare.
"How can you even think that?!...Idiot!"
She nearly slams it on his head, but Freeman stops her halfway with his own hands.
"Wait wait wait! If you stick it on him, he's just gonna go wandering to Chokyūkai!"
"Huh?"
"Hello, ti-a-ra-makes-wear-er-fall-in-love-with-ma-ster? What part of that did you miss?!"
I quickly clue into my brother's logic.
"Right: these circlets act on Chokyūkai's command, so Chokyūkai will be the source."
Speaking of him, he decides to kick things up a notch.
"Alright, enough fun for one day."
...Uh oh.
Waving his hand, he activates the brass accessory to move on its own, yanking itself out of Freeman and Sango's grasp!
"Ah!" "Hey!"
"Duck!"
Besa pulls them down out of the line of fire, even though (gulp), I was the real target.
"Yipe!"
Inuyasha and I spring up so he could try and grab the circlet while I focus on dodging its grasp...
But luck wasn't on my side.
"Uh!"
The round bit of metal snuck its way atop my head, and its suggestive, hypnotic spell starts seeping into my skull.
Wha...What's, happening to me...?
"Now, my bride, let us be on our way."
...Ye...Y-N-No...No!
But unlike others who have fallen under its grasp, somehow, I retain my freedom...mentally, at least.
"No! Nh!...Get, this off, m-me!"
I try to reach up and take the circlet off...but my arms felt so heavy, they may as well be lead.
What?...I can't, mo-No. My...my feet are, turning his way!
No! Quit it, feet! That's not our lover!
Inuyasha's POV
I wasn't sure what was happening, but I could tell my mate was in some sort of pain as soon as that beast tried to coax her away.
"No! Nh!...Get, this off, m-me!"
Huh? She's not under his spell!
The others were just as shocked, Shippo and Miroku commenting,
"What's going on?"
"It seems Coraline is fighting Chokyūkai's control somehow."
The pig's definitely flabbergasted:
"What?! Impossible!"
...That's when I spot it: a familiar blue glow forming around the tiara.
Of course: her aura must be trying to cancel the spell.
"Hmph, stubborn as well as intelligent, are we?"
The pig raises his hand again, activating a feature on the tiara that causes the bit of metal to squeeze against the sides of her head, making her cry out.
"Aaah! Oow!"
Auh! He's hurting her!
"I try to avoid using this ability if I can help it, but if you're going to fight my spell, be prepared for discipline. Now, come along, my dear."
...That's it!
Growling, I block my mate from his eyes and exclaim,
"Over my dead body you're getting your grimy hands on her, and you'll pay for causing her pain!"
"Ah-haha, you won't interfere!"
He then raises a whirlwind to spin around Coraline and I!
"Agh!...Coraline!"
Damn it!
...It dies down almost as fast as it starts, leaving me in my place...but with no sign of my girl nearby!
"Coraline? Coraline!"
One booming laugh shifts my focus forward, and I nearly recoil in horror when I see that beast with my mate under his arm! Worse still, she was still griping for control over the pain.
"N-Nh, please...take this, off, mas-t-nauh, hh!"
"Now now, my dear, no need to fret. I'll ease the disciplining spell once we return to the temple."
Curse, him...!
Wild fury burns through my blood as I shout,
"Damn, you, bastard! Let go of my mate!"
"You still want to interfere? Sa Gojō, Son Goku!"
Those minions of his snap to attention...
"Attaaaack!"
They run at me with the intent of slowing me down...but I stop them with one piercing glare and low growl. It must've looked particularly scary to them too...because I'm already feeling a bit of my demon side rising over the rest of me, clouding my vision with a bit redness but not too much.
My...mate...
One snarl sends them running back to the boar who comments,
"Well well, the mongrel's not too bad, I'll give 'im that much...Hm?"
That's when he actually shows a bit of nerves as he gets a better gander at my appearance, which by this point, has settled into a very muffled version of my demon form with rose-tinted vision and a new sharpness in my claws.
"I've had just about enough of you jokers!"
As have I! How dare the simpleton touch our woman; impale him with our fang!
Will do!
I unsheathe Tessaiga at ready.
"I'll knock you all back to China where you belong!"
Raising his ō-naginata, he barks back,
"Time for you to fear my power and run with your tail between your legs!"
"(Lunge) Shut up, pig demon!"
"(Lunge) Raaauh, I told you, I'm a boar! I'll beat you to a pulp!"
Our blades lock, and I notice a bit of Tessaiga's energy spark, something that doesn't usually happen unless I'm taking on a really strong opponent.
Huh. That's new. Where's this coming from?
That, will likely be my doing, and I assure you this will be as far as I go.
Tuh, why?...You actually trust me or something?
Correction: we trust eachother. Your mating with the human girl has done more wonders for you than you're aware of.
Wonders?
It'll become more clear with time, but stay focused on the battle.
As curious as I was, the demon part of me made a point, so I let the new mystery go for now. Once my focus realigns, I manage to shove back the boar, much to his surprise.
"Auh!"
"Keh, like I said, you shouldn't have messed with me."
"I-Inu-yash-ah!"
"Huh?"
I turn my head away from Chokyūkai's direction, and widen my eyes with worry as I watch Coraline struggle to wander towards me while finally getting a grip on the tiara, only to get tripped by that wimpy kappa and monkey by using their rope tether.
"Coraline!"
Why those-!
Unfortunately, the distraction was all the beast needed to charge at me and whack me back with his ō-naginata. I slide on my back hard against the dirt, and barely snap out of my daze in time to see him swinging his weapon over his head at ready to stab me!
"Now you die!"
"Inuyasha!"
He's stopped when Sango throws her Hiraikotsu at him, forcing him to leap back to where his minions and my mate are.
"Now that I have my bride, I have no reason to stay."
No! Coraline!
He reaches down to gently lift my girl to her feet, holding her to him by her waist.
"Shall we go, dear?"
She doesn't say a word, but I could see the fear in her eyes and smell the tears forming in them.
Growling, I dart back up to my feet and rush at the forming whirlwind.
"No you don't! Let her go!"
I jump up and swing downward with the intent of at least cutting down the small tornado, but just miss as it shoots into the air away from the area!
"Damn it!...Coraliiine!"
No...I failed...
"Inuyasha...!"
The rest of my pack approaches just as I plant my blade in the ground. The kid asks me,
"Inuyasha...are you alright?"
I can tell he knows how close I am to going full-demon, so for the sake of preventing any of the others from getting too worried, I keep a tight grip on Tessaiga to steady myself.
"Grrrh, damn it...I can't take it!...About now...that, beast might try to..."
I'll spare you the disturbing details, but let's just say that while Chokyūkai was willing, Coraline...was not, and completely helpless to stop it from happening. Just the imagination of her desperate and fearful cries made my stomach churn.
"Grrraah! I won't have any demon, least of all a boar have my mate as theirs!"
Get it together, dammit! They've only just left; not enough time to eliminate our mark!
Sango cuts into my inner demon's badgering with near-similar words.
"I understand your concerns, but we shouldn't just be standing here getting upset."
Miroku agrees with her:
"She's right. (Looks at Besa) The demon is from across the seas, correct?"
"Yes...?"
"Then it's quite possible our usual methods of eradication won't work on him."
He then reaches into his robes to pull out one of his spirit charms.
"Fortunately, I have a Chinese sutra with prayers written on it in their language. We can try using this; it might do the trick."
"Mind if I take a look at it a sec?"
Though a bit taken aback, Miroku shows it Freeman, who gives it a once over before nodding,
"Okay, we're good. I just wanted to check that the Kyūjitai are written correctly."
"So you do know the Chinese language?"
"Teh, well where do you think kanji came from?"
Sango clears her throat to get them back on track with the real problem.
"Anyway, how will we find his lair?"
I answer,
"Easy. We'll just follow his scent...He's got Coraline with 'im, though, so we can't be too aggressive."
I'll be slit down the middle before I allow anymore harm to come to my girl.
"That's true..."
The monk then says,
"I have a plan that just might work. Shippo, come listen to this."
Hopping onto Miroku's shoulder, the kid hears his whispers out...
"Hey yeah, that's a great idea, Miroku! I hadn't thought of that."
I'm not sure what their plan is, but I suspect it has to do with a good disguise. Either way, the pair tells the rest of us,
"We'll need everyone to work together."
"And I gotta make sure not to let you guys down."
Hearing their confidence made a bit of my worries die down...but not by much. Turning my eyes in the direction of the scent, I think to myself,
Whatever we have to do, we better do it fast. I can't even imagine how scared Coraline must be feeling right now...
Don't worry, Coraline. I will rescue you from that beast.
Small Time Skip, No POV
Late afternoon arrives, and we catch up with the stolen redhead within a modest but grand temple deep within the forest, kneeling beside her kidnapper and surrounded on both sides by about a dozen other young women completely under Chokyūkai's control. Coraline, meanwhile, remains caught to the point where she feels like her body has become a marionette, her arms holding up a bottle of sake to the boar demon despite the resistance on her face.
Damn it...I hate this. I have no control other than my thoughts and my face...
"What a fine night this is!"
Watching Chokyūkai slurping down the alcohol with happiness only added to her sadness, and a few tears roll down her cheeks as she casts her eyes downward.
...Inuyasha...please come get me. Take me away from here.
"Hm? What's this?"
She feels furry fingers tilt her chin upward to meet her blue irises with black, and the boar gently wipes the moisture away while asking in confusion,
"What has you crying, my dear? Are you not happy?"
Coraline remains silent and avoids his gaze, knowing he doesn't understand how deep her love runs for her true lover...
"Hm, perhaps some entertainment will cheer you up."
Chokyūkai turns his eyes to the other girls of his harem and orders,
"Wives, someone dance for me and make it good!"
"...Excuuuse me!"
"Hm?"
There then came a voice of a young girl from outside the temple doors.
"Is there anyone home?"
"A female voice like the tinkling of bells!"
But to Coraline, it was the sound of a savior.
...Shippo?
The pair hurry to the balcony of the building to see who it is (not that the redhead had a choice), and standing below was a feminine figure dressed in cherry blossom pink and light green, with a large hat and veil to cover their body...
"How can I help you, traveling woman?"
"I've lost my way and I'm in trouble. Can I bother you to put me up for the night, kind sir?"
Though Chokyūkai is fooled, Coraline could sense Shippo's aura under the guise, and felt a smile of relief curve through her tears.
Oh thank goodness, they found me!
"Haha, stay one night, or even a thousand!"
The boar demon leaps down to get a closer look at the pretty stranger.
"...Don't be coy; show me your face."
"But, I am so shy..."
(...Pop)
The fox demon's tail suddenly reappears, the sound throwing Chokyūkai off-kilter for a moment...And over behind the treeline, the rest of our group waits for the right moment to steal their way over and find their missing member. Inuyasha, of course, was becoming a bit skeptical about this piece of the plan.
"Aw man, this is hopeless..."
Freeman nudges,
"Don't worry; I don't think the doofus noticed."
Much to the spying party's surprise, the espresso-skinned teen is right.
Dismissing the sound as nothing, the boar says to the disguised fox demon,
"You're just my type! Will you bear my child?"
"Oh, really..."
Back over at the forest edge, Freeman smiles smugly and alliterates,
"See? Told you," and Sango wonders,
"He must have a very strange taste," while Besa argues,
"Either that, or he's that dumb."
Phasing their voices out, Inuyasha focuses on searching for his mate...spotting her standing atop the balcony.
Coraline...
He begins to sneak over just as Chokyūkai says to the 'mystery girl',
"Come, make yourself comfortable; we can talk inside. After you, my lovely."
Rather than move, Shippo starts to whimper and jitter on the spot, feeling his transformation reach its end.
Hurry up, Inuyasha...!
"What's wrong, my precious one? Are you trembling with joy? Fine, then I'll tremble with you!"
The boar then shakes himself with a release of his boisterous laugh, not aware of the real issue.
I can't take this much longer...!
"...That's it...!"
(Pop)
And just in one puff of smoke, Shippo returns to normal, much to Chokyūkai's shock.
"What's this? Hey, I know you; you were with that dog earlier!"
Luckily, this is around the moment Inuyasha leaps off a protruding rock and up onto the balcony walkway, wasting no time in rushing over to his girl.
"Coraline!"
"Hn?!"
"Don't move a sec! Hrah!"
(SWIPE)
Hooking his claws under the circlet tiara, he flips it off the redhead's cranium, leaving it clink onto the floor and freeing her from its spell.
"Uh...Ah, (big smile) Inuyasha!"
She hurries to hug him in gratitude, he squeezing back just as tightly in relief.
"Are you okay?"
"I was scared for a bit...but I knew you and the others would find me. You always find me..."
"Damn right I do."
They share a quick but romantic lip-lock before the dog demon says to his human mate,
"Nobody takes you from me without feeling my wrath."
Back below, Chokyūkai is beside himself with fury over the deceit.
"You wretches; you tricked me!"
Shippo scrambles away to the safety of his friends who emerge from the treeline.
"Y-Y-Your turn!"
"Good job, Shippo!"
"Way'da take one for the team, little dude!"
Focusing back on the boar demon, Freeman then says with a glare,
"You made a big mistake kidnapping my sister, pal! Give up while you're still standing!"
"I won't let you take my bride away!"
Raising his hand, Chokyūkai summons his ō-naginata from within the temple, it flying through the upper hallway for the outside and forcing the couple above to duck out of its path. Once he takes hold of the weapon, the demon laughs before attempting to strike the humans and two demons. They all leap in separate directions to dodge, and Miroku calls,
"Okay, now Inuyasha, give that sutra to Coraline!"
The half-demon does as he's told, pulling the charm from his robes to pass into his mate's hands.
"Here. This is a sutra from China. Attach it to one of your weapons and use it on the beast."
"Right. My knife should do the trick."
Inuyasha then jumps back down to help his friends out in keeping Chokyūkai's attention occupied, the latter currently bumping weapons with Freeman.
(Clang, clang, clang)
"Rgh, do me a favor; be, a cooperative swine, and just squeal for mercy!"
"Why you little...!"
One definite shove sends the jade-eyed teen backwards for the dirt, and vulnerable to a charging attack from the boar...
"Hey!"
(CLANG)
Thankfully, he's saved when Inuyasha rushes into Chokyūkai's path and blocks with his Tessaiga, giving Besa enough time to pull his brother away from the line of fire.
"This way!"
"Right! Thanks, man!"
Sending a nod over his shoulder, the dog demon focuses back on the boar and growls,
"Don'tchu dare think I'm gonna let you get away with kidnapping my girl, and attacking my pack's only making me angrier!"
"Shut up, you cur!"
The two clash for a minute or two, Chokyūkai's strikes being more violent and uncontrolled than Inuyasha who chose to channel his emotions into each blow.
It's official: I hate this guy, almost as much as I hate Naraku!
They leap back after another two scrapes of metal, and once he steadies his footing, the young man with silver hair comments,
"Keh, I gotta say, that's not a bad ō-naginata for a pig to be wielding."
"You ain't seen nothing yet, believe me."
Pointing his ō-naginata blade at his enemy, a red vortex suddenly appears around the boar's weapon...
"Sooo, it's a test of strength you're lookin' for, is it?"
Inuyasha does similarly, the vortex around his own blade being a smoky light blue in contrast. Chokyūkai only laughs, believing victory will soon be his...until his snout picks up on a troubling smell of energy.
"What's this I'm sensing?"
...Up in the balcony behind him, Coraline prepares to throw her combat knife his way, the Chinese sutra tied around it by the white ribbon that once belonged to another woman with spiritual power.
"Lumos, can I get a bit of assistance, please?"
The Will O' Wisp - who followed Inuyasha up earlier - bops up and down before floating to rest on her left wrist, channeling a bit of his power into the short blade to help make doubly sure the aim is true.
(Twinkle...)
Glancing upward, Chokyūkai panics upon seeing the sutra.
"Wha-No, no nononono! Anything but that!"
"For playing with the hearts of innocent young women, not to mention one who's already happily taken, this is the price you'll pay!"
"Daaaah, no!"
Ignoring his pleas, the redhead's glowing dark arctic blue eyes study the boar's moments...before settling on a perfect target area.
There!
She throws her combat knife hard over her shoulder, it spinning on a frontward trajectory until it lands right in the middle of the boar demon's back! He freezes...before letting out a howl of pain as the sutra does its job, he circling on the spot and starting up a whirlwind that takes him into the skies...
Once he's gone, Coraline's knife drops back down blade-first into the dirt as the atmosphere returns to normal. Dislodging it for his own hand, Inuyasha mentally comments,
Hm. This thing's more handy in her hands than the bow and arrow was...
...
...
The darkness of evening casts over the landscape as we catch up with everyone on a path away from the temple, with the previously hypnotized girls following them back to the cave where Kisuke and the other young women would be waiting...
"My only regret is I let that swine get away...At least he won't be causing anymore trouble around here."
Inuyasha wraps a protective arm around Coraline and adds,
"And more to the point, he'll think twice before ever laying a hand on you again."
Giggling, the redhead leans into his touch while replying,
"Yeah, plus we were able to rescue the other girls under Chokyūkai's control."
Sango felt just as glad as they did.
"Yes, good news all around. Right, Miro-huh?"
She'd see that Besa was beside her instead of the monk, and he jabs a thumb behind them.
"Uh, he is glad, but for other reasons..."
Panning a few feet past them, we see Miroku holding the hand of a young woman wearing a blue kimono with a yellow skirt wrap and asking his signature question.
"Ladies, would you bear my children?"
...Unfortunately for him, thanks to the trauma of being stolen away by Chokyūkai, these young women were less than willing to even listen to the monk. They back away from him, whispering,
"That monk is starting to sound like that demon."
"No kidding. Do you think he's a demon too?"
"M-Me, a demon?!"
Miroku peers over his shoulder with a desperate expression.
"Help me out here, Sango, guys."
The demon slayer just hmphs and turns away, while the twins shake their heads and mutter,
"Wrong time, dude."
"...Hello, ladies!"
"Hm?"
Attention then turns ahead of where Inuyasha and Coraline stand, as Kisuke comes rushing over from behind the greenery.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Ah, Kisuke! Yes, we're all fine; Chokyūkai's been sent away."
"That's good to hear."
The conversation is cut short as the dozen of girls all gush and run over to the arriving male in excited relief, leaving Miroku to sulk...Shippo comments to Kilala in amusement,
"Guess we don't have to worry about Miroku, seeing as he's not too popular right now. Right?"
The dormant twin-tail mews in agreement as the girls tell Kisuke about their ordeal.
"It was so frightening!"
"Thank you, Kisuke."
"That pig demon was so disgusting!"
"Yes, but so was that monk."
Having heard that last comment, Miroku whines to himself in disappointment at the botched attempt in gaining some female attention. Wrapping a friendly arm around his friend, Freeman tells him with a sigh and smile,
"Just let this one go, man. After what those girls went through, having kids is the last thing on their minds."
"I, suppose you're right..."
What terrible luck I've had today...