Author's Note:
I know I probably am unforgivable for being so late, but I really stuck! I had no idea of how to write what I had in my mind, how to put this chapter in words... I really am sorry I have not updated all this time. Once again I am really sorry.

From those of you who know of the fantasy world of Rokugan from the Legend of the Five Rings role-playing game, I would like to ask a question: how would you like it if I used some bits and pieces from the game in my story? If any of you finds the idea appealing, please do tell me so... It can help me a lot, since it has give me some very interesting ideas. Also, for those of you who enjoy pen-and-paper role-playing games and would like to implement the youkai race in their worlds, I suggest you buy Wizards of the Coast's Oriental Adventures or drop me a message. 0-0

(**spoiler**) The chanting means nothing in real life japanese or means something I have not meant to say, though I would like to know how to speak japanese so that I could write a chant as I should... I have written poems in the past, songs, even a fake chant to an imaginery goddess of death and magic. If you have anything that would fit the story, I would be most grateful if you would send it to me. For now, only the word "Shikon" does ring me a bell. (**spoiler**)

Chapter 23
Beware the Yao Ren...

Suddenly the forest was loud with the reverberating sound of a relatively young man's voice. It shook them, for it seemed to both reach their ears and grab at their minds, speaking to them.

"Nagimoro abei ro kotusan; tosou jido date Shikon. Fomu bari keo to miie; ramu kino to deru."

The chanting voice stopped only for a moment. Then it went on heedlessly.

"Nagimoro abei ro kotusan; nosu wan mi takedo. Koru todeya me suni; genomori sato ni edou."

All of a sudden, blue, wispy rays started coming out of the ground, the trees... Everything around them seemed to carry the sound of these strange words. Even though they could relate the strange dialect as Japanese, they had no idea of what it might have meant, or where was it coming from.

Inuyasha came up with an idea: "Everyone, get closer! Form a circle, dammit!" His comrades reluctantly followed his advice, awed and terrified at the same time, as the rays were reaching the number of several thousands, and they were still increasing.

Unbeknowest to them, that's what their adversary wanted them to do.

Still whispering his chant, Magemorou was grinning wickedly. His plan was working just fine, if not flawlessly even! He managed to hold back a laugh at how good everything seemed to be going.

'Soon... A little longer and all will be fine...'

Trying as hard as he could to maintain his concentration, he would only dream his success...

His becoming worthy of his legacy.

They were all sitting by now in a tight circle, everyone's back or arm bumping against another's.

"Where is that Ji-Ji when you need him?!"

Kagome fidgeted for a moment, but Sango answered for her in no time. "He left us a little while ago; guess he was afraid... Again."

Inuyasha's exasperation would have sent them into a fit of rolling on the ground with good-natured laughter, if not for their predicament. "Great... Just GREAT! That blood-sucking bastard and his always perfect timing!"

It was just then that Shippo noticed something. "Take cover!"

When the rest turned around to take a look at what had discomposured Shippo so much they realised that the rays where moving... with unbelievable speed too! It was only due to skill and a little luck on their part that they managed to dodge each one of them. A moment later they noticed that every ray was moving, if only a little.

Unsheathing Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha shouted in a commanding tone just as he dodged a flurry of the blue strands. "Do not let them touch you! Hit them with whatever you can use effectively against them!"

Surely enough, none of his companions needed being told twice. they spread out in the small glade that they could now move through, since the rays have opened up quite a lot in order to attack them. But they still were quite a lot of them...

It wasn't long before Sesshoumarou drew his own weapon: his whip of acidic poison. He lashed at the center of the glade, clearing up most of it. Shippo helped him with his kitsune-bi, and thus they managed to clear it all. In its center moved the human trio, most susceptible to hurt and better at dealing their attacks from a distance. Soon they were followed by Shippo as well, who plucked two magic leaves out of his hakama, using one to make a copy of his own and then taking another out. If those things were after them, he would drive them off with his copies so he could use his powers as a kistune without distraction. Last of all, Jaken, who had come to his senses only moments ago and who only knew that some strings of bluish light were hunting them down, also got into the center of the group and raised the Staff of the Heads, prepared to fire at them.

It was Inuyasha who snapped at the feeling of fury. "NOW!" Slashing thrice, wildly yet elegantly, he vaporised some of the rays. Then followed Sesshoumarou, flailing at the other side of the glade, complementing his brothers swift moves in an even more elegant, but profoundly more sinister dance of lithe snaps of his wrists and twists of his waist, revolving around his own form. Then, back to back, the two brothers continued their deadly duet.

Meanwhile, Sango was swinging Hiraikotsu at the strands that threatened to close on them at one time, only to throw it the next moment at the center of a forming mass of the damned things. In his own way, Miroku was complementing the young taijiya, his love, by using his staff to block off attacks at one point, then using some ofuda to burn others to dust; but the situation seemed dire for the two, since their weapons seemed to be the weakest against this magic, and the ofuda would all be used up at some point...

In a much better position than the couple, and mostly helping the rest than defending themselves except for a few direct attacks, Kagome, Shippo and Jaken were doing quite well. Shippo sent his copies mostly to distrqact the strands that were forming aroung the two humans, while he and Sesshoumarou's loyal servant roasted a few of them. The young miko on the other hand fired arrows at any lumpy formation, destroying it utterly with just one shot...

But the rays were still coming by the hundreds.

'They are doing very good against such a spell. Let's try something else...'

Magemorou started chanting even louder, sending his new will at the direction of the glade were the fight was taking place...

It didn't take the chanting long to be herd throughout the forest as well. It didn't seem awfully changed, but their was something different in it... Still, they could never recognise the sound over the errupting battle.

What they also missed was the fact that the strands opened up a little, a few digging in the ground and disappearing in it, others going up the globe that surrounded them all, reaching it stop part... Then both such ends charged at the individual people. They, confused and entangled, could do nothing to resist their binding grasp. The two brothers managed to fight back for a while, braking quite a few of them, but also were defeated when more and more bound themselves around them.

Just when they were all bound up, they lit up an cold, otherworldly radiance, an immencely potent feeling of heat and stinging pain running through their bodies, not quite hurting them but making them fall unconscious.

Their fight seemed to have met its end.


I know I left another cliff-hanger, but I don't have the time to write right now. Since I have come up with the text to follow though, you need not worry: the next chapter will be up by tomorrow evening. 0-0

And for those of you who like to come up with the solutions to riddles, can you figure out who helped Kouga? ^-^