Intro
Once again, none of the characters appearing in the Inuyasha TV show, manga, or other such Inuyasha publications do not belong to me in any way shape or form. Only original characters found in this fic can be considered mine. Thank you.
Chapter 2
***Part 1: Wounded Pride***
It was over half a day since the skirmish with Barbarossa. Inuyasha lied against a tree in agonizing pain; both the slashes in his legs still bleeding strong. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were trying to gather whatever medicinal herbs in the nearby area, while Kagome tended to Inuyasha, having already bandaged his wounds.
"I don't understand, Kagome.....the Tetsusaiga....it didn't even phase him!" Inuyasha spurted out, growling lightly between words, trying in vain to hold in his contempt for this "brother" of his. "He can't be my brother...there were only two of us. Mother said so! This doesn't make any sense....." He dropped his head into his hands. "Not only could I not even harm him......but even took the Tetsusaiga!" Moments after, he began to try and pull himself to a stance, preparing to go and get his sword back.
"What are you doing, Inuyasha!? You need to lie down, and rest some. Look at yourself! Your a mess! If you go after that creep now....you might not....." Her voice died down to a whisper. "You might not come....back...." A teardrop fell from her cheek, for the worst thoughts began to pervade her young mind. "Just....just stay here awhile...." She crawled into his arms with a light, but worried, smile on her face.
The half-demon froze. In the past, he never took well to this sort of situation; this was no exception. A light blush crossed his face, with the telltale "What are you doing??" look. After a moment, he conceded to his heart, wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned his head on her shoulder.
"Kagome! Inuyasha!" The young monk shouted out lightly, as he came into the clearing where Kagome and the half-demon were. Upon seeing the moment that they were having, Miroku cleared his throat some, not wanting to be a bother. "Uhm...we've found a few things that may be beneficial to his wounds...." He walked over and set a small bag on the ground next to the two, and retreated back into another clearing with Sango and Shippo, as to give the two some privacy.
"Thanks...." Kagome says, lightly, as she reluctantly crept up from Inuyasha's chest, and grabs hold of the bag.
After a moment or two of searching through it, she found that several different little herbs were crushed into powder, and set into bandages to help the wounds heal. Luckily for them, Miroku knew herbology. Kagome grabbed a pair of the medicinal bandagee and replaced the plain ones over Inuyasha's wounds.
"Ehhh....." A light gasp of pain escaped the demons lips, as the wounds start to hurt all over again, just from being touched. A light sigh later, he spoke up. "Thank you, Kagome....you don't have to do this...." He spoke silently, trying to hide his emotions, but trying not to.
"Of course I do, silly....that's what friends are for. We're here to help each other, right?" She let on a bright smile, trying to mask the sadness flowing over her from Inuyasha's pain. She crawled back into his arms moments later, pulling herself close to his chest.
The demon sighed again, as thoughts dashed through his mind "*I couldn't beat him......and when he comes to finish me off.....I won't be able to protect her.....*"
***Part 2: Mastery***
"Well, I must say, I am impressed with your work..." Sesshomaru smirked as he said this. "The poor fool didn't have a chance, did he?"
"No." Barbarossa spoke blunty. "I could have finished him off with ease right there, if I wanted to.....but, I feel as if you deserve the killing blow. Aren't I so generous....." Barbarossa had a tired, lazy hint to his voice, as he walked up to his throne, and sits down, resting his chin on a fist.
"Yes....yes you are, brother. Now, about the Tetsusaiga....." Sesshomaru's intent was obvious. He wanted that sword.
"No.....I keep that blade. You cannot use it yet....so, giving it to you just makes it easier for Inuyasha to get it again. What you need to do is learn to use your Tensaiga. The sword heals, boy. Your missing an arm. Want to put two and two together?" The eldest brother said such with a taunting manner. He was trying to teach Sesshomaru, but, having him figure it out for himself.
"With my own arm...." Sesshomaru started "I cannot use that sword. I need a normal arm. One that can actually hold the sword."
"Fool....the boy couldn't use the sword at first, remember? These things take time. Go ahead....grab the blade. You must condition yourself to it's harshness. Only then can you truly be it's master. I know as well as you that you can see the windscar without even trying. That alone puts you ahead of Inuyasha....all you need now is to be able to actually use the blade. Grab it!"
Barbarossa grabbed the Tetsusaiga from alongside his throne, and threw it to Sesshomaru. The middle child grasped the fang-blade, as it's protective magic began to take effect, shocking Sesshomaru. For the first few minutes he held it, the electricity did nothing, but now, it was starting to take it's toll.
A light growls escaped Sesshomaru's lips. "Why don't I just do it your way! It would be easier...."
In the next moment, Sesshomaru was on the ground, having been cracked in the face with the flat of the Gram. The Tetsusaiga now laid back at the side of Barbarossa's throne.
"W...what happened?" The middle brother was aghast with surprise.
"I decided to hit you. I thought it was obvious. That is to be your sword. Do you really want to use it the cheap way!? I do it my way because it's MY way. That isn't my sword. I just made sure that when the time came...if it came, I'd be able to use it. You will master that sword before I'm done with you. Then....you won't even need my help to destroy Inuyasha."
Barbarossa turned from his younger, and walked down one of the keeps many halls, with his voice echoing to the throne room. "You have three days to master the way of that blade. In three days, we strike again. I suggest that you don't disappoint me."
***Part 3: Modesty***
It had been a day and a half since Kagome and Inuyasha were in the woods. They made their way to Kaede's house, still gathering medical assistance for Inuyasha's wounds.
"I still don't see how you could have let a fight come to this, Inuyasha." Kaede said, with a touch of worry in her voice. "I've seen you hurt before, but not like this."
"Yeah yeah, just shut it grandma....I don't need you holding my hand when I go fight. I'll figure out something...." He groaned for a moment and tried to stand, using the wall to keep himself steady. "And I don't need to be sitting here being coddled like a baby....I can handle myself!" Seconds after he spouted that off, the demon stepped past Kaede, and out the door.
Something was wrong though. The village was quiet. Too quite. In the middle of the day, the sounds of fishermen, merchants, and bawdy drunks could easily be heard, but this was pure silence.
"What's going on he--" Before the demon could finish his sentence, a dark blur flew across his field of vision, and then he felt the cold touch of a thin steel cord across his neck. "Hey! What's going on here!" He tried not to struggle, knowing that something could go terribly wrong.
"Well well, my dear...." A sultry, seductive voice spoke right into the demons ear, before licking at the sides. "It seems as if you have something I want....." A female with long silver hair, yellow eyes, and lupin ears and a tail, had a garrote wire wrapped around Inuyasha's neck. She wore a tight, black, leather V-cut vest, trimmed in deep green, with dark blue pants. Two scimitars swung at her sides, with black handles and a green hilts.
Inuyasha growled lightly, attempting to figure out some sort of strategy in his wounded state. "Where is Kagome......and the other villagers!?" It was painfully obvious that the villagers were the least on his mind. "If you hurt a hair on her head, I'll--"
"You'll what, my pretty little puppy dog? Bite me?" A grin crossed her lips for a moment, before she bit hold of his ear lightly. "Where are your jewel shards? Give them to me, and the people....they can live...." She giggled lightly, holding the wire firmly.
Miroku had the jewels this day. With Inuyasha in his weakened state, the young monk saw it fit to take care of the jewels.
He, along with the rest of everyone in town, were tied up in a nearby cave. Of course, a few villagers didn't make it, what with the female demon having eaten them. Miroku tugged at his bonds lightly, before mumbling to himself. "Never trust a pretty face....."
"Weeeeellll....? Are you going to tell me, my tasty little demon? Or will I have to kill you and find them myself?" She giggled and playfully pouted, pushing her bottom lip out.
"Yeah, I'll tell you where they are...." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles lightly. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He spun around, attempting a claw slash at her, but cuts the left side of his neck on the wire, and fell to his knees, due to the gaping wounds in his legs. All in all, the attack failed miserably.
"Awww...now why did you have to go and do that? Oh well....I guess now you have the pleasure of being killed by Sek-Met, greatest demon in the world!" She laughed haughtily for a little while, before drawing her twin scimitars. "Good-bye, my wittle furry friend...."
"The jewel is mine, you fool!" A raspy, yet lightly high pitched voice came from the forest. Stepping from the shadows was a gaunt, gray skinned beast; it's skin was rough, and somewhat chitinous, yet sucked to his bones so in that the individual ribs were visible. It's head was hairless, and it's eyes sunken into it's deep eyesockets. The beast was lacking lips, for it's teeth were part of the upper and bottom jaw. It's rough, forked tongue slid in and out of it's mouth in what seemed like an involuntary manner. "Stand aside, or die!"
Sek-Met glared at the malformed beast for a moment, before she laughed aloud. "WHAT are you? You think you can contest me, the most beautiful being in the world?" She tossed her hair lightly, before kicking Inuyasha to the side. "Your not even worth my time." She called out in a singsong manner. "Oh boo--ooooys!"
After a moment, six men, dressed in what seemed to be traditional samurai armor, but black, appeared in front of Sek-met. "Now boys....would you all be sweeties and kill this thing? Now." She asked them, but told them at the same time.
In an instant, the dark samurai got to their feet, drew their blades, and rush at the unusual beast. "Prepare to die, in the name of our lady!" They all said such at the exact same time, and in the same manner.
As soon as one of the samurai got within ten feet of this monster, a bizarre change began to take place; muscle began to form underneath of the creatures cracked flesh, and it got taller, about three feet taller. It's hideous, hunched stance began to improve, and it's malformed, claw-like hands started to straighten themselves. As soon as that finished, the rest of the samurai immediately charged the monster.
***Part 4: Manifold***
The six warriors stopped dead in their racks. They stood not three feet from it. For some reason, it kept getting bigger. After a minute of staring, the beast was unlike anything they could have imagined; jet black wings sprouted, it was completely covered in toned muscle, and it had a long, wickedly barbed tail. He stood over twelve feet tall now, compared to his previous five.
The beast shouted in a demanding voice. "Now I, Azirog, shall destroy all who stand in my way!" He flared out into maniacal laughter, before beginning the attack.
Azirog's tail lashed at one of the warriors, taking his head clean off. As soon as it severed, the body turned into the smoke, and the armor sunk into the earth, reducing to ash. One of the warriors began to falter, as he turned to run. Azirog's reach had increased by far, as he merely grabbed hold of the poor underling, crushing him in the armor. Like the one before him, he turned to dust, and his armor to ash.
Morale failure had spread like wildfire among the small, but elite, troop. They had all fled from that monster. Sek-Met could only stare on as her longtime soldiers were destroyed, and their ranks broken.
"H....how is this possible? You won't get those jewels!" Sek-Met shouted out as she brandished her two scimitars, ignoring Inuyasha and dashing at the now large beast.
She stood toe to toe with it, but, she couldn't understand one thing. It was getting bigger. Azirog was "evolving" even more. Only twenty seconds after she came up to him, he grew another two feet, and his wings burst into flames. His skin became armor, almost literally. In Sek-met's mind, she could swear she heard the words "You fool" whisper.
In only a moment, Azirog had lashed Sek-Met into the air, and delivered a spin kick to her side, sending her over one hundred feet back, so in that she was lying only a dozen paces from Inuyasha. The huge demons laughter resonated throughout the village, even though his mouth didn't seem to move.
"This can't be.....I am Sek-Met...the greatest demon in the world....." She was staring up into the sky, seemingly trying to convince herself of these lies. "I am Sek-Met...the greatest demon in the world....." She repeated herself over and over again.
"Snap out of it!" Inuyasha held one hand over his lightly bleeding neck, and smacked the demon with the other. "Where is Kagome!? WHERE!" He was clearly frustrated, and very, very angry.
"There......" Not straying from the sky, she points a finger over to a mountain range, about half a mile from their current position. "I am Sek- Met...." She continued to repeat herself.
With not another second, Inuyasha started making his way to the mountain range, leaving that demon to her death.
Azirog appeared before Sek-Met after Inuyasha had gotten into the woods. "Where are the jewels, girl? Tell me, and your death will be a LOT less unpleasant....." He had a wry grin on his face. He knew he was lying. So did she.
"I.....I don't have them....but I can make shards...of yours!" She screamed out and gave a full force kick to Azirog's groin. "What are you trying to accomplish? You die now......"
***Part 5: Love***
Inuyasha dragged himself on and on for forty minutes before he got to the mountains. Even then, he had to walk for ten or fifteen minutes before he got to the opening of the cave. For all he knew, the actual cave dragged on for miles.
"I'm coming, Kagome..." He thought to himself, as he sniffed at the air, trying to get a bead on where she was. "Just....hold on."
He gripped at his legs tightly as he carried himself deeper and deeper into the old cave, before he finally smelled fresh blood. "Oh no...am I too late?" Those were the only words that went through his mind.
Ignoring all pain, he ran towards the odor, until he came upon a corridor with about five or six bodies lying about. They had been torn open what seemed not an hour or two ago. "This can't be her....it isn't."
Minutes later he came onto a large room. Spread all about the room were the villagers, tied up, but, alive. He looked around the room frantically, ignoring the cries for help that the dozens of townsmen gave off, until he spotted Kagome. It took not but a second for him to run over to her, and hug her from behind, holding her close, and not saying a word.
"I...Inuyasha?" A large smiles filled her face as she blushed softly. Nearly ten minutes went by before she spoke up again. "Uhm...not to ruin the moment...but could you untie me please? Heh..."
Silently, the half-demon undid the ropes on Kagome, Miroku, and Sango. "What about me!?" Shippo shouted out.
"Ah shut up, runt...." Inuyasha walked to the little fox and untied the twine which held him.
After a few moments, the five had released to villagers, who immediately fled the cave, and headed back to the village, with scattered thanks. Once the group had returned to the village, both the large demon and the demon named Sek-Met were gone, as if they were never there at all. There was cheers all around the local bars and inns, but calling out could be heard from Kaede's house.
Kagome ran up to the door, and tried to open it, but, it seemed stuck. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to the demon.
"What!?....Oh..." He grinned a moment. "Guess I...accidentally jammed the door when I left...." He pulled the door open with ease, as Kaede glared at him silently, but turned from him. "Ah get over it, you old lady...."
"Inuyasha....thank you." Kagome beamed to him, and stepped up and hugged him tight. A blush quickly crossed his face.
Slowly and unsure, he began to speak. "Kagome....I....I love...."
End of Chapter 2
Ok, I'll admit....I'm not too pleased with this chapter. It just kinda seemed to drag on. Gimme a break though. I'm new at this. I fully expect chapter 3 to be much better.
Once again, none of the characters appearing in the Inuyasha TV show, manga, or other such Inuyasha publications do not belong to me in any way shape or form. Only original characters found in this fic can be considered mine. Thank you.
Chapter 2
***Part 1: Wounded Pride***
It was over half a day since the skirmish with Barbarossa. Inuyasha lied against a tree in agonizing pain; both the slashes in his legs still bleeding strong. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were trying to gather whatever medicinal herbs in the nearby area, while Kagome tended to Inuyasha, having already bandaged his wounds.
"I don't understand, Kagome.....the Tetsusaiga....it didn't even phase him!" Inuyasha spurted out, growling lightly between words, trying in vain to hold in his contempt for this "brother" of his. "He can't be my brother...there were only two of us. Mother said so! This doesn't make any sense....." He dropped his head into his hands. "Not only could I not even harm him......but even took the Tetsusaiga!" Moments after, he began to try and pull himself to a stance, preparing to go and get his sword back.
"What are you doing, Inuyasha!? You need to lie down, and rest some. Look at yourself! Your a mess! If you go after that creep now....you might not....." Her voice died down to a whisper. "You might not come....back...." A teardrop fell from her cheek, for the worst thoughts began to pervade her young mind. "Just....just stay here awhile...." She crawled into his arms with a light, but worried, smile on her face.
The half-demon froze. In the past, he never took well to this sort of situation; this was no exception. A light blush crossed his face, with the telltale "What are you doing??" look. After a moment, he conceded to his heart, wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned his head on her shoulder.
"Kagome! Inuyasha!" The young monk shouted out lightly, as he came into the clearing where Kagome and the half-demon were. Upon seeing the moment that they were having, Miroku cleared his throat some, not wanting to be a bother. "Uhm...we've found a few things that may be beneficial to his wounds...." He walked over and set a small bag on the ground next to the two, and retreated back into another clearing with Sango and Shippo, as to give the two some privacy.
"Thanks...." Kagome says, lightly, as she reluctantly crept up from Inuyasha's chest, and grabs hold of the bag.
After a moment or two of searching through it, she found that several different little herbs were crushed into powder, and set into bandages to help the wounds heal. Luckily for them, Miroku knew herbology. Kagome grabbed a pair of the medicinal bandagee and replaced the plain ones over Inuyasha's wounds.
"Ehhh....." A light gasp of pain escaped the demons lips, as the wounds start to hurt all over again, just from being touched. A light sigh later, he spoke up. "Thank you, Kagome....you don't have to do this...." He spoke silently, trying to hide his emotions, but trying not to.
"Of course I do, silly....that's what friends are for. We're here to help each other, right?" She let on a bright smile, trying to mask the sadness flowing over her from Inuyasha's pain. She crawled back into his arms moments later, pulling herself close to his chest.
The demon sighed again, as thoughts dashed through his mind "*I couldn't beat him......and when he comes to finish me off.....I won't be able to protect her.....*"
***Part 2: Mastery***
"Well, I must say, I am impressed with your work..." Sesshomaru smirked as he said this. "The poor fool didn't have a chance, did he?"
"No." Barbarossa spoke blunty. "I could have finished him off with ease right there, if I wanted to.....but, I feel as if you deserve the killing blow. Aren't I so generous....." Barbarossa had a tired, lazy hint to his voice, as he walked up to his throne, and sits down, resting his chin on a fist.
"Yes....yes you are, brother. Now, about the Tetsusaiga....." Sesshomaru's intent was obvious. He wanted that sword.
"No.....I keep that blade. You cannot use it yet....so, giving it to you just makes it easier for Inuyasha to get it again. What you need to do is learn to use your Tensaiga. The sword heals, boy. Your missing an arm. Want to put two and two together?" The eldest brother said such with a taunting manner. He was trying to teach Sesshomaru, but, having him figure it out for himself.
"With my own arm...." Sesshomaru started "I cannot use that sword. I need a normal arm. One that can actually hold the sword."
"Fool....the boy couldn't use the sword at first, remember? These things take time. Go ahead....grab the blade. You must condition yourself to it's harshness. Only then can you truly be it's master. I know as well as you that you can see the windscar without even trying. That alone puts you ahead of Inuyasha....all you need now is to be able to actually use the blade. Grab it!"
Barbarossa grabbed the Tetsusaiga from alongside his throne, and threw it to Sesshomaru. The middle child grasped the fang-blade, as it's protective magic began to take effect, shocking Sesshomaru. For the first few minutes he held it, the electricity did nothing, but now, it was starting to take it's toll.
A light growls escaped Sesshomaru's lips. "Why don't I just do it your way! It would be easier...."
In the next moment, Sesshomaru was on the ground, having been cracked in the face with the flat of the Gram. The Tetsusaiga now laid back at the side of Barbarossa's throne.
"W...what happened?" The middle brother was aghast with surprise.
"I decided to hit you. I thought it was obvious. That is to be your sword. Do you really want to use it the cheap way!? I do it my way because it's MY way. That isn't my sword. I just made sure that when the time came...if it came, I'd be able to use it. You will master that sword before I'm done with you. Then....you won't even need my help to destroy Inuyasha."
Barbarossa turned from his younger, and walked down one of the keeps many halls, with his voice echoing to the throne room. "You have three days to master the way of that blade. In three days, we strike again. I suggest that you don't disappoint me."
***Part 3: Modesty***
It had been a day and a half since Kagome and Inuyasha were in the woods. They made their way to Kaede's house, still gathering medical assistance for Inuyasha's wounds.
"I still don't see how you could have let a fight come to this, Inuyasha." Kaede said, with a touch of worry in her voice. "I've seen you hurt before, but not like this."
"Yeah yeah, just shut it grandma....I don't need you holding my hand when I go fight. I'll figure out something...." He groaned for a moment and tried to stand, using the wall to keep himself steady. "And I don't need to be sitting here being coddled like a baby....I can handle myself!" Seconds after he spouted that off, the demon stepped past Kaede, and out the door.
Something was wrong though. The village was quiet. Too quite. In the middle of the day, the sounds of fishermen, merchants, and bawdy drunks could easily be heard, but this was pure silence.
"What's going on he--" Before the demon could finish his sentence, a dark blur flew across his field of vision, and then he felt the cold touch of a thin steel cord across his neck. "Hey! What's going on here!" He tried not to struggle, knowing that something could go terribly wrong.
"Well well, my dear...." A sultry, seductive voice spoke right into the demons ear, before licking at the sides. "It seems as if you have something I want....." A female with long silver hair, yellow eyes, and lupin ears and a tail, had a garrote wire wrapped around Inuyasha's neck. She wore a tight, black, leather V-cut vest, trimmed in deep green, with dark blue pants. Two scimitars swung at her sides, with black handles and a green hilts.
Inuyasha growled lightly, attempting to figure out some sort of strategy in his wounded state. "Where is Kagome......and the other villagers!?" It was painfully obvious that the villagers were the least on his mind. "If you hurt a hair on her head, I'll--"
"You'll what, my pretty little puppy dog? Bite me?" A grin crossed her lips for a moment, before she bit hold of his ear lightly. "Where are your jewel shards? Give them to me, and the people....they can live...." She giggled lightly, holding the wire firmly.
Miroku had the jewels this day. With Inuyasha in his weakened state, the young monk saw it fit to take care of the jewels.
He, along with the rest of everyone in town, were tied up in a nearby cave. Of course, a few villagers didn't make it, what with the female demon having eaten them. Miroku tugged at his bonds lightly, before mumbling to himself. "Never trust a pretty face....."
"Weeeeellll....? Are you going to tell me, my tasty little demon? Or will I have to kill you and find them myself?" She giggled and playfully pouted, pushing her bottom lip out.
"Yeah, I'll tell you where they are...." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles lightly. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He spun around, attempting a claw slash at her, but cuts the left side of his neck on the wire, and fell to his knees, due to the gaping wounds in his legs. All in all, the attack failed miserably.
"Awww...now why did you have to go and do that? Oh well....I guess now you have the pleasure of being killed by Sek-Met, greatest demon in the world!" She laughed haughtily for a little while, before drawing her twin scimitars. "Good-bye, my wittle furry friend...."
"The jewel is mine, you fool!" A raspy, yet lightly high pitched voice came from the forest. Stepping from the shadows was a gaunt, gray skinned beast; it's skin was rough, and somewhat chitinous, yet sucked to his bones so in that the individual ribs were visible. It's head was hairless, and it's eyes sunken into it's deep eyesockets. The beast was lacking lips, for it's teeth were part of the upper and bottom jaw. It's rough, forked tongue slid in and out of it's mouth in what seemed like an involuntary manner. "Stand aside, or die!"
Sek-Met glared at the malformed beast for a moment, before she laughed aloud. "WHAT are you? You think you can contest me, the most beautiful being in the world?" She tossed her hair lightly, before kicking Inuyasha to the side. "Your not even worth my time." She called out in a singsong manner. "Oh boo--ooooys!"
After a moment, six men, dressed in what seemed to be traditional samurai armor, but black, appeared in front of Sek-met. "Now boys....would you all be sweeties and kill this thing? Now." She asked them, but told them at the same time.
In an instant, the dark samurai got to their feet, drew their blades, and rush at the unusual beast. "Prepare to die, in the name of our lady!" They all said such at the exact same time, and in the same manner.
As soon as one of the samurai got within ten feet of this monster, a bizarre change began to take place; muscle began to form underneath of the creatures cracked flesh, and it got taller, about three feet taller. It's hideous, hunched stance began to improve, and it's malformed, claw-like hands started to straighten themselves. As soon as that finished, the rest of the samurai immediately charged the monster.
***Part 4: Manifold***
The six warriors stopped dead in their racks. They stood not three feet from it. For some reason, it kept getting bigger. After a minute of staring, the beast was unlike anything they could have imagined; jet black wings sprouted, it was completely covered in toned muscle, and it had a long, wickedly barbed tail. He stood over twelve feet tall now, compared to his previous five.
The beast shouted in a demanding voice. "Now I, Azirog, shall destroy all who stand in my way!" He flared out into maniacal laughter, before beginning the attack.
Azirog's tail lashed at one of the warriors, taking his head clean off. As soon as it severed, the body turned into the smoke, and the armor sunk into the earth, reducing to ash. One of the warriors began to falter, as he turned to run. Azirog's reach had increased by far, as he merely grabbed hold of the poor underling, crushing him in the armor. Like the one before him, he turned to dust, and his armor to ash.
Morale failure had spread like wildfire among the small, but elite, troop. They had all fled from that monster. Sek-Met could only stare on as her longtime soldiers were destroyed, and their ranks broken.
"H....how is this possible? You won't get those jewels!" Sek-Met shouted out as she brandished her two scimitars, ignoring Inuyasha and dashing at the now large beast.
She stood toe to toe with it, but, she couldn't understand one thing. It was getting bigger. Azirog was "evolving" even more. Only twenty seconds after she came up to him, he grew another two feet, and his wings burst into flames. His skin became armor, almost literally. In Sek-met's mind, she could swear she heard the words "You fool" whisper.
In only a moment, Azirog had lashed Sek-Met into the air, and delivered a spin kick to her side, sending her over one hundred feet back, so in that she was lying only a dozen paces from Inuyasha. The huge demons laughter resonated throughout the village, even though his mouth didn't seem to move.
"This can't be.....I am Sek-Met...the greatest demon in the world....." She was staring up into the sky, seemingly trying to convince herself of these lies. "I am Sek-Met...the greatest demon in the world....." She repeated herself over and over again.
"Snap out of it!" Inuyasha held one hand over his lightly bleeding neck, and smacked the demon with the other. "Where is Kagome!? WHERE!" He was clearly frustrated, and very, very angry.
"There......" Not straying from the sky, she points a finger over to a mountain range, about half a mile from their current position. "I am Sek- Met...." She continued to repeat herself.
With not another second, Inuyasha started making his way to the mountain range, leaving that demon to her death.
Azirog appeared before Sek-Met after Inuyasha had gotten into the woods. "Where are the jewels, girl? Tell me, and your death will be a LOT less unpleasant....." He had a wry grin on his face. He knew he was lying. So did she.
"I.....I don't have them....but I can make shards...of yours!" She screamed out and gave a full force kick to Azirog's groin. "What are you trying to accomplish? You die now......"
***Part 5: Love***
Inuyasha dragged himself on and on for forty minutes before he got to the mountains. Even then, he had to walk for ten or fifteen minutes before he got to the opening of the cave. For all he knew, the actual cave dragged on for miles.
"I'm coming, Kagome..." He thought to himself, as he sniffed at the air, trying to get a bead on where she was. "Just....hold on."
He gripped at his legs tightly as he carried himself deeper and deeper into the old cave, before he finally smelled fresh blood. "Oh no...am I too late?" Those were the only words that went through his mind.
Ignoring all pain, he ran towards the odor, until he came upon a corridor with about five or six bodies lying about. They had been torn open what seemed not an hour or two ago. "This can't be her....it isn't."
Minutes later he came onto a large room. Spread all about the room were the villagers, tied up, but, alive. He looked around the room frantically, ignoring the cries for help that the dozens of townsmen gave off, until he spotted Kagome. It took not but a second for him to run over to her, and hug her from behind, holding her close, and not saying a word.
"I...Inuyasha?" A large smiles filled her face as she blushed softly. Nearly ten minutes went by before she spoke up again. "Uhm...not to ruin the moment...but could you untie me please? Heh..."
Silently, the half-demon undid the ropes on Kagome, Miroku, and Sango. "What about me!?" Shippo shouted out.
"Ah shut up, runt...." Inuyasha walked to the little fox and untied the twine which held him.
After a few moments, the five had released to villagers, who immediately fled the cave, and headed back to the village, with scattered thanks. Once the group had returned to the village, both the large demon and the demon named Sek-Met were gone, as if they were never there at all. There was cheers all around the local bars and inns, but calling out could be heard from Kaede's house.
Kagome ran up to the door, and tried to open it, but, it seemed stuck. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to the demon.
"What!?....Oh..." He grinned a moment. "Guess I...accidentally jammed the door when I left...." He pulled the door open with ease, as Kaede glared at him silently, but turned from him. "Ah get over it, you old lady...."
"Inuyasha....thank you." Kagome beamed to him, and stepped up and hugged him tight. A blush quickly crossed his face.
Slowly and unsure, he began to speak. "Kagome....I....I love...."
End of Chapter 2
Ok, I'll admit....I'm not too pleased with this chapter. It just kinda seemed to drag on. Gimme a break though. I'm new at this. I fully expect chapter 3 to be much better.