CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
*
Inuyasha felt his fingers groping on empty air as his left hand erupted through the demon's back. His grimace turned into a grim smile as he saw the look of shock on Marako's face. "I win, bastard," Inuyasha said through his teeth. "That's for what you did to Kagome."
He yanked out his hand, still smeared with Marako's dark blood. Marako took a staggering step backwards, then crumpled to the ground. Inuyasha tensed, ready to strike again if he moved, but his lookalike seemed to be dead. At the very least, he wasn't moving.
Inuyasha grimaced. If my right arm weren't broken, I could've ripped him in half, he thought. But for now... I'm gonna deal with Mihaka.
He wheeled around and stared at the two girls. They were staring at him, with looks of shock on their identical faces. Both of their uniform blouses were hanging in tatters in the back. Both of them were dirty, sweaty, scratched by briars. Aw, man, he thought. Now neither of them knows who I am -- me or Marako. But I can... find out which one is really Kagome. And broken arm or not, I'll give that slut something to yelp about before I slash her to bits.
His golden eyes flicked from one girl's face to the other, studying them as long as he dared. One looked freaked-out, and the other... was just blank. But that didn't mean anything. Kagome might have figured out by now who I really am, Inuyasha thought. If I were Marako, I would've already killed her. But then again... Mihaka also knows.
"Don't move a muscle, either of you," he growled. His left hand cracked loudly. "I'm gonna walk around you to see your backs. The first one to move dies."
Inuyasha saw a malevolent flash in one girl's eyes. He started toward her - and a powerful arm locked around his neck.
"Don't count me out yet!" Marako's voice snarled in Inuyasha's ear.
Inuyasha staggered back, grimacing. Marako was wounded, but he had the wild strength of a dying man. One of his muscular arms was locked around Inuyasha's chest and broken arm, the other around his throat, choking him. The half-demon cursed silently, knowing that he had been clumsy. He should have finished Marako off for good before turning to Mihaka....
With a strained shout, Inuyasha forced Marako's arm away from his throat and whirled around. He pushed the Naraku-spawned demon away to the edge of the cliff. Marako's last expression was one of surprise, as he plummeted off the cliff and vanished into the fog. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief.
"YOU!" Mihaka's shriek rang out.
Inuyasha was knocked off his feet as Mihaka body-tackled him. As he twisted in pain, she sat on him, pinning him with her body weight, and locked her slim hands around his throat. Her face was contorted with rage. Even though she was identical to Kagome, for a moment her face was all demon.
Inuyasha writhed under the girl, trying to push her away. But she was as strong as he was, and his right arm was broken. As he clawed wildly at her with his left hand, she dodged him easily.
Dammit, I can't... breathe! he thought.
Suddenly Mihaka let go of him and lurched forward. Inuyasha felt something hot prick his stomach.
When he looked down, he saw an arrow poking through Mihaka's chest. It had burned a small hole in Inuyasha's fire-rat clothes, but had stopped short of burning him. He looked up at Mihaka's shocked face. Then she seemed to dissolve into a bluish mist.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran over. "Are you okay?"
Inuyasha coughed and clutched at his bruised throat. "Y-yeah," he whispered. "I-I guess so... damn, that was close, Kagome."
Kagome clutched at his sleeves. "I'm sorry. But I couldn't figure out any other way to get her off you."
Inuyasha looked vaguely embarrassed at the way she had phrased it. But he wasn't going to tell her justyet... "It ain't important," he mumbled. "Forget it. I'm just glad those two didn't have the chance to hurt you anymore." He grunted and started to his feet.
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha felt his breath catch. "Yeah, Kagome?"
"Sit."
Inuyasha smashed to the ground with an undignified squawk.
Kagome knelt down next to his prone form. "Sorry, I just needed to make absolutely sure you were really Inuyasha," she said hesitantly. She waited for a moment. "Inuyasha? Are you okay? Um... is that arm broken? Inuyasha?"
"Oh, shut up..." came the reply.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Inuyasha felt his fingers groping on empty air as his left hand erupted through the demon's back. His grimace turned into a grim smile as he saw the look of shock on Marako's face. "I win, bastard," Inuyasha said through his teeth. "That's for what you did to Kagome."
He yanked out his hand, still smeared with Marako's dark blood. Marako took a staggering step backwards, then crumpled to the ground. Inuyasha tensed, ready to strike again if he moved, but his lookalike seemed to be dead. At the very least, he wasn't moving.
Inuyasha grimaced. If my right arm weren't broken, I could've ripped him in half, he thought. But for now... I'm gonna deal with Mihaka.
He wheeled around and stared at the two girls. They were staring at him, with looks of shock on their identical faces. Both of their uniform blouses were hanging in tatters in the back. Both of them were dirty, sweaty, scratched by briars. Aw, man, he thought. Now neither of them knows who I am -- me or Marako. But I can... find out which one is really Kagome. And broken arm or not, I'll give that slut something to yelp about before I slash her to bits.
His golden eyes flicked from one girl's face to the other, studying them as long as he dared. One looked freaked-out, and the other... was just blank. But that didn't mean anything. Kagome might have figured out by now who I really am, Inuyasha thought. If I were Marako, I would've already killed her. But then again... Mihaka also knows.
"Don't move a muscle, either of you," he growled. His left hand cracked loudly. "I'm gonna walk around you to see your backs. The first one to move dies."
Inuyasha saw a malevolent flash in one girl's eyes. He started toward her - and a powerful arm locked around his neck.
"Don't count me out yet!" Marako's voice snarled in Inuyasha's ear.
Inuyasha staggered back, grimacing. Marako was wounded, but he had the wild strength of a dying man. One of his muscular arms was locked around Inuyasha's chest and broken arm, the other around his throat, choking him. The half-demon cursed silently, knowing that he had been clumsy. He should have finished Marako off for good before turning to Mihaka....
With a strained shout, Inuyasha forced Marako's arm away from his throat and whirled around. He pushed the Naraku-spawned demon away to the edge of the cliff. Marako's last expression was one of surprise, as he plummeted off the cliff and vanished into the fog. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief.
"YOU!" Mihaka's shriek rang out.
Inuyasha was knocked off his feet as Mihaka body-tackled him. As he twisted in pain, she sat on him, pinning him with her body weight, and locked her slim hands around his throat. Her face was contorted with rage. Even though she was identical to Kagome, for a moment her face was all demon.
Inuyasha writhed under the girl, trying to push her away. But she was as strong as he was, and his right arm was broken. As he clawed wildly at her with his left hand, she dodged him easily.
Dammit, I can't... breathe! he thought.
Suddenly Mihaka let go of him and lurched forward. Inuyasha felt something hot prick his stomach.
When he looked down, he saw an arrow poking through Mihaka's chest. It had burned a small hole in Inuyasha's fire-rat clothes, but had stopped short of burning him. He looked up at Mihaka's shocked face. Then she seemed to dissolve into a bluish mist.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran over. "Are you okay?"
Inuyasha coughed and clutched at his bruised throat. "Y-yeah," he whispered. "I-I guess so... damn, that was close, Kagome."
Kagome clutched at his sleeves. "I'm sorry. But I couldn't figure out any other way to get her off you."
Inuyasha looked vaguely embarrassed at the way she had phrased it. But he wasn't going to tell her justyet... "It ain't important," he mumbled. "Forget it. I'm just glad those two didn't have the chance to hurt you anymore." He grunted and started to his feet.
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha felt his breath catch. "Yeah, Kagome?"
"Sit."
Inuyasha smashed to the ground with an undignified squawk.
Kagome knelt down next to his prone form. "Sorry, I just needed to make absolutely sure you were really Inuyasha," she said hesitantly. She waited for a moment. "Inuyasha? Are you okay? Um... is that arm broken? Inuyasha?"
"Oh, shut up..." came the reply.
TO BE CONTINUED