Hey all. Tiny chapter this time, sorry about that. But I'm tired, and I can't seem to write today. Just bear with me, and use your imagination to make this a lot more exciting than it actually is. Story.

Chapter 27: The Showdown; Well, Almost Anyway

Nobody had an idea. The concept of every demon – including Inuyasha – trying to get to Kagome was just too much.

"This sucks," said Tobias bluntly. "There is no possible solution that can actually work! I can't run for two days...I need to rest sometime. They, however," he said, indicating the furious demons below, "don't seem to need to sleep. They'll catch up eventually."

"The only thing I can think to do," said Sango, "is just get Kagome in a safe place and hold them off until this is all over."

Tobias fixed her with a steely gaze. "Fight for two solid days? I don't have that much strength in me. I'll get torn to bits, then Kagome..." He broke off and looked away. "I don't even want to think about it."

"And you shouldn't," murmured the General. He was looking at his sword. It had been polished very shiny; but instead of reflecting his face, it showed Tobias and the rest on Kirara. "This spell is working better than I ever thought it would. Quite the stroke of luck, to have them run into the other two demons along the way." The corners of his mouth twitched. "I wonder what would happen should Naraku encounter the scent...I would have to go in and cancel the spell. It would be a pity." The General heard footsteps. In an instant, he sheathed his sword and stood up.

Naraku barged in. The General sank to one knee. "Well?" Naraku barked. "How has that spell worked?"

Before the General could answer, an armor-plated youkai came barreling in after Naraku. He was quite out of breath.

"My lords..." he gasped. "News from the front. The spell has taken full effect. Inuyasha; his brother, the full youkai Sesshomaru; and the wolf youkai Koga are all ensnared."

Naraku's scowl evaporated, to be replaced by a wide grin. "Excellent. You may go." The messenger scampered off. He turned to the General, who was impassive as ever. "Very good work. What has happened to the rest?"

The General stood back up. "I know only as much as you, my liege. Likely less. I have no powers of divination..." Naraku made a noise of disgust.

"Fine, then. Just do whatever you've been doing." He swept out of the room. The General did not move from his spot.

"He is sorely testing my patience," he said. "I cannot wait for Tobias to die, so that I may finish off all of these troublesome demons and claim the jewel for myself. Of course," he added to himself, "I require the miko to reunite the shards. But I cannot imagine it being difficult for her to be...persuaded...to do such a thing."

"So that's what I'll have to do, then," said Tobias. He was very pissed off about the whole situation (as well he should be – A/N.) "Wish me luck," he said, very sarcastically. He hoisted Kagome onto his back. Tobias nodded a quick farewell and jumped off.

He landed more heavily than he had expected and tumbled to the ground. Fortunately for Kagome, Tobias absorbed most of the impact.

"Tobias!" she said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

He stood up. "I'm fine," he growled. The baying of a wolf demon was heard right behind them, and Tobias could almost see Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's silhouettes in the trees. "Time to go!" He ran.

Barely a second after he left from the spot where he landed, the three demons came tearing after them, howling and roaring, going as fast as was demonically possible.

Mate with Kagome.

Mate with Kagome.

Mate with Kagome.

Tobias glanced behind him. Oh shit. He quickened his pace and they sped through the trees.

"Kagome?" he shouted. "I need a defendable place. Is there any caves around here?"

"Umm..." Kagome thought about it. "There's that – wait, you put a big hole in that one...there's another one about ten miles," she pointed, "that way."

Tobias changed course instantly. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru scrabbled at the ground as their momentum carried them off course, but Koga just smirked vainly as he rapidly approached the fleeing humans.

Tobias looked over his shoulder at Koga, who was gaining quickly. "This guy could be a problem," he muttered. He stopped, skidding to a halt. Koga zoomed toward them, but a two-fisted punch in the jaw from Tobias stopped him dead in his tracks.

Unfortunately, this slowed them down enough for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to catch up. They both leaped for Kagome, and smacked into each other as Tobias jumped away from them. With a snarl, Sesshomaru elbowed Inuyasha aside and slammed into Tobias.

Tobias choked, a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. Sesshomaru used this distraction to grab Kagome and pull her off Tobias. Tobias wheeled and pursued Sesshomaru.

The demon pinned Kagome to the ground as she screamed. Tobias got there first. Sword in hand, he slashed Sesshomaru across the back. As Sesshomaru howled in pain and anger, Tobias picked up Kagome again and they ran off.

Inuyasha came in close behind, he was about to catch them...

"SIT!"

Inuyasha was slammed into the ground. Growling and cursing, he scrabbled against the dirt in a vain attempt to get up. Koga leaped in and clawed Tobias across the face. Tobias kicked him in the ribs and resumed running.

"This...isn't...working..." growled Tobias. "I've got to keep running. By the way," he added, "Inuyasha seems to have kept at least some presence of mind."

"Wh-why?"

"He's dressed again, if you didn't notice, and he's carrying Tetsusaiga."

"Tetsusaiga?" gasped Kagome. "How? If he's full demon-"

"I don't think he's full demon, Kagome," panted Tobias. "I think he's just gone berserk." Inuyasha leaped at them with a roar. Tobias dropped Kagome and brought his sword up to meet Tetsusaiga.

*CLANG!!!!*

The sheer power at which the two swords met sent burning sparks everywhere as the two struggled for dominance. Tobias brought his knee up and hit Inuyasha in the groin. Inuyasha dropped Tetsusaiga as he gasped for breath through the excruciating pain. Tobias wasted no time in kicking him in the chest and sending him flying into a tree. He then picked Kagome back up and continued running.

The General raised an eyebrow as he looked into his sword.

"Oh, look," he said softly. "More friends arrive."

Six more demons burst through the trees and swooped upon Kagome. Tobias turned with a flourish and sliced two of them in one clean stroke. Three of them popped up from behind, Tobias leaped over their heads and decapitated them all. The last demon ran at Kagome, snarling. Tobias turned and pointed his sword straight into its foul heart.

"Take this!" A blast of fire erupted from the tip of the sword and engulfed the demon. Its blackened skeleton fell to the earth even as Tobias took off running again.

"They can keep this up forever," he panted. "I can't run this long..." He screeched to a halt. Kagome lost her grip and tumbled to the floor. Tobias shot out a hand and helped her up. "Well," he said, sounding very depressed, "that's the end of that problem, at least."

They stood at the very edge of a mind-bogglingly high cliff. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Koga stood in front of them, cutting off their only escape route. Kagome closed her eyes in fright. Tobias grimaced.

"I can't fight here," he muttered. "There's only one thing to do." He faced the demons with his head held high.

"See you later," he whispered.

Tobias dropped to one knee and sank his sword into the earth. A tangible shockwave emanated from his sword, rippling through the ground and turning the rock to powder. The edge of the cliff crumbled, and Tobias and Kagome fell into the abyss.

That's not so much a cliffhanger as it is a cliff-faller. Oh well. My writing skills are currently leaving much to be desired, so if I continue you'll just give up the story in disgust. Sorry. But here's the chapter, review it, I'm depressed right now for some reason and my story sucks. Review.