Chapter Nineteen: Good Versus Evil: The Battle Begins

Kagome stood in front of a full-length mirror, looking at her body. She was dressed in a black kimono that flared at the elbows and fell two inches beyond the tips of her fingers. It hugged her torso tightly before spilling out around her legs. Her hair was washed and cleaned, tied up in a high ponytail. Her face was void of emotion. Kagura stood behind the schoolgirl, her mind deep in her own thoughts. She moved and stood in front of Kagome. Her hand went to the sleeve of her own kimono.

"Kagome, I have a proposition for you." Kagura pulled out a dagger, sheathed in a back casing.

"What do you want with me?" Kagome whispered, eyeing the weapon in the wind sorceress's hand.

"If you kill Naraku and free me," Kagura met Kagome's eyes, "then I will help in all my power to get you the jewel shards Naraku keeps hidden. You need them, I need my freedom."

Kagome searched Kagura's eyes for any hidden meaning. ANY hidden meaning. She couldn't find anything. Kagura desperately wanted out of Naraku's clutches, no matter what it took. Kagome nodded and took the dagger from the pale hands of Kagura.

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Dereamu made the first move. None of them saw the movement, but they sure as hell felt it. Sango screeched out she felt the claws penetrate her skin. Miroku turned to look, but fell to his knees from the pain in his legs. Inu Yasha looked around the battlefield. The youkai that had been surrounding them were finally closing in, snarling and drooling. Dereamu was nowhere to be found. Inu Yasha cursed.

Sesshomaru looked quickly at the nigens before returning to his own search for Naraku's incarnation. Koga stood between the brothers, seeking revenge on a certain incarnation. He would kill her, just as Kagura had killed his men. Sango and Miroku stood by each other, ignoring their wounds. They would not let 'minor cuts' interfere with their battle.

Youkai were closing in fast around the group. The five stood, back to back, preparing for the attack. It happened so quickly. Demons from every direction pounded on them, showing no mercy in their destruction. The larger beasts were slower, so the victims were able to move out of the way easily. Sounds of fists on dirt and rock was heard. Smaller and quicker ones were the real threat. Sesshomaru bounded out of the way of a small hedgehog like animal and released his poison whip. Blood spattered in all directions from the spinning green strand as it hit the youkai.

Koga looked over as the small beast, along with others that had gone to help it, shrieked in pain. He had never met Inu Yasha's half brother but he was a hell of a fighter. Koga was wrapped up in admiring the quickness of Sesshomaru that he didn't dodge a punch. His skin molded into the form of the fist as spit flew from his mouth. The ookami stumbled only a little and looked at the beast that had succeeded in striking the young chief. Wiping the spit and blood from his lip, Koga began his assault on the demon.

Sango and Miroku were working as a team with their combination of spiritual attacks and Hiraikotsu. The taijiya launched her boomerang and watched in a defensive position as the weapon dived into the mass of beasts. The thick red fluid slashed back at the two, covering them head to toe, as Hiraikotsu retreated back into Sango's awaiting fist. Miroku used his staff to impale enemies. They were coming from every direction at such speed that the group had to stay on their feet. Sesshomaru removed Tokijin from his side and started slashing youkai.

The blood curdling sound of the crushing bone echoed through the area. The inu youkai wasted no time in destroying demons. With grace in his work, Sesshomaru dismembered each without a care. He had been tricked, deceived, and he wouldn't stand for it. To think that he, the great Lord of the Western Lands, had actually been caught with his guard down. With added frustration, he swung harder and faster at the enemies.

Koga was using his speed to calculate the moves of each youkai he encountered. The jewel shards in his legs were the target of most of the enemies he came across. 'Damn, those little ones,' he thought, hastily moving out of range of an electric attack. The blast was averted and ended up destroying youkai on the other side of the 'battle area'. The katana at his side banged against his leg as he did quick dodges left and right.

Inu Yasha gripped Tetsusaiga tightly as he moved away from youkai, searching for one in particular. 'Fuck! Where the hell is that bastard?!' He sent a quick 'Sankon Tesso' to some creatures threatening to attack. He didn't WANT to battle these things! He wanted to kill Naraku. Inu Yasha wanted to kill him so bad he could taste it. All the aggravation of Kagome losing her memory and taken by Naraku was catching up to him. He wanted vengeance for what the evil hanyou did to Kagome. No, he didn't want to kill Naraku. He wanted over kill, slaughter, to BUTCHER him till he was no more. 'Its what he deserves.'

Naraku watched as Inu Yasha made his way to him. From the look on Inu Yasha's face, he wasn't going to be patient with Naraku. 'Let's try his patients, shall we?' Dereamu appeared at the evil hanyou's side, his leathery wings flapping slightly.

"Dereamu, this is the one I want you to play with the most. Give him hell, and get any jewel shards on him to me."

Dereamu's eyes turned up in an evil grin. The orange glow emitting from his orbs seemed to sparkle even more as he watched Inu Yasha come to them.

END CHAPTER

Well, next chapter will mainly be about Inu Yasha and Dereamu's fight. So, don't expect too much on Sesshomaru, Miroku, Sango, Koga, or the other youkai. I may throw some Kagome moments in there... but don't take me up on that. Ja Ne!!

Inu Face