Thank you everyone who was so patient this month! Here, finally, is the result of too much stuff happening at once! I'd like to name you all, but I just don't have the time, with school starting and the fact I need to go to sleep now.. *dies* But thank you all very much!

Chapter 45:

Chivalry

Alright sister, what is the situation?

Well, the Seven member stands about a few steps from Miroku, the monk, holding Sango, the hunter girl who's arm he broke, by the throat with his left arm. We're standing a good twelve feet south east from them. Miroku, the monk, is facing the Seven member alone, his angel being a bit of a wuss and is hiding at the side. His holding his staff in his right hand, the cursed one, mostly because he's right handed but also because he probably knows he can't use it as long as Sango's there. The size difference is only two feet but it's a good 100 pounds. The Schinichi-tai member seems to be one very used to killing and looks happy for this fight. And they're gonna go at it aannnyyy minute now. How's you?

The threeblood stands nine feet from us in front of the homosexual Seven, who holds the Reborn by the neck with his arm. The threeblood is probably going to attack in under a minute. He has only his claws whilst the Seven member has his unique sword. The difference is about two inches the Seven, 30 pounds the threeblood.

Riight… so, in other words, bloodfest!

A fair fight both ways sister. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

Uh… shouldn't we do something though?

There is no need.

Well peh.

Just remember what you are to do… and what you are not.

Understood….  Brother.

Mizuki looked up at the shadow demon as he moved closer to watch the showdown. The kappa raised an eyebrow.

"So? What's happenin'?" He asked. Kuro-michi looked at him as if surprised that Mizuki was expecting a response.

"The monk and the fifth of the Seven are battling." He said simply.

"The fifth?" Mizuki looked at the sky and then nodded. "Ah, the schizo doctor, right?"

The trespasser nodded. "It will be interesting to see how they survive this one."

Miroku banked as Suikotsu faked a step forward. Chuckling, the evil doctor sonjured metal hooks onto his knuckles, those on his right hand dangerously close to Sango's throat. Miroku blinked in shock.

"I thought mortals couldn't use their powers in Hell!" The monk said aloud. Netsuna coughed nervously.

"Well, the problem is that Hell is disappearing." She said. Everyone gave her a sharp look and Suikotsu's dark grin widened as the feline demon flicked her tail in unspoken anxiety.

"wait.. if that barrier's broken in the three existences then that means…" Shippo blanched in horror. Suikotsu threw back his head and let out a deep laugh.

"We're winning!" He roared and gave Miroku an irritating look of triumph. "How do you feel about that boy? Your entire family dead, their souls devoured. But you'll wish you had a fate like that before you. You'll bleed to death with everyone one of your bones broken and then I'll kill of the rest of this pathetic hero group. And have some fun with the girl before I snap her in half…" He smirked as he squeezed tighter, causing Sango to cry out. "And you'll have to watch it all-"

Suikotsu's speech was cut off by Miroku's staff colliding directly with the killer's head, cutting a deep gash. Suikotsu snarled in pain and shock and threw Sango from him, the girl knocking into a rock and lying limply on the ground as Shippo and Kirrara rushed up to her. Putting a hand up to his bleeding face Suikotsu glared at Miroku who watched him just as darkly.

"That may seem brave to whelps like you who have only read battles where a hero always wins…" He wiped away the blood, his expression malevolent. "But here in, the real fights, all bravery gets you is killed!" He launched himself and slashed with his strap-on claws at the monk, who ducked to avoid the attack, swinging upwards with his staff to knock Suikotsu's hand aside, making the killer lose his co-ordination for just a split second, giving Miroku time to swing the blunt end of the staff right into the zombie's gut.

Suikotsu growled and turned his body to absorb most of the impact from the blow. With quick footing for someone so large he faked a left and then kicked Miroku aside, turning to run behind him and slash his claws at the monk's head.

Netsuna gasped and Shippo nearly fainted again. Miroku's staff was held behind him, holding Suikotsu's claws a hair's breadth away from the monk's head. Holding the staff at the farthest ends he could reach, Miroku twisted his entire body around, causing Suikotsu's arms to twist painfully and the large killer had to turn his body to keep from breaking his arm. Before his claws were even freed Miroku's foot planted on his bottom jaw, sending his head upwards and him staggering back, even as Miroku freed his staff and knocked the zombie's legs from right out under him, sending him crashing to the ground.

The wolf soldiers cheered and whistled as Shippo jumped up and down excitedly, pumping his fists into the air. Netsuna smirked but remained otherwise silent, her expression dark and worried as she glanced at the unconscious Sango.

Miroku didn't acknowledge his cheers as he watched Suikotsu. The cheering died down when the large man stood up, watching Miroku with a slight smirk. Miroku returned the humourless smile.

"But from these stories of battles I've been able to tell that the bad guys always end up doing the same things, making the same mistakes." He said coolly. Suikotsu snorted.

"And then I supposed this would be the part where I compliment your fighting and offer you to join our group and caused." He said with a smirk.

"And offer you would only make because you are too afraid to keep fighting against me, and being that I am the noble hero, I would decline and proceed to kill you."

Suikotsu's smile vanished. "And that's why I always hated those damned stories." He said, snarling. "Besides boy, you're going to find out just how different life is from books."

Suikotsu began to slash at Miroku with both hands from every angle. The monk blocked every move with practiced swings of his staff, the sound of metal hitting metal ringing through the air as Suikotsu began to punch with more and more fury. With a roar of frustration the giant swung both arms down on Miroku's head, the monk stopping the claws just in time with his staff. He gritted his teeth as Suikotsu pressed down with all his strength and weight, Miroku feeling as if he were about to be crushed.

Miroku could feel his hands, chafed from used the staff so heavily, slipping, slick with sweat and blood. Straining his already sore and over-used muscles he pushed as hard as he could even though he could feel himself breaking under the pressure.

They're depending on me, he thought to himself, desperately hoping there was some bout of reserved strength inside of him. I can't lose or they'll all die….

"Miroku!"

"C'mon man, kick his ass already!"

"Go bouzo!"

"Hey, if you die we're all dead! And I happen to like being alive!"

"Oi, would you shut up already? Go monk!"

Netsuna looked at the cheering and squabbling group, then back at Sango, then back at the fight, where it was obvious Miroku was going to get slashed very soon. She swung her tail back and forth, unsure of what to do. Clicking her claws nervously, she frowned.

"Oh what the hell." She decided, then sighed. "He's gonna kill me, but I'm older anyway. Mom'll understand."

Miroku could feel the bone in his arm beginning to crack under the strain. Suikotsu must feel it too, because he smirked as Miroku, pushing even harder.

"What is it boy, getting to hard for you? This is what happens when you try to play hero!" He said, pressing down with another burst of unnatural strength. Miroku's legs gave out, just as the earth shattered. Suikotsu, caught off guard by the sudden earthquake, fell to the side, leaving only a deep cut on Miroku's head. Letting out a roar of frustration Suikotsu leaped up and tackled Miroku, who just managed to stop the assault with his staff.

"Come on Miroku, you can do it!" Shippo shouted, jumping up and down. "Go Miroku, go! Ya!"

Miroku kept forcing his numbed arms to move, ducking under Suikotsu and running behind him. "Shippo, you're gonna have to be sharper than that because I'm so tired any minute now I'm going to start sucking!"

Suikotsu's fist caught Miroku's chin, knocking the monk sideways and cracking his knuckles. "Pay attention to your own problems, boy." The large man said darkly. "Now get up so we can finish this fight."

Miroku leaned on his staff as he stood up, putting a hand to his aching jaw. Resting his elbow on the staff to keep him upright he began to untie his wrist.

"right now would be when I told you every reason I was fighting you." The monk said heavily. "For the mortals, for my family, for everyone you killed, for hurting Sango." He shook the rosary beads to the ground. "But I don't feel like wasting my breath."

Suikotsu grinned. "Good choice, since you won't be breathing at all in about a minute." He said, taking a step forward when sharp teeth suddenly sank into his shoulder. "What the fuck?!" He swore, turning around to see Shippo jump to the ground, spitting.

"Ew…. I think I swallowed some of that!" He said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Suikotsu growled.

"I'll kill you you little brat!" He said, lunging forward.

"KYA! Miroku!" Shippo screamed, jumping into the air.

"Go to Hell, you bastard!" Miroku shouted, opening his fist. The black hole cursed into his hand began to suck in everything and Suikotsu found himself being pulled back. Glancing behind him he saw Miroku's hand and immediately understood. "Fuck!"

He dug his feet into the ground and tried to move forward against the wind. Looking ahead he saw two things coming towards him.

The sword sliced neatly into his chest, coming full out to the other end, the killer unable to stop it's entrance because of the wind holding his arms back. Yet even as he coughed up blood and felt his life fade to nothingness he laughed.

"Idiot! I'll see you in oblivion!" He shouted in a coughing fit of blood, as the swarm of bee-like insects rushed past him to fly purposefully and directly into Miroku's cursed hole. Not moving from the strain the sudden power of his cursed hand Miroku winced as fifty-some of these poisonous creatures flew directly into the hole before Miroku managed to wrap the rosary around his wound, sealing the wind.  His face pale, he fell onto his knees, clutching his wrist in pain. The thick-bladed sword transformed back into Shippo, who ran up fearfully to Miroku, past Suikotsu's vanishing body.

"Miroku!" He said in his high voice, grabbing the monk's sleeve. "Why did you do something stupid like that? You should have sealed your rip as soon as you saw the bugs coming!"

Miroku gasped a bit, vision going blurry as he tried to stop the pain in his arm. "The wind was too strong… it's been so long since I last used it… it… it must have gotten stronger since…"

"Eh monk, you alright?" Netsuna asked, picking up the squirming Shippo and placing him elsewhere. "Really kid, you look terrible."

"Those were Narkau's bugs! The Shami-… Sami… The sa.. Naraku's bugs!" The little fox kit spluttered. Netsuna looked at him with a raised eyebrow and cocked ear.

"Naraku's got bugs now? That's weird… I knew he was a freak but never saw him as a bee keeper…" She said musingly.  "OW!"

Shippo bit her finger. "This is no time to be joking! Miroku's dying! Look at him!" He squealed loudly. Netsuna flattened her ears and winced.

"All right, just trying some humour." She muttered. "Hey kid, can you stand?"

Miroku nodded weakly and leaned heavily on his staff as he stood up. Shippo floated beside him worriedly, looking for all the world like a worried mother. Netsuna hid a smile and twitched her tail happily. "Well, it can't get any worse on the other side."

"What?" One of the wolf soldiers looked at her. Netsuna smiled disarmingly.

"Nothing dearie. Now let's just concentrate on keeping alive, shall we?" she said sweetly. She glanced over at where Miroku was leaning against Kirrara, trying to wake Sango up. "Some of us more than others."

"Ne Inu-kun, you say I have to let go of the girl?" Jakotsu said silkily, his grip still tight around Kagome's neck. "hmm… I cannot do that. First of all, Ani-ki would be very angry with me!" He said, grinning like a child.

"I don't give a damn about your boss or brother or however the hell he is." Inu-Yasha snarled. "Let Kagome go."

Kagome watched Inu-Yasha through her blurring vision, still weakly struggling against Jakotsu's iron grip. Her angel still had his terrible demonic aura about him, but it seemed lighter and his normal aura seemed to hang around the fringes, as well as something new Kagome couldn't place. His eyes were still wild looking but golden rather then red, with blue tinting the edges of his pupil. The jagged stripes on his cheeks had faded slightly and his remaining ear looked more normal, while his claws and fangs were shorter. Still, the murderous look was still in his eyes and the healing wounds surrounding him made him look just as fierce and dangerous.

"Ah, but Inu-kun if I just let her go then you won't fight me. And I really want to fight you." Jakotsu added simply, eyes narrowing.

"Fucker!" Inu-Yasha tensed. "You choking Kagome to death because you want to fight me?! If that's all you fucking want then let her go and just fight me dammit! And I'm not going to let you win!"

Jakotsu's eyes widened and he smiled happily. "Ne, really? Oh, well then I don't need you, do I?" he turned to Kagome, throwing her roughly to the ground and then pulling out his long, multiple-bladed sword. "Do you want to lead the dance or can I?" He asked.

Kagome felt her breathing seem impaired but she looked up, struggling to focus, seeing Inu-Yasha facing off against an excited looking Jakotsu. There was a terrible gut feeling surrounding this entire battle. She knew that Inu-Yasha was going to die, although she didn't know why. She tried to sit up, ignoring the pain flashing through her and shouted.

"Inu-Yasha!" She managed before gagging on some blood. Coughing a bit she regained her voice. "Don't do it Inu-Yasha! I'm not worth it! Don't die because of me!"

"Shut up wench!" Inu-Yasha snarled. "Of course you have to fucking live!" He kept one wary eye on Jakotsu, muscles tensed. "You're the whole damn reason we came to Hell in the first place! Without you the whole thing is shot! You're useless dead!"

Inu-Yasha turned his attention back to Jakotsu, not seeing the effect of his words on Kagome. Sitting on her knees, just barely staying conscious, she felt her heart stop cold at those words. He didn't want her to live because of friendship, or daresay something else. He didn't even want her to live. He needed her to live. Like she was a tool, instead of a livi- former living person. She wasn't a person; just the Reborn, the key to saving all existence.

"Playtime now, Inu-kun!" Jakotsu said, swinging his sword at the threeblood, who dodged it with ease, avoiding the curving blades strapped together in a deadly whip. Landing on one of the broken rocks decorating the countryside, he pushed himself off and tried to get around the Shichinin-tai member before his weapon could return but Jakotsu had anticipated this and swung around, kicking deftly into the threeblood's gut, the impact sending Inu-Yasha flying. He landed clutching his stomach as Jakotsu caught and folded his weapon, smiling.

"Almost everyone uses that move on the first time." He said brightly, whipping his sword out again., smashing the rock Inu-Yasha was crouching on before the half-angel barely had time to move, getting some rock shards in his foot. Snarling he began running a circle, trying to get behind Jakotsu but the sword seemed like another part of the zombie's body, twisting and turning, always just missing it's target, only due to Inu-Yasha's fast footing.

Inu-Yasha snarled in frustration at not being able to reach his opponent. The curving snake-blade stopped him from getting anywhere near Jakotsu; at this rate he was just going to tire out and be easy pickings. Time to pick up the pace.

He began ducking and weaving, running back and forth in the zigzag, hopping and leaping, trying to get his way through to confuse Jakotsu. But the zombie just kept up with him perfectly, nearly slicing him in half more than once. Growling Inu-Yasha jumped back just before turning into mincemeat.

"Inu-kun, you're so good!" Jakotsu said happily. "No one's ever survived this long!"

That only served to infuriate Inu-Yasha more, as he dashed forward madly, his speed seeming to pick up. Jakotsu twisted and turned like a dancing, keeping up with the threeblood although this time actually straining.

Kuro-michi held up a hand, keeping Mizuki from moving forward. The kappa looked at him. "Broody, the girl needs help!" He snapped. The trespasser looked at him with all seriousness. "That help is not ours to give. It is the threeblood who decides her fate."

"What?" Mizuki snarled. "You mean I have to stand here and watch her die?!"

"It won't be the first mortal to die in your presence and you as well as I know that should we survive it won't be your last. You should have no reason for feeling… bad."

Mizuki loosened his grip on his trident when he heard Kuro-michi say that, when all of a sudden a sharp pain hit his chest. "Ow! Sonofagoddamnedcheesefuckingbitch!" He swore, clutching at his chest and falling to his knees. "What in the hells was that?!" He said, sucking in a sharp breath as his heart twinged a bit more before settling back to normal.

"Are you all right?" The trespasser asked, more in a ways of being polite than actual concern. Mizuki swore a bit more, standing up.

"Yeah, I'll survive. But what was it?" He said, fixing his hair. Kuro-michi directed his attention  to the fight. Mizuki looked over to see Inu-Yasha crouching a bit, leaning on a sword that looked vaguely familiar except for it's bold colour…

"Oy, 'ain't that the sword the guy broke before? When he went crazy?" Mizuki nudged Kuro-michi. The trespasser nodded. "That is the whole reason why we were here, Mizuki… To bring out the true power of the threeblood with the red sword, Inu-Yasha's father's red Tetsusaiga."

"oh… So this is good." Mizuki smiled happily. "For am minute I thought we might be screwed again."

Inu-Yasha tried to catch his breath, standing admist the shards of Jakotsu's broken blade, the red Tetsusaiga in his tight grip. He was a bit blurry of the details of the past minute, remembering trying to reach Jakotsu, getting hit by his sword, getting angry and instinctively swinging as if he held Tetsusaiga and felt a great weight in his hands and even greater pain in his chest. Now he stood where he was, a strange feeling of satisfaction about him.

"You.. you… you broke my toy!" Jakotsu whimpered. "You'll die for that!" He said, his aura getting darker as he reached for another weapon. But Inu-Yasha was ready and past him in a flash, cutting Jakotsu's arm right off. The zombie fell with a cry into his own blood, squirming until Inu-Yasha stabbed his sword right into his chest.

Satisfied that the opponent was dead, Inu-Yasha turned from the body and went over to where Kagome was, curled up in a small ball, coughing painfully. Seeing the blood on the ground Inu-Yasha crouched down, looking at her in concern. "You alright?" He asked quietly.

Kagome let out another cough, coupled with was sounded like a sob. More blood spattered on the ground as she ducked her head further, trying to ignore Inu-Yasha.

The threeblood frowned. This was no time for childish acts and games. "Hey Kagome, come on. We gotta get to Naraku's before it's too late."

"No we don't." Kagome said brokenly, still hiding her face from Inu-Yasha. "You have what you need, I'm of no further value."

"What?" Inu-Yasha snapped. "Have you heard everyone? You, me, we're the ones who have to go and kill Naraku, just like my mom and dad di-"

"It's different!" Kaogme said, looking at him suddenly, a fierceness in her eyes. "This didn't happen to your mom and dad! It was completely different now and then! Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirrara didn't matter, their just cannon fodder to make sure you and I get to Naraku's in time and intact! Then I die! Your mom died! And your dad got so pissed he did something wonderful and powerful and killed Naraku in the process because he was hurt because he loved her! Not because he thought she was just some object!" She nearly screamed, going into another coughing/sobbing fit, clutching at her abdomen in pain. "But it's different now… you're already powerful enough… I'm useless now…"

Inu-Yasha was caught aback by her statement, trying to unwravel it all in his head. "Wait, Kagome, how di-" He froze, the fresh blood spattered all over his face and bare chest.

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes, gasping a bit as the sword wrenched deeper through her. Inu-Yasha jumped up and kicked Jakotsu's body away, the zombie disintegrating as the key jewel shard fel out, unnoticed. Inu-Yasha ran back to Kagome, who had fallen to her side, breathing heavily.

"Kag, you'll be alright." He said, trying to be soothing. "Kagome, I didn't mean what I said before… I was angry and scared… I…" He suddenly realized his voice fell on deaf ears. "Kagome? Kagome?!" He tried to revive her, feeling her lifeforce slipping away far too rapidly. "Kagome! Help! You guys! Help her!" He said frantically, locking eyes with the trespasser. Kuro-michi shook his head apathetically.

"She's right, you know." The shadow demon said. "Her sole purpose in this was to bring out the Tetsusaiga of blood in your hands. Now that she has, she can rest on the final plane. She has no more point, and thus I have no more means to save her."

"What?! But you have to save her!" Inu-Yasha snarled frantically.  The trespasser shook his head.

"I don't need to. As she said, her purpose is done. Kagome will die."

End Chapter 45

Cliché cliffhanger, I know, I know. Teaser, really. To keep you reading, even though I know you all do and thank you. The next chapter should be up on schedule at the proper time next week, if everything works out. Thank you again and enjoy your first week of school!

~Ama

Quote: When I am finished with the humans I shall begin the war against… the bees. – Invader Zim