It's time. The climactic battle that will determine Kagome's fate begins now. As Haruko in FLCL would say "IT'S THE CLIMAX!!!" Prepare for an intense battle! Read on!
-Randall Flagg2
(1)
Inuyasha raised up his fists. He was not going to let Isamu get away this time. What he had done was over the edge and the doctor would pay for what he had done. He didn't care anymore. He wanted this man dead.
"Don't think that Inuyasha!" his mind screamed at him. "You'll never be the same if you kill him! Nobody deserves to die, even somebody as evil as him! Be careful about the decision you make here!"
Isamu laughed. "You think you can beat me? Don't be a fool Masaki. If two of your friends couldn't stand up to me, then what makes you think you'll be any different?"
"Shut up Isamu! Just shut up! I don't want to even hear you speak you sick fuck! You don't deserve to live!"
Isamu's eyes widened a bit. "Calling a person your not familiar with by their first name? Tsk tsk, didn't your brother teach you any manners?"
"Shut the fuck up!"
Isamu took two small steps towards him. His face was as calm as ever, and his eyes were blazing with lunatic joy. Inuyasha began to feel nervous. This man was capable of anything and he was not afraid to hurt anyone who crossed his path.
"You're ready to snap. I can see it Masaki."
Inuyasha tried to sound confident, but his voice came out almost a whisper. "What do you mean?"
"I can read it in your eyes Masaki. Your eyes show you're crying for help. You've clearly seen and experienced many things you wish you had not. You're stressed out and on the verge of breaking. Anything else and you'll go over the deep end, just like I did."
"Whaddya mean?"
Isamu smirked. "I mean you're about to become insane, just like I am. But unlike me, you won't be able to cope with the madness. I've accepted my illness, and you're going to have to learn to as well once this is over."
Inuyasha could bear it no more. He raised his fist back and charged at Isamu. Kagome's father waited patiently for him to speed over to him. He could see the muscles in Inuyasha's arm working, meaning he was getting ready to punch. As Inuyasha's fist flew out, Isamu waited until the last second. Just as Inuyasha's fist was about to slam into his face, Isamu casually turned his body ninety degrees, dodging it. At the same time, he brought his foot up in a side kick as he turned. Inuyasha was unprepared for it and caught it full force. He fell back onto the ground, clutching his stomach and trying to catch his breath.
Isamu stood over him. "You're too slow Masaki. You've got to be faster to catch me." Inuyasha tried to rise, but Isamu kicked him in the stomach again. Inuyasha fell back, panting.
Isamu took out his scalpel and began to walk towards Kagome. Inuyasha saw this and suddenly he had his wind back. He sprang to his feet and rushed at his opponent. Just before he could get to him, Isamu spun around and swung the scalpel at Inuyasha's face. The teenager saw it coming and ducked. Instead of slicing an arc across his face, it instead took off a lock of his hair. Inuyasha realized in a second that he had an opportunity to attack and swung his fist up in an uppercut. But Isamu had been practicing martial arts for years and he was all the more prepared for this. He caught Inuyasha's fist in his hand and brought his own fist flying into Inuyasha's stomach. He did this with such force that Inuyasha actually coughed out a few droplets of blood. But that was only the beginning of it. Isamu brought his elbow up into Inuyasha's face. There was a loud CRACK as the boy's nose broke. Inuyasha screamed. Isamu then brought his foot up in another kick and sent Inuyasha flying back against the wall.
(2)
Miroku was walking through the streets as best as he could. Well, walking was not exactly the word. He was more dragging himself then walking. Isamu had stabbed him in the knee and shoulder, and broken his arm making it difficult to walk. Nevertheless, he had to get to Sango's house as fast as he could. After he had been able to get up again, he had started out the door when Sesshomaru had regained consciousness. He had helped Inuyasha's brother to a chair and tended to his wound with the first aid kit from upstairs. Sesshomaru had told him what he had told Inuyasha and Miroku had been out the door as fast as he could go, but not before calling the police and hospital. Hopefully they would be there soon and then this whole affair could be laid to rest.
"Please let them be okay. I don't want to lose anybody else. Losing Sango was enough."
As Miroku limped through the street, he was unaware that he was crying.
(3)
Inuyasha gagged as Isamu karate chopped him in the neck. So far he had not landed a single blow. Isamu was clearly well trained. But he would not give up. He would defend Kagome at any cost, even if he had to die.
Isamu stopped in mid attack and spoke again. "You can't beat me Inuyasha. I came for my daughter, I'm going to get my daughter and your not going to stand in my way. Now unless you want me to kill you, just give up."
"I'm not giving up." Inuyasha said weakly. "I'm going to stop you at any cost."
Isamu sighed. "Very well then." Isamu stepped forward and kicked Inuyasha in the face. As he fell back, Isamu raised his fist up and brought it downwards in a vertical punch. It crashed into Inuyasha's stomach. For the second time that day, Inuyasha coughed out blood. But just as he was hurt, he saw an opportunity to attack. As he fell, he kicked out both of his feet. His left foot missed his target completely, but his second struck Isamu in the stomach with amazing force. Isamu made an "OOF!!" sound and stumbled backwards. He hit the wall and slumped down.
Inuyasha was grinning through his pain. That had felt good. Real good.
Unfortunately, Inuyasha had not counted on Isamu recovering so quickly. The doctor got to his feet and glared at Inuyasha. Kagome's father's eyes were now blazing with insane, animalistic hate.
"You kicked me you little bastard." Isamu said hoarsely. He grabbed Inuyasha and set him on his feet. He began not to punch, but to slash at Inuyasha with his fists over and over. Each blow caught Inuyasha on a different part of his body. Inuyasha tried to block the hits, but Isamu was moving too fast. Isamu grabbed Inuyasha's head and slammed his own against his. Inuyasha crumpled to the ground. The doctor began to kick Inuyasha in the stomach over and over again, each time harder then the next. Inuyasha was now in a haze of pain.
(4)
Miroku was almost there. He could see the house up ahead. That was good. Just a little bit further.
(5)
Inuyasha could no longer fight back. The pain in his body was too great. Isamu crouched down next to him and lifted up his head to face him.
"I could kill you here and now Inuyasha. In fact that's exactly what I want. I don't care if I go to prison for it. I don't care if I get the fucking death penalty for what I've done. As long as I get what I want, I don't care what happens to me." Then he smiled. "But I won't. I'm going to do something much worse." He began to walk towards Kagome, scalpel in hand.
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he found the strength to scream. "NO! NO DON'T!!!"
Too late. Isamu lifted the still dazed Kagome's head up and slashed her throat open.
(6)
Inuyasha did not know how long he screamed for. He felt he could go on screaming for hours, days even. All those images and memories which threatened to spill out were unleashed at once. He saw every one of them in front of him as if he were watching TV. And when all of them had passed, he felt… different. Changed. Whatever was threatening to fall in his mind, finally had.
Isamu laughed. "It has been done. Now-"
But he never finished. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, crouched like an animal, and sprang at Isamu. He moved with such speed that Isamu was caught off guard and he was pinned to the ground. Inuyasha saw the scalpel fall from the doctor's hand and he grabbed it up. For the first and last time, Inuyasha saw fear in the man's eyes. Good, good. That was what he wanted to see. Inuyasha raised the scalpel up and brought it down into the right side of Isamu's chest, piercing his heart. Isamu's eyes bulged and blood began to gush from his mouth. He made a hideous gargling sound in his throat, and then went limp.
Inuyasha stood up and looked at what he had done. So this was what it was like to kill a human. It didn't feel that bad. In fact it felt pretty good, kind of the way a person would feel happy after eating an ice cream cone.
He heard movement downstairs.
(7)
Miroku limped up the steps that led to the upstairs rooms. He had finally made it. As he ascended them, he could feel fear build up inside of him. Something had happened here. Something big. He could sense it. He got to the top of the door and opened it.
There was Kagome, laying on the ground in a pool of spreading blood. Isamu was also on the ground. He too was covered in blood. Inuyasha stood in the corner, looking out the room window.
"Inuyasha," Miroku began, "what happened?"
"I tried my best Mikage." Inuyasha said blandly. "I tried my best but I couldn't protect her. I'm sorry."
Miroku began to say something when Inuyasha turned to face him. In his hands was a bloody scalpel. Inuyasha's chin had a bit of drool on it and his eyes were blank, vacant and glassy. Miroku wondered what had happened, and then he recognized the look in his friend's eyes.
He was insane.
Inuyasha had gone insane.
All was silent. And the wail of police sirens in the distance meant that the cavalry had come, a bit too late.
To be continued…
There's STILL ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT. You'll have to find out for yourself what happens.
-Randall Flagg2