Pure Breed: Chapter 19

"This is it."

Kagura had led Inuyasha and the rest to Naraku's castle. They now all stood right before his barrier. "How come I don't smell him then?" Koga asked.

"Oh I dunno, why on earth wouldn't you be able to smell Naraku through a concealing shield?" Inuyasha said sarcastically. "Watch wolfie. Time for me to show you what true power is!" Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsiuga, which transformed into the 'wolf's fang' thanks to the shikon jewel shard still embedded in it. The blade began to glow, and then turned to a deep blood scarlet. "WIND SCAR!" bellowed Inuyasha as the true destructive power of the Tetsiuga obliterated Naraku's barrier. With the concealing spell broken, Naraku's majestic estate now appeared before them. All charged, with the exception of Inuyasha, who grabbed Kagome's shoulder before she could follow. "Here, take this." Inuyasha said, shedding his fire rat robe. "You need the protection more than me."

"But Inu-"

"Don't argue wench, just take it!" Inuyasha cut Kagome off before she could finish.

"But you're human now! You need this just as much as I do." Kagome offered the robe back to Inuyasha. Inuyasha shoved the robe back into Kagome's arms.

"I told you not to argue. Just wear it." Before Kagome could protest further, Inuyasha followed the rest of the group through the gates. Kagome reluctantly donned the robe and quickly followed suit.

The grounds were as silent as a ghost town. Inuyasha and company slowly approached the largest building that stood in the center. Suddenly, twin tentacles shot out of the doorway, tossing Koga and Sango aside like rag dolls. Naraku stepped out, flanked by his venomous insects. Before Sango or Koga could regain their composure, countless demons cascaded out from behind Naraku. They rushed to form a solid wall in front of Naraku, so no attack Inuyasha or any of the others could muster would harm him.

"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha unleashed his devastating attack, but hundreds of demons rushed to replace the ones, that were destroyed. "Shit!" Inuyasha thought. "We can't keep fighting like this!" Inuyasha yelled to his companions, who were already be coming very frustrated at having to battle the seemingly endless horde Naraku had at his disposal. "We need to take Naraku down first! He'll escape by the time we'll have finished with this rabble!"

"And how are we supposed get to Naraku when all these demons are in our way?" Koga hollered back, while neatly kicking off the head of an ogre.

"Childs play." Miroku said as he ripped the prayer beads off his right wrist.

"No you idiot!" Inuyasha shouted, but it was too late. The demon horde was already being sucked in to Miroku's wind tunnel, along with the poisonous samiyosho. Miroku sealed his vortex once every last demon of the massive army had disappeared into the endless void. Miroku fell to his knees, his skin becoming pale due to the massive volume of venom he had absorbed. Naraku now stood alone to face Inuyasha and the other members of the group. One of Naraku's tentacle slid over to where Miroku was and wrapped around the monks throat, dragging him over to Naraku, their faces centimeters apart.

"You're going to regret that houshi." Naraku hissed. Quick as lightning, another tentacle shot forward, burying itself deep in Miroku's torso. Naraku tossed him aside. "Now you won't need to bear watching your dear friends die. Especially that pretty little demon slayer of yours." Naraku taunted Miroku's still form. A purifying arrow suddenly tore Naraku's baboon pelt off him, revealing his true form, and missing his heart by mere inches. Sango began to charge toward Naraku, her katana drawn. Seeing Miroku die had pushed her over the edge. Naraku parried her strike and struck her aside with one of the red mantis-like appendages that grew out of his back. "Since you're so eager to join your monk, I'll assist you!" His mantis arm reached towards her again, but Inuyasha dashed forward and sever it before it got to Sango.

"Pick on someone more your match, you bastard." Inuyasha said through grit teeth.

"It makes no difference to me which of you dies first." Naraku smiled, growing back the mantis arm Inuyasha had cut off. Naraku made a move to strike, but Inuyasha was faster.

"WIND SCAR!" The force of the wind scar blew off most of Naraku's body, but it was easily regenerated.

"No matter how many times you cut me, the same thing will- garrrrgh!" Naraku's sentence was cut off by Koga's tight grip. While Naraku was busy fighting Inuyasha, Koga had come up from behind and now had both his arms and legs wrapped around Naraku's throat in a submission stranglehold. Naraku dug both his mantis arms into Koga's back, but the wolf demon didn't budge.

"What are you waiting for dog? Kill him!" Koga shouted angrily at his former rival. Inuyasha didn't need to be told twice. Not wasting another second he drove the Tetsiuga through Naraku's heart. Naraku fell limp to the ground, unable to battle with such a grievous injury.

"G-go to hell, you dirty half-breed." Naraku managed to choke out, even though he had begun to cough up blood.

"You first." Inuyasha replied. Koga released his hold on Naraku's throat and two of Kagome's arrows purified what was left of Naraku into nothingness.

"Did we do it?" Shippo asked, coming out of his hiding place and leaping onto Kagome's shoulder. "Did we defeat Naraku? Is he really dead?"

"See for yourself." Koga smirked back, holding up a small purple orb. It was Naraku's jewel shard. He was definitely dead. Koga took the two shards embedded in his legs out, and fused them with Naraku's big shard. He then handed the jewel to Inuyasha, who reluctantly took his shard out of the Tetsiuga, and fused it with the rest of the jewel as the Tetsiuga changed back into a rusty piece of steel. Inuyasha took the jewel over to Kagome, who uncorked the little bottle she wore around her neck. She dumped out the four shards she carried, and put them together with the remainder. The final product the Shikon Jewel, fully restored.

"Yes!" Inuyasha cried joyfully. "Soon you will have no power over me." He said as he stuck out his tongue at Kagome.

"Sit boy!" Kagome responded. "Don't you think you're forgetting something?" Kagome asked pointing over to Miroku's body. Sango was near it, tears of mixed rage and sorrow streaming down her cheeks.

"You stupid pervert." Sango said softly, her words falling on deaf ears. "Why'd you have to go and play the hero?" Suddenly Miroku's eyes snapped open, and the gaping hole in his stomach sealed up. Sango leaned back in shock. "What the hell?" Sango and Miroku said at the same time. "I thought Naraku killed you?" Sango said, perplexed.

"I thought the same thing." Miroku admitted, equally puzzled. "How did I come back?"

"What did you expect to happen?" said Kagome as she and Inuyasha walked up behind the two. "The shikon jewel would've never become legendary if it didn't work properly."

"You wished Miroku back to life?" Sango asked.

"Not me." Kagome replied. "Inuyasha did though." Sango wiped the tears from her eyes and gave Inuyasha a hug.

"Thank you." Miroku had stood up and began to dust himself off, only to be tackled to the ground again by Sango, who was exuberantly happy now that she had gotten over her surprise. "I'm so glad your alive." she said, giving Miroku a fervent kiss.

"Join the club." Miroku replied impudently, once she broke away. Kagome smiled at the happiness of the two, and Inuyasha just 'feh'd.

"They better be happy!" Inuyasha complained. "Now I need to endure a lifetimes worth of 'sits'!" poor Inuyasha pouted.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I can find a way to make it up to you." Kagome responded suggestively, giving Inuyasha a wink.

"I dunno." Inuyasha joked back. "I'll need an awful lot of consolation."

"You spend too much time around Miroku." Kagome laughed. "Come on lovebirds." she said to Sango and Miroku, who still hadn't gotten up. "Let's head back to Kaede's village."