Disclaimer: I do not own "Inuyasha," all standard disclaimers apply.

Author's Note: I've noticed that this beginning things take up about half of the story. I'm shortening it out. Sorry for the rather late update, but look at it this way. The chapter is longer! Be warned though, I'm not the best at action scenes, and now that you know that!

Kikyo-the-Walnut Ah, I might just do that. I agree, more reviews would be wonderful.

Priestess kurumi inu's sister You will find out now . . .

Jamie Hm, maybe. For the last suggestion, yes, when I get around to editing I'll fix it. I might just re-write the whole dang story someday. I think I can make it better.

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BLOODY LIES

Part XII

You Will Die

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. . . Still It's My Fight . . .

. . . And I'll Win It . . .

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"Kagome!" Both Miroku and Sango cried out in unison, while pushing Sango out of the way, Kagome had put herself in the path of the blue arrow. "Kagome, move!"

As much as she would have liked to comply with her friends request, Kagome found that her legs didn't want to move. They couldn't move. She was scared stiff, she was going to die.

'But I don't want to die!' Kagome cried out in her head, 'I don't want to die, not yet!'

Her words rang out in her mind, and as the miko closed her eyes in the anticipation of the arrow ripping through her skin, she was thrown harshly to the ground.

"Ouch." Was the first word to come out of her mouth as she cracked a single eye open. Looking up she found the one who had pushed her out of harms way.

Inuyasha.

The hanyou had woken up, and somehow stumbled onto the field, knocking Kagome out of the way. He had just barely missed the arrow himself. Kikyo was unprepared for the hanyou to come reanimate, and spluttered in a very unprofessional way at the dog demon.

"What? But I thought- you, you were down! You shouldn't even be standing! How did you? What the-?"

"Yeah, well, I guess you thought wrong." Inuyasha spat harshly out at the un-dead miko, "This is our fight, Kikyo. Leave them out of it."

"Are you sure, Inuyasha? Can you even wield your sword? You don't look fit enough to fight me."

As Kagome now looked over Inuyasha with a more critical eye, she could see that his breathing was harsh and ragged. His skin was almost pasty white, but with an excruciatingly slow pace, color was returning to the youkai's face.

His eyes looked sunken in, from exhaustion. His ears were sporting a noticeable droop, and he was leaning heavily on the untransformed Tessaiga. However, as Kikyo criticized his physical state, the demon drew himself up. Amber orbs glowed with a sudden ferocity. He took up the Tessaiga and held it out in front of him, and his brows narrowed together. The Tessaiga transformed and Inuyasha gave his former love a smug look.

"What's it look like to ya?"

Kagome couldn't suppress the grin the escaped to her lips.

The old Inuyasha was breaking through.

"Nothing impressive." Kikyo brushed the minor feat off, "That doesn't mean you can actually use it in a fight. I'm sure after just two minutes it'll revert back to it's weaker form because you don't have the hanyou blood to use it anymore, and because you're just the pathetic to use it's power."

Miroku's eyes narrowed as the 'pot' continued to spout of insults to the hanyou. He had the suspicion that the miko was doing it on purpose. She, even though she was evil, wanted Inuyasha to fight her at his best. Or as close as her could get to fighting at his best in the state the inu youkai was in now. Kikyo's plan, if it was a plan, was doing it's job. Inuyasha's own amber irises narrowed dangerously, and he snarled at the miko in a feral way.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha? Hurt your feelings? Oh wait, I forgot!" Kikyo pulled on a waxy face of mock surprise, "Demon's don't have feelings!"

"Neither do you, bitch!" Inuyasha bit out, taking a threatening step towards the miko.

"That didn't hurt me, puppy dog. Any childish insults you throw at me won't affect me in any way. I've grown above that kind of acting."

Sango shook her head slightly, it was starting out as a game of words and insults. She could tell Kikyo was making the demon regain some of his usual pep and fire by insulting him and his heritage.

"Then again," Kikyo continued her rampage of insults, "I don't expect anything more. I mean, with a mother like that . . . it's not your fault, is it?"

Inuyasha blinked at Kikyo first, then his eyes grew steely cold.

Kagome flinched visibly. It was now that Kikyo had gone a bit to far . . . not many, if not no one, had gotten away with insulting Inuyasha's mother and lived to see another day.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked, smiling at the demon.

"Shut the fuck up." Inuyasha said tightly through clenched teeth. His shoulder where shaking with unsuppressed anger. And not just for insulting him and his mother, but because of her using him, where he wasn't benefitted in it at all.

"Make me." Was Kikyo simple reply, as she notched yet another arrow into her bow and took aim at the hanyou.

"The pleasure's all mine."

((A/N: I suck at battle scenes, so don't kill me if beyond this point it's crappy. I did the best I could.

Kikyo was once again the first person to attack. Her slender fingers released the string, launching the arrow and leaving with a slight twang sound in the air. The velocity of the arrow was impressive, yet even in his weakened state, Inuyasha was easily able to dodge the oncoming attack.

While trying to hit Sango Kikyo surround the arrow with energy, a nice blue hue to it, she did nothing of the sort with Inuyasha. While quickly reloading her weapon, Kikyo once again took aim and fired, except still not encasing the arrow in the fine faint glow.

While Kagome and the others noticed this, they took note that the arrows purpose wasn't to purify Inuyasha, but to injure him making the battle easier of the un-dead miko.

Inuyasha, using the brash part of his mind while in a fight, didn't take the signs, and flicked Kikyo's latest arrow away with a twist of the wrist, Tessaiga doing most of the work. The hanyou then bent his legs and forced his exhausted body up into the nearby trees.

"Nice try, Inuyasha. Using the poor trees as a shield. Unfortunately, while taking your demon blood, I've become much stronger."

A snort was heard from above their heads, as Inuyasha scrutinized Kikyo's abilities.

The un-dead miko narrowed her eyes, searching the foliage for a trace of the demon opposing her. "Aren't you going to come down and join us, Inuyasha? Taking to the tree's for protection is undoubtedly unfair . . ."

This time a laugh was heard from somewhere within the green leaves, "When has anything ever been fair with you, Kikyo?" Inuyasha must have decided to make his appearance, as he landed feet in front of Kikyo. "And I'm not trying to be fair. I'm trying to cut that head of your shoulders!"

Heaving the Tessaiga up, Inuyasha swung it almost effortlessly at Kikyo, and the un-dead miko was caught in shock. She moved to dodge, and narrowly avoided being cleaved in two by the sword. However, she didn't escape unscathed, there was a definite cut across her cheek, and from that trickled a crimson liquid. Upon further inspection, Miroku confirmed that it was blood. Whose blood, however, he didn't yet know. After all, they didn't have DNA tests back in the feudal era.

"That was good Inuyasha." Kikyo said mildly, wiping off the blood with a finger, "But I think you can do better. Less talk, more fighting, yes?"

"Feh. Whatever." Inuyasha spat.

Kikyo nodded. It was barely perceptible, Inuyasha had barely time to move his eyes to meet Kikyo's, before the miko had launched another arrow. The arrow was released, aimed straight towards the hanyou. A cry escaped into the night, as the arrow pieced through skin, a bright red liquid starting to run through the clothing at the stomach of the arrow's receiver.

The rest of the group made a move to catch the falling figure. The thing was though . . .

. . . that the one now laying unconscious was not Inuyasha.

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Author's Notes: Yes, it is, once again, a short little chapter. And yes, it is late. And yes, it is not the last chapter. So! The updates on this story might just turn out to be painfully slow. And I mean painfully slow. One, I don't get many reviews. Two, I really need to figure out how I want this to end. Expect two more chapters, tops. Ja ne until next time. Please review? It really isn't that hard . . .

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