Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale
The Ringenkai Plant
Chapter 10: Tetsusaiga vs. Toukijin: A Battle Between Brothers
The imaginary clock of time struck a few minutes after ten with the break of day readily rising forth like a flower in the stage of its full bloom. Nature turned a new cheek for the end of the fall season by showering the land with its infinite amount of barren dry leaves that were shed from their trees in preparation for the wintertime. An odd calm of the air placed itself quietly in a stealth fashion, not truly giving any specific foreshadowing as to what events make take place on this very day.
A small girl who roughly appeared to about the age of eight or maybe a year or two older, ran at her own pace through the leaf scattered fields, the sound of her little feet pattering against the cold hard ground. The cute and carefree girl who was humming to herself a random tune, wore a red and white checkered kimono designed with large green circles intertwined with each other in pairs amongst the soft fabric. Her wild black hair flowed like a perfect rendition of the ocean out in the middle of the sea. Screaming with tranquil motion but rippling with the most violent of tides.
Rin was her name, as she approached a huge pile of leaves at the base of a big tree in the middle of the field. Laughing like an innocent child should without the corruption of any impurities swimming through her spirit, she bounced into the gathered leaves, sending up a rain of the dead brown and red petals into the air. She tucked herself into a small ball of human sincerity and rolled around the clean mess like a piglet in mud. Her kimono wasn't the least bit dirty and she lifted herself up to face the sky, taking a leaf in her hand and crushing it into dry ash. Enamored with the little bits she created she heard a high pitched voice call out to her in the distance.
"RIN! RIN! WAIT!!!" the voice called, catching Rin's attention. Her nose twitched when she saw a small imp like creature head toward her. After what seemed like nearly three whole minutes of the imp trying to cover the ground between he and Rin, he finally stopped himself to take a few much needed gasps of air. A big sweat drop rolled down the side of his head as he began to speak.
"Oh, Master Jaken! I'm sorry, I should've waited for you. I keep forgetting that you can't run as fast. For a little guy you physically act kinda old! Heh heh!" Rin said questionably.
"OLD!? I'll have you know that while I was born with the unfortunate stature of my small size, I vastly share a far greater deal of power than you shall ever witness in this lifetime!!!" Jaken yelled, before realizing that a heavy strain hit his chest and he had to stop talking to catch his breath, nearly fainting from the constant pursuing of Rin.
Jaken was a green skinned imp with large pale yellow eyes and black pupils, dressed in brown and gray robes. He also sported a black pointed hat atop his hairless scaly head, and in his hands he possessed a long staff decorated with some shrunken heads at the very top, which granted Jaken the ability to shoot forth steady streams of fire from the mystic weapon.
Although Jaken considered himself to be very powerful to hold his own against any normal human or lesser types of any demon he came across, he was actually the vassal to a much superior demon lord of immense strength, unrivaled tenacity and incredible intellect. Even though his life debt is owed to this particular demon, in reality Jaken found it more stressful watching after this young girl on a constant basis to avoid having her fall to any kind of harm that may present itself. Jaken very well knew though, had he failed to protect Rin when his master was not around, the oh so once loyal vassal would no longer have a life to share in this world.
"I'm sorry, Master Jaken. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But you are out of breath. Its too bad we don't have any water. It looks like you could really use it." Rin replied, getting up from the scattered leaf pile.
"What... *gasp* was your... *pant* first clue?" Jaken asked, gasping loudly as he felt his wind returning to him slowly. "I hear a grand waterfall lies north of here, but it will take quite a time to reach it by foot." Jaken commented, retaining his hold on the Staff of Heads.
"So should we wait? You really do seem parched, though. I don't think its a good idea to wait around here. Lord Sesshoumaru only left us an hour ago, didn't he? I don't know where he went but he said he had something to take care of. Was he talking about that weirdo talking tree he went to the last time?" Rin asked, a thoughtful expression beaming from her.
"What!? Don't you dare speak of the great Sesshoumaru-sama with such a brazen tongue, Rin! My master would never take abandon of us like that by not informing me of the exact location he seeks to go to! If it had been of any importance... uh, I mean, if it had required our presence Sesshoumaru-sama clearly would have requested for us to accompany him for the duration of the trip!" Jaken said in defense.
"Yeah, but I worry about him sometimes. Maybe we could ask him what's wrong, and he might tell us how he's been feeling." Rin said, her mind brimming with worry.
"Nonsense! Sesshoumaru-sama remains quite fine without our counseling. Now let us go ahead and find that oasis of thirst quenching water! I have no patience for your pointless and annoying questions!" Jaken said, irritated by Rin's naivety. He took the lead as Rin closely followed him until he sensed a presence appear right in front of him. Jaken looked up and gasped, and Rin smiled in appreciation.
"M... m... m... MASTER SESSHOUMARU!" Jaken stuttered idiotically.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, you've come back!" Rin squealed, she and Jaken were graced by the arrival of a strikingly handsome young demon with beautiful long silver hair and piercing golden eyes. It was Lord Sesshoumaru himself, Inuyasha's older brother by nearly 900 years of age.
Born a full blooded demon from under the wing of both his mother and his father Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru sported light purple double curved streaks on either side of his face and wrists. Atop his forehead lie a sign in the shape of a crescent blue moon that faced to its right, and his glistening outfit consisted of a full bodied white robe and a red pattern design at the shoulder area. Along with the robe itself it was complete with frontal black and gray armor that guarded his stomach and shoulders. From the edges of the armor dangled two red tassels and a long yellow sash tied around his waist that stretched down just a little past knee length. The right section of his shoulder guard was covered and hidden amongst the large fluffy material (presumed to be his tail) that partially shrouded his entire right side, its very tip at the end dangling past his black boots and wavering in the air like a serpent.
"Jaken. While I am not wholeheartedly unaffected by your overly concerned babble, you could have clearly learned some patience for my arrivals. Please refrain from making an utter fool of yourself furthermore than you already have." Sesshoumaru said in a dark but low tone as slowly walked up to Jaken and Rin. To Sesshoumaru's right followed a huge two headed dragon with pale gold skin named Ah-Un, who had served the full demon as a means of transportation over great distances.
"Ah-Un! Its only been an hour and I've missed you already!" Rin patted the strong looking beast on the head without fear.
"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin and I were just keeping ourselves occupied while we awaited your return. Have you found a suitable camping space before we move on, may I ask?" Jaken asked.
"No. Nor have I been able to discover any direct clues leading to Naraku's whereabouts. However, aside from that passive but much desired goal my main ambitions still lie within striking down the pure disgracefulness of my half breed brother, Inuyasha. His blood stains that of our demon family's heritage as a powerful force to be reckoned with. He still lives and from what I can gather at the most he still does not comprehend the full capabilities of his own mixed blood that causes him to transform to his full demon form." Sesshoumaru said calmly, staring off into the bright morning clouds.
"Yes, but now that you hold the spectacular and unrivaled power of the Toukijin sword, nothing will be able to stop you from slaying your enemies! Both Inuyasha and Naraku wouldn't be able to withstand the force of one swing from the mighty blade you keep!" Jaken reminded his master, as the focal point of the conversation moved to the two sheathed swords that were tied to the left of Sesshoumaru's waist sash. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes lowered to the handle of the Toukijin that visibly poked out, which had taken superiority to the second sword that was under it, the Tenseiga.
"Yes, Toukijin's power rivals that of Tetsusaiga, my brother's own sword. Although I've only had the chance to use it twice in a battle against him, my interest was sparked by Inuyasha's full demon transformation during the latter fight. Knowing that the sword is forged with the strongest of evil incarnations, with trained focus in combat it could possibly even outdo the Tetsusaiga itself... provided that its master can unlock every searing inch of power inside it. Its master capable of handling that sort of influence? Of course, it is I who holds the blade effortlessly in my hand." Sesshoumaru replied.
Toukijin, its meaning roughly translated as the "Fighting Demon God" or another, was forged by the sole disciple of Toutousai, a swordsmith named Kajinbou. Frustrated with having to scour the lands of Japan with such a useless and pitiful weapon that his father gave to him, Tenseiga, which had the power to save 100 lives in one swing, Sesshoumaru commissioned the assistance of Kajinbou to forge a sword from the fangs of Goshinki. Goshinki was the third incarnation of Naraku himself, but did not live very long after a confrontation with the full demon transformed Inuyasha. Inuyasha's transformation was triggered by his youki being released when Goshinki broke Tetsusaiga with one bite. Needless to say, this had increased Inuyasha's strength by tenfold, with him killing Goshinki in one bloody slash.
Upon smelling the scent of Inuyasha's new blood, Sesshoumaru had happened to walk upon Goshinki's slaughtered carcass. Sensing a strange aura from Goshinki's decapitated head, Sesshoumaru had taken it to Kajinbou himself. After some forced negotiation, Kajinbou agreed to make the sword out of Goshinki's fangs. Soon enough, upon returning to Kajinbou did Sesshoumaru realize the swordsmith was gone.
The newly forged sword dubbed Toukijin, had an evil aura so powerful that it had possessed Kajinbou in an attempt to slay Inuyasha in battle. However, soon enough Kajinbou was destroyed by the sword's increasing strength and proved too much for the lowly swordsmith to muster. With Inuyasha watching over Toukijin without making a move to touch its handle, only it was then that Sesshoumaru had eventually arrived and simply placed his hand on the blade.
Everyone was absolutely surprised for the fact that Sesshoumaru had appeared to be only one capable of handling Toukijin's evil aura, his touch unaffected by the mysterious lightning crackles that surrounded the blade. Whether Sesshoumaru's own power was more than enough or rather he was simply destined to wield Toukijin was questionable. But aside from that matter, now having cast the useless Tenseiga aside Sesshoumaru now held a weapon that could he fairly use in a fight against his half breed brother, or perhaps even holding a much bigger advantage than the sword he originally intended to claim, the Tetsusaiga.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken pondered, watching his master stand there in silence. The only sounds Jaken could hear was the soft giggling of Rin nearby and the gentle tweeting of the birds in the trees. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and turned around, walking away. His fluffy tail swayed behind him leaving a trail of quiet burning anger.
"Come. There is much to do this day. I want to once again test the limits of the Toukijin's power. I shall find Inuyasha and challenge him to a battle. If he has become any more of a well balanced strategist and fighter, then my expectations will be warranted greatly. I desire to prove that I am truly the one to hold the status of strongest among our family bloodline, not the half breed I do not dare to even thoughtfully consider to be a relative of mine." Sesshoumaru said.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! Wherever you lead I am sure the decisions you make will only be the correct ones! You've heard him, Rin!" Jaken said, running off to join his master.
"Um... okay! I guess... Hey, wait up!!! Wait for me!" Rin called, as she was lifted onto Ah-Un's back and carried off to join her friends. She laughed once more, bringing a heart warming happiness to the already gloomy scene.
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In a small mountainside close to the woods stood a tall waterfall upon a cliff. The sun's rays delivered a multiple row of blending lights as it bounced off the surface of the frothy blue water. The forceful tidal waves that rushed down the 50 feet drop at the edge of the fall were nothing to Inuyasha, who was standing right in the middle of the crashing torrential splashes.
The water continuously slammed down onto Inuyasha's back as he faced off against Kirara in a sparring practice match using the Tetsusaiga. Kirara rushed him a few times from the front and sides, and mixed up the strategies a little by strafing at a fast speed. Inuyasha swung his sword and caught Kirara a few times, nearly in a eight out of ten ratio. Kirara's heavy body slammed onto the surface of the watery grounds as Inuyasha came up and patted the feline on the head.
"Good job, Kirara. You make a great sparring partner. I can't say that I would have wished all my foes put up the same level of defense. Ah, well. We just have to keep practicing until we all get stronger. Its practically a requirement." Inuyasha said, hearing Kirara's growling in response.
Nearby the waterfall's coast, Sango was sitting on a rock as Miroku was tending to her wounds. Shippo was sitting cross legged on the grass a few feet away, flipping a spinning top between his hands.
"Nnnghh..." Sango groaned a bit, leaning forward after Miroku tied a large bandage around her ribs. Sango's arm was racked with pain, already taken care of by the monk a few minutes beforehand.
"Be careful not to move much, Sango. Your arm, ribs and leg are still broken from the battle with Kanna and you can't afford to push yourself to anything strenuous. I can't say how long the injuries will take to heal but the damage isn't heavily critical. But I'm afraid that should take it easy when it comes to walking." Miroku said, lightly putting on a second layer of bandages to cover Sango's lower ribs.
"Hmph..." Sango said nonchalantly, an extremely distant glaze in her eyes. Miroku frowned upon the situation, with him and Shippo feeling sorry for what happened to Inuyasha and Sango back in the woods the previous night. Although Miroku was told the gist of what occurred, he felt that both Inuyasha and Sango held back some information. Inuyasha resumed his usual attitude, but Sango herself was much more quiet than normal and seemed disbanded from the group ever since.
"It pains me to see Sango this way. While I can also sense some hidden discontent from Inuyasha as well, its obvious that he would rather continue to move on and hold up the fort without causing any suspicion. But I can see it clearly with Sango. Something definitely happened during the battle with Kanna, and I'm hard pressed to find out what. But with her injuries it would seem quite insensitive of me to ask." Miroku thought, as he moved on to bandage Sango's arm.
"Ever since we came here, Inuyasha has been hard at work practicing with his Tetsusaiga. Its a great idea considering that Naraku will be trying to come up with more ways to hinder our progress. We have to be ready in any way possible." Sango said without basing too much emphasis on her words.
Miroku paused as if he was under the impression Sango could read his mind and try to indirectly reply to what he was thinking. He continued his treatment and put a gamble on what he was about to say next, the dice in his mind rolling for the lucky tone of shot.
"Inuyasha is improving with his fighting skills, that granted. The more fluent he is using the Tetsusaiga in a fight the chances of him tapping into his full power at will is all the more likely." Miroku said, his lips trembling nervously. "Sango?"
"Hm? What is it?" Sango turned, her hair flipping to the side. She wasn't particularly making eye contact with the monk.
"About last night. I can't help but think that there isn't something you've been telling me. You don't have anything to hide, no one is going to hold it against you for saying what's on your mind. Did something happen with Kanna more than what I was informed of? The same question I would ask Inuyasha also, but with his stubbornness I doubt I'll have the answers." Miroku queried as he fixed up bandaging Sango's arm.
"Why would you think I would not tell you all of the important details?" Sango snapped quickly, her eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of keeping something from you?"
"No, its not that, I'm just concerned about you, that's all. If you don't want to talk about it, then that is fine as well. I have no intention of playing the fool here. If it is a sensitive subject then it needs not be mentioned at the smallest." Miroku defended, waving his hands.
"Listen, Miroku! If I had anything to say I would have said it by now. None of my problems are any of your business, so just step off and go do something other than worrying about me every five seconds. All I required of you was for my wounds to be fixed, no more than that!" Sango said angrily, her mind still warped from that mentally scarring dream that Kanna had forced her to undergo last night.
It wasn't that Sango was being self absorbed, but the fact that the dream she experienced of murdering her own brother Kohaku was a subject she simply could not shake from her head. It seemed to had a long term effect on her than she expected, and even though she was aware it was all of Kanna's illusionary doing, it will take quite some time for her to recover from.
"Okay, Sango. I understand. I shall leave you alone for the time being." Miroku said, rising up and walking away. He himself was not angry because he half interpreted Sango's reaction beforehand, and he knew that he was moving into a sensitive territory she didn't want him to get within ten feet of unless she was in the mood to speak about it.
"Come to think of it... my moves must be becoming rusty. I had a perfectly excellent chance to grope the forbidden soft flesh of Sango's luscious thighs had I made my approach from the front rather than the back. Perhaps in her state of mind she may have not noticed. But I shall persist when the next opportunity presents itself." Miroku closed his eyes as he walked, a small sweat drop appearing on the side of his head.
"Hey, Miroku! What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Sango again?" asked Shippo, getting up and following the monk.
"Nothing, Shippo. Just a matter of Sango not wanting to talk about a certain subject. When she is ready, she shall say what she has to." Miroku replied.
"Kanna's attack must have really did something to Inuyasha and Sango, although Inuyasha shows less signs of being distracted. I guess that's how he acts when he wants to get something off his mind. But Sango has more difficulty expressing herself." Shippo noted. "I just wish we were here at the time, but we were bringing Kagome back to Kaede's house so there's no way we could have helped them during the battle. I'm just glad they made it out of alive."
"Although there wasn't too much premise given on how they drove Kanna off. My curiosity rises even higher, but its something I won't press on either of the two of them." Miroku said, stopping at the coast and watching Inuyasha initiating a second sparring round with Kirara.
Meanwhile, Sango stared at Miroku from a few feet away. She punched her palm softly in regret for taking on such a nasty front with him earlier. She sighed loudly and slid herself off the rock, leaning her back against the hard surface and placing her crossed hands against the back of her head as her eyes scoured the morning sky. She squinted a little to shield her vision from the shining sun above.
"I didn't mean to act so mean to him. Its hard for me to even THINK about the nightmare I had during that fight, let alone talk about. I know it only a setup by Kanna but still. It all felt so real. I had no idea that strange girl was capable of doing such a thing. That imposter in my dream was wrong about me. I would never betray my friends at the expense of any form of selfishness on my part. The only thing I would ever consider doing is giving my life to save that of Kohaku's if the situation called for it." Sango thought, letting out a tired sigh. She winced in pain as she exhaled, cursing her broken bones.
"Look at me. I can't even breathe without taking a risk of dislocating one of my stupid ribs. That and I can't move an inch of my arm. I was so careless in trying to hit Kanna I had forgotten that she could deflect attacks if given the chance. I won't be able to fight for awhile since I can't move my arm very well. At least Inuyasha is still capable of fighting. I can't help but wonder what he's thinking about his dream. He had the courage to tell about his but I couldn't afford to talk about mine. Maybe I should just concentrate on other things. That nightmare didn't mean anything... although mentally I've experienced the biggest possible feeling of fear I've ever faced. Just as much as witnessing my family being killed right before my eyes." Sango thought. She rose up, her eyes twitching. She shook her head and held her hand to her face.
"No! I have to stop it. What good it is worrying about that right now? Inuyasha and the others need me. The important thing is we get to Mount Harunai in the next three days and find the Ringenkai Plant. That's all that matters right now..." Sango buried her head between her knees and shut her eyes, going into a state of silence.
"Poor Sango..." Miroku was watching her from the corner of his eye, and he sighed in return. He felt so ashamed of himself because he couldn't do anything to help Sango. To make matters worse she promptly shut his concerning comfort out when he offered it out of sincerity. Even if he were to say anything now it would totally defeat the purpose of his choosing the option to leave her be in the first place. Knowing that nothing would come of it until she was ready to console in him, Miroku calmed his nerves as he saw Inuyasha walk towards him.
"The Tetsusaiga is becoming more and more of a second nature fashion to use. Heh, I would train my swordsman skills more often if we weren't constantly fighting with every other demon across this whole countryside." Inuyasha said tiredly, his face worn with stress and fatigue.
"Granted, its times like this where I wish we didn't have to be involved in this predicament. It would do more good than harm." Miroku frowned.
"Yeah, but now what's wrong? Don't tell me some crap about being unable to find a suitable underage girl to have your kids again. I heard that excuse the last time you plastered that scowl on your face. You don't seem to be your usual self." Inuyasha said, stepping onto the coast and leaving a trail of wet footprints along the dry grass.
Kirara transformed back into her smaller form, climbed out and ran over to where Sango was. Kirara nudged Sango in the knees, but she didn't budge much except for rising her head slightly to acknowledge that her feline pet was there.
"As is Sango. I'm worried about her, that's all. I can take a good guess that there was more to the battle with Kanna than what you originally told me." Miroku asked, hoping that Inuyasha would finally break down and tell him the truth.
"Hmph. Well, you're right about that. Sango is a little shaken up from the battle with Kanna. I can't say I'm not too happy either myself. During the fight somehow she trapped us both in some sort of weird void where not only did she try to steal our souls, she had our minds envision these terrible nightmares, if you could call them that. I honestly felt as if I was actually there, from the scenes I've seen." Inuyasha said, sheathing his Tetsusaiga and staring down onto the rushing water in front him.
"Visions that felt real? Kanna may have used some very powerful mysticism to achieve something like that. It sounds like she attempted to mess with the both of you psychologically rather than physically. The perfect distraction while using that mirror of hers to lock your resistance." Miroku folded his arms.
"But what did you see in the visions? Nothing too scarring, I hope." said Shippo.
"I saw things I would never want to witness ever again in this lifetime. I saw Kagome... she was lying in a pool of her own cold blood, killed by the poisonous seed that grew within her body. I broke down thinking that I failed to save her. I was devastated I couldn't even move let alone accept the fact that I let such a thing happen to her. That was when I saw Naraku, formed by an dreamt up illusion no doubt." Inuyasha said.
"Sounds exactly like the kind of ploy Kanna would pull. I can imagine how shocking the dream must have been... if it were to produce an event neither one of us would never want to take as the truth. But that's what it is. It was an illusion. No more, no less. Rest assured Kagome will be safe where she is currently. Naraku will have no idea as to where she is, although they'll question her absence. As long as we keep track of our task, then there's nothing to fear of." Miroku said.
"I'm not gonna give up no matter what. Let Naraku send his worst at me! He'd only be disappointed in the end because I'll just as easily slice right through whatever minions he enlists with my Tetsusaiga. Now that I've taken the time to improve with it, maybe I'll have the upper edge from now on." Inuyasha said, unable to stay still. He turned his back and took a few steps away from his monk friend, shaking drops of water from the leg of his pants.
"I agree, but it is also wise for a warrior to remember to never underestimate his opponent. While one man can prove his strength there will always someone much stronger. Your Tetsusaiga isn't a tool used for fighting but it can become the strongest weapon if you learn how to control and properly manipulate the entire source of its power. Its easy to defend with a sword but in turn it can be difficult to master all the aspects of it." Miroku advised.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all about that. Do me a favor, Miroku. Please try not to become a replacement for that old fart Toutousai, will you? You're starting to sound exactly like him. The only difference is that you're younger and a high class pervert." Inuyasha said, picking up the top half of his red outfit and slinging it over his shoulder as he walked off. "Come on, let's move it!"
"He's quite the tactful listener, isn't he?" said Miroku in a sarcastic tone.
"I guess with all of the fighting and stress of worrying about Kagome, Inuyasha doesn't want to think much of anything else." Shippo replied lightly.
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Inuyasha and his allies were soon walking along the edge of the running river. The constant loud noise of the passing water kept Inuyasha's mind at peace and focused at the same time. Although his body was somewhat uncooperative and tired out, that didn't stop his own demeanor from changing. Upon refining his fighting tactics he felt more confident in his skills, and perhaps he even discovered a new surge of power from within the Tetsusaiga than he ever did before.
"We're almost there, guys. I can see a valley up ahead, so maybe we'll find a carriage like you've been talking about before." Inuyasha said to Miroku.
"It'll be a good sign if that rings true. Besides, after capturing the gratitude in the hearts of the villagers, not only will we hitch ourselves a ride but this can provide some time for Sango to recover a little longer." Miroku said, helping Sango walk along as her leg was shot with pain.
"I don't want to be a burden on any of you. We really should keep moving along if you're successful at finding transportation. The longer we dawdle the less time we have to get to Mt. Harunai." Sango said, groaning faintly as she walked. "I can do fine on my own. I'd say within a while I should be able to move normally."
"But Sango, you're still badly hurt! At least let the town's doctor help you when we get there. If trouble starts brewing you could be vulnerable." Shippo said.
"I know, but... things are bad enough as it is." Sango quieted down, her eyes lowering to the ground. At the moment she felt very responsible for the group's every action and her mind was still a bit shaken from the mere thoughts of her brother, Kohaku.
"Don't worry, we'll make time. I'm sure whoever is good with medicine can help you easily. You've come back from worse things, and you certainly have the most tenacity out of all of us." Inuyasha commented with warmth. Sango smiled a little, at least knowing that he and the others cared for having her injuries taken care of as soon as possible.
"Thank you, Inuyasha..." Sango whispered, seeing her dog demon friend respond back with a small grin of his own. However, that look was quickly wiped off of Inuyasha's face as she saw him take a fast sniff of the air.
"What is it!? Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked. The monk's awareness was alerted as well. The clouds seemed to have taken on a darker tone than normal, and the still of the wind was nonexistent and deader than accompanying aura that slowly encroached upon the riverside, setting a cold vicious calamity amongst the land.
Inuyasha's heightened senses picked up on it almost immediately, and found the resulting reactions unfavorable. He knew this aura too well and in a thousand years he would have never guessed of it incorrectly no matter how many times one would ask of it. Every time he smelled that scent he wished it would be the last encounter with the person it belonged to. His determination shot to a new level and his blood flowed through his veins with amazing prowess.
"The air... the air is dull of all sudden. The skies are gray and the wind has stopped still. I may only be able to hear the waves of the river... but I know the cause of it!" Inuyasha snapped his head up and his suspicion was deemed correct as he glared angrily at the tall white haired man that appeared way up in the sky before the group, mounted on his two headed dragon demon. It was his older brother, Sesshoumaru making a distinctive but swift entrance along with his two associates, Jaken and Rin.
"Sesshoumaru!!!" Inuyasha growled heatedly as he watched his evil next of kin lower to the ground in front of he and his friends. Sesshoumaru's presence from the skies seemed to be heavenly but only passionate hatred for his little brother stemmed from the glazed serenity in his eyes.
"Oh no! Now what does he want?" Sango narrowed her eyes.
"G... great! J... just great! Just when things couldn't get any worse he decides to show up!" Shippo panicked, his forehead breaking out in a hot sweat.
"Stay on guard! This is a fight that we might not be able to avoid!" Miroku said, gripping his staff.
Leaping off of Ah-Un, Sesshoumaru's feet hit the bare stone floor with a silent tap. His yellow sash and white shoulder tail was blown to the side by an invisible gentle breeze, and his silver hair sparkled in the center of the sun's rays from the clouds.
"Inuyasha. How astute to have encountered you here of all places. I had expected more of a suitable background to relinquish in the event of your inevitable death by my hand. Still you remain with the weakling humans you laughably deem your allies? It should not come to me as much of a surprise." Sesshoumaru began, his eyes locked onto Inuyasha's.
"Heh! Its always the same with you, isn't it? Pointlessly trying to start trouble when the odds always turn against you, so instead you hide behind the status of establishing yourself into a high talker with sorry fighting skills and the arrogance of a jackass to go along with it. Why don't you just give it up and keep walking, Sesshoumaru? It'll save you another embarrassing defeat." Inuyasha insulted, taking a few strides forward and stopping still with defiance in his voice.
"Cease this annoying drivel. I seek nothing more than to shed your blood. This battlefield shall mark the end of your life as I strike your inferior half demon shell of a body down with the ultimate dark power of my blade... the blade of the Toukijin." Sesshoumaru replied as he slowly drew his Toukijin from its sheath, the long pointed blade shimmering like a light at the end of a pitch black tunnel.
"Toukijin... Inuyasha has to be extremely careful if is he to tangle with Sesshoumaru using it against him." said Sango in a weary tone.
"Yes, Toukijin's aura alone is powerful and Inuyasha was close to bested by it in their last battle about half a month ago... But even with Inuyasha being more focused upon this fight I'm afraid to even try to predict how things will turn out. Sesshoumaru has an even chance of winning just as much as Inuyasha this time around with such a devilish sword." Miroku said in reluctance.
"Come on, Miroku! We have to put all of our faith in Inuyasha! We can't start having second thoughts now! Don't say things like that, because you're scaring me!" Shippo scolded, honestly hoping that Inuyasha would win. Kirara growled with uncertainty, and the group quieted down and watched the confrontation ensue.
"You called it, and now you're going to regret you ever made that lame proposition. You happened to catch me in a not so great mood so nothing will entertain me more than spilling your bloody guts all the way across the ground." Inuyasha reached down unsheathed his Tetsusaiga, its rusty and chipped blade converting into a massively sharp fang with a tuft of fur hanging from its hilt. He swung the blade through the air twice and took his stance. Inuyasha felt a strong pang of newfound power shoot through his body, himself and the sword he held sparkle with a reddish kind of light.
"My lord! My lord!" Jaken hopped off of Ah-Un and ran up to Sesshoumaru's side. "Forgive my intrusion but Inuyasha seems to be giving off an unusual glow of strange energy! I can see it, and its something out of all the encounters I've never quite witnessed before. Has he unlocked some sort of potential in his half demon blood? A kind of potential that could very well pose a threat to your unsolicited greatness?" Jaken nervously asked.
"Nonsense, Jaken. Despite what deception as to which your eyes have cast, I am not either impressed or necessarily concerned with this power that courses through this half breed's body. I have nothing to fear and never will. Claiming the victory of this day will only assure my conclusions of who will remain the superior sibling of our family feud." Sesshoumaru said, his empty left sleeve blowing to the side as he held Toukijin with his only remaining right hand.
"But... my lord!" Jaken protested, but then stopped himself upon noticing that his master would hear no more upon seeing him shift his eyes back to the matter at hand. Jaken backed away and stood by near Rin and Ah-Un, wishing that his warning didn't go unheeded.
"What am I thinking?! Of course Lord Sesshoumaru suspects Inuyasha's uncanny amount of strength. If my lord was already unaware of the situation then naturally he would have used the best of judgement to be more cautious. But what does he have to fear? With Toukijin, Sesshoumaru-sama is completely invincible!" Jaken thought.
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were exactly six feet apart from each other, both siblings having drawn their weapons and their eyes locked in the same line of sight. The blood of both brothers rushed with adrenaline just a mere amount of moments before the fight began, the excitement and satisfaction of gratuitous violence delivering the best sustenance to either one's endless hunger for power. Then in a flash, the two of them started to fight at last, zooming forth in a straight line at each other.
The ultra loud clang of the Tetsusaiga and Toukijin shot through the air as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru locked swords, either of them feverishly trying to gain the upper hand over the other. Toukijin's blade sparked with a strange electricity that send a shiver through the Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha himself, making him jolt backwards. However Inuyasha pressed right back with his own strength, his blade resisting Toukijin's impending energy and pushing Sesshoumaru back quite a bit.
"What!?" Sesshoumaru gasped from the sudden recoil.
"That's not all there is!!! HYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Inuyasha swung his Tetsusaiga and slammed it with an immense force into Sesshoumaru's sword, sending hundreds of sparks everywhere and a shooting stream of hot white energy behind the blade's afterimage. The unexpected force sent Sesshoumaru sprawling backwards but he held his ground as he skid along the ground, his feet making two trenches along the gravel.
"HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" Inuyasha came at the defending Sesshoumaru with another powerful strike, the Tetsusaiga bouncing off the Toukijin's blade once again. Inuyasha quickly dashed forward and tried to deliver a fast punch to Sesshoumaru's chin, but the narcissist anticipated the attack and promptly dodged it by leaning to the left.
"Damn! I almost had him!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath, falling forward from the missed punch.
"That is one of your several downfalls. Too slow." Sesshoumaru's emotionless face flashed in a mere moment just before actually throwing the Toukijin up into the air and grabbing Inuyasha's wrist. As Sesshoumaru tried to yank the Tetsusaiga out his brother's grasp, poison leaked from his claws and sent a searing pain through Inuyasha's arm.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!" Inuyasha winced as he felt the incredible burning sensation zapping around in his wrist. He began to buckle down on one knee, his vision blurring as a result of the seeping and intoxicating fumes. Struggling to break free, he felt his grip on the Tetsusaiga loosen. "No!!! I can't... let him win..." Inuyasha gasped hard.
"I am thoroughly disappointed that this fight had to end so quickly as it had started. Your moves are becoming that of an inexperienced warrior, more and more foolishly predictable in each following fight. You would be wise to give in before losing your arm just for the sake of protecting the Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru warned, his poison wading through Inuyasha's wrist as the flesh slowly turned purple. Any more than another minute and the flesh would deteriorate and rot if Inuyasha held on any longer.
"Sorry, asshole. I wouldn't be so quick to do something so stupid! BLADES OF BLOOD!!!" Inuyasha yelled as he tore his claw into his chest and threw a sharp mess of bloody blades directly into Sesshoumaru's eyes, temporarily blinding him.
"Nnnghhhhhhh!!!!!" Sesshoumaru groaned, releasing his grasp on Inuyasha's wrist and stumbling backwards from the sudden attack.
"Yes!!! He managed to get away from Sesshoumaru's poison claws!" Shippo cheered.
"It was good thinking on Inuyasha's part. Any moment longer and the poison would have taken its full effect." Miroku noted.
"Oh and how the mighty have fallen!!! IRON REAVER!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, giving chase and slashing his claw in three wide arcs, directly slashing Sesshoumaru hard in the chest and face, knocking him ten feet away into the ground. Sesshoumaru let out a faint moan as he skid against the gravel, the front of his armor guard cracked and the side of his face damaged with three bloody slashes.
"Ahhhhhhhh!!! Lord Sesshoumaru is hurt!!!" Rin cried, holding her hands to her face.
Inuyasha tried to follow up with a pursuing jumping kick but Sesshoumaru leapt straight up into the air, the blur of his body moving faster than a streak of lightning as he caught the falling Toukijin that he had thrown up a few moments earlier.
"Now you die." Sesshoumaru said, slashing Toukijin through the air and releasing an extremely powerful amount of sword pressure, which was more than enough to send an invisible ray of energy at Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodged the attack as the ground erupted into a mighty explosion of dirt and debris. Inuyasha rolled off to the side and Sesshoumaru performed a second slash, sending down another bout of air pressurized energy.
The second wave had covered a wider radius of the ground and blew an unbelievable force of energy, causing another resulting explosion and blowing Inuyasha away like a rag doll swept up in a tornado, the energy sparks tearing into his clothes and skin all over his body.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed as he flew past the dust cloud, disappearing into the falling rain of rocks as the wind had also taken its toll on the spectators of the fight.
"Get down!!!" Miroku said, covering Sango from the flying debris. Kirara picked up Shippo and evaded a crashing rock right where the fox boy was previously standing.
"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I like this anymore than I did before!!!!" Shippo wailed, frightened by the overwhelming power that Sesshoumaru represented with Toukijin.
"AYIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Jaken yelled, flying away amongst the current of the winds. "Sesssshhhhhhouuuuuumaruuuuuuuu-saaaammmmaaaaaaaaa!!! He could have at least provided us enough ample time to flee if he was going to use that powerful kind of attackkkkkkk!!!! HELPPPPPPPP!!!!" Jaken screamed, flailing his arms up and down. He then suddenly realized that while it felt he was whipping through the air he was actually floating still.
"Huh!?" Jaken looked down, then turned his head and saw Rin smiling at him. Rin was holding him by the cloth of his back, apparently catching him just before he flew off into the distance.
"You're funny, Master Jaken. Why are you so scared? Lord Sesshoumaru is winning against that mean man! You should be cheering along!" Rin laughed. Ah-Un turned their heads and roared.
"Um... Yes! I was just joking around, you fool!" Jaken replied out of embarrassment. "I was only keeping watch for our own safety while Sesshoumaru-sama goes on to destroy Inuyasha with his unmatched strength!"
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was lying on the ground beside his Tetsusaiga, covered in bloody gashes. Weakened by the blows of Toukijin, he groaned as he tried to get up. Blood flowed down the middle of his face from a cut on his head, sinking into his eyes and making him see the field in a bright shade of red.
"Nnnnghhh.... damn it. This is why I can't afford to take too much a gamble whether I'm at close or far range with this guy. With that sword he's capable of making the most powerful of attacks, and they're much faster than my eyes can follow. I was lucky I didn't even get caught up in the first explosion. The second one definitely would have finished me if I was hit by both." Inuyasha muttered, rising on one foot. The top half of his red kimono was cleanly ripped off, leaving part of his white undergarment visible and overall caked with fresh blood. "Man, this is a bitch."
Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru in a red haze, watching him land onto the ground and walk towards him. Sesshoumaru held Toukijin in his hand, the blade still mystified with its dark and evil energy. Inuyasha could have sworn that he had seen smoke in the form of actual skulls eroding from the tip of the blade, but perhaps it was his own imagination toying with him.
"Inuyasha. You are already severely weakened. Evidently you no longer contain the strength required to fight, and it would ease my conscience to know I have slayed my brother in terms of his concession to me. Save yourself the trouble and die softly. Your Tetsusaiga will deem you an utmost unattainable victory." Sesshoumaru said, holding Toukijin to his side as he slowly glided towards his fallen brother.
"Heh heh... blab on all you want, Sesshoumaru. If talking your opponent to death is your way of achieving a so called victory than you clearly forgot what its like to do it the right way. I guess I kicked your conceited ass so many times I guess your brain totally missed the original concept from the constant abuse." Inuyasha said while retrieving his Tetsusaiga.
"Foolish whelp. You have been offered mercy twice. I do not plan on making such a ridiculous bout out of useless and uncalled for compassion for my enemies." Sesshoumaru said, slashing the Toukijin through the air once again, the sheer force punching Inuyasha in the face, stomach, and legs as his body tumbled along the dirt and plunged into the crashing river.
"INUYASHA!!!" Sango cried, breaking away from Miroku and trying to run to where Inuyasha had fallen, but the monk grabbed and held her back. "Miroku, what in the devil's name are you doing!? Let me go! We have to help Inuyasha!"
"No, Sango! You can't go in your condition! Sesshoumaru will only end up killing you outright with just one slash of the Toukijin. I can't let you go and risk your life!" Miroku said.
"I'd rather risk my life to save any of my friends than rather just stand idly by and watch them die! What the hell is wrong with you, Miroku! Instead of talking we could be helping Inuyasha beat that horrid beast..." Sango smacked away Miroku's arm, her eyes burning with fire.
"Man... I don't know what to do, either! I want to help Inuyasha too!" Shippo said, clenching his fist.
"I'm sorry, Sango... Shippo. But you have to understand." Miroku said, as he turned his gaze to Sesshoumaru who was approaching the river. "This is a battle between brothers. Inuyasha would have wanted us to stay back so he could handle this fight on his own. While he and Sesshoumaru fought a few times in the past, each Inuyasha has always come out alive. Trust in me, I want to help Inuyasha too... but I can sense a very strong will within him right now, and its building gradually as the fight is progressing."
"Easy for you to say. Who's say that Inuyasha won't survive now that Sesshoumaru has Toukijin? You saw the damage that sword could unveil, so now you're giving me some crap about an honorary battle? Don't you see? This isn't about any goddamned honor! This is a fight to the death, if not one of the most dangerous grudges anyone's ever shared." Sango pressed back, her eyes becoming watery.
Shippo himself was far too overcome with anger and sadness to say anything, as he could relate to Sango's worries and pain. Miroku ground his teeth, his mind darting back and forth between what he should and shouldn't do.
"I would just as much jump into the battle as well... but with Sesshoumaru's high proficiency with Toukijin, would we even be able to get close enough to even as so much make an assault?" Miroku thought.
Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru had reached the coast of the river where Inuyasha's bloody body lay. Inuyasha's desperation and anger had started to roll into one element, and he felt the red aura shine around him again. He heard a strange whining sound calling to him from the Tetsusaiga, as he turned his head slightly to stare at the water drenched blade. Inuyasha's amber eyes lit up and his pupils trembled. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, each beat pumping in rhythm to the sound of Tetsusaiga's song.
"What's... this surge of strength I'm feeling again? Is it coming from the Tetsusaiga? Or is it something that I'm causing myself?" Inuyasha pondered, his hand reaching for the sword and grabbing onto its worn handle. He then fixated his eyes ahead of him as he sensed the presence of his brother staring down at him.
"Look at you. You are truly a disgrace in the light of our father. It was purely an miscalculated ethical mistake for him to have blessed you with the almighty blade of the Tetsusaiga, while I was forced to accept the inheritance of the Tenseiga. However, that minor dispute has long settled amongst my protest as you can clearly see that I now hold the stronger blade. You were a fool to think that you could defeat Toukijin, as you've never stood a ghost of a chance." Sesshoumaru taunted.
"Fuck... you..." Inuyasha coughed up the words, blood splashing down his cheek.
"Your unruly impudence disgusts me to a medium. But now you shall die only to leave behind a nameless legacy that you have stained with the shame of your half breed existence." Sesshoumaru raised the Toukijin into the air above his head, about to finish Inuyasha off. Suddenly, he paused as he felt a spark of energy shoot past him. "What!?"
For that brief open window of opportunity, Inuyasha leapt up from the water and swung his Tetsusaiga with all of his strength, the blade plowing right into Sesshoumaru's chest with a force so powerful the volume pitch alone of the attack shattered his armor. The blade cut deep through the fabric and tore right into Sesshoumaru's flesh, dark red blood spraying like a geyser out of the wound.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sesshoumaru cried, his eyes widening. The speed of Inuyasha's attack was so fast Sesshoumaru could not even see the split second movement of his brother rising from the watery depths. Jaken and Rin watched with shock as they their master stumble back while clutching his wound.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! How was that low class demon Inuyasha able to strike the great lord so fast and hard without anyone ever seeing it?!" Jaken yelled, infuriated.
"I didn't see it either! Faster than Lord Sesshoumaru? There's no way! But... I... I don't want him to lose!" Rin stammered.
Sesshoumaru reeled sideways, notwithstanding the brutal slash he endured. His shut eyes opened to reveal his eyes flashing red for a second as he twisted around in mid air and broke his fall again by holding out his Toukijin and pressing the blade into the dirt. He landed on his feet with the absolute grace of a ballerina, clutching the bleeding wound with his only hand.
"Tch! How can this be? Even with my speed and awareness I could not see that attack of Inuyasha's coming. Although I can only conjure the mere assumption that it was possibly the Tetsusaiga responsible for this sudden outburst of strength. But specifically speaking, what's more as to why is this happening?" Sesshoumaru thought, his face lacking any kind of expression even though he was badly hurt. Blood snaked its way down his cracked armor plate and sash, staining the legs of his robes a dark crimson color.
"Had enough, Sesshoumaru? I'm surprised. With an attack like that you should be on your knees crying for your life." Inuyasha breathed while surrounded by the bright red aura. Despite all of his injuries he remained steadfast and strong, determined to win.
"It would be a danger to fight at close range. So I must maintain my distance in case I may not be able to read the rest of his moves." Sesshoumaru thought. The silver haired demon then proceeded to retake the Toukijin and gauged his proximity by moving backwards, far away from Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru's body itself barely moved in the blur as he jumped back, remaining in the exact same standing position he was in before. Putting the Toukijin back into its sheath, Sesshoumaru raised his right hand and a neon green light twinkled from the sharp claws of his fingers.
"Man, he must have sensed the energy I was giving off. The farther I'm away from him the chances of me getting closer will be harder. If I know him any better he's going to keep this stupid game going by playing keep away!" Inuyasha thought.
"If you honestly think you are going to win because of the miniscule off chance that you've made a successful strike then you will soon be proven wrong, little brother." Sesshoumaru said, as he curved his arm upwards and swung it outwards, releasing a long green stream of razor sharp energy. Using it as a whip, Sesshoumaru continually thwacked the extension against Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga.
"Grrr!!! I can't let him get the best of me now!" Inuyasha said, hoisting his sword to block Sesshoumaru's impending whip. "He may be trying to keep me back with this kind of tactic but he's in for quite a surprise." Inuyasha felt his power continue to rise with each block of the sword, and the red aura that shimmered around and the Tetsusaiga grew much stronger.
"Look! Inuyasha is fine after all! Did you see how he sent Sesshoumaru on the run like that? That was a pretty powerful swing, not to mention with an immense speed!" Shippo pointed at the scene.
"Thank heaven he's alright! But I'm also amazed that he managed to pull something off that even Sesshoumaru's eyes couldn't follow. I've never seen Inuyasha move at a heart racing speed like that before in any of his battles." Sango expressed with relief.
"Neither have I, but look closer. Inuyasha appears to be more in tune with his sword. Before he wasn't able to get too close to Sesshoumaru to perform an attack like that that covers such a wide range since it relatively would be slower originally. But since his speed and power has increased dramatically, Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga probably has less weight for him to handle and therefore making it easier to land the hit." Miroku concluded. "At this rate, it seems that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are now equaled in strength and speed. But for how long?"
Meanwhile, Inuyasha resumed blocking his brother's whip. As he felt his power reaching its maximum, he knew this was his only best and last chance to destroy Sesshoumaru.
"Its time to break out all the stops! Hyaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, pushing all of his strength into the Tetsusaiga and using it send Sesshoumaru's whip off to the side while at the same time creating a huge tremor quake along the ground. The ground broke up into many jagged zigzag edges and shot forth toward Sesshoumaru.
"Hmph!" Sesshoumaru grunted lightly as he simply took a large leap to the right, avoiding the oncoming destruction of the tremor. Inuyasha grinned to himself as he recollected the remaining amount of all of his strength within him.
"Heh heh!!! That's exactly what I wanted you to do, dumbass!" Inuyasha said loudly, as he saw his own wind appear before his eyes, colliding with that of Sesshoumaru's in a massive struggle. Seeing the open fissure of light between his wind and his brother's, Inuyasha held back from attacking as he saw the Kazu no Kizu form and envelop all of Sesshoumaru's released energy.
"It's quite different this time around. The Kazu no Kizu will prove insufficient in beating Sesshoumaru. However, letting the Kazu no Kizu take over Sesshoumaru's energy is the real key to winning this fight. Just a few more seconds and that'll be the crucial point for me to make my most ultimate attack... the Bakuryuuha!" Inuyasha ground his teeth, his blood boiling and rushing through his veins out of anticipation.
"Inuyasha's strength appears to be wavering spastically to the point where I cannot follow it... What is he concocting to do, exactly?" Sesshoumaru asked himself as he was still in mid-air.
Inuyasha's nerves were shot as he saw the flow of Sesshoumaru's energy being reversed by the Kazu no Kizu. As a result, the violent spinning wind was now coiled up, which was Inuyasha's chance to make his move.
"Here we go..... BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, thrusting the Tetsusaiga forward. The Tetsusaiga drew in Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's wind together, and from the blade came out a massive coiled tornado of wind energy. The piercing attack shot through the air like a bullet at a terrible speed, just inches away from hitting Sesshoumaru.
"..........." Sesshoumaru said nothing as his face was frozen with surprise at the powerful wind rampaging its way toward him. He quickly withdrew Toukijin from the sheath and responded with an attack of his own, slashing the blade through the air and sending another invisible bolt of pressurized demonic energy at the Bakuryuuha. The energy ray cut right through the center of the wind tornado, the two attacks exploding in an unexpected collision.
"What!?" Inuyasha reared back, his eyes half closed from the flashing light. Sesshoumaru was also taken by surprise as the Bakuryuuha continued its destination and blasted the demon away in a gigantic explosion of wind and light.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!" Jaken and Rin called simultaneously in horror, their fright of their master being killed evident.
"Gyyyyyyyaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hearing nothing but a strong groan in the air, Sesshoumaru's robes were ripped apart and he saw his own blood shooting up from his mouth as he felt all the energy from within him drain away. The Bakuryuuha's impact plowed right into his body and pushed him several feet away in a surrounding cloud of dust.
"Nnnnghhhhh!!!!" Inuyasha grunted, as his end suffered with Toukijin's last attack striking the blade of the Tetsusaiga. Somehow the electrical energy transferred itself onto the Tetsusaiga and sent a black wave across it, locking in all of its power and rendering the sword useless the moment it suddenly reverted back into its original form.
Inuyasha dropped the sword, briefly unable to handle the dark power that surrounded the old and brittle blade due all of his strength being exerted. "What... what happened? How could the Tetsusaiga transform back into its original state like this? Did Toukijin do this?" Inuyasha asked himself, unsure of the answers nor did he want to hear the truth. He reluctantly placed his hand on the Tetsusaiga's handle, able to pass the revolting electricity. He gripped the sword and shook it, realizing that another problem has arisen.
"Damn. I can't change it back since my energy is still low. I should be able to once I gather it. Nnnggghhh.... But with these injuries I don't even know if I'll be able to do that at all." Inuyasha said, holding his aching shoulder. Blood seeped through between his fingers and he was out of breath. The severity of Inuyasha's wounds were catching up to him, and he fell to his knees not having any more fight left within him.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku said, running up to the half demon with Sango, Shippo and Kirara right behind him. He helped Inuyasha up to his feet. "Inuyasha, say something! Are you alright?"
"The Tetsusaiga... I can't seem to bring it out of its older form... no matter what I do its useless." Inuyasha muttered. "While I did hit Sesshoumaru with the Bakuryuuha, I don't think I can even hold my guard up for much longer."
"Oh no! That's not good at all! You were lucky to knock Sesshoumaru away but if you can't defend yourself then we can't stay here at all!" Shippo wailed, his eyes nervously darting back to the large dust cloud where Sesshoumaru disappeared in.
"Then we had better make our escape now while we have the chance. If Sesshoumaru somehow recovers then Inuyasha will be held to a stalemate without the use of his weapon." Sango suggested, hoisting Inuyasha's right arm around her shoulders.
"No... I have to finish this... I can't just leave..." Inuyasha said weakly, his white hair ruffled and wetly matted against his forehead from blood and sweat.
"Don't be reckless! Your brother is already beaten and now we must retreat. Don't even think about going ahead to try and play the hero now that you've sustained more than enough damage. I won't allow that to happen." Miroku said, joining in and lifting Inuyasha's other arm around his back as he and Sango dashed out of the area with Kirara and Shippo running closely behind. They successfully made their exit amongst the confusion of the dust cloud, disappearing beyond the view of the river.
Moments later, Jaken and Rin ran over to the scene, shaking with worry.
"Lord Sesshoumaru! That evil demon couldn't have beaten him! He... can't be..." Rin felt as she was about to cry, her eyes watering. "No! No!!! I... don't want him to die!!!"
"I... I cannot accept the fact that my lord was bested by that half breed Inuyasha in battle! Impossible! Hold on, master! I am coming to save you!" Jaken clambered over to the settling dust as the large crater showed itself in front of him.
However, Jaken stopped and his heart almost skipped a beat as he saw the tall figure of the one and only Sesshoumaru emerged swiftly from the crater, walking towards his associates slowly. The top left and legs of Sesshoumaru's robes were ripped apart and stained with dried blood and dirt, his armor long ago destroyed. Revealed were his well toned muscles as his pale skin glistened in the small light of the sun that peeked through the gray clouds above.
"S... S... Sesshoumaru-sama!!! Do my eyes deceive me? You're alive! You're alive and well!" Jaken babbled, bashing his tiny noggin against the wood of his Staff of Heads.
"Of course, Jaken. Still you misinterpret the abilities of the one you openly provide your life obligation to." Sesshoumaru calmly replied, his faced marked with the three cuts his brother inflicted on him earlier, the blood having mysteriously disappeared.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!" Rin cried happily, running up and beaming up at her demon friend. "We were so worried. Jaken and I thought that you might not have made it. Inuyasha's attack was so powerful I actually felt my ears ring from the loudness of it. We should have naturally known that couldn't have hurt someone as strong as you!"
"I must admit I am truly happy to see you breathing with my own two eyes, master. But what's this!?" Jaken studied Sesshoumaru, taking note that the wounds that were previously on his body were now gone, as if the demon was never harmed in the first place ever since the battle began. "All of your injuries... they've disappeared! But the Bakuryuuha clearly struck a direct hit on you, did it not my lord?" Jaken said, then catching himself on what he just said. "Ahhh! Forgive me, master! I did not mean that in an offensive sense! What I meant to say was..."
"The Tenseiga..." Sesshoumaru said, his eyes diverting to the sword that remained sheathed against his waist. Jaken stopped and looked up at the blade, seeing that its sheath was brightly glowing with a strange and mystical blue light.
"What?! Tenseiga? Sesshoumaru-sama, I do not quite follow what you are trying to say." Jaken replied.
"It has yet again spared my life. The workings of the Tenseiga I have yet to fully understand. However, this time I am led to honestly believe the sword possesses the power to save the life of its wearer without having the need to be taken out of its sheath. I had no idea of that kind of capability could exist." Sesshoumaru said, his narrowed eyes still trained on the Tenseiga's handle. The sword was the sole reason for healing the heavy injuries that Sesshoumaru were given during the fight with Inuyasha, and was the primary savior of protecting him from being killed by the awesome power of the Bakuryuuha.
"Who would have thought that the Tenseiga could do more than save the lives of any being that it touches, let alone protecting its owner? It seems that the sword serves much more of a bigger purpose than originally suspected." Jaken said.
"Perhaps. For that brief moment upon being hit by the eye of the Bakuryuuha's tornado, I had felt myself teetering between the very thin lines of life and death. Having seen the depths of another world with the ethereal type of aura it contains from within..." Sesshoumaru described.
"Well, either way I'm just glad you're okay, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin smiled.
"My lord, it seems Inuyasha and his friends have fled as well! Should we give pursuit?" Jaken turned to the river, holding his hand above his eyes. Sesshoumaru walked past him and faced the river, his golden eyes lost with the image of the mountainside in their reflection. He held Toukijin at his side, the blade's evil aura having long calmed down.
"That won't be necessary, Jaken. Despite the fact that Inuyasha has escaped I have no desire to dishonorably pursue an animal that is already wounded. There will always be another time and another place for us to cross paths. Inuyasha's destined victories are only marked by total flukes, and soon that element of luck will no longer last any further than it already has." Sesshoumaru said. The wind that passed by rustled the dirt stained tail around his shoulder, the ghastly whisper of silence boring down on the bleak lands.
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In the northwest many, many miles away stood Naraku's castle. Being protected by the immense barrier created from the pure power of the dark miasma that spread its poisonous mist across the courtyards, not a single opposing enemy could make their way inside. The castle stood prominently atop a short ridge across from a windy open field of grass, the blades of the earth grown dirt chilled to the core with the infinite downpour of cold air that emanated from the black structure itself.
Inside one of the dark hallways of the castle stood Kagura of the Wind and Kanna of the Void. Both sisters worn from combat and their wounds having healed over time, they quietly stepped into the master's room. Their footsteps were gone unheard but their presence alone was acknowledged by the long haired man that sat in the corner of the dark lit room.
"Master Naraku... we have come to sincerely apologize for our failures. Inuyasha and his allies remain alive and still walk freely." Kagura said, flipping her fan shut and automatically bowing to pay her respects. "However, we have still managed to gather the information you have asked us to seek."
Kanna remained silent beside her sister, her white outfit being the only visible color in the room.
"Really, Kagura. Then be as so bold as to enlighten my mood with what you have discovered." Naraku replied, his eyes being the only part of his body even making any sort of movement, shifting to his two detachments across from his side.
"Kanna has found that Inuyasha does indeed have more knowledge of the herbal plant that he intends to save that girl Kagome with. The Ringenkai Plant supposedly lies in one location, which is called Mount Harunai. But gathered the small timeframe that Inuyasha and his friends are given to find the plant, I highly doubt there is a point to worrying about them any longer." said Kagura.
"Shortly after finding it out... my mirror... was broken." Kanna whispered softly.
"Hmm... I would not be so fast to pass that kind of uneducated judgement of the situation at hand so quickly. Being granted the fact that Inuyasha only has three more days before the little girl he cares so much for will die... I am not one to be easily influenced by minor details such as this. I won't be convinced of my plans falling through with one hundred perfect success until I see those that oppose me dead with my own eyes. Not believing what your enemies can and cannot do is something only a fool would adhere to." Naraku's voice wavered from the corner.
"Oh? And what makes you so confident that they will make the deadline in only three days?" Kagura asked.
"Don't call it a hunch. Or speculation for that matter. I would rather prefer knowing the cold hard facts... and having known the many tendencies of Inuyasha's ill mannered personality he will do anything to save the one he loves, knocking that all that stands in his path. Perhaps you've forgotten that he was the same one to have defeated the both of you in battle? What makes you so confident Inuyasha is incapable of finding this Ringenkai Plant?" Naraku scoffed.
Kagura grit her teeth in annoyance, long ago tired of Naraku's belittlement of her. She said nothing in response at first, although she thought that the poor lighting of the room had covered her angry reaction. But little did she know that Naraku could easily see her face, silently but internally amused at toying with the woman's feelings when the chance presented itself. Not only did Naraku enjoy the pleasures of power physically, but to remain verbally stronger over his own detachments was something of a little game he liked to play.
"I thought so." Naraku smirked, lowering his head while closing his eyes.
"Then we most definitely cannot let Inuyasha live if he's posed as a threat to this plan. Am I not correct?" Kagura asked after a moment of silence.
Naraku slowly stood up, his black and purple robes rustling. He walked towards the single burning candlelight standing near the wall. His face became basked in the serene glow of the orange flames, only making his evil visage appear slightly less frightening.
"There is no need to douse ourselves in fear. I have yet another plan to make up gaining so much more for what we have already lost." Naraku said, an eerie smile curling from his soft lips as he blew the candle out, shrouding the room in pitch black darkness.
The End of Chapter 10.