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Chapter 41: The Final Showdown Begins

"The miko has grown strong. I am surprised with how strong she has gotten in so short a time. If she were the same as the last time our paths crossed, she would not have survived that attack." Sesshomaru directed his thoughts ahead of him, not even bothering to look to his brother as he came to stand at his side.

"No. She wouldn't have, but she did. That's all that matters." InuYasha replied.

"Tell me, InuYasha, why this miko? How was this pathetic human wench able to gain so much power in so short of a time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Kagome has a way of always having just enough strength to do what she has to."

"And this is why you accepted her as your mate, is it not? Because of her strength, you are somewhat stronger. Was that your intention?"

InuYasha fidgeted before turning to his brother. He wasn't use to just having meaningless chats with people, especially with his older half-brother and especially about Kagome being his mate. "Not the only reason, Sesshomaru. Not just her strength or the strength she gives me. Keh. Why she is my mate is really none of your business, not that you would understand it in the first place."

"You will do well not to call me a fool, InuYasha. This Sesshomaru is here because you requested my assistance, and I will sooner leave than put up with your foolish antics." With that, Sesshomaru once again turned from his brother.

InuYasha never understood his brother. He seemed to put their father up on a pedestal above all else, but then refers to his judgment as disgraceful to him and the rest of his family. All that hate and resentment just because their father had a child with a human. Was it really all that bad for a youkai and human to mate? Sesshomaru wasn't the only to think of their father as a mighty and praise-worthy person. InuYasha could faintly remember his mother talking of him just as highly, if not more. Did his father love his mother? InuYasha didn't know the answer. But he did know his mother was in love with him. He shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present. "I still don't smell him or anything, you sure he's actually coming?"

"He is. His scent is masked by the scent of your miko."

InuYasha growled. "So that's what smelled different!" he sniffed the air. "Suoh's almost here. I can easily find his scent now. How could I have been so stupid! I couldn't even figure out that much. Keh!" InuYasha flexed his claws. Of course he's use Kagome's scent to mask his own! He's using her powers! His temper flared as his mind thought. "I'll teach him not to mess with Kagome ever again!"

"Do not take this foe too lightly, InuYasha. I sense the miko's tainted powers within him, strengthening him greatly. You will do well to act rationally in this battle." Sesshomaru's features never changed.

InuYasha growled, but nodded his agreement just the same. He could tell the change in Suoh, also. And he hated that his scent was so much like Kagome's. Using her sweet smell to mask his rancid stench ticked InuYasha off. InuYasha thought Suoh must be pretty confident in himself for searching them out first, otherwise he would have still been running or finding a place to hide. Just how much of his miko's energy did he absorb already?

"InuYasha?" Kagome had waken and managed to walk to his side.

"Hm? What are you doing up?" he instantly wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady on her feet.

"He's too close. I can feel him now, no more than a few miles to the west, and he's coming right toward us."

"We know, we're going to let him come to us since he seems so determined to do so anyway." He grabbed her by the wrist and let her to the side, out of sight and earshot of his brother.

"InuYasha, wha…"

She was cut off by InuYasha's lips pressing down hard on hers, moving one arm behind her back and the other on the back of her thighs to pick her up in his arms. Kagome was crying against him. She knew what InuYasha was thinking, because she was thinking the same. One, or both of them may not live through this battle, but it was now or never. They had to get rid of Suoh now, before he was able to completely gain control of her powers. If they were to let that happen, no one would be safe. When InuYasha finally broke the kiss, it left the two breathing heavily. InuYasha dropped his forehead against hers, nuzzling his mate affectionately. Kagome grabbed hold of his haori, burying her face into the cloth. "Stay here. No matter what you see, no matter what you hear. You are not to leave this spot. You got that wench?"

Kagome nodded only half-heartedly. She knew if it came down to it, she would be by InuYasha's side in a heartbeat. "You have to promise me something, too."

"What?"

"Promise me when this is all over, when you defeat Suoh, we'll both go home together."

InuYasha sighed. "You know I can't make that promise. But I do promise if it's within my strength we will." Kagome frowned but nodded her head against his chest. Suddenly his lip curled into a snarl, growling ferociously in Sesshomaru's direction. "He's almost here. I can smell it. Remember Stay. Here." He leaped away without so much as another word, or even a glance back. He smelled her fear, her discomfort, the tears forming in her eyes once again. Every part of him yelled at him to comfort her, to turn around and hold her tight against him until her fear subsided. He also knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave her there alone. The air was started to thicken with Suoh's stench and evil aura. InuYasha would defeat him this time, or die trying.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Suoh urged his aura outward to find the miko, the human girl that had somehow gained strength beyond any other miko that had ever existed. He was angry. How could so much power be wasted on a mortal creature? Their time in this world is short, and lived out in wars, famine, and bloody feuds. Why would a human be blessed with such power while other stronger beings such as himself could find better ways of using its greatness? He could take over lands; bend other youkai to do his very will. No, this power was being wasted on a mortal girl barley of age. These thoughts only angered him more, causing his aura to flux as it searched the land for the miko.

Suoh knew she was near, he was still connected with her by his blood. True, the bond was weakened by that filthy hanyou, InuYasha, but it was enough to sense her presence. He would have a harder time taking her power from her, but now that he was stronger than he had ever been before, it was only a matter of time before the miko fell. Their aura's had intertwined, the more he absorbed the more they would become one. His dark aura had already successfully corrupted the miko energy he had already absorbed. He was now able to use that energy for his own twisted desires.

The first desire on his list… to finish the job and make sure the miko would not be around for much longer. A wicked grin crossed his face as his aura once again struck against hers. "This is the last time, miko. You have been fighting against me, but as you have become weaker I have become stronger. You will not be able to resist for long." He reached out with his aura. Suoh could see the miko, he could feel her, he could hear her heart beating against her chest. Slowly at first, then faster and faster he willed his aura to enter her until he had her captured.

"InuYasha?" He heard the miko speak.

"Hum?"

"I-I don't feel so good."

Suoh couldn't hold in his menacing laughter as the young girl screamed out in pain over and over. True, he could make it where she felt nothing, he could drain the last of her powers with her thinking it nothing more than a sudden sleepiness, but this way it was so much more exhilarating, so much more amusing. Her pain enticed him, entertained his desire to control. The hanyou was with her, as Suoh could tell, but he was no threat. The half-breed wouldn't be able to help his precious miko. She was his now, and all the hanyou could do was watch as she faded away. "Kagome, fight it! Don't let him hurt you!" Yes, miko. Try and fight. He taunted. The more you fight, the more pain you bring to yourself. You will not win. In the end you will die, and in return I will receive your powers.

"InuYasha…" She was still fighting against him, but she was weakening fast. Suoh could feel the new energy as it surged through his aura, melting, shaping, reforming and twisting into a dark and sinister power. "I…can't…"

"YES YOU CAN! Do it, wench! Fight it! Don't you dare just let him hurt you like that. You can beat him, just fight it!" The hanyou hadn't given up on the girl yet. He was still trying to get her to fight back. Suoh just pressed in harder, intensifying her pain and suffering, satisfied when the miko resumed her screams and yells in doubled-over pain.

"Miko. You must remember, you are not the only one at risk." Someone else was there with them, someone Suoh did not know. The aura was strange, yet familiar. A youkai, not doubt an inu, from the same inu family as the hanyou. So the weakling had a brother, a full-blooded brother. Suoh cocked a smile. Now, now, it's that just cute. He thought to himself. The little half-breed asked his big brother to help him rescue his mate. Too bad neither of them will be able to do anything for her. Of course, he is smarter than his brother. InuYasha has yet to realize..

"I-I'll try." Suoh's grin instantly left his face as he felt his aura being pushed back. The miko was fighting back, stronger than ever. The youkai's words had seemed to give her more will power to resist. He was far from afraid though. Will power she had, but soon her mortal strength would falter. Her own body would betray her. That was the live of all mortals. Even if the mind and soul are willing to continue living, the body dies before all else. It didn't matter if she fought back more, it would cause her to die that much sooner. Suoh pushed back with an even greater amount of force this time. "Inu…Ya…sha…" She was faltering. Right under his grasp, she was failing to save herself. He covered her with his aura to speed up the process, allowing a complete darkness to overtake her. The darkness would break her spirit, cutting her off from everything but the pain. If she were so willing to live, let her live her last moments alone and afraid in the depths of darkness.

"I'm right here Kagome." She can't feel you anymore. You cannot save her!

"I…can't…" The miko was starting to give in. He could feel her barriers slipping away, she was allowing his darkness to consume her. Soon he would have her.

"Listen to me Kagome. You can do this. You're one of the strongest people I know. You can beat him, trust me." The miko twisted and wriggled, then suddenly calmed. Why had she calmed? She should have been screaming her agony in the last breaths of her life. Then he saw it. Through his dark shield of aura around the miko came a bright white aura. It was breaking through and surrounding her! How was that possible? They were mates, Suoh knew that much, but there was no way possible that bond could have the effects he was seeing in these two. The white aura was intertwining itself with the miko's. Suoh lashed out with his aura, willing the darkness to continue upon the miko, but every time he neared the miko and hanyou would work as one and force him back. There was no way to beat them as they were now, working together as one being. Suoh reluctantly pulled back, allowing her to live, for now. He was hot with rage and furry.

Suoh took his anger out on the landscape around him, instantly leveling the surrounding forest into mere stumps and splinters of wood and the rocks into dust and sand. The dust flew in the air around him, caught momentarily in the breeze before finally settling back to the ground. His cold eyes reflected sheer fury. How could a human girl defeat him, a strong pure-youkai! And that hanyou, once again interfering with his plans. He was starting to wonder if he should have killed the beast the first time he attacked. The half-breed was becoming more and more of a nuisance.

Suoh shrugged off his anger. No matter, this was just a little set back. He was stronger, more powerful than any of them, and this last attack only greatened those powers. He himself would just have to hunt down the miko and hanyou and kill them both with his own hands. Yes, his revenge would be that much sweeter. He would leave the miko to watch her precious hanyou die again, all because she was too weak to save him herself. She would die brokenhearted, stained with her own tears, he would make sure they both suffered before their death. He would make sure that they both knew what pain really was. He grinned at his own sinister thoughts. Maybe this wasn't such a bad setback after all.

The three were somewhere off to his east, so that's were he headed. Most likely the hanyou would be too busy taking care of the miko to notice his entrance. The youkai, however, the hanyou's brother, was a different story. How would he react to Suoh? By his aura the inu was a formidable foe but not too much of a threat to Suoh. He would easily fall under his hands. Suoh was getting closer and closer to his prey every minute, and as he got closer fire erupted in his heart, spreading the flames of pure hate through his veins, feeding the furnace of his greatest strength: revenge. His pride had been crushed in his last fight with the hanyou, and his pride was a valuable ally to his strength. Suoh believed he was strong enough, no, he knew he was strong enough to beat the two this time around. They would pay, and they would pay dearly for his humiliation.

Finally he was right upon them. He could smell salt from the miko's tears, the hanyou's sweat dripping from his forehead, the smell of another human female coming off of the inu-youkai; a human child. The brothers were not that far apart in their tastes, both choosing to keep a mortal at their side. It was pathetic, really. Were these two inus ready to die, to throw away their own lives for such a fragile creature? A creature who's species was bound to be killed off within a century or two? As he started his final approach the hanyou started to growl and turned in his direction. The miko was a good distance behind the two. Suoh couldn't see her, but her aura was all over the place. Calmly Suoh stepped out from the covering of the trees. The hanyou instantly increased his growl, proving to Suoh what a wild animal he truly was. His brother, on the other hand, seemed to show no emotions at all. He stood as if he were not going to join in the battle, but only watch from the side. Not matter. Thought Suoh. He will die anyway.

"Suoh." The hanyou spoke, a deep, angered voice protruding from his throat. His anger made a smile appear in the corner of Suoh's lips.

"InuYasha, isn't it? Ah. Doesn't really matter now does it? I see you have regained your half-breed form. Sad, I should say. I was looking forward to battling the dog that thought he could defeat me, but it seems I'll have to settle for the mutt instead." Suoh was taunting the hanyou. Maybe if he angered him enough, he'll be able to release the youkai as he did in his castle.

"This 'mutt' killed you once. This 'mutt' wants to see you dead."

The threat fell upon deaf ears. Suoh was not going to let that impotent fool make him lose his concentration. The final battle between him and the hanyou was about to begin.

A/N: --' Did I just do Suoh's POV?... strange… I've never done that before, it just kinda typed itself. :shivers: freaky. EVIL I TELL YOU! PURE EVIL!

As always, thanks for the comments from my very loved reviewers and readers. Sorry I didn't get this out yesterday, but I'm a bit busy this week and I'm still having a slight lack a sleep…. Mmm… coffee!

I think I might give out awards next chapter… we'll just have to see. See you laterz!