Chapter Three: Duel of the Strongest

"You are mine Sesshomaru.", said Fu-Co. "Who are you?", said Sesshomaru not really caring about Fu-Co just why he was attacking Inuyasha. "I am Fu-Co. Your head will rest in my hand while I burn your body to dust.", said Fu-Co positioning himself into his celestial punishment stance. "Iron Reverse Soul Stealer!",
roared Inuyasha attacking Fu-Co. Fu-Co disappeared slowly upward as to give the illusion of him not even being there. He was above and struck Inuyasha with ebony lightning and then a thunder clap to knock him down. This was the first time Kikyo had experienced Inuyasha transformed and she was shocked and slightly attracted. The blood fell from Inuyasha, the lush green grass now stained brown. "Inuyasha!!!", screamed Kagome shooting the tettsusaiga next to Inuyasha's hand two inches from shredding it. "I don't care for my brother just to kill Naraku for kidnapping Rin", voiced Sesshomaru. "Well these tiger souls are not willing to let you live long enough to do that,for you secretly used tiger (including weak tiger demons) allies of the panther demon tribe as bait, and then slaughtered them when they arrived", growled Fu-Co as many tiger souls emerged from his body moving to surround the battle field. Creating a mist and a barely breathable atmosphere. Inuyasha stood fully conscious of the surroundings and the situation. He held the red tettsusaiga with both hands in the usual anything-I-feel-like fighting stance.

"You both are quite the swordsmen. But these tiger souls will work my body to the ground to make up for me not being able to save them in life", sad Fu-Co melancholy. "So you're a prisoner?", asked Sango about to pass out from the lack of air. "No, it is the right of every soul to get revenge upon those who took everything from them including their lives", said Fu-Co correcting his tone to indifference. "Well your insane and I don't care the sooner I kill you and Sesshomaru I can get Kikyo-everyone out of here", said Inuyasha mostly thinking of Kikyo. Kagome heard this and was crushed to hear it but willing to still love Inuyasha. She then passed out with Sango and Miroku. "Well then you have 5 minuets to kill us in order to save your friends, fool!", said Sesshomaru. "LIGHTNING SABER: ELECTRIC WRATH TECHNIQUE!", shouted Fu-Co launching a ground strike with a right upward slash from his sword and a left-handed round house punch to Inuyasha. The attack made his whole blade burn( as a fire) with electricity, his each movement a emitted a thunder clap. Fu-Co had his aura around him, so when Sesshomaru taking advantage of the situation, used the tokijin(sorry for spelling) to slash, CRASH. After the failed attack from Fu-Co to Inuyasha it was a three way sword fight. Fu-Co occasionally using an ancient tiger punch to attack. The flash of the swords was intense only the demonic and the immensely powerful were able to sustain conciseness. All were amazed. The clash of each sword was a timeless orchestra of metal and the movements a ballet of raw hatred.

They fought a three way tie, each movement of the blades a blur and the bodies constantly changing positions and running. The swords frequently collided. No one had time to use power full techniques or moves. Inuyasha was first to implement a foolish tactic. He used the back lash wave to try and destroy Fu-Co, but Inuyasha's aura wasn't strong enough to finish the attack. "DAMN IT!!!", shouted Inuyasha. It back fired and sent everyone flying. Sesshomaru had the easiest time recovering and instantly attacked Fu-Co transforming wile lunging from a 37 degree jump from falling path to jumping path. He'd had caught Fu-Co of guard, as well as surprise everyone still conscious. Shippo wet himself ,(. Fu-Co was bitten and thrown into a rock, smashing it on collision. "So you want to try that huh? Well, I'm game. ROAR!!", declared Fu-Co transforming himself into the tree headed black tiger. Fu-Co having a small size advantage was winning until Inuyasha finally rejoined the fight. Back at the bottom, Kikyo was watching looking at any moment to shoot the victor of the battle. "Come on Inuyasha", said Kikyo. The nameless priestess was watching in shock at the sight of Fu-Co leaping in the air clawing and biting to save his life. She wondered why he never killed her in this form, or inany case at all. Shippo was trying to get everyone out, but was only able to get Sango and Miroku out and that was even with Kilala helping.

Kagome was slowly awaking to see Inuyasha fighting two monstrous creatures, lightning spewing from one. Sesshomaru had no trouble even with his missing arm, except with the tree heads. The raw electricity poured from Fu-Co's mouths, zapping Inuyasha and Sesshomaru on a regular basis. The biting was inevitable against Inuyasha, who was merely attacking with all his might, all the while dodging when possible. Sesshomaru had gotten a solid bite off Fu-Co. Inuyasha then used the wind scar. The impact pounded him into the trees. Inuyasha then moved to attack Sesshomaru, but was cut short. Inuyasha was ensnared in two of the tree jaws of Fu-Co. Fu- Co was ripping Inuyasha in two in the most excruciating pain. Sesshomaru lunged at them both clawing Inuyasha on the ground,then trampling him when tail whipping Fu-Co. This was Sesshomaru's mistake. One of the heads bit Sesshomaru's tail. Then the other head bit the front leg. With Inuyasha still trying to recover, and Sesshomaru immobilized Fu-Co was almost assured victory. But he didn't count on one thing, Rin getting worried and going to help. Jaken threw fire into the eyes of the left head from his staff. Fu-Co roared and stumbled back, trying to get the flames from his eyes with his paws. "My lord Sesshomaru are you all right?", asked Rin seeing Sesshomaru's blood drawn.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Come on wake up", cried Kagome now awake. She went to the unmoving Inuyasha. Kikyo now about to kill Fu-Co with an arrow. "My lord let us tend to your wounds", said Jaken. "Let me finish this", commanded Sesshomaru now in his normal form. Fu-Co had gotten an arrow into his heart from Kikyo and was roaring in pain. He immediately transformed back to get the arrow out. "WENCH, you'll pay for that!", shouted Fu-Co. Kikyo was held still by 16 tiger souls. "You should know better than to freely put souls before me", said Kikyo coolly. She sent her soul collectors and absorbed the souls. She instantly was being killed, again. The souls were destroying her inside to out. "You planned this. Didn't you? AAAHHH", howled Kikyo in pain. He then turned to kill Inuyasha but found Sesshomaru in front of him, beaten and bleeding. "Now, you die", aid Sesshomaru stabbing Fu-Co with the tokijin. Then releasing an energy beam from the sword's blade. Fu-Co fell to his knees. He looked up, and just before was decapitated he emitted tiger souls to block. The left back swing was close to cutting Fu-Co's head off. Inuyasha was tending to Kikyo after Kagome had helped him. Fu-Co called the souls back to save himself. The tiger souls were infused with electricity to attack. "THUNDER STORM!", said Fu-Co looking up to see the tigers fly past him and attack. The souls made thunder claps when attacking Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was saved by Rin. Rin had jumped in the way and intercepted the attack. 30 electric tiger spirits bit into her and shocked to death. The smell of her body was wretched, her body lightly burned all over and small flames were present at the bite marks. "Lord Ses...Sho..maru", were Rin's last words. "You'll die for that", said Sesshomaru drawing the tentsusaega(Sorry for spelling) and sheathing the tokijin. The slash meant to bring Rin back to life was blocked by Fu-Co's sword. "You'll not need to bring her back to you. I'll take you to her", the red haired demon said to Sesshomaru while attacking with a gapping hole in his torso.
Inuyasha was getting everyone out of the mist of souls. "Inuyasha, please help me", groaned Kagome weak from lack of oxygen, "get the priestess to safety" "Wait a minuet where is she, said Inuyasha with an unconscious Kikyo in his arm and a weak Kagome on his back.

The priestess was in the trees using the ninja skill of hiding in the mist.( For reference see Naruto). She watched the wound make Fu-Co slow and vulnerable in battle. And yet, at the same time, it did not restrain him from using his full strength. A talisman wasstanding ready to incapacitate Fu-Co. She sat on a branch watching Fu-Co barely surviving each of Sesshomaru's vicious attacks from the now in use tokijin. "You are weak and can no longer move. I shall revive Rin before killing you. I'd hope you have enough sense to be gone when I'm done", said Sesshomaru walking away from the bleeding Fu-Co. "You presume too much Sesshomaru", said Fu-Co standing between him and Rin. "I can not be defeated. I am no longer in control, and no longer have any say in the out come of this fight." "What", said Sesshomaru. The body of Fu-Co was relentless and the fighting tactics of a tiger over took his well refined moon-pa fighting style(Moon-pa and sa-pa fighting styles dictate what weapons can be used in a martial art and all other aspects as well). His eyes were empty of any feeling and the tigers took over. It was easy with Fu-Co's strength to over come Sesshomaru.

Jaken was long since killed after his interference. Sesshomaru was all alone with a wild demon puppet. The priestess was watching and wondering if the entire life of Fu-Co was dictated by the tiger souls. She then had an other wonder as to why she was the soul survivor of her village and awoke from the motion from Inuyasha jumping out of the mist Kikyo in arm. Sesshomaru and the shell of Fu-Co both sensed it. They had stopped to see Inuyasha leave and for his return to the fight. "What are you both standing here for, huh? Well it doesn't matter I'll kill you both today any way", said Inuyasha. He wound up for a wind scar and was punched into the air and slammed kicked until the impact with the ground. Then was electrocuted mercilessly until Sesshomaru intervened and slashed Fu-Co into a fissure of a previous wind scar. Then Inuyasha used the back lash wave now that the tigers had weakened his aura to control him. His body burned whilethe souls escaped the blast and left the body to obliteration. The body was being overwhelmed by his own aura, he was only in control for the massive pain inflicted upon him. His death was imminent. "Ha, finally worked. Now your turn Sesshomaru-", said Inuyasha now interrupted. "Now I'm not done yet, but I am free. I must thank you for that now I have control of my ghost again. They shall no longer take hold of my body", said Fu-Co walking out of the dust body and clothes tattered and almost shredded. His clothes still on Fu-Co continued, "I am no longer able to fight how ever so I shall destroy you all by imploding my body releasing every ounce of demonic energy and destroying all in my reach. Hope you all have had a full life". "Oh no you don't I won't let you", called Inuyasha running at Fu-Co. Sesshomaru just ran at Fu-Co tokijin in attacking position. Fu-Co's body was already only an ebony electrical anomaly in his body's shape. Red electrical stripes all over. The shock waves were released and just milliseconds from a never ending implosion of light Sesshomaru and Inuyasha attacked as one and countered the explosion. The wind scar tokijin blast hit Fu-Co until they could no longer sense his body. "I'll spare you this time but, you'll be damned next we meet", said Sesshomaru reviving Rin and Jaken. "You're full of shit", said Inuyasha returning to help the others.

"Are you all right?", asked a familiar voice. "Why did you save my life back there",asked a weakened voice. "Because, I love you", the familiar voice replied.