Chapter 14: Lost Hope
Kagome stared fearfully up into the demon lord's eyes, her body sitting protectively over the injured half-demon. 'Not this again…We were so close!' She gasped as Sesshomaru raised the sword over his shoulder, preparing to cut clean her head from her body. Shutting her eyes tightly, she pulled Inuyasha closer to her and buried her head into his chest. "Inuyasha I'm sorry." She whimpered quickly, fearing that her last words may be swallowed up by pain.
Sesshomaru spat at Inuyasha's feet and scowled at the couple cowering before him. "I told you no one would survive. I told you that you could not win against me. Now, die!" He hollered.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted in panic and fury, whipping her giant boomerang across the field towards the demon lord. The weapon hissed through the air, spinning in hundreds of circles until it reached its destination, the hand of Sesshomaru that held strongly onto the sword. The demon obviously wasn't expecting it as the Hiraikotsu sliced right through his wrist and returned back to Sango, now stained with her enemy's blood. She grinned, very pleased with herself as Sesshomaru's agonizing grunt filled the forest air and she swung her weapon back over her shoulder. "And we told you that we all fight together as a team!" She called cruelly over to the man, seemingly amused by his pain.
Sesshomaru watched in fear as his severed hand fell to the ground, its fingers twitching, pleading to be returned to his body. The Tokijin that was once in that hand pierced through the ground at his feet and he found himself unable to protect himself anymore. He quickly whipped the lost expression from his face and glared through the corner of his eyes at the female demon slayer. "Wretched girl." He muttered through grit fangs. "I told you to stay out of the way!" His angered voice shouted back at her.
Sango smirked at his amount of anger and fastened her weapon around her shoulder and chest. It was no longer needed for they had already won. "You didn't think I'd stand here and let you kill our companion did you?" She laughed under her breath, quite aware that he still heard her.
He frowned and bared his sharp fangs in her direction as a warning. "Don't start talking like you're the ones victorious. It's far from over my dear."
"And how do you suppose that Sesshomaru? You've already lost both your arms." A dangerous and menacing chuckle was heard from below followed by the shuffling of feet.
Sesshomaru nearly choked on air and he cautiously turned around. Expecting to frown down upon the source of the voice he met the owner eye to eye, sword in hand. "You're supposed to be dead…" He gasped in almost a whisper.
Inuyasha grinned and whipped the blood from his hand onto his already blood stained haori. "Am I? Well it seems you've yet again failed to kill me." He snickered, wrapping both hands firmly around the sword's hilt. "Stay back Kagome." He called over his shoulder to the young girl. "Say Sesshomaru, do you find yourself a fair fighter?" The half-demon questioned, his fingers cracking as he gripped tighter onto the handle.
Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes at the man before him, a large pool of dark red blood forming on the ground around his feet. "What is this Inuyasha? Some kind of detour to buy some time before I kill you? No. If I were such a fair fighter we wouldn't be in this situation. What is the point of this?"
Inuyasha smirked and swung the Tetseiga over his shoulder. "Here's the point. Because neither am I!" He cried, slashing the sword with one giant swing through the demon's body.
The force of the blow threw Sesshomaru's body back, surrounded by a blanket of power. His mouth opened but no sound came out and his blood red eyes enlarged with pain. The youkai's body crashed into the soft grass, indenting his figure into the ground. As the cloud of dust from his fall drifted away, the demon was found lying still, his eyes now closed and blood pouring from his open wounds, including the newest edition Inuyasha created down his chest.
A long sigh escaped from Inuyasha's blood-filled mouth and he fell onto his knees, using the Tetseiga for support. He laughed slightly, observing his brother's dead body and while whipping the blood from the side of his lips. "Thought he could win against us." Shutting his eyes from exhaustion, he rested his head against his hands on the side of the blade.
Kagome smiled and let her body relax. "It's finally over." She whispered softly, approaching the hanyou and kneeling by his side. Placing her hand gently over his, she gazed at his tired yet relieved face. "I knew you could do it. Thank you Inuyasha."
Surprised by her thanks and affection towards him, Inuyasha opened his eyes and stared into hers. He smiled slightly and let out a small laugh. "I should be the one thanking you guys." He looked over his shoulder to Sango and nodded his head once.
The demon slayer nodded and smiled back. "We pulled through this together." She added with confidence.
"Very true." Miroku agreed, stepping beside Sango and observing the fallen demon lying dead before Kagome and Inuyasha. "Now we can leave this place and get on with our lives. Its been so…" He suddenly stopped as a faded light emitting from Sesshomaru second sword, the Tenseiga caught his eye. This was the other sword Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father created to make it futile to kill one another. How could they have forgotten about that? His eyes grew large as the light become brighter and the sword began to tremble. "Inuyasha! He's not dead! Look out!" He shouted in fear.
That twisted, eerie cackle hissed through the sudden breezes that blew by the group's face. The force of the wind picked up tremendously and encircled the youkai's body. It lifted his once lifeless figure up from within the hole he had created and stopped once he was standing upright in the air. The hand that was severed by Sango's weapon sprouted anew and he clutched his fingers into a fist. His eyes that were once shut suddenly shot open and pierced down at the young couple with their cold gaze. "Inuyasha." The demon lord called, his voice loud enough in rage that it trembled the ground that group stood on. "You are quite the fool." He mocked, the wind twisting his hair and tail in an upward spiral.
"Damnit." Inuyasha muttered quietly, rising unsteadily to his feet and leading Kagome behind him protectively. 'I can't believe I forgot! Father gave the Tetseiga to me and the Tenseiga to Sesshomaru!' He lifted the Tetseiga from the ground, his muscles aching, begging him to relax. He ignored the slight sting of pain and held the sword out in front of him. There was no way he could stop now. Not after they were so close and had already tasted freedom. Not now.
Sesshomaru's lip curved into a smirk. "You know I can't die and yet you're still willing to fight me? This is quite amusing." Though finding Inuyasha's determination humourous, he did not feel the need to laugh. He had got lucky that time. The Tenseiga had always been a 'useless sword' to him and yet he refused to remove it from his hip. At times like this it came in very handy. If it weren't for the sword that couldn't kill, he'd have been long dead. "I may not have all moveable body functions but I am a demon…unlike yourself."
Inuyasha frowned at his comment and tightened his hands around the Tetseiga. "That has nothing to do with it Sesshomaru! Half-demon or not, I can still kill you! I have something you don't!" He started, then ran at full speed at the youkai. Leaping into the funnel of wind that surrounded him, he lifted the Tetseiga high into the air, preparing to take down the demon once again then strip him of the Tenseiga. His plan was set and he believed it would work. "I have friends who help destroy disgusting demons like you!" His own demonic wind surrounded the Tetseiga and with one strong swipe, blasted a large sum of power at the demon lord.
The smirk never ceased to leave Sesshomaru's pale face as Inuyasha's sword's power came hurling towards his body. Just as it was about to swallow his body up whole, he did a quick twist in the air, using the Tenseiga to slice across it and redirect it back at Inuyasha.
With not enough time to react, the large spherical ball of immense energy was thrust into his chest, forcing his body violently backwards into the nearest tree trunk. The wound in his stomach spit out blood and ran down the creases of the bark to the ground. New wounds on his body opened and soaked his haori with their ruby red colour. The hanyou remained on the tree for the blast was so strong that he had been plastered into the tree's body. His body ached more and he was overcome with sudden exhaustion. Slowly lifting his head, he stared at the blurry figure of his older brother, not being able to comprehend what he did wrong. His vision grew worse from loss of blood and with one rough cough, his head fell slowly into his chest, his silver bangs shadowing his pale face.
Kagome choked on her words and watched in horror as Inuyasha's body gave out on him. Her hazel orbs filled with crystal tears and streamed down her cheeks. "I-Inu…yasha…"She tried calling, her voice too shaky to hardly even make a sound.
Sesshomaru grinned, silently congratulating himself for finally killing his young hanyou brother. He watched in wild amusement as Inuyasha's hand loosened around the hilt of the Tetseiga and it slowly slipped from his grasp. The sword he had yearned so much for pierced through the ground below Inuyasha, signaling the death of its beholder. He chuckled deep inside his chest and eyed the sword.
Hearing Sesshomaru's amused laugh from above her, she quickly turned to see him lower to the ground and take a step forward, his eyes glued on the Tetseiga. Kagome gasped and caught the Tetseiga in her own vision. 'He can't have it! It's Inuyasha's sword! The Tetseiga does not belong to him!' Her body instantly shot forward and ran for the sword, attempting to take it before Sesshomaru did. "Inuyasha! Wake up! Get the Tetseiga!" She shouted in panic, not believing that he had died.
Kagome's figure crossed his path to the sword and he frowned furiously. "Damn wench!" He roared, angered with her once again. His next step and others following were quick sprints of his remaining demonic power and within no time he was by her side.
Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru's body suddenly appeared by her right side and she swallowed back her scream. "Inuyasha!" She shouted louder.
Sesshomaru glared at her and snarled, revealing his sharp fangs to her. "Do not interfere!" His fingernails began to glow and he quickly flicked out his poison whip, snapping it violently across Kagome's pale face, arm and legs.
The poison singed her bare skin and she tripped over her own feet, rolling roughly into the ground. Pulling herself up unto her knees, she lifted her shaky hand to the side of her face and lightly touched her wound. Holding her hand out in front of her, she gazed at the blood that now stained her fingertips. Tears fell from her eyes. Not from pain, but from loss of hope. She had tried and failed at retrieving Inuyasha's sword. They would've at least stood a chance against Sesshomaru if she had.
"Kagome!" Sango called, running to the injured girl and dropping to her side.
Miroku followed behind and felt his heart being stabbed at the saddened look upon Kagome's face. "You tried Kagome." He whispered softly, hurt that she was hurting more than anyone else.
Kagome caught Sesshomaru's cackle and fiercely turned her head to watch him stop in front of the Tetseiga. "…No…Inuyasha…" She murmured. Nothing could compare to how she felt. Inuyasha was dead and she couldn't save the Tetseiga, the only thing she'd have left to remember him by and keep his spirit by her side.
Sesshomaru's hand fluttered over the Tetseiga and rested atop the hilt. "Hmmm…It seems that Tetseiga knows of its owners death and has chosen me as the new master." He tilted his head back towards the remaining three members of the group and grinned devilishly. "Now its your turn."