Chapter 05 – A Father and Son Tale : Part 02
"Sesshoumaru…?" Inu no Taisho stood there, confused. He looks many years older than when I last saw him… And who is the other one beside me? Can it be…?
"Father... this way!" Sesshoumaru withdrew Tokijin with his other arm and slashed through some debris, clearing an exit. Inu no Taisho quickly fled the building, Inuyasha followed, Sesshoumaru exited last. He began to leave into a forest where Rin and Jakken were waiting.
"Wait!" Takemaru, the hero wearing red armor, emerged from the fiery debris that was once a castle. Staggering with one leg, stepping with the other, he made his way across the blazing snow into the calm winds; his sword alit with fire, dragging on the snow. "I will not…" he looked up, his face was almost entirely burnt off. "I will not… give up! I must take you down with me! Mononoke!"
Sesshoumaru turned around, as well as Inuyasha and their father. "Fool," Sesshoumaru said coldly as he dashed toward the man, drew Tokijin, then ended his life quickly with a stab in the heart. Sesshoumaru stayed kneeling beneath the man, blood dripping down Tokijin's blade. Soon he removed Tokijin from the man's body, spun the sword around to shake off the blood, and sheathed it. Sesshoumaru resumed walking towards the forest where his followers awaited until he heard that voice again.
"Something is wrong," Inu no Taisho calmly stated.
The disembodied voice rang, "Vengeance…" The bleeding, burning corpse of the hero began to crawl towards them, with one arm, the arm that still held his burning blade. "Vengeance!" the voice screeched louder, the flames on his sword began to engulf his entire body, "Vengeance!" the voice echoed through the wind.
Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, moving into a fighting stance. It is… Inuyasha? Inu no Taisho looked over his shoulder and saw the fang that he planned to leave behind. He drew Sou'unga, a broad sword that was longer than Tessaiga, but a bit slimmer. Sou'unga, the sword that emits black winds, dark dragons, and gives an aura that causes spirits to tremble.
Sesshoumaru turned to look at the flaming corpse that began to rise. It is undead…he drew Tensaiga, knowing it would be most effective among these types of foes. Takemaru, the hero, was now standing, the flames becoming his new body, his sword rose-red with heat more intense than a furnace. He moaned and groaned as he slowly dragged his body towards Inu no Taisho. Sesshoumaru dashed toward the walking corpse again, "Souryuuha!" he unleashed the purifying version of the Kaze no Kizu. Takemaru was consumed by the snow white light, his disembodied scream echoing throughout the field and carried in the wind.
"Gah… ryaaggghhhh!" Takemaru groaned and slashed at Sesshoumaru sluggishly. He dodged it by ducking low, then taking a leap backward. The flames around Takemaru spun once again, then tightened around him, making him look like a burning, walking, suit of armor. He gave a battle cry as he began to run towards Inuyasha, gripping the sword he held.
Inuyasha stepped back, gripped Tessaiga more tightly, and waited for Takemaru to come closer. "Kaze no Kizu!" he swung the sword, created the vortex of wind and light that swallowed the hero, then waited.
"It is not over…" Inu no Taisho alerted his sons, "he is absorbing vengeful spirits not yet rested to aid him in destroying me."
When the Kaze no Kizu finally subsided, Takemaru was still standing. He held his sword in front of him, some power left from the Kaze no Kizu swirled around his blade. He somersaulted over Inuyasha and Inu no Taisho, landing in just behind Sesshoumaru. He quickly turned around and slashed. Sesshoumaru jumped and landed upon the burning blade, staring at Takemaru coldly. Takemaru spun his sword around, making Sesshoumaru jump off, then let out another battle cry that echoed across the winds. Sesshoumaru stood near Inuyasha and Inu no Taisho, waiting to see what would happen.
"Vengeful spirits of the damned! Lend me your strength!" he chanted as the bamboo forest behind him lit with fire. The fire slowly made its way towards him, swallowing him whole.
They stood there, watching the wave of fire melt the snow beneath them, as it slowly made its way toward them. In the depths of the fire they can see Takemaru, walking inside, in the same direction as the fire. They began to walk backwards, they were cornered, the flaming castle behind them, the fire in front of them and curving to close in from the sides. Takemaru gave a terrifying battle cry as he leapt forward and slashed through the air, emerging from the flames. Inuyasha was the first to take a step back, then they all moved back as far as they could without getting scorched by the castle's flames.
Takemaru dropped and landed on the scorched ground beneath him. Following his slash was a tidal wave of flames; the flames surrounded the castle, leaving no escape for the three hanyou/youkai. Shit! Inuyasha thought, the flames are still closing in on us, but we can't move back any further! Just seconds after he thought, Sesshoumaru and Inu no Taisho leapt backward, landing elegantly upon pieces of rooftop not yet scorched by the fire. Inuyasha followed, after almost panicking.
After waiting for quite a while, Takemaru jumped into the volcanic arena himself, his sword still empowered by Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu. He glared at the three of them, his eyes grew black, his near-entirely burnt face smiled.
The flames blazed everywhere, only a few spaces were even eligible to step upon. Other than fire and debris, only the shining moon, the bright stars, and the night sky were visible. Takemaru took a moment to enjoy the setting as the three hanyou/youkai analyzed the surrounding area and memorized places to step on. After enjoying the scenery, he dashed toward them, stepping on anything and/or everything. He stopped in front of all three of them, then slashed. Sesshoumaru shifted to the right, avoiding the slash. Inu no Taisho flipped over Takemaru, and Inuyasha leapt back, holding Tessaiga.
Sesshoumaru drew both Tensaiga and Tokijin as he watched where he stepped. Inu no Taisho held Sou'unga with two hands, then slashed at Takemaru. He stepped aside to avoid Inu no Taisho's attack, then spun around and unleashed Kaze no Kizu. The Kaze no Kizu devastated the debris they stepped upon, forcing Inu no Taisho to jump back and find a new path to his target. However, the swirling vortex of light around his sword diminished, disabling him from using the attack again until he has a chance to absorb it.
Inuyasha slashed with Tessaiga, Takemaru turned around to guard, then flipped over him because Sesshoumaru sent a lightning shock from his side. Once he landed, he twirled around elegantly to slash Inuyasha. He guarded, then Sesshoumaru came from behind him to attack with Tokijin. Takemaru spun around at an angle, barely dodging the slash, regained his footing, then spun again, slashing in a circle. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru flipped over him, passing one another in the air and landing on opposite sides of him.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha quickly turned and slashed the air at an angle.
"Souryuuha!" Sesshoumaru turned and slashed through the air with Tensaiga.
Takemaru was engulfed by light from both sides, when the waves crashed into one another. As they combined, they created a cyclone that danced into the sky. He was overwhelmed, but still tried his best to absorb both attacks, using his sword. Inu no Taisho detected this, and leapt in front of Takemaru.
"Kurai Ryuu Kaji!" Inu no Taisho slashed downward vertically as he descended. Sou'unga gave a crimson blood glow, emitted swirling black winds, then, as the blade was struck, exploded into a black sphere of flames. The Kurai Ryuu Kaji had mixed with the Souryuuha from Tensaiga and the Kaze no Kizu from Tessaiga, creating a neutral element of Heaven, Hell, and Earth.
The impact grew into a sphere where black, white, and red, spun in unison. It spread and engulfed Takemaru and the three hanyou/youkai. The walls of fire surrounding the castle ceased as the explosion grew into many cyclones that seemed to dance around one another, tearing anything in their way. Once again, the castle debris fell, and so did the three hanyou/youkai.
They could not see Takemaru anywhere and seemed to be in what would look like hell. They were trapped, flames were everywhere from beneath their feet to their never-ending skies. Fire was all they could see, fire and the rubble beneath them.
This is not good! Inuyasha began to sweat. The intense heat was like a magma well, only hanyou and youkai would survive in this type of environment. He looked over his shoulder to the right, Sesshoumaru… he's always so calm… isn't he worried at all? He looked to the right next, Father…he's so much more like you than I…