Chapter 06 – In The Depths of Hell
"Hahaha!" Takemaru's voice echoed throughout the burning debris Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Inu no Taisho stood within. "This place will be your grave!" Takemaru slowly walked from the flames in front of them. He looked up, his face was completely regenerated, his missing arm was replaced by an arm of molten rock. "You are all going to burn in hell!"
"Hmph," Inu no Taisho grasped Tessaiga, then stepped forward. He drew the Tessaiga, beginning to walk at a faster pace. Takemaru drew his sword as well, "The spirits are on my side mononoke!" He also began to walk towards Inu no Taisho.
"Sesshoumaru! Shouldn't we help!" Inuyasha leaned forward.
"No, why? It would be a disgrace, three youkai… I mean… two youkai and a hanyou to fight a mere mortal," he looked forward with an expressionless face.
"That guy is clearly not a mortal! Can't you see that?" Inuyasha turned around and practically yelled at him.
"Besides, this is your father's fight, not ours," he still looked forward, waiting for the battle to begin, "However, feel free to step in if he is in trouble."
"Okay…" Inuyasha calmed down and carefully watched the fight.
Takemaru made the first move by slashing in front of him as Inu no Taisho approached. However, Inu no Taisho only made a front flip, avoiding the attack. He kicked off from a burning support beam back towards Takemaru. The support beam broke as he kicked off from it; Inu no Taisho turned while he was in air, then kicked at Takemaru.
Takemaru quickly turned around as Inu no Taisho flipped overhead. He quickly raised his artificial arm to guard Inu no Taisho's kick, scorching the hakama the youkai wore. He slashed at Inu no Taisho again as the youkai landed, to avoid the attack, Inu no Taisho simply stepped back while leaning backwards.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Inu no Taisho twirled around completely, swinging Tessaiga elegantly as he ended the spin. The blade flashed, then sent a spiraling vortex of light at Takemaru. Heh… A perfect chance to duplicate the attack! Takemaru thought to himself as he raised his sword to guard against the impact. As the wave consumed him, his sword created a barrier and a vortex; absorbing the attack, deflecting what would not be absorbed. Yes! I should be able to add a flame strike to this! He chuckled in his head. After several seconds, in the midst of the blinding light wave in front of him, he saw Inu no Taisho dashing toward him.
"What!" Takemaru was surprised; he raised his sword to guard against the oncoming attack.
"Kaze no Chi!" Inu no Taisho was still a fair distance from Takemaru when he yelled those words. He swung his sword, followed through and spun around, then swung again when he faced Takemaru once again. The second time he swung Tessaiga, the sword gave a strong, bright green glow. A wave formed and swirled within the Kaze no Kizu. The new wave was bright red, much like the Tessaiga, it stretched out to transform the entire Kaze no Kizu bright green.
Takemaru was consumed once again. He tried to plant his feet into the burning floors to prevent being pushed back. "Arrrggggghhhhhhh!" he screamed as his barrier was broken and his sword was dispelled. He soon disappeared into the Kaze no Chi, consumed completely.
"Wow… I didn't know Tessaiga could do such a thing!" Inuyasha exclaimed, leaning forward again. "Sesshoumaru, you never told me about this, did you know?"
"No, I did not," he still watched carefully from the sidelines.
"What is it?"
"Kaze no Chi, 'Blood of the Wind'. Opening another Kaze no Kizu inside itself, opening the wound; opening the 'Scar of the Wind'. It seems you must actually find the scar in the Kaze no Kizu, be fast enough to enter it before it is too late and without injuring yourself, and have a very strong youkai aura." He identified the attack completely.
How… how does he do that so easily? Is father able to assimilate things so easily as well? I am so different from both of them… I am so much less capable… Inuyasha sweat more as he thought.
The Kaze no Chi began to falter, Takemaru was no longer there. Inu no Taisho began to walk back towards his sons, when he was merely halfway back, the debris beneath him flew up. Takemaru reached from underneath the burning rubble and grabbed Inu no Taisho's leg, scorching the hakama once again. "Hmm," Inu no Taisho looked down at the hand, before being pulled underneath.
"Father!" Inuyasha ran forward, until he was held back by Sesshoumaru's hand. "Me first, stay back," Sesshoumaru walked forward. "Show yourself, coward," he drew both the Tensaiga and the Tokijin.
"Hyaaaahhhhh!" Takemaru jumped from the ceiling of the rubble. As he landed, he slashed downward at Sesshoumaru. The attack was easily guarded with Tensaiga, then Sesshoumaru countered with Tokijin, slashing sideways. Takemaru ducked lowly to avoid the slash, then boosted backward. Sesshoumaru ran forward and slashed with both swords in frenzy. Takemaru was in a panic, all he could do was guard and evade, there was no room for counters.
Hmm, Sesshoumaru began to think and smile, At least he is somewhat smart, looking for an opening. He continued attacking in frenzy, wondering where he should make his "mistake". He knew he had to make it seem accidental, which would be difficult, seeing as though he was so skilled he would make the perfect moves without even thinking. Sesshoumaru's side now faced Takemaru, he spun with his arms extended, again and again his swords became a fan slashing at Takemaru at many angles from one direction. Here, I'll make it, Sesshoumaru kept his barrage of attacks, then seemed to slip, slowing him down.
"I have you now!" Takemaru extended his magma arm; it broke as he guarded Tokijin. He then slashed at Sesshoumaru from the side; however, Sesshoumaru did not stop spinning, he hovered around Takemaru to his back quickly, avoiding the slash. As soon as he found Takemaru vulnerable from his back, Sesshoumaru pierced him with Tensaiga. "Gah!" Takemaru loosened as the blade pierced through his body, erupting out of his front.
Sesshoumaru removed Tensaiga from his body, twirled elegantly, then slashed with Tokijin, "Souryuuha!" Waves of blue lightning had erupted, sending pulses through Takemaru and the area. The vertical lightning activated as well, tearing both the ceiling of debris and the floor of burning rubble. "Hmmm…," Sesshoumaru thought for a second. "Souryuuha no Jinsei!" He slashed again with Tensaiga, the swirl of light was attracted to the blue lightning; they two entities mixed and swirled around Takemaru, swallowing him, then the lightning and the white light merged, creating thick white lightning with a small shade of blue.
Takemaru was in the middle of the chaos, being swallowed by the combination of attacks. Before I go down… I just have to take him with me! Takemaru slowly walked toward Sesshoumaru, step by step, the storm following him. "I just have to take you down with me!" Takemaru leaped at Sesshoumaru, ready to attack. "Hmph," Sesshoumaru stood there, practically allowing Takemaru to do what he planned.
"Ha!" Takemaru slammed his sword into the flaming debris they stood on, causing it the collapse. Sesshoumaru still only stood there, falling beneath the rubble. "Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled and ran towards both of them. He only wondered why both his father and Sesshoumaru stood so calmly as they descended further into the burning castle. Will I end up like them? Will it all end here? He thought to himself, panicking.
"Hehe… Hahahaha!" Takemaru resurfaced from his fiery grave. "You… You're next!" he began to walk towards Inuyasha, "And no matter what you try, you just can't defeat me! I have the spirits on my side!" He says he has the spirits on his side… The vengeful spirits. I remember one time my mother read to me, "War's Deception. If an enemy only has one strength, use it as his weakness." Inuyasha smiled.
That's right. He doesn't fight well at all, he in fact lost all those fights, all he can do is pop out of nowhere and plunge me into the rubble. I've got this… He thought as he finally accepted himself to be Takemaru's opponent.
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Author's Notes : I notice that I have so many hits, however, I only have very fewreviews. I want more reviews before I continue to Chapter 07, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.