Chapter Fifteen: Final Defeat

The elder hanyou growled lowly as he refused to take his eyes off of the wolf standing before him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Isamu smirked victoriously, thinking that he had won before the battle even began. "You must be blind because in case you haven't noticed, I hold your daughter captive in my own two hands…"

"I can see that…" Inuyasha growled even more so.

Isamu cocked a single eyebrow. "Let me guess. You're going to ask why I kidnapped her, is that correct?"

"No, I'm going to kill you with my own two hands!" The half-demon bolted forward, his claws withdrawn and looking as though he could take down any demon in the Feudal Era; this was no exaggeration. When it came to his daughter or anyone close to him for that matter, he would risk everything just to save them…including his own life…

"Really? Well I beg to differ…" Isamu quickly leapt out of the demon's path and landed on the opposite side of the cave. Inuyasha turned around and glared at the wolf, anger clearly evident in his golden orbs. "I'm much stronger than the last time we met," he added solemnly.

"Is that so? Well if that's true, then why did you avoid my attack? If you're as strong as you claim to be, you could have withstood a blow to the body and not even flinched. So why be a coward and run from this fight?"

"Is it really a fight?" Isamu pretended to sound dumbfounded; however, this charade did not fool Inuyasha. He could tell that the wolf demon had planned on this encounter from the very beginning so any bluff he tried to pull would not work.

Inuyasha sighed outwardly. "You should know. You were the one who lead me here by capturing Kura and holding her hostage…not to mention the fact that you stole my Tetsusaiga…" It wasn't hard to tell that Inuyasha was on the verge of lashing out at the wolf. He couldn't stand the fact that he had taken his daughter, let alone his sword.

"So you figured it out, have you?"

"It's wasn't that hard. Once I found out about everything that has been going on, I immediately strung up the conclusion that it was you who was behind it all. I should have known that right from the start. From my knowledge, father always did despise a demon such as yourself…" Inuyasha snarled demonically.

"That is correct. Unfortunately, he was unable to defeat me. I've been hiding in here ever since our final battle, waiting for the right moment to reveal myself to you. However, when I heard that you and that mortal girl had a child together, I knew that that would be the best time to strike. I would wait patiently until the child grew older and then, when the time was right, I would kidnap her as a ploy to lead you to me," Isamu explained, using a rather sadistic tone of voice.

"Yah well, you certainly managed that plan nicely...too bad you won't be around to enjoy it!" Just as he had done before, Inuyasha withdrew his claws and charged straight ahead to where the wolf was currently situated. This time, however, the hanyou made his mark. His claws dug into the wolf demon's right shoulder blade causing blood to spurt out in every direction. This attack forced the wolf to release Kura from his grasp as she fell to the floor in a heap. Isamu followed that action all too quickly as he sank to his knees while clutching at his new wounded limb, almost as if he were ready to howl in pain. Intense pain was currently flowing through his veins, yet he fought back the urge to let any sign of weakness show through.

"You think that one attack will keep me down, half-demon?" Isamu forced himself into a standing position and glanced around at everyone standing before him. "I will have my revenge on you half-breed…you can guarantee it…"

Inuyasha, being the man that is, merely scoffed at this comment. "Is that so? Well then you must have been sleeping when I just knocked you off your feet. I'd say that that was very well played, don't you agree?" While all this was going on between the two rivals, Kiatsu rushed to Kura's aid, making absolute sure that she was all right.

"Heh," was all that was heard coming from the wolf's mouth. "You'd like me to answer that with a yes, wouldn't you?"

"Frankly, I could care less how you answer me. In fact, I wouldn't give a damn if you didn't answer me at all." Both Kiatsu and Kura knew this attitude all too well. Whenever Inuyasha used this specific tone of voice with his enemies, you knew that he was annoyed with them and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to wipe the smirk off their face.

"You seem to have a very negative attitude towards certain things. I suggest changing your ways before someone misinterprets what you say…"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow out of sudden curiosity. "Just what are you getting at?"

Isamu sighed. "Sometimes you can be so dense…" Inuyasha growled at this comment before allowing the wolf to continue on with his speech. "What I'm trying to say is that unless you want your words to be misinterpreted by a stranger and have harm come to those you love, I suggest that you change your attitude."

"And since when do you tell me what to do?" It was at that moment that Kura released a heavy sigh that she had been holding for quite some time now. She knew just how stubborn her father was and that he would rarely listen to what others told him. Of course, Sango, Miroku, Kiatsu and herself were exceptions. They all held a strong bond with the half-demon and could confine even their deepest, darkest secrets within one another's hearts. Nekura, on the other hand was still new to the group and Inuyasha needed to make sure that she was fully trustworthy in order to become one of their traveling companions. This would happen every time someone wanted to join their group; they would first have to pass an inspection done by Inuyasha himself. If they were found to be good and not evil, they were welcome to join. However, if there was even the slightest hint of darkness in their hearts, well, you should know what happens then so I won't explain it any further.

Isamu shrugged his shoulders in such a way that it looked as though he didn't care what happened next. "Hey, I'm just telling it like it is," he stated honestly, which was a first for the wolf demon.

"Yah well, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it," the silvery-haired hanyou shot back.

Isamu shook his head and looked back to the hanyou before him. "You're a lot like your father, yet you possess so many of your mother's best qualities…"

Inuyasha was about to make a comeback when he paused before he even spoke a single word. How did this demon know his mother? From what he had heard, he was only in combat with his father. Was it possible that this half-demon had met his mother long before he was even born?

"Speechless are we?" Isamu knew that Inuyasha would not understand all that he had said and was prepared to explain himself if the need for it arose.

"No I just…" He couldn't speak; something inside of him was preventing the words from coming out. He didn't know what it was but he had to overcome this block in his mind…yes, it was all in his mind. Unfortunately, what he had hoped was not the complete truth…

"Yes? Tell me what it is you wish to say…or are you to afraid to say it?"

"No!" Inuyasha retorted all too quickly. He didn't want to give Isamu the benefit of the doubt and have him think that he was scared to say a few words. No, he would tell him what he thought and prove that he was not afraid of anything; after all, he was one of the strongest demons in the Feudal Era, what with Naraku gone that is.

"Well then, spit it out," Isamu demanded of the half-demon while tapping his foot in impatience.

Inuyasha tightly clenched both of his fists and began to growl lowly, almost as if he were ready to start yet another fight. However, he managed to control himself and heaved a sudden outward sigh before speaking. "You don't know my mother, you never have and you never will…"

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Sarcasm was clearly evident in the wolf's voice but Inuyasha did not let that bother him.

"Because I'm going to kill you myself!" he shouted angrily as he leapt up into the air and prepared to strike once more, this time being more than successful. He managed to plunge his claws deep into the wolf's chest, just narrowly missing his heart. When he jumped back and landed in his original position, Isamu fell to his knees while clutching at his new bleeding wound. As blood slipped through his fingers and down his body, Inuyasha smirked to himself.

"Now do you understand that I will do anything in order to protect those I care most about?" No sound came from the wolf's mouth except when he began coughing heavily, spitting out a little blood as he did so.

"I don't care…" He finally managed to speak, only to have more pain shoot through his entire body. "I will…have my revenge…someday…" With those last few words, he collapsed face-first on the ground, more blood spilling out from his now punctured chest. There was no way that he was going to be able to stand up again; if he didn't die from the attack itself, it would be the loss of blood that killed him.

Inuyasha panted before turning to Kura and Kiatsu. "That was hardly a challenge," he retorted with somewhat of a small smile, which was rare for the half-demon. Kura giggled a little, knowing that his sense of humor hadn't changed a bit. Kiatsu only looked at his friend and grinned happily. He was glad to have her back, safe and sound.

"Well, what do you say we head back to the village? I bet the others are back there, waiting for us to return," Kura suggested. Inuyasha simply nodded as Kiatsu copied the gesture.

"Sounds like a plan," Kiatsu added. It was then that Inuyasha knelt down and motioned for the pair to climb on. "We'll be able to get there faster this way." The female hanyou nodded in agreement, as did Kiatsu and soon the trio was on their way back to Lady Kaede's village. Who knows what the future has in store for them when they return…

Mysterious Mistress Kura: I hope you all liked this chapter because the next one will be the last! I hope you've all been enjoying this story because I certainly enjoyed writing it. But for now, I better get going. Please review and let me know your opinions! Luv ya! Ja ne!