Chapter 16
Inuyasha vaguely heard Kagome scream his name, though her voice sounded distant, and in that moment a vision of himself being ripped to pieces flashed through his mind. As sheer instinct took over, he raised his sword in time to keep that vision from coming true – barely. The immense weight of the two beasts drove him back a few steps, and then he cried out as one set of claws escaped and clipped his leg.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed again, and then yelled at Yusuke and Hiei. "Help him, you two!"
"We're sort of busy at the moment," Yusuke yelled back, driving his fist into the side of one monster's head, only to receive an answering blow to his side. Deep gashes gushed blood and he nearly fell but kept his bearings. "We're also getting pulverized."
"Indeed," Hiei answered, as calmly as ever. Yusuke noticed that Hiei's face was deathly pale and he seemed to be faltering. That was alarming. Even more alarming was that he was also beginning to feel woozy and his head was hurting something fierce.
"We need to find a way out of this and fast," Yusuke said, narrowly missing another swipe of those enormous claws.
"Any ideas?" asked Hiei.
"None."
Inuyasha, in the meantime, continued blocking the attacks as best he could. The gashes on his leg were throbbing, or more like screaming in pain, and with each step he was terrified that his leg would buckle and he would be done for. Kagome continued yelling at him, this time to get up and run, and he found he didn't have the strength to yell at her to shut up. He really didn't have the strength for much…barely enough to block the monsters' attacks. He was starting to feel extremely sick to his stomach, and his vision swam in and out of focus.
Kagome was watching the battle unfold, unable to keep from screaming for Inuyasha to run. The other two were not faring well, either, and she was worried about Hiei. He did not look well, and his movements were slow as though he were drugged. Something irked her about the situation and she couldn't quite put her finger on it…something about those monsters.
They had appeared out of nowhere. While she couldn't sense any demonic or holy power within them, she still felt that they had a power she had never sensed before. Like holy energy, but different. They also seemed to be interested only in Inuyasha, Yusuke and Hiei – all three demons, or half-demons in Inuyasha and Yusuke's case. The monsters had no interest in her or Botan, who remained unconscious and whose condition also seemed to be worsening.
Kagome sighed. Things just were not looking good at the moment and she felt helpless as to what to do. She felt she ought to be doing something. She couldn't very well stand by and let her friends get killed by these things. But what could she do? The monsters were immune to her holy arrows, and she couldn't very well shoo them off.
That thought actually made her giggle when she imagined herself running after the monsters yelling "Shoo! Shoo!" Laughing made her feel guilty. This wasn't exactly a humorous situation.
And then she saw one of the beasts approach Hiei, who was currently slashing away in vain at another one of the monsters. Hiei did not notice the beast, which approached from behind.
"Hiei!" she shouted. "Behind you!"
As if on cue, the beast leaped at him, claws and teeth bared. In one swift movement, Hiei whirled around, and, as if in slow motion, Kagome watched as his sword sliced through the monster's neck. The head came off clean and landed a few feet away. The body fell to the ground in a slump. She screamed and felt bile rise in her throat, and she had to quickly look away from the gruesome sight.
There was a few seconds when everyone else stopped, including the other beasts, and stared at the fallen one. It did not move, and it soon became apparent that it was dead.
"Hey, you killed it!" Yusuke cried.
"So that's how they die," Inuyasha said thoughtfully, grinning an evil grin as he swung the Tetsusaiga with renewed fervor. "Works for me!"
Inuyasha and Hiei made short work of the rest of the beasts, easily chopping off their heads now that they knew their weaknesses. Once the deed was done, all three of them slumped to the ground.
"Thank goodness," Kagome said, breathing a sigh of relief. She grabbed her knapsack with the medical supplies and ran over to them. She opened her mouth to ask if they were alright, but Inuyasha interrupted her.
"Kagome, don't move."
Confused, she stopped. "Why?"
"Because we're surrounded," Hiei replied, his sword at ready. He shakily stood to his feet, and Kagome could see that he was fighting very hard not to pass out.
Inuyasha and Yusuke also stood very slowly, and she could see the flush on Inuyasha's cheeks. His teeth were clenched as if in pain.
And then the sound of clapping broke through, and they all looked toward the sound.
Koenma stood at the entrance to the castle, a smug grin on his face, clapping his hands in mock applause.
"Koenma…" Yusuke uttered.
"Koenma?" Kagome repeated, confused. "The spirit world ruler?" And then she saw it – three Shikon shards hidden in the folds of his clothes. She nearly mentioned it, but something told her to remain silent for now. Perhaps it was the cold, calculating look on his face. He did not look like the generous ruler Yusuke and the others had spoken of.
"Congratulations," Koenma said smoothly. "You've destroyed my guardians. I at least give you, the short one, credit for discovering their weakness, albeit by accident. However, it is a shame you all still have to die."
"You're not actually going to fight us," Yusuke said, remembering how Koenma always refused to fight before, all but one time…
Koenma shook his head. "Of course not. I don't have to. You three will die without my lifting a finger. You see, the beasts of the spirit world, or guardians, as they are called, are bred specifically to attack and injure demons. Their claws secrete a substance poisonous to demons, or those with demon blood. All they had to do was scratch you, and in a matter of days you three will die horrible, terrible deaths."
"You're lying!" Inuyasha yelled, yet he could see it on the young royal's face…he wasn't lying. Looking at Yusuke and especially Hiei, he could see on their faces what he felt, as well…the sickness.
Kagome stared at the spirit world ruler, unbelieving. "You're seriously going to let them die? They've done nothing to you!"
Koenma turned and looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. "Young priestess, why do you concern yourself with these monsters?" he asked, ignoring her question. "Surely you were not keeping company with them by your own will."
"Of course I was!" she argued angrily, and pointed a finger at them. "They're my friends."
"Friends!" Koenma laughed bitterly. "Foolish child! They would be your friend one moment and slice you into pieces the next!"
"They've had ample opportunity and haven't yet," she said with conviction.
"Merely because they need you for some reason. And what reason would that be? Perhaps it is because you see the jewel of four souls?"
Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "H-how did you know I could see the jewel?"
He smiled. "I have my ways, young priestess."
"Then you must also know why we travel together. We all seek the shards to defeat the demon Naraku, who also possesses shards of the jewel," Kagome replied.
That seemed to stump him. He was silent for a moment before answering, "Indeed, I know of Naraku."
"Then why haven't you done anything about him?" Inuyasha snarled.
Koenma regarded Inuyasha for a moment and said nothing. He turned back to Kagome and stared at her thoughtfully. "You alone would have the power to defeat and yet you rely on these vermin to save you? I find that hard to believe, young priestess. Why do you defend them?"
"I told you, they are my friends," Kagome insisted. "No, I'm not brainwashed and they're not holding anything of mine ransom. I came to know Inuyasha because of the jewel. He might have started out bad but he's come a long way."
"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kagome ignored him and continued. "As for Yusuke and Hiei, they joined us a short while ago but I've come to trust them."
"Is that so?" Koenma said, smiling. "You say you trust them with your life, young priestess?"
"I do."
"Would you like to test that belief? In exchange for their lives."
Kagome blinked. "What do you mean?"
Inuyasha felt a twinge of worry. Test? "Yeah, what does that mean?" he asked.
Koenma glared at him again and Inuyasha found that for once he felt compelled to keep silent. Something about those eyes spooked him…
"It's a simple test, really," the spirit world ruler stated. "They will have three days until the poison spreads through their system and eventually kills them. To stop the poison from spreading, they must find the Temple of Sorrows in the valley east of here. The temple is extremely difficult to find and heavily guarded by traps as well as some of the finest warriors of the spirit world. It is a temple valuable to my people for many reasons, but it contains a cure for the poison. If they find the temple, they will live. However, there is one condition."
"What's that?"
"If they do not return by the sunset of the third day, I will be forced to take your life."
"My…life?" she gulped.
Koenma nodded. "I regret to take the life of such a talented priestess, for there are so few in this world, but I fear you may be too far gone. You will learn that the company of demons is nothing to keep."
"How will killing me teach me anything?" Kagome argued, angry and frightened. "You're a lunatic."
He shrugged. "You said it yourself that you trust them with your life. I'm merely testing them to see for myself if that is true."
"But, they're ill. How can they travel in that condition, let alone fight anything?"
Koenma looked at the three of them as they crouched on the ground, barely able to stand. The poison would spread in the three days it would take for them to reach the temple. In all reality, it was possible the half-demons would be able to withstand the poison in their system and overcome it, but it was unlikely the short demon would live.
"If they want to live, and if they want you to live, they will go, and they will fight," Koenma replied. "Now hurry," he told them.
"You sick bastard," Inuyasha growled as he stood to his full height. "You'll regret this when we get back."
"I'm sure I will," Koenma said calmly, a smug smirk on his face.
Kagome watched them stand to their feet. "Are you okay with this?" she asked.
"It doesn't look like we have a choice," Yusuke said apologetically. "Kagome, I'm sor-"
"Don't say it," she said. "Just hurry, but be careful." She handed Hiei a small bottle of penicillin, not really sure if it would help, but hopeful. "Here, take two every eight hours. It might help." He took it without a word, yet gave her a grim, weak nod in reply. She watched helplessly as he joined the other two, walking away, and she didn't know if she'd ever see them again.
The three walked in silence. For once Inuyasha and Yusuke had no insults or barbs to fling at each other. Even if they had, neither one had the strength or the desire to waste what precious energy they had left. They each could feel the poison slowly overtaking them and if that wasn't enough to think about, they all envisioned Kagome's face first and foremost.
Inuyasha couldn't believe this was happening. And for what? A silly test of their loyalty? He really hated that Koenma at the moment, and swore that if – no, when – he returned, he was going to beat that smug bastard into submission and make him rue the day he crossed this half-demon.
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but hope that if for some reason – and it had better be a damn good reason – they didn't make it back in time…that Kagome knew he hadn't abandoned her. He would never…
Well...hoped that was enjoyable. Hopefully it won't be as long until the next chapter.