"What's going on here?" Sango asked. She strode purposefully toward Kagome as if the chaos of battle all around them were nothing at all to worry about.
"It's a long story," Kagome told her, looking almost embarrassed. "Anyway, we have to do something about that flock of birds of paradise!" She gestured overhead to where the bird youkai were still massed. "They're going to kill everyone!"
"Understood," Miroku agreed. "Let's clean them up." He was still a little nervous about using the kazaana, after what had happened last time, but the injury had by now had plenty of time to heal. And when was he going to get a chance to test it without interference from Naraku's poisonous insects? It might be a while before an opportunity like this presented itself again, and he didn't mean to pass it up.
"Stand back, all of you, if you value your lives!" he warned the remaining wolves. He wasn't entirely sure that sparing the wolves was the best idea… but Kagome had given no indication that they were dangerous. Only the birds. And if it turned out after the fact that they were a problem, well, he knew how to take care of that.
Some of the wolves were a little slow to obey at first, not knowing who he was or why he should warn them to stay back. A few even seemed angry that a human dared to walk among them, much less boss them around. But once he opened the kazaana and began drawing in the bird youkai, they were quick enough to make sure the curse wouldn't also devour them.
In moments, the entire flock had been absorbed into the kazaana's void. Only the leader, far up the mountain, had been out of range and escaped the destruction.
Miroku quickly wrapped the prayer beads back around his arm, sealing away the kazaana for now. He felt a little winded, but otherwise noted no ill effects. It was a relief, after the injury he had sustained the last time he used this secret weapon.
Far up near the mountaintop, Inuyasha, Kouga, and the bird youkai prepared to square off in a three-way battle.
Using its comparatively massive bulk to best advantage, the bird youkai threw itself at the mountainside and the two men who were fighting there.
"It's trying to dash them on the rocks!" Sango cried. But they were too far away even for Kirara to get there in time to help. Inuyasha would have to find a way out of this on his own.
Miroku winced as the youkai smashed into the mountain once more, this time successfully sending both Inuyasha and Kouga scrambling downward, and was very glad to be on the ground well away from the action. The bird youkai pitched away from the mountain, injured but not slain, leaving Inuyasha and Kouga only each other with which to do battle.
Or shout insults at each other, since that appeared to be all they wanted to do.
"Kagome's my woman now!" Kouga finally shouted, loud enough that everyone could hear him loud and clear. "I won't let anyone else have her!"
Inuyasha visibly reeled.
"That's not true!" Kagome shouted back, outraged. "He made that up just now!"
Miroku sighed and shook his head. It always came down to fighting over women, it seemed. He caught sight of Sango and made his way over to her. It seemed she'd been busy while he and the others watched the fight, and had located the last missing member of their group. Shippou lay in a daze near one of the fallen birds, wrapped up in so much rope it was a wonder he could even breathe.
"What really happened, Shippou?" he asked. "Is something going on between Kagome and Kouga?"
Shippou recovered rather suddenly and dramatically from his daze. "You rescue me and that's what you ask me?" he shouted.
"So you're not injured, then?"
He seethed and refused to answer the question, sulking even as Sango freed him from the ropes.
Seeing that he could do no good here, Miroku made his way back over to where Kagome stood. She didn't notice him. Her attention was focused up the mountain where Inuyasha and Kouga were still making their slow way down the mountain toward the others, and still arguing.
"You got a problem with that?" Kouga was saying. "I'm in love with Kagome."
Inuyasha, true to form, sputtered ineffectually.
"She's got guts, and she can see the pieces of the Shikon jewel. And she's a fine woman, too!"
"Wow," Kagome breathed, obviously unused to such open praise from men. It had fallen so silent that even this was audible. Miroku was tempted to applaud her for having so quickly won over the leader of the wolf youkai, but decided he would rather not draw attention to himself just now.
"I'll make sure you can't come sniffing after Kagome ever again," Kouga said with a cocky grin. He smashed his fist into the opposing palm, cracking his knuckles eagerly. It seemed Inuyasha wasn't the only one that wanted to fight.
"That's my line, asshole!" Inuyasha retorted, drawing the Tessaiga as he leaped toward the wolf. "I'm gonna make you pay for messing with Kagome!"
The sword sheared a huge piece of rock from the side of the path, sending small boulders cascading toward the watchers below. For all the strength and power behind that blow, Kouga merely jumped over it.
"Heh," he sneered, landing in a lazy crouch. He acted as if he had nothing to worry about, which was likely only to make Inuyasha angrier. "What's got you so riled up, dog-breath?" The sneer widened into a toothy grin… or a baring of teeth. "You know Kagome would be happier if she came with me than she would be with a dog turd like you."
"You think you're better than me? Don't make me laugh!"
"Stop fighting!" Kagome screamed. It seemed she had already gotten over the novelty of having two men fight over her. "I'm not hurt, so there's no reason to fight!"
"That's not the point!" Inuyasha shouted back. "I have to settle things with this idiot!"
"Same here. I have to take you out to make sure she doesn't have any lingering affections," the wolf youkai said, baring his teeth at Inuyasha. "Just you wait, Kagome! Soon you'll be free to fall in love with me!"
Kagome looked absolutely appalled by this declaration. Or perhaps it was just the way both men were acting like idiots and refusing to listen to her wishes, shouting at and over each other without bothering to ask what she wanted. Even Miroku knew better than that.
"Pushy, isn't he?" Sango commented dryly.
"Some might call such a confident outlook enviable," Miroku replied.
"Or foolish."
Inuyasha, meanwhile, was only becoming angrier with each insult traded. And, it seemed, something else was bothering him too. "'Kagome,' 'Kagome,'" he mocked. "How dare you refer to her so familiarly?"
Having learned nothing from his previous attempts, he smashed the Tessaiga down again in a fury. Once again, Kouga merely leaped over the blade, but this time he followed through with a kicking attack, hitting Inuyasha square in the face. The hanyou went down with a crash. Dirt and rocks flew in all directions as Kouga closed for the kill.
Slashing with powerful claws, Kouga growled, "I'll give your head to Kagome!"
Kagome gasped, but not because of Kouga's threat. "Watch out, both of you! It's above you!" she shouted. Miroku followed her gaze, realizing with horror that he hadn't noticed the bird of paradise drifting high above.
The enormous youkai stooped just as Kagome shouted her warning, dropping with impossible speed toward the dueling men. Even with their inhuman strength and speed, Kouga and Inuyasha only barely managed to get out of the way before it was on them. It smashed into the mountain, screaming, "You killed my brother!"
Only then did Miroku realize that one of its two human heads flopped awkwardly against its back, lifeless. Worse, the youkai had managed to snag Kouga's arm in its mouth. It teetered, and then started to slide down the mountain, dragging the wolf youkai with it in a spray of blood. Desperate, Kouga managed to bring his legs around to kick the bird, shattering teeth so he could pull his arm free.
"It got the Shikon shard," Kagome murmured as the bird released Kouga and took off again. It seemed that her ability to sense the shards was becoming more refined with practice, if she could tell so precisely where the shards in play were.
Bleeding profusely, bereft of one of his shards, Kouga tumbled down the mountain, making no attempt to break his fall. He might have survived the initial attack, but he obviously was in bad shape.
"Kouga-kun!" Kagome and several of the humanoid wolves were already heading to intercept him.
Kouga rolled to a stop on his hands and knees, snapping, "Stay back!"
"But your injuries," Kagome protested miserably. Miroku felt a little sorry watching her; she had obviously come to care for Kouga in some way during her captivity. It must be painful to watch him fight first with Inuyasha and then the bird like this.
"I'm the target," Kouga pointed out. "If you come near me, it will get you when it dives again."
In a move that shocked everyone, Inuyasha interposed himself between Kouga and the bird. The wolf youkai sputtered, demanding an explanation, to which Inuyasha merely replied, "Watch this, asshole!"
He braced himself and readied the sword. After a tense moment he was ready. He slashed, using the wind scar to obliterate the bird before it could even come close to a second strike. The force of the attack tore the diving bird into pieces, which scattered as they fell to earth.
All around Miroku, the wolves gasped and exclaimed in awe at the power the lowly hanyou had just displayed. Hopefully now they would think twice about messing with Inuyasha.
Unfortunately, Inuyasha had no second thoughts about renewing his fight with Kouga. He turned back toward the wolf, shouting, "Hey Kouga, let's get back to settling this!"
But instead of finding himself face-to-face with his enemy, he found Kagome.
"What are you thinking?" she demanded, cradling Kouga in her lap the way she might hold a lover. "Kouga is badly injured!"
The wolf youkai struggled to sit up. "These wounds are nothing." He managed to sit, then stand, though he looked like a slight breeze would send him tumbling down the mountain again. Miroku felt a little sorry for him, but wasn't inclined to intervene—he'd brought most of this on himself with his insults and boasting.
And he was still insulting and boasting, even now. "One hit from my left arm should be enough!" he snarled at Inuyasha, but he collapsed after taking the first step.
His wolves cried out in alarm, bristling, willing to throw themselves between their master and his enemy. With his claws alone, Inuyasha launched himself toward the fallen wolf. From behind him, Miroku heard Sango shift her stance, no doubt ready to throw the hiraikotsu into the midst of everyone if needed.
This was very, very bad. With everyone jumbled together, there was no way Miroku could use the kazaana to quickly put an end to things. In a matter of moments, they could be looking at another bloodbath.
Luckily, Kagome hit on the solution before things could get any worse: "Inuyasha, sit!"