Recovering from the mansion was rough. We had to locate the remaining weapons that belonged to Sango, and change back into our regular clothes. Shortly after that Shippō received a letter from a demon, demanding a duel. Rather than heading straight to the town we wound up detouring to Raimei Valley where the group ended up being separated and Shippō got captured in a cheap trick to avoid fighting.
I was almost thrown off a cliff because of the freaking boulder that was sent hurtling down at us, but by some miracle and feat of strength I managed to grab onto the edge before I was completely blown off. Inuyasha, who had saved Kagome, jumped down and grabbed me before I could lose my grip and tumble into the abyss below. Sango and Miroku were out of sight with Kirara, and Shippō was just gone.
We ended up following his scent to the home of the Thunder Demon Clan- who were the same people that killed his father. The remaining sibling of the brothers that were slaughtered and the only surviving member of the clan was Sōten. She was a small child that hated Inuyasha for what he did, but knew she couldn't beat him or anyone else in the group and aimed to take down Shippō instead. In actuality, the girl was just lonely.
In the end the two actually became friends and we continued on our journey. Finally, after almost a whole week of travelling, we arrived at the castle town. It seemed… rather normal for a town supposedly being haunted by a very powerful and evil half-demon.
"Are we sure this is where Naraku's at?" I asked, uncertain. There were so many people and it appeared to be bustling with activity, and yet… it seemed so dull and empty at the same time. "This place is…"
"Gloomy?" Kagome offered, smiling nervously at me. "I feel like something bad's happened…"
"I do as well." Miroku said, stepping forward and sweeping his staff side-to-side as if to ward off evil. He brought his hands together in a prayer. "Perhaps it is a sign of Naraku's influence? Either way, we must investigate. Shall we split up?"
"No way." Inuyasha was the first to protest, startling everyone. He was frowning deeply, arms crossed with his hands in his sleeves. "Last time that happened Naraku snuck up on us with Kagura and locked Irene away. She barely survived it. There's no way we're splitting up after that."
"Yeah," Sango agreed, "and when I left Irene alone she wound up getting hurt by Kohaku… I can't rest easy if she's by herself." Her eyes narrowed she glanced at the monk. "And I don't want her near Miroku in case he tries anything again."
The monk laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Now, now, Sango; you know I didn't mean any harm."
"I know that, but she doesn't. See?" Sango raised a hand pointed, gesturing to where I was hiding behind Kagome. "She's scared of you now. The other night she was so determined to be friends, but now…"
Miroku blinked, eyes widening. "Wait, really? Irene-" He turned, walking over to talk to me, but stopped when he saw me dart over to Inuyasha the second he was a few feet away from the middle schooler. His hand dangled uselessly in the air. "-oh my…"
Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder, giving me a weird look, before rolling his eyes. "Scaredy-cat."
"Shut up!" I huffed. I refused to even look at the monk. "I mean, you're not wrong, but shut up."
Kagome tilted her head, watching us, before asking, "Do you think they have a bathouse here? We've been camping for days… the mansion feels like forever ago. We were barely out of the baths for an hour when we had to go fight all those demons. We wound up being covered in sweat and blood. It's disgusting."
"You don't need a bath." Inuyasha told her, pulling his arm away and yanking his sleeve out of my hands. He started to walk towards the girl. "You don't even smell that bad."
As he sniffed her hair Kagome let out a shriek and pushed him away. "You're awful! Sit, sit, sit! Bad dog! How could you, Inuyasha!?" The half-demon was unable to give an answer as his face met the ground, the boy sinking deeper into the earth with each incantation. "Just stay down! Jeez. Give a girl a break."
I shook my head at them, "Should we get going? I mean, I appreciate the concern… but we gotta make sure Naraku is actually here, don't we? Otherwise we came all this way for nothing."
Sango nodded. "Yes, let's. This time we stay together as a group- no more separating. Irene, stay by me or Inuyasha, okay? We'll keep you safe."
Inuyasha let out a huff as he picked his face out of the dirt. "Thanks for volunteering me for babysitting duty."
"Anytime!" Sango grinned. "Glad to help."
There was no easy way going about this. The castle town was even bigger than Kasasagi, with triple the amount of people. It was suffocating.
Miroku hit on every woman he saw and Sango even had to drag him away from what I believed was a brothel, and Inuyasha ended up stopping a robbery from taking place. A man was even hiding in an alleyway attempting to hide from any possible demons or muggers, scared of being attacked. Apparently people were going missing, like Miroku and Sango had claimed so long ago when we first met, and cattle were indeed disappearing.
It was when we were chatting about how we were going to get into the castle that a young boy ran up to us, tackling my leg and nearly knocking me down. "Wh-Whoa!" I yelped, waving my arms in an attempt to catch myself. I looked down at the boy. "Uh, hi?"
"Are you going to the castle?" The child asked, looking up at me. Something in his expression… bothered me. He looked so scared. "C-Can I ask you a favor?"
I turned, looking at the child and kneeling down to eye-level. I offered a smile. "Yeah, of course! What is it?" I watched as he held out a small object, a pinwheel tied together by string and what I could only assume was the feudal-era's version of glue.
"Will you take this to my sister? She works in the castle. I-I made it for her."
"Oh?" I blinked. That explained why it looked the way it did. I reached out and took it from him, admiring it. "That was nice of you."
Kagome knelt down, hands on her knees. "You really miss your sister, don't you?"
"No!" The boy exclaimed, face turning pink. He turned away, embarrassed. "She's the one who gets upset. She always cries 'cause she's not home and can't see me. S-So tell her to hang in there for me, okay? I don't like it when she's upset."
This is the sweetest thing I've ever heard and, god freaking darn it, I'm about to cry. "Th-That makes sense. Yeah. I'll give it to her, promise."
He nodded at me, looking away and back again. The boy was really embarrassed; it was so adorable. "Th-Thanks. My name is Juzo, by the way. My sister is Otoki. Make sure you find her!"
"Yes, yes!" I held up the pinwheel. "I'll even give her a hug for you!"
"D-Don't go that far!" He stammered. "I-I don't miss her, I tell you! And hey- madam!" The boy looked over his shoulder at the woman standing by the… shop? There was a sign, but I couldn't read the language so I wasn't sure what kind of building it was. The woman in front of it trying to get customers was dressed rather nicely. She looked at us, hearing the boy shout. "These people are heading to the castle!"
"What?" Her eyes widened. "Really?" The woman walked into the building, calling out to whoever was inside. "Everyone- we have some people going to the castle!"
"W-Wait just a minute." Sango said, stepping forward. "We're not even certain how we're going to get in yet."
No one seemed to hear her as they all came out of the building at once, multiple women asking things such as "Why" and "When are you going" to "Is this for real".
Shippō was startled by their frantic behavior and asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What's going on in the castle? Something bad?" One of the women nodded, cradling her hands close to her chest.
"Yes… We're the wives of the Samurai who went into the castle, but our husbands haven't returned. They were supposed to be guarding the lord and slaying the demons that got in."
"It's been months!" Another lady cried, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "I fear the worst… What if the demons have taken control of the castle? It'll only be a matter of time before we're next."
The third woman reached out and pressed a hand to the lady's shoulder, horrified. "Don't say such things! I'm sure they're fine; they're well-trained with the sword! We just… have to be a bit more patient, you know?"
"We really miss them…" A fourth woman murmured. "I just got married to my husband and… because of the demons…"
"I-I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say. The pinwheel felt heavy in my hands. "That's awful…"
Kagome nodded, saddened. "It's hard work being a samurai."
"Yes!" The first woman said. She stepped forward, grabbing Sango's hands. "We gathered today to try and discuss how to get food to our husbands, but if you all are going to the castle…"
"You want us to take the food for you?" The demon slayer asked curiously. "That's why you wanted to know if we were heading to the castle?"
She and the other women nodded. "My name is Shino, by the way. The others are Katsue, Matsu, and Naka. Please, would you do us this favor? We would be forever in your debt." She looked at us pleadingly, desperation on all of the women's faces. They truly cared about their significant others. It was heartbreaking, thinking about how the men might be dead. Even the little boy's sister could be. "I beg of you!"
"I…" I looked at Kagome and Sango helplessly, every fiber of my being trying to get me to agree. "Can we? Th-They really want us to…"
"Hey, what are you saying?" Inuyasha demanded. "We can't go charging into Naraku's castle with a bucket load of items!"
Kagome shook her head at him. "It's fine, don't worry about, Inuyasha. We can take a bit more with us. Besides, it's for a good cause."
"We're going to the castle anyway," Sango added, unable to say no to the woman looking so desperately at her, clinging to her hands, "we might as well."
Shino almost burst into tears, leaning down and bringing Sango's hands close to her face. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Girls, get the rice balls! Hurry."
Naka, Katsue, and Matsu dashed into the building for a few minutes, coming back out only once they had the food- wrapped up and ready to be delivered. Shino handed them to Kagome, who carefully set them in her backpack.
"My husband is named Yukimura." She told us. "Thank you again."
"Yes! You're a blessing from the buddha!"
"Um, if you lovely ladies don't mind me asking," Miroku stepped forward, flashing them a charming smile, "would you mind telling us the direction the castle? This town is very big and it's easy to get lost here."
"Oh, yes, of course!" Matsu exclaimed. She gestured to the path before us, "Just keep going down this way and turn left. After a few more twists and turns, you'll have to make a right and go left again. The castle will be on the mountain up there."
"Thank you, miss. I wish you peace." He clapped his hands together in a prayer and bowed, and proceeded to walk away with a heavy sigh. "It's a shame they're all married…"
Sango pulled her hands away from Shino and made a face at Miroku, following after. "Better keep your thoughts to yourself, monk."
I stared at the pinwheel as we walked, watching as the wind blew its little make-shift wheel and causing it to spin. With any luck the girl would still be alive… her brother's feelings really went into this. I could see it, just from the design. He really loved her, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Otoki, please… be safe.
Allow me to give this to you. Someone cares deeply and is waiting for you.
Don't let Naraku steal you away.
Sango glanced back at me, noticing how I was being unusually quiet. She slowed her walk until she was next to me, speaking quietly, "Everything alright…?" I blinked, looking at her in surprise.
"H-Huh? Oh, uh, yeah… sorry. I just, um," I held up the pinwheel awkwardly, "was thinking. He really cares about her, you know? His sister."
She smiled sadly. "Yeah… he does. I hope we can find her."
"Me too." I nodded.
Inuyasha held an arm and stopped us from walking any further down the road, ears twitching. "Did you guys hear that? Near the castle… someone is talking about the lord."
"The castle lord?" Shippō asked, confused. "What about him?"
Inuyasha didn't answer. "Come on, let's go check it out!"
We had to follow the half-demon down two different alleys before we found who he was looking for. It was a crazy chase of cat-and-mouse, yet no one in our group was named Tom or Jerry. Not even Kyo or Yuki. It was highly disappointing. It took around eight minutes to hunt the guy down in the crowds, and we only located him because everyone in the area was avoiding him.
"Our lord has gone mad!" He cried. "He's possessed! Possessed by demons, I say!"
Inuyasha snuck up behind him, leaning over his shoulder. "Got any proof?" The man jumped and whirled around, but didn't freak out over the silver hair or dog ears. I guess most people were used to half-demons, even if they didn't care about them. It was sad. "Tell me what you know now."
"His eyes!" The man declared. "The look in his eyes have changed! The lord swears, and he has become extremely violent! If he doesn't like you he'll have you executed right there on the spot! Not even the maidens that work there are spared! He's gone as far as kicking me, Nizaemon, his chief counselor, out!"
Shippō looked at Inuyasha, grinning a little. "That sounds like someone else I know!"
"What're you lookin' at me for?" The half-demon snapped. "You're still alive, aren't you?"
Nizaemon pretended not to hear the argument, looking at Miroku. "He's acting as though he's possessed! It's the work of demons; I'm certain of it!"
"Are we sure he's not just talking about Inuyasha? He has a hot temper." Shippō commented again, picking on his friend. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, glaring down at the fox.
"I won't forget you said that."
Nizaemon shook his head. "I don't know about your situation, but… our lord used to be a kind man- always looking out for us. If things keep going this way the castle and its long history will be ruined! Our lord and his kingdom- lost!"
I made a face, really not liking the sounds of this. "It might be Naraku after all… he's possessed people before, right? He could be hiding in the castle like you guys said."
Kagome nodded. "Yes. He can shapeshift, too. We need to find out what's going on."
"The castle is just down this road!" Nizaemon said, "Just keep heading that way!"
We followed his instructions and wound up at the entrance, but the guards… wouldn't let us through. They found Inuyasha and Shippō suspicious, claiming they were monsters and needed to be destroyed, and even went so far as to threaten me and Kagome because of our appearances. They were especially rude to me, declaring that I must be a foreign spy. Sango and Miroku had to hold them back while Inuyasha took Kagome and ran off, Kirara transforming and carrying me on her back.
Miroku and Sango met up with us back at the building from before, which was quickly revealed to be an inn. I dangled tiredly from Kirara's back, body worn from the panic attack I had thanks to the guards trying to attack us. The gang, excluding me, were just discussing how to best go about getting inside again when a familiar face walked out from the back room into the main hall.
"Is that…?" The Kasasagi Headman blinked, staring at us with a smile slowly spreading across his face. "It is! Everyone, how good it is to see you here!"
What…?
Inuyasha squinted at the man, stepping forward and quickly hiding me from view with his arm. "You're the Headman from Kasasagi Town! The hell are you doin' here?" The smile dropped from the older man's face.
"Well… I have to bring my yearly taxes to the castle. But I've heard that there are demons in there."
I sat up, clutching the pinwheel tightly. "Seriously? S… So there are demons… inside?"
"Wait a minute!" Shippō cried out, looking confused. "What are taxes?"
"It's money they give to the lord, as thanks for his protection." Kagome explained. I made a face at that. "It helps the economy."
"You say that, but…" I trailed off, recalling the nightmare that was the government back in my time period. For being a great country, America sure was falling part thanks to our last few presidents. People used to be able to escape there and live peacefully for the most part, but now it's as if the holocaust was happening all over again. It was disgusting. "You know what? Never mind. I'm not gonna say anything."
Kagome looked at me strangely, but didn't speak up. Shippō tilted his head, not understanding. "Why can't the people just protect themselves? That's what we do back in Kaede's village…" Kagome blinked at the question.
"I… think you're too young to understand."
"What do you mean?" The child asked. Inuyasha walked over, kneeling down and placing a hand on the fox demons head. "Inuyasha?"
"Basically, cowards can't protect themselves so the braver ones step in. That's why they give them money. Like how we sometimes get paid for slaying demons and helping out villagers."
"Ohh~ I get it!"
That wasn't how it worked at all, but it was nice seeing them act this way; for a moment everything felt peaceful. I could almost forget all the times our lives were threatened. That I wasn't even home. This felt so normal and safe, these two just having a conversation about taxes and how the economy was involved. I found myself wanting to despise it.
Kagome tried to explain some more, but it flew over their heads and Miroku laughed- amused that not even Inuyasha understood.
I slid off of Kirara and made my way over to Sango, wrapping my arms around her waist and hugging her- face pressed to her side as I leaned down. It took only a few seconds to pass for me to realize I was hugging her the same way I used to do with Maria. My heart sank into my stomach, but I gained some comfort when Sango moved her arm and rested her hand on my back- reciprocating the embrace while standing straight.
The Headman looked at me, now able to actually see where I was since Inuyasha was blocking me from view. "You! Oh, how good it is to see you again! I still can't thank you enough for what you did!" He walked forward, catching the curiosity of Sango and Miroku. They were told about Kasasagi, but they weren't informed about how the Headman's villagers and guards beat me up. "How are you faring? Did your wounds heal well?"
"...Yes…" He wasn't going to hit on me again, was he? I prayed not. "You? Did your house get rebuilt?"
He nodded, smiling brightly. "The townsfolk were quite generous in helping."
"That's good." I pressed my face to Sango's side, hiding. Miroku stared at us, looking almost envious. Aha! Take that, pervert. Feel the jealousy. You'll never get to hug Sango like this. She's my best friend, not yours. Unless you guys… actually wind up together somehow. Hrm. He better not cheat on her; I'll burn him. "Villagers are nice."
"...Irene. I've talked and scolded them for their behavior." The Headman said, voice serious. "They'll never hurt you again."
Miroku blinked, eyes wide. He turned his gaze to the man. "What? Did something happen?"
"Nothing I'm not used to." I muttered, pulling away from Sango and wrapping my arms around myself. I grabbed the pinwheel out of my pocket, fiddling with it and watching the wheel turn. I was scared it might break if left alone for too long. "They saw my face on the poster and… just beat me up. By the time I was put in the cell, I was spitting blood and vomiting." I gave a shrug. "It's fine."
"It is not fine." Miroku pressed, stepping forward. Why was he acting so protective all of a sudden? Did he feel guilty for touching me earlier? Doubt it. "Harming a beautiful young woman such as yourself is a crime! How did you even get away?"
I blinked, tilting my head to the side and trying to remember. "Uh… the Shikigami healed me. Oh! And then I made the wall explode." I grinned, feeling quite proud of myself for that accomplishment. I looked up at the monk with a brilliant smile. "I snuck past the guards and everything! But then they saw me when I was… was I in the water? Or was it after? Hmm. Well, they saw me and I climbed onto the roof, and they shot me with arrows, and then I fell off the roof and hid in some hay! Then I found Inuyasha!"
I turned, smiling at the half-demon. He made a face. I faced Miroku and Sango again, waving my free arm in the air as I spoke cheerfully.
"It's all good now! I took a nap and we fought Kagura, and then I met you guys!"
"You sound way too casual about all this." Inuyasha commented, frowning. "You were nearly killed."
"But I wasn't! So it's fine." That's life now. Nearly dying. It's terrifying when it's happening, but then you recover. I still have nightmares frequently, but they aren't as bad when I'm next to Sango. She makes me feel safe. "Anyway!" I cleared my throat. "We need to get to the castle, right? W-We could… uh, probably go with the headman? Keep him safe from demons and all that, and being able to get in?"
"Oh, you would do that!?" The man looked greatly relieved. "Thank you! You're so kind as always. Truly."
If these people keep saying that… I'm going to start to believe it. Please stop.
"You're our only hope." Inuyasha said, frowning at the headman. "Don't let us down."
…
Now that we knew how to get to the castle it went by faster this time. The guards tried to scare us off again, threatening to kill us, but the headman quickly stepped up and raised his hands. "Please, wait! These are my soldiers. After what happened in my village with the demons, I hired them to protect me. They follow me wherever I go."
The man narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, scrutinizing his appearance. "He's a half-demon, isn't he?"
"Yes. Which makes him perfect for the job! He's stronger than regular humans."
"...I see. And the foreigner?"
"My betrothed." I almost choked on my spit. Sango looked at me with big eyes and Kagome raised her eyebrows, Miroku bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "We met not too long ago. Please, will you let them pass? I need to pay my taxes."
Inuyasha's ear twitched and he snapped, "Are you gonna let us through or not!?"
"Hey!" Kagome scolded, looking at him with a frown. "Be nice, will you? I'm sorry," She told the guard, "he's just doing his job. He's very impatient."
Miroku nodded fervently. "Yes. Inuyasha is very devoted to his work. He practically worships the lord."
The half-demon looked like he was going to hit Miroku, but thought better of it at the moment. He watched the guard squint, thinking deeply, before writing something down on paper and gesturing to the door. "Fine. You can go through." Inuyasha's face cleared up and he became much happier.
"Why didn't he just let us do that from the start?" He asked as we walked past the gates, entering castle grounds. "Honestly; what a waste of time."
Shippō snorted. "I thought we weren't gonna get through because of you."
"At least we made it!" Kagome said, looking on the bright side of things. "And it's all thanks to the headman."
"Who I don't even remember agreeing to marry." I stated in a deadpan, very uncomfortable with the lie that was told. "When did this happen?"
"It was just to help you pass." The headman claimed as we neared the castle doors. "A little act. Foreigners aren't trusted too kindly here, I'm afraid, even if it's just to sell merchandise or trade."
How lovely.
...Not.
Wait, what's that? I stopped walking, feeling something cold wash over me. Was this… dread? Something bad was coming from the castle; I could feel it. Whatever lied inside there… wasn't going to be good. Is this what's called a demonic aura? It feels so suffocating. Like in that room with Yurihime a few days ago… but stronger.
"There's no doubt about it." Miroku suddenly spoke up, looking at the castle with determined eyes. "Naraku is here. I can sense the presence of many demons inside."
"Me too." Sango agreed, frowning. "Headman, you should go back to the inn. It'll be dangerous up ahead."
"O-Okay… I won't argue!" He turned around, dashing right back to the gates and heading into safety. "Be careful!"
I remained close to the demon slayer, heart starting to pound when we neared the doors. Inuyasha stopped us, his nose twitching, and he drew his sword. There was a few seconds of silence before the doors began to shake, a large foot kicking them down. A one-eyed demon appeared, over ten feet tall, ducking down under the frame and staring at us. Shippō screeched.
"Wh-Why are there such big demons here!?"
Inuyasha laughed. "I was expecting you!"
The demon bared its fangs and climbed out, standing straight and glaring down at us. "I won't let you pass." It told us. Its voice was garbled and definitely inhuman. "You will join the others in my belly! Raaaah!"
"Just try it!" Inuyasha barked, charging, letting out a battle cry. "Prepare to die! Yah!" The half-demon jumped into the air, slashing at the demon with his sword. The giant ogre laughed and raised his hands, body emitting a green mist. It covered the area and Sango quickly leapt back, grabbing her hiraikotsu and swinging it through the air. "What!?"
Inuyasha shouted when he saw the mist, only to get smacked away by the demon's large hand. Kagome cried out his name when she saw the half-demon slam hard into the castle's stone walls. The hiraikotsu slashed at the demon's chest, tearing into its flesh, but the skin started to regenerate- leaving the attack utterly useless. Sango caught her hiraikotsu and stumbled back, alarmed. "He can heal himself!?"
"What's with this green mist!?" Miroku demanded, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve. "Is it poison!?"
It had already reached over to us, and I was left waving a hand in front of my face trying to bat the mist away as I coughed. It left my throat very dry. "I-I don't know!"
"My mist can seal your powers." The demon declared, grinning at us. Inuyasha pushed himself up, glaring at the demon. "I was warned about your sword and the girl's control over spirits. With this you can't use that menacing Wind Scar of yours, Inuyasha."
"He knows who I am?" The half-demon hissed. "So you do work for Naraku!"
The demon simply laughed. "Is that what that monster is called? I am an incarnation, created with the soul purpose of destroying you. My name is Dokumoryu." Miroku narrowed his eyes and propped his staff against his chest, reaching out and taking off the prayer beads wrapped around his right hand. Dokumoryu whirled his head around to glare at the monk, single eye glimmering cruelly. "Don't even think about trying that, monk. Not unless you want to shorten your lifespan considerably."
He gestured with his head to the castle walls, where a buzzing could be heard as an incredible amount of Saimyōshō rose to the air- revealing their presence. Miroku clicked his tongue, wrapping his hand back up.
"You have to fight me on your own strength. No powers or tricks." The demon cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. Each step caused a loud thud to echo. I felt cold. "Inuyasha! Sango! Miroku! Kagome! Irene! Face me and die!"
Shippō hid behind my legs, shaking as he looked up at the demon. "W-Wait, what about me? How come I wasn't mentioned!?"
Can I not use the Shikigami? How am I supposed to fight or heal the others? I can't do anything without help from the spirits. I'm useless now. "Sh-Shippō, it's probably a-a good thing. Means you'll get to live."
"B-But what about you guys!?"
Sango stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. "We'll just have to keep fighting until we locate a weakness. He can't regenerate forever."
"Ha!" Dokumoryu laughed again. "Confident, aren't you? Let's see you try."
"Damn it~!" Inuyasha screamed, running angrily at the demon. "Wind Scar or not, I can still tear you to shreds! Tetsusaiga~!" He swung with his sword, leaping and slashing at the beast. Miroku pulled out a couple of sacred sutras, but he couldn't get them to light up with his spiritual power. He ended up having to resort to charging with his staff, which- as expected- didn't do as much damage. The monk ended up getting tossed back by the demon's foot, crashing and rolling along the ground quite painfully. Sango cried out his name, but the distraction allowed her to get thrown as well. "Sango, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted, before focusing his attention on the demon as he dodged an attack. "How dare you!"
"My arrows!" Kagome noted with dread, seeing the way they just pierced the demon and didn't melt some of his flesh. "Th-They're not purifying him!"
Miroku pushed himself up, grabbing onto his wounded arm. It looked broken. "When he said he sealed all our powers… he really meant all of them. I can't even use my sutras, and my staff… it won't purify either. Kagome, I hate to say it… but you, Irene, and I are totally useless in this battle. I can't even use my Wind Tunnel without sucking up the poisonous insects."
Shippō looked pained. "This can't be happening… Is this even a battle we can win?"
It has to be. I stared at my hands, trying to recall any of the spirits that had helped me thus far. The dog, the two koi fish, the dragon, the ox… were they truly out of my reach now because of this mist? Could I not use the flames at all?
"What can we do…?" I asked no one, distraught. My voice cracked. "We can't fight like this!"
Only Sango and Inuyasha could battle the demon. They relied on weapons and their own strength more than spirits or demonic energy. They were our strongest players in this game of life-and-death. Frick.
"We're done for!" Shippō wailed. "I don't to die!"
No, No, no, no. He won't die. No one will have to die.
So why did it feel like it was going to happen? The sutras were useless, my powers were useless, Kagome can't use her arrows, and Shippō won't even be able to use his fox magic. Our part in this battle was worth nothing. Even back in the mansion with the demonic aura paralyzing the monk, we were still able to use the sutras thanks to Kakuju's help. If he hadn't put his power into those sutras to help us work together, then…
I snapped my head over to Miroku, eyes wide. "Miroku! The talismans!" I dashed over to the monk, sliding painfully on my knees, but I didn't cry out. Miroku looked at me and frowned, shaking his head. "Give me one!"
"They won't work. Without my spiritual power-"
"We don't need your spiritual power; we have Kakuju's!"
"What?" Realization dawned on his face. "Oh, of course! He added his own power to those sutras!" He used his good hand to pull out the parchment, forcing himself up onto his feet. "Why didn't I think of that before? You're getting a lot better at this, Irene!"
"Thanks, it's the trauma!" I responded, casting a nervous glance up at the battle. Sango and Inuyasha were still going strong against the demon, but they were sporting several injuries now. "O-Okay, how should we do this? Um. Frick, frackity, fruck, fruck."
We can't have him get close again; Miroku already has a broken arm. Kagome was making her way over to him now, medicine kit in her hands. Could he throw it? I don't know how strong Kakuju's spiritual power is.
"Give it to me-!" I took the sutras from the monk, cursing myself for these idiotic ideas, and dashed forward out of breath. "S-Sango! He… Here!"
I held the talismans up in the air for her to see as she flipped back, landing on her feet and skidding against the dirt. She turned her head to look at me. The talismans were glowing with a faint red aura. "What is it!?"
"Just take them! Put them on your weapon!"
It had to work. If only a little. Sango nodded at me and picked up her hiraikotsu, starting to run over, but Dokumoryu had other ideas. "I don't think so!" He shouted, stomping his way over, reaching out to grab her with his large hand before she could get over to me. Inuyasha charged, running at the demon as fast as he could, blade held high.
"You seriously think I'll let you touch her!? Dream on, ugly!" Inuyasha insulted, digging his sword into the demon's wrist. Dokumoryu cried out and retracted his arm, given Sango enough time to snatch the talismans and plant them on her hiraikotsu. "Hurry, Sango! Do it now!"
Her weapon started to shine with a red light. Feeling the burst of strength, she swung her hiraikotsu around her multiple times before letting go- allowing it to swing at the demon even faster than before. It even appeared to be sharper, or was that just my imagination? "Have a taste of this!" She remarked, digging her feet in the ground as she watched it fly. The hiraikotsu rammed hard into the demon's belly, slicing it open, blood spurting out. Normally the flesh would have started to close, but now…
"What!?" Dokumoryu demanded, glaring at his new wound. "Why isn't it healing!? What did you do!? Monk! How did you use your spiritual powers!?"
Miroku huffed, grinning at the demon. "They weren't mine. The power of the Shikigami belonged to someone else. A new friend, you could say."
"Damn you~!" His gaze turned to me, knowing I was the only Shikigami user on the team. He knew nothing of the old man who taught me how to use my powers. "I'll kill you first!"
"Irene, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted, seeing the damage the demon took from the Hiraikotsu. "It's working! Give me one! He can't regenerate when he's hit by those!"
The monk quickly fished a sutra out of his kimono, but the demon was heading straight towards me. I tried to move out of the way, but the thickness of the mist had me dizzy. Sango shouted and threw her weapon again, only to have it miss from the demon's movement.
Inuyasha was chasing right after the demon, but was unable to help in time. I screeched and dove to the side, but then Dokumoryu wrapped his fingers around me and threw me high into the air. I screamed like a banshee as my body was tossed like a rag doll, so much so that I couldn't even hear anything anymore. The air whipped around so fast and hard I couldn't see, and the next thing I knew I was hurtling towards the ground at a pace that there was no way I could survive.
I was going to splatter the moment by body hit the ground.
Oh gods.
Humans aren't supposed to be this high off the earth. I could feel myself moving closer and closer to the bottom. It was such a rush, horrible and intense all at once. Heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears; in fact, it was the only thing I could hear as I hurtled down towards the earth below.
M… Maria-! I haven't found Maria!
I can't be falling, I can't be dying, I can't go out like this! I was falling so fast I couldn't even move my arms or legs due to the wind pressure. It was too difficult. Oh gods, I'm going to die. I can't believe this is happening. Holy shit. Frick. Oh no.
I-I-!
I haven't even delivered the pinwheel to Otoki yet. I promised her brother and now…
Somebody~!
My eyes squeezed tightly shut. So much rushed through my mind; I couldn't focus on one particular thing. I was maybe forty feet from the ground now. Thirty.
I don't want to die!
Twenty. Fifteen. My body tensed as it braced itself for pain. It was going to happen so fast; a splat! And then darkness. I'm not ready. Why is this happening? Oh gods. Oh gods, it's going to hit, it's going to kill me; I'm going to die! No!
"Irene!"
My body hit something and… bounced? Eyes shooting open I let out a horrified squeal, still bouncing a few more times before coming to a complete stop on something… soft? Rubbery, almost. Pink. Shook, breathing completely shallow and almost hyperventilating, I wheezed and looked down.
"A-Are you okay!?" Shippō. That was his voice… coming from this giant pink ball I was on? How? We floated higher in the air and the giant pink ball let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… I was scared I was gonna be too late. Miroku grabbed Kirara, but…"
As if hearing her name be spoken the cat demon flew up, letting out a roar. The monk looked relieved. "That was a close one… nice catch, Shippō!"
"Thanks!" He floated closer to them. "Can you take her? I don't think my body can handle holding her for much longer…"
He nodded. I was still trying to figure out what the heck happened. Was this a transformation of his? I didn't see it before. Was this how he survived the fall the other day when Sōten sent him flying with the boulder off the mountain? Frick. If I hadn't grabbed that ledge in time… eugh. I don't want to think about it. I'm really tired of falling.
Kirara moved closer and Miroku held his good hand out for me to take, setting his staff in his lap. His bad arm was wrapped in a sling, probably courtesy of Kagome. She certainly worked fast. Though reluctant to be anywhere near him this was no time to be arguing, so I grabbed his wrist and jumped- heart pounding fearfully the entire time.
The second my feet left Shippō's transformed self I yelped, finding myself clinging tightly onto the monk's arm and kicking my feet until he pulled up onto Kirara's back. "H-Holy frick…" Oh my gods. I wheezed, looking down at the ground far below us. Do they do this often? Jesus. "That was terrifying. Okay. Okay. We're good. I'm good."
Miroku chuckled. "Don't you worry, Irene. You're safe with me. The mist doesn't reach up here."
His hand dared to touch my inner thigh.
There was no hesitation this time; my fist shot up to clock him in the jaw- nearly sending him off of Kirara's back. "Gah! Owww~! W-Was that really necessary?" He cried, rubbing his bruising chin. "That hurt…"
I sent him a dark glare, tired of his behavior, ignoring the pain in my knuckles. "I said to stop. No means no, monk. Not yes. No. Do it again and I'll push you off."
"Fine~!" He sighed.
Shippō transformed back into his normal self and shook his head. "Honestly, he never learns."
The fox demon landed on the ground and looked at the battle. Kagome was trying to shoot arrows into Dokumoryu's open stomach, dealing more damage by hitting him where it hurt, and Sango was still slicing with her hiraikotsu. Unfortunately, though, some of the sutras on her weapon looked like they were getting burnt up. They wouldn't last much longer. Inuyasha had one on his sword, but the demonic energy was tearing it up fast.
"Miroku," I began, squinting and looking down at them, "do… do you think you can take out some of those, uh… talisman thingies? Please?"
He blinked. The monk no longer seemed bothered by his red chin. My knuckles were hurting badly from when I hit him and I tried not to feel guilt for causing the man pain, but it was hard. I hated hurting others, even if they did seem to deserve it. "Of course, but what are you going to do with them? Give them to Inuyasha?"
We were out of the mist by now. It couldn't reach us up here.
"W-Well, I mean… I was going to earlier, but now…?"
I had an idea. I doubted it would work, but since I was the summoner it shouldn't directly effect the spirits. The only reason I couldn't do anything was because I was in the green mist, right? I think that was how it worked. Dokumoryu bragged a lot about how we couldn't use any special abilities while standing it. Not that our special abilities couldn't be used from outside to reach inside. We were at least fifty feet off the ground. Maybe sixty. Kirara had flown pretty high up back into the air after I was saved. "I-I want to try a thing. You said… um. You said that I should… believe in my powers. That I could do it. S-So… I want to…"
The teamwork that occurred back in the mansion- I wanted to try that again. This time more confidently. I tightened my grip on Kirara's fur, nervous and scared and so many other things at once. My emotions were running rampant and it was taking all I had to keep it under control. I could feel the flames flickering about my fingers, blue and desiring to help.
"I want to… use them… with you. Again."
He stared at me, eyes wide. A soft smile spread across his face. He nodded.
"Then let's work together." He pulled out four talismans from his robe and closed his eyes in a prayer, Kirara moving close to Dokumoryu yet remaining just high enough to avoid getting caught in the green mist. She let out a small growl, seeing the way Inuyasha and Sango were struggling. The hiraikotsu was barely doing damage anymore, the sutras completely worn out of their power. Miroku opened his eyes, seeing the way the talismans lit up brightly. "Alright, Irene. Can you communicate with the Shikigami?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at the items in his hold, shaking. I had to do this. I could do this. The Shikigami would listen. They've done so almost every time thus far, right? The only time they didn't was in the caves with Kohaku. I took a deep breath and exhaled, knitting my eyebrows together and trying to focus.
Please…
My friends are in danger. I have to help them.
Shikigami, give me your strength.
Red light danced around my fingers and I raised a hand up, reaching out to touch the glowing talismans. The red light flickered blue and Miroku watched in fascination. He grinned determinedly, raising up the shimmering sutras, and instructed Kirara to fly over until we were directly above Dokumoryu's head.
"Here goes…!" He started to shout, thrusting his arm out and sending the sutras flying towards the demon. "It's time for you to end!"
"What!?" The demon exclaimed, looking up when hearing the monk's voice. This caused the flaming talismans to land directly on Dokumoryu's face, steam smoking upwards as the sutras melted and burned away at his flesh. I could smell the rotten stench from all the way up here. "Ahhhhh! This is-!? How!? This is impossible! Raaaah!"
He tried to claw it off, but to no avail. Inuyasha ran forward and dug his sword into Dokumoryu's exposed stomach innards, running along his body and slicing him half. The demon grabbed pitifully at his lower half, trying to reattach himself, but Miroku and I sent several more talismans at Dokumoryu's torso, preventing him from regenerating. Sango quickly covered her sword in poison, which she had hiding in her kimono, and dragged her blade across the insides of his lower half.
It was a very gruesome, grotesque end towards the battle… but it got the job done.
Due to the severe damage Dokumoryu was sustaining, he was unable to keep the mist spreading out of his body. With enough time it dissipated and, after Miroku and I slapped a few more talismans onto Inuyasha's sword and Sango's hiraikotsu, they were able to cut the demon up into enough pieces until his body disintegrated. It was… horrifying, to say the least, but we were alive.
And everyone was exhausted. How the frick did Sango even fight in her kimono like she did? She didn't have any time to put on her armor earlier save for what she had underneath her regular outfit, yet the slayer still wrecked that freaking demon. She was a majestic queen.
We all took a breather, but if the Saimyōshō were here… Naraku knew we were as well.
Sango, as mentioned before, wasn't wearing her full armor so she quickly took off and changed behind some bushes. I stumbled over to the group with Miroku and Kirara by my side, barely standing. "W... What the frick was that!?" I demanded, still vividly remembering how the demon had tossed me like a ragdoll into the sky.
"He said he was an incarnation." Miroku said, frowning deeply. "That meant Naraku created him to keep us out of here. I can't imagine what we might encounter inside."
Kagome brought her hands to her chest, worried. "Do you think everyone that worked in the castle is okay? There's no miasma, so I don't think they're dead…"
Shippō shook his head incredulously, eyes wide. "How could they have survived with these crazy demons in there!?"
"We need to proceed with caution." Sango said as she stepped forward, dressed and ready for more battles. "Let's go."
Now that the guardian was out of the way, we were able to actually enter the castle. Shortly after we encountered a soldier who had been badly wounded, unable to move. He informed us that there were several more people hiding inside the castle, scared of being found by ghosts and demons.
"Please," He begged, "save them."
Kagome tended to his wounds as best as she could, but there was nothing we could do. I was going to try and heal him myself, but I was so exhausted from our previous battle that everyone suggested I save my strength. We would just have to hope that the man managed to escape. He claimed that there were around thirty people in total, but we would have to search high-and-low to find them.
It was terrible.
After pushing through broken floorboards and several demons, we found people hiding in crates and pots, inside empty suits of armor, and even underneath tablecloths. Several were children. We found the dead body of a monk on one of the upper floors of the castle, his apprentice crying in the corner mourning his loss. He gave us a passage key, informing us that we needed to get out of here as quickly as we could lest we all die as well.
The body was rotten and covered in blood, and I almost threw up at the stench.
Heading back down the stairs we located the door on the other side of the castle and used the key, entering the west end. We were getting worn out and there still wasn't any sign of a girl named Otoki. Where was she? She had to be somewhere… right? Many people were still alive, so… surely she was as well? I wanted to believe that.
I had to.
My heart wouldn't accept otherwise. Riding on Kirara's back as we ran through the castle, slaying any demons that got in our way, be they birds or ogres or floating heads, we found our way twisting through several long hallways and rooms into a large spacious area. We could hear screaming up ahead, and Inuyasha quickly took off after the noise.
It turned out a group of men in red armor were being attacked by multiple demons, sustaining bad injuries. The people were led by a man in blue. They weren't castle staff, shown by the way they were holding their own against their attackers, but that didn't mean they would survive the encounter. Inuyasha quickly charged at the weird caterpillar-esque demon, slicing it to ribbons with his claws.
"Die!"
It disintegrated almost instantly. Kagome drew her bow and shot at one of the other remaining demons, purifying it, and while the last demon was distracted Sango dashed forward and decapitated it with her sword. I cringed and looked away as this happened, keeping my eyes trained on Kirara's fur, but I knew the truth despite my actions. I was starting to grow desensitized to all this.
I was just desperate to keep some sense of normalcy.
I waited until they were finished slaying the demons to look up again, still reeling from having fallen and then watching them gut Dokumoryu. I just wanted to take a long nap. I questioned how they were able to do this day-after-day.
"Thank you for helping us!" The leader of the red armored men said, stepping forward and approaching Inuyasha. "We couldn't have survived those demons without you."
"That's alright." Kagome said, smiling softly at them. "I'm glad you're safe. If anyone is hurt, show me. I'll take care of you."
Kirara walked towards them, moving over to Sango, and I stared at the group of men from my spot on the cat demon's back. I wanted to help heal… but no one would let me. I frowned at them, looking over their forms and taking note of just how bad their injuries were. "How… How long have you guys been trapped here? It must have been awful…"
"I'm no longer certain." The man said, shaking his head. "So much has happened, I lost track of the days… We can't thank you enough for saving us. The lord, our king, has been possessed by a demon. The previous soldiers of the castle had been slaughtered by the time we showed up."
"Was Naraku the one who did all this?" Inuyasha demanded, "Do you know?"
Miroku looked at the half-demon. "Kagura showed up pretending to be a castle messenger, remember? It has to be him. When his scent appeared the other day it was leading here to the town."
"In that case, let's hurry up and kill them!"
"Wait, Inuyasha!" Sango stepped forward, holding a hand out to stop him. "Do you even have his scent?"
Inuyasha huffed, turning his head. "He's probably hiding behind that damned barrier of his again. Making it a puzzle to find him... Bastard."
Footsteps could be heard as a man dashed into the room, also wearing armor. "Yukimura! It's horrible! All the soldiers in the second unit that were fighting in the tower have been wiped out!"
"What!?" The man in blue exclaimed, anger and fear taking over his expression. "The second unit… that means we're all that's left to protect the castle!"
Wait a minute. My head shot over to the man, recalling the words of the women we met at the inn. "You're Yukimura? The husband of… um, frick. What was her name?" I clicked my tongue, trying to recall it. "Shi… Shino?"
He turned, staring at me in surprise. "You know my wife?"
"Yeah! Uh, kinda. We met her before we came here." Oh no. I just realized- if soldiers in the second unit are dead… does that mean some of them might have been married to the other women? How many people just lost their family here? Husbands, sons, brothers. I don't like it. Not at all. Oh gods. "I-I, uh, I have… something for you from her. K-Kagome, your bag!"
I slid off of Kirara's back, making my way towards the girl that was currently patching up some of the samurai's wounds. I opened her backpack and took out the wrapped packages of food, struggling to carry them all in my arms as I made my way over back to the warriors. These people… they almost died. They never would have seen their wives again. Would they even make it out of the castle?
Was this all for naught?
Yukimura took the wrapped food Shino made and opened it up, lips curling back as the emotions took over him. "These are her riceballs…" He said, voice trembling as he picked one up. "She never could make them properly. Just look… the plums are ready to fall out."
"E-Everyone is really worried about you guys." I told them, trying my darndest not to cry as they all started to tear up themselves. I fiddled with my fingers, a lump stuck in my throat. "Th-They were scared… that… that you were…"
I couldn't finish. I looked down, squeezing my eyes shut. My chest hurt so bad; it was like something was crushing my heart, tearing away at it. Yukimura inhaled deeply and smiled, looking at me. "Thank you. I think we can hold on a little longer now."
"Yes!" One of his men exclaimed, taking a bite of his own fish. "Th-Thank you…"
Another samurai nodded, holding his food close to his chest. "We can do this, Yukimura. I'm no longer afraid. Our families are rooting for us."
No. No, no, no. I can't let them die. I won't let that happen.
I shook my head fervently. "Just go home!" The men looked startled by my sudden shout, voice rising in volume. "We… We can take care of the rest, so just go back to them, okay? They're worried about you a-and they… they might lose you if you remain here! Just go!"
A hand rested on my shoulder, but I didn't look to see who it belonged to. It squeezed my shoulder lightly, trying to calm my anxiety.
"Don't…" My hands fell to my sides, useless and weak. They couldn't do anything. Not even reach out and save them, dragging them out of this castle. "Don't leave them alone…"
Yukimura stared at me for a long moment, before grimly shaking his head. "I'm sorry… but we can't do that. There are people who still haven't escaped yet."
"You're not scared for your life?" Miroku questioned, voice ringing out from behind me. It was him who was trying to comfort me. "Don't you wish to see your families again?"
"There's no sense in dying here!" Sango told them, frowning. She was just as upset. "Go home."
Yukimura stood his ground, gaze unwavering. "We are samurai," He said, "we protect our lord and our people. And yet… we were unable to protect the lord. As such, we must protect all who were left alive. That is our duty."
The samurai behind him nodded, murmuring and voicing their agreements. "Exactly."
"That's… our duty."
"But you'll die!" I argued, completely breaking down. The tears fell out of my control, dripping down my cheeks. I curled my hands into fists, pulling away from Miroku's grasp and swinging my arm out to the side. "Don't you care about your wives at all!? Your kids!? What will…" I hiccuped. "What will they d-do… without… without…"
I can't breathe. I'm hyperventilating. My throat and head hurt. All I could think about were how those women were going to react when they found out their husbands were dead, how they were going to be forced to live without their loved ones from that moment on. The pain that they would feel.
A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back into a soft chest. Sango held me close, resting her head on mine. "Breathe, Irene…" She murmured softly. "Don't hurt yourself."
"B-But-But-!" They were going to let themselves die. "W-We can-We can save- We can-!"
"They'll understand…" Yukimura told me, voice quiet and gaze solemn. He was clearly as upset as I was about this, but he wasn't letting it show. "Even my wife. Shino will-"
"No!"
I tried to pull away from Sango, but she held firm. I was screaming by this point.
"How could she!? You're leaving her for… for… for death!"
"It's already decided."
"It's not!"
Why? Why does he keep trying to insist on fighting!? Why can't he just go home to his family where he'll be safe and they'll be happy!? It's better that way! If they stay in this castle they'll be found by demons and eaten. The wives were so worried and he's just… they all just… are going to sacrifice themselves.
They have a choice. An opportunity to see their families again.
Why throw that away?
Why give it up for some strangers?
I want my sister. I want to see her so bad. I want to go home. I want to see my family.
They should want to see their families, too. Right? Why can't they just be selfish? Give up and go home. Live life. Be happy. Stay safe.
"Can you stop crying already?" Inuyasha demanded, stepping forward. "If we keep dawdling, Naraku is gonna get away!"
"Inuyasha!" Sango exclaimed, aghast by his behavior. She frowned, glaring. "No need to be so harsh."
"They already made their decision." He said, arms crossed. Oddly enough Inuyasha didn't look as angry as he sounded, appearing more bothered than anything. "We can't stop them. Stand up and get on Kirara, Irene. We need to get to Naraku."
I lacked the strength to argue or protest anymore, hand clamped over my mouth as I tried to muffle the sobs that were escaping. Sango helped walk me over to Kirara, who let out a worried growl when she saw me. Yukimura turned to face Inuyasha, a pained expression on his face. "Are you guys going to the tower?"
"If that's where Naraku is, then yeah." The half-demon answered. "It's why we came here. We've been looking to destroy him."
"I see… then here- take this." He handed him the tower key.
Miroku spoke up. "Are you certain?"
The samurai nodded. "Yes… we are no match for the demon. You, however… I think can do it. Please, take our place and go kill that beast!"
I curled against Kirara, face buried in her fur, hiccuping and sobbing, Sango's hand running along my back gently. She said nothing- merely trying to comfort me in silence. Kagome looked distraught by the whole situation, but she knew there wasn't anything that could be done. The samurai would try and rescue the remaining people in the castle, most likely die doing so, and we would be forced to continue on living with that fact in our hearts.
But damn it. I hated it.
I hated Naraku. What did he gain from doing this? I still don't understand.
Who even was he?
I tried to force myself to stop crying, but that only made the pain in my chest worse. "You just care too much, don't you?" Sango said, her voice only making me cry harder. I felt so horrible. Empty. Alone. "There, there…"
My family was gone.
I might never see Maria again. She wasn't any of the people we encountered in this castle so far. Would she be in the tower with Naraku? If not, then where? What if she's… dead?
No.
"I'm here. The samurai will make it out, I'm sure of it."
If Naraku wants me alive for some reason… he would have had to keep her for leverage. Right? Wouldn't he? Maria isn't dead.
My fingers dug into Kirara's fur for a moment and I held my breath, staring into nothing as anger slowly made its way onto my features. I pushed myself up, feeling the pinwheel shift in my pocket. I reached out and grabbed it, ignoring the stares I was receiving- even as the cat demon began to move and we walked out of the room.
"Irene?" Sango asked, concerned. "What is it?"
I raised my gaze up to meet her own, furious and sad all at once. The pinwheel shook in my hands, body trembling. "They will make it out." I told her. "Because Naraku will be dead."
Her eyes widened.
I looked away, glaring into the distance as we continued down the hall. Nobody spoke, at least not until we went up a few more staircases. Kagome stopped walking, eyes narrowing in focus as something caught her attention. "I… I feel it. There's a jewel shard up ahead. A big one. N-Naraku is… he's actually here."
"Finally." Inuyasha growled. "Let's go get him."
I don't care anymore. I'm done. I reached into my other pocket and grabbed my inhaler, coughing whilst I used it, holding my breath for as long as I could, teeth grinding together as the anger tried to boil over. My fingers kept flickering with red light, as if uncertain if it should be used.
"Wait-!" Shippō cried out after we turned a corner. "Do you hear something? It… sounds like someone is crying."
Everyone looked at me. I blinked, realization dawning, and then made a face. "I stopped, okay? Leave me alone."
Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned his head. "You're right, Shippō. It sounds like it's coming from over there by those barrels…" His nose twitched and he stepped forward, trying to get a closer look. There was a shriek and a young girl came tumbling out, running towards the other side of the room. "Whoa!"
"D-Demon! Ahhh!"
She tripped and fell, curling into the corner and sobbing with her hands placed over her head.
"I-I don't want to die… somebody… H-Help me!"
Kagome stepped forward, following the girl cautiously. "H-Hey, it's okay! Inuyasha is only half demon. We're here to help you, I promise."
She looked so young. No older than fourteen. Could she be…? "A-Are you Otoki?"
The girl paused, sniffling, slowly raising her brown eyes to meet mine. Her skin was so pale and freckled, her long black hair pulled back by a single ribbon. "Y… Yes?" She watched me slide off of Kirara's back, stumbling over to her with the pinwheel in hand. "Who are you?"
I've never felt more relieved.
I landed on my knees roughly in front of her, holding the object out for the girl to see. "I'm Irene. A-And… y-your brother he… he made this for you! Juzo, right?"
The girl hesitantly took the pinwheel from me, eyes brightening when she saw the workmanship of the item. "H-He's okay then? Oh…" Her lips curled back and she choked. "I-I'm so happy…"
Shippō bounded over, looking up at the girl. "There are samurai downstairs helping the people who couldn't escape." He informed her. "Try and make it down there, and you'll be able to get out of the castle!"
She brought a delicate pink sleeve up to her face, wiping at her tears despite the fact that they wouldn't stop falling. "Th-Thank you so much… I-I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't…" She sniffed. The girl shakily stood, holding the pinwheel close to her chest. "I-I'll go now. Thank you."
"O-Otoki?" I stammered, standing and looked at her as she walked away. The girl paused, glancing over her shoulder. I wobbled over there, reaching out with my arms and wrapping them around her shoulders. She stiffened. "I… I told him I would hug you for him, s-so…" I pulled away, biting hard on my lower lip. "Be… Be safe, okay? He's waiting for you."
She offered a weak smile. "Th-Thank you… I-I will! Good-bye!"
And with that she took down the stairs.
I rested a hand against my chest, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was so dizzy, but… there was a glimmer of joy in the mess of emotions now. It was almost nice. Otoki was alive. Safe. She would make it out of the castle. Nothing to worry about except…
I turned my head, looking at the group I was travelling with. They all nodded, sharing silent conversations as they met each other's eyes.
...Naraku.
Climbing back onto Kirara, the two of us followed the group through the castle tower hallway, down a corner, where we eventually turned and walked into a large room. Through that room we entered another hall, up another flight of stairs. This led us to the very top of the tower, walking slowly to the room at the end. There was a divider blocking out the view of what was inside upon immediately entering, but we could hear voices.
And I did not like what I heard.
"You made it. It's about time."
The voice was low and deep, underlined with something cold. It sent chills down my spine and I froze, the only thing allowing me to move forward being the cat demon I was sitting upon. Inuyasha stepped forward and kicked the divider out of the way, glaring at the man standing across from us. Naraku looked so unlike anything I had ever imagined.
"You're late."
His skin was so pale it was almost like snow, his long dark curly hair falling in waves over his shoulders. Eyes a vibrant red, accented only more by the blue eyeshadow he wore, they seemed to stare into our very souls. Judging us, calculating what our next course of action would be. The evil half-demon's top and hakama were a dark purple, with a lighter vest overtop. Overall, his attire was simple, and his features were harsh yet delicate, but... there was something else about him. Something that made your skin crawl. His aura seemed to radiate danger, causing the hair on the back of your neck to stand up and making your palms sweaty. It felt like one wrong step out of place and then... it would just be over. And the worst part of it all? Naraku was beautiful.
Completely and utterly beautiful.
And I hated it.
I stared at him, unable to believe that this was the person who caused all this suffering, and yet the look on his face said it all. "You… You're Naraku?" He looked at me, standing beside the masked woman who had attacked us before back in Kasasagi. "You were… the one who… who brought me here? Where's Maria? What did you do with her!?"
"Do you want to know?" He asked, expression blank and void of any feeling. The man turned his head, looking at the woman beside him. "Is this the girl, Anastasia? The one you wanted?"
"What are you mumbling about?" Sango growled, grabbing her hiraikotsu. "Naraku, are you prepared to die!?"
The man laughed. Something about this stranger was incredibly intimidating-more so than any foe I've ever faced during my time here. Even more than Kagura. Seeing Naraku up close I could clearly make out the resemblance between the two. "You're all fools!"
Inuyasha ran at Naraku, no longer participating in the conversation as he went in for the kill. "Just die already!" He screamed, swinging with the tetsusaiga, but a light erupted around Naraku and Anastasia and the half-demon went flying. He landed roughly on his feet, cursing loudly. "What is that!?"
"A barrier!" Miroku exclaimed. "It's constructed around himself instead of the castle!"
"Grr- that won't stop me! WIND SCAR!"
The demonic aura swirled around the blade, the energy building up and releasing all at once. It flew at Naraku and Anastasia, but where it should have made contact… it swirled over the barrier he had constructed around him, destroying the entire back half of the room while leaving them completely unscathed. He really…
He really just avoided that. What? Kagome drew her arrow and released, shooting at him in both frustration and hatred. "Curse you! Why won't these work!?"
"How strong his barrier!?" Sango demanded, catching her hiraikotsu after it doubled back towards her. She had thrown it, but it did absolute nothing to dent the barrier. Not even Miroku's sutras were working. I squinted my eyes, trying to find something akin to the crystal from before, but it wasn't there. Why not? Were all barriers different? "We can't beat him like this!"
Naraku grinned at us, raising a hand into the air. "You never could… Now taste my miasma and perish!" Purple mist shot out of his palms and into the room. At that moment it was as if all air was swept out of the room, replaced with something thick and corrosive, tearing into our throats and burning all of our lungs.
I was the first to fall down, spitting and coughing, fingers clawing at my chest, a hand over my mouth as I wheezed. Kirara knelt down and hissed, shaking her fur back-and-forth and nearly knocking me off her back. Sango fumbled for her gas mask, and Inuyasha held tight to Kagome with a sleeve over his mouth. The middle schooler looked ready to pass out. Miroku was hunched over hacking up a storm. My vision was turning black, dancing with spots, the world spinning around me.
"C-Can't… move-!"
What is this purple smoke? It burns worse than any fire or acid.
"Damn it all…" Sango growled, glaring up at him from her spot on the floor. "I'll k-kill you…"
"You're weak." Naraku responded easily, unimpressed. "The battle is over. Anastasia, grab the girl and leave. There's nothing left to do here- Inuyasha and his friends will die to my miasma eventually."
The woman began to step forward, walking towards me. Inuyasha forced himself up onto his feet and charged, swinging with his sword to stop her. "Don't you dare try it, demon!"
"Demon?" She echoed curiously, watching as he aimed his blade at her. The tetsusaiga bounced off the violet barrier, the half-demon stumbling back with a cough. She raised a hand in the air, orange flames dancing upon her palm. The snake threatened to bite at Inuyasha. "Hn. You are mistaken."
"Ugh…"
"E-Even the tetsusaiga won't work!" Kagome forced out, hunched over. Naraku turned and looked at them, eyes narrowing.
"Those who go against me will die a painful death… now accept your fate."
My body… it's completely paralyzed. Not even my fingers could move; I was stuck, lying on the ground after Kirara collapsed. This is insane. Were we really going to die here? After all it took to get to this place? I can't… accept that.
There has to be a way, right? Anastasia began to make her way towards me again, face still hidden behind that cursed mask. I wanted to know what she looked like so bad- it was driving me insane. If I could manage it… I would like to rip that mask off her face once she got close enough. Maybe I could try blasting her with my Shikigami?
"Naraku!" A familiar voice cried out, several men entering the room. I could barely turn my head to look at them, struggling to make out the image of the red armor and swords. The person shouting… it was Yukimura. Naraku moved and glanced over at them, narrowing his eyes.
"You're supposed to be dead. What do you want?"
"I will avenge my king!" The human cried, running at the half-demon. Yukimura slashed at him with his sword. "Take that, beast!"
The blade bounced off of Naraku's barrier, snapping in half upon contact. They're supposed to be downstairs, helping people escape! Why are they here? They should be leaving to return to their families! Another samurai charged at the masked priestess, trying to push her back away from me. "Leave her alone! Hyah! W-Whoa!" The snake reached out and bit at him, fangs digging into his throat. The length of the snake's body wrapped around him.
Raising her other arm, a red dragon erupted from a pentagram out of the ground and flew towards the men. "You're in my way." An explosion occurred as it crashed into the floor, phasing through their bodies before sending the samurai flying.
"G-Get out…" I couldn't stand to watch. "...please…"
"You can't beat him!" Shippō cried. "It's pointless! Run…! Run away!"
"We have no choice!" One of the soldiers declared, fear written all over his face as he pushed himself back up and brandished his weapon. Blood was trickling down his forehead. His brown eyes were determined. "We can't back down! It's out duty to protect the people! To protect you!"
Suddenly one the soldiers moved over to us, trying to lift us onto our feet while the other samurai distracted Naraku and Anastasia. "You have to get out of here! There's a secret passage that leads back into the town- use it!" The man coughed roughly into his shoulder, inhaling the miasma Naraku had let loose. Nudging the giant cat demon, Kirara slowly began to move- teeth grabbing at my arm and dragging me with her, even if it caused me to bleed. Inuyasha slung Kagome over his shoulder, hunched over and barely walking.
"What!?" Naraku growled. "You still have strength!?"
The soldier had to help Sango, Shippō, and Miroku, guiding us all over to a large hanging scroll. Naraku let loose another wave of miasma, this time even thicker than before, and the samurai dropped the monk and slayer into the passage. Inuyasha and Kagome went in next, with Kirara dragging me after. "Wh-What about you?" Shippō wheezed, falling off of Miroku's shoulder onto the ground. "Y-You guys gotta come too…"
"You're all imbeciles!" Naraku shouted, "Die!"
The samurai could no longer stand at this point, falling to the floor as the hanging scroll shut closed. The miasma in the room was fatal, and I found myself being pulled by Kirara whilst in shock. The men's screams rang in my ears, filling the castle halls.
"D-Don't run away!" Yukimura cried. "W-We have… to give them more time to escape…"
They're dying. The samurai are being killed and we're just running away, letting it happen. Naraku was murdering them all, suffocating them to death while Anastasia used her power over the Shikigami to wound them. They were being tortured in there.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
I wasn't even sure if I was breathing anymore, the world around me slowly becoming all black, the pounding in my head becoming too much to bear. I was going to black out. I think Inuyasha let out an enraged yell, swearing and cursing Naraku's name, but I couldn't make out the exact details. The silence was deafening. I didn't speak at all during our escape, simply staring at the back of the hanging scroll as we got further and further away, body limp as Kirara's teeth dug into my flesh as she used all her strength to drag me away.
Eventually the pain and shock became too much, and I just… closed my eyes.
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