Kōga chased after the direction of the main four panther demons, kicking at the several lackies that lunged at him. Forcing them out of the way, he followed Irene's scent as closely as possible. He was almost able to catch up when he saw a flash of red, a silver-haired half-demon appearing beside him and running ahead. Kōga's blue eyes widened, annoyance forming on his face. "Who the hell asked you for help!?"
"I'm the one who's gonna do the saving here!" Inuyasha retorted, moving faster. "She's my friend, not yours! So back off!"
"Not if I have any say in it!" Kōga growled. "I'm the one that's gonna rescue Maria's kid sister! She needs my help, dog face!"
The two came to an abrupt halt when they encountered a dead end, the valley colliding together to create one very long wall. Glancing around, the two couldn't find any passage that would lead them to the demons or their friend, causing them to grow frustrated and angry.
Taking a deep breath, praying that she was still conscious and was close enough to hear him, Inuyasha shouted, "Ireeeeene!"
Kōga began to do the same, running along the walls and trying to get a better view of the area. "Where are yoouuuu!?"
No answer. He huffed and jumped back down, listening to their voices echo around them.
"Irene!"
"Say something!"
"Can you heaaar meee!?"
Hakkaku ran over with Ginta, huffing in exhaustion as he finally caught up. "Wh-What's the matter!?"
"Where did the cats get to!?"
Maria, from atop the large wolf, narrowed her eyes and looked around. "Irene! Where is she? Demons escaped?"
She focused her gaze on Kōga, as if demanding an explanation. He met her stare and scowled, looking away and glaring at the wall blocking their path.
"We've lost them," He said, furious, "they've vanished without a trace!"
Inuyasha sniffed the air and twitched his ears, straining to hear anything, but there was nothing. "I can't pick up the scent of any of those cats or Irene!"
Damn it all; why now of all times!? It was bad enough that she was already a target for her soul, but now these demons want her as well? What for? Curse it all; he was going to kill every last one of them.
Taking his friend like that…
Damn it; his mind keeps going into the darkest places! She's so frail- Irene might break if she stays with those demons any longer. She was tough, but there was no way she could survive on her own for very long. They had to get to her now before it's too late. Before she becomes unable to reunite with her sister.
Inuyasha dug his claws into his palms, fury in his eyes. "This is so stupid; they can't have just disappeared! There has to be a way to find them!"
Maria glanced at him, noticing the tautness of his shoulders and the trembling of his fists. Inuyasha was angry, she noticed, but even more than that- he was afraid. Was he truly a friend of her sister?
He didn't act like anything Kōga described; in fact, she'd dare say they were similar. Cut from the same cloth.
"Passage in secrecy?" She suggested, observing her surroundings again and trying to find any clues to their whereabouts. "We must find where it is hiding!"
"Damn iiiiit!" Kōga screamed, looking up at the sky and baring his fangs. His voice echoed throughout the valley. "This is just like with Naraku's barrier! Aurgh, I wanna kick their faces in so hard right now! The bastards!"
Inuyasha jumped, eyes widening for a split second and then narrowing in realization. "What? Did you just say barrier?" They all turned to look at him, confused. The half-demon gripped the handle of the tetsusaiga, starting to unsheathe it. "I guess now's as good a time as any to test it…"
"What are you yapping on about?" Kōga demanded, glaring darkly at him. He paused, seeing the fierce look on his face. "Inuyasha…? What are you plannin' on doing with that sword?"
The half-demon gave no answer, instead focusing all of his concentration on his next attack. Kōga watched in shock as the demonic energy swirled around the blade, growing stronger and more powerful until the fang turned into a blood red color.
Maria's wolf stepping forward, the woman reached out and tapped the wolf demon chief with her hand lightly, staring at the weapon. "Kōga… explain what is happening?"
He said nothing, unable to answer as he watched the half-demon swing his blade and let loose a mighty attack. Seeing this, she merely observed Inuyasha and his strange behavior.
The attack he unleashed, the Wind Scar, cut through the wall, the new power it had obtained from the blood crow crystal working wonders to destroy the barrier keeping them out. Inuyasha laughed, looking quite pleased with himself, and was about to make a snarky comment towards the wolf demon chief when there was a sudden gust of wind passing by him.
Kōga, running through the entrance, smirked at Inuyasha over his shoulder. "You know, that wasn't bad for a mutt like you!"
Inuyasha was this close to charging after and pounding his wolfish face in. "What did you just say to me, you fleabag!? Are you trying to die!?" He waved his sword in the air, aggravated by the childish insults. "Get back here and-!"
"Move!" He yelped, being pushed to the side as Maria and her wolf charged forward, dashing after the demon. "Time is being wasted!"
"Wh-What the-?" The half-demon was incredulous. This was seriously Irene's older sister? There had to be some kind of mistake. Why was she going with him when Inuyasha is the one who actually knows Irene? He was her friend, damn it, not that mangy wolf. Raising his voice, he yelled at them. "Hey! What gives!?"
"Kōga, wait!" Inuyasha was completely ignored, Hakkaku crying out to his leader and running as fast as he could to catch up. "Don't leave us behind!"
Ginta followed behind, huffing. "Slow down, boss! M-Maria-! Ooh, Saun runs way too fast..."
What was even…? Inuyasha blinked, shaking his head with a scowl. He turned when he caught wind of his friends' scents, Kirara flying over with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo atop her back. Kōga didn't matter right now; if he's been keeping Maria alive this long, he'd leave her to him. Inuyasha's top priority was getting Irene back. I won't let you die on us, so just hold on a little longer!
She had to get through this. Forcing a scowl on his face, Inuyasha spoke to his companions. "It took you guys long enough! What the hell happened?"
"You ran off without us, you big dummy!" Shippō whined, perched on Kirara's head. "You're so impatient! Kirara can't keep up with all of us on her back!"
That was when Inuyasha noticed- Hachi was gone. Did that coward run off? Tch. Figures. He moved back to face the castle entrance, glaring into the forest. Miroku followed his gaze, frowning deeply.
"Is that it?" The monk inquired. "The path to the castle?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha responded, sheathing his sword. He felt so angry and frustrated; his friend was so far out of his reach and he felt so damn useless not being able to do anything about it. If he had arrived moments earlier he might have been able to catch the demons before they took off with Irene. "It was hiding behind a barrier."
The only relief he had was knowing that Kagome was safe back in her homeland.
His fingers tightened around the handle, knuckles turning white. His jaw was clenched tight. "Those damn cats… I bet they're hiding in there somewhere. What do they even want with Irene?"
"You don't know?" Shippō asked, surprised. Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed and he turned his head, confused. "They want her soul!"
"What?"
"Yes." Miroku explained, the group starting to get a move on as they entered the forest. They can talk and advance forward at the same time; there was no reason to waste daylight. Not that there was much of the sun left considering night was falling. "Apparently if you take the living soul of one who uses the spirits of Shikigami, you can obtain those spirits!"
Inuyasha's eyes widened, "That's why Naraku wants her so bad!?"
"Maybe." Sango said, expression darkening. "We think Anastasia might have informed the cat demons about her, which is why they know of Irene's Shikigami powers! Unlike Kagome, she hasn't been here for very long, so it doesn't make sense that they know so much."
"So Naraku wants Irene's Shikigami?"
"No," Sango shook her head, voice raised with barely restrained fury, "Anastasia wants them! Why she does when she has Shikigami of her own I don't know- but we can't let them get away with this! If they manage to extract her soul, Irene will-!"
"That's not gonna happen." Inuyasha interrupted. "Whether they learned about her on their own or by Anastasia, we are going to save Irene."
Shippō hung his head, a headache growing. "All this stuff makes my brain hurt. Does it really matter why they want her soul? Can't we worry about that after we save her?"
"Agreed." Miroku nodded. "Faster, Kirara! Inuyasha!"
"I'm not a fucking steed!" The half-demon barked, picking up pace.
The flames around Kirara's ankles grew hotter as she moved to catch up, a loud roar escaping her lips as she let loose a determined cry. In the distance, unbeknownst to them, stood a woman. Her eyes narrowed at them for a moment, red lips tilting downwards.
Then, not making a single sound, she pulled an ogre mask over her face and turned away, disappearing with a gust of wind.
…
I wasn't sure how long it's been since I woke up, but I do know that too much time had been spent unconscious. I grimaced and tried to sit up, only to cry out as pain exploded abruptly within my abdomen and chest. Sharp needle-like stabs of pain pressed against my muscles and inner organs.
M-My ribcage… frick… I think part of it was broken, maybe cracked. Tears stung my eyes and I choked, barely breathing as darkness danced in my vision.
Consciousness struggled to keep hold as I attempted to move, and I found myself cursing my rotten luck as I saw the prison bars, knowing I was being held in a cell once again. I was getting seriously sick of this routine. Humans, demons- they were all the same. I always ended up getting beat up and captured in the end.
Freaking hell…
Just how was I supposed to get out of this one?
Heaving as I rolled onto my side, I choked back a sob and flinched as I pressed a hand gingerly to my bruised stomach. I debated lighting the cell bars on fire since they were wood, but that wouldn't work. I couldn't do that back in Kasasagi Town, so why would I be able to do that here? It was way too dangerous. Still, I can't just… lay around and wait to die. Frick.
It hurts so much…
I just want to lay here. Sleep was so tempting.
My tired eyes flickered around the room, lids threatening to close, until I caught sight of several people staring me down from the dark shadows of the room. Blinking and tasting iron as I forced myself to sit up, a cry building up in the back of my throat, I swallowed down blood and bile and looked at the strangers. Women, children, men, elders- even infants were all huddled together. Scared and alarmed. Most notably, they were all human.
There were far too many to be regular prisoners or even hostages, so…
Oh, okay. If this was in fact an actual castle these must be the inhabitants. The panthers must have locked them up inside of here. That would explain things.
Ow, ow-! I inhaled too deeply there. My sides were absolutely throbbing with hurt. Both sides? Shūran really… didn't hold back much.
How many were broken? Two, three? Gods… I really had the worst of luck.
"Eugh…"
It didn't help that I was still wheezing, heart racing and lungs acting up in an attempt to get oxygen. It only made the pain worse. They needed me alive for their stupid sacrifice since they wanted the Shikigami spirits, but clearly they didn't care too much about what shape my body was in. Did they just want to keep me from resisting?
I huffed and recoiled heavily with a flinch, glancing at the people once more. Raising a hand, I made to start crawling over there, but I barely got two feet before I had collapsed again. My body was just too worn out. Something gross and iron touched my tongue and I almost gagged, blood dripping down my chin. My chest didn't feel right at all.
Tears stung my eyes and I whimpered, fingers clawing uselessly at the ground. I have to get out of here; I can't just lie here and die. But it hurts…
I'm pretty sure some of the bones were pressing against my organs, maybe even piercing them. Perhaps that was why I was currently spitting blood. Shit. No- frick, gods… okay. Okay, calm down; it's okay. This is fine. We're fine. I'm fine. Everything is…
Everything is not fine. I'm not okay. I'm so scared. So much blood is spilling out of me.
Sango… Inuyasha…!
Help me. Help me, please.
I don't want to die!
There are too many demons to outmaneuver and I… I… I'm so tired. I feel so weak and cold and warm, and… I'm scared. I can't do this alone. My right arm stretched out, left hand holding one of my sides, hot tears burning my skin and slowly dripping down into faint blue flames. I can't just end like this.
Maria…
I can't die after I finally found her. She was alive. I have to get to her.
And yet… I found myself paralyzed, unable to move as I stared into a pair of green eyes, a calico cat tilting its head in curiosity as it watched me. He was sitting in the middle of the pentagram that had formed beneath my very body, large and encompassing, unlike any spell circle I've casted or have seen before.
The tom cat was completely unaffected by the fire, or rather… it almost seemed like the fire was coming from the creature itself. His gaze bore into my own, challenging me to act.
Where did he even come from? How did he get in here? Wasn't he left at the other castle?
Suddenly I remembered Jaken's words- of how he claimed that this cat wasn't as ordinary as I believed. Lips curling back as I choked, heart and body in utter agony, mind in disarray, I forced myself to speak despite feeling as though there was shattered glass in my chest. "Who… Who are you?"
The creature shook his head. If I wasn't so worn out I might have jumped at what occured next, the cat speaking yet never once opening his mouth.
"No," He corrected, "who are you? Are you someone who will give in to death? Who will just lay there and let their soul and precious spirits be stolen?"
Of course not. I've been doing my best to survive all this time. I have people waiting for me, people worrying about me. I have to make sure I live; I have to make sure that they live. There was no way I was going to let anyone steal my soul and end my life. But it's so hard…
I want to sleep. I'm so scared that I'm going to die. I don't think I can do this anymore.
He stared at me, ears twitching.
"Are you going to give in… and forgo a better ending?" I felt so dizzy, the voice echoing in my head.A part of me wondered if I had finally gone insane. "You were never meant to be here, but time has twisted. Death came too soon. Don't you wish to see where this path will lead, should you continue on?"
I don't understand…
"You never do. You're only human."
The flames were dancing about my body, easing some of the pain and making it mildly easier to breathe. The sharp needle-like pains that were stabbing me in my chest and along the rest of my body were gradually ebbing away.
"And what… are you?" I wheezed, fingers twitching as they started to regain feeling in them. My body was so numb. "What… do you want from me?"
"What I want?" He said, as if bemused by the question. I could only cough and watch as the cat stepped forward, the people cowering in the corner in fright at the scene, fiery blue pawprints left on the ground. His cold nose pressed against my uninjured cheek. "I want you to live. Live a long, fulfilling life. Save those in need."
I wanted to laugh at that, but instead I could only lie there as more tears fell. This creature's request was a lot easier said than done.
"Save those… like you have saved me."
What?
"And for that to be possible… you must rise here." He pulled away, green eyes intense and overwhelming. It felt like I was gazing into the face of something far more powerful than any demon, yet something about it… was familiar to me. "You must use the gift that was bestowed upon your bloodline; the Shikigami power that you had inherited. You must use that power and thrive. So stand, human…"
The cat pressed his forehead to my own, the blue flame growing stronger and embracing my body with a cool breeze.
"Stand… and live."
The flames grew brighter and colder, and as I found myself being lifted onto my feet… the fire dispersed and the mysterious talking cat was gone. My wounds were healed, though I was still completely exhausted, and as I stumbled and glanced around the room I saw just how terrified the villagers were. Not just because they were locked up by the panther demons, but because of what they had just witnessed.
They were scared of me.
And seeing this, I awkwardly raised a hand up and cringed, awkwardly grinning and scratching the back of my head with a breathy greeting. "S-So, uh… about our escape plan… a-anyone got any ideas?"
They simply stared at me.
…
By the time the group made it to the castle town it was already night and the moon was almost completely overhead.
It was eerily silent, as if no one lived here at all, the only things the gang could hear being their own breathing and the sounds of crickets chirping in the distance. As an owl called out in the darkness, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and looked around.
"The hell is up with this place…?"
"It's a pretty good sized town built around the castle," Miroku commented, a suspicious tone in his voice, the monk eyeing several of the huts, "so where are all the people?"
"How come the demons are hiding out here?" Shippō asked, leaping off of Miroku's shoulder and opening one of the house doors to peer inside. Dishes, silverware, and even food were all tipped over- as if someone had been in the midst of preparing a meal when a fight broke out. It was unnerving and left chills down the fox demon's spine. "Why this village?"
They all split up to look into the houses, but all of them were the same. Furniture broken, dishes smashed, food half-cooked or being prepared for said cooking.
Sango's lips drew into a thin line. "No one is here. Yet they all look as if people had been living in them until recently…"
Miroku nodded. "Yes, it is most strange. And there isn't any sign of Maria, or Kōga and his men, either…"
Inuyasha tensed and reached out for his sword, glaring up at the rooftops as his nose caught whiff of a scent. "Yeah. But would you look at that? I can see plenty of cat demons ready for their lunch."
Several panthers were coming out of hiding, growling and hissing at the group of adventurers. Shippō squeaked as he came out of the hut, startled and scared. They were completely surrounded.
And leading the group of demons… was Karan.
"So that was where you were hiding!" Inuyasha snapped, charging forward and unsheathing his tetsusaiga, swinging the blade with the intent of slicing her in half.
Karan merely smirked and jumped out of the way, dodging the blow and landing atop a nearby building with cat-like grace. One panther moved towards Sango and slashed at her with a sickle, the woman narrowly dodging it and aiming a kick to his face.
Shippō was making a run for it, being chased by multiple panthers, panic in his eyes. "I-Irene! Where are yoooouuu!?"
Miroku made to go assist him, starting to dash over, but was forced to a halt when a demon tried to slice at his front. He used his staff to block the next few attacks, each one pushing him back and farther away from his travelling companions. Shippō skidded to a stop when a demon appeared in front of him, sweat beading down the sides of his face, and he turned to see that the others that were chasing him had caught up.
Not knowing what else to do, Shippō hurriedly reached into his vest and pulled out a firebomb.
"T-Take this!" He cried, throwing the item at the ground.
It exploded, smoke filling the area, and he took the time given from the distraction to run away. Only the ones that weren't caught in the blast saw him, and Shippō started screaming again, moving his little legs as fast as they would go to get away from the group of angry panther demons.
"Shippō!" Inuyasha yelled, whirling around and swinging his sword. "Wind Scaaaar!"
The poor fox demon didn't have time to prepare himself for the blast he was almost hit with, the wind pressure from the explosion of the demonic energy tearing into the ground and his opponents, sending Shippō flying through the air.
Miroku, finally managing to get away from his own foe, looked almost exasperated as he called out, "Watch where you're pointing that thing, Inuyasha! Irene could be in any of these houses!"
The half-demon jerked, having not thought of that possibility. But then, for some reason, the panther demons all turned tail and started running away. His eyes widened and before he knew what he was doing, Inuyasha was chasing after angrily.
"Stop! Get back here!" He jumped high into the air, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Sango, Miroku, and Shippō all climbing atop Kirara's back and flying after. "You won't get away…!"
He tracked them down near the upper level of the town, feet touching ground and sword pointing aggressively at them. Karan rolled her eyes, the grin never leaving her face.
"You certainly are impatient!" They turned to see her standing on a tilted roof, a hand pressed to her hip. "How rude- like, honestly! Breaking our barrier and bursting in like that? Just who do you think you are?"
"Stop yapping and tell me where Irene's at!" Inuyasha growled, pointing his sword at her.
Karan snorted. "Don't worry, little mutt. She's safe… for now."
"Explain yourselves!"
"When the moon is directly overhead- that's when we plan to sacrifice her to our master." Inuyasha was this close to tearing the demon to shreds. His amber orbs were boiling gold with rage and hatred. He tightened his grip on the sword and tensed his legs, ready to leap up at her the moment she stopped paying attention. "Her soul will be the fodder for his revival; should he desire a morning feast to celebrate… then he'll get the rest of the humans we've huddled up from this town. Naturally, Inuyasha, you'll be joining them."
"Like hell I will-!" He cut himself off, nose suddenly picking up a terrible stench, black mist pouring out of the windows of the nearby huts. "What the…? What is this!?"
"Where's it coming from!?" Miroku exclaimed.
"Don't worry," Sango told Miroku and Inuyasha in response to their questions, "I think it's just a normal smoke screen!"
Shippō shook his head and covered his mouth and nose, cringing. "Ugh, it smells awful!"
From behind Kirara shivered and transformed back into a kitten, the stench overpowering her nose. Shippō whirled his head around with a start, alarmed by his ally collapsing, before his attention focused on Inuyasha. The half-demon was covering his face with his kimono sleeve, but his senses were still too strong. It left the teen trembling, almost seeming to paralyze him, if not at the very least weakening him. Karan's laughter echoed around them, the panther demon arrogant and proud.
"How's that for potent?" She sneered. "Considering how keen our sense of smell is, it must be so much worse for you cursed dogs!"
Miroku glared up at the woman, tightening his grip on his staff. "What's the point of this if not to cause us harm!? Is it merely a trap to slow down Inuyasha? To stop him?"
"Yes, it is," Karan answered, raising her chin up with narrowed eyes as she glanced up at the moon, which was rising ever-so-slowly, "but it's not exactly going according to plan."
At those words several of the demons that were hiding upon the many rooftops let out their attacks, throwing spears and arrows at the group. Miroku and Sango quickly got to work, being the only members who could still move, and simultaneously broke and blocked the weapons that were shot at them. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned his head to the side, catching wind of a familiar scent- a scent he despised.
Karan didn't seem to notice the newcomer, instead pointing at them arrogantly and declaring, "Capture them all, now! Our master will be having a feast tonight!"
The demons leapt down from the rooftops, fangs peering through their lips as they grinned. They barely had any time to react as a blue light suddenly shined from the area on the right, bright and blinding, and spreading out all the way to where they were. Electricity and demonic energy mixed together and formed a huge explosion, the attack cutting deep into the earth and destroying several of the demons and buildings that were around them, narrowly missing Inuyasha and his friends.
Still- the shockwave that followed was incredibly powerful, and it took everything the group had to not be blown away by the huge gust of wind that hit them.
Karan herself barely got away with her life, right arm bloody as she leapt onto a nearby roof. She watched with narrowed eyes as a figure emerged from the smoke and dust, a man with long silver hair approaching. The anger in his golden gaze almost betrayed the cool and aloof expression he wore.
Inuyasha growled, lowering his arm from his face, teeth grinding together. "Sesshōmaru…"
The demon lord did nothing to show that he acknowledged Inuyasha and the others, merely focusing his cold stare on the female panther demon above them. "What is the meaning of this, Karan?" He demanded. "Is it me that you have business with… or these fools?"
She merely grinned at him, several of her surviving panther allies joining her upon the roof.
"The elder brother has finally arrived. Your timing couldn't have been any better; the moon is close to reaching the highest point. Soon the ritual will begin and the sacrifice will be made. Sons of the dog leader," Karan raised her voice, loud enough for all to hear, "we will be awaiting you at the castle! Please, try not to disappoint. My siblings and I are most certainly looking forward to seeing the expressions you will wear… as that precious priestess of yours becomes nothing more than an empty shell."
The panther demon laughed loudly at her own words, seeing the rage on their faces. Sesshōmaru was the only one who remained expressionless, standing there calmly as Karan threw a smoke bomb and disappeared, her comrades vanishing alongside her. His grip on the tōkijin tightened and he turned to face Inuyasha when the half-demon started cursing his name.
"What in the hell are you doing here!?"
"Nothing that concerns you." Sesshōmaru retorted calmly, voice deepening ever-so-slightly into what could almost be considered a growl. "Leave while you can. This is my war and I won't let you get involved."
Inuyasha stepped forward, rage and determination overpowering his fear of the demon lord. He raised his tetsusaiga towards him, pointing the blade and letting out a scoff. "I don't need to have your permission, asshole! In case you haven't realized it yet, Irene's been captured by those demon cats!"
No one was prepared for what happened next. Sesshōmaru's grip tightened on his sword handle and then he was swinging the blade through the air, tōkijin erupting with a terrifying demonic aura.
"How foolish can you be!?" The demon lord demanded, watching as the attack hit Inuyasha hard in the chest. It sent the boy sailing, causing him to crash into a nearby building. The half-demon struggled to push himself up, trapped in the rubble of the now-broken hut.
"What're you comin' after me for!?" Inuyasha barked, glaring at him. "Back off!"
Shippō yelped and hid behind the smaller form of Kirara, Sango and Miroku readying their weapons in case another fight broke out and they had to help out their companion. At least, they were until they saw just how angry Sesshōmaru truly was, the man's cold gaze piercing deep into Inuyasha's own like frozen gold. His expression was more intense than his aura, the pure fury sending a chill down everyone's spine. Inuyasha jumped a little, startled by the look being sent his way.
"You be silent, Inuyasha!" Sesshōmaru snapped.
No one could say anything, no one could even move. Face-to-face with the sheer rage of what often felt like their most powerful foe, they were all stunned. Sesshōmaru tucked tōkijin carefully into the sash he had at his waist, voice low and harsh.
"Remember your past," He growled, fangs daring to bare themselves at the fool, "and how you lost your heart to a mortal woman. You ended up under a spell for years, and as a consequence you have no right to be part of this war. Leave now, while I still feel generous enough to let you keep your pathetic life."
The man turned to walk off, a small imp following from the distance and calling out to him. "W-Wait a moment, M'lord! We need the assistance! We mustn't be too choosy with our allies at a time like-"
The imp was shown little mercy, a boot planting hard into his face and knocking him down on his back, the demon lord momentarily punishing his servant for making such a suggestion.
"-this…"
Jaken gasped painfully as Sesshōmaru stepped off of him, the man continuing on his path and leaving the others behind. The imp pulled himself up and rushed after, following his master ever-so-loyally. Shippō huddled close to Sango, wondering what on earth happened in the other castle to make Irene view this man as kind, because holy frick-
"Th-that's guy's so scary…"
Sango and Miroku nodded in agreement, both glancing down at the fox demon and then at each other in worry. The girl held her hiraikotsu close, staring as Inuyasha's half-brother faded from view. "I've never seen him so upset." She commented, eyebrows furrowing. "What do you think it was about?"
"I'm not sure." Miroku replied, humming in thought, before turning to see Inuyasha pull himself out of the rubble. He used tetsusaiga to stand, shoving the blade into the dirt. "Was it something you said, Inuyasha?"
The half-demon looked a bit shaken, but not for long. He rolled his shoulders and scowled, making a face. "How the hell should I know?"
"Master Mirokuuuuu!"
The group looked up in surprise upon hearing a familiar voice, a giant yellow balloon creature flying right at them. Miroku blinked. "Hachi, it's you! Where've you been?"
Before he answered the question, the raccoon dog transformed and suddenly it wasn't just him anymore; on his back, who had been hidden from view, was Kagome. And she was falling from the sky, arms and legs outstretched, backpack and quiver attached to her shoulders, a bow in her hands.
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he glared, leaping up in the air to catch her the second she wound up in his sight. The girl grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as they fell through the air and landed back on the ground.
"Why are you here!?" He demanded.
"I'm not just gonna sit back and let you guys tackle the danger alone!" Kagome defended, frowning at him. "The panther demons already have the jewel shards, anyway. Besides," She grinned brightly at him, giggling a little, "I knew you'd catch me."
Inuyasha's face flushed red for a second and he turned away, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Whatever; you know it's way too dangerous to just jump from high places like that!"
She merely smiled at him, finding his reaction straight up adorable. Sango let out a relieved sigh, swinging the hiraikotsu over her shoulder in a more comfortable position. "Here I was thinking you ran off on us, Hachi. Instead you went to get Kagome?"
"N-No, I did run," The raccoon dog sheepishly admitted, scratching the back of his head, "but by the time I made it back to the village I saw Miss Kagome trying to convince one of the stablemen to let her borrow a horse. And then, well, uh, we bumped into someone else…"
A tiny flea leapt off of his furry ear onto Inuyasha's shoulder. Then Myoga was on the half-demon's cheek, sucking some of his blood. The boy was not impressed in the slightest and raised a hand up, smacking the old demon and forcing him to let go.
Utterly squashed, but still very much living, Myoga choked. "I-I have come to lend my assistance…"
…
Walking around was utterly draining and I couldn't really see anything from the outside; it was way too dark.
How many hours have I been inside this nasty place? Jeez. The walls were made entirely out of wood, too, so it wasn't like I could use the Shikigami and blast my way out of this place like I did back in Kasasagi Town.
I should have known I wouldn't have been so lucky as to end up in a cell with serpentine rock a second time… The fire from the Shikigami didn't hurt any of my friends, but I had no idea how they'd react with complete strangers. It felt too dangerous to risk it.
I coughed and knelt down, leaning against the wall and struggling to catch my breath. That cat, whatever or whoever he was, healed my wounds with some extremely powerful Shikigami. But, as to be expected with my own healing, it did little for my energy and strength. A sickly human was sick, and every now-and-then I could almost feel the phantom pains of my old wounds. I flinched, reaching into my pockets and using my inhalers real quick.
I really wished I had my nebulizer…
"How pathetic."
Huh? I jumped, startled at the voice, and turned to see a familiar demon staring me down. Gazing at me from behind an ogre mask, standing on the other side of the prison bars, was… Anastasia? So she really did have something to do with this.
"You..."
I could only imagine what her face looked like, yet because of her voice I found myself thinking of an evil, blank-faced, short version of Maria.
Her head tilted, the empty eyes of her mask boring into my own. "With all that power you've been blessed with, you're still so weak… hmph. No matter. Soon your soul and the spirits will belong to me, and you…"
A small, dainty-looking hand reached up and rested on the wooden cell bars, pale in color. She had the tiniest of palms, with short and skinny fingers. The sight of it unnerved me for some reason and I sat up straighter, pressing my own hands against the wall and struggling to stand.
She leaned forward, mask almost pressing against the cell bars as she gazed at me. "You won't have to suffer anymore."
"I'm not…" Oh gods, it hurts. I did my best to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but the pain in my chest was so much. I seriously needed my nebulizer. "I'm not… suffering. If this is what's considered s-suffering then… what is living?"
Anastasia said nothing.
I slowly stepped forward, faux bravery making its way to my face, my back straightening as I tried to act unafraid of this very real threat in front of me. I staggered over and reached out, latching onto the cell bars and glaring at the masked woman, momentarily noting that we were almost the same height.
I can't tell if the mask gave her an extra inch or not, because I was unsure if that long blonde hair jutting out from it was part of the mask or part of her natural appearance.
"Y-You don't… know anything about me…" I accused with a wheeze. "You have… no right to decide… if I'm suffering or not. In fact, I'd say right about now," A lopsided grin spread across lips, thinking about how my friends were definitely coming to rescue me if I failed to escape myself, "I'm absolutely thriving. Why do… Why do you want my soul so bad, anyway?"
It wasn't for some twisted reasoning to "save" me because of the supposed "suffering" I was enduring. Not if she worked with someone like Naraku. It had to be for some other reason.
"You don't have much time left." She stated calmly, voice as monotone and expressionless as ever. Anastasia reached out and I almost jolted back, her pale hands wrapping around my own. They were as cold as death. "Your sickness is going to overtake you… and the spirits will be lost until they find their new vessel. Within me… your soul will live. They will all live. Just look at yourself."
A disturbed shiver went down my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up as her thumbs ran across my knuckles.
"Your skin is losing its beautiful color… before long, even the lovely red of your blood will stop its flow."
I hated this. I hated this so much; she sounded too much like Maria and I hate this, please stop, I can't-!
With a rough, painfully sharp intake of air I snapped my arms back, staggering away and tripping over myself, collapsing onto my rear with a loud thud. The people cowering in the back jumped and whimpered, watching the scene fearfully.
I knew from the events before that they were scared of me, finding what happened with the cat demonic and terrifying, and as such they refused to speak to me. But I knew that it wasn't just me they were afraid of it; it was Anastasia as well. Having been traumatized the way they were, it wouldn't surprise me if they believed that mask she wore to be her real face.
No…
What if she was the one who gathered them all up here? She informed the panthers about my soul, so maybe… they've already witnessed her powers? That wretched, evil little…! Oh, I hate her so much.
"Your eyes are losing their spark…"
Anastasia's voice dropped to a whisper, almost seeming to long for something despite its blank tone.
"I know illness all too well, Irene, and there is no recovering from it. Accept this mercy… and surrender yourself to me."
My heart was pounding in my ears, spots were dancing in my vision. Despite my will, my entire body was trembling. There was something greatly unnerving about this; something that I just couldn't explain or put into words, and more than any corpse or gore that I've encountered… I think that was what truly chilled me.
Fear and panic reached deep into my bones, piercing my very core, and I could only cower against this threat. Whatever it was about her, whether it be her hands or her voice or that stupid face that I still haven't been able to see…
...I found Anastasia so much scarier than Naraku.
"I-I will never give in to you," I forced out, eyes stinging with the familiar sensation of tears, words nearly getting caught in my throat, "and I-I don't care what you try to do; it will never work. A-And these people aren't going to be sacrificed either. M-My friends and I will stop you."
Her hands dropped from the cell bars and her shoulders relaxed, almost seeming to slump, before she let out a low hum. "I see. A pity then. I had hoped this conversation would bring you to your senses, yet it is clear you desire to have your soul stripped away as agonizingly as possible. Very well. I shall see you when the moon is at the highest point… Irene."
Goosebumps ran along my arms as she turned away, the woman stepping away into the darkness with a small child of white beside her.
Kanna.
The little girl's black eyes met mine and then… she vanished alongside Anastasia.
I fell forward, collapsing on the ground and gasping for air, coughing and wheezing, terror and relief mixing together and hitting me so hard that there was almost no recovery from it. That had been so stressful and intense; I hadn't even realized Kanna was there! Why didn't they just go ahead and take my soul now? Was it because it would ruin their plans with the Panther Demons?
Did… Did Anastasia plan to revive their master, then have Kanna steal my soul from him at the last second?
I don't… understand.
Oh gods. I shivered and curled into a ball, squeezing my eyes shut and choking, hugging myself tightly. I was covered in blood head-to-toe, but I didn't really care. Not anymore. All I wanted was for my friends to hurry, for someone to get me out of here before I could be killed. This is too much. Please.
What if their master doesn't even end up the way they wanted him to be?
I have no idea how exactly he died, but if they're going so far as to revive him it can't have exactly been a pleasant experience. They had some kind of grudge against Inuyasha, which was why they were going after them and using me as bait to get the half-demon here, and apparently they despised Sesshōmaru as well.
Why? Because they were cat-like demons and the two half-brothers were of dog demon heritage? No, that didn't make sense.
Hachi said something happened fifty years ago…
Ugh, there has to be more to this! Did Sesshōmaru kill their master or something? I've read plenty of stories and, regrettably, have seen more than my fair share of horror movies, so if their master really was killed then that meant his spirit would be angry with vengeance.
He might not even recognize his allies, nonetheless his enemies. He could just group them all together and start destroying everything in his path.
Frick. I-I don't like this; I especially don't like how Anastasia is clearly plotting against them despite seeming to have convinced them that she was working with them. I don't want to die- and as much as I hated the panthers for hurting me like this I didn't want them to be slaughtered by their own people either. It was clear they looked up and respected their master, since they were going through so much effort to bring him back to life, and the thought of him betraying them was just…
It was just too sad.
Maybe if I can find a way out, if… if I can talk to one of them…
Who?
Nobody listens to me. I'm the bait, the human sacrifice. Who would listen to their hostage?
Tōran…
She seemed to find me amusing, at least, s-so perhaps I can try to get through to her. Shūran was a definite "no" and Shunran creeped the frick out of me. Karan was a jerk. The beautiful blue-haired demon lady was the only one who actually let me speak. She's the leader of their little sibling group, too, which meant it was perfect. Everyone is always going on about some kind of charismatic presence I have, so maybe I can do something!
Maybe… I can warn her.
Warn her and save my life, and the lives of all these people, in the process.
…
As the group floated over the town on Hachi's transformed back, searching for Irene and anymore signs of the panther demons, Myoga climbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder once more.
The flea rubbed his mustache, pulling on the little hairs and closing his eyes as he thought about what to say. Kagome had pulled off her backpack, shoulders starting to get tired from lugging it around, and it was left to rest on the raccoon dog with the rest of everyone's supplies.
"I see…" He listened to their tales of what happened, before nodding his head. "I have the feeling that this has to do with the war your father raged many eons ago, Lord Inuyasha."
The half-demon raised his eyebrows, right ear twitching upon hearing that. "Eons ago? Seriously?"
"Hey!" Shippō frowned. "I thought Hachi said that this war happened fifty years ago- back when Inuyasha was sealed to that tree?"
Myoga shook his head, waving his four hands at them. "No, no, no. It was looong before that! It was when Lord Inuyasha's father was still in the Western Province! The Panther Demon Tribe attacked and tried to conquer his lands, but he stepped in to put a stop to them. The leader of these panther demons was enormous, but your father battled these demons- all the while protecting his men."
Myoga took a deep breath and continued, sliding his hands into his kimono sleeves, speaking with the utmost seriousness as he regaled them with the truth behind the war.
"Naturally, it was Lord Inuyasha's father who emerged victorious, and the other demons who escaped domination by the Panther Demon Tribe were extremely grateful. However, a cat's anger runs deep and they cursed your father and his family for all eternity, as he had slaughtered their leader and forced them out of their own western territory. And so, because of this, they've sworn to one day get their revenge."
Inuyasha's mind went back to something Kagome's old grandfather had told him, right before they had returned to the Feudal Era. Right before Irene had gotten kidnapped. "So a cat's curse really does last for seven generations…?"
Kagome opened her mouth to refute that statement, before pausing and thinking about it. She scratched the side of her face, wondering if her grandfather's superstition actually had a point for once. "I'm… not too sure that's how it works. Don't they have nine lives?"
The half-demon blinked. "Oh, yeah… I guess that's true."
Myoga cleared his throat and the attention went back to him, the flea speaking up again. "Like you, Lord Sesshōmaru did not participate in the war. However, I'm certain that the panther demons are coming after him in order to get their revenge; just as they are you."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, staring down the flea suspiciously. "Now that I think about- what were you doing when all of this was going on?"
"Naturally I was watching over your father's home while he was away!" The old demon exclaimed, jumping up-and-down indignantly upon hearing the rude tone of the half-demon's voice. Inuyasha scoffed at that, not believing him at all. Miroku suddenly stood, keeping a firm grip on his staff in case battle should ensue anytime.
"You know," Miroku began, eyebrows furrowed, "it's strange that Sesshōmaru was so adamant about wanting Inuyasha to leave. Wasn't it?"
The silver-haired teen scowled at those words and turned his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "He just doesn't want to admit to himself that a half-demon like me can share his bloodline. Honestly- I don't get what Irene sees in him. He's a bastard through-and-through."
"Scary, too…" Shippō added nervously, recalling the way he had glared at Inuyasha earlier. There really wasn't anything nice about that person. Sango said nothing, merely sitting with Kirara in her lap, trapped deep in thought as her eyes gazed off in the distance. Their words echoed in her mind, leaving her conflicted and confused. Shippō continued, "I thought he was gonna kill you for a second there."
"As if he could!" Inuyasha retorted.
Myoga sighed. "Still, I think it would be quite noble of you two brothers to join forces. Defeating your father's enemy together; should he have been able to be here now, your father would be brimming with pride."
Inuyasha glared down at the flea upon hearing that. "I'm not gonna have anything to do with Sesshōmaru or my old man! I came here to take back the jewel shards that were stolen from Kagome, and to save Irene! Nothing more, nothing less. I ain't gonna bother tryin' to please someone who's long dead!"
The disappointment on the flea's face was expected, as was the way he sighed and tied his furoshiki around his little shoulders. "Of course. I'll see you soon, Lord Inuyasha. Farewell for now!"
Myoga leapt off of the half-demon's shoulder, disappearing somewhere below on the ground, far from sight and far from any possible danger.
Shippō followed the flea to the edge of Hachi's back, scowling. "He's getting away!"
"Welp," Miroku stated, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side exasperatedly, "that means trouble. Sango, Kagome, you ready?"
"Yes…" The brunette demon slayer stood, breaking her silence and readying her hiraikotsu. She narrowed her eyes in determination, swinging her hiraikotsu over her shoulder. "Let's do this."
Kagome gave a hesitant nod, grabbing her bow and preparing to notch an arrow.
The group had been expecting several panther demons to jump out and attack them; what actually happened was that several large-sized fireballs shot out and hit Hachi, the transformed raccoon dog screaming in pain about the heat. In reaction to getting burned, Hachi ended up poofing back into his normal form, everyone being sent flying off of his back.
Inuyasha was the only one who had good enough reflexes at that moment to regain his bearings, landing temporarily on a roof before shooting out to catch Kagome.
"I-Inuyashaaa~!"
"Kagome!"
He reached out to grab her, fingers barely brushing hers, when suddenly a ball of fire blasted him hard in the side and sent him tumbling below to where the flames came from. Standing across from him, hand on her hip, was Karan, and she was surrounded by several lesser panther demons.
"What's the matter?" She goaded. "Aren't you going to ask your big brother for help?"
Inuyasha scowled at her, slowly pushing himself onto his feet as he tried not to think too hard about the danger his friends were all in. The danger that Kagome was in. "Not likely."
…
"Damn it," Koga muttered, blue eyes flashing as he looked around the forest they were in, "no trace of Irene anywhere."
Maria tightened her grip on her sword handle upon hearing this, knuckles turning white from how hard she was holding it. She remembered all too vividly the way her sister was left limp in that large panther demon's hold and how much trouble she had speaking due to the pain she was in. There was no way Maria was going to let those demons get away this. She has to save Irene.
No matter what.
They've been separated for far too long and… to think that she was alive after all this time…
It would be just like this cruel world if Irene was suddenly taken from her- for real, this time. She could still remember learning about her from Kōga like it was only yesterday, when in fact several weeks have already passed.
"Hey, Maria!"
The woman paused and turned, having been tending to her wounded arm. Due to her injury and momentary inability to properly fight, she was left behind with Shinku and Hige while Kōga went on ahead with Ginta and Hakkaku to what they could only assume to be Naraku's castle.
When he returned, she was startled and more than a little miffed to see that he was covered in what appeared to be modern-day bandages.
"How're you doin'?"
"Fine. Healing." She showed her arm and stood, frowning and facing him, ignoring the protests of the wolf demons that were beside her. It irked her how they still treated her like glass sometimes. "What happened?"
"Hm? Oh, this?" He craned his neck, popping it, before flexing his wrists and cracking his knuckles. "Just a few scratches; nothin' to it. Met up with Inutrasha's group and-"
His eyes widened and Kōga cursed, glaring behind him at the direction he came.
"That wretched little mutt-! He distracted me! Damn."
Maria's eyebrows furrowed together and she tilted her head, confused. He was talking about the person their precious "Kagome" traveled with, wasn't he? What did he do that distracted him?
Wait, did that mean he didn't find out any info about her sister's whereabouts? Maria's expression darkened, eyes glossing over as she thought about the horrors that might have taken Irene away.
Suddenly, in the midst of his ranting, Kōga paused. He blinked, turning towards Maria and stepping forward, his nose twitching as he sniffed her. She leaned back as he moved closer, the two now face-to-face.
The boy demon leaned down, smelling her. "Your scent… nah, it can't be. Can it?"
"What?"
Kōga's blue eyes opened, expression quite serious as he stared at her. "Your sister. What's her name? Appearance? What's she like?"
She told him about Irene and his response was more than surprising. He informed her of how he met a girl in the group he met that had a scent all too similar to Maria's; a girl with dark hair and brown eyes.
Even one of the wolves that travelled with him seemed to find that person eerily similar and acknowledged the familiarites between the two. The Irene that Kōga met even mentioned that she was looking for her own sister.
One whom she had gotten separated from upon arrival in Japan.
Yet something wasn't right about the story. Kōga, Hakkaku, and Ginta all claimed that this Irene had healed him. That she used some sort of magic power to do it.
They said that she jumped out willingly into danger, despite her sickness, to take on the enemy they were fighting in an attempt to give Kōga a chance to recover.
It… didn't sound like her little sister at all.
And then… they actually found her. Maria almost couldn't accept that it was actually Irene at first. It's been a little over two months since arriving here. To finally find her, yet to see her in such a terrible position…
Gods, she hated it.
Maria had only slain a few demons, most of her kills mainly being game from hunting, but if it meant getting her family back she would stop at nothing. She would slay those panther demons one-by-one if she had to. Her attention snapped up to the wolf demon chief when he clicked his tongue, the demon sweeping over the area one more time before he planted a hand on his hip, tail swishing back-and-forth irritably.
"Where could those rotten cats have taken her, anyway?"
Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other, seeming to reach a common decision, before nodding and turning to their boss. Hakkaku cleared his throat, coughing into his fist to catch Kōga's eyes. "S-Say, uh, isn't this the panthers' hideout?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Kōga snapped, taking a few steps forward and sniffing the area. There has to be a scent somewhere for him to catch; she was here in this mountain, wasn't she? Stupid cats. "Speak up."
"D… Do you really think that we should tackle them on our own?"
Kōga paused. Maria lifted her head up and watched as irritation flashed across the wolf demon chief's face, the boy turning his head and almost glaring at his subordinate. "Just what are you suggesting?"
Ginta hurriedly raised a hand, attempting to placate the teenage demon before any violence could occur. "W-We just think it would be easier to team up with Inuyasha and the others, that's all! They are Irene's friends and have been travelling together for a while now. She's a pretty sickly human, so I doubt it's the first time she's been targeted by demons! They must be used to her disappearing like this."
"I think so, too!" Hakkaku nodded, beads of sweat forming nervously on the sides of his temple. "They're probably experts in tracking her down by now! All we've been doing is walking in circles, I think."
Kōga's blue eyes were furious. He whirled around, storming up to them and placing his hands on his hips. "You don't actually expect me to ask that mutt for help, do you!? I can track Irene down perfectly fine on my own! I'm not as helpless as you two think I am!"
"W-We're only thinking of Irene, boss! We swear! It's all for her!"
Maria closed her eyes, translating everything that was being said, and proceeded to open her eyes with a hardened expression. She did not want to think about her little sister being periodically kidnapped and/or thrown in danger.
"Kōga." She spoke calmly, clearly, ignoring the rage boiling inside of her as she thought about the torture her sister must be going through. Kōga's eyes flickered to her as he saw her hands curl into fists, long red nails digging into her pale palms. "We have to save her."
They stared at each other for a long minute. Kōga turned away, scowling deeply. "...I know. That's what I planned to do. I promised you, didn't I? We're going to find her and save her. But that doesn't mean we need that mutt to do it."
Suddenly a voice spoke up, startling Hakkaku and Ginta and causing them to shriek and cling onto each other, a large, bulky, humanoid wolf demon stepping up. "You must be Kōga of the Wolf Demon Tribe!"
Kōga flexed his wrist at the sound, readying his claws in case he needed to battle, and he watched as the stranger neared. Realization dawned on his face as the stranger stepped into the light of the moon and Kōga lowered his arm.
"You're Rōyakan…"
Maria's eyebrow furrowed and she looked at him for an explanation. "You know him?"
Hakkaku and Ginta looked at Maria, eyes wide. Ginta moved over, timidly putting a distance between her and the giant wolf creature. "H-He's the demon keeper of the forest!"
"Th-The demon from hell who gobbles up anyone that gets lost!" Hakkaku finished, walking over to the other side, both men acting as though they were going to try protecting her if Rōyakan decided he wanted to attack. Maria's eyebrow twitched, appreciating the gesture yet growing annoyed that they still apparently found her so weak that they felt she needed them to guard her. "W-We won't let you eat us!"
Maria's grasped the handle of her sword, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice. Her hazel eyes bore into Rōyakan's blue, who eyed her curiously before refocusing on Kōga.
"What are you doing around here," Kōga began, annoyed that his search was halted, "and what do you want? I'm busy."
"That's what I'd like to ask you!" Rōyakan claimed, blue eyes big and full of what seemed like childish wonder. "You're not accompanying Lord Sesshōmaru, are you?"
Kōga blinked. "Sesshōmaru? Who the hell's that; he some kinda big-shot demon?"
Rōyakan almost scoffed, astounded and in disbelief, a small gasp escaping his lips upon hearing those words. "You don't know?"
"Nope."
…
Only a couple of minutes had passed before Sesshōmaru found himself surrounded by several lower class panther demons, all but mere pests in his path. He honored them with not so much as a glance, cold amber eyes staring at the foe before him. When he spoke, his words were harsh.
"You wished for another war and so I came." He said, lips tilting down ever-so-slightly. "Now, enough with this foolish play; show me to your so-called master. Or is this just a ploy for you to waste my time?"
Footsteps treading lightly on the ground, Tōran grinned up at him cooly. "All in good time, old friend. You'll meet him once the preparations are complete. We have to ensure you have a perfect viewing of his revival, don't we? Now, in the meantime…"
She purred, taking another step forward, a hint of mischief in her gaze.
"...won't you stay here with me?"
Jaken rolled his eyes at her audacity and held his staff out in front of him, glaring her down. "Let me take care of this wench, Lord Sesshōmaru! Speaking to you in such a way… it's unforgivable!" He held the large object above himself, shouting, "Feel the power of the Staff of Two Heads! Hraaaah!"
The old male shrunken head's mouth opened and flames spit forth, shooting directly towards Tōran whose face lost any bit of playfulness it held previously. She raised her right hand and a gust of cold wind blew by, swirling out of her palm in an icy breeze, the blizzard crashing headstrong into the flames from Jaken's weapon.
The imp dug his heels into the ground, pushing forward with all the strength his little arms would allow.
"B-Be strong, staff!" He urged, slowly feeling himself getting pushed back. Unfortunately, he was no match for Tōran's winter magic and was sent sailing backwards in the air, flames dispersing as he hit the ground with a painful thud. "Urgh… waaaa-!?"
Jaken looked up just in time to see shards of ice heading straight for him, determined to either impale him or slice him up. Having already died once at the hands of the man who forged tōkijin, Jaken was not keen on dying again. His beady eyes opened wide and the imp screamed, fully bracing for death, when his lord Sesshōmaru stepped forward and unsheathed the sword he had just been thinking about- the male demon using tōkijin and stopping the shards in their tracks.
A single sweep of the blade and they were either destroyed, shattered, and/or had their trajectory stopped, the shards falling onto the ground. Tōran chuckled darkly upon seeing this, the grin returning once more to her lips as she willed a spear of ice to form in her right hand.
"I am indeed impressed… your weapon is formidable-!" She shouted and lunged, leaping up into the air and swinging towards the man.
…
The fight between Karan and Inuyasha had barely begun, and the village was already on fire.
Flames shot out at all angles, licking at their feet and dancing around their bodies, and the two jumped from building-to-building in an attempt to catch up with another. Karan cried out when a fist managed to make contact with her left cheek, her body erupting into hot red flame. Inuyasha cursed and jumped back, swinging an arm out and avoiding stepping on any smoldering debris.
"Damn you…!" Karan hissed.
Inuyasha quickly followed her when she tried to get away. "Get back here!"
From the other side of the village, the rest of his group had recovered from their fall thanks to Hachi and Kirara barely managing to catch them. They could see the flames and made their way over in that general direction, knowing full well that their ally was most likely fighting one of the panther demon siblings. "Inuyasha!" Sango shouted, trying to catch sight of him through all the smoke and flame. "Where are youuuu!?"
"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled.
Taking a deep breath, Shippō called out, "Say somethiiing!"
Squinting her eyes, Kagome could almost make out a shape on the ground. It looked like the person was raising their hand up towards them, almost as if to wave at them, and her brown eyes widened.
"He's down there!" Kagome said, pointing at him. It was hard to distinguish an appearance through all this smoke, but it only made sense for it to be their friend, right? It had to be Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Hold on!"
"Kirara!" Sango exclaimed, and in response the cat demon roared and started to lower her and Kagome towards the ground where the half-demon was standing, Hachi following suit with Miroku and Shippō.
Except, as they got closer and could make out more details… something wasn't quite right. The physique was much larger and more round, and a bright light was flickering in his extended hand.
Sango's brown eyes widened as she recognized the demon. "Look out-!"
Shūran let loose a bolt of electricity, the thunder hitting them dead-on before Kirara and Hachi could attempt to fly out of the way, and the group screamed in agony as they all were electrocuted, all six of them falling out of the sky towards the fiery ground. The three mortals landed fairly close together, Miroku having lunged to try and shield the women instinctively, while the remaining demons were nowhere to be seen.
Shūran approached the defeated humans, a wicked grin forming on his round face.
…
Tōran beamed at Sesshōmaru as their spear and sword clashed, demonic energy and ice crackling against each other.
"Ahh, the memories," She mused, humming to herself, "it's exactly like how we fought last time. Back then it was a draw, but this time you won't be so lucky!"
Sesshōmaru's expression hardly changed as he stared down at her, forcing more energy into the sword and pushing her back. "I would hardly call that a draw," He stated coldly, "you simply retreated in defeat."
"Now, now," Tōran laughed, "you're hardly one to talk! What with all the men you lost, that is."
That was it. Sesshōmaru shoved the blade forward and swung, breaking through her defense and forcing her to move back out of the way to dodge the energy that would surely have greatly wounded her. As she drifted back to the ground, gaze momentarily watching as the blast destroyed an entire building, Tōran focused her attention back on her opponent.
"But that doesn't matter now, Sesshōmaru." She told him, raising her voice, blue gaze hardening. "Because in just a few minutes," Her feet touched ground, lips twisting upwards in a smirk, "we'll have our master."
Several of the lower class panther demons jumped down towards Sesshōmaru, intent on attacking him, but none of them could land a single blow. A swing of the tōkijin and they were all dissipating into nothing, their remains blasting everywhere until nothing could differentiate them from each other.
A large ball of light surrounded Sesshōmaru, expanding, destroying, tearing into the earth below and forming a crater, and exploding anything that got too close. Tōran had the sense to avoid the blast, though her underlings did not, and when the light dimmed down the demon lord had found that she had once again retreated. The area around them was completely decimated.
And his servant…
"Jaken?" Sesshōmaru turned around, noticing that he had disappeared as well. The wind pressure must have blasted him away, the imp so light that even a small breeze could knock him over. How irritating. "Hn."
The man was about to walk off, in search for the castle once more where the master was surely to be revived, when suddenly the tenseiga began to shake. Sesshōmaru stopped abruptly, reaching a hand up and resting it on the sword handle, staring down almost curiously as the tenseiga grew restless.
How odd.
What was his father's fang trying to tell him?
…
The wolf demons and Maria were listening closely to Rōyakan's story, although the woman was this close to hitting him if he didn't hurry it up.
Her sister was in danger and they were just walking around chit-chatting. But, from what she could understand, the person Rōyakan was talking about had been the son of a mighty dog demon general; after his father won the war and passed away, the panther demons came back to reclaim the territory that was taken from them, as well as take the territory they had aimed for last time.
Rōyakan and his men had apparently offered their assistance, indebted to his bloodline after Sesshōmaru's father had saved them in the last war. Yet…
"In the end," Rōyakan sighed, lowering his head in shame, "my men and I failed Lord Sesshōmaru. We said we'd defend the front lines and… he was battling in fine form at the time. But those four panther demon siblings were a force like no other, and I had to have my men pull back and regroup with Lord Sesshōmaru."
Maria scrunched her nose up, thinking about the story, trying to figure out what on earth it had to do with Irene being captured.
Did she have some sort of connection to this demon and they were using her as bait to lure him in, or did it have something to do with those magic powers Kōga had told her about? The… Shikigami, was it?
She worried at her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowing close together.
"I guess they lost." Ginta whispered to Hakkaku, the mohawk-haired man crossing his arms and nodding his head.
"Yeah. Sounds like they just plain ran away to me."
Rōyakan, who had been fiddling with his fingers sadly, had his big eyes well up with tears. In his frustration he cried out, loud voice causing all but Kōga to jump, "I fought as hard as I could! Those cats were nothing but cowards!"
"That's enough." Kōga said, pacing back-and-forth with his hands on his hips. "Who cares about what happened in the past? What matters is; just how fucking deep is this damn forest?"
It's been several minutes since they've met Rōyakan, practically three hours total since they've been in this forest, and they still weren't making any headway on their rescue mission. Irene's been gone for half a day already.
"If I didn't know any better," Ginta said, "I'd say we were going in circles like Hakkaku said."
"Feels that way." Maria muttered.
She could have sworn they've passed by that same line of trees ten minutes ago. Saun barked and pressed against her leg, the wolf relaxing only when she scratched behind his ears. Rōyakan stood up straight upon hearing their comments and flexed his arms.
"Alright!" He opened his large mouth and out jumped even more wolves, all dark in color and bearing three eyes; much different compared to Kōga's own wolf pack. Rōyakan's wolves all spread throughout the forest, searching the area. "They'll sniff out the exit! We'll… huh?"
Rōyakan cut himself off, watching in confusion as his wolves all barked and howled, seemingly lost as to where they were at. Kōga, obtaining an inkling as to what was going on now, tensed his legs and squatted down, preparing to jump.
"I'll take over now, thanks! Hyah!" He leapt up, moving from tree branch-to-tree branch, climbing as high as he could go before he was met with resistance.
He grunted, feeling some kind of pressure trying to force him back, and using the added strength of the jewel shards he sliced through the wind with his legs. The momentum of that kick allowed him to reach high above the foliage, the wolf demon chief reaching high into the sky and giving him a bird's eye view of the area. Looking down, he could see a small clearing where…
Damn it! He knew it!
Several lower class panther demons were looking up at him from the ground, one of those creepy humanoid girl panther siblings smiling wickedly at Kōga. Heading back down, he started to run through the forest with renewed determination.
"She's the one who put up this demonic aura!" He pushed through the bushes and trees, and charged headfirst into the area where the girl was waiting, throwing a punch at her without hesitation.
Shunran giggled as she dodged his attack, the male teen leaving a small crater in the ground from his fist. "I see you have a couple of jewel shards!" The girl said, swinging her arms through the air and causing several cherry blossom petals to fall about. "I'll be taking them now!"
Rōyakan and the others finally caught up and were instantly greeted by the sweet scent of flowers and a harsh gust of wind. Kōga, feeling a slight dizziness wash over him, placed a hand over his mouth and called out, "Don't breathe in this scent!"
Maria stumbled back and leaned against Saun, the woman struggling to hold her breath due to her own lung problems. They weren't nearly as bad as her sister's, but they were certainly trying to catch up to that level of troublesome. It was why she rode on Saun's back when they had to run; her asthma would cause her body to give out quickly.
Hakkaku fell to a knee and wheezed, Ginta moving over and using his arm to cover his friend's face while he held his breath with his free hand.
Kōga growled and leapt into the whirlwind of flower petals, swiping at the panther demon and becoming alarmed when his claws went through cherry blossoms.
"She's a sorceress!" Rōyakan exclaimed, watching as the flowers disappeared with the scent.
"Is she… the one…?" Maria bit out, wheezing a little as she tried to regain oxygen. "The one who… did the trap laying?"
"I think so." Hakkaku frowned. "It seems like she laid a spell of some sort of the forest to keep us from leaving."
Kōga landed on the ground, grinding his teeth together angrily. "Damn it…! The only thing I can smell now is flowers!"
…
What a mess.
I remember searching the room corner-to-corner, even going so far as to slice up my fingers on some rotten old floorboards in an attempt to find something to break out of this cell, and accidentally ended up startling some of the other hostages in the process. I breathily apologized, dazed and scared and very much afraid of our impending doom myself, but I kept going.
Before long my hands were completely scratched up and splintered, but I had found a couple nails.
I wasn't quite sure what I was goingto do with said nails, but it was a start. Can nails pick locks? Frick, I don't know. I never even picked a lock before. I wheezed and stumbled over to the door, struggling to jam the stupid thing in, and hissed when it failed and only sliced at my fingers more.
The stupid thing was a flat-lock! Did they really have that kind of stuff in this time period? C-Can I… melt the lock?
I might light the door on fire…
But I can get everyone outside before they get caught in the blaze if I do! It'll be fine. Ow-! Okay, no, bad idea.
I brought one of my more profusely bleeding fingers up to my mouth and stumbled back, hitting the wall and sliding down with darkening vision, head feeling like it was splitting from how bad my skull and heart were pounding.
This was really bad. I've been in here for several hours and was not making any progress at all. If anything, I was only wearing my body out more.
Whatever it was that happened with Anastasia back there; it really left me shaken. Something about her just bothered me so much. Her hands were so freaking cold; it was just like when I had touched Otoki after she had been possessed by that cursed spell. Like Anastasia herself was some kind of walking corpse, her skin as pale as death.
I choked, leaning my head back as my closed eyes stung with tears.
What do I do?
I want to help, to be useful, to fight back and protect everyone… but despite my strong words back then I knew I wouldn't actually be able to. Due to my illness I was limited in my power, even with the assistance of the Shikigami, and a part of me knew Anastasia was right. I was running out of time in this world.
Even now, just sitting seemed to take so much out of me. Breathing itself felt like a chore.
The world was weighing down on me, crushing me with its force, and I was starting to break. My body can't keep up with what I needed it to do. I was dying. And, as I sat there for several long minutes, struggling to recover, I recalled everything that led up to this.
It really was all my fault.
And, worst of all, I might not even survive long enough to apologize.
My friends were probably going through so much trouble right now to get me back- it felt rather selfish and narcissistic to think that, to believe wholeheartedly that they would rescue me, especially if it put them in harm's way, and I hated that, but I knew it to be true. They were just those kinds of people. And… I was scared their efforts would all be vain.
Even if it's not them who rescue me, if it's Sesshōmaru…
I think, while I'd be incredibly relieved and happy to see him, I'd still feel bad for having to put him in such a position anyway. He probably wouldn't even be intending to save me and, like last time, would just end up doing so because it was on his path to doing something else. Inuyasha and the others, on the other hand, would save me because…
Because we're a team.
And… it makes me angry and upset to think that after everything we've gone through together, after spending so much time and learning to care for one another, that I might die on them. I hated myself for somehow tricking them into liking me. If I died here they would be heartbroken… right?
I know Sango and Shippō would be, at least. And Maria- if she was actually here. She would hold a grudge against me forever.
I can't believe I'm actually thinking about this…
My head tilted to the side and a small breath escaped my lips. I was so tired. Having such wonderful friends; I really didn't deserve them.
They spent so much time encouraging me, worrying about me, saving me, and I really felt like I haven't done anything for them. Inuyasha can say some things sometimes that really sting, only adding to that feeling of uselessness, like when he had gotten angry the other day and told me to go away, and in my heart I know he didn't actually mean them, but… it hurts.
And Miroku tries so hard to get me to believe in myself, to convince me that I was helpful. Despite his perverted tendencies, he… he's a good person. He's a good friend. I don't want anyone to get hurt saving me- not if I'm just going to die in the end anyway. I'd rather them not risk their lives on a pointless mission.
I'm not worth it.
The cell door slamming open, as well as several loud thumps on the ground, had my eyes snap open.
I blinked and sluggishly turned, staring in shock at the sight before me. Multiple people had been, very suddenly and very rudely, tossed onto the ground before me. Accompanying the three bodies were weapons; as if the demons thought that the humans wouldn't be able to do them any harm.
A quiver full of arrows was scattered along the ground, a buddhist staff resting atop an abandoned longbow. Closer to the door near the wall was a familiar hiraikotsu- large and covered in small scorch marks.
No…
Sango was collapsed beneath Kagome, dressed in full battle armor, the middle schooler herself still wearing her daily uniform. Miroku, however, was completely passed out on his front, a couple of arrows resting on him; and their bodies were all covered in blood and dirt, several burns etched along their skin in strange patterns.
Shūran stood over them, dark gaze and large physique menacing.
Wh… Why is…? Why is Kagome here? Wasn't she home? I pushed her through the well…
She disappeared in the well! She was supposed to stay there; I told her to stay safe! Did she want to die!?
Without realizing what I was doing I had already crawled my way over, scrambling to their sides and struggling to shove the weapons off the monk's battered body. Searching for vital signs, I was more than a little relieved to see that they were still breathing.
"F-Frick, frick, come on; no, d-don't… don't do this…!" Almost immediately upon touching them did my hands start to flicker with a blue fire, the cool flames doing nothing for my injured fingers as they focused solely on healing my comrades. "G-Guys, please, no…"
The sob was building up faster than I could control it; it was seriously all my fault. Like an idiot I let myself get captured and, like the stupidly kind and caring people they were, everyone tried to rescue me.
Even Kagome- who I was sure I had angered by forcing her to travel back to her own time. Damn it!
I hunched over their forms, droplets dripping from my cheeks as I silently cried, strangling the sounds as best as I could as the koi fish appeared. I cradled Sango close, face buried in her shoulder as I searched desperately for some kind of warmth. Some kind of life. Her heart beating just wasn't enough for me.
Her eyes were shut and her skin was cold, and the girl was completely unresponsive. I hiccuped and sniffled, blinking away the painful tears, trying to focus my blurry and spotty vision on the other two.
Kagome looked the most fine out of the lot of them, which I can only assume was because either Miroku or Sango shielded her during whatever battle they had with Shūran. It was Shūran who hurt them, right? He didn't seem to care what kind of shape the sacrifices seemed to be in so long as they were still alive in time for the main event. I hate him…
I hate him!
Miroku… I think it was actually him who took the brunt of the blow. His back was completely charred; it was taking a lot out of me and the koi fish to heal those burns. His kimono was shredded in various places because of his wounds.
That stupid, idiot, pervert of a monk…
"Wh-Why…?" I whimpered, glancing up at Shūran with despairing eyes. His expression was void of all emotion; the man staring at me intently as if he had discarded all his feelings for this moment. "I… It was only me… right? Wh-Why them? Why hurt them!?"
"Once your soul is used to revive our master, your friends and these other mortals will be sacrificed to him in celebration, adding to his strength." The demon told me, face hardening as his eyes lit with determination, the man's faith in his clan's goal unfaltering. "He will become unstoppable. Soon, my master… will be back. Your spirits will revive him and the Panther Demon Tribe will reign over all the lands in the west."
"We never…!" My voice cracked, shoulders shaking as I struggled for oxygen to get into my weak lungs. "W-We never… did anything to you. I-It won't… It won't even work! Your master, he… he w-won't be… the same! He'll hurt you. He'll…"
Gods, my head. The world is starting to spin. Shūran glared down at me from his spot at the cell door.
"Your power is great," He said to me, the koi fish disappearing back into their summoning circles as the rest of the wounds on my friends healed and faded away, leaving them only exhausted from their journey, "and that is why we need it. The soul of a human bound to spirits; spirits who can heal and damage, who can cure the abnormal toxins in one's body… who can trade their summoner's soul for another's…"
The demon stepped forward, eyes becoming only more intense as he neared, towering form even more intimidating as he hovered over me.
"You're the only priestess within miles of here with those sorts of powers. And that power…"
Shūran knelt down on one knee, reaching out and wrapping his large fingers around my small throat, digging them into my neck and leaving me to gasp, pain flooding fresh throughout my throat as what little oxygen I had left was taken from me.
"It's wasted on the likes of you."
Not a sound was able to escape as he stood, lifting my form off the ground and leaving my feet to dangle in the air. Next thing I knew my back was being slammed hard against the wooden wall, the fearful villagers crying out and huddling together, scared that they could be next. If my head hit the wall any harder I might have blacked out, but fortunately my pain tolerance had increased tenfold since I've arrived in the Feudal Era.
On the other hand, that just meant my body has been through so much stress and abuse that it had no choice but to adapt. In fact, I was starting to think that it might be the reason why I was growing weaker every day and why I was sleeping more often. It can't handle it. It hurts so much and using the Shikigami takes just as much out of it that it was falling apart.
As if to prove my theory the sharp, needle-like stabs of pain that blossomed in my body barely bothered me, bones creaking and begging for rest. And while the migraine was excruciating it wasn't really much compared to this new sensation of having my neck being strangled by a demon's bare hands.
Shūran looked so angry at me. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my skull, fingers clawing weakly at his wrist as I tried to get him to let go. He was seriously going to kill me at this rate and if that happened then he wouldn't get his master or complete whatever possible revenge plot his siblings were planning. This person was an idiot!
Without warning Shūran released me, leaving me to crumple on the ground, spitting and gasping and clawing at my bruised throat. Somehow getting shot at hurt less than this and the fact that I thought that only made me more disturbed.
Shūran seriously… only acted on his emotions…!
I continued to cough, feeling as though there were glass shards in my throat. My body wasn't moving the way I wanted it to, either, and anything I tried to say came out garbled and sluggish.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion...
Shūran hoisted me up in his arms, my limbs dangling limp from my body as I watched the blurry room start to vanish from view. I thought I could see someone moving, but my vision was all over the place that I wasn't actually sure. I might have been hallucinating. My lungs and head hurt so much…
I can't even feel my fingers anymore, nonetheless my legs.
Is this what death felt like? I don't think I like it.
Sango…
I'm sorry. You'll tell Maria how much I love her, right? I might not be able to be saved, but I'm sure you guys will figure out a way to break yourselves out of this situation. You always do. You're incredible. Brilliant and strong, and kind and passionate; you all work together so well. You have your weapons, so I'm sure that once Inuyasha catches up… you guys can fight your way to freedom.
Forget about me. I'm not really someone that's deserving to be worried about, anyway.
All I ever do is cause trouble.
And yet…
"Irene!" Kagome's voice called out to me as the cell door shut, and the tears welled up fresh. The girl must have woken up from the commotion now that she was healed. "Wh-What did you do to her!? Irene!"
...I don't want to go.
Seeing her horrified expression made something clench tight in my chest, the look on her face unlike anything I had ever seen before. Even Miroku, who was finally stirring from his slumber and was starting to grasp an understanding of the situation, shared that same look.
It was unlike the fear the other hostages felt, not caused by the demons around us or by the idea that they themselves could die. No, that terrible expression was formed by the possibility in their minds that I was going to be killed.
That they, and the rest of the group, failed to protect me.
More than the physical pain I felt now, the sheer despair in their eyes… hurt more than anything else. And it made me realize just how lucky, how truly lucky I was to have such wonderful friends.
Coming to this realization, vision fading to black as Shūran snapped at the two mortals to stop shouting, I used the last of my strength to lift the trembling corners of my mouth upwards. Though I could no longer see them, I sent Kagome and Miroku the brightest smile I could muster, praying that, despite all the blood and dirt that covered my face, it would somehow make them feel better.
That it would tell them that there was no need to worry about me anymore.
That I was going to be fine.
Even if it was a total lie.
