45

The bridge was short and Amon and Integra were soon on solid rock again. They didn't slow down as they covered the distance to the other side of the cavern and entered a narrow passage at the back. They could see a faint glow from the end of the tunnel and followed it. The passage opened on a chamber, dark except for one shaft of light that came from a hole in the roof and fell on the center of the small room. In the rough circle of illumination stood two swords. Dust was clearly visible from their hilts to the tips of their sheaths. The rock floor under the swords was covered by a large piece of red cloth. Amon and Integra stopped for a moment and glanced at each other, challenging. They moved at the same time, snatching the swords from their stands.

Amon looked down at the sword in his hand. It was the same one he had glimpsed for an instant in his ancestor's hand. The Tenseiga. A strange feeling came over him as he held the weapon. Was it timelessness? It made him want to drop the sword but he didn't dare. He suspected he would need it soon. He clenched his hand tighter around the sheath.

46

Integra couldn't have been more confused. She had expected a great revelation when she touched the sword, but none came. She was still as much in the dark as she had been when she left home. In fact, it made her a little angry. She wrapped the red cloth around the sword's sheath and stuffed it through her gun belt. She turned around to complain to Amon, but she suddenly noticed something else. A long narrow shape sticking out of a crevice low on one wall of the chamber. It was only just visible on the edge of the light from the open roof. Integra moved first and Amon quickly joined her. As they got closer, they noticed it was wrapped in old spirit wards. In fact, it was wrapped so thickly that Integra couldn't tell exactly what it was.

"The scroll didn't mention a third sword," Amon said, making his best guess.

"Shall we take it?" Integra inquired, knowing what the answer would be.

"Why not," Amon replied.

47

As he and Integra ran back toward the main cavern, Amon began to worry more and more. Was Robin okay? The scent of fresh blood that he'd caught off Anderson was familiar. Without thinking of Integra, he stepped up his pace. When they emerged into the cavern the first thing they saw was Nagira flying toward them. He landed with a terrible thud in the dust at their feet. They barely had time to stop to avoid tripping over him. Paladin Anderson stood on the other side of the bridge, again with blades drawn.

"Ye'll not be leavin' this place alive," he snarled.

"I think you have it backwards," Integra shot back.

While Integra and her enemy squared off, Amon knelt down and put his hand to Nagira's neck, feeling for a pulse. He jumped a little when Nagira reached up and grabbed his wrist.

"I'm okay," he wheezed. "I just got the wind knocked out of me. You've got to help Robin now. That's her blood he's covered with."

Amon's eyes widened, his worst fears confirmed. He stood up again just in time to see the paladin step onto the bridge and begin his charge. Integra and Amon both had their guns drawn in an instant. They fired as many times as they dared. The sound of the gunshots filled the cavern with a roar that seemed to come from all sides. Anderson slowed down to a walk again, giving his wounds time to close. Now that he was closer, Amon could see that the paladin's skin was badly burned. Robin had gotten her licks in. Amon's jaw tightened at the thought. What had he done to her?

Integra emptied her clip into Anderson's gut, but he was coming ever closer. Amon expected her to reload and try again. But Integra holstered her gun and reached for the other side of her belt instead. The side where the Tetsusaiga was hanging. She drew it with less flare than Amon had anticipated and the look on her face as she regarded the pitted blade was less than enthusiastic. But when she gripped the hilt with both hands and faced her enemy, Amon got the feeling that she really could win.

Anderson paused for a moment and laughed. "An' just what do ye' expect to do wi' that?" he jeered.

"Run you through," Integra snarled.

Anderson laughed even harder and started his charge again.

48

"It's time to show me what you can do," Integra whispered to the blade in her hands.

She moved forward to meet Anderson, the sword held up sideways in front of her. He crossed his blades to block and when they clashed, the sound echoed all around the cavern. Amon and Nagira winced. Integra was pushed back half a step but then she stood firm.

"Ye' think ye' can defeat me wi' that pathetic steel?" the paladin asked, smiling.

Integra grinned. "This is not steel," she retorted. "This is the fang of the Great Dog Demon. One of the weapons you came to claim, I believe."

Integra's smile grew as the paladin's faded.

"I know what you're thinking," she continued. "That this sword is the spawn of evil. But you're wrong. You see, the Dog Demon was a bit… eccentric. Unlike other demons, he loved humans. And he forged this sword to protect them."

"Ye' think all o' that makes a difference to me?" Anderson asked.

"No," Integra replied, thinking quickly. "But it does make a difference that I myself am also the spawn of the Dog Demon."

The paladin's eyes widened only for an instant. But that was enough time for Integra to gather her strength and push him back. As soon as he was off balance, she brought the sword around, severing his right hand at the wrist. The hand, still clutching a blessed blade, bounced across the dusty floor and came to rest some distance away. Anderson took the loss in stride. He raised the blade in his left hand and pointed it at Integra.

"Ye'll pay dearly for that, demon spawn," he said.

Integra was still grinning as she tightened her grip on the Tetsusaiga.

"Come at me then," she said.

And he did. He charged faster than ever, but Integra was ready for him. She dodged to the side and swung the sword upwards. The paladin's left hand went spinning away into the darkness. Integra heard the blessed blade strike rock, and then the rock crumbling, and then something else. A rumbling sound that quickly began to grow.

"The noise must have destabilized the cavern," Amon called out. During the fight he had helped Nagira back onto his feet and the two of them had circled around to the bridge.

"We gotta go, Buffy," Nagira said. "This whole place is coming down."

Paladin Anderson laughed. He held his bleeding wrists out wide.

"As I said before, ye'll not leave this place alive."

Integra had finally had enough. "Shut up, damn you," she yelled and lunged at him. This time, she managed to stab the Tetsusaiga's blade through the paladin's leg. Before he had a chance to recover, she yanked the sword back and ran past him towards the bridge. Amon and Nagira saw her coming and ran ahead of her. The three of them entered the tunnel that led to the entrance just as the first large boulders began to fall from the cavern's roof. The noise was deafening now. They ran for the light that marked the outside. A huge cloud of dust chased them out into the midday sun. They stopped and stood on the rocks beside the cave and watched the dust roll out over the ocean. Paladin Anderson was nowhere to be seen.

Story Notes:

In the Inuyasha anime, the Tetsusaiga's untransformed form wasn't strong enough to wound demons. So one might think that without transforming, the sword would be useless in this case too. However, Paladin Anderson is a human. And humans are not as tough as demons. The untransformed Tetsusaiga is still an effective weapon against him.

The next chapter will be the last one so stick around and find out where everyone goes from here. And don't forget about Robin. Her fate will be revealed too.