"Gyah!" Kohana yelled as she was thrown across the clearing, managing to throw her sword up just in time to block the blow from the Outengu instead of being sliced in two by his blade. The mother managed to dig her heels into the ground and stopped before she hit a tree, but the dust flung into the air sent her coughing. She looked up just in time to see the Outengu raise his sword above her head, but with a fierce cry Ronuku tackled the demon with his own sword and knocked him away. The two entered a frenzy of blows while Kohana moved out of the way and prepared another attack.
Dammit! We need to power up, we can't beat him as we are now! She thought desperately. Ronuku and Kohana had tried to power up just as the Outengu started to attack, but they were still too worn out from taking down the barrier and then forced to see through Tsuneo, Hisae, and the Outengu's memories. The two needed a moment to rest and gain composure, but their opponent would not let them have it.
Kohana raised her weapon and dashed in again, providing relief for Ronuku. The three of them, humans and demon, whirled around another raining and deflecting blows. Their weapons sang, the clearing ringing with sharp clangs and battle cries. The Outengu was formidable, his blows fast and powerful. Had the two humans not endured all of the training they'd gone through they would be long dead by now. With a savage yell the demon swung out, smacking the two away once more.
"Ronuku, try again!" Kohana yelled, frustrated that she couldn't just project her thoughts. The two raised their weapons and yelled, willing the thoughts of their loved ones to the forefront of their minds.
"I don't think so!" The Outengu bellowed, slamming his shoulder into Ronuku just as their bodies were starting to glow. The light faded instantly as the bushi fell to the ground, and Kohana barely had enough time to leap forward deflect a blow meant to decapitate her friend. Ronuku rolled out of the way and jumped up, Kohana leaping back again and once more the two were on the defensive.
"Your struggle is futile," the Outengu snarled, "You two are weak, you cannot top me. My revenge is eternal, I killed you in the last life and I'll kill you again! No matter how many times you are reborn, I will bathe in your blood!" He raised his sword to the sky, the blade suddenly glowing red.
Shit! Not good! Kohana suddenly turned and bolted. She had enough experience with demon attacks to know that standing less than a foot away was a bad idea. Ronuku took her cue and followed after, both of them ducking into the cover of the forest just as an arc of red light shot out. Trees were toppled, and the forest groaned as the Outengu's attack bulldozed its way through.
"Great, now he's got us on the run," Ronuku hissed, ducking next to Kohana beneath the branches of a felled tree.
"What else are we supposed to do?" Kohana whispered back, "We're normal right now, that blow would have killed us!" Another red arc flew through the sky and felled more trees.
"Damn that old woman," the bushi snarled, "She knew that this guy was waiting here to kill us!"
Did she really? Kohana wondered. She tried to remember everything Seiko had said the past few days, the old miko's evasive behavior and her insistence for a 'final assessment'.
"You're probably right," Kohana said, finding herself becoming angry with the old woman, "But how could she have known about him? The village believes that Tsuneo and Hisae died erecting the barrier, they don't know that they were attacked by this guy and that the jewel absorbed him."
"Because she's a witch, does it matter?" Ronuku grunted.
Come to think of it, how did the jewel absorb him? Kohana thought, And how were we sent that vision? Did we really pull him out of the jewel? Her eyes widened as she realized just how far their power stretched, resolving to share the information with Kagome and the rest when they returned.
"Maybe we can send him back," Kohana said, "How are you feeling, do you think we can power up soon?" Another arc swept by once more, causing the two to duck further into the underbrush.
"Come out!" The Outengu Bellowed, "Come out and face your demise!"
"Not as long as he keeps doing that!" Ronuku said, "We need to find his weak spot and make him stop."
"You think he has a weak spot?" Kohana asked.
"'Course he does," Ronuku responded, "Probably the underbelly or the neck. Once we hit him there, he'll stop the attack and we'll have time to power up. Then we can go to the next part of the fight, just like any boss battle."
Video games, Really? Kohana huffed, Whatever, as long as it works.
"Allright then, how do we find it?" She asked.
"Just try and find the spot that he keeps protected," Ronuku explained, "Like if he favors one foot, or if he keeps his head tucked." Kohana nodded, and the two slowly crept out from beneath their hiding spot, ducking to avoid the Outengu's onslaught of the forest.
"You can't hide forever!" The demon howled. Fortunately, while the beast was blessed with strength he didn't seem to be too gifted in sight. Either that, or he figured he could swing until he killed them. Kohana and Ronuku were able to sneak around in the underbrush watching his movements looking for a weak point.
"It looks like his chest armor is pretty thick," Kohana whispered, "That's all I'm seeing right now."
"Allright then," Ronuku said, "We'll just have to take his armor off and then aim for the belly."
"And how do we do that?!"
"Simple," Ronuku pointed to the shoulder straps of the Outengu's chest plate, "Just cut those off, it should fall open."
"So we've got to get close then," Kohana frowned. She didn't like this plan, but they really didn't have much else to go on, "Okay, so when we-"
"Very well then!" The Outengu didn't give her a chance to finish, "If you refuse to come out, then I'll just have to take my vengeance to that pathetic village of yours!" Two massive ebony wings suddenly shot out from behind his back. In one powerful beat he was in the air and flew off towards the village.
"Shit!" Ronuku yelled.
"We have to stop him!" Kohana shouted. A need to protect the village suddenly overwhelmed her, overriding her ache and fatigue.
Hisae then, she thought recognizing the feeling, Give me your strength!
"Kohana, he's not stopping us now, let's power up and get him!" The bushi called. The mother nodded, and together the two focused their energy. The feelings they shared towards their family were joined with their predecessors' love of the village. As the two glowed white and exploded in energy, a single goal was shared between them:
Let's avenge ourselves and finish the Outengu for good!
Faster than they'd ever run before, the two raced through the woods back towards the village, vaguely aware that they passed by Kaida, Naoe, and Seiko. Trees and foliage passed by in a green blur. Anything caught in the cord of energy between them disintegrated on contact, searing a path of destruction in their wake.
What's the plan? Kohana thought, he mental voice almost sounding as though it were echoed by Hisae's, Look for the weak spot?
Yes, the same as before! He can't stop us now! Ronuku responded, his voice echoing Tsuneo.
They heard the screams of the villagers before they made it out of the trees. The Outengu was bursting huts apart as he flew through them, sending out his red arc through the sky ripping the roofs off of others. The villagers were fleeing, several of them already limping or bleeding. Bodies lay inert in the streets, and mothers cried over the debris of ruined huts.
The demon landed at the steps of Tsuneo and Hisae's temple. A few of the village men stood their ground, wielding farming tools as they prepared to give their lives protecting the temple. The Outengu laughed, a rattling cackle, as he swung out his sword again, destroying the statues of the sacred siblings.
"N-no!" A villager shouted, "Our sacred guardians!" The demon smiled, his beaked face revealing its many fangs, as he swung again to destroy the humans. A white-hot wave of energy shot out and blew the demon's sword out of his hand. The Outengu turned, growling as he faced the glowing siblings with their weapons raised.
"You Bastard!" They yelled in unison, "Leave this village!"
"So, you cowards show yourselves at last," The Outengu sneered, "Waiting until you had power I see. No matter, I shall cut you down at full strength!" He knelt, his powerful wings beating the stone floor of the temple ground, sending rocks flying towards his opponents. The white energy around them flared, blasting the rocks back at the demon. He flew upwards, letting the stones pummel the temple exterior.
Kohana and Ronuku split in a wide arc, the white cord between them growing the further apart they stood. As the Outengu flew down to attack them, they cast the light upwards, throwing a burning net over the demon. When he was surrounded they pulled it over him, trapping him in the light.
The Outengu howled, smoke billowing from his skin as his flesh burned. Unlike the shikigami however, he did not immediately disintegrate. His body glowed red, and with an angry bellow his demonic energy shot out and burst open the net.
The ground cracked again as he angrily landed in front of Kohana and Ronuku, staring them down with hatred.
"It's going to take more than that to do away with me!" He howled, his skin marked with the burns from their attack, "I will make you pay!" He flexed, his biceps and wings suddenly doubling in size. As he did the clasps of his armor, weakened by the net, suddenly snapped, his torso armor falling to the ground.
Aim for his gut! Ronuku thought. Like hungry wolves, he and Kohana shot forward with their weapons raised. Before the demon could react they plunged their blades into his stomach, their white fire racing across their opponent's body and into his heart.
Die, asshole! Kohana thought, her feelings echoed by three other voices. She pushed her blade further into the Outengu's belly, Ronuku mirroring her actions. The white fire flared hotter as they willed their anger to kill the beast.
A sudden weight crashed into Kohana's head, and the white fire died as she was flung away. Ronuku's eyes widened but he too was thrown off the Outengu's body and crashed into the hard ground.
"Y-you," The Outengu snarled, his own blood spilling through his teeth, "You cannot defeat me that EASILY!" Using his fists he ripped the two blades out of his gut and threw them aside.
Kohana panted, her arms trembling as she tried to push herself up. She and Ronuku were powered down again, thrown out by the Outengu's attack.
Dammit, Dammit! She thought, The barrier was too much, not even Hisae and Tsuneo could give us enough to topple this guy! Her body burned, she felt as though her skin had been put through the fires of hell and her heart wouldn't stop racing. Yelling in pain she pulled herself into a sitting position, her vision blurring slightly as she did. What she saw blew the breath from her lungs.
As Ronuku struggled to his feet, the Outengu's hulking figure loomed over him. Claws extended, he aimed to plunge them into the bushi's heart.
"Ronuku!" She yelled, and with a surge of anger she was on her feet racing towards the demon. Protective fury blared through her heart, and with a start she realized that these were not Hisae's feelings, but her own.
Not. My. Brother!
With a howl like a banshee she threw herself at the Outengu's arm and pushed it aside, claws plunging into the ground just left of where Ronuku managed to scoot away.
Ronuku's mouth fell open, as the young mother fell to the ground and crawled away from the Outengu's next attack. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away, helping her to stand and run away again before the demon had a chance to impale her. When they were at a safe distance he let go, panting as his body struggled to catch up.
The bushi's mind was buzzing with confusion. From the moment they met, that first day when he'd shoved Kohana on his way home from school and she kicked him back, they'd been at odds. Bickering, she was always calling him stupid or trying to outdo him. Their animosity had cooled as they'd been forced to work together to help their friends and family destroy Naraku, but she was still a rival.
No, he thought as he locked eyes with the young woman's determined gaze, not rival.
She's my sister.
Grinning through the pain, he held out his fist towards her.
"Let's do this," He said, "Let's kick this guy's ass!" A slow smile formed on Kohana's face, and she raised her own fist to bump against his.
"You fools," The Outengu howled, "Your powers are gone, and you're weaponless. I will finish you!" Raising himself into the air he flew at them with his arms open and claws extended.
The two stood their ground, glaring at the demon. Their loved ones, children both living and soon to be, Hisae and Tsuneo, all of these thoughts crashed through their hearts.
We won't lose, they thought, we're going to beat you, for them, and for each other! Once more the white light glowed around them, and slowly they floated in the air. Their hair whipped around as their energy cascaded about them and thier eyes glowed white, angry spirits glaring at the target of their fury.
The Outengu bellowed, closing in on him. His claws plunged forward, but halted as they were met by the sibling's fists. Yelling, the two grabbed the demons arms, their power suddenly shooting forward over his arms and into his heart.
There, the white light met with red and suddenly fused with it.
That…it's his energy, the two thought, it's the center of his demonic energy!
The Outengu screeched, his angry bellows turning into cries of terror as he felt the power of their souls grasping his own.
"You," Kohana and Ronuku yelled, their voices echoing like the spirit of vengeance, "You have tormented this village for long enough! For killing our people, and slaughtering Tsuneo and Hisae, we will finish you!"
The white light pulled The Outengu's red spirit out from his body. He screeched in horror as the red ball of energy was held up in the air above the temple. The white light pulsated around it, and in one swift motion the siblings threw their arms out. The light tore the red ball in two, the white flames devouring the demonic energy.
The Outengu's voice died instantly, ending in a weak gasp. His body suddenly imploded, blood spilling everywhere and his corpse fell to the ground. Kohana and Ronuku slowly lowered themselves, the light of their power fading as they closed their eyes and stood on the ground. Once their power was dormant they began to tremble again, exhausted from their efforts.
"Oh…Oh god," Kohana gasped, nearly gagging as she surveyed the carnage before her.
"Fucking Jeeze," Ronuku echoed, just as shocked at what they had done. The two looked at each other, amazed and horrified at what they could do.
Their serious expression broke, as one of them smiled and the other laughed.
"Ha! We did it!"