Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or anything associated with it. I'm writing this story simply because I enjoy writing.
Chapter 3: Light and Darkness
As Kagome sat in the back of Wyvern's car, the compass held in her hands and still pointing the way, she couldn't help but feel deep apprehension about everything that was happening. Like they were on the edge of disaster, a step away from falling to their doom.
It wasn't that they were going into battle. She had fought enough times in the Feudal Era that she was longer overly fearful of such things. And even though Ryokage was an enemy unfamiliar to her with potentially deadly capabilities, she had fought so many demons in the past to not be panicked about the prospect.
What truly concerned her now was the fact that they weren't in the Feudal Era. That the battle that was about to be fought was taking place in the modern world. The land that was her home. And while this wouldn't be the first time this had happened, this looked to be the worst of such battles. And for so many reasons.
Most of the demons that had managed to survive into modern times were fairly weak, especially when compared to the kind she was used to fighting, such as Naraku and his incarnations. But Ryokage's full potential was unknown, and his ability to possess the living made him that much more of a danger to them. The fact that a creature like that still lived in her world, a time she had always felt to be safe from demons and a refuge she depended on when things became too stressful in the Feudal Era, was one that chilled her to the heart. And caused her to think of the horrible things such a beast could do her family and friends, who had no powers of their own to defend themselves with.
As if this wasn't bad enough on its own, there was also the problem of her allies. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all back in the Feudal Era, so Kagome wouldn't be able to count on them to help win this battle. As for Michiru, while he had proven himself a capable fighter in his own right, he hadn't seen combat in over three months, and there was still a great deal that none of them new about his Shikigami powers.
Then there was Kyle Wyvern, who was driving them in the general direction still indicated by the compass. He wasn't a fighter, had no special powers of his own, and worst of all, he was basically an unknown to them. True, the fact that he had offered to help them as far as he had, and had even purchased the bow and arrows Kagome now had with her said good things, but there was no telling how he might react if the situation got bad.
Even if we win this, we'll still have to keep an eye on him, Kagome thought unhappily. The last thing we need if for him to tell the whole world about us! Shuddering at the image of herself and her friends winding up on the cover of Wyvern's next best-seller, or even some sleazy tabloids, the reborn priestess was shaken from her thoughts when the pointer on the compass began pointing off to her right.
Looking up, Kagome quickly studied her surroundings. They were on the freeway, moving somewhat faster than the posted limits and weaving about traffic, prompting the other drivers expressed their opinions of Wyvern's driving skills with their horns and by giving him the infamous one-fingered salute. But none of that mattered to Kagome. All that mattered was the beam coming from the compass, a beam that marked a course towards the coastline.
"Wyvern!" Kagome demanded, leaning forward with growing anticipation. "Take the next exit!"
"Understood," Wyvern replied fairly coolly.
As Wyvern moved to take the exit, cutting off another driver in the process and getting blasted by his horn, InuYasha growled in discomfort. "Dammit! I hate those things!" he snarled, wincing at the sound. "Just how much longer until we get there, anyway?"
"I don't know. In fact, I'm not even sure where there is!" Kagome retorted as she studied the compass, as well as the straight line it projected towards their goal. "All I can tell you is that…well, it feels like we're getting closer."
As InuYasha growled beneath his breath, Michiru gave the reborn priestess a look. "Feels?" he repeated quizzically. "You mean you can feel where Ryokage is?"
"No, nothing that precise!" Kagome protested, looking more intensely at the compass. "It's more of an impression than anything else. Like…I can sort of hear or smell Ryokage or something…and its getting stronger." Which was nowhere near a precise identification of the demon's location, she knew. But all things considered, it was a lot better than nothing.
"I just hope we get to him in time," Kagome muttered beneath her breath as an afterthought. Not wanting to even consider the alternative.
"Hey, don't you worry about it, Kagome! We'll stop that bastard! Bet on it!" InuYasha growled crossly.
Looking over at the half-demon, Kagome felt a deep pit open in her stomach. Though she knew that InuYasha was projecting a strong front, trying to keep the world at arm's length, she could tell he was still suffering from being possessed by Ryokage, and being driven to his full-demon state as a result. Was thinking of the things his full-blooded self could and would have done, without the Tetsusaiga to restrain its savagery.
Wishing she could do something to soothe his concerns, Kagome was vaguely aware of Michiru speaking. "What I want to know is how Ryokage got this far?" he wondered unhappily. "We're pretty far away from the civic center now. How could he get all the way here with the sun still out?"
"Good point," Kagome admitted with a frown, recalling just how much that demon hated the light. "It doesn't seem possible, so how…?"
"He must've been moving through the sewer system," Wyvern decided as he ran a yellow light just as it was turning red. "That's the only thing that makes any sense."
"The sewer?" Kagome got out. Then her eyes went wide as she slapped herself in the forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"
"The sewer? You mean those disgusting tunnels you've got under this weird city?" InuYasha wondered.
"Exactly. If Ryokage moved through the sewers, then he wouldn't have trouble with the sun!" Kagome explained quickly. "Not only that, but he'd be able to go anywhere in the city! He'd be able to get into any house or building or -!"
"In which case, it's all too likely that he'd have possessed someone by now," Wyvern concluded grimly. "And yes, I should've thought of that myself. Long before now."
Sucking in a deathly gasp, Kagome's mind filled with horrible images. With the possibility of a family, sitting down to a nice, quiet dinner, only to have Ryokage erupt from the kitchen or perhaps the bathroom. Of a father or mother or child suddenly transforming into a monster while his or her family looked on in horror.
As this vision ran its course, and concluded with an image of several faceless bodies on the floor, blood spreading across the floor, InuYasha shook his head. "I don't think so," he muttered beneath his breath. As Kagome sat up straighter and stared at him, the half-demon continued, "If it were that simple, then why would he come out this far? Why not just go into the nearest building and possess someone?"
"Maybe he's hiding from us," Michiru suggested. "He has to know he can't beat us the way he is, and if he took on a human form, he'd be vulnerable, right?"
"That's what the legend says," Wyvern concurred while dodging a pedestrian who was just starting to cross the street. "The only way to kill Ryokage is to do so while he's in a human host. But they also say that he is also capable of burning out a host and escaping."
"But they also said that he feeds on the evil in humans. And that the more evil they are, the better, right?" InuYasha demanded. "So maybe the reason he came out here is because he's not just out for a new body. He wants a really big meal to go along with it!"
"You mean…he's looking for a lot of people to feed on? Really evil people?" Kagome asked. When InuYasha confirmed this, she frowned and shook her head. "But where would he find something like that, anyway?"
"Isn't it obvious, Kagome?" InuYasha asked derisively. "The bastard's going after a prison!"
"No. Not just a prison!" Michiru spoke up, his voice high with inspiration coupled with horror. "A maximum security prison!" When Kagome and InuYasha turned to look at him, the Shikigami User's face had whitened with shock. "I did a report on the Japanese prison system for social studies earlier this year! And the Jinnai Maximum Security Prison is where they keep some of the most dangerous prisoners in all of Japan!"
"Are you serious?" Kagome demanded.
"Yes," Michiru confirmed with shaky nod. "The whole place is filled with rapists and murderers! It's where they keep the worst of the worst!"
A dangerous, feral look appeared on InuYasha's face. "That sure sounds like the first place I would go if I was that bastard," he agreed. "Do you remember where it is?"
"Not exactly," Michiru confessed. "All I remember was that it was on the coastline, but…" He concluded by gesturing towards the compass. Which continued to point in the direction of the coast.
Pressing her lips together, Kagome gave Michiru a rueful look. "I sure hope you're wrong about this," she murmured anxiously. "Ryokage seemed pretty powerful, even back at the civic center. I don't even want to think about what might happen if he starts feeding on people like that."
Holding back the fact that even the thought of humans of any kind becoming prey to an abomination like that, Kagome was dimly aware of InuYasha muttering, "I know what you mean." Exhaling sharply, the half-demon focused his gaze on the beam pointing the direction. "That's why this bastard is going to die. Today."
Chilled by InuYasha's fury, but understanding it, nonetheless, Kagome returned her attention to the compass. Hoping beyond hope that Michiru was wrong.
"I was really hoping I was wrong," Michiru groaned as Wyvern brought the car to a halt at a street corner. As close as they could get towards where the compass had led them.
They were currently parked a short distance from a fence topped with barbed wire that Michiru's Shikigami could sense electrical current running through. A distance beyond this was a massive building that was built like an ironclad fortress. Every aspect of its design was grim and horrible, as if it were its own warning for others to stay away from it. It was surrounded by a solid stone wall, and on three sides of it was nothing but a sheer drop down to the rocky surf below. On the remaining side was a narrow stretch of land that bridged the gap between the mammoth monstrosity and the rest of Japan. And at the main fence, just beyond the guard station with a man on duty, was a sign that said, 'Jinnai Maximum Security Prison'. And a smaller sign below it read, 'No Trespassers Allowed.'
"Well, we figured he'd be here," InuYasha growled, paying no attention to the fence or the signs. All he had eyes for was the tiny beam of light projected from the compass that marked the prison as Ryokage's current hiding place. "Now we just have to get in there and take him down."
"What? Are you crazy?" Kagome demanded incredulously. "Do you have any idea of how much trouble we'll get into if we're caught! It's not like they're gonna just let us waltz in and look around for a demon!"
"I figured that one out!" InuYasha retorted gruffly. "But we can't just let that damned bastard snack on the whole damned place!"
"I know, I know! But that's a maximum security prison! How are we supposed to get in there without someone spotting us?" Kagome demanded, her voice rising with her ire. "The whole place is probably rigged with security cameras and infrared beams and that sort of thing! They'll see us coming before we even get close!"
"So what do you suggest we do, Kagome?" InuYasha growled with growing heat. "Just sit around and wait until nightfall and hope he comes out without killing everyone in that damned place?"
"Of course not!" Kagome sneered. "I'm just saying that we can't go in there and blast everything in sight! We have to be careful about this!"
Veins bulging from his forehead, InuYasha growled, "And while we're wasting time pussyfooting around, Ryokage's probably grabbing a host and -!"
"He's probably doing that while you two are sitting around arguing!" Michiru cried out, having had his fill of his friends bickering. His outburst momentary stopped his friend's acidic tongues, and as they turned and looked at him, he heaved a deep breath, and began to make his case. "InuYasha, I'm sorry, but Kagome's right. If we get caught by the security here, it'll only make things harder for us! Besides, if they take off your hat, they'll see that you're not human!"
Grunting at this unavoidable fact, InuYasha glowered sourly at his friend. "I'd rather have them see my ears and still be breathing then them not seeing them while they're lying around dead!"
"I know that, InuYasha!" Michiru told him in as soothing a manner as possible. "I'm just saying that we have to be smart about this." Turning about, he looked at the imposing fortress that was the maximum security prison. "Now, there's no way we can get in through the front without being seen. But what about the sides?"
"The sides?" Kagome repeated blankly.
"I see what you mean," Wyvern commented, turning to look at the three youths. "The security on the sides is probably fairly light, simply because they wouldn't expect anyone to be able to reach the prison from there." Then he frowned in thought. "However, once you're past the fences, if you're spotted by the cameras…"
"I know, but…maybe we can take them out before they see us," Michiru continued, somewhat less certain than he liked. "InuYasha's right about one thing. There's no way we can let Ryokage take over this place. We have to stop him, and fast!"
Studying the faces of her friends, Kagome frowned before saying, "I still don't like it, but…you're right. We can't wait." Then she looked down at the compass that hung about her neck. "Besides, once we get closer, maybe we can get a better idea where he is in there before we actually go in."
"Sounds like a plan," InuYasha declared. "Come on, let's get moving!"
"Hold on. It might be better if I let you off somewhere further away. Preferably where the guards can't see you," Wyvern informed them. "No use taking any foolish chances."
"Good point," Kagome immediately agreed. Directing a glance at InuYasha, she gave him a wry smile. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not wind up under arrest before this day is over."
An annoyed sound echoed in InuYasha's throat at this. "Oh…okay, fine! Whatever! But let's just hurry up already! We've wasted enough time as it is!"
"Very well, then," Wyvern said agreeably. While InuYasha muttered about the stupidity of this crazy modern world beneath his breath, the American started the car again. Only to stop when a massive roar of thunder shook the air and slammed into them, shaking the car and sending its occupants tumbling to the side.
"Arrggh!" InuYasha growled as he recovered, visibly in pain from the effect the intense shockwave had on his ears. "What the hell -?"
"Look!" Kagome cried out, pointing towards the prison. As Michiru recovered, he looked out the window…and felt his heart sink into the depths as he took in the nightmare before him.
Several plumes of smoke were now billowing up from the prison, and flames were seen erupting from numerous windows. Cries of pain and fear were heard, even though they were still quite a distance away. This was soon followed by a siren blaring, and the guard at the station looking about frantically.
"Dammit! I knew it!" InuYasha snarled hatefully as further explosions rocked the prison. Taking hold of the door, he very nearly ripped it from its frame as he tore it open. "Come on! Let's get going!"
"But -!" Kagome sputtered, stunned by the sudden turnaround. "But what about the guard? Or security?"
"Trust me, they've got their hands full as it is!" InuYasha declared. "Well, come on, you two! Or are do I have to do this on my own?"
"Uh, hang on, InuYasha!" Michiru countered as he fumbled with his door. As another explosion shattered the air, he grimaced in horror as he looked out at the horizon. "I don't believe this! The sun hasn't even gone done yet! It's still light out and he's -?"
"I guess Ryokage must've been busy in there while we were sitting on our butts!" InuYasha declared even as Michiru and Kagome scrambled out of the car. As they closed the doors, the half-demon looked in through the driver's side window. "Wyvern, you better get out of here. This is going to be really ugly."
"Yes, and I'd say it'll be getting a lot uglier before it gets better," Wyvern commented, directing a sorrowful glance at the prison, and the screams that were coming from it. "Just be sure that you all come back in one piece." Then he managed to force a smile of encouragement onto his face. "I'll be back for you later. So be sure to call me and let know where to find you…once you've defeated Ryokage." This said, he hit the accelerator, and was gone within seconds.
"Alright, let's get going," InuYasha growled lowly in anticipation, taking the lead as the odd threesome made their way forward. Without hesitation he made his way up to the first fence and drew the Tetsusaiga. "Hey! Hey, you!" he called out as he approached the guard station. At once, the guard looked up at the approaching half-demon, only to gape in astonishment at the massive curved blade he held.
Then InuYasha grinned. Michiru quivered inside upon seeing this, because it was not a nice grin.
A second later, InuYasha raised the Tetsusaiga overhead, and brought it down as a deadly wind swirled about the blade. When the mighty fang crashed down upon the earth, several bands of pure destruction erupted from it and tore through the fence, gouging deep furrows in the ground that ripped right past the guard station, practically gouging a path right to the prison itself.
Kagome groaned at this, bringing her hand to her head and most likely thinking something along the lines of how impulsive the half-demon was. As for InuYasha, he simply grinned as the force of the Wind Scar sent his hat tumbling to the ground, where Michiru quickly grabbed it up and stuck it in his pockets. Then InuYasha walked up towards the guard station and looked at the security officer in within, who had turned a deathly pale. "Hey! You in there!" the silver-maned warrior began, hoisting Tetsusaiga so that it rested on his shoulder. The guard, trembling so badly that Michiru could hardly believe that he could remain standing, somehow managed to turn and look at the half-demon.
"If I were you, I'd do two things!" InuYasha grinned, leaning in closer towards the guard. "First; I'd run away from here. As fast as I can," he explained, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "And second; I'd forget that you ever saw us. Because if somebody shows up later, asking questions about us, then I'm going to remember your scent. I'm gonna track you down. And I'm going to make you regret ever laying eyes on me. Got it?"
The guard's response to this was immediate. He collapsed to the floor, faint from the shock.
"Eh, I guess that'll work, too," InuYasha declared while Kagome was groaning in dismay once again. "Come on, let's go!"
Snorting loudly, Kagome fell in line behind him, with Michiru close behind. "We really need to talk later," she muttered irritably. When InuYasha didn't bother to respond to this, she decided to change subjects. "Okay, we'll have to be ready the instant we get inside. Michiru?"
"Uh, yes?" Michiru returned, casting a glance back at the guard and hoped that he wouldn't be causing trouble in the future.
"Ryokage could be anywhere, so as soon as we find him, be ready to hit him with your Rain of Light attack," Kagome ordered him. "That should make him think twice about causing more trouble."
Michiru froze momentarily at this. "Um, Kagome…"
"What is it?"
"Well, actually, Rain of Light isn't an attack spell," Michiru admitted with a hint of embarrassment. At this statement, the other two stopped dead in their tracks, turning to freeze Michiru with stares of disbelief.
"It isn't?" InuYasha gaped, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Michiru shook his head quickly. "It's a spell I came up with for lighting up dark places like caves or forests at night. It's like a big flare, that's all."
"But if that's all it is, then why did you use it on Ryokage before?" Kagome blared, shock turning to anger.
"Well, with all the darkness he'd spread over the civic center, I was guessing that he didn't like the light," Michiru admitted.
"You were guessing?" InuYasha growled in disbelief.
"Well, I couldn't actually attack him!" Michiru responded, shifting about uncomfortably. "I saw Ryokage swallow you up, remember? If I had attacked him, you would've gotten hit as well!"
Kagome then grabbed Michiru by his shirt collar and shoved her face right into his. "Are you telling me that you haven't come up with any new attack spells since you got back?"
"I've got a couple new ones. And I even awoke a new Shikigami while I was here," Michiru told them, a bit stung by the implication. Then he shrugged helplessly. "Just…no new Light attacks." As the others continued to stare, he added, "I had to give up on working on my attack spells when I…um, I kinda blew up this abandoned shop that I used to practice them in."
While Kagome loosened her grip, her eyes widened in surprise, InuYasha demanded, "So your Light of Judgment is still your only Light attack? Is that what you're saying?" When Michiru nodded helplessly, the half-demon's face wrinkled up in frustration. "Don't use it, no matter what, okay?"
"But -!" Michiru began.
"Don't use it!" InuYasha growled with greater heat. "You use that thing, and you're out of the fight! And if it doesn't finish Ryokage off, you won't be able to protect yourself!"
His mouth popping open to protest, Michiru then sagged unhappily. He knew his friend had a point. In the past, when he had used Light of Judgment, he would faint immediately afterwards, and it would be hours before he regained his full strength. "InuYasha, I…I'm sorry…"
"Relax! We can defeat Ryokage without it!" InuYasha declared confidently, dismissing Michiru's concerns with a snort. "Now, c'mon! Let's get moving already!"
Silently nodding to this, Michiru followed his two friends up to the prison walls. Once they reached them, he looked up at the towering barrier, as well as the barbed wire that lined the top. "How are we supposed to get in?"
"Not a problem," InuYasha answered gruffly. Without another word, he sheathed the Tetsusaiga and got down on one knee. "You just get on and hold tight!"
"What?" Michiru asked, but when he saw Kagome readily getting onto InuYasha's back, he realized what his friend had in mind. Taking a deep breath, he positioned himself next to her and wrapped his arms about the half-demon's neck. "You sure we aren't too heavy for you, InuYasha?"
"Relax! I'm a demon, remember? A couple of humans are nothing to me!" With that, Kagome and Michiru held on as tight as InuYasha stood and supported them. In the time they had been separated, Michiru had forgotten just how strong the half-demon was; with a slight grunt of effort, he launched himself into the air and landed on top of the wall. And there, they saw firsthand what Ryokage was truly capable of.
"Oh, no…" Kagome gasped, and Michiru was hard-pressed not to do the same. The courtyard surrounding the prison itself was filled with the hideous darkness that Ryokage generated. And within it, they could hear people screaming and guns being fired.
"Michiru!" InuYasha growled as he surveyed the demonic miasma. "You think you can clear the air?"
"Uh, right!" Michiru returned. He then concentrated, summoning forth the power of one of his spirit familiars. "Let's see if this works on this miasma as well as barriers! Oh, overflowing blue sky, clear these storm clouds from my path! Blue Sky Calamity!" With this invocation, a pentagram appeared beneath Michiru, and from it appeared the bird that was his Wind Shikigami. The bird flew forth at the haze of darkness and exploded into a shower of green light that coursed through the fog, dissipating it and blowing it away.
"Good one, Michiru! I -!" Kagome began. Only to suck in a gasp as the Shikigami User's spell completely dissipated Ryokage's cloud of darkness. "Oh, no…!" Michiru gasped as well, bringing his hand to his mouth while InuYasha growled in disgust as they as they looked down on the courtyard…saw nothing but death.
Not wasting a moment, InuYasha leapt down to the courtyard, stooping down just long enough to let the others get off. As he once again drew the Tetsusaiga, Michiru and Kagome looked about the people that lay strewn about the grounds. Or what was left of them.
"What…happened…?" Michiru moaned as he looked at the corpse of what had once been a security guard. Now all there was a shriveled up husk on the verge of collapsing into dust, a look of horror frozen forever on his dead face. One corpse amongst what looked to be at least a dozen.
"Not too hard to figure out what happened here," InuYasha growled disgustedly as he eyed the dead that lay strewn about them. "Ryokage must have drained the evil energies and everything else out of them."
A lump of bile forming in his throat, Michiru backed away from the mutilated corpse. Though he had dealt with both death and the dead more than once on his journey through the past, it was still something that he had not grown used to. And honestly hoped that he never did.
Watching his friends and how they reacted to the carnage, InuYasha looked up at the prison, which was still belching fire and destruction. "Hey, Ryokage! Come on out, you sniveling excuse for a demon!" he howled, his words filled with menace. "Or would you rather I came in there and dragged you out myself?"
"Hahahaha! So, the little half-demon and his frail human friends have come to me!" came Ryokage's mocking voice, echoing about the prison courtyard. "How thoughtful of you to save me the difficulties of hunting down the Jewel Shards myself!"
"You sure talk big for somebody who ran away from us the last time!" Michiru retorted. The taunting, callous voice of Ryokage filling him with anger, rather than terror.
"Putrid little Shikigami User! You have no idea the loathing I have for your kind!" Ryokage snarled hatefully, seeming to come from everywhere at once. "It was your fellow wizards that created that miserable prison that held me all these centuries, it was they that created the spell that bound me, and you shall be the one to pay for their crimes!"
"It just means that I get to finish the job they started, Ryokage!" Michiru countered, feeling a warm satisfaction in the knowledge of the demon's fear and hatred.
Snorting a small laugh, InuYasha grinned at his friend. "Man, Michiru, you're getting more like me all the time, aren't you?" Somehow managing a smile in return, Michiru focused on the battle that was about to commence. It felt so natural for him as InuYasha hoisted the Tetsusaiga, as Kagome drew and cocked an arrow, as he focused on the power of the spirit familiars that served him so well. This wasn't going to be just a round of practice. Once again, he was going to use his power to fight for what was right.
"Get me, will you?" Ryokage chortled merrily from wherever it was that he was hiding. "First you will have to find me in this place of darkness! Do you honestly think you can before the night consumes you all?"
"Maybe we can't…but I know something that can!" Kagome declared, channeling her power into the compass that still hung from her neck. As before, the gyroscope-like artifact spun its pointer about before sending out a beam of light that marked a section of blank wall, high up above them. "He's over there!"
"Alright, then! One door, coming up!" InuYasha growled, preparing to launch his Wind Scar.
"No, wait!" Michiru cautioned, halting the half-demon with an outstretched hand. "The Wind Scar is too powerful! You might bring the whole prison down on us!" As InuYasha shot him an annoyed glance, the Shikigami User furrowed his brow. "I'll take care of this! Oh, overflowing blue sky, release the gathering storm! Blue Sky Impact!" The glowing green bird that symbolized Michiru's power over the Wind emerged, forming a cyclone between his hands. The force of wind becoming more intense as he built it even bigger and bigger, he then unleashed it upon the area marked by the compass.
The Blue Sky Impact tore a large hole in the wall, revealing a massive figure standing there. Though they were certain that whoever it was had once been human, it was clear that it was no longer so. Horns sprouted from the creature's head, its mouth was filled with fangs, and beady black pits looked out at them. Tattered remains of what had once been prisoner's clothing hung from the monster's dusky red body, which was roughly twice normal human size, with muscles rippling everywhere.
"Ah, you have no idea how delightful this body is, the wicked desires of this human's heart!" Ryokage gloated as he looked down upon them. "And the evil of the souls in this place fills me with such strength, strength enough to defy the burning light! Was it not thoughtful of the humans to trap such a bounty in this house of evil, all for my pleasure?"
"You know, you really ought to spend more time fighting and less time jabbering away!" InuYasha growled. "Wind Scar!" The Tetsusaiga lashed out, sending bands of destruction racing through the air. Ryokage quickly defended himself, generating a barrier of pure darkness with a wave of hand. To their surprise, the barrier easily deflected the bulk of the blast, sending the rest of the Wind Scar slammed into the prison walls. Hunks of stone and masonry exploded into the air, sending a cloud of debris falling down upon the threesome.
"Oh, brightly shining light, give me your healing power! Protective Light!" Michiru invoked, summoning forth a protective bubble. He was barely in time, as a massive chunk of the wall crashed down upon on the shield, shattering on impact.
"That is fine sword, half-breed! A pity you cannot use it better!" Ryokage gloated. Laughing hideously, the monstrous demon then raised his clawed hands towards the group, launching bolts of pure darkness at Michiru's barrier. Though the Protective Light held up against the darkness, causing to spill away like water off of a duck's back, Michiru still groaned in protest.
Ugh! I…I can feel it! Even though the Protective Light! Michiru grimaced. Instantly realizing that this would be no easy fight, he instantly braced himself for renewed assault.
But the attack he'd been expecting didn't occur. Instead, Ryokage grinned evilly at them before retreating further into the prison. His mocking laughter echoing behind him.
"He's running away!" InuYasha snarled hatefully. "Get back here!"
"He's stalling for time!" Kagome realized, looking off into the distance at the fading light. "Waiting for the sun to go down! Then he'll be at full power, and -!"
"That's not gonna happen!" InuYasha snarled, sheathing the Tetsusaiga before bending down to allow Michiru and Kagome to get on his back. Once the two of them were secure, the half-demon launched himself upwards and in through the hole.
Once they were inside, the two humans got off as InuYasha sniffed the air, only to clasp both hands upon his nose, his eyes tearing. "Dammit!" he swore bitterly. "That bastard's stench is everywhere!"
Casting a sympathetic look at InuYasha, Michiru then looked at his other friend. "Kagome, can the compass still follow him?"
"No problem!" Kagome replied with a dangerous look. Sure enough, the compass was still projecting its beam, which led up the stairs before them.
"Then let's kill that damned thing already!" InuYasha growled in pain as they once again gave chase. Rushing up the stairs, they soon found themselves in one of the many prison blocks. The place was as silent as a tomb, and with good reason. In every cell they passed, they saw corpses much like the ones they had found outside.
Nobody deserves to die like this, Michiru grimaced as he took in the expressions of terror worn by the dead. Not even them.
InuYasha was obviously thinking similar thoughts. "Damned fools," he muttered before shaking his head. "C'mon. Let's kill this bastard and get it over with.
Fortunately, the compass continued to lead them unerringly. Going up a few more flights of stairs, encountering more of the dead, they eventually found Ryokage. The dusky monstrosity was holding up one of the prisoners by his shirt. As soon as he spotted them, he let the drained corpse fall to the ground before wiping his mouth.
"In such a hurry to die that you sought me in this place where evil is ever-present?" Ryokage asked mockingly.
Growly savagely, InuYasha bared the Tetsusaiga, which glinted in what little light shone. "I hope you enjoyed your meal, you bastard! Because it's gonna be your last one!"
"You are the ones who are doomed!" Ryokage boasted, waves of darkness and his cruel stench wfting towards the odd threesome. "Night is coming, along with my greatest power! Soon the Shikon Jewel Shards will be mine, along with ultimate power!"
"Not if we get rid of you first! Oh, mighty flowing river, cleanse this evil beast! Great River Attrition!" The fish that represented his power of Water emerged from Michiru's feet, summoning a cloud above Ryokage's head. There it erupted into a torrent of water that engulfed the monster in a bubble, drawing out clouds of demonic power from him. "There! Let's see how tough you are now!"
Snarling hatefully, the horrid demon struggled against the water surrounding it. Clawing at it viciously, he loosed several bolts of darkness into the water, until it was overflowing with shadows, blotting him from sight. Finally, the watery prison began boiling, and then exploded into nothingness "Puny vermin!"Ryokage roared, a whole lot wetter and madder for Michiru's efforts. "Do you honestly believe you can strip Ryokage of his power so easily?"
"It doesn't matter, because now you're all wet! Oh, furious howling thunder, unleash your wrath! Thunder Break!" This was a new addition to Michiru's Shikigami, the power of Thunder, which manifested in the form of a golden wolf. At his command, it begat a lightning bolt that struck the water that still lay at Ryokage's feet, at which point the beast of darkness learned the hard way that water and electricity simply didn't mix.
Growling as Ryokage cried out in pain, InuYasha readied himself, winds of devastation surrounding the Tetsusaiga. "Now's our chance, Kagome!"
"Right!" Kagome responded, quickly drawing back and firing an arrow at their foe. But the demon had recovered enough from the electric attack to generate another barrier of darkness, which shattered the Sacred Arrow before it even got close.
"Now it's my turn!" InuYasha roared, bringing forth more of the Tetsusaiga's power. Brilliant crimson light washed over the blade as he unleashed the Wind Scar. Again, Ryokage attempted to block the attack with a barrier.
"You fools! Do you really – what?" With a screech of pure outrage, Ryokage watched in astonishment as the Red Tetsusaiga's power ate through his protective barrier, knocking him backwards. As he tried to make sense of this, he was brought back to the present as InuYasha charged at him, howling his rage as he leapt upwards, bringing the Tetsusaiga down towards his head. Without a second to spare, the cruel beast brought both his hands up and caught the mighty blade between them.
"Damn you, half-demon!" Ryokage snarled furiously as he rebuffed InuYasha, sending him flying off to the side. "You are nothing more than an annoyance to me!"
"Wanna bet?" InuYasha grinned as he came to his feet. "Michiru! Kagome! Go!"
"Right!" the two of them responded. Then Michiru clasped his hands together, the Shikigami power surging up around him. "Forces of nature, heed my call! Unleash your power, Shikigami!" With that, his Light Shikigami appeared, carrying with it aspects of the power of his other Shikigami, while Kagome fired her arrow. Ryokage looked up at them just in time to see Kagome's arrow piercing the pentagram upon the dragon's brow, absorbing its full power. Realizing what was about to happen, Ryokage moved to dodge the blow, but was too late as the arrow shot into his right shoulder.
"NOOOOOO!" Ryokage cried out as his arm disintegrated in a explosion of pure light. "You can't stop me! You will all die screaming for this outrage!"
"Don't bet on it!" InuYasha growled. Taking advantage of the opening, the half-demon once again launched himself at Ryokage, swinging the Tetsusaiga with all of his strength. The monster of shadows barely had time to look up before the massive fang was buried in his shoulder. Ryokage screeched in pain, struggling against the Tetsusaiga even as InuYasha drove it deeper into his body. With their foe occupied, Michiru and Kagome prepared to follow up on InuYasha's attack…only to be stopped as dark power erupted from the gash the Tetsusaiga had made. Waves of pure darkness lashing out at him, InuYasha looked dumbly at his foe before he and the Tetsusaiga were forced away, sent flying back towards the others.
"Aw, what the hell -?" InuYasha snarled upon recovering. But then he and others looked at Ryokage, and gasped as the darkness that had forced the half-demon back rippled about Ryokage's entire body.
"At last, after all these centuries…!" Ryokage oozed, grinning evilly. The monstrous demon was coursing with dark power, the evil energies growing even more intense, obscuring his entire body from view. "The darkness is rising up, and now I shall rule over all!"
A wave of darkness erupted from Ryokage, causing the three of them to shield their faces. "His power…!" Michiru shuddered, feeling as he was being pressed in by the demon's monstrous aura. "It's - it's growing!"
Eyes widening, InuYasha spat, "Michiru! Your Protective Light!"
Michiru responded automatically, invoking the Light Shikigami as fast as he could. Seconds later, the three of them were within the glowing shield, just as Ryokage's power exploded forth like a bomb. The foul dark power pulverized everything around them, the floor beneath them shuddering ominously as Michiru struggled to maintain their sanctuary. Through the darkness, they could vaguely see stone and metal pounding the barrier as the evil storm continued to rage around them.
And then, without warning, the storm ceased. As suddenly as it began, the dark maelstrom ended, leaving nothing but silence. The silence was so forceful after all the screaming destruction that it practically bowled the three of them over. As the Protective Light dissipated, the storm having pushed it to its limits, Michiru and the others looked about their surroundings, and reacted with various expressions of shock.
Most of the prison was completely gone. Everything from the walls that had once surrounded them to the floors that had stood above had been obliterated, rendered into dust like the bodies it had once held. The rest of the Maximum Security Prison had suffered greatly, and there was an ominous creaking that signaled that it would not remain standing through much more.
But these were not the things that drew their attention. What had Michiru and Kagome shudder with fear, as well as InuYasha growled menacingly, was dark skies that surrounded them. And the horrendous demon that now hovered before them, grinning wickedly.
"Oh, shit…" InuYasha growled lowly.
"Is that…Ryokage's true form?" Kagome wondered as she studied the monster they had come so close to defeating.
"Correct, little priestess!" came Ryokage, his voice ten times stronger than before. Every vestige of humanity was now gone; he was now a truly horrendous looking demon, like a massive winged gargoyle, with huge, baleful eyes set against his pitch-black skin. "I may have underestimated you before, but such matters no longer concern me! I'll have both the Shikon Jewel Shards and your flesh and bones for dinner!"
With that, Ryokage opened his massive maw and let loose a blast of dark lightning. Swearing beneath his breath, InuYasha scooped up both Kagome and Michiru and leapt out into the sky. He was just in time, for the blast slammed into what remained of the prison, splitting it like an overripe melon. The shockwave from the blast slammed into the three of them, sending them tumbling through the air. While the two humans cried out in sudden fear, InuYasha growled fiercely as he struggled to recover his balance.
With a supreme effort, InuYasha managed the impossible, and landed safely on the rough sand of the coast, keeping the force of the impact from translating through his body to hit his more frail companions. As he released Michiru and Kagome, both of them still shaken from the blast, InuYasha turned to glare hatefully at Ryokage. "You sure spend a lot of time talking!" he sneered, holding up the Tetsusaiga. "Now let's see if you can back it up!"
"Fools! Now that the night fills me with its might, as well as the evil of the souls I've fed upon, you are nothing to me! Nothing!" Ryokage roared, and with that spat out the most massive blast yet. A ball of black destruction that filled the sky and swirled dangerously as it surged down towards them.
"I was waiting for you to do that!" InuYasha grinned as he swung the Tetsusaiga. "Take this! Backlash Wave!" Once again, the massive fang lashed out, its power coiling about Ryokage's blast and sending it right back at him. InuYasha grinned in apparent victory as the Backlash Wave slammed into the demonic abomination…only to have gape in disbelief as the mighty blast washed harmlessly over him like a simple summer rain.
"What?" InuYasha barked, unable to believe his own eyes.
"Little worms! Darkness is my friend!" Ryokage sneered mockingly "Did you honestly think you could harm me with it?"
As InuYasha and Kagome looked at the massive demon, much of their hope blown away, Michiru clenched his fist in determination. So…I guess only light will be able to stop him, he frowned, knowing what he had to do. Clasping his hands together, he began to work his most powerful spell. "Oh, brightly shining light, hear my prayers and grant me your power! Light of Judgment!"
"Michiru! No!" Kagome screamed as Michiru wreaked his ultimate, his Light Shikigami appearing once again. Surging up into the sky, it exploded into a wave of destructive light that turned night into day. Before he realized what was happening, Ryokage was awash in pure destructive power. The monster howled in agony as the light poured down upon, searing his skin and tearing into his wings, sending him to crash down into the waters below.
However, even as Ryokage floated in the waters, groaning in pain, Michiru's eyes rolled back into his head. With a moan of utter exhaustion, he collapsed as well. "You idiot! I told you not to use that attack!" InuYasha howled as he grabbed his friend. Wrapping his arm about the Shikigami User's frame, he stood him back up as the lingering light of the spell faded, night returning once again. "Hey! Hey! Don't you dare pass out on me!"
For a moment, InuYasha was certain that it would be no use. But to his surprise, Michiru's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly looked up at him. "I'm…I'm okay, InuYasha," he murmured, shaking his head free of cobwebs as he found his feet. "I…I still have some energy left. Just got…a little dizzy, that's all."
"That's a relief," Kagome breathed.
"Well, I guess your training paid off," InuYasha stated gruffly, releasing Michiru once he was satisfied that he wouldn't fall down again. "Used to be that attack totally wiped you out!"
"One of the benefits of training, I guess," Michiru muttered absently. "I read some stuff from the Kururugi Shrine on how to maximize your power. I haven't gotten that far yet, but…" Then he finally snapped back to full awareness, and groaned as he looked out at their foe. "Oh, no…"
The others looked as well, and saw what their friend had seen. Though he stunned and badly injured by the light, Ryokage was still alive, and already recovering from the Light of Judgment. "InuYasha, we have to finish him off now! If he burns out his host…" Kagome exclaimed, dreading the thought of this battle repeating itself elsewhere.
Snarling as he raised the Tetsusaiga once more, InuYasha cast a glance back at his friend. "Michiru, you think you've got enough strength left for one last attack?"
"Just…barely," Michiru told them somewhat haggardly. "What've you got in mind?"
"I think it's time to introduce Ryokage to the move that brought down Naraku!" InuYasha declared. "Kagome, fire an arrow at Ryokage's heart! We'll use it to relay the Shikigami Backlash Wave!"
"Right!" With that, Kagome prepared one of her arrows, straining to make this shot perfect. Channeling all of her spiritual power into this one attack.
"Let's make this attack work, 'cause if doesn't, I'm down for the count!" Michiru told them, utterly serious as he brought his hands together and invoked his spirit familiars. "Forces of nature, heed my call! Unleash your power, Shikigami!" With that, the Light Shikigami emerged, carrying with it aspects of the power of his other Shikigami, as InuYasha leapt up and was absorbed into the maelstrom of light. With the Shikigami power infusing the Tetsusaiga, allowing it to draw upon all of the power that could be brought together for one all-out assault.
"Fight off this! Backlash Wave!" InuYasha snarled as he swung the Tetsusaiga, releasing a massive cyclone of torrential light straight at Ryokage. As the power leapt out across the water, Kagome fired her arrow, drawing the Shikigami Backlash Wave along its path.
Still recovering from the Light of Judgment, Ryokage looked up just in time to watch helplessly as the arrow guided the full force of their power straight and true into him "NOOOO!" the demon howled as his body was pulverized from the inside-out by the forces they had unleashed. "How can a half-demon and two weak humans defeat me?" With one last whimper, Ryokage disintegrated away, naught but dust floating in the air.
"Well, that's that!" InuYasha growled with satisfaction, sheathing the Tetsusaiga as the wind slowly dispelled the stench of Ryokage's destruction. "Hey, Michiru, you okay?"
Sighing with exhaustion as sweat rolled down his face, his knees buckling beneath him as he fell to the ground, Michiru looked at his friends and sighed. "I'll be okay…as long as I don't actually have to move..."
"You must be exhausted," Kagome said sympathetically. "InuYasha…"
"Relax, I've got him," InuYasha replied gruffly as he hefted Michiru onto his back and carried him piggyback-style. "Still, I've gotta admit, you were pretty impressive, Michiru. Hard to believe you were once that weak little pain in the butt I found in the forest!"
"I had to toughen up in a big hurry," Michiru murmured as they moved along.
Author's Notes: Well, Ryokage sure was a tough customer! And writing this battle was tough, too! Sure hope everybody liked it! Please, read and review!
Now that InuYasha and company have triumphed, there's still the nasty business of the wrecked prison, the dead inmates, and Michiru still not having any clue as to how to return to the Feudal Era. You think their new ally might be able to point him in the right direction? For the answer to that question, check out the next chapter!