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The Breakup
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"Shit, I smell blood," Inuyasha cursed hoarsely as he launched out of the well and balanced for a moment on the lip of the well staring in horror at the bat demons descending on the village, "A lot of…"
-THUD-
It happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that it took Inuyasha a few moments where he blinked stupidly at the spiritual arrow in his chest that was dissolving his flesh. Slowly, he staggered off the well as Kagome leapt off his back. Blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth and a cry completely unrelated to the pain ripping through his body wrenched from his throat as a bat demon swept down picking up his miko almost effortlessly leaving him behind to die all alone. Inuyasha's silver hair slowly dulled to a sickly grey and his amber eyes paled to a soft yellow as he sank to his knees and fruitlessly pulled at the arrow embedded in his chest, ignoring the massive amount of blood dripping sickenly onto the meadow grass. It was strange that he hadn't been purified instantly into a human or even killed outright. It was almost delayed.
Well, this sucks but if it buys me enough time to save Kagome...
Forcing himself painfully to his feet, he quickly – if not a little unsteadily – raced after the bat that had captured the woman he loved, even as a ragged hole began to form in his chest around the still shimmering arrow. Luckily, he didn't have to go very far.
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"GET DOWN!" Shiori screamed as she dove on her to stomach breathing a sigh of relief when all those around her follow suit just in time to miss a massive sonic blast that leveled most of the still standing huts to the ground. As much as she'd been practicing her own barriers, it was nowhere near big enough to cover all the people it'd need to - it was barely big enough to cover her own body much less anyone else's.
Closing her pale violet eyes, she exhaled shakily through her mouth in a display of calming her frazzled nerves before inhaling through her nose and freezing. She could smell his blood. He was hurt and badly. More than badly...he was dying. Pushing herself up, she slung the mighty Tessaiga over her tiny shoulder and took off as fast as her tiny feet could carry her towards the source. There was no way she was going to allow him to die.
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Inuyasha crashed into the invisible barrier with such speed that he almost seemed to be suspended unnaturally mid-air before he crumpled down to the ground gasping in pain as the arrow began glowing with more ferocity, the sound of sizzling flesh ringing in his sensitive ears alongside Kagome's muffled scream. Raising his dulled pale yellow eyes, he groaned softly in pain as he forced himself to his feet to face Kikyo head on.
"You have a choice, Kagome," she cooed to the girl struggling desperately against the bat demon who was seemingly immune to spiritual attacks as pink sparks were dancing around him like fireworks yet all he did was smirk. Kikyo drew her bow and nocked an arrow aimed straight at Inuyasha's heart, "I could save him. My spell has been purposefully delayed, if I were to remove the arrow he'd live to see another day. Either you surrender your soul to me, or I end his miserable life here and now."
Inuyasha's eyes widened when Kagome stopped her struggles for a moment and stared at him almost apologetically. Shaking his head, tears began to well in the corners of his eyes as he choked out, the words flowing out of his mouth in a rush, "Kagome. Don't do it. Don't. She'll probably kill me anyway. I'm not worth it."
Kikyo lowered her bow as she marched up to the weakened Inuyasha who growled and thrust his hand towards her chest onto to find it caught in mid-air.
"That won't work either," Kikyo leered as she sent a shockwave of spiritual energy through him, grinning evilly as he screamed and writhed in agony as his flesh bubbled angrily around her fingers, "My arrow has more than one purpose. You can't hurt me."
"Kikyo! Stop! STOP!" Kagome screamed shrilly, managing to wrench her mouth free, "I'll do what you want but let him..."
"Don't...Kagome...please don't" Inuyasha begged hoarsely before Kikyo gripped his neck and sent another blast of spiritual energy through him. The scream tore through him like a great shard of glass. His almost translucent yellow eyes widened and his heart thudded like a rock rattling in box. His scream of pain came again, desperate, agonizing... human. For a moment, his body tensed up as he writhed fruitlessly against her grip before his eyes glazed over and he went limp in her grasp. Kikyo turned to give Kagome a victorious grin when a sudden rumbling in the bush had both mikos whipping their heads towards the tree line where as a handful of beings suddenly emerged armed to the teeth with various weapons. As Kagome glanced wearily at this freshest of hells, her mouths hung open comically at the sight of Asora - the strange social worker – and at least two dozen other half-demons clearly from her era walking up as though walking around in the past was nothing but a thing.
"Sorry we're late!" Asora announced breathlessly as she emerged from the treeline and waved lightly in greeting to Kagome as she gave her an apologetic smile, "Took forever to get everyone together but we made it!"
"Hey! If someone had given us advance notice we would've been more available! Our bad!" a particularly tall boy with spiky neon blue hair barked back as he drew a few knives from his belt and held them at the ready, "You can talk all the shit you want but I left my job for a family emergency and had to catch three trains!"
"Oh shut up!" Asora snorted playfully before turning her head and narrowing her eyes at the completely baffled Kikyo holding a throughly bloodied and unconscious Inuyasha by the wrist. For a moment, all the new arrivals stared in horror at the scene before them before Asora screamed and shook with rage.
"Bitch, I've heard stories but seriously what the fuck is wrong with you?!" the usually bubbly woman said with such acidity that it took everyone in the clearing aback. As Kikyo stared incredulously at the strangely stressed rescue party, Asora looked at Kagome whose eyes could not possibly get any wider, "I know, I know. Super weird how I'm here. I get it. Let us handle this shit and then I'll tell you anything you need to know."
Releasing Inuyasha's wrist, Kikyo drew her bow once more and aimed, "I do not know your business half-demon but you will not interfere."
"Aw honey, that's so cute," Asora giggled humorlessly as she and the others circled her, "You actually think that'll work on us."
"Half-demon or full, spiritual power has been the bane of your kind's existence since time began," Kikyo spat acidly, face crumpling in disbelief as the newly arrived group chuckled under their breath.
"Normally yeah," Asora cooed as she adjusted her ponytails and crouched, "But unfortunately for you we're not normal."
As Kikyo let her arrow fly, Asora spun gracefully and with a simple gesture caught the arrow mid-air dispelling the spiritual energy instantly. Flicking it between her fingers in a playful manner, the social worker smirked and cocked her head to the side as she pouted playfully, "Like I said. You're too cute. Guys, get her and then deal with those bats."
As Kikyo scrambled backwards in an attempt to escape, a sudden scream echoed as a brilliant red light erupted all around them.
