Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, this story and created characters are mine.
Chapter 16: Phase Seven- The Half-Demon
The battle between demons continued to rage. Kagura, with sweeping motions, shot onslaught after onslaught of blades. Being injured, InuYasha was left only with the option to dodge. Using the Tetsusaiga to leverage, the dog demon got to his feet. He looked up, hearing the whizzing of wind blades. Gripping the Tetsusaiga, InuYasha stood with his legs apart, sword in both hands. The two blades were about to clash.
Kagura smiled at the upcoming sight, InuYasha cut in two. Now upon her feather, she raised her fan above her head, as in victory. Wanting a closer look, she commanded her feather to float down, down towards InuYasha's demise. After so many failures, this time, InuYasha would perish. Today, Naraku would praise her triumph.
InuYasha saw her widening smile, which fueled his anger and determination. He needed to defeat Kagura. The nagging feeling of Kagome being in danger never went away from his stomach. He wanted, needed to see Kagome. Somehow, he needed to end the battle. The crescent blades raced towards his position. I've got one chance. He clenched Tetsusaiga within his hands. The soaring blades inched closer every second. He breathed slowly, knowing what he was going to do. With the blades only a few feet away, InuYasha unleashed his attack.
"Backlash Wave!"
The sound of his voice caused Kagura's smile to fade. The attack struck her flying blades, sending them back to her. Her own crescent blades now hurled towards her. Out of fear, she covered her face, lifting her feather as a shield. The blades ripped through the makeshift shield. Without the feather to support her weight, Kagura landed face-first on the ground. Pieces of her feather fell like snow as she painfully rose from her landing.
In light of his small victory, InuYasha smiled with pride. Her injury should slow her, making her easier to defeat. His smile only provoked the wind witch more. She hastily raised her fan with fire in her eyes.
"Dance of the Dragon." Swirling vortexes hurled towards the half-demon. Bracing himself, InuYasha lifted Tetsusaiga which took the brunt of the attack. His clothes began to tear at the force of the attack. Lifting his head, he saw Kagura's eyes glared with determination. Now, she would do anything to win. The fear of losing this battle became present in his mind for the first time. Something had to be done, and soon.
Out of nowhere Saimyosho appeared. The wind sorceress halted as they whispered in her ear. Keeping Tetsusaiga raised, InuYasha viewed the conversation. Kagura's face became disgusted as the wasps hovered near her ear. As they disappeared into the clouds, a small scowl spread across her face. She looked at him, infuriated at the circumstances.
"I have other matters to attend to InuYasha. Until next time." Removing another feather from her hair, Kagura ascended into the sky. InuYasha, tattered and torn, stared into open sky.
"Dammit" InuYasha placed his sword back into its sheath. He huffed, inhaling the air out of frustration and anger.
His thoughts snapped back to the incident during the fight. With Kagura gone, he could return to Kagome's side. He slowly turned to the woods, hoping to regain his strength. He sniffed the air, hoping to find her scent. A cool breeze brushed passed him, carrying the sweet aroma of the girl. He inhaled deeply, only to stop short. Another scent surrounded hers, on that resembled Naraku. Suddenly the sinking feeling in his stomach grew exponentially, the feeling that something was not right.
The young girl ran further into the woods, heading back to InuYasha. Ferns and shrubs brushed against her legs. Her feet trampled over rocks and roots as she tracked through the forest. She kept her thoughts on InuYasha, hoping to find him.
"Kagome." The sound of InuYasha's voice seemed to shake the leaves of the trees. Kagome turned towards the voice. The half demon launched from the trees, landing squarely to the girl.
"InuYasha," Kagome whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. She knew he was going to be alright.
"Kagome, I was worried about you." Without warning the demon wrapped his naked arms around the girl. Sweat covered his bare arms, dampening her. She felt his pulse, calm yet forceful against her chest. She let her eyelids slide down, soaking in the embrace. The desire for this moment to last forever surged in her body. She opened her eyes, so she could look into his shining golden eyes. Something, though, caught her eye.
"Where are your beads InuYasha?" Kagome asked, focusing her brown eyes on his neck. The half-demon looked at his chest. The prayer beads she uses to subdue him were gone.
"And where is your robe?" The dog demon gripped Kagome harder. She winced lightly before lifting her head, unsure of what would happen. Kagome's heart stopped as he kissed her. Surprised, she held her breath. The moment seemed like forever to the girl. His ears, twitching, caught the sound of someone approaching them. Removing his lips, he shifted his eyes towards the trees.
"InuYasha?" Kagome whispered softly. She followed his gaze. Rustling grew louder as the couple stood in silence. The young girl grasped his arms tighter, anticipated the fake Miroku to emerge. Instead, a red blur fell came from the trees and descended to the ground, ten feet away from the couple. The dog demon imposter gritted his teeth as the true InuYasha pulled out Tetsusaiga.
"Kagome, get out of here!" InuYasha ordered, holding his blade in the air, never leaving his eyes from his imposer. Kagome, submitting to his command, began to turn away. Without warning, the fake InuYasha encircled his arms around the young girl, constricting her movement.
"Kagome!" InuYasha shouted, gritting his teeth. His legs began to move, closing in on the imposter and his woman. As the dog demon approached him, he noticed that the claws of the feign InuYasha touched Kagome's neck, brazing her skin. He stopped, smelling Kagome's blood in the air.
"You have the right idea," the shape shifter laughed, its pupils now focused on Kagome. She shivered from the look in its eyes. The creature smiled at the drips of blood that slid down her neck.
"Leave her out of this," InuYasha said, lowering his blade. He knew this was not a time to be hard-headed.
"But isn't more interesting this way?" The creature stared at InuYasha, waiting for a response. All the shape shifter got was an angry expression from the dog demon, teeth clenched and eyebrows filled with worry.
Kagome feared about what would happen. Should I escape or wait for InuYasha. She recalled her encounter with the fake Miroku. This had to be the same creature, one that could take on the shape of another. She looked at InuYasha. As long as she was in harm's way, InuYasha was powerless to save her. Without pondering on the matter any longer, she reacted.
"Let me go!" Purple light gathered in her hands. Placing them on the creature, she repelled from his grasp, hurdling her and him backwards. InuYasha, sticking the sword in the ground, opened his arms to catch her. The creature flipped in midair, landing gently on the ground.
"Didn't think you could do that twice in one day," It said, wiping blood from its mouth with the back of its hand.
"Don't you ever threaten Kagome's life again," InuYasha shouted, bearing his fangs, teeth and sword, at his doppelganger. Kagome, who had run to a tree for safety, watched the standoff. She feared for InuYasha's life. Something about this new enemy did not seem right, something deadly.
"Can't we play a little longer?" The imposer asked, licking his lips. The sound of his own voice disgusted InuYasha.
"Just shut up and let me kill you!" InuYasha began running to his adversary, Tetsusaiga raised high above his head. The creature smiled, knowing how it was going to end.
With a push of the ground the creature leapt gracefully out of harm's way, leaving InuYasha even more steamed. Streaks of yellow scorched the ground below, leaving a mark which could not be removed.
The shape shifter, noticing the opening, prepped its claws. The elongated, pointy fingernails reached for the half-demon. InuYasha stepped back, leaving little room for the creature to attack. It lunged again, but this time, InuYasha was ready.
InuYasha ran his blade through the stomach of his double. The shape shifter cringed upon impact. Time seemed to freeze as the two stood motionless. Satisfied with his attack, InuYasha's face was plastered with a grin, feeling confident of his victory.
"Feel like playing now?" InuYasha's eyes shifted to his victim, expecting to see a face in horror. Reverting his smile, he saw a calm face staring back at him.
"Did you really expect to kill me?"
Suddenly a wave of agonizing pain hit InuYasha. He collapsed slightly upon himself, tucking his stomach down with his ribs.
"Does it hurt?" The creature smiled, chuckling a little.
"What the hell?" InuYasha said, responding to both the unknown injury and his opponent.
"Surprised?" The twin asked gleefully, "You see, whosever form I take will receive the same damage that I endure." Its face inched closer to InuYasha. "Let's make you suffer at little more, shall we?"
The imposter grabbed InuYasha's hands which clenched Tetsusaiga. In a swift motion, the fake dog demon ripped the blade from his abdomen and threw the dog-demon over his head. A streak of red flew through the crisp air was accompanied by a scream of a girl. Kagome's voice shattered InuYasha's concentration, causing him to land on his head. Disoriented, he rose onto his hands and knees. Before he could stand, a shove placed his back against the floor. The half demon tried again to leave the ground, but found his sword by his throat.
"I must thank you for the sword." Chuckling, the creature looked over its shoulder.
"And for your girlfriend too," she added, watching Kagura take the girl with her. Kagome, unconscious, was lying peacefully next to the wind witch.
"Give Kagome back!" InuYasha shouted towards the sky. He gritted his teeth as his sight fell upon his twin.
"You had better let me go!"
The sword inched closer to the half-demon's neck, piercing the skin. A trickle of blood dripped from the sword as the creature's face reached InuYasha's keen nose.
"You are insensitive," the clone whispered, "If you weren't, your friends would still be alive."
"What? What about my friends? What did you do?"
Silence. InuYasha's temper grew.
"Damn you!"
A smile crossed the creature's face, satisfied by his anger. The creature removed the sword from InuYasha's neck, never leaving his eyes.
"Come find me if you want your sword back," InuYasha's copy began, "or go save your girlfriend. Your choice."
With that the shape shifter vanished into the woods as Kagura ascended to the sky.