InuYasha- Chapter 404- Moryoumaru's Transformation
"Over there!" InuYasha shouted as he bolted through the air. Kagome sat upon his back, clutching his shoulders tightly to hold on. Sango and Miroku rode on Kirara, flying along side them as always. "I can smell shouki, and there's a lot of it!"
"It's Moryoumaru," Kagome informed, glaring over the hanyou's ears. "There's a presence with a corrupt Shikon fragment." She paused for a moment, and then gasped. "Hurry InuYasha! There's another Shikon shard's presence!"
This caught Sango and Miroku's attention. Sango's face became grim, Kohaku…?! Why is he…?!
Speaking of the younger slayer; Kohaku bounded up what appeared to be the side of a mountain. He clutched his Kusarigama in his hands, his face determined. A river of shouki ran along side him, flowing and crashing into the sides. He glared up a cliff's edge, what's happening? Suddenly, more shouki cascaded over the edge of the cliff, heading straight for Kohaku. The shouki pooled at the bottom, and Kohaku sighed in relief when he realized it wasn't meant to harm him. The liquid miasma began to erode at the mountain, showing a kind of cage made out of rock. It exploded, revealing a dark figure clouded by smoke and jyaki. Kohaku stared up at it, shocked and horrified. More rocks began to fly from the mountain, now heading straight for him. He placed his mask over his mouth, jumping over to another spot on the shore.
Moryoumaru's voice rang through the quiet atmosphere, "Kohaku, eh?" The demon stood up from his mountain crevasse, towering almost sixty feet above the boy. His body was slightly hunched, and new lumpy things stuck out from his ribs and arms. As if he had re-made himself…. As the mist cleared, Kohaku got a better look at him.
Moryoumaru had indeed changed. His once bare, pale skin was now covered in different objects. On his right shoulder sat the shell of the Meioujuu in its entirety, as if it were a shoulder blade. Spewing off of that was his diamond studded arm, glistening in the light. The spears of the Kongou Souha were all molded together to make a sleeve of diamonds. The rest of his body was covered in a hard black substance, resembling the same texture as the Meioujuu's shell. It guarded his vital points more heavily, and stretched all the way up to his collar bone and shoulder. It even covered the left arm. He was completely shielded from anything that could harm him.
"You reached the shouki, eh?"
Kohaku couldn't believe his eyes, "Moryoumaru…you've transformed haven't you?"
Moryoumaru laughed and ignored Kohaku's observation, "You came knowing I was here? Without caring if I devoured your Shikon shard…is that right?"
Large, tentacle-like things erupted from his back, pointing at Kohaku. The boy jerked as he felt another tug from the Shikon shard in his neck. He jumped out of the way as a menacing spear collided with the ground he was just standing upon. He threw his scythe around a retreating tentacle, grunting with the force it took.
Moryoumaru glared at him and laughed, "How would you like your shard to be the only thing left as you melt in this shouki?"
He swished the tentacle Kohaku held captive, easily overpowering him. The boy squeezed his eyes closed as he headed for the lethal liquid below him.
Just then, a glistening arrow glided through the air at lightning speed. It cleared a spot in the river for Kohaku to land in, keeping him safe. Kikyou stood a few feet away, on a small cliff, glaring down at Moryoumaru and his captive. She shot another arrow, severing the tentacle from Kohaku's weapon.
"Ki-Kikyou," Moryoumaru stuttered, surprised by the priestess's loud entrance.
She responded, cold as ever, "Moryoumaru…no…. The armor…that Naraku's heart…the baby created, huh…?"
"And what of it?" Moryoumaru relied smugly, "did you come to get rid of it?"
She drew back another arrow. "This shouki and your form…you've re-formed your body, haven't you? And I think…in that time…was when the baby was brought out, if even for a moment."
He cackled, "Seems you didn't make it in time."
"You still don't understand!" Kikyou shrieked, letting her arrow fly.
Moryoumaru held out his arm, using his powers to extend the diamonds from his limb. "I'm telling you, you're too late!" He let them loose, the spears plummeting towards the priestess. Kikyou stared at their glittering exteriors, her eyes widening in great surprise.
What…?! Those are….!
Kohaku ran towards her, "Kikyou-sama!" He pushed her out of the way of an adamant spear, saving her from instant death. She kneeled on the ground, shooting another arrow at Moryoumaru. He easily evaded it, smiling down at her. She stared at the spear that almost killed her, those are InuYasha's….
Moryoumaru laughed at her, "That's right; InuYasha's spears."
Kikyou glared at him, lunging forward to yell, "What's happened to InuYasha?!"
"What would you do if you knew?" Moryoumaru asked, "At any rate, after this you'll be run through and die by your dear man's spears."
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of something twinkling. A light exploded behind him, causing him to jump in surprise. It was the light of a demonic power…
Kikyou and Kohaku stared up at the man hovering above Moryoumaru, sword outstretched. Sesshoumaru glared down at him, his cloak and fluff trailing after him. A few feet away, InuYasha and his group were finally closing in on Moryoumaru, running/flying at him as fast as they could. Kagome felt the pang of her senses, telling her they were getting closer.
"InuYasha! Over there!"
InuYasha saw Sesshoumaru hovering above the cliff and he glared. But his expression soon paled when he sniffed the air. Kikyou's scent!
