Chapter 29
Sai had been mulling over what the voice had said for the past few hours. They had decided to rest and catch their breath before this final stage. Away from the massive amounts of Umi's blood, of course. Sai didn't know whether to be happy or extremely apprehensive about what was in store for them. More than likely, though, it was the latter. The sound of Nami calling her name broke her out of her trance.
"Sai... Sai... Sai!" Nami said, trying to get her attention.
"What?" Sai said, her head bolting around to face Nami.
"You've been really quiet. I was just wondering if you were alright." Nami told her.
"I'm fine." Sai lied, "Just thinking." Nami nodded, understanding what Sai was really saying.
"Well then, we should probably get moving again." Umi pointed out. The others agreed and they proceeded on their way. Sai carried Umi, while Akage carried Nami.
The group was speeding down the hall. Sai kind of wished she didn't have to carry a demon slayer and all if her gear, but when the battle came, Sai knew she would want her by her side.
"Damn you guys are fast." Umi commented.
"You surprised?" Sai asked.
"A little. Still getting used to this whole demon idea." She told her.
"You have no idea." Sai said.
"I guess not." Umi admitted, "I didn't just find out that I'm half demon." Sai chuckled.
"It's not that bad." Akage said.
"I don't think so either. Without them, we'd be dead by now." Nami pointed out.
"I don't know about that." Sai said, "You are trained demon slayers."
"Yeah, but our training now only amounts to vague memories and instinct." Nami countered.
"Still gave me a run for my money and you beat Akage." Sai pointed out. Akage blushed heavily and turned his face away. This made Sai laugh.
"You guys are still getting used to your powers too." Nami said, "I guess we're all at a bit of a disadvantage."
"True enough." Umi agreed.
"Sai, we getting any closer?" Akage asked. Sai sniffed the air searching for Kaze's scent. Something strange filled her lungs. Her eyes widened with panic.
"Guys!" Sai yelled, "We have to hurry! Kaze's scent has changed!"
"What?!" Nami said, confused, "Sai, what do you mean? How has his scent changed?"
"It's not human." Akage said bluntly. Everyone turned to look at Akage. "Look, my sense of smell may not be as good as Sai's, but even I can smell that."
"Dammit." Sai cursed bitterly, "I was hoping that I was just mixing up the scents in my head." She started to panic. This couldn't be happening. She needed Kaze more than she needed air. The familiar voice filled the air once again.
"So, you finally caught on, did you?" The voice said.
"Damn you!" Sai screamed, "What the hell did you do to Kaze?"
"Not much." The voice said nonchalantly, "Just fused his blood with demon blood, specifically that of a dog demon."
"YOU BASTARD!" Sai roared.
"Well now, Sai, how else could we have promised you a good fight." The voice said, "A human didn't seem to be any match for you, so why not make you fight someone of your own caliber."
"I'll kill you!" Sai screamed at the ceiling.
"Good luck." The voice said before going silent once more.
"Dammit!" Sai cursed, "I'm going to rip that bastard's throat out!"
"Sai, calm down." Umi said, trying to help her friend, "Let's focus on getting Kaze back first, then we'll kill whatever the hell that has that voice."
"Right." Sai agreed, "But I get to kill that demon." The rest of the group nodded and Sai and Akage sped up their pace down the hall.
It didn't take long to reach. It might have only been ten minutes since the voice had stopped talking. There before them stood the only break in the constant hallway that they had all been traveling in for so long. It was a giant door. The thing must have been at least twenty feet high. It was made of what looked to be very fine hard wood with intricate decorations carved on it and covered in gold leaf.
"So that bastards go for a really nice door, but don't bother to make any of this massive hallway nice in any way." Nami joked dryly. No one responded. Sai walked up to the door. She stared at it for a few moments before, in a blur of movement, she roundhouse kicked the door. It flew open revealing a huge vaulted room. The room was circular and must have been at least one hundred feet in diameter and at least that high. In the middle of the floor stood what looked to be a man. Sai knew better, though. The man reeked of demon and had a large demonic aura emanating from him.
"So you finally arrived." The demon said, "Welcome." Sai gritted her teeth. This demon was the source of the voice that had taunted them for so long.
"Who the hell are you?" Sai screamed at the demon.
"My name is Kiretsu." He told her calmly.
"Why have you done this to us?" Akage demanded.
"I have been testing you." He said, "And you have one final test to pass. Sai, if you would, please step forward."
"Why the hell should I?" Sai demanded. Kiretsu simply stepped aside to reveal what his body had been blocking from view. Behind him, tied to a post was Kaze. He looked to be asleep, but Sai could sense the new demonic aura emanating from him. The dog ears on his head were new too. Sai growled menacingly, baring her fangs.
"Now, please step forward." Kiretsu repeated, "Walk to the center of the room." Sai did so, grudgingly. Her steps echoed loudly throughout the room. She reached the center of the room.
"Now w-" Sai started to say. In the middle of her sentence, her muscles froze. She couldn't move and her body was heating up. Her vision was blurring and turning red. Sai started to growl uncontrollably. Kaze raised his head, moving for the first time. His eyes were blood red and there were demon markings on his face. He bared his fangs and started to growl at Sai.
Sai's friends looked on in horror at what was happening. Sai was transforming into her full demon state and, somehow, Kaze was already in one.
"That bastard." Akage said, realization hitting him, "He's going to make them fight each other."
"That's sick." Nami spat.
"We've gotta help them." Umi said, drawing her swords. Kiretsu turned towards them.
"I wouldn't do that." He said, "Right now, neither of them are controlling their bodies. I am and I could end their lives in a second. Once they've transformed, no one will control them and they could end your lives in a second. Just let them fight it out."
"Damn." Umi cursed, sheathing her sword, "He's right. We can't do anything. Not without somebody dying." Kiretsu nodded his approval and turned back to face the scene unfolding before them. The demonic aura emanating off of both of them was beginning to increase exponentially. Kiretsu smiled.
"It's time." He said.
Suddenly Kaze broke free from his bonds to the post. Both he and Sai moved like a blur. Sai went to punch Kaze, but was met only by Kaze's own fist. The resulting wave of pressure knocked everyone in the room off of their feet. Sai and Kaze quickly disengaged. No one's eyes could keep up with their movements. All they could do was hear the results of they're engagements. Something crashed into the wall, turning a section of it to rubble. Kaze landed outside of the dust cloud. He smirked and licked a wound on his right arm that was bleeding badly. A massive piece of wall came flying out of the dust. Kaze barely had time to get out of the way. Sai, however, was right behind the rock and slammed into Kaze in mid-air, digging her claws into his shoulder. He wrenched her hand out of him and kicked her hard, sending her flying across the room. Both he and Sai landed on their feet and slid to a stop. They didn't stay that way for long, though. Within a fraction of a second, they were sprinting at each other, claws raised. Kaze slashed first. Sai ducked under the attack and then slammed her shoulder up into Kaze's stomach and sent him flying into the air. He grunted in pain as he slammed into the floor across the room and slid head first into the wall.
"They're gonna kill each other." Nami said, "We can't just sit here."
"You must." Kiretsu said. The three whirled around to face him. At some point during the battle, he had gotten behind them.
"You cannot interfere." He continued as the battle raged on, "They won't kill each other. However, if you interfere, they will never discover their hidden power."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nami demanded.
"I am here to help you. You are the only ones that can defeat Konton and I want him dead. You to discover your true power in order to accomplish this and helping you to do so is the only way that I can help." Kiretsu explained.
"So this whole thing was part of your plan?" Akage accused.
"Yes." He admitted, "You couldn't be aware of it or else it wouldn't work."
"Then why are you telling us?" Umi asked.
"Because you have already discovered your abilities. Nami and Umi, you have the ability to enter into a spiritual state. Nami is the only one that has done it, but Umi has unlocked the ability. Akage, you have gotten the ability to enter into a purified demon state. Your human blood will control your heart and mind, while your demon blood will control your body. It will make you a hundred times stronger. Sai is currently in the process of discovering the same thing. She will also be able to enter into the spiritual state during the night of the new moon when she is human." Kiretsu explained.
"What about Kaze?" Nami asked, "You've made him a half-demon."
"And a half-demon he will stay." Kiretsu told them, "He will have the same hidden power as Sai. The interesting thing is that, when together, their power will increase exponentially."
"You forced him into being a half-demon forever?!" Akage asked incredulously.
"No." Kiretsu said, "He agreed to the transformation. We did not tell him about this battle, but we did tell him everything else."
"Wait, wait, wait." Nami said quickly, "We? There are more behind this?"
"Yes." Kiretsu admitted, "My brother, Mageru, and Sai's uncle from this time, Souta."
"Anyone else?" Umi demanded.
"No." Kiretsu told her, "Everyone else is dead. Konton has systematically killed all of us off. We fled here to escape."
"How did you get here?" Nami asked, "The well has been closed for years and the only ones ever able to use it were Kagome and Inuyasha, Sai's parents."
"My brother and I are time demons. We can use different mediums to travel through time. The Bone Eater's Well just happened to be the easiest one to use in the area. We didn't know at the time that we would find the one that could help us defeat Konton." Kiretsu explained, "We can discuss any further questions you have later. Right now, you must be ready to do your part in this battle."
"Our part?" Akage asked, confused. Kiretsu nodded.
"Akage, when they have weakened themselves just a little bit more, you and I must step in and hold them down. Then Nami and Umi, in their spiritual state, must do what Nami did to you in your battle. You two girls might want to do that now. This won't last much longer. Nami and Umi both nodded and set their sutras out, while Akage and Kiretsu readied themselves to fly into the fight. The two girls underwent the transformation and took their place behind Akage and Kiretsu.
The battle between Sai and Kaze was evenly matched. It had been going on the entire time that the others had been talking. Both were becoming fatigued, even in their elevated state. Kaze took advantage of an opening and drove his elbow into Sai's stomach. She responded by digging her claws into Kaze's arm, wrenching it away from her, and then kicking him the chest, sending him skidding backwards. Both of them paused, breathing heavily, eyes pulsing with bloodlust.
"NOW!" Kiretsu screamed. He and Akage charged forward and tackled the unsuspecting combatants. They had them on the ground and, in their weakened states, neither Sai nor Kaze could get back up. Nami and Umi quickly ran to where they were pinned, eyes glowing blue and spiritual energy emanating from them. Umi put two fingers on Sai'd forehead and Nami did the same to Kaze. Then they began to channel a huge amount of spiritual energy into the two. Both of them screamed in pain. After a few moments, however, the screaming stopped and the two passed out. Nami and Umi stopped the flow of energy and quickly returned to their regular forms. Akage and Kiretsu released their grip on Sai and Kaze and stood up.
"So, is it over? Are they going to be okay?" Nami asked.
"Yes. They should be." Kiretsu said, "Come. Let's take them to the main house and allow them to rest and recover." Kiretsu picked up Kaze and Akage did the same for Sai. Kiretsu began to walk towards the far end of the room. A door appeared that hadn't been there before. Kiretsu opened the door and the rest of them followed him through it and back to the outside.