Chapter Eleven: Phantom Showdown: The Thunder Brother vs. Tetsaiga

Atop the clouds thousands of beautiful women, clad in scanty white robes gazed in wonder as Manten was driven through the skies upon a chariot pulled by pegasi. He was garbed in robes fit for an emperor, and had a full head of hair as black as night. On either side of him were the two lucky beautiful women he had chosen to bring with him.

'Master Hiten is handsome, but Master Manten is positively dashing!'

'I want to run my fingers through his black locks…' moaned a women.

'Heh heh heh,' said Mentan 'just as I suspected, having a thick head of hair is all I needed to make me as popular as my big brother Hiten.' He ran one hand through his bangs, and it came away with many strands of dark hair. 'What? No, my precious…'

His hair began to recede, blowing away in a chill wind. The women gasped in horror and ran. 'No wait! I have special ointment! I can make it grow back, honest!' He clutched his head. 'Oh no, I'm losing my charisma! I must find some hair!'

At that moment the pegasi turned to skeletons, and his chariot lost its luster. Then both fell apart, and he fell from heaven, descending to the shadowlands far below, never to return.

Since reaching puberty his dreams had all ended in the same manner. His hair fell out, dashing his hopes in one crushing blow. Oh what he would give for a full head of silky smooth hair. It might not make him HIten's equal with the fairer sex, but he was confident that with some coverage on his cranium he would attract at least a few courtesans.

Yet now only one strand of hair remained on his head. One measly strand.

Thunder crackled across darkened skies as Hiten and Inuyasha faced on another down. Hiten readied his spear and smiled. 'So, you wish for me to draw out this game of ours do you? Very well, I will relish your prolonged suffering.'

'A lot of people have said that sort of thing to me in the past.' said Inuyasha 'Their all dead now. You know I've got quite a collection of dead fools under my belt.'

'I won't be added to it!' snarled Hiten 'Time to meet your own unfortunate demise!' And he charged. The power of lightning was behind him, and Inuyasha leaped aside just in time as the ground behind him exploded. The heat of Hiten's lightning could be felt even through the robe of the Fire Rat.

Inuyasha turned and met Hiten's assault, only to be driven back across the plains beneath an onslaught of furious blows. With every strike it seemed as if a mountain was being pressed against the Tetsaiga, and it was all Inuyasha could do to stay on his feet.

'Enjoy your last moments of life!' cried Hiten, pressing his spear closer.

One touch of Hiten's lightning might be the end of Inuyasha.

Meanwhile Shippo was observing the conflict as it played out from behind a nearby hill. 'Good,' he said 'Hiten's busy. I'm certain Inuyasha can hold him off. Meanwhile, I'll find a way to save Kagome!'

'Inuyasha!' cried Kagome from where she was atop a dark cloud.

Manten, meanwhile, was clapping. 'Give him a send off that is unrivaled! I'll lend my assistance!' Then he opened his mouth and began channeling lightning.

'No fair!' cried Kagome 'Its two against one!' And she shoved him off the cloud.

Manten fell from the heavens and crashed against the ground hard. A massive explosion of lightning resounded as dirt was kicked up.

'One down.' said Kagome.

And then the cloud she was on dissipated, and she fell towards the ground with a shriek. Shippo knew in that moment that he had to take action, or she would die. Inuyasha was too busy fighting Hiten to help. He rushed forward, fishing out some of his tricks. Yet he was too late, and she landed…

On Manten's body.

'Oh well,' she said as she stood. 'at least the fall didn't kill me.'

'No,' said Manten as he arose. 'but I might.'

'Ah!' cried Kagome 'I thought you were dead!' And she ran.

'Wench!' cried Manten as he pursued.

Kagome however halted, for the walls of the crater were gigantic, and she was cornered. Shippo knew what he had to do. 'Time to use my fox magic!' And he hurled a spinning top through the air to land on Manten's head. It spun faster and faster, and grew larger and larger, until Manten was suddenly forced down by the sheer weight of the top. He ground as he languished on the ground.

'Get away while you can, Kagome!' cried Shippo.

'No arguments here.' said Kagome, before scaling up the craters walls and pulling herself up. 'Wow, nice move down there.'

Shippo looked away with a blush. 'It was nothing.'

At that moment Myoga reappeared. 'Its far too early for celebration.'

'You and your big mouth.' snapped Shippo.

'Shippo's so called fox magic is all about illusion.' said Myoga.

'Thats an illusion.' said Kagome. 'It looks pretty real to me.' She glanced back to where Manten was still being crushed under the weight of the top.

'And yet it is not.' said Myoga 'Behold.'

At that moment the top shrank down to its normal size, and fell off Manten's head to roll harmlessly to the ground. Manten arose and picked it up. 'That fox tike will pay for his tricks.' At that moment the last remaining hair on his head fell off. Something between a sob and a gasp came from his mouth as he felt his now bald head. 'No! My beautiful hair! Gone! Their all gone! Every last one of my hairs has fallen!' With a roar he breathed waves of lightning. Shippo and Kagome ran for cover as the lightning raked the ground around them. 'You have plucked my last strands of hair!'

Trees and rock formations were obliterated in great swaths as stones and rocks flew into the air around them. The land groaned beneath the onslaught of lightning. Finally Shippo and Kagome got behind a small hillock, and kneeled down for cover.

'Looks like we added fuel to the proverbial fire.' said Kagome.

'You said it.' agreed Shippo.

'I can smell your fear!' called Manten's voice, drawing nearer. 'I'll hunt you down! And use one for my hair potion, and the other for a new pelt!' He was on the opposite side of the tree now.

'Got any bright ideas?' asked Kagome 'Cause something tells me we're in trouble.' She risked a look around the hillock. 'Wait a minute, that arrow! Maybe I could use it again!' She looked to Shippo. 'Shippo, I need your help.'

Manten made his way throughout the devastated forest, smelling the air for any sign of his enemy. Suddenly he caught a whiff of something, and turned to face it. 'Over there!' Unleashing a barrage of lightning, he sent it towards a tree on a mound.

There was an earthshaking explosion, and Manten made his way through the smoke to see what he could find. Then he saw her, lying unconscious on the dirt. 'There's the little wench!' he said, making his way forward and picking her up by the hair. 'Did you honestly believe you could evade a Thunder Brother?'

Her eyes suddenly opened as her feet stepped onto the ground. 'Yeah, actually, you slimy mudskipper!' Suddenly her hair coiled round Manten's hands, holding them in place. 'Funny, I can't seem to do a thing with my hair today!'

Then the same girl rushed from the side.

'What trickery is this?!' asked Manten in confusion.

'I'll be taking that arrow back, if you don't mind!' said the girl, before yanking out the arrow. Manten groaned in pain, then looked to the first girl. 'You're that miserable fox!' He realized as her hair turned orange.

'In the flesh and blood!' cried the fox 'Here for my fathers revenge!'

The girl raised the arrow and stabbed at his forehead, but Manten freed himself and knocked her away, before slamming the fox demon across the barren landscape, as it returned to its true form. Manten turned to the girl and kneeled by her. 'Your turn.' he said, before gripping her throat.

'Inuyasha…' she gasped 'help…'

Inuyasha was not doing well. Hiten was far faster and stronger then he'd been when he fought Bankotsu, and Inuyasha found himself being driven further and further back. Neither could he access his demon blood lust, and without it he found himself unused to fighting. Then he saw Kagome being choked by the other.

'Kagome!' he cried, before Hiten stabbed him in the shoulder.

'Not so cocky now are you?!' roared Hiten, kicking him to the ground.

The Tetsaiga fell from his grip and landed in the stone, before resuming its normal form. Inuyasha struggled to rise, feeling the pain in his shoulder. Then a spear was pointed at his face. 'Pathetic, you don't live up to your bands reputation, half breed!' said Hiten 'Human compassion will be your undoing!' He glanced back. 'Which should die first? This wretch, or the human he's associating with? What do you think, Manten? Shall we put these fools out of their misery? Or make them suffer a little longer.'

Manten glanced up. 'I'm alright with waiting a little longer, Hiten. I'm quite enjoying myself. What is it about the sight of a women before death that is so exquisitely irresistable?'

'Let her go!' cried Shippo, leaping at Manten, only to be knocked aside.

'Wait your turn!' laughed Manten 'When I'm done I've got a surprise for you! My girth has been expanding of late, and I could use another small fox pelt to keep warm at night! It'll be like a family reunion! Should I kill you first? Or skin you alive like your Father? Perhaps I should sever your toes and use them for a new set of earrings.'

'Very clever, Manten.' said Hiten 'If I didn't know any better I'd say you were becoming quite the villain.'

Manten laughed. 'How kind of you to say so, Hiten.'

Shippo charged again and bit Manten on the neck. However the crocodile demon was unaffected, and reached up to grip him. 'Trying to hasten your fate, are we?' Yet he could not pull him off. 'Release me I say! Release those baby teeth from me now, or I'll have to rethink the order of my victims!'

'Manten,' said Hiten 'carefully you don't soil that precious fox shawl of yours. Wouldn't want to see it soaked with blood.'

'Thank you Hiten.'

Inuyasha was in awe as he stood up, sticking his claws into his wound. 'I'll be the first to admit that I've racked up my share of bad karma in the past. But I'm innocent compared to you swine! BLADES OF BLOOD!'

He hurled drops of blood at Hiten, which transformed into blades of red energy. The demon caught them on his spear, which crackled. 'Finally this is starting to get interesting!'

Inuyasha rushed to his sword, picked it up and leaped into the air. Hiten charged at him, and Inuyasha hurled his sword. It passed right by Hiten, who smirked. 'Nice throw if your aiming at the rocks!'

'I wasn't aiming for you.' said Inuyasha.

Hiten's eyes widened and he glanced to see what Inuyasha had done. The Tetsaiga had passed right through Manten's heart. Manten moaned in pain, loosing his grip as he fell forward with a crash.

Kagome and Shippo got up, grasping the Tetsaiga, and the fox pelt around Manten's body.

'Manten!' cried Hiten in horror, rushing to his brother.

'Kagome, get out of there before he kills you!' cried Inuyasha.

Hiten descended and unleashed a burst of lightning on Kagome as she ran. There was a flash, and she tumbled down the hill to land below.

Hiten sped to his brothers side, kneeling by him. He couldn't die! This couldn't be happening! Manten arose, bleary eyed. 'Hiten… their gone. Every last strand of my hair has fallen. And with it my hopes of becoming happy…'

'Don't be so foolish, Manten!' said Hiten 'We can make it grow back!'

'Its no use kidding myself,' said Manten 'I'll never have your beautiful hair… you were fortunate enough to inherit Fathers looks. But Fate smote me, it was my unfortunate lot in life to resemble our homely Mother… with her receding hair line and decidedly reptilian countenance. How I longed for the looks of you and Father…'

'Beauty isn't about whats on the outside!' cried Hiten 'I wouldn't change a thing about you brother, I love every last bald inch of you!'

'Thank you, even if you don't mean it.' said Manten 'Say a prayer for me when I'm gone, pray that I will be reborn as a fuzzy caterpillar, covered in hair from head to furry toe.' He wheezed. 'No brother… who am I trying to kid. I'd much rather be reborn bald all over again, I'd make that sacrifice if I could be reborn as your brother. Wouldn't… wouldn't that be nice Hiten?'

He fell forward, breath leaving him as Hiten gripped him harder. 'Manten, please don't die!'

There was no response.

'Manten… YOU WRETCHES!' roared Hiten to the sky. 'You slaughtered my brother! Manten…' Tears were dripping from his eyes. 'Rest assured that we shall always be as one brother!' Widening his mouth, he prepared to devour Manten.

And then his hair was grabbed from behind and a blade was driven through his back. The pain was sudden, and horrific. Hiten glanced back to see a beautiful dark haired women, clad in violet holding a spear, a look of simple contempt on his face. She was the sort of person that he'd have wanted to eat in ordinary circumstances. 'You… bitch…'

'What nonsense,' said the women 'how many brothers have you slain? And sisters, and daughters and sons and mothers and fathers. You whose hands are stained with the blood of the innocent have no right to grieve.' Reaching forward she gripped the sacred jewel shard on Hiten's brow and tore it out.

His power fading, Hiten fell forward. The last thing he saw before his vision went black was her tearing the jewel shards from his brothers forehead.

Kagome was still a bit blurry, but she got up anyway, and found Inuyasha rushing to Kagome's side. 'Are you alright?!' he cried.

'Yeah,' said Kagome 'I dropped the Tetsaiga when he attacked me. Sorry, I messed up.'

'Damn right you messed up!' said Inuyasha 'We've got to get it back, and get the hell out of here that guy is way stronger than…' He looked up, and saw someone he never thought he'd see again approaching him. 'Tsubaki?!'

'Er… whose Tsubaki?' asked Kagome.

'That would be me.' said a confident voice.

Kagome looked up and saw a majestically beautiful dark haired women approaching them, holding a spear. She was clad in violet, and looked at Kagome curiously. 'Inuyasha, do you know this person?'

'Her name is Tsubaki,' said Inuyasha 'I thought you were dead. Turned to crystal.'

'Believe me,' said Tsubaki 'I wished I had been killed by that careless wish. However I was merely encased in crystal. Fortunately I know a thing or two about meditation, and was able to achieve inner peace.

Which brings me to my next question, who broke the sacred jewel?'

'Erm…' said Kagome, standing up. 'that would be me.'

'Thank you.' said Tsubaki 'Your actions divided the sacred jewels power and gave me strength enough to escape it.'

'Your welcome.' said Kagome, not sure how to react. 'Uh… what happened to Hiten?'

'I stabbed him in the back while he was mourning his dead brother.' said Tsubaki. 'Which reminds me, thank you for the distraction Inuyasha?'

'Thats a little ruthless don't you think.' said Kagome.

'Couldn't care less.' said Tsubaki 'Now I'm just going to kill that demon over there, and I'll be on my way.' She pointed behind Kagome, and Kagome looked to see Shippo lying on his Fathers fur.

'Fathers fur…' said Shippo.

'Why would you want to kill Shippo?!' cried Kagome.

'He's a demon.' said Tsubaki 'Thats reason enough for me to end his existence.'

'No way am I going to let you kill Shippo!' cried Kagome 'If you want him you'll have to go through-' And then Kagome felt pain as Tsubaki's fist collided with her stomach, sending her keeling over into the ground.

'Kagome!' cried Inuyasha, as he rushed Tsubaki.

'Submit.' said Tsubaki offhandedly.

Inuyasha's prayer beads activated and he was sent crashing into the ground as Shippo looked up to see Tsubaki raising a hand. Then Tsubaki glanced back to Inuyasha. 'That girl is the reincarnation of Kikyo, isn't she?'

'Believe me,' said Inuyasha 'I find it hard to believe myself.' He lunged again.

'Submit.' said Tsubaki, sending him crashing to the ground. Then summoning a massive amount of power, Tsubaki sent a wave of dark energy at Shippo who screamed as it consumed him. There was an explosion of dark energy, and Tsubaki turned to walk away, propping her spear up on her shoulder as a new sun arose over the landscape.

After a moment the dust settled and Shippo emerged from it, surrounded by blue fox fire. He stared at his hands. 'Father protected me… even from beyond the grave…'

'Can we just get the hell out of here?!' snapped Inuyasha.

Later as they made their way back along green fields, a question occurred to Kagome. It wouldn't go away no matter how she wrestled with it. Finally she spoke up. 'So Inuyasha, she used um… you know an S-I-T command on you. How exactly…'

'Don't wanna talk about it!' snapped Inuyasha.

'The prayer beads around his neck were originally created by Kikyo, who Tsubaki was a rival of.' said Myoga 'During their scuffles, Tsubaki managed to hijack control of the prayer beads. It seems her control remains.'

'Wait, so Inuyasha wore that same necklace for Kikyo?'

'I said I don't wanna talk about it?!' snapped Inuyasha 'And what the hell is Shippo still doing here?!'

'You need me and you know it!' snapped Shippo.

'No,' said Inuyasha 'no I do not.'

'Don't be so hard on him.' said Kagome 'He doesn't have a home, and besides he's not hurting anyone.'

'Yeah!' said Shippo 'I'm a defenseless orphan! How am I supposed to get by in the world!'

'Well you could start by putting a knife at the base of that top.' said Inuyasha 'That way when you used it, it would burrow into your enemies skull, instantly killing them instead of just mildly annoying them.'

'Thats really sick Inuyasha.' said Kagome.

'Welcome to the feudal era!' said Inuyasha. 'Fine, he can stay with us! But only until he can look after himself!' He fell silent for a moment. 'So, Shippo, your village called. Their missing their idiot.'

'Kagome,' said Shippo 'Inuyasha is being mean to me!'

'Now look what you've done! You've hurt his feelings!' said Kagome.

'Don't care.' said Inuyasha.

'Say you're sorry!' cried Kagome, before hitting him.

Meanwhile back on the devastated landscape, Hiten dragged his bloodied body back home, using his spear as a crutch. To survive he'd been forced to devour Manten whole. His pride was destroyed. His body was beaten and it might take him weeks to recover. Yet he was not yet dead. He would avenge his brother, if it took him a thousand years.

Authors Note:

Okay, so here we have chapter eleven and my wasn't it somewhat anticlimactic. I was planning for Tsubaki to become involved at some point from the beginning, but the exact nature of her entering into things was unclear. And Hiten has survived. I actually have plans for him, which will come to fruition later.

The thing about the early villains of Inuyasha is that every one of them is sufficiently memorable that you could hardly imagine that they would be killed off in one or two episodes. Kind of weird.