Bloodshed
Kagome goes up to the young man, putting a hand on his back to console him. "We'll come back to bury him respectfully I promise but right now we have to go okay," Kagome tells him. He continues to wail. InuYasha, growing impatient with the scene, goes up to them and picks him up. He started to carry him out, causing the young man to become even more distressed. "InuYasha!" Kagome calls out.
"What! We need to leave. He can keep cryin' if he wants." InuYasha response. As they leave he catches sight of the woman in the cage looking smugly at the damage around her.
They leave the structure once outside InuYasha drops the monk. Yoshito explains to what's left of the Monks that they will meet tonight. For now the villagers are kind enough to set up their large influx of guests with lounging.
A young girl guides the group to their rooms. As they walk InuYasha sees a large group of villagers gathered around what looks like a makeshift altar with a haori hanging in it.
"What's that?," InuYasha inquireds.
"Oh that's Yoichi's haori. The villagers pray to him, asking him to keep his lover sleeping peacefully," she explains. "He was Katsumi's lover?" Sango asks.
"Yes, they killed him in front of her before they tried to seal her away." She says.
The group plus the young monk gets a chance to get their bearings. As they get settled the monk introduces himself as Daisuke and Genji was his older brother. Another one of the Monks comes by around dusk to let Miroku and Daisuke know that the rest of the monks will be meeting shortly.
"Shall we go," Miroku says to the rest of the group.
"I don't think the rest of us are invited," InuYasha replied
"I think we should go, the worst they can tell us is no." Kagome adds cheerfully
The group heads over to the room that the monks are meeting in. InuYasha stays at the back letting the rest of the group join the crowd. He manages to get an ugly scowl from Yoshito just taking a seat in the back of the room.
InuYasha watches as the last of the crowd files in. Yoshito tells one of the men to shut the doors. He goes on to explain that they have nothing to fear from Katsumi at the moment due to the seals around the cage holding her inside. They must make haste to completely purify her. He goes on to explain that he will need two volunteers to go inside Katsumi's cage to restrain her, so that she will not be able to retaliate during the purification process.
"What a shit plan." Thought rolling his eyes.
Daisuke was the only one to raise his hand to help restrain Katsumi. "Will no one face this challenge?" Yoshito said to the monks, followed by nothing but silence. The monks looked around at each other anxiously. "Well this is a shit show already." InuYasha thought, crossing his arms as he looked at the monks. The tension growing among them.
"You!" Yoshito says, pointing to Miroku, "What's your name?"
"Miroku."
"Yes, Miroku, you will join young Daisuke in his mission," Yoshito told him. Everyone in the room is now looking at Miroku, who is trying to show as little emotion as possible. "Now does everyone have any questions?" Yoshito asks the crowd.
"Yeah why do you have her staff? Using an item from a powerful demon is dangerous. You of all people should know that and you heard yourself that she wants it back, that can only mean it will make her more powerful." InuYasha inquires. Causing Yoshito to wrinkle his face in disgust. "How dare you question me half breed. I know exactly what I'm dealing with." Yoshito snapped. "That's enough for tonight. We will meet midday for the purification of Katsumi," Yoshito announces, brows still ferrowd with anger.
The next morning the group gets up early to help with the burial of the fallen from the day before. Inuyasha and Miroku work on digging a plot together.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" InuYasha asks as Miroku passes him down the human remains. "I don't think I have much of a choice. I certainly am not going to let Daisuke go in on his own," Miroku's response, drained. He has been quiet since last night.
"He has to be terrified," Thought studying his face.
"Just be careful okay," Inuyasha tells him and Miroku only gives him a nod in response.
Midday comes and everyone has gathered for Yoshito's grand plan. Katsumi continues her p
pacing, clearly not pleased with her curtain situation. A few Monks have created a circular formation around the cage and Miroku and Daisuke stand at the door of the cage preparing to go in. InuYasha and the others managed to find a place in the crowd of bystanding Monks where they have a decent view of their friend.
"If this man gets Miroku killed, I'll going to kill him," InuYasha thought
Before they enter, Yoshito hands Daisuke shackles covered in seals. The monks in the circle start their chant and Miroku and Daisuke head in the cage and they are locked in. With Katsumi semi restrand on the opposite side of the cage. She struggles, but is able to start to take a few steps toward them. Monk starts his own chant, which makes her stop completely. Then Daisuke walks up to put her in the shackles.
He stops beside her, and pulls out a dagger. He plunges the dagger in her chest. Miroku stops his chant in shock. Daisuke staps her again, then again, and again.
The monks in the circle stop chanting when they see what Daisuke is doing. This causes Katsumi to fall, Miroku moves forward catching her and turning her face up. She takes a few shallow breaths then is still.
All this still, everyone seems unwilling to move.
"What the hell? None of this feels right."
InuYasha looks over to Kagome, who is holding Shippo to her chest shielding him from the scene.
"Is she really dead?" Kagome asks in a hushed tone.
"Well she's sure not br-" InuYasha states, interrupted by Katsumsi who has taken a sharp and ragged inhale followed by a scream directed at Daisuke. In a flash she's on Daisuke, she's taken the dagger out of his hand, holding it to his throat, brought him in front of her and shoved him down on his knees.
"PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T!" Daisuke pleads trembling.
"Let's all calm down," Miroku says, causing Katsumi to look up at him with a smile.
"I am calm…now let me out or I have to slit his throat" Katsumi commands.
"I I can't do that," Miroku steamers.
"Well that's too bad love," she says in almost a sweet tone. She brings her hand up.
"WAIT PLEASE! Katsumi there's been enough bloodshed today. Don't you think?" Miroku says, his voice shaking.
Katsumi looks up at him with a smile. "You're right," response.
She moves the dagger away from his throat. Then with swift grace she snaps his neck, she laughs with glee as his body falls to the ground. "There, no more bloodshed," she says, still amused with her deed.
"Fuck," Miroku says, fear smeared all over his face.
Author's note: Reviews are welcome! I'm mostly posting as soon as I feel like I've reached a stopping point. So some input for the story is very much welcome. Also some feedback on chapter length would be nice as well. I might keep the chapters shorter than the last story I did but I'm still not sure.
