Authoress' Notes: So like, this chapter was a true labor of love because this type of thing is not my forte! However, I hope that you can bear through the grittiness and enjoy it for what it is! This one took a 1.5 days to write so love me! ; w ;
Terror of the Shichinintai
His Name Was Onigumo
Pirika dashed through the residential streets as fast as her legs could carry, panting lightly as she was not trained well enough in endurance. Her brown eyes scanned the neighborhood for any signs of threats as she went. On the left side of the street, all the houses remained intact and were free of screams of horror. The right side of the street was the same. In the distance, she could hear the haunting wails of the emergency alarm from the inner city.
'It's… so quiet,' the girl thought as she was forced to stop for a quick breather. The reality of the situation finally dawned on her as all the pieces of the puzzle came together to show her the bigger picture…
A neighborhood as lonely and silent as a grave.
A city massacred.
And it was all because Bankotsu and his brothers suddenly became different people: evil people with a penchant for death and destruction. Tears began to gather in the young girl's eyes as she decided to continue pushing on.
'I have to see him,' Pirika told herself as she tried blinking away her tears. 'I have to find out what's going on for myself. Something has to be wrong.' She remembered how warm and gentle his large hands had been on her head, stroking her hair so kindly. 'His hands… weren't made for hurting people.' Pirika wiped away her tears as her pain and confusion were swept away by determination. "You can do this, Pirika!" she told herself, slapping her hands against her cheeks.
After whisper-shouting her own encouraging words to herself, the young girl felt invigorated. She would get to the bottom of this mystery. She would meet up with Bankotsu. She would talk things out with him. She would make him see the error of his ways.
The sound of her pink boots' slaps against the pavements was all that she could hear over the pounding of her heart.
She would find Bankotsu. She would get him to smile, no matter what it took. She would follow the sound of far-off silence. She would—
—turn to the corner and freeze mid-step.
Pirika's eyes widened at the gruesome scene that awaited her.
She could not unhear the mind-shattering sound of razor-sharp teeth gnawing on bones. She could not unsmell the coppery scent of freshly spilled blood.
She could not unsee the hunched form of the shirtless behemoth in shredded pants hungrily chomping and munching on a slop of flesh and bone. "H-h-haaa…" She whimpered a shaky breath as her heart began pounding in her ears. Her vision became unfocused when the behemoth turned and looked at her with an impish, bloody grin.
The crouched creature had skin that was rather pale for a shade so tan in color. His uncanny green hair was slicked back, yet spiky and wild. He chuckled, his voice gravelly and beastly, as he stood up to his full, staggering height. The being before Pirika appeared to be more ogre than human, and yet…
Something inside her told her the truth.
This creature was but another one of Bankotsu's brothers.
Pirika's eyes then rolled behind her eyelids as her brain found itself unable to process what she had just seen. The tiny girl slipped into unconsciousness, her frail body becoming more helpless before the gigantic, beastly man. His hungry eyes bulged at the sight of his new snack, blood vessels popping and becoming more bloodshot than before. "Another tasty morsel for Kyokotsu," the beast licked his lips and leaned over Pirika's motionless form. "What a tasty little morsel she is~!"
His pointer finger and thumb pinched together as a claw-machine's grappler. They clasped together around the fabric of Pirika's top. Kyokotsu opened his insatiable maw as wide as it would stretch, his jawbones cracking as they reached their limits. Pirika's body was limp as she dangled over the excited, hungry cavern. Without another word, Kyokotsu opened his fingers and released the girl, allowing gravity to do the rest of the work as Pirika descended to her doom.
Even more blood was spilled on that street.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The group of shamans were getting closer to downtown Tokyo, the place that they assumed to be the heart of the massacre. "There's so much dark energy surges around here!" HoroHoro marveled with morbid fascination. "What's the plan for taking them out? There's seven of them, right? " He asked, glancing at Yoh and Kagome, who were running alongside him as he snowboarded along the sides of buildings using his Furyoku.
"Eight, if you count the evil spirit behind all of this," Kagome corrected in a grave tone. She tried to sound as confident and reassuring as possible, as she told them, "You can leave the evil spirit to me. It's my duty to cleanse it."
Ryu's eyes widened at the priestess' steady conviction. He then smiled and told her as they continued to edge closer to their destination, "When you sound that confident in yourself, I cannot help but have the utmost faith in you, Kagome-chan."
Yoh smiled and nodded in agreement, "Right! We'll have to handle Bankotsu and his brothers while Kagome exorcises the demon. Maybe we'll be able to save them if we can hold them off long enough."
It was then that residential architecture began bleeding into urbanization. "The strange thing is… I can't sense the evil spirit right now. It's like it's hidden its own existence outside of this plane," Kagome explained as her eyes narrowed at the thought of such a frightening ability. It meant that she was unable to be proactive for the time being. She would have to wait for the entity to reveal itself to her.
Suddenly, a sensor went off somewhere within the priestess' head that caused her to come to a screeching halt and whip around to face the direction of the Asakura residence.
"Ah? Kagome?!"
Yoh and HoroHoro followed her example and abruptly halted their advance towards downtown Tokyo. "What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" HoroHoro asked, his voice low and expression serious in a way that only came to him in dire situations like this one.
A bead of sweat ran down Kagome's forehead as she told them in a fearful, shaky voice, "I just sensed… an aura… disappearing…"
"T-that couldn't have been Ban-san!" Pirika suddenly interjected, her voice wavering with tears. "He's a kind person! He'd never do something like that!" She told them. "It's a lie!"
A feeling of dread suddenly dropped in the pit of HoroHoro's stomach as his younger sister's voice echoed in his head. He saw as her normally sweet, cheerful face contorted into something more angry and emotionally distraught. 'Piri… ka…?' The elder of the Usui siblings then looked at Kagome, Yoh, and Ryu, and told them firmly, "I'm going back." The duo nodded silently and gave him a quick wave as he snowboarded back towards the Asakura residence as fast as his willpower could manage.
Before the remaining three shamans had the opportunity to discuss any further plans, the sound of demanding shouts and gunshots pierced through the cacophony of sirens and screams. "That must be the cops," Ryu guessed aloud. "They're done for if we don't help them."
"You're right," Kagome looked at Ryu first and commanded, "It sounds like there were shots from west of here. You should check that one, Ryu-san." The older teen gave her a determined smirk and an affirmative nod.
"Leave it to me," He told them, giving his muscular chest a firm thump with his fist. "You two stay safe!" He added as he began to rush off to the west, not knowing what or who he would find there.
"Yoh, I'm going to go ahead and find Ban-kun," Kagome stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "I sense more corrupted auras southwest, could you handle that for me?" She asked him, her blue eyes pleading as if she were asking a huge favor of him. With a low 'mhm', Yoh gave her a nod.
The priestess thanked him with a small smile before she turned away to press on. However, before she had the chance to take another step forward, Kagome's breath hitched as she suddenly found herself in Yoh's warm embrace.
The priestess blinked slowly, unable to process what was happening so suddenly. "Uh… Yoh?"
"Sorry…" He whispered back before quickly releasing her from his arms. The priestess looked up into his brown eyes and Yoh readily looked back into her blue ones. "I just wanted to say… be careful." He confessed. His voice was so tender and loving that Kagome thought she was going to melt.
But she had no time to bask in his affection.
Kagome fought back against happy tears that wanted to stir up.
"Thank you… you too," she replied.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Bankotsu gripped Banryuu with both hands as he brought a swift up-head swing of his blade down toward Ren. The Tao quickly jumped aside, easily dodging the heavy attack that cracked the cement, like human body's weight on a thin sheet of ice.
Ren briefly eyed the damage done to the sidewalk. 'He's really not playing around. One hit from that sword of his and…' A bead of sweat ran down Ren's forehead at the realization that this would truly be a fight to the death with the young man in front of him.
"Heh," Bankotsu chuckled as he complimented his opponent, "I'll admit that you're pretty quick on your feet," he followed up with an observation, "But it seems that your strength doesn't compare with your speed." He rested Banyuu on his shoulder for a moment and drawled in a deliberately low pitch, "How long can you keep this up before that little body tires out?"
Ren scoffed at the idea of not having enough strength. True, Bankotsu was bigger in every way: taller, more muscular, broader… but he would not back down. Not now, not ever. Without another word, the two warriors charged at each other. It was a battle of agility versus brute strength. Bankotsu swung at Ren's limbs relentlessly with the goal of dismemberment while Ren dodged and parried when possible.
'M'lord…' Bason spoke to Ren from within. 'That may be Bankotsu's body, but it is not the one that you know.' Ren growled as he was forced to duck and fall flat on his bottom to avoid an attack that would have cut him clean in half.
'You don't think I know that?!' Ren shouted back, annoyed. The Tao took the opportunity to sweep a leg against Bankotsu's ankle, causing the sword-wielder to lose balance and topple to the ground. The smaller teen swiftly jumped on top of the taller one, dropping his kwandao in the process; his weapon landed with a clank beside the fallen Banryuu. Ren accosted Bankotsu by the front of his shirt and pulled a fist back.
"SNAP—" The Tao shouted.
'M'lord!' Bason called to Ren, his tone concerned and fearful. 'You have to listen to me!'
Bankotsu reeled back from the jaw-shattering impact of Ren's punch.
"—OUT OF IT—"
'This Bankotsu is unlike the one that you know! He's this powerful without receiving—!'
The next blow shattered the bones in Bankotsu's nose.
"—YOU MORON!"
'—an Oversoul!'
After a third ruthless punch to Bankotsu's once handsome face, Ren paused. He was growling and seething as he stared down at the bruised and broken Bankotsu. Despite being on the receiving end of a face pounding, the bloodthirsty warrior was chuckling and smirking the whole while.
"Heheh…" Bankotsu chuckled as he slowly lifted both of his arms.
Ren's eyes widened when Bankotsu's large, tanned hands were suddenly at his throat. These were the hands of a seasoned murderer. They expertly fractured bone and blocked the airflow. Within moments, a primal panic set inside of Ren. His body knew of the consequence of lack of air. The Tao's hand shot up to grab Bankotsu's, clawing away at the tanned skin in a desperate attempt of freedom.
"I'll admit that this body is much weaker than the one I'm accustomed to…" Bankotsu said, his pupils dilated in excitement at the sight of the color draining from Ren's face. "But it's still more than enough to kill you."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Renkotsuuuuuuu," Jakotsu whined with pouty lips. He placed his hands on his hips as he stomped a foot impatiently. "When is that darn explodey thingy of yours going to be finished? I'm bored of waiting! I wanna slay some hot men!" The feminine young man then stooped down poke at Renkotsu's bandana as he continued mixing the components of his explosive.
Renkotsu growled, but decided to bite his tongue. 'This damn brat is spoiled no matter which life he lives,' he thought begrudgingly as he continued to tink with the finishing touches on his contraption. He then pushed aside his irritation to marvel at the creation he invented on a whim, "With this, we'll smoke out the cowardly rats and—"
"Hold it right THERE!" An unfamiliar female voice shouted from above. The voice was soon followed by the alarming sound of a large object whizzing through the air as it approached them at a remarkable speed. Jakotsu and Renkotsu managed to dodge out of the way in time to miss being struck by a gigantic boomerang.
"Dammit…!" Renkotsu snarled through irate clenched teeth at the sight of his nearly completed explosive device reduced to nothing but a useless pile of wires, bolts, and chemicals. "Who the hell are you?!" He threw his nastiest glare up at two young women floating in midair by the power of what seemed to be spirits. The young woman with dark hair and violet eyes caught her boomerang with ease as she glared down at the two brothers.
"Eldest of the Tao main branch siblings, Tao Jun!" The young green-haired woman introduced as she flicked her wrist to unfold her decorative paper fan and held it in front of her face.
"And I am her protector, Tao Sango," Sango added, "Shichinin, we don't want to cause you any harm, so I suggest that you surrender now." Renkotsu saw the serious look the Tao's eyes, and smirked, amused that two little girls had the nerve to challenge them so openly after the destruction they had just caused.
"Ewwwww!" Jakotsu cried out, his pout only widening until it became a strange hybrid between pout and scowl. "Of all things—why did we have to get attacked by two WOMEN?!"
"What?" Sango's serious expression faltered and deadpanned as she sweatdropped. She looked over at Jun, who merely shrugged her shoulders while shaking her head. She had no clue what Jakotsu was going on about either.
"Honestly," Jakotsu sighed deeply as he reached for his sword and unsheathed it from his rather fashionable dress belt. "I'd rather not slice up such soft, squishy bodies, but—" He paused, before flicking his arm towards Jun, his snake blade following suit.
Sango's expertly trained eyes followed the line of motion towards her cousin and shouted out in warning, "Jun, watch o—!" The word died in her throat as she let out a shocked gasp. Large goblets of blood escaped Sango's mouth along with the wind that seemed to be knocked out of her. The Tao's hand shot up to the origin of the searing hot pain that she was suddenly experiencing: her right shoulder.
Jakotsu's sadistic smile only became giddier at the shocked, pained expression on Sango's face she touched her gaping, bloody wound. "Do you like surprises~?" He asked like an innocent child as his blade retracted and returned to him. "The attacks from my snake sword Jakotsuto are nearly impossible to predict~!"
'Shit,' Sango swore inwardly. 'I was careless to think that I knew my opponent so quickly.' She covered the slit-shaped wound with one hand to prevent more blood from gushing out. 'And with my shoulder like this, I can't fight at my full potential.'
Jun snapped her fan shut as she pointed it at Jakotsu, "Bailong!" She shouted. "That man is dangerous! You need to take him out first!"
"As you wish, M'lady!" Bailong made his presence known with a dramatic lunge into the air. The martial arts master then dove down at Jakotsu with his body positioned in a kicking stance.
Jakotsu squealed in delight as at the sight of Bailong's muscular arms, "Ooh hoooo~! Now that's what I'm talking about~!" He waved his arm at his new opponent with so much more vigor than before. "Finally, a beautiful man to tear to shreds!"
Renkotsu smirked, Jakotsu had created enough of a diversion for him to quickly set up one of his favorite weapons: a small canon that he mounted over his shoulder. With a simple yank on a piece of string and deafening boom, the pyrotechnician shot at the two Tao girls.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Meanwhile, the darkest presence to ever walk the streets of Tokyo watched the various battles that laid waste to the city from afar. It pleased Naraku to know that the Shichinintai had taken so many lives within such a short time since their awakening. He wanted nothing more than to cause suffering and despair in this world that he loathed passionately.
No… that was wrong. He wanted to see the look of fury and hatred in the little priestess' eyes when everything she had worked for came crashing down around her.
The evil spirit chuckled when his divination showed him an interesting development that he had not planned for, but was delighted to see nonetheless. 'Asakura Hao… your yearning will be your undoing,' he thought as he watched the shaman's actions through the eyes of his insect familiars. 'But since you're so desperate to be with your little priestess, I suppose that I should prepare for the final act.'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Yoh blinked as he followed the heart-wrenching sound of a young man sobbing aloud. "Hello?!" The young shaman called out as his brown eyes looked left and right. He found himself in an area of the city with a lot more trees and other greenery. The shade and leafy canopy caused a significant drop in temperature that almost made Yoh shiver. "Where are you?! Are you hurt?!" He continued to call out, his eyes filled with concern by the possibility of an injured person. He had to force himself to press on, despite the disheartening task of having to avoid stepping on or kicking the fallen bodies of law enforcement that created a bloody trail for him to follow.
'Yoh-dono,' Amidamaru stated as he suddenly appeared next to his partner. 'We must proceed with caution. Kagome-sama's directions were accurate. We are approaching an unusually dark aura.'
Yoh's facial expression changed from concerned and curious to solemn and focused. "I see. Let's do it now, then." Amidamaru nodded in agreement and willingly entered Spirit Ball Mode to preemptively merge with his partner. Being one with Amidamaru always made Yoh feel more confident and reassured, so the shaman smiled as he trudged closer towards the source of the crying.
Within a matter of minutes, Yoh found himself at the source: a young man surrounded by the mutilated corpses of young children. "What the—? W-What happened here…?" The shaman's heart grew heavy at the sight of the small bodies sprawled all over the grass. He then turned his attention back to the young man who was sobbing into the corpse of a small girl. He clutched the small frame against his larger one, as if she were someone precious to him.
"Hey, you," Yoh called out tentatively, trying to sound calm and non-threatening. The last thing that he wanted to do was to frighten the already traumatized teen. "Are you hurt?" He asked while keeping a bit of distance between himself and the stranger. The stranger then whipped around, catching Yoh off guard from the genuine look of agony in his eyes. He was clearly a tortured soul.
The young man spoke back in a soft, gentle voice that was befitting of his sweet face. "I-I… I'm not… but I…" He choked on the sob that began burning his throat again. "I…" he tried to begin again, only for tears to begin spilling from his eyes so quickly and freely. Yoh felt terrible at the prospect of such an obviously kind soul being subjected to seeing such death. But soon, that sympathy was replaced with shock at the young man's next words, "I… I killed them."
"Y-You…" Yoh's wide eyes wavered. "...what?" He whispered.
"A-And… and…"
'Yoh-dono, it's time!' Amidamaru told his partner as he watched the young man's body convulse and his head spin violently.
"And now, I'll kill you!" The young man suddenly announced as he dropped the corpse in his arms and revealed a monstrous glove with long, metal claws jutting from the knuckles. "This place will be your grave!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
More blood was spilt on the street after Kyokotsu's eye was suddenly assaulted by an unknown projectile. The behemoth roared in pain as he flung Pirika's unconscious body away to nurse his injury. "Uwah! Pirika?! I got you!" Manta panicked as he made a mad dash for the girl. "OOF!" The air was knocked out of his body when her much larger form crashed down onto his. He was only grateful that he was able to cradle and cushion her head and neck from the potentially lethal impact.
Anna stepped forward as she reeled back the bead necklace she used to whip the giant in the eye. "You should be ashamed of yourself," The blonde chastised disgustedly. "Picking on a small unconscious girl makes you the lowest of the low."
"Grrrrr," Kyokotsu gave up on tending to his small wound and removed his hand over his eye. He resolved to leave it closed and gave Anna a one-eyed glare. "You impudent little wench!" Anna did not flinch as he raised his giant fist above his head. "I'll crush you and pick my teeth with your bones!" He shouted as he brought his fist down towards the girl at a shocking speed for someone his size.
"Anna-san, look out!" Manta called out to her from behind.
However, the small girl did not back down, nor did she bat an eyelash. Her face remained stoic as the giant fist's shadow loomed over her as it came closer and closer. Manta paled and covered his eyes, knowing he would not be able to cope with seeing the impact. His overactive imagination thought that he would hear the sickening sound of bones shattering and organs becoming goo.
…but there was nothing.
Nothing except the indignant roar from Kyokotsu. "W-What's the meaning of this?!"
"Eh?!" Manta's eyes shot open to take in the shocking scene of Kyokotsu's giant frame being restrained by a small horde of neighborhood spirits. Not even his superhuman strength could overpower the grip of the furious dead who held him in place by his legs and arms.
Anna looked Kyokotsu in the eye fearlessly, "These are the angry souls of the innocent people who you slew in cold blood. They seem to have some unfinished business with you," she informed him as she watched the spirits began to drag Kyokotsu away. He was completely immobilized by the angry spirits. His screams of defiance fell on uncaring ears.
The commotion that Kyokotsu caused slowly brought Pirika out of her unconscious state. Her eyes blinked a few times to clear the haze swirling away from her vision. "W-what happened to me…?" She asked slowly. She looked up and saw Manta's concerned face. "Where's… Ban-san…?"
"Far away from here, where he should be," Anna replied as she walked over to Manta and Pirika. The two of them, still shaken up by the terrifying mess left behind by Kyokotsu, slowly got to their feet. "Do not be so foolish as to chase after him. I refuse to have your blood on my hands."
Pirika glared at Anna before retorting with balled up hands, "But Ban-san needs me! He needs to return to normal before it's—!"
"Too late?" Anna cut in, her voice cold and logical. "It's already too late for him."
"Pirika…" Manta whispered as he reached up for her hand, only to be surprised when she backed away from both of them. She would continue to defy their will, despite coming within an inch of her life just a few moments ago.
"Don't be a hypocrite!" Pirika shouted. "If it were Yoh, you wouldn't give up till the bitter end either!" She glared at Anna with reddened eyes, dry from crying her heart out so many times already. Before another word could be said, the argument was interrupted by HoroHoro's concerned voice shouting,
"PIRIKA!"
"Onii-chan!" The younger of the siblings cried out as her older brother jumped off his snowboard and landed in front of her. She threw her arms around him, searching for understanding and comfort.
HoroHoro breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled down at Pirika when she pulled away and looked up at him, "I'm glad that you're alright."
Pirika nodded and smiled, she grabbed her older brother's hands within her own and spoke, her tone pleading and desperate, "Onii-chan, I need to help Ban-san! Please take me to him!" HoroHoro's eyes widened at the request. For a moment, he just stared down at his sister's face. It was so brave and determined, he hardly ever saw her look like that before.
Still…
HoroHoro narrowed his eyes and looked away to hide the guilt that he felt at his response to such an earnest but foolish request, "Pirika… I know that you like him, but… I can't." Pirika's eyes widened at the betrayal. "It's too dangerous for you to go. And there's no guarantee that anyone can bring him back—"
"Onii-chan…" Pirika cut in, her voice soft and weak as she lowered her head so that her long, straight bangs shielded her eyes. "If you don't help me find him…" she continued, only pausing for a moment, before she lifted her head and glared at her brother fiercely, "THEN I'LL DO IT MYSELF!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Ryu scowled at his predicament. It was not that he thought that he would lose to his opponent, but rather, no one was around to witness his epic rescue of the group of college students who had been pursued by the enemy after trying to sneak to their cars to flee the city. "Geesh..." the strange teenager grumbled out as he stared Ryu down with cold, dead eyes. This teen had a mop of wild, red hair and beady, little eyes with no emotion or recognizable thought reflected in them. After giving an amazing speech in front of those slightly older teenagers that he saved, Ryu expected his opponent to respond in a sporty manner by throwing in a few diabolical lines.
However, the oddity of a human only spoke to him in grunts that did not even resemble any form of Japanese. The college students quickly fled the scene while offering understandably rushed thanks as they went.
Ryu did not know how to read the moves of his enemy, as his face betrayed no emotion of any kind. All he could do was use his spiritually powered wooden sword to deflect the array of projectiles that the young man launched at him. "Not this again!" Ryu grunted as he spun around and around, swinging his purple glowing sword with each turn of his heels. The open gashes on his right thigh and left arm made him learn his lesson quickly. He had to cut the wires that his silent enemy used to launch rotating, circular saws at him.
"Tokageroh," Ryu called to his guardian spirit. From within himself, he could feel his partner respond with a, 'Finally came up with a plan, did ya?'
"Yes. We'll end this with our next attack." The swordsman told his spirit as they willed more of their combined energy into the wooden sword. "Just be patient and wait…" he whispered as he watched the red-haired teen's movements. He was not the most mobile opponent, but his vast arsenal was the true source of his formidability. "Wait…" Ryu repeated as he watched his enemy like a hawk, searching for the slightest movement that would indicate his next attack.
Ryu held his sword in the readied position.
"Wait…"
With a puff of air, Ryu spotted the teen's left arm muscle begin to twitch and clued the swordsman in on what the next attack would be. Just as he had predicted, a robotic arm shot out towards him with its grappling hook ready to take hold of him.
"NOW!" Ryu shouted as he pulled his sword back, imbuing it with more energy before launching an all-out attack at his opponent. The dark purple energy scorched through the arm before it could make contact. The red-haired teen's eyes remained blank and emotionless as he was hit by the attack.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Hmph," Naraku chuckled in amusement after a third Shichinin had fallen in battle. First, the weakest member was subdued by vengeful human spirits. Second, Asakura Hao made quick work of the foolish one who put carnal desires over orders. Third, the brainless Ginkotsu had gotten himself killed by a foolish young man who put all his energy into one attack. Had his opponent been a stronger, wiser member of the team, the pompadour-sporting amateur would have been a goner. "It seems that these new, weak bodies don't do the Shichinintai any justice," he mused. "No matter…" He smirked as he watched Asakura Hao approach Higurashi Kagome from behind, causing her to whip around to face him. "Dead or alive, they're doing an excellent work."
For a moment, Naraku paused.
There was a painful feeling where his heart would have been, if he had one.
'Cursed human heart…' He thought angrily as the memories of his birth into this world came to his mind...
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Onigumo was the outcast son of a convicted felon. His father had been found guilty of countless atrocious crimes. Despite being a small child, the adults around him did not have the sense or sympathy to not speak ill of his father, or Onigumo himself, in front of him. He would never forget the tear-stained face of his mother, nor would he forget her heartbroken voice as she shouted the words that marked a turning point in his young life.
"I don't care who you give him to! I refuse to raise the devil's spawn! He's already showing signs of insanity!"
At the young age of five years old, Onigumo lost everything that he had ever known: his father, his mother, his home, and his faith in humanity. He was moved between foster homes constantly. It was new faces every week. They all started out smiling with sympathy. But those expressions turned into unbridled fear or hatred soon enough, and he knew the reason.
It was because of the uncanny ability that he seemed to be born with; an ability that he was shocked to realize that other human beings did not possess.
Despite his broken spirit, Onigumo was still weary and starved for love. He tried to keep his ability under wraps in order to find a permanent family. He would do anything to rest his head for more than a week. He would do anything to keep the faces from changing. He would do anything, even if it meant keeping his ability a secret… and the only way for him to do that was to avoid touching or being touched. However, human beings were social creatures who connected with others through touch… so his strategy did not hold as well as he had planned.
He was moved to another home.
However, this one was different from the others: it was a shrine.
It was there that he had met her: Higurashi Kikyo.
She was his first love, and unbeknownst to him, his only love.
Her gentle, serene smile when he was introduced to the Higurashi family moved something inside of him. It was love at first sight.
However, his love was a child's love: reckless and foolish. He confessed to Kikyo and her twin Kagome about his ability within a week of staying with the Higurashi's. "You seem to have amazing psychic abilities, both in empathy and telepathy," Kikyo told him, her tone calm and informative as she and Onigumo sat beneath the God Tree. "You can feel a person's true nature and see into their past with one touch. It's a blessed ability," Kikyo said with a smile that made Onigumo's heart skip a beat. "You must truly be destined for great things."
"Can I…" Onigumo whispered shyly while hugging his knees to his chest. "Try it on you, Hime-chan?" He asked of Kikyo, using the nickname he had picked up from her sister. Kikyo smiled and nodded as she held out her hand.
"Ooh, ooh! Do me too, Oni-chan!" Kagome suddenly interjected as she jumped down from her perch on one of the lowest hanging branches of the great tree. She landed on her feet with her arms spread out to each side to keep her balance and manage her fall.
"Careful, you little monkey~!" Kikyo giggled as Kagome excitedly skipped the few meters over to where they were sitting. "You might get yourself hurt someday."
"Don't worry! I'm the best at climbing!" Kagome replied dismissively. Her pigtails nearly bounced in excitement as Onigumo held out his hands, one towards her and one towards her twin sister. "This'll be so cool~!" She exclaimed as she and Kikyo simultaneously reached out and grabbed Onigumo's hands. The moment that all three of them were connected, both Onigumo's and Kikyo's eyes glazed over as they went into a trance and saw images…
[Kagome stood amongst a scene of death and destruction. Flames whipped around her as she stepped over a corpse that appeared to have been burnt to a crisp. She stepped forward to greet a frightening, powerful-looking spirit. Her eyes appeared dull and empty as she reached out to the spirit with both of her hands, tentatively. She whispered something that they could not hear over the roar of the flames… and then, that was the end. The entire planet was engulfed in darkness.]
"You guys!" Kagome's concerned voice snapped the two from their stupor. "Are you okay?" She asked her sister while rubbing her cheek. "You were scaring me for a moment there. You just… spaced out." Onigumo and Kikyo exchanged fearful looks with each other before looking at Kagome's innocent, worried face. There was no mistaking that the young woman in their vision was Kagome… but…
The blue-eyed child's lower lip began to tremble before she burst into tears as she threw herself at her twin sister. "Hime-chan, you're scaring me! Please answer me!" However, both Onigumo and Kikyo were still stunned by their vision.
'I cannot… allow this to happen…' Kikyo thought to herself as her body moved on its own accord. She wrapped her arms around her sobbing sister and whispered, "My dearest Monkey-chan… you're always crying about something." Kagome sniffled in Kikyo's arm and muttered a watery, embarrassed apology.
"I know that I'm crybaby, I'm not strong and cool like you, Hime-chan," Kagome replied while standing up to her full height and looking down at her feet shamefully. "That's why you're the princess, and I'm the stupid monkey."
Kikyo smiled up at her sister and lied with unusual expertise, "Kaede-baasan actually just taught me a neat spell that'll take your tears away. She said that if we do it under the moonlight, you'll never cry any more tears. You'll become stronger." Kagome's eyes lit up at the prospect. "Would you like to try it?" The younger twin beamed brightly and nodded.
Night had fallen too quickly for Onigumo's liking. Ever since the vision he shared with Kikyo, he had a bad feeling about Kagome. It was not just that she seemingly brought about the end of the world, but there was something eerie about her. Regardless, he chose to go along with Kikyo's plan… her plan to prevent the destruction of the world, even if it meant the destruction of their family. They snuck out to the God Tree one by one, as to not cause too much noise at once. First Kagome left, then Kikyo, now it was his turn.
Onigumo crept out of the guest bedroom that he'd been allowed to stay in. It was right next to the Higurashi twins' room, so he curiously took a peek inside; only to stare into the face of utter silence and darkness. The lack of giggles from Kagome and whispers from Kikyo told him that the girls really were gone from their room and waiting for him at the God tree. Slowly, one stair at a time, the small child descended the staircase with his tiny arms clutching the wooden railing along the way. Just as the ball of his foot touched the last step, the world's loudest creak resounded through the sleeping house. His heart dropped at the sound. His dark eyes darted left and right as his ears listened for the sound of Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi stirring in their bedroom.
After a few moments of silence, Onigumo pressed on and exited the house via the pet-door installed for their pet cat Rika. Soon, the child found his crush and her younger sister waiting for him by the great tree in the courtyard of the shrine. Kagome looked completely thrilled at the prospect of becoming more mature and cool like her older twin, whereas Kikyo's face was unusually stoic as she tried to hide the sorrow she felt in what felt was her sworn duty.
Thus, Onigumo watched that fateful scene play out in front of him.
Kagome got her knees in front of Kikyo and closed her eyes as she was instructed to do so. "Just close your eyes and think happy thoughts…" Kikyo told Kagome as she raised her small hand. It was glowing an unusual blue color that Onigumo had never seen before. His jaw dropped in awe at the sight of another human being truly having other worldly powers.
'I'm sorry, Kagome… this is the only way,' Kikyo thought as she blasted a wave of icy hot spiritual energy at Kagome at point-blank range. As a priestess prodigy, Kikyo had experience slaying all manners of existence with this technique…
…and yet, Kagome was not daunted.
Her eyes snapped open, but her blue eyes were no longer the large innocent ones becoming of a child. No. These eyes were much older, wiser. Kikyo's expression changed from confliction to fear and confusion as Kagome slowly got to feet and stood at her full height. The energy blast that Kikyo unleashed on her younger sister only seemed to dissipate against her small body. "Ka… gome…?" Kikyo whispered, unsure of whose eyes she was looking into.
"I am only fulfilling a promise," Kagome responded, her voice aged and softer. "You will not interfere with this pure wish." With those cryptic words, Kagome raised her right hand and within the speed of lightning, unleashed a blast of light so white and radiant that it lit up the night sky.
Two lives were claimed by the blast. Kikyo's small body disintegrated within mere seconds, as did the body of Mr. Higurashi, who had followed behind Onigumo after the creaking of the stairs woke him up. As for Onigumo…
In that instant, he cursed the existence known as Higurashi Kagome and called forth spirits that would listen to his request… he called forth demons to rescue him from that radiant light, and they did. His body too disappeared in that instant.
However, unlike Kikyo and Mr. Higurashi, he was not purged from the world through that blinding light. But rather, the demons who he summoned to spirit him away then proceeded to exchange their powers for his physical flesh. Hundreds of demonic spirits gathered round and feasted on his small body until nothing but a corrupted, vengeful soul was left. It was bitter and alone. Hungry. Starved for something to fill the void inside of it.
So the dark soul absorbed the hoard of other dark spirits until they merged into something dangerous, something more sinister and cunning: the demonic spirit known as Naraku was born.
He acted on his first instinct to destroy Higurashi Kagome while she was still small: to strike before the entity inside of her woke up. However, even as he tried to launch a sneak attack on the child as she slept, the entity showed its true form and banished him to an eternal slumber…
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
But Naraku was awoken from that slumber by a familiar voice and an even more familiar surge of spiritual energy. It was like waking up from a dreamless slumber. At first, he did not know when he had fallen asleep or for how long, but it did not matter. All that he knew and existed for was the downfall of Higurashi Kagome. How ironic it was that she was the reason why he awakened:
["PLEASE REN, DON'T GIVE UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPP!"]
Naraku chuckled as he emerged behind Bankotsu while the murder-hungry teen squeezed on Ren's pipeways. Ren's golden eyes were shut as he tried to overcome the pain of suffocation. "That's right, Bankotsu. Kill him. Kill this boy and draw the priestess here. She'll come running."
'D-damn it…' Ren thought as the corners of his vision began to sink into darkness. His golden eyes looked left and right, taking in the picture of terror that Bankotsu painted onto the city. 'What the hell am I even doing here? Why am I risking my life to defend this wretched, corrupt city?' He saw the nameless bodies of people who he would never know sprawled across the streets like trash. 'I came to this place, not caring what I did or who I hurt… but here I am, putting my life on the line… and for what?'
Against his will, his eyes closed, and his body finally lost its last bit of energy.
["Ren, believe it or not, I think you're very special!"]
Ren's golden orbs shot open at the sound of Kagome's voice in his head. Then he saw her standing with her back towards him. She turned around and smiled at him, "You've inspired me to become stronger!" her voice from the day before echoed inside of his head.
'That's right…' He told himself. 'Why am I asking such stupid questions?' He growled as he shot a glare at Bankotsu. 'I have to protect this place because this is the place where…' So many memories came flooding to his mind. There was Kagome spying on him as he trained. There were their many arguments. There were his and Kagome's days getting taiyaki. There was him proposing that Kagome let him fight for her. There was Kagome trying on the engagement dress. There was the moment that she cheered for him during his first Shaman Fight. There was the moment that she kissed him. And there was the moment that she told him that he was special.
'I have to protect this place, because…' Ren suddenly grabbed onto Bankotsu's larger hands and tore them away from his throat with a strength that surprised even himself. 'Because this is the place where I got to meet you!' He told Kagome as he knocked Bankotsu unconscious with a swift, powerful punch to the face.
"M'lord!" Bason cried out, cupping his hands together with tears in his eyes as he appeared next to Ren after he collapsed next to Bankotsu's fallen form. "I was forced to leave when you lost consciousness, but I'm so glad that you're okay!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome glared at Hao when he appeared before her. "You're not going to make a habit of this, are you?" She asked pointedly as she power-walked past the shaman, who only closed his eyes and chuckled when she did not even bother stopping in her stride towards the source of the largest spike in dark energy. She was not surprised when he began to walk at her side, easily keeping pace with her, even as her power-walk became a sprint.
Hao smirked as he raised a curious eyebrow at her, "You realize that you're walking into a trap, correct?" The question was more on the rhetorical rise. The girl seemed to be growing wittier and wittier each day. There was no way she was unaware that Naraku planned to separate her from her comrades as much as possible by using the Shichinintai to preoccupy them.
Kagome huffed and made sure to take a step to the side in order to create more distance between her and Hao. "You say that, and yet, here you are," She pointed out. "Following me. What's your deal?" She scoffed when the shaman suddenly blocked her path by picking up his pace enough to intercept her, causing her to bump into his chest. "Get out of my—!"
"Your comrades will be useless in this battle. I'm the cavalry," Hao calmly told her as his usual smile widened into a smirk. "That, and I have a gift for you." Without waiting for the girl to ask what it was, he snapped his fingers. A moment later, Mukotsu suddenly appeared on the ground next to her. His body motionless and his eyes were closed.
Kagome's eyes widened in horror. She shot an accusing and angry look at Hao, but before she could accuse him, he silenced her with a finger to her lips, "He's alive. It's simple to subdue weaklings like him," He informed her with a smile. "I caught him just before he could violate a rather beautiful young girl." Kagome glared at the shaman in front of her.
"You seem to know more about this than I do. Why does this entity want me?"
"Hmph. It's about time that you asked the important questions," Hao replied. "It's because, my dear Kagome, there is a great power sleeping inside of you."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"It's time…" Naraku whispered as Kagome and Hao arrived on the scene from one direction. Although he was not expecting for two blue-haired teenagers to also come speeding onto the scene riding on a glowing snowboard from another direction. But it did not matter. This only meant that more unfortunate souls would be caught in his web. "Arise, Bankotsu," the dark entity's spoke directly into the unconscious teen's mind.
Bankotsu's eyes shot open and he sat up at a speed unnatural for any human being. He bent over and picked up Banryuu, being sure to spitefully step on Ren's wrist along the way. The Tao cursed as he struggled to sit up.
"Shit. This buffoon just won't stay down," He grumbled as his eyes shot over to Kagome, who was standing beside a stranger who looked strikingly similar to Asakura Yoh. They were standing across the street. The Asakura look-alike smiled calmly at the scene before him while Kagome gaped at something that he could not see.
With a whisper of 'Go,' inside of his head, Bankotsu shot in Kagome's direction. She gasped and watched in horror as he jumped into the air, aiming his giant sword for an aerial attack.
'I… I can't…' Kagome thought to herself as Bankotsu closed in on her. 'I can't fight Ban-kun…' Her body was frozen at the sheer terror of the idea of harming such a good friend. She couldn't help but remember watching him scrub the profanities and cruel words written on her desk early in the mornings. She never thanked him for that, did she? 'Ban-kun… I'm sorry.'
Hao merely raised a single hand and summoned a protective barrier made of fire that thwarted Bankotsu's attack. Banryuu sunk into the flames, almost becoming absorbed before the sword and its wielder alike were repelled by Hao's will alone. He then looked down at Kagome and asked, "What would you have me do with this one?"
"You're not allowed to harm him. Just keep him busy," Kagome commanded through a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. "I have to take care of this demon."
'This is the job of a priestess. I presume that you won't be needing me,' Sesshomaru stated as he appeared at her side. 'Nevertheless, I will remain on standby.' Kagome nodded her thanks as she began walking towards the demonic spirit, who only smirked at her incoming form.
Meanwhile, Pirika and HoroHoro ran up to Ren, whose body was trembling as he tried to force himself back up. HoroHoro knelt down beside and sighed in relief when he saw that Tao was glaring up at him, "Okay. That's some scary greeting right there." He spotted Ren's tattered clothing, random scrapes, and the finger-shaped bruises on his neck. "Damn, he sure pulled a number on you."
"Oh shut it," Ren grumbled. "That idiot would be in the same position if he weren't powered by some dark energy bullshit." He then gasped when he looked around and saw that Pirika was no longer at their side. "YOUR SISTER!"
"Pirika?!" HoroHoro's eyes widened as he turned to see Pirika running towards Bankotsu with her arms outstretched and tears in her eyes.
"B-Ban-san, you can't fight our friends! You would never hurt them, right?!" She squeaked out as she came within three meters of her first love. "Ban-san, answer me! Ban-san! Ban-san!" She wailed.
Kagome gasped at the sound of Pirika's cries of desperation and confusion. She turned around.
That instant was another fateful one.
Naraku noticed how Bankotsu's posture stiffened and how he hesitated to continue at the sound of the blue-haired child's cries of his name. Pirika had unknowingly marked herself a pestilent one. "Insolent wench," the dark spirit hissed as he launched a tentacle at her.
"Pirika, NO!"
"WATCH OUT!"
Pirika gasped.
Her mouth dropped into a wide, perfect 'o' in shock.
The tentacle easily pierced through skin, flesh, and muscle alike.
Pirika's breathing was shaky as Bankotsu's blood squirted all over her face. The sight of a lump of flesh falling to the ground between them made her scream in utter terror. Time seemed to slow down as Bankotsu released his protective hold on her and fall to the ground with a whisper of "Piri… rin…"
And Kagome knew.
He was gone.
Bankotsu's aura had completely vanished.
The priestess's hands quickly clenched into white-knuckled fists and she turned to glare at Naraku, who was smiling at his handiwork. Her blue eyes looked at Bankotsu again, then back at Naraku.
That was all that it took.
'Angel. Demon. God. Devil,' Kagome thought as her breaths became visibly labored. 'I don't care who you are inside of me!' She confessed to whatever it was. 'GIVE ME THE POWER TO KILL NARAKU!' She commanded, her eyes wide with the rage that pulsed in her veins.
"My, my," Hao marveled from his spot, smirking. "He's done it now."
The rest of the shamans were forced to shield their eyes as Kagome's body was enveloped with a blinding, white light that burned as hot and bright as a star itself. "W-What's happening?!" HoroHoro asked as he held his arms out in front of him.
'I'll do you one better,' A familiar yet unfamiliar voice said inside of Kagome's head as she felt her body begin to change. Her field of vision became a bit higher, her curves widened, and her hair lengthened and lengthened until it began trailing on the ground behind her. 'Give me sovereignty over this vessel.'
"Take it…" Kagome whispered back to the voice.
'This will come with a price…'
"I'll pay whatever that price is!" Kagome shouted at the voice inside of her head—no… her soul. "Just END THIS CREATURE OF DARKNESS!"
'Very well. Are you ready?'
Authoress' Notes: And there we have it~! I know that chapter jumped around quite a bit, buuuuuut, we had a lot of characters to cover so I just rolled with it. Also, before anyone asks, yes, Bankotsu is dead, in case I did not make that clear. It looks like I was able to power through this short Naraku arc so the next chapter will probably conclude it~ It was short but I'm somewhat glad~ :) Thoughts? Let me know!