Authors Note: Its finally over! This is the last chapter of the battle of the Panther Devas. The next chapter will be Sesshomaru and Rin fluff. Thank you for being patient.

Chapter 41 - Mystified

"He's attacking our master!" Cried Toran.

InuYasha leapt toward the leaders face, slashing until the giant corpse fell backward onto the ground, stirring great puffs of smoke and dirt. From his place on the ground, the cat snarled with rage.

"Give me blood! And souls!"

"We will, please just wait a little longer. Master I promise that I will bring you the head of the dog general's son on a platter."

Sword raised, InuYasha snorted. "Hah. I don't care who this master of yours is. You're not using human flesh and blood to resurrect him."

"We will." Assured Toran, the four panther demons facing InuYasha now. "And you shall be our first sacrifice!" She withdrew her blade for the first time.

"You might not feel that way after you felt how sharp my blade is." InuYasha countered, Tetsusaiga flashed in the moonlight, drawing Sesshomaru's eyes once more. He and Jaken had stood just like this, together after the last battle against the panther demons had concluded. The scene flashed before his eyes. It was then, that he had realized, the Tenseiga could not be used in battle. It was a sword of healing. He could not kill his enemies with it.

"I need the other sword that father left behind. The Tetsusaiga." His words at the time rang through his ears again.

Sesshomaru stood in silence, watching InuYasha battling Toran. Wielding the Tetsusaiga more skillfully than before. Jealousy tainted his heart to darkness.

I need it, and yet I do not have the power to wield it.

InuYasha had the upper hand, until three of the demons attacked simultaneously, the fourth brute leapt on his back, pinning him to the ground.

Without hesitation Sesshomaru leapt into the air, Tokijin in hand. One slash sent all four of the panther demons flying from the power of the blast, rendering them temporarily unconscious.

Moaning, InuYasha rolled to look up at Sesshomaru who stood over him, Tokijin glowing blue with power.

"I told you not to interrupt!" The half demon growled.

"Stay there where you are." Sesshomaru said, glancing to the other unconscious forms on the ground. "These panther demons belong to me."

Standing to his feet, InuYasha held Tetsusaiga in his hand. "Not this time. You're the one that'll have to back down."

"Enough!" Their blades met, lightning crackled all around them, the power between the two almost out of control. Had he not made himself clear? He had permitted InuYasha to save his beloved human, now he could leave and allow Sesshomaru to complete his own work.

"Not a chance!" InuYasha snarled, batting Sesshomaru's blade back. "Get out of my way!" The hanyo slashed at his brother, and missed widely, as Sesshomaru sidestepped him. Leaping into the air, Sesshomaru took the next swing, meeting the Tetsusaiga in another block, the brothers struggled again.

"Back down!" InuYasha insisted.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "I don't need any help from you."

"Oh yeah?!" The half demon leapt back, separating them, panting heavily.

The brothers continued to batter each other, blade on blade, slashing, parrying, dancing out of reach of the other. Neither landing blows on the other. Sesshomaru was heartily done with the silliness of this battle — he had a war to finish. Just as he was about to unleash enough energy to knock InuYasha unconscious, a sound drew his attention. Both Sesshomaru and InuYasha froze, watching as the panther leader slashed three of his own followers and swallowed their souls and powers. The screams of the demons as they died were haunting. It left only Toran, to watch in horror.

The souls now consumed, the panthers leader's body began to reform. Skin, hair, eyes, growing back before their very eyes. He was indeed fearsome. Standing now before the full moon, the panther leader growled.

"He devoured his own kin so that he could revive himself." InuYasha stood, gawking in disbelief.

Have you not learned of the world's cruelty, in your years, InuYasha? In so many ways, InuYasha was still innocent, it seemed.

"You two." Great yellow eyes, now rebirth rd, turned to look down on them. "Sons of the dog general. You're next."

Toran was in shock, looking down at the bodies of her comrades. She trembled, eyes wide with disbelief as she sat on her knees beside their prone forms.

"Dogs! You will now feel the full extent of my wrath!" The panther leader declared, uncaring of Toran's distress.

InuYasha smirked. "Time to wake up from your pipe dreams, maybe my sword can help you."

Both InuYasha and Sesshomaru leapt to the charge, separately hitting the giant demon with massive bursts of energy. Even the windscar did no damage to the infernal cat. Sesshomaru eyed the demon, as he leapt back to the sidelines. As far as he could see, there was no way to attack this beast. Now, with the power of the Shikon no Tama shards, he was more powerful than when their father had battled him so long ago. The demon cat began firing blue beams of lighting from his claws, causing both of Toga's sons to scatter. Then, he began shooting his claws themselves.

Sesshomaru swatted away the huge pieces of bone as quickly as they fired at him, his body floating just above the ground to aid his quick movements.

Blocking his attacks will get us nowhere.

Deciding to give it his best shot, Sesshomaru leapt into the air, Tokijin ready to deliver the strongest blast of energy possible. "Perish!" Before his blow landed, the panther demon slashed Sesshomaru with his horn, casting him backward. Pain lanced through his body, the hit was immense. Gasping, he tucked and flipped to land in a crouch. Had the blow knocked the air from his lungs? He struggled to breathe, and remained in a crouch, unmoving as InuYasha continued to batter the monster.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Frantic, Jaken raced over to check his master. "My Lord! What is it?"

It was rage. Rage at the pain and injury he had just experienced. At the humiliation of the last battle with the lesser panther demons, and the betrayal of his troops. Now he was degraded to having to battle beside his half blood brother.

"Curse him." He gasped, still trying to draw air into his lungs. Sesshomaru's lips were lifted in a snarl, eyes filled with hate, the burned red as he looked upon his enemy. Standing, he replaced Tokijin into his belt, the deep sound of his true dog form's snarl rattled within his chest. He allowed the transformation to flow through him, his irises narrowed to slits, mouth widening.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, a pulse rang through his body, stopping it full force. He paused, the snarling faded, and he looked down at his sword as the pulse happened again.

"The Tenseiga."

As quickly as the transformation began, the red vanished from his eyes and they returned to gold. "You wish to be drawn?"

InuYasha hit the ground nearby, with a force hard enough that he was likely injured as well.

Father. Why did you leave me the Tenseiga? I still don't understand.

The panther demon stalked toward the fallen form of his brother, apparently intent to finish him off.

Rising into the air, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and grasped the hilt of his fathers sword. With a smooth motion, he drew it and slashed in one stroke. The blade flashed in the moonlight. Pale light, not from the sky, filled the courtyard. Without a sound, Sesshomaru landed on the other side of the panther demon and slid the Tenseiga back into its sheath.

"You can't harm me with that useless sword. Its blade is far too dull!" Reaching out, the beast intended to grasp Sesshomaru in its claws, but its power began to dissolve, reverting the demon back to its mummified form. "My power! What's happening to my power?!" Wind buffeted Sesshomaru as the demon sank to the ground, and eventually collapsed. Not once did he turn to give the beast a glance. "I'm losing my power!"

Sesshomaru felt a swell of relief. Without looking at his brother, he addressed him. "You finish him off with the Tetsusaiga." He began walking away from the scene, thoroughly and entirely finished with every part of it. As he walked through the gate, he heart the windscar obliterate what was left of the panther leader.

Walking back down the path toward the village, Sesshomaru passed the large mass of humans who were waiting for the outcome of the battle. He did not look at any of them, and they made a wide path for him to pass. The sound of his name reached his ears as he made his way down toward the village below.

"Hey! Sesshomaru!" Pausing, the yokai looked back, Kagome ran after him. "I know that you don't get along well with InuYasha, but I'm really grateful that you were here. InuYasha would never say so, but he could never have defeated the panther demons without your help. So… thank you." She offered him a smile, so similar to Rin's that it stunned him for a moment.

Sesshomaru looked away, uncomfortable. "I did no such thing."

"If you say so!" Kagome laughed, it was different than Rin's laugh. Clearly she didn't believe him. "Bye Sesshomaru!" Waving, she turned and rejoined the other humans.

Mystified by the strange behavior, Sesshomaru watched her for a moment, eyebrows drawn together in consternation. It was then, that Jaken came running up to his master, breathless.

"Lord Sesshomaru, did you know that the Tenseiga would kill the panther leader and save those other demons? Was that your intention all along?"

Silent, Sesshomaru barely heard Jaken, his mind was still on the strange encounter with the human girl. Without responding to Jaken, he turned and began walking again.

Rin is waiting.