InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Soul of the Future, White Heart of the Past (On hold) ❯ Chapter 14: True Fangs of Darkness VS The Iron Fang ( Chapter 15 )

Written by: Zelix

A/N: Here's the next chapter, sorry it took a while… oh yeah, I promised it would be an action packed chapter but I changed my mind, this one just fitted it more I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, you know that by now…

"Talking"

`Thinking'

=Used when mentioning Techniques or attacks =

[Check the bottom for details]

If this was a TV-series:

Opening: Blue Gender - Tokihanate

Ending: Tanpopo - Track 1

Dark Soul of the Future, White Heart of the Past

Episode 14: True Fangs of Darkness VS the Iron Fang.

"The beast is alive, the priestess has fallen… the warrior group now looks into the eyes of the beast and can only tremble in terror, yet… they pray, the pray for something to help them, for the true fangs of the dark beast are about to be revealed…" - Unknown

Dust… that was all that was left of Kikyo… Kasaraki was… alive, that wasn't possible, he was hit dead on with =Kaze no Kizu=… how was it possible that he was alive?! And to make matters even more worse, he didn't have a scratch on him! His skin, clothes, etc. Every last part of him looked grand spanking new… this had to be a nightmare, a true nightmare, his voice was dark, dark and filled with cold seriousness: "Inuyasha, our fight is far from finished…"

Everyone flinched from the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes… his eyes were so cold, so deadly at that moment… the gaze he had was so coldly focused and determined that it would even make hell freeze over and his voice made all of they're souls tremble with terror, his voice was like a an icy spear that penetrated the very core of ones mind and soul… not to mention the intense, unknown yet dark aura he emitted, it made all of they're instincts scream at them to run, that they didn't have a hope of victory against this… otherworldly monster…

Kagome, who was supporting Inuyasha to stand, was most likely the one who had been affected the most by Kasaraki's aura and that gaze… since his `influence' over her hadn't completely stopped or gone away yet… in her state of mind, all she could do was tremble as Kasaraki's aura filled her senses and his gaze penetrated her soul itself… those golden eyes had been scary before but they had held warmth in them, now though, they held nothing except coldness, it was as if he wanted all of them to know that they had no hope of victory, that his presence alone was enough to make them give up… and sadly, judging from everyone's auras and mood, he was right too… she could see in everyone's eyes that they had absolutely no will to fight against Kasaraki, even Inuyasha's eyes that normally didn't hold any fear at all were now slightly trembling, even if his determination to protect Kagome was strong, it wasn't endless… he was at the limit now, his determination to fight had wavered and his confidence to win were also sinking away, for a good reason too, how could they fight against something that took the full force of =Kaze no Kizu= and yet doesn't have a scratch on him?

Inuyasha's head was swirling with questions, how was it possible that Kasaraki was alive? Hadn't he said that the only way that Kagome could move again was if he was killed? So… how…? His head was also filled with thoughts about what would happen if he attacked now, if Kasaraki attacked, he wouldn't stand a chance of winning at this state, his body felt numb and was throbbing with pain, he didn't have that many injuries, nothing that bled anyway but his body was at it's limit, it couldn't go on any further… shit… this was a tight pinch, there was no way out…

Everyone else was thinking along that sort of lines too, they all wanted to fight to protect Inuyasha and Kagome but they fear they felt from Kasaraki's presence alone was making they're resolve waver with each passing second… this was insane, none of it made any sense… how can something like him exist? Something whose presence alone can make even a Youkai lose it's will to fight? Someone so strong… so terrifying… it was as if terror and fear were a natural part of him and if someone went near him, they would all be affected by it… but, how was Inuyasha capable of ignoring it until this point? Was it his sheer willpower and determination to protect Kagome that made him capable of resisting this feeling of terror?

Kasaraki saw all of they're faces and could feel they're terror, this was just like 3000 years ago… whenever people saw him or heard his name, they all trembled with terror and fear, he could feel his mind screaming at him to kill Inuyasha, that they're duel wasn't finished, so he said without any kind of hesitation with that dark voice: "Inuyasha, prepare yourself!" Then he lifted his arm above his head and they all felt a `pulse' like feeling coming out of it and the next thing they noticed was his sword `Mormegail' lifting itself off the ground and `teleporting' into his hand, neat trick…

Then before they could think, Kasaraki took his attack stance and got ready to charge at Inuyasha… in Kagome's point of view, everything moved in slow motion from that point out, she saw them all trying to move but Kasaraki was too fast, while the others were starting to move to do something, Kasaraki was already halfway in front of them, his sword was positioned to pierce Inuyasha through the chest… she could see it in his eyes, he was going to kill him without hesitation, just he had killed Kikyo… She didn't want it to end like this, this couldn't be the end, was her Inuyasha going to die here? At this moment very moment? Right in front of her eyes? She knew it was going to happen… she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Kagome could feel her heart bleeding from the thought of Inuyasha dying right here, right now, right at the moment things were supposed to be perfect… she then screamed in her mind as hard as she could: `NOOO!!!' And with that, something incredible happened, something so incredible that even Kasaraki was taken back by it… in a speed that could rival light itself, the soul that Kikyo had held, the missing piece of Kagome's soul suddenly bolted out of the ashes of the now fallen clay priestess, went straight inside Kagome through her back and then with a surge of power she or anyone could have thought she had, despite her overwhelming fear of Kasaraki and the `influence' that still clung onto her soul, she stepped in front of Inuyasha with her arms stretched to her sides and closed her eyes while mentally saying: `I'm sorry… this is all I can do… I love you Inuyasha…'

Inuyasha saw this happen, his Kagome, his mate-to-be had stepped in front of him to shield him from Kasaraki's rapidly approaching sword, she was going to sacrifice herself to save him! He tried to say something, anything to make her stop but nothing came out of his mouth… he would have showed her aside had he not fallen down onto his side from the loss of balance of Kagome's sudden movement, (She was holding him up remember?) he tried to reach out to her, to pull her away from the impeding blade but his arm couldn't reach her… all he could do was watch, watch as the sword of Kasaraki came closer and closer to her chest, he was moving so fast there was no way he could stop in time anymore, then, he managed to shout one word, one word, he yelled it at the top of his exhausted lungs: "KAGOME!!!"

Kasaraki's eyes widened at what happened, that girl, Kagome had jumped in front of Inuyasha and was going to take the deathblow! Briefly his instincts, now covered in coldness of battle, just suggested to ram the blade through her and then kill Inuyasha… yes, that would do… but then something he had promised to the said opponent rang through his head: He had promised… promised not to hurt any members of his pack! He had sworn it on his honour as a warrior! Suddenly, the coldness in his eyes wavered slightly as he realised that he had to stop!

Everyone saw the blade now only a few inches away from Kagome… they all shouted her name in despair, though Shippo was in tears as he shouted her name, then, just as the blade was close enough, everyone closed they're eyes and looked away, none of them could bear to see this… anything but this…

Kagome could see the blade coming at her in slow motion… only a few seconds left, just a few more seconds until she could feel that cold, dark blade pierce her chest and drain the life out of her… she felt her heart cringe and grow cold as her life flashed before her eyes as she closed them, waiting for the deathblow… her life… every last second of it flashed before her closed eyes, all the sad times, all the happy times… then, the best one of them all… the memory of Inuyasha asking her to be his mate… his warm question, her loving answer… just a simple answer, yet it was the one answer that she would never, ever regret… =Yes=… simplest answer… yet it held the biggest meaning of them all… `This is it… I am sorry Inuyasha, everyone… but I just can't sit back and watch anymore… I love you all, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Kaede… yes, even you Kouga… but… Inuuyasha, my true love, I am so sorry… please, forgive me…' Then she could feel it, the blade was touching her shirt, this was it…

… But why was there no pain…?

It took what felt like forever until she opened her eyes just like everyone else... and the sight that greeted her and everyone made them feel a huge lump in they're throats…

Kasaraki… stopped… just in time…

Everyone was staring with a locked gaze at what they saw, no one was doing anything, they didn't even breath... Inuyasha too, was so stunned he couldn't let even one muscle twitch… Kasaraki, against all possible laws of physics and logic… stopped like he had hit a wall, leaving Mormegails tip grazing at Kagome's school uniform as it trembled… only Kagome saw it at that point, the reason for the trembling, she could see it with her Miko senses: Kasaraki had somehow, she couldn't figure out how, had made all his muscles tense so hard that both the muscles and the bones got jammed up, making it impossible to even twitch… in her shocked state of mind, she could barely think: `How…? It is… not possible… to control ones body like that… even if it was possible, all his bones should be broken by now! How…?'

(I don't know if that made any sense or is it even logical but… that's the best I could come up with.)

As everyone was slowly coming down from they're shock, Kasaraki was gritting his teeth so hard his gums were beginning to bleed, his eyes were screwed shut as his facial muscles moved and pulsed with restraint, everyone could then feel his aura dimming away, the terror it had also disappeared, it was as if, he had lost his will to fight… he was thinking: `SHIT!! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!! What the hell am I doing?!?! I almost broke my promise! Shit, I pushed myself too hard, that was too close… it is bad to admit but… it's too dangerous for me to continue fighting like this, I might accidentally loose control again… just like… that time… okay, calm down… just, lower the sword, slowly…' (Does this guy have a split personality or something?)

When they were about to react or say anything, whatever they had in they're minds was thrown out of the window when the next thing happened: Kasaraki lowered his sword and with one arm plunged it into the earth gently and kneeled down in front of both Kagome and Inuyasha, then after lowering his head he spoke with a warrior like voice: "Lady Kagome, Warrior Inuyasha… I beg your forgiveness… I nearly broke the promise I had sworn on warriors honour before this fight, I promised I wouldn't hurt any of your pack members Inuyasha but just now I almost killed your Alfa female, it is unforgivable but please accept my sincerest apologies."

Everyone's mouths hit the ground on that instant… dear god, just who the hell was this Kasaraki?! One second he's dominating the fight, ready to kill Inuyasha without mercy and now he's kneeling down like he was in front of a lord or something and was begging forgiveness! This guy was… something else… no doubts there, he was nothing like Naraku or any of the demons they've faced before, he was strong and quite merciless but his sense of honour was even bigger… this was actually more scarier than before, this guy was too hard to predict at all.

No one dared to say a word, they were all still just trying to get over they're shock of what had just happened, that included Kagome… though, Inuyasha was the one who understood this one more better, Kouga too understood what this was but they didn't want to believe it, they couldn't believe there was someone who took [Demon warriors code] this seriously anymore. Inuyasha thought: `Kasaraki… just when I thought I had him figured out, he pulls something like this… but, his eyes just now, when he was about to kill me, his eyes were hardened with coldness and it was as if he wanted nothing more than to kill me… but, the instant Kagome got in the way, he stopped by forcing his muscles harden around his joints and bones, making him become like a statue… damn, he is something else… but now, he is throwing himself at our mercy, if I remember correctly, the warriors code states that a promise sworn on ones honour as a warrior is absolute, if broken, then the person he broke it to can order him to do one thing as a penance… he broke his promise to me but since Kagome is my `pack's' Alfa female, he broke it to her too… I cannot kill him though, since only royal Youkai have that authority and since I won't be a lord until my asshole of a brother kicks the bucket… hmm…'

Kasaraki lifted his head to look Kagome's blank expression, he could also see her legs shaking a bit and beyond her legs was Inuyasha, looking at him with understanding, Kasaraki then looked at Kagome's face again and said: "Lady Kagome, for breaking almost breaking my promise, you may order me to do one thing and I will do it… what is your command?" It took Kagome good 10 long seconds before her mind registered what Kasaraki had just said, her eyes widened as she slowly turned her head to look at Inuyasha who was now sitting instead of laying down and he answered with a serious tone: "It is a demon honour thing, I'll explain later." Kagome nodded and then thought for a moment before saying with a lit up face: "Okay then, Kasaraki, I order you to cease your attempts to kill Inuyasha!" There was a short silence before Kasaraki shook his head signalling `no' and said with an apologetic voice: "I am sorry my lady, but that is one order I cannot follow."

Kagome let out a loud: "WHAT?!" But before she could say anything else, Inuyasha filled her in: "Kagome, i challenged him into this duel BEFORE I made him promise not to hurt any of you… so he won't obey that order… it's shitty but that's how it is." Kagome wanted to protest more but the look in Inuyasha's eyes told her not to, it wouldn't do any good… so instead she thought long and hard until she said: "Hmm… Kasaraki, if I cannot order you to stop this fight, I can order you to postpone it, Inuyasha is in no condition to fight (He growls at her)." Kasaraki thought for a moment until he nodded and said: "Very well, as you order my lady, I will not fight him anymore today…" She breathed out her relief but he thought immediately after: `But… it's too bad your order wasn't precise enough… I hate to use loop holes but my honour demands me to finish this duel…'

Then his gaze turned to Inuyasha and he said: "Warrior Inuyasha, what is your order?" After Inuyasha asked Kagome to help him stand, he asked Kasaraki with a serious voice: "I order you to answer these two questions: Firstly, how is it possible that you're alive and secondly, how come Kagome can move while you're still alive?" Kasaraki nodded and stood up as he said: "I will answer the second question first: I said there were TWO ways for her to break free of my `seal' (=Refers to the fact that her soul was technically `sealed') was because after your =Kaze no Kizu= hit me, I was severely wounded, my powers weakened and it made it possible for her to free herself since the `seal' had weakened considerably… though, I must congratulate you lade Kagome, the fact you were able to get free from my `seal' proves that you have magnificent mental powers, since even if the `seal' was weakened, it shouldn't have been possible for a normal person to break free of it…"

Kagome couldn't help it, that comment made her blush… Kasaraki then continued: "Though, the `seals' effects weren't completely removed… your fear of my presence proved that it was still there… though, the moment you threw yourself in front of your soon-to-be mate, (Both blush) I felt a surge of power enter your body… that made you strong enough to free yourself of whatever was left of the `seal'…" Kagome then figured out what he meant, that `surge' of power must have been the missing piece of her soul… it made sense…

Inuyasha nodded and then said with same serious voice: "Very well, then the first question, how in the name of seven hells are you still alive?" That made everyone listen to the conversation very carefully… Kasaraki smirked and said: "Well, you would have figured this one out eventually anyway, so let me show you instead…" He then lifted the Mormegail off the ground which made everyone back away except Inuyasha and Kagome, he then turned it so the tip of the sword was pointing at his stomach and then without warning… rammed the blade right through his gut, making everyone gasp and gag, with the sight of it, blood was oozing everywhere… it even made Kagome look away, impaling yourself onto your own sword? That's sick… Inuyasha was shocked too, he had without even the slightest of hesitations impaled himself… he could only think of one word: `Au…'

Kasaraki's face cringed at the feel of his own massive blade piercing his gut, he could also hear the sword howling in his mind, it didn't want to hurt it's own master, he replied mentally: `I'm sorry partner… but this was needed to be done, you know how it is…' After several seconds he pulled the blade out and forced himself to keep standing, he then began to talk with a strained voice with blood coming out of his mouth: "I… used my… aura to block most of… the damage… your… technique caused… yet, even with what I blocked… it would still have been fatal… to anyone… except me." Kagome was now looking at him too, her natural instincts demanded her to help him since he was wounded… but she had to stomp that down for now… then, everyone gasped at what they saw happen next: Kasaraki's body, they felt a pulse coming out of it that filled all they're senses for a brief second before all the blood that had been spilled suddenly kinda like `pulled back' into his body, as if time was reversed… the blood returned to his body and the wound closed within 3 seconds… what kind of healing was that?

Kasaraki then said with a normal voice after taking a breath: "My body can heal almost instantly, this is the result of the life I had to live… so when I was barely alive after your =Kaze no Kizu= it took me a few moments to heal all the broken bones, wounds and blood loss… I will not reveal my secret as to how I do it but I will sum it up with this: No matter what sort of injury I receive, my body will heal it instantly…" Inuyasha, Kagome and everyone else were simply stunned, that sort of healing was impossible even for a full Youkai! Kagome then asked out of the blue: "But… what about your clothes…? They must have been… blown away too?" Kasaraki then looked down onto the point where he had impaled himself and said with a smirk: "See for yourself."

Shortly put, his clothes seemed to be like his body, repairs damage instantly…

Kasaraki then strapped Mormegail onto his back and asked: "I have fulfilled your orders, I will leave now since there won't be anymore fighting today…" With that, he began to walk away from them towards the woods, just at that moment, everyone rushed over to both Inuyasha and Kagome, hugging and just being relieved that they had survived… Kasaraki stopped his walking and looked back at them, he also looked at the sky and thought with a frown: `I hate to do this… Inuyasha and Kagome… why is it that I feel like I know them? Odd… yet, I must be the one to tear them apart, the duel is postponed for now but not for long… but I am not heartless, I'll let them enjoy each other for now, besides, next time he will be more ready and it will be twice the fun to fight him…' With that, he silently walked away, for now…

Everyone was so relieved for now… they had survived again, yet, they all knew that Kasaraki would return again BUT they would be ready next time, next time they would all stand together against him… On they're way back to the village to rest and recover, they all felt a small moment of peace rush over them and just enjoyed whatever time of peace they had now… but what they didn't know was that soon, not long from now, one of them was going… to…

{[=Die=]}

To be continued…

Preview of the next episode:

"Day of rest and recovering, memories and worries…

Night of Tears and nightmares…

… and promises of eternal love and affection."

Next time on Dark Soul, White Heart:

"Day of warmth, night of coldness"

- Zelix, see ya next time! NOW REVIEW… though I suspect this chapter/episode was pure crap… Oh yes, for those who wonder what the title of this chapter/episode had to do with the episode itself, well… Kasaraki kinda like showed his true fangs right? And the Iron Fang referred to Kagome since she was the source of Inuyasha's strength right? Well… that doesn't make sense does it? Oh well…

[Demon Warrior code]: It is pretty much the same as warriors code or the path of a warrior, they are rules that demon warriors with high ranks obey and enforce, in the old days, it is said that those who wavered from this code were sentenced to death by royal Youkai's… though, these days no one took the code so seriously anymore, times have changed so demons have become more like savages when during the old days demons were more honourable and held onto warrior codes… more details as we progress.