InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Displacement ❯ "You Are Not Invincible" ( Chapter 15 )

Displacement

 

Chapter 15

 

“You Are Not Invincible”

 

“Quite an impressive army, general,” Ying Zheng smiled, galloping his horse in front of the rows of armored soldiers as they stood near the Qin-Chu border. General Wang Jian nodded from his own horse.

 

“Of course, sir, I handpicked the finest soldiers in the army for your campaign,” he explained.

 

“Oh,” Ying Zheng sighed. “Such a waste them, considering most of them shall die…increase the training regiment by two hours for the other troops and send out more conscription officers into the outer villages. We'll have to replace their ranks.” Wang Jian nodded, and leaned forward as the army slowed to a stop. A small, but still formidable army on many horses stopped not far away, the lead rider galloping up to Ying Zheng and the rider jumping to the ground. He was older than Ying Zheng and had the fewest strands of silver hair weaving among the black, and he was slightly taller. But he possessed the same type of armor the Qin Lord had donned and held the same careful, alert poise of a warrior.

 

“Lord Ying Zheng of Qin, the state of Han rides to serve you this day,” he said, kneeling.

 

“Rise, Liu Bang. Tell me how your attack on the yaoguai splinter group went,” Ying Zheng said, waving his hand. Prince Liu Bang of Han stood.

 

`We attacked during the night and only suffered a few dozen causalities. The great warriors our armies spoke of either were exaggerated, or not present. We killed most of them,” Liu Bang turned and waved a hand forward. A couple of the few Han soldiers not on horseback came to stand beside Liu Bang, a Japanese man being pulled behind them, his hands bound. They pushed him to his knees in front of Ying Zheng.

 

“We have exactly six survivors taken prisoner, my lord. They have not been forthcoming with information regarding their presence in Han. Perhaps they would speak to you,” Liu Bang continued. Ying Zheng's gaze turned on the Japanese survivor, and he burst out laughing, almost falling backwards off his horse. Wang Jian, Liu Bang and the closer soldiers all looked at their ruler strangely.

 

“You're an idiot, Liu Bang,” Ying Zheng smiled, as if that explained his outburst. “I cannot speak their barbaric tongue and would rather have mine cut off than lower myself to learn it. What does it matter what they are here for, they will die all the same if we know or not and then it will not matter.”

 

“Then what would you have us do with them?” Liu Bang asked, annoyed at the lord's insults. Ying Zheng put a hand to his waist and leapt down from his horse, drawing his sword and whipping it out. The tip of the blade turned red as the soldier's neck was sliced, and he gasped and choked as he fell back, his captors letting go of his bonds in shock.

 

“Something to that effect will do nicely,” Ying Zheng nodded, climbing back on his horse. Liu Bang nodded and climbed onto his own. “Now, you and the Han shall ride first and lead the attack. The slower, hardier Qin foot army shall follow to hit them with a second wave when they are tired. I shall lead them.”

 

“But my lord, if we rush the camp without your archers and soldiers, then my army will suffer heavy casualties,” Liu Bang frowned, already having an idea that that was the point.

 

“A sacrifice for the glory of Qin, Liu Bang, is a sacrifice I am willing to command,” Ying Zheng smirked. “Although I would rather you watch yourself in the battle, you've been good for festering out the rebel factions scattered about and you're moderately more useful to me as an informant than a martyr.”

 

“Of course, my lord,” Liu Bang sighed, climbing onto his horse. When Ying Zheng had sent word of his demand for the Han to assist him, Liu Bang had been reluctant to follow but knew what lay in store for him if he refused. Han was subject to Qin and he had no choice. The Han people knew that Ying Zheng was a madman and Liu Bang had gathered his army before a village crowd of glum faces. Anyone who thought Ying Zheng would not put the Han troops before his own in battle was as delusional as the man himself.

 

“My lord, what if the great warrior you spoke of is here? What shall we do?” Liu Bang asked, trotting his horse up alongside Ying Zheng's.

 

“I shall meet him in battle and strike him down,” Ying Zheng replied. Liu Bang frowned. He had heard both the rumors of what had happened to the first Qin army and heard first-hand the testimony of a patrol group that had encountered the splinter group in Han.

 

“Although I have no doubt you are a mighty warrior, my lord, it may surprise you to learn you are not invincible,” he said carefully. Ying Zheng turned to look at the Han leader blankly, then lashed out a hand and backhanded him across his face. The quick blow caught Liu Bang off balance and he tumbled off the side of his horse.

 

“You would do well to watch your mouth, Liu Bang, or I shall have it cut from your skull,” Ying Zheng growled. Liu Bang put a hand on the saddle of his horse as he stood, his pride more wounded than anything else. “Besides,” Ying Zheng smirked. “Even he cannot defeat me. Not as I am now. Now them, if you have no further objections?” Ying Zheng locked eyes with Liu Bang, challenging him to speak.

 

“No, my lord,” he said bitterly, climbing onto his horse again. “The armies of Han will ride for you, and they are willing to die for you.”

 

“And so they shall,” Ying Zheng chuckled, lashing the reigns of his horse. The steed began trotting forward past the wooden stumps and decaying corpses lining the Qin-Chu border, and Liu Bang, Wang Jian and the combined army of Qin and Han hefted their weapons and prepared to follow their insane dictator into battle.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

The camp youkai turned their heads and sniffed the air seconds before Toga touched down on the dirt at the foot of the barrier. With a whirl of wind and youki, the taiyoukai shifted back into his human guise, leaving Inuyasha with Oinari and Yuka to touch down behind him. The taiyoukai materialized in a kneeling position and quickly stood and stalked towards the camp.

 

“Lord Toga,” a koumari youkai whispered, having the courage to speak while the rest of the camp stared.

 

“I want all the warriors awake, armed and ready for battle,” Toga barked, loud enough for half the camp to hear. “We have been discovered, the Qin and Han may be riding towards us as we speak.” The camp went alive with activity at Toga's order, youkai from every corner rushing to gather weapons and armor and distribute them to the slower and more vulnerable humans.

 

“What about me?” Toga turned as Inuyasha stepped up to him, passing Oinari's shoulder to Yuka. “He has Kagome,” Inuyasha hissed. “If he's attacking after sending me here then he must have done something to her!”

 

“Your companion's fate is of little concern to me now,” Toga growled, turning and marching through the camp, tossing weapons to the disorganized soldiers. “You will remain here and assist in the battle, we do not have time to deduce the maiden's fate.” Inuyasha bared his teeth, and stepped forward out of a restraining hand from Yuka to grab the shoulder of his father's armor and spin him around.

 

“Then make time!” he snarled, fisting the front of Toga's kimono. Tgoa quickly snarled back and lashed out a hand, sending the hanyou flying back. The two inus glared at each other before Toga backed down, only slightly though.

 

“You are needed here,” he grated. “If we are able to hold the lines without you then go, if not than you will stay. You placed yourself under my command Inuyasha, and I would expect you to remember and honor that.”

 

“I placed myself under your command if you would find a way for me and Kagome to get home! That might be a little difficult if she's dead, which she might be!” Inuyasha shot back. Toga glared and thought for a moment.

 

“You will stay and fight here, and if we are able to hold the line without you, you may go,” he decided. Inuyasha looked ready to protest again, but held his tongue and nodded curtly. Toga turned his attention from the hanyou and surveyed the camp.

 

“Leave the tents up, they will provide cover!” he snapped at two youkai taking down the poles for one construct. “Yuka, take Oinari into the castle, tell all you meet it will serve as a resting grounds. And send the priestesses there and tell them to erect a barrier, if we cannot hold the camp we will fall back there.”

 

“Yes my lord,” Yuka nodded, carrying Oinari towards the small castle. Toga turned his head and sniffed. Inuyasha watched as he growled and stalked towards the edge of the camp, drawing Tetsusaiga. Toga halted at the edge of the encampment and glared at the horizon.

 

“They are coming,” he growled, tightening the grip on his sword.

 

“But they can't see us through the barrier, right?” Inuyasha asked. Toga drew back the Tetusaiga, swirls of youkai gathering along the blade. He lashed the blade out into the ground, sending shockwaves of energy forward, tearing up the ground. Inuyasha looked up at the Kaze-no-Kizu hit Toga's barrier, causing it to ripple and vanish, noticeable only by the slight change in the breeze. The camp's activity halted to stare at their commander's outburst.

 

“Let them come,” Toga muttered, hefting the Tetsusaiga onto his shoulder.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Your meal,” the guard said, sliding a small slab of thin, polished wood through a hole in the bamboo bars. Kagome glared at the small scraps of cooked meet and bread on the primitive tray.

 

“Not hungry,” she mumbled.

 

“Please, you must eat, you did not eat at all yesterday either,” the guard pleaded. “If you do not eat, Lord Ying Zheng will…”

 

“What?” Kagome laughed bitterly. “He's too busy trying to get into my pants to kill me.” The guard gave her a strange look at the modern expression, but let it drop and walked back to the doorway to the prison. Kagome looked up at the window and sighed, not wondering for the first time what was happening on the outside.

 

There was a knock on the wooden door of the prison, and the guard moved to pull it back.

 

“Ryuichi. What are you doing here?” he asked, stepping back. Kagome sat up as the rotund man followed the guard into the cell.

 

“Greetings, Lady Kagome,” he smiled, bowing.

 

“You bastard, you told Ying Zheng about the jewel shards!” she hissed, jumping to her feet.

 

“I assure you I did not, Lady Kagome,” Ryuichi frowned. “I fear it was advisor Li Si who informed him. As punishment for not telling him myself I am currently facing possible imprisonment.”

 

“So what, what does that have to do with me?” Kagome asked. Ryuichi opened his mouth to speak, and stepped back from the bars with a gasp.

 

“Guard, what is that?” he asked, staring at Kagome in shock. Kagome looked around for the source of Ryuichi's surprise, not seeing anything. The guard stepped in front of Ryuichi, and he snapped his arms around his head. One arm came to clench over his neck while the other hand clamped over his nose and mouth. As Kagome's eyes widened, Ryuichi fell backwards as the guard flailed, his movements slowing after a few moments. Ryuichi put a hand on the guard's neck, then rose and reached into his robes, withdrawing a dagger.

 

“Quickly now, that may have attracted attention,” he hissed, slicing the leather strips holding the door of the cell closed.

 

“What are you doing?” Kagome gasped, coming to the bars.

 

“Getting you out of here, obviously,” Ryuichi grunted, working on the leather with slight difficulty.

 

“You'll be executed if he finds out you're helping me,” Kagome protested. Ryuichi nodded.

 

“I have plans for that, I assure you,” he replied. The final strip of leather holding the door of the cell closed was cut, and Ryuichi tossed the bamboo door away. “Help me,” he instructed, kneeling and undoing the straps holding the guard's armor closed.

 

“Now what?” Kagome asked, undoing the strap on the other side.

 

“We need a way to get you out of here,” Ryuichi said. “Keep your head low, and don't talk. Many of the soldiers are away, so we will be able to sneak out easier than normal.”

 

“The soldiers are away?” Kagome asked, pulling off the guard's helmet while Ryuichi worked on the plates around his waist and upper legs.

 

“Yes, Ying Zheng conscripted many of them to ride into battle against the Japanese army on our borders,” Ryuichi sighed. Kagome gasped.

 

“Inuyasha…” she whispered. “Come on, we have to hurry.” Ryuichi nodded as the final straps were undone, and he set to work on the red under-covering over the guard's normal clothing.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Wang Jian, Liu Bang and Ying Zheng led the Han-Qin army up the hillside, stopping at the top. Before them lay a large dip, not a valley but still a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill, to Ying Zheng's amusement, were rows of Japanese soldiers. He surveyed them and was moderately shocked to see a decently prepared and equipped army. They obviously knew they were coming. Ah well, that made it more sporting. Ying Zheng looked down at the tall, regal yaoguai standing at the front of the army, glaring at him with golden eyes. So that was the great general his soldiers had spoken of. Ying Zheng noticed a bright red next to the general's white and black, and turned his head. He saw the source of the red and his lips curled into a smirk.

 

“So, he is alive,” he chuckled, genuinely pleased.

 

“Your orders, my lord?” Liu Bang asked, staring gravely at the Japanese soldiers. Ying Zheng's smile grew.

 

“Cut them all down,” he whispered. “But leave the one in the red for me.” Liu Bang nodded and drew his sword.

 

“Death with honor is a death worth dying!” he roared, rearing his horse. The Han horse-riders roared their agreement as Liu Bang looked back at them with pity for the inevitable fate. His horse's hooves padded back onto the dirt, and the Han general took off at the gallop down the hillside, his doomed army following him into battle loyally. Ying Zheng watched and turned his head to look at Wang Jian.

 

“See to it that this battle will be won with heavy Han casualities,” he said coldly. Wang Jian bowed, and Ying Jian turned back to the Japanese army, this time locking eyes with a similar but different set to the general's. His smirk found its way back onto his face as he put a hand on his neck, smiling at the warm, gentle pulsing he felt there.

 

“Now my friend, let us see how strong a yaoguai truly is,” he sneered.

 

Liu Bang is not an OC, he's another real historical character, and an important one at that. Exactly what he does that makes him so significant will be revealed later, for the time being it might provide slight spoilers.