InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Entrapment: A 21st Century Adventure ❯ Showdown ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.23.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 11.3K | Visits: 954 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.23.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 11.3K | Visits: 954 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Showdown
**Warning: this chapter gets bloody!**
Kagome’s consciousness flared abruptly, but returning to the waking world was like struggling against quicksand. It pulled her down, and she couldn’t muster up the will to resist. She felt a dull throbbing pain in her cheek, but it wasn’t worth fighting her fatigue over. She only dimly heard the voices around her.
“I thought you only gave her a light dose.”
“I did! Dump a bucket of cold water on her. That’ll do the trick.”
Something about those words registered in her sedative-addled brain, but again, figuring out the mystery just wasn’t appealing enough. Tuning out the world around her, she drifted back to unconsciousness.
The sudden splash of icy water was a shock to her system, jolting her instantly awake with an outraged shriek. She panted, her brain reeling from the sensory overload. For a moment she couldn’t make sense of the masculine laughter all around her, or why her limbs would not move as she ordered them to. But then her memory returned, and her logical mind supplied the probable reason for her current predicament. No…please, Kami no.
She opened her eyes and quickly scanned the faces around her, feeling her stomach lurch with dread at each recognized visage. She squirmed unconsciously as she met the malevolent glare of Yoshida Saburou, his sadistic smile sending a surge of raw terror through her. It was then that the full import of her situation fell upon her. She was once again handcuffed to a chair in the ‘care’ of Yoshida, though this time instead of Sasaki there were three mercenaries in the room leering at her. She shivered in a combination of fear and revulsion, fully aware of how her damp blouse clung to her skin. She was glad she had not chosen to wear white today, though there really wasn’t much she could do if these men decided they weren’t content with just looking. Hopefully, if—when they killed her, they would do it quickly. But somehow, she didn’t think Yoshida had a dignified and painless death in mind for her.
Either way, she was a dead woman. She felt a wave of despair. Yes, she had been prepared for death when she returned to this era. But she had very quickly gotten used to the idea of living with her family, and now to have this aspiration torn away seemed especially cruel. Almost as cruel as that glint in Yoshida’s eye.
She shuddered, fear and utter helplessness nearly causing her to break down on the spot. Only pride held her together, and it was a tenuous adhesive at best. For the first time in her life, she found herself in an enemy’s clutches without any real hope of rescue. Her hanyou savior would not—could not come to her aid this time. As weak and powerless as she now felt, she realized how much strength the prospect of Inuyasha coming for her had always given her. Even the first time Yoshida had kidnapped her, she had believed Inuyasha would save her, and had put on a strong front as a result. She had no such inner conviction this time, no resolve. The enemy had not even spoken a word to her, and already she was defeated.
What was the point of putting on a brave face? Why resist, or refuse to answer their questions? She could not tell them anything that would put Inuyasha in danger. Maybe if she was truthful with them, and she begged like the helpless little girl they all thought she was, they would go easy on her.
Inuyasha…
That single thought echoed in her mind, seeming almost as though it originated externally. She felt herself unconsciously call back, despite the knowledge that the minute sensation of his presence brushing against hers was just a figment of her imagination. She was starting to go crazy in her panic. But still, the fabrication had a profound effect on her. What would Inuyasha think if he saw her like this, on the verge of pleading for her life like a pitiful child? Prepared to offer them anything if only they would spare her? He would be sickened.
Firmness returned to Kagome’s jaw. She refused to dishonor Inuyasha or herself like that. She would answer the enemy’s questions; again, there was no logical reason not to. But she would not supplicate herself before them, or sell her soul for a chance at survival. No matter what happened, she would carry herself in a way that he would be proud of her. She grinned inwardly; even when she was hopelessly beyond his reach, Inuyasha still gave her strength.
And just in time too, because Yoshida was ready to break the silence.
“Well, well, Kagome, it’s nice to see you again,” he declared in a sickly sweet voice, drawing snickers from his comrades. Kagome simply glared at him, pleased when his shit-eating grin faltered slightly. He clearly expected her to be pissing herself at the sound of his voice, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“So,” he asked, his amusement sounding forced rather than genuine this time. “What have you been up to since we last spoke?”
“Well,” she began, deciding that she didn’t feel like playing Yoshida’s games. There was really no need to draw this out. “After Inuyasha and I escaped, we made our way back to Tokyo, got by the Naicho agents guarding the shrine, and went back to the feudal era. Then, I decided to return so Inuyasha could…so he could be happy. I sealed the well, so no one can ever go through again.”
Once the mercenaries got over their initial shock at her generous response, they realized the significance of what she had said.
“You what?!” Yoshida snarled.
“What, didn’t hear me?” Kagome mocked, fueled into recklessness by the displeasure in her captor’s tone. “I said that Inuyasha can’t ever come back. How does it feel to lose, you bastard?”
Kagome instantly knew that was a mistake; the brutal slap she received across her face helped a lot in that regard. Tears from trauma leaked down her cheeks, but she refused to cry. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting more abuse. But Yoshida, enraged as he was, had other ideas in mind.
“I lost, did I? We’ll see about that! We’re going to have a little Q and A, bitch. And if I find that you’re lying to me, me and the boys are going to fuck you up, then use you as a hostage for your little puppy. And if you’re telling the truth, then we’re going to kill you. But first I’m going to personally make the last few hours of your life a living hell. So even if I lose, bitch, you’re the one who gets to suffer.”
Kagome felt dread and despair once again close in around her, but her oasis of resolve remained strong. She would do Inuyasha proud, regardless of the horrors which assailed her. She grimaced as the first one came into view, a long syringe surely filled with that familiar diabolical cocktail.
“Keep that shit away from me!” she yelled, struggling madly. But her bonds held, no matter how loath she was to experience a second mental violation. The mercenary grabbed her thigh and was just about to plunge the needle into it when a sharp crack sounded from just outside the room.
“What was that?” Yoshida demanded, pulling his radio from his belt. “Ishikawa? Everything alright out there?”
There was no answer.
“He’s probably just taking a piss, boss,” said another man.
“Shut up!” Yoshida growled. “Weapons up.”
The men did as they were told, raising their firearms and pointing them toward the door. Kagome listened carefully, trying not to get her hopes up. It’s probably just a rat or something. Still, that insistent voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her of what—or who—could be waiting outside. She decided to find out for sure, if only to put her foolish hope to rest once and for all. She stretched out her miko senses.
She gasped, unable to contain her surprise. Inuyasha! He’s here! A dozen questions beset her at once. Why was he here? How had he gotten through the well? What happened with Kikyou? But all of these uncertainties were outweighed by one remarkable fact. Somehow, someway, Inuyasha had come for her.
As the mercenaries turned to look at her, she belatedly realized that her outburst might have been a mistake. In actuality, it was her most fortuitous action of the evening.
At the exact moment when Yoshida and his lackeys were most distracted, a tremendous clanging noise rang out from the wall to the right of the door. In the next instant, the old brickwork imploded, collapsing inward as if struck by a giant club. And through the opening leapt Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga drawn and teeth bared. Even wearing modern clothes, and with shorter, faded black hair, he was glorious.
The mercenaries turned to train their weapons on him, but Inuyasha did not give them a chance to fire. The first man was dispatched with an open-clawed uppercut to the throat, and Kagome resisted the instinctive urge to look away from the gruesome sight. Inuyasha did not take killing lightly, and she understood why he thought it was necessary in this case. She would not avert her eyes, for to do so would be to condemn his actions. Inuyasha was clearly trying to kill the thugs quickly so as not to draw out their suffering, and was also avoiding the blood splatter as best he could. He did not enjoy this, no matter how much he hated these men.
The second mercenary was split cleanly in half by Tetsusaiga, thrown so that it embedded deeply in the wall and reverted to its rustic form. That the sword had not refused to remain transformed while in Inuyasha’s hand signaled its acceptance of his actions as well. Ultimately, Kagome knew the one who would be hardest on Inuyasha would be the hanyou himself. She would just have to be there for him and help him cope, as she had in the past. But right now, Inuyasha was not thinking about later; he was living in the moment, with only one thing on his mind.
The third mercenary met a similar end to the first, with a clean slice to the neck. That left only…
Kagome gasped as the blade of a knife pressed into her neck, drawing blood. Yoshida’s large body settled behind her, keeping her between him and the enraged hanyou now standing in the center of the room growling menacingly.
Inuyasha cursed his failure. He had wanted to go straight for Kagome from the start, or in the alternative go after Yoshida, but both were in the back of the room and doing so would have exposed him to fire from the other three gunmen. Forced to deal with them first, he was helpless to prevent Yoshida from taking the cowardly course of action. And now Kagome was, yet again, under the blade of his knife. At least this time there was no one to pop up and shoot him from behind.
But that was really the only material way this situation was different from the last. Even though he was much closer to both Kagome and her captor this time, he still did not feel that he was close enough. Yoshida’s gaze was steely and unwavering; even his blinking was abnormally quick and spaced unpredictably. The knife was too sharp, the wielder’s reflexes too honed by combat. He would not make it in time to save her. And Yoshida would not hesitate to kill her if he took another step forward.
He cursed again. But no matter how frustrated he was or how mad the scent of her blood threatened to drive him, he needed to keep his composure. Grimacing, he relaxed his stance.
“Smart decision,” Yoshida declared quietly. Then he chuckled, almost warmly. “Well, it seems like we’ve been in this situation before, haven’t we, Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha grunted, determined not to let the bastard get to him. “So what happens now?”
“Hmmm…” Yoshida pondered, appearing deep in reflection, though Inuyasha got the impression that he had already made up his mind. “Considering the number of men I’ve lost, it seems unlikely that capturing you will work for any significant period of time. You’re like a modern day Shiratori Yoshie with inhuman strength. (1) And also considering my unfortunate comrades, having you as my prisoner is no longer what I desire. No, what I want is much simpler.”
He grinned evilly. Inuyasha had an inkling of what Yoshida was getting at, but said nothing.
“Come now, hanyou,” the mercenary continued, “surely you must feel it too. The unspeakable urge, the longing to feel the blood trickling over your hands, the yearning to bring the life of some poor soul to a gruesome end. I admire your work: cold, efficient—”
“I did what I had to do,” Inuyasha snarled. “I don’t enjoy killing.”
“Perhaps,” Yoshida replied noncommittally. “At the very least, you appear to have no qualms about doing it when necessary. And perhaps you would make an exception to your ‘no enjoyment’ rule in my case?”
“What are you saying?”
“Ever since I saw what an abomination you were, I’ve wanted to slaughter you like deformed livestock. But more than that, I’ve craved a confrontation. I want to match my skills against your raw talents, to see if you can do what no mortal man has been able to. To see who is stronger, the hunter or the beast. And I know—despite your outward appearances, you’ve got a bloodthirsty animal inside of you, don’t you? So why not let it out, just for a bit? I know you would find pleasure in slicing me apart. So I’ll give you the chance. You and me, your claws against my knives, a fight to the death. What do you say?”
Inuyasha was struck temporarily speechless. He couldn’t possibly have heard Yoshida correctly, could he? If so, this was too good to be true! No mere mortal could stand up to him, no matter how good a fighter he was. One blast of Sankon Tetsusou and it would all be over. But his enthusiasm was short-lived, for the mercenary was no fool.
“Now, I would require some concessions on your part,” Yoshida continued. “You would agree not to perform any energy-based attacks—bare fists and claws only. And obviously, no using your sword. In return, I would promise not to harm Kagome in any event. As long as you honor our agreement, she will not be harmed no matter who wins the fight. So, do we have an accord?”
“No, Inuyasha! Don’t agree to that!”
Inuyasha considered the proposal and Kagome’s objection. Should he give up his main combat advantages in order to break this deadly stalemate? It was a good option; even so hindered, he knew he could take Yoshida. And if he did fall, he would at least get verbal assurances that Kagome would go free. Yoshida seemed like a man of his word, at least to people he respected, and fighting him to the death would probably earn him at least a little respect. Beyond that, he could detect no trace of deceit from the mercenary now, and he didn’t think it was good acting. Given the lack of viable alternatives, Yoshida’s proposal was quite appealing to the hanyou. But he did wonder about one thing.
“How can you trust me?” he asked. “Why don’t you think I’ll just blow you away as soon as you step away from Kagome?”
Yoshida cracked a smirk. “I’m quite good at reading people, Inuyasha. I sense that you’re the kind of guy who would rather die than break his word. I don’t think you’re a coward, either. And like I said before, you have a little predator in you. You want this as much as I do.”
Inuyasha glowered darkly but made no immediate reply. There was no denying that a brutal killer lived inside of him. But that part was locked away; he had not allowed it to take part in the battles of this night. He had killed four men solely out of necessity. Yoshida was wrong; he did not desire a fight to the death nearly as much as the mercenary did. Yoshida was practically salivating at the mouth, his eyes aglow with excitement. A chill ran down Inuyasha’s spine as he realized that the act of stabbing him through the heart and watching the life drain from his eyes would bring Yoshida almost orgasmic pleasure. Situations reversed, the hanyou would perhaps feel grim satisfaction at his enemy’s demise, and surely a thrill as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. But he would not relish the violence or whip himself into some perverse frenzy. He would not behave like a sick bastard or bring revulsion to himself or Kagome. He would make her proud, and give her loyalty no reason to waver.
Firm in his resolve now, he met Yoshida’s somewhat manic gaze. He did not, however, endeavor to correct the mercenary’s misconceptions. There was simply no point.
“Deal.”
Yoshida flashed a sadistic grin. “Excellent! Head on out that door—or the hole in the wall—and we’ll get started.”
But Inuyasha remained where he was. “Say it again.”
“What?”
“I want to hear you say it.”
Yoshida chuckled dryly. “To be expected, I suppose. Very well. I solemnly swear that as long as you honor our agreement, no harm shall come to Kagome. I will take her back home and she’ll never hear from me or anyone associated with me again. Does that suffice?”
Inuyasha studied the mercenary and was again left with the impression that Yoshida would stick to his word. Of course, he could never trust him completely. All the more reason to beat him!
A small sound drew his attention to the miko sitting in the chair; she had her head down and was obviously trying not to cry. The smell of her fear permeated the room, but he would hazard a guess that it was no longer for her own safety.
“Kagome,” he said quietly, drawing her beautiful, waterlogged brown orbs up to his. A hundred questions blazed in her eyes, along with a half dozen separate emotions. She probably had no idea how to feel about his return, since she didn’t know the circumstances underlying his decision. Had she been wrong to leave? Had he given up being with Kikyou solely because of his duty to rescue her? He would answer her questions in due time, but right now he needed to depart before her gaze captivated him any more than it already had. Spinning on his heel, he strode over to the side wall and drew Tetsusaiga from it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Yoshida snarled angrily.
“Trust me,” Inuyasha replied darkly, “it’s better if I have it on me.”
“I don’t care! Drop the sword and sheath or she dies!”
The hanyou shrugged, though his shoulders were tight with anxiety. “Suit yourself.” And he replaced Tetsusaiga in its scabbard before laying it gently on the table. Yoshida, thoroughly perplexed, watched him stalk through the doorway and out of sight. Still, he was convinced that his decision was correct.
Outside, Inuyasha stood calmly with his eyes closed, trying to calm his nerves. The scent of blood in the air—and on his claws—was not helping matters. But he instinctively knew that transforming here, during this battle, would be a mistake. In the worst case, he would continue his rampage upon innocent civilians—or Kagome, shudder upon shudder—after dispatching Yoshida. Hopefully, he would not come close enough to death to trigger the emergence of his youkai side.
Yoshida appeared a few moments later, that infuriating smirk firmly in place though it did not reach his eyes. His knives were already drawn, two monstrous blades. He settled into a casual stance, left foot front. The knife in his left hand was held in a forward hammer grip, with the one in the right reversed like an ice pick. The style was similar to a boxer’s, with the speed and reach in the front hand and the real knockout power in the rear. Though perhaps ‘knockout’ was too inadequate a term in this case.
“Do you remember when I said I’d slice you open down the middle and spill your guts onto the floor?” Yoshida inquired nastily.
Inuyasha ignored the jab. “You alright in there, Kagome?” he called instead. His nose and ears had told him as much already, but going into this mortal combat, he felt an irrepressible urge to hear her voice.
“Y-yes,” she croaked back.
“Bastard,” he swore, locking eyes on his opponent once more. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with!”
And with that, he charged. Straight in, fully confident that his reflexes would allow him to evade whatever feeble attack the human could throw at him, and that his claws would find their mark. He would be disappointed.
Yoshida advanced like a panther just as Inuyasha launched into the final stride, the knife in his left hand darting like a missile toward the hanyou’s eyeball. The latter’s reflexes, while not ensuring victory, did however save his life. He stumbled to the side, Yoshida following relentlessly with swipes and stabs until Inuyasha finally used his powerful legs to disengage.
Inuyasha studied the mercenary carefully, wiping at the shallow cut on his cheek. That was a fluke, his mind declared, though he couldn’t quite make himself believe it. And his opponent definitely did not think so.
“You’re fast, I’ll give you that,” Yoshida stated, like a dissatisfied teacher lecturing a student. “But I can already tell that your close combat skills are lacking. You’ve relied on that sword and your hanyou abilities for too long. I bet you can’t even remember the last time you fought without those advantages.”
It was true, Inuyasha realized. Even in his recent moonless night battles, he’d used Tetsusaiga. That fight with Sesshoumaru inside their father’s grave had been more of a lesson in taking a beating than anything else. He couldn’t think of any other examples, though he could recall at least one time when a human, now a friend, had gotten the best of him. (2) He had made strengthening Tetsusaiga and becoming stronger at wielding it a priority, which left hand-to-hand combat on a very cold back burner. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t win. He was, if nothing else, a survivor. Somehow he would earn victory, even if he had to blunder his way to it.
He advanced again, this time more cautiously and forgoing the pre-attack proclamation. Yoshida grinned, seemingly satisfied at the change in tactics, and shuffled forward. This time the mercenary offered the first blows, a couple quick jabs followed by an overhand lunge with his rear hand designed to impale his opponent from above. The ideal counter for such a move would be to step forward and block the arm, thereby avoiding the attack and exposing the opponent’s midsection. But Yoshida was ready for this, with his left hand poised and prepared to make good on his earlier promise should Inuyasha step in. So instead the hanyou parried the overhand strike, then dodged a couple swift slashes from Yoshida’s left. Quite suddenly he spied an opening, albeit a very small one, and pounced. But his claws struck only empty air, his opponent having escaped with a deft spin and settled into a combat stance again. If anything, the near miss only seemed to increase Yoshida’s enjoyment.
Five minutes later, the battle was no closer to being decided. Each combatant had suffered his fair share of shallow cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would seriously hinder even a human. They circled each other now, less than six feet apart. Inuyasha’s fleeting thought that he could simply outlast the human was now cast aside; from the increasing frequency and ferocity of the close calls, it appeared one of them would kill the other long before either tired significantly. Inuyasha was, however, somewhat encouraged. He had been able to be more aggressive as of late, as his muscle memory caught up to him. It was like picking up a sword after years of neglect. One never truly forgot the skills; it just took some time for the body to remember them.
He attacked again, feinting right and then moving left, seeking to get inside the radius of Yoshida’s front hand. He anticipated and ducked the diagonal slash, then made a quick swiping uppercut of his own to throw his opponent off balance. It worked; Yoshida reeled, bringing both hands into his body and reversing the grip of his right hand to defend himself. But it would be too late; Inuyasha’s claws were poised to deliver the death blow.
That is, until the mercenary’s booted foot slammed into the hanyou’s knee from the side. Ligament and cartilage bowed unnaturally, sending instant pain lancing out through the body. Instinctively Inuyasha twisted his leg away, allowing his joint to bend correctly as he rolled and stumbled away. He hissed as he stood, reluctant to put weight on the leg. That kick had nearly blown out his knee. Fortunately, his body was made of tough stuff, but the injury would still hobble him. And in the most important fight of his life, with his enemy advancing on him looking like a wolf stalking a wounded deer, this was not good news.
Inuyasha sighed. This is going to be harder than I thought.
She took stock of her situation in detail. Like the first time she’d been kidnapped, she was handcuffed to a chair, each limb shackled separately. Unlike that time, however, she was not seated in a metal chair, but one made of wood. Wood that creaked and bent as she struggled, old wood that had probably been sitting in this abandoned factory for too long. Her captors hadn’t worried about the apparent flimsiness of the chair because she could never have overpowered them anyway, but now the oversight gave her a chance.
Her random, uncoordinated struggling amounted to nothing, however. Frustrated, she gave an especially ungainly jerk and had to stifle a shriek as she toppled over backward. Her head hit the floor hard enough to leave a lump, but fortunately neither of her arms had been caught underneath. The fall did seem to have further weakened the structural integrity of the chair. Arching her body, she focused on getting her right hand free; it was cuffed to a rod which felt ready to go. Finally, after a few more minutes of sweat and toil, her efforts paid off.
She exhaustedly raised her right hand, the wrist encumbered only by the empty cuff hanging uselessly from it, and took a momentary breather. One down, three to go…
How long that would last he could not say. Yoshida danced and circled, swooping in with a few rapid attacks before retreating, and thereby avoiding the close-in brawl his less mobile opponent desired. Inuyasha knew he could not allow the fight to continue in this fashion; he couldn’t dodge and parry forever. He had to test his wounded leg, trust his body to hold up. And if he made it worse, it would only hasten the inevitable. Pushing it was the only way he could win.
But he also appreciated the potential benefits of using his head; a bit of cleverness could often accomplish what brute force could not. During a break in the action, he lurched forward, feigning a growl of agony as he bent down, keeping Yoshida within his peripheral vision. The mercenary took the bait, charging in recklessly to take advantage of the apparent stumble. He realized his error as Inuyasha smacked aside what was supposed to be the killing blow. The hanyou lashed out, gouging the retreating human deeply across the chest, though not severely enough to incapacitate him.
Yoshida turned and fled, obviously seeking to put some major distance between them so he could regroup. Inuyasha was having none of it; this was the end. But as the foot of his injured leg hit the floor, the knee buckled, causing him to falter and fall off the pace.
It ended up being the most fortuitous stumble of his life. For in the next moment, Yoshida leapt into the air, spinning and flinging a gleaming projectile impossibly fast. Had the hanyou been on Yoshida’s heels as the mercenary anticipated, he would have been impaled through the throat. As it was, Inuyasha had barely a split second to react; all he had time to do was shift his already raised right hand in front of his face.
He cried out in aguish and outrage. Sticking straight through the palm of his hand was a small throwing knife. Gritting his teeth, he tore it from his flesh and cast it aside.
“Bastard!” he snarled, glaring vehemently.
“Don’t look at me like that, Inuyasha,” Yoshida told him calmly, though the hanyou was glad to hear a slight shudder in his voice. Finally he was not the only one suffering from serious wounds. “I never told you I didn’t have any other knives on me. You’ll live longer if you don’t make stupid assumptions.”
Inuyasha didn’t reply, but scoffed inwardly. Technically, Yoshida was of course correct. But if it smelled like a rat, then it probably was one. Sneaky bastard. He would have to be careful to avoid any more nasty surprises.
Advancing in a half-lame shuffle, he rejoined the fight.
Finally, after what felt like a herculean effort, Kagome was free. She stood and darted for the door, skidding to a halt as Tetsusaiga caught the corner of her eye. Without pausing to consider why, she went back and grabbed it off the table. Only then did she run to the door and exit the room.
What she saw both entranced and horrified her. This was clearly the final melee, the last clash of the twelfth round. Both combatants were bloodied, neither moving with much precision. Yoshida was nearly backed against a wall, the entire front of his shirt soaked with blood. He moved desperately, beaten back by an opponent who, though covered in nearly as much blood, seemed to be unaffected. Inuyasha’s hanyou nature, the very thing Yoshida detested the most about him, was proving decisive. Kagome stared transfixed as he attacked relentlessly; there was something mesmerizingly beautiful about him, even amid the brutality.
She gasped as a powerful swat from Inuyasha sent the knife in Yoshida’s left hand flying in her direction, skidding across the floor past her feet. One of the hanyou’s ears swiveled toward her, but he was too focused on the fight to give her any more of his attention. Fortunately so, for Yoshida’s other weapon was rapidly descending on a diagonal course toward Inuyasha’s neck. The hanyou shifted, taking the blade through the shoulder instead.
Kagome covered her mouth with both hands, unaware that the move had been purposeful. In the next instant Yoshida’s arm was flailing back, knife and hand severed from it by a slice to the wrist. Then, with a final, agonized cry, Inuyasha shoved his claws through his defenseless opponent’s gut.
For the hanyou, the next several moments seemed to stretch for an eternity, as Yoshida coughed up blood and his eyes lolled about aimlessly. He stared, engrossed by the sight, smell, and feel of his dying enemy. It was difficult to believe that after such a hard-fought battle, he had emerged victorious.
But Kagome, from her vantage point, noticed something more sinister going on. She had already promised not to look away, or do anything to contribute to Inuyasha’s guilt at killing humans. So when Yoshida’s shaking left hand made its way purposefully to his belt, it drew her attention.
Instantly she saw what was happening. She charged forward, considering neither the wisdom of doing so nor her own well-being. She shouted at the top of her lungs for Inuyasha to get away, but the hanyou seemed to be in a trance and did not acknowledge her. Clarity did not return to his eyes until Yoshida’s own dark green orbs suddenly focused, his mouth shifting into a malicious grin. His left hand raised tauntingly, no less than four grenade pins dangling from his fingers.
Even as Kagome hollered once more for Inuyasha to retreat, she knew it was too late. Even if she reached him, there would not be enough time to push him far enough away. Still she ran, her heart swelling as she neared him. At least they would die together.
The grenades exploded just as reached his side. But it was not what she expected; the sound and fury seemed to come from far off in the distance. She actually had time to wonder why the shock wave had not killed her instantly as she was flung into the air. Inuyasha’s arms wrapped around her, his body positioning itself below hers to cushion her landing. He grunted in pain as they hit the floor, then slid across its surface a good ten feet before coming to a halt. Kagome opened her eyes just in time to see the last vestiges of a receding blue glow. She guessed it must have something to do with the answer to the burning question: how on earth were they still alive?
Inuyasha groaned. “What the hell just happened?” he asked weakly.
Kagome frowned, taking a moment to reflect and quickly putting two and two together. “I think…I think Tetsusaiga’s barrier protected us from the explosion.” (3)
“Keh. Didn’t know it could do that.”
“Me neither,” Kagome replied. She felt Inuyasha stiffen beneath her, and braced herself for a different kind of explosion.
“Tell me you didn’t just charge in expecting to get yourself blown into a hundred pieces.”
“…”
“Dammit, Kagome! How can you be so stupid?! What the hell were you thinking?!”
Kagome leaned up on her elbow, glaring down at him. I save his life, and he starts spouting insults and yelling at me? Just because she was physically lying down didn’t mean she had to take his words like so.
“What did you expect me to do, stand back and watch you die?!”
“That’s exactly what you should have done! I’m the protector, wench. You’re just the girl who needs saving.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched. Of all the egotistical, chauvinistic…ugh! She took a deep breath. Yes, it was all of the above. But Inuyasha’s protectiveness was also sweet in its own way, and incredibly selfless. And it also happened to be the reason why she wasn’t drugged up and suffering terribly right now. So in this case at least, she would try not to hold his angry words against him. Key word: try.
“Inuyasha,” she began, keeping her tone steady but poking forcefully at his chest. “Whether you like it or not, when we’re together, I am also your protector. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna stand back and watch you explode!”
Inuyasha growled exasperatedly. “But what was the point, Kagome? Why kill both of us when only one of us has to die?”
“Because at least then we’d die together!”
That declaration seemed to take all the wind out of Inuyasha’s sails. He sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, his golden orbs glowed with relief. No matter how it had happened, Kagome had come through this mess alive, and that was the most important thing. Alive, though as he noticed, not unscathed.
She gasped as his hand rose to lightly caress her injured cheek, heavily bruised from when Yoshida had slapped her. And just as her eyes were sliding shut, and she was starting to enjoy his touch…
“Every time I leave you alone you end up with half your face fucked up.”
Kagome hung her head, covering her eyes with a hand. She was contemplating a lecture on mood when Inuyasha’s words made her think of something much more pressing.
“What about you?” she cried. “You’re—oh, Kami!” She blanched; Yoshida’s knife was still partially buried in his shoulder. Thankfully, the hand was gone at least.
“Still there, huh?” Inuyasha observed casually.
“How can you be so calm about this?! It’s—eep!” Kagome looked away for a moment to ground herself. She had been utterly unprepared for the sight of Inuyasha reaching up and wrenching the blade from his shoulder as if it was nothing.
“Relax, Kagome,” he told her in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner. “It’s just a fl—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” she snapped, and Inuyasha knew better than to disobey. Seeing red at his reckless behavior, she quickly whipped off her own shirt and pressed it to the wound to staunch the flow of blood. Inuyasha was thrown into a stupor for a moment, a consequence of her still damp, bra-clad torso being put so enticingly on display. Then he snapped his head to the side, cheeks blazing hotly. Only then did Kagome realize her own state of undress, so focused had she been on caring for his injuries.
“Oh relax, Inuyasha,” she teased, throwing his words back at him with more than a bit of false bravado. “It’s not like you haven’t seen more than this before.”
This comment had the effect of making both of them blush like tomatoes. It did, however, silence the patient so Kagome could take an unimpeded look at the rest of him. His modern clothes were ripped and torn, but all of his other cuts seemed to be truly ‘flesh wounds,’ at least for a hanyou. Still, looks could be deceiving.
“Um…other than this, are you okay?”
“Keh,” he replied, still not looking at her. “My knee’s a little messed up, but I’m fine.”
Kagome sighed in relief. “Good.” Proper bandaging at the earliest opportunity would definitely be a good idea, but Inuyasha was not about to bleed to death regardless. And if he wasn’t too hobbled by his knee injury, then they stood a good chance of getting out of here to safety. Their long ordeal…could finally be over.
The pair settled into silence, each contemplating that glorious thought with a smile. But then, memories of recent events wormed into their consciousnesses, and unanswered questions took hold in their throats. The silence became heavy, as each waited for the other to lower the hammer and shatter it. Finally, Kagome could take it no more.
“Inu—”
“Why did you do it?!” Inuyasha exclaimed, her barely-uttered syllable having broken the seal on his swelling tirade. “Just how the fuck did such a stupid idea get into that thick head of yours?”
Kagome had intended to explain herself calmly, but couldn’t help but respond defensively in the face of his ire. “It obviously didn’t seem like such a stupid idea at the time, baka!”
“How could it not?! Coming back here when King Bastard and his bastard friends are after you? And sealing the fucking well on top of it!”
“I wasn’t worrying about me! I did it for you!”
“Yeah, I know,” Inuyasha replied, his tone softened with guilt. “Kikyou told me about that. You shouldn’t have listened to her, Kagome.”
For once, the mention of her preincarnation’s name did not fill Kagome with old pain. Inuyasha’s words did, however, cause unbidden hope to blossom in her chest, and a sense of foreboding to settle in the pit of her stomach. Before she investigated the meaning of what Inuyasha had said, she needed to get an answer to the question she had been dreading since first noticing his presence.
“How did you get here, Inuyasha?”
“Came through the well,” he answered curtly. Before she could denounce that response as woefully inadequate, he elaborated. “Kikyou broke your seal.”
Kagome narrowed her eyes. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Inuyasha sighed; he really didn’t want to talk about this now. But Kagome was asking now, and she deserved to know. It couldn’t be helped.
“In her…state of existence, it was too hard for her. She disappeared afterward.”
Kagome’s reaction came as no surprise: a gasp, hands over face, tears in eyes. Her scent clouded with sorrow and remorse, and Inuyasha growled in frustration.
“Don’t feel bad, Kagome! It wasn’t your fault! It was Kikyou’s decision. And she was at peace in the end.” When the young miko only continued to cry, Inuyasha knew he had to say more. “Look, Kagome. After talking with me, Kikyou realized she’d made a terrible mistake. So she made it right. It’s as simple as that.” That last part was an outright lie, but a man could wish things were so straightforward.
“What m-mistake did she make?” Kagome whispered tearfully.
“Convincing you to do what you did.”
“H-how was that a mistake?”
Inuyasha nearly groaned. She was really going to make him spell all this out? Of course she is, baka, the annoying voice in his head replied. You’ve never given her more than a whiff of your true feelings. How is she supposed to know if you don’t tell her? He had come here prepared to do just that, but now butterflies wouldn’t begin to describe the mess inside his stomach. His ears felt like they were on fire. Her state of undress wasn’t making things any easier. But all of that was immaterial, in the grand scheme of things. This heart-to-heart discussion, this confession, was long overdue.
“You and Kikyou both thought that if I was given a free choice, I would choose her. And…you were both wrong.” He ignored Kagome’s gasp and plowed on. “When she came to take me to hell, I guess things finally became clear to me. I think I had already made my choice, but didn’t know it yet. I’m sure she convinced you that I would be happier with her, but the truth is…I could never be happy without you.”
Kagome was struck utterly speechless. Part of her didn’t want to believe what she was hearing, for it would open her up to crushing levels of despair if she was misunderstanding him. But how could his words be taken another way? How could she be misreading that look in his eyes, the one that made her heart swell and brought a smile to her lips just by the sheer overwhelming presence of love?
“Do you remember when you told me that you love me?” Inuyasha asked, seemingly sensing her uncertainty. Kagome nodded dumbly. How could she forget? It had been right before they made love.
“Well…me too.”
He didn’t know why he said what he said next. Maybe it was because he felt incredibly lame confessing his feelings like that. Or because he finally had the mind and the balls to do it. Or maybe it was simply because, deep down, he desperately wanted to.
“I love you, Kagome.”
This time, her reaction was not what he expected. She hung her head, her bangs lowering over her eyes. It wasn’t until he heard the words “I’m” and “baka” that he understood. She was thinking about what she had done, about how instead of granting him happiness, she had nearly condemned him to an empty life without his beloved. It was a stupid thing to dwell on, and he wasn’t having it. Ignoring the discomfort of moving, he leaned up and found her lips with his own.
The kiss was chaste, and lasted only for a moment, but it seemed to have the desired effect. Kagome turned her watery eyes to his, both parties finding forgiveness and apology in the orbs of the other. But more than anything else, they saw love, pure and unadulterated. Slowly their lips curled upward, until both were beaming. Then Kagome leaned down, seeking a kiss that would be neither chaste nor short.
The sound of a feminine throat clearing was like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads, and one of them could attest to how that felt first-hand. They sprang apart, Inuyasha growling with pain as he lurched into a squatting position. Kagome put her arm protectively in front of him, which annoyed him to no end, especially since she was still shirtless. But even he could see that they weren’t getting out of this one easily. He cursed himself again; how distracted had he been that he hadn’t sensed danger approaching?
No less than a dozen Naicho agents surrounded them in a rough half-circle, all with weapons drawn and aimed. He could identify them as such because of the short, squat woman standing in the center of the formation. She had a bandage wrapped around her thigh and was gazing down at them with an unreadable expression. So both Inuyasha and Kagome knew who these people were, but neither was sure of their intentions. A short time ago, Miyake had helped Inuyasha find Kagome. She had seemed his ally then, but he wasn’t so sure now.
Her order for her subordinates to lower their weapons did much to ease their fears. At the very least, their lives were not in danger. Inuyasha recalled that Mrs. Higurashi had trusted these people to protect Kagome. They had failed miserably, but out of negligence rather than malice. And although they had attacked him, he could at least trust them not to intentionally hurt the more important of the two of them. As for Kagome, she was nervous about Miyake’s intentions for Inuyasha, but realized there was little she could do about it. Calmness and civility might help; presumptuous hostility would only make things worse.
For her part, Miyake apparently decided that caring for her ‘guests’ was the first order of business. She told one of the men to go get a first aid kit, a blanket, and Inuyasha’s clothes. The hanyou wondered what she meant by that, but was delighted when the man returned with his fire-rat robes, which he had discarded during their escape to the past. The blanket was for Kagome’s modesty, and the first aid kit was self-explanatory. The man knelt and made to tend Inuyasha’s injuries, but Kagome intervened and said that she would do it. The hanyou had to suppress a smile; he was secretly very pleased. But it proved difficult for her to mend his wounds and keep herself covered with the blanket, so he offered her his fire-rat. She accepted gratefully, and this time he could not help but grin. He liked how she looked wearing his clothes.
Eventually, Inuyasha found himself sitting cross-legged, all bandaged up and clad in his traditional robes again, minus haori. The cuffs on Kagome’s wrists and ankles had been removed, and she was leaning comfortably into his side, offering support should he need it. Miyake had not said a word since giving those initial orders; she appeared to have been deep in contemplation throughout. Inuyasha and Kagome waited anxiously for her to speak, unsure if they could force their way out of this pickle if it came to that. Pleading or persuasion would be the first approaches taken; obviously, Kagome would be the one doing the talking.
An indecently loud cell phone ring pierced the air, and Miyake jumped some distance into the air before pulling it out of her pocket. She checked the caller ID and answered without preamble.
“How is he?”
Only Inuyasha could hear the male voice on the other end of the line. “He’s not out of the woods yet, but he’s stable.”
Miyake sighed in relief. “Good. Keep me posted.” She hung up, replaced the phone in her pocket, and returned her gaze to the hanyou and schoolgirl. Almost immediately she sighed again, this time in frustration. She covered her face with her hands, rubbing hard at skin and eyes. When she finally let them drop to her sides again, she seemed worn, just plain tired.
“Okay, here’s the scoop,” she stated authoritatively, her tone leaving no room for argument. “No bullshit. Kagome, you’re free to go. We’ll swear you to secrecy and offer you protection just in case, but you can go home tonight. Inuyasha…well, we obviously can’t have you running around Tokyo getting yourself caught on camera anymore. In fact, we can’t take the risk of letting you be out in human society, period.”
Everyone in the room tensed noticeably at this, and weapons were once again raised. But Miyake held up her hands, motioning for her subordinates to stand down.
“Hear me out,” she demanded, and neither hanyou nor miko considered denying her. “Technically, this isn’t even my decision to make. I’m just supposed to bring you in. But then I have to live with myself in the morning, and…well, you’ve proven to me that you’re very close to human, Inuyasha. Locking you up in some lab would be a travesty.”
Here Miyake paused, considering her words carefully as her audience held their collective breath.
“So I’m giving you an ultimatum. You can come with us to the Higurashi shrine right now and go back to your homeland. You will never return; we’ll fill up the well with cement behind you. Or you can go to Naicho headquarters and become a science experiment. It’s your call.”
“But Chief!” one of the agents exclaimed. “They’ll throw you in prison if you let him go!”
“No, they won’t,” she replied calmly. “They’ll run me out of the agency, but so be it.” And she meant that; Miyake Izumi had never compromised her personal integrity in the past, and was not about to start now. Even if it cost her the position she had worked thirty-five years to achieve.
Inuyasha was struck dumb with indecision. On the surface, the choice was obvious; one gave him freedom, the other captivity. But neither option satisfied the most important requirement: being with Kagome. What was the point of returning to the past if she wasn’t by his side? Living in the vast open spaces of the feudal era would feel the same as living in a cage; the only meaningful factor was whether Kagome was there. He briefly considered bolting and taking his chances on the run, but what would that accomplish? Even if he did manage to escape and become a fugitive, Naicho would put Kagome under constant surveillance for the likely event that he tried to contact her. They might even lock her up. So Inuyasha could not see how any course of action was better than another, and it paralyzed him with uncertainty.
In contrast, his companion had made her decision rather quickly.
“You said I was free to go, right?” Kagome asked quietly. Miyake nodded. “Does that mean wherever I want?”
Miyake’s eyes widened in understanding. “Yes,” she answered.
Kagome took a deep breath, then spoke with firm conviction. “Then Inuyasha accepts your ultimatum. He and I will return to the feudal era…together.”
It took the hanyou a moment to wrap his head around what Kagome had just said. When it finally dawned on him exactly what she was proposing, he gaped at her, stuttering helplessly.
“B-b-but, K-Kagome! You can’t—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Inuyasha,” she told him angrily. Then her expression softened, and she reached out and affectionately grasped his hand. “Look,” she began with a gentle smile, “you just told me that you love me. And I know what that means to you, what kind of commitment you’re promising me. I’ll miss my family—really, really badly, I imagine. But Inuyasha…I’m not giving you up for anything.”
Inuyasha’s mouth went dry, and the ability of speech left him. To give up so much, just to be with him…she loved him more than he would have ever thought possible. He blinked rapidly, to get some pesky dust out of his eyes. At least, that’s what he would say if anyone asked. But Kagome seemed to understand his silent emotional display, the gratitude and adoration he could not express in words. She leaned forward, kissed him tenderly on the check, and enfolded him in a warm embrace. Inuyasha returned it wholeheartedly, resolving then and there to never let Kagome forget how much her sacrifice meant to him.
Miyake cleared her throat again, prompting a livid glare from the hanyou. She shrugged with a grin. “Sorry. Didn’t want you two getting into it again.”
“Shut it,” Inuyasha told her, blushing despite himself. “How the hell did you find us, anyway?” he demanded, posing an inquiry that had been bugging him for some time now.
Now Miyake positively smirked. “You remember that tracking device I gave you?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
She pulled a familiar, blinking object from her pocket and dangled it teasingly in front of him.
“You had another one on Kagome?” Inuyasha guessed.
“Nope, not on Kagome.”
The hanyou contemplated for a moment, then his face twisted in rage. “You put one on me! When you grabbed my shirt!”
“Clever, huh?”
Inuyasha grumbled his opinion of the tactic, and judging from Kagome’s laughter it was not quite as favorable as Miyake’s. But her good mood was contagious, and soon Inuyasha found that he didn’t care about sneaky Naicho wenches anymore. His love was happy in his arms; what could be better?
Inuyasha couldn’t answer that question, but he soon discovered one of the things that could be worse. Namely, watching Kagome say goodbye to her family. He didn’t even bother trying to hide his watery eyes; there was not a dry eye anywhere to be found. He spoke privately to each family member, exchanging promises for blessings, some more reluctant than others. But even Kagome’s grandfather welcomed him into the family, though not until forcing Inuyasha to say more than he would have liked. Mrs. Higurashi, like her daughter, seemed to understand that his few words meant a lot more, and spared him a repeat of the Jii-chan treatment. Souta was of course beyond thrilled to have Inuyasha as a brother-in-law, but even he proved his character as a protective sibling. Needless to say, all five of them were immensely saddened by the permanent departure. Inuyasha would miss Kagome’s family dearly, and vice versa. But there was light even in the gloom. Their little girl had grown up, and found herself a man who loved her more than life itself. It was beautiful beyond words, despite the grief.
And so, one large family split into two, forever separated by time. But the bonds would never truly be broken, so long as there was one person able to remember fondly the good times, when the family of Higurashi and hanyou had been whole.
(1) Shiratori Yoshie was a Japanese murderer who escaped many times from prison in the 1930s and 40s. The kind of character a man like Yoshida would admire
(2) I’m sure some of you are getting fairly dubious by this point about whether Yoshida could really go toe-to-toe with Inuyasha. But remember when he fought Miroku? The monk was blocking overhead Tetsusaiga swings with his staff, and his arms weren’t even buckling. Maybe Inuyasha wasn’t going all-out, but I think this still proves that his strength can be countered by a human in certain situations.
My own personal view of Inuyasha is this: he’s very fast on the run, and his reflexes are excellent, but he is not that quick or adept at combat moves. He’s faster than a human, of course, but not so speedy than a skilled human would not be able to follow and counter. And I emphasize that Yoshida is an excellent fighter, in addition to being very strong in his own right and having bigger weapons than Inuyasha.
(3) Anyone skeptical about this? I think Tetsusaiga has some free will of its own, and if it ‘wanted’ to protect Inuyasha and Kagome from the explosion, it could.
A/N – Sorry this chapter took so long. I was in the hospital twice since I posted the last one, for a total of about six days. The first time was to have my inflamed and gangrenous appendix removed. The second time was for a nasty infection at one of the incision sites. In the three weeks between, I got virtually nothing done on the chapter, due mostly to awful fatigue. I thought it was just from the surgery, but apparently it was the infection weighing me down as well. I only started to feel like myself again a few days after coming home for the second time.
I also took some time to beta the last two chapters of “He’s My Girl,” by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea (in between hospital trips—reading is much easier than writing, LOL). They invited me on board because their only male beta dropped off and they wanted a guy’s input. I’m really glad, because otherwise I probably would have missed the story. It’s hilarious. There is some action and angst, but it’s a devoted comedy, so expect to laugh a lot. You won’t be disappointed.
Back to “Entrapment,” you had to know I was going to give you the Inuyasha vs. Yoshida fight. I’ve been looking forward to this battle since the beginning of the story. Only the epilogue to go.
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Showdown
**Warning: this chapter gets bloody!**
Kagome’s consciousness flared abruptly, but returning to the waking world was like struggling against quicksand. It pulled her down, and she couldn’t muster up the will to resist. She felt a dull throbbing pain in her cheek, but it wasn’t worth fighting her fatigue over. She only dimly heard the voices around her.
“I thought you only gave her a light dose.”
“I did! Dump a bucket of cold water on her. That’ll do the trick.”
Something about those words registered in her sedative-addled brain, but again, figuring out the mystery just wasn’t appealing enough. Tuning out the world around her, she drifted back to unconsciousness.
The sudden splash of icy water was a shock to her system, jolting her instantly awake with an outraged shriek. She panted, her brain reeling from the sensory overload. For a moment she couldn’t make sense of the masculine laughter all around her, or why her limbs would not move as she ordered them to. But then her memory returned, and her logical mind supplied the probable reason for her current predicament. No…please, Kami no.
She opened her eyes and quickly scanned the faces around her, feeling her stomach lurch with dread at each recognized visage. She squirmed unconsciously as she met the malevolent glare of Yoshida Saburou, his sadistic smile sending a surge of raw terror through her. It was then that the full import of her situation fell upon her. She was once again handcuffed to a chair in the ‘care’ of Yoshida, though this time instead of Sasaki there were three mercenaries in the room leering at her. She shivered in a combination of fear and revulsion, fully aware of how her damp blouse clung to her skin. She was glad she had not chosen to wear white today, though there really wasn’t much she could do if these men decided they weren’t content with just looking. Hopefully, if—when they killed her, they would do it quickly. But somehow, she didn’t think Yoshida had a dignified and painless death in mind for her.
Either way, she was a dead woman. She felt a wave of despair. Yes, she had been prepared for death when she returned to this era. But she had very quickly gotten used to the idea of living with her family, and now to have this aspiration torn away seemed especially cruel. Almost as cruel as that glint in Yoshida’s eye.
She shuddered, fear and utter helplessness nearly causing her to break down on the spot. Only pride held her together, and it was a tenuous adhesive at best. For the first time in her life, she found herself in an enemy’s clutches without any real hope of rescue. Her hanyou savior would not—could not come to her aid this time. As weak and powerless as she now felt, she realized how much strength the prospect of Inuyasha coming for her had always given her. Even the first time Yoshida had kidnapped her, she had believed Inuyasha would save her, and had put on a strong front as a result. She had no such inner conviction this time, no resolve. The enemy had not even spoken a word to her, and already she was defeated.
What was the point of putting on a brave face? Why resist, or refuse to answer their questions? She could not tell them anything that would put Inuyasha in danger. Maybe if she was truthful with them, and she begged like the helpless little girl they all thought she was, they would go easy on her.
Inuyasha…
That single thought echoed in her mind, seeming almost as though it originated externally. She felt herself unconsciously call back, despite the knowledge that the minute sensation of his presence brushing against hers was just a figment of her imagination. She was starting to go crazy in her panic. But still, the fabrication had a profound effect on her. What would Inuyasha think if he saw her like this, on the verge of pleading for her life like a pitiful child? Prepared to offer them anything if only they would spare her? He would be sickened.
Firmness returned to Kagome’s jaw. She refused to dishonor Inuyasha or herself like that. She would answer the enemy’s questions; again, there was no logical reason not to. But she would not supplicate herself before them, or sell her soul for a chance at survival. No matter what happened, she would carry herself in a way that he would be proud of her. She grinned inwardly; even when she was hopelessly beyond his reach, Inuyasha still gave her strength.
And just in time too, because Yoshida was ready to break the silence.
“Well, well, Kagome, it’s nice to see you again,” he declared in a sickly sweet voice, drawing snickers from his comrades. Kagome simply glared at him, pleased when his shit-eating grin faltered slightly. He clearly expected her to be pissing herself at the sound of his voice, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“So,” he asked, his amusement sounding forced rather than genuine this time. “What have you been up to since we last spoke?”
“Well,” she began, deciding that she didn’t feel like playing Yoshida’s games. There was really no need to draw this out. “After Inuyasha and I escaped, we made our way back to Tokyo, got by the Naicho agents guarding the shrine, and went back to the feudal era. Then, I decided to return so Inuyasha could…so he could be happy. I sealed the well, so no one can ever go through again.”
Once the mercenaries got over their initial shock at her generous response, they realized the significance of what she had said.
“You what?!” Yoshida snarled.
“What, didn’t hear me?” Kagome mocked, fueled into recklessness by the displeasure in her captor’s tone. “I said that Inuyasha can’t ever come back. How does it feel to lose, you bastard?”
Kagome instantly knew that was a mistake; the brutal slap she received across her face helped a lot in that regard. Tears from trauma leaked down her cheeks, but she refused to cry. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting more abuse. But Yoshida, enraged as he was, had other ideas in mind.
“I lost, did I? We’ll see about that! We’re going to have a little Q and A, bitch. And if I find that you’re lying to me, me and the boys are going to fuck you up, then use you as a hostage for your little puppy. And if you’re telling the truth, then we’re going to kill you. But first I’m going to personally make the last few hours of your life a living hell. So even if I lose, bitch, you’re the one who gets to suffer.”
Kagome felt dread and despair once again close in around her, but her oasis of resolve remained strong. She would do Inuyasha proud, regardless of the horrors which assailed her. She grimaced as the first one came into view, a long syringe surely filled with that familiar diabolical cocktail.
“Keep that shit away from me!” she yelled, struggling madly. But her bonds held, no matter how loath she was to experience a second mental violation. The mercenary grabbed her thigh and was just about to plunge the needle into it when a sharp crack sounded from just outside the room.
“What was that?” Yoshida demanded, pulling his radio from his belt. “Ishikawa? Everything alright out there?”
There was no answer.
“He’s probably just taking a piss, boss,” said another man.
“Shut up!” Yoshida growled. “Weapons up.”
The men did as they were told, raising their firearms and pointing them toward the door. Kagome listened carefully, trying not to get her hopes up. It’s probably just a rat or something. Still, that insistent voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her of what—or who—could be waiting outside. She decided to find out for sure, if only to put her foolish hope to rest once and for all. She stretched out her miko senses.
She gasped, unable to contain her surprise. Inuyasha! He’s here! A dozen questions beset her at once. Why was he here? How had he gotten through the well? What happened with Kikyou? But all of these uncertainties were outweighed by one remarkable fact. Somehow, someway, Inuyasha had come for her.
As the mercenaries turned to look at her, she belatedly realized that her outburst might have been a mistake. In actuality, it was her most fortuitous action of the evening.
At the exact moment when Yoshida and his lackeys were most distracted, a tremendous clanging noise rang out from the wall to the right of the door. In the next instant, the old brickwork imploded, collapsing inward as if struck by a giant club. And through the opening leapt Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga drawn and teeth bared. Even wearing modern clothes, and with shorter, faded black hair, he was glorious.
The mercenaries turned to train their weapons on him, but Inuyasha did not give them a chance to fire. The first man was dispatched with an open-clawed uppercut to the throat, and Kagome resisted the instinctive urge to look away from the gruesome sight. Inuyasha did not take killing lightly, and she understood why he thought it was necessary in this case. She would not avert her eyes, for to do so would be to condemn his actions. Inuyasha was clearly trying to kill the thugs quickly so as not to draw out their suffering, and was also avoiding the blood splatter as best he could. He did not enjoy this, no matter how much he hated these men.
The second mercenary was split cleanly in half by Tetsusaiga, thrown so that it embedded deeply in the wall and reverted to its rustic form. That the sword had not refused to remain transformed while in Inuyasha’s hand signaled its acceptance of his actions as well. Ultimately, Kagome knew the one who would be hardest on Inuyasha would be the hanyou himself. She would just have to be there for him and help him cope, as she had in the past. But right now, Inuyasha was not thinking about later; he was living in the moment, with only one thing on his mind.
The third mercenary met a similar end to the first, with a clean slice to the neck. That left only…
Kagome gasped as the blade of a knife pressed into her neck, drawing blood. Yoshida’s large body settled behind her, keeping her between him and the enraged hanyou now standing in the center of the room growling menacingly.
Inuyasha cursed his failure. He had wanted to go straight for Kagome from the start, or in the alternative go after Yoshida, but both were in the back of the room and doing so would have exposed him to fire from the other three gunmen. Forced to deal with them first, he was helpless to prevent Yoshida from taking the cowardly course of action. And now Kagome was, yet again, under the blade of his knife. At least this time there was no one to pop up and shoot him from behind.
But that was really the only material way this situation was different from the last. Even though he was much closer to both Kagome and her captor this time, he still did not feel that he was close enough. Yoshida’s gaze was steely and unwavering; even his blinking was abnormally quick and spaced unpredictably. The knife was too sharp, the wielder’s reflexes too honed by combat. He would not make it in time to save her. And Yoshida would not hesitate to kill her if he took another step forward.
He cursed again. But no matter how frustrated he was or how mad the scent of her blood threatened to drive him, he needed to keep his composure. Grimacing, he relaxed his stance.
“Smart decision,” Yoshida declared quietly. Then he chuckled, almost warmly. “Well, it seems like we’ve been in this situation before, haven’t we, Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha grunted, determined not to let the bastard get to him. “So what happens now?”
“Hmmm…” Yoshida pondered, appearing deep in reflection, though Inuyasha got the impression that he had already made up his mind. “Considering the number of men I’ve lost, it seems unlikely that capturing you will work for any significant period of time. You’re like a modern day Shiratori Yoshie with inhuman strength. (1) And also considering my unfortunate comrades, having you as my prisoner is no longer what I desire. No, what I want is much simpler.”
He grinned evilly. Inuyasha had an inkling of what Yoshida was getting at, but said nothing.
“Come now, hanyou,” the mercenary continued, “surely you must feel it too. The unspeakable urge, the longing to feel the blood trickling over your hands, the yearning to bring the life of some poor soul to a gruesome end. I admire your work: cold, efficient—”
“I did what I had to do,” Inuyasha snarled. “I don’t enjoy killing.”
“Perhaps,” Yoshida replied noncommittally. “At the very least, you appear to have no qualms about doing it when necessary. And perhaps you would make an exception to your ‘no enjoyment’ rule in my case?”
“What are you saying?”
“Ever since I saw what an abomination you were, I’ve wanted to slaughter you like deformed livestock. But more than that, I’ve craved a confrontation. I want to match my skills against your raw talents, to see if you can do what no mortal man has been able to. To see who is stronger, the hunter or the beast. And I know—despite your outward appearances, you’ve got a bloodthirsty animal inside of you, don’t you? So why not let it out, just for a bit? I know you would find pleasure in slicing me apart. So I’ll give you the chance. You and me, your claws against my knives, a fight to the death. What do you say?”
Inuyasha was struck temporarily speechless. He couldn’t possibly have heard Yoshida correctly, could he? If so, this was too good to be true! No mere mortal could stand up to him, no matter how good a fighter he was. One blast of Sankon Tetsusou and it would all be over. But his enthusiasm was short-lived, for the mercenary was no fool.
“Now, I would require some concessions on your part,” Yoshida continued. “You would agree not to perform any energy-based attacks—bare fists and claws only. And obviously, no using your sword. In return, I would promise not to harm Kagome in any event. As long as you honor our agreement, she will not be harmed no matter who wins the fight. So, do we have an accord?”
“No, Inuyasha! Don’t agree to that!”
Inuyasha considered the proposal and Kagome’s objection. Should he give up his main combat advantages in order to break this deadly stalemate? It was a good option; even so hindered, he knew he could take Yoshida. And if he did fall, he would at least get verbal assurances that Kagome would go free. Yoshida seemed like a man of his word, at least to people he respected, and fighting him to the death would probably earn him at least a little respect. Beyond that, he could detect no trace of deceit from the mercenary now, and he didn’t think it was good acting. Given the lack of viable alternatives, Yoshida’s proposal was quite appealing to the hanyou. But he did wonder about one thing.
“How can you trust me?” he asked. “Why don’t you think I’ll just blow you away as soon as you step away from Kagome?”
Yoshida cracked a smirk. “I’m quite good at reading people, Inuyasha. I sense that you’re the kind of guy who would rather die than break his word. I don’t think you’re a coward, either. And like I said before, you have a little predator in you. You want this as much as I do.”
Inuyasha glowered darkly but made no immediate reply. There was no denying that a brutal killer lived inside of him. But that part was locked away; he had not allowed it to take part in the battles of this night. He had killed four men solely out of necessity. Yoshida was wrong; he did not desire a fight to the death nearly as much as the mercenary did. Yoshida was practically salivating at the mouth, his eyes aglow with excitement. A chill ran down Inuyasha’s spine as he realized that the act of stabbing him through the heart and watching the life drain from his eyes would bring Yoshida almost orgasmic pleasure. Situations reversed, the hanyou would perhaps feel grim satisfaction at his enemy’s demise, and surely a thrill as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. But he would not relish the violence or whip himself into some perverse frenzy. He would not behave like a sick bastard or bring revulsion to himself or Kagome. He would make her proud, and give her loyalty no reason to waver.
Firm in his resolve now, he met Yoshida’s somewhat manic gaze. He did not, however, endeavor to correct the mercenary’s misconceptions. There was simply no point.
“Deal.”
Yoshida flashed a sadistic grin. “Excellent! Head on out that door—or the hole in the wall—and we’ll get started.”
But Inuyasha remained where he was. “Say it again.”
“What?”
“I want to hear you say it.”
Yoshida chuckled dryly. “To be expected, I suppose. Very well. I solemnly swear that as long as you honor our agreement, no harm shall come to Kagome. I will take her back home and she’ll never hear from me or anyone associated with me again. Does that suffice?”
Inuyasha studied the mercenary and was again left with the impression that Yoshida would stick to his word. Of course, he could never trust him completely. All the more reason to beat him!
A small sound drew his attention to the miko sitting in the chair; she had her head down and was obviously trying not to cry. The smell of her fear permeated the room, but he would hazard a guess that it was no longer for her own safety.
“Kagome,” he said quietly, drawing her beautiful, waterlogged brown orbs up to his. A hundred questions blazed in her eyes, along with a half dozen separate emotions. She probably had no idea how to feel about his return, since she didn’t know the circumstances underlying his decision. Had she been wrong to leave? Had he given up being with Kikyou solely because of his duty to rescue her? He would answer her questions in due time, but right now he needed to depart before her gaze captivated him any more than it already had. Spinning on his heel, he strode over to the side wall and drew Tetsusaiga from it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Yoshida snarled angrily.
“Trust me,” Inuyasha replied darkly, “it’s better if I have it on me.”
“I don’t care! Drop the sword and sheath or she dies!”
The hanyou shrugged, though his shoulders were tight with anxiety. “Suit yourself.” And he replaced Tetsusaiga in its scabbard before laying it gently on the table. Yoshida, thoroughly perplexed, watched him stalk through the doorway and out of sight. Still, he was convinced that his decision was correct.
Outside, Inuyasha stood calmly with his eyes closed, trying to calm his nerves. The scent of blood in the air—and on his claws—was not helping matters. But he instinctively knew that transforming here, during this battle, would be a mistake. In the worst case, he would continue his rampage upon innocent civilians—or Kagome, shudder upon shudder—after dispatching Yoshida. Hopefully, he would not come close enough to death to trigger the emergence of his youkai side.
Yoshida appeared a few moments later, that infuriating smirk firmly in place though it did not reach his eyes. His knives were already drawn, two monstrous blades. He settled into a casual stance, left foot front. The knife in his left hand was held in a forward hammer grip, with the one in the right reversed like an ice pick. The style was similar to a boxer’s, with the speed and reach in the front hand and the real knockout power in the rear. Though perhaps ‘knockout’ was too inadequate a term in this case.
“Do you remember when I said I’d slice you open down the middle and spill your guts onto the floor?” Yoshida inquired nastily.
Inuyasha ignored the jab. “You alright in there, Kagome?” he called instead. His nose and ears had told him as much already, but going into this mortal combat, he felt an irrepressible urge to hear her voice.
“Y-yes,” she croaked back.
“Bastard,” he swore, locking eyes on his opponent once more. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with!”
And with that, he charged. Straight in, fully confident that his reflexes would allow him to evade whatever feeble attack the human could throw at him, and that his claws would find their mark. He would be disappointed.
Yoshida advanced like a panther just as Inuyasha launched into the final stride, the knife in his left hand darting like a missile toward the hanyou’s eyeball. The latter’s reflexes, while not ensuring victory, did however save his life. He stumbled to the side, Yoshida following relentlessly with swipes and stabs until Inuyasha finally used his powerful legs to disengage.
Inuyasha studied the mercenary carefully, wiping at the shallow cut on his cheek. That was a fluke, his mind declared, though he couldn’t quite make himself believe it. And his opponent definitely did not think so.
“You’re fast, I’ll give you that,” Yoshida stated, like a dissatisfied teacher lecturing a student. “But I can already tell that your close combat skills are lacking. You’ve relied on that sword and your hanyou abilities for too long. I bet you can’t even remember the last time you fought without those advantages.”
It was true, Inuyasha realized. Even in his recent moonless night battles, he’d used Tetsusaiga. That fight with Sesshoumaru inside their father’s grave had been more of a lesson in taking a beating than anything else. He couldn’t think of any other examples, though he could recall at least one time when a human, now a friend, had gotten the best of him. (2) He had made strengthening Tetsusaiga and becoming stronger at wielding it a priority, which left hand-to-hand combat on a very cold back burner. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t win. He was, if nothing else, a survivor. Somehow he would earn victory, even if he had to blunder his way to it.
He advanced again, this time more cautiously and forgoing the pre-attack proclamation. Yoshida grinned, seemingly satisfied at the change in tactics, and shuffled forward. This time the mercenary offered the first blows, a couple quick jabs followed by an overhand lunge with his rear hand designed to impale his opponent from above. The ideal counter for such a move would be to step forward and block the arm, thereby avoiding the attack and exposing the opponent’s midsection. But Yoshida was ready for this, with his left hand poised and prepared to make good on his earlier promise should Inuyasha step in. So instead the hanyou parried the overhand strike, then dodged a couple swift slashes from Yoshida’s left. Quite suddenly he spied an opening, albeit a very small one, and pounced. But his claws struck only empty air, his opponent having escaped with a deft spin and settled into a combat stance again. If anything, the near miss only seemed to increase Yoshida’s enjoyment.
Five minutes later, the battle was no closer to being decided. Each combatant had suffered his fair share of shallow cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would seriously hinder even a human. They circled each other now, less than six feet apart. Inuyasha’s fleeting thought that he could simply outlast the human was now cast aside; from the increasing frequency and ferocity of the close calls, it appeared one of them would kill the other long before either tired significantly. Inuyasha was, however, somewhat encouraged. He had been able to be more aggressive as of late, as his muscle memory caught up to him. It was like picking up a sword after years of neglect. One never truly forgot the skills; it just took some time for the body to remember them.
He attacked again, feinting right and then moving left, seeking to get inside the radius of Yoshida’s front hand. He anticipated and ducked the diagonal slash, then made a quick swiping uppercut of his own to throw his opponent off balance. It worked; Yoshida reeled, bringing both hands into his body and reversing the grip of his right hand to defend himself. But it would be too late; Inuyasha’s claws were poised to deliver the death blow.
That is, until the mercenary’s booted foot slammed into the hanyou’s knee from the side. Ligament and cartilage bowed unnaturally, sending instant pain lancing out through the body. Instinctively Inuyasha twisted his leg away, allowing his joint to bend correctly as he rolled and stumbled away. He hissed as he stood, reluctant to put weight on the leg. That kick had nearly blown out his knee. Fortunately, his body was made of tough stuff, but the injury would still hobble him. And in the most important fight of his life, with his enemy advancing on him looking like a wolf stalking a wounded deer, this was not good news.
Inuyasha sighed. This is going to be harder than I thought.
* * *
For a moment, as the first sounds of battle reached her ears, Kagome simply sat, overwhelmed by it all. She wanted to be grateful to Inuyasha for returning to rescue her, but dreaded what revelations would be revealed concerning what he gave up to do so. She wanted to be angry at him for so recklessly risking his life to save her, but was touched by his selflessness. One thing she knew for sure was that she was worried sick. Another, she realized, was that it was time to do something about it. She refused to sit here passively while Inuyasha’s life hung in the balance. She wouldn’t interfere with the battle, and didn’t know what she could do to help him, but something told her that not going to him would lead to disaster. She took stock of her situation in detail. Like the first time she’d been kidnapped, she was handcuffed to a chair, each limb shackled separately. Unlike that time, however, she was not seated in a metal chair, but one made of wood. Wood that creaked and bent as she struggled, old wood that had probably been sitting in this abandoned factory for too long. Her captors hadn’t worried about the apparent flimsiness of the chair because she could never have overpowered them anyway, but now the oversight gave her a chance.
Her random, uncoordinated struggling amounted to nothing, however. Frustrated, she gave an especially ungainly jerk and had to stifle a shriek as she toppled over backward. Her head hit the floor hard enough to leave a lump, but fortunately neither of her arms had been caught underneath. The fall did seem to have further weakened the structural integrity of the chair. Arching her body, she focused on getting her right hand free; it was cuffed to a rod which felt ready to go. Finally, after a few more minutes of sweat and toil, her efforts paid off.
She exhaustedly raised her right hand, the wrist encumbered only by the empty cuff hanging uselessly from it, and took a momentary breather. One down, three to go…
* * *
Inuyasha swore under his breath. He hadn’t realized how important his legs were until one of them was hobbled. Deprived of his customary lower-body quickness, he had been relegated to playing defense. Yoshida’s advantage in reach was starting to tell; those knives seemed as long as swords to Inuyasha now. The hanyou had not come close to seriously hurting his enemy since that expert strike to the knee. He had, however, at least managed to avoid receiving anything more life-threatening than flesh wounds. How long that would last he could not say. Yoshida danced and circled, swooping in with a few rapid attacks before retreating, and thereby avoiding the close-in brawl his less mobile opponent desired. Inuyasha knew he could not allow the fight to continue in this fashion; he couldn’t dodge and parry forever. He had to test his wounded leg, trust his body to hold up. And if he made it worse, it would only hasten the inevitable. Pushing it was the only way he could win.
But he also appreciated the potential benefits of using his head; a bit of cleverness could often accomplish what brute force could not. During a break in the action, he lurched forward, feigning a growl of agony as he bent down, keeping Yoshida within his peripheral vision. The mercenary took the bait, charging in recklessly to take advantage of the apparent stumble. He realized his error as Inuyasha smacked aside what was supposed to be the killing blow. The hanyou lashed out, gouging the retreating human deeply across the chest, though not severely enough to incapacitate him.
Yoshida turned and fled, obviously seeking to put some major distance between them so he could regroup. Inuyasha was having none of it; this was the end. But as the foot of his injured leg hit the floor, the knee buckled, causing him to falter and fall off the pace.
It ended up being the most fortuitous stumble of his life. For in the next moment, Yoshida leapt into the air, spinning and flinging a gleaming projectile impossibly fast. Had the hanyou been on Yoshida’s heels as the mercenary anticipated, he would have been impaled through the throat. As it was, Inuyasha had barely a split second to react; all he had time to do was shift his already raised right hand in front of his face.
He cried out in aguish and outrage. Sticking straight through the palm of his hand was a small throwing knife. Gritting his teeth, he tore it from his flesh and cast it aside.
“Bastard!” he snarled, glaring vehemently.
“Don’t look at me like that, Inuyasha,” Yoshida told him calmly, though the hanyou was glad to hear a slight shudder in his voice. Finally he was not the only one suffering from serious wounds. “I never told you I didn’t have any other knives on me. You’ll live longer if you don’t make stupid assumptions.”
Inuyasha didn’t reply, but scoffed inwardly. Technically, Yoshida was of course correct. But if it smelled like a rat, then it probably was one. Sneaky bastard. He would have to be careful to avoid any more nasty surprises.
Advancing in a half-lame shuffle, he rejoined the fight.
* * *
“Come on, you son of a—YES!!!” Finally, after what felt like a herculean effort, Kagome was free. She stood and darted for the door, skidding to a halt as Tetsusaiga caught the corner of her eye. Without pausing to consider why, she went back and grabbed it off the table. Only then did she run to the door and exit the room.
What she saw both entranced and horrified her. This was clearly the final melee, the last clash of the twelfth round. Both combatants were bloodied, neither moving with much precision. Yoshida was nearly backed against a wall, the entire front of his shirt soaked with blood. He moved desperately, beaten back by an opponent who, though covered in nearly as much blood, seemed to be unaffected. Inuyasha’s hanyou nature, the very thing Yoshida detested the most about him, was proving decisive. Kagome stared transfixed as he attacked relentlessly; there was something mesmerizingly beautiful about him, even amid the brutality.
She gasped as a powerful swat from Inuyasha sent the knife in Yoshida’s left hand flying in her direction, skidding across the floor past her feet. One of the hanyou’s ears swiveled toward her, but he was too focused on the fight to give her any more of his attention. Fortunately so, for Yoshida’s other weapon was rapidly descending on a diagonal course toward Inuyasha’s neck. The hanyou shifted, taking the blade through the shoulder instead.
Kagome covered her mouth with both hands, unaware that the move had been purposeful. In the next instant Yoshida’s arm was flailing back, knife and hand severed from it by a slice to the wrist. Then, with a final, agonized cry, Inuyasha shoved his claws through his defenseless opponent’s gut.
For the hanyou, the next several moments seemed to stretch for an eternity, as Yoshida coughed up blood and his eyes lolled about aimlessly. He stared, engrossed by the sight, smell, and feel of his dying enemy. It was difficult to believe that after such a hard-fought battle, he had emerged victorious.
But Kagome, from her vantage point, noticed something more sinister going on. She had already promised not to look away, or do anything to contribute to Inuyasha’s guilt at killing humans. So when Yoshida’s shaking left hand made its way purposefully to his belt, it drew her attention.
Instantly she saw what was happening. She charged forward, considering neither the wisdom of doing so nor her own well-being. She shouted at the top of her lungs for Inuyasha to get away, but the hanyou seemed to be in a trance and did not acknowledge her. Clarity did not return to his eyes until Yoshida’s own dark green orbs suddenly focused, his mouth shifting into a malicious grin. His left hand raised tauntingly, no less than four grenade pins dangling from his fingers.
Even as Kagome hollered once more for Inuyasha to retreat, she knew it was too late. Even if she reached him, there would not be enough time to push him far enough away. Still she ran, her heart swelling as she neared him. At least they would die together.
The grenades exploded just as reached his side. But it was not what she expected; the sound and fury seemed to come from far off in the distance. She actually had time to wonder why the shock wave had not killed her instantly as she was flung into the air. Inuyasha’s arms wrapped around her, his body positioning itself below hers to cushion her landing. He grunted in pain as they hit the floor, then slid across its surface a good ten feet before coming to a halt. Kagome opened her eyes just in time to see the last vestiges of a receding blue glow. She guessed it must have something to do with the answer to the burning question: how on earth were they still alive?
Inuyasha groaned. “What the hell just happened?” he asked weakly.
Kagome frowned, taking a moment to reflect and quickly putting two and two together. “I think…I think Tetsusaiga’s barrier protected us from the explosion.” (3)
“Keh. Didn’t know it could do that.”
“Me neither,” Kagome replied. She felt Inuyasha stiffen beneath her, and braced herself for a different kind of explosion.
“Tell me you didn’t just charge in expecting to get yourself blown into a hundred pieces.”
“…”
“Dammit, Kagome! How can you be so stupid?! What the hell were you thinking?!”
Kagome leaned up on her elbow, glaring down at him. I save his life, and he starts spouting insults and yelling at me? Just because she was physically lying down didn’t mean she had to take his words like so.
“What did you expect me to do, stand back and watch you die?!”
“That’s exactly what you should have done! I’m the protector, wench. You’re just the girl who needs saving.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched. Of all the egotistical, chauvinistic…ugh! She took a deep breath. Yes, it was all of the above. But Inuyasha’s protectiveness was also sweet in its own way, and incredibly selfless. And it also happened to be the reason why she wasn’t drugged up and suffering terribly right now. So in this case at least, she would try not to hold his angry words against him. Key word: try.
“Inuyasha,” she began, keeping her tone steady but poking forcefully at his chest. “Whether you like it or not, when we’re together, I am also your protector. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna stand back and watch you explode!”
Inuyasha growled exasperatedly. “But what was the point, Kagome? Why kill both of us when only one of us has to die?”
“Because at least then we’d die together!”
That declaration seemed to take all the wind out of Inuyasha’s sails. He sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, his golden orbs glowed with relief. No matter how it had happened, Kagome had come through this mess alive, and that was the most important thing. Alive, though as he noticed, not unscathed.
She gasped as his hand rose to lightly caress her injured cheek, heavily bruised from when Yoshida had slapped her. And just as her eyes were sliding shut, and she was starting to enjoy his touch…
“Every time I leave you alone you end up with half your face fucked up.”
Kagome hung her head, covering her eyes with a hand. She was contemplating a lecture on mood when Inuyasha’s words made her think of something much more pressing.
“What about you?” she cried. “You’re—oh, Kami!” She blanched; Yoshida’s knife was still partially buried in his shoulder. Thankfully, the hand was gone at least.
“Still there, huh?” Inuyasha observed casually.
“How can you be so calm about this?! It’s—eep!” Kagome looked away for a moment to ground herself. She had been utterly unprepared for the sight of Inuyasha reaching up and wrenching the blade from his shoulder as if it was nothing.
“Relax, Kagome,” he told her in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner. “It’s just a fl—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” she snapped, and Inuyasha knew better than to disobey. Seeing red at his reckless behavior, she quickly whipped off her own shirt and pressed it to the wound to staunch the flow of blood. Inuyasha was thrown into a stupor for a moment, a consequence of her still damp, bra-clad torso being put so enticingly on display. Then he snapped his head to the side, cheeks blazing hotly. Only then did Kagome realize her own state of undress, so focused had she been on caring for his injuries.
“Oh relax, Inuyasha,” she teased, throwing his words back at him with more than a bit of false bravado. “It’s not like you haven’t seen more than this before.”
This comment had the effect of making both of them blush like tomatoes. It did, however, silence the patient so Kagome could take an unimpeded look at the rest of him. His modern clothes were ripped and torn, but all of his other cuts seemed to be truly ‘flesh wounds,’ at least for a hanyou. Still, looks could be deceiving.
“Um…other than this, are you okay?”
“Keh,” he replied, still not looking at her. “My knee’s a little messed up, but I’m fine.”
Kagome sighed in relief. “Good.” Proper bandaging at the earliest opportunity would definitely be a good idea, but Inuyasha was not about to bleed to death regardless. And if he wasn’t too hobbled by his knee injury, then they stood a good chance of getting out of here to safety. Their long ordeal…could finally be over.
The pair settled into silence, each contemplating that glorious thought with a smile. But then, memories of recent events wormed into their consciousnesses, and unanswered questions took hold in their throats. The silence became heavy, as each waited for the other to lower the hammer and shatter it. Finally, Kagome could take it no more.
“Inu—”
“Why did you do it?!” Inuyasha exclaimed, her barely-uttered syllable having broken the seal on his swelling tirade. “Just how the fuck did such a stupid idea get into that thick head of yours?”
Kagome had intended to explain herself calmly, but couldn’t help but respond defensively in the face of his ire. “It obviously didn’t seem like such a stupid idea at the time, baka!”
“How could it not?! Coming back here when King Bastard and his bastard friends are after you? And sealing the fucking well on top of it!”
“I wasn’t worrying about me! I did it for you!”
“Yeah, I know,” Inuyasha replied, his tone softened with guilt. “Kikyou told me about that. You shouldn’t have listened to her, Kagome.”
For once, the mention of her preincarnation’s name did not fill Kagome with old pain. Inuyasha’s words did, however, cause unbidden hope to blossom in her chest, and a sense of foreboding to settle in the pit of her stomach. Before she investigated the meaning of what Inuyasha had said, she needed to get an answer to the question she had been dreading since first noticing his presence.
“How did you get here, Inuyasha?”
“Came through the well,” he answered curtly. Before she could denounce that response as woefully inadequate, he elaborated. “Kikyou broke your seal.”
Kagome narrowed her eyes. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Inuyasha sighed; he really didn’t want to talk about this now. But Kagome was asking now, and she deserved to know. It couldn’t be helped.
“In her…state of existence, it was too hard for her. She disappeared afterward.”
Kagome’s reaction came as no surprise: a gasp, hands over face, tears in eyes. Her scent clouded with sorrow and remorse, and Inuyasha growled in frustration.
“Don’t feel bad, Kagome! It wasn’t your fault! It was Kikyou’s decision. And she was at peace in the end.” When the young miko only continued to cry, Inuyasha knew he had to say more. “Look, Kagome. After talking with me, Kikyou realized she’d made a terrible mistake. So she made it right. It’s as simple as that.” That last part was an outright lie, but a man could wish things were so straightforward.
“What m-mistake did she make?” Kagome whispered tearfully.
“Convincing you to do what you did.”
“H-how was that a mistake?”
Inuyasha nearly groaned. She was really going to make him spell all this out? Of course she is, baka, the annoying voice in his head replied. You’ve never given her more than a whiff of your true feelings. How is she supposed to know if you don’t tell her? He had come here prepared to do just that, but now butterflies wouldn’t begin to describe the mess inside his stomach. His ears felt like they were on fire. Her state of undress wasn’t making things any easier. But all of that was immaterial, in the grand scheme of things. This heart-to-heart discussion, this confession, was long overdue.
“You and Kikyou both thought that if I was given a free choice, I would choose her. And…you were both wrong.” He ignored Kagome’s gasp and plowed on. “When she came to take me to hell, I guess things finally became clear to me. I think I had already made my choice, but didn’t know it yet. I’m sure she convinced you that I would be happier with her, but the truth is…I could never be happy without you.”
Kagome was struck utterly speechless. Part of her didn’t want to believe what she was hearing, for it would open her up to crushing levels of despair if she was misunderstanding him. But how could his words be taken another way? How could she be misreading that look in his eyes, the one that made her heart swell and brought a smile to her lips just by the sheer overwhelming presence of love?
“Do you remember when you told me that you love me?” Inuyasha asked, seemingly sensing her uncertainty. Kagome nodded dumbly. How could she forget? It had been right before they made love.
“Well…me too.”
He didn’t know why he said what he said next. Maybe it was because he felt incredibly lame confessing his feelings like that. Or because he finally had the mind and the balls to do it. Or maybe it was simply because, deep down, he desperately wanted to.
“I love you, Kagome.”
This time, her reaction was not what he expected. She hung her head, her bangs lowering over her eyes. It wasn’t until he heard the words “I’m” and “baka” that he understood. She was thinking about what she had done, about how instead of granting him happiness, she had nearly condemned him to an empty life without his beloved. It was a stupid thing to dwell on, and he wasn’t having it. Ignoring the discomfort of moving, he leaned up and found her lips with his own.
The kiss was chaste, and lasted only for a moment, but it seemed to have the desired effect. Kagome turned her watery eyes to his, both parties finding forgiveness and apology in the orbs of the other. But more than anything else, they saw love, pure and unadulterated. Slowly their lips curled upward, until both were beaming. Then Kagome leaned down, seeking a kiss that would be neither chaste nor short.
The sound of a feminine throat clearing was like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads, and one of them could attest to how that felt first-hand. They sprang apart, Inuyasha growling with pain as he lurched into a squatting position. Kagome put her arm protectively in front of him, which annoyed him to no end, especially since she was still shirtless. But even he could see that they weren’t getting out of this one easily. He cursed himself again; how distracted had he been that he hadn’t sensed danger approaching?
No less than a dozen Naicho agents surrounded them in a rough half-circle, all with weapons drawn and aimed. He could identify them as such because of the short, squat woman standing in the center of the formation. She had a bandage wrapped around her thigh and was gazing down at them with an unreadable expression. So both Inuyasha and Kagome knew who these people were, but neither was sure of their intentions. A short time ago, Miyake had helped Inuyasha find Kagome. She had seemed his ally then, but he wasn’t so sure now.
Her order for her subordinates to lower their weapons did much to ease their fears. At the very least, their lives were not in danger. Inuyasha recalled that Mrs. Higurashi had trusted these people to protect Kagome. They had failed miserably, but out of negligence rather than malice. And although they had attacked him, he could at least trust them not to intentionally hurt the more important of the two of them. As for Kagome, she was nervous about Miyake’s intentions for Inuyasha, but realized there was little she could do about it. Calmness and civility might help; presumptuous hostility would only make things worse.
For her part, Miyake apparently decided that caring for her ‘guests’ was the first order of business. She told one of the men to go get a first aid kit, a blanket, and Inuyasha’s clothes. The hanyou wondered what she meant by that, but was delighted when the man returned with his fire-rat robes, which he had discarded during their escape to the past. The blanket was for Kagome’s modesty, and the first aid kit was self-explanatory. The man knelt and made to tend Inuyasha’s injuries, but Kagome intervened and said that she would do it. The hanyou had to suppress a smile; he was secretly very pleased. But it proved difficult for her to mend his wounds and keep herself covered with the blanket, so he offered her his fire-rat. She accepted gratefully, and this time he could not help but grin. He liked how she looked wearing his clothes.
Eventually, Inuyasha found himself sitting cross-legged, all bandaged up and clad in his traditional robes again, minus haori. The cuffs on Kagome’s wrists and ankles had been removed, and she was leaning comfortably into his side, offering support should he need it. Miyake had not said a word since giving those initial orders; she appeared to have been deep in contemplation throughout. Inuyasha and Kagome waited anxiously for her to speak, unsure if they could force their way out of this pickle if it came to that. Pleading or persuasion would be the first approaches taken; obviously, Kagome would be the one doing the talking.
An indecently loud cell phone ring pierced the air, and Miyake jumped some distance into the air before pulling it out of her pocket. She checked the caller ID and answered without preamble.
“How is he?”
Only Inuyasha could hear the male voice on the other end of the line. “He’s not out of the woods yet, but he’s stable.”
Miyake sighed in relief. “Good. Keep me posted.” She hung up, replaced the phone in her pocket, and returned her gaze to the hanyou and schoolgirl. Almost immediately she sighed again, this time in frustration. She covered her face with her hands, rubbing hard at skin and eyes. When she finally let them drop to her sides again, she seemed worn, just plain tired.
“Okay, here’s the scoop,” she stated authoritatively, her tone leaving no room for argument. “No bullshit. Kagome, you’re free to go. We’ll swear you to secrecy and offer you protection just in case, but you can go home tonight. Inuyasha…well, we obviously can’t have you running around Tokyo getting yourself caught on camera anymore. In fact, we can’t take the risk of letting you be out in human society, period.”
Everyone in the room tensed noticeably at this, and weapons were once again raised. But Miyake held up her hands, motioning for her subordinates to stand down.
“Hear me out,” she demanded, and neither hanyou nor miko considered denying her. “Technically, this isn’t even my decision to make. I’m just supposed to bring you in. But then I have to live with myself in the morning, and…well, you’ve proven to me that you’re very close to human, Inuyasha. Locking you up in some lab would be a travesty.”
Here Miyake paused, considering her words carefully as her audience held their collective breath.
“So I’m giving you an ultimatum. You can come with us to the Higurashi shrine right now and go back to your homeland. You will never return; we’ll fill up the well with cement behind you. Or you can go to Naicho headquarters and become a science experiment. It’s your call.”
“But Chief!” one of the agents exclaimed. “They’ll throw you in prison if you let him go!”
“No, they won’t,” she replied calmly. “They’ll run me out of the agency, but so be it.” And she meant that; Miyake Izumi had never compromised her personal integrity in the past, and was not about to start now. Even if it cost her the position she had worked thirty-five years to achieve.
Inuyasha was struck dumb with indecision. On the surface, the choice was obvious; one gave him freedom, the other captivity. But neither option satisfied the most important requirement: being with Kagome. What was the point of returning to the past if she wasn’t by his side? Living in the vast open spaces of the feudal era would feel the same as living in a cage; the only meaningful factor was whether Kagome was there. He briefly considered bolting and taking his chances on the run, but what would that accomplish? Even if he did manage to escape and become a fugitive, Naicho would put Kagome under constant surveillance for the likely event that he tried to contact her. They might even lock her up. So Inuyasha could not see how any course of action was better than another, and it paralyzed him with uncertainty.
In contrast, his companion had made her decision rather quickly.
“You said I was free to go, right?” Kagome asked quietly. Miyake nodded. “Does that mean wherever I want?”
Miyake’s eyes widened in understanding. “Yes,” she answered.
Kagome took a deep breath, then spoke with firm conviction. “Then Inuyasha accepts your ultimatum. He and I will return to the feudal era…together.”
It took the hanyou a moment to wrap his head around what Kagome had just said. When it finally dawned on him exactly what she was proposing, he gaped at her, stuttering helplessly.
“B-b-but, K-Kagome! You can’t—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Inuyasha,” she told him angrily. Then her expression softened, and she reached out and affectionately grasped his hand. “Look,” she began with a gentle smile, “you just told me that you love me. And I know what that means to you, what kind of commitment you’re promising me. I’ll miss my family—really, really badly, I imagine. But Inuyasha…I’m not giving you up for anything.”
Inuyasha’s mouth went dry, and the ability of speech left him. To give up so much, just to be with him…she loved him more than he would have ever thought possible. He blinked rapidly, to get some pesky dust out of his eyes. At least, that’s what he would say if anyone asked. But Kagome seemed to understand his silent emotional display, the gratitude and adoration he could not express in words. She leaned forward, kissed him tenderly on the check, and enfolded him in a warm embrace. Inuyasha returned it wholeheartedly, resolving then and there to never let Kagome forget how much her sacrifice meant to him.
Miyake cleared her throat again, prompting a livid glare from the hanyou. She shrugged with a grin. “Sorry. Didn’t want you two getting into it again.”
“Shut it,” Inuyasha told her, blushing despite himself. “How the hell did you find us, anyway?” he demanded, posing an inquiry that had been bugging him for some time now.
Now Miyake positively smirked. “You remember that tracking device I gave you?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
She pulled a familiar, blinking object from her pocket and dangled it teasingly in front of him.
“You had another one on Kagome?” Inuyasha guessed.
“Nope, not on Kagome.”
The hanyou contemplated for a moment, then his face twisted in rage. “You put one on me! When you grabbed my shirt!”
“Clever, huh?”
Inuyasha grumbled his opinion of the tactic, and judging from Kagome’s laughter it was not quite as favorable as Miyake’s. But her good mood was contagious, and soon Inuyasha found that he didn’t care about sneaky Naicho wenches anymore. His love was happy in his arms; what could be better?
Inuyasha couldn’t answer that question, but he soon discovered one of the things that could be worse. Namely, watching Kagome say goodbye to her family. He didn’t even bother trying to hide his watery eyes; there was not a dry eye anywhere to be found. He spoke privately to each family member, exchanging promises for blessings, some more reluctant than others. But even Kagome’s grandfather welcomed him into the family, though not until forcing Inuyasha to say more than he would have liked. Mrs. Higurashi, like her daughter, seemed to understand that his few words meant a lot more, and spared him a repeat of the Jii-chan treatment. Souta was of course beyond thrilled to have Inuyasha as a brother-in-law, but even he proved his character as a protective sibling. Needless to say, all five of them were immensely saddened by the permanent departure. Inuyasha would miss Kagome’s family dearly, and vice versa. But there was light even in the gloom. Their little girl had grown up, and found herself a man who loved her more than life itself. It was beautiful beyond words, despite the grief.
And so, one large family split into two, forever separated by time. But the bonds would never truly be broken, so long as there was one person able to remember fondly the good times, when the family of Higurashi and hanyou had been whole.
(1) Shiratori Yoshie was a Japanese murderer who escaped many times from prison in the 1930s and 40s. The kind of character a man like Yoshida would admire
(2) I’m sure some of you are getting fairly dubious by this point about whether Yoshida could really go toe-to-toe with Inuyasha. But remember when he fought Miroku? The monk was blocking overhead Tetsusaiga swings with his staff, and his arms weren’t even buckling. Maybe Inuyasha wasn’t going all-out, but I think this still proves that his strength can be countered by a human in certain situations.
My own personal view of Inuyasha is this: he’s very fast on the run, and his reflexes are excellent, but he is not that quick or adept at combat moves. He’s faster than a human, of course, but not so speedy than a skilled human would not be able to follow and counter. And I emphasize that Yoshida is an excellent fighter, in addition to being very strong in his own right and having bigger weapons than Inuyasha.
(3) Anyone skeptical about this? I think Tetsusaiga has some free will of its own, and if it ‘wanted’ to protect Inuyasha and Kagome from the explosion, it could.
A/N – Sorry this chapter took so long. I was in the hospital twice since I posted the last one, for a total of about six days. The first time was to have my inflamed and gangrenous appendix removed. The second time was for a nasty infection at one of the incision sites. In the three weeks between, I got virtually nothing done on the chapter, due mostly to awful fatigue. I thought it was just from the surgery, but apparently it was the infection weighing me down as well. I only started to feel like myself again a few days after coming home for the second time.
I also took some time to beta the last two chapters of “He’s My Girl,” by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea (in between hospital trips—reading is much easier than writing, LOL). They invited me on board because their only male beta dropped off and they wanted a guy’s input. I’m really glad, because otherwise I probably would have missed the story. It’s hilarious. There is some action and angst, but it’s a devoted comedy, so expect to laugh a lot. You won’t be disappointed.
Back to “Entrapment,” you had to know I was going to give you the Inuyasha vs. Yoshida fight. I’ve been looking forward to this battle since the beginning of the story. Only the epilogue to go.
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