InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fireside Chats ❯ Part Nine: Elusive Ragings ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: because I hate the Viz dub "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" translation, I chose to go with the accepted "Soul Scattering Iron Claws" translation of "Sankon Tetsuso" ^_~  

Update: A few clarifications added, adjusted some grammatical inconsistencies and streamlined the punctuation.

Sesshomaru.

The one demon in all the world she feared. The demon lord she'd seen battle with Nijimaru and inflict on her sire a nearly-fatal wound. It had taken Nijimaru more than a year to recover from the wound Sesshomaru left in his chest. Sesshomaru was the one taiyoukai that Nijimaru himself feared.

And he was standing in front of her, with a thunderous, murderous look in his cold citrine eyes.

Fucking hell, what's he doing here? Well, if he's going to kill me, I might as well make it worth his while. I'll go down in a blaze of glory.

Kiniromaru gripped her pike tighter -- mildly surprised that she'd managed to hang onto it in the assault and deflection -- and lunged to her feet.

The canine demon lord cocked an eyebrow at her and drew one of the two swords at his hip. The katana's blade glowed blue as the demon lord turned and walked over to the little girl still sobbing quietly in the berry patch. He stood directly over her and held the sword above her.

"Rin," he said in a very calm voice. "Don't move. This will only hurt for a moment."

"Yes, my lord," the girl sniffled.

Sesshomaru then drove the sword point-first into the wound in her abdomen.

WHAT THE HELL?! Kiniromaru's jaw unhinged. He stares at me like I just murdered his child, and then he goes over and kills the human for me?!

A cool blue light surrounded the little girl, and in about ten seconds, Sesshomaru had drawn the sword away and was sheathing it.

"Go clean off the blood in that stream over there," he said in that same calm tone one used for fractious foals. "Retrieve Jaken, while you're there."

"Yes my lord!" the girl stood up, straightened her dirtied kimono and set off toward the stream.

I don't believe it. She's not even limping. It's like she was never hurt.

Sesshomaru turned cold eyes back to Kiniromaru.

"I will not overlook this transgression. You have signed your death warrant," he said calmly as he raised his right hand up, his claws beginning to glow a sickly green. Poison claws -- the same as had so severely wounded Nijimaru.

"I'll sell my life dearly!" Kiniromaru retorted hotly, hefting her pike and hurling it like a javelin, hoping to strike his chest, but her aim failed her. Without the demon lord taking even the slightest step sideways, her pike drifted to the left and struck his left arm... or so she thought.

Sesshomaru dropped his right hand down in surprise as the pike pierced the left sleeve, catching the shaft and halting its progress.

"You foolishly discard your only weapon?" he smirked as he pulled the weapon out of his sleeve and cast it aside, out of her immediate reach.

Oh. My. God. Kiniromaru realized why the sleeve seemed to flutter so freely... he had no left arm anymore!

"What happened to your arm?" she gaped.

The demon lord's eyes became hard and he raised his right hand again. With a quick, definitive slashing motion, he brought his right hand from his left shoulder around in a semicircle. Kiniromaru didn't even have time to register the significance of that before a whip of poison energy came slashing across her face. She cried out in pain as the venom stung her eyes.

Then Sesshomaru was right in front of her -- she hadn't even seen him move! -- and he struck her in the face with his fisted claws, sending her reeling back into the trees.

"Stop, Sesshomaru!" a familiar voice roared from nearby.

No, not that hanyou again! Dammit! I don't need his help!

Kiniromaru threw herself to the right as Sesshomaru swung again, just barely dodging another blow.

"SOUL SCATTERING IRON CLAWS!" Sickle-shaped blades of yellow energy came wheeling into view through the trees. Sesshomaru swiped his poison claws at the blades of energy and parried their blows.

"Inuyasha," the taiyoukai growled. "I told you to stay out of my business."

"I would, if this was strictly your business, but you being here and attacking her makes this my business as well."

"What are you talking about, you worthless halfbreed?"

Kiniromaru wiped blood off her jaw as she studied Sesshomaru, whose attention had been wholly seized by the hanyou's arrival.

Strange. In all the times Kiniromaru had seen him - not that she had encountered him very often, but she was no stranger to him either - Sesshomaru had never shown any facial expression beyond what could be read in his eyes. And one had to have experience with taiyoukai to know how he expressed with his eyes. Demon lords were very, very adept with their eyes. Kiniromaru was convinced that their talents with their eyes were what enabled taiyoukai to dominate over other youkai. Nijimaru was a master at communicating with his eyes alone. Sesshomaru had demonstrated to her that he too was more than adept with his eyes. He had no need for facial expression. But now... Even a useless human could tell that he's furious! What is it about that hanyou that so enrages him?

The hanyou stood about ten feet away, his right hand poised to strike. The claws on his right hand glowed, but not with venom. Their glow was yellow and bright.

So, Kiniromaru thought, the ability to use the claws in a supernatural way must come from their mutual sire. Fascinating, though the knowledge of it won't help me here.

"I grow tired of dealing with you meddling fools!" Sesshomaru angrily slashed his hand around in a sharp cutting motion. From his first two claws emerged a tendril of poison energy...

That whip! So that's how he did it!

The hanyou drew his sword and blocked the whip's strike. "Is that all you have, Sesshomaru? Just a searing rage? Where's the cool calculation I normally see in you?"

"Silence, Inuyasha! You have no business here! Leave now or I will cut you to pieces."

"I'm not worth your time to kill yet, remember?"

"If you keep interfering, I will amend my evaluation of you."

What the fuck is that idiot hanyou doing? Kiniromaru rubbed her stinging eyes. Who does he think he is, taunting Sesshomaru, the demon lord who nearly fatally wounded a taiyoukai like Nijimaru?

"Are you okay, Kiniromaru?"

The horse demon whipped around to see the hanyou's wench approaching, holding the hand of that little girl who had started all of this just by being in this forest.

"You! Stay out of this, you foolish human! Don't make me kill you."

"Don't be a stubborn fool," the girl frowned. "You're very lucky Sesshomaru didn't draw his sword Tokijin on you. Inuyasha will keep his attention until his anger runs out; then he won't see any reason to kill you."

"I don't need your fucking help, little bitch!" Kiniromaru shouted. "Why are you here? What does it matter to you what happens to me?"

"Why are you here, Inuyasha? Does that crossbred filly fascinated you so much?" Sesshomaru was livid.

"If only it was so simple," the hanyou replied. "Nijimaru has made hostages of some of my companions. If you kill this 'crossbred filly,' I have no doubts that he'll kill the hostages in retaliation."

"So now your arrogance is as limitless as your stupidity, little brother," Sesshomaru savagely slashed at Inuyasha. "You are a disgrace to my honorable father's memory. Nijimaru is not so foolish as to think you accountable for my actions. He knows who is the greater of us."

"Indeed. He also knows who cut off your left arm, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"Seeing as I've done to you what he never could even dream of, it's not out of line for Nijimaru to assume I have some measure of control over you."

"If that foolish old nag truly believes that, then he is not only a fool, but a doddering, forgetful one at that. He has tasted the potency of my poison claws, and knows defeat at my hands. Perhaps he has not learned his lesson. Perhaps I shall deal with him when I am done with his wretched daughter over there."

"Inuyasha!" the wench shouted. "Duck!"

The hanyou took her advice and dropped down onto all fours. A giant boomerang -- at least six feet in length -- came wheeling out of the sky. It skimmed just over Inuyasha's head and struck Sesshomaru in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. The demon lord kept his balance and didn't fall down, but it distracted him enough that the hanyou got a good blow in on him.

Where the fuck did that thing come from?

"Sango!" Kagome had never been so happy to see Hiraikotsu come wheeling in toward Inuyasha. She followed the line of the giant boomerang to where it swung back up. Sango, garbed in her battle armor, sat astride not Kirara but a gargantuan copper spirit horse. Kirara was visible just a short distance away with Miroku and Shippo aboard. As Sango caught Hiraikotsu in air and swung it back onto her back, Kirara landed near Kagome and Miroku swung down, patting the fire-cat affectionately.

"You made it!" Kagome exclaimed. "Nijimaru let you come in?"

"He did," Miroku replied. "He said that you needed our help and that he would overlook the presence of Jewel shards as long as we didn't actually use them."

"Where'd the horse come from?"

"Fool!" Kiniromaru shouted at the horse. "You're going to be killed!"

Miroku sweatdropped a bit; "That's Nijimaru's true form."

Kagome felt a tug on her sleeve. It was Rin.

"Why is Lord Sesshomaru so mad? I have never seen him so mad."

"What happened to you, Rin? I think he's mad over that."

"That stupid woman over there," Jaken said hotly, pointing at Kiniromaru, "shot Rin with an arrow and then tried to kill her with a giant spear."

"Humans are forbidden in this forest without Lord Nijimaru's permission. I am duty-bound to exterminate them. It's not something I enjoy, you worthless toad!"

"Lord Sesshomaru does not need that idiot Nijimaru's permission to bring his ward into this forest!"

"Sesshomaru," a brassy voice called from overhead. "If you want someone to fight, fight me. I am the one who allowed all this to happen."

Kirara launched upwards and flew up to where the great spirit-horse hovered. Sango jumped from the copper horse onto Kirara's back and rode her down to the ground. "I think we should get out of here," Sango said as they landed. Miroku nodded in agreement and hopped onto the firecat behind the exterminator.

"Kagome, you and Inuyasha should probably leave too."

Sesshomaru raised his hand and snapped his fingers loudly. In the sky overhead appeared the two-headed dragon that the demon lord used as transportation. The dragon spiraled down and landed nearby as well.

"Damn, this clearing is getting crowded," Jaken muttered. "Come on, Rin. I think Lord Sesshomaru means for us to get out of the way."

"I hope Lord Sesshomaru won't be too hard on him," Rin said as she and Jaken climbed up onto the dragon.

Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and sprang over to Kagome. "Come on, Kagome. We'd best get the hell out of here."

"Coward," Kiniromaru snarled. "Running away from him now? You really are afraid of him, aren't you?"

"My friends are safe. I have no other business here," Inuyasha snapped as Kagome climbed onto his back. "Particularly since you seem to not want my help. I'd advise you to make yourself scarce, but it doesn't matter to me what you do. But if you're nearby, Sesshomaru will likely kill you just out of sheer peevishness. Kagome, are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

last updated: August 28, 2005