InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten ❯ Crisis! The Panthers Attack ( Chapter 37 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru or anyone from the hit anime/manga series. Rumiko Takahashi does. I do own all OC's and plot in this story.

 

Chapter 27: Crisis! The Panthers Attack

 

149 years before the search for the jewel shards.

 

I was prepared to die for them. I couldn't protect them by being their lord at least I would save them with my life. Inuyasha's sudden arrival prevented my sacrifice. I'm still deciding if that was really a good thing.

-Sesshomaru

 

“You want me to make you a new sword?” asked the old sword smith, Totosai. He paused in his work long enough to turn and regard the hanyou that knelt next to him. “What's wrong with the Tetsusaiga?”

 

Inuyasha unwound the bandages from his right hand and showed Totosai and Myoga the twisted scar that bisected it as well as the darkened, eroded flesh that started at his wrist and spread up his arm. “Tetsusaiga is a massively powerful blade, but it was created to defeat large numbers of enemies or daiyokai. With only one good hand, I couldn't control the blade in a close quarters fight. I can use hand-to-hand combat with no trouble despite this cripple hand, though. I need a weapon that can go against swords and bladed weapons but will flow with my style not force me to learn something new when don't have the time to do so.”

 

Totosai sat back and scratched his chin as he thought. “The Tetsusaiga isn't your style, eh? I can see why you would want a new weapon but what kind of sword were you thinking of? If you can't handle an ordinary sword what can I make that would benefit you?”

 

“There aren't many weapons that are available to be to use. My right hand has limited motion,” said Inuyasha, demonstrating with both hands. “A normal hand can move each finger individually and touch tips with the thumb. The wrist can rotate freely while the forearm shifts to allow for a spin motion. My right hand is unable to move the fingers individually or touch tips with the thumb. It opens and it closes but everything happens at the same time. The wrist is frozen, unable to rotate at all. The forearm can still spin. The elbow and shoulder aren't hindered at all. When I used the Tetsusaiga during my fight with Kuromakaze I had had no choice but to wield the weapon with my right hand. In order to slash I had to swing with my entire body to get the same results a regular person could do with just their arm, because I couldn't rotate my wrist to allow the blade to swing properly.”

 

Inuyasha turned and picked up one of Totosai's works-in-progress with his right hand showing him how the blade was forced to be held straight up instead of pointing forward when his arm was held out. The only time the sword would point at an opponent was when the sword was held out to the side or down.

 

“Hmmm, ordinary swords are held at right angles to the palm of the hand, that's how you grip them. The wrist and the fingers adjust to allow the sword to shift into the proper positions for striking. I can see why most weapons are ill-suited for you,” said Totosai. “I don't have an answer for you, though. I don't know of any blade that would work with such a deformity.”

 

“If I just had a blade that was aligned with my forearm when held I could use it,” said Inuyasha looking down at crippled limb. “I may not be able to do all the complicated strikes of martial arts but this hand can still punch and still block. A blade that could be wielded one handed and take advantage of that ability…”

 

Totosai stared at the ceiling for a moment then leaned forward and said, “You know, I've seen a strange weapon that mounts three short blades on a glove; the base of the blades rest between the knuckles. However, if these blades collided with a real sword they would break. They don't have the support offered by a hilt.”

 

The hanyou thought for a moment then asked, “What if you created a hilt for each blade on the back side of the glove?” Totosai blinked. The hanyou pointed to a place above the back of his hand. “Raise the blades so the base was buried into glove rather than stopping at the knuckles. Also plate the area around the base and all the way down to the elbow. This would create a shield as well as a more supportive base for the blades and it doubles as support for the wrist and arm. I block kicks and strikes with my arms. It would be natural for me to block a sword in the same manner since this weapon is going to be an extension of my combat style.”

 

“I imagine you would want to have one for each arm, but that would restrict the movement of your left.”

 

“I won't need my dexterity if these weapons work out.”

 

“Well, it sounds interesting enough,” said Totosai with a sigh. “I'll need some material to get started.”

 

“What material?” asked Inuyasha.

 

“Will you open your mouth, please?” asked Totosai as he held up a pair of tongs. Inuyasha blinked, glared then reached into his own mouth and tapped the two upper fangs. After a second of hissing they both fell out of his mouth. He handed them over to Totosai. “Thank you, Inuyasha, but I was only going to ask for one.”

 

“I trust you won't waste it,” said Inuyasha. There was a slight hiss in his voice as he spoke. Removing the fangs had hurt.

 

Totosai hummed to himself then turned to the hanyou and said, “Usually I would say it would take three days to complete but it may take longer just so I can work out the details.”

 

“I understand,” replied Inuyasha as he rose. “Take as long as you need. If the work is anything less than perfect then I will die.”

 

****

Four days later…

 

Inuyasha walked around the grassy clearing in confusion. He was certain this was where the Inuyokai no Shiro was supposed to be. The landmarks surrounding the area all matched his memory from when he and his master had passed the castle long ago. They hadn't approached close to it but it had still been visible over the trees. Frustrated, he returned to the old road he had been walking back then and tried to place where he had seen the castle's central pagoda. Nothing was visible over the trees while everything else was as he remembered it. He walked back in the direction where he remembered the castle being long ago but once again found himself in a clearing. He sat down trying to sort out his thoughts.

 

How could a castle just disappear? Shouldn't there be ruins or some sign that it had been here? Inuyasha scratched his head. He knew from the start he would most likely find no one at the castle, expecting it to be destroyed, but for it to be erased? He froze at the thought.

 

He reached out his hands and closed his eyes; stretching his awareness into the land, seeking out the energies of any spells that may have been used in the area. After all this time, all he heard were faint whispers answering his call, but they were clear. Cries of panic and death echoed up from the ground, the last residue of the spell that had destroyed the castle. He opened his eyes and gritted his teeth in frustration.

 

He had come out here looking for clues to his brother's fate while Totosai worked on his new weapon. While the finding was ominous it didn't prove anything. He rose to his feet and walked toward the forest's edge. The trees looked older than the events of long ago. Trees could store energy within themselves. The heartwood may hold more residue from the long ago spell than the earth had. Shrugging he put his hand on the bark and closed his eyes.

 

At first he saw only darkness, then the sluggish life-force of the tree responded. The image of the land around him appeared but it was the present view. It was from the outer edge, his pushed his awareness further in to the trees core. The view changed as the tree showed previous years, all the same. Then found the ring that contained the castle. Holding his thoughts still, he watched. Something exploded from the center of the castle then people fled. A bright light filled everything and the tree expressed fire. The castle was gone as were many of the people. Those who had escaped ran south, fleeing from something else.

 

Inuyasha withdrew his awareness from the tree and staggered. It took his mind to reorient his senses. Trees didn't have nerves like animals and people. To push his mind so far into the heartwood where the residues were meant creating his own path through what had once been living material. He had to visualize his mind like that of a larva chewing its way forward. Sensory input was reduced to create the effect. The return to his own body caused him to become over stimulated and he had to sit on the ground for a moment to steady himself.

 

The survivors headed south, he thought. He looked in that direction. Why did they head that way? He rose then jogged south determined to find some answers.

 

****

 

One day later… (chapter 25 continued…)

 

Sesshomaru stared down at Noriko's sword. He had been wrong. Noriko's sword did have a power; he could feel his insides liquefying. Noriko yanked her sword out; Sesshomaru coughed blood then collapsed to his knees.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” cried Himawari and she leapt forward catching the demon lord when he fell back.

 

Noriko had no time to react to Himawari for at that moment a roar like none she had heard before filled the air. Trees and earth shivered and all other sounds were blotted out by it. Both women looked toward the source and Noriko took a step back. All her men scattered in terror.

 

Sesshomaru's group had disappeared within the serpentine coils of a silver-white dragon. The trees near the party were now kindling and few of Noriko's men who had not retreated fast enough were blood smears on the grass. The dragon's head appeared; its jaws greater in size than Noriko. Its eyes glowed crimson and when it opened its mouth rows of sword like fangs appeared. The throat seemed nothing more than a grand void.

 

Noriko's jaw dropped, her eyes widened and her skin blanched. Naomi? But how? She can't transform! She's never transformed! That human blood within her prevents her from doing so. She had no time to further contemplate the impossibility staring at her now for Naomi let out another roar then lunged at Noriko. The demoness dodged to the side and scrambled to escape. Wood splintered as the massive body flew passed her. Noriko looked back then lunged again as Naomi's claws appeared and slashed at the ground where she had been. Soil, roots and rocks flew up from the gouged earth. Noriko surrounded herself in youki and flew away as a sphere of light, the rest of her people following.

 

Naomi roared and started to give chase then doubled back. She suddenly crashed to the ground and the earth shook from the impact. Her head rested feet from her father, her breath blowing back and pulling forward his and Himawari's hair as she inhaled and exhaled. Her body glowed then shrank until she was once again in her humanoid form. She lay on the ground gasping for air.

 

Kaiyoshinju ran over to her and lifted her shoulders until she was sitting up. “Are you alright, Naomi?” Everyone there, stunned and intimidated as they were, could sense Naomi's youki, or to more accurate, could sense its absence. More alarming was the sudden lack of demon markings on her face. When Naomi cracked her eyes to look at her mother, black irises peered out instead of violet ones. She then fell unconscious without saying a word.

 

Xeno stepped forward and said in quiet voice with a guttural accent, “It would best if we found shelter quickly. Lucifer no waka is greatly injured and Lucifer no hime is spiritually exhausted. The wind is against us and others may soon appear.”

 

It took a moment for everyone to understand what Xeno was saying. First, everyone had to overcome their shock for Xeno never spoke; many had believed he was unable to. Then his accent was thick making the words were difficult to understand as were his references. The context alone gave away who he was speaking about. One of the generals then realized what he was implying. General Raiken, one of the few still remaining from Lord Kenhoshi's time, looked south and his eyes widened. The wind blew from the north and there was blood in the air, dog blood.

 

“Everyone start moving. You three help to carry Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Naomi,” said the general.

 

“I can carry Naomi on my own,” stated Kaiyoshinju, rising from the ground with her daughter in her arms. No one dared to argue.

 

The three men ran over to Himawari and Sesshomaru. The young female was still holding the demon lord but with a free hand was picking up the shards of Tenseiga and placing it inside her obi. Sesshomaru didn't stir in her arms. When the three arrived they realized his wound was worse than they thought. The smell of rot and infection was emanating from the opening. They pulled him from Himawari's arms and carried him away. Himawari remained on the ground picking up shards.

 

General Raiken ran over to her. “Lady Himawari, we must leave now,” he said.

 

Himawari didn't budge as she continued gathering the tiny fragments. “No, we need to gather these shards. I'm certain that if we can get every last piece the sword can be saved,” she said while her hands moved through the grass searching for even more elusive pieces.

 

“I will mourn the loss as well but there is nothing to be done for a sword that has shattered so completely. We cannot remain, we are too near the panther demon tribe's territory and the wind is blowing our scent straight to them,” he stated, orange eyes flashing with irritation. When Himawari refused again to move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Forgive me, but we're leaving now.”

 

Any further protests were silenced by the sound of distant yowling rapidly approaching. General Raiken picked up Himawari and ran carrying her in his arms. He hoped the smell of dragon would throw them off the trail, at least long enough for his clan to gain some distance.

 

****

 

Noriko and her men stopped running once they realized they weren't being pursued. Noriko's heart still hammered every time she looked over her shoulder, convinced the dragon would be there in her shadow. She had never expected the quarter-human dragon would be able to transform. Noriko was certain that Naomi would have done so in the past if she could. This development changed everything.

 

“Lady Noriko! I think the panther demon tribe is on the move!” shouted one of her men. Noriko glanced in the direction he was pointing. A terrifying jaki was filling the southern horizon. “What should we do?”

 

“Return to our people and move them to a safer location,” she said. “We'll wait out this storm.”

 

“What about Sesshomaru?”

 

“Forget him!” she snapped. She thought of her poison blade plunging into his flesh. She knew what her sword was capable of. “He won't survive to sunset anyway.” The group turned away from the approaching panthers and sped away.

 

****

 

General Raiken soon caught up to the fleeing party but only because they had stopped under an outcropping. “What the matter? We can't stop here,” he said he let Himawari down and she ran forward.

 

“General… Lord Sesshomaru…” said one and gestured to their lord. Sesshomaru lay on the ground, awake, but in obvious pain. His arms were crossed over his punctured abdomen; his face had lost all color, even his demon markings had faded to a washed-out blue. Blood dribbled from his mouth and his eyes were clouded.

 

“Leave me,” Sesshomaru wheezed. “I'm… I won't… Please… Go!” The general fell to his knees as his nose told him what his lord was struggling to admit to. Sesshomaru was dying. Someone had collected Bakusaiga prior to their departure; Sesshomaru lifted the blade in one hand. He was planning to use what was left of his life to cover their escape from the panthers.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru,” whispered Himawari as she knelt next to him, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks.

 

“I've… failed,” Sesshomaru whispered between gasps. For General Raiken it was as if he had been stabbed in the heart.

 

“No, Lord Sesshomaru,” he said, shaking his head. “I understand you aren't your father and I deeply regret ever putting that kind of pressure on you, so please…” He stopped when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up into the eyes of Xeno. They were the only things peering out from his hood and veil.

 

“We have no time,” said Xeno, though, General Raiken thought he heard a touch of sorrow in his voice. “Please allow Lucifer no waka his choice of death.” The panthers' jaki was closing fast and they could now hear their cries. Sesshomaru dragged himself to his feet and stared hard at General Raiken

 

“I'm the one who's failed,” said the general as he reached for Himawari, fearing the girl would not abandon her betrothed.

 

Then the yowling behind them turned to shrieks of pain as fire erupted throughout the forest where the cats were.

 

****

 

Inuyasha smelled the dog scent coming from two locations; one rapidly disappearing to the east, the other moving slowly to the north. Then he sensed jaki coming further south and within that a great mass of youki, a daiyokai filled with bloodlust. The eastbound party was already well out of danger but the slower group was right in their path and possibly the target. A chill ran through him and he charged forward, sprinting to intercept the attacking demons.

 

He heard the yowls of cats and he realized it was an entire army coming north. There was no guarantee they would stop with the massacre of the slower group. They once had tried to conquer the western lands which included Tenji. His father had beaten them back and severely wounded the panther daiyokai. He knew the cats were holding a grudge and was more surprised they had waited this long to act. Maybe they hadn't believed the Inu no Taisho was dead.

 

He rotated his ears and lit the forest before him on fire. The cats screamed in pain and he ran into the flames. Using their cries as a guide in the smoke filled area, he struck at ever panther he came across. The panthers were too terrified by the fire to even realize they had an enemy among them. Then the air grew cold and the flames vanished, devoured by the appearance of ice. Ice spears flew through the air and Inuyasha dived to the side to avoid being struck.

 

With the fire out the panthers quickly reorganized and Inuyasha was right in their midst. The cats growled then attacked, using ninja-like tactics and their claws. Without a weapon beyond his fire and claws he was sore pressed to keep up. This was the first time he regretted not keeping Tetsusaiga with him. It could have handled these demons easily. There was little he could do beyond the firestorm jutsu without having to motion with hands and they were busy slapping down all the felines flying at him.

 

He leapt clear of four cats but the realized he had made a critical error. He landed right in front of a huge cat that was almost as wide as he was tall. Inuyasha moved to leap away but was struck by the panther's lightning attack. The hanyou went flying through the trees. He smashed through two trunks before stopping with the third collision. Ice spears filled his vision and several plunged into his torso.

 

For a moment darkness swamped him then his whole body began to burn. The fire started in his heart and licked outward filling him with an overwhelming will to live. Some part of his awareness realized he was crossing a line he shouldn't cross and fought to put out the flames. His heart thumped loudly in his ears and a new warmth, starting at his throat, spread throughout him. It was gentle and softened the burn of the original fire at the same time it seemed to make it stronger.

 

He opened his eyes, several cats appeared before him ready to attack, however they backed away when he looked at them. Orange flames ignited on the ground around him and began circling, spinning until he stood within a cyclone of fire. His body seemed to melt and the ground was suddenly far away beneath him. He wasn't even aware of the change.

 

He was now a huge white dog, towering high above the forest and his body was wreathed in flames. The fire that clung to his paws reached out to the forest surrounding him and the trees grew new buds. The panthers that had been charging him all fled, unable to deal with his knew form.

 

“Inu no Taisho, so you do still breathe,” said a voice that seemed to be perpetually growling. Inuyasha looked toward the voice. The panther daiyokai stood before him, he stood on his hind legs and raised his front paws up. “I will kill you where you stand, Inu no Taisho, and claim your land for my own.”

 

Inuyasha growled and opened his mouth on instinct. Energy built up between his fangs then shot toward the panther daiyokai. The great panther countered with lightning shot from his claws but could only partially block it. He tumbled backwards and Inuyasha charged. The panther slashed at his face and the dog ducked underneath it then caught the wrist with his fangs and bit down. The panther yowled and tore into Inuyasha's right shoulder. Inuyasha released his hold on the panther and howled. The two then separated and began circling. Inuyasha kept his bad side out and away from the panther and the panther did the same with his injured limb. They remained that way for several minutes.

 

The panther daiyokai suddenly lunged toward Inuyasha's flank. The dog demon turned to meet and the panther reversed direction just long enough to weave around Inuyasha's head and lunged for the dog's shoulder. A perfect attack except Inuyasha had foreseen it and been waiting for it. The panther daiyokai instead drove himself onto the end of Inuyasha's extended paw. Inuyasha's paw plunged into the panther's heart and punched through his spine.

 

“Curse you, Inu no Taisho,” he said with a final gasp then went limp. With a growl of pain, Inuyasha yanked his paw out of the giant corpse then turned to see what the other panthers were doing. The sight of their leader falling to the dog demon had taken the fight out of them. They were retreating to the south. Inuyasha raised his head and howled his victory to the heavens.

 

****

 

General Raiken and everyone else stared in disbelief at what they saw. “It can't be,” he muttered. The great dog demon appeared very much like their late lord save for the flames surrounding him. The dog finished howling then turned toward them. Within two steps the dog crumpled and shrank. General Raiken ran down toward where he believed the dog demon to be while shouting over his shoulder for everyone else to remain with Lord Sesshomaru, whom upon seeing the threat nullified had given into his weakness and collapsed.

 

General Raiken followed his nose to the source of dog blood and came across a man leaning against a tree. He stopped, surprised. It was a human man with long black hair and dressed like a priest. He was holding his right shoulder, the fabric stained red with blood.

 

The man glanced over at the general and, in a strained voice, said, “If you're looking for that dog I really am him. I just seemed to have exhausted my youki when I transformed, which was the weirdest thing I have ever had happen to me.”

 

“That was you?” asked the general, mentally chastising himself for believing it might have been Lord Kenhoshi.

 

“Sorry to disappoint you. Now are you going to help me or kill me?” asked the man as he glared at the dog demon.

 

General Raiken sighed then stepped forward to help the exhausted man to his feet. “Who are you anyway? I don't believe we've met.”

 

“It's Inuyasha,” he replied, standing up then leaning on the general. A sheepish smile appeared on his face and he said, “That was so impulsive of me. I didn't think they would have anyone who could put out my fire. I really need to work on my strategies.”

 

“No, you did nothing wrong. Your timing couldn't have been more perfect,” said General Raiken. He carried Inuyasha back toward the group. The other demons were just as surprise as the general had been when the two came upon them.

 

“General Raiken, who is this?”

 

General Raiken settled Inuyasha onto the ground by the outcropping before answering. “He is the dog demon saw either.” When he saw their stunned expressions he added, “There is no one else down there and he claims he's the one who did all that. Considering Lady Naomi's state I can't dismiss it.”

 

Without warning, Inuyasha sat up then looked to his left. General Raiken noticed and glanced in the same direction. Sesshomaru leaned against the same outcropping, gasping and sweating, no longer aware of what was going on around him. Himawari knelt beside him weeping softly. He gritted his teeth and bowed his head; the panthers were gone but Sesshomaru was still lost. He looked up when he heard shuffling. Inuyasha was crawling over to the demon lord.

 

What's he doing? wondered General Raiken with a touch of trepidation.

 

Inuyasha looked Sesshomaru up and down. “I have never seen shouki as concentrated as this before. What was he doing, fighting spiders?” he muttered. Inuyasha sat down and slapped his knee with his good hand. “Feh! And here I was hoping to conserve what was left of my power. Guess there's no helping it.”

 

General Raiken blinked and everyone fell silent as they stared at the human. Inuyasha glanced at Himawari and said, “I'd step back if I were you.” The girl looked at him, confused. “Aniue is tsukiinu so this won't hurt him that much. You, however, are another story.” He raised his hands and a pink orb appeared above his open palms. Himawari backed up a step too confused to do anything but obey.

 

Aniue? thought General Raiken then the image of the orb penetrated his mind. Senki? “Wait!” he shouted but it was too late. Inuyasha slammed the orb into Sesshomaru wound. The dog demon's eyes open wide and he screamed. General Raiken leapt forward, grabbed Inuyasha's horsetail and pulled him away. Inuyasha fell sprawling on his back.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” cried Himawari. Sesshomaru gasped but, to the general's eyes, but his breathing didn't seem as strained as it was a moment ago.

 

“What is wrong with you people?” whined Inuyasha, glaring up at General Raiken from the ground. “Did you want Aniue to die?” Before the general could respond Inuyasha blinked several times then his eyes closed and he was fast asleep.

 

“Unexpected,” said Xeno, startling General Raiken. “I believe the worst has been avoided. I suggest we move to a more sheltered location until the situation is fully understood.” General Raiken glanced at the fire demon then down at Inuyasha and finally back at Sesshomaru. He nodded his ascent. Until everyone had recovered they wouldn't understand anything at all.

 

_________________________________________________________________ _____________

 

Sorry for the long and very boring beginning with Inuyasha and Totosai discussing details. It just didn't make sense to me to have Totosai just decide to make the weapon for no reason. He always struck me as the kind of guy you had to talk into to doing stuff or having to be interested in the request.

 

I hope I got my terminology correct I'm doing this from memory.

Jaki is the evil aura while youki is the actual power, right?

 

Next chapter Inuyasha receives his weapon the Rokukafuga and he changes his name to Kakiboufuu. So from next chapter onward, save the intros, Inuyasha will be known as Kakiboufuu. I place reminders in the following chapters.

 

Also we will be having mega smack-down between the brothers next chapter. Poor Sesshomaru. All you Sesshomaru lovers are going to hate me after this.

 

Chapter 28: The Ascension Ceremony

 

Inuyasha's appearance may have saved the clan but Sesshomaru's position as the new Inu no Taisho is now in question. Will Inuyasha steal his brother's title or can Sesshomaru retain the lordship he has shed so much blood for?