InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Future Incarnations: Inuyasha 2030 ❯ The Poison Imp Spell ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19: The Poison Imp Spell

 

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Naraku laughed maliciously. “Ku ku ku, oh my spell will answer both of your wishes. You only need to wait.”

 

“Wait? Wait for what?” asked Hojo suspiciously.

 

“He means that you must wait for me,” answered a dark shape that slowly walked in through the broken doorway and entered the warehouse.

 

Hojo turned to see a feminine shape walking into the abandoned warehouse. Moonlight streamed in behind her, making her form dark against the ambient light. The moonlight revealed enough that he could see long white hair and a long black dress. As she walked forward he could see her face come more into relief and he could see her high forehead and a widow's peak. She looked like she was a young woman, however he could tell by the reptilian scar around one eye that she was indeed possessed by a demon. Perhaps she was suffering from his same fate. Not quite human, not quite demon--just some sort of ugly shade of grey between the two.

 

“My name is Tsubaki,” the woman added with a gleam in her eye. “And who do you hold in your arms?”

 

Hojo gripped Kagome like she was a precious gift that might be stolen from him. He shifted his body so that it would be harder for Tsubaki to look at her.

 

Tsubaki's eyes widened. “The miko is Kik-yo! You have Kikyo?! And she looks so young! How can she still be so young! I sold my soul to be young forever. Did Kikyo sell her soul as well?” said Tsubaki as she walked up to Kagome.

 

“I don't know what you are talking about,” said Hojo. “And her name is Kagome! I don't know who this Kikyo person is.”

 

“Ah! My mistake,” said Tsubaki as she noted the face of the young girl. “She's her reincarnation is she not, Naraku? What an appropriate miko to use in the spell.”

 

Naraku's steady and impassive glare didn't reveal anything. “I don't know who this Kikyo is that you are referring to Tsubaki. Is she an old enemy of yours?”

 

Tsubaki spat. “Yes, an old rival and I must say that I am surprised that you don't recognize her yourself. After everything that she meant to you…”

 

Naraku's eye's widened. “You know then... Why does this girl seem familiar? Why do I feel drawn to her?”

 

Tsubaki only laughed wickedly. “Now that would only be telling my dear Naraku.”

 

Naraku's eyes narrowed and he shot out a tentacle out to Tsubaki. “You will tell me Tsubaki,” he yelled.

 

Tsubaki only laughed in merriment as his tentacle bounced off a barrier that surrounded her. “Naraku, you were defeated before and now you are reborn. While I have been living for over 500 years. You don't have nearly the power that I have now. Don't even think to tell me what to do. I am only helping you so that the jewel will come into existence again. And I think it is perfectly fitting that Kikyo's old soul be used as fodder for a new Shikon jewel.”

 

Hojo grabbed Kagome, “What do you mean her old soul. You can't take Kagome's soul. It belongs to me. I'll protect her…”

 

Tsubaki laughed even more and then started to chant a low melodic rhythm. Hojo couldn't understand the words, since they seemed to be in a foreign tongue. But he felt evil washing over him and the hair on his skin was raised in goosebump fashion. He started to panic. He needed to get out of here and he needed to take Kagome with him. His new demonic powers allowed him to move quickly and silently with almost inhuman speed. He threw Kagome over his shoulders and attempted to run and jump out of the warehouse. He needed to get away from Tsubaki and Naraku. As he made his first leap he ran into a barrier that sent shockwaves of pain through his body. It pulsed like electrical currents as he hit the barrier surrounding him and the demons.

 

Tsubaki only laughed wickedly as he cursed her. “You can't get through it, you know. Once the barrier is set in place and the spell takes effect—all parties are stuck inside the barrier until there is but one survivor.”

 

“One survivor? What are you talking about?” asked Hojo.

 

“I have enacted the Poison Imp Spell. A spell that sets demons against demon until only one remains,” answered Tsubaki.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Naraku was the one to laugh now. “To create a Shikon Jewel, the jewel of four souls. A shikon jewel requires the souls of demons, a half-demon and a miko. Within this spell your souls will be merged into one and when that happens the shikon jewel will form.”

 

“What the hell is a shikon jewel?”

 

Tsubaki then continued. “A jewel of unlimited power. It can give a demon incredible power and can even grant a wish. But four souls must be sacrificed to make one. It's a pity that you all must be sacrificed. But I must say that it is fitting that Kikyo's reincarnation will be one of the missing ingredients for the new jewel.”

 

“No!” yelled Hojo. Suddenly his body was hit to the side by one of the large wormlike demons that was also bound within the barrier. Kagome's unconscious body fell to the side like a rag doll from the tremendous force.

 

They were all feeling the call. There was a call for bloodlust that permeated the area. It called to their inner demon, asking them to destroy anything around them. Hojo felt a wave of nausea deep inside of him when he realized that the blood lust was also asking him to kill Kagome.

 

“No, not Kagome!” he yelled. He tried to quell the murderous intent deep within him by focusing it at the demon that had just attacked him. He screamed in rage and launched himself at the wormlike creature. He didn't notice, but during his attack spider-like fangs appeared on either side of his mouth and they dripped with venom. Soon he was latched onto a writhing, slithering beast and he bit down hard and deep into the scaly skin. The beast screamed and writhed underneath him as his fangs pumped in more and more venom into the creature. Soon the beast's panicked attempts to writhe shook him off and he landed on the floor near Kagome, almost hitting her.

 

“Kagome…?” he murmured as his abject pity and love for Kagome held off the murderous drive to kill that burned within his blood.

 

Kagome stirred next to him as he tried to gather her in his arms.

 

“Hojo?” she murmured sleepily. As Kagome woke up from the drug induced haze she noticed that Hojo was holding her. He looked strange, but her field of vision was blurry and she really couldn't make out his features very well. She felt wild magics around them and somehow that brought out a feeling of panic from deep within her.

 

She turned in a stupor to look at Hojo and then to look at a number of writhing beasts behind him that were fighting in a deathlike match.

 

“Hojo!” she screamed. It was only pure instinct when she shoved Hojo aside and grabbed her bow and notched an arrow. Her eyesight was hazy and she was still woozy, but a sacred arrow of pure light erupted from her bow and hit a demon. From the sounds she was hearing she could tell that she had hit the demon, but that it wasn't a direct hit. Whatever it was, it was still alive and writhing in pain. “Get behind me Hojo!” she yelled while grimacing. “I'll try to protect you.”

 

“No Kagome, I will be the one protecting you!” said Hojo as he stood in front of Kagome and launched himself at another beast.

 

“No Hojo-kun, you can't possibly be able to fight them…you…,” she wobbled a little as she stood there and noticed that he had made a very impressive leap onto the back of a large snake-like demon. It was almost like the leap that Inuyasha was able to make. “But Hojo couldn't leap like that,” she thought. “Only a demon or half-demon could do that…” She looked at Hojo in confusion before pulling out another arrow and measuring out another shot. She made sure not to hit Hojo, so she tried for a beast that was already in a bloody melee with another beast. This time her aim was sure and her eyesight clearer. The pure blinding light of the sacred arrow hit home and the entire body of the wormlike demon with the face of a cat splintered away into nothingness.

 

She reached into her quiver and felt around for another arrow. There was only one more arrow left. Kagome shivered in terror. There were still two more large demons around her and she couldn't possibly take out both of them with one arrow.

 

-------

Sango felt Kira's fur between her fingers and the rush of the wind in her hair. She was soaring near the clouds and underneath her was the glowing skyline of downtown Tokyo. She should have been scared or frightened. So why was she thrilled by the adrenaline rush that coursed through her? Why did it seem so familiar? Why did having Miroku's hands around her waist as she flew on this demonic cat seem entirely natural? She was born for this. She was born for flying high in the sky on her demonic stead and she was born to fight demons. She grinned, life could be strange—but she couldn't doubt how she felt.

 

She turned to see Miroku who seemed just as content riding behind her on this beast. “How are you holding up Miroku?” she asked.

 

“Ah, Sango darling? I'm holding onto a curvaceous woman and staring at her luscious backside. Do you even need to ask?” he said with a laugh in his voice.

 

Somewhere inside of her she wanted to hug him and hit him all at the same time. But her hands were currently gripping the demonic cats fur and were otherwise occupied.

 

“Inuyasha. How far to Kagome?” asked Sango in an attempt to change the topic.

 

Inuyasha dangled onto Sesshomaru's pelt with one hand and was trying his best to hold the laptop with the other hand without dropping it. He was pulling the glowing laptop screen nearer to his face to discern the online map that pulsed on its surface. “She's about two kilometers away. It looks like they have landed near the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay. At least they are no longer moving,” said Inuyasha.

 

“Who kidnapped her Inuyasha?” asked Miroku.

 

Inuyasha grimaced. “Hojo! Why the fuck is that asshole kidnapping Kagome? And of course Naraku and Kagura were involved as well,” he answered.

 

“Naraku seems to have a predilection of twisting love into hate. Didn't you say that Hojo was always hanging around Kagome and giving her gifts?” asked Miroku.

 

“Oi,” murmured Inuyasha as he still stared intently at the laptop screen. “I'm going to gut the bastard and Naraku when I see them.”

 

Miroku answered in silence as the group made their way to the eastern shoreline.

 

“Over there,” muttered Inuyasha as he pointed to some warehouses near the port of East Tokyo Bay. “The signal is from that building…”

 

The entire group started to descend from the dizzying heights. Cloud-like mist surrounded them as they lightly landed on the ground near an abandoned warehouse.

 

Inuyasha motioned for them to remain silent and then directed them on ahead before he closed up the laptop and set it down. He fingered his sacred sword in his hand as he walked on forward towards a broken door that had fallen halfway off of its hinges. Noises were coming from within the building and it sounded like a battle was going on.

 

Inuyasha crept in slowly with Sango and Sesshomaru by his side. Miroku grabbed his sword--which he had already unsheathed and walked next to Kira who was still following silently on her padded foots.

 

As the group walked through the door they noticed two large snake-like demons battling. One demon was fighting a man who was latched onto its back. And there amongst the battle was Kagome with her bow and arrow. She was ready to shoot and her arrow flamed up with pure white light as she steadied her aim and fired her bow.

 

Shoom. Pschu. The sacred arrow erupted in white flame and hurdled into the side of one of the demons. Once it hit the demon broke apart into a million different small shards of light before fading away into nothingness.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as he ran forward recklessly and brought his sacred sword in front of him.

 

“Son!” yelled Sesshomaru. “You're human today, you can't…”

 

The commotion caused Naraku, Tsubaki and Kagura to turn around to see the new foes that they were facing.

 

Both Kagura and Naraku spoke at once in surprise, “Sesshomaru…?” They were apparently ignoring the crazy human boy who was yelling and trying to hit the barrier with a sword. However, facing a powerful, ancient demon lord was not what they had expected.

 

Tsubaki just laughed. “Oh, this is just too precious. I didn't plan for you to be here. But perhaps you can help me with my plans Lord Sesshomaru.”

 

“This Sesshomaru doesn't help anyone but himself,” answered the demon lord.

 

“Even if it's in your best interests?” asked Tsubaki. “Why are you here? Is it to finally put an end to the demonic sickness that has been enveloping Tokyo? You do know that it was Naraku who has been leading the demonic attacks in this city for the past three years? Shouldn't you do something about that?” Tsubaki looked at him with a sly smile on her face and then turned to look at Naraku whose eyes were narrowing in disgust.

 

Large tentacle-like appendages erupted from Naraku's body with Tsubaki as the target. As the tentacles got too close they hit a barrier and bounced away harmlessly.

 

“You think you can defeat me, Naraku?” questioned Tsubaki dryly. “Maybe 500 years ago you could have defeated me. But I have become more and more powerful over time. I have been collecting demons and making pacts with them over the centuries. I am now more powerful than you ever were! Kagura!”

 

Kagura held a fan in front of her glowing red eyes and then smirked as she called out, “Dance of Blades”. White blade-like objects swarmed around her before flying at Naraku—effectively slicing off many of his tentacles and maiming his body.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the thought of someone else manipulating him into battle, but he would have been attacking Naraku no matter what Tsubaki had said. The demon lord pulled his sword from its sheath and charged forward so fast that he was a blur.

 

“Bakusaiga!” he yelled.

 

While Sesshomaru was facing Naraku—Sango and Miroku were running after Inuyasha in order to help Kagome. When they arrived at Inuyasha's side they could make out a translucent barrier that he had been slicing his sword with.

 

“Come on!” Inuyasha screamed. “Give way dammit! Kagome's in there!” As Inuyasha sliced with his hold sword against the barrier you could see ripples of waves erupting from where he had hit. But nothing else would happen. The barrier was still in place.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha screamed. But Kagome was lost in thought or couldn't hear his screams from behind the barrier. Her quiver was empty. She reached into the waistband and pulled out a knife. Inuyasha recognized it as her `kaiken' knife.

 

“No!” he murmured. It was her ceremonial suicide knife that she had worn while posing in her wedding kimono. Unlike her bow and arrow, Kagome would have to get within inches of her opponent to use the knife.

 

Kagome ran forward while Inuyasha stood by helplessly behind the barrier. He watched as her entire body lit up with purification power. Tendrils of white-pink energy erupted from her body and became focused on the small knife in her hand. Sparks flew from the knife and energy pulsed from her body as she ran forward, oblivious to the screams behind her.

 

 

Oh..a cliffhanger…sorry about that…

 

Next Chapter: Naraku, Tsubaki, Kagura, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Hojo—all fighting in a battle over the shikon jewel. Who is going to live and who is going to die?

 

Author's Notes:

#1: There were lots of guesses as to who the new villain would be, but no one thought about Tsubaki. Bummer! In my story this is the orginal Tsubaki who has been living for over 500 years and who has a score to settle with Naraku. Luckily for Tsubaki, Naraku doesn't remember his past life and doesn't know that Tsubaki might want revenge.

#2: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. Usually I have a new chapter out every week. I have been preoccupied with my next Inuyasha story (which I'm having a heck of a fun time with) and I have already written a chapter in that story. It was also a little harder than normal to write this chapter since it is mainly battle scenes. I'm much better at writing romance scenes. But don't worry--I'll finish this story. It looks like we have just 2 or 3 chapters left in this one.

#3: Slight manga spoiler here (from Inuyasha Vol. 54)… Sesshomaru has two arms—not one and he's using the Bakusaiga sword that can rot away anything it cuts. It's the perfect weapon against Naraku.

#4: Kagome still doesn't know that Hojo was involved in kidnapping her. She still thinks that he was captured because he knew her.

#4: I have another great fanfict author to recommend. Check out Namiyo11—her stuff is wonderful. I really enjoyed two of her stories: “Kaori Kusari, Kokoro Kusari” and “Happy Ending Delayed: A Fairy Tale”. Check them out!

 

Special thanks to the following reviewers:

Tsukihime nee: Sorry that you were stumped. But now you know who the new villain is. Yes, the story will be done. There isn't much left to write now.

Blackdeathmessenger: Ah, good guess with Onigumo. Thanks for trying. I hope that your new story gets posted soon. Please send me a message when you do. I had fun brainstorming with you. It should be REALLY interesting!

Devil Rebel: Nope, sorry that it wasn't Onigumo. No one guessed that it was Tsubaki, I guess that she was too minor for people to guess. But she's one of the only villains that could have been alive over the past 500 years. So I thought that I would use her. Yes, I'll keep writing. This story is almost done.

Njblackwolf: Good guess with Magatsuhi. Sorry…

Sofiakalaughable: Nope, not Hakudoshi the baby. Thanks for trying to guess though…