InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Grope Lest Ye Be Groped ❯ The Final Incident ( Chapter 5 )

Notes: This chapter is more serious than usual, given the need to continue the plot and all that. There is also an abundance of Miroku-torture, mostly because I'm an evil person. Anyway, this is the next to last chapter and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, "Sengoku o-Togi Zoushi" and its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

The Final Incident or Naraku's Evil Plot and Miroku's Final Battle?

It was a strange sight to be seen. A handsome, though harried looking monk moving with incredible speed, over rock and root alike from two beautiful young women. Any onlookers of the curious chase might have wondered what could make a man run so quickly away from such…temptation. Were Miroku not running for his life and very sanity, he might have told them.

But he was having enough trouble keeping both perverted thoughts about Sango and Kagome finally catching him and fatalistic thoughts of Inuyasha maiming him afterwards. Life, as it was custom to be, was truly unfair.

Miroku, feeling breathless and restless took a worried gaze behind him. He half expected to find Kagome and Sango dashing after him like women possessed, which they technically were and was disheartened to find no trace of them.

He had lost them at last. A sorrow really, Miroku thought despondently. I wonder what would have happened had they actually caught me. It took everything he could muster not to visualize it. Despite his lustful stirrings, Miroku knew that he was in a precarious position. He had no knowledge of the youkai that might be residing in the area and was alone.

Having the Air Rip certainly made him more than a match for most youkai, but a previous incident with a praying-mantis youkai had tore the opening. A month had not fully passed

and the injury was still healing, as was necessary to diminish the risk of death.

Miroku sighed in frustration and cursed his foolishness. There was no way he could go back, not with Sango and Kagome as they were. Inuyasha could also be in need of aide and his presence would most likely prove to be a greater distraction. Miroku was trapped no matter what he did.

It was then that he began to sense something. Putting all thoughts aside but that of his training, Miroku focused intently upon revealing his potential foe. He looked heavenward and was distressed to find the shapes of numerous youkai of all shapes and variations. Those in the shapes of jagged birds, disembodied heads…even one that may have resembled a large snake.

Damn. The situation had gone from bad to far worse. He could open the Air Rip and simply draw the youkai into it, most likely dying in the process or try and return to the others, either dying before or when he arrived. Either way, Miroku lost.

Given the options, Miroku made his decision. Erecting a barrier would prevent his attackers from rending him limb from limb for a time, but still, why prolong the inevitable? Returning to Inuyasha and the others would probably grant him the best (long) moments of his life, at least until the hanyou used the Tetsusaiga to cut him into little pieces. Unless he had actually joined in on the-

Once again, Miroku ceased his line of thinking. He was a perverted monk, not a twisted one. He clutched his right hand tightly and slowly proceeded to remove the protective rosary from the glove that covered it. He was in no rush to die and the youkai above seemed to be taking their time in getting to him.

"I'll devour his liver!" One of the heads screamed, drool dripping from its gaping mouth.

One of the misshapen birds swatted him. "I get his heart! I'll feel it burst in beak!"

Feeling slightly disturbed as the youkai came ever closer, Miroku removed his glove. So this is to be the end of me… Miroku sighed lightly. So be it.

"Houriki!" He shouted, calling upon his holy powers and rousing the Air's Rip's power. The youkai were drawn forward immediately, while Miroku struggled against the developing pain. The Air Rip would expand soon, devouring not only the youkai, but him as well.

And just when Miroku had almost forsaken hope, something both wonderful and terrible happened. Before he could blink, Miroku was suddenly knocked off his feet and sent sprawling on his back. The swarming youkai screeched gleefully when the Air Rip was hastily covered and launched themselves downward, ready to kill.

But it was the youkai who faced death. The shell-shocked Miroku barely blinked before the murderous youkai exploded into an array of body parts and blood right above him. Covering the Air Rip hurriedly and doing his best to avoid the falling carcasses, Miroku glanced about curiously to find his would be savior. Once he did so, it took all measures of control for him to keep from screaming.

Standing not too far away from him were two of the most hideous youkai Miroku had ever seen. Their lower bodies resembled those of snakes, lengthy and covered in molted green scales, were intimidating enough. But it was their upper bodies that made Miroku almost wish to be once again at Inuyasha's mercy.

Naked from the waist up, these new arrival basically resembled human women, aside from their four, razor claw tipped hands and scales in assorted places. Their heads were another story entirely. Like their lower bodies, they bore a resemblance to snakes, from their hairless, scaly heads, slit eyes and four large fangs, which were clearly exposed when they smiled. As they were doing now.

Miroku really didn't like their smiles. They were meant to be tempting, offering secrets and pleasure and seemed completely wrong on the faces of beings so hideous.

"They baboon-pelted one was correct." Murmured one of the snake-women, her voice a low, grating, hiss. "This one does look more succulent then the last."

"Much more." The second agreed with a nod. "Surely worthy of two beautiful hanyous such as ourselves."

Paling considerably, Miroku's mind raced. The deep holes behind both of the hanyous indicated that they had burrowed beneath the ground to reach him and as for the "baboon-pelted one," Miroku was positive it had been Naraku.

Naraku had somehow found out about his plight and send his youkai and these two hanyous to…Miroku felt beads of sweat drip down from his forehead. He didn't want to know what these snake-women had planned for him. Most likely, it wasn't going to be pleasant.

With dual speed and motions, both hanyous slithered closer to Miroku. Their eyes gleamed wickedly and their arms were spread, as to envelop the suffering monk in a horrific embrace.

Miroku stood awkwardly, doing his best to back away slowly. "How may a noble monk like myself be of service to such…lovely women?" He spoke with strained composure, hoping to provide some distraction while he made his escape.

Both snake-women gazed at each other, then at Miroku with amusement.

"The full-blooded ones will not have us, though what we desire most is an heir. One who wore the skin of a baboon came into our lair earlier and we chose him to be our mate."

"He told us of one who was even more delicious looking than he, a monk who traveled about the world with our cause. We released him in exchange for the location of this mortal and have now come to claim you."

Miroku listened to the dual explanations with horror, but very little surprise. It was so like Naraku to do whatever possible to make him suffer. But this…this was truly cruel.

Brandishing his staff tightly, Miroku gave the twin hanyous a cold glare. "The goal you and I share is not the same. I am looking for an heir, but with a human woman as its mother. I'm afraid that you have come in search of the wrong person."

Both snake-women stiffened at Miroku's response, their backs arching and jaws clenching. Without warning, the one slithering at the right attacked, sinking her fangs into Miroku's arm before he struck her in the face with his staff.

The hanyou was dislodged, but her sister came at Miroku with equal speed and viciousness and mimicked her attack perfectly. Miroku stumbled, feeling dizzy and disoriented due to what he assumed to be poison spread by his assailant's bites. Then at once, both snake-women lunged forward, knocking Miroku backwards for the second time that day and pouncing on him.

They tore at his robes in a frenzy, making Miroku wonder if they were even aware of him in their cursed state. He could also feel his own breathing becoming labored and his near clothing-less body receive several deep scratches due to the claws on eight busy hands.

Miroku had thought his encounter with Inuyasha to be the worst of his curse-caused experiences. But there was no word to describe what he was going through. He would most likely die from the poison, but not before being assaulted by two insane hanyous. Miroku only prayed that he would die as he had lived…heirless.

As things were about to get even worse, neither the doomed Miroku nor the crazy snake-women noticed something moving on the ground behind them. Just as the Miroku was about to have a far more painful and scarring recreation of his previous experiences, the ground seemed to tremble with the sound of a rumbling roar.

Both hanyous gave terrified shrieks. Miroku's vision had become to bleary for him to make out more than simple shapes, but he would have sworn he saw the lengthy body and the almost noble face of a dragon.

Whatever the case, the hanyous leapt from his body and slithered back into their respective holes, screaming and yelling frenetically as they proceeded to dig. Feeling relief, yet no real joy, Miroku allowed himself to sink into darkness…

~*~

The enormous dragon ran towards the fallen monk, its fearsome appearance becoming all the more human with every second.

Sinking down to her knees, ignoring the dirt and fifth of the road, Lady Sakura bent over the unconscious Miroku. She hesitatingly placed a thin hand onto his slashed chest and concentrated. It had taken so much of the little power she possessed to create the curse she had put upon the lecherous monk and even more of it to maintain the illusion long enough to frighten away his attackers.

Lady Sakura chanted softly, doing her best to channel her energy into healing Miroku. Healing wasn't something she usually did, being a witch and granting wishes took up most of her time. But she had been the one to get the unfortunate man into his predicament, she owed it to him to do her best to help.

"I have been watching you for some time, houshi-sama." Lady Sakura muttered. "And I suppose I was not really thinking when I cursed you. I was trying to teach you a lesson, not kill you." Lady Sakura frowned when she noticed that a thin smile had appeared on Miroku's lips.

"And I certainly did not intend for you to enjoy it!" She snapped uncharacteristically. "You keep dangerous company and I was foolish not to realize that. My only hope is you forgive me for my errors and for what you have been through."

Lady Sakura removed her hand and was satisfied to see that the wounds that had covered Miroku's body were completely gone, leaving only the unconscious monk amid his greatly shredded robes.

"Despite what has happened houshi-sama, you are a person of remarkable luck. It is not every day in which one is attacked by two women and three hanyous, yet still remains unclaimed."

"Miroku-sama!"

"Miroku!"

"Houshi-sama!"

The sounds of voices, a male and two feminine ones at that, caused Lady Sakura to stop speaking and swiftly stand. She glanced down at Miroku and sighed. "You need not fear the presence of your companions any longer, for I have removed my curse and its devices. Whether or not you've actually learned anything from this experience remains to be seen."

Lady Sakura gave a final nod and began to walk away slowly. "Farewell."

Moments later her form vanished completely, leaving Miroku alone, with Kagome, Sango and Shippou drawing ever closer…

~*~

From his hidden castle and within the darkness, Naraku swore furiously. His carefully constructed plan had fallen to ruins, all due to the interference of some meddlesome bitch. He extended a hand to the Hell Insect who had brought him the deplorable news, then wasted no time in crushing it mercilessly.

But what Naraku really wanted to kill was the two worthless hanyous who should have used and eaten Miroku with no interruption, yet were stupid enough to fall for the simplest of tricks.

I should skin those miserable wenches alive, Naraku mused furiously. It was a welcome idea and it would serve to take his mind off his most recent failure. He stood regally, his violet eyes flaring.

"You may yet live Miroku, but soon I will take great pleasure in changing that."

Unwilling to waste any more thoughts on the lecher, Naraku took up his baboon-pelt and grinned wickedly. There were things to do and wenches to kill.

"Kukuku…"

~*~

In our final chapter, "Normal Once Again?-Epilogue"