InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven and Earth ❯ Combat for Tenseiga ( Chapter 11 )

WARNING!! This chapter contains elements of light yaoi

 

Chapter 11: Combat for Tenseiga

 

Everyone was again back in the council room waiting to hear what the council had decided, Inuyasha had been directed to sit with the others and he was not happy. They all noticed that Joshin had the Tenseiga on her lap.

 

“Step forward, Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Mitsukai,” Eimai stated seriously. “We have decided that you will battle for the right to carry the sword Tenseiga. This will happen tonight in the tournament ring, we will send servants to prepare you.”

 

“Hey, that's not fair!” yelled out Inuyasha. “How can he fight her if he's mortal?”

 

Eimai stepped forward and coming down onto the floor, walked to Mitsukai and laid his hands upon her, she immediately began to change. Her hair now black as Sesshoumaru's, her wings disappeared and her eyes changed to hazel. She fell to her knees before the old man, “What have you done to me?” she questioned, her voice high with anguish.

 

“Does this meet your approval for fairness?” he asked, looking at Inuyasha and ignoring Mitsukai. Inuyasha smirked and nodded.

 

The old man then addressed the former angel, “You will remain in this form unless you defeat Lord Sesshoumaru, if he defeats you and you survive, you will return him to his demon form and he will gain the Tenseiga. You must learn your place Mitsukai” he said, not using the honorific. “This is to be your punishment for your brashness. We are adjourned until this evening.” All the members rose and left the hall leaving a distraught former angel sitting on the floor. Sesshoumaru and the rest left without a backwards glance.

 

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Later that evening two servants came to Sesshoumaru's room. He was there alone; the rest of the group in their own rooms had left him to prepare himself. He was glad for the time alone and the peace and quiet. He was silently meditating when the two angels knocked and entered.

 

“We have come to get you ready for your battle,” one of the servants told him, a small, lithe brown haired male.

 

“You will wear the traditional Idaten garments. They will allow ease of movement for you.” The larger male began to unfold the clothing he had brought. It didn't seem like much to Sesshoumaru, from what he could see, it looked like a bunch of leather straps.

 

Sesshoumaru began to undress, the smaller angel helping, taking his garments and putting them away neatly. He stole glances at the human, trying to control his impulse to run his hands over the delicious body before him.

 

The larger of the two began to dress Sesshoumaru. Most of the top did indeed consist of black leather straps that criss-crossed over his chest, tying behind his back. The style was meant for the unhindered movement of wings. There were black leather pants, that Sesshoumaru thought fit a bit too snugly.

 

“You do not want flowing garments in battle, now there is nothing for your enemy to grab onto” the angel informed him.

 

He passed Sesshoumaru black gloves and tied leather thongs around his bicep, wrist and thighs. “The gloves will give you better grip on your sword, the ties on your wrist are for support and the ones on your thighs and bicep are for holding smaller weapons,” the older male explained, as he put each piece on, placing sharp daggers under the straps on his arm and legs.

 

“You may wear your own boots and use your own sword,” he told Sesshoumaru as he finished putting the last leather wrist wrap on. He stepped back and had to admire the tall human before him. “Good luck, they will call for you when it's time,” he gave the younger male a shove to get him to stop staring and leave.

 

Sesshoumaru went to the large mirror and blushed when he looked at himself. He was not used to wearing things that were quite so revealing, especially in front of the crowd he knew would be watching. His vanity began to take over the more he looked though, giving himself a smirk he thought, guess I do look pretty good. His smirk left him as he thought of the upcoming battle. He knew this would be difficult even if they were both human, remembering how well she fought the first time they had met and he knew that he would have to use all his training to defeat her.

 

Sesshoumaru decided to go and see if he could find the others before he went to the arena. The others were going to his room the same time he stepped out, they stood with various thoughts going through their heads as they gazed on the dark haired, very sexy, Sesshoumaru.

 

Inuyasha - FUCK DAMN! He can't go out there like that, everyone will be staring at MY…!! The word mate went quickly through his head bewildering him. And what the fuck is Kagome staring at him like that for? He thought instead to take his mind off the confusing message his youkai had just sent him.

 

Kagome - OH MY GAWD! He is so…is he blushing? How HOT is that! Oh, if he would just turn around.

 

Sango - Oh my…Am I drooling? She thought, as she lifted her hand to her mouth.

 

Miroku - I like girls…I like girls…I like girls…I like girls…etc

 

Shippo couldn't figure out why everyone was being so quiet and staring at Sesshoumaru. He looked weird in that get up but nothing note worthy as far as he could tell.

 

“You can't wear that, I forbid it!” cried out Inuyasha, his face going ruddy with indignation.

 

Sesshoumaru glared at him, what does he mean, he forbids it. No one forbids this Sesshoumaru anything. “Maybe you would like to explain why you even care what I wear.” Sesshoumaru hissed, his eyes narrowing.

 

“Uh…well…I…you…damn it!” was all Inuyasha could manage to spit out as he noticed everyone looking at him curiously. His face furrowed into a huge frown. He knew he couldn't tell them why he didn't want his brother to display himself like that. Except for me, he should just wear that for me, he thought sulkily. He then looked over to Kagome, her face was tinted pink, her eyes big with a goofy grin on her face; she had gone back to looking at Sesshoumaru. “Oi, wench, what are you looking at?” he asked with more anger than he intended. It did get the result he was looking for; she stopped looking at his drool worthy brother and cast a furious look at him.

 

Before Kagome could sit him, the sound of a slap was heard throughout the corridor. Miroku, in his own special way, had also gotten Sango to stop looking.

 

Sesshoumaru put his nose in the air and started to walk away, upset with Inuyasha. He made sure to walk very close to Kagome and give her a sexy grin just to piss his brother off.

 

I think it's getting hot in here, the teen girl thought, waving her hand in front of her face and smiling back.

 

Inuyasha began to growl; his face looked like a storm cloud about to burst. Before he could say something he might be sorry for, the snotty angel they had met earlier came down the hallway.

 

“We are ready for you in the tournament ring, I will escort you.” They all followed the angel outside and took a path that went around to the back of the castle. At the end of the path was a huge round open topped building. They went inside, the servant saying to Sesshoumaru, “Continue straight and go through the doors into the arena. The rest of you follow me and I'll take you to where Lady Joshin is sitting. She wanted you to be her guests.”

 

Inuyasha approached Sesshoumaru before he could move off. “Be careful,” he warned, looking down at the ground. He was still annoyed, but was trying in his own way to show his brother that he was sorry for his former outburst.

 

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly, “I will defeat her” he quipped with more bravado than he actually felt at the moment. He then turned and walked away towards the doors.

 

“Please be seated,” Joshin motioned to the empty seats as the group entered. They could see Sesshoumaru on the floor of the arena below them. He was at one end; Mitsukai was at the other, dressed exactly in the same outfit as Sesshoumaru. Both had retainers beside them giving them last minute instructions.

 

These angels seem a most lusty bunch, thought Miroku as he noticed the many beings around them. Many were wearing pretty well next to nothing and were unashamedly staring wantonly at the two humans on the floor below. It was very loud in the arena, everyone talking, joking and betting; waiting for the match to begin.

 

Joshin stood and immediately everything went quiet with not even the rustle of a feather being heard as everyone sat and waited. “We are here today to bear witness to a battle for the right to carry the Tenseiga, the sword of heaven. This sword belonged to our lord Tenjin who gave it to the Inu No Tashio for his aid in war. This passing of the sword was witnessed by Eimai at the time of our lord's death. My daughter, the lady Mitsukai, wrongly took the sword from the lord Sesshoumaru, son of Inu no Tashio and changed him from his demon form into what you see before you. For this, her punishment is to also become human unless she can defeat the lord Sesshoumaru and gain control of the sword though fair combat. If she loses, he will again become demon and the sword will be returned to him.” She paused dramatically then added, “So says the council, so say I. Let the match begin!”

 

Loud cheers went up as the two combatants made their way to the center of the arena, swords drawn. Sesshoumaru had the sealed Toukijin while Mitsukai had a sword Sesshoumaru had not seen before. Her Ingatekimen was useless to her; in her human form she was unable to even lift it.

 

They both circled around each other, Sesshoumaru maintaining his cool demeanour noticing that she didn't seem as sure of herself as when she was in her full angel form. He gave a slight smirk which Mitsukai saw.

 

Her eyes blazed with fury and she came at him, surprising him with her quickness. She brought her sword down on an angle, trying to slice across his shoulder and chest. He twisted out of the way putting his sword up to clash with her's, and he pushed back strongly to put her off balance. It didn't work. She was pushed back, but she maintained her footing and again attacked, making Sesshoumaru step back to get out of the way as she tried to decapitate him. He felt the breeze as the sword whizzed past his throat.

 

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's arm as she saw how close the sword had came to Sesshoumaru's neck gasping. “Be careful!” she yelled out, but there was so much noise in the stands that there was no way Sesshoumaru would have been able to hear her voice.

 

Inuyasha was gripping the railing in front of him, his claws cutting into the wood. He wanted to jump in and help his brother and it was taking all his control not to do so.

 

Mitsukai was keeping Sesshoumaru on the defensive; he kept moving backwards and knew he was going to have to do something before she could get a good strike in when her sword connected to his side, slicing along his ribs. The wound wasn't deep, but it stung, and he hissed the air in between his teeth at the sensation of pain. Mitsukai, seeing the blood beginning to drip gave him a smirk, her eyes lighting up with enjoyment.

 

Anger swelled in his chest and he struck out viciously at her, giving her a matching smirk as he saw the wound he had made on her thigh.

 

“Sesshoumaru's bleeding!” cried out Sango. She didn't have to tell Inuyasha, he could smell it and it was making his demon twitchy. The wood beneath his fingers made a cracking noise as he gripped down harder and his claws began to lengthen very slightly.

 

Both fighters were clashing together again and again, each able to draw blood a couple of more times. They were both breathing hard and sweat was rolling off their bodies. Neither could seem to get the better of the other. Although Sesshoumaru was a bit stronger than Mitsukai, what she lacked in brute strength she more than made up for in quickness and agility, able to get away before any serious damaging wounds could be inflicted. Sesshoumaru began to receive a few more wounds than he could deal out, the loss of blood making him dizzy.

 

Kagome was the first to notice that something wasn't right with Inuyasha. She heard him growling menacingly and when she looked over she could see his claws and teeth had lengthened, his eyes tinged with red. “Inuyasha,” she cried out, alerting Miroku who was on the other side of the hanyou.

 

“It's the smell of the blood, its making his youkai break free,” he said, worried that the Tetsaiga was going to be unable to hold his demon side in check. It's too pure here; the sword isn't working as well.

 

“We have to get him away from here,” he told Kagome who was trying to get Inuyasha to look at her and stop changing. They both tried to bodily remove him, but he growled and struck out fiercely at them, his eyes going completely red. Some of the others around began to notice as well and many tried to scramble out of the way of the enraged demon before them.

 

Sesshoumaru's mating mark began to sting and he looked up quickly to Inuyasha in time to see his brother change into his demon form. He also noticed that the Idaten guards had noticed too and were stringing arrows into the bows they had with them, aiming them at Inuyasha.

 

Mitsukai saw that Sesshoumaru was distracted and reached for the small dagger at her thigh. Grabbing it she flung it towards him while blocking a blow with her sword. Sesshoumaru saw the dagger coming a bit late, he tried to move sideways to avoid it, but it struck him hard, embedding itself into his left shoulder making him cry out in pain.

 

Inuyasha's head spun to the sound of his mate crying out, the sight and smell of the blood driving him to do something, to protect his mate. He leapt into the air and over the railing, arrows whizzed by just missing him. He didn't even notice as he advanced on the two fighting humans.

 

Sesshoumaru was on the ground lying on his back, Mitsukai above him. She lifted both arms into the air to bring the sword down on her fallen prey when Sesshoumaru stabbed up with the Toukijin, running it though her chest. Her eyes opened in surprise and then dulled as she slumped forward embedding the sword further into herself. Panting hard, he rolled out of the way as she fell, dead to the arena floor.

 

The arena had gone deathly quiet, Joshin standing as she saw her daughter fall. Kagome and the others had jumped the railing and were trying to stop Inuyasha as he advanced on the fallen Sesshoumaru, his eyes crazed in blood lust, drool dripping from his fangs. He kept lunging out at them driving them back, not listening to their pleas. His ears twitched towards his brother, “Mate, help me,” Sesshoumaru whispered so that others would not hear, knowing that his brother would. His consciousness was beginning to fade from the amount of blood he was losing. He knew he had to get Inuyasha away, he could see the other angels advancing on his crazed brother, swords drawn and arrows notched. They would kill him if they could and Sesshoumaru had to stop it, even if it meant the cost of his own life. He could not stand to live if Inuyasha was dead.

 

Inuyasha was by his side in a flash picking him up and leaping into the air, out of the arena. All the others could do was watch and pray that Inuyasha would not kill Sesshoumaru.

 

The demon that was Inuyasha laid his heavily bleeding brother on the ground in a field far from the castle, crawling on top of him, sniffing and nipping at the wounds, growling ferraly. Sesshoumaru was still conscious by strength of will only. He knew if he were to pass out that his brother, in his blood lust, might kill him. He had to try to bring Inuyasha back to himself.

 

Knowing that the demon inside his brother had taken over, he tried to appease it by throwing his head back, completely exposing his throat in total submission. Inuyasha stopped growling and biting at him, instead he began to lick at the wounds on him, whimpering slightly in distress.

 

“Mate,” groaned Sesshoumaru quietly, again trying to appease the demon and establish who he was to Inuyasha's frenzied brain.

 

“Mine,” growled out Inuyasha, “My mate.” His voice was beginning to come back to normal, the gruffness leaving it slowly. Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to see two golden ones looking at him with worry and fear, the Tetsusaiga finally able to do its job of sealing his demon side now that Sesshoumaru had submitted so wholly to it.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed and then passed out, glad that his brother was back to normal.

 

“Sesshoumaru?” questioned Inuyasha quietly, shaking him to get him to respond. When he didn't, Inuyasha put his hand to his brother's pulse point and could feel his heart beating slowly. Damn it! I've got to get him back; he'll die if he stays human. Inuyasha was confused; he had called Sesshoumaru his mate. Kagome is supposed to be my mate, not him. He was just an outlet, a way to control my demon side. He ignored his troublesome thoughts as he lifted Sesshoumaru and made his way back to the castle.