InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ The Fate of a Fallen Monk ( Chapter 66 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kanna37 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.04.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 577 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.04.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 577 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 66: The Fate of a Fallen Monk
Sugimi paused, taking a breather as the combat rolled on around him – he'd found himself a bit cut off from the rest of the fighting as he'd taken on his last foe. Looking around at the chaos on the field, he took note of all his people nearby, and found that, though there'd been some losses, they were still holding strong, and doing a great deal of damage to Ungai's forces.
At that thought, his eyes narrowed, and he searched the battlefield for the monk's aura... and found it not far from where he was, though, rather than his own aura, he instead scented richly of Sou'unga.
That made his blood surge – he was well acquainted with that one, and looked forward to battling against him this time – if given the chance.
Streaking towards that aura, Sugimi passed across the battlefield in a brilliant white streak, coming to a halt in front of the monk who was practically foaming at the mouth because the sutra his monk's were casting weren't working too well. Fury was etched tightly on his face as he fought one of the humans from some village somewhere, and from the looks of it, was going to overwhelm the man within mere moments.
Poised to deliver the killing blow, Ungai fell back in shock as his staff clashed against metal, instead of the man's unprotected head, and he stared at the youkai he was facing with virulent hatred.
Sugimi didn't take his eyes off the monk, but addressed the exhausted male laying on the blood slicked ground. “Go find another foe to fight, I will take over here.”
The panting man nodded, pulled himself to his feet, and grabbed his sword from where it had fallen before disappearing into the chaos of the battle.
Ungai stared at his opponent with narrowed eyes. “You are not Sesshoumaru, but you are very like him. Who are you?” he demanded, though Sou'unga knew full well who he was, and was furious about it.
“You are correct. I am not Sesshoumaru, I am his father. And you are nothing but a pathetic excuse for a male and a monk who must try to compensate for his failings by destroying the natural order of things.” He watched carefully as the male began to rant – he wanted him kept off-guard – it would keep Sou'unga from taking full control, and Sugimi was trying everything he could to give his son and Kagome time to get back. He was fully aware that Sesshoumaru was supposed to deal with Sou'unga, and Kagome was to seal him, and then deal with her final foe – Sosa no Wo.
He shivered at that thought – he didn't envy her one bit.
“You may not be Sesshoumaru, but you are youkai, and should be destroyed!” Ungai shouted, a mad light in his eyes as he attacked, his staff flashing and spinning against Sugimi's sword. As much as he seemed to be a competent warrior, a staff was really not made to fight against such a sword as Sugimi held, and it showed as the staff began loosing chunks at each strike.
Sugimi could have taken his staff from him at any time, and it was true that he was merely toying with him, drawing his comeuppance out as much as possible. But, being where they were, in the middle of one huge-ass fight, it was no surprise that other opponents stumbled between them at times, or even engaged them here and there.
He was astonished, though, when the mad monk actually picked up a sword from a fallen warrior, and attacked one of his own monks for getting in his way.
This bastard doesn't care who he kills!
Just then, he raised his blade to catch the sword that Ungai was attempting to brain him with, then kicked the monk in the gut, shoving him back and knocking him on his ass. He chuckled at the sight of Ungai covered in blood and guts, mud and debris.
“I see you are now where you belong, you viper... crawling in the mud. It suits you,” he jeered, laughing even more at the furious red face of the monk, even as he turned on his heel and beheaded the samurai sneaking up on him from behind.
He whipped back around at the feral scream coming from Ungai, shocked at the sight that met his eyes...
-cCc-
Zetsumei had stayed close to the big daiyoukai, even as difficult as it was when the white demon flashed out of sight; he simply followed his aura, an evil grin forming on his lips as he took in who Sugimi was fighting.
Watching the fight closely, he smirked as he took note of the fact that the dai was merely toying with the monk, and he kept that smirk as he engaged his own enemies here and there while watching for his chance.
Finally, after Sugimi had kicked Ungai to the ground, and then turned to attack the samurai sneaking up on him, he saw his time had come, and took it, throwing himself at the monk still struggling to regain his feet, continuously slipping on the gore-slicked ground.
Zetsumei grinned toothily down at the horrified monk, his fangs gleaming. “So,” he hissed sibilantly, “the great Ungai has been toppled by a youkai and put in his rightful place... on the ground before his betters. And now, the fate that you dealt out to me will be yours, monk, as I absorb your soul and keep it prisoner within me for as long as I live!” he said with relish, even as he opened his mouth and began to suck Ungai's soul right out of his body.
It was at that point that Sugimi turned back around, stunned to see what was happening, but not inclined to try to stop it, he merely watched, finding it ironic that the man who had hated youkai so much, was now being swallowed by one.
Still, with Ungai now gone as the hanyou before him took the last of his soul, Sou'unga was free to take over the body – and he was a much more formidable foe.
“Your name, soldier?” Sugimi asked as a grimly pleased hanyou stood above the monk's fallen body.
“My name is Zetsumei,” he said with a slight bow.
Brow rising at that, Sugimi nodded. Death, eh? Fitting... “He did harm to you and yours?” he asked, curious as to why this hanyou had been driven to do such a thing.
“He tortured me to near death, and enjoyed every bit of my pain. For that, I will repay him a thousand-fold over the years of my life. By the time I die, Ungai's soul will no longer exist,” the half-demon replied, and Sugimi's brows rose higher, finding the whole thing just too ironic for words.
Amaterasu's hand was written all over this one – that woman just loved irony, and the more ironic, the better.
He nodded at the hanyou, and then watched as the male moved back into battle, attacking a couple of samurai trying to stay in formation a short distance away. Even with their leader fallen, the forces were too engaged now to back out and surrender, and would have to play the thing out to the end.
He turned and engaged a few enemies, beheading some and simply skewering others with an elegant hand as he waited for what he knew was coming...
Sou'unga, alive and in total control of a body for the first time in all the eons since he'd been bound to a blade.
Hurry up, Sesshoumaru...
-cCc-
Inside Zetsumei's soul, a fallen monk's soul screamed at the darkness that hissed and nibbled at him, voices whispering of pain and agony and sheer, unending torture. It was just like his dream last night...
Soon enough, the nibbles became great, rending bites as unseen and invisible creatures feasted on the hate, malice, and madness in his soul, and in the darkness, he cried out for an absolution that would never come.
He begged, he pleaded, cried and screamed, and still, the maddening pain kept coming, even as hope began to fade from him, and he began to be digested, integrated into the very thing he'd hated with so much vigor...
And even the great Buddha found no reason to save the monk's tattered soul, turning his back on one who had fallen so low, and taken his teachings and twisted them to favor his own agenda.
It was a fitting ending for one who had threatened gods and destroyed so much of what they had created, and the kami watched, pleased, as he finally fell into oblivion...
Ungai was no more, there was only a nameless revenant left screaming in the darkness of Zetsumei's soul.
-cCc-
Back to back, Inuyasha and Nyoko were fighting their own battles, taking on an entire clan of samurai with Sango and Miroku nearby... and most of her taijiya also present. There was little chance for a breather, at least, not until they'd wiped this group off the face of the earth, and Inuyasha, for one, was just fine with that.
Raising his sword, he caught his opponents blade high up, and twisted his own sword arm, knocking the samurai's sword down and away, leaving him open and defenseless. With one rapid thrust, he skewered the man, who promptly folded over. Inuyasha kicked the body off his sword, and into the body of the next soldier, who immediately tumbled to the ground, and was quickly sliced in two.
Eyes flickering rapidly between red and gold, Inuyasha lifted his nose into the air, enjoying the scent of his enemies blood that lay thickly over the battlefield. Looking quickly back over his shoulder, he took note of how Nyoko was holding up, and was surprised to see quite a few bodies laying at her feet, courtesy of her poniard.
“Heh – guess that pigsticker does come in handy, eh? Especially when there's plenty of pigs to stick!” he chortled, beheading a soldier that thought to take him off-guard, and then flicking Tessaiga in an arc to clear some of the blood from it. “Oi! Sango, Miroku – you guys doin' okay over there?” he shouted, wiping away a few drops of blood from a cut on his forehead.
Sango grinned, a look just as feral as any demon's crossing her face as she crossed swords with another opponent. “Just fine, Inuyasha,” she hollered back as she thrust and parried, her smirk lost on the male she was fighting, who was convinced she would be an easy kill.
Because after all, everyone knows that women can't fight.
He was still thinking that as he went down, her blade embedded in his heart. Pulling her sword free, she reversed it, ramming the blade through the torso of a soldier trying to attack Miroku, who was busy with two of his own opponents. Sango spun around gracefully, smashing her fist into the face of the closest of Miroku's opponents, before slicing into his body with her slayer forged sword and taking his life as easily as she'd ever taken any demon's with hiraikotsu... which she had left behind for this particular battle, as it would only have been in the way.
“Thank you, Sango,” Miroku breathed, now he was able to turn his complete attention on the other soldier, knocking him over with a blow to the head, before ramming the base of his staff through the man's throat, and leaving him to drown on his own blood.
Suddenly, a great explosion of youki caught everyones attention, and they all stared, wide-eyed, at the huge white dog off to the side of the main battle.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Keh, showoff. She's such an uppity bitch,” he muttered, watching Satori stomp all over one platoon of soldiers, her once white fur practically drenched in blood, in between battling his own opponents. Nyoko just laughed, callously wiping the blood from her blade on one of her victims.
“Well, at least she's enjoying herself, ne?” she asked whimsically, even as she grinned wickedly and held up a hand filled with a strange powder. Her grin only widened as the two soldiers confronting her looked suspicious and wary. “Yes, you should be afraid, boys... but its too late now... at least, for you two,” and then she blew the powder in her hands into their faces, and giggled madly at their expressions as they tried to avoid inhaling it to no avail.
She watched as the two soldiers looked at each other with suddenly lusty expressions, and turned to run off, holding onto each other and forcing their way through every fight until they disappeared over the hills to the east.
“Aww how sweet, love in the middle of a battle,” she cooed, giggling again as she noticed several samurai staring at her with wariness and refusing to get too close.
“What did ya do to them, woman?” Inuyasha asked, rather uncertain that he really wanted to know.
“Oh, that was just a variation on that passion powder I dosed Ungai's monks and miko with before. Once they inhale it, the first person they see, they lust after. Those two will probably just end up fucking each other to death,” she shrugged, her voice casual.
Inuyasha blinked, then shuddered. “Oh, that's gross!” he whined. “I knew I didn't want to know...”
She shrugged again as she brained another soldier. “Then you shouldn't have asked,” she said.
The hanyou caught the expression on Miroku's face as he heard what Nyoko had said, and winked at the sorceress. “One of these days, I am going to have to get some of that from you,” he said, even as Sango rapped him over the head with the hilt of her sword.
“Lecher! You can't even stop when we're in the middle of a battle!” she yelled disgustedly, and Inuyasha shook his head at his friend's hentai expression as he watched his fiancee killing another opponent.
Things in this area were finally slowing down, as they'd pretty much wiped out this section of Ungai's army, and moving carefully through the slick grass, the friends and their company of taijiya headed for a bit of higher ground, to take in the positions of the rest of the army, and see where they were needed most.
Inuyasha caught sight of his father, though he was some distance away, fighting what looked to be that stupid monk that had started all of this... “You know, I hope my father doesn't kill Ungai, because Sesshoumaru will be mighty pissed if he does – he's been itching to get his claws into him for a while now.”
Scanning further, his eyes landed on one section of human men – some of the dispossessed villagers, and immediately noted that they were in serious trouble and taking a lot of casualties as they had been cut off from the rest of their forces by a group of soldiers and monks.
Without even thinking about it, Inuyasha pointed it out to the others, and they all took off, headed straight for their worn-out comrades – these guys were really farmers and merchants who'd had their lives stolen from them by Ungai and his madness. They knew next to nothing about battle, and Inuyasha, as well as the others, found it dishonorable and cowardly for hardened warriors to take on such men, deliberately cutting them off and proceeding to slice through them with no mercy.
Inuyasha wasn't far off – these guys weren't really a samurai clan, or a clan army, they were a bunch of cutthroats and highway thieves who were much better at sneaking up on innocent villagers and cutting them down, than actually fighting hardened warriors. That's why they had taken on this group... some easy kills, and a lot of plundering later once the battle was over was what they had been promised, but as they finally caught sight of what was bearing down on them, they realized they'd been had, and they weren't going to be walking away from this fight.
They didn't even have a chance to run as Inuyasha and his companions landed on them like a tsunami, and just that fast, the overwhelmed villagers were once again in the middle of battle, but with the odds on their side this time.
Inuyasha had an idle moment to wonder what was taking his brother so long before being swept back up in the tides of battle, and then he was only thinking about spilling more enemy blood.
-cCc-
Back in the distant past, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were waking from their night of unrestrained passion, eager now to go back to where they were needed. Without needing words at all, the two bathed quickly, then dressed, before heading back to the other realms and onward to the battle they were sure was already in progress.
They weren't wrong – since it was two hours past sunrise, and the battle had started at that time.
With a wicked, mischievous smile, Kagome decided to make their entrance back into reality a grand one, hoping to frighten some of Ungai's army into running away – the less people they had to kill, the better.
With that thought in mind, Kagome brought her formidable will to bear, and instead of just stepping from the other realms as she normally would, she allowed an actual doorway to open in the skies above the raging battle.
Filled with every color of the spectrum, the differing energies from the other realms, and the ones from earth clashed and collided, creating a kaleidescope of color and hue – forces that whirled and twined in and out of Kagome's hands.
It was in that instant that she was fully revealed to all those on the ground as the goddess that she now was, not one person being able to deny her presence and purpose. With an expression of deep anger, she stepped out of the heavens, followed by a strangely altered Sesshoumaru.
To Sugimi, it was quite clear what had happened – his son was not a simple daiyoukai anymore – he was as much god as Kagome was goddess, and, as every single person on the field looked on in awe, the deities landed gently on a hillside above the battle, and looked at the chaos and death with displeasure.
Not one person moved, they barely even breathed as the aura's of the two divinities spread out across the entire area, bathing their own allies in comfort and renewed energy, and leaving their enemies with trembling hearts and frightened minds.
Nonetheless, this battle had gone to far, and would play out to the end... and Sesshoumaru and Kagome had a hell-born spirit, and a greedy god to deal with.
The stunned silence that had covered the field with Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's entrance was broken by the cry of Sou'unga, and as the fighting began anew, the two prodigals instantly appeared next to Sugimi, who was facing a spirit that was still trying to gain complete control of the body that had been gifted to him by Zetsumei's actions.
When he caught sight of what he faced, he snarled, determined to destroy all three, Sugimi, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome.
If he had been as in control of himself as he thought he was, he would have known he had not a chance, but since Sosa was in control, he was just as mad as Ungai had been...
And just as doomed.
“So, Sosa... we meet at last,” Kagome said sternly, her divine nature as apparent as the glow in her skin.
The hell-born spirit of hatred and malice raised his head to the skies and howled a challenge as the elements roiled and bubbled in the skies above – chaos against balance, life against death. In that howl was the voice of Sou'unga – but also Sosa, and everyone became abruptly aware that the true battle was just beginning.
This day was far from over, and despite the carrion crows and vultures already on the field feasting, the sky was dark with the masses that had been bidden to come with the promise that there would be unending plenty for every dark, wicked, evil thing that hungered for dead flesh in the blackness of the night.
The only thing holding that darkness back was the slender figure of a tiny, glowing woman... and the white youkai lord known as Sesshoumaru.
-cCc-
A/N: And the first part of the battle is over – and Ungai got his, making Zetsumei a happy hanyou. Now it's time to deal with Sou'unga... that's next chapter. And then finally, the following chapter, Sosa's gonna get his, to Amaterasu's eternal amusement.
Ja Ne!
Amber
Converting /tmp/phpu63rX6 to /dev/stdout
Sugimi paused, taking a breather as the combat rolled on around him – he'd found himself a bit cut off from the rest of the fighting as he'd taken on his last foe. Looking around at the chaos on the field, he took note of all his people nearby, and found that, though there'd been some losses, they were still holding strong, and doing a great deal of damage to Ungai's forces.
At that thought, his eyes narrowed, and he searched the battlefield for the monk's aura... and found it not far from where he was, though, rather than his own aura, he instead scented richly of Sou'unga.
That made his blood surge – he was well acquainted with that one, and looked forward to battling against him this time – if given the chance.
Streaking towards that aura, Sugimi passed across the battlefield in a brilliant white streak, coming to a halt in front of the monk who was practically foaming at the mouth because the sutra his monk's were casting weren't working too well. Fury was etched tightly on his face as he fought one of the humans from some village somewhere, and from the looks of it, was going to overwhelm the man within mere moments.
Poised to deliver the killing blow, Ungai fell back in shock as his staff clashed against metal, instead of the man's unprotected head, and he stared at the youkai he was facing with virulent hatred.
Sugimi didn't take his eyes off the monk, but addressed the exhausted male laying on the blood slicked ground. “Go find another foe to fight, I will take over here.”
The panting man nodded, pulled himself to his feet, and grabbed his sword from where it had fallen before disappearing into the chaos of the battle.
Ungai stared at his opponent with narrowed eyes. “You are not Sesshoumaru, but you are very like him. Who are you?” he demanded, though Sou'unga knew full well who he was, and was furious about it.
“You are correct. I am not Sesshoumaru, I am his father. And you are nothing but a pathetic excuse for a male and a monk who must try to compensate for his failings by destroying the natural order of things.” He watched carefully as the male began to rant – he wanted him kept off-guard – it would keep Sou'unga from taking full control, and Sugimi was trying everything he could to give his son and Kagome time to get back. He was fully aware that Sesshoumaru was supposed to deal with Sou'unga, and Kagome was to seal him, and then deal with her final foe – Sosa no Wo.
He shivered at that thought – he didn't envy her one bit.
“You may not be Sesshoumaru, but you are youkai, and should be destroyed!” Ungai shouted, a mad light in his eyes as he attacked, his staff flashing and spinning against Sugimi's sword. As much as he seemed to be a competent warrior, a staff was really not made to fight against such a sword as Sugimi held, and it showed as the staff began loosing chunks at each strike.
Sugimi could have taken his staff from him at any time, and it was true that he was merely toying with him, drawing his comeuppance out as much as possible. But, being where they were, in the middle of one huge-ass fight, it was no surprise that other opponents stumbled between them at times, or even engaged them here and there.
He was astonished, though, when the mad monk actually picked up a sword from a fallen warrior, and attacked one of his own monks for getting in his way.
This bastard doesn't care who he kills!
Just then, he raised his blade to catch the sword that Ungai was attempting to brain him with, then kicked the monk in the gut, shoving him back and knocking him on his ass. He chuckled at the sight of Ungai covered in blood and guts, mud and debris.
“I see you are now where you belong, you viper... crawling in the mud. It suits you,” he jeered, laughing even more at the furious red face of the monk, even as he turned on his heel and beheaded the samurai sneaking up on him from behind.
He whipped back around at the feral scream coming from Ungai, shocked at the sight that met his eyes...
-cCc-
Zetsumei had stayed close to the big daiyoukai, even as difficult as it was when the white demon flashed out of sight; he simply followed his aura, an evil grin forming on his lips as he took in who Sugimi was fighting.
Watching the fight closely, he smirked as he took note of the fact that the dai was merely toying with the monk, and he kept that smirk as he engaged his own enemies here and there while watching for his chance.
Finally, after Sugimi had kicked Ungai to the ground, and then turned to attack the samurai sneaking up on him, he saw his time had come, and took it, throwing himself at the monk still struggling to regain his feet, continuously slipping on the gore-slicked ground.
Zetsumei grinned toothily down at the horrified monk, his fangs gleaming. “So,” he hissed sibilantly, “the great Ungai has been toppled by a youkai and put in his rightful place... on the ground before his betters. And now, the fate that you dealt out to me will be yours, monk, as I absorb your soul and keep it prisoner within me for as long as I live!” he said with relish, even as he opened his mouth and began to suck Ungai's soul right out of his body.
It was at that point that Sugimi turned back around, stunned to see what was happening, but not inclined to try to stop it, he merely watched, finding it ironic that the man who had hated youkai so much, was now being swallowed by one.
Still, with Ungai now gone as the hanyou before him took the last of his soul, Sou'unga was free to take over the body – and he was a much more formidable foe.
“Your name, soldier?” Sugimi asked as a grimly pleased hanyou stood above the monk's fallen body.
“My name is Zetsumei,” he said with a slight bow.
Brow rising at that, Sugimi nodded. Death, eh? Fitting... “He did harm to you and yours?” he asked, curious as to why this hanyou had been driven to do such a thing.
“He tortured me to near death, and enjoyed every bit of my pain. For that, I will repay him a thousand-fold over the years of my life. By the time I die, Ungai's soul will no longer exist,” the half-demon replied, and Sugimi's brows rose higher, finding the whole thing just too ironic for words.
Amaterasu's hand was written all over this one – that woman just loved irony, and the more ironic, the better.
He nodded at the hanyou, and then watched as the male moved back into battle, attacking a couple of samurai trying to stay in formation a short distance away. Even with their leader fallen, the forces were too engaged now to back out and surrender, and would have to play the thing out to the end.
He turned and engaged a few enemies, beheading some and simply skewering others with an elegant hand as he waited for what he knew was coming...
Sou'unga, alive and in total control of a body for the first time in all the eons since he'd been bound to a blade.
Hurry up, Sesshoumaru...
-cCc-
Inside Zetsumei's soul, a fallen monk's soul screamed at the darkness that hissed and nibbled at him, voices whispering of pain and agony and sheer, unending torture. It was just like his dream last night...
Soon enough, the nibbles became great, rending bites as unseen and invisible creatures feasted on the hate, malice, and madness in his soul, and in the darkness, he cried out for an absolution that would never come.
He begged, he pleaded, cried and screamed, and still, the maddening pain kept coming, even as hope began to fade from him, and he began to be digested, integrated into the very thing he'd hated with so much vigor...
And even the great Buddha found no reason to save the monk's tattered soul, turning his back on one who had fallen so low, and taken his teachings and twisted them to favor his own agenda.
It was a fitting ending for one who had threatened gods and destroyed so much of what they had created, and the kami watched, pleased, as he finally fell into oblivion...
Ungai was no more, there was only a nameless revenant left screaming in the darkness of Zetsumei's soul.
-cCc-
Back to back, Inuyasha and Nyoko were fighting their own battles, taking on an entire clan of samurai with Sango and Miroku nearby... and most of her taijiya also present. There was little chance for a breather, at least, not until they'd wiped this group off the face of the earth, and Inuyasha, for one, was just fine with that.
Raising his sword, he caught his opponents blade high up, and twisted his own sword arm, knocking the samurai's sword down and away, leaving him open and defenseless. With one rapid thrust, he skewered the man, who promptly folded over. Inuyasha kicked the body off his sword, and into the body of the next soldier, who immediately tumbled to the ground, and was quickly sliced in two.
Eyes flickering rapidly between red and gold, Inuyasha lifted his nose into the air, enjoying the scent of his enemies blood that lay thickly over the battlefield. Looking quickly back over his shoulder, he took note of how Nyoko was holding up, and was surprised to see quite a few bodies laying at her feet, courtesy of her poniard.
“Heh – guess that pigsticker does come in handy, eh? Especially when there's plenty of pigs to stick!” he chortled, beheading a soldier that thought to take him off-guard, and then flicking Tessaiga in an arc to clear some of the blood from it. “Oi! Sango, Miroku – you guys doin' okay over there?” he shouted, wiping away a few drops of blood from a cut on his forehead.
Sango grinned, a look just as feral as any demon's crossing her face as she crossed swords with another opponent. “Just fine, Inuyasha,” she hollered back as she thrust and parried, her smirk lost on the male she was fighting, who was convinced she would be an easy kill.
Because after all, everyone knows that women can't fight.
He was still thinking that as he went down, her blade embedded in his heart. Pulling her sword free, she reversed it, ramming the blade through the torso of a soldier trying to attack Miroku, who was busy with two of his own opponents. Sango spun around gracefully, smashing her fist into the face of the closest of Miroku's opponents, before slicing into his body with her slayer forged sword and taking his life as easily as she'd ever taken any demon's with hiraikotsu... which she had left behind for this particular battle, as it would only have been in the way.
“Thank you, Sango,” Miroku breathed, now he was able to turn his complete attention on the other soldier, knocking him over with a blow to the head, before ramming the base of his staff through the man's throat, and leaving him to drown on his own blood.
Suddenly, a great explosion of youki caught everyones attention, and they all stared, wide-eyed, at the huge white dog off to the side of the main battle.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Keh, showoff. She's such an uppity bitch,” he muttered, watching Satori stomp all over one platoon of soldiers, her once white fur practically drenched in blood, in between battling his own opponents. Nyoko just laughed, callously wiping the blood from her blade on one of her victims.
“Well, at least she's enjoying herself, ne?” she asked whimsically, even as she grinned wickedly and held up a hand filled with a strange powder. Her grin only widened as the two soldiers confronting her looked suspicious and wary. “Yes, you should be afraid, boys... but its too late now... at least, for you two,” and then she blew the powder in her hands into their faces, and giggled madly at their expressions as they tried to avoid inhaling it to no avail.
She watched as the two soldiers looked at each other with suddenly lusty expressions, and turned to run off, holding onto each other and forcing their way through every fight until they disappeared over the hills to the east.
“Aww how sweet, love in the middle of a battle,” she cooed, giggling again as she noticed several samurai staring at her with wariness and refusing to get too close.
“What did ya do to them, woman?” Inuyasha asked, rather uncertain that he really wanted to know.
“Oh, that was just a variation on that passion powder I dosed Ungai's monks and miko with before. Once they inhale it, the first person they see, they lust after. Those two will probably just end up fucking each other to death,” she shrugged, her voice casual.
Inuyasha blinked, then shuddered. “Oh, that's gross!” he whined. “I knew I didn't want to know...”
She shrugged again as she brained another soldier. “Then you shouldn't have asked,” she said.
The hanyou caught the expression on Miroku's face as he heard what Nyoko had said, and winked at the sorceress. “One of these days, I am going to have to get some of that from you,” he said, even as Sango rapped him over the head with the hilt of her sword.
“Lecher! You can't even stop when we're in the middle of a battle!” she yelled disgustedly, and Inuyasha shook his head at his friend's hentai expression as he watched his fiancee killing another opponent.
Things in this area were finally slowing down, as they'd pretty much wiped out this section of Ungai's army, and moving carefully through the slick grass, the friends and their company of taijiya headed for a bit of higher ground, to take in the positions of the rest of the army, and see where they were needed most.
Inuyasha caught sight of his father, though he was some distance away, fighting what looked to be that stupid monk that had started all of this... “You know, I hope my father doesn't kill Ungai, because Sesshoumaru will be mighty pissed if he does – he's been itching to get his claws into him for a while now.”
Scanning further, his eyes landed on one section of human men – some of the dispossessed villagers, and immediately noted that they were in serious trouble and taking a lot of casualties as they had been cut off from the rest of their forces by a group of soldiers and monks.
Without even thinking about it, Inuyasha pointed it out to the others, and they all took off, headed straight for their worn-out comrades – these guys were really farmers and merchants who'd had their lives stolen from them by Ungai and his madness. They knew next to nothing about battle, and Inuyasha, as well as the others, found it dishonorable and cowardly for hardened warriors to take on such men, deliberately cutting them off and proceeding to slice through them with no mercy.
Inuyasha wasn't far off – these guys weren't really a samurai clan, or a clan army, they were a bunch of cutthroats and highway thieves who were much better at sneaking up on innocent villagers and cutting them down, than actually fighting hardened warriors. That's why they had taken on this group... some easy kills, and a lot of plundering later once the battle was over was what they had been promised, but as they finally caught sight of what was bearing down on them, they realized they'd been had, and they weren't going to be walking away from this fight.
They didn't even have a chance to run as Inuyasha and his companions landed on them like a tsunami, and just that fast, the overwhelmed villagers were once again in the middle of battle, but with the odds on their side this time.
Inuyasha had an idle moment to wonder what was taking his brother so long before being swept back up in the tides of battle, and then he was only thinking about spilling more enemy blood.
-cCc-
Back in the distant past, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were waking from their night of unrestrained passion, eager now to go back to where they were needed. Without needing words at all, the two bathed quickly, then dressed, before heading back to the other realms and onward to the battle they were sure was already in progress.
They weren't wrong – since it was two hours past sunrise, and the battle had started at that time.
With a wicked, mischievous smile, Kagome decided to make their entrance back into reality a grand one, hoping to frighten some of Ungai's army into running away – the less people they had to kill, the better.
With that thought in mind, Kagome brought her formidable will to bear, and instead of just stepping from the other realms as she normally would, she allowed an actual doorway to open in the skies above the raging battle.
Filled with every color of the spectrum, the differing energies from the other realms, and the ones from earth clashed and collided, creating a kaleidescope of color and hue – forces that whirled and twined in and out of Kagome's hands.
It was in that instant that she was fully revealed to all those on the ground as the goddess that she now was, not one person being able to deny her presence and purpose. With an expression of deep anger, she stepped out of the heavens, followed by a strangely altered Sesshoumaru.
To Sugimi, it was quite clear what had happened – his son was not a simple daiyoukai anymore – he was as much god as Kagome was goddess, and, as every single person on the field looked on in awe, the deities landed gently on a hillside above the battle, and looked at the chaos and death with displeasure.
Not one person moved, they barely even breathed as the aura's of the two divinities spread out across the entire area, bathing their own allies in comfort and renewed energy, and leaving their enemies with trembling hearts and frightened minds.
Nonetheless, this battle had gone to far, and would play out to the end... and Sesshoumaru and Kagome had a hell-born spirit, and a greedy god to deal with.
The stunned silence that had covered the field with Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's entrance was broken by the cry of Sou'unga, and as the fighting began anew, the two prodigals instantly appeared next to Sugimi, who was facing a spirit that was still trying to gain complete control of the body that had been gifted to him by Zetsumei's actions.
When he caught sight of what he faced, he snarled, determined to destroy all three, Sugimi, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome.
If he had been as in control of himself as he thought he was, he would have known he had not a chance, but since Sosa was in control, he was just as mad as Ungai had been...
And just as doomed.
“So, Sosa... we meet at last,” Kagome said sternly, her divine nature as apparent as the glow in her skin.
The hell-born spirit of hatred and malice raised his head to the skies and howled a challenge as the elements roiled and bubbled in the skies above – chaos against balance, life against death. In that howl was the voice of Sou'unga – but also Sosa, and everyone became abruptly aware that the true battle was just beginning.
This day was far from over, and despite the carrion crows and vultures already on the field feasting, the sky was dark with the masses that had been bidden to come with the promise that there would be unending plenty for every dark, wicked, evil thing that hungered for dead flesh in the blackness of the night.
The only thing holding that darkness back was the slender figure of a tiny, glowing woman... and the white youkai lord known as Sesshoumaru.
-cCc-
A/N: And the first part of the battle is over – and Ungai got his, making Zetsumei a happy hanyou. Now it's time to deal with Sou'unga... that's next chapter. And then finally, the following chapter, Sosa's gonna get his, to Amaterasu's eternal amusement.
Ja Ne!
Amber
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