InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ Sealing of Sou'unga ( Chapter 67 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 67:  Sealing of Sou'unga

Despite Kagome's hope that some of the troops would turn and run when they saw that their opponents were kami, the armies were just too engaged to pull apart now.  

That left Sugimi to try to regain some semblance of control as Sesshoumaru took on Sou'unga, watched carefully by Kagome.  

He decided to track down those that were easy to find – namely his younger son and his friends, and Satori and Kagura, along with Kanna.  Spreading his aura across the battlefield, he quickly located his son and his friends on the eastern edge of the field, mopping up some company of enemy fighters or other, surrounded by some of the village men who had come to gain vengeance for all their losses at Ungai's hands.

He joined them in finishing off their last few opponents, and then dragging them along behind him, he took off after Satori's youki signature, beginning to form a small army as he went.  About halfway across the battlefield from where he'd picked up Inuyasha and company, he stumbled upon a small pocket of resistance being held back by a single monk – and Miroku immediately ran to help the overwhelmed young monk, as did Inuyasha and the others.

With the extra help, the last few soldiers fell beneath flashing blades, and Miroku turned to look at the monk they'd rescued.

“Ryozo, my friend, what were you doing over here all alone?”  he asked.

“I was with a small group of hanyou and some full youkai, but then we all got scattered across the field as a huge white dog came trampling through here.  After it passed over us, I found myself with only two allies – two village men who'd seen us and come running over.”  He pointed at the two human men lying dead a little ways away.  “Then it was just me... you'll never know how happy I am to see all of you,”  the relieved monk sighed.

Sugimi growled low, irritated at Satori.  Once again, she'd gone showing off, and had probably been at fault of killing some of their own allies off with her stupidity.  The moment he had a chance, he was going to nail that wench.  Still, he needed to get as much of his force back into some semblance of order as possible, and she was, unfortunately, part of that.

“Come, let us continue.  There are many of our allies that we need to reach and help this day.”  No one objected to that, and all turned and followed the majestic Inu Lord across the field, fighting and slashing their way through anything hostile that got in their way.

Before long, any enemies still lurking on the backside of the battle were dead enemies, and Sugimi had gained quite an impressive amount of allies at his back.  When he reached Satori, however, there were a few disgruntled looks and growls, though no one said anything in particular.

Satori herself looked just as relaxed as she had at the beginning of the day, though she was covered in blood,which she seemed to enjoy.  Kagura, however, looked the worse for wear, and didn't say a word to anyone as they all stopped behind their leader, who was eyeing the female inu with irritation plain on his face.

“Bitch, you will stay in this form until this battle is over unless I say otherwise, do you understand?  Your careless tactics killed many of our own men, as well as enemies,”  he snapped, eyes haloing red at the narrowing eyes of the female.  “Do not challenge me again, Satori, or next time I will rip your throat out.”

Extremely displeased to run into the father of her only son, she said not a word, knowing that if she did, she ran the risk of being killed for disobeying the alpha.  And as much as she enjoyed dealing out death to others, she wasn't quite ready to meet the reaper herself.

“Fine.  So what do I do now that you've taken away all of my fun?”  she snapped back.

“You will follow me, that's what, bitch.  And you will do as told, and only as told – don't think to press me.  We'll win this battle with or without you, so it makes no difference to me whether I kill you, someone else kills you, or you actually do what you are told and live to go home.”

Inuyasha couldn't help the snicker that came as he heard his father putting the uptight bitch in her place, and she turned and snarled at him as she heard him.  With a bored expression, Inuyasha just flicked his fingers at her and turned his back to her.  “Feh.  I dare you, bitch.  I'll be pleased to be the one to windscar your cold ass into the ground.”

Before Satori could retaliate, Sugimi snarled demandingly, and Satori and Inuyasha both backed down, knowing that the alpha had spoken.  “If you two want to fight so badly-”  he pointed out at the battlefield, where the screams of dying men and horses presented a stark counterpoint to the clang of metal and the jingle of staffs clashing,  “-then go fight the enemy.  If you still want to fight afterwards, then you can, but right now, put a lid on it.”

Quietly, Kagura moved to stand near the rest of the large group, waiting for her mistress to finish glaring at the alpha so they could get a move on.

Truthfully, Kagura hated battle, and she'd already been forced to fight in too many by Naraku as it was.  She was tired, covered in blood, some hers, and some belonging to now dead enemies, and wanted nothing more than to get clean, eat, and sleep, all in that order.

Now if she could just find a way to get this collar off her neck...

She caught sight of Inuyasha's red fire rat, and a smirk spread inside her... he might be willing to help, especially as it would piss Satori off to no end, without being directly confrontational.  She decided she would wait until the fighting was mostly over.  With that, she resolved to stay near the red-clad hanyou as much as she could so she could put her plan into play.

Sugimi was running a discerning eye over all those he'd gathered, searching out their injuries, and their ability to continue on.  He was pleased to see that most of the injuries on his troops were minor, on those with any youkai blood, there were only traces of blood on clothing to show that they had been hit at all.

Looking out over the chaos of the still hot battle, Sugimi called his son forward, and the slayer and monks.  “Inuyasha, I want you to take a few of our people, and go shore up that western edge of the field – that group is about to be cut off.  Slayer, you take a few of your people and do the same with that pocket of resistance about mid-field.  And monk, you go with a few of the half-demons, and help ward everyone as they fight.”  

Without another word spoken, each group wheeled around and took off, ready for more bloodshed.  Just as Sugimi was about ready to find a good place for himself to assist, Kanna appeared at his side, startling him and Satori both.  

Looking up at Sugimi with her usual serious expression, she tilted her mirror up, and he growled at what he saw – apparently, Sosa wasn't as stupid as they'd all thought – there was a force of fresh troops coming up on the battlefield from each side.   And they were close.

With a savage snarl, Sugimi looked at Kagura.  “Take Kanna and go back to the command tent.”  Before Satori could complain, the dai met her red-haloed gaze.  “It looks like there are some latecomers to the fight, Satori,”  he almost purred as his face began to elongate even as his eyes turned crimson,  “what say we go and welcome them?  You take east, and I'll take west.”  

Just like that, the two inu exploded up and into their true forms, before streaking right over the battlefield, one to each side.  With sadistic glee, both inu jumped right into the fray, raining destruction onto those who were unprepared to be attacked – they were the ones sneaking up and attacking, or so they thought.

The screams were deafening, and music to an Inu's ears.

-cCc-

Towards the very front of the battlefield, Touran and her panthers were showing a mixed bag – some were in their true form, and some were in their human form, and along with the few half-demons that had gotten cut off with them, were busy tearing great holes in the backside of Ungai's army.

Every last single one of them hissed at the explosion of youki as Sugimi and Satori transformed, and Touran, having learned enough of the inu language, caught what was going on.

She laughed at her opponent, one of the samurai generals, when she realized what had made the larger than life daiyoukai transform.  “Looks like he caught onto your little sneak attacks, human, and I imagine about now, his paws are bathed red in the blood of those he is stomping on.  So much for that,”  she taunted, satisfied when the human flushed red in anger.  

He hadn't reacted quite as she expected, though, keeping his cool and returning every sword stroke with another.  She had to admit, she was impressed.  She could see why he was a General, but still, he was no kind of match for a youkai of her skill, and it didn't take long for her to prove it, cutting the man down with a finality that echoed to his remaining men as they were also beaten.

She allowed her true form to take shape, and then she raised her head to the skies and roared, announcing her victory over her opponents, as did the rest of her clan.  

And below them, the grass ran red with blood, the natural trench at the side of the field becoming filled with the lifeblood of foe and ally alike.

By the time this day was over, it would be a river of blood marring the land; poisoned by hatred and malice, it would eventually soak into the ground, leaving the whole area cursed and haunted.  

Just one more place on the landscape that was soiled and unclean, accursed by man and god alike.

-cCc-

Kagome stepped back after placing a dainty hand on her mate's arm and smiling her confidence in him.  This battle was his – her only part in it would be the final seal placed over Sou'unga.

Moving away from the fight so as not to get caught up in it, she sighed, looking around at all the dead and dying men, hanyou, and youkai that had given their lives for Ungai's madness, Sou'unga's blood lust, and Sosa's greed.  Her heart bled for them, and especially the human villagers that had come together to fight against Ungai.

They, especially, hadn't asked for any of this – they should still be living their quiet, peaceful lives with their families and in their villages.  They had no knowledge of combat, and most of those dispossessed villagers were already dead, worn down by the advancing army and left as fodder for the carrion eaters.

But it suddenly occurred to the little divinity that she might be able to help there – and restore some of the balance that Sosa's machinations had destroyed.  With that thought, Kagome began moving through the battlefield, a shining beacon of hope and peace as she rained down her power on those who were deserving, granting them a second chance at life.

As each group was awakened and stood upright to follow the goddess, she would turn and address each company, sending most of them home.  Especially the farmers and villagers – they had done their part, and had earned a new lease on life.

Those with blackness and evil in their hearts she left, not disturbing the carrion eaters as she passed.  

And that was how Kagome gained her own following of priests – there were quite a few men that, after having felt her touch on their souls, chose to dedicate their lives to her.

The one most touched and dedicated was a man named Shunichi – and he vowed to build the little goddess a shrine... right above the village that her group called home.

Thus was born the very beginnings of the Sunset Shrine in the minds-eye of a grateful man...

He had no idea that the very goddess the shrine would be built to worship would one day be born to the family of shrine keepers that kept that very same shrine... five hundred years in the future.

-cCc-

Sesshoumaru held Sou'unga's mad red eyes calmly as he weighed his opponent.  

Even before his binding to a goddess, and ultimately his second-hand ascension into the pantheon of the kami, Sou'unga himself would have been no kind of threat to him.  It was only his power as a sword that had been problematic, for his ability to open the gates to hell.

Now, even though he could still open those gates, Sesshoumaru could turn the whole thing right back around on him, and allow those tormented souls to swallow the evil youkai.  Or, he could simply close the portal, and keep it closed.

But though he could destroy Sou'unga with barely a thought, now, he did not choose to do that.  No... he wanted to take the hell-born demon apart one piece at a time.  Call it vengeance for his disruption of Sesshoumaru's life and peace, or call it justice for all the hundreds of thousands of souls that he had killed and tormented over the millenia of his existence – either one would work as far as the mighty daiyoukai was concerned.

Therefore, he stood calmly before the raving body of the fallen monk that was now being animated by Sou'unga, and simply waited for the demon to attack.

In the moment that he did, Sesshoumaru manifested a sword from his body that had no physicality - it was formed directly of his power, and it glowed with the trapped light of a thousand suns for several seconds, before it settled down into the form of a katana the likes of which had never been seen before.

As it moved through the air, it literally cut through it, whistling sharply, and singing of victory and life, the sword proved its sharpness as even the slightest touch sliced through anything in its path.

With a grim smirk, Sesshoumaru watched as Sou'unga's stolen body leaped back, suddenly wary as he stared at the sword that had just barely slid along the sleeve of his monk's robes... and sliced that section off as if sheared.

“What is the matter, Sou'unga?  Beginning to wonder what you have gotten yourself into?  I personally-”  he swished the sword once more through the air, enjoying its song,  “-think that you should have been paying closer attention to what was going on around you.  You were merely a tool all along for Sosa no Wo... and a not too bright one, at that.”

Again, Sou'unga chose not to answer, releasing his rage through his own manifestation of a sword – the form he had once held, he could still call upon, though he could no longer manifest the Dragon Twister.  

And with that, the battle was joined, as Sou'unga threw himself at Sesshoumaru, enraged at the veracity of his words, and the knowledge that he was facing defeat at the hands of one who had already beaten him once before – though then, he'd had the help of his brother.

As metal screamed and sparked, Sesshoumaru was tallying every bit of the demon's strengths, knowledge of swordplay – even his style of combat.   All were things that his father had drummed into him when he was young, warning him that knowing an opponents style allowed a being to counter him much better than random guessing.

Sou'unga, it appeared, had learned swordplay so long ago, that the style he used was no longer even known – but to Sesshoumaru's learned eye, it appeared to have had an almost ceremonial bent, and was pretty useless as far as more modern combat was concerned.

Parry and riposte, slash and block, it was as if the two were dancing, an almost formal cadence to the battle that had several nearby groups staring in wonder.  

“One wonders, with the style of swordplay you seem to favor, how old you are, Sou'unga,”  Sesshoumaru said as he flicked his blade through a sloppy block, and flicked the lightest of cuts down his chest, tearing open the monk's robes.

As he stepped back, sword still held low, Sou'unga spat to the side and ripped the remains of the robes from his body, leaving behind nothing but the tight leggings all monks wore under their robes.

“I was old when your grandfather's grandfather was young,”  he hissed, once more going on the attack.  Throwing his entire weight against the daiyoukai, he attempted to overpower Sesshoumaru, only to find himself thrown back... and missing his left arm.  Shocked, he let out a pained roar, and then, despite the blood flowing from his damaged body, he went after the Inu Lord with all his malicious might.

Try as he might, though, he could not land even a single blow, and while Sesshoumaru looked as though he was stepping fresh from a bath, Sou'unga was definitely the worse for the wear, missing one arm and sporting terrible wounds to his chest and abdomen, as well.

All this time, Sesshoumaru had pretty much let the demon have the offensive, content to slowly slice him into tiny bits.  But now... now he deemed it his turn, and with a shocking suddenness, he attacked, moving so fast that all that was visible was a rainbow kaleidoscope of color.

Drunkenly, staggering, Sou'unga attempted to fight off Sesshoumaru, but was unsuccessful.  Even with some of Sosa's power, he was not a fit opponent for the daiyoukai, and it showed in the ever widening puddle of blood from Ungai's stolen body.

“Hn,”  he huffed.  “I find I am sorely disappointed in you, Sou'unga.  I had expected much better from a being that was once a sword, himself,”  Sesshoumaru taunted.

“It's this weak human body I was stuck with,”  he shrieked.  “If I had my own form, things would be much different – you could not stand against me.”

With a sigh of boredom that was just a touch overdone, Sesshoumaru allowed his sword to dissipate back into his body, and simply began taking chunks out of the dying body Sou'unga had been crippled with.  In a last gasp lucky shot, the demon got in a blow on the inu, leaving a thin line of blood down one arm, but Sesshoumaru simply ignored it and continued his systematic destruction of what had once been a simple monk.

It was at this point that Sou'unga pulled his last-ditch trick and opened a portal into hell, drawing on legions of the dead to come forth and attack.  Unable to do more than stagger and bleed, he hoped that an army of the dead would chase every living being from the battlefield, leaving him the win.

But instead, he found himself the target of the souls of those dead warriors that he had forced from their rest as Sesshoumaru wrested control of them away from the demon, allowing them to face their tormentor freely.

It was then that Kagome returned to his side to watch Sou'unga face his final judgment at the hands of those he'd used so callously – since the beginning of his life.

To the shouts and screams of those still living and fighting, the dead began to encircle Sou'unga threateningly as the now mutely horrified demon began to fear his fate.

Thousands upon thousands of souls surged up from the portal into hell, twining around Sou'unga's host body, shredding what Sesshoumaru had not.  

Feeling the force of the rage of the souls, Kagome swelled her will outward, surrounding the now huge funnel-cloud that had the demon at its center... and even above the gale-force winds, his screams could be heard.  

As everyone on the battlefield froze in stunned wonder, the huge funnel began to move faster and faster in its spot, going from the faded grays and the black of death, to a bloody red as the screams from within were finally cut off – and then the whole thing exploded outward, only kept from destroying everyone within miles of its vicinity by the goddess' will alone.

When everyone looked up from hastily covered eyes, silence held the remnants of both armies captive as they took in the truth of what Ungai had been taken over by.

There was nothing left of Ungai's flesh and blood body – what Sesshoumaru had started, the dead had finished.  All that was left was the spirit of the demon himself, and now the daiyoukai could bind him, keeping him from escaping as Kagome did her job and created the seal that would keep him away from power for the rest of eternity.

Reaching out with his indomitable will, Sesshoumaru fought the strength of the demon born in the deepest pits of hell, slowly binding him in tendrils of light and heat from his own flesh, weaving an intricate binding that Kagome added to with brightly glowing sutra.

Sou'unga cried out in agony, fighting frantically for his freedom, but with no results, and within a few minutes, Sesshoumaru was able to bid the still-gathered souls that Sou'unga had called to carry him to what would be his final resting place.

As Sesshoumaru, Kagome, Sou'unga and the souls of the dead disappeared, every single person on the field sighed in relief – and went back to their own battles, though some simply sat down and refused to fight any longer, not even caring that they were taken captive to be held for Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's decisions on their fate.

Kagome and the rest of those involved appeared in the clearing above the well, and she sighed, then closing her eyes, began creating from sheer will a small shrine that would one day be added on to.  

Surprising even Sesshoumaru, every available space of the wooden framework of the shrine was engraved with mystical symbols of warding and guarding – some that weren't even in their language.

“Why do you add symbols in words other than our own language, mate?”  Sesshoumaru asked, intrigued.

Without batting an eyelash, she said, even as she continued working,  “Because someday other peoples will come to this place, and they will be able to recognize the danger that is hidden in this small shrine.”

Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding.  He watched as she began working on the sutra covering the entire floor, burning it into the divinely blessed wood – from trees that had never existed on this side of the other realms.  

She answered his next question before he could even get it out.  “This wood, blessed by me, will never fall to fire or any other catastrophe, thus ensuring that Sou'unga will never even be accidentally released.  He will stay where I put him until eternity runs out and the void swallows all.”

A pleased expression crossed Sesshoumaru's face as Kagome finally finished burning the sutra into the wood, and turned, motioning the dead that were still holding a silent Sou'unga to join her inside.

Once everyone had stepped through the triple warded door, Kagome slid it shut, effectively sealing them all inside.  She stepped to the front of the room, and, looking up to meet the gaze of the leader of the souls, motioned for them to place Sou'unga in the center of the sutra-covered floor, and then step back lest they get sealed, as well.

She eyed the now cowering spirit with a great deal of anger in her eyes, and finally spoke to him, letting him know of her displeasure.  Once that was done, it was time for him to be sent into endless darkness and frigid cold.

Face set, Kagome began to glow, brighter and brighter, as her aura began to move through the room.  Those dead souls in the room felt peace and warmth, as did Sesshoumaru.  Sou'unga, however...

He began to scream as her godly magic began to surround him, then slowly merge with his soul, killing the darkness in him as her purity brought light to the darkest depths of his heart and mind.  A shaft of light the color of the twilit sky burst upwards from the center of the sutra, grabbing ahold of the demon's still shrieking soul, it pulled him under, leaving him bound forever beneath the floor of what would one day be part of the Sunset Shrine.

With that, the souls of the dead took their respectful leaves of the two divinities, and swarmed back to the portal to hell, sinking into it and closing it behind them.

And as Kagome and Sesshoumaru returned to the battlefield, they knew that the worst was still to come...

Because now, all that was left was to face Sosa no Wo himself.

-cCc-

Unknown to all, Amaterasu had watched the whole battle from her hidden spot, and was well pleased with how things had gone... so far.

But she was quite well aware of the fact that the hardest part was up next.

I trust in you, Kagome – you will discover the way, and spike Sosa's wheels permanently.

The sun goddess had rolled her dice, and now the outcome was completely out of her hands, and in Kagome's.

-cCc-

A/N:  I hope everyone enjoys this one – its a thousand words longer than most of the other ones.  But I couldn't gip everyone and make this chapter any smaller – it just didn't work.  As for the souls of the dead, I decided to let them have a bit of vengeance against Sou'unga for using them and disturbing their rest.

Amber


Converting /tmp/phpy7Uru4 to /dev/stdout