InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ Battle on the Mountain of Gods Part 3 ( Chapter 24 )

Title: Into the Fire

Author: Chiaztolite

Rating: NC-17/M for lemon, rape, and violence

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha

 

Into the Fire

 

Waka-sama = young master

Fuda= Miroku's spell scroll

Kazaana= Miroku's wind tunnel

Moudoku= the poison that infected Inuyasha and Miroku (see chapter 17: “Half the Blood” for more information)

Ougi= the term for the succession technique of a martial arts school; it literally means "deep act". It can also be interpreted as “secret technique”, the one technique that distills the teachings of the school to a single, signature move.

 

 

Chapter 24: Battle on the Mountain of Gods - Part 3

 

The corridor was dark. Even with her youkai eyes, Kagura was still having a difficult time to see beyond a few steps ahead of her. She crept along the wall, her hands were grazing the sturdy surface to aid her every step. She knew she was moving in a snail's pace, but there was not much she could do in the pitch blackness that surrounded her.

 

`…Where does this corridor end?' She mused as she forced herself to move forward.

 

She stopped when her fingers touched a different texture, a hard and smooth surface that felt like stone. It was an uneven surface, filled with shallow and deep concaves. She traced those irregular shapes with the tip of her fingers, wondering what the object beneath her prying digits was.

 

`…A carved stone wall…?' She pondered, her hands were still feeling the sturdy plane. How surprised she was when she felt the surface shifting under her gentle pressure, slowly opening a way she never knew existed.

 

A sliver of light escaped the small opening, rousing her curiosity. She pushed the surface, which turned out to be the gate to what she could only guess as a secret chamber, even further, and rays of bright light flooded the dark corridor. It took a brief moment for her youkai eyes to adjust to the brightness of the other side. When she regained her sight, she gasped…

 

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“NARAKU!” Inuyasha shouted from the other side of the spacious square, his hands were gripping the fully transformed Tessaiga. “At last I found you…”

 

Yuusou stared at the red-clothed hanyou who had just made his entrance into the battle scene, soon followed by his companions. The arrival of the rather unusual pack caused the heir to the eastern lands to frown.

 

`…Foolish…' He hissed inwardly, his grip on Toushimaru tightened. `How foolish of you to come here…'

 

Inuyasha aimed his massive crescent-shaped blade at the enemy he had been searching for so long.

 

“You have nowhere to escape, Naraku!” The red-clothed hanyou hollered.

 

Naraku regarded the hanyou with his pair of narrowed eyes. A lazy, unpleasant smile appeared on his face.

 

“Ah…Another uninvited guest…” He greeted. He looked around him, regarding every single one of those who had gathered around him. “How lovely…” He said, his gaze alternated between Sesshoumaru and his half-brother. “How nice it is to see the two of you combining your forces to defeat me…” Suddenly, his coy smile vanished, and he was glaring at them with his malicious, vengeful eyes.

 

“Insignificant fools!” He hissed. “How foolish of you to think that your joined forces can bring me down… Do not underestimate the power of the sacred jewel!”

 

He startled when he felt an attack rushing towards him. It was a green lash that came so close that it managed to severe several strands of his raven hair.

 

“You are nothing but a loudmouth hanyou with a piece of glass…!” Sesshoumaru growled. The green energy whip that became an extension of his hand danced in the air, determined to tear Naraku's body to shreds. Seeing his half-brother in action, Inuyasha could not stand still. With transformed Tessaiga gripped tightly in his hands, he lunged to join the fight between the other two males.

 

“Stay out of this…!” Sesshoumaru growled angrily, pushing the hanyou away with his fist.

 

In irritation, Inuyasha pushed his half-brother back with his shoulder. He bared his fangs and yelled back,

 

“This is not even your battle to begin with, remember…?!”

 

Kagome and the rest of her companions watched in exasperation as the two brothers fought against each other, instead of concentrating their energy and fighting skills and using them against their mutual enemy.

 

“We need the third sword…” The girl muttered, as the words of the old sword smith, Toutousai, returned to her mind.

 

“What?” Yuusou asked, his forehead burrowed. Kagome turned to him, her face was drenched in apprehension.

 

“Shouri-sama's sword…” She almost yelled at him. “We need her… Where is she??”

 

He returned her fervent gaze, a strange expression was in his face.

 

“Well, as you can see, she is not here…” He said, his tone was much calmer than hers.

 

Abruptly, she turned her body towards him. Her arms stretched out to grasp the collar of his kimono within her fingers. Yuusou cocked one of his eyebrows at her liberty of manner, yet the girl herself seemed to be oblivious to her own insolence.

 

“You don't understand!” She almost yelled at him again. “We need her… Toutousai has predicted that to defeat Naraku, the power of her sword should be combined with that of Tessaiga and Tenseiga…”

“Girl, I'm telling you…” Yuusou stopped her urgent speech. Sighing, he took her by the wrists and repositioned her arms on each side of her body. As he smoothed his wrinkled collar, he told her,

 

“She will not arrive in time…” He said. “Even if she is, I doubt that she will still have the strength in her to fight… You have to prepare your other plan.”

 

She stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

 

“What other plan?!” She resisted the urge to scream and shake him by the shoulder. “There is no other plan!”

 

“…Then just prepare yourself” He told her, straight-faced.

 

“…Master Yuusou…” He startled when he heard a voice calling him. He turned around and found himself standing face to face with Kishi, Ryoushin's faithful retainer. Surprised, he was, to find the old servant standing there before him.

 

“You need not be here…” He told the elderly tiger. “You have no account to settle with the demon Naraku”

 

“Pray, I do not wish to leave here without contributing…” The tiger youkai said. “I wish to fight alongside you, if you would let me…”

 

“Your kind sentiment is most appreciated” Yuusou said, the corners of his lips curled into a slight, yet kind smile. “But as you can see, I am not in the perfect condition to care for anyone's safety but my own… How will I be able to face your master if something happens to you while you are in my care?”

 

“Young master…” Kishi persisted. “I have no right to demand your protection… What I will do is my own responsibility. Lady Shouri shall remain your priority”

 

Yuusou tensed at the mention of his female cousin.

 

“Shouri has gone for quite a long time…” He said. For a brief moment, he let his mind wandered off, contemplating about Shouri's whereabouts. “We have not seen any result of her doing yet… But I refuse to think that her quest has failed…”

 

Kishi nodded in understanding. Yuusou's gaze returned to the elder youkai, his forehead burrowed with worry.

 

“Kishi… You have more knowledge in this matter more than I do…” He said. “You must be familiar with the tales of the undead souls. Do advise… Where should we go to seek refuge?”

 

“Young master…” Kishi said in his solemn voice. “I am certain that a knowledgeable taiyoukai such as yourself knows that only the one who summons these creatures of the underworld has the power to control them. If they were ordered to slaughter us, then no matter where we are, they will hunt us down and will not stop until they finished us…”

 

“But to remain here…” Yuusou hesitated.

 

“This place might seem like the most dangerous place to be considering the circumstances…” Kishi patiently responded to the inuyoukai's worry, his eyes briefly darted towards the growing black hole hovering over them. “But on the other hand…” He proceeded. “This is the perfect place to fight against those beings… There is nothing that can obstruct our view… No place to hide, no prospect for a guerilla they can play on us…”

 

For a moment, Yuusou was silent, as if he was weighing the consequences of their stay. But at the end of the silence, he nodded.

 

“So be it then…”

 

Kishi took one step closed to him and muttered in a low voice,

 

“Because what we are facing are creatures of the darkness, it is best if we fight them with holy power…” He told the heir to the eastern lands. “We have a priest and a priestess here…” He paused briefly, looking rather unconvinced himself. “Perhaps… there is hope” He said, despite his own doubt.

 

“I will not be so sure…” Yuusou said, a sour smile was on his face.

 

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Ryoushin felt his weakened body fell backwards before his back slammed against the hard floor. His eyes that had returned to their original cerulean shade stared blankly at the ceiling of the chamber. Stared, yet he saw nothing… It seemed that he had lost his consciousness for a brief moment, yet pain snatched him back into the realm of reality. When those cerulean blue eyes gained their focus, a sign that he had returned to his senses, he strived to lift his right hand. With much difficulty, as if his arm weighed a great deal more than his whole body, he managed to feel the new wound bestowed on his body. As soon as he touched the dampness on his abdomen, his five trembling fingers were coated with his own red blood.

 

A simple act of breathing, of moving a single muscle was more than hard toil to him. His poor body was on the verge of death, he could not be more sure. His heartbeat that was getting dimmer and dimmer, his vision that was slowly turning into oblivion were enough premonitions of his approaching demise. A soft voice within coaxed him to release his last strand of perseverance. How easy it would be… to just lie there and accept his death, to surrender and let himself fall into the dark abyss… But when he shifted his eyes to the side, he saw locks of silver hair lying on the floor near him. Shouri's, his mate's hair… The sight of those tangled strands of previously silky, carefully groomed hair reminded him of one thing that truly matter.

 

Shouri with her eyes, her beautiful emerald eyes… Her gentleness he felt whenever she touched him with her fingertips, the softness of her butterfly kisses on his skin, the warmth of her embrace… Gritting his teeth as the fire within him awakened, replenishing the fighting spirit that was almost burnt out, he struggled to raise himself to his knee. But even that simple action was already too much for him and soon enough, he was forced to use his two arms to support his wilting body.

 

His mouth gaped as he strived to supply air to his lung. And meanwhile, the red fluid that nourished his body kept pouring out of him, creating puddles of blood beneath him. Though he felt his life had almost ended, the spirit and fortitude within his eyes had not disappeared. Not yet.

 

There was one thing, one more thing he needed to do. He could not… He would not leave the lives of his mate and unborn cubs in such peril. He had killed them once, a debt that he could not repay even with his own life. He should be damned to the darkest hell if he failed to protect them once again.

 

His eyes captured the sight of a sword lying on the ground, a sword with the appearance as plain as any other that possessed no great powers. It had been three hundred years since the last time he saw it, and yet he recalled the piece of weaponry as if it had accompanied him throughout his wandering days. Tenken, the heirloom sword of the holy tigers. As the rightful master of the Mountain of Gods, he was the sole living creature deserved to wield the weapon.

 

`…One chance…' He whispered inwardly as he fixed his eyes on the sword. There was only one chance for him to eliminate Shiiyu, to save Shouri and their children. His body would not be able to endure any more than that.

 

Shiiyu, who had realized the object that captured Ryoushin's attention, only smiled discreetly as he watched his opponent. He knew precisely what the blond tiger had in mind: grab the hilt of the sword and slice him into two. He almost laughed because of the irony of it all. He found it unbelievable that this young, callow youkai still could not understand his immunity against a weapon which, although incredibly powerful, yet earthly nevertheless.

 

What Tenken really was, he knew it only too well. The sword was a summoner, capable of bringing souls of the dead and other unearthly creatures back to the realm of the living. A talisman to call the spirit, to open any of the seven gates of the afterlife. What harm could such an object cause him, considering he had been summoned to this realm since three hundred years ago? With everlasting calmness, he watched as Ryoushin rushed to grab the sword with those two shaky hands. His predator eyes followed each of the tiger's moves intently, the quirky smile that was still smothered on his lips showed his interest in what the boy was going to do.

 

When Ryoushin took Tenken for the first time, the sword felt so right within his grasp, as if it recognized its rightful owner. He turned around to face his opponent, his fortitude was once more strengthened by the presence of his newly acquired weapon. He narrowed his eyes when he saw his opponent taking one step after another, slowly approaching him with no sign of apprehension.

 

“What do you think you are going to do with that sword?” Shiiyu asked, the calm smile was still curved on his lips. “Don't you know what Tenken really is?” He asked again.

 

He chuckled when he realized that Ryoushin was not willing to waste his breath to answer the question. He let the chamber fell into silence for a brief moment before he heaved a sigh.

 

“Oh well… You were only 10 years old when you left this mountain, after all…” He said. “I suppose I cannot blame you for being so naïve…”

 

Ryoushin kept his mouth shut. Yet he fixed his blazing pair of sapphire eyes on the male form standing a few feet in front of him, a proof that he listened to every word Shiiyu had to say.

 

“Then…” The raven haired male whispered with his low, slick voice, as he raised his right hand slightly to bring it to his opponent's attention. Ryoushin's eyes narrowed when he saw the hand that sported five remarkably elongated claws, a skill that was very much similar to his own. How Shiiyu managed to successfully imitate that technique, he had no clue, though there was no doubt those blade-like claws would be used against his sword in their approaching ferocious encounter.

 

“…Then…” Shiiyu repeated as he slowly took his stance. “Show me what you can do, boy!”

 

As soon as he spoke his last word, Shiiyu lunged at his awaiting opponent, baffling the blond tiger with the tremendous speed in his move. No matter how talented Ryoushin was, he thought, the cub was young and inexperienced when it comes to feline combat techniques. The basic training given to the 300 year-old tiger only lasted for those 10 years he spent his early childhood in this Mountain of Gods. The fact that this was the first time he wielded Tenken provided a fatal disadvantage. A small, cunning smile appeared on Shiiyu's lips as he aimed his deathly sharp claws at the side of Ryoushin's neck.

 

`Yes…' he hissed inwardly. This cub's fighting skills, what this cub could or could not do, he knew them the best.

 

He narrowed his eyes when Tenken met his strike, two blood red orbs shifted their focus from the sword's shimmering blade to the sapphire eyes of its wielder. He could see the ring of amber that circled each dark indigo pupil, sparks of golden ochre within each pool of cerulean blue. He sensed the cub's anger, and it made him smile.

 

“I bet you think you know everything about me…” Ryoushin said in a low voice. “And perhaps it is true, for you have been by my side for three hundred years although your presence was unwanted…”

 

“But if you thought I would let you defeat me…” The holy tiger continued as he exerted his strength to push his opponent's claws away from him. “…If you thought I would leave my mate and my offspring in your malicious hands, you are surely wrong…”

 

“…Oh?” Shiiyu let out a chuckle. “Such big words should not come out of a dying creature…” He paused to observe the male standing before him, staring at him appraisingly. “You have been beaten up to a pulp… Even if I decided not to fight you, you will die anyway. No mortal can endure such severe injuries and blood loss, and still able to survive…”

 

“Perhaps…” Ryoushin answered coldly as he gritted his teeth and pushed his opponent back with his sword. His left hand that was virtually destroyed forced him to fight with only one arm, a great disadvantage, considering his worn-out state. “But before that happens… I will be sure to send you to the only place you deserve to be…”

 

Tapping his youkai speed into one more move, exerting the strength stored in his wasted body, he pushed forward, forcing Shiiyu to leap backwards to avoid the swing of his sword. Seeing the small opportunity to end this battle, Ryoushin lunged to chase his opponent, Tenken was gripped tightly within his hand. He slammed the black-haired creature named `curse' against the wall, impaling the undead body with the tip of his sword. For a brief moment there was silence. The skewered body remained still with the sword buried in its left chest, its stabber keenly watching, as if waiting for something to happen. But the silence did not last… It was not long until Shiiyu's eerie laughter echoed within the chamber.

 

“You still do not understand?” He roared between his laughter. “This sword can do me no harm!”

 

Ryoushin kept his head lowered, strands of golden hair veiled his face. His grip did not falter despite Shiiyu's mockery. Instead, a small, discreet smile bloomed on his lips. He wasted no breath to answer, but quickly pulled his sword out of Shiiyu's body. He spun around, the pad of his thumb softly grazed the hilt of his sword, applying pressure on one secret spot no one but the highest members of his clan knew existed. What happened next was too fast for even Shiiyu's eyes to follow.

 

But he felt it… the sharp blade that parted his flesh, the pain that it brought. Such a nostalgic sensation, he thought, as he stared past the male who impaled him. Who could have thought that he, an undead creature, could feel such pain?

 

It was a double-edged sword from the beginning… He mused as he focused his vision on the glittering blade that projected out from one end. That was Tenken, the sword which could not kill him. He lowered his eyes to gaze at the blade buried in his flesh.

 

But this one which was stabbed deep into his body…

 

“…Right…” He heard the young tiger's soft voice, who was once again pinning his body against the wall. The tiger's hand pushed the blade deeper into his left chest, his heart, just like how he had plunged his deathly claws into Shouri's heart. “A thief like you would not know this…”

 

“…With one end you summon, with the other you send them back to the afterlife…” Ryoushin continued. “…I may know my father only for a little while… But during those ten years, he taught me well…”

 

“This is the end…” He said firmly. “Three hundred years is long enough…”

 

`…The end…?' Shiiyu mused, a slight grin appeared on his face as he glanced at the female who was still unconscious. `No, this is not the end…' He whispered inwardly, knowing he had left his mark on the female dog. How tempting it was, the thought of telling this insolent cub that his mate's flame of life would soon diminish. What a pleasure it would be, to move on to the afterlife carrying the memory of his stunned face, the look of fear that would surely spread on his face upon the news of her numbered days. He was almost unable to resist the temptation.

 

“…Remember this, boy…” He said in a low, strangely calm voice, a mysterious smile on his face. “Once you have looked into the darkness, you can never go back to the light… That is the true form of the curse…”

 

Ryoushin narrowed his eyes when those words reached his ears. A threat or a premonition, an ironic truth or a mere bluff, he could not really tell, and he did not care to find out. He pushed his sword deeper into his enemy's body. Oh, how he wished to make this beast feel some pain. But Shiiyu's face… instead of cringing with the feel of pain, his grin widened, which angered the already furious tiger even more.

 

Those four sacred scrolls of the holy tiger clan… Ryoushin thought of the uncountable times he had studied those inheritance of his before he decided to destroy the fourth, the last of the scrolls. It proved to be the right decision to make, for at the end, they fell into the hands of those who wished to become gods themselves. It was right then and there that he should perform the exorcism spells written on those ancient pages, to carry out the duty that was meant to be his. He would destroy this monster before him and send its vile soul to the only place it belonged: the realm of zenkai, the divine punishment. He would perform the task not as the king of the Mountain of Gods; for he was now nothing but a mortal, but there were times when one must repent for what sins they had done, and finish what they had started.

 

When he recited the spells written on those ancient scrolls, the words came more naturally to him than he had expected. The spells coming out of his mouth, the twin blade of Tenken, they opened a gate, the gate to the afterlife.

 

“Go to the only place where you belong…” Ryoushin hissed, determined to make those words the last that he would ever utter to this despicable creature.

 

But Shiiyu only grinned. No fear, no regret, no anger was displayed on his face as Ryoushin sent him to the dark realm of the afterlife. Only that small cunning smile that never failed to send chill down tiger's spine...

 

`Remember boy…'

 

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“…Sesshoumaru!” Yuusou gasped when he saw his cousin being stabbed in the chest. Somehow, sometime during their fierce battle, Naraku had jabbed his sword deep into the Lord of the Western Land's flesh before pulling it out abruptly and sent the wounded body flying. As Yuusou was about to rush to his cousin's aid, a sharp pang on his right chest stopped him, forcing his body to drop on its knees. He cringed and peered at the source of pain, the tip of a blood-coated blade caught his eyes. Sensing the aura of the weapon, he was able to recognize that it was Naraku's sword that stabbed him, the tip jutted out of his flesh. He could not help but smirking, grinning almost mockingly.

 

“…Naraku…” He hissed, loud enough so that the demon behind him could hear. “Stabbing your foe from the back… Such a lowly trick suits you perfectly…”

 

“Save your breath, Prince…” Naraku said, peering down at his soon-to-be victim. His hand already moved to pull his weapon out of Yuusou's body, ready to swing the blade once more and slash the kneeling male's neck. “Just shut your mouth and die…!”

 

The Eastern Prince snorted in disgust, his eyes narrowed into a pair of angry emerald slits. He let his sword fall, he let the blade lie next to his feet. As he pressed the blade against the hard ground, his grip on Toushimaru's hilt did not weaken, but grew tighter. As he waited for the right moment, he secretly gathered his youki, his most dependable weapon when it came to life and death battles. He turned his head slightly to the side, though not enough for him to be able to catch a sight of his enemy. Even so, the wind that blew because of the downward stroke of the sword, Naraku's murderous intent… those cues were enough to be his vision.

 

Naraku's blade was less than the span of one's hand from his neck when he released his demonic power. He did not even move a finger and yet his youki soared through his sword, lengthening the blade, changing its shape into a crescent that pierced Naraku's neck from one end to the other in a blink of an eye. When Naraku's shocked gasp reached his ears, his face was devoid of emotions, for once. His hand moved, pulling Toushimaru in one sharp jerk. If it was the neck of an ordinary creature he stabbed, he would have ripped the neck off the body, he would have splattered blood all over the dusty ground.

 

But as he turned around to lay his eyes on his opponent, he knew it was just wishful thinking on his part. This one creature is different…

 

“…Just what on earth are you?” Yuusou hissed, his eyes were keenly watching the unharmed male standing before him. Not even one patch of his skin was marred, not even one drop of his blood was spilled.

 

“Do not compare me to the likes of you…” Naraku hissed in response, his arm already moved to swing his sword one more time.

 

Yuusou cringed when he answered Naraku's blade with his own, his agitated mind wondered when their long session of sparring would end. He had lingered in that battleground for too long, much longer than he had ever wished to. He leaped backwards, widening the gap between him and his opponent.

 

“Who'd like to die in a forsaken place like this?” Yuusou hissed under his breath once he landed his feet on the ground. Somewhere in his mind he heard a voice, as gentle and warm as the summer breeze.

 

`…Waka-sama…'

 

Then, he spoke louder, for his words were meant for Naraku to hear. “I am sorry to have to disappoint you…” He said between his clenched teeth. “But I cannot die yet…”

 

Naraku narrowed his eyes and returned to his stance. The growl of thunder caused him to avert his gaze towards the dark sky, a malicious smirk appeared on his face once he saw the sight he had been waiting for. With the same grin still pasted on his face, he turned to his awaiting opponent.

 

“Bad news…” He said, looking rather amused. “I regret to have to halt our fight now… But it is time for me to leave this battle ground…”

 

Yuusou glanced at the sky above, the worried frown on his forehead deepened. Quickly, he glared back at Naraku who had started leaping away from the core of the battle. Instantly, the inuyoukai understood Naraku's cowardly plan: to run away and save himself before the arrival of the undead souls. He shook his head as he gritted his teeth, determined not to let the true criminal escape.

 

“…Oh no, you won't…!” He muttered, instantly moved to chase the demon who was swiftly leaving, getting his raven head out of the danger zone. Yuusou stretched out his arm, yet his fingers caught only the rim of his target's kimono. Naraku jerked his hand away, turned around and slashed his pursuer's chest with his sword.

 

Yuusou hissed in pain, beads of blood emerged from the cut flesh. He stumbled backward, his palm was laid on his chest to cover the wound. In a blink of an eye, Naraku disappeared from his sight. As he steadied his legs, the eastern prince cursed the cowardly demon who had managed to escape. The chain of curses was cut short for something of a much more urgent nature gripped his attention.

 

The sky… He watched it with widened eyes. Dense clusters of dark clouds gathered above them, as far as the eyes could see. The black hole had grown into a massive oblivion, a darkness that seemed about to swallow them all.

 

“Oh shit…” Yuusou muttered. He could not take his eyes off the sky, off the sight that was both magnificent and horrifying at the same time. At breakneck speed, he spun around and shouted to the rest of those who was standing on that same ground, watching that same scene.

 

“Quick!!” He yelled out. “Gather in the centre of this courtyard!!”

 

With widened eyes, he witnessed the emergence of the much dreaded phantoms, ghouls of the realm beyond. It was the first time he saw them with his own eyes, yet their appearance was just like what he had heard in the old stories. Fleshless, lifeless… Humanoid forms in the aura of steel gray. Without faces, their transparent entities looked identical to one another, each one wielded a blade of bright red light. One did not need to be an expert in ghouls to know that those blades possessed some supernatural powers. Through the colossal crack above the battle ground they emerged, it was as if the sky itself had split to give birth to those unnatural existences. With a speed that was beyond any living things, they charged at the clustering mortals beneath, bearing their weapons that resembled the mysterious light of the afterlife.

 

Their brisk, vigorous attack was unexpectedly opposed by a green dome of youki barrier, Yuusou's barrier. He had planted Toushimaru on the ground to create the shield, his two hands were gripping the sword's hilt and pushed its blade deeper into the earth below. For a brief moment, he had stopped their attack. For a brief moment, they are safe.

 

Now what?

 

“…Now what?” A meek female voice echoed his thought.

 

Yuusou did not answer immediately. He brought the sleeve of his kimono to his mouth and ripped a band of cloth from the garb, which he then used to tend the wound Naraku had bestowed on his chest. As he fastened the knot that tied the cloth which now covered the wound, he responded,

 

“We will do what we do best…” He yanked the knot tight, clenching his jaw at the same time. “We fight…”

 

He turned to face Kagome, a tense smile was on his face. He gestured towards Toushimaru which now glowed with the same aura the barrier possessed, emerald green.

 

“As long as I remain here, the barrier will hold…” He said. “It will protect you as you use your power to fight against these unearthly beings, our enemies. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything more than this, for this…” He paused and gestured towards the undead souls that had swarmed, surrounded the protective dome. “… is beyond my power.” He delivered the fact in absolute deadpan.

 

“Then you are saying…” Miroku stepped forward. He slipped his hand underneath his robe and fished out a spell scroll. “Our holy powers are the only weapons that can win against these enemies?”

 

Silence filled the realm within the barrier.

 

“Only you can prove that…” Yuusou said quietly.

 

“Then…” Miroku said. He discarded the sacred paper and started to unwind the rosary that was wrapped around his right hand. “Perhaps my kazaana could…”

 

A strong grip on his hand stopped him from releasing his power. He looked up and stared into the cerulean blue eyes of the remaining holy tiger in their group.

 

“You are a priest and yet you do not know the danger of letting the darkness passed through your limb…” Kishi hissed, tightening his grip until the blue-robed male released his string of rosary beads. “I have seen your cursed hand and witnessed the power it holds…” The tiger continued. “That technique you must not use against these undead souls. The incident inside the Forest of No Return proved your body could not even tolerate moudoku, the beast's poisonous scales. What do you think will happen should you suck these beings into your body?”

 

Kishi shook his head.

 

“No…” He said. “Your fudo might be a better option. Remember this, monk… Do not rely on the curse to save you. It was bestowed on you to achieve the exact opposite effect.”

 

Following the elder tiger's advice, Miroku fished out another spell scroll from beneath his robe. He tossed his fudo, eyes were watching intently as the spell scroll made its way and destroyed one undead soul it came in contact with. Sighs of relief resounded within beneath the barrier, but Yuusou frowned despite of the success.

 

`Just one…' He thought. What about the others? There were thousands of them. Had the monk got thousands of fudo? How unlikely…

 

“Kagome-sama…” Miroku turned to the miko. “Please… lend us your power as well…”

 

Kagome nodded. With her slightly quivering fingers, she reached back to the wooden tube that contained her arrows. She picked one arrow by its feathery end and set it on her bow. She took her stance, narrowed her eyes and pointed her arrow and bow towards the direction of her target: the cluster of undead souls that were determined to break through the shield to complete the mission given to them. With a little prayer, the miko sent her arrow. She could not hold back her squeal of triumph when she saw her arrow had purified some of the gathering souls, though they were soon be replaced by an identical bunch. The endless arrival of those creatures stirred unrest within the group.

 

The Lord of the Western Lands stood silently to the side, his narrowed pair of golden eyes was intently observing the crowding bloodthirsty souls outside their haven. The distance between them was less than an arm's length, they were separated by the thin, transparent veneer of youki barrier. How long the barrier was going to hold, he did not know, but that matter was not what occupied the lord's mind at the moment.

 

He had felt it for a little while, the pounding of Tenseiga within its case. The sword silently begged to be unleashed from its entrapment. He laid his hand on its hilt, as if attempting to calm the sword.

 

`Are you saying that you can slay them, Tenseiga?' He whispered inwardly, his eyes were now fixed on the sword, still secured to his body.

 

Abruptly, he pulled the blade out of its sheath. Wielding the sword in his tightly clenched fist, the Lord of the Western Lands leaped out of the safe ground, out into the sea of ghouls.

 

Catching a glimpse of his cousin who had jumped out as if committing suicide, Yuusou gasped. He hurried towards the side where Sesshoumaru had stood.

 

“…Sesshoumaru!” He yelled out.

 

But the youkai lord could not hear the call. He landed on a small patch of clear ground a few feet away from the rim of the dome. Sensing mortal's flesh, the undead souls turned their attention on him. His eyes flickered when he felt the increasing pounding of Tenseiga, causing him to tighten his grip on the sword. They charged at him, all at the same time. He held Tenseiga before him, making the sword an extension of his body. When he spun on his feet, the sharp tip of Tenseiga's blade slashed them across their chest, and one by one they turned into ashes.

 

Yuusou exhaled a sigh of relief after he witnessed Tenseiga's power over the undead souls. At least, his cousin possessed a weapon which those beings were not immune to. Yet, this finding did not do much to lift the uneasiness he felt. He glanced up to the sky, observing the black hole that was still pouring thousands of the same entities into the earth, the endless vomit sickened him.

 

Fearless, oblivious to Tenseiga's power, the souls still advanced, and Sesshoumaru kept slicing through them. Yuusou worried his lower lips as he followed the fight with his distressed emerald eyes. He had no doubt about his cousin's skills in battles. The taiyoukai of the west had many times proven himself as a formidable fighter. But in such an extreme situation, how long could he last before he collapse from exhaustion?

 

He turned around, his eyes were now fixed on Toushimaru which sharp tip was still planted within the ground. Though it was a strange moment for reminiscence, the memory of his grandfather filled his mind. It was the memory of one particular conversation, one particular argument that happened a long time ago…

 

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“You have developed an interesting technique indeed…” His grandfather commented after he had finished demonstrating all five of his newly developed weapons. It was almost one hundred years ago, on a cold spring morning, that they stood on a field of grass just outside the Forest of No Return, on the boundary of their lands. He inclined his head modestly, slightly bowing to express his gratitude for Lord Hyougo's praise and approval. His head was still lowered when he heard his grandfather spoke again,

 

“But…”

 

He startled to hear the sharpness in the taiyoukai's voice.

 

“Such technique poses a danger to its user.” Lord Hyougo continued. His cold emerald glare was fixed on his eldest grandson, who was now looking at him with confusion.

 

“On one hand, using your youki to materialize a weapon allows you to possess a great control. Your mind commands your weapons… Unlike any other swords or any other weaponry in that matter, yours are pliable. They will move, change shape, attack according to your will…” He explained. “But unlike other demons whose weapons are…” He paused, as if he was searching for the appropriate word to convey his thought.

 

“…Less complex,” He completed his words and stared at his grandson meaningfully. “A portion of your youki has to be dedicated to the creation of your weapons. You will have to fight your battles with less youki for your strength, speed, and even ougi… And what will happen when your youki is needed and it is engaged elsewhere?”

 

“If that is the only concern…” Yuusou cut in, uttering his words almost too emotionally. “…Then all I have to do is possess the amount of youki greater than any youkai on this realm…”

 

Lord Hyougo did not respond to his heir's youthful exclamation. He stood in silence though his sharp glare was still fixed on the young inu's face. The rustles of the leaves was the only noise that filled the silence. At last, Lord Hyougo heaved a sigh.

 

“I have nothing against one's ambition to possess a level of youki greater than others…” He said gravely. When he proceeded, his voice turned cold.

 

“One thing that bothers me…” He said. “One thing that is still a mystery to me even until now… is the reason why you feel it is necessary to create such technique…”

 

Lord Hyougo laid his hand on the hilt of the sword fastened on his waist and pulled the blade out of its sheath. It was a magnificent sword, the one that lay within the lord's grip. The glossy black lacquered hilt was embellished with elaborate gold carvings resembling swirls of flame. The glistening blade was also embellished with the same delicate tendrils. Deep violet aura snaked around the length of the blade. Raijinmaru was its name.' The God of Lightning', an appropriate name for such a beautiful and powerful sword. Yuusou watched his grandfather held the sword before him, as if urging him to take the weapon.

 

“You have no need to rely on your youki to materialize your war blade…” Lord Hyougo's voice was so low that it nearly turned into a hiss. “This Raijinmaru is to be yours once I move on to the next realm. This sword can easily be the most powerful sword in this world and as my heir, it is your right to wield it…”

 

Yuusou remained still like a statue, his eyes stared blankly at the sword that was offered to him. It was not the first time he heard the speech, it was not the first time the sword was presented to him in such manner. And every time, his answer had always been the same.

 

He inclined his head, expressing his silent refusal.

 

Another silence fell. A long, heavy silence that filled the air around them. They both remained there for quite a while; him with his head lowered, his grandfather with that icy glare still fixed upon him.

 

“A youkai who refused a powerful sword…” Lord Hyougo said as he returned Raijinmaru back into its sheath. His voice was soft, but it was laced with disappointment. He turned around and walked away, tossing his last remark into the wind,

 

“Such a thing is unheard of…”

 

It was the last time Raijinmaru was ever offered to him.

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The eastern prince blinked. Toushimaru was still before him, chaos was still around him, and danger was looming still.

 

`What will happen when your youki is needed and it is engaged elsewhere?' His grandfather had asked once.

 

He shook his head to rid himself of the past, he gritted his teeth.

 

`The barrier…' He told himself. `The barrier has to hold…'

 

He knew that his presence, his entire energy was required close to Toushimaru, where he could feed his youki through the sword to keep their stronghold standing. His eyes caught the sight of Inuyasha, the red-clothed hanyou with the giant crescent-shaped blade, the hanyou whose will to protect was stronger than anyone he knew. Perhaps…

 

“…Hanyou!!” He yelled out to Inuyasha, who abruptly turned around to regard him with a pair of widened golden eyes. “Are you strong enough to hold this barrier?” He asked urgently. The red-clothed hanyou nodded without uttering a word and approached him. He instructed the hanyou to plant Tessaiga next to his own sword. With half of his youki and the hanyou's youki, he expected the barrier to remain strong.

 

“Whatever happens… this barrier should never deteriorate…” Yuusou warned before he leaped up to the sky, out of the protection of the sphere he had created. He heard Kishi's alarmed voice calling him, but he could not afford to turn back. He cringed when he felt the weight of his movements. Half of his youki was invested in that barrier, only the other half was available for him to use in whatever he would have to face. But he was well-aware of the importance of the barrier. Without it, they would not have even the slightest chance to survive.

 

`Grandfather…' He hissed inwardly as he leaped over the sea of the undead souls. Angered flickered in his normally cool green eyes. `Nothing can make me wield Raijinmaru… If I could have my way, I would have destroyed that sword a long time ago…'

 

He leaped and leaped until he reached the spot where Sesshoumaru was deeply engrossed in the battle against the undead. Despite being a solitary fighter out there, the youkai lord did well to defend his ground. He swirled and swirled, sweeping the souls that surrounded him with his blade, turning each and every one of them to dust, and yet those souls showed no sign of retreat. Instead they persisted, souls with neither fear nor thought attacked endlessly, as if they were waves that restlessly pounded against the shore.

 

“What are you doing here?!” Sesshoumaru's voice was almost breathless when he sensed his cousin's presence. His hand was busy battling his persistent enemies with Tenseiga, yet he allowed a few seconds to shoot a glance at Yuusou who had started to lash his materialized youki at the same rotten crowd.

 

“I cannot let you stand here and fight this battle alone now, can I?” Yuusou responded without taking his eyes off his enemies, an answer that made Sesshoumaru grunted in mockery.

 

“Your weapons, whatever they may be, are incapable of slaying these unearthly beings” He said.

 

“…These undead souls… After you cut through them even with ordinary weapons…” Yuusou said as he swung his sword and sliced them across the chest. His keen eyes were observing the pile of grey limbs he created on the ground. “They will take ten seconds to revive themselves…” He continued. “This miniscule gesture might not help you much but it will buy you at least ten seconds. Besides…” When he paused to shoot a glance at his cousin, there was a flicker of humour in his green eyes. “Consider this a moral support…”

 

“You might die…” Sesshoumaru said. The swing of his sword did not even skip a beat as he pronounced each word with a voice that never seemed to falter, as stoic as his face.

 

“Then so be it…”

 

The Lord of the Western Lands grunted when he heard his cousin's remark, said with the easy going flair the slightly elder inu always exuded.

 

“Do not count on me to go to your rescue” Sesshoumaru warned. “I will not save you…”

 

“I know…” Yuusou responded, almost softly, before he added, “With that kind of mindset, you are well on your way to become a very fine taiyoukai…”

 

Sesshoumaru did not care to stop to find out the true meaning behind Yuusou's remark. Was it a genuine compliment? Was it a mockery to his conscience, or perhaps the lack of it? The taiyoukai had decided that he would treat it as praise to his principals.

 

Yuusou, on the other hand, could not help but grinning when he heard the taiyoukai's ultimatum. Tempted, he was, to purposely put himself in peril just to discover if his cousin was merely bluffing. But the prince knew the odds were too great, the consequences were dire, and so he resisted.

 

The ten seconds Yuusou was giving his cousin could not be considered as a luxury. Hundreds, soon to become thousands of those undead souls poured endlessly, attacking them with their tireless, unearthly limbs.

 

Yuusou cringed when he felt the jolt of pain shooting up his left arm. A pain that was sharper than the ones caused by ordinary wounds… This one has the bite of a burning fire, of flesh-melting acid. He looked at his left arm. His carelessness had allowed one of the undead to bestow a long, deep gash on his arm, from his wrist up to his upper arm, almost reaching his shoulder. The sleeve of his kimono was slit into two to reveal a wound that was cut deep into his flesh. Just a few seconds after he received the lesion, he could already see the skin around it turned red and purple. His blood, mixed with the toxins and diseases brought back from the land of the dead, crept under his skin, slowly spreading death throughout his entire body.

 

The Eastern Prince cursed inwardly. He let his youki broke free and swirled around him, protecting him as he hastily tied a string of cloth tightly around his upper arm, trying to stop the infected blood from circulating. A futile effort, he knew, since the spoiled blood did not travel through the veins, but steadily creep under the surface of his skin.

 

Yuusou spun around when he suddenly heard the sound… the cracking of the barrier. His eyes widened when he saw the souls had somehow succeeded in breaking the shield. His conscience commanded his legs to run towards the splintered sphere, yet he was surrounded by hundreds of those souls. There were too many of them, coming towards him from every direction. Surrounding, encircling him until he was completely besieged and there was nowhere to run, not even a patch of light in sight…

 

The green sphere, the only haven they had was really starting to deteriorate. There were just too many of them, pounding on the barrier in their violent attempt to shatter their sanctuary.

 

“…Damn it… Damn it… DAMN IT!!” Inuyasha's hiss turned into desperate cries when he felt his youkai energy slipping away, when he felt he started to really losing the barrier. The undead souls starting to pour in, breaking in from several cracks they made on the sphere.

 

“Inuyasha…!!” The miko screamed. Her brow eyes widened in terror as she witnessed the crumbling of the barrier. She could hear him call out for her, answering her call. But his focus was required to maintain the barrier, lest it would collapse and bring doom to them all.

 

She tightened her grip around her bow, her trusted weapon. Only the last arrow still lay silently within the tube on her back. Miroku too, had run out of his spell scrolls and now without resources. Her trembling fingers reached back and toyed with the feather on the tip of the arrow. Her mind raced. That one last arrow… Was it the right time to put it in use? Did she have any choice? Would that be the end of them? All of them?

 

Her equally trembling legs stepped back to take their stance. A rock lay just beyond her heel, and she trampled, losing her grip on the bow and arrow in the process. No longer an archer without the weaponries in her possession, she stumbled onto the ground. At the terrifying sight of the undead souls that came pouring in, she released an involuntary scream. Her weapons, her only means of protection were separated from her, and she was left defenseless.

 

Utmost panic engulfed her, a pair of brown eyes danced to locate her companions. She found them, every single one of them trapped in futile fights against these unearthly beings. In that moment of despair she closed her eyes, her arms were folded across her face, as if her mere flesh and bones could become her shield, her saviour.

 

But they were all alone…

 

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Ryoushin fell to his knees, completely exhausted after he exerted his last bit of power to abolish Shiiyu's unnatural existence. The ghost that had haunted him for three hundred years had finally disappeared, and yet joy and triumph were not displayed in his stance. He lowered his head in defeated manner, letting his locks of golden mane veil his face. His trembling fingers were balled into a clumsy fist.

 

“…No…” He writhed between his labored breaths. “…No… I couldn't…”

 

“…Damn it…” He cursed silently as he slammed his fist against the floor. “Damn it…I should've…”

 

The eerie air he suddenly sensed prompted him to realize that his duty was not yet completed, for there was something left to be done. With much struggle, he pulled himself to his feet and rushed to the shoji that kept the chamber closed. Once he flung the screen open, once he revealed the scene that lay beyond the partition, his breath was caught in his throat.

 

The gate to the afterlife… It was opened, and there was no doubt in his mind as to who the culprit was. The black hole that appeared on the darkened sky kept pouring thousands of undead soul each second, and there was no sign it would stop anytime soon. He turned around, every slight movement seemed to worsen his wounds, spilling more blood onto the stained floor. The world spun around him, his wobbled legs were about to give out. His eyes, though blurred, could still find the sword he had used to send Shiiyu to the next realm. And what he had done to that soul which had been restless for a thousand years, he ought to do the same to these ones.

 

He dragged his leaking body, stretching his arm out to touch the hilt of Tenken. Once he had the sword within his grasp, he used it to support his weak body. He strived to calm his labored breathing, alas his effort worsened the pain in his chest.

 

`A little more…' He told himself, eyes constantly watching the eerie scene outside the chamber. `Just a little more…'

 

Staggering towards the parted shoji, Ryoushin prepared himself to squeeze the few last drops of his strength. He could hear them fighting, Sesshoumaru and the others, which meant it was not too late to put everything right. Not yet…

 

He plunged the tip of Tenken deep into the ground, he was kneeling on the hard floor, his two hands were gripping the hilt of the sword tightly. His eyes were shut tight as he gathered all the youki needed to open the gate to the afterlife. When he let his eyes part, he saw the black hole had reappeared on the dark sky. He closed his eyes one more time, this time focusing his energy on the sword before him, his gathering youki created ripples of energy that swirled around the point where Tenken's blade touched the ground. His lips moved to mouth the banishing spell, over and over again like a chanting. Once more, he recited the spells. Once more, he performed the exorcism that would send all those beings which did not belong in the realm of the living. Without having to lift his head up and gaze at the sky, he knew that the gate to the afterlife had stopped spilling undead souls onto the earth below. The oblivion took them all, the same black hole that had delivered them in the first place…

 

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The wind was so furious that the eastern prince had to raise his two arms to shield his face from the dusts that rose from the ground. The whirlwinds flapped the torn sleeves of his kimono, causing them to flutter like wings of a butterfly. His arms remained there until the wind's fury subsided. When the air was calm again, he lowered his shield and scanned the battle ground. It was as if the wind has swept the vast yard clean of the undead souls. None of those disturbing abominations remained, not even a single one of them. Only the mortals remained, all scanning their surroundings with wonder in their eyes, all looking rather astounded, pleasantly stunned, nearly overjoyed.

 

But too soon had they concluded, for they had not yet conquered death, or achieved the purpose of their journey. Their nemesis, Naraku, was still standing. His flame of life burned still. The raven haired demon managed to smile, though it was almost a bitter smile. What would he do now that his unswerving plan had failed him? Once again he stood alone to defend his ground.

 

Yuusou caught Sesshoumaru's eyes and the two full-blooded inu held their gaze briefly. The heir to the eastern lands inclined his head and smiled. Quietly, he took a few steps backwards, retreating, withdrawing himself from the much-anticipated fight that was about to start.

 

`This is no longer your battle…' A soft voice inside him spoke.

 

“You're running away with your tail between your legs?!” He heard the crude inquiry of his half-cousin, the hanyou. He did not bother to turn around and regard the questioner, but nevertheless, he responded,

 

“This is no longer my battle” He repeated the voice within him. “My work here is done…”

 

`Yes…' He acknowledged the truth in his own words. The disappearance of the undead souls could only mean one thing: Shouri had brought his mate back. She was safe. With that rather jolly thought, he walked away.

 

His steps felt lighter already…

 

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Ryoushin collapsed onto the floor, utterly drained out of energy. Tenken was still standing upright, its tip was still planted into the floor. It stood there like a tomb, his tomb. Will it really be there to adorn his grave? He could not help but wonder as he stared at the sword. He tried to raise himself off the floor, but his body was already wasted. With the help of his arms he strived to lift his upper body, and yet those usually strong limbs too, failed him. Slowly, very slowly, he dragged himself across the floor. The blood that poured out of his wounds wet the floor, seeped into the ancient wood beneath him. The crimson path marked his slow journey to reach his beloved.

 

He stretched out his arm to touch her, yet his fingers barely reached the tip of her hair.

 

A little more…

 

The longing to feel her in his arms felt more urgent than death itself. When he reached her, he held her close. Her head tucked under his chin, her back rested against his chest, his blood soon dyed her garb red. His quivering hand grazed her cheek as he laid that last kiss on her forehead. With his arm he held them, his mate and children. Softly, he whispered in her ear,

 

“You're safe…” He said. “I cannot hurt you anymore…”

 

He closed his eyes and finally, allowed himself to breathe his last…

 

 

To Be Continued

 

A/N: Apologies to my faithful readers. Many thanks to those who are still following this story… I bet many of you thought that I had abandoned Into the Fire (which I would NEVER do). I guess I can't blame you. Four months without any update!! Not only that I've been so busy with school and work, this chapter is just so damn hard to write. It took me so long to come up with most of the stuff written here. The next chapter will be the last of “The Battle on the Mountain of Gods” arc, and I predict it will be the hardest one to write. There were times when I felt so frustrated with this chapter, and there were (many) times that I couldn't help but telling myself: “This sucks!!” However, I'm pretty happy with the result now. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Comments are always welcomed. Please take your time and drop off a few words. I am going to try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, but it all depends on my writing muse and all the creative juices in my brain. Again, thanks for reading!

 

-Chiaztolite-