InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Journey of the soul: The panther devas' plot ❯ The demon puppet ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

 

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Chapter 7: The demon puppet

 

"It's been five years hasn't it Inuyasha? My how time flies," chuckled Karura lightly.

 

"So what?" snapped back the hanyou.

 

"I see your temper hasn't improved in the least," laughed the girl outright. "You're still the same arrogant prick you were back then."

 

"And you're still the same annoying brat! Even though your tongue seemed to have taken a turn for the worst!"

 

"Am I now?" replied the girl mysteriously.

 

Then, before Inuyasha could react, Karura abruptly darted his way and slammed her fist in his face, sending him crashing to the ground in a dazed heap. When he looked up, it was to see the girl wearing an expression that was dangerously close to sadistic pleasure.

 

"Five years I've waited to repay you for the humiliation I've endured at your hand! Five years! I won't allow you to back away from this! You owe me a rematch!"

 

Jumping to his feet, the hanyou immediately crouched in a ready position. "You're the one who was stupid! You were only twelve at the time? How did you ever expect to win anyway?"

 

"You didn't take me seriously! All you did was hold me back with your hand as I kept punching the air! Your arrogance was unforgivable! I'll make you swallow your tongue for this!" snapped Karura before launching herself forward once again.

 

The hanyou was prepared this time however and he easily sidestepped the punch aimed at his face. As he was preparing to launch his own attack in the girl's stomach however, Karura spun on herself and sent a vicious roundhouse kick straight for his jaw. Raising his arm in defense, his eyes widened when the blow struck and he was still sent sliding backward.

 

"You! What the hell did you do? That kick... and that speed! They're far beyond those of an ordinary human!" he exclaimed, massaging his sore forearm.

 

"How kind of you to notice this! Five years ago you were so caught up in humiliating me that you never even wondered why I was challenging you in the first place!"

 

Then suddenly, everything clicked in Inuyasha's mind. "Don't tell me you..."

 

"That's right, I drank youkai blood. When I challenged you, it wasn't a matter of winning or losing! It was a test to see how strong I was! And you arrogant bastard brushed me off like a bug!"

 

"Test of strength? What the fuck? That's something youkai do when they near adulthood to see how strong they are! Why's this wench's talking like she's a youkai?" thought the hanyou in confusion.

 

"Some of the side-effects are much worst than death."

 

Onigumo's sentence resonated in his mind, blinding him momentarily with a truth so great that it paralyzed him completely. "The side-effects... youkai's primal instincts! Instincts so strong that a normal human mind can't handle them and eventually loses itself in the process! That's what that bastard was talking about! That's what's been plaguing Kikyo all along!"

 

"What's the matter dog-breath? Cat got your tongue?" taunted Karura when she saw her opponent's unmoving form.

 

"Kikyo... If I'd realized it a bit sooner then we wouldn't have had to come all the way here. But before we can move on, I've got to settle things with that annoying brat over there!"

 

Fixing the girl in front of him with a predatory smile, he got back to his feet and, without any sort of warning, threw himself at her and grounded his knee into her gut, causing her to bend over. He followed through with a hard slam of his joined fists to her back and she crashed to the ground.

 

"So I denied you your test of strength all those years ago? Who gives a fuck about that!? I'm here now and if you want to test your powers against me then you'd better get damn serious about it 'cause I'm not pulling my punches anymore!"

 

Apparently this was the right thing to say because the sprawled woman started to chuckle. "That's good... 'cause it ain't a real fight otherwise!" she retorted before hurling herself upward and drawing her katana in a vicious upward slash that forced Inuyasha to step back in order not to get sliced in half.

 

"Let me warn you Inuyasha that this blade was especially made for me by the demon slayers. And what's more, it's been doused with grampa's senki! So in short, your fire-rat haori won't be of any use to you!"

 

"Thanks for the warning wench... but I hadn't intended on being hit in the first place!"

 

With that said, he launched in a flurry of blows that immediately had Karura on the defensive. Unable to fight back due to the sheer ferocity of the attack, the woman was forced to keep jumping back in order not to get pounded into oblivion. After about a minute of this however, her luck ran out and one of Inuyasha's blow got past her guard. His fist connected with her chest with so much force that she was sent flying backward.

 

The hanyou's watched with great satisfaction his opponent head straight for a tree. It was short-lived however because just before Karura connected with the tree, she flipped herself in midair so that her feet touched the trunk first, absorbing most of the impact. She then used the pushed herself off the trunk and shot herself right back at her opponent, sword extended in front of her and holding the hilt in a reverse grip.

 

Taken off guard by the unexpected move, Inuyasha still managed to jump to the side and avoid being impaled by the human projectile sailing toward him. But the woman had anticipated such a move. Just as she passed beside her opponent, she drove her sword into the ground as deep as it would go. Then, using it as a pivot, she transformed her straight flight into a rotation and ended up slamming her feet straight into her opponent's face, sending him flying for a good five meter before he landed hard on his back with a thud. For her part, she finished her movement with a side-flip that landed her graciously on her feet in a crouching position.

 

"Dammit wench! That actually hurts!" snapped the hanyou, massaging his sore jaw.

 

"I told you I wasn't holding back now was I?" shot back Karura with a satisfied smirk.

 

This caused Inuyasha to chuckle as he got back to his feet. "Yeah... but neither was I," he said and watched with great pleasure the woman abruptly bend double as the pain she had been holding back suddenly exploded in her chest.

 

"You... broke my... ribs... bastard!" hissed Karura through clenched teeth.

 

"That's what I intended, but it seems your body's tougher than it looks. I only managed to crack them slightly," answered the hanyou. "This test is over. I acknowledge you've gotten stronger... but you're still no match for me Karura."

 

"Go to hell dog-breath! I'll beat you up one day," wheezed the woman angrily.

 

"I'll take you on anytime you want. But for now patch yourself up, it's no fun to beat down on a fallen opponent."

 

"How noble of you Inuyasha," said a mocking voice that resonated through the clearing.

 

"Onigumo!" growled the hanyou, his hackles rising. "Show yourself you bastard!"

 

"My my, what a foul language. Need I remind you that it was all thanks to me that your beloved Kikyo was saved?" answered the fur-clad youkai while emerging from the surrounding forest.

 

"You're the one who wounded her in the first place you twisted fucker!"

 

"Yes, I would have to plead guilty on this one. And I'm also guilty for shooting those arrows at you. However, you Inuyasha are more unpredictable than I thought. You've thrown my original plans completely off with your reaction."

 

"The fuck are you talking about?"

 

"When faced with the betrayal of the one you loved, you should have bolted back toward the village to steal the shikon jewel. Instead, you darted off and ended up meeting with the real Kikyo, thus exposing my manipulations before they had a chance to do any real harm."

 

"You wanted him to steal the jewel and have Kikyo surprising him in the act did you? You wanted to turn their love into burning hatred! You're despicable!" exclaimed Karura angrily.

 

"You're pretty sharp girl. Would you care to join me? Increasing your strength would be easy work with the shikon jewel in my possession."

 

"True strength isn't something you can borrow by using some stupid artifact! And besides, who'd want to team up with someone like you?"

 

"Too bad, that means you will also have to die today."

 

With that said, Onigumo raised his arm and it promptly morphed into an enormous tentacle. He then launched it forward, toward his two opponents. "Keh! Where are you aiming you idiot!" exclaimed the hanyou smugly as he nimbly jumped out of the way.

 

His only answer was a dark smile and a crashing sound coming from behind. Whirling around, Karura and Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror as they saw what was left of Rishido's hut topple in on itself. Onigumo retracted his tentacle and watched with great pleasure the cruel reality slowly sink in his two astonished opponents.

 

"KIKYO!"

 

"GRAMPA!"

 

The two anguished cries echoed through the clearing at the very same time. Then, as one, both hanyou and human turned smoldering gazes at the fur-clad form that was responsible for this despicable act.

 

"You..." growled the hanyou in utter fury.

 

"... Unforgivable!" added Karura in the same tone.

 

"WE WON'T LET YOU EVEN BEG FOR MERCY!" roared Inuyasha, launching himself forward.

 

Anger fueling his body, he took off with such speed that he became no more than a blur of red and white. Despite the furiousness of the attack however, Onigumo still managed to narrowly avoid being decapitated by jumping back. Pressing his advantage, the hanyou kept slashing and slashing, relentlessly pushing his opponent back.

 

"What's wrong Inuyasha? Am I so small a target that you cannot hit me?" he mocked while easily sidestepping another blow.

 

"You're mine bastard!" exclaimed Karura, suddenly appearing from behind.

 

Not giving him time to react, the woman swung her sword and neatly severed his head. She watched it roll for a few feet before averting her eyes and clenching her fist so tight that her knuckles turned white. "Dammit! To think such a weak opponent would be able to do this! How could I have been so utterly careless!" she whispered, tear blurring her vision.

 

"Keh! After all that he did to Kikyo and me... he really amounted to nothing in the end! Such a fucking shame! I didn't even feel his presence!"

 

All lost in their pain, it took a second for the reality of what the hanyou had just said to sink in. However, before they could fully comprehend what was happening, two tentacles suddenly wrapped around them and lifted them effortlessly in the air.

 

"My my, how utterly careless of you to turn your back to an opponent like this," said the head from its position on the ground.

 

"Bastard! What the hell are you? How can you still be alive when your head's been cut off?" snapped Karura angrily.

 

"Such angry words. You know it's not too late to join me. Swear to serve me and the power of the shikon jewel will be yours."

 

"You're even stupider than you look! Do you honestly believe I'd team up with you after what you did to my grandfather?"

 

"Then die... both of you," replied Onigumo, his voice losing his mocking attitude and becoming serious.

 

As he said this, the tentacles holding both Inuyasha and Karura started to tighten their hold, slowly but surely crushing them under the pressure. Before their bones could snap however, a glowing arrow whizzed past them and connected with the chest of the creature, opening a gaping hole into it and revealing a small wooden puppet with a black hair tied around it. As soon as the projectile made contact with the curious object, there was a flash of light and it shattered. Instantly, the tentacles holding both human and hanyou lost their consistence and turned back into normal dirt.

 

Whipping their head in the direction the arrow had come from, the pair was just in time to see a panting Kikyo fall back to her knees. In the blink of an eye, Inuyasha was at the miko's side and had his arms wrapped around her shoulders in an steadying hold.

 

"Are you okay? Damn, I thought you'd been done in when the hut fell off!"

 

"The level of your stupidity surprises even me at times Inuyasha. Such a small hut collapsing is hardly enough to kill anyone."

 

"Then that means grampa's..." cut in Karura, hope shining in her eyes.

 

Kikyo did not answer, she merely looked down and pointed to her right. Immediately, the girl was able to spot the crumpled form of Rishido bathed in a puddle of blood.

 

"NO!!! GRAMPA!!!"

 

Furiously pushing away a pile of debris, the girl freed her grandfather's body and gasped in horror at the gaping hole in his stomach. Probably sensing his sibling's presence, the old sage opened his eyes weakly and clasped his granddaughter's hand in his.

 

"Grampa..."

 

"Karura... the future... is wavering. A light... has started... flickering... in the... darkness. You must... find the... drop of purity... that will... save us all."

 

After that, Rishido's body convulsed violently before going definitively limp. Karura's eyes widened as tears began brimming at the corner of her eyes. Carefully, she brought her hand to her grandfather's face and closed his empty eyes. That was about all she was able to do before her nerves snapped under the pressure.

 

"GRAMPAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

 

The desperate scream held so much pain and anguish that both Kikyo and Inuyasha were forced to look away. Gazing up at the hanyou, the miko mutely gestured that they should leave the mourning girl in peace for the time being. Understanding the unspoken message, Inuyasha simply nodded before helping Kikyo to her feet.

 

Once they were a safe distance away, the hanyou carefully sat the tired woman down once again and, with one last regretful glance at the remains of the hut, joined Kikyo on the cool grass. For a while, neither said anything as the weight of the tragedy forced them into silence.

 

"Onigumo is more cunning than I originally thought," eventually said the miko quietly.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"When the tentacle burst through the wall of the hut, it totally ignored me and went straight for Rishido."

 

"You mean he wasn't aiming at you?"

 

"No, Rishido was his intended target all along. That the hut would collapse as a result of his attack was probably unexpected even to him. Still, the way he acted proved that he never doubted for even a second that I would survive this."

 

"Sleek bastard! He wants us to stay divided!"

 

"It would appear so. Also, the interest he seems to find in Karura worries me. It's very possible he might try to twist her heart to his desires in some way. If that were to happen, it would be troublesome."

 

"Don't worry, I'm not so weak that I would allow myself to be manipulated by anyone," cut in the said woman sharply.

 

"Karura..." said Inuyasha, taken aback by the icy expression in the girl's eyes.

 

"I've decided! I'm coming with you!" she continued unperturbed.

 

Opening his mouth to protest, the hanyou was cut short by Kikyo who placed a hand on his arm and shook her head negatively. "This battle will not be an easy one. Are you prepared for it?"

 

"My grandfather is dead! If you expect me to simply walk away as if nothing had happened then you're dead wrong! I'll kill him... even if it's the last thing I ever do!"

 

"If you are that determined then we will not stop you. However, try not to let your desire for revenge blind you to everything else."

 

"I don't need any half-witted lectures! I'll kill Onigumo and avenge my grandfather, end of the story!" snapped Karura before whirling away and stalking back to the remains of the hut.

 

"This could be troublesome. With her mind as clouded as it is, she will be easy prey for Onigumo's manipulations."

 

"Give the girl a break! She just had her grandfather killed right before her eyes! How would you feel if you were in her place?"

 

This unexpected retort earned him a somewhat surprised look from Kikyo. "I did not realize you had such a compassionate heart Inuyasha," she joked lightly before recovering her serious expression. "Still, you are right. Such a deep wound cannot be expected to heal overnight. However, until Karura recovers, we must make sure Onigumo does not poison her heart any further."

 

"Yeah... that bastard did enough damage as it is. What the hell did he send us this time anyway?"

 

"That was a demon puppet. It takes on the form of its owner, but it does not have any life of its own which is why neither of you could sense it. The main use of such a thing is to spy as the owner can see through his puppet's eyes while he himself remains safely away. However, for Onigumo to create a puppet with that much power that it would cause even you trouble... it means he himself has grown increasingly stronger."

 

"He's using the jewel to increase his powers that's for sure. However, why the fuck does he seem so eager to get rid of it? I mean, he offered it to Karura almost as soon as he saw her."

 

"Figuring out Onigumo's true intentions is indeed another puzzle we must solve. For the moment however, let us pay proper respect to the departed."

 

******

 

The sun sat very low in the sky by the time they were through with their burial ceremony. Not having much time left for travel, the group opted to camp in a small clearing a short distance away from Rishido's destroyed house. After everything that had happened in the last few hours, no one felt very inclined to talk very much.

 

Of the three people present however, it was most definitively Karura who was withdrawn the most. When they had setup camp, she sat as far as she could from Inuyasha and Kikyo and barely answered when spoken to. Her eyes which had been so alive when they had first arrived were now dull and lifeless. The only thing left in them was a burning desire for revenge.

 

"Yo Karura, you hungry? The food's ready," announced the hanyou when the fish he had managed to catch were properly roasted.

 

Mutely, the girl stood up, picked one of the roasting fish up and went back to her original position. "You could at the very least say thank you, you know!"

 

Pausing with the fish halfway to her mouth, Karura looked down at her food for a few seconds with a pensive look before tossing it right back at Inuyasha. "What the fuck's the matter with you wench!" snapped the hanyou in both surprise and confusion.

 

"I'd rather catch my own food... thank you very much," answered the girl with a mocking bow.

 

Eyes flashing in sudden anger, Kikyo jumped to her feet and barred the girl's way. "Take the food Karura," she ordered in a low and menacing voice.

 

Raising her eyebrow the said woman crossed her arms over her breasts and plastered a smirk on her face. "You think you can stop me?" she countered in a daring voice.

 

"Take. The. Food!" repeated the miko her voice sharper than steel.

 

"Don't go threatening someone if you can't back it up. Now step aside before I decide to pound the hell out of you!"

 

Just then, Kikyo narrowed her eyes and smiled evilly. The effect was so utterly poignant that Karura couldn't help but feel a chill run up her spine. "Do you honestly believe me foolish enough to make an idle threat?"

 

The two women stared at each other for a few more seconds, but it was plain to see who the victor was even before Karura broke eye-contact and turned back toward a stupefied Inuyasha. Taking back the fish she had abandoned earlier, she went back to her place and started munching on it mechanically.

 

Letting out a satisfied huff, Kikyo sat back down beside the hanyou and picked up another of the roasting fish. With one last look at Karura, she promptly started to eat, looking decidedly pleased with herself.

 

"Damn... was that really what I think it was?" thought Inuyasha, feeling both surprised and relieved. "If so then things could get ugly real fast... especially since Kikyo likely has no idea why she acted this way."

 

Just then, the miko caught him staring at her and shifted her gaze to him. Every trace of the dark anger she had demonstrated in front of Karura was now completely gone, replaced with a perfectly neutral expression. When their eyes met, something passed between them, something that could not be put into words yet something that was powerful enough to make the hanyou's mouth run dry and make his heart pound in his chest. The contact, despite being incredibly intense, lasted only for a few seconds before Kikyo broke it off with a rueful smile.

 

"Inuyasha?"

 

"Y... Yes?" stammered the hanyou, desperately trying to regain control of his raging emotions.

 

"Your fish is burning."