InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Road to Remembrance ❯ The Prophesized Power ( Chapter 23 )

Chapter 23

 

Miroku couldn't quite comprehend what had happened in such a short time span. One minute he was teaching his young son the difference between different spiritual talismans and the next minute he's fighting one of the most powerful demons of the century who was back from the dead. How had Naraku returned? And how did he get so damn powerful? Miroku barely dodged a wave of pure power that sent hundreds of men scattering across the ground. Naraku's reign was not forgotten on the people or demons of Japan, and his less than subtle return attracted many warriors from neighboring villages. It was the first time Miroku had seen so many demons and humans work together for a single cause; Naraku's last demise not included.

Sesshomaru tisked as he watched the pathetic humans be torn apart; Naraku not even giving them a quarter of his attention. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was becoming increasingly concerned by the amount of power Naraku was showing. It wasn't only that it amplified, but it had changed also. His poison whip and claws had less than half the effect on his tentacles as they did the last time they battled.

“We're losing,” Shippo pointlessly stated. He quickly evaded a tentacle bursting with demonic energy and shot a powerful blue flame at it. The aura around the offending appendage absorbed the attack before it came within an inch of it.

Being full blooded youkai—Kouga and Sesshomaru had made the most progress in taking out Naraku's many barriers and tentacles, but it never seemed enough. Shippo was still too young and inexperienced to do much damage and Sango and Kirara had done their best to help out, despite being out of the slaying game for a few years. Without his wind tunnel Miroku had to rely on his talismans, which worked to some extent in lessening the power of the energy but they never lasted long enough to cause any permanent damage. All in all, it just wasn't enough.

“Dance of the dragons!”

The wind tornados dissipated once they hit the shimmering purple barrier that seemed to surround Naraku. The wind witch's eyes widened and she nearly dropped her fan at how easily one of her most powerful attacks was knocked away. Naraku's chilling laugh once again haunted their ears.

“Ah, if it isn't my traitorous incarnation? You wish to die this time around Kagura?” He said pleasantly. He would like nothing more than to see the disloyal wench finally get hers for betraying him (other than finally destroying Inuyasha).

“I will never allow myself to fall under your control again, Naraku,” she hissed granting him a cold glare.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise,” Sango muttered to Miroku. He didn't know if she was being sarcastic or sincere, for he certainly wasn't complaining about the added help.

“I have grown tired of this irksome scuffle,” Naraku growled. And it was true as he was merely toying with them. While it was in fact possible to defeat him, his opponents were missing two key players that were present for his demise years earlier. They were simply just shy of the power they needed to take him down, and he had every intention of exploiting that.

In a sudden and powerful blast of demoniac youki, every being within a mile of him—demonic and human alike—was sent rocketing back; bits of flesh ripping off from the sheer power and bones crushing upon the impact of landing. Those closest took the burnt of the attack; namely Miroku, Kagura, and Shippo. Kagura and Shippo were just injured, their demonic heritage allowing them to handle such an attack, but Miroku was only a human and lay immobile, half-trapped under a fallen tree with his blood rapidly pooling around him.

“Miroku!” Sango screamed, suffering from many cuts and a broken leg. She struggled to drag herself over to her husband's body, praying that he would live from the hit. Naraku grinned at the besieged couple and powered up some more energy to finish them off.

“Now you will—ARRGH!”

Naraku screamed as something shot off a good portion of his appendages in a bright flash of red light that temporarily blinded each person on the battleground. The stubs of the many tentacles wiggled a bit as they tried to re-grow but all they managed was to set off a poisonous red pulse that prevented them from recuperating.

“Miss me, bitch?”

Everyone's attention was directed to the source of the voice. Kouga and Kagura literally felt their jaws drop, finally seeing him for the first time since he returned; though the rest of the warriors were just as stunned.

Normally Inuyasha would be posed with his fang rested on one shoulder, hand on hip, while clad in his red, firerat outfit and a cocky grin on his face.

Well, the cocky grin was certainly there, but now he was in tighter, western-style, pirate clothes; there was no fang in sight, only five cuts on each forearm and his blood soaked claws slightly curled by his sides. He seemed to be emitting a red-tinged aura of energy that throbbed ominously.

“W-what? Inuyasha?” Kouga asked in disbelief. If it wasn't for the trademark furry ears and distinct silver hair he would have never believed it was the same hanyou he used to squabble with.

“So you've finally decided to return Inuyasha?” Naraku hissed, clearly sore about his unexpected loss of limbs, “And you've learned a few new tricks, I see.”

“Oh, you haven't seen anything Naraku,” Inuyasha grinned maliciously back. It was easy to ignore the stinging pain in his back from the close proximity in favor of appeasing the grudge he held against the monster. Naraku's eyes narrowed.

“We shall see.”

With no warning the two sprang at each other, using pure youki to battle. The air crackled with electricity as purple and red energy clashed together repeatedly, neither hanyou willing to relent.

Kouga took this time to run over to Miroku and lift the tree off his legs. With the help of Kirara, Sango had managed to make it to her husband and was able to confirm that he was still alive to the worried wolf-demon and Shippo.

“Amazing...” Kagura said in wonder as she watched Inuyasha and Naraku duke it out. Kouga looked over at her. He still hated her—she was after all the one who slaughtered his comrades—but he did acknowledge the fact that she had little choice in the matter and had helped them defeat Naraku last time.

“What's amazing?” he asked stiffly, keeping focus on the clash in front of him.

“They are using the sheer power of their demonic auras to battle one another...no weapons,” Sesshomaru answered softly. He couldn't deny that he wasn't in awe at the power his brother was displaying, if not somewhat envious and confused. What had happened to the rash, weak, half-breed he recalled exchanging blows so many times?

Naraku managed to send three, large, sharpened tentacles, swirling with miasma at Inuyasha before the inu-hanyou could erect a barrier. Inuyasha twisted in mid air while moving his bloody fingers in a rapid pattern.

“Efflixi fragor!”

Red ribbons shot out from his fingertips, latching onto the Naraku's appendages and quickly wrapping their way down to his body. The three tentacles cracked before crumbling to ash while Inuyasha landed safely on the ground. Naraku reeled back, roaring in pain.

“What technique is he using?” Kouga asked to no one in particular, wide-eyed.

“You guys!” Inuyasha called out to the shocked demons watching him, “distract him for me!”

He got no questions from Sesshomaru, Kouga, Kagura, Kirira and Shippo, who were more than happy to oblige. Sango, who had Miroku's head in her lap, looked up to see Inuyasha start to throw the bodies of the human warriors around; sometimes even going as far as to slice them open.

“Inuyasha! What do you think you're doing?” she cried aghast. Inuyasha looked back at her. Right when he had awoken in Kaede's hut, alone with the exception of the old woman herself, he knew right away where everyone had gone off too. But before he left he made sure to check a certain page he discovered a good year ago. The second he saw it he knew it would confine any foe, no matter how powerful, for all eternity. So he had memorized it, hoping he'd never have to use it.

“You have to trust me on this Sango, it's the only way we can defeat him.”

Sango looked like she was about to object—the way he was defiling those corpses was disgraceful—but one look at his face and she knew he had no other choice. She would simply have to trust him, so she nodded.

As Inuyasha continued to place the bodies of the humans in a particular pattern that he had etched in his mind, he attracted the attention of the other demons.

“What—fox fire—does he think he's doing?” Shippo huffed to the wolf prince as he darted around the tentacles.

“We'll just have to wait and see,” said Kouga doubtfully. He really wished he had those jewel shards back right now.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Kagura muttered. Even with the numerous amounts of tentacles Naraku lost to Inuyasha, her attacks were proving to be futile against the barriers.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as Toukijin continued to have next to no effect on the half-breed he was battling. What was it about his brother that allowed him to match up to Naraku? It couldn't possibly be that he was more powerful than himself, a full youkai. His musings were cut short as the very man in question yelled out to them.

“Get out of there!”

Inuyasha was spared a few confused glances, but the full-blooded demons complied, albeit reluctantly for Sesshomaru who loathed taking orders from him.

It was then, a moment too late, that Naraku realized the very unfortunate position he was in: smack dab in the middle of a blood-spattered pentagram.

 

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