InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 2 Great Swords ❯ Fall of the South ( Chapter 25 )

The streets of the South kingdom were empty as the East army marched in. There was no sign of soldiers or citizens. “Weird…” Shazar the Great muttered to himself. `They must have taken up defense near the palace…' he reasoned.

 

“Hey! What's the problem?” Shazar turned around to see Kouga run up to him. “What's taking so long?”

 

“My apologies, but look around you my lord. There is no resistance anywhere.” He said motioning around them. “I am simply being cautious for any ambushes.”

 

Kouga growled. “Yeah, well they can't do anything anyways. Just charge and find Kagome!” Shazar inwardly grimaced.

 

`That's the only thing he thinks about…it really can't be healthy.' “Yes my lord.” He raised his hand to his army following behind him and swung it in the direction of the castle. The troops let out a giant roar and charged.

 

 

“WHAT!?!” The hospital of the priestess' village shook with the violent roar.

 

“Calm yeself Inuyasha!” Kaede scolded. “I said Sango needs to be in bed for two or three weeks before she is fully healed.”

 

“I say she should be up in half of one!” He growled out.

 

“Unfortunately she does not possess a half-demon body like ye.” Kaede said, rapidly growing tired of the argument.

 

“You don't need to tell me she's a weak human, I know that much! If we stay here too long Naraku will find us! We have to go!” Inuyasha had been in a bad mood since he got back. His pride had taken a hit after losing to a human. Then, he had to watch one of his friends almost get hurt.

 

“Naraku took us by surprise by using a human insurgent whom could get by our wards undetected. It will not happen again.” Kaede said calmly. “Ye shall be fine here and here ye shall stay!”

 

She turned around and marched away with finality. Inuyasha growled watching her go. `I've had enough of this day…' He thought miserably.

 

“Inuyasha!” Shippo hopped onto his shoulder from behind, “I've been looking everywhere! What happened to you? You said you would show me how to clean my rabbit!” He whined.

 

“I had some other business to take care of ok? We got attacked and Sango's out for three damn weeks!” He roared out at no one in particular. Shippo's expression went from annoyed to mortified as he leapt off Inuyasha's shoulder. He quickly caught Sango's scent and followed it down the hallway.

 

Inuyasha followed him figuring Sango may be able to give some answers by now. Why did she have to fight him alone?

 

 

The king of the south stood completely still in the courtyard in front of the palace. He stood in his regal armour and had his giant battle axe hefted onto on his shoulder. `Peaceful...' He thought. `Too bad nature only knows such peace.'

 

He felt the ground begin to rumble and knew it was time. He opened his eyes slowly before narrowing them in determination. If he was going to fall here, he would take as much of the East down with him!

 

“Come!” He roared as the East's army rushed into the courtyard on all sides. “I will send you all to hell!” He raised his axe above his head as they closed in, both he and them filled with the intent to kill.

 

 

“Well well my lovely Sango…it seems we are both out of commission for some time, hm?” Miroku asked his roommate. “Please, don't hesitate to tell me if you should get cold or lonely.”

 

Sango snorted. “Shut it, lecher.” She snapped at her overly talkative roommate. “You'll be healed soon anyways.”

 

Miroku grinned mischievously. “I'm not so sure…I was gravely wounded I could be lying here for quite a while.” He said, obviously intent to milk his minor injuries.

 

“I'm asking to be moved.” She grumbled under her breath. Kagome giggled near them, finding their exchange amusing. “What's so funny?” She growled at her.

 

“Nothing, sorry.” She said shaking her head and trying to quell her giggles. She was saved the trouble as Shippo bounded through the door and leapt towards Sango's bed.

 

“Sango! Are you ok?” He asked frantically. She smiled and nodded slowly.

 

“Yes, Shippo I'm fine…just… tired. I'm going to have to rest for a while.” Shippo sighed in relief.

 

“I see you're up.” Inuyasha grumbled walking into the room with a sour look on his face. “And looks like you got lucky too.” He said gesturing to Miroku who was still grinning from the thought of three weeks alone with Sango.

 

“Shut up.” She said quickly. “With him here I'll probably take twice as long to recover.”

 

“Keh! You had better not.” He said then took a seat down against the wall. “Now that you can talk, mind telling me how you knew that guy?”

 

“Inuyasha…”Kagome began but Sango stopped her.

 

“No, it's alright Kagome.” Sango said. “I'll tell him.” She struggled a bit and sat up. “It happened a year before our village was destroyed.”

 

“Ransetsu was a slayer like me, and one of the best in the village. He was always given dangerous tasks and was praised as being legendary. However, he wanted more than that. He wanted leadership of the village but could not get it through peaceful means.

 

“One day, he tried to assassinate my father but found out the hard way what being leader of our village meant.” She smiled proudly at the memory. “After his failure, he fled with about fifty of our warriors who he had either threatened or attracted to his side.

 

“My father was furious. Because of Ransetsu, a good part of our forces was lost and he wanted him found and killed as a criminal. However, we could never find him. Then a couple of months later, he resurfaced a little ways from the village as a bandit leader.

 

“His underlings consisted of the same fifty slayers as well as some bandit tribes he had taken over in order to get revenge on our village. We dispatched a great number of our slayers to find and kill him.

 

“When they met, a great battle began. I don't know too much of what happened because my father had left me behind not wanting me to have to fight other humans, let alone fellow slayers. I do know however, that we won and killed every single one of his men. He barely managed to escape with his life.

 

“Several months later, with the reduced fighting force of our village Naraku obliterated us. If he had not taken those slayers and killed so many others in that battle…we probably would've killed Naraku when he tried to attack us…” She finished speaking, her eyes downcast.

 

“Sango…” Kagome said quietly.

 

“No, it's ok.” She said shaking her head slowly. “I will have to get over it now or else we will never kill Naraku. The important thing is Ransetsu's gone. I have fulfilled my duty.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Good enough for me.” He stood up. “We're leaving as soon as she can walk. Kagome will keep training with Kaede until then. Got it?” Hearing no arguments he left.

 

 

“My… lord…” Kouga snarled at the intrusion into his Kagome-laden thoughts and looked down at one of his soldiers painfully crawling towards him near death.

 

“What is it?!” He snapped, disregarding the man's condition.

 

“King…South…fighting …all…us…death…” He got out before collapsing dead. Kouga snarled and rose, walking over the corpse towards the battleground.

 

He got there to see his army cowering in fear as the king of the south swung his axe at those who dared to get close. Hundreds lay dead, all victims of the bloodthirsty monarch. “What the hell is going on?!” He roared.

 

The king looked towards him and his eyes clouded over with hatred. “You bastard. You dare send your troops in without a leader to die! You don't deserver to be a king, you brat!” He spat.

 

Kouga snarled and drew Muramasa. “Keep talking you old bag of bones.” He snarled. “I'll enjoy the silence coming from your severed head!” The sword gleamed evilly with the hatred that flooded off Kouga's body. It fueled it.

 

The king charged, axe raised, towards him. All traces of fatigue gone from the fight with his troops at the sight of his enemy. Kouga followed suit and charged sword out in front of him. The two met with a thunderous clash. Muramasa's evil aura surrounded them as the warriors pushed against each other, both trying to overpower the other.

 

`Shit…' The king thought, his mind clouding over with pain. `That sword…he's not even touching me yet…' The evil coming off of the sword threatened to envelop him. He faltered slightly and Kouga took the chance.

 

Kouga pushed forward with all his strength throwing the giant man off his feet. He leapt up into the air with his sword aimed at his enemy's heart. “DIE!” He roared as his sword plunged down.

 

The king kicked off with his foot rolling away from the death blow and got to his feet quickly. With his breathing laboured from just contact of the two weapons, he realized just what he was up against. Kouga pulled his sword out of the ground chuckling. “Just how long can you dodge me old man?”

 

The king charged again, loosing a furious battle cry. Kouga calmly brandished his sword smirking and went to meet him. When they reached each other, Kouga slashed outwards. The king cleanly sidestepped the blow and spun around. His axe slicing through the air around him, coming to a rest in Kouga's back.

 

There was a collective gasp from the watching army as the two stood frozen. Kouga coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth. The king stood frozen in wonder. `Did I just…win?' Kouga fell forwards onto one knee hacking.

 

The axe had split his spine and almost his whole body. `Defeat…' He thought bitterly, `Impossible…' He began to fall, darkness overtaking his eyes. `I…can't be…' Then, seconds away from death, the last barrier holding against Muramasa's complete dominion of his mind fell. Kouga's eyes snapped open glowing deep purple.

 

The king gasped as Kouga reached behind and grabbed the axe pulling it out of his back, the flesh reforming itself. “Bastard!” Kouga snarled, his voice resounding with Muramasa's evil. “Did you think you could win?!” He roared and snapped the axe in his hand.

 

The king backed away slowly, `What? What has happened? His voice…his healing…he…has he totally lost himself to it?!' Kouga laughed and raised Muramasa over his head.

 

“Die.” He said and slashed faster than the eye could follow. The king's body split like wet paper. Kouga stood over his enemy's corpse laughing as his army looked at him fearfully. “Now…” He looked up to the sky and began to sniff. His eyes flashed dangerously as he found no trace of Kagome's scent.

 

He roared and hit the ground. It shook with the force. He turned and began to run, leaving his army behind. `Naraku!' He thought. He was the only one who knew where she was and he was going to get answers.