InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Centre ❯ Where loyalties lie ( Chapter 27 )

Thanks for the reviews! I love reading them. You guys amuse me so much. If I didn't put cliff hangers in it wouldn't get you so hooked. You see, there is a method to the madness. Go ahead, curse my name if you like….I know it's a love sort of hate.

Chapter 26: Where loyalties lie

"You wanna repeat that, Souta?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"Kid. As in small child."

"Not just a small youkai?"

"Hanyou, remember? From the satellite photo I'd say she's about 8 years old."

"Dammit," Inuyasha swore, his hand tightening so much on Tetsusaiga's hilt it creaked with the strain.

"This is war, brother," Sesshoumaru said calmly. "Even innocents die."

"Souta, what kind of barrier is it?" Kagome asked.

"Sis, you are the miko, not me. My instruments do have their limitations."

"We have no other choice," Sesshoumaru said, eyes gleaming red. "We'll have to see when we get there."

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"Naraku," Kagura said from the side. The only reply she heard was the shifting of something in the darkness of the great hall. "The sensors picked up movement from the southeast and the cameras verified it. They are coming."

"Good. Very good. See that our inu-youkai's bitch is in the appropriate place," he ordered. A human like hand came out of the darkness above and rested upon a motionless giant dog head, stroking the fur like one would a beloved pet. Kagura shuddered.

"Bankotsu and his brothers are worried about the barrier. They say the hanyou girl is unreliable."

"Her grandfather has a firm hand on her. I foresee no problem. Sesshoumaru will have to find another way into my fortress. In the meantime, when you are done with the bitch, go unlock your brother," he said. A glint of gold caught her eye as a key dropped from the darkness above, its metallic echo ringing through the halls. Kagura bent to pick it up, a frown upon her face.

Brother? She had a brother?

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"Kouga, where are we going?" Ginta asked. "Kagome and the others are over there."

"Only a fool attacks an enemy in once place. That barrier only covers those stupid humans and the gate. There must be another entrance."

Besides, he thought. I can't kill dog-turd if Kagome is there. She'd never forgive me. I have to wait until they are separated. Shouldn't be too hard in the heat of battle. After all. I promised not to fight. I never said anything about killing.

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Inuyasha stopped abruptly, his nose working furiously. Sesshoumaru looked bored, but his nose delicately lifted as well, although his sniffing was much more discrete.

"Humans, a bunch of them. I can smell them, but I can't see them," he said. He pulled Kagome behind him, eyes flickering everywhere.

There was a moment of dead calm, then a rush of wind that warned them a second before it was too late. Pulling her with him Inuyasha jumped out of the way, Kagome in his arms. A large sword was buried in the spot they had occupied moments before.

"Ha, so you can dodge, can you?" a voice mocked. "Not much good it will do you." Inuyasha managed to move just quickly enough to block the large sword swinging down. It hit with the force of a train, energy crackling around him.

Tetsusaiga held. Inuyasha strained to hold it there, every muscle in his back aching with the effort as he looked over the blade, searching for his enemy.

The barrier around the human wavered just slightly. Pushing forward he rushed into it headlong. This barrier wasn't one to keep things out….at least, not human things. Obviously these humans could move in and out of it freely.

Then Inuyasha felt like his body was being ripped in half.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled out. "It's a purification barrier!"

He quickly retreated, yanking Tetsusaiga out. The blade protested, pulling at his arm. It didn't want to let go. There was something it wanted done.

"Idiot," Sesshoumaru snarled in his ear, grabbing the hand Inuyasha had around the demon blade. A powerful energy shot from it, streaking through the barrier in ragged bursts.

The dust cleared and a rather unhappy sight met their eyes.

Four men stood between them and the gate. At least, some of them looked like men. One looked more machine than man, his arms and legs twisted into some sort of mechanical contraption. In the middle stood the one with the large sword, a cocky grin upon his face. For a man wearing his hair in a long braid he certainly was self confident. Above them, perched upon the gate like a gargoyle from hell was an enormous bat youkai. He grinned at them from above, his large skin covered wings spreading to encompass the entire side of the fortress. One of his hands was cupped and in it sat the Hanyou girl, a ball in her hands.

She looked like the only one not happy to see them.

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

"OOOOO!!!" one of the humans cried out. "He's so much cuter than his picture! Can I have him, brother? Can I?"

Inuyasha's stomach did a flip flop. His nose told him that was most definitely a male, in every sense of the word. And he was an aroused male. Apparently aroused by him. Inuyasha felt like throwing up.

There was a growl behind him. Inuyasha knew that growl. Something had pissed Sesshoumaru off. Pissed him off enough to make him want to transform.

"You," he snarled, his eyes on Bankotsu. "Why the hell do you have HER scent all over you?" he demanded, eyes turning red.

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Shiori looked down at the group before her. These people didn't look bad. Three humans, an inu-youkai and an inu-hanyou. They seemed mad about something.

"Grandfather, why are we doing this?" she asked, looking up at the only family member she had left.

"Naraku's orders. We can't let these riffraff in."

"Why?" she asked. "It seems really important to them."

"Just do your job," the old man snapped. Shiori shrunk back a bit. Her grandfather rarely snapped at her. She looked back down below. How she longed to be like them. No collar around her neck to force her to do what Naraku wanted. Force her mother to….

The inu-youkai snarled something at Bankotsu, his eyes turning red. Shiori watched with interest.

"Hahaha! The little human bitch? Guess what. She has my scent all over her too." Whatever that meant it had the inu-youkai enraged and power swirled around him. She could feel it too. The ball trembled as it felt another power testing its barrier, this one far stronger than any other she'd come across.

As the wind died down from the transformation Shiori gasped. She knew of an inu-youkai just like the one standing below. There was no doubt of the relation. They wanted to kill the son of the great lord?

The very youkai who had given his life to save her and countless other hanyous?

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Sesshoumaru snarled as the barrier stung his paws. There was no way it would let him, a full youkai, inside. The humans were safe for now. And they could attack from where they were.

"Aww, look, Fluffy wants to play!" Bankotsu mocked. His laughter was soon cut off as a fist sent him flying back several feet.

"You fucking bastard," Inuyasha snarled. A very human Inuyasha.

"The barrier purified him," Kagome said with a gasp.

"Hell, if it doesn't hurt them, why don't we try it?" Sango suggested, picking up Hiraikotsu. Miroku nodded.

"If I get close enough I may be able to pull the bat down from the gate. That may disrupt the barrier long enough to break it." Kagome nodded, an arrow notched.

"I'll cover you. Barrier or not the arrow should do some damage."

"And where do you think you three are going?" a tall man with metal claws attached to his hand asked.

"You want to go anywhere, you go through us," his comrade added.

****

"Inuyasha," the funny looking guy said, a wicked looking curved blade over his shoulder. "What happened cutie?"

"Stay the hell away from me," Inuyasha said, holding up his sword. His untransformed sword. Shit. Tetsusaiga wouldn't work within the barrier. He was human and defenseless.

"Jyakotsu," Bankotsu said, wiping the bit of blood from his busted lip. "Kill him."

"Aw, brother, do I have to? He'd be such a fun toy." Inuyasha shuddered at the word toy. Just what sort of toy did the guy have in mind.

"I said, kill him," the older one replied, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Alright, but only after I get a kiss," he said brightly.

"A WHAT?" Inuyasha balked. Fuck NO!

Jyakotsu's blade snaked out, multiple blades linked together in a chain of certain death, flying all over Inuyasha. Pain shot up his body as the blades sliced his skin in several places. He fell to his knees, the pain unbearable as he coughed up blood. This was as bad as his fights with Sesshoumaru. And this was a mere human!

"How about it," Jyakotsu said, suddenly in front of him, a delicate hand lifting his chin. "You're not half as cute this way, but I'm not too picky." Inuyasha watched in horror as the man leaned closer. The blades were wrapped around him. There was no way for him to move.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BOYFRIEND!!!" came a scream. Jyakotsu suddenly shrieked, pulling away from Inuyasha like he was on fire.

And he was. An arrow was buried in his back, a deep glow resonating from it and spreading across his entire body. Soon Jyakotsu's entire body was glowing, his mouth open in a silent scream. There was a crack and the glow burst outward.

Jyakotsu was no more. The only remaining piece was the collar laying upon the ground.

The other three men looked at it in disbelief. Bankotsu quickly jumped to his feet, his face a mask of pure rage.

"You fucking bitch! How dare you kill my brother!" Kagome tried to notch another arrow but the human was running at her too fast, his huge sword ready to strike her down.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, yanking himself free from the pile of blades. He had to put himself between her and the dangerous human.

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Shiori watched in horror as the purified Hanyou dove to save the miko. He managed to catch her and roll them out of the way as Bankotsu's blade came slamming down. Her heart clenched. Something about this was horribly wrong. The demon exterminator and monk were barely holding off the other two below. Blood spattered the ground in various places.

"Hehe," her grandfather chuckled to himself. "Stupid Hanyou. He should know his kind are weak. The only thing weaker than a hanyou is the youkai who stooped low enough to create one. The weak should die."

Shiori felt rage like she'd never felt in her entire life. He'd just insulted her, her father and every other youkai she'd ever respected. Obviously she was on the wrong side of things.

"Get out," she said calmly.

The old bat startled, looking down. His tiny granddaughter turned her head upward, her eyes flashing with anger.

"I said, get out."

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Inuyasha thought for sure, this time, he was dead. His body would not move anymore, his vision blurred and Bankotsu was still coming after them.

"Say goodbye," Bankotsu said, lifting his sword at the couple laying on the ground, panting. Kagome was under Inuyasha, the bleeding Hanyou unable to move her or himself. Inuyasha looked up into her eyes. Her eyes held nothing but trust….and love. He waited for the impact the sword would have, hoping the pain would be quick and that she would not suffer.

Except it didn't happen. Inuyasha heard a deep growl resonate and looked back.

Sesshoumaru had Bankotsu under a paw, the sword arm flattened. As he watched in wonder he felt his claws return, his heart beat stronger and his ears change. Everything became acute again, including the breath of the woman under him.

The purifying barrier was gone.

"Are you ok?" she asked, a hand on his cheek.

"Bitch, I should be asking YOU that," he answered and got a bump on the head for it.

"You had me worried!" she snapped.

"I had YOU worried? YOU didn't move! How come whenever someone rushes at you, you stand there like a frightened rabbit?" he demanded.

"Because I feel like a frightened rabbit!" she screamed back.

"GUYS!" Souta's voice screamed into the earpiece. "Fight later! This is no time for a lover's quarrel!"

By now Sesshoumaru had all three humans under his paws, his lip curled back as his red eyes focused on them in a wicked gleam.

"AIYAAA" a scream came from above. The old bat took off, his powerful wings bringing him high into the air. His mouth opened in a sonic wave, scattering. All except Sesshoumaru who merely withstood it like a dog would a gentle rain shower, power bouncing off his coat.

"You traitorous little bitch. You want to join the weak Hanyou? Be my guest. You are no granddaughter of MINE!" he yelled, flipping his palm. The small Hanyou girl began to fall, clutching the ball to herself as she screamed.

Inuyasha easily plucked her out of the air, bringing her to the ground in a soft, expert landing rather than a deadly splat. Kagome picked up the arrow from Jyakotsu's remains, pulled back the bow string and let loose. The old bat tried to dodge, but a miko's arrow was no simple dodge. It lodged into his neck, the glow spreading outward. He came spiraling down and crashed into the fortress inside.

"Well," Kagome said with a sigh. "That's one less arrow." She looked down at the hanyou girl.

The girl had white hair much like Inuyasha's, but darker skin, almost a deep Mediterranean tan. Bright eyes looked up at her, filled with unshed tears.

"Well, now we can just open the gate," Miroku said, reaching for the handle. An unseen force sent him flying back, colliding into Sango who broke his fall with a rather unladylike curse.

"How come whenever you do something stupid I get the consequence?" Sango asked, rubbing her sore rear.

"The gate is protected by the barrier," Shiori said. "This ball is connected to the barrier which is then connected to me."

Thunk.

Shiori looked down upon the ground in surprise. The miko had just touched the collar and it now lay in two pieces on the ground. Who were these people???

"Keh, just lay the ball on the ground," Inuyasha said. "I'll take care of it." Shiori did as he asked, stepping away as he pulled out the monstrous demon blade. The ball pulsed and the blade pulsed back. She'd never seen anything like it.

"But if you break it," she protested. "I'll die!"