InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare ❯ The Half Demon Kamitsu ( Chapter 1 )

Inuyasha: The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare.

 

 

To serve and to die for one's lord, that is what the life of an Oni clan ninja is. The hanyuo named Kamitsu knew this. But, lately...

  “You are to enter the village of Shibuma, take whatever jewel shards you find within and kill anyone that stands in your way.”

...he had begun to question his lord's motives...

 “My lord,” Kamitsu began carefully, “is that truly necessary? The people of Shibuma are but simple farmers and are of no...” His lord's fist striking the table cut him off.

  “How dare you question my orders?!” He shouted, clearly outraged by his subordinate's comments. “Either you complete this mission or I will kill you and everyone you care about! Am I understood?” Kamitsu flinched slightly. Lord Godai was a yuokai, but he had never been this ruthless before.

  “Yes my lord,” he replied, bowing low to show his respect.

…why had his lord chosen now to take an interest in the jewel shards when he had never shown any at all before? He sighed sadly, thinking of all the people that would have to die by his hand that night. Finishing his prayer, Kamitsu took up his taitou; a long sword not usually used by assassins, and left the castle's small shrine. The night was cold and pitch-black, the perfect night for a ninja to ply his skills. The pine trees stood like stark statues, their branches swaying in the breeze. Kamitsu breathed it all in slowly, savoring this brief moment of peace. For when he reached Shibuma, that peace would be abruptly shattered.

 

Kagome, sitting on the floor of Kaiede's small hut, stiffened slightly.

  “Are ye alright child?” The much older woman asked. Kagome gave her a weak smile.

  “Oh, yeah, I'm just fine,” she replied unconvincingly. Kaiede gave her a shrewd look.

  “My sister couldn't lie very well either child,” she said with an air of wisdom. “What is wrong?” Kagome fidgeted slightly.

  “I'm not entirely sure,” she began slowly, “but I think I sense a jewel shard.” Kaiede tensed.

  “Is it nearby?” She asked. Kagome only shook her head.

  “No, not really, but it's not far either.” Her face took on a look of concentration. “It should be within a few hours walking distance.” Kaiede's eyes narrowed.

  “What about Naraku's portion of the jewel?” Kagome concentrated again.

  “I don't sense it anywhere,” she replied confidently. “The question remains, however, whether we'll make it there before Naraku does.”

 

Kamitsu hung from the edge of the temple's roof, which was located in the center of the Shibuma, looking down on the small hamlet as it went to sleep for the night. In a matter of moments, their peace would be shattered. It was a shame, but he had a mission that he must complete on pain of death. He swung up on to the roof, heading for a small window just large enough for him to fit through. Peering inside the darkened chamber, Kamitsu was slightly surprised to find no guards. They probably were not expecting an intruder to enter from the attic. Unfortunately, that was not the case. A dark figure wielding a spear leapt out of the shadows at him. Its disfigured face marked it for what he sensed it was; a yuokai. Kamitsu drew his sword, parrying the yuokai's wild thrust. He then struck its unprotected back with his blade, felling the grotesque beast. Two more came at him from a door on his left, both armed with spears and dressed in samurai armor. Their flesh, where left exposed, was black and scaly.

  “Black serpent yuokai!” Kamitsu spat before they charged him. He dodged left, then right, dexterously avoiding their attacks. He went after the one on the left first, working his taitou past its spear and into its chest. As it died, the other came in hard, shouting a garbled war cry. A thrown dagger in its throat cut its cry short, leaving it to fall to the floor with a wet gurgle. As what sounded like four more came running up the stairs, Kamitsu had the feeling that this was going to be a long night.

 

“So, where are we going?” The inu hanyuo named Inuyasha asked for what seemed to Kagome like the fifth time. She sighed slightly.

  “It's a village to the west of here called Shibuma,” she replied impatiently. “I sense at least two jewel shards in that direction.” Inuyasha folded his arms inside the sleeves of his kimono.

  “Okay, there's no need to get testy,” he said quickly. “I was just wondering why this couldn't have waited till tomorrow.” Kagome did not reply, feeling more than just a little annoyed at this point. Sango, Kirara sitting on her right shoulder, chose to answer.

  “Because, Inuyasha, if we don't retrieve the jewel shards, Naraku will.” Miroku, standing just to her left, nodded.

  “Sango is right, Inuyasha,” he agreed, “We need to keep as many of the shards out of Naraku's hands as we possibly can.” The hanyuo scowled slightly.

  “Alright already,” he grumbled, “ya don't need to bite my head off.” Kagome only sighed, remembering when she had first met Inuyasha. He had been stapled to a tree by an arrow, thick roots covering most of his body. How peaceful he had seemed, like he was sleeping. She learned later that the miko Kikyo had bound him there after he tried to steal the Shikon Jewel so he could use it to become a full-fledged yuokai. The pair had been very close until the hanyuo Naraku tricked them into fighting each other. Kagome had also found out that she was Kikyo's reincarnation. To top it off, she now had to collect the remaining shards of the Shikon no Tama before Naraku does. She gave a heart felt sigh. She had absolutely no luck at all. Fortunately, she was not alone in this quest. The first to have joined them was the young kitsune Shippo, who uses his kitsune magic to get out of trouble. The second was the overly lecherous monk named Miroku, who has a thing for their next member, the taijiya named Sango. The last, but not least, was the two-tailed neko yuokai named Kirara.

  “Hey, Kagome,” Shippou began warily, “how far is Shibuma?” Kagome kept walking as she spoke.

  “Kaiede says it's at least a two hour walk,” she told him patiently. “And it's where I sense the jewel shard is.” Miroku spoke up next.

  “Then we had best hurry,” he stated soberly, “for the people there may be in grave danger.” Inuyasha's nose twitched as he sniffed the evening air.

  “I don't smell any smoke,” he told them after a moment, “with the wind blowing our way I'd be able to smell it by now.” He unfolded his arms. “But that, unfortunately, only means that the village isn't burning, yet.” Inuyasha was always such an optimist. Kagome started to walk faster.

  “Then we'd better pick up the pace,” she said with determination. She only hoped they were not too late.

 

As the last black serpent yuokai fell to his blade, Kamitsu surveyed his surroundings. He had been battling on the run, using his quick reflexes to stay ahead of his pursuers. His retreat had brought him to a small, dimly lit room. At the room's center was a small altar with a sacrificial bowl set on it. He moved slowly towards it, his eyes continually scanning the room for any possible threat. Finding none, he proceeded to the room's center. Inside the bowl was what he had been looking for, the jewel shards.

  “Convenient,” he murmured. “Too convenient, in fact.” There were five shards in all, not a lot, but he wasn't told how many there were exactly. He took the pouch from his belt and dumped the shards inside. “Easy money.” Placing the bowl back where it was, he prepared to leave. The next thing Kamitsu knew, something behind him caught on fire. The altar was in flames, and the fire was quickly beginning to spread. “I knew this was too easy!” He said before making his escape. He jumped through a nearby open window, landing in a crouch on the ground fifty feet below. He turned slightly, watching as the flames began to consume the temples main building. The village was beginning to wake up around him. “Time for me to leave!” And with that, he darted off in to the night.

 

Inuyasha froze, his nose twitching. He walked forward a ways, turning left then right.

  “What's the matter?” Miroku asked, coming to stand beside him. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he continued down the forest path.

  “Shibuma is burning,” he replied after a moment. Miroku shook his head sadly as they continued on.

  “Then it appears we are too late,” the monk said soberly. Kagome looked over at Sango, the pair having been outdistanced by the others.

  “What do you think they're talking about?” Sango shrugged slightly, using the movement to readjust the position of her hiraikotsu's strap on her shoulder.

  “Maybe they're talking about what to do if Naraku were to make an appearance.” She theorized. “Though I don't know why they're not including us in the conversation.” Kagome shrugged as well.

  “They're just men wanting to make themselves feel more important.” Sango couldn't help but agree with her. Kagome stopped suddenly, eyes scanning the tree line.

  “What's wrong?” Sango asked, her eyes turning to the trees as well. Kagome didn't rightly know what was wrong herself, having just briefly sensed a strange aura passing by.

  “It's nothing, probably just my imagination.” Kagome seriously doubted it was merely that, but she had little to prove otherwise.

  “Come on, Kagome!” Inuyasha called back to her. “We're wasting time!” She started down the path once more, her eyes lingering on the tree line for a moment more before turning her gaze back to the path in front of her. Maybe it was just her imagination after all.

 

The yuokai froze where it was, positive the girl had sensed it. But, how could a mere girl be able to do so? She certainly wasn't a priestess, not with that outfit. But, only someone with strong spiritual powers would be able to sense its presence. This left the yuokai feeling very troubled as it watched the two women continue on the trail. It would have to be more careful from now on to ensure it wasn't discovered. Its mission depended on it.

 

Inuyasha was sure of it now, Shibuma was definitely burning. He slowed his pace, allowing Kagome to catch up with him.

  “Did you sense something earlier?” Kagome asked him after a moment. He glanced sideways at her.

  “Like what?” He asked in turn. The young miko sighed tiredly.

  “Never mind, it's nothing important,” she replied, sounding weary. He hated it when she decided to be cryptic.

  “If something's wrong,” he began patiently, “why don't you tell me?” She didn't reply at first, which made him feel worried about her. He looked at her a little more closely, noticing how pale she was. “Kagome, what's wrong?” She stopped suddenly, causing him to do the same. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He blushed so hard that he thought his face was on fire. Then, she whispered something only he could hear.

  “I sense a jewel shard nearby,” she breathed against his chest. He understood now. A demon was nearby and this was the only way she could tell him without letting it know. He decided to play along, returning her embrace.

  “Where?” He asked her softly, his lips right by her ear. She nodded her head to the tree line to their left. He nodded slightly, pushing her away gently. Then, he spun, drawing the Tetsusaiga from its sheath in the same movement. “Tetsusaiga!” He cried, sending a wave of energy scything into the trees. Something leapt clear of the blast, landing not ten feet away. It looked more human than most of the yuokai they had met, save for its pointed ears and blue hair. It turned to them, revealing that it had a black scarf covering half its face and startlingly green eyes. It was dressed in the uniform of a ninja, not the type Naraku usually dealt with. It drew its sword and prepared to fight. “Kagome,” Inuyasha began, “Where are the jewel shards on its body?” There was a pause.

  “It's not using them,” she told him. “They're in the pouch on its left hip.” The ninja's eyes widened in shock. Inuyasha smiled.

  “Never let your guard down!” He cried, swinging Tetsusaiga in a wide arc. The ninja reacted quickly, leaping over the blade.

  “I was about to say the same of you!” It replied, bringing its weapon down hard. Amazingly, Inuyasha was able to bring the Tetsusaiga up to block at the last second. Sparks danced as the blades connected, sending a shiver up Inuyasha's spine.

It's strong, he thought, pushing back on his sword. The ninja disengaged, flipping over his head to land behind him. It spun, thinking to strike him from behind.

  “No you don't!” Kagome cried, firing her bow. The ninja leapt back, narrowly avoiding the deadly arrow.

  “My turn,” Sango said with a smile, preparing to throw her hiraikotsu. The large weapon arced through the air, just narrowly missing its head.

  “You missed,” it began smugly, “and now your weapon's gone.” She only smiled wider.

  “Don't be so sure of that,” she replied, enjoying its puzzled expression. Like the giant boomerang it resembled, the hiraikotsu came whirling back, heading straight for the ninja's unprotected back. As if it could sense it, the ninja merely back flipped over it, causing Sango to frown. She caught the weapon, preparing to use it again. But the ninja had used the weapon as a distraction so it could get in close. Its sword passed just a hair's breadth from her face, forcing her to retreat. Miroku came to her rescue, blocking its next strike with his staff.

  “Now you have to deal with me,” the monk stated, his muscles straining. The ninja's eyes narrowed as it struck out again and again. Miroku could barely keep up with its strikes, let alone launch a counter. Sango couldn't risk hitting Miroku with the hiraikotsu, so she dropped it and drew her own sword. She crossed blades with the demon, amazed by its strength.

  “Nice block,” it said sincerely. “But, what if I do this?” It pushed back and up, causing both their blades to lock together above her head.

  “Nice trick, for an assassin!” She said, strain in her voice. She lashed out with her left foot, hoping to trip it up. However, the ninja disengaged and leapt back only to attack her again. Their blades sparked from the intensity of its strikes, causing numbing pain to shoot up her arms with each blow.

  “You're doing quite well, for a human woman,” it told her as it lined up its sword for another attack. It smashed her sword aside with little effort, but instead of killing her, the ninja knocked her aside with a well-placed kick to the ribs. All her breath was gone in a rush, leaving her lying on the ground gasping for air. Inuyasha rushed the demon, Tetsusaiga at the ready.

  “Kaze no Kizu!” He cried, unleashing the Tetsusaiga's second most powerful attack. But, instead of dodging it, the demon retrieved a monk's sutra from inside its vest.

  “*Shi-rudo!” It cried, a strange barrier coming up between it and the Kaze no Kizu. The blast broke against it like water on rocks, sparks of energy flying in all directions. The demon was completely unscathed by Inuyasha's attack, leaving Miroku deeply disturbed.

  “It would seem our enemy has strong spiritual powers,” he commented darkly. Kagome turned to him, confused.

  “But, if he's a yuokai, how is that possible?” She asked him. Miroku didn't have an answer for her, because he didn't rightly know himself. Inuyasha didn't let up, attacking the demon yet again.

  “You won't escape!” He cried, swinging the Tetsusaiga around in a blurring arc. The ninja attempted to parry, catching the massive sword with its blade. It rolled with the impact, as to hold on to its weapon, and came back to its feet. Kagome notched an arrow on her bow, took aim and fired. The ninja caught the bolt without even glancing at it, and with no adverse affects. Dumbfounded, she prepared to try again. Discarding the arrow, the ninja withdrew three shuriken from inside its vest and hurled them at Kagome. She hit the ground in a panic, a yelp of fear escaping her lips. The shuriken embedded themselves in the tree she had been standing in front of instead of her. There was a strange hissing sound and smoke curled up from the puncture holes in the wood.

  “Those darts are poisoned!” Miroku exclaimed, stating the obvious. “This one is mine!” He removed the prayer beads that were wrapped around his right hand. “Wind Tunnel!” He extended his hand, palm out with the fingers spread, revealing the veritable black hole that was embedded within. The ninja staggered, feeling the awesome vacuum that was Miroku's right hand. It embedded its sword tip first into the ground, keeping it from being sucked in. Several shuriken fell out of its vest, only to be caught in the vacuum as well. Miroku's eyes widened in fear, for if those shuriken were sucked inside, he would feel the effects of their poison. Quickly, he sealed the Wind Tunnel once more and ducked, barely avoiding the deadly darts. The ninja fell to the ground with a loud thud, kicking up some dust by doing so. It came back to its feet quickly, fear and shock evident in its eyes. How could mere humans and a half demon have such powers?

  “There's nowhere to run demon, now hand over the jewel shards!” Sango demanded, her hiraikotsu back in her hand. The ninja looked left, right and then made a b-line for the woods. “No you don't!” Sango cried, launching her hiraikotsu at it. The demon leapt back, straight into an arrow from Kagome. The ninja fell to the ground hard, letting out a cry of pain. The arrow had embedded itself deep into the small of his back, making moving at all difficult. It struggled to rise, then froze as the tip of the Tetsusaiga was placed against its throat.

  “Not so fast,” Inuyasha said, a veiled threat in his tone. The ninja did not move a muscle. “Now, be a good kitty and hand over those jewel shards.” The yuokai coughed out a laugh.

  “Not likely, dog face!” It spat, pain evident in its voice. Inuyasha hated it when someone called him that. Somehow, he resisted the urge to lob its head off and be done with it. Man was he getting soft.

  “I'll only ask you one more time,” he said as calmly as he could, “hand over the jewel shards now and I won't kill you.” The yuokai chuckled slightly.

  “You're pathetic, dog boy,” it said scathingly, “you should have killed me when you had the chance.” Inuyasha let out a growl of anger, what little patience he had gone.

  “Die then!” He cried, drawing back the Tetsusaiga for a swing. The demon seemed to vanish in a blast of smoke, blinding Inuyasha's senses. “Damn! Where'd it go?!” There was a scream from his left, answering his question. The smoke cleared, revealing that the demon had wrapped its arm around Kagome's neck from behind, using her as a human shield.

  “Stay back or I'll snap her neck!” It ordered them, tightening its hold on Kagome's neck for emphasis.

  “Let her go or I swear I'll kill you!” Inuyasha growled menacingly. The demon only laughed at him.

  “You're in no position to be making demands, dog face,” it said, its tone holding a veiled threat. “The girl is coming with me. My lord will find someone that can sense jewel shards most useful.” It smirked from behind the black scarf covering the lower half of its face. “See you around fido!” There was another blast of smoke, and when it cleared, both the yuokai and Kagome were gone.

  “No! Damn it!” Inuyasha cried out in rage. “Kagome!” His voice trailed off to a growl of anger and frustration. Miroku approached him carefully.

  “Easy Inuyasha,” he said, hoping to calm him. “You need to stay in control if we are to find them.” Inuyasha whirled around, grabbed the front of his robes, and lifted him a good foot off the ground.

  “Oh I'll find them!” He practically roared in the monk's face. “And when I do, that damn cat is dead!” With that, he dumped a startled Miroku unceremoniously on his ass and stormed off towards the northeast.

  “Sango, remind me to never get on his bad side,” he said while brushing himself off. She came up to stand beside him, out of arms reach.

  “Did he say cat?” She asked, not certain she had heard the half demon right. Miroku nodded.

  “Yes, he did,” he replied sagely. “The last time we encountered cat yuokai was when we fought against the Panther Devas.” His expression seemed grim as he spoke. “I just hope this yuokai's tribe doesn't have a vendetta against Inuyasha's father as well.”

 

Kamitsu was growing impatient with the human girl. She had been kicking and screaming at him ever since he had taken her hostage.

  “Put me down!” She cried, pounding at his back with her fists harder than he thought she could. “I can walk perfectly fine by myself, now put me down!” He smiled slightly from behind his scarf.

  “Okay, you're short, annoying, your aim is terrible and you are the worst example of a miko I've ever seen,” he told her, still smiling. Her eyes narrowed.

  “Great,” she began sarcastically, “of all the yuokai in the world I get stuck with the one that thinks it's a comedian.” That did it. He dumped her on the ground, his patience now gone. The girl sat up, anger in her eyes. “Hey! You can't just do that!” He crouched down in front of her, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

 

 

“Listen, girl,” he began, his tone suddenly cold, “you had better shut up, unless you want your friends to find you dead.” She bought his bluff. “And stop referring to me as an `it', my name, if you must speak at all, is Kamitsu Tsunagurai.” She did not reply, her eyes plainly saying that she did not care.

  “Inuyasha will come for me,” she told him quietly. He chuckled mirthlessly, not exactly worried about that fact.

  “Who, your hanyuo lover?” He asked, his voice taking on a bored tone. “I am sure that he will indeed. Dogs like him always seem to form extremely strong attachments to humans.” He stood up, extending his hand to help her up. “But, he doesn't know where we're going.” She ignored his hand, standing up on her own.

  “You don't know him like I do,” she said to him defiantly. “He will never give up until he's found me and killed you.” He did not reply, taking her by the arm.

  “If he does, then he will be the one to die,” was all he said as they made their way out of the forest.