InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare ❯ Brother ( Chapter 6 )

“Damn it! Where the hell did he go?!” Inuyasha growled fiercely as he looked upon Kaiede's empty hut. “I knew he couldn't be trusted!” Kagome frowned.

“Why would he take off like this?” She asked no one in particular. “Unless…he heard us talking!” Inuyasha gave a derisive snort. “Well, how would you feel if people were saying things like that?” The half demon's eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, or he really was one of Naraku's incarnations and went to report back to him,” he muttered glaring at the trees, the ground, but making sure he didn't glare at her. His head hurt enough as it was without her saying the “s” word.

“Or it could be another of Naraku's tricks!” She retorted loudly, looking a little angry. “Or maybe he doesn't realize it, like Onigumo!” At this point, as things looked ready to turn violent, Miroku stepped in.

“Come on you two, calm down,” the monk began sternly, feeling as if he was pulling apart a couple of children as he stepped between them. “We have enough problems without the two of you fighting like spoiled children!” They both glared daggers at him.

“What's that supposed to mean?!” They both shouted at the same time, looking like they could commit murder. Miroku backed up a few steps.

“Uh, what I mean is that we should be focusing on finding Naraku,” he quickly amended, which seemed to calm them a little bit. “I have a feeling, that if we find Naraku, we'll find Kamitsu as well.”

 

Kamitsu rushed across a series of rice paddies, following the scent of the demon who had claimed to be his sister. The trail was painfully obvious; even a child could follow it. The answer was simple: he was being lured into a trap. It didn't matter; he would find and kill Naraku even at the expense of his own life. Even after seeing the spider shaped burn scar on his back for himself, the half cat demon would not accept it. Naraku was not his father, and he would prove it! The scent of the demoness was getting stronger by the mile. It wouldn't be long now until he reached his goal.

“Naraku, I will kill you!”

 

“So, ye are heading off alone then?” Kaiede asked as Inuyasha walked past. The half demon paused, turning to face her.

“I'm going to find that damn cat, and if the others go with me they'll only slow me down!” He spat before continuing on. His answer made Kaiede smile.

“So, it's not because ye are worried about their safety?” She asked in a knowing tone. The half demon gave a short growl before storming off into the woods. The old, wizened priestess chuckled. “You're human heart shows its face again, Inuyasha,” she murmured. “I only hope what ye are about to go through doesn't force it into hiding once more.” With that, she returned to her hut and brewed some tea. In less than five minutes, Kagome appeared at her door looking distressed.

“Kaiede, where's Inuyasha?” She asked, feeling that she already knew. The old woman looked up at her from her tea brewing.

“He has, and I quote, `gone to find that damn cat',” she replied, not surprised to see the young woman rush off after the half demon as soon as she was finished talking. “Young people are so impatient.” Moments later, Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Shippo went hurrying by. Kaiede bowed her head and said a silent prayer. “Luck be with thee, children.”

 

Kamitsu stood at the base of a mountain, gazing up at its peak above. He had tracked his “sister” to this place and then the trail stopped.

“Now what?” He grumbled, looking around. The evening air was crisp here, the first signs of autumn in the trees. The half demon frowned, his eyes searching the skyline. It would be night soon, the night of the full moon. He sighed, heading deeper into the forest at the mountain's base. Kamitsu placed his left hand on the trunk of one of the older trees, reaching out with his mind as he had been taught by his mother. The massive pine's consciousness was sluggish, but it did remember several figures, for it could not tell them apart being a plant, passing by in the last few days. The half demon withdrew his thoughts, feeling troubled. If there was anyone with his “sister”, surely he would have smelled them.

“Greetings, brother,” a low voice whispered in his ear. “You have finally caught up with us.” Kamitsu spun drawing his sword. The demon before him could have been his identical twin, save his eyes and hair were darker than Kamitsu's. He bore no weapons, but he seemed to radiate a sense of barely restrained violence. “So good of you to come, brother, for now the fun can begin.” Kamitsu's eyes darted to the left, then right, looking for an escape and finding none. There was no way he could fight this demon now, not tonight! “What's wrong? You look frightened, little brother,” his voice was warm, soothing, a stark contrast to his aura. Kamitsu took a step back, sword held at a guard position. He had to get away, right now.

“Spirit Lancer!” The half demon cried, sending a bolt of blue-white energy flying from his palm. The blast took his demonic counterpart right in the chest, hurling him backwards thirty feet. Kamitsu was running before the he could recover, the half demon's legs propelling him forward at a supernatural pace.

“That was awfully rude of you, brother,” the demon stated, sounding hurt. He was on Kamitsu's left, easily keeping pace with the half demon despite the ninja's best efforts. The half demon growled in frustration, lashing out with his sword. His demon twin leapt over it, striking out with his fist on the way back down. The punch struck Kamitsu in the face, sending him tumbling down hill, hitting every out jut of rock and gnarled root on his way down. He finally rolled to a stop, battered and bruised but still able to move. The demon was on him in seconds, driving his knee into the half demon's abdomen. All the air was blasted from Kamitsu's lungs in an instant, doubling him over in pain. His twin, his doppelganger, struck him again with an uppercut, knocking him flying backwards into a small boulder. The rock shattered on impact, covering the half demon in rubble. The doppelganger walked towards him slowly, grinning viciously. “What fun! I haven't had this kind of entertainment in months!” The demon exclaimed laughingly. “Our father wanted me to get something for him, but I don't think he'll mind me roughing you up a bit before I do.” Kamitsu crawled out from under the shards of rock, blood streaming from his now reopened injuries.

“Damn it!” He coughed, spitting up blood. It was like looking at an insane mirror image of himself, save that this demon was far stronger than he. With only moments before the moon would rise and his malicious twin closing in, Kamitsu was forced to retreat once more. “Kumori Jutsu!” With this phrase, the half demon ninja vanished without a trace. The doppelganger frowned.

“Damn and things were just getting fun, too.”

 

Inuyasha bounded up the slope of the forest path, his senses open for any signs of an attack. He stopped upon reaching the top, seeing a battered looking man dressed in the torn garb of a ninja. The man staggered, tried to regain his balance and fell face first to the ground. The half demon approached him cautiously, aware that it could be a trick. He rolled the man on to his back with his foot and stared in surprise. It was the half cat demon, Kamitsu, but he was in human form. Inuyasha looked up at the sky, seeing that it was the first night of the full moon. Every half demon lost their demonic powers one night every month and for Inuyasha it was the night of the new moon, but for the ninja it would seem he lost them during the full moon. It must have been hell for him during the time Kaguya made it the full moon every night. Inuyasha chuckled, slinging the unconscious ninja over one shoulder. At least Kagome wouldn't be angry for a change; he was sparing his life after all. He started back down slope, grumbling about Kamitsu's dead weight even though it didn't really bother him.

“When we get back, I'm gonna tie you to the Sacred Tree if I have to ta keep you from going anywhere,” Inuyasha growled tersely. “I don't care what Kagome says or does, the next time you try taking off I'll cut you're legs off below the knees!” Kamitsu, who was still unconscious, heard none of this and remained inert. Inuyasha continued to complain in this manner as he walked, until finally they encountered Kagome and the others on their way looking for two half demons.

“Inuyasha, what did you do?” Shippo asked in his slightly annoying voice. The half demon didn't reply at first, dumping the unconscious Kamitsu unceremoniously to the ground.

“I didn't do anything,” he replied finally, rolling his shoulders. “I found the idiot like this. Most likely he actually found Naraku and that's the reason he's so thrashed.” Kagome helped Miroku get him onto Kirara's back while Sango went to talk to Inuyasha.

“Did you find anything else?” The demon slayer asked, shifting her hiraikotsu to a more comfortable position. The half demon shrugged.

“Not really,” he mumbled with a stretch, “but I did smell something odd.” This he added as an after thought but Sango pressed him to tell her what he meant. “Well, it was kinda like crushed flowers but with a more…I don't know! The only thing I can think of is the smell of death.” Sango frowned.

“What do you mean, like the smell of graveyard soil?” She asked, remembering their recent encounters with the Band of Seven. Inuyasha shook his head.

“No, it was different, like the smell of an old battlefield,” he replied, scratching one of his ears in thought. “Yeah, the last time I encountered a smell like that was years ago when I passed through a ruined castle town.” The demon slayer was relieved it wasn't the smell of reanimated corpses, but she was also disturbed by what the half demon had said. The smell of an old battlefield? Well, that didn't matter at the moment. Kamitsu was badly hurt and needed medical attention right away.

“I hope this proves to you he's not Naraku's servant,” Sango said, giving him a pointed look. Inuyasha only shrugged.

“That doesn't matter right now,” he commented blandly, “what I'm worried about is who did the damage to him. It doesn't look like he was cut up anymore than he already was.” He looked to where Kagome, Miroku and Shippo were strapping the unconscious half demon to Kirara. “Someone literally kicked the shit out of him, so I'm curious who's strong enough to do that.” Somehow, Sango wasn't so sure about his reasoning, but didn't argue about it any further. Unlike Kagome, she didn't enjoy arguing with the half demon at any length.

“Come on, you two, hurry up!” Shippo called from atop Kirara. The two of them headed towards their friends, unaware they were being watched.

 

The demon that looked exactly like Kamitsu smiled.

“Oh, good, more people I can play with!” He sounded almost giddy. “And, what's this? Two women as well? Things just keep getting better by the moment!” It wasn't that he had forgotten Naraku's orders, he was just taking a little detour before picking up his father's present. He followed them back to a small village, filled with more human vermin and an old priestess as well. That was fine with him, for the more there were the more fun he would have. He circled to the far side of the village, using the trees as cover. “Now, to let the fun truly begin!”

 

An explosion forced Kagome to look up from where she was reclosing Kamitsu's wounds.

“What was that?” She asked, about to stand when Sango stopped her. The demon slayer hefted her hiraikotsu, mouth set in a grim line.

“You stay here with Kamitsu and Shippo,” she told her, casting a glance at the unconscious half demon in human form. “Come on, Kirara, let's go!” Then the demon slayer and two-tailed cat left through the door flap. Kagome knelt there for a moment, then continued to repair what she could of Kamitsu's injuries, murmuring a prayer Kaiede had taught her. She only hoped they would be okay.

 

Inuyasha surveyed the damage, growling in anger.

“Someone's gonna pay for this!” His voice was tight and animal like as he said it. A chuckle to his left drew the half demon's attention. He spun, drawing the Tetsusaiga in the same movement. A figure walked through the black smoke, a grin on his familiar features. Inuyasha gaped in astonishment. The demon that stepped forward out of the smoke was the mirror image of Kamitsu, right down to his emerald green eyes and dark blue hair. “Who the hell are you?!” He growled, regaining his composure. Kamitsu's doppelganger grinned even wider.

“I am Komoro, and I am here to kill you all!” He roared, energy blazing around his fists as he charged at Inuyasha with blinding speed. The half demon swung Tetsusaiga in a mighty arc, but the demon ducked underneath and delivered a hammer blow to his gut. Inuyasha doubled over in pain, all the wind having been blasted from his lungs. This bastard was way too strong for any normal demon. His following kick sent the half demon hurtling through a hut and into a tree twenty feet away. There was a loud crack as the pine fell, throwing up plumes of dirt and leaves. Inuyasha staggered back to his feet, understanding why Kamitsu was so fucked up. This thing must have been the one that attacked him. The half demon snarled, raising the Tetsusaiga above his head.

“Wind Scar!”

 

Miroku came to where Inuyasha and some other demon were fighting. The half demon had been able to draw the fight away from the village, but things were going badly for him. The demon seemed incredibly powerful, knocking Inuyasha around with his bare hands. If the monk didn't know any better, he'd have said the demon was Kamitsu. He withdrew several sacred sutras from inside his robes.

“Justice be done!” He cried, hurling them at the demon from behind. The sutras struck the demon in the back, causing him to cry out in pain. Inuyasha used this opportunity to slash him across the chest, blood spurting from the wound. The demon staggered, as if in pain, then began to laugh maniacally.

“This is glorious!” He roared in laughter. “I haven't had this much of a challenge in a long time, but now I think I've wasted enough time here!” His demonic aura intensified, and then a shock wave blasted outwards from him, striking Miroku and Inuyasha full on. When they got back to their feet, he was gone.

 

Komoro appeared in the center of the village, right outside the hut his brother was in.

“Come out, little bother!” He called. “It's time to play!” A human woman, a demon slayer from her garb, stepped out from behind one of the huts, wielding a large weapon that looked like a boomerang. “Ah, you must be Sango. Naraku's told me so much about you!” Sango's expression hardened.

“Hiraikotsu!” She cried, hurling the massive weapon at him. Komoro leapt over it, coming back down and delivering a punch that hit her in the jaw. The demon slayer flew some fifteen feet before sprawling face down in the dirt. A large, saber-toothed, two-tailed cat launched itself at him from behind, roaring in rage. The demon spun, left hand out stretched.

“Down kitty!” He shouted, launching a blast that struck the two tail in the chest. It fell over backward with a pain filled roar, slumping down on the ground and unable to move. Komoro advanced on the hut, when a sacred arrow flew at him from inside. He caught the deadly bolt, hissing in pain as it burned his hand, then disintegrated. A woman dressed in outlandish clothes stepped out, armed with a bow and quiver of arrows. She was about to string another when Komoro raced forward, grabbing her by the throat. He began to squeeze when a voice called to him from the hut's doorway.

“Leave her alone! Your fight is with me!” It was his dear brother, Kamitsu, his demonic powers gone now that it was the night of the full moon. Komoro smiled, dropping the girl.

“Why, you're right, Kamitsu,” he admitted, taking a step towards the weakened ninja, “I'd much rather be tearing into you!” With these words, the demon rushed forward, kicking his brother in the chest. Kamitsu was sent flying, landing some distance away next to an old well. Komoro was there almost instantly, picking the half demon up by his vest. “I did so enjoy our time together. Now, it's time to say goodbye.” Kamitsu smiled weakly.

“Goodbye,” he whispered, shoving a sacred sutra into Komoro's face. The demon howled in agony, clutching at his face as he staggered back, dropping Kamitsu into the well.

“ARGH! You bastard!” Komoro cried, holding a hand over his now maimed right eye. “I'll kill you for this!” He went over to the edge of the well and looked inside, his good eye going wide in shock. Kamitsu was gone.