InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Price ❯ Cursed ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha; Rumiko Takahashi and a large publishing conglomerate hold his leash.

 

A/N: In the anime/manga, there is no special `attack name' used when Inuyasha employs the Red Tetsusaiga. Instead, he merely scowls, the blade turns red, and he unleashes a barrier-busting Kaze-no-Kizu. Because Feni can't leave well enough alone, she decided to riff on both Inuyasha's Hijin Kessou attack as well as the Red Tetsusaiga's origin in Shiori's blood-coral orb and came up with Hijinsaiga, or `Blood Fang'.

 

Bouquets to my lovely CMAs: Forthright, Ranuel and SilverOnTheRose, who often make me curl up in a ball and whimper plaintively.

 

Warnings: Blood, guts and other varieties of violently messy character death, coarse language.

 

The Price

Chapter Eleven: Cursed

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Kagome! Wake up!” Sha shook the limp young woman, his movements made ungentle by his fear. “Say something… please!” Her head lolled disconcertingly against his shoulder, her exposed skin chillingly cold under his hands. Fuck! What the hell am I supposed to do? Scooping her up, Sha moved Kagome onto the couch and covered her with the blanket. Trailing his fingers down the side of her neck, he frowned. Her pulse is racing; no wonder she fainted. The dark, irregular patch centred on her heart seemed to throb with its own beat as he inspected it. Must be a trick of the light. Tucking the blanket around her shoulders, Sha brushed his wife's bangs away from her face and bent to kiss her icy cheek. I'm screwed sideways, no matter who I call for help. This is my fucking fault.

 

Retrieving his cell phone from his jacket pocket, Sha turned his back on Kagome as he moved towards the window and punched in Tsugane's number. The connection cut immediately to voice mail, and he cursed. Snarling in frustration, he had just dialled Tenmaru when a disturbance in the air had him instinctively dodging sideways as a glowing black arrow slammed into the wall not far from where his head had been a moment before. Spinning and dropping into a crouch, Sha's jaw dropped at the sight of Kagome, on her feet by the entry door and pointing another arrow at him. Narrowing his eyes, he assessed the young woman as he would any other opponent and realized that something was wrong. Her stance is off, and she's shaking so badly that she can hardly hold her bow… lucky for me. “Kagome?” he called softly, and in response she raised her head, revealing pupils so widely dilated that her eyes appeared as black as the malevolent markings coiling up her arm.

 

“R-r-run,” she gritted out, sweat beading on her cheeks and dripping off her jaw, her entire body trembling as she took aim.

 

She's fighting against something… or someone. “What's going on?”

 

“Can't... control my… body,” she rasped. “Voice… inside head….”

 

Stubborn little wretch! Kill him!

 

“Naraku's voice?” Sha edged towards her, keeping one eye on the shaking, sizzling arrowhead.

 

Obey me, damn you! Kill him NOW!

 

“R-run, Sha!” Kagome begged, the bow creaking as her hands pulled the bowstring taut.

 

“And leave you to face this alone? Never.”

 

Loyal to the death; how sweet.

 

The arrowhead glowed eerily, the black energy dribbling from the tip. Kagome wavered on her feet, mumbling, “I won't do as you say!”

 

Oh, you will… you cannot defy my curse for long!

 

The black markings rapidly spiralled down her other arm and over both hands, with the immediate result that her upper body's movements became more controlled. “Sha… please… get away,” the young woman choked out, even as she sighted down the arrow's shaft.

 

Instead of obeying, the hanyou stood up tall and fully faced her. Spreading his arms wide, he sneered, “Whoever you are… take your best shot, because you're only gettin' one before it's our turn.”

 

Such misplaced confidence! End this farce of resistance, miko, and release the arrow!

 

“NO!” The voice inside her head laughed shrilly as her black-wrapped fingers released the flaming missile. The hanyou held his ground for a split-second longer before twisting sideways and diving backwards. The arrow slammed into the wall next to the first, narrowly missing the windowpane. Rolling up onto his feet, he was about to launch himself at Kagome when she shouted, “Get out!” Throwing away her bow, the young woman fell to her hands and knees, her head down and her hair covering her face.

 

“Kagome?” Sha called, cautiously moving towards her.

 

Shaking her head, she muttered, “C'mon, darn it… gotta protect… help me….” Her next words became a strangled cry as her body convulsed, haloed in deep violet light.

 

Sha stayed low, ready to either intervene or dive for cover as he watched the purple glow surge and fade as it seemingly warred with the roseate flames flickering around Kagome's hunched form. Holy gods…! There was another shout, accompanied by a burst of clear pink light, before Kagome toppled over onto her side and curled into a ball.

 

He scrambled towards her, his heart in his throat, until he saw that she was breathing. Smoothing her damp hair away from her face, Sha carefully gathered her into his arms and sat down with his back against the end of the couch. He noticed that while the menacing black tracery on her skin had faded to a silvery grey, it was still plainly visible. When her eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes, he was relieved to see that her pupils had returned to normal. “You okay?” he asked, lightly stroking her cheek.

 

Kagome blinked slowly several times before focussing on his face. “The voice is gone,” she said hoarsely, “but I think we have to move fast before she comes back.”

 

“`She'… it's a woman's voice?”

 

“She's cursed me.” Kagome raised her hand to examine the grey tendrils. “These marks take over control of my body.”

 

“Dammit, Naraku might have changed his form again!” Sha had rarely felt so completely and utterly helpless. “What can we do?”

 

The young woman was silent for a long moment. “I think that I can tell how close she is… just need a good vantage point.”

 

“We'll go up on the roof,” Sha immediately decided. “Can you move at all?”

 

Kagome tried sitting up under her own steam and discovered that her muscles obeyed her. The hanyou stood up with her in his arms and carefully set her on her feet. She wrapped her arms around him, whispering, “I'm so sorry, Sha.”

 

“It wasn't your fault!” he fiercely retorted as he returned the embrace. “Do not blame yourself!” Kagome said nothing, but the emotion of the near-miss was obvious in both her scent and in the way her shoulders slumped even as her arms tightened around him. Growling lightly to cover his own sense of failure, Sha tangled his fingers in her hair and gently pulled back her head to plant a kiss on her lips. “Let's go,” he said firmly.

 

Retrieving her jacket from the foyer, he wrapped her in it before donning his own. Freeing Tetsusaiga from its carrying case, he shoved the sword through his belt, then collected her bow and quiver. Kagome reluctantly accepted them, her worried expression betraying her concern. “There's no way you could've missed me at that close range unless you were fighting off the bitch's control,” Sha pointed out. “This is a risk I'm willing to take.”

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Kagome smiled wanly.

 

Down the hall in the elevator lobby, their two escorts were plainly appalled that they'd missed the action, since it would've been their asses in the fire if Sha had been killed on their watch. After a hasty conference, they took the elevator up to the roof, much to Kagome's quiet relief. It's taking everything I have to hold her at bay without glowing. Glancing sideways at her husband, she unhappily considered the cost of defeat. I can't let her take me again!

 

Sha slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close; while the guardsmen pretended not to notice, he kissed the top of her head. “It'll be okay,” he assured as the doors opened and they found themselves in a narrow corridor with a flight of steps at the opposite end, leading up to a reinforced steel door. Once out on the roof, Sha held her even more firmly as they traversed the tar and gravel surface, weaving between the mechanical units and the transmission towers. “All right… can you sense anything?” he asked, scanning the cityscape, his black hair whipping in the night breeze.

 

Kagome closed her eyes and slowly rotated on the spot, not really sure what she was looking for until she found it. “That way,” she said with firm conviction, pointing. “There's something… a mix of jyaki and… spiritual energy?”

 

Sha squinted in the direction indicated, then shook his head. “Your range is incredible; I can't pick up anything.” Looking at the guardsmen, he asked, “How `bout you?” When both of them gave negative responses, he carefully considered their route before going down on one knee. Kagome pushed his hair out of the way and awkwardly settled into place on his back. “Hang on tight,” he warned as he stood up. “We're gonna be doing some serious height and distance, so try not to scream.”

 

“How about fainting?” she asked, linking her hands on his chest.

 

“Not recommended.”

 

“Bursting randomly into pink flames?”

 

“Definitely not.” Sha squeezed her thighs in a friendly manner. “No barfing, either.”

 

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. “I'll do my best… but hurry. I don't know how long I can keep her at bay.”

 

“On it.” Jerking his head at their escorts, the hanyou took off at a dead run and launched off the edge of the roof.

 

Soaring across the gap between the buildings, they plummeted about twenty feet before landing hard enough to knock the air out of Kagome's lungs as she collided with Sha's back. Oh, man… it isn't the barfing I'm worried about… more like the bruising!

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Sota looked up from his textbook, his eyes wide. “What was that?” he asked in a hushed voice. Buyo was already on her feet, her tail bristling, when a second set of explosions rocked the house.

 

Transforming on the fly as she darted from the room, the cat-youkai ordered, “Retrieve your sword!” The teen dumped his homework and dove for the built-in cupboard, sending clothes flying as he yanked the weapon out of the bottom drawer and ran after Buyo, who beckoned from the foot of the stairs. “Your lady mother's bedroom window will give us a good vantage point!”

 

The house shook again as they scrambled through Yayoi's bedroom door; Buyo leapt over the bed and flung open the window, allowing the sounds of battle to pour into the room. Squealing tires, wild yells and lurid curses filled the night, along with an acrid stench that made Sota cough as he squeezed alongside the cat-youkai and peered out. The courtyard floodlights were on to facilitate the return of Mrs. Higurashi and her escort, and they lit up a confusing scene. Dozens of guardsmen surrounded an imported red SUV that was spitting fire from multiple gun ports and wreathed in a haze of oddly-coloured smoke.

 

“I recognize that vehicle!” Sota coughed as he wiped his streaming eyes on his sleeve. “It's the yakuza who showed up on Friday afternoon!”

 

“The Band of Seven linked themselves to Naraku by their own admission, so this attack is definitely with intent,” Buyo murmured. “I doubt that anything or anyone will get past the dogs, Lord Sota, but if they do…” Wickedly long claws sprouted from her fingertips. The teen nodded agreeably, but his grip on the sword remained white-knuckled. He sneezed a few more times, his vision going blurry, while Buyo scanned the courtyard and tentatively scented the air. Glancing down at Sota, she commented, “That strange smoke isn't affecting me, but it seems to be causing difficulties for you. Let's go up on the roof.” She was in the process of stepping out onto the decorative balcony when she abruptly reversed direction and shoved Sota to the floor beneath her.

 

The building groaned on its foundations as the bedroom was briefly lit up by a massive explosion, quickly followed by shattering glass and shrapnel striking the opposite wall. Several chunks of something heavy landed on the roof above their heads; Sota blindly groped for something to hold onto and found Buyo's hand. The cat-youkai squeezed back, and when it appeared that all debris sent skyward by the explosion had returned to earth, she pulled him to his feet. After she briskly shook herself free of the broken glass, she used her claws to knock several large shards out of the frame before they cautiously looked out. “We scored!” Sota yelped gleefully, pointing at the SUV, which was now flipped onto its roof in the middle of the courtyard, the body of its red-haired driver hanging out the window, and its burst tires slowly spinning as several distinct battles raged around it.

 

One was over rather quickly, as a markedly squat intruder completely swaddled in full-body veils and carrying a pack full of bamboo tubes was spitted on a spear and then cut in half by a battle-axe. As the pieces of his body hit the pavement, one of the tubes cracked open, and a pool of what looked like mercury ran out and began spreading. On contact with the ground, the liquid immediately turned to a heavy, low-lying vapour that ate away the heavy paving stones and anything else within range. “Roof! Now!” Buyo ordered and caught Sota around the waist. “Hold onto your weapon!” Yanking her startled companion through the window, she balanced briefly on the balustrade before leaping up onto the roof tiles, just as one guardsman let out a howl of pain and went down, engulfed in the corrosive mist. He screamed incessantly as his flesh was melted from his bones, finally going mercifully silent as Sota turned green and cringed away from the horrific scene.

 

“This is what a battle is really like,” he mumbled, bile rising into the back of his throat.

 

“Yes.” Buyo keenly watched the progress of the vapour across the courtyard and noted that it was being blown away from the house. “You did well in your first experience against Lord Ryukotsusei; this will also be a challenge.” Movement caught her eye, and she stared in disbelief at what appeared to be an enormous sword in the hands of a dark-haired yakuza, whose long braid swung in wild arcs as he easily handled the massive weapon. Slicing the heavy blade through the air, he sent the encircling guardsman skipping backwards out of reach. “A zanbato,” she sniffed derisively. “Haven't seen one of those since the Warring States era; where did these vermin find their weapons?”

 

“Luckily Mom is at the clinic with Gramps… although, not so lucky for Grandpa, having those chest pains,” the teen added, and then he went pale. “Shit! She'll be coming back any minute… and in the middle of this…!”

 

Buyo let out a highly unladylike curse. “They went on foot because the clinic is just a couple of blocks away… blast it! Surely someone has called to alert them, if they've somehow missed the explosion?”

 

“Step away from the boy,” rumbled an unfamiliar voice.

 

The cat-youkai instantly bared her fangs in a threatening hiss as she spun, shielding Sota from this new threat. As the teen bravely drew his sword, they assessed the burly figure straddling the ridgepole, his body throwing off haloing clouds of dust with every movement. “The SUV's explosion must have tossed him up here,” Sota muttered, noting the tattered condition of the man's body armour and the way his clothing glistened wetly in the dim light.

 

“I advise you to withdraw, vermin,” Buyo snarled and in reply, their opponent made a rude gesture with the gleaming metal blades apparently attached to his hands. “Merely a wanna-be,” she huffed when she spotted the heavy leather gloves. “As fake as the stripes on your face.”

 

“Don't discount me so easily,” he replied, lazily swiping the air.

 

“Watch yourself, my lord.” At Sota's nod, Buyo silently prowled up the sloping roof, her claws making a menacing metallic clatter as she flexed her fingers. The wounded man backed up several steps and crouched, silently waiting for her attack, but the cat-youkai circled, her pale eyes keen. Sota was ever after convinced that he saw a tail swish under Buyo's robes, but it might have been an illusion as she pounced.

 

Her opponent was sent staggering with one swipe, as her claws tore through his body armour and left him bleeding heavily from multiple slashes. Recovering his footing, he gamely retaliated with a slash aimed at her throat, but she went for his legs and threw him onto his back, then drove her knee into his wounded abdomen. The cat-youkai snarled angrily when her claws unexpectedly became entangled with his as the battling pair slid down the sloping tiles until their heads hung over the edge of the roof. With his weapons rendered ineffective, the yakuza desperately grappled until he managed to seize Buyo's slender wrists in his hands; he had the audacity to smirk at the apparent stalemate.

 

The cat-youkai's pale green eyes flamed as her lips curled back from her elongating fangs. “Foolish human,” she purred as her face morphed into that of a predator and fear twisted the man's tattooed face. “Die!” Sinking her fangs into his flesh, she ripped out his throat and cut off his strangled scream. As blood sprayed and he went limp, Buyo easily hoisted his body and looked over the eaves.

 

Near the access road at the far end of the property, a giant of a man was being worried by a pack of energetic guardsmen who darted in and slashed him with their weapons every time he was distracted by one of their number. As the cat-youkai watched, the huge yakuza tore up a section of the wrought iron fence and used it like a scythe in an attempt to impale his attackers, but they easily evaded and mocked his flailing movements.

 

Across the courtyard, an effeminate young man in an inappropriately short skirt deployed an unusual snaking sword that had already accounted for the lives of at least half a dozen guardsmen. Dismembered body parts lay in oozing puddles; the second group of dog-youkai facing him was far warier of the weapon's considerable reach. When the swordsman taunted them before unleashing a swing, a few attempted to catch and pin down the vicious blade with their spears while others dashed in to deal a death blow. Grinning wildly, he snapped back the weapon and several more guardsmen came apart in a welter of blood and gore.

 

Nearer to hand, the intruder wielding the zanbato had his attention divided among the eight guardsmen opposing him, his back against the flipped SUV. Buyo watched with interest as he dashed forward, swinging his ungainly weapon with considerable skill and taking out two of the dog-youkai before the rest closed off his retreat. Planting her feet, Buyo screamed a warning to the guardsmen as she heaved her twitching victim straight at the encircled yakuza. As his attackers fell back, the dark-haired man whirled to face the new threat; he raised his sword in an attempt to block the gruesome missile, but he was knocked off his feet by the impact and he went down hard.

 

The guardsman skipped out of the way of the zanbato as it skated across the bloodied pavement and came to rest at the feet of the heavily-made up yakuza. Glancing down at the huge weapon, the swordsman did a double take before looking up in time to witness the messy decapitation of his leader. As the head was kicked away from the body, the thick black braid slithering through the gore, the swordsman stared in obvious shock at the bodies of his compatriots before looking up to where Buyo stood on the roof, casually licking his colleague's blood off her claws.

 

“Fuck you straight to hell!” he screamed, and hitched up his bloodied skirt as he ran towards the house. The whirring blade arched over the roof and attempted to curl around the defiant cat-youkai, but she adroitly avoided certain death by diving under the sword's razor-sharp edge. Propelling herself down the lee side of the sloping roof, she slid to safety next to Sota, who regarded her bloodied appearance with something akin to fascinated horror.

 

“My apologies, my lord,” she said, apparently unruffled, until she looked over his shoulder. “By all the gods of heaven and hell! What are those idiot dogs doing?” Sota turned in time to spot Tenmaru in company with a gaggle of guardsmen appear at the top of the stone staircase. The new arrivals barely paused to assess the situation before they charged in with weapons drawn. “They wouldn't… have they left your lady mother undefended?”

 

Sota noticed the enraged yakuza racing around the end of the house in a broad arc as he attempted to locate Buyo's position on the roof, but then he apparently changed his mind and faced off against the newcomers. As he raised his bloodied sword, the teen shouted, “Look out!”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Warakashi, this isn't our usual route.”

 

“No, miss.”

 

Several more minutes passed as the young woman in the rear seat of the expensive sedan watched the unfamiliar streetscape roll past between exchanging texts with her classmate. Biting her lip, she ventured, “I have a project due tomorrow morning; I can't really afford to take the scenic route.”

 

“Not much longer, miss,” the chauffeur calmly replied.

 

This new hire… I just don't know. He makes me feel so uncomfortable! I must speak to Mrs. Ueda about him when I get home. As the sedan came to a stop at a red light, she was plainly shocked when the rear door opened and a stranger slid onto the leather upholstery alongside her. With a panicked yelp, she scooted against the opposite passenger door and tried to open it, only to find it securely locked.

 

The newcomer adjusted the extravagant white fur collar of his coat and smiled disarmingly at his frightened captive. “Good work, Ren,” he said to the driver, who merely nodded as he finished wiping away the concealing makeup and revealed vivid purple facial tattoos.

 

“Wh-who are you? What do you want?” she fearfully demanded, furtively attempting to speed-dial the emergency services.

 

The dark-haired intruder seized her wrist in a painful grip and coolly extracted her cell phone before smoothly intoning, “Good evening, Miss Mifune. I am Narakage Hitomi, and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Kagome kept her head down and concentrated on her internal battle against the voice to avoid thinking about the rollercoaster-like sensations of their headlong flight. Sha's muscles bunched and stretched beneath her, and she quickly identified the rhythms of his movement, which allowed her to prepare herself… sort of… for the bone-jarring landings and stomach-churning leaps as they charged across the city's roof tops. At one point, he commented, “Your range really is amazing; I've just now picked up on the jyaki.”

 

“Maybe because I'm connected to the source?” she suggested. “If it was as big as that dragon's, you would've sensed it earlier.”

 

“It's really small,” he agreed, but then exclaimed, “Fuck… I think it's actually a barrier!”

 

“A what?”

 

“A mystic shield. It's too small and round to be anything else. Oi!” Sha shouted at their escort, and all three skidded to a stop on a convenient roof. The hanyou didn't let Kagome down from her perch on his back; she didn't mind in the least because she wasn't sure her legs would support her.

 

“What strategy do you propose, my lord?” asked one guardsman.

 

“Blow away the barrier and the asshole inside it with the Hijinsaiga,” Sha retorted.

 

“That attack would definitely break Lady Kagome's curse,” the other commented. “However, we'd be no wiser as to Naraku's involvement.”

 

“Fuck.”

 

Kagome peered over Sha's shoulder. “How is the curse linked to the barrier?” she inquired.

 

He executed a polite bow before answering, “One way to break a curse is to kill the caster; the other is to destroy the caster's shikigami.”

 

“The `caster's familiar'?” the young woman repeated.

 

“Those of evil intent will use a shikigami to extract blood or hair from their victim rather than risk their own lives in the attempt.”

 

“It did feel like something bit me,” she said, reflexively rubbing her wrist, and the guardsman nodded.

 

“That is undoubtedly how she was able to gain control over you, my lady.” Turning to Sha, he said, “If it is possible to open the barrier and kill the shikigami, then the caster may be detained for questioning. If Naraku has taken on another form, this is critical.”

 

“Since it's made of jyaki, I could try purifying it with an arrow,” Kagome tentatively suggested, despite her reluctance to notch a missile anywhere near Sha after the last incident.

 

“That would probably work, but if you're not at full power due to the hold she has over you, I'll have to ditch you somewhere.”

 

“Wh-why?” she asked, tightening her grip.

 

“Gotta release my jyaki to power up Tetsusaiga and turn it into Hijinsaiga,” he replied. “Don't wanna piss off the Jewel.” While Kagome contemplated the potentially disastrous results of that scenario, he told the guards, “As soon as the barrier's down, one of you stays with Kagome and the other kills the shikigami while I engage the bitch.” Directing his next words over his shoulder, he asked, “Ready?”

 

“Y-yeah.” On impulse, she leaned in and kissed his cheek; he squeezed her thighs as they took off.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Tenmaru and his men scattered just in time to avoid being struck by the snake-like blade as it whizzed past. While they hastily retreated, drawing the shrieking swordsman after them, Buyo grabbed Sota and jumped; landing on the lower roof, they slid down the tiles and off to the ground. “Stay low!” she ordered, hustling him towards the top of the stairs. “Go to your lady mother and make sure someone has called for assistance!”

 

They had only taken a half-dozen steps when the ground in front of them heaved and cracked, sending paving stones and earth flying. Buyo shoved Sota behind her as a strange, white-cloaked figure erupted from the ground, rising higher and higher until it towered over them. “I'm afraid that escape is not an option,” it announced in sepulchral tones.

 

The cat-youkai wrinkled her nose. “Naraku?” she muttered uneasily, eyeing its height and the strange way that its cloak undulated independently of the chilly breeze.

 

“Partially,” the apparition replied, chuckling unpleasantly.

 

Buyo narrowed her eyes as she assessed it more carefully. It has his scent, but it lacks a youkai aura. What is this thing? The moment of stillness abruptly ended when the cloak blew upward and a writhing torrent of tentacles rushed out. She screamed a warning to Sota as her claws flashed to their full length, but instead of retreating, he was right beside her with Yura's blade gleaming in his hands. Shoulder to shoulder, they slowly fought their way through the maelstrom of pulsating flesh, sprayed by vile fluids as they hacked themselves free of oily coils that sought to snatch away their weapons or trip them up. They were making good headway when a most unwelcome distraction appeared; a frantic Mrs. Higurashi and a pair of harassed-looking escorts arrived at the top of the staircase.

 

The apparition let out a triumphant shout and an entire nest of tentacles flew towards the startled woman, but Buyo got there first. Throwing herself directly in harm's way, her claws whirled as she made mincemeat of most of the fleshy weapons… except for one. A sharpened tentacle skewered her through the shoulder; as she slashed her way free, she recognized it for what it was and gasped out, “Target its chest! It's a golem!” before crumpling to the ground.

 

At that moment, mass confusion broke out.

 

Yayoi was snatched up by a dark-hued blur and found herself on the roof tiles of her home, tightly clutched in the arms of a silver-haired man who bellowed, “You two! Grab Lady Buyo and get the fuck out of there!” Glancing down at the stunned woman, the golden-eyed stranger apologized, “Excuse my language, Mrs. Higurashi,” before shouting, “Dammit, Tenmaru, move your ass! Father's out for blood!”

 

Staring up at the handsome man, Yayoi considered the fangs revealed as he luridly cursed someone named `Naraku', the dark blue stripes marking his high cheekbones and the unruly mop of silver hair. He looks so familiar… and isn't `Tenmaru' one of Lord Nishiki's sons?

 

“INCOMING!” her protector roared and then fairly crushed her against his armoured chest as he curled around her. Other bodies joined their desperate huddle as a thundering barrage of sound rolled over them, quickly followed by a shockwave of air that nearly knocked them off the sloping tiles. The entire house shook as something huge landed right beside it with an audible `crunch' and then a deafening howl split the night. A feathery white curtain swept over them, quickly followed by screaming and a horrible snapping noise. “Don't look, Mrs. Higurashi,” the silver-haired man advised when she tried to twist free. “You don't want to see this.”

 

“What's going on?” she asked. “Who are you?”

 

“The Shrine is under attack by criminal elements, and I'm…um, one of the good guys.”

 

Yayoi thought carefully about the young man holding her and the names he'd mentioned earlier, because that was much safer than considering the unpleasant ripping and rending noises that sounded a little too much like something being torn apart and eaten. “Are you Tenmaru Nishiki's brother?” she finally ventured.

 

His resigned sigh ruffled her hair. “Tsugane Nishiki at your service, ma'am.”

 

Blinking rapidly as his words sunk in, she slowly said, “Then your father is… Lord Sesshiro Nishiki.”

 

Another sigh. “Yes, ma'am.” His grip on her loosened, allowing Yayoi to push away from his chest and look up. He held very still as she lightly touched one of his cheek stripes and intently inspected his bronze-gold eyes. Finally, she shook her head.

 

“You look so familiar to me… your colouring, I mean… oh!” Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but quickly curved into a smile at the sight of his canine ears… just before confusion creased her brow. “You're… not human, are you?”

 

“No, ma'am,” Tsugane replied, noting that her scent was free of fear. “I am youkai.”

 

“Youkai? Really?”

 

“Hanyou, actually.” A thunderous growl broke up their surreal conversation; he wasn't quick enough to stop her from watching his father point his bloodied muzzle at the starry sky and howl out his fury.

 

“Oh… my…” Yayoi breathed, staring at the enormous white dog, its forehead blazoned with a crescent moon. When it shook itself and abruptly transformed into a tall, slender humanoid creature with long star-spun hair, wearing black and silver armour of a fantastical design, she was again staggered by a sense of recognition. I've seen that dog before and that man… maybe in one of Genma's scrolls?

 

The regal creature looked about itself, then up. In the next moment, it was poised on the edge of the roof, regarding the tangle of youkai and human with icy reserve. Yayoi flinched away from its piercing yellow gaze even as Tsugane pulled her to her feet and steadied her on the uneven tiles. “Mrs. Higurashi, this is my father…”

 

“L-lord Nishiki,” she offered in a very small voice, which he acknowledged with a slight inclination of his head.

 

She had a moment to inspect the pair of vivid stripes adorning each cheek before Sesshiro sharply demanded, “Where is your son?”

 

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After several long minutes of alternately defying and obeying gravity, Kagome risked a quick look around and identified the Shinjuku district's looming skyscrapers dead ahead. The jyaki continued to burn bright and clear in her mind's eye, and seemed to originate on the top of the massive twin-towered Metropolitan Government building.

 

“Need some height….” Sha growled, and they veered off course towards a black-panelled office tower that was slightly taller than their target. Kagome hid her face in Sha's shoulder and prayed to every god and goddess that might be listening for protection as they to all intents and purposes ran up the side of the building, using the distinctive black criss-crossing exterior girders for traction. She held her breath until they landed safely on the roof of the building; Sha carefully lowered her until she could stand while the wind remorselessly buffeted them. When she stopped hyperventilating, she noticed that the guardsmen were trying to block its force with their bodies. Letting go of her husband's shoulders, she was swept against his chest and held there, facing towards the government building and the now easily-visible ball of jyaki glowing darkly on one of the two towers. “Can you hit it from here?” he shouted in her ear.

 

“The wind's too strong!” she yelled back. “And it's outside of my range!”

 

“Sir! If we can gain the top of the second tower without being detected, we can easily launch an attack!”

 

“I think we're expected, unless the bitch is incredibly fucking stupid,” Sha dryly observed as he carefully studied the structure of the second tower. “It's climbable,” he finally decided. “We'll have more than enough momentum; let's go.” Kagome hastily clambered onto his back and was barely settled before the three youkai loped across the roof and dropped over the lip.

 

The young woman bit back a panicked scream as they plummeted towards the distant ground, but somehow, Sha used the façade's decorative elements to slow their descent until they were in a controlled high-speed slalom down the criss-crossing girders. When they were about thirty feet off the ground, Sha pushed off from the building's side and launched them out into space. Kagome was sure that her heart stopped until they landed nearly half-way across the spacious plaza surrounding the tower's base before rocketing back up into the air to slide across the roof of a building across the street.

 

They seemed to be literally flying, because the trajectories of Sha's jumps were flatter and the landings less teeth-rattling. However, he still managed to scare Kagome half to death with a couple of mid-air somersaults to regain control of their direction and speed. “This is it!” he bellowed, as they began their final approach to the Metropolitan building by racing across the flat roof of the much shorter Assembly building right in front of it. She clung tighter to his shoulders and hips, closing her eyes and counting the seconds as they left the comparatively solid surface of the roof and scaled the towering edifice by using the concrete window frames like the rungs of a ladder.

 

They paused briefly two-thirds of the way up, on the roof of the `bridge' between the two towers; Sha casually commented that this section would be easier due to the architectural details, and then they were airborne. Another minute or so later, they were on top of the second tower and taking their first good look at the barrier.

 

It was deep purple, almost black, and its surface ebbed and swirled like thick mist. Even from their position a couple of hundred feet away, the dark energy emanating from it was palpable at that distance, and Kagome broke out in a cold sweat. So much jyaki! Glancing at her hands, she noticed with a rising sense of panic that the markings had darkened. “Put me down, Sha!” she urgently demanded, and as soon as he complied, she attached herself to a handy antenna anchor and repeated the do-it-yourself purification method she'd employed earlier in the evening. When the curse marks faded, she pressed her forehead against the cold metal and willed herself not to collapse. I can't take much more of this.

 

“Kagome?” Sha's arms wrapped around her, and she quickly turned to burrow into his chest, taking strength from his solid reality. His hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his invisible claws lightly scratching her scalp as he held her close. “Can you hang in there a little longer?”

 

“Y-yes,” she bravely replied, but she couldn't quite hide the quaver of exhaustion in her tone.

 

“Thanks,” he murmured. Catching the guardsmen's eyes, which was somewhat tricky because they were busy looking everywhere but at them, he pointed at one and ordered, “You stay here with my wife.” To the other, he said, “You're with me. If Kagome can't open the barrier, I'll use Hijinsaiga; in either case, be ready to move.”

 

Shielding her from the howling wind, Sha stepped back a pace as she extracted her bow and an arrow from her quiver. Taking a deep breath and exhaling gustily, Kagome rolled her shoulders as she studied her target. Can't really miss, so long as I adjust for the wind. “Does it matter where I strike it?”

 

“Nope. Your spiritual energy should blow it wide open no matter the contact point.”

 

“All right… here goes….” Kagome notched the missile and drew back her bowstring. Concentrating until the arrow burst into brilliant pink flames, she aimed at the centre of the dome, then swung the tip to the left. The wind is really strong and gusting erratically… just like when I was bitten, so this has to be the source! Straining to give the arrow maximum velocity, she let it fly. The sizzling missile was caught by the wind and swept sideways, but it had enough power to make the connection, and the dark energy spectacularly exploded as Kagome's spiritual power connected.

 

“Gonna be hard to miss that,” one of the guardsmen commented offhandedly, “Since the Shinjuku Park Hotel is just over there.” He hooked his thumb in the direction of a triple-towered skyscraper several blocks away, its glass-enclosed observation decks glittering with light. “We'd better wrap this up before the humans arrive.”

 

“Then shut up and move!” Sha roared as he launched himself across the open space between the towers.

 

“Banzai!” his escort brashly yelled as he threw himself after the hanyou.

 

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Tenmaru kicked off his shoes and joined Tsugane and Mrs. Higurashi in the hallway as the medical team attempted to treat Buyo's wound in the tatami room. The unconscious cat-youkai had been laid out on a futon at Yayoi's insistence, despite dire warnings of the mess that would result. Other injured guardsmen waited their turn in the kitchen; the lady of the house calmly dealt with the mix of human and inhuman appearances without any outward signs of concern.

 

Turning to the currently mismatched brothers, one spell-concealed and one not, Yayoi softly asked, “Will she be all right?”

 

Tsugane bit his lip. “It's very close to her heart, and something is preventing the wound from healing as quickly as it should.”

 

Yayoi contemplated that for a moment before even more quietly asking, “You called her `Lady Buyo' outside… she can't possibly be…?”

 

The brothers exchanged quick glances. “She is, ma'am. Your family cat is actually a cat-youkai,” Tenmaru confirmed.

 

“She saved my life.”

 

“Yes. She's protected your family for… well, a really long time.”

 

“I remember… our old tortoiseshell cat had simply disappeared one day. We couldn't find her anywhere, no matter how hard we looked… we called and called…. After a week or so, Kagome and Sota brought home this tiny scrap of fur they'd found mewing halfway up the shrine's staircase,” Yayoi murmured, her gaze very far away. “She was just a little bit of a thing… but she moved right in like she owned the place.”

 

“Lord Tsugane? A word.” One of the medics beckoned, and the hanyou complied, just as Sesshiro arrived.

 

“These criminals called themselves the `Band of Seven', correct?” the taiyoukai demanded without preamble.

 

“Yes, Father,” Tenmaru replied.

 

“The body count is incomplete; two are missing.”

 

“One must have taken my son,” Yayoi murmured, hugging herself in the first show of nerves Tenmaru had seen since the end of the battle.

 

“And one took Mo… er, Miss Mifune,” Tsugane hastily amended as he rejoined them and tried not to cringe at his father's sub-sonic displeasure. In response to Yayoi's concerned expression, he said, “I'm afraid that Lady Buyo is in a bad way; the wound is contaminated with shouki and is slowly eating its way towards her heart.”

 

“Is there nothing we can do?” the woman asked, plainly distressed.

 

“Shouki is a form of jyaki,” Sesshiro pointed out.

 

Tsugane immediately brightened and he exclaimed, “Then she has a chance!” Digging his cell phone out of his breastplate, he punched in Sha's number. Impatiently tapping his foot as the connection was completed but no one answered, he growled, “Where the hell is Uncle?” to no one in particular.

 

Tenmaru's phone rang and he frowned at the message. “How about the Shinjuku district?”

 

“What? You're kidding, right?”

 

The younger hanyou looked up, his expression strained. “A rather spectacular out-of-season fireworks display above the Metropolitan Government Building has just been reported.”

 

“Oh, shit.”

 

 

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At the base of the largest antenna on the first tower, a roof vent had been turned into a makeshift altar, complete with silken cloths and porcelain dishes. A cold-eyed woman of surpassing beauty stood behind the altar, her long black hair lashing in the wind of the barrier's destruction. Apparently unperturbed at their arrival, she raised a languid hand to brush debris from her clothing. “Narakage Hitomi did not lie; you are indeed a formidable opponent,” she observed, her clear voice easily carrying across the gap between the towers.

 

As she and her escort huddled against an air-conditioning unit atop the second tower, Kagome exclaimed, “That's her… the voice inside my head!”

 

Flicking a glance in the direction of Kagome's voice, the woman said, “I am Tsubaki Shirohebi.” As she finished speaking, what appeared to be a large albino snake rose into view from behind her shoulder, opening and shutting its jaws as it scented the air.

 

Doing his best to shelter Kagome from the wind, the guardsman observed, “That snake must be the shikigami that attacked you, my lady. If it can be destroyed, then the curse will be lifted.”

 

“Easier said than done,” she muttered, glancing at the markings on her hands. “I want to know how she cursed me.”

 

Sha had prowled close to the altar and the woman behind it, sniffing the air as he assessed his opponent. “You're not Naraku,” he growled in disappointment. “You're human, but you stink of youkai.”

 

“How rude, Mr. Nishiki. I shan't make a comment about how you reek of dog,” Tsubaki retorted.

 

“Why did you force Kagome into shooting me with an arrow?” the hanyou demanded in an ominous tone.

 

Tsubaki flipped her hand. “An amusing interlude suggested by Mr. Hitomi, nothing more.”

 

“Why are you working for him?”

 

“I work for myself; Mr. Hitomi supplied me with the means to cast my curse and made a few entertaining suggestions,” she dismissively replied.

 

“How generous of him,” Sha sneered. “What's his price?”

 

“The deaths of you and your lovely bride in exchange for the Jewel.”

 

“Fuck you, bitch,” Sha snarled with considerable feeling. “If you're Naraku's ally, then you're fucking dead.”

 

As he drew Tetsusaiga, Tsubaki gave a brittle laugh. “Fool! I hold your woman's life in my hands! Put away your sword, or she will suffer!” With an unpleasant smile, she gracefully gestured; the white shikigami slithered down her arm and hovered over a porcelain cup in the centre of the altar. A large glistening drop of red-tinged liquid fell from one of its fangs and landed on neatly coiled black threads.

 

On the other tower, Kagome shrieked and collapsed, the grey curse marks turning gleaming black as they wound malevolently around her throat. “Mr. Hitomi gave me a sample of the Shikon miko's hair,” Tsubaki commented, her brilliant blue eyes keen as she watched the young woman struggle to breathe. “It has most excellent properties for spell-casting.”

 

“Damn you straight to hell!” the hanyou roared, slamming his sword back into its sheath.

 

“You can ease her pain, Sha Nishiki, by giving up your life,” Tsubaki suggested, her malicious smile ruining her pretty mouth. The skin around her right eye puckered just before pale vapour poured out and resolved itself into a vicious-looking youkai, armed with impressive fangs and wickedly long talons.

 

“You made a deal with trash youkai like this?” Sha spat.

 

“I value youth and beauty,” she replied tartly. “When I have the Jewel, I shall be immortal.”

 

“You're fucking pathetic.”

 

“Become my youkai's meal, Sha Nishiki,” Tsubaki smirked as Kagome cried out once more before going completely still. The hanyou's attention snapped back to his own peril when the creature pounced, tearing up the concrete with its huge claws. Sha dodged, cursing, as the youkai proved surprisingly agile as it pursued him across the roof, sending debris flying each time it missed.

 

Unnoticed in the uproar, the guardsman who had accompanied Sha crouched behind an mechanical unit. A baton dropped out of his sleeve, and when he tapped it against his leg, it extended into a long spear with a wicked-looking crescent-shaped head. Waiting until a cloud of pulverized cement obscured his approach, he charged towards Tsubaki at a dead run. The woman was so intent on her creature's pursuit of Sha that she didn't notice him until he was in striking distance. As he leapt into the air, his spear pointed at her heart, a small shield barrier blossomed around her… and then the shikigami attacked.

 

He didn't have time to scream as the white serpent seized him by the throat and bit down hard. A moment after that, long talons drove through his body; as the shikigami let go and returned to its mistress' arms, he was beheaded with one snap of the youkai's massive jaws. Blood spurted into the air, fat drops pattering onto the roof like rain as the rest of his body disappeared down the creature's gullet in two crunching bites.

 

“Shit,” breathed the remaining guardsman from his vantage point on the second tower, as Tsubaki's creature again sprang after Sha. Checking to make sure that Kagome was still breathing, he muttered, “We just need to hang on until reinforcements arrive; the light show earlier can't have gone unnoticed.” The young woman's skin was icy cold, her blank eyes wide and staring, black tendrils curling across her face like fanciful youkai markings.

 

A huge explosion rocked their rooftop as an electrical transformer on the other tower blew up, sending a geyser of sparks arcing into the night sky and blacking out the top half of the building. The guardsman crouched to shield Kagome from any fallout, then heard Sha shout something that might have been a call for assistance. Dazzled by the light from the explosion and momentarily deafened by the `boom', the guardsman gamely prepared to literally leap into the fray.

 

He was in mid-flight when the arrow hit.

 

Sha heard the guardsman's faint cry and risked a quick look as he leapt out of the way of another attack, then stared in stupefaction as the man dropped like a stone with an arrow protruding from the back of his neck. His body spun down the side of the tower to land with a dull `thud' fifteen storeys below on the roof of the connecting bridge. Tsubaki's creature let out an excited cry and looked like it might dive after another snack; in that brief respite, Sha distinctly saw Kagome's wide, dilated eyes as she let her arm drop. Fuck this… I have to end it now! Cracking his knuckles, he took a running leap at Tsubaki, who was avidly watching Kagome with a cruel smirk on her lips.

 

“Sankon Tessou!”

 

He was in mid-air, his claws reaching for the shikigami, when the youkai's paw batted him across the roof. Skidding wildly, he frantically tried to slow his headlong tumble, but only managed to break a couple of fingers and possibly dislocate his shoulder. As he went over the edge, he made a desperate grab for the parapet and barely hung on by the claw-tips of his uninjured hand as he first swung out over space and then slammed into the side of the building. “GoddamNaraku-fuckingbitch!” Heaving himself back onto the roof through sheer force of will and in defiance of his pain, Sha was just in time to see Kagome lurch drunkenly forward. She can move! She's broken the curse! His exultation died on his lips when he realized that her stilted gait and awkward movements indicated something quite different than the curse's defeat. Shit! She's being forced over the edge!

 

Screaming her name, he tried to run, only to discover that his knee had been blown. Tsubaki's creature blocked his line of sight, its jaws opening wide; without a second thought, he tore right through it, sending gobbets of raw flesh flying. However, he could only watch in sick horror as the young woman stepped over the low parapet on the far side of the second tower and vanished.

 

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but it will be child's play to pluck the Jewel from her broken, bleeding body,” Tsubaki blandly commented. “Mr. Hitomi suggested that I strangle her in front of you for maximum effect, but… oh, dear. What are you doing, Sha Nishiki?”

 

A guttural roar was her answer.

 

 

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A/N: Zanbato - Although Bankotsu's weapon is translated as a `pole-arm' or `halberd' in the anime/manga, the definition doesn't really fit. It more closely resembles a zanbato, an enormous medieval Japanese sword allegedly capable of cutting a horse and rider in half. Examples of these blades, some reaching ten feet and more in length, exist in museums but there is some doubt that they were ever actually used in battle due to the enormous strength required to wield them.

 

The two skyscrapers featured in the Tsubaki battle are the Shinjuku Mitsui Building (55 storeys high) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (48 storeys high), which happen to be within (youkai) spitting distance of each other in the Shinjuku district. Until 1963, no buildings in Tokyo could be taller than 17 storeys, allegedly the height of the Imperial Palace's central keep.