InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Secret Key to the Meidou-Seki ❯ A Second Chance ( Chapter 5 )

“Sesshomaru! Whatever you do, don't let go of your sword!” Inuyasha yelled as Kurokemuri sent a giant fist of black smoke hurtling toward Sesshomaru.

 

Sesshomaru tightened his grip on Bakusaiga's handle an instant before the impact struck him. He was hurled through the air by the tornado currents of Kurokemuri's body, helpless in a sea of black smoke.

 

Rin, Jaken, Inuyasha, and Kagome could hardly make out Sesshomaru's white form through the whirlwind. Suddenly they heard a loud thud and the crack of bark, and saw that Sesshomaru had been rammed against a tree in the distance at the edge of the forest. In his hand shone Bakusaiga. Despite the wind and the impact, he had held onto it.

 

Sesshomaru braced himself against the bark as Kurokemuri continued to strike him, a never-ending torrent of hurricane-force smoke. Leaves and branches were stripped from the tree and soared away. Sesshomaru could hardly move a muscle at risk of losing his balance and being swept through the forest and having Bakusaiga knocked away. All his concentration went into holding onto that sword. It was the only weapon that had proven effective against Kurokemuri.

 

“Kukuku,” Kurokemuri laughed as Sesshomaru struggled. “You think you are able to stop me, little wwworm? As soon as I dispose of you, I wwwill simply go back and devour the soul of the orphan girl!”

 

The barrage of smoke made it difficult for Sesshomaru to speak. “Not… going…. to… happen….” He tried raising his sword, but the force of the wind snapped his arm back. Bakusaiga almost slipped from his fingers. He readjusted his grasp and grimaced. So tight was his grip that blood began to seep from his palm. That just made the handle more slippery. With a great force of will, he began swinging the sword against the wind in an attack, but faltered halfway up. The resulting attack wave was weak, but the winds lessened as a small part of Kurokemuri's body dissolved.

 

“Wwworthless wwworm!” Kurokemuri's raspy voice howled before redoubling against Sesshomaru in a barrage of smoke.

 

Sesshomaru groaned. It had taken all his remaining strength for that attack, yet it had barely made a dent in Kurokemuri's vast body. His hand was bleeding; Bakusaiga was slipping. It was all he could do just to hold onto it.

 

“You're as stubborn as they say, Sesshomaru. Yes, I've heard of you. The Great Lord Sesshomaru, the legendary youkai who lost his arm in battle and grew it back! An impressive feat, one I doubt you'll be able to pull off again. Let's see just how firmly attached that new arm of yours is!”

 

All of Kurokemuri's hurricane-like force whipped against Sesshomaru's arm. There was a ripping sound as the fabric of his left sleeve tore away to reveal Sesshomaru's straining muscles. The black smoke pulled his arm back so that it was perpendicular to his body. The strength of Kurokemuri ripped tree roots out of the ground as he tore away at Sesshomaru, all his force directed solely on the arm now, yet still the arm held in its socket, and Bakusaiga still in its grasp. But Sesshomaru's face and arm were turning red with the strain, and veins bulged and throbbed as tendons threatened to rip.

 

“How long can you hold on Sesshomaru, before your arm is torn from your body? Release the sword, and I wwwill at least spare you that indignity before I take your soul and the soul of the girl.”

 

Sesshomaru ignored Kurokemuri. Over the sound of the wind and his own pounding heart, his sensitive ears were picking up someone screaming in the distance. It was Rin.

 

“No, Lord Sesshomaru!” she yelled desperately. “Don't die for me! Just let go of Bakusaiga and run!”

 

Sesshomaru's determination boiled even as the tendons of his arm began to rip and fill with blood. Never!

 

Kurokemuri could see that his victim's body could not hold out much longer. “Kukuku, your soul wwwill be a tasty treat, Sesshomaru. So much pain, so much sorrow…”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes bulged as suddenly all sound seemed to fade away. He could not hear Rin's cries, or the howling wind, or Kurokemuri's vile taunts. All he heard was a deep cracking sound that seemed to echo throughout his body. It rang in his ears like a death bell, and suddenly he felt his arm go limp and slack, and his fingers felt numb as Bakusaiga slipped through them and flew far into the forest, carried away by the black smoke of Kurokemuri. His shoulder had dislocated.

 

Through the haze of smoke, Sesshomaru could see Rin and the others in the distance. Inuyasha and Kagome had horrified looks on their faces, and Rin and Jaken were screaming for him. Sesshomaru locked eyes with Inuyasha as Kurokemuri cackled triumphantly.

 

“Now your soul is mine!”

 

“Get… Rin… away….”

 

Those were Sesshomaru's last words as Kurokemuri darted forth and struck Sesshomaru's face like a snake. Sesshomaru fell over as the smoke entered his eyes and seemed to spread throughout his body, leaving everything cold and stiff in its wake. His body—his soul—filled with Kurokemuri, and the whites of his eyes turned as black as stone. He could not move. He could not see. All was black. At that moment, Sesshomaru knew. He was dead.

 

 

 

It took Inuyasha two seconds to realize that Rin and Jaken were screaming and running toward Sesshomaru's lifeless body.

 

“No!” Inuyasha cried, and he jumped ahead of them, blocking their path. “I have to get you out of here!”

 

“But Lord Sesshomaru—“

 

“There's nothing we can do for him now. We have to go!” Inuyasha picked Rin up in his arms against her will. “Jaken, get on my back! We're leaving!”

 

“No,” Jaken said quietly. Tears were streaming down his little green face. “You go. I will hold Kurokemuri off as long as I can. I-It's what Lord S-Sesshomaru would have w-w-wanted,” he sniffed, holding the Nintoujou at the ready.

 

Inuyasha flashed Jaken a pitying look, and then he was off. He stopped for Kagome, who jumped on his back, and then he raced as fast as he could.

 

Kurokemuri was in hot pursuit. A giant arm of smoke whooshed through the sky, reaching out for them. He arrived at Jaken first.

 

“You will leave Rin alone!” Jaken cried, striking his staff on the earth. A great wall of flame issued out of one of the Nintoujou's heads towards Kurokemuri.

 

Kurokemuri burst through the flames unharmed and knocked the staff to the ground with one strong gust of smoke. Jaken fell on his back as Kurokemuri hovered around him.

 

“Kukuku,” Kurokemuri said. “The fresh sorrow you carry in your soul is simply deafening, toad. Truly you cared about your fallen master more than anything else in this wwworld, didn't you?”

 

“Yes,” Jaken whispered.

 

“Then prepare for an eternity of pain!” Kurokemuri howled, and Jaken was covered in thick, black darkness.

 

When Kurokemuri was done feeding on his soul, he charged toward Inuyasha in the distance, leaving behind Jaken's stiff body. The little youkai's large yellow eyes, still wet with tears, were clouded black.

 

“Master Jaken!” Rin cried, struggling to get out of Inuyasha's arms. “Go back!”

 

Inuyasha only held her tighter in response. Kagome's voice was somber but gentle.

 

“You're our only concern right now, Rin. We have to keep going…”

 

Suddenly Rin's eyes widened in horror. “Behind you—!”

 

Inuyasha was knocked off his feet by a soaring gust of black smoke. Kagome fell to the ground next to him. Rin flew through the air, landed, and rolled to a stop several meters away. Immediately a large black cloud seemed to devour her.

 

“No!” Kagome cried. She and Inuyasha ran through the black smoke to her. It was so dark, so thick, they couldn't make out anything. Finally, the smoke lifted to reveal Rin's body lying facedown on the earth. Kagome knelt next to her, rolled her over, and gasped.

 

Rin's eyes were blank and lifeless, like coal.

 

Kagome choked with tears. “He got her… he got her…” Desperately she felt Rin's neck for any sign of a pulse. But Rin was as cold and stiff and unmoving as stone. “She's… gone.”

 

“Kurokemuri, you bastard!” Inuyasha yelled. The black smoke seemed to be strutting through the air, pleased with itself. “Where are you going?!”

 

“Kukuku, onto the next village, of course. I've tapped this one dry. But there are plenty of souls to be had. Wwwith each soul, my body expands. Soon I wwwill cover this entire land in darkness!” And with that, the great fog of Kurokemuri swept through the air like a wave, heading away from the village it had just destroyed.

 

“Keh, not if I can help it. Wait here, Kagome. Look after… the body.”

 

“Where are you going, Inuyasha?” Kagome said, holding Rin in her arms.

 

Inuyasha's face darkened. “It's my fault Rin and Jaken and Sesshomaru are like this. I have to get Kirara. I can find where Kurokemuri threw Tessaiga faster from the air. Once I have my sword back, I'm going after that bastard.”

 

Kagome gasped with sudden realization. “Miroku, Sango, Shippo, the kids! They were in the village when Kurokemuri attacked. Do you think they're…” Kagome's eyes drifted toward Rin's lifeless body.

 

Inuyasha's voice was low. “I hope not.”

 

And then he was off, running and leaping as fast as he could toward the village. Toward Miroku and Sango's home…

 

 

 

Desolation. Everywhere Inuyasha looked, bodies were strewn around, all with those same horrible black eyes. If anyone was left alive, then they were still hiding in their homes, too afraid to come out.

 

Suddenly Inuyasha cried out. There, up ahead, was a very familiar figure lying dead on the ground.

 

Inuyasha ran to her and knelt by her side. “No… old woman…” he whispered.

 

It was Kaede. Nearby, he recognized the body of the little orphan boy that Kaede had been taking care of the past few weeks.

 

“I'm going to get the monster who did this to you,” he said. He had never thought it was possible for him to hate another demon as much as Naraku. Now he knew.

 

It was with an overwhelming sense of fear that he approached Miroku and Sango's hut. The foul stench that Kurokemuri had left throughout the village made it impossible for him to guess what he would find inside. He entered the doorway with trepidation—and was knocked onto his back. Something had hit him in the stomach.

 

“Miroku!” he cried.

 

“Inuyasha, it's you!” Miroku said, putting down his staff and helping Inuyasha up. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Checking up on you, idiot. Is everyone okay?” Inuyasha squinted into the little hut. He saw Sango standing in the back, holding her one-year-old son; behind her on the floor were Kirara (in her small form) and the twins, playing a quiet game with a mushroom. Inuyasha's brow furrowed in concern. “Where's Shippo?”

 

There was a flash of blue smoke. Where the mushroom had been now Shippo stood with a sheepish grin on his face. “Right here.”

 

Inuyasha went over to him, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Then he bopped him hard on the head. “You idiot. Don't worry me like that.”

 

Shippo rubbed his head angrily, but Miroku said, “We thought it best that he stay hidden. And good thing, too, because now we believe that orphans are one of the smoke monster's prime targets.”

 

“It's true,” Inuyasha said. “Kagome and I tried to stop him but… he got Rin. Kaede, too. I found her body.”

 

Sango gasped. Everyone looked horrified.

 

“How did you escape the smoke monster, Inuyasha? Is Kagome all right?” Sango asked.

 

“Kagome's fine. The bastard's name is Kurokemuri. I tried to fight him, but the Meidou zangetsuha had little effect, and he blew Tessaiga away. I just couldn't hold onto it, his damn wind was too strong. He had us surrounded then. Went into our eyes, tried to eat our souls.”

 

“How did you stop him?” asked Miroku.

 

“We didn't. He retreated himself. Apparently, he couldn't harm us because our souls lacked sadness. So, he tried going after Rin instead. That's when Sesshomaru showed up.”

 

Shippo perked up. “Sesshomaru?”

 

“Yeah. The idiot couldn't hold onto his sword. Kurokemuri got him. Then Jaken and Rin. That's why I'm here. Sango, I need to borrow Kirara. If she can fly me around, I have a better chance of finding Tessaiga and stopping Kurokemuri before he gets to the next village.”

 

“Of course,” Sango said. Kirara mewed at her heels and jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

 

“Thanks, Kirara. Let's go.” Inuyasha turned to leave.

 

“Wait, Inuyasha,” Miroku said. “Even if you're able to hold onto Tessaiga this time… do you think it's enough to stop Kurokemuri?”

 

Inuyasha turned a somber but determined face to Miroku. “I'll make it enough. I'll have to. Now that Sesshomaru was stupid enough to get himself killed…”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru opened his eyes. Everything was bright and clear. Calm and peaceful. The forest, the wind, the black smoke… all was gone. Rin and Jaken and the others were nowhere to be seen. All had been replaced by a green field covered in pink flowers as far as the eye could see. It felt strangely familiar.

 

A gentle breeze came and Sesshomaru felt his left sleeve flapping loosely against his body. His left sleeve, the one that had been torn away by Kurokemuri—it was back. Back, but flapping loosely because his entire left arm was gone, exactly as it had been before he had regained it. With his right arm, Sesshomaru patted his chest, feeling for the Meidou-seki he had concealed beneath his robes. It, too, was gone.

 

Amidst his frustration, suddenly Sesshomaru realized there were two weights at his hip. One was Tenseiga, the same as before. But the other was not Bakusaiga, the sword that had blown away into the forest that no longer existed. No, the second sword at his hip was Tokijin, the youkai blade that had shattered long ago, whole once again. What the hell was going on?

 

A slight movement behind him.

 

Sesshomaru whirled around, instinctively drawing Tokijin, because that was the only weapon at hand. What he saw made his blood freeze.

 

Kagura.

 

Kagura, sitting there among the blossoms with a weary expression, a great wound in her chest leaking shouki.

 

A terrible notion struck Sesshomaru then.

 

“Is this the afterlife?” he whispered.

 

Kagura looked up at him, smiling, and for a second a black light shone in her magenta eyes.

 

“No, Sesshomaru,” she said, her voice filled with longing. “This is a second chance.”