InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seventh Key ❯ Last Man Standing ( Chapter 9 )

The Seventhy Key

 

Chapter 9

 

Last Man Standing

 

“Kagome, help me!” Inuyasha roared. Kagome looked down at the shotgun and swallowed.

 

“Mushin, snap out of it,” she begged. Mushin spun around and slammed Kagome across the room. The shotgun fell to the floor. Inuyasha beat on Mushin's armed as his stranglehold tightened.

 

“Dammit, help me! He's not Mushin anymore!” Inuyasha insisted. Kagome groaned and got up. “Kagome!” Inuyasha cried again. Kagome dove and grabbed the shotgun, twisting it up. She fired, and Mushin screeched as the blast tore into his knees. Inuyasha pulled back his fist and land a punch, then another. Kagome fired again, and Mushin fell back as his legs fell apart into piles of glowing flesh. Kagome stood and fired at his head. Mushin let out a final cry of agony as his eyes shot out daggers of green energy, his body going exploding. Kagome coughed and stumbled back. Inuyasha put an arm around her shoulder.

 

“Good work,” he panted, rubbing his throat. “You okay kid?” he called to Shippo. The boy nodded quickly.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“What can I do for you?” Naraku asked.

 

“I want out,” Kouga said, holding the key back. “I hand over the key, you let me walk.”

 

“Hell, that seems simple enough,” Naraku smirked. “Hell, why not, I don't mind making a deal. At least you're smart enough to try, Kouga. To be honest, I've been watching and we've kinda been expecting this, huh boys?” the demons behind Naraku nodded and grinned as Kouga took a step forward to the top of the stairs.

 

“So we're good then? I go?” he confirmed. Naraku held up the briefcase and flicked it open, the small indentation for the key appearing inside.

 

“If you please,” Naraku said. Kouga looked up at him for a moment before leaning forward and placing the key inside the briefcase. He stepped back as Naraku clicked it closed.

 

“Thanks Kouga. But uh, hey,” Naraku reached into his pocket and held out a sponge. “How about getting rid of that seal?” Kouga reached out and took the sponge, then knelt down to wipe the blood forming the seal off the landing. “By the way, you don't mind if we kill the others, do you?” Naraku asked.

 

“Fuck, knock yourself out, those bastards didn't listen to me, to hell with them,” Kouga snorted, cleaning the blood.

 

“How apt a phrase,” Naraku chuckled. “Thanks, because nothing personal against the others, but Inuyasha, that's fucker's been running for more than a century, he really pisses me off sometimes.”

 

“Tell me about it, he's saving the world but he doesn't have to be an ass about it,” Kouga nodded, standing up.

 

“I know,” Naraku muttered. He held out his hand. “Well, pleasure doing business with ya Kouga.”

 

“Likewise,” Kouga said, shaking Naraku's hand. Naraku smiled and stepped aside as Kouga walked down the stairs, stopping on the landing.

 

“By the way, that whole `hell on earth' crap?” he said. Naraku nodded. Kouga looked at the demons and snorted. “Big deal, in a few years it'll be that way anyway.” Naraku laughed as Kouga finished walking down the stairs and headed to the front door.

 

“Oh, Kouga!” he called. Kouga stopped and turned around. Naraku shrugged and held up his hands. “I lied.” Kouga screamed as a claw wrapped around his neck from behind and pulled him backwards. Naraku walked up the stairs whistling and pushed open the doors one by one.

 

“Hey Yashie, come out and play!” he called. “Come on kiddies, Naraku wants to play a little game!” he frowned. “Yo, Inuyasha,” he called, opening the next door.

 

THWACK

 

Naraku's head snapped back as a baseball bat slammed into his face. Inuyasha wrapped the briefcase from Naraku's hand as the demon tilted his eyes down.

 

“Miss me?” he grinned. Inuyasha lifted a foot and kicked, sending Naraku over the railing and crashing through a table below. Inuyasha looked down at the bloody corpse, then looked up as the demons began climbing up the stairs.

 

“Shit, Kouga removed the barrier!” he roared. Kikyo and Bankotsu moved out onto the landing.

 

“Inuyasha, get up to the attic!” Kikyo ordered. Inuyasha looked down at the vest of grenades.

 

“Kikyo, what are you…”

 

“My hotel, I make the damn rules, get your ass up there now!” Kikyo snapped. Inuyasha looked at her for a moment before nodding.

 

“Right, Kagome come on!” he said, turning and heading into the room with the ladder. Kagome followed, Shippo not far behind her. Bankotsu lifted his shotgun and fired, heading a demon in the chest and knocking it back.

 

“A little help,” he grunted. Kikyo shoot her head.

 

“I'm out,” she said. Bankotsu fired a few more shots before the shotgun started clicking.

 

“Me too,” he whispered. Kikyo looked down at the vest of grenades over his torso.

 

“Bank, been nice knowing ya,” she said, grabbing his hand. Bankotsu followed her gaze and nodded. “I ain't gonna die by their hands,” Kikyo finished.

 

“Me neither,” Bankotsu agreed. Then he charged forward and slammed his fist into a demon's skull Kikyo pushed past them and stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at the advancing line of demons. She took a breath and pulled the bars connecting the pins of the grenades. The pins popped out with a small click.

 

“See ya in hell!” she called, running into the swarm of monsters.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha moved a large crate over the closed hatch to the attic. Suddenly there was a muffled explosion and the floor shook. Inuyasha fell back as Kagome held onto Shippo. When it died down, Inuyasha sighed.

 

“That's Kikyo and Bank,” he whispered. Kagome nodded and stood up Shippo, who had pulled a stack of old comic books from a box and was flipping through them. Kagome moved to a small window and looked outside.

 

“Daylight looks like it's still a few hours away,” she said. Inuyasha nodded. Shippo looked up at them for a moment, then went back to his comic. The comic featured an evil scientist firing a powerful ray of some sort on a hero.

 

Suddenly, the scientist's eyes turned to look up at Shippo. Shippo's own eyes widened as the scientist grinned, and the words in his speech bubble changed.

 

“There's enough left for one more seal,” Inuyasha muttered, standing next to Kagome and opening the cap on the key.

 

“Great,” Kagome replied. Inuyasha thought for a moment, then moved his hand over. Kagome looked down as a few drops of blood dripped down onto her arm. Inuyasha pulled back his hand with a blank look.

 

“The hell was that for?” Kagome muttered, taking a bit of the drops onto her fingertip and pressing them onto the windowsill. The window glowed red as the seal formed. Inuyasha smirked and lowered his eyes.

 

“Here,” he said, holding out the key.

 

“What?” Kagome asked, looking up at him.

 

“Like I said before, it all lines up. Seven people were here when Naraku summoned the demons. You're the only one of them left,” Inuyasha explained. “You're the next Guardian.” Kagome stepped back and stared at him. “Kagome, take the key,” Inuyasha repeated. A hand clamped down on his arm, and Inuyasha looked down.

 

“I'll take it,” Shippo growled, his eyes glowing green.

 

Inuyasha cried out as the demon flung him across the room. Kagome aimed a punch, but the demon spun and pushed her back. Inuyasha climbed to his feet as the demon sunk its claw into his chest.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome screamed. Inuyasha twisted his arm out of the demon's grasp and slammed the key onto his chest. It screamed and pulled it claw back before thrusting it deeper. Inuyasha let out a roar of agony as the claws burst through the skin on his back. He tossed the key across the room, and the demon let him go. It walked towards the key, and Kagome dove, knocking it away. The demon turned and leaned to grab the key. Kagome looked up and caught sight of a ceiling beam.

 

Kagome leapt up and grabbed the beam, then swung her legs forward. The demon screamed as Kagome's feet slammed into its back, knocking it forward and through the window. The seal sparked and exploded as the demon dove through, catching fire and exploding as it hit the ground below. Kagome let go of the beam and ran across the attic.

 

“Inuyasha!” she cried, looking down at the man slumped against the wall. A large, bloody hole had been pierced through his chest. “Oh my god, I'm so sorry,” Kagome whimpered.

 

“Don't be,” Inuyasha grunted. “You're alive…that's all that matters…where's the key?” Kagome looked around the attic and grabbed it. Inuyasha took from her and popped the cap open, holding it against his wound. His other hand pressed on the bloody skin there, and ruby blood slowly poured into the key.

 

“Inuyasha, I can't do this,” Kagome protested.

 

“You have to. You're the only one, and Naraku's still coming,” Inuyasha replied, wincing. He closed the key and took off his glove, pressing the key against the seven stars tattooed there. “Kagome, please, you have to…” he whispered. Kagome sniffed back tears. “Hold…out your hand,” Inuyasha said. Kagome swallowed heavily and reached out her hand. Inuyasha grabbed it and pressed the key against her palm, slamming his other hand against the back of hers.

 

Kagome's head snapped back in a silent scream as the key glowed bright red, and fire shot through her palm. Memories and thoughts flooded her mind as Inuyasha kept the key pressed against her hand. Finally, the flood stopped. Kagome gasped for breath as Inuyasha's hands fell limp. Kagome raised her palm to her face. Tattooed in a circle there were sevens tars. They glowed brightly, then moved into a smaller circle in the center of her palm.

 

“When the stars align…” Inuyasha panted. “You'll fight. You'll find seven allies. And at the end of the night, you'll do what I just…did. Might be…a lifetime…might be several…but it'll happen, and…until then…run…” his head slumped forward, and Kagome gasped.

 

“Inuyasha…”

 

“Watch your back, Kagome,” he mumbled. “Watch your back…watch…” Inuyasha's voice fell silent, and Kagome shook her head.

 

“No!” she cried, lifting his head. “Inuyasha, come on, Yash, wake up,” she pleaded, slapping his chin. Inuyasha's eyes stared at her blankly. “No! No…no…” Kagome fell sobbing against Inuyasha's shoulder and futilely slapped her palm against knee.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

All around the darkened hotel, the doors and windows let up red. The sealed glowed brightly for a moment before fading as the blood drops forming them dried up and vanished.