InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Tribute ❯ BATTLE AND BLOODSHED IN THE GREAT HALL ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or characters of "Inuyasha" everything belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. WARNING: This chapter may contain some graphic violence and gore, after all, Naraku is involved, what do you expect? Please read and review-extended thanks to everyone who has given me a little love-

THE TRIBUTE

by kittie le sabre- a "rage2velvet" enterprise

CHAPTER SEVEN: BATTLE AND BLOODSHED IN THE GREAT HALL

Lord Inuyoukai coolly addressed him; his fierce eyes were now a muted red. "It does not matter. You have challenged me by coming here. And you will die for it."

"I think not," Naraku said, and his smile was enough to make everyone's flesh crawl. "I am the slighted one, and I will have my due."

No sooner had he said this, than the sound of billions of metallic wings beating became louder and louder. Accompanying the horror of the sound were the screams and terror of the congregated guests and individuals that were all in attendance.

Sesshoumaru's eyes blazed fiery red but before he could move his father was there upon the enemy. The Lord Inuyoukai was now standing before Naraku and his eyes were completely crimson. His voice echoed as he addressed the Demon Lord of the North.

"By coming here, your only "due" is your painful demise," the Great Taiyoukai growled.

Naraku stood there saying nothing with amusement written all over his visage as the source of the metallic wings appeared. The insects were tiny bio-engineered mechanisms that were half living tissue and part robotic. The humans and demons were all being systematically poisoned by the "sting" from these hornets. Shouts and screams of agony and fear resounded everywhere. The beating of the wings intensified, and the Lord Inuyoukai became deathly pale, nearly staggering to his knees in agony from the noise. As the tiny wings beat faster and faster, a sickening-sweet venomous pollen polluted the air. Countless people and demons regurgitated, swooned or dropped dead from the assaulting odor combined with the stings.

The Lord Inuyoukai's eyes watered in response but he stood his ground, fighting to hold his composure as he faced off with the enemy.

"What do you want…Onigumo?"

Naraku narrowed his eyes at the use of the hated name. Everyone that was acquainted with that name knew of his human father; he'd fought long and hard to overcome the taint of his mixed heritage, proving he was the equal of any full-blooded youkai. After coming of age, he had devoured his sire alive, absorbing him, which had later caused him to sometimes take others the same way, including demons.

Naraku had grown in his puissance! He'd be damned if he allowed this smug noble to shame him while he had the upper hand!

"Ah, I see that the inu youkai do have extremely acute hearing-and smell. That is your undoing and your weakness," Naraku observed with a mocking smile. "The only thing I want is my due, as I said. My tribute."

"The Demon Lords of the East and South have complied to meet my wishes. But you continue to disregard me and show disrespect. I have come to give you a taste of my displeasure, Old One." Naraku leaned forward, unaffected by the deadly pollen. The Great Dog Demon did not deign to reply, but continued to regard him with contempt, his back straight, ready to fight the upstart. But Naraku continued, his words flowing like spoiled and diseased syrup, "so you see I have reason to be upset. I have come to retaliate. And your reply is your silence, is it? Well know this, Lord Inuyoukai! The only ruler or heir of the Western Lands from here on is the one who stands here now. That one is I! Naraku! That is the price you will pay for your treatment of me."

Suddenly in the near fatal silence that followed against the backdrop noise of virulent metallic insects and the suffering victims, a strong angry voice slammed into the tension like a sledgehammer before even Sesshoumaru could react. The camera men wearing face masks (to avoid the poison) were fantasizing about the awards they would win for the tight live action shot of a soaring young hanyou enraged and ready to kick ass.

"Fucking scum!" Inuyasha yelled, rearing up and vaunting over the side of the dais with Tetsusaiga at-the-ready. "You ain't taking shit! Nobody's licking your ass either!" He swung the bio-tech weapon at the Demon Lord of the North, allowing his energies to meld with it so that he could send a violent blast through Naraku. Shit, he thought, that was lucky! "What the fuck-??"

The woman in the beaded dress laughed and sailed forward with her enormous fan, weaving an intricate pattern into the air to block the attack. Inuyasha gasped as he was struck across his midsection, slicing through his leather jacket into his stomach, through muscle tissue and into his guts. His entrails, along with thick bright blood, drenched his clothing and the marble floor.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, running towards him as Miroku and Sango followed in her wake.

"Keh! Let me go, Kagome! I can take that piece of shit!" Inuyasha said as Sango and Miroku assisted her in dragging him away from the woman with the lethal fan. "Kagura!" He bellowed, "you're a first rate bitch for interfering with your pimp! Know your role, you whore!"

Kagura narrowed her eyes, and it was all that Miroku could do to shield them all from her next blast. That little half-breed mutt! How dare he speak to her that way??

Sango managed to throw him an adoring look in the confusion. She reddened at his grinning lecherous response and continued helping their foolish friend to safety. Kagome rolled her eyes and threatened to punch Inuyasha if he didn't shut up. The group managed to make their way into one of the interior rooms. Dr. Kaede was waiting there with her armed guards ready to fight on behalf of the humans.

"Dr. Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed happily, overjoyed to see her family's doctor and spiritual advisor.

"Get on with it silly girl! Have one of my people bind that arrogant baka pup up!" Dr. Kaede frowned at Kagome but her eyes were warm with affection. Inuyasha harshly cussed. "And his mouth too while they're at it."

Inuyasha bared his teeth at her, and wince when he was jolted.

"What should would do, Dr. Kaede?" Sango asked slightly frowning with worry. "There are lots of people out there who need us to help them."

"My team will get as many as they can to safety. These demons and hanyous have no care for humans!"

"Bullshit! I was there!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily, oblivious to the fact he was bleeding everywhere and had ruined the expensive gown that his girlfriend had on.

"You nearly got yourself and your friends killed! If anything had happened to my girl, you would have answered to me!" Kaede thundered ominously at the injured hanyou will a scowl. This nearly caused Inuyasha to sit up but he was too hurt, and the wound still didn't stay his mouth.

"Hey baba! Who in the fuck are you-"

"My Lord Inuyasha!" A new voice interjected before things got out of hand between Kaede.

"Miyoga-jiji!" Inuyasha reached over and clubbed him hard on noggin. "You worthless old fool! Some valet you are! Where were you? Downstairs again getting one of the maids drunk in the wine cellar?"

The dapper little man turned beet red, and attempted to protest, while Shippou, the server, merely grinned evilly at the entire exchange. Served the cowardly old lech right for leaving him with most of the work in the VIP area for the night!

Meanwhile, the demon guards and countless others were battling the bio-engineered insects and Kanna, while fighting to escape the Naraku's toxic pollen. The Demon Lord was nowhere to be found having vanished in the eruption of Chaos and poisonous air. However, a furious wind sorceress shrieked aloud in fury at how Inuyasha and company had evaded her so easily.

"Later for you, cleric!" Kagura snarled, angry at having been thwarted by Miroku. "I'll rip you apart with my electro-shock winds the same way I did your entire clan!" Her mind recalled his reaction to her threat.

The warrior-cleric had narrowed his eyes but said nothing, not even glancing back. She didn't appreciate his disregard.

Kagura took out her fury on the screaming crowd, shredding demons and humans up, until blood was splattered everywhere along with various body parts and bits of flesh and bone. The demon guard fought valiantly against her but it proved difficult because the woman in white, Kanna, opened her brilliant large compact mirror and began dialing numbers onto the visible screen. Immediately, the life force and souls of guards and guests began to pour into the mirror.

Reappearing nearby to get a better view of the massacre, Naraku observed the destruction and murder around him with malicious joy, pausing to take out his cigarette case and a light. He deeply inhaled the cigarette, and expelled another breath, releasing a thick cloud of toxic smoke into the room.

Sesshoumaru hastily moved to his father's side, his face was expressionless but his eyes were blurred with the pain of the sound and noisome toxins. His hand was clasped around Toukijin and he kept his eyes fused on Naraku who merely smirked and continued smoking.

"You are mine, bastard," Sesshoumaru growled, as he used his sinister bio-weapon to place a barricade around his father and himself. The Lord Inuyoukai quickly rose to his feet, murmuring to his heir.

"Go and get your brother before he gets killed," he said.

"His friends have him," Sesshoumaru replied, "I'll take care of Naraku and his bitches." How he resented anyone, including his father, telling him what to do! Especially if it concerned that hanyou trash that he was going to kill anyway!

"Planning on getting to Naraku before or after me?" His father asked with a menacing glint in his eyes. "Or are you too occupied seething with resentment at my order?"

"Just get ready, Chichi-ue," Sesshoumaru said, his muscles tensed for the attack.

Sesshoumaru merely peered at him and said nothing, all too aware that the poisonous smoke was another barrier that could kill demons as easily as the pollen. Time was running out.

All around them Chaos rained and people and demons stampeded out of the palace towards the doors to escape the assault of Naraku's small minions. The unfortunates who failed to get away were covered in massive welts and swelling lumps. Others keeled over dead or were sucked into the vacuum of Kanna's compact. While still more victims died from the swirl of poison everywhere.

Sesshoumaru launched himself up into the air but his father phased faster, appearing at Naraku's right side. The Demon Lord of the North only looked pleasantly surprised yet unperturbed by the sight of the Great Dog Demon bearing down upon him in his true form with his claws extended and his enormous maw brimming with fangs the size of columns.

"A special gift for you," Naraku purred, "since you had none for me." His mouth grew wider and wider and he expelled more cigarette clouded miasma out and directly into the mouth and nostrils of the Lord Inuyoukai.

Sesshoumaru had by this time, raised Toukijin to blast Naraku from across the room but he was too late. His father had succumbed to the fatal poison and the blast was infused into his system. Sesshoumaru did not see his father fall or his retainers and guard charge forward to seize him and move him away as he reverted back to his "human" form. Sesshoumaru's demonic eyes burned crimson and he radiated his power into Toukijin. Naraku would die for this!

Kagura lunged forward with a counter attack from her fan, but the force of the wicked bio-tech weapon caused her fan to malfunction. She screamed in outrage when she was shocked but despite her anger she knew it was time to make her exit. With a high-pitched whistle, she summoned her air-sleigh. The vehicle swerved over the demolished and horrified masses, corpses and injured alike, through the hall to swoop down to retrieve her.

As she flew high above, she was able to revive the electrical currents in her fan long enough to send an enormous shockwave of lightening-wind energy across the entire room. The electricity and winds cut and sliced while burning everything and everyone unfortunate enough to be in the way. Sesshoumaru barely managed to get out of the way, with the force of the backlash knocking him clear across the room. The impact and charge were damaging to a demon of even his great youki, and he slammed into the large open wall, and went straight through it.

Naraku and Kanna stepped into an energy-time portal he had constructed for the occasion and departed along with the bees. It was time for them to take their leave because Kaede's people were gaining ground. Next, he would bring his youkai army to finish things off.

The entire Great Hall was littered with bodies that were mutilated, burned, crushed and dismembered. The injured could not be counted and the news crew that had survived Naraku's appearance rushed about with cameras and microphones.

The next few days the entire High Tribute ceremony turned ambush was broadcast on over 200 thousand stations across the galaxy. Fortunately, for Kikyou, the disaster and the reported illness of the Lord Inuyoukai, his heir Sesshoumaru and hanyou son Inuyasah overshadowed her horribly embarrassing evening. Still someone managed to turn a quick buck on the black market by selling the nude photos of her. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to see a galactic heiress stark naked at an important function that left several hundred casualties.

The most disturbing part of the news flash (besides the corpses and demolished Great Hall) was a little green toad youkai running around disheveled, disoriented and oppressively upset screaming, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Where are you, my Lord? Master please forgive me for being late again! Lord Sesshou-maaaa-ruuuuu!"