InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Wasn't In The Job Description ❯ The Ushi-Oni ( Chapter 53 )

Chapter 53

 

The Ushi-Oni

 

InuYasha, Kagome and Miroku strolled though the evening streets of Kamakura. On their way to find a restaurant to have dinner, they passed the Hasedera Temple, and Kagome said she was going to take a peek inside to see the gilt statue of Kannon.

 

“Make it quick,” said InuYasha. “I'm starving and the restaurants will be busy soon.”

 

“Let her look,” Miroku replied. “After all she has been through, a little sight-seeing is a welcome distraction for her, I'm sure.”

 

InuYasha crossed his arms and grumbled a moment before subsiding. Maybe Miroku did not mean it, but InuYasha began to feel that maybe he had unduly put Kagome in jeopardy earlier, and felt a twinge of guilt. It would not happen again - he would make sure he found a way to defend Kagome without separating from her.

 

After admiring the statue, Kagome took a moment to see the view of the town and the Pacific Ocean that the temple afforded. A sea breeze blew back her hair, fresh, cool and with a slightly salty tang. She sighed, letting the wind wash away some of her residual anxiety. Then she walked out to where InuYasha and Miroku waited for her, and smiled gratefully at her hanyou. He flushed a little, but smirked at her, and they continued on their way.

 

When Kagome asked to see the statue of the Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple, InuYasha was less impatient. After that, they found a little sushi restaurant that looked nice to Kagome, not too crowded for InuYasha, and went in.

 

“So, do they have any preliminary news on our clues?” Kagome asked as she picked up her chopsticks to eat her dinner.

 

“Well, he did not look too enthusiastic,” Miroku replied. “But all is not lost - we are still hoping some of it is salvageable.”

 

“He better fucking get something out of them,” InuYasha growled, skewering a piece of sushi with a claw and getting an exasperated look from Kagome. “Putting up with all the shit Naraku is throwing at us had better be for a good reason.”

 

“I'm sure we will get something useful back,” Kagome said optimistically, picking up InuYasha's chop sticks and handing them to him meaningfully.

 

“Yes,” Miroku said, wiping some soy sauce from his mouth with a napkin. “They are very good at what they do in forensics, no telling what may ultimately turn up.”

 

When they finished their meal, they walked back to InuYasha's house. Once there, they said good-bye to Miroku, and watched as he drove off. Then they went in the house and InuYasha set the alarms for the night.

 

Overcome by exhaustion, Kagome got ready for bed. Having changed into her nightgown, she came out of the bathroom to see that InuYasha had already undressed and was closing the blinds on the large, bedroom window.

 

“Oh, don't do that,” Kagome said earnestly. “The bed faces the water, and the view is so calming and soothing. Do you have to close the blinds?”

 

Letting go of the blinds, InuYasha shrugged. “Nah, the alarms are set to the cameras,” he replied. “I am just used to having them shut.”

 

`Must be part of his need for privacy,' Kagome thought, and bit her lip. `But he left them open for me, anyway.'

 

A small smile on her face at that thought, Kagome climbed into bed. InuYasha climbed in behind her, spooning her against his big, strong, naked body and she sighed in contentment. He nuzzled her sweet-smelling hair a moment, and felt a stirring in his groin as Kagome's firm ass pressed up against him. But Kagome was breathing slowly and deeply, and he realized she was asleep.

 

`I'll make it up to you Kagome,' InuYasha thought. `I will always protect you…I will never leave your side again.'

 

~*~

 

Out at sea, a commotion had gone on all day. Fisherman had their nets sliced to ribbons, for no apparent reason. Fish that had been shredded but not eaten would float up, in huge numbers and the fisherman gaped in shock and fear.

 

“We should turn back,” the captain of a large fishing vessel said as he viewed the carnage grimly. “The mainland must be warned…”

 

“Warned about what?” The first mate said, gulping in dread as he looked at his captain's troubled expression.

 

“It's a ushi-oni…”

 

~*~

 

The sun rose over the ocean, bathing the sky in pink and orange and setting the ocean sparkling and glittering like the stage lights did on InuYasha's silver mane. Kagome opened her eyes slowly and smiled as she looked out the window, able to hear the soft shushing noise of the waves even through the window, like the sound the sheets made when she climbed under them with her lover.

 

`What a beautiful way to wake up,' Kagome thought, and put her hand on InuYasha's wrist where it lay across her waist.

 

As she watched the water, Kagome noticed something amiss and a feeling of dread overwhelmed her. A strange, huge wake was moving steadily closer, but she saw no whale or dolphin fin. Yet it was definitely underwater - and seemed to be headed for InuYasha's beach! All it took was a tiny gasp of alarm from her and InuYasha's wrist twitched under her hand - he was awake.

 

“What's the matter?” InuYasha said, then his ears pricked forward and he began to growl as looked to see what she was watching and noticed the movement in the water.

 

The sheets flew off them as InuYasha jumped put of the bed, and grabbed his jeans from the floor.

 

“What are you doing?” Kagome asked as she watched him pull them on.

 

“I'm not fighting any more fucking youkai stark-raving naked again!”

 

The alarms blared at the detected motion, and InuYasha grabbed for his sword.

 

“AHH!” Kagome screamed as a huge, spider or crab-like youkai with the head of a bovine oni, baring wicked teeth surged on to the shore and headed towards them.

 

InuYasha unsheathed Tessaiga - and leapt right through the closed window, glass shards shattering everywhere. Kagome cowered back in the bed, pulling an edge of the sheet around her as she watched InuYasha confront the monster on the beach. It tried to swipe at him with one of its eight, razor tipped legs, and he dodged the blow. Then it lunged at him with its mouth as another leg came slicing down at him. He raised Tessaiga to block the downward slice of the leg, and ducked to miss the snapping teeth. All the ushi-oni got was a mouthful of hair.

 

`Damn!' InuYasha thought. `There is not enough room to use the kaze no kizu! I must find some space!'

 

Coming up and punching the ushi-oni in the jaw, he knocked it back enough to do a back flip - which brought him back inside the room through the broken window.

 

“InuYasha, what - .” Kagome began to say.

 

“Kaze no Kizu!”

 

The surge of yellow energy blasted through the wall, taking out the remains of the window with it. The ushi-oni only had a moment to notice what was happening before the powerful energy wave hit it, sending an explosion of youkai flesh soaring into the air as the monster was blown to pieces. InuYasha and Kagome watched as the grisly mess rained down on the beach. Tessaiga went dormant and the hanyou re-sheathed the blade. Then he turned back to Kagome and was concerned at how pale and shaken she looked.

 

“Are you alright?” InuYasha asked. “You knew I would defeat it, didn't you? I will never let any fucking ushi-oni hurt you - or any other fucking youkai trash Naraku sends against us!”

 

“I knew you would protect me, InuYasha.” Kagome said quietly. “But…we just got here and you destroyed your house - that makes two. You don't have any others, do you?”

 

That made InuYasha smirk, and then he began laughing at himself grimly. From the bed, Kagome watched him curiously, astounded at his reaction. Then she shook her head and heaved a sigh.

 

`Damn,' InuYasha thought. `I fucked up again…'