Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Revenge Brings ❯ Chapter 22: Valley of the Dead ( Chapter 22 )

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*What Revenge Brings*

By: Kage Otome

Chapter 22: Valley of the Dead

“Valley of the Dead?” He questioned, “As in Egypt?”

Kurama winced.

“Valley of the Dead is in hell. And you’re either thinking of the ‘City of the Dead’, or ‘Valley of the Kings’.” Kagome smirked softly at the remark from Shizen. If there was one thing, he didn’t except it was tarnishing great places of history. Especially Egypt and Russia for some odd reason. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

“Did you drop out of school, you moron?” Hiten prodded.

Kagome’s eye twitched.

A confrontation would be imminent.

“No! What’s a school?” She tried to, she honestly tried to. She just couldn’t help it. This fool was stupider then the dimwit and Kuwabara. She snorted. Genkai caught the smirk Kagome threw her way and replied with an answering one. Who knew. There was someone in the world, with a lower IQ then a---hm...She couldn’t think of anything.

But at least he had one redeeming trait.

He was almost disturbingly determined to succeed in whatever he put his mind too. No matter how many times he’s failed. For example: beating Sesshoumaru in a fight. Doubtful but he was stubbornly, pig headed and determined to one day better his brother. Sibling rivalry--how beautiful.

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Sha rp gold eyes followed her with interest. She had been doing this ever since the challenge was issued, only pausing to relieve herself or to eat. She had to--after all--be properly nourished. Blindfolded and restricted, she fought her brothers and the generals of hell. Over and over, hour after hour, rotating the fighters, beside herself, to train. Her determination and drive was quite amazing, but then the question rose, why did she need to train so hard? He knew she didn’t come into power until later on in life, but from what he’s seen she was a good martial artist, it wasn’t like this Goshinki was born with armor...was he?

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Two hours.

That was all the time left, then they would leave to the Valley of the Dead. Gold eyes narrowed in contemplation, she’d be going into this fight with little to no leverage over any of them, Naraku and Goshinki. There was a good chance she’d lose, but she couldn’t afford to, not when Kun was in danger, not when the challenge had been issued. Once the challenge was issued with Naraku, either you win, or you lose, in this case if she lost, Kunshi died. She would not let him die. Not now, not ever.

So she was determined to win.

No matter what the cost.

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They stood there, looking across the large ravine at Naraku and his group. The would be fighting on the platform in the middle of the valley, it was circular and floated just above the mass of tortured souls. If one of them fell---well, it wasn’t called the valley of the dead for nothing. Taking a large leap she landed on the platform, Goshinki followed. Kagome had retracted her wings, so he wouldn’t be able to rip them from her back.

Goshinki was an ugly ogre-like creature, his purple skin stretched over his grotesque form as he grinned and his crimson eyes glinted evilly. Kagome’s own narrow gold eyes were focused on him, she picked up the sound of Kun pleading with her not to do this. She blocked him out. She’d get him back.

“Fight.”

Both stood eerily still before Goshinki, using his speed appeared behind her, just as she dropped to the ground, kicking his feet out from under him. Goshinki was up and on her quickly. Kagome ran towards one of the four pillars, and using her own momentum, kicked off the pole, gaining speed and strength as she delivered a tackle that would’ve made football players look like pansies. Goshinki went flying back, straight off the platform into the valley walls, near Naraku. Naraku snarled and tossed him back in the ring.

It was time to take things up a notch.

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“ She’s winning!”

“Don’t be so certain of that.” Bankotsu said quietly watching the fight.

Something was wrong.

Both Kagome and Bankotsu spotted it too late. Kagome hissed in pain as she backed into a pillar, shaking her head she opened her eyes. All she saw was purplish-black. Growling deep in her chest, she barely dodged a swipe of his talons, he began to circle her, that much she knew, he stopped right in front of her, she slid under his legs and elbowed the back of his legs, at the knee area. Moving into a crouch position, she kept her eyes closed, she didn’t need her eyes to see.

“What happened?” Keiko asked.

“Miasma, they threw it in her eyes, blinding her.” Hiten said, fists clenched.

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“Not like she can do anything about it now.”

Suddenly Kagome was tossed into the air and slammed back down, creating a small crater in the platform. Coughing they eagerly waited for her to get back up. What they didn’t know was that she was already up, using her own toxic claws, the lengthened as she brought them down across Goshinki’s armored back. He howled in pain as the extremely potent poison ate away at his skin.

“That’s one thing you can’t take from me Naraku, I’ve always had my poison.” She hissed.

Goshinki charged before darting to the side, startling her, into leaving her side open for an attack. Goshinki took it, ripping her side open. Hissing Kagome darted towards him looking for an opening, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks, she managed a few good blows, while when finding an unguarded spot she clawed at him, letting her poison continue it’s work. Finally Goshinki threw her off of him straight into a pole. Growling softly it was obvious her injuries were getting to her, Tackling him again, she went straight for the femoral artery, slashing at the spot twice before Goshinki knocked her away and attacked her, this time biting into her leg. Damn. Not only did he lower her strength, now he lowered her speed.

With a perfectly timed jump she landed on his head, pulling on his horns attempting to either break his neck or rip the horns out. Jumping out of the way of his claws, she listened carefully to the wind, to his steps, to his breaths. His scent was putrid, but it wouldn’t much help, considering it left it’s stink wherever he stepped.

Being careful to keep her mind blocks on she darted to the left of him before quickly feinting to the right, so Goshinki blocked on his right and left his left side wide open, Kagome ripped the weakened skin open her poison doing it’s job well. He snarled in surprise.

‘How did she deceive me?’

Doing a cartwheel to a handspring, to a twist in midair she landed in a crouch, avoiding where his claws would have cleaved her in half. Attempting to open her eyes again she could see a bit now, vague blurs of color. Closing them again, it wouldn’t help her after all. She was unprepared for the large wail assaulting her ears, coming from Naraku’s side, her head whipped around, before she realized it was a trap, Goshinki sent her flying off the platform, to the souls below. Grinning in delight, he believed he won. What he wasn’t prepared for was her flying back, above the platform, beautiful black wings protruding from her torn back.

“You should know better.” Kagome said before charging him, her wings giving her the needed speed to hit him, and send him flying into a large wall of stone, on her side. Goshinki leaped back into the ring and began to attack her, with strength this time, Kagome winced knowing she’d have bruises everywhere.

SNAP.

Kagome cried out in surprise. He snapped her right arm, breaking it in at least two places. Keeping it close to her side she only had one able arm, now. Goshinki picked her up and tossed her in the air before slashing one of her already injured leg. Before she could stand the pain of the bite he inflicted, now that the wound was deeper, she just lost any speed advantage. He was faster then her now. Before she could regain her wits and take to the sky, he charged her throwing her up into the air again, like a rag doll and angling his head so she’d land, right on top of his horns, seeing this she turned and landed on her injured leg, pain shooting up her leg, through her body. He snarled and tore his claws across her back---and her wings.

She yelped, before baring her fangs at him.

‘C’mon Kagome, think.’

“I believe we all know who the winner is.” Naraku stated.

“Not yet, you Putain D'Homme.”

Bankotsu smirked.

She called Naraku a ‘Whore of Man’.

Standing up with as much dignity as she could, she looked straight into the wine colored eyes of Kun and turned to Goshinki, she gave him the finger to aggravate him. It worked, he charged her, jumping over him with her good leg, she stepped down on his back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Goshinki snarled before grabbing her torn leg and flying her high into the air. This time instead of waiting for her to land he leapt up and impaled her on his horn, her stomach muscles, her abs contracted as she cried out in pain. With a toss of his head he threw her off his horn, onto the ground. Motionless.

One Minute...

Two...

Three Minutes...

Four...

Kagome twitched.

Five minutes. Kagome’s hands lay flat on the floor as she pushed herself up.

Five minutes, Thirty seconds.

Her head lifted to face them, revealing dark crimson eyes.

“You wanted me to fight powerless, as I was when born I did and I will. But you forget, I was born in my true form.” Kagome’s torn wings and body began to glow an eerie gold in color, Naraku’s eyes widened.

“Stop her!”

“Too late.”

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S he stood there, on all four paws, looking down at Goshinki. She was nearly as large as a five story building, her wings were large and full, like airplanes, blending in with the black coat of her bloodstained fur, her wounds still existed in this form, however she was stronger in this form as well. The large fox with black, red tipped wings, glared down at Goshinki with crimson eyes, before she grinned. A mad grin, a grin that knew no mercy, there was no mind behind those eyes, just a blood lust.

Howling she reared up and attempted to smash Goshinki with her paws, when that didn’t work she settled for picking him up with her jaws and throwing him in the air, catching him in her mouth she bit down with her fangs, sinking them into Goshinki before throwing him down to the souls, his screams of pain floated back to the large vixen and his blood dribbled down her chin. Intelligence filled those eyes, as they turned to gold, she began to revert back to her humanoid form. Naraku’s eyes were widened and slightly panicked. Grabbing Kun he turned to flee before Kagome appeared in front of him.

“I win.” Taking Kun from him she blasted him straight into the valley wall, before he disappeared in a cloud of miasma.

Seeing he was gone she turned to Kun.

“Are you---all right?”

“Yes.” Kun replied stroking her dark hair.

She smiled. “Good.”

And then---All was dark.

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A/n: Okay...So what do you think?