At once Kouga dropped into a feral crouch, claws flexed and hackles raised. “Kagura!” he seethed.
Smirking, the wind sorceress appeared through a crack in the gates, her pale skin tinted red by the glow of the barrier before her. “My, my, how predictable–arriving here like lambs to the slaughter. Or should I say, wolves.”
“Very funny,” the wolf prince spat, cracking his claws. “Why don’t you come out from behind your petty shield and say that to my face, you spineless bitch.”
Kagura’s expression soured. “What a vulgar beast you are…”
Glancing away in disdain, her crimson gaze fell upon Sesshoumaru. Kagome’s blood boiled as Kagura’s lips curved in a slow, sultry smile.
“We meet again, Sesshoumaru-sama–though I must say, I’m surprised to see you in such low company as this. Did you enjoy my marionettes’ opening number?” With a flick of her fan the undead army snapped over at the waist as one–in a gruesome parody of a bow. “They aren’t much to look at, I’m afraid, but a girl must work with what she has…”
“You vile witch!” Ayame yelled, brandishing her katana. “How dare you defile the bodies of my brethren with your foul sorcery! You will pay for this disgrace.”
Sighing, Kagura inspected her sharp enameled nails. “Bold words, little she-wolf. But I seem to recall you and your flea-infested pack turning tail from my puppets once before.” The sorceress’s eyes lifted, narrowing. “While you curs have been licking your wounds in the foothills, I’ve only had more time to oil the joints and tighten the strings.”
As Kagura’s fan flew open, the zombie wolves before her surged upon the living like a wave. Gritting her teeth, Kagome flooded her strung arrow with reiki, the loosened bolt shearing through the attacking undead in a mighty, rose-colored flare. The cry of liberated souls echoed along the cliff side as Kagome lowered her bow and fixed the sorceress with a glare.
“Looks like you need to do some more adjusting, Kagura.”
The wind witch pursed her lips, her crimson gaze flicking between Kagome, Sesshoumaru and Kouga. “Hm. You sure seem to get around, don’t you, miko?” She tisked, shaking her head in false sympathy. “With that poor half-breed lover of yours scarcely cold in the ground…”
Kagome flushed, incensed. “Speak for yourself–what are you doing here, anyway? I know Naraku’s not around. So whose barrier are you shacked-up behind?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Kagura’s garnet eyes glittered as they slid to Kouga. “Unfortunately, we weren’t expecting you so soon. It’s quite rude, you see, to barge in early”–her gaze cut back to Kagome and Sesshoumaru–“with uninvited guests in tow.”
“Sorry to crash whatever bullshit party you’ve been planning,” Kouga bit out, drawing his sword. “But here we are, and if we brought down one barrier of yours, bringing down another’ll be an easy task.”
Kagura’s lips thinned. “First, you will have to reach it.”
Leveling her fan before her, she spun, the undead rising around Kagome and her group in a twisting, churning maelstrom of claws, fangs, bones and weaponry. As the zombie gale descended upon them, Kagome shouted to get down, channeling her reiki through the upraised arch of her bow, her power spreading out in a glimmering dome above herself and her allies. The zombies shrieked as they crashed into the shield, purifying on contact.
Kagome clutched her bow tighter as she struggled beneath the force of the continued assault, her gaze narrowed at Kagura. She’s stalling–whoever is behind that barrier doesn’t want to be found out. Sesshoumaru was right…
Outside the protective shield, she caught glimpses of the daiyoukai. His white form flashed like lightning through the dark zombie storm, Tenseiga’s radiant blue blade cutting loose the souls of the possessed corpses as it sliced. In a matter of minutes, Kagome could feel the pressure above her lessening.
Through the thinning swarm of enemies, she looked toward Kagura and the summit–only to realize that the barrier was gone.
“Is there another way out of the fortress?” she whispered urgently to the Elder wolf, who nodded.
“A small, hidden gate, which lies on the far side of the mountain.”
“I knew it!” Kagome breathed, her eyes going to the wolf prince. “Kouga-kun–the barrier’s vanished. Can you make a break for Kagura? If you attack her, I think her spell will be interrupted!”
Kouga grinned savagely. “My pleasure.”
He shot like a bullet through the whirling enemy swarm, blood spraying from the cuts on his arms and face as he hurtled toward Kagura. Her red eyes widened at his high-speed charge, her fingers quickly wrenching a feather from her hair–but not quickly enough. Dust rose as he slammed her into the mountainside, the zombies falling from the air like nails at his strike. As the undead pushed to their feet and began to advance on the living once more, Kagome dropped her own defensive barrier.
“Sesshoumaru!” she cried, the moment the daiyoukai landed before her. “We need to get to the far side of the mountain right now–I think the demon who cast the barrier is trying to escape through the back gate!” She turned to Ayame and her grandfather. “Can you guys hold off these zombies on your own for a while?”
“‘Zombies’…?” Ayame repeated with a furrowed brow, nodding all the same as her grandfather growled his assent.
As the wolves went to battle against their undead brothers, Sesshoumaru and Kagome took to the sky. Swift as he was, Entei was just a little swifter, Kagome rounding the mountain slightly ahead of the demon lord. Somewhere far behind them, she could just make out Jakken’s despaired wail as they left him in the dust of their dust.
“Kagome,” Sesshoumaru said with sudden solemnity as they circled around and up, “your power has magnified.”
Her heart stuttered a little as she glanced over at him. “R-really? You think so…?”
Levelly, he met her gaze. “I was wrong,” he said, the low tone of his voice giving her poor heart a few more erratic palpitations, “to doubt you.”
This guy was going to take years off her life, no question about it. Kagome’s lashes lowered slightly as she looked at him.
“Sesshoumaru…”
But whatever she had been about to say next would have to wait. As they ascended the far side of the peak, a familiar figure met them halfway, its immense misshapen form blotting out the sun as it emerged from the side of the mountain. Sesshoumaru tensed, Kagome curling her fingers into Entei’s flickering mane.
Mouryoumaru.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Be still my fluttery little blood pumping muscle!
Sesshoumaru? Being impressed? Why that’s almost better than sex! No wonder Kagome paused!
hahaha ALMOST 🙂
so glad you liked! thanks for sharing!! <3
Awww it’s like watching the anime again!
Sesshoumaru praises Kagome. Wow that’s something i have not expected. 🙂 So he acknowledges her strength, perhaps he will stop seeing his obsession as a weakness?
Kagura is being a bitch. I don’t like Kagura nor dislike her. Can’t stand her, but i feel pity for the poor woman.
Truth to be told, I can’t really hate any characters in Inuyasha. Though of all the detachments of Naraku, Kanna’s death is the only one which saddened me.
Yeah, I feel totally the same – neither like nor dislike Kagura, either! I do feel pity for her, even though she can be kind of a bitch. haha
All the characters in Inuyasha are also great to me too! Takahashi-sensei built an amazing cast 🙂
So glad you like the anime spin 😉 and Sesshoumaru’s praise! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, Doris! <3