Note: Daily Transgressions is a fic continuation series which follows the events of Transgressions, Chapter 9.

Kagome pressed a trembling hand to her lips, the corners of her eyes stinging even as her chest burned with righteous fury. Next to her Sesshoumaru stood, seemingly unfazed, as he continued to stare down Hakudoushi.

“You are sorely mistaken, if you think us to be alike in strength.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you’re stronger than Inuyasha. In fact,” Hakudoushi said, smirking, “that’s exactly what we’re counting on.”

Mouryoumaru advanced, the tentacles of his right arm rising as his shoulder split open in a burst of noxious green youki.

“Once Mouryoumaru has absorbed your power, we’ll be one step closer to overthrowing Naraku and claiming the Shikon no Tama for ourselves.”

Overthrow Naraku? Kagome‘s hand tensed around her bow. This was bad. Really bad.

“Sorry, Sesshoumaru. It’s nothing personal,” Kagura said with a frown, pulling a feather from her hair. “Let’s get going, Kohaku.”

Releasing Rin, the young taijiya began to approach her.

“Not so fast.”

A stream of tentacles shot out, wrapping around Kohaku and cutting Rin off mid-sprint.

“No sense in letting one of the few remaining Jewel shards just walk away,” Hakudoushi jeered, Mouryoumaru’s tentacles constricting tighter around Kohaku’s chest.

“Kohaku-kun!” Rin screamed.

Kagura paled, grimacing. As Mouryoumaru drew the struggling taijiya back, Kagome ran forward, reaching into her quiver.

“Oh yeah?” she growled under her breath as she nocked and charged an arrow. “Think again, you freak.”

The arrow shot from her fingers like a lightning bolt, obliterating the lower half of Mouryoumaru’s right arm in an explosion of pale pink luminescence. Kohaku fell to the ground as Mouryoumaru reeled back, his agonized roar rattling the earth beneath them.

“Another miko,” Hakudoushi remarked with a small smile, lowering his naginata. “Interesting.”

Kohaku scrambled to his feet, lunging for Kagura’s feather aircraft. Kagome watched with bated breath as they took flight—noticing a moment too late the mass of writhing flesh sweeping toward her.

She crashed to the rock below as her legs went out from underneath her, the air leaving her lungs in a painful rush. Her vision blurred as she struggled to regain her breath, a long shadow falling over the sprawl of her form. Clutching reflexively at her bow, she stared up at the tentacled limb looming above her, thinking she’d had a pretty good run, when a flash of white suddenly eclipsed her view.

“Sesshoumaru!” she panted, propping herself up on her elbows as Mouryoumaru’s tree trunk of an arm descended, meeting the flat of Tokijin’s virulent blue blade.

Bending slightly beneath the force of the enemy’s attack, the demon lord cast her a withering glance over his shoulder. “Go.”

Kagome didn’t need to be told twice. She picked herself up at once, swinging her bow around before her as she crouched off to the side and took aim at Mouryoumaru’s ugly, teal-striped face.

“Oi, miko.”

Lowering her weapon a fraction, Kagome turned, just in time to see Hakudoushi dash past her on what appeared to be a horse made out of orange and white flame. As he wheeled in midair, her grip fell slack, her reiki fizzling to a spark.

“Forgetting something?” he said with a wicked grin, Kagome looking on in horror as Rin dangled high above, held aloft only by the collar of her yukata.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi