Chapter Text
She could smell the distress in the air as she reached the den. There were several wolves scattered around the cliffs overlooking the valley beyond, but the old white wolf sitting at the ledge towered over them all. Ayame slowed to a stop, signaling her wolves to do the same. They scattered to rejoin the rest of the pack, only Chairo staying behind, close to her side as always.
“Chōrō,” she greeted, and the old wolf’s ear flicked towards her in acknowledgement. She walked along the ledge to his side and followed his gaze out to where the sun was setting over the desolate valley. The winter had been long and had left their territory barren. The promise that spring usually fulfilled had been spoiled. The demons that had migrated to this land had picked it clean, and the wolves could no longer find enough to sustain themselves. It was already too much. The evil aura that had passed overhead may be more than they could bear.
“Have you found him?” the old wolf asked in lieu of welcome.
“Not yet,” she admitted quietly.
“You must,” he said, weariness weighing down his words. “We need him.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You cannot rule over the clans on your own.”
Ayame turned her eyes from the barren valley to the old wolf. “Grandfather, what are you talking about? You can’t step down now!”
He huffed a short laugh, which trailed off into a wheeze. She hadn’t realized how frail he’d become. “There will be no choice in the matter. The other packs will accept nothing but strength from their leader to guide them through this crisis, and that is something that I can no longer provide.”
“But you’ve heard the rumours,” Ayame insisted. “The Yorozoku are in ruins! Shouldn’t we be turning to someone else for an alliance?”
“We don’t need the Yorozoku,” the old wolf chided her gently. “We need the Jewel shards. We need him to lead the clan. We need you both!”
She looked away. “I don’t want to rule. I don’t want to have to challenge for that right.”
“The packs trust you. You and he combined are our only hope. Besides,” he said, eyeing her. “Wouldn’t you rather it be him, than any other?”
Ayame stared hard at the ground. “My feelings don’t matter in this.”
“My child,” the old wold said quietly. “They are the only ones that matter.”
~*~
Kouga swore and dodged out of the way of another attack. The wolf lunged past him, barely missing his arm and landing hard on the riverbed. Kouga leapt into the air, landing on the branch of a tree and pushing off, trying to get away. But these wolves were persistent! They were after him for something, but so far, none of them had deigned to reveal their orders. He could tell by scent alone that they belonged to a pack, though he couldn’t tell which one. It didn’t matter. He could get away with killing a bunch of rogues, but he couldn’t risk pissing off one of the larger packs. Especially if his suspicions were true. Of the dozen or so wolves, all but one were white or mottled grey, bearing the colouration of the mountains.
The one brown wolf, a large female and the apparent leader of the pack, leapt at him again. He grabbed her by the scruff and threw her to the ground. “Back off!” he spat at her. “I don’t want a fight, but if you don’t stop chasing me, I won’t let you off so easily!”
The wolves slowed to a stop, panting heavily from their exertion. Kouga landed on the other side of the narrow river and eyed them suspiciously. They were scrawny and ungroomed. He knew that they wouldn’t stand a chance against his own wolves – but then, if he summoned his pack, they might have a bloodbath on their hands.
“I’m serious!” he said, taking a threatening step towards them. “I won’t let you get in my way!”
“Short-tempered as always,” a voice came from behind the wolves, and Kouga froze. Carefully he sniffed the air, trying to discern the demon’s scent from those of her wolves. He didn’t have to wonder for long. A young wolf demon sprang from the trees and landed behind her pack. Her hair was longer than he remembered, tied up in two long strands of auburn. But she still wore the same black and red armour, the same white pelts that marked her as one of the Northern Clan, and that same stupid flower in her hair.
“What the-” Kouga spluttered when he saw her. “Ayame? What the hell were your wolves doing, coming after me like that? Does your pack have a bone to pick with me or something?”
“Not exactly,” she shrugged easily, her gaze shifting over to the side, where Kouga could hear the rest of his pack approaching. His wolves got there first, stopping on Kouga’s side of the river. A few looked up at him uncertainly, others whined and wagged their tails slightly as they saw long-lost kin. The rest of his pack followed, heartbeats picking up as they saw the hunting party from the Northern Clan.
“So,” Kouga said, crossing his arms. “You’re back from the mountains?”
“I only came to give you a message from my grandfather,” Ayame said. “And on behalf of the Northern Clan.”
Kouga’s pack shifted uncomfortably. Three of the four demons with him had originally come from the Clan, though he didn’t think that any were from Ayame’s pack specifically. Still, that kind of loyalty was hard to stamp out, and he wouldn’t ask them to fight their old family. He knew that they would stand by him if it came down to it.
“What’s the message?” Kouga asked curtly.
Ayame’s green eyes flashed between him and the rest of his pack, but he wasn’t about to move. She shrugged. “You’re going to come back with me and be my mate.”
Kouga rocked back as though struck. “I’m what? Mate? What?”
A vague strangled sound had come from Ginta and Hakkaku. Aka made a sort of laugh that she tried to stifle but ended up coming through her nose. Ayame looked displeased at this reaction.
“We’re offering you a chance to rejoin the Clan,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You could even end up being its leader.”
Kouga stared at her. “Why?”
“You have two Jewel shards, don’t you?” she asked, like it was obvious. “You’ve made a name for yourself, Kouga, and I think it’s time that you fulfill your promise to be my mate.”
Kouga’s head was spinning, and he felt vaguely sick. “What promise? What the hell are you talking about?”
Her face fell. “You don’t remember?”
Kouga wheezed, looking over to his pack for support. Ginta had a hand clamped over his mouth to contain his laugh. Hakkaku, though, seemed to have lost any hilarity for the situation, and instead looked torn. Aka, too, was frowning.
“Kouga?” Hakkaku asked quietly. “Did you really promise to be mates with her?”
“Yeah,” Ginta said thoughtfully. “What about Mir-?”
“Forget all of that!” Kouga snapped. “I never signed up to be mates! Ayame, I don’t know where you got that stupid idea, but it’s not happening.”
Ayame blanched, looking truly hurt before her expression morphed into one of anger. “You’re coming with me regardless. You can explain yourself to the Clan Elders.”
She was already reaching for him. Kouga leapt back. “Not a chance!”
She moved faster than he would ever have expected. He didn’t have enough time to pull on the power from the Jewel shards to get away, and she crashed into him as he jumped into the air. Kouga shouted as they careened towards the ground, but then her youki flared around them and they plopped almost gently into the river. Kouga spluttered to the surface, glaring at the two hands clamped over his upper arm. Ayame was staring at him with a stony expression.
“I came here to bring you to the Clan,” she ground out. “By force, if necessary.”
“Let go of me!” he said, squirming. Her wolves were circling him. His pack was hanging back, confused about whether or not to defend their leader.
“Chairo, get his legs,” Ayame called out, and her large brown wolf shot forward to mouth at one of Kouga’s ankles. Her teeth didn’t break the skin, but the threat was clear.
Kouga glared at Ayame. She’d gotten stronger since the last time he’d seen her. That trick with her youki proved how much she’d been training. If it came down to it, she might be able to inflict some serious damage on him and his pack.
“Ayame, quit it!” he shouted, wrenching his arm free from her grasp. “I can’t go back with you. I’m on the hunt! And besides, I already have a mate lined up!”
“What?” she gasped.
She snapped her fingers and her wolves immediately fell back. Kouga’s pack visibly relaxed, hackles going down and hands moving away from weapons. But he knew this wasn’t over yet. Ayame wouldn’t just give up that easily. So he’d do what he had to do. Kouga sprang back from her and ran.
Ayame gasped in surprise. Her wolves shot back to her side, ready to give chase, but she hesitated to give the order. Kouga’s pack was following after him, struggling to keep up. Hakkaku sent her an apologetic look as he ran after Kouga, and Ayame gave him a small nod. She understood. But he had to know – they all did – that she wouldn’t give up so easily.
And could Kouga honestly not remember? It had been a long time ago, she supposed, but that wasn’t the kind of thing to be said lightly. She remembered the heat of the day, the rush of battle fading into exhaustion. She’d only known Kouga for a few years at that point, and it’d been the first time they’d fought together for any length of time. The Yorozoku had been a part of the Clan at that point, one of almost a dozen packs brought together to fight the threat of the Birds of Paradise. She hadn’t thought much of him at first, just a young upstart that caused more trouble than he solved. But they’d worked so well together.
And that day, lying on the bank of a lake, covered in dust and blood and grime, feeling for the first time just how impossible their task was. “Is it always gonna be like this?” she’d asked.
“No way in hell!” he’d said instantly, all bravado and unflappable confidence. “We’re going to clear those lousy birds away for good – especially with the way we fought together. And you remember that, if it gets tough ahead.” He’d shot her a grin. “Hell, after the way you saved my ass today, I’m gonna make you my mate! That’ll show ‘em!”
She hadn’t told anyone else, back then. She was the Clan leader’s kin, and she knew that great things were expected of her. Kouga had just been some warrior from a small pack who couldn’t see fit to follow the Clan’s rules. She’d almost lost track of him, through the decades. But then he’d gone and found himself some Jewel shards. He’d gone and made himself leader. And suddenly, he was a prospective mate. One that her grandfather could accept for her. And she’d whispered it one night, after a Clan meeting when her grandfather had been slumped in his den, out of ideas on what to do. And he must have seen, as much as she’d tried to hide it, that she’d wanted that match.
And now that it was finally, finally a real possibility, Kouga refused. Denied he’d even said as much. Had he really, truly forgotten? Had it not followed him as it had her? She supposed that he’d been busy fighting his own battles, but she’d carried it with her ever since, through the training and the hardships that had plagued her. Maybe it just hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to her.
Or, maybe he was lying. Maybe he refused to acknowledge his promise to deny any claim she might have to him. Maybe it was just a ploy to save his reputation, so that he was free to be mated to his new interest without shame or retribution from any other pack. She didn’t know who this mate could even be! Surely, she was the best choice around! Why didn’t he- What was wrong with-
She hissed out a breath through her teeth. She couldn’t waste time speculating. In the end, it was his word against hers. She wouldn’t be able to dispute his claim on another mate, his version of events. But he had to know that she had sway. If enough people believed her, she could make his life a living hell, ruin his reputation. She could make him honour his promise. But she wouldn’t do that – force him to be her mate? No. That was no way for a lasting partnership to be built.
But it wasn’t just her own reputation that concerned her. They needed Kouga. The Northern Clan was breaking apart, more and more packs threatening to leave every year, even before this new threat had emerged. They used to be the strongest force amongst all the wolf demons, and now they could barely control themselves. There was so much in-fighting, so much dissent, and they needed someone with the power of the Shikon Jewel to control them. To save them. They needed the young upstart who’d taken over his pack and killed off the Birds of Paradise. They needed that raw strength coupled with a figure they knew and trusted. And that was why she needed to have Kouga as her mate.
Ayame knew that there were plenty of powerful demons in the packs, that once her grandfather showed any sign of weakness, they would be challenging him for control over the Clan. But no one would dare to take on her and Kouga united. They would be unstoppable, unquestionable. They would keep the Clan alive. Even when the world was threatening to break them apart.
~*~
Kouga skidded to a stop, breathing hard. He began pacing back and forth, anxiously waiting for the rest of his pack to catch up. He wanted nothing more to rush off in the direction they’d been heading for the past two days, but he knew that the others would chew him out again if he ran headlong into Naraku’s castle alone. But he couldn’t waste this chance! Who knew how long the bastard had had his guard down already! Who knew how long it had taken for that disgusting scent to reach him!
As soon as he saw the first of the wolves appearing through the trees, Kouga leapt over the walls of the castle. The sickly scent of poison, toxic gasses, and demon remains assaulted his senses. Kouga gagged and his lip curled, but he forced himself to take several long, deep breaths. He could tell right away that he was too late. Despite the scent of Naraku clogging every surface, it was faded and stale. Kouga swore viciously and kicked the ground. Damn it! There was no heartbeat around. No life at all.
As he began poking through the various rooms of the castle, he could hear his pack break in through the main gate. The sound rang loudly through the deathly silence of the castle grounds. Kouga stalked out into the courtyard, looking around for any clues of what might have happened. Naraku wouldn’t have just abandoned his castle for no reason! Several sets of six deep lines scarred into the earth gave him some answers. Kouga knelt down and sniffed carefully. Sure enough, another familiar scent reached his nose. Inuyasha! What the hell had that mutt been doing here?!
“Kouga,” Ginta said quietly, glancing around. “The castle’s empty.”
Kouga pushed to his feet and scowled. “Let’s go.”
Ginta blinked. “Where to?”
“We’re gonna find that mangy mongrel and ask him some questions. They fought here a few days ago, and I’m gonna ask him why Naraku isn’t dead!”
He didn’t wait for a reply before he turned and ran, passing the rest of the pack as they arrived. He didn’t want to linger. If Naraku was still anywhere in the area, that monster would be coming after him for his Jewel shards. And he wasn’t about to let that happen!
~*~
Ayame crept closer to the tall stone walls, listening intently for any signs of life. She knew by the smell that she must have just missed Kouga, but she was curious about what had brought him here. She couldn’t place the scent that lingered heavily in the air, but it made her gut churn. Her wolves shifted slowly into a tight circle around her, growling softly. Chairo took the lead, keeping low to the ground as she passed through the broken gates. A short yip had the rest of the pack following after her.
“He was here not too long ago,” Ayame murmured as she looked around. “But what was he doing here? This place is creepy.”
The air seemed to hang in place as though dead. A thick black substance coated every surface like dust. It seemed like nothing could have survived this hostile environment. But even as Ayame gathered her wolves to set off again, she heard something moving. A slight creaking noise was coming from deep within the ground. She frowned, crouching down to place a palm on the compacted earth, trying to feel what was going on. A heartbeat later, a giant demon burst from one of the nearby houses. It was twice the size of the structure, nothing but a giant mouth with giant teeth surrounded by long strands of black hair that whipped around like tentacles. Some of the long strands immediately reached out and wrapped around two of the wolves nearby. They yelped and yowled in fear, and Ayame threw herself towards them. She plucked a leaf from the base of the flower in her hair and threw it at the demon. The leaf swung around like an arrow, slicing through the strands and freeing her wolves.
Ayame gestured for the pack to get behind her and plucked another leaf from her hair. She concentrated her youki into it for a moment and then slammed it down onto the ground with her fist. Immediately, dozens of leaves began to swirl around her, forming an impenetrable cocoon. She leapt free and ran, her wolves following after her as the green twister continued to slash the demon to shreds. But she could already tell that it wouldn’t be enough to kill it. They’d need to escape some other way.
“What is that thing?” she asked her wolves, but none of them seemed to know. They kept on glancing behind, picking up the sounds of the demon following them. Ayame changed directions as she heard heartbeats coming from ahead of them as well, and soon after, their scents reached her. She sped up, quickly passing her wolves and catching up with the two demons running through the forest.
“Ginta! Hakkaku!”
They spun around to stare at her.
“Ayame?” Hakkaku asked in surprise. “What are you-”
“Don’t stop!” she snapped, grabbing their arms and dragging them along behind her. “What’s that monster from the castle and why is it coming after me?”
“You were at the castle?” Hakkaku asked.
“What monster?” Ginta added, looking behind them. His eyes widened almost comically as he saw the hair demon chasing after them through the trees. “That thing came from the castle?!”
“Come on!” Hakkaku said, waving Ayame to follow after them. “Our pack isn’t too far away.”
“I told you we shouldn’t’ve let Aka get so far ahead!” Ginta said accusingly as they began running in earnest.
“Well someone had to try to keep up with Kouga, and it’s her turn!” Hakkaku growled.
A warning yowl came from Chairo as the hair demon leapt into the air. Ayame, Ginta, and Hakkaku froze as it soared over their heads and landed in front of them, hair-tentacles flying. One wrapped around Hakkaku’s arm and Ginta immediately grabbed onto him, keeping him from being dragged away. Ayame cut through the strand with a leaf and then sent a concentrated wave of green power shooting at the demon. It was blasted back and struck the base of a tree. After a moment, it began to slink away.
“Whoa,” Ginta said quietly, still holding onto Hakkaku.
“I suppose now you can tell me what’s going on with Kouga as well,” she said, turning to them and crossing her arms. They both paled.
“What specifically about Kouga?” Hakkau asked, a little weakly.
“First of all, what was he doing at the castle? Secondly, who’s this mate of his? Third, is it true what I’ve heard about his new pack laws?”
“One at a time,” Ginta grimaced. “We’ve been going after this demon named Naraku, and that was his castle back there. It looks like he abandoned it, but we don’t know why.”
“And yeah, Kouga’s enforced a lot of new laws recently,” Hakkaku added. “He’s building better relationships with humans.”
Ayame wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Why?”
Ginta and Hakkaku shared a significant look before they both shrugged.
“Better to have friends than enemies, right?” Hakkaku said vaguely. “Especially with everything that’s been going on recently. And we know some humans who are going after Naraku as well.”
“You’re working with humans now?”
“It’s not that simple,” Hakkaku continued. “You remember when a bunch of warriors from the Yorozoku and the Clan went after some Jewel shards and were killed? Naraku was behind that. Kouga fought one of Naraku’s pack and he was saved by some humans he’d met before.”
“And Inu-” Ginta started, but Hakkaku quickly shushed him.
Ayane shook her head. “We never knew who was behind it, but the packs who investigated marked his scent. As for the humans, I can’t say I understand, but if it’s working for him, then I’m not going to complain.” She paused. “But that’s only two of my questions. Who’s this mate of his?”
The guilty look in their eyes told her that they hadn’t avoided the topic by accident. Hakkaku shuffled uncomfortably and Ginta was staring at the ground.
“If it helps,” Hakkaku said quietly. “This is a really recent thing. Kouga only became interested in him a few months ago. It’s why he’s made all the new laws.”
Ayame frowned in confusion. Then it clicked. “Kouga’s new mate is a human?”
“They’re not actually mates yet,” Ginta said quickly. “But Kouga proposed. And the guy’s pack now. He’s saved our lives a few times.”
Ayame couldn’t believe it. She could have understood if Kouga had fallen in love with some other powerful demon and wanted to settle down together. But she was being cast aside in favour of a human?! That was ridiculous! It was the worst insult she could think of!
“Come on,” she ground out. “You’re taking me to Kouga. He has some explaining to do.”
Ginta and Hakkaku both looked decidedly nervous. She forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down.
“It’s good to see you again, Hakkaku,” she added finally. “And congratulations, you two.”
Ginta grinned shyly. Hakkaku blushed furiously and looked away. She could smell the happiness in his scent, likely a mixture of his newly official partnership and the use of his correct name. It touched her to know that he cared whether or not she accepted him still. She’d told him as much when he’d left the Clan for the Yorozoku – she could understand wanting to start fresh. New name, new pack, new life. She just hoped that he’d be able to use his sway in this pack to her advantage.
~*~
“There’s no sign anywhere,” Hachi was saying. “Not even rumours! No one saw where he went.”
Miroku sighed, trying to hide his disappointment. “Well, thank you anyway. That’s all for now, but try to keep an eye and an ear out.”
“Will do!” Hachi said, surreptitiously waving goodbye to Shippo before he transformed and took off.
The others slumped slightly in defeat.
“I can’t believe it!” Inuyasha hissed sharply. “We’ve lost him! I knew we never should have gone to Kaede’s!”
“You were in no shape to travel,” Shippo pointed out from Kirara’s back. “And now you’re healthy enough to track him down.”
Inuyasha glowered at the kit but didn’t argue.
“No scent, no aura, no miasma,” Miroku said thoughtfully.
“No disturbances,” Sango added. “He has to be somewhere, and that somewhere will be hit hard by whatever he does. Now that we know the signs, surely we should be able to track him down once he starts causing problems again?”
Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms. “We can’t wait that long. We have to find him now!”
“There’s no Jewel shards, either,” Miroku continued. “There don’t seem to be any more around.”
“But he can’t have collected them all,” Sango frowned. “Even besides ours, Kohaku’s, and Kouga’s, there has to be more left out there! Otherwise Naraku would be coming after us for our shards.”
Miroku shook his head. He didn’t know. “I suppose there’s no point in worrying over what we can’t change. So long as we keep on collecting or at least looking for Jewel shards, eventually Naraku will come after them.”
“You want to give up the trail entirely?” Inuyasha spluttered.
“What choice do we have?” Miroku asked. “We don’t even have a trail to follow, at this point.”
Inuyasha growled loudly and began pacing. Sango shot Miroku a tight-lipped grimace, trying to hide her worry. They were already pushing themselves harder than was advisable with their injuries. They couldn’t really afford to go on another wild chase so soon. Then again, she wasn’t about to tell any of them that they shouldn’t be hunting Naraku down. She hadn’t slept properly since she’d last seen Kohaku, and his predicament was even less dire than Miroku’s.
“Do you smell that?” Shippo asked suddenly.
Inuyasha stopped pacing and sniffed the air, and immediately scowled. Miroku and Sango shared a glance, knowing what that entailed. Miroku could already sense the Jewel shard approaching. Inuyasha leapt in the path of the twister speeding towards them, and Kouga crashed into him without slowing down. He knocked the hanyou to the ground and stepped over him to greet Miroku, smiling brilliantly.
“Miroku! How have you been?” He took the monk’s hand and clasped it in both of his. “You must have missed me.”
“Kouga,” Miroku said tightly as Inuyasha sprang to his feet behind the wolf, looking pissed.
“Kouga-!” Inuyasha started with a snarl, but Kouga dropped Miroku’s hand and shushed the hanyou.
“Mutt, where’s Naraku?” he said, speaking over Inuyasha’s protest. “I know you know, so fess up! I don’t have a lot of time.”
“You always ask such stupid questions!” Inuyasha shouted. “If I knew where Naraku was, I’d be there already! You couldn’t have come all this way just for that!”
Kouga sneered. “Why else would I be here?”
“If that’s all, then don’t waste your time flirting with Miroku!” Inuyasha growled.
“Naraku’s abandoned his castle,” Sango cut in before more insults could be thrown by either party.
Kouga frowned. “Why would he do that?”
“I’ll tell you why!” Inuyasha said, getting in the wolf’s face. “Because I busted through his barrier and ripped him to shreds! He ran away with his tail between his legs!”
Kouga blanched. Then he looked furious. “You mean you got that close to Naraku and you let him get away?!”
Inuyasha blinked. “Wait-”
“I can’t believe it!” Kouga shouted. “This is why I knew you could never defeat him! If I’d been there, Naraku would be dead at my feet! You idiot!”
“Hey!” Inuyasha scowled.
“Hey!” Miroku cut in, looking offended on behalf of his partner.
“I’ll kill you for a start,” Inuyasha growled, reaching for Tessaiga.
Miroku immediately stepped between him and Kouga, putting a hand on his arm. The tension twisted into something new when they looked up to see the sky darkening unnaturally above them. Miroku shivered, feeling a sinister aura crawling through the air. Kirara was on her feet, hackles rising as she stared into the forest across the field from where they stood, in the direction that Kouga had come from.
“That’s Naraku’s scent,” Inuyasha murmured, pushing past Kouga and drawing Tessaiga.
“Kouga!” a voice called from the forest, and Kouga’s ears pricked. His wolves and two of his demons had emerged from the trees and were running towards him. Kouga took off, and Inuyasha’s pack wasn’t far behind. As he crossed the field towards them, he could see what looked like long black tentacles rising above the treetops as something scrambled towards them.
“Ginta and Hakkaku are coming,” Aka reported, skidding to a stop next to him. “This thing is after them! Ayame’s there too.”
Kouga swore as he caught sight of the three of them. The demon was hot on their tails. Kouga leapt at the mass of swirling black hair and sliced through it with his claws, giving his pack the cover they needed to get to safety.
“Is that an incarnation?” Sango asked, lifting Hiraikotsu as Kirara took off.
“I don’t know,” Inuyasha hissed. “It has Naraku’s scent, but this is nothing like any of the others.”
“Look at it,” Miroku breathed. “It’s made entirely of hair! Could it be related to Yura in some way?”
He jumped back as a length of hair shot towards him and he cut through it with his staff. Inuyasha shouted angrily and threw himself at the demon, sliced through a length of it with Tessaiga. Large clumps of hair fell away to reveal a mass of rotting flesh beneath. The stench hit them with full force and every demon, wolf, and Inuyasha immediately wretched. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha by the robes and dragged him back and out of the way of the wildly swinging tendrils of hair. He unceremoniously reached into his partner’s robes and pulled out his mask, pulled Inuyasha’s hand away from his mouth and pressed it over his face. Inuyasha gasped for breath and wheezed a thanks to Miroku as the monk reached for his own mask.
“Kouga!” Ayame shouted, and she leapt over the hair demon to land at his side. “Do you know what this thing is?”
“No idea,” he grimaced. “But it’s somehow related to a demon I’ve been hunting for a while now.”
She nodded. “Naraku?”
He looked at her in surprise, but she shook her head. “Talk later. I want to get away from this thing as soon as possible.”
He couldn’t agree more. Every breath he took made him queasy. The wolves were surreptitiously backing away from the stench.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Kouga said, turning to look at Inuyasha. “There was no sign of the life at the castle! I was just there!”
Inuyasha grimaced. “I didn’t sense anything when we were there, either.”
“This thing’s not alive,” Ayame said, looking between them like they were both idiots. “There’s no heartbeat! There’s no youki, just evil!”
Kouga paled. “She’s right.”
“It’s actively rotting away,” Miroku added. “Did Naraku do this? Is it some new kind of demon puppet?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Inuyasha said, raising Tessaiga. “I’m getting rid of it!”
The demon screeched and threw itself towards them. They all leapt back as Kirara flew overhead, and Sango sent Hiraikotsu crashing through the mass of flesh. The wolf demons followed, attacking with swords and claws, slowly tearing it apart. But they kept on having to fall back and gag or, in some cases, fully throw up. Miroku cut through the hair with his staff, keeping it from reaching any of the wolves while avoiding tainting his weapon with the rotting flesh. The young wolf demon that had arrived with Ginta and Hakkaku landed by his side, cutting through more of the monster’s body with a flash of green leaves.
“Thanks!” he nodded at her. “Miroku.”
“Ayame,” she said, glancing between him and Sango. “You humans fight demons?”
He grinned. “Depends on the demon.”
Ayame nodded, though her mind was a blur. She watched the other human cut through the hair demon again and again. She’d never seen humans fight like these ones did. Maybe Kouga had been onto something, after all.
“Watch out!” Miroku shouted as he crashed into Ayame, knocking her to the ground as a spear-like length of hair shot towards them. It pierced deep into the ground just past where they’d been standing. Ayame gasped and looked up at the human, but he’d already clambered to his feet and was throwing himself back into the fray.
“Get back!” Inuyasha shouted, gesturing at the collection of wolves around them. They all looked to their demon leaders before falling back behind him. Inuyasha ground his teeth and levelled his sword at the hair demon. But the Wind Scar wouldn’t form. There was no youki to connect to, and his concentration was broken by the dozens of heartbeats around him. But then Kirara stepped to his side and leaned against him. He shot her a grateful look and closed his eyes, connecting to her presence and using it to spark the Tessaiga to life. He lifted the sword above his head and sent six lines of power racing towards the demon. It was torn to shreds, and pieces of hair and rotting flesh exploded through the air.
Everyone scrambled back, trying to get out of range of the still-writhing mass of demon parts. There was a beat of silence as they all stared at it in mild horror. And then Ayame whirled on the rest of them.
“Kouga!” she snapped. “You’d better explain what the hell is going on here!”