Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha....

The Devil's Rule

Prologue: Circumambulate

On a starred night Prince Lucifer uprose.

From a memory of the old revolt from Awe,

He reached middle height, and at the stars,

Which are the bain of heaven, he looked, and sank.

Around the ancient track marched, rank on rank,

The army of unalterable law.

-George Meredith (1828-1909)

Only the flickering glow of the candlelight allowed them to see past their noses to what lay upon the maps spread across the tables. It was the humans that needed such luxuries as light to see what lay before them in the dark, as he needed no such things. His eyes traversed the maps, fallowing his positioning, the markers that told the story of his part in this war, to that of the positioning of his brother. They were heading in the complete opposite direction towards the opposite campsites... Why would they separate them now? He and his brother were the best of the best when working with one another, and these to site happened to be the overlords strongest of holds. It made no sense to separate them between these to strongholds now, when they have been placed together to take down the weaker ones. What were they playing at?

Taking up speculative golden orbs to observe his superiors in this fight, he brought fourth his inquiries. "These are the overlords strongest camps and yet you want to separate my brother and myself between them when you've made it appoint to keep us at the other's side to fight weaker opponents then this." He brought his eyes back down to measure the distance between the two, add up the men held with in each and then to quickly read over it strengths and weaknesses taken into account from their spies. He brought his guarded eyes back to their own, narrowing them slightly. "My brother and I can kill all in the camp closest to our own before they could even get word to other for help, and then proceed to eliminate the other. I don't see the need for he and I to separate, and I can tell you this," his orbs traveled from four pairs of eyes before coming to rest upon the commanding officer. "My brother will not tolerate this, and trust me you do not want him angry."

The wind parted the grass in the fields as well as dried the sweat upon his brows, the sun began to set causing an eerie red glow to cast over the place these men made their battle arena, though he noticed none of this. The only thing he saw was his next target, the blood that cover his hands and sword, and the man that fought beside him. This young lanky character that, since the battle begun, refused to stray far from his side for his own protection. It was assumed, for this reason, to him that it was for the fact that, he, the silver haired, dog eared warrior, managed to cut down all those that tried to take the youngsters life.

Arching his sword upward, he blocked an oncoming attack, then used his booted foot to throw his opponent away. Baring down upon the felled man, he skewered the warrior in the middle of his neck severing the voice box along with the spinal cord crimson liquid spraying up from the wound coloring him and the boy that chose to move no more then a few feet from him red. In a matter of moments the man was dead. Flicking his blade of blood, his golden orbs scanned the field for another whom did not wear the colors of his allies. A feral grin came to his lips, eyes hardening, when a fool of a warrior came swinging a halberd toward his neck. Ducking the onslaught of swings, he brought the hilt of his sword to crack the man's jaw, then swung the blade around to decapitate his victim.

On the field he was like a living reaper, going from one man to the next ending their pitiful existences from this world, sending them to the next plain. The afterlife. He held no remorse for those of whom he killed during battle, it was their choice to enter the field and their choice to forfeit their lives to his blade by attempting to end his own. Remorse was for the weak, and his brother always said the weak die. He refused to die, and thus forth was not weak, and would not allow himself to be weak. Especially not in the eyes of his brother.

His brother stood back against the great wood tree, eyes unfocused, staring ahead into the distance of the woods. "Something doesn't smell right about this new plan." His brother said in even tones, eyes never moving from their position watching for something out in the distance, what he was unsure of, but the other full demon seemed to know. "I think they want to eliminate us for the power we have shown, it wouldn't be the first time they have stoop to such a show of cowardice." He snorted, arms coming to cross over his chest, head shaking slightly. "They fear that we will turn on them, and kill them ourselves. Inu-youkai would not dishonor themselves by committing such an act to those of whom they chose to be loyal to." He commented tersely.

He sat crouched upon the dew-dampened earth, sword sheathed and resting upon his shoulder, eyes shut. For all of the world he appeared to be sleeping. He scoffed. "They have one thing right about myself, I'm not loyal to them, and I never took the stupid oath to prove it." He informed, cracking one golden eye open to peer upon his older half-brother. "The only reason I fight a war that has nothing to do with myself is that you fight in it, I would go wherever you go. We're brother's and we have to stick together, even if were only half. If you want revenge for you're mother's death, then I will stick beside you and fight with you until I draw my last breathe." He explained, shutting his eye and missing the look of shock and appreciation that ran across his brother's normally emotion vacant features.

"Inuyasha..." he mumbled, speechless. Always, he had thought his brother held dislike for him and only joined the war along with himself for his own gains. "Watch your back brother as I will not be able to watch it for you, and should you allow yourself to die I would never forgive you." With that Sesshoumaru pushed himself from the tree walking back towards the camp, leaving Inuyasha to watch his retreat in shocked wonder. Those were the first kind words his older brother had ever spoken to him, and he would always keep them in heart.

"Don't worry Sessh, I don't plan to die in this war." Inuyasha whispered to the wind, as it gently tugged at his silver locks and brushed his skin in passing.

Bringing himself into a tuck and roll, he sat crouched sword held diagonally before his face ready to draw the blood of his opponent. This man before him was the first real challenge Inuyasha has faced against in this war yet, both combatants held bruises from the other's fists and kicks. Though, Inuyasha was pleased to note, his blade was the only one to taste blood in this match up; twice. Eyes watching every movement of the man before him, waiting for the right signal, the right twitch in muscle the right sense in emotion shown with in the mans aura. There! Not even a grin lit up his face to show he found it, leaping from his crouched position Inuyasha feinted left, right, and then drove the blade through the stomach.

Wide eyes bore into his own golden ones as the man dropped to his knees clutching at his bloodied abdomen around the sword. Wrenching the weapon free, Inuyasha turned from his opponent as the man fell face first into the blood stained grass breathing his last breath. With a sigh, Inuyasha searched for his next opponent, that one was to easily fooled. Those feints should have been seen, should have been countered, throwing Inuyasha himself on the defensive until he was able to cut through the man's throat or some other major point of the body that allowed instant death.

It was kind of boring, fighting without his brother beside him. They would always come up with interesting strategies to take out more then one man at once, or create a distraction while the other infiltrated with out notice. That in mind Inuyasha cast worried eyes to the one whom never seemed to be far from his side, he noticed the boy was locked in head to head battle both having lost their weapons. Eyes narrowing slightly, Inuyasha slipped his blade through the man's back around the location of his heart before he could pull the knife from his sleeve and end the boy's, of whom he decided to watch over in this war, life. The boy nodded his appreciation retrieving his weapon quickly.

Inuyasha made to fallow the boy as he head down the left side of the field now that most of the worrier's seemed to be retreating in that direction, before falling to the ground clutching at his head. The world seemed to be spinning the pain increasing, and with a muffled grunt Inuyasha's world went black.

Sesshoumaru watched his brother sharpening one of their father's prized swords, the Tetsusaiga, while patting his own swords hilt; the Tokojin. It wasn't the on his father had originally given him, it was not made with their father's fang but another made with the fangs of a demon he had encountered long ago when his father had sent him to protect his younger brother and stepmother. The one beside it was the Tensaiga, it was the one whom was made from his father's fang like his brother's blade, but unlike his brother's blade this sword could do no harm. The Tensaiga was a healing sword, and has only been used twice. Once brining back the life of Inuyasha's mother during the birth of Inuyasha, for some reason he did not wish his brother to grow without a mother like himself, and to bring back his brother after their first fight in the war.

He clenched his fist just thinking about it, the miscreant whom managed such a feat against his brother dared to not play by the rules. His eyes hardened and flashed for a moment. He cheated against his brother and thus fourth killed Inuyasha, thus forfeiting his own pitiful life to his blade. No one killed his brother and dare to live to speak of such an act, even if the act could have been easily rectified, the miscreant still attempted such and there in deserved to lose his life to him. Clenching his fist, Sesshoumaru watched his brother go on to polish the sword into gleaming in what little sunlight was left seemingly unaware of what went on around him. He knew otherwise, his brother never let down his guard, anywhere. Sesshoumaru knew not whether he should be proud of such or saddened that he never felt safe.

In a voice to low for Inuyasha to pick up, he spoke to the boy next to him. "I want you to keep an eye on my brother, I do not trust the officials, there is not point for us to separate now of all times." He commanded eyes trained on his brother's form to make sure he did not hear a thing, so far it seemed he was not aware, at lest he gave no outward appearance of being such. "If anything should happen to him I want you to leave the war and come find me, and then take me to him, and that is an order." The officer nodded and went on with his duties after Sesshoumaru had dismissed him. Turing towards his ten, he realized something. His brother was more important to him then the revenge of those who killed his mother. He never knew his mother she died when he was to young to even walk yet, but Inuyasha has been there for him since his birth, and is now even fighting in war to help him gain revenge for a woman he never knew. He risked death to help him avenge his mother because Inuyasha thought it was most important to him, but he realized in that moment that the life of his loyal brother was more important to his heart.

With a right sideways sweep, Sesshoumaru sliced through the onslaught of men that thought to take him on all at once. What was that, five men downed in one? He smirked smugly, but it was forced, he did not feel his normal sense of life while fighting these men without Inuyasha by his side. Sword piercing flesh, blood flowing as men breathed in their last breaths and heart's beat their last beat, Sesshoumaru always came out on top. Though it seemed he could not concentrate enough on this war, as his mind was being to worried for his brother's safety. Inuyasha was always known be a little, if not very, rash in a fight, and that usually got him in situations of near death.

Stinging pain brought the inu-youkai from his thoughts, his hand going to cover his right shoulder as his life's crimson essence spilled though his closed fingers, and glared at his opponent. One swift sweep of the sword the man was now without his head. He needed to win this little battle and get back to his brother before his worry cost him his life. He had no idea that his brother ended up meaning so much to him. He remember it was just few days ago he was berating him for his heritage as a human, telling him that that was what made him weak. Truth be told, Sesshoumaru wouldn't want his brother to change for anything in this world, as if he did he may not have the same aggravation personality that he, strangely enough, found himself liking. Feinting to the right, blocking on the left, and then deterring the opponents blade from his heart he swung his own around to slit the throat, not staying long enough to see the body fall or the blood run from his slips. He preferred not to see the effects of his actions in battle; it was usually quite sickening; he wasn't one for the sight of blood. Though he wasn't one to say such.

Deflecting a blade aimed for his throat, he slashed at the guy's stomach watching for a moment as he fell to the ground clutching his stomach. Slipping his sword through the middle of his neck to assure himself he would not get back up he turned his back on his once opponent to find another. He wanted this to end, and the sooner the better. To the eye of any solder, he looked to be angel of death as he gracefully swept through the battlefield with his sword Tokojin taking life after life in a matter of moments, barely giving the opponent a chance to blink before he met his end.

Dropping to his knees, he grabbed his head causing those on the battlefield to pause. What could be so strong to bring down the angle of death? Fear gripped the solder's hearts as thought with in range that could see and/or hear him fall and grunt in pain ran as far from him as possible, far from what could have taken down the great Sesshoumaru. Because of this, no one saw him mysteriously vanish from the battlefield.

Staff jingling with each movement that took him closer to his tent, the man covered in purple robes paused, turning to the one of whom he was speaking with. He rose a brow. "Tell me again why I, a Buddhist monk, should offer my services to help out in this war?" He spoke carefully; his tone hinting that he was not above a bribe should they see fit to give one over.

The solder sighed knowing what it was the purpled robed monk was after, but choosing to see if he could gain what he wanted without needed to give it. The monk's reputation preceded him, and it wasn't only the piece about him being one of the most powerful spiritual men in existence. "Your services are needed monk because you are the strongest man whom is spiritually aware, and thus perfect to act against the man that our enemy seems to have. You won't have to go against any Buddhist laws and pick up a sword, all we need are a few barriers to protect the camp from invasion while our troops are off on other missions as well as you might be needed to lend an extra hand should you barrier fail. I have heard you can handle yourself pretty well with that staff of yours." The solders left eye began to twitch at the blank stare he was receiving and decided to play on a weakness or two of the monks he had heard about. "We of course will pay you handsomely for the task, and you should know there are geisha girls on call within the camp."

The monk allowed a scandalized gasp to escape his lips, his eyes widened slightly. "I am a MONK! I do not appreciate you're insinuating that I, a follower of Buddha, would indulge myself in such as desires of the human body. Or that I could be won by such bribes as a promise of riches." He scoffed, shacking his staff about.

The solder sighed slumping his shoulders, he felt so defeated by this man's attitude and he did not like it one bit. Quelling down the ever growing anger and annoyance within his chest he went on to pacify the obviously in denial monk. No matter how much the corrupt man claimed saint hood and feigned innocence it would never be so. "I did not mean to… um... insinuate such, it's just common to inform new recruits of such information." He lied, albeit a bit nervously. Even if the monk was corrupt as the devil himself, was it still considered bad karma to lie to one? "Ah and the, um, offer of money is the customary payment for a solder under the army." He paused a moment, considering how to continue on. "Though, since you are a monk, the payment is doubled and thus forth you would receive about sixty gold pieces." The solder groaned silently, he was going to be reincarnated into a little tiny-tiny cockroach with all this bad karma he was exhibiting. Lying to a monk...

The monk gave the solder a sideways glance, smirking inwardly. Ah, yes, the solder fell for it hook, line and sinker! He remained silent a moment with the pretense of thinking the offer over, even thought he knew for fact he would take it. The first rule of conning is never seem to eager to take someone up, they may lower the price, oppose to higher if they think your not interested in what they wish. The solder next to him would have it in him to be a decent liar if he didn't fidget so much, otherwise he would have been inclined to believe the little story he was just fed. The geisha girls may or may not have been true, but the monk knew for a fact a solder was paid twenty gold pieces no matter their type. Unless, of course, they were a general of sorts then it was thirty. He smiled to himself, so he was binging bribed with three times the normal amount...

Turning back towards the camp he shouted over his shoulder. "I believe I will take the offer," he paused a moment to turn back and peer at the shocked solder before walking once again. "You can call me Miroku, instead of monk from now on."

Every thing around the edge of the camp went still, wind, no birds singing their usual song. It sent chills down Miroku's spine, something was wrong, something was going to happen and he wasn't sure if he were to like it or not. Walking around the entire encampment while solders walked around mindlessly or with something in mind, he had no idea which, Miroku let his gaze wander towards the first scroll pasted to the first post. There were five of them total equally apart from the other around the whole of their little campsite. The first looked to be all right, nothing was done to it and human or demon hands had not touched it. He then walked around the perimeter of the solder's little fort checking the rest of the scrolls and all seemed to be well, not one of them had been tampered with.

His gaze swept passed the boundaries that the five scrolls created around him, for some reason that feeling has yet to leave him. Something was going to happen, he was sure of it. Miroku turned to leave only have his eyes widened a slight fraction and then narrow. Sticking from the ground beside him was an arrow. He wasn't so naive as to think that it was fired from within the camp, the angle the arrow protruded from the ground suggested otherwise. Bringing his narrowed gaze from the arrow to that of the outside, he let his senses stretch out. This arrow should not have been able to pass through his barriers, but should have been reflected back at the marksman.

Eyes widening, Miroku readied his staff and shouted over his shoulder; voice urgent and demanding. "The army has appeared and the barrier seems not be working, arm yourselves!" As soon as those words left the monks mouth the camp erupted into action, as well as those hiding with in the forest. Suddenly the sky rained of fiery arrows, and the ground looked to be overrun with a sea of heavily armed ants as the other warriors descended down upon them.

Miroku worked quickly, knocking down as many of the men as he could before they could reach the compound, while his mind raced with conclusion of to whom could possibly break through one of his most powerful barriers. He shuttered to think of what might be so powerful that could do that on the enemies' side. When it looked to be more then five men making it to the camp at a time, the monk decided to got to greater lengths of action, looking at his beaded right hand hesitantly, he ripped the prayer beads away to unleash his torrent of a curse. He watched in guilty conscience as the wind tunnel sucked up not only the demons, but humans as well. They are corrupt humans that will kill him and the others given the chance! He shouted in his mind to make his heart feel a bit more at ease with his actions.

The army began to retreat with wide eyes, but soon stopped in confusion when the hurricane like winds stopped. All turned back to stare at the spot the monk was once standing in utter confusion. Where did the man go? Shrugging their shoulders, they redirected their movement back to the camp with renewed vigor.

~*~

Starring up at the starred night, man in which the darkness it's self seemed to cling to no matter where he stood, before turning flashing red to brown eyes toward his sight seer. It was from this mystical person he found out his end, but unlike most he was given an opportunity to change it and make events play out in his favor. He was able to cheat fate in other words, he almost laughed manically at the mere thought. Who else could claim they cheated fate and lived to tell the tale of it? Grinning, the saliva of his white teeth reflecting in the candle-light, though it did not let the observer see the rest of him, he questioned the old woman. "Now that the spell has been activated and my enemies removed how does my chances at victory appear?"

The seer remained silent for a few moments, before waving her old wrinkled hands in the air before her. The air seemed to shimmer as smoke appeared from nowhere only to swirl around forming a picture of which only the old seer could see. Clicking her tongue, she waved the images away turning her head to stare her lord in the eyes; unflinching. "Your victory is most assured." She replied, but any celebrating on his part was forestalled upon her next words. "Though the spell cast was altered somehow, as sometime in the near future your enemies will appear and tear down the wall of the empire you will have built for yourself in time." Came the croaked warning.

The shadowy figure shook in anger. "How can this be?" He seethed, his eyes narrowing dangerously becoming so completely red they resembled that of two glowing crimson pools. "I prepared the spell with precise accuracy, tell me seer what went wrong?" He turned his furry upon her. "You told me that this spell would rid me of their interference, but now they will only plague me in my future."

"I may be a seer, but that does not mean I can always account for everything of the future." The old woman explained slowly in that croaking voice of hers, her wrinkled face in a frown, eyes still boring into his unseeing. The seerer was blind as a bat, unless it meant seeing to what has been, the now, and/or the will be. "Unfortunately someone interfered with your spell unknowingly, as I can tell it was not deliberate, and changed the nature of this spell. Your foes are now a few hundred years in the future and will ultimately pull your empire down by the roots unless you can put a stop to it." She gave him a pointed look before turning from him and leaving his rooms to her own.

The overlord laughed maniacally, he would just have to get stronger and then kill them before they were able to kill him. The shadowy figure moved his gaze to continue his watch of the heavens, this would not be hard at all, he would have centuries to prepare for their arrival while they would only have a few days before he rained down upon them like an unforgiving storm at sea. With that in mind he let his thoughts slip away allowing him to undergo a peaceful trance while he watched the nighttime sky.

~*~

A/N: I hope to hear what you all think of this one… I'm pretty sure this fic here will be one of my bests… What do you all think? I would greatly appreciate it if you all reviewed telling me what you think… I mean where would us lowly authors be without all of you wonderful reviewers out there, ne?