For Rumiko Takahashi, who gave us one of the best & most beloved manga/anime series since

Naoko Takeuchi's 'Sailor Moon' saga (Rumiko Takahashi has also created such popular titles

as 'Ranma ½', 'Urusei Yatsura', 'Maison Ikkoku' & 'Mermaid Saga', to name but a few).

For Richard Cox, Moneka Stori, & the rest of the English voice cast for making 'Inuyasha'

one of the absolute best English-dubbed Japanese anime series ever.

For comic book artist, writer & editor Chris Warner, who had first came up with the idea of

'Aliens vs. Predator' for Oregon's Dark Horse Comics company (Chris Warner has worked on

several titles for Dark Horse, including 'Black Cross' & 1990's 'Terminator: Tempest').

For all the casts & crews of the 'Alien', 'Predator' & 'AvP' film franchises for all the action,

terror, suspense & fun they have given us on both the big & small screens.

INUYASHA/AvP:

DEMONS & HUNTERS

2010 by Anthony Ogozalek

CHAPTER I

Tokyo, Japan:

It was the end of the school season, & all the students near & wide throughout the city now rejoice in the freedom which will be granted them for the next two months or so before needing to head back again in September as the school bell rings boisterously throughout the place. Some rush out into the open space outside the school grounds & head on off to who-knew-where, while others have their parents waiting for their sons/daughters in their cars to take them home. The one thing they all had in common, however, was that they were all shouting & jumping for joy at the one time high school students can be jolly & behave just like they used to before having to advance a grade or two.

In short, they can behave like, well, children.

Dressed up in her standard high school outfit like the rest of the girls, Kagome Higurashi walks away from the school grounds in a more casual pace along with her friends Yuka, Ayumi & Eri with their backpacks on as Kagome takes a partial lead on the group.

"Ahh, another school year has come & gone", Yuka says casually. "It always seems like only just yesterday that we were beginning to take out our books & reading chapters for days on end, wouldn't you say?"

"Unfortunately, the same can be said of summer vacations", said Ayumi matter of factly. "As soon as you grow accustomed to the freedom of the warm months, they disappear in a haze & then you're right back in class before you know it."

"Ugh, don't remind me!", Kagome says pleadingly. "I've laid back so much on my studies more often than not, it's a miracle that the principal doesn't assign me to summer school! A good thing too-the last thing I need is tutoring from a senile old man, treating me like I'm still back in grade school!"

"Look at it this way, Kagome", Eri says. "You can use the summer to try & catch up on some of the things you didn't excel at this year."

"Which is probably everything, Eri", Kagome says in a melancholy tone, placing a hand on her head.

"Come on, Eri, be fair", said Yuka. "Kagome should use the time to enjoy herself instead of burying her head in books while her youth slips away. Remember, you're a teenager only once in your life, & you should try to enjoy it as best you can before it's too late."

"Of course she should", Eri said. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe Kagome should take at least one day a week this summer to try & catch up on her studies. That's all."

"I don't know", Kagome says. "Whoever came up with the phrase 'No more pencils, no more books' hasn't met me."

"But you're forgetting the other half of that phrase, Kagome", Ayumi says with a smile on her face, with one on Eri & Yuka's as well.

Kagome turns to them, confused.

"And what might that be, exactly?"

"No more teacher's dirty looks!", her friends say cheerfully all at once, & they all explode in a boisterous guffaw, with Kagome joining in as she couldn't help herself.

Thanks guys! I needed that!, Kagome said to herself, her melancholy mood lifted away like a bad vapor in an instant.

"You're right, Yuka", she says. "Despite my current turmoil with schoolwork, I'm going to enjoy my summer vacation like everyone else will as best I can. Thanks you guys."

"Any ideas as to what you'll be doing this summer, Kagome?", Eri asks.

"Well, for starters I'll be…"

"Kagome!", a young male voice says, interrupting her. The girls turn to see a young guy in a white shirt, blue pants & black shoes rush up towards them. He had a head of light brown hair, & looked as dreamy as a young movie star.

It was a guy the girls were all familiar with.

"Hojo!", Kagome says, being the first to say his name. "This is a surprise!"

"Hey, I couldn't end the school year without saying farewell to my three favorite ladies in the whole building first now, could I?"

The four girls' faces show signs of crimson in their cheeks.

Well, at least he's straight-up honest about his feelings, I'll give him that!, Yuka says to herself.

"Anyway, Hojo, what's on your mind aside from your 'generous' farewell towards us?", a still bashful Eri asks.

"Well, I was wondering if Kagome would be interested in going to the city pool with me just next week", Hojo says flat-out. "That is, if she has nothing else on her schedule currently. It would be a nice way to get the heat off our backs for a while, wouldn't you say?"

Kagome didn't know what to say at first. For as long as she can remember, Hojo has been nothing short of a gentleman to her, especially when her grandfather has been coming up with as many plausible excuse as he can to keep all of her journeys to the feudal era Japan & back again through the Bone-Eater's Well confidential & discreet from everyone by thinking up of all the known diseases he can conjure in the dictionary/encyclopedia volumes at her home, which is the Higurashi Shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo. With her grandfather involved in such a ridiculous chore, sometimes Kagome would think it better if she simply told Hojo, her friends & everyone else the truth about her current absences from school. But then, if she did, what would they think of her, knowing she goes back 500 years to Japan's past & fight all sorts of demons while going around the country with a half-demon, a young fox demon, a lecherous monk & a demon slayer collecting shards from a jewel she herself had unceremoniously shattered all over the place?

Oh sure, they'd be really understanding of that!

So much, in fact, that Kagome would just as soon be committed to an asylum with her friends & even her teachers assisting with her commitment, something she wouldn't put past any of them!

So, as much of a pain in the ass as it is for her, she needs to keep her time travels a secret.

"Actually, Hojo, I more or less do have something on my schedule", Kagome says in as polite manner as she could. "In fact, it's bound to start just as soon as I get home, so I guess I should be going now." She heads off & leaves the others behind, but issues a final remark. "But I do appreciate the invite though! Perhaps another time? See ya!"

Having been turned down again, Hojo waves at Kagome as she disappears from sight.

"N-No problem Kagome! I'll see you around!", he calls out to her, not caring that she's out of sight, letting out a sigh of disappointment.

"Don't let it get you down too much, Hojo. You wanna know what I think?", Eri says as everyone turns to her. "I think she's going out with him!"

"You mean that biker bad boy of hers?", wondered Yuka as Eri nods.

"Who else? I guess Kagome has a thing for his type! Why else would you think he's two-timing poor Hojo like this?"

"Hey, don't worry about it, ladies", Hojo says politely. "Kagome & I aren't, you know, that kind of a pair. We're just good friends, that's all."

"You mean you don't mind that she's seeing this guy a lot more than she does you?", asks Ayumi.

"Not at all. Why should I? If & when Kagome can make the time for me, we'll try & set up something."

"But she's always turning you down, Hojo! Doesn't that bother you?"

"I'm an easygoing guy. Besides, Kagome knows I mean well, what with all these illnesses her grandfather says she keeps coming up with. I only hope that what she's been contracting isn't all that contagious."

The three girls look at Hojo as if he were from another planet. They must admit that he is the most odd boy they have ever met, hands down. For all his good looks & charm, he doesn't let it get under his skin that the one girl who would be perfect for him would turn him down on the drop of a dime for someone who, as they've heard, is rambunctious, feisty, & for the most part, short-tempered. But after they had met him one time, he seemed to the girls that he is a person who one can have a conversation with, discussing things that are even too trivial to discuss with others. They mostly remember the red robe & long white hair about him, but for some reason the girls believe him & Kagome to be a fine match.

It's no wonder Kagome stays by him!

"If you insist, Hojo", Eri says finally. "But one day, Kagome will just have to give you at least one night in yours & her life!"

"And we're gonna see to it!", Ayumi says as Eri & Yuka nod.

"All in good time, ladies", Hojo said. "Now, who's up for some WacDonald's? My treat!"

The three girls all smile their widest & allow Hojo to lead the way.

Higurashi Shrine:

"Hello everyone! I'm home!", Kagome shouts cheerfully as she enters her house & heads for the living room. When she gets there, she finds it teeming with life: her grandfather sitting at the table in the center with her younger brother Sota right beside him. Food is placed upon it by her mother, who puts a plate of noodles down for herself as she joins Gramps & Sota. The family cat Buyo is being pre-occupied by a white-haired individual, dressed in a crimson robe. A sword was sheathed on his left side, & upon the top of his head are a pair of what appears to be small dog ears that twitch when Kagome enters. A necklace of purple beads & white teeth or even fangs surrounds his neck. His feet were bare, & his toes & fingers ended with sharp claws. This individual has Buyo by his front paws & rears him up on his hind legs, making it seem as if he can walk on his own like teaching a baby/infant how to for the first time.

Seeing Kagome come in, he lets go of the cat.

"Huh! It's about damn time you showed up, Kagome!", the red-robed fellow says.

"Inuyasha!", Kagome says.

"What kept you?"

"Well, today was our last day of school for the year, so I thought I owed it to my friends & classmates by attending & say goodbye to everyone-at least until the fall, of course."

"You came back to your time just to do that? What a waste! We could've been searching for more of the sacred jewel shards & actually find some in the time you've been absent!"

"Excuse me, mister!", Kagome fumed. "Considering all the time I've spent in the past with you & the others, neglecting my schoolwork & all, the least I can do is show up for the last day of the season!"

"It's still a waste of time if you ask me", Inuyasha mumbled low under his breath. But that didn't stop Kagome from hearing him, & hearing enough of his impudence, she decides to put an end to it.

Folding her arms to her chest, Kagome gives the command.

"Inuyasha…sit, boy!"

When the words were spoken, the beads around the half-demon's neck began to glow in one instant, & in the next he was slammed hard to the floor by an invisible force, shaking the house from the impact.

"Hey! What the hell was that for, Kagome?", Inuyasha barked angrily, his face still down on the floor.

"Hmph!", was all that Kagome could say at first, exiting the room.

"Where are you going, sis?", asked Sota.

"I'm going to take a soothing bath…whether anyone here likes it or not! Don't wait up!", Kagome says, finishing up her little tirade of anger. No one bothered to try & stop her.

"Wow", Sota says, staring down at Inuyasha. "Kagome can be really scary at times, huh?"

"No kidding!", was all the half-demon could think of to say, still face-down on the floor.

Almost immediately after the spell of subjugation was cast, it wore off & enabled Inuyasha to rise from the floor. During the time Kagome was taking her bath, her mother prepared for him a nice, fine-cooked steak which he ate with his bare hands. To Inuyasha, it was one of the finest foods he's ever eaten in this era or anywhere else. He was so satisfied by its flavor & aroma, he's forgotten all about the argument he & Kagome had earlier.

That was an hour ago.

Now Kagome was all cleansed in body & soul with a fresh outfit of her school uniform, green skirt & all. She came downstairs with a huge backpack that was filled to the rim with all sorts of things she intends to take with her when she & Inuyasha pass through the Bone-Eater's Well to travel back to feudal era Japan.

"Ahh, that's so much better!", Kagome says, hefting her backpack. "Inuyasha…"

Uh-oh! Here we go again!, Sota said to himself, ready for a repeat from before as the half-demon begins to sweat nervously.

But what comes from her mouth isn't what he expects.

"Let's go greet Shippo & the others, shall we?", Kagome says cheerfully, putting the half-demon at ease.

"Uh…yeah", he says.

"Inuyasha?", Kagome's mother says.

"Huh?"

"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell Kagome first?", she says with a smile.

"Oh yeah, um…", Inuyasha starts, turning to the young girl. "Kagome?"

"Yes, Inuyasha?", Kagome says. "What is it?"

It took a moment for Inuyasha to get started, but he lets it out.

"Uh, about what I said before…when I…you know…"

Kagome smiles gleefully.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Inuyasha. It's long forgotten", she says proudly. "Trust me, I feel bad about it whenever we argue over the silliest things."

That took the half-demon by surprise.

"You…you do?", he asks, clearly astonished.

"Yeah. At times like that, I guess I'm no better than you are. I suppose we're both a bit too stubborn for our own good sometimes. I mean, take Miroku, for instance!"

That last statement succeeds in placing a smile on Inuyasha's own face.

"Ha! Point taken there, Kagome!", he says, taking her hands in his as they look in each other's eyes. "I'm glad you're okay from before. While I may have…difficulty in expressing my feelings to you or others, I admit, I…"

"Thank you, Inuyasha", Kagome says sincerely, meaning it. "Listen. Even though you are more or less a hardcase most of the time, I know there's a part of you that has a very passionate side which cares deeply for those who care for you. Even if you are just a half-demon, it doesn't make you any less of one for it."

"What are you trying to say, Kagome?"

"I'm saying that you should never be afraid-or even ashamed-of possessing such kind feelings towards others. Trust me, that's never a bad thing. And who knows? It might just one day save your life or those of any of your friends."

"Kagome, I…"

They were about to embrace in a warm hug when they remember Kagome's family watching their every move from a distance.

"Anyway, let's get going already", Inuyasha says in a stern voice, all traces of compassion gone. "Sango & the rest are probably in need of our assistance even as we speak. Better let me carry that, Kagome. It seems a bit too big for you."

"If you want to", she says, allowing Inuyasha to take the backpack off & place it upon his own back. Same old Inuyasha!, she says to herself, grinning. Not to worry-one day he'll know what I've meant.

Good for you, Inuyasha!, Kagome's mother says to herself. That talk we had before when Kagome was having her bath seemed to have positive results for the most part! And admitting when you've done something wrong doesn't hurt either!

They all head over towards the Bone-Eater's Well as Kagome opens the door as both she & Inuyasha prepare to climb in, but they each take a final look at her family.

"Hey Inuyasha!", Sota says.

"Huh? What is it, Sota?", the half-demon asks.

"With that backpack & red robe on you, you kinda remind me of Santa Claus!"

While this confused Inuyasha, Kagome & her family let out a laugh.

"A logical assumption, Sota!", Kagome says. "He does come 'bearing gifts'!"

"Hey, what's so funny all of a sudden? And what the hell's a 'Santa Claus' anyway?", the half-demon wondered, a little annoyed by the remark.

"You've still got a lot to learn about my world, Inuyasha", Kagome tells him. "I'll explain it at another time for you, if you'd like."

"Huh! I should hope so! I can't understand even a quarter of your world's customs!", the half-demon said.

"One last thing, Kagome", her mother says. "Your grandfather, Sota & I will be seeing friends of mine for the next few days, so if you return before we do, you'll know why. And don't worry about Buyo-the neighbors will make sure he's well fed."

"Sure thing, Mom. And thanks for everything", Kagome said before turning to Inuyasha. "Let's go, Inuyasha!"

"Oh yeah!", he replied, going over the side of the well & jumping right into it as Kagome joins him a second later. At the bottom of the well, a white-blue light erupts & shines for several moments as she & Inuyasha get consumed by its luminescence before they disappear altogether, leaving no trace that either one was ever there to begin with.

Be careful, Kagome, her mother says to herself, always doing so when she ventures to the feudal era. Inuyasha, please look out for my little girl. She's just as special to me as she is to you.

With the light show being over, Kagome's family start heading back into the house as they prepare a journey of their own.

CHAPTER II

Space, between the Earth & the Moon, 3000 miles away:

The smaller ship detaches from its mother on the left side near the pointed nose & takes off in the opposite direction, its egg-shape speeding towards the Earth. The Mothership was roughly close to about 15-20 times larger than its 'offspring' craft, & had equally pointed pontoons that stuck out from the sides in the rear, being only a short distance from the main body when fully extended. Lights shined from all over it, looking somewhat like a bizarre Christmas tree of sorts. When the smaller craft was a good, safe distance away, this Mothership went into full throttle & sped away, leaving its 'child' behind.

This smaller craft may be tiny in comparison, but it was no toy either. It measured about close to the length of one city block, & had short rounded engines on its sides on short wings like its 'parent' ship it had left behind. Its windows were on the front in a similar pattern of those of a commercial airliner, & its color was a medium gray that looked close to black in the darkeness of space.

Its current course was a beeline for planet Earth.

Destination: Japan.

From within the craft the air was hot & muggy, as if it were a rainforest but warmer. But the interior was completely different from that of any rainforest: instead of overflowing brush & grass, this craft was filled with electronics of alien origin. Objects not seen anywhere else filled walls, floors & even ceilings everywhere. In one room, clear cylinders were filled with fluid & each one had a living organism that had a close-to-foot-long body with a prehensile tail that measured twice as long. Four pairs of legs extended from their sides & their bodies were a sickly yellow in color, giving them the appearance of some kind of giant hairless spider. Whenever anything would come close to their cylindrical homes, these creatures would get all antsy & slam themselves against the glass in hopes of attaching themselves to them. But it was all for naught-try as they might, they cannot even begin to crack open their fluid-filled prisons.

Currently, four of these cylinders were being pushed on a wheeled platform by a humanoid giant measuring two meters tall, wearing gray body armor on its legs, arms & parts of its chest. Where the skin showed, it was a pale flesh color not unlike that of the spider creatures in their cylinders. A necklace of small skulls & other bones hung from its neck, & on its back was a sort of harness which sported a cannon of some kind. From the sides of its head sprouted some kind of thick black 'hair' that was decorated by golden braids. Covering its face was a metal mask with oval eye slits that were one-way sighted.

Meaning, the wearer can see out of the mask but nothing & nobody can see in.

They were known as the Yautja, but at times they were also known as 'Predators'.

It made a cackling noise as it labored in its chore & placed the platform over to a table where more of the spider creatures were kept. Over at the far end of the room stood another of the humanoids at a table that was void of the spider creatures but had another kind of creature resting upon it. This one was a hell of a lot larger & was also mostly humanoid, but it was as different to the Yautja as night is to day. It was black in color, & its appearance consisted in a combination of a large reptile & insect meshed into one. It had four toes on its feet & six fingers on its hands, all ending in sharp claws. From the rear it sprouted a long segmented tail that sported a razor-sharp point capable of piercing its prey with deadly accuracy, & a quartet of long dorsal spines protruded from just below the shoulders. Its head was shaped like a large banana that had rotted, & on the front showed a mouth full of thin needlelike teeth. Partially open, inside showed a second mouth of teeth that sprang out with great speed, which is what this particular creature possessed & would pose as a dangerous prey to the Yautja were it alive at this moment.

But it was long dead, & the Predator standing over it was surgically removing its head casing with a thin object that shot a red laser which cut through the dead creature with ease & reveals icky brain matter beneath.

To the Yautja, this creature was known as the Xenomorph, but they were also known as either a 'Bug' or 'Alien'.

Both Predators continued in their tasks, ignoring the spider creatures that tried in vain to break out of their fluid cages.

In the medical room of the ship, a lone Predator sat up from his resting place of a table & shook his head to clear away the after-effects of the medicine given to him by another. His mask was off, revealing his crab-like face which he flexes to get the circulation in them flowing again, making a cackling noise as he does. Sitting up, he recalls the hunting trip he was last on recently, having tracked down several of the Aliens near to their lair on a planet infested with them. With no warning, they attacked in groves & leaped at him ferociously, wanting to bring him down with their sheer numbers. But this hunter, while young, was an experienced fighter & fought the Aliens back with his own ferocity by slicing & slashing with his spear, wristblades & razor-disc weaponry. He even got off several shots with his shoulder cannon that blasted numerous Aliens to pieces like ripe melons.

But even the best hunters can be taken by surprise: durine the fight, he gets clobbered hard in the head with enough force to remove his face mask & render him unconscious. When he awoke, he had no inkling as to how long he had been out for. All he did know was that by the time he regained consciousness, his clan was standing over him with their own kills-body parts of Xenomorphs clutched in their hands. Though he felt slightly ashamed for being taken out by surprise, he still managed a good number of kills & received an honorable mark on his forehead placed there by the leader known as Rhino (who is aboard the ship, along with his second-in-command known as Bull).

In preperation for their next hunt, Rhino & Bull asked the young Yautja to stay behind & recouperate but this hunter was determined to make himself better & insisted he was all right for another hunt. Seeing he wasn't going to falter for any reason (and because they most admire his determination), Rhino & Bull allowed him to join them for another hunt-to Earth.

The idea of going on this new hunt excited the young Yautja & even made him smile as best he could with his crab-like mouth. He owed it all to the two leaders of this clan-they trained & taught him well on how to hunt & kill their most treasured prey, the Aliens.

Now he wants to test himself on the Predator's other most treasured prey-human beings.

His happy thoughts were replaced by a sharp pain in his chest that continued to rise in intensity. Grabbing his chest with his hands, the young hunter growls lowly & angrily as the pain rises & luminescent lime-green blood starts flowing in thin streams from his mouth. Getting to his feet, he thrashes around the room, knocking over equipment & tools all over as the pain gets to a deep burning sensation & the blood flowing from his mouth gets thicker, dulling his sounds of anguish as his bodily fluid splashes everywhere. Then his chest pain becomes too much for him to handle, & he lets out a wail of torment that gets mixed in with the sound of gurgling blood as his chest bulges from within before exploding bits of flesh, bone & blood outwards as the young Yautja hunter falls to the ground as a bloody corpse, his arms spread out from his sides.

Even if the door to the room wasn't closed, no one aboard would've been able to hear the sounds of the young hunter in pain, the thrashing he made or the sounds made by the eel-like creature that burst forth from his chest, its mouth similar to that of the hunter's own & the Alien he was fond of hunting & killing.

For this young, promising hunter, it was all over.

But for the creature that burst forth from his chest, its quest was only beginning.

It made a combo of a hiss & cackling noise as it opened its mandibles.

The ship made its final approach in getting near Earth's atmosphere as the pilot pushed & clicked controls & buttons in the cockpit in preparation for the next hunt. Two other Predators were standing behind him, watching their destination planet coming closer & closer into view. But unlike the others on board, they will not be accompanying them on the hunt. Rhino gave them orders to remain on the ship & keep the ship ready just in case something either went wrong or if someone was foolish enough to try & come aboard & steal/sabotage their craft. It was most unlikely for either scenario, but they weren't going to leave anything to chance. Just because their technology hasn't fallen into enemy hands it still doesn't mean that it couldn't be done. From one file in their records indicated, some foolish humans tried a tactic of sorts in the Earth city of Los Angeles several years back. That Yautja hunter of course disposed of them all, but a black human later killed it with its own razor-disc weapon aboard its ship. He didn't keep it afterwards, but was rewarded for defeating him with a gun from 1715 as his prize. As they took off for space, he managed to get out before it left.

While he was smart enough not to take that disc with him, there are always those who are quite keen on doing so for themselves.

That is why these three are staying onboard while Rhino & the others head off in search for worthy humans to hunt & kill.

A sound of metal opening from behind caused the two standing Predators to turn around & see who has just entered. A growling noise was all they needed to know that who-or rather what-has made itself known. Acting on instinct, the two Predator warriors extended their wrist blades & aimed their shoulder cannons to counterattack, but they were too slow to avoid the hideous death that awaited them. A large clawed hand takes firm hold of each of their faces, obscuring their visions as those hands squeeze & crush the life out of the two. Metal, flesh & bone all get mashed like tomatoes in the hands of the new arrival as the pilot caught a glimpse of what it was that attacked & killed his two comrades who now fall dead to the floor, sans their faces. It stood about as tall as them, & had pale flesh in spots where other parts consisted of those he would see on a Xenomorph. In fact, this thing is a Xenomorph, only its face was just like that of a Yautja's, with crab-like mandibles & strands of thick 'hair' on the sides of its head. The pilot recalls about this kind of Alien in the files-it was a hybrid of his people & that of their valued prey, one that has surfaced now & then when a Yautja gets careless & impregnated on a Xenomorph hunt.

A PredAlien!

The pilot only had seconds to conceive this knowledge before the hybrid had literally flew across the cockpit at inhuman speed & rams its pointed tail into his chest, spraying blood all over the controls. All but helpless, the pilot can only watch as death loomed before him as the hybrid savagely ripped into him with both its inner jaws to the brain & using its claws to tear its victim asunder. Luminescent alien blood & organs get spattered across the windshield & control panel of the cockpit. The green ichor seeps into cracks of the panel & starts sending off sparks, making the ship shake violently.

The PredAlien unleashes a growl of satisfaction in disposing three of its hated enemies in spite of the ship's condition.

Rhino (dressed in dark red armor & two horns on the front of his face mask, with one being larger than the other) & Bull (with green flesh & whose face mask had a pair of sharp horns on the sides of it) were watching their troops getting geared up for their new hunt on Earth when the entire ship rocked vehemently, causing the other Yautja to get knocked off their feet & hit the floor. Klaxons blared only moments later, & a red light blinked on & off indicating a dire emergency, one that undoubtedly tells of an immediate evacuation of their craft. Having no time to discover the cause of this turn of events, Rhino instructs his crew to gather their equipment & head to the emergency exit on the double.

Hitting the Earth's atmosphere at a great speed, the front of the ship begins to glow bright red from the friction of re-entry like any spacecraft. On its current course, the ship will land into the Pacific Ocean several kilometers away from Japan, near the city of Tokyo. Rhino & Bull see the calculations on a wall monitor, along with where the ship currently is during re-entry. They need to wait until the friction stops before they can attempt to bail out of their doomed craft or else they'll fry to a crisp the second they open the door prematurely. Armed with a rectangular-shaped device attached to their chests, Rhino & his clan prepare to abandon ship.

On the monitor, the display of their craft show that the friction has finally ceased, making it safe to open the hatch & make a jump for it. Blowing the hatch, strong rushes of air slam inside the ship but doesn't stop the Predators from leaping out into the wide open nighttime sky. One by one, the alien hunters go into free-fall as they head for land while their craft heads off for the open waters of the Pacific, fire erupting from the hatch & other places.

When the time was right, the red light on their chest harnesses begin flashing & beeping before a strong-clothed parachute erupts from each, gradually slowing their descent. All fourteen alien hunters head for the outskirts of Tokyo while their ship makes a splash in the water far away from the mainland but not so far that Rhino & his clan can't see the impact. Once they all touch ground, Rhino taps a few buttons on his left forearm cuff & calls up a 3-D image of their ship's interior as Bull & the rest gather round to see what had caused their craft to abruptly lose control & malfunction like it did. The scenery did flicker some, but the images were still clear enough to make out events. They were all watching scenes from the cockpit from a hidden camera within that room, & what came up was something that enraged them: a PredAlien that no doubt hatched from that young Yautja hunter who insisted he was fine for another hunt. The 3-D video showed the hybrid ruthlessly slaughtering the pilot & his two companions, spraying their ichor everywhere. Though Rhino & Bull admire the young Yautja's determination, they cannot condone his tomfoolery: every hunter, no matter what clan they belong to, should get themselves checked out thoroughly after every Xenomorph hunt to make sure that they're not carrying any embryo within them.

Having a hybrid bred like this is something that the Predators tend to avoid happening if & when they can help it.

If he weren't killed by the hybrid already, Rhino & Bull would severely punish the young hunter themselves.

But it was no use of it: this hybrid abomination was born, & they need to deal with it as soon as they can before things get too much out of hand. Clearing the 3-D images, Rhino taps a few more buttons from his left forearm cuff & sends a signal to his ship. Even though submerged underwater, some of the ship's mechanisms were still operational & a beeping all over sounded & echoed as it rose in pitch with a band of red lights flashing on a wall panel, each one of them disappearing in sync. When the last of the lights go out, the ship exploded with such force that debris even made it up to the surface of the water in a fountain of H2O & alien metal, the geyser seen clearly even out from a distance of the mainland.

With any luck, the PredAlien was blown to bits along with their downed craft, but Rhino wasn't someone to leave something like that to chance. If there was even the slightest possibility of the hybrid surviving the blast, then it needs to be dealt with indefinitely & as soon as possible.

Splitting into teams of two at a time by Rhino's command, the Yautja begin searching the immediate area discreetly for any signs of the PredAlien, turning their cloaking devices on.

The search for the PredAlien went on for about close to an hour, with nobody having any kind of success in their mission. They wonder if it really was destroyed in the blast when their leader had it self-destruct. That thought crossed their minds often, but unless their leaders say otherwise, they will continue on in locating & killing it.

A group heads down towards the city itself, having picked up a trail of dead male humans in their wake. Each of them were killed either by a hole in the head or sliced in half by a sharp object. Removing a vial of blue liquid, the two Predators pour the fluid on each corpse they see. Upon contact, the liquid dissolves each corpse-flesh, bone & all-leaving no trace of any kind of physical evidence behind. One of the two sends a message to his other clan members after using his vial via his left forearm cuff. No sooner did he get the message out to his Yautja brothers was he struck from behind by a large powerful fist that enters his back & comes out of his chest in a bloody mess of green. A gurgled howl of pain erupts from his mask that dies in seconds along with his cloaking device, making him visible. With his still-beating alien heart in its hand, the PredAlien tosses its dead adversary aside like a bag of trash as it emerges from its hiding place within a tree. The dead hunter's partner quickly extends his wristblades to deliver the kill, but it was as far as he got: with one swipe of its tail, the PredAlien lobs off the hunter's right arm up to the elbow, followed by a decapitation with its right hand. Green blood spurted from the severed parts as the body slumped to the ground like a rag doll. The PredAlien roars out in triumph as the noise echoes the surrounding area.

A shot of blue-white energy hits & explodes the tree the hybrid was hiding in to splinters, the force of the explosion driving the hybrid away as a second & third energy blast hits the spot it was at a split-second ago, kicking up dirt & grass.

With Rhino & the other Predators caught up & following their main leader in pursuit, the PredAlien retreats into the brush.

The hybrid makes its way towards a house on the outskirts of Tokyo that has an old tree with sutras tied to its bark all around & a fence surrounding it. Smashing through it first & then a wooden gate, the creature encounters a shrine with its doors closed. The Alien/Predator hybrid somehow senses something unusual about this structure & starts taking steps closer to it, being on full alert for its pursuing enemies.

Good thing too: only after a few steps towards the shrine, a blast of twin blue-white energy balls hits just two inches from where it had stood. Although it was neither hurt or killed, the PredAlien was thrown back by the force of the blast, sending it a full twelve feet before crashing onto the ground in a cloud of dust. Getting its bearings quickly, the hybrid turns to where the blast came from & sees its most hated enemies-all twelve of them-staring at it, their weapons all at the ready. Both of Rhino's shoulder-mounted cannons were smoking still from firing the deadly projectiles & three of his party were taking steps towards the hybrid with both wristblades & spears extended, but Rhino lets out a slight grunting noise as Bull lets up a hand that pauses these three from going any further. It was clear that Rhino wanted to go deal with the PredAlien himself, & thus no one else made any other attempts to advance towards the hybrid.

It was going to be a one-on-one between Rhino & the PredAlien, the latter of which can sense the gesture itself & spreads its arms wide, letting out a growl of anticipation as it welcomes the coming brawl.

It'd be easier to just blow away this abomination with his cannons, but like the rest of his clan (& people), Rhino can never turn down a grand challenge whenever it presents itself, & this beast before him will more than prove to supply one for him. Retracting his shoulder cannons, he extends his wristblades & lets out a growl of his own before charging right for his enemy like his namesake. The PredAlien does the same, & both interstellar titans clash into each other full force which can be felt by the other Yautja. Caught in a dance to the death, Rhino takes a swipe at the PredAlien with his blades & manages to get a nick on its hide but does no further damage to it. Not wanting another taste of the double-bladed gauntlet, the PredAlien takes a step back before lashing out with its tail at Rhino, who ducks at the last second with not one to spare; had he been any slower, his head would've rolled across the premises in a bloody heap, face mask & all.

Regardless of the close call, Rhino saw an opportunity & takes it. With its back even slightly turned away from him, the PredAlien left itself vulnerable for attack & that was when Rhino exploits it by charging into it again & grabs it by its side. Using all his strength, he drags his prey closer towards the shrine. But even taken by surprise, the PredAlien didn't go easily. It put up a brutal fight & slowed Rhino's charge by digging its feet into the ground. Spoiling its planned attack, the hybrid lashed out at Rhino with its inner jaws & front claws, but the Predator clan leader dodged the former & ignored the latter as both combatants got closer towards the shrine's doors.

Now only four feet away, Rhino backs away from the PredAlien a mere foot or two before swinging his right foot into the hybrid's chest with such force that he sends it into & through the doors of the shrine, shattering them into splinters. Temporarily dazed by the sudden attack on it, the PredAlien took a step back onto the wooden stairs which collapses underneath the creature's tremendous weight, causing it to fall down & onto its side right beside the well that dwells from within. By the time it got back up on its feet, Rhino was standing at the entranceway, staring down at it in loathing.

Having it trapped with no way out, Rhino moves in to end this farce once & for all.

Leaping at the hybrid with all his might, Rhino crashes into the PredAlien & in turn they both crash into the wall of the well behind them, shattering it as the doors were. As both Rhino & the PredAlien fall down, one of the skulls on Rhino's necklace-a skull that resembles a wolf & a dinosaur's with front vampiric teeth-begins to glow brightly, followed by the ground beneath the dueling aliens. Both creatures fall into the bright void & get swallowed up, entering a place that is unlike they've ever been to.

Seeing the bright light from within the shrine, Bull & the other Yautja run towards the well & peer in, only to see their leader & his quarry gone from view. All they see is the light which was still shining from inside the well. Even though they couldn't see what occurred within, they all deduced that Rhino & his foe entered the well & disappeared into it due to the light.

Despite not knowing what lay beyond this mysterious luminescence, the remaining hunters decide to follow suite & join in by jumping into the well themselves, with Bull going in first.

Feudal Era Japan:

Inside the Bone-Eater's Well, a white light shines brightly as a lone figure begins to make its way out. An angry growling erupts from within, followed by the hands of the PredAlien, who makes its way out of the well & smashes the top of it, its head breaking through one of the four sides. It does a quick survey of its new surroundings, being now accompanied by trees all over instead of a house & shrine like it was renovated in seconds rather than in years. This is what it must've felt back then, as its aura was the same as when it fell down into the light with its foe.

But its curiosity with its new surroundings will have to be put on hold, as the PredAlien now hears (& senses) its enemy emerging from the light of the well as itself had done. Taking one last look at the shimmering light down the well, the Alien/Predator hybrid roars its loathing & takes off into the forest for parts unknown.

Once the PredAlien was out of sight, it was Rhino's turn to come out of the well, the skull on his necklace still shining bright white. Bull & the others emerge moments later, & soon all the dozen Yautja reach topside, being just as confused as their dangerous quarry was. Only moments ago they were standing in the property of a person's residence, & the next thick brush & a forest replaces it. The only thing this area & the previous one had in common was that the weather was warm & sultry, the perfect environment for Rhino & his people.

Shortly after the last of the alien hunters came out of the well, the bright light that engulfed both the interior & Rhino's skull vanishes, turning the ground at the bottom of it back into dirt & bones.

Whether they realize it or not, Rhino & his clan have traveled back 500 years into Japan's past, unwittingly bringing an extremely dangerous prey into it.

And somehow, it seems somewhat familiar to him.

CHAPTER III

Inuyasha & Kagome met up with Kaede (the younger sister of the deceased & resurrected priestess Kikyo) at her village upon their arrival. There they met their comrades-in-arms & good friends Miroku, Sango, Kilala & Shippo. Miroku is a monk dressed in a purple & black robe & armed with a staff that has an oval with three pairs of rings attacked to it. He performs rituals when needed to expel any spiritual demons in the vicinity, & like his father & grandfather, is a lecher, always asking beautiful young women to 'bear his child'. But also like his deceased parent & grandparent, Miroku is cursed with a kazaana, or 'wind tunnel' in his right hand which behaves like a vacuum that literally sucks up everything in its path. Unless he can defeat the demon called Naraku (who placed this curse upon him & his ancestors), Miroku will eventually share their fate by being sucked up into his own wind tunnel & disappear from existence.

Sango, dressed in an outfit of a white & pink top with lime-green skirt with a black battle outfit beneath it & armed with a sword & her Hiraikotsu (a boomerang-like weapon made from the bones of slayed demons), comes from a family of yokai (demon) slayers which also included her younger brother Kohaku. Just like both Miroku & Inuyasha themselves, Naraku bestowed misfortune & tragedy to her: asked to a castle by the lord to exterminate a spider demon, the lord (who was Naraku in disguise) takes control of her younger brother & forces him to kill his family, including Sango herself. Miraculously, she lives through her terrible ordeal due to Kagome's antics. Although Kohaku perished himself, he was kept alive due to a single jewel shard embedded in his back, placed there by Naraku (& had his memory erased). To have it removed meant certain death, & he & Sango have clashed several times as she tries to snap her sibling out of Naraku's grasp. Unknown to them both, Kohaku had received his memory back but keeps it to himself, wanting to find his own way to turn the tables on Naraku & make him pay for what he's done-and find a way to break free from his clutches.

Through it all, the demon cat Kilala stayed with her since her youth, & will undoubtedly do so until the end like she did with her father.

Shippo also had a tragedy placed upon him, but Naraku wasn't the cause. He is the young son of a fox-demon who had been killed by the demon Thunder brothers Hiten & Manten. When he came across Inuyasha & Kagome the first time, they helped avenge his father's death & that made Shippo's decision to stay with them, seeing them as his new family with the former as an older (& bullying) brother & the latter as a mother figure.

While the youngest of the group, Shippo is far more mature for his age than most in his newfound family, but is still a kid deep down inside. Dressed in blue hakama bottoms, turquiose top & tan vest, the little fox demon can perform illusions to confuse enemies & is a shape-shifter like the rest of his clan, able to change into basically anything he can imagine. One of his favorite moves is his 'fox-fire' attack which gives him the ability to throw green-blue flames from his hands. Unfortunately, more often than not, this & his other methods of attack prove to be most ineffectual against enemies, & needs assistance from Inuyasha & the others to help bail him out of trouble.

One day, he vows, he'll be as powerful as even Inuyasha himself, Tetsusaiga & all.

And then he'll give the half-demon what for in vengeance for all the times he'd clonked him on the head!

Enjoying Kaede's hospitality at her village & some of Kagome's foods & gifts from her world all took place only twelve hours ago upon Inuyasha & Kagome's arrival to the feudal era of Japan.

Now they were in the midst of a battle, with Kaede's people being caught in the middle of it: as Kaede & some of her people were out gathering fresh supplies for their village from a well-known place before heading out into the forest, they were ambushed by a large reptile demon-gray in color, standing on two powerful legs that had three toes with sharp claws on each, a head with a mouth full of teeth that were just right for tearing flesh asunder & yellow eyes. Its body was balanced by a thick tail, & it made a thunderous roar that echoed the area. To Kagome, it highly resembled a Tyrannosaurus Rex with human-like forearms & three-fingered hands with claws. But unlike its prehistoric ancestor, this beast seemed intelligent, having cut off Kaede's people from Inuyasha & company & forcing them to seek shelter within a nearby cave as Kaede & the rest take up defensive positions.

And this thing can also talk.

"Hand over the humans now, & I might show you all leniency by eating you in big gulps!", said the T-Rex demon without moving its mouth.

"What do you say to a couple of arrows in your gut instead, demon?", Kaede spat as she & Kagome ready & aim their bow & arrows to the thing.

"Guaranteed to give you a bad case of indigestion afterwards!", Kagome says as the two priestesses shoot their arrows. Both aim for & hit the creature in the right side of its chest as two streams of blood pour out, making the beast cry out in pain.

But while it hurt the thing, it doesn't even begin to stop him.

"A foolish mistake on your part!", the T-Rex demon says, launching its open maw at the women, intent on fulfilling its promise. It strikes like a poisonous snake in spite of its immense size. One second before its mandibles close, kagome & Kaede were gathered up & carried off by Inuyasha in both his arms & leaps them to safety at the cave where the others have gathered at.

"Well, that didn't work out too good, did it?", Inuyasha says sarcastically, placing them down.

"Huh! Leave it to Inuyasha to state the obvious!", Shippo said, having taken refuge in the cave as well, his arms crossed.

"Pipe down, you little pipsqueak!", the half-demon says with a fist. Shippo just growled.

"Quit it, you two!", said Kagome, her bow & arrow still at the ready. "We gotta think of something & take care of this demon before it really does devour us all! This old cave doesn't look like it can take much punishment if it decides to pound on & attack it!"

"Kagome is correct!", said Kaede. "We need to deal with & defeat this monstrosity soon! It won't take all that long before it will raze this old cave & make it our tomb!"

"I'll deal with it along with Miroku & Sango, Kaede!", Inuyasha says. "You, Kagome & Shippo stay here!"

"Inuyasha!", Kaede says in protest but the half-demon stood his ground.

"Look, old woman, your duty is to your people, right? You need to keep them out of harm's way! Besides, what good will you be to them if that thing swallows you up whole if you're out here with me?"

Kaede didn't say anything else after that. She knew Inuyasha had a vivid point: since the death (& even resurrection) of her older sister Kikyo, Kaede had taken uncannily good care of her people through thick & thin, a promise she made to herself after dying once she sealed Inuyasha to the sacred tree 50 years previous with her arrow. To neglect that duty now would be a disgrace to that promise, & Kaede would never forgive herself for it if even one person got hurt or eaten by the creature right outside the rock walls.

Defeated, Kaede let out a sigh.

"Very well, Inuyasha", she says. "We'll remain here while you, the demon slayer & the monk bring this beast down. But make it fast!"

"Ha! No need to tell me that, old woman!", the half-demon replied, taking his sword out of its sheath. As he does, his Tetsusaiga changes from a thin blade to one that's many times larger than it was a second ago. "I'll take that overgrown lizard down before it even knew what hit him!"

"Be careful, Inuyasha!", Kagome pleads with him. "He's no pushover!"

"Neither am I!", he answers, leaping into battle with his sword raised at the creature. He launches himself straight for the monster's throat with the intent to slice his windpipe & gurgle him to death, but the creature was wise to the half-demon's game & takes matters to take the initiative.

"No dice, half-demon!", the T-Rex beast says, swatting his smaller foe with his right hand into a grove of trees. "I will not be taken down by the likes of one such as you! And you won't be the first half-demon I've managed to consume to crave my voracious appetite either!"

It lets out a boisterous & hideous laugh.

Watching from above on Kilala (in her larger saber-toothed form, with mystical fire rings at her feet & twin tails), Sango & Miroku think feverishly to come up with a strategy.

"We'd better do something & fast, Miroku!", Sango says. "Even Inuyasha can't beat this thing on his own, & he's fought larger & tougher opponents than this!"

"I know, Sango!", said Miroku. "Despite its size, this creature's fast & agile! We can't get in close enough without being swatted like insects, & I dare not use my wind tunnel on it either, for I fear I'll suck in Miss Kaede & all the others if I try!"

"But maybe we won't have to get in too close to it! What if you used a few sutras to confuse it before we make our move?"

"Sounds good, Sango! And it's the best idea I've heard so far! Let's do it!"

"Right!", Sango says, nodding. "Kilala…!"

The flying demon cat gives a roar in answer & soars off towards the T-Rex demon as the Buddhist monk reaches in his robes to get his sutras out ready for throwing. Their demonized dinosaur quarry sees their approach & gurgles a laugh. Even they're at a distance & make sure they don't get too close, the dino-demon causes a counterstrike by leaping at the unsuspecting trio & opens its massive jaws, wanting to take a bite out of the three airborne heroes. Sango calls out Kilala's name, but was too late: while the dino-demon misses them completely, the sudden lurch on Kilala's part causes Miroku to lose his balance on her back & falls off.

Sango calls out his name as the monk heads straight down for the open maw of the waiting dinosaur demon.

"I wonder if monk tastes like chicken!", it said, letting out a laugh as Miroku falls to his demise.

"Taste this, demon!", Inuyasha said from below, getting a slash in the creature's right leg using his Tetsusaiga. The dinosaur demon howls in pain as the half-demon makes a deep cut in its leg, spilling blood on the ground.

"You'll regret that maneuver, half-demon!", it bellowed.

"Ha! If I had a gold coin for every enemy who's said that to me, I'd be a rich half-demon by now!", Inuyasha says with a toothy smirk.

At that same time, Kilala gets beneath Miroku & has him land safely upon her back behind Sango.

"You all right, Miroku?", she calls to him.

"I'll live, Sango! Nice save!", he replied. "And now that Inuyasha has weakened it some, I think now's the perfect time to move in for the kill!"

"I couldn't agree more! One finely placed shot should…Inuyasha!"

While the demon slayer & monk were discussing on how to rid the beast, it was engaged in a ferocious battle with the half-demon as it rakes at him with its front claws. Inuyasha dodges each one with his more-than-average reflexes while lashing out with his Tetsusaiga in hopes that he can get in another lucky shot like he did with its leg. But the half-demon's good fortune comes to an end when the dino-demon pins Inuyasha down to the ground with its left hand, its claws digging deep. Try to get loose as he may, the half-demon is pinned but good.

"Inuyasha!", yelled Kagome, Kaede & Shippo.

Dammit!, he says to himself. He's got me caught with no leverage of any kind! I can't even use the Tetsusaiga pinned like this!

"Foolish half-demon!", the T-Rex demon says, looming over his prey. "Did you think that because you gravely wounded my leg you would gain an advantage over me? Many others I have faced thought so too, & they all paid for their foolish arrogance with their lives!"

Staring at the toothy maw of the dinosaur demon, Inuyasha was powerless to prevent the inevitable, being unable to move & all. Even with assistance from Kagome & Kaede's arrows embedded in its thick hide was not enough to let up on its soon-to-be meal. With each strike, all it did was laugh at the attempt, mocking the two priestesses.

That's when it roars out as three sutra sheets strike it in the forehead, causing it to raise its head skyward.

"Sorry fella!", Miroku shouts as he, Sango & Kilala swoop in closer. "Half-demon won't be on your menu today-or any other day!"

"I should say not! Hiraikotsu!", Sango yelled, throwing her primary weapon at the dino-demon's left arm. The boomerang-like weapon slices through the arm at the wrist, severing the hand from it before returning to its rightful owner.

Nice shot, Sango!, Inuyasha thought, pushing at the severed hand. I owe you one!

Finally, he busts free & the hand gets shattered into many pieces.

Kagome & Kaede lower their weapons with grins, Shippo joining in.

"Yes!", Kagome & Shippo say in glee.

"Nice, Sango! That should even things up for our side!", said Miroku.

"And for Inuyasha to end this!", the demon slayer said.

"You got that right, Sango!", the half-demon says, raising his thick sword above his head.

"Wind Scar!", he shouts as his sword creates energy rings around it. When Inuyasha feels the charge build up to the max, he swings it downward & the energy which surrounded his sword rushes forward & heads for the T-Rex demon at a great speed. It sees the massive energy headed his way, but has no time to evade it due to blood loss. Its eyes go wide as it gets struck by this power surge, feeling to it like it's been hit by thousands of bolts of lightning all over its body.

"Damn you, half-demon…aahhhhh!", was all it shouted before it exploded into millions of pieces which disappear into the wind.

"Ha! I would've given you a bad case of indigestion anyway-even more so than Kagome & Kaede's arrows!", Inuyasha jokes as he sheaths his Tetsusaiga, the sword shrinking in size as he does so.

"Another demon bites the dust-thanks to you, Inuyasha!", Shippo says as he & everyone else emerges from the cave they took refuge in.

"It was nothing, Shippo. All in a day's work, that's all."

"Nothing? We'd all be that demon's dinner were it not for you! Aren't you happy about that in even the slightest?"

"It's no big deal, really. I did have help, don't forget."

"Don't let it fool you in the slightest, young fox demon", said Kaede. "Inuyasha feels proud to have helped my people escape a fate worse than death. He has certainly changed a great deal since…"

"Uh, let's get these folks back to the village with their fresh supplies, shall we, Kaede?", a pleading Kagome says, giving her 'the look'. The elderly priestess gets the message & nods.

"Yes, child. Let's return to the village before another demon decides to come calling for its dinner. Come, folks."

With Kaede in the lead, those on the ground start heading home as Inuyasha takes Kagome on his back & carries her as Shippo gets a few steps ahead of them.

"What was with the interruption to Kaede before, Kagome?", asked the half-demon. "Was she saying something inappropriate?"

Think fast, Kagome!, she said to herself.

"Oh, it was nothing", she quickly says orally. "These people just had enough adventure for one day, & I'm sure they were all anxious to get back to the safety of Kaede's village. That's all."

Inuyasha stayed silent as Kagome, Kaede & even Shippo waited for a response from the half-demon with sweat streaming down their faces, fearing the worst. That same feeling went for Sango & Miroku as they remained on Kilala, hearing their little conversation even from quite a distance away.

Finally, Inuyasha speaks.

"Well, I guess that's perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. A good thing we were with them for the gathering of their supplies, huh?"

Whew! Close one!, thought Kagome before she speaks orally again.

"I'll say! It's becoming more & more dangerous these days that regular folks can't even pick up simple things like everyday supplies without some demon terrorizing them."

"And it's all because of that damn Naraku! Ever since he came out of Mount Hakurei with a brand new body, he's made things worse than before! I should've made sure he was completely killed the first time I broke through his barrier with my Tetsusaiga!"

"Not to worry, Inuyasha. We'll spend the night in Kaede's village, & then when morning arrives we'll get back on the search for him again. With all the hurt we've been putting on him as of late, it shouldn't be much longer now to bring this to an end once & for all."

"The sooner the better, Kagome. Having that bastard giving us the slip at every turn is really starting to get old."

That's the truth, Kagome thought, feeling relaxed by the thought that 'she' wasn't the topic of their conversation, a feeling shared by Kaede, Shippo, Sango & Miroku. The bringing up of Naraku-their worst enemy-had killed any chance of it becoming out of control with any kind of mentioning of Kikyo, Kaede's older sister who died 50 years ago after sealing Inuyasha to a tree with her arrow. Inuyasha was the first to have the misfortune of experiencing Naraku's devious power, albeit unknowingly. Five decades previous, he & Kikyo were in an affair (though they had some difficulty getting it started!) & wanted to share everything together, all of which highly included the sacred Shikon Jewel, enabling the possessor to be granted any wish he/she desired most. Having high affections for the priestess, Inuyasha agrees to accept becoming a full human by the jewel's power & live a happy life together.

Alas, that was never meant to be: Naraku went & brought down the willing couple. He first disguises himself as Inuyasha & mortally wounds Kikyo, revealing to her 'Why would I want to be human?'. He then does something similar to the half-demon himself, disguising himself as Kikyo & making them both feel betrayed. Enraged, the real Inuyasha invades her village & takes the Shikon Jewel for himself, intent on using it to make himself a full-fledged demon. But the real Kikyo-bloodied & on her death bed-fires an arrow into Inuyasha with all of her remaining strength, pinning him onto the sacred Goshinboku tree. Her strength spent, Kikyo died in her younger sister's arms but not before she instructs Kaede (as a 7-year-old child) to cremate her body with the Shikon Jewel to prevent it from falling into the hands of evil demons or men who wish to use & abuse its great power for their own dastardly desires.

And then Kagome Higurachi came along, having been thrown into the Bone-Eater's Well by Mistress Centipede. 50 Years have passed since Inuyasha was sealed to the Goshinboku tree, & when Mistress Centipede attacks, she reluctantly releases the half-demon from his ancient slumber to receive his assistance in defeating her. Even after he does, he's still intent on keeping the jewel shard embedded in her for himself. In order to keep the greedy half-demon under strict control, Kaede places the Beads of Subjugation around his neck. All Kagome has to do to get them to work is say 'Sit'. Having no way to remove them on his own power, Inuyasha has agreed to search for the jewel shards (albeit grudgingly) after Kagome unceremoniously shatters it trying to shoot down a demon crow with an arrow that made off with it.

And during their journey they run into Shippo, Miroku, Sango & others, with the rest of it being history.

And then Kikyo gets reincarnated by the ogress Urasue, Kagome says to herself. That was when things went downhill of sorts between me & Inuyasha. I wonder: why do I get bothered by her so much? Is it because I'm her reincarnation, & that the Shikon Jewel had come out of me when Mistress Centipede pulled me into the Bone-Eater's Well? Is it because I can sense jewel shards & fire my bow & arrow as professionally as she can? It's clear that Inuyasha still has feelings for her like he did 50 years ago before Naraku made them betray each other. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by coming here to the feudal era, helping to collect jewel shards & put an end to Naraku. And do I really have the right to take my anger out on Inuyasha just because he still carries a torch for Kikyo even now? Even he deserves better than that.

Kagome could think of no more, let alone say anything else out loud, whether it be about Naraku or anything else. To do so would probably provoke an unnecessary argument, something no one is in the mood for after their ordeal with the dinosaur demon that tried to eat them.

So she remains quiet for the remainder of the trip back to Kaede's village.

Traveling on Kilala's back still, Sango & Miroku kept a distance of twenty feet, leaving the both of them with their privacy.

Good thinking on your part, Kagome, the demon slayer & monk say to themselves.

"Inuyasha did raise a good point just now", Miroku says.

"About what, Miroku?", asked Sango.

"About Naraku. Us chasing him to one end of the country to the other is getting tiresome. I have absolutely no way of knowing how much longer my wind tunnel will stay the condition it is currently before it does to me what it did to my father & grandfather. Right now, I'd like nothing better than to destroy that blasphemous monster & have them avenged once & for all."

"Miroku, you know I feel for & sympathize with you on that. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what Naraku did to my entire family and my younger brother Kohaku. Just the mere thought of it boils my blood, especially by knowing that Kohaku is in league with our most hated enemy."

"But you do know that Kohaku's actions aren't his own fault, Sango."

"You're right of course, Miroku. But that doesn't make it any easier to bear with. I can't fathom him doing things that are all against everything we demon slayers are about-like killing innocent people at a village or letting loose a horde of unstoppable demon rats just to draw out a specific person. More often than not, I thought of killing Kohaku, but as Inuyasha once told me, if I were to do that, then Naraku benefits from it & wins. That's the only thing preventing me from doing the unthinkable."

"Please don't let those painful thoughts hinder your mind too much, Sango. Naraku may be a powerful adversary, but it's been proven in the past that he can be hurt. Already Inuyasha's sword Tetsusaiga caused him great pain, & if that can be accomplished in such a short time, then Naraku's total defeat & annihilation won't be too far behind. That should count for something."

That made a smile come from the demon slayer's face.

"I suppose you're right, Miroku", Sango says compassionately. "As long as we don't lose our heads or make any foolish maneuvers, I believe we can end Naraku's reign of terror. Then all who died by his hands & were manipulated by him can finally be at peace."

"That's my Sango", Miroku said. "Even though cursed with this horrible weapon upon my right hand, I know I can find solace with you in my life. Such was the case when you rescued me from becoming a demon's dinner on this day."

"Think nothing of it, Miroku. The thought of you being gobbled up by that monster would undoubtedly haunt my dreams until…huh?"

Sango paused in mid-sentence when she felt something at her bottom. It was a feeling that she unwittingly felt in the past-Miroku was rubbing her ass with his hand!

Her eyes scowled & her teeth bared angrily.

SMACK!

A red mark of a female hand stained Miroku's face on the left side!

"Don't you ever stop, Miroku?", Sango growled. "Now I wish I had allowed that demon to swallow you whole before!"

"B-But Sango", Miroku pleaded. "I merely wished to go express my deepest gratitude from saving me before-honest!"

"A simple 'thank you' would've more than sufficed, monk!"

A bashful Miroku just smiled & laughed innocently, succeeding only in getting Sango even more pissed off.

Even at a distance, Kaede & Shippo heard their exchange of words right to the bitter end & shake their heads in disgrace.

"What a jerk!", Shippo says evenly.

"I suppose that goes without saying, doesn't it?", Kaede asked.

"Mm-hmm!"

Even Inuyasha & Kagome put in their two cents.

"There he goes again!", Kagome says lowly.

"Oh yeah", said Inuyasha the same way. "Even I have better manners than him!"

"Yep!"

The rest of the trip went in total silence.

Kaede's village:

Nighttime had befallen the country by the time Kaede & her people had finished stocking all their supplies at their proper places. Kagome & her group even lend a hand, helping to speed up the process. It still took until nightfall, but it would've lasted most of the night if they hadn't offered their selfless assistance.

For anyone, labor such as that works up quite an appetite, & everyone rejoiced in having an evening meal before hitting the hay after a tough (& frightening) day.

Kaede gave Kagome & her friends a hut to themselves to eat in, & Kagome wasted no time in getting the stuff from her backpack. Before, Sango & the others only sampled a taste of all the contents in her overgrown knapsack. Now she exposes them to more goodies from her era: two frozen dinners (one mini steak meal with peas & mashed potatoes, the other a pasta meal) which were served to Sango & Miroku, while Inuyasha was served one of his most favorite dishes-an all-ready-made cup of noodles. To heat them up in order to be eaten, a low flame was made in the center of the room which was not unlike a campfire in a mini pan Kagome brought with her (along with a pot for Inuyasha's noodles). For Shippo, he was fed an already-made ham sandwich one can buy at the supermarket. Kilala got the satisfying treat of gourmet cat food in a can, & even though she's never had it before, the small demon cat enjoyed every morsel of it; she even gave a noise of approval to Kagome, which made her smile. The modern-era girl from Junior High was chowing down on a sandwich similar to Shippo's, but with turkey & cheese instead of ham. With chopsticks & their bare hands, everyone digged in & washed it down with bottles of water and cans of flavored soda pop (with Kilala, she was offered hers in a small bowl like any other cat).

"Mmmm! Nothing like a scrumptious meal after a hard day's work!", Sango says, taking another swig from her water bottle.

"I'll say!", Miroku says, having another bite of his pasta meal with his chopsticks. "These foods from Kagome's time never ceases to satisfy me!"

Inuyasha slurps more noodles into his mouth before answering.

"And how! With great food just like this, I've thought more often than not about staying in Kagome's time!"

"Oh Inuyasha, you're such a kidder!", Kagome says playfully, waving a hand at him.

"Who's kidding?", the half-demon says, finishing his noodles right down to the last drop. "It can't be any worse than how things are here, can it?"

"Well, despite its comforts, my era is not without its dangers, Inuyasha. There's people who rob, cheat, steal & even kill others for their own personal gain. Wars in other countries take place, & inconceivable differences between two nations are the cause of them. Not too long ago in a country called America…"

"Are you trying to say that people there haven't learned from others to try & get along & form a unity between them, Kagome?", asked Miroku. "How terrible that must be!"

"If people can't learn to get along with one another even after 500 years from now, then it gets one to wonder if what we do now is worth it", Sango says.

"Your time sounds really scary, Kagome!", Shippo says. "Even if I did have the power to show up there through the Bone-Eater's Well like Inuyasha does, I'd pass on such a chance!"

"Now now, everyone", Kagome reassures them. "Even though it's got its own dangers & bad people, there are those who work hard to provide for not just the ones in their land, but from across the pond."

"Across the pond?", the group asked at once.

"Meaning, they help bring suppliments to other countries to those who are less fortunate than they are. They bring to them all kinds of medicines, food, & just about anything else that can make their lives better. It's how both prosperity & unity between two nations grows & hatred dissipates, & there are thousands of those from my time who work daily to strengthen those aspects & make our world a better place than it was when the cavemen first emerged."

"In short, one takes the bad with the good", Miroku surmised.

"And it sounds like what they do is no different from what you do, Kagome, by bringing us your fine treats from your time", Sango says.

"Well said, Miroku", Kagome said. "And that's certainly one way to phrase it, Sango."

"Hey Kagome", said Inuyasha.

"Hm?"

"What are these 'cavemen' you spoke of before?"

"Oh them! Well, they're another matter altogether, Inuyasha. But I'm sure you're all ready for an after-dinner treat right about now. Who's up for it?"

At once everyone was gathering around Kagome with eagerness before the Junior High student urges then to settle down as she reaches into her knapsack. She takes out a package of cotton candy for Sango & Miroku each, & treats Inuyasha & herself to a pair of tasty chocolate bars & digs in.

There wasn't anyone who wasn't enjoying Kagome's treats-they gobbled them up with the utmost glee!

"Now Shippo, let's see if I remembered to pack that candy you like so much…huh?", she started to say when she saw the young fox demon tearing on a red something with his teeth that was stretching between them & his hands as he held it firm, pulling on it with all his might. The object wouldn't give, & it suddenly slips from his hands & smacks him in the face. Kagome had realized that Shippo went into her bag on his own to dig in & help himself, an activity any child his age-demon or otherwise-would do.

This action brought a smile to her face.

"Hey Kagome, what kind of food is this?", Shippo asks. "They're awfully tough!"

"Oh Shippo!", Kagome laughed. "That's because they aren't any kind of food at all. These are things you play & have fun with. They're called balloons."

"'Balloons'?", Sango, Miroku & Inuyasha all said in unison. Kilala let out a soft 'mew' in comparison.

"That's right. I brought some to show Shippo on how much fun you can have with them."

"Sounds neat, Kagome, but how do you have fun with these 'balloons'?", the little fox demon wondered.

"Well, first you need to blow them up. Here, let me show you."

Kagome takes the red balloon Shippo was trying to 'eat' before & starts blowing it up. The balloon gets to a rather large size before she ties the mouth of it. During the process, the group was fascinated by the preview as they watched Kagome blow up the red bag of rubber right in front of them in awe.

"Wow!", Miroku said. "That's a big balloon!"

"Pretty cute, Kagome!", said Sango happily. "They sure look fun!"

"So that's what you do with them, huh?", Inuyasha says. "Don't look like much to me."

"You'll see, Inuyasha. Think fast, Shippo!", Kagome says, patting the balloon to the little fox demon with her hand as it hits & bounces off his head. Although the maneuver takes him by surprise, Shippo smiles & returns the gesture to Kagome. Giggles erupt between the two of them, & even Kilala joins the fray as Sango & Miroku giggle themselves as they watch the cheerful trio play with the balloon, tossing it back & forth to each other.

"Ah, the joys of youth!", Miroku says. "At moments like this, it makes one wish they can relive their childhood years again, wouldn't you say?"

"I certainly would, Miroku!", Sango says with glee.

"Huh! Some of us would be glad to have grown up & forget they ever had a childhood, Sango!", Inuyasha says sternly.

"I take it yours wasn't all fun & games, huh?", the demon slayer asks with compassion.

"Ha! Hard to believe you even had one to begin with, Inuyasha!", Shippo said as the red balloon soars past him to the corner.

"What would any of you know about mine anyway?", the half-demon says harshly.

"Oh come on, Inuyasha", Kagome says to cool things down. "Everyone has times in their lives when they were young that they want to forget. No one would know that better than Shippo here."

"I guess that's the only thing the twerp & I have in common!"

"Hmph!", Shippo pouted. "Well, be that as it may, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my youth while I still can! And speaking of which…"

Shippo takes the bag of balloons he opened up & pulls out a blue one.

"Ha! This one matches my pants perfectly!"

"Gonna try & blow one up yourself, Shippo? Go for it!", Kagome urges him on.

"You bet!"

Putting the mouth of the balloon into his own, Shippo starts blowing it up with surprisingly strong, powerful breaths. Most of the group watch with warm feelings as Shippo makes his blue balloon bigger & bigger with each breath of air he forces into it. The little fox demon makes the balloon the same size as Kagome's, but he doesn't stop there. He keeps on blowing the balloon up even bigger, & it even causes some concern for a few.

"Wow! Our Shippo's got some strong lungs, doesn't he?", Miroku says. "Look at how big that balloon of his is getting!"

"Say Kagome, are they supposed to be getting that big? Because Shippo's sure making it awfully huge!", Sango mentions, getting worried.

"Uh, Shippo, I believe that's enough! Don't you think it's time to stop?", Kagome kindly tells him. But Shippo wasn't listening: he was getting so full of pep & enjoyment from blowing his balloon that all their words were falling on deaf ears. He keeps on inflating it until it gets three times the size of Kagome's red balloon, & it's still getting bigger & bigger.

Now everyone was getting really worried, & that also included Kagome.

Oh boy, is this going to be loud!, she says to herself, putting her hands to her ears.

Shippo kept on blowing his balloon until…

POP!

The noise of the balloon's aftermath echoed throughout the village, & more than a few heads were turned by it. Thinking it might be the sign of an attack, Kaede heads over to where the sound originated from-Kagome's hut-and had her bow & arrow at the ready with two men by her side, swords in hand.

"Is everyone all right in here? Kagome child, are you & your friends…?", Kaede started to say as she opened the flap to their hut, but saw no sign of any enemies to shoot at. Instead, all she & the two men did see were the Junior High student & her friends in a dazed & confused state, with their eyes agape & their hairs standing on edge, looking as if someone had sent hundreds of volts of electricity through their own bodies. Kilala was hiding in Kagome's knapsack, in the same condition as the others & trembling with fear. Shippo himself was the worst: not only was his hair standing on edge & all fuzzy, his eyes were rolling & twirling like hypnotic rings which would mesmerize anyone if they stared at them for too long. Rubber shards of the blue balloon along with the red one (it popped at the same time) were scattered over the floor of the hut.

"What happened in here, good people?", Kaede asked.

"Oops! Maybe I did make that balloon just a little bit too big!", Shippo says in a dazed tone.

"You think?", Kagome, Sango, Miroku & Inuyasha all snapped at him as the little fox demon collapsed to the floor, his eyes still twirling.

Kaede was just as confused as ever, as was the men.

More than an hour before dawn:

The distant Kanto village was vast in land, measuring nearly twice that of any ordinary village as its soil is mainly consisted of crops growing to feed the people who resided there as well as sell in order to make money & purchase supplies to keep their harvest going all year round. The Kanto village has both sold & made profits to any & all who wander here, making a good number of friends along with profits, & their kindness towards their fellow man have made them the place most go for their food & other worthy supplies.

Coupled with some finely looking trees, it is a very peaceful & friendly place to visit & reside at.

Tonight, that changes.

Only a few minutes ago, a group of thirty armed & dangerous bandits arrived on horses & attacked the village without warning, crashing into the people's homes & forcing everyone out into the open with their swords, guns & anything else in their possession. Even though the people are a peaceful bunch, it didn't mean that they weren't prepared for anyone who dared to assault them should the need arise. Those who were able sought their swords, spears & shields to go into battle with the invaders. But as adept as they were in combat, the invading bandits outmatched them in every aspect. Within a few minutes since they started attacking, the bandits mercilessly killed & slaughtered each & every one of the men in the village. One by one, they fell before the blades & bullets of the bandits' swords & guns. With their protectors all fallen & dead, both the women & children of the village were rounded up & placed in the center of the village, huddled in a mass pile as they were scared beyond words while some of the bandits rounded up supplies & crops from their beloved home.

The last of the women & a female child were thrown into the rest of the frightened group as the leader of the bandits-a well-built man with a thick goatee & was taller than the others-takes a good look at his 'captive audience', his sword in hand. Like the rest of his men have, he gets off his horse & stands firm & proud.

"Is that the last of them, Horii?', he asks his second-in-command, a large bald-headed man with a scar across his dome, being only an inch or two shorter than his leader.

"We searched every hut in the place, Ryuchi, & that child & two women we just added to the pot are it! There's not another living soul anywhere else in the whole place!"

"Excellent!", Ryuchi says, pointing his weapon towards the frightened women & children. "Listen up! Everything you people own here now belongs to us, & that includes you all! From this day forward, your livelihood here ends & you will become our servants & slaves! Anyone who talks out of line or disobeys any of our orders will be killed on the spot without question! We won't care if you are women & children! Do I make myself clear? One of you-speak up!"

An elderly woman with enough courage rises up from the huddle & points an accusational finger at the bandits' leader, getting close enough that she nearly touches him.

"You, Ryuchi Morikami, are one of the worst bandit leaders the country has ever known!", she spat. "Your reign of terror has spread from coast to coast for many years, bringing nothing but mischief & death to those who are unlucky enough to cross your path! Now you dare bring your violence to our peaceful village, murder all of our men & take us females captive for your own amusement! Rest assured, Ryuchi-one day your vehement acts will become the death of you & all those who are foolish enough to follow you!"

"That's enough, you old hag!", Horii snapped, putting a well-placed foot to the woman's chest & knocking her down hard towards the rest of the captives, making her gasp for air.

"Get this straight!", Horii went on. "The next one who dares to speak to any of us in that manner gets a taste of our blades! Got that?"

"That's okay, Horii!", Ryuchi says. "In time, they'll learn to greatly appreciate us like all the others we've snatched have! You & the men know the drill for it!"

Horii nods with a sinister grin, knowing full well what Ryuchi meant.

"Besides, we've gone up against & conquered even demons in our travels!", said a slim but muscular bandit. "What makes these wenches think that anyone or anything can make us pay for what we do on a regular basis?"

"I hear ya!", said another bandit. "Someone make us pay for our atrocities? Ha! I'd like to see that!"

As a chorus, all the bandits let out a boisterous guffaw & mock the elderly woman's words of them being on the receiving end of any kind of punishment. Their hideous laugh went on for a good minute before another sound entered the mix, albeit one no one could hear-a low cackling noise.

Next came a sound which everyone could hear.

The bandit which last spoke before the laughter erupted replaced his laugh with a high-volume scream of pain. The laughter died as everyone-bandits and captives-saw the man being impaled from behind by a blur of a sharp object as the point emerged out of the man's chest right through the heart, fresh blood spurting from the wound. Immediately the bandits take a defensive position as the one killed is dropped to the ground, his blood staining the dirt beneath him.

"What the hell…?", said one man before getting his head blown off into bloody chunks by a blast of blue-white energy, his headless body joining his comrade on the ground.

"We're under attack!", said Ryuchi. "Make them sorry for it, men!"

Once those words from Ryuchi were spoken, all hell broke loose in the village.

Even as they readied their weapons, the bandits were getting picked off one by one from all directions: three men get their throats slit down the middle by a similar blade that killed the first man & drop instantly; two more get snatched away & embedded onto a tree by metal nets that cut into their flesh as they struggle to get free with no success; two more still get impaled each in the chest by something invisible which slam & stick them to the wall of one of the huts. In seconds they reveal themselves to be metal spears that materialize from thin air, their mouths & wounds spewing blood; three get attacked by some kind of disc-one gets cut literally in half by a fully rounded disc, while two others were struck by a disc that each had six large spikes that resembled the metal claws of some creature. Both men were carried & impaled to a tree; a quartet of bandits get struck by bolts of blue-white energy that blow holes in their chests from the front and behind.

Suddenly, Ryuchi finds himself now with only half the men he came into the village with, & he begins to panic.

But he fights it to regain his composure.

"Gun batallion, shoot at anything you see! Leave nothing in this place alive!", he shouts.

The six gunmen nod & aim their weapons at the women & children, wanting them to pay for the ambush they believe them to have planned. Getting their fingers on the firing mechanisms was as far as they got to: two were hit in the throat by small but deadly Y-shaped barbs that were pointed on both ends, two more got stabbed in the chest by large invisible glaives, & the last two got electrocuted to death by charged bolas that fry their bodies from head to toe before collapsing to the ground, their charred bodies still smoking.

The rest of Ryuchi's men were made short work of by the invisible forces, the slaughter lasting under two minutes.

Now, only Horii & Ryuchi himself were left, aside from the terrified women & children.

Having witnessed their entire batallion wiped out right in front of them, they both begin to sweat & pant uncontrollably, frustrated by the fact that someones or somethings have made such short work of their once-undefeated group of bandits.

Who or what in all the world could've done this to us?, an extremely nervous Ryuchi thought, unable to keep it together any more than Horii can. Some new kinds of demons?

"Where are you? Show yourselves!", Ryuchi shouts with more bravery than he currently feels within the rest of his body.

"That's enough, you old hag!"

Horii's voice was heard by the two remaining bandits, but it wasn't Horii who spoke them: instantaneously one after the other, the ones who slaughtered the bandits suddenly come into view, or rather focus, as twelve humanoid warriors standing two meters tall & wearing body armor unlike any kind of samurai, bandit or anyone else that they know of. Their faces were all concealed by some kind of metal mask with rectangular eye slits that shined in the night. Their 'hair' on their heads were decorated with golden braids, & some held spears, aimed shoulder cannons & hand-held discs. The largest one had on red body armor, & its face mask had a pair of horns on the front of it, one larger & longer than the one behind it like a rhino's. The second largest of the band had green flesh & gray body armor, & its face mask sprouted a pair of horns on its sides, much like a bull's. A cackling noise from the rhino-masked one made the rest stand back a few steps as he & the bull-masked one stepped forward. From their right metal forearm gauntlets, a pair of long jagged blades protruded out of each, & they stood in attack positions parallel to Ryuchi & Horii.

While neither bandit have seen these beings before in their lives, they both know a test of strength when they see it. At that time, all their fear & trepidation was replaced by sheer anger & ferocity, having their entire band killed by these 'demons' that now stand before them. Letting out a battle cry with their swords raised, Ryuchi & Horii charge after the newcomers & they all exchange blows, one after another. The whole fight took less than a minute, & both of the bandit leaders fall to the ground due to a mortal stab to their solar plexus, face down.

The village's women & children watch everything occur before their eyes, right on up to & including the bloody removal of the bandits' skulls & spinal columns as the men let out a blood-curdling scream that lasts only one or two seconds.

No one could move, let alone make a sound.

Not even the elderly woman who defied Ryuchi.

At that same time, in another hut:

The PredAlien spent the day eluding its pursuers, making sure it couldn't be followed by those it had encountered at the shrine before emerging in this land. Surprisingly, it had not run into any humans for all this time, sans for a few troublemaking bandits that tried to engage it & use its hide for weaponry & food. The hybrid made short work of the foolish men in seconds, one even getting its acidic blood on its face, melting it & his his whole head to nothing. It also ran into a few minor demons along the way, but they met the same fate as the men. Unfortunately, none of them were useful in serving its purpose.

Until it came to this small hut owned by an elderly man & woman & their two grandkids.

Using its stealthy prowess, the PredAlien took care of the man by ramming its tail through it from the back. He never knew what had hit him, even had he been armed & alert. The woman had time for a single scream before the hybrid cut her off for good. The only other time she had screamed was when she gave birth to the PredAlien's offspring, which was only moments ago as five eel-like creatures emerge & screech from the woman's belly as the hybrid watch with glee at its 'children', letting out a roar of satisfaction.

It's not enough, but it was definitely a fine start.

Next to the gaping hole on one of the walls lay the man in a pool of his own blood with a deep puncture in his back & chest, with the two children being sliced in half from the waist.

CHAPTER IV

Over an hour after dawn:

Kagome & her group were on the move after Kaede had awaken them from their slumber with a hearty breakfast at the ready. Inuyasha wasted no time in gulping his down, eager to get going & resume the hunt for their arch-enemy, Naraku. The others, however, took their time in eating before heading out, much to the half-demon's dismay. When they were finally all set to go, Inuyasha had lead the way alongside Kagome, with Sango, Miroku, Kilala & Shippo taking up the rear on a dirt path far away from Kaede's village. Kagome kept a smaller backpack which she stashed in her larger one for long-distance travel with some supplements inside on her back.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo & even Kagome stifled a yawn as they walked.

"Man, it sure didn't feel like we got enough sleep last night, does it?", the monk says.

"I know what you mean, Miroku", said Sango. "That eight-hour sleep we all took felt like it was only half the time."

"Isn't that the truth", Kagome added.

"Quit your whining, all of you!", Inuyasha snapped. "The only reason that we didn't sleep soundly last night was because someone made such a loud noise that left our ears ringing! Hell, I still hear a buzzing in my head even now from it!"

"Come on, Inuyasha!", Shippo snapped back. "How many times do I have to tell you & the others how sorry I am for that balloon incident? Give me a break already!"

"And you always keep telling me how you're the more mature one, Shippo? Huh!"

Shippo just spat his tongue at the older half-demon.

"Point taken, I should think!"

"Oh Inuyasha", Kagome says politely before turning to Shippo. "Don't feel too bad about it, Shippo. I used to do that all the time with balloons when I was your age, so you really have nothing to feel guilty about."

"That's right, Shippo", Miroku says. "And besides, Lady Kaede & her people thought the whole situation was hysterically funny once we explained what happened!"

"And we all ended up laughing until it hurt from that incident afterwards-well, most of us were, anyway!", Sango said, giggling alongside Kagome & Miroku when she said it.

"Come on, Inuyasha!", Kagome said when she sees the half-demon not joining in. "Don't you have any sense of humor in that rock-hard body of yours?"

"Not when I still have a buzzing in my head going on!", Inuyasha fumed. "And Kaede & her people was another reason we didn't sleep too soundly last night either, what with all that crazy laughter they were doing!"

The rest of the group sighed a heavy sigh at the half-demon's reply, all but depressed in not getting even a smirk from him.

The next time you visit my era, Inuyasha, I'm going to show some films & clips from the Marx Brothers & The Three Stooges!, Kagome thought. If they don't make you bust a gut from laughing too hard, I don't know what will!

Poor Inuyasha, Sango thought sadly. I guess his not-so-great childhood didn't give him much of a sense of humor. At least I can enjoy one now & then, despite what happened to my family & Kohaku.

It must be terrible to not be able to laugh at or even have a sense of humor about yourself, Miroku said to himself in the same way. Sure, life can be serious at times, but to take it seriously at all times can really damage a person's psyche. I hope Inuyasha can learn that soon for his sake.

You're a hopeless case, Inuyasha!, Shippo thought, plain & simple.

That's when Inuyasha starts sniffing the air, putting everyone on full alert. They know that when the half-demon begins to sniff, it usually means that trouble was brewing or was going to very soon.

"What is it, Inuyasha? Do you sense something?", Miroku said, his staff ready in hand in a defensive position. Sango does the same with her Hiraikotsu boomerang & Kagome with her bow & arrow, with Kilala growing to her full size in a ball of mystical flames as Shippo hops on her back for safety.

"I certainly caught a scent all right, Miroku!", Inuyasha says, placing his right hand on the handle of his sword.

"What is it? Demons heading this way?", Sango asked.

"No, Sango. It's blood-human blood!"

"Bandits?", a worried Shippo asked as Kilala emit's a low & menacing growl.

"Don't think so, Shippo, but if it is, they'll regret it if they choose to pick a fight with us!"

Then something catches Kagome's eyes to her right.

"Look! Over there!", she says, pointing.

The rest turn to where Kagome was pointing, & they see a lone figure (a man) in tattered robes stumble his way towards the group, emerging from the forest behind a grove of trees. Then they see the reason as to why Inuyasha smelled blood-the man had a slash across his chest, & his robes were covered in it. When the group rush up to him, Miroku catches the man in his arms before he hits ground.

"Sir! Sir! What happened? Who did this to you?", the monk asked frantically.

The man was panting & weezing, & his face was ashen from blood loss. But when he spoke, he did so clearly (albeit weakly) for all to hear.

"Bandits", he says. "Just…a few hours ago, they came & savagely attacked…our village. They killed all..our defenders & took…our women & children captive. Even though they…got me too, my wound…wasn't too bad, so I quietly left during the…carnage to go & get…help."

"Sir, where is your village? Is it far from here?", asked Sango.

The man weakly pointed to the north.

"Just head that way…to the Kanto village & you'll find…"

The man said nothing further, & his hand fell softly to his side. Sango called to him three times, but he did not respond to her.

"Forget it, Sango. He's gone", Inuyasha said, shaking his head just as softly.

"The Kanto village?", said Shippo. "Weren't we just there the other day helping Kaede & her people getting supplies for their home?"

"We sure were, Shippo!", Kagome says. "We'd better get over there right now! If there's a chance that anyone else might've survived or escaped being taken captive…"

"You're right, Kagome!", said Sango. "Miroku, let's you & I take the man back to his home while we ride Kilala!"

"Got it, Sango! Let's ride, Shippo!", Miroku said, carrying the deceased man as he boards the demon cat with the demon slayer. The little fox demon gets on her back behind Miroku as Kilala takes off in the direction the man pointed towards.

"Let's go, Kagome!", Inuyasha said.

"Right!", she replied, getting on his back as he races off to join Kilala.

Walking at a regular pace, getting to the Kanto Village from Kaede's would take over three hours to arrive, but with Kilala & Inuyasha racing at top speed, the trip there took less than one & they reach their destination after again going through the forest in which the dinosaur demon had attacked them the previous day. When the village comes into sight, it was a complete opposite of how it was the other day: instead of a peaceful, friendly & beautiful-looking landscape, the area looked as if a war broke out with bodies & blood littering it rather than fresh crops.

It was quite the horrible sight even from a distance, but when they get closer to inspect it, it made them cringe with both disgust & fright.

"Oh my god!", Sango & Kagome said in a low, terrified voice as Kilala lands at the base of the village. Sango, Shippo & Miroku mount off the demon cat, with the latter still in his arms as he gently places the man down to the ground at Kilala's feet, getting his staff in hand & ordering the demon cat to stay where she is. Kilala nodded.

Even Inuyasha himself was greatly disturbed by the eerie sight before him: he does a quick body count of thirty corpses, all bloodily skinned as most had been hung like slabs of beef from makeshift poles by lines of rope. Some stll had their heads attached, but most were missing from the host bodies, some even with their spinal columns removed. To Kagome, the scenario was like being in a freezer with carcasses of cows & other animals that were hunted & killed for food, only here the weather was warm & sultry, & the smell of death was overwhelming.

Despite the horrid stench, Inuyasha & the group wandered the grounds.

"What a horrible slaughter!", said Miroku. "It's hard to believe we were here only just yesterday! I'm not so sure if anyone else had survived this!"

"We can't let that stop us from looking, Miroku!", Kagome said. "Maybe there are some holed up in a place the bandits never knew about!"

"That is why we came here for, Kagome!", said Sango. "Why don't you & Miroku search the grounds to find if any are still here?"

"Leave it to us, Sango!", she says, nodding with the Buddhist monk as they take off into the area & begin their task, leaving Shippo, Sango & Inuyasha alone to examine the bodies.

"Gee whiz, I always knew that bandits are vicious, unrelenting & ruthless & all, but since when did they start skinning their victims & taking their heads & spinal columns like this?", the little fox demon asked.

"Since never, Shippo", Inuyasha said. "Bandits aren't responsible for this kind of slaughter by a mile."

"How do you know that, Inuyasha?"

"Because…these bodies all laying & hanging are the bandits!"

"What?", Shippo & Sango say simultaneously, clearly disbelieving his words.

"You heard right, kids. There's a pile of bloodied armor laying right over there. Besides, I know the scent of bandits when I smell it."

Inuyasha points to the aforementioned pile over towards a damaged hut, where scraps of armor stained with blood reside at.

"I think I see just what you mean, Inuyasha", Sango says, coming in to inspect the hanging body which was closest, with its rib cage from the back cut & exposed. "These cuts made to the rib cage were done by some double-bladed weapon that sliced right through the bones with ease like your Tetsusaiga can cut through solid stone. From what I know, bandits don't have anything that can do something like this!"

"And you demon slayers never had weapons like this in your entire arsenal, Sango?", the half-demon wondered.

The demon slayer shook her head.

"In all my years in this profession…no, I have not. And even if I did, this weapon would have to be wielded by someone with immense physical strength to do this to a person's rib cage, let alone skin & hang them up like this. Needless to say, these bandits died hurting-a lot!"

"No kidding", Inuyasha said. "So the only logical conclusion would be that demons have caused this kind of massacre to the village & its would-be conquerers."

"That's what's been running through my head as well just now! But I've never heard of any kind of demons to take human skulls after their kills! We must be facing a brand new species of demons that we don't know about yet!"

"You could be right, Sango! There's an unusual scent mixed in with the blood that's all but new to me!"

But what kind of new demons are we up against?, Inuyasha thought. Even Sesshomaru-my older brother-doesn't take human remains after a battle, despite how much he loathes them!

"Hey you guys! Look what I found!", Shippo says, running up towards the half-demon & demon slayer.

"What is it, Shippo?", Sango asks.

"Take a gander at this, Sango!"

Shippo holds up a small silver metal object in his right hand-a Y-shaped dart that was pointed on all ends, blood staining the two parallel points.

"Here, let me see that", Sango requested, taking the object in her own hand. "Oh my god! This thing has almost no weight to it! Where'd you find this, Shippo?"

"Stuck in the throat of one of the bandits! Damn thing made a clean cut right through to the bone!", the fox demon said. "Ever see anything like it before in your life?"

"Just like the weapon that cut through the rib cages of most of these bandits, no! What kind of creatures have we stumbled onto?"

That's when Miroku shouts out in desperation.

"Inuyasha! Sango! Shippo! Come quick! We've found survivors!"

Thank god!, Sango said to herself before speaking orally. "We're coming, Miroku!"

Sango, Shippo & Inuyasha raced across the village grounds to where they heard Miroku's voice & catch up to him & Kagome at a small hut which was occupied by the women & children of the village, all huddled in a bundle & just as scared as they were the previous night, in spite of their presence. But when Inuyasha & Shippo come into view, they begin acting up again, making a tighter bunch than before & whimpering more intensely.

Oh no! These people are more scared by Inuyasha & Shippo than they are of what took place here!, Kagome thought, realizing the gesture.

"Inuyasha, you & Shippo should keep a distance & stay out of sight for now", she says out loud.

"What? Why? Didn't we come here to help them?", the half-demon wondered.

"Please, Inuyasha! These people are scared enough as it is! They don't need to see any demons-full or half-making it worse for & upsetting them further!"

"Yeah, come on, Inuyasha! Kagome's got a point!", Shippo said, taking his hand & leading him away from the frightened survivors.

"Oh all right, fine!", Inuyasha says, giving in to Kagome's request. In moments both of them were around a corner & out of sight, the rest breathing a sigh of relief.

"People, what happened here at your village? Why were all the bandits killed?", Miroku asked.

The elderly woman who dared defied the bandit leader was the one who spoke.

"Last night, after the bandits attacked & killed our husbands & rounded the rest of us up", she says in a voice of trepidation, "the bandits were attacked themselves by a horde of these hideous invisible demons! They wore some kind of body armor & used all kinds of weaponry we've never seen before-discs with razor-sharp edges, bolts of blue-white energy that can both cauterize flesh & blow holes in a man, steel nets that capture prey, spears & glaives, & from their right forearms a pair of sharp blades protruded from metal cuffs that sliced through their bodies like the flesh & bone weren't even there!"

So that's how they did it!, Sango thought, recalling her deduction only moments ago. It would seem that I was correct in my assumptions before!

"What about your husbands? Where are all their bodies?", Kagome asked.

A little girl about seven years of age answers her question.

"After those demons killed & hung the bandits, they took out some kind of vial with blue liquid inside & poured it all over them! Right before our eyes, they dissolved into nothing!"

"And yet these demons didn't cause any of you people any harm?", Sango asked.

"None whatsoever!", the elderly woman said. "They didn't even touch us! After they were finished, they looked at us one last time, then turned invisible again & left without so much as a backwards glance!"

The questions ceased as Miroku, Sango & Kagome took the time to let it all sink in. That went also for Inuyasha & Shippo, for while they were keeping their distance from the frightened survivors & out of sight, it didn't mean they weren't listening to all the info they relayed to the others.

"Invisible demons?", they said to each other in unison, with Shippo hanging on Inuyasha's left shoulder.

It's like that invisible scroll-stealing demon we encountered not too long ago!, thought Shippo. And yet, it isn't! He foresake his life of stealing from others! And even if he hadn't, he wouldn't be doing things like killing bandits & taking their skulls with him! Sango & Inuyasha were right-there are new demons in our midst!

Shippo's thoughts were derailed as Miroku, Sango & Kagome joined up, & he jumps off of Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I take it you both overheard everything that was spoken by the survivors?", asked Miroku.

"Every last horrid detail, Miroku", said Inuyasha. "Ears such as mine don't miss much."

"But I still don't get it!", said Shippo as all eyes turn to him. "Why would these invisible demons ruthlessly kill the bandits, take some of their skulls, dissolve the husbands & fathers of this place but spare the women & children without so much as a scratch on any of them?"

"That more or less is perplexing indeed, Shippo", said Sango. "Out of all the demons I've encountered, I've hardly met any that would spare even newborn babies in their assaults. As to why these new demons would is a mystery. Hell, even I can't understand it!"

"Solving this little mystery can be put on hold for the time being, Sango", said Miroku. "As of right now, we need to get the survivors away from here to safer quarters. Those demons may have shown them leniency by sparing their lives, but they might have a change of heart & come back to finish what they started. They should be far away from this place if & when that happens."

"But where can we take them to?", Kagome wondered.

The Buddhist monk thought for a minute before providing an answer.

"There's another village not too far from here that will serve them well. It's about an hour's walk from our current location. I'll take lead with Inuyasha, Shippo & Kilala up front."

"And Sango & myself will accompany the survivors from the rear", Kagome adds. "We'll keep a distance of about at least a hundred feet between you."

"I think that'll do just perfectly, Kagome", Sango says. "Let's you & I round them up & get a move-on."

Kagome nods & the two girls rush off to gather the women & kids.

"Does that sound all right to you, Inuyasha?", asked Miroku.

"Whatever you want, monk. No skin off my nose!", the half-demon harrumphed.

Miroku & Shippo slowly shook their heads in mock disappointment.

Like I said before-he's hopeless!, Shippo thought.

Thirty minutes have passed since the group left the slaughter of the Kanto village, leaving no time for Inuyasha & the others to cut down & bury the horribly killed bandits, let alone the man who died in Miroku's arms. Right now, the ones who were untouched in the whole affair was their main priority. Like Miroku & Kagome had worked it out before they began journeying, the monk & three demons-Inuyasha, Shippo & Kilala (in her small form)-walked in a group, being ahead of Kagome & Sango by a hundred feet as they travel with the women & children.

For all that time, they traveled in silence-until they came to a small hut, & Inuyasha's nose catches a scent & he sniffs the air.

"What is it, Inuyasha?", asked Shippo.

"I smell death at that hut", the half-demon said lowly, putting the monk & fox demon on alert.

"Shall we go take a look inside?", Miroku asks. "Just the two of us."

"Good idea, monk", Inuyasha said, nodding. "If there's any bodies laying around inside, at least the survivors will be spared more horrible sights. Let the girls know to stay put until we get back."

"Got it", Miroku said, turning to Shippo. "You & Kilala stay here, Shippo."

"Got it, Miroku", Shippo said as the Buddhist monk signals to Sango & Kagome to remain where they are. The girls get the message even from a distance & tell the survivors everything was all right as Miroku & Inuyasha head for the hut. When they get a closer view of it, they see a gaping hole on the side of it stained with blood on the edges.

"Judging from the looks of it, I'd say someone or something broke in from the outside of this place with great force", Miroku said, his staff at the ready.

"And it might still be inside", Inuyasha said, placing his hand on his sword. "Let me go in first, Miroku. If we do have unwelcome company, my Tetsusaiga will make short work of them."

Miroku nodded, & Inuyasha took a cautious step inside the hole of the hut. But just as he went in, the stench of death filled his nostrils like a blast of warm air.

And was greeted with another horrible sight!

"Miroku! Get in here!", he said with a surprised look on his face. The monk stepped inside & was introduced with the strong death stench, followed by what Inuyasha has discovered.

"Dear god!", said Miroku, his face the same as the half-demon's. What greeted them was the bodies of an elderly man & woman, followed by two young kids looking to be no more than four or five years of age. The two kids were in bloody halves, their legs having been separated from their upper torsoes. The man had a puncture in his back that went all the way through, but the woman was in the worst shape of all: she lay on the floor with her back to the wall with her stomach burst opened, the flesh peeled back like the skin of a banana. Her inner organs were all but gone, as if they've been eaten away from inside. Her eyes were agape & her mouth was open at its widest.

"Seems to me like the old man & these two kids never knew what hit them", Inuyasha said.

"They were the lucky ones, Inuyasha", Miroku said. "Which is more than I can say for this poor woman. Judging by the look upon her face, she died in great anguish-very much like those bandits did at Kanto village. I wonder: did the demons who killed those bandits also do this to this unfortunate family?"

Inuyasha sniffs the air around him to get their scent & shakes his head.

"Not at all, Miroku", he says. "This scent is way different! Another band of demons went & did this!"

"Any kind you know of?"

"No. Like those who assaulted Kanto village, this scent is totally new to me as well!"

Good heavens! Two kinds of new demons even Inuyasha's never faced before?, Miroku thought unbelievingly. What are we up against?

We're certainly up against new enemies, that's for sure!, Inuyasha thought. But if that is the case, why do I get the slightest scent of the demons who attacked Kanto village, faint as it may be? Are these two brands of new demons in cahoots with one another?

Miroku places his hand in front of him & says a silent prayer before rising from the blood-stained floor of the hut, facing the half-demon.

"Inuyasha, let's get back to Shippo & Kilala", he begins. "I'll shout to the girls that no one's home here, so as not to upset the survivors. When we reach our destination, we'll tell them the truth of what we found."

"Good thinking, Miroku. It's just what I would do", the half-demon replied.

Miroku nodded, & together they exit the hut & head back to the waiting fox & cat demons.

Shippo asks what they found, but Miroku tells him that he'll explain it all once they get to where they're going. When the fox demon presses for more info, Inuyasha gives him a smack in the head (his favorite pasttime to the little fox demon!) that eventually kept him quiet. The monk then shouts to Kagome & Sango what he wanted to say, & announces that they were moving on, which they do in the same pattern as before.

But while the survivors were satisfied (& somewhat relieved), Sango had doubts.

"I don't know, Kagome", she says. "My instincts tells me they're hiding something."

"If they are, they why openly keep it secret?", Kagome wondered.

"Probably so as not to upset these folks, whatever it is. Still, there's something about that hut bothers which gravely me. But it can wait until after we get these people to where Miroku's leading us towards."

"You're right. According to my watch, another thirty minutes & we're there."

For the remainder of their journey, everyone kept quiet.

Kagome was nearly right in her calculations about the remainder of their trip: it actually took about five minutes extra to reach where Miroku lead them to-an average-sized village that was neither too big or too small, & was populated with good, friendly-looking folks that greeted them upon arrival, a trio consisting of two males & a woman.

"Miroku!", said one of the men.

"Yoshi! Long time no see!", the monk said, shaking his hand in greeting. "It's been ages since we last met! How have you been?"

"Can't complain!", Yoshi says as they share a laugh.

"You know these people, Miroku?", Shippo asked.

"I've helped these fine folks get rid of numerous demonic spirits in my youth, Shippo!", said the monk. "It's when I first started out on my abilities as a Buddhist monk & exorcist!"

"And our village has never been better because of it!", Yoshi said. "So, what brings you back to our most humble abode, Miroku?"

"These people", the monk says, gesturing with his hand towards the survivors who are now only ten feet away from them, having gotten used to traveling with the demons in their group & abiding their trust in them. "These poor unfortunate souls had their husbands & fathers killed by a group of bandits at Kanto village who, in turn, were killed by invisible demons. We feared for their safety, so we brought them here. Think you can fit them in your 'humble abode', Yoshi?"

"Mi casa su casa! We have plenty of room for them here!"

"Well, it looks as if we came to the right place!", Kagome praised. "Good job, Miroku!"

"Come. Let's get them-and you folks-settled in, shall we?", said the woman. "You must all be tired & hungry after a long walk to get here."

"That we are, miss. Thank you very much", Sango said.

"Please, call me Emiko. I'm Yoshi's husband."

"Sango."

"You travel with demons, Sango, even though you are a slayer of them?"

"Yes, but don't worry-not all demons are bad. Take Kilala, for instance-she's been with my family since even before I was born. Even now, she's an invaluable asset to me."

"Will wonders never cease!"

The two ladies share a smile before being lead to one of the huts.

Once Yoshi & Emiko have placed Inuyasha & company in the largest hut of the village, they ordered the other people to place the Kanto survivors in the rest of the huts for comfort & a serving of food for each. The half-demon & his friends were all treated to a full meal as well, a well-deserved bite after a rather rough experience. Shortly after they digested their meal, Miroku spilled the beans of what went on at Kanto village & what they saw, followed by the hut they had passed on their way over.

"What a horrible way to be killed-even for bandits!", Yoshi said.

"Not to mention as to what took place at that hut you mentioned, Miroku!", Emiko said. "It always pains me to know when children die, especially at the hands of ruthless demons!"

"I guess now we know why you & Inuyasha kept it to yourselves before, Miroku", said the demon slayer. "That's something I would do myself."

"Yeah, now I wish I hadn't asked before!", Shippo said, placing his hands on his stomach & feeling a little queasy.

"If you're gonna throw up from it, Shippo, do it outside!", Inuyasha said sternly.

"Get bent, Inuyasha!"

BOP!

Inuyasha places a fist on top of Shippo's head, the latter of whom receives a shiner as tears form in his eyes, rubbing the spot he got hit with his hands.

"Watch your tongue, brat!", Inuyasha says.

"Inuyasha?", Kagome says, totally oblivious to his mini quarrel with the fox demon.

"Hm?"

"You mentioned before that you had caught the scent of those invisible demons at that hut, albeit a very faint one?"

"Yeah, I did. It got me to thinking that those two new brands of demons are working in comparison with each other, but I can't be sure of it yet."

"Well, whatever the reason may be, it doesn't feel right to just leave them there out in the open", Shippo said as Inuyasha grabs him by the tail & lifts him to eye level.

"Why, Shippo, are you volunteering to come along to help me bury them?", the half-demon quips with a smirk. "Hope you got a strong stomach!"

"Stuff it, Inuyasha! The only reason I am doing thisis because I feel sorry for that family-not because you're telling me to!", the little fox demon says, squirming around as he's being held in mid-air.

"Ha! Whatever! You're going all the same, so let's go get you a shovel!"

Yoshi gets three shovels for Inuyasha & Shippo as they all head outside, placing them on a fully transformed Kilala on her back.

"How long do you think it would take you & Shippo, Inuyasha?", Kagome asked.

"Well, considering there are only four of them, I'd say about no more than thirty minutes to an hour's time, if not less with Kilala taking us to & from", he said.

"That's a good time, Inuyasha", said Sango. "Kagome, Miroku & myself will remain here until you & Shippo return from…"

"Miroku!"

Everyone turned to see a half dozen young girls in darling kimono robes rushing up to the Buddhist monk, who welcomes the group with open arms.

"Ladies! Did you miss me?", Miroku asked kindly.

"Like the crops miss the rain, you handsome monk you!", one of them said playfully & the rest giggled with glee.

"Glad to hear it, my dears! Now, who wants the distinctive honor of having to bear my child for me?"

Before any of them can answer, Sango's voice boomed in an angry tone as Miroku turns to face her with a bashful look on his face.

"So! Now it all makes sense, doesn't it monk?", she barks.

"Yeah! That's the real reason you had us come here, Miroku!", Shippo snapped.

"You never change, do you?", Kagome fumed.

"It should be obvious!", said Inuyasha. "No wonder the folks here were so friendly with us-and as to why they knew him so well, aside from his exorcism expertise, that is!"

"Uh well, Miroku was quite the ladies' man even back then", Emiko said, trying to diffuse the heated situation.

"Oh, we know!", Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango & Shippo all said with their arms crossed & a scowl on their faces, their glares aimed directly at the Buddhist monk.

"Inuyasha? Think you could use one more on your journey?", Kagome asked in a mocking voice.

"Easily!", he says, approaching the lecherous monk & taking him by the ear. "C'mon you!"

"Ow! Inuyasha, wait! You & Shippo are more than enough for…", Miroku started to say but his words fell on deaf ears as the half-demon takes him over to a waiting Kilala & Shippo.

"Nothing doing, monk! We can use an extra pair of hands, & you're elected! Now move it!"

Defeated, Miroku gets placed by Inuyasha upon Kilala as the fox & half demons board the cat demon, but Miroku gets his last words in just the same.

"I won't be gone long, my dears! Wait for me until my return!"

"Oh we will, monk!", the young girls say before a furious Sango stares daggers at them, urging them to stay silent as she shakes a clenched fist. Not wanting to endure her fury, the young girls run off just as Kilala takes to the air with her passengers, heading in the same direction they used to arrive at Yoshi's village.

As soon as they were airborne, Inuyasha places a clenched fist to the monk's head, giving him a shiner like he did to Shippo moments before.

"Dumbass!", Inuyasha growled.

"Idiot!", Shippo added.

On the ground, Yoshi & Emiko do their best to keep things calm.

"Young lady, that wasn't really necessary", Yoshi says. "Those young girls weren't doing any harm whatsoever."

"That's right, Sango", Emiko added. "Those girls have known Miroku from the days when he first came here as a boy, & have been friends with him ever since. But as friendly he was with those girls, he once told Yoshi & I that one day he'd find the perfect woman, no matter how long it might take him."

That little bit of info made just about every ounce of anger & rage within Sango dissipate in the wink of an eye.

It even surprised her.

"He…said that?", she asked as both Yoshi & Emiko nodded. That made the demon slayer feel bad about her tirade, & even Kagome was taken by this bit of news.

"I guess we were all a bit too harsh on Miroku, don't you think?", the Junior High school girl says.

"I suppose we were at that, Kagome", Sango said, letting out a sigh.

"It's said that when a woman gets angry at her man for being with other females, her love for him is at it's strongest despite the rage coursing through her", Emiko said. "Because of that, he is evidently forgiven. Try to ponder on that, won't you?"

Seeing the proud smile on her face made Sango give one of her own, albeit a small one.

"You're probably right, Emiko. Please forgive me for my insolence earlier. I'll apologize to the girls for my behavior."

"Now now, you leave that to me", Emiko insisted. "Right now, how would you two like to take a nice refreshing bath?"

"Talk to us!", Kagome & Sango said cheerfully.

Emiko led Kagome & Sango towards a small spring that took about a five minute walk to get to. This spring had a little waterfall that rose four feet from the main pond that had a width of close to twenty feet all around. Having brought fresh cloths to dry themselves with afterwards, Emiko left the girls in complete privacy as she heads back to the village. Once she was clearly out of sight, Sango & Kagome got naked & went in the water, leaving their clothing at the bank of the pond along with their weapons.

That was eight minutes ago.

Immersed in the refreshing drink up to their necks, the girls feel as if all the knots in their bodies untangled on their own.

"Ahhh. Nothing beats a nice soothing bath, Sango", Kagome says.

"I'll say, Kagome", the demon slayer replied. "Along with the filth & grime, it seems all of your troubles get washed away with it. Now, if only real life could operate in the same way."

"Tell me about it. In order to solve a problem, you can't just wash it away or sweep it under a rug. You need to face it head-on & fix it, no matter the difficulty."

"But that's not to say you can't get a little downtime in between, & this is one of those times that girls crave most-to be alone when bathing."

"And with no peeping toms to worry about!"

Kagome's last statement made both of them burst out laughing, recalling the times when Inuyasha & Miroku tried to take a peek at them bathing for aglimpse of their nudity which more or less resulted in a rock thrown or hard slap in the face. This time, however, neither of them has to worry about such a lecherous act from the half-demon or monk, as they're currently away from the village to bury a senior couple along with their grandkids at their home.

When they stopped, they let out a collective sigh joined in by a few chuckles.

Then they heard screaming, & their smiles vanished.

It was a rather faint noise, but the girls heard it good enough.

"You heard that, right, Sango?", asked Kagome to be sure.

"I sure did, Kagome!", the demon slayer said as the girls got out of the water & started drying themselves in a hurry. "Emiko & the others are in trouble! Let's move it!"

"Right!"

It took them only seconds to get dressed in their school & demon slayer outfits before they grabbed their weapons & ran off towards the village at full speed. The sounds got louder but not as much as before as they got closer. Fearing the worst, Kagome readied her bow & arrow just as Sango prepared to throw her Hiraikotsu boomerang at the very first enemy she encounters, be it demons or a band of foolish bandits who dare to assault a village of innocent people. As the girls get only a minute away, they hardly hear any kind of sounds & it begins to worry them.

"I don't hear anything more, Sango!", Kagome says.

"Neither do I, Kagome!", Sango replied. "It's too quiet now, & that's worrying me! Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary! We're almost there!"

"Got it!"

In just under a minute, Sango & Kagome reach the village with their weaponry ready, but they stop short & drop their weapons from their hands. What they were now witnessing before them was nothing short of horrific: huts were severely damaged & stained with blood, & bodies were sprawled on the ground in puddles of blood. Some of them had been stabbed through their chests, backs & heads, but others were eviscerated as limbs were placed in numerous parts of the village, the cuts clean as a very sharp weapon was used to make short work of the people. Sango & Kagome even recognized some of the women & children they took from the Kanto village as they lay dead on the ground, their blood staining the soil of their new home. The girls felt a pang of guilt: they bring them to a village for safety & sanctuary in case whatever killed the bandits would come back for them, & they failed in that. It seemed that those who invaded Kanto village has returned to finish what they began over there.

Their hearts sank in their chests, amid the queasy feeling that threatened to consume them. The body of Yoshi was only five feet away, giving them more dread.

"Oh dear god!", Kagome said under her breath, getting unsteady on her feet.

"Kagome?", Sango said, going to her side & giving her support.

"Sango…how could we let this happen to them? How?"

"It's not your fault, Kagome! It's nobody's fault! Come on, keep it together for me!"

"But the survivors from Kanto village…Yoshi & his home…all the kids…"

"I know, Kagome, but we need to be strong! Let's find who did this & we'll…"

Neither one noticed a low growling sound that eminated from behind them during their little breakdown. The girls made a quick dash for their weapons they dropped on the ground, but neither one even had the chance to so much as touch them. From above, a pair of large clawed hands buffeted them in the back of their heads with great force. All the girls saw in their visions were white flashes before blacking out completely.

Being unconscious meant that Sango & Kagome didn't feel themselves being picked up & carried off.

CHAPTER V

Sango didn't know how long she had been out for as she slowly regains consciousness. All she did know was that her head throbbed with pain, & she shakes her head to try & clear it. It did hurt, but being a demon slayer, she was taught to block her pain so as not to let it interfere with her chore. When her vision came into focus, she tried to move but found herself adhered to the wall on the inside of one of the huts of Yoshi's village. Only, the décor within the hut had been unlike anything Sango has ever seen before: the walls were covered with some kind of organic substance from ceiling to floor, & several of the women-some from Kanto villang, others from Yoshi's-were adhered to the wall in the same fashion Sango herself was by some epoxy-like goo which has hardened, feeling like cement in a way. Like the demon slayer, these women were stuck to the wall with their arms held out like Jesus Christ was when he was nailed to the cross.

Her heart raced when she saw a familiar face on the wall.

"Emiko!", she called out as she heard moaning to her right only five feet away.

Turning in that direction, Sango saw…

"Kagome!"

"Uh…what…?", she began to say, her head hurting as Sango's was. When she saw the demon slayer to her left, she became instantly aware. "Sango! You're okay!"

"Yeah, under the circumstances! As you can see, I've been pinned to the wall by this hard substance just as you & those women over there-including Emiko-have been!"

"Emiko? Where is she…?"

Kagome saw their captive friend on the opposite wall, being six feet to their left. Seeing her, the girls called out her name three times each before she regains consciousness & sees who called her name.

"Sango! Kagome!", she says, turning her head as best she can. "They got you too, I see!"

"Who's 'they', Emiko? Who did this to you & killed the rest?", Kagome asked. "Bandits? Demons?"

"I'd put my money on the latter! These horrible black demons came to our village & they mercilessly slaughtered my husband Yoshi & the others before taking some of the women & put them in the state we're all in now!"

"But why would they kill some & spare the rest of you?", Sango asks.

"Because they needed us for something, Sango! Not only were there the black demons, there was also some other kind which resembled them but was also different in certain aspects! It had a crab-like face & had some kind of 'hair' on the sides of its large cranium! With each one of these women & myself, it shoved its mouth right into ours & seemingly 'implanted' several items within us! I lost consciousness when it became my turn, but I know for certain that they were eggs of some kind! I felt at least two go down my throat before I blacked out, but I can't tell how long it's been since it…"

Emiko suddenly screamed out in anguish as Kagome & Sango called her name, but Emiko couldn't hear, let alone acknowledge, them: the only thing that was on her mind right now was the immense throbbing pain in her stomach that grew in intensity with each second. The young girls can see her stomach bulging, as if something or many somethings were moving within her. Emiko's mouth began to foam & drip blood, soon followed by the other captive women inside the hut of nightmares. Their symptoms were the same as Emiko's, & one by one in no particular order, their stomachs just burst open like bubbles in bathtubs as a chorus of screaming occurred. Kagome & Sango were staring wide-eyed at the horror before them: in each one of the exposed bellies of Emiko & the other women were a cadre of bloodied eel-like creatures with mouths of sharp needle-teeth, all screeching in the joy of birth.

So that's what happened to that eldery woman Inuyasha & Miroku found at that lone hut on our way here!, Kagome thought with disgust. These demons are embryo-planters, & they use women to reproduce in the most horrible way!

What ran through her head was what did so through Sango's own, plus other thoughts.

Whatever that demon Emiko described is probably the same thing that knocked Kagome & myself out before, & could still be here!, she thought. We'd best be gone from this spot before it returns!

"Hold tight, Kagome! We're getting out of this!", Sango says.

"Make it fast, Sango!", Kagome urged.

Sango nods, & from her wrist gauntlets a curved blade protrudes that cuts through the hard epoxy substance like swords through flesh. Ripping her arms free, Sango gets her legs loose & out before working on Kagome, getting her free in seconds with her wrist blades.

"That was fast, Sango! Thanks!", Kagome said.

"Now to take care of those little demons before they…oh no!"

Sango's sentence was cut short when the eel-like creatures abruptly take off out of their wombs & race out into the open of the village.

"After them-quick!"

The girls make their way out of the hut of horror, only to find two disturbing sights. One was that the eel-like creatures have all split up in numerous directions, making it impossible for either Kagome or Sango to pursue & exterminate them, being gone from sight in mere moments as they disappear into the heavy brush of the forest.

The other thing was that two of the black demons that Emiko spoke of were standing right before them. They stood two meters tall, & their bodies seemed like a mixture of a large reptile & insect fused as one. They had four clawed toes on each foot, followed by six clawed fingers on each hand. A segmented tail with a tip that looked razor-sharp hung from behind like whipping snakes. Out of their backs protruded two pairs of tubular dorsal spines, followed by one pointed one between the shoulders & neck. Their heads were in the shape of a banana, & the front each sported a mouth of needle-like teeth, just like the eel creatures had. No eyes were visible on the faces, & hisses emitted between clenched teeth as drool dripped from their lips.

Steadying her nerves, Sango searched quickly for her Hiraikotsu boomerang & Kagome's bow & arrows while keeping her sights on the two creatures. Immediately she had found her trademark weapon layed at the same spot where she & Kagome were hit after arriving back to the village. It was too far away, & she had no idea on how fast the things were, much less where Kagome's armaments were, but she guessed they were with her Hiraikotsu. It was the only chance they had-she doubted her wrist blades would be much protection against these new demons, & she wasn't going to take any foolish risks with them.

"Kagome", Sango said lowly. "Our weapons are just behind us by about forty feet. When I give the word, you & I will run for them, & don't stop until you get your hands on them! Got it?"

"Got it! Just say when!", Kagome answered.

The two creatures stared at the girls, & Sango can tell they were ready to pounce upon them at any second.

It was now or never.

"Now!"

Before the demon slayer even finished saying that one word, the girls were off & running as the two monsters raced off after them with inhuman speed. It was this that they caught up to their two fleeing prey with ease, grabbing their ankles & pulling on them, making the girls lose balance & fall to the ground in clouds of dust. As soon as they turned around, both beasts were on top of them, their massive weight pinning them down.

Kagome & Sango were staring at the jaws of their deaths!

The demon slayer was keeping her attacker at bay with her wrist blades, but can get no momentum or leverage to make a cut in its thick hard skin. Kagome was frantically searching for any kind of weapon in her reach to do the same, but all she can find is a sword that was seven feet away-too far for her to grab.

With all her strength, Sango pushed at the black beast as it opened its drooling maw. The demon slayer's eyes went wide when she saw another mouth with sharp teeth inside. Just like a striking cobra, this second mouth shot out with high velocity & snapped shut where her head was a second ago, as Sango moved just barely to her right to avoid impalement. Were she slower, the inner mouth would've struck flesh & bone on her forehead, & Sango would be dead.

And if she doesn't get this black demon off of her, she will be!

Damn me for not bringing my sword with me to the pond!, Sango cursed herself.

In Kagome's predicament, it looks to be like the end for her, with no way to take the thing with her when it comes.

She stares with deep trepidation in her eyes.

Mom! Grandpa! Sota! Inuyasha!, were her final thoughts.

"Fox-fire!"

Twin balls of green-blue flames strike the two demons in the back with enough force to pull them away from Sango & Kagome, screeching in protest. They all look up to see Kilala fly in with Shippo on her neck & Miroku & Inuyasha jumping down from her as the half-demon grabs the two black demons by their tails & throwing them a distance of thirty feet away. He draws his Tetsusaiga as it grows to its full size, facing the creatures & daring them to try anything else. Kilala lands as Shippo runs towards the girls with the former joining the half-demon, being by his side & growling at their new foes.

"Kagome! Are you & Sango all right?", he says.

"Yes, we're fine, Inuyasha!", Kagome said. "But the same can't be said for Emiko & the others! They…"

"What do you mean, Kagome?", Miroku asked frantically. "What in the hell did these demons do to Emiko & everyone here?"

It was Sango who answered.

"There was this demon Emiko spoke of that had impregnated her & the women with these embryos, & in time they burst forth from their stomachs & gave birth to these eel-like demons. Needless to say, they slaughtered everyone else, Yoshi included!"

A strong pang of anger hit Miroku like a tidal wave; this is a village where he spent some time as a young boy & befriended just about everyone here, always treating him right even when he was a lecher to the ladies. To see & hear about what happened to all the people in this place-including the survivors from Kanto village-made the Buddhist monk irate beyond words, & he was going to release his fury on the two black demons who are now on their feet again.

"You ladies stay where you are! Shippo, you too!", Miroku ordered as he joins Inuyasha & Kilala.

"Miroku, what are you…", the little fox demon started to say but the monk wasn't even listening.

"Inuyasha, Kilala, back off! These two demons are mine!", Miroku barks, placing his right hand out in front of him & removes his beads that cover it. Seeing this maneuver, the half & cat demons do indeed give the monk space as he is about to use his most effective weapon.

Attack & kill everyone in this place, will you?, Miroku thought angrily with a deep scowl.

"Wind tunnel!", he shouts, exposing the palm of his right hand at the two demons once the cloth was gone. A small black hole over an inch in diameter begins creating a vacuum that all but literally sucks up everything in its path from rocks, dirt, pieces of wood & anything else caught in its grip. The sucking wind catches the two monsters in its grip, & they bring themselves to the ground as they use their clawed feet & hands to grab traction. But try as they might, they cannot escape the fury of Miroku's Wind Tunnel & they lose their grip in the ground & get pulled into the monk's weapon, screeching all the way.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Shippo & Kilala all watch as Miroku sucks up the two creatures into his cursed hand. They had to have a hand it to the monk-even though he's a pervert & a lecher, he gets deadly serious when things around him do, & he pulls no punches when doing so.

It's one of the reasons as to why he's such a valuable member of their demon-fighting team, almost as much as any of them are.

After the black demons are sucked up in Miroku's hand, he reseals it with his cloth & then wraps his beads on it again, sealing it shut.

That's when he gets hit by a surge of pain that hits his body like a ton of bricks, & Miroku falls to the ground with a thud, grabbing his right arm & screaming in pain the whole way.

"Miroku?", Inuyasha said, wondering why he was in pain.

"Miroku!", Sango, Kagome & Shippo shouted, running up to him but it was Sango who had taken him in her arms.

"Miroku, what's wrong?", Sango asked. "Are those demons highly poisonous like the Saimyoushou?"

"No!", Miroku said. "Poison doesn't flow through them! These demons have a very strong & powerful type of acidic blood coursing through their bodies! They're worse than Naraku's poison insects! It burns, Sango! It burns!"

The Buddhist monk grits his teeth as he starts convulsing due to the pain he's experiencing as Sango holds him tight as best he can.

"Demons with acid for blood?", Inuyasha & Kagome say to each other.

"That's not important right now, you guys!", Shippo said. "We need to help Miroku & get something to soothe his pain-quickly!"

"I've got just the thing!", Sango said, opening her left shoulder pad & taking out a shell which opens up to reveal pink powder. Pulling back his sleeve, she sprinkles some upon the bare skin of his arm & hand before placing it back.

"What is that stuff, Sango?", Miroku asked.

"Some kind of powder that can neutralize high-degree burns!", she said. "It can even be used to prevent internal burning in some cases, so this stuff should work on you just the same! It will take some time to take effect, but you should start feeling the relief shortly! Give yourself a few minutes, & your pain will dissipate greatly!"

Inuyasha's nose catches a scent, & it was now very familiar to him.

Those demons Miroku sucked up had the same scent as those who killed that elderly pair & their grandkids at that lone hut!, he said to himself. And now, more have made their way here!

"He's not gonna have a few minutes, Sango!", the half-demon said. "We're about to have more unwelcome company! Get on your guard, everyone!"

"Here you go, Kagome!", Shippo says, throwing her bow & arrows to her & she catches them with ease. "And here's your sword, Sango!"

The little fox demon throws the demon slayer her sword, & Sango is up & about to catch it in nothing flat.

"Thank you, Shippo!", Kagome & Sango say as the latter turns to Miroku. "Are you still well enough to fight, Miroku?"

"I won't slow any of you down!", the monk said, using his staff to get on his feet & gets in a defensive position. "And being with you, Sango, gives me extra strength to face anything, in spite of whatever pain I endure!"

Oh Miroku, you do care for me!, Sango thought proudly, remembering what Emiko told her before.

"I hope so, Miroku, because here they come!", Inuyasha said as more of the black demons emerge from atop & around the huts of the village. This time they weren't up against two of the creatures-they were up against twenty of them! Each of them hissed angrily at Inuyasha & his band, baring their teeth & whipping their tails back & forth.

Then all at once, they leap at the demon-fighting band like leopards & a brutal fight now ensues.

Staff in hand, Miroku clobbers a pair of the creatures in the head & kicks them in what may pass as their solar plexus, keeping them at bay from his person. Kagome, however, has a more effective method by using her bow & arrows at each monster that gets near, hitting a bulls-eye every time in the chests & heads as arrows are well spent.

Sango slices three of the monsters as she races towards her Hiraikotsu boomerang, now only six feet away. One of the demons awaits her there, but she takes a dive for her weapon & swings her sword in the process. The attack cuts off the thing's legs & hits the ground as Sango dodges the acidic fluid. Taking her weapon in hand, she aims & throws.

"Here comes some evening of the odds! Hiraikotsu!", she yells as her boomerang weapon soars through the air directly at the black demons & cuts through a quartet of them right down the middle, their legs falling out from under them as they let out a final screech in pain before they expire. The weapon returns to Sango & she grabs it one-handed like she does every time. While it smoked, the Hiraikotsu did not melt anywhere.

Kilala kicked her sixth demon towards Inuyasha, who uses his Tetsusaiga to slice their heads off & let them fall to the ground & avoiding the acid blood as best they can. A few drops did touch Inuyasha's robe & sword, but did no damage to either of them even though his robe smoked where the drops landed. Shippo uses his fox-fire attack to drive two more away from his person & they end up on the business end of one of Kagome's arrow & Inuyasha's sword.

Now there were only six of the black, acid-blooded demons left, all of them gathered in a group sixteen feet from where the half-demon & company stood.

"Nice work, gang! You can all take five now! I'll finish the rest of these demons off with one blow of my Wind Scar!", Inuyasha said.

"They're all yours, Inuyasha! Let 'em have it for what they've done here!", Shippo urged him.

"Oh yeah!"

Inuyasha raises his Tetsusaiga above his head, & the sword creates swirls of energy which circle his weapon. Feeling the surge build, Inuyasha prepares to unleash the fury of his Tetsusaiga upon the group of demons before him & blast them into a million pieces just like he has so many demons in the past.

"Wind…!"

The half-demon didn't go any further: from out of nowhere it seemed, the PredAlien has landed in front of Inuyasha, & using its tail like a living whip, smacks him in the chest & sends him crashing into Miroku & everyone else as they get knocked down like living bowling pins. Getting themselves untangled as fast as they can, Inuyasha catches its scent & immediately puts it together.

I remember!, he thought. This creature has the scent of those other demons before us and of those who killed the bandits at Kanto village!

Kagome & Sango also come up with their own deductions, seeing the 'hair' on the sides of its head & crab-like face.

That must be the creature which…, Kagome thought as Sango finished orally.

"That's the thing that implanted those embryos inside Emiko & the other women, giving birth to these horrible acid-blooded demons!"

"It is, huh? It's mine!", Miroku said in anger, charging after the PredAlien with his staff raised, wanting to impale it straight through the monster's chest. Sango called to him, but it did no better than before: not since Naraku has the monk loathed another living soul & wished death for that he's eager to deliver the killing blow to it, even if he dies in the process.

But like any game of chess, taking out the King was easier said than done: in defense, two of the Aliens jumped in front of the PredAlien & launched themselves at Miroku, knocking him down to the ground & on top before anyone can do a thing to counterstrike. The monk kept the creatures back with his staff, but his strength was waning fast due to the sucking up of two of the beasts earlier.

Their mouths open to reveal the inner jaws that open as well, ready to strike out.

I suppose this wasn't such a good idea after all!, Miroku thought.

Just as the inner mouths were about to shoot forth, something long & barbed wraps itself around the two heads of the Aliens, giving Inuyasha time to grab Miroku by the shoulder & yank him out of harm's way. When they were five feet away, the whip around the Aliens' heads gets tight & cuts through with ease, slicing them into several pieces as their bodies slump to the ground. Inuyasha & the others watch as the final four Aliens get their heads blown off by shots of blue-white energy that literally appear out of nowhere, leaving the PredAlien alone. One by one, a band of twelve shimmers in the air make themselves known as they emerge from the forest & become corporeal before the bewildered group of demon-hunters. A dozen humanoid figures stand two meters tall, which was more or less the same height as the Aliens they just wasted. A metal face mask covered each of their heads, & some kind of braided 'hair' dangled from the sides & rears. Some held metal spears, discs that looked to be razor-sharp, including the barbed whip that made short work of the Aliens that had Miroku at their mercy. They wore metal body armor which covered their forearms, shins, femurs, shoulders & parts of their chests. The one who was tallest wore red armor & had two horns on its face mask like a rhino's, & the second largest had green flesh with a face mask that had a pair of horns on its sides, much like a bull's. Each one gave out a cackling sound, & currently they had their full attention on the PredAlien, ignoring Inuyasha & company.

The hybrid roared its defiance at its prey & ran off into the forest at high velocity as the humanoids fired what looked like shoulder cannons of blue-white energy at the escaping beast. None of their shots made contact though, & the PredAlien made good its escape, using the trees as cover. The tallest ones let out a roar of frustration.

Kagome readied her bow & arrow, aiming it at the one with thw whip but Sango placed her hand down it & shook her head.

"No, Kagome!", she says. "They could've easily taken us out along with all those black demons! We don't know what their true intentions are, so for now we should play it cool!"

"And if they do assault us?", Kagome asks.

"Then we go on the defensive, not before!", Miroku said.

That's when the armored humanoids turn to them, & everyone gets into a defensive stance, ready to attack if they should do so first. It hit everyone all at once, & Shippo was the first to bring it up.

"Those must be those invisible demons the people from Kanto village was talking about! They're the ones who killed those bandits & took their skulls like trophies!"

"And they're the ones who dissolved the men in that village!", Miroku said, placing his hands out to his sides & speaking outwardly towards the new arrivals. "Go away! You're not using your liquid to melt away these people like you did last time! Do you hear me? We'll take care of them-not you!"

The dozen newcomers stare at the group of six for a long while as if deciding to obey the monk's orders, or blatantly go against his wish & repeat their chore from Kanto village & maybe even take them out of the equation while they were at it.

For close to a minute, no one did or said anything.

Then the humanoids made their move: they turn invisible & take off in the direction of the PredAlien, leaving without looking back.

In seconds, they were gone.

"What in the world was that all about?", Shippo wondered. "Are these demons natural enemies to each other?"

"That's what it seems like, Shippo!", Inuyasha said. "I first thought they were in league with one another, since that acid-blooded demon with the same 'hair' as those invisible ones has part of their scent & that of its kind, but I was wrong! These new demons despise one another as much as we do Naraku, Kagura & the rest of his band!"

"Oh really, Inuyasha? And here I always thought that there was a place in your heart for dear little ol' me!"

A woman's voice came from behind the demon-hunting band, & they all turn to see a large white feather take to the sky from the cover of the forest. Aboard it were three individuals: one was a woman in a kimono robe of white, blue & magenta. Her hair was short & tied in a bun at the rear. She had a yellow bow wrapped around her waist, & she held a Japanese fan of white in her right hand. Her two companions were smaller about half her size, the first one being a young girl wearing a complete white outfit & sporting white long hair. In her hands was a rounded mirror she held close to her. The third & final member of their group was also young but looked older than the little girl. He had short black hair & wore a gray robe. In his hand was a sickle attached to a chain, a weapon he uses expertly.

They were three faces the group knew all too well.

"Kagura!", Inuyasha & Miroku spat.

"Kanna!", Kagome snapped.

"Kohaku!", Sango said with shock & surprise.

"Then Naraku is involved with these new demons!", Shippo deduced.

"I should've known it from the start!", Inuyasha snapped. "Those demons had Naraku's dirty hands all over this whole affair!"

"Hmph! You'd think Naraku is responsible for everything these days, wouldn't you?", Kagura mocked. "I'll just bet you'd finger him as the culprit if it was something as mundane as having your own clothes stolen while you took a bath!"

"What are you doing here, Kagura?", Miroku demanded. "Was it you who coordinated this attack on this village with those demons?"

Kagura places a hand over her chest & acts hurt.

"Moi? Monk, I'm shocked & appalled! Whatever gave you the idea that I had anything to do with this?"

"Don't play any games with us, Kagura!", Inuyasha barked. "You're indirectly responsible for it all! Why else would you be here, spying on us?"

"Let's just say that we happened to be in the area & thought we'd say 'hello' to you!", said Kanna with a sinister smile in her icy tone. "We even had Kohaku join us, & lo & behold, he's somewhat reunited with his older sister! Don't you think we're good neighbors for it?"

"Kohaku! Kohaku!", Sango calls out to him, ignoring both Kagura & Kanna. "Wake up! It's me-Sango! Please, Kohaku! Answer me!"

I would if I could, sis, believe me!, Kohaku said to himself. But Naraku knows everything I do! If I act now, I'll be killed on the spot & then we'll never get reunited! I can't risk that right now! Please hold on, Sango! One way or another, I will get free from Naraku's control! Try to hold out a little while longer okay?

"Save your breath, demon slayer!", said Kanna. "Your younger brother belongs to Naraku, body & soul! He can't hear you unless he wants you to! Accept it!" She turns to Kagura. "Get us away from here, Kagura! We've wasted enough time already!"

With a nod, the giant feather that carried the trio rose up & headed away from Inuyasha's group. No one tried to stop them: a stray shot from Kagome's arrows, Sango's Hiraikotsu or the half-demon's Wind Scar attack might hit Kohaku & kill him instantly, & that's a chance nobody was going to risk even in the slightest.

So as much as it hurts them to, they had to let Kagura go.

"Next time, Kagura, you won't be so fortunate!", Inuyasha said in a low but angry voice.

"Forget about them for now, Inuyasha", Kagome said in a compassionate tone. "We got more important things to worry about at the moment."

"So we're not going to try & rescue Kohaku?", Shippo says then instantly regretted it. "Uh, I didn't mean that to cause you any…"

"It's okay, Shippo", Sango said evenly & non-threatening. "We'll help Kohaku when the time is right. But Kagome did have a point. We need to give Yoshi, Emiko & everyone else here a proper burial. It's the least we can do for them-and Miroku."

Sango looks at the Buddhist monk with sympathetic eyes & he nods.

Even Inuyasha gives him his support in his own way.

"Don't worry, Miroku", the half-demon says in a rare display of emotion. "After we give your childhood friends a proper burial, we'll hunt those demons down & make them pay dearly for what occurred here."

"And we'll do it together like we always do!", said Shippo. "Right, Kagome?"

"That's right, Shippo", she says. "We're a family, & there's nothing more important than that! Believe me, I know!"

The warm smiles on everyone's face (including Inuyasha's!) made Miroku feel better to an extent. Even his arm was starting to do the same, thanks to Sango's powder. With all the support he has by his side, he smiles back & nods.

"Thanks everyone", he says. "Let's send Yoshi & company to heaven, shall we?"

With a nod, they all went to work.

At a distance of over 150 yards away from Inuyasha's group, Kagura speaks.

"Hmph! To think those fools actually believe we had something to do with that slaughter back there! They're more naïve than I first thought they were! But I must admit, those demons with the acidic blood & those with the most unusual weaponry have really intrigued me!"

"For once, Kagura, we agree on something", said Kanna. "Even I was all but unaware of such creatures in our midst. Were you, Kohaku?"

"I'm just as in the dark about those demons as you both are", the young demon slayer says.

"I thought as much. But this is quite the opportunity, as I'm sure our master Naraku would be very highly interested in what we've discovered today!"

Of course he would, Kanna!, Kohaku thought. Naraku would use any kind of advantage against & bring down his enemies, including my sister & her friends! Now he'll have a new kind of weapon in his insane arsenal, once he discovers those new demons! Dammit, if only I could do something-anything-to stop this! Please be careful, sis! Those new demons are no pushovers!

Without anyone else saying anything, the trio headed back to base.

Midday:

In spite of the interference from both Inuyasha's group and that of its most loathed foes the Yautja, the PredAlien made good its escape with a fine number of its brethren. Here in a rocky ditch with walls a hundred feet high, the hybrid takes a gander at its grand army of Aliens whose numbers are over a hundred warriors standing around, awaiting orders. Aside from the village in which they encountered Inuyasha & the Predators, the Aliens were also born & bred at two other villages, each repeating the horrid process of giving life to the ultimate prey. The PredAlien had never been more proud of its army, up to & including the creature any Yautja would kill any number of its clan to make a trophy of.

An Alien Queen!

Standing nearly three times as large as any of her subjects, the Alien Queen sprouted two smaller arms from the center of her torso, with three-fingered clawed hands. Her head was a bit different than those of her kin, being expanded more in the rear with a trio of points stickingt out at the end. The other Aliens hissed in praise as the Queen surveys her children & lets out a hiss of appreciation to her worship.

Except for the PredAlien, that is.

Several of the Aliens takes steps towards their queen but two of them get buffeted by the Alien/Predator hybrid & get thrown back into the rest of the horde, roaring angrily as it does.

This the Alien Queen does not like, & she lets the hybrid know of it by screeching angrily herself.

The PredAlien was not intimidated by the threat like the rest were, & the Alien horde back off to give them both space, instinctively sensing that a brawl was about to take place between the two of them. Using their special pheromones, the Alien Queen & PredAlien began 'speaking' to one another, coupled with angry screeches & roars.

Alien Queen: What? How dare you hit my children contemptuously!

PredAlien: I'll treat them how I damn well please, bitch! And they aren't your children-they're mine, & don't you forget it!

Alien Queen: They are mine to command! I'm their queen!

PredAlien: A queen which I had given birth to-another thing you need to consider!

Alien Queen: That matters not! Just because you gave me life it doesn't mean that I am yours to command! Do not forget-I am much larger than you!

PredAlien: Size isn't everything!

Alien Queen: You say that you gave me life? It was one of my children in its hatching stage which gave you yours! If not for that, you wouldn't exist right now!

PredAlien: And now that I'm here, I'm taking charge of our horde! Like it or leave it! That is, of course, you wish to settle this the old-fashioned way!

Alien Queen: If that's how you wish to play it, hybrid, then so be it!

PredAlien: I gave you life, yes, but I can just as easily take it away from you as well! Bring it, bitch!

Its final statement made the Alien Queen screech out in defiance & anger, & charges the hybrid at full speed as she lashes out first with her jaws & inner mouth, gnashing & striking in a furious fashion. Fast as she was, the PredAlien dodges & avoids these attacks with ease. The Queen then ups the ante by lashing out with her long segmented tail like a giant snake, the deadly point at the end making a formidable hole in the ground where it lands at. The hybrid barely stays one step ahead of getting impaled by the swift strikes the Queen was making, & it admitted to itself that it may be in trouble unless it does something. Fighting fire with fire, the PredAlien lashes out at the Queen with its own tail when hers gets within range. Like whips fired parallel at each other, both alien tails get tangled with each other & that gave the Queen an idea.

With her enemy temporarily trapped on her, she flings the PredAlien over her large cranial head & soars it to almost two hundred feet away. The hybrid hits the ground hard & coughs up a cloud of dirt & dust as it skids along, creating a small ditch with its momentum. The earth shook with each step the Alien Queen took as she races after the hybrid to finish it off. But the hybrid was far from finished, & it was back on its feet before the Queen was even halfway towards it, as dazed as it was from the crash. The PredAlien was alert & ready for the Alien Queen's resumed assault on it, but the small smokescreen from its crash landing made it difficult to see, especially when the Queen strikes out with her left hand in an attempt to crush her rival like a bug. Barely staying clear of getting crushed, the PredAlien gets itself to better ground & away from the smokescreen that obscures its vision & senses in order to fight & defeat its bigger foe. Going under & through the Queen's legs, the hybrid gets out into the open as the Alien Queen senses her foe behind her & turns on a dime, her pointed tail nearly decapitating the hybrid, who ducks its head at the last moment to avoid death.

Bellowing roars & screeches at each other, the Alien Queen & PredAlien charge straight for one another as the Queen attacks with her deadly jaws, hands & tail all at once. The combined assault of her three most effective weapons gave the PredAlien scarcely any time to catch its breath as it weaved, dodged & avoided every attack on its alien person. With this savagery the Queen possesses, the hybrid may have bitten off more than it can chew.

Then it makes a mistake: it dodges right when it should've gone left as the Queen lashed her tail out, & that made it easy pickings for her as she grabs her alien rival in both hands like it was a child with a rag doll & brings it to her face, hissing with clenched teeth.

On the sidelines from a distance of thirty yards, the Alien horde watches the battle unfold, each of them unsure as to whether or not to intervene. Even if they decide to, they were unsure as to who they should lend their assistance to-their queen, or the hybrid that had actually brought them into the world.

Having not been able to decide on their own, the Aliens wait & finish the rest of the brawl.

With the PredAlien at her mercy, the Alien Queen brings it to eye level & savors the time of having her foe literally in her clutches to deliver the killing strike. The PredAlien showed no trepidation even now, as it stares defiantly at its larger enemy, who opens her mouth & then her inner jaws to make a quick stab in the hybrid's oversized head & splatter it like a melon. They strike out like a snake & clamp shut but hit nothing, for the PredAlien moves its head to the right & counterstrikes with its own inner jaws, puncturing the Queen's at the base of the mouth. Like a fisherman's reel, the hybrid retracts its inner jaws & pull off the Queen's. Acidic blood squirts all over as the Alien Queen screeches out in pain of losing its inner appendage. The PredAlien then resumes its assault by shooting its inner mouth at the Queen's wrists, puncturing her hard flesh & spurting acid as she is forced to let go of her prey & the hybrid lands on the ground safely on its feet. It roars an 'I told you so!' growl that echoes throughout the ravine at its larger foe, proving its supremacy.

Unfortunately for the hybrid, the Queen's pain only made her even more dangerous, & she wastes no time in deploying her rage: with speed in which even her enemy never anticipated, the PredAlien was buffeted hard across the front by a swift right hand that sent it flying & crashing into one of the rock walls. The impact caused several rocks to fall, some of which were more than large enough to crush the hybrid itself & shake the ground with each one that landed. This gave the Alien Queen another great idea: if she can get enough rocks to fall, her enemy will be buried alive and/or crushed, defeated.

Seeing her foe beaten in her mind, the Alien Queen rushes after the PredAlien as it fights to regain its bearings, its vision partially foggy from the blow it sustained. It wasn't foggy enough not to see what was coming its way, however: it saw the Alien Queen charging towards it, & the hybrid calmly stood there to await her speedy approach. When she got close enough, the hybrid leapt to one side as the Queen slammed her whole body into the rocky wall that echoed through the immediate area. So powerful was the impact-even stronger than before-that more boulders came crashing down, this time on top of the Queen, causing acidic bloody bruises on her hide.

It was an ironic turn of events: the Alien Queen wanted to bury her hybrid rival under tons of rock, & instead the tables turn as it was her now being buried. The PredAlien saw this factor & it now makes it its plan to defeat its foe. Using its tremendous strength, the hybrid leaped at the Alien Queen & slams itself-feet first-into her neck & causes her to screech in pain. This echoes off the area, & more boulders come falling down onto the Alien Queen more intensely than before. An avalanche of stone instead of snow comes tumbling down atop the Alien Queen, who screeches her pain & defiance to her foe that has bested her. Half a minute goes by before the rocks cease falling, & by that time the Alien Queen was nowhere to be seen; not even the smallest glimpse of a claw was visible to anyone.

All was silent for the remainder of said minute before the PredAlien made it back to its horde as it was proclaimed the victor of the scuffle, & they screech in obedience knowing that the hybrid will now lead them against their enemies, both their most hated foes the Yautja & that of Inuyasha's gang.

That also includes anyone else who they run across.

At a distant mountain:

Naraku was viewing the contents of Kanna's mirror it has picked up from both Yoshi & Emiko's village. It showed the Aliens battling Inuyasha & his group as he eyes every detail; the demon slayer using her Hiraikotsu to disembowel several of the creatures, Kagome shooting them down with her bow & arrow, Shippo letting loose with his 'fox-fire' attack to grab their attention as Inuyasha uses his Tetsusaiga to slice through them with ease, & Miroku using his 'Wind Tunnel' to suck them in, only to suffer great anguish in doing so. Then came the Yautja clan to finish them off, using barbed whips, shoulder cannons that fire shots of blue-white energy which blew off the Aliens' heads with ferocity that more or less matched Naraku's own. When the images from Kanna's mirror were gone, it changed back into an ordinary one & Naraku had sent it back to her by levitation.

Kanna takes her mirror back in her hands, with Kohaku & Kagura standing on either side of her.

"So Naraku, what do you think?", Kanna asked.

"As you & even Kagura are with these events, I am most intrigued by what your mirror has captured, Kanna", Naraku says with an evil smile. "Much more so by these brand new demons that have seemingly erupted from out of nowhere. Just like the three of you, I've never known of demons that have acidic blood, let alone ones that can turn invisible & strike without warning as these have. The acid-blooded ones are relentless & seem to be animalistic in nature, while the ones that can turn invisible look as if they possess an intelligence, having been able to use their weapons expertly to bring their foes down with ease."

"And at the same time too", Kagura says. "How much of a coincidence is that, I wonder?"

Naraku chuckles at her words, making her fear the worst.

But he does nothing to Kagura that causes her harm.

"Maybe it isn't coincidence, dear Kagura", he says. "Maybe their unexpected appearance in our realm is more or less a blessing of some sort."

"How do you mean?"

"No more questions, Kagura!", Kanna snapped at her. "You'll know when the time is right-if Naraku decides to share that information with you!"

Impudent little brat!, Kagura thought angrily towards Kanna, scowling down at her.

Kanna didn't seem to notice, or care.

"All in good time, Kagura", Naraku said. "For now, I need you to take Kohaku back to his 'other duty'. Once you do that, return here immediately as I have yet another important task for you & Kanna to perform."

"You heard Naraku, Kagura! Let's get going!", Kanna said sternly. She snarled her teeth a bit but still did as she was told. Removing a feather from her hair, it grew to a large size & she, Kanna & Kohaku all boarded & they took to the skies, leaving Naraku alone inside the mountain he's established as his new HQ.

The thought of the new arrivals to their land has brung a sinister smile to his face, which grew exponentially the more he did so of them.

CHAPTER VI

Mid to late afternoon:

His senses on their highest alert, Koga races down a fast-moving riverbank with his two companions Hakkaku & Ginta, trailing from a distance of more than forty feet & straining to keep up with him. Koga was the leader of the infamous Wolf Demon tribe who used to hunt humans for food & tear into them mercilessly, but that all changed when he stumbled upon Kagome, the young girl from another time who travels with Inuyasha's group. Upon their first meeting, Koga kidnaps her due to her ability to locate Shikon Jewel shards in order to help bring down the Wolf Demon tribe's greatest foes, the Birds of Paradise-demons with humanoid tops meshed with bodies of large toothy maws, giant wings & deadly clawed feet. During this brawl, Koga gets one of his jewel shards taken away violently (he had three to start with-one on each of his legs, another in his right arm, the one which was taken) before Inuyasha comes to the rescue. Immediately Koga & Inuyasha despise one another, especially when the Wolf Demon leader claims Kagome as his own, putting the half-demon into fits of rage.

The rivalry got even worse between them when Kagura ruthlessly slaughters most of the members of Koga's tribe at an abandoned village, only to arrive too late to find Inuyasha there at the aftermath. Seeing his people dead & the half-demon standing amidst the carnage, Koga went into a blood rage & savagely attacks Inuyasha blindly, almost killing him. He then discovered it wasn't the half-demon that murdered his people, but Naraku, having known that Kagura was associated with him. Since then, Koga has ceased his attacks on humans (no doubt for his love & affection for Kagome!) & has vowed to hunt down & kill Naraku for what he'd done, adding to the evil demon's list consisting of Sango, Miroku & Inuyasha himself, all of whom want nothing more than to send Naraku to his grave & straight to Hell.

Koga was more or less Inuyasha's height, taller by about four inches. He wore chest armor & had pads of fur on his legs, shoulders, left forearm, right wrist & headband. His feet had been partially clothed, & a cloth covered his waist. A bushy tail hung from his rear, his eyes were a medium/dark blue, & his long black hair was put in a ponytail. A sword hung from a belt on his waist, a weapon he seldomly uses if ever. His two traveling companions, Hakkaku & Ginta, were similarly dressed as Koga, but with different hairstyles. Ginta had a head of short white hair, but Hakkaku had nothing on top but a white spiky Mohawk. While they are of Koga's people, these two were much more cowardly & can barely keep up with their leader, since all that they run on is their leg power which wasn't amplified by any jewel shards, resulting in panted breaths paired with complaints.

"Come on, you two slowpokes, move it!", Koga barked at his two companions. "I know demon slugs that can move faster than you can!"

"Give us a break already, Koga!", shouted Hakkaku between pants. "You're the one with the jewel shards in your legs, not us! Our physical prowess hasn't been enhanced like yours has been!"

"Never mind about who's got the enchanted power coursing through him! Get the lead out & pick up the pace if you guys wanna eat later on tonight!"

The thought of not having any food later on in the evening gave the two tribesmen cramps in their stomachs & urged them to go faster despite their exhaustion.

"Oh no, not that! Anything but that!", Hakkaku & Ginta said simultaneously nervously.

"Then quit your yapping & haul ass, boys! We ain't stopping for a while yet!"

"Are you even sure you know where we're going, Koga?", Ginta dared to ask.

"Of course I am, ya lamebrain! I told you both that I caught Naraku's scent an hour ago, didn't I? It's a smell that's burned in my brain & nostrils, & I'll follow it to wherever it leads me so I can put Naraku in his proper place-his grave!"

A few more dozen paces in his steps Koga went before his nose caught a scent that made him stop.

"On second thought, boys, hold right here!", he said as Ginta & Hakkaku come to a full stop themselves just ten feet behind their leader.

"Gladly!", his two tribesmen said, panting heavily as they try to catch their breath. As the water rushes past them rapidly, Ginta & Hakkaku even take a drink to rehydrate & quench their parched throats from all the running they'd been doing.

Koga, needlessly to say, didn't join them as he was engaged in something else.

What the hell?, Koga thought. I thought I was following Naraku's scent for all this time, but now it's been replaced by another! And this one's totally different in all aspects! What's more, this is a scent that's completely new to me, neither human nor demon! I wonder-is this a demon's scent at all?

All of this was oblivious to Ginta & Hakkaku, as they continue taking refreshing sips of water from the river & now stand knee-deep in it doing so.

"Ahh! What a refreshing treat!", Ginta said happily, taking another sip as he uses his hands for a cup.

"Yeah! Good thing Koga decided to stop right here at the river, eh?", Hakkaku said, just as happy as his comrade. His glee turned to concern as he saw Ginta staring at the water with a look of fright, his eyes agape. When Hakkaku stared at where Ginta had been, he too made a frightful look upon his own face.

"KOGA!", Ginta & Hakkaku shouted in fear.

"What is it, you two…huh?", Koga started to say, turning to face his two men when he was suddenly besieged by a horrid sight: from beneath the water Ginta & Hakkaku were drinking out of, two Aliens leaped & splashed out & launched themselves at the two unsuspecting Wolf Demon tribesmen. The acid-blooded nightmares grabbed & landed on top of Ginta & Hakkaku, pinning them on the riverbank. Inner mouths snapped forwards as the two tribesmen barely kept out of reach of them & using every inch of strength they can muster to keep them from advancing any further.

"Koga! Help us!", Ginta cried out.

Idiots as he may think of them to be, Ginta & Hakkaku are members of his tribe, & Koga has an obligated duty to keep them safe whenever he can.

"Hang on, boys! Help's on its way!", he shouted as he charges after the two Aliens upon his men. Using the power of his jewel shards, Koga gives a swift kick to the Alien on Hakkaku in the side of its massive banana-shaped head, getting it off before using a well-placed fist onto the other one at its back, removing the one that wanted to make a meal of Ginta. The creatures both go down in heaps of black several feet away.

"You boys all right?", Koga asked, helping his tribesmen to their feet.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks, Koga", said Ginta.

"It ain't over yet, Koga! Look there!", Hakkaku said, pointing towards the grove of trees next to the riverbank. From out of the forest six more of the Aliens emerge, all hissing through clenched teeth. The ones Koga got off his tribesmen get back on their feet & hiss angrily.

"It looks like we've got us a fight on our hands, boys!", Koga said, clenching his fists. "You two go handle your little 'playmates' over there! Those other guys are all mine!"

"Shouldn't we just make a break for it & run, Koga?", a scared Ginta asks.

"Hey! Are you two guys Wolf Demon tribesmen, or are you mice?", Koga growled as he's heard enough of their whining. "Now's as good a time as any to decide just what the hell you are, once & for all! What do you boys say?"

Ginta & Hakkaku stare at each other for the briefest of moments, both feeling more than a little ashamed of how they've been acting as of late.

That's when they give out their answer.

"We're Wolf Demon tribesmen!", they shouted, letting out a loud & boisterous battle cry as they charge headlong after the two Aliens that attacked them from the water, their fists raised.

Koga sees this from out of the corner of his eyes & smiles.

Now that's more like it!, he thought proudly, his focus now fully on the half-dozen beasts in front of him. Like Ginta & Hakkaku, he roars out a battle cry & rushes for the creatures as they perform the same maneuver. Getting within range, Koga threw a hard fist into one of the Aliens' faces, knocking out many of its teeth while giving a nasty kick to another in the chest. One Alien lashes out with its tail to try & impale Koga, but the Wolf Demon tribesman dodges to one side & grabs the deadly appendage. It only worked partially to his advantage: the remainder of the creature's tail wrapped itself around Koga's waist like a snake & whips him over towards the riverbank. Koga gets slammed down hard, kicking up a cloud of dust from the impact. It doesn't let it stop him though: almost immediately he's on his feet & ready to brawl some more-a whole lot more!

"Ha! Is that the best you demons have got?", Koga says, mocking them. "My two servants there can hit a lot harder than that!"

Taking a quick peek at Ginta & Hakkaku, Koga can see them pounding the daylights out of the Aliens they ran up against with their bare fists & feet-a very pleasing sight for him.

"Oh, that's right-they can hit much harder than you dweebs can! Who's up for more?"

Whether they accepted it as a challenge or an insult, the Aliens screech loud & race after Koga, who stays where he is & readying for more action with a big toothy grin on his face. That grin disappears almost as soon as it grew when two more of the Aliens emerge from underneath the river & grab Koga by his legs. The Wolf Demon goes down as the new arrivals pull on his legs & make him land flat on his face. Ignoring the sudden pain & dirt in his face, Koga struggles to get himself free of his new foes as they keep an iron grip on his legs, the pressure felt by Koga all the way through to the bone. Unless he gets them off, Koga won't have any legs to stand on-literally!

Pulling with all of his might, Koga gets himself loose from the Aliens' tight grip but not without a loss: in the midst of the struggle as he pulls free, the jewel shards from his legs fly off when the claws of the creatures rake his legs, causing cuts in them. No longer attached to Koga's legs, the two fragments of the Shikon Jewel hit the water & were immediately washed away by the river's swift current.

"No! My jewel shards!", Koga bellowed angrily & disbelieving. Furious over the loss of his two most prized possessions, Koga went into a raging fury & grabbed the two Aliens from the water by their throats & threw them straight into their kin in a tangle of limbs. Not giving any of the creatures a chance to regain their wits, the Wolf Demon leader grabbed the nearest Alien & swung it like a very large pair of bolas above his head before sending it crashing down onto its brethren, connecting its skull with another. The impact caused the skulls to smash apart like ripe fruit & send pieces of their craniums & yellow fluid all over. Even without his Shikon Jewel shards embedded in his legs, Koga is still a very tough to crack, & he proves that simple theory by doing what he'd just done. Wherever the yellow fluid landed/splashed onto, these spots began sizzling & smoking as the substance started eating away at nearby rocks & trees, leaving large holes that continued to grow.

What in the hell?, Koga thought with semi-amazement. These demons have acid coursing in their veins? Then that means…

"Ginta! Hakkaku! Be careful of their blood! It's some kind of…!", Koga started to say to his companions but got attacked from behind as the Aliens rammed into the Wolf Demon in his back, knocking him down on his face again & getting onto him like some vicious game of doing a dog pile on an opponent. Koga can feel the immense weight of the Aliens gather on top of him, feeling his body as if a giant placed its hand down on him to crush him like some kind of bug.

Unable to even reach his sword & barely able to breathe, Koga knew he was in very deep trouble, especially with the loss of his jewel shards.

Ginta & Hakkaku were too busy brawling with the two Aliens their leader instructed to go deal with to listen to his warning. It would've done no good anyway: almost immediately after Koga had called out to them, both Ginta & Hakkaku each grabbed the largest handheld rock they could & used them to ram the skulls of the Aliens with as much force as they can muster. All it had taken were a few swift, good whacks to crack the hard surface & bring down their monstrous foes. But it came with a price: after the killing blows were delivered, the creatures' acidic blood had splashed upon their armor & the yellow fluid began smoking & eating away at it. Koga's two companions reacted in a panic.

"Ahh! Acid! Get 'em off! Get 'em off!", both of them yelled frantically, dancing around & struggling wildly in a race to get their armors off of them before the acidic substance can make any contact with their flesh. The smoke they were inhaling didn't help matters, but they managed to remove their armor & throw them away just before their skin can be scorched. In moments the two tribesmen saw their armor getting eaten away to mostly nothing, coughing as the acidic fumes stung their lungs & eyes, making inhalation & sight a bit of a problem.

But they can still see well enough to know that their leader was in very bad trouble, & with no armor to protect them from the worst & their breathing all messed up, Ginta & Hakkaku felt all but helpless to assist Koga in his time of need.

Sorry Kagome!, Koga thought as the life was literally being crushed from him. It looks as if this is it!

The next thing Koga felt was the strong breeze that came out of nowhere, followed by the lifting of the Aliens' weight off his person. Koga, Ginta & Hakkaku all look up to witness this whirlwind of a breeze lift up the remaining live Aliens thirty feet in the air before letting them go & drop to the ground, hitting it like stones & leaving craters of dirt where they land. It wasn't the end of the little show now going on: from within this whirlwind shot out small green objects that struck the Aliens as they rose up like a swarm of bees, cutting their bodies into many pieces as arms, legs, tails, heads & even body halves littered the immediate area. Aliens all screeched their epitaphs, their acidic blood sizzling & smoking wherever it landed at.

When the whirlwind stopped, a young girl stood in its place. She was about Koga's height (albeit four inches shorter) & had white fur covering her legs & forearms, along with a white cloak on her sloulders & around her waist. A black & red swimsuit-like outfit covered her main body, & like Koga, had a sword at her side. Her eyes were green, & her hair was a lovely shade of auburn that was double pony-tailed in the rear, with a lavender flower wedged on the left side. She wore a thin headband on her forehead & a green necklace around her neck.

She was a face Koga, Ginta & Hakkaku knew instantly, having been the young female Wolf Demon Koga himself rescued years ago & made a solemn promise to wed later in life.

"Ayame!", they all said together, with Koga doing so in surprise & the latter two in total gratitude for her timely intervention.

"Are you three all right?", the young female Wolf Demon asked with concern.

"I'll live", said Koga, brushing himself off like his brush with death was no big deal.

"How about you two guys? Will you be all right?", Ayame asks of Ginta & Hakkaku.

"Not too good, Ayame!", Ginta said, letting out a little but violent cough. "Hakkaku & I caught us some of the acidic fumes from those demons' blood! Plus, our armor got melted away right over there!"

Ginta pointed to where they threw their armor, which has now been eaten greatly & had been reduced to piles of worthless scrap, still smoking.

"Yeah!", Hakkaku said. "We were barely able to get rid of them before the worst scenario could happen! I guess this is what we get for trying to be like Koga, huh?"

"Yeah! Some Wolf Demons we turned out to be!"

Ginta & Hakkaku weren't aware of Koga's standing before them until they were finished talking. Their leader was staring down, making them feel uncomfortable & cringing for talking out of line. But what came out of Koga's mouth wasn't what either had expected.

"Nonsense, boys", he said with a smile. "Even though the odds were against us, you still didn't yield or back down for nothing. And while you may have gotten some scars on your person, it's an honor to carry them around. It proves you both got what it takes to be a real Wolf Demon. All in all, boys, you fought well! Good job!"

That remark put a smile on both Ginta & Hakkaku's faces, including Ayame's.

"Thanks, Koga!", they both said, grinning before coughing up again.

"Take it easy, boys", Ayame says. "Take slow, deep breaths."

Ginta & Hakkaku nodded & did as Ayame instructed.

"Not to sound ungrateful, Ayame, but why are you here?", Koga asked.

"To find you, Koga!", she says. "I need to tell you that our tribe was also attacked by these black, acid-blooded demons only a few hours ago!"

That put the group on alert, aside from their personal injuries.

"Your tribe got attacked by these things too?", Koga asks. "Is everyone okay there? What about the elder?"

"My grandfather is fine, I assure you", Ayame assures him, putting Koga & his tribesmen at ease. "But I should point out that we did have a few casualties during the melee-including one member who got burned badly when he got their acidic blood on him, melting away his flesh & bones before our very eyes."

The three males bowed their heads in silent prayer upon hearing the eerie news.

"You know you have our sympathies, Ayame", said Koga with gentleness. "They fought to the end, & we couldn't be more proud of that."

"Thanks Koga", Ayame said softly before her voice got serious. "What are these demons? Where did they & those other demons come from?"

"'Other' demons? What other demons do you mean, Ayame?"

"It's weird! Just as we were about to be overrun by the black demons, the strangest thing happened-a new brand of demons arrived literally out of nowhere & started killing those acid-blooded devils!"

"What did they look like?", asked Ginta.

"Well, they were humanoid in shape & wore some kind of metal face mask with black thick 'hair' on the sides of their heads with gold metal braids in them! Parts of their persons had body armor on, & they had the absolutely strangest weaponry of any demons I know about! They fired bolts of blue-white energy from these cannons mounted on their shoulders, threw these discs that were razor-sharp, spears that extend & contract, & other types of weaponry none of our tribe members ever laid eyes upon before! They blew away those other demons almost like they weren't even there!"

"These 'other demons' didn't attack your tribe afterwards, did they, Ayame?", a worried Hakkaku asked.

"No, they didn't. Odd-they had the weaponry to wipe us out with, & yet they spared our lives. After taking the heads of those black demons & rounded up their armament, they all turned invisible & left. No one received so much as a scratch from them."

Koga, Ginta & Hakkaku remained silent to ponder & process everything Ayame relayed to them just now. The same thoughts reached inside their heads: Invisible demons? Weaponry like no one's ever seen? Taking the heads of the other, acid-blooded demons like they were trophies? Never so much as laying a finger on anyone else?

It was perplexing, even for Koga himself. He thought he knew every demon the country had to offer, from Naraku to the 'scrawny mutt' Inuyasha himself, & yet here it was, squaring off against one brand of new demons & learning about another. Aside from Naraku, one thing Koga loathed & despised was not knowing the answers to baffling questions such as these. He needed to get those answers, & wasn't going to get them standing around.

"Ayame, go take Ginta & Hakkaku back with you to your tribe", Koga instructs her. "They can get medical treatment & nourishment there while I head off."

"But Koga, where will you be?", Ayame wondered.

"I may not know everything yet, but I got a hunch that these new brand of demons have Naraku's disgusting mitts on it all! I'm going to resume the trail I was following to its source!"

"But Koga, what about your jewel shards?", asked Ginta. "Shouldn't you try & find them first before going after Naraku?"

"Yeah Koga! Against Naraku, you'll need all the power you can get!", said Hakkaku.

"Those are good points, boys, but the river's current probably took them to the other side of the country by now & I haven't the time to waste to go look for them. Much as it pains me, I'm going to have to do this without my precious jewel shards. I'll see you all later."

Koga was already taking off just before he finishes his statement, but Ayame gets her say in before he gets too far off.

"Be careful, Koga!", she shouts.

"Always am, darling!", he shouts back.

Even with the lack of jewel shards embedded in his legs, Koga took off like a shot into the direction he & his two companions were heading in before the unexpected interference from the Aliens. In no time he was in the forest & out of sight, with no glimpse of even his bushy tail to be seen. Although he reassured her of his concern & safety, Ayame can't help it but to worry for the one who saved her from certain death years ago.

You'd better be all right, Koga, she thought. Remember-you have a promise to fulfil for me, one that means the world to me!

With nothing else to say orally or silently, Ayame began assisting Ginta & Hakkaku.

Dusk:

Only a pinch of the sun's rays were still visible over the horizon at Yoshi's village, with Inuyasha & company finishing up on burying Yoshi, Emiko & all the villagers on their beloved land, patting the dirt firmly with their shovels & smoothing it out. Sango, Kagome & Shippo had made their labor final by placing wooden crosses with a sutra attached onto each mound where their heads were now resting. The little fox demon placed the final cross onto the last mound as Inuyasha placed the bodies of the Aliens over in a pile.

"There. That will do it, everyone", he says.

"Thanks, Shippo", said Kagome. "I still can't believe it took us the remainder of the day to bury Yoshi & everyone else."

"Well, Yoshi & his wife Emiko always did allow homeless folks to spend time here for as long as they needed to", Miroku said with a heartfelt sigh. "Aside from Lady kaede, you couldn't have met a more loving, kindhearted couple than them. And now they're gone."

That last statement made the Buddhist monk fall to his knees & lower his head as if he was about to cry. Sango comes to his side & places her arm around his shoulder with Kilala by her side.

"We really are very sorry about this, Miroku", the demon slayer said sincerely.

"Thank you, Sango. And to everyone else for assisting me in giving my childhood friends a decent burial."

"No problem, Miroku", said Shippo. "We couldn't let you carry this burden all on your own-could we?"

"I suppose not, Shippo", Miroku replied with a small smile for a brief moment. "Although, I suppose we could've allowed Inuyasha to go & track those new demons while we did so, with Kilala taking him. With demons as dangerous & relentless as they on the loose, no innocent soul is safe from them."

"Not a chance, Miroku", Inuyasha said sternly. "While you do have logic in that, there's no way I was going to abandon you in your time of need, & neither could Kilala. Besides, if either or both of those new demons do come back, there's no way you & the rest can defeat them without me at your side!"

Oh Inuyasha, Kagome thought playfully, a smile on her lips.

"I…guess that's a compliment", Miroku said, rising from the ground with Sango.

"Sure it is, monk!", Inuyasha says with his arms across his chest. "And now that Yoshi & his people have been comfortably laid to rest, we can get on with resuming our search for those demons who did this!"

"Is the trail still fresh since they took off, Inuyasha?", asked Sango.

The half-demon sniffs the air, but suddenly can catch not even the faintest stench.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't catch their scent-either of them!", the half-demon says. "Either they know how to cover it expertly, or…"

"Or it's that night again!", Kagome said, looking over the horizon. "Look there!"

Everyone turns to where Kagome pointed to. The last of the sun's rays have disappeared behind the landscape, plunging it into night. Then they turn to Inuyasha, & what they feared is now happening before their eyes: Inuyasha goes through a series of changes to his person as the claws on his toes & fingers shrink into normal human nails. The fangs in his mouth do the same, & his hair transforms from white to jet black as his dog ears vanish from sight at the top of his head. Even though his sword was in its sheath, the Tetsusaiga had shrunk into a normal sword & is now in its rusted & chipped appearance. Being only a half-demon, Inuyasha loses his powers on this night as Shippo announces orally.

"Oh no! It's the night of the new moon! I never even realized it until now!"

Dammit! Even I didn't realize it!, Inuyasha thought angrily as he stares at his now-human hands. Among the last several days, I lost track of the time until the next night of the new moon! Damn! Why now, when there's two brands of dangerous new demons out there, causing untold death & mayhem even as we speak?

"Well, this definitely puts a cramp on resuming our search for those new demons", Sango says.

"You're right, Sango", said Kagome. "We're going to have to postpone in our searching for them until sunrise when Inuyasha gets his powers back, much ot our dismay."

"At least we can stay here for the night", Shippo adds. "Maybe those demons won't return here after believing they killed everyone in this village-other than us, that is."

"And what if they do decide to come back, Shippo?", Inuyasha harshly asks him. "Without my demon powers, I'll be hard-pressed to defend all of you from them!"

"That's a chance we have to take, Inuyasha", Sango says. "While having them return here is a dreaded possibility, going out there now would be fatal for us all, especially in the condition you're currently in."

"Not to mention the fact that if Naraku gets even a pinch of info that you lose your powers on this night, he'll stop at nothing to make you dead", Miroku said matter of factly. "Lump it or like it, Inuyasha, you're grounded here in this village until sunrise."

Knowing he was defeated on all aspects, the now-human Inuyasha grumbles angrily under his breath, his eyes in a scowl.

"Come on, Inuyasha", Kagome pleads with him. "It's been a long hard day for all of us, & I believe you can use the rest, along with a nice meal like we can. I'll make you those noodles you like so much to take your mind off of things. Sound good?"

His mood seemed to lighten a bit.

"With that chocolate as an after-dinner treat?", he asks hopeful.

"Of course", Kagome says with a smile. "How about it?"

"All right then. Hey, maybe this night won't be so bad after all."

"We'll make this night as bearable for you as we can. Let's all go eat."

"You & the rest go on ahead, Kagome", Miroku said. "I wish to have a moment alone, if you know what I mean."

They do & nod.

"We understand, Miroku. We'll see you inside", Sango said, & they head for the nearest hut, one that was all but cleansed of the Aliens' décor. Miroku turns his attention to the graves at his feet & gets down on his knees with a hand to his face & eyes closed as he says a prayer.

"Good, kind spirits, may you watch over the souls of these sadly departed as I leave them in your tender loving care. Wherever they are right now, I'm sure they're reunited & happy to be among each other's company once again. Please give them the same kindness they have shown to so many others during their lives here on earth. Amen."

Miroku rises to his feet & stares at the graves for a few moments more before issuing a final farewell.

"Goodbye everyone."

Without another word, Miroku rejoins the others inside the hut as Kagome prepares food for everyone.

A small tear runs down his face.

Midnight:

Attired in her famous white blouse & pair of red hakamas, Kikyo wanders the forest while her Shinidama Chuu (her Soul-Snatchers-white, eel-like transparent demons with legs) collect souls of the dead in white glowing balls to keep her reanimated & resurrected body alive, which was made possible by the ogress known as Urasuay when she had taken her ashes at her shrine which is now under the wing of her sister Kaede & creates a body of clay & her cremated bones. When she had first awakened, her immediate thoughts were on getting revenge on Inuyasha for betraying her 50 years ago, not yet realizing that it was actually Naraku who did so, & vice versa. Now & then, she & Inuyasha meet under the most strenuous circumstances, especially when she realizes that the girl known as Kagome Higurashi is her indefinite reincarnation from 500 years in the future who has traveled that distance through time from the Bone-Eater's Well-and that the Shikon Jewel had reappeared from her body when Mistress Centipede pulled her down into it, the very same jewel Kikyo had instructed her younger sister Kaede to burn along with her body when she died right after she stuck Inuyasha to a tree by a well-placed arrow where he had remained until Kagome pulled it out of him.

Once she was a regular priestess with extraordinary power & a crackshot with her bow & arrows.

Now all she was is a living husk of clay & old bones that need the souls from the departed just to stand.

Like she does every day & night, her mind wanders as her Shinidama Chuu places souls in her husk of a body.

Every night & day it's like this, Kikyo thought. I wander on throughout the country all the while my Soul-Snatchers collect from the deceased just to keep me going. At what point do I have in existing, when my life ended 50 years previous after Inuyasha had seemingly betrayed me with an inch of my life before I put him in a comatose state to that tree until my reincarnation-the girl named Kagome Higurashi-released him from my spell? All I am are my old bones & clay that ogress Urasuay made for me just so she can use me to find shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel. At what point did I deserve any of these misfortunes? All I ever wanted was to be free of my duties, become a normal person, & live a happy life like everyone else, with Inuyasha by my side once I made him human with the jewel's power. But because of Naraku, that never saw any fruition. Now I'm literally just a hollow shell of my former self, all due to Urasuay's magic & her evil ambition & greed. As I've often asked myself since my resurrection, 'Why do I go on living like I do? Is it because of my feelings for Inuyasha, whether they be bad or good? Or maybe I, too, yearn for revenge against Naraku for what he did to us 50 years ago, such as what he did to that demon slayer's entire family & that Wolf Demon's tribe recently, along with the monk whose ancestors were cursed with a wind tunnel on their right hands before being sucked into their own voids? And why am I so bitter to Kagome, my reincarnation, at times? Is it because that girl is my reincarnation, & that Inuyasha developed feelings for her like he did me? Do I have the right to act that way about it all? Most of all, do I even have the right to continue my undead existence & gather the souls of the dead, when all they want is to rest in peace like I should be doing?

So many questions Kikyo needed answering to, & yet she may never find any for them.

Or maybe it's because she's afraid of the answers, & what they might bring.

Can Kikyo even be afraid?

Her long, jet black & pony-tailed hair sways in the warm evening air when a breeze passes her way. But then she's hit by another feeling that has nothing to do with the breeze. It was a feeling she gets when she knows she's about to have company-a trait that stuck with her even now in her resurrected form along with her other traits. That also included her skill with the bow & arrow, & Kikyo gets it ready by placing it in front of her with an arrow all poised to be fired at the first sign of hostile sightings.

Aiming her weapon to where she first felt the disturbing presence, Kikyo issues a warning with a firm voice.

"You there! Whoever you are, I suggest you come out now & save yourself the trouble of getting an arrow shot into you! I'm in no mood for any games this evening, let alone one of hide-and-seek! Make your presence known to me now! You'd be very foolish not to do as I say! I am an ace archer & can hit a target from a great distance! Do not test me, as I shall not warn you a second time!"

Kikyo waited five to ten seconds for any kind of response to whoever's presence she felt.

For all that time, she got no reply.

Foolish entity!, she thought, preparing to fire her weapon when she hears rustling in the bushes from behind her. Immediately turning towards the sound, it was gone before she had even got halfway around. She heard more rustling & turns to it, but the result was the same. It occurs four more times, keeping Kikyo on full alert & even a little bit on edge.

I'm being stalked, that much is certain!, she thought. But by whom? Is it a foolish bandit who thinks he can take me down & rob me blind? Or maybe it's a demonwho's out looking for a midnight meal? Whoever or whatever it is, it's fast! Even I'm having difficulty keeping pace with him/it!

Kikyo pulls back on the string of her bow, making it more taut.

Then something springs out of a bush to her left & heads right for her!

With just as fast reflexes, Kikyo turns towards it & shoots her arrow. The projectile hits it dead center in the chest & goes all the way through, emitting a dying screech as it crashes to the ground with a thud. The creature-a Xenomorph-convulses its death throes as its acidic blood melts away the arrow embedded in it before it lays still, its mouth open. Kikyo carefully walks up to the Alien she just killed & kneels down for a closer look. When she gets her face within a foot of its own, the Alien abruptly lashes out with its inner jaws & snaps it shut. Kikyo barely had the time to get out of its reach before getting to her feet & arming herself with another arrow, ready to shoot in case it gets back up again.

But it doesn't; its inner jaws retract back inside & its mouth closes, slumping & staying still indefinitely after a minute passed, making Kikyo lower her weapon & convinced it was dead.

She still took no chances, & examined the dead Alien from where she stood only three feet away from it.

So it was a demon, Kikyo thought. I should've figured that right away-no human could ever misguide & throw me off my guard in the way this thing did. But this is a most unusual demon, as I've never seen one of this kind before. Just where did it come from? Naraku, maybe?

Kikyo had no time to delve further into her new mystery: six more of the Aliens emerge from the bowels of the forest & arrive out of hiding, hissing through clenched teeth. The undead priestess takes aim at each one of the creatures in rapid succession, as if she dared any of them to make a move against her.

They certainly did dare, & in the worst possible way-they all leaped at her simultaneously as a group, their clawed hands stretched out in front. Kikyo had time to fire one arrow that struck the nearest Alien in its oversized head, killing it instantly. She didn't have time to fire another-she was too busy ducking to avoid being decapitated by the rest of its brethren, which she only had seconds to do. Claws weren't the only thing Kikyo had to avoid: while their claws may have missed, Kikyo had to be wary of their razor-sharp-tipped tails that swished after her once their claws didn't hit their mark. The priestess had to move twice as fast to stay clear from being either impaled or literally sliced in half. So far, the only things Kikyo knows about these new demons is that 1) they have an acidic blood coursing through them, & 2) they're very fast.

Now she's going to learn one more thing of them-they're relentless.

Case in point: giving her no time to ready her arrow, the Aliens kept leaping at her with a velocity that is more or less in comparison with Inuyasha's, if not more so. Even in a reanimated & possibly upgraded body, Kikyo knew she cannot dodge those attacks from their claws & tails forever, for even she is hard-pressed at staying one step ahead of them. One finely placed tail or swipe of a clawed hand that makes contact with Kikyo, & it could be all over.

She had to think & act fast.

One of the Aliens launches itself at her, & this is when she goes on the offensive: when the creature gets within her reach, Kikyo attacks by swinging her right foot into the sternum, & the momentum of the strike caused the Alien to crash back into two of its kin as the other two carried on the attack, going around from behind.

But this time Kikyo has the time to get her arrows ready for firing. And fire she does: her shots, one right after another in rapid succession, strike her oncoming attackers once in the chest & another in the throat, both arrows going all the way through like before. Convulsing from the hits, these two Aliens fall dead to the ground, landing at Kikyo's feet where she rises.

Now she has three more to put down.

Immediately she places an arrow at the Alien she kicked in the front of its head, which explodes like an acid-filled balloon as pieces of it fly in all directions. Kikyo easily stays clear of its acidic fluid as the remaining two Aliens charge after her, clearly ignoring the carcasses of its fallen brethren. Using her legs, Kikyo makes a mighty leap that takes her right over her two Alien attackers that places her right behind them. Before her feet even touch the ground, Kikyo shoots two more of her arrows back-to-back as each one strikes the acid-blooded nightmares in the rear right between the tubular dorsal spines. The Aliens shrieked in pain as they fall dead like trees which were cut.

Getting another arrow ready in case they were playing possum, Kikyo carefully eyes her defeated adversaries for any tricks up their demonic sleeves. Finally, after over a minute of total inactivity from them, Kikyo was satisfied & lowered her weapon.

Only Naraku would be this direct with me, she thought. Why else would he send these new demons after me? Is he willing to complete the job he started from the ruins of Mount Hakurei in killing me off? That would fit his style, yes, but then why do I not sense his devious aura upon any of these creatures? How was he able to conceal it so well even from me?

That's when she heard more rustling from the forest, & Kikyo raised her weapon yet again.

Only now she was faced with a worse scenario than last time: from the forest emerged & rose a batch of two dozen Aliens, springing into view all over as they pop up from the brush like a bad case of weeds, each one hissing angrily & staring straight at the resurrected priestess.

Outmatched & surrounded on all sides, Kikyo knew that this could very well be the end.

But if she is to die this night, she wasn't going to go out easily.

"Come on then, demons of Naraku!", Kikyo shouted, her bow & arrow aimed as she turns in a circle. "I'm not even supposed to be alive to begin with! If you want to take me down this evening, you'll have to fight me first, & I'll clearly give you one you won't soon forget! So what are you waiting for? Do what Naraku sent you all here to do & finish me!"

Several of the Aliens hissed loudly in acceptance to Kikyo's invitation, & three of them were to be the first to carry it out.

That was, until, their entire top selves exploded in a trio of fiery blasts of blue-white hits.

What…?, Kikyo thought, wondering what had happened.

Three Aliens getting their tops blown off was only the start: a quartet were snatched up in the blink of an eye by a pair of metal nets that embed themselves onto a tree with their catches struggling within. They didn't do so for too long: almost immediately after they were grabbed, a quartet of Y-shaped darts pierced through the craniums of the Aliens on one side & came out the other. Next came a pair of metal spears & a double-bladed glaive that made short work of three more Aliens, being stabbed & one having its head sliced clean off from the neck. Two more were made as a guinea pig each for two types of flying discs: one was just like a Frisbee with a razor-sharp edge all around, while the other had a half-dozen metal spikes on one side. The Frisbee-like disc cut an Alien in half in a horizontal fashion as its top half fell to the ground, & the one with six spikes did the same to another but in a vertical fashion; this Alien was literally divided among itself as its halves slumped to the ground, its parts smoking like its counterparts did.

Now Kikyo's attackers were cut down in half, & it was here that her semi-saviors all make themselves known to the priestess and the Aliens.

From several spots in the area, Rhino, Bull & the rest of their Yautja clan deactivate their cloaks & stay in a tight but loose formation, their weapons all poised & ready. They ignore Kikyo like she wasn't even there as do the Aliens, for they've found better adversaries than the priestess herself & rush right past her towards the planet-hopping Predators.

Kikyo for the time being lowers her weapon & watches as the twelve alien hunters strike & kill her former foes. She watches in both shock & awe as Rhino & his crew each take on an Alien & use whatever is in their arsenal to bring it down & claim its head. The Predators measure each & every movement the Aliens make & time every strike. Kikyo was fascinated: she saw just how fast the hunters moved & attacked that she could scarcely follow with her own two eyes. They reminded her of all those brave samurai she used to watch (& lead) into battle against enemies during the time she was actually alive, whether they were fighting bandits or demons. The alien hunters took their skills more than one step further from the way they battled the acid-blooded nightmares. In just about every way, the Predators outdo & outmatched the samurai she knew as warriors: even her most skilled & fiercest fighter would've been no match for these newcomers, which she has christened to herself 'hunter-demons'.

But while the Predators have the upper hand, it didn't mean they couldn't be taken down, & two of the Aliens make that fact perfectly clear: a pair of Rhino's younger Yautja members get a fatal counterattack by their prey as one of the alien hunters gets his head shattered into many blood-spattered pieces when an Alien shoots forth its inner jaws from the rear where the metal face mask didn't protect. His companion was no better off: again from behind, an Alien rammed its hand through its opponent's back & sent it all the way through as it exited out of his chest in a bloodied heap of lime-green, his still-beating heart in its deadly grip. The young Yautja hunter had the time for only a gurgled growl before falling to the ground with his headless comrade. As fate would have it, their killers didn't get off so easy either-the first Alien had gotten its own head blown clean off its shoulders, & for the other one he gets a glaive rammed right through its chest just as soon as the Yautja it killed was out of the line of fire, the blade going through it like it was nothing more than a stick of butter.

With all twenty-four Aliens & two Predators dead, Rhino had to declare that this had been a successful hunt as Bull agreed, exchanging 'words' by low cackling sounds. He then gives his clan new orders & in seconds they all take out a capsule filled with baby blue liquid inside them.

So, we have us another batch of new demons, Kikyo thought, watching as the Predators pour the liquid upon the deceased Aliens & two clan members as they dissolve before her eyes. And given the nature of their highly unusual weaponry, I'd say that my hunch was right-these demons are hunters! Are they enemies of Naraku like Inuyasha & his group are? Is that why they tracked down & killed those acid-blooded monstrosities? Or are they here just for the sake of hunting, regardless of what-or who-they come across?

Kikyo didn't know which it was, but she was sure that she'd never seen the likes of them before in her life, before or after her ressurection by Urasuay's sorcery any more than the acid-blooded monsters they did battle with.

Once the Aliens & the two fallen Yautja were dealt with, Rhino & his clan now turned to Kikyo, putting her on high alert. Acting instinctively, she raises her bow & pulls her arrow back on the string, ready to take out the first of the alien hunters that dared to come close to her.

Much to her dismay (& surprise), the alien hunters were prepared for such a thing: as one, Rhino & his clan began shining a multitude of red dots in a triangular pattern upon Kikyo, one after another. Soon, ten patterns of red lights were glazed across the priestess, shining brightly & clearly on her white blouse & a few on her forehead. Aside from lowering both her bow & arrow, Kikyo dared not to make any sudden moves-after seeing the display they made with the Aliens, they can just as easily blow her away, & she knows it.

It looks like these hunter demons are ready to take on any kind of challenge, Kikyo said to herself, staying as still as an actual clay statue & staring at the Predators. That will also include me, should I dare to try & assault them with my weapon, or make any crazy moves on my part. It seems ironic in a way: those acid-blooded demons couldn't bring me down, but it looks like they have the tenacity to finish what they began.

If this truly was to be her end, Kikyo has chosen to face it boldly instead of cowering like most folks would probably do, were they faced with this scenario. That's when something comes over her, feeling like a guilt trip or a pang of regret. There was still so much she needed to know & experience before she departs from the world & rests in peace for good.

For now, Kikyo refuses to die, & not like this.

Wait! One thing just might work!, Kikyo thought. Placing her arms slowly to her sides, she drops her bow & arrows & let them fall to the ground. Once they hit, Kikyo keeps both her arms spread out & her hands empty, keeping them that way.

But will they understand me?, she wondered. There's only way to find out!

"What will you do now, demons?", Kikyo says to them loud & audible. "I can see & tell you all are hunters, & I'm guessing that you go by a hunter's code of honor, with one of those traits being against attacking unarmed & defenseless/helpless prey! Well, I'm now unarmed & defenseless! Will you still strike me down, or will you go off in search of more formidable prey to satisfy your cravings? The choice is yours!"

Rhino & his clan slightly tilt their heads as if considering, putting Kikyo somewhat on edge. If they choose to attack her, there's no way in hell that she can defend herself or launch a counterattack-her weapons are too far away despite being just at her feet, & they would blow her head off (& the rest of her away!) before she can even blink.

The Yautja make their choice after thrity seconds have passed, which seemed to Kikyo like an eternity.

As one, the Predators deactivate their triangular targeting systems & all the red dots vanish from Kikyo's blouse & forehead like someone turned off their Christmas tree. A cackling chorus erupts with Rhino's clan, conversing into alien chatter which Kikyo couldn't begin to understand.

"…honor…", Rhino said in Kikyo's voice, placing his right arm across his chest in some kind of salute. Believing this, Kikyo herself does the same with her own arm. Lowering their arms, the Predators activate their cloaking devices & they vanish into two-meter-tall shimmers, leaving the reincarnated priestess alone. When she was sure they were long gone from her, Kikyo picks up her bow & arrows as a few thoughts run through her head. Will they return for her at a later time & try to claim her head? What about Kaede & her followers at her old village where she used to dwell? And most of all, what of Inuyasha & his band if they decide to go after him & try to take his skull? If either of the latter two should take place, shouldn't she try to intervene? Kaede is her sister after all, & she does want to try & make amends with Kagome and Inuyasha; it's one of the reasons as to why Kikyo refuses to let herself die just yet.

It was a hard decision, but she comes up with the best one for her.

Let it go. It doesn't concern me, she said to herself. Does it?

Placing her arrow satchel & bow on her back, Kikyo continues to wander on throughout the forest, her Soul-Snatchers returning & resuming to feed her the sould of the dead.

CHAPTER VII

Two-&-a-half hours before dawn:

Even at this god-awfully late hour, the heat & humidity lingered throughout the land as the majority of the forest creatures did their best to take shelter from it. Some took refuge by staying within the barks of trees, others went over to the nearest body of water to soothe their parched mouths & throats, sipping it elegantly.

Sesshomaru walks through it all without even noticing. He was almost six feet in height & wore white robes on his person, coupled with a few bits of body armor placed on his chest & left shoulder. On his right was a cloth of white fur that nearly reaches the ground. His eyes had such a shiny gold tint to them, his ears were pointed & on each side of his face were a pair of pointed lines which are magenta in appearance. Upon his forehead was a lavender mark of a crescent moon, & his long silver hair shined in the night. Resting in his sheath on his waist were twin swords: one was the Tenseiga, a weapon his father handed down & inherited to. This sword has a most unusual quality-instead of taking lives, it actually gives life to those who are about to reach death's door & resurrects them. For the life of him, Sesshomaru can never understand as to why his father would leave him with a sword that does the exact opposite of any other. But it did have its value to him, as it once saved his life when his younger half-demon brother Inuyasha (whom he loathes & despises) had attacked him with the one weapon Sesshomaru wants & yearns for in his possession-the Tetsusaiga, which is capable of wiping out a hundred demons in one swipe. For that, & a few other reasons, he keeps the Tenseiga in his possession.

But Sesshomaru still yearned for a weapon he can use to kill. He got his chance when he had learned that Inuyasha had slain the demon known as Goshinki, a creature that can read the minds of his enemies & predict their moves beforehand (he also broke the original Tetsusaiga in his jaws with ease). Since master Swordsmith Totosai, who forged both Tetsusaiga & Tenseiga, was uncooperative in assisting Sesshomaru with forging a sword from the fang of Goshinki, the full-demon instead went to Kaijinbo, Totosai's former student who went rogue. Kaijinbo went & forged Tokijin, a sword that went & destroyed its own forger whose power was too great for him to handle. But with Sesshomaru, it was a perfect match even for Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, & he has proudly held onto it since then.

Even though he is a full-demon unlike his younger brother, Sesshomaru does not travel alone. Joining him are the imp known as Jaken & the little girl named Rin, the latter of which is now sleeping comfortably on the back of the two-headed dragon Ah-Un (who Rin herself had named). Jaken was roughly only about one or two feet in height & had a pale green hue to his flesh. He wears brown robes & pink hakamas, & on the top of his bald head he sports a black hat which resembles a shark's dorsal fin. His feet had only two toes, with his hands bearing three fingers. Large yellow eyes cover nearly half his face, & his mouth was shaped very much like a bird's, as it was long & pointed. Placed in his right hand is the Nintoujou, the 'staff of two heads' that sports the face of an old man & woman's, the former head having the ability of shooting high intensity flames from its mouth.

Rin was about taller than Jaken by a few inches. She wore a robe of light gray & orange in the pattern of a checker board, tied on her waist by a green cloth. Her eyes were brown, & her long black hair had a very small ponytail on her right side. She first met Sesshomaru when she found him against a tree, gravely wounded after a fight he had with his younger brother Inuyasha. While he rejected her hospitality towards him, Sesshomaru later resurrected her when he found Rin on the ground after being attacked by Koga & his band of Wolf Demons, killing her & everyone else. With the power of Tenseiga, Sesshomaru brought her back from the dead. Ever so grateful for bringing her back, Rin swore allegiance to Sesshomaru & has been with him & Jaken ever since with absolutely no regrets whatsoever.

More often than not, Sesshomaru wondered as to why he saved Rin like he did. Maybe it's because when the Tetsusaiga refuses his hand when he learns that due to his loathing of humans, he cannot even lay a finger on it without getting a shock, & therefore needs to learn to give the humans the respect & kindness they deserve so that he can wield it like his younger brother is able to. But Sesshomaru now has the Tokijin, & can wield it perfectly without having to learn compassion for humans, so why does he still allow Rin to accompany him & Jaken, the latter of whom has a loathing of humans himself? Could it be that he has learned on his own to care for humans? Is that why he saved Rin from death after seeing her on a path not too long ago? Or was it because she wanted to offer her assistance to him after seeing him wounded in battle, & that he was repaying a debt to her for it?

Even he can't understand it, but deep down Sesshomaru has a kind spot for Rin & that makes him feel good, but it's something that he would probably never admit to either himself or anyone else-at least, not openly.

It didn't bother him though, any more than it did the sweltering heat that continued to wash over the area.

But while Sesshomaru was oblivious to the high humidity, Jaken was another story.

"Uhh boy!", he says in his gravel-like voice as sweat ran on down his imp face like a mini waterfall. "There seems to be no end to this blasted heat, even now in the dead of night! Just how much hotter can it get, my lord?"

"Quit your pathetic annoyance, Jaken!", Sesshomaru said sternly & evenly.

"B-But my lord, aren't you worried about overheating in this…"

"I told you to quit it! Besides, you ought to know by now that I don't sweat! You should be more like Rin over atop of Ah-Un! She doesn't seem to let this humidity bother her now, does she?"

Jaken takes a quick look at Rin, who still sleeps soundly on the two-headed dragon's back, making no noise as she does. The little imp feels a pang of jealousy creep into his soul.

Blast it all!, Jaken thought bitterly. How can that girl rest comfortably through this ghastly unbearable heat, especially dressed in the way she is? That girl must be part reptile in order for her to snooze during this sultry weather! Hmph!Then again, who am I to talk? I'm covered from head to toe in my robes & hakamas, & I feel as if I'm swimming & drowning in my own sweat! If only I had that girl's potential…

"Ooof!"

Still staring at Rin, Jaken doesn't notice that Sesshomaru has stopped in his tracks & rams himself into his leg & falls flat on his ass.

"My lord! Why did you stop all of a sudden?", Jaken asks, & then it hits him-he's going to be punished by his master for his constant bitching!

That puts the imp in a panicked state, & he grovels & begs at his master's feet.

"Oh no! Please don't punish me, Lord Sesshomaru! I couldn't help myself! I promise not to nag about the heat & humidity anymore! If Rin can deal with it calmly, I can do it too! Please give me another chance, my lord!"

"Jaken", Sesshomaru says calmly.

"Y-Yes, my lord?", he says, looking up at him with teary eyes & expecting the worst.

"Behind those bushes is a small pond. You can take a break from the heat there."

The mentioning of the pond made the imp giddy in an instant.

"Oh thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!", Jaken says as he heads off towards the small grove of bushes his master spoke of, giggling with delight all the way. Going into & beyond the bushes, he jumps right into the water & splashes around like a child, taking refreshing sips of it while he does.

The sound of splashing water had awakened Rin, who rises up from Ah-Un's back & rubs her eyes as Sesshomaru turns in her direction.

"I see you're awake, Rin", he says.

"It's still nighttime. Is something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?", Rin asked innocently.

"We're just taking a bit of a breather in our travel, that's all. Rin?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"About a hundred yards just south of us I noticed a bush with fully developed fruit. I think now would be a good time for you to go & get yourself some nourishment before we get moving again."

Rin nods with a smile & jumps down from Ah-Un's back as she heads off in the direction Sesshomaru spoke of as he issues a warning out to her before she gets too far away.

"Don't go any further away than that."

"I promise, my lord!", Rin said back as she runs down the path with a small satchel that hung from her right shoulder. She was gone from sight in just under a minute, but Sesshomaru wasn't worried: since allowing her to travel with him & Jaken, never had Rin disobeyed an order from Sesshomaru, no matter how strict or mundane it may be. The full-demon was proud of that with her, at least.

Rin makes it over to the very bush Sesshomaru spoke of. It bore delicious-looking fruits which resembled pears, & even Rin can tell that they were ripe for the taking.

With a smile, she begins plucking the fruit off the bush & stuffing them into her satchel.

As always, Lord Sesshomaru was correct in his assumptions, she thought happily. These fruits will sustain me for at least a few hours before needing for me to stock up again! God bless Lord Sesshomaru for looking out for me in the way he does! No way would I have lasted this long in this land without him-or Master Jaken & Ah-Un, for that matter!

Rin was able to stash the entire stock of the bush's fruit into her satchel with ease. Once she was done, Rin takes out a fruit & attempts to take a bite when she hears a rustling from no more than ten feet away. Her heart raced as she faces the sound, scared to think it may be a nasty demon out for a late-night snack, & that Rin was the unlucky meal for it.

Something comes out from hiding, but it was nothing near to it as a demon.

It was only a white rabbit.

Rin breathed a collective sigh of relief, & was even intrigued by the bunny's presence as it sniffed the air around it while watching her with curiosity.

"Good evening, little bunny!", Rin said with a smile. "You smell these, am I right? Here-let me give you one!"

Rin tosses the fruit in her hand to the rabbit on the ground as it rolled to its feet. The hare didn't run away-it stayed & began munching on the offered fruit, taking little bites at a time.

"There! That should satisfy you, little bunny!", Rin said, taking another fruit & taking a big bite out of it. Closing her eyes, she savors the food's sensational flavor before swallowing her mouthful & taking another big bite out of it. When she swallows again, she feels a quick rush of air near her & opens her eyes.

The white rabbit was gone!

Only a partially eaten fruit left on the ground marked where it was, with the hare nowhere in sight.

"Little bunny?", Rin said, looking around to see if he was anywhere near the vicinity.

He wasn't.

Oh well. I suppose that little bunny wasn't that hungry after all, Rin thought, regretting her just-departed company & a wasted fruit on the ground that's no good to eat for her anymore. It still doesn't stop her from enjoying the food she currently has in her own hands though: she takes a third big bite into it & swallows it in extasy, the flavor like heaven in her mouth.

Then something small drops from above & lands at the spot the rabbit had been moments before. When Rin took a good look at what it was, she was sick to her stomach.

It was the rabbit she saw before.

Only now, it was bitten in half!

The top half of the rabbit was covered & stained in its blood as it lay atop the offered piece of fruit Rin had given it. Appaled by the gruesome sight, Rin drops her own piece of fruit onto the ground & stares at it, not being able to take her eyes away.

Oh god! What could've done this to the poor bunny?, she thought.

Another object falls down from above & lands at the same spot as the dead rabbit.

But this thing was much bigger than it-it was as black as the night itself, & had a mouth full of needle-like teeth. It rose on two powerful legs to its full height of two meters & hissed at Rin, who responded in the only way any child her age would.

Her eyes went wide.

And she screamed.

When Jaken emerged from the small pond, he was refreshed & better than ever. Reaching over to Ah-Un, he takes the canteens & fills them all up to the brim with water from the pond & seals them with their tops.

"Ahh, just what the doctor ordered!", Jaken says gleefully as he takes all of the now-filled canteens over to Ah-Un & gently ties them to his side. The two-headed dragon gave no resistance in the imp's gesture.

"There we go!", he continued. "With all the canteens filled in full, we'll be able to easily withstand this wretched heat our region has been hit with recently! Now all we need to do is to stock up on some…"

It wasn't until now that Jaken notices Rin absent from the group.

"Rin? Lord Sesshomaru, do you know where Rin has gone off to?"

"No need to go & worry yourself about her, Jaken", Sesshomaru said. "Rin is only…"

EEEEEEEEE!

Both Sesshomaru & Jaken turn immediately to Rin's scream of terror.

"That was Rin, my lord!", Jaken said. "She must be in…"

"Stay here!", Sesshomaru said, cutting him off as he runs past him in a flash as the imp is left all alone with Ah-Un.

Damn that human girl!, Jaken thought bitterly. Always getting Lord Sesshomaru into deep trouble like this! When will she ever learn to keep out of it?

Rin's danger multiplied as seven more Aliens came out of hiding & set their sights on the little girl. Each one was hissing at their catch of the evening, tempted to do the same to her as the first one did to that white rabbit. While she was shaking in high trepidation, Rin couldn't move an inch, let alone run to escape-she felt like she had been rooted to the ground.

The Alien that killed the white rabbit was the one to take a step closer to her, baring both its teeth & inner jaws which were still stained with the rabbit's blood.

It was now within striking distance of Rin-one blow from its hand would decapitate her, & that's exactly what this Alien was thinking of doing to her. Pulling its right arm back, the creature swung it forward just as Rin screamed again.

"Lord Sesshomaruuuuu!"

Halfway through its forward swing, the monster got its arm severed by a mysterious green lash as it screeched in pain while the severed part fell to the ground.

Rin traced the source of the lash & found that her prayers were answered.

It was Sesshomaru, lashing out again with the green whip that emanated from the claws of his right hand. This attack now detached the Alien's head clean off its shoulders, & it goes flying into the forest & disappears from view as its headless body falls down like a house of cards. The other remaining Aliens turn in his direction just as Rin runs to him for protection-seeing him gave her the courage & strength to get herself moving.

"Are you hurt, Rin?", Sesshomaru asks her, keeping his gaze on the Aliens.

"No, my lord! Not a scratch!", Rin replied.

"Go! Get back to Jaken & Ah-Un for safety!"

"On my way, my lord!"

Rin runs away as she spoke, putting as much distance as she can between herself & the Aliens. With her out of harm's way, Sesshomaru can now cut loose on his power & deal with the new threat that has befallen on his little caravan. Taking out Tokijin with his right hand, the full-demon prepares to do battle while Rin escapes with her life.

As she gets fourteen feet away from the mayhem, Rin is suddenly abducted from above-an Alien that hid in a tree drops down from a thich branch with its tail wrapped around it for support & snatches Rin in its hands. Like before, she screams.

"Rin?"

Sesshomaru turns to see the Alien heading back up the tree with its catch. Turning his back on the acid-blooded nightmares was a mistake on his part, & they use the distraction to launch themselves at him & grab hold of him with vice-like grips, giving him no chance to use Tokijin. Even with the creatures grabbing & crushing him with their more than formidable strength, the full-demon can see the Alien that has Rin almost into the tree with no way to get to her.

Until Jaken comes running along, the Nintoujou in his hands.

"Rin! My lord!", he shouts.

"Jaken! Don't…!", Sesshomaru starts to say, believing he might accidentally fry Rin in order to get her away from her abductor.

"Behold, demon, the Staff of Two Heads!", Jaken shouts at the Alien with Rin, aiming his weapon up at it. The imp was aware of Rin's predicament, & from the mouth of the old man on the staff, a gout of flames belches forth & heads directly for the creature's head. The flames hit it on the very top of the Alien, missing Rin indefinitely even though she can feel the intensity of the heat from above her. Upon contact, the flames make the monster screech in surprise & pain as it lets go of its catch, placing Rin in freefall.

"Master Jaken!", Rin cries out.

"H-Hold on, Rin! I'll catch you, child!", the imp calls out, running underneath the falling Rin & holding out his arms. She falls onto the imp on his belly, acting like a cushion as Jaken lets out a hard 'whoof!'.

"Master Jaken! Are you all right?", Rin asks, getting off him & helping him up on his feet.

Jaken's answer to her was a quick outburst of jibberish.

"Jaken! Take Rin & get out of here! Now!", Sesshomaru orders, keeping the Aliens away as best he can.

"Right away, Lord Sesshomaru! Come, Rin! We need to flee!", Jaken says, taking her hand & leading them away from their master & his alien foes.

"But what of Lord Sesshomaru? We can't just…", Rin started saying before Jaken cut in.

"I have my orders, Rin child! Not to worry-Lord Sesshomaru will send those demons back to whatever hell they came from!"

Despite Jaken's reassurance, Rin can't help but to worry for Sesshomaru. Watching her master & protector struggle against the monsters that nearly claimed her life as they get farther & farther away gave her uneasy feelings-even somebody as powerful as Sesshomaru can fall in battle, & whenever he does, Rin feels like it will be the last time she will see him alive. But there was nothing she could do for him except carry out his orders & pray for the best.

Please be all right, my lord!, Rin said to herself as Jaken leads her back to Ah-Un with her satchel still on her shoulder.

Now that his two travelers have gone out of sight & reach of the Aliens, Sesshomaru can now unleash his fury without holding back. It doesn't get any easier though: even if Jaken & Rin hadn't left the area, the acid-blooded nightmares kept their full attention on the full-demon with their assault on him getting more intense as they continue to crush him in their bare hands with all their might. It only gets worse from here: the Xenomorphs now begin to slash at Sesshomaru with their razor-sharp tails & stick him with their inner jaws, striking him in the back, chest & both of his arms, making deep & painful punctures & drawing blood. Each new bruise he gets causes him to grunt in pain. Sesshomaru can't remember the last time he was in a situation this grim, let alone faced enemies like these. All he knows is that he needs to get these ferocious beasts off of him or he'll likely bleed to death & be defeated, even if he is all-powerful.

Never have I faced demons like these before!, Sesshomaru thought grudgingly. They're the most relentless kinds I've gone up against yet! They seem to live only to kill! But they aren't the only ones who are vicious & relentless here!

By sheer force of will, Sesshomaru's fangs grow longer, as does his nails. His eyes turn from golden to a blood red, & a snarl of pure rage erupts from his mouth. With all his strength, Sesshomaru gets all the invading Aliens off his person using a single blow, swinging his arms out to his sides & spreading them. The Aliens get scattered in numerous directions by this power surge & hit the ground hard. But that doesn't even slow them down: immediately they rise up & charge after Sesshomaru like nothing ever happened. Given some time, the full-demon was more than ready for his foes, & he goes after them at full speed with Tokijin in his right hand. Baring his fangs & snarling with rage, Sesshomaru enters the Alien horde & slices & dices the Aliens, going through them like a tornado through a trailer park. With each new swish of Tokijin, limbs get chopped off & sent flying away from the main bodies. Xenomorphs fall down in moments in spite of their viciousness & refusal to quit as Sesshomaru literally cuts their numbers down to nothing, being careful to avoid getting any of their acidic bodily fluid splashed onto him.

In what seemed like an eternity but is actually only thirty seconds later, all the Xenomorphs have been sliced into many pieces, their acidic blood burning through whatever it touches.

Sesshomaru-the onlt one still standing-reverts back to his human guise as both his fangs & nails shrink down, & his eyes retain their golden glow. Still holding Tokijin, he surveys the fallen Aliens at his feet.

What odd but deadly demons these were, Sesshomaru thought. Acidic blood coursing in their bodies, a relentlessness very much like my own, & an insatiable appetite to kill without any remorse or other emotions to cloud their behavior. Where did they originate from, I wonder? Is it yet another scheme cooked up by Naraku? Does he plan on wiping out his enemies with these new demons, & perhaps the rest of the country?

His pondering was intruded upon by yet another sound-one that was now well-known by him, & he stands guard to await their arrival.

Sesshomaru didn't have long to wait at all.

Just twenty-two feet up ahead of him, sixteen more Aliens emerge from the forest & hiss at the full-demon, ready to finish what their brethren began. Sesshomaru was ready to give this new batch of enemies the same response he gave to the others as he raises Tokijin, poised for battle.

Until ten shimmers abruptly came out & landed in front of him, cutting him off.

What? What's this?, Sesshomaru thought as all ten shimmers made themselves visible & revealed Rhino, Bull & what was left of his Yautja clan. Nine of them were already pointing their weapons out at the Xenomorphs, but Rhino stared at Sesshomaru & gave him a cackling sound which may or may not have meant as a threat. The full-demon didn't know what to make of the newcomers, only that they were also another batch of demons he's never seen before. Should he or shouldn't he assault these newcomers? He can no doubt take them out just as easily as he did the others. But after a couple of tense moments, Sesshomaru makes his choice.

"I don't believe we have a quarrel with each other", he says, placing Tokijin back in its sheath. "I was merely taking back what is mine from them. You demons all want them so badly, they're yours. I shall not give any interference towards you."

That said, Sesshomaru turned around & walked away from the battle between Predators & Aliens that was about to take place, going at a leisurely pace like he was out for a walk in the park.

Paying no more mind to the retreating Sesshomaru, Rhino turned back to his clan's prey & readied his wristblades & spear.

In seconds, the battle was on.

Back where they set up their temporary camp, Jaken has taken Rin over to Ah-Un, as the latter climbs aboard the two-headed dragon's back. Holding the Staff of Two Heads in his hands, Jaken stays alert for any sign of trouble, including the acid-blooded nightmares if they decide to attack them there.

"I'm scared, Master Jaken", Rin said. "What if something horrible has happened to Lord Sesshomaru? What will we do then?"

"Don't say such things, Rin!", Jaken says. "Lord Sesshomaru will return to us, I assure you! Until he does, it's my job to keep you safe, as per our lord's orders!"

"If you say so, Master Jaken. But I still…huh?"

A chorus of small but deadly explosions & angry screeching erupts, & the lights from the former can be seen from where the traveling caravan companions stay at. This put both Jaken & Rin on edge, not knowing if Sesshomaru is caught in this unexpected melee, & neither was going to put their own lives at risk in finding out; the last thing they would want is to disobey an order from their lord & suffer his wrath, regardless of their size.

I hope Lord Sesshomaru is okay!, Rin thought nervously.

Jaken couldn't say anything orally or silently, as he was too uneasy to do so.

Then a shadow appears before them from two dozen feet away, getting closer each second.

All their worries faded when they saw who it was.

"Lord Sesshomaru!", Jaken & Rin say happily, seeing him alive.

But just because he's still alive, it didn't mean he was well, as several places on his person reveal torn fabric stained with blood.

"My lord, you're hurt!", Rin says compassionately. "What have those demons done to you?"

"And what of those explosions along with that screeching, Lord Sesshomaru?", asked Jaken.

"My wounds aren't that serious, Rin. I heal rather fast. And those acid-blooded demons don't concern me anymore", Sesshomaru said evenly, walking past them both without looking at them. "They're being…dealt with as we speak. Come."

"Where are we going, my lord?", asks the imp.

"There's nothing more for us here."

Without another word from Sesshomaru, Jaken resumed following his lord & master as Ah-Un began moving once more, with Rin falling asleep upon his back moments later.

A cave in a volcano, thirty minutes before dawn:

No question about it: Totosai loves what he does in life. For as long as he can remember (a trait he sometimes have trouble with!), he's been in his profession as a master Swordsmith for a good number of centuries, having made weapons for the father of Sesshomaru & Inuyasha as he is the one who forged both the Tenseiga & Tetsusaiga at his request. Totosai is an elderly demon who wears olive-green robes with darker green stripes. His head was totally bald, sans for a gray ponytail in the back, coupled by a short gray goatee on his chin & A thin pointed mustache on each side from under his nose, & his eyes were large with pointed ears rounding out his elderly appearance.

Armed with his blacksmith hammer, Totosai pounds on his newest weapon-a sword with a straight blade-as he blows fire from his mouth onto it while he does.

He wasn't alone in his humble abode: a burly racoon demon wearing colored robes & dark hakamas rests comfortably against a wall, snoring softly. He is known as Hachi, a close friend & servant of the Buddhist monk Miroku. Hachi had come to Totosai's abode for none other than the simple reason to 'find a place to crash for a while'.

Being the kind (& often funny) soul the master Swordsmith is, Totosai granted him the utmost permission.

Ah, nothing beats being a master Swordsmith!, Totosai thought, blowing more fire onto his sword & pounding away at it. Every time I get like this, all my cares seem to disappear without a trace. Of course, nothing is as more satisfying as forging the Tenseiga & Tetsusaiga. Doing so for Sesshomaru & Inuyasha's father was intoxicatingly pleasureable. Hell, forging the latter for Inuyasha a second time brought back all those grand memories of when I did it the first time all those years ago. It's ironic, but I should call it a blessing. And who knows? If I'm lucky enough, Inuyasha'll break his current Tetsusaiga & allow me to forge it again! HA!

That last thought put a satisfying smile upon the elder Swordsmith's face, especially when the idea of pulling out another of Inuyasha's teeth & hearing him cry out in pain would be like a sweet melody to him.

Hachi was snoring away in his cave, the sound drowning out everything else to the racoon demon, not being able to hear Totosai pounding on the weapon with his hammer. All that matters to the racoon demon was a chance to grab some well-deserved shut-eye, & where better to get it in than Totosai's cave?

Totosai kept pounding on the straight-bladed sword for several minutes more before he places it in a vat of cold water to cool the blade as it bubbles & sizzles for several seconds. Once it's done, Totosai was looking at a fine-looking sword as he holds it up to his face, his reflection clearly visible in it.

A fine piece of weaponry, if I do say so myself!, Totosai thought proudly. And I do say so myself! Ha ha!

His face wasn't the only thing that reflects from the blade of the newly forged weapon: a pair of two-meter-tall shimmers make themselves known as Totosai turns to face them, placing the sword down on where he was banging on it & does the same with his forging hammer. The twin pairs of shimmers in the air suddenly materialize into Rhino & Bull, both of whom stand at the mouth of Totosai's cave & gradually step inside. The master Swordsmith goes over to Hachi & wakes him up by gently shaking him. After the shaking got more intense, the racoon demon finally wakes up with quick snores.

"Up & at 'em, Hachi!", Totosai said. "We've got ourselves some company in the cave!"

"Uh, what kind of company, Totosai?", Hachi asks sluggishly, opening up his dreary eyes. "Has Master Miroku & his friends arrived?"

"No, not exactly."

From the corner of Hachi's eyes, he catches Rhino & Bull's appearance, & that particular sight made the racoon demon alert & sober really quickly. Letting out a yelp of fear, Hachi gets behind Totosai, using him as a shield of sorts in case things go south from here on in.

Such a coward, Totosai said to himself, shaking his head. What Miroku sees in this little racoon is beyond even me.

The master Swordsmith stands his ground, unshaken by the approach of the two Predators even as they cackle somewhat menacingly, sending a chill up Hachi's spine. Holding a metal spear in their hands, Rhino & Bull stop in front of Totosai & look down upon him & a scared Hachi, checking them over.

"So, your people finally return here, I see", Totosai says, looking up at the alien hunters with ease as if they were old friends. "What took you all so long?"

Just before dawn, at Yoshi's village:

All was quiet in the early morning hours, with sunrise just around the corner. Kagome & company made it as bearable for Inuyasha as they possibly could like they promised, having kept him secluded inside one of the huts to conceal his human form from enemies, most notably from Naraku himself. Inuyasha wasn't the only one who was having some trouble this evening/early morning: Miroku was somewhat disturbed by remaining here in the village, especially now that all its inhabitants have been killed & sent to Heaven. Some part of him didn't feel right to take refuge even for one night in the place his childhood friend Yoshi & his wife Emiko have called home for all their lives after having to bury them, including the ones from Kanto village where the group with Lady Kaede & her people were at just the other day to gather supplies. He felt that he was filthying their souls by doing so, taking advantage of their humble abode now that they're gone. He explained this to Sango, who listened to every word he said as they stand outside & stare at the horizon which gets lighter with each passing moment even though clouds fill the sky, their weapons close at hand.

"Don't think another word of it, Miroku", she says passionately. "I'm sure Yoshi, Emiko & all the others would want you-and us-to stay the night before heading out again, especially since we need to hide Inuyasha in his human guise here for the night."

"And we were all barely able to do so, Sango", the monk replied. "You know how restless he gets on this night, wishing for it to end as quickly as possible."

"How true. Unfortunately, none of us here has the power to make it go any faster any more than any of us can stop breathing life-giving oxygen."

"That's because no one's tried to, Sango. I doubt even Naraku has that power-thank god!"

Miroku's last statement made them look at each other in surprise, then followed it up by a heartfelt laugh.

"I'm glad you're able to joke some at a time like this, Miroku", Sango says. "It's a sign that you're learning to cope with this loss."

"As long as I can cope with battling evil demons-and being with you, Sango-I can be all but satisfied", Miroku replied back.

Oh Miroku, Sango thought with a smile. You're a lecher & a pervert, but I just can't abhor you for any reason. I'm glad to have met you!

"Thanks for that laugh, monk", she says orally. "I needed one."

"I suppose one was in order, Sango", the Buddhist monk said. "As Kagome once told me, 'Laughter can be the best medicine sometimes'. And it's just as true here as it is in her own era."

"Amen."

The two look at each other & smile for a few seconds, but then Miroku's vanishes just as quickly & looks towards the forest, his staff in hand in a defensive position.

"What is it, Miroku?", Sango wondered.

"I sense an animalistic aura heading this way-coming in fast!", Miroku said, all business. "Get Kagome out here quickly!"

"Gotcha!", Sango said, running towards the hut she & Inuyasha were stationed in. When she opens the door, she sees Kagome, Kilala & Shippo resting comfortably as a black-haired, human Inuyasha keeps a close eye on them. The sound of the door coming open awakens the trio of sleepyheads almost instantly.

"Sango?", Inuyasha says.

"Sango, what is it? Is something wrong?", Shippo asks.

"Kagome, you better get your bow & arrows!", Sango said, only half mindful of the fox demon. "Miroku senses danger approaching! It could be those demons again!"

Kagome instantly gets to her feet, ignoring the dreariness one gets when just getting up out of a long sleep & grabs her weapons. She heads for the door, but not before issuing an order to Shippo first.

"Shippo, stay here with Inuyasha! No matter what happens, don't let him out of here until he gets his powers back!"

"Come, Kilala!", Sango says as the demon cat leaps toward the girls, & they both leave the hut & close the door before either of them can object.

"Whoa! Me babysit you?", Shippo says unbelievingly. "I'd rather face those acid-blooded demons!"

"Nobody's stopping you, ya know!", Inuyasha pouts.

"Uh-uh! Kagome gave me a duty to fulfil, & that's exactly what I'm gonna do! Unlike you, Inuyasha, I listen to her! You should try to yourself sometime! That's why she tells you to 'sit' all the time because of your refusal to do so!"

"Shaddup!", Inuyasha snaps, pounding Shippo on the head with a clenched fist. The little fox demon receives a shiner on his head from the blow, & he rubs it with his hands.

Oh, the pain of being a little fox demon!, he thought with sorrow.

In a ball of mystic flame, Kilala reverts to her large saber-tooth form as Kagome & Sango rejoin Miroku with her, their weapons at the ready.

"How close are they, Miroku?", Kagone asked, aiming her bow & arrow.

"I'd sense they're right about…here!", the Buddhist monk said. Just as he predicted, one of the Aliens leaps out from the forest, followed by nine others. Kagome instantly fires her weapon, & the arrow hits its target right on the mark in the chest as the creature falls to the ground in mid-air. Sango backs it up by letting loose her Hiraikotsu boomerang & sends it soaring through three of the Xenomorphs that were closest in range before it returns to her hand. The unlucky Aliens caught in its path were severed in half, acidic blood sizzling the spots where it touched upon the ground. Kilala kicked & rammed the creatures with her beefed-up body, careful not to get any of the acidic blood anywhere on her person. The same went for Mirkou, who had to fend off his foes using only his staff & swift maneuvers, as using his Wind Tunnel on them is not an option; he had an extremely painful experience the first time he used it on the Aliens, & he was in no hurry to go & repeat it.

It didn't mean he was useless in this battle though: for each Alien Miroku or even Kilala had knocked down or caught it off-balance, a well-placed arrow from Kagome or expert throw of Sango's Hiraikotsu weapon made short work of the Xenomorphs almost as quickly as they have appeared.

More of the Aliens came.

The sounds of screeching & of his friends calling out to each other was more than the half-demon could bare, & with his nerves on edge for not being in battle & inactive too long was now taking its toll on him: he needs to get out there & do something-anything-before he goes stir crazy.

Rising to his feet, Inuyasha makes his way towards the door of the hut.

But of course, Shippo can't allow that.

"Inuyasha, you can't go out there! Not now! Not while you're still human!", he says as he grabs his robes & pulls him away from the door with all his might.

"And allow Kagome & the others to be killed out there, Shippo?", he snaps. "I can't take it no more! I have to get out there & help them!"

"You're already helping her & the others, Inuyasha-by staying in here! What if Naraku happens to be right outside with his demons just waiting for you to show yourself so he can do you in where you stand?"

"Let him try, Shippo! Human or not, I ain't afraid of Naraku! Now let go!"

A fierce tug on his robes made Shippo release his hold on them as Inuyasha gets within two feet of the door, his hand reaching it.

That idiot!, Shippo thought angrily. If only I can get Inuyasha to 'sit' like Kagome can, I'd solve this little problem in seconds! Sorry Kagome-I did my best!

But Inuyasha's hand never touches the door; in fact, he lowers his hand & turns away from it, a move that all but surprises Shippo.

Huh? He stopped!, the fox demon thought. I guess he found out it's not worth it after all!

"Tell me something, Shippo", Inuyasha says. "Do you still have those balloons Kagome brought over?"

Shippo couldn't believe what he just heard: their friends are fighting for their lives at this very moment, & Inuyasha wanted to know if he has the rubber toys with him.

Oh my god! He's lost it! He's really lost it!, Shippo thought with wide eyes.

"Why do you want to know that at a time like this, Inuyasha?", he asks out loud.

"Trust me", was all the half-demon said with a smile on his face, baring his teeth.

It was like being in an all-out war for Miroku & the others: no matter how many of their enemies they take down, replacements arrive to pick up where the deceased leave off. Even if they were now down to just five of the Aliens now, they were having the utmost difficulty with disposing of them, especially since they've gotten their hands on them. In spots where they left themselves open for attack, the five creatures leaped at Sango, Kagome, Miroku & Kilala & took each one by surprise & tackled them to the ground. One Alien each got hold of the three humans while the last two were working in unison to keep Kilala down, though with great difficulty as the demon cat struggled & roared ferociously to get herself free. But the acid-blooded nightmares would not yield: they held everyone in a solid grip that felt like steel to them. No matter how hard they fought or struggled, no one could get loose from their immense strength. Without the chance to grab their weapons, Miroku & company were as good as defeated & pretty soon, Yoshi & everyone from his village are about to have company in Heaven.

Drooling from their mouths, the Aliens open their toothy maws to prepare to strike with their inner mouths.

POP!

POP!

POP!

The sudden sound caught everyone's attention, most notably the Aliens', & they rush off to find the source of it, believing it to be more enemies in their midst, completely ignoring Kagome & the others who watch them go with not even Kilala attacking them.

Was that the sound of…balloons popping?, Kagome thought. What is Shippo doing ?He's going to get himself & Inuyasha killed with a stunt like that!

The Aliens get closer to the sound's origin, just as two more balloons get popped. They get over to the last hut in the village on the far end of it & turn the corner just in time to see Shippo pop his sixth & final balloon with his nails. The little fox demon isn't the only sight the Aliens are greeted with. Standing right behind him is Inuyasha-with white hair, dog ears on top of his head, a fully-developed Tetsusaiga in his right hand & a big-ass grin on his face!

"Hello there, boys! Miss me?", he mocks.

"Go ahead, demons! Make our day!", Shippo says in as manly a voice as he can get, also with a huge grin.

The Aliens weren't intimidated. With a hiss, they all raced towards the two unlikely duo.

It didn't take long at all for Sango & Miroku to figure out what happened, & they weren't any more happier about it than Kagome was.

"My god! Is Shippo insane? What could he be thinking in pulling a stunt like this?", the monk asked furiously.

"Never mind that now, Miroku!", Sango said. "We'd better get over there before they…"

At that moment, a small explosion followed by dying screeches of their enemies filled their ears as a cloud of smoke appeared at the far end of the village. Calling out Shippo & Inuyasha's names, the four raced on over to where the smokescreen was & have caught the silhouettes of two individuals-one small, one much larger.

"Shippo?", Sango called out.

"Inuyasha?", called out Kagome.

When the smoke cleared out & dissipated, the two said figures were standing beside one another: Shippo with his arms crossed & Inuyasha holding his huge Tetsusaiga behind his back on his shoulder, both with grins.

"Demon problem solved, folks!", the little fox demon says with pride.

"With extreme prejudice!", the half-demon says proudly.

No words were spoken: their smiles & Kilala's roar was all they needed to express their joy in seeing them alive & well.

"I guess the night of the new moon came to an end without us realizing it!", Miroku had surmised.

"Hard to tell that it had, considering the clouds up in the sky this morning!", Sango said.

"Just before the sun rose, I got a slight feel in my powers returning, so I knew it wouldn't be long before they did, so therefore…", Inuyasha started to explain before Kagome stepped in.

"Shippo used the balloons to draw those demons to you, where they were greeted by a not-so-grand surprise! Very neat, you two!"

"Inuyasha's the one you should praise, Kagome!", Shippo said, jerking his thumb to him. "It was all his plan! And it worked to a 'T'!"

"Naturally!", Inuyasha says.

"Even so, you both did great!", Miroku said. "And now that Inuyasha is a demon again, let's see if we can find those new demons before they find us!"

Suddenly a scent catches the half-demon's nostrils-one he's now accustomed to.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Miroku, but they've already found us-again!", Inuyasha says in defensive, placing his Tetsusaiga out in front of him. Everyone else does the same as him.

"More of those acid-blooded demons heading our way, Inuyasha?", asked Sango.

"No chance, Sango-they're the other ones!"

"The ones that can turn invisible?", Shippo asks, running to Kagome.

"The very same, Shippo! Be on your guard, everyone! With their invisibility trick, those demons can turn up anywhere without us even…"

Something caught Inuyasha's line of sight that made him stop in mid-sentence. From the forest on the far side, he catches a glimpse of something shiny that glitters once or twice before it becomes clearer as it gains speed-and heads right for them!

"Everybody DOWN!", Inuyasha yells as he leaps at Kagome & the rest while he does. His momentum got them all down in time just as twin silver discs with six curved blades on each whiz past their heads. The killer discs tear through the sides of the huts before they both embed themselves in thick trees, their blades almost going through the other end.

"We all accounted for?", the half-demon asks, getting nods from the rest & seeing where the deadly projectiles landed.

"Thanks to you, Inuyasha!", Kagome says. "But we had better get this battle out of Yoshi's village, or it'll end up being demolished!"

"You're right, Kagome!", said Miroku. "This place has suffered more than enough to have it torn down by fighting demons! Let's move!"

With the Buddhist monk in lead, the group head back the way it came to take their current fight outside of the jurisdiction of Yoshi's village. The mere thought of having it torn down to its foundation sickened Miroku, & that's something he will not tolerate.

Being in the lead, he runs to the village's border-& stops short/cold as three red dots in a triangular pattern shine upon his forehead & travels down to his chest.

His abrupt halt caused the others to do the same, & cackling was heard as the next sound. It was immediately followed by eight shimmers suddenly dissipating to reveal the remainder of Rhino & Bull's Predator clan, minus their two leaders. Nobody moved for fear of one of them blowing Miroku away with their shoulder cannons, as the one closest to him has him dead in his sights-a condition he'll be in within a heartbeat whether anyone does something or not.

It was Shippo who intervenes: behind his friends' backs, the little fox demon creates many little red mushrooms with white dots & a pair of eyes on each that come falling down on the Yautja warriors like a freak rainstorm. They suddenly vanish from sight as fast as they hit the alien hunters, & by the time their visions were clear, Inuyasha & company were charging in at full speed.

"Our turn now, demons!", Inuyasha yelled as he swings his Tetsusaiga at four of the alien hunters, all of whom dodge & avoid getting sliced by the deadly weapon, if barely.

Dammit!, Inuyasha thought. These demons aren't like those with the acidic blood! They know to stay clear of my attacks, no matter how I come at them! They're highly skilled during a fight-gotta give 'em that!

The rest of Inuyasha's group was having just as much difficulty in battling the Predators as he was: Sango was locked in battle with a Yautja with a singular wristblade from its left forearm cuff, blocking each swing of it with her Hiraikotsu. Having Kagome & Shippo placed on her back, Kilala gets airborne as the former fires her arrows at another Predator, while the latter uses his 'fox-fire' attacks. Their attacks, even combined, come nowhere near hitting their foe, & he fires back with several shots of blue-white energy from its shoulder cannon. Fortunately, these don't hit their target either, as Kilala dodges each one.

Miroku was stuck with the remaining two Predators as they strike at him with their blades from their wrists & spears. The Buddhist monk blocks each assault with his staff, but feels the immense strength used in each blow, being just as strong as the Aliens themselves, if that was even possible.

Dammit! It's out of the frying pan & into the fire!, Miroku thought, carefully dodging a new set of blows/swings. And these demons are no inexperienced novices in battle either-they time their strikes like any expert hunters would! But if they're just as different as those other demons in more than appearance, then that might mean…!

After avoiding the next slash at him, Miroku places his staff horizontally in front of him & uses it & himself as a battering ram, charging into the two Predators with all his might. The force of his charge makes them drop their weapons & fall to the ground on their asses. Miroku steps back several feet, placing his right arm in front of him.

"I'm not sure just what kind of demons you really are, but I'm betting that you don't have any acidic blood coursing through your veins!", he says, removing his beads.

"Miroku?", Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango & Shippo say as they see the monk prepare to use his cursed weapon. Even the Yautja all stop to witness what comes next.

"Wind Tunnel!", Miroku shouts, letting the flap from his glove fall down to reveal the black hole in his right hand. Once exposed, this hole creates a vacuum that sucks up all in its powerful path.

And the two Predators who Miroku were dueling with are caught in its current!

Like the Aliens he unceremoniously sucked up before, the two Yautja claw the ground in hopes to escape the powerful vacuum which has captured them in its grip. The other alien hunters see the trouble their two comrades are in & train their shoulder cannons at the monk, ignoring everyone they were battling as they gather in a group away from the Yautja-and from Miroku's Wind Tunnel.

But Miroku was wholly aware of them, & he issues a warning.

"Don't you even think about it, demons!", he shouts. "All I need to do is to simply turn in your direction, & you'll be sucked up-just like these two are about to be!"

They do: both Predators get lifted off the ground as the dirt they grab with their hands gives way & get pulled in Miroku's Wind Tunnel, emitting angry growls before the void grabs & swallows them whole, weapons & all. Once they disappear, Miroku wraps his beads around his right-hand glove & turns towards the remaining six alien hunters, more than ready to release his Wind Tunnel again if need be, especially since he no longer feels pain in using it.

It looks like your powder did the trick, Sango!, he thought. I owe you one!

"Do you all see what I'm talking about?", he says to them. "That's what will become of all of you if you do not leave us & this village alone! I won't hesitate to suck you up into my hand either! I should've done so before, so give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't!"

"We'll give you one, Master Miroku!"

A new voice came from up above in the sky, & everyone-human, demon & alien-look up to see a giant yellow creature that resembles an obese snake with a large mouth & pair of eyes up in front. It wasn't alone: flying alongside it is what appears to be a flying cow, with three eyes on its face & a pair of sharp horns on its head. Its feet were engulfed with mystical flames, much like Kilala's was. Riding on top of it was a figure Inuyasha & his group were all familiar with, as was the floating yellow snake beside it.

"Hachi?", Miroku says.

"Totosai!", Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango & Shippo say all at once.

Both of them began their descent towards the group of humans, demons & aliens. When Hachi gets closer, they can see two more of the alien hunters riding upon his back. Rhino & Bull were offered a lift from the racoon demon, who reverts back to his original form once he lands & both Predator clan leaders get off. Kilala lands herself, followed by Totosai. The Predators get into a group as their leaders arrive, laying down their weapons. Inuyasha's group also stand down as Totosai & Hachi join them.

"What are you & Hachi doing here, old man?", Inuyasha asks when something very small lands on his nose & sucks a portion of his blood. It was a flea demon, dressed in olive-green robes & blue hakamas. It had two pairs of arms & a bald head, with only a small portion of white hair in the very back & a thin pointed mustache beside a pointed light-brown beak of sorts. It was a flea demon Inuyasha knew all too well.

"Myoga!", he says curtly.

"Master Inuyasha!", Myoga says. "How nice to make your acquaintance once more-along with your half-demon blood!"

SLAP!

Inuyasha smacks Myoga with his hand to his face & flattens the little pest.

"This shouldn't happen to a flea…ooooooh!", Myoga says in a dazed state, falling off his master's face like a piece of paper & landing in his open palm before regaining his composure.

"I guess this shouldn't be too much of a surprise, Myoga!", Inuyasha says. "After all, if one sees Totosai in the vicinity, can Myoga be far behind?"

Myoga simply chuckles in innocence, placing his hands behind his back.

"And more importantly, why are you traveling with two of these demons?", Shippo asks, pointing out to Rhino & Bull hitching a ride on the racoon demon.

"Good question, Shippo!", Miroku said, eyeing Hachi in a not-so-pleasant way. "Of what I know, they slaughtered a bunch of bandits, skinned & hung them with both their skulls & spinal columns removed, melted a bunch of innocent men & attacked these acid-blooded demons and us with weaponry we've never seen before in all our lives! Care to explain that, Hachi?"

The racoon demon stood & shook with trepidation, looking as if he was about to piss his pants-which he probably is!

"How about you two,?", Inuyasha says, motioning to both Totosai & Myoga when Hachi didn't (& couldn't) answer.

"I gotta go with Inuyasha on this one!", Kagome says. "What's the deal with this?"

It was Totosai who broke the tense moment with a most unusual answer.

"That's easy, everyone", he begins to say. "You see, these demons & us-meaning Myoga & myself-are old acquaintances."

Everyone in Inuyasha's group were placed in a state of shock by the master Swordsmith's response, being unable to speak for several seconds.

"You know of these demons, Totosai?", Sango asks, being the first to talk.

"That I do, young lady", said the Swordsmith. "Why, Rhino & Bull here have met several decades ago when…"

"Rhino & Bull?", Shippo says, cutting him off. "Why did you call them that, Totosai?"

"Because", Myoga takes over as he speaks in Inuyasha's open palm. "Totosai was the one who gave those two their names, hence the style the horns on their face masks are positioned."

"Looks like you & the old man have some serious explaining to do, Myoga!", Inuyasha says, bringing the flea demon to eye level. "Care to tell us what else you know of them?"

Rhino lets out a cackling & signals for everyone to remain silent as he & one of his clan exchange info in their own tongue. It took only a few seconds, & Rhino made hand signs/signals towards the half-demon & his friends.

"What's he trying to say?", Shippo asked.

"How the hell should I know?", Inuyasha snapped.

"I didn't ask you, Inuyasha!"

Shippo & Inuyasha stare angrily at each other, gritting their teeth until the demon slayer gets the alien's message, causing them to cease.

"I believe that 'Rhino' is trying to tell us that we're about to have more company!", Sango says as the Predator clan leader nods his head.

"More of those acid-blooded demons?", Kagome wondered, raising her bow & arrow.

"Or maybe someone seeking help!", Miroku said. "Until we're sure, let's all take cover & find out what his intentions are!"

The Buddhist monk looks at Rhino, who nods as his people do as he suggested, followed by everyone else.

Despite the absence of the jewel shards from his legs, Koga made good time in covering a far distance since he got a move-on after his bout with the Aliens that left Ginta & Hakkaku with slight acid burns on their person as Ayame agreed to take them to her tribe for treatment & food.

All that running-and he isn't even tired from it!

Dammit! All of it!, Koga thought. I track Naraku's scent this far, & now it disappears from my nose again! How in the hell does he do it? It don't matter-I tracked it this far! I'll just bet if I keep on going in this direction, I'll pick it up once more!

The Wolf Demon leader runs down through the forest for a great more until he catches a scent from his nose.

Got something again!, he thought. It's not far from where I currently am, only this kind of scent is totally different from what I've sensed in the past! And it ain't that of those acid-blooded demons either! But now there's another scent-& this one is familiar to me! Could it possible be-yes! This is Kagome's scent! I can sense it's mixed in with this fresh new scent-demons, I'll bet! And my Kagome's caught in the midst of 'em! Hold on, Kagome! Koga's comin' to save ya!

The thought of Kagome in danger made Koga run even faster.

Koga reached his destination in three minutes, coming to a village that had marked graves & battle damage to some of the huts. Once he arrives, his nose caught another scent-one that was now all-too familiar to him.

Those acid-blooded demons were here too!, Koga thought. Looks like they did quite the number here at this place before they left-or someone took them out! It don't matter-if Kagome's still here & mixed in with those other demons that I smelt, she's gonna need some assistance to escape alive!

That's when he catches another familiar scent-one he's never too happy about.

Huh! I smell that no-good mutt here too! Well, he'd better leave my Kagome alone, if he knows what's good for him!

Koga takes several steps into the village, but when he gets too close to the huts a trio of red dots in a triangular pattern suddenly shines upon his forehead, causing him to stop. It's instantly followed up by seven more sets, being placed on his face, neck & all over his chest. A cackling sound fills his ears, & then those who have shone the red dots all over him make themselves seen to the new arrival. Rhino & his Yautja clan deactivate their cloaks & appear in full to the Wolf Demon leader, who stares more in awe than fear of the alien hunters.

Wait-these must be the 'invisible demons' that Ayame mentioned before!, Koga thought, putting it together at that moment. That's the only reason they were able to take me by surprise! Damn! I smelled them, but I couldn't see them! And considering what these red dots all over me mean, they plan on blowing me halfway to Hell!

Right then is where many familiar faces suddenly appear to Koga, showing up from behind the village's huts.

"It's Koga!", said Shippo.

When the Wolf Demon sees Inuyasha, he gets a feeling of dread.

Oh, ain't this great!, he fumed. Not only am I about to be blown away by these demons, I get to be so right in front of the mutt-and Kagome!

But whereas Koga feels dread, Inuyasha is filled with high satisfaction as he gets to see his greatest rival be killed right in his face.

"Oh, is this ever gonna be good!", the half-demon says with a huge grin on his face along with an evil chuckle.

"Inuyasha, no!", Kagome says with pleading eyes. "Koga's not an enemy of ours!"

"Says you, Kagome! All he's ever done is get in our way! Don't forget-he kidnapped you once just so he can locate more jewel shards for his own personal greed! He's no better than all the rest searching for them!"

"Yes he is! Don't you forget-his whole tribe got killed by Naraku, & now he wants him just as dead as any of us does! Besides, he let me go shortly after he took me hostage, & has been nothing short of helpful to me!"

"Yeah, to you maybe! But to the rest of us…"

"It still doesn't mean we should allow our new 'comrades' to blow him away like this, Inuyasha!", said Sango.

"She's right, Inuyasha!", Miroku adds. "Aside from the differences Koga has with us, he has proved to be a valuable ally in our quest to destroy Naraku! You have to spare him!"

"Not a chance, monk!", Inuyasha growled. "Koga may be of value to you all, but he loathes & despises me! He always has! He's worthless-let them blow him away!"

"Inuyasha", Kagome pleads softly, tears forming in her eyes. "Please-for me?"

"Kagome? Why would you…"

Her tears formed faster than before, & Inuyasha couldn't stand it any longer: whenever she got like this, it was one of the half-demon's soft spots, & he had no choice but to yield & give in.

"He really means that much to you, Kagome?", the half-demon asks softly.

"As an ally, yes", she says, wiping her tears away.

It clenched Inuyasha's decision. The half-demon walks up towards Rhino & his clan while Kagome & the rest watch in silence, wondering what he'll do. When he gets to the alien hunters' sides, he makes his choice clear to Rhino & his clan.

"Stand down, boys!", he says firmly before lowering his voice. "He's with us."

Almost instantly, all the red dots vanish from Koga's person & everyone breathes a sigh of utter relief, pleased that this standoff didn't become another bloodbath. That also went for Koga himself, although he didn't share his feelings about the late villagers, but with his own life.

Oh man! The only thing worse than getting killed in front of the mutt is being saved by him!, he thought bitterly. How humiliating!

Don't make me regret this, Kagome!, Inuyasha thought as he says to Koga out loud as he heads back to the others, "Come on, you mangy wolf! We've got a lot to do-and talk about! You with us or not? We ain't got all day, you know!"

"Keep your robes on, mutt! I'm comin'!", Koga says, trailing behind him & giving a snarl in contempt at Rhino & his clan as he passes by them. The alien hunters were neither impressed nor intimidated by this show of savagery towards them.

"Now maybe we can get some answers to this whole thing!", Shippo says to Totosai & the flea demon, the latter of whom sits atop the master Swordsmith's shoulder. "How in the world do you two know of these armored invisible demons?"

"Before they answer that, Shippo, I believe it best if we went elsewhere besides here", said a slightly distraught Miroku. "Yoshi's village has been through enough as it is-in fact, it's been through too much already! We're going someplace else-period!"

"Do you have another place in mind, Miroku?", asked Sango.

"Not to any other village, Sango. If we get ambushed by those acid-blooded demons again, we shouldn't allow any bystanders to be killed. Let's find an open area to settle down at first, & then Totosai & Myoga can explain it all."

"Same as me, huh, monk?", Koga said.

"Koga-you were attacked by those demons too?", Kagome asked.

"Oh yeah. I'll tell you about it on our way to this 'open area' the monk spoke of."

"Fair enough, Koga", Miroku said, turning to the racoon demon. "Hachi, let's get going."

"R-Right away, Master Miroku", Hachi replied with some fear still residing in him.

In no time, with Koga joining the group, they were all airborne on Hachi (including Totosai's flying three-eyed cow & the Predators themselves) as he transformed into his flying form & heading far away from Yoshi's village as it disappeared from sight in no time.

It was time to get to the bottom of it all.

CHAPTER VIII

One-&-a-half hour later:

As Koga promised, he explained to Kagome about the run-in he had with the Aliens, from their jumping out of the river they were at to when Ayame came & saved them at the last minute before taking Ginta & Hakkaku to her tribe for treatment. When they reach a spot of open field, Miroku instructs Hachi downward & tells everyone that it's a prefect place for a group gathering with not another living soul around for miles. After they all get off Hachi, the racoon demon changes back to his original form & joins the rest in a group circle with Inuyasha sitting between Kagome & Koga (for obvious reasons!) as the former hands out a little snack for all by digging in her knapsack & passing them out.

Getting their fill of Kagome's treats, it was time for Totosai & Myoga to begin their tale as it was the former who starts it off.

"Like I mentioned before, Rhino & Bull & their people are old acquaintances of ours. We all first met 50 years ago when they arrived literally out of nowhere. Myoga & I were working in my cave at the volcano when Rhino & his people had stumbled upon it. We didn't know what to make of them, so we made no sudden moves that would've surely cost us our lives, especially as to how they carried all those weapons on their persons-retractable spears, razor-sharp discs & cannons mounted on their shoulders-and that was for starters! Amazingly, none of them did a thing to harm either of us. Rather, they found us to be non-threatening & left us alone shortly thereafter. Like curious cats, Myoga & myself followed them discreetly into a forest & then into a rocky outcropping where we saw an amazing sight."

It was then that Myoga took over in the narration.

"When we caught up to Rhino & his people, they were hunting down those acid-blooded demons you all fought the other day & this morning. Moving with the expertise of a professional bounty hunter, they tracked down & fought those creatures with as much savagery as those things had. They used their weapons like they were extensions of their own bodies, measuring every bit of movement & timing every strike with such swiftness that it made even the deadliest bandits & most cunning of samurai slow by comparison. A few of them did get killed in the melee, but it was Rhino's people who got the more kills in his group than it was the other way around. Once all the acid-blooded demons were dealt with, Rhino & Bull snapped off fingers of their kills & marked the others on the foreheads of those who made the actual kills after removing their metal face masks, slightly burning their flesh. Totosai & myself have witnessed quite the sight in all our years of serving Inuyasha's father. But then our little tour took a slight snag-they all saw & approached us, probably with every intention of doing the same to us as they did to their kills for eavesdropping on their little party. But the darndest thing is-they didn't. Instead, it was Bull who had presented us with a gift-one of their retractable spears. We surmised it was because we both braved watching their fierce battle without getting killed doing so, & that they highly respected the gesture. When their hunt was finished, they claimed their prey's heads as trophies & Totosai & myself followed them back to their vehicle which lifted itself into the air once they were all aboard. This metal vehicle rose skyward & kept on going up & up until it was just a twinkle in the nighttime sky."

Totosai finishes up their little tale.

"Having been presented the spear Bull gave to us, we hung it onto the wall in my cave, where it's proudly displayed as a reminder of our meeting that day. Like Myoga, I always had the feeling that we'd run into them again sooner or later. Looks like we were proven right."

"You & the old man actually stuck around for that battle, Myoga?", Inuyasha says. "I must say, you're both braver that I thought!"

"Yes, well, we were rather…curious about Rhino & his clan, Master Inuyasha", the flea demon said, twiddling his flea fingers.

"If that's so, then why don't you stick around for our other battles?", Miroku asks. "You're both no better than Hachi here, & that's saying something!"

"Honestly, Master Miroku! Don't you have any kind words for me?", Hachi pleads.

The monk was indifferent to Hachi's plea.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?", he says, staring at the racoon demon with a sinister look. Hachi gave a sheepish smile from his mouth along with a nervous laugh.

"Fifty years ago, huh? Where was I all this time?", Inuyasha asked Totosai.

"Where was who all this time, Inuyasha?", the Swordsmith asked back.

"Me, you old fart! How come I didn't know about any of this?", the half-demon barked, annoyed at the old demon's brief amnesia.

"Oh! Well, you were still bound to that tree which Kikyo placed you at. In fact, all of this happened only a few short weeks after she did."

That made Inuyasha fall silent before the demon slayer spoke up.

"So Rhino & his people disappeared into the sky in their flying vehicle, Totosai?", Sango asked.

"As if the heavens were calling to them, Sango", the master Swordsmith said.

"That's it!", Kagome says, piecing it all together. "Now I see what's going on here!"

Her remark caught everyone's attention, & they turn to her.

"You do, Kagome?", Shippo asks.

"That's right, Shippo!", she says as she explains. "Listen, everyone! We've been looking at this whole thing all wrong! Those acid-blooded demons along with Rhino's people here, they're not creations of Naraku like we all believed them to be before! In fact, they're not demons at all! They're aliens!"

"'Aliens'?", everyone else said in a loud & confused chorus with looks on their faces to match.

"Kagome, just what the hell are these 'aliens' you speak of?", Inuyasha wondered.

"Well, where I come from, that's what we call 'life from other planets', so to speak", the high school student said. "Meaning, these creatures we've all been fighting are not from Earth. I guess I should've realized that the moment I saw all those fancy weaponry Rhino & his clan carry around with them."

"You mean to say that you've never seen those kinds of armament before in your life until now, Kagome?", Shippo asks.

"That about sums it up, Shippo. And Totosai & Myoga's story just now is further proof of what I just said."

"Unbelievable, Kagome!", said Koga. "I never thought that such a thing was ever possible! In all my years of going up against some of the toughest creatures, who would've thought that we'd be facing monsters from 'other planets' like you've said!"

"For a second time in a while, Koga, we agree on something!", Inuyasha said. "Kagome, how is such a thing even possible?"

"Do you recall when I briefly explained to you about rockets being lifted off in the air from my time, Inuyasha?", Kagome asked.

"Now that you mentioned it, yes. I do recall that."

"Well, as early as the 7th & 6th Centuries beginning with the Greek writer named Thames & his student Anaximander, people have always believed in what is known as 'extraterrestrial life', another variation of saying 'aliens', you might say. Since then, sightings from all over the world have been reported, although no one had any solid proof of it. Either that, or they just more or less denied the possibility of otherworldly life forms. Then Germany launched a V2 missile in 1942, followed by the first satellite the Russians named Sputnik on October 4th of 1957, & that was followed by the American satellite, the Explorer 1, just one year later. These satellites help researchers keep track of weather, as well as detect objects from deep space that comes in close proximity of the planet."

"Have they ever had any reports of Rhino's people arriving to Earth, Kagome?", Shippo wondered.

"I'm not really sure, Shippo. But if I were to give a false statement, I'd have to say no. I'd guess that their craft has the same kind of invisibility trick that they have, enabling them to slip on through the satellite's scopes & get to the planet right under our noses. Highly advanced as those satellites are, they can't detect an object if they can't see it first."

"So Rhino & his clan have visited Earth before, & possibly an ample amount of times without anyone realizing it like Totosai & Myoga explained", Miroku surmised.

"Could be, Miroku. We don't know everything about them, so your guess is quite logical."

"So is this, Kagome", Sango steps in. "From what I'm hearing, these aliens are some kind of hunters, & they return here to Earth every now & then to hunt. With all the clues we've just gathered, these hunters-or, for a better word, predators-seek out only the most worthy prey they can find. And nothing gives them more satisfaction than those acid-blooded aliens that have been attacking our land. To any kind of big-game hunter, having to hunt something that's capable of doing the same to you is what gives the best thrill. It's what gets their blood pumping, & I don't believe they'll settle for anything less."

That's when another thought came to the group, & Inuyasha was the first to speak it.

"I get it now! That's why the women over at Kanto village were spared when Rhino & his gang attacked the bandits! Unlike those mercenaries, they were helpless & defenseless, providing no sport to these guys here!"

"You're right, Inuyasha!", Kagome said. "As one might say where I come from, that would be like 'swatting a fly with a bazooka'! Meaning, it isn't worth the effort!"

"And that other part the old man & that little flea says makes sense to me", Koga says.

"What part, Koga?"

"When they explained the markings with the blood of their kills, Kagome. You see, these 'Predators' as Sango calls them hunt those other aliens down in order to make adults out of those who are young. Going on a hunt like that is called a 'rite of passage': you send out a group of young warriors into the wild to hunt down & kill as many dangerous game as they can. They do it to prove themselves worthy to their masters. Those who survive & come back get marked with the blood of what they kill. Our Wolf Demon tribes are no different-we do it all the time."

"But from all that's been going on, something tells me that this is no hunting trip for Rhino & his people!", Shippo said. "I'd say it's more like a clean-up job, above all else!"

"What makes you say that, Shippo?", asked Sango.

"Only this: since they've visited Earth many times in the past as Miroku surmised & Myoga & Totosai with their story, it must mean that they somehow like this planet & doesn't want it overrun with those acid-blooded aliens they hunt so that they can continue doing so-that is, in a controlled situation. I'm guessing that they were on their way here for yet another hunting trip with these aliens when something must've gone wrong, & that one or two of them broke free as they touched down."

"Or maybe even long before they touched down", Miroku said.

"It wouldn't surprise me, Miroku. Their craft may have went down hard, stranding them here, I'll bet."

That was when Bull started cackling & nodding to the young fox demon's suspicions.

"It looks like Bull here agrees with your calculations, Shippo", Hachi says.

"Sure looks like it, Hachi", said the fox demon as Bull takes a stick & begins drawing out a diagram. He starts by sketching out their ship splashing & then blowing up in a body of water, & he follows it up with one of the PredAlien & Rhino battling in a surrounding area, one that was all but familiar to Inuyasha-and Kagome.

That's Kagome's home!, the half-demon said to himself.

That's my house!, Kagome thought with dread. They followed that creature to my house & fought there! I pray to God my family wasn't there when they were!

Bull kept drawing, coming up with a picture of the rest of his clan as stick figures along with a well inside of a little wooden hut, & concluding with a curved arrow that went into the well & out of another one, where Bull draws a background of trees. Again this was familiar to the high-school student & half-demon, & this time they don't keep their thoughts to themselves.

"I don't believe it!", said Inuyasha.

"Neither do I, but there's no other explanation for it!", said Kagome. "Rhino & his clan have crash-landed in my time as they all made it out before their ship splashed into the water & detonated, but that alien that looks like them-possibly a hybrid of sorts-somehow survived & they followed it to the Bone-Eater's Well! During a fight, they knocked the creature into the well & that's how they all ended up here in the feudal era!"

"But how can that be?", Sango asked. "I thought that only Inuyasha & yourself had the ability to pass through the well with ease, Kagome! How is it possible that Rhino & his clan, let alone that hybrid, got here to the past?"

Totosai takes a good look around, & that was when he sees something he's failed to notice before: a skull placed upon Rhino's necklace that had two large fangs at the front of the mouth. It was the same one that glowed when Rhino & the PredAlien fell into the Bone-Eater's Well that brought them to the feudal era. Myoga, still on Totosai's shoulder, also notices this, & begins to announce it orally.

"I don't believe it!", the flea demon starts to say. "Totosai, isn't that…"

"It could very well be, Myoga!", the master Swordsmith says, rising up & approaching Rhino. "Rhino, may I kindly see that skull you have for a minute? The one with the long teeth in front."

Being asked nicely, the Predator clan leader safely removes said skull from his necklace & places it in Totosai's open palm, who brings it closer to him as he & Myoga examine it in all aspects. From the looks on the two demon's faces, it didn't seem good.

"Totosai, Myoga, you two okay? You both look pretty worried", Kagome says.

"Yes, you two stare at that skull like you're being hypnotized by it", Sango says.

"Huh! I'll say! What the hell's so special about that damned skull anyway?", Inuyasha snaps.

"What's so special about what?", asked Totosai.

"The SKULL!", everyone yelled, not pleased that his brief amnesia kicked in at a crucial moment, with Inuyasha bopping him on the head & giving the Swordsmith a little shiner.

Jeez, this guy's the mutt's teacher?, Koga thought. No wonder Inuyasha's so messed up! If he was mine, I'd simply devour the old fart!

"Ah, yes, of course!", Totosai says finally. "To answer Inuyasha's question, this is a very special skull I hold in my palm! You see, this is the Devil Spirit's Skull-one that was forged & made by Inuyasha's own father!"

That came as quite the shock to the group, & they stayed silent for several moments before Kagome spoke.

"Inuyasha's dad made it? Whatever for?"

"Permit me to explain", Myoga stepped in. "When Totosai & I served Inuyasha's father, we had assisted in making this grand skull for him at his request. Unfortunately, just as soon as it became completed, it was lost when we were hit by invading forces & the skull splashed into a stream of water & carried it away. We spent nearly a full year searching for it, but to no avail. I'm guessing that when Rhino & his clan arrived here, he must've thought that the Devil Spirit's Skull was no more than another trophy to their collection, being completely unaware & oblivious of its magical properties."

"Until they got a taste of it when they passed through the Bone-Eater's Well, needless to say", Sango says.

"That's only a piece of the power this skull possesses, Sango", Totosai says. "Inuyasha's father had it made not only at his request, but for a specific purpose. He made it between the birth of both Sesshomaru & his younger brother here."

"What's Sesshomaru got to do with any of this?", Inuyasha asked.

"Everything. Your father was always worried that Sesshomaru would get too powerful for his own good, since he always craved it, so he…"

"And what's wrong with craving as much power as you possibly can, old man?", said a new, sinister voice into the foray. Everyone-human, demon & alien-turn to see a trio of figures floating down encased in energy barriers sixty feet away. Two of them-Kanna & Kagura-are encased in one as the other is ten feet away in parallel with them. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail, & his robes were covered in what appears to be a piece of armor made from bone with a red eyeball in the middle of it. This was someone Inuyasha & his group all knew-and loathed-all too well.

"Naraku!", they all said, most spitting his name like it was poison.

"And Kanna & Kagura! What an unpleasant surprise!", Inuyasha growled, drawing his Tetsusaiga.

The others follow suite & draw their own weapons, as do Rhino & his clan. They may have just met Naraku & his two minions, but they can sense the malevolence they all possess. A volley of shots were fired from their shoulder cannons & head in their direction, but powerful as they are, not one of them gets through their barriers, much less touches the inhabitants within.

"Pretty persistent, these 'aliens' are!", Kagura says.

"And all for naught", Kanna said evenly. "Even their unusual weaponry cannot penetrate our barriers."

"So, you three have been listening in on our conversation, have you?", Miroku said. "I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, considering the filthy rats you are!"

"Watch your tongue, monk!", Kagura spat.

"Make me!"

She was about to lash out with her weapon until her 'employer' cuts in.

"Enough, Kagura!", said Naraku.

"Yeah, I agree with you on that, Naraku!", Inuyasha says as his Tetsusaiga turns red. "I'd say we've all had enough of you & your despicable ways! Now we can end this once & for all!"

His sword glowing with red energy, Inuyasha raises it above his head & swings it down as the aura sails straight for the energy barriers that surround Kanna, Kagura & Naraku. A powerful blast ensues as the energy strikes the barriers, engulfing the terrible trio in a cloud of smoke.

Once it clears, they were all standing like statues, completely untouched by the assault.

"What? I thought you were able to penetrate any kind of barrier with that sword of yours, mutt!", Koga barked. "You're useless, you know that?"

"Shut up, you mangy wolf!", Inuyasha snapped back. "I'd like to see you do better!"

"He's going to do nothing!"

Another new voice enters the foray, & everyone turns to see a new unexpected (& to some, unwelcome) sight that stood twenty feet away & casually walks up towards the group.

"Sesshomaru!", Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Hachi, Totosai, Myoga, Shippo & Koga said in unison. The Predators just stood there & watched as the full-demon approached the group as he does not even acknowledge their presence.

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru?", Inuyasha snaps.

"I'll deal with these three, younger brother! You & the rest of your group-get out of here!"

"The hell we will, Sesshomaru!", Sango barked.

"You got that right!", Miroku adds. "We have as much right to be here to duel with Naraku as you do! I & the rest of us have a score to settle with him!"

"He's right! What's your excuse?", Inuyasha barked.

"I don't need one!", Sesshomaru said plain & simple, drawing Tokijin.

So that's the mutt's older brother!, Koga thought, recalling when he first met Sesshomaru not too long ago. I guess now I know why Ginta & Hakkaku didn't want me quarreling with him! Not that it matters-with Naraku right here in my face, I ain't going anywhere! Time to avenge my fallen comrades!

"I'm surprised to see you here with Naraku, Kagura, considering that you once…", the full-demon began saying.

"Sesshomaru, you're as much of a fool to come here as Inuyasha is!", Kagura said, cutting him off before he can get to the part where she once asked Sesshomaru to kill Naraku for her. "If you insist on dealing with us like the half-demon, then you can die like him & his friends are about to!"

This will teach you to refuse my services, Sesshomaru!, Kagura thought.

Sesshomaru just scowled.

"All in good time, Kagura! First, they have something I want!", Naraku says, extending a pair of his fingers & striking like snakes. In the blink of an eye, his fingers snatch the skull which Totosai had in his palm before anyone knew what went on. Retracting his fingers to their original shape, Naraku now holds the Devil Spirit's Skull in his own hand.

"The skull!", Totosai & Myoga say in disbelief & with more than a little fear.

"And now in my possession!", Naraku said. "And just so you know, monk, I didn't need to eavesdrop on your entire little conversation! I'm more than aware of what this skull Inuyasha & Sesshomaru's father conjured up is capable of!"

"How would a snake like you know of such confidential things, Naraku?", Miroku asked furiously.

"You be surprised what kind of information my Saimyoshou pick up on their daily patrols, monk! Let me give you a little demonstration of this skull's potential!"

Miroku & the rest brace themselves for what appears to be an attack on them. The Yautja aliens do the same, their shoulder cannons poised & set to fire. In Naraku's hands, the skull starts glowing a bright white, just like the time when Rhino fought the PredAlien & got knocked into the Bone-Eater's Well, ending up in the feudal era.

Seconds later, a white beam comes shooting forth.

But it doesn't aim for Inuyasha or anyone of his friends/comrades.

It aims straight for Sesshomaru.

The beam strikes the full-demon before he can even blink: Sesshomaru lets out a scream of surprise & pain as the energy surges throughout his entire body, which glows in the same light as the skull itself. Kagome & the others watch as Sesshomaru experiences pain like he hasn't felt in a long time, if ever. When the pain stops as suddenly as it began, the ray of white light retreats back into the skull, & it glows even brighter than before.

Through it all, Sesshomaru stood on his feet.

I…feel different from before!, Sesshomaru thought. What kind of skull is that?

"What have you done to me, Naraku?", Sesshomaru demanded.

"Totosai, you said that the Devil Spirit's Skull had everything to do with Sesshomaru!", Kagome says. "What did happen to him just now?"

"As I was saying before, their father always worried that Sesshomaru would get much too powerful for his own good!", Totosai says. "So he created the skull to take away & reduce his power to a manageable 50% when he got far too greedy!"

Normally, things don't bother Sesshomaru too much, if at all as if it were no more a shock than a flea that jumped out & drained some of his blood from him. But this was a very different scenario, & he was in a rare state of shock that he seldomly expresses as his eyes go wide a few inches.

"Do you mean to say I'm now just a…half-demon?", Sesshomaru says in surprise, staring at his robed arms, his right hand still holding Tokijin.

"Ha! Welcome to my side of the family, Sesshomaru!", Inuyasha says in a mocking voice, staring at him with a grin on his face. His older brother turns to him with his teeth bared & in an angry scowl & snarl, but Inuyasha just kept his grin, savoring the irony of it all.

"So what are you going to do now, Naraku?", Sango asks with malice. "Absorb all of that power into you & make yourself even more powerful?"

"It did cross my mind, I admit, but I thought we'd try a little experiment with it first!", Naraku replied. Holding out his left hand, he gives it a quick wave & instantly a half-dozen orbs of pure blue transparent energy appear on the ground, appearing right in between Naraku & his enemies. Inside each sphere was an Alien, all of them curled into a ball with streams of white wind energy circled around their arms, legs & tails. With another wave of his hand, Naraku made the spheres vanish. In his other hand, the skull kept glowing brightly before shooting six beams at each of the captive Aliens, screeching loudly as they are.

The Aliens weren't the only ones to be struck by the skull's beams: six of the Predators were also caught in the beam's paths, as eight more shot out from the skull, with Rhino & Bull dodging theirs just in time as they dive for cover in opposite directions. The struck Predators all cry out in anguish as they feel like they're being ripped apart from the inside, their metal face masks all falling off & revealing their crab-like faces for all to see. As with Sesshomaru, the pain & light show was over as soon as it began.

"That should do it, I think! You may now release our 'prisoners', Kagura!", Naraku orders her.

"Very well!", she says, swinging her fan once. In a heartbeat, the wind binds that held the Aliens disappeared, & they rose to their feet in all their glory.

"Ha! They don't seem like much to me, Naraku!", Koga said. "If even the mutt can beat these things without breaking a sweat, then this battle's over before it even begins!"

"Ah, but you haven't witnessed the new & improved versions yet, wolf demon!", Naraku says evenly. "Observe!"

As Naraku points a finger, the six Aliens & Predators all start hissing & growling as each one begins to grow another few feet & become more bulgy & muscular like star athletes on a bad overdose of steroids, the sound of cracking bones & ripping flesh filling the ears of everyone in the vicinity.

"Oh man! This can't be good!", Shippo says, staying behind Kagome. The junior high school student turns to Totosai.

"Totosai, what did Naraku just do to…huh?"

The master Swordsmith, Hachi & Myoga hop on Totosai's three-eyed cow & they take to the sky.

"I think it best if we three take our leave now, Kagome!", Totosai says.

"Yes! The best of luck to you all, including you, Master Inuyasha!", Myoga shouts back. "Our prayers are with all of you!"

In moments they were gone.

"Huh! That would be just like them!", Miroku said furiously.

"A word of advice, monk!", Kagura says. "I'd pay less attention to your fleeing friends & more to your own life if I were you!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kagura, but you're not me!"

"Forget about her for now, Miroku!", Inuyasha says. "Here's your real problem!"

With the power of the Devil Spirit's Skull coursing through them, both the six Predators & Aliens went through a startling metamorphosis: of the Aliens, one developed two heads, a second pair of arms, legs & tail as another developed a pair of wings from its tubular dorsal spines in a dragonfly's fashion. A third one had its feet, hands, mouth & tip of its tail morphed into a crab's claw with razor-sharp teeth in each. Of the Predators, one had its barbed whip melded to its left hand, becoming its hand, while the blades on its right wrist did the same on the opposite hand. A second one had its crab-like mouth literally filled with razor-sharp teeth, making it look like a more deadly Venus Flytrap. A third had sharp foot-long spikes sticking out from its armor, while a fourth had its bones from its spine sprout out of its back & form into spider legs. A fourth one also developed wings from flesh & bone out of its back, shaped like bat's wings. A fifth one was simply overly muscled & made green, reminding Kagome of the character 'The Incredible Hulk' from comics she used to look at years ago as a child. The last two Aliens & single Predator had no exposed metamorphoses, but everyone knew better than to believe they had no enhancements done to them.

"Huh! So you made some 'improvements' on these aliens with that skull you stole from the old man!", Koga said. "Big deal!"

"Still not impressed, wolf demon?", Naraku says. "Then perhaps you'll change your tune once you have the privilege of…hold on one second!"

Without warning, Naraku extended his right arm into the forest & retracted it almost as fast. In his hand he pulls out the PredAlien who was eavesdropping on everyone & the events which took place. The creature got to its feet to see its Aliens & natural enemies transformed into hideous monstrosities up close & personal.

"The hybrid!", Kagome says.

"So…this is the beast that gave birth to the acid-blooded Aliens, is it?", Naraku wondered out loud. "And it has some of the characteristics of the alien hunters, I see!"

"Are you going to 'demonize' this one like you did all the others, Naraku?", asked Kagura.

"An intriguing idea, Kagura, I must confess! But since it gave them life, I'd like to see how it copes in having to be able to go against the ones it gave birth to! And on that particular note, Kagura…care to give the order?"

The wind warrior was surprised to be the one to commence with the assault, but though she despises her creator, she isn't one to turn down a golden opportunity such as this-even if it is one presented by Naraku himself.

"I'm honored! Aliens…kill them!", Kagura says, waving her fan.

The demonized Aliens & Predators all let out a hideous roar that echoed throughout the area, & they commenced their attack on Inuyasha, his older brother & all the rest.

In short, all hell was breaking loose!

Sesshomaru took on the Predator with the whip-hand as he let loose with his own green whip from the fingernails of his right hand, their weapons clashing & sparking; The PredAlien was locked in battle with the Alien that had crab claws, avoiding the deadly appendages; Sango & Kilala have an airborne battle with the Alien & Predator that have wings, dodging each swoop & killer claws/weaponry; Miroku fought with the Predators that had the toothy mouth & Spider-legs from its bones; Bull fought his clan brother with the spikes sticking out from its armor, with only seconds to spare as it attacked with deadly speed; Rhino dealt with the multi-limbed Alien & was having difficulty, as it was more coordinated than he first thought; Kagome & Inuyasha were locked in combat with the Hulk-Predator; Koga had his sights on the Predator which didn't seem to have any enhancements, as Shippo was staring at the two leftover Aliens.

Although they seem normal enough, I wonder what enhancements Naraku gave to them!, Shippo thought. Gotta be careful-it could be anything!

The young fox demon was sorry he wondered: one of the Aliens suddenly had its entire head open up as a big mouth, filled with sharp dinosaur-like teeth. Not only that, its head reached out to Shippo on a neck that stretched out like a plesiosaur's.

Whoa! That answers that question!, Shippo thought as he jumped out of the big mouth's way with seconds to spare. This assault was followed up by the other Alien when, from the holes on the right side of its head, streams of acid shot out & headed for the fox demon. This shocked Shippo too much for him to dodge, & he saw the acid head in his direction with no time to avoid his deadly bath.

Until Kilala came & scooped him up just one second before the acid touches him.

"Kilala! Sango!", Shippo cried out as he gets on the cat demon's back behind the demon slayer.

"I think you'd be better off with us up here, Shippo!", Sango says.

"Point taken! But I doubt it's much of an improvement with those two chasing us!"

The winged Alien & Predator stayed on Kilala's trail as the latter fired shots of blue-white energy at Sango & company. Kilala barely avoids getting hit as she zig-zags through the air with the former shooting needle-like darts from its abdomen. Shippo shouts a warning, & Kilala responds just in time as she goes left to dodge the oncoming projectiles.

"That was close, Sango!", says Shippo. "But we can't dodge those forever! We need to do something fast!"

"You're right, Shippo!", Sango said. "And I know just how to handle this! Kilala!"

The demon cat roars in response as she turns a swift 180 degrees & heads right for the Alien, which fires more of its darts that Sango blocks with her Hiraikotsu like a shield, bloncing off it like they were pebbles. Once she gets close enough, Kilala grabs the creature by the wings on its left side & throws it with all her might straight at the winged Predator. The flying Yautja neither dodged it nor slapped it aside: it blew it away with its shoulder cannon, blasting it into a million pieces as bits of it went flying everywhere. Staying clear of the acidic remains, the flying Yautja continues on course for Sango & company.

Wow! Even though Naraku demonized them, the Aliens & Predators are still natural foes to one another!, Shippo thought.

One down, & one to go.

Miroku watched in awe as the toothy-mouthed Predator open its maw to nearly the size of its own body, revealing more teeth within. It then extended its neck & reached out for the monk like the big-mouthed Alien that can do the same maneuver. Miroku also had to watch out for the stabbing legs of the Spider-Predator, as each leg had a sharp point at the ends & looked more than capable of piercing metal with ease as it can flesh. Another two legs attempted to stab the monk, but Miroku dives out of the way & counterstrikes with his staff by slicing the two bone-legs, leaving the points embedded in the ground. The Spider-Predator falls down & howls as it does in great pain.

Of course!, Miroku thought. When in a fight or even a fall, one tends to avoid hitting any bone, as it can put you in a world of hurt! Then that means…!

Quick as he can, Miroku used his staff to break the other bones that made up the Predator's legs with a sickening snap. Again the creature yelled out in pain as the monk made his way up to the alien hunter's head.

"The spirits be with you!", Miroku said, swinging his staff & decapitates his one-time unusual ally. The alien hunter's head rolled over to the big-mouthed Predator, which was now joined by the Alien with the same ability. As one, the creatures shot their heads out at Miroku & opened their toothy maws in hopes of swallowing him whole. The Buddhist monk jumps up & over the oversized maws & lands in between them. Retracting their heads, the creatures attempt another try but Miroku gives them each a powerful kick in the solar plexus that drives them back a good eighteen feet apart in both directions. Getting back up, the two creatures stare at the monk who in turn keeps his eyes on both, awaiting the right time.

If this plays out right, I can get two alien birds with one stone!, Miroku thought as he keeps close watch on his foes on either side of him.

Then they strike: both big-mouthed Alien & Predator shoot their heads out on their snake-like necks & open their giant mandibles, rushing straight for Miroku as he patiently waits for the right moment.

NOW!, he thought, diving to one side as both maws make contact with each other & close with the force of an alligator's bite. As one, both mouths & heads get crushed into gooey messes as bone, bile & alien blood mix in a disgusting ichor, the acid melting what it touches. Without a head on their necks, both bodies fall to the ground.

Bingo!, the monk proudly thought.

Bull received some cuts from his bout with his clan brother who has spikes emitting out of his armor, but for the most part they were nothing too serious. He's still able to fire his shoulder cannon & use his hand-held accessories like his spear & razor-disc, but each attempt was either dodged or reflected by the bodily spikes his brother-turned-foe used. The spiked Predator then did something strange: it began spinning round & round like a deadly top & headed right for the clan's second-in-command with speed like a cheetah's. Bull had scarcely enough time to avoid getting skewered & splattered by the spinning death trap that was once his comrade.

Rhino was in the midst of struggling with the multi-limbed Alien when he sees Bull in grave danger with the spinning death trap. But Rhino couldn't focus on his comrade right now-he was too busy dodging two pairs of just about everything the Alien had on it. And it was as nimble as when it was 'normal', having heightened agility & double the ferocity. It struck out with both inner jaws from its two mouths, followed by its twin tails & raking claws. Even using his wristblades & glaive to dodge, Rhino was having great difficulty in staying ahead of being skewered and/or slashed to death by this augmented prey he's expertly hunted & killed through his career.

But Rhino was no defeatist. It was one reason as to why he lead his team: even now, a plan runs through his head & he sees it plain as the mask on his face. As the multi-limbed Alien made another strike with its twin tails, Rhino grabs them both & swings it at a most particular target: the spinning spiked Predator that was on the verge of shredding Bull into pieces. Just as Rhino threw the Alien he was fighting, he issues a warning to his second-in-command, & Bull sees the oncoming demonized Xenomorph come his way, diving out of the way just as their two foes collide. The spiked Predator shreds the multi-limbed Alien into pieces upon contact, & its acid blood causes it to cease spinning as the acidic fluid eats away at its armor & flesh, making it roar out in anguish. Weak by the fumes & its flesh dissolving, the spiked Predator falls to the ground & convulses in pain. Not wanting to see him suffer more than he already is, Rhino & Bull do the most honorable thing they can do for him.

Using their shoulder cannons, they blow his head off.

Koga was facing his own opponent.

"Huh! You don't look like much!", he mocks. "Let's see what you got! Impress me!"

His enemy was only too happy to oblige: with a life of their own, the Predator's 'hair' had wriggled & rose, & then suddenly lashed out at Koga with near-lightning speed. The leader of the Wolf Demon tribe dived to one side while unsheathing his sword. With one swing, he slices off the snake-like appendages as the ends drop to the ground. They retreat back momentarily as they re-form, ready for another strike.

Even though I rarely use this thing, it's still a good thing I carry it around for times like this!, Koga said to himself, as he stares at his sword. Still, what I wouldn't do to have my jewel shards right now!

"Is that all, ugly?", he shouts. "And here I thought you were a challenge! Come on! Give me something to remember you by when I take you apart limb from limb!"

Again Koga gets his wish: the live-haired Predator lashes out once more with some strands, only to be sliced by Koga's weapon. But that what the alien hunter was anticipating: with some hairs being the distraction, other strands then lash out & wrap themselves around his sword before Koga can swing it again. With a mighty tug, they yank his weapon from his hands & the living hairs throw it twenty-four feet away. It got worse for the wolf demon: at that same time, the other hairs from the Predator wrap themselves around first Koga's arms & legs, followed by the rest of him. No matter how hard he struggled & fought, Koga could not get himself free of what has him now in their grip, which felt no different from being snagged by an octopus or a squid.

He was held good & firm as the hair put a squeeze play on the wolf demon, making it hard for him to even get oxygen in his lungs. As if things for him couldn't get any worse, several of the Predator's hair ends morphed into the mouths of fanged snakes, all staring down at him & hissing threateningly. He didn't know just how deadly their poison was, but Koga can tell that it's more than enough to kill even him.

Guess I should be more careful what I ask for in the future!, Koga thought, staring the snake faces back with defiance despite his dire predicament. If I have a future!

Even made as a half-demon, Sesshomaru was more than a formidable enemy. With every strike of his lash & Tokijin, he made several cuts into the whip-hand Predator on its limbs as lime-green blood flowed out of the wounds. But even that did not stop the demonized alien: it lashed back with equal ferocity with its own whip & blocked even Tokijin with its blades that are now part of its right hand, as the barbed whip is on its left. With another lash, the Predator made a cut in Sesshomaru's chest with the whip & a slight cut on his face with the blades. Blood had been spilled from his cheek, & he scoops it up with a finger.

"You're quite the opponent in battle, alien", he says. "I praise you. Not many have had the privilege of lasting this long in a fight with me. But now it's time to bring this to an end, don't you agree?"

"Very well!", the Predator said in Kagura's voice, surprising the person herself with the creature's ability.

Those alien hunters can mimic voices too?, Kagura thought. I must say-these things never cease to amaze me, & I've only known about them for the second day in a row!

A smile comes across her face as Sesshomaru & his alien quarry face off again.

The PredAlien managed to stay clear of most of the crab-clawed Alien's attacks, but could not avoid all of them: it received cuts & deep claw marks on the arms, legs & chest, causing blood to be spilled. The hybrid managed to get some licks of its own in the melee: so far it has broken off the claws of its enemy on its feet, & gave it a clean cut across the chest with its tail. It still didn't deter the thing's fighting prowess; even with the claw part on both of its feet gone, its performance wasn't hindered a bit. It still maneuvered like it always did before its enhancements given by Naraku, & strikes out with unhindered speed. It was with this velocity that the crab-clawed Alien had grabbed its enemy at the shoulders & used crushing strength to hold it firmly as it jabbed at the hybrid with its inner jaws & crab-like mouth. The PredAlien avoids impalement at every turn with its own reflexes, & waits for a chance to strike itself.

It comes to it: using its own inner mandibles, the PredAlien lashes out at its foe & strikes it in the right side of its face, puncturing its hard flesh & spilling its acidic fluids that splash on the hybrid's face, doing no damage. Like spiders & snakes with their own venom, the Xenomorphs are immune to their own acid, & therefore cannot be harmed by it.

The hurt done to it made the crab-clawed Alien to release its enemy & take steps back to get some distance. But the PredAlien would give it no leniency as it would to any foe even to one of its own kind: as the wounded creature shook its head to shake the pain away, the hybrid had grabbed it by the arms & broke off both of its clawed hands with its inner jaws, shattering them as if they were made of no more than plaster or ceramics. It was far from finished though: the wounded creature struck out with its tail & grabbed the hybrid by its own, squeezing it as any regular crustacean would. The PredAlien was indifferent to this new development, as it merely used this predicament to its advantage. With its immense strength, the hybrid swung its attached enemy over its head & body slams it to the ground, doing so many times. Despite how nasty the hits were, the crab-clawed Alien held fast like ticks on a dog. The PredAlien then takes notice of Sesshomaru in battle with the whip-hand Predator & lashes its tail out over to it with all of its might, forcing the thing to let go. When the alien hunter saw the acid-blooded beast head its way, it turned towards it & used both its lash & bladed hands to make short work of the oncoming monster, cutting it in half.

Big mistake on its part: with its attention diverted off of Sesshomaru, the now-half-demon uses Tokijin to cut off both his opponent's hands, literally disarming him. The alien hunter fell onto its knees & stares at its stubs of arms, blood pouring out from where its hands once were.

Then it stares at Sesshomaru himself, with him doing the same.

"I praise you", it said in his voice, knowing it has lost this fight.

"And I thank you. Farewell", Sesshomaru says before slashing vertically at his fallen foe with Tokijin. A moment passes before the fallen Predator splits in two halves, each one falling in parallel in two separate bloody heaps.

Just after Kilala helped to dispose of the flying Alien, they were faced with not just the flying Yautja warrior who keeps firing blasts from its shoulder cannon, but with the other Alien which Shippo briefly squared off against. This one had a nasty surprise like its late partner: it had an unnerving capacity to shoot forth a multitude of inner mouths from its main one, like it was filled with snakes. When Sango & company got close enough, the snake-mouthed Alien launched its attack upon them, nearly getting skewered by this new method of attack. That, & coupled with the airborne Predator, got the trio of Sango, Shippo & Kilala between a rock & a hard place.

"What can we do, Sango?", Shippo asked. "We're not safe either on the ground or in the air!"

"I know, Shippo!", Sango said dreadfully. "And that Predator's aim is getting closer & closer to making an actual hit on us! Already Kilala's received singed fur in spots, & it won't be long before he makes a direct hit! And I dare not use my Hiraikotsu as a shield, as I have no idea if it's even effective in repelling alien firepower!"

"Well…any ideas come to mind?"

Sango desperately looks around as her mind races as fast as it can. In her line of work of demon slayers, one needs to think fast & act even faster if they wish to see the next sunrise, & for Sango, all those years of training alongside her younger brother Kohaku made her one of the best her family ever had.

Pushing those memories of Kohaku aside for the moment, Sango kept her mind on the task at hand.

And she gets something almost straight away.

"Be sure you hold on tight back there, Shippo!", she instructs him. "This flight is about to get really rough! Kilala!"

The demon cat roars in answer & dives downward at a great speed. As Sango suspected, the flying Yautja was hot on their trail by only a few feet, its blades extended as it wants an up-close-&-personal slaying of its enemies.

Sorry, Predator-you're not gonna get what you want!, Sango says silently as she comes near her destination-the multi-mouthed Alien!

Once she gets within ten feet of it, the Alien before them shot out its many inner jaws from its mouth, & that was when Sango's plan would bear fruit.

"Up, Kilala!", she shouts as the demon feline made a hard climb upwards just as the many mouths rushed past them, missing the demon cat's feet by a quarter of an inch. They were now headed in a new direction with a new target-the winged Predator! Traveling way too fast for the Alien to pull them back & the Predator to dodge, the many inner mouths struck the flying alien hunter & the mouths went straight through, with the jaws coming out the other end in the back as lime-green blood splashed everywhere & the Predator roared its death howl, partly gurgled from the blood that erupted from its mouth.

It was at this point that Sango acts.

"Hiraikotsu!", she yells, throwing her boomerang weapon at the two entangled aliens as it first cuts through the Predator & cuts it in half at the waist before making its way towards the Alien & doing the same. Like she's done hundreds of times, Sango catches her weapon by the strap at one of the corners with ease. It smokes, but does not melt anywhere.

"Good plan, Sango!", Shippo said. "That gives us two less enemies to worry about!"

"But not all of them, Shippo!", Sango said. "Now that we're free of our flying foe, let's lend a hand over to…oh no!"

"What is it?"

"It's Koga! He's getting the ultimate squeeze play done to him!"

Shippo looks down to see the wolf demon in the grip of the live-haired Predator, caught as if he were a dolphin to an octopod for food to it. They can both see Koga's eyes going into his head as the pressure on him gets tighter & tighter.

"Come on, Shippo! We have to help him-and fast!", Sango said.

"You're right, Sango!", Shippo replied. "And I know just how to do that!"

"What did you have in mind about…Shippo!"

Without a word, Shippo got off Kilala's back & went into freefall.

Sango couldn't believe her eyes.

Koga's vision was going dark, & he could no longer breathe even a little. The Predator's thick, black living hair had a good grip on him, & his strength was spent due to lack of oxygen.

How ironic!, Koga thought as his vision was almost totally dark. I lived an attack by the aliens with acid blood, only to meet my end by their natural enemies! Oh well-at least I got to see Kagome one more time!

Even though his vision was going dark, Koga could still hear a wet crunch & all the live hairs from the Predator went slack & loosened their hold on him. Weakened by lack of oxygen, Koga fell to his knees & took in breaths of air to revitalize himself. Once his vision started to get more into focus, he wondered as to how he had gotten loose. What he saw had been nothing short of amazing: a giant slab of stone with eyes, nose & a mouth came crashing down upon the alien hunter's head from above & crushed it like an egg. Blood, flesh & bone lay in a pile as a puff of smoke showed up & in the slab's place stood Shippo, partly covered in the alien's lime-green blood.

"Hey Koga! How are you feeling?", Shippo asked.

That little fox demon saved my rear end just now?, Koga thought in bewilderment. Wow!

"Uh…I'll live, if that's what you mean!", he says orally. "Damn! I never knew you had it in you, shrimp!"

"Hey! The name's Shippo!", the little fox demon snapped. "I'd honestly wish you'd use it once in a while, especially since I saved your butt just now!"

"Heh! Sure, sure!", he says with a smile. "Well listen…Shippo! How's about you hand over my sword over there so's I can help save your comrades from our remaining enemies, 'cause I believe they can use it!"

Shippo nodded.

"Gotcha, Koga!", he says as he rushes over to where the wolf demon lost his weapon & gives it a good toss-right into Koga's hand.

"Got it!", Koga said. "I gotta say…you're ten times more useful than the mutt! Now, why don't you take some cover while the big boys go take care of some leftover business?"

"Fair enough, Koga! Be careful!", the fox demon says as he puts some distance between him & the remainder of this fight.

The muscled Hulk-Predator was locked in combat with Inuyasha, Kagome, Rhino, Bull & a newly arrived Sango & Kilala while Miroku was still in battle with the Alien that can spit its acidic fluids from the sides of its head & mouth, an opponent he's been dealing with since dispatching his other two dancing partners. The huge ten-foot-tall green alien hunter was using its massive strength to pound the ground & create ripples into it to throw its enemies off-balance & make them easy pickings. Its foes didn't yield to its man-made earthquakes, having dodged each attempt in its quest to crush them. But it also didn't mean they were getting anywhere in bringing it down either. Even with the combination of Kagome's arrows, Sango's Hiraikotsu, Rhino & Bull's own weaponry & Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, the Hulk-Predator could not be brought down despite the numerous bleeding wounds on its person.

"Dammit!", Kagome cursed. "All this armament we're bombarding it with, & the damn thing still won't go down!"

Where the hell is Lou Ferrigno when you really need him?, Kagome thought, half-jokingly of the American actor who's best known for playing the titular creature in the famed 1970s television show.

"You're right, Kagome!", Inuyasha says, landing by her side. "Even though it's been given an upgrade by Naraku, this thing still has all the expert hunting skills it possessed as a regular Predator! It knows to dodge & counterattack us at every turn! Even my Tetsusaiga is having a hard time bringing him down!"

"Then let's see what I can do about it, mutt!", Koga says, landing between them with his sword in hand.

"Koga! You're okay!", Kagome says proudly.

"You can thank your young friend Shippo for that, Kagome! He's more bold than some of us give him credit for!"

That last statement had Koga staring right at Inuyasha.

"So he saves a mangy wolf! Big deal!", the half-demon says. "Besides, what can you do against that abomination we're now facing if we aren't able to take him down anyway?"

"You just gotta know where to hit him at, mutt! Stay here with Kagome! I'll show you what I mean! Leave it to me!"

Koga took off before Inuyasha can comment, leaping headlong into the fight with his sword pointed in front, getting past Rhino & Bull as they keep up their barrage of blue-white energy shots from their shoulder cannons. Koga aims for the Hulk-Predator's throat. Like he was before, perhaps the lack of oxygen in its lungs & a sword rammed through it will fall faster than a bird whose feathers are wet.

But that was easier said than done: as Inuyasha mentioned to him, this Predator had all the knowledge of being a big-game hunter, & its skill wasn't dampened just because Naraku made it a demonized version of its former self. When Koga gets in range, the alien hunter sidesteps the stab & clobbers the wolf demon in the chest with a powerful left arm that sends him flying back to where Inuyasha & Kagome were at.

"Koga!", Kagome cried.

"Hmph! 'Leave it to me', he says!", Inuyasha fumed, indifferent to his situation. "Like that worked! And he calls me useless? What a drag!"

Kagome, for once, didn't know what to say. Neither did Koga himself, having heard what was said of him.

Touche, Koga, Kagome says to herself, knowing he was right.

Miroku was dodging acid left & right since he started facing his latest adversary whom can shoot its bodily acid in streams from its head & mouth. So far, the only thing the Alien manages to scorch is the ground itself, leaving brown patches of burned earth wherever acid touches. But Miroku can't keep avoiding it forever, & the acidic fumes are starting to sting his lungs & nose.

Dammit!, he fumed. Everywhere I turn to, this Alien spits acid at me left & right! Sooner or later, it's gonna get lucky & hit me with it! I need to direct it someplace where it'll cause the most damage & assist in my comrades-and I know just how to do that!

Running in the opposite way of the Alien who's spitting acid, Miroku runs towards the Hulk-Predator from behind & taunts the Xenomorph.

"Come on, you poor excuse for a demon! Is that the best you can do?", he shouts, leaping up at the back of the giant green-skinned Yautja. His ruse works: the acid-spitting Alien sprays its bodily fluid at Miroku, who has reached the Predator's back before using his feet to rebound off it just as the acid hits it in the rear & Miroku dives for safety. Tough as it was, the huge Hulk-Predator's flesh was no match for the acid's deadly properties, & it began melting away at a rapid rate as it howled in high agony. That's when Inuyasha & Kagome make their move: when the giant Predator turns its back to them, the bones were exposed as flesh continued to dissolve & it gives the opening they were looking for.

"We got it now, Inuyasha!", Kagome said, raising her bow & arrow.

"You bet, Kagome!", Inuyasha says, raising his Tetsusaiga as energy builds up around it. When he shouts 'Wind Scar!', the energy gets shot towards the exposed back on their enemy as Kagome fires her arrow. Seeing what's coming their way, Sango, Kilala, Rhino & Bull all dive out of the path of Inuyasha's powerful attack, & the Hulk-Predator gets struck by this powerful combination & roars out its death throes before its whole top part split into two halves in a splash of lime-green blood & falls to the ground with a hard thud.

With only the acid-spitting Alien & hybrid left, Rhino & Bull take care of the former by using their shoulder cannons & blow away the entire top half of it in a shower of steel-hard flesh & yellow acid.

Good thinking, Miroku! That's another one I owe you for!, Inuyasha thought.

"Hmm! I gotta admit, mutt-not bad! Not bad at all!", Koga praised.

The half-demon looks at Kagome, who smiles & nods.

"You…did okay for yourself too, wolf!", Inuyasha says with a smirk.

"Now all we got left is that 'hybrid' Kagome calls & Naraku's nasty bunch!", Koga said with clenched fists. "So let's get 'em!"

Koga started taking a few steps before Sesshomaru intervened.

"You stay right where you are, wolf demon!", he says, pointing Tokijin at him. "I shall handle this bunch-after I deal with this 'alien hybrid'! This also goes for the rest of you-do not interfere!"

The PredAlien roared in answer to Sesshomaru's challenge & spread out its arms like a sumo wrestler would. The silver-haired demon positions his sword outwards & runs straight for his alien adversary, ready to slice it in half with one swish of Tokijin.

Until a well-placed blast from Kanna's mirror to the ground between them causes him to cease his dash & the PredAlien to hold its ground.

"You will do nothing to that hybrid, Sesshomaru!", the first detachment of Naraku says, her mirror still smoking. "That creature belongs to Naraku! Now, back off or be obliterated!"

"I don't take orders from anyone, Kanna, least of all you!", Sesshomaru says with a hard scowl. He takes off & runs straight for Kanna & Kagura, Tokijin raised in a kill position. When he gets within range, he swings his sword down with all his might, & sparks ensue as the blade makes contact with their energy barrier. But other than the sparks he was generating, Sesshomaru was doing no further damage to Kanna & Kagura's energy barrier.

"How pathetic! Just like his younger brother!", Kanna says, her mirror glowing again. A second beam of energy shoots forth from it & slams itself into Sesshomaru, knocking him back a good thirty feet away. He rises to his feet, his hide smoking a bit.

Dammit!, Sesshomaru thought angrily. If only I was still a full-demon, I would've been able to break through that barrier & kill those two with one swipe! Why, father? Why would you create something that takes away half of my power? Is there really a place within your heart for humans? Is that why you left me Tenseiga instead of Tetsusaiga?

His thoughts get intruded upon when the power from the slain Aliens & Predators all get collected & stored in the Devil Spirit's Skull in Naraku's open palm. Once that chore is finished, all the bodies of the deceased aliens crumple & turn to dust as the wind takes it away upon its current, the skull glowing bright.

"Not bad for a test run, if I do say so myself!", Naraku says. "I'll have to remember to make the next batch of these 'aliens' more powerful if they're to serve me!"

"Forget it, Naraku!", Miroku said. "There's no way you're going to be creating any more demonized versions of these creatures from another world!"

"Ya got that right!", Koga snapped. "What you did today is all you're going to get with these guys!"

Rhino & Bull cackle angrily as if in response to what their new allies are saying.

"I take it that means they agree with you, Koga!", Inuyasha says. "So let's stop talking about it & do it! Sango, you, Bull & Kilala handle the hybrid! The rest of us will take Naraku & his sick family down!"

"You tried before, Inuyasha, & couldn't break through even Kanna & Kagura's barrier any more than your older brother could!", Naraku says.

"Yeah, well, my brother's a rank amateur-not to mention an idiot! I'll take it down this time or my name isn't…huh?"

Before Inuyasha could finish his sentence, the whole area where friend & foe alike were at suddenly shook violently. It continued throughout the playing field, the ground vibrating under their feet. Even Naraku, Kanna & Kagura can feel it while encased in their safety barriers.

"What's going on?", Kagura wondered. "Are we having an earthquake of some kind?"

"I don't think so, Kagura", Kanna said evenly as she always does. "I believe something is trying to push its way up to the surface from below. Something big."

Kanna's words did not go unnoticed by Inuyasha & company.

"Do you think it could be more of those Aliens, Kagome?", Shippo says, running towards her.

"Or a mighty big one, like Kanna said!", Kagome replied.

"Whatever the case may be, we'd better be ready to exterminate them the moment they show themselves!", Inuyasha said, his Tetsusaiga out in front.

"Same play as before, Inuyasha?", Sango asks, readying her Hiraikotsu.

"That's right, Sango! We'll hit them all at the same time once…"

At that moment, the ground from beneath them erupted & threw everyone off-balance as dirt & grass weny flying everywhere along with human, demon & alien alike as they land hard on the ground several feet away. Even Sesshomaru & the PredAlien were taken on this unexpected flight & by surprise but suffering no permanent damage on their persons, having gotten right back up almost instantly. What emerged from the dirt hole in the ground was a brand new beast to Inuyasha's friends & foes, but to Rhino, Bull & the PredAlien, it was a most familiar sight.

It was the Alien Queen.

And she was very pissed!

CHAPTER IX

Even to those who knew who & what she is, the Alien Queen was as much as a massive, awe-inspiring sight as she was a frightening one: standing on two strong legs & hovering over everyone like an alien dinosaur, the Queen stepped out of the hole she made & stared back at all those who does so to her. Human, demon & alien alike stand like statues at the creature which now appears before them. Even those who are the most hardened in body & spirit cannot hide the fact that they are intrigued by this monstrous beast now in their midst. Naraku, Kanna, Kagura, & even Sesshomaru receive the sensation of seeing this giant creature in the steel-hard flesh, along with Inuyasha, Koga & the rest of their party, unable to take their eyes off her.

"There's another one?", Shippo says with fear along with awe in his voice.

"Seems that way, Shippo! Just look at the size of it!", Kagome says.

"And judging by it, I'd say this alien must be either a King or Queen!", said Miroku.

Rhino cackles & nods to Miroku's words, confirming his description.

"It seems like you hit the mark on that, Miroku!", said Sango. "Rhino tends to have agreed with you on your assumption!"

"Who the hell cares what it is?", Inuyasha barked. "Let's just kill the damn thing & be done with this!"

A blast of white energy hits near Inuyasha's group, driving them back a few feet. It came from both Kanna's mirror & Kagura's fan, as the former issues them a warning.

"Step down, Inuyasha! If you or any of your party makes any sudden moves towards this new creature, Kagura & I will kill the ladies in the blink of an eye!"

"That also goes to your alien hunter allies, half-demon!", Kagura says. "And you know I won't hesitate to tear through them like a tornado, so keep your distance!"

"You two think you can scare me, Kanna?", Inuyasha snaps. "I'll hack you both up into little…!"

"Hold on, mutt!", Koga says, grabbing his arm. "You know how I feel about those two, but they don't joke around with their threats! We may not like each other much, granted, but let's not risk Sango or Kagome's lives when it's futile! Besides, aren't you the one who said he'd protect Kagome with his life? Don't make me regret your vow, okay?"

Inuyasha was stunned. Ever since he came known to his group, all Koga did was try & steal Kagome away from him, causing an uneasy alliance between them, among other things. And now he's actually telling him to guard her life with his own & embracing his vow to do so?

If he can change that much, then anything's possible.

Inuyasha gives the wolf demon a little smile.

"You're not as dumb as you seem, wolf! All right-I'll do it only for the ladies' sake!"

A smile came on Koga's own face.

"Ha! I figured there was a brain in there somewhere, mutt!"

Thanks, Inuyasha!, Kagome & Sango said to themselves with smiles, grateful for his being thoughtful of their safety.

"But where do we go from this point on?", Inuyasha asks, being all business again. "Even Sesshomaru & that hybrid aren't doing anything! I know it's not because my brother's obeying Kanna-he's not the type, like we saw! So why're they just standing there?"

"Maybe they're intrigued by this new alien, Inuyasha!", Shippo says. "Then again, it is the eye-catcher, in a scary sort of way!"

"Could be, Shippo!", Miroku says. "But then again, Sesshomaru is the type of person who wouldn't waste time, but attack it in a heartbeat! Why he isn't doing so now is beyond…wait!"

The Alien Queen turns her attention to a specific target in this whole group which disturbs her the most. It wasn't the PredAlien, even though she had a distinctive loathing for it when she battled it the other day. It wasn't Sesshomaru, even though he stands ready to do battle with it in case things go south towards him & she decides to charge after him. And it was neither Kanna nor Kagura, however despicable the Queen senses them both to be. Even Inuyasha's group went ignored by her for the most part.

No, the one that had caught the Queen's attention was Naraku himself: even before she surfaced from underground, the Alien Queen felt his malevolent & evil aura, & now she makes her way to him, being only fourteen feet away.

"So, it seems that we've missed one!", Naraku says, both unmoving & unflinching by the Queen's oncoming approach. "And a queen,as the monk surmised! Another highly intriguing development as this whole thing progresses!"

"Will you demonize this one like you did the others?", Kagura asked.

"In a manner of speaking! All it needs is to come closer! Just make sure that they don't interfere!"

And come closer is just what the Alien Queen does: in nothing flat, she appears so close to Naraku that she can almost touch his nose. She opens her mouth & reveals the inner jaws within.

"Yes, that's it, alien! Shoot forth those inner mandibles at me & make contact!", Naraku urges her, an evil grin growing on his face.

He gets what he wants: the Alien Queen launches her inner mouth at Naraku, penetrating his forehead & spraying ichor all over.

"Yes!"

Once the Queen touches Naraku, the evil half-demon begins entering inside her through her mouth, becoming a pliable entity beginning with his head & upper body. The Queen tried to resist his entering her person, but it lasted only a few seconds as Naraku took over her being the moment he entered her mouth, heading directly for her brain & taking it over. Now all the Queen can do is stay there & allow Naraku to enter & take control.

"Hmmm! You know what? I think I'll take & absorb you as well!", Naraku says as he shoots out his right arm & it heads for one of the Predators.

It heads for Bull.

Like a striking snake, the extended glob of an arm of Naraku's strikes & envelopes Bull as strands of tentacles wrap themselves around the Yautja's torso & starts pulling him back. Rhino quickly grabs his second-in-command's hands as Bull does the same & begins pulling back in an attempt to get him free. It was a more difficult task than Rhino realized: the ground at his feet were giving way as he was being dragged slowly but surely in his deperate attempt to rescue his longtime comrade. He'll lose him unless he does something fast; aiming his twin shoulder cannons, Rhino was about to fire beams of blue-white energy at Naraku until the evil half-demon launches a portion of his torso at the Predator clan leader & rams him in the chest with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking him back as he loses his release on Bull.

"I don't think so, alien hunter! He's mine now!", Naraku said as he pulls back his arm & Bull with it. The dark green-skinned alien roars in anger at the evil half-demon for performing such a vile act & even tries to strike with his own cannon, but Naraku puts a quick end to that notion by gumming up his weapon, just as he absorbs Bull into his body right before he fully enters the Alien Queen, Bull & all.

Rhino gets to his feet as he watches the spectacle unfold, releasing an angry growl himself in the fact that he could not help, let alone rescue, his second-in-command, who has stood by him for more years that he cares to count.

That sentiment & more was shared by Inuyasha & company.

"Poor Rhino, losing his friend like that!", said Shippo. "What's going to happen to him now?"

"The worst I fear, Shippo!", said Miroku. "There's just no end to Naraku's greed & filthy ambitions!"

"That goes without saying, doesn't it, Miroku?", Inuyasha says. "He'd no doubt sell out his own mother if it suited his needs!"

"If you all want to live past today, I suggest you cease that useless prattling & pay attention to what's about to happen", Sesshomaru says evenly, raising Tokijin to his face.

"Stuff it, Sesshomaru!", Koga barked. "We don't need you to remind us of…!"

"Look, everybody!", Kagome says, pointing.

What Sesshomaru was mentioning took place before their very eyes. The Alien Queen was glowing a fiendish lavender all over, & her physical appearance was being altered. Large parts of Naraku's body armor was forming & taking shape on the Queen's torso, including the red eye on her chest between her two pairs of arms & curved spikes on her shoulders. The Queen's dorsal spikes grew longer & made razor-sharp, along with her tail. The legs & arms got more bulky & muscular as Bull's schematics & physiology were making themselves visible: the body armor on his legs & arms with both forearm gauntlets fully functional, the shoulder cannon placed atop the right side of the Queen, the long, thick strands of black, gold-braided 'hair' appearing on the sides of the Queen's head, followed by the crab-like mandibles on either side of her face, looking just like that of the PredAlien's own. This horror show was finishing off with Naraku's own face showing up atop the Alien Queen's head just above her newly formed mouth, an evil smile from end to end.

What was now before everyone is a nightmarish hybrid of an Alien, a Predator & Naraku all roled into one. Even Kanna was impressed by this display of unusual fusion, her eyes going wide in amazement, as was Kagura's.

"Wow! I've seen some impressive sights before, but I have to confess that this one takes the cake!", Kagura says, unable to hide her feelings.

"It seems that having these 'aliens' in our midst have gotten us on the same wavelength!", Kanna says with an evil smile. "I, too, am flabbergasted by what lays before us now, Kagura! Our master never ceases to incredule us!"

I suppose not, Kanna!, Kagura thought, momentarily forgetting her hatred for her master & creator.

When Naraku speaks, his voice sounds like there's two talking in a synthesized tone.

"Ahh, what power! I never would've thought that life from other worlds could possess it in such great quantities! I can feel this Queen's primal rage & animalistic fury along with its acidic blood coursing through me, not to mention the hunter's desire to hunt & kill even as it struggles to break free of my body! It can try all it wants-like the Queen, it is mine now, & as much a part of me as any of my own limbs! Who knows? Once I take over this world, I can head out to other planets & begin conquering them, becoming ruler of the universe!"

"The hell you will, Naraku!", Sango shouted. "Your reign of terror will go no further than this land!"

"And you plan on stopping me, Sango? You couldn't even save your own family, any more than Koga could do so to his tribe!"

"Watch your tongue, Naraku!", shouted the wolf demon. "Those are fighting words, & I don't like it when anyone, let alone you, talks about my people in that manner! You hear me?"

"Well, since you miss your tribe so much, Koga, why don't you simply…join them?"

"Scatter!", Miroku shouts as the Naraku/Alien/Predator creature abruptly lunges straight for Inuyasha & his group. They all do as the Buddhist monk suggested, leaping in all directions to avoid a deadly swipe of the creature's claws which were morphed into the same blades the Yautja use on their right forearm cuffs. These blades miss the band of demon fighters by just a fraction of an inch. Naraku hasn't forgotten neither Sesshomaru nor the PredAlien: as he attacks Inuyasha's group in front, he uses his tail's razor-tip to sever both in half with one swipe. The latter hits the dirt as it passes overhead while the former leaps up & heads for his enemy with Tokijin raised above his head. Swinging his weapon down, Sesshomaru slices off all of Naraku's bladed fingers from his right hand & lands safely.

"Is that the best you can offer me…half-demon?", Naraku mocks, his fingers re-growing back to their normal shape.

"Half-demon as I may now be due to you, Naraku, I am still never to be underestimated!", Sesshomaru warns him.

"Neither am I! Wind Scar!", Inuyasha calls out, sending a surge of energy from his sword straight for Naraku's chest. His companions follow it & back him up with Kagome firing a duo of arrows & Sango launching her Hiraikotsu boomerang. Kagome's arrows strike Naraku in the side as Inuyasha's 'Wind Scar' attack hits its mark, the force of it tearing through his chest as it spills acidic blood. Sango's Hiraikotsu slices off his tail at the tip, severing the point as if falls to the ground before she reclaims it in her hand. Even Sesshomaru gets in on the assault by firing lightning bolts from Tokijin as they strike Naraku where his wounds were inflicted upon in order to cause him more anguish, with Rhino shooting a volley of blue-white energy blasts from his twin shoulder cannons in rapid succession to add to the melee. Although he has pangs of regret in firing upon his longtime friend & comrade which is now part of Naraku, Rhino knows that he still cannot give an edge: had the roles been reversed, it would've been no different, & Rhino knows this as he knows his own species.

The combined attacks make Naraku cry out in pain, but even all that could not bring him to his knees.

"Ha! Nice try, fools!", he says. "But even if more of you were to attack me simultaneously, it still won't be able to begin to bring me down! Not now that I have the raw power of two alien species dwelling in conjunction of my own body!"

"Then I guess we'll just have to keep on trying until we get it right, won't we?", Koga barked, taking a mighty leap into the air & heads straight for Naraku's face, his sword raised over his head with the point facing down. When he's close enough, Koga slams his weapon down on Naraku's face as the blade penetrates both it & the Queen's upper mouth roof, squirting blood on both openings of the wound as Koga rebounds off him & lands back to the others.

"Good shot, Koga!", Shippo says. "That should keep Naraku blinded long enough for a hard counterattack against him!"

"Which is where I come in, Shippo!", Inuyasha says, raising his Tetsusaiga as it turns a shiny shade of silver. "Adamant…barrage!"

As Inuyasha swings his sword, dozens of pointed diamond projectiles erupts from it & hits Naraku in numerous places-his chest, legs, arms & head. Each stab was like needles piercing his flesh, which made Naraku grunt loudly in pain. Sango follows it up with another throw of her Hiraikotsu boomerang, this time thrown when airborne on Kilala's back. Her weapon strikes the damaged half-demon/alien creature in the head, making a deep incision from front to end as acid sprays out & the weapon returns to its rightful owner.

"Yes!", Kagome & Shippo say together, with the former launching another one of her enchanted arrows & aims it right for his neck. The hit was precise & painful, & Naraku cries out again.

"Curse you all!", he shouts, aiming the shoulder cannon on his right & shooting his own barrage of deadly blue-white energy beams at Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango & everyone else as the ground beneath them gets scorched with alien heat. Even the PredAlien was a target, & it barely avoids getting blasted to bits by this deadly assault. When one blast passes Sango, she notices it stopping in the air on its own, coming up with a dreadful conclusion.

"Everyone! Naraku's surrounded this area with an energy barrier!", she shouted.

"He did what? That's insane!", Koga snapped.

"No, Koga ! Sango speaks truthful!", Miroku said. "I myself saw one of Naraku's energy blasts dissipate in mid-air! He means to seal us in here!"

"I'd listen to the monk if I were you, wolf demon!", Naraku replied with his evil grin as his wounds all heal & close up, the adamant points Inuyasha struck him with melting into nothing. "As I was fusing my body with those of these two aliens, I sent Kanna a telepathic message to place a barrier around where we all stand so none of you can escape! Not even Inuyasha's red Tetsusaiga would be able to break through it! This place will be your graves!"

"Yours as well!", Sesshomaru said, firing another powerful bolt of lightning from Tokijin. The bolt hits Naraku where his red eye is, but this time no damage was inflicted, even as his assault continued.

"If we're to die in here today, Naraku, then we'll make sure to take you, Kanna & Kagura with us!", Kagome said, firing another of her arrows which hits Naraku in the center of his red eye, causing him a great pain & he cries out.

"Impudent wench!", he barks, spraying a stream of acid from his alien mouth that heads for the junior high school student. Kagome gets picked up by Inuyasha just before the stream hits the spot she was at only a fraction of a second ago, scorching the earth. Having his sights on her, he didn't notice the PredAlien in the vicinity until it jumped on his back & began raking & stabbing at him with its claws & inner mouth, causing severe wounds.

"You all right, Kagome?", Inuyasha asks, placing her down as Shippo runs toward her & calls her name.

"I'll live!", she replied. "But that save may be for naught unless we get out of this area, & that means bringing that barrier down!"

"That's where you two can come in!", Sango says, landing with Kilala. "While Naraku is kept busy with the hybrid, Miroku, Koga & myself, you two & Rhino concentrate your energy on that barrier!"

"What about Kanna & Kagura? What if they decide to interfere?"

"We'll handle them too, if they dare! Just get that thing down!"

"Leave it to us, Sango!", Inuyasha said. "Ready, Kagome?"

Kagome raises her bow & arrows, nodding.

"Good luck, you two! Let's go, Koga!", Sango says as she & Kilala take to the air again.

"Don't have to tell me twice, demon slayer! Kick that barrier's ass, you two!", Koga said, running off to join Sango as she, Miroku & the PredAlien dodge, strike & battle Naraku at every step.

"Let's get started, Kagome!", Inuyasha says, his Tetsusaiga glowing red as Rhino joins the duo. "Glad to have you join in, Rhino! Better get those cannons up at full charge! We're going to need them!"

"Ready, Inuyasha! Let's do this!", Kagome said as the half-demon nods. All at once, the trio concentrate their power at a particular spot in the barrier with Inuyasha's red sword energy, Kagome's enchanted arrows & Rhino's powerful blue-white energy blasts. A bright blast of baby blue light shines in the place where all their power is concentrated on. This was joined in by streaks of powerful lightning by an unexpected source-Sesshomaru's Tokijin.

"I don't believe it!", Shippo said.

"Sesshomaru?", said a surprised Kagome.

"Why would you help us?", Inuyasha barked.

"I have no desire to perish alongside you or your little caravan, young brother!", his older sibling said, keeping his sword pointed at the spot where their energies merge. This keeps up for several moments at that very spot, the power surge very strong. But it still did no good, as the barrier showed no sign of giving way in the slightest.

Dammit! Give way already, won't you?, Inuyasha thought furiously.

Like Kagome surmised, Kanna & Kagura did interfere in their attempt to break out of the barrier that surrounds the area. The latter launched a barrage of white wind blades from a swing by her fan. Miroku dodged these & unleashed his cursed Wind Tunnel upon them both, & even safely behind their own barrier, they felt the strong vacuum of his hand, barely being able to so much as stand within their haven.

"I should've done this to you both long ago!", Miroku said, unrelenting his attack. "Feel the power your master has cursed upon me & get a dose of his medicine!"

"What'll we do, Kanna?", Kagura shouts over the wind. "His Wind Tunnel is stronger than it was before!"

"Allow me, Kagura!", Kanna said, aiming her mirror at the Buddhist monk as it glows & shoots a beam of white energy that strikes near the monk that sends him soaring through the air & straight for Naraku. Sango calls out his name & reaches for him on Kilala's back with her hand outstretched, but Naraku puts an end to that notion by using his strands of hair on the sides of his head & wraps them around the monk, demon slayer & demon cat like giant snakes. Koga gets the same treatment as he's snatched in mid-air when he leaps towards Naraku. With a throw of hardly any effort, all four combatants get tossed like bags of garbage. Shippo sees this display & calls out to Kagome & Inuyasha, but it came too late & they all get slammed into each other, disrupting their attempt on breaking the barrier.

"Ha! Such annoying little gnats! And speaking of which…", Naraku says, using his hair to get a hold on the PredAlien who was still on his back, its body covered with acidic blood that do no damage to its person despite the rising smoke on its hide.

The PredAlien growls in defiance as Naraku brings it close.

"I sense hostility between you & this Queen I now inhabit, hybrid!", he says. "You both had a quarrel as to who gets to lead your brethren! No matter-I feel reproductive organs within this creature, & that means I can make more of these aliens on my own! That also means that you are obsolete & next to useless to me! And on that note…"

Like he did to Sango & her group, Naraku tosses the PredAlien aside & over to the energy barrier at a different spot from Inuyasha's group. The hybrid hits it with great force & a surge of power courses throughout its body as it cries out in pain before falling to the ground, seemingly dead as its hide smokes.

"That takes care of one insolent pest!", Naraku says, turning his attention towards his other enemies who are now back on their feet. Before anyone can say or do anything, the fingers on Naraku's left hand shoot forth & wrap themselves around Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Shippo, Sango, Kilala, Koga, Sesshomaru & Rhino like snakes & retract them to bring to Naraku's face, trapping their arms to their sides.

No matter how hard they try, no one can bust free from the evil half-demon's grip, who laughs wickedly in triumph.

"Now to deal with these other thorns in my side…permanently!", he replies, morphing his right fingers into another batch of blades like he'd done before & raising them above his 'captive audience'. "It has been a long hard battle between your forces & mine, Inuyasha! But now comes the time to bring our war to an end! And with the power of these alien species in my possession, it won't be long before all fall before me as I…what?"

At that moment, Naraku's snake-like fingers release their prisoners, who all fall down to the ground with Kilala catching Sango, Miroku & Shippo as Inuyasha, Koga, Sesshomaru & Rhino landing on their feet, with the half-demon catching Kagome in his arms.

"What happened, Inuyasha?", Kagome asked. "Naraku had us all cold, & he lets us go?"

"Take a look for yourself, Kagome!", Shippo said, pointing up. Kagome looks in the same direction as does everyone else & sees Naraku's right hand trembling, as if frightened or even unsure of what it wants to do next.

What the hell is this?, Naraku thought furiously. My arm refuses to serve me! Why?

That was when it hit everyone all at once, & Miroku was the first to bring it up.

"It's Bull! Even though Naraku has absorbed him into his body & that of the Alien Queen, his mind & free will is somehow still alive within! He's fighting to regain control from him!"

"So Naraku hasn't taken over him in full!", Sango said. "He's resisting him as best he can, but the strain must be torture-even for one as strong as him!"

"So now that he's still among the living in part, what's Bull going to do to free himself?", Inuyasha wondered.

As Inuyasha says it aloud, Naraku's right arm slowly but surely reaches over to the evil half-demon's left forearm where the device in which activates their cloaking ability is at. It was no simple task: with each movement he makes, Bull was feeling the constant strain growing more intense as he progresses that was burning his every muscle to the highest bidder. Inuyasha had thought of firing upon Naraku & assist his alien comrade, but then thought better of it: while he'll hurt Naraku for sure using his 'Adamant Barrage' assault, he'll disrupt Bull's concentration in the process & he'll become Naraku's servant once again with no hope of resisting him. He's having a hard enough time doing so as it is, & the half-demon didn't want to disturb that. If the alien hunter has a way to break free, then the best course of action for right now on his part may be no action at all.

So he & his crew wait & watch as the right arm makes its way towards its destination.

They didn't have to wait for long: aside from the strain, the right arm makes it across to its destination. Using what was left of his willpower, Bull taps a few buttons on the forearm device which opens it up, revealing a series of more buttons & five mini-monitors. Once it opened up, Rhino grabs everyone's attention by making a grunt & makes a quick gesture with his hands by pointing to his own right forearm device & Naraku's, making a fist with his fingers upside as he opens them up slowly like a blossoming flower.

"What do you mean by that, Rhino?", Koga wondered, unclear of the concept. "Is that thing going to open up into something that'll defeat Naraku for sure?"

Kagome had a better idea on the situation, & it was one that both surprises & scares her.

"It's something like that, Koga! I believe Rhino's telling us that the device he's referring to is a bomb!"

The Predator clan leader nods his head & spreads his arms wide from his chest out in full, the meaning of the gesture being eerily clear.

"A really big bomb!", Kagome concludes.

"Then we really need to get that barrier down & skedaddle before it gets activated!", says a slightly panicked Shippo.

"So let's not waste any time gabbing about it & do so!", Inuyasha says, pointing his red Tetsusaiga. "Ready, Kagome?"

"All set, Inuyasha!", she says as she aims her bow & arrow. "Let this barrier have it!"

As before, Inuyasha, Kagome, Rhino & even Sesshomaru began firing their weaponry over at the very same spot they were fixed on previously, glowing with even more intensity by their attacks than before. Listening to their words from their vantage point, Kagura & even Kanna get a worried feeling deep down within them.

"A bomb, they say?", Kagura asks nervously. "If that thing is that powerful enough…"

"I suggest we not be here to find out just how powerful that weapon might be, Kagura!", Kanna says. "Let us make haste & take to the air!"

"Exactly what I was thinking myself, Kanna!", Kagura said, taking a feather from her hair & making it into a large flying vessel that takes off, comfortably seating its two inhabitants as they make it through Naraku's barrier with ease as if it weren't there to begin with. Within a few moments, they were at a sizeable distance from the danger that was sure to follow.

Struggling to arm the device, Bull manages to tap in the first few sequences as Inuyasha, Kagome, Rhino & Sesshomaru continue firing upon the barrier in order to break it completely or leave a large enough hole to get through & away before the inevitable blast.

I don't believe this!, Naraku said to himself, still fighting Bull as he taps in the last of the countdown sequence. This alien hunter who's resisting me would just as soon kill itself than become part of me? How dare it!

"Come on, mutt!", Koga barked. "Who knows when that thing's going to go off! I wish to be far away from here when that happens!"

"Shut up!", Inuyasha snapped. "This ain't easy, you know! I'm giving my Tetsusaiga all I can, so back off if you want to live past today!"

Koga gritted his teeth, but stayed silent anyway & waited with baited breath for the barrier to dissipate. But as powerful as the combination of Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, Kagome's enchanted arrows, Rhino's shoulder cannon blasts & Sesshomaru's lightning strikes were, they can see no sign of any wear or tear in it.

Bull was about to press the final button to activate the self-destruct device when two more enchanted arrows flew in.

Only thing is, these two arrows weren't fired by Kagome, let alone from the inside: they had been launched from outside, & when they struck the same spot as Inuyasha & company, the barrier Naraku put up had shattered & vanished in unison.

"All right! You guys did it!", Shippo happily exclaims.

"Not to turn down your high praise, Shippo, but we weren't the ones who brought the damn thing down!", Inuyasha says.

"Inuyasha's right!", Sango said. "From beyond Naraku's barrier, I saw two other arrows-not Kagome's-being fired from the other side & hit the spot they were all firing at!"

"But then who…", Shippo started to say when Koga intruded.

"Over there!", he says, pointing. Inuyasha, Kagome & the others looked to where he did & saw a most unusual sight: it was Totosai on his flying three-eyed cow, & he wasn't alone. Sitting with him were Kikyo & her sister Kaede, both holding their bows that fired the arrows which had broken Naraku's barrier. Myoga, naturally, was resting upon the Swordsmith's shoulder.

"Totosai!", said Shippo.

"Kaede!", Kagome said.

"Kikyo?", Inuyasha says, wondered as to why she would be here of all places.

"Run, Inuyasha!", Totosai, Kaede & Kikyo all said together.

"You must flee, Master Inuyasha! No pun intended, of course!", Myoga shouted, jumping up & down on Totosai's shoulder as his three-eyes cow takes off at top speed in the direction in which they came. That's when Bull taps the final button on the self-destruct device on Naraku's left forearm, & a series of red lights come to life on the mini-monitors & begins a beeping noise which was a countdown to the big blast.

Before they know it, they were nothing but a dot on the horizon.

"I suggest we all take their advice!", Sesshomaru said, being the first to take off in a swift run, going at a high speed even as a half-demon.

"For once I agree with my older brother! Let's move it, people!", Inuyasha says, & they all take off on foot, with the half-demon carrying Kagome on his back while Miroku & Shippo get on Kilala's back with Sango.

Then another familiar sight appears & heads right for them.

"Hachi!", Miroku said as the racoon demon in his yellow flying form lands in front of the group. "Are you ever a sight for sore eyes!"

"I may be a coward, Master Miroku, but there's no way I'd leave you or your friends when you need a quick evacuation in your greatest hour!", the racoon demon says. "Care for a lift?"

"And how!", Miroku says, with everyone boarding Hachi in record time. "Go, Hachi! Fly like the wind!"

"Hold tight, everyone!", Hachi replied as he takes to the air with human, demon & alien all sitting on his back. Hachi doesn't spare the power either: he soars through the air like he's never done before, leaving a dueling Naraku & the PredAlien who was just regaining consciousness to see its enemies make a fast getaway.

Curse you, alien! You won't get me with your doomsday device!, Naraku thought as he now forces his way out of the Alien Queen's mouth, making her vomit him out & getting to his waist as the red lights on the forearm device gets down to its last set & the beeping faster & more blaring than ever.

The final red lights go out, & the next thing Naraku sees is a bright white flash, followed by a deafening explosion as his eyes go agape.

Hachi had taken Miroku & company at a good distance of over a hundred yards before the scenery behind him & everyone went a bright white which was accompanied by a boisterous bang that can be felt even from afar. Inuyasha, Kagome & the rest turned to see a big mushroom cloud erupt from behind, a large ring of white heading in their direction at great speed.

"Hachi, not to be a back-seat driver, but you think you can get a bit more of a move-on?", Miroku asks desperately.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Master Miroku!", Hachi says.

"Well, try harder! We're about to…oh no! Brace yourselves!"

Everyone watched the large white ring of energy head their way & slam into them with such force that Hachi loses control & gets thrown with the rest as the last thing they all see is a bright white flash in their brains before it all goes dark, screaming.

An unknown amount of time passes when Inuyasha becomes the first one of the group to regain consciousness & rise up as he uses his hands to pick himself up, the scenery obscured with a thick cloud of smoke. There was only one thought currently on his mind as he looks around frantically in search of it.

"Kagome? Kagome?", he shouts.

That's when he sees her once the smoke dissipates, lying on the ground on her back & he rushes up towards her & takes her in his arms. The scenery is the same as before, only that the open patch of land is nowhere near as big as when they were battling Naraku & the demonized Aliens & Predators.

"Kagome?", he says, shaking her gently. "Please wake up, Kagome! Please!"

A soft but audible moaning erupts from her lips as Kagome slowly opens her eyes & sees Inuyasha staring down at her with a worried look on his face.

"Kagome?"

"Hey, Inuyasha", Kagome says, a weak smile from her lips.

"You're alive! Thank God!", the half-demon says, a small smile from his own lips. "I was worried for a minute there!"

"Thank you, Inuyasha", she said, giving him a warm hug as they wrap their arms around each other & hold that pose for several moments, breaking it only when they hear more moaning from the rest of their party as they revive themselves.

"Come on, Inuyasha. Let's help them get back on their feet", Kagome says.

"Gotcha, Kagome", Inuyasha said, & the duo assist Miroku, Sango & everyone else once their heads start clearing of any cobwebs they received when the blast hit them. Even Rhino was giving his offerings once he got back on his feet, beginning with Shippo as he places what seems like a staff of smelling salts under his nose from his pouch.

One sniff was all it took for the little fox demon to revive & find himself in his arms.

"Oh Rhino, it's you!", he says. "Thanks for the assist there, bud! Whatever that stuff is, it's made me healthier than before! I owe you one! Mind if I borrow this a moment?"

Taking what was in the Yautja's hand & hitting the ground, Shippo heads over towards Kilala & does the same to her. The effects were immediate, & the demon cat (still in her large form) wakes up more thoroughly, feeling poised & alert like nothing bad ever happened. After Shippo gave everyone a small whiff of the alien medicine, the little fox demon gives it back to its rightful owner.

"Thanks Rhino! That sure helped us a lot!", he says with a smile. Rhino takes what's his & places it back in his pouch, nodding.

"Mmmm, that did hit the spot, Shippo!", Sango said, stretching her arms like she just woke up from a long sleep & picking up her Hiraikotsu. "I feel perfectly rejuvenated already!"

"Ha! I'll say, Sango!", Kagome said happily. "I no longer ache anywhere on my body! I gotta say, Rhino's meds put mine to shame!"

"If only you had access to that kind of medicine, huh, Kagome?", Inuyasha says. "I feel like I can take on a hundred Narakus with my Tetsusaiga!"

"You & me both, mutt!", Koga said. "Why, I haven't felt this grand since…well, I suppose I can't recall when I last felt this good! But I must agree with you on the nature of Rhino's meds there!"

"I guess you & I have been agreeing on a lot of things ever since these aliens came into our midst, Koga! I can't tell whether that's disconcerting or comforting!"

"I'm leaning more towards disconcerting, but…you probably wouldn't want to quote me on that just yet, Inuyasha!"

"Hmph! If you say so, wolf!"

Kagome couldn't supress a giggle.

"For all your bitter rivalry, you two seem to be doing fine together!", she says gleefully.

"As long as they hate Naraku even more than they do each other, I think they'll do just dandy, Kagome!", Sango says, also letting out a giggle.

"Hey! Who says we hated each other?", Inuyasha & Koga bark at her, resulting in a full-blown guffaw from everyone else except Rhino. This display has put the wolf & half-demon in a state of embarassment, & their faces flush a bright red as they stare at each other dumbfounded before turning away, just as abashed.

"Hey Hachi", Miroku says once the laughter died & pats his servant on the back. "Thanks for coming back & pulling our rear ends out of the fire. You're a lot braver than I thought, you know that?"

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by Miroku's comment, Hachi doesn't say anything for a few moments until something comes into his mind.

"Master, since the blast was quite powerful back there, do you think Naraku was killed by it, finally?"

That very thing entered the mind of everyone else once the racoon demon brought it up.

"That would certainly be a blessing if that were true, Hachi", Sango says, staring back at where the blast was.

I also wonder if Kikyo escaped that blast like we did & made it out okay, Inuyasha thought grimly. Not to mention Kaede, Myoga & the old man. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Kagome saw him stare in deep thought, & she could tell what was on his mind.

He's wondering if Kikyo made it out alive, she thought. To be perfectly honest, I wonder the exact same thing. Despite my own rivalry I have with her, Kikyo doesn't deserve to be blown into a million pieces. Totosai, I'm praying that you got her, Kaede & Myoga away safely.

"I think we'll know soon enough, Hachi, much to our dismay", Miroku said. "But if I were to go & give an immediate answer, I'd probably say no. Naraku has survived death more than once before, so if anyone can survive a blast of that magnitude, it'd be him."

"Why not find out right now, Master?", Hachi says.

"How so?"

"Your Wind Tunnel! Just point it skywards & remove your beads! If nothing comes out of it, then…"

Miroku smiles big.

"Hachi, that's a great idea!", he says, patting him on the head. "Now's as good a time as any to get a positive answer, & your suggestion is the best way to know for sure! Here goes!"

The Buddhist monk raises his right hand up & away from everyone & reaches for the beads which seals it up. But before he can even touch them, he gets struck in the left shoulder by a very sharp & pointed object that emerges from beneath the ground. The point goes through as blood spurts out & the rest of what was attached to that point rises up from beneath the soil & grass as it makes a growling sound.

"Miroku?", Inuyasha says, drawing his Tetsusaiga as Kilala growls in anger.

"Miroku!", Sango, Kagome & Shippo shout.

"Master Miroku!", Hachi shouts, backing away in terror as the PredAlien rises to its full height & shakes the dirt off itself. Rhino gets his shoulder cannons ready for firing, only to find out that they were broken during the blast's aftershock & rendered useless. Undaunted, he takes out his double-bladed glaive & stands ready to take the hybrid down once the monk was out of his line of fire.

If he will be, that is.

"Damn! That hybrid survived the blast?", Koga growled, his fists tight & hard & ready for a brawl with the thing. No one did anything to put Miroku's life in any more danger than he's in right now, but they needn't worry on that part. With a swish of its tail, the PredAlien tosses the monk away like a bag of garbage & frees him from its tail tip, sending Miroku through the air before Kilala catches him on her back in as gently a manner as she could.

Sango was the first to react: rushing towards the hybrid, she holds her Hiraikotsu like one would a sword, wanting to slice the creature right in half as she lets out a battle cry. When she gets within its range, she swings her weapon at the PredAlien, who jumps up & out of harm's way & lands on the ground on its feet. It was followed up by twin shots from Kagome's bow & arrows, but unfortunately it had no more effect than Sango's weapon: the hybrid dodges both of the arrows with ease, hitting nothing but empty air. Even Shippo had no luck with his 'fox-fire' attack, for although they hit their marks, they do nothing more than annoy the thing slightly.

Throughout all that time, the PredAlien had its sights set on one being & one being only-it had them on Inuyasha himself. Rhino notices this, & refrains from charging after the monster with his glaive. The half-demon senses it too, & issues everyone a clear warning.

"Stay back, everyone!", he says, placing his hand out & putting his Tetsusaiga back in its sheath. "It's me this hybrid wants!"

"Too bad, Inuyasha!", Sango snaps, charging after the PredAlien again with her weapon. "It's going to have to deal with me instead!"

When she passes him, the half-demon grabs her by her arms & turns her to him.

"Dammit, Inuyasha! Let me go!", she screamed, struggling to get free. Inuyasha didn't budge.

"Listen, Sango!", he firmly states. "I understand what's going through you right now: it'd be no different if it were Kagome or even Kikyo that got badly hurt by this thing! But you can either fight & struggle with me, or you can give Miroku the help he needs before he bleeds to death! What's it gonna be? You need to choose now!"

Sango couldn't believe it, & neither could the rest. Inuyasha openly confesses to how he feels about Kagome & Kikyo when he keeps it mostly to himself. Not only that, they knew he had a good point: while they stay & argue as to who gets to fight & kill the hybrid, Miroku gets closer to death by the second due to the deep puncture it gave him. Sango did have to make her choice now-vengeance, or saving the life of the one she loves most.

He openly confess his feelings just now!, Kagome thought in disbelief & amazement. He does have a good heart! I always knew he did! Even if he still has feelings for Kikyo, he didn't shy away from it-that takes guts! For anyone!

The PredAlien stood perfectly still all this time, awaiting its duel with the half-demon. But Rhino stood by just in case it tried anything funny: he would slice the thing with his glaive if he had to, regardless of what Inuyasha says or does about it.

"Inuyasha, I…", Sango says before the half-demon cut her off.

"There's still time, Sango", he says in a softer tone. "Go to him. Make sure he'll be okay. Will you do that?"

It only took a second for the demon slayer to answer.

"Rip that damn thing's head off for me, won't you?", she replied.

"That's our Sango! You bet I will!", he says as Sango ran to Miroku, still atop Kilala & began treating his wounds with Shippo's assistance.

Now he & the PredAlien were staring at one another.

"Let's make this a little more interesting, shall we, hybrid?", Inuyasha says, removing his Tetsusaiga & tossing it to Kagome, who catches it with ease. "Hold onto that, Kagome! It'll keep you safe in case this thing gets too close for comfort for you!"

"Are you sure about this, Inuyasha?", Kagome asks. "Without your sword, you'll…"

"I know, but don't you worry! I won't need the Tetsusaiga to take care of this abomination of a monster! Trust me, this won't take long!"

Inuyasha takes a quick look at Rhino, who stands like a statue with his glaive in one hand & uses his free one to make a gesture towards the hybrid, signaling 'he's all yours' to the half-demon. Inuyasha gave him an approving smile.

"Ha! Thanks, big guy!", he says, staring at the hybrid & raising his claws to his face.

The PredAlien roars & spreads its arms out, signaling that it was ready for a fight-one that Inuyasha was more than eager & willing to give. They leap at each other with their front claws extended, & the brawl begins.

"Be careful, Inuyasha!", Kagome says, more to herself.

"Aw, don't worry about the mutt, Kagome!", Koga says like it's no big deal. "He said it himself-this fight won't take long, & he don't even need that little pigsticker to do it! And on that note…"

"Koga, no! Don't…!", Kagome started saying when the wolf demon takes the Tetsusaiga & tosses it mightily into the forest, disappearing from view in seconds. This maneuver placed a face on Kagome, Sango, Shippo, Hachi & Miroku.

"Koga, you fool!", Miroku said as Sango held a patch of cloth to his shoulder wound. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"Hachi, you & Shippo go into the forest & find that sword! I'll tend to Miroku! Please hurry!", Sango says.

"Gotcha, Sango! Come on, Hachi!", Shippo says as Hachi nods & both the fox & racoon demons run off into the forest to find the Tetsusaiga, hopefully before the inevitable happens.

"Huh! What's the big deal, Kagome?", Koga wondered. "It's just a sword! Besides, I'm all the protection you're gonna need against that hybrid should it get too close to ya!"

"But Koga…"

"Relax! We're in for the show of our lives here!"

Kagome could scream with the burning rage of a furnace. Inuyasha's in for a fight that can easily cost him his life, & Koga's treating it like it was a boxing/wrestling match, with no inkling of what could occur if the Tetsusaiga isn't returned in time. She can only hope that Koga doesn't find out the hard-and possibly painful-way.

During the time of the quarrel over the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha & the PredAlien were lashing out at each other with claws, tails & plain old fisticuffs. They'd both landed a good number of cuts & punches on their persons; Inuyasha with cuts on his arms & chest, & the hybrid with some on its own torso, coupled with black & blue bruises on its face & body. After the half-demon lands another punch in the hybrid's face that knocked out several of its teeth, the PredAlien now lashes out with its tail in swift stabbing & slashing attacks with deadly accuracy. Inuyasha was able to dodge most of these with his own velocity.

Most, but not all.

The PredAlien gets in a lucky slash on the half-demon to his left arm as blood spews out of the wound. It follows it up by a jab for an attempted stab in his chest, but Inuyasha was ready for him. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he grabs the hybrid's tail near the point & swings it around a full 360 degrees before slamming it down hard on the ground, the impact creating a crater about a foot-&-a-half deep.

"Nice hole, don't you think, creature? Get used to it-it's going to be your grave!", the half-demon says, raising his claws with blood on it. Crying out 'Blades of blood!', Inuyasha has thrown just those at the PredAlien to chop it up into as many pieces as he can. But the hybrid gets out of its intended burial spot just as the red blades strike nothing but soil. The creature reaches out with its own claws as it leaps at Inuyasha to take his head off with one swipe. Even though it was fast enough to catch him by surprise, it didn't get near to decapitating him: Inuyasha grabs the thing's wrist only inches from his face & puts pressure on it. The PredAlien didn't let this handicap stop it from resuming its assault. It fired its inner jaws straight for the half-demon in order to penetrate his head & splatter his brains everywhere. Seven times it did this, with none of them making contact with his skull. On the eighth attempt, Inuyasha pulled his head back & gave his alien enemy an uppercut to its lower jaw while the inner mouth was out. The blow caused the mouth to be forced-closed which made it bite off its inner jaws that went flying away while its mouth bled its yellow acidic fluids. Inuyasha avoided this with ease as he stepped back a few feet.

"Ha! That'll teach you not to stick your tongue where it don't belong!", he mocks as the PredAlien spat acidic blood & let out a roar of anguish from losing its inner mandibles. Crazed with pain, the hybrid went berserk & lashed out at the half-demon with both its claws & tail with the fury only a wounded animal could possess. Even Inuyasha was caught off-guard by this nasty display of rage. He was barely able to hold back a slash by its tail & twin swipes from its claws all the while staying clear of its acidic blood; even his demon flesh & robes are no protection from its acidic properties.

Caught in a stand-still, Inuyasha & the PredAlien grabbed each other's arms & pushed hard against one another, their strengths being compared as they push with all their might in order to gain an advantage over the other. As strong as he was, Inuyasha felt himself getting weaker under his enemy's stamina & show of force.

After half a minute straining under its pressure, he feels something stirring within him that spreads throughout his body.

Oh no!, Inuyasha thought, fearing the worst. I can feel my demon aura from within trying to surface & take control of me! Dammit! Giving my Tetsusaiga to Kagome wasn't such a good idea after all, & I saw a glimpse of that idiot Koga throwing it away! Damn it all!

Even as he thought this, Inuyasha could feel his heart race & his body getting a surge of raw demon energy that erupts whenever he's separated from his sword for too long. Inuyasha does his best to supress this surge as much as he can, but it was like trying to wade through thick molasses & prevent it from drowning him. Even a wounded Miroku can feel the demon's aura attempting to take control of Inuyasha, & in his current condition, he is helpless to do anything of it to give his assistance-it was up to Shippo & Hachi to find the Tetsusaiga before things get too ugly.

"I feel it, Sango!", Miroku tells her.

"His demonic side?", she asks with dread.

Miroku nods.

"Unless Shippo & Hachi return with the Tetsusaiga soon, Inuyasha will turn on & kill us all mercilessly!"

"That pathetic mutt? Ha!", Koga said. "He can barely fight, let alone kill, that thing!"

"Dammit, Koga!", Miroku spat. "You have no idea of what he's capable of as a full-demon! We were the ones there to witness his brutal attack on a spider-demon who led a bunch of bandits! If we don't get his Tetsusaiga back to him in time, mark my words-you'll live to regret throwing it away!"

"I ain't scared of that flea-bitten mutt, monk-no matter how savage he becomes!"

"Dammit, listen for once in your life, Koga!", Kagome snapped. "Because Inuyasha's a half-demon as you know, his Tetsusaiga helps to surpress his demonic nature! Being separated from it for too long turns him into a brutal killing machine! Even you will be no match for him if he reverts to that!"

"That's not the only thing that's making him savage, Kagome!", Miroku said.

"How do you mean, Miroku?"

"When that blast occurred, a white ring of strange energy passed by us! I'm guessing that it must've been the power from the Devil Spirit's Skull that got destroyed, & a portion of its power was transferred to Inuyasha! That, combined with the absence of his Tetsusaiga, is making him more of a vicious full-demon!"

"You mean he could stay that way forever?", Sango asks.

"If we don't get his sword back to him in time…yes!"

While they argued over the matter, Inuyasha's demonic aura was making him more savage by the second as his eyes turned blood-red with the corneas turning turquoise. A pair of purple pointed lines streaked across his cheeks, & both his claws & front fangs in his mouth grew much longer, being twice/three times their normal length. His blood felt like it was on fire, & coming out of his mouth was an animalistic growling that grew more intense along with the rest of him. Even the PredAlien sensed the change within him, & it was losing any advantage it had over its foe as Inuyasha now was the one overpowering it, reversing the situation between them. The hybrid didn't care what metamorphosis its enemy went through; Inuyasha was still no more than an enemy to kill, & that's what it intends to do, regardless of shift in appearance or attitude.

But that proved easier said than done for the hybrid: the loss of blood made it become weaker, & with Inuyasha's demonic aura getting more powerful, the PredAlien doesn't stand much of a chance in this brawl, & even it knows it.

It didn't mean that it would throw in the towel just yet. The PredAlien still has one more card to play, & it puts it in motion. As Inuyasha gets it on its knees, the hybrid snakes its tail from behind, its razor-sharp point aiming directly at his back. Like a cobra, it strikes forward at a lightning-speed maneuver but Inuyasha sensed it long before: once the tail moved, he dives to one side as the tail's point passes him & impales the PredAlien straight in its chest, going all the way through as the point sticks out in the rear & acid blood spurts from both ends. The PredAlien lets out a roar of pain that lasts for ten seconds before collapsing on its side, motionless.

"Huh! Not so good on the receiving end of that tail, is it?", Inuyasha says, his voice in a horrid mix of growling & animal fury. He then turns his sights on Rhino, who stands in an attack position with his glaive. Rhino felt & saw the animalistic rage Inuyasha was developing within him, & ally or not, he's preparing to cut him down like he's done to so many Xenomorphs in his career.

The now-full-demon Inuyasha takes a leap at Rhino with his claws extended out in front & roaring like a monster. His friends can only watch as he rakes the Yautja's glaive, shearing it into two separate pieces, followed by raking Rhino himself as he gives an uppercut with his claws which make five deep cuts in his chest. The force of the blow causes Rhino's face mask to fly off his face, revealing his crab-like appearance. He lands on his back, the cuts clearly visible to all as lime-green blood flows & covers his chest, with the fluid staining Inuyasha's claws.

Now the demon turns towards Kagome & company.

Oh no!, the junior high school student said to herself, terrified.

"You'd better step back, Kagome!", said Koga, getting in front of her. "The mutt's got his eyes on you, & they ain't friendly! Not to worry-I'll be the one to protect you this time!"

"No, Koga! Don't fight him like this! He'll cut you down to size!", Kagome pleaded.

"Ha! Let him try!"

Koga didn't say anything else. He wouldn't have time to anyway: Inuyasha rushes forth & heads for the wolf demon, his fangs glistening like diamonds & his sights set on Koga.

"Come on, you scrawny mutt!", Koga snarls. "Show me how tough you really are!"

"With pleasure!", Inuyasha growls back, his eyes burning with pure hatred.

As soon as the enraged Inuyasha got within his reach, Koga throws a hard right fist into his face after he dodges a swipe of his claws. The blow knocks him down, but doesn't keep him down: Inuyasha gets up immediately & charges the wolf demon again, this time wary of his fists. Koga tries the tactic once more, but Inuyasha stays clear of his rock-hard fists & easily avoids all attempts at another knuckle sandwich from his enemy. Koga tries his luck with swinging his feet at his foe, but these strikes were no more successful than his previous ones.

"Hold still, will ya?", Koga growls, missing his enemy with each maneuver & never making contact, no matter how hard he tries.

Then it goes from bad to worse.

When Koga sends another hard right, Inuyasha grabs it with his hand & stops the blow cold, highly surprising the wolf demon. The raged Inuyasha then puts tremendous pressure on his hand & squeezes it, cracking several bones & causing Koga to cry out in pain. He follows that up with a quick triple strike from his claws, all of which make contact with Koga. Three powerful strikes of Inuyasha's claws cuts the wold demon once on his face & twice diagonally across his chest. Koga cries out loudly in pain as blood splashes everywhere as he falls on his back, his face & chest bleeding badly, his breathing in rasps. Everyone's eyes go wide as Koga receives the worst kind of punishment he's ever gotten from anyone. Even Kagura's attack on him was small potatoes compared to what Inuyasha had just done.

And he wasn't finished with him yet: picking up the bloodied wolf demon by his neck, the raged Inuyasha brings him to eye level, deep malevolence & loathing written all over his face.

"Who's the scrawny mutt now, you mangy wolf?", Inuyasha growls in a toothy grin. Koga looks into his eyes & finds nothing but pure hate in them. For the first time in his life, the wolf demon was clearly afraid as he was about to be slaughtered by the one person he bickers & nags with constantly using foul words to one another. And with his strength all but drained away due to blood loss, Koga can do nothing except await his death at the hands of his rival.

Oh man!, Koga thought. Maybe I should've listened to Kagome & her friends before! I never knew the mutt had this kind of power dwelling within him! And now, I'm about to die by his hand! Oh, is this ever gonna suck!

His foe helpless in his grip, Inuyasha brings his free hand back, ready to deliver the killing blow. Needless to say, Koga instantly regrets not heeding Kagome's warning, let alone Miroku or Sango's, & he's about to pay for that error with his life.

From behind, Sango uses her Hiraikotsu boomerang to pin Inuyasha's arms to his side, thus releasing Koga as he falls to the ground with Kagome running to his side, calling his name.

"Inuyasha, stop it!", Sango cried out, using her weapon to also keep him away from the near-death Koga. "This isn't you, & you know it! You don't really want to kill Koga! Snap out of it…please! We're all your friends!"

Sango strained as hard as she could to keep Inuyasha from doing what he intended. But in his current state, he was more powerful than she in physical strength & he uses it to remove her Hiraikotsu away as it lands in the dirt just five feet from Miroku.

Then he turns to her, his facial features sending a chill of trepidation up her spine.

"Lay off of me, you bitch!", Inuyasha growls, planting a well-placed right fist to Sango's face & sending her careening across to where her Hiraikotsu was stuck.

"Sangoooo!", Miroku cried, seeing the one he loves getting clobbered. He tries to rise up from Kilala's back, but a surge of hot pain from his shoulder hits him hard & forces him to lay down again. With the demon cat unable to intervene due to caring for a wounded Miroku, Sango out of commission & both Rhino & Koga near death's bed, there was nothing anyone could do to prevent Inuyasha from killing Kagome, as he now sets his sights on her.

Kagome was so stricken with fear that she couldn't move her legs.

Shippo & Hachi emerge from the forest as the latter holds the Tetsusaiga just in time to see the unthinkable about to occur.

"Oh no! Kagome!", Shippo shouted.

"We're too late!", Hachi cried out.

"Not just yet! Shippo, quick! Throw the Tetsusaiga to Kagome! Now!", Miroku cried out.

"Got it! Kagome, catch!"

Using all his strength, Shippo throws Inuyasha's sword to an eagerly waiting Kagome, who catches it in mid-air with one hand & brings it up to her chest just in time as Inuyasha rakes at her with a clawed hand that would've sliced her head into five or six pieces had she been any slower. But while her face & head was spared a hideous fate, the force of Inuyasha's strike still knocked her down to the ground as he lay on top, still trying to get to her. The Tetsusaiga was the only thing preventing him from killing her, but if he finds a way past it, he'll rip into her without a second thought in his condition.

Kagome had to get through to him, & now.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, listen to me!", Kagome pleads, staring into his eyes. "Please, fight this thing! I know it's the extra demon aura from what remained of the Devil Spirit's Skull that's causing you to behave like this, aside from being away from your Tetsusaiga! Don't let that power consume you! Try & remember deep down within yourself who you really are! Try to recall what it was I said to you before we left my house to come here! Please, I beg of you!"

Inuyasha looked as if he wasn't hearing a word to what Kagome was telling him, growling for all that time & such. But the truth is, he has heard it all, & even now, his mind was recalling Kagome's words back at her house from a few days ago.

"Listen. Even though you are more or less a hardcase most of the time, I know there's a part of you that has a very passionate side which cares deeply for those who care for you. Even if you are just a half-demon, it doesn't make you any less of one for it."

Inuyasha's mind also processes thoughts & memories of the moments he's been through with not just Kagome, but with Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Kikyo, Kaede & most others. While they were mostly about bickering & arguing, they were pleasing to Inuyasha, & these helped to make his demonic aura start to dissipate-along with the power of the Tetsusaiga giving him a further boost.

He still growls & rakes at Kagome, but by now the animalistic fury inside of him started getting weaker & less violent. His blood doesn't feel as burning as he did before, & his fangs had begun to shrink down to what they were, along with his claws. His red eyes were fading & being replaced by its golden tint like they usually are. In no time, Inuyasha was back to his normal self, a fact which can be clearly seen by most.

"Inuyasha?", Kagome says.

"Kagome?", Inuyasha replied back, acting as if he doesn't remember anything. "What the hell happened just now?"

That's when he sees the bloodied body of Koga, barely alive, & Sango laying on the ground next to her Hiraikotsu weapon.

"You don't remember anything?", Kagome asks.

"Not much. I recall fighting the hybrid, & then…did I…"

"You killed it, Inuyasha. Rammed its own tail into its chest."

"But did I also do this? To Koga? And Sango?"

"Not to mention to Rhino as well, although he seems to be back on his feet already."

Inuyasha, Kagome & the rest all turn to the Predator clan leader, who was miraculously all healed up without any hint of a cut anywhere on his chest, his face mask back in place. He held something in his right hand that looked like a capsule of sorts with a needle on one end. When Inuyasha was quarreling with Koga, the alien hunter had ejected himself with his serum that completely healed him. Rhino walks up to where Koga lays at, his breathing being shallow as he keeps bleeding from the deep wounds Inuyasha gave him.

"Oh man!", the half-demon says, staring at Koga. "Did I do that to him? I know I don't get along with him well at all, but…"

"It wasn't your fault, Inuyasha! Neither was when you hit Sango as she tried to prevent you from killing Koga!"

At that time, Rhino bent down beside Koga & injected the needle into his arm. A hissing sound came from the capsule as fluid was pumped into the wolf demon. The effects were instant, & Koga was screaming in agony as pain spread throughout his body. But that's when something astonishing was happening: Koga's wounds were being healed & vanishing before their eyes! In almost nothing flat, Koga's cuts were gone & the wolf demon was sitting up & staring at his own body, seeing no slashes of any kind.

"Whoa!", he says.

"Koga!", Kagome said.

"Welcome back, wolf!", Inuyasha said with surprising friendliness towards him.

"Kagome? Inuyasha?", Koga replied. "What happened? Was I dead?"

"You would've been, were it not for Rhino here", Kagome said, nodding to the Predator clan leader. "He gave you something that accelerated your healing process, & here you are!"

"Hey, Kagome!", Shippo said as he & Hachi approach. "If what Rhino has helped Koga, why not use it to help Miroku & Sango too?"

Kagome looked at Rhino, who nods his head.

"Good thinking, Shippo!", she says. "Both of you, take care of them for us, will you?"

Shippo & Hachi nod. Rhino hands the capsule to Hachi, while he gives Shippo the same kind of meds that he used to revive everyone after the blast from Bull's self-destruct device that he put to use to defeat Naraku. Immediately Hachi rushes over to Miroku as Shippo heads toward Sango & use Rhino's alien meds to heal their injuries & pains. Like with Koga, both get a brief but sharp pain & a rejuvenated feeling afterwards, rising up & getting to their feet.

"Sango! You're okay!", Shippo cried.

"Thanks to you, Shippo!", she replied, patting his head & retrieving her Hiraikotsu.

"How do you feel, Master Miroku?", Hachi asked.

"Much better now, Hachi!", the monk replied. "Thanks to you-and Rhino's alien meds! Oh, the wonders they work!"

"I'll say, monk!", Koga said. "I'd be dead right now were it not for our alien friend here!"

"Excuse me, Koga! You wouldn't be near death had you listened to us in the first place & not throw away the Tetsusaiga!"

"He's right, Koga!", Sango said, stepping in for Miroku. "Your refusal to take our advice nearly resulted in you & the rest of us getting killed! Count yourself lucky that Shippo & Hachi had found it in time to prevent turning this into another bloodbath!"

Koga was made out as guilty, & he knew it. But he refused to feel ashamed about it, & he places his arms across his chest in total defiance with a look to match.

"Okay, so I put my foot in my mouth! So what?", he fumed.

"Huh! And people say I'm stubborn!", Inuyasha adds his two cents. Koga was about to get into the half-demon's face when Miroku points his staff at his neck while Sango points her sword at his face, keeping him pinned to the spot with neither of them looking happy.

In fact, they were furious.

"Listen good, Koga, because I'm only going to say this to you once!", Miroku snapped. "If you ever-ever-commit an act that puts any of us in this kind of position again, I'll either ram my staff through your throat or suck you up in my Wind Tunnel! Do you understand?"

"Hey monk, I was only…"

"Do you understand?", both Miroku & Sango barked, cutting him off.

"Yeah! Yeah, I understand!", Koga replied with an angry sigh.

"Be sure that you do, Koga!", Sango said as she & Miroku took their weapons away from him. "You said you wanted to protect Kagome? Your actions did her more harm than good! A word of advice: next time someone-anyone-offers you some free advice, we suggest you take it, for it might save your life one day!"

Koga said nothing else, & looked to Kagome & Inuyasha.

"Hey, don't look at us, wolf!", the half-demon said with crossed arms. "They're far from wrong, you know! But if it makes you feel any better, I'm at fault too!"

"What are you talking about, Inuyasha?", asked Shippo. "Koga was the one that foolishly threw your sword away-not you!"

"Maybe so, Shippo, but I never should've parted with my Tetsusaiga in the first place. Yes, I gave it to Kagome to help keep her safe & all, but…"

Kagome put a finger to his lips to silence him.

"You're not at fault, Inuyasha", she says softly. "You did what you thought was best to protect me when you faced that hybrid. I expected no less from you, so please don't think that any of this is…"

Kagome stopped & her eyes went wide. When Inuyasha & the others turned to see what it was, their facial expressions all became identical as they were staring at an impossibility: the PredAlien was back on its feet & lets out a roar of anger, its tail still rammed through its chest.