Chapter 7: Final Battle, Part III

Kagome clutched her bow, watching in horror as Inuyasha was punctured through the stomach by Naraku's tentacles. Calling out his name, Kagome rushed to his side.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! This is nothing." Inuyasha struggled to get to his feet, using the Tetsusaiga as a crutch. Blood spilled freely from the wound.

"No you're not!" Kagome cried, pulling out a cloth and pressing it against his wound.

"Don't take your eyes off the fight." Sesshoumaru ran in front of them, blocking a wave of miasma with Tokijin. "Get to your feet Inuyasha!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Inuyasha scoffed, pushing away Kagome's cloth.

"Stay focused you two!" Lord Saien scolded, throwing poisoned daggers at Naraku's right side. Naraku blocked them, tossing them aside with a laugh.

Inuyasha raised his sword with a yell, preparing to unleash another Wind Scar. Sesshoumaru let loose a powerful swing with the Tokijin, sending blue lightening to strike the ground at Naraku's feet. Earth crumbled. Naraku lost his balance, roaring in anger. Inuyasha took the chance and sliced the air before him, his Wind Scar hitting Naraku head on. Naraku screeched, his body twisting and writhing from pain. Purple flesh fell to the ground, quickly turning a sickly green.

Suddenly, Naraku stopped struggling and his body went limp. Entranced by the lack of movement, no one noticed the pieces of severed flesh being drawn to a glowing black spot behind them. Naraku's cackling voice filled the empty air.

"You shall never kill me, worthless fools!" he laughed. "It is you who will die today!"

Kagome sensed Naraku's presence behind her and she spun around, a glowing arrow notched on her bow. She saw three tentacles headed for her comrades. She quickly destroyed the first two, but her third arrow was too slow! She let out a strained yell as she thrust her arm forward, willing with all her heart that the arrow would fly faster. Startlingly, her arm began to glow. Kagome saw the arrow's luminosity increase and the arrow picked up speed.

When the arrow hit the tentacle, there was a bright flash. Sesshoumaru turned around to smile at Kagome. "You've improved."

Kagome smiled lightly, but grew tense at the sound of Naraku's strained voice.

He was moving again, screaming in pain as pink cuts began running up his left arm. The cuts glowed brighter as Naraku's arm ballooned. Naraku's screams increased when his arm suddenly exploded.

Lord Saien's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Didn't see that coming."

"MIKO!" Naraku snarled, grasping his injured stump. "You are the first one I will kill!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes, gripping her bow tightly. She heard Inuyasha growl, but kept her eyes locked on Naraku. She slowly removed an arrow from her quiver and pulled back the string, challenging him.

"Aim for his heart!" she yelled, letting her arrow fly.

Naraku roared, releasing a black mist. Plants and animals dropped dead when the poisonous gas engulfed them.

Lord Saien breathed in deeply, his throat swelling. He opened his mouth, an inferno of fire raging through the air. Kagome's arrow was engulfed, but surprisingly wasn't destroyed. Instead, the fire was absorbed into her arrow, leaving no sign of existence except for tip glowing red.

"See how you like this!" Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga. "Backlash Wave!"

Tornadoes of power rushed to swallow the mist. Sesshoumaru raised his sword, releasing his Dragon Strike. The two powers collided and molded; the rushing tornado increased size twice fold. With Kagome's arrow in the lead, coupled with Saien's fire, and Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's attack in the rear, there was nowhere for Naraku to run. They had him!

Kagome saw Naraku smile and suddenly, she wasn't so sure. She frowned, slinging her bow on her back. There were eight arrows left. She should probably save the last few for special purposes.

Kagome unsheathed her sword and ran forward, following closely behind the whirling tornado.

"What're you doing?" Inuyasha yelled desperately.

"Ensuring Naraku's death!" Kagome retorted.

"She's right." Lord Saien nodded.

"We should do the same." Sesshoumaru said, putting away the Tokijin and pulled out the Tenseiga. When Inuyasha shot him a questioning look, Sesshoumaru simply said the sword would work better than the Tokijin.

Inuyasha shrugged, lifting his sword to rest on his shoulders. He sprinted to Kagome's side, holding the Tetsusaiga ready. Lord Saien pulled out his double swords and charged with the others.

The roaring storm of power swallowed and destroyed everything in its path. Nothing was left, not even a single blade of grass. Naraku wasn't fazed. He stood calmly, his eyes cold and calculating.

Those fools! What a pitiful mistake to make. If they wanted to kill him, they shouldn't have released that power. Now it was his for the taking. Sweet, sweet irony; just how he liked it!

Naraku's eyes widened and he grinned like a mad man, cackling. His chest split open just moments before the hurricane hit him. The whirling power swirled about his body in a twister before suddenly disappearing through his chest.

"Wha—what's he doing?" Kagome brow's furrowed together in confusion.

"Absorbing our power." Sesshoumaru answered grimly, clenching his jaw in anger.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha muttered.

Naraku's body suddenly began twisting and writhing. He grew taller and wider, his hands turning into claws. A grinning mouth of sharp teeth and eyes as black as the darkness of his soul stared from a face of malice and cruelty.

"He's reverted to full demon form!" Kagome exclaimed.

"We must kill him." Lord Saien urged. "At all costs!"

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