I'm Only Human: Chap 21

Kagome’s arm was beginning to feel numb. The blood was crusted all across her shoulder, clearly visible where her shirt was torn.

The silence between the three was awkward beyond compare. Even with the battle at hand, there was a noticeable jealous tension between the brothers. Kagome didn’t seem to notice, though.

InuYasha’s nose flared, and his fists tightened. “He’s close.” He said gruffly.

Sesshoumaru didn’t notice the scent until they had continued forward longer. He had no weapon other than his claws. Tetsuiga had been taken just before he was controlled. He began to doubt he’d be of much help, now.

Other than the river bubbling obliviously near them, there was only silence. The setting sun would set a perfect background to their battle.

There was a fluttering overhead and a flock of blackbirds took flight. Kagome looked upward and could see in the distant sky that all the birds were taking flight, then her eyes zeroed in and she screamed for her companions to move.

A spear lodged itself in the clearing. Without hesitation, InuYasha took the spear and held it, ready to attack. Sesshoumaru readied his claws, but all Kagome could do was stand and beware.

Naraku then came forth, with Kikyou, Miroku, Ritsu, and Yukio at his sides. Kikyou and InuYasha were on opposite sides of the playing field now. Kagome could imagine how it must felt for the both of them to stare each other down before a battle.

5 against three. And the three didn’t have there weapons.

“Is this wise, InuYasha? You will die over there.” Kikyou called to the deceased hanyou.

InuYasha scoffed, but had not catchy remark.

Other than that, no other pre-battle words were spoken, but Ritsu and Kikyou launched them forward first.

Kagome had no idea what kind of powers Ritsu might have had, but Ritsu was coming at her first. Sesshoumaru’s reflexes were too slow to stop the attack, and he watched as the female demon pounced on the small miko like a feline. Kagome screamed, clawed and kicked, but against her inhuman strength, it was no good.

Ritsu let out cackle and freed a hand, and Kagome watched in horror as it began to glow and icy blue.



“I’ll freeze your insides with this,” she flexed her fingers as she spoke, “It will be the most painful thing you’ve ever experienced…” she whispered with a cruel smile on her lips.  She laughed again and just as her hand was about to come down on Kagome, the miko let out a blood curdling scream and pushed forward with her hands.

The group, all engaged in battle, stopped to see a blinding light coming from the miko. Ritsu had been sent into the air and a long second later slammed back to the earth.

Kagome stared at her hands in aw, as thin wisps of smoke rose from them. She couldn’t speak, but saw Ritsu flying at her again in a fit of rage. Instinctively, Kagome held her hands up again and the blinding light appeared, and Ritsu was stopped, held in place as the force met her, and then launched backwards.



The beautiful demon writhed on the forest floor in pain, fighting off screams. Her skin was literally melting, and her hair had been singed up to her shoulders.

Staring at her own hands again, Kagome realized that this was her Miko powers. She no longer needed an arrow to purify a demon. If not for the intense situation, she would have laughed and jumped for joy, but she stopped her small internal celebration as she heard a grunt from Sesshoumaru.

She whirled around to see him slam against a large oak, and it snapped in half at the impact. The tree fell, taking others with out, and landed with a thunderous crack.

The tree interrupted InuYasha’s battle with Yukio, who was trapped under a large branch. Kagome winced as InuYasha quickly slit his throat. It made Kagome’s insides churn, on a lighter note, they were doing extremely well. Dare she think that they might actually win?

InuYasha took care of Miroku, which was difficult for him, but had to be done. Now it was Just Naraku left.



Sesshoumaru fought to get up when he was knocked down, and it seemed as though it was getting harder every time, and it made it no easier that Naraku was enraged with the fact that his party had fallen so easily. InuYasha tried to assist, but Naraku would just through him off like a pest. If Kagome even tried to get close enough to do something, Sesshoumaru would lock eyes with her, and she knew he meant for her to stay back.

Maybe as his old self he could have taken Naraku on, and been his equal, but now, it was just slow suicide. Sesshoumaru was on his back, panting. And he knew he couldn’t get up again, even though he could hear Kagome scream his name, and he knew without lifting his head up to see her that there were tears streaming down her face. He knew it must be identical to the battle where his half brother was killed, and he took her away. When he could feel her sobs as she hung over his shoulder, screaming his brothers name. Now it was for him…. He couldn’t leave her….

Naraku laughed as he circled Sesshoumaru’s barely living body. “You are absolutely pathetic, Sesshoumaru. I would have expected you, out of all people, to be the one to strike me down.” He laughed softly to himself. “You are just like your brother.”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. He felt it coming. He had killed many opponents, and now knew what it felt like to be in there position. He inhaled deeply for one last time…

Nothing happened.

Kagome had leapt onto Naraku’s back, and had her hands around his neck. She squeezed as hard as she could, trying to choke him, but he just laughed.

Now, without much force, she used her Miko powers again. She could feel the burning beneath her hands of his impure skin as it turned into flames. He attempted to throw her off, but she held on as hard as she could. Her wounded shoulder throbbed with pain, but she wouldn’t let Sesshoumaru die. He wouldn’t take two loves away from her…

She finally fell off of him, biting back a yelp from the pain that spiked from her shoulder as she hit the ground, but watched as Naraku began to fall apart, turning into ashes. The flames dissipated and he was truly, no more. She stared in disbelief, not really believing it, until InuYasha ran to her and picked her up, cheering and laughing.

“Kagome, I can’t believe you did it!” He applauded. “All these years, and you’re the one to finally get rid of him!”

Kagome smiled to herself. She had never been useful to her group, she thought. She never had any real powers or use at all, but this he was finally dead. Because of her! Her friends could rest in peace and she and Sesshoumaru could…

She looked to where Sesshoumaru was lying, and her heart skipped a beat when she couldn’t see the rise and fall of his chest.