The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Puppet

Chapter 218 - The Puppet

*House of Puppets* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

As soon as the hanyou approached Naraku, the spider hanyou had released a mess of tentacles, sending them at Inuyasha, hoping to run him through. The hanyou managed to dodge them all and had been slicing them off ever since in an effort to get closer. It seemed as if Naraku had an endless supply, however, because for every one he removed, two more sprouted in its place.

The hoards of demons surrounding him weren't helping things, and he felt like he was struggling for every inch of ground he gained. He was covered in wounds from where the lower level demons bit at him, and he was running out of steam. This was supposed to be easy! How was Naraku so strong?

Inuyasha was relieved when his brother came into view, his claws and acid whip taking out demons here and there as he approached.

"Where's Kagome?" the hanyou yelled.

"Helping the slayer," Sesshoumaru replied flatly, tilting his head to the side, indicating that she was safely behind them. He refused to show either his worry or his anger. He would not lose control in the face of Naraku, who was chuckling darkly as he flung more tentacles their way.

Between the two brothers, the battle seemed easier. Knowing where Kagome was set his mind at ease, and soon Inuyasha had a clear enough shot to use the Windscar. He hadn't dared before he knew where all of his companions were. As the waves of power washed over him, Naraku was shredded to pieces, leaving behind nothing but a wooden doll with a strand of hair wrapped around it.

"It was a damn puppet!" Inuyasha exclaimed in frustration, having thought that he had finally ended this battle for good. "Damn it!"

"The demons, brother," Sesshoumaru reminded him, and the pair continued to fight the lesser demons that remained, all the while working their way back to their companions.

*Beehive* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

Seeing that Kohaku was still fighting both Kagura and Kirara, Inuyasha snarled and rushed up behind the boy, hitting him with the hilt of his sword, effectively knocking him unconscious. He knew better than to kill Sango's brother. Removing the shard would do so, but at least this way she would have a chance to say good-bye. A small beehive rolled out of the boy's hand, releasing a swarm of saimyosho that buzzed around them.

Miroku was relieved to see reinforcements, as he could no longer maintain his barrier, and had been struggling to fight off the demons and protect Kagome and Sango from Kohaku. With a sigh, he unwrapped his hand once again, ready to finish off the remainder of the demons.

"No, Miroku! The bees!" Kagome exclaimed.

"It's time to find out how well this increased healing works," he said before sucking in all the demons that remained, along with dozens of poisonous hell bees. "Is Naraku dead?" he asked, exhausted.

"No, it was just a damn puppet. The bastard is probably long gone by now."

"I doubt it," Kagura said with a smirk. "I'll bet he's still buried in the root cellar, certain that his defense system took out any intruders."

"You think so?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"He is an arrogant bastard," Inuyasha agreed. "It's worth a shot."