Into the Arms of a Mercenary {Complete} {InuyashaWattyAwards 2014}

Chapter 25

"You're hurting me!" Izayoi cried out. "Let her go," Bankotsu said. He stopped smiling and Izayoi noticed how cold his voice sounded. She had never seen or heard him sound so angry before. There was no mercy or emotion in his eyes. Hakudoshi smirked and threw Izayoi aside. She fell and Elena rushed over to her. "Come on," she whispered, escorting Izayoi to where everyone else was. Reno was now recording the start of Bankotsu and Hakudoshi's face off. "Bankotsu and Hakudoshi are about to start their battle! About time!" he narrated. Itzsuna looked over to Reno and asked in an angry whisper,"Reno, what the hell are you doing?!"

"What?! I was narrating. You got a problem with that? Who do you think will win the battle?" Reno asked. "Is that a bet I'm hearing?" "What if it is?" he challenged. "I bet Bankotsu is gonna win," Itzsuna stated. Reno directed the camera at Itzsuna and said,"Fine! I bet Hakudoshi is gonna kick Bankotsu's ass!" Itzsuna glared at Reno. "You're on, Reno! If I win, when we get back to our time, you're going wear a pink thong and go seduce old Mrs. Jones, my next door neighbor! Just pretend that you're wearing that thong to a pool party or something." Reno was utterly speechless for a while. Then he replied,"No! Not Mrs. Jones! Please don't make me do that, Itzsuna!" Reno pleaded and she sneered,"You have to do it Reno. We're betting here remember." "Well, if I win, Itzsuna, you have to go on a date with me!" Reno pointed his finger on his chest. She looked shocked at what the Turk suggested and then said," I know for sure that Bankotsu is gonna kill Hakudoshi!" "Yeah, whatever. I know that I'm gonna win this bet for sure!" Reno said smugly.

On the other end of the battlefield, Bankotsu and Hakudoshi were glaring fiercely at each other. They were ready for a fight to the death in which only one of them would walk away alive. "Hakudoshi, it's time to finish this once and for all!" Bankotsu held his halberd, Banryu in front of him and Hakudoshi raised his naginata high above his head. "I thought you would say something like that Bankotsu. However, I'll be the one to walk away unscathed." Bankotsu charged first and was about to clash against Hakudoshi's blade when the pale, young boy moved out of the way. Banryu's blade met the rough surface of the ground. "Why don't you stay still so that I can kill you?!" Hakudoshi just laughed as he disappeared into the clouds that was made from the impact from Banryu's attack. "Can't aim right, Bankotsu? Have your skills as leader of the Band of Seven simply lessened?" he said, a smug look on his face.

His lavender eyes never left the man with the halberd in his hand. "Shut the hell up! You don't know what kind of skills I have! So if I were you, I wouldn't be talking!" Bankotsu yelled back. Hakudoshi took the opportunity to sneak up on Bankotsu before the clouds of dust cleared up completely. "If I you were you, Bankotsu, I wouldn't leave a opening for an enemy," Hakudoshi was about to slash Bankotsu from behind, but the mercenary sensed danger and turned around suddenly. Bankotsu did a back flip just in time to dodge the attack Hakudoshi was about to inflict on him. "Sorry, Hakudoshi, but I'm not planning on getting kill by the likes of you!" he said as he land gracefully back on the ground. The young demon frowned at the man standing front of him unharmed. "Why can't you just do me a favor and just die," he shouted while swinging his weapon sideways. Bankotsu blocked him and hit Hakudoshi forcefully, sending him flying through the air. Bankotsu smirked to himself, knowing that he was going to take his head by the end of the battle.

Kikyo was at the end of the deep forest in which she was to seek out the priest to help her exorcise the demon. "The demonic aura is getting stronger by the minutes. I'd better hurry before it gets any worse!" She went ahead with her soul collectors by her side. Kikyo eyes were narrowing towards the direction of the swirling, clashing demonic aura.

Bankotsu and Hakudoshi were engaged in battle from far away distance and away from the guests and Izayoi . The white demon had his naginata in his hand ready to slash at the young mercenary band leader. Bankotsu raised his fist against the blade and managed to send it back flying out of its master's hand. Angry, Hakudoshi's eyes grew darker than usual and he cursed Bankotsu. "Damn you! That must've been a lucky shot! This time I won't go easy on you!" Bankotsu smirked mischievously. "Yeah right! I bet you were fooling around, not even thinking that I'm a worthy opponent!"

He waved his halberd above his head pointing straight up into the sky. Dark stormy clouds began to gather in the sky, rumbling with thunder. "You know, I hate when people underestimate my abilities!" Hakudoshi grabbed his naginata and started spinning it in his hand rapidly. Bankotsu jumped into the air as lightning flashed across the sky. "Take this!" he yelled as lightning bolts came down crashing towards the ground. They tore apart the ground where ever they landed. Hakudoshi held out his naginata in front of him defensively and put a barrier around himself before Bankotsu's attack could hit him. Bankotsu stared at the place where Hakudoshi was moments earlier, clouds of dust covering the entire area. "Did I get him?" he thought as he slowly descended to the ground.

"What the hell just happened?!" Elena exclaimed as the dust was making her eyes water. Tseng took a step forward and said,"Bankotsu's attack hit Hakudoshi but I'm not sure if it really did hit him. I couldn't really see." "Well, I saw that it hit him! It couldn't have missed," Elena replied, brushing dirt off her pants. "Reno aren't you recording this?" Rude asked randomly. "Yeah! I saw these awesome flashy lights. Like the ones in Vegas!" Reno replied, wiping the camera's lens quickly. "I'll take that as a yes," Rude said, walking to Tseng and Elena. "I don't think Hakudoshi would go down that easily!" Itzsuna commented.

Kagura looked out at the battlefield. She had a feeling that this battle was far from over. "I truly doubt Hakudoshi would be beaten by a mere human. He's too smart to fall for such an easy attack." Izayoi looked at her and answered softly, "I think you're right...I don't see him anywhere. It could be a possibility that he put up a barrier." She looked up towards the sky. Izayoi then saw a purple orb floating in the air. Looking closely, she saw Hakudoshi in the barrier. Before Izayoi could warn Bankotsu, Hakudoshi disappeared right before her eyes. "Where did he go? I saw him just now!" she thought, frantically looking around for Hakudoshi. Reappearing out of nowhere, Hakudoshi slashed Bankotsu on the back and disappeared once more. Blood splattered on the floor, but Bankotsu managed to block his next attack. He continued attacking Bankotsu rapidly then disappearing into the shadows. Finally catching Hakudoshi, Izayoi yelled out,"Look out! Above you!" Bankotsu heard her cry and moved out of the way. "That was close," he said breathlessly as he kneeled down. "I see…so he's attacking and then hiding back in the shadows!"Smiling, Bankotsu said,"This'll be easy!"

Izayoi gasped. "Bankotsu! He's bleeding!" She stared at his blood-soaked back, covering her mouth in devastated way.

Laughing, Hakudoshi yelled out to Bankotsu from the shadows. "Is that the best you can do? It's not like you're even trying!" He popped up, preparing to attack Bankotsu. However, Bankotsu sensed him coming from the side and blocked Hakudoshi's attack with his Banryu. "How is that possible?!" Hakudoshi thought as he struggled against Bankotsu. "Your movements are too predictable! I was watching you while you were trying to attack me from afar." Hakudoshi had a sour expression on his face and let his emotions get to him. He started attacking Bankotsu as fiercely and rapidly as before.