The Next World
Part One - The Devil's Heralds
Somewhere in Japan, beneath the soiled surface of the Earth, is a
series of caves. A labyrinth of dirt and stone, it is very easy for a
person to get lost for the rest of their natural life. If one were to
successfully navigate the subterranean maze, they'd reach the lair of a
group of demons only known as the "Ketsugun." It is currently unknown
how many vile creatures are part of this band of evil. What is
undoubtedly certain is the fact that all of them overflow with the powers of
darkness. Just what despicable plots are they scheming now? What
sinister plans are they formulating? What diabolical schemes are on their
sick and twisted agenda?
Girl demon: Noodles are done!
A young girl, appearing to be about 6 in human years, brings a large
pot of boiled noodles to a table. Seated there are two men. One is
very large and the other is small. The small redheaded one, who has a
pointed nose, sits on a stack of plates so he can see his food. The
happy girl dishes out the noodles for the men to eat.
Small demon: Uh...thank you, Kanki. What did you put on
them?
Kanki: Spices.
Small demon: What kind of spices?
Kanki: That stuff in the barrel near your room.
Small demon: Sawdust?
Kanki: Yeah, that�s the stuff.
Both demons shove their plates away. Kanki plays with her sun-colored
pigtails and stares at the demons with her jade eyes. She's
disappointed that they aren�t eating.
Small demon: We're not hungry.
A female voice laughs from the other end of the room. A woman with
short white hair enters. Her blue eyes lock with the ones of the small
demon.
Small demon: Something is funny, Shoshin?
Shoshin: Your face. It always brings me such amusement.
Small demon: Go to hell.
Shoshin: Bite me.
Big demon (under breath): I'd rather bite her than these
noodles...
Small demon: Heh heh. So, what do you want with us?
Shoshin: The master has a job for you both.
Big demon: Does it involve food? I'm hungry.
Kanki: I thought you guys weren�t hungry.
Small demon: Um, Kyojin was joking.
Kyojin: Are you crazy, Kotori? I'm hun--
Kotori covers his brother's mouth.
Kotori: Never mind that. Now, what's the job?
Shoshin: Do you know who Inuyasha is?
Kotori: Nope. Describe him.
Shoshin: He�s a half-demon, shorter than two meters in height,
long white/silver hair, wears a red kimono, holds a transforming sword,
has sharp claws and teeth, dog ears, wears an enchanted necklace,
barefoot, bad temper, hangs out with a group of humans and a fox demon,
stops in random villages and defeats demons, hates his older brother,
once loved a priestess--
Kotori: Good Lord, shut up already. I didn't ask for his
freakin' biography. We're supposed to kill him, right?
Shoshin: Yes.
Kyojin: Half-demon? Where's the rest of him?
Kotori: Ugh. Part of him is a demon and the other part is
human.
Kyojin: Which part?
Kotori: I don't know. The bottom part. Is that OK?
Kyojin: He must look funny. I bet people make fun of him.
Kotori: SHUT UP!
Kyojin closes his mouth. Shoshin gives Kotori a scroll.
Shoshin: After you kill him, give that scroll to the girl in the
green skirt. Her name is Kagome. It's a message from the master.
Kotori: A half-demon...this won't take long.
Kyojin: Can we stop and get something to eat first?
Kanki: But you guys said that you weren't hungry.
Kotori: Kyojin, run!
Kyojin and Kotori take off and run from the kitchen. Little Kanki
follows them with her pot of noodles covered in sawdust. She gives up
when they disappear into the darkness of the caves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just outside of Kaede's village, Inuyasha and the gang are playing a
board game that Kagome brought from the future. It is called
"checkers." They are doing a tournament of sorts. In the first game, Sango
beat Miroku. Game 2 saw Kagome win by default when Inuyasha kicked the
board in anger. The final game is Sango vs. Kagome. It's Kagome's turn
and she�s deep in thought.
Sango: Come on, I want you to make a move.
Miroku: I wish she'd say that to me more often...
A stone strikes Miroku square in the forehead, forcing him to fall to
the ground. Kagome makes her move. Sango smirks and jumps several of
Kagome's pieces with her next turn.
Kagome: Wow. I lost. Good game, Sango!
Shippo: Kagome is a graceful loser, unlike certain people.
Shippo is bonked on the head. He holds his new lump in pain as
Inuyasha towers over him.
Inuyasha: That game sucks! If the pieces were blue and green
instead of red and black, I would have done better.
Kagome: What does that have to do with--
Inuyasha: FEH!
Kagome: But--
Inuyasha: I said "FEH!"
He sniffs the air and picks up a strong and peculiar scent.
Inuyasha: I smell something...it's weird. I've never smelled
anything like it before.
Shippo: I bet it's soap.
Shippo gets bonked again. From the forest come the pair of assassins.
Kyojin rolls in like a ball of pure destruction, knocking down trees
and shrubbery. Kotori flips through the air. Both demons stop before
the stunned group.
Inuyasha: Who are you two?
Kotori: We are Kotori and Kyojin. We have been sent to kill the
one known as Inuyasha.
Kyojin: And get some lunch. We're hungry.
Inuyasha (drawing Tetsusaiga): Who sent you?
Sango: Who else? Naraku. He doesn't do anything but annoy us
like this.
Kotori: Who in the hell is that? Naraku?
Kyojin: Never heard of him.
All the group stand still in amazement. It's not often that assassins
seek them without being employed by Naraku. After shaking off the
initial feeling of confusion, Inuyasha speaks again.
Inuyasha: I bet it was Koga! He wants me dead so he can have
Kagome!
Kagome: INUYASHA!
Kotori: Never heard of Koga either.
Inuyasha: Maybe it's Sesshomaru?
Kotori: Who are these people? Listen, we were sent by
Osoroshi.
When that name is mentioned, Miroku backs away and clenches his right
fist.
Sango: Who's that? You've heard of this person, Miroku?
Miroku: Yes. As a child, Mushin would tell me stories about
Osoroshi, the leader of the Ketsugun Clan. He is true evil, a demon of
immeasurable power. Some say that his power rivals that of even a god.
The main difference between him and Naraku is that Naraku is constantly
looking for absolute power. Osoroshi already has it. But he has been
dormant under the earth for at least 10,000 years. I am not sure why
he is sending his warriors to the surface now.
Shippo: I've heard of him...he eats puppies for breakfast!
Miroku: Kittens. He has puppies for lunch.
Inuyasha: And Mushin told you this?
Miroku: That is correct.
Inuyasha: Guess what? Mushin is a drunk. I can't believe you
fell for that nonsense. There is no such person as Osoroshi. What a
bunch of crap!
Kyojin: Uh oh. He just called the master a "bunch of crap."
Inuyasha: I did not! I'm saying the story is a bunch of crap.
Now come on. Who really sent you?
Kotori: Osoroshi. We are not lying.
Inuyasha: So this super powerful evil overlord really
exists?
Kotori: Yes.
Inuyasha: Sweet! I'm actually on this guy's hit list? I bet
Sesshomaru and Koga aren't even on there. Ha! They're going to be so
jealous!
Kagome shakes her head. Everyone else looks ashamed. Kotori draws his
sword.
Kotori: Enough of this chit-chat. We came here to kill you.
Inuyasha points Tetsusaiga at the brothers.
Inuyasha: You two will fall just like all the others who have
faced me.
Shippo: Yes, like all the others. I wonder why Naraku, Koga,
Sesshomaru, Kagura, Hakudoshi, Kohaku, and several others are still
running around after you faced them.
Inuyasha: Things like that, Shippo. Things like that make me
hate you.
Kyojin raises his younger brother off the ground. They glow with
power.
Inuyasha: I don't know what you�re doing, but I'm going to stop
it.
WIND SCAR!!
Inuyasha swipes his blade and an impressive surge of demonic power
heads towards the evil pair. It dissolves before it even touches
them.
Inuyasha: Oh, this is bullcrap.
Miroku holds up his right hand.
Miroku: Everyone, get out of the way!
WIND
TUNNEL!!
The cursed hand is exposed and threatens to pull the demon brothers
inside. But�they stand still as the scenery around them gets sucked up
instead. Miroku realizes that his Wind Tunnel is useless and seals it
up.
Miroku: Inuyasha is right. This is bullcrap. Bullcrap with a
steaming pile of horse vomit on top.
Kyojin: Wind Scar, Wind Tunnel...what�s next? Windsock?
Windmill?
Kotori: We aren't ordinary demons. None of your magic powers
can affect us. Now...SAYONARA INUYASHA-SAN!
Kyojin grins and throws his little brother with a tremendous velocity
towards Inuyasha. Kotori has his blade extended, which shines in a
bright shade of red. Inuyasha tries to block with Tetsusaiga, but the
blade is shattered into pieces. Kotori�s sword runs right through
Inuyasha�s abdomen, slicing him in half.
Kagome: INUYASHA!!!!!
Kotori: Heh.
Kyojin: Now which half is the demon one again?
The dead body of Inuyasha lays on the ground. Kagome rushes over to
get a better look. Miroku shields Shippo's eyes from the horror.
Kagome kneels down over Inuyasha's fallen remains. Kotori pulls out the
scroll and hands it to her.
Kotori: Here you go. It's a message from Osoroshi.
Kagome: You monsters...you'll pay for this!
Kyojin: We don't have any money.
Kotori: Be quiet and let's go get some food.
Kyojin: FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!
The pair of demons jump off into the forest from which they came.
Sango prepares to throw Hiraikotsu, but Miroku stops her. He feels that
it would be useless if she did that. Kagome sadly opens the scroll and
reads the message from the devilish Osoroshi. It reads:
"You're sad now, but happiness will come to you in time."
Kagome crumples up the scroll and cries over Inuyasha...
TO BE CONTINUED
Next Time: After a meeting with Sesshomaru, Kagome and the others
have a funeral for Inuyasha. Meanwhile, Naraku and his minions enjoy
this moment in their own special way. Just exactly why did Osoroshi
send his two men after Inuyasha? Who will give the eulogy? And is
Inuyasha really gone for good? Probably not, since these stories would get
dull without him.
Sesshomaru: In light of my brother�s passing, I suggest that
this series be renamed from "Inuyasha" into "Sesshomaru."
Uh...we'll see about that. Next time... "The Next World pt. 2: The
Funeral of Inuyasha."
Name translations
Ketsugun: blood army
Osoroshi: terrible, fearsome
Kanki: joy
Shoshin: broken heart
Kotori: small bird
Kyojin: giant