Bankotsu held his breath, along with the only other mercenaries left standing….er, kneeling. They had finally been caught by the bandit that they helped about a year and a half before their capture. Apparently, they were so famous their heads had a rather large number of cash floating above them.

Bankotsu winced as he heard something hit the hard ground they were kneeling on. A severed head, Renkotsu's severed head.

Only three left now, Suikotsu, Jakotsu, and himself. ' It's been nice knowin' them' Bankotsu thought, grimly.

"Well, mercenary, it's been nice to slaughter your comrades but I'm afraid it's your turn to go" came a voice from behind.

'If I only had a little more time' Bankotsu sighed to himself. A previously shot arrow was stuck in his thigh and bleeding badly. If he had a bit more time he could faint from blood loss. Then, at least he wouldn't feel the pain. 'No, take this head on.' Bankotsu thought to himself.

A cold blade touched his neck, causing a shiver to go up his spine. The blade was removed, but not gone. It was raised above his neck, for momentum. Bankotsu braced himself but instead heard something whizz through the air.

"What the?" came the bandits voice followed by the clattering of a sword as it hit the ground.

Bankotsu glanced at Jakotsu, who looked just as bewildered as he, before slowly raising his head. The bandit had dropped the sword at his feet and was staring in shock at a woman. The girl was gorgeous. Clad in a demon slayer's suit, with long brown hair in a high ponytail and brown eyes filled with anger. A huge boomerang was on her back and she glared at the bandit.

'That boomerang made that whizzing sound' Bankotsu concluded.

The woman sprung into action, throwing punches, weapons, and elbows with great speed and accurately. She was trained to fight and she did her job well. The bandit trembled as he barely missed a few thrown fists before being hit in the face with her fist. The bandit's men surrounded her but she seemed only interested in the main bandit.

She was winning easily when one guy grabbed her arms. She turned around to hit the guy when the bandit kicked the girl in her stomach and stabbed her with a knife. She flew backwards, crashing into Bankotsu when she did.

He lay on the floor, unable to move do to the rope that bound his wrists together. The bandit grasped a sword and approached the girl, who lay unconscious on top of Bankotsu. He would stab her, cut off her head when she couldn't even defend herself.

Bankotsu nudged the girl with his shoulder.

"Get up, stupid, he'll kill you! Get up!" he cried in her ear. He wasn't sure why he did it. She was, after all the good guy here. She'd surely kill him. Still, he'd rather die by her hands than the bandit's. Plus the battle was entertaining.

The girl groaned, "Kohoku" quietly.

"What?!" Bankotsu cried.

"Kohoku!" the woman's eyes were open wide now as she grabbed her sword from it's sheath and quickly blocked the bandits attack.

"You killed him!" she screamed at the man. She quickly rose and had him pinned down on the floor. Her sword's tip was near his neck as she glared at the bandit with narrowed eyes.

Bankotsu had risen himself up to his previously kneeling position to watch the bandit die. He grinned at how easily she had him down.

"Wait!" the bandit cried. "I'll give you anything you want. Just don't kill me."

The woman paused, "anything?"

"Anything"

"I want money" the girl challenged.

"All the money in the world." The bandit promised.

"And weapons" the girl exclaimed.

"Weapons as far as the eye can see." The bandit grinned. He had her.

'No!!!!!' Bankotsu thought. 'He's lying! Kill the bastard!'

"Anything," she repeated.

"Anything"

The girl had removed the tip of her sword from the bandit's neck. He smiled, he was alive.

Suddenly, the girl raised her sword up in both hands and glared as only a woman could.

"I want my brother back, you son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed before plunging the sword through the bandit's heart. His body went limp before falling to the earth. The girl stared at the lifeless body for a long time before turning her gaze to the three remaining mercenaries.

Slowly, her footsteps came towards the men.

'Here it is, our death sentence' the mercenaries thought.

She first seemed to exam Suikotsu, walking in front of him, circling him, staring at his bowed head. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity for Suikotsu, who felt uncomfortable under such sharp gaze, the woman moved on to Jakotsu.

She lingered even longer at Jakotsu. Repeating the same steps, walking, circling, staring, before hesitantly moving on.

Bankotsu held his breath as her footsteps neared him. She didn't move from her spot in front of his bowed head. She just stared silently at his form. Finally, she spoke. "You the leader?" the question was directed towards Bankotsu.

Bankotsu took a deep breath before nodding. 'This is it' he thought. The same familiar feeling of a cold blade against your neck washed over Bankotsu as her sword was positioned. She suddenly spoke again, except softer and quieter, almost as if she was talking to herself.

"You saved my life." she murmured.

The ice feeling was removed silently. Cutting air was heard and Bankotsu paused. She had the sword raised over his neck now, ready to kill.

'Guess that was her thanking me before she killed me' Bankotsu guessed. Still, he held her at high respect despite she'd be the one to kill him.

Bankotsu braced himself as the sword came swinging down. But instead of it cutting his neck, it cut the rope that bound Bankotsu's wrists.

Bankotsu frowned, then slowly and hesitantly pulled his arms out in front of his face. She'd freed him! He stared up at the girl who was now sheathing her sword. She gave him a gentle smile,

"Free your friends. I'll be on my way now" she whispered.

He nodded as he watched her pick up her boomerang with one hand, while the other grasped her bleeding stomach. She limped off before turning to stare at the mercenary's shocked expression.

"Oh, by the way, I only spared you because you saved my life, thus allowing me to avenge my brother's death. Now, we're even. If I ever see you causing harm anywhere else, I will not hesitate to kill you." She told him calmly.

A boyish grin covered the mercenary's face, "Same to you."