I'm so glad that so many of you like this story! ^^ It really makes me want to write it more and more. And I hope that, as it progresses, it continues to get better and better — which I plan on happening. Anyways, this chapter is very long because it's full of tons of stuff! So get to reading, okay?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original Inuyasha characters. I only own my own characters and the plot.
Thank you for all of the reviews! ^^
Enjoy!
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The Demonic Flower
Chapter 7: Fight for Your Life, Kagome!
*By Chibi Star Vamp*
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"Fight my best warrior, Miko. And live."
Those words continued to ring in Kagome's head in an unstoppable loop. She gulped as she remembered the way that Akuma had looked when she said them to her; face serious, eyes deadly, and a tone that said to all that her decision was final, and there was nothing that anyone else could do about it.
And she was certain that this fact was true considering how no one tried to change her mind. Not even Yayuki.
Instead, the heiress was now leading Kagome back to her room; the breakfast with her family done and over with. Her steps were soft, her spine straight, and an air of elegance surrounded her. She seemed very calm and collected. But for some reason… Kagome could sense — in a completely different way than sensing a jewel shard — that Yayuki was angry, furious, absolutely mortified by Akuma's words.
She didn't know how she could sense this, but she did. It was a feeling that came to her automatically, and somehow she knew that it belonged to Yayuki.
"Is it because I'm a demon now? Can demons sense the emotions of other demons?" Kagome thought; gladly changing her attention to a different topic considering how the current one caused nothing but fear to strike her heart.
She desperately wanted to ask Yayuki about her new demon self, but it didn't seem like she could — especially not when they had already reached her room, and the two demons from before — Haru and Jun — were waiting at opposite sides of the fusuma.
"Hello Yayuki-hime. Hello Miss Kagome." They said in unison as they finally spotted the two demons.
"Hello Haru, Jun — I suspect that you two have been properly refreshed." The two women nodded. "Good, I am glad. Now, I need you two to prepare Kagome-san for a battle. Bathe her, change her bandages, and dress her in the clothing of the female warriors of the clan. Make sure that it is fitted on her properly — no loose areas — and that the armor covers the vital parts of her body; use the chart of the human body to do so, given how Kagome is still quite a fragile demon. When you are done, do bring Kagome-san to my room." Yayuki stated.
Despite the bundle of confusion that was growing inside of them, the two attendants nodded their heads instead of questioning their heiress; knowing that if it was something that they were allowed to know, she would have told them.
"Yes Yayuki-hime." They said in unison.
"Thank you. Now, I shall now take my leave." Yayuki said; she then turned to Kagome. "Do not worry Kagome-san, I will make sure that you are more-than-prepared for your battle. I will not allow any harm to come to you." She stated with a friendly smile.
Kagome managed to give her back a timid smile — tinted with what she hoped was unseen worry — before Yayuki began to walk down the hallway to the right. In the back of her mind, Kagome could sense that she was worried.
"Miss Kagome—" She turned her had back to look at the two women "—Please come. Let us head to the bathhouse."
Kagome nodded her head and followed the women as they moved down the hallway to the left.
Before they turned another corner, she felt the emotion in the back of her mind, change. It went from worried, to surprised. She wondered what could've caused Yayuki to get this way.
"I hope it's not anything bad… or relating to me…"
"Tami?" Yayuki asked, shocked, as she looked at the black-haired demon seated on her bed.
"Hey." Tami said casually as she looked at Yayuki.
"W-what… what are you doing in my room?" Yayuki asked as she entered her bedroom, and the doors slid closed thanks to the guards that were always outside of it. She began to walk over to a large dark-red wardrobe that was inside of the room, and against the wall that her black and gold bed was stationed against — the wall opposite the main doors.
"I came to ask you a few things." Tami said as she stood from the simple and elegantly decorated bed, and began to head to the wardrobe as well.
"Like what?" Yayuki asked as she bent her knees and moved her hand across the front of the drawer. The insignia of her clan that was carved into it, glowed, before Yayuki grabbed the drawer at its sides, and began to pull it open. She had to shuffle back a little in order to get it fully pulled back.
While the drawer wasn't very high, it was quite long. Inside, there were a series of bows and arrows. All of them of different lengths, sizes, and colors. Some strings were thick, others were quite thin; showing the difficulty it would take to move the string back, and use the arrow. The bows all had different designs, and they even came with their own set of arrows and quivers that matched their color, and had the bow's design engraved into their wood.
"Going out for some shooting practice?" Tami asked as her eyes, too, ran over the weapons.
"Perhaps." Yayuki said. "Now, what is it that you want to ask me about?"
"About this demon that you brought back." Her words caused Yayuki to momentarily stiffen as she inspected the bows and quivers. But she made sure to not show that she was surprised.
"What about her?" She asked gently.
"What do you know of her fighting styles?" Yayuki slowly turned her head to look at Tami; a white eyebrow raised.
"Why so curious?" She asked her friend.
"Because, I'm going to fight her and I'd like to know what I'm going up against."
Yayuki could feel a wave of shock wash over her at Tami's statement. But she made sure to not let her body show that she was surprised. She kept her face stoic, professional, and blank — even though on the inside a thousand or so questions were rushing in her mind. The main being: "Why is Tami going to fight Kagome-san?!"
"Excuse me?" She instead asked.
Tami rolled her eyes before blowing at her bangs; only to have them fall back in place. "I'm fighting her."
"Why?" Yayuki asked.
"Akuma asked me to."
"You are Akuma's best warrior?" Yayuki asked; surprised that the darkness sage-in-training was actually associated with Akuma. (Tami had once declared that she couldn't stand the elder, and would much rather enjoy her being dead than alive — she itched to run her weapon through her body and kill her).
"Yes." Tami said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Since when?"
"I've been training with her for over a year now. I was against it at first but — damn. The little bitch is a good teacher." Tami stated with a smirk on her face. It caused Yayuki to grow worried. She had been calm — upset, but calm — over Akuma's earlier declaration, because she believed that Kagome could manage to get away from any regular member of her clan.
But Tami wasn't a regular member.
She was a darkness sage-in-training, and received exclusive training, like she does.
"There's no way that Kagome-san can beat Tami…" Yayuki thought as she turned her head around to look at the weapons, once again, and bit into her bottom lip. "Not if Akuma is training Tami. That's a death sentence!"
"So what do you know about her?" Tami asked once again.
"Few things…" Yayuki responded as she — taking into consideration the new information — began to choose a bow that shot arrows quickly. She knew that it even came with lightweight arrows that were surprisingly sharp. "She is a good healer. And she does have somewhat of a good aim — she could use a little practice though."
"Good aim? With what?" Tami asked.
"In general, I believe." Yayuki responded as she grabbed the brown-wood bow and its matching quiver. "I would be careful and make sure to shield all of my vitals, if I were you, Tami." She stated as she closed the drawer and stood with the weapons in her hand.
Tami cockily grinned. "Che. Like she'll be any match for me. The little bitch has no idea just how dangerous I am." Tami bragged. But a few moments later, she could feel the shift in Yayuki's demeanor; something that rarely happened. The heiress was usually so calm, and managed to keep herself that way in some of the most tense situations.
"What's the matter?" Tami asked.
"Tami… you can't fight Kagome-san." Yayuki said as she looked at her friend sternly. Tami raised a black eyebrow.
"Why not?" Tami asked.
"Because you'll probably end-up giving her some very serious, life-threatening injuries or worse… And I can't allow that." Yayuki said. Tami frowned.
"So? If she can't deal with it, it's her fault for being so weak."
"She's a new demon, Tami." Yayuki said; to the sage's surprise. "She has no clue how to defend herself in that state. Your fighting her is a guaranteed future murder — I won't let Kagome-san die so quickly."
"Well what do you want me to do?" Tami asked.
"Not fight."
"I can't. Akuma gave me strict instructions to fight the girl."
"Well then… fight her, but don't hurt her so much. Give her a few scratches and bruises and let her come-out of it alive." Yayuki said; there was a hint of desperation in her eyes.
Tami sighed as she noticed this. "I can't do that…"
"Why not? You fight her like Akuma wants and Kagome-san lives like I want — I don't see a problem there." Yayuki said.
"…I'm known as one of the most vicious demons of the clan. When I fight, I fight to kill. Not wound or overpower, but kill — everyone knows this, even you. You know very well that if I fight her, and she comes out alive, there will be questions. And these questions will be answered instantly by Akuma — she'll know that you did something because you're the one that brought her here. When that happens, there is no doubt that you'll go through hell for interfering with Akuma's decision."
"You know Akuma, Yayuki. When she gets angry, she forgets all relationship statuses and only sees the person who angered her as a traitor. When she realizes what you did, she'll make you go through hell and probably strip you of everything that you have — you'll be known, forever, as the disgrace of the clan, and for what? A girl? A random girl you brought back here so that she can become a member of this clan. You know the standards for being a member — you're the heiress dammit. And if that girl can't fight me and live, she has no reason to become a member."
Yayuki was silent. Her face was stoic and there were several emotions running through her eyes; no doubt displaying what was going through her head.
But Tami could see it; the recognition.
"I have to prepare for a fight." She said as she began to exit the room. But before she reached the door, Tami stopped and said, "Don't do anything stupid, Yayuki. Don't throw your life away for that girl." And with that, she slid the door open and left.
Yayuki stood there — thinking; her heart wrenching as she came to several conclusions — none of them good.
"I could lose everything…" She thought as she grasped the item in her hand even harder; but still being careful not to scratch its material. "But… but I can't let Kagome-san die… It wouldn't be fair…" At that point, her eyes hardened as she came to a resolve. She placed the bow inside its holder attached to the quiver, and put the quiver on her arm — the strap hung on her shoulder.
Opening the fusuma, Yayuki walked-out with her head held high. The women stationed there nodded at her as she left, and Yayuki gave them a nod back.
She began to head back to Kagome.
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When Kagome arrived back in her room from her bath, and now wrapped in new bandages — she was upset that her body still wasn't healed just yet — she was surprised, and happy, to see Yayuki waiting for her inside of the room.
"Yayuki-hime." The attendants greeted with a bow.
"Hello Haru, Jun, Kagome-san." Yayuki said as she greeted all three females.
"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked.
"I came to help with your battle preparations, Kagome-san." Yayuki said. Kagome raised an eyebrow at the female.
"You're going to help put my clothes on?" She asked.
Yayuki shook her head; a smile on her face. "No. I just came to give you a weapon to use. I know that I said that I would give you the weapon when you arrived at my room, but I believe that the sooner that it is in your possession, the better." Yayuki said. It was then that Kagome noticed the brown strap across Yayuki's body. Her eyes widened — immediately recognizing the weapon that Yayuki had brought with her.
"A bow and arrows." Kagome stated.
"Yes." Yayuki paused to take-off the quiver and placed it on the table next to her, along with the bow. Kagome walked over to it to inspect the weapon.
She found that the bow was beautifully crafted, and that it seemed unused with the way the wood was knick-free and was smooth. The quiver that it came with was made of leather, and had a top that opened and closed. It was shaped like a rectangle with rounded edges, and she could tell that the stitching was very professional. The top cover was similar to an envelope, but shaped as a semicircle. There was a ribbon sewn into it. The ribbon was wrapped around a steel circle that was elevated a centimeter or so by a thin steel rod; it was placed on the front of the quiver's body. On the flap where the bow was tied, was the insignia that Kagome had seen, earlier, painted on the changing room wall, and attached to the quiver's side was a cylinder-shaped leather holder that held the bow inside.
But most of all, Kagome was glad to see that the bow was made for a right-handed person.
"I hope I got the dominant hand correct." Yayuki said.
"You did." Kagome said with a smile.
"Good…" She said with a sigh. "Now, let me tell you a few things about it. This bow is specifically made to provide quick shooting. As you can see, the string is very tight and retracts quickly." Yayuki pulled the string back with one finger, and Kagome watched as, when she let the string go, in a mere second it was straight again.
"Wow." Kagome said; surprised by the elasticity of the string.
"And the arrows…" Yayuki paused to unravel the ribbon that kept the specially-made quiver closed, and pulled back the flap that hid the arrows. She then grabbed one of the twelve arrows, and held it up for Kagome to see. "…Are very lightweight. They can easily pierce through the air thanks to the steel arrowheads which are very, very sharp." To prove her point, Yayuki gently placed her finger against the tip, in a feather-light touch, and pulled back to show Kagome the small drip of blood on her finger.
"With the right amount of work, it can pierce directly through a thick stone boulder in one, clean cut." Her words made the miko's eyes widen.
"W-wow…" Kagome said; surprised that such a little thing could cause so much harm. But at the same time, it made her more frightened about the battle. Who or what exactly was she going to fight that caused Yayuki to give her such dangerous weapons? Clearly this would prove to be a much more dangerous task than she originally thought it would be.
"With these, you have a good source of defense and offense — if used correctly. But I am certain that you can, correct?" Yayuki asked as she looked to the miko while she went to put the arrow back in the quiver.
"Uh—yeah! Yes! I can…" Kagome said.
"Are you certain? You sound a little… unsure of your abilities, Kagome-san." Yayuki questioned with a concerned look in her ice-blue eyes.
"No! I mean… I'm just nervous, that's all." Kagome confessed; her eyes taking on a worried tint. "I… I just… I don't want to die…" She told them. She wasn't surprised at all when Yayuki remained calm in the aftermath of her statement; the female demon always seemed to maintain a cool-head no matter the situation.
"I understand… I would be frightened myself if I was to fight such a person, on my own…" The heiress stated. She then raised her head — finished with closing the quiver — and surprised Kagome by giving her a smile that reminded Kagome so much of her mother's smile. "But do not worry, Kagome-san. I promise you that you will not go into this battle unprepared. In fact, I will do all that I can to help you, Kagome-san…"
"Yayuki…" Kagome said as she heard the female's words. A gentle smile pulled on her face. "Thank you." Yayuki easily returned it.
"You are welcome." The demon female stated. She then turned to Haru and Jun. "Please, do prepare Kagome-san as best as you possibly can. Make sure that her armor is as defensive as it is offensive — I want no harm coming to her." She stated with a stern look in her eyes.
"Yes Yayuki-hime." The two females responded.
"Good." She then turned to Kagome. "I will see you during the battle, Kagome-san. Good luck."
"Thanks." Kagome said. Yayuki then exited the room. Not a second after the fusuma closed, she was being led to the platform in the middle of her room, by Haru and Jun. As Jun helped her on top of the small, wooden pedestal, Kagome's eyes went to the wardrobe in her room — more specifically, to the garment that hung from there.
She was surprised to see a simpler version of a samurai suit. It had much of the protection that the original provided, but it didn't seem as if it would be very heavy to wear. Judging by all the armor that she would wear, and even the protection for her head, she knew that Yayuki meant what she said by she not going into battle unprepared.
She was certain that with the samurai armor, and the bow and arrows, that was as prepared as a person (or new demon) could possibly get when about to fight such a dangerous entity.
"Akuma!"
Both elders were seated behind an elevated table that held things such as hot tea and treats for them to eat, on top. They were seated on tall chairs with plush cushions on top of them; their legs beneath them and their hips resting back, comfortable, on their ankles. Beside them were two female attendants, who wore special black and white kimonos, and had their hair pulled-back into buns.
They turned their heads to their right at the sound of the familiar voice, and were none-too-surprised when they spotted Yayuki walking — angrily — up to them. Or more specifically: Akuma.
"Funny…" Tenshi said as the younger, and yet older-looking female, continued to walk down the outside hallway. "I thought that she would come sooner. Or do this during breakfast."
"Same here…" Akuma said. "But better late than never." Tenshi took a sip of her tea, with a smile on her face, when Yayuki finally approached them. Immediately, Akuma dismissed the two attendants to go get her a few of her favorite treats, before looking back at the heiress and saying, "About time."
"Tami is going to fight Kagome-san?" Yayuki questioned; clearly not happy. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Have you?" Akuma countered; an eyebrow mockingly raised.
"Of course not — and even if I had, I wouldn't be crazy enough to pit an inexperienced demon with one of the most elite killers of the clan." The urge to raise her voice was strong, but Yayuki held herself back. There were many witnesses around, and she had an image to keep — no matter how much she wanted to scream at Akuma as if she were the age that she resembled.
The girl narrowed her green eyes at her.
"Excuse you," Akuma said fiercely. "I suggest that you remember your place, Yayuki. You may be the heiress, but I hold the power to strip you of everything, and make you one of my servants." There was no joking tone to her voice. Yayuki could tell that Akuma was deadly serious.
But that didn't mean she was about to back down.
"I know about my limitation, Akuma, but that does not mean that I am going to allow you to kill Kagome-san."
"Who said anything about killing the girl?" Akuma asked.
Yayuki narrowed her eyes at the female. "Oh come on. You told her to live — not to do her best in the fight, but live. If anything, you're hinting that she won't come out of it alive. And it's clear that she may not since she's fighting Tami of all demons! Goodness! Why not just send her directly to hell and make it a swift and painless death? Hm?!"
"Well if she's good enough to get you to personally bring her back here, then I'm sure that she's good enough to fight Tami. Don't you?"
"Being a skilled healer is one thing — fighting an elite demon is overkill!" Yayuki silently exclaimed.
"To you, it's overkill. To me, it's the requirement for getting into this clan. Now I suggest that you kill those motherly emotions that you hold for that girl, so that it'll be less-painful when she fails." She stated bitterly.
At that point, Tenshi joined the conversation; a concerned look on her angelic face. "Akuma-nee-san, that's mean." She stated.
Akuma scoffed. "So? It's her fault for bringing that girl back here in the first place." She turned to Yayuki. "Tell me, Yayuki, what on earth possessed you to bring her back here? Was it a reward like you said, or something else?"
Yayuki rolled her eyes. "Kagome-san wanted to become a demon. That was her wish — her reward. Obviously I wasn't about to make her a demon and leave her out there to fend for herself. So of course I'm going to bring her back here and try to make her an official member of the clan."
"Why?" Akuma asked.
Yayuki took a moment to harden her eyes. She wasn't intimidated by Akuma, like other members of the clan were. Despite her overly-advanced age, Akuma looked like a little girl — younger than her. And Yayuki never saw Akuma as anything but.
"Because that's what mothers do. They look after their children and help them any way they can."
"You're her mother?" Akuma asked.
"I used my blood to turn her into a demon. I used my essence. Kagome-san is my offspring — my daughter — and I am not about to let you kill my first child just because you feel the urge to act like a brat today, Akuma." Her answer caused Akuma to narrow her eyes even more. A fierce demonic aura began to emit from the young-looking female, and her eyes began to change; her pupils sharpening and black outlining the green.
"That girl is going to have to fight for her life if she wants to become a member of this clan. My decision is final. Now go. I want you out of my sight."
Yayuki's eyes softened as she looked down at the girl; sadness leaking into her once-angry, ice-blue eyes as she stared down at the female. "Akuma, please, I'm begging you — call-off the fight..." She said, softly. But Akuma remained silent. "I can't believe you... After everything I've done for you… Akuma…"
Akuma scoffed. "Leave already." She hissed bitterly.
Staring straight ahead at the large strip of land where the fight would take place, Akuma could hear the sound of Yayuki's shoes as the heiress left. Her demonic aura slowly dissipating as the footsteps became more and more faint. When Yayuki was fully gone, Akuma was under control.
"Akuma-nee-san…" Tenshi said as she looked at her sister. "She's right."
"I don't care."
Battle
The battleground was set in the center of one of the largest houses of the estate. It was a large, rectangular-shaped area that was bordered by the wooden fences of the outside hallways, and was filled with nothing but dirt that had been nicely patted into the ground by the attendants of the clan that were assigned to care for that specific area.
There were very few rocks or trees — elements that could hinder the ones using that area. Surrounding it, and placed around its border on the outside hallways, were members of the clan that came to watch the battle.
All of the high-ranked members were there; they were all standing as they conversed while they waited for the battle to begin. A few of the lower-ranks that were there were the attendants that normally accompanied the higher-ranks. They stayed silently by their masters' sides as they awaited any instructions; secretly hoping that they wouldn't be asked to do anything so that they could watch the battle.
Directly in front of the battleground, were Akuma and Tenshi. They had the clearest view of the battlefield; able to look down its entire length.
Around the area were the sages-in-training, and Yayuki's parents; along with their friends who were the leaders of the neighboring clan. Yayuki was positioned far away from the group; her eyes focused on the fusuma that Kagome would use when she entered the battlefield. She was chewing on her bottom lip.
"Kagome-san… please, live." She thought — prayed.
Moments later, the fusuma opened and Kagome entered the area, with Haru and Jun guiding her.
Kagome felt her fingers grip the bow in her hand, tighter. Not only was she nervous-to-death about the fight, but entering where it would take place, and seeing the amount of spectators that were there to watch her as she engaged in the battle… It made her even more nervous.
"I can't believe I'm about to do this..." Kagome thought as she followed the two females while they led her to the entrance into the area. "How am I supposed to defeat a surely powerful demon on my own? God… where's Inuyasha when you need him?" Kagome hoped, desperately, as she walked through the open gate and onto the area, that Inuyasha and the gang would pop-up at any moment, and save her.
She imagined him fighting each and every one of the demons, and not stopping until they were all down and he could easily grab her and take her away — back to the others.
It was somewhat of a horrible thing to think about considering how the demons of the clan that she'd come in contact with, were rather nice and pleasant to be around. They were kind to her and made her feel a little more comfortable in the huge and unfamiliar area. And to wish that they were hurt by one of her friends… it wasn't a good thing.
But adrenaline was pumping in her veins as Haru and Jun stopped her in one area, and fixed certain pieces of her armor, before each giving her a smile and leaving the area — leaving her alone. She no longer felt secure, and knew that she was a sitting duck. It scared her, and she wanted to go home, to her mom, grandpa and brother, and wrap herself up in the blankets that were on her bed.
But she knew that she couldn't.
Kagome took the few moments of silence that followed, to prepare herself for battle by opening the quiver.
"I might as well get ready to defend myself…" She thought.
She could feel herself touch the ribbon on the body of the holder, and began to unwind the silky soft material. Once it was off and she could freely reach into the quiver, she grabbed onto an arrow from its slot, and held it in her left hand.
"I can do this…" She thought as she continued to stare at the elders as they spoke with a group of females that were to their right; each of them holding brightly colored hair, except for one female who held long black hair, and had an expression on her face that reminded her of Inuyasha. "I can win… right?"
As she tried to reassure herself, Akuma stood from her seat. All eyes went to her as she spoke.
"Higurashi Kagome, you wish to become a member of the Junketsu Clan, correct?" Akuma asked her. Kagome nodded her head before giving a vocal response, and momentarily praying that her voice wasn't shaky.
"Yes!" She exclaimed.
"And you have the opportunity to become one. So far, your skills prove to be a positive asset for the clan. We see much progress in our future if you were to join us, but before you become an official member, you must prove that you can hold your own when it comes to battle… Your opponent will be my best warrior, the Darkness sage-in-training, Shi Tami."
Kagome watched as the black-haired female that she had spotted just seconds ago, leaped onto the battlefield, directly in front of her on the opposite side of the land. She could feel her nervousness begin to bubble-over in her stomach as she sensed the demonic aura that demon female was giving off.
"Strong…" Kagome thought as she continued to stare at the all-black female. "She's probably one of the strongest demons I've ever come in contact with… and I have to fight her alone!"
Her fight-or-flight (well more like flight) response only grew as she watched the female remove the object from her back. Kagome watched with intense eyes as the demon, Tami, touched the top of the covered-object, and the material began to disappear. She couldn't hold in her gasp as she laid her eyes on the female's weapon-of-choice.
It was a large scythe.
It was made of steel and had two sharp blades at the top. The blades were definitely sharpened to perfection, and there was no doubt in her mind that they could slice through skin easily. The blade on the left was straight, short and pointed; in the shape of an isosceles triangle. The blade on the right was long and curved; its tip reaching down to three-fourths of the shiny, black-colored steel pole that was used to hold it.
Between the two blades was a large steel ornament attached to the pole, and held the two blades to it. The ornament was very large and nicely crafted — resembling somewhat of a flower placed on top of a distinctly carved piece of metal.
Kagome gulped.
"I'm going to die."
"This battle is simple. There are no rules. The victor is either the one left alive, or with the least damage to their body." Akuma said; causing Kagome's heart to thump harshly in her chest. "This battle will not stop before either of those points, unless announced by one of the elders."
"Begin."
As soon as Akuma said the word, Tami came rushing at her. Kagome was stunned like a deer in front of headlights as the demon got closer and closer to her.
"Move… I need to move…!" But she couldn't find it in herself to run away — like her mind was desperately telling her to do. But her body stayed still; awaiting the more-experienced demon as she got closer and closer. "Why can't I move?!" She shouted in her mind as Tami was about five yards away from her.
Kagome watched with wide eyes, and her breath caught in her throat, as Tami lifted her arms to raise her weapon high. The small blade was pointed downward, and Kagome concluded that that would be the blade that the demon would use to hit her. In her mind she could see it slamming into her skull, and crushing the insides of her head. It was a grotesque image.
It shone from the sunlight.
When Tami finally swung her arms down, something forced Kagome to duck. She managed to lower her body in time to miss the single blade. She then crawled beneath Tami's open feet and began to run to the other side of the battlefield — her flight response kicking in.
"I gotta get out of here!" She screamed in her mind as she began to run directly towards Akuma and Tenshi. But their images were somewhat blurred as she focused on escaping.
"Get back here!" Tami shouted as she swiftly turned around and ran towards Kagome.
"Stay away!" Kagome shouted. She unconsciously ducked again as her ears picked-up the sound of wind being sliced. This time, she only had to lower her head since her body was already at an angle due to how desperate she was to put some distance between herself and the vicious demon.
Tami groaned as she missed slicing Kagome's neck, like she had planned. Changing her aim as she continued to chase the frightened female around the strip of land, she aimed a swipe for the back of Kagome's stomach with her longer blade.
She grew infuriated as Kagome jumped over her and landed behind her; taking-off once again.
"Damn girl…" She thought angrily as she turned around as quickly as she could and focused on trying to slice her legs; missing once again as Kagome jumped to the side and rolled a few feet away, just as her blade was about to knick the skin of her ankle and make her foot useless. She growled.
"Fight me!" She shouted angrily; agitated with the game of Cat and Mouse that they were playing.
She was hoping for some fierce combat; not a pathetic chase.
"No!" Kagome shouted as she searched for an area to hide; her eyes setting on a large boulder. But she quickly changed her course as her body made her jump to the right; Tami having swung to cut-off her left arm. "Stay away!" She shouted as she quickly got to her feet and continued to run — dodging swipes and obstacles as she did so.
"Fucking fight me!" Tami shouted once again as Kagome had the nerve to try and hide behind one of the few trees that were laid around the area. She cut-off all of the tree's leaves in a single swoop — still missing Kagome. "Bitch!"
"No! Never!" Adrenaline pumping, Kagome quickly began to set-up the bow and arrow. She could hear the sound of the blade smoothly cutting through air as she tried to get the arrow positioned perfectly on the bow. When something warned her that the blade was not ten inches away from chopping-off her head, Kagome jumped and twisted her body in the air to land on her back.
She wasted no time in shooting the arrow while Tami's arms were still up and not able to protect her chest.
She filled it quickly with her miko energy, and shot it. Tami flinched as it struck her where her heart was, and went directly through her body. Kagome was close to smiling at the fact that she had managed to hit her, but she didn't do so, and instead grabbed another arrow and shot it; mentally thanking Yayuki for getting her a quick-shooting bow with fierce and lightweight arrows.
"Keep shooting. Keep shooting." She told herself as she continued to strike the female with the arrows in different areas of her body: legs, arms, chest, and neck. "If I hit her enough times, she may just be purified and I'll live!" After about seven arrows, and an eighth ready to be shot, Kagome stopped as she examined the demon.
There was blood coming down from where the arrows had hit her, and Kagome's miko energy was still lit on the arrows. Kagome could see the pain on Tami's face as she felt the pure energy interact with her demonic cells.
She was glad when the scythe dropped from her hand, and Tami got down on her knees; the arrows there digging deeper into her skin.
"Did I… did I win?" Kagome asked herself as she noticed the pool of blood beginning to form around Tami.
It was very large and only growing by the second. Kagome gasped and began to move back as her arrows burned out and blood began to spill from the demon in large sprays. She was horrified as the pool got larger and larger; growing to the size of a small pond. As the blood slowly began to stop, Kagome had her back against a boulder and her mouth covered — she'd never seen so much blood in her life!
Finally no more blood came-out of her body and Tami fell into the drenched earth. For a few moments, there was silence as everyone just stared at the still body in its own blood.
"Did I do it?" Kagome thought as more seconds passed by. "Did I win? Am I… Am I a part of the clan now?" The thought that the nightmare was finally over, greatly pleased Kagome as she continued to stare at the motionless corpse. The shock was slowly leaving her as her head was filled with thoughts of living. "Am I really the winner of this battle?"
Still staring intensely at the grotesque scene before her, Kagome's eyes furrowed in confusion — silence. "If she is dead… and I win… they would've said so by now… and they haven't. Meaning…" Her heart began to pick up its pace.
A blood-bubble formed, and popped.
"It's not over yet."
Kagome watched with horror growing in her wide steel-grey eyes, as more and more bubbles began to form. Soon the pond of blood began to mimic a boiling pot of water, and Tami's body and weapon began to sink into it. But not a moment after the two objects were out of her view, the bloody bubbles that formed began to collect together at the center.
They stacked on top of one another and began to form a long hill. As this happened, Kagome's flight response kicked in as she quickly turned away from the scene and began to stand.
She fled the scene — anxious to create distance between herself and the boiling, thick liquid. But she was unaware of the stream of blood that was following her as if it were an extension of her shadow; copying her every move. The non-bubbling liquid touched Kagome's shadow, and merged with it.
Kagome gasped as she felt her body freeze; one leg raised and the other on its toe as she was in the middle of running.
"W-w-w-wha—what's going on?!" She frantically thought in her mind as she felt something begin to move directly on top of her bandages beneath the layers of clothing that she was currently wearing, and touch her skin. She could feel goose-bumps rise as the liquid slid up her body, and began to wrap around her.
"Oh god — why is this happening?!" She could feel her heart beat faster as her body turned around; still frozen. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes grew wider as they landed on the mountain of boiling blood.
The dark red liquid began to change colors, and the bubbles began to shrink as they got closer and closer to each other. Soon the color was fully-black and the liquid began to move down. Left in its place were the features of a body — Kagome was ready to cry-out as she realized that it was Tami, in a new form, and with her scythe in her hand.
Tami's hair was now down, and not in the low ponytail that it had been in earlier; the locks falling all the way down to the floor. Her bangs were moved to one side of her face, and her piercing black eyes had a black mask around it with white dots as a decoration.
She wasn't wearing any clothing; except she was fully naked with a layer of the black blood covering her intimate areas in a makeshift dress — obviously attached to the puddle.
Her black pupils were narrowed into slits and she bared her teeth at Kagome; her white fangs shining.
Smelling her fright, Tami smirked at Kagome.
"Those foolish arrows of yours did nothing to me…" Tami said in a venomous voice. "They didn't harm me. They just made my blood boil — and now you're going to pay!"
Kagome couldn't help the scream that escaped her throat as she was forcibly moved closer to the female. Her limbs were forced down (legs together, arms at her side) and her mouth shut as she was moved, by the blood, to be less than a foot away from the demon.
She wished that she wasn't there. She wished that she could close her eyes, open them, and find herself either back with her friends or at home with her family.
Her heart beat furiously against her ribcage as she stared at the powerful demon.
"I'm going to die…" She thought as Tami raised her scythe, and cut-off the strap of the quiver containing her four remaining arrows inside — cutting through the armor and slicing into her shoulder, as well; blood immediately pouring from the wound. She mentally hissed. "I'm going to die! Oh god, why? Why me?!"
When Tami raised her scythe again, tears began to leak from Kagome's eyes in small rivers. She couldn't help it as she thought about her life, up to that point. She thought about her friends and family; the moments that she shared with them — both good and bad.
She thought about what their reaction to her death may be. No doubt there would be tears, and curses, and heartache all around. She could imagine her mother crying endlessly, for days, as Inuyasha delivered the news of her death. She could see her family closing the shrine — the well — and moving away from the area; heartbroken and wishing that they hadn't moved there in the first place.
She could also see Naraku getting a hold of all of the jewel shards, and wishing upon the Shikon no tama. The destruction… the pain… the blood…
They were all heart-wrenching scenes that she could see as her face was reflected in the blade.
She watched her own tears fall.
"This is it… this is the end…"
"Die!"
"Goodbye…"
Tami swung the scythe.
It swiftly moved; aiming to cut Kagome's body right down the middle from the top of her head, down.
"I'll… miss you all…"
"Don't you dare!"
Before her scythe could make contact with Kagome's head, and end it all, it instead came in contact with a pair of double-katana. The swords blocked its desired path and even pushed the weapon back as their owner flipped over Kagome's body and stood directly in front of her.
"What the hell?!" Tami furiously shouted as she glared at the female.
"Stand back Tami." Yayuki declared as she shielded Kagome from her fellow clan member; her eyes were stern and ablaze with fire. Her legs were spread open and her swords at her side, as she held her head high and made direct eye-contact. "I will not allow you to kill Kagome-san. Not now, not ever!" She exclaimed.
Hearing the declaration, Kagome moved her eyes downward — surprised that she was alive — to see what was going on. She would've gasped if it weren't for the fact that her muscles were being restrained, when she recognized the swords, and concluded that Yayuki had interfered with her death.
"I can't believe it…" Kagome thought — along with several other members of the clan as they, too, looked at their heiress.
"Are you insane?!" Tami shouted at Yayuki. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you bitch? Why the fuck are you getting in the way?!" She angrily shouted.
"Kagome-san is my daughter." Yayuki said. "And I will not allow her to be murdered — especially not by my own clan."
"Get off the battlefield Yayuki!" Akuma shouted; causing the spectators to look in her direction as she stood on top of the table, on all fours, and glared at the white-haired demon. "I told you to not get in the way of this fight!"
Yayuki didn't turn to her; still glaring at Tami as she spoke. "And I told you — begged you — to call it off!" She exclaimed; right before jumping and cutting the glob of blood that held Kagome up. Once the link was broken, the rest of the blood became immobile and Kagome began to fall. Yayuki quickly caught her and moved her farther away from Tami; making quick work of healing the wound in Kagome's shoulder.
Akuma groaned; her pupils sharpening and narrowing as her demonic aura grew more and more vicious. It wasn't long before the ground of the battlefield began to crack and black fluid started to spill-out. The fluid quickly shot-up from the ground and began to wrap itself around Yayuki's wrists and ankles.
"Let go of me!" The heiress shouted as she was pulled away from Kagome and positioned near the end of the battlefield where Akuma and Tenshi were stationed. Her arms and legs were spread as she hung above the ground; trying to pull at her restraints. "Akuma release me!" She shouted at the girl.
"You obey me! Not the other way around!" Akuma shouted at Yayuki as the two's eyes met; both burning with fury because of the other. Akuma then snapped her head towards Tami. "Finish this! Kill the girl and end it already!" She ordered.
"No!"
"Shut up!"
"Kagome-san! Ru—" Yayuki was cut-off as the black liquid wrapped around her mouth. But that didn't mean that Kagome had no clue about what she was saying. Already up on her feet, the miko began to run away from the demon.
"End this!" Akuma shouted. Tami gave a quick nod before pursuing Kagome; the end of her bloody dress getting longer and longer as it created a tail behind her.
In the back of her mind, Kagome could almost hear Yayuki shouting at her to run faster; she could feel the distressed emotions of her momentary-savior as Tami got closer and closer to her — her scythe aimed to kill with one swoop of the blade.
"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!" Kagome screamed in her mind as she moved her head left and right to search for a spot that she could hide behind for at least a second.
Maybe in that second she could figure-out a way to defeat Tami? She had to. She wanted to live!
"I need to hurt her somehow… but how? My arrows won't work, but… but… she's still a demon… But then again—" She paused her thoughts as she flipped over Tami. Immediately as she touched the floor, she could feel Tami's blood begin to wrap around her ankles.
She couldn't help it as her body, sensing the demon essence on her, released a surge of her miko energy around her ankles.
Kagome was surprised to see that the blood actually came-off of her ankles, and even retreated. She gasped. "That's it!" She screamed in her mind as she began to run once again. "I have to purify the blood around me. Since it's not in her body, it's just demonic blood!"
"You wench! Get back here!" Tami shouted; upset that Kagome had the nerve to try and purify her blood. Her fangs twitched with the nerve to bite into Kagome's skin and rip it apart. Her deadly claws tightened around her weapon as she continued to chase the miko around. "She's giving me more trouble than I thought… I have to end this quick before she has a chance to hurt me…" Tami thought.
As Tami took another precise swipe at her, Kagome jumped and rolled over on her back. She quickly then set-up a barrier around her — before Tami swung her weapon down at her, once again. While the barrier did turn white where Tami struck it, it didn't fade or go down. Kagome took the few seconds to breathe; her heart beating harshly.
"Plan — I need to think of a good plan to beat her…" She frantically thought as she noticed the blood begin to surround the barrier. But it didn't manage to touch her because her miko energy was purifying it on touch.
"You bitch! Get out of there and fight like a demon!" Tami shouted as she continued to strike Kagome's barrier; clearly annoyed by how strong it was.
"I am a demon!" Kagome shouted back.
"I can't tell, you weak bitch! Stop hiding behind that barrier and fight me!" Tami struck the center of the barrier and it flickered for a moment. Kagome gasped as some of the barrier at the top, where Tami hit, faded before going back up again.
"Oh no!"
"So that's the weak spot." Tami thought; having seen the barrier flicker as well. She smirked as she gripped her weapon tighter — a plan quickly formulating in her head. She knew exactly how she would end the battle.
"You're gonna come out of there — even if I have to drag your lifeless body out!" Tami twisted her weapon in her hand so that the longer blade was pointed down at Kagome; the new demon's eyes widened as she stared at the curved weapon. She could feel her heart begin to thump wildly as Tami raised her weapon; a demonic smile on her face as she stared down at Kagome. "Die!" Tami slammed her weapon down on the center of the barrier.
As it broke through, Kagome screamed while scooting away from the deadly blade. Not a second after her weapon was submerged in the barrier, a giant wave of blood formed and entered it. Kagome had no time to comprehend what was going on as she was fully covered in the liquid.
Tami smirked as she pulled her weapon back, and broke the rest of the barrier. Her large pond of blood formed a thick lump where Kagome's body had been. "Finally." She thought. "I'll give her credit for lasting so long, though."
Kagome had been the first demon to not die instantly at her hands. The miko had really given her a lot of trouble, and possibly even embarrassed her in front of her clan members; after all, she was known for quick and vicious kills, but Kagome had taken quite a while to kill.
But it was over.
Kagome was dead; drowned by her blood.
"There's no way she survived that…" Tami thought as she began to call back her blood. "She was probably dead a few moments after my blood hit her…" Her blood was like acid, after all. Only the grounds that they were on would not suffer when the liquid touched it.
When all of her blood was back inside of her body, she heard light gasps and chatter emerge from the on-lookers. She was confused as to why until she turned around — there was Kagome, sitting back on the ground with the single arrow that she had, positioned on the bow, and ready to be shot.
"How?" Tami questioned aloud. And then her eyes honed-in on the softly-colored barrier that was around her. "She's stronger than I thought."
"Don't underestimate me." Kagome said. She filled the arrow with her miko energy — light-purple flames beginning to surround it — and she pulled the arrow back; ready to release the arrow and shoot it.
Tami scoffed.
"That doesn't hurt me." She said as she made no move to try and block the arrow.
Kagome's open eye narrowed. "We'll see about that." She released the object and it quickly pierced through the air and effortlessly flew towards Tami.
Tami was in the middle of rolling her eyes — "I already told the bitch that they don't fucking affect me… Stupid girl." — when the arrow pierced her chest. Her eyes widened as she felt her skin begin to burn. "W-what the hell?!" She grit her teeth as she felt the burning sensation begin to eat away at her skin. When her hand went-up to pull the arrow out of her body, she hissed as it instead burned her palm harshly; it was purifying her.
"You bitch!" Tami screamed-out in pain and annoyance as the arrow continued to disintegrate her skin.
Kagome held back the urge to smile victoriously. The battle still wasn't over. All she had managed to do was successfully hit Tami once, and the demon was still alive, standing, and ready to continue to try to kick her ass.
"But it's a start…" She thought as she quickly looked around the area. Tami's blood was now completely gone and the area was open once again. As she continued to scan the battlegrounds, her eyes landed on the quiver. She thanked god that it was still there, open, and that all of the arrows were still inside. "I just need to grab them. And with those remaining arrows, I can finish this — I can do this!" With her eyes set on the supplied quiver, the miko began to run for it, quickly. She passed Tami in an armored blur, and didn't focus on the demon as she kept her goal in mind. "I can end this… I can win!"
Tami turned her head to look at Kagome. Following a straight path in front of the miko, she determined that Kagome was going for the supplied quiver.
"Damn wench!" Her fury burned as Kagome managed to grab onto the quiver, and continued to create more and more distance between the two. With her anger boiling, she began to change once again.
Giant black and torn wings sprouted from her back. They were as wide as Tami's height. They resembled bat wings, but had the edges slightly torn and there were even a few holes and scars on the wings, but do not believe that they interfered with how fast she was able to fly. The mask around her eyes changed slightly white as some of its black color covered more of her face; down to the end of her nose. Her black eyes began to literally bleed dark red.
"I've had enough of these damned games. Time to fucking end this shit!"
Channeling some of her energy into her weapon, the blades began to take on a black tint; until they were no longer steel-colored, but a dark grey. The edges were now bordered by a light dusting of red.
She opened her wings and was quickly lifted off the ground as she began to fly — without any hindrance — towards Kagome. Her weapon was raised above her head, the long blade pointed downward; with the tip in the perfect position to dig into some skin and cut it as if it were butter.
Kagome, sensing the terrifying demonic aura, turned her head to look back at Tami. Her heart skipped one slow, terrifying beat as her eyes took in the demon's new appearance.
"Oh my god!" She screamed in her mind as she took in the more powerful-looking demon. "What happened to her?!"
Filled with more fright than she had ever experienced in her lifetime, Kagome turned her head back around and sped-up. She thought about trying to turn around and shoot an arrow at her, but Kagome had a feeling that her arrows would be less-effective than before.
Tami looked horrifying.
The demonic aura that she was now giving-off was probably the strongest that she had ever encountered. There was no doubt in her mind that if she tried to turn around and shoot an arrow at the demon, her skull would be split-in-two in the second it took to release the arrow.
"Too risky…" Kagome thought with a sickening feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. "Something else… I need to figure-out something else—"
"Die wench!" Tami abruptly screamed as she moved her weapon forward; the red outlining it shining as a crescent-shaped pulse of energy began to continue to move forward — aimed perfectly at the miko. "Sekishingetsu!" (a/n: Sekishingetsu = "Red Crescent").
Kagome's automatic reflex was to duck behind something — anything. That's why she got to the ground, and hid behind the first thing that was in her way and could provide some sort of protection. The action was a blur.
She had no clue what she had ducked behind until she felt a feeling of extreme fright and surprise, in the back of her mind.
"Wha—" And then her eyes widened as a familiar scent hit her nose. She felt her body stiffen for a second before something was triggered inside her body. And suddenly, it was as if she was looking at the world through a different view.
Despite hiding from it, she could see the energetic red crescent coming directly at her. She could feel fear, surprise, and a desperate urge to flee — restrained.
It was an odd sensation, but she felt her body begin to automatically move. For a few seconds, her vision blurred. Her senses dulled and the only sound she could hear was rushing blood and a stern, and somewhat frightened, "Stop!"
Not a few seconds later, she felt the skin on her right hand feel immense pressure. Her entire arm began to shake as her muscles strained to push something back. She didn't know what it was. All she knew was that there was a force telling her to keep pushing. To not allow whatever it was that was in her hand, to move any further…
"Don't move back… save her…"
Kagome ground her teeth against each other as she felt herself begin to be pushed back by whatever it was that she was fighting against. Bringing her other hand forward, she dug her heels into the ground and continued to apply more force to her movements.
"If you fail… she dies… Don't let her die."
"Gah!" Kagome groaned; having immense difficulty with the task at hand. "What's going on… what am I doing?" She couldn't help but think as she felt her palms begin to burn. Then, a moment later, there was a giant burst in her hand and she screamed. "What's going on?!"
The onlookers couldn't help but gasp as they continued to watch Kagome hold back the Sekishingetsu. They were surprised at the fact that she could hold it, and was actually stopping it in its tracks. The move was made of pure energy — it couldn't be held as if it were solid. And yet, Kagome was able to do so. She held the pure energy with all of her strength, and was successfully keeping it from hitting their heiress.
Where her glowing soft-purple claws met the red crescent, violent red sparks formed as the two entities tried to push the other back.
They expected, any second now, for the new demon to falter and get hit by the move — an attack that would surely kill her. But they were surprised — wordless, confused, shocked, and dumbfounded — when they watched the complete opposite happen.
They all watched with wide eyes as Kagome managed to push the wave back with full-force, and force it to move back towards Tami. Tami, who had been watching the spectacle with nothing but unadulterated shock present on her face, was taken by pure surprise when she finally realized that her own attack was being thrown at her.
"Holy sh—"
She had no time to finish her thought as the energy that her attack gave off, made her skin prickle. Trying to deflect it, she let out a gasp of shock as she felt her scythe fly out of her hand. The power was so immense, she fell back on her back. Raising her hands to cover her head, she shielded herself from the rubble that flew into the air as her Sekishingetsu struck the ground. "Son of a bitch!"
As the shower of earth began to lessen, she felt her hair stand on end as her body automatically sensed a deep demonic aura. Scrunching her eyebrows, she lifted her head; her eyes widened in surprise.
Kagome was breathing heavily. Her right hand was covered in visible, lavender-purple colored energy; her claws extended and sharp. The scent of Kagome's blood reached Tami's nose, and it wasn't long before she spotted the long streak of red going down Kagome's arm, and the tiny droplets falling onto the floor.
She couldn't help the smirk.
"That little bitch…"
But the biggest surprise came when Kagome lifted her head. Her hair fell around her eyes — that were no longer their regular steel-gray color, but a dark, burning red color that was shade darker than that of Sekishingetsu. And then she spoke.
"Stay away from my mother." Kagome said in a deadly voice, as she made direct eye-contact with Tami. It wasn't the sweet, timid voice that Tami had been hearing throughout the entire fight, but a voice that was stern, a little lower, and quite… animalistic. The blood-using demon raised an amused eyebrow.
"Interesting…" She thought.
Slowly Tami raised herself from the ground. The sage-in-training was smooth with her movements as she began to make her way to where Kagome stood, in a protective stance in front of Yayuki. She noticed how Kagome's body tensed as she got closer and closer; as if she were ready to attack.
She smirked; showing off her pointiest fangs that protruded from the side of her lips. "Calm down." She said as she stood a foot away from Kagome. "I won't hurt you."
"What do you want?" Kagome asked fiercely. Tami smirked.
Without a word, and swiftly, she grabbed onto Kagome's bleeding hand. Before the miko could do a thing, Tami had Kagome's hand near her mouth, and stuck her tongue out. Kagome froze as Tami's tongue began to run itself over the wound; effectively licking up the blood, and cleaning her hand.
Her red eyes returned to normal.
"Ah!" She shrieked. "What are you doing?!" She loudly asked. Releasing her hand, Tami looked at Kagome. She licked the corner of her lips before responding.
"Consider that my Seal of Approval." She stated with no emotion in her pitch black eyes — mimicking a black hole, perfectly — before using her claws to swipe through the material binding Yayuki (effectively releasing the heiress), turning around, and walking away from the petrified miko.
Kagome watched as Tami grabbed the separate pieces of her weapon, and left the battleground.
Her body was still shaking.
"She approves of you." Kagome gasped and turned around. But she calmed her rapidly beating heart when she saw that the one who was speaking to her was Yayuki.
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"Tami has done that to only a handful of demons. It is her way of showing that she accepts the demon as a member of the clan. For her to do that to you is a great reassurance, Kagome-san. If Tami respects you, then surely other demons will." Yayuki clarified.
But Kagome didn't look any less traumatized by what had happened to her, than before Yayuki's explanation.
"But did she really have to do that?" Kagome asked. "I mean: couldn't she have just said that she respected me, or congratulated me or something?" She stated. Her comment caused Yayuki to let out a brief laugh; her mouth covered by the sleeve of her kimono.
Kagome looked at her strangely.
"I am very sorry Kagome-san, it is just that you reactions are quite humorous — although I do understand why you would be unnerved by Tami's behavior. She is one of the oddest demons of the clans, and has quite a bloody fetish." She stated.
"I can see that." Kagome said. She shivered as a wind blew and cooled the saliva that was on her hand. It made her feel disgusting.
"Excuse me, Yayuki-hime…" At the sound of the soft voice, Yayuki turned her head around to look at who was speaking to her. She found herself staring at one of Akuma and Tenshi's personal servants.
"Yes?" Yayuki asked.
"The Elders would like a word with you." The black-haired demon stated.
"Must it be now?" She asked. She really would much rather check on how Kagome was doing, than go have Akuma chew her out about her earlier interference. She could hear the little Elder screaming at her now: How dare you sacrifice your life for a fake demon?! Have you lost your mind, Yayuki?!
"Yes." The demon answered with assurance in her voice. Yayuki mentally sighed.
"Very well then… Haru! Jun!" She called. In record time, the two female demons were on the field and standing beside Kagome.
"Yes Yayuki-hime?" They asked in unison.
"Take Kagome-san back to her room. Allow her to wash her hand, and tend to her wound, but do not bathe her. However, do take the armor off of her body, and give her a robe to wear." She stated.
"Yes Yayuki-hime." They both said. "Come Miss Kagome." Haru said as she began to pull Kagome in the opposite direction of where Yayuki stood. But Kagome resisted going with them.
Her body hesitated in following them for a moment; telling her not to leave Yayuki's side. "Don't move…" It whispered.
"Go with them Kagome-san. I assure you that I speak to you, later." Yayuki said to her softly. While she still felt as if she didn't want to go, Kagome nodded her head and began to follow the two demons out of the battlegrounds.
Momentarily she glanced back at Yayuki, but found that she was already following the female demon to the other side of the battleground.
One question entered her mind: "What's going on?"
.
.
.
End! To be honest, I had a lot of this written a long time ago! But I got stuck on a part and gave-up on it for a little while. Finally I took it out, and managed to finish. What do you all think of the battle? Of the chapter? Was it to your liking, or do you think things could've been different — better? I know that many of you were hoping for a super demon-Kagome-powered moment, and I hope that you found it, somehow, in this chapter.
Next chapter: The results of the battle. Did Kagome pass or fail? What will be the aftermath of her performance? Plus, her demon form. I know you've all been waiting to learn what it is, and next chapter you will wait no more.
Until next time! And please, please, please review!
Xoxoxo Chibi Star Vamp