Hiya, everyone! I'm in an uber-happy mood! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love you and all your help! I'll continue to do my best for you, so I hope you don't run away... Anyways, I'll quit my rambling. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!


~Chapter 9~

Amara woke up with the sun. She let out a quiet yawn and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, letting out a happy smile. For once, she didn't dream of the accident, nor her mother's ghost. She simply dreamed of blissful nothingness. She looked down at herself and the kesa that was thrown over her last night. Her conversation with Chichiri last night flickered in her mind, and a dark shade of pink tinged her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut and quickly put on her own clothes, which were still caked with mud. She really had to wash them.

'I've been too straightforward,' she thought nervously. 'Maybe he's offended? I can't believe I told Chichiri he's beautiful! What if everything becomes awkward between us now? Crap! Why do I have to be so stupid?'

"Amara-chan, are you okay, no da?" Chichiri's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts as he turned chibi and appeared right in front of her. Amara popped her eyes open and blushed ten shades of red. She couldn't help but notice the sudden change in the suffix. She ignored it, though.

'He's so cute!' she squealed in her head, but thankfully kept her thoughts to herself. She took a deep breath, willing the blush to go away.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. Here's your kesa," Amara told the monk as she handed over the cloth.

Chichiri grinned and took it. "Thanks, no da. We should get going now. It'll take about three more hours to get there, no da."

Amara nodded, then stood up. She looked around the cave, and let out a small giggle as she saw Tasuki sprawled over the floor. Judging from his snores, he was still sleeping.

"Well…maybe we should wait 'til Tasu wakes up?" Amara asked. "Sorry, sorry."

"Maybe you're right, no da," Chichiri said absentmindedly, looking over at the sleeping bandit. Then he grinned. "I'll go catch some fish to eat, no da!" he exclaimed excitedly as he super-deformed and rushed out of the cave.

Amara blinked as the chibi Chichiri rushed out. Then she looked down at the dirty clothes she wore. She shrugged.

'Guess now's as good a time as any,' she thought to herself as she got up and walked out of the cave, in search of water.

The sun had fully risen, warming the earth. The scent of rain still lingered in the air, and Amara took a deep breath, relishing the smell. She walked until she finally found a small pond. Thankfully, it wasn't where Chichiri was fishing, so she was alone. Amara stripped herself of her clothes and got to work, trying desperately to wash off the mud. After about a half-hour of trying, she managed to succeed. Grinning, she set them to dry on a low tree branch nearby.

She looked over at the pond. 'Maybe I should take a bath,' she wondered. She walked over and peeked into the water. She couldn't see the bottom, and her heart skipped a beat. 'Umm…never mind. I don't wanna drown today.' And so, Amara waited, on dry land, for her clothes to dry.

To pass the time, Amara decided to work on her archery skills. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, channeling her energy. Her energy created a bow, the same one as before, and she got to work.

"Okay. First, don't put too much energy in it," she muttered to herself, wincing slightly from the wave of exhaustion that was burned in her memory. "I do not want to pass out naked."

She took another deep breath, then exhaled. "Next, remember what Chichiri said."

Amara relaxed, focusing her energy into her shoulders and arms. She pulled the string as far as she could. Unlike last time, it did go somewhere….but only a few inches.

"Damn it, you stupid thing!" she cursed frustrated.

She let out a frustrated huff, then tried again.

A rustle suddenly sounded from behind the bushes. Amara squeaked, surprised. The bow disappeared from her hands, and Amara realized that she was completely defenseless.

"Wh-whose there?" she stuttered.

A black glob of a monster came out of the bushes, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, moving around almost independent of the creatures will. At the tip of the tongue was a single eye, surrounded by teeth. Amara took a deep breath and screamed.

xxxx

Tasuki was startled out of his sleep by a scream. He shot up, blinking. Then, he realized that he recognized the voice.

"Shit! Amara!" he cursed as he sprang to his feet and sprinted to the source of the voice.

The bandit rushed through the bushes, ignoring the small scratches they made on his skin as he used his Suzaku gift. Finally, he got to a small clearing. He saw a monster crouch down to attack Amara, then immediately reached for his tessen.

"Rekka shin'en!" he cried as he swung his tessen.

The monster screamed as flames engulfed it, then disappeared into ashes. Tasuki let out a sigh, then turned to Amara. His eyes widened in shock.

Amara squeaked, then hid behind the rock her clothes were on before he could fully grasp what he'd just seen. The bandit blinked, his face flushed.

'Did…did I just…?' he stuttered in his thoughts. 'Is she…?'

"Tasuki, you pervert!" Amara cried from behind the rock she hid behind.

She grabbed her clothes and yanked them on, no longer caring if they're damp. She stormed out from behind the rock, her face flushed and her eyes flashing with anger. Tasuki took a step back, holding his hands up in a placatory manner. His eyebrow twitched.

"H-hey, I just saved ya! Is that any way ta treat someone that jus' saved yer life?"

"Sorry! You saw, didn't you?"

Tasuki's face flushed again, and he looked away from her burning hazel gaze.

Amara growled, then turned away, storming her way into the woods. Tasuki's head whipped back towards her, and he started walking after her.

"Hey, wait! You're jus' gonna git yerself in more trouble, if ya go alone!"

Amara sped up until she practically started running. Tasuki's eyes narrowed, and he jogged after her.

"Damn it, Amara!" he cried just as he reached her. "Jus' listen ta me, will ya?"

Amara suddenly stopped and turned to face him. His eyes widened in surprise. He suddenly tripped on a tree root.

"Au-mph!"

Tasuki's yelp was cut off by something soft and slightly malleable.

Amara's eyes widened, as well as Tasuki's. Hazel eyes gazed back into amber as heat tinged her cheeks a furious red. Tasuki was just as flustered. After all, Tasuki had landed right on top of Amara, their lips locking in a deep kiss. They stayed frozen like that for a moment, then Tasuki, once he had regained his bearings, shot up.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, still flustered and blushing like crazy.

Amara could only watch him, still stunned, and her cheeks burning. She slowly got up. Tasuki watched her, his own heart pounding in his chest. Amara brought her hand up and tentatively touched her lips, her blush very apparent. A new yearning suddenly flared in the pit of the bandit's stomach, and he struggled to put the flame out.

"Tasuki…you…you…pervert!" Amara suddenly cried, smacking him hard across the face.

"Ow!" he cried, an angry red handprint on the left side of his face and an even angrier girl storming away from him. "Hey! I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

xxxx

As Amara neared the entrance of the cave, the smell of cooking fish drifted to her nose. Chichiri was cooking three fish on sticks. Amara stormed into the cave, her growling bear of a stomach not making her mood any more cheerful.

Tasuki entered the cave a bit after Amara did, the angry red handprint still imprinted on his face.

"Have fun, Tasuki, no da?" Chichiri asked mischievously. Tasuki growled.

"Shadup."

Chichiri laughed as he handed a fish over to him and Amara. "Eat up, no da!"

Amara gave Chichiri a grin, quickly thanked him, and grabbed the fish. Her hand accidentally brushed against Chichiri's, and she could've sworn she felt a shock or something. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart's frantic beating.

'What's going on with me?' she thought. 'Why am I feeling so weird all of a sudden? He just gave me a fish, for crying out loud!'

Chichiri cocked his head to the side. "Amara-chan? Are you okay, no da?" he asked for the second time that morning. "Tasuki didn't do anything too bad, did he, no da?"

Tasuki growled at the monk in between mouthfuls of fish. Chichiri ignored him.

Amara forced a light-hearted smile and shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine," she told him, but cast a glare at Tasuki that the monk didn't miss. With that, she dug in.

After Amara, Chichiri, and Tasuki were finished with breakfast, they decided to get moving. A few minutes passed before Tasuki sped up to walk beside Amara. Amara gave him a side-glance. Tasuki's face flushed, and his eyes refused to meet hers.

"Uh…Amara? About earlier…."

"I'm sorry!" Amara snapped. "I'm gonna ignore you until further notice. Sorry!"

Tasuki face-vaulted. He quickly regained his composure, then shook his fist angrily at Amara's back.

"What the hell didja jus' say?"

"You heard me! I'm sorry!" Amara said stubbornly. Then her voice softened somewhat. "Tasuki…that was my….you just…." then, she shook her head violently. "Never mind! Sorry!"

With that, she stormed ahead. Chichiri sweat dropped, then lagged behind with a quite frustrated Tasuki.

"Ne…Tasuki? What did you do to Amara-chan, no da?" he asked worriedly.

Tasuki's eyes widened, then flicked to the ground. "Well…I….urm…."

"Tasuki, if you tell him, I'll pull your fangs out!"

Tasuki turned chibi as Amara's hazel orbs glared at him. Tasuki quickly regained composure, then yelled back.

"I'd like ta see ya try!" he challenged. Then he let out a huff. Chichiri cocked his head to the side in curiosity. Tasuki sighed. "Must be that time-a the month," he said instead.

A stone hit him with perfect accuracy right in the middle of the eyes. Tasuki fell on his back, his leg twitching, as Amara stormed ahead.

As Chichiri had said, it took three hours to arrive there. Amara was ever-so-grateful to finally arrive. The village was small, but bustling with people. Different kinds of shops and stores were everywhere, selling things from books to medicine. The people there were going about their everyday business, but once they saw Amara and the two seishi, they stopped and stared. Amara blushed, feeling the eyes of everyone on her.

'I'm so glad I washed my clothes,' she thought self-consciously.

Amara could hear the whispered conversations as they passed.

"Are those the two Suzaku seishi that are still alive?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually seeing them! After what they've done for this world…after defeating the Kutou scumbags…wow, do you think I could get an autograph?"

"Don't be an idiot! You'll embarrass them! Just act normal!"

Amara looked over at Tasuki and Chichiri, a new admiration in her eyes. She giggled when Chichiri was awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment; Tasuki, on the other hand, stuck his chest out in pride, basking in the praise and reminding Amara of a rooster with a major ego issue. She had to cover her mouth to smother her laughter.

The two seishi and Amara finally arrived at an inn. Tasuki grinned and practically ran into the inn.

"Sake, here I come!"

Amara laughed in amusement and went inside, followed by Chichiri. The innkeeper quickly showed them their rooms, and before Amara knew it, she was in a room of her own, laying sprawled out on the bed. She grinned.

"After a night sleeping on the ground, a simple bed feels like heaven!" she cried. 'But I can't sleep dirty….'

With that thought, she got up and made her way to the bathroom to bathe.

xxxx

Night had long since fallen on the village. The waning crescent moon shone high in the sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds on black silk. The villagers slept peacefully in their beds, their dreams taking them far from reality. None of them could hear the ominous wind that brushed past their houses. None of them could hear the moaned warnings it gave.

All that was peaceful was quickly and chaotically disrupted. A monster, which seemingly arose from the depths of the grave, appeared in the village, towering over the buildings. The stench of death filled the village. The fiend tore the roof off of a house, and soon, panic-filled screams disrupted the silence of the night. The monster reached in, and grabbed a screaming woman, quickly devouring her.

The screams of the woman, as well as the sound of a roof being torn off, woke the sleeping village. The people ran out of the buildings and into the streets, and the torrent rushed out of the village in an attempt to escape the onslaught of the beast, their screams echoing in the air.

Amara woke with a start and ran out of her room, nearly running into Tasuki and Chichiri in the process.

"Didja hear that?" Tasuki asked, looking at both Chichiri and Amara.

Amara nodded.

Tasuki poked her in the ribs. "So ya gonna acknowledge me now, huh?"

Amara gave him a side-glance. "Sorry, well, I guess this situation kinda demands it, don't you agree?"

Chichiri only shook his head, then began to run for the exit of the inn. Amara and Tasuki quickly followed. Once they neared the door, footsteps vibrated the floor. They looked back just in time to be swept away by the stream of people that evacuated the building. As they were forced outside, Amara fought to stay on her feet and beside Tasuki and Chichiri. She was surprised that she didn't lose them yet. She had to fight against the river of people just to stay in one place.

The monster was taking people from the crowd, devouring them as they ran to the exit of the village. It also destroyed most of the buildings and some of the would-be escapees, using its energy and blasting it out of his mouth in a stream of purple light. As the purple light blasted into the unlucky people, their flesh began to rot away. Their pain-filled screams echoed in the air as their souls escaped their decomposing bodies.

Amara hazel eyes widened in fear as she took in the hideous monster. Its skin appeared to be decaying, and its scent affirmed it. Its bottom jaw stuck out further than the top; its teeth were long and sharp, reminding Amara of an anglerfish. A really big anglerfish. One that can walk on land and eat people. Amara shuddered, seriously tempted to run away with the crowd.

Run, the voice in the back of her head told her.

'I…I can't run away, though,' she thought. 'I can't…But…I'm…I'm so scared!'

She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white; she watched helplessly as the monster grabbed a pair of people. The terrified screams pierced her heart. Screamed at her to help them. Somehow. Before she could do anything, though, Chichiri sent a blast of chi at the demon's hands. It slammed into the beast, making him cry out in pain and release his soon-to-be meal. The monk focused his chi so that the pair would land gently to the ground, instead of falling to their deaths.

"Damn it," Tasuki cursed under his breath. "No way am I jus' gonna stand 'round here."

"Brave words, no da, but your knees are shaking," Chichiri said, looking at the bandit in an amused manner.

Amara looked over and stifled a giggle that threatened to come out at the comic scene. Tasuki's upper body was fine, stable, and his face was serious and determined. But his knees, on the other hand, were shaking so badly, it was a miracle they didn't give out. Tasuki glared at the monk, his eyebrow twitching.

"Aww, shadup. Go an' git these people outta here, will ya?"

Chichiri was already on it. He focused his chi, and created a barrier that hovered above the people, preventing any more casualties. Then, he teleported to the gates of the village to help them evacuate.

Tasuki turned his glare to the monster. After a brief mental battle with his legs, he finally got them to stop shaking. Without wasting another second, he started running towards the monster.

"Hey ugly! O'er here!" he cried as he jumped up. He took out his tessen. "Rekka shin'en!"

The monster turned its ugly head just as a river of fire engulfed him. It screamed in pain, but when the fire dissipated, it was still there. Burned, but still there. However, the fire did manage to burn some of its decayed skin to ashes, revealing bone. Tasuki's eyes bugged out.

"Whaaaaaaa?"

The creature smacked Tasuki into the remains of a building. The force of the blow created a crater, in the very shape of the bandit that lay sprawled against the wall.

By this time, Chichiri reappeared next to Amara, having successfully evacuated the remaining villagers. He muttered a quick chant, focusing his energy into his staff, and blasted it at the monster. The blast was powerful enough to shred his mask, but the fiend only backed up a few feet from the pressure. Then he let out a low, ominous laugh, as if the attack didn't hurt him at all.

"This isn't good," Chichiri muttered. "It seems he's somehow developed immunity to my chi attacks, no da."

The monster looked at Amara. Amara repressed the shudder that surged through her. The creature's eyes were pale blue and glassy, with no pupils or irises. They screamed of bloodlust. She bit her lip, trying to resist the urge to run.

'Don't run, don't run, don't run,' she chanted in her head. 'Tasuki and Chichiri are fighting this thing with you, damn it! Don't you dare run!'

"Priestess," the monster said, surprising Amara out of her thoughts. "You…are the one…I must kill!"

'Okay…maybe I should run.'

She quickly pushed the thought out of her head, though.

"Not if I can help it!" Tasuki suddenly cried as he peeled himself from the wall. "Rekka shin'en!"

The monster acted as if the fire wasn't even there. The flames engulfed him, but he didn't scream. No flesh burned. When the flames subsided, the monster let out another low, evil laugh. Tasuki ran back to Amara's side, his tessen ready for anything. He spat on the ground.

"Damn," was all he said, though.

Amara looked at Tasuki, a slice of envy suddenly clutching her heart.

'Why can't I be strong, like Tasuki and Chichiri? Why do I have to be a weak nobody?' she cried in her head. 'I'm sick and tired of it! I wish I…I wish I could help….'

Amara took a deep breath and focused her energy. A bow formed in her hands and she pulled the string back. She refused to listen to the aching in her muscles as she strained to pull back the string.

'Come on!' she thought angrily as she pulled a little further.

Tasuki looked at her hopefully. The string was now past the half-way mark. Amara let go. An arrow created from her energy whizzed through the air. Only to fall to the ground a few feet ahead of her. Amara's shoulders sagged.

"Damn."

"Ya call that archery?" Tasuki cried, face-vaulting onto the ground. "That was pathetic!"

"Oh shut up! I'm sorry, okay?" Amara retorted. "It's not like you could do any better in this predicament! At least I tried!"

"An' failed!"

"Savin' your sorry ass!"

"Damn it, woman! Ya can't even save yer own ass!"

The monster growled, then aimed to grab Amara. Tasuki swung his fan.

"Rekka Sairyuujin!" he cried.

Flames spout from the fire, but they were different than before. Instead of a river of flames, they were small wisps that barraged the monster with such a force that the fiend had to take a step back.

Suddenly, Chichiri ran past them, towards the monster, muttering a small chant. Before Amara's eyes, the monk disappeared and reappeared right on top of the monster. He grabbed his staff, whirled it over his head for momentum, and stabbed the creature in the eye. The creature screamed and clutched his eye. Chichiri pulled out his staff.

The fiend reached for Chichiri, his eye permanently closed shut. Before the monk could be grabbed, he chanted and teleported to the ground in front of him. The monk focused his chi and blasted it towards the monster's other eye. The fiend held up his hand to deflect the attack, then slammed his hand down on Chichiri.

"Chichiri!" Amara cried, about to run in his direction to see if he's okay. Tasuki grabbed her arm. She whirled on him, ready to give him a good talking to, but stopped when she saw the seriousness in his gaze.

"Have a little faith, will ya?"

Amara gulped, then looked back in Chichiri's direction. Amara then could see what Tasuki was talking about. A barrier was protecting Chichiri, keeping the hand from touching him. The monster, seeing that he couldn't break through the barrier, turned to Amara and Tasuki. He swung his hand towards them. Amara let out a squeak.

"God, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die," she muttered.

"Rekka shin'en!"

A river of fire poured from the fan and into the monster's hand, but the hand wouldn't stop. It crashed into Tasuki. The bandit grunted in pain as he flew back, hitting the ground with a hard thump. The monster then reached for Amara. Amara instinctively closed her eyes.

She waited for the hand that was certain to grab her, but to her surprise, it never came. Amara opened one eye, only to see the back of Chichiri. Her eyes widened.

'He must've teleported here to save me,' she thought. 'God, why do I have to be so helpless?'

"Amara-chan, when I let down this barrier, I want you to run."

Amara's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"Bu-but, he's after me, Chichiri!" Amara interjected hotly. "And you can't defeat him! You said yourself he developed immunity to your chi! And he did the same with Tasuki! You can't possibly beat him! You run! Are you having a death-wish or something?"

Chichiri looked at her and flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, no da. I always take care of my own, no da."

Amara blinked, uncertain what to make of this.

"Guys, this ain't the time ta be flirtin'!" Tasuki's yelled hotly from the left.

Tasuki was sprinting wildly towards the barrier. He jumped just out of reach as the monster made a grab for him. Then, he quickly dodged the purple energy that blasted at him, turning chibi. He flailed his arms wildly as he yelled.

"Damn it, Chiri! I'm gonna so kick yer ass when this is over!"

Chichiri blinked, confused. "Daa? Why me?"

Tasuki was already close to the barrier. The bandit made a giant, undignified leap through the air, superman style, only to crash into the barrier. His face was squashed against the shield.

"So much fer takin' care of yer own," Tasuki mumbled against the force field. "Ya damn liar."

Chichiri quickly put down the side of the barrier, and Amara pulled Tasuki inside just as the monster's claws reached for him. Without a moment's delay, the side was back up, as strong as ever. The hand only crashed against the barrier, but the shield stood strong.

"Amara-chan, just listen to me, no da," Chichiri suddenly said. "You have to get away, no da."

Tasuki stood up, brushing himself off. It didn't do much good. He was still filthy with dirt and sweat.

"Yeah, me an' Chiri'll take care-a this oaf," he said confidently, flashing a fanged grin. "Ya jus' get yer ass outta here."

"I'll give the signal," Chichiri said, closing his eye in concentration.

The signal came all too soon for Amara. Chichiri's barrier pulsed, then expanded, flashing a brilliant light. It momentarily blinded the monster, and Amara found herself running towards the exit of the village.

However, she didn't get far. She could hear the sudden grunts of pain as Chichiri and Tasuki were knocked to the side and into the remains of a few buildings. She paused for a second, looking back. Her gaze was caught by the eyes of the monster.

The fiend growled, then opened its mouth. A sphere of dark purple energy formed and the monster blasted it out at Amara. Amara stared at the energy, frozen in fear like a deer in headlights.

"Amara!" Tasuki cried as he quickly got up from the ground. He raced towards her and pushed her on the ground just before the blast could touch her. He screamed in pain as the blast seared his right arm.

"Tasuki!" Amara cried, eyes wide with horror. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Tasuki looked at her, his amber eyes betraying his pain. "Aww, shadup," he said, his voice barely above a soft moan.

He forced himself to pull off of her as Chichiri finally neared them. The monk let out a sigh of relief when he saw that they were both alive. Amara scrambled to her feet once Tasuki's weight left her, and took a deep, shuddering breath. Tasuki groaned, as his arm felt like it was on fire. Chichiri ran over to his side and took a look at his arm, keeping an eye out on the monster's movements as well. Tasuki held his breath as he waited for Chichiri's verdict.

"His…skin," Chichiri said, paling. "This…monster's energy decays whatever it touches, it seems."

"I-I'm sorry…" Amara muttered. 'Damn it, it's all my fault. I should've kept moving.'

"What're ya talkin' 'bout, idiot?" Tasuki grumbled.

Chichiri was busy concentrating his chi and flowing it into Tasuki's arm in an attempt to stall the decaying. He looked up just as the fiend shot his hand out and grabbed Amara, moving in a speed that belied his colossal size. Amara screamed. Tasuki instinctively reached for his tessen with his right hand, then grimaced as pain flared through his arm.

"Amara-chan!" Chichiri yelled.

He concentrated his chi into his staff and blasted it out at the monster's chest. It was a futile attempt, however, and he knew it. The fiend acted as if nothing happened.

The monster held Amara between his thumb and forefinger, right in front of his massive jaws. Amara flailed in the air.

"Let me go, you oversized hunk of meat!" Amara screamed. "If you eat me…I'll…I'll…I'll cause indigestion! Sorry!"

The fiend let out a laugh. Amara gagged as his breath entered her nose. It reeked of death and dying things. From where she was, she could almost see the flesh of some of the people it devoured stuck in its teeth. She thought she could see someone's eye in there. Amara paled, and flailed around harder.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Damn it! If you eat me, I'll come back to haunt you!"

The monster only chuckled, bringing her closer to his jaws. Slowly, as if it was savoring the moment. Savoring her fear. Amara screamed.

Chichiri growled, then focused his chi into his staff again, concentrating more. He put all his anger, all his pain, into the staff. For once, he let the emotions take complete control. As the creature was about to eat her, he let out a huge blast of his energy, aiming it at the fiend's face. The blast hit a few of the monster's teeth, causing them to break. The monster let out a hiss of pain, then slammed Amara, screaming, into his mouth. Chichiri's heart sank and Tasuki paled in panic.

"Amara!" they both cried.

The monk teleported to the top of the creature's head, raising his staff. He was about to slam it down on the fiend's head. Tasuki ran at the monster but before either he or Chichiri could attack, a turquoise light erupted from the skull. Chichiri jumped off of the head and onto solid ground just as a bright, blue arrow blasted through the monster's skull. The light from the arrow shot up into the dark sky, bathing everything in a brilliant blue light. Chichiri noticed that there was a slight undertone of red that was intertwined into the light. Purple blood gushed out as the monster let out a pain-filled, dying shriek. Before long, his whole body exploded.

Chichiri quickly put up a barrier as the monster's blood rained down. The places where the blood spilled began to disintegrate as the purple liquid touched them. A wave of panic washed through Chichiri. Without another moment's delay, he and Tasuki began looking frantically around for the girl.

When they found her, she was lying unconscious in a puddle of blood. Purple and Crimson blood. Blood stains covered her clothes, from both the monster and her own wounds, and a pain-filled expression was set on her face. Smoke rose from her skin as it was being burned by the acidic blood of the monster. Chichiri and Tasuki ran over to her; their faces paled when they saw the full extent of the damage. Her skin was decaying and the deep gashes where the monster's teeth punctured her wouldn't stop bleeding. Chichiri could sense her life force ebbing away. She was dying.

"Fuck," Tasuki cursed, clutching his own decaying arm. "How do we save 'er, Chiri?"

The monk was already shrugging out of his kesa, muttering a chant. He quickly placed it on the ground, carefully away from any of the monster's blood. Then, Chichiri gently picked up Amara, holding her close in an attempt to put some pressure on the bleeding. He forced himself to look away from her decaying skin, pushing all emotions that threatened to surface down into the depths of his heart. Instead, Chichiri gave Tasuki a quick, meaningful glance; the bandit immediately understood. He quickly jumped in the kesa, followed by Chichiri.

They found themselves back at Mt. Taikyoku, right in front of the oracle. The impatient fury in her aged eyes signaled that she was waiting for them, and she wasn't happy.