The Flawed Blade, Kassenah
Kazuna jumped into the air and rapidly altered her shape into that of a black wolf that came charging at Saeka's throat. Saeka balled her fists, stomped at the ground and punched upward, sending a large shield of rock shooting up. Kazuna turned and bounced off it in time to avoid a bloody nose. She snarled furiously at the healer and came at her again. Saeka put her hands up as Kazuna collided with her, knocking her to the ground, her fangs at her neck. Saeka pushed back on Kazuna's muzzle with all her might and finally overpowered her and shoved her away. She rolled up onto her feet and held up a hand. Her claws unsheathed and she slashed viciously at Kazuna's face as she attacked for a third time. Kazuna squealed and backed off for a moment, rubbing her snout with her paw. Kazuna's eyes went red and her shape changed again to that of a griffin. Saeka closed her eyes and slowly, her form began to change too. In seconds, standing where she had been was a majestic horned horse. As Kazuna the griffin dive-bombed with deadly accuracy, Saeka raised her horn, leapt forward and sliced open Kazuna's belly. The griffin went into a crash landing and shifted into a mountain lion. Saeka reared up, screamed and brought her adamant-like hooves down on the head of the lion. She backed away and reverted to the shape of a human once more. Kazuna shakily returned to her own human shape and growled. " I won't let you win, Saeka. I like my freedom."
" And I like being a simple healer!" Saeka cried. Kazuna leapt at her, claws bared. Saeka jumped out of the way and raked her own claws across Kazuna's scalp, tearing out some hair and drawing blood. She landed cat-like on the ground while Kazuna landed in a bloodied heap.
" Kazuna, are you beaten?" Saeka asked.
" Not even close." Kazuna said hoarsely. She put a hand behind her back and whipped something out at lightning speed, striking Saeka in the chest. Saeka cried out and fell to the ground. It was a shuriken and it had pierced her heart.
" Now, I've had en—AAAAUUUUUGHHHHH!" Kazuna shrieked and clutched her chest in agony. She too fell to her knees as Saeka, on the other side of the field gasped weakly for breath.
" N-No! What's h-happening t-to me?" Kazuna yelled scratchily. She stared at her hands. They were crumbling into dust before her eyes. " No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she wailed as the skin fell from her body and she turned to a chalky skeleton before them all. Amanamaru leered down at the remnants of Kazuna. " She didn't last very long, now did she?" he rumbled.
" No. It is exactly as I suspected." Miroku said. " She fatally injured Saeka. She killed herself to speak crudely." Miroku said in a panicky voice. He whirled to face Sesshomaru, standing about fifteen feet off and staring at the pile of bones where Kazuna had once stood. " Sesshomaru! Get Saeka out of here and away from Kazuna's body! Saeka will die if you don't!"
But before the sentence was even spoken, Amanamaru approached Saeka, kneeling on the ground, clutching her chest where the shuriken, which now lay on the ground covered in blood, had been. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and using the natural speed of a demon managed to get down between the two before the dragon reached her. Amanamaru grumbled low. "Sesshomaru, you can't possibly hope to defeat me." He said, boredom in his voice. Sesshomaru drew his sword and pointed it at the dragon's heart. " Leave Saeka alone."
Amanamaru swished his tail and lowered his head to gain level with Sesshomaru's height.
" Tell me, why do you protect this pathetic half-demon? She may be more demon than human, but her blood is mixed nonetheless. Do you love Saeka, or do you simply feel inclined to protect her because she saved your life?"
Sesshomaru, instead of providing him with an answer, activated Tokijjin's power and the blade began to glow. Amanamaru chuckled. " That dull blade cannot harm me. No ordinary sword can."
" Then how about an extraordinary sword?" Saeka gasped. Sesshomaru turned. She had her hand on the hilt of her sword, Kassenah. Exerting whatever strength she had, she unsheathed it and heaved herself to her feet, her other hand still clasped over the wound at her chest. Sesshomaru's eyes widened. " Saeka. That sword is no different from mine. It was made from the bones of a demon."
" No, Lord Sesshomaru. This sword was made from the bones of someone else. Someone who…gave them to me when she died…to make a sword for protection."
Amanamaru eyed the sword and roared distastefully. " That puny blade is even worse that the Dog-demon's! It's flawed!"
" Yes, father. My sword, Kassenah is indeed flawed. Something happened while forging it and now I use it as a last resort."
Grunting slightly from the effort to even stand, Saeka closed her eyes. The sword began to crackle and spark as lightning bolts shot out of the silver blade. With a static shockwave, it came to life in her hands. Like Tetsuaiga often did, Kassenah began to pulse from an interior heartbeat.
" Please, Kassenah. Do this last favor for me. Eliminate him, who has caused my people and I so much pain, and suffering and who has done the unforgivable."
Inhaling deeply, she raised the sword above her head. A bright, golden light erupted from it and it fizzled and crackled with life and energy ebbing within its being. With a cry of triumph, she brought the sword down sharply. A wave of electricity erupted from the sword and soared up into the air.
At first, it just seemed to vanish. But then, it reappeared as a glowing ball of flame, sitting high up in the sky. It exploded, showering all with debris and glowing stones. As they watched, a black void opened up, revealing emptiness. A strong wind whipped up and Saeka turned to everyone.
" Hang onto something! This is going to be rough!" she shouted over the increasing wind. Up on the hill, Shippo clung to Kagome. " I-I'm scared, Kagome." He stuttered. Miroku plunged his staff into the ground and he and Sango and Kirara clung to it against the gale. Kagome and InuYasha and Shippo held onto Tetsuaiga that had been submerged in the earth. Sesshomaru did the same with his Tokijjin and Jaken and Rin simply became airborne on Ah-Un.
" Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried.
Saeka swung the sword in an arc and plunged it deep within the ground, hanging on with all she had left as she watched Amanamaru dig his claws in the ground and struggle to hold on. Kazuna's bones were drawn up and sucked into the black hole, disappearing within seconds and Saeka felt a little of her heart go with her. Kazuna had always been her childhood friend in the village. Now she was gone. But there wasn't time to worry about that now. She gripped Kassenah with all her might, trusting that the sword would protect her.
" NO!" Amanamaru roared, one claw slipping out of the earth. As he was slowly pried lose, he suddenly looked down at Saeka. His claw lashed out and gripped the girl around the waist, ripping her from the sword. His hind legs were still in the ground, but loosening fast. He glared at the petrified healer. " If I go into that hell-hole, you're coming with me, you worthless half-breed!" he shouted. Saeka glanced at her companions. Rin was watching with terror in her eyes and Jaken was staring with a mixture of fear, and anger. Sesshomaru was gazing up at them with grim determination on his usually blank face. As she met his gaze once again, she found that yet again, she was able to read a glimpse of his thoughts: Saeka. Don't even think of giving up.
Amanamaru's body was suddenly torn from the ground and Saeka screamed as they went hurtling toward the black hole.
No. I failed again. I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru.