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Chapter 14: Sango's Struggle

The two determined combatants known as Sango the Demon Slayer and Yugi Mouto stepped into the ring for their fight. Joey cheered on his friend from the stands. "Let's go Yug! Win this match and move on!" Kaiba spoke to himself in a more quiet tone. "Yugi better not lose I will personally be the one that knocks him out of the tournament. This however will be a total hoot if he loses to a girl."

Kagome was focused on what she told Sango before the match. "Good luck Sango give Yugi a good fight he's a good boy with good intentions should he win the tournament. So don't fight like it's a death match."

Inuyasha felt an inch on his shoulder and turned his head only to see a small flea with a human face. "Myoga! Where the hell have you been? I thought you will still in the Feudal era."

Myoga replied. "I know Master Inuyasha but I just had to accompany Sango after Miroku's murder. Besides I had to see how you were doing and how the tournament panned out. I've scouted each of our allies. This Yugi may be small but that puzzle gives him a great amount of power, some of which he hasn't discovered yet. He also has a knack for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. They didn't call him King of Games for nothing. But then again we know strong Sango is physically and mentally."

Meanwhile in the ring the match was about to begin. Sango was wearing her usual red and black battle tights along with her battle mask. She had signature weapon Hirakotsu in hand.

Yugi's face looked primed for a battle. He wore a black sleeveless shirt with blue pants and black battle bracelets and gloves. At the time he still had the Millennium Puzzle around his neck with the chain. In a slot in his belt rested his deck which was his good luck possession.

Yugi was the first to speak. "Good luck to you Sango I'm sorry about Miroku. Let's have a good match." Sango replied with respect. "Thank you for your kindness Yugi, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Let's fight."

Juri started it. "Short and sweet I'd rather have that than a long speech. Fight!"

Sango began. "Kilalah spirit form, into Hirakotsu!" Her giant boomerang was turned into almost pure fire from the oversoul. Also at the sharp end of the boomerang showed Kilalah's tiger head with two long and razor sharp fangs sticking out.

Yugi started by removing the chain from the puzzle. "Pharaoh Yami Spirit Form, into the chain!" The Millenium Puzzle first seamlessly enter Yugi's chest as if he was fusing his heart with it. The chain was covered with a golden aura and golden spikes in different links of the chain. At the tip was a long spike about the length of a knife. Finally, at Yugi's right glove hand was the Pharoah Yami's head as if he was fighting right along side his shorter friend.

Sango struck a fighting pose. "Don't mind if I do!" Sango ran forward on the offense towards Yugi who's face stayed hard and battle-ready.

She swung her Hirakotsu directly at Yugi who blocked immediately but somehow the boomerang passed through his chain as if it was made of air. "What!?" That was all Yugi could say as the forced of the blow broke his spirit control and sent him down on his back on the other side of the ring. Yugi got to his feet after a couple of seconds to see that his shirt fabric around his rib area was burnt and giving off smoke.

This shocked both Joey, Kaiba, and even Kagome. "Whaa, What the hell?!" "His chain couldn't block it. Yugi could have a tough time against this girl." "Wow, Sango became a lot more powerful. She just might be able to win."

The reason revealed itself to Yugi but Sango yelled out to Yugi anyway. "You're not going to be able to block my attacks Yugi! My weapon is pure fire and you can't block fire."

Yugi spoke to himself. "She's right, that attack went right through my chain as if it didn't exist." Yami gave his support. "Yugi we have to dodge her attacks and keep at a safe distance it's our only defense." "But how are we going to attack?"

Before they had time to think Sango charged again. This time Yugi sidestepped the uppercut swing and tried to strike her in the face with his chain but she turned and nearly nailed him in face. For two more instances Yugi realized that he only had time to dodge. "She's too quick I can't dodge her forever. I'm burning my energy just trying to avoid her." Yugi gained footing and quickly leaped back out of her range.

She still stayed on the attack. Her body aura became a small blaze as she powered up. "Hirakotsu!" She threw her boomerang in the air in perfect line to Yugi who know he couldn't avoid it but quickly got an idea. "Chain link boomerang!" The chain passed through hirakotsu like last time to Sango's surprise. Both fighters were hit straight on knocked down and out of the ring with their spirit controls broken. Sango lost a little bit more furyoku than Yugi did. Juri counted to five seconds but both leaped back into the ring and stared one another down. Yugi's shirt was almost completely incinerated and his midsection showed red burn marks.

Yugi was first to talk this time as he removed what was left of his shirt and winced somewhat due to his burns. Sango's first impression of a scrawny male figure was correct as Yugi's physique revealed little muscle definition. "Sango I realize that you have something special to fight for and I truly respect that, but don't expect me to hold back." Sango replied as part of her outfit was sliced and her right arm was cut but not badly. "I know that you will do good for everyone should you win as well but if I'm going down I'm going down fighting." Sango charged again.

Yugi this time had other plans. This time Yami's head appeared above Yugi's."Chain extend!" Yugi's chain extended about 10 feet as soon as Sango was within striking distance. Sango never saw the defense coming as the chain wrapped around her leg and tripped her. Her spirit control was also broken. Yugi wasn't done as he sent her flying out of the ring. As she landed with a thud and a couple of bruises he launched aside once again about 10 yards farther. Sango acknowledged her mistake. "He surprised me there but Kagome is right he is a good boy. He could have tossed me a lot harder and farther, but I believe he does not want to seriously injure me."

Yugi charged up farther then he ever had. His aura was now a pinkish purple aura that surrounded him in a 10 yard radius and Yami's body above him turned to a bright gold. Yoh even felt wind breeze against his brow as he acknowledged his power. "Wow! I guess there is a reason why they call him King of Games." Kaiba even had to concur, "Yugi's furyoku seems to have grown much more powerful since he entered the Tunnel of Tartarus. Should I face him I might not be able to blow him out as quickly as I would have first predicted." He held his chain as if he going to fire a sawed-off shotgun."Sango its time I opened up this fight! "Dark Magic Attack!"

The force of Yugi's energy blast was so fast and powerful that it nailed Sango with a much stronger force of her hirakotsu and drained a large amount of her furyoku. This caused Sango to go down to her knees for a large handful of seconds but she slowly regained her footing. The attack showed its power as Sango was suffering from shortness of breath. Joey was impressed. "Way to go Yug! Dark Magician couldn't have done that attack better than that!"

Yugi primed for another strike but Sango came up with something fast. "Dark Magic Attack!" "Flame Path!" Sango quickly slammed her boomerang onto the stadium floor causing a flaming path to erupt through the ground sending Yugi to the ground breaking his spirit control and his on-target energy blast was redirected away by an angled pathway of fire. The blast struck a random demon in the chest and slowly changed his body into a lifeless statue of black ash. The other demons' faces gave looks of fear and awe to Yugi's power.

Yugi got up but was not breaking too much of a sweat even though an exceptional amount of his spirit control was broken. Sango couldn't believe what she was witnessing. "How is this possible? I'm having difficulty standing while he looks like he can run a few miles if he wanted too. What kind of power does that puzzle give him? I can't give up I have to fight, for Miroku."

"Firestorm shower!" Sango used some of her reserve furyoku to increase Kilalah's size over herself. Sango tossed her boomerang into the air again. This time it stayed in the air, then did a full revolution around the inside part of the stadium and returned to Sango. Sango smiled as Yugi had not yet raised his defenses. Out of nowhere giant fireballs rained down on Yugi who quickly ran like an NFL running back trying to dodge about 10 linebackers converging on him.

He dodged the first three but the fourth struck him head on and knocked him down. The rest were about to fall down on him as well but he quickly got his feet and waved his chain in all directions. "Diffusion Wave Motion!" From Yugi's chain emerged multiple white sickle-shaped energy pulses sliced through the fireballs and reduced them to small golfball-sized embers when they struck the ground. Sango conversed with herself as her knees started buckling. "My power is really starting to run out. What the hell do I have to do and where is he getting to do all this?"

Inuyasha was even surprised at all this power. "How in the name of my father does this little guy have all this strength? Why isn't his furyoku running out he's using some draining attacks?" Myoga gave his input. "Umm, Master Inuyasha I think I may have an explanation. As I said before Yugi's puzzle gives him incredible power. Not many shamans have this ability but I think Yugi's furyoku might have the ability to regenerate. Yugi can regenerate much of his furyoku but of course not all of it. If that is the case which I think it is, Sango won't have enough furyoku to win this match let alone put up a close fight."

Yami spoke to his partner. "Yugi we still have just about enough furyoku to win here and now. Sango is a good competitor but I do not want to injure her further if she does not have much left." Yugi gave the nod as the eye symbol of the puzzle unveiled itself through Yugi's chest and shined. "Millenium Speed!"

Yugi ran forward with such speed that would give The Flash a pretty good race. Yugi's speed gave Sango no time to even defend or brace herself for the imminent attack. Yugi's kicks landed multiple body shots and the final blow in the series came on a roundhouse kick that nailed Sango in the face, knocking her out the ring, and breaking her shrinking spirit control. Mai and Tea shouted. "Wow! Good job Yugi."

Kagome looked on with great worry. "Oh no Sango. I don't know much longer you can go on." Yoh became impressed with Yugi. "I'll admit that was nice speed and combination kicking. I wonder who taught him how to kickbox like that. I hope I get to face him here he'll give me a great fight."

Joey smiled and Kaiba pondered. "That's the way Yug! There's that streetfight style I taught ya!" "Impressive. Most impressive, I guess if Yugi and myself were to fight I would win but it would be relatively close."

Before Juri started to count Sango was able to get back to her feet slowly but after three steps she collapsed back to the ground. She got back up again but walked in a limp. Her Hirakotsu's flame shrunk to where it did surround the entire weapon and small parts of the normal Hirakotsu were showing. "Oh no. I can no longer charge him without getting blocked. I'm really kind of almost dry now. Wait a minute. I still have one more move. But it'll cost me everything I have left."

Sango shouted as she covered her eyes, nose and mouth with a facemask.. "Yugi! If you think that I am going to give up you have another thing coming. I promise you that when all the smoke has cleared, I will be the last one standing! Poisonpowder!" At that moment Sango threw her weakened Hirakotsu into the air and purple, sparkly powder poured down to the stadium floor and eventually surrounded the entire ring. The purple powder created a giant cloud of smoke to where the crowd could not see through.

Demons shouted their disposition. "What the hell! I won't be able to see any blood splatter come on!" Kagome spoke to herself. "Sango I know that this is your strongest attack but please don't do anything stupid." Joey was concerned. "Crap I can't see him, I hope he can fight in there."

All Yugi could see around himself was smoke, thick, purple smoke that was so thick somebody could cut it with a knife. "I don't know what she's gonna accomplish by doing this. She must not know that thanks to my puzzle I can sense where she is in this cloud. She's stationary about 20 to 30 yards behind me for now. Wait what the!"

Just as Yugi gained confidence in his breathing the smoke brought him to his knees and caused him to lose his eyesight. When he tried to get up his arms and legs stiffened up and he could not move them even slightly without intense jolts of pain.

Sango could see from a distance through her infared facemask which protected her eyes and breathing from her smoke cloud that her attack had taken effect. "Yugi say hell to my to my poisonpowder. It's not poison per ce but you just felt its 2 symptoms symptoms: temporary blindness and partial paralysis. I'm out of furyoku but that doesn't mean I can't win the fight." Sango reached down to her hip and pulled out a sword. Yugi through his sixth sense could see it. He conversed in his mind. "Yami she just pulled out sword I think I know what she wants to do but how can I stop her? I can't see and I can barely move. She doesn't want to kill me but I have to move on to the next round. I came here to win, discover my destiny, and help Yoh. But I can't do it if Sango beats me! She coming closer too." "Yugi thanks to this cloud your suffering from paralysis there's nothing I can do to make you move."

Sango stalked her opponent slow and sure. "There's no need to charge because the smoke will last for a few more minutes. Besides I don't want to kill him by stabbing one of his vitals by accident. I would never be able to forgive myself if someone else good died because of me. Ok, I have to aim for his lower back and to the lower right. There really isn't anything there and I'll wound him deep enough to immobilize him. The wound won't be serious enough to be life threatening and a doctor or surgeon should be able to mend it with relative ease. You are a good boy Yugi and I'm really sorry about this but I must move on."

Myoga spoke up. "Master Inuyasha I don't believe it! Sango is gonna win I can see through the smoke that the powder has worked its effects on Yugi and Sango is going in to finish him! She's getting closer and about to win! Myoga was correct as Sango was within 10 yards of Yugi.

Yugi sensed it as well. "She's about to finish me off. There has to be a way to fight this. There has to be a way to get out of this and win." "Yugi look!" Before Sango could see it the eye symbol on Yugi's puzzle emerged and glowed a bright gold. The chain as if by magic floated in the air for a couple of seconds before it dashed behind Yugi. Myoga saw it. "The puzzle is controlling the chain!" Sango pulled her sword back to thrust when she was stabbed in the stomach area by the sharp end of Yugi's chain. "Uuuhhh, how.. did... he?" Sango fell face up to the ground. Yugi continued to speak to himself. "It's over. I don't know how my puzzle did what it did but I'm glad it did it."

The crowd's silence continued for a few more minutes until the smoke had cleared. Yugi stood up because as soon as the cloud lifted the symptoms ceased. Sango was on the ground bleeding from her midsection and it was evident that she needed attention soon. Kagome was horrified. "Sango! Oh no!" Juri counted. "1, 2...10." And the winner is Yugi Mouto.

Yugi heard her from the stands and rushed over to Sango whose eyes were closed. "Sango. Sango can you hear me? Sango come on wake up. Please." "Uh, uuh uhh. Yuuugggiii. Uh, this hurts." Sango awakened in pain. "Sango you're hurt." "I'll survive. Listen Yugi Miroku sacrificed himself to save me. I let my guard down just enough to be in the way of a killing blow. Miroku dove in front." By this time Kagome and Inuyasha had reached the stadium floor to be of assistance. "Yugi explained himself to Kagome. "Kagome I"m so sorry I never meant to hurt her. My puzzle acted on its own and did this." Kagome assured him. "Yugi relax she's ok its not a bad wound. Besides I think she would have done something like that to you if your puzzle had not acted." Inuyasha just looked at him and nodded.

The wheel for the next round was spinning. Juri made the announcement as Yugi, Kagome, and Inuyasha were helping Sango out of the ring who regained most of her consciousness. "And the next fighters are... Aoshi Shinamouri IV vs Akuren!" As soon as Yoh, Suichi, and the others heard the name Akuren their eyes did not leave him. Akuren was already in the ring thanks to his ninja skills.

Sango turned her head for a second as she never heard the name Akuren and looked forward again. Then her head twisted behind her again very quick and she recognized who the warrior was. Akuren spoke loudly from the ring so Sango could hear him. "Greetings my dear we meet again. It's a shame that you are too weak to defeat a little kid. That boyfriend of yours would not be very proud of you. Oh that's right he's dead at my hands." She practically pushed her three friends off of herself and tried to charge the ring. She immediately fell to her knees and screamed as loud as she could. She had tears in her eyes as she yelled at Akuren. "Not you!! You killed Miroku and Kilalah you bastard!! I swear I'll kill you before this day is done! Owww!" Her stomach area pained her again and Kagome tried to console her. "That's him that's the one that killed Miroku." "Sango you can't even think of fighting in this condition." Inuyasha and Yugi had their weapons at the ready. "Ok you bastard I am going to slice you into ninja shaped pieces." "I won't let you get away with this Akuren!"

"Let me handle this you two must help Sango." Aoshi was behind them with a look of determination. Inuyasha replied. "You think you can beat him Aoshi? He was skilled enough to defeat Miroku and he defeated many demons." "I don't fear anybody and I won't allow him to kill me. Because I will kill him first." Aoshi gave his support to Sango. "I'll make him pay my lady. You get yourself treated." Thank you and don't get yourself killed, Aoshi right. Aoshi nodded and stepped up into the ring.

The next chapter is one you cannot miss. Aoshi vs Akuren. Read and Review and thanks for being patient with me. I go to college now and have little time to work on my story.