A/N: I'm sorry for making you all wait for me again! I promised to get this out sooner, but school has kept me busy. I hope you like this next installment!
"Master," Jarius murmured into Rin's ear, "you have to promise me that you won't do anything rash. You may be stronger than you were before, but you aren't immortal yet," he stressed anxiously. Rin sent her partner a smile before she gave him a curt nod.
"Don't worry about me," Rin replied, "The Western territory is my home, and I'll do all I can to protect it," she assured him. Jarius didn't look pleased with her answer, but he didn't push the subject any further. The two followed close behind the inuyoukai lord as they descended the stairs towards the front grounds.
Rin could already hear the sounds of battle cries echoing from the fight below, and couldn't stop the fearful chill that ran down her spine. Was she really ready to enter a battle? Could she handle fighters who had much more experience than she did?
Her nerves started to get the best of her just as they made it to the front of the castle grounds. Her heartbeat fluttered frantically in her chest as her lord surveyed the madness that had already started.
Youkai and humans alike were brawling with such ferocity that Rin was sure she wouldn't last a moment in the field. Fist met fist as fighters clambered to take down their opponents as quickly as they could. There was no mercy here, and Rin cringed at the sight of a youkai biting into the arm of his enemy. With a clean sweep of his fangs, the youkai pulled the limb clean off his opponent. Many of the guards' clothing had already ripped to such a degree that Rin had trouble distinguishing friend from foe.
"My lord," she murmured nervously as Sesshomaru turned to gaze back at her, "how will we know who to fight in all of this madness?" she asked.
"Only our foes will try to kill us," he replied, "a friend will hesitate before delivering any blows,"
While Rin was sure he had said that to make her feel better, Rin only felt worse. How could she wait to see if someone tried to kill her? Wouldn't that seal her fate if she waited even a second too long to react? Her fears clouded her thoughts as she struggled to keep calm. She told Sesshomaru that she was ready for this, and it was time to prove it.
"Don't forget that we're here to protect you," Jarius reminded her gently, "no one will get close enough to lay a finger on you," he assured her. Rin smiled at him gratefully before she slowly nodded her head. She reminded herself that she had power of her own, and powerful allies by her side.
"I'll do all I can to protect you both as well," Rin replied confidently while sudden newfound courage shot waves of adrenaline through her system. This was her time to shine. It was her time to prove to her lord that she could be brave.
Her own pep talk was short-lived when a youkai took notice of them. His large yellow eyes gleamed as his gaze landed on her, and he didn't seem fazed by Sesshomaru or Jarius' presence. Rin stood her ground as she stared back at him. This was not the time to cower away from a fight.
"Human!" the youkai shrieked excitedly before he pushed his way through the crowd of fighters. He shoved each away as if they were nothing but inanimate obstacles blocking his path. Even when a fighter tried to stab him with his sword, the youkai easily evaded the attack before he knocked the man out cold.
Rin's hair stood on end as he continued to approach them, but Sesshomaru quickly moved forward to intercept him. Jarius took his place and stood in front of Rin, blocking her from any sneak attack the youkai might try to deliver.
"Give me the human," the youkai ordered as he stopped in front of Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru did not respond to his demands, but Rin hadn't thought he would either. She knew her lord wasn't one to be ordered around. Rin could only imagine that Sesshomaru was seething with rage at the idea that the youkai thought he was superior to him.
With the flick of his wrist, Sesshomaru had the youkai ensnared in his poisonous whip. The youkai started in surprise, but didn't cry out in agony even as his skin began to burn from the poison.
"Where is Hazerus?" Sesshomaru asked him impatiently.
"What does it matter?" the youkai retorted before Rin saw him flinch when the whip had burned through his flesh and made it to bone. The burning had slowed, and the smell had changed as bone began to wither away.
"Your life will end right here if you don't tell me," Sesshomaru replied coolly. The youkai surveyed Sesshomaru for a moment before he spoke,
"He is arriving later. He sent us to kill as many Western land guards as we could first. Then he intends to finish off whoever is left," the youkai bit back before he spat on the ground, "our lord deserves to rule over the Eastern and Western lands. The time of the dog has come to an end, Sesshomaru-sama," he added with a manic grin.
The inuyoukai did not respond, but tightened his hold on the whip until the other youkai finally cried out in pain.
"Stop, Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin screamed frantically as her heart froze in her chest at the thought of her lord ending a life. Sesshomaru loosened his hold slightly at the sound of her voice, but did not free the youkai.
"Stay out of this," Sesshomaru ordered and the youkai took in gasps of grateful breathes as his wounds began to heal.
"Think about what you're doing!" Rin shot back and hurried around Jarius to make it to Sesshomaru's side, "The Eastern lord is already angry that many of his people have been killed on Western soil. What will more death solve? It will only further fuel the resentment between the two lands. If you kill a youkai from the East, then you might as well be declaring a true war against the entire Eastern empire!"
Many of the fighters had stopped to hear Rin out, some recognizing her while others stared curiously at her. It was a spectacle to see the mighty taiyoukai listening to the words of a human woman. Sesshomaru looked back at the youkai still in his whip's hold, who stared back menacingly at him, before Sesshomaru let his whip disappear.
"We will wait for Hazerus' arrival before we continue this fight," Sesshomaru informed the group of fighters at large, "until then, there is no reason for this fighting to continue," he added. The youkai turned to glance at one another in confusion, but none raised another fist.
"I will not fail my lord," the youkai, now free, growled under his breath. With a strong leap he reached for a new target, Rin. Rin reacted just in time to bring up a barrier, which sent the youkai flying in surprise before Rin caught him in a telepathic hold.
"Don't think I'm weak, because I'm human," Rin informed the youkai as she held him captive in the air. A collection of surprised cries and grunts resounded around the grounds as the youkai turned their full attention to Rin.
"I will not kill him," Rin reassured the youkai around her, "I will follow my lord's orders and wait until Harus arrives before any more blood is shed," she added.
"Attack! They said they won't kill us!" a youkai screamed from the front lines. Rin's eyes widened as the youkai charged towards them once more. Even when there was mercy given to them, they still chose to fight for their kingdom.
Rin quickly gained her composure before she set up a barrier that blocked the group of charging men from getting any closer.
"Everyone, please listen to me!" Rin cried out, gaining the attention of the dumbfounded Western guards, "We must follow Sesshomaru-sama's orders, and not kill anyone on Western soil. But we can still fight, so long as no one is killed. If you are wounded, please refrain from fighting until your wounds have healed. We have given our word not to kill, but they have not. Remember that," Rin informed everyone. A familiar face suddenly arose from the crowd.
"Rin-sama, we promise to not take another life unless Sesshomaru-sama says otherwise," Norio replied before he gave her a graceful bow, "Come on, men! Give our Lady your word!" he ordered the other youkai around him. The men and women looked slightly confused by Norio's words before they turned to Rin in understanding.
"We will abide by your wishes, Rin-sama. No one will die today," the many voices of the Western guard echoed around Rin. She gave them a watery smile before she curtly nodded.
"Thank you, everyone," she replied gratefully before she glanced over to Sesshomaru to see that he looked agitated, but not angry. Rin thought that perhaps she had overstepped her bounds, and froze at the fear of losing Sesshomaru's respect. She was only trying to help!
"A Lady of the Western lands rarely leads her men into a fight unless there is no Lord to perform the responsibility," Sesshomaru informed her tensely, and Rin inwardly cursed at being so careless.
"Despite that," Sesshomaru continued before a small smile graced his face, "it seems you have a strong influence over these youkai. You have bent them to your will in a matter of minutes. It seems I have underestimated you," he added and Rin blushed in embarrassment.
"Thank you Sessh – "
"Rin-sama, the barrier!" someone shouted, and the group turned to look at the barrier. It was quickly disappearing while the Eastern guards eagerly clawed at it from the other side.
"Stay alert, men!" Norio commanded as he cracked his claws in anticipation while the others waited for the Eastern guards to charge. Rin was quickly reminded of the guard she had under her telepathic hold, but she reacted too late. He was already free.
He came charging at her, and before she could put up any kind of defense he already had his large arm raised to crush her.
"Stop! She isn't your enemy!" a female voice shouted before Rin spotted her atop the youkai. Her pink hair flipped over his face when she landed on his shoulders and she placed both hands atop the youkai's head. A collection of red light appeared over his head before it began to travel over to the woman's hands.
The youkai swayed as the transfer continued and the woman jumped off of his shoulders just before he collapsed onto the ground.
"She's mine," the woman glowered before she turned to gaze at Rin with familiar yellow eyes.
"Succubus!" Rin cried out in surprise at seeing her so soon.
"Rin-sama," the succubus smiled before she approached her. She raised her hands peacefully when Jarius and Sesshomaru quickly appeared before Rin and blocked her path.
"Don't fret boys, I'm not here to hurt her," the succubus assured them before she brought her fingers up to her lips and blew them a quick kiss, "I simply couldn't resist taking the life energy of that youkai,"
"What are you still doing here?" Jarius ground out as the succubus shrugged her shoulders, "you didn't have anything to do with this whole thing, did you?" he asked before the succubus shrugged once more.
"I may have taken a few souls from the Eastern lands, but I know you took a few, too. Why should I shoulder the blame alone?" she asked with a pout.
"You didn't do it to protect someone," Jarius hissed, "you did it for pleasure,"
"I did it for survival," the succubus shot back angrily.
"Just like you took those souls from the castle earlier? Was that for survival?" Jarius ground out.
"No, that was to tackle you and Rin-sama," the succubus purred before she glanced over to Rin, "Now that I know you'll be my rival, I won't let anyone else kill you. You have to be alive for our rematch, after all," she winked. Rin's eyes widened at her before they softened and Rin smiled.
"Remember that you're still on Western lands. The promise you made to me still stands, even in possible war-time," Rin replied and the succubus smiled in return.
"I won't go back on my word. I won't kill them, but I will take their life energy. They will regenerate it in a couple of hours," she answered while eagerly licking her lips, "Life energy isn't as delicious as a soul, but I still can't wait for the feast," she added before disappearing into the sea of guards charging towards them. The group turned to intercept the oncoming fighters with their bodies tense and ready to defend themselves.
Rin quickly brought up a barrier around herself to block an attack from her front while she sent a few guards flying backwards. Jarius and Sesshomaru remained close by, but Rin wasn't doing too bad on her own. She collected a few more men in a telepathic hold before she threw them into a group of approaching Eastern guards.
"Keep it up, Rin," Jarius smiled to her as he made quick work of a few guards who had tried to sneak up on her. Rin nodded her thanks before she paused when she noticed Sesshomaru unsheathe his sword. Her heart beat faster in fear that he was going to start killing men, but it quickly faded away when he merely used it to block a group of guards who had drawn their own swords.
"I hope you plan on taking advantage of this situation," Rin heard the succubus say and turned to glance back at her. The succubus had her back up against Jarius' as the two blocked surrounding attackers. Jarius sent a few guards flying backwards while the succubus used her flames to scare off a few more.
"What do you mean?" Jarius asked back, taking a moment to focus his orange eyes on her yellow ones.
"I mean I haven't seen you take any life energy since this whole thing started. You aren't fasting or anything, are you?" she teased as Jarius rolled his eyes before he lightly shoved her with his shoulder.
The succubus merely stuck her tongue out playfully before she used Jarius' back as a boost and shot out towards another group of attackers.
She landed in the opening that their circular formation made and held her arms out with her palms faced forward. Then each fighter in the group that surrounded her began to glow a dark red. The light slowly left their body and they collapsed on to the ground. With a proud smirk she shot a pleased look in Jarius' direction before he scoffed at her.
"Show off," Rin heard him mutter before he moved to evade an attack made by another Eastern guard. With a quick sweep of his hand, a blue light shined from the guard's body before his life energy was taken away. He collapsed onto the ground and Jarius stood a top him before he glanced around at the group of men slowly surrounding him.
He brought up his hands before they were made into fists. Blue light started to surround Jarius as he shut his eyes and let out a sharp hiss. With a quick motion he brought his fists to his sides and the energy around him shot out, sending his attackers flying into the trees. While they were down Jarius relaxed his hands and brought them forward to slowly suck out their life energies. A fury of blue light came towards him as his body absorbed the power it gave him.
A sword almost tore Rin's arm off, and she quickly moved out of the way as her attention was brought back to her own fight. A guard tried to take advantage while Rin was distracted, and Rin complimented her strategy. While she was afraid of dieing on the battlefield, Rin couldn't deny the rush that it was giving her.
She took hold of the guard's sword with her telepathic power before she easily threw it aside. The guard paused in surprise before he was shoved backwards into his comrades. Rin held her head high as Eastern guards around them started to slow their attacks.
Instead of running at their group head on, Rin noticed that more men were cautiously watching them instead. It seemed that while they wanted to fight for their lands, they were at a loss without their leader. Hazerus' sneak attack plan failed, and still he was no where in sight.
Was he not coming at all? Rin refused to give herself hope. No lord, no matter how strong or weak they were, would never desert his men in battle.
"It seems my men were not as ready for battle as I would have hoped," a familiar voice shouted from above the crowd of Eastern guards. Rin and the others relaxed their battle stances as they searched the area for the owner of that voice.
"Hazerus," Sesshomaru growled, "Show yourself," he commanded. The dragon youkai didn't hide himself for long. He easily towered over his guards as he strolled through the crowd, his men quickly moving out his way.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Hazerus greeted with a sharp smile, "I see many of my men are injured, but none are dead. Have you lost your desire for bloodshed?" he asked before he glanced over to Rin, "Or is this human woman to blame?"
"She is none of your concern," Sesshomaru retorted before he walked forward to block his view of Rin, "why have you attacked my lands yet again?"
"Did I not promise you that I'd come back to seek my revenge? You and your men must pay for the losses I have suffered," Hazerus answered darkly. Rin paused at the pain she heard in the Eastern lord's voice. Was he really mourning the loss of his men, and not using it as an excuse to attack the West?
"This lord has done nothing to your men," Jarius suddenly stated as he walked towards Hazerus, "all this fighting was based on a misunderstanding. I am responsible for the deaths of your men," he confessed.
"Jarius!" Rin hissed anxiously as she moved to stop him, but he signaled her to stay put.
"I am also responsible," the succubus added as she stepped forward to stand beside Jarius, "we both are guilty of killing men from the Eastern lands,"
Hazerus studied the two angrily before a look of content crossed his face.
"While you two may take the blame, it does not excuse that the Western lord has housed you both. It is a crime for a lord of power to house fugitives from another land. You fight for his side, do you not?" he asked, and both froze as a look of surprise heightened their features.
"Will only war appease your losses?" Sesshomaru asked the other lord. Hazerus gazed at the inuyoukai for a moment before a smile spread across his face.
"Of course," he replied smugly, "I deserve to rule over both the East and the West,"
"If that is your final answer, then you'll get your war," Sesshomaru answered before he gazed up towards one of the windows of his castle, "but know that if this war begins, you will not only be fighting the West, but the North as well,"
"The North? They have nothing to do with our dispute," Hazerus growled, and Rin noted that he looked a bit shaken by the possibility.
"I have made a contract with the North," Sesshomaru informed the dragon youkai, "one of my strongest generals, Norio, is betrothed to the Lady of the North. This engagement has ensured that the North will come to the West's aid when needed, and the West will do the same for the Northern lands," he explained.
Rin glanced up in surprise at Sesshomaru when she heard the news. So the beautiful bird youkai hadn't been his betrothed, but Norio's? Rin couldn't hide her happiness and relief at the news, and she looked around for Norio in the crowd, but she couldn't find him. Why hadn't he told Rin about his engagement? Surely he was happy about it.
"These must be lies," Hazerus ground out as he glared at Sesshomaru, "you're making up this engagement in hopes that I won't wage war,"
"He does not lie," a woman's voice denounced before the blue bird youkai appeared beside Sesshomaru, "I am the Lady of the North, and I can tell you personally that we will side with Sesshomaru-sama if you take this threat of war any further,"
Hazerus seemed taken aback by seeing the bird youkai before he shot a look in Jarius' direction.
"If what you say is true, then I won't wage war. But I do want that incubus and succubus. Trade them to me, and there will be no war," Hazerus promised. Rin felt like her heart was being ripped out at his words. Could she really lose Jarius after they had been through so much? She cast a worried glance in his direction, but he refused to look at her. Instead, he kept his orange eyes hidden from anyone's views.
"Impossible," Sesshomaru retorted, "they are both on my land, and past your jurisdiction. If you want them, then you will have to wage war,"
"Don't do this, Sesshomaru-sama," Jarius shot back to the inuyoukai, "you don't need to risk your lands and your men for us. We know that what we did was wrong. Let us pay for our crimes,"
"You know as well as I that I cannot allow that," Sesshomaru answered before he glanced quickly at Rin and then returned his golden gaze to Jarius. The incubus seemed surprised by his response before he glanced at Rin. Rin nodded her head before she signaled for him to come to her side.
Jarius' expression softened before he turned and began to walk to her side. Rin sent him a grateful smile as she extended her hand towards him. He reached out his hand as well, but before he could reach her his path was cut short.
"I will not allow you to take another step!" Hazerus roared as he drew his sword. The dragon youkai lifted it above his head before he brought it down with as much force as he could muster.
"Jarius!" Rin shrieked in horror as the incubus tried to lift his arm to block the sword with his power, but the barrier he brought up barely subdued the youkai's attack. With another wave of power, the youkai broke through the barrier. With a fatal sweep of his arm, the youkai lodged his sword into Jarius' chest.
Rin felt her throat close painfully in terror as her mouth flew open to scream, but no sound left her lips. Jarius let his arms fall limply to his side as the sword made a clean cut through his chest, the sharpest edge of the blade sticking out of his back. The incubus stared up at nothing as his eyes began to glaze over.
Tears ran down Rin's cheeks before she heard the sound of her screams echoing through the clearing. The pain cut hot and deep into her heart as she struggled to breath. Why didn't he move? Why didn't his body dissolve into smoke to evade the youkai's blade?
Her legs gave out underneath her as she fell to her knees, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Her body pulsed as she felt the transfer of energy begin to speed up. Unbeknownst to her was the blue light that was leaving Jarius' body and flowing into Rin's.
"You have drawn the first blood," Sesshomaru growled, his own rage evident in his voice, "you have brought this war upon yourself,"
"Impossible!" the dragon youkai roared back, "This is an incubus! Incubi don't bl – " his voice was cut short when he looked back at the incubus only to see a large pool of his own blood coating the sword's blade.
"No! His body was supposed to be impenetrable! Incubi can't die!" the dragon youkai fought back as he drew his sword from the incubus' body. The incubus collapsed onto the ground as the dragon youkai heckled his lips at him impatiently. He let out a light cough, but gradually grew limp before his body refrained from moving at all.
"I'm sorry Rin-sama," the succubus hissed angrily as she brought up her yellow gaze to glare at the dragon youkai, "but I'm going to break the promise I made to you. This youkai will not leave the Western lands alive,"
"You will stand down, succubus," Sesshomaru ordered coldly, "A lord must take responsibility for leading his men into battle. And the opposing lord must fight him to gain true supremacy. I will fight Hazerus alone,"
Rin sat silently listening to her lord before she shakily got to her feet. Her head hung low as she gingerly held onto her right arm. Her body felt powerful and immensely weak at the same time. The pain of her loss felt like a weight on her shoulders just as much as it did a boost to keep her upright.
"My lord," Rin murmured as she forced her legs to move forward, "let me fight him," she made it more of a demand than a question, but said it gently so not to offend him.
"Rin, stand down," Sesshomaru ordered before his eyes narrowed when her approach didn't slow at all, "obey me, Rin," he ordered once more.
"He took him from me, Sesshomaru-sama," Rin murmured angrily as her hands balled into fists at her sides, "He killed him!" she screamed as she brought up her hands and the energy within her body was released in a mighty wave. All but Hazerus and Sesshomaru were knocked to the ground by the amount of energy Rin released.
"I said stand down," Sesshomaru commanded, his voice louder than before. Still, Rin continued moving her body slowly forward. It was as if her mind had shut out all others but Hazerus. The dragon youkai hung over her like a sickening aroma. An aroma that Rin would get rid of forever.
"Rin," Sesshomaru called to her. Her eyes remained trained on the dragon youkai, her wish for revenge clear on her face. Without waiting for her to pass him, Sesshomaru appeared before Rin and took hold of her chin as he forced her to look him in the eye.
"You don't want to do this, Rin," he told her levelly. Rin struggled against his hold as she pushed and shoved at his chest.
"Don't try to stop me!" Rin yelled back, infuriated that her target was so close and yet she couldn't reach him.
"You are not yourself at the moment," Sesshomaru answered, and his body barely moved even as Rin started applying more of her telepathic power on him.
"Why won't you let me fight him?! I have to! I have to...for Jarius," Rin fought even as her own power began to weaken as Sesshomaru's hold became stronger.
"I will not allow it," Sesshomaru bit back.
"Why not?" Rin shook against him, "Tell me why!" she begged impatiently as she clawed at his kimono.
"Because you would never forgive yourself if you did," Sesshomaru answered. Rin froze at that as she let out a hollow breath. Suddenly, all of her desires to kill Hazerus vanished with Sesshomaru's words. He was right. She could never willingly kill anyone, nor want the death of anyone. What had made her think otherwise?
You are not yourself, Sesshomaru's words rang in her mind as realization hit her. Jarius' powers must have moved into hers, and with it the entirety of his power. She had become what she had feared all along. She had inherited all of the incubus who she had imprisoned, and all the hunger and blood thirst that came with it.
She pulled back and Sesshomaru's hand fell away from her chin. Rin glanced down at her hands as she studied them, looking for anything that would prove her hypothesis. But they looked like her normal hands. Nothing changed, even as she willed it to.
"You never wish the death of another," Sesshomaru stated confidently, "it is something that you cannot fathom, and something that you have made me reconsider as well. It is through you that I have learned the value of life for all creatures, no matter the length or worthiness of that life,"
Rin glanced up at him fearfully before her expression cleared when she saw the content on her lord's face. He did not think less of her after her display of weakness, and he did not seem to lose hope in her either.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin murmured gratefully before the inuyoukai's eyes softened ever so slightly.
"Allow me to handle this," Sesshomaru offered, and Rin stared up at him in amazement. He was asking permission...from her?
"Of course, my lord," Rin replied with a soft smile, "I have faith in you," she added gently. The inuyoukai nodded to her before his expression became stern as he turned to glance back at the dragon youkai.
"Despite the fact that you have brought death to many men under my protection, blatantly abused the right of your power, and drawn the blood of a comrade that the Lady of the West holds dear, I will not take your life," Sesshomaru stated, "but you will be stripped of your power as lord of the Eastern lands. You will be exiled from both the East and the Western lands. You will never put anyone within these lands into harms way again, or my kindness will not be repeated,"
"Exiled? You'll have to kill me first," Hazerus growled.
"No problem," the succubus grinned menacingly, but paused when Sesshomaru raised a hand to stop her.
"If it's a fight you want, then you will get one. But you will not survive it," Sesshomaru promised darkly, "take my offer so that you may live," he added solemnly.
"My life means nothing if I do not have ownership of my lands," Hazerus retorted, "I will be forced to become a wanderer, and have power over nothing," he added bitterly.
"An unwanted journey can often offer many unexpected pleasures. Perhaps then you will learn lessons about life, and if such a thing occurs, I will reappoint you as a lord once again," Sesshomaru offered.
"Until then, what will happen to my lands?" Hazerus asked, the defeat in his voice clear. Even his men lowered their weapons, their own confusion mirroring their lord's.
"They will be put under my protection, until I find a suitable lord to watch over them," Sesshomaru replied. Hazerus visibly flinched before he let out a faint sigh.
"I will not lose my lands for my future clan by dieing in a foolish battle against you, Sesshomaru-sama," Hazerus remarked, "I will take your offer, but know that I will not be journeying for long. Do not get too comfortable as ruler of both the Eastern and Western lands," he added angrily. With that, the dragon youkai hesitantly handed over the sash that bore his land's colors.
The Eastern guards gazed in a mixture of confusion and hesitation as Sesshomaru wrapped the sash around his left shoulder, weaving it through the smooth edges of his armor. The dragon youkai growled angrily at the sight, but he did not push the boundaries any further.
"You will be sent to the Southern lands, where you will know no one," Sesshomaru informed him, "there you will wander until you understand the importance of life. Only then can you truly comprehend the magnitude of the crimes that you have done,"
"A life cannot be paid back with the taking of another life. No matter how powerful or weak the life is," Sesshomaru described before he pointed in the southern direction, "now go," he commanded. The dragon youkai glared hotly at the inuyoukai, but he did not initiate an attack. Instead he whirled on his heel and proceeded to walk in the southern direction.
His men did not bow to him as he passed. They didn't even glance in his direction. All eyes were trained on the new lord. The same lord that they were sent in to kill had become their new ruler. Hazerus did not protest, even as he made his way into the darkness of the forest. Not once did he look back.
When the youkai was no longer in sight, Rin rushed to Jarius' side. Hoping against all hope that he'd still be alive. She fell to her knees by his side before she gingerly rested a hand atop his chest. It felt like hours passed as Rin impatiently waited for his chest to move at all.
"Jarius...please, come back to me," Rin murmured sadly before she rested her forehead against his shoulder. She pushed her palm into his chest harder as she tried to force some of his power back into his body.
"It isn't fair," Rin sobbed as fresh tears drenched his tunic, "why did it have to be you? Why couldn't it have been me?" she added bitterly as she continued to push more and more power into Jarius' body.
"Because...you're supposed...to live," Rin heard Jarius' voice weakly reply. Her eyes widened as she hurriedly pulled away only to see pale orange eyes staring back at her. Life barely shined in those eyes, but there was life!
"Jarius..." Rin breathed gratefully before her expression slackened when the light in his eyes began to fade.
"I don't have...enough strength...to survive," Jarius told her as Rin tried to hush him so he could conserve what strength he had left, "soon...I'll turn...into ash. Then all...of my power...will be yours," he added with a gentle smile.
"But I don't want it!" Rin shot back, "take it back, please! Come back to life as you were before you met me! Before I cursed you like this!" she cried as she rested her forehead against his shoulder once again.
"Do you...really not want it?" Jarius asked, his own body beginning to heal as Rin continued to push more of his power back into his body. His voiced sounded slightly stronger than before, and Rin was happy to see that his chest wound had stopped bleeding.
"No, I don't," Rin murmured as she lifted her head to look into his eyes, "not if it means your life. That's what I've tried to tell you this whole time," she added with a watery laugh as she felt a few more tears stream down her cheeks.
"Then...kiss me," he instructed her. Rin pulled back slightly at his command, and he softly smiled at her.
"You just...have to trust me," he added, "it's the only way...I can get my heart back," he informed her. Rin froze as realization hit her. He wanted her to kiss him so he could suck out her soul, and with it, his heart.
"Alright," Rin murmured before she shut her eyes and slowly moved her head forward. She didn't stop until her lips met his, and before she felt anything else, her world went black.
A/N: Mwuahahaha :D Is Jarius going to be trustworthy enough to return Rin's soul to her? Or will he turn out to be as bad as he always was and keep it instead? How will it all end?
All the answers will be found in the next – and final – installment of Hitched!