Sword of Supreme Conquest

- Chapter 21 –

"She's sacrificed everything to save you."

Sesshomaru swallowed convulsively and regarded Inuyasha with a sceptical glare. Those words had struck a chord within him, igniting some hidden part of his heart that dared to believe such a thing could be possible. He wrestled with the logic he'd come to rely on, the voices of reason inside his head that told him not to believe, the ones that said he should disregard the fantastic tale he'd just heard as nothing more than a diversion tactic.

"Before Ronin was born, Kagome was told by a demon from her time that you would create a sword that would destroy you – the Sword of Supreme Conquest."

His heart - his foolish, illogical heart - wanted to trust every shattering word that emerged from the half breed's mouth. His chest constricted as the raging emotions and unspoken words imprisoned inside fought to escape. The realization that there may finally be answers to the questions that'd plagued him since their separation cut him deep.

"When she couldn't stop you from making the sword she was forced to travel forward in time to destroy it. That's why she wasn't around when Ronin was born."

Sesshomaru withered at that particular memory. He knew all too well of what Inuyasha spoke. When he'd found her in that abandoned hut, his first instinct had been to kill her. His mind convinced him that her presence was nothing more than an elaborate ruse designed by some cunning enemy, deceptively placed to lure him in and catch him off guard.

Once she'd shown him the mating mark on her shoulder he'd realized for himself who she was. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to embrace her. Though she'd already been dead for some time, the wounds in his heart hadn't yet healed and her appearance had opened them anew.

"After Ronin was born, she held off on the mission so she could spend more time with you. Each day she spent playing house ate away at her like a cancer. She felt guilty that she wasn't doing more to try and save you. Every fucking day she cried because she wasn't leaping through the well and putting her life on the line to save yours."

He wanted to believe that she'd never betrayed him but his detached, logical mind refused to be persuaded. It cruelly reminded him of the illegitimate child she'd borne in his bed. That child belonged to his brother, the very same who stood across from him now wearing an irritating self-satisfied smile. There was still no reasoning in the world that could excuse that particular transgression.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he wondered if everything she'd done since that night had been in a vain attempt to earn his forgiveness. He pitied her if it was. He would not, could not, forgive her. He refused to betray his wounded pride and broken heart for the sake of pacifying her guilty conscience. If she wanted to make amends it would take more than some fool hardy mission to save him from an opponent he had yet to face.

"I know you think she betrayed you by sleeping with me but there's a lot you don't know about what happened that night. I'm the one you should blame. I should've been watching her after you left. I should've kept her from drinking herself into oblivion but I didn't.

By the time I brought her to bed she didn't even know her fucking name. All she knew was that she had a mate who made her feel unwanted. You should've heard her…asking me if there was something wrong with her, all because you couldn't take two fucking minutes out of your day to show her you gave a damn. You treated her like crap and that's exactly what she felt like. How else was I supposed to convince her that she was, is, and always will be perfect in our eyes? Sure, it wasn't the best judgement call I've ever made but you can't blame her for my mistake."

Sesshomaru scoffed and narrowed his eyes. The anger he felt towards them both bubbled dangerously just below the surface of his well maintained impassive facade. To him it didn't matter how drunk she'd been, how upset or lonely. She'd slept with his brother, hidden the truth from him and borne a bastard son. Her actions, whatever their intent, were unforgivable.

"She didn't remember anything the next morning. Kagome honestly thought that kid was yours until I told her otherwise. What was she to do then? Kill it? She clung to the hope that it was your child growing inside of her right up until you figured it out."

So there it was. The truth practically mocked him with its simplicity. Had he been wrong to doubt her? No… Even if things were exactly as Inuyasha said, he couldn't purge bitterness from his heart so easily.

For months she'd known that there was a chance the child in her belly wasn't his and yet she'd said nothing. She'd deceived him and broken his trust in the most fundamental way. He'd become so complacent, so domesticated by her, that he hadn't even realized anything was amiss until it was already too late.

She'd made him soft when he'd needed to be strong. She'd humiliated him in front of his entire court. He'd resorted to publicly shaming her by removing his mark as a way to salve his wounded pride and gain back the support of his people. Punishing her had been a necessary and unavoidable task, but he'd be lying if he said that some part of him hadn't enjoyed it.

"After you tossed her out she came back through the well with me to find your sword and destroy it. The Kagome who just left through that window is the same girl who experienced your wrath barely a week ago. Even though her shoulder still burns where your mark used to be, she continues to be devoted to you. She's risked everything to save you and you still doubt her loyalty.

"The way I see it, you've got a choice to make," Inuyasha finished with a hard look. "Are you gonna stop her and use that sword of yours to kill her, or are you gonna allow her to do this? 'Cause she's not gonna stop until her mission's complete. You and I both know it."

In the end, Sesshomaru's choice mattered little since he was fairly sure he'd stalled long enough to give Kagome time to find Akira. With any luck, that annoying mutt was well on his way to destroying the fang so this ordeal could finally be over.

Sesshomaru ground his fangs against one another in frustration. Before he'd heard this story he wouldn't have hesitated to act against her. His heart, hardened as it was, wouldn't have been burdened with questions and doubts. Hating her was so much easier than knowing the truth.

The truth was what had him on edge now, was what had him questioning if he should go after her at all. A part of him wanted to, purely for the selfish need to remember what it felt like to hold her in his arms, but his body remained immobile. There were still too many questions left unanswered.

He opened his mouth to speak but abruptly stopped when Ronin's figure appeared in the doorway. His eyes were bloodshot and his stance unsteady, but he wasted no time drawing his sword and pointing it directly at Inuyasha's chest. The silver-haired half demon looked between the sword and him, silently asking whether he wanted to call a truce or continue their duel.

Sesshomaru frowned and regarded Inuyasha in silence. He didn't make a move to tell Ronin to back down, but didn't raise his claws again either.

"What happens now that you've stolen my fang?" he wondered.

With a sigh of frustration Inuyasha cast an irritated glance at the blade hovering over his chest.

"I'm not sure what the mutt plans to do with the sword but Kagome's supposed to give it to him to destroy. I thought we were gonna do it ourselves but oooh no…last minute he decides-"

Inuyasha's rant was cut short by Sesshomaru's interjection of "mutt?"

"Yeah the mutt. He's this annoying half demon who talks like he owns the world and takes great pleasure in making Kagome do whatever he wants. He's the one who put this whole thing together…telling Kagome that there was going to be a war and all the other tribes would kill you for your sword blah blah blah. I couldn't give a shit what happens to you but you know Kagome…always so concerned about the well being of the people she loves."

That last caustic remark was punctuated by a sneer. Ignoring his brother's attempt to goad him, Sesshomaru focused on who exactly this half demon could be. The longer he dwelled on it, the more suspicious he became.

"What is the name of this half demon?" Ronin interjected.

Inuyasha turned his head, surprised to hear the deep baritone voice that emerged from the hanyou in front of him. He took a moment to take in the adult version of the child he clearly remembered and admitted to himself that he hadn't turned out half bad. It likely had a lot to do with the fact that he was the spitting image of Kagome, but for his blazing amber eyes.

"His name's Akira," he answered with a shrug. "If I had my way I'd have sliced him to pieces ages ago but Kagome wouldn't have any of it. I don't understand why she trusts him so much…"

Inuyasha paused mid-sentence as he caught the look of pure shock that travelled across Sesshomaru's features. It was rare when his brother showed emotion at all, let alone allowed anyone to see that he'd been caught off guard.

Curious, he turned his gaze to Ronin only to see an identical expression on his face as well. Sesshomaru regarded him with a hint of scepticism and asked if he was certain of the half demon's name.

"Yeah I'm sure. Do you guys know him or something?"

His question went unanswered. Without another word Sesshomaru leapt out the window with Ronin at his heels. Inuyasha stared quizzically around the suddenly empty room.

What the hell just happened?

He forced his body up from the floor and cringed at the fiery pain of the wounds cutting across his back. When the burning subsided and became bearable enough to walk, he followed them.

oOo

Akira wrapped his claws around the sword's sheath and felt the power of the blade seep into his very pores. He closed his eyes in pure bliss and breathed in deep to give his body time to adjust to the sudden surge of demonic power. When he opened them again, they saw the world in an entirely new light.

He felt stronger than he ever before - almost invincible - and faster too. It seemed like the world moved in slow motion around him. His eyes swept the clearing and he realized with immense satisfaction that there was nothing that could stand in his way now.

Kagome watched attentively as Akira tightened his grip on the sheath and began to lift it out of her hands. Her fingers loosened reluctantly and she tried to block out the voice in her head that was screaming at her to stop him. Suddenly that voice was joined by another in chorus but it was one she knew far too well. The sound of Sesshomaru calling to her from the other side of the clearing made the blood in her veins run cold.

"Kagome! Stop!" he commanded.

She shrank back and found her eyes drawn to the blood stain that inked its way down his arm. He and Inuyasha had fought. He was obviously alive and well, but what about Inuyasha? Her heart clenched at the thought of what might have happened to him while he bought her enough time to get to safety.

"Finally…it's mine!"

She turned at Akira's jubilant shout and the breath faded from her lungs. He triumphantly unsheathed the fang and she watched it expanded into its true form. He eyed it greedily, his azure orbs darkening to opaque pools of black ink.

Uttering a laugh that sent cold chills jetting down her spine, he turned on Sesshomaru and levelled him with a menacing glare.

"It's a beautiful morning to die, isn't it father?"

He levelled the sword at his chest and smirked. For an agonizing moment no one in the clearing dared move or breathe. The group stared in muted shock at Akira and the blade held tightly within his grasp.

Akira's gaze did not waver from the man he hated more than anything in this world. He'd dreamed of this day his entire life and now, finally, he would have his revenge. Only once Sesshomaru was dead could the hatred in his heart, bred by a lifetime of pain, be satiated. There was no going back now. It was do or die and the fang that hummed within his grasp nearly guaranteed that he would be the one to walk away from this final battle.

Sesshomaru kept his eyes trained upon Akira and his fist clenched tightly at his side. His body radiated with anger at the extent of the boy's betrayal. Never had he imagined that he was capable of this.

While matching the burning gaze of his traitorous son with one of his own, he couldn't help but feel pity for Kagome. Akira had manipulated her, played upon her human weaknesses of compassion and love to ensnare her within his tangled web of deception. If only he'd known sooner he might have been able to do something, but now it was too late.

As Akira had grown and matured, he'd quickly realized the dangerous thirst for power and ambition that consumed his life. To avoid any future troubles, he'd placed a powerful barrier on the fang, much like the one his own father had placed upon Tetsusaiga, so as to make it impossible for anyone but himself to wield. The only exception to this rule was that any half demon, assumedly one of his sons, could wield the fang if it was bestowed upon them by Kagome.

Seeing as how she was already dead at the time he created the barrier, he'd thought this a reasonably safe way to protect his fang and keep the balance of power in the Western Lands in check. Unfortunately for everyone, he'd underestimated his son's unquenchable thirst for power. How he discovered the key to breaking the barrier he couldn't be sure, but with the blade in Akira's hands they were all in danger. He would show no mercy; he'd been conditioned to expect none and none was ever given.

Unable to resist the pull of her gaze any longer, Sesshomaru's eyes shifted to Kagome and he became enveloped in her wide eyed stare. A small collection of tears welled at the corners of her eyes but they did not fall even though her body trembled. She hurriedly blinked them away and with a shuddering breath she placed her hand over her heart as if it pained her.

"Sesshomaru…I'm so sorry…I never wanted this," she began to apologize but her words faltered and Akira cut her off sharply.

"Don't apologize to him and stop crying. He deserves neither your remorse nor your tears." His voice was hard, edged with anger and a long festering bitterness.

Kagome blinked at him in stunned silence as she tried to pull the pieces together. Akira had called Sesshomaru 'father'. Was he her son from another relationship perhaps? She cringed inwardly and her heart burned with jealousy at the thought of Sesshomaru bedding another woman. He'd pledged himself to her for eternity, promised to protect her and stay by her side – it was never meant to end like this.

Her eyes narrowed at the silver haired half demon holding them hostage and she felt anger bloom throughout her chest. He'd played upon her dedication and love for Sesshomaru, knowing that she'd do everything in her power to save him. She'd trusted him, believed every word that'd come out of his mouth and now she realized how foolish she'd been.

She'd spent the last six years of her life fighting for something only to discover that it'd been a lie. All this time she'd been nurturing the very thing she was trying to stop. Her world had been devastated by this, and now what little was left was going to be destroyed.

Akira quickly swung the blade towards her. She froze mid-step and held her breath as the cold metal edge rested against the smooth alabaster skin of her neck. No one made a move to stop him but she could feel the tension hanging thick in the air and glanced to the side to lock eyes with Sesshomaru.

He was staring hard at her, his amber eyes blazing with determination. She couldn't understand where the anger and hatred she'd seen back at the palace had gone. This was all her fault. How could he not hate her for dragging him into this?

She dropped her gaze and swallowed convulsively as Akira dragged the tip of the sword down her throat. Eventually it fell away and he fixed her with a dark look.

"Stay," he pleaded softly. "I want you to witness what I'm going to do to him. You have the right to see him suffer for everything he's done to us."

"Everything he's done?" Kagome asked stunned. "Who are you? How do you know so much about me?"

Akira's eyes hardened at her questions and he grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"You weren't around much when I was growing up," he seethed, jerking her close, "but I never thought you'd forget your own flesh and blood."

Kagome's mouth dropped open and she stared at him speechless. He couldn't possibly be…

"Or is it because I wasn't his son," he demanded acidly, pointing his sword at Sesshomaru for emphasis, "that I'm not worth remembering?"

With a disgusted snarl he pushed her out of his grasp and shoved her towards Sesshomaru and Ronin. Kagome stumbled a few steps before falling to her knees in the muddied grass. Akira's words had hit her like a swift punch to the gut, completely knocking the wind out of her.

My son?

How had she missed it before? They shared the same cocky stance, couldn't control their quick tempers and resembled one another even more now that she really looked at them. How could she have been so blind as to not see it before? Of course she'd recognized the similarities, but she'd brushed them off as mere coincidences. She'd never once stopped to think of the possibility that he and Inuyasha were father and son.

Seeing the hatred burning in Akira's eyes as he stared at the only father he'd ever known, Kagome realized the costly error she'd made. Her selfish decision to leave him so she could go back through the well had spelled a lifetime of pain and hardship for him.

Pitiful tears spilled down her cheeks at the realization of just how horribly she'd failed him. As his mother she should've protected him and cared for him, but instead she'd left him to the one person who would always harbour a resounding hatred towards him. She'd been so determined to protect her sons from living the life of rejection Inuyasha had suffered, but now she realized that through her good intentions she'd sentenced Akira to the same fate as his father.

Kagome lifted her head and glanced pitifully at Sesshomaru. She needed to know why he'd done it, why he'd punished Akira for her transgressions, but he provided her with no answers. His face remained expressionless but for the frown lines edging the corners of his lips.

Inuyasha appeared just then, looking a little worse for the wear. His eyes quickly took in the scene in front of him and finally rested on Kagome in muted shock. Too ashamed to meet his gaze, she hung her head. He'd been right all along. If only she'd listened to his warnings about Akira sooner, maybe this entire situation could've been avoided.

"Ah, Inuyasha. How nice of you to join our little party," Akira taunted coolly.

Inuyasha's brows drew low over his golden eyes, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Akira followed his gaze to the sword and smiled.

"You know, I've spent my entire life trying to live up to your reputation. Since I was a kid all I ever heard around the palace was how amazing you and Sesshomaru were. I guess you could say Ronin and I had a lot to live up to, but I think he might've had an easier time of it."

With a callous smirk he swung the blade to the right and levelled it at Ronin's chest instead. His smirk faded and was quickly replaced by a scowl when he heard Kagome's distressed gasp from behind him.

Everyone always cares what happens to the perfect son. Ronin…the next leader of the Western Lands…fucking bastard…he can die with the rest of them!

"Ah yes, the first born son of the Great Lord Sesshomaru. Brother, you don't know how good you've had it. Growing up a bastard made things less than pleasant, but you already know all about that. You blamed me for every bad thing that happened to you when we were younger. You used to scream at me that you wished I'd never been born because then your mom would still be around.

"I was always second rate in that palace! You thought of me as barely worthy enough to sit at the same dining table because unlike you, I wasn't the son of the Great Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru's title slipped sarcastically from his lips and he viciously spat on the ground next to him.

"I didn't ask for this life!" he screamed suddenly, as though he were trying to break the demon lord's stoic mask with conviction alone.

"I never asked to be brought to this place and to be treated like an outcast by the only family I've ever known. I know what you're thinking old man. You think I've betrayed you by stealing this sword, that I'm a traitor, a dishonour to the family name. I may be all of those things but you can't deny the part you played."

Akira's eyes panned meaningfully around the clearing and he fixed every person in front of him with a look that promised retribution.

"You've all played a part in shaping the man who stands before you now."

"You mother," he began, turning to Kagome, "you abandoned me the day I was born because you loved this man more than your own flesh and blood. The man who humiliated you and cast you out in front of the entire court, the man who doubted your loyalty to him again and again - you chose himover me!"

Kagome swallowed hard and shamefully lowered her eyes to the ground. He was right. What kind of mother abandons her newborn son? She couldn't deny that she'd wanted to save Sesshomaru out of her own selfish need. She'd become so wrapped up in proving her worth, in showing him that she too could protect and guard the ones she loved, that she'd completely ignored everything else that was important to her, including her sons.

"You," Akira continued icily, motioning to Ronin with his blade, "you used me as your scapegoat. Every mistake, every bit of bad luck you ever had, was assuredly my fault because I was the 'other,' because I wasn't nobility like you. You encouraged the taunts I heard every day growing up and you forced me to live as a pariah in my own home. You - the perfect brother, the perfect son, the next leader to be - I'd hoped that you might help me, be my friend as well as my brother, but I know now that I expected far too much from you."

Ronin's body stiffened and he turned his gaze away to study the withering bark of a nearby tree. Kagome watched as an angry blush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks and she realized with a sinking heart that there must be at least some truth to Akira's accusations.

She remembered all too well the stories Inuyasha had told her of his own childhood. As a half demon he'd been an outcast, rejected by the demon world and shunned by the human world. If he wasn't being chased by demons looking for an easy lunch or something to appease their boredom, then he was being thrust out of village after village by angry mobs wanting vengeance for the havoc released upon their lives by the work of other less scrupulous demons. If Akira's upbringing had been anything like that, she wasn't sure her heart could bear to hear the rest.

Kagome's gaze shifted to Sesshomaru. She cringed at the hatred in Akira's tone as he spoke, but couldn't make herself look away.

"Father… Well, I think we both know you were the worst of all."

oOo

"Wait, please," Akira pleaded as he struggled to right himself. His sword arm was exhausted after hours of training. His body was weak and sore from suffering blow after crushing blow, but his opponent did not let up. His pleas for mercy went unanswered. There was no leniency in the next strike aimed his way, and it sent him flying backwards into the hard ground.

"Stand up and fight," Sesshomaru demanded, his eyes hard and cold as he glared down at Akira's body splayed out on the ground ahead of him. With a groan, the boy turned onto this side and pushed himself to his knees, leaning heavily against his sword for support.

"I can't. I can't do any more today. Please can we stop now?"

"Do not use the inferiority of your blood as an excuse for weakness. Your enemies will show you no mercy and neither shallI.Stand up and fight. You will continue to fight until you are strong enough to withstand my attacks."

There was no time for him to respond before his father's blade was brought down hard to clash against the steel of his sword. Akira's arms shook under the force of the blow as he used all the strength left within them to keep himself from being sliced in two.

With a loud grunt he managed to push out from beneath his father's fang and rolled to the side to give himself a second to breathe and collect his thoughts. He glared at his father and silently reaffirmed that he hated him more than anyone. This silent mantra gave him a tiny boost of energy and he used it to attempt one last attack. Unfortunately though, he was too slow and his blade was easily deflected.

"Pathetic," Sesshomaru chided, his voice laden with disdain.

Akira growled at him, feeling helpless to do anything else but show his anger. He blocked the next few attacks but could not dodge the last blow. The lightning quick blast from Tokijin sent him crashing into a nearby tree. He let out a muffled groan as the air was forced from his lungs and collapsed forward onto the grass, finally succumbing to the oblivion of unconsciousness.

With a 'tsk' of disgust Sesshomaru sheathed his sword at his waist. He knew better than to approach a fallen opponent so he watched the rise and fall of Akira's back from afar. Confident that the boy was not in any mortal danger he returned to the palace.

Akira awoke shivering from the cold some time later. He realized that he must've been unconscious for hours since the sun had long ago set and the moon was already high in the sky. His heart sunk at the realization that he'd failed yet again.

No matter what he did it never seemed to be enough for his father. He was always demanding more of him, knowing that it was beyond what he could give. Not a day went by where he wasn't reminded of how inferior he was to the rest because he wasn't a pure blood demon, because he wasn't his son.

With a half demon as a father and a human mother he was at best a quarter demon and lacked the demon blood necessary to make him as strong as the rest. And for that, his body suffered in every battle against Sesshomaru, the powerful and unbeatable Lord of the Western Lands.

Stubborn tears gathered in Akira's eyes as he looked up at the moon and wondered how different his life would've been if his mother were still alive. Would she have protected his body from this daily punishment? Would she have shown him how to be strong, how to stand up against the others?

Shaking his head to free himself of these thoughts he hastily wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. Tears were a sign of weakness; real men never cried. He knew this, yet they came anyway. Another sign of failure.

Face set with determination, Akira wiped the tears from his cheeks and pushed himself to his feet. He winced at the sharp pain that shot through his ribs. He'd hit the tree hard enough to crack at least one or two. Taking in a couple of halting breaths he mentally prepared himself to deal with the throbbing pain that was quickly becoming constant. He winced as he bent to pick up his sword, but showed no other signs of weakness as he embarked on the long and painful trek back to the palace.

oOo

After a moment of tense silence, Sesshomaru finally spoke.

"You misunderstood my intentions."

The expression on his face was hard as he willed the boy to understand. Who but he could have trained him to be strong enough to withstand the punishment his body would suffer at the hands of others? He was only a quarter demon, not a half demon like his brother and father, thus he lacked the strength they did to withstand injuries in battle and the endurance necessary to win. The strength had to be forced out of him and no one else would have had the patience or the skill to do it without killing him.

He'd never expected Akira to understand of course. Judging by the extent of the boy's hatred he must've assumed that their daily training was punishment for his very existence, perhaps even for the sins of his mother. The reality though was much different. He'd made Akira powerful, made him an equal. He'd given him the ability to wield the fang he so treasured. He would make no apologies and he saw no need to explain his actions. If Akira was too closed-minded to see the truth, then it was a result of his own failings as a teacher.

"You misunderstood…"

It wasn't exactly an apology, but then again the great lord of the West never apologized for anything. Akira knew that, he hardly could have expected more from him, yet still Sesshomaru's words were not enough to appease the anger in his heart.

"I misunderstood?" he nearly choked on the words as he forced them out of this throat. "What the hell did I misunderstand? What part of I'm a worthless, pathetic excuse for a demon did I not get?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond. His lips pressed into a thin line and Kagome could sense that there was more he wanted to say. What surprised her more, however, was the look of tempered patience in his eyes. He didn't look on her son with anger or disdain. He looked at him the way any disappointed parent would look at their child – with love.

Akira seemed blind to this and the anger brewing inside of him began to seep out in a brilliant red haze of demonic power. It glowed around his body like an aura, emanating the warmth and power he'd drawn out of the fang. Everyone seemed to come alive all at once as they realized that he was fully intent on using the fang to destroy everything around them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded. His body tensed and he crouched down, prepared to jump in if necessary. Ronin joined in too and pleaded with Akira to stop, calling him "brother" for perhaps the first time in their lives. Kagome turned her eyes pleadingly towards her son and whispered his name. The only ones who remained silent were Sesshomaru and Akira. Caught up in a silent war of their own making, they ignored everyone around them and kept their gazes locked in a private battle of wills.

Sesshomaru didn't flinch as Akira lifted the fang to strike him down. He showed no fear when the powerful demonic energy surged around the blade in preparation for its deadly blow. Kagome watched Sesshomaru slowly close his eyes and draw in a slow breath. He gave off no sign of fear. A sense of calm emanated from him, as if to tell them that he'd already accepted his fate.

Kagome's heart sank and in its place panic rose up to steal her breath away. Her limbs felt leaden as she slowly pushed her body upright.

No. No, no, no!

It was not going to end like this. She hadn't sacrificed everything to save him, just so he could give up now.

In that moment before all hell broke loose, she realized the answer. Pushing through the leaden weight in her limbs, she broke into a dead run.

Please let me make it in time, she pleaded as her legs pumped furiously beneath her and her feet pounded into the soft grass.

Time…

Time was what had started all of this and in a few seconds time would be the end of it. She quickened her pace as she felt the crackle of the blade's demonic energy weighing down the air around her. Akira released the power of the fang with a cry of rage and she felt her long forgotten spiritual powers revive and take hold within her body once more.

In the time it takes a heart to beat from one pulse to the next, everyone in the clearing was enveloped by the brilliant golden blaze of the sword's energy. And though their vision was stolen by the white light that surrounded them, the blast that followed rang perfectly in their ears, as did Kagome's heart wrenching scream.