The stars shone brightly, although distorted by the grey smoke emerging from the burning inn. Sesshomaru and Pyromancer Angel stood unmoving, face to face, staring at each other sternly. Then, Sesshomaru laid his right hand on Bakusaiga, and Pyromancer Angel tightened her grip on the falchion of the Sun and Moon.

"Those nice white fangs might go for ten gold coins each at a weaponry merchant's," Pyro Angel commented sadistically, "Or even more, since unlike that spotty one, you are clearly purebred. Am I right?"

Sesshomaru did not answer pointless questions, so Pyro Angel smirked and raised her falchion-staff.

Then, she attempted to swing her falchion-staff, but suddenly stopped and stared in shock at her weapon. The wild white flames that had once danced prosperously on the falchion blade now waned and disappeared, making the weapon look like an ordinary one of iron. Pyromancer Angel's right arm was weighed down. She struggled with her gigantic falchion-staff, as if it had suddenly become too heavy for her to wield.

The power of the Sun and Moon, the power of fire! It's leaving me! Why? She desperately thought.

Then, Pyromancer Angel glanced up at the night sky in confusion. The moon was in the very middle of the pitch black, and looked like a thin, circular ring of light. A lunar eclipse, on this night of all nights.

But Pyro Angel did not have any time to blame her horrendous luck, because during that stunned moment, Sesshomaru attacked her with lightning speed. Seeing that neither Bakusaiga nor his poison whip worked on Pyro Angel, Sesshomaru gave up on weapons and punched her in the arm. Sure enough, the most primitive attack was completely foolproof. She was easily disarmed as the heavy falchion-staff flew out of her hand and landed on the ground three storeys below with a thump.

Without hesitation, Sesshomaru bared his claws and slashed at the face of Pyromancer Angel. She slid back in order to evade his attack, and stepped onto a burnt tile. The tile cleanly broke off the roof, and the warrior of fire once again couldn't escape a falling fate.

Sesshomaru landed softly on the ground and looked at his opponent, who was leaning against the partially destroyed wall of the burning inn. Pyromancer Angel got up and returned his glare. She was not one who would easily give up. Her right arm was visibly inert, but she still had a left handed dagger, and did not hesitate to unsheathe it.

But to her surprise, Sesshomaru looked up to the roof and said, "Now, Jaken!"

Jaken was standing on the eaves directly above Pyromancer Angel holding a huge bucket, and before she could react, the warrior of fire was showered with a bucket's worth of freezing cold water. Her eyes became round with shock, horror and fury. But before she could swear on her life that she would send Jaken to hell, Sesshomaru cut across her with Bakusaiga. Green sparks leaped everywhere, and Pyro Angel smirked.

"Do you never learn? Your useless katana cannot cut my armor!" Pyromancer Angel roared, before thrusting her dagger at the dog demon before her.

"No, it cannot. But this can!"

Using the blade of Bakusaiga, Sesshomaru perfectly deflected Pyromancer Angel's hand, copying the technique that she had once successfully used on him. Then, in a jiffy, he bent her elbow back and plunged her dagger into its owner's flesh. Sure enough, Pyromancer Angel's dagger was excellent at breaking through armor, including her own. The warrior of fire cried out bitterly as her blood splashed onto the white clothing of her opponent.

Sesshomaru then shot out his sharp claws, finally aiming for the kill. But just before his claws struck Pyromancer Angel's neck, she grabbed and tightly held his hand in mid-air. She was one very strong woman, because she was able to push back the dog demon's hand.

During that moment of suspense, Sesshomaru inadvertently stared deep into Pyromancer Angel's bright green eyes. Although she said absolutely nothing, the look in her eyes seemed to be pleads for mercy. There was a sad spark within, as if she was afraid to die in vain. As if she still longed for something, something that she had not yet achieved.

What is so important to this woman? Sesshomaru thought.

Then, he suddenly remembered the words of the pink-clothed woman whom he saved from Pyromancer Angel. He heard them clearly, right before the black light of the Tenseiga lifted him from the cold ground he was laying on. All of a sudden, Sesshomaru felt a surge of distastefulness, and realized that he had no desire to kill an injured old woman. Displeased, he backed away from Pyromancer Angel, and she unintentionally fell upon her knees.

"Go home to your children," Sesshomaru told her coldly, sheathing Bakusaiga and turning away.

Just as Sesshomaru was walking away from his pitifully defeated opponent, a tiny blade shot past his face. A small dot of blood ran down one side of the dog demon's cheek. It stopped him dead in his tracks, but he didn't turn back to face Pyro Angel.

"I could have killed you with that, you know," Pyromancer Angel said wearily, "But now we are even. Where are you heading next?"

Sesshomaru turned his face a fraction and replied, "Home."

"Home?" She chuckled, "I guess demons also have families to take care of."

"Where will you go?" Sesshomaru asked Pyromancer Angel.

"I can't go home yet. Not until I have defeated the one demon whose head I was unable to claim," Pyromancer Angel said with a sarcastic smile, "I will return to Persia, the birthplace of Zoroastrianism. I see I still have much to learn. One day I will find you again, and that day I will certainly claim a big dog's head. Mark my words, Lord Sesshomaru."

With that, the warrior of fire staggered to her feet, barely able to stand. Sesshomaru looked back pitifully at her, but of course made no effort to help his defeated opponent. Although he had spared her life, he was not the type to forget a single insult.

Pyro Angel approached her flameless falchion-staff, and carefully picked it up. She walked to the back door of the inn that was now a burnt and blaze-filled wreckage. Then, she turned and gave Sesshomaru one last smile. This smile, unlike her previous sarcastic smirks, was a genuine one of respect...and hate. A LOT of hate. As Pyromancer Angel disappeared into the waning flames, her voice could be heard echoing through the night.

I am the fire. I am the one destined to conquer the world.

Just as Sesshomaru recovered Pyromancer Angel's tiny hidden weapon and examined it curiously, Jaken emerged from behind the ruined inn and approached his lord.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken wailed, "W-where's Pyromancer Angel? Did I miss something?"

"Jaken, silence," Sesshomaru told his servant, before looking down at him. The moment he did that, Sesshomaru nearly fell on his back. For once, the usually calm dog demon jumped and exclaimed, "Jaken! You're green again!"

"What?"

Without another word, Jaken scurried to the riverside and stared at his reflection in the clear water. Then, a cry of joy woke up every inhabitant of the peaceful town. A very strange cry of joy.

"YES! I AM GREEN!"