"I lied. The house is alive. We're all gonna die."
—The House on Haunted Hill

Deadly Games

Chapter Thirty-Five: Summoning

Kura, on her knees, scooted backwards as her blood-covered fingertips touched the floor, drawing a red line as they moved across it. She touched her fingers to the small gash on her arm once more, than dragged them across the tile, finishing up her work. Kura then stood up and looked down at what she had just done.

"When I did this last time there was enough blood on the floor that I didn't have to use my own," Kura muttered to herself. "And I had more of my power so I didn't have to do it by hand."

A symbol written in blood lay on the floor, fairly large and taking up a fourth of the large room. The symbol was a six-pointed star that lay inside a circle. Inside the star were three diagonal lines in its center, two of the lines forming an 'X' while the third went horizontally across the star and through the 'X'.

When she had first done the symbol, she and Akio had been in its center as she used her powers to make the blood around them take shape and form the mystical symbol. Akio had been too preoccupied with his guilt and despair to notice the change around him at the time—and too afraid of her as well. Now, with him blocking most of her power, she had to do it by hand and had to use her own blood. If she'd still been human and alive, Kura surely would have fainted with how much blood she had used to make the symbol. But even if her blood wasn't technically real and pumping in her veins, it was good enough for this purpose.

"Is everything ready?" Miroku asked behind her.

Kura nearly jumped out of her skin, surprised by the sudden words. She turned to face him and the rest behind him. She gulped, her palm becoming sweaty as the anxiety swelled within her. "Y-yes," the girl squeaked out.

Sango stood up from where she had been resting on the floor. She was resting her body, saving her strength as she got weaker and weaker. Hiei's sword was still unsheathed from when she had taken it out before and now she used it as leverage to hold herself up. "Then let's go. I want to kill this thing."

"Should… should you really be fighting, Sango?" Botan asked hesitantly. "You're still not healed fully."

Sango sent a glare her way and Botan backed off, literally taking a small step back. Of course, Botan did not know that Sango would never be fully healed again as she was slowly perishing. But the slayer was not going down without a fight.

"What happens now?" Kuwabara asked.

Kura walked silently to the center of the blood-made design before turning back to them, a sudden serious look in her eyes. "I need your help to complete this."

"Since when?" Yusuke asked obnoxiously. "You didn't need help the first time you did it centuries ago."

The sight of the little girl with her hands on her hips and her bottom lip jutted out would have been adorable if they had not known it was her one act that had later made their lives miserable.

"Things were different then and I had a lot more power in that one moment when I sealed him, power I didn't even know I had. Do you want me to call him or not?" Grimly, he nodded and a few others did as well after a few moments' pause. "Then I need six of you to stand at each of the six points, preferably the warriors among you. Whatever comes after this will be almost certainly violent."

One by one, six of them took places at the edge of the symbol; first Inuyasha, who took the place at one of the top points, placing his feet on either side of the bloody edge. He was followed by Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Sango, and Miroku, the last taking the other point across from Inuyasha. Botan with Shippo in her arms stood a few feet away while Kirara waited right outside the outer ring of the symbol.

"This symbol was made of blood before and needs more blood than I can give now on my own," Kura informed them.

"So you want us to give our blood?" Inuyasha questioned gruffly.

She just stared at the hanyou before giving a curt nod.

Sango sighed heavily. If things kept going like this, she would pass out or worse before anything was solved. "Look, no more arguing. If it's blood she needs," Sango held up her sword, "than we'll give her blood."

Kurama, who stood beside her, took the sword from Sango's hands gently, knowing what it meant to her and didn't want to upset her. She looked at him questionably, but he only brought the blade to his arm and in one quick, fluid motion, made a small wound. He passed it to Inuyasha next to him, who did the same before passing it to Yusuke, followed by Kuwabara, and then Miroku. They each picked a different part of their arm to nick with the sword, Yusuke and Kuwabara slicing their palms, but it would give the same result in the end.

Miroku handed Sango back the weapon and she lifted it to her arm. A firm grip on her wrist with the sword in it a second later stopped her. Sango looked up at the owner of the hand.

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Miroku inquired in a low voice so only she and probably the demons around them could hear. "You can't afford to lose much more blood and expect to live…" much longer was the unsaid ending. "Botan can take your place."

She wanted to get angry with him, truly she did. She wanted to be able to yell at him, mainly since he was being so careful with her, but she felt strangely calm. Calm, because she knew for better or for worse, it would all be over and resolved soon. But she knew the calmness wouldn't last long, especially after the summoning was complete, so she used it while she could.

"Let me do this Miroku," Sango said. The words sounded like she should be asking, but her tone said differently. "I need to do this."

Somehow she felt if she didn't do this then it wouldn't work. It needed her blood.

Slowly, very slowly, he let go of her and she used the blade against her skin. She let out a small hiss that she quickly swallowed. She hadn't made the wound too deep and only hoped that Kura wouldn't need too much blood from them.

Without needing to be told, they each held their arm over the point of the star in front of them. The thick red liquid ran down their arms and fell, but the blood didn't stain the floor. No, the blood dropped from their arms and sank into the floor, disappearing from view and the symbol lay unmarked by the fresh blood.

The symbol began to turn from its red color to a white sort of light, growing steadily stronger as more blood fell. Then Kura, in its center, began to hum. Since she needed as much power as she could muster, she began to sing to build her power.

The light stopped growing brighter while Kura's voice still sung its wordless song. Then abruptly her song was cut off. One or maybe more of them would have asked her why she stopped, but a strong, invisible wind came from no where and would have drowned out their words if they had tried to speak.

Kura's head snapped upward as her hair flapped wildly around her head. Her eyes closed and her arms spread out. Though the wind was moving violently and would have stopped any of their words from reaching anyone else's ears, hers rang clearly around the room. Her voice still sounded the same and perhaps that was the most frightening part because at the moment, she looked and felt like anything but a child, yet technically that was what she was. All the same, her voice had a sense of power to it, which made it seem different.

Let the pain be undone

Let us free again

Take the prisoners and set them free

And allow them to descend

Held for so long,

Let the trapped free

The sins still anew

Bring the trapped for us to see

Her eyes snapped open and they could see that her eyes were entirely consumed by the normal blue of her eyes. There was no white left in them.

Then in a quiet, but firm voice, she spoke one word.

"Descend."

The mystical symbol suddenly flashed a brilliant white that spread throughout the room, blinding all that were inside it. The six standing at each of the six points of the symbol were all thrown violently backwards by an invisible force, toppling over themselves and rolling across the floor as they were.

The white light slowly receded until seeing was capable again. The first thing the majority of them noticed was Kura, standing still in the heart of the symbol, but that didn't last long. Her body suddenly fell with a thud to the floor.

What they next noticed was the small orb of white light hovering above one of the top points of the six-pointed star. It expanded once again, but this time more upward than out.

Then standing inside the circle, appearing out of the white light, was a man.

The man was nearly six feet with light brown hair and a light shade of brown eyes that matched the hair perfectly. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and seemed quite unthreatening.

Looks can be deceiving.

She had made him into a demon. Giving him, though accidental, her hatred and bitterness of what he had done when she had made him the house's conscience had turned him into a demon.

His hands turned to fists, nails biting so deeply into the flesh of his palms that blood poured down onto the floor. A strong aura surrounded him, the air humming and crackling with his power. He tilted his head upward, letting out a long, wordless, bloodcurdling scream that seemed to have no end. And as he screamed, his power struck out randomly in a visible display, looking like lightning, causing the walls and ceiling to start coming off in pieces with his raw energy.

His scream suddenly stopped, but his power and rage did not. He looked around him with a crazed look in his eyes, searching for something. Or someone.

Akio's eyes found Kura on the floor and he looked down at the unconscious 'child' with an unidentified emotion. She lay on her stomach with her face turned to one side, showing her delicate features and her closed eyes. One arm lay trapped underneath her, while the other hand laid palm-down near her face. Her hair fell in soft waves, framing her face elegantly. She had the face of pure innocence. Oh, how he hated that innocent-looking face.

"Kura, it's been too long since we've met in person," he said with sickening sweetness. It was eerie coming out of a face that had just become so filled with rage.

And with that he lifted his foot, in its fine leather boot, and slammed it on top of her small hand. He dug his heel into it, just like someone would squash a rodent under their shoe, and effectively crushed her hand. The sickening crushing of bone could be heard throughout the room. Luckily, the girl was blissfully unconscious. It would be a whole different story when she woke up; though with Akio near her now, she might never get that far.

The crazed man picked up the girl by her golden locks and lifted his other hand up, about to hit the girl. He was stopped, however, when someone put their hand over his fist. He turned, surprised, to this new person.

"Hi, I don't think we've been properly introduce," Yusuke said sardonically. He punched the lord in the face, making his stumble back. "I'm Yusuke." Inuyasha, with a cry, clawed at Akio's chest, plunging his clawed hand into his stomach. "That's Inuyasha," he continued as he caught Akio and punched him once more. Akio fell to the floor with a grunt.

"You're gonna wish you were never born," Inuyasha growled.

Akio stood up as though nothing had happened and as though the wounds they had inflicted had meant nothing. They had merely caught him by surprise, but now he was ready for them. The wounds began to heal as they watched him come forward. He growled, a sound not meant to be heard from any human. Then again, he wasn't really human, was he? Not anymore anyway, but he had the appearance of one.

He began to call the rest of his power, while the six who had helped Kura summon him tried to attack him before he got too powerful. However, he made a movement with his arm, sending them all flying back. The power crackling around him grew and Akio began levitating a few inches off the ground. Another wave of his arm and demons began to pour in from all over, attacking the group.

The fight began as the group tried to wade their way through demons to get to Akio, but not many could reach him. Even when they did, he easily evaded their attack. Meanwhile, Botan dragged Kura to the side of the room and began to try and heal her broken hand, while Shippo watched anxiously.

Miroku was unable to use his wind tunnel since the poisonous demons had mixed in with the others. What he did do was stay close to Sango so he was able to help her fight and get to Akio… or if anything worse happened, like in case she collapsed.

Sango reached Akio finally and found he had drawn a sword from somewhere or materialized one. He smiled cruelly when he saw her and beckoned her over with the look in his eyes. The rage ran through her, warming her body and boiling her blood.

It was his fault they had lost so many of their friends. The pain… anguish… grief… and guilt… all his fault.

She swung her sword and he blocked it easily with his own. They kept sword fighting, Sango's anger keeping her going even as her body wanted to collapse. She wouldn't let him win. No, she wouldn't.

"Why are you doing all this! Why do you keep hurting people?" Sango yelled at him. "In that vision you showed us, I felt your remorse for killing them… then why are you killing more now?"

"Why? Why?" Akio shouted angrily. "Left alone only able to think and reflect for centuries… I blame them! It's their fault!" He attacked again; she put up her sword defensively. "Then once and awhile a wanderer would find their way here… and I'd have fun toying with them… their screams of agony… their pleas of mercy… until they finally died." Another attack. "But your group… it was more entertaining to watch your reactions and your suffering more than anything else. I started wondering, what would you do if I took them? Would you get violent and destroy rooms? Breakdown and cry? Fuck the demon you hate?"

He laughed, he just laughed at her after his own words. Sango's grip tightened on the hilt of her sword. Their swords met again with a clang and stayed together as they both pushed against them. Sango's teeth gritted with the strength needed to hold him off. Her arms and legs trembled with the force.

"You know, I originally was going after you, but seeing Hiei's reaction to what that demon—no, what I made him do, I took him instead."

No, no she didn't want to hear this! No! Hiei… Akio had just wanted to toy with them and Hiei had been the most interesting one at the moment… The bastard!

She let out a strangled cry, something between a whimper and a cry of outrage. Akio gave a finally push and she fell to the floor, lying on her back. As quick as she could, she tried to get back on her feet. She had dropped the sword and he kicked it away before she could reach, then grabbed hold of her. He gripped her wrist with one hand and held her against him, her back against his chest while he held her wrists behind her back. She struggled, but found she didn't have enough energy to get free of him.

Akio rested his cheek against hers and whispered, "Your pain… was just so entertaining to watch." He brought his sword up to her neck. "But it ceases to amuse me now. Let's make the pain stop, shall we?"

Her eyes widened.

She heard her name being called by someone, but the person's identity was unknown to her. She didn't even try to find the person who called her. She heard Kirara's growls and saw her trying to get to her, but also saw several large demons holding her down. She twisted around violently trying to dislodge them, but only more jumped on.

Sango's thoughts were frantic and incoherent. No… no… he couldn't… no, he wouldn't dare… I can't let it end like this! The girl was going to bring him back! … I… I wanted to see him again… even if only for a minute…

Suddenly Akio dropped his sword next to them and instead, called Hiei's sword to him. It lifted itself off the ground and flew to his outstretched hand easily. He replaced the blade so that it was held against her neck once more.

His lips somewhere close to her ear, he murmured to her, "I think it is only proper for it to be done by your lover's own sword, don't you agree?"

He moved his head back and pressed the sword a bit tighter against her neck, as though seeing if he could get a reaction out of her. She felt the first trickles of blood slide down her neck.

She didn't respond nor make the smallest noise. She only closed her eyes slowly, accepting her fate. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Sango!" she heard the voice growl urgently, but it didn't come from around her. It came from within.

Her eyes shot open and her throat was slit.