Guess who's back with a brand new track. Oh wait... I'm not Cascada... whoops... sorry yall... (For everyone that didn't get that reference, you obviously don't listen to music XD) Anyway, I'm not dead yet. And I'm not in the process of being murdered by my father (Monty Python and the Holy Grail bitches...), so I think we're good. All except for the fact that I'm a terrible person with a life that's way too busy... Yeah... It's rough... But the chapter is here now! Huge shout out to all the people that yelled at my ass to get this done! So here it is! Shit gets done eventually yall!

Onwards!

Chapter 50

"So what now?" The man in the reclining in the corner of the room asked his comrade as he twirled a blade twice the size of any normal human. Eyes glowed red from the shadows across the small space as a light chuckle traversed it.

"Buredo, my friend, you must be kidding me." The demon laughed, his deep voice filling the room, "You must know." Buredo rolled his eyes, shrugging off the condescending tone.

"Enlighten me Naginata. I must know." He responded, letting the sarcasm drip thick from his voice. Naginata responded by sending his twelve foot long halberd whizzing through the air to stick into the wooden wall with a loud thunk.

"We spit the half-breed and her mate on my pike." He growled out past his razor sharp teeth and elongated incisors.

"Cut the melodrama." Buredo told his demonic friend as he ripped the halberd from the wall, "You know as well as I do that we don't engage unless absolutely necessary." With that he threw the weapon back to Naginata. A blue, clawed hand the size of Buredo's head reached out from the dark shadows to catch the pike. Less than a second later, the rest of Naginata's massive dark blue form exited the darkness. He was just as tall as his weapon and rippling from head to toe with muscle. His red eyes and long braided white hair only added to the intimidation factor of the beast standing before Buredo. The only clothing he wore was a loincloth. Everything else of this demon, who looked more lion than man, was left bare leaving nothing to the imagination of an opponent. Buredo, though he was immensely strong and even further strengthened by several dark magics, knew that his human form would have trouble competing. He was quite glad that they were on the same side. The only thing the human had on his demon counterpart was that he was much more attractive. This in and of itself was not all that impressive. A rock was more attractive than the demon. Buredo, however, was not known as the Dashing Devil for nothing. His beautiful smile and chiseled body was the last thing his enemies saw before his massive blade cleaved them in two.

"And who, exactly, has defined what is and what is not necessary action?" The behemoth questioned defiantly.

"The only one who could hold down a warrior such as yourself, Naginata." Buredo's patronizing tone amused the demon. He would have been offended if he weren't well aware that it was true. Unfortunately, he was outclassed in this regard.

"Remind me of our orders then, Buredo, since you seem to know them so well." Buredo chuckled at the request. He knew good and well that Naginata was aware of their orders. However, he decided to humor the beast.

"We send our lord's great army against the half-breed bitch and her mate so we can gauge their strength from afar. Then, after we've figured out the extent of it, however meager it is, we join the fight ostensibly as allies. This will signal our forces to retreat in order to preserve the army. Once they've successfully escaped, we get ourselves informed on their plans and any strengths that they may have, so that our lord can neutralize them. That done, we head home." Buredo recited by heart. Naginata applauded jokingly, holding back laughter behind an amused smile.

"Very good my friend." The demon jested, "Now let us hope that you can talk just as smoothly to mutt as you do to me."

"I'd call it one of my specialties. My only hope is that your horrifying looks don't scare them off." Buredo shot back as he used his sword to stand up from where he sat in the corner, "That's a much more legitimate worry." The beast belted out with the laughter he'd been holding back.

"Indeed it is, Buredo. Indeed it is." And with that the demon walked out of the building, making sure to step over the bloodied bodies of the previous owners as he ducked to step out of the door. Buredo chuckled and followed. He spared a glance for the man's wife. It was a shame that she had put up a fight and had to die. She was quite attractive. Buredo guessed she would have been a nice lay. Alas, he would have to look elsewhere. Maybe the mutt would provide some enjoyment before she breathed her last.

The two stood beside each other in the late morning sunlight. Their army, hidden from the senses of any meddling priestesses or demon hunter by their lord's great power, sat patiently awaiting orders in the field that extended out next to the small building that they had just occupied. Buredo was glad that he was used to the stench of demon armies. The overwhelming scents of blood, smoke, and death had been too much for him on his first experience. Now, however, the smell was almost calming. He knew Naginata reveled in the aroma. From the looks of the demon, it seemed to Buredo that he got off on it every time he breathed it into his lungs. That much was strange for the warrior, but it was not his job to judge his comrade. It was his job to hunt down a mutt.

"Rally them." Buredo commanded tersely, turning and walking in the direction they had to travel, "We move out now." Naginata nodded and, without a word, lifted his face and his fanged mouth to the sky. Unhinging his jaw, the beast let out a deafening roar. That was the signal the army had been waiting for. They were up and forming ranks in seconds. After only a minute, the force was ready to march. They longed to sate their bloodlust.

Sai and Kaze were making great time. That much was evident by the massive cloud of dust that they had kicked up behind them. Kirara found it so bothersome that she had to fly much higher in the air than she normally would when travelling with her companions. However, this didn't bother her too much. The faster they went, after all, the faster the whole group would be together again. She missed Nami, Umi, and even Akage, someone she'd quickly come to like. Sai was having very similar thoughts. She missed the girls that acted as the sisters she never had. Akage had proved himself in battle and as a friend, that much was clearly evident. The main thing he had going for him, though, was the fact that he and Nami had fallen madly in love. Sai firmly believed that they didn't have anything on the relationship that she had with Kaze, but she was also mentally prepared to acknowledge and concede that it wasn't a contest if the two love birds ever caught up.

Sai took a moment to glance at the object of her affection. Kaze was blazing along beside her. He seemed lost in his own world. His eyes had glazed over and were fixed ahead on the only clue that he was even alive was the fact that he was running. Suddenly, though, his ear twitched, likely to flick away dust. Kaze probably didn't even realize that he had done it, but Sai couldn't help but think it was cute and funny. She began to giggle uncontrollably. This got Kaze's attention. His head snapped towards the sound of his mate's laughter. The look in his eyes was one of confusion, but he had to smile. If his mate was happy, then so was he.

"What's so funny?" Kaze questioned, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all." Sai told him, unwilling to let him know that he was the source of her amusement.

"C'mon tell me." He pleaded jokingly, "I've gotta know."

"Don't worry about it." She insisted, shaking her head. She was still fighting back giggles, but control was slowly returning to her.

"Really Sai? Really?" Kaze's sarcasm was good-hearted, but it was enough to get an answer from his mate.

"Alright, alright." Sai finally conceded, "Well, I was watching you when-" Suddenly an all too familiar scent filled Sai's lungs and it made her stop in her tracks, skidding on the dirt path to slow down. Kaze had clearly caught the same smell because he mimicked the action. Kirara quickly joined them from her perch in the sky.

"You smell it too?" Kaze asked, the trepidation evident in his voice. He definitely didn't want to deal with the horde of demons that was approaching. Without backup, he was doubtful that they would come out of the fight altogether intact. After all, these demons, though there were far fewer than normal, seemed much more powerful than the ones that they were used to dealing with on seemingly such a regular basis. This was a fight that Kaze was ready and willing to back away from, at least for the moment. That's why he was so surprised when he heard his mate start to chuckle. Kaze looked over in surprise to see the confident smirk on his mate's face. It seemed to him that his love had lost her mind.

"Why in the hell are you laughing Sai?" Kaze demanded, curious as to whether her visit with her grandfather had actually driven her insane, "This isn't something we should be amused by! It's something we should be running from! Our friends need us back at Koga's den!" Sai only laughed more as she drew both of her swords.

"You know, you think Konton would run out of demon hordes at some point. Somehow, though, he's produced army after army to throw at us." Sai pondered, altogether ignoring her mate's worries,

"You think he's bringing demons over from the mainland? Or has he found some way to breed them? We've gotta figure that out at some point." Kaze ran his hands through his hair trying to deal with the sudden source of stress. Apparently his mate was set on fighting. That settled it then. Kaze reached for his own blade, but was stopped by Sai, who caught his arm before it could grip the hilt.

"Don't worry about this. I've got it." She assured him. Kaze cocked an eyebrow in surprise. His mate really had gone crazy. However, if this was her wish, then he would indulge her. At least up until the point where she was in legitimate danger. Then Kaze planned to step in whether she liked it or not.

"As you wish." Kaze conceded, keeping the begrudging tone out of his voice. Sai flashed a warm smile at him that nearly made his heart stop. Again he was reminded of how beautiful his mate was as the sun shined upon her face and the breeze gently graced her hair. It was something that he was determined to protect.

Sai turned her attention from her mate back to the ever closing in demon horde. She wasn't altogether sure why she was so certain that she could do this on her own, yet the very air around her seemed to spark with the notion that she could. Sai didn't plan on arguing with a power that she didn't quite yet understand. Instead, she chose to obey it and hope for the best. Mondai and Jikan seemed to burn with anticipation in her hands. They thirsted for the first taste of their master's new power. Sai could relate. She had yet to feel the rush of it in battle. It was something she thoroughly looked forward to now that the opportunity was upon her.

The scent of the demon horde grew stronger as the dust cloud that marked their charge began to quickly grow in the distance. It wouldn't be long before the battle began. The excitement and adrenaline that coursed through Sai's veins made her want to rush headlong into the fray of battle, yet she held back. It seemed the appropriate thing to do. The enemy was the one that wished to fight her, so she would let them come. However, she didn't plan on letting them indulge any further. Before the day was done, she would be the victor. That was something she intended to see through to its completion. As the sun warmed the breeze that floated past her nose, she knew it was going to be a good day to die. That is, for her enemies.

With this thought came the first arrow. It arced through the sky as raced towards Sai's chest. The tip of the flying object would have buried itself in the heart of a human. However, Sai clearly wasn't human. Her trained eye followed the arrow all the way along its arc and, once it came within reach, it ceased to be a threat. Sai brought Mondai around faster than a human eye could track and sliced the arrow in two, watchin as the pieces fell harmlessly before her. The first was soon followed by a volley of others. Sai shook her head. The attempt was futile. She simply stared at the arrows as they approached. The tips dripped poison as they raged through the air. This was of little concern for the half demon. As the arrows approached, Sai raised her blade to face them directly and, with a pulse of energy, stopped the shafts in mid-air. They simply hung in their places in the sky for a moment before falling harmlessly to the ground. Sai lowered her blade and, as it came to rest at her side, the arrows burst into flame and were immediately consumed, leaving nothing in their wake. The demons were going to have to try a lot harder if they wanted to kill her. She heard Kaze chuckle from his stance behind her. He was obviously just as amused as she was by the pointless effort, though she doubted that he had expected her flamboyant method of stopping it.

Suddenly the first demon broke from the dust cloud. The beast was green and appeared to be an ox, all except for the fact that it charged her with two hoofed feet instead of four and held a large warhammer in its clawed hands. Immediately, countless other demons of all different descriptions followed. Sai smirked. It was time. She raised her blades, crossing them above her head. Energy from the surrounding environment began to swirl around the blades as her own rose to meet it through the enchanted fangs. Sai knew she was the only one that could she the event take place, but she was sure that everyone was about to see what happened next.

"DRAGON RIFT!" Her roar was drowned out as she brought the blades slashing down by the deafening explosion that erupted from her swords as blinding white light raged out of them and surged directly for the demons that approached. The flash traveled too quickly for the targets to react, but seemed to travel in slow motion for Sai as she watched. Every detail of the events unfolding before her was clear. She could see the light tear into the earth, tossing massive pieces through the air as if they weighed nothing. Flashes of lighting surged around the edges of the energy as it traveled. Sai watched with anticipation as the light reached the first rank of her foes. Suddenly, time began to pass normally for Sai again. The Dragon Rift overwhelmed the demonic horde in an instant. It took a moment for the light to dissipate and the dust to clear before Sai and Kaze could get an unobstructed view of the results. However, when that was finally presented to them, what they saw was astonishing

Buredo sat and watched his army charge the bitch and her mutt of a mate from his perch in the trees. He was surprised. Amused might be a better word. Not only was the girl deciding to stand and fight, she was telling her mate, and by extension their cat demon, to stand down. She was planning to fight alone. Buredo couldn't believe his luck. The bitch was going to fight alone. Her cockiness was going to make his job a whole hell of a lot easier. Buredo had to stop himself from bursting into laughter as he saw her draw her swords. He was going to enjoy taking the two of them for his own. Naginata clearly couldn't contain his amusement. His deep chuckle traveled the short distance that separated them and only made it all the harder for Buredo to control himself. Both of them were looking forward to the show.

However, when the show started, their amusement was cut short. Buredo wasn't even able to see the mutt move, but it was abundantly clear that she had cut the arrow that had been speeding straight for her heart out of the sky. The pieces were sitting harmlessly on the ground in front of her. Neither he nor Naginata could fathom the speed shown in that one movement. That was why they refused to believe it. Clearly, their eyes had to be playing tricks on them. It was easy enough to cut an arrow out of the sky, right? They'd just blinked at the wrong time and hadn't seen her sheer the thing in two. Overall confidence in the next ranged attempt was still extremely high. There was no way the bitch could evade the massive volley of poison-tipped arrows that was now heading her way with the same ease. That's what they thought, at least, until the shafts stopped in mid-air. The half demon had the blade in her right hand pointed directly at the center of the mass of arrows. Even Buredo's human senses, heightened though they may have been, could tell that she had stopped them with a burst of her own power. This was further evidenced when the arrows fell to the ground and immediately burst into flame.

Buredo had to say that he was impressed, much more so than he thought he would be by the mutt. Yet here she was, unscathed and smirking in front of a charging demonic horde. However, her fate was inevitable. That smirk would be wiped from her face the very same army that she now scoffed at. He could, again, barely contain his laughter as she raised her crossed swords into the air. Her slight hesitation only served to confirm Buredo's suspicions. She was weak and scared. This mangy mutt couldn't fight her way through a group of old men with no legs, let alone an army like his. No, she would fall, just like every other enemy he'd ever faced.

"DRAGON RIFT!" The mutt's roar and the deafening explosion that immediately followed ripped Buredo from his thoughts of victory back to the present. Unfortunately for him, he was immediately blinded by an intense flash of burning white light. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel the gale of wind from the attack brutalizing the tree he was sitting in. Suddenly a large object, what Buredo assumed to be a boulder, slammed into the base of the tree that he occupied. The trunk gave way like water to the force of the impact and Buredo fell to ground, still unable to see. He slammed hard against a shattered portion of a tree. Without the magic that hardened his skin, Buredo knew that he would have been impaled. Nevertheless, he knew that he was going to be sore for weeks to come. The bitch was going to pay for that.

Buredo could feel the dust from the explosion raining down on him. His sword called out to him. It was nearby and didn't particularly like being separated from its owner, especially when it could tell that its master was in danger. Buredo wanted to go to it, but found himself too disoriented to move. The fact that he still couldn't see straight wasn't helping either. However, his hearing was still intact. That meant he could hear everything around him. The problem, though, was that he heard nothing. Sounds of battle, cries of death, screams of pain were all absent from the air. All was calm. That could only mean one thing and it wasn't something that he wanted to think about at all.

"Buredo!" The human heard his name called out. It took a moment before he identified Naginata's voice.

"What is it?" He groaned, propping himself up on his arms and realizing just how much pain he was in.

"We have to move!" The demon commanded. Buredo could only roll his eyes.

"Speak for yourself beast. I won't be able to move properly for another week, let alone get up now." Came the swordsman's retort.

"We have a mission to finish Buredo." Naginata pointed out coldly, his deep voice threatening, "Our lord would not be pleased if we were to fail." Buredo's sarcasm faded away. The demon was right. If they did not do as they were commanded, it was likely that they would be tortured and killed. Buredo's self-preservation mechanism kicked in and he immediately found himself able to move. He was on his feet in seconds. His vision had started to clear and the destruction around him became evident. Splintered pieces of trees were all around interspersed with boulders that had been ripped straight from the earth and thrown aside. It was incredible. Buredo couldn't believe his eyes. Was this all the result of one attack from the mutt? That had to be impossible. There was no way that a half demon could have done this.

"Buredo." The human whirled around to face the source of the voice. Naginata stood, his halberd in one hand and Buredo's sword in the other, "Catch." Buredo caught the sword as it flew through the air. He enjoyed the feeling as he reconnected with the blade.

"Thanks." The human said simply. Naginata responded simply with a nod.

"We have a job to do." With this, the demon turned away and began walking towards where the mutt had been before the explosion. Buredo had no choice but to follow.

Kaze couldn't believe his eyes. What he saw, or more accurately what he didn't see, before him was incredible. There was nothing left of the demon army, not even the bodies remained. All that Kaze could see was a massive trench that extended out from where his mate stood. The thing must have been at least ten feet deep and probably three times as wide. Sai, however, did not even look fazed. She stood calmly, her swords hanging by her sides. Kaze could tell through his mate mark that Sai was in shock by her own power, but her appearance likely would have fooled any observer. He may not have been able to see her face, but her body language spoke of overflowing confidence and strength. Kaze would have been willing to bet that her face said the same things. He would have won that bet. Sai stared at her handiwork. Her face was hard and unmoved. However, her thought were racing. She hadn't know the source of her confidence when she stepped up to fight alone. Now it was abundantly clear. Sai wasn't even winded from this display of power. It made no sense. Only a short time ago, the exertion of power on a lesser scale than this had nearly killed her. The thought made her smirk and she muttered a silent thanks to her grandfather.

Suddenly, the scent of another demon filled her lungs. She turned to face to scent and snapped Mondai up to point in the direction of a massive blue form. The demon looked more lion than man, though it stood on two legs at a height of what looked to be around twelve feet with a halberd of equal height in his hand. A very handsome human with an oversized sword braced on his shoulder walked out of the dust cloud that hovered over the area to stand beside the demon. A sense of foreboding filled Sai's being, but the warm and friendly smiles on their faces suggested that she was just being paranoid. Nevertheless, she would approach the situation with caution.

"Identify yourselves!" Sai called out to them. The demon seemed unfazed, but the human clearly looked taken aback, almost mortified.

"I apologize my lady!" He yelled back over the distance between them, "We mean you no harm!" Sai cocked an eyebrow.

"Then drop your weapons. Now." She commanded, forcing out the last word with as much authority as she could muster. The human immediately moved his sword off of his shoulder and jammed the tip into the earth before motioning the demon to do the same with his halberd. He obeyed without any noticeable reaction.

"Are you satisfied my lady?" The human asked with seemingly legitimate sincerity, "I promise that we mean you no harm." Sai nodded and then lowered her own weapon before sheathing them again across her back. That done, both she and Kaze approached the newcomers. Kirara did the same, but stayed behind them. When they were a reasonable distance away, so that they no longer had to shout, they slowed to a stop.

"So who are you two and what brings you here?" Sai asked, now in a much more relaxed and conversational tone.

"We are but simple travelers, my lady, only trying to survive in these dark times of ours." He responded calmly, "As for why we are here, we have been walking along this road since dawn, hoping to reach a town before nightfall." Sai nodded, accepting the information. Kaze, however, was not satisfied.

"Your demon friend seems awfully quiet." Kaze pointed out, begging the unspoken question of why the unlikely pair were traveling together.

"Ah yes." The man began, understanding the true nature of the statement, "This is my friend, a bodyguard of sorts. We have been together since I was a young boy. I rescued him from a fire that burned down a significant portion of the forest near the village I was born in. He has sworn to protect me ever since. The reason he is so quiet, I suspect, is because he is embarrassed. He was not raised to speak, communicating with his own kind only using grunts and gestures. Over the years, he has learned some basics, but he is not what you would call proficient." Sai smiled warmly and bowed her head towards the demon.

"That's very honorable." She said to the demon, "And do not be afraid. Words will come. Now, I hope neither of you are hurt. I didn't know anyone was nearby."

"We're a little sore from being tossed by that explosion, but otherwise we are unharmed." The man assured her, "Speaking of the explosion, though, how did you do that? That was the most incredible thing that I have ever seen!"

"Oh… Ummm…" Sai was clearly embarrassed. She didn't like praising herself and was uncomfortable receiving it. Kaze, however, was happy to brag on his wife.

"My mate is very powerful." He said proudly, "I have yet to find any warrior or army that can match her in a fair fight." Sai blushed deeply, but made no move to refute it.

"Indeed!" The swordsman agreed, "And I can see why! That was an army of demons by the looks of it, not something to be taken lightly."

"Believe it or not, this is not the first time that she has done something like this. She truly is amaz-"

"Kaze, that's enough." Sai interrupted, her face a bright red, "I'm not all that. Plus, I've got some amazing people beside me too."

"You are a humble woman, my lady. That is an admirable quality." The man complimented, flashing her a smile that would have had most young women's hearts aflutter. Sai's heart, however, already belonged to another.

"I thank you, sir, for your kind words." She responded, still uncomfortable with the praise.

"Think nothing of it. They are the least I can bestow upon a warrior such as yourself." He assured her, "Now, please, I must know your names, so that can tell stories of this day to my future children."

"Ummm… Well…" Sai stammered, "Of course. This is my mate, Kaze. He too is a great warrior and has saved my life on numerous occasions. Without him, I can assure you that my life would have ended long ago." Kaze took a small bow in response before allowing his wife to continue, "As for me, my name is Saiai. I-"

"You are the great Saiai?" The man questioned, wondered filling his voice, "You are the half-demon priestess? The one that will save us from these dark times?" Sai shifted uncomfortably and found herself not knowing what to do with her hands.

"Umm… That's the goal, yeah." She admitted awkwardly.

"This is incredible!" The man seemed unable to contain his excitement, "Rumor holds that you are no longer among the living, that you were struck down in battle only a short time ago. Yet here you stand, alive and well, in front of me! From what I have seen today, why did anyone ever think that you could be slain?"

"I couldn't agree more." Kaze interjected before Sai could strike down what was being said about her, "It's hard to think that anyone or anything could ever best this beauty."

"Exactly!" The man agreed, "You are a lucky man to have her. I could only ever dream of finding a woman half as amazing as your wife."

"Please." Sai said, putting up her hands to stop the praise, "Let us move on."

"Of course, my lady." The man assured her, "As you can see, my companion and I are both warriors. That much, I am sure, was obvious by our weapons. As warriors, we seek battle and a just cause to fight for. Your cause is just that. We would be honored to be included in whatever plans you have to right the wrongs in the world in which we live, though I cannot promise that we will ever be strong or brave enough to take on armies the way you do." While the last bit was clearly meant as a joke, Sai saw the general sentiment as sincere. The only problem was that she didn't have anything to tell them.

"I'm sorry my friends, but, in all honesty, we do not have much of a plan at the moment." She admitted, "We simply take each day as it comes. Eventually, we hope to be able to slay the one who causes all the despair we now face. However, as of now, we do not know exactly how we shall accomplish it, though have faith that we will." The man's face fell.

"Surely you jest." He insisted, "You must have a plan!"

"Alas, no." Sai repeated, "But we will continue to fight the good fight until we figure out a way to achieve victory, even if that means destroying every army that we come across, and I encourage you to stay the course as well. We will win." The swordsman smiled and bowed his head.

"You truly are an inspiration Saiai." He told her, "Indeed, we shall fight the good fight. We shall hold onto hope as long as you yet breathe. Our faith is in you."

"Thank you. I won't let you down." She assured them, confidence filling her voice.

"We will count it. Now," He said, reaching for his sword which still stood beside him, "We must take our leave. Neither I nor my partner wishes to sleep on the road tonight, especially with armies like the one you destroyed roaming about."

"Of course." Sai agreed, nodding for them to take their weapons up again, "We also must get on our way. The rest of our group awaits. Best of luck to you."

"And to you as well, my lady." The man reciprocated. And with that, the two groups took their leave of each other. Sai, Kaze, and Kirara back on their blistering paced path back to the wolf den and the mysterious, unnamed strangers on their way in the opposite direction.

Once Naginata was sure that they were out of earshot for even the acute hearing of the half demons, he turned his head to face Buredo as they walked.

"You played the part a little too well my friend." The demon joked, "For a moment, I actually believed that you were serious about 'fighting the good fight' or however the mutt put it."

"Please Naginata." Buredo responded, rolling his eyes, "Don't insult me. That whole encounter left a bad taste in my mouth. The bitch grated on my nerves worse than I imagined she would. It took all the willpower I had not to kill her then and there. If she hadn't told us to put our weapons down, I likely would have."

"That is why I did not say a word." The demon agreed, "Any movement at all would have ended in me plunging my claws through her chest." Buredo nodded, understanding the feeling. However, no matter how much he may have wanted to kill her, he was well aware of the real reason why he didn't. He and Naginata could muster up bravado all day long and blame their inaction on the master's orders, but neither were stupid enough to not know why. They hadn't killed the mutt because they valued their lives. Self-preservation was something in which Buredo prided himself. His senses of fight-or-flight were astute and second to none. It was because of this that he stayed his hand. If he or Naginata had engaged, even if they had fought together in perfect harmony, they would have been killed in seconds. The show of power that they had witnessed only moments before the encounter was awe inspiring. It was a kind of power that Buredo could only dream of. In fact, Buredo now firmly believed that there was only one other being on the face of the planet that could claim a similar kind of power. Luckily enough for him, it was his master. However, that didn't stop him from beginning to doubt whether he'd chosen the right side of this war.

"Something on your mind Buredo?" Naginata asked, taking note of the silence. The human's head snapped towards the sound of his comrade's voice, which had taken him off guard.

"No." He replied simply, "Nothing." The demon grunted in response. He could smell that Buredo was lying. However, he didn't question him further. Naginata knew exactly what plagued the human's mind. It was bothering him as well.

Umi sat at the mouth of the cave. She was all alone… Again. Nami was off with Ayame somewhere learning the jobs of a den mother. Apparently, she thought it might be useful later in life to know. Umi couldn't argue, given the man she was in love with, but she still didn't think this was the best time. Akage, on the other hand, was with Koga. The wolf demon had offered to give lessons in hand-to-hand combat. Akage had immediately accepted. After all, his skills with fire and lightning may have been extensive, but he knew next to nothing of actual martial arts. Both Nami and Umi could have taught him, but he'd never asked. Probably something to do with overblown male pride. Either way, it was good that he was picking up some skills now. Once he was proficient, Umi could spar with him when she got stressed. Or bored… So very bored… Like she was now. Oh how she wished she had something to do.

Umi sighed and leaned back onto her hands. Unfortunately there was nothing to do at the moment except enjoy the sunshine, something she had gotten all too used to over the past few days. Aside from her daily training sessions with her sister and occasionally checking on the embodiment, who had been in constant meditation where he was tied up in the back of the den, Umi had done relatively little else besides relax and soak up the sun. She'd had her fill of relaxation by this point. Now she was itching for something to do. Umi didn't have to wait long for that itch to be scratched.

At that moment, Umi's senses picked up something. She couldn't be exactly sure as to what it was, but it was distinctly familiar. Umi was sure that she knew it from somewhere, but whatever it was, it had changed since she'd last had contact with it. Whatever it was, it was powerful. Then something else entered her senses. This time, she could identify it immediately. It was her brother. A moment later, Kirara's aura became evident to her. Kaze and Kirara, along with the other powerful aura, were racing towards where she sat. Her heart began to beat faster. Kaze was back, but he was coming back with someone extremely powerful, someone she didn't think she knew.

Umi bolted up to her feet. A second later she dove off the side of the rock platform jutting out from the entrance of the cave. Umi fell to another, similar platform below and did a handspring off of it. She continued the acrobatics flawlessly all the way down to the ground. After all, she'd done this many times for her own entertainments. When her feet finally came into contact with the green grass, she took off at a run towards the sources of energy. It didn't take long for the extremely athletic girl to reach the complete other side of the massive clearing where this piece of dirt road ended. Apparently she'd been the only one to notice so far. Everyone else was probably too caught up in their own activities to realize just what was happening. Umi would have gone to get them if she thought she had time. However, it quickly became apparent that she didn't have time. The dust cloud that was being produced by the sheer speed of travel was immense and getting bigger. That meant that they were almost here.

Suddenly, three figures came into view. Kaze was in the lead by a small distance with Kirara high above, while another person trailed behind, chasing him by the looks of it. The second person was clad in armor. Even from this distance, Umi could tell the armor was significant, almost royal. She could also make out that the one chasing her brother was a woman. Beyond that, though, she'd have to wait until the woman got closer. Until then, she wouldn't know the level of the threat. It had to be fairly large if it had Kaze booking it so fast to get away. Either way she would be ready. Umi drew her swords and stood her ground. She had no idea where Sai was, but there was no time to worry about that at the moment.

Umi simply stood as Kaze slid to a stop next to her, panting. She could see the sweat beaded on his forehead. It was something she hadn't seen since he became a half-demon. Honestly, it was a very strange sight. His sword was in its sheath on his hip, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Umi guessed that would be soon as Kirara landed behind them.

"So what's the deal?" She asked her brother, who'd caught his breath. The look on his face was steely and determined.

"See for yourself." Kaze told her, dipping his head towards the fast approaching figure. Suddenly that very figure sprung high into the air. The woman tucked legs into her body as she flipped. While she flew, she drew twin straight blades and held them aloft, seemingly using them for balance. As the woman began to return to earth on the downward trajectory of her arc, she untucked herself from the ball she'd made and landed solidly on two feet. There wasn't a hint of wobble in her footing. She'd landed perfectly. Her head faced the ground allowing her hair to cover her face. This made it impossible to identify who she was. The steel of the woman's swords and armor reflected the noonday sun brilliantly. It was almost blinding.

While Umi was contemplating how to proceed with the situation of fighting an opponent that clearly outmatched her in every respect, said opponent moved with a speed that her eye couldn't trace. In less than a second, Umi found herself pinned to the ground with a foot on her chest and a blade at her throat. Her swords, which she'd been cleverly disarmed of, were standing stuck in the ground on either side of her. Umi still couldn't identify her attacker. The sun was directly behind her head, hiding her face in shadow. That, however, didn't matter. Umi could only assume that, with her intense speed, her attacker had taken Kaze out of the picture. That meant that Umi's life was as good as over.

"Go ahead and get it over with." She spat, "I don't have all day." The woman began to laugh hysterically, clearly amused. Umi recognized the laugh, but couldn't put it with a face at the moment.

"What's so funny?" Umi demanded, "If Saiai were here, then this wouldn't be happening. And I swear when she gets back, she'll kill you." The woman slowly stopped laughing, sighing as her giggles subsided.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The woman said. Umi recognized the voice immediately and couldn't control the blush spreading across her face. She'd been had.

"You are a terrible person, you know that Sai." Umi muttered as she rolled out from under the foot that had lifted from her chest, "That was cruel."

"Wasn't even her idea." Kaze interjected from behind her as she got up to her feet, "That honor goes to me. Sai just went along for the ride." Umi rolled her eyes as she brushed the dirt off of her clothes.

"Whatever. Now wh-" Umi suddenly stopped whatever it was that she had been about to say when she got another look at Sai, "What's with the armor girl? It's looking sharp."

"I know right!" Sai couldn't contain her excitement. She was, after all, a huge fan of the armor too, "Just a little gift from my grandfather." Umi couldn't stop the incredulous look that spread across her face.

"Sai, your grandfather died," She said, drawing out the words, "A long time ago. You know that right?" Sai rolled her eyes and waved off the question.

"I know, I know." She responded dismissively as she sheathed her blades, "It's hard to explain, but here's the gist of it. My grandfather's soul actually makes up a piece of my own, along with Midoriko and a purified Naraku." Umi cocked an eyebrow at the thought of this, but allowed her friend to continue, "Kaze's blade apparently had the side effect of allowing them to speak to me. They showed me more than a few things, but the most important thing that I got out of it was that I unified the three sources of power within my body. So-"

"Hold up." Umi interjected, cutting Sai off before she could continue rattling off confusing information, "What do you mean by that? 'Unifying the three sources of power' would be suicide. That would kill you, right? The demonic and the divine at the very least would react violently to coming into contact." Sai shook her head vigorously.

"Not quite." She began, "The results only turn ugly when there is malice involved. I'm not particularly in the business of self-loathing, so I was fine. The way it was explained to me is that the three powers are manifestations of the three worlds. A long time ago, the three worlds existed as one, before they split apart. That means the three sources of power are meant to coexist and only become unstable in the presence of malice. I was able to unify them within me, thus making the result much more powerful." Sai had to take a deep breath. She'd been speaking very quickly, though she hadn't noticed at the time. Umi, on the other hand, was staring at her with her mouth hanging slightly open in disbelief.

"So you're telling me that you've got control of a power that combines the three worlds?" Umi tried to clarify. She got a nod from Sai, "Does that mean that you're invincible now or something?" Sai frowned and sighed.

"Unfortunately no." She replied, "According to Kiretsu and Mageru, I'm still well out classed by Konton. His ocean of demonic power, vast array of relics, and hordes of demons puts him on a whole other level. I'm closer now, but not his equal." Umi sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"So do we even have a chance here?" She questioned desperately, choosing to ignore the apparent uselessness of their previous efforts. Kaze took the liberty of answering this question.

"We've got a good shot Umi." He said, surprising both girls, "Don't forget that Sai isn't alone here. She's got all of us and we've got the embodiment."

"Kaze's right." Sai agreed, "I can't win alone. That was never an assumption that we could make. The thing is, we've all gotten stronger and, once we purify the embodiment, Konton is only going to start getting weaker." Sai knew the last part wasn't exactly true, but it sounded logical and they could always hope that it would end up being the case. Umi, however, seemed to accept what had just been told to her.

"Well then," She said after a moment, "I think it's time we let the others know that you're here." Sai smiled brightly.

"I couldn't agree more." Sai began towards the wolf dens when Umi held up a hand to stop her. She had a devilish look on her face.

"Hold on now." She commanded, trying to control her laughter and excitement, "Your aura fooled me, so it's definitely going to fool the others."

"Ahh, you're right. Even Sai's scent has changed a little. That will fool Akage and Koga." Kaze pointed out.

"So you're saying that we pull a prank on the others just like the one that Kaze and I pulled on you?" Sai asked for clarification. Umi nodded excitedly, "I love it. Let's get to work."

Akage felt the wind rush by his body as he flew through the air. It would have been soothing. That, however, went out the window a moment later. His back connected with a tree forcing his head to snap back and slam back against it as well. It was hard to tell whether the cracking came from the splintering wood or from Akage himself. He guessed it was some of both. The only thing he could be sure of was that he was going to feel it the next morning. Akage slid off the tree and back onto his feet, albeit unsteadily. It took a moment for his vision to readjust and regain focus.

"Damn." He muttered to himself, "Didn't see that coming."

"You lost focus." The figure from across the small clearing yelled. Akage shot the man an irritated look.

"I'm well aware of that Koga." Akage insisted, "Doesn't mean that you needed to try and kill me." The wolf demon threw his head back and laughed.

"Trust me bird boy, if I was trying to kill you, you'd have gone through that tree. And the next one." Koga retorted. Akage rolled his eyes at the response, but decided to otherwise ignore it. He'd let other parts of his body do the talking. The walk back to the center of the clearing made him grimace in pain. Beyond that, though, he was ready for round two.

"Alright Koga, again." Akage demanded.

The wolf demon happily obliged. In the blink of an eye, he'd closed the distance between them, claws leading the way. Akage barely managed to parry the attack. The lunge left Koga's midsection open. Akage took advantage of the split second opening. His foot connected solidly with Koga's vulnerable stomach. The wolf demon flew through the air, only to land on his feet a few feet away. Akage smirked at him and motioned him onward. Koga's only response was an irritated growl. He flexed his claws and bared fangs menacingly. Akage, however, had seen this display many times from his friends. He was not impressed. Again with break-neck speed, Koga ran at him. It was at that moment that the wind changed. The scent of the air became charged and almost metallic. It was only an instant, but both combatants took heed of the warning. They disengaged immediately and jumped to opposite sides of the clearing. It was good for them that they did. A blinding white light raged through the middle of the clearing as soon as they landed a safe distance away.

"What the hell?" Koga screamed, hoping Akage had an answer. He was to be disappointed.

"No idea. But whatever that was, it would have killed us if it had hit us." He pointed out warily. Koga nodded, understanding the graveness of the situation.

A scent filtered through the trees. Akage felt as though it was familiar, but he couldn't place it. He wouldn't be helped by the visage that appeared before him moments later. A woman walked out from the woods and into the clearing. In her right hand, she dragged a straight blade along the ground. The other hand had a firm grip on Umi's collar. It was clear that this woman had dragged the unconscious girl through the forest. As to the identity of the woman in question, both Akage and Koga were clueless. All they knew was what they could see. This woman wore very ornate armor befitting of a general or a warlord rather than a vagabond woman. Her face was covered by Umi's demon slayer mask, while her eyes were covered in shadow created by a curtain of raven colored hair.

"Identify yourself!" Koga demanded, "No one walks into my realm and harms my friends." Koga's voice was threatening, but it was undermined by the hint of fear that it carried. He and Akage both knew that they were no match for the woman they now faced. Umi had obviously had to face a similar fact. The woman's only response to Koga's demand was to toss Umi's limp form into the center of the clearing. That hand now free, she drew a second blade from its sheath on her back.

Koga was about to rush to retrieve the girl when he heard a gasp from the back of the clearing. His eyes snapped toward the sound, only to meet the terrified eyes of Umi's sister. Nami was clearly distraught about the wellbeing of her sibling. Kaze and Ayame stood behind her, their faces grave. This wasn't good. Now everyone was in danger. For an instant, Koga wondered where Sai was now that Kaze was back, but he couldn't worry about that now. There were more pressing matters at hand. The wind shifted, drawing Koga's attention back to this more pressing matter. She hadn't moved. Her insolence was incredible. He might not stand a chance, but he wasn't going to stand for this. If she thought she had enough power to walk into his domain without worry, then he was going to make her prove it. With his immense speed, he charged the woman. She didn't even flinch. Koga was almost on top of her in an instant. His claws closed in on her throat. He could imagine the feeling of cleaving flesh. However, when the feeling was supposed to become reality, his claws only met air. The woman had simply disappeared. There was not even a trace of her in front of him. Koga could only stare in confusion. The mystery of where she was, however, was soon solved. He felt the cold steel of a sword poke the skin on the back of his neck. Now all he could do was wait. Each instant felt like a lifetime, but the sting of death never came.

"Get it over with." Koga commanded finally, breaking the silence that had fallen over the clearing. Still nothing happened. That is, until his mate began to laugh. It sounded like she had been trying to hold it in for a while. Suddenly she was joined by Kaze, the woman, and even the seemingly unconscious Umi. He couldn't make sense of it. Neither could Akage or Nami. They were all thoroughly confused.

"Dammit Ayame!" The woman yelled through her laughter, her voice muffled and altered by the demon slayer mask. Still, the voice was recognizable enough. The embarrassment spread across Koga's face in the form of a deep red blush. Akage and Nami shared similar reactions.

"I'm sorry Sai!" Ayame yelled back, "I tried, I really did, but it was too funny!"

"How did you even figure it out?" She whined, obviously put out, as she lowered her sword.

"I'm a den mother, dear." Ayame reminded her, "I've seen more than my fair share of pranks. You may have changed a little bit, but not enough to fool me."

"Dammit!" Sai shouted, ripping off the mask and throwing it down on the ground in frustration, "It was going so well!" Kaze, Umi, and Ayame were still laughing. However, the victims that had been unaware were still in a shocked and confused silence. Nami was the first to break it.

"Wait…" She said, trying to gather her thoughts, "So this was a prank? Everyone is okay?"

"Indeed." Ayame confirmed, "That is, everyone and everything except my mate's pride."

"Not funny, Ayame." Koga growled, turning around to face his mate and the others.

"Definitely not." Akage agreed, more than a little irritated that he'd been so terrified for no reason.

"So Umi is okay?" Nami asked, still trying to organize her thoughts.

"Well," Umi began, standing up from the ground, "my own pride isn't faring too well right now since they got me first and I didn't especially enjoy being tossed like a rag doll. Otherwise, though, I'm alright." Nami narrowed her eyes at her sister. Now that she had finally caught up, the anger emerged.

"You might not be alright after I'm done." She threatened, cracking her knuckles, "I was worried sick! Not to mention terrified!" Kaze immediately stepped forward and put himself between the twins.

"Alright everybody," He began with a light chuckle, "That was a great show and you've been a great audience, but I think that's about all we have."

"And with that, I think it's time for us to go." Sai suggested, looking to Umi.

"Agreed." She said, nodding her head.

"Well then ladies and gentlemen, goodnight!" Kaze called out, using showmanship the neither of his sisters were aware that he had. Before anyone could react, Sai grabbed Umi the three pranksters bolted for the woods, laughing the whole way. An instant later, they were out of sight.

"Damn." Koga spat, looking accusingly at his mate, "Kids these days."

"What can I say?" Ayame responded, shrugging, "It was clever. Sai's aura had changed, at least enough to fool most people, so they thought they could get away with a prank. And wouldn't you know it, they were right. No one figured it out, but me."

"Yeah, don't remind me." Koga groaned, not wanting to think about how foolish he'd been.

"I was surprised by the armor, though. No clue where she got that." Ayame admitted.

"Kiretsu and Mageru didn't warn us about that part." Akage joked, receiving a glare from Koga.

"Yeah, well, they didn't tell us that her aura would be different either." He growled back.

"They probably saw the prank coming." Nami suggested, "They seem to be able to do that a lot."

"What they see and don't see is really starting to piss me off." The wolf demon chief mumbled before stalking off back to his den.

"I'd better get him before he tears someone's head off." Ayame excused herself, trying not to laugh, to run after her irritated mate. Nami and Akage, however, had no qualms about letting their laughter loose. It took them a moment before they could stop. While they may have had their own reasons to be angry because of the prank, neither of them had their pride wounded like Koga's had. He'd been brought to the point of death by a little girl that hadn't even been trying. It must have been humiliating for the egocentric wolf demon chief. However, that brought them to a new topic of discussion, a somewhat more sobering one.

"So…" Nami began hesitantly, "Sai's aura was… different… and she seems… more powerful." Akage nodded.

"A lot more powerful." He agreed, "I've never seen anything like it."

"I just don't get it." Nami confessed, "She looks like the same girl. Hell, she looks like, sounds like, acts like, moves like, and fights like Sai. And yet… She can't be Sai. You get what I'm saying." Akage looked off into the direction the girl in question had gone. He could definitely understand. Nobody got that much more powerful in that short of a time. The fact that she was now faster than Koga going for blood terrified him. There was no way that the girl now claiming to be Sai could really be her, no matter what Ayame said. At the same time, though, Nami was right. She may have been radically different, but she was still the same girl they had always known. The whole thought process made Akage's head hurt.

"Yeah." He said lamely, after a moment, "But I guess it looks like Kiretsu and Mageru really did tell Koga and me the truth. Sai is ready to fight and she's in it to win."

So yeah... no editing done on this chapter because screw that... who needs to edit... Oh wait... I do... cuz I suck... Oh well... Would have made this come out slower... and that would have been bad. Anyway, so we've met the next two lieutenants. And they're badasses, trust me. They won't go down easily. And as for our newly reunited crew, shit's gonna get real, real fast. At least, as fast as I can get my ass in gear to write... Which shouldn't be too terribly long because I've got what looks to be a pretty open summer ahead of me. I look forward to writing more of this and I won't leave whoever is left reading this hanging. Wouldn't be fair. Anyway, if you love it, hate it, wanna make a comment, ask a question, whatever, just leave a review or message me. I normally am able to hit those up really quickly because I get email alerts and such. Til next time yall!