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Connected

Kagome straightened her back as she made her way onto the concrete arena. The crowd was fairly slim compared to the previous year's turn out. There was little interest on the second year's fights this time around. All the excitement was saved exclusively for the first and third years' this time around.

The young woman rolled her neck from side to side.

She supposed she had to change that.

Her lips curved into a confident smirk at the thought.

"Hey," Inuyasha called to her from across the arena. "Don't go crying when you lose this fight."

Her smirk shifted into something vicious, "Same to you."

She lifted her hand and curled her fingers in towards her palm in a beckoning motion.

"I'll even be nice enough to let you have the first strike." Kagome tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, "I mean it wouldn't be fair if I didn't give you the chance to defend yourself first."

She didn't know much about Inuyasha's quirk or fighting style. What she did know was that he was easy to rile. An angry opponent was an easy one to take down. That was something Dabi had taught her recently.

Get into their head. Twist them around until they're too blinded by rage to think straight. That's when you know you've got the upper hand.

Those were the words he'd given her. He'd tried using that method on her a few times but it rarely worked. She knew him and therefore she knew when he meant something and when he didn't. So it was difficult for him to agitate her the way he would a real enemy.

Kagome met Inuyasha's snarling face.

She didn't know why but there was something about him that she didn't like. His brusque attitude rubbed her the wrong way and the quick temper left a sour taste in her mouth.

He was no Dabi.

Inuyasha was something else entirely. Something familiar yet not.

Her fingers twitched.

It didn't matter.

She would win.

That was her only goal.

The young woman's shoulders tensed as an air horn blared over the loud speaker.

It was time.