Watching Kagome spar with her guard is vastly different from Naoko's instruction, though, the miko seems to respond well to it. It almost appears more of a game than training. Kagome stands in the center of the dojo, tanto in each hand, as the kitsune studies her briefly from near the door.

With a wide fanged grin, the kitsune suddenly disappears, before reappearing in behind Kagome, giving her almost no time to react. I tense for a moment before my miko spins quickly, crossing her blades and catching Morinas in between, then ducking under the guards arm to slam her elbow into the kitsune's solar plexus. The guard grunts as she is sent into the air, before correcting her sudden flight with a flip to land on her feet a few yards from Kagome.

Determined grin affixed to her face, Kagome watches intently as Morina sidles in a circle around her, before dashing forward, diving into a slide, sai both out and aiming for the miko's legs. Pivoting on her back foot, Kagome swings away from the blades, then crouching and kicking a leg out to slam into the guards side, knocking her away.

They go at this for a long while. My entire body is tense, youki forcibly coiled tightly to me as I watch my intended spar with live blades, with a kitsune who is using her speed and tricks against Kagome. I am entirely impressed at how skilled Kagome is in deflecting almost all of the attacks, and conversely impressed at how quickly her guard is able to correct to prevent slicing her charge when Kagome does slip up.

Morina, as with all of the personal guards, was trained as an assassin prior to employment, but I am pleased to see her skills being utilised to such a precise degree.

After two hours of sparring, Morina calls a halt, and chuckles as Kagome allows herself to collapse on the floor in a heap.

"Man. You'd think I'd be used to this by now, since we do it every day." she pants, eyes closed, before she sits up and begins to stretch her limbs to loosen them again.

"Three hours of combat, sparring or otherwise, is tiring, even to most youkai." I say, smirking as she visibly jumps again.

"Oh jeez, Sesshoumaru, you scared the crap out of me. Were you here the whole time?" she asks, hand to her chest as she waits for her heartbeat to calm, both from the session and from her fright.

"Hn. I am most impressed, with both of you." I reach out a hand to my miko to help her up, holding onto it once she is standing.

"Thank you, my Lord. I am honoured by your praise. Kagome certainly seems a gifted natural with combat and blades." the kitsune says, mischievous grin on her face again as she looks to Kagome, making the little miko blush faintly.

"I... thanks, guys." she murmurs. "Well, I should go bathe and eat. I'm starving." Squeezing my hand briefly, she then pulls her hand from mine to hang the tantos up on the wall again. "See you in your study for lunch?" she asks, turning to me again.

"I will meet you there."

4/18/21 a/n: more sparring!