School was not fun the next day. Takara felt as though every youkai there could see straight through her, despite her hidden youki. She was nervous knowing that in any fights she had with Michiomaru, she would be on defensive. She had no way of finding him; the evening before she had gone back to where they had met and attempted to follow his scent, but it had disappeared.
When the school day ended, she quickly left the building and began to head home. But she was stopped short when Miyo found her hurrying down the sidewalk.
"Where are you going so fast?" Miyo asked teasingly. Takara didn't look at her.
"Home. It is not safe here."
"Oh," Miyo looked down, and then looked back up again. "May I come with you?"
"You know the more you are with me, the more danger you are in."
"Yes, I know. But I trust you, Takara-chan. And I want to help in any way I can."
Takara's face softened. "Alright. You can come with me. Where's Makoto-kun?"
"He should be coming soon…" As the words left her mouth the boy came around the corner, running to catch up with them.
"Hey, sorry!" he said, out of breath. "A teacher delayed me. Where are we going?"
"To my home," Takara answered. "I need to prepare."
"Alright, sounds good. So when are you going to fight this guy? That is what you're preparing for, isn't it?"
Takara nodded. "I don't know when. I am on pure defensive right now; I must wait and be ready whenever he chooses to attack."
They entered the forest, and Takara focused her senses, trying to take in everything she could while Miyo and Makoto chatted. As they approached her home, she suddenly caught an evil scent, and stopped walking. Her friends turned and looked at her, concerned.
"What is it, Takara-chan?" Makoto asked.
"He is near," she said quietly. She brought down the human illusion, and stretched her claws, her keen ears listening for any sound that could possibly be a threat. Miyo and Makoto stood a little ways away, looking in all directions, fear on their faces.
"Get down!" Takara suddenly yelled. Both humans hit the dirt, and she spun to face the attacking Michiomaru. He slashed at her with his claws, and she ducked. Her right hand began to glow green.
"Dokkasou!" she said, and flung poison in his face. He dodged, and with a speed she wasn't prepared for, ran around to her back. She immediately spun, and her eyes widened in horror.
Michiomaru grabbed Miyo by her neck and pulled her close to him, smirking at Takara. Miyo screamed, and Makoto scrambled away.
"Let her go, Michiomaru," Takara hissed. "She is not part of this."
Michiomaru laughed, and Miyo screamed again, and then fell silent. He threw her to the ground, and leapt away, saying, as he departed, "In battle, there are no innocents."
Then he was gone, and Takara rushed to Miyo's side. Her youkai senses told her that she was not breathing, nor was her heart beating. Michiomaru had broken her neck, killing her instantly. Takara showed no emotion; her father's training had rushed back to her the moment she had said "Dokkasou", and part of his training was no matter what happened, don't let emotion stand in the way of reason. If anyone who had known Sesshoumaru had seen her then, they would have been amazed at how much she looked like him, her father. Silently, she lifted her friend into her arms, and stood. Makoto rushed to her side.
"Miyo-chan!" he cried. "Miyo-chan!"
Takara closed her eyes, forcing a cold, uncaring look onto her face, and then looked up at him. "We must hurry."
He gaped at her as she started walking towards her cabin. "You don't care?! Miyo-chan is hurt!"
"She is dead," Takara said without turning around. "If we hurry, she will soon no longer be dead."
Makoto was left speechless at that, and began to follow her. Soon they could see her cabin, and Takara let him in, Miyo's lifeless body hanging limp in her arms. Without a word, she headed towards the back of the cabin, and went to a door with an old lock on it. She retrieved a key from a string around her neck, and the door opened to reveal a flight of stairs heading down into the ground farther than Makoto could see.
They descended without a word, and Makoto soon found himself in a huge room. It was much larger than the cabin itself, and was too dark to see much of. Two swords in their sheaths lie on a table, and after gently laying Miyo on the floor, Takara unsheathed one of them. The metal shined, and as she approached Miyo's body, the sword began to pulse.
"No!" Makoto cried as Takara lifted the sword above her head, and then swung it down, slicing clean through Miyo's stomach. But then, he noticed something. Miyo's body was still intact. Any other sword would have cut the girl cleanly into two pieces.
Takara's ears picked up the sound of popping as Miyo's neck went back into place. She heard her heartbeat and breathing start back up, and then, to Makoto's great surprise, Miyo opened her eyes. She blinked, and looked around, confused. Makoto fell to his knees, suddenly weak.
"Miyo-chan," he whispered.
"What…what happened?" Miyo stuttered. She sat up off the floor, and her gaze was drawn to the sword Takara held. The youkai slid the blade back into its sheath, and placed it back next to the other sword. Then, she turned to her friends.
"I suppose you both believe me now about this being dangerous."