CHAPTER SEVEN: SHOWDOWN WITH SESSHOUMARU

The sun shone down on the well, its last rays bathing the area in an eerie crimson light. Ari stood next to the well, her new weapon in the belt of her kimono. Finally, a long shadow emerged from the trees. Sesshoumaru stepped out of the woods. Ari noticed for the first time that he was missing one arm. Still, he was carrying two swords – a katana, old and worn like Inu-Yasha's, and a long sword.

The two squared off. In one fluid motion, both drew and clashed their swords in mid-air. Ari absently noted that Sesshoumaru had drawn his longsword, not his katana. The girl retracted her blade and brought it back up in a diagonal slash, then blocked a low cut. The two fighters leapt apart.

She noticed the youkai hadn't even broken a sweat yet, and grinned. "Hey, dog-turd! That all you got?" She yelled. Sesshoumaru growled and lunged at her, the tip of his blade leading. She parried and let the sword slide off her own blade, then sidestepped and cut downwards. Her blade bounced off the hiltguard of Sesshoumaru's longsword.

Ari pulled back and resheathed her sword, preparing for a kata, while Sesshoumaru flexed his muscles and lunged. Her sword met the demon's in mid-air, her horizontal cut blocked by Sesshoumaru's blade. She brought her blade back up over her head, and Sesshoumaru cut sideways. She barely sidestepped the cut, and brought her blade down again.

After a few minutes of furious clashing, the two separated again. Ari was panting, her face flushed with the exertion, and even Sesshoumaru seemed to be tiring out. Ari returned her sword to its sheats.

The two stood for a few moments, catching their breath. The youkai finally attacked again, and Ari drew her blade. A light red glow emanated from the iridiscent blade and flowed off it. The wind blade hit Sesshoumaru square on. The demon managed to bring his sword up to block it barely, the brunt of the blast unloading itself on the rest of his body. The demon flew backward, and staggered back to his feet.

Ari stood in the field, her auburn hair framed by the light of the dying sun, her blade still in hand. A slight breeze billowed her kimono as she stood there, waiting for him to come again. Daring him to come again.

Never mess with an angry girl, Inu-Yasha thought to himself.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" A tiny voice peeped. Ari turned around and stumbled, falling to the ground and flattening Jaken in the process. "Shhhmmpppfffff-smmmm!" She rolled off the toad and sighed, then got back to her feet. As she walked back to the others, she accidentally – or maybe not – trampled on Jaken. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" A tiny voice shouted out of the Jaken-shaped hole in the ground.

"Impressive, woman," Inu-Yasha conceded. "That was great!" Sango agreed. Ari held her sheathed blade before her to ward off Miroku. Kagome grinned. "Yeah!"