Chapter Four

They were being slaughtered, like animals, like humans, this angered him even more. The son of the most powerful demons in the world being slaughtered like a human. A weak, stupid, pathetic human. He hadn't had one of the most pleasant lives, and had faced death many times. He reflected on this as one more youkai fell. His demonic powers not sensing anything other than a flicker across his youkai's upper torso/neck. One of the Youkai had his hands up, one protecting his neck, the other his lower torso, but the assassin was so quick it had sliced the head of without touching the arm. He had been exposed to death and nearly impossible situations shortly after birth, all of these exercises being training for him as being heir to the Lord of the Western Lands. He had faced various specialties of Demons, invisible ones, incredible strong ones, unassailably defensible ones, some who could turn themselves into elements, even quick ones whose attacks flickered faster than a flame, but none that could be this fast for this long, or this stealthy, it moved as if his demons heads were just falling off and all it was was the flicker of their death, and it only seemed to gain speed as it did so. He had realized early in life that it was easier to die than live, and had no reason to continue living other than the shame of death by lesser demons. However this one was incredibly powerful, and the fact that it had slaughtered nine of the most skilled trackers in the kingdom should excuse hid death as one by an incredibly skilled assassin.

The three youkai around him assumed a triangle, with him at the center. One was instantly killed as it scanned the woods to his left. With only two they assumed a guard position directly beside him, slight behind so as to guard his back. Again Sesshoumaru sensed its flicker and heard the thud of another body falling. With only one remaining they stood back to back. Neither of them of them fearing death, for they had been exposed to it many times and knew that everyone died, it was just a matter of time.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, it has been an honor to hunt beside you, farewell." The last youkai stated in a whisper. "My apologies for this statement and not being able to protect you, if you had been but a decade older not even this embodiment of death would of stood against you."

If these were any other circumstances, Sesshoumaru would have been angered that one of his most trained and disciplined and soldiers had spoken out of place, and even spoken as if there was no chance of survival, but he knew that there was none, and forgave him as he fell, turning to speak to the head whose eyes still had a fraction of light. He made linked eye contact and spoke: "It is not your fault, you have served well all you life and you name shall be honored by all those in your field." One of the highest praises a soldier could receive.

Although these demons, had never experienced fear in their lives, they resented death, as that would mean they were the ones being killed and hunted. And as dog demons, that would be the lowest way to die.

Sesshoumaru respected this philosophy but to him, death on the battlefield was the proper way to die, not the lowest form of it. That would mean you life had a purpose, and you would die fulfilling it.

As he faced the seeming empty woods, no sound was in it, every animal knew that death was eminent and had fled long ago.

He was perfectly calm, expecting at any moment for his head to be severed, and just hoping that he would be able to at least glimpse his opponent as he died. The strike came, but it didn't kill him, instead it sliced deep into his left shoulder, blood began to seep, then slowed, and stopped as his demonic healing took effect. His momentary inattentive thinking as he prepared for death was annihilated as a flurry of thoughts ran to his head, two more strikes, one almost severing his left leg, the other cutting halfway through the bone of his right forearm.

With a new determination, he stood straight again, and picked up one of the swords of the dead youkai at his feet, without the slightest indication that he had been wounded at all. As he tuned into his surroundings and himself, he calculated the next time the shadow of death would strike.

As he sensed his attacker for the first time absorbing and refining the aura of death around him preparing for an attack and flashing toward him, he began to slice him self repeatedly, without the slightest thought to life, death, or anything besides the sword in his hand and his emotionless thoughts to killing the flickering entity that sped towards him,

It halted, the slightest pause in its advance, but it was enough, his whip which he had been preparing in his arm lashed out and in a new attack, it became a sphere of light, poison, and intentional yet unfeeling death.

His own wounds, which had stopped seeping out blood, spurted it out as he reached a new physical level of strength.

As the pieces of the entity that had been attacking him fell across him, he wasn't surprised to find that it contained no blood, little more than bones, and skin, some muscle. The dark death filled aura and souls of his warriors gained freedom and dispersed throughout the woods.

He slowly walked towards the nearest tree, without the slightest indication he was n pain or had suffered any difficulties besides the slowness, and leaned against it. Being careful not to fall.

He had suffered great injuries which would take time for him to heal, but should be alright by morning.

For those of you who didn't get the above part, I'll explain.

The entity following them wasn't living, it was the husk of an ancient evil magician/warrior who kept himself alive by the act of killing, the aura of fear or resentment of death he installed, and the souls of the people he killed. (The warriors, although didn't fear death, despised it as it would end their life of hunting, Sesshoumaru, didn't fear or despise death, but welcomed it as he knew everyone died sooner or later, and considered this as one of the best opportunities to end his life honorably.)

The evil death eating couldn't salvage any energy or harvest the soul of Sesshoumaru if he killed him unless he installed fear or dread into him. He tried to do so by repeatedly wounding him, but Sesshoumaru realized this and shocked/horrified the entity by wounding and nearly killing himself. Then he attacked, although it was a magical husk that would be impervious to most swords, whips, and conventional weapons, it wouldn't stand a chance against the poisonous, acidic, light whip, which was also infused with magical powers as it was an extension of Sesshoumaru.

The reason that it had an alien scent was because it was from a different continent, you'll find out where later, if you review…