She spoke very softly, but sternness emitted from every word. "Shinei, Inuyasha. Vengeance will be mine, along with your head." Her eyes glowed pale red...

Inuyasha didn't have a moment to brace himself before she attacked...

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With a sound that resembled an airplane cutting through the clouds, Rin lept from her position in the tree and tore strait toward Inuyasha's face. The thinking side of him became a blur of confusion, giving it no time to react. If he had been human, any human, he would have died.

It was his inu-youkai instincts that saved him. The instinct to live caused him to jerk his head to the right, causing his hair to fluff out from the motion. That's what saved his life. Rin missed her target, but did not miss Inuyasha.

One small cut, not even an inch long appeared in the left side of Inuyasha's left ear. It was so small and insignificant, that the hanyou decided to comment on in when Rin hit the ground about ten feet behind him, kicking up dirt and dust.

"Your aim's no better than Sesshomaru's!" he taunted, not noticing that Rin had acquired an amused expression on her face, which caused the moon on her forehead to wrinkle.

"Inuyasha! You're---" Kagome gasped.

In fact, he was completely in shock when he felt the waves of pain echoing down from the cut in his ear. The cut, which he had mistakenly dismissed as no big deal, was pouring out bright red blood in small rivers that soaked into his silver hair and ran down his neck.

"Aurrrrhg! Shit!" Inuyasha clutched the side of his head, agitating the knick in his ear even further. Looking at the blood on his hand, he glared at Rin. "You bitch," he growled.

Rin cocked her head to the side, amused. "Now, now, Inuyasha." She widened her stance, holding the Tokijin over her head pointing down. She winked, "This time I won't miss."

"Keh!" Ignoring the pain in his ear, Inuyasha held the Tetsusaiga before him, hunching over and allowing the stripes of the wind to dance along the blade. He could release the wind scar whenever he wanted to, let alone the Bakuryuuha.

Everyone was so busy watching the match unfold, that no one was paying attention to the golem. The thing took one giant step forward, causing Miroku and Shippo to bounce with the impact. Kagome whirled around, shouting, "Inuyasha, we don't have time for this."

Even though the demon puppet of Naraku's was gone, his voice still lingered. "Hmmm, it would seem as though you are having some difficulties, Inuyasha. Won't this be interesting?"

'Block him out...'Inuyasha shook his head, never taking his gaze off Rin. If she really had acquired Sesshomaru's powers somehow, then she would be equally fast, and equally tricky. Yet, Inuyasha had no doubt in the back of his mind that his Bakuryuuha could finish her off.

Sango flew up above the golem. She didn't have time to be focusing on Rin. She was sure that it would be easy to severe the ropes that held Kohaku captive. But then, would he really be free? He still had that possessed look in his eyes; the look of a soulless puppet. But Sango couldn't just let Naraku keep him.

This had been going on for WAY too long now.

Miroku, and Shippo were turned to face the golem now, Shippo cowering on Miroku's shoulder, and Miroku holding his staff ready. Kagome however, was guarding them from their backs, having docked an arrow, aiming.

'I don't think that Rin notices me,' Kagome thought, closing one eye, 'If I could just get in one good shot, I'd get her away from Inuyasha.'

"KAZE NO KIZO!" Inuyasha stepped forward, unleashing the Wound of the Wind. Rin grinned, tucking into a ball and flipping over the attack as it passed harmlessly beneath. At the peak of her leap, Rin changed direction, holding her sword beneath her in which to spear Inuyasha from above.

"Hmph..." Inuyasha jumped to the side with a grunt, allowing the Tokijin to dig into the ground with a burst of blue energy. With Rin's back exposed, Inuyasha took a swipe at her, sure that he had her off guard.

'CLANG!' The sound of metal on metal echoed through the air. At the last possible moment, Rin drew the Tenseiga, holding it against her back in a guard.

"Nani?!" Inuyasha squeaked. When the two swords met, the Tenseiga let loose a stream of energy, creating a barrier. The Tetsusaiga was then reflected, throwing Inuyasha sky high.

"Ack!" The poor hanyou hit the ground head first, throwing up a cloud of dust and dirt. "Dammit...." He muttered, fumbling to get up. Could it be...was it even possible that Rin could be faster then even Sesshomaru??

Even though dirt had caked the wound on Inuyasha's ear, causing it to sting, he further ignored it. Standing to his feet using the Tetsusaiga as a crutch, Inuyasha chuckled grimly. He had a fight on his hands, and in the back of his mind the problem with the golem remained.

"Surprised?" Rin asked, holding a sword in each hand. "Even though the Tenseiga cannot kill, it does a superb job of blocking, and in addition to that, protects me as it did Sesshomaru-sama."

Even though he knew it was a bad idea, Inuyasha couldn't resist. "Keh! A lot of good THAT did him, didn't it?" Rin's eyes flickered red for a moment, and Inuyasha confirmed mentally that that was a mistake.

"You never change, do you?" Rin hissed.

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Sango dove. That cross-dressing bastard was holding her brother hostage. She pulled on Kirara's mane, making the cat snarl in anticipation. The golem was no threat to her. The big dumb thing that it was, it was only following orders. Those orders could easily be fouled up.

Or so she thought.

Kirara flew in little circles around the golem's head. The big jell-o eyes swirled around and around, turning in impossible circles in the sockets. Kohaku remained frozen, not taking his eyes off the youkai newcomer that had attacked Inuyasha, never averting his stoned gaze.

"Kohaku, please! Please snap out of it!!!" Sango held back painful tears. She had once tried to kill her brother, to release him from his prison. Inuyasha had stopped her, saying that, in sparing Kagome's life once and disobeying Naraku's orders, he was still human. Sango wondered if she had made the right decision.

Kirara hissed, catching her foot on one protrusion out of the golem's lumpy head. This wasn't working! Was the golem so stupid that it could not even be tricked?

With a groaning sound like shifting gravel, the golem's head moved. Its leaden arms followed, blocking out portions of the sun. Sango hissed, "Dammit," out from between her clenched teeth as Kirara turned sharply to the right.

The golem missed, and the weight of its momentum made it topple over. Its fists dug huge craters into the earth, as the golem made a noise of animal confusion. Kohaku swung back and forth, whiplash snapping his head back, his body flailing from the living ropes as they snapped, one by one, until the only one let was tied around his left wrist.

He dangled there, getting further jostled as the golem attempted to correct itself. Kohaku still held tightly to his katana in the other hand.

Sango made a quick decision. She couldn't just leave her brother hanging there. Even though he was still entranced, it wouldn't do any harm to free him from those binds and carry him away from the danger. Naraku probable had put him under an immobilizing spell, so it's not like he could wander off.

Kirara roared, speeding back toward her master's brother. Sango held out her hand...he was so close...so close...

SLASH!

The katana!

Kohaku had done nothing but raise his arm in a puppet-on-strings like fashion. The blade caught Sango's outstretched arm and upper stomach, most of the deadly blow being absorbed by her armor. But that armor didn't protect her from being cut. Blood poured out from her, staining her suit and Kirara's white fur.

Her vision blurred for an instant, pain overcoming her. She just about fell off Kirara, but the loyal pet sensed the danger, slowing to a slow almost immediately. The pain...

Sango couldn't help it. The tears escaped her aching eyes. There was no hope for him was there? She could never save him! He still was just hanging there, sword held horizontally, her blood dripping off the tip.

'You thought it would be easy, Sango?' Naraku's teasing voice again. Dammit.

Sango couldn't bear to look at him any longer. She averted her gaze; her eyes catching the sight of motion on the ground. What was happening? They were all standing there and.... They had.... Kagome's mouth was open.

She was screaming.

---------------------------------------At the same time as Sango vs. Golem and Kohaku----------------------------------

"Take some of THIS!" Inuyasha swung his blade so hard that Rin shuddered when she blocked it.

"You are strong," she murmured. "Too bad that I am stronger." She pulled back the Tokijin, with Inuyasha loosing his balance, the sword digging into the earth with a soft 'thud.'

She attacked in a fury of blade movements, swirling and jumping, all over Inuyasha. Somehow, probably thanks to the size of his sword, he was able to dodge each one. The hanyou was focused determined. He had beaten Sesshomaru right? How much harder could this be?

His only problem was his attacks. Normal sword attacks were blocked away, and because of that damn Tetseiga, the Kaze no Kizo wasn't any good. There was still the Bakuryuuha, but there was a big problem with that. The Bakuryuuha relied on sucking a demon's yoki attack energy, and throwing it back at them. But, Rin wasn't displaying any demonic energy! She was using only her own agility and brute strength, which was something hardly any of Inuyasha's defeated opponents ever did.

What could he do?

Inuyasha's friend stood at the sideline. They had never once interfered during one of Inuyasha's many fights with the Former Lord of the Western Lands, so they were unsure as what to do now. Both Kagome and Miroku new from experience that Sesshomaru never took any shit from outside parties, and were wondering if Rin was the same way.

"Die already, you bastard!" Rin screamed, her eyes glowing a faint red. "Souryuu-ha!"

Shit. That attack...Inuyasha had seen Sesshomaru use that attack only a few times before: The Dragon Wave. It worked on the basic principal of tuning the air into fire, exploding into the enemy at high speeds.

Inuyasha saw the wave right before it hit him: Orange and red and pinks all swirled into one deadly mass. "Ack!" He was thrown off his feet, the fire rat coat absorbing most of the damage, receiving only minor wounds to his hands, face and feet.

Thud. Inuyasha hit the ground with an odd crash. Pain wracked his body. Had he broken something? After just that?

He took his gaze off his opponent, making sure no bones were out protruding at wrong angles. He saw the others out of the corner of his eye, just enough to make him distracted further.

Rin! She was...by him! When had she gotten there? There had been no sound, no shift in the air, no WARNING that she was coming. She was smiling, standing there, her sword positioned above his vulnerable form.

The Tokijin seethed. "The sword remembers you, Inuyasha. We both knew you would die." Rin's voice was calm, satisfied in a creepy way.

She sliced.

Inuyasha had been staked and struck and pierced thousands and thousands of times before, receiving so many wounds that any human would have died. His demon blood had been barely enough to heal him, to seal the holes though his broken body.

But never before had anyone been so precise. Never before had his blood sprayed feet into the air, empting his veins.... Never before had the blade struck strait through his heart.

Kagome screamed....

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GCN-anime-dragon: C'mon! Sing it with me: "Evil Cliffy! Evil Cliffy! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Evil Cliffy Evil Cliffy!"

Ahhhh that was satisfying. You'll have to wait for my update to see what happens. Review or die. Review or I will never update. Hah ha ha ha! I have power! Pleeeeease, I beg of you: REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!

REVIEW!

Okay, that's enough begging from me. I have just one think to say, featuring this review:

Kenshin's Chick writes:

P.S. If you hurt the ears Jo-chan I swear on every fiber of my being I WILL kill you. Kenshin style! And you know my dad has those authentic Japanese swords.

Oh, please, please, please, please don't kill me!!!!!!! PLEASE! Heh-heh :::evil laugh::: Not only did I hurt the ears, but I also hurt their owner. (Okay, now she's really going to get me!)

Sayonara for now, and REVIEW! GO to check out some other stories of mine, including the newly-finish Inuyasha/Kagome lemon fic that's I'm so proud of... (I'm so hentai) Ja!

----GCN-anime-dragon!!!!!!!

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:::meow:::