AUTHOR'S NOTES: As promised, a little quicker off the blocks this time, and with a big battle to boot! This is the longest chapter of the story, so be prepared to read awhile; there's so much happening here that I had to fit it all into one chapter. Unfortunately, this also meant that my fight scenes with Kouga and Shippo vs. Naraku and Kohaku weren't as long as I hoped, so Shippo ends up looking a bit cowardly and Kouga a little stupid. I'll make it up to them sometime.

Note that I use the English versions of Kagura's and Inuyasha's attacks, as most readers will be more familiar with those. I have kept a few Japanese phrases, which are outlined below. Also worth noting is that a "guest star" from one of the earliest Inu-Yasha episodes makes an appearance in the ronin camp, and Evangelion fans, I'm sure, will recognize one of the battle scenes.

Finally, this chapter gets very bloody, there's some cursing, and there is a scene of attempted rape. Reader discretion is advised.

BUTCHERING THE EMPEROR'S JAPANESE DEPT.:

Hai, tono: Phrase meaning, "Yes, my lord." I use both English and Japanese phrases; the latter is mainly used as a literary change of pace.

Taijiya: Demon hunter, i.e. Sango and Kohaku.

Houshi: Lower-class monk, i.e. Miroku.

Ashigaru: foot soldiers, usually (but not always) drawn from the peasantry rather than the samurai class. Peasants could and frequently did become samurai during the Sengoku Jidai.

Neko youkai: literally, "cat demon," i.e. Kilala/Kirara.

Kusarigama: weighted chain with a blade on one end. This is Kohaku's weapon of choice.

Hiraikotsu: Sango's "boomerang bone." I realize that most Inu-Yasha fans know and can pronounce this better than they can "Okeechobee" or "Fallujah," but newer folks might not know it.

REVIEWER'S CORNER:

Darkless Vasion: Yep, glad you liked Kagome's peptalk. One of the thing that impresses me about her character is that, despite everything that always happens to their group, Kagome is the one who never, ever gives up. Even when she's the last one standing and she has one arrow left, she finds a way to win. Having Sango use Miroku's actual name rather than "Houshi-sama" seemed appropriate; I don't think she'd use the honorific if she was pretty sure they were going to die, or in cases of extreme emotional trauma (as what happens in this chapter).

Kaylana: Thank you very much. As you can see, I took your threat very seriously.

Tobias: Thanks. Don't expect Fluffy to show up in this fic. I like him, but there's no place for him in this story, unfortunately.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT: "The Riders of Taramis" from Conan the Destroyer, "The Bridge at Khazad Dum" (again) from Lord of the Rings, and "Superbeast" by Rob Zombie.

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE STORM BREAKS

I will take it to the wire now

Until every race is run

I'll go straight into the fire now

Until every day is done

Voices say, break away

Live each night as if each moment was the only one.

–Larry Greene, "Through the Fire"

Noriaki Fujii walked at the head of his battle line. He looked up at the approaching clouds and smiled; he didn't much care for fighting in the mud, but any relief from the steaming humidity of the rice paddies on either side of him and the merciless sun would be welcome. Moving his gaze downward to the hill that rose before him, he could see more clearly now that it was studded with rocks that thrust from the ground in odd areas and shapes. Only one person could be seen on the hill, a man wearing the robes of a monk. He briefly thought about challenging the monk to a duel, but the fact that he was standing some distance up the hill, his flanks covered with rocks, made Fujii decide not to. It was too easily an ambush, and he knew from his childhood that wolves attacked in packs, from the flanks if they could. He had to keep his men under control and together, and hunt the youkai–not allow the youkai to hunt him.

Behind the three lines of ashigaru, foot soldiers, rode Saruji Soryu and the cavalry. They were now some distance back, waiting for the right moment to charge. Soryu's fingers tapped the hilt of his katana in a beat of impatience. He wanted to order the charge now, to simply ride into the face of his enemy and dare them to come out and fight like men. Soryu kept his impatience under control, knowing he had to give the infantry a chance to drive the youkai out into the open. He too wondered at the presence of the monk, though he admired the man's bravery. If the wolves had fled and left this single houshi alone, Soryu would challenge him to honorable combat.

"Lord Soryu?"

Soryu shook himself free of the image of a beautiful, terrible final fight and turned to Ishikawa. "Yes?"

"The archers."

"Ah, of course. My apologies. Tell them to begin–"

Suddenly one of the other cavalry stood in his stirrups and shouted, "My lord! To the right flank, front!"

Soryu turned in his saddle. "By the Lord Buddha!"

It looked like a rolling fireball as it came around the side of the hill, on the very edge of the rice paddy. Only as the fireball grew closer did the ronin see that it was a tiger, one with two tails and fiery paws. On the back sat a woman dressed in black. Behind the tiger, where its paws had touched the ground, fire erupted. It caught quickly in the tinder-dry grass and began to burn.

"It's the taijiya!" Kagura yelled. She had stood to one side of Soryu and Ishikawa, but now she sprinted forward, drawing her fans from her sleeves.

"Archers, fire!" Soryu ordered. At once a fusillade of arrows rose into the air, arching over the heads of the cavalry. They quickly reached the zenith of their flight and fell downwards, whistling as they did so. As Ishikawa watched, the rider brought up a L-shaped length of bone, covering herself and the top of the fiery neko youkai. Arrows ricocheted off the bone or were incinerated in the fire; none hit the rider, and in fact most fell among the rocks.

Kagura drew even with the third line of infantry and swept her fans to either side of her body. "Dance of the Dragon!" she screamed. The wind, already increasing in intensity as the storm approached the battleground, now rose to a tornadic roar as it obeyed its mistress' commands. Grass and mud flew into the air as the minature cyclone roared across the paddies towards Kagura's target. She grinned savagely, knowing she had led Sango the taijiya and Kilala the demon cat perfectly. Unfortunately, she had not taken into account what her attack would do to the ronin assembled on her right; men were nearly sucked into the cyclone, the wind tearing at their clothes and armor. Their discipline, already shaken by the appearance of the fiery tiger, unraveled as the three lines hesitated, crashed into each other, and got hopelessly mixed up. The second salvo of arrows was scattered everywhere but their target, a few falling amongst the ronin and further causing chaos. Kagura did notice that, but couldn't have cared less as she saw the winds pick up Kilala and throw her sideways into a rock outcropping; Sango was plucked from Kilala's back and sent flying into the air, to crash hard into the hill. Totoroki, alone unbowed by the wind, saw his prey fall.

"Kagura, you stupid bitch!" Soryu shouted. "Stop it!"

"Cease firing!" Ishikawa waved at the archers.

"Reform your lines!" Fujii yelled over the whistling wind.

And Totoroki, seeing Sango there for the taking, bellowed, "CHARGE!"

"So that well is the gateway to Kagome's world, neh?" Kouga lay behind a fallen tree at the edge of the treeline. "That's some tree jammed into there–but it shouldn't be no problem to kick loose."

"Well, I don't see any samurai or youkai, so let's go!" Shippo said, scampering forward.

Kouga hooked a clawed finger into the back of Shippo's tunic. "Hold on a minute, furball. Just because you don't see anything doesn't mean it's not there." He sniffed the air. "Hmm. There's something on the air, all right."

Shippo sniffed as well, but other than the usual smells of the forest, plus that of the ronin encampment, and cooked rice–which reminded him that he hadn't eaten in several hours–there was nothing different that he could tell. On the other hand, he didn't smell the one they called Totoroki, either. "Is it a youkai? Naraku?"

"No, I'd know his foul stench anywhere. This one's different, but I've smelled it before." Kouga tested the air again. "Almost like your demon slayer friend."

"Sango?" Shippo asked. He was still trying to puzzle it out when suddenly Kouga snatched him up and shot over the log in one fluid motion. There was a thunk of steel into the rotted tree where Kouga's head had been a moment before. The wolf chief threw the screaming kitsune aside as he crouched into a battle stance. The razor-sharp blade was ripped backwards from the fallen tree, drawn back with a chain to land firmly in the hands of a man–a boy, Kouga corrected himself. He wore a black catsuit that Kouga recognized to be identical to the one he had seen Sango wearing, though the boy's was edged in teal with brownish armor, not red and pink as Sango's had been. The family resemblance, even though the boy wore a mask, was unmistakeable.

"Kouga, that's Kohaku, Sango's brother!" Shippo warned.

"I figured that out for myself," Kouga growled.

"Don't kill him! He's under Naraku's control!"

Kohaku suddenly sprang forward, tossing the kusarigama at Kouga with impressive speed. Kouga dodged to one side, even as Kohaku drew the chain back and sent it flying at the wolf youkai again. As fast as Kohaku was, however, Kouga was having little trouble dodging his attacks. "Hmpf," Kouga snorted. "If this is the best Naraku can do, I doubt I'll even start panting at this rate!"

A root erupted from the ground, formed into a fist, and punched Kouga under the jaw in one single motion. Kouga was thrown backwards, but somersaulted and came up on his feet. He shook his head for a moment, wiped blood from where he had accidentally bit his lip, and grinned. "So, the puppetmaster comes on the scene at last."

The root vanished back into the ground as Naraku walked–or floated–forward. He returned Kouga's grin from beneath the baboon-head mask. "It appears Lady Kikyo spoke the truth for once. I expected either Sango or the monk, not you, Kouga." He glanced at the well. "I see. You're here to unblock the well."

"That's a bonus," Kouga growled. "The fun part will be killing you."

Naraku chuckled. "You'll have to kill Sango's dear brother here."

"I don't care. He means nothing to me."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Kouga cracked his knuckles loudly. He looked at Shippo. "You take care of Kohaku. I'll take Naraku apart!" And with that, Kouga sprinted forward.

"Me? Take care of–oh, damn," Shippo sighed. As Kohaku tried to intercept Kouga, Shippo flung two spheres of blue energy at the demon slayer. "Foxfire!" It was effective: Kohaku jumped away, leaving Kouga clear to attack Naraku head on. "Hey, I did it!" Shippo crowed. Then he sprang out of the way as Kohaku's kusarigama nearly sliced into his chest; as it was, it left a cut across his tunic. Shippo's eyes widened in fright as Kohaku advanced on him. Shippo gulped, dodged another blade, and ran for all he was worth towards Kaede's village.

Unnoticed by any of the combatants, one of the ronin watched from behind a tree deep in the forest. He nodded to himself, and also ran towards Kaede's village. Unencumbered by the fact that no one was trying to kill him, he quickly made his way through the forest, reaching the ronin encampment. Puffing, he ran towards his commander's tent.

Takashi Arashikaze was sitting cross-legged on the grass, reading a scroll. One of his guards ducked his head into the tent. "My lord, Lieutenant Yamada approaches!"

"Send him in. And bring some water." Arashikaze tossed the scroll aside as Yamada was let into the tent, gasping. He fell to one knee in as much fatigue as respect. "My lord...Arashikaze..."

"Take a few breaths and a drink, Yamada-san," Arashikaze prompted gently. When his retainer had gratefully choked down a dipper of water and caught his breath, Arashikaze nodded at him.

"Thank you, Lord Arashikaze," Yamada said gratefully. "Sir, I followed Naraku at a distance as you asked. I don't know if he saw me."

"Irrevalent. I don't care if he knows we're spying on him. Continue."

"My lord, near the filled-in well, I saw what had to be a wolf youkai. It acted like one; it even looks like one. Along with it was some sort of minor demon, or a pet–I'm not sure which. In any case, a demon hunter attacked the wolf youkai, and then apparently Naraku used some sort of magic. A strange root appeared from the ground and also attacked the wolf youkai. There's a battle going on as we speak."

Arashikaze instantly was on his feet. "Yamada-san, assemble two companies of men immediately."

"Hai, tono!"

Arashikaze brushed past him and left the tent. He pointed at one of the ronin who was lounging two tents away, sharpening his katana. "You there, Nobunaga Takeda! Come here!"

The ronin sprang to his feet, ran to Arashikaze, slipped, and fell in a heap at his commander's feet. "Milord, I'm sorry, I slipped–"

Arashikaze hauled him up. "Nobunaga-san, find Lady Kikyo and bring her to me immediately. She is at the hospital. Move!"

"Hai, tono!" Nobunaga barked, coming to attention, then ran off. He slipped and fell once more before he was gone to sight. "Is he truly a relative of Lord Oda Nobunaga?" Yamada asked.

"So he says. Hopefully the boy doesn't die just getting to Lady Kikyo."

"Sire, on the hill!" one of the guards called out. One of the picket guards was waving. Arashikaze and Yamada ran in that direction, cresting the hill in a few moments. The guardsman said nothing, merely pointed. They followed his outstretched finger to where someone dressed in demon exterminator clothing was busy trying to exterminate what appeared to be a tiny ball of fur. Suddenly, the furball changed course and started heading directly at them. "What in all the Chinese hells?" Yamada exclaimed.

The furball resolved itself into a child dressed in a tattered blue kimono, except that no child the ronin had ever seen had a bushy tail or doglike feet. "Lord Arashikaze!" the child screamed. "Help!" He barely dodged a spinning kusarigama.

"Soldier, your bow!" Arashikaze called out, and the guard handed him his already strung bow, then an arrow. Arashikaze nocked it, and aimed. The demon slayer was barely in his teens, and something made Arashikaze shift his aim from the head to the shoulder. The ronin lord's aim was flawless, and the boy went down with an arrow in his shoulder, dropping the kusarigama from suddenly numb fingers. Meanwhile, Yamada drew his katana and leveled it at the little one tumbling to his feet. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Shippo glanced back at Kohaku, then, thinking fast, dropped to all fours before Arashikaze, bowing his head to the ground. "Lord Arashikaze, I am..." The kitsune hesitated, then quickly continued, "I am Shippo Higurashi, retainer to Lord Kouga of the Wolf Youkai."

Arashikaze handed the bow back to the guard. "If the demon slayer moves, shoot him in the leg." He then crouched. "You are a retainer?" he asked Shippo, amused despite the situation. "The wolves are in desperate need of help."

Shippo fought down an urge to set the ronin on fire. "My lord, I bring a message!"

"Ah, you're a courier. Very well, Higurashi-san, I am listening."

"Lord Arashikaze, Lord Kouga is not your enemy. Neither is Lady Kikyo, or Lord Inuyasha!"

Arashikaze raised an eyebrow. "No? Then who is, Higurashi-san?"

"Lord Naraku, sir!"

Yamada burst out laughing. "Whelp!" He abruptly stopped when he noticed Arashikaze wasn't laughing. "My lord, this is a child!" He pointed to Shippo's ears and tail. "He's a youkai himself!"

Arashikaze nodded. "Higurashi-san, look at me." When Shippo did so, Arashikaze asked, "Why is Naraku my enemy? Has not Lord Inuyasha killed my men at the well when he escaped? Has not Lord Kouga killed my men a few nights ago? Look me in the eye and tell me the truth, little one."

"Sir," Shippo said gravely, "Inu–er, Lord Inuyasha did not kill your men at the well. It was Naraku's, um, retainer, the lady called Kagura. And Lord Kouga and I just arrived from the north less than an hour ago, so it wasn't us who attacked them the other night, either."

"I find that hard to believe, since I sent a portion of my army to intercept this Kouga and his tribe."

"Yes, my lord. The rest of the tribe, the other taijiya–the female one, Sango; that's her brother that was trying to kill me, and he's under Naraku's control–and the monk, Miroku–they're fighting your men a day north of here. It's really sad–you have to stop all of this, Lord Arashikaze! Naraku's just using you to get back at Inuyasha and Kagome and me and everyone else! He wants the Shikon no Tama!" Shippo's eyes filled with tears. "Please, sir, you have to believe me!" Shippo buried his face in the ground, sobbing.

Arashikaze straightened. "Yamada-san, is the battalion assembled?" he asked.

Yamada looked behind them. "Hai, tono."

"Then form up into line and follow me to this well. Take the demon slayer over there captive–tie him up and place him under guard."

"You believe this boy?" Yamada exclaimed without thinking. He instantly bowed when he realized he had been out of place. "Sir, forgive me, I–"

"Enough." Arashikaze motioned for one of the musketmen to come over. He took the matchlock from the ronin's shoulder. "I don't know who to believe, Yamada-san, but Higurashi-san here, I believe, is the first youkai I've met so far that's told me the truth. Make sure Nobunaga-san brings Lady Kikyo. I want all the characters in this play assembled for the final act."

It is said the difference between victory and defeat is no wider than that of a sword blade.

The ronin, disoriented by Kagura's wind attack, the sudden fall of arrows in their midst, the appearance of Kilala, and the confusing and conflicting orders they heard shouted over the howl of the wind, heard only Totoroki's stentorian voice yelling to charge. Seeing the huge youkai charging forward, the ronin assumed that the order had been given by Soryu or Ishikawa. Most battles they had been quickly degenerated into huge, chaotic melees in any case, so they got up in twos or threes, and charged forward as well. Fujii tried to bring some order to the chaos, but the ronin were beyond that.

It is also said that the great captains of military history–Alexander, Frederick the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ieyasu Tokugawa–were always able to recognize when an enemy has made a fatal mistake, and exploit it.

Miroku, from his position on the hill, was shocked at just how quickly things had changed. A minute before, he had been facing a well-disciplined, well-led ronin army marching towards him, anchored by two formidable youkai. Now, he was facing a mob, charging into the whitish smoke left by Kilala's paws and whipped into a true grass fire by Kagura's winds. He had never led more than perhaps himself and Sango into battle before this day, but he suddenly knew what to do. And there was the fact that Sango lay squarely in the ronin army's path. In an instant, he discarded their first plan and improvised. "Ayame!" he cried. "Attack!" To emphasize his orders, he ran down the hill, pointing his staff forward.

Ayame saw what he intended, and unlike Miroku, she had led groups of her own mountain wolves into battle, even if the battles had been with other youkai or great elks. She raised her arms, split the air with a howl, and ran after Miroku. Around her, from where they had been concealed by the rocks, the wolf youkai rose as one and charged into the smoke.

From his position in the rear, all Soryu and Ishikawa could see was their men plunging into the smoke, and dim shapes moving within. They heard the predatory howls of a pack on the hunt, and Soryu could restrain himself no longer. He raised his katana and spurred his horse into a gallop. "Charge! Men of the Storm, follow me! Charge! Hell or glory!" Soryu's men followed like moths to a flame.

"Lord Ishikawa!" one of the archers yelled. "What should we do?"

"'Duty is a mountain,'" Ishikawa whispered, quoting the old samurai proverb. "'Death is a feather.'" He turned to the archers. "Forward, but stay together! Watch your flanks!" The archer nodded and motioned his men forward at a jog. Ishikawa cantered his horse ahead of them. He passed Kagura, who stood still, unsure of what exactly to do at that moment. "Are you going to stand there?" he hissed at her. "Or are you going to obey your liege lord?" Kagura shrugged and began walking. The wind was not yet free.

The smoke was not that thick, but it was enough to cause the ronin to become separated into small groups. While the wolf youkais' sense of smell was not as acute due to the smell of burning grass, they still held a distinct advantage over the humans. The battle became a melee, but not one the ronin were used to fighting.

Four ronin came out of the smoke and nearly collided with Ayame. She flung the grass in her hands at them. In midair, they transformed into hard, sharpened razors that cut into armor and flesh. Three of the ronin were killed instantly as the shards sliced through throats and vitals; the fourth went down screaming in horrible pain at the grassblade that had lodged in his stomach. Ayame went past, drew her sword, and spotted another ronin aiming a spear at one of the wolves that accompanied their youkai brethren into battle. Once more howling her battle cry, she leapt upwards. The ronin turned and tried to bring up his spear, but the tip of her sword slashed him from brow to lips. He dropped the spear and fell backwards, clutching at a ruined face.

Alighting nimbly on her feet, Ayame looked around for a new enemy. She didn't see another spearman coming at her from behind, his weapon leveled at the base of her spine. Miroku did, however, and he rushed in from the side, using his staff to knock the spear aside. He spun the staff to smash the end into the ronin's stomach. The man doubled over, and Miroku put him down with a sweep of the rings across his face. He turned barely in time to parry a katana aimed at his head. As he pushed the ronin back, the swordsman abruptly straightened up, his mouth opening in a rictus of agony as a spear was thrust completely through him. Even with the horrible wound, he raised his katana high and tried to decapitate Miroku, but Ayame had reappeared. She took the swordsman's head off with a swing of her blade. "Are you all right?" she yelled over the din of battle. Already her once-pristine white fur cape was spattered with gore.

"Where's Sango?" Miroku shouted back.

"She went down over that way, somewhere!"

"Chieftess!" one of the youkai shouted. "Horses!" He pointed vaguely into the smoke.

"Ginta! Hakkaku! Kozuka! To me!" Ayame ordered, hoping her orders would carry. "Go find Sango!" she told Miroku. "We'll hold them here! This is our fight now!"

Miroku gave her a quick nod and dashed into the smoke, praying he was going in the right direction. As he dashed across the field, coughing on the acrid smoke, he caught snippets of the battle. An arrow, fired from an unseen archer, skimmed just past his ear. A ronin stepped out of the mist and was almost instantly tackled to the ground by a wolf youkai and two wolves; Miroku closed his ears to the man's screams as he was stabbed and torn apart. He leapt over the fallen body of a youkai, not having time to see who; he was dead, whoever it was. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw another youkai run through with a katana, even as her spear pierced the chest of the ronin. Human and youkai died together.

"Sango!" he called out.

"Die, bastard!" came the answer as yet another ronin surged out of the smoke, his katana already bloody. Miroku didn't bother to dodge to one side, hitting the swordsman head on. The katana screeched against the staff. The houshi pressed his attack until both men were nearly nose to nose, close enough to feel the other man's breath and see the other man's eyes. Miroku hooked his foot around the ronin's ankle and pushed; the swordsman tripped and fell. Teeth bared, Miroku kicked the katana out of his grasp and brought the ringed end of his staff down on the man's head. There was a sickening crack, and the ronin went still. Miroku took a deep breath and kept moving.

Sango blinked away the darkness at the edge of her vision and rolled onto her back. Instantly a bolt of pain shot up her leg and she gasped. She sat up and probed where her leg throbbed dully, and another painful spike told her that her right ankle was broken. "Dammit," she breathed. Her hiraikotsu lay beside her, and she struggled painfully to all fours. The sounds of battle were all around her, but she couldn't see. There was no sign of Kilala.

A war cry from her left made her spin around. A spearman charged Sango from the smoke. She quickly drew her sword and fell back to the ground, letting the spear point go past her head and sink into the ground. The spearman screamed as his momentum carried him into Sango's blade. The ronin fell over, wrenching the sword out of her grasp. She tried to shove the dead man off of her, as two other ronin spotted her and headed towards her. She reached into one of the many small pockets of her catsuit and tossed two egg-like spheres at their feet. The spheres exploded, spraying both with poison. The ronin staggered back, coughing and gagging, and disappeared. Sango breathed a sigh of relief and continued to wrestle the dead weight of the corpse.

Then the ground shook. "Sango-chan!"

That's not Miroku, and it's certainly not Kagome, Sango thought. The smoke parted to reveal a demon that stood easily over seven feet high. Over one shoulder he balanced a blood-streaked club. He grinned at her, and there was a hungry look in his eyes that chilled her to the bone.

"Do you know me?" he rumbled.

"No," Sango answered simply.

"That's too bad. I know you, Sango the demon slayer." He let the club thump into one meaty hand. "My name is Totoroki. You and your daddy killed my dear, sweet mother, and now I think I'll kill you."

Saruji Soryu spurred his horse into a full charge as they hit the smoke, jumping the scattered fires easily. "Follow me!" he yelled to the men behind him. "Stay close!"

"We're with you, Lord Sor–" The man behind him was suddenly cut off as a fiery yellow streak burst from the smoke to his left. To negotiate the narrow corridor between the paddies, the ronin had been forced to bunch their horses together; as a result, Kilala's leaping pounce took down a third of the cavalry with her, sending horses and riders flying and killing the charge's impetus. The remaining ronin attempted to close up to their leader, but now wolves harried the horses' legs, causing a few to rear up and others to shy away as their riders tried to bring them under control. Soryu cursed and kept going, determined that, if nothing else, he would find a honorable death in the midst of his enemy.

He charged out of the smoke, and heard orders being shouted in guttural Japanese slightly to his right front. He pulled the horse in that direction, and spotted not the monk, but someone with red hair tied in a ponytail and a white fur wrap. Soryu saw that this youkai was dressed better than the others, and decided this was the leader, or at least an officer. He would have preferred the monk, but if he could slay this one, it might buy him enough time to rally his troops. Spurring his horse yet again, Soryu charged the figure in red and white.

Ayame turned and saw the ronin dressed in red armor coming straight for her. She froze for a moment as the weak sunlight caught the shining katana the rider carried in a mailed fist.

"Ginta!" Hakkaku shouted. "Go for the horse!"

Ginta turned. The horse was too close to throw his spear, so he simply cracked it across the horse's nose, ducking as Soryu's katana nearly scalped him. The horse whinned and reared up, but Soryu had anticipated it: he let go of the reins and tumbled off the horse, coming up in a crouch, katana raised and ready. Kozuka thrust his spear at the ronin lord from the left, but Soryu spun away. The spear grated across his armor, and, as Kozuka tried to pull back, Soryu swung his katana. It caught the wolf youkai in the mouth and took his head off. Blood sprayed across the field as Soryu turned to face Hakkaku. His katana came around in a crimson arc, and Hakkaku barely blocked the blow with his upraised spear. The katana chopped it in half and its tip sliced easily through Hakkaku's cheek and chest.

"Hakkaku! Drop!"

The youkai did as he was told, letting himself fall to the ground. Soryu's death thrust missed him, and the ronin lord looked up just in time to see Ayame swing something downwards. He dodged to one side, but not quite fast enough as a blade of grass impaled his cheek, just barely missing his right eye. He moaned in agony, one hand going involuntarily to that side of his face, but the katana remained rock-steady.

He began to give ground, but stopped as he bumped into his horse, which Ginta had finished off. He spun slowly in place, as youkai materialized out of the smoke all around him. There were no ronin to be seen, and the sounds of battle had begun to subside. Soryu realized he was alone, and surrounded by bloodied, angry wolf demons.

Ayame stepped forward, her blood-encrusted sword leveled at him. "Surrender, samurai!"

Soryu shook his head. "Never." He saw the youkai raise their spears. "Before you kill me, youkai, what is your name?"

"Ayame."

"Are you a chieftess?" She nodded, and Soryu smiled. "Good. If I'm to die at the hands of a woman, then at least she is a lady of her own land." He raised the sword in front of him. "Come on! Let's see how many of you I can drag into hell with me!"

"You've dragged enough of my pack down today," Ayame replied. She stepped back and dropped her sword tip down. Saruji Soryu died as a half dozen spears were thrown into his body.

Totoroki took a step forward. "Do you know how much bullshit I had to put up with from that fool Naraku and his bitch Kagura? But it was worth it to see you like this, Sango." He slowly walked to one side and picked up her hiraikotsu. "Aww. You don't have your little toy." He flung it aside like it weighed nothing at all. It thunked into the ground about five feet away. "You don't have your houshi lover, either. Just you and me. And thanks to all this smoke, no one can interrupt us." Sango's hand scrabbled for the spear, but he stepped on her, pinning her hand beneath a muddy sandal. The pressure wasn't enough to break her hand, but it was more than enough to keep her from using it or the spear. He let his club drop, and used the weight of his body to press down on the dead man, pinning her other arm. She kicked him in the chest, but it was like kicking a stone wall. Totoroki grunted, but that was all; in fact, his smile grew wider as he used his knees to pin her legs. "Mmm. Feisty. I like 'em that way."

"Get away from me, demon," she snarled.

"Why? I only want to get to know you better, Sango." A clawed hand reached into her collar and drew it downward, tearing the black cloth. "Who knows? If you're good enough, maybe I might let you live after all." He leered in her face. "You're a little taller than the village girls. You might just be tall enough to...accomodate me." Sango turned pale. Being killed by a demon was a fate that held little terrors for her, but she had never once considered that she might be raped by one. "Go ahead, struggle. Scream for me." He pulled back his hand and shredded her tunic. His yellow eyes widened appreciatively; Sango's breast wrap didn't hide much. "A little bigger than I anticipated as well. All the better." He struck a thoughtful pose. "I wonder how you taste?" Totoroki chuckled, reveling in the terror-stricken look on her face, her eyes huge with fear, and her beautiful lips open and gasping. He leaned forward to lick her face.

Too late, he realized it was a trap. Sango suddenly brought her head straight down, ramming her forehead into the bridge of his nose. Totoroki, taken by surprise, reared backwards. Off balance, he teetered for a moment, enough for Sango to get her left arm free. She grabbed the fallen ronin's helmet and smashed it into Totoroki's face. There was an audible crack of cartilage and Totoroki bellowed in pain, staggering backwards. His grin turned into pure hatred. "You fucking slut." He grabbed his club. "I guess you'll be fun enough with both legs broken–"

Sango was still moving. Her right hand, now free as well, grabbed the fallen spear. Though she was still pinned by the dead ronin, her leverage was bad, and her thrust lacked strength, she reversed the point and stabbed it directly into Totoroki's groin.

The demon dropped the club and let out a strangled yell of pain. It rose considerably in octaves as Sango twisted the spear. "Scream, you son of a bitch!" Sango spit at him. "Scream for me!"

Totoroki went down, all interest in revenge and rape now forgotten as he gripped his ruined genitals. Sango, adrenalin and hate flooding her body, finally shoved the body off of her; ignoring the pain from her ankle, she grabbed her hiraikotsu, hobbled over to the moaning Totoroki, and brought it straight down on his skull. He ceased screaming the second time she hit him, and ceased breathing on about the fifth time. Sango still smashed the boomerang into his shattered face, yelling unintelligble oaths at the dead demon.

Miroku found her at last and rushed to her. He quickly deduced what had happened. "Sango, stop! Stop! It's over! He's dead! Stop it!" Still Sango continued to bash the demon. Finally, Miroku grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. Her head whipped around and he let go of her by pure instinct; the look on her face was not unlike that of Inuyasha at his demonic worst. The pain in her ankle snapped her out of it, and she fell backwards to a sitting position. Miroku knelt beside her. "Sango, speak to me! Are you all right?"

Reason slowly returned, and Sango shakily nodded. "He was...he was going to..."

"He's dead. You're safe. I'm here."

Sango suddenly burst into tears. "Oh, Miroku!" She turned and buried her face in his robes. Miroku patted her back gently, though he kept his eyes and ears open for threats.

One materialized right in front of him. Miroku dropped his staff and pulled on the beads wrapping his right hand. Sango, sensing the danger, turned and grabbed her hiraikotsu, even as the tears continued to stream down her face. "Kagura!" Miroku exclaimed.

Kagura gave them a small, ironic bow. "Ah, young lovers. It's enough to make one vomit." She raised her fans, but defensively. Miroku hesitated for a moment, just before he would have unleashed his wind tunnel. Kagura looked at Totoroki–what was left of him. "Oh, you killed that bastard, did you?" She smiled. "Good for you, truly. The world shall not mourn his passing."

"What are you waiting for?" Miroku snapped, readying himself.

Kagura laughed. "I am the wind, houshi. I fight and kill where I want to. And now that he is dead and the ronin leader is dead, then my obligation is done here." She pulled the feather from her hair. "Until we meet again." And in a brief roaring cyclone, she was gone into the air, already heading south.

"Her obligation is done?" Sango asked. "What does she mean?"

"I don't know." Miroku looked around. The sounds of battle had faded. "I don't even know who won."

"Then we had better find out, houshi-sama," Sango replied, struggling to her feet with Miroku's help.

Kouga had discovered that Naraku was no pushover. He had known this, and so had confined his attacks to jumps, quick kicks, and slashes aimed at whittling down Naraku's defenses, tiring the demon until he was ready for the final kill. Kouga would have used the same tactics in killing a bear.

Naraku, however, was not cooperating. His sharpened roots that burst from the ground were easy enough to dodge or slash, but that caused Kouga to interrupt his attack; every time that the wolf chieftain did get close enough to strike, Naraku's sword was there. He had not anticipated that Naraku carried a sword, let alone knew how to use one–and use it quite well. Kouga winced at the pain in his flank where the sword had caused a superficial wound.

Kouga circled the grinning Naraku, wanting nothing more than to wipe that maddening smile from his face. The youkai growled, feinting left and then sprinting right, dropping his sword to attack with tooth and claw. He moved in a blur, intending to slice Naraku's sword hand off.

Naraku had spotted the attack coming somehow, turned slightly, and threw his sword at Kouga. Kouga leapt, twisted in midair, and yowled as he bore down. Incredibly, Naraku was still slightly faster, and grabbed Kouga by the throat. "Fool," he laughed, and tossed Kouga into the ground. As the wolf chief woozily tried to get to his feet, Naraku kicked him in the ribs and sent him skidding another few feet. "Come now, Kouga, you can fight better than some mangy four-legs, can't you?" Naraku taunted. "Even half-demons fight better than this."

Kouga shook his head free and spit out a gob of blood. "Why you–"

Before either Kouga or Naraku could attack, the ground suddenly rumbled, causing both to struggle to stay on their feet. Without warning, a bolt of light burst upwards from the tree blocking the well. It stayed solid for a moment, then exploded into thousands of splinters as some indescribable force broke through it. Over the crack of shattered wood and displaced air came a voice Kouga and Naraku both knew only too well:

"WIND SCAR!"