Author's Note: I did not plan on taking over a month to post this. I got sidetracked and didn't get back to writing until last week. This is my first real attempt at a fight scene. Any feedbaack would be greatly appreciated. I want to know what I did right and what I could improve on. Enjoy!

"I am sure that you all know why we are gathered here. I will not keep you long; as I know that you are all tired. I would like to drink to my eldest son. Hopefully he will have better luck than I did! Tetsumi, may you find favor in the eyes of Bishamon."

Everyone gave their whole-hearted agreement and raised their drinks. Toward the edge of the circle, Iria and her husband also drank. Iria, her eyes closed, cup in hand, thought about what had occurred earlier in the evening:

"Will he always love me? I can't read his heart.Tonight, my thoughts are as scattered as my feelings for him. Does he still care for me?"

As Tetsumi was bombarded by well-wishers and encouraging words, a loud screech was heard over the noise. Tetsumi looked over to his father, whose eyes were wide open, searching for the source of the sound. Another screech, distinct form the first, now echoed in the night. Still, the source could not be seen. Footsteps could now be heard. It was one Lord Okita's guards, one the few that were not summoned to fight for Lord Daigo.

"My lord, strange creatures are at your walls. They are climbing over them as we …"

The guard never finished his sentence. Several nails emerged from his stomach, followed by a webbed hand. Blood covered it, disguising the true color of the hand. The guard's eyes were wide with pain and that is the way they stayed. The hand pulled back, letting the body drop to the ground with a thud. Two yellow eyes could be seen, followed by numerous others. The guests panicked, now trying to escape these unknown creatures.

"Father, what are these things?"

"I do not know, but I will not stand idly by! Come with me!"

The lord and his son rushed inside the main house, to Lord Okita's personal quarters. On the wall facing the door were several swords, spears and bows in varying conditions. Lord Okita was really something of a packrat.

"Grab a weapon and follow my lead."

Tetsumi did as he was told. Though he had been training with various weapons for the past five years, this would be the first time he would actually have to kill something. He was nervous, his hands and the rattling of the sword gave this fact away.

The two made their way out, horror in both their faces at the scene outside. The creatures had not waited for Lord Okita and his son to return. They were busy helping themselves to several party guests. Young, old, male, female, it made no difference to them. All were fair game for their torture.

These creatures, with their clawed hands, ripped arms off, severed heads, and screeched as they did so. Bodies with missing appendages and heads lacking ears, noses, and eyes now littered Lord Okita's home. Tetsumi could not move; the shock was too great. One of these… things turned toward Tetsumi. Sensing the fear in him, it lunged, aiming for Tetsumi's head. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the inevitable. He felt a wind pass by his face, causing him to open his eyes. He saw his father, standing beside the body of the creature that had charged at him. The body had been sliced at the torso, leaving the upper half twitching.

"What are you doing standing there? Go find your mother and sister!"

His mother and sister. They were still outside, in the middle of this blood fest. Coming to his senses, Tetsumi ran off, calling to his mother and older sister. Amid the endless scenes of carnage and sickening cries for help and screams of pain, Tetsumi could make out the figure of his mother, who was cradling someone in her arms. He also saw several of these nightmarish creatures standing close by.

This was the moment when adrenaline was finally able to overcome Tetsumi's fear. Without a thought for his well being, Tetsumi ran at one of the creatures, yelling at the top his lungs. The creature turned to see his right arm cut off by a screaming boy. The arm fell lifelessly, some sort of yellowish-green liquid squirting from the stump left behind. Before the creature could comprehend what had just happened, the same individual swung as hard as he could, slicing the creature's head clean off. The others standing close by soon met the same fate.

This was a new feeling for Tetsumi. He had never killed anything on purpose in his life. Now that he had, he liked it and wanted more. The boy was now possessed by the urge to kill these creatures. The sight of their yellow eyes was quickly followed by a wild cry and the sound of steel cutting through flesh. Time ceased to matter to Tetsumi. In his mind's eye, the outside world was nonexistent. All there was now was blood and the sweet sound of death.

Tetsumi would have gone on forever, searching and killing had not the creatures left. Not in defeat, for had they wanted to, they could have easily overcome Tetsumi and killed him. They left, satisfied with their work. He was angry. How dare these things leave when he was not done with them? He screamed, calling them cowards. Actually, he called them puss-sucking bastards. He surveyed the area around him.

The groans of the humans that were clinging to life, refusing to leave this world, rose from the earth. Those that managed to escape unharmed were busily searching for loved ones. They were bent, as if the dreaded expectation of finding their friends and family dead was a heavy load that they had to carry. Shifting through body parts, many found those that they were looking for, or what was left of them. It seemed as if these things took great care in causing their victims the most pain possible.

"Only demons could be so cruel, so heartless." Tetsumi told himself.

Tetsumi picked up a head. It was black as night, with what appeared to be large scales arranged in overlapping layers on its face. No nose was could be found on the head, or ears for that matter. Inside the mouth, the front teeth were replaced by razor-sharp fangs, and what would be considered the creature's tongue was rolled neatly behind the fangs. A nearby body revealed that the scales covered the whole creature. Large nails could also be found on the feet of these demons.

The ground was now covered in blood, both from the humans and the creatures. Tetsumi was satisfied with himself, he had his first taste of combat and lived to tell about it. What would his father say when he told him? His father, where was he? He had not seen him since he killed the creature that had attacked him. Where could he be?

Footnote: During my month off, I was able to study up on Japanese history and mythology. Bishaman was one of the seven gods of luck or Shichi Fukujin. He was the patron of warriors. The demons that I described are a mystery to me. I don't know how I came up with them, though they do seem to bear a resemblance to an old movie monster whose name I can't remember. Iria's thoughts early in the chapter are from an old Japanese poem written by a Lady Horikawa.