R'rai'irn flexed her claws, her bronze fur shimmering as angles of light change, her tail flicking back and forth with feverish lust for death and fighting. Miroku and Sango met the callous Youkai's eyes, both taking a defensive fighting stance against the Youkai. I we could just hold it off for a while, we may save Kohaku and the others precious time to get their bearings straight. We may still end up fighting and running. Sango's eyes cast down for a moment as the thought hit her, making her wish she could run to Kohaku's side and hold him close with Miroku at her side. Like a family. The bitter thought hit her hard, but only for a moment as she met the Youkai's eyes once more. Sango's grip on her boomerang tightened, her knuckles going white from lack of oxygen.
R'rai'irn's wry smile just widened at Sango's body language. "If you think you're going to live past this encounter, I think you should reconsider your position in this life. You can't even fathom the things I can do to you before you even hit the ground." R'rai'irn's wry smile dissipated and continued in a monotonous voice, "I have no intention of letting you go at all. I plan on making you both suffer. That little brat-kitsune that was with you is lucky compared to what I plan to do to you two."
Sango barely avoided shivering; biting her lip to stop herself from showing any surprise, blood trickling down from the corner of her mouth. This thing has no idea what it's up against. It doesn't even know that we've been there and done that before, and succeeded. At least Kohaku isn't anywhere near us, unless that thing knows exactly where our friends are. Sango regained her composure and stared into the Youkai's eyes. "Heh. You don't know what you're dealing with." Sango retorted, her voice low and ominous.
The Youkai just laughed at Sango's retort. "I know what I'm dealing with. It's you who doesn't know what you're dealing with." R'rai'irn flashed a fang-filled smile. "You should understand that I am not you're normal Youkai, human. You are just another weak, human prey to me." R'rai'irn's tail lashed from side to side in agitation, her bronze fur glittering from an unknown light source.
Miroku glared at R'rai'irn. "I do think you're underestimating your opponents, Youkai. We are definitely not weak as you claim us to be."
R'rai'irn ignored Miroku's gaze and ran a hand through her long bronze hair. "I'm not letting you get anywhere and I hold myself to that. I do hope you have more to put up against me than the kitsune."
Sango felt a knot in her stomach and resisted the urge to vomit. That bitch! How could she be so heartless! Sango readied herself to retort, but R'rai'irn cut her off before she could even speak.
"You humans disgust me. You are all so gullible, so trusting. It makes me sick. I can't bear to see you humans except in a pool of your own blood." R'rai'irn didn't wait a second longer. She lashed out at Sango with all her body weight in her attack. Sango anchored her bone weapon into the ground, using it as a shield as R'rai'irn ricocheted off the weapon, tumbling to the ground.
Sango hefted her boomerang out of the ground and hurled it at R'rai'irn. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango's attack barely missed R'rai'irn, grazing her tail and dragging a bit of fur with it as it collided with a tree. R'rai'irn hissed with anger as her tail whipped from side to side, her emerald eyes locked with Sango's soft brown eyes. R'rai'irn's fur stood on end as she stared down Sango with all the malice any Youkai can muster swirling in her eyes.
"You BITCH! I'll kill you!" R'rai'irn yowled, lunging at Sango again, locking her claws into Sango's body, blood beginning to spray.
---
Kohaku stirred and sat up, disturbed for a reason that did not reveal itself to him. Kirara stirred as well, swiveling her head to face Kohaku, letting out a little squeal of curiosity. Kohaku smiled and stroked her head, then thought to himself about what may have caused him to be so disturbed. Kohaku looked about him to find Shippo and Inuyasha gone, with only Kagome lying next to him in a fitful sleep. Onee-chan and Houshi-sama aren't back yet either, Kohaku thought to himself, slightly worried. Where'd Shippo-chan and Inuyasha-sama go? Kohaku wondered as well, looking about.
A faint pain-filled scream echoed from the forest, making Kirara's fur stand on end, a low growl emitting from her throat. Kohaku shivered, that's where Onee-chan and Houshi-sama are. Kohaku couldn't stand it any longer. He looked about to make sure there was no one to hold him back, then turned to Kirara.
"Come on, Kirara," Kohaku beckoned the two-tailed Youkai, who followed him into the forest.
---
Sango screamed as R'rai'irn drove her claws deeper into Sango's skin, hitting bone. Miroku lay unconscious a few feet to the left of the two fighting women from an attack from R'rai'irn, as he had attempted to pry her from Sango. R'rai'irn smiled and laughed as Sango's screams became more and more pain stricken, and R'rai'irn's claws began to crack the bones in her arms.
An evil smile cracked across R'rai'irn's face. "Yesss… Die… Fill yourself with fear and pain! It's no use to fight back now, now that you've nothing to fight for!" R'rai'irn shoved her face centimeters from Sango's, her piercing emerald eyes filling Sango's eyes with even more fear. "Run. If you can."
Sango's vision began to blur. Damn it! I'm losing too much blood…my vision's blurring… Shit! At least Kohaku and the others are safe. They don't have to suffer the same fate as Shippo or me. She felt her temples pound as her bones began to give way to R'rai'irn's grip. Sango felt dizzy. Damn… I'm not going to make it through this night. I have to do something to at least delay her to give Kohaku and the others time.
With dying strength, Sango head butted R'rai'irn, releasing R'rai'irn's vice-grip from Sango's almost crushed arms. Sango fell to her hands and knees, gasping for breath, as R'rai'irn fell to the ground and crashed against a nearby tree. Sango forced herself to her feet, drawing her short-sword from its sheath. Staggering, she made her way to R'rai'irn, and leveled the sword point so that it was almost grazing R'rai'irn's neck. Then, with a cry, Sango drove downward on the sword with all her force and weight.
Sango screamed with searing pain, as R'rai'irn's claws found her flesh once more. Her short sword fell harmlessly to the ground next to R'rai'irn, her neck completely unscathed. R'rai'irn seethed with pure rage as she stared at Sango.
"You… You will die now and I'll make sure it will be incredibly painful!" R'rai'irn took one paw away from Sango's arm and gripped Sango's head with it. Sango squeaked meekly with helplessness as her temples throbbed even more. Oh, shit! Not now…
"Onee-chan!"
Kohaku!
Kohaku's weapon whizzed through the air, colliding into R'rai'irn's shoulder, barely missing Sango's side. R'rai'irn released Sango from her grip and got up, yowling in pain as Kohaku pulled his weapon back to his side. Kneeling by his sister, Kohaku cradled Sango in his arms. "Onee-chan! Onee-chan! Are you all right?" Kohaku asked, attempting to hide the fear in his voice.
Sango coughed lightly, "Kohaku-kun, you shouldn't be here…"
"Something was wrong. I had to come."
"Kohaku…"
R'rai'irn finally regained her bearings and hissed loudly. "So there were more of you here. Heh, it serves you right if you all die here and now. Especially since you both are related, I think you two should die together." R'rai'irn's tail flicked from side to side as she spoke, her eyes never leaving Sango and Kohaku.
"You're full of crap Youkai," Sango spat, staggering to her feet. "You'll be the one to die, you'll see."
Before Kohaku could restrain Sango from doing anything to her herself anymore, she drove forward with her sword trained on R'rai'irn. R'rai'irn easily avoided the attack, but was met by a blow to the back of her head by Miroku, who had recently regained consciousness. R'rai'irn staggered forward a little by the blow, but turned and slashed at Miroku, spraying his blood across the forest floor.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango screamed, as Miroku's lifeless body hit the ground with a thud. Sango stood frozen by shock. Miroku… no!
"Onee-chan! Look out!"
Sango turned just in time to see R'rai'irn get knocked to her side by Kohaku's weapon once more. Blood sprayed about the forest, splashing green with thick crimson. R'rai'irn fell to one knee, but a smile crept across her face.
"Kohaku!" Sango couldn't take anymore. She thrust forward at R'rai'irn, as the pool of blood began to thicken, body parts lying about in no particular place; a detached arm impaled by a tree branch, innards decorating the forest floor and small, festering Youkai beginning to gather. R'rai'irn avoided the attack and her emerald eyes glittered.
"Now you die."
A stream of blood jetted into the sky a few feet and a dying gurgle left the forest floor as the birds in the canopy fled their perches from the stench of blood.
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