Chapter 9: Swords collide

"You did a terrible thing by attacking someone who was down," Kagome said an odd aura swirling around her. "That's something that no matter how much you would beg I'd never be able to forgive you."

Ladon smiled pulling out both swords. "We'll see who's going to beg once I slash you down."

Kagome stood the calmly her eyes half closed. "Yeah yeah you going to keep talking or are you going to fight?"

Ladon growled baring his fangs. He began to charge but stopped as the arena changed. High winds began blowing causing Kagome to look around.

"This is definitely going to change things for both sides," Keiko said softly.

"Ladon was acting weird," someone said next to her. "Normally he doesn't care if something happens."

"I know Rinku…it's odd…and I'm worried," Kit said.

Ladon took a slash at Kagome who blocked with her sword. Jumping over the second slash she brought her sword down. Getting blocked by Ladon who had his swords in an X blocking.

"Your good," he said his foot coming up in an odd angle kicking her stomach. "But I'm better."

Kagome fell back the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air she looked at Ladon her eyes narrowed.

"Something wrong?" he asked laughing. "You knew what you were getting into before this fight began. Or maybe you just didn't know how fearsome we could be."

"Well at least I know you didn't kill Inuyasha with those wimpy punches and kicks. I honestly don't think you can defeat me now if that's your best shot. You have just enough power to knock the air out of someone but aside from that you're pretty weak. That's why you use two swords instead of one. You need one to block and one to attack," Kagome said.

Ladon flinched his anger rising. He knew that she was right but he wasn't about to admit that to her. "I'll show you real swordsmanship!" he roared charging her his swords drawn. A dagger slipped out of his sleeve as he swung his sword.

Kagome leapt back out of pure instinct then cried out as the dagger stabbed into her stomach. Biting her lip she grabbed it wrenching it out blood dripping down her stomach.

"Dirty trick…," she muttered softly.

"Everything is fair in these types of fights," he said smiling.

"Really now…well then I guess you don't mind if I say my warm-ups over then?" Kagome asked looking at him.

He nodded as Kagome charged jumping into the air quickly. The high winds kept her up longer than normally as she landed in front of Ladon swinging her sword knocking it out of his hands catching the other.

"Now I have two swords and you have one," Kagome said her eyes narrowed.

Ladon swung wildly then lurched forward as the sword got buried deep into his stomach. Lifting up his head he fell to the side. "Y-You win…"

Kagome pulled the sword out gently sighing softly. "I know I said I'd make you beg but that was all talk…," she said picking him up taking him to the other side of the arena. As Kagome walked back she fell forward into Miroku.

"Her aura's exhausted…," he said softly. "I'll fight, then Sango, an then you Kit…if I lose one of you will have to take down two but I'll try to get down two myself…this way if one of you happens to lose the other one will be tired and you'll know some of his attacks…see all of you later."

Miroku stepped into the arena as the winds slowly died down. He blinked as Keiko stepped up into the arena. She seemed to be the team leader so why was she suddenly stepping in the arena?

"Rinku…I want you to fight after me then you fight Yuu," she said stretching her arm. "I don't know who's the deadliest and who's the best fighter on their team is but I'm just hoping it's him…I'll fight…then everything will be up to you."

"You care for your team-mates do you?" Miroku asked blinking. He picked up the sword that was lying at the edge of the arena. Now he was going to use it, doubting his staff and sutras would do much against Holy ones. Especially since those weapons were meant for demons and evil spirits.

"Of course I do, I couldn't overrule Ladon though. He's my older brother…and my dad taught us in any situation listen to my older brother…I'm sorry," Keiko replied softly.

"It's alright, Inuyasha's alive…burnt and bruised but alive," Miroku said smiling.

Keiko smiled and looked at Miroku. "Have you even been slashed by a sword before?"

"Yeah…why?" Miroku asked.

"Because the pain you're about to feel from mine is going to be much worse," she said Spirit Energy channeling into her palm. A sword about the size of what Miroku was holding right now slowly began forming.

"Nobody has even been able to fight me into having to use Spirit Sword form 2…maybe you'll be lucky enough to see it," she said.

"And maybe you'll be lucky enough to knock me out," he said winking slightly.

Sango flinched her eye twitching. He was flirting with her now of all times!

"He's a ladies man alright…," Kit said looking at the arena.

"Nothing but a pervert…," Sango said her fist clenched in rage. "I'll kill him after this match!"

Miroku blinked not hearing this as he looked back at Sango and Kit's icy stares. "Yeah…I knew I was getting a bad vibe…"

"Looks like your cheerleaders have turned against you," Keiko said smiling.

"Yeah…I'm used to that," Miroku said softly.

"Maybe if you'd stop flirting with the enemy before you fight them?" Keiko suggested smiling.

"Who's flirting?" Miroku cried blinking. For once he was actually flirting with her and not knowing it…something he should get a medal for.

Miroku charged with his sword and swung at her quickly. She blocked just before it hit her blinking.

"You have good physical skills for a monk," she said the two pushing against each other in stalemate. "I thought monks would need to practice with Spirit Energy instead…"

"I have better Spirit Energy than physical skills but this will do for now," Miroku said pushing against her. "Besides…ask anybody I know…I'm not your average monk."

Sango sighed shaking her head in disgust. "That's not something that you should be proud of…"

Miroku kept pushing his sword against hers then blinked as he suddenly slipped. Ice began forming everywhere as he blinked. "An Ice arena…," he muttered softly. "Well this is definitely something we're used to." (Refer to my 1st story.)

"Wait for it," Keiko said smiling. "It gets better in a few seconds."

Miroku blinked as he looked up ice needles jutting out of the ceiling. One fell and stuck to the ground in front of his feet. Through the fall and when it actually hit the ground the needle didn't turn dull or lose any of its weight.

"T-This is better!" Miroku stuttered out his eyes wide.

"Well…for me it is for you it just might be endless torture," Keiko said snickering at his fear. "If you're a monk you shouldn't be scared of such a simple thing as ice."

"Yeah your right!" Miroku said scrambling to his feet. "Ice is a simple thing to me! Ice daggers that fall from the ceiling to slice through your body is a different story!"

Keiko smiled and charged using the ice to propel her faster. She swung her sword at Miroku who blocked but got sent flying with the ice. Traction was worse here than it was in the Temple of Ice. How people here fought in these conditions were something Miroku would never figure out.

"Here there's no traction at all…," Miroku said. "How is it your able to move so swiftly?"

Keiko pointed down at her feet both of them giving off a faint glow.

"Spirit Energy…," Miroku said slapping his forehead. "Just how…do you channel Spirit Energy?" he wondered out loud.

"YOU IDIOT!" Kit cried from the sidelines. "YOU JUST TOLD HER YOU'RE WEAKNESS!"

Miroku blinked and looked at Keiko smiling. "Just forget everything you heard about me ok?"

"No can do," she said smiling and charged. "You don't know how and that's something that will help to my advantage."

Miroku blocked with his sword digging his heels in the ice. "I can definitely say I like your Code of Honor more than Ladon's."

"Ladon…I have no idea what made him act that way," Keiko said. "Normally he wouldn't but let's not dwell on the past."

"I have no problem with that," Miroku said.

"I have to say I like your style," Keiko said smiling.

Miroku smiled and pushed against her sword the ice making it harder. Slipping he cried out sliding under her and looked back as a ball of Spirit Energy came towards him. Grabbing an ice pillar and flipping up Miroku blinked held down. He looked to his leg and seen an ice dagger that fell from the ceiling catching his clothes! He watched the energy get closed and cried out shielding his arms up.

As the ice cleared Miroku blinked completely unharmed.

"Well this is an interesting turn of events," Keiko said looking at Miroku.

Miroku looked down and blinked slowly. The sword he was holding was now a sword made out of Spirit Energy just like Keiko's.