Rin looked around frantically for the voice and tightened her grip on Sesshomaru's back.
" I expected as much." The chuckle returned, then silenced. " Now," The humor in the voice was now gone and it spoke seriously. " Give me the jewel shard."
" No!" Rin shouted. " He doesn't have a jewel shard! Katuru lied to…"
" Silence." Sesshomaru cut her off with his cold demand. She obeyed, but her eyes showed her confusion and hurt. " Demon. I will hand over the jewel shard on one condition."
The voice laughed. " Oh? You're trying to make a deal are you? You are in no position…"
" I will also give you the location of several other jewel shards." Sesshomaru interjected again.
" And what proof do you have of this?"
" None."
Silence took over for a moment. A light wind flowed gently around them. " Very well then. What do you propose?"
" Victory will be chosen by a battle. However, my condition is this; you will show yourself, and remain shown. A fair battle, is it not?" After Sesshomaru spoke Rin lifted her head to look up at him in worry. She could only see the side of his face, but it was enough to tell that he was determined to indeed fight. She was always confident in Sesshomaru when she was a child, but such bliss had long since left her. She did believe him to be strong, but if even one of all the stories about The Master was true then he was an extremely powerful demon. She couldn't help the fear for her lord that filled her and she was ashamed of it.
Rin leaned her forehead against his back. A tear streamed down her face and landed on the ground beneath. " Lord…Sesshomaru…" She whispered the words, but she hadn't meant to speak them at all.
" Agreed." The voice spoke.
That one word may as well have been an arrow to Rin for it struck her straight through the heart. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. She gripped a hand full of the cloth on Sesshomaru's back and looked up to him with tear-filled eyes. " No. Milord, please, please don't fight." She cried out to him.
Sesshomaru turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. He knew the reason for her begging and it caused a cold look in his eyes. " Do not think so lowly of me Rin." His tone matched his eyes. He looked forward again, then shrugged out of her gripped and stepped away from her.
A few tears escaped her eyes and flowed down her face. She lowered her head in shame and sadness.
" I will not leave you."
Rin gasped and her head snapped up to look at him. ' Did he…say that? Or did I imagine it?' She thought to herself. She smiled.
Her smile faded when the winds blew roughly around them. Her hair covered her face in an annoying manner and she tried to pull it away from her face, but a few large strands remained. She tried to keep Sesshomaru in her sight, but a it would disappear due to a strand of thick black hair that kept flapping in front of her eyes. Even when she did see him, all she could see was how his hair flowed like a river at the same level as his face due to the strong current. She could also see his clothes flapping and hear them snapping in resistance.
A darkness filled the air, making the winds now visible. The winds came together in front of them, the opposite flows crashing and twisting fiercely. They formed a twister that begun at the skies and ended on the forest floor. A strike of thin, crooked lightening shot through the twister, the roar of thunder following soon after.
" Rin. Take cover." Sesshomaru called her in a shout, but kept his calm demeanor.
She only nodded her response, then ran as quickly as she could against the wind. She came to a tree and she felt her way around it. She leaned against it to catch her breath. When she had, she turned to the side so that she could see Sesshomaru again, but when she turned, a large mist of dirt blew into her face. She closed her eyes tightly and coughed as the impure air entered her lungs. Her eyes stung, but she opened them anyways, but later wish she hadn't as she laid eyes on the sight before her. She gasped and trembled in fear.
The demon was large. He stood well above the trees. He wore nothing but a mere cloth around his waist, showing all of his blood red skin. His muscles were more than visible as they protruded and bulged from his arms, legs, and torso. His short, black hair circled his face, chin, and joined into a long beard. Two large horns grew from where his ears should have been, and curved upwards to above his head. The most fearful part to Rin, however, was his grin. It perfectly displayed his long, razor sharp teeth.
He held a sword in his hands, that was nearly the same size as he was. The blade curved sharply upwards with a spike on the bottom of the blade. The hilt was black with a strange dark flow of wind around it. A string was tied around the hilt, and Sesshomaru winced in attempt to see what was attached to it, but it was currently hidden behind the demon's arm due to the wind at the hilt. " Allow me to introduce myself. " The demon spoke deeply, and his words came out as growls. He outstretched his arms and bent them upwards, as if displaying himself. " I am Bonshoku."
Sesshomaru looked at him with little interest. " Introductions are not necessary."
" Oh, but they are. I always make sure my victims know just who it is that killed them." Bonshoku tilted his head back and let out a laughed that seemed more like a roar.
Sesshomaru still stood with a careless look. " Very well then." He then gave a wicked grin and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. " Shall we begin?"
Bonshoku lowered his head back down and stopped laughing, though the smile remained on his face. " Oh yes, lets."
Not a moment later, Sesshomaru leapt into the air and drew his sword. The bright light of the sun shone behind him as he descended towards the demon. He held it with his one arm and swung it fiercely when he came into range with Bonshoku. The demon easily parried his attack with his own sword. Each held with equal strength, causing Sesshomaru to remain suspended in the air where he had struck.
They glared evilly at one another. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. " What's the matter Sesshomaru?" Bonshoku said humorously. " Are you having some trouble? Allow me to help you." Bonshoku then threw Sesshomaru back into the air with his sword. Sesshomaru resumed his attack form as he fell back towards Banshoku, but he merely parried him and threw him back into the air once more. Sesshomaru noticed the attack was useless, so as he remained in the air, he placed his sword back into his sheath, then he released his poisonous whip. Bonshoku chuckled and blocked his whip. Sesshomaru's whip slashed against his sword several more times before retreating it back into his hand. He flipped backwards to push himself away and landed gracefully onto the ground.
Sesshomaru began to observe the demon before him. ' That sword. Even though he blocked my attacked, my poison should have at least damaged it. What is that attached to the hilt?' He thought to himself.
Bonshoku laughed once again. " And here I was, thinking this was going to be a challenge. Maybe you don't have a jewel shard after all. Even the lowest of the low demons would at least have a chance with a jewel shard."
Sesshomaru grinned. " Is that how you are able to fight? With that jewel shard that is attached to your blade?" A ray of light suddenly bounced off of the shard, showing it to the world.
Rin gasped from behind the tree. How hadn't she noticed that before.
Bonshoku kept laughing. " So you noticed. It is indeed very helpful. I wouldn't mind adding more to my collection. Now tell me, where might I find more?"
Sesshomaru scowled. " We are still fighting."
Bonshoku narrowed his eyes evilly. " Not for long." He then raised his sword in front of him and held each end in either of his hands. Sesshomaru watched as a small, dark purple aura started at the hilt of the sword. It then grew rapidly in size as it traveled to the tip of the blade. The wind that had surrounded the hilt then began to swirl around the aura and blade as well. Bonshoku then gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the sword straight into the air. When he began to lower it, Sesshomaru quickly drew his sword once more. Bonshoku swung his sword downwards, and with it flowed a powerful dark wind that looked like a sideways twister. It traveled fast towards Sesshomaru, who wasted no time in swinging his own sword towards the wind. His caused two parallel lines of flames to emerge from the ground and race towards Bonshoku's attack.
The two attacks collided defiantly. Some winds and flames shot into the air. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock when Bonshoku's attack consumed his flames and still came towards him. He quickly raised his sword to attack again, but it was too late. The sideways twister crashed into Sesshomaru, throwing him roughly backwards.
" Sesshomaru!" Rin cried, caring less about his title at that moment.
Sesshomaru slammed into a large tree. The impact caused the air to knock from his lungs and he could not contain the small groan that escaped him. He slid limply down the tree, but he landed on his feet. He forced himself to stand straight.
" Sesshomaru!" Rin shouted again. She went to run to him.
" Stay." She stopped at his command. He spoke with his normal tone, but she heard the pain in it.
Bonshoku began to walk slowly towards Sesshomaru. " Do you care for this girl Sesshomaru?" He held out his hand. Rin screamed as she was suddenly swept away in a powerful wind and flowed straight into Bonshoku's waiting hand, who caught her by the neck.
" No! Rin!" Katuru had now exited the hut and was running towards Bonshoku and Rin.
Bonshoku grinned. " Ah yes, I forgot about you. I'm afraid I have no more use of you." Katuru was thrown by a rush of wind through the air. When he landed, his hand smashed against a rock.
" Katuru!" Rin called out, but Bonshoku tightened his hold on her neck, causing her to silence and struggle for air.
Bonshoku then looked back to Sesshomaru. " Now Sesshomaru. Tell me. Where are the other jewel shards. Or…" He lifted Rin higher into the air. Causing her feet to dangle above the ground and her to gasp harshly for air. " …would you enjoy watching this pathetic human die?" Banshoku then began laughing lightly, then louder, until he was laughing uncontrollably.