The trek through the caves was a lot easier this time around with company. Any demons that flew by were instantly destroyed by either Miroku or Inuyasha, and the entire way I got to ride on Kirara's back with Shippō. I felt bad for burdening the cat demon like this, but she didn't seem to mind. The pass through the the forest was a lot easier, too.

The first day went by fairly quick. The next day even faster. By the time the third day came around we wound up rescuing several young women from demons.

They weren't even very powerful demons; Inuyasha could defeat them with his bare hands. Miroku used his staff to swat and purify them, and before long the battle was over. All that was left was a single demon clinging to Inuyasha's arm and the monk got rid of it easily enough. It was the least stressful battle yet. Shippō and I just kind of lounged on Kirara's back while it happened, watching the scene take place.

As Miroku exorcized the last demon, the women began to approach them. "Oh, thank you, monk! Thank you!" A girl in a blue kimono cried, clasping her hands together. "If you didn't show up… I dread to think of what might've happened to us!"

"Yes!" Her friend nodded, "Thank you! Oh, and your friend, too…" She eyed Inuyasha for a moment, a smile on her face. "You men are so strong!"

Well, I'm uncomfortable already. I turned my head away, feeling as if I was intruding on something. I hated being in the middle of these kinds of conversations, but at least it wasn't me being hit on this time. Miroku laughed, "Well, we're here now, ladies, so there's no need to fear. Might I ask your names?"

The girl in the blue kimono spoke first, "I'm Yurihime. It's so wonderful to meet you."

I can't believe Miroku was correct about them being beautiful just by their screams. He's really on a different level of pervert. Yurihime had long black hair tied back in a braid, draping over her shoulder elegantly. Her brown eyes glimmered in the sun, pale skin showing that she didn't go outside often. The girl in the pink kimono introduced herself as Koto. Her brown hair was tied more modestly to cover her shoulders, stopping just below her chest. Kinu, the woman in the brown kimono, had black hair and grey eyes. Her hair was hanging freely, bangs cut in a straight fringe across her forehead. They were all beautiful young women and… I found myself oddly unsettled by this. And that's not even mentioning their flattery.

"You're both so handsome! I can't believe such good looking strangers came to our rescue!"

Koto glanced over at the rest of us, eyes widening. She stepped forward, hands laced together in front of her skirt. "Oh, and your lady companions are simply lovely! The woman in the kimono especially…" Koto glanced over at Sango appreciatively, before her eyes shot up to Kagome. "Your hair! It's so dark and silky in appearance! How wonderful!"

She stepped forward, reaching out and gingerly grabbing a lock of Kagome's hair and feeling it between her fingers.

"Truly… wonderful..."

Okay, this is getting really weird. I looked at them uncertainly, speaking up and saying, "A-Are you guys really okay? The demons didn't hurt you before we got here, did they?"

Yurihime focused on me, bringing her hand up to her lips. "No, you saved us before they could… Are you from a far away land? Your hair is cut so short! My goodness, you… you're just adorable!" I shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the green sweater I was wearing- more than grateful that Kagome had mended it.

"Um… thanks. You're quite cute yourself, miss."

She giggled at me, only to have her attention snatched by Miroku when he rested a hand lightly on her lower back. He leaned in close, smiling at her. "I just can't keep my eyes off such a beauty… might I be permitted to ask where you live? It'd be dangerous for you and your lovely friends to walk home alone."

Sango stormed up, smacking Miroku hard upside the head. The monk stumbled sideways and grabbed his head, staff dropping to the ground. "Honestly, monk!" She exclaimed, "Can't you control yourself for five minutes!? This is down right humiliating!"

Inuyasha shook his head. "There they go again… but whatever. It looks like there aren't anymore demons around here, so we should keep going."

"You're right." Kagome agreed. She pulled away from Koto, grabbing at her hair and eyeing the stranger weirdly. What was their fascination with all of our appearances? I didn't understand it. "We need to hurry; the castle is still a long ways from here."

"So soon!?" Yurihime exclaimed, hands curled to her chest. "I-I still need to show my appreciation for you saving us! Please, come to our mansion?"

Miroku stood, partially recovered from Sango's hit, and and offered a charming grin. "We would love to go with you." He purred. "I humbly accept."

"Oi, Miroku." Inuyasha drawled, crossing his arms. "Why in the world do we need to do that? Naraku is more important than some women!"

"Yeah." Sango agreed, glaring at the monk. "No more distractions!"

Koto stepped forward, latching onto Sango's arm and startling the demon slayer. "Please, wait! We'll prepare you food and ready baths! I'm sure you must be exhausted from travelling. Let us help!"

"Actually," Inuyasha said, eyebrows raising as he started to be persuaded by his rumbling stomach, "I'm starvin'. We've been travelling for a while and there hasn't been much game around here to catch."

Koto smiled warmly at him. "We'll prepare meat and fish, oh- and mountain vegetables! You mustn't travel on an empty stomach! The road ahead is so dangerous!"

Kinu nodded, worried. "There are a lot of demons further down this road…"

"Maybe it would be a good idea to go to the mansion…" Kagome looked bothered by their words. "A hot bath sounds nice, too…"

Real food and a hot bath? I don't think I've had a hot bath during my time here at all. I was always diving into cold lakes and river streams. Being able to soak in hot water sounded amazing and I found myself rather tempted by the offer. These women seemed way too… nice... for my liking, but maybe I was just being paranoid. There are a lot of people in these times who offer their homes to travelers in need.

I think I'm just antsy from being attacked so much. I feel as if anything could be a trap.

Sango gave Kagome a hesitant look before giving in, sighing. "It would be bad to keep going unprepared… What do you think, Irene?" She looked at me. I tensed, seeing the way everyone turned their gazes to me expectantly. There was no way I could voice my opinion now. They all wanted to go to the mansion so badly, whether it be for the food or the bath. Only Sango seemed reluctant.

"I… um. I guess. Whatever you guys want is fine."

"...But you don't want to?" She inquired, tilting her head curiously at me. "How come?"

I gave an awkward shrug. "I-I just… I dunno. It's weird. Let's just go to the mansion."

They were always so stressed out, risking their lives day-after-day. I didn't want to ruin their fun. Inuyasha stared for a moment and then turned to women, smiling. "It's settled then. We'll follow you to the mansion. It would be rude to refuse an invitation."

He wasn't wrong. No one could argue against his logic, nor did they desire to, and so we followed the women to their mansion. There Kirara set me down and transformed back into her little kitten state, jumping into my arms. I limped slowly after everyone, unable to move too fast because of my injuries. Kinu and Koto took the liberty of separating the females from the males, having us put into separate rooms, while Yurihime went and prepared the bathhouse.

"Are you doing well, Irene?" Sango asked, seeing me wince when I sat down. "Does it still hurt?"

"Mostly just my back," I answered truthfully, petting Kirara as she curled in my lap, "but otherwise I'm fine."

Kagome frowned and made her way over. "Let me see." She lifted the back of my shirt up to see the stitches. "They didn't open, which is good. Let me put on some ointment and bandages, that way you can get into the bath and not worry about it getting soaked." She pulled her backpack over and got into her first-aid kit. "I'm surprised you didn't use your Shikigami to heal yourself."

"Frick, I could have, couldn't I?" I exclaimed. I let out a noise, disappointed in myself. "Fun, fun. Well, you guys are already using so much medicine on it- might as well let it heal naturally the rest of the way. Right?"

"That's true." She said. "Still… I don't like how you're always getting injured."

"...I know."

Sango took out a cloth and began to polish her hiraikotsu. "Did something seem weird about those women to you?" She suddenly asked, refusing to look at us. "I have this bad feeling."

Kagome shook her head. "Are you sure it's not just because of Miroku?"

The woman almost dropped her weapon. "Wh-What!? Why bring him up!? That monk has nothing to do with this!" Her face was bright red, the blush all over her cheeks. I stared at her, eyes wide, realizing very quickly that she had a crush on the perverted monk. "I'm just saying something isn't right about these people! They strike me as odd."

"Uh-huh." Kagome clearly didn't believe her. "Sure. I think you're just overreacting Sango. What do you say, Irene?"

"Um…" Frick. How dare she put me in the middle of all this. "I-I'm with Sango on this… sorry. I-I just don't feel…" What was the word for it? Safe. "I dunno. I just don't really trust them?"

"Thank you!" Sango exclaimed. "I'm glad someone is on my side."

Kagome frowned. "That's not fair, Sango. You know I didn't mean it that way..." She pulled my shirt down and stood, walking over to grab the towels Kinu left by the door. "Now- why don't we all calm down by taking a nice relaxing bath? I'm sure it would do us all some good!"

The demon slayer let out a sigh. "I suppose… I'm sorry, Kagome. I shouldn't have snapped."

"Don't worry about it! It's been a rough few days." Kagome looked down at me. "I'll show you what to do in the bath, okay, Irene? You probably aren't used to the ones here in Japan."

I blinked. "Um, okay."

What on earth could be so different about them?

...

As it turned out they were vastly different. Before we could actually get into the bath we had to clean ourselves with a small rag using a cold bucket of water, removing grime and dirt. It reminded me greatly of the public swimming pools back home, though I had only ever went to those when I was little and could actively play around. Towels were allowed, though they couldn't touch the water, and Kagome and Sango tied their hair up.

And the worst part was that we had to bathe together.

I disliked changing in front of others, but that was totally different from being exposed completely. I think the last person who saw me naked was my mother- and that was when I was a little kid and couldn't wash my hair by myself yet. Ick. I feel so gross. I don't like this. Do I have to?

Hot water sounded amazing, but… with others?

Kagome and Sango seemed unbothered by each other's presence and got in the hot spring, relaxing into the water and sighing happily. I hesitated, holding the towel over my form and staring down at the water below. How to do this without revealing myself…? Hmm. Predicaments.

"What's the matter?" Sango asked curiously, seeing the way I was just standing there. "It's only us girls; you don't have to worry about Inuyasha or Miroku walking in. No need to be shy."

"I-I'm not… shy." I awkwardly responded, touching my toe into the water and nearly recoiling at its heat. I was so used to the icy lakes I had been using to clean myself with; it felt so strange against my skin now. The air in the room was so steamy and almost suffocating. "I-I just…"

Kagome blinked, seeming to reach an understanding faster than Sango did as to why I was behaving this way. "Oh, I get it! You're not used to this, are you? Americans do things so differently from us. Want Sango and I to turn away while you get in?"

I looked at her, surprised. "R-Really? Um, please…"

Sango hummed. "Is that what it was? Haha. Don't worry about." She and Kagome turned so their backs were facing me, and with a shaky breath I dropped the towel and slid into the water. "You good?"

Effectively hiding my body from the shoulders down, I let out an informative noise. As they moved and got comfortable, it was then I caught sight of the scar on Sango's back. It was a large, nasty looking piece of flesh. I could only assume it was from the incident… when Kohaku got possessed and killed everyone. Gods, how does she function? She's incredible.

"This is so nice…" Kagome moaned, sinking into the water. "It's been so long."

Seriously? She gets normal baths at home.

Sango just nodded her head. "Agreed. Maybe I was wrong after all… it was so nice of those women to set this up for us."

I remained silent, thinking deeply about everything. This felt so casual, so… normal. It was unnerving. Was it really alright for us to just lounge about in this bath when we could be making our way towards Naraku's castle? What about Maria? Shouldn't there be more that we need to be doing?

"Sometimes you just gotta relax." Kagome commented, stretching her arms out in front of her. "The search for Naraku and the jewels shards can be so harrowing sometimes!"

"...Why don't we talk about something else then?" Sango suggested. "How did your battle with those exams go? Did you defeat them?"

What? Oh my gods, that's adorable. I sat up, looking at the females and fighting a smile. Did she really think exams were demons? I love it.

"Barely." Kagome held her head to side, propping her elbow up on the stone wall and pressing her hand to her cheek. "I studied so much, but then I forgot my notes… my little brother had to deliver them to class for me. It was a nightmare."

"That was nice of him." She said, smiling. "He cares for you. It's something to be grateful for."

"Y-Yeah…" Kagome realized what she said and looked almost guilty, before she quickly turned her head and looked at me. "Anyway! Irene! Tell me; what are things like back where you're from? You're… nineteen, aren't you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

I blinked, sinking back into the water slowly. "No. I don't deal with relationships."

She and Sango both looked shocked. "What, why?"

"Aren't you at least interested in someone?" Sango asked. I shook my head. "How come?"

I shrugged. "I'm just not. You guys are crushing on people though, aren't you?"

"Not me." Sango said, shaking her head. I snorted at that. "What!?"

"Don't you like Miroku?" Her face flared red. Ah, yes. There it is. "Knew it."

"I-I do not like him! I said this before already! A-And if we're talking about who likes who, then what about Kagome? She's clearly in love with Inuyasha!"

"I am not in love with him! I… like him a minimal amount and that's it."

"Suuure."

"Anyway, why are we talking about us? We were talking about you." Kagome exclaimed, facing me. She and Sango were in front of me now, frowning and intent on getting information. What it was, I was uncertain. "Don't you ever want to date someone? Maybe go to the movies or on a walk…?"

I was up to my nose in the water now, attempting to hide from their prying eyes.

"...I like reading stories about it…"

I finally said, lifting my head up out of the water just enough so they could hear me. It was getting a bit harder to breathe in here. I was going to have to get out soon. Still, it felt wonderful to sit in hot water. I missed showers so much. It stung a little at first since it had been a while, but now that my body was adjusted to it my skin was super happy.

"I feel… I feel like being in a relationship would be really stressful." I admitted, recalling all the times the people I spoke to at school had drama with their significant others. Then there were my siblings- who often ended up with abusive people more often than not. Thankfully Maria had landed someone who treated her right after enough trauma, so she was doing pretty good until… well, we were brought here. I don't even think I could handle being in a relationship. "I-I wouldn't… know how to act a-and… I probably wouldn't be able to do half the stuff expected of me."

"Like what?" Sango asked, concerned. "Marriage?"

Marriage often leads to kids. So… yes. That. Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh my god. You've never even been on a date before, have you!?"

"N-No?" Why was I feeling so embarrassed? It was almost as if… I were ashamed of this fact. I wasn't. I was perfectly content being single. So why did I feel so bad about it now? "It's not like I really cared about it before. I turned down anyone who asked."

Sango let out a small gasp, bringing a hand up to her mouth in shock. "So there were people!"

"No! They were all kinda… creepy." I made a face. "I mean, I was flattered but… I just wasn't interested. They weren't my type."

"What's your type then?" Kagome asked, leaning forward and grinning. "Maybe you'll meet someone here!"

Um, no thank you. I scooted away, lifting my arms out of the water and coughing some as I turned around and held onto the side wall. I needed fresh air. It was too hot in here. I can't breathe. My heart rate was starting to pick up, and I was starting to think that being so flustered was making things worse. I avoided conversations like this back in my time, so having it now was really throwing me for a loop. "I-I don't know? Fictional? I can't tell you how many times I had Robin marry Henry from Awakening and Corrin to Subaki in Fates. Gods, I love them. They're so great."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm assuming those are video games. And Irene- those don't count! I'm talking about real people! Flesh and blood!" Kagome exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you like in a guy?"

How does she even know that I'm straight? For all anyone knows I could be bisexual or lesbian. Yeesh. Wait, she's from 1996. A lot of people weren't out and comfortable with their sexuality then, I don't believe… hmm. That explains things. Still, she wasn't wrong. Women were gorgeous, but any crushes I had were on guys. Lame. "Um... I don't know. Lots of sarcasm? I like to banter and joke, so... yeah. Uh… he has to be super smart, too, I guess. Like, this dude has got to be smarter than me."

I really liked people who were intelligent, mainly because I was not. I did not want to deal with another me.

"And..." I remembered some of the people I met back when I was still in school and made a face. "...he better not act like an idiot. Oh, but like- I am an idiot, so he has to be able to tolerate that and my nonsense because I like to talk. A lot. And I can be super slow when it comes to understanding certain stuff, so patience is definitely a thing." My eyebrows knit together at that and leaned my head down against my arms, thinking. This was actually starting to amuse me slightly, imagining a person that couldn't possibly exist. "And, um, he has to be confident, you know? Maybe kinda arrogant, but isn't a jerk about it?"

"Ohh." Kagome giggled. "I see. You like the mature, serious guys."

I choked. I don't know why, but the way she put that had me sputtering like a fool- face completely red. Sango was smiling, amused by all of this. "Y-You make it sound so weird!"

"I think it's cute." Sango said. "It makes sense, too, given your personality."

I slumped my shoulders, chewing on my bottom lip. "My personality…? Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I just mean… oh, how do I put this?" The brunette thought for a moment. "You're really kind, Irene, and you don't really put yourself first. You get along with children really easily because you yourself have a childish part of you. You know when to be serious, but don't know how to act about it. If I have to find a way to describe it, I'd say you prefer a person who's the total opposite of you. Someone who can balance out your recklessness and take charge when needed. A man who... A man who can teach you to be a little selfish from time-to-time, and point out when you're being too selfless."

Ah. Okay. I didn't really agree with the selfless bit, but sure. "That… makes sense." I was surprised they were even taking this so seriously.

My description had been completely hypothetical; no one like that actually existed. They were being ridiculous.

Suddenly there was knocking of the floor and the bathhouse door slid open. Koto was sitting on her knees, looking inside at us. "Dinner is almost ready, everyone. Please, finish your bath and make your way to the main hall; we'll escort you to the room where you and your friends will be eating. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh, yes!" Sango said, offering a sweet smile to the woman. "Thank you."

"This bath is amazing!" Kagome told her. "You guys are complete angels for doing this! Really!"

"Aw, you're so kind to say that." Koto blushed. "Thank you. And what about you, miss? Are you enjoying yourself?" She looked at me, expecting an answer. I hesitated.

"Um… yeah. Thank you."

Something flashed in her eyes and I tensed, not liking what I saw, but it happened so fast I wondered if I imagined it. She smiled at me. "That's good. I'll be waiting for you all in the hall. We have spare kimonos for you all to wear once you are done." She slid the door shut and left. I felt cold.

"Honestly, this place is so nice!" Kagome exclaimed. "I love it here."

"I think I was wrong about them." Sango said. "...Irene? What's wrong?"

"H-Huh?" I jumped, looking over my shoulder at her. "Oh, uh, nothing. Sorry. I zoned out."

"I see… well, I suppose we should get going. Don't want to keep the boys waiting."

"Yes." Kagome agreed.

This kimono felt so fancy. It was a dark green with pink cherry blossoms embroidered into it, and underneath I wore a white juban as underwear. It felt so breezy. I swung my arms back and forth a few times, to the amusement of my female companions, and we made our way to the main hall where we were greeted with Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippō. They were all wearing their own kimonos, too.

Sango's was a lovely purple with lighter purple bellflowers, and Kagome's had a pink base with white daisies. Miroku had a simple black kimono, Inuyasha a grey one, and Shippō was given the tiniest little light green kimono in existence- and it was completely covered in dark leaves. The fox demon was adorable. Miroku instantly began to flirt with Sango upon seeing her in her new attire, but she shut him up soon enough when his hand got a little too close to her hips. He then tried to butter up Kagome, but she took several steps away and hid next to Inuyasha who rolled his eyes at the monk's behavior. The second Miroku tried to approach me Sango grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, bringing a leg up and pressing a knee to his spine threateningly.

"Don't. Even. Try it." She growled. I mouthed a silent "thank you" to her and she flashed me a quick smile, glaring at Miroku once more as soon as she was done. The demon slayer proceeded to stand in front of me protectively after that, eyes so malicious that if dark looks could kill Miroku would already be six feet under the dirt.

I loved this woman. She was amazing.

Kinu and Koto soon showed up, explaining that they and Yurihime had just finished setting up the tables, and escorted us the dining room. There we sat down: Inuyasha, Sango, and myself on one side of the room with Kagome, Shippō, and Miroku on the other. The tables were really these little rectangular stools with trays of food resting on them. I watched the others sitting, observing how they were all on their knees to preserve room, while Inuyasha crossed his legs like… well the way I used to. So I sat with my legs out to the side, unable to sit the same way he was due to my kimono and leg wounds. Grr.

Still… the food smelled delicious.

"My goodness!" Kagome exclaimed, viewing her plate. "There's so much food; I don't think I'll be able to finish all of this in one go!"

"I believe in you!" I told her, currently debating which was the best way to tackle it. Should I start with the meat or fruit? Both looked so good. I was definitely leaning towards the meat. Yup, that's it- I grabbed the chopsticks and proceeded to grab a huge piece of… whatever it was and ate it. Tasted like pork. Mmm. It was covered in some kind of sauce. "This is delicious!"

Koto giggled. "Why, thank you. I worked very hard on it."

"She loves to impress." Kinu whispered, holding a hand up to her face in an attempt to appear secretive. Koto gasped, but didn't act offended. "I'm kidding, sister!"

"Not in front of the guests! That's so embarrassing…" She covered her face with her large sleeve. "Anyway, I need to go tend to the laundry… so I'll be out for a while. Would you like to join me, Kinu?"

"Of course! Two work faster than one." The two women were about to head out, turning and bowing to us first. "Thank you so much for saving us earlier. We pray this will help you, if only a little, for your journey."

Miroku flashed them a brilliant grin. "Oh, for you I'd do anything."

There was a thud and Miroku yelped. Sango had reached out and pinched his leg- causing him to bump the table with his knee in response. I didn't even flinch; in fact, I snickered a little. He really needed to learn some respect. Women weren't objects. And aside from that same arguing, diner was relatively peaceful. It was nice. I began to feel bad for ever doubting the women's intentions. They really were just trying to help.

"I'm so full…" Kagome said, leaning back with a hand on her stomach. "I haven't eaten a meal like that in ages. Wow."

It was pretty darn tasty.

"Agreed." Sango wiped the remnants off her face with a napkin, looking elegant as she did so. I brought a hand up to my mouth and burped- but it was completely overshadowed by Inuyasha's loud Brrrrrrup! Kagome's eyes went wide. "Oh my."

Inuyasha fell onto his back, arms behind his head. "That was delicious! Better than any game I've caught. Damn. We need to do this more often."

Shippō shook his head. "You were the one always against these things, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, well, I've changed my mind."

Yurihime smiled as she watched us, entering the room quietly. "I trust the meals were satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes!" Miroku exclaimed, standing. Sango tensed as the monk made his way over to the young woman, grasping her hands in his. "Not only are you a beautiful woman, but your cooking is incredible! You would make an amazing wife."

"M-Monk! You flatter me so…"

"I never flatter." He told her, leaning in close. Their noses were almost touching. I leaned back, hands gripping the table, and watched the girl react with disgust on my face. Was she seriously falling for such an act? "I only speak the truth."

Yurihime looked doubtful for a moment. "Really?" He nodded.

"Really…"

Inuyasha sat up and leaned over the table, whispering to us, "He seriously lays it on, doesn't he?" I nodded, nose scrunching up.

"Yeah, he does. It's gross."

Sango's hands twitched, her fingers gripping her chopsticks tightly. "A monk, huh? What about that vow of chastity?"

"Pretty sure he lost it a long time ago." Inuyasha responded thoughtlessly, and a loud SNAP echoed around the room. I jumped, looking at the demon slayer with big eyes. "Uh… you good?"

"S-Sango, y-your chopsticks!" She broke them so easily. "Are you mad? Did we make you mad?"

Kagome shook her head. "It's because of Miroku…"

"Monk," Yurihime began quietly, "would you like to go for a walk outside with me? It's such a beautiful night!"

He grasped her hand, lacing the woman's fingers with his. "I would love to. Let's go!" With that they headed out of the room, Miroku letting the woman take the lead, a stupid grin on his face. I let out a sound of distaste.

"Annnnd they're gone. Wow."

"Is he what you would call a ladies' man?" Shippō asked, completely innocent, genuine curiosity on his face. "I think that's what it is…"

Kagome looked at Sango worriedly. "Hey, is it really alright to let them go like that?"

"Yeah!" I got halfway up, ready to chase after him and bring him back. "Want me to go get him? I'll smack him upside the head for you and everything!"

The demon slayer turned her head, snapping rather loudly, "It doesn't have anything to do with me! That perverted monk can do what he wants; I don't care!"

Shippō frowned, murmuring, "Am I the only one here that sees that you do…?"

"I-I already said I don't care about him! Just drop it."

As much as I hated it, Sango really did like Miroku. The poor woman. She had such bad taste in men. Still, I wanted to support her… even if I didn't really like him as a person. What was Miroku's deal with Naraku, anyway? I still didn't know his side of the story. Something about his right hand, I think was said to me. It was so long ago and so much has happened since then the details are foggy.

"...Why is Miroku travelling with us?" I asked abruptly, not really thinking about it. Everyone looked at me. "I-I mean, I know… Shippō and Sango's reason, but I don't know anything about Miroku. I think Shippō told me something was wrong with his right hand, but I don't… really think he went into the details about."

"Right." Kagome nodded, looking down. "I guess we should tell you, huh? The issue with his hand is the Wind Tunnel."

"The what tunnel?"

"The Wind Tunnel." She explained. "It's a curse that was put on him by Naraku."

I don't get it. "How is it a curse? Doesn't he kill demons with it?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"As time goes by the Wind Tunnel grows," Kagome continued, voice growing sad, "eventually the very thing he uses to swallow demons… will swallow him up, too. It's a curse put on his family, so a member of each generation has to deal with it. This time it's Miroku's turn, who had lost his father to the Wind Tunnel. If he can't defeat Naraku in time, then Miroku…"

Oh no. No, no, no. Don't you dare try and make me feel bad for him. I hate that pervert. There's no reason to try and justify his actions by telling me about this. I don't care if Miroku… if Miroku…

"Dies?" My voice cracked. I swallowed down the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the bad feeling in my stomach. I felt so terrible for the way I treated him.

He's been living all this time, knowing he might die a painful death. That he would be enveloped by his own hand. Is that why he acts so carefree, trying to live life to the fullest before it ends so suddenly? Oh gods. I brought my hands up, covering my mouth as I leaned over, eyes starting to burn. "Irene, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I… I've been so mean to him." I choked. I couldn't look at them, too guilty and ashamed of my actions. "H-He's went through so much- is going through so much. A-And… And I never even held a proper conversation with him because of… because of how he… I'm such a jerk!"

I can't. I can't do this. I need to apologize. I don't necessarily like him, but I don't want him to die. Especially not if Sango cares for him. I stood, wiping at my face and taking shaky breaths, and stumbled around the table to reach the doors. I was about to slide them open when I heard Koto speak from the other side.

"Soon…"

"Yes," Kinu's voice agreed cheerfully, "very soon! I want the girl with the short hair…"

"The demon slayer is mine. She looks the most delicious…"

What on earth is…? I froze for a moment, the worst coming to mind, and I took a few steps back. I could hear Kagome call out to me, but I didn't answer. I looked back at the group, seeing the way they were staring at me, and I sniffled. Something was wrong.

This really isn't good. I need to- frick.

Kagome. She was saying something. I made to walk around the circle of people to get over to her, praying she would listen to me, when I lost my footing. I yelped and Shippō quickly darted out of the way, shouting, and in my attempt to catch myself I ended up smacking the wall and landing behind a room divider. "Ow…"

"A-Are you alright?" Sango exclaimed, standing. "Irene, your injuries! They aren't worse, are they!?"

"N-Nope. M'fine." I grumbled, back stinging. My legs seriously stung. I groaned, not getting up at first, and opened my eyes to find myself staring at something beside me. It looked like some kind of writing, but it was hiragana and I couldn't read it. Or was it katakana? I don't freaking know; I only know how to read English and a little bit of Spanish. "What the…?"

I sat up, bringing my hand up and touching it. It looked like paint, but...

"Uh… can someone come over here? I found something… gross?"

...it was wet.

"What do you mean gross?" Shippō asked. "Is it a dead bug?"

"No, it's… it's just gross! And… creepy." Eyes adjusting to the darkness of this small space I noticed the liquid was red. A haunting shade of it. "I-Inuyasha-"

I could hear him moving as he got up, the half-demon making his way over. "Such a scaredy-cat!" He grouched. "Do I have to do everything for you? Jeez." Inuyasha pulled the divider out of the way so he could squeeze into the small space next to the wall, squatting down and sitting next to me. He stared at my fingers with narrowed eyes, nose twitching. "What the…?"

He sniffed the air again, catching the scent of the paint, before turning his gaze to the wall.

"That's… blood."

"What?" Kagome asked, raising her voice as she stood. "Blood!?"

Inuyasha moved closer, nose almost touching the wall. It wasn't paint? Oh gods. "No doubt about it; that's human blood. And it's fresh."

"I wonder what happened…" Kagome murmured, pressing a hand to her chin. "This doesn't sound good at all."

I scooted away from the wall and wiped the blood off my fingers, shaking a little as I thought about what this could mean. I was still upset over the conversation earlier, but now… if those women weren't really as kind as they seemed, then… Miroku is in trouble. He's going to get hurt. "I-I dunno," I stammered, "but I… I heard them talking earlier when I went to… leave a-and I-I don't think this mansion was a good idea. W-We need to find Miroku."

"Yes." Sango said, glancing at the door. "I'm getting worried… but if we all leave at once they might get suspicious. What should we do? I don't want to risk them doing anything that would further endanger his life if we get found out."

Well, for starters we should stop speaking so loudly about this. I scrambled onto my feet and wobbled a little, clapping my hands together and holding a finger up to my lips to shush them. "Not so loud~! They'll hear us."

Inuyasha's dog ears twitched. "Yeah… they're right outside the door."

Shippō hugged himself, shrinking down to the floor. "I don't like this, you guys… This is scary."

"I knew something was wrong about them." Sango muttered. "Damn."

She carefully made her way towards the door, gesturing at me and Kagome. We blinked and carefully followed her out, Inuyasha waiting nearby and listening intently for any warning signs. He sat on guard, ready to jump out and attack if need be. Sango, holding three fingers up, silently counted down for when she would open the door.

Hands grasping the side, she slid it open to reveal the hallway. Kinu and Koto stopped whispering and turned, looking at us surprised. "Oh? You're finished already?"

"Don't you want to eat some more? We can bring out dessert if you'd like."

"A-Actually," I said, hiding behind Sango as the girl shielded me habitually from view, "I need to go the bathroom…"

"I actually need to go as well." Kagome sheepishly admitted, playing along. Her face turned a bit pink, so I wondered if she was telling the truth. "Sango was just going to walk with us- us girls gotta stay together, you know?"

"Yes…" Koto said slowly, her eyes focusing on me. "Is something the matter, Irene? You look upset…"

"What? Uh, no. I just… really need to go." I laughed awkwardly, heart pounding hard in my chest. Were they really a bunch of a murderers? It was so unnerving talking with them. "I-I don't like new places, so…"

Kinu frowned deeply. "If that's the case you should just wait until the meal is completely finished. Fighting demons will take away your strength, will it not? Wait until after you've eaten it all to go clean up."

Sango knitted her eyebrows together. "Wait to go use the bathroom?"

"Yes. Please, go back to the room…"

"Why should we?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes. "Why can't we go now?"

Koto tilted her head, scowling. "They've figured us out…" She turned her head to look at Kinu, expression growing blank. "Until Yurihime obtains the monk's liver, don't let them leave the mansion. I'll go get the others."

Kinu smiled at that. "Oh? How wonderful." She turned back to face us, eyes landing on me once more. "I'll get my meal after all…"

A cold chill went down my spine and I stepped back, disturbed by the hungry look in her gaze. Her skin seemed to shred off of her body, being replaced by green scales, her dark hair flowing wildly around her. The sclera of her eyes turned a bright red, her iris becoming pitch black. The woman's nails elongated into sharp claws, and within a single instant she lunged at me.

Kagome yelped and threw herself to the side to get out of the way, and Sango rammed a hand hard into my chest to push me down. She threw herself in front of me and flexed her arm, a blade ripping out of her armguard and tearing her kimono sleeve. The woman slashed at the demon, tearing its scales and sending it leaping back. "Damn…!" It cursed. "Of course the slayer would be wearing concealed weapons…"

"You won't get away with this!" Sango shouted. "We'll stop you!"

"Ha!" Kinu laughed. "I'd like to see you try!"

The scaly demon lunged, but didn't get very far as Inuyasha knocked the door down. He didn't have tetsusaiga on his person so he used his hands instead, clawing at the female demon and scratching her face. "Hrah! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Blood spurted from her injuries and she raised her hands to her face, screaming.

"My eyes~! I can't see! Damn you, half-demon! I'll kill you for this!"

She charged, lunging blindly. Inuyasha jumped out of the way and made to claw her again, but Kinu heard him coming and smacked him back with her tail. Inuyasha rammed hard into the wall behind us, crashing into the next room over.

"Flesh… I need flesh! Girl, where are you!?"

What!? Oh frick, she's talking about me! Why!? I stumbled back and tried to spark some flames on my fingers. Kagome was rushing to the other side of the mansion where our clothes and their weapons were resting. She needed her arrows and Inuyasha required his sword. Shippō shrieked and pulled out a toy snake, throwing it at the lizard demon as soon as it started to charge in mine and Sango's direction. "T-Take this! Fox magic!"

The snake increased in size and snapped at the demon, but other than startling it the illusion had little effect. Kinu caught the snake in her mouth and snapped it in half with her fangs. Shippō backed away, tears in his eyes.

"Th-This isn't good… Sango, Inuyasha- help!"

"On it!" The woman shouted, running at the demon. "Inuyasha!"

"Got it!"

He quickly caught up with her, running at full speed alongside the slayer, and together they both leapt and swung at the beast. Sango's arm blade slashed at its stomach, tearing into Kinu's body, and Inuyasha clawed at the demon's throat. He went so far as to dig his hand into it, nearly decapitating the female demon as he slit her neck wide open. The demon wailed and let out a gurgled cry, before falling back and disintegrating into nothing but bones.

Sango and Inuyasha landed gracefully on opposite sides of each other, nodding and approving of their teamwork. Meanwhile, Shippō and I watched in awe. They were truly impressive. How did they do that so flawlessly- and knowing what to do without even having to explain it? All they did was say each other's names and then they attacked. Their silent communication was incredible.

Suddenly Kagome's scream rang out.

Inuyasha was already running.

Her arms were all scratched up and covered in blood, the girl stumbling with a bow in hand. Several arrows were lodged in the demons' backs and torsos, Kagome having gotten several hits in by the time she screamed. Inuyasha pushed himself off the ground and into the air, tearing his claws into his own chest until they were covered in red liquid. Then he waved his hand through the air, shouting as several scarlet blades shot out from his fingertips towards the demons, "Blades of Blood~!"

It managed to both slice and distract them, allowing Inuyasha to pick up Kagome and dart into the room with the rest of the weapons. Sango arrived in time with Shippō and I behind her, the woman charging relentlessly at the demons. She slid beneath the legs of giants, cutting at their ankles, dodging the weapons and claws of other beasts that dare attack her. Even when she did manage to get herself nicked or hit, Sango would get right back up and fight with finesse.

She was… brilliant. Unstoppable.

Sango was a demon slayer to the core.

And I… was far from that. If there was some way I could help her… gods, how did I do that thing with Shippō back in the old temple? It involved the blue Shikigami and it helped increase his power. But what was it? I think I even used with Inuyasha before. The fox demon looked down at me, as if noticing something was happening, but he wasn't able to leap off of my shoulder in time as the wind picked up and flames encased my body.

"Wh-Wha~!? Irene!"

Come, on, please work.

Shikigami…

Help my friend!

Unleash your power!

An orb of red light appeared in my hands. Inuyasha leapt out of the room, swinging the hiraikotsu at the female demon slayer. "Sango, catch!" The woman jumped onto a demon's arm and ran up it, leaping off and latching on the weapon as it sailed through the air. I raised the red orb above my head, guided by the blue spirit wrapped around me, and as it took the orb into its mouth the dragon flew upwards into the air.

"Bite on this!"

There was a strong gust of wind and flame as the Shikigami headed straight towards the hiraikotsu as Sango threw it, the two elements clashing together and creating an explosion of lighting and electricity. It shocked all the nearby demons and created a chain reaction as the weapon sliced through them all, tearing them in half and burning the remaining into crisps. The weapon doubled back to Sango and she caught it, startled by what just happened. Her head snapped over to look at me, eyes growing wide when she saw me hunched over and breathing heavily.

"Irene!" She darted over, kneeling in front of me. "Why did you do that!? You shouldn't wear yourself out like this!"

"It's fine." I wheezed, hand grasping the front of my kimono tightly, fingers digging into my chest. I knew it would take some of my energy, but I didn't think it would wear me out so badly. I'm completely breathless. "M-Miroku… you have to save him."

She nodded. "Right. Inuyasha!"

"What is it?" He asked, walking over with tetsusaiga tied at his waist. Kagome was by his side, sleeves torn off and arms covered in bandages. Sango stood, swinging the hiraikotsu over her shoulder. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Sango?"

"Take care of Irene and Kagome. I'm going on ahead."

"You're kidding! There's no way I'm gonna let you-" She was already running off. "Damn it, woman! Get back here!"

He darted after her. Shippō look at us worriedly, but Kagome quickly assured him that we were fine. She helped me stand and together we took off after the two strongest members of the team, walking across the bridge and heading further outside. There we could see Sango and Inuyasha fight a few more demons, all who were chanting about young girl flesh and how excited they were to eat.

I sincerely hoped they weren't talking about us. Kagome pulled out an arrow, cringing when her arm began to throb from pain, but didn't stop herself from notching it onto the bow. She aimed carefully, releasing it and purifying a demon. Looking around I tried to figure out which room Miroku could be in, if he was even in a room, when I heard voices further down the hall. I wasted no time in heading that way, walking down the porch as quickly as I could without getting dizzy.

At this point I wasn't sure what wore me out more: attacking, healing, or just movement in general.

Still, Miroku was in danger. I wasn't going to let him die- not before I apologized to him.

And not before Naraku was defeated.

"It's so lonely here…" A voice murmured, sounding suspiciously like Yurihime's. I slowed down, not wanting to attract attention to myself. All of the people that were guarding the room were currently fighting Inuyasha and Sango, with Kagome taking one out every few moments with her arrows. Shippō hid in a corner, throwing the occasional spinning top at the demons. "With just my sisters and I living so far out into the woods we never get any visitors. Father had died recently, and…"

"I understand." I could hear Miroku say softly. "He left and since then you three were all alone. But there's no need to fret now; I'm here."

"Thank you, kind monk… you're ever so sweet. Please, comfort me."

"Why," He sounded quite enthusiastic, "if you insist… I'll do my best."

"Just stay beside me. Please."

Suddenly he cried out. There was a thud and I cringed, staying low to the ground so they couldn't see me through the windows. I really hoped Yurihime was a demon and that they weren't actually doing anything… weird. I overheard my eldest sister doing it once and I seriously didn't want to bear witness to anything again- whether it be by hearing or seeing.

My hand inched towards the door and I grabbed it, slowly sliding it open and cracking it just enough to look inside. To my relief they weren't naked, but Miroku was stuck to the ground in a kneeling position- body quite literally paralyzed. In the corner of the room I could see a small crystal flying- transparent, almost invisible, yet when I focused I could see it quite clearly. It appeared to be floating near the woman, a thin veil of something… silvery-blue around her.

Like a force field… or some kind of barrier? Huh.

Yurihime began to laugh. "Such a foolish monk! You actually fell for such an act? How pathetic. Men truly are worms, aren't they? Throwing themselves at any woman that offers herself! Ha! Your life is mine!"

Frick, frick, frick- I slammed the door open and charged into the room, stumbling to a stop. "W-Wait!"

Her head snapped up, her demonic form so much different from her human disguise. She was at least seven feet tall now, with long red hair and violet irises- her sclera pitch black. Her scales were a darker green than Kinu's, even appearing thicker in size and weight. A biological defense? Her claws were long and yellow, covered in some of Miroku's blood. Frick.

His shoulder was bleeding badly. That must have been why he cried out earlier. "I, uh, I have some… questions for you!" I stammered lamely, pointing at her like a fool. "Like… um. Why Miroku? He probably tastes the worst out of all of us, ya know? 'Cause he's… been around. I think."

"Th-That's… kind of rude," Miroku bit out, "don't you think?"

"You can speak!?" Yurihime looked alarmed, staring down at Miroku in shock. "I see… your spiritual powers are strong enough to break through my trance. I'll have to eat you quickly then."

I could hear Sango shouting in the distance, calling out the monk's name. She sounded scared. Worried about him. I needed to save him. How though?

"H-Hey, hey, hey!" I stepped forward, rambling without much thought. Desperation was taking over, and it showed in the way I spoke, voice getting a little sing-songy. "Let's not get too hasty~ and, like I said, I'm sure his liver might not be too tasty! ...Your master plan! You should tell us it, right? Before you kill us? That way you can gloat in your victory!"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "How did you even get in here, girl? My guards should have-"

"Yeah, they're dead." I blurted out. The look Yurihime gave me had me cowering. "S-Sorry…"

Another step forward, gradually closing the distance between me and Miroku. The demon flexed her claws. My heart leapt into my throat. Oh gods. Okay.

"But look! Uh, why spiritual powers specifically?"

"The flesh of priests and priestesses are far more rewarding." Yurihime purred. "They increase the strength of us demons. And you…" She leaned forward, sniffing the air, a sadistic smile worming onto her face. "You're a priestess yourself, aren't you? Your spiritual power is a lot different from this monk's…"

So I'm told. "Y-Yeah. Think of it this way- he uses holy magic, I do not." Red flames danced along my fingertips. "Meaning I can't purify squat. But I-I can still… you know. K-Kill you?"

She howled with laughter. "I'd like to see you try! You can't even penetrate my barrier! Now watch as I devour this monk, liver and all! Mwahahaha!" Yurihime leaned down, grabbing at Miroku's face, opening her jaw and revealing her row of sharp teeth. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Saliva dripped from her lips and she neared his throat, but before she could bite down into his flesh something happened. The monk, who had been unable to move previously, shot his hand forward and pressed a sutra to her barrier above her stomach. Blue light crackled from his talisman onto it and Yurihime screamed. She stumbled back and Miroku fell to the side, breathing heavily. "My body… won't listen the way I want it to. Irene- the crystal! Can you see it?"

My eyes widened and I jumped, hearing my name called. I looked at Miroku, who was struggling to pull himself away from the demon that was recovering from the holy attack. The crystal had moved alongside Yurihime's movements, making it hard to relocate. Where did it go-? Ah! "Y-Yeah! Why?"

"The talismans Kakuju gave me…" He grunted, pushing himself up onto one knee, gripping his staff tightly for balance. He held a red-painted sutra in his other hand. "I'm going to use them. I want you… to add some of your power to it. Can you do that? Together, I think we can break her barrier…"

"I-I can't really control the Shikigami!" He knows this, doesn't he? Miroku has seen me fight before. "What if it doesn't-"

"Just try it!" He snapped. "Don't you trust me!?"

I went silent, unable to answer that and stunned by the sudden question. What was even taking Inuyasha and the others so long? Did Koto catch them? We hadn't encountered her yet, so perhaps… they were fighting her now. Oh gods. This isn't good. "I…"

Yurihime regained her bearings and let out an ungodly screech, charging right at us. Miroku scrambled backwards, unable to run, and he shouted at me- demanding me to use the power of the Shikigami this instant.

"I-I already told-!" Frick, frick, frick. You know what? Screw it. "Sh-Shikigami! Attack!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and thrust out my hands in the direction of the demon, fearing the worst. I fully expected nothing to happen, even with me willing flames to appear. There was a small flicker of warmth alongside my palms and then I could feel it- the gust of the spirits dancing around me, the flames reaching out and expanding upon Yurihime's barrier. Miroku threw the talisman at the crystal and, combining with the flames, electricity crackled and the object shattered into pieces.

The barrier fell apart, dissipating.

This allowed Miroku to move his staff and shove the end into the demon's mouth, tearing through her throat and windpipe. He had attached another talisman to the end, this time it being one of his own sacred sutras. "Repent!" He demanded, yelling at the creature. The demon let out another screech as the sutra exploded with blue light, purifying Yurihime and killing her. Her bones clattered to the floor and Miroku fell onto his back, letting out an exhausted breath.

I watched shakily as the bones, too, faded away. "Sh… She's gone?"

"Finally…" He huffed. Miroku turned his head, looking at me from across the room. "Irene, why didn't you listen to me the first time?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, unwilling to answer. "...Because I don't know how to use the Shikigami? They just… do their own thing?"

"It looked like you had control of it there." He commented, slowly sitting up. His stared at me from over his shoulder. "Don't you have confidence in your abilities? If you don't believe you can use them, you won't be able to. You need to know you can do it."

That's easier said than done. I watched the monk stand, the man walking over. I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest and hugging myself. "I don't know how to do it. I just… ask. And most of the time I don't even do that- they just show up depending on how panicked I am or something. I-I can't control it."

"But you did." He leaned down, smiling at me. I stepped back, uncomfortable by how close he was. "And for that you have my thanks. If you didn't show up when you did I would have been a goner! I figured something was wrong, but to think her demonic barrier would be so powerful to make it hard for me to move…" He turned away, frowning. Miroku appeared deep in thought. "Things could have turned very bad."

"Things did turn out bad-" I began, only to freeze when I felt a hand run along the side of my hip. The worst rose up inside me, leaving me disturbed and feeling violated by his behavior. All of my emotions sank down into an abyss and a blank look took over my face, rage slowly boiling its way up to the top. "-for you…"

"Eh?" Miroku blinked, looking down at me curiously. "Uh, Irene? A-Are you okay? You look quite angry…"

My foot began to tap against the ground rapidly. I was doing everything I could to keep myself from lashing out, barely able to restrain my hatred for his lack of respect towards the feelings and boundaries of women. Tears were stinging my eyes, forming both from my sheer anger at the monk and how violated I felt at being touched inappropriately. "Don't." I took a deep breath, grinding my teeth together. "Don't…"

I can't even speak without being on the verge of completely exploding. Miroku faced me completely, stepping closer. "Don't what? You know you can talk to me, Irene…" His hand reached out again, but he could grab me I reached out and snatched his wrist, digging my nails into his flesh. "Aha-ha-ha, that hurts…"

Hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt-

I let go, pulling away, before reeling my hand back and smacking him as hard as I could in the arm. Originally I was going to aim for his face, but found myself holding back despite how much I wanted to cause him pain. "I said don't touch me! Ever!" My voice cracked. "I don't like being touched like that!"

"Wh-Why are you crying?" He looked alarmed. Clearly he's never had a girl cry in front of him before- they mostly just expressed anger towards him. "Irene, I-"

"Don't you dare." I snapped, stepping back and pointing a finger at him when I saw him try and get close again. "I will freaking knee you, boy. Don't try it!"

"B-Boy?" He stammered. "I assure you, I'm a man-"

"Miroku!" Sango exclaimed, dashing into the room ready to throw the hiraikotsu. She stopped at once when she saw us. "Wh… What's going on? Irene?" Her eyes took in the situation, the way the monk kept trying to close in on me and how I kept backing up closer to the other side of the room, eyes red from tears. She gripped her weapon tightly. "Wait a second… you filthy pervert! What did you do to her!?"

"H-Hold on a moment, Sango!" Miroku yelped, ducking to avoid her hiraiktosu as she swung it at him. "Gah! Don't kill me!"

"I've told you to leave her alone!" Sango shouted, swinging at him. The monk jumped to the side, ducked down, and leapt in the air- even landing on the weapon at one point to stop her. This only led to her dropping it and aiming with her fists. "You know she's shy, monk! Don't you dare corrupt her!"

"Sh-Shy!? You call that shy!? Irene just threatened me!"

"You probably deserved it!"

"Uwaah! Inuyasha~! Save me!"

The half-demon stood in the doorway with Kagome and Shippō, eyes half lidded. "From what?" He asked, unimpressed. "You're the one who dug the grave, Miroku. Reap what you sow and all that, right? Deal with it."

Kagome sighed, making her way over to me as she avoided the conflict between the demon slayer and the monk. She rested a hand gently on my shoulder, seeing the way I was glaring intently at the ground. "Are you alright, Irene? What happened?" Her arm wrapped around my shoulder and I turned, leaning down with my arms hugging her waist. "Miroku freaked you out really bad, huh? Insensitive jerk."

I hate him. I was going to apologize to him, but I hate him. I can't do it. I want to kick him so hard he can't ever get back up. Rotten, filthy jerk monk. What the hell does Sango see in him? I hope he rots. Why did I even bother trying to save him?

My fingers pulled at Kagome's kimono and I buried my face in her chest, squeezing my eyes shut as I fought the tears.

This place was no different from high school. Full of perverts and gross people.

"Th-That's not true!" Miroku yelped after Sango accused him of something. "I-I was just trying to be nice! She seemed so stressed out about her powers after we defeated the demon, and I-"

The woman paused, one of her wrists caught by Miroku's hands. "Demon? There was a demon in here?"

"Yes! Yurihime was a demon in disguise with a powerful barrier! I followed her in here, but she had me paralyzed by her demonic aura! Then Irene appeared and, together, we destroyed the barrier and defeated the demon!"

"I see." Sango narrowed her eyes. "And that gave you the right to harass Irene?"

"W-Well, th-that's… harass is such a strong word, don't you think?"

A loud smack echoed in the room as she hit her hand across his face

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