Note: Inuyasha isn't mine. This is to show Sesshoumaru that I'm stalking him. :)

Now we are gonna up the ante a little bit! Thank you for the reviews. Don't be shy!

You feed my soul! I heart all of you! Enjoy!

TRIUMVIRATE

PREVIOUSLY ON EMBODIMENT:

With a start, the miko thought she saw a figure move in the trees. Hope flared in her heart for it to be a survivor. She ran towards the trees and saw the back of a hunched figure leaning on a tree. Thank the gods this one was spared. It looked like an old man.

"Grandfather, are you all right?" She slipped her hand under the old man's elbow and helped him up.

Kagome knew something was wrong when she felt his arms. It wasn't the frail feel of an old man's….

"Nice to see you again, priestess…."

~O~O~O~

"Nice to see you again, priestess….," the 'old man' straightened to his full height, no longer looking frail, his deep voice resonating in her head. "Hmm, you look SO much better in the flesh." His pale gray eyes were slowly stripping her from head to foot.

"Have we met before?" The miko felt her skin crawl at his scrutiny. She held her ground refusing to be cowed by a pervert like him.

"Hm, in a manner of speaking, yes." He slowly walked around her, checking her out. His tongue peeking out of his fangs, salivating at the shapely curves accentuated by the white shirt wrapped in black bustier type leather armor and black leather pants.

"Well, you have me at a disadvantage. I refuse to have this conversation unless you tell me who you are." Kagome followed his movements with a turn of her head.

"Ah, where were my manners, priestess? Forgive me." He bowed like a European nobleman. "My name is Kyouhou"

Kagome raised a single brow. "Your name means 'fear', huh?' she snorted.

"Yes, and I live up to my reputation." He moved a little closer to sniff at her hair to get a whiff of her fear. He was wondering why she seemed unaffected now.

"You do have a bad habit of stressing your words, you know?" She hitched one hand to her hips.

"Really? I never noticed." The gray eyed being stood near her, a foot of space separating them. He lifted his hand to caress Kagome's cheek.

Kagome slapped his hands away. "Hey buddy, that's invading personal space. Back off!" He didn't budge. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Her hand began to glow but it was interrupted by a new voice.

"Brother, If you're done 'flirting' with the priestess, we have villages to burn and people to kill and all of that." A bored looking man with green hair leaned on his side against a tree,

Kagome's eyes darted at the two as she quickly connected the missing dots.

"Did you do this?" She pointed at the burning village behind her, her anger surfacing. "Who and what are you?"

"Damn it! You're such a killjoy, Muchitsujo!" The one named Kyouhou grated.

"We have succeeded in luring the miko here. Grab her and let's go." Muchitsujo snapped.

A third voice rang out from behind the green haired youkai. His turbulent red irises looked at the two. "I agree. If you want the priestess just take her and be done with it."

"Such act would shorten your existence." A voice called from above them. Four heads snapped up.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru! It's been a long time." Kyouhou drawled as the Western Lord descended from the treetops.

"Apparently, not long enough." The demon lord retorted coldly.

"We went on a hiatus." The gray-eyed demon glanced at Kagome.

"Indeed. You should have stayed longer." Sesshoumaru caught the look Kyouhou shot towards Kagome. "Step away from the miko. Now." The last word was like a purr, deceptive in their softness.

"Still the same, eh, Sesshoumaru?" The red-irised demon swaggered near. "Your arrogance is still unrivaled."

"As well as your delusions of grandeur, Kyoubouna." Both demons unsheathed their swords and clashed without preamble.

Muchitsujo let his brother occupy Sesshoumaru so he can slip in to hamstring the demon lord but to his surprise his swipe was met and deflected by a wicked looking battleaxe. His sword was torn away from his hand by the force. Before he can see the blur who wielded it his torso was thudded with three star shaped projectiles. He snarled and looked around.

"Looking for me?" Muchitsujo turned at the voice but was hit in the face by a black chain. Before the lights in his head faded the same chain wrapped itself around his ankle and the demon named Chaos was yanked down hard on his back.

Muchitsujo forced himself to his feet hurriedly. His eyes frantically sweeping the area. "Where are you?" He snarled while yanking the three embedded steel in his chest and stomach, it came out with bloody bits of his flesh. He hissed when the wound and his fingers started to sizzle.

"Right here." Said the phantom.

Diamond Blade

Kagome was keeping tabs on Kyouhou as he was diverted by the fight. She carefully backpedaled to lengthen the space between them. It was a good thing the miko was about ten feet away from him when he turned.

"Don't walk away, my love." When he made a move to unsheathe his sword he was slammed on a tree by a blast from the miko.

"I suggest you stay where you are." Swirls of pink and purple energy were spinning like yin and yang on the miko's still upraised left palm.

"By the gods!' The demon of fear laughed as he stood up. "I love a woman with fire in her." His gray eyes darkening.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with fire?"

The demon rapidly pulled his sword. "Actually, she was the one who taught us how to use it." The demon jumped to avoid the next blast and pointed his sword at her. "I will enjoy taming you, priestess."

"Hmp, you wish!" Kagome held out her right hand and an adamantine sword materialized in its grip.

"Surprise, surprise!" Kyouhou was impressed despite himself. "And how did you discover that weapon, priestess?"

"Why would I tell you? It's a trade secret." The faceted sword glinted in the light of the sun.

"I never thought you could be quite a handful." They circled each other warily. "You weren't this feisty when you were inside the void." Kyouhou saw the miko tense.

"What did you say?" Kagome whispered. Her fingers tightened on her sword.

"Oh, didn't I mention that?" The demon smirked. "Forgetful me. How goes it…?" He snapped his fingers. "Ah yes! 'Mirror mirror on the wall….'"

"You came from the mirror?" Kagome's narrowed robin blue eyes were blazing, the irises darkening into cobalt blue. "How?"

"Why would I tell you? It's a trade secret." Kyouhou laughed at his wittiness. He didn't notice the change in the miko's eyes.

"Smart ass, you won't be laughing when I'm finished with you." And in a flash of silver and blue she swept in like a bird of prey.

The Phantom

Muchitsujo tasted dirt as he fell for the fifth time. All he can see each time he was felled was a dark blur. He can't even get near his attacker and it's making him angrier and angrier as his futile efforts fail to even make the first strike!

"Damn it!" He turned this way and that to focus on the fast moving shape. His demon speed useless with the confusing apparitions he sees. He darts in the trees to strike at a shadow but it was gone by the time he arrives. A giggle on the left of him turns his head but he sees nothing. A sound like a sigh made him turn around but again noting but air and a rustling of leaves. All this twisting and turning is making him dizzy. If he lets down his guard he would suddenly find himself facedown among the leaves. The small noises makes him paranoid.

"Had enough?" The voice taunted him. "Tell me when you're ready to fight on equal ground."

"Hah! Equal ground? You don't even show your face!" Muchitsujo wiped the dirt smeared on his lips and tongue.

"I but gave you a taste of your own fighting style. You're no warrior." The voice came from behind him.

Muchitsujo whirled around to see a figure land down from a tree. In its hands gripped the strange looking battleaxe. Its broad double-sided slicing blade forged like the head of a delicate flower. The wielder was sporting a taiji-ya outfit. Unlike the customary taiji-ya garb accented by bright colored sashes this has none to relieve the somber color. The head was wrapped in the same cloth. Only the glitter of its eyes can be glimpsed. Its free hand reached up and removed the mask.

It's just a girl. Muchitsujo thought. A powerful demon like me was trumped by a girl! The demon gnashed his teeth in rage.

"Are you happy now?" Rin smirked.

"That's a pretty toy you got there, little girl. You might cut yourself." Muchitsujo kept up the reparte' to distract the girl while walking nearer.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm old enough to play with knives." Rin twirled the battleaxe above her head as she ran right at him. Muchitsujo thought the girl was crazy to attack headlong. He swung his right sword arm upward to swipe her from under but she dived to the left, leapt and used a tree as her spring to slice the right side of his back. And before he can bring down his arm from his upward swing she was again springing high from another tree to take care of his left side. Rin allowed gravity to aid her fall headfirst and then twisting in midair to kick Muchitsujo's back. As the demon began to fall facedown she brought down her axe in a swing to cut both his hamstrings.

When the girl landed the demon was already in an unconscious bloody heap at the base of a tree.

Bakusaiga

"Are you being considerate, Sesshoumaru? I have heard a lot about that sword of yours." Kyoubouna queried as they crossed swords.

"Are you in a hurry to meet your death?" Sesshoumaru pushed the demon of violence from him. The demon lord didn't even break a sweat as he countered and parried Kyoubouna's attack. Of course he could use Bakusaiga's power to blast the demon to end the battle but what's the fun in that?

"I heard it could kill a thousand demons in one swipe. Is that true?" The two demons weaved in and out of the trees. A sword flashed and cleaved a tree in half followed by more metallic clang.

"I do not want to soil Bakusaiga on filth like you." Dirt spewed up as Sesshoumaru landed with enough force to carve a deep hole as he pointed Bakusaiga down to impale Kyoubouna through his stomach but the demon rolled away at the last second.

"Such heavy words you use, Sesshoumaru!" Their fight now led them up the trees. Birds hastened to vacate the dense foliage to escape. They took to the skies and their flight became an indication where the two demons are slashing at each other to get first blood.

"I was being considerate with my words, Kyoubouna." Sesshoumaru swung and took off the top of a tree. He flicked his whip to catch Kyoubouna's ankle and slam him on the side of the mountain.

This exercise is infinitely better than his sparring matches with Inuyasha, the demon lord admitted. The hanyou was strong but rely on Tetsaiga's power too much thus neglecting to improve his swordsmanship. He cannot use his lethal strength to parry with his men. Though youkai they are not taiyoukai like him. His men will spar with him but they would not be an opponent in the real sense of the word.

"Surely you are not concerned leaving behind the two women to fight on their own?" The demon slyly posed the question hoping to distract the demon lord and get his chance to even get a nick or two.

"Distracting this Sesshoumaru will not be effective." Rin could take care of herself. The miko as well. He never allows those under his care to be helpless. It is a reflection of his stewardship. Never have a weak link within your own ranks. It is what his half-brother didn't believe in instead wasting his time defending the miko in battle.

"Surely you are not concerned leaving behind your two brothers to fight on their own?" Sesshoumaru jibed and was gratified to see color seep into the demon's eyes and face.

The taiyoukai lord and the demon both smelled the metallic tang of blood in the air. None theirs. But one of them recognized whom it belonged to and sped to lend assistance, abandoning the fight. The one left followed in pursuit to continue their clash. Not letting up the attack until they both came back to the place where the fight began.

Blood was heavy in the air. The returning rescuer stopped with jaw agape at the scene that greeted him.

"Brother, what happened?" Kyoubouna ran to his fallen brother. Kyouhou clutched his bloody side his whole body sliced in razor like precision.

"That bitch! You bitch!" Kyouhou spat. Bloody spittle spewing from his mouth. The object of his wrath looked at him and lifted her brows.

"That's what you get when you ruin a perfectly good pair of pants!" Kagome pointed at the tear on her right leg. "Serves you right."

"Where's Muchitsujo?" Kyoubouna noticed his brother limping out of the copse of trees. Kyoubouna snarled at the condition of his two siblings. "Did she do this to you?" He pointed at Kagome. Muchitsujo didn't even lift his head in shame, he fell on the hard ground.

"I believe my daughter should be blamed on his sorry state, Kyoubouna. She can be very vengeful when someone tries to play dirty tricks on me." The girl in question was lounging on a crook of a low hanging branch eating peaches.

"What? That kid? Imbecile!" Kyoubouna landed a slap on his sibling's head. "We are not yet finished, Sesshoumaru!" Kyoubouna shouted at the stoic taiyoukai.

"You are wrong, Kyoubouna. We are." Bakusaiga hummed and in a flash Kyoubouna went flying to slam on the side of the mountain before everything went dark.

~}O{~