NOTE: Inuyasha isn't mine but the fantastic work of Rumiko Takahashi. Next time they should give Sesshoumaru his own show.

HELL HATH NO FURY…

Kagome never thought how oxygen was so precious to her now that every cell of her being is screaming for it. Her lungs were on fire. She moved her head from side to side aiming to loosen the constriction…the hands around her neck are like steel bands. Parts of her body are tingling painfully…

As she felt her strength giving up a power so strong surged deep inside her soul in self-defense. A second energy flowed along with her holy aura. In tandem they flooded her body with such intensity Kagome had not felt before even as a miko and most particularly as a youkai.

It was so frightening and reassuring at the same time, strange and familiar, light and dark, good and bad…miko and youkai…

She can feel it oozing out of her pores and …was that sizzling she hear?

When the miko opened her eyes it was like looking at the chasms of hell.

Gone were her bright blue orbs…her eyes were now burning with darkness. The entire portion of her eyes was like the abyss of the deepest ocean, the iris as red as blood. Muchitsujo, the demon of chaos felt fear for the first time in his life. He felt his control slipping as he was gripped by the terrible intensity of her gaze.

Even with his hands around her neck the miko pushed back from the wall and now Muchitsujo was the one being pushed back slowly but with increasing speed; his grip was not affecting her movements or breathing anymore. Pain radiating from his hands now registered to his consciousness and he gasped at his burning flesh.

As Kagome pulled out his dagger with her wounded hand Muchitsujo's eyes dilated when the dagger wound he had dealt the miko healed with a rapidity that only a taiyoukai like Sesshoumaru can accomplish.

He snarled and reached out to slash her neck but she was gone.

He turned around with a slight bit of panic that she might be behind him…nothing. From nowhere, he was pushed so hard with such force that he went through more than a couple of walls. He opened his eyes a crack and now the miko was on to him like a predator and the green-haired demon was contemplating on running as fast as he could. His blood froze in his veins.

She was smiling.

~O~O~O~

Sesshoumaru walked in just in time to see the miko enter the wall with a goodly sized hole when the hapless demon Muchitsujo went through it. Seeing she doesn't need his help he chose a good spot to watch her in action. He slid down with his back against the wall, his swords propped on his shoulders. Then he set about making himself more comfortable for the show.

Well, he must admit, another pleasurable reason to do this was to admire those slim and sexy curves displayed to perfection as she walked to her plaster covered opponent. It's such a shame to let this good opportunity pass, the taiyoukai thought as he leaned back his head. His eyes were glued on her leather covered behind.

He sighed in contentment, what a good view this is….

~O~O~O~

Rin was amused. Here they were; a crisis in the fortress, everything in disarray, demons were trying to take over the Western castle, but there, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, was sitting with his back against the wall as if he's the calm in the middle of a storm and…oh heavens, the girl almost giggled, he's staring at the miko like a teenager with a crush!

The girl shook her head because it seemed for the first time in his life Sesshoumaru had forgotten everything around him but the enjoyable diversion of admiring a strong and beautiful woman beat a guy senseless. Rin wasn't about to begrudge the taiyoukai that.

And besides, the girl had to admit, everything is falling into place according to her plan. She smiled impishly as she nodded to herself and went off to find her kitsune friend.

~O~O~O~

"I remember everything now." Kagome was slowly sauntering at Muchitsujo in a nonchalant manner, but the green-haired demon has become wary of her casual and seemingly air headed attitude. "You, Kyoubouna and Kyouhou were inside that void." The miko was giving her nails a once-over as she circled around him in a wide circumference.

"What else do you remember, miko?" The demon stood up with a little difficulty, using the pillar to aid him. He gritted his teeth at showing the miko his vulnerability. Muchitsujo shook his clothes to rid the plaster that fell on it and felt a sharp tug of pain in his leg. When he looked down a short splinter the size of a spear shaft was jammed at his thigh. The demon pulled it out and threw it at Kagome who deflected it with her hand.

"You like throwing things, huh?" Kagome hurled a pointed sliver of adamant at Muchitsujo. It replaced the wooden splinter he had just pulled out. The demon cried out and staggered on one knee.

"Bitch!" Muchitsujo hissed as he pulled the shard out. He resisted the urge to throw it back at the miko, the shard clinked when it fell.

"That's a good boy. No throwing, okay?" She smiled that chilling smile of hers again and he shivered. "We're gonna play a game…" The miko drawled as she looked at him to see if he was listening. She continued to circle him.

"I'm not participating in your stupid games, woman!"

"Oh, you would, believe me." She wagged a finger at him. "It's an easy game. Not complicated. It's called the 'mirror game.'" She tilted her head to him. "There's nothing for you to do but attack me." She stopped in front of Muchitsujo and stood saucily. "You like that, don't you?"

"I'll be doing that even if you don't tell me, bitch!" Muchitsujo pointed a finger at her.

"I'll take that as an attack." She meant his pointing finger. She took hold of his finger and broke it, the digit hung at an angle.

"You broke my finger, damn you!"

"I told you, that's the name of the game. Weren't you listening?" The miko hooked her thumbs in the loops of her strange tight hakama. The fabric revealed a tantalizing portion of her stomach. "Pay attention, Muchitsujo." She unerringly repeated what Sesshoumaru told Kyoubouna down in the dungeons. "Having attention deficit disorder might get you killed."

The demon didn't have an idea what she just said but it raised his ire for he understood enough that he was being insulted. He pulled his wakizashi and saw a jewel sword materialize in her hands looking like his very own weapon. He was astounded at this, but for a moment, then he rushed at her, she did as well.

~O~O~O~

Sesshoumaru was completely enjoying Kagome's 'show' and was not prepared to be surprised at the appearance of the glass shard and the jewel sword.

Questions began to swarm in his mind like mice.

It thoroughly frustrated the Inu Taiyoukai to such extent that he wanted to end the fight and kill the demon Muchitsujo himself so he and the miko could proceed to find the answers. He sighed. Well, nothing could be done about it for now. He curbed his impatience and returned to his former relaxed spot at the wall.

~O~O~O~

Who would have imagined that I'd be in the middle of fight to the death? Shippo thought. This is really some day it was turning out to be.

Thank goodness for Sesshoumaru's periodic sparring, the boy had been hardened and prepared for these kinds of lethal assaults by the taiyoukai.

I'll never complain again the next time Sesshoumaru-sama gives me an intense combat workout, promise.

"You're good, boy," Kyouhou patronized the young youkai. The demon of fear never thought that this pipsqueak will last this long. "That was number three."

"Check again, baka." Shippo snickered when the gray-eyed youkai followed the boy's eyes on his side. "It's number 5 already."

The two antagonists have been keeping score since they began their duel. So the current score is: Shippo - 5, Baka - 2

"Way to go, Shippo." The kitsune saw Rin far behind the demon.

"Thanks, Rin." The boy felt some manly pride at having Rin witness his fight. Wow, I'd better not mess up or I'll never hear the end of it.

"Could you hurry it up, please? I'm hungry." True enough, he heard her stomach rumble. Rin blushed as she held her protesting stomach then stuck her tongue at Shippo when the boy laughed at her.

"Hey!" Both youth turned their attention at the irritated youkai. "We were having a duel here!"

"Hold your horses, baka!" The girl shouted.

"Hey Rin, did you fight?" The boy and the demon began their fight once more. Twisting and turning and slashing left and right at each other. Their weapons pinging and sparking when they clash.

"Yup." Rin sat down in the far corner to rest, Sesshoumaru style. Her eyes never missing the action. "It turned out to be father's old captain."

"So, who won?" Shippo heard a growl from the frustrated demon when it missed time and again to inflict damage.

"Did you have to ask?" The girl huffed. "Sheesh!"

Kyouhou suddenly stopped in mid-slash. "Hoyo's dead?" He turned blazing eyes at Rin.

"I do not repeat myself." The girl leveled serious pair of eyes at the demon.

"How did you do it?" The demon slowly advanced at the girl.

"Do you want a demonstration?" Shippo shivered at the girl's tone. It's like seeing a female version of the great demon lord.

"You're gonna die today, kid!"

Even before Kyouhou began his advance Rin was already up and running at the far wall. The demon thought she was running away. He laughed maniacally as he ran after her, he got her, there's nowhere for her run!

Rin felt a sense of déjà vu' at this maneuver. This might become her trademark, she smirked.

So, once more she ran and scaled the wall; her chain rattling as she freed it and at the right height she looped the chain twice around Kyouhou's neck as he passed under her. She pulled him down from behind; not letting the chain slack, then the spring and push on his back to topple him, when that's done, the death yell and yank…and then the crunching of the crushed neck bones.

Gosh, I'm not doing this on an empty stomach again.

"Rin!" She heard Shippo's shout and running footsteps as she lay there at Kyouhou's back. The kitsune stood over her as she waited to catch her second wind. Shippo looked catatonic. Great, thought Rin, he might throw up on me. What a dweeb.

The girl stood from the back of the very dead Kyouhou. "That's how it's done, baka!" She addressed the quickly cooling corpse. Rin stepped over him and retrieved her chain.

"Why did you kill him?" The kitsune looked stricken.

"Huh?" What's he talking about? "Excuse me?" She raised her brows, totally confused.

"He was mine!" Shippo was gesturing at the dead demon. "Ahh!" The kitsune actually stomped his feet like a child. "I was gonna take him down!"

"Well, excuse me great and mighty warrior Shippo! In case you didn't NOTICE…he was about to slice and dice me!" Rin also jabbed her finger to point at her dead opponent in her annoyance. I can't believe this guy!

"I could have gotten him!" Rin was staring at Shippo in disbelief as he fumed at the lost opportunity…he wanted to use his new technique…he was fast enough so she wasn't in real danger…Rin was so unfair…blah…blah….

"Whatever!" Rin held up her hand but it didn't stop the kitsune. Grrr! The captain turned her back at her ranting childhood playmate and pinched dragged his youkai ears, his howl of pain and indignation echoing in the corridor.

~}O{~