Cyclone
Sesshoumaru stalked his prey, or rather he would have if they were any challenge. The snakes abandoned the merchant village in a rather organized fashion, which made it easy for him to follow them. They were arrogant to assume that they could get away. He flew over the village homes and eventually out into the surrounding forest. It only took him a moment to catch up to them.
As he flew over the snake troops, no one looked up at him. No one seemed to notice. Extremely odd behavior...
Up ahead, Sesshoumaru spotted the naga. He looked every bit the human; his black hair was cropped short near his face and he wore purple robes fit for a human noble. Other snake youkai typically had scales or patterns that adorned their body, but this naga looked rather...normal. He wore no armor over his robes and the only physical youkai feature of note was the blood red color of the naga's eyes and his black, diamond shaped pupils.
The fool sat cross legged on the ground, sipping wine as if Sesshoumaru were no threat to him at all. That is his first mistake.
Sesshoumaru landed and approached him.
"Ah! Ssssseshoumaru-ssama!" The naga said drawing his name out with a hiss. "Care for some wine? It is quite excellent."
The daiyoukai only stared at the ridiculous naga, eyebrows narrowed.
The naga sighed, setting down his cup. "I thought we could at least be cordial." He stood up, holding his hands out in a friendly gesture.
"My name is Junichi."
"This Sesshoumaru cares not to know your name."
The naga frowned. "How rude, considering that I know yours."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at him. "This Sesshoumaru does not associate with inferior youkai."
The naga's false civility cracked. "This Sessshoumaru this, this Sessshoumaru that! You believe yourself so high and mighty, but you are only a mutt! I've been warned of you, but I see nothing here to warrant my caution."
The daiyoukai continued to stare at him with a bored expression on his face.
"Ahh...well it doesn't matter anyway. You see, while you have been concerned with me, my army has surrounded you. There is so escape." Junichi prattled on, his lips curving into a cruel grin.
Sesshoumaru didn't bother looking behind him; he knew they were there. Snake soldiers had fanned out in a semicircle behind him. Their weapons were drawn and at the ready.
Junichi shrugged his shoulders. "You should just surrender. No need to get messy today, eh?"
The corners of the inuyoukai's mouth rose up into a smile and a hint of madness filled his dark amber eyes.
Pivoting on his left foot, Sesshoumaru drew his sword.
"Bakusaiga!" He roared, swinging the weapon around him with finesse.
Pure white energy erupted from the sword, electricity arcing from one soldier to another. The ground shook and exploded in a shower of rocks and soil.
He turned back to the naga, his sword crackled with green youki. Debris fell from the air around them.
"What?!" Junichi's face had turned the red with rage and now several veins in his forehead and neck bulged with anger at the sight that lay before him.
Not one soldier remained alive. In fact, nothing of the soldiers remained: no blood, no clothing, no bodies. Hundreds of soldiers just...gone.
"GrrrAHH" The naga shouted as he jumped at Sesshoumaru, drawing two blades that were hidden among his robes, ready to attack the daiyoukai.
Sesshoumaru easily blocked him, tossing him backward. Junichi wasted no time advancing towards his opponent, slashing wildly in his attempts to injure Sesshoumaru.
"You will regret killing my troops. I will slaughter you and bring your head to my lord." The naga taunted.
"Enough!" Sesshoumaru barked, swiping his claws across Junichi's face. The flowery, sweet scent of his poison filled the air.
Junichi stumbled backward, his feet skidding across the dirt. He casually lifted the back of his hand to touch the bloody scratches Sesshoumaru left on his face, his bright red eyes focused on Sesshoumaru. His poison claws should have blinded the naga, but it was obvious it had no effect.
"Surprised, dog?" Junichi said with a chuckle. "You see, I too am poisonous. Did you really think your puny venom would have any effect on me?"
The naga jumped into the air, crossing his swords together. "Doku no kaze!" He shouted slashing his swords in the air. A cloud of youki began circling Sesshoumaru, trapping him in a cyclone of poisonous gas. The air around him became polluted and he quickly lost sight of Junichi.
"Heh, heh, heh...Ah Sessshoumaru-sama. How does my poison tasste?" He could hear the obnoxious youkai taunting.
To Junichi's credit, his armor was starting to fall apart. The spikes on his shoulder armor were now gone, worn away by the acidic properties of the poison. The ends of his kimono had been damaged as well, the acid weaving trails up the youkai enhanced cloth… Yet it was nowhere near enough to actually harm him.
Sesshoumaru had had enough. He gathered his youki around him, blocking out the harmful poison wind. His amber eyes flashed red, and Bakusaiga glowed with energy. Taking one powerful swing, he easily broke the doku no kizu.
Sesshoumaru lunged straight at Junichi, piercing him straight through the chest. Blood spewed from the naga's surprised mouth.
"Filthy Dog! I'll - Ack!"
Sesshoumaru twisted the sword deeper, holding the naga close with his free hand. The naga's claws grasped at his arm, his nails gouging deep lines down the length of it.
The power of Bakusaiga was too intense, and youki exploded from within him, eviscerating him.
Junichi was no more.
Sesshoumaru flicked his sword downward, removing it of naga blood, and sheathed it at his side. With a flare of his youki, his robes mended themselves, but he would have to acquire new armor.
He lifted his injured arm to inspect it. It looked terrible. Long serrated claw marks ran down his arm, revealing muscle and tendons. Blood dripped and trickled down the length of his arm. It should be painful, but really he didn't feel a thing.
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Author's note: Hmm what are the invading forces up to? I should have another chapter up tomorrow, and if not, feel free to harrass me about it! Thank you for all the reviews, and as always, I love reading what you think.