Kagome stopped breathing, her nails digging into Kagura's wrist. Their father had been a soldier, specifically selected for the queen's guard. Mama hadn't gone into detail about the night of the uprising, evading their questions with tearful smiles about how he hadn't died in vain because they were safe.
"Shall I describe him to you before you call me a liar?" He flexed his fingers, still grinning. "Or perhaps the way he fought so valiantly for the life of his daughters? It took me weeks to get the stench of crane youkai out of my clothes."
Kagome wanted to wipe that smug look clean off his face, but her body had gone numb. There was no way their father had met his end at the hands of this vile creature.
"I will give it to your wretch of a mother," he mused. "I've never known a human to be so evasive. I'll make sure to visit her after—"
"You're not going anywhere near her!" Wind whipped through the trees as Kagura got to her feet, eyes blazing. Kagome tried to pull her back, but Kagura smacked her hand away, the flare of youki distracting her enough to release her barrier.
"Finally," he grinned, rising to meet her, "some entertainment." Kagura's fan sliced through the air, blades of her power following suit and cutting off a few of his tentacles, but their foe easily dodged, his limbs regenerating.
Unable to find her voice, Kagome reached for her bow, the next tentacle exploding in a shower of sparks, reiki clearing a path through the miasma.
He clicked his tongue as he looked down at her. "It would prefer to have you in one piece, but I have no qualms dismantling you if you interfere."