Chapter Thirteen- The 'Sho' Rank
Knock Knock
Silence.
Inuyasha knocked once more. He could smell her scent from behind the door, yet she did not seem to answer. Annoyed by being kept waiting, he called out, "Kagome?"
Suddenly, the door was opened by her maid. Sensing the maid's distress, Inuyasha asked, "What is wrong?"
"Milady's shoulder…" the maid whispered out before being cut off by Kagome's sharp words.
"Emiko! Enough," she voiced sternly, causing Emiko to bite on her lips.
However, Inuyasha knew Kagome well enough to know that she always tried to hide things from him. Marching up to her, he stood in front of her as she was sitting on her bed fully dressed. Inuyasha slipped her haori down to her shoulders.
Kagome's eyes widen in shock.
A gasp was heard from the maid from his bold actions.
A growl rumbled past Inuyasha's throat.
Her exposed right shoulder was covered in black and blue marks.
The claw marks along the bruise notified him exactly who caused the ugly injury.
Growling even louder, Inuyasha snarled, "Sesshomaru!" But just as he was about to go confront the bastard, he was stopped by her hand. Inuyasha didn't bother to conceal his anger as he glared at Kagome.
"I told you not to follow him! Look what he did to you! Where else did he harm you!? I'll kill the bastard!" Inuyasha yelled out.
Kagome waited for Inuyasha's frustrations to be let out before she spoke. She continued to hold her grip on Inuyasha's hand just to make sure he didn't charge towards Sesshomaru in anger. Seeing that he was done yelling, Kagome said, "Inuyasha, he was angry because of my stubbornness."
Inuyasha frowned disapprovingly, even though he knew how difficult Kagome was with her stubbornness.
The memory of Sesshomaru's tender look caused her eyes to soften. Kagome smiled affectionately from the memory and voiced warmly, "But now he understands why I am doing this."
Confusion had replaced the frown on Inuyasha's face. He had no idea what Sesshomaru understood about Kagome, or what Kagome was trying to 'do'. Releasing a sigh, he knew he could never understand the way her mind worked or why she did certain things. No normal human woman would try to change the corruption that was found in a demon society. But, he did know that her determination to change things had to do with her growing up in the modern era.
"Well, I'm glad there's one person that understands the reason behind your crazy actions. Cause I definitely don't, Kagome!" Inuyasha said with annoyance.
Fumbling to fix her haori, Kagome rolled her eyes at Inuyasha's temper tantrums. As a sudden loud knock was heard on her door she watched Emiko open the door. Recognizing the demon as a 'Gon' rank, Kagome asked, "How may I help you?"
She watched the demon stiffly bow towards her proving that not all the 'Gon' rank dismissed her rank.
"The match against the 'Sho' leader has been decided to begin in one hour," the demon reported.
"No! She cannot fight today," Inuyasha barked at the demon angrily. He knew that the bruise on her shoulder would prevent her from fighting with her full abilities.
Still positioned in a bow, the demon asked, "Then does Milady forfeit the challenge?"
"I shall be ready within the hour," Kagome responded, notifying the demon that she still accepted the challenge.
Inuyasha quickly interrupted, "No way! Kagome-,"
"Sit," she said as Inuyasha slammed onto the marble floor. Glaring at her fallen friend, she dared him to defy her decisions. But only the mumbling of curses beneath his breath could be heard, which indicated her win. Shooing the 'Gon' ranked demon away, Kagome informed Emiko to help dress her in appropriate attire.
Red and white, they were the colors of the Miko garb Kagome was dressed in. A silk sash dyed in the color of light purple twisted in an elegant fashion around her waist to signify her status as a 'Sho' rank. She knew the purple sash was meant to be taken off if the 'Sho' leader disapproved of her powers.
The echo of her footsteps reached her ear as she followed Emiko to a part of the Western Castle she had never passed by before. Seeing Emiko lead her outdoors, the view of a crowd of demons was seen.
Blue eyes scanned the scene before her.
Sesshomaru sat in a throne-like chair right in the middle of the crowd as the rest of the demons were positioned on his left and right. Training her eyes on Sesshomaru, she waited for him to look at her. But even though her entrance was announced, his golden eyes looked straight forward as if avoiding her. Tilting her head slightly to the side, her eyebrow cocked in confusion and wondered if he was just too deep in thought to notice her. Kagome shrugged off the feeling of disappointment and shifted her gaze towards the field where a tall demon stood. Just by looking at him in a glance, she could tell that he was the 'Sho' leader and powerful.
She walked towards the 'Sho' leader and stopped a few metres away. Kagome bowed low before him, even though she knew he would not return a bow. As she looked up her eyes met with his and saw a frown darken his expression. Disgust reflected in his eyes, yet she felt the disgust was not directed towards her.
"You are to fight until I say so," the 'Sho' leader said in a monotone. Kagome nodded her head to indicate she understood the condition of the fight. He then positioned himself towards Sesshomaru and bowed. Following to do the same, the disappointment grew within her as golden eyes averted from her stare once again.
"Begin," Sesshomaru voiced stoically. Though his voice revealed nothing, Sesshomaru tightened his hold around the arm chair. Kagome felt her gaze linger towards Sesshomaru. Distracted, she didn't see the incoming attack until the last minute. A pink barrier, placed mere inches from her face, blocked the 'Sho' leader's punch.
'Strong,' Kagome thought as she was slightly pushed back from the force of his punch. The 'Sho' leader continued with his attacks, giving her no room to do anything but block.
Block after block after block, Kagome finally understood the trap she had fallen into. The 'Sho' leader never planned to test her powers from the beginning. He wanted to strip her of her rank and would not allow her to prove her powers. Seeing the 'Sho' leader sending another attack with his fist, Kagome caught his wrist and pulled him close. Her blue eyes glared into his to show him that she knew of what he was doing. But, the look of disgust once again flashed through his eyes, which both shocked and distracted her with another realization.
Pain.
It was too late before Kagome noted that the 'Sho' leader had twisted free from her grasp and landed a hit on her right arm. Wincing at the doubled pain from the bruise and the attack, Kagome staggered backwards.
Golden eyes hardened as the grip around the arm chair tightened. The blow she took to her right arm shouldn't have been as painful as she seemed to appear to be. Inuyasha, who knew the reason for Kagome's pain, couldn't remain silent and snarled out, "Her left shoulder was already bruised with claw marks this morning."
Sesshomaru felt his entire body tense from Inuyasha's comment. He remembered taking his anger out on her while grabbing her right shoulder. Blurred by his anger, he did not realize that he had harmed her as badly.
Suddenly, Kagome's cry rang in his ear. Golden eyes flickered crimson at the scene before him. The 'Sho' leader had caught onto her weakness and landed a few blows onto her right shoulder. Sesshomaru felt his chest twist painfully as he watched Kagome's body rack with pain. Using his authority as the Host, he had the power to stop the challenge.
"Don't you dare stop the fight, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha grumbled out reluctantly. Half of him wanted to allow Sesshomaru to go ahead and stop the match. But the other half of him knew more than anyone that the match needs to continue for Kagome's sake.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and snapped, "Do not think to order this Sesshomaru."
"She decided to still fight even knowing her injury!" Inuyasha said angrily.
"You should have stopped her," Sesshomaru said coated with malice.
"Keh," Inuyasha grunted, "You think I didn't try? That girl won't listen to no one!"
The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard. Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru quickly returned their attention towards the match. The scene before them caused one to begin growling while the other struggled to control the burst of anger that raged from within.
The 'Sho' leader held a tight grasp on Kagome's right arm. With the other hand, he punched directly onto her injury. It only took three hits before the sound of her bone cracking was heard. A pink barrier was quickly placed before another hit by the 'Sho' leader was landed.
An unknown emotion flickered past stoic eyes.
Claws began to dig into the wooden arm chair.
The faint sound of wood cracking was heard.
Pain.
Kagome felt her sweat dripping down her face.
Her right arm was numb from straining too much pain.
Barely holding in her cries, she continued to block all the attacks.
Yet, every attack seemed to become more painful to block.
She had figured the 'Sho' leader was a rather calm character than an aggressive character. Inuyasha's information about the 'Sho' leader's decision to reject the Daiyoukai rank proved her assumption to be correct. So, the only reason to push the 'Sho' leader into fighting must be because of her decision to replace Kura.
Noting the flash of disgust deepen within the 'Sho' leader's eyes, Kagome knew he was preparing for the last blow. Finally understanding everything, she quickly searched for an opening. Dark blue powers swirled around the 'Sho' leader's fist and aimed for her stomach in demonic speed. To Kagome, everything moved in slow motion. Her blue eyes darkened as it was fixed upon the incoming fist. Moving towards the attack, she pushed his fist to the side and slammed her other hand into his chest with a blast of her powers.
Within seconds, the game had changed.
The 'Sho' leader had fallen on one knee a few feet away. The grass held drag marks from the force of being pushed back by the Miko. The crowd of demons that witnessed this began to whisper. It shocked even the 'Sho' leader that a mere human could knock him down with one blow.
Kagome narrowed her eyes and prepared herself for another attack. The 'Sho' leader raised his hand and announced, "Enough."
Dropping her fighting position, Kagome still felt her body tense to prepare for the 'Sho' leader's decision. She told herself not to be surprised if the 'Sho' leader still decided to strip away her rank. During the fight, she concluded that the 'Sho' leader was indeed one of the demons that favoured Kura. The 'Gon' leader had purposely requested the 'Sho' leader to fight her knowing that he would strip her from her rank no matter how much she proved her powers. Grimacing, Kagome cursed her foolishness for falling into their trap.
"Miko," she heard the 'Sho' leader call out. Raising her attention to look at him, she saw his confusion. The 'Sho' leader asked, "Why did you not use your purification powers? Your purification powers could have been used when blocking and attacking, yet I stand here without a single burn."
Slightly surprised that he had noticed, Kagome responded softly, "Was this not challenge to test my powers? I see no reason why it should result with harming you."
Astonishment remained on the 'Sho' leader's face.
"I attacked you without giving you room to attack. I injured your shoulder purposely knowing it was your weakness. Did you not realize it was not my intention to test you?" The 'Sho' leader spoke with more confusion.
"I saw disgust in your eyes," Kagome voiced faintly. Blue eyes unveiled deep understanding as she continued, "I figured out that you were disgusted by your own actions as if you did not wish to fight me the way you did."
Kagome watched with amazement as the 'Sho' leader revealed a calm expression, just like how she had imagined him to be. Raising his hand again, the 'Sho' leader exclaimed, "I now decide whether the Miko is deserving of the 'Sho' rank."
A silence fell upon the crowd of demons.
Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the 'Sho' leader bowing before her and state, "Welcome to the 'Sho' rank, Miko. You deserve the title."
A loud cheer rang through the field causing the ground to rumble from the noise.
Returning a bow, Kagome said gratefully, "Thank you, leader! Thank you!"
A bright smile graced Kagome's lips and Sesshomaru knew it was caused by her thoughts on saving the 'Tsu' leader's position. Knowing Kagome was in pain, Sesshomaru slightly moved in his seat to reach her. But just as he was about to stand, he saw Inuyasha rush past him and head towards her. Freezing in his position, he knew it was not his duty to care for her injuries.
Golden eyes watched as Inuyasha picked Kagome up in a bridal style. Though she stubbornly struggled in Inuyasha's arms, she soon gave up after wincing in pain. Sesshomaru saw Kagome leaning into Inuyasha's chest before they disappeared into the Castle.
Crack.
The demons that surrounded Sesshomaru glanced to see their Lord's arm chair broken into pieces. Fear spread throughout the crowd of demons for they knew the chair was made out of wood that was known to be difficult to break. All flinched as they watched their Lord silently stand up and leave.
-Somewhere inside the Castle-
Heavy footsteps came to a stop. Glancing at the shadow, the 'Sho' leader recognized who it was and called out, "Lady Inari."
Pushing off against the wall she had been leaning on, she walked towards the lighting. A smirk appeared on her face as she teased, "Weren't you supposed to strip the Shikon Miko of her title?"
"The Miko deserves the rank, Lady Inari," Ryou, the 'Sho' leader, answered.
"How disappointing," Lady Inari voiced with displeasure, "I wanted to see the Miko at the very bottom of our ranks, Ryou."
Bowing before Lady Inari, Ryou said calmly, "My apologies."
"Leader Ryou! Leader Ryou!" the voice of the 'Gon' leader echoed in the hallways. Not wishing to be in the presence of the 'Gon' leader, Lady Inari walked away before saying, "Looks like I am not the only one displeased by your performance, Ryou."
A silent sigh escaped Ryou's lips as he turned to see a disheveled demon.
"Wha- This- You didn't do as we planned, Leader Ryou! You were supposed to strip her of her title! If you acknowledge her rank, then that human wrench will be above me! She will destroy me for challenging her and now Kura will be permanently replaced! Do something! Challenge her again!" The 'Gon' leader yelled out angrily.
"I think you've misunderstood the situation," Ryou said calmly. Staring down at the 'Gon' leader, he heard him say, "What do you mean? Of course I understand, just do something to destroy the wrench!"
Shaking his head, Ryou said, "See, you don't understand at all." The 'Gon' leader looked frustrated at the vague comment.
"You see, if you did understand the situation, I would have slaughtered you on the spot," Ryou said dangerously even though his expression remained calm.
The 'Gon' leader stank of fear as visible trembles shook through his body.
"The Miko is a 'Sho' rank now, one whom I have come to respect. Disrespect her again and I will consider your actions as disrespecting me," Ryou said as he patted the 'Gon' leader's shoulder. Watching the 'Gon' leader flinch from his touch, Ryou calmly walked away.
Heavy footsteps resumed its echo in the hallways.
A calm aura encircled Ryou as he continued to wander the halls.
He knew that had she used her purification powers the Miko would have won. It was not only her strength and compassion that gained his respect. The wisdom she held to see past his aggressive front was what caught him off guard and won his respect.
Indeed, the Miko was admirable.
And although he loved Kura for many decades now, maybe it was time to move on.
His decision to accept the Miko into the 'Sho' rank was definitely one step forward in moving on.
Author's Note: This chapter is a Birthday Present to myself and for my dear readers.
Thank you for reading,
Your reviews are cherished.