"She's of noble blood. The one and only daughter of the Demon King Sesshoumaru No Taisho of the Western Provinces."
The ookami could not tear the thought from his mind as he sat in his seat at the very side of the classroom. His eyes were hungry with curiosity for the Hime of the Palace Moon, though, he being almost to the very front of the room with her to the very back, it would be hard to look at her without her or even the entire class noticing. The teacher droned on about calculus for about an hour, and then he suggested from the students' faces that they should all take a fifteen minute break before continuing onward.
The students all began to stand up and clump into their groups for idle chat and the ookami took this moment of distraction to gaze at the hime. The very sight of her made his eyes slightly widen, she had long black pants and a tight purple t-shirt that clung tightly around her breasts, her long silvery-white hair glided down to the floor and shimmered with the reflection of the sunlight that glazed over her whole silhouette through the window just to her left. Her long slender legs stretched out and her black heels crossed over each other as they rested on the top of her desk. Her blue eyes were closed, leaving her black lashes to fan over her soft cheeks. She had her arms crossed over her chest as her head leant forward, her bangs shadowing her face to make her lashes hard to see if it wasn't for the sunlight casting over her.
From the look of things, the Hime was asleep, which was understandable, such a class and a monotone teacher that was an elite at being a drone would make anyone want to doze off. However, the aura of her iyaki encircled her form so that if any sudden changes in the room were to occur she would not miss a beat. Which became even more evitable when a group of students came to crowd around her. Though she did not move even the slightest hair, the ookami noticed her iyaki slightly flex through all of the students and monitor their movements. She was only feigning sleep.
"We noticed that you were accompanied by a hot stud yesterday." One of the girls stated as she looked down at the Hime. "Would you mind hooking us up sometime?"
"Oooh, me too!" Another girl chirped in enthusiastically. Himiko-hime's eyes slowly opened, looking straight ahead with cool, emotionless eyes that would freeze any flame in an instant. She brought her cold, expressionless eyes to the group of girls before her and made a barely discernable scowl.
"He's already married." Himiko said stolidly before bringing her eyes closed again, however, the group of girls surrounding her did not take note of the hint that her gesture told.
"Married?!" The girl exclaimed. "But he's so young! How old is he anyway? Who's his wife?"
"My father is obviously married to my mother and they are not as young as they seem." Himiko replied, when her eyes snapped open. The ookami noticed as her iyaki flared at some unknown presence. He noticed her cool gaze come at him, then to the door behind him. The ookami's ears twitched slightly at the sudden sound of footsteps chanting through the hallways despite the fact that the door was closed. A powerful iyaki was being carried with those footsteps as the footsteps stopped before the classroom door.
The door suddenly slammed open with such force that the door was instantly knocked off its hinges and fell to the floor. The sound had the effect of a sudden bomb for the entire room went silent and still, their eyes instantly looking to the doorway. A young girl stood with long silvery-gray hair tied up into a ponytail high up on her head. A black ribbon was tied across her forehead as a headband, tied tightly behind her head and under the ponytail. The girl wore black hakamas and a white haori accompanied by a sword strapped to her waist as she came to stand at the front of the room. Her golden eyes blazed at Himiko-hime, and the two females locked eyes.
The ookami could instantly feel the intense iyakis' growing larger between the females. The sudden chill that crept into the room that was created once that girl intruded became like a frozen inferno. Despite all of the students as well as the teacher, who was stunned and frightened beyond words, the humans could not fully comprehend what was transpiring. That is, except for the ookami. He stood up, making the first movement since the door was slammed to the ground. He could not get involved in something so potentially brutal.
"Himiko-Hime." The girl finally spoke with morbid hatred. Himiko-hime withdrew her legs from the desk top, but then crawled fully on top of it with the poise of a cat. Her blue eyes flamed into almost a fiery crimson red, her fangs elongating to about two and a half inches long from her gums.
"Asuka-Hime." Himiko-Hime snarled with venom.
"I have come to challenge you." Asuka-Hime snarled in return. "I think even you can oblige to such a request."
Himiko-hime smiled, but not with kindness, there was evil intentions in her devilish grin, her fangs glistening over her lower lip.
"Don't waste your energy on words," Himiko-hime chuckled wickedly. "come at me if you dare."
There was silence in the room for only a second, but that second alone felt like a long hour, for everyone in the room besides the two female taiyoukai's were completely frozen in terror and yet the sliver of the ever anticipated event of what was to come tingled the hairs on the back of their necks. But it was only for a second.
Asuka leapt forward as her sword came slicing through the desk, followed by the loud shatter of the window as Himiko leapt through the glass to land on the rooftop of the gymnasium. Asuka followed after her, landing just meters away as the hime raised her sword once again. Himiko grinned in idle humor as she stared down at the other hime. This was certainly something that has erased her boredom.
"Oh my God! Did you see that?!"
The students crowded before the windows of the classroom as well as the other classes. Students stopped any school functions and teachers were too dumbfounded and awestruck to the sight as well. They all gathered and watched as Himiko and Asuka stood on the top of the gymnasium, preparing themselves for battle.
"What's wrong, Asuka-hime?" Himiko-hime chided as the Western Hime stood tall before the other Hime who was poised in a fighting stance. "I thought you came to challenge me?"
"Silence!" Asuka snarled. "Such Hubris will be the end of you."
Asuka charged toward Himiko once again, swung her katana straight for the Western Hime, but Himiko agilely dodged each strike and swing of Asuka's blade. Asuka drove Himiko to the edge of the gymnasium, but Himiko leapt back onto the top of the school. Asuka leapt after Himiko and swung after her, but again missed to cut through Himiko. Himiko was much too fast for Asuka's blade to follow. It became apparent too early in battle, causing frustration in Asuka as she watched as Himiko dodged another attack for the twentieth time.
"Stop dodging and fight me!" Asuka yelled. Himiko grinned despite herself and, instead of taking a step backwards to dodge the swing of Asuka's blade, she went forward. Himiko-hime grasped onto the blade between her palms with perfect timing, however, as she knocked the blade from Asuka's hands, the blade went spinning through the air and Himiko-hime dodged quickly by ducking, but, though her body itself was fast enough to evade the blade, her hair was not. Her hair was struck by the blade and the gentle tendrils drifted in the wind and disappeared from sight. Himiko leapt back, taking her left hand to feel the back of her hair to the front. Before, her hair reached down to her ankles, now, it barely reached her shoulders. Besides a quick feel to her hair, Himiko dismissed the loss of her hair. The thought of battle still excited her beyond just a common interest such as a simple hair cut.
Asuka eyed the hair cut with amusement, a cocky smirk emerging on her lips as she glared at the other hime.
"Nice cut. Now we can see your ugly face." Asuka spat.
"If I'm ugly, then you must be a beast." Himiko smirked, her pearly white fangs peaking from behind her rosy lips.
The smirk faded from Asuka's mouth and a snarl followed. Still holding the broken blade, Asuka tossed the now broken item far behind her and off the building.
The afternoon wind swept up and breezed through the two female demons, when a chuckle disturbed the air. Asuka's fangs glistened in diabolical satisfaction and Himiko took her for a deranged fool in her aloof behavior when Himiko noticed Asuka's eyes bleed over in blood lust. A viscious snarl escaped her scowling lips and her teeth bared over her lower lip.
"You fool, you're going to break the code!" Himiko yelled, but the blood lusting Asuka only laughed in response. Asuka's nails grew longer and lethal and her face became sharp and beastly. Himiko prepared herself for the worst, it is one thing to fight in their human forms, but to show any traces of their true form in front of any human would send The Order after her, which was the last thing she wanted. Her uncle was one of the leaders of the association and to have him tail her ass would be a nuisance, but not only that, by the code of The Order, if a demon were to show their true form in front of a human, considering her ranking, her own father would have to kill her.
Asuka bent her knees and arms as her fangs elongated to the point where she couldn't close her mouth without shredding her lips and gums. Her eyes were bright crimson and glowing with her iyaki as it swirled around her as well.
"Here I come, Western bitch!" She growled loudly and came blasting toward her. Himiko leapt back, but her human form could not move as swiftly as she needed and Asuka's claw came shredding across her torso. Blood spurted from her now open wound, but Himiko paid it no attention, her fist slammed into Asuka's face, but did little damage, the crazed hime crushed her foot deep into Himiko's wounds and Himiko went flying off the roof of the gymnasium and went crashing onto the Baseball field. The dirt blasted outwards from the impact and created a thick fog of dust and dirt.
The wolf had been watching from the window and as he saw Himiko crash into the Baseball field, he jumped from the window and landed onto the cement below with extreme poise, before running after Himiko. His demonic wolf blood made him as fast as any middle-classed demon and he reached the baseball field in seconds, where Himiko was still trying to get up. Blood gushed from her torso, but it wasn't the wounds that caused her slow ascendancy. Her eyes began to blink crimson and Himiko's face became strained to fight her urge to let loose her true demonic nature.
"Himiko!" The wolf proclaimed when he saw her. His own demonic blood boiled just at the sight of her so vexed and with such turmoil to keep her instincts at bay.
"Are you alright?" The wolf asked and Himiko could only manage to speak in the demonic language. Her growling tone was equivalent to "stay back" in the language. Himiko felt her fangs elongate even more, but with a quick snarl, and a grind of her teeth, the fangs receded back to it's original length and Himiko's face relaxed to its coldness once more.
She stood fully up, and the wolf could now more easily see the wound, which looked like a rabid dog had tried to rip open her torso. The blood had stained her clothes all the way down to her heels and the blood loss was enough for even the strongest of humans or lesser demons to collapse, but she remained transfixed and determined.
"You still plan to keep fighting her?" the wolf asked. Himiko's icy glare assaulted him in response and he sighed, which caught Himiko off-guard for a moment. He deemed to be not in the slightest bit afraid of her.
"So, I take it you plan on fighting that bitch and getting all scratched up until one of you drop first?" The wolf asked in a sarcastic tone, but Himiko turned her eyes away from the ookami to look where Asuka had gotten herself to. The demonic hime that had proved herself to be her rival had already landed on the ground and was now heading toward them in top speed.
"Get out of the way!" Himiko harshly pushed the wolf away from her and Himiko had managed to dodge the fatal claws and slammed her knee into Asuka's gut, ushering a choked cough of blood to spray from Asuka's mouth. Himiko quickly grabbed for her neck and she propelled Asuka up and then slammed her down into the ground with a powerful swing of her arm. Asuka screamed in pain as the ground quaked beneath her but managed to slip her legs underneath Himiko and both legs kicked her in the torso, breaking her lower ribs and once again further damaging the flesh wound. Himiko stumbled back and spat up blood, her body quivered for but a moment before Himiko positioned herself into a defense pose, her knees bent as her hands are positioned to protect her face and the other positioned to protect her bleeding torso. Her breath was ragged and her fangs seemed to glow against the blood that stained her lips into a bright tint of red. Her blue eyes burned now, her once cold demeanor melted into a raging blue inferno.
"Fine…" Himiko growled angrily as her fangs protruded from her mouth, "You want to play dirty, then I have something for you."
The wolf watched in astonishment as her iyaki now swirled with another unfamiliar entity that seemed to dance around her demonic power. Himiko had her usual blue light that was her iyaki, but the unfamiliar entity that had had intertwined with it was a bright white light that sparkled with silver tints. Her body seemed to glow to the demon eye, but to any human she was merely standing.
Asuka froze and so did the wolf, their hairs standing on edge as a tingly feeling of alertness and the crawling tension of anxiety erupted within them. What exactly was this energy?
Himiko came rushing forward and as her fist came forward to assault Asuka, the wolf saw, within a blink of an eye, a small orb appear beside her fist away from her and as her fist collided with Asuka's face, an explosion hit as well. Asuka's scream filled the area and Himiko kept punching her, and with each punch, that same exploding orb appeared. Then Himiko stepped back, looking at Asuka in fascination like an artist critiquing their artwork. As for Asuka, the sight of the once attractive hime was now tarnished by the angry burns that now blistered on her skin.
Asuka touched her face lightly and her hands trembled at the feel of her blistering, burnt skin, the pain that now engulfed her skin was unspeakable, unbearable. Tears streamed down her face and the salt of her tears on her skin made her scream out in agony.
"Had enough yet?" Himiko chuckled as she grinned with such diabolical joy at her handiwork it frightened both the wolf and Asuka. Her blue eyes gleamed as she came toward Asuka and the prompt rival yelped in fear and fell back. Her body was shattered by Himiko's assaults and now all she could do was try and crawl away from the deranged hime of the West.
"Should I start with your legs?" Himiko chuckled as her nails grew into talons and were raised up into a striking position, about to impale into the now defenseless demon girl. Her eyes now glowed almost pure white, causing her blue eyes to fade into a silvery hue when a hand grabbed her other arm and yanked her forcefully back. Himiko crumpled to the floor and her eyes blinked back to their usual shade of blue. When Himiko had herself back to her normal self, she was breathing hard and her ribs shuttered at the immense need for air. Himiko looked up from her kneeled position and first caught sight of long black tresses that blew in the wind like thick ink flowing in a river.
"M-Mom!" Himiko gasped. "What are…(huff)…you doing here?"
"I warned you not to use that power!" Midoriko growled angrily as she glared at her daughter, but beneath the anger, signs of a mother's concern were clearly seen. "Now look what you've gone and done, you've marked Asuka-hime's pretty face. It will probably take about a couple months to heal." Midoriko said as she examined the crippled Asuka on the ground. Both girls were covered in blood and dirt and both suffering from their own inflictions upon each other. "Not to say, she didn't deserve it though." Midoriko scowled before turning on her heel and kneeling down in front of Himiko.
The inu-taiyoukai mother examined Himiko's wounds with her wise blue eyes and Midoriko took out a handkerchief from the inside pocket of her long black jacket and handed it to Himiko so she could wipe the dirt from her face.
The wolf was too astonished by the sight of Midoriko that he could barely comprehend speech. Midoriko was something beyond words of beauty, her hair was as black as night and yet her eyes glowed like a blue moon against her porcelain nearly white skin. Her face was smooth and young, appearing to be about a little younger than twenty and yet her presence seemed to whisper of her true immortality and the many centuries that she had fought and struggled in. Her womanly wisdom was uncanny and unheard of, even in the world of demons.
"Looks like we got ourselves a wolf." Midoriko sighed as she examined him for a brief moment, as if reading his intentions or morals, her face lightened of any suspecting countenance and she smiled at him with pearly white fangs.
"Konichiwa, ookami." Midoriko greeted rather abruptly, "I see you've been watching out for my daughter while she is at school. Well, somewhat."
"Uhh…konichiwa. Taisho-sama." The wolf stumbled with his words and he brought himself down into a kneel before her and bowed low to her.
He heard her soft chuckle and she stepped toward him and patted his head. "He's a keeper, Himiko." Midoriko laughed somewhat teasingly and Himiko only huffed out a retort barely audible. "Well, nice to meet you Isamu."
His name being said had never before caused him to suddenly shake in bewilderment until now. How did she know his name?
"Mom, stop reading his mind, it's impolite." A deep baritone voice proclaimed as footsteps through the dirt briskly stopped just behind Isamu. Everyone looked towards the new arrival and by Midoriko's expression, it was evident that they had come here together.
"Finally made it passed all of those school girls, I see." Midoriko laughed and Isamu took the moment to peek back at the other inu-taiyoukai to find a much younger, based on the strength of the iyaki around him, inu-taiyoukai with short, well trimmed hair with the bangs just a little longer than the rest as it remained ruffled over his forehead. His demonic markings were hidden and his eyes were covered with dark sunglasses to hide his eye color. He wore an expensive business suit that even the celebrities would yearn for and his height towered over all three of them.
"How many phone numbers did you get this time?" Midoriko asked and a feral grin played across his face and he held out a large handful of ripped paper filled with sequences of numbers of poor ignorant school girls that had not the slightest clue as to what they were getting into.
"About a hundred and eighty." He replied with an excitement in his tone. "That's a new record in the last five decades for me."
"No, don't forget that football game you went to about twenty years back." Midoriko reminded and the taiyoukai looked at her in question for a moment, his face etched in thought, when his face revealed his recalled memory.
"Oh yeah! That was about….three hundred and….ten…I think." He remembered and Isamu thought he imagined a sweat drop on the side of his face.The male taiyoukai looked to Isamu at that moment and waved a hand at him in a casual greeting. "Yo, my name's Kurose, Kuro is preferred." He introduced himself finally. "I am the first scion of the eternal union between Sesshoumaru and Midoriko No Taisho. I gather your name is Isamu of the Wolf clan."
Isamu nodded and bowed his head briefly before looking at Himiko, whom was still sitting on the ground with her arms covering her bleeding stomach. Midoriko and Kuro followed his gaze to look upon her and Midoriko then looked to Asuka, who had barely moved from her spot as well.
"Isn't it about time you headed on home!" Midoriko snarled at the centuries younger female demon. Asuka yelped and scrambled up to her feet despite her fatigue and ran towards the street where a limousine waited for her, masking her burnt face with her hands and arms whilst she ran.
Kuro came to kneel in front of the wounded Himiko and he looked at the wound briefly before picking her up tenderly with a swoop of his long arms.
"It's time to get you home." Kuro said to the silent Himiko. "This is nothing a transformation into your true form can't fix, but you'll have to wait until we get home first."
Midoriko watched for a second as Kuro walked away with Himiko, then looked to Isamu when they were far from hearing them. A mischievous smile crossed her lips and Midoriko patted Isamu's shoulder.
"Keep it up, you might actually grab her attention like she unintentionally has yours." Midoriko then laughed heartily as she saw the shock etched across his face and she left him in the baseball field and entered the limousine with Kuro helping Himiko inside.
Midoriko sat comfortably in the leather seat in the far back of the limo as Himiko was completely laid back on the long strip of plush leather that occupied the left side of the interior, the small bar being on the right. Kuoro sat next to her as he picked up a hand cloth from the bar and wiped off the blood that had smeared onto his hands.
"That bitch has gotten Himiko pretty roughed up." Kuro growled as his eyes misted over and Midoriko could only assume it had something to do with some form of torturing the daughter of the Eastern Province Demon King. Midoriko found that when it came to her mind reading, she could never accomplish a full read off of a family member, which was fine by her because having such a promiscuous son such as Kuro, it would be better not to know about his sexual endeavors. She was his mother anyways.
"Relax," Midoriko replied as she rested her hand over his. "She'll be fine. Besides, she's been through a lot worse than this before."
"Yeah, I remember." Kuro responded. "But what are we going to do about Asuka? She barged into father's territory, assaulted Himiko, and dishonored the code."
"Your father and I will mention this with the rest of Counsel and we will decide if further actions are needed. Himiko won against Asuka, though a bit brutally, that's all that really matters. Himiko has proven her right as Princess."
"Do you think he was involved?" Kuro asked quietly. Midoriko grew silent as her face hardened, her lips pressed into a thin line as her blue eyes burned.
"If that is the case, then we might have a problem."
Sesshoumaru looked upon his wounded daughter and his face contorted in anguish. His brows knit together as his sharp teeth grinded, his voice barely managing to erupt into a loud growl. She was in her true form with Midoriko just finishing the bandaging before she petted Himiko atop her white furry head, bringing the female inu-taiyoukai to sleep. Midoriko got up and came to stand before her mate.
"How is she?" Sesshoumaru managed to ask and Midoriko patted his arm, gesturing for them to leave Himiko's room to enter the hallway. Midoriko shut the door softly behind her so as not to wake Himiko before turning to Sesshoumaru.
"Asuka's talons bare poison, but only enough that it takes longer for the wound to heal. Himiko will be fine, her demon and miko blood should be able to fight off the poison, but it may take a couple of weeks for the wound to fully close over." Midoriko stepped closer to him and brushed his bangs from his eyes and then resting her hand on his shoulder. "She will sleep for a couple of days and then she should be able to walk around again. But right now, Himiko just needs some sleep and we have a meeting to attend to."
At this, Sesshoumaru lifted his head and his eyes seemed to calm. "Oh, the meeting. It seems almost too convenient to have a meeting after the girls had been fighting, doesn't it."