"Kikio" Kagome called out, procuring her bow from her back.
The girl turned around. She looked calm and subdued as always, those eerily glowing eel-like creatures floating around her. She faced Kagome with an expressionless face.
"Kagome" She said. "You are here, I presume, for Inu-Yasha and your friends?"
"Exactly." Kagome replied sounding braver than she felt, nicking an arrow into her bow and aiming it at Kikio. "Where are they? Release them!"
A soft laugh escaped Kikio's lips. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" she said, raising one arm. "I've done everything, Kagome, to preserve this precious body of mine." A strong gust of wind immediately appeared as Kikio lashed out her arm toward Kagome. "And, I cannot give Inu-Yasha back to you. . ."
Fighting against the wind, Kagome let go of her arrow. It zoomed through the air straight toward Kikio but instead of lodging into her body, it stopped in midair, sparks flying as it revealed an invisible barrier surrounding the ex-miko.
"Tut, tut. . .that won't work." Kikio simply said, raising her arm again and bringing it down with force. Another strong gust of wind emanated from that gesture, flinging itself toward Kagome, knocking her out toward the bushes she parted earlier.
"Ah!" Kagome let out a gasp of pain as she hit the tree behind her and fell facedown to the ground. She was already aching all over, bruises and dirt adorning her body yet slowly, she willed herself to get up to her feet.
"What can you possibly do Kagome? There's no Inu-Yasha here to save you." Kikio said, staring down mercilessly at the fallen girl.
Almost out of breath, Kagome's mind raced wildly on what her solution should be. She stands no chance against Kikio. What must she do? Her thoughts fell on the shards of the Shikon no Tama jewel. She can possibly use a shard to make herself stronger. No! She can't do that. She just can't. . .Placing her faith on the unknown, Kagome took out another arrow and nicked it into her bow. Arrow after arrow, she fired it toward Kikio. Maybe, just maybe, she can break through and. . .
"Kagome, what are you doing? Don't you see it's not working?" Kikio called out as the barrier repelled each arrow. She did not realize the arrows were hitting only one spot, weakening it as each arrow hit one after another until finally, one arrow slipped through and rushed on toward Kikio's heart.
A flash of light and sparks, one of the eel-like creatures swept through the air and positioned itself unto Kikio's chest. Kagome's arrow sank into its white flesh and immediately exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces. Kikio's eyes narrowed, her lips pursed into a straight line. She raised her arms and called upon the spirits surrounding her. The creatures gathered around the miko, their blank eyes glistening under the moon.
"Take her." Kikio ordered. The creatures focused their attention on the disheveled girl before them. In one swoop, they zoomed toward her. Kagome's momentary delight of breaking through Kikio's barrier vanished and was replaced by dread. Quickly though her hands were trembling a bit, she used her bow and fired arrow after arrow. She succeeded in vanquishing a creature with each arrow but soon realized there were too many of them. She was bitterly reminded of Inu-yasha swiping the creatures before they ever got to her and of Sango and Miruko fighting as well. Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision. Kagome started to run.