Six days. Six long days and nights Sango and her companions had spent camping in the woodlands, licking their wounds, prepping their weapons, and praying. Praying that Zanshin would wait for them, and that whenever their hunt was over, they still had a home and friends to return too. Miroku had assured her Zanshin's demonic aura was still present, that it had not moved at all from the same spot where he first detected it, but there was no way to be sure he was telling the truth. Perhaps Zanshin had moved on and Miroku was merely telling her otherwise to keep her from going after him until they were fully recovered. Sango preferred to give him the benefit of the doubt, but considering the drastic measures he had already taken to keep her from resuming the hunt too soon, she couldn't put it past him. And so they all waited, hoping against all odds Zanshin would not use the opportunity to slip away in the vast expanse of unsettled, untamed land.

Yet the time spent during the preceding days had not been miserable, or even unpleasant for the restless Sango. No, she had made the most of it. It had been good quality time with the man and companion she intended to spend the rest of her life with. The whole time Miroku had been an uncharacteristic gentleman, keeping his perverted antics to a surprising minimum while the ever playful Kirara had been in high spirits the whole way through, helping them both to forget the unknown fate of their friends in Keade's village and the imminent lethal showdown that grew closer with each passing hour. It had been the best possible outcome Sango could have hoped for under the circumstances and she was grateful for every second of it, feeling almost as though it was their reward for all the trials and hardships they had faced so far.

"But is this a view into the future, or a brief look at what was never meant to be?"

Despite the wonderful experience she had shared with Miroku and Kirara during the last three days, Sango couldn't shake the sensation that this could be the last time they would all be together as what resembled a family.

Family. Even after Miroku had proposed to her, the concept was something Sango had never seriously considered. It seemed nothing but a distant naive dream.

"How many times can we cheat death unscathed? How many traps can we avoid, demons can we defeat, odds can we overcome before-"

"Sango!" Miroku shouted as he finished packing up the what little remained of their supplies on Kirara. With their wounds mostly healed and their rations running low, they had decided the time was right to set out and defeat Zanshin once and for all. "Is everything alright? You seem distant and distracted. I've hardly heard you say anything all morning."

Sango instantly broke free from her thoughts as she turned to face him, desperately trying to think of some way to change the subject. "Oh...sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind. For example, this damn arm blade. I can't fix it with the tools we've got, so it's nothing but a backup knife. I hate going into battle without all my weapons at optimal level."

"Oh come on Sango, with all the weapons you've got, I'd hardly call that a reason to feel underarmed," Miroku pointed out happily. "But if it makes you feel better, I'm rather short handed myself. I used up all my sutras in Zanshin's lab."

Then Miroku reached into a robe pocket and pulled out a single sutra. "Well...all except this little friend. I certainly wasn't going to waste it on his mindless drones."

"What's so special about it?"

Miroku began flipping the stutra through his fingers. "This is what's going to be Zanshin's undoing. It's a special sutra I crafted back at Natsumi's inn. Trust me, when I get this little giant-killer on Zanshin, it'll be the end of the line."

"Is that so?" Asked Sango, seemingly amused by his boastfulness. "Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'm going make the work you put into it a wasted effort. My Hiraikotsu will rip him up long before you get a chance to stick him with your little paper slip."

Miroku countered with an evil look. "Oh really? You know I'm always up for a challenge..."

Then suddenly he became more serious. "But however it turns out, I'm just glad we'll be fighting Zanshin together this time. I don't really care which one of us lands the death blow. I've got a much bigger task in mind."

This caught Sango's attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen Sango," said Miroku as he walked over to her. "When I saw you battered and beaten at Zanshin's feet back in the mill, it may have sent me into a rage, but the truth is I was scared. I thought you might be dead or dying and it scared the hell out of me. I never want to be in that position again. Protecting you is my real challenge, and I swear I won't fail."

Sango was moved by his affirmation, but her response was somewhat surprising. "Miroku...I'm flattered by your devotion, and I really appreciate it, but that's complete nonsense. It's not the mindset either one of us should have."

"What are you saying?"

"Look, I know I said I was impressed with your courage when you charged at Zanshin back there, and I was, but the fact of the matter is that it only worked because he was wounded and in such a weakened state after a long battle. You lose your head like that again, and he'll probably kill you."

This was the last thing Miroku had expected to hear from Sango so close to resuming their hunt, and he found himself stumbling for a response. "Sango...I didn't realize..."

"It's okay Miroku," replied Sango, doing her best to reassure him he didn't say anything wrong. "I know you haven't faced Zanshin in his prime yet. But I'm telling you, we'll be fighting one of the best warriors you've ever encountered. There's a very good chance we'll both have our share of injuries from this battle, so I don't want you making promises that it won't happen, to either me or you. There's a good chance it will and we'll just have to deal with it. I can't have you losing control out there. No matter what he does to you or me, we've got to stay focused and in control of our emotions. That's what's going to maximize the chances of our survival."

Miroku sighed. "Very well Sango, I promise I won't let you down. No matter what happens, I'll fight with everything I've got."

"I know you will, Miroku. You've already proven yourself times beyond counting. I know you will..." Then without warning, Sango suddenly wrapped her arms around Miroku, pulled him in close, and kissed him.

The whole thing was so stunning, Miroku couldn't even think of anything to do in response. Nothing except in enjoy the moment, of course. "S-Sango?" Miroku sputtered happily as they broke apart. "Not that I'm complaining, but where did that come from?"

Sango just laughed. "Well you said it yourself. We're both about to tangle with death yet again. What better time is there to enjoy life's greatest pleasures? Who am I to argue with your brilliant philosophy?"

Miroku smilled deviously as he heard Sango quote his prior comment with perfect accuracy. "My dear Sango, could it be that my lechery is starting to rub off on you?"

"Perhaps, but don't let it go to your head. We've got quite a long day's work ahead of us," replied Sango, doing her best to maintain the resemblance of professional demeanor.

It was to no avail. Miroku's imagination was already running through all the other possibilities the future held for them. "Sorry, but I'm afraid it's way too late for that. You should have known better to tempt me in such a manner..."

"Oh just get on Kirara already, you hopeless perv," said Sango in a resigned tone, though it was clear she found his antics amusing. "If it's not too much to ask, I need to you to steer her to Zanshin's aura. That is, if we can make it before you're mind is completely lost in the gutter."

Soon the three of them were airborne and soaring above tree tops in the massive forest, this time with Miroku in front as he directed Kirara to the source of the demonic aura.

"We're closing in on the source, but I'm afraid I can't determine Zanshin's exact position," Miroku explained. This aura of his, it's unlike anything I've ever detected. It's sporadic and vast, like Zanshin is expanding it to cover a large area."

"Well he knows how to create and control demons. We can't put it past him that he can control the aura he emits as well." Sango pointed out. "We'll just have to search for him the old fashioned way. Let's start with that clearing in the east."

Sango pointed to a large section of highlands that was mostly devoid of trees and larger plant life, roughly half a mile in length, and Miroku responded by directing Kirara over to the clearing without hesitation.

"Good idea, Sango. If he really wants to pick a fight with us, that would be the most logical place to do it. The clearing is the most visible spot around here, especially from the air. Come on Kirara, head over there and get low. Let's see if we can find any sign of him."

Upon arrival, Kirara dropped to a height of about 8 feet from the ground and greatly reduced her speed to help her riders search for clues.

Sango began a thorough search in every direction, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. "Well this is getting us nowhere. Miroku, do you sense anything different?"

Miroku shrugged. "I'm afraid not. You know this isn't adding up. The aura proves he wants us to find him, so why is he making it so difficult-"

"Hold on a second!" Sango snapped, suddenly cutting him off. "Something's coming!"

"Are you sure? I don't sense any changes in the aura-"

"It's got nothing to do with aura, dammit!" shouted Sango. "Kirara! Take us up and get moving now!"

But it was too late. Before Kirara had the chance to obey, Zanshin's dragon servant Rasta came blazing out of the surrounding treeline and slammed into the demon cat at full speed. The massive impact sent both riders tumbling off and plunging to the ground below.

"Sango, are you alright?" Miroku asked, as he quickly pulled himself up. However, Sango was already on her feet and watching the fierce battle raging between the two flying demons about them.

"Kirara!" Sango screamed as both Kirara and Rasta quickly became engulfed in each other's flames, to no effect. Quickly realizing they were both to immune to fire, they started pounding each other in an intense mid-air duel, trying to rip each other apart with fangs and claws.

As the airbone battle intensified, it took Kirara and Rasta higher and farther away from the observers on the ground. Soon they were nothing but tiny dots in the sky, moving farther and farther away until finally they both plunged back to earth in a distant section of the forest, several miles away.

"Kirara...no..." Sango muttered softly in concern as the final visual remnants of the two demons faded into the distance.

Miroku quickly put an arm around Sango and did his best to reassure her. "Don't worry Sango, Kirara can handle herself. We'll just hold up here and wait for her to come back-"

"Indeed, it is yourselves you should be worrying about."

Both Sango and Miroku froze in response to the familiar voice behind them. Then they slowly turned around to face the newcomer in the clearing.

"Zanshin," Sango muttered under her breath.

For a bit, Sango and Miroku could only stare and Zanshin in silence. He was in fresh clothing and appeared fully recovered from their battle in the lumber mill. Not a single mark was visible on his body, and once again he appeared to carry no weapons on any kind.

"I'm afraid you're mangy feline won't be coming back," Zanshin continued. "Rasta will tear her apart. But in regard to you, it makes no difference. I'm going to make sure she'd have nothing to return too anyway."

"Zanshin you bastard!" Sango shouted in rage. "You've been planning this all along!"

"Of course I have. Though I must say I am disappointed it took you so long to come here. Really I was more concerned of dying from boredom waiting for you then of anything you could do in battle. What was the holdup, Sango? Waiting for your frail human bodies to heal? No matter. Even in your best condition you two are no match for me."

"Bold words from someone whom we sent fleeing from us in disgrace," countered Miroku. "It's just you and us now Zanshin, and you'll fall before our combined power. Your demons won't protect you!"

"Does your prior victory embolden you, Monk? It will provide you little comfort in the afterlife, and rest assured I will pay you back for it a million times over. I need no demons to protect me. But I did bring along a few friends."

With a snap of Zanshin's fingers, a stream of his upgraded Saimyosho wasps, at least two dozen strong, came pouring out of the surrounding woodlands, taking up a position roughly 20 feet above Zanshin and the others.

"I hope you didn't have any plans about sucking me into the wind tunnel of yours," Zanshin continued. "I'm afraid you'll have to rely on nothing but your own skills. Quite a dismal prospect, isn't it?"

"Don't be so sure," replied Miroku. "From the last encounter with your worthless lackeys, I discovered I can still use the wind tunnel up close."

"And you think I'll let you use such a thing at close range? Your delusions are truly amusing."

"I've had enough of this pointless blather!" Sango finally cut in, somewhat angered that the other two seemed to forget she was there. "It's over Zanshin. It's time to end this here and now. Though I must say considering all we've put you through, you are most foolish to confront us unarmed."

Zanshin just laughed. "Haven't you learned by now that I have no need for weapons? Besides, if ever such a need did arise, you've already brought plenty for me to chose from."

"So that's really how you see the matter?" Sango asked while stepping forward and reaching up for the Hiraikotsu on her back. "Well you can take such arrogance to your grave. You've got nothing left, Zanshin. Your servants, your lab, your human partners, they're all gone. This is the final straw."

"You're that eager to get things started, eh Sango? Very well, I'll make up for the loss of my lab by killing you both. Once I drag your worthless corpses and the remains of your nekomata whelp back to Naraku, he'll give me all the jewel shards and resources I need to restart my entire operation. The setback you inflicted will only be temporary. After all, as a demon, I've got all the time in the world."

"I'm afraid not." Sango calmly replied. "Your time has run out here."

Zanshin raised his fists into a combat stance "Really? Well then I suppose we've nothing else to say on the matter. After all, I didn't come here to banter with you. But there is one last thing you should know."

"Oh?" Asked Miroku as he stepped forward to join Sango. "And what is that?"

"I'm not really unarmed."

Miroku barely had time to process the statement and its importance before Zanshin reached into his shirt with both hands and whipped out a pair of concealed wheel lock pistols, pointing one at each of his foes and pulling the triggers as soon as he leveled them on target.

"MIROKU GET DOWN!" was the last thing Miroku heard before Sango's voice was drown out by the boom of twin gunshots, sending musket balls hurling at Sango and Miroku. Giant puffs of gunsmoke rose of from both barrels, while wildlife in the surrounding forest went scurrying away in fearful response. In a matter of seconds, the battle between the demon, monk, and taijiya had begun.