Bound by Privilege

This story is not for profit. It is purely fanfiction. I don't claim any ownership of the manga or anime Inuyasha, the original story, or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 16

Jaken looked out the glass door toward the pool. The warmth of day left the dog demon relaxing in the sun. He envied Sesshoumaru's audacity to find these carefree moments, yet he felt terrible for thinking it. After Rin informed him about the fights, he'd been flustered by Sesshoumaru's placing Rin in the predicament that he had but Rin's love for the dog demon left him at odds and he would have to accept that this was her choice more than it was Sesshoumaru's. His Lady seemed to be on cloud nine and the fights were going well so far. Three wins in lower-level fights left them all on a high. Every win only helped them put the negative behind them and left them one step closer to being out of the mess with Takemaru. On top of it all, Rin was still making appearances and traveling. Even now they sat in a new city in another hotel as Rin finished an interview to promote her clothing line. They would be killing two birds with one stone with a fight registered here as well. Still, he wasn't sure if the three of them could maintain this kind of schedule. Sure, Sesshoumaru was a demon but Rin was still very much human and she would be prone to making more mistakes or faltering under pressure.

Rin ended the interview and stretched as Jaken reminded her of her schedule.

"My Lady, please don't forget to check your opponent for this evening."

"Thanks, Jaken."

Rin furrowed her brow looking at the screen on the tablet a few times assuming it was frozen on her and Sesshoumaru's profile for the upcoming fight. She'd agreed that they were ready to take on a level X. At least in the sanctioned fights, high wagers meant they would get a glimpse of their opponent a few hours ahead of time. Rin tapped the screen again and noticed that their opponent was still in the loading process.

"My Lady, can dog demons swim?" Jaken questioned as Rin kept her eyes glued to the screen in anticipation.

"I'm sure they can. Why?"

"Well, Sesshoumaru has been under for quite some time."

"Can't demons hold their breath for a while?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't imagine it with the band on."

"...?!"

Jaken rolled out of the door, too slow to get out of Rin's way. A sandal hit him in the head as he sat up. He could have sworn he was seeing double as the two of them surfaced.

"What's the matter?! Are you okay?!"

"You weren't drowning?!" She said it even as she realized Sesshoumaru was holding her up in the water.

"No."

"What were you doing?"

"I was just concentrating on the fight tonight."

Rin was relieved and felt a bit silly as he lifted her onto the edge of the pool.

Sesshoumaru cringed at the thought of alarming Rin. The weightlessness in the water made it easier to center his thoughts. The more he practiced with the band, the easier it was to find the limits of the purification. His senses were still extremely dimmed but he could only imagine that they were still better than the capabilities of a normal human.

"I didn't mean to make you worry. You were working and I thought Jaken saw me."

"Oh, he did."

Jaken shrank back behind the doorway as Rin shot him a look.

Sesshoumaru noticed Rin kick her legs out into the water, one sandal still on and the other one left near the doorway. He held the foot up out of the water and removed the shoe.

Rin wondered what Sesshoumaru was thinking as he wiggled her foot before applying what seemed like the perfect amount of pressure to become a massage.

"Interesting."

"What?"

"So small, yet so fast. You're part mermaid."

"Ugh, my secret's out," Rin happily accepted Sesshoumaru's assessment, closing her eyes and tilting her head back while encouraging this much-needed spa moment.

Entering their room again, Rin picked up the tablet and froze, noticing the profile of their opponent. She tried to read the information but found herself looking back up at the profile pictures of the team even as she tried to concentrate. It could have just been a coincidence. The handler wasn't strange. She was human which was to be expected but the title under her name wasn't one she was familiar with and she didn't know how to interpret it. The fighter on the other hand was more perplexing. His skills and abilities seemed to stretch beyond comprehension. But then again he'd been fighting for nearly a decade.

"Sesshoumaru, we have our opponent."

"Who is it?"

"Team Fang. Have you heard of them?"

"The name was passed around but only by those who participated in sanctioned fights. Rumor has it, they're tough, but I've never fought them."

Sesshoumaru took the tablet and stared intently at the images on the screen. He'd reacted coolly if only for Rin's sake and to keep her from getting worked up right before a fight. Team Fang was among the top ten teams in the Sanctioned world and Inuyasha and Kagome were a formidable duo. As a relatively unknown team, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how he and Rin had matched up with them as their first level X.

"The woman, Kagome, has H-H listed under her name. I get Handler but what does the other H mean?"

"She's a Healer too. The ability means that she's got experience behind her. Just stick to what you know."

Rin nodded as she studied Sesshoumaru's features again, but shook her head.

...

The bets were up and the crowd's chants and cheers energized the venue. Fifty thousand was on the table for the winner. Rin tried to concentrate as Sesshoumaru did the same but that was tested as Inuyasha and Kagome swapped words like they were about to fight each other deciding whether or not to allow options, have her coach, or do a combination of the two. Rin was shocked by this team's ability to make decisions right down to the last minute. Hearing their teams announced, both stepped onto the floor of the Ring. Rin felt the reassuring squeeze of Sesshoumaru's hand and a kiss on the forehead hearing him whisper to stay focused as she moved toward her platform.

Sesshoumaru stared Inuyasha down and decided he was too cocky. Inuyasha's fang peaked over in a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. "This oughta be good! I've been promised a real fight out of you."

'Promised?' "Who...?"

Sesshoumaru could feel his powers and his senses return to him as the purification dropped. His sense of smell was heightened and it immediately brought a shiver down his spine. Inuyasha's scent was eerily familiar and the more that he studied the dog demon's features the more that he saw his father. It was in the same way his father kept his hair tied up, the eyebrows, the color of Inuyasha's eyes. Even as the two of them shifted to their true forms, Sesshoumaru wondered how it was possible. The pure white fur, the curl of his tail, the gold in Inuyasha's eyes replaced with the fiery red the two of them both boasted. The pointed ears were different and there were no demonic markings. Sesshoumaru contemplated Inuyasha being a half-dog demon but how would the form be possible? Sesshoumaru immediately recounted his fight with Goru, the dark grey, two-tailed dog demon that was a product of targeted breeding. Goru was the result of a handler's attempt at the strongest fighter possible. Was Takemaru so low? Was Inuyasha an attempt early on by using his father? Inuyasha was only a few years older and by the profile, he'd been fighting since sixteen as well. Still, his handler didn't seem to be the type to request this nor would she have been old enough to do so.

"Wake up!"

Inuyasha's words jolted Sesshoumaru back to his senses and he quickly dodged a deadly swipe of claws only to have to move again as Inuyasha seemed to be able to turn on a dime to repeat the attack. Sesshoumaru found himself on the defense looking for an opening, aware that Inuyasha's attacks were much like his own. But, Inuyasha's style was a constant barrage of strikes that would likely wear him down. Sesshoumaru thought about waiting him out but it was impossible to dodge every attack and some were starting to land. Sesshoumaru managed to land his claws at Inuyasha's chest but the depth still wasn't enough to render the poison. Inuyasha took advantage of the cuts as he ran claws through the blood.

Rin tried to keep her attention trained to the fight but she couldn't help but glance at Kagome. The woman seemed calm, and confident watching this fight, leaning steadily against the platform rail. Was there any ounce of emotion or was this just a poker face during a fight? Kagome met Rin's eyes. As if challenging her directly, Kagome motioned for a barrier and Rin suddenly felt annoyed. Sesshoumaru was already on the defense. Now the barrier would push him into Inuyasha's attacks. Every minute counted and the next two would be crucial.

Sesshoumaru could feel Inuyasha's aura rising and he would match it with his own. The barrier now surrounding them left few options to dodge. Inuyasha's raised paw swiped the air and for a moment the action was confusing as it was shocking as red blades of blood manifested and headed straight toward him. The practice of using his aura as a shield wasn't foreign to him but it was a skill Sesshoumaru knew he hadn't mastered. The blades of blood were too numbered to dodge, leaving him nowhere to go but to attempt to take on the blows while attempting a shield he wouldn't be able to manifest in time.

Rin leaned forward and her voice caught, stifling a scream for Sesshoumaru to move. Instead, she would have to think quickly bringing her outstretched fist down to create a shield. Her chest heaved watching a few of the blades initially slip by. The rest of the blades were stopped by the shield but still forceful enough to push Sesshoumaru backward. What she could see was Sesshoumaru's claws digging into the floor of the ring, the left paw lifted struggling to keep him planted. Even as Inuyasha's blades ended, Sesshoumaru was merely inches from the barrier as drops of blood ran down the left arm. She was relieved until hearing the notification from the band. The damage to Sesshoumaru was moderate and she turned to the clock again. There was still a minute to go. The shield might have come a little late but Sesshoumaru was still on his feet out of critical range.

Sesshoumaru reminded himself to thank Rin. He tested the left paw and struggled to put it down as Inuyasha was already forging ahead with another attack. Sesshoumaru dove to the side hoping to get Inuyasha to run into the barrier. He was rewarded hearing Inuyasha's roar as his shoulder took on the shock and gave him time to think. Could the barrier play again to his favor with the poison mist? It was worth trying as he allowed his poison to take over. Sesshoumaru was sure that Inuyasha's scent did not carry that of his mother and the half-demon seemed to struggle with it, shaking his head to rid his nose and eyes of the burning. The distraction left Inuyasha vulnerable. It wasn't to Sesshoumaru's satisfaction as Inuyasha moved enough to protect his neck. Instead, Sesshoumaru claimed his side. His claws dug in and attempted to cut Inuyasha like a knife.

Rin registered Inuyasha's roars through the mist in the Ring and nodded nervously as Sesshoumaru seemed to be back on the offensive again and using the barrier's tight quarters like a poisonous coffin. Just as Rin felt herself relaxing, Kagome's hand gestures broke the barrier. It was hers to break before the two minutes were over but she'd used another gesture bringing her hand with the handler's band across her chest. Rin wasn't sure what the gesture was. Looking back to the Ring, she felt a slow rumble on the floor. The Ring itself lifted several feet. Rin understood now what Kagome was doing. Sesshoumaru's poison flowed downward before rising. With the barrier gone, lifting the Ring took them out of the mist for a while, rendering Sesshoumaru's poison dispersed and less effective. Rin gripped the railing again, realizing Inuyasha would be back to a level playing field.

Inuyasha pushed out of Sesshoumaru's grasp leaving gaping wounds. Sesshoumaru was sure that all of Inuyasha's attacks left his endurance waning. Testing his left paw, he forced himself to put weight through it and face Inuyasha down. The half-demon let off what would sound like a low bark to the crowd but Sesshoumaru heard the word, "Heal."

Rin watched Kagome concentrate, bringing her hands together before holding them upward. Rin hesitated to look toward the ring but even as she did so, the wounds that Sesshoumaru inflicted against Inuyasha healed without a trace. Sesshoumaru's hackles rose and Rin wondered what the hell they were up against.


A/N: I didn't want to give this away :) There's more to come! Thank you for reading and reviewing as always!