Chapter Sixteen: Blood Guides

The battlefield was a nightmare, there were demons coming left and right and the troops were pinned in a tight formation.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted as her mighty weapon tore through the hoard of demons, before retuning to her muscular arm. At the impact of the heavy boomerang, she fell to one knee as she panted, her lungs clinching to the air in her body.

'Damn…I don't know how much longer I can hold this up' she looked back to see the masses of their army, half were wounded while the other were barely holding the demons back.

She was only glad that Miroku was still at the Shrine since he became an advisor he was effectively pulled out of the demon strike force. Though they would be needed reinforcements sooner than later.

Her concentration broke as a fifteen-foot centipede demon emerged out of the ground in a roaring furry. The dirt beneath her feet began to crumble, throwing her off her balance and flinging her to the ground, her hiraikotsu dropped a few feet away from her.

The demon took advantage of the surprised soldiers and through it's enormous body down onto their tight formation. "Look out!" Sango shouted as she scrambled to her feet, she could hear the men begin to panic as they saw the centipede about to crush them to their deaths, her instinct was to leap out of the way but she would only be running blindly into a thick demon hoard not to mention she wouldn't make it in time, nor would the wounded men behind her.

The brave warrior held her ground, if this was meant to be her death, she would take it with pride. Sango closed her eyes 'Forgive me Monk.'

RAWWWWWW

Sango's eyes shot open and was shocked to see the demon rocking back and forth in pure agony. Three sacred arrows pierced it's skin, the purifying light shinned over the creator before devouring it and turning it to mountain of dusk.

Sango turned and with joyous relief saw Kagome Higurashi riding towards their remaining troops at full force with over a hundred men trailing behind her, acting as their reinforcements.

There was no match to the speed of her arrows, flying across the air and hitting two or a three demons per shot. She acted as a strike of lighting that purified the hoard in her wake.

In mere moments the troops had regained their footing and pushed back the demons far enough to join with Sango's extermination group. Kagome quickly dismounted her horse and ran to Sango side, she had fallen to her knees in the relief of seeing the hope her friend had brought with her.

"Sango, are you alright?" Kagome called, shooting another arrow into a large wolf demon. Sango smiled smugly and replied "Yeah…just got tired waiting for you!"

Kagome only smirked as she continued firing. Thank goodness they had made it in time, more then half of the first division had been killed and even more were injured.

"This hoard came out of nowhere…" Sango stated as she pulled herself to her feet "We weren't ready."

"It's alright" Kagome assured her, relentlessly firing arrows as she spoke. "Right now we need to get the injured back to the Shrine." Only then did Sango's tone become annoyed "I can still fight!"

Her point was only proven as a skeleton demon leaped at her with a bloodcurdling cry, Sango didn't hesitate to draw her sword and ran it through the creator's skull, rendering it to a pile of the bones.

Kagome mentally sighed at her stubbornness "I know you can…but they can't" she referred to the wounded soldiers lying helpless and afraid as the demons continued swarming.

"Someone needs to guard them as their taken back to the Shrine or they'll be picked off. Only you have the strength to get them there!"

Sango tisked in frustration, but knew that she was right. It was no surprise that Kagome was a natural born leader.

"Someone else can babysit" she claimed as she bent down to grasp her hiraikotsu "I'm not leaving you with all the fun!" Kagome only signed and figured she wouldn't waste time arguing.

Both women lead the charge and were relentlessly pushing the demons farther and farther back, there must have been thousands lower cased demons. Flying demons, land demons, demon animals, demons underground, all unintelligent and relied solely on their killing instinct, ready to rip apart anything in their path. But she wouldn't let up, not with so many lives on the line.

She was moving this such tenacity that some of the soldiers she was leading had difficulty keeping up with her, only Sango managed to trail behind.

"Focus your aim on the north side, make a clearing for the first division! Don't break formation!" She ordered and had a respected 'Yes Ma'am' shouted back at her.

This was the war she was raised to fight, she would win for the good of humanity, for the people she protected and for those who would die if she did nothing.

This was the purpose of her cursed bloodline.

Suddenly she heard blood curdling cries ripping through the air. She turned around and was mortified to see a flock of vampire-bat demons descending onto her warriors. In mere moments they had been picked off the ground and sucked completely of their blood.

"Shoot them down!" ordered Sango as she through her hiraikotsu with fury, tearing through only one of the demons who was kidnapping a solider. While effective, it left her wide open for mere seconds, that was enough time for a vampire-bat to attack.

Kagome had been preoccupied shooting them from above that she didn't see the vampire-bat coming until it was too late. "SANGO!" She cried, but it's deadly talons took hold of her arm and trusted her into the air.

Sango screamed in surprise as she looked down, already they were thirty feet in the air. She didn't have too much time to waste, she unsheathed her sword preparing to stab it through this demon's heart when an arrow beat her to it.

With a painful cry the demon was purified and Sango was released, she then came crashing down to the earth. She hit the forest ground hard and released a painful wail. In and instant Kagome was at her side.

"Sango are you hurt?" but as she came closer, the truth was painfully obvious, Sango's right arm had been torn up by the demon's talons, the gashes were deep and heavily bleeding.

"Damn thing surprised me." she gritted, as a medic swooped down next to her and began to bandage the wound.

Something snapped in Kagome then, seeing such a wound on someone she'd grown to care for ignited a fire that engulfed her in anger.

She now stood with fury as she released arrow after arrow, wanting to strike down as many demons as possible. The vampire-bats began to scatter, taking the corpses of their fallen soldiers with them.

At this moment, she was distracted, she was hell-bent of shooting down everything in the sky that she wasn't paying enough attention to the demons that were on and or in the ground.

Beneath her feet, a small beam of white light shot out of the soil and used it's sharp talons to tare into her side. Kagome screamed in shock and pain as she fell to her knees.

Sango as well as the other troops looked in her direction, Sango was the first on her feet despite her wound "Kagome!"

"Stay back!" She shouted from her curled up position "They're underground, do not approach me!"

Reluctantly, Sango headed the order, but she was prepared to leap into action if necessary.

Kagome held her bleeding side, looking down to see her clothing soaked in blood, the sight making her cringe. As she looked up she could see the hoard begin to swarm around her and the remaining troops. All drawn to the scent of their blood and visual weakness.

Kagome's grasp on her bow tightened as her eyes met her attacker. A small, decrepit looking demon sat smugly as it licked it's long, knife-like talons.

Kagome took a heavy breath as she whispered a joke to herself "Now things are getting interesting."

It must have been only a foot long with a worm-like body and with the face of a man. It's beady, little eyes staring her through white bangs.

"You taste delicious…my Master will be pleased." It's voice was a disgusting sound, but Kagome's eyes narrowed onto the little creator.

'Master? Then this wasn't a random attack, this hoard had been orchestrated by a higher power. A Demon Lord perhaps?' Kagome wondered, she forced herself to stand as straight as possible and aimed her arrow at it.

"Tell me. Who is your Master?"

The creator grinned at her, his talon now licked clean. "I am Kagerōmaru…and you High Priestess, know my Master quiet well."

Kagome was suddenly startled as Kagerōmaru began to laugh. How did this demon know her and more importantly who was this Master?

Kagome looked around her, realizing just how outnumbered they were. Sango and the other troops were at a stand-still, also coming to the same realization. The demons were standing in wait, she was completely surrounded and any of the reinforcements she had brought were either pinned or dead.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, her arrow was still aimed at Kagerōmaru's heart as he gave a hellish grin. "In another life…you two were quiet close."

Kagome's gritted her teeth, suddenly catching on to what he was tossing to her. To the side, Sango was listening intently, not fully understanding.

"You have me confused with someone else." Her tone was tight and aggressive, but Kagerōmaru only laughed "there is no question, you are her!" Then he he bended forward and gave a mocking bow "my dear Lady Kikyo."

Those were Kagerōmaru's last words before Kagome released her arrow which then ran through the tiny demon's body. In the heat of the moment she couldn't stop her arrow, he had crossed a line that should not have been drawn.

Her passion killing did have it's consequences however, as the sudden hoard that was waiting to kill sprung into action. The troops released a battle cry as they all began shooting, cutting and bludgeoning all the demons in their path, but they were being quickly surrounded.

Kagome's hand leapt to her quill only to discover she had two arrows left. The remainder of this fight would be handled with hand to hand purification.

Kagome readied her energy preparing to erect a shield, but with demon speed she had no hope of beating them. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came.

Only a heavy wind that blew past her and the sudden irradiation of multiple demons. Kagome eyes widened in disbelief, as she stared at the red cloth standing protectively only an inch in front of her.

Those broad shoulders, the scent of pine, the long white hair flowing in the sudden wind that was created by the enormous sword held with both his clawed hands and those defensively perched ears.

Her breath hitched in her throat, she must have died just then…that's the only explanation, but she couldn't help the need to reach out and touch him, make sure that he was real.

As the sudden blast from Tessaiga began to subside, the battle, the world around them faded away. It took a moment for him to turn to look at her, but as he did, their eyes connected and every muscle in her body suddenly relaxed.

Brown met gold in a deep and concentrated affair. His serious and loving eyes bore into her, she couldn't look away as they engulfed her completely.

For what seemed like an eternity apart, there he was in front of her, a mere foot away.

He said nothing, his expression was calm, calmer then she had ever seen before, and without his consent, his hand slowly moved on its own. Kagome held her breath as a clawed hand rose to her check, it hovered over her skin, begging for permission to feel her again, but something held him back.

Their eyes never broke, it was a torturous bliss.

"Kagome…" his voice, soft and pleading. Her heart broke on the spot and her eyes nearly flooded with tears. If only she could have preserved that moment, the feeling of content and relief of seeing him again, she couldn't help but smile.

Their time was short lives, shattered as a rouge arrow shot forward, it was easily caught in Inuyasha's hands mere inches away from his face.

His eyes darted to the Shrine soldiers with pure hatred as a frustrated growl ripped through the air. Kagome gasped as she had been brought back from her daze. She quickly whipped her head over to her remaining troops, they had regrouped and created a defensive line, all had their arrows pointed to Inuyasha.

Sango lifted her arm, signalling them to prepare to fire "Ready!" She called out, but without hesitation Kagome stepped in front of Inuyasha with both arms spread out, she nearly screamed to the heavens "Hold your fire!"

Everyone there, including Inuyasha, all-powerful was taken aback by her action. The men began mumbling to each other, their weapons still lethal and aimed on target.

Kagome the high priestess of the region, protecting a demon? Regardless, she called to her "Kagome step aside, what are you doing?"

Sweat dripped from Kagome's brow, she needed to choose her words carefully. Looking forward with pleading eyes, she begged "Sango…this man is not our enemy."

"We have orders!" Sango cut in "Exterminate all demons within the Shrine's territory, that comes from the Head Priest. Now stand aside."

Kagome was shaking, there was no way she could defend him. So she whispered, only quietly enough for him to hear "Leave now."

A moment passed and there was no movement. She turned back to look at Inuyasha, but he was simply staring at her with that serious, smoldering look, catching her off guard.

She wanted to him to yell or bark at her, talk to her like he always did, she wanted to scream at him for his stupidity for coming out into the open. She wanted to cry and fall into his arms, she wanted to many things in that moment, but there was only one thing that she needed, him to leave.

Taking a deep breath she looked back to the troops and called out "This man has aided us, saved us before we were overrun with demons. Look around you, they have retreated for the time being!"

She was right, having sensed Inuyasha's sudden power their demon instincts had taken effect and the entire hoard had stepped back. He was beyond dangerous with that sword, and the world knew it.

But this fact had only created more suspicion. Sango's eyes narrowed at the demon, who was content on looking only at Kagome, his eyes never left the back of her head. Disliking how intrigued he was in her, Sango barked "A demon only fights for its own life, it kills on instinct and without remorse! Now step aside!"

But her words were ignored by Kagome lifting her bow and aiming it at her own men. Her thunderous voice made the very ground tremble "If any one of you attempts to kill this man I will personally see to it that you never see the another morning!"

With that they begrudgingly lowered their bows, Sango, however, didn't stand down as easily. Unsheathing her sword she strutted with an angered purpose.

"Sango!" Kagome warned as her friend began came ever closer. Her eyes trained on the demon behind Kagome who was now looking back at her with an aggravating confidence.

"Sango stay back!" Kagome called out, knowing that she wouldn't listen. With a sharp breath Kagome released her arrow.

Sango stopped dead in her tracks, her hand lifted her cheek where a streak of blood broke through. Her eyes looked to Kagome, filled with fury at the High Priestess' warning, but Kagome only returned her stare with an intense seriousness that Sango had never seen before.

"I won't tell you again…" Her words demanded authority, but her face begged for compliance "stand down."

Sango took in a deep inhale, she didn't understand what was happening and was torn by the respect and admiration she had for Kagome Higurashi. This act defied all of their teachings, every protocol. She had seen unspeakable things in this never-ending war, but she had never seen a High Priestess defending a Demon against her own Shrine soldiers.

Once more Sango looked at the demon who seemed more then willing to rip apart their forces. But he wasn't moving a single muscle, any blood thirsty demon this close to wounded humans wouldn't hesitate. They were easy prey so why wasn't this beast attacking?

She knew that she would regret this. With anger Sango closed her eyes and lowered her sword. Kagome smiled with relief and relaxed slightly 'Thank you Sango.'

Before any words could be exchanged, a sudden surge of demonic energy came barreling towards them like a cannon ball. Inuyasha turned with purpose, his back was again towards Kagome and the other soldiers as he lifted his sword.

"Their coming." He growled, loud enough for all to hear him. "You better take the wounded out of here." But he looked over his shoulder to see those gorgeous chocolate orbs watching him with such admiration, it almost made him shy.

"You should join them. I smelled your blood from a mile away."

Kagome had momentarily forgotten her wound in the chaos, but she secretly was thankful for it. This wound acted as Inuyasha's guide back to her, and for better or worse, they were together once more.

"I'm not leaving." She said softly, as she reached back for her last arrow.

His only reply was a soft 'Keh', and against her will, Kagome released a bright smile. This did not go unnoticed by the Demon Exterminator.