InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon's Night ❯ In the Company of Devils: The Bloody Centenary, Pt. III ( Chapter 5 )

Demon's Night

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Chapter Five - In the Company of Devils: The Bloody Centenary, Part III

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Miroku watched, helpless, as the demoness Kagura returned to the clearing where they were still held prisoner within Lord Sesshomaru's barrier.

The demoness scowled as she beheld the barrier, and Miroku had a sudden, shocking idea -

had Sesshomaru known Naraku was stalking them? Had he placed the barrier around them, not just to keep them from interfering from his theft of Kagome, but to...to protect them?

Of course not, it was foolish to even think so - why would he? He had killed InuYasha, stolen away Kagome - why in the seven hells would he bother to try to protect them?

Nothing, not a bit of it, made any sense - ! This night was made of lunacy!

It was then that Naraku made his appearance in the clearing before them, his features covered by the babboon pelt. His eyes could not be seen, but the dark, empty holes staring at them were no less mocking.

Miroku's eyes went cold and hard, and he slammed one already battered fist bruisingly against the barrier in frustration.

“Naraku!”

“Ah...the monk,” Naraku drawled, and in one swift motion, lifted a hand and swept away the baboon disguise. The shining pelt flew through the air and settled in a milky white puddle several feet away.

Miroku smirked knowingly. “So, with your enemies unable to touch you, you at last feel secure enough to shed your disguise. A 'man' of great confidence, I see - or maybe 'man' is too much of a compliment. Perhaps 'snake' would be more apropos.”

Scarlet eyes turned on him, glowing with an unholy inner light.

“I grow tired of your insults, monk, and you and your companions pathetic attempts at vengeance.”

Miroku narrowed his eyes as he clenched his gloved hand and fought the urge to strain against the inpenetrable barrier in what he knew would be a vain attempt to get at his life's tormentor.

“Your entire existence is an insult, Naraku! You have only yourself to blame if our acts of vengeance 'annoy' you. Your actions against us beg revenge.”

Instead of answering, the half-demon smiled maliciously as his eyes drifted off to focus on the body of InuYasha, still lying where Sesshomaru had left him.

Naraku's dark chuckle of amusement soon turned into a loud, echoing laugh of absolute triumph, a sound which made Miroku long to spill the monster's black blood.

Beside him, Sango let out a soft sound of distress, and began pounding on the barrier with her hiraikotsu, her actions desperate and wild.

“Kohaku!”

Startled, Miroku looked over and saw the boy, her young brother Kohaku, come to a halt nearby, his brown eyes blank as he stood still, watching the situation emotionlessly.

Naraku gave a black chuckle. “Kagura, Kohaku. Slay the taijiya and the monk.”

“My profession is an admirable one. I'm here for a good reason - I spit out the cryptic sayings, and the insightful diatribes with the vaguely ominous, spiritual overtones. Why must everyone call me 'monk' in that tone of voice as if it is a curse?” Miroku sighed sufferingly under his breath as if it were a complete mystery.

Possessed by Naraku and the demonic strength of the Shikon jewel shard within his back, the cold-eyed boy withdrew his weapon and instantly attacked the barrier.

Kagura, on the other hand, hesitated - but only briefly - before she began her dance of wind blades attack.

Amazingly, the barrier held, but it was shuddering under the relentless onslaught. Miroku was thinking about withdrawing the ofuda and creating a back-up barrier of his own when suddenly the leader of the wolf-demon tribe sped into the clearing.

“Oi, Naraku! Didja' forget what night it was?” Kouga smirked ferally as he straightened from his running crouch, and stood fearlessly before the dark hanyou. Oddly enough, he seemed to be without his bretheren this night - or perhaps he had simply out-run them again. Whatever the reason was, Miroku was almost grateful to see the wolf.

“Kohaku,” Naraku purred.

Again, it was all it took to make the boy take on the guise of a cold-blooded killer. Almost instantly the slender young demon-slayer attacked Kouga.

Sango shouted in alarm. “Kouga! Please I beg you, do not hurt him!”

“I'm not gonna' hurt him,” Kouga growled loudly when Kohaku's weapon neatly nicked one lean bicep, “I'm gonna' kill him!”

“No, please!”

“Kohaku, cease your attack!”

Everyone in the clearing was surprised at the shouted command. All eyes, including Naraku's, which were clouded with fury, turned to look up at the wind demoness still floating upon her feather.

“Kagura,” the dark hanyou snarled in warning.

The demoness ignored her creator. “Kohaku,” she continued almost maternally, “cease your attack and go to sleep immediately.”

“What'd she just say?” Shippou blurted disbelievingly, voicing everyone elses thoughts.

A semblance of coherence returned to the boy's slack features. He stumbled, almost dropped his weapon. “K-Kagura?”

“Sleep now, Kohaku!” The demoness lifted her hand, her red eyes narrowed, and blew on something on her palm. What looked like a hundred tiny white feathers spiraled from her hand through the air, and clouded around the boy's face. Within moments, his eyes closed, and he fell into a boneless heap on the ground.

“Kohaku!” Sango cried out.

Miroku grabbed her hand in a comforting grip.

“You'll die with your master, Wind-Bitch!” Kouga snarled promisingly, pointing at her with a clawed finger, fangs fully bared, his tail bristling. Miroku did not think he had ever before seen the wolf-demon so resemble his four-legged bretheren.

“I think not.” Kagura gave an elegant shrug, her face a mask of indifference, but Miroku could see the expression in her crimson eyes was anything but.

“Slaughter him, the bastard deserves it,” she coldly drawled. “I care not what becomes of him - just be certain to destroy that black heart of his completely, or he'll be back to plague us again before the dawn.”

Kouga looked surprised by her words; and then, slowly, he turned a feral gaze on Naraku...and smiled so chillingly that even Naraku himself took a lengthy leap back.

Naraku was clearly infuriated. Something shimmered in his hand, and suddenly a beating heart came into being, captured tightly within his clawed fingers.

“Kagura, you have betrayed me for the last time!”

The wind-witch looked unimpressed. “Fool. If you were truly so powerful, you would not have allowed me to betray you once! You truly have forgotten what night it is. Crush it into a pulp, it matters not - this night, I am free.” She threw her head back proudly, midnight hair rustling in the wind. “This night, I remain unaffected, with or without my heart - unlike you, hanyou,” she spat loathingly.

“Traitorus, hellborn slut!” Naraku ground out with a bitter fury, and the next moment he crushed the still-beating heart in his hand into a pulp that squeezed out between his talons and plopped to the grassy plain in deep scarlet spatters.

The lady remained unoffended, Miroku noted with no little curiosity, but then she sniffed and lifted her chin as she produced her deadly fans with a deceptively graceful flick of her wrists.

“I am what you made me - Master! Allow me to demonstrate! Fuujin no Mai!” (A/N: Dance of Wind Blades)

“Oh, man! I can't believe this is happening!” Shippou yelped, trying to burrow into Sango's neck.

Miroku had to agree. Who could have foretold Naraku's own 'daughter's' betrayal of him?

Predictably, it wasn't long before Kouga joined in the battle - but oddly enough, the savageness of the pair's attack brought Miroku no satisfaction. He didn't know exactly why. Perhaps it was because he was unable to join in. For whatever reason, the unsettling feeling confused him. After travelling all this time with...with InuYasha and the others, he was, in truth, a bit of a retribution specialist....

Miroku didn't get a chance to ponder for very long, as the battle before him unfolded. Naraku had, unsurprisingly, transformed into his massive tentacled form - but between the two enraged youkai, who were clearly not doing anything to hold themselves back, the dark hanyou was taking quite the beating. Although Naraku's 'limbs' continued to grow back at the usual alarming rate, there was something about him that seemed off, as if he were...struggling. His usual cold mask had slipped....and the fierce looks in the youkai's eyes, the unrestrained power of their blows - they were so confident, almost as if they knew they were going to...win.

And then, unbelievably, they did.

The destruction of Naraku was an awesome sight, but once again, Miroku did not feel assured by it. Even though he witnessed with his own eyes the utter decimation of his greatest enemy into naught but foul pieces of corrupt energy, he instinctively knew that they had not seen the last of Naraku...

Miroku was drawn out of his dark thoughts by a loud, ferociously angry growl from the wolf demon.

“Grrr...there's nothing here! That bastard! He knew we were gonna' kick his ass! That's why he didn't bring the jewel shards with him!” Kouga complained, kicking the dust. He turned his eyes on the demoness.

“You know where he left them.”

The demoness shrugged. “I do not. Do you think he would entrust me with such a thing? I truly do not care about the shikon jewel. I have no use for it.”

“You lie!”

“Choose to believe what you wish, mangy wolf. I am taking my leave of you - this night is too precious to waste on the likes of you.”

“We will not cross each other this night,” Kouga told her grudgingly - very grudgingly - “but know now, the next time I see ya, you'll die in pieces, to be fed to my wolves!”

Kagura slitted her cold eyes at the wolf and smirked evilly. She did not respond as she flew away on her feather, obviously triumphant about having been part of sending Naraku to his dark fate.

Miroku was the only one unsurprised. He could understand why the demoness had led the dark hanyou to his death - it was obvious she loathed Naraku - but he did not understand why she dared, espescially with the great risk of her master surviving and punishing her.

Miroku's eyes narrowed consideringly.

Unless she knew something that the rest of them did not...

What did surprise him was the fact that Kouga had just let her go, especially after her participation in the death of most of his pack.

He shook his head.

Yes, there was very definitely something strange about this whole night.

A sudden tug on his beads drew his attention.

“Sango?” he asked questioningly as she peered at him with something he'd never seen in her eyes before...hope.

“Take it off, houshi-sama,” she requested with a lovely blush.

Miroku's face lost it's serious expression and his lips curved slyly.

The 'glove', Miroku, the glove!” Sango said through clenched teeth.

Vaguely dissapointed, Miroku had to admit she did have a point. If Naraku was truly gone the kazaana would be absent, too.

“Stand back,” he ordered, holding his cursed hand out before him and studying it grimly.

With utmost caution, he removed the beads and slowly unwrapped the folds of the glove...

Miroku was barely conscious of falling to his knees.

“The kazaana! I-it's gone!”

And indeed, it was. The air fracture was no more. The skin of his palm was whole once more, and a danger to none.

With a exhalation of relief, Sango dropped to her knees beside him. After a moment, she tentatively touched him, running her fingers along the sensitive, unmarred skin of his palm, and quite blissfully unaware of what such a simple touch was doing to him.

“It's unfortunate InuYasha will not be there for the wedding,” Sango sniffled quietly.

Miroku nodded dumbly, still entranced by the sight of his healed hand being felt up by the demon-slayer.

“Yes, it truly is - what?!” Deeply jolted, he turned his head to stare at her.

“Did you just - ?”

“Yeah, did you really just - ?” Shippou asked dryly in utter disbelief from Sango's shoulder. Miroku ignored him.

Sango, all the more beautiful for her tears, smiled beautifically and nodded at him.

Miroku was overcome with every kind of emotion in that moment - fear, grief, pain, uncertainty, joy - he couldn't restrain himself. He was free - unless one counted the barrier, of course - and alive, and Sango had finally just agreed to take him as he was - !

He leaned in to kiss her...only to be rudely interrupted by a familiar, gloating, obnoxiously loud voice.

“Oi, dog-crap! I can smell your stench - it stinks of dogs, here! Are you done hidin'? I killed Naraku for ya, you gutless coward! What are you waitin' for? Come out, I'm fresh from a kill an' it's time I finally give you what you deserve! Come an' fight!”

On the inside of the barrier, Miroku gave Sango a small, happy-but-weary smile, chucked her under her chin gently, and then drew himself up painfully, ignoring the suddenly noticeable severe aches of his wounds from his earlier battle with Kagura. He sent the wolf an icy stare.

“InuYasha...is dead.”

Almost instantly, the kitsune began to wail, his worst suspiscions at last confirmed.

Sango drew Shippou to her breast and buried her face in his soft fur.

Kouga looked startled for a moment, his dark eyebrows climbing high on his forehead - and then he amazed everyone by throwing back his head and laughing uproariously.

“That weak half-breed!” he exclaimed in his growling voice. “It's still early, and he let Naraku kill him already? Typical! I thought I smelled his filthy half-breed blood when I got here!”

“Enough!” Sango gritted her teeth, and drove to her feet. “How dare you laugh at his death, his pain?!”

Kouga was undaunted. He just kept laughing, and he shook his head.

Miroku narrowed his eyes. “For your information, Kouga, InuYasha was not killed by Naraku.”

“Eh?” Kouga went silent and looked at him suspiciously. “Is that right? Who killed him, then?”

“Lord Sesshomaru.”

“Sesshomaru, huh?” Kouga's expression was uncharacteristically somber as he sniffed the air and turned to walk twoards the tree under which InuYasha's still form lay.

“Leave him be!” Sango cried out, pushing against the barrier again.

Miroku caught her in an arm. “Sango...there's nothing more he can do to harm him. Please do not injure yourself,” he said gently.

Sango turned her head to look into his eyes, and then further shocked a tearful Shippou by throwing herself into Miroku's arms. Her bountiful breasts pushed against his chest in an all-too-inviting manner that boded ill indeed for his peace of mind.

“Oh, Miroku!”

Miroku sighed. Oh, but to hear her breathe his name in such a way - !

'What are you thinking, man? This is no time to have unclean thoughts about Sango! Your best friend just died! You are an unworthy monk! For shame!'

Ah, but he couldn't help it. He loved women. He loved sex. He loved finding new ways to make their bodies fit together, and he wanted to show them to his dearest Sango...but at his center there truly was a core of honor, and right now he knew that she needed the warmth of his tight embrace, more than he needed her tight warmth embracing his cock...

Said member jumped and surged eagerly at the stray naughty thought, and Miroku blanched.

'Whoa, down boy...'

He was almost in tears!

'Oh, cursed honor! You are cheating me out of so many things - !'

Despite an intense desire to squirm against the lithe, warm body held so close against him, Miroku held himself very still - admirably so, he thought, given the extreme circumstances - until he felt the hot wash of her tears against his bare throat. He gave in with a trembling, inward groan, and unceremoniously dropped his staff to enfold her and Shippou fully in his arms. Sango only clung harder to him, her sobs of grief nearly inciting his own. A bittersweet sorrow gathered in his chest.

'InuYasha...'

“No one should have to suffer death by the hand of their only family,” Kouga surprised them all by saying a few quiet moments later as he slowly rose from his kneeling position next to the hanyou. He stood in the red moonlight and put his hands on his hips as he looked the lifeless inu-youkai over once more.

“Oh, well,” he sighed roughly. “Maybe when he wakes up, he'll somehow remember to steer clear of his brother until he can learn to handle himself properly, the stupid mutt.”

His eyes burning with unshed tears, Miroku lifted his head from the heaven-sent comfort of Sango's scented locks, and slowly blinked at the wolf-demon. Twice.

“Wha-?” Even Shippou stopped crying long enough to look up at the wolf.

“What do you mean 'when he wakes'?” Sango shouted, making Miroku wince. “He's DEAD, you fool! Are you insane?!”

Kouga gave her a half-annoyed, half-pitying glance, and waved her words off. “You really don't know what night it is, do ya'? Guess I can't hold it against ya, seein' as you're just human, an' all. Not supposed to know, after all...”

“What do you mean?” Miroku demanded. He recalled Kouga saying something about 'this night' to Naraku when he'd first arrived, and then Kagura...

Kouga looked impatient. “Listen, it's a secret among demon-kind. It'll all be over in the morning, though, so I guess there's no real harm in tellin' ya.”

“What do you mean, it will all be over?”

“I mean, ya won't remember any of this. The Cleansing Sun'll rise, and everything will go back to normal. You humans will wake up and it'll just be another day to ya.” He gave a suffering sigh at their mixed looks of confusion.

“Look, it's Demon's Night. Every hundred years, the red moon rises, and for one night, any full-blooded youkai can do whatever it desires - but only for that one night. When the dawn comes, everything goes back to the way it was - wrongs will be righted, stolen items returned, property repaired - “ he nodded toward InuYasha “- and anyone killed on that night will be resurrected. Like I said, just like nothin' ever happened. Human's and hanyou's don't have any power on this night, and they don't remember what has happened, either. It's just a bit of harmless fun for us.”

“Harmless fun?” Sango growled, eyes turning black with rage.

“Wait, Sango.” Miroku narrowed his eyes on the wolf. “The dead will be resurrected, you said. That means that Naraku will be able to return as well.” He looked at his now whole-hand grimly.

Kouga snorted, oblivious to the undercurrent. He flexed his claws at he looked at the blood-red moon overhead. “Yeah. Unfortunately.”

Miroku sighed, his regret soul-deep as he looked into the sorrow-filled eyes of Sango. “Very unfortunately.”

The demon-slayer smiled tremulously and reached out to squeeze his hands in hers. Her dissapointment was evident.

She turned to Kouga.

“Kouga-sama?”

The wolf blinked, not used to being addressed in such a manner. “Yeah?”

“Will you do me the favor of watching over my young brother this night?”

Kouga looked reluctant, but his sense of honor made him agree. “I will.”

Sango bowed deeply. “Thank you.”

Shippou perked up. “Hey! I'm a full demon! That means I'll get to remember all of this even when you guys don't! Oh!” The kitsune began bouncing up and down excitedly. “I can just wish for Kagome to be safe, can't I?”

Kouga growled at the kit, making him grab Miroku's robes tighter.

“You can't participate, yet, you're too young. You'll hafta' mature first - ya don't even have full control over your powers, yet. You'll keep your trap shut about all this, too, after it's over...if ya know what's good for ya, runt. Human's don't know for a reason, got it?”

Despite looking extremely disheartened, Shippou shuddered and gulped. “I p-promise I won't tell!” he nodded frantically.

Kouga gave a short nod. “Good. Now that this shit with Naraku is over - for the night, at least - I can get down to what I'm really after in the first place.”

“By the way - where IS Kagome?” he looked around pointedly.

Miroku and Sango shared worried glances. How to tell him...?

Shippou had no such qualms.

Obviously feeling better about finding out that the night would end with no lingering ills, Shippou matter-of-factly chirped between long yawns, “Oh, Sesshomaru ran off with her. But it doesn't matter now, does it? InuYasha will be okay, Kagome will come back - I mean, it'll all be over in the morning, right?”

And then the little kit hopped down from Sango's shoulder, and with nary a goodnight to anyone, wriggled to an unconcerned rest beside Kirara and immediately dropped into a deep sleep.

-

Far away, Kouga's roar of outrage could be heard - it shook the forest, and disturbed even the most blood-thirsty of the frolicking demons.

“HE WHAAAAT?!”

-

Miroku was glad that the boy Kohaku was unconscious - he likely would have gotten himself killed trying to fight the incensed wolf demon prowling the circumference of the barrier.

Kouga was pacing the clearing restlessly, violence emanating from every pore. He was disturbingly feral, now, and his growl was so pronounced throughout his speech that he was barely able to catch his every other word. It was obvious Kouga was on the edge of something as his words became ever more garbled and inarticulate.

“I can't wish for her back!” He held his head in his clawed hands, fingers buried in his wild hair as he stared wide-eyed and panting at the ground between his feet.

“ That ....grrr...sack-sniffing....garrrhhh...son-of-a-bitch piece of dog-shit has some kind of fucking barrier around them! Grrrrrr! She was supposed to be MINE! Might as well be a holy-barrier for all I can sense of them - FUUUUUCK!” He pulled at his hair in frustration as he threw his head back.

Sango was hanging on his arm, and Miroku looked down at her with a small, knowing smirk.

“Indeed.”

Sango flushed uncomfortably and shoved a sharp elbow between his ribs, making him wince. “Houshi-sama!” she hissed in consternation.

Shippou rolled over in his sleep against Kirara, muttering about 'perverts', and 'quiet'.

Kouga, apparently hearing Miroku's quiet comment, turned on him and snarled, “Whadumeanbythatmonk?!”

Unalarmed by the slavering wolf - who was on the other side of the barrier, after all - Miroku sighed and closed his eyes, his expression faintly ashamed.

“Why nothing at all. You must have misheard me. I was merely commenting on Sango's cruelstatement that my priest's robes have a tendency to make my ass look fat.”

“Ugh! Miro-ku!” Sango turned beet red and hid her face in her hands.

Kouga's eyes bulged.

“Yes, it is an unfortunate condition, but perhaps you might aid me in removing them, later, Sango?” he suggested, in all seriousness. “Though I assure you, sight-unseen, my ass IS perfect in every way, and indeed, you could bounce a coin off - “

“MIROKU!” Sango shrieked, hefting her weapon.

Miroku cringed. “No, wait! Honestly, I was only trying to distract Kouga from the fact that Lord Sesshomaru is proably defiling our dearest Kagome as we speak! Is it my fault he is proving so difficult to console?”

The silence was deafening.

Sango groaned in utter frustration.

Kouga gave Miroku a crazy, wild-eyed look which made the monk thankful to be behind a barrier, and threw back his head, howling.

“KAGOOO-MMMEEE!”

-

After Kouga had regained a semblance of control, he was true to his word in caring for Kohaku for the remainder of the cursed night, and sped off with the boy to find a safer place to watch over him in.

The wolf's face was dark and unreadable as he left, but Miroku knew the knowledge that Sesshomaru had taken his intended mate had gutted him. Had he been in a similar situation with Sango, he knew he would feel the same. The thought of another man taking her, too, left him...inconsolable.

His violet irises shot to the corners of his eyes, and he looked the demon-slayer over with what some might deem 'evil' intent.

Speaking of...

Miroku turned to Sango, a suddenly serious look on his handsome features. “Sango?”

“Houshi-sama - I mean, Miroku?” She blushed prettily. She seemed to be excruciatingly aware that they were now - well, mostly - alone.

“What is it?”

“Since none of us will recall this in the morning, Kohaku is in Kouga's care, and Shippou is sleeping so soundly....mightn't we - ?”

Sango snorted. ”You can dream!” she retorted.

Miroku's eyes immediately glazed over.

She whacked the drooling monk. “I said 'dream', not hallucinate, you....you depraved reprobate!”

Miroku's answering smirk was deceptively indolent. He sighed with exaggerated patience, his eyes twinkling as he bent ever closer.

“Really, Sango, dearest, I am merely a monk - nay, a man - with a flaw. A weakness for beautiful women - one in particular.” He leaned down to whisper something deliciously wicked in her ear.

Sango's right eye twitched, and a vein popped out on her forehead.

“Oh, but what's this? Your color seems extremely high - and your breathing is becoming very erratic. Perhaps I should check your heartbeat.” Miroku knelt on one knee and laid his head against her chest with a blissful sigh to 'listen'.

Sango stepped back, and Miroku almost fell over.

“Are you trying to suffocate me?!”

“Actually, I was trying to suffocate myself,” the monk murmured wryly.

Sango turned crimson and her hand went flying. The slap echoed across the clearing.

“H-HENTAI!”

Duly chastened, but not quite out of the game yet, Miroku rubbed his blistering hot cheek. “Ahem. I see. Is that a no to my offer? Because I must tell you, it is one of my more, ah...prominent talents, one I excel at. Indeed, it is one of my greatest achievements.” He frowned, and thoughtfully scratched at his chin. “Bu-ut, if you are uncomfortable with that, I could always just - ”

::whisper, whisper::

Sango's eyes went incredibly wide, but Miroku trudged on, taking the opportunity to feast his eyes on her chest, and wishing that her slayers uniform showed more cleavage. He knew she was still too far from her goals to allow herself to accept him.

After all, why would she want him? He was going to die one day soon, and he had absolutely nothing of value to offer her. But this night was special. Thus, even though he was probably only setting himself up for a night of sheer misery in a hell of his own making, he had to take that chance...

“- because, after all, against all odds on this night of tragedy, we are safe and well. We should celebrate. Even if we do somehow remember, I promise you my...utmost discretion,” the monk finished in a seductive purr, hand sliding down to give her rump a thorough squeeze, fingers slipping deep, slipping someplace they shouldn't have...

-

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Miro-ku! How can you even think of that right now? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! You utter pervert!”

“Hush, Sango! Please, you are destroying my exalted image. Not so loudly. Someone may hear.”

“MIROKU!”

“W-wait, Sango! Dearest! Not that! Please! It was just a suggestion! What if I just 'kiss' you and promise NOT to molest you with my tongue?! Sango? Sango?! GYA-AH!”

“Sleep well, Monk!”

THUD!

-

To be Continued

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A/N: Well, it took long enough, didn't it? Damn it. Anyway, I know, I know, Sesshomaru and Kagome weren't even IN this chapter - and after you guys waited so patiently, too - I should be shot. But, not to worry, the next chapter - in fact, almost the entire story - is nearly complete already. I hope to post the last part of The Bloody Centenary chapters - which has a lemon, so people squeamish about the Sess-Kag pairing (and by the way, why are you even reading this far?!) should be warned and stray far away - very soon. There will be a few more after that before the actual end. This wasn't really meant to be a loooong fic. Thanks to any and all who have reviewed - but once again, PLEASE, if you don't like the pairing, don't bother to read or review. Criticism is welcome, but if it isn't geared twoard suggestions on how to help my writing improve, they're just Flames, and a waste of your time and mine. That said, I truly hope you guys enjoy the rest of the story, and I will try to get the next part up quickly. Thanks!

- Dash

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