InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Heart Within ❯ Chapter Thirty-Six ( Chapter 38 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.THE HEART WITHINSummary: She has carried vengeance in her shadowed heart for 500 years, sacrificing her self for that dream. Now, Sango just might get her chance… (IY/YYH crossover) A/N: I have to thank Guyute for her help with this chapter, and resolving a major issue I had with the way it (and the next) turned out. I cannot tell you enough, Lady Peach, how much you helped me. And continue to inspire. (Fate)
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR YYH CHAPTER BLACK, THE THREE KINGS SAGA, A HINT OF YAOI LIME (JUST A SQUIRT), CHOPPY SCENES AND CHEEZY DEMONS (OOOH! I COULD JUST IMAGINE A CHEESE DEMON. HE’D LOOK LIKE PIZZA THE HUT. OKAY, BAD THOUGHT.)

Chapter Thirty-Six

They weren’t the ones making a stir through the crowd, even if Lord Tenga had hoped to by arriving fashionably late. But he had timed his entrance poorly, for the three main protagonists of the Demon World Tournament----namely, the former rulers, Yomi, Mukuro and Yusuke---were down in the center arena approaching each other. The crowd who had assembled for the preliminary rounds of the tournament were too busy watching the exchange to pay any attention to just more of the audience arriving.

Put out, Lord Tenga frowned as his lover smirked, chiding, “I told you not to take so long getting ready.”

“I wasn’t the one who made us late by insisting we had just enough time to---” Lord Tenga glared, rather impressively for a six-foot-five elf lord dressed in lavender and navy.

Still unused to the casual manner between the lord and his lover, Sango blushed. Tenga’s smile turned wicked as Jueru deliberately draped himself over the tall lord, nibbling on his ear in mock apology.

“Ah, perhaps I should be going down to the arena. Looks like most of the contenders are already assembled…” Sango inched away from the amorous pair, who were now gathering the interest they wanted, at least by those standing closest to them.

“Sure,” Tenga said distractedly, for Jueru’s warm mouth had moved down the long column of his pale throat. His Adam’s apple worked convulsively as the shorter demon’s fangs pricked lightly, his tongue laving the spot tenderly. The demon lord’s pink eyes glowed. “Better hurry,” he advised, before turning his head and swiftly capturing his teasing lover’s mouth in a hot kiss.

Shaking her head, Sango slipped from their side. Worming her way through the massive throng, she wished she wasn’t so short, for she couldn’t see anything past the wide bulk of the demons around her. She would have liked to catch a better sight of her fellow participants. At least she was able to use her slighter frame to slip between all the bodies vying for the best view of the arena below. Everyone who could had turned out to watch the Demon World Tournament. With all Makai as the prize---and the future of their world at stake---anyone who was anyone had shown up to watch, if not participate. Although, with such a prize at stake, any meathead who half-thought he had a chance was entering, and it was rumored there were thousands. From the packed arena below---as all participants had been told to proceed to the arena floor, for the drawing of lots for the preliminary rounds---it looked like the rumors were true.

Sango had a moment of doubt, wondering why she thought she stood a chance among so many vying for something she really hadn’t any real desire for---namely, Makai---but she smiled. No, she wasn’t here to win Makai. She had no illusions that she was anywhere near the power level of the odds-on favorites, like Mukuro and Yomi. Enough for her was the fact that the best of the best in Demon World would turn out for this little tourney, and she wanted, needed, to test herself and her new abilities against them. That small kernel Yusuke had somehow sparked within her warrior spirit was still there, nurtured by her determination to find out just how good she was now with the acceptance of her dual-heritage.

Purpose. That’s what she had. The purpose of pitting her strength and wits against the best of the best that demon world had to offer. To see if, after accepting her youkai heart, and yes, even the subtle influence Kagura’s demonic nature now had on her own personality, it was enough. Enough to prove to her self that she was more than she had ever been…

Eyes sparkling with renewed determination, Sango slithered past the youkai parked at the railing and skipped down the steps into the arena. She was lost in a sea of demons, many who already wore the numbered tags that proclaimed their willingness. She hurried to find the motley line still snaking around the edges of the crowded contenders who had already enrolled.

She was so short and slight few paid attention to her, thinking she was just here to cheer on another. That changed once she got to the front of the line and finally claimed her number. “5184.” Wow, that was a lot of demons, and the line still snaked past her with another thousand or so willing to take up the challenge.

Pinning her number to the left lapel of her light pink hoodie, Sango looked up as a giant, eight-foot, wolverine-looking demon grinned down at her, showing a mouthful of gleaming teeth worthy of a Crest commercial, if they weren’t so sharp. He had a mane of bristling red hair, floppy ears, and shoulders a mile wide.

“You participating?” he asked, head cocking to the right a little.

She nodded cautiously, uncertain where his aims lay. But he seemed affable enough.

“Good.” His grin got wider. “This promises to be a good fight, and I’m thinking Raizen would be proud of his son for coming up with such a great solution.”

“You mean Yusuke?” she asked curiously. “Do you know him?”

“Met him the once,” the giant wolverine replied, arms crossing a good two feet above her head as he straightened. “Good boy. A lot like his dad.”

“Did you know the king?” She moved aside as a giant slug slithered around her, fifty eyes blinking, to claim his number.

The wolverine laughed, a great, booming sound that drew other contenders’ attention. “Yes, I knew him. We were sparring buddies, back in the day. Miss the bastard like you can’t believe. I bet Raizen’s rolling around in his grave in jealousy over this great turn-out---just like Enki said!” He chuckled at some private joke, and then looked up, seeing someone wave. He nodded, and turned back to Sango long enough to say, “Well, I hope to see you around, young lady. If you make it past the preliminaries, we might even get the chance to fight.”

“I’d like that,” she said warmly, and he grinned. With a final wave, he shoved through the crowd. The space quickly filled up behind him.

“I’d like that, too,” a sickly-sweet voice purred in her ear, and Sango jumped away from the lizard demon who had slithered up to her. His pink eyes gleamed, a forked tongue slipping out to lick his fat lips. Ugh.

“Hey, little girl, you think you should really enter this fight? I wouldn’t want to see such a delectable morsel get devoured so quickly, and only in the preliminaries.”

Sango’s eyes flashed. “It won’t be that easy to defeat me, demon.”

“Oh-ho! Girl’s got an attitude!” Another demon grinned at her, this one a three-eyed ogre with a massive club resting negligently on his shoulder.

“You sure you’re up for this?” another demon asked, and Sango scowled at the gathering circle of her admirers. Great. Just great.

“How about you and me go a round or two in my nest?” A towering bird demon winked at her, clacking his beak. “Friendly-like.”

“In your dreams,” Sango retorted, hand creeping to her sword as the bird’s eyes flared in anger at the laughing taunts around him. But a giant snake hissed them silent, raising up a good ten feet on his coiled body to see over the crowd.

“Quiet! I can’t hear---the three kings are all talking together! Yomi’s got a brat with him---who is it?”

“That’s Shura,” someone helpfully supplied, and Sango reflexively lifted up on her tippy-toes to try and see, although that was a vain move. So she listened to all the murmurs around her, wishing she could see, damn it!

“Shura’s the king’s son. Just hatched.”

Well, she knew that already. Gandara had been ripe with the news that Yomi had created a son somehow, using something called an “embryonic incubation tank.” Young Shura had grown at a rapid rate over the last one hundred days, much to the shock and disapproval of old Master Sen and grouchy Guchi. They thought the blind lord had accelerated the boy’s growth too quickly, not giving him enough time for a real childhood. The fact that they took for granted the mere possibility of such a rapid growth spurt from infancy to what amounted ten years in just 100 days bothered Sango, for it showed just how little she understood about her new, adopted world.

Everyone knew the former king had been planning on enrolling his son in the tournament, and that the intensive, secret training the lord had given Shura over the last three months had jumped the boy’s power levels to an incredible height. Yuda had kept them all abreast of the boy’s progress, and Sango grimaced. As intensively as she had trained, she had not gained as much power as young Shura, though she judged her level was now a good, solid B. She still had a ways to go---she was nowhere near such levels as Jin and the others, let alone Yomi or Mukuro. But then, most demons thought the contest would come down to the two former kings, for even Yusuke hadn’t reached their energy levels.

But heck, like everyone else, she was game to try!

“That one’s Yusuke. He’s even more powerful than before. Must’ve been training the last hundred days.”

“Who wasn’t?” another retorted.

“Not you, fuzz ball. You look too weak to even fight. You should withdraw.”

“Not on your life! I’m going to make you eat those words, snotty-snoot, with my hairy fist!”

“Shut up---I can’t hear. Hey, snake! Tell us what’s going on!” a short troll called, impatiently dancing from foot to foot.

“Shut up and I’ll try!”

“Boy looks too human to be Raizen’s heir.” More comments from the peanut gallery.

“Just means it will be easier to kill him,” the lizard grinned wickedly.

“Kid’s built like a brick shit-house,” a big, squishy-looking eyeball said thoughtfully.

“Well, his dad was a battle demon. Stands to reason.” Another shrugged.

“Holy crap---what’s Mukuro doing?” The snake gaped, and there was a collective gasp around her from those youkai who could actually see what was going on. Frowning, Sango strained to hear.

“He’s taking off his bandages!” the ogre hollered.

“What? What?” A blue parrot-like demon hopped from foot to foot, wings flapping ineffectually as there was no room for him to take off.

“King Mukuro’s a woman!”

“A woman?”

“What? What?” the parrot absurdly repeated.

“I knew---only a real bitch could be that evil!”

“You can’t be serious! That tyrant…!”

“A woman! Mukuro’s a woman!”

“What’s wrong with that?” Sango growled, arms crossing defensively.

“Quiet, hanyou! I can’t hear. What’s going on?” The troll jumped up and down, eyes bleeding with frustration.

“You be quiet, pimple-head.” The ogre casually smacked the troll on the noggin, shoving him two feet into the earth. The troll screamed in fury, waving one fist in the air as he ineffectually tried to pull himself out of the ground with the other.

“Hey! Save that shit for the preliminaries!” someone chided, and the troll snarled, blood in his eye.

The youkai roiled around her, glowing eyes turning on one another in rising anger. Sango wasn’t stupid enough to stay around and wait for the fight to break out. Tensions were running high in all the excitement, and her brain churned with all the crazy stuff going on. Mukuro, after five hundred years of hiding her gender from those under her, was revealing it in a display worthy of Lord Tenga. Sango wondered what had made the powerful demoness finally decide to reveal her true nature. But those useless speculations were quickly pushed aside as the loudspeakers placed everywhere boomed out, ordering the contestants to line up single-file to draw their lots.

Slipping into the ragged line that was forming as youkai pushed and shoved their way forward, Sango found herself behind a giant beetle and in front of a cowled skeleton who looked like the Grim Reaper. He even had the wicked scythe and maniacal grin. But he had a chatty blob of a companion, and by listening she caught the gist of what was going on.

The grand total of 6,272 demons who had enrolled in the Demon World Tournament were being divided into 128 groups of forty-nine. The winner of each group would go on to the actual, main tournament, where the 128 would fight one on one until the last two remaining contenders would fight for sovereignty of Makai. There was growling speculations over who would win. Many claimed they would defeat all comers, and others boasted and growled and taunted as they jostled each other. The line crept slowly, the end snaking back on itself, and Sango caught a few glimpses of the giant billboard, where the numbers for each group were being highlighted one by one for the benefit of the grandstands.

The announcer---an enthusiastic cat youkai named Koto---triumphantly called out each name, their picture plastered to the billboard above her. Sango frowned, edgy with the knowledge that her picture would be up there for all to see, but then shrugged. There was no help for it, and really, she didn’t have anything to worry about. Her promise to Shigure was for anyone who had known her. She doubted anyone who had in the Sengoku Jidai would be here, after all, since Kagome and Inuyasha were in living world. She had heard Kouga wasn’t going to be participating, thanks to Lord Tenga’s spies. The wolf youkai would have, except for the birth of his new son---though it was kind of sweet to know that Ayame had got her man in the end.

But that salved her one nagging worry, and besides, for the last hundred years or so, she’d been the assassin Anei. Her short hair and wind-hanyou status would probably throw enough doubt on anyone who might wonder at the connection. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was the only woman ever to be called Sango, after all.

She heard a few names called, and cheers and taunts and boasts, but the chatty blob had finally turned to her as a good person to babble at, and she missed a lot. She knew Jin was in group forty-six, and that Chuu had made it to group ninety-seven. There was a restless stir when Mukuro’s group was announced---seventy-four---and a towering youkai paled as he walked past, staring at the same number pinned to his chest.

“I ain’t stupid enough to go against her,” he growled to his slithering companion. “I’m withdrawing!”

“What? You can’t withdraw!” The---snake? Frog? Lizard? It was hard to tell---stopped, appalled.

“Like hell I can’t!” the ogre growled, stomping off.

“How pathetic,” the blob burbled in contempt, and kept that line of one-sided conversation up until they finally drew to the front. By then, most of the demons had chosen and already left, save a few who hung around waiting to know who got what group. Sango had missed hearing what lot those she knew had drawn, and hadn’t kept good track of their numbers. Her heart had lurched when she’d heard Hiei’s name called for group five, but she shrugged it off as not her concern, damn it. Though, damn if her heart didn’t lurch again when Kurama’s name was called for group sixty-four. But since Touya and Kirin’s groups were quickly called after that, and the blob started nattering on about what he would do to his group, she was easily distracted from the disturbing turmoil stirred up within her, and started wondering what group she would end up in.

The beetle finally waddled forward, and held up his ticket with a roar of triumph. Group fifty-four---Suzuka’s. The beetle shouted that he would kick everybody’s ass, but Sango smiled, thinking he didn’t stand a chance against the arrogant blond. But it was her turn now, and straightening her shoulders, she strode up the two steps to the table perched on the dais.

The pretty, blue-haired demoness behind the table dimpled at her. “Please, put your hand in the box and pull out your ticket.”

Digging inside the box, Sango withdrew the first paper to tickle her searching fingers. Withdrawing it, she gave it to the youkai who smiled reassuringly before drawing a deep breath to call it out as a camera was shoved in her face and a giant flash left spots dancing before her blinking eyes.


Standing around waiting for the preliminary drawings to finish, the reunited friends from the Dark Tournament exchanged threats, musings, opinions and bad jokes until the announcement of a certain wind-changeling interrupted their playful banter.

“Sango---group 120!”

Kurama stiffened as Hiei’s red eyes snapped to the board, where an earnest girl looked surprised to have her picture snapped as her name and group appeared in glowing kanji beside her.

Yusuke blinked. “Holy shit, isn’t that Anei?”

“Aye, it ’tis, lad!” Jin punched him in the arm. “And glad it is I am that me wee Lily decided to come after all! Worried, I was, that she’d be backing out there at the last minute. The mole wasn’t that sure if she was to be the ready for it!”

“Well, it’s right good she’s not in any of our groups,” Chuu said with a wolfish grin. “Be a shame to beat the sheila so early on.”

“Did you know about this?” Hiei growled in a low aside to Kurama, who mutely shook his head, his green eyes pinned to the board, which was already dissolving to show the next picture of a terrified blob-demon, who had just drawn Mukuro’s group. The blob’s hasty withdrawal followed speedily, but the fox heard none of it as Hiei’s eyes narrowed.


“Where do I know her from?” Koenma murmured, frowning at the dark-eyed picture that had just flashed on the screen. “Sango, Sango…”

Eying the spirit-world prince, who had come with her in disguise to watch the important tournament, Botan shrugged. The name didn’t mean anything to her, and she was usually better at keeping track of people than her boss, since she was one of the ferry-girls, known as Grim Reapers, who processed dead spirits over the River Styx. She glanced at Jorge, the blue ogre who had come with them to watch Yusuke fight, and he only shrugged helplessly in return.

But Botan was caught by a picture that flashed on the screen, the one after the blob. It was what a Grim Reaper should look like, or what human world thought they looked like. All skull and bones and dark cowl and wicked scythe. Boy, were the dead souls surprised when she arrived in her pretty pink kimono and bouncing blue curls to take them flying up to the Afterlife on her oar. Botan giggled at the irony, and elbowed Jorge to get a look at her demonic counterpart. The ogre snickered, and they ignored their musing boss to lean against the railing and catch the next few contestants.


“Nah,” the wolf demon shook his head decisively. “That can’t be her. She’s dead.”

“What’s that, boss?” Hakkaku asked, brows raised as he ran a clawed hand over his white mohawk.

“Ah, shove it, Hakakku,” Kouga snapped, crossing his arms over his wide chest as his tail swished from side to side in aggravation. “You’re lucky we ain’t in the same group.”

“That’s true,” Ginta said, black eyes mournful. “Though I don’t know if I want to be in the same group as Rinku. He looks fierce.”

“Quiet, moron! You want others to hear what cowards you are?” Kouga growled, and the two wolf youkai exchanged glances behind his back. Boss sure was grumpy since the pup was born, but then, it was only at Ayame’s insistence that they were here at all.

Perhaps it would’ve been better to have stayed home…

“This shit’s getting annoying. When’s the real fight gonna start?” Kouga growled impatiently, a question echoed by many, for finally the last demon had selected his ticket and they were all waiting while the officials consulted closely.

The blue eyes hardened when the foxy announcer finally got back on her mike, disappointment in every line of her as she said it had been decided that the preliminary round would be postponed until the next morning, since it had taken so long to get through the drawing.

“Be here bright and early, folks!” Koto called, waving at the disappointed groans that wafted around the packed stadium and playing to the audience like she always had. “For what promises to be the most gruesome, ass-kicking-est, epic fight ever to be held in Demon World! Now, who’s with me? C’mon, folks, let me hear ya loud and clear! Bring on the blood! Bring on the blood!”

The crowd went crazy, and Kouga’s disappointment lightened. “Yeah, we’ll bring it all right!” He turned to his two most trusted men. “Right?”

“Uh…” Hakkaku said as Ginta circled a toe in the dirt.

Smacking them both upside the heads, Kouga stalked away in disgust.

“Kouga!” they protested, and hurried to catch up with him. Rubbing the goose-egg on his noggin, Ginta thought morosely that some things never change.


“Well, that’s that, I guess. At least until tomorrow.” Yusuke shrugged.

“Damme, but I was itchin’ to go today,” Chuu growled. “Ah, well, no worries, mates. Give me a chance to get a good night of drinking inside me, eh?”

“You would do better to get a good night’s sleep,” Shishi said in disgust.

“This be Chuu, lad. Passing out over a bottle of gin is a good night’s sleep.” Arms crossed over the back of his head, Jin grinned down at the shorter demon, who only rolled his eyes at their friend’s enthusiastic agreement.

“Well, at least we can unpack and settle into our rooms,” Touya pointed out.

“Rooms?” Rinku squinted. “I thought we were all gonna pile up into one room together.”

“Speak for yourself, pipsqueak,” Sazuka said, hooking a thumb in Chuu‘s direction. “I can’t get any beauty sleep with him sawing logs all night.”

“What do you mean?” Rinku demanded. “Chuu doesn’t snore!”

“Hell, yeah, I do,” Chuu said, hardly repentant. “You just sleep so dead-drooly, bledger, you never notice.”

Yusuke sniggered.

“So I guess it’ll be two by two, then, eh?” Jin demanded. “Touya and me, the imp and the rainbow, and the alkie and the kid?”

“Sounds good to me.” Chuu shrugged.

“Right. I’ll just be flying ahead and get us a room afore all the good ones are gone, no?” He was gone before Touya could tell him he had the money for it.

“Hey, Hiei, Kurama, you coming?” Yusuke hung back as the others left, arguing about dinner and the nutritional merits of bar-food, as Chuu was quick to suggest.

“In a moment,” Kurama said distractedly, staring at Hiei, who only cast him a smoldering glance. Hiding a grin, for he had a suspicion what was eating at those two, Yusuke shrugged and turned away.


“You can’t just go and confront her, Hiei,” Kurama said quietly.

“Who said I had any such intention?” The fire demon deliberately turned away with a sneer, pausing only to snap over his shoulder, “I don’t care what she does.”

Kurama watched as he stalked away, following the crowd slowly trickling out of the stadium. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he whispered sadly, “Liar.”


The next day dawned bright and clear, if a little cool. For mid-April, it was perfect. For early spring, it was nice. For the Demon World Tournament, it meant great viewing.

Smiling wryly, Sango switched off the television set in her hotel room. Koto was up bright and early, the cheerful glint in her dancing eyes too full of avarice for the coming bloodshed. That cat demon had a perverse sense of fun. Yuda, already seated beside the enthusiastic cat---having been “forced” as he said, to take the second commentator’s seat as an expert on demon physiology and Yomi’s former advisor---looked glum beside her. The old earth apparition hated mornings, Sango remembered with a faint smile.

Not that she was fond of them herself. Ah, well, best be going. Looked like the crowds were already descending on the stadium, and she didn’t want to be late. Pulling her pink hoodie over the white tank and light blue jeans she wore, Sango belted on her sword, making sure the knives strapped to her calf and waist were all right. Master Sen had told her quite firmly that she relied too much on her weapons. That if she truly wanted to embrace the youkai side of her, and learn to use her wind techniques just as instinctively as she used her sword and knives, she should leave them behind. But Sango was too practical to leave anything to chance, and she shrugged as she surreptitiously pocketed the numerous throwing stars about her person.

Besides, it was Master Sen who had surprisingly sanctioned her tentative idea that would allow her to win past the preliminaries without undue bloodshed. Sango, for all her need to prove herself, couldn’t get past her own inhibitions about killing anyone for so pointless a reason as to take part in the main tournament. Guchi had bluntly told her that such stupid idealism would get her killed, and quickly. They knew the preliminary rounds would be a bloodbath, and it seemed too perplexing a quandary, until Yuda had slyly stepped in and advised the official rules in the preliminaries allowed a fighter to use “any means necessary” to overcome their opponents.

The strongest and best ability-wise did not always win the preliminary match. In fact, it was almost expected for a demon or two to come up with some strategy to get them past it. The point was to get through it, not to show what you were truly capable of---which was what the whole, real tournament would be about. In fact, most demons would be wary of showing their powers so early on in the game. Sango had gone back and forth for a long time---it seemed so underhanded, almost, but there was a side to her---the ruthless side, tainted by Kagura, perhaps, that said this was the ideal solution. She certainly couldn’t have it both ways. Finally, her reluctance to commit wholesale murder won out over her need to prove herself in the end.

Sitting on the edge of the bed to pull on her tennis shoes, she bent down to tie the laces on the pink Chucks. She hardly resembled the shadow-assassin who had arrived in Demon World more than a year ago. It was probably foolish for her to leave the protection of her cloak behind. The gods only knew what the other demons would be bringing with them. Ah, but she liked pink, and the casual clothing was as good a disguise as her cloak, for it was hardly warrior-like, and the others might underestimate her.

Sitting back up, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled as Skunk stretched like a cat, making a growlly sound as he stalked over to rub her fingers for a scratch on the chin. She’d been surprised when he had basically decided on his own to accompany her to the tournament, but it proved quite fortuitous. The demon’s first loyalty was to Master Sen, but he was willing to take part in her plan, for his own, mysterious reasons, which he kept to himself, thank you. Rather cagey, was Skunk.

“Well, I guess it‘s time to go,” she said, Sitting back on his haunches, Skunk watched her with unfathomable red eyes as she ran a distracted hand through her short hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. She smiled down at her little friend. “You ready?”

The skunk yawned, eyes slitting as he showed a sharp row of teeth, and Sango smiled as he languidly hopped off the bed in answer. She followed the lazily flagging tail as he led her out the door.


The preliminary round would be fought on top of okuninju stalks---the giant, umbrella-shaped trees that housed entire eco-systems on their plateau-buds. Like huge islands in the sky, the mini-biospheres provided a full range of natural terrain for the fighters to take advantage of. Getting up there when she didn’t have enough jyaki to teleport herself like most demons was rather inconvenient, and Sango had to hitch a ride with the pretty camera-girl slated for Group 120’s stalk.

Although the youkai was obliging, clinging to a half-naked, nubile girl while flying through the air to a dizzying height was not the same as riding on the back of a nekomata. For one, the flying camera was one of Gandara’s genomelded adaptations of a winged eyeball demon. Wearing a harness, the camera-girl would stand and guide her camera for the best shot at all angles. There was barely any room for the girl, let alone a passenger hanging off of her. Add Skunk’s indignant growls coming from inside her bulging hoodie, digging his sharp claws into her belly to show his displeasure with the whole indignity, Sango was glad when they finally landed.

“Here you go!” the youkai said, blond ponytails bouncing as she smiled down at Sango.

“Thank you,” Sango managed to say as she unzipped her hoodie and somehow managed to detangle herself from Skunk’s claws. He snapped at her, shaking his fluffy tail in agitation as he hopped down with an offended glare.

“Not a problem!” the girl called, already rising back into the sky. “You better hurry! The others are already gathered in the center, and I’ll be calling the match soon! Good luck!”

Waving distractedly, for it was sweet of the girl to wish her luck---even though she frowned at the girl’s last, cheerful, “You’re gonna need it!”---Sango looked around as Skunk shook the indignity off with a flick of his striped tail. Using her astral senses, Sango noted how most of the jyaki was concentrated between those two mountains, in the valley at their base. It was a little bit away, though. Damn, this would be a trudge. Ah, well, no hope for it. Shrugging, she started walking, Skunk following behind her, still complaining with various chittering growls.

“Okay, everyone!” the girl hollered down at them, sailing by Sango and heading for the clump of youkai waiting impatiently in the valley. She amped up her mike so everyone could hear her. “Now, as you know, the preliminary matches are being fought simultaneously, though you’re one of the last ones to get started. Remember the rules! The winner is the last demon standing. You’re disqualified if you faint, die or surrender. Anything else goes, no holds barred---except injuring your camera-girl, of course!”

Her cheeky grin was met with various chuckles and one taunt from a giant two-headed ogre, who held an uprooted tree trunk like a club, that he wouldn’t be held responsible for flung skulls when he knocked everyone’s heads off. The others met his sally with sneers and jeers and one banshee-screech that made Sango’s ears ring. Wow, that was nasty. She’d have to watch that one.

And more than that one. Counting several opponents that made her eyes narrow, she edged into the end of the crowd, who hardly noticed her. Their attention was all on the camera-girl, who was looking up over at another, who waved to her. Pigtails bouncing, she grinned, showing a row of pointy teeth. “Okay, everybody!”

The demons tensed.

“Let the match---” the girl paused dramatically, enjoying the moment, “begin!”