Her Destiny

Chapter 19

Dawn was slowly approaching the Western Lands. The sky was clouded over and it was particularly cold this morning, you could see your breath rising in the cool air.

The inhabitances of Gengetsujou were all still asleep except for the servants and the guards. They were busy getting the castle ready for the day’s event. Soon their lord will rise and everything had to be ready.

The morning meal was well underway of being prepared. The other half of the kitchen help was already preparing the noonday meal. They all hoped that the fight would be over this morning. They wanted to see who would get the privilege of having the beautiful miko as a mate.

Many in the castle liked the young miko. At first they were curious about her, she was a strange one, not like the other miko’s they have heard about. Then three female demonesses started to bully everyone into hating the young onna. They wanted the young miko out of the castle because she was a ningen.

Many would act cold around the miko when the demonesses were watching. They did not want to risk their wrath, but everyone knew that they wanted the young lord and heir as a mate. Some of the servants could not dismiss the miko so easily. She was kind and had a loving heart. She only wished to befriend and learn about you. She was curious just like a newborn pup.

The training field that their lord requested the day before has already been set up. There was seating in the area for everyone to watch the tournament. No one ever died in these tournaments, but there would be a lot of blood shed.

Only the strongest males will fight for the right to mate. It was a good thing that they were not fighting with weapons or there would be some deaths out there today. It was also forbidden for them to use their true forms because they had to prove they were strong on their own.

The first of the guests were making their way into the dining hall. Ironically, it was the males that were up this early in the morning. The females will not come down until the males have left the area. It was tradition, because the females were still very protective of their pups, and will attack anyone who would do them harm. So they were banned from the tournament until the fighting was over. They were only allowed to witness the domination of the female, and even then the males had to restrain the females from attacking.

Soon the tournament would start as they all waited for the lord of the castle to come down.

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho slowly opened his eyes. Dawn was upon them and the tournament will start soon. He released his mate from his embrace as he got out of bed and went to get cleaned up.

When he walked back into his bedchambers, he noticed that his mate had not awakened from her slumber. He left their room as he went to attend his guests, the males will already be up and about.

As Inutaisho walked out of his room, he saw Sesshoumaru standing in the hallway, waiting for him. Sesshoumaru appeared to be deep in thought as he approached. Inutaisho looked at his son, “Sesshoumaru is there anything bothering you?”

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru has been up for hours. Only getting a few hours of sleep as he formed in his mind what he was going to do, to fight against Yuzuru and Sasagawa. They were the ones that he had to defeat in order to get to his future mate. He knew that he was more powerful than them, but power had nothing to do with it, if he couldn’t bring them down. His inner inu was rattling in his mental cage. He was ready for the fight ahead, but even more so, he was ready to dominate their female.

Sesshoumaru came out of his room as he sensed that his father was up and about. He decided to wait for him so they could go down to the dining hall together, since he would not be able to see his mother before the tournament.

He closed his eyes as he caught the scent of his intended in the air. It was so beautiful and sweet. He couldn’t wait to wake up to that smell every morning. For after today, she will be by his side for all eternity. He was really looking forward to that.

He was so deep in thought that he almost didn’t hear his father’s question, “No, there is nothing bothering me father, I was just thinking about the tournament.”

Inutaisho continued to look at his son with concern, “Very well, if there is nothing bothering you, let us head down to the dining hall.” They both turned as they made their way downstairs.

When they finally arrived, only the male guests were waiting for them, as they took their rightful seats and started the meal. The meal was a small one since they all were not that hungry. Once they were done eating, everyone left the dinning hall as they made their way to the training field.

Inutaisho wanted a chance to talk to Sesshoumaru before the battle, so they walked behind everyone else in order to have his chance to speak to him. He turned towards his son, “Sesshoumaru, be careful out there with Yuzuru and Sasagawa. The blue/gold Inu’s are known for their cunning and he will be a tricky one to defeat. Watch out for his attacks, they are bound to be powerful, but he does have a weakness. You must look where you would least expect to see his weakness.”

Sesshoumaru was surprised that his father was giving him advice for defeating his opponents, but he would take help from wherever it came. He took his fathers words to heart as he continued to listen to what he was saying.

“Sasagawa is a powerful tiger youkai. But like any cat, he does have his weakness. Most cats will land on their feet but tigers are different. I have never let anyone see my weakness when fighting so they don’t know where to attack. You, my son, they have never seen fight, so their fathers can’t offer any words of wisdom to their sons. I, on the other hand, know of their father’s weaknesses and of their son’s. Take my warnings for whatever they are worth and look for these weaknesses. It will be the key to defeating them.” Inutaisho spoke, as they continued to walk to the training field.

Soon everyone was seated in the seats provided as the males that made their suits known to the female were standing in the middle of the field.

When everything was ready, Inutaisho made his way to the middle of the field as he announced. “Greetings everyone. This is the battle to see who will win the right to dominate my pup Kagome. These fine young youkai here on the field have offered my pup their suits, but only one can approach the female. The winner of this tournament will have the right to dominate the female in question, and all other males will withdraw their suits.”

“Now this will be a battle of strength and endurance. It is their chance to prove that they are powerful enough on their own to protect and care for the female in question. There will be no weapons allowed and no one can transform into their true forms. The first male that transforms will be disqualified and his opponent will be declared the victor. This is also a battle to see how well these young pups can control their inner beast as the prize is a female.”

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the males on the field as he said, “Do you all understand what is required and what is not permitted?”

Inutaisho counted thirty males, which had offered their suits to his little one last night. He saw as all of them agreed to the terms of the battle.

They split the males into three groups. Each group walked to a different part of the field while the Lords of the North and East were the judges at each area. They were powerful enough to control any suitor if they were to turn into their true forms. They drew lots to see who their opponents would be as the first battles started.

On a few occasions, the lords had to transform into their true forms to calm one of the suitors down when in the heat of battle they transformed into their true form and were about to kill their opponent. Those youkai were disqualified as their opponents won the battle.

It continued like this until all three groups of youkai had battled once. The battling was fierce, as one of the winners could not continue the competition due to injuries suffered on the battlefield.

That left them with an even number of youkai that were still in the tournament for the female. They divided the group up once more as they started round two of the battles.

Sesshoumaru was in the heat of battle as he fought his second opponent. His first opponent did not present a challenge to him, but this one was proving to be a formidable opponent.

Sesshoumaru was fighting against a bear youkai, and he was powerful. He has gotten several claw marks on his person, but the bear youkai was in worse shape. He was bleeding heavily and was swaying on his feet. Sesshoumaru noticed his opponent weakness and it was about time that he used it to his advantage. He had to finish this battle and soon, or he will not have enough strength to battle Kagome.

Sesshoumaru was slowly opening and closing his hands discreetly so his opponent didn’t notice what he was doing, as his poison started to come forth. He got ready as the bear youkai attacked again. He rushed forward as he side stepped to the bear’s blind side and slashed with his claws; his poison finally making contact with his opponent body.

The bear youkai went down and did not move. He was convulsing on the ground as Sesshoumaru’s poison went to work on his body. He was declared the winner as the healers rushed in with the antidote for his poison before it was too late for the bear. They reached him in time as he was slowly recovering from the attack.

Sesshoumaru walked away to finish healing his wounds. There were still more battles to be fought, but he was getting nearer to his goal.

The battles were fierce and many lost to the more powerful youkai on the field. Many were too injured to continue with the tournament as the field was narrowed down to the final few. As a result, only six suitors were left after about two hours of fighting. Among them were the three heirs of the lands and three heirs to rival clans.

Inutaisho looked at the challengers that remained, he was happy to see that his son was among the final six youkai. He raised his hand once again as one of his soldiers came running to his side with a bag in his hand. He handed it to his lord before bowing and leaving the training field.

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the six in front of him as he said, “Inside this bag there are three different colored balls. You are all to put your hand inside the bag and pull out one ball. The two with the same color will be your next opponent.”

Inutaisho received a nod from everyone, as one by one, they came up and pulled a ball out of the bag. When everyone was done, they all looked at the color they had in their hands. It seemed that for this round the three heirs of the lands were to face off with the three heirs from rival clans. ‘Now this should be interesting when the three that are left standing have to choose who they will battle next.’ Thought Inutaisho to himself.

Inutaisho then turned to the crowd of on lookers as he announced, “The order of battle will be as follows.” He removed another bag from within his haori as he put his hand into the bag and pulled out a colored ball. “The first to fight will be the red.”

He turned to see who had red and was surprised that it was Sasagawa who would be facing another Inu Youkai. Sasagawa was sporting several cuts already, but Inutaisho sensed that he still had most of his strength. The Inu Youkai that was to face him was not that badly injured, so it would be interesting to see what will happen in their match.

Then he reached into the bag again and pulled another color ball from the bag, “The next to fight will be green.”

Again Inutaisho turned to see who had green. Sesshoumaru was to face off against a neko youkai. He looked at both Sesshoumaru and the neko. He didn’t notice any outward change in the way his son carried himself, but he could tell that the battles have not been easy on him. He saw the wounds he sported; though they were already healed. The neko was not in much better shape, he had several wounds that have not closed all the way yet, that might prove to be his undoing.

He then turned and announced the final color, “The last to fight will be blue.” That left Yuzuru to battle a lion youkai. He noticed right away that Yuzuru had the most injuries out of all the opponents that were present. He wondered if he should be fighting at all, but his opponent was in no better shape.

Now that everyone knew the order of battle, he said, “Will the first fighters stay on the field and the rest of you move off until it’s your turn to fight.”

Everyone left the field, the only ones that were left were the ones that had the red ball, as Inutaisho reiterated the rules for winning the battle. “Now, you will both fight until one of you can no longer fight, admits defeat, or is unconscious. You will not kill your opponent.”

He got acknowledgement from the two standing in front of him as they moved into position to do battle. He raised his hand and let it fall, as the signal was given for the battle to commence.

Sasagawa eyed his opponent with care. He needed to win this fight to get to the female. She would give him many heirs, all of them powerful and he was determined to have her as his mate.

Sasagawa didn’t want to expend too much energy because if he won this battle, he still had another to fight. He would need everything that he had to fight against the winners of the next match. Sasagawa thought about what to do as he got an idea and set his plan into motion.

The Inu Youkai in front of Sasagawa eyed him like a hawk. He knew that tiger youkais were devious individuals, and if he wanted a chance with that beautiful creature, he had to win this battle. He flexed his claws, as he got ready to attack. He was never one to just sit around and wait to see what the enemy was going to do.

The Inu Youkai attacked as he went after Sasagawa. He came in fast as he slashed with his claws at his opponent.

Sasagawa saw the attack coming, as he got ready. He quickly dodged the attack as he turned on his heals and waited for the fool to attack again. To his surprise, the Inu quickly turned and caught his left cheek with his claws. They moved away from each other as Sasagawa moved his left hand to his cheek and felt for the damage that the Inu had done. When he pulled his hand away from his cheek, he could see a good amount of blood coming from his wound.

He growled at the Inu for hurting him as he started to flex his own claws in response. He was going to make that Inu pay for scarring his face.

They continued to battle, Sasagawa got in a few hits as his opponent came in to attack. At one point Sasagawa thought that his opponent missed him, but when he looked down at his sleeve, he noticed that it was torn.

The Inu had a smile on his face as he launched another attack. He was fast as he quickly passed by his opponent and gave him a cut on his arm. Sasagawa finally figured out what the Inu was doing. Some how the hair on his tail was cutting him, and as the Inu went by, he was hitting him with it. Now that he knew what he was doing, he could take down the fool.

Their moves became quicker as each of them battled on. Sasagawa kept dodging his opponent’s attacks until he saw all of his moves. Then he went on the offensive.

Sasagawa saw that the Inu was coming in for another attack, he dodged, but this time he lashed out with his own claws as he caught his opponent on his back and the Inu went down hard. The Inu didn’t have time to bring his tail around this time. The injury was such that his opponent could not get back up again. Sasagawa walked over to the Inu as he said, “The next time you attack someone don’t leave yourself open for an attack, you never protected your back, and that was your weakness.”

Sasagawa casually walked away from the Inu as he was declared the winner of the first round. He had to get his wounds treated before the next fight. He had a feeling that he was going to need all of his strength to continue this tournament. He didn’t think that he was going to have a hard time with the Inu, but he proved him wrong. That was a mistake that he was not going to make again.

Sesshoumaru had been watching what Sasagawa was doing. He observed his moves and took note, his father had been correct. He noticed that when Sasagawa turned to the left he was not sure footed. He would lose his balance every time he turned in that direction. He took notice of his weakness, as he got ready to fight his own battle.

Sesshoumaru took his position on the field, as did the Neko youkai. He eyed the neko with a bored expression until the signal was given to start the battle.

The neko wasted no time as he attacked Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru looked at his opponent as he raised his hand and lashed out with his poisonous whip. The neko was fast as he missed his whip and went straight for him. At the last moment, Sesshoumaru dodged the neko’s attack as he came to stand right behind him.

The neko noticed right away where his opponent moved to, as he dropped to the ground and swept his right leg out, catching Sesshoumaru off guard. Sesshoumaru went down hard as he moved with speed to get out of the way of the claws, that his opponent was about to use.

‘Hmm, this neko is smart. He is thinking several steps ahead of me in this fight, but I will not let him win.’ Thought Sesshoumaru as he waited for the neko to attack again. So far neither of them landed a good blow on their opponent.

The neko didn’t waste any time in attacking again as he slashed the air in front of him letting go of an attack that went straight for Sesshoumaru. The bolt of lightening that came out of his claws went straight to his opponent. It hit Sesshoumaru head on as the explosion rocked the area. A dust cloud engulfed the area where Sesshoumaru was standing.

The neko thought that this match was over, but at the last moment he saw Sesshoumaru’s silhouette through the cloud of dust, as he leap into the air to dodged his attack.

Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist as his poison whip came out. He caught the neko by surprise as his whip hit his legs, he went down hard not being able to stand up. His poison was already working on his body.

Sesshoumaru landed gently on the ground. He looked at his withering opponent on the ground as he said, “pathetic,” and walked off the field. The healers were ready with the antidote as they rushed in and gave it to the neko.

Sesshoumaru was declared the winner of the second match as he went and stood off to the side so he could observe Yuzuru. ‘Now this should prove to be interesting.’ Thought Sesshoumaru as he waited for the match to start.

Yuzuru walked out to the field and waited for his opponent to approach. When his opponent finally took the field they both waited until the signal was given for the battle to start.

To Sesshoumaru’s surprise, Yuzuru attacked just a second after the signal was given. He went after the Lion Youkai with speed as he brought his claws to bear.

The Lion youkai saw the Inu attacking as he made an attack of his own. If this fool wanted a piece of him then he was willing to give it to him. They finally met in the middle of the field as they both slashed at each other. Both opponents landed a hit on each other as they pulled away and attacked again.

Both youkai were fast and very powerful. But at this point in the battle no one has actually used their true youki to win a match. They continued to trade blows as Yuzuru got the best of the Loin youkai.

On their final approach, Yuzuru pivoted on the ball of his right foot as his attacker missed him, and he struck the final blow. The Lion youkai went down as he was knocked unconscious, while Yuzuru stood in the middle of the field, panting from the effort.

Yuzuru was declared the winner as the other two winners came forward and stood in the middle of the field.

Inutaisho came back out with another bag in his hand as he shook it and said, “Now the semi finals. There are three balls in this bag. Two balls will be of the same color, but the third will be different. The one that draw the same colors will fight each other next. The loser of that round will then have another chance to fight, as they take on the one that is left in another battle. The winner of both battles will then face off to see who will win the right to mate with Kagome. Are there any questions?”

No one had any questions as one by one they all stepped forward and took a ball out of the bag and held it in their fist. When they were all done, he said, “Now open your hand to reveal who your next opponent is going to be.”

All three brought their right hands forward as they all opened their hands at the same time. Yuzuru and Sasagawa had the same blue ball and Sesshoumaru had the golden one.

Inutaisho saw this and said, “Sesshoumaru, you will sit out this fight as Yuzuru and Sasagawa will face off next.” Sesshoumaru inclined his head toward his father as he walked off the field to watch the match. Sesshoumaru had the feeling that the one who won this match will be the one he will be facing for the right to mate with Kagome.

If Sesshoumaru had to guess, he would say that it was going to be Sasagawa, because Yuzuru was foolish enough to waste his energy in fighting that lion youkai. If he had thought before he attacked, he would have been able to defeat that male with little to no effort, but he didn’t and now he was paying the price for his stupidity.

There was a short break before the next battle took place. They wanted to give Yuzuru time to recover from his last battle before he fought Sasagawa.

Inutaisho was standing off to the side watching his pup. He couldn’t go to him during this challenge, because it might seem that he was showing favoritism towards his son. He was in a way, but he knew that his son did not need to be distracted right now. He saw that Sesshoumaru was deep in thought, and the only thing that could be on his mind right now, was Kagome.

Sesshomaru was looking up at the sky as he thought about his lovely mate to be. The sky was grey, like her eyes would get when she was angry. It was cold out, as winter will soon be upon them.

Fall was in full swing and rutting season will soon be at hand. He will be able to participate this year because he will have Kagome to rut with. He just hoped that the courtship would be a short one. He didn’t know how much longer he would last not having her. But he would be patient; he wanted a full life bond with her and he has yet to win her heart.

During his time of contemplation, Sesshomaru kept his eye on Yuzuru. He didn’t trust the Inu Youkai, and he was sure that he was going to pull something on Sasagawa. He didn’t like the tiger youkai, but he would not tolerate for someone to cheat during a competition.

The healers currently surrounded Yuzuru as they tended to his wounds. He had many of them, but they took care of the worst one first. You could hear Kasumigaoka cursing out his pup for being stupid and attacking blindly. “What were you thinking about Yuzuru? You didn’t even plan your attacks. You went in there blindly like someone that has never been trained. You are the heir to the Northern Lands, and I expected much better from you.” Raged Kasumigaoka as he looked at his son with worry in his eyes.

Yuzuru’s wounds were too numerous, he was afraid that he has lost too much blood during the battles. Kasumigaoka turned toward his pup and said, “I think that you should forfeit the next match. You are too injured to continue the competition. There will be another female for you in the near future.”

Yuzuru’s eyes burned with anger as he said to his father, “No, I will not back down from this challenge. This miko is the most powerful miko in all the land and the strongest female I have ever met. There will never be another powerful female such as she. I must have her father, and I don’t care what I have to do to win her. She will be mine!”

Kasumigaoka didn’t know what to do. He has never seen his son act like this before. He watched as the healers got done with him, and he walked back out to the field for the next match. He shook his head not understanding what was going through his son’s mind.

Yuzuru was ready to fight the tiger youkai. He had a score to settle with the tiger. They refused to trade with his father and his lands were in need of their products. Sure they were buying what they needed out of the west, but still, it would be easier for them to buy directly from the source. He was going to make Sasagawa pay for his father’s mistakes. If all goes well, he will be the one to go against Sesshoumaru for that ningen onna.

Yes he wanted her only because she was the most powerful female in all the land, and the one that dominated her will rise to rule over the lands. With them being mated, he will be unstoppable when he became lord of the North, and that was something that he was looking forward to. He wanted to take the rule away from his father. He was too soft and their lands needed to be ruled with an iron fist.

As Yuzuru walked toward the field, he made the show of fixing his sash. He pulled from its folds a small vile that he quickly opened, unnoticed by anyone observing him. He coughed into his hand as he drank the potion. The potion would give him the energy he needed to defeat Sasagawa. He knew that he was too injured to continue, but he was out here to prove a point. He was not a weakling and he would win this tournament any way he could. Again he made a move to fix his sash as he hid the vile back where it belonged.

He waited patiently for his opponent to come back out to the field. He was feeling the affects of the potion, and he was ready to win this battle. When Sasagawa finally came back to the field it was time to battle. He was going to thoroughly enjoy this fight.

Sasagawa watched as his opponent walked back out to the field. He said his farewells to his father as he went back out to do battle. He had to keep his eyes on this fool. He knew he was hurt pretty badly, so he had to have something up his sleeve. No one with that many injuries would come back out to fight. He already lost a good amount of blood, and he didn’t have enough time to restore it yet.

Both opponents faced each other as the signal was given to start the fight. They both stood out there in the middle of the field as they both got into a fighting stance. They were both deciding on a strategy to go with when, Yuzuru had his plan he attacked.

Sasagawa saw the Inu coming towards him as he waited. When he was close enough, he leaped out of the way of his attack. But to his surprise, Yuzuru countered as he pivoted and his claws struck his chest. They both skidded apart from each other as Sasagawa growled his anger at the Inu.

Yuzuru smirked he got the first hit of the battle. His father didn’t give him any credit when it came to his skills. He knew what he was doing, having his opponent think that he was weakened from his previous battles caused him to let his guard down long enough for him to land a direct hit. He flexed his claws again as he moved in for another attack.

Sasagawa was not about to let him land another hit as he rushed in with his claws ready. He slashed as Yuzuru moved out of the way and Sasagawa countered with his tail as Yuzuru hit the ground. He was quickly back up on his feet as he let go of his youki and sent his attack toward his opponent.

Sasagawa was hard pressed to avoid the attack as he barely missed getting hit with it. He flexed his claws as he let one of his attacks go, yelling, “Kanazuchi Tsume!” A bright blue light came out of his claws as it went after Yuzuru.

Sasagawa was able to control his claw attack as it formed into a hammer, it moved toward Yuzuru who was trying to dodge the attack. He was not about to let him get away from his attack as it finally made contact.

Yuzuru had to put up a barrier as he struggled to keep it in place, while he got hit with Sasagawa’s attack. His claw attack was powerful, but he just barely managed to protect himself. Another attack like that and he would be finished.

Yuzuru was weakening, not understanding why his potion was not working, as he continued with his battle with Sasagawa. They were both doing equal amount of damage to each other as the battle grew in its intensity. With a feral roar, Sasagawa’s eyes turned blood red from his anger and charged straight at the Inu, who was now down from his previous attack.

He slashed with his claws as he caught Yuzuru off guard when he was trying to stand up. Sasagawa attack landed across Yuzuru back, injuring him severely. Yuzuru went down again not being able to move.

Sasagawa calmed after he saw that Yuzuru was no longer moving. He stood straight, as he was breathing hard from this battle, eyeing Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw Sasagawa eyes and knew that they would be facing each other soon in the final battle. Sesshoumaru saw enough of Sasagawa’s attacks to know what to do. It was not going to be an easy fight but he had confidence that he would win.

Inutaisho came out to the field and declared Sasagawa the victor in the battle as they moved Yuzuru off the field to tend to his wounds. ‘At least he is still alive.’ Inutaisho thought as they waited until Sasagawa rested before the final battle.

It has only been four hours and the final battle was coming up soon. These young youkai were fast in defeating their opponents, but Inutaisho knew that the final battle was going to be a long one, for both pups were strong and determined. The only question was who was the most determined, Sesshoumaru or Sasagawa?

They gave Sasagawa a half hour to rest before the last two opponents walked out to the field and faced each other. No emotions showed on either of their faces as they eyed one another.

Inutaisho came back out to the field as he got everyone’s attention, “Since Yuzuru can not continue to battle, he forfeits the match to Sesshoumaru. This will be the final battle to see who will mate with Kagome. Remember the rules of the battle.”

Inutaisho then raised his arm up as he held it there, eyeing both opponents. He quickly lowered it and the final battle was on.

Sesshoumaru watched his opponent carefully. His beast was close to the top of his mind but he still had full control over him. His beast was not fighting him for control but was looking at the opposing beast to try and get a reading on how powerful he still was.

Jyaki was starting to take over the field as both opponents let their youki spread through the area showing their power. Both auras crashed into each other as they fought the unseen battle while neither aura gave in to the other.

Sesshoumaru determined that his opponent was indeed powerful but not stronger than him. He needed to defeat the tiger quickly and conserve his energy because he will need it with Kagome.

Sasagawa was impressed with Sesshoumaru’s power. He knew he was strong, but he didn’t know he was this powerful. This will prove to be an interesting battle as they continued to eye each other.

Sasagawa finally got a plan in his mind as he brought his hands forward and sent a blast of his youki toward Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru looked at the tiger with distain in his eyes as he quickly flicked his wrist and sent his whip to intercept the attack. His aura flared to give his whip some extra power. He batted the attack away from him, like he would a common fly, as he waited to see what else the tiger has to offer.

Sasagawa was surprised that Sesshoumaru could just deflect his attack so easily. He flexed his claws and then he slashed, yelling, “Kanazuchi Tsume!”

The blue light once again came out of his claws as it formed into a hammer and went after Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming as he sent his whip out to intercept. His whip caught the attack in mid air, and it held it at bay, as they both struggled to get free of each other’s attack.

Sesshoumaru got an idea as he lashed out with his other hand, “Souhakizu!” His blades came out of his claws as it went toward his opponent.

Sasagawa saw the attack coming his way as he put a barrier up to protect himself. Sesshoumaru’s attack was powerful as it broke through his barrier and hit its mark.

Sasagawa yelled in pain as he was thrown twenty feet into the air and landed hard on his back. He was still conscious but he was having a hard time trying to get back up; his previous injuries were also taking its toll on him.

Sasagawa looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing over him, flexing his claws as he said, “I do not recommend that you get back up. If you do, you will be hurt a lot worse than you are right now. The next time I won’t hold back on my attack, and I will unleash my full powers on you.”

Sasagawa was surprised to hear that Sesshoumaru only used a portion of his true powers. ‘If he only used a portion of his powers on me, then how strong is he?’ Sasagawa thought as he looked at the youkai standing over him. He decided that he wanted to live as he yielded the match to him.

Sesshoumaru was happy with the results as he turned on his heels and walked away from Sasagawa. He finally won the right to mate with Kagome. Now the real battle will begin.

Kagome will be harder to defeat than these fools, and he was actually looking forward to it. He now had a real challenge, as he stopped in front of his father.

Inutaisho walked back out to the field when he saw that his son had defeated his last opponent. He could tell that he still had a good portion of his youki, which was good he will need it to defeat Kagome. He stopped in front of his son and smiled at him. He was proud of him for winning the battle for Kagome.

Inutaisho then turned his attention to everyone gathered at the field as he announced, “Sesshoumaru is the winner of the battle. He has won the right to mate with Kagome and is declared the strongest male here. The domination round of the mating ritual will be next and it will start once Kagome comes out to the field.”

Inutaisho heard everyone cheer, congratulating Sesshoumaru for winning the right to dominate Kagome. Sesshoumaru turned as he looked at the sky. He was pleased with himself for winning the tournament. His beast was content for the moment, as they were waiting for their mate to come down to the field. Soon, soon he will have her in his arms and that’s all he needed right now to keep him going.

A runner was sent back to the castle to inform Lady Ayashiko that they were ready for Lady Kagome to come down to the field. The females were now allowed to come down to the training field to witness the domination phase of the mating ritual. In this way there will be no doubt, in anyone’s mind, who Kagome belongs to, as they witnessed the domination phase.

---oOo---

Kagome had been awake when the males left the castle early this morning to go to the training field. She watched them leave as she saw Sesshoumaru and her youbu following closely behind everyone. She silently wished Sesshoumaru luck in his fight but she also resolved herself to fight to the bitter end any male that won this tournament even if it was Sesshoumaru. She was going to prove once and for all that she was not just a weak ningen onna, as they liked to call her.

Kagome’s meal was brought up to her as she stayed in her room for the whole morning. Sango came in to keep her company and when she walked into the room; she noticed that Kagome had not touched her food.

Sango turned to her friend, “Kagome why haven’t you eaten? You know what Katsuki will say when she sees that you have not touched your food.”

Kagome sighed as she said, “I know what she is going to say, but I’m just too nervous to eat right now. Plus, I’m trying to listen to what is going on down on the training field, so please be quiet for a moment.”

Sango shut her mouth as she walked over to her friend, who was standing on the balcony, listening to what was going on down in the field. Sango couldn’t hear anything as she said, “Kagome…” but she never finished her sentence as Kagome held up her finger to silence her friend.

Once there was a break in the fighting she turned to Sango, “There is a break in the fighting right now, so we can talk.”

Sango was amazed at what her friend said, “Kagome, how can you hear what is going on down in the field? I can’t hear anything at all.”

Kagome smiled as she said a spell and touched Sango’s forehead with her fingers, then to Sango’s amazement, she heard what was being said in the field down below. “Wow Kagome, I didn’t know you could do this. Can you tell who is winning?”

Kagome turned back to look out into the forest, her eyes were full of worry, “The final battle is about to start. It will be Sesshoumaru against Sasagawa the heir to the Eastern Lands.”

Sango was surprised that they have already gone through all the other suitors and were down to the final two. “Kagome I think that you should be getting dressed. The final battle will be over soon and they will summon you to the field when they’re done. I know that Lady Ayashiko will be here to get you when that happens.”

Kagome knew that Sango was right as she turned and walked back inside her room. The moment of truth has arrived, and she will face the male that has won the right to dominate her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she dressed in her battle clothes.

Her youbo came in earlier this morning and gave her a new fighting kimono. It was a dark blue in color. It had a light blue juban that went underneath and a silver obi. There was the symbol of the Western Lands on the upper right shoulder of her kimono. She finished getting dressed as she put her knives in her obi and out of sight along with her stars. She would never be without her weapons. She may have her Reiyouku, but she couldn’t always depend on her powers all the time.

When she was done dressing, she went to fix her hair. She wanted it up and out of the way, she knew that if she left it down, the male in question could grab it, and she would be at a disadvantage. So she put it up in a tight bun and just left a few strands of hair come down to frame her face.

Kagome quickly turned to the window when she heard a loud explosion coming from the training field. She tried to listen to what was going on over at the field but for some odd reason she was being blocked from listening to what was going on, as everything got quiet.

Kagome knew deep down in her heart that the battle was over. A male has finally won the battle and soon she will be summoned to the field. She waited nervously when she heard a knock on her door, she turned as she spoke in a shaky voice, “Come in.”

---oOo---

Ayashiko just received word that they were ready for Kagome but they didn’t bring word on who won the match. She got herself together as she went to get her pup. It was now time that she meet her mate to be and she hoped with all her heart that it was her son that has won the right to mate her.

She stopped in front of Kagome’s door as she knocked and heard her shaky voice. She smiled for she knew her pup was nervous as she opened the door, and stepped in. She looked at her pup and smiled; she looked beautiful in the kimono she had given her. She was proud that her Musume was smart enough to pull her hair up so it wouldn’t get in the way of her battling the male.

She looked into Kagome’s eyes, “Ittoshi Musume its time to go. They are waiting for you down in the field.”

Sango turned to her friend as she hugged her fiercely, “Good luck to you. I hope that you find the love that you are looking for.”

Kagome hugged Sango close to her chest, as tears were forming in her eyes, “You will be here when I come back, right?”

Sango turned to Ayashiko with hope in her eyes as she heard the lady of the castle answer, “Yes Kagome, she will be here when you get back. You still need a personal guard, and Sango has proven more than once that she is capable of doing the job.”

Kagome smiled at her youbo as she hugged Sango one more time before walking out of her room and heading towards the training field.

Ayashiko looked out the corner of her eye as she watched Kagome. “Kagome, I want to tell you something, I’m proud to have you as my Musume. You have brought me such great joy that if anyone was to tell me that you weren’t mine, I would have to argue the point with them. Now this is the final step, which I as your mother, must make. I have to hand you over to a male that will love and protect you for the rest of your life. This is not an easy thing for me to do. I will always be protective of you no matter what.”

Kagome stopped in her tracks as tears were coming down her cheeks, then she looked at the woman in front of her. She no longer thought of her as her youbo. She was her mother, because she has done everything possible to make sure that she was protected and loved since she got here to this castle.

Kagome tried to get her composure back, “Mother, you have no idea what I’m feeling at this moment in time. I don’t want to mate, but it was deemed necessary by the fates, and that’s why I’m going to meet my destiny. He maybe a powerful youkai, but I will not give in that easily. I want you to know that no matter what happens out there today, you will always be my mother, for you have taken care of me and loved me as your own since I have been here. Thank you.”

Kagome rushed into Ayashiko’s opened arms and cried her heart out. She didn’t want to leave her. She wanted to stay here in the Western Lands and be with the mother and father that she has grown to love. This was why she was afraid, she was afraid to open her heart and love them openly, only to be taken away. This, more than anything, pained her.

Kagome finally calmed down as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. She stood straight to her full height, “Alright mother. I’m ready to meet this male, which this competition has selected for me. The sooner I face him, the sooner I can beat him in battle.”

Ayashiko could only laugh at her pup’s comment; she put her arm around her shoulder and walked out of the castle with her. After this day she will no longer be her pup. She will belong to her mate and will someday be lady of the lands.

As they continued to walk toward the training field, Kagome was getting an uneasy feeling. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up as she pulled away from her mother to scan the area. They were almost to the training field when Kagome put up her barrier to protect her mother, as she deflected an attack that was meant for them.

Kagome turned towards the attacker as her eyes narrowed at who it was. She recognized the aura of the female hiding in the shadows. She had been introduced to her during her presentation. She took a couple of steps away from Ayashiko as she yelled, “Show yourself Yoshino!”

Ayashiko was surprised by what she heard her pup say. She could not detect Yoshino in the area. She was looking in the same direction as Kagome, when she saw Yoshino walk out of the forest.

Yoshino’s eyes were blood red with anger as she approached the two of them. She stopped just a few feet away as she eyed Kagome. There was no greeting from her only a glare that promised death for the one standing in front of her.

Ayashiko temper started to rise when she saw the young pup of the Northern Lord standing in front of her, “Yoshino what is the meaning of this?”

Ayashiko anger was getting the best of her and that always sent a message to her mate who would come to their location when he felt her anger.

Yoshino’s anger was at an all time high for the whore standing in front of her. She has gotten the only person that she wanted as a mate. She had no doubt that Sesshoumaru would dominate this weak ningen, “You whore! You filthy, good for nothing, ningen whore! What gives you the right to take away my mate? I saw him first and I have always wanted him for a mate and now he has a chance to dominate you instead of me! I will make you pay for doing that to me.”

Yoshino pulled her sword from its sheath as she attacked. Kagome’s barrier held her off, as Kagome’s own anger was getting the best of her.

Kagome stopped listening to Yoshino the moment she called her a whore. She never heard why Yoshino was so angry with her as she let her rage take over. She put her hand out to the side as she yelled, “Jenjou, come to me!” Kagome’s hand started to glow a pure white in color as her sword appeared in her hand. She gripped the hilt hard as she walked out of her barrier and faced Yoshino.

Yoshino stopped her attack long enough to face off with the ningen that dared to challenger her. She was about to attack as she heard a familiar voice say, “YOSHINO! What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Yoshino turned her attention to where the voice was coming from as she saw her father, along with Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. She swallowed hard as she squared her shoulders. “I have every right to challenge her for the right to mate. No filthy ningen is going to defeat me in getting what I want.”

Four sets of growls were heard over the area, from the comment she made. Kasumigaoka was trying to talk some sense into his daughter. He didn’t want to lose her for challenging a miko as powerful as the one standing in front of her.

Kagome’s temper was getting the best of her as she heard this youkai insult her once again. Her aura flared around her body, as she was getting ready to attack. Kagome didn’t care that she was a lord’s daughter. Yoshino should show more respect than she was showing her at the moment, and Kagome was determined to teach her some manners.

Yoshino had enough as she attacked the ningen. Kagome was ready for her as she swung her sword up and caught hers in mid swing. Kagome knocked Yoshino’s sword out of her hand as she brought her sword to Yoshino’s neck, “You should respect those that are your better. I never asked for this and unless you want me to pass judgment on you, I suggest that you back down. I have no desire to kill you only to fulfill my duty to Lord Inutaisho and meet the male that has won this battle.

“It does not mean that he has won me yet. He will have to prove to me that he is the strongest male to dominate me and he might not be strong enough to do that. I will be the judge on how strong he is because I will not hold back on my attacks.”

Yoshino didn’t think that this ningen was that strong or that she was this good with a sword. But her pride would not let her back down as she glared at the ningen in front of her.

Inutaisho had enough; he rushed forward and grabbed Kagome from behind, as he pulled her away from Yoshino, before she killed her.

Kasumigaoka at the same time rushed in and grabbed his pup. He held her by the scruff of her neck as he growled, “What do you think you were doing? That miko could have killed you for challenging her, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything because she was within her rights to do so. Are you that blind that you didn’t even noticed how powerful her aura is?”

Yoshino never noticed the ningens aura as she finally looked at her. She saw the miko struggling in the Western Lords arms as she saw how black her aura was. She was the most powerful female she has ever met. There was no way that she could defeat her.

Yoshino finally submitted to her father as he continued to hold his own pup. Kasumigaoka then turned his attention toward his friend who was having a hard time containing the miko’s anger.

Inutaisho was struggling with Kagome. She did not want to be subdued nor did she want to calm down. He couldn’t do his normal things to subdue her because he needed her awake for the domination phase of the ritual. He held her tight in his arms as he started to purr to calm her, while his teeth latched on to the back her neck.

Kagome immediately froze when she felt the teeth. Slowly, she started to calm down as Inutaisho held her against his chest. He felt her relax in his arms as he got her sword away from her.

Kagome’s anger was renewed when they took her sword away from her. She was struggling to get out of the hold she was in to get it back.

Inutaisho gave her sword to his mate as he wrapped both arms around Kagome again to calm her. He applied more pressure to the back of her neck as she whimpered at the pain she felt. It took a while to finally calm Kagome enough so she would not struggle in his arms. When she was finally calmed, he released her neck as he turned his attention to the Northern Lord, who had his own pup subdued.

Kasumigaoka saw when his friend turned towards him, he bowed deeply to him in apology, “Please forgive my pup’s insolence, she will be dealt with accordingly.”

Inutaisho inclined his head toward his friend as a sign of peace, while he held on to Kagome. He turned with his little one still in his arms as he made his way back to the training field.

Sesshoumaru saw how angry his mate was. He has never seen her loose control like that as he followed them all back to the training field. He knew now that he had a fight on his hands, because Kagome was not over her anger, and she will be attacking full force.

Inutaisho along with Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked toward the middle of the field as Ayashiko was left behind. Ayashiko wanted to go to her pup but she was forbidden to approach her now that they were on the field. She will have to faith in her son to make Kagome submit to him and hope that he does not hurt her in the process.

Sesshoumaru walked a few feet away as he waited for his father to make the announcement. Then he will be free to dominate Kagome. He knew he could not use his purrs to calm her, because in her state of mind, it would only make her even angrier.

Inutaisho held Kagome tighter in his arms as he whispered into her ear, “Kagome, please calm down. You will lose control of your powers if you don’t. I know that you had every right to pass judgment on that female, but I couldn’t let you kill her. She is the pup to the Northern Lord and if you killed her instead of letting her father deal with her, it would have sent us into a state of war.”

Kagome finally relaxed as she heard his words. She got herself under control and cursed under her breath for letting that bitch get to her. She felt when her father loosened his grip on her as she heard him say, “I’m sorry for the interruption. But it seemed that someone wanted to attack Kagome while she was on her way here. The intruder has been dealt with and now it is time for the domination phase of the mating ritual.”

Inutaisho turned to his son and asked, “Are you ready to dominate your female?”

Sesshoumaru stood tall as he answered, “Yes, I am ready.”

Inutaisho let go of Kagome as she stood under her own power. He walked away from her as he joined his mate to watch what was going to happen.

Kagome took a deep breath as she stood to her full height. She turned and noticed that Sesshoumaru was standing there on the field with her. She looked around trying to see where this male was, that she was supposed to fight, when she heard Sesshoumaru say, “Kagome, you will now submit to this Sesshoumaru.”

Full understanding came to Kagome, it was Sesshoumaru who won the battle to dominate her. She narrowed her eyes at him as she folded her arms across her chest, “I submit to no one!”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes started to bleed red as he growled at his intended mate. His growls told of his intentions towards her making it known that he was the strongest male and she will submit to him.

Kagome’s eyes started to turn colors as she heard Sesshoumaru’s growls. She growled back at him stating she was not going to submit to the likes of him. She then got into a fighting stance challenging his authority.

Sesshoumaru howled into the air as he accepted her challenge to dominate her. He flexed his claws as he rushed in, getting ready to slash her. Kagome caught his wrist and threw him over her shoulder, where he landed on his feet about 20 feet away from her.

He quickly turned as he approached. He was thinking of his options before she used her Reiyouku. He used his whip next as he sent it towards her and it was deflected by her barrier.

Kagome saw Sesshoumaru’s determination to get to her. His whip hit against the barrier she erected as she protected herself. She lashed out with her Reiyouku as it went towards Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming his way as he sent a blast of his own youki towards her attack. Both attacks met in the middle of the field as they both fought for dominance. There was a big explosion on the field as both opponents were thrown back about five feet from where they were standing, landing hard on the ground.

Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru quickly got back up on their feet as they eyed each other, breathing hard. They were thinking on what to do next since it seemed to be a stalemate. They both were powerful and neither would give in to the other. This last attack injured the both of them since she was now sporting several cuts on her body. Her hakama and haori were torn in several places as you could see the juban underneath the haori. Kagome saw the same amount of damage on Sesshoumaru as she tried to come up with another plan.

Kagome was getting tired of all of this, as she got ready to attack again. She wanted to end this as soon as possible. She raised her hand up and sent another wave of her Reiyouku toward Sesshoumaru. To her amazement, he dodged her attack this time as he came in to attack again. Her barrier stopped him as he continued to pound against it.

Kagome has never felt such power coming from Sesshoumaru before. It was pure raw energy that was powerful enough to send shivers down her spine. She let her aura wash out over the area, trying to push back his youki, but she found that she was losing ground.

She noticed that the more he pounded on her barrier, the stronger he got; she couldn’t push his aura back like she had done on previous occasions. Her eyes opened wide at this thought; she now knew that she might not be able to beat him. She felt when her barrier was about to come down, as she got ready to fight again.

Sesshoumaru knew that he had the advantage, but he had to get to her first. He needed to get closer so he could subdue her. He finally broke through her barrier as he rushed in. He threw a punch to try and knock her down as she avoided the attack completely. Kagome countered with a blast of her own as she connected with his right shoulder and sent a blast of her Reiyouku into his body.

Sesshoumaru landed hard on the ground but he was up in a flash as he attacked again. This time he connected; his claws slashed across her chest, as he smacked her with his other hand across the face, sending her flying through the air where she landed hard on the ground. The breath was knocked out of her as she tried to stand up again.

Sesshoumaru saw his opportunity as he pinned her to the ground and growled, “Submit to me bitch!”

Kagome looked into his blood red eyes, as she screamed, “NEVER!”

Kagome got her leverage as she brought her left foot up and caught him in the stomach. She twisted and pushed, as she threw him off her, while during the move she stood up on shaky legs.

Kagome felt that she was losing this battle; she was hurt and bleeding badly. She concentrated until she found what she was looking for as she brought forth her powers. She started to glow as a pure white light encircled her body. Her wings appeared on her back as she faced her opponent.

She flapped her wings hard as she took off into the sky. She wanted to get away from Sesshoumaru before he could pin her to the ground again. Realization finally reached Kagome’s tired mind, and she knew that she could not win this fight against him. Sesshoumaru was a lot stronger than he let her to believe and if he caught her, he will subdue her the next time.

Sesshoumaru was pissed that she had thrown him off her. He saw when she called forth her powers as her wings spread out behind her. At that moment, he heard everyone on the training field gasp as they saw only a portion of her true powers.

Sesshoumaru knew that she was a lot stronger than this, but her true powers will not be released until they have mated. He noticed as she flapped her wings and took off into the sky. He followed, not willing to let her leave the area, as he attacked. He sent his whip towards her as she formed a barrier around her body to protect herself.

Kagome lashed out with her powers as she sent ball after ball of her Reiyouku toward Sesshomaru, but he kept on avoiding them. She decided to attack head on as she flew straight towards him.

Sesshoumaru saw her coming as he used his whip to get her. He landed a hit but the next one she avoided completely as she continued to get closer to him. Kagome turned at the last minute and kicked him hard in the chest that sent him flying backwards out of control.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground, as an explosion followed the impact. His shoulder was hurting from her previous attack. Her attack weakened him some but not all the way. He had numerous cuts and gashes along his body, where she connected in her attacks. He was bleeding heavily and if he didn’t bring her down soon, he will lose this fight. He concentrated on his spell as he brought up his hand and sent his attack towards Kagome.

Kagome turned to flee the area; she wanted to get away from Sesshoumaru before he recovered from her attack. Kagome never had a chance as she was hit from behind in mid-flight. She screamed in pain as a red light encircled her body. It was attacking her powers and her body, as she fell towards the ground. She landed hard as her wings disappeared from her back. She was weakened now as she groaned trying to get back up on her feet.

Kagome’s kimono was torn to shreds and it was almost non-existent. She knew she was losing as tears started to come out of her eyes in frustration. She was weakened by Sesshoumaru’s attack, and she didn’t know how much longer she will be able to continue with this fight. She had to get away from this area as soon as possible.

Kagome was trying to get to her feet so she could leave when she was slammed back into the ground. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru pinning her to the ground by her neck. He had her legs trapped under his own and her hands were pinned above her head so she couldn’t get out of his hold. The more she struggled the tighter his grip became on her neck.

Sesshoumaru knew now that he had her. She was pinned to the ground and was not able to move. He tightened his hold on her neck the more she struggled against him. Once she would stop, he would loosen his grip on her neck. He finally got her to look at him as he said, “Submit to me. There is no way that you are going to win this fight. It will be easier on you if you were to submit.”

Kagome was still struggling against him, as she said, “No!”

Sesshoumaru didn’t see anyway around this as he moved her head over to the side to expose her neck to him. He tore her kimono with his fangs to uncover the tender flesh as he lowered his mouth and gently started to caress the area. Kagome was slowly stopping her struggle against Sesshoumaru as he continued his attention on her neck.

She knew what was coming next, “Please don’t do this Sesshoumaru, I don’t want to hurt your family anymore. Just let me leave this place.”

Sesshoumaru heard her words as he raised his head and said into her ear, “No, running away never solved anything Kagome. Remember what I told you yesterday. I love you if you will only let me prove it to you.”

Kagome’s eyes opened wide as she remembered what he said to her. Tears were still coming out of her eyes as she tried to fight him off.

Sesshoumaru’s fangs grew longer as he bit into her shoulder and marked her as his intended mate. He heard her scream in pain as some of his poison went into her body so she could develop immunity to his various poisons. This was necessary, if she didn’t have immunity, and he accidentally released some of his poison in his love making, he could kill her.

He pulled his fangs out of her shoulder and gently licked the wound closed. Kagome was still crying in pain as he released her and brought her into his chest. His inner inu started to purr to calm their mate while she rubbed her face into his chest.

Kagome didn’t know what to do. She was in pain and there was nothing that she could do to feel better. She rubbed her face into Sesshoumaru’s chest as she grabbed the front of his haori and held on to him.

Sesshoumaru was purring to calm her. He knew that if she didn’t calm down, the pain would be far worse than what it was right now. His poison would work faster and spread quickly through her body.

The pain on Kagome’s shoulder was starting to subside as she continued to hold on to Sesshoumaru, his purrs were soothing her pain and she was afraid that if she let go of him, the pain would come back ten fold.

Sesshoumaru’s inner inu was now in control of what was going on. He was aware that his mate was in pain and crying, but he was even more aware that there were other males in the area with them. He looked up and barred his fangs at the intruders. His aura flared around the area and it was even more powerful than before.

He growled as he picked up his mate and formed his golden ball of light. He encased them as it shot up into the air and went to the place that his father had given him as a safe heaven to be with his mate.

---oOo---

Ayashiko watched as her son dominated her pup. She had almost broken free of her mate’s hold, to go and help Kagome, but he held on tight, never letting her move out of his arms. When Sesshoumaru finally had Kagome pinned to the ground, she knew that her Musume had lost the fight.

Ayashiko heard Kagome scream in pain as he bit into her shoulder and injected her with some of his poisons. Ayashiko was going crazy at hearing her pup scream. She wanted to go to her, but she was being restrained. Ayashiko saw Kagome seek comfort from Sesshoumaru, as he held her in his arms and rocked her in his lap to soothe her.

Then all too soon, Sesshoumaru became aware that there were other males in the area and became very protective and possessive of Kagome. They heard him growl viciously at all present and bared his fangs. His youki spread across the area in a show of power to all present that he will protect what was his, and to everyone’s surprise, his youki was even stronger than before. It almost doubled in strength when he was protecting his intended mate.

When he formed his golden orb, she knew where they were going. She could still feel them nearby and knew that Sesshoumaru had taken Kagome to the place they had built for them.

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he asked, “Mate, are you all right?”

Ayashiko looked up with tears in her eyes, “No, but I know it was for the best. She will be well protected by Sesshoumaru and I know that he loves her. He still has to win her heart and I have no doubt that he will succeed.”

Inutaisho brought his mate closer to his chest as he purred to soothe her soul. He knew that this day would come and he was trying to prepare her for the loss of her pups. But unfortunately for his mate, she didn’t just loose one pup, she lost two at the same time and that was the part that was hard to deal with.

Inutaisho stood with his mate in his arms as he walked out into the field and said, “I want to thank everyone for coming. As you can see, Kagome is very powerful and it took someone like Sesshoumaru to dominate her. I have no doubt that they will form a bond before they mate. There will be food and drinks at the castle to celebrate the occasion. Please join us.”

Everyone got up and headed towards the castle. They still could not stop talking about the fight between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. No one ever realized just how powerful the ningen onna actually was.

As a matter of fact, no one knew that Sesshoumaru possessed such great powers to bring down a powerful miko like that. Everyone now knew that they would be the most powerful mated pair in all the lands. There will be no one that could stand against their wrath if they should happen to attack them.

---oOo---

Kanazuchi Tsume – Claw Hammer
Youbo – Adopted mother
Youbu – Adopted father
Ittoshi Musume – Dearest Daughter

This is the end to another chapter. The battle to dominate Kagome was an intense one as Sesshoumaru had to fight his way to finally win the tournament.

I am sorry for posting so late but it was the cables companies fault when I lost my internet. Talking about going into withdraws from not being connected to the net was nerve wracking. But now that I have my internet back I can go on posting.

Ah, to answer some questions. No Naraku will not be in this story. This story is very AU and Naraku didn’t have a role in my story. I came up with my own villains and they are much better than Naraku.

Shippou will show up one more time in this story and then that’s it. Rin is not in this story. I just didn’t plan on bringing in the little girl for this story. And our favorite monk will be along soon but you have to wait for a few more chapters before he makes his appearance.

Sesshoumaru may have won the tournament but he did not get Kagome to submit to him in the domination phase of the mating ritual. In the next chapter we will witness how Sesshoumaru’s beast interacts with Kagome, as he is the one in control at the moment. Kagome has some very hentai thoughts as she gazes at a very naked Sesshoumaru.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!