Loveless: Battle of the Heart

Chapter 02: Demon versus Demon Slayer

Chilling silence drowned the scene. Shaking nervously, the woman wished her life to end, rather than await execution. 'Why hasn't he finished me...?'

Breaking the silence, a whipping chain vibrated, as the weighted end flailed out. Binding the sword, a strong pull beckoned the blade from it's master. Sesshoumaru turned as Tokejin was forced from his grip. The demon sword flew several meters away, before Kohaku summoned his chained weapon to his hands once more. Though a nerve of irritation had been struck, his silent glare held an emotionless expression, much as the youth who assaulted the dog lord.

With a snap of his fingers, and thrusting his hand outward, a neon whip spiraled outward, countering the sneak attack.

The slayer leapt from the branch, spinning his chain above, preparing for another attack. Below, the glowing thread struck the branch, severing it in a single attack. Kohaku thrust his scythe blade outward, sending it's trajectory strait for Lord Sesshoumaru.

In similar fashion, he leapt backward, escaping the crescent blade as it struck the ground below. The branch landed from the tree, alerting Ah-Un, and finaly Jaken. Next to land, the young slayer, who retrieved his weapon and prepare his next attack.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what is going on?" a whiney squeal called to his master.

"Take Rin and leave!" he commanded without hesitence. Pulling his arm to the right, his whip returned, allowing him to launch his offensive once more.

"Uh, yes m'lord..." Ushering Ah-Un by the reigns, he quickly retrieved the heavy sleeper. With great effort, he hoiste the larger frame to the dragon steed's back. From there, he leapt on. "Ah-Un, we must leave with haste." The dragon moaned it's casual roar, before taking flight to the south.

The clever boy would not be so easily undone. His people had dedicated centuries to their culture and traditions. Dilligant training on a day-to-day basis. Studies of toxins, ninja arts, combat training and custom weapons. All these and more, were wrapped up into each slayer, trained to be a soldier of sorts.

Reaching into his pocket, the youth revealed two marble sized spheres, tossing them to the ground. A large smokescreen formed, allowing him to both illude the elder warriors attack, and mask his next moves. Gentle footfalls would keep him stealth, and immune to the dog's keen senses. Once in position, a diagonal left flank from where he'd once been positioned, he threw the trusted sickle.

Even the great Sesshoumaru, would be taken by suprise every now and then. 'You cower?' he thought, as he attempted to assess his enemies whereabouts. The chained weapon quickly closed the gap, and honed in on it's target. An instinctual leap backward gave a minor defensive front, narrowly avoiding a critical blow. Unfortunately, he only escaped a mortal wound, the blade propelled asside his waist, slashing through both his flesh and fabric. Wincing in pain, he quickly leapt back to gain more distance between the two.

Leaping from the smokescreen, the cocoa haired boy persued. Like a boomerang barrage, he began sending one projectile blade after another, with each skillful, fashionable swing.

"Kohaku?" Kagura strained to follow the action with her eyes, still half laying in the dirt. 'I never would have guessed the boy had this much potential. He actually wounded Sesshoumaru, and has him on the run.'

Taking his full concentration, Sesshoumaru backed away, dodging the bladed bombardment. He was extremely fast and agile, however, this task was more difficult to take on. Where the sloppy projectiles of the demon sorceress were handled with ease, the skillful slayer faught with precision and intensity, the likes she could never possess, so long as she held free will. The boy carried no fear of death or injury, he faught mindlessly, he had nothing to gain, and nothing to lose.

"You're a fool to attack me..." the pale warrior muttered, while sending a toxic miasma, eminating from his claws. The cloud encompassed his zombie persuer, but to no avail. The youth merely took a short reprive, to lace his mask firmly, rather than wear it as a necklace.

A short temper began to boil. First the attack. Now such trouble to deal with a small trifle, as he labeled Naraku's underlings. Racing foreward, he took a calculated risk of a first offensive, to attack Kohaku as he readied his mask. Claws extended, in golfswing fashion, he slashed across the armored chest of the youth.

Kohaku, in his mindless state, hadn't recognised pain. His blood dripped from the fresh made scar, but it gave him the opening he needed. Whipping the weighted chain around Sessoumaru's arm as well as his own, they were now bonded. Speed and retreat would nolonger play a factor in their battle.

Now bound, Sesshoumaru needed a new battle plan, but his options were growing shorter and shorter. 'This boy knows exactly how to counter my moves...' he contemplated briefly. Pulling his arm back, the slack of chain was taken up, keeping them both locked withing striking range.

Unlike his opponent, the boy had a free hand to attack with. Gripping the sickle blade end, he slashed across the shoulder of the chained arm.

Sesshoumaru's anger soared. Eyes beaming with red hue, his muscles tightened. A demonic aura eminated from his body, as the wind kicked up. The setting sun fell behind the Earth, while stormclouds circled above, casting bolts of fury across the darkening sky. Mere seconds away from transformation, a sudden call, held his notion to proceed at bay. A call from Tenseiga, begged him not to proceed. 'I don't understand. Why do you wish this boy to be spared?' Looking into the soulless eyes of the boy, he understood he was under a spell.

'Now it's over. Once Sesshoumaru transforms, he'll kill us both...' Kagura sneered.

The sword began to pulsate. Desiring to be weilded by it's handler. The call summoned Sesshoumaru's bound hand. Superior demon strength allowed him to reach for the blade, even as he was slashed once more. The blade was gripped firmly, before Sesshoumaru pulled Tenseiga from it's confining sheeth.

The blades golden aura caused the mystified youth to hesitate. With a single cleave, he slashed through the boy's frame. The sword's mystical properties hadn't severed his flesh, or even injured Kohaku. Moreso, it broke the spell commanding him to fight, if only for the moment.

His eyes grew gentle. Again, he stood as the innocent youth he'd once been, amnesia stricken, all memories were nothing but a foggy illusion in the depths of his mind. Releasing the chain, he fell to his knees. "What have I done? Where am I?" he inquired. Defensively, his gloved hand fell to his chest. Four slashes through the fabric had been made, but no wound inflicted.