The Demon's Ball

“The Demon’s Ball comes once a year

Where nothing is, as it appears

Where dreams come true,

And nightmares too

An invitation: me and you

Come on down to the Devil’s Dance,

It’s breathless, churning tide

It shakes you loose and stirs you up

And takes you for a ride

Gorgeous creatures line the halls

Pointed teeth and sharpened claws

Gathered now and standing tall

Splendid monsters one and all

Come on down to this beastly ball

Where sin and pleasure merge,

Answer to temptations’ call

Every smothered urge

A place where sinful angels fall

And wicked spirits roam

Prideful beings would walk or crawl

To dance before the Throne

Sterling turns and graceful leaps

Mesmerizing pulse and beats

All these beauties and these beasts

Come to the Demon’s Ball”



-KPO4-

anonymous observations taken on the Demon's Ball





“You will inform this Sesshoumaru of all the news you have concerning this new development.”

----------------------------





After several hours, it seemed to Sesshoumaru that he had enough information on the human priestess to outline a procedure in future dealings with her. That was, chiefly: to avoid her. If that failed; he planned to subdue her and thoroughly end her life. She was a threat, minor enough to avoid, but large enough to warrant extreme caution when in sight. It seemed to him that the girl had become a religion; even his fellow lords had joined her following. They would have continued to rave about her abilities if Sesshoumaru hadn’t stopped them. Her behavior was peaceful by nature but forceful when provoked. The girl was a master at combat and spiritual power; holder of the Shikon no Tama. It seemed that many in the demon community were both nervous and anxious to meet her at the Demons’ Ball.



It surprised the inuyoukai that there was such a commotion about her presence at the ball. His half-brothers group was, in itself, a freak show of feudal era standards but he hadn’t thought it would make such a disturbance between the nobles.



According to his father’s last wishes, Sesshoumaru made actions to revise demon tradition and allow half demons and human mates of nobles to attend such events. However, even though they were technically permitted, there hadn’t been any for a long, long time.



And now, an odd pack of half-demons and humans wished to attend the ball. And the reason behind it was to support an orphaned full-blooded fox demon from a noble ancestry. Technically, there wasn’t anyone who could object, especially when the half-demon was of direct relation to the current Lord of the Western lands.



“How troublesome,” Sesshoumaru thought aloud. He let out a sigh. He was grudgingly curious about the miko. He absentmindedly melted a nearby tiger lily with a sizzling drop of poison; letting it fall lazily from the tips of his fingers. He was now standing in the courtyard, having left his still babbling allies to continue their gossip about the human girl icon.



The silver haired inuyoukai wandered aimlessly until he reached the hedge maze within the garden.

He hesitated at the entrance. Finally he resolved to satisfy his curiosity, he took a shortcut to the center of the maze which held the actual site of the four territories intersecting. The intersection of the four corners was a famous spot; it represented the peace, unity, and interconnectivity in the hectic maze of life. But to Sesshoumaru, it was just a convenient spot to monitor the activities of all four lands at once.



The demon lord had easily memorized the 41 turns that it took to reach the center and quickly reached his goal. He stood in the western corner and spread his aura outward into his land. He soon found the area where Inuyasha’s group was camped, two days worth of travel at human standards. Perhaps an hour for a demon. He focused his demonic spirit carefully, prodding at each of the travelers’ auras. He was pushing just light enough to be undetectable but strong enough for him to inspect the owner.



‘Here’s that worthless half-breed,’ the taiyoukai remarked casually before moving on.

‘This one is full-blood demon, female. The cat,’ he deduced. Prodding the next one, ‘Holy aura, but male. That must be the monk.’ he extended his reach to the next one, ‘female but not holy, that’s the slayer.’ Sesshoumaru extended his senses further, ‘where are you, little priestess? Come out to play.’ He met with three auras at once, they were hidden, hard to detect except for one that fluctuated in and out. If not for that, he probably wouldn’t have sensed them at all. He prodded the one that fluctuated, ‘That’s the fox, he must be learning how to suppress his demonic energy.’ He prodded at the one next to the kit, ‘Ah, that is Shinji. The wolf must have been telling the truth when he said Shinji visits often.’ Lastly, Sesshoumaru pushed his aura gently against a very faint energy. It seemed to react in welcoming, embracing his aura. It became stronger. It was soft and warm; the powerful taiyoukai almost lost himself in the feeling. He shook himself and sharpened his energy, prodding sharply at the aura that dared to touch his. ‘How had it even detected his presence?’ He prodded questioningly at the energy source. ‘It is female and--’

Suddenly the aura vanished. Soon after, Shinji’s and the fox’s auras returned to normal strength, signally that they had stopped their lessons.

Sesshoumaru allowed his aura to fan out, searching for the girl. It had to be the priestess but where did she go?



All of a sudden, Sesshoumaru felt it-- right in front of him.

“May I inquire upon the reason as to why you have chosen to investigate me Lord Sesshoumaru?”

The dog almost shivered, the voice was so feminine. It sounded smooth and soft. There was something incredibly nice about it.

The taiyoukai opened his eyes but no one was there. The girl had extended her aura and had stealthily assaulted his mind, discovered his identity and even planted a communication link. She was indeed a threat.

He seized the invisible thread that linked their minds together and spoke.

“It is for my own reasons. You need not know why, human.” He shook the link, attempting to dislodge it from his mind.

He could hear the other side of the link sigh, “I am only a loyal subject, devoted to the Western lands.” Saying that, the thread was cut and her aura became peaceful and quiet, it was laid out for his investigation.





Kagome had been meditating with Shinji and Shippo, trying to press upon the fox the importance of being able to control one’s energy. Just then, a curious aura pressed against hers. It wasn’t hostile so she attempted to examine it.

‘Powerful, dog demon, noble…perhaps powerful enough to be a taiyoukai?’ Kagome fondled the aura, rolling it around. ‘Sesshoumaru?’ She lightly embraced the power, testing its reaction. It seemed to enjoy the attention.

‘Must not be him then. Doesn‘t seem hostile,’ she thought. But suddenly the aura flared up. Becoming very large, very demonic, and very hostile. ‘Oops, never mind’ she thought as she cut off all contact and retreated. Not wanting any trouble from the lord of the lands she lived on.

However, that was not to be. The angered taiyoukai expanded his aura, searching for her energy. She turned to meet the glares of a large black dog and a small brown kitsune. They knew that the angered demonic energy that swept the area had something to do with her.

Shinji stood, adopting his human form, he swept his robes up imperiously. He coldly glared down at the girl sitting at his feet before turning on his heel to leave.

“Come Shippo, let the adolescents fight amongst themselves.”

Shippo laughed and followed the dog demon back to camp, “Yes sensei!”

Kagome pouted and laughed, “He started it!” She yelled back.

The priestess could hear laughter in the distance along with the exasperated sigh of her weapon’s master.

She smiled before turning back to the angry energy that weaved back and forth like a cobra, ready to strike. She gently touched the edges of it and traveled its length to the source. He was frustrated and angry at her disappearance so she shot out a thread of her energy and allowed it to mingle with his, permitting communication between the two. Kagome then unleashed her aura. Sesshoumaru froze and she could tell he was in shock, she spoke softly.

“May I inquire upon the reason as to why you have chosen to investigate me Lord Sesshoumaru?”

There was silence before a violent assault against her communications link took place.

“It is for my own reasons. You need not know why, human.”

Kagome bristled with agitation but kept her temper in check. ‘He probably didn’t appreciate the surprise link,’ She would have to appease him if she had any hope of being at the Demons’ Ball. She sighed, ‘give him what he wants,’ she thought.

“I am only a loyal subject, devoted to the Western lands.” She spoke before severing the link and revealing her aura for his scrutiny.





Sesshoumaru was surprised at her statement. He took a test prod at her aura. She simply relaxed and allowed it. The inuyoukai curiously examined and explored her energy. It held no ill will toward him and seemed to even trust and embrace him. After he was satisfied with the knowledge that the girl really wasn’t as major a threat as he had thought, he connected a new communications link.

“This Sesshoumaru accepts your declaration of loyalty as the truth.” He quickly formulated a lie to cover up his true motives. “I have taken it upon myself to ensure that the half-breed would not shame the family name by bringing the untrustworthy within the walls of our capital.” He couldn’t tell her that he had thought her to be a threat, such a pitifully weak human.

“Then you have laid your suspicions to rest, my lord?” Kagome asked politely.

Sesshoumaru’s lower regions reacted at the innocent title she used to address him. She made it sound so attractive, as if he owned her just as he owned the land. This girl pleased him, she knew her place.

“Hn.” He intoned. “We shall see each other at the Demons’ Ball. I would advise you to bring a form of defense against bodily attacks. I will only intervene if you are on the brink of death. After all, I would not allow a subject under my rule and protection to die needlessly.”

Kagome smiled, “I understand. I shall not present you with the opportunity to intervene upon my behalf. Thank you for your words, my lord.”

Sesshoumaru smirked, “Indeed…”

And with that, he severed their connection.



Kagome felt the link get cut off and slowly allowed the smile on her face to curl up in mischievous delight. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about the lord of her lands getting involved with her private affairs. If there was anything Kagome loved — it was taking care of her own personal vendettas. She didn’t plan on hiding behind the taiyoukai with her tail between her legs.

‘All I have to do is stay away from the brink of death. That shouldn’t be too hard.’ The girl looked down at her hands and flexed her wrists. ‘I just need to loosen up and train.’

========================================================





Kagome awoke, tomorrow was the much awaited occasion. The days had passed quickly, Sango and Miroku finished their outfits for the ball. In the end, Kagome had helped them think of a pattern and aided them in successfully executing it. Sango’s kimono had a pink and grey trim with an elaborate pattern of cranes stitched across the fabric. Her obi was a striking rich purple. It was a brave, complex outfit that spoke of her personality. Miroku’s haori was trimmed in pink and grey too. The pattern on his clothes was of his own design. Kagome didn’t know what the design meant but it made a beautiful and complex weave. His rich purple was used to make the pattern. In other words, they suited each other perfectly.

Kagome had spent the remainder of her time training with the weapon she’d received from Totosai. The craftsmanship had excelled her expectations, despite his initial misgivings. The old man had cried ridiculously, wailing and weeping when she’d beaten him. She would never have bet herself if she had any doubt of winning. The old man was crazy if he thought she’d ever really consider being his lifetime companion.

But Kagome had needed his services and she couldn’t think of any other bargaining chip than herself. Only the master weapons-maker would be able to craft what she had had in mind.

And he certainly did not disappoint her expectations. The weapon was perfect. It extended with ease at her command, just as Inuyasha’s sword would grow at his.

She’d mastered it just yesterday. She had managed to defeat both Sango and Miroku as they attacked her at the same time. Sango was felled by her extended staff and Miroku to her whip.

She desperately wanted to train with her former sensei but the black inuyoukai had since wandered off again.

In strength and appearance, Shinji seemed only a bit older than herself, his short jet black hair and emotionless but handsome face only worked to disguise his hundreds of years of practice and wisdom. And despite his ruthless training and concrete sober expression, he was compassionate and kind.

The inuyoukai had even promised her he would attend the Demons’ Ball with her group. An action that she feared could get the dog black-listed as a traitor in demon society. So she had refused his kindness but promised to meet him there, ’by chance’. She had used all of her remaining fabric to construct an outfit for him as a present. However, since the leftover fabric was all from her own pattern, the end product was an outfit that matched with hers. It was black, with a high-class, very polished cut. It had silver cuffs and necklines with white borders to differentiate from Kagomes. Nonetheless, their clothes looked too similar to be seen as a coincidence. She’d apologized when she presented it but, surprisingly, Shinji didn’t mind. He had accepted the gift with a rare smile.

Today was the day she made any final alterations to the wardrobe they would be wearing tomorrow. The girl slowly rose from the ground, stretching her arms. It was bright out and the sky was the bluest she had seen it in ages. She reached for her worn yellow backpack and retrieved several items that she’d need for her morning ritual. The river wasn’t far away and no one was up yet.

‘Perfect’, she thought.

The young priestess glanced at her traveling companions. All were peacefully sleeping, even Inuyasha was leisurely snoring, high atop an old tree.

Kagome sighed and shrugged, ‘Oh well’ she grabbed her new weapon, the dangling cranes tinkled as she quickly twisted her hair and placed the ornament firmly within.

‘That’ll do,’ she lifted her bundle of clothes and bathing supplies and set off to the river.

The group had set up camp very close to the capital, they were near enough to be able to see the walls of Umbra. However, her present destination was for water. She would no longer be in the lands of the Western Inuyoukai. She was entering the Lands of the Eastern Lord Kayashima. The only water source for half a days walk was the clear flowing Eastern River.

Kagome carefully picked her way through the forest, she didn’t wish to disturb the lands in any way. Not one twig was upset as the quick girl weaved gracefully through the trees.

She arrived at the river shortly and found an area that would allow her to enter and exit the water easily. She dropped her clothes and towel on a rock and dumped the rest of her things close to the edge of the river.

Luckily, the portion of the river she had found was sheltered with many overgrown brush and large trees. Kagome flared her energy out to check for danger but found only the aura of an underground vole demon, weak and currently asleep. She slipped out of her clothes and eased into the water. The river was high due to heavy raining season and went up to her chest in even the shallowest areas.

The girl removed the silver hair stick and allowed her raven hair to tumble out, shaking it free. However, she kept the small weapon with her, holding it in her mouth. She washed her hair quickly with her shampoo. She then gathered the heavy mass of locks and twisted it up, securing it in place with her weapon.

She turned back toward the riverbank to retrieve a bar of soap and a poof. Hopping up to sit on a large rock nearby. She lathered herself up from head to toe before slipping back into the water.

Unbeknownst to the miko, a water dragon lurked beneath the water. Watching her every move.

Naoki wasn’t a violent dragon by nature, he enjoyed the peace and serenity that his job offered. He guarded the Eastern River with pleasure. His lord had given him the authority to exterminate any foreigners that the water dragon deemed to be a threat. With this power at his disposal, the demon was satisfied with scaring people away instead of killing them.

The young demon had scented a foreign substance polluting his waters, one that did not seem familiar. It carried with it, the smell of a human.

Naoki snaked upstream to find a young, supple human girl. He rose his large silver blue head slightly from the water to peer at her face.

‘Lucky,’ he admired her looks, ’she’s quite the beauty.’

Kagome’s long legs and small waist drew the demon closer. Her smooth ivory skin resembled the marble statues that adorned the royal gardens, something Naoki loved to admire since he was a fledgling.

She was at a ripe age of development and the dragon’s mouth was weeping for a taste. He closed his eyes and sniffed her scent in the water. He could clearly smell that this woman radiated power and had not yet been claimed by another. The water demon pondered over the situation carefully. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get a mate. He would never force himself on the woman so he would have to seduce her into his claws.



Kagome was humming to herself as she enjoyed the sensation of being in the water. She loved the cool rush against her skin. Just as she was submerging her shoulders into the river, Naoki sent a strong current her way with a flick of his fanned tail.



The poor priestess was swept away before she could react. The current was taking her directly into the path of a formation of jagged rocks. She didn’t have enough time to form a plan of avoiding it and in just moments she would meet them face to face. She braced herself for the impact.



Just then, the young dragon demon chose to come to her rescue. He wrapped his long tail around her body, traveling from her long legs, to just underneath her breasts. He pulled her away from the rocks and brought her close to his face, inspecting his catch closely.



Kagome was shocked as this new development. She found herself in the midst of what seemed to be a silver-blue scaled snake. But it’s elongated muzzle, whiskers, and clawed limbs told her otherwise.

‘What a beautiful dragon’, she thought as she looked into his pale blue eyes.

All of a sudden, Kagome realized that the demon was examining her quite closely…and that she was very naked. She blushed deeply and covered her breasts. She couldn’t help but squirm in his tight hold.

“Uhh…,” she attempted to still her instinctive efforts as best she could.

“Thank you…dragon-sama, for saving me. But could you please release your hold on me so I may thank you properly.” She ducked her head in respect.

Naoki smiled, ‘What a cute little thing,’ he thought as he licked his jaws. His cold blooded nature enjoyed the warmth the girl provided him. Especially the warmth that emanated from her lower extremities.

Without a word, he swiftly swam back upstream, careful with his human passenger. He lowered her back into the river but did not release his hold on her.



“I am Naoki, guardian of the Eastern River, I must ask you why you have ventured into the domain of Lord Kayashima of the East, when I can clearly smell the scent of the Western lands all over you.” He took another deep whiff of the girl, she smelled wonderfully feminine except for the scent of pine, deeply imbedded into her skin. The smell of the West.



Just as Kagome was about to answer, a voice boomed out from above them.

“Is naughty little Naoki molesting another innocent young maiden when he should be patrolling my riverbanks?” A black soot colored dragon landed next to them. It inclined its head at Kagome. “Please forgive him, he lacks the proper etiquette in dealing with the female population.”

Kagome was promptly released from her bonds and she rushed to cover herself. Meanwhile, the water dragon seemed flustered.

“M-my Lord. What brings you here?”

Kagome froze, ’His Lord?…does that mean the Eastern Lord?...Why oh why does it have to be the Eastern lord, of all the demons?’

The miko still remembered Sango’s avid description of the Eastern Lord. He was widely known as a demon who earned the title of a noble. He was a gracious being with knightly mannerisms. Normally, any person would consider themselves lucky to have encountered such a benevolent sir, including Kagome since she held a large amount of respect for this lord and his peaceful and decent beliefs. However, considering her situation, this was definitely NOT the way she had envisioned meeting one of the few demon nobles she held such respect for.

‘Oh God, the taiyoukai Kayashima, WHY?!!? Why now? Why here? Why me?!…and why the HELL am I still naked??!’ She hugged herself tightly and curled herself up. Attempting to shrink away until she disappeared altogether.



“By the looks of it, I am just in time. I have come to inform you that the Eastern River will be open for use by any creature belonging to the Western lands. Including this charming young girl, I believe. So you will stop your petty tricks and manipulations. Is that clear, Naoki?”

“Understood, my lord.” Naoki inclined his large head, his tail twitched. It itched to grasp its prey once more, missing the warm, curvy length of her body. This did not escape the watchful eye of the Eastern lord. Naoki returned his eyes to the taiyoukai, “I shall continue my patrol for trespassers from the Northern or Southern regions. Thank you for informing me personally, Lord Kayashima.”

The black dragon wanted to roll his eyes, “That is all for now. You are dismissed, continue your surveillance of the area and do not allow yourself to get distracted again.” He glared at the water dragon for added effect.

“Yes Taiyoukai.” Naoki slid effortlessly back into the water, his tail hooked around Kagome, intent on keeping his prize.

Kayashima sighed at the young demon and was about to stop the rebellious serpent when he felt his own scales rise in defense, the girl was emitting a threatening holy aura.



Kagome was tired of Naoki’s antics. From what she could gather from the Eastern lords greeting, the water dragon was a trickster who liked to play with young women. She wouldn’t be played around with by such a disrespectful and childish demon. While the two youkai were speaking she had placed a hand on the weapon holding back her hair. She would only attack if touched again.

When her attacker’s tail slithered closer, she wasn’t surprised. Dragons were notoriously proud and stubborn. She allowed her miko powers to come forth but the water dragon didn’t seem to notice. Naoki winded his tail around her, prepared to drag her away with him.

At having the dragon demon wind his tail around her once more, Kagome snapped. She had been patient for long enough.

Kayashima watched as the miko pulled a hair ornament out of her raven colored locks. As her silky hair tumbled loose, she twisted her body around in an elegant arch, preparing to move into action. The taiyoukai looked on, amazed when the delicate instrument she had extracted from her hair began to glow in her hand. To his disbelief, as the mysterious female snapped her wrist back, a thin chain shot forth from the end of the glowing tool. The girl whipped it with frightening accuracy, it wound around Naoki’s tail three times before the miko pulled the chain back, tightening it firmly.

Seeing the wild, ruthless actions of the maiden, Kayashima--the lord of the east, was left breathless. The sight was amazingly beautiful. He watched the female as her silky black tresses flew around her, Kayashima was mesmerized.



Naoki cried out in pain when something closed around his tail and tightened until he could no longer hold onto his treasure.

Kagome hopped easily from the dragons hold and came to rest on the bank. She called her chain to retract, extended the pole, and fell into defensive position; knowing that her opponent wouldn’t back down until he was soundly defeated.



Kayashima growled suggestively at the female’s actions. His bestial demon side extended its wings on instinct, wanting to show the female his impressive appearance. The taiyoukai caught himself but still huffed when he noticed that the females attention was still fixed on his underling. He would soon change that.



Naoki growled in frustration and excitement at the delicate human who dared break contact with him. She was still in a defensive stance watching him when suddenly she dropped her hands and straightened her back. The girl’s dark tresses fell to cover her body, he couldn’t wait to explore her figure underneath the mass of black silk.

Naoki reared back and prepared to seize the girl when his lord suddenly appeared before him. The blue water dragon found his neck in the powerful jaws of the eastern lord. The heat radiating from Kayashima’s mouth spoke volumes of his threat to the young fledgling.

The taiyoukai was tired of watching Naoki’s escapades. The water dragon may have been a favored prodigy assigned to guard the eastern river at his early age but he was overstepping his bounds. Naoki may have excelled at the power to manipulate water but he had no better common sense than any other pubescent demon. Kayashima would have to teach him a lesson. Without loosening his hold, the dragon lord snarled in his ancient tongue.

* “Young one, continuing further will make you an enemy of the western alliance and myself. Are you prepared?”*

Naoki shivered. Every fiber of his being shook at the thought of being on the bad side of any of the four great lords. He fell limp in the grasp of the powerful dragon taiyoukai before him and bowed his head in submission.

Kayashima recognized his underling’s silent plea for forgiveness and decided to be lenient.

* “Change to your human form. You will apologize to the girl for scaring her.”*

Naoki glanced at the girl in question and somehow he seriously doubted he had scared her at all. Her eyes had changed during the course of their meeting. She seemed to be soaking everything in, cold and calculating. Despite being naked, her stance was proud and dignified, arms crossed and eyes set firmly on his. He only wished her hair wasn’t blocking his view of her womanhood. He allowed his eyes to roam her form, desperately and hungrily, before returning to her unyielding eyes. It excited him but he knew he shouldn’t press his luck anymore.

Kayashima watched as the demon in his grasp began changing. He loosened his grip to allow the young dragon room to shift his form.

Kagome watched this entire exchange while prepared for any attack to her being. She hadn’t been able to exactly translate any of the snarls that came from the Eastern lord but she could grasp the gist of what was going on. Lately she was getting better and better at understanding youkai, she could only guess it was like picking up a foreign language when exposed enough to it. She recognized the shift in Naoki’s aura and knew that he was changing forms. Moments later a young boy around Shippo’s age appeared before her. He couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve in human years. She could have almost laughed at how serious she had been about fighting him just now.



Having been released from the threatening jaws of Lord Kayashima, Naoki slowly approached the priestess. He stopped only a yard away from her. He raised his eyes and lustfully scanned her body before returning to her eyes once more. Her expression was again changed, no longer cold and calculating. She was gazing upon him with mirth and laughter in her eyes.

‘Damn it all,’ Naoki swore. She no longer considered him a threat. He was just a child in her eyes.

“Sorry.”

The apology was whispered and so soft that she almost missed it. Kagome laughed good-naturedly and placed her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes in response, moving into her warmth. Her eyes softened again and she stroked his head.

“It’s fine,” Kagome smiled warmly, “no harm done.”

Naoki opened his eyes and gazed with surprise at the kindness in her eyes. It dawned on him suddenly; he wasn’t worthy of this girl. She needed someone a lot more powerful and centuries wiser than he currently was. He lowered his head in defeat.



Kayashima smiled at the exchange in front of him, only slightly jealous at the girl’s quick acceptance of Naoki’s human form. She showed a strange affection for the young demon that made the Eastern lord warm and anxious. Without further thought, the taiyoukai also shifted to his human form.

Kagome noticed a shift of power and looked up to find that the huge black dragon was replaced with a young man with soot black hair and a smiling expression that reminded her of Miroku. She followed his eyes and realized again that she was naked. Without a word, she pulled away from Naoki and took a step back.

The dragon taiyoukai watched her retreat when suddenly a large and powerful barrier was erected around her. It flashed from clear blue to a frosty white that prevented anyone from seeing in. He could only see her outline shadowed against the barrier. Her form swiftly made its way to the bank and bent to pick something up.

‘Ah, too bad.’ Kayashima was about to turn around as the shadowed form began putting her clothes on. He changed his mind however when he watched her first put on her undergarments. Her shadowed form still showed every curve of her body clearly as he watched her put on her panties with plenty of leg lifting and readjusting. It was like hiding behind a rice paper screen and watching something indecent. The Eastern Lord was beginning to react powerfully, his member already straining against his pants, pounding with his desire. He groaned silently and readjusted himself. He desperately wanted to rip through that barrier and bury himself in the girl’s soft warmth. The dragon taiyoukai could barely contain himself as thoughts of her hooded eyes and breathless moans invaded his thoughts. However, a soft growl cut through his thoughts. Naoki was still standing close by, forgotten in the dragon lord’s lusty images of the girl. The young river guardian was also experiencing problems suppressing his desires. Kayashima sighed.

‘Ah to be young again.’ He still remembered and retained some of his horny teenage mind and could only guess what Naoki was imagining. He sighed again and swiftly covered the young demon’s eyes and turned them both around.

Naoki struggled desperately at first, wanting nothing more than to break that barrier and claim the woman behind it in every possible way imaginable. He began to lose the fight for control as his bestial side slipped past in the form of a growl.

* “I’ll fuck her till she can’t even stand on those sinful legs of hers. My cock will be buried in her so often she won’t be able to live without it.”*

Kayashima was surprised at the boy’s outburst to say the least. Though the boy appeared to be in his early teens, the water dragon was 105. He should have mastered control of his inner demon long ago. And even if he hadn’t mastered control, his bestial side shouldn’t already be looking for a mate.

‘How very curious,’ the taiyoukai furrowed his brow as he looked at the boy. Young Naoki didn’t even acknowledge the Eastern Lord. He just kept blindly struggling against Kayashima’s hold.



Kagome’s heart was beating a mile a minute and her mind was racing.

‘What should I do?? I’ve got to get out of here.’

After she was dressed, she took up her stuff and prepared herself to run as fast as she could. She shielded her aura from view and got into a ready position.

And with no hesitation, the priestess opened the back of the barrier and sprinted out.

Kayashima felt the change in the air and turned around to check on the miko. The barrier was still up but the priestess was nowhere in sight. The taiyoukai ran a hand through his black hair as he sighed. He was itching to give chase but Naoki needed someone to calm him down.

He lifted the struggling boy by the scruff and dumped him in the river.

*”Take a swim and cool your head,”* he growled out to the younger demon.

He could still smell her. It was a light, delicate scent with a undertone of raw power. The taiyoukai groaned as his manhood stirred with desire.

‘Maybe I should cool my head too, I need a break from all that political talk anyway.’

And with that thought, the Eastern Lord dived headfirst into the Eastern River.



Kagome was back in camp and busy preparing breakfast. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she was going to do. She could only hope the Eastern Lord wouldn’t recognize her during the Demon’s Ball. She could only imagine how that would play out.

“Ugh,” she covered her face with both hands and shook her head.

“What’s wrong Kagome?” Sango rubbed her eyes awake, “Did something happen?”

Kagome couldn’t hold it in anymore, her eyes began to tear up with frustration and humiliation.

“Saangooooo,” She grabbed onto her friends shoulders, “the worst thing EVER happened!!”

The slayer was in shock but gently hugged the girl’s shaking body close.

“What happened Kagome? It’s okay, it’s alright now.”

With much difficulty, Kagome sobbed out her story.

Ten minutes later, Sango couldn’t help but laugh at the poor girl before her.

“It’s not funny Sango! What am I going to do? I have the worst luck!!” She wiped her eyes against her sleeves. Now that she’d told someone about what happened, she felt very relieved.

Sango bit her lip, trying to contain her amusement.

“Okay Kagome, okay. So the Eastern Lord saw you naked, so what? You already know that demons aren’t so concerned about that kind of stuff. Lord Kayashima isn’t the type of demon who would think less of you for it.” The slayer patted Kagome’s shoulder lightly.

“Yeah but still, why me?! I had our meeting all planned out! I was going to introduce myself and bow and then tell him ‘thank you on behalf of the cat tribes, for providing the peace envoys that aided in the reconciliation between the two families. We are very thankful to you, Taiyoukai of the Eastern Lands.’ It was going to be perfect!!” Kagome wailed out helplessly, “And then he saw me like THAT?! I was even getting ready to wail on that kid’s ass! Right in front of him!!”

“Yeaaah, it’s really too bad you let him see your bad side Kagome,” Sango couldn’t help but laugh and tease her troubled friend. “But isn’t it better that he knows your true personality anyway?”

Kagome glared at her best friend, who had returned to laughing her sides sore.

Offended, she glared at the slayer and crossed her arms.

“Yeah, laugh it up Sango….”

“Sorry Kagome, I’m sorry,” Sango finally suppressed her laughter and wiped a tear from her eye. “But just so you know, I wouldn’t make such a big deal out of it. A taiyoukai like Kayashima wouldn’t spread gossip about something like this.”

The young miko smiled weakly at her friend’s attempts to cheer her up.

Sango watched her friend closely and grinned, “Now let’s get training so the next time he sees you naked, you’ll be ready!”

Kagome gaped at her friend before she turned a deep rose color. She grabbed the whip-pole ornament from her hair and allowed it to lengthen to her own height. She twirled the pole over her head before bringing it down in a sweeping arch and crouching down in battle position.

“You’ve been hanging around your monk for too long,” Kagome smiled when her friend blushed. “But if it’s training you want, its training you’ll get.”

Sango rose and back-flipped to her weapon, hefting it onto her shoulder.

“Oh I want it,” the slayer’s lean form fell into fighting position as easily as if she was breathing, “give me all you’ve got, it’s your move.”



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Thank you, I never thought everyone here would be so nice. Ah, I think I'm weak against your compliments since I'm posting another chapter so soon.

Thank you for reading, rating, and reviewing



KPO4