Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as her feet touched solid earth once more. Hanging suspended in a ball of strange, wormy demons as she traversed the boundaries of the mortal realm hadn’t been anything less that gut-wrenching. But the danger had passed. She was back now, at last. As the Shinidamachu slithered away with

In a brilliant arc, Kagome’s arrows streaked toward the inuyoukai pair. Bracing themselves for a seeking strike, they leapt away and whirled. Their plan was to swat down the arrows with spear and whip as they changed course. It was a good plan. But the demons’ instinctive, well-timed slashes met only with open air— Kagome’s

Untouched by Sesshoumaru’s corrosion, the flooring at Kagome’s feet gleamed, a little island of beauty in the desolation that surrounded her. More than half of the tower had been melted away. What remained was a pitiful, broken shell. But Kagome could only feel concern for herself. Sinking to her hands and knees, she hacked up

“Don’t be a fool,” Sesshoumaru said, his eyes bleeding red. “This is the last chance I will give you: abandon this madness.” The dark winds of his spiritual energy churned in a maelstrom, stripping all warmth from the air and eroding the room around them. The fine walls and ceiling cracked and crumbled into a