Rin insisted she went with them, much to Jaken's annoyance, but Sesshomaru didn't have time to argue. "You are to stay with A-Un and the rest of the pack," the demon stated. The toad's mouth dropped open in shock that the lord was allowing this. "Is that understood, Rin?" This was a serious matter. Naraku may have been targeting the child, but his main objective was Akiko in the end. If he got ahold of Rin as well, the young woman may do anything in her power to be sure she wasn't harmed, putting her life on the line.

Rin nodded vigorously. "Are we done?" Inuyasha questioned. "We're burning daylight!"

There was no mistaking Naraku's stench as they left the Western Lands and that made them wary. He hid it any other time, so why was it different now?

"We're being led into a trap," Aisu stated. But no one was stopping their approach. There was no plan except to meet the enemy head on because they had no time to waste. Akiko's life hung in the balance and in other instances where the reincarnation's life was in danger they knew the consequences the longer Akiko was in Naraku's grasp. He wished to absorb her after the young woman submitted to him mind, body, and soul. There was no telling how long the young woman would last with those injuries as the castle came into view. A miasma clung to the manor, Sango producing another mask and tying to around Rin's nose and mouth so she wasn't poisoned. His aura, his scent was everywhere. And so was Akiko's blood, causing Seshomaru's brows to narrow. It had only been hours since her capture and the scent was strong. His hand gripped the hilt of his weapon tightly.

"Naraku, show yourself!" Inuyasha shouted. They were in the courtyard before the main steps into the household, all clutching their weapons as the pack growled lowly. And finally he revealed himself on the top of the steps wrapped up in his baboon pelt without the headdress. He was smirking and it only made them angrier.

"Well, well, I suspected all of you here much sooner," he taunted. "No matter. Your lateness worked in my favor."

"Give us back Akiko," Miroku demanded.

"Where is she?" Kagome breathed. Their lateness worked in his favor, the teen's face paled. "Where is she?" she shouted louder. Were they too late? Had her cousin been consumed? Kagome would never forgive herself–

"Give her back!" Kagome yelled.

"She's alive, for now," Naraku stated. But that still didn't make her breathe any easier. "Come here, my dear."

The rice paper doors behind him opened as the young woman was revealed looking well and unharmed. "Kagome!" she shouted. And with a swift kick to the half demon she was running across the courtyard towards them from the danger. But before the young woman could reach their side Sesshomaru was rushing forward and gripped her right arm so tightly it halted all movement.

"Sesshomaru, what the hell?" Inuyasha shouted.

"Look at her hand," the lord stated. And ripping it away from her side revealed a thin blade hidden under her long sleeves. "She's possessed."

And then Kagome saw it, "There's a jewel shard in her forehead!"

Akiko grinned maliciously, tossing the weapon from her hand into the other and taking a swipe at the demon causing him to lunge away at a distance.

"Very good, Sesshomaru," Naraku mocked. "I knew you would be the first to realize it." And then his eyes turned to his new servant. "She is mine, her mind, her body. Now I want her soul."

"And what exactly do you plan on doing to accomplish that?" Inuyasha asked.

"I thought it was quite obvious. There's only one thing to break her completely, and that's to exterminate everyone she holds dear. But it will not be by my hand." And he smirked sadistically. "Akiko, attack!" Discarding the item in her grasp the Ice Blade appeared in its place, and she attacked as Inuyasha rushed forward to protect the others causing their blades to lock in place. It was a draw.

"Snap out of it, Akiko!" the half demon shouted. She wasn't listening though, using the free hand to gather ice in the palm before reaching forward and gripping onto his wrists beginning to freeze him in place. The young woman was strong. Too strong and he couldn't pull himself out of her grasp. Inuyasha watched her begin to transform before his very eyes. But it wasn't a full transfiguration.

"He doesn't have complete control yet," Aisu pointed out. "There may be a part of Akiko that is still fighting back."

"But for how much longer?" Sango wondered. "That's a jewel shard. It can turn even the strongest person evil."

"Then we better not waste any time," Miroku stated. He rushed forward to aid Inuyasha, who was making no progress and his movement drew Akiko's attention. The half demon was no concern of hers, halfway frozen to the ground and shouting in pain at the freezing temperature spreading across the skin. The monk was no match, being thrown away with a blast of wind and ice. Sango was at her back in seconds, the reincarnation spinning on the heel of a foot and took a swipe at her and Kirara. They became airborne, Akiko lunging after them with such speed the slayer almost didn't manage to block the blow in time. Still, the Ice Blade cut into the arm causing Sango to yelp, and looking to the demon underneath her the young woman blew ice into her face. The animal yowled in pain and unable to see went crashing to the ground.

The young woman's attention then turned towards Kagome, who stood in front of Jaken, A-Un, Rin, and the pack, Tobi and Aisu by her sides. "You're next," Akiko spoke in a voice not her own.

"Akiko, come to your senses!" the teen begged. But she rushed forward anyway only to be cut off by the emotionless demon. Her movements halted, assessing him carefully.

"Do not hesitate," Naraku ordered.

"Very well," the young woman spoke, staring at the lord. "I'll deal with you first." And the two clashed.

"Akiko!" Kagome shouted.

"You wouldn't shoot your cousin would you?" the half demon taunted. She was torn, arrow loosely notched into the bow not knowing what to do.

"You cannot hesitate," Tobi spoke up. "It is my fault I wasn't by her side, but what's before us now is not Akiko. She will kill you if given the chance." They looked at each other. "So what do we do to become one step ahead?"

They needed to free Inuyasha for the numbers and strength, rushing across the courtyard with a Gamma from the pack for protection chipping away at the ice with the tip of an arrow.

The clash of the demon lord and possessed reincarnation echoed in the air with each hit of their blades. But he wasn't like the others managing to dodge every side attack she threw at him when thinking he was distracted. He never was. And it irritated her to no end as he threw her across the ground, the young woman managing to catch herself and roll onto a side and slid to a stop in a low crouch.

"Come to your senses," Sesshomaru ordered. Akiko stared at him coldly his words having no affect. Instead ice crawled up the free hand and began to spread across the ground towards the demon. He jumped out of the way only for the young woman to intercept his movements and grasped the shoulder missing an arm. Ice spiked along the surface causing him to pull away harshly, shoving Tokijin into the ground and swiping at the reincarnation with his claws. They made contact a hiss coming from her lips and lunging out of the way as blood poured out of the wound staining the clothing. But she wasn't poisoned, which intrigued Naraku as he watched. The demon lord held off that vital part of the attack. A whirlwind of snow and ice encased the two of them making Akiko disappear from sight and throw off Sesshomaru's senses. The only thing holding him to reality was the ground below his feet. That was when the attack came from behind stabbing him through the back breaking the armor in the process. It was not fatal on the right side away from the heart. Still, it took its toll as the demon coughed up blood and fell to a knee. Naraku smirked at the sight as the snow evaporated, the others staring in shock.

"What's the matter, Sesshomaru?" the enemy taunted. "Are you going soft on humans? By now you would've killed her." The lord glared at Naraku from under his bangs. "End him."

The blade was pulled free, but before she could attack once more the demon whirled around freeing his sword from the ground and slicing in her direction. The tip grazed the front as Akiko's body bent in an attempt to avoid the frontal assault. "Ice Wind!" The temperature dropped as ice forced in the air.

"Get down!" Tobi barked. Tackling Rin to the ground she was surrounded and covered by the pack from harm, Jaken squawking and hiding behind A-Un. Inuyasha managed to break out of the remaining ice and threw Kagome to the ground as the ice cut into his reveal skin, Miroku throwing himself over Sango.

"Kill them!" Naraku ordered as the wind bit into them. "Kill them all!"

Suddenly, Akiko's head thrashed back and forth, facial features contorting in pain before crying out. Gripping her head with one hand it felt like the ground was swallowing her up. As if she were falling and nothing was stopping her. "Akiko!" the enemy's voice cut through her growing chaos. "Kill them!" Her expression was wild, looking between parted fingers and shoved the blade into the ground causing ice to break out over the surface and cover everything in its path.

"Don't let it touch you!" Aisu snapped, rushing forward with two Gamma members. They growled and snapped their jaws threateningly unaffected by the surface as Inuyasha scooped up the cousin and lunged out of the way with Miroku close behind with Sango and Kirara, taking to the air.

Akiko used the ice to her advantage managing to maneuver around the approaching pack members and come up from behind the unsuspecting half demon and sliced open his back. "Inuyasha!" the teen exclaimed as he went tumbling to the ground on top of her. Before she could land the final blow Sesshomaru cut into her path, holding back the attack inches from its mark.

"Fight it," the lord ordered in her ear. The young woman's teeth clenched.

"Do you think she is that powerful?" Naraku snickered. "She is a reincarnation, just like Kagome. She doesn't even have half the power Kikyo has. What makes you think Akiko can match Aisu's power when she did hold a human form?"

"You know nothing of what she's capable of," Aisu snarled.

"I've seen enough to know she can't overpower me or the sacred jewel shard." And it was because of that reason Akiko would be his completely in only a matter of time–

"I..." Akiko's strained voice cut through the courtyard, "can... try!" She thrashed her head again trying to break from the spell before looking the demon in the eye with a dark expression once more and threw all her weight into him. In the free hand a dagger made of ice formed in her grasp slashing open the demon's chest and causing the both of them to tip backwards and fall roughly to the ground.

"End his miserable existence," Naraku ordered. The young woman was sitting on his stomach, holding the Ice Blade with both hands by the hilt over him in a threatening manner as her knee pinned his wrist to the ground. The demon was completely defenseless,

"Akiko, no!" Aisu shouted. She was charging forward to try and reach them in time.

Kill him, a voice whispered in the reincarnation's head. And a part of her tried to will it away, as she had attempted all the other times Naraku ordered her to kill. But it was unrelenting and malicious. You know you want to, and once you do you'll be free. There were tears gathering in her eyes and threatening to spill over as she stared the demon in the eye under her that was being covered in ice in order to hold him in place. His wounds were serious though and he wasn't fighting back. Strike him down...

"Don't do it, please!" Kagome shouted.

The young woman's hands shook as she wrestled with what to do, the darker side winning as she prepared herself to kill one of the people in her way–

"Akiko!" a voice broke through her inner battle. "Please don't kill Lord Sesshomaru!" It was Rin, as the reincarnation looked up at her from behind the defenses of the pack. There were tears in the child's eyes as she stared in horror at the situation before her.

Kill him!

And Akiko screamed, head snapping back towards the demon below her and threw down the blade in hand.

Rin shrieked as Tobi quickly shielded her away before blood could be drawn as the others shouted in alarm and were rushing forward. But the only one close enough to the situation was Aisu and she wasn't going to make it.

The blade made impact, yet no blood was drawn. She had missed completely, stabbing the sharp edge into the dirt above his head as the shard began to glow in her forehead before falling from its place. The young woman was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto him below. "I can't kill you," she whispered so softly he was the only one to hear. The ice began to melt around them mixing with the blood pouring from the demon's wounds. "I'm sor–"

Her voice became cut off when something stabbing her in the back, their eyes following back to Naraku on the steps with a tentacle coming out from under the pelt, who had a less than pleased expression on his face. Kagome screamed, realizing the attack hit he same area when they were attacked back at Sesshomaru's manor as blood gushed through her clothing and lips. Even the demon's eyes slightly widened at the sight before her eyes closed and she tipped off of him towards the ground. With the last of his strength the lord reached out and caught Akiko before hitting the ground, hiding a wince from his own pain.

"Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha shouted. The enemy was completely vulnerable now, having opened the barrier to try and kill his rogue servant and that was the opportunity they needed. It went barreling towards the manor forcing Naraku to release the reincarnation and flee as the attack ripped through the barrier and destroyed everything in its path. When the smoke and dust clear he was gone causing the half demon to growl in annoyance, "He got away again."

"Akiko!" Kagome shouted. The teen rushed forward with Aisu, Tobi and the pack holding back Rin from seeing all the blood.

She was lying on the ground with a pool of red forming under her as Sesshomaru's hand had reached behind the back attempting to stanch the flow. His head turned at their approach. "She's alive..." he stated. Only his eyes rolled into the back of his head before another word could be said and lost consciousness beside the reincarnation.

"I never thought I would see the day that this demon would be reduced to this," Aisu mused. Lord Sesshomaru wasn't an ordinary demon, but one of the strongest. No one questioned him and those that did either met a gruesome end or were taught a lesson rather quickly. That was why the dog demon was the only one the former Queen would ally her reincarnation with. And now looking at the state he was in was baffling.

"They need a healer," Kagome stated. Shippo rushed up to her with a first aid kit as the teen began pulling out bandages and gauze wrapping her cousin up as best she could.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried, blubbering uncontrollably. The student then tended to the demon's wound.

"Leave him, he'll heal," Inuyasha grumbled in annoyance.

"I don't care, he's injured and helped get through to Akiko," Kagome stated. "I owe him."

"We owe him nothing." She didn't answer the comment, ignoring the half demon's attitude. Miruko helped her tug the demon onto A-Un's back, with the toad being diligent and stayed by his side as they took off into the air towards the manor. Tobi whined lowly, coming to Aisu's side and nuzzling against Akiko's hand that was hanging limply from the wolf's back.

"We return to the Western Lands," the former Queen stated. "For the time being." And she looked to Kagome and her friends. "Follow us if you wish."

The others already knew what Kagome's wishes would be as the pack took off along with Rin, the teen turning towards Inuyasha, who had his arms crossed in defiance. "You don't have to like it, but either way I will be following after them. Alone if I have to."

"No, we will drop you off if we have to," Sango stated. She wasn't looking too great either, the monk wrapping her bleeding arm. The slayer needed to see a healer as well.

"I'm not staying in his 'castle'," Inuyasha stated. "The second Sango and Akiko are healed we're gone." And none argued with him because it was the best offer they were going to get from him when the situation involved his half brother.