For one good reason, the smell of traditional hotpot wasn't cheering Kagome up.
"Poor thing." She said as she watched Yura put a recently caught pheasant into the pot, letting the stew sink into its lifeless, featherless, cleaned body.
Growling at the schoolgirl, the hair demoness stirred the pot while putting some mushrooms she got, "You wanted it. It's not my fault this bird is quite delicious."
"I know, but I still feel sorry for it. Pheasants are quite cute..." she was a girly girl at heart, after all.
Unfortunately for her, the yokai was not, "Be glad I killed it quickly. I'm just as famished as you."
Blinking, Kagome had an important question, "Wait, how do you eat? Why would you need to? Aren't you a comb that somehow gained life?"
"And this body ain't for show." The yokai glared, tempted to harm the girl but stopping upon remembering that Haruto would make her life a living hell, and if not him, Naruko definitely had that covered. "Maintaining this form requires energy, and food serves any kind of living body to keep that energy."
"I guess that makes sense, somehow." The schoolgirl whispered with an arched brow, "Anyway, how long is it going to take? Should we call Haruto and Naruko?"
"Are you always this annoying?" Yura felt her right eyelid twitch slightly.
Pouting rather adorably, Kagome responded with, "Forgive me for being bored. I am at least trying to make conversation."
"Save it, I needn't hear your bothersome voice more than necessary." The enslaved yokai growled at her.
"Are all you demons this rude?" Kagome frowned, "After that flea's story, I thought some had some heart like Naruko's dad."
"Ha! Don't make me laugh, bitterly." The hair kunoichi scoffed, "Possibly all that happened was that he found that bitch's mother interesting enough for a night and she couldn't bring herself to end a hanyo's life. If you asked me, she'd have done her a favor had she ended that mutt's existence."
"H-How can you be so cruel!?" Kagome asked, disgusted at such an attitude.
Glaring, Yura answered bluntly, "Do you think life as something both humans and demons hate is easy? I'm not joking saying death is better than being hunted by any side..."
Freezing in place, Kagome took those words and pondered what they meant, Naruko really went through such a thing...Then... she got up, "I need to talk to her, then. Haruto won't be enough."
"Wait, what about this meal I've worked so hard to make?" Yura asked irately.
Kaede walked in, "I'll take care of it and save it for when you return."
"Grr, you better leave enough for us, shriveled human..." the yokai growled before following the schoolgirl.
As for Haruto, Satsuki had reached her breaking point and lashed at him, her light whip cutting the air. In a split second, he rolled out of its way, panting as he jumped back to his feet and regretted it. The pain he still had been going through made him stumble and fall on his knees. The dog demoness for her part approached him coolly, eyes narrowed dangerously.
Her servant snickered, "Lady Satsuki, how shall we make this human's suffering a fitting one? Perhaps we should show him Naruko's fate to break him."
While they got closer, Haruto heard him, "W-what're you talking about!? Oi, you damn oversized snot, what's going on with Naruko-chan!?"
Swinging her hand, Satsuki left a gash on the boy's chest, making him yelp and fall flat on his back, clutching the wound, "I'll take my time with you, but maybe I'll let you see her existence ending once and for all." Another lash, meant to cut him some more. However, he was as quick as always to react and rolled away... only for the next to get his right thigh.
Yelping again, he gripped his new wound and groaned, "Ugh... You're really a bitch..." he gasped, trying to stand the pain.
"How mundane." Satsuki sighed. "All that power and still all too human. A rat among mice."
"Screw... you." Haruto breathed. "What the hell... are you doing... to Naruko?" He growled.
"Finally making her useful!" Jaken gloated before something clicked. "Ah! Speaking of which, I must be off. Her and her affection can be rather problematic." The little demon muttered as he left.
"I won't lie to you, human." Satsuki spoke, regaining Haruto's fading attention. "I find deception and trickery distasteful. Those are the weapons of the weak. However, I suppose I may shred off a miniscule portion of my honor for important answers."
"What... are you... going on... about?" Haruto asked, his conscious swiftly fading.
"Nothing you'll truly need to concern yourself with." She answered.
Haruto knew he wouldn't get the chance to ask more questions. Satsuki brought up a hand, readying another wound, but that wasn't his only problem. His wounds and exhaustion caught up with him and he was ready to be out like a light bulb. But like any true fighter, there was only one solution to an incoming finishing blow that made sense to him. And that was to refuse to give up.
"A-Are you really going to let it end like this?" he panted hard, but forced himself to speak firmly.
"Ending your life quickly is more than you deserve." He had guessed she would be as charming as ever.
When everything fails: bullshit.
"You mean after recognizing a human hit you, you're killing him?" he was sweating from exhaustion and the thick tension tightening around his heart.
Pretty if icy eyes narrowed on him, "What're you getting at?"
Forcing a smirk was second nature to him, "Seems to me the Great Satsuki is letting go the guy who scarred her too easy. After all, if I hit you without knowing what I can do... What would others think?" seeing her hand twitch warmed his heartstrings, "Lady as strong as you having her pretty face ruined by a guy who barely knew what he was doing. I'm sure other demons wouldn't be able to hold their laughter."
Having fought her, the boy could see obvious signs of anger, the slight narrower edge on her eyes said he was doing something right, "Which is why I'm ending your life now."
"Shame, because you could shut them up easy." He started, hitting her pride, "But you'd like to end it all, ignore how they won't take you seriously after a single lowly human landed a strike on you."
"Enough dillydallying, what're you getting to?" she approached him, her hand clutching the air in anger.
Playing a carefree jackass, he tilted his head to the side, "Why care? You're killing me now, unable to finish our fight or see my full potential..." he paused to focus, his eyes losing their pupils, Shit, I got to wrap this soon, but I still need time... Thinking quickly, he continued, "I bet that you saw, right? Give me time to see what I can do, and you'd be having a good battle. One worth of testing your power..."
She paused, mulling over his words internally, "Boasting again like a fool." She declared, readying to finish him.
"Am I?" he was quick to say, trying to suck in air. "Or do you want to... fool yourself for when demons... taunt you for letting this chance go?"
He was truly crawling under her skin, "Speak." Even if she remained as freezingly deadly as ever.
His eyesight lacked focus, his head spinning, but he still spoke, "E-End my life... and get nothing out of it... but knowing I could've given you... a great fight..."
Analyzing him, she walked to the boy with her hands down, "How can you be so certain you'd have a chance?"
"Told you, didn't I? I just... learned how to use... my power." He grinned, "Give me time to learn... and I'll finish this fight... with my own fists..."
And that, claiming he'd win, was the last straw, "You've truly proven to be a thorn on my side..." grabbing him by the throat, she had no trouble lifting him up, "But you are right on something, killing you now would be too unsatisfying. Truth be told, I'd like to see your full potential, just to show you how meaningless it is before making you wish for a thousand deaths."
"D-Do your worst..." he said, and with that finally lost consciousness.