What felt like having traveled hundreds of miles, Brent had only traversed a small fraction of Feudal Japan's countryside with his new friends. The entire day seemed uneventful until night began to fall. As the sun drew close to dropping away to have some rest itself, they spotted a castle looming over them from a nearby plateau. There was a unanimous agreement to see if they could convince the Lord there if they could rest in his home for the night. As they approached the grounds of the castle though, there were many torches lit up, and tents lined up outside in a haphazard fashion.

Inuyasha knew something was wrong as he sniffed the air. "I smell death here. Human bodies..." His brow furrowed as he looked around.

"Is that what all these tents are for?" Brent looked around; feeling like something was going to pop out at him

"No...These are soldier's tents. Why are they in front of the castle?" Sango tightened her grip on her weapon.

"Ohhhh! I don't like this!" Shippo shivered as he clutched onto Brent's shoulder.

It was then that the Captain of the army exited his tent with another man. His clothes indicated that he was the Lord of the castle. While the Captain of the army was speaking to the Lord, they could see his bloodied and scratched up armor. As Inuyasha and the others approached, several soldiers rushed out and pointed their weapons at the group.

"HALT! Who dares approach the castle?!"

Miroku stepped forward to speak. "Calm yourselves. We are weary travelers looking for a place to stay for the night."

"Lower your weapons men. They are no threat." The Captain advanced from behind his men. "I regret to inform you that this castle, as of now, is not fit to reside in."

"What seems to be the problem?" Kagome asked as the Lord stepped forward.

 He spoke in a smooth and calm tone despite looking rather sullen. "My castle has been taken over by a Demon."

"Yes...I can sense the aura now..." Miroku looked up to the closed gate of the castle.

"What are all your men doing out here?" Brent asked as he looked at all the tents.

The Captain released a heavy sigh, one that would signify regret or defeat. "Many of my men have already fallen at the hands of that wretched beast. It is no ordinary Demon. This particular one feeds off of the souls of humans. And no matter how hard my men fought, no blade could touch the damned thing."

"Wait, what do you mean no blade could touch it?" Brent raised a brow curiously.

"Any time my men would strike, their weapons would go clean through it. No blood, no cuts. It's as if it were a ghost."

Shippo let out a small yelp of terror as he tensed up, causing Brent to look at him with a weird expression.

 Sango then took a step forward to address the men before them. "If we get rid of this Demon for you, will you provide a place for us to stay?"

"If you rid my home of this abomination, I will greatly reward you all!" The Lord bowed gratefully.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Miroku was the first to walk ahead toward the gate.

"He's doing it for the money isn't he?" Brent's question received some exasperated nods from the others, which in turn made him roll his eyes at the Monk's intentions.

"And please, before you take care of this Demon, I beg you, don't disturb the remains of my soldiers. They deserve proper burial." The Captain spoke with a heavy heart.

"You have our word. We won't do anything with the bodies." Sango pulled up her poison mask and nodded to the Captain. "Kirara, you stay here with the soldiers in case it comes out." The demon feline nodded and transformed to her battle size, much to the amazement of the infantry.

Six soldiers rushed forward to the gate, three on each side, and pulled it open for the mismatched group. The large gate creaked and groaned as if it released the combined pain felt by all the fallen soldiers behind it. Once the door is fully opened, the group walked through and began to cross the main yard. The unsettling creaking of the large gate was heard once more as it shut behind them. Shippo became on edge now, and shook like a leaf on Brent's shoulder.

"WAAAAH! I don't want my soul to be devoured!" Shippo hugged Brent's shoulder tightly.

"Relax little man. I'm sure that Miroku has a plan to stop this Soul Eater...right Miroku?" Brent raised a brow as he looked ahead at the monk.

The Monk stopped in his tracks, which made everyone else stop. "I have no idea actually." He half turned and looked back a little embarrassed.

Everyone sighed and groaned with mild irritation.

"Are you kidding me?! You volunteered without a plan?!" Inuyasha scowled.

"Relax, we will solve this quickly, I'm sure of it!" Miroku smiled nervously.

"You let your wallet do the thinking again." Sango walked past him looking annoyed.

"I hope you have some of those...paper things handy, because my Tanto won't do anything here." Brent began to follow along with them, Shippo still shaking on his shoulder.

"They're called Sutras, and as I said, I'm sure we will be able to find a way to defeat this Demon." This time Miroku sounded overly confident.

"Kagome, you think your arrows will help?" Shippo asked nervously.

"Hmmm, I don't know. We'll see when the time comes." Kagome looked slightly worried. She knew they had faced tougher things, but this one was new.

Inuyasha could smell death as they grew closer to the main entrance; the stench growing enormously with his sensitive nose. Just how many men died trying to slay this one Demon? His question was quickly answered, because the moment they opened the door, they were met with a ghastly sight. The bodies of soldiers lined the main hall. All of them were sitting up against the wall as if they had been put on display. Each corpse looked exactly the same as well; the skin was shriveled and had turned a sickening greenish gray, their eyes were entirely black, and the emotion of pure horror was locked onto their faces. The odor of their decaying bodies was now intolerably apparent to those without a nose similar to Inuyasha's. Everyone covered their noses and grimaced with a groan of disgust.

            "That Demon did all this?!" Brent's eyes jumped around at the grisly display, horrified.

            "Welcome to the Feudal Era pal." Inuyasha stated unflinchingly.

            "These men didn't die like this. They were put here." Sango had kneeled down to inspect one of the corpses.

            "Probably as some sort of warning for those who try to enter." Miroku agreed.

            "I can't do this! WAAAAAH!" Shippo put his back to the hallway and cowered against Brent.

            "Will you keep it down you little wimp?! You'll give away our position!" Inuyasha whispered angrily at the fox demon.

            Gentle creaking footsteps echoed down the corridor as the group walked along. The small torches played with their shadows while the corpses watched in silence. Their own shadows stuck in place for eternity; their days of frolicking against the walls and ground done with. The corridor splits into two directions and they all stop.

            "We should split into groups. Inuyasha, Brent, and I will go to the right. Sango, Kagome, and Shippo, you three take the left." Miroku pointed down each of the halls with his staff.

            "Don't be afraid to call for help. We don't know what exactly this thing is capable of." Inuyasha's eyes pointed toward Kagome, who simply nodded.

            Even as they parted ways in two groups there were still bodies of soldiers occupying the halls. Only now, they were lying around in a rather haphazard manner. Many of the corpses were still clutching their weapons, lying face down, on their backs, and in crumpled heaps. A malodorous stench filled the air making it difficult to breathe. Brent carefully tried to step around the bodies; doing his best to not disturb them as the Captain had wished.

            "Are you sure we should have let the three of them go alone?" Brent grimaced as a body fell over when he walked by it.

            "You have nothing to worry about. Sango and Kagome are very capable of defending themselves. Even Shippo can do some damage from time to time." Miroku spoke confidently.

            "I'm sure that they can. I just can't help but worry..."

            The hall came to an end where two bodies were crumpled over one another in front of a door. Inuyasha pushed them aside, somewhat gently, and slid the door open. Before them laid the inner courtyard. Had it not been for the numerous bodies lying about, the outside portion of the castle would have been remarkable. There was a small pond in the center with a wooden bridge hovering across it. Smooth, oval shaped stones lined the edge of the pond, as lily pads with blooming flowers floated harmlessly on the surface. A sand garden sat off to the side, and it looked like someone had used it; thought there was now a corpse occupying it and had ruined someone's work.

            "This Demon needs to be put down." Inuyasha growled as he looked across the courtyard.

            "This is...absolutely horrifying..." Brent's gaze scanned the entirety of the formerly beautiful area.

            "What? Are you scared?" The half-demon gave Brent a smug look.

            "I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Yes I'm a little scared...I've never seen anything this grisly before..." Brent decided to just be honest instead of starting an argument; now was neither the time nor the place.

            Inuyasha scoffed and rolled his eyes at the honesty. "Well don't worry, I've faced worse things than this. This lowlife scum will pay for all the lives it took!"

            Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Shippo and the girls were working on their search. The poor Fox Demon was perched on Kagome's shoulder, and shaking like a leaf in a strong wind.

            "I'm worried about Brent..." Kagome said as they walked down the hall of corpses.

            "Relax Kagome, he's with Inuyasha and Miroku. He'll be fine." Sango tried to reassure her.

            "I'm not worried for his safety, I know he'll be protected, and can protect himself if need be. I'm just worried about how he's handling all this. There's no way this can be easy on him."

            "Just yesterday he survived two attacks and saved your life. I think he's got his mind on other things. And besides, I'm sure he would mention if he was having trouble with anything."

            "I really hope you're right Sango..."

            Kagome's expression said it all. There was nothing but worry and doubt when it came to Brent's ability to cope with the world around them. There were things that still surprised even her, and she had been coming to the Feudal Era for a long time now.

            "H-Help...m-m-me..." A voice echoed from one of the rooms nearby; sounding terribly weak and pained.

            Kagome and Sango rush forward and into the room the voice came from. What they found was quite a surprise. Among the corpses that lay about the room, one of them was moving, but only barely. One of the soldiers had survived the assault and was lying underneath one of his fallen comrades.

            "Someone's alive!" Shippo looked around for any other survivors.

            "Quick! Help him up!" Sango put her weapon down for just a moment.

            "Are you all right?" Kagome grabbed one of the soldier's arms and helped him up.

            Blood trickled from a wound on the soldier's side as the girls helped him up. Grunts and groans are the only sounds he could make as he climbed to his feet. When he finally came to stand, with the help of Kagome and Sango, he could finally find the strength to talk.

            "I...I'll be fine...I was injured during our attack. The same soldier who was on top of me, swung his weapon wildly as his soul was stolen...It struck me, and I've been there ever since." The soldier held his wound to try and stave the bleeding.

            "When was the last assault in here?" Sango wrapped an arm underneath the soldier in order to help him stand.

            "It seemed only moments ago...I cannot be sure..." The wounded man coughed and hacked as they left the room.

            "We need to get him out of here, he's bleeding badly." Kagome moved ahead, trying to clear the path by moving the bodies aside.

            "I knew...all these men...like brothers..." The three of them saw the sorrow in his eyes as he looked down the corridor.

            "I'm sorry...It's a tragedy what happened here..." Shippo looked back at him with genuine sympathy.

            The small group slowly traversed through the passage of corpses as Kagome did her best to clear a path. They had reached the hall where everyone had split into groups; the entrance to the castle was only that much closer. But a swift exit was not meant to be as Shippo screamed, and pointed at the exit.

            "KAGOME! SANGO! IT'S....IT'S..." Shippo looked utterly terrified as his hand shook.

            Kagome and Sango both looked up at once; the soldier could barely lift his head. Down near the entrance, blocking the only way out was a floating creature. Slowly it moved forward for them to see it better. Before them, a Demon with  three large red and black eyes, four spindly arms sporting boney fingers, ghostly white skin, and a sickly white glow surrounding it, smiled maliciously with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

            "My my, it seems I missed one of those lowly soldiers. Thank you for bringing him to me." The voice of the Soul Eater instilled fear with its low grumbling gurgle. "Give him to me, and I'll consider letting you live, despite trespassing the castle of Borei the Soul Eater!"

            "This isn't your castle! You stole it!" The teenager shouted showing no fear.

            "We're not letting you take anyone else's souls!" The Demon Hunter yelled from behind Kagome.

            "That's a shame. Though I won't complain, because I'm going to devour your pure souls along with his!" The Demon suddenly bursts forward with great haste; his arms outstretched and ready to grab whatever they can.

            Kagome rushes to help Sango with the injured soldier as they take off back down the hallway. The moment they hit the fork, they take the right hall in hopes of finding the boys. The soldier is only able to keep up with them thanks to their holding him up. Shippo wailed as he held onto Kagome for dear life, and tried to not look back.

            Inuyasha, Miroku, and Brent had moved past the courtyard and into an unexplored area of the castle. They hadn't gotten very far when Inuyasha began sniffing the air.

"I smell blood...human blood...and it's fresh! This way!"

            "Is it Sango? Or Kagome?" Miroku asked as the three of them ran down the hallway back to the courtyard.

            "No! This is a new scent! Hurry!"

            Brent was still amazed by Inuyasha's ability to catch scents like a real dog, especially when the stench of corpses hung in the air around them. Their rushed effort to find out what's going on ended the moment they reached the courtyard. Opening the door revealed Kagome and Sango running as fast they could with a wounded man in their arms. Right on their heels followed the Soul Eater Demon.

            "WHAT THE HELL?!" Brent staggered for a moment as he saw the Demon floating in the air.

            "GET DOWN!" Inuyasha leaped forward with his hand reaching for his Tetsaiga.

Brent became astonished to see the brilliant light flash from the sheath of Inuyasha's sword, but even more so as what looked like a Katana, suddenly grew to a massive size. The girls ducked away with the soldier off to the side and out of the way. With one great leap, and a mighty swing, Inuyasha brings the sword down from over his head and slices through the Demon.

"Got em'!...Huh?"

The Soul Eating Demon was entirely unaffected as the Tetsaiga passes through it leaving not a single scratch.

"HAHAHAHA! You FOOL! You're soul may not be pure, but I'll take it anyway!" The long spindly arms of the Demon reach out for Inuyasha, but miss as he jumps away in front of the girls. The floating specter could see the aura of his prey's soul around their body, and the brighter it shined, the more pure their soul was.

"Weapons don't harm...the Demon...they just...pass through!" The soldier weakly shouted.

"The guys outside even told us that! Did you already forget?!" Brent yelled as Miroku started reaching into his robes.

"I can remedy this!" Miroku pulls out several Sutras, and throws them at the Demon, just as he did with the Shadow Demon. The Sutras hit their mark, and cause sparks to fly all around the floating monstrosity. Though the Sutras looked like they were working, the Soul Eater showed no pain, nor did it even flinch.

"You imprudent Monk! Did you really think that would work on me? RAAAAAAGH!"

The Demon rushed forward at Miroku. The Monk jumped off to the side, and Brent had to dive in the other direction, falling into some bushes. While Brent rushed to his feet, Borei took notice in him as he sensed his soul.

"You...your soul- "his three eyes widened tremendously as he stared at the young man, "is wonderfully pure! If I devour your soul...I can take the unstoppable form I wish to possess! COME TO ME!"

" No no NO CRAP!" Leaping from the bushes, Brent runs into the castle from where he, Inuyasha, and Miroku were exploring next.

            "Brent, don't stop running!" Kagome shouted as she let go of the soldier.

            The teenager pulled up her bow, knocked an arrow, and aimed for the Soul Eater. Before she could fire the arrow, the door to the innards of the castle shut and ruined her aim.

            "Darn it! We have to help Brent!" Kagome rushed toward the door along with Inuyasha and Miroku.

            "We can't let him take Brent's soul!" Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsaiga and threw the sliding door open.

            "Sango! Shippo! Stay here and look after that man!" Miroku was the last one to enter as he shouted back at them.

            The Demon Hunter and little fox both nodded as the wounded man groaned in pain. Sango immediately set to bandaging the wound with some supplies hidden on her armor.

            Inside the narrow halls of the castle, the Soul Eater was hot on Brent's heels. The corpses that littered the paths only made things more difficult for him as he sprinted with all his strength. He could hear the Demon behind him laughing wickedly as he floated over all the bodies, unhindered in his hunt for the final soul he needed.

            "WHY THE DAMN HELL AM I ON EVERYBODY'S MENU?!" Brent shouted as he took a turn to the right.

            "You only delay the inevitable mortal! GIVE ME THE PURITY OF YOUR SOUL!"

            Stuck between a rock and a hard place was almost an understatement with Brent's predicament. He knew there was no way he could keep this up. Between trying to stay ahead of the Demon, and weaving between the bodies everywhere, his stamina was going to diminish quickly. It was that much harder to run having to jump around the numerous cadavers. The sounds of his hurried plunking footsteps on the wood floor, and his rapid breath were the only things echoing down the halls now. Brent was closing in on the next turn in the current hallway. If he could just take a few more right turns, he could make his way back to the courtyard. However, he was met with a great shock, as one of the fallen infantrymen rose into the air in front of him; surrounded by a strange white glow. The Soul Eater had used his powers to manipulate the dead and block the path. Brent tried to stop in time, but ended up crashing into the floating body, and tumbled along the floor with it. Maniacal laughter bellowed from behind him as he quickly turned over to his back. The long spindly arms and boney fingers were reaching for him as the Demon drew closer at a rapid rate. Looking to his left, Brent noticed a door and flung it open. Just as the ghoulish apparition dove for him, Brent rolled into the adjacent room and slammed the door as he jumped to his feet. Eyeing the room around him, he had hoped to find a place to hide, or another door to escape through. The room he had entered was a blessing and a curse all at once. It had helped him avoid having his soul stripped from him, but also put him in a dire situation. The room was untainted by nameless corpses, but there was nowhere to hide, and no other doors. Brent had run into a bedroom; nothing more than a dead end.

            Back in the courtyard, Shippo was doing his best to help Sango try to and patch up the wounded man. Everything Sango would ask for he handed to her as quickly as he could. It was when they were nearly done when Shippo noticed something off about the man. As he looked up at him, there was a quick white glow in the irises of the soldier's eyes.

            "Mister...Are you feeling...OK?" The little fox demon asked rather timidly.

            "He'll be fine Shippo. The bandage will hold off the bleeding until-"

            "No not that! Look at his eyes!" Shippo interrupted as he pointed to the man's face.

            "W-what? What is wrong with my eyes?"

            Sango gazed into the man's dimly lit eyes, and gasped in shock as the same white glow appeared. Things became even more startling as the glow became red, just like the Soul Eater's eyes. As an evil grin appeared upon his lips, his hands shot up around Sango's neck.

            "Let go of my friend!" Shippo leaped up at the soldier, but he was quickly slapped away. The poor little fox bounced along the ground as he yelped in pain.

            Seizing the opportunity of the distraction, Sango rolled onto her back, and kicked off the soldier, sending him flying behind her with a grunt of pain. She grabbed her Hiraikotsu and readied herself to fight as she stood in front of Shippo.

            "It seems you discovered my little secret." The voice of the soldier had changed completely. It now sounded the exact same as the Demon Soul Eater's. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you found my little puppet! So now you must perish with this knowledge!"

            Under the manipulative powers of the Demon, the soldier withdrew his sword and charged at Sango with a war cry. His intent was to slice the Demon Hunter right down the middle, but she blocked in time with her massive weapon.

            "Snap out of it! You can't let that monster control you!" Reasoning with the crazed individual before her did nothing to help.

            There was no reason to kill this man. It wasn't his fault that the Demon was casting its powers over him. All she could do was block and parry his advances. Her only hope was that Inuyasha and the others could find a way to defeat the Soul Eater.

            Brent was now holding the door shut with the hopes of preventing his assailant from entering the room. This proved fruitless as the four ghostly arms simply phased through the door as if it weren't there. Jumping back in surprise, Brent watched as the Demon passed straight through the door. Chuckling and grinning widely, he approached Brent slowly as he backed away. There was nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide.

            "Well well, all that running around and here you are, stuck on my plate and ready to become the nourishment I crave so!"

            This was it; Brent could see the same hungry glare that the Lizard Demon had on his face. There was nowhere to move now as the long ghastly arms reached for him. From behind them, the sound of the door being ripped opened met their ears; coupled with the swish of a flying arrow. A bright light filled the room as Kagome's sacred arrow hit the floating ghoul and knocked it to the side of the room. Not wasting a moment's time, Brent ran toward his saviors.

            "Ohhhhh...You meddling wench! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" The Soul Eater screamed as it rose back into the air.

            "Your arrows can't destroy it either!" Exclaimed Miroku.

            "Yeah, but they can still give him hell! Kagome! Fire another!" Inuyasha shouted as Brent ducked out of the way upon reaching them.

            Light filled the room again as the arrow struck the apparition again; this time sending it through the wall with a wail of pain.

            "Come on! Let's get back to the courtyard quick!" Inuyasha commanded as the four of them sprinted back down the hallways.

            "Thanks Kagome. One second later and I'd look like a rotted raisin!"

            "Don't mention it!" Kagome smiled as they took a turn.

            In the courtyard, Sango was still struggling with the demented soldier. Shippo stood back away from the fight as the possessed man swung his sword madly. For the duration of their struggle, Sango had tried to entreat her would-be foe.

            "You have to be strong! I know you're in there still! Please hear me! Nnng!" Another blow had been aimed for her shoulder at a downward angle. Blocking with her Hiraikotsu, she jumped back closer to where Shippo was.

            "You stupid wench! Quit your babbling and DIE!" The haunted warrior raised his sword above his head once more, and charged all while screaming madly.

            Sango took hold of both the grips on the back of her oversized boomerang and braced herself once again. Before even half the distance was covered between them, the soldier began to slow down, and looked as though a great pain had surfaced inside him. Coming to a stop, his body began to tremble, and his eyes flashed between the fiery red and the normal brown they previously were.

            "N-N-No! I...can't do this! Leave me...at once Demon!" The haggard voice of the warrior had returned.

            "Why you feeble little creature! You cannot cast me from your body! You will feed me the souls I have stored within you!" His eyes turned red for the brief moment the Demon had regained control over him, but the body he wished to have power over still would not budge.

            It was this moment that Inuyasha and the others had reentered the courtyard. The very second that the red-clothed fighter saw the soldier with his sword raised, he jumped down after him.

            "So we got ourselves a traitor huh?!" Inuyasha rushed straight for him, ready to knock his lights out.

            "INUYASHA DON'T! He's been possessed!" Sango shouted in order to stop her ally.

            "What?!"

            "I...I contain...the souls of...my comrades?" A look of sheer horror appears on the man's face as he finally dropped the sword. Tears began to well up in his eyes with the realization.

            "What is this thing capable of?" Brent looked to Miroku for an answer.

            "I would rather not find out what it will be capable of if it attains the power is desires." Discontent and the desire to end the suffering in the area were written all over the Monk's face.

            An enraged screech filled the air from behind Brent, Kagome, and Miroku, as the Soul Eater flew through the walls. The three of them scattered in different directions as it tried to take hold of anyone it could grab. Inuyasha took position in front of the three of them; ready to pull them out of the way when he charged. Kagome knocked an arrow and aimed straight for the specter; prepared to daze it again. Before another move was made, the sound of a dagger being unsheathed met everyone's ears. The soldier had withdrawn the small weapon, and taken it in both hands with the blade pointed at his own body.

            "I will not succumb to your desires Demon! I will release my comrades in arms!" The soldier yells.

            "NO DON'T DO IT!" Sango tried to run forward to stop him.

            "NO! YOU'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!" The Demon screamed as it tried to take control over its puppet again.

            Neither Sango nor the Soul Eater were fast enough. In one motion, the doomed soldier brings the dagger into his own heart. The sound of flesh being pierced was louder than the scream of the Demon it seemed. Only a small groan of pain was uttered from the warrior. His eyes closed slowly as he fell to his knees, and then onto his side.

            "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

            The four grotesque arms of the Soul Eater tried to wrap around itself while it trembled and shook. Everyone watched in astonishment as the souls of fall soldiers burst forth from their ally's body; all disappearing into the night sky. An awful screech escaped the Demon causing everyone to focus their attention on it now. It exploded in a burst of light, and separated into three smaller forms. Each one had a single eye, two arms, and an expression of terror. The three of them squealed and tried to fly away into the air after the souls.

            "I'll take care of this! WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku stepped forth and removed the beads from around his right hand.

            The black hole in Miroku's hand opened up, and an awesome power was revealed to Brent. In a mix of shock and awe, he watched as the squealing one-eyed Demons were pulled out of the sky with great haste toward the Monk's hand. Just as quickly as Miroku's Wind Tunnel had been withdrawn, it had done its job as well. The three Soul Eating Demons were sucked into his hand, screaming for their lives, and disappeared forever. Once the threat was gone, the Monk closed his hand as he wrapped the beads around his arm once more.

            "That is the end of that." Miroku clenched his fist as he pulled the beads tightly.

            Brent was still gawking from the display that had just been put on before him. How in the world was such a thing possible?

            "What the...how...did you..." The American couldn't form complete sentences.

            "There's a lot to learn about us yet. The only reason Miroku can wield such a power, is because of Naraku." Kagome said as she walked over to Brent.

            "It is a curse cast on my family since the days of my grandfather thanks to that vile Demon. Unless Naraku meets his death...I will be sucked into the Wind Tunnel just as my father, and his father before him." Miroku spoke somberly as he approached the sacrificial warrior.

            "I'm so sorry..." Brent walked up with the others toward the man that stopped the Soul Eater.

            "I appreciate your concern." The Monk kneeled before the body and began to pray for the man's soul.

            "We should head back outside and let everyone know what happened." Sango suggested as Miroku stood back up.

            "To think that poor guy was being kept alive just to be a feeding ground..." Inuyasha shook his head in disgust.

            "I'm just glad this is over with..." Shippo had climbed back up on Brent's shoulder.

            "Me too little man. Me too..."

            As the group of adventurers made for their exit, Brent stopped to take one last look at the man who had sacrificed his own life.

            "He's in a better place now." Shippo spoke timidly.

            "Yeah...And if he can hear me...Thank you. You saved our lives and who knows how many others from ever suffering the same fate..." Both Brent and Shippo looked to the night sky where the souls had disappeared, before rejoining the others down the corridor.