I just wanted to say that I really hope any old readers take the time to check this fic out. Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite anime of all time and this story has been in development for many years. As I prepare to seriously take on my original story, I felt I needed to pen down this story first. This fic is a labor of love and my last fanfiction so I hope all my readers, new or old, enjoy it!

Chapter 1 War

Hiei sat silently in his chair, his arms crossed and he wore a blank expression as he watched Yusuke and Kurama discussing strategies. The leaders inside of the tent was quiet, waiting in the calm before the storm before the horns of war were sounded. Outside however, Hiei could easily hear the chatter, laughter, howls, and chants of bloodthirsty demons waiting to rip apart their enemies. Further back were the higher class demons, brooding silently just as he was now.

"Hiei, what do you think?"

Hiei turned his head towards his red headed friend and leaned forward to take a better look at the strategy board. He scanned it briefly but the result was the same as all the other scenarios they drew up before.

"We could have the lower class demons charge them head on and flank the upper class demons from the sides. That could minimize our lower class losses," Kurama said. He moved some gargoyle statues to those positions. Gargoyles, that was how they saw demons. That was how everyone saw them. And somehow, they were right and wrong.

"Or, we could send in the lower class demons and withhold the upper class until the end. They don't know the extent of our forces and this is the largest battalion they have! If we can demolish them here and now then victory is ours," Yusuke said.

Hiei leaned back in his chair and stared at his two friends. Kurama still had that fresh human face but his green eyes had lost their devious sparkle, even his human mother was beginning to suspect something. Yusuke wore his hair down more now that he had returned to the human world and grown up a bit more. But here, when he returned to battle with a new baby boy waiting for him, his hair was slicked back as though he was that teenager that had nothing to lose. But now he had everything to lose. The war had begun three years ago but to Hiei it seemed like it had lasted for forever. His friends were staring at him now, and he was sure that he looked worn and old too.

"We will draw their main forces out with the D, C, and lower demons. Air and flying demons will take out their archers. When it looks as though they have us, we will attack with the B class and up. We need to demolish them. I don't care how long it takes, they will be killed. All of them," Hiei said evenly.

Kurama sat back in his seat and sighed. "We will sustain heavy casualties. We will have to make this count. If we lose then the Makai is lost."

"Don't worry, we'll get 'em," Yusuke said, grinning wolfishly.

Kurama chuckled at their friend's familiar bravado and gave a slight smile as he said, "I hope so."

Yusuke stood up and yawed loudly. "Alight then! I'm gonna get some sleep and then its ass kicking time!" Yusuke pumped his fist in the air. Hiei imagined Kuwabara next him doing the same. Tch, that oaf. As much as he hated him, fighting without his constant annoyance wasn't the same. And as much of an annoyance he was, Hiei had never known anyone as fiercely loyal and dedicated as Kuwabara. He had wanted to come to help fight, they all knew he couldn't. The human world was safe right now and having a human fight would be dragging a whole other race into the fight, one that didn't even know the Makai existed. Though, in his own way, Kuwabara was probably the most important asset to have right now. As soon as war was declared, Kuwabara demanded entry into the Rekai archives to do research on their invaders. As it turns out, the Rekai had stores of information on them and Kuwabara had been providing intelligence ever since. Personally, though he missed the oaf's presence, he was with Yukina which meant no matter what she was safe. For Hiei, that was enough.

"Hiei, I'm going to head to bed as well. Please try and get some rest tonight. We will need you to be strong tomorrow," Kurama said as he stood.

Hiei stood as well but only replied, "Hn."

Kurama gave him a small smile before leaving the tent. Hiei followed him but then turned in a different direction, away from the tent with his cot. He weaved his way through the messily set up camp, acknowledging demons who cried his name or howled about their impending victory, until he reached the edge of the camp. A large field lay before him, cloaked in the dark. This used to be home to many earth demons, popular for the bright sunlight and the lush green meadow, one of the few in their world. And tomorrow it would be soaked in blood. It would take a hundred years, maybe more before the earth demons returned to their home devoid of blood in their soil.

Hiei had never felt such a strong attachment to the soil beneath his feet until they came. Before the war it was about power, control. He had won the tournament twice before this point but the last tournament he barely got by. Regardless, most seemed content with his extended rule, there were fewer conflicts between clans and few demons crossed the border into the human world, not to mention the fewer assassination attempts. To prevent a massive invasion on the human world, he even worked out a deal with the black market to receive humans who had been marked for death sent to the Makai. Oftentimes, they were played with for sport in arenas or allowed to run loose until eaten. But not once did he ever think about the soil underneath his feet.

Mukuro had told him once that being in charge of land changed a demon, made them fight for something different other than the power and control. In a world where boundaries are territorial and many wander on their own, the concept of having ownership of land, being in charge of taking care of the land was foreign to him. When he first took power he didn't understand what she meant. As he traveled the Makai during his reign, he learned that the Makai was full of clusters, united by fear of something larger. That is how it should be. They don't need civilization like the humans. The thirst for blood is something they are born with, it is who they are. More advanced demons can control this urge choose not to follow it but deep down it is there. Even in his sister there are times when her sweet, gentle eyes glaze over as she stares into the distance and the instinct from her homeland faintly calls out to her.

Hiei looked past the field at the glow on the horizon. The enemy camp. There was no sense in hiding their presence, they both knew what they were there for. Hiei never dreamed that they would be invaded; he always figured they would be the ones invading. But when he got the terrible news that day from his assistant, Shana, that the largest clan of demons had been wiped out, everything changed. When he confirmed that their invaders could not be reasoned with, he quickly sent word all over the Makai, brought back Yusuke and Kurama to assist him and with their help was able to unite many demons under his banner.

The soil that had seemed so insignificant before was now everything. What was the point of killing each other for power and glory if they had nowhere to live, or even worse annihilated to the point of near extinction. No, they had to protect their land, their soil. Even the dumbest D class demons understood that. As the current Demon King, it was his job, his responsibility to not allow that to happen. He supposed that's why he was standing on the clean soil of the earth clan, mourning the greater loss they were about to endure. Being in control did give him something different to fight for, not for his friends or for his sister but for once for him. This was his land, his people, his blood on the line. And he wasn't going to let them take it from him.

Hiei walked slowly in silence, with Yusuke and Kurama at his side. Behind him, his army was just as silent save the hissing the weaker demons produced, excited by the nearing of fresh blood. They carried nothing with them other than their weapons, and there was no need to march in a formation other than the initial line they set up. They were an organized uncivilized mess that would tear down anything in their path. Finally, they were in sight. Hiei stopped walking and motioned for Yusuke and Kurama to follow him. They began to walk out towards their army and their leaders separated themselves and began to walk towards them. There was a woman in the middle, followed by two men on either side of her. He had not encountered the female before but he had heard of her. She was supposedly cunning, charming, intelligent, and ruthless; a dangerous package in a woman but Hiei expected nothing less. She was the best and he would crush her and her army.

Hiei stopped walking as he figured they made it to the middle and as she got closer he was able to inspect her better. She was like how all of them are built; tall, elegant, slender, pointed ears, long shiny hair, beautiful. But as she got closer Hiei realized she wasn't like the others. She seemed to glide as she walked and her hair was purest of white. Her armor in build was similar to the others, a leather breast plate with the blossoming tree insignia, leather boots, and cloth pants and undershirt. However, unlike the usual color scheme of green and purple, hers was gold and purple. He had seen other generals and intelligence reports showed that, though formidable, she was not the head of the invasion, the King was and he was nowhere in sight. So why the different attire? Hiei shot a look up to Kurama who seemed to be thinking the same thing. Hiei made a mental note to send Shana to Kuwabara to see if this woman was significant culturally as soon as they got back to the front line.

They stopped in front of them and the woman looked down at Hiei. Hiei could not deny that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but he knew better than to be fooled by her face. It was all in the eyes and her cold lavender eyes were staring straight into his red blazing ones.

"Are the general of this army?" Her voice was melodic, almost like a song to his ears but he knew better. Her words were cold. She was a general prepared for war, he would not be swayed by her looks. He knew better than to only observe appearances.

"I am the Demon King, Hiei," he said coldly. He started hard into her eyes and he knew from the shift in hers, she was examining him.

Her slender pink lips pulled into a snide smile. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"If you are smart," he replied.

He heard her chuckle slightly as she cocked her head to the side her eyes now scanning his body. "I am General Mîrvana." Hiei supposed she wanted a response from him because after a slight pause she said, "What, no 'nice to meet you,' or 'the pleasure is mine?' No civilities?"

"I am no human," he sneered.

"That's interesting, so then why do you have a human in your company? Actually two if you count the one holed up in the library but he's too far out of our grasp so what can we do?" She eyed Hiei evenly but he refused to respond. He shot a look up to Yusuke but his demeanor remained unchanged. "Not good enough to rile you up? Well how about this? I have you all figured out. You will probably send out your grunts first to draw out our troops and hold back on your cavalry until the last moment. Since I know exactly what you are going to do, what's the point?"

Hiei felt as though her cool words were being whispered right into his ear but inside he was boiling with rage. She knew their entire plan and she knew about Kuwabara and Yusuke to an extent but he wouldn't let her get under his skin. He was going to kill her and rip her limbs off her body for stepping foot on his land. He needed to remain calm. She was under the impression she could unnerve him but soon it will be the other way around. Just keep calm.

"Ooh, I know that look. That murderous look…" She let her thought trail off and her eyes narrowed at him. "But let's get to the point, King Hiei. This field will cause quite a mess. Both sides will suffer huge losses."

"What do you want?" Hiei asked. If she knew this but was talking about it then she had something else in mind. He would still probably fight… but he was intrigued.

"I propose we do this another time, another place."

That was not he was expecting. "You want us to retreat."

"Both sides retreat. And that way we all get to live another day and we will meet again on more preferable turf," she said. Her eyes were not as cold now. She knew she would lose most of her troops if they fought now. But that's exactly what Hiei wanted.

"Or," she continued, "We could have a one on one match to the death. That way there is only one loss with a determined victory. I've heard that there are tournaments here so one on one shouldn't be too foreign."

Her eyes were still locked onto his and her eyes were now weak, weary, tired. She was in a land that wasn't her own, fighting a war she probably didn't want to be in, and now she wants to back out.

Hiei started laughing. He could tell it surprised Yusuke but Kurama only looked down on him. When he stopped he could see the confusion, the fear in her eyes. It pumped his blood, made it warm and anxious on the inside. His eyes no longer felt tired or worn, his victory was assured.

"Listen woman, you may know our plan but we are nothing like you. We are ready for battle, to tear off your limbs and bathe in your blood. Retreat? If you run we will hunt you down. One on one? Your army will still be here and so will mine and one side won't be happy when the other falls, the battle will occur regardless. We will annihilate you. We will kill all of you. I am the Demon King and that is what I decree and so it will be done," he hissed.

Her companions were nervously shifting their eyes towards her but her eyes were still on Hiei's dancing red eyes. Her eyes looked so tired but in an instant they glazed over and became hard.

"I will go to battle, but don't you dare underestimate me demon filth. I am a high elf and I will destroy you and your band of uncivilized rubbish. I pray to the ancestors that we meet on the battle field so I can rip your limbs off of you, alive," she said, acid dripping from every word.

Hiei was only excited by her words. "Don't count on it, woman. You will be dead before you see me." With that, Hiei turned and started walking back to his army.

They were going to crush them.