A/N: I'm sorry for putting all you lovely reviewers through that last chapter—(Jorg—SHE LIES!!)—SHUT UP, JORG!—and I assure you, it will be all right. Just bear with me here, and keep in mind that it will be okay in a chapter or two, okay?! This, by no means, means that the story will be over in a chapter or two, it simply means that I'll be adding a new development to the story in that time. Actually, I predict that this fic will continue for quite a bit longer, so long as I get my reviews! ;P –laughs- I've also reread the last chapter, and if you don't take it seriously, it sounds like a cheesy soap opera! Go back and try it, I know some of you will and want to! XD
This chapter is for Chaseha-Wing, who has been ardently looking forward to Hiei and Shuichi's fight scene since back in like, chapter three! (And who also predicted most of this…) :D Cyber-cookie for the faithful!! –gives cookie- XD
God that was a long A/N!! Gomen!
"NO, PLEASE DON'T!!" Shuichi screamed, but it was too late. Hiei thrust his sword through Maya's throat far enough to stick in the tree behind it. Maya didn't have her voice, but Shuichi could hear her death gurgles as blood filled up her windpipe and she choked, coughing violently. She shuddered and looked up at the horrified redhead, eyes filled with hurt and hate. She coughed once more and went limp, her life gone.
"MONSTER!!!" The redhead screamed in agony. Hiei looked at him in surprise; his aura was growing rapidly in strength. The purple color of it was seeping through Hiei's burning red Jagan bonds, and the next second, the bonds were broken as Shuichi's ki detonated with a massive shockwave. Hiei's eyes widened slightly as Shuichi turned his wrathful gaze on him. "YOU'LL PAY!!"
Hiei found himself being slammed into the side of the house by the tree he was standing by. He gasped for air, having had the wind knocked out of him. 'DAMN IT! That bitch waited too long to repress his powers, and now he's got full control of them! Damn you, Mukuro!' He jumped out of the way as the bushes he was in started to snake around him. The flowers on the bushes did not give up the chase that their branches could not carry on. They shot their petals at him like bullets, becoming razor-sharp. Most of them grazed Hiei's sides and arms as he lifted them to protect himself.
Shuichi was not going to stand still and let Hiei dodge all of his attacks, however. He pulled a rose out of his hair and transformed it into a whip with spiky thorns. He lashed it at Hiei, who dodged to the left and managed to miss the whip entirely. He hit the ground and rolled, having to get up and jump back when the bushes tried to pull at him again. The whip lashed again, and it connected this time, right across Hiei's chest. He winced and hissed, jumping back again.
He wasn't about to retaliate. His demon energy would surely attract other demons if he used it for battle; his sword was still stuck in the tree, and there was no way he was getting close to that monster if he didn't need to. He also needed to keep the kid alive, or else he'd find himself in Reikai jail for the rest of his life and possibly executed. Of course, there was still the problem of Shuichi's energy attracting unwanted guests, which told Hiei he needed to get the hell out of there before something bad happened and he was blamed for it.
Hiei narrowly managed to dodge another blow from the whip, but it put him in the range of the flailing tree. He had to move even quicker now; the tree's branches were everywhere, and he kept getting cut by the smaller branches, needing to keep away from the larger ones and trying to stay away from the rose whip as well. He decided to get his sword since he was this close and went for it, venturing closer to the trunk and finding it harder to avoid the tree's larger limbs. He ripped his sword from the tree (and Maya's neck) and sheathed it. He wasn't fast enough with this, however, as a heavy branch swung itself at Hiei. He almost succeeded in evading it, but it crashed into his left shoulder and he felt the bones break in his forearm from the force of the blow.
He was thrown to the side and landed ungracefully on his feet, finding himself five feet from Shuichi. The irate redhead cracked his whip again and Hiei had to suppress a growl as the thorns dug into the skin of his broken arm. He looked up and met cold green eyes without pity or mercy. He looked back at them without so much as a hint of fear or regret. He couldn't contain a growl this time as the whip slid around his arm and released it; gouging out a deep ring around his arm, and twisting the already broken bones at the same time as it did so.
'So he's going to try and torture me, is that it? Well, let's just see how long that lasts,' Hiei thought bitterly as he flitted away towards the hidden portal back to Reikai and Mukuro. Shuichi followed him, though far behind.
Unfortunately for Hiei, the portal happened to be in the middle of the forest.
Hiei stood at the edge of the wood, arms limp and eyes slightly wide. He sighed and shook his head as he contemplated actually going into that monstrosity of something that should have been harmless.
It seemed that the entirety of the forest was beating at the air and straining to get at him. He could feel their rabidity to tear him apart as an almost physical manifestation, and he could feel the same coming up rapidly from behind him. If he didn't move now, he would be caught between a rock and a hard place, and he knew he might not survive that. He took a deep breath, and, cradling his arm, flitted into the forest.
As soon as he was in reach of the trees, they started avidly tearing at him. Branches swiped at his head, making him duck, and roots threw themselves at his feet, making him jump. Midair, he had to flip and twist, slashing wildly but accurately with his blade to deflect only the harshest offending attackers that would surely rip him to shreds if he didn't. The smaller adversaries he let slip through; their damage would be only minor, and he had to keep his mind on the larger, more dangerous foes.
He could still feel Shuichi approaching him from behind, though his pace seemed even faster now that Hiei's own had been hindered by the trees. He thought he had good chances to get to the portal before he had to confront the child, however, since he was already halfway to the portal.
His thoughts were basically destroyed as some very large mushrooms grew suddenly out of the sides of the trees and released a purple cloud of gas. Hiei immediately dropped to a crouch and continued to move, trying to breathe as little as possible. He had had encounters with these mushrooms before—their spores carried a deadly virus that put the victim to sleep and then wouldn't let them sleep again when they woke up, eating away at the soon-to-be-casualty's skin painfully. He scowled; it seemed the little brat was serious.
He got through the poison cloud all right, gulping down clean air once he was sure it was safe. The portal shone invitingly in front of him in the middle of the clearing and he approached it, panting slightly.
"Don't take another step."
Hiei shook his head in great irritation and turned back to face Shuichi. His whip was still drawn menacingly. It looked like he would have to fight him, after all. He sighed and drew his sword once again. Shuichi narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist, sending his whip thrashing towards Hiei, who jumped above the attack and burned most of the weapon away. Shuichi growled a little and plucked a blade of grass from the ground, transforming it into a sword stronger than steel in its own right.
Hiei landed and there was a face off between the two. They circled each other, moving in a wide path. They coiled at the same time and launched themselves at the other, their blades meeting with a clang. They help their position for a split second before leaping backwards and repeating the process. Shuichi was trying desperately to gain an advantage over Hiei, but the little demon was much quicker than he was, and stronger, even with a broken arm. In one of their short clashes, the redhead had a moment of weakness, and Hiei took advantage of the slip, flinging Shuichi's blade away from him, where it transformed back into a harmless piece of grass. He sheathed his sword, then swept Shuichi's legs out from under him and fled for the portal.
"No!" Shuichi yelled, manipulating many vines to wrap the other boy and throw him to the ground roughly. Hiei had the wind knocked out of him for the second time that night as he hit the ground hard on his back. He bared his teeth as the shock jarred his broken arm and got up quickly, running for the portal again. He effectively dodged the vines and leaped through, successfully closing the otherworldly gate behind him.
Shuichi fell to his knees, his rage now directed at himself for letting his friend die and her murderer escape him. He trembled from effort as angry tears started to fall from his eyes.
'Damn those plants, damn that child, and damn Mukuro!' Hiei thought violently. 'This is all her fault!' He set off in a rage toward Koenma's castle, where he knew Mukuro would be.
So… Come on, you gotta tell me how it was..! You know I like to know these things! Also, I need to know whether to bump up the rating for the next chapter, mostly for a pissed-off fire demon extensively using the f-word. REVIEW!! Writing this was so much fun; I stared to listen to some Rammstien to help, but then I said to my radio (yes, I talk to my inanimate objects, leave me alone), "No! You're not fast and violent-sounding enough!" So I put Rob Zombie into my CD player instead. Note: Best—music—ever to write a really fast, violent, fight scene to. Seriously, those of you who don't believe me, go try it. –does the Lee and Guy-sensei thumbs up thing (that's from Naruto, FYI)- :D
God, more long-ass A/N's! Sorry! (sweat)