Chapter 8: The Real Battle Begins

As the blast from the dragon subsided, Hiei stood next to the inflamed corpse. "That wretched fool deserved his fate." the fire koorime said as he turned away from the corpse to Kurama.

Once he was where Kurama was held captive, he used his mortal flame technique to melt the chains holding his shackles. The unconscious kitsune almost collapsed to the ground but Hiei caught him. Hiei turned the kitsune on his back to where he could see his face. He put his head on Kurama's chest; his heart still had a steady beat but it was barely holding on. "I'm sorry I let you down fox, but I swear I'm going to get you back to normal." the koorime said to the unconscious fox.

"Hiei! Kurama! Are you guys okay!"

Hiei turned to the room's opening to find Yusuke and Kuwabara entering the room. Then the two teens stared at the enshrouded corpse which was at the center of the room.

"Wow, you sure showed him half-pint." the orange haired teen said to the koorime.

"Hey Hiei, how's Kurama holding up?" Yusuke asked as he approached the two demons.

"He's still breathing so he's okay for now."

"That's good; but we need to figure out how restore his energy." the black-haired teen informed.

"Uh…guys, you might want to see this." Kuwabara said as he was eyeing the burnt corpse as a strange orb of light was emitting from it.

"What is it, you creaton."

"Maybe that will answer your question Hiei." Yusuke replied as he pointed to the same orb.

"You are a formidable foe fire demon, but don't think I'll succumb to weak attack like that." the orb exclaimed.

"I knew that was too easy," the koorime began "even though I obliterated his body, his soul still remained in tact."

"So even with your darkness flame technique, you still couldn't beat him!" Kuwabara asked in dissatisfaction.

"That's right human; my body may be destroyed but my spirit is still strong enough to withstand your damage. If it wasn't for the youko's generous offer of his energy, I would've been dead but I'm back and this battle is still on." Reikazu said as he laughed his dark laugh.

"Oh joy! That's the best news I've heard all freakin' day!" Yusuke said sarcastically.

"Persistent bastard; he'll pay dearly for this." Hiei thought in rage and hatred.

"No need for name-calling Hiei," Reikazu began "you haven't even began to experience my true power yet!" The boys stared in shock and confusion.

"What true power?"

"You're about to find out!" the ice lord yelled as the orb shined a vibrant color. Then the boys noticed lights coming from the entrance of the room. As soon as the lights came in contact with Reikazu's soul orb, they were absorbed within it.

"You just had to ask, didn't ya?" the orange-haired teen asked the small demon.

"He's using the strength of those demons we fought to make himself stronger." Yusuke added.

Then the orb began to shape shift into the shape of a dragon. As the shape was forming, it shined a vibrant blue. When the light subsided, they looked on in stunned silence to what was in front of them. Reikazu's soul orb was now an enormous dragon with scales of pale white, razor sharp teeth, red blood-shot eyes, and two horns of ice on top of his head.

"You got to be freakin' kidding me!" Yusuke yelled, "I thought his ninja friend was bad enough." Then the newly restored Reikazu fired a blast of light blue fire from his mouth aiming it at the boys. The team dodged the attack luckily without them or Kurama getting hurt.

"Listen up you two," the fire demon began, "you've go to find a way of this place now!"

"And leave you alone to get eaten by that overgrown lizard!" the black haired teen yelled at Hiei.

"That's not gonna happen." Kuwabara began, "especially in the shape you're in."

"Look I want you two, to get Kurama out of harms way." Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at Hiei in shock after his last statement.

"What did you say?" Yusuke asked in bewilderment. "Get the fox out of here; guard him with your life." the koorime told the two teens.

Then Yusuke noticed a look of concern and care in Hiei's eyes which told him that the koorime didn't want anything else to happen to Kurama. "Don't worry; we won't let anything happen to him." Yusuke began, "You have our word."

"Urameshi, help Kurama onto my back." Kuwabara instructed. So the black-haired teen did as he was told.

As Yusuke and Kuwabara were heading out, the dragon noticed them from the corner of his eye. "You won't get away that easily, humans!" Reikazu warned. As he was about to launch another attack, Hiei quickly launched his mortal flame technique which left the dragon paralyzed for a couple of minutes.

"Now that's hard core." Kuwabara said to Yusuke.

"You're tellin' me." Yusuke replied.

"What are you fools waiting for, move it!" the koorime yelled to the two humans.

"Were going already geez; let's go Kuwabara." Yusuke said to the other running out the doorway.

"Urameshi, wait for me! Uh…I mean for us!" Kuwabara yells as he runs after him carrying Kurama.

Hiei gave a quick sigh of relief but as he did, he heard Reikazu say "Don't relax just yet!" Then he felt sharp, iced claws pierce his skin as he was forced to the ice covered wall. "You are pathetic, fire demon. I thought you would provide me a better duel than this." Reikazu boasted to the injured demon, "but don't you fret, I'll finish you off soon enough. But first it's high time I got rid of those idiotic humans.

Then the dragon's eyes glowed vibrant blue as a couple of the ice demons (the boys fought in Chapter 6 &7) rose out of the snow. Telepathically, the dragon ordered them to "Kill the humans but bring the youko back!" As soon as the ice minions received their commands, they raced after the two teens.

When they were half-way out of the castle, Kuwabara and Yusuke sensed something following them. Kuwabara looked back over his shoulder and says "Urameshi, don't look now but we've have company comin'."

Then the black-haired teen turned his head to see more of those ice demons on their tail baring their sharp fangs and claws. "Damn it! Not these guys again; I swear this guy is startin' to piss me off." Then Yusuke stopped in his tracks and faced the charging demons.

"Urameshi, what the heck are you doin'!"

"There's no way we can out run these guys! I'm pretty sure they're after Kurama, but we are sure as hell ain't goin to give him up without a fight."

Then the teen pulled back his fist to prepare for his shot gun attack. "Kuwabara, step back because it's going to get ugly."

Knowing what Yusuke was planning, the other took a couple of steps back. As soon as the demons came in range, Yusuke shot out his fist as he yelled "SHOT GUN!" Rays of blue light shot out from his fist like bullets towards the demons. The demons roared in agony and pain as the attack shot through them causing their purplish blood to splatter one very inch of the corridor.

As soon as the attack subsided, Yusuke and Kuwabara raced out of the corridor towards the exit of the castle. Once they got outside, they were breathing heavily in exhaustion from the running. Kuwabara sat Kurama down easily next to a rock with his back pressed against it.

"I thought we'd never get out of that hell hole!" Yusuke said still catching his breath.

"Well look on the bright side Urameshi, at least we got out of there in one piece."

When Yusuke finally caught his breath, he noticed the serious expression on his friend's face. "What's up Kuwabara; somethin' wrong?"

"It's Kurama, I can barely sense his energy, and he's still alive but barely."

"That's not good; man, what's taking Hiei so long!"

When he regained consciousness, Hiei emerged from the shattered wall with a bloody gash on his chest. The koorime smirked, "It'll take more than a sneak attack to keep me down, fool." Then he wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You're foolish to continue this duel. You should just surrender so I can get this over with." the dragon boasted.

"Apparently, you don't know me very well. I'll die before I surrender to you, creaton." Hiei said still smirking.

Then Reikazu fired another ice blast at the koorime, but he quickly avoided the attack. As the iced lizard kept firing his flaming spheres, Hiei kept dodging the attacks. The next thing Reikazu knew was that the koorime was no where in sight.

The dragon smirked, "I knew he was just a pitiful weakling."

"Are you talking to me?" Then the dragon turned around just to be slashed by Hiei's Sword of the Darkness Flame. Reikazu roared in pain as the sword of black greenish flames made a deep bloody cut across his chest. The pain from the fiery sword was so intense, the dragon collapsed from it.

When the attack subsided the koorime smirked, "Who is weak now? Now then I've got to find a way to save Kurama before he's done for." Using his Jagan eye, he scanned the corridor for any trace of the fox's energy. But unknown to him, Reikazu was watching his every move even though that attack weakened him.

"Alright it's high time I put an end to this little game once and for all!"

To Be Continued...