---- Chapter 28: Hiei and the Black Flames ----

=== Makai - Magyofuu Swamp ===

Sheathing his sword, Hiei muttered, "He's coming...." As Mukuro exited the nearby hut, Hiei waved an arm towards her.

"Could you leave for a while, Mukuro-chan? I have some business to take care of."

Mukuro nodded.

"Alright, Hiei. Have fun, okay? Don't kill him or anything."

".... Hn."

Flying off with amazing speed, Mukuro waved back at Hiei, blowing him a kiss before speeding off. Hiei stayed silent, but a smile could be seen on his face. That smile, though, was quickly replaced by a scowl once Shinrai appeared.

".... You know why I've come. Prepare yourself."

Hiei snorted, "What's the point?! Your power is superior to mine.... I admit that. Why bother fighting me?!"

"Because I want to prove my skill."

Hiei looked slightly surprised by the statement, but went on to say, "Your skill? What do you mean?"

Shinrai was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"My power is great, true enough. But I want to prove that, on equal terms with an opponent, I can beat them. That, to me, is what this test is about."

Hiei readied one hand on his sword, and called out, "If you can block this at equal strength, then I'll fight you!!"

Shinrai's aura, now flaring up, decreased in size to match Hiei's, just as the fire demon blinked out of sight. Extending one hand, Shinrai waved it furiously at every angle, blocking each of the skillful strikes that Hiei threw at him. Jumping back, the demon mused, "Not bad. But now you're hand is all torn up."

Indeed, Shinrai's left hand was cut and bruised significantly. Blood flowed freely from the multiple lacerations, but the young fighter seemed not to be affected.

"So, you intend to fight me now, Lord Hiei?"

"Hn. Don't start up with this 'Lord' crap. I'm no lord. Now, prepare yourself for the Black Flames.... and oblivion."

Sheathing his blade once more, Hiei crouched down and began to yell out. His aura turned dark black, flames spurting wildly from his body, as his power increased to its maximum. Holding out one hand, a ball of black fire appeared.

"Are you ready for this, boy? This one attack could kill you, you know."

Staying silent, Shinrai clutched his right fist to his side tightly, his aura flowing into the hand. Hiei snorted, "Hmph. Going to try and punch my Dragon out? Pitiful. Die, like the worm that you are."

Hiei's aura more than quadrupled in size, as he gripped his hand tightly.

"Jaou...."

Flames flew from his body, sparks igniting in the air around him.

"Ensatsu...."

The ball of energy in his hand grew steadily in size, until it was around the size of a basketball. Extending his palm, Hiei surged even more energy into the orb.

"Kokuryuuha!!!!"

A large black wave, with a dragon's head at the front, burst from the orb, heading directly for Shinrai. The dragon opened its mouth wide, as if to engulf the young warrior.

"Shin Reikou Shou!!!!"

With one punch from Shinrai, the attack split directly in two, destroying the surrounding area completely. As the smoke cleared, Shinrai stood triumphant.

"That attack is legendary, and rightly so. But still, it was no match for me."

Hiei's mouth gaped open for a moment, enough time for Shinrai to dash over and knee the fire demon hard in the stomach. Spinning around, Shinrai delivered a powerful elbow strike that sent Hiei flying into his house. Hiei burst from the rubble, looking quite pissed as his aura flared black.

"That house...."

=== 30 Years Ago ===

"Hmph. What a lousy space for a house."

"Oh, be quiet, Hiei."

Mukuro lifted a large tree onto her shoulder, splitting it in half with her powerful strength. As both halves fell to the ground, she added, "Get to work. We need lots of wood to build a sturdy foundation."

"Hn."

Gripping his katana, there was a flash of light before Hiei cut through all the trees nearby in a single stroke. The wood fell to pieces on the ground, and Mukuro applauded.

"Good work, Hiei! That was some excellent swordsmanship."

=== Present Day ===

Hiei's aura continued to increase in size and ferocity. Clenching his fists tightly, Hiei yelled out, "That house.... was special to me! You'll pay for destroying it!!!"

Thrusting both his arms outward, Hiei made a series of strange motions before ending with both palms pointing directly at Shinrai. His aura began to siphon into his palms, as he called out....

"True Hellfire Black Dragon Wave - Burning Hell!!!"

Two dragons burst from his hands, spiraling together into one powerful blast. Having little time to prepare himself, Shinrai leapt high into the air and started to flow his aura into one fist.

No choice.... That attack's too powerful for even a Shin Reikou Shou. Gotta use the succession technique....

Bright light shined from Shinrai's hand, as he cried out....

"Reikou Ryoku Shou - Lifeforce Fist!!!"

And with one strike, the dragons were evaporated into nothingness. Continuing downward, Shinrai's fist shone even brighter. Hiei gasped in surprise, but quickly recovered, extending his arms to either side.

I'm sorry, Mukuro.... Even my greatest technique couldn't beat him. I've lost so utterly to this boy....

And the hit connected, sending Hiei flying backwards several yards. When he finally stopped, he rose to his feet (with much struggle), his hand fishing around his jacket. Finding what he was looking for, Hiei tossed a small blue gem over to Shinrai, who caught it easily.

"The Teardrop Gem.... one of the artifacts needed to face Yusuke. Thanks, Hiei-sama. Now, to fix your house...."

".... !! Y-You're going to help fix the house?"

"Not just help...."

Thrusting out one hand, Shinrai pointed a solitary finger at the ruins that were once Hiei and Mukuro's house.

Not much Reiki left, but....

"Reikou Shou-ryuu - Time Slip!!!"

The air around the house seemed to distort for a moment, before a flash of light heralded the return of the house, seemingly out of the past.

Hiei looked on in surprise. "W-What.... ? You can.... turn back time?"

"Not exactly," explained Shinrai. "I can distort a small area to return to a previous position in the space-time continuum, but not time itself. It's a fine distinction, but...."

Before Shinrai could continue speaking, Hiei exited the house, staring over at the other Hiei.

And so this chapter ends, with two very confused Hieis and one very embarressed Shinrai....