Chapter 8 – Trapped
"This is the last change right?" Yusuke grumbled, walking onto a train carriage with his hands in his pockets.
"That's right." Kurama nodded. "We're not far now. Can you feel it Kuwabara? How's your head faring?"
Kuwabara followed them in. "Not as bad as before ya know. Weird."
Yusuke fell into an empty seat, the others occupying spaces around him. The last to sit was Botan, who daintily rested herself right beside him.
The blue-haired girl was ready with a smile. "Are you feeling pumped up Detective?"
He shrugged. "Ready to kick some ass, if that's what you mean."
She chuckled. "Exactly what I mean!" She reached into a pocket and retrieved a small wrapped package. "Want some sweets?" She gently opened it, revealing a nest of circular manju sweets inside. "It's okay if you don't like them, I might've added too much sugar."
"Thanks..." He took one and popped it into his mouth whole. They were good.
"Well?"
He held up an OK symbol as he chewed. "Mm."
She seemed pleased with his response, smile stretching. "I make quite a bit of food back home. My sisters of the Styx are not particularly blessed in the kitchen." She took a sweet of her own and bit it.
Yusuke watched her, swallowing his mouthful. "How long you been at it?"
"Cooking?"
"Nah. Being a grim reaper."
"Oh!" She clenched her hands excitedly. "It's coming up to my sixth year on the job! The other girls go on and on, call me a baby cos they've been doing it for however many hundreds of years... but six years feel like a long time to me!"
The words spilled happily from her mouth like glittered vomit. Clearly this wasn't a conversation she got to have often.
Yusuke plucked another sweet from the wrapper. "How d'ya get into it in the first place? Is it something you're born into?"
"Mmm, yes and no." She bobbed her head from side to side. "The reapers of the River Styx are selected from specific bloodlines of reapers. My mother was a reaper, and my granny was too. But just because you're born into a reaper family doesn't mean you'll get to be one. It takes years of studying to even be considered for the job. And once you've passed your tests and received your certificate, you train for one whole year before you can do the real thing!"
"Are the tests hard?"
"Oh ho ho, not if you're a brainiac like me!" She grinned. Yusuke had to resist the urge to laugh in her face. "I passed first time. I remember it like it was yesterday! Mummy and daddy were so proud! Got my certificate and graduated the class of 1984!" She nudged him. "What were yooou doing that year?"
He swallowed his sweet. "...I was in elementary school."
A moment of silence passed between them.
"Oh right..." Botan cleared her throat. "...The less time spent on that the better I think... ahem... oh! Would you like to know what kind of music we listen to in the Spirit World?!"
"...Judging from your face, looks like you're gonna tell me anyway."
"Okay so! We don't have the conventional instruments like electric guitars and-..."
The bluenette's lips danced as another slough of words gushed out. Yusuke just stared, only making out the odd word in the long salad of vocab. Clearly these were conversations she'd been dying to have. The light in her eyes spoke of excitement he'd never seen on her face before. It was nice actually.
They'd been talking a lot recently. Of course, they'd always had close contact, she was his relay between the human and spirit world. But they'd never spoken about so much normal stuff. Stuff unrelated to their work.
Despite being an airhead, she'd always given an otherworldly impression. Eccentric and all-knowing. But it was becoming quite clear that she was just like any other girl.
A pretty girl.
He found his eyes lingering on her lips. They looked soft, glossy. The kind of lips one would want to...
"...Yusuke...?"
He snapped his eyes back to hers. She looked a little confused.
"...Are you okay dear?"
"Y-Yeah..." He avoided her gaze, only now realising what he'd been doing.
"Hmm..." He could feel the ferry-girl watching him. "...I'm glad you like the sweets. You need to find yourself a girl who can cook for you!"
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You offering?"
She waved a hand. "Oh don't be silly, we're just friends!" She rose from her seat with the package of manju. "I'm going to offer some to the others. Save my seat please."
Yusuke watched her leave the seat.
Again, those words, didn't sit right with him.
Any boy would kill to be so close to a pretty girl. They wouldn't want to be just friends, they'd want her. It made him wonder, should he be the same? Was he really okay with just being known as this pretty girl's friend? Did it make him look lame?
...Did he want her...?
"Your head doesn't seem to be hurting Kuwabara." Kurama glanced back at the tall boy.
The group had got gotten off at a rural station, and were making their way through a wheat field, following Botan's Demon Compass as it led them toward the last generator.
"I guess not..." Kuwabara scratched his head.
"Perhaps it hasn't had a chance to charge for long."
"I dunno man. When I first felt it, it nearly blew my brains out!"
"Hmm..." Kurama turned his eyes back ahead, interest clearly piqued. "And what does your compass say Botan?"
The blue-haired girl had taken point ahead of the group, flashing compass in hand. "We're getting closer. Kuwabara's right though, the signal is not as strong as it was before."
Yusuke lagged behind the rest, with Hiei.
Everyone's mind was on the task ahead... except his. His eyes lingered on the subject of his thoughts.
His assistant, her back to him, ponytailed hair swaying like a pendulum with each step.
How had he not noticed this before? Her eyes, lips, that body. She was hot.
All this time he'd found her annoying. A burden. But was this how everyone else saw her? He'd been spending all this time with such an attractive girl, and hadn't even appreciated it? What a waste.
He couldn't deny the rising sensations it brought to his body. The urge to kiss those lips... and more.
"What did you say this demon boss is called again?" Kuwabara's rough voice broke Yusuke's trance.
Hiei responded. "Kiiroime." A flat, one word answer.
"And they're tough guys huh?"
"We'll see."
Yusuke glanced to the small demon beside him... surprised to find narrow red eyes staring right back.
"Uh... you okay man...?" He asked, unnerved by the stare. God knows how long he'd been looking at him.
Hiei continued watching him suspiciously. "Please resist your primal urges. We need clear heads."
"Huh...?"
"Perhaps you two should've relieved yourselves of such desires before we left." He motioned toward Botan with his eyes.
Yusuke's mouth fell open. "W-What the hell are you talking about man?!" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling himself start to sweat. "You got the wrong idea!"
"Spare me the act." He essentially sighed with boredom. "As your human saying goes, it's written all over your face. Just don't allow yourself to become distracted. I'd rather not lose my life to the shambles of a concupiscent male."
"Concupi-what?" Yusuke motioned with his arms out, ready to complain more, but the demon moved ahead to avoid the confrontation, matching pace with Kurama.
The Spirit Detective snorted, shaking his head. "Idiot."
Sure, Botan was pretty, but he'd never actually make a move, right? She was just his annoying friend. Hot, but a total weirdo. He brought his eyes back to the girl in question, continuing to shake his head. A serious, serious weirdo.
...A hot weirdo...
...A really, really hot weirdo...
He smacked his forehead a few times for good measure.
"Keep it together man..." He murmured, stretching back his neck and lifting his eyes to the sky. An intimidating grey expanse sprawled above them. The air was heavy and humid. Weather ripe for a thunderstorm. "So is this Generator in the middle of a field?" He threw out a question to nobody in particular.
"I doubt it," a female voice replied. "There's some trees way ahead, it would make more sense for the Generator to be hidden in there."
"I'm sick of trees." He grumbled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Shoulda brought my Walkman..."
"Well would you look at that…" Kurama murmured, and the group came to a halt.
They had reached a cluster of trees, a jewel of untouched greenery among miles of farmland.
Their eyes dialed in on a structure nestled within the trees and bushes. A skeleton of old rotten wood, topped with a traditional sloping roof. Broken windows ribbed its sides, and a sliding door lay open.
Hiei eyed it over with scrutiny. "Cozy..."
Kuwabara watched the windows cautiously. "I'm feelin' it now guys. There's something in there..."
Judging from the sound of Botan's compass, it too was picking up on the energy spike.
"Switch it off." Kurama raised a hand, ushering them to silence. Botan turned off the compass, and the group advanced on the building.
Heavy cold air clung to them as they closed in. A telltale sign of demons. It hung around demons like flies around dung. Its presence alone could make regular humans sick.
A guttural hit of thunder growled through the sky behind them. Light rain began to pepper them from above.
Yusuke took point as they reached the front door. He kept himself clear of the open crack, wanting to keep the element of surprise for now. Eyes glanced over the others on his team. 'Ready?' he mouthed.
The others nodded one by one.
Hiei slid his blade from its sheath, Kurama unfurled his thorned whip, and Kuwabara held his fists ready.
With his fingers, Yusuke counted down.
3...
2...
CRASH!
The sliding door was ripped from the frame and sucked inside.
A huge green demon dominated the entrance. "WE GOT COMPANYY!" He yelled.
A shot from Yusuke's spirit gun reduced him to a bloody splatter. "Get 'em!" He charged the door with the others.
Half a dozen demons pounced on them from the darkness.
Pummeling fists and slicing blades rang through the void building, as Yusuke and his friends made short work of the monsters.
"P-Please...! No-"
CRUNCH.
Yusuke planted his fist through the final demon's face. He fell dead to the floor with a wet splat.
"That all of em...?" Kuwabara panted.
Yusuke shook off his hand, eyes darting around the dim room.
Streaks of rain were finding their way through the crumbling roof now. Four walls made from dark wood, worn tatami floor. The bodies of their enemies lay in puddles of their own blood. And beyond that, only one other thing was present.
The last generator.
"Guess so." He approached the black orb. "Think one of those was the leech?"
Kurama hummed to himself. "If the tales are to be believed... I doubt it."
"Then perhaps it was a bluff after all." Hiei chided. "Go on detective. Let's finish this."
Yusuke lifted his fist, and sent it into the black sphere, fracturing the smooth orb with ease.
"Well done boys!" Botan clapped her hands. "Easy as pie! Koenma had no reason to worry after all!"
But her words fell deaf on Yusuke's ears. His eyes were on the shards of sphere at his feet. A thick red dust clung to his clothes, falling to brittle hollow chunks below. There was no demon energy, no internals at all. Just a heap of sand and clay.
"Oh shi-"
A door behind them slammed shut, throwing the room into pitch darkness.
"AH!" Kuwabara yelped. "...What the fuck is going on?!"
Then a sharp breath from Hiei. "Yusuke... what did you do...?"
"Fuck. It was fake..." He glanced around, but couldn't make out a thing. "...You guys all here?"
"I believe we are." Kurama responded.
Then a pair of soft, cold hands took hold of Yusuke's arm. He flinched from the contact and lifted his finger, light blooming as he charged a shot.
Scared rose eyes flickered in the blue glow. It was Botan. "S-Sorry...!" She whispered.
He exhaled slowly, calming his heart. "You scared the shit outta me..." He turned to the others, his spirit energy splashing blue light across their faces. "...Any idea what's going on?"
"It appears we set off a trap." Kurama replied.
"Well that's just great." He turned back ahead to where the generator had once been. "Any ideas how we get out?"
Hiei pointed ahead with his sword. "I sense wind from ahead. No doubt that's where we're wanted."
"Wanted?" Kuwabara turned to him.
"We're not here by chance. Somebody was expecting us."
"The leech..." The tall teen gulped. "There's gotta be another way outta here?!"
"We have no choice but to go ahead." Hiei droned. He walked onward, past the others, and into the void. "Don't fall behind. We may not be alone in here."
"Look."
Nearly ten minutes of walking had passed, before finally something became visible.
Ahead of them, a metal door. It was rather out of place, like the door to a regular human building, suspended in the darkness. A round red bulb streaked ruby light down its surface from above.
"Well would ya look at that. Yo Kuwabara," Yusuke looked over his shoulder. "You feel anything behind this door? Any demons running around?"
Kuwabara frowned a bit, perhaps focusing his spirit awareness on the door. After a few moments he growled. "I can't feel anythin' man! The door's blocking up my senses."
Hiei breathed impatiently. "A masking spell." He looked to Yusuke. "Just open the damn thing and go inside, surely that's the easier method."
"Yeah yeah..." Yusuke approached the door and took hold of the cold handle. He twisted it and pushed it open with a creak of strained metal.
Yet again, more blackness beyond.
He entered.
Hiei walked in next, followed by Kurama and the others. But Kuwabara seemed to feel something the others could not. "Wait a second guys... there's something in here Urameshi..."
Hiei hissed, holding out a hand. "Quiet fools..." The group fell silent, watching him stand rigid. "Do you see it?" He asked, pointing ahead. "Something is slumbering."
"Yeah..." Kuwabara murmured, eyes narrow. "I can see it... looks like it's curled up..."
Yusuke pushed more energy to his fingertip, spreading more blue light around them. Just as they'd said, the outline of something lay in the darkness ahead.
A large creature, its stone-like back turned to them. Its body slowly rose and fell as it breathed. "Is it asleep?" Yusuke took a step forward, before turning to Hiei with raised eyebrows. "…You're a stealthy guy, think you could kill it without waking it up?"
"Not afraid are you, Detective?"
Yusuke snorted. "You're the only one of us who can get over there without makin' a sound."
Hiei sighed. That was true enough. "I'll scout, but only for a moment..." He darted ahead, melting into the darkness.
A few moments of silence passed, before Hiei reappeared by the Spirit Detective's side, his hands in his pockets. "The creature is slightly aware of its surroundings, but is incapacitated. However, an early awakening will prove troublesome. The stomach area is the weakest point that I can make out. The heart is there."
"Stomach. Got it." Kuwabara cracked his knuckles, walking ahead of the group.
Yusuke blinked and watched him go. "Damn you're eager."
"Watch and learn." He quietly tread onward into the shadows.
More moments of silence went by.
A blade of yellow light appeared in the darkness ahead. Kuwabara's spirit sword. The group watched as it was aimed, and then skewered into the vague shape of a creature.
"GRAAAARRRRR!"
The creature lurched from the ground with a yowl, throwing its head back and forth. It squirmed onto four heavy feet, writhing and kicking with roars of pain, until its red eyes found them.
"Shit."
It charged.
The team dispersed as it reached them, swinging its horned head, and jamming its bony skull in the doorway. It began thrashing violently, desperate to get free.
Yusuke aimed his finger, preparing to use his Spirit Gun. That's when he noticed a dark liquid spilling from the creature's chest. Blood. Gushing blood. Kuwabara had got a direct hit.
The dinosaur demon dragged its head free from the door, splitting the metal frame and swinging its horns at Yusuke. He rolled aside to avoid being stabbed, only to be charged at again. He leapt over the creature, hailing it with Spirit shots from above. The firepower barely fazed the monster. It swung its horns at him again, this time puncturing the material of his shirt, and throwing him like a rag doll.
He hit the floor hard and rolled.
Kurama swung his whip at the beast, and Hiei brought his blade down on its back. But their weapons only bounced off the monster's hide. It stamped its feet, ruby eyes still trained on Yusuke, and charged again.
He grit his teeth, bracing himself, as the dinosaur closed in on him.
But its legs gave out beneath it. The heavy demon tripped over its own limbs and rolled head first on the floor, snapping one of its bony horns. With a long yowl it began writhing on its back, dark blood spraying from its mouth.
Yusuke stood from the ground, watching it squirm and groan in pain. "It's bleeding out."
Kuwabara made his way over to him, sword still in hand. "Took its damn time. I was starting to think I missed."
"There's no need to let it suffer." Kurama reeled in his rose whip. "Please, finish the deed."
Kuwabara blinked, looking at Kurama, then back to the demon. It was fitting and choking on its own blood. Even if this animal had been trying to kill them moments ago, it wasn't easy to watch it writhe as it bled to death. "No hard feelings buddy..." He approached it and held his sword above his head, before swinging it down on the creature's neck, slicing through the flesh and bone with ease.
Its body stiffened, and its heavy head fell free from the neck, releasing an immense volume of blood.
Yusuke winced, stepping back from the flow. "Well that did it."
Once again, a gentle pair of hands took hold of his arm. He glanced back, knowing who to expect this time. "You okay...?"
Botan was staring at the dead demon. "Do you think that was the leech Koenma spoke of...?"
"Nah. Didn't seem like the brainy type." He released his arm from her hands, and took hold of her wrists. "...You sure you're okay?"
She met his gaze. Her skin looked pale. Perhaps it was the blue light, but her usual excited eyes had turned glassy. "Mhm..." She simply nodded.
"Guys, look!"
All eyes turned to Kuwabara. He was pointing behind them.
They looked, and found a faint green orb of light about twenty feet away, hovering in the darkness. And below it, another metal doorway.
"That door wasn't there before..."
Kurama exhaled slowly. "It seems we're a desired audience."
Hiei raised an eyebrow. "You're only now catching on?"
Kuwabara looked between the two. "Whadd'ya mean?"
"It means we're finished here, and it's time to progress." Hiei stated coldly. "This is a test."
Yusuke grimaced, muttering under his breath. "Leech..." He stepped forward and made his way toward the doorway. "Then let's give this asshole an audience." He pulled it by the handle and passed through the threshold. The others followed suit.
The floor felt softer in this next area. One by one, more green bulbs lit themselves ahead. The sickly light finally gave form to the world around them.
A hallway. Walls made of a dark oak, heavily decorated with carvings and framed paintings. A carpet lined the floor beneath their feet.
"Wow..." Botan murmured. "...A bit elaborate for a trap."
Kurama hummed. "I get the feeling we're no longer in the Human World."
They continued onward.
The further they walked, the more warped their surroundings became. The intricately carved walls became dull and rugged, and the hallway became wider. Before long, the hallway had morphed to nothing more than a wide stone tunnel.
Soon enough they came to a drop ahead. The tunnel took a sharp decline. Wide worn stone steps led to darkness below.
Yusuke stopped. "Guess we're going down."
Kuwabara shivered. "Looks like something from a horror movie!"
"Feel anything down there?"
Kuwabara frowned, channeling his sharp senses down the tunnel. But after a few seconds he just grumbled. "Can't feel a damn thing."
Botan put her hands on her hips. "Come on you two. Not afraid of the dark are we?" She walked ahead of the group, and began descending the stone stairs.
The boys shared a glance, shrugging, and followed after her.
The air in the tunnel was noticeably hot. It felt heavy on Yusuke's chest, making it a little hard to breathe. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. "Jeez it's hot..." He tugged at his shirt.
Botan glanced back at them as they followed her down the stairs. "...Am I the only one who's feeling claustrophobic?"
"Nah, me too..." He wiped his brow. "...Let's hurry it up."
They began moving faster down the stairs. But that only made things worse. Steadily, the temperature increased. The air felt like soup, thick and laborious as he pulled it into his lungs.
"It's getting hotter!" Kuwabara gasped.
Kurama let out a heavy sigh, mopping sweat from his own wet brow. "I fear we've entered an energy draining trap, a malicious one at that. It's fatiguing us."
Yusuke breathed sharply, clenching his teeth as he continued descending step by step. His clothes began to stick to his skin. His legs had become weak and shaky, and his heart was pounding in his ears. "Sh-Shit..." He growled. "...Could this kill us...?"
Kurama reached out to touch Yusuke's back. "Not if we hurry... just... k-keep walking..." Heavy breaths broke up his words. "...We'll reach the end eventually..."
A stumble and a feminine groan, as Botan fell to her knees ahead of them. Yusuke planted a hand on the stone wall beside him, steadying himself. "B-Botan?"
A small whimper came in response. "Y-Yusuke... I... I can't move..."
The Spirit Detective growled, clenching his hands into weak fists. "Damnit... we... gotta stop...!" He hunched slightly, sweat pouring off his brow. His mouth and throat were bone dry. The air seemed to press harder on them with each passing second.
"This is stronger... than I'd feared..." Kurama held a hand to his chest as he too stopped walking.
Yusuke turned, but he couldn't see anyone in the darkness. "I-Is everyone there?"
A strained grunt was heard beside him, signifying Hiei's presence.
"I-I'm... I'm here bro..." Kuwabara replied weakly, his gravelly voice severely out of breath. "I-Is this how food feels... in the microwave...?"
Yusuke let out a humoured breath. "Yo buddy... we need your help."
Kuwabara coughed and wiped sweat from out of his eyes. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah..." Yusuke gasped, falling to one knee as his legs gave way. "...D'ya think you could... use your sword to cut through this shit...?"
"My sword? ...Would that work?"
Kurama hummed quietly. "Th-That's... not a bad idea Yusuke... If you have the energy Kuwabara... I believe your sword could cut through this trap..."
The redhead chuckled weakly, licking his dry lips. "Alright... I'll try... anyone got any water?"
Hiei hissed. "Save the jokes for another time, cretin..."
"Don't be an asshole h-hamster legs... I'm the one... who's gonna get us outta this!" The tall teenager raised a hand. He took a heavy breath, before summonsing his Spirit Energy into the hand. Sweat began pouring over his eyes as he brought the energy forth. Orange light bloomed from his hand, and a crackling blade of energy took shape.
"Come on man... you can do it!" Yusuke cheered, his eyes struggling to stay open as he watched the sword appear.
Kuwabara gasped for air. "I can't do it... I-I'm too weak..."
"Shut it..." Yusuke growled. "...I know I joke about it... b-but come on, we both know you aint weak... so don't use that as an excuse, y-you lazy bastard!"
Kuwabara seemed to strain hard, veins rising in his neck. "Coome ooon..." The blade began to glow brighter, yellow energy sparking off it as it escalated in power.
As the orange light began to encompass them, Yusuke could make out his friends around him. Botan was slumped on the step below his, wet blue hair covering her face. Kurama had pushed himself against the side of the tunnel, watching Kuwabara with narrow weak eyes. And even Hiei was hunched, hands clasped to his chest as he struggled to stay upright. He'd never seen them so weak.
Kuwabara began to groan as the orange light grew in strength, more fire licking from the sword in his hand. His skin glimmered as sweat poured off him like water.
A deep hum began to resonate through the tunnel, its tone rising with the ever brightening light. Kuwabara's face spoke of anger and pain. Veins popped in his brow, and hot breath began steaming from between his teeth. He clenched his eyes shut. "COOOOME OOOOOON!" The voice bellowed deep from his lungs.
Orange energy erupted from his body. His Spirit Sword set alight, flames and sparks spinning from it as it doubled in length, bending like a huge flaming whip.
He raised the blade above his head with his last remaining strength, took a long hard breath, and swung.
"AAAGGHHHH!"
The blade snapped to the ground with a gunshot crack, tearing through the darkness with a slice of white light. Rapids of cool air shoved them back against the walls of the tunnel. The inky shadow around them was ripped apart and sucked through the portal of light. With it went the hot air.
The combustion of energy and light hung between them, pulsating and dripping with molten fire, before bursting. It zapped back up the blade and into Kuwabara's hand, crackling like a taser.
"FUCK!" He hopped on the spot and shook his hand. "OW! Piece of SHIT!"
The void of black that had once consumed them, was gone. The tunnel was now lit with clean light, and the thick hot air replaced with a cool breeze.
Kuwabara flexed his hand a few times, before setting his eyes on his friends. The heavy sweat had dried from his skin in seconds, and his hair had puffed back into shape. "You guys okay...?"
Yusuke stood from the side of the tunnel on surprisingly steady legs. "Huh..." He touched himself over. He too was dry and unfatigued, his hair waxed and combed perfectly as before. "...Yeah I'm fine."
The others began to stir, Hiei standing back from the floor and brushing off his cloak. Kurama rose from the other side, glancing the tunnel over. "Kuwabara, you destroyed the trap." He glanced to the teen with a smile.
"Yeah... I guess I did!"
Yusuke moved over to Botan. She was slowly rising to a sitting position, brushing her hair from her eyes. "You okay babe...?" He placed a hand on her back.
Eyelashes fluttered at him. "Yusuke..." She took hold of his arm to steady herself. "What happened...?"
Yusuke took her by the hand and helped her up. "Kuwabara just saved our asses." He motioned to his friend with a grin.
She glanced to Kuwabara. "...All that light and yelling, that was you?"
The redhead chuckled a little. "Aheh... sorry if I yelled too loud."
Yusuke approached him with a laugh, patting him on the shoulder. "You're the man!"
"Hell yeah I am!" He raised his fists. "Take that ya damn leech!"
"Detective." A stone cold voice snagged Yusuke's attention. He glanced to Hiei. "The exit." The swordsman was pointing down the tunnel.
Yusuke turned to look down the stairs. Now well-lit, the bottom was clearly visible. "Lets hurry up before anything else happens."
"Look." Botan tapped his shoulder.
He eyed her. She was pointing back up the stairs from where they'd came. He looked. "...What the hell...?"
The top of the staircase was just meters away. They'd barely even moved.
Kuwabara scratched his head. "I think my brain is starting to fry..."
"The trap drained our energy fast enough that we believed we were walking a long distance, when in fact we'd barely moved." Kurama noted, in his usual matter-of-fact way.
"I've had enough of this freaky place." Yusuke shook his head. "Come on."
Hiei moved his hands into his pockets. "Agreed. I have no desire to stay here longer than we need to." He continued onward down the stairs. The rest followed onward.
At the bottom, they found themselves facing a massive set of red doors. Reinforced and spanning from ceiling to floor.
"I'm getting bad vibes from those doors Urameshi..." Kuwabara noted. "...There's some serious demon shit behind there."
Hiei nodded. "The demon realm lies beyond this door. There's no telling what enemies we may face from here."
The warnings did nothing to deter Yusuke. He approached the doors, taking firm hold of one of the huge gold handles. "Gimme a hand?"
Kuwabara grinned, walking over to join him. "I got'cha."
Hope you're enjoying this story! hopefully the characters seem on brand haha.
please leave a review and lemme know what you think :D
