Chapter 9 – Demon World
The red doors were huge, spanning the diameters of the tunnel. Made from hammered crimson metal, ornate gold handles hanging center. Strange though, how the handles sat low enough for Yusuke and Kuwabara to easily reach, as if they'd been designed for someone of human size.
"Hope you've been eatin' your greens." Yusuke and Kuwabara steadied their footing, and pulled on the handles.
A primeval groan shook the ground as they heaved the weighty slabs of metal to either side of the tunnel. They parted the doors wide, before releasing the handles and allowing themselves to catch their breath.
"Oh my..." Botan held a hand to her mouth, eyes fixed on the scene they'd revealed.
Yusuke and Kuwabara stepped back round to see what lay beyond...
Trees. Twisted trees. Sickly in colour, and coiled like snakes. Massive walls of orange rock boxed the skyline from either side. And above them, a stream of blood red sky. The smell of brimstone was immediately apparent.
The Demon World.
"Wow..." Yusuke remarked at the sight. "...Wasn't expecting that."
"Can't say I was either." Kurama passed the threshold, leaving the mouth of the tunnel and entering the next realm. He glanced back at his friends. "We must stay alert. There's no limit to the strength of our enemies here."
So they left the confines of the tunnel, and walked amid the trees. They pushed through thorned bushes and ducked under twisted branches as they tread deeper. The air was wet and hot, and hummed with a chorus of hideous insects.
"How d'ya know this is the way to go?" Kuwabara asked, swatting at bugs and leaves.
Kurama pointed upward. "Look where we are. We don't have much choice but to go forward."
Yusuke's eyes lingered up through the leaves at the rough cliff faces either side of them, miles high, as if they walked deep at the base of a massive canyon.
The grass here was curled and thick, and felt unpleasant against Yusuke's legs. As if rubbery tentacles were stroking his skin.
"Are those... fossils?" Botan pointed into the brush.
Laying amid the shrubbery were several large stones. A patchwork of moss and ivy covered them, only revealing a few bare patches of their hypnotic spiral form. They looked similar to massive ammonite fossils.
"Perhaps." Even Kurama couldn't answer that.
The jungle only seemed to get thicker the further they walked. Now the coiled grass reached up to their waists, and they needed to keep their heads low as to not hit the veins of branches tangled above them. Every so often the branches would quiver and rustle, as unseen creatures darted through the leaves above their heads. They'd remained cautious at first, wanting to keep their distance. But now the creatures were starting to follow them.
They hooted and gurgled from the cover of the greenery.
"Shut it!" Kuwabara yelled up at the trees.
The animals responded in accordance, howling back and shaking the branches. They caught glimpses of their black hairy bodies.
"Quiet." Hiei glanced back. "Pissing them off will only waste time."
"Well they're pissing me off!" He shot back, and grabbed one of the branches. "Get lost ya damn punks!" He shook it aggressively.
The creatures responded with more shrieks and howls.
And then they threw something. The projectiles came down with immense speed, whistling as they landed in the grass around the group, only just missing them.
"...HEY! Now they're throwing shit!"
"You brought it on yourself!" Hiei snapped.
Another round of projectiles were thrown.
Botan flinched as one grazed her back. "Ah! They nearly got me!"
"You okay?" Yusuke approached her. A long clean slice had been made through the fabric of her shirt, exposing the skin of her back.
"I think it missed me." She looked over her shoulder trying to see.
Yusuke eyed the sliced material, then looked back into the trees. "...What are they throwing...?" He scanned the leaves and branches, trying to track the movement above. Eventually, he found one sitting still. A hunched ball of hairy limbs, and a round ape-like face, green eyes watching him back. The demon lifted something to its face. A wooden pipe clasped between its fingers. Not even a second after putting the pipe to its mouth, something shot from the end of it, zipping past him and landing into the trunk of a tree.
He turned to the tree.
A long metal barb was sticking from deep in the wood.
He locked eyes with the creature again, realisation setting in as it aimed the blowgun once more.
"RUN!" He yelled, shoving Botan from behind to hurry her up.
"AH! What is it?!" She yelped.
"JUST RUN!" He grabbed her by the arm, ducking his head low as he raced to avoid the next flurry of metal barbs.
"Uhh..." Kuwabara and the others hurried to catch up. "...Why are we running?!" On cue, more darts shot past his ear, puncturing a branch in front of him. "OH SHIT!" He ducked the branch and started running faster.
"This is your damn fault!" Hiei hissed. Evading the leafy limbs was no trouble for him.
"SHUT UP!"
The leaves around them were sliced into green confetti as they were hailed with the darts. Yusuke felt something hit the back of his shoulder, followed by a bloom of pain. He didn't slow though. He kept hold of Botan's arm, allowing her to keep her head low as he led her.
...Then, there was nothing.
Nothing beneath his front foot.
There wasn't even time to react. Before he knew it, he was hurling head first down a hill.
Botan's arm slipped from his fingers. He could barely process the world around him as he was slung through bushes and greenery, only catching glimpses of his friends as they rolled after him.
And then, quite suddenly, his rolling was stopped as he slammed into something hard.
"GUH!" It forced the air from his lungs. The tree tops spun above his head, and then black as something landed on top of him. A squeak, and more groans as the others found themselves hitting the same thing he had. He tried reaching up to pull away what'd landed on him before it suffocated him. But it started moving on its own, lifting itself from his face, and revealing itself to him.
Two denim pockets stared down at him.
"Huh...?" Botan looked below, only now realising she'd been sat on his face. "...Y-Yusuke! Are you okay?!"
He just stared ahead, trying not to think too hard about what'd just happened. But heat had already splashed its way across his cheeks. "I'm fine..." He slowly lifted himself from the grass. Pain bit at his shoulder as he supported himself with his arm. "...You guys okay?"
Kuwabara lifted himself from the grass with his own groans and grumbles. "I'm in one piece... I think..." He gave him a thumbs up.
The others, however, were missing.
"Where's Kurama and Hiei...?"
A cold voice responded. "Better off than you." They turned, to find Hiei seated quite casually on the branch of a tree. Kurama was also present, holding himself up with his arms, a little less skillfully than the smaller demon. "The clumsiness of humans is quite unbelievable."
"Shut it pint size." Kuwabara mumbled.
The demons dropped to the ground. "It seems the pests have lost our scent. We should be safe to recuperate."
Yusuke got to his feet with a sigh.
Their fall had been broken by more fossils. A cluster of them, mossy and prehistoric, like ancient shells.
There was a gasp from behind him. "Oh my god, Yusuke...!"
He turned. Botan's eyes were wide as plates.
"...Your shoulder..."
He glanced to his right shoulder. "...Crap..." Three of the metal barbs were sticking from the back of his shoulder. One was barely hanging from his skin, but the other two had sunk fairly deep into his flesh.
"AGGH!" All eyes turned to Kuwabara. He stood with a pale face, mouth hung open, as he stared at his lifted arm. He too had fallen target to the darts. One had found itself quite snug in his forearm. "THEY GOT ME!"
Yusuke snorted. "You think you got it tough." He turned his shoulder for Kuwabara to see.
"Nasty..." Kurama gently took Kuwaraba's arm. "...Not to worry, I have roots that can help heal such deep wounds..."
"Oh jeez, thank FUCK..." Kuwabara sighed.
"...But first... we'll need to remove the spikes..."
Kuwabara's eyes widened once more. "...You got anything that can stop pain...?"
"I'm afraid not..." Kurama reached into his jacket, rummaging a moment, before pulling out a wrapped package. He unfurled the cloth cover, and handed something to Botan. "...Squeeze this root onto the wounds. It'll start the coagulation process. You'll need to be quick though, the trauma is deep."
"Okay..." Botan took the root from him. As she turned to Yusuke, he noticed how pale she looked. It seemed she was barely holding off a panic attack. "...Do you... want to remove them yourself...?"
"You're gonna have to do it. I can't reach."
She gulped. "Right..." A hand reached out to the darts. She stopped short, hesitating for a moment. "...Perhaps if I..." A finger nudged one of the darts by accident.
The contact was minimal, but the movement set fire to the nerves in his shoulder.
"Ughh..." The muscle seized around the barbs, shooting with pain. "...Watch what you're doing."
Botan flinched. "O-Oh for goodness sake, man up Yusuke..." She examined the injured area for a moment, before finally making her move. She started with the loose one, and it didn't take much convincing, as a gentle tug allowed it to drop to the grass. The next two, however, would not be so easy.
"Prepare yourself Kuwabara, this will not be painless..." Kurama attempted to soothe Kuwabara with his voice.
Yusuke watched the tall teen squint his eyes, bracing himself.
Then POP. In one swift motion the Kitsune slipped the metal dart from the flesh of his arm.
Kuwabara's face said it all. "HNNNGGGHH...!" His grit his teeth, eyes streaming as he held in a yowl. "...Is it out...?!"
"It is." Kurama noted, tossing the weapon aside and setting about treating the wound.
Watching this didn't fill Yusuke with much confidence. "...Yo Botan, make sure yo-"
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the muscles grind tight in his shoulder as something was yanked from his flesh. He winced hard, biting his tongue as he glanced back. His reaper girl was holding another of the metal spikes. The razor sharp end was dripping with fresh blood. "...Warn me next time...?"
"I thought a countdown would make it worse..." She dropped the metal object, and then steadied herself to handle the last. "...I'll try to make it quick... do you want me to count this time?"
Yusuke ground his teeth. "Nah."
"Are you sure?"
"Yea-"
She grabbed it tight and pulled it free from his shoulder.
Once again, the muscle seized with pain. A round puncture was left in the barb's place, which soon pooled with blood, streaking down his shirt and collecting in a dark messy stain.
His assistant brought the root to the wound. "Did you say I should squeeze it?" She asked.
"That's right." Kurama responded. "It will release a healing sap."
She rung it like a wet cloth. It was soft and spongy, and twisted easily in her hands, drizzling the cuts with a whiteish liquid. Immediately the muscles in his shoulder began to relax. "...How does that feel?"
"Fine." Yusuke looked back to get a better look. Already the flow of fresh blood had ceased.
"Is that it?" The reaper girl examined the wound closely.
Kurama walked to her side. "That's it. The healing has begun." He took the root from her and returned it to his jacket. "It will be sore."
Yusuke stretched his arm out in front of him. The movement was restricted, but he'd manage. "Thanks Botan."
She sighed a little, some of the worry on her face making way for a smile. "I'm just glad you're okay..."
Hiei cleared his throat. "Are your wounds sufficiently tended to?"
"Yeah." Yusuke rolled his shoulder.
"Good. Then let's not waste time." He turned his back to the hill. "The canyon continues this direction. I assume the jungle will lead us to our destination."
"Come on then." Yusuke climbed up onto the stone-like shells, glancing back to Botan. "This is what you wanted Botan, more time spent outside." He held his hand out to her.
The reaper girl took hold of it, allowing him to help her up onto the shells. "This isn't quite what I had in mind..."
"Really? Cos I'm having fun." He smirked.
She grinned back, nudging his side. "Happy to hear it, Detective."
The ground became wetter the further they wandered.
The trees were no longer as confined as before, and the grass made way for long reeds and pockets of dark marshland. Yusuke was soaked up to his shins. It wasn't easy walking on the soft muddy swamp bed, and he had to keep his arms out to stop himself from losing balance.
That's when they started coming across skeletons.
Huge rib cages, and spines, and skulls, half sunken in the marsh.
By now the jungle had completely made way for an expanse of black, repugnant, oily swamp. The lack of trees exposed the sheer scale of the canyon they traversed. The red sky above looked impossibly far away. The expression 'pits of hell' had never seemed so literal.
About halfway across the swamp, Kuwabara made an announcement.
"Hang on guys, I need to take a breather..." He stopped, and leaned himself against one of the many large fossils that dotted the area. Yusuke too was feeling a little exhausted. Wading through the thick mud and water was taxing on his legs. They all took a moment to stop and rest.
Kurama wiped his brow, setting his eyes on the canyon walls around them. "Where in the Demon Realm do you think we are?"
Hiei glanced at him, before also looking up. "Nowhere I've been. I've never heard of chasm forests."
"Nor me. Perhaps these lands are uncharted. I don't see any signs of civilisation. The local life seems minimally sophisticated also."
"Primitive, on all fronts. I look forward to a swift exit."
Yusuke took the chance to check on his shoulder. He glanced back at the injured area. It was dark and sticky as it dried, but the blood from the punctures had thickened, and there was no further blood loss.
He eyes then lingered upward, to the girl behind him.
She seemed unsettled, arms in close to her body, and eyes flicking among their surroundings. She'd seemed a little off for a while now.
"Yo."
Her darting eyes finally came to rest as they locked with his. Her face changed, and her mouth tugged into a faint smile, perhaps an effort to hide her unrest. "...Yes dear?"
"What's wrong?"
She blinked a few times. "Nothing's wrong! Don't worry abo-"
"Don't gimme that crap. You've been looking paranoid the whole time we're here."
Her facade crumbled, and her smile faded away. "...I am fine... I just..." Her sentence trailed off.
"...Just what?"
The reaper girl broke eye contact. Her mouth opened closed a few times as she searched for words.
Before she could finish her sentence however, their attention turned to something else. Ripples in the water. Followed by audible splashing.
"What the..." Kuwabara stepped away from the fossil he'd been leaning on.
"What is it?" Yusuke asked. The splashing had stopped.
Kuwabara pointed at the large object. "It just moved."
"Don't be stupid." Yusuke kicked it. It was solid and dense. "It's a rock."
"It moved I tell ya! There was splashing, then it moved!"
"You made the splashing when you got scared dumbass."
Kuwabara shoved him. "I aint lying Urameshi! Watch..." He returned to the fossil, a little hesitantly, and leaned his weight back on it.
Lo and behold, the water around it began to ripple... and the heavy rock flinched.
"See!"
The ripples didn't stop this time. Bubbles began pouring to the surface... then two long stalks broke the water.
Yellow, translucent, slimy, with two black orbs on the ends.
Botan gasped. "Wait a second... are those..."
A slurp of water and mud as more lifted from the marsh. Slimy yellow flesh, slabbed in black gunk. The fossil heaved upward, and the exposed appendage stretched out about head height. It had the face of a human. Long eye stalks squirmed from the skull's sockets, studying the group.
"That's no fossil." Hiei remarked.
The massive snail inched its way closer, extending its head toward Kuwabara.
He backed away. "Sorry for leaning on ya there buddy... damn you're ugly huh..."
The snail seemed most interested in his arm. The arm that'd been injured. It leaned in close to the clotted blood, eyeing it over silently. After a few moments, it parted its mouth, strings of mucus lining its opening jaws. And something flung out. Another appendage. It sprung from its mouth and latched onto Kuwabara's arm like a frog's tongue.
"Get off me!" He jerked his arm away, but it wouldn't come off.
The snail's mouth opened wider, releasing a wispy breath as it revealed rows of razor teeth. It pulled Kuwabara's arm in with its tongue, salivating as it prepared to bite.
SLICE
The flash of a blade, and the tongue was bisected. The end hung limp on Kuwabara's arm, only now releasing and falling to the water. The snail lurched back with another long breath, shivering a little, but didn't make a noise.
Hiei swung his blade again, this time decapitating the creature. Its head fell heavy to the mud below. The headless mollusk began writhing and twisting, and the eyes of its head still twitched and searched independently of the body.
"Right, I'm done resting, let's get the hell outta he-..." Kuwabara turned, but found himself lost for words.
Somehow, without any of them noticing, more snails had arrived. Dozens. Upright and salivating, heaving their stony shells through the black water as they slithered in from all angles.
Kurama pulled his rose whip from his jacket.
Immediately a sticky tongue latched onto his hand. Hiei came to his aid, slicing the limb off. But the snails closed in. Another tongue came at his armed hand, pulling him backward with immense strength.
Yusuke barricaded Botan with his body, blasting holes through their viscous bodies before they could get too close. But with each he killed, more slithered in to replace it.
"Hold still midget!" Kuwabara growled, and cut through the shell of the snail attacking Hiei, spilling its intestines into the swamp water. But more tongues came at his arm, again interested in his wound. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" He sliced at them with his spirit sword, but soon the tongues grappled hold of his other arm, completely disarming him. They examined him over with their eyes and feelers, leaving licks of grotesque slime on his clothes.
"Hang on Kuwabara!" Kurama yelled, grabbing his rose whip from the water as a snail tugged at his other arm. The handle had fallen beneath the mud, and he had no choice but to retrieve it halfway along its thorny length. It bit the palm of his hand, releasing a cloud of red blood into the swamp water.
Almost in unison, the snails took notice. Their eyes trained in on him. And one by one they released Kuwabara and Hiei, completely losing interest, as they closed in on their new prey.
They took hold of his limbs with their tongues, pulling at him in all directions.
The kitsune winced, baring his teeth as he tried to pull free, but to no avail. The snails were trying to tear him apart.
One on his left, particularly large, yanked harder than the others. His leg was whipped outward by the shin, releasing a resounding POP as it bent at a sickly angle.
Still, Kurama restrained a scream.
Hiei and Kuwabara cut through the snail's tongues and bodies, trying their fastest to release him. But more and more replaced their fallen brethren. The blades weren't working.
"Get back!" Yusuke commanded, taking center. Hiei and Kuwabara backed away, allowing the Detective to take their place. He held his fist tight and brought Spirit Energy forth into his hand. The water at his feet rippled from him in circles as a ball of blue fire engulfed his arm. His muscles and veins bulged large as currents of energy ran up and down his forearm.
He aimed, and fired. Spirit Energy exploded from his curled fist like a shotgun blast, tearing apart a whole group of snails. He then aimed for the group on Kurama's right, blowing their slimy bodies to pieces.
Several new snails turned their attention to him, shooting their tongues at him. But he gunned them down before they could get close, forcing them backward and away from Kurama. They let go of the kitsune and backed away, their tongues still tasting the air hungrily. Yusuke put more of them down with his spirit gun, their smoking corpses writhing in the water.
Realising it wasn't worth the risk, the remaining snails turned and made their leave, giving up on their desired prey.
Hiei and Kuwabara darted to Kurama's aid. The kitsune had fallen to one knee, head low as he panted for air.
"You okay man?!" Kuwabara took him by the arm.
Hiei steadied his other arm. "Help me get him to land." They eased the kitsune to his feet. He groaned a little, but didn't resist. "Yusuke, take point, lest those parasites choose to return."
Yusuke nodded, and waded onward to the opposite edge of the of the swamp. Botan stuck close behind him, and Hiei and Kuwabara lagged at the back, carrying Kurama between them.
"Thank you." The kitsune kept tight hold of his friends. "I fear I would've been eaten alive were it not for your tenacity."
"Yeah yeah, thank us later." Kuwabara replied. "You just hang in there my man. We're gonna get ya to land, then look at that leg."
The group traversed the remainder of the swamp without incident. Kuwabara and Hiei heaved Kurama onto dry land, bending their legs to gently seat him in the grass. He winced a bit, keeping his injured leg out straight in front of him.
"Thank you friends..." He patted Hiei's arm.
The small demon released him with a long breath. "How severe is the injury?"
A weak chuckle passed Kurama's lips. "Only minor. A dislocated knee cap I believe..." He reached out, and gently prodded his knee, only to wince. "...Indeed."
"Is it bad?" Kuwabara eyed him with concern. "Can ya walk?"
"I'll be quite alright, my good friend. I just need to..." He adjusted his seating a little, before reaching back down to his knee cap. He lifted himself from the ground slightly on his other hand, setting his injured leg into a particular position. Then a moments pause... a breath... then POP. He twisted his leg and pushed hard on the knee cap, setting it clean back into place. He growled quietly through his teeth, and allowed his head to flop back. "...That's better."
Hiei gave a humoured hum. "From your appearance, one would never predict your durability." He offered him a hand.
Kurama smiled, allowing him to help him up. "You of all people should know that looks often deceive."
The smaller demon frowned. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Kurama chuckled and patted his shoulder. His eyes then turned to Yusuke. "Thank you, Yusuke. Shall we proceed?"
Yusuke looked him over. "You cool to carry on?"
"My speed will not be optimal, but I won't allow it to hinder my performance." He smiled.
Yusuke returned the smile. "Tough bastard. Come on then."
They turned, and returned to the depths of the jungle.
The dense forest seemed as if it might never end. Miles upon miles of wet, hot, swampy brush.
Finally though, the group were presented with an end. A huge orange cliff face had become visible over the tree tops directly ahead, marking the end of this sick canyon. And when they pushed past the last ferns and thorns, they found themselves standing off with the yawning maw of a cave mouth.
It led back into the throat of the orange rock cliff. They could see little more than shadows from here.
They pressed onward without comment. All five of them were tired, and wanted an end to this.
The heat and hum of the jungle subsided as they entered the cool cave. Devoid of sight and sound, only a faint dripping was recognisable within.
But, then there was another sound.
A creak. Almost like the creaking a tree makes as its pushed in the wind. But there was no wind here.
The sound continued, creak after creak, slow and in rhythm, like somebody walking in squeaky leather shoes.
"...Hello..."
They all flinched.
There was no mistaking that.
Yusuke lifted his finger, bringing forth spirit energy to light the cave. But it did little to penetrate the thick darkness.
"...Who's there?"
"Finally... I see your faces..." The voice responded without hesitation. It was quiet, and light, and wispy.
"Show yourself." Hiei commanded.
"Not long now... very soon..."
A sharp snapping sound resonated through the cavern. Dim lights began to appear above their heads. Fire torches, igniting themselves one by one, revealing the space around them. This was no natural cave. Grand sandstone pillars lined either side of them. Ancient statues stood sentinel, rugged and lumpy from years of corrosion. At the far end of the room was a staircase, leading to a set of heavy iron doors.
"Incredible..." Kurama whispered. "...This architecture predates any I've seen before."
Hiei hissed him quiet. "The enemy is within these walls. We do not have time to gawk."
Yusuke waved them forward, and they pressed onward to the opposite doors.
Their footsteps bounced from the cave walls. The torches above their heads cast enough light to guide them, but anything beyond the pillars either side of them was shrouded in black. The further they walked, the more uneasy Yusuke felt. As if eyes were watching them from behind the carved stone.
"...My friends want to say hello..."
The voice returned. Hushed, stilted, with a bizarre accent.
...Then a gasp from Kurama, and a CRASH.
Yusuke whipped his head backward.
The kitsune had rolled away, barely able to land on his feet. And a gigantic golden hammer had dropped where he'd been stood, crumbling the stone floor beneath it.
"...They don't like how you've been treating me. They want to do horrible things to you..."
The hammer lifted from the ground, bringing chunks of rock with it as it returned to the shadows.
Botan grabbed hold of Yusuke's shoulder and yanked him backward. "Stay away from the pillars..."
"...They're here now. They've been waiting. They know all about the generators you ruined. The time you've wasted... sorry... so so sorry... they're coming..."
A noise greeted them. Like a gurgling stomach.
Long spidery limbs emerged from behind one of the pillars. Ten feet tall, bone thin, covered from neck to toe in shaggy black fur. The head, however, was a featureless orb of white bone. Save for one human-like eye. Wielded in its bony hands was the golden hammer.
Yusuke stepped forward with fists raised. "Try swinging that thing at me, stick legs. I'll kill you."
The creature gurgled again. And a chorus of gurgles replied. Another identical demon stepped out from behind them. Then another from the side, dragging a menacing scythe behind it, the blade screeching as it was pulled across the floor. A fourth demon covered in gold bands stepped in from the opposite side, making the group surrounded.
Hiei pulled his blade free. "One for each of us."
Kuwabara summoned his flaming spirit sword with a grimace. "Make your move assholes!"
So they did.
The demon with the hammer swung its heavy weapon at Yusuke, grunting as its body was pulled by the weight. The Spirit Detective pushed Botan aside and jumped back to dodge the blow. It came again, swinging from the opposite direction. The motion was clumsy and easily dodged, and the weapon ploughed through one of the stone pillars, collapsing it in a heap of rubble and dust. The creature barely had enough time to lift the weapon once more, before Yusuke closed in on it. A spirit shot blew one of its legs clean off at the ankle. It collapsed to a knee with a long moan, milky gunk squirting from the amputated appendage. A rapid hook and uppercut completely caved its rib cage. As it flopped forward with another groan, Yusuke sent his fist into its round ivory head. The sphere of bone exploded, and the demon fell into a heap, thick internals pumping from its neck like cottage cheese.
The demon with the scythe had engaged Hiei. The swordsman jumped over the blade as it was swung under his feet. But it was quick to heft the scythe back over its head and deliver a strike from above. Hiei flitted aside as the blade struck the ground, wedging itself into the stone. Before the demon could pull it free, he hopped onto the back of the blade, sword aimed as he sprinted up the scythe to the Demon's head, plunging it through its eye. The end of the sword cracked through back of the demon's head with a spurt of thick blood. A foul gurgling sounded from the monster's belly as it began twitching and fitting. Hiei pulled his sword free and retreated, allowing the demon to drop dead.
The demon from behind had rushed in to grab Kuwabara. But the teen had felt it coming, and ducked beneath the monster's bony hands. He swung his spirit sword above his head and severed its hand at the wrist. The creature gurgled as the hand fell to the floor with a slap, and slashed with its other. Kuwabara ducked once again, kicking hard at one of its kneecaps. The monster was forced down to one knee as its leg was broken backward. And in clean motion, as its body came to the ground, the boy lunged his sword upward, sliding the searing weapon through the creature's torso with ease. Its upper body flopped outward in two halves, stringing with lumpy blood and entrails.
Now only the largest demon was left, covered in gold jewelry. It glanced over its fallen brethren, before looking to Yusuke with its single unblinking eye. And it lunged.
But before it could close in, Kurama threw his Rose Whip at its throat. The thorny length clinched tight. The beast gasped and clutched at its throat, swinging at Kurama with a large mace. He dodged the blow and ran behind the demon. The monster continued to struggle as the Kitsune looped his whip round the back of a pillar, forcing the demon backward. The giant groaned as it was pinned with its back to the pillar, clawing at the whip as thorns ripped into its neck.
Standing firm back in front of the creature, Kurama yanked hard on his whip, tightening it. The demon swung desperately with its mace, its legs kicking and twitching beneath it. Finally though, with a crunch of stone, the whip cut through the pillar and returned to Kurama's side. And the demon's head came with it, cut clean from the throat and rolling like a ball. The decapitated body crumpled beneath the weight of the pillar, and the roars of destruction echoed through the cavern.
And then as the dust settled, silence.
"...My friends... you hurt them... look what you've done. They're all dead... you ruin my plans and you kill my friends..."
With a long screech of pulling metal, the iron doors at the end of the room slid open on their own.
"...It's time..."
