Chapter VI

Quick bursts of breath as well as the recurring sharp explosions accompanied the rattling chains of the suspended heavy bag. The standard repertoire, in par of a professional boxer, landing with utmost precision that he is known for as the synthetic leather produced a nice snapping sound every single time his wrapped knuckles struck like a cobra, dead center. Hagiri grunted, feet sliding on polished cement while gracefully switching between a contradiction of opposing stances as he rolled underneath the critical ambidextrous blows. Sheets of perspiration percolated on his pale skin, decorating his body with a warrior's glow as a glistening saline slids from his matted hair down to the smooth plane of his forehead, accumulating above his furrowed brows before depleting, forming a tiny droplet that trickled on the side of his flaring nose and onto the dip of his upturned mouth. It dribbled on his chin before traversing the superficial cervical muscles of his neck, amassing sweat while gliding on his sculpted chest, slithering through the well-defined cuts of his abdomen before disappearing in the waistband of his workout trunks.

'Nii-san!'

The jingling chain screamed, echoing throughout the abandoned waste pit when the isometric exercise faltered as the sudden vivid aural evocation caused a momentary lapse in his concentration.

'What are you doing?!'

Body jolting with a new vigor, an untapped rage boiling up from his stomach to the rest of his physique. Heart racing, pounding and fluttering inside his chest.

Gun cocks. Three initial gunshots.

His mandibular movements expanded to accommodate the increase in respiratory effort while building up his combinations, accelerating in an attempt to drown the intrusive memory.

'It's okay. I know.'

Eyes burning to a deeper shade of violet while his perfect teeth gnashing in his continued attempt to ground himself by the present sensations rather than forlorning fillers.

'They got you too.'

Breath coming out as sharp pants. The beaded sheen on his skin became tiny rivers that flowed down the trunk of his overheated body, weaving its way through his muscles that flexed and rippled with every exertion.

'Don't...blame yourself...nii...san...'

A low rumble of animalistic growl erupted from his throat as he unleashed a barrage of punches; jabs, uppercuts, crosses and hooks with rib-breaking power.

Bang!

The punching bag bursts its sands as it wrenched out of its hinges, sliding across the floor before stopping at a good distance. Hagiri stared at the destruction with absolute apathy though breathing heavily with tight fists before turning around and bending forward to pick up the swivel of another heavy bag that was laid on the floor prior to snapping the equipment on its mount, suspending it, ready to receive another set of rigorous battering.

"You are killing the bags."

The smooth pronouncement stopped Hagiri midway from delivering an initial blow but not enough to peel him away from the spartan activity. Mentally berating the barrier practitioner and the doctor for sharing their protective markings, thus concealing the presence of the unwelcomed spectator. "Hn." He backchannelled while pulling back an arm just to release it in a determined manner, packing a straight punch.

Kurama smirked at the expected dismissive attitude as he walked towards the platform, slightly impressed by the outstanding hand-eye coordination and supernormal reflexes. He need not spell out the glaring wall of antipathy between them, let alone acknowledge the deep-seated feeling of rivalry over something — or rather someone so precious and by now he could claim with an absolute certainty as his. However, he had to swallow the bile of disdain that burns his throat and accept the bitter truth that this man was behind the fateful rescue he himself couldn't accomplish, resulting to his woman holding the sharp-shooter at high esteem and, dare he say it, close to her heart. Even so, he has no intention of voicing out his gratitude and incite Hagiri's pride, especially now when a vigorous form of compliment is teasing his combative impulses as he considered their current setting. "Your footwork needs improvement." He commented off-handedly while unbuttoning the cuffs of his classic pique polo.

"So as the timing of your erotic fantasies." Hagiri interjected humourlessly without missing a beat, unperturbed by the baseless strive of slur, voice straining as he relentlessy pounded the heavy bag.

Lone crimson brow twitched minutely at the passing memory of his hampered attempt to make love with the deity. So much for putting our differences aside. Kurama mused with an inward sigh upon releasing the last button of his placket, shoulder rolling to shrug off the white garment before pulling his equally pristine undershirt over his head, exposing his sculpted torso. Crouching, as he neatly folded and laid the clothing articles on the floor before proceeding to unlace his oxford shoes. "It is less gratifying to blow off steam using an inanimate object."

The chain screamed again, not because of concentration relapse, but because of a bodily response to an implicit provocation. "Are you sure about that?" Hagiri goaded while placing his bounded palm against the dancing punching bag, ears lifting when the beginnings of a smirk tugged at his lips.

"No demon energy, no tricks underneath. Purely hand-to-hand combat." Kurama straightened himself as he enumerated the guidelines of their 'friendly' bout.

This time, Hagiri turned to face him, directing a deceitful smile towards the red-head while tilting his head in mock consideration, eyes dancing in mischief. "Hn. I don't know what you're after, but it is quite uncertain if I want to upset the onna by breaking your nose."

Kurama returned the smirk with a challenging one while tying his hair in a low ponytail, offering a fairly argumentative rebuttal at the same time. "Worry not for I plan to fracture yours first."

"That eager to be dominated by a human?" Hagiri undid his hand wraps while the slant of his lips broadened until it touched is dimple. He could almost taste the thrill radiating off their beings as they began to circle one another, suffocating the room with a thick layer of suspense.

"Trust me. I have been fighting for domination my whole life and I will not complain if a human manages to bring me on my knees." Kurama uttered while stretching, rotating his neck followed by his shoulders. He's unsure as to where this presumptuous confidence is coming from, but he suspects that it has something to do with his biorhythm and the primal demand of intraspecific competition. "Besides, defeat is becoming a welcomed eventuality when you are used to conquer every single time."

Pompous bastard. Hagiri resisted the urge to snort at his high-sounding remark. If it weren't for him witnessing the appearance of Youko Kurama the other night, he might call it all a bluff. Nonetheless, he'll have to let the onna ferry him to hell before allowing the demon to intimidate him with flamboyance. "Hn. Want to wear a head guard to protect that pretty face of yours?" He uttered while jutting his thumb towards the heap of protective gears behind him.

"No. But I could recommend the same to you." The fox demon countered with one of his own deceitful quirk.

Let's see how long can you hold that smile. Hagiri mused as he stopped prowling, turning his full attention towards the reserved fox as he popped his knuckles. "Victor gets the onna?" A triumphant smirk made its way on his visage when Kurama's composure cracked, except the minor slip up was immediately remasked when the former thief assumed a fighting stance.

Kurama, while handling his overflowing belligerence, maintained a straight face while biting back a menacing growl that threatened to answer the facetious proposition. His territorial aggresssion prompting him to tear off the head of his political sparring buddy. Friendly fight be damned. However, he doesn't want to give him the pleasure of his aggravated reaction. "Botan, is not up for grabs." He reiterated instead, then furrowed his brows at the sudden shift in the atmosphere surrounding them.

"Shame." The dry humor in his voice dissipated to a dead serious timbre as Hagiri held himself into his own battle stance, eyes set ablaze by a profound desire to predominate. "I've grown rather fond of her."

Kurama convinced himself that Sniper was just pulling his leg with his blatant utterance. However, upon receiving the powerful straight that connected to his cheek as their first punches landed solidly on each other's faces, coupled by the mirrored glint of determination when they had locked gazes, he could have sworn from the intuitive part of his mind that what's been said was not an idle bluff...

But a relatively shameless declaration of Hagiri's proprietorial outlook towards Botan.

The deity awoke with a startled gasp when the warm wetness of a throbbing tongue danced on her skin. Visibly shivering when petal soft lips traced then suctioned her pulse, whimpering when pointed fangs grazed her sensitive flesh. 'Wait, fangs?' She immediately turned to her side at the thought, eyes widening at the imposing figure that hovered above her supine form. "Kurama?"

Prominent ears atop his head twitched at the sound of his name as Kurama, in all his naked glory, leisurely dropped his head to bury his face in the hollow of her neck, breathing in her scent, purring. "I thought of preserving your chastity until I am sober, however, there are no other less-detrimental options available to lose my inhibitions right now." He pushed a feral smirk against her skin when she trembled. In anticipation? Fear? The fox demon shuddered when he detected the aroma of desire in her pores.

"Lose your...inhibitions..." Botan echoed breathlessly while recalling the red-head informing her that his response for emotional or aesthetic influences flares up when he goes Youko. With that, regardless of her unconditional love for Kurama, his demon side still manages to plant a seed of trepidation every time he transformed, especially now that his undivided attention was directed towards her. Lustful, with the head of his rigid sex pressing against her clothed entrance and... 'Is he angry?'

As if reading her thoughts, the fox demon lifted his head to lock eyes with her while he uttered. "You made me furious, peony. I have had it with your stubborn secrecy. Me, being in demon form could attest to that, and I am dying to override their markings on your flesh." Squinted golden eyes drank all the emotions and expression that crossed her pretty face, letting the deity put two and two together whilst the tip of his tail curved to tease her exposed legs. Smirking, when the alluring set of amethysts widened in realization. Frowning, when she averted her gaze. His hand automatically moved to tilt her chin before fixing her with his perceptive gape, reading her like an open book as she scrambled to form a coherent defense.

"I'm sorry. I..." Her apology was muted when the former thief pressed their lips together, brushing away the words from her mouth beforeleaving her in a daze when he pulled back. She sighed when he rested their foreheads together prior to nuzzling her nose.

"Shhh...No excuse. I know." Kurama cooed with tenderness in his gilded eyes. A contradiction to the naughty hand that crept inside her camisole and squeezed one of her unbounded mounds, causing her to release an arousing gasp. He ogled her when delicate pink dusted her cheek as he rolled a hardened nipple between his fingers, eyes darkening to a murky shade of yellow when the tip of his shaft dipped in the clothed outline of her wet folds as her body arched against his nude form like an insatiable feline begging for his affection. "Let us put that misplaced altruism into good use now, shall we?"

Their gazes never wavered as he callously shredded her camisole before proceeding to rip off her panties, exposing her jewel for the much-anticipated taking. Her body grew pink when he seductively smiled at her upon stroking the hot fluid between her legs for the second time that night. 'So finely tuned.' Kurama mused when the raw, intense and utterly delicious noises tumbled out of the deity's lips as his skillful fingers plundered her rhythmically. Rosy tipped digits sank into his strong shoulders when he doused her chest with defiling nips, sucks and kisses. Leaving her pebbled buds and plump breasts suffused with red amatory markings. Botan closed her eyes, blushing and moaning when he spread her. His touches, although loving, were lewd, lascivious and ruthless all at once. Overwhelming and corrupting, painting her innocence with splotches of black.

"I will make it up to you when I am least angry." The deity heard him say, voice lust crazed, and she briefly thought of the meaning behind his words. But, as her legs quaked when the fox demon buried himself deep inside of her without warning, the uncompromising glint in his golden orbs that bore into her soul while he muffled her cries with a growl of his own told her that Kurama was dead serious in claiming — punishing her...and it was with great pleasure to submit herself to his kind of torture...

"Botan."

The deity snapped out of her reverie at the sound of her name. Blushing, when Kamiya fixed her with a judging look before the doctor shook his head in amusement.

"I heard Kurama just came back from personally submitting his indefinite leave to his step-father. Do you want to put off the test, for now?" Kamiya proposed, chuckling upon seeing the deity put up a face, feigning ignorance to the teasing quirk of his lips.

"No, Kamiya-san. I prefer to do this without Kurama witnessing the affliction." Botan replied prior to biting the inside of her cheek. It was becoming difficult not to immerse herself in her sexual fantasies with the fox spirit, especially now that they had the taste of the deed. A lovemaking that was so mind-blowing it almost made her forget her name when he was done rutting with her.

The doctor considered her for a moment, visibly aware of the blinding afterglow, before tapping a finger at the wooden surface of the meeting room table. "Very well. Hold out your hand."

Botan proceeded to extend an arm to place a hand, palm upward, at the middle of the table in similar fashion of a donor letting her blood for extraction. "How do you know that this will work?"

"That question... Is the reason why there is trial and error." Kamiya smirked at her unlady-like snort before walking towards the filing cabinet to reach for the stackable plastic storage seated atop the steel compartment. "Ichiro told you that you are of the same nature with the legion, and it became impossible to injure yourself ever since you escaped the hell-hole and recovered from the markings, is that correct?"

"Yeap." She confirmed while mentally commenting that Kamiya look younger in civilian clothes.

"But you were able to injure yourself back in Yonaguni, right?" The doctor asked in succession of their 'conversation with a purpose', a clinical interview, as he walked back to the table.

"Yeap."

"Presence of pain when you sliced your palm?"

"A little."

"Understandable. You were numbed by adrenaline." He commented while popping open the lid of the plastic storage. Mysteriously smiling at the seated woman when she tilted her head upon hearing a subtle splash of water. His hand reached inside the container while gesturing the other to turn her head the other way, concealing the object in his grasp before coming to stand beside her. "On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the extreme. How painful is it for you, if I do...this." He finished, instantaneously impaling her palm with an ice pick.

"AAACCKK!!!!! HOLY MOTHERF — " Botan whimpered, tears rolling down her flushed cheek as she nursed the bloodied appendage, eyes wide and wild with excruciating pain while meeting the disapproving stare of Kamiya. " — father, sister, spirits! 11!... 11!"

The doctor simpered before covering her wound with his hand, the puncture, gone in an instant. "Therefore, I conclude that it worked."

"What worked?! You stabbed me — !" She sputtered indignantly while pointing an accusatory finger at the tall man.

"And you bled." Kamiya imposed, his own finger pointing at the small puddle off blood in the center of the table.

The deity, upon realizing his point, radiated with understanding as she whipped her head to throw an admiring look at the surprised doctor. "You're amazing, Kamiya-san. How did you do it?"

"Think of it as a similar process of making a water...divine."

"Holy water?" Botan echoed inquisitively, walking towards the container when Kamiya motioned for her to follow.

"Yes. Made by exposing water molecules to the energetic vibrations from the meteoric steel of the dagger. Dipping a weapon such as an ice pick in the concoction enables the instrument to absorb some of the devastating power on the heightened chemical properties of the liquid." He explained while dipping his hand in the innocent looking water, chuckling when the deity sent him a suspicious look before tilting her head in confusion.

"Err..."

Kamiya sighed while shaking the liquid off his hand, remembering that Botan tends to have her moments when inundated with comprehensive exposition. "For example, if we dipped Kurama's rose whip in this water, it will become an ultimate weapon against the legion and other immortals."

Eyes shining with understanding as Botan apprehended his words, tapping the bottom of a closed fist on her other palm upon seeing the bigger picture of the jigsaw. "I see! We need not rely solely on the Dagger of Death if we, err... blessed our armory with this!"

"That's another way to put it." The doctor procured a smile at her refreshing childish enthusiasm before storing the plastic container back to its place.

"Botan-chan!"

Both their attentions snapped at the heaving slouched form of Mitarai by the doorway. Kamiya, who was at the farthest corner of the room, managed to reach the younger man's side in split-second. "What's the matter?" The doctor asked with urgency.

The doctor and the deity became perplexed when Mitarai met their concerned expressions with elation plastered on his face. What's even more baffling was the excitement that laced his normally timorous voice when he spoke.

"You really need to visit the waste pit."

Dust in the air. Smell of sweat. Blood on knuckles. Heaving breaths. This are some factors that adorned the tension between the fighters as they relentlessly redecorate each other's bodies with trinkets of their choreographed dance of destruction.

Kurama curled his hand into a fist and aimed for the front of Hagiri's nose. It was a clean hit that had his blood splattered on the ground of the impoundment. "Not so cocky now, are you?"

Sniper staggered away, fighting to get his air back before lunging forward, grabbing Kurama's head and pushing it down, slamming his knee to his face. Watching, as the red-head quickly recovered before jumping back. "I could say the same to you."

They darted towards one another although their attacks were beginning to weaken due to the lengthy duration of their bout. Kurama curved his arm and inwardly smirked when the defensive movement of Hagiri suggested that the man predicted his pose as a means to deliver an open-palmed uppercut, catching the sharp-shooter off-guard when he held his chin and tipped his head back, his other hand locking one of Hagiri's arm in a vice grip. "Yield, Hagiri."

"And leave her to your capable hands? I don't think so." In an attempt to escape from the compromising position, Hagiri drew his free limb and startled the red-head by punching his shoulder with brute force, numbing the demon's arm for a moment, giving him enough time to escape the grappling hold before ducking to grasp his ankle, throwing Kurama across the platform with the aid of his spectral energy afterwards.

Kurama smirked at the conspicuous utilization of psychic ability as he landed on all fours before straightening himself, releasing a wave of his own demon energy to reinforce his impending movements. "Ever heard of sportsmanship?"

Hagiri smirked at him in return with a red aura enveloping his battered body, assuming a fighting stance and lunging at Kurama once more after his smug utterance. "I haven't got all day."

"What in the world are they doing?!" Botan exclaimed quizzically with an unmistakable undertone of worry. She went over the beaten bodies of the gentlemen who are still engrossed in what appears for her to be a death match. Eyebrows twitching in irritation when her question was followed by a dead air as the rest of their company busied themselves gambling, betting on who they think will reign the bout. "Hey!"

The men, who are currently huddled around a bunch of paper bills, looked at her incredulously. Regarding her genuine clueless reaction with utter bewilderment.

"Are you really that dense, Botan?" Yusuke queried with a raised brow while dodging a kick directed at his tailbone, scooting away from the range of the half-hearted attack while crouching.

"Stuff it, Yusuke. How long has it been going on?" She redirected her gaze to the spar, visibly flinching when Hagiri's liver shot connected with Kurama's right side.

"Err... About 30 mins since I arrived?" Kuwabara responded while checking his wrist watch.

"An hour since we came." Touya chimed in, gesturing to their group of demons.

"Three hours actually, since Kurama returned." Kamiya propounded, causing the deity to throw a look akin to betrayal at him. He smirked at her apparent insinuation while adjusting his specs. "You couldn't have done anything even if you've known."

Botan sputtered in disbelief at the reprehensible implication. "What's that supposed to mean? Do you not care if they got hurt?"

"Wrong question, Botan-nee-chan." Amanuma asserted, earning him a confused look from the deity.

"It's not a question if we care about them." Shishiwakamaru cited unsympathetically.

"It's about not meddling between two men who are validating their emotions through their fists without a care to themselves." Chu chimed in while ruffling her hair after he straightened himself.

Emotions hidden behind serene eyes, Botan proceeded to gently pry Chu's hand from her head before she starting a slow but purposeful walk towards the most prominent men in her life to date. Leaving behind the haunting words that sent a wave of dread and regret slamming into her friends. "The last time I had a similar conversation, Master Genkai died. And spirits forgive me, but I will drag you all to the afterlife if one of them fell because of man pride."

A sudden gush of pain jolted through Hagiri's body, his abdominal muscles ached, arms losing tension and his legs began to weaken but his fiery eyes still held the piercing gaze of Kurama who, apparently, was in the same battered condition as him. He dislodged himself from their clinching upon seeing an opening, pulling the red-head down to the ground, maneuvering them so he could straddle his torso before bringing a fist to his face, snapping his nose into a painful angle. "Now we're even."

"Not quite." Kurama reached out, encircling his mid section with a mock embrace before pulling Hagiri on the ground, trapping his left foot with his right. Maneuvering an arm to lock one of his shoulder into an over hook before driving down his left foot to strategically reverse their position. Raining down punches to Sniper who put up his arms in defense while wriggling from side to side to evade his fists.

"Should I lend you both a knife to settle this once and for all?"

Kurama halted his attack while Hagiri stilled when Botan announced her presence with the sarcastic proposal. Both their heads snapped at the direction of her voice, eyes wide like deers caught in headlights as they perused the disapproval in her tapping foot, before simultaneously elevating their gaze to her attractive face, red with suppressed vexation. They abruptly tore away from each other in hopes of alleviating her woman anger, flinching when the sudden movement caused pain in their sore muscles.

"Since you're so eager for a strenuous activity, I would recommend that you wash up...Because you, boys, are in charge of dinner tonight." The deity stated in a sickening sweet tone that meant to bite their heads off if they were to say otherwise before making a sharp about-face, not sparing another glance at the infuriating men as she walks away.

Hagiri chuckled at the sudden turn of events while Kurama joined in the merriment, both observing the enticing sway of her hips. Later on, after the pleasant interruption, the men proceeded to regard each other with an air of acknowledgement and underlying manly agreement before smirking at one another, all bloodied and bruised but fairly satisfied.

"You are improving well. I will have to watch my back." Kurama exalted while trudging towards his belongings.

Hagiri intently considered the red-head for a moment before shaking his head, dispelling a congenial thought. He won't let the fox get to him. Kurama is a ferocious, cunning and manipulative demon, after all. And besides... his gaze redirected to the stomping deity who is now on the process of reprimanding the other guilty offenders. The fight isn't over until it's over.

"Ah... And I'll watch mine."

A/N:

First update for 2021...Happy New Year!

I know the happenings took place in one building but I really hope you're not bothered by the manner I change scenes. When I write, I am like imagining it the way an anime projects on tv, cp and etc... So yeah.. That's my defense for the PM that someone sent. Just want to reiterate my point publicly.

Wendy M. - Ohmygod! I felt honored that you read my work. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!! I'm a fan!

sweetcanines - I was thinking that Botan may be used to dealing with horrendous morbidity with her role in Spirit World. But I might consider it to include a more concrete explanation in the following chapter. Happy New Year! Cheers!

Thank you for reading!

Xoxo