They had no sooner left the expansive park when Yusuke shouted, "Hey! Over there! Another one!"

Everyone looked. It was a red three-eyed youkai. Its long fangs were dripping with saliva. Its claws looked like they could rip the whole of Japan in two.

Yusuke pushed Hiei forward. "Three-eyed youkai versus three-eyed youkai," he joked. "Who will survive?" Kuwabara snorted appreciatively.

Hiei rolled his eyes at the two boys doubled over with laughter. "Oh, shut up, Detective," he said in a voice that made them stop laughing immediately.

"This youkai is unknown to me," Mayumi said softly to Kurama. "A new recruit, perhaps...to get rid of us."

"Or," Kurama said, "distract us."

The battle was over as soon as it had begun. A few quick strokes from Hiei's katana brought the youkai to his knees, then to his face, as he split apart into seventeen chunks of bloody, gristly youkai.

Kuwabara wrinkled his nose. "Eww."

They continued on, stepping over the dead youkai.