Yusuke was up again in an instant. Whoever this bastard was, he was quite certain that he didn't like him.
"IMASHIROU!" He hollered over the empty space.
"What game is this?" Kurama questioned, stepping forward in case he needed to stop Yusuke from running headlong into another attack.
"No game, Kurama," answered the man lightly. He stepped down from his throne like chair and entered what he no doubt counted to be a ring of some sort. "A simple, gentlemanly battle."
Hiei growled angrily. It was Kurama, however, who continued to ask the questions.
"What devilry is this? A battle? To what means?"
"A battle to the death." Imashirou stated.
"Done!" Yusuke snarled, but Kurama held him back.
"But there are six of us and only one of you. What could you hope to accomplish with a one-on-one battle?"
Imashirou smiled. "Oh no. What fun would be in that?"
Kurama stepped back, not quite sure he was understanding what this man meant.
"Are you implying that you wish to battle all five of us, at once?"
Imashirou nodded, a grin growing across his pale face.
Either this man was incredibly stupid, or he knew something that none of them did know. Hiei's arms were still twitching with muscle tension, and Kuwabara's right eye was doing so spasmodically also. Yusuke's fists were clenched so tightly against his palms that he was drawing blood. Inuyasha stepped forward.
"What happens if we lose?"
"You mean if one of you falls?" He paused. "I take your powers, as I have done with all my other pets. Does that suit you?"
"Hardly."
Laughing, Imashirou stepped forward.
"Well, enough talk. Let us begin."
"Wait!" Kurama begged, but nothing happened. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Inuyasha all leapt out of view, taking solace in the surrounding shadows. Kigeko stood beside the fox, trusting more in his wisdom than the others'.
"They listen well?" She asked with a sly grin.
"Always," Kurama sighed in exasperation. He turned to Kigeko. "I know you are a fighter, but how long could you last against a man of this stamina?"
The girls shrugged.
"I will manage."
Kurama frowned. That wasn't the answer he wanted. Seeing his concerned expression, Kigeko laughed.
"I will fair well enough on my own, just as you and your friends do..." she trailed off, as though an idea came to her mind.
"What is it?"
"How do you think the five of you could fair alone?"
Kurama was shocked.
"You're just going to abandon the cause?"
A glare shot from Kigeko's eyes that made Kurama step back.
"Are you mad? This is a cause I dragged you into. Abandoning it to another would be foolish and lazy. I was merely thinking," she leaned in so that none of the others would hear. Imashirou's eyes were glancing around everywhere for the others. He was powerful, Kurama noted, while listening to Kigeko, but he as a rookie on the battlefield. This would play a severe advantage to them. "I will go and free those who have not yet been drained of their powers."
"And if you should fall into trouble?"
Kigeko shook her head. "There is no trouble to fall into that I need to fear." Flashing a clawed hand, Kigeko winked and sped away.
Sighing, Kurama turned his gaze to Imashirou. He had somehow caught the warlord's eyes.
"Where is your girlfriend?" He asked with a grin.
"That is none of your concern." Kurama replied, and in a single bound he leapt up into the rafters of the ceiling, peering casually through the darkness for his companions.
Yusuke was coming up behind Imashirou, while Kuwabara and Inuyasha were one each of his flanks. But where was...
"Looking for something, fox?"
Kurama looked up to find Hiei a few feet away from him, sitting as though he prepared to do nothing else but watch the battle.
"Why are you not joining in?" Kurama asked, though he was afraid he already knew the answer.
"I will," Hiei commented, not meeting the kitsune's eyes. "When the time is right."
"When your powers return?"
Hiei's eyes flashed angrily, but he knew better than to deny that he was powerless. He did not say it, however.
Kurama nodded in understanding.
Both watched the battle unfold beneath them.
---
Kigeko wandered idly around in the darkness. She had been able to find a few souls that had not been sucked dry by the Demon Warlord, but they would have been useless in the battle against them. Kigeko had simply released them. Most had run off in fear, but a few had stayed to trail on in her shadow.
One in particular; a fox child about a foot and a half tall, and very talkative. He'd been in a small enclosing not much larger than a cage in which a person would hold their cat while on a trip to the vet.
"Shippou's the name!" He had announced, bouncing around happily. "Illusions are my game! How might I be helping a fine young lady the likes of yourself?"
Kigeko, hardly amused and unaffected by this idiot child's meandering compliments, just kept walking. Shippou didn't get the point.
"Honestly, lady. You freed me! I am forever in your debt!" He bowed low.
"Well then get out of here, if you know what's good for you!"
The child peered up at her with large eyes and a pout.
"B-but I can't just leave. I need to f-find my friends!"
Kigeko sighed.
"They're probably already dead. Or drained of their energy."
The child paled. Clearly this was not the thing to be telling a child. Even a demon child.
"What? But what about Kagome? And Miroku? And Sango?"
This Miroku and Sango didn't sound familiar, but Kagome did.
"Kagome?" She asked, suddenly confused . "You know Kagome?"
Shippou's eyes brightened.
"Yes I do! Have you seen her?"
The image of Kagome's limp form in Imashirou's arms suddenly flashed back to her.
"No." She lied, and continued down the isle of cages containing less than useless demons.
"Oh," there was a pause. "Well can I stay with you then till I find her?"
Kigeko groaned inwardly, but nodded.
That wench better not have died. Was the only through running through her mind as Shippou chatted idly about...everything.
---
Inuyasha was the first to swing at the Warlord.
And the first to regret his move.
With a swipe of his hand, Imashirou sent Inuyasha spiraling into the nearest stone pillar. He fell limp to the ground, buried beneath bits of stone. Yusuke, seeing this, took the opportunity to deliver a blow of his own.
It was successful.
Imashirou went flying and crumpled easily against the stone wall.
Snorting out of amusement, Yusuke stood proudly, and in plain view of everyone in the room. Imashirou was now lurking in the shadows, an advantage Yusuke had not yet realized he had.
Out of nowhere, the warlord flung himself at the Spirit Detective. A wave of black consumed Yusuke and sent him spiraling into a pillar.
Kuwabara took this opportunity to strike. He drew out his Spirit Sword and swiped at the warlord...missing by a mile. Imashirou had leapt out of the way and now loomed over Kuwabara's back. Yusuke screamed out a warning but it was too late.
Swift as lightening, Imashirou struck out his hand, one finger over each temple. The Spirit Sword died instantly as Kuwabara began to twitch convulsively in the warlord's hands.
"KUWABARA!" Yusuke screamed, but it wasn't necessary. A green like vine snapped from the ceiling and wrapped tightly about the hand that held Kuwabara.
All eyes drifted up to find Kurama, eyes narrowed dangerously, holding the man's power at bay.
Kuwabara fell to the ground limp, but Imashirou was now paying him no attention.
"I was wondering when you would join us."
---
"Not him!" Shippou begged, his eyes being cast in suspicion toward the dog demon on the other side of the barred door. "Anyone but him!"
Kigeko sighed.
"You said that at the last man we found."
"Yeah but...but...this one's different!"
"How so?"
The demon stood and approached them. Kigeko was on her guard, and Shippou as well, though he took care to hide behind this young girl.
"He knows me," the demon answered with a calm grin. His voice was like silk, but Kigeko wasn't falling for it. "He's known me for a long time."
Kigeko's brow raised in mock interest.
"Your Inuyasha's brother!"
"Half brother," The demon corrected. He then turned his gaze to Kigeko. "I'm Sesshomaru."
"How long have you been here?"
"Long enough."
Kigeko nodded. She couldn't really argue with that.
"I'll let you out," she promised, "if you help me out in turn."
Sesshomaru bowed his head. "I will be in your debt."
Kigeko nodded. Letting lose the tangle of keys, she opened the barred door. Shippou let lose a terrified squeak, but Kigeko knew that this demon would make no move against her.
"Now, I'm looking for a friend of mine..."
---
Kigeko knocked idly on the walls of a specific cell.
"What?" Snapped an all too familiar voice.
Grinning, Kigeko leaned idly against the side of the cell door. "Is that how you treat your friends?"
There was a pause.
"Kigeko?"
"Greetings, Hikari!"