Dusk Till Dawn

Three fighters that left the human world went to Makai, Kurama has met Yomi, he has apparently improved his strength greatly to lower S levels. At this point, wherein he relives most of his past, his old personality is somewhat predominant, as it seems that he is becoming more and more like his old self before he came to the human world. Kurama becomes Yomi's, new right-hand man. After the death of Raizen, Yusuke comes to Yomi's territory with a proposition: a new tournament which will determine the ruler of the whole of Makai. Yomi accepts and the tournament begins. Mukuro put Hiei on a survival test; being forced to fight over five hundred A-Class demons. Hiei's demon energy then rose to low S Class. With Eri in the hospital, she was feeling much better and her fever went away that she still wonders if the others were missing her as much as she missed them.

Three long weeks have passed and Hiei was still stuck in Mukuro's stronghold. She had been siccing countless A-class demons on him. Hiei didn't understand the purpose of this training. While training without his dragon of the dark flames being reversed by Eri's power after learning Sensui had taken it away. In fact, he couldn't understand why he had decided to continue fighting at all. His eyes were growing heavy, tired of battling demons that never seemed to stop coming. All he could use was his sword that destroyed most of them, but he knew there were still a few lurking. They were waiting for him to fall asleep so he'll be vulnerable.

He permitted himself to shut his eyes for a moment and listened intently until he heard their footsteps close by. It only took them mere seconds to have their blood spilling.

He stood still for a while, listening, waiting. But it appeared the army of demons had finally stopped. Hiei leaned against the wall, allowing himself to give in to the haziness of sleep.

"I am curious to wonder what happened to your dragon, Hiei?" Mukuro inquired. "The dark tournament you fought in, you released it and had success with the dragon without getting yourself killed." Hiei opens his eyes tiredly staring up at what appears to be a woman and not a male that he thought when he first arrived at her castle.

"I lost my dragon...to a bullet that rewinds it," Hiei replied. "I can no longer use it anymore."

"Hm, could it be because of the child that is a curse dragged down to kill millions of demons under their power?" Mukuro asked.

"She isn't a curse." Hiei corrected.

"I was only implying to wonder if she was. Her power had erased many demons that she couldn't control her spirit energy inside of her." Mukuro said as she squinted her eyes at Hiei. "But what kind of power destroys and makes others rot in their flesh? Could it be that she is an evil being in her heart?"

Hiei tightens his sword before replying, "No. Never in a million decades will she be a bloodthirsty demon threatening to kill. She didn't mean to because...her heart isn't full of evil."

'No, Eri isn't like any demon born with the power to destroy and manipulate things. I can't even think of how long she's been suffering through the abuse when she needed someone to rescue her from it.' Hiei thought.

"I see..." Mukuro grunted as she walked away before glancing back at the demon. "But do tell what you choose Hiei. Do you want to forget your followers or perhaps stay with the person you found to change your cold heart?"

The question stuck into Hiei's mind as he watched the woman leave as he dug into his pocket to pull out a paper folded into fours. He opens it to scan down a drawing that he found in Yusuke's apartment buried underneath other books.

'Eri drew this photo and initially gave it to me. There were more than she did and wanted to give to us.' Hiei thought of clenching it, not trying to rip it or anything. 'She was drawing her heroes. I'm no hero...'

"Why did you draw me?" Hiei asked himself.

His eyes looked at the drawing of how the little demon tried to draw him and her except he could see Eri's drawing of herself was emotionless. He had a smile on his face-no frown.

'She wanted me to be happy.' Hiei thought sadly.

Before Leaving the park

Hiei and Eri left the playground, the two went to places that Eri has never been before since Hiei knows where to go just so Eri can visit.

"This is where you can get any toy you want. Do you want one?" He asked in a slight gentle tone.

Eri hesitantly nodded. They enter the toy store as Hiei lets her pick out a toy she wanted as she spots a stuffed animal she picked off the shelf.

"Is this the one you want?" He asked.

"Y-Yes." She squeaked.

I missed her squeaky voice that it was so sweet...

After Eri's Doctor's Appointment

"Yeah, you got it coming shortly," Kuwabara said.

Eri tilts her head, "But...Hiei isn't short?"

"Of course he is! Look at him. A shrimp." Kuwabara said.

"No." Eri shook her head. "He's a giant."

Hiei was surprised that she stood up for him and she claimed that he was a giant. She came over to hold his hand saying, "You're a giant."

"I-I'm a...giant?" Hiei smirked looking over at Kuwabara letting out a small chuckle.

She proved them all wrong for standing up for me...

Eri When She Felt Kindness Overwhelming Her Mind

Eri held onto the pillow not realizing that she was crying until Yusuke entered the room along with Kurama as they stopped their tracks to see her crying. They were confused about what was wrong with Eri. Hiei was hiding in the other room noticing something wasn't quite right that he read her mind hearing the voices in her head that were overwhelming her thoughts.

"So warm..." Eri whispered.

"What did she say?" Yusuke asked.

Kurama glanced over Yusuke replying, "I think...Eri never experienced this kind of feeling before. It's a warm feeling to her when she's around us."

"You mean she never had anyone around to do this for her?" Yusuke asked.

"No," Kurama replied in a blunt tone. "Let's have her rest for now. She needs it."

She never felt any kindness and this is was overwhelming her that she didn't know what to say about it...

Hiei starts remembering her voice and how scared she was before defining what a "Monster" really meant. He wasn't a monster she viewed and how innocent she was trying to get close.

"I pushed you away..." His voice cracked. "...You wanted to make me happy and I pushed you away."

I remember what we shared and how you were trying to make me feel better. I drove you away like everyone else did me.

The demons in the Demon World claim that she's a curse. But what I've learned from her power is...a blessing. She didn't mean to do it..and she could end up hurt without anyone helping her.

"A bright future..." Koenma said as Hiei had deep thoughts.

"No! Stop! He's going to die!" Eri cried out.

"You won't lay another finger on her!" Hiei yelled.

"I'm sorry! I don't want this!" She exclaimed.

"...She needs me," Hiei mumbled.

Just then, the doors to the training room busted open. And who was to walk through them but the odd mummy herself.

"Interesting," She said. "You've managed to exceed even my expectations, Hiei. I'm running out of demons to fight you. But you can still go further, you lack the motivation."

"Go figure, after three weeks of this training, I still don't know what you want from me. I don't even know what kind of demon you are, or for that matter, what you even look like under all those bandages."

"You want to see, don't you? Well, maybe it's time you saw my face for what it is. I propose a challenge. I send in one more warrior, if you beat him, I'll show myself. Hiding nothing from you."

"And he just...has to die?" Hiei asked warily.

"That's it," She shrugged. "I'll bring only one of my 77 elite guards to fight you. If you beat him, I will reveal myself to you and I'll give you the distinct honor of taking his place on my select guard."

Hiei was losing his patience as he replied, "I have no use for honors or distinctions, they're nothing but meaningless tokens."

"I think you might change your mind," Mukuro answered. "You'll find this 'meaningless token' will open many doors. You'll have a much easier time finding what you seek."

Hiei's eyes widened in shock, how could she know what he was searching for? He killed all the demons he had questioned. And he never told anyone else about his decision if he should return to be with Eri for his whole life or remain in the demon world.

"I'll be back in five minutes with your challenger," She said as he walked off.

'Eerie beast, I wonder how much he knows about my quest,' Hiei wondered to himself.

Before he knew it, Mukuro had returned with...

'No, it couldn't be...' His eyes widened, revealing my surprise for only a second.

Then frustration took over, "It's you... Shigure."

Hiei P.O.V.

Shigure was the man who implanted my Jagan's eye. How did Mukuro even know who he was? Did she bring him here on purpose? How much about me does she know?

"Hiei," the surgeon drawled, "I honestly never thought our paths would cross again."

"You two know each other?" the mummy king asked.

"Yes. Hiei was a patient of mine. I'm the one who performed the surgery for his Jagan's eye."

"Interesting," replied Mukuro.

"I heard you found your sister and the Ice Realm," he commented, looking down upon me.

"Perhaps, but that's none of your concern," I sneered.

"I also heard that you were rescuing a child," he paused. "Oh, my mistake. A curse demon child."

I let out a low growl, "She isn't a curse," I muttered.

"Yes, I'm aware. Eri, correct? Yes, she's been the talk of the town recently. Why did you leave her back in Spirit World?" he inquired.

"I couldn't just carry her around with me," I retorted, rolling my eyes. Was this really the same man who taught me my fighting technique?

"Enough!" Mukuro yelled. "We must get back to the matter at hand. The fate of your very lives is hanging in the balance. Begin the battle!"

I unsheathed my sword and replied, "So be it."

'I must strike quickly, if I do not, my chances of survival are grim,' I reasoned. 'But yet, I am fighting without purpose. Falling back into a life of meaningless killing, a life of dishonor and cowardice.' I shifted my body, preparing to charge at Shigure at any moment.

'There is no more dignity in this type of existence. Not when she's on my mind. So I must find honor in death.' The moment couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, yet it felt like an eternity to me. His weapon was far superior to mine, so I knew there was no way to dodge it. I sacrificed my left arm, using it as a shield to allow me to boost myself up on his Phosphorous Ring Sword.

Still, he was too fast and was able to shake me off, cutting me deep into my waist. For one moment, he relaxed, believing it was over for me. But that small time frame was enough for me to slice his head in half.

"Simultaneous death. The highest honor one fighter can give another." I heard the faint sound of footsteps walking towards me.

Mukuro stood before me, "Hiei, I shall congratulate you with a great prize." He threw down the picture Eri had drew. Admittedly, I haven't notice that I dropped it before the match begun that I saw her unwrapped the scarfs off her scarred face.

"Gaze upon me, Hiei. You are the first person to ever see my face as it is now. This is the highest honor I can give you. You've more than earned it," she said to me, a hint of reverence in her voice.

"The only thing I earned in this life is death, and I gladly welcome it now." I surrendered to the darkness, the warmth of my own spilled blood comforting me.

It was true what they said about dying. Your whole life flashes before your eyes. I remembered the sound of my mother's cries as she begged her own people not to kill me. I could still see the look of pure sadness on Ree's face when she realized who I was when I returned to the Glacial Village after all those years. I remembered the day I met Kurama, he immediately earned my respect. I recalled the day I was introduced to Yusuke and Kuwabara. I never told them, but I was thankful they were there to help save Yukina.

Yukina.

One of the few gifts I have received in this life. After my search for her had ended, I was lost. I didn't know what to do with myself. I grew weary of helping the detective protect his pathetic planet. My life had no more meaning.

Until I met her. She gave me a purpose. She gave me a reason to keep living, to keep fighting.

Eri. She didn't make me feel like a monster, as most people did. She was my last gift from this world. Her love was enough to make me stay and fight for a world I hated. She made me believe not all humans were terrible. She was the only person I ever truly loved. And I was thankful for her kind soul she granted me.

When I woke up, I was in some sort of tube, immersed in a green liquid. Only my Jagan eye could open, but I could feel my left arm had been reattached. I looked around, I was in a dimly lit room, but it was enough to see the figure observing me.

'Mukuro,' I thought bitterly. 'Why did this woman allow me to live? I was content with death. But in death, I wouldn't be able to see the one person I wanted to see again. Did she enjoy torturing me? Did she revel in the fact that she had the ability to keep me away from the things I desired most?'

As if reading my mind, she answered, "Do not fret, Hiei. There is a reason I have allowed my subordinates to heal you. Your story may be filled with sorrow, but you haven't reached your end yet."

"I feel as though I can relate to you, Hiei. We both have shared horrid times in our lives. We've had our innocence taken away and decided to take our pain out on the world. But still, like me, you have fought against the odds. And for that, I admire you."

'What was she talking about? How could she know so much about me?'

"Perhaps you may have a hard time believing this, but you are one of the very few to allow me to explore their mindfully. As you may have figured out by now, I have the ability to read minds. And I personally want to thank you for sharing so much of your life with me. I see you care very deeply of that woman."

"We both have found a place to call home in the ones we love," she continued. She looked over at a tank a few feet away from me. Inside was the surgeon himself.

"We met many years ago, and he's never left my side since," she murmured. I couldn't help but note the look of devotion in her eyes. It was then that I realized that she was right, we were more alike than I knew.

"Since you defeated Shigure, I will tell you the news he was unable to share about your friend." She turned her attention back to me, looked me deep in the eye, and whispered in a barely audible voice, "She missed you."

A few hours went by and I was fully healed that I knew thinking about this a long term was gradually running on my mind. I couldn't leave her behind and choose a path that leads to more death...more pain...more loneliness. From that day I held her hand in mine that I felt connected to her-it felt like I was looking in a mirror of my younger self when I was raised differently than most children's. Eri made me realize that I belong where I should be that it made me feel this way around her. She's so young...she can't live on her own and more importantly, her power is dangerous, but I'm the only one who can stop her.

"Hiei, I will grant you to be apart of my army men and you shall-" Mukuro spoke up as I declined it.

"No. I think I've changed my mind about being one of your army recruits." I told her.

"What changed your mind?" She asked.

I faced her while holding the picture in my hands, "...I need to look after someone. They need me for a reason."