"Which door should we take, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked as they stood in a round chamber surrounded by doors.
"Hmm…" Kuwabara tapped his forehead as he focused. "Second one from the right!"
"Second from the right it is." Yusuke grinned and walked towards the door.
"I dunno," Hiei said skeptically. "You sure about this?"
"Heh!" Kuwabara smirked and jerked his thumb at himself. "Doping out mazes and traps is my forte!"
"It's true," Sayomi agreed behind the boys. "He was the first one to make it through Master Genkai's forest without running into any trouble. His sixth sense is way more credible than Yusuke's."
"Damn skippy, it is!" Yusuke agreed. He opened the door to another dark corridor.
Sayomi sighed and shifted to infrared vision. Besides a couple rats and cobwebs, it doesn't look too dangerous. Not bad, Kuwabara.
She smirked and said, "Coast looks clear. Watch your step just in case."
Kuwabara took the lead and Yusuke followed in after him. Kurama followed behind the detective with Hiei and Sayomi bringing up the rear. Sayomi kept her eyes on the two thieves until they safely reached the end.
"Phew! Pretentious décor here," Yusuke observed as he walked up a few steps.
Guarding a set of large steel doors was a pair of bronze dragon statues. The dragon on the left was sculpted mid-roar as it reached out with a menacing claw. The dragon to the right was more passive as its neck arched down to glare at any intruders. Both had massive wings and their tails wrapped around their stone platforms.
Kuwabara looked around curiously while Kurama stopped at the bottom of the steps to scan their surroundings. Hiei examined the statues in distaste and Sayomi followed Yusuke to the doors.
"This must be Seiryu's chamber," Kurama warned warily. "A demonic aura's leaking out, more potent than the others!"
"I'll say!" Kuwabara crossed his arms over his chest and shivered. "Goose-bump city!"
"Only way to go is forward," Sayomi pointed out as she helped Yusuke with the doors. They dragged open with a loud creak.
"Eh?!" Yusuke gasped when he saw the demon inside.
"Master Suzaku finds your petty activities highly vexing." His voice was deep and his speech clipped. His hands were clasped securely behind his straight back as he glared down at them. "This is as far as you go."
His skin was a pale shade of blue and his black hair spiked upwards from under his royal blue Chinese hat. His long-sleeved tunic and Gi matched his hat, though it was trimmed in red and a white sash wrapped around his waist. A light blue dragon wrapped around his tunic with its head draped over one shoulder while the spikes of the embroidered beast extended up from both shoulders. He wore dark blue pants and black martial arts shoes.
"I'll kill you all, after I've torn you limb from limb. Heh heh heh." His smirk was as menacing as his icy gaze.
Kuwabara flexed his arms and yelled, "We've heard that before, skank!"
Sayomi shot a glare in his direction. "You are not going to open those wounds again."
"Yes, ma'am." Kuwabara stepped back as he tried to keep up his intimidating scowl.
"Hmm." Seiryu's eyes narrowed. "We have… an uninvited guest."
Sayomi and the boys froze as they strained their ears to listen and Yusuke blinked in confusion. Before too long, they started to hear a low shuffle.
"Something… dragging along…" Kuwabara observed.
"It's coming from down the hall," Hiei warned.
They all turned when the doors creaked open behind them and another beast stumbled in. His fur was scorched and his tunic was little more than tattered rags. He was missing his tail and one of his eyes was burned. "H-help meeee!"
" Byakko?!" Yusuke shouted in surprise.
"S-Seiryu!" The beast shuffled past the intruders and reached out for his ally. He wheezed as he forced himself to speak. "P-please, I need some energy… I'll repay you once I'm stronger…"
"Gawd, he's still alive?!" Kuwabara broke into a nervous sweat.
"Too much, man," Yusuke agreed with narrow eyes.
"Damn it." Sayomi sighed and glanced at Kuwabara. He better not try to fight him again…
"Fool," Seiryu said coldly. "You are ridiculous… and a failure."
"Seiryu!" Byakko begged.
"You are of no further use. In fact, you're an eyesore." Seiryu shifted his arms fluidly so one hand resembled a dragon's claw while his other fist pulled back behind him. His aura erupted from his feet like a wintry gale.
"Wait—that stance…" Byakko took a couple steps back. "Please… Don't!!"
Seiryu punched and yelled, "Fall to the Ghostly Ice Fist!!"
" Whoa!!" Yusuke shouted.
" Aaah!" Byakko screamed until he stood frozen in ice.
"Haah!" Seiryu kicked the frozen beast, shattering him into chunks of ice.
"Holeee…" Kuwabara cringed as he became ghostly pale.
"He killed one of his fellow beasts!!" Yusuke growled angrily.
Byakko's frozen head bounced and rolled across the chamber floor. "Uhh..."
"Heh…" Seiryu clasped his hands behind his back and smirked. "I laid 100 freezing punches at near absolute zero on him. No one, save Master Suzaku, can dodge such an assault."
"Seiryu… Why…?" Byakko tried to speak, but he coughed up blood.
"You've proven yourself weak and worthless. In short, you're a loser." Seiryu spat at the tiger's head
"Uhh…" Byakko's eyes faded to white as he died.
Yusuke glared hatefully at Seiryu.
"They have no sense of camaraderie," Kurama explained with disapproval in his eyes. "They're driven solely by greed and hunger."
"He takes cold-blooded too literally." Sayomi clenched her fists and her dark gray eyes narrowed. "Even the gutter imps outside had the decency to help their wounded escape."
"I wanted to destroy him, but this is weird… wrong!" Kuwabara trembled with rage as he glared at the beast. "He deserved better… and I swear he'll get it!"
"Right on, Kuwabara!" Yusuke angrily agreed. "And I'll do the honors!!"
"Wait, Yusuke." Everyone stopped and turned to see Hiei giving Seiryu a murderous glare. "Save that rage for later. You'll need it for Suzaku."
"But…" Yusuke stared at him curiously, along with Kuwabara and Kurama.
"Hey." Sayomi stepped forward, shifting her glare from Seiryu to Hiei. "If you don't kill him, I'm taking over. We don't need a repeat of the last match."
He glared back at her, then turned to face Seiryu. "You won't even be needed after this fight."
"Heh heh heh." Seiryu chuckled as his frigid aura stormed around them.
Hiei swiftly pulled off his cloak, leaving himself in baggy black pants with two white belts and black boots. A katana was sheathed at his waist behind his bare back. He flung the fabric to the side where it silently draped over Byakko's head.
"What's this?" Seiryu smirked. "A sentimental gesture? From you? I'd understood you to be like us – ruthless to the core."
Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Sayomi arched her brow. What's that about? Just earlier, he was threatening to let us die. Now…
"I've never seen Hiei like this before," Kurama said, drawing everyone else's attention. "He's just as Seiryu described… or was. Yet he seems truly upset by what Seiryu's done. Self-interest is not what moves him now, and it bewilders him… What it means I can't say, but the battle aura surrounding him is the strongest I've ever felt!"
Everyone returned their gaze to the fight as Hiei and Seiryu stared each other down.
"I'll crush you," Seiryu declared, settling into his fighting stance.
Instead of responding, Hiei prepared to draw his sword.
Seiryu narrowed his eyes. "Die!!"
Just as Seiryu threw a punch, Hiei dashed forward and cut him down. The beast fell to the bloody floor in pieces and the wintry aura dispersed from the room.
Hiei sheathed his sword and glared over his shoulder. "May I never see your face again."
"D-didya see that?!" Kuwabara hunched forward and stared in awe. "Flippin' awesome!!"
"Heh…" Kurama smiled. "I saw… but lost track after the first stroke."
"I have to revise my opinion of the li'l runt." Kuwabara admitted.
"Hiei, the Flying Shadow…" Sayomi whispered to herself. It's because of his speed… With a name like that, I thought he might be another shadow demon.
"Wow!" Yusuke cheered and ran up to the swordsman. "That was amazing, Hiei!! You laid him out in one go!!"
"How many cuts?" Kurama asked.
"Sixteen," Hiei answered.
" Sixteen!" Yusuke grinned. "Man, I only caught eight!"
"Your eyes are better than mine, Yusuke," Kurama admitted.
"That guy was filleted before I even blinked…" Kuwabara muttered.
"I only saw the main cut and the rest was just a quick blur." Sayomi sighed at her own lack of skill. And that was just a glimpse of what he could do. If he decided to turn on us, I wouldn't stand a chance.
"You're fast, Hiei!" Yusuke exclaimed. "You could beat me hands down in a rematch, I bet!"
"Well… Maybe." Hiei turned to retrieve his cloak.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked. "I don't get it. I thought he'd agree outright."
"Or at least insult you," Sayomi muttered as she pulled her hood down.
"He's changed since he's come here," Kurama explained with a smile. "You may be a good influence on him."
"Leave it to Yusuke to have a positive influence on a criminal." Sayomi smirked and lightly punched his arm.
"Hey!" Yusuke rubbed his arm and shot her a suspicious look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sayomi winked and said, "Only that you're a good, influential leader."
Kurama smiled down at her and said, "You shouldn't underestimate yourself, Sayomi. You've also given him things to consider and your sudden alliance with Yusuke puzzles him since it seems to be by choice and not by force."
Sayomi blinked, then crossed her arms and looked down at the dead beasts. One moment he's threatening us, the next moment he's helping us. If anyone is confusing, it's him. He says one thing, then does the complete opposite . He also potentially saved Yusuke from a similar fate to Byakko, but does that really make him trustworthy?
"—Already."
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a voice behind her and looked around the chamber. The door was open and there was no one else there besides the two corpses and Hiei. She quickly turned to face him. "What?"
He sighed. "Everyone left already. Unless you'd rather freeze to death, I suggest you hurry up."
She glared and arched a brow. "What's keeping you from just leaving me behind?"
"Kurama told me to snap you out of your mindless trance."
"Do you always do what Kurama tells you?"
Hiei's glare sharpened, making her tense. "I'm going to forget you asked such a ludicrous question and insist on leaving you here to rot if you don't get moving."
Sayomi kept her gaze on him as she walked towards the stairs. When she stopped at the door, she crossed her arms and jerked her chin up. "I hope you'll excuse me if I find you too dangerous to walk behind me."
Hiei smirked as he walked through with his hands in his pockets.
Sayomi took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. Damn it, he knows he scares me. Not much else to do but make it through this ordeal alive. Otherwise, I'll always be looked down on for being weak.
Staying focused on her breathing, she made sure to keep Hiei within sight without getting too close. So long as he doesn't turn on us before this is over, we might just make it through this castle alive.
Once with the group, she made it a point to ignore Hiei completely. She refused to see the smug look on his face or the superiority in his eyes. Instead, she kept her focus on keeping up with the group as they ran down the corridor.
" One enemy left, guys!" Yusuke noted as he led the way.
"Right!" Kuwabara agreed.
"Let's make it quick! Gotta get back to the city!" When he heard a loud beep sound from his pocket, Yusuke reached for the compact and flipped it open. "Yeah?!"
"It's Botan! I've got news!" The blue-haired reaper spoke urgently in a hushed voice. "I'm at your school, I've got Keiko with me, and we're surrounded by bug-infested maniacs!!"
Yusuke stopped running and Kuwabara looked over his shoulder to peer at the tiny screen.
Sayomi thought back to the girl she met when she first came to the city with Yusuke. She could see the emotions flickering through his eyes at the thought of her being in danger. Now we really have to hurry!
"They're clearly after Keiko with murder on their minds!" Botan exclaimed.
"Get out of there!!" Yusuke stressed angrily.
"What are you doing... out of uniform?" A male voice snarled off screen.
" Oh no!!" Keiko screamed.
"We will! You get that whistle! Fast!" Botan ordered.
" Rule breakers!!" the man yelled.
" Look out!"
Sayomi gasped when she heard Keiko's shout before the communicator cut to static white noise. Not good.
" Hey!!" Yusuke shouted. "Botan, what happened?! Botan!!" He dropped the compact in his pocket and took off at a mad sprint. " Aargh!! Time's running out! Gotta finish this!!"
As they ran to keep up with him, Sayomi noted his furious desperation. Keiko's more important to him than I thought. He said she was his only friend growing up. She was the one he risked his virtue to save when he was a ghost. She donated her vital energy to bring him back to life. Their bond is so strong it transcends worlds.
She shifted her eyes forward as adrenaline pumped her legs to go faster. If anything happens to her, he'll go ballistic. I need to make it part of my job to ensure nothing does.
Before long, Sayomi and the boys found themselves on the roof of the castle. There was a strong wind and lightning flashed in the dark sky. A large tower, with mid-level windows and a single set of double-doors, was on the other side. At the top was a large round chamber and on either side of its base were two dark doorways that descended to more stairs.
"That's it! That tower!" Kuwabara shouted.
"The big boss's chamber is at the top!" Yusuke agreed.
"Huh?!" The two boys froze when they spotted movement.
Sayomi, Kurama, and Hiei glared ahead at the creatures ascending from the two open doorways. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of them coming from the openings. They groaned and stumbled along at a snail's pace, dripping water from their seaweed-like bodies.
Sayomi wrinkled her nose in disgust. They smell just as awful as they look.
"What the hell are those things?!" Yusuke yelled.
"They're known as production-model hominids," Sayomi answered. "Even though they're humanoid in form, they're mindless creatures. They may be slow, but they're known to obey their masters without question."
"There's a zillion of 'em!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "It'll take forever to fight our way through all that!"
"Yes, that will take time we do not have," Kurama agreed.
"And like scarecrows, they feel no pain or fear," Hiei added.
"This Suzaku character's a real sick-o!" Kuwabara growled through clenched teeth. "We gotta save Yukimura, and he throws this crap at us?!"
"That's what he thinks!!" Yusuke yelled as he charged his fist. "I'll finish this bunch off with a Gatling gun volley of Reiki!!"
"Hold on! Don't expend yourself!" Kurama grasped Yusuke's shoulder to hold him back. "Lose your cool and you'll play right into Suzaku's hands!!"
Yusuke glared at the red-head and argued, "But there's no other way to get through!!"
"Maybe there is."
Yusuke's eyes widened at Hiei's unexpected claim and Sayomi arched a curious brow at him.
"Look up there. See that open window?"
"What?" Yusuke followed his eyes to the middle of the tower.
"Leave it to a thief to look for open windows," Sayomi muttered under her breath.
"Jeez, Hiei, we're not grasshoppers!!" Yusuke cringed. "None of us could possibly jump that high!!"
"Not from here, no!" Hiei agreed and proceeded to explain the plan.
Minutes later, Kuwabara grunted and started to sweat under the strain. He stood in a horse stance, bracing his arms firmly on his spread legs, as Kurama kneeled on his shoulders. On the red-head's shoulders, Hiei stood tall, despite the wind, and Sayomi kneeled on his shoulders, gripping his hair to keep her balance, despite his annoyed growl.
"You okay?" Kurama asked as he glanced down.
"Why me? Why me all the time?" Kuwabara grumbled.
"It has to be you," Sayomi answered. "Kurama is too injured and I doubt Hiei will let you climb over him. It's Yusuke's turn to fight and when I offered, you said girls shouldn't do such things."
"Okay, hold on! Here we go!!" Kuwabara charged ahead in a choppy run and the demons on his back kept their balance despite the movement. "You've got one shot! Make it count, Urameshi!!"
"That's the plan!" Yusuke shouted behind them. " Hup! Hup! Hoh!"
Just before they ran into the horde, Yusuke jumped up their backs, tilting them forward with each step. As soon as he jumped off Sayomi, they jumped off each other while Kuwabara fell under the pressure.
" Urrgh!!" Yusuke caught the ledge of the window and clung to the wall like a monkey.
"I'll be twonked!! It worked!!" Kuwabara cheered as he punched a couple hominids to the ground.
Once he climbed inside, Yusuke looked down over his shoulder and shouted, "You bet it did! Thanks guys!! If we get back alive, lunch is on me!"
Hiei smirked as Kurama waved his hand in farewell. Sayomi gave him a two-finger salute while Kuwabara grinned and said, "We'll hold you to that!"
With a thumbs up and smirk of his own, Yusuke disappeared into the castle.
Sayomi watched him leave, then turned to glare at the horde of mindless seaweed zombies. Don't die on us, Yusuke. We'll be right behind you.