Hanataro awoke with a dry feeling in her mouth. She hadn't fed in days. Okay, about three days. However, for her kind, that was a long time. She sighed. No one was around. With the exception of Sanzo and the others of course. No. She couldn't ask to feed on them. It was bad enough that she had impossibly escaped the calamity that happened in Shangri-La. How in the world would she ask to feed off of one of them?
She got out from her bed, her eyes adjusting to the dark room. She felt different, like the atmosphere had changed. But her senses were weak due to lack of sustenance. She shivered a bit. The floor was cold under her bear feet, and even as she shifted the temperature of her body, she still had chills running up and down her body.
And that's when she heard it.
It was like…like a terrible screech. Suddenly, something was behind her. She spun around and was faced by a woman. She had a ghastly look to her; her skin was impossibly pale. The woman ran her cold fingers against Hanataros cheek. Hanataro did not make a sound, and did not move. This woman looked human, but she wasn't. She felt paralyzed as she looked into the woman's green eyes. The woman smiled.
"At last…I found one of you…Vampire…" The woman hissed and then bit Hanataro hard on the neck, causing her to yelp in pain. Suddenly, her door was kicked open.
"Get away from her!" Gojyo shouted. Hanataro felt herself go numb. The woman had released venom into her blood stream.
"Gojyo…" She said weakly.
"Hanataro!" Gojyo turned to the ghostly woman.
"Dumb bitch! What the hell did you do to her?" The woman laughed, backing away towards the wall.
"I simply paralyzed her…you see…my kind loves the taste of vampires…they give us power…the perfect sustenance…lays in this girl. You four can leave in peace…just as long as you leave her with us."
"Like hell we will!" Goku yelled, appearing behind Gojyo. The woman smiled.
"Fine then! You will all be killed!" Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the room, causing Hanataro to close her eyes. When it settled, Hanataro opened them back up and gasped. The room they had once been in was now gone. They were now in some unreal world, where only the floors were visible. Sanzo and Hakkai were there with the three of them as well.
"What the hell is this shit!?" Goku shouted.
"It appears we have been transported to some alternate dimension." Hakkai simply said.
"Very good!" The woman chastised. "You see, this is my world, and you don't stand a chance in here!" Hanataros eyes widened. She had now figured it out. This woman was vampire devourer. A wielder of powerful magic. This woman was indeed…
"A Krusnik…" Hanataro said sadly.
"I see…Centauries of feeding of one of the most powerful Youkai races…would give you this kind of power, huh?" Sanzo asked, cocking his little handgun. The woman smiled.
"Indeed, Sanzo priest…Now that I think about it…There's a little rumor going on about-."
"How feeding off a Sanzo can give you life ever lasting? Don't you already have it?" Sanzo interrupted.
"No…A Sanzo priest can make you immortal…" She said, smiling.
"Not this shit again." Gojyo said, sighing. The woman laughed.
"Lets play a little game shall we?" She started to levitate, taking Hanataro with her. "This world is a labyrinth…Its full of traps and such… And each room is separated off by darkness, and that's only on the first floor. The second floor is far more complex…" She smirked. "If you can't find your way to the third floor, you lose, and it will result in your deaths, considering how many monsters reside in this place. If you figure it out and win…" She chuckled a bit. "Well, no one wins." She startled cackling and disappeared in a flash, taking Hanataro with her.
"Well..I guess we'll be the first to win." Hakkai said with a smile.
"She never told us what we get if we win! What if she eats Hanataro while we're trying to figure out the stupid game!?" Goku shouted.
"Then we better haul ass, monkey." Gojyo said, walking towards the nearest room.
"Wait! Gojyo, you heard the woman. She said that the labyrinth is full of traps. Watch wear your walking." Hakkai warned.
"Yeah, and there are monsters and stuff!" Goku stated.
"I don't need you to tell me things. Besides, since when are monsters ever a problem?" Gojyo began to walk forward again, and Sanzo wordlessly followed. Hakkai smiled at Goku and then followed himself. Goku sighed.
"Please be alright when we get there, Hanataro."
"Let me go!" Hanataro yelled. The woman smiled at licked Hanataro on the cheek.
"Mmn…I might not be able to wait for those four to get here…You look so tasty…What type are you? Lets see…red hair…red eyes…You must be a Pyro….Perfect. I love my dishes spicy." The woman put her paralyzed body down, leaning her against the wall. The room was bright, and unlike the first floor, the light was golden instead of blue.
"Why? Why does no one win your stupid labyrinth game?" Hanataro asked quietly. She was so worried. Not about herself, but about her new friends. They had done so much for her, and now because of her, they might be killed.
"Because, love…My game is full of the unexpected…And because of the fact that its my world…Just makes it more difficult to survive." An orb of light appeared in her hands, and formed into a crystal ball.
"You..cheat, don't you?" Hanataro demanded. The woman cackled and looked into her crystal ball.
"Oh…Goddess…Please don't let them die…" Hanataro whispered.