AN: A Quick note, this chapter might be really short, because this isn't an actual fight, but mind games, actually. Anyway, after Yoko Kurama easily defeated another warrior, they now find themselves continuing through the castle, right towards the next warrior. Just what does this adventure have in store for them next? Time to find out...

Chapter Five: Battle of the Minds! Kuwabara vs Kumanomotaro

"So...many...stairs..." Yusuke moaned as he literally dragged himself up the many flights of stairs leading up to the main half of the castle. Hiei and Kuwabara were the only ones struggling up the steps, while everyone else was just walking along fine.

"Oh, screw this." Michael said. In a flash, Michael warped out of view.

"Hey, take us with you, you jerk!" Kuwabara yelled, trying to regain what little breath that he had left.

"Shut up, stupid. Let's just keep going." Yusuke said. They continued up the steps, and found Michael standing right in front of a door that had a really big red question mark on it.

"Well, this is going to be interesting." David said. "Well, who goes first?"

"I am." Kuwabara said through strained breath. "I am looking forward to kicking some ass myself.

"Really now?" Hiei laughed. "You really think that you can take this guy, whoever this guy is?"

"Listen, I might be the only one here who can't transform into a big bad creature, but I can contribute in a way that can help us all." Kuwabara said, voice full of self-assurance.

"Talking is one thing, but actually doing something is another story." David said. "Let's see if the big dog here can actually bite."

David took a small breath, and opened the door. The team walked right into the lair...

As they stepped into the lair, they were met with a lair that was similar to one the Rankei Tantei faced before, so Michael, David, and William were curious as to what they were looking at. The room was decorated like a fancy sitting room. There were two chairs that were a couple of feet apart. The chairs that was a few feet apart sat in front of a fireplace with a insubstantial fire going inside of it.

"Greetings, my friends. Glad that you can join me." A demon with horns, a black porkpie hat and a black suit said, coming out from the shadows and taking a seat in one of the empty chairs.

"Well, nice place, but really, who in the three hells are you suppose to be?" Michael asked.

"Well, aren't you eager to die, young one." The demon smiled, letting his hat rest on the edge of his horn. "Well, my name is Kumanomotaro. This is my room in this lovely castle."

"You have got to be kidding me..." David muttered to Yusuke.

"Shh! I want to hear what the guy has to say." Yusuke said in a mock interested tone of voice.

"Well, since you are so interested, my name is Kumanomotaro." He said. "I am not like the other guys you faced, or will face if by some dumb luck that you get past me."

"Nice, so what's up, what's your power?" William asked.

"Well, instead of a battle of a battle of the brawn, the battle against me will be a engagement of the mind." Kumanomotaro said with a smile, a smile that showed his fangs on the roof of his mouth.

"Like what?" Kurama asked.

"A game of 'Number Taboo'." Kumanomotaro said. "The game is simple. We can on speak in sentences with numbers leading up to ten and the numbers that were said cannot be repeated. Whoever speaks the number ten, loses."

"Anything else?" Yusuke asked.

"For Kuwabara to win, he has to say the number nine." Kurama answered his friend.

"Simple enough, how hard is it to do that?" Yusuke asked again.

"Honestly? Really hard." Michael said. "You can paint yourself into a corner really easily, and that is when you will lose."

"Damn. How is Kuwabara going to win this one?" Yusuke asked.

"We have to wait and see." Michael said.

"I will roll the dice to see who will play the game." Kumanomotaro said. He pulled a seven sided dice piece out of his pocket, and threw it on the ground. It rolled right in front of the group, and came to a stop right there.

"Kazuma Kuwabara." Kumanomotaro smiled. "Step forward and let's see what your mind is made of."

"Shit." Yusuke moaned. Apparently Kuwabara heard him, because he gave him an elbow right of the top of his head.

"Shut up Urameshi!" Kuwabara screamed. "I can handle this!"

"Kuwabara does not have the intelligence to come through against this demon." Hiei said.

"Really, you guys will be surprised." Kuwabara said full of confidence. He walked towards the empty chair in the room, and sat in it, facing Kumanomotaro.

"So, let's play." Kuwabara smiled.

"Alright." Kumanomotaro smiled back. "One."

"Three." Kuwabara said with a smile.

"What is he doing?" Hiei asked.

"Playing a game." Michael answered. "See, Kumanomotaro said in order, but not to jump numbers."

"Well, it seems that you like to trick me. It won't work young Kuwabara." Kumanomotaro smiled, but his tone returned to a serious one. "Let's keep going. 5."

"Nice. Well, it seems that this game is going to end right now." Kuwabara said with a sneaky smile.

"What do you mean? 6." Kumanomotaro said with a slight laugh."

"This. 9." Kuwabara said with a smile.

Kumanomotaro looked at the orange haired teen with a smile on his face. "Well, well. Nicely played. I am not going to give up yet, though. See, I have a bomb strapped to my chest, and unless I-"

Kumanomotaro stopped talking when a sword was impaled in his skull. Everyone turned to face the man responsible.

"Thanks, Hiei. Thanks a lot." David said with a smile of sarcasm.

"You are welcome." Hiei said with no emotion.

5...

"What the hell?" Yusuke said.

4...

"Hell. Run." Michael said, flying towards the entrance.

3...

"What's happening?" Kuwabara asked.

2...

"Okay people. Now it is time to move your ass! Now!" Yusuke screamed, running towards the empty and open door. Everyone made through the door just as a really big explosion rocked the castle.

"Well, let's continue onward, shall we?" Yusuke asked. Everyone brushed themselves off, and continued onward, right into the castle that had another deadly surprise for them.

AN: Hey everyone. David here. Well, now that we escaped the game master's trap, we are now faced with a monster that has multiple personalities. Don't worry, Hiei's up to this fight. He will need to be, because this guy won't go down easily, especially because this guy won't go down until all of his forms are defeated. Wait and see what's going to happen next!