Hiei, Mukuro, and Yomi met up with Genbu, Byakko, and Gama.
"It's good to see you again, Hiei," Gama amused. "Where's your friend Kurama?"
"Probably being saved by his damsel in distress," Hiei joked. "This time it's my turn."
The three went up against them. Genbu used his strength while fighting against Mukuro. Hiei used his flame technique to extinguish the invisible seals. Yomi was fighting against Byakko. It was daunting at first but Hiei, Mukuro, and Yomi were winning. Their strength made the battle easier.
At another side, Yusuke and the gang met up with Seiryu and the horde of soldiers. They immediately started to attack. Kurama saw Yusuke and the others he tugged Hoshimi along only to be stopped by Rando, Karasu, and Suzaku.
"Where are you taking-her? Woah, a pretty nine-tail," Rando bemused. "I thought he said you would have Umeko but I guess he fell for your tricks, didn't he?"
"It's been a while, Kurama," Karasu chuckled.
Hoshimi tried to pull away but he gripped tighter. Kurama gave them a smirk. "It has been, how was Hell?"
"Boring without you there to keep me company," Karasu shifted his weight. "Must have been lonely for you too." He glanced at Kurama's hand on Hoshimi.
At the fight, Suzuki noticed the standoff and pointed Yusuke towards it. Jin and Toya followed Yusuke as the rest kept fighting.
"Hey, if there's a party, how come no one gave me an invite?" Yusuke teased standing behind them. The three whipped around to see him. "It's good to see you're still alive, Kurama." He nodded back to Yusuke. "You wanted pay back, here I am."
"I'll gladly take it," Suzaku smiled.
"Same here," Rando nodded. The two started to fight against Yusuke. Jin and Toya helped.
Karasu looked back over to Kurama. "Shall we have a rematch?"
"I guess since you won't take no for an answer," Kurama shifted into his nine-tail form. He let go of Hoshimi. "Get to safety. If anything happens to you, I'll have to face your brother and I would rather not get on his bad side." He gave her a wink.
"I'll just make things easier on all of us," Hoshimi muttered as she walked away. She headed towards the horde of soldiers. Suzuki, Rinku, Shishi, and Chu had won against Seiryu only by killing him. He wouldn't go back alive. They were battling against the demon soldiers. Hoshimi ran into the horde going full speed before jumping straight up. She headed back down with such speed that when her fist touched the ground, the whole underground shook causing a ripple to those around. All the demon soldiers in that area were knocked out and on the ground. Those fighting paused to see Hoshimi dusting off her hands.
Kurama chuckled. He used this time to reach into Karasu's chest and pull out his heart. Karasu stared at him with wide eyes before falling to the ground. Kurama let the heart drop. "Huh? I guess it really wasn't her making it look that easy, it was that simple." He stared at his bloodied hand.
"Stop staring at your newest nail art," Yusuke defeated Suzaku in an eighth of a time it took him originally. Jin and Toya had taken down Rando without hassle. "Where's the big bad guy himself?"
"Hotaka should be after him," Kurama flicked his hand getting the blood off in one swipe.
"He has that bounty hunter with him, so things should be okay," Yusuke mentioned.
"He brought Sahar?" Hoshimi peeked her head into the group. The rest formed around them. "We should get going then. Sahar is a key piece. I want to see how this battle ends." She started to head off to the cavern.
Kurama grabbed Hoshimi from going any farther. "Oh no you don't." Hiei chuckled. "The final battle will be over there." He pointed to an open area. Tatsuo arrived on cue along with Hotaka and Sahar with the last troop behind them. "See." He gripped her hand, hinting that she could not leave.
Tatsuo stared Hotaka and Sahar down. "Your sister is alluring. If I had known earlier, she would have made great breeding stock." Hotaka's lips twitched. Sahar glanced at Yusuke's group. "After producing several kits, she would have made a great concubine or a nice robe to fit my throne room, whichever." He shrugged his shoulders. "You would make a great rug."
"No breeding for me?" Hotaka teased. "I thought you had one picked out to be my mate. Now you're going to have make me find one myself? Not a good host." His tails flickered.
"You brought one of my kind," Tatsuo examined Sahar. "I am more powerful than them. It won't work." Tatsuo threw a blast at them. It sounded as if it hit them. Dust and wind blew back. Yomi shielded them with his powers. Hotaka ran through the dust, his steps never making a sound. Hotaka flipped into the air, his tails forming into one, hitting Tatsuo with force.
Tatsuo flew back. He summersaulted into a fighting stance. "Good, it's been a while since I've met someone who can fight on par with me. Let's see if you can match my pace." Hotaka's tails pounded against the ground causing a tremor. Tatsuo wobbled but didn't lose his ground. Sahar scrambled to stay up. Tatsuo used both hands to blast Hotaka. Hotaka shielded himself with his tails. "You're going to have to do better than that." Tatsuo growled in anger. He drew in energy. A pillar of purple and teal power blasted into the sky. "An improvement." Hotaka drew in energy as well. His pillar was all white with hints of gold.
Hoshimi's tails fluttered as she closed her eyes. She breathed in trying to calm herself down. The energy surging made her want to join in. She felt Kurama's hold on her. She could feel him and the others wanting to battle it out against Tatsuo. Sahar had found his way over to them. The troop behind him also went to somewhere safer.
"Your brother is something else," Sahar stood along with them. "A messenger demanded my presence to meet the King. When I was in front of him, all he did was walk around me, nodded, and said I am supposed to accompany him to front lines. Nothing about Tatsuo being alive or you, infiltrating his lair. All one big surprise after another."
"You knew Tatsuo?" Hoshimi tried to step towards him but was held back. Her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Sahar crossed his arms. "After all that, that's your only focus." He sighed in defeat. "Yes, Tatsuo was popular in our villages, but nothing seemed to interest him as much as knowing the world around him. We all thought he died or was killed due to his sense of adventure. The only ones who took the loss were the women, some men, but mostly the elders. They thought he was going to make a great leader."
"A great leader, just didn't have a great goal," Yusuke watched the fight. "Earth had several of those, the whole world practically got involved, twice, trying to stop that kind of leader."
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Hiei watched with him. Yusuke nodded. "I would ask Kurama to join in, but he has his hands busy."
"When Hotaka falters, we all go in," Yusuke's fists clenched.
"You might as well go in," Hoshimi's tails were flickering about. Her excitement was overcoming her. "Brother was close to ascension when I was born. His body is overflowing with power. A cup that is continuously being filled and no one to drink it." White smoke rolled off her, puddling around their feet. "I don't know if Tatsuo has been eating his own concoction to make the foxes grow in power but Hotaka is just playing with his meal like a cat. He'll get bored and then POUNCE! Hoshimi snapped. The others flinched away. "No more plaything." She let out a soft chuckle. Kurama clamped his fingers around her hand and slid an arm around her waist. He was not going to let his prey out of his clutches. It took him this long to nab a hold of her.
"It's useless then," Yusuke was annoyed.
"Not useless," Sahar corrected. "I'm assuming Hotaka will allow you to join in, isn't that right, Hoshimi?"
They all turned to her. She flashed them her teeth. "Brother already knew about the secret of your kind if he didn't need to ask you then. My guess is all of us are going to join in here shortly."
"What secret?" Mukuro was riled up. She wanted to keep fighting.
Tatsuo roared in anger as Hotaka was winning the battle so far. Tatsuo's eyes flashed and his markings brightened. His body pulsed creating doubles then quadruples and so forth of his image. Hotaka waited until Tatsuo was done. There were more than a dozen Tatsuo's behind him.
"The spectrum secret," Sahar furrowed his brow. "Suzaku had a similar ability but he did train with some of my kind to achieve it. It's not something we train as an offensive but rather for defensive."
"Now is our time!" Yusuke smirked. "Let's go!" He ran full head towards the battlefield. The rest followed behind him. Hotaka led the way of battling against the main one.
Kurama kept Hoshimi in his clutches as the rest fled away. She tried getting out of his grasp. "Not fair."
"I want your word that you will at least fight near me if not beside me," Kurama stared her down. His eyes flashed gold. It was more of a warning then a question.
Hoshimi clutched him. "Keep up then." His hold relaxed and she headed to the battlefield. He smirked as he transformed into his nine-tail form following behind her.