This chapter was Beta read by Akasoeki
Chapter Thirteen: The Spirit Sword Monster Beast Doughnut
Botan called on the communication mirror. She'd been frantic about the second wave of Makai insects the Beasts had sent in retaliation of our progress. Right in the middle, she'd been chased by one of the infected, just barely managing to take it out after it cornered her in a room. It had certainly given the boys and I a bit of a fright. She urged us to work more quickly, but in my heart I knew that our end was not so easily moved forward.
Here is what I didn't understand about the whole situation. It made sense that only a small infiltration team had been sent to Maze Castle, but it didn't make sense that only Botan seemed to be assigned to combating the city's parasite problem. Why haven't more people been assigned to that task? There was no possible way for one girl to search the entire city and kill the bugs before they got out of hand. Because of that oversight, it was now spreading at an unchallenged rate and children were being targeted.
The conversation had just ended when a terrible roar sounded throughout the castle, shaking the stones, sending dust floating down from the ceiling and grating through my very bones. The interference was terrible and I had to pull my sense back as sharp pain stabbed my brain at the overload. The roar continued, causing stone blocks to crack and break. It was like a terrible earthquake that threatened to collapse the room around us before stopping.
The kitten Byakko fluffed up around my neck, spitting a hiss that grew into a warning growl. His claws were gripping my hoodie as he tensed on my shoulders and faced the passage ahead of us. The creature who gives my aspect a bad name...His voice sounded low and spiteful through my mind.
"I don't know what kind of creature makes that noise, but I've got a hunch its our next enemy," Kuwabara broke the sudden silence. I didn't know if it was common sense or spirit awareness that brought him to this conclusion.
The roar sounded again and we were assaulted by the reverberating and echoing cacophony of sound. "That is Byakko," Kurama gasped, "And he doesn't sound happy."
"Let's go!" Yusuke yelled and we started forward as a group. The ceiling blocks started collapsing behind us, urging us onward ahead of the collapsing rubble and the dirt cloud it kicked into the air. We made it through an archway that connected the hall to a spiral staircase that twisted around to the right and into the brighter light of it's exit.
We seemed to exit from one of the spires and were now standing on a flat, open expanse of roof. There was no real wall to protect one from the long drop down, just a half wall that barely reached my knees. One-hundred feet away and standing on a sort of dais was the Tiger Beast. My Byakko hissed an insult at the larger, demonic tiger as everyone got a good first look at the fearsome creature.
He was massive, his frame heavily muscled. The skin that stretched over his rippling form was a light blue-gray with darker gray tiger stripes, though his mane consisted of a clashing spinach green. He wore crudely crafted furs from some red spotted leopard, making him look like some nightmare creature from the caveman era. Thick, dagger like talons tipped his fingers looking just as strong as the overly large tusk-like teeth that jutted up from his mouth. His tail was slender and on the short side by comparison to his height; it ended in a white tuft and was strong enough to crack the ground when he flicked it. The sclera of his eyes was yellow, while the iris was red. He shook with the anger of his growl, the image of beast-like fury.
"Intruders will pay for coming this far into my territory..." his voice wasn't what I expected it to be, but I supposed it was difficult for him to talk around his enormous teeth. It sounded much like he was holding back a snort, or grunt, like how you'd imagine a gluttonous pig would talk. He let off another yowl, but this lacked the power of the ones that had brought down the passage behind us.
"Its huge!" Kuwabara exclaimed. Beads of sweat had broken out over his skin and I recalled his earlier boasts of taking on the next enemy.
"Its a pity they don't have him in a zoo..." Yusuke snarked.
Hiei's chuckle was dark and smooth, "Hmm, I'll go." The smirk that curled at the edge of his mouth looked...excited.
"Back off!" Kuwabara barked, "Didn't I say I'd take the next one?" He strode forward, towards the beast without looking back. Hiei just passively watched him.
I was standing just behind Yusuke, beside Kurama and just in front of and to the side of Hiei. I shifted nervously and pulled the furious kitten off my shoulder before cuddling him to my chest so that we could both watch. I can't help, but feel this isn't the best route.
It's not your fault if they ignore your advice, Sarai. You told them energy based attacks directed at him were easily overcome. Just be ready. This mongrel is vicious, his voice was agitated but faded into an icy whisper.
The Tiger Beast growled at the advancing red head, "Do not think you are dominant because you tore Genbu apart." He snarled, "He was weak!"
"He could talk to the demons in the city by prowling through the castle wall," as he spoke, he clutched one massive hand into a shaking fist, "that is why we didn't kill him ourselves." His eyes glared forward, locking on our group, "But I am a real beast. I have been caged in this place for too long. Without prey. Without bones. Without blood!" With each word he spoke, I felt ice spreading through my veins, calming my anger without tempering the intense desire to see this creature to it's end. "Until now," I knew he was talking about their plan to force Spirit World into releasing the barrier. "HUMAN!" He roared, "I WILL RIP YOU APART AND EAT YOU MYSELF!"
"Gee, how nice," Yusuke quipped.
"Hiei," The Beast dragged out his name in a raspy, malice filled growl that sent anger and warning through my spine. Hiei took on a stance, glaring at the beast. The tiger wasn't finished though, "Kurama," the redhead tensed at the attention, "I'll feed your bodies to the Fugaki!"
I didn't have a chance to wonder what the hell that meant because the Beast roared again, power imbuing with his irritating snarl, and sending shock waves out that destroyed much of the roof we were standing on. The ground split between Kuwabara's feet and he was forced to jump back. As the rubble fell away, the battleground underwent a massive change.
We were standing on a ring of blocks that was attached to the spire we came through. There was a bridge of sorts, maybe five feet wide and twenty feet across that lead to a smaller area where I supposed the Tiger intended to meet us in battle. The mass in the middle was only supported by the tiny little bridge in front of us and the small expanse of rock at the base of the Beast's tall, column like pedestal. It absolutely defied physics and gravity, but I decided to ponder that at another time. The drop off the edge was incredibly high, making me tense even though I knew my earring of Feather Fall would protect me.
I began pulling out the equation for the Feather Fall spell while Yusuke started talking. "Apparently this guy likes breaking things with the sound of his own voice."
Kurama stepped back as a stone cracked and fell off the edge in front of him, down into the fathomless drop that would take us if the ledge gave way or we were pushed off in battle.
"Its a long trip to the ground..." the Beast taunted. "I'll send you all there with my roar unless you come and fight me..." His face twisted into what might have been some semblance of a sneering smile, "Of course, your weak bodies will be broken either way."
"Monster," Kuwabara growled, "He thinks he's so tough!" He started forward, but Yusuke put a staying hand on his shoulder.
"Kuwabara-" Yusuke didn't get to finish.
The redhead shoved him off, "Step off!" Yusuke cursed, realizing Kuwabara had made up his mind.
Hiei's molten gaze locked onto the stubborn boy, "Do you really think you can beat him?" There was no open scorn in his tone this time, but a warning, something perhaps testing Kuwabara's resolve.
"Well of course, half-pint!" His declaration said it all and if I knew anything at all about Kuwabara, it would be that he'd get pissed if we interfered. "In fact, I'm not scared at all." I wondered briefly if he'd yell at me for throwing a heal spell his way if he needed it. In the end, I decided I'd have to wait and see what happened, following my instincts and going from there.
Yusuke pointed out what we all could see, "So I guess your legs are shaking out of eagerness," he mocked.
"Leave me alone Urameshi! I'm just scared of heights," he stiffened his spine and took one step forward.
I darted forward, "Wait!" He looked back and I could sense he was about to tell me off too so I just leaned forward and flicked him in the forehead, the spell flashed through my fingertips and settled into his skin, "Feather Fall..." I'd murmured the spells name just for his benefit so he knew what I was doing. "Now you won't need to be, okay?"
He paused, and crossed his eyes as he looked up at my hand before I drew it back. "Uh, thanks..." it was an awkward sort of acceptance before he turned and started down the crumbling bridge.
"This isn't the time to pretend you're tough," Yusuke growled through his teeth, eyes flat.
"I said leave me alone!" And with that he crossed into the Beast's battle ground.
"What was that, Sarai-san?" Kurama asked politely from beside me.
"Feather Fall will activate after someone falls ten feet before controlling their descent to a slower, gentler course, landing them safely on the ground. I can cast it on all of you if you're interested."
"I don't need your witchcraft," Hiei's tone was, as usual, bored.
"The offer was mostly for Yusuke's benefit, I'm just trying to be polite," the polite mask of indifference kept a challenging smirk off my face. His eyes narrowed at my response anyways.
Yusuke groused that he didn't need help either, so I did unleashed my smirk at him, "Oh, pardon me. I forgot you had experience becoming a ground pancake," I said referring to his death, "Perhaps the feeling was agreeable to you?"
The boy sneered at me, but rather than start a fight when Kuwabara was about to face off against the Beast, he just stuck his hand out with an exasperated huff, "Fine mom, are you gonna kiss my owies too?"
I laughed and set the spell free on the back of his hand, "You wish, brat breath."
"You," the Beast began, "You don't believe you can overpower me with just one human, do you?" It was hard to tell by his tone if he was amused or insulted.
Using my sense to follow Kuwabara, as well as monitor the Beast, I saw that the redhead sent the tiger a threatening sneer and the demon's rage made his right eye start twitching. "Let's fight, Byakko monster!"
The Beast twitched a few more times and then started laughing, throwing his head back and opening his jaws wide to reveal his sharp teeth. "Hahaha! Oh please, I can't stay angry if you make me laugh!"
"I'm serious," Kuwabara challenged, "Come down here so I can knock your lights out!"
"Heh heh, stop it." The beast stomped as he leaned forward, resting his arm over his knee, "I could tear you into little pieces with nothing, but the hairs on my mane..."
"Oh really..." Kuwabara was in full tough guy mode now. One fist pounding into the other. A determined glint shown in his eyes.
I thought Byakko had been exaggerating, but then he really did rip some hair from his mane and blow on them, creating a jet stream of air infused with his energy. They blew around Kuwabara ominously before rising into the air. After a flash of white light they turned into some seriously hideous monster cats.
They were roughly the size of a small bear. Covered in the same ugly green that made up the Beast's mane, there was a lighter ridge of fur that tufted down their spines. Their eyes were bulbous, blue, and pupil-less. Aside from their obvious strength, they were armed with some wickedly sharp talons, teeth, and a set of curved horns. There were four of them, facing Kuwabara in a semicircle about ten feet from his face.
I couldn't stop the shudder of disgust that rolled down my spine. My eyes flicked down to the kitten in my arms, "Please tell me that if you decided to become a mommy one day, your babies won't be so damn hard to look at." He didn't answer, but I smirked as a warning growl rumbled through his form.
"These beasts are a small part of myself. Like me, they are hungry and you are the perfect meal." He chuckled as the spirit monsters snarled and growled at the prey before them. "And they don't like sharing, so you may find yourself caught in a little tug of war..."
With that, one of the monster cats leaped forward, clawing through the flesh of Kuwabara's chest with it's talons as it soared through the air over the boy. It flipped much more deftly than it's size would have lead me to believe possible, and landed so that it was standing behind the red head, ready to strike again.
"That was a freebie," Kuwabara growled as he staggered back to his feet. "SPIRIT SWORD!" he summoned his brightly glowing weapon and stood at the ready.
"Ah, so you can use your spirit energy as a weapon. Very impressive," his face turned mocking as he snarled, "But I'm afraid it won't aid your survival for very long!" With his yell, the cat beasts rushed the boy.
They traded blows, though Kuwabara's didn't seem to leave a mark and they were attacking him from all sides. Their long claws left bloody furrows in his skin wherever they touched. "Get your back against the wall!" Yusuke yelled. Kuwabara completely ignored his advice and went tearing off after the cat beasts as they deftly jumped through the air to avoid him and worked as a team to attack him from all sides.
"He has no strategy," Hiei observed. "He's just swinging his sword with the grace of a fly swatter. That's no way to survive..."
"He is quite stubborn," I murmured. He was torn up and panting on his knees now and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. The cat beasts attacked as one and raked him up viciously.
"Kuwabara! Let me take this one! I know you wanna finish this fight, but there's way too many of those things to swing a sword at!" Yusuke yelled, frustrated and angry because of the situation. "My shot gun blast just makes more sense, okay? Come on, Kuwabara, please!"
The cat beasts were attacking him like a school of giant piranha in the midst of a feeding frenzy. The redhead managed to get to his feet again, but he wasn't even moving to block the majority of their attacks. It was hard to watch and I knew I would have nightmares later, but I could feel his vitality and knew that despite the beating he was taking, Kuwabara still had a chance. He just had to stop standing there and trying to soak the damage.
"Hahahaha, if you're going to take the time to switch, you might as well all fight me at once," The Beast snickered. "After all, nothing gives me more pleasure than a big group kill." Memories of some of the things I'd read about him flashed back to some of the earlier entries of the trail of bodies he left in his wake. My stomach churned.
"Okay, Kuwabara, I don't care if you retreat or not! I'm coming in to help," Yusuke had reached the end of what he could tolerate watching.
"Stay right there," Kuwabara growled and looked back as he spoke to the boy, "I'm not asking for help and if you come over here I swear I'll turn this sword on you." The look in his eyes was quite intense, "I'm no wimp, Urameshi, and I'm not stopping unless Byakko comes and kills me himself."
Yusuke straightened and his voice grew a bit softer, though still had an edge of agitation, "Don't say that..."
"Kuwabara," I cupped my hands around my mouth so my voice would carry, "If you lose I'm going to kick your ass!" I translated my encouragement into the language of teenage boys.
"If that's your choice in death then fine. Beasts, you may now tear off his arms and legs and divide them amongst yourselves, but leave the body for me so I can finish him..." The Tiger growled.
The cat beasts came charging in. "Sorry monsters, but you can't! Sarai just fixed these arms and I'm not breakin 'em again!" He yelled back as he moved away from them. I felt Kurama and Hiei's attention flicker to me briefly at the boy's words and a soft smirk of pride lit my features. Kid had guts to still be cracking jokes with that much blood seeping out of his body.
Despite his words, he was still struck with several rake attacks from their claws. Yusuke finally ran forward part way onto the bridge and yelled, "Hey don't die for being stubborn you dope, let me take over! There's no way you can beat all four of those beasts by swinging your sword around. Think about it..."
"He's right," I sensed Kuwabara murmur as he looked back at his friend. Thats when his eyes lit on the thin stone bridge Yusuke was standing on. I felt a spark of awareness tingle through his senses.
"Yusuke..." the boy looked back at me, "he finally has a plan. Let's see what he's come up with..." The words had barely finished coming out of my mouth when Kuwabara turned and started running to the bridge, leading the cat beasts along behind him. Yusuke turned and saw them coming.
The Beast started laughing again, "After all that, he's finally got enough sense to retreat, but its too late now. Go on you beasts! Chase him back to his friends and then EAT THEM ALL!"
Kuwabara dashed across the bridge, keeping just ahead of the cat beasts.
"There, you see," Hiei smirked. "In the end, the fool runs away..."
"You know what they say about assuming Hiei?" I could still sense the incredible amount of fight in Kuwabara's spirit. The boy had hardly given up, I just couldn't tell what his plan was. At first I thought he was going to bottle them up on the bridge so they could only attack him one at a time, but he kept running towards us.
"He won't make it..." Kurama intoned.
"Don't worry, I'll go as soon as he screams for help," Yusuke had a gleam in his eyes, now that the fight was headed closer.
"This would be so much easier if the brat would let me enhance his dexterity," I jutted my hip out, resting my palm on it as I watched the nearing redhead.
"Haha, you know you can't escape..." The Beast grumbled excitedly from his perch.
Kuwabara shifted his weight and swung around, "Who in the world said anything about escaping?" The cat beasts were charging towards him in a single file line on the little bridge. "SWORD GET LONGER!" he yelled before cocking his arm back, "Eat this!" and then he rammed the energy lance forward, straight into the first beast's mouth. It tore through it's body and out the ass, doing the same to all the others behind it and making a row of cat beast kabobs.
Everyone just stared in shock. I covered my mouth and tried to hide my chuckle. Kuwabara decided to explain his thought process, "Its true, I couldn't win by swinging my sword, but I could win by stabbing all four of these suckers once I got 'em lined up." He startled chortling, he was far too manly to giggle.
"Nice one, Kuwabara!" Yusuke praised.
Then Hiei chuckled, "Yes, he actually did something clever." That brought out a startled laugh from me. It hadn't really been a compliment.
"Watch it Hiei," Kuwabara grumbled, but then his expression turned to a goofy grin, "No use gettin' jealous just because I'm good."
"What are you gonna do now?" Yusuke pointed out that the cat beasts weren't exactly dieing from the awkward predicament, they were just stuck.
"Heh, those beasts are still a part of me and just because you've chained them down doesn't mean they can't chase you down. They just need MORE ENERGY!" As he yelled, I felt power flash through him and straight into the cat beasts, which turned red and started running at Kuwabara. He turned, still holding onto the end of his sword and started running towards us.
"Uh, I'm gonna move now," I trotted out of Kuwabara's path, which lead me to the other side of Hiei.
When the redhead passed, the short demon was between me and the oddest looking train I'd ever seen. He ran around the edge of the spire. "You think he knows its a circle?" Hiei intoned. I bit my lip to keep my expression neutral.
Kuwabara caught up to the last cat beast in the line and tied off his end of the energy sword, effectively trapping them in a circle around the spire where they couldn't get free. "You just twist and seal!" He said excitedly.
I started laughing again and gave Kuwabara a little golf clap, "Ten points for style, kid. Ten points for style."
"I don't believe this..." The Beast did sound rather shocked, with tones of anger.
"That's a little move I like to call 'the spirit sword monster beast doughnut," Kuwabara struck a proud pose.
"Uhg...idiot..." Hiei shook his head.
"I think monster beast doughnut is a perfect name," Kurama grinned.
Yusuke turned back and pointed at the tiger beast, "'Scuse me sir, I don't like this one. You got chocolate with sprinkles?"
The Beast's anger shot up by several levels of intensity and I found myself looking over at him, wondering what his next move was. When he spoke, it was in a low, dangerous growl. "My own prey mocks me..." When he squeezed his hand shut into a fist I could hear his bones popping and cracking menacingly. "I will not tolerate that."
"You best get ready to tolerate a lot more, you poor excuse for a cat!" It didn't seem like much, but coming from Kuwabara, that was a pretty heavy insult.
The Beast roared in fury, lightning struck the spire behind us, sending little jolts of warning down my spine. I didn't turn away from the monster, but I could sense that the spire, and his cat beasts, had been zapped clean out of existence.
Kuwabara started heading across the bridge to face Byakko. "Tear up the castle however you want. It doesn't change the fact that your little monsters are beat and you're about to be next."
Byakko's fist slammed straight into the rocks in front of him, smashing a huge chunk of rocks into dust, "Stupid human," he snarled, "I am the White Tiger Byakko of the Four Saint Beasts and the greatest predator who ever lived!"
"Yeah, yeah," Kuwabara smirked, "I think you said that already. And I'm Kuwabara, so lets go!"
Now that the Beast wasn't playing around anymore, it was time for the real battle to begin.
A/N: Was that good. This part of the story felt a bit tedious, but I still managed to have fun with it. Next Chapter we're going to learn a bit more about Sarai's past and it'll probably answer a few lingering questions since the curse activated. It's a delicate balance to juggle the canon plot, Sarai's plot, and make sure everyone gets the spotlight when they're supposed to, lol.
If you're enjoying the story, please leave a review.
Let me know what you're looking forward to. :)