Chapter Eight: Hiei's Fight (Finally)
The group walked through the corridors of the castle until it directed them to a hallway with a single door at the end. They opened it to find a stairway to one of the towers. Pressed for time, they ran up the stairs as quickly as possible, Kainna cursed in her head the entire time. But she wasn't going to be more of a problem for them. She kept pace with Kurama at the end of the group and stayed quiet, only complaining loudly in her head. The top of the staircase opened to a large room with multiple doorways.
"It seems as if we have come upon the maze of Maze Castle." Hiei complained as they looked around at the set of identical doors.
"We must be careful; the maze is something of a legend." Kurama addressed the group. "Before the walls went up, hundreds of bounty hunters came looking for the beasts, but none succeeded. The beasts never left their tower, letting anyone who came into this castle to forfeit their lives to the maze. There are 15 doors, all but one leads to a dead end. There are no second attempts as they are lined with unavoidable traps that would kill anyone that guessed wrong. A poor choice determines our fate." Kurama spoke solemnly. Yusuke turned to Kuwabara.
"Ok Mr. Sensitive. This one is for you." The group watched as Kuwabara glanced around, obviously trying to sense what was behind the doors. He pointed at one. "That one."
"Alright, let's go." Yusuke instantly trusted Kuwabara's word but Hiei wasn't so quick.
"How do we know he's not making a mistake?" Hiei questioned the human.
"I'm sorry shorty, I know it's not your thing but you're just going to have to trust me on this one. I know there is something big behind that door." Kuwabara spoke as he approached the door and pushed it open. "Something scary." A small mouse looked up at him from behind the door and made cute little noises at him. Kuwabara took a shaky step back.
"I hate mice!" Kainna giggled at Kuwabara's expense.
"I wouldn't think there would be any mice with Byakko around." Kainna approached the open door and sent out some of her energy to light up the passageway. Kainna's energy lit the hallway with dim white light, similar to how moonlight would look coming through a window. "Well, it's not filled with dead bodies so that must be a plus." Yusuke gently moved Kainna aside as he walked into the passageway. He stepped cautiously at first but when nothing happened, he motioned for the group to follow.
"Guess Kuwabara is right. Let's go." They walked down the corridor until they reached a large, decorated door at the end. Lightening lit up the sky outside casting spooky shadows on the stone dragons outside the gold and blue door.
"Such an ostentatious door." Hiei glared at the door in front of him.
"That is the mark of the blue dragon. Judging from the smell, Seiryu is probably inside." Kurama informed Hiei. Kainna looked at the doors in wonder, she had never meet someone who used dragon techniques before.
The double doors creaked open slowly, fog crawled out from the darkness inside. Kainna was relieved to feel a cool breeze brush past her, at least this beast's lair wasn't hot. Before they got far into the room, the door slammed loudly behind. Kainna jumped from the sound but otherwise stayed in her place. Kurama looked around suspiciously
"This fog is made up of his yoki." He commented. Kainna thought it felt a little suffocating in here.
"Meaning he has enough surplus reiki that it flows out of him?" Hiei questioned. Kainna played with nervously with the gem on her necklace, hoping no one would question why her spirit energy didn't do the same. Luckily, they were interrupted by a voice.
"You are lucky to come this far, but I will no longer allow you to disrespect my master." A low monotone voice, much different than Byakko, spoke in the room with them. With the fog being made of spirit energy, Kainna couldn't pin point where the beast was in the room.
"Stop acting so important and get out here already, dragon." Yusuke called out into the fog. Energy shifted around the room, cracking like lightening before the fog swirled around and a man appeared before them. He was dressed in a blue fighting style robe along with dark grey pants. And although his skin was a sickly yellowish color, Kainna could tell he was at full health.
"You may call me Seiryu, I am here to end your lives, intruders." He laughed at the group before him, but Yusuke was unfazed.
"Well, you're no dragon." He sounded disappointed, Kainna scoffed at him.
"Would you have rather gone against a dragon? I think that would be a much tougher fight."
"Hey, it's Hiei's fight not mine." Yusuke grinned at Kainna who in turn looked over at Hiei … who was staring down Seiryu. Seiryu 's stoic expression changed to one of frustration.
"It seems as though we have an uninvited guest." They heard movement in the tunnel behind them. They all turned around to the door they just walked through to see it being pried open by Byakko. Kainna could sense how low his health was, she was surprised he could even walk.
"Help me, please..." Kainna thought for a moment he was talking to their group, but he quickly moved passed them towards Seiryu. "Seiryu, I beg you. Share some of your yoki with me, I'll return what I borrowed when I recover from my injuries." Kainna turned to address Hiei.
"Are you alright with a two versus two, cause if Byakko is healed, there is no way I'm sitting this one out." Kainna spoked confidently, she assumed Seiryu would help his teammate like usual teammates would. Especially the saint beasts who have been trapped so long together. But she was wrong.
"You fool! You come in here in disgrace. You are no longer wanted here." Kainna looked back at the two beasts hearing these words from Seiryu. Seiryu's energy shone brightly around him before he punched the air in front of him sending a blast of cold energy towards Byakko. Hiei felt some of that energy pass him, his nose scrunched up in distaste. He didn't like the cold feeling it left behind; sharp and burning. Not like Kainna's energy that was cool and soothing.
Byakko's body froze over immediately, he stood there like a statue. Kainna could still feel the life in him, he could still be saved. Seiryu kicked Byakko, his body becoming small pieces, his head tumbled onto the floor, his mouth open in a scream. Kainna covered her mouth in horror, and although his comments he made before to her left a bad taste in her mouth, she wasn't heartless...
"Who could do that to their own teammate when he's begging for help?" She whispered the question. Hiei's eyes narrowed at Seiryu.
"You heartless bastard, how could you do that to your own teammate?" Yusuke growled at Seiryu in disgust.
"He was a weapon, not a friend. And like a cheap sword, he rusted." He sealed the comment by spitting at Byakko's head. Kainna turned away in disgust at such blatant disrespect.
"These beasts have no loyalty; alliances are formed strictly to gain power." Kurama explained. Kainna turned back, her eyes narrowed as well towards Seiryu.
"A man without loyalty is nothing but a beast. You don't deserve any mercy in your death or in the afterlife. Enjoy burning in hell." Kainna spoke with venom towards the beast in front of her. She reached behind her for her sai daggers, fully intending to fight him herself.
"Save your anger, I called this fight before. Remember?" Hiei stopped her with his words. She let go of her daggers and stepped back.
"I recall. I was hoping you wouldn't." She muttered playfully. She had wanted to kill Seiryu herself and was hoping Hiei would let her slide this time, but apparently not.
"Don't forget our bet either." He smirked at her before walking forwards.
"So Hiei, you are my first opponent?" Seiryu addressed Hiei as he stood in front of him. Hiei didn't respond, his face contorted in anger as he stared down Seiryu. He glanced over at Byakko's head before grabbed his cloak off his body and threw it over Byakko.
Kainna wouldn't be able to describe her emotions in that moment. There were too many, the first being pride as Hiei had given some respect to Byakko's corpse, but that was quickly shadowed from the emotions she was feeling as her eyes registered that Hiei was shirtless underneath that cloak. Kainna felt strange. Her eyes couldn't help but to drag themselves over his back, the smoothness of his skin, the power of his muscles, the dip in his spine. Her stomach flipped and she found heat pooling in her face and ears. Why was she feeling this way? She had seen shirtless men before and found it either awkward or disgusting. She definitely didn't feel this way when Kuwabara took off his shirt, and he was equally as muscular as Hiei. And she hadn't even seen Hiei from the front yet. But she couldn't ignore the fact that heat had pooled into her face as her blood rushed through her veins. And Yusuke couldn't ignore her either. He grinned when he saw the red on her face, a teasing glint in his eyes. He slid over to her silently, making sure he was behind her before he pinched and pulled her cheeks obnoxiously.
"Kainna, looking a little red there." Kainna jumped in surprise and embarrassment. She turned and pushed Yusuke away, a wave of energy coming from her body and hands as she pushed him violently back and into the wall behind him.
"Yusuke!" She scolded him, her face even redder now from the combination of embarrassment and Yusuke's pinching. Kuwabara laughed loudly at Yusuke, whose face was on the ground while his body was still smashed against the wall.
"That's what you get for picking on a girl." Kuwabara laughed. Kurama also looked amused, although not quiet understanding what had caused Kainna to lash out at Yusuke like that. Hiei's back was still towards the group, he had felt Kainna release her energy. It refreshed his senses and gave him that spark of adrenaline like before, preparing him for the battle ahead. He wondered briefly what caused her to expel it, what had Yusuke done? He returned his attention to Seiryu, curious if he had also gotten rejuvenated from Kainna's energy, but it looked as if he was unfazed.
"Perhaps I should have fought the moon demon, she seems ready to fight." Seiryu laughed before returning his attention to Hiei. "Maybe she wouldn't have been moved by her emotions and give sympathy to Byakko as you have. From your actions at the gate of betrayal I was hoping you would have more of a warrior spirit." Hiei glared angrily at Seiryu.
"He's a puzzle, isn't he?" Kurama muttered to himself but the group heard him. "In times before, I've seen Hiei act with similar cruelty." Kurama's words surprised Kainna, she looked back at Hiei curiously. "But something about Byakko's execution has caused great anger in him." Hiei got into a fighting position, his hand hovering over his sword. "Hiei lives by his own code with very complex rules. One thing is for certain, I've never seen Hiei begin a fight with such extraordinary spirit energy." Hiei's body glowed blue with the energy he was expelling. Kainna could feel the warmth from her position, her own energy seemed to be called by his and eagerly rushed towards him. Kainna controlled it before it had a chance to release itself. What was happening to her?
Hiei's energy surrounded him and cut through Seiryu's fog, it almost looked like a force field around Hiei.
"What possessed a man as evil as you to team up with those behind you? There is still time for you to join us." Kainna wrinkled her nose at Seiryu's words. Why do they keep insisting Hiei is evil? Rude, arrogant, sarcastic... those descriptions she could understand. But evil?
"Is that all you have to say?" Hiei questioned Seiryu with a grin. "They are last words, you know." Kainna couldn't help her own grin that stretched across her face. There's that arrogance she spoke of before.
"Fine, so be it. Then you shall meet your death." Seiryu yelled before he released a powerful wave of fog-like energy. Hiei sliced the fog with his sword, his own energy already so powerful that it split Seiryu's fog and diverted it around him. The group behind also benefited from Hiei as the fog crashed into the wall alongside them. Huge holes appeared in the walls as the fog dispersed.
"Try dodging this." Seiryu yelled as energy swirled around his fist.
"That freeze technique! Run!" Yusuke shouted to Hiei as Seiryu thrusted his fist towards Hiei. Hiei jumped quickly, leaving an icy floor where he stood. He flipped over Seiryu easily and stood behind him, anger still held in his stare.
"I had forgotten about your speed." Seiryu chuckled. With Hiei's flip he turned the fight, Seiryu's back was now towards the group and Hiei faced them. Kainna couldn't stop her eyes, they trailed over every curve of his muscular chest she could find leading down his body to his two-pronged belt that made Kainna's stomach flip flop. Why did she find him so attractive?
Her eyes flashed back up quickly at that thought, registering how smooth his skin looked, void of any scars. Was he that powerful that he never got seriously injured in battle before? With his arrogance and speed, she had to assume this thought was right. Her eyes finished their ascension and returned back to Hiei's face, only to find him staring at her. Their eyes connected for a moment, embarrassment at being caught looking at him forced Kainna to turn away. She felt her face heat up again, purposely staring at Seiryu's back as to not look at Hiei's probing eyes.
"Now let's try again." Seiryu spoke as he attacked again. Hiei dodged easily, leaving ice in his wake as he backflipped across the room, using the walls to launch himself away from the ice Seiryu was sending his way. Soon the majority of the room was covered.
"The whole room is turning into ice." Yusuke complained as he finally peeled himself from the wall Kainna had sent him spiralling into before.
"Not just the room." Kuwabara shivered as the tip of his hair was covered in ice. "I wish I had my jacket back." Kainna stretched with a grin on her face.
"I needed this after that lava room. I finally feel back to my normal self." Kainna said with a smile.
"Must take a while for your face to return to its normal color then." Yusuke teased Kainna, a grin on his face. Kainna narrowed her eyes at him.
"Shut up." Kainna turned away from Yusuke only to see Hiei had gotten hit by one of Seiryu's ice attacks. His right leg was completely covered with a layer of ice. Kainna unconsciously took a step forward.
"Hey, he's ok." Yusuke said noticing how worried Kainna looked. Hiei landed on his hand and adjusted himself to stand on one leg.
"He got his leg; he won't be able to run away anymore." Kurama corrected Yusuke. Kainna chewed her lip, she could easily fix Hiei if his leg stayed frozen but... if Seiryu broke it like he did Byakko...
"See, no one ever escapes. They only beg for mercy." Hiei glared at Seiryu as he spoke. "With your leg froze, you can't possibly move. I suggest you start grovelling." Kainna audible scoffed and crossed her arms.
"Like Hiei would ever grovel." Hiei overheard Kainna, a smirk stretched across his face. She knew him so well already. Seiryu ignored Kainna and charged his energy, the fog swirled around him again as he focused his next attack.
"Get out of there Hiei!" Yusuke yelled as Seiryu punched another wave of ice at Hiei. Instead of dodging Hiei dug his katana into the floor and propelled himself towards Seiryu. It happened so quickly Kainna could barely keep up, but she did. She watched as Hiei slashed Seiryu multiple times within a second before getting his other leg and right arm frozen. He leaped past Seiryu and landed crouched on the floor, as if the ice surrounding his limbs were nothing. Kainna looked at Seriyu, did Hiei miss? With that many strikes of Hiei's blade he should be dead.
"Heh, you have escaped. But you are wounded." Hiei laughed as Seiryu talked.
"So, what if your ice trick can kill your wounded friend, it won't kill me." Hiei spoke arrogantly as he held up his arm only to clench a fist and break the ice easily away. The ice on his legs also broke at the same moment. Kainna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, how could he dispel the ice so easily? Unless...
"How can this be? I'll finish you off in one final move!" Seiryu yelled, oblivious to the blood slowly leaking down his forehead.
"I don't think so." Hiei spoke as Seiryu took a step back in horror as his body broke from all the cuts Hiei had delivered before. Kainna laughed along with Yusuke as they ran up to Hiei together. Kuwabara stared dumbfounded.
"When did he attack?"
The ice dispelled by the time they got to him. He had placed his katana back into its sheath and turned to address the group.
"You made french fries out of that guy." Yusuke joked. Hiei glanced around the group, his eyes finding Kainna who stood behind Yusuke with a small smile on her face.
"I knew you would win. I don't think your arrogance could let you be beat." Kainna grinned. Hiei blinked, a strange feeling stirred in his stomach from her smile.
"How many times did you cut him?" Kurama asked. Hiei turned the question to Kainna.
"Well?" He asked her. Kainna blinked stupidly at him.
"What?" He smirked at her confused expression.
"You bet you could keep up with my speed. So, how many times did I cut him?" He clarified for her. Kainna panicked for a second, she didn't think of counting before. She looked up at the ceiling in thought.
"One...five...ten...twelve..." She counted out loud while trying to remember the fight. "I remember seeing fifteen but knowing you..." She looked over at him with distrust. "Sixteen." Hiei pouted.
"You can't guess, how many did you see?" He asked again. Kainna grinned.
"Sixteen is my answer, you didn't say 'How many did you see?' You said 'how many times did I cut him?' and I say sixteen." Kainna argued back with excitement. She could tell she had gotten the right answer by his annoyed look.
"Well, Hiei?" Kurama pressed with a smile. Hiei looked away.
"She's right. I only cut him sixteen times."
"Sixteen!?" Yusuke was astonished. "I could only count up to seven or eight."
"I didn't even know he attacked him." Kuwabara grumbled as he looked away in embarrassment.
"Man, this isn't good. You use those moves next time we fight and I'm going to be screwed." Yusuke ran a hand through his hair nervously as he thought of his rematch against Hiei.
"Maybe." Hiei walked away from the group. Kainna's eyes traced over his back again, a blush forming on her face as she watched the muscles flex as he reached for his cloak.
"I would have thought he'd say 'Well of course you would'." Kuwabara glared at the demon. His voice broke Kainna out of her daze, she shook her head to clear her thoughts before jumping over to Hiei.
"He's been going through a change ever since we got here. It appears he is beginning to like you." Kurama addressed Yusuke. Yusuke watched the two demons in front of him, noticing the blush still on Kainna's face and how Hiei's eyes soften when he turned around and noticed it was her who approached.
"Not just me."
Hiei turned after putting on his cloak, already sensing Kainna's energy behind him. She approached him with a friendly smile, her cheeks a little rosy. He had noticed her face a little red before too, when he had begun his battle with Seiryu. At the time he had thought it was still from her heat exhaustion from before but now the room was below freezing.
"I can already tell you don't need any healing." She was right, he was perfectly fine. And yet, he wanted to lie just to feel her cool energy wash over him. He had to admit to himself that he was jealous of Kurama and the ogre Kuwabara, while he had only small hints of her energy, they had gotten to experience it fully.
"I thought you might have needed it after your limbs got frozen..." Hiei looked away again once he realized where she was going with this. "But it seems you're fine, after all... you are a fire demon." Kainna knew what he was once the ice had melted off of him. It wasn't like she was against fire demons, but she wished he would have told her before when she had mentioned her weakness. Again, she didn't say anything bad about them, but she couldn't understand why he didn't mention it before. Perhaps it was because he knew her weakness and was most likely the only one in the group that could actually do harm to her.
"It's ok, you know. I doubt you could hurt me anyways." Kainna looked away with a grin. Hiei scoffed, a smile appearing on his face as well. It seemed she wasn't mad at him after all.
"You want to bet?"