Notes: I've noticed that I haven't been very consistent with naming conventions in this story. Sometimes I use the dub spelling, sometimes I use the Japanese, and sometimes I have a mix of both. Since the canon dialogue comes from the dub, I personally find it hard to use the Japanese spelling exclusively. It's mainly a stylized choice I'm making as I write, and I hope the inconsistency doesn't bother anybody, but "Kohryu" (for example) is just more aesthetically pleasing to me than "Kouryuu."
Fight scenes are also a lot more difficult than I expected. It's not something I have done much in the past, and thus the excessive delay in writing this chapter. The first two chapters are much more emotionally driven, which is what I am used to. Since YYH is an action/fighting series, I knew this story would be stepping out of my comfort zone. I will strive to improve as I continue this story, so any constructive feedback is welcome, as always.
Chapter 3: Kohryu, the Yellow Dragon
Six months after the Artifacts of Darkness case, life eventually returned to normal, and it was all thanks to Koenma's generosity that Kurama and Miwa were able to return to their lives with very little punishment. Of course, the two of them were on probation; breaking into Spirit World's most guarded vault was a crime impossible to walk away from without repercussion. Their activities were limited to the confines of their city, but Kurama was sure that their supervision wasn't particularly strict, and he was willing to live with this sentencing. Due to school, they didn't have many opportunities to travel in the first place.
Other than their confinement, life progressed as usual, and their classmates were completely unaware they shared classroom space with previously wanted criminals. Kurama was fortunate to have a seat in the back corner next to the window. The seat itself was ideal for students that loved to slack off, but Kurama was no such student. Perhaps he didn't take advantage of the back row as much as other high school students would, but he appreciated the view of the schoolyard. He had the perfect vantage point of anyone playing around outside, be it for their gym class or just burning off steam during their breaks. Classes had already finished for the day, so the schoolyard was full of students playing around, but Kurama was still at his desk reading a book for a later class. This was his usual pattern. He wasn't a member of any clubs, but he always felt more productive with his time at school, especially with the resources at his disposal. The classroom was quieter as well, with only a few students still lingering behind to talk amongst each other, but a familiar approaching smell brought Kurama's thoughts out of his book more than the noise around him.
"Shuichi!"
The sound of a sliding door being opened and a familiar voice momentarily silenced the quiet chatter in Kurama's classroom. Miwa strolled into Kurama's classroom without any reservations and a history textbook clutched tightly in her hand. His classmates, already accustomed to her visits, only spared her an acknowledging glance, and some even greeted her, to which she promptly responded. Miwa strode over to his desk and held out the textbook.
"Thanks again for letting me borrow this," she said.
Kurama smiled and accepted his notes back. "It's no trouble. Although it is unlike you to forget your own, Himari."
"Hey, even I have off days."
Kurama noticed it when she first opened the door, but Miwa wasn't wearing her school uniform. She had changed into the red jersey everyone wore for gym classes. "I thought your class had gym this morning?"
Miwa glanced down at herself and smiled a bit when she realized what he was talking about. She gestured her head out towards the window, bringing Kurama's attention to a group of students outside, also wearing their jerseys, huddled together with an orange ball at their feet. "We're going to play basketball with some guys from your class," she answered. "Are you still reading?" Kurama nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later then."
Miwa waved cheerfully and exited the classroom. Soon after, she appeared at the courtyard outside the window of Kurama's classroom, and he watched her join the group of students huddled there. Like Miwa said, it was a group comprised of students from both Miwa's class and Kurama's, and it looked as if they were dividing the teams for a three-on-three match between the two classes. Kurama smiled slightly. He had grown a deeper appreciation for carefree scenes like this since his whole ordeal with the Spirit Detective. Perhaps rising up from an experience where your death was all but certain changes your perspective on these sorts of things. The normalcy of his life almost made his theft of the Forlorn Hope seem like something of the distant past, but in reality it was a mere six months.
"Shimizu is pretty energetic, huh, Minamino?" Two of Kurama's classmates had been chatting a couple desks in front of him, and no doubt they heard everything from when Miwa visited. They too had been looking out of the window, but this time their attention had turned to him. "You two went to the same middle school, right? Was she always that way?"
Kurama shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Yes, I suppose so."
"Hey, listen…" One of the boys got up from his desk and sat himself down next to Kurama. "I know it's kinda weird of me to ask, but…is it true that you and Shimizu aren't going out?" He nervously twiddled his fingers; it was almost endearing how innocent this boy seemed. "I mean, if she isn't seeing anyone, then…"
Kurama was slightly taken aback by the directness of the boy's question. "No, we aren't like that…" Of course, this wasn't the first time anyone had asked him such a question, and his answer was always the same. He was well aware that he was admired by a number of female students, and ever since she transferred into his middle school three years ago, Miwa had always been at his side. Rumors flew about all the time, but they both insisted nothing of the sort was going on. The Miwa of three years ago was rather persistent in her oath to always be at his side, so it was no wonder such a thing had happened.
The boy in front of him laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess so…" He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and stood up from the seat he took. "Sorry for asking you something weird." With that, the boy stood up to return to his friend's side, and he continued to look out the window.
Kurama pretended to go back to the book he was reading, but in the corner of his eye, he could still see out the window. The game had begun and Miwa's team bravely broke through the defenses. Miwa was running along the left side of the court, and a boy on her team was keeping pace with her on the right, watching carefully for an opening. When the boy reached a spot near the basket, Miwa threw the ball across the court with one hand. It flew over the heads of opposing team members, and the boy caught it easily with Miwa's throw going right into his arms. The opposing team rushed to swarm the boy, but he shot the ball as soon as he could. The ball bounced between the rim and the backboard in a nail-biting detour before falling through the net with what was surely a nice swish.
Kurama smiled, no longer holding the façade that he was still reading his book. He watched as Miwa and her team gleefully celebrated together and gave the shooter high-fives. It was always nice to see Miwa interacting well with others. Unlike the old Kurama, Miwa had never held any prejudices against humans. She saw them as a weaker species, but not necessarily inferior. Miwa was always at his side when she started her human life as "Himari Shimizu," and it took her some time to adjust with her limited human knowledge, but by the time they started high school, her lack of prejudice allowed her to adapt very well. It was why he was so sure she would be okay in the Living World, even if he gave his life to the Forlorn Hope. Kurama looked back to his classmate that asked him about his relationship with Miwa; the boy had also been watching the game, and for a brief moment, Kurama wondered if something about their demon heritage made Miwa and himself more appealing to humans.
Miwa's team began running back to the court in preparation for the next round, and Kurama's thoughts were interrupted at the same time Miwa suddenly stopped. Her teammates continued forward without her, unaware that something caught her attention. She stared at the rooftop of the school building, and her expression became serious, the exact opposite of the joyful celebration from moments ago. Kurama sensed what it was the moment she had stopped. He stood up from his desk to catch eyes with Miwa. She looked back to the classroom and right through the window to him; a silent signal that they would meet the visitor on the roof. Without any warning, Miwa rushed back towards the building, only throwing a quick apology to her teammates behind her shoulder, and Kurama followed suit out of the classroom. Behind him, he could hear the confused murmurings of his classmate, no doubt wondering why both he and Miwa suddenly ran off.
They met at the top of the stairs just before the door to the rooftop; neither of them was out of breath. This was not the first time their visitor had come to see them, but somehow, this was the first time they felt a strange sense of foreboding, as if something was about to begin, but they didn't know what. Without exchanging words, Kurama reached out to the door and turned the knob. He swung open the door, and he and Miwa walked out to greet their visitor. Her black kimono stood out in the bright afternoon sun, and her pale skin somehow made her blend in with the white tile at her feet.
"It is nice to see you both again, Kurama, Miwa." Ayame, the Spirit World guide acting as their liaison with Koenma throughout their probation, greeted them with a warm smile. "Lord Koenma has a proposal for you all."
"All of us…" Kurama said quietly.
Behind her, against the bordering fence, another person in black was waiting. His arms crossed impatiently across his chest, his gaze focused on the scenery at his side rather than the people in front of him, and his black cloak swayed around his feet lightly in the wind.
Miwa's eyes widened, but it was not in surprise. It was in understanding of what was about to come. "Hiei…"
{00}
Yusuke could not be happier that Koenma actually heard him complaining and sent reinforcements to help him defeat the beasts of Maze Castle. After Botan practically forced him into taking the case, as well as the impending threat of Makai insects turning everyone in the city into a blue-skinned, dead-eyed zombie, Kuwabara volunteering to join him was a bit of relief. Maybe he was an idiot; maybe he was underestimating what it means to take down demons, but Kuwabara was without a doubt a brave guy for willingly jumping through the breach in the barrior; before Yusuke, the Spirit Detective, even jumped no less. A duo wasn't the same as a team, but Yusuke wasn't in a position to be picky.
The appearance of Kurama, Miwa, and Hiei was perhaps the happier surprise. The fox explained that Koenma agreed to clear their slates in Spirit World if they helped Yusuke defeat the Four Saint Beasts, and Yusuke would gladly take all the help he could. Finally, after nearly getting eaten by the Fugaki, Yusuke finally had the team he had wanted when Botan first told him about the case. It would have been better if Botan had any information for him about what to expect, but a team of five fighters against four Saint Beasts couldn't be too bad, right? Introductions had gone smoothly, save some stupid bickering between Kuwabara and Hiei's attitude, but they could get past that. Yusuke couldn't have asked for a better team.
Or at least, that was what he thought until the freaking roof came crashing down onto them.
An annoying, purple, bat-cyclops thing laughed mockingly at them as everyone struggled to hold the ceiling above their heads. The bat-cyclops called it the "Gate of Betrayal," and that the ceiling's weight was matched to their strength. With the exception of one deserter, the "betrayer," it was impossible for all of them to escape with their lives. Yusuke couldn't have asked for a better team to take down the Saint Beasts, but with a merciless variable like Hiei, who had already said he wasn't there to "help" them, maybe he could have asked a better team to get through this stupid gate. Yusuke clenched his teeth at the burning in his muscles as they slowly began to fatigue. This is not good…
"How long can I hold this? Will I die this way?" the bat-cyclops said, pretending to imitate their thoughts, "Will one friend betray us and escape while we flatten? Or should I be the one?"
"Just ignore that punk. Stick together!" Kuwabara grunted. "And if anyone tries to run, I swear, I will drag them back myself!
"Ha! And I suppose you think it would be noble if we all died as a team!" Hiei taunted with a smirk.
"That's right!"
"Here's a thought," Yusuke cut in, "let's shut up and find a way out!" Just past the bat-cyclops thing was the switch. Behind him, he could hear the frequent pained grunts of his comrades; even with the strength of demons on his side, they would not last for long. It may be risky, but if Yusuke wanted to save everyone, it was the only way. "Hiei!" The red-eyed demon looked his way. "You're a lot faster than any of us! We'll hold up the ceiling while you go and flip the switch!"
As Yusuke expected, Kuwabara yelled protests from behind him, and Hiei even agreed with his "ugly friend." After everything they went through six months ago, there was no reason Yusuke should trust Hiei, even if Koenma had sent him to help. Hiei was his former enemy, a ruthless criminal that nearly made Keiko a demon just so he could have a hostage. But somewhere inside him, Yusuke had a feeling he and Hiei were similar in some ways. What those ways were, he wasn't yet sure, but he had this feeling he could not explain about Hiei. The Hiei Yusuke met six months ago, the Hiei who had toyed with him before attempting his final strike; that Hiei would not let him die so quickly. Yusuke told him that, and Hiei had the most dumbfounded look on his face.
"I'll let all the Spirit Power I have left to buy you a little time to flip the switch. Just don't trip." Hiei still stared at him, dumbfounded and with no snappy retort. Yusuke smiled at him. "I trust you." With a rush of Spirit Energy, Yusuke felt the strength in his arms return. "Now, GO!"
In a blur of black, Hiei sped across the corridor and reappeared right at the switch, and the bat-cyclops could only turn around in shock. Hiei reached out his arm to the switch, but before his fingers even touched the rusty metal, he hesitated, and his hand just remained motionless, mere inches from their only salvation.
"What's the deal?! Pull the stupid switch already!" Kuwabara yelled.
The bat-cyclops began talking quietly to Hiei. Yusuke couldn't hear it very well, but he knew for sure nothing coming from that annoying bastard's mouth could be good for them. It sounded like it was trying to convince Hiei to let them die and bring him to their side. Yusuke clenched his teeth. Despite his Spirit Energy assisting, he could feel the muscles in his arms fatiguing again, and the pain from the ceiling's compression was spreading throughout his body. Hiei began to laugh, and when Kuwabara yelled at him again, Yusuke could feel the slightest bit of doubt begin to form. He couldn't have made the wrong choice, could he? What did he really know about Hiei?
"A wise choice. The boulder would have crushed you anyway."
The bat-cyclops turned its back, probably planning to lead Hiei further into the castle, and Hiei used that chance to strike. "Thanks for the clue!" He brandished his sword and instantly slashed the bat-cyclops right through its eye. It writhed slightly in the air before awkwardly flying away in a painful fear. Just like it said, a huge boulder fell from the sky, and the sound of it hitting the ground echoed through the corridor gate. For a moment, it appeared that Hiei had been crushed, but true to his signature speed, Hiei stood on top of the boulder unharmed. "Tell your masters," Hiei said, "This is their chance to beg for mercy."
Yusuke and the others crawled out from underneath the lowered ceiling, and the relief of the ceiling's mechanical weight felt wonderful, although Yusuke could not feel his arms at the moment. Still, since they had escaped from such an impossible trap, a little numbness was nothing. Yusuke flashed a thumbs up at Hiei, thanking him with a smile. He playfully wrapped his arm around Hiei's shoulder; who knew the guy could act?
"You know, not everyone can pretend to laugh at their dying friends."
"Friends are just a crutch for the weak." Hiei shrugged off Yusuke's arm and walked away. "And I wasn't acting."
Harsh words, but they didn't really bother Yusuke, and Hiei threw out some excuse about possibly needing everyone's help. Kuwabara continued fuming at Hiei's attitude, but Kurama and Miwa were not the least bit fazed, even smiling. They were used to it. Yusuke could tell. That was all he needed to know. He could trust Hiei, no matter how much of an ass he pretended to be.
{00}
Yusuke and his team wandered through the stone corridors of Maze Castle. Through the windows they passed, Yusuke could still see the strange purple sky and black clouds. The corridors were set alight only by a continuous line of torches. It was a strange…almost medieval feel that reminded Yusuke of something he might see in a video game. Despite the flames that lit their way, the interior of the castle felt cold, and a heavy atmosphere seemed to hang in the air. In short, it was pretty creepy, but the further they walked, Yusuke was gradually getting used it. Yusuke would occasionally check around in case there was another trap like the Gate of Betrayal, but he really wished Botan had told him more about the castle.
"Kurama, what do you know about these Four Saint people?" The redhead stopped and turned to Yusuke. "Botan pushed us down that hole like a couple of cows and I didn't have a chance to ask her." As usual, it seemed like Spirit World would throw Yusuke into cases in a trial by fire, keeping their fingers crossed that he would somehow prevail without everything he needed to know. He was still angry that Botan waited until after he got his ass kicked by Gouki to give him the Concentration Ring.
"She wouldn't have told you much, I'm afraid. After the barrier wall was raised around the city, Spirit World Intelligence virtually forgot this place existed."
Yusuke frowned. Oh, good.
"What do you know?" Kuwabara chimed in.
"Let's just say that when you see their bodies, you might be very surprised."
"But it's not just the Four Saint Beasts we need to worry about," Miwa added, "As we've already seen, the castle itself can be dangerous, but many bounty hunters that survived the Gate of Betrayal were still defeated early on by traps or the castle guard."
"Guard?" Yusuke grimaced. That can't be good.
Miwa folded her arms across her chest with a grim smile. "Yes, the one who commands the lower demons in this castle, including the purple one Hiei blinded." Behind her, Hiei huffed quietly with a satisfied smirk.
"Well, that's just great," Yusuke pouted, stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued walking down the stone hallway while his team followed. Leave it to Spirit World to send him off to storm a castle without even knowing the creatures he would need to fight. At least his team of five fighters evened out the odds. They eventually came to a four-way intersection, and this time Yusuke vented his frustration by swearing loudly. Now what? They had been lucky so far with one-way corridors, but if they took a wrong turn, the Living World would be screwed.
The five of them remained quiet, contemplating what they should do from there on. In movies, the heroes usually split up in situations like these, but Yusuke had a feeling that would be a terrible idea in practice. Then, just before he could swear out loud again, a low sound reached his ear. It echoed from the hallway in front of him, a low, throaty growl, like the sound a dog would make while baring its teeth. Kuwabara and the others also were staring down that hallway; they could hear that sound too. The throaty growl grew increasingly louder, the thudding sound of footfalls soon joined flurry of noise, and Yusuke could feel a wary tingling in his spine.
"Something's coming," Miwa said quietly.
In the faint light of the hallway before them, a long, skinny silhouette in the shadows came closer and closer, but it was no human-shaped silhouette. It seemed to slither through the darkness side to side like a snake. As it continued its approach, Yusuke was slowly able to make out more distinctive features.
"Oh crap, run!"
Without putting any thought in the direction he chose, Yusuke sprinted down the hallway to his left, and he quickly glanced behind him to make sure his friends were following behind. In the distance, he could still see the slithering silhouette following behind them, and the low growl echoed loudly in the single hallway. They were being chased by some kind of monster, but which one was it?
The hallway they escaped through lead to a wider chamber. It was dome-like in shape but void of any clear function. Across the chamber was an archway to another hallway. Yusuke grinned. The larger room would give them more space should the creature catch up. Behind him, the growl turned into a deafening roar that bounced through the chamber around them. The upcoming hallway seemed smaller than the one they came from, and as they crossed the dome-like chamber, Yusuke hoped it would be small enough to slow down their pursuer. They quickly approached the archway, but just before they could step through, a green wall sprung from the floor and sealed their only exit off.
"What the heck?!" Kuwabara yelled.
Yusuke and the others skidded on their feet to stop themselves. Hiei, Kurama, and Miwa managed to stop cleanly, but Yusuke and Kuwabara, who lead the group, had to hold out their hands to painfully force themselves to stop. Yusuke growled at the green wall blocking their escape and pounded it with his fist.
"Where the hell did this wall come from?!" His fist burned with pain. Now that Yusuke had gotten a very close look, the wall was cold to the touch and glimmered dimly in the torchlight. He could just barely see through the opaque green color and the stairwell to their escape seemed to taunt him. The green wall was sturdy. Would they have to force their way through?
"It's here!" Miwa called.
The creature had made it to the dome chamber. It slithered through the entrance, slowly revealing its body, and its scaly arms clutched the walls as if to pull itself out. Its claws pierced through the wall easily, as if it were made of butter instead of stone. The monster's long, yellow body slowly filled the chamber, and Yusuke finally saw the creature its full form. The length of the creature was about as long as everyone's height's combined. Small brown spikes lined its back all the way to the tail, and its tail wiggled slowly behind it, like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Its bright ruby eyes stared down Yusuke and his friends, and long, whiskers floated gently around its long snout. The low growl seeped through its sharp teeth.
Kuwabara's eyes were wide like dinner plates and his hands trembled in absolute shock. Kurama had said they would be surprised when they saw the bodies of the creatures of this castle. He wasn't kidding. This was nothing like the humanoid demons Yusuke had seen so far. This four-legged creature before them looked like something out of myth. There was a considerable amount of space left between them and the creature, even with its full body inside. At the length of their combined heights, it wasn't exactly colossal, but the low ceiling of the chamber made it seem bigger than it really was.
"Is this the guard?" Yusuke asked. Despite his shock, seeing the creature in full alleviated the anxiety of an unknown pursuer.
"Yes," Miwa answered. "Kohryu, the Yellow Dragon."
The dragon's wide lips curved into a beastly smile. Kohryu opened his mouth and spoke in a rumbling voice. Yusuke could feel it reverberating in his chest. "You intruders have come too far into this castle. I cannot allow you to trouble my masters any further."
"If you didn't want any intruders, maybe you guys should install a front door instead of that creepy-ass mouth entrance," Yusuke said.
A green blur shot past Yusuke's head from behind, just barely grazing his ear. He could feel the skin on his ear prickle from the friction, and Yusuke turned his head to see a green pillar had burst from the wall that blocked their path, coming to a sharp point a few inches past his nose.
"You are brave, human, but quite the ignorant fool." Kohryu growled. "Maybe I shall kill you first."
Yusuke raised his fists, feeling a certain glee in being able to irritate such an inhuman creature with his sarcastic banter, but an arm appeared in front of him, preventing him from moving forward. Miwa stepped forward in front of Yusuke, obstructing his view of the yellow dragon.
"He's just a guard," Miwa said, "Leave him to me."
Miwa continued walking forward before Yusuke had a chance to stop her. It was such a strange image for him. Miwa, dressed in the same school uniform she wore when they first met, the spitting image of a normal school girl, calmly approached the monstrous yellow dragon, and Yusuke was sure she was smiling. He had never seen Miwa fight, nor did he know anything about her abilities. His eyes landed on the black, leather pouch she wore on her back. It had a cross body strap, and the pouch was oval in shape with a small cap at the top by her right shoulder. It swayed lightly with each step she took, and the bulge of the pouch deformed slightly whenever it pressed against her back.
"You are underestimating me, little girl," Kohryu said, and he raised his head. "Fine. You shall be the first to die."
"Is…is she gonna be alright?" Kuwabara said slowly. "I mean, that's a dragon."
Kurama laughed lightly. "Don't worry." His voice was calm and held no doubts. "Miwa is much more dangerous than she looks." Yusuke could swear that Kurama sounded proud.
Miwa slowly closed the distance between her and Kohryu. Her arms swung freely at her sides. She carried no weapon. Kohryu's front legs went into a wider stance, and its head lowered with his usual low growl. Miwa was roughly a fifth the size of the yellow dragon, but nothing in her demeanor showed any fear. Yusuke clenched his fists. Kurama said not to worry, but the size difference alone was enough to make Yusuke feel nervous. Kohryu's ruby eyes began to glow, and Yusuke felt a faint rumbling through his shoes. Huge green spikes shot out of the walls, just like the one that grazed Yusuke's ear, and in mere moments, the walls of the stone chamber shone green like the inside of a geode. Yusuke lightly touched the spike by his head. Now he knew; that was why the green wall had felt cold to the touch. This dragon produced pillars of green crystal.
"Impressive. You should be an interior decorator." Miwa said, marveling at the sparkling green wonder.
Kohryu growled again, not appreciating her sarcasm. Kohryu probably used the green crystals for attack and defense. Without a weapon, how would Miwa break through? A faint rumbling sound could be heard from the ceiling, and a few crystal spikes started to grow, stretching their pointed edge right towards Miwa. She easily jumped out of the way, and each spike lodged itself into the ground, piercing themselves through stone just as easily as Kohryu's claws. More spikes grew from the ceiling, and Miwa continued to jump away, forming a line of impaling spikes in her wake.
"You can't defeat me by running away!"
Miwa continued to dodge the seemingly endless barrage of crystal spikes. Sometimes, a spike would retract and change its angle to attack Miwa again, but the only thing she did was run away. Miwa weaved in and out between the crystal spikes. She hid behind a particularly large spike, but it was destroyed when another spike plowed through it. The impact made the whole room shake, and the broken shards fell to the ground like a sparkling rain. Miwa somersaulted away to avoid the crystalline debris.
"So, they can break." she said quietly. Miwa squeezed some broken shards in her fist and dropped them back to the ground.
"Not under your own power, they won't."
"Won't know that until we try." Miwa raised her right arm, and the cap of her black pouch popped open on its own. Yusuke held his breath. Finally, he would get to see what that pouch was for, but how could any weapon break through crystal? The broken shards on the ground quivered, and in an instant, they shot through the air like a barrage of bullets right towards Miwa's back.
"Look out!" Yusuke yelled.
Miwa whirled around, and a translucent blue substance erupted out of the open cap of her pouch. The substance flew through the air, following the movements of Miwa's sweeping arm, and intersected the incoming bullets, pushing them off course and back to the ground. Upon impact, the substance exploded into clear drops with an unmistakable splash, and the bullet shards lay lifeless on the ground in a large puddle.
"A water apparition…" Kohryu said, and he shifted his body back a bit. "So you were able to overcome the momentum of my shards."
The puddle rose into the air and wrapped itself loosely around Miwa's arm in a thin coil. "Not just the momentum." She smirked at him with her arm raised elegantly to display her ability. "I will break through your crystal, Kohryu."
Yusuke stared at the coiled stream of water. It writhed around her arm like a snake and gave off the faint blue glow of what Yusuke figured was Miwa's Spirit Energy. "So…she controls water?" he asked.
"Yes, to put it in simple terms." Kurama answered.
Yusuke finally understood. The pouch was to ensure she always had a water source. In a place as bone dry as Maze Castle, it was a necessity. But still, the water had splashed when it impacted the ground earlier. That's what water does. How could something as malleable as water break through crystal?
"You are clever, little girl," Kohryu said. The crystal spikes retracted back to the wall, opening up some space in the air. "But splashing around isn't going to defeat me."
"We'll see."
Kohryu launched forward at Miwa's taunt, mouth wide open to devour her. As before, Miwa easily leaped out of the way and Kohryu's open mouth crashed into the floor. The stone collapsed under the force, but Kohryu stood up again, completely unharmed. Then another spike spawned from beneath Miwa's feet. Miwa wobbled to try and catch her balance, but the pillar kept pushing her up to be smashed into the ceiling. Again, Miwa escaped by leaping back down, but when she landed, more spikes began spawning around her, trapping her in a square-shaped spawn. For the first time since the fight began, Miwa's eyes widened in shock.
"I'm tired of playing tag with you," Kohryu growled. The spikes met at a point above Miwa's head, completely incasing her in a crystal pyramid. Yusuke could see the faint outline of Miwa's silhouette pounding on the crystalline walls with her fist, just as Yusuke had done. "There is nowhere for you to run in there," Kohryu continued, looming his face closer to the crystal prison. "Now be a good little girl, and the last thing you will hear is the final screams of your friends!"
Kohryu snapped his gaze towards the boys and opened his mouth. A glowing, green orb of Spirit Energy spouted more crystal spikes shooting towards the air right at them. These spikes were smaller than the ones that spawned from the ground, but much larger than the shards shot at Miwa. There was no way the water crashing into them would slow the momentum. Yusuke could see the spikes approaching them at a terrifying speed, and instinctively, he lowered his fist to build up the Spirit Energy for a Shot Gun blast.
However, before Yusuke's fist was enveloped in his trademark blue glow, another blue light erupted from the crystal pyramid. The light sped towards Yusuke and boys and spread outward into a veil. When Yusuke's eyes adjusted to the light, he could see Miwa's glowing blue water hovering over them like a protective film, and the spikes Kohryu had shot at them were trapped inside, stopped right in midair. The crystal pyramid had a gaping hole on its side, and small sparkling crystalline debris was scattered on the floor; the proof on something powerful forcing its way out. Miwa stood on the top of her former prison, her arm outstretched and a death glare towards the shocked Kohryu. Her cold blue eyes held none of her previous playful mood. She was mad, and Yusuke knew he would not want to be the target of that inner storm.
"No more games, dragon." The film of water that had trapped Kohryu's attack slowly began to crawl up each individual spike, covering it with Miwa's Spirit Energy. Still in midair, each spike became trapped in what looked like a glowing bubble. Miwa's outstretched hand clenched into a tight fist, and the floating spikes exploded into tiny crystalline dust. "You've made me angry by attacking my friends."
Kohryu stared at her, ruby eyes wide in shock. "How could mere water break through crystal?"
"Think about it in Hell."
Miwa's water gathered into a ball and hit Kohryu right in the face, and Yusuke could hear the thud as water hit dragon. It was not the same splash as water hitting ground. Somehow, Miwa's water had changed to having a solid mass; he could sense her Spirit Energy flickering inside the fluid. Through a surprising amount of force, Kohryu's head was painfully forced backward into the ground with a crash that echoed loudly through the chamber.
Yusuke and Kuwabara's confusion must have been as clear as Kohryu's, for Kurama quietly began to explain without needing to be asked. "Miwa is able to coat the water she commands with her Spirit Energy, giving it a stronger density than normal water. A crystal that can be manipulated in size as Kohryu does must retain some element of flexibility. Although it is strong, it is impossible for it to be truly impenetrable."
The echoes of Miwa's strike faded, and Kohryu slowly lifted his head. He still had the guts to growl angrily at Miwa, but he retreated back against the wall like a cornered animal. "Your attacks too easy to dodge, dragon," she spat at him. The water glided through the air gracefully and returned to its coil around Miwa's arm. "All your stupid crystals are good for is defense, and hell, it's not even that great. No wonder you're just a measly guard. All you can do is block us from continuing forward."
Kohryu continued growling without any verbal retort, and more crystal spikes sprouted from the ground, providing Kohryu with some cover. Rather than a defense, it only further proved Miwa's point. Although Kohryu was a big, scary dragon right out of a human child's nightmares, he had barely moved his body through the whole fight, instead letting the crystals do all the work for him. Kohryu's strategy was in his defense, not his offense. Perhaps a human bounty hunter with normal weapons would not be able to overcome him, but Miwa was a demon. Yusuke knew that for sure now. Despite his image of a normal school girl, Miwa was a demon through and through, and her power could easily cut through Kohryu's crystal. Hell, if Yusuke tried, maybe even his Spirit Gun would work.
Miwa thrust her arm forward, and the stream of water uncoiled itself and shot towards Kohryu with the strength and speed of a cannon. It easily pierced the pillars Kohryu had raised to protect himself, and the dragon anticipated it and lowered his body to dodge the attack, but all that was just a distraction. Miwa quickly retracted the stream back to a glowing ball of water around her hand. Miwa jumped into the air, and with her palm open and fingers brought together tight, she sliced the air in front of her in a cutting motion, and the water followed suit. With the same incredible speed as before, the stream sliced diagonally through several crystal pillars, cutting through as easily as a knife through butter (A stupid analogy, but it was the best Yusuke could come up with), and without a stable base, the pillars began to fall.
The tall spikes slammed into the wall behind Kohryu, easily breaking through it and creating a hole that let in the outside light and cold wind. Each falling pillar opened the hole wider, and soon the purple sky and black clouds could be easily seen. As the hole behind him continued to widen, Kohryu was running out of space to stand, and the falling pillars were forcing him back, closer and closer to a fall. He growled again, and his eyes once more began to glow. He was about to reclaim control over the crystal, but Miwa wouldn't let him. With one more thrust of her arm, her water stream weaved through the falling crystal pillars and struck Kohryu once more.
The dragon was forced back one last time, and he too fell into the abyss below. Amongst the sound of falling debris hitting the ground, a loud thud could be heard in the distance. The debris settled, and a quiet returned to the now ruined chamber.
"Is…Is it dead?" Kuwabara asked, and Yusuke wondered the same thing. In myth, dragons were able to fly. If that thing were to come back…
"You needn't worry about that," Hiei said smugly.
Then, as if on cue, the remaining crystal in the room began to slowly disappear. They faded into a golden dust that flew out the window, down to the ground where Korhyu's body should lay. It was an oddly beautiful sight considering the source was a fierce dragon, but the dust sparkled brightly in the light coming in from outside; a strange moment of beauty in the dank castle. Miwa's water lay still in a puddle on the floor, right where it had struck Kohryu. With an outstretched hand, Miwa summoned the water back to herself; the stream slithered into the pouch on her back and the cap closed with a light click.
Then, with the disappearance of the golden dust, the crystal vanished completely. Their path forward was now clear.
"If he produces crystal, then Kohryu must be a dragon with an affinity for earth, not the sky," Miwa explained, smiling at Kuwabara. "He couldn't fly to save his life."
Yusuke found himself giggling. Now that the craziness was done, it was the only thing he could do right then. "Damn, Miwa, you couldn't have been a bit louder when you killed that guy?" He paused to giggle some more. "I don't think the whole castle heard you yet."
Miwa smiled sheepishly. "Well, a dragon of his size required a bit more…force than I would have liked." She also giggled a bit. "And like I said, I was kinda angry after he attacked you guys."
"You sure showed him, though," Kuwabara said, grinning wildly like Yusuke.
Hiei sighed loudly. "You two idiots are letting your guard down. Just because Miwa annihilated the guard doesn't mean the Saint Beasts will be defeated just as easily."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hiei," Yusuke said dryly.
"In any case," Kurama said, cutting off the discussion, "Our path has been opened. We should move along."
"Yeah, alright."
With his hands back in his pockets, Yusuke lead the way through their exit and up the stairs to the next tower. What a ridiculous trip this had been so far. A hoard of Fugaki, a falling ceiling, a dragon guard, and four beasts that should be more powerful than anything they had seen thus far. What else could possibly go wrong? Yusuke took one last glance back at the chamber before it was out of sight. His four friends were behind him, and Yusuke reminded himself how lucky he was to have them along. In retrospect, Kohryu really wasn't something much, and maybe Yusuke could have taken him on alone, but although they had a shaky start, Yusuke really couldn't have asked for a better team to help him take on the Beasts of Maze Castle.
Yusuke remembered the giant hole in the wall Miwa had created. He remembered her sheepishly admitting she may have gone overboard in her anger. He remembered the circumstances of their first meeting. Yusuke had already known how dedicated Miwa was to her oath to always be at Kurama's side. There was no doubting it when she had tried to use the Forlorn Hope in his stead, but Yusuke had just seen a different side of her determination. He did not doubt her word that she was angry her friends were attacked, but Yusuke had to wonder how much of that rage stemmed just from Kurama being targeted.
What a lucky guy…
Notes: As much as I didn't like how his title is so similar to Seiryu, Kohryu is an actual dragon from Japanese myth. In the original Chinese mythology from which the Four Saint Beasts were based on, the Chinese also had a (maybe lesser known) fifth beast: Huang Long, the "Yellow Dragon of the Center." Although this dragon didn't really import into the Japanese mythology of the four beasts, Kohryu is thought to be the closest equivalent. In this story, he just plays the role of a guard since his mythological counterpart is not one of the main four, nor did I want to do something silly like "Five Saint Beasts." Miwa needed a demon to fight in order to establish her abilities, so I read up on the mythology and decided on Kohryu.
Once again, any constructive criticism is helpful.