Kaku Ren Bo

Kurama grabbed Hiei's arm and jerked him hard to the right. They ran down a narrow alley, a brick wall blocking the exit. Kurama looked up then back. Hiei had his back to Kurama, his arm glowing a bright orange.

"Um, Hiei? You're not planning to use the Fist of the Mortal Flame, are you?"

Hiei flashed him a grin. "It's not a fist, anymore. It's a dragon."

"You managed to make the fist a dragon?"

"Yes. Now let me concentrate." Hiei's eyes narrowed on the demon. "Dragon of the Mortal Flame!"

The dragon leaped forward, enveloping the oncoming demon in fire. Hiei glanced at Kurama. "We don't have a lot of time. I don't know how much the dragon'll hurt the demon, and I'd rather not be here if it shakes the dragon off."

"Agreeed."

Kurama drew his whip and flicked it, wrapping the tip of it around the ledge of the wall they were backed against. He turned to Hiei. "Hold on tight."

"You are seriously going to - "

"Just grab hold!"

With Hiei attached to his back like a monkey, Kurama climbed his way up the wall. Hiei kept an eye on the demon below. Seemed like his new dragon was actually doing some harm. It wasn't getting back up, at least.

They made it up to the roof. "Back inside." Kurama said, breathing a bit hard. "Apparently the streets are not safe."

"It doesn't seem like they ever were." Hiei commented, leading the way inside. He stopped cold, then strode forward. "I found the detective. I can scent him in the building."

Kurama's eyes flashed green once. "Then he was hiding from whatever that was outside. I'm not sure if I want to hit him or not."

"I'm going to." Hiei stalked forward. "I don't like having several years scared off of my lifespan. And while I'm talking about punching people, Koenma's next on the list."

"I'm not sure punching the prince of the underworld is a good idea."

"I've never been the brains of our operation. I know it's a bad idea, but I'm going to do it anyway."

"Kurama? Hiei?" Yusuke rushed foward. "Man, am I glad to see - " He was cut off by Hiei's swift punch to the jaw. Yusuke yelped. "What was that for!"

"A little warning next time would have been nice." Hiei bit out.

"Sorry! I didn't realize the damn things were there until after I signaled you!"

Kurama cut across the budding argument. "Where is Kuwabara?"

"Taken." Yusuke grimaced. "We got ambushed. Best I can tell, we're the only three left."

"Well that sucks." Hiei glanced at Kurama. "I think we should have left a long time ago."

"I think we never should have come in the first place." Kurama growled.

Yusuke sighed. "We weren't exactly given much of a choice."

Hiei growled. "One more reason for me to punch the snot-nosed brat."

"We'll worry about it later." Kurama said. "Right now, I think we need to make our way to the center of the city. It's a pattern I've noticed - all of the demons are coming from there."

"We'll stick to the rooftops, then." Hiei said. "It's not safe to travel on the streets. That, and I only have enough energy for one more attack. Using the Mortal Flame in that form still takes a great deal of energy."

Kurama nodded. "Agreed. Yusuke, revert to your demon form. You're going to need the speed and reflexes that gives you."

Yusuke nodded before his tattoos began to show. His eyes glowed gold for a moment before going back to their usual brown. "And we're good. Let's get going and get this over with."

They took off, running towards the roof.

Hiei naturally wound up taking the lead, being much faster than the other two. On the ground level, they could hear the demons screaming and roaring. Apparently, they knew there were more victims, and they hated not being able to find them.

"What are those things?" Yusuke murmured. "They're not like the demons I'm used to."

"That's because they aren't." Kurama said. "Did you notice the lack of spirit energy?"

"Now that you say it - yeah, that is odd." Yusuke tilted his head to the side. "You know what? It's almost like these are someone's imaginary version of demons. You know - no normal person would know the whole spirit energy bit, would they? That's not in the legends."

Hiei glanced back. "No, it's not. We're not sure what they are, but they're not actual demons. Come on - there's a tower up ahead."

Kurama frowned. "I don't like the looks of that tower."

"Neither do I." Yusuke said. "But I can sense Kuwabara's spirit energy coming from it. He's there."

"Then let's move quicker." Kurama said quietly.

The three of them picked up speed, leaping from roof to roof, avoiding the ground at all costs. Yusuke looked over at Kurama and Hiei. He'd never seen the two of them so tense, and that counted the time when they knew he was going to sacrifice himself during his fight with Sensui. He looked forward again, eyes narrowed on the tower.

So help him, when they got back to Koenma, there would be hell to pay.

Hiei slid to a stop. "Hang on."

Kurama stopped and looked around, rose in his hand. "What?"

"Be careful. There's something up ahead, and it's waiting on us."

Kurama looked down at the base of the tower. "It's that girl." he murmured. She was looking straight up at them, and Yusuke wondered if she was smiling. With the mask on it was hard to tell. Kurama continued to stare at her for a moment longer. "She's not human either. I can't scent her."

"She's something." Hiei spat. "She's 'it'."

Before Yusuke could demand what the hell they were talking about, the building they were hiding on collapsed.

Hiei's eyes widened just before they fell, hitting the ground hard. The three of them were on their feet in seconds, and running full pelt towards the tower. They could hear the howls and roars of the demons behind them.

Yusuke risked a glance backwards before swearing. "Here they come!"

Kurama's whip cracked, and one of the demons howled in pain. They kept running, eventually emerging on what seemed to be a boardwalk of some kind. Their steps slowed, and by the time that they got halfway across, they were walking. The demons hadn't followed them on to the bridge.

Yusuke looked up, and paled. "Um - guys? Look up."

Hiei and Kurama did, and froze. Kuwabara was unconscious, with thick wires and cables running into his sides, and a brightly flashing light stuck into his chest. Kurama's gaze flicked to the girl, then back up to Kuwabara. "Hiei."

"Yes?"

"Can you disconnect him?"

"Why?"

I'm going to try and keep the girl occupied while you give it a shot." There was a small pause.

"And if I can't?"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there."

"Kurama - there's others - look how many - "

"I know. How this got past Koenma for so long, I do not know." Kurama approached the girl. She started speaking, hiding her eyes behind her hands.

"One, two, three,"

It was a weird little sing-song, and it raised every hair on Kurama's body.

"Four, five, six,"

He approached her slowly, stopping a few feet from her.

"Seven, eight, nine, ten." She slowly lowered her hands. "Ready or not, here I come."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Is this a game to you?"

The girl giggled. "It's always a game, and the fox always wins. Those are the rules."

Hiei blurred, vanishing from sight only to re-appear next to Kuwabara. "Um - fox? The only way for me to disconnect him and everyone else is to rip the wires out. I'm not sure how deep these things run."

"Try it on someone else, first."

"Yeah, like who?" Hiei's gaze flicked along the others.

"The obnoxious fat one from earlier."

"Okay." Hiei landed next to him, and gave the kid a mental apology before tugging on the wires. He steeled himself, and jerked the wires out. He filled his palm with fire and cauterized the wound before the kid bled out.

Kurama circled the girl. "You are strange. You have no scent, and no spirit energy. What are you?"

The girl just stared at him. "What are you? There's never been three winners before."

"The fox always wins the game." Kurama removed his mask and let his true form come to the surface. He needed to keep the girl distracted. "I'm the fox."

Hiei frowned as he worked, removing wires from the kid as he saw them. Ripping some of the wires out had worked, but some of the others would require a bit more delicacy. He drew his sword, and carefully set it against the kid's chest. He would have to be very careful not to kill the kid while he worked that light out of his chest.

Yusuke's gaze kept flicking between Kurama and Hiei. His eyes widened and he brought his hand up, firing a spirit gun shot at the demon who was coming up behind Hiei as he worked.

Hiei's glance slid to Yusuke and he nodded once in thanks before resuming his work. Yusuke nodded back, his attention going back to Kurama.

The girl had her head cocked to the side as she studied Kurama.

The girl studied Kurama for a moment. "You aren't a child."

"Not a normal one."

"I've never seen a person like you. What are you?"

"I think the question is, what are you?" Kurama asked quietly. "Are you dead?"

She giggled. "No, silly. I won last time."

Kurama tilted his head. "So what happens when I win?"

"You haven't won. There are still two others left." The girl's voice went sing-songy. "I have to catch the last two."

There was a clatter and a crunch as the light embedded in the kid's chest was tossed over the edge.

"I can get the oaf unhooked. But the downside is that it's going to take some time."

"Then do it. We'll worry about the others later. Right now, our focus is Kuwabara."

"Then consider it done. I need the detective up here, though. Kuwabara's still conscious, and he's not going to appreciate me cutting him open and ripping things out of him."

Kurama motioned to Yusuke, who immediately jumped up and made his way to Kuwabara and Hiei. The girl simply stared at him. "Now I have to catch you. If you want to win the game, I suggest you run."

"No, I don't think I will." Kurama drew his rose. In his demon form, it would be much stronger, maybe strong enough to actually destroy the fake demons. "Tell me one thing first."

"What?"

"Did you invent this game?"

Her voice changed, taking on a darker edge. Like something not-human was speaking through her. "Not her, but me."

Yusuke landed next to Hiei. "What do you need me to do?"

"Hold him still. This is going to hurt, and there's no other way for me to get the wires out." Hiei drew his sword and set it aside. He looked down at Kurama. "Be careful, fox. I don't like this - that thing's got something planned. I can feel it."

"I'll be fine. Focus on Kuwabara."

Yusuke laid a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "Ready, Hiei?"

"Of course. Hang on tight." With that, Hiei began pulling the wires out of Kuwabara, ignoring the way Kuwabara flinched and screamed. His gaze flicked to Yusuke who was pressing down on Kuwabara's shoulders and muttering reassurances as Hiei worked.

Hiei tapped Yusuke's arm, and motioned for him to move. "I need to reach the light and cut it out. Trade places with me."

Kurama could feel Hiei's distress and pulled away slightly. The urgent need to attend to his pack could not override his common sense right now. He had to handle this girl - or whatever she was.

"What are you?"

The girl grinned. Her mask changed, morphing into a more terrifying shape with red eyes and fangs. "I am the one who plays the game. I am the one who will always play, no matter who wins."

A chill ran up Kurama's spine. This was a case of possession, although by what he didn't know. "Hurry, Hiei. I don't want to fight this thing just yet."

"I'm moving as fast as I can." Hiei grunted as he cut the wires out of Kuwabara's chest. He pulled back, and gave Kuwabara an apologetic glance, before filling his hand full of fire and cauterized the worst of the wounds. He gave Yusuke a sharp glare. "Get him out of here. I've got to help Kurama."

Yusuke nodded once, and gathered Kuwabara up and took off over the rooftops, running full pelt for the edge of the city. Hiei dropped next to Kurama, eyes widening as he took in the girl.

"What did you do to piss her off, fox?" he asked, the bindings holding the Darkness dragon beginning to smoke.

Kurama held a hand up. "Why did you possess her?"

"Because she won the game. Now I'll possess you, and continue the game."

"But he hasn't won." Hiei pointed out. "There's still four of us."

"There was only three." the girl said quietly. "Soon there will be only you two."

From far away, Yusuke's spirit gun lit up the city block. Neither Hiei nor Kurama looked away from the girl. Hiei smirked. "I think not."

The girl gave the impression of scowling, but it was hard to tell with the mask. "I am the fox, the cleverest of all demons. I will win this game - as I always have. Otokoyo will go on."

"She's actually creeping me out. Can I just fry her?"

"I don't think you can, Hiei. I suspect that whatever is possessing her won't be so easily destroyed."

"So?"

"I'd rather not find out what happens when we take its body."

Another blast from Yusuke's spirit gun had Hiei turning back briefly. His eyes narrowed before nodding once. Kurama's gaze flicked to him.

"Did Yusuke and Kuwabara make it out?"

Hiei nodded once. "Yes. And you have no idea how much I'd like to be following him right about now. I say we end this and end it now."

"I agree. But I'm not certain how to proceed."

"Kill the girl and then the demon possessing her?" Hiei suggested.

Kurama shook his head. "I don't think - "

The girl dropped, her body turning grey almost instantly. Kurama's eyes widened before he doubled over under a vicious, invisible assault. Apparently the demon-thing had gotten tired of waiting.

Hiei grabbed his shoulder. "Kurama!"

Kurama gasped. "It's - it - "

Hiei dragged Kurama back, and knelt next to him. "Fox?"

Kurama gritted his teeth as he fought the thing that was trying to take him over. His eyes flew open and he gave Hiei a frightened look. "It's trying to take me over."

"Let me in, I can help."

"No! He might try to take you!"

"I'm not going to stand back and do nothing! Let me in!"

"Hiei - no." Kurama's eyes closed as he focused harder on the demon trying to take over, throwing mental barrier after mental barrier up.

Hiei gritted his teeth. With all the barriers Kurama was throwing up against the intruder, he wasn't getting in without seriously hurting the fox. So he did the next best thing.

He drew his sword and cut open his own hand before slitting Kurama's. Then he pressed their palms together.

The renewing of their bond did the trick. Hiei was able to slip inside without taking down any of Kurama's barriers.

The fox immediately railed against him. Hiei, you stupid -

Shut up and let me help!

It could take you instead! It could try to take both of us!

Do I need to remind you just how damn powerful we are together? Let me help. I'm not leaving until you do.

"Hiei, when this is over, and we get out of here, remind me to kick your ass."

"I'll make sure to do that." Hiei said dryly. He reinforced Kurama's barriers, eyes narrowed as they worked.

The demon roared in Kurama's head, making them both wince at the volume. The demon prodded Hiei's barriers, flinching when the barriers actually flared with live fire. Hiei's eyes widened briefly as an idea occurred to him. "Fox? I think I had an idea."

"Hit me."

"How adverse are you to a little display of power?"

"Depends on the display."

"This thing doesn't like fire. I'm fire personified."