Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Just a stranger passing by ❯ Just a stranger passing by ( Chapter 1 )

Just a stranger passing by

Kal Kally

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and its characters are not mine.

Summary: Impression from the first encounter was always deep, and hard to fade. This fic is about Kurama and Hiei's first encounter and their life before they joined the Urameshi team.

This fic was written though not for someone, but because of someone. May you will find happiness wherever you go, and hope that you'll understand what I want to say through this fic.

***

Youko Kurama's eyes traveled up and down the silky body of the other Youko in appreciation. She was beautiful, especially under the moonlight, when every bit of her pale flesh seemed to glow by its own light. With a fluid motion, he bent down and claimed the female youko's lips in a hard, bruising kiss, pleased with the way the other's slender fingers worked on his hair, trying to bring him closer. Such a beauty deserved to be rewarded. And he fully intended to reward the younger Youko with an unforgettable night.

Soon, the clearing that only an hour before had existed only the whisperings of swaying leaves was filled with moans and cries, as the two bodies became one in wild passion.

As he lost himself in the woman's heat, Youko Kurama's teeth nip affectionately on the white neck then viciously bit down, breaking the skin there. The female Youko cried out, her body bucked and trembled as the harsh treatment brought her waves and waves of incredible pleasure. Her fingers dug into the handsome demon's back, her mouth subconsciously found his neck, wanting to return the favor.

Youko Kurama pulled back abruptly, making the other whimper at the sudden loss. He put his finger on her lips, shaking his head. She looked up in confusion but before she could even think of asking, he rammed back, resuming the wild passion they were sharing. It was not long until both were pushed to extreme ecstasy.

About half an hour later, the peaceful silence had returned to the clearing. Both youko were lying exhaustedly on the fresh grass. The female Youko sighed and snuggled closer to her lover, or at least she thought so.

Youko Kurama freed himself from the woman's embrace. He got to his feet and wordlessly put on his clothes, feeling the wary eyes never leaving him.

It didn't matter. He just walked away without even a goodbye.

"No!" The female Youko cried, instantly on her feet. "You can't just leave me like this."

Youko Kurama laughed, turning back to his once-had-been lover. "You don't think there's something between us just because we shared a night, do you? Sorry girl, it will not work that way."

"But..." The other Youko cried; tears started to rolling down her checks "...but you claimed me. You know the rule of Youko's binding. I would never be free unless one of us died."

"None of my business. You should have thought of it before you jumped into my bed." Youko Kurama just shrugged with no emotion on his face, ignoring the fact that he actually had no bed.

The woman hugged herself, rocking back and forth, seeming shaken to the core. A flow of distressed noise came from her throat, her fingernails dug deep into her skin. Youko Kurama just eyed the scene impassively.

A snarl marked the woman's hatred. "I will not let my life be ruined by you." She growled and opened her claws. "I'll take your life to break this damn bond." With those words, she threw herself at the male Youko like what she was, a beast.

Kurama didn't move a finger. The sharp claws stopped when they were just millimeters from his face as the woman crashed to her knees, hugging her chest. "I would have let you go unharmed, considering what you just gave me," he sneered, "but you had to be stupid enough to attack me. I won't tolerate any action like that. Ah, I think I may even give you a present."

He kneeled down and yanked the woman's head up by her hair so that her eyes locked with his, enjoying the sheer horror swelling in there. "So tell me, have you felt it inside yourself? Such a strong life demanding to get out? It tears your skin. It fills your stomach. It leaves your inside raw with invisible fire." He laughed again at the woman's pitiful whimpers in intolerable pain as beautiful branches of a rare plant tore her body and covered it by green leaves.

A high-pitched scream was the last evident of the life of the young Youko. A big, crimson flower blossomed from her heart, ending her life.

Kurama picked up the flower and brought it to his nose. "What a pity." He said. "I feel bad to destroy a rare Makai's treasure." Throwing the flower onto the bloody corpse, he walked away.

Once left his hand, the flower immediately withered.

***

A young version of Hiei dragged himself to the stream. His clothes were torn in many places and there was a massive bruise on his right cheek. From time to time, he stopped and breathed out heavily, leaning to the nearest tree as his legs refused to carry him and every of his movement brought sharp pain to his body, especially down there.

Finally made his way to the source of water, Hiei sighed in relief. His fingers shakily took off the remaining of his clothes, revealing more scratches and bruises all over his body. There was a thin line of blood trailing down his thigh.

The child, as he was only six or seven years old, dove into the stream, wincing a little bit as his injured body made contact with the icing water. Hiei began to wash himself. He washed away the mud and God-know-what other filth on his skin, gently at first as his hands traveled over various scratches and cuts, many of which were deep. But as time moved on, he increased the pressure in each movement, and soon, the fire demon was scrubbing his skin violently until it was all red and raw. Bitter tears stung his eyes even though none of them fell.

No matter what he did, he would never feel clean again.

Those bastards, they had left after throwing him some leftover meat but their laughing still echoed in his head, their filthy hands seemed to never leave his skin. The child youkai hated what he was doing with every bit of his soul. It made him feel like he was selling himself. It made him scream at nights even when he was alone. It hurt his pride, sometimes; he was surprised with himself that he could still cling to that futile pride. But survival came first. It was the only way the young Hiei knew to remain alive. It was how a kid like him survived in the Makai for such a long time without any guardian. Life full of pain or not, Hiei did not consider dying. He had to live. To revenge. To crush in his hands every life of those bastards that had violated his body and soul.

His skin was on fire even though the cold water seemed to freeze him up. Dropping to his knees, he felt the water bringing slow, wretched torture to his skin but he welcomed the pain. Buried his face in his hands, Hiei felt something building up in his chest. His body shook violently as he tried to control the sensation.

But pain burned so brightly. Finally, unable to stand it any more, Hiei threw back his head as a loud, animalistic sound tore its way out of his throat. Anger and hatred were released in it; only to come back in full force, pushing him to the verge of insanity.

The sound stirred the darkness a little then it was sucked into the silence of a starless Makai night. Once more, Makai returned to its false peaceful cover as if chaos of pain and despair that happened in every corner of it had never existed.

***

Stepping into a Makai tavern, Youko Kurama could immediately feel all eyes were set on him. His name was whispered everywhere with jealousy in some voices, fear or desire in others. He sighed happily, enjoying the lust that suddenly filled the air, the greedy leers that covered him like a silky coat.

Returning every gaze, every air kiss, he effortlessly danced away from the daring hands that constantly reached out to touch him. No one touched Youko Kurama without his permission.

His beauty was one of the things Youko Kurama was very proud of. It was a weapon, as effective as his plants and flowers. He loved all the worship, desire and chaos he caused everywhere he went as much as he loved the fear that his name caused to a large part of the demon world.

He was a legend.

***

A young Hiei sat under an old tree, using a cloth to clean his bloodstain sword carefully. The sword was the first thing that he had as his own. Just holding it in his hands brought him a comforting sense of secure.

Today, he had killed for the first time. It felt so good. The blood tasted so well and the sounds of breaking bones were like music to his ears, leaving him hungry for more. In such a situation like this, his mind drifted to a specific youkai.

Hiei had met the youkai when he was escaping from a host of beasts. The man was blind but incredibly powerful, crushing the wild beasts in a few seconds.

He wouldn't say the demon was very kind-hearted though, considering what had been done to his body. But the older youkai had taught him how to defense himself and had even given him a sword. The youkai had taught Hiei a lesson that he would never forget, better to give than to received.

For that, Hiei was grateful.

***

The nine-tailed fox flung its self into the night. It just rushed forward, not really had any clear intention of where to go. High above, the starless night was decorated with lazily drifting clouds. Solitarily, the moon with its silver light couldn't penetrate through the thick darkness of the forest underneath.

Near the ground, where moonlight couldn't reach, darkness seemed to rule everything. Yet from time to time, darkness was torn by light from various sources, of torches, of dancing flames, of colorful auras and youki. They could hardly catch the eyes of the fox though, as it was too fixed on the call of the forest around and the feeling of the wind on its furs.

The fox's aura was beautiful. A glow of silver light was gliding on the ground, like a piece of moon floating among trees and grass.

Suddenly the fox stopped. Its ears slightly trembled as it stared into darkness and scented the air. It moved forward and crawled through a bush.

In the darkness, the crimson eyes were like flame. The ground trembled under their feet. The Makai demon foxes were on the hunt.

Something was flickering in the silver fox's eyes, strangely like joy, wistfulness and hesitance. It got out of the bush and ran to the fox pack.

Suddenly the leader of the pack swirled around; the glare it threw at the new coming fox was hostile. The whole pack turned around too, and immediately, snarls filled the air. Fangs were exposed and claws were ready to attack the intruder.

The nine-tailed fox stepped back, because of surprise more than of fear. Confusion filled its eyes, but only for a second. Arrogantly and disdainfully, the fox walked away from the pack, never once looking back.

It wasn't important though, as Makai forest was still calling... The wind stroking the fox's furs still singed its soft, seductive song, and the smell of moss and wet leaves still filled its senses.

High above, the solitary moon was still shining in a starless night sky.

***

Hiei bit down at his lips, hard enough to break the skin there. He refused to cry out even when his arm was wrung behind his back hard to the point of agony.

"Son of a bitch thought he's so brave." The youkai that was holding his arm singsonged and added more pressure to his arm. There was a sickening sound as the thin bone was broken.

"Oops, you broke his arm." The other youkai said casually like they were just discussing about dinner. They had been beating him for hours. The pain was so long and hard. It brought burning tears to his eyes at first, but for some reasons, they couldn't fall. So after a while, tears just quickly seared out.

Bruises and scratches covered his body and the smell of blood was heavy in the air. On his left shoulder was an ugly wound, and on his back was a long, deep cut.

Not enough. Still not enough. The youkais gathered around him still wanted more, because their victim had not yet been broken. Because tears still had not been shed, and the little youkai still refused to beg.

Hiei doubled in pain as a youkai kicked him hard at his stomach. The youkai who was holding his arms shoved him roughly forward, and he fell face down on the ground. He blinked, everything was spinning and blurring behind the blood that fell on his eyes. Acting by instinct, Hiei tried to crawl to the sword on the ground somewhere in front of him.

Laughers erupted. Someone stepped on his hand and crushed his heel down as if wanting to destroy the bone of the small youkai. Hiei bit down a scream. He tried to lift his head up, and he could see the blurs of a youkai holding his sword.

"The brat wants his sword." The youkai laughed mockingly. "So should I give him? Brat, what should I do with your sword? Let's see if you can still be so stubborn without your hand. Or should I cut off your ears?"

The sword was lifted up. Hiei only saw vaguely the shape of it. "No..." He whispered, despair started to overwhelm him. "No..." Hiei repeated. His voice rose and soon became screams.

Blinding crimson light suddenly engulfed everything. Hiei didn't know what he was feeling at that time. Pain, anger, fear and hatred seemed to melt into one, and the mixed emotion burned so bright that for a moment, his mind went blank. He vaguely could fell screams and the smell of burning flesh, but they all seemed like coming from another dimension.

When the crimson light faded and thoughts finally returned to him, Hiei found himself lying on an area of forest where everything had been burnt to the ground. Shocked, he tried to sit up and looked around.

The flame that was still burning carried the color of black.

***

Youko Kurama groaned and woke up among a pile of naked and sweaty bodies.

His whole body aches. That bastard had smeared salt on his whip so that it could inflict more pain. His head was throbbing

Kurama tried to throw off the arm on his chest and got up. The youkai at his left stirred. Acting out of instinct, he quickly clamped his hand on the youkai's mouth while claws spurted out from the other hand and stabbed at the youkai's heart. The youkai died instantly.

The flame in the fireplace was burning weakly. The heat radiated from it couldn't make him feel any warmer. Kurama entangled himself from the pile of bodies and staggered to the door.

Panic rose in him as he realized the door had been locked. Kurama closed his eyes and leaned to the wall, panting heavily. He tried desperately to reach the youki within himself, the youki he knew he could not feel. Suddenly his body shook, low and trembling laughers escaped his lips. How hilarious, the various cuts and scratches all over his skin had broken the drawings of the spell. The brutal hands that had beaten him without mercy had somehow made the drawings fade. His youki and been freed.

The branches growing from his hand destroyed the lock. The two youkais guarding the room couldn't produce any single cry as they died with sharp- pointed branches piercing through their hearts. Youko Kurama escaped from the castle quickly, knowing that once he entered the forest, he wouldn't have to fear anything.

His wounds healed quickly as his youki was now flowing through his body. Kurama remained lying on the grass, still panting. The morning was coming. Light seemed to flow on the top of the trees, but here in the lowest parts of the forest, the dark shadows stayed forever unchanged.

Kurama breathed in the fresh air of the morning, trying to push out of his memory the heavy smell of sweat in that room. Branches lowered and surrounded him as if protecting. But even the morning dews dripping on his skin couldn't chase away the feeling of filthy hands roaming over his body..

A wave of bitterness hit him as memory of last night flashed in his mind. The one that had shared his bed for nearly a month had dragged him out to the lewd eyes and threw him into the crowd of low-class youkais with his youki being locked, and body weakened from the hard beating earlier.

Soft laughs escaped his throat. What was he waiting for all those days? What had he hoped?

For a moment, he had forgotten who he was, and acted blindly follow emotions. He had searched for the stupid and fake thing that was named 'happiness'.

What a fool he was, for Youko Kurama was a legend. A legend to worship and desire. A legend that was feared. A legend that was built on passion and lust. A legend that wasn't meant to love and be loved...

For a moment, he had forgotten the rules he set for his life.

Throwing others away before you could be thrown away. Betraying before you could be betrayed. Being heartless before you could be the victim.

***

Hiei coldly walked over the torn-into-pieces corpses. His skill at swordsmanship had improved greatly, and his fire youki had become quite great.

He was no longer the little child that couldn't defend himself. The small and short body didn't change though, probably because of those days when he could never know when the next meal would be. But the power increasing each day in him had marked Hiei a mature youkai.

There was no body in sight, so Hiei sat down under a tree, intending to have a little rest.

Suddenly he detected sounds of footsteps. Hiei was immediately on his feet. His hands tightened on his sword, but then he frowned. The youki was too powerful. Hiei quickly suppressed his own youki and jumped onto a branch, hiding himself among the leaves of a big tree. The low-class youkai were no longer a threat to him, but with powerful youkai like this one, it would be better if he didn't encounter them.

The sounds of dry leaves cracking under steady feet were getting louder. A female youkai stepped into view. The youkai was only in her youth, but her youki had already been frightening. Walking beside her was a small child of about 3 or 4 years old. Even though the child carried the demon blood in his vein, he still looked so cute and innocent.

The child tripped over a stone and fell down. He burst out crying. The female youkai kneeled down and hugged him.

"Now, now. My little child, don't cry." She whispered to her son tenderly.

Her son only cried harder. The female youkai frowned as she saw the deep wound that a sharp branch had left on his knee. From behind the leaves, Hiei watched the youko curiously as she caressed the child's hair and whispered into his ears comforting words. A strange sensation rose in him, a nameless feeling.

"Stay here and wait for me. I'll find some healing plants, and the pain will disappear soon." The youkai pat gently on her son's head.

"But Mama... it hurts..." The little youkai cried. It was so irritating that Hiei wanted nothing more than burning him into ashes. He was so hideous. Hiei did not just dislike the brat. Hiei despised him.

The female youkai placed her son under a tree and covered him with leaves. "Don't cry. Don't move. I'll come back right away. Be careful and don't let anyone see you." She told her son.

The boy stopped crying once his mother disappeared from sight. Living here in Makai, even a child would understand the danger of him being without a guardian. Soon, only the sounds of moving leaves remained. The boy didn't move. Neither did Hiei.

Several minutes later, there were footsteps again. Waking towards the pile of leaves and the tree where Hiei was hiding were five low-class youkais. They didn't seem to notice the pile of leaves. Hiei frowned. He soundlessly cut off a small branch and flung it towards the pile.

The branch hit the pile and made the boy cried out in pain. The other youkais turned back. Their eyes flashed red and a killing aura filled the air.

The boy immediately understood that he was in a dangerous situation now. Even under the layer of leaves, he could still feel the murderous aura emitting from those larger demons. His body was trembling, but there was no time for hesitation. The layer of leaves was now unable to hide him from those youkais, so he abandoned it and started running away, crying for his mother.

If it were several years later, the boy would have taken the lives of his attackers in a second, as he was carrying the blood of a high-class youkai in his veins, and he would have been trained well by his mother. But at that moment, he was still too small. Lacking of skill and youki, the only way he knew to protect himself was fleeing.

The boy ran towards the area where Hiei was hiding. Even though he was small, his speed was still great. Hiei frowned again, knowing that the boy could easily escape with his speed. Without any clear thought, he broke another piece of wood and threw it at the boy's direction.

The piece of wood hit the boy's left leg and sent him crashing to the ground. He tried to scramble up quickly, but the older youkais had caught up with him. His scream echoed in the air as those youkais pounded on him, but the scream quickly faded to nothing. Low-class youkai didn't have the strength and youki of a high-class one, but their cruelty wasn't any less.

Even though his heart swelled with disgust and guilt, Hiei still felt strangely satisfied as the boy was killed brutally. Fleeting through his mind were the images of himself a long time ago. Hiei remained unmoving even when the boy's arm was torn from his body, even when the low-class youkais started to eat the prey they had just killed.

"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!" A scream startled Hiei and he nearly fell off the branch. The boy's mother had returned, her youki rocketing. Hiei subconsciously suppressed his youki as much as he could. The youki of the female youkai had become so strong that under its force, even breathing was painful.

The low-class youkais ran away in fear, but there was no way they could escape from a youkai that was so powerful than them. Several seconds after, the ground had been soaked with blood.

The female youkai hugged her son tightly. What remained in her arms didn't even carry the shape of a body; it was only a mass of bones and flesh. Youki radiating from her burnt stronger and stronger. Hiei couldn't move a finger. He was completely overwhelmed by the powerful energy. Everything blackened before his eyes, and Hiei passed out.

When Hiei woke up, the night had already come. The smell of blood was still heavy, but the female youkai had gone. Hiei looked down at the ground and sighed in relief. The power of her youki was so terribly great. Breathing still made his chest hurt and on his bare arms and cheeks were various scratches and burnt caused by the strong youki.

Hiei closed his eyes and tried to sit up, but failed. The female youkai was much stronger than him. He couldn't help feeling shivers run down his spines as he thought of what she would do to him if she knew what had really happened.

He lied back down on the branch and watched the night sky through the curtain of leaves idly. The smell of blood somehow didn't seem to be as seductive as usual.

Hiei sighed. A random thought crossed his mind.

"So... mother...?". The whisper was sucked into the night right after it got passed his lips.

Makai's forests were still sleeping in fake silence.

***

Youko Kurama sat on a high cliff, watching the forest below. At his feet was the artifact he had just stolen. He had got what he wanted, but he had also lost something else in the process.

"Run, Kurama!"

Kuronue had screamed those words, and Kurama had followed them without a thought. Anything for survival. Stay, both would die. This way, at least one of them would survive. Wasn't that right?

But his thoughts were still troubled. So foolish, for Kuronue was just like the numerous companions Kurama had had in his life, a companion that Kurama would throw away when he was no more needed. But then, why was he still...

"Run, Kurama!"

A tear fell on his cheek, but Kurama didn't notice it.

***

It was past noon now. Hiei panted heavily. His clothes had been soaked with sweat, and his hands started to get swollen from hitting the tree too much. On the tree were various traces of burnt, but half of the day training here still didn't make Hiei satisfied.

One day he would become the strongest youkai, Hiei always knew that. Everyone would flinch in fear once they heard his name. They would all bow before his power. And when that time came, he would repay Makai all what Makai had given him.

Hiei used his hand to wipe away the sweat on his forehead, then he walked to the place where he had left his coat and sat down. His hand touched the sword and his eyes softened. Hiei leaned to the tree and closed his eyes, his body finally relaxing.

The sound of footsteps and a strange youki started him. Hiei was immediately wide-awake. He jumped to his feet, his sword ready on his hand. The youki was unstable, but still much stronger than his.

The smell of blood came before the other youkai came. Someone stepped out of a bush at Hiei's left. It was a youkai with pointed ears and silver hair. The pale skin looked even paler with the white clothing he was wearing. Behind him was silver tail. Everything about him was white, yet that whiteness was smeared with blood and mud.

Maybe this was a youko. Hiei had never seen one, but he had heard about those beautiful and heartless creatures. The youko seemed to be injured severely. His hand pressed tightly on a wound on his chest, but blood still oozed out and soaked the cloth there.

The Youko looked up, and Hiei couldn't help staring. The youko was beautiful, yet the eyes looking at Hiei only promised slow and painful death. The air seemed to be frozen as the youko's strange youki increased slowly. Surrounding him was a green aura that somewhat reminded Hiei of the trees in the forest.

Those eyes were so sharp. The youko growled and advanced forward. Hiei stepped back, slightly trembling. He knew that the youko was much more powerful than him, and his senses somehow detected danger from all directions.

The sword on his hand trembled, even though Hiei had held it with both hands. Still determination had found an answer for him.

Killed or be killed.

***

He didn't seem to be lucky today. Youko Kurama nearly groaned when he saw another youkai in front of him. The youkai had a small body, and his youki was much below Kurama's. Normally Kurama would have killed the youkai instantly, but in this situation, he didn't know if he should stand his ground, or if he should run away to save what was left of his strength.

Youko Kurama had been severely injured in the fight with Reikai's fighters. He had used up nearly all of his youki in that fight, and now, it was weak and unstable. He even didn't dare to use it to heal his wound, fearing that in the most important moment, he would have no youki left.

But there wasn't time for thoughts. The other youkai had already lifted his sword, and his youki flared. There was no other choice, so Youko Kurama had to call his own youki.

Killed or be killed.

Kurama would have attacked if he didn't feel the sword pointing at him trembling. The world was blurring, but he could still realize the fear in the other youkai's eyes. However, this youkai was different from the thousands that he had met. In his eyes wasn't only fear, there were also determination and anticipation.

A laughter escaped his mouth. The laughter carried with it the taste of blood, bitter and sorrowful. The other youkai startled, then his sword lowered. The look of surprise on his face quickly turned into that of confusion.

Youko Kurama swayed on his feet. It was too late. The Reikai fighters had already been here. He slammed his hand on the body of a tree beside without thinking. A second later, branches and vines had covered the other youkai.

The hostile reiki was getting nearer and nearer. A rose bloom on Youko Kurama's hand and quickly withered into a rose whip. The world was still blurring, and his body nearly collapsed, but his mind was strangely calm. He glanced one last time at the bush he had just created.

Somebody like me...

Will we ever meet again...?

***

The vines had held him immobile. Hiei could do nothing except watching the youko through the leaves of the bush covering him.

Suddenly he felt several strong sources of Reiki. A moment later, the youko had been surrounded.

The vines squeezed him tighter, and Hiei had to bit his lips to prevent a groan. In front of his eyes, an intense, yet strange battle was taking place. The trees all seemed to move at the youko's command. They grew into sharp-pointed branches and attacked the Reikai fighters from all directions.

Several Reikai fighters had fallen, but the youki of the fox demon was also waning fast. The youko couldn't move as fast and smooth as before. He couldn't evade all the hostile attacks. To Hiei's horror, one attack of the Reikai fighters had succeeded. He nearly cried out as a sword pierced through the youko's chest. However, the vines had effectively silenced him.

The youko crashed to the ground. The green youki faded to almost nothing. But suddenly it flared, and a silver glow flew straight up. It swirled in the sky, and then disappeared at the horizon.

The Reikai fighters yelled and cursed in anger. They all chased after that glow of light.

Suddenly Hiei was alone. After several minutes, the vines loosen and fell to the ground. The whole bush was also withering very fast.

Hiei blinked, didn't understand what was going on. He struggled to break the last hold of vines and made his way out of the bush.

What had just happened? On the ground, the youko was lying in a pool of blood. Why did the Reikai fighters leave?

Hiei walked past the corpses of the Reikai's fighters and kneeled down beside the youko. He gathered the youko into his arm. Even though the youko was chased and surrounded by enemies of such a large number, he still calmly stood his ground. Hiei gently wiped away the blood trickling down the youko's chin from a corner of his mouth. On the youko's left cheek was a large bruise, and there were scratches everywhere, but the youko was still beautiful, even in his death.

Somebody like me...

The thought suddenly flickered through his mind. An unfamiliar sensation rose in his chest. It felt as if he had known the youko for a long time.

The eyes of the youko were golden, and they were really beautiful, Hiei vaguely remembered so. It was hard to tell if his memory was right though, for those eyes were now dead.

Hiei's hand gently closed the lifeless eyes. He didn't want to leave the youko here. He understood too well what would happen. The low-class youkais would never miss a chance to lay their filthy hands on a youko this beautiful. Dead or alive, it didn't matter. And Makai beasts could dig up any corpse no matter how deep it was buried.

The black flame flared on his hand.

In another situation, at another place, in another lifetime, maybe we can...

Owari.