Chapter Text
Case 1: The Demon Army, Part 1
"Sir, the situation is getting out of hand. At this rate the paperwork will swallow us whole!" Jorge yelled across the office. Koenma couldn't be found on the other side of the pile, but the ogre knew he was there.
The office door swung open, revealing an intern in a kimono, looking worried. "Sir? Sir!"
Koenma's head finally emerged from somewhere near his desk. The girl looked relieved. "What is it? We're quite busy already!" His pacifier floated in the space of his open, yelling mouth, as he glared at the girl, daring her to deliver more papers.
"There's a new situation… reports are coming in of… of demons.” She seems to realize that that news alone isn’t startling, and expands, “There’s a large rift… a portal. Thousands of demons have already come through, and more each hour. A few humans have been killed, but it’s a largely desolate area, so there is no more immediate concern for death. However, they have proven hostile. And they are headed towards the towns and cities.”
Jorge and Koenma shared a look. Before anything else could be said, Koenma was climbing over his desk, papers flying, and reviewing the manila folder the girl offered.
"This is… this is bad. We can't rely on Yusuke anymore… Hiei and Kurama are on a job already, and even if Kuwabara were reliable, he hasn't been reachable in weeks!"
"What do we do, Sir? This couldn't have happened at a worse time…" Jorge was staring longingly out of a far, paperwork-obscured window, wishing for a vacation. "There isn't anyone to send to deal with this."
Koenma stood pensive for a time, long after the intern had left. Jorge was halfway through a ceiling-high stack of work when he finally heard his boss snap his fingers. He looked triumphant. "There is someone… he may not be ready to help. But we can try." He threw down the manilla folder and started to straighten his hair and outfit into something presentable. “First, we need to contact Enki.”
---
Hiei had been elbow-deep in the stomach of a weakling demon when Kurama caught up to him. They'd just finished cleaning out a warehouse full of them, who'd been trying to get into the very human business of underground crime. He was dirty, and tired. Not tired in that way you get from a good fight, or even a mediocre fight, but from fighting a bunch of boring nobodies who wasted his time. After listening to them beg for their lives, making empty promises that they'll stop and live good lives or return to the makai, Hiei just wanted to go home.
He didn't quite know where home was yet, but he felt ready to figure it out, just for some rest. He needed that, or a real fight. The kind of bone-weary, all-out battle he hadn't had since the Makai Tournament. Hiei had liked the peace, for a while. Now he was wandering around without a cause. The only ones who dared to stir up dust were idiots like this one; too stupid to understand they'd never have their way and overconfident. Hiei extracted his fist from the demon's abdomen, having clearly hit too hard.
"No time to rest, I'm afraid. More work. We're being called to a location southwest of here. A few hours on foot." Kurama was already looking that way, as if to show Hiei where he meant for them to go. His hair was dusty and decorated with twigs and leaves, and his rose whip looked like it needed watering, as if it were a common houseplant. Hiei thought he likely didn't look any better, himself.
"Then let's go."
---
The duo arrived at the coordinates, having long since left the cover of the city and surrounding forests behind. They were surrounded mostly by yellow plains of dried grass and cracked earth. Speckled across the landscape were large spires of rock and the occasional abandoned, ancient home made of straw and mudbrick. There were no people out here; a fact that Hiei was thankful for when they moved towards the meeting place. Before he ever spotted the large spire on which Botan and Koenma waited, he could see the demons. He could smell them, too. The stench of battle and earth melding together miles in front of them. As they closed the distance, legs finally burning from their sprint across countless towns and cities, Hiei found his voice.
"They're all… dead."
Kurama nodded his head in affirmation, but both men kept their guard until the moment they made to leap and climb the rock tower, demon corpses at its foot.
"You're here, thank goodness!" Botan sounded relieved as she said it, a great sigh of a sentence.
Koenma wasn't looking at them. He was looking downward, in the distance, towards the origin of the demon army. When Kurama followed that gaze, he gasped, and Hiei was compelled to do the same.
From up here, they could see what they couldn't before. Lying on the other side of their perch was a great portal, miles wide and reaching into the sky, cutting off just under their own height on the rock. Even from here, miles away, the portal was huge. And stretching those miles, from portal to rock spire, and all around them, were demons.
At the foot of the portal appeared to be a man. Hiei's fists clenched instinctively, ready to jump into the fight and stop whatever was going on here.
"Wait." Koenma's voice finally broke the odd silence that had hung there, and Hiei halted mid-step. "You've been running a while. Sorry we couldn't give you a lift. Rest a moment, and watch…" His taller form held the look of a keen observer, a calm and wise authority, despite the child's pacifier in his teeth. Hiei hated this taller form of Koenma's. It always made him put on airs.
"Watch what?" Kurama was kind enough to ask. Hiei was already turned back to the man. He was dressed in all black, which Hiei would have scoffed at had he himself not been wearing his cloak in that moment. "That man… is he fighting?"
Kurama's eyes were wide, and his mouth was flitting between emotions: shock, awe, amusement, and passive observation.
"Yes. Hiei, Kurama, I'd like you to meet Ghost. You'll be working together on this case."
Hiei scoffed at the name. The attire. Who was this guy kidding?
Beside him, Kurama's lips had decided on a smirk. The fox wasn't thinking about the name or the outfit. He was focused on the way he moved. After a moment, his prickly companion seemed to catch on too. Then, they were all staring.
---
Ghost had been in the middle of a meal, tucked comfortably around a campfire, when he'd heard Koenma's voice three days earlier. The last time they'd spoken to one another, they'd fought. He couldn't remember why he'd been so angry about everything back then, but he did remember calling the kid some choice names. Their acquaintance had chilled into the solid block of ice that even strangers didn't have. It wasn't hate. But it wasn't good.
"I don't have anyone else," he'd whispered in the night air. "I thought maybe you'd be ready, this time," and "It's serious. But I trust your abilities," coming out of his rambling plea. Ghost had just sat there, chewing a piece of fat that had long since lost it's flavor, and wishing he could lay down and rest.
Well, I'm not ready. I can't meet your expectations, he thought. But he knew Koenma wouldn't push him on that one subject just yet.
"It isn't my problem." He really didn't want to risk the chances that he was wrong and Koenma would bring it up, anyway. He wanted Koenma to leave.
A long silence followed where the Spirit King's face went from red to purple, and he didn't seem to be breathing. Then it went white. The characteristic yell, the abrasive attitude Ghost had come to expect from him, weren't there. Koenma whispered, "It'll be everyone’s problem, if we don't stop the influx. There’s no barrier anymore, so we can’t technically stop them, but there's alot. So many… reports say that hundreds are coming through every hour. Every day that I wait for help is another day's worth of hell on Earth. They're making way towards the towns and villages. It'll only be a matter of time before they hit a big city and people begin to panic."
This time, Ghost chewed his lip. Too nauseous to eat anymore. Koenma was serious.
He'd let the King spirit him away to the location straight after the meal and he hadn't stopped fighting since.
It was brutal. Not the fighting, not really, but the not knowing. Koenma had no idea when his other people would be free to come along, so Ghost was just plowing ahead. No end in sight.
Like he'd been told, the demons came in droves. Hundreds every hour. It was cake for Ghost to walk right through them. Plucking their hearts from their chests. They couldn't touch him. It became a dance more than a battle. He'd loved the fight; the perfect ache in his muscles, and the way he sensed their lunges and their claws just in time. He loved the smell of the blood-damp earth beneath his boots. He didn't love the waiting.
A few times, he'd wanted to slip through the portal. It's edges were tinged in a blue aura of power, but the inside looked just like a window. He was staring right across the plains, rock spires and little ruins of old buildings. The only difference was the appearance of demons, blurring into existence where the window met with reality. Ghost wanted badly to see the other side. To solve the mystery of where these demons came from, and who was behind it. But he had strict orders. No going through until a team arrived.
He was three days without food or water, but that didn't matter. He didn't need them. He just missed the little things; the small comforts, flavors, and smells of life. What mattered was that he was three days without those comforts. When finally Koenma and his little floating assistant appeared, Ghost began to feel giddy. That had to mean his backup would soon arrive. He could stop fighting garbage and get to the real root of the problem. The little King just watched him from above, never one to get his hands dirty. That was fine with Ghost. The adrenaline from a long fight was getting him high, and he was laughing as he killed. Murdered. Destroyed. The demons didn't stand a chance. His black clothes were blacker still with damp blood and his sleeves had ripped from a few sloppy extractions. He felt the soft mush of a heart under his heel. The waiting was over, backup was coming, and Ghost was feeling alive.
---
Hiei was reluctantly enthralled.
Ghost was lean, though Hiei couldn't determine his height from so far above and away. His hair was long, trailing behind him as he moved swiftly through the horde, and pitch black. He thought maybe a portion of it was shaved. As the man moved from enemy to enemy, he didn’t stop nor flinch. It seemed as if he passed right through them, causing each demon to drop dead as he did so. Hiei trusted his eyes. All three of them. But this sight left him unsure.
As they took in the scene, Kurama and Hiei came to the same realization. The miles of demons they could see spread across the land were dead. Just like the ones we passed on our way up… Hiei thought.
Ghost was dancing around the entrance to the rift, never stopping, and never straying too far, as he dispatched every enemy that stepped through. It was clear that he had single handedly kept these demons from getting anywhere near a town or human. Even so, they kept coming, like mindless sleepwalkers; never turning back through the portal to find their leader, or screaming for their lives, or trying to flee. One by one, they simply walked through the portal to meet their fate at the man’s bloody hands.
“Who is this guy, Koenma?” Kurama asked just as Hiei was about to. The interest in his voice was impossible to disguise.
Koenma was silent for a few long moments that seemed to last forever. Below, Ghost was still moving endlessly through the demons. Hiei could get dizzy watching the monotonous fight. Finally, the Spirit King spoke.
“He was once a candidate to become Spirit Detective. We had a… falling out. I’ve kept tabs on him for years. When the rest of you were busy or gone, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and call on him.”
Hiei smirked. “So he’s your last resort? That’s encouraging.”
“He’s powerful, and cunning. But he’s not dependable. At least, he wasn’t… but people change. Who knows.” Koenma was finally sounding weary, like the days were catching up to him. Koenma doesn’t have to say that some have already died; it’s written on his face. Hiei wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some of the old ruins were housing vagrants, or poor humans just looking for shelter. “Now that you’re here, I want the two of you to get through that portal and figure this situation out. I’ve spoken to King Enki, and he has no idea what’s going on. He hadn’t even heard reports of such a portal, or movement from his own people.”
Hiei thinks, And this is why someone dependable should have won that tournament...
“Let’s head down and meet with Ghost,” Botan’s cheery voice doesn’t fully disguise her anxiety. Koenma lets her escort him down gently while Hiei and Kurama simply leap down, thousands of feet meaning nothing to them now.
When their feet hit the ground, it’s actually flesh that they find. The earth is covered in a blanket of demon bodies and reddened mud. Before anyone can get their bearings, Ghost has already appeared in front of them. His smile is broad, and a little manic. Hiei can see that the right side of his head is indeed shaved very short, while the rest hangs limp down his body, soaked in blood. For some reason, Ghost won’t take his eyes off of Hiei, even as Koenma introduces the crowd to one another. The manic smile fades into one of calm interest.
“Hiei… it’s nice to meet you.” Finally, he gives a glance to Kurama. They nod at each other silently. The disinterest in the man’s eyes as he gazes at the red-haired man is new to Hiei. No matter how long they had worked together, and how many people they met, everyone gave Kurama some cheesy side-eye. This was perhaps the first time, since Mukuro, that anyone had given Hiei more attention. It unsettled him, so he looked away.
Behind Ghost, the few demons that had appeared as they talked were parting ways, allowing for a much larger, more powerful demon to slide through. Noticing our shifted gazes, Ghost turned to see the beast.
His green eyes were sliding back towards Hiei over his shoulder, a smirk still playing at his lips. Ghost said, “Be right back! Don’t go anywhere!” Hiei thought for sure that the tone was flirtatious, but couldn’t be sure. Kurama had the experience in that area, and the fox’s amusement told Hiei that his hunch had been right.
Ghost was already leaping forward, excitedly lunging at the taller demon. It was perhaps eight or nine feet tall; Ghost’s head reaching only to its chest. It had the head and mane of a lion, with deep red fur covering its very human-looking body. It was only the hands and feet that still hinted at an animal, with large curling claws extending from them. The smaller man was playing with the lion, and Hiei could now see clearly what he couldn’t before, from miles above. Ghost really was moving through his enemies, untouchable. Right before their eyes, his skin seemed to dull and go translucent; an arm or just a hand, or occasionally his whole body. He was stepping through the demon’s body to get behind him, where he’d poke at its back or laugh. The lion would spin angrily around only to find that Ghost was again behind it.
This demon was different, though. It was smarter than the smaller horde that Ghost had been fighting. He caught on quickly, and began to adapt. He seemed specifically interested in Ghost, and ignored everything else while the smaller demons continued their meandering walk into the distance. Koenma dismissed Botan, and Kurama quickly dispatched the few demons that had wandered too far off. Hiei just continued to watch the fight, his arms crossed over his chest.
Finally, the lion had enough of being toyed with. He caught Ghost by the foot as he tried to kick and twisted quickly, earning a small grunt of pain from the man before his foot went transparent and the hand grasped onto air. Ghost was backing up a few steps, wary. Finally, something interesting, Ghost and Hiei both thought simultaneously.
“When you do that little trick, some part of you must remain solid, little man. That is the moment I will crush you, and eat you.” The lion spoke, startling the crowd. The lion lunged at Ghost now, feeling confident that he’d found some way around this fight with an untouchable man. The next time Ghost tried to swing a fist into the lion’s flesh, it was caught and slashed. Hiei was curious how the man would deal with this new enemy, but Ghost only smiled in response to the wounds on his hand. This was Ghost’s first real injury since coming to this place; and that had him amused.
"You seem ready to chat, unlike your friends. Tell me, what are you up to all the way out here?"
"Squashing a few bugs," the lion laughed.
He wasn’t worried, however. This demon didn’t seem to truly understand Ghost’s abilities. Again, he slipped right through the lion’s body, and just as he turned, Ghost was against his chest. Tucked into it like a lover, head comfortably rested against a pectoral, left arm looped around the lion’s large back. His right hand was splayed over the lion’s chest, just over his heart. Even Ghost’s face was a picture of pure contentment and admiration; the beautiful depiction of a tender lover. Hiei didn’t understand what he was seeing. Koenma looked bored, as if he already knew just what was about to happen. Kurama was smiling, bewildered.
His head tilted upwards to gaze into the lion's eyes. “Oh, honey! Don’t you understand? If you want to get your hands on me…” Ghost’s voice was dripping with flirtatious mischief, “you have to give me your heart first.” The trio watched as Ghost’s slender fingers dipped into the demon’s chest. The movement was slow, and languid, as if he was caressing the inside the way he would the flesh of the outside. The lion was stunned; had broken into a fine, pale sweat the moment Ghost’s arm had gone around him before. His red fur was adopting a green tint. “Can you feel me, my love?! I’m inside you!” He was singing it, mocking him. Hiei felt an odd mixture of awe and disgust. “Isn’t it a fascinating sensation? My fingers are wrapping perfectly around your most intimate parts… here is the superior vena cava, and over here …” Ghost’s wrist was the only slow-moving indication that the hand inside the demon was moving at all, “is your aorta!”
Ghost stepped back from the demon’s body but his hands remained connected, one over the flesh of its stomach and one still inside the chest cavity. “But you know, darling, I think I’ll have to break your heart, after all. I’ve found someone else.” The wrist made a visible jerk, and the lion’s face was truly pale now. Another jerk of the wrist and blood emerged from the lion’s lips. “You see, I simply have to make a good impression, and I haven’t brought any flowers. I’ll need to pick something else.” A final jerk, and the hand emerged from the chest, carrying the large heart with it. Both were transparent until fully revealed, at which point the lion was collapsing to the ground. It looked like he was sleeping, with only a bit of mess on his face. There was no gaping hole where the heart had been, and no puddle of blood to decorate it. In his hand, the heart pumped once, twice, expelling its remaining blood over Ghost’s hand and arm, before coming to a stop. It was large, the size of a human head in his hand. Carefully, Ghost picked his way over to Hiei, and held out the heart with a small bow.
Everyone was watching Hiei, wondering what he would do. Hiei wasn’t sure what he was going to do, either. He’d just watched this man literally pluck the heart out of someone without flinching or leaving a trace, all the while implying that it was to impress him. Hiei wasn’t afraid of this man in the least, but he was certainly now intrigued. Without looking away from Ghost’s intense, amused gaze, he reached out and took the heart in his right hand. It looked even larger when Hiei held it. He watched as Ghost turned to Koenma, looking triumphant.
“You said I could enter the portal when backup arrived? Well, backup is here.” The smile on his lips didn’t hide the challenge in his voice. Ghost and Koenma did seem to have history. Koenma was clearly not happy to have Ghost showboating outside of this big demon portal.
“You’ve been fighting much longer than I expected, why don’t you rest while Hiei and Kurama take ov-”
“I think I’ve just shown that I’m not the least bit tired. I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Ghost was flashing Koenma a shit-eating grin, clearly aware that he was going to be in trouble. Hiei had to hand it to him, he knew when to make a getaway from Koenma’s explosive personality; and they were certain an explosion was on the way, judging by how long it had been since the last. The long-haired, blood-stained man was already slipping through the portal fearlessly.
“...well, what are you waiting FOR!? Get after him!” Koenma yelled angrily to his men, and the sound echoed around the plains and off the tall spires. Hiei looked down at the giant heart in his hand, considering its meaning for a moment, before encasing it in his flame. As the ashes hit the ground, he and Kurama darted off after Ghost.
