I guess I make the most progress in my writing in January. Huh.

I walked slowly towards Genkai's temple. Everyone else moved much more deliberately—their steps hurried. They had a more invested interest—something I made abundantly clear I did not share. I followed at a more casual pace.

By the time I made it past the sliding wooden doors, everyone had already seated themselves on the floor in a small, tense circle. Their expressions ranged from worried anxiousness to pensive consideration. I, however, had no outward display of frivolous emotion on my face. Little good it was doing them. It only served to add to their tension.

I didn't walk over to their little gathering in the middle of the room. I stood next to the door and leaned up against it, crossing my arms. They didn't chide me for my nonchalance. No one even so much as looked my way. I'm sure they're quite used to my standoffishness. Even if it has been a while.

Nobody spoke. It was quiet in the room as we waited for the arrival of the obnoxious overseer of the underworld. The previous excitement had effectively died along with the demon still lying on the steps outside. The silence was stifling. Even to me. Though everyone else seemed to be too trapped in their own mind to notice.

We ended up waiting there for quite some time. Much to my boredom and everyone else's growing distress. One could practically feel it in the air. It was palpable. I was almost tempted to walk out. This was pointless anyway. Whatever I needed to hear could be told to me by Kurama or Yusuke. I don't know why I was even entertaining them by standing here. Perhaps this ritual was something that I was just used to.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

This scenario was all too familiar to me. Everyone huddled up in the old human psychic's temple awaiting the next menial errand Koenma could think of. I never thought I'd be standing here again. Not after that pitiful human psychic Sensui tried ripping a hole to hell here in the human world. I thought I was done with this schtick permanently.

I didn't miss this. It was just as annoying as it was before. And with these people again no less. I don't understand how I keep getting dragged in on the human world's 'last line of defense' team. I don't owe any of them anything.

I looked around at the faces in the room. Their thoughtful expressions had me nearly rolling my eyes.

My stare landed on Kurama, who looked mostly just pensive. My annoyance let up just a bit.

Although being here irritated me, Kurama's presence was, on some level, reassuring. Not something I would ever admit to him, and most definitely not in the sense that I felt safer with him here. I needed no protection. It was more so there was at least someone as competent as him here to hopefully make this whole ordeal go by quicker. I didn't want this to drag on any longer than necessary.

I watched him as his eyes shifted, left to right, as if he were reading something only he could see, lost as he was in his own thoughts. I found myself smirking.

Kurama always had been able to separate his emotions from the inner workings of his mind. His reasoning and logic were just as astute as the day I met him. Even as I stare at him now, I could practically see the overly complex assortment of gears shifting behind his eyes. I could tell he was thinking of several possibilities. All the probable suspects, the real targets, the possible counterattacks… If there was one thing Kurama was best at, out of the slew of things he was capable of, it was strategy. His experience and remarkable mind has earned him a great deal of respect over the years. Mine included.

I continued to stare in thought.

Though, come to think of it, I had always respected the fox demon. All the overblown stories of the great Youko Kurama I had heard over the years when I had been just trying to survive back in Makai had given him an almost fantastical image in my mind. Back when I was a part of a group of thieves myself. Everyone knew of the great fox demon thief. I had always found the stories of the ruthless audacity he exhibited admirable.

Even as he is now, trapped in the body of a human, he is just as impressive and just as ruthless. The more caring sensibilities he's acquired since he became human have done little to hinder my view of him.

As if he could possibly hear my thoughts, or perhaps just felt the eyes of someone on him, Kurama broke his trance to move his eyes to mine. I looked away.

The next face my eyes fell upon was Yusuke's. The ex-detective of spirit world himself. Yusuke looked like a coiled-up spring waiting to snap—ready to leap into a brawl as soon as someone or something made a move. He would be ready. Body poised to strike at the drop of a hat. While he looked externally calm, sitting cross-legged with his arms crossed, I knew what the man could do. I've fought him. His control and his strength is legendary.

I felt my grip on my arm tighten.

Just thinking of a spar with Yusuke was enough to make me anxious with anticipation. Yusuke could take down armies with just his fists and tenacity alone. He is easily one of the strongest fighters I've ever known.

I smirked.

It's almost comical to me to think back to the first time I had met him. Yusuke had been nothing but a child trying to fill shoes that were not only too large for him, but that he had no idea how to even step into. To think that some absentminded kid with enough wisdom and raw skill to get by would turn out to be one of the most formidable beings to ever exist—in all three worlds. It was laughable. Hell, I can still remember how much I couldn't stop myself from laughing when he had first realized he was part demon.

Yusuke wasn't perhaps the smartest individual, but his acute sense of combat was something quite fierce. The only one whose thirst for challenge could potentially rival my own.

And still the only person who somehow managed to get everything to work in his favor. Whatever God was on his side clearly favored him greatly.

I watched Yusuke as he clenched and unclenched a fist. The skin around his knuckles pulled taut, turning a pale shade of white before he released it. Perhaps in anticipation or maybe irritation at having to wait. I felt a measure of fondness start to creep its way into me. My smirk fell away.

I didn't… care… about Yusuke. The thought was revolting. No, my intentions shouldn't be misconstrued in such a manner. It was more that he was a good ally, worthy of fighting alongside with. He had earned that right through countless battles and struggles wrought with tragedy and grief. Blood, sweat, and tears. A brother in arms.

A friend?

I shook my head as if it would help rid the word that had somehow gotten in my mind. I hardly recognized myself sometimes. I let these people get to me too much. I turned my attention elsewhere.

When my eyes landed on Kuwabara, I scoffed.

Kuwabara was sitting up straight, rigid, and tall. The shadows that fell cut sharp angles out of his already angular face. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed. I sneered.

I never particularly cared much for the human fool. He was a nuisance. His voice always gave me headaches. Just being around him was enough to make a room feel a little more dim.

I stared at him a moment longer.

He at least seemed to have grown into his awkward features a bit more. He was taller, bulkier. His experiences have shaped him into something resembling maturity. Kuwabara has been through a lot more than a mere human, I suppose. Fighting the elder Toguro in the final round of the Dark Tournament certainly affected him. As well as watching Sensui kill Yusuke. It's been years since then.

I hadn't even given him a second glance the first time he had shown up with Yusuke on our first ridiculous mission to slay the Four Saint Beasts. He was just another liability. Something else to look out for and too stupid to realize how useless he was.

But now, he was stronger than most demons. He was no where near Yusuke or Kurama's level, but he has proved his ability more than once to be capable enough. His ridiculous crush on Yukina grated on my nerves, but his loyalty and commitment to her was more than I could offer her. For that, I guess I could offer tolerance.

Kuwabara suddenly fidgeted. His eyes squinted, and he looked tense for a moment. Then he sneezed.

I looked askance at the man as he rubbed at the snot coming from his nose with his arm. While he may be a strong enough fighter, worthy of some modicum of respect, I still think he's a complete idiot.

Yukina shifting beside him drew my attention to her. She placed her hand on his arm. A gesture to show her concern for his well-being. He grinned at her briefly before he refocused his attention on his own thoughts. The sight had me letting out a sigh.

Any lingering harshness in my countenance melted away in the face of her kind, endearing presence.

She cared so much.

She was the antithesis to my nefarious nature. Aside from her being an ice apparition and me being fire. That much was obvious. She was perfect where I was flawed.

I idolized her.

It's not that I had any intention of changing my ways or my perspective. I was far too gone for that as it was, and too many things enraged me to have the patience to be as benign as she was. Still, I admired her. I couldn't fathom how she managed to forgive and still care about those that hurt her. She alone was enough to convince me to stay to listen to Koenma spout his ambiguous nonsense. If only to be near her for a moment.

It was with reluctance that I turned my focus away from Yukina. I focused my attention on the old woman sitting beside her. The old psychic Genkai. My demeanor hardened once my attention was turned.

Genkai was an interesting human to say the least. Quite possibly the most disciplined person, human or otherwise, I've met. And that, surprisingly, was saying something. I never imagined I'd have as much respect for a human as I did Genkai. Her legend precedes her. Although she's given most of her strength away, it's still easy to see what years of training and effort has afforded her. In herself and in Yusuke. All things considered, Yusuke wouldn't even be half of what he was if it wasn't for her.

I let out a quiet humph.

It was a pity really. I would have liked to have fought her in her prime.

A noise from somewhere to the left of the room had my attention darting to its source. To a certain blue haired reaper woman. She looked from left to right with a shocked expression and moved quickly to raise her hands to cover her mouth in an attempt to quiet the noise that had already passed her lips. When no one seemed to pay her any mind, she let out a relieved sigh. I suppressed an irritated snort.

The reaper woman's overly enthusiastic and unrestrained personally never ceased to be a constant source of annoyance. Not to mention her loud mouth.

I'll never forget that stupid whistle.

I averted my gaze with a low, quiet grumble to the last person in the room. Yusuke's woman.

…

She existed.

The silence in the room was interrupted by the sound of the air shifting. It was followed by the force of pressure of something suddenly occupying space when there previously was nothing. It created a familiar popping in my ears. Everyone else turned in time to see the recognizable full adult form of Koenma. I averted my gaze to a much more interesting part of the wall. I heard him before I even bothered to look at him.

"Yo."

"About damn time you decided to show up," Yusuke griped. "Was about to go to Spirit World myself to drag your ass here."

"Yusuke," I heard Botan chide in mild disapproval.

Koenma cleared his throat, apparently taken aback. "It's quite alright. I got a little tied up with some Spirit World business. Just semantics."

I looked over to see Yusuke looking ready to start something. His brow was scrunched in an angry upward arch and he was leaned forward towards Koenma with his hands on his knees, elbows extended upward.

"You don't think this is a little more important? What the hell aren't you telling us now? And why are we always finding out so late when shit starts hitting the fan?"

Kurama, who had been patiently, albeit pensively, watching Yusuke bicker, spoke up.

"I agree with Yusuke. We're dealing with a lot of unknowns right now. If you have any information that could shed some light on this situation, we need to know."

"Yeah! What Kurama said!" Kuwabara piped in.

Koenma held up his hands in surrender.

I will admit that things have become much more severe. Even I can't keep myself from being somewhat curious. Interested even.

Someone was clearly trying to send us a message. Specifically us, which would mean whoever did send that demon here knows who we are. Something that must be quite disconcerting to the people in this room.

"I apologize for being late, but what I do have to tell you all is very important. And it does have to do with the large bursts of energy that have been popping up all over the human world," Koenma spoke. He walked over closer to the circle everyone had created and sat cross-legged at the front of it. He took on a much more serious look to his childish features.

His words got the attention of everyone in the room. Yusuke closed his mouth and eased up on his aggressive posture. Kurama looked sufficiently calmed, while Kuwabara looked more concerned than he did before. Genkai let out a gruff scoff and closed her eyes as if to shut out the noise. A feeling I shared.

Koenma raised his hand to cough into and shut his eyes. He looked to be contemplating something for a moment before he opened them again to give all the expectant faces in the room a pensive look.

"What we're dealing with here isn't ordinary, I'm afraid," the Jr overseer started. "Those explosions of energy? Merely an effect. Not the cause."

Kurama's brow furrowed at that. "What do you mean by that?" He asked. Koenma turned his pensive stare to him.

"Something very powerful and very old was stolen."

Before the overworld ruler could even continue, Yusuke interrupted him with a curt laugh.

"Let me guess, something real strong got stolen from Spirit World again? It's like the artifacts of darkness all over again. You guys need to work on your security," the ex-detective quipped.

But Koenma shook his head, and Yusuke closed his mouth yet again. This time in confusion.

"Not from Spirit World. Nothing in Spirit World is this strong. I'm not quite sure how anyone was even able to get to it, let alone steal it," Koenma continued. He paused a moment as if pondering something. His stare looked far away. Genkai was the first to rouse him.

"Well don't leave us in suspense. Spit it out. What is it?"

Koenma blinked. He looked like he had just realized others were present.

"Right," he continued. "It's an object. An object of power, but not just any powerful artifact." Everyone's attention was undivided. Even I couldn't stop myself from being intrigued. What kind of object of power?

Koenma readjusted himself. "It's called Taigon's Tear. An artifact made of pure, raw spirit energy. It came about centuries ago. Its creation predates even Raizen's birth."

"That old guy?" Yusuke said in surprise. His expression bewildered. "He's ancient."

Koenma merely nodded. "Indeed."

Kurama looked the most perturbed by this new information. He showed it clearly. "I haven't heard of this… 'Taigon's Tear.' And I'm familiar with many trinkets and artifacts in the demon world. Is this a human creation?"

"You could say that," Koenma said with some trepidation. His answer did little to ease Kurama's obvious distress. Koenma sighed. He looked somewhat exhausted. "It's made from human spirit energy, yes. A manifestation of pure emotion. Misery, hate, …agony." His voice trailed off at the end. As if it hurt him just to speak of it.

"What do you mean?" Yukina's soft voice sounded wrong in face of this conversation. It irked me. Koenma looked over at her with a solemn look in his eyes. It took him a moment to answer her. There was something in his gaze when he looked at Yukina's innocent face that made me uneasy. Like he didn't want to talk about what he was going to say with her around.

"Years ago, back when the human and demon world were unmanaged, when there was no barrier between the worlds to protect humans from demons, this object was… given life. In a sense. Demons were at the top of the pecking order, and some were much more vicious about this than others."

No one spoke, so Koenma continued.

"In this dark age of humanity, any human that had the potential to stand up to a demon was easily hunted. Most didn't stand a chance. But there were human villages. Most humans sought out ways to negotiate with demons. To keep themselves safe. Trading, offering skills, anything of that nature."

"There was one such human village that… offered sacrifices. Every so often, they would offer one of their own as tribute to appease the demons living outside their village. To keep them… sated."

Everyone looked particularly unsettled by that piece of information. I kept my expression devoid of emotion. Koenma let it sink in for a moment before he picked up where he left off.

"This village kept up with this exchange for decades. It became a tradition. It quickly became something that was honored. The chosen one to sacrifice everything for the sake of the village."

Once Koenma finished, Kurama nodded solemnly. His expression was distant. Realization dawning on his face as if he had just heard a sad tune that he suddenly remembered the name of. "I assume this village is called Taigon?" he asked. Koenma nodded in affirmation.

Yusuke turned to give Kurama a curious quirk of his brow. He crossed his arms and looked particularly nonplussed.

"You know about this, Kurama?"

Kurama nodded slowly. "I do. It's an old legend. I thought it was merely an allegory. An old wives' tale told to scare those who abused their power."

"What happened to them? To the village?" Kuwabara asked hesitantly from where he had previously been sitting quietly.

Kurama sighed. "The town of Taigon… It was slaughtered. Viciously. They say the brutality that was witnessed that day was beyond imaginable."

Yusuke's woman raised her hands to her mouth to cover it. She looked shell shocked. "Oh, that's awful." Kurama nodded in her direction.

"It was. Not just that, they were tortured. Many demons came by the village of Taigon, but most lost interest, and moved on. Nonetheless, they were well known for their tradition. They lived relatively peacefully until one particular demon found them."

Kurama looked grave.

"His name was Jogun, a ruthless, powerful demon that preyed on humans. Used them. He had quite a reputation for his bloodthirst. When he found the village… he saw an opportunity. In one day, he slaughtered the town of Taigon. The cries could be heard for miles."

Kuwabara looked ill. When he spoke, it was with deliberate caution, as if he wasn't sure he really wanted to ask. "What did he do to them?"

Kurama paused a moment, then let out a sigh. "He did many things. He… ate them… alive. Made families watch. Maimed and murdered. The villagers couldn't run. They didn't stand a chance. It started out with him asking for a sacrifice, but then he didn't leave. He tormented them for days before he finally… got bored."

A heavy weight fell over the room. No one said a word. Even I felt unsettled. I shifted uncomfortably to my other foot.

"So, what? Did that son of a bitch just get away with all that? How did that artifact get created? That can't just be it," Yusuke said, interrupting the tense silence. He was tightening and untightening his fists again, looking both uneasy and irritated from listening to Koenma and Kurama's story. Koenma picked up where Kurama left off.

"When the bloodshed was over, and the dust began to settle, Jogun stayed in the village. There had been so much death they say the dirt was stained red. Jogun was pleased with the atrocity he had committed. For six days and seven nights, he stayed in that village. Until on the seventh night, the town of Taigon became restless."

"Spirits began to rise from the mutilated remains of the corpses. Their souls angry as they cried out for retribution. On that seventh night, they found Jogun, and they tore him apart."

The faces in the room looked somber. I felt a measure of appreciation at hearing the ending of the tale. Good riddance, if you ask me. Those who intentionally preyed on the weak didn't deserve to live. How fitting to be slain by the ones he had killed in cold blood.

"Unfortunately," Koenma went on, "The souls that were wronged that day weren't satisfied by Jogun's death. The town stayed angry… hungry. Any demon that happened to come near that town was ripped apart. Taigon became so soiled by death and hate and misery that it ripped a hole in dimensions. It fell into the depths into its own version of Hell. Their hate was so strong and so powerful that it manifested into something physical. Something that was lost to the ages. Taigon's tear."

At the conclusion of Koenma's story, no one seemed all that eager to speak. The quiet was only interrupted for a moment when Yusuke made the comment, "This is like chapter black all over again… just reversed." To which the reaper woman replied, "I guess that goes to show you there are monsters in all of us." I ignored them and took a moment to ponder.

The tale of Taigon was intriguing. I couldn't help but feel more compelled to stick around. Now I was curious. Who stole Taigon's tear?

"So, who stole it?" Yusuke asked. His voice sounded booming in the quiet. Everyone else visibly jumped from the noise. "And why would you let someone just take it? Aren't you guys supposed to be… I don't know, guarding stuff like this?"

Koenma looked irritated by Yusuke's question. He crossed his arms and leaned his chin down. He looked to be in thought. He spoke after a moment.

"It's not that simple Yusuke. For a long time, no one even knew Taigon actually existed. And even if we had known sooner, Taigon was so corrupted it created its own version of reality. It fell into the lowest depths of Makai. For someone to first find it, and then actually walk into it… is beyond me. No demon could have done it, they would have been obliterated, and there aren't that many humans that really know how to navigate the demon planes."

"Good… point," Yusuke said half-heartedly. He looked away, lost in thought.

"Not to mention how unstable something like that must be." Everyone turned to Genkai when she spoke up for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. She stared ahead, not really focusing on anyone in particular. "I learned to harness my spirit energy after years of preparation and intense focus. For something to just manifest into being within such a short amount of time and without any direction… that's dangerous."

I noticed Kuwabara shifting uncomfortably while listening. He looked between Genkai and Koenma. Something was evidently on his mind. After chewing on his lip for a minute, he finally said something.

"Okay, so why does the bad guy want this thing? Can it give power like when Genkai gave her spirit orb to Urameshi?" I heard Genkai let out an amused scoff.

"If that's what they wanted it for, it would be a whole hell of a lot more spirit energy than what I gave Yusuke. Hundreds of spirits? An unstable mass of pure human spirit energy that tore a hole through a dimension? I doubt anyone could handle it. No matter how strong they were. The dimwit over there nearly died."

Yusuke glared over at the old woman. Kuwabara visibly gulped.

I noticed Kurama put his hand to his chin in thought. "Genkai is right, there must be some other reason someone would take Taigon's tear. Could someone have possibly learned how to harness that kind of power? Perhaps not through themselves."

His question wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but Koenma answered.

"That much I might have an idea on."

That certainly got everyone's attention.

"Based on my own research, Taigon's tear is powerful enough to… potentially bring someone back to life, but it takes a lot of spirit energy to do. It's a very similar process to giving someone close to death life energy to help sustain them."

Kurama look mystified by this prospect. "The surges in energy…" he mumbled. Koenma nodded.

"I believe someone is using it for this purpose. However, I'm not one-hundred percent sure about the effects the artifact can have on a person or what It's doing to the ones being resurrected. Or any of the effects for that matter. There are many things we still don't know."

Kurama adopted a serious look on his face. "Indeed. We need to learn more about what kinds of effects something of this nature can produce before we proceed. We don't know what we could be walking into."

Ever the tactician.

"I agree with Kurama. This thing sounds way too powerful. What if we end up… fighting an army of… corpses?" Kuwabara exclaimed. His face turned a shade a blue as if he was thinking of what an army of corpses would be like. When he started to shiver, Yukina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Okay, then what's the plan?" Yusuke asked.

Nobody seemed to have much of an idea. They remained silent in the wake of the ex-detective's question. Everyone was left to consider it.

This artifact was interesting to say the least. A manifestation of hatred? It was intriguing. I wasn't all that interested in the idea of reviving anyone, but something with that amount of power could potentially cause wide spread devastation. It'd be interesting to see it in person. The story behind it was also interesting. What kind of people would sacrifice their own? Or better yet, who would willingly sacrifice themselves? Had they even known what they were doing? Humans could be incredibly stupid. But, thinking of it now, the town itself would be interesting to see. The town where that much power coalesced into physical existence. A whole village that fell through space. It itself was a place of power. Especially if it even created its own reality around it. I found myself smirking.

I looked up.

"Let's go see it then," I said. My smirk grew wider.

Everyone looked to me at hearing me speak. There was evident surprise in the expressions around the room. They didn't seem to expect me to readily offer ideas.

"If the town itself became that tainted and corrupted, we could see it for ourselves," I continued. The more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

A place in the demon world I've never been? I found I was fast developing a morbid fascination with the idea.

Everyone looked to be mulling it over.

"It's a start," Kurama said first. "Chances are there's still remnants of spirit energy there. If nothing else, we could learn more about what happened to Taigon, and how the artifact came to be."

Koenma looked thoughtful. He seemed to come to a decision soon after.

"It could prove to be enlightening. I believe I have an idea of where Taigon is," he started, but his expression changed from hopeful to serious. "But we'd still have to be cautious. The artifact may not be there anymore, but the land itself could still be volatile. We still don't know what kind of effect it can have on people. Especially demons."

I didn't feel worried about the prospect of these spirits and their aversion to demons. Who knows how much of that story is even true. And even if it were, I highly doubt I'd succumb to the likes of some human villagers' wrath. The demon in that fable was a mindless fool.

"Whatever you guys are going to do, you better do it sooner rather than later," Genkai suddenly said. She looked unimpressed and bored, but when I looked to her, I could tell there was some level of anxiousness to her. "And the rest of you better find another place to stay."

Koenma was the most confused by what she said. Everyone else looked resigned. "Why would you say that?" he asked.

Genkai let out an exhausted sigh. Yusuke was the one to answer the question.

"Whoever took the thing knows where we are. He sent us a message."

The startled look Koenma adopted was actually amusing. He looked horrified.

"What?!" he exclaimed. He became further upset when Yusuke just shrugged. "When did this happen?"

Yusuke grinned this time. "Just before you got here actually."

"And you only thought to tell me this now?"

Yusuke scoffed. "You're the one who was late."

Koenma looked flustered, but he didn't say anymore about the subject. He cleared his throat and readjusted the red scarf around his neck.

"In any case, if this is going to be our course of action, we'll need to properly plan. If the one who stole the artifact does know where we are, it would probably be best if we sent out just a small expedition party and have the rest of us stay here. Just in case. We still don't know their motives."

Kurama seemed to agree with Koenma. "I think that would be wise. Yusuke and Hiei can find and examine the site while Kuwabara and I can keep an eye on things here."

"Fine with me," Yusuke said. When he flashed a grin at me, I paid him no mind.

Kuwabara's shivering drew my attention to him. "Sounds good to me. I don't want nothin' to do with a creepy town like that. Besides, somebody's gotta hold the line," the oaf said.

The blue-haired reaper suddenly jumped up to stand on her feet. No one was prepared for it evidently, for everyone started in surprise. She didn't even seem to care that she had startled everyone. "Sounds like we have a great plan, guys!" she exclaimed. She threw her hands up in the air in dramatic fashion. Kurama recovered from his surprise to look pleased that everyone seemed to be in accord.

It appeared that settled it then. I found myself somewhat excited. This should prove to be interesting. I found myself smirking.

Being on the last line of defense team for the human world or not, at least I wasn't bored.

AN:

Ahem, hello. It's been a while. I apologize for the super long delay. I really do make the most progress in January. I don't know why. I'm sorry to those that reached out to ask me about the story! This chapter came out later than I had anticipated. I was having a bit of a rough time, but I'm doing pretty okay now! I graduated, got a job, finally adulting. It's weird.

I'm hoping I can get another update out before I poof for a while. I really miss this story. I love it so much and I have so many ideas for it.

Anyhow, I hope you all liked this chapter! The plot is thickening.

Hana will be back, but it may be a little bit. Until the next one!