Chapter 84: The Team's Fifth Member: Hiei
Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise. These were the Four Saint Beasts. As for the City of the Four Saint Beasts specifically, it came from the original Yu Yu Hakusho story: four demons who called themselves the Four Saint Beasts provoked the Spirit World and endangered the human world, before the main group stormed their castle and took care of all four in one run.
Here, it had taken the form of what the system called a Primal Secret Realm: a Secret Realm that existed independently of any game cartridge, something the world contained on its own. It could be classified under the primal ruins and derivative branches category, the kind of thing Ruins Hunters would actively develop, handle, seal off, or protect.
Because the Four Saint Beasts appeared early in Yu Yu Hakusho and most people's memorable moments from the series were concentrated on the far more spectacular Dark Tournament arc, the details of where the Four Saint Beasts were actually located had ended up in quiet conflict with later worldbuilding in the original.
A Primal Secret Realm existing independently of the physical world was a tidy way to patch that over.
At the end of it, identity is whatever you make it. "The Four Saint Beasts" sounded impressive. In practice, they were just four demons who had a little power and immediately overestimated themselves.
Honestly, if Rando hadn't shown up as early as he had and wasted his talent in the wrong direction, Ross was fairly confident Rando could have gone through the Four Saint Beasts.
These were all estimates based on the original story, of course. Now that everything had merged into the Hunter world's framework, some things would have changed.
"Demons? Same kind as Rando?"
Yusuke's eyebrows went up the moment Ross finished the rough explanation.
Two months of intensive training were behind Yusuke now. With Ross's interference it hadn't been the punishing kind, so his energy was full and he was quietly very interested in testing his results somewhere appropriate.
He wasn't the type to attack a demon on sight. Kurama was right there, looking practically indistinguishable from an ordinary person. Whether he'd actually throw a punch would depend on what they were actually like.
"Worse than Rando."
Ross thought about the specific items the Four Saint Beasts carried and gave his verdict immediately.
Setting aside the fact that they actively sheltered and harbored criminal demons, they also had something called an Insect Whistle. With it they could control low-grade demonically corrupted parasites called Makai Insects.
Makai Insects worked similarly to Nen beasts: invisible to ordinary people, capable of parasitizing them and driving them to violent aggression. The theoretical maximum number that could be controlled at once was in the thousands. If they were released wholesale into an ordinary human city... yeah, that would immediately become a large-scale incident.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in and take them out! Smash that Insect Whistle!"
Yusuke was already rolling up his sleeves and making ready to jump in.
He had found a suitable target to test himself against. He had also found a genuinely dangerous threat to a certain childhood friend of his. Something like this was not something he could leave alone and sleep soundly.
Not that he would ever say any of that out loud, naturally.
"Four Saint Beasts means four of them. Even a lion uses its full strength against a rabbit. Wait a bit. Someone else is coming."
Ross quickly held Yusuke back and gave his reason.
"...You called Kurama?"
Yusuke's expression shifted into something pleased.
"Yes. He's in the neighboring city, not far from here. He's probably almost here."
Ross checked his phone. Maybe another half hour, give or take.
They waited approximately that long. Then a sound came from the direction of the warehouse entrance.
Three young men who had been clustered together playing a game all turned at once, and found Kurama standing in the doorway with an amused expression.
"Only you could manage to start gaming in a place like this, Ross."
And yes: the wait had been too long. Ross had retrieved a custom television set he'd previously stored in the Sonic Secret Realm and started a session on the spot.
Money made things possible. Ross had specifically commissioned a color television with a built-in power source that could also accept an external battery, a miniature portable set about the size of a football, and a specially adapted large-screen mobile phone with the right interface connections.
He had also gotten a small diesel generator and backup fuel.
All of it in multiple copies, stored in specialized dust-resistant and waterproof cases along with large quantities of compressed emergency rations and water reserves, kept in the inn room of the Nekketsu New Record Secret Realm stage. Accessible whenever needed.
Kurama, however, had not come alone.
Standing beside him was a short figure in all black, hair spiked straight up, radiating a very clear "do not approach" energy.
"Hiei!? What are you doing here?"
Yusuke stared at the second person in the doorway with genuine surprise, not even registering that the Hanazono High captain Kuwabara's character was taking a beating on screen.
"Hmph."
The short figure referred to as Hiei produced a single sound, which conveyed everything necessary about his particular brand of aggravating personality.
"What? This guy is tiny but the attitude is enormous!"
Kuwabara, who had not had time to react properly, stuck both hands in his pockets and strolled over with attitude of his own, looking down at Hiei from above.
"You. What's your problem? Looking to die?"
Hiei delivered this threat with complete calm. The slight upward tilt of his head to make eye contact was almost funny.
Height was a structural disadvantage. Nothing anyone could do about it.
"What did you just say!? You little..."
Kuwabara, completely unable to tolerate the small person's enormous attitude, swung a punch. The punch connected with an afterimage. The follow-through sent him over his own shoulder into the floor.
By this point Hiei had already appeared in front of Yusuke.
"Listen carefully, Yusuke. Sooner or later I'll settle things with you properly. Stay ready to be attacked at any time."
A swing at empty air.
"Hey! Stop ignoring me!"
Kuwabara scrambled up and came in with another shout and another punch, which connected with empty air just as predictably.
This time Hiei appeared in front of Ross, who was packing up the gaming equipment. He looked directly into Ross's eyes.
"You're the information broker Kurama mentioned? The one who claims to know everything?"
"I only know what I know. But it happens to be exactly what you want to know."
Ross, completely unbothered, scooped up the television set, and then vanished without any visible method.
Hiei took an involuntary half-step back. Even the Jagan Eye under the white bandage on his forehead had not caught how Ross disappeared.
Seven or eight seconds later, Ross reappeared. Empty-handed this time.
He had simply sent the television into the Secret Realm.
"...Then tell me. What is it that I want to know?"
Hiei, having registered that Ross was probably not simple, asked stubbornly.
Faced with this character who was, in a certain sense, the original template for the tsundere male rival in anime, Ross gave a single word.
"Snow."
"Snow?"
Both Yusuke and Kuwabara repeated it involuntarily.
The next second, Hiei grabbed Ross by the collar. The expression that had been nothing but arrogance a moment ago was visibly agitated now, and he demanded loudly.
"Where? Where exactly? Answer me!"
***
30+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces