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"Huh?!" Yusuke looked over to his right as Ichigo placed his blade against his arm. At first, he didn't get what the hell the guy was doing, until he watched the energy suddenly flood around his arm and focus itself at the tip of his index finger. He could feel the sudden increase in weight from the added energy, along with that weird feeling Ichigo's energy gave off. Again, even though they held similar properties, Ichigo's energy always had this slight difference in it that he couldn't quite recognize, other than the black color that was being the hue of this energy.

"Now, Urameshi! FIRE!!!"

Well, that wasn't hard to figure out his true intentions. Bracing his position, Yusuke imagined pulling the trigger of a gun in his mind, as he shouted:

"SPIRIT GUN!"

The forming shield of polygons was surely in his view, but not if he could help it first. To Yusuke, he was going on the hope that this blast punched through that barrier and ate the demon behind it, only so he wouldn't have to see its ugly mug ever again. But until then...

TEAM SUPER COMBO!

After a spectacular clash of energies, the beasts spell had broken, and the Reaper Gun/Getsuga-Tenshou-Spirit-Gun ©®TM scored a powerful blow on the beast. When the dust from the powerful clash cleared, Ichigo could see the damage it had dealt to the creature's body, as well as its fading energies. A smile stretched across his face at the sight of their victory.

"Alright! We did it! "

But his victory wouldn't be savored for long.

It seemed that the monster had one last hurrah before going on its merry way to Hell. The powerful energies built up around the demon as it prepared its desperate trump card. It intended to take Ichigo and Yusuke along with him...

"What the--?"

The bright dome of energy slowly expanded out towards the two heroes, ready to engulf both of them in a horrible destructive catastophe. Ichigo almost couldn't believe it. He thought the monster had used the last reserves of its power in that final defense. And now what? Were all of Ichigo and Yusuke's efforts in vain?

"Grrrhh!! No way! It's not gonna end like this, you b*****d! Get back, Urameshi!"

Ichigo pushed forward just a bit, standing in front of Yusuke almost as if he was trying to form a wall in between the spirit detective and the ground-razing, sundering dome of OMGWTFPWN energy. He stood there, somewhat weakly, holding Tensa Zangetsu up defensively as if he was going to meet the blast head on with the sword. But as it drew closer, the substitute shinigami slowly raised his left hand up to his face, covering over it as if to blind himself of the oncoming destruction...

The figures of both Ichigo and Yusuke were engulfed in the blast...and it all went silent.

-FLASH-

Just as it seemed the two had been taken in by the blast, a sudden torrent of black erupted from the area where the two spirit warriors stood. It fought against the blinding power desperately, like a rock fighting against the rushing surge of a river. Its struggle gave a different shape to the outpouring energies, causing them to split off to the sides almost as if it was forming a misshapen crescent moon.

Soon, the energies would disperse, leaving complete devastation in its altered wake, scarring the land. But when the dust cleared, the sillhouettes of the two heroes remained, with Ichigo standing as he had before...



He stood there with an ornate, skull-shaped mask covering his face, peering out through the clouds of dust. From under the eyesockets, Ichigo's usually brown eyes shone an inhuman yellow from shadowy corneas. This was the same mask he had donned in his fight against Malachi back in the stadium.

Even with the power he contributed to the Spirit Gun, it seemed he had to use his Hollow Mask after all.

If only for a moment.



In an instant, Ichigo's adamant stand was broken along with his mask, almost as if the force of the blast had went straight into it. To say it shattered would be putting it lightly. It was almost like it had been blown to pieces off of his face. He fell back, spent from the output of energy.

A Final Defense for a Final Attack.

"..."

And there he lay, unconscious, but alive.

The land was cleared... a dome, then two paths with a point driven into the middle. At the center stood one hero, and dropped another.

Were this a game, things would pause and a sepia-toned screen would overlay, with the words "BATTLE VICTORY" fading into view. But this wasn't a game, so they would have to finish their trek to the village to get any spoils of battle. To make their time easier, there were already a number of guard-types running up, armed in case they'd lost.

"They survive?!"

"But only the one..."

The two were surrounded, more using their eyes and bodies to suggest that they'd carry Ichigo, who they initially thought dead. But a short look would reveal breathing, which was a relief. While others moved forward to check out the damage and look for remnants of the demon, the rest stayed with Ichigo and Yusuke.

"You've... defeated our demon, yes?"

Of course they'd notice his sudden growth of mammary glands, the shrinkage in the pants, and the curviness of his body. And to make such known to Yusuke...

"You... have changed."

Duh.

"We see you too... have been altered." It was the eldest guard speaking, scratching the back of his head. "Some of our own underwent the same... they yet live, so luck is with them. Those turned to animals, and some who have been petrified have already been cured. The two who have taken your affliction, however..."

He shook his head, then shrugged. "They have a hard time of it, as I'm sure you do. Our greatest apologies for your form, and thanks for your work. Our men will collect its remains... the particular demon is known to have medicinal properties, if ever felled and prepared correctly. We've no known cure for it, but perhaps with time, we can discover it."

He pulled the corners of his mouth taut and hmmed. "I am an idiot. Come then, the both of you... you must be exhausted. The both of you will lodge and feed here, for as long as you need."

If the other guards had Ichigo, they'd each hold one corner and walk off with him, towards the village. As the cleanup crew remained, Yusuke was too offered assistance to the village if he needed it. Though, the men would be careful not to "accidentally" molest him.

"I... you're not aware?"

There was a great pause here, where Yusuke was allowed to go through his surprise. While a couple of guards couldn't help but grin at the display (and one was on the verge of bursting into laughter), the most of them looked understanding. One's manhood was a great thing to lose.

The elder guard was one of those that happened to remain relatively cool in the face of Yusuke's revelation. "You were warned of its breath, were you not? I apologize again."

He held a hand up to try and calm Yuu. "We have no cure at the time. Our alchemists, apothecaries, and best magicians are looking into the cause and possible cures. As we've said, the other conditions have been taken care of. This odd morph is... new to us."

He was probably speaking to air though, since Yusuke stormed off to go attack some trees. When another person rushed forward to stop him, the elder guard put his arm out and shook his head.

"Leave him... her... be. We can sacrifice some trees to her rage; the village is safe. Be sure lodging is prepared for them, and... try to arrange that only the women care to their needs for now. We needn't alienate her."

The cleanup crew was pretty quick at their work, dragging sliced, charred tentacles, loose teeth, an eyeball or two, and whatever was left of the demon's body, away in carts. They had to be, lest they be done in by one of the trees Yusuke felled.

"Of course..."

Yusuke was lead deep into the heart of the village, where he'd see people outside preparing meats and rows of fish around a fire pit the size of an outdoor pool, the type you can get at a store and set up. This sort of spectacle made the village seem much smaller and less important than some others and many of the big cities... but as the long lines of tents were passed, one might be reminded of its size. A small settling of nomads, this was not. This tent, erected quickly, was in contrast to the sturdier ones, some of brick and mud and bark where needed.

"Here... you will rest here. Your friend is in this tent as well, and you'll find plenty of space to rest. Right now, we plan a feast... stay or go, it is your choice. You are, though, invited to stay the night and fully rest. Either way, we'll send you off with your pay and some food."

Whenever Yusuke did enter the tent, he'd find Ichigo laying on a cot and as was arranged, a lady was tending to him rather than the male that could've done it just as well.

The blackness slowly faded as Ichigo came to. He didn't spring awake, but he was slowly showing some signs of regaining consciousness. He could make out a faint voice as he woke up, unable to recognize who it was. It only took him a while to realize the "faintness" was simply the change in vocal chords from "Yusuko", who was standing nearby.

Of course, much to his discomfort, looking up at that "extra weight" on Yusuke's chest wasn't really what he wanted to wake up to.

He wearily brought a hand up to his head to cover his eyes.

"I'm...never gonna get that image out of my head now... "

Ichigo would have gotten up himself if he still had the energy to. Seeing that there wasn't much else he could do, he closed his eyes again and let his arm back down to his side, resting once more as the lady next to him tended to his injuries.