The last line of defense they found before Fukushu... was one lonely pale furred kitsune vixen... slim... slightly... short... long hair... She didn't look them in the eyes. She wasn't armed. She merely stood in the middle of the road, with her hands together. The three tail fox merely waved her tails about.
"Hello little Mika," she said in a tired, heavy voice.
Mika said, "Aiya... you're not warrior, I beg you, this is insane, can't you see Fukushu is only using you?"
"You're right Mika, I've always been worthless."
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" Mika shouted.
"But Fukushu promised I could finally be worth while to someone."
"Aiya that's the depression talking!"
"You all say such nice lies for the sake of someone like me. A natural born kitsune that can't even shape shift... "
"I've never lied to you! PLEASE let us pass, I don't want you to be in more pain than you already are!"
"My pain ends now." Aiya gagged... and her body hit the ground... but her spirit... it stood... now with tiny black wings on her back... and an iron collar around her neck... connected to a chain that led to the belt of a black robbed skeleton. On its back were two gigantic black wings, a scythe in one hand, an hourglass on the opposite hip.
Mika felt her heart top, seeing her cousin in law she'd struggle to help for years... and Fukushu had...
"I serve the Shigami until the last bell tolls as your servant... in exchange, you keep them from reaching Lord Fukushu until he is done." Aiyo said.
"Yes, I remember what the ritual said," The reaper said in a tired voice.
"Fukushu! He... he made you do..." Mika was besides herself in horror.
"It was my own idea," Aiyo's spirit said.
Lilith said, "Bob, remove this things from our path."
The anthro zebra fiend moved at lightning speed... the reaper turned to a mass of smoke as the fiend would have struck... then in flashes of light, pieces of Bob went flying before they burst into flames.
Lilith's eyes widened... that wasn't supposed to happen. A torrent of all consuming flames erupted from her... the reaper deflected them as they melted the rocks around them. Aiyo's cooling body, the Reaper, and Aiyo's spirit, untouched.
"BOB! You killed him!" Kellie snarled.
"Don't be absurd. He's already a spirit. How could I kill him? All I did was send him on the express track back to the underworld. For however long it takes him to find his way back here."
-
"I NEED TO GET BACK TO MY MISTRESS' SIDE! NOW!" 'Bob' roared.
The pale woman whose lower body was that of a house sized red dragon said calmly behind the black polished desk, "I understand if you'll just fill out these forms first sir."
"AGH!" 'Bob' remembered why even fiends hated this place.
-
The Reaper remarked, "Reminder. My kind always wins in the end. Dragon. King. Commoner. At the end of the game, they all go into the same box."
Mika said, "Your bargain with Aiyo,, it's null and void if we get passed you before Fukushu wants us there right?"
"Excellent observation. Yes. That loophole would render our pact defunct." The Reaper said approving.
"Can't I ever be of value to anyone even in death?" Aiyo spirit asked.
"AIYO AMATERASU DAMMIT YOU ARE NOT WORTHLESS! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN WORTHLESS! No one was lying when they said they liked your ink paintings!"
Aiyo startled.
The reaper said, "I should warn you. Your enemy intends to return child to you unharmed in the next eighteen minute,, and Aiyo contract with me with complete and unbreakable. As of right now your enemy has sent his most loyal follower with the abominations loaned to him by his puppet master to murder your young wards and family... if you do nothing, an imp and succubus will also be booted to the neither world, their first time there, 'dying' to protect the witch and young werewolf they are fond of. Who will die for real soon after. ... I know for a fact that the 'true' fiends, will have no interest in showing them respect nor dignity for being former humans. It won't be pleasant for them."