Ichigo POV:
Machi was right. The blizzard was terrible. And unlike him, the cold was my worst enemy. I could barely keep my eyes open with the strong winds. It was a good thing I had worn my cloak, otherwise the air would have bitten into my skin and made this journey far more uncomfortable.
Mei still tries to get me to play in the snow every winter since we were just teenagers. Most of the time I rejected to, especially in the beginning. But I've warmed up to it in the past few years.
"Hmph. 'Warmed' up to it."
Still… being here reminded me why I hated winter.
It was a couple more hours till we hit level ground. Wind speeds were still strong, but the storm seemed to have died down. Just enough so that Machi could hear my words.
"So, Hubri. What is he like? It's been a while since I've battled him."
My companion turned to me with a contemplative look.
"He's… different."
I tilted my head in confusion.
"Different? How so?"
Machi took his time putting words together. It seemed like there had been a major change in one of the lords of this realm.
"It's hard to describe. He's calmer now. At peace almost. It would better for you to see for yourself."
Now I was intrigued. The last I remember of the demon, he was arrogant, prideful and overly focused on his own image. He wore the horns of demons he had defeated in battle like a necklace. I left him beaten and broken mess spewing curses while holding the stump on his left shoulder and half a horn missing.
I couldn't help smiling at that memory. I was only twenty when that happened.
"Any more information for me? How many demons there are? Their strength?"
"Hundreds. Majority have only three to four horns. Only few dozen have five horns. There were no six horned ones."
"That means Hubri is the only seven horned demon?"
"Eight actually. He's gotten stronger since last you met him."
Now that was news that surprised me. Hubri always vehemently rejected the idea of growing stronger. Growth meant there was room for improvement. For a being that believed himself to be the peak of what a demon could accomplish, the idea of improvement repulsed him. So, what could've caused this change of heart?
"Do you seriously think you can take that beast?"
The sudden question surprised me. Machi wasn't one to be concerned about my well-being. Maybe he's becoming fond of me?
Machi noticed the small tug on my lips and quickly did his best to dispel any ideas I was getting.
"Don't even consider it. I'm only asking since it's my horns if you die."
He's right. Machi probably lived amongst the other demons in Hubri's palace. They'd have noticed his disappearance by now. They'd know he's a traitor. His life and mine are interlinked. If I die, he dies. I can't help but feel proud to have him as my companion.
"You don't need to worry my friend. The battle will be hard fought, but I believe I can win. I haven't been slacking on training either."
He looked at me with eyes of suspicion.
"You better have."
After a few more hours, Machi's body couldn't keep going. I put him on my back, though he protested heavily. Because of this, we managed to get to the palace in less than a quarter of the time it would've taken.
The storm was still ongoing, but it had significantly weakened since the beginning of our journey. Snow now lightly fell from the sky giving the dark palace a strange feeling of wonder. It was a simple structure in all honesty. Six spires, large rectangular shape. If it were anywhere else, you would have thought it was any other palace. But not just any palace would force you to look up to even see its base.
The floating palace hovered over the ground like a looming disaster.
I looked around to see if there were any changes to the surrounding area, but it seemed to be all the same. There was still no defensive structure to it, seeming to invite challenge.
No, that wasn't it. It was the feeling. The aura. That same feeling I felt all those years ago.
Suddenly, a dark pressure mounted on my shoulders. I could hear Machi's strained breathing as the sudden pressure fell upon him. And just as quickly as it came, the pressure disappeared.
He knows I'm here.
"It would seem I am being challenged Machi. Stay down here. I'll be back."
"Don't have to tell me twice. Would rather not be collateral damage."
I set my friend down in the snow and let anima flow through me. I called the wind, lifted into the air and shot towards the palace.
As I drew closer, I realized that I couldn't sense the malice of any other demon in the palace except for Hubri.
"No other demons? What the hell has happened since the last time we met?"
When I landed on the floating rock, all I was surrounded by was silence. No guards, no soldiers, not even servants. All that remained were ghosts of the past.
I continued my way into the empty palace. The sound of my footsteps echoed through the hallway. I looked around and the place looked like there had been a battle inside it. Weapons that hung on the wall were wither missing or broken on the floor. The tables were shattered, chairs flipped over. It didn't look recent either. Whatever had happened here was something that had been building for a while.
Allowing contra to flow through my body, I sensed where Hubri was located. Being cautious, I placed my hand on the hilt of my blade. The place may be empty and Hubri isn't the type to place traps, but with how different the place was, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
I entered an open throne room where an empty throne sat atop a tall rocky platform. Even more confusion entered my mind.
"The ever-prideful demon doesn't seem to care for making a scene?"
Hubri's contra led me to an open field at the edge of the rock the palace lay on. The land was barren, just like the rest of the realm. Depressing and hopeless. But the being that sat on the ledge made the rest of this desolate world look vibrant and filled with life.
Eight proud horns sprout around his head like a crown, one of them still chipped. He only wore a loose cloak which barely covers his toned, muscular. He is in human form I finally take notice. His skin and hair are the color of sand.
He sat calmly. Almost bored. Then, he raised the arm he wasn't using to support himself and patted the ground beside me.
I hesitated at first, but I obliged him.
I let my legs hang off the edge and laced my fingers together. Neither of us talked. We simply stared out into the darkness. It was oddly peaceful. A serenity I never expected to feel in this realm. Much less next to this demon.
I turned my head to look into his eyes. To see if there was anything… human. I forgot about the two horns protruding from where eyes should be.
His expression was one, I would never have expected from him either. Absolute content. There was no burning fire of conceit any longer. Only a calm ocean of acceptance.
"I am grateful, betrayer," Hubri suddenly spoke, "Because of my defeat at your hands, my eyes were opened."
It took me a moment to process his words. I didn't even notice the irony in his words.
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
He didn't answer immediately. Turning his head towards the sky, it looked as though he was reminiscing on a better time. A small, real smile tugged on his lips.
"Pride truly does blind one to their faults. But it also blinds one to all they have achieved. All that they have."
There was a hint of regret in his words. Like he had done something terrible. No. He is a demon that has lived for centuries. Terrible doesn't begin to describe the things he has done. But still.
"Indeed, it does," I reply, "I'm lucky to have realized that lesson when I was young."
"Yes. Yes, you are."
A pang of that resentful malice flowed out of him. I did my best to not to act on it, but every part of my body screamed for me to kill him.
"Well, enough with pleasantries. Why are you here betrayer? Surely you have not come all this way to die."
Unintentionally, I chuckled at his words.
"No. But I do have a few questions for you. At first, I thought I was going to have to beat the answers out of you. But seeing as you're being a lot more reasonable then usual, maybe words are all that's necessary?"
Hubri's clenches his fist and tightens his jaw.
"Even now you look down on me."
"So, his flame hasn't been extinguished yet."
"A couple months ago, a demon was kidnapping people in a town and keeping them hostage. I want to know what you know about it."
Hubri thought for a moment, maybe just pretending to.
"Ahh, yes. I do remember something like that happening. Virgo had to put it down if I'm not mistaken."
"So, it was Virgo," I thought to myself, recalling the details Asuka had told me about the demon's body.
"Alright. I'll tell you what I know. But only on one condition."
Suddenly, Hubri slowly stood to his full height. I stood as well, only making it to his chest.
"Beat me like you did all those years ago. Make me submit to you, then I'll tell you everything."
This was the situation I was trying to avoid. But alas, it seems like fortune was not on my side.