A startlingly thick forest in the middle of the Witches' territory was one of the last places Death the Kid would have expected to find himself on a Friday night, next to a club, cantina, packed out concert, or any other social venue, really. He'd much rather be at home, safe within the walls of his manor, reading over a nice volume in his library or simply lounging around with Liz and Patty. However, it appeared that fate, and well, his Father, had other plans for him that night.
"This is a really important mission, Kiddo, and I really need you to handle it. The other Death Scythes are tracking larger Kishin and the weapons and meisters are leaving for that large group training retreat."
Honestly, he had hoped to attend the retreat along with his friends, but serving his Father always came first, in the end. So, here he found himself, fairly wading through layers of leaves, sticks, and underbrush in pursuit of a rather puny but rather raucous pre-Kishin. He wished he could have at least had Liz and Patty for company, but his Father had insisted that he merely subdue the pre-kishin, not kill or seriously injure it. If he didn't spot this creature soon, he'd risk being spotted and at least summon Beelze-
A dark form, roughly 6 feet tall with slumped shoulders and a languid stride, emerged from behind a wide trunk, about 20 meters ahead. Ducking behind a nearby clump of bushes, Kid cautiously peered at the being he was to subdue, his heart nearly stalling when his ears suddenly detected a soft, feminine tone that he'd hardly expected of a pre-kishin of that stature. Gazing more intently now, Kid noted with alarm that the abomination, now striding in the general direction of the Shinigami's hiding place, had something, or someone, judging by her cries, slung over his shoulder. The smaller being neither fought nor verbally attacked, seeming to have lost all vigor in an unseen skirmish that had taken place beforehand. He could not see the female's face, but he caught sight of...was it...a tail? Ears? Was she, perhaps, a witch, taken captive by this hungry monster? Or was she the product of a witch's spell? Whichever the case, Kid didn't care; she was a living entity and she needed assistance.
Acting more on impulse that logic, for Kid never was the type to sit idly in the face of suffering, the youth leaped from behind the foliage and stopped dead center before the startled male, a deadly glare in his eye.
"Release the hostage this moment or face the wrath handed down to pre-Kishin scum by the son of the Shinigami."
Keeping his dark eyes on Kid, the monstrosity lowered his burden to the ground and laid her against a tree, sending her a glance that froze her in spot, terror plastered across her features. The being suddenly charged at the youth, uttering a ground-shaking battle cry as he lashed out wildly, but with an expertly placed palm strike to his solar plexus, Kid sent the lanky figure flying across the small clearing and smack into the unforgiving wood of a great oak. The body slammed to the earth and lay motionless.
After summoning his Father and requesting Shibusen troops to retrieve the pre-kishin, Kid hastened to the girl propped against the tree trunk, his golden eyes wide and worried as he noted the scratches, bruises, and gashes in her skin, the blood coating her tail and ears.
"Dear Death, what happened to you?" He whispered breathlessly, gingerly laying a pale hand on her arm. "Please, try to stay with me until help comes. Can you do that?"