Hirue (蛭江 Hirue?) is a member of the Toguro Brothers' Apparition Gang and acts as a security guard on Tarukane's property.
Appearance[]
Hirue's human form
Tall and slim, Hirue, in his human form, possesses a rather scrawny build, making him appear less than intimidating to those around him. His facial expression seems rather fiendish, resulting from his thin, wicked smile, his mysterious black glasses (in the anime only), and the slight tilt of his brown, unsubstantial eyebrows. The obscurity of Hirue's face is capped off by his narrow, indented jaw; his long, rounded chin; and his rather large cranium, which is surrounded by short, dark-blue hair. Uncharacteristic of an apparition gang demon, Hirue is dressed in normal business clothes, consisting of a white, button-down shirt, a long black necktie, a brown suit and pants, and a pair of black shoes. However, when transformed into his demon form, Hirue nearly doubles in size, possessing green skin and large, plant-like features. Located in the middle of his stomach and on the palms of his hands are bizarre extra mouths, similar in structure to those of Venus fly traps, surrounded by sharp, protective peculiarities. Below his torso lie eight oversized sepal-like appendages, bearing pronounced resemblance to the tentacles of an octopus or a squid. Perhaps most eccentric, however, is Hirue's tube-shaped mouth, analogous to a mosquito's proboscis. In Tournament Tactics, there is an extremely similar race of demons (only without the hair and a slightly different color) referred to as an "Anteater Demon".
Personality[]
Like most demons, Hirue possesses no loyalties to anyone of his kind other than his foreman, causing him to have no qualms about Yukina's imprisonment. Nonetheless, he bases a lot of his judgement on appearance, gauging foes' power levels simply on their outward mien. Yusuke and Kuwabara are no exception; observing them as pathetic humans, Hirue underestimates their abilities, ultimately leading to his own downfall.
Synopsis[]
Hirue after revealing his gruesome form
After learning the presence of intruders, Tarukane orders Hirue to act as a security guard, searching the building's vicinity and killing anyone trying to rescue Yukina. Meanwhile, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan continue their approach towards Tarukane's mansion, slowly advancing through the surrounding forest. Suddenly, they are approached by Hirue, who, dressed in casual business attire, presumes the trio to be a group of lost hikers, and politely asks them to leave. However, after observing their knowledge of the crime lord Tarukane, he no longer mistakes them for a group of bystanders, quickly morphing into his demon form, equipped with green pigmentation and plant-like appendages.
Hirue's death
Beholding their demon opponent, Yusuke and Kuwabara try to reason with him, questioning his demon loyalty for standing by Yukina's imprisonment without remorse. Responding to their inquisition, Hirue compares his situation to that of a human selling his or her soul to the devil, stating that anyone's loyalty can be bought. As if to end the conversation, Hirue, anxious to kill the seemingly fragile humans, lunges into the air, charging his supposedly helpless foes. Disgusted with his savage and contemptible opponent, Kuwabara rushes towards the airborne demon, vigorously slicing him into several places with his Spirit Sword. Yusuke, not to be left out of all the fun, finishes Hirue off with a quick blast of his Spirit Gun, ending the demon's life after less than thirty seconds of combat.
Trivia[]
- Hirue, in his human form, bears a slight resemblance to a character from another work by Yoshihiro Togashi, Rabid Dog from Hunter x Hunter.