Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files Love Story – Beauty of a Rose (by Tayla Drago)
Chapter 8
'Next Round – Kurama vs. Roto!'
"I'll take the next one." Kurama volunteered getting into the arena. A demon name Roto with black eyes and black spiked hair stepped forward.
"Kurama." Hiei said gaining his attention. "Don't pull any punches out there. They got to think twice about fighting us again."
"I know."
Ami smiled at the red haired. "Show them what you're made of Kurama!"
Kurama smiled at Ami, nodding his head. "I will." He walked to the center of the ring.
Ami looks closely at Kurama's opponent. "I don't like the look of this guy."
Kuwabara looked over at her. "What do you mean?"
"There's just something not right about this guy."
Now to the next one, Kurama vs. Roto.
"Kurama vs. Roto: Begin!" Koto announced taking a step back.
"I hear you live with a human." Roto commented. "Hard for me to figure. You got a 'family' thing going there?" Kurama didn't answer. "You'd be sad if this human died, eh?" Roto's middle finger on his right hand turned into a sickle.
"A weasel with a sickle." Kurama commented. Roto started slashing at Kurama, but Kurama could dodge every attack. Kurama appears behind Roto. "You're adequate, but little else. I'll end this quick."
Roto smirked. "I own your mother's life," he paused, "Shuichi Minamino." Kurama hesitated and jumped back, but not before he got a thin cut on his cheek to use a dirty move to make him lose.
"Why'd he slow down?!" Kuwabara yelled.
Ami blinks wondering how Kuwabara didn't hear what Roto had just said to Kurama. "You didn't hear what he said?"
"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked. He didn't hear it either?
"Roto is threatening Kurama's human mother." Ami glares at Roto. "I know that he was no good."
"Ami, how did you hear him? I didn't hear a thing?" Kuwabara asked.
"I…I don't know." Ami shook her head. "That doesn't matter right now. Right now, Kurama is being threatened."
Roto chuckled pulling out a button from his jacket. "See this? My familiars are stalking your mom and they'll devour her if I press this switch." He smirked at Kurama. "Being such a devoted 'son' you wouldn't want anything to happen to her." Kurama paused and then dropped his fighting stance.
Ami got so angry and scared, she bites her lip. "Kurama."
Kurama dropped his fighting stance and placed his arms by his sides. Ami keeps on biting lip lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. And her hands were clutched into fists and shook slightly.
Roto laughed as his blade finger turned back to normal. "I see," Roto punches Kurama, "you get my drift Kurama, you human lover you!" Kurama flicks a small rock at Roto's chest, but you could have sworn Ami saw an underlying shadow under the rock. Roto looks down at the rock. "A little pebble? A modest show of defiance?" Roto pointed his finger at Kurama with the remote control in the other hand. "Well, forget it! No more, not even a pebble's worth! Clasp your hands behind you! You're my punching bag, got?!" Kurama did what he was told and put his hands behind his back, but he never lost his emotionless look. "Ooh, scary. Okay, fight me if you want, but you do and I'll push the button, I guarantee."
"What is Kurama going to do?!" Kuwabara yelled. "He can't just stand there or he'll be killed!"
"Shut up!" Ami yells to surprising the rest of the team. "Do you think that the rest of us don't know what kind of danger he's in?! Do you feel the need to remind us that he might die?!"
"Ami." Kuwabara blinked in surprise.
"Girl, your lip is bleeding." Hiei commented. "You should stop biting it so hard."
Ami then wipes the blood from her lips. "I want Roto dead."
"You should have more faith in him." Hiei said. Ami looks over at him. "Kurama isn't the type to give up on a fight. Especially when his opponent uses such a pathetic tactic to win."
Once Hiei said that to her, Ami smiled faintly. "Thank, Hiei."
"Hn." Hiei grunted.
Ami looks back up to the fight to see Roto punch Kurama in the face. Kurama's head snapped to side, but the rest of his body stayed perfectly still. He turned his head back to stare at Roto.
"Scum." Roto mumbled. His finger turned back into a blade and he placed it onto Kurama's cheek. "That look in your eye I don't like it. Look scared, punk got it?" Roto started to cut into Kurama's cheek over the other wound making the two cuts make an X on Kurama's cheek. "Stop looking at me like that!" Roto finished the cut sending Kurama's head to the side again. Kurama didn't make a noise, just turned his head back to Roto. Ami could barely listen to Roto as he spoke to Kurama telling him to lick the dirt off his shoe.
"I refuse." Kurama said finally speaking up. Ami smiles; Kurama did have a plan to win this fight.
"Come again?" Roto asked not believing what he heard.
"Enough." Kurama dusted himself off. "Push the button."
Roto started laughing again. What a horrible sound it was to Ami to be hearing. "Did I hear you right? Push the button?! You hypocrite, you're no different from us after all! This is all it takes for you to go demonic again!"
"Push it." Kurama said with no emotion.
Roto continued laughing. "Fine, I'll push it! We're all bloodthirsty demons here, right?!" Roto tries to push the button, but nothing happened. "My hand…c-can't move…!"
Kurama walked over to Roto and grabbed the remote. "I'll repeat what I've said so often before, that what seems the easy way out is usually the most dangerous. You tried coercion, so I countered it by planting a deadly vetch seed on you. The roots have spread though your body, immobilizing you."
"The rock!" Ami yells out to realize of the shadow you saw under the rock was the seed for the plant. The rock was simply a direction so Roto wouldn't notice.
"When I say a certain word, the plant will grow at an explosive rate. I enjoy facing lowlifes like you. It allows me to be as brutal as I want." Roto started to beg for his life, but Kurama ignored him. "Die." Thousands of flowers sprouted out of Roto's body. "Ironic that the lowest knave's blood grows the loveliest flowers." Kurama plunked one of the flowers that didn't have any blood ruining its beauty. He then returned to your side of the ring. "Here, Ami." He held the flower out to her.
Ami blinks. "For me?" Kurama smiled and nodded his head. She takes the flower from Kurama a small red covering her cheeks, but she couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Kurama."
Ah, man. That both cute and hot there. ^/^
"You're welcome, Ami."
"Kurama's come up with a win for the Urameshi Team!" Koto yelled as the scoreboard marked down Kurama's win. "They're now tied!"
Hiei placed his hand on his forehead. "As expected, the familiars took off once their master expired."
Kurama looked over at Hiei. "So, you noticed…"
Hiei cut him off. "The girl was the one who realized what was going on first." Hiei glanced at Ami as she placed the flower Kurama gave behind her ear. "She said she could hear you and that scum even when I couldn't."
Kurama looked over at Ami. "You could hear us, Ami?"
Ami glances over at the red head and nodded. "Yeah, but I thought everyone heard it, until Hiei and Kuwabara told me they couldn't. You know my Reikai, right? Well, I can feel things out as part of my ESP abilities."
"That idiot had no idea who he was dealing with." Hiei scoffed.
'Next Round – Hiei vs. Zeru!'
"Next contestants!" Koto yelled. The team looked over at the arena and saw Zeru step up. "Team Urameshi! Your next contender, please!"
"I thought he was team captain." Kurama commented.
"Meaning those other two are tougher than him?!" Kuwabara yelled.
"No." Hiei spoke up. "He's definitely the power-house of that crew. Like most teams, they probably drew lots for fight order." Hiei took the scarf from around his neck. "I'll take him. I want to get back at him for making fools of us yesterday."
Ami pouted. "Damn you, Hiei. I wanted to take him!"
Hiei smirked jumping onto the arena and walked over to Zeru. "I see you use flames…" Zeru looked surprised. "I checked that cup. It looked like it had been sliced up by a blade, but the edges were melted. You lack refinement."
Ami smirked. "So, I was right."
"What?" Kuwabara asked.
"That cup yesterday that Zeru destroyed was not cut by a blade like he made it look. It was cut by fire."
"So, this guy uses fire."
Ami nodded and then pouted. "That's why I wanted to fight him. It would have been fun."
Kuwabara sweat dropped. "Ami, I don't think you're taking this serious."
Kurama smiled. "If she's enjoying herself Kuwabara let her be."
Time for Hiei vs. Zeru, for things were about to get hot so don't get to close in this battle.
"Begin!" Koto yelled.
The second she said that Zeru released his aura that was just like a forest fire and attacked Hiei. The fight between Zeru and Hiei was short. However, Ami did learn something new about Hiei, that he had the legendary Jagan eye and the power of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. So, it was like Zeru trying to burn Hiei, and him using something so powerful to burning him back, until there was nothing left of him. Fighting fire with fire. With the dragon Hiei could burn Zeru to a crisp leaving nothing of Zeru, but his outline on one of the tournament walls. Koto announced that Hiei was the winner of the fight. Damn…
"Hey, Zeru!" Ami makes a silly joke to some demon that's now dead. "I ash you out to dinner, but it looks like you're dead!"
Kuwabara and Botan did laugh to make Kurama smile from Ami's joke leaving two more left to face against Gaou and Imajin.
"See that, ya punks?!" Kuwabara yelled. "Even gypped in the first round, we're up two to one!" Kuwabara suddenly looked freaked out. "Not that it's a heck of a lot of comfort. What Hiei just did…what he can do…if he decided to turn on us now…?" Kuwabara looked at Hiei as he jumped down from the arena. His headband and shirt had been completely burnt away.
Hiei looked at Kuwabara. "Calm down. Once I pick a side, I stick with it. My Dragon of the Darkness Flame still needs work, anyway." Ami glances at Hiei's right arm. His hand up to about his elbow was badly burnt from the attack.
"That's enough for us. We want out!" Gauo freaks out.
The others turned to the other side of the arena to see the two remaining fighters were scared stiff.
"We came to kill for fun. And fun this isn't." Imajin gasped. Before the two could run they were both decapitated. A man walked out to the fighter arena waving his arms to get rid of the blood. The man had a blue Mohawk with a ponytail that fell to his shoulder blades. He hiccupped as he walked towards the arena; he was the real team leader. Okay…? He's too drunk. So why did he kill those guys…?
"Chu!" Rinku yelled as he saw the man.
The man, Chu, stumbled onto the arena and asked about the two he just killed. Koto told him that their one alternate would have to go on with whoever is left. Chu was fine with that. Koto covered her noise as Chu passes her because Chu smelled heavily of alcohol.
"This guy creeps me out bad!" Kuwabara commented. "His aura's not much, but there's something…"
Suddenly Yusuke groaned and woke from his nap. "Who's been boozing? That stench would raise the dead and kill them all over again!"
Yusuke woke up from the smell of alcohol? Really? At least he's finally up.
Chu hiccupped again. "Hey, you finally woke up! All nice and rested? You better hope so!" Ami looks at Chu closely. She could sense no bloodlust radiating from Chu, even when he killed his teammates. Demons like this are usually dangerous. "C'mon! Let's go! I want to win it all quick, and then get down to some serious drinking!"
Yusuke stood up and cracked his knuckles. "A man with a plan, eh? Leave him to me. I could use some light exercise after that nap."
"Light?" Chu mumbled.
"Well, this should be fun." Ami said.
For the next fight for the fourth one starts for Yusuke vs. Chu starts, besides him flittering with Koto…
'Last Round – Yusuke vs. Chu!'
Ah…Begin? For Yusuke was much strong, faster, and quick on his feet against Chu. But he was tricky for the boozes he drinks gives him the power to move faster and firing blasts at him. This was tough! For Yusuke firing his Spirit Gun to missing Chu now uses his strong Ogre Juice to boost up his Spirit Energy to higher levels to turning his skin red... To puking. So, knowing Rinku as Chu's close friend to being strong was a very hard fight for Yusuke to be facing him head on besides hangovers for the fighting and power attacks to go all over the place. Yusuke fires his Spirit Gun at the attack, being a bit different though, Spirit Gun Double. Boom!
It destroys both attacks leaving Chu and Yusuke shirtless to settle the final fight from fist to fist, also known as Chu's favorite he never loses in. The Knife Edge Death Match. As Chu places two knives on their feet being their circle to punch and cut their way to fun to hitting each other; it was some battle for the Masked Fighter, Botan, Ami, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Koenma, Ogre, and Rinku to be seeing. Kayko didn't like it to tell them to stop. Kuwabara explains why he couldn't to her and seeing how Yusuke was so happy seeing him fight; Shizuru took her time getting back to running into demons to being saved by Sakyo. Love at first sight I see. As the fight was getting crazier and bloodier, Chu and Yusuke head butted each other, for in the end Yusuke's head was the strongest for Chu to go down. Leaving Team Urameshi the winners of the first round. Yes!
"Not bad, Yusuke." Hiei said.
"Bingo! We won!" Botan cheered with joy leaving Kayko to being surprised.
"He…Did it…"
And Shizuru showing up in time.
"What did I miss? Botan? Kayko?"
The girls told her everything as Kuwabara tells Yusuke how awesome the fight was for Chu and Rinku to be seeing them again, no killing on them. They're good demons. Also, Gondawara leaves and lost the bet, lucky for his life that is. As Kuwabara helps Yusuke up to rest a bit before training again, Ami was amazed of their first win.
"Yes! Yes! We won! I better fight next time."
Kurama smiled at Ami as he kneeled next to her. "Yes. Yusuke won."
Ami stretches her arms out in front of Kurama. "I knew he would, or else we would have to choose a new captain."
"Oh thanks, Ami." Yusuke mumbled.
Ami turns to him and smiled innocently. "No problem, Yusuke."
Kurama chuckled standing up and holding his hand out to Ami. "We better leave. The next fight is going to begin in an hour."
Ami gladly took his hand. "Okay." Kurama gently pulled her up onto her feet. "Thank you, Kurama." Ami lightly touched the side of her head to see if the flower was still in place. Thankfully it was. Ami, along with the team, left the arena.
Only for more demons to boo at the heroes, for Yusuke to say something to them out loud.
"SHUT UP!" They all stopped to being quiet again. "If you have something to say, then say it! Just say it to my face! Or say it to my fist!" Yusuke then sees Younger and Elder Toguro staring down at him and the others 'along with Bui, Karasu, and Sakyo' for him to give them the finger. Really? And so, the team waits until the next fight to begin. On the way out, Yusuke had noticed when Ami touched the flower resting on her left ear and decided to ask about it. He walked up next to her. "Hey, Ami, where did that flower come from?"
Ami turns to look at him touching the stem of the flower. "Oh, this." Ami smiles. "Kurama gave it to me."
Yusuke smirked leaning over closer to her so only Ami would hear him. "So, you got a crush on him, huh? How cute."
Ami blushes causing Yusuke to laugh. She growls clutching her fist with her head down. "Yusuke." Yusuke gulped seeing Ami's scary expression. The rest of the team looked over to see what was going on. Ami then looks up, for her eyes glowing red with rage like she does in her demon form. "I'm going to kill you!" Yusuke took off down the hallway with Ami following right after him. "Get back here, you coward!" Soon the two of them were out of sight from the rest of the team.
Kuwabara looked over at the rest of the team. "What was that about?" No one had an answer to that question.
Oh, boy…I guess there is something going on for Ami to really have a big crush on Kurama alright.
'Break time.'
About ten minutes later for the team to rest a bit and for Ami to walking back into the hotel room dusting her hands off. Kurama was the only one in the room when she arrives. He was sitting on his bed reading a book that he had brought with him.
He looked up as you entered the room. "I take it you caught him?"
Seems that Ami beaten the crap out of Yusuke from earlier.
Ami smirked. "Of course. Maybe next time he'll keep his mouth shut."
Kurama put the bookmark in his book and placed it on the nightstand next to his bed. "If I may ask, what did he say that upset you so greatly?"
Ami blushes looking off to the side, scratching her cheek. "I rather not say."
Kurama stood up from his bed. "Then I wouldn't pry any longer. I did want to ask you if you would like to go watch the match for our next opponent with me."
Ami turns back to him the blush almost completely gone from her cheeks. "Sure. It would be a good idea to see how they fight."
Kurama checked the clock on the wall. "We better go then. The match is going to start very soon."
Ami follows Kurama out of the hotel room and back to the arena. "I hope I can fight in tomorrow's match. It was boring watching the rest of you fight." Ami looks over at Kurama. "That reminds me. How are your wounds?"
Kurama touched his scared cheek for his plants to heal him back up. "They were shallow wounds. They already closed. Besides that, I only have a few bruises. I will be all right to fight in the next round."
Ami sighs in relief. "That's good. We would be in trouble if you couldn't fight. You noticed Hiei's arm?"
Kurama nodded. "That is going to cause him a lot of pain."
"And besides that, I felt something odd about Yusuke's Spirit Energy. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it can't be good."
"We better study our opponents closely then."
Kurama was right…Yusuke couldn't get his Spirit Gun to work to being attacked by Team Spirit Warriors, Rugby for his captain to killing him off so Topaz, along with Dosukoi, Gorilla, Babaki, and Gagaki. Yusuke then tells Kuwabara about his problem, both be hearing the Masked Fighter's voice was a young girl. So, is that really Genkai or what? Does Ami know? As Koenma and Ogre watch the fight on their end; Kayko rather watch Yusuke and not talk to Yusuke 'just yet' for she was happy to understand his fun time for Botan and Shizuru to understanding that part. As for Hiei…Not doing so well. Since he uses the Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack to hurting his arm to take control of again and powering up. Ouch…
Ami and Kurama entered the arena as Koto announced the next fight. The two stood against the railing as their next opponent, Team Dr. Ichigaki, easy won their match. Yeah, after killing, slicing, and beheading the other monster of demons in seconds. There were two cat-like chimeras' M4 and M5. The team consisted of three humans and two demons along with their imp manger. The other three humans looked like they are being mind control from something on their backs from the Doctor's doing, sick. They are – M1/Yen, M2/Ryo, and M3/Kai. Ami and Kurama didn't take long to notices it, as if they were being imprisoned to fighting for pure hearted human fighters.
"Kurama, those three are human."
"I noticed. Why would another team use humans? I'd wager they're not here of their own free will."
Ami nodded. "I agree with you, but what can we do. We have to win." This wasn't going to be an easy fight.
"That we must." Kurama agreed.
Later, that same day, Ami and Kurama were about to leave the arena when Koto announced the next fight. She and Kurama stop cold in their tracks and looked back to the arena. It was Team Toguro fighting a group of weak demons called Spirit Warriors, all five of them were giants! With Topaz, some gorilla, a summon wrestler, a fish man, and another fighter were ready to fight, while the Younger Toguro was the only one from his team. Toguro decided to take all five members on at once.
"This won't be a challenge for him." Ami commented as the demons rushed towards to Toguro. In the flash, all five demons laid dead in the arena. From punching out a gut with one hit, splitting their bodies in half, ripping them apart, ending their lives quickly, and the leader too. For you know what they say – the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Again, ouch. And Younger Toguro has won on his own for him and his other team to keep on going throughout the tournament.
"The winner, Toguro!" Koto announced. "Team Toguro will fill the eighth slot!"
Toguro glances up and stares at Ami and Kurama. Kurama stared at him seriously while Ami sticks out her tongue out at him. Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara all freaked out after seeing that fight along with the Masked Fighter still watching so this will be a challenge for them. However, there were several teams that they, Yusuke, and everyone else would have to defeat before they would be up against him. About two rounds maybe for tomorrow in rounds two and three for Team Urameshi, for Kuwabara he doesn't like it one bit.
"What kind of crap is this!?"
After seeing the fighting chart list like this, it would be a battle that'll be hard to get through before fighting with Team Toguro. Tell us something we don't already know about!
'Double trap of a Battle. No fair!'
For the next day as Team Urameshi must face against Team Dr. Ichigaki – Kuwabara has another image dream 'like the other one', of Yen, Ryo, and Kai were crying in the dojo for their Master Metamora, was dying to leaving them and the other students sad. For it coast too much to save him at the hospital. Until Dr. Ichigaki arrives to offer a deal, of getting three of them to being some subjects on something in saving their master in return, so they did it. What does this one mean?
For it was hard for Yusuke and the Masked Fighter to understanding more about it, they must go to the ring to fight against them. Also for Koenma to show his true form to tell Yusuke that his Spirit Beast Egg will soon hatch. So, it's still around? Guess it was the energy that faded, but not feeding to being born from Yusuke's powers didn't and the reason why his Spirit Energy isn't working right now. But at a time like this? For Koenma, George, Botan, Shizuru, and Kayko to watch the fight – somehow M4 and M5 along with Ami, Kurama, and Hiei aren't there yet. Where could they be, and why was Dr. Ichigaki laughing? I don't like this at all.
Back outside of the tournament, Kurama tries looking for Hiei before going to their fight as Ami sees him passing by.
"Hey Kurama, where are you going?" She asks the red head when she sees him leaving.
"I'm going to go find Hiei." He answered looking back at Ami.
Ami then walked over to him. "Can I come with you? I don't want to be stuck here with those two complaining."
Kurama smiled. "Sure, Ami." The two leave together. Kurama leads Ami into the forest towards were they both sensed Hiei's Spirit Energy. Kurama stops by a tree. "Let's wait here. He'll come by here soon." Kurama jumped up into one of the tree branches. "Come up here." Ami easily jumped up next to him on the branch. The two silently waited in the tree.
"He's close." Ami commented. Hiei walked into the clearing and under the tree where she and Kurama were sitting on.
"You okay, Hiei?" Kurama asked.
Hiei stopped under the tree and glanced up at the two of them. "Sure. Why?"
"You aim to keep fighting with only one arm?"
"I have a choice? You know as well as I do we can't escape."
Yep, he was still in pain. As Kurama and Ami jump off the tree to join Hiei to get going, they were soon stopped by two demons of M4 and M5 here to stopping and killing before they could aid the others by Dr. Ichigaki's orders. Oh, no.
"Great…I guess it's killed, or be killed for us." Ami said to the two boys.
With the three stuck with the demons, Dr Ichigaki is using the three fighters under his control to win in getting Yusuke's body to study on and nothing more, for he knows he'll win by planning things first. Sick! As he makes a fair deal to let it is a three on three fight for his fighters against Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the Masked Fighter must fight them head on – also Yusuke can beat the crap out of the troll if his team wins. So, it's all set up to go along with Kuwabara seeing the three in the dream that has something to do with the doctor's doing and the Masked Fighter knows them and their teacher. Now trapped, can Kurama, Hiei, and Ami beat M4 and M5 to get there in time to cheer the others on?
Koto announces the next round being the last three or one of the team members in beating all of them will win to the next round after that. It's Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the Masked Fighter vs. M1, M2, and M3. Looks like not only need to fight against Yen, Ryo, and Kai, but to set them free too that is if they don't kill them first. So here we go!
