To Serve and Protect
Chapter Ten
The blast of golden light emitting from the godling's finger soared through the air to its target. Yuusuke watched it happen, awed and shocked by the sight. He distantly remembered that it was Koenma who had taught him the move, back in the very beginning. It made sense that Koenma could do it too, but it still surprised him.
Sensui was caught off guard and stumbled back as he was struck. Yuusuke watched with bated breath. He would think, much later, that he would not have minded so much if Koenma, in this moment, was the one who defeated Sensui-exactly like this.
His heart sank as the older man slowly lifted his head and smirked, unaffected.
"Sorry. You're going to have to do better than that."
He threw his own version of the energy blast right back at Koenma. Koenma shielded himself in time, letting the attack bounce off. The bright purple energy blast collided with the cave wall instead, causing everything around them to shake. Yuusuke eyed the stalactites apprehensively as Koenma readied another Rei Gun blast.
They didn't have a lot of time to mess around like this, and it looked like the prince and former Tantei could keep exchanging fire like this until the cave collapsed around them. Not a bad plan, it might stop the tunnel from opening, but there was no guarantee Koenma and the others would get out alive.
Before Koenma could shoot his second Rei Gun, Yuusuke was in front of Sensui, and resuming the fight, his fists moving fast. He had a third wind, but it was weaker than before. He wasn't going to last long, not with the way Sensui was fighting. His muscles were shaking and his wounds were throbbing; the arm Sensui had nearly snapped was difficult to move.
It looked like Kurama wasn't going to be the only one with regrets today.
"I was right," said the teen with a grim smirk, between blows and panting for breath. "Soon something incredible is going to happen…"
There was no more time. The tunnel was opening, he was using his remaining reserves, and he could not allow Koenma to sacrifice himself. Though he could keep up with Sensui for now, blocking his blows and returning a few of his own, it would not last long. Yuusuke could sense that the older Tantei had shed the last of his hesitation.
Yuusuke would have to gamble on his friends. He just hoped it would be enough.
He only wished he'd gotten to kiss Koenma more than once. It sucked, but he was going to have to break that promise about both of them getting out of here.
Still inside the Ura-Otoke, Kuwabara watched as Yuusuke's strength failed him. Yuusuke was the strongest person he'd ever met, not just physically, and he meant more to Kuwabara than he could ever hope to describe. They had been through so much together and had grown grudgingly closer.
He knew he was watching Yuusuke die, unless he could get the Jigen-to to work.
"Hold on, Yuusuke," he plead through gritted teeth. "Just a little longer. So please…"
Koenma watched, tense and anxious, as Yuusuke could not keep up with Sensui's movements any longer and wavered. His entire being cried out against it, but his body could not move. Even if Yuusuke wasn't in the way, it wouldn't do much good to shoot another Rei Gun blast at his former Tantei. He was drained. Even if he got the pacifier back…
The child. If he hadn't resurrected the child-but of course he had no other choice but to do it, despite it playing right into Sensui's plan. The boy shouldn't have had to pay for Koenma's mistakes. None of them should have.
"It's time to finish this, at last," Sensui said, sounding almost disappointed. He moved in for the kill.
"No…" Koenma whispered helplessly.
Kuwabara broke through the barrier, releasing himself and the others, and Itsuki let them go, appearing near Shinobu. But it was too late.
He saw it happen as though in slow motion and fell to his knees, the loss of Yuusuke's life energy hitting him like a physical blow. An indescribable hole was left in its wake along the tentative Prince-Tantei bond they shared, and his pain was immeasurable. Tears fell, but he did not care to hide them. He did not care about anything at all, in that moment. Yuusuke was dead.
He was dead and the world felt darker for the loss.
Puu, who had been perched on a pillar, fell to the ground near him. Blinking through his tears, Koenma reached out, hands shaking hands, to gather the little chick close. Puu was already cold. Their connection was so strong and complex, when Yuusuke had died, the little phoenix had died as well.
He didn't pay much attention to what happened after that, only noticing what was happening in the periphery of his senses. In their anger and grief, he felt Yuusuke's friends grow in strength, the boy's loss pushing them passed all previous limits. Shinobu fled to the Makai and Itsuki disappeared entirely to parts unknown. Soon, Koenma was alone with a dead Tantei, a dead phoenix, and a very confused Mitarai.
He hunched over the cold form of the bird in his arms and wept tears he know he didn't deserve to shed.
It was all his fault. He should have just taken the pacifier back from Yuusuke. He should have made Yuusuke stay back.
He should have saved his friends.
He should have done a lot of things.
It was some time before Koenma stirred again. If Mitarai hadn't finally spoken up, he was not sure how long he would have stayed that way. Possibly if the others returned, or maybe never. He certainly felt like staying exactly where he was, unmoving, for all eternity. A silent guardian standing guard over Yuusuke's body, gathering dust. Lamenting forgotten hopes and dreams.
"Are you alright, Koenma-san?"
The blond teen was terribly shy. He spoke as if he expected to be punished for the act alone; the bullying he had suffered was that ingrained.
"I'm alright," the god responded softly. Though the pain threatened to undo him completely, he forced through the agony and slowly regained focus.
There were still things that needed to be done. His personal pain meant nothing in the grand scheme of things; the world just kept on turning regardless. It hurt, he could barely breathe, but he knew the truth. Nothing stopped just because he was in mourning.
Mitarai touched his shoulder uncertainly. It was strange being touched by someone who he had no connection with, but Koenma didn't brush him off.
"I'm sorry. This is so terrible…"
"War is always terrible." Finally moving, Koenma stumbled to his feet, still cradling Puu close. He walked to Yuusuke's body, a worried Mitarai close behind.
As hard as it was not feeling Yuusuke, seeing his pale and bloodied form on the ground was just as bad. It was superficial, he knew. As long as he had dealt with the souls of the dead, he realized that the body was only a vessel-a soul was what mattered.
In this case, that was one of the problems.
Koenma gently took Yuusuke wrist, almost hating to disturb the stillness, and searched for a pulse.
The gesture confused Mitarai. "Koenma-sama…?"
"His soul hasn't emerged yet," Koenma told him.
"Is… that unusual?"
The god nodded. "The first time he died his soul emerged immediately."
Oh, how simple things had been then, before he had gotten attached to Yuusuke emotionally and spiritually. Back then, Yuusuke had only been a punk kid with a whole lot of attitude and a surprising level of compassion (that he kept hidden under a ton of crap). That, combined with his potential to grow, had been why Koenma picked him for his new Reikai Tantei. If he'd known it would end like this, perhaps he would've just let Yuusuke pass on…
It had been almost two years now. It was just a drop in the bucket of years for Koenma, has long-lived as his people tended to be. But this unlikely boy had brought such joy and wonder into his life. Even without the bond, that alone would have been enough to make the godling mourn him.
"The first time…" Mitarai's eyes widened with hope. "So he's come back before? Could he come back again?"
Koenma shook his head. "I wish that were the case. The last time he came back because I pulled some strings." It was unlikely he could do so again. The godling was still perplexed as minutes passed and the Tantei's soul had yet to rise from his body, nor did a shinigami come to escort his soul to the spiritual plane. There was just Yuusuke and Puu on the floor, terribly still.
Mitarai looked back at Yuusuke sadly. "Oh…"
They fell into an uncomfortable, melancholy silence, and Yuusuke's soul still did not emerge. In all his years, Koenma couldn't say he had seen this before. It was very strange. He kept hold of Yuusuke's hand along with Puu in his lap, both lifeless in his grip. He could still feel the phantom touch of that hand on his waist, and of the kiss that had been involved.
He said he loved me, Koenma thought numbly. Like it made any difference. For a few short seconds, he got what he wanted.
He thought he might confront Yuusuke about it, if only his blasted soul would emerge.
An intense light rushed through the cave, disrupting Koenma's thoughts. He recognized the light instantly: it was the SDF arriving on the scene. They were specialized warriors of the Reikai, working directly out of Enma's office and used only for the most disastrous of circumstances. Koenma watched them appear one by one in the cave, knowing that this meant his father had lost any confidence in his abilities. The SDF were here to clean up his mess.
He wished he hadn't told Botan to warn the Reikai after all.
Dressed in their customary uniforms, they each wore expressions of great self-importance. They began to station themselves around the cave, their leader shouting out orders.
Koenma stood, his legs still feeling unsteady, and he let go of Yuusuke's lax hand. He had absolutely no enthusiasm for dealing with the soldiers right now. "Captain, what are you doing here?"
Their leader, Captain Otake, spared the godling a glance. "Enma Daioh-sama sent us." Turning back to his subordinates, he continued to give them orders to seal both the tunnel and kekkai barrier. He had two of his men remain with him for the time being, two going into the tunnel itself.
"So Father has lost faith in my abilities."
Otake walked over, the two underlings a step behind. "Koenma-sama, return to the Reikai. We'll handle the rest."
"No, this is my mess," Koenma argued immediately. "I'll stay until it's finished." He couldn't just leave Yuusuke like this. He would escort him to the other side himself. No wonder a shinigami had yet to appear to collect the teen's soul, not with the SDF sent at the same time.
The man frowned. "If you don't go, you'll have to witness something painful," he said in a strangely gentle voice. "I don't want that for you."
Despite the tone, Koenma was immediately filled with dread and he sat Puu down gently beside Yuusuke. "What's going on, Captain?"
Otake looked him square in the eye. "We're here to eliminate Urameshi Yuusuke. He is the direct descendant of the Mazoku."
Startled, Koenma's hand went to his heart. Wait. "What?"
It took a mere second for Koenma to absorb this, and he did not let his happiness show, though on the inside he was soaring with it. To be eliminated, Yuusuke would have to still be alive. That was why the teen's soul had yet to ascend! Yuusuke wasn't dead; he was going through a metamorphosis!
He hadn't looked too far back on Yuusuke's lineage. If he was a descendant of one of the oldest demon clans, the connection could go back centuries to before the kekkai barrier had been put in place. Perhaps none of Yuusuke's relatives had shown signs of it because they had been unable to tap into the kind of potential that the teen had. An atavism of sorts.
Otake nodded soberly, not picking up on Koenma's mood shift. He watched was emotionless as one of his solders pushed Mitarai away from Yuusuke's body, while Koenma was clenching his fists, holding himself back.
"I'm afraid it's true. Your father did not know until just now when Urameshi died."
"But how?" Koenma pressed, stalling for time. "He's already died once, Captain. Why would he suddenly become a threat now?"
Beside the body, Puu began to glow subtly, waiting.
Koenma shifted in front of Otake, hoping he wouldn't notice. "He has gained immense spiritual power since his first death! So why now?"
"We have reason to believe that Urameshi's second death will be enough to trigger the Mazoku gene," said the Captain. "There is a good chance that we'll have two rogue Tantei on our hands instead of one. We must stop this madness now, Koenma-sama. Please understand. I'm sorry for you, truly, but this has to happen."
Inwardly, Koenma cursed at Otake—and by extension his father—for figuring out what he just had. He cursed himself for not figuring it out before them. "And my father never considered that this may make him a more powerful ally?"
"It is a risk we cannot take, sir."
"It is a risk we will have to take," Koenma said firmly. "I won't let someone else suffer for my mistakes, not again" And he couldn't bear to lose Yuusuke for real, it would be too much after this renewed hope. Despite being a god, he felt it would most assuredly kill him-to have the hope taken away so abruptly.
"You can't know that he'll be evil just because of his blood!" Mitarai yelled. He was struggling to pick himself off the ground. He wasn't a fighter, and this may have been the first time he stood up to anyone who had bullied him. He seemed scared.
"Regardless, we have our orders," Otake said firmly.
"We won't let you!"
"Then you will be terminated," they were informed bluntly.
Koenma prepared to protect Mitarai, but it was unnecessary. As if alerted to the danger they were in and to his core the teen was just that overprotective, Yuusuke's body began to glow an eerie red, surging with renewed power. In contrast, Puu emitted a stronger blue glow, and both lifted off the ground, floating in midair.
"It's begun!" Otake shouted. "Fire!"
Instinctively, Koenma formed a shield as the two SDF opened fire, blocking their attacks easily.
"Koenma-sama!" Otake complained, but the godling held his ground.
He would not let them get near Yuusuke, not until this was done. He would let nothing stop the boy's rebirth.
Puu increased in size, growing into an adult phoenix before their eyes, and he wrapped large wings protectively around Yuusuke. Koenma could feel Yuusuke changing behind the shield and Puu's soft feathers. It would be a complete change, body and soul. Even he could not say who would be stepping out from behind Puu's wings when it was done.
"It's too late, Captain," he informed Otake grimly.
"No…" Otake fell to his knees, gaping. The SDF stopped firing.
A familiar voice spoke from behind the veil of Puu's wings, causing Koenma's heart to skip giddily. He smiled without really meaning to.
"That's enough now, Puu… Man, you guys sure can't let a guy sleep! That's the most rest I've had in freaking days."
Koenma happily let the shield drop. "Yuusuke…"
The smoke and wings cleared to reveal the disgruntled teen. Clad in only his torn jeans, Yuusuke's wounds had fully healed and he was incredibly, totally alive.
Koenma relaxed, his smile stretching wide, eyes drinking in the sight of his Tantei. Never before had anything or anyone looked so beautiful.
Yuusuke petted Puu fondly, stroking the enlarged bird's neck feathers. "Look at you. I sleep for a little bit and you get all huge. It's a good look for you…" An evil smirk formed on his lips as he turned toward them, but he threw a sneaky wink in Koenma's direction before speaking. "So, I'm some big bad evil monster now, eh?"
Otake subconsciously backed up a step at the maniacal gleam in the boy's eyes. "Uh…"
"No wonder I feel ready to kick some ass," Yuusuke remarked, raising his newfound Youki threateningly.
Otake's men began to cower and Koenma tried not to look too smug. A living, breathing Mazoku was way more than they could hope to contain.
His Mazoku.
"Bow before me, you pitiful half-men!" Yuusuke boomed theatrically. "For I am the almighty Mazoku! You shall all love me and despair! Now that I've woken from my long slumber, I'll show you my true form…!" He trailed off into an insane cackle.
Koenma bit back a giggle, recognizing the movie lines Yuusuke was copying haphazardly. He wouldn't have needed the wink to know that the teen was faking it.
The SDF began to run for it, up until Yuusuke's shouting "Psych!" at which point they fell over themselves. None of them were sure whether they should be relieved or not.
"Anyway I'd better get going," Yuusuke said, quitting the act. "I'm grateful to the guys but there's no way they can beat Sensui."
Koenma nodded. Likely, Yuusuke's friends had arrived in the Makai by now. If they hurried, hopefully they could stop Sensui from causing more damage. At least in their rush through the tunnel, it seemed the invading demons had been incinerated. Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara really increased in strength, it seemed.
"Wait, you can't go anywhere!" Otake argued. "We have orders!"
Yuusuke quickly switched back to his evil expression. "Leave me alone or I'll gobble you up, mustache and all! Geez…" He sighed. "I never get a break, Puu, I tell ya…"
He was still petting his spirit beast, Koenma noticed with no small amount of fondness.
"Ah!" the Captain cried, shakily. "I knew you couldn't hide your true character!"
"Look, it's called a gag!" Yuusuke shouted sourly, and he didn't seem so amused anymore. "Watch more TV, sheesh! Mazoku blood or not, I'm still me - Urameshi Yuusuke! The ass-kicker of men and demons, partime otaku on my days off, and slacker supreme. Nothing's ever gonna change that. Now excuse me while I go kick some Big Bad's ass and save the day - again!"
"And I'm coming with you," Koenma said. There was no way he was letting the teen out of his sight, not for awhile.
Yuusuke grinned, his brown eyes softening with another kind of intensity. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Ko."
Otake grabbed Koenma's arm, his grip hard like a vice. "You can't, Koenma-sama! Doing so would mean disobeying a direct order."
Yuusuke pressed his foot against the captain's face, kicking him away. "Hands off, ferret face! Keep your grubby hands off my prince. C'mon, Ko."
"I'm yours now, am I?" Koenma jibed as he was helped onto Puu's back behind Yuusuke. The phoenix supported their weight easily.
Yuusuke smiled over his shoulder. "I live in hope. Hold onto me tight."
Koenma nodded and wrapped one arm around Yuusuke's waist, pressing close shamelessly. It was the kind of close combat which, before, he had only felt comfortable with Tatsumi or Tsuzuki. Even if this didn't last, he didn't want to worry about it. For now, he wanted to focus on the delirious fact that Yuusuke was alive.
Yuusuke grinned happily. "Okay, Puu, let's go to the Makai!"
The phoenix emitted a shrill cry and flapped its great wings, taking them into the portal.
They caught up to the others just as Kurama's, Hiei's, and Kuwabara's new found strength began to wane. After the happy reunion, in which Hiei was incredibly smug about the teen actually being a demon, Yuusuke's last fight with Sensui Shinobu began.
Just as things had been getting good, however, Yuusuke heard a strange voice in his head; before he could even begin to wonder about his sanity and wonder if he was becoming like the bastard he was fighting, he blacked out.
When he woke, he wasn't sure what had happened or even how much time had past, but Yuusuke found himself pointing at Sensui, a super-powered Rei Gun traveling toward the older Tantei.
Yuusuke wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew one thing for certain—he hadn't shot Sensui! Someone was taking his victory from him!
"Move, dumbass!"
Sensui merely smiled weakly and let the blast hit him. He went crashing into the forest floor below.
Yuusuke watched it happen, feeling utterly helpless. "Damn!"
The others were still riding on Puu, who hovered in the wind nearby, and they followed Yuusuke down after Sensui.
Yuusuke bent down and shook the older Tantei roughly, trying to wake him up. "Come on, bastard, that totally didn't count! Wake up!"
"Urameshi, what're you doing?" Kuwabara demanded. "Isn't this what you wanted? You won!"
"Shut up! No I did not!" Yuusuke yelled, voice taking on a frantic edge.
"Uh, yeah, you did. We were watchin'."
He shook his head angrily. "Someone was controlling me."
"What?!"
"I'm not really sure what happened, but..." He had heard a voice. Hadn't he?
They were distracted from this startling revelation as Sensui showed some signs of life. He coughed weakly.
"He's still alive!" Yuusuke cried, relieved.
"Not for much longer, Yuusuke," Kurama murmured.
"Can't you do something?" Yuusuke pleaded.
"I'm afraid he used up most of my reserves," the fox admitted gravely. "The only thing I could do is give him something for the pain."
"That won't be necessary," said a new voice.
Yuusuke stood, watching as a circular portal opening appeared in front of them. A familiar long-haired figure stepped out of it. "It's you again…"
Itsuki looked like he was barely holding onto his calm, anger brimming close to the surface. "Please, just let Shinobu go."
"No way," said Yuusuke. "If I'm going to kill a human being, it should at least be me doing it. It's not right."
Itsuki sighed. "Shinobu had less than half a month to live either way. Don't torture yourself. He was suffering from a rare, terminal, and incurable disease."
Yuusuke gaped. The others were equally shocked, all except for Koenma, Yuusuke couldn't help but noticing. He really had to talk to the godling about all the things he was keeping to himself.
Sensui smiled weakly. It seemed like his inner struggle with his crushed ideology was finally resolved in these final moments. "He's telling the truth."
Yuusuke looked at the man who had been his worst enemy to date, but he felt no anger toward him anymore. What had they been fighting about, really, and had they been enemies at all? Was this any different than when he'd fought Toguro? It seemed he kept fighting these men for their reasons, and not his own. It was frustrating and senseless - Yuusuke remembered finding more meaning with his street fighting than this.
But, damn it, the least Sensui could do was let Yuusuke be the one to kill him. Not some creepy voice in his head.
"You've got another half a month," the teen pointed out tentatively. "You could get better and then we'll have a re-match." He knew this sounded stupid and looked at Koenma helplessly. "Can't you do anything, Ko?"
Maybe he sounded like a spoiled child, but damn it, it wasn't fair.
"Don't," Sensui gasped sharply.
Yuusuke shook his head, his long hair moving with him, though he was hardly in a state at the moment to wonder at the length. "No! It wasn't me, don't you understand?!"
"Trust me, it was you," said the man with a kind, confident smile. "The part of you that was prepared to kill if you needed to."
Yuusuke looked at Koenma again desperately, wishing that someone would understand his plight.
Koenma looked back at him. His beautiful Yuusuke, who could never truly be his, and damn that faint hope for stirring. He did feel for the disgruntled teen, but the pain of Sensui's life slipping away was gripping him.
Then Sensui smiled at him in a way he hadn't before, even when they were friends. It was almost as though he were being forgiven. "You saved Amanuma, right? Your Mafukan was my biggest obstacle in coming here and I had to stop you." Sensui took one more look around at the strange landscape, his expression so peaceful. "I had to come here, to be killed in the home of the demons I've killed for humans who didn't deserve it... and to be killed by a demon at that! I think I finally have a sense of closure..."
"Then have you finally learned to see the gray in things?" Koenma asked softly. He almost knelt on the ground beside his old friend, but some force kept him on his feet, close to Yuusuke. He needed to be near the part-Mazoku at that moment.
"I think so. I'm glad I could come here." Shinobu looked back at the still stunned Yuusuke. "You really enjoy yourself when you're fighting, but I was never like that. In fighting you, I think I grasped that joy, if only for a moment... Thank you."
There was nothing more to do and the other man's eyes slid closed. Shinobu went still, his last breath leaving him as lightning struck nearby. A storm was coming, but the loud clap of thunder did not distract from the moment, only adding to its intensity. None of them even jumped, though that may have been partly exhaustion as well.
Sensui Shinobu was dead. Koenma tensed as he felt the bond between himself and Shinobu unravel, though he was relieved to find it wasn't as painful as he had feared. (As painful as it had been with Yuusuke, the bond that had been restored on the teen's revival.)
It felt as if the man truly had forgiven him, and didn't want to cause the god any further pain.
"Stay away from him, Koenma," Itsuki said abruptly.
Koenma blinked. "Itsuki?"
Itsuki did not look at him, his eyes focused on his lover's lifeless form. "He's finally at peace, so just leave it at that. Being killed by the most powerful demon was what he wanted, and it's healed his soul. Shinobu's last request to me was that he not be taken to the Reikai. So I'm taking him somewhere else."
The godling frowned. "If he doesn't go to the Reikai he may never be reborn..."
"I know," Itsuki said, not at all bothered. He reached down and lifted Sensui off the ground, grunting softly from the weight. He stepped back toward the portal behind him. "But I will not let Shinobu be judged by your laws."
Koenma suddenly understood and stepped toward his friend. "Wait, Itsuki!"
He knew he couldn't reach them in time, but thankfully Yuusuke stepped between Itsuki and his portal. "Listen to the man for just a sec, alright?" said the teen. "Sensui's not going anywhere."
This was true. Out in the Makai, it would take a Shinigami awhile to come and retrieve Sensui's soul.
Itsuki frowned at Yuusuke for getting in his way, but the teen frowned right back, not one to be intimidated.
"Itsuki," said Koenma, "you must know I would never let Shinobu take the blame for something that was my fault."
His old friend looked at him distrustfully. "You wouldn't? You would allow Shinobu, who was responsible for the deaths of humans and opening a tunnel to the Makai, to go to heaven?"
Koenma smiled, letting some of his sadness show. "I doubt Shinobu himself would consent to go to heaven. Reincarnation or purgatory aren't out of the question though."
"That would be... acceptable," Itsuki replied slowly, obviously still unsure if he should be listening to the god. "But I need your oath."
"You have it," Koenma said instantly. "Neither you nor Shinobu shall be sentenced to hell or be in any way permanently punished for what happened."
Itsuki nodded hesitantly. "If I have your word that it will be so... Then so be it."
Koenma smiled in relief. "It will be, don't worry."
"Can we go home now?" Kuwabara complained. "Hiei's already passed out from using his Black Dragon too much, and this place gives me the creeps..."
Itsuki reluctantly released Sensui to Koenma's care before disappearing back through the portal. It showed a great amount of trust on his part, and the godling began to hope that perhaps they could be friends once again. Perhaps not right away, but someday in the future.
He took the body to Puu, Kuwabara and Kurama helping him lie Shinobu down next to Hiei, when he noticed there was one missing from their party. Looking back, Koenma saw Yuusuke still standing a few feet away, looking out at the rocky terrain. The storm was building and if they didn't leave soon, it would be hard for Puu to navigate through the skies. But there was a severe look on his face and Koenma was hesitant to interrupt him.
"Yuusuke?"
Yuusuke looked into the distance. He was tempted to stay in the Makai and look for the bastard who had killed Sensui using his body. But he knew that if he did, he would be separated from Koenma for a long time. The SDF were still working on closing the tunnel-the jerks-and there may not be another opportunity for him to return to the Ningenkai.
Being parted from Koenma for a long time would be unbearable. No revenge was worth that.
Plus he was really fucking tired.
He looked back, and saw Koenma already perched on Puu, offering him a hand up. Yuusuke gave him a weak smile and took the offered help. He leaned against Koenma heavily once on the bird, the long day finally catching up to him. Just like that, revenge and answers weren't important-he wanted sleep and to be with Koenma.
"Puu, take us home."
Puu lifted off gently, carrying them back to the human world. Yuusuke passed out during the ride.
TBC.