Ren's heart was pounding so hard he thought he could feel it against his ribs. It had just started to rain. Just my luck he thought. His shaman fight was about to start. Hao was nowhere to be seen, nor was his opponent. He could feel hatred pulsing through him at the thought of Hao.

"Ren?"

"What?" Ren snapped irritably. He turned to see Yoh. He glared into to his dark eyes for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry. What is it?"

"Um," Yoh said, a little bit worried that Ren would bite his head off again. "Just, what is it you want us to do?"

"Just make sure that Hao doesn't take Kacia." Ren said. "Remember, Hao is mine, but don't let him even come close to Kacia."

"Right." Yoh said. He nodded to Horohoro, Ryu, Anna and Jessica. Ryu's gang were there too, though everyone doubted they would be able to do much against Hao.

Ren had just started to get a prickling sensation across his skin, possibly from nerves and possibly from the cold when he heard a cool voice behind him. "So you chose the tournament? How selfish" Ren recognised the voice. He spun around to meet Hao's eyes, but there was no one there.

"Ren are you okay?" Yoh asked.

"How could you choose your own destiny over another's life?" said Hao's voice. Ren spun around again. He could not see Hao anywhere. He suddenly noticed a warm feeling around his ankles. He left of the way just in time to dodge the emerging of Hao's spirit of fire from out of the ground from where he had just been standing.

"I haven't." Ren spat. "You and me, right here, right now."

"But isn't this where you will fight your opponent?" Hao asked smirking.

"Yes." Ren replied shortly.

"So you mean to fight us both at the same time?" Hao said, his smile broadening.

"Yes." Ren said again.

"Well, if that is the case, we might as well wait for your opponent…it would be rude to start without him." Hao said looking yet even smugger. Ren simply glared at him. He had noticed one of the Patch village priests in a tree getting ready to watch the fight between Ren and his opponent. "He is late." Hao murmured. The Priest dropped out of the tree and approached the group.

"If your opponent does not appear in the next five minutes they will be disqualified and you will win by forfeit." He said. Ren had barely heard him. His heart was racing, he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his system. He was hoping that he would win by forfeit, then he would be able to focus all his efforts onto Hao. But no such luck. The sound of running footsteps reached his ears. He turned to see a boy who could have been no younger than him arriving.

"Sorry I am late." He panted. He took on look at Hao and drew his sword. Hao laughed nastily.

"You pathetic fool, it is not I who is your opponent. You are in luck today, my good friend Ren here," he gestured to the Chinese shaman who flinched at the word "friend", "is your partner in this fight. He also happens to be someone who challenged my strength and will be fighting me at the same time as you." The boy looked at Ren and smiled too.

"This should make things pretty easy for me." he sneered.

"Come on then." Hao said brightly. "Lets get this party started."

"Hmm, I never like parties." Ren grunted preparing his Kwan Dao. In that one second, all three shamans had performed over soul.

Ren, who had been growing more and more impatient as the evening had been dragging on made the first move and it was against Hao. Running towards him as fast as he could, his Kwan Dao raised. Hao had predicted Ren's first move and countered it easily with a lazy brush of his fire like sword. Ren was thrown backwards and into the boy, who pushed him forward. Ren swung his Kwan Dao towards Hao, bluffing his attack while raising one foot into the air. The boy behind him ran towards Ren who kicked out behind him. The boy's stomach connected with Ren's foot heavily, sinking to the ground winded. Hao swung at Ren who stepped back out of its path but tripped over the boy on the ground.

"Ren, it doesn't have to be this way." Hao said to Ren. "Give me Kacia, and you can defeat this chump and continue through the tournament."

"If I did that, I would meet you later in the tournament." Ren said. He got up, ignoring the boy's gasps for breath. Ren was secretly disgusted by this - how could that boy call himself a shaman???

"In that case, Spirit of Fire…" The spirit of fire appeared behind it's master and towered over Ren, who could feel the heat flaring against his skin. Ren gazed into the spirit's giant, merciless face. The giant's hand reached down to grab Ren. The cowering boy gasped in amazement and horror. Ren was taken into the spirit's hand and lifted into the air. The next thing Ren knew, he was surrounded in flames. But concentrating all of his Furyoku, he was able to remain alive and unharmed within the flames that swallowed him. Among the fiery sparks and crackles he could make out screams and yells from his friends.

"Let Ren go!" Kacia screamed.

"I gave him one last chance to back down, but he refused." Hao answered calmly.

"You made him choose between himself and Kacia." Yoh spat. "What kind of choice was that?"

"An unfair one admittedly, but a choice none the less."

"You are evil." Jessica gasped.

"No, I am merely fulfilling my destiny. A path in which the ends always justify the means." Hao said smiling.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Horohoro snarled.

"It means that I am supposed to be shaman king and I want Kacia to be one of my followers. Her power is phenomenal."

"She can't even control it!" Jessica said.

"No, but I could. With that amount of power at my disposal, who knows what I could achieve? It would certainly make getting rid of little pests, such as yourselves a lot easier."

---

Ren was deaf to this conversion in spite of his awareness to its existence. He was focused on staying alive in the raging inferno around him, his Furyoku building inside him.

---

"How am I supposed to beat that spikey haired idiot while you have him?" the boy on the ground shouted to Hao. Hao had forgotten that he was still there.

"You cant. Ren and I do not get on, but I will admit he is a strong shaman. To be honest, you never stood a chance."

"You are wrong!" he yelled. I will show you-" he was cut off by a jet of flames that killed him instantly.

"I think we will all be a lot better off without him." Hao said. "But once I have destroyed Ren, I will take Kacia regardless and-" He too was cut off. The spirit of fire began to squirm uncontrollably. A variety of blades were sticking out through its body. It dropped Ren to the ground, who looked dirty and burned in some places but very much alive. The spirit of fire began to get smaller and smaller.

Yoh, looking at this amazing sight remembered one attack he had seen Ren perform in the past, in which these blades would erupt from the ground. He guessed it was the same basic principle.

Ren, panting, and in pain held his Kwan Dao to Hao throat, who was defenceless, with his spirit out of commission.

"Go." Ren said. Hao looked at Ren with an annoyed, defeated expression. Yoh couldn't understand why Ren didn't just kill Hao. "Go!" Ren said a little more strongly. Hao took a few steps backwards and with the spirit of fire's remaining strength, Hao disappeared in a flame of red. As soon as he was gone, Ren dropped his Kwan Dao to the floor, it was getting very difficult to focus. He was aware that his friends were crouding around him and all talking to him at the same time. "I'm going to faint." Ren warned them. That was the last thing he remembered of that night…

(A/N) Finally finished that chapter! Ive been attacked by homework and other things so ive not had much time to do it! Will update when I can!