Akira's POV:

" Akira."

" Yeah?"

" Please drop out."

I just looked at my sister as if she was crazy. Her pale blue eyes looked as if she was ready to cry.

" What are you talking about Mimi?"

" Please do it. "

" Why? Don't you want to be able to see?" something inside me just grew angry over what she told me to do, " I have come this far, I won't just give up!"

" Of course I want to see again, but it isn't worth it."

" I won't lose, I'm not that weak."

" No, you aren't weak. But there is opponents that you won't be able to fight."

" What.."

" Just please drop out."

" No."

" Akira!"

" I don't know what you are talking about. Since when did I become the type of guy that just gave up when things got rough?"

She sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

When she opened them again I could see how she began to fade away.

" Mimi?"

" There is something wrong with them…" she said while slowly fading. I couldn't move at all.

" Mimi, what is going on? What's wrong with who?"

" And not only them. There seems to be something wrong with you too. Akira, don't blame me. You were the one that didn't listen. Farwell."

A big light hit my eyes…

" Akira!" I threw my eyes open to see my spirit ally Makoto staring at me.

His white hair almost touching my face and his gray eyes staring at me, both with amusement and with sympathy. He is wearing a black robe with his sickles hanging on his waist.

" What do you want, Makoto?" I asked tiredly.

" I wanted to wake you up. You were mumbling alot of strange words in your sleep… and you were cursing alot!"

" Like you didn't like it…"

" That's not it. I thought it was hilarious to watch you getting that stressed out when you slept, but then it got very boring." Yeah Makoto has a really split personality…

" …. You are a good friend." Makoto is a real asshole, but he has his moments… it's only me who he is mean too anyway. I noticed that the house was completely quiet, " Where is everyone?"

" They went to the next match."

" What? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" I yelled as I threw on my clothes.

" Did you miss when I said that watching you sleep was hilarious?"

That sounded a little disturbing but I'll ignore it… for the moment.

I ran out the door with Makoto after me. I wonder why no one else woke me up…

Tsukiko's POV:

" I'm still not sure if it was smart to leave Akira behind…"

" He's be fine! Besides, Makoto told us to leave Akira to him. Probably to piss him off."

" Probably."

" Tsuki?"

" Yeah?"

" Why didn't you tell me?"

Azami's question took my by surprise, when I looked at her she didn't look at me.

Her eyes were aimed at the audience.

" I didn't want you to worry." was all I could answer.

" Worry? You wouldn't be able to guess how worried I am right now!" she turned towards me, " Not only is a freakin' phyroman after my best friend, but my best friend has known it for forever without telling me! Her best friend!"

… that made me feel a little guilty… but mostly because of the fact that Azami said 'best friend' in practically every sentence. And she knew that it would work.

" Azami, look, I'm sorry okay?" she looked out over the crowd again with her arms crossed over her stomach.

I sighed, " I promise I won't keep secrets like that from you again. So please?" I asked, trying to make the cutest face I could.

Azami gave an angry sigh ( a false one to get me worried.) " Fine. You better keep your promise!" she said strictly, but with a small smile.

" Don't I always?" I grinned.

Our 'discussion' ended the second Akira and Makoto finally arrived. Akira looked really irritated so I decided to keep quiet and stop Azami before she tried to say anything that would irritate him even more.

She was just about to open her mouth but I put my hand over it which caused her to look at me angrily, but I ignored her.

Akira gave me a small wave, then he sat down next to Ren who was sitting together with the others a few meters to our right so that they wouldn't be able to hear us talk.

We just knew that we had to talk to each other without saying anything to each other.

I took my hand away from Azami's mouth and told her to not say anything unnecessary to Akira and after a little convincing she agreed to keepy quiet. I knew that Makoto probably had annoyed him the second Akira woke up.

We then sat down, me next to Akira and Azami next to Horohoro.

The judge introduced the Hana Gumi versus team T-Production.

The match begun with the three girls in team Flower, who I was sure belonged to Hao's 'happy' crew, talked to each other about how weak the other team probably was which pissed T-Production off.

" I need to talk to you later." Akira whispered to me while still looking at the match that finally began for real.

" Sure.. is something wrong?"

" No… yes.. maybe. We will see."

As T-Production attacked the other team it was pretty obvious who would win. Not because T-Production was weak but since team Flower didn't even care about their attacks… and since they worked with Hao they couldn't be weak.

" Hmph." Both Akira were on his way out of the arena, probably pissed off because of the same reason as before… I should ask him about that later.

" Where are you guys going?" Azami asked confused. " What about the match?"

" I don't really care." He answered without turning around. " I need to think."

It felt really weird watching the match now that I knew that Akira had some kind of trouble… When you have known him as long as I have, you just know stuff like that. I wonder why Azami hasn't noticed it…

Akira's POV:

Mimi said that there was something wrong with me… but what? And by 'them', did she mean Tsuki and Azami? Maybe it was just a dream and doesn't mean anything, Mimi wouldn't be able to see if it was real.

She isn't the only one worrying me either… what is up with Tsuki? She usually doesn't keep secrets… well if she is keeping secrets she is keeping them very good since no one knows them… But I'm sure she isn't!

Ugh! This is giving me a headache! And now I'm pretty sure that I'm lost…

I stopped walking and looked at my surroundings, I then sat down on the ground. No one was around since everyone was watching the match and it seems like I had wandered into a pretty diserted place.

" What the hell is wrong with you, Akira!" Makoto appeared infront of me looking really annoyed.

" What do you mean?"

" You are boring and lazy as hell!"

" What…?"

" Oh! You mean what's wrong with you at the moment? You are lost and depressed! That sucks!"

I really hate him sometimes… most of the time actually. See what I have to deal with everyday?

" Hm? Akira." He whispered.

" I know." I whispered back.

We both felt that someone was standing behind us.

I turned my head around to see a pretty familiar face.

" You!"

Amy, the green haired girl from our first match, was standing a few meters from me.

" Look what the cat dragged in!" Makoto chuckled.

" So it was you." She answered, ignoring Makoto. "Why the hell are you sitting on the ground?" she asked as she sat down.

" Why the hell are you joining me?"

" I felt like it."

" Then that will be my answer too."

" Very well."

There was an awkward silence, you could barely hear the cheers from the shaman fight.

" Why are you still sitting here?" I asked getting a little annoyed since she didn't say anything at all… just sat there.

" You are a good fighter."

" Okay… thanks?"

" It is very rare for me to meet someone who is able to defeat me. So I am forced to ask now, are you planning on joining him?"

" Him who?"

" Hao."

There was another silence. Amy looked at me with a cold stare as if she planned on attacking me if I gave her the wrong answer.

" Now where did that come from?"

" She is clearly a sore loser." Makoto whispered to me.

" Shut it you stupid disrespectful fool!" Amy stood up, looking angrily at Makoto, then down on me. " Who's side are you on?"

" Side?"

" Haos or the X-Laws? "

What the hell is that woman on about?

" I dislike both equally."

" That is no answer!"

" Yes it is." I stood up." You are being a pain, therefor, I will leave."

As I began to walk away Amy began to yell all different kind off stuff, like me being a coward and shit like that.

" You are working for Hao aren't you? Together with that stupid little brat Matsumoto Tsukiko!"

I stopped walking, " I don't work for him. Neither does Tsukiko. We don't support him. What the hell gives you the right to say that?"

" If you aren't a supporter or work for him, why would you associate with his shaman queen?"

She gasped while blushing, " You couldn't possibly be her lover!"

Amy looked at me, giving me a death glare, then sighed.

" How old are you anyway?"

" I don't see how that's any of your business."

" Hey, I'm just trying to… Hey wait!" she yelled… pissed off because I had already begun to walk away.

" No just mind your own business and let me worry about mine. "

I heard how she was about to protest but she stopped herself and began to walk the opposite direction. " I'm keeping my eyes on you!" was the last thing she said.

Now what the hell was that all about?

Tsukiko's POV:

" Where have you been?" I asked as Akira as he finally came back from his long walk. The next match is about to begin!"

" What teams?"

" Hoshi Gumi versus X III… some guys from X Laws." I mumbled.

Sure this fight was probably gonna be pretty interesting but both the teams are totally okay with killing each other. And to be honest, I'm pretty sure that the leader of Hoshi Gumi, Hao, won't lose.

" Here they are! The competitors for match five! Hoshi Gumi versus X-III!"

The judge kept babbling about who the teams were but I couldn't really focus on what he said right now. I mean… someone will die in this match. Like in that flower team but probably worse somehow.

The little kid Opacho left the ring together with some dude with a costume, leaving Hao alone.

" What do you think you're doing?" the leader of X-III asked angrily, but didn't show it too much.

" Team Flower's match was over too fast. Maybe if I fight you alone we can give the crows a show." Hao smiled, " But just in case… why don't you come at me all at once? Bring that weird girl."

" Hao is utterly fearless! He just called the Holy girl Jeanne 'weird girl'! Are both teams ready? FIGHT!"

Then it begins…

While Hao simply stood still like he wasn't even in a fight, the X-III had already drawn their weapons.

The leader, Venstar, yelled the name Metatron while a girl in the team yelled Gabriel and the strange guy in a mask yelled Remiel.

All three of the 'angels' attacked at once like Hao wanted.

He barely react which actually surprised me. Is he really that fearless? He looked up the three shamans furyoku without a worry in the world.

" 9,700. 8,300. 10,500. What are you? A bunch of sissies?"

In a matter of seconds Spirit of Fire killed off the angel Gabriel, together with it's master.

" That was one. Now, the skinny one. I will destroy you next."

I looked over at Azami who seemed both horrified but at the same time she stayed calm. Even though we had watched Flowers kill their opponents it felt so new to watch Hao do it.

Akira didn't comment but seemed even more upset than Azami.

" X-III Meene… is dead."

There was a long silence in the crowd.

" No… not again…" Manta whispered. " This can't be right! This isn't a contest! It's murder!" he began to run.

" Manta, where are you going?" Ryu yelled after him.

" I'll put a stop to this! I will have Tamurazaki call the police if I have to!"

Amidamaru was now standing infront of him, causing him to stop.

" The match isn't over Manta. You can't interfere." Yoh said without taking his eyes from the match.

Manta looked down a couple of seconds then ran through Amidamaru screaming " Yoh you coward! I thought you of all people would understand! I don't care if the shaman fight happens every 500 years! It doesn't give anyone the right to kill!" but he didn't run too far before he suddenly stopped.

For the moment I didn't really care what made him stop, I couldn't take my eyes of the match anymore. I actually wanted to see what was about to happen.

" Gabriel was dead before we even saw Spirit of Fire." Venstar said.

" Then that means that Spirit of Fire can integrate at a super fast speed?" the masked man said.

" That hasn't been confirmed yet, Cebin."

" Then we need to indentify his medium."

I hate these guys… they are like a not all the time happy version of Hao. Their friend just died and they don't give a shit. Ryu reacted to this too but louder than me… Everyone else stayed quiet.

" I'll go next Venstar. Hao has designated me."

Crazy bastard… you will die..

" Cebin of X-III refuses to be intimidated! His spirit ally may be the angel Remiel, but does X-III have a prayer against Hao?"

Hao's smile disappeared and he looked surprised.

" This is new. I thought you'd be howling with rage by now but you seem to be taking this well. Unless… you have a secret."

Cebin pulled of his dark mask, revealing a pretty scarylooking face. Did Hao do that to him?

" I've come a long way to defeat you. Consider this payback for burning me alive 10 years ago!"

Burning… alive…. I feel a little sick.. I have seen stuff like that in scary movies and that disgust the hell out of me! How the hell could Hao be so damn cruel?

" So that's why the death of your friend doesn't bother you… this is a personal matter." He snapped his fingers and the body of Meene that was in the hand of Spirit of Fire turned into flames and his smile returned.

" You are a strange lot. You know you can't win, yet you simply throw away your lives."

" No one knows anything until they try! Remiel is the angel that oversees the resurrection of souls! " Remiel attacked, " I'll send your soul to hell for eternity!"

" I have already been to hell…" Spirit of Fire destroyed Remiel together with Cebin, burning him alive " Boring."

That was the end of Cebin…

" What a sight! He pinned him down together with the angel!" Ryu whispered.

" But how did he summon his oversoul so fast?" Azami yelled confused and disgusted.

" It was too fast to see!" Chocolove continued looking as frightened as her.

" Yes, it's just like before." Ren just sat on his chair looking at the match with the best pokerface I ever seen. " Their deaths might prove my theory. It's likely that Spirit of Fire's medium is the air itself."

"You gotta be kidding me…." Akira mumbled, taking my words from my thoughts.

How the hell is anyone supposed to beat that…?

" So this was their plan all along?" Yoh said quietly, taking Manta by surprise. " They that all of them combined couldn't defeat Hao so they waited for the shaman fight so that they would be able to attack him one at a time while the others could watch."

Talk about wanting to reach their goals… even willing to sacrifice their own friends and their own lives… admirable courage but mostly selfish.

" I was with them last night. " he continued, " I could tell that they were willing to die to defeat Hao."

The end of Venstar, the leader of X-III.

" Sorry to disappoint you, but your sacrifices will all be in vain. Your research failed." how Hao was able to keep a smile like that in these situations will always be a mystery to me.

Who the hell would be the shaman queen of someone like him?

" Research…? He knew what they were doing and killed them anyway?" Manta had tears in his eyes now, " This is crazy! The X-Laws are crazy! And we are supposed to just sit by and watch this?"

Yoh didn't answer.

" Hey!" Manta let out a small gasp as he saw the eyes Yoh had at this moment, eyes he had never seen before. If looks could kill.

" So you saw through us…" Venstar said pretty quietly since he had the hand of Spirit of Fire through his fricking stomach, I'm surprised he's alive… Now I just pity him, maybe Hao will just burn him alive too? " But you are still wrong. My brave comrades did not die in vain."

Suddenly a really weird smile appeared on Venstars face, not a Hao smile but a ' I-Got-You' smile.

" Your punishment isn't over yet! Thanks to them, I know what your medium is!"

" Wow! Venstar is still alive! What a spirit! Even while mortally wounded! Now that's guts!"

Hao turned around to Opacho and the other man and said something that was impossible to hear from where we are standing, but when he turned around he had a really evil smile… the same as always but something was different.

" So Venstar, did you realize that my medium was specifically the oxygen in the air? Fire needs oxygen to burn. What better medium for Spirit of Fire?"

"Wasn't that supposed to be a secret…? So they died… in vain?" Azami whispered.

No one had an answer.

" If you are gonna do something you better do it quick. You're dying."

" Shut up, evil one!" Venstar answered, " Can I ask a question Radim? How strong is the force field around this ring?"

Both Radim and Hao seemed a little surprised and confused over the question.. well Hao probably wasn't that confused.. he never is.

The judge answered, " It's extremely strong. Aside from me, only the contestants can pass through it. Otherwise it is an impregnable barrier."

" I see…" Venstar smiled, " That's a relief." He held some kind of globe, " Then if there was an massive explosion in here lady Jeanne wouldn't get hurt."

" A bomb?" I outburst, trying to get a better look on the globe.

The man on Hao's team yelled his name but Hao actually didn't have the time to react before Venstars angel had him captured. This was a really awsome moment.

" You slipped up Hao." Venstar said, probably feeling proud… at least he should! If this actualy succeeds it will be such a memorable moment! God I feel happy! But for some reason also a little concerned… about…

" Once the oxygen is gone, you'll be defenseless. And we will take a monumental stride toward victory." he continued. " Long Live Lady Jeanne."

The last words before the huge explosion that seems powerful enough to kill off everyone in the ring and more… even Hao?

Hi! Sorry that it took such a long time! It has been really stressful and I haven't really been in Shaman King mood but today I though " What the hell!" and wrote a chapter! :) So what do you think? I hope it's not disappointing since you have been waiting so long xD Well I'm on fire right now so I will begin the next chapter right away! I don't have to go to school tomorrow so I will have plenty of time to work on it.

Thanks for reading and thank you so much for the reviews! You might not notice it but it really helps me alot with the writing. I really appreciate it!

See you in the next chapter, bye!