Chapter 20: David and Goliath

It was less of a fight, and more of a pissing contest. Yusuke would shoot a massive spirit gun blast, and an uninjured Toguro would state an increase in his power level, and give a demonstration on his new strength by planting a fist into Yusuke's body. Yusuke removed the spirit cuffs that he had been wearing since the beginning of his training with Genkai, and everything repeated again with the same results. And then, knowing that he had to keep Yusuke alive if he ever wanted an opponent worthy of 100% of his strength, but knowing that the boy probably needed his nose ground in it if he wanted the boy to take things seriously… Toguro raised himself to 100% of his strength.

Yusuke Urameshi… figured he was probably going to die today, but he was going to go down swinging. He owed Keiko who had already had to deal with him dying once, and had provided the boost he heeded to come back to life. He owed it to Kuwabara, that dumb oaf was probably the most reliable person he knew, and he felt like an ass for letting him down. He owed it to the old hag, who had taken him as an apprentice and kept him no matter how many times she complained about him. And most importantly, he realized that he owed it to himself, because even though the same circumstances had led him to today, he had probably done more things he was proud of since becoming the spirit detective then he had since he was born. He just wasn't going to let that slip out of his hands. So what if nothing he had used had been able to put a scratch on Toguro. So what if the man could flick his fingers and generate bullets capable of knocking Yusuke on his ass. So what?

Then, Toguro began sucking the souls out of the audience into the lumps on his shoulders. But, Yusuke didn't have anything more to give. And then while he was on his hands and knees puking up bile from another gut checking blow from Toguro, Keiko screamed… and somehow, somewhere inside himself… he found something he could protect her with... something that would stay. Even after he was gone.

He screams as he forces himself to sit back on his heels, and he could swear, the world lit up in blue… even as he felt it slipping out of his hands, flickering like a dying light bulb… and then everything started to go black. But that was ok… Somehow he knew that Keiko was going to be just fine. But damn it… Hey Kuwabara? I'll let you kick my ass however many times you want when we meet up again in the spirit world.

After a ten count Juri declares Toguro the victor. The horde of yōkai in the arena cheer, even as the tiny group of humans in their midst cries out in denial as Kuwabara Kazuma steps onto the arena. Keiko cries into the soft tuft of fur on top of the little penguin that had come out of the egg only moments ago, "He isn't dead. He isn't dead. Please. Don't let him die. I. I love him." The soft floppy ears embrace the disconsolate girl in a mimicry of a hug. "Puuu~."

The orange haired teen doesn't even tremble as he picks up his bloody unconscious comrade and carries him back to Kurama and Sōta for healing. And then, Kuwabara goes back to face his death like a man, silent, and head held high, even if Toguro would need less than a punch to kill him.

Sōta focuses intently on stabilizing Urameshi, even if he flinches when the squelch of Toguro killing Kuwabara reaches his ears. Kurama closes his eyes as the human boy's magic fades to nothing, and in the stands Yukina cries, "He was so brave. Even as his heart stopped… Why? Why does it have to be like this? I don't understand!" Hiei remains silent remembering everything that had happened before and wonders just why it was that he hadn't liked the orange haired human the first time… He turns his head to look at Sōta. It appeared that they finally knew who Dekuyume-neesan had left the flowers for.

Sōta glares at the sunglasses on Toguro's face wishing the man at least had the courtesy to look them in the eyes. "Do you acknowledge that the terms of your agreement have been honored!" With a nod and perhaps a bit of curiosity, just who was this little kannushi that had the balls to glare at him like that after he had defeated their strongest fighter and slain Yusuke's best friend? "Yeah." Sōta nods briskly, lips thin as he states, "Good, now get back in the ring."

Sōta stomps right past the muscle-bound behemoth. The crowd roars with laughter and Kurama could understand their humor even if he found it misplaced, with Toguro remaining in his 100% strength state, Sōta's chest was smaller in diameter than Toguro's forearm. And really, if the Spirit Detective chosen by the spirit world to guard over humanity had been defeated, why did a weak kannushi think that he could succeeded?

But Kurama could feel the rather impressive amount of magic that Sōta had been pouring into the flowers since he received them last night, the flowers that were still gripped tightly in his hands. But what truly gave him faith in Sōta's victory was the complete ease at which Hiei watched the boy take his place in the ring with Toguro.

Before Juri can call the start of the match, Sōta looks past his opponent to Sakyo, "I am a kannushi, as such I am morally prohibited from taking the life of another human. While I could make an argument that your behavior disqualifies you, I won't sink to your level. If you're even half the man Kuwabara-kun was, you will kill yourself." Sakyo raises an eyebrow at the boy's audacity, "Strong words, for a boy who barely defeated his last opponent. But I accept."

Juri declares the start of the match leaving Sōta's response to linger in the air, "This won't be a fight, but an extermination."

Toguro waits to see just what the boy is made of, more out of curiosity than anything else, content to wait until Yusuke received the spirit wave orb from Genkai before finally freeing himself from Kairin's shadow. Nothing had ever managed to even put a scratch on him while he was using 100% of his strength. Nothing this kannushi could throw at him would change that.

It would have been true, had Sōta planned to utilize any technique or magic that affected the body.

Sōta without any fanfare, holds the Gods Lament and points them at Toguro with one hand as if they were a cannon, his free hand pointed back to Kuwabara's dead body. With eyes like steel, the words of his spell come out of his mouth, not as a scream a chant or a prayer, but a demand.

"Kami of The Well Time and Kami of The Eternal Battlefield, your kannushi bids you to place the killer and the killed upon the scales, then tip the balance across the fulcrum of my reincarnated soul. As your brother I invoke you."

The flowers burst into a swirling yin-yang of purple-black and pink, only to break apart. To the sound of a rapidly increasing drum beat that can be felt, but not heard, the purple-black magatama spirals into Toguro while the other spirals into Kuwabara's corpse. Amid the crashing of drums, a flash of magic, so fast it looks like lightening even to Hiei's eyes, shoots from Toguro, arching into Sōta before trailing down his free arm and leaping into Kuwabara. Kuwabara who sat up with a sudden jerk, sputtering as if he had been doused in ice-water.

Toguro took off his sunglasses and stared at his hands, whatever magic worked by the wish he was given as the champion of the last dark tournament… had been undone. His youth had faded in an instant leaving him with all the years he had lived etched upon his body. The sudden change sends his heart racing… and as a result, Toguro dies, not from a fight to the death with a human capable of pushing him past his self perceived maximum strength, but hand griping his suddenly tight chest and short of breath… Toguro dies from a heart attack at the age of 76.

Juri calls the match in favor of team Urameshi as the stadium is once again left silent by the Higurashi. Kurama rushes onto the ring, Hiei following behind him. Astonishingly Sōta is unconscious on his feet and Kurama gently lowers the comatose kannushi to the ground next to the very confused Kuwabara and unconscious Yusuke. He attempts to determine the extent of Sōta's injuries, only to be rebuffed by a Bi-colored pulse of raw magic.

Kurama stares in shock, ears twitching backwards on his head. What… was that? Sōta's magic was golden, so where had the purple and pink come from? Hiei answers the unspoken question. "Sōta's… affinity for healing magic is so strong, he has the innate ability to take in any poison and turn it into a cure. That spell he casted was a healing spell."

Kurama stares at Sōta as if seeing him for the first time. The kami that Sōta is related to… took Toguro's murder of Kuwabara, and the entirety of Toguro's magic, somehow pressed them into and then through Sōta's soul before collecting the… antithesis of murder (resurrection perhaps?) and for all intents and purposes, revoked Kuwabara's death. Suddenly Kurama realizes that his attempt at healing Sōta had been rebuffed by Sōta's patron/family kami. He was lucky they knew he just wanted to help, otherwise he would have gotten more than his hands slapped.

While everyone is distracted, Sakyo pulls the remote detonator out of his jacket. It had been a good game. But a loss was a loss. But he dies before he can press the button. Hiei is too fast for the human to even register the danger and cuts Sakyo with Murasame killing him instantly no need for the curse in the blade to activate.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-O-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Hiei

Receives enchanted blade capable of killing anything with a heart in a single cut

Kills all opponents before curse can activate causing the blade to be recognized

Challenge

+Accepted