"Seriously—did this just happen?" I asked.
"Look on the Brightside, Detective. With imbecile out of the way you're free to take his place in the tournament," Shishi said.
"Bitch please—you may've poofed him away with your evil curtain of trickery, but there's one thing you've forgotten about our Kuwabara," I said.
"And that would be what?" Shishi asked.
"He's so much of an idiot that instead of walking into every fight and getting killed, it actually comes back around full circle and like, rebounds so he can't be killed," I said.
"Unfortunately," Hiei said.
"Shut up," I hissed at him. Then I turned back to Shishi. "Just you wait, Kuwabara's gonna walk back in through those doors any second and-."
"And then I can send him away, again," Shishi said.
I frowned at him. "You fell out of the dick tree and hit every dick branch on the way down didn't you?"
Shishi laughed. "I might actually grow to be fond of you, Detective, if you weren't on a team with a bunch of imbeciles. It's a shame you're wasting such talent and beauty with them and on Spirit World."
"I would never, ever do anything that involved me being involved with you, ever," I said.
"Think you're too good for me?" he asked.
"Yes," I said simply. "That and I hate you."
"What a shame," Shishi said. "I love every bone in your body, especially mine."
My jaw dropped."Did he just. . ?"
"I think so," Kurama said.
"Roll the dice, Shishi, so one on my boys can kick your ass," I said. "And by the way, I would never fuck you. Ever."
"It sounds to me like you might be the slightest bit offended, Detective," Hiei said.
"Obviously! I swear to Kai, which ever one of takes him on next, had better defend my honor," I said.
"You have my word," Kurama said, pacifying me.
Shishi, still laughing, rolled the dice.
"Team Uraotogi receives a free space and for Team Urameshi it's the Masked Fighter," Juri announced.
"I'll be happy to go again," Shishi said. "What about you?"
"I said from the start I'd be fighting for any members that weren't here. I just didn't know it would be this much fun. Assuming you don't mind, Kurama," Hiei said.
He went to step toward the ring and someone grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait."
I turned around, startled to see Genkai standing there. Her power had drained significantly. I could only assumed that whatever training she had been doing with Yusuke was complete.
"Just who the hell are you?" Hiei asked. "I hope you don't expect me to believe you're the same masked fighter who was on our team before you imposter. She had tremendous power. You're a weakling."
"Yusuke has it now," she said walking past the boys and jumping into the ring.
"Don't worry guys. I promise this is the same person," I said. "She's not as strong now, but we can definitely still count on her. I'd trust her with my life."
"Just who is this masked fighter?" Kurama asked.
"I'm sure you'll learn that soon enough," I said.
"What a pity. I was expecting a fight. I can feel your fragility from here," Shishi said. "Still, I don't know who you are." He pulled out his sword. "What do you say we remove that little mask?"
Then I had a thought, if Shishi did take of Genkai's mask she wasn't going to look like the gorgeous pink haired young woman she had before since she'd given all her energy to Yusuke. This could potentially be a problem.
"Why do you look so anxious?" Hiei asked.
"Because," I said, clearing my throat, "if Shishi gets that mask off it could be problematic."
"Why?" Kurama asked. "It is the same fighter isn't it?"
"Yes it, but that's not going to be outwardly apparent," I said.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiei asked.
"That's complicated to explain," I said.
"It's match five everyone, Shishi Wakamaru versus the masked fighter! And begin!" Juri announced.
Shishi took off toward Genkai swinging his sword. Shishi was fast, but Genkai managed to evade him for the most part, but she was probably feeling older now, so she was just barely able to manage.
"You seem to have lost a great deal of energy, but more importantly, the intrigue of your identity is stealing my spotlight!" Shishi proclaimed. Then SWOOSH! He sliced the mask into bits.
Genkai landed in the ring, her true identity finally revealed.
"But, Kairi!" Kurama started, recognizing her at last. "That's-!"
"Yes," I said.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Kurama asked.
"She had her reasons for keeping her identity a secret. I don't know what they are, but we have a more pressing issue to deal with now," I said.
"What are you two going on about?" Hiei asked. "That is clearly not the same person as before."
"But, Hiei, it is," I said.
"What?" Hiei asked.
"Hopefully I don't need to tell you that that's a different person. Obviously, they're using the mask to sneak additional players into their rotation," Shishi said.
"Um, and that's against the rules isn't it?" Juri asked.
"Even if this woman is the one substitute they're allowed, she cannot enter the ring unless the one she replaces is already dead," Shishi said.
"That is what the book says," Juri agreed.
"I demand to see proof of their teammate's death and if they cannot provide it then I must ask for their disqualification," Shishi said, smirking.
"This is unexpected. The legality of Team Urameshi has been called into question and the bloodbath has stopped in the hopes of a group lynching of some sort," Koto said. "I've just gotten word that the tournament committee is reviewing the situation and will have decision shortly."
This was bad. Very, very, extremely bad. Obviously I knew it was the same fighter, but even if I shouted that at the top of my lungs no one was going to listen to what I had to say being that everyone in the stadium hated me. If ever there was time for a miracle, a time for us to cash in all of our karma points from the last round, it was right now.
"All right, I've received the final word from the committee," Koto announced.
"This is bad," I said.
"If we get disqualified," Hiei started.
"Don't be such a Negative Nancy," I said.
"I'll just go ahead and read here," Koto started, "By the authority of the tournament committee a unanimous decision on the Masked Fighter's eligibility and Team Urameshi's future is ruled. . . No problem! The fight between Shishi Wakamaru and the Masked fighter will continue!"
I let out a sigh of relief. Thank you, universe.
"WHAT? Are you serious?" Shishi shouted. The stadium was in an uproar. For once the committee was on our side. The audience immediately started pelting things at Koto suspecting that she was just taking up for us again.
"Where do you people get these things to throw at me?" she asked.
And then I saw him.
He descended the stairs walked up to Koto's booth and took the microphone.
"What the hell is he doing here?" I asked.
"That isn't very polite," Tuguro spoke. The stadium quickly fell into silence. "Team Urameshi did not cheat. I wanted you all to know that. To understand why, you merely have to know who that woman is. While employing the technique she's so fond of, the body of the user does a most impressive thing. Its cells return to the moment they were the strongest. The young woman you saw before and the old woman you see now are the same person. The human psychic who created the Spirit Wave."
Odd. Very odd indeed. It was possible that Tuguro knew this was Genkai. I'd give him that, but to know all about her technique? That wasn't likely at all unless. . .
"It's been such a long time since we've talked, Genkai," Tuguro said.
The crowd rolled into murmurs, shocked that Genkai would hide her identity being the legend that she was, but I knew why. I understood perfectly well why she hid her face now.
Because she knew Tuguro. And it wasn't as if she just knew him in passing, he knew her well enough to know how her technique worked.
The pieces were falling into place. Suddenly, the Tuguro brothers kidnapping Yukina, Genkai being the fifth fighter on our team, Tuguro requesting that I be alternate and yet promising that I was going to fight—this was no coincidence. Tuguro hadn't been intending to kill Yusuke or Kuwabara or Hiei or Kurama.
His plan was to kill Genkai.
The new question was why.
"So you're the renown psychic Genkai. Looks like I won't have to wait for Tuguro to get my celebrity after all!" Shishi exclaimed. "You seem like just an old woman, but nearly every apparition here knows who you are and now I shall be the one that kills you. It's time to stop dawdling around."
He took his sword by the hilt and pulled it sharply. It snapped open to reveal a long, pink, and rather grotesque looking face.
"That weapon," Kurama started.
"The Banshee Shriek. It think it's such a lovely name for a sword," Shishi said. "It has the power to beckon lost demon's soul into the ring here with us. It should be the perfect way for me to gain my reputation."
"I've seen a sword like that before and I don't think he understand the danger of it. That weapon has more power than he does," Kurama said.
"That doesn't sound promising," I said.
Shishi took the Banshee Shriek above his head and twirled it, faster and faster and then a high pitched wailing erupted from the sword.
"I can't begin to describe the sound that's coming from Shishi's sword. It's like my ears are bleeding, and it's draining the life right out of the audience causing them all to collapse. This kind of violence just isn't fun because it's happening to me," Koto complained.
"Did you know the shrill call of the reaper steals the lives of those too weak to resist it's siren call?" Shishi asked. "I think it sounds more like a choir of singing cherubs. But what matters is how it sounds to you, right Genkai?"
Shishi had grown horns again and moved the sword behind him, stopped spinning it and then leapt at Genkai, while Juri went screaming out of the ring.
"And, now I summon from the depths of Spirit World, the chorus of a thousand skulls!" Shishi slammed it down right over top of Genkai as ghost like skulls went flying all around the ring. The skulls started biting off the heads of the people in the stands.
"Demons souls stripped of their bodies. It's said that their fury will destroy any living soul it touches. I suggest using an energy barrier," Kurama said.
When the souls finally stopped flying, Shishi stood in the ring, back to his old self, standing smugly with his sword at his side.
"Now that you've witnessed the most awesome display f power ever released the Dark Tournament there should be no question about who the best showman is. Such impact on the audience, they will never forget the great Shishi Wakamaru," Shishi said.
"That's weird. I think he missed you kill Zeru in round one," I said.
"Hn. True," Hiei agreed confidently.
"In killing Genkai I have inherited her tasted, thus bolstering my status as a living legend," Shishi went on. "I waited a long time for this. I only wish Genkai had been stronger so I could show my full power."
"Why doesn't he just stop talking? It's really unattractive when he opens his mouth," I said.
"That giant crater is right where I was standing! That means it's could've been me who was blown apart!" Juri realized from outside the ring.
"I know how you feel little girl. That could've been me too," Genkai said from the other side of the ring.
Shishi turned and glared at her.
"Still think she's weak?" I asked.
"I'm surprised the sound of my sword alone didn't kill you, you withered old hag," Shishi said.
"Yeah, silly me. I must've forgotten to turn my hearing aid on," Genkai said. "You know how it is. With a washed up old lady like me, the memory is the first thing to go."
"Shut up! I won't be humiliated on my own stage! Don't think for a moment you can continue running from my chorus of a thousand skulls! Either you luck or you knees are bound to give out in time!" Shishi proclaimed.
The announcement that he was about to use his attack again, the crowd went berserk.
"Wow! The fans are leaving in droves! Trying to get out of the way of Shishi's next attack! I've gotta admit I'm a little afraid of what's happening next, but I'm going to stay because we announcers have got to be held to a higher standard, wouldn't you agree, Juri?" Koto said. "Juri where are you?"
Juri was nowhere to be found. I didn't blame her.
Shishi summoned up his demons again, holding it out in front of him, then stabbed the sword into the ground.
"Surround us with the cage of hell!" Shish I proclaimed. Around them a maroon cage with yellow bars sprung up around them.
"He's taken the disenfranchised voices of those souls and materialized them into an enclosure," Kurama said.
"Spooky," I said.
Shishi grew his horns again and went in to strike Genkai with his sword. He swung it down upon her, but Genkai, the spectacular woman that she was, caught the sword within her hands. Her energy exploded and before our very eyes she transformed back into her young, pink haired version.
"Spirit reflection blast!" she proclaimed, before taking an incredible blast energy, destroying the cage and sending Shishi flying across the ring.
"Damn, I'm glad to share her genetics," I said.
"I second that," Kurama said
"How?" Shishi asked.
"I can't afford to waste my own energy so I borrowed some of yours. I hope you can understand, I am a very busy old lady," Genkai said.
"How could you do such a second rate thing to me you second rate thief? The energy in that attack was mine and it was destined to. . . To. . . To earn my greatness! Don't you realize what I was supposed to become?" Shishi whined. "It'll take more than parlor tricks to keep a champion like me down!"
Shishi got back to his feet, his horns showing again, a crazed look in his eye.
"Chorus of a thousand skulls!" Shishi summoned again.
Genkai, now loaded up on Shishi's energy easily deflected the skulls with a barrier.
"Apparently Shishi had a lot more energy than we gave him credit for," Hiei said.
"Had is right. Little good it's doing him now that Genkai's claimed it," Kurama said.
Shishi, was infuriated and ran at Genkai prepared to attack again, but she stopped him with yet another Spirit Reflection Blast. She snapped the hilt of the Banshee Shriek in half and the blade fell into several pieces. Shishi landed on the ground.
"Thief. You really don't fight for justice," Shishi said.
"No. I fight to get what I want and I always have. It just so happens that a great deal of them turned out to be demons," Genkai said.
"I may've fallen in love with you. If things had turned out differently and you still looked like that all of the time. We could've been together," Shishi said. And then he passed out.
"Looks like you're not his favorite anymore," Hiei said.
"Thank Kai," I said.
"Woohoo! Way to go! Girl power!" Juri cheered. "What's it like being a young gal in a mostly male. . ." Juri stopped mid-sentence noticing that Genkai had returned to normal. "Oh. . . Good job! The winner of the match is Genkai! That victory gives Team Urameshi a strong four to one lead in this semi-final round. One more win and they advance! And there's only one more member of Team Uraotogi still standing to stop them."
"And he's barely standing," Hiei said.
Onji was an old guy, but after the display Genkai put on I knew it would be ridiculous to think that he was out of the running completely.