Chapter 35

As they were beginning on their way to the hotel, the sisters stopped as they remembered that they wanted to stop by Team Urameshi's locker room first and was about to go back into the stadium until Koenma had gotten their attention.

"Where are you girls going?" asked Koenma.

"We were going to go by the Team Urameshi locker room after the fights were over," Kiyoko replied.

"But something came up and we forgot," said Etsu.

"Can't you girls wait until later?" asked Koenma.

The sisters looked at each other, nodded, and looked back at Koenma.

"Well, I do need to clean up," said Etsu.

"And I want to change into something more casual," said Kiyoko.

"So, yeah, we'll wait," said Etsu.

"Yeah," Kiyoko agreed.

"So, that's it?" asked Koenma. "You're not going to argue with me first?"

"We're not arguing with you because you're not being bossy," Etsu replied.

"Or throwing a childish tantrum," Kiyoko added.

"Hey, I don't always throw a tantrum!" Koenma protested. "And I'm not always bossy, either!"

The sisters ignored their brother's protesting as they walked away, Koenma and George following them on the way to the hotel a moment later. Koenma suddenly noticed Etsu's bracelet as the sun bounced off of it.

"Where did you get that bracelet, Etsu?" asked Koenma.

"Hiei gave it to me last night," Etsu replied. "Why do you want to know?"

"No reason," said Koenma.

While continuing walking to the hotel with his sisters and George, Koenma wondered why Y. Toguro had invited his sisters to watch the tournament. George noticed Koenma being deep in thought and spoke up.

"What are you thinking about, Koenma sir?" asked George.

"It's nothing," Koenma replied.

Koenma snapped out of thought when his sisters moved him away from a tree he was about to run into.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Koenma exclaimed.

The sisters sighed as they pointed out the tree to Koenma.

"If we didn't move you out of the way, you would've hit that tree," said Kiyoko.

"Oh, thank you," said Koenma.

"You're welcome," said Etsu.

"Why didn't you get my attention about that tree, ogre?!" Koenma snapped.

George was about to say something until Kiyoko spoke up.

"Don't blame it on him that you weren't paying attention," said Kiyoko.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have been daydreaming," Etsu agreed.

George sighed in relief that the sisters defended him until Koenma glared at him. When finally getting to the hotel, Koenma checked in as his sisters went to their suite. The sisters sighed in relief once they got to their suite. Etsu thought about calling to have her bloody fighting clothes dry cleaned, but decided against it as she didn't want Sakyo finding out about the dry cleaning and paying for it. Her thoughts drifted to her encounter with Karasu a moment later. Kiyoko had just put the sodas in the mini fridge when she noticed her sister looking as if something was bothering her.

"What's wrong, Etsu?" asked Kiyoko.

Etsu sighed as she thought she should go ahead and tell Kiyoko.

"It's about that demon I said I ran into," Etsu replied. "I think that was the most I've been creeped out."

"It's not like we haven't faced creepy demons before," Kiyoko pointed out.

"He wasn't just ordinary creepy," said Etsu. "Anyway, he said he knew you."

"Did he say who he was?" asked Kiyoko.

"Yeah," Etsu replied. "He said his name was Karasu."

"Etsu, I told you about him before, remember?" said Kiyoko. "I know you do or else you wouldn't look so bothered."

"Yeah," said Etsu. "I remember. It was about a month before we left Spirit World, and you were off on that solo mission while I was helping Koenma finish his paperwork that had built up."

"It's one of the times that I won't ever forget," said Kiyoko. "I had just finished the mission and was on my way back to Spirit World when he ambushed me."

"Didn't you say that he was watching you fight and got impressed by your attacks or something?" asked Etsu.

"Yeah, he was creepy," Kiyoko shuddered. "He kept talking about taking me away, killing me, and the intimacy of it. It was a hard fight with him, even though he's a lower class than we are. He kept making bombs out of thin air and dodging my Crystal Stars. He was able to give me wounds by just barely touching me. I had just about had him, but he suddenly stopped fighting with me. He told me he was sorry to cut it short but would come find me again someday."

"Ugh, what a freak!" Etsu shuttered.

"Yeah, I know," Kiyoko agreed.

"My encounter with Karasu earlier was similar to yours," said Etsu. "Except it was without the bombs."

"I'm sorry you had to go through with that, Etsu," Kiyoko apologized. "I should've just finished him off while I had the chance."

"You don't have to apologize, Kiyoko," said Etsu. "It's not your fault."

Kiyoko sighed and nodded.

"What's important is that we're both okay," said Etsu.

"Yeah, you're right," Kiyoko agreed, feeling better. "Go ahead and take a shower."

"Okay," said Etsu. "Will you do me a favor and not call about the dry cleaning?"

"Why?" asked Kiyoko.

"You know why," Etsu replied. "Sakyo might want to pay for it."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," said Kiyoko. "It's best if you just soak the blood out of your clothes."

"Right," Etsu agreed.

Etsu went to her room a moment later to take off her necklace and bracelet and put them on the dresser. She then took off her boots, gathered some clean clothes, went into her bathroom, put the clean clothes on the rack by the towels, and started to get undressed.

'It's going to take forever to get the blood out of these clothes,' thought Etsu.

Kiyoko was in her bedroom as she changed out her fighting clothes into her casual clothes (blue jeans and a blue sleeveless t-shirt}, putting on her socks and sneakers a moment later. After re-fixing her hair, she left her room, sat down on the sofa, and started to read a book while waiting for Etsu to get done with her shower.

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Karasu looked out the window of his team's suite while thinking about the time he saw Kiyoko for the very first time on her solo mission. He became impressed and turned on at the same time when he saw her fight and kill the enemy she was sent to pursue. Karasu had ambushed her, fought her, and was about to be killed himself until he was called away. He had told her how he'd find her again after apologizing for cutting the fight short.

'I wonder if I'm powerful enough to try to take Kiyoko away now,' thought Karasu. 'She looked so beautiful covered in her victim's blood, and she'll look beautiful covered in her own when she becomes mine.'

Karasu's thoughts drifted to his encounter with Etsu and how her personality seemed softer than Kiyoko's, but she was just as courageous with the same destructive power as Kiyoko and he liked that just the same.

'I wonder which one of them I should take away first,' thought Karasu, his violet eyes suddenly gleaming red. 'They're both so catching.'

E. Toguro looked at Karasu and cackled as he knew what he was thinking about, getting Karasu's attention with his cackling.

"Thinking about the Daioh sisters, Karasu?" asked E. Toguro. "I've heard you fought with Etsu in the stadium earlier so that must mean you like her a lot, but you prefer Kiyoko since she's more feisty."

Karasu didn't respond as he looked at E. Toguro.

"I don't blame you for liking them," said E. Toguro. "They're very beautiful."

"Yes, they are very beautiful," Karasu agreed. "But that's not the only reason why I like them."

E. Toguro was about to suggest to Karasu that he should try to take a pass at the sisters before he attempted to kill them until Y. Toguro came into the room.

"We need to talk, Karasu," said Y. Toguro.

"What is it about?" asked Karasu.

"I don't want you to bother the Daioh sisters," Y. Toguro replied. "After your encounter with Etsu, you're bound to find Kiyoko and bother her. At the same time, you'll continue to bother Etsu and I can't allow that to happen."

"You should know by now that I don't let who or what I like to get away," said Karasu.

"I do, but I have my reasons for you not to bother them," said Y. Toguro. "One of my reasons is that I don't want you distracted from this tournament."

"I won't make any promises," said Karasu. "Besides, you know I won't be distracted."

"Watch yourself, Karasu," Y. Toguro warned.

Karasu didn't say anything as he went to his room so he could think about the sisters. Y. Toguro was about to leave the suite again until E. Toguro got his attention with his cackling.

"You shouldn't be worried about Karasu bothering the Daioh girls, brother," E. Toguro cackled. "They can take care of themselves, or are you afraid that he'll get a piece of them before you?"

"Enough, brother," Y. Toguro warned. "I won't have you speak dishonorably about them."

E. Toguro decided to not say anything else as he quietly cackled, Y. Toguro leaving the team's suite a moment later.