Since she was a little girl, Ryoma found herself with troubling dreams, and abilities which she keeps hidden. She is also plagued by demons, another thing she hides from her team until she gets a fateful invitation...

Team Urameshi VS Team Toguro

At 8:00 that morning...at the old temple behind the Echizen old home...

'Everyone all here? Tournament starts at nine.' Nanjiroh told the boys with an impish grin as he looked at all eight boys present.

'We're all here, the whole team.' said Tezuka. All of them were in their school uniforms to keep up the guise to their parents that it's the same ol' routine. School by day, 10 pm at night from the sports facilities. And they told Ryuuzaki that Ryoma would spend more time with her newfound brother while the boys have an all-boys' day out. It took one hell of a convincing to ensure that she doesn't phone their parents home, and the jig was up.

'That's good to hear.' said Nanjiroh. 'We're going to Kubikukuri Island though I don't know how we'd make it in one hour. Even by ship it takes three hours to get there but for some reason when I asked, only VIPs are allowed on that island which means we sneak in.'

'There's a good reason why that island is off-limits to the public.' Botan popped up from above them, sitting on her oar. 'Because of that tournament. You seriously think humanity would accept youkai from myths and fantasy books actually exist?' she asked them wryly. 'That, and that island is owned by the darkness of humanity itself, the Black Book Club. Human mafioso who make money off youkai.' she explained. 'It's one of the very few places here in Japan that youkai are allowed in by Reikai only once every fifty years.'

'That explains why nobody speaks of it.' Nanjiroh grunted. 'But what do the guys at shipping know?'

'That it's a privately owned island by the mafia. That alone speaks volumes and no sane citizen wants to mess with a mafioso or yakuza you know.' Botan tut-tutted. 'It's practically the perfect excuse.' she told them. 'Sooo you guys ready?'

'We're ready!'

xxx

And so...fifty minutes later, they arrived at the stadium...at the front seats.

'Front seats...we're in the freaking front seats!' Momoshiro beamed in glee. They get to see the fights up close! Meaning, they get to see how good Ryoma is up close.

'But we have to sit next to these freaks.' Kaidoh complained. There's youkai sitting besides Tezuka and Nanjiroh, and a whole row of them behind them, screaming for Team Urameshi's deaths.

'It will be fine. I have had some training on my powers. The youkai in the seats are just D-Class. I'm also a D-Class so I can fight on an equal footing. I'll manage.' Tezuka reassured his company. 'It'll be nine soon...'

'But still, this is creeping me out nyaa...and where's hime-chan?' Kikumaru whimpered while shaking nervously at unwanted company and wanted some reassurance. Soon, a demi-human dark-skinned girl with blue newt-like features dressed in what an aerobics outfit would be stepped on stage.

/Ladies and Gentlemen!/ the girl announced. /Thanks for your patience! Welcome to the Finals of the Dark Tournament! Presenting...the Urameshi Team!/ their gate slowly opened up and they all went out. To the boys, they were right beside the team's gate, as Team Urameshi came out.

'There they are!'

'Kill the humans!'

'Die!'

'Our money is on your deaths!'

'Well, no demon is supportive of them.' Fuji quipped dryly with a frown. 'Everybody wants them dead.'

'Humans are just food to youkai and nothing else.' Tezuka drawled. 'This behaviour is not surprising.'

'Hime-chan!' Kikumaru called out at their teammate who sported black feathery wings on her back, and a black outfit. 'She's really ready to kick some butt guys! Her clothes look really cool!'

If only they see the front...

/Aaaand now...the Toguro Team!/

'Yeeeaaahhh!'

'Kill! Kill! Kill!'

'Kill em' all!'

'The fanbase sure is reassuring.' Kaidoh grunted. Momoshiro was about to stand up and bellow support for the Urameshi team when Nanjiroh pulled him back down.

'Forget it Momoshiro, don't reveal anyone that we're humans!' Nanjiroh grunted. 'We are very out of place in here, let me tell you!'

'But...'

'Our presence here is enough.' said Inui. 'It's OK.'

'What? There's only four in Team Toguro!'

'Who's that black shorty with Team Urameshi? Did they switch players?'

'Cheaters!'

'Somebody explain!'

/QUIET! We're getting to that!/ a fox girl yelled. /Team Urameshi reported an accident in their team, thus they called in their substitute member who replaced Genkai. This substitute member has been legally registered since the start of the Tournament but only made an appearance today due to the rules! As for Team Toguro, they cannot continue without five members! Please call out your fifth member!/

/According to the rules also, the Finals will consist of one-on-one matches!/ the newt-girl continued. /A team must have three wins to be the victor of the Tournament!/

'Then shall I summon him now?' said Toguro as the gate behind them opened...to reveal a man in a suit.

'Hey! Isn't he Team Toguro's owner? Can he even fight?'

'OK? A guy in a suit this time.' said Kawamura. 'Tezuka, you sense anything in that guy?'

'No. He's a normal human. He's probably in just to fill the gap because of the rules.' Tezuka told them. 'Most likely he will not fight as he obviously has no capability in doing so.'

As he claimed, that was so. And Sakyou, the Team Owner confidently stated that his team will win, and he bet his life on it.

'Wow, talk about confidence.' Ryoma griped. 'But still, in a way he may be right, and that depends in your levels.'

/Now...let's begin!/ Karasu challenged Kurama by tapping his head with a finger and said, 'Bang!'

'Kura, I know you have a habit of risking yourself to know your enemy's game...but please take note that he is a Quest Class like I.' Ryoma told him. 'Do NOT fool around.'

'You reminded me of that a month ago.' Kurama quipped. 'I will be fine.'

'You had better.' Ryoma grinned. 'It'll damage the reputation Youko Kurama worked before we met you know!'

'Ah, be quiet, you.'

'No mercy.'

Kurama held true to the 'no mercy'. He knows full well what Quest Classes can do, having one for a best friend. Youkai may have some preferences. Heck, Kuronue preferred chained sickles when Quest-Classes can make ANYTHING with their aura. Ryoma was proof of that as she was more versatile in the present than in the past.

Needless to say, he took out the big guns.

He became Youko. His power flared all over the arena, making even nine powerless males feel it, and Tezuka who COULD feel it, was shivering in fright. None of them had any idea that Ryoma's best friend who occasionally played with them, was this strong!

'Holy cow! Minamino-san became a white dog!' Kawamura yelped when Ryoma appeared in a blink and sat on the edge of the protectsive walls beside her father. 'But when did he change his clothes?'

'There's no way anyone can change that quick...' Inui choked out. 'The fastest would be thirty seconds but he took ten when the smoke subsided.'

'Not a dog, but a Youko. A rare type and powerful one at that.' Ryoma explained to them. 'That is Shuichi's true form...Youko Kurama.'

'You mean Minamino's a youkai?' Tezuka asked Ryoma with wide eyes.

'Yes...for three thousand years.'

'Whoa! Ancient!' Momoshiro exclaimed. 'He's an old fossil!' at the ring, Kurama twitched at that comment. His ears are sensitive, thank you! 'He's lived that long?'

'He did...until some Reikai Hunter who wanted he bounty on his head shot him. Mortally wounded, Kurama's soul fled to Ningenkai for safety and possessed a woman's unborn child that has yet to receive a reincarnated soul from the afterlife. He then became Minamino Shuichi. Body of a human...but a youkai's soul. But he told me that compared to the dog-eat-dog world of Makai...Ningenkai was a nicer place to live in comparison...and he learned how to love by being loved. His human mother loved him enough to catch him when he fell off a stool as a child, and she caught him...nevermind that there's broken shards of a plate under her arms.' Ryoma told them. 'She had to be operated for several slash wounds on her arms because of the plate shards. And seeing that she willingly risked herself for him without hesitation...humanity began for him. He did all he could to make her happy by being the perfect son she could count on and be proud of. And in turn for her love, he would stay until she no longer needed him. Until then, he's her perfect son.'

'So that's his story...well...wow.' Inui croaked out in marvel.

'Well, shows how love can change people, however cheesy this sounds.' said Nanjiroh with a chuckle. 'If a lady can tame a 3000-year-old fox, what next?'

'How about a black raven tamed by a wealthy family?' Ryoma laughed jokingly but she meant it.

'Now that's something to see.' Fuji commented...while Tezuka eyed his kohai.

Black raven...

And she had black feathery wings on her back. Subtle much? They watched Kurama's match as he made use of demonic-looking plants the players were sure they'd only see in horror movies...but even as a Youko, Kurama was hard-pressed against Karasu who was faster, and played with bombs.

'Dagnabit, Kurama!' Ryoma swore while shaking. 'I know you got some humanity but where's the cold-blooded, merciless youkai against enemies I used to know? You're going too easy on him! He should have been dead ten minutes ago!' she swore.

'Say what now?' her teammates and her father choked out. How can their teammate casually talk about killing and cold-bloodedness? After a bloodied spectacle with his last plant being a vampire plant that bloomed on blood, Kurama barely managed to stand at the countdown...winning by a hair. Ryoma was the first to reach her best friend after he had been proclaimed the winner.

'Kurama, I'm supposed to die first, not the other way around.' Ryoma joked as she got her best friend off the ring.

'Kurama you OK?' Yusuke demanded worriedly. 'Still alive?'

'Last I checked, I am.' Kurama smiled weakly. 'Let's just say that prototypes took a toll on me, that's all.' Ryoma frowned.

'Prototype...Kurama, what did you do?'