Judging by his fight with Yusuke, Kurama thought, it appears he's gotten much stronger since he nearly burned my arm to a crisp. If I'm not careful that will happen again. He pulled out a rose and created a rose whip instantly. Kunsei created a fireball and threw it at Kurama. He dodged.
The entire forest behind him set on fire. "Good idea," Kunsei said, "let's not let you use any material here." He threw his flames all around him, surrounding both of them in intense flames.
This is bad, Kurama thought, if I don't find a way out of this I'll burn alive. He created more plants and patted some of the fire out. Kunsei used the distraction and punched Kurama in face, causing him to fly backwards passed the flames.
When Kunsei jumped down toward him Kurama created vines and tried to trap him. Kunsei set them on fire easily and created another fire tunnel toward Kurama. This isn't getting me anywhere, Kunsei thought. He put his flames out as Kurama steadied himself again.
Kunsei glanced to his right and saw something. Then he lunged at Kurama before he could move and kicked him across the plant they were standing on to where he was looking. As Kurama hit the ground he realized where he was. "No!" he shouted and tried to escape as the vines captured him.
Kunsei flew over, and stayed in the air to avoid detection. "Since you know all about plants I'll let you give the exposition," he said, "I know you know more about these things than I do."
"They're Tightening Vines," Kurama explained as more vines wrapped around him and began squeezing, "they capture prey and suffocate it until it dies. The move you move to escape the tighter they squeeze." He held his breath as the vines moved toward his neck.
In the stands, Yusuke said, "Kurama, do something. Don't let that Kunsei freak kill you!"
"This is looking bad Urameshi," Jin said, "even if Kurama lives through this, if he doesn't move for 10 minutes he's disqualified. Kunsei seems to have all of that figured out."
"Dammit," he said, "do something."
Touya said, "Isn't his power manipulating plants? Shouldn't he be able to do that now?"
Yusuke replied, "I guess he can only control the ones he planted and since these are naturally occuring he can't. I don't know, I never asked him about his powers before."
"He's not going to kill Kurama, is he?" Yukina asked nervously.
Hina said, "Well he said he'd do whatever he wanted to his opponents. Who do you think would win, Hiei?"
"I didn't think Kurama could lose to anyone," he explained, "he's far too smart, but Kunsei's too fast for him. He can't keep up." Plus Kunsei's not injuring him, just suffocating him, which means he's not getting pleasure out of any of this, Hiei thought, does Kunsei know he's a masochist? Is he torturing him on purpose?
Kunsei watched as the vines moved up Kurama's body and squeezed him more. Well this is boring, he thought, fire is much more exciting than this but I don't actually want to kill him. I hope he gives up soon. "What are you doing?" Kunsei asked.
Kurama started breathing again as the vines loosened. "I can control plants, remember?" he replied, out of breath.
"I should have seen that coming," he replied. He burned the end off of vines and started swinging them around in the arm, Kurama still in tow. The crowd watched in horror as as Kunsei swung him in circles in midair, then released toward the audience.
The vines fell off as Kurama flew and puntured the wall of the stadium. He flew through the crowd and landed in a wall, sitting up.
"Kurama!" Yusuke shouted.
Koto said, "If anyone touches Kurama he'll be immediately disqualified. Cameras, get in closer!"
Hiei looked down from the second deck at a passed out Kurama in the wall. Yukina asked, "Is he okay?"
"I can't tell," Hiei answered.
Yusuke jumped up and pushed his way through the crowd. He looked at the bruised and passed out Kurama. Koto announced, "There is no 10 count but if Kurama remains out of the ring for more than 10 minutes he'll be disqualified and Kunsei will win."
"Hey, wake up," Yusuke said nervously.
Kurama started to blink and straightened himself out. "Ah," he held his shoulder, "Yusuke?"
"Hey Kunsei threw you out of the ring, you have to get back there!" Yusuke said. Kurama stood up and walked forward as the crowd parted.
When Kurama got back to the ring, Kunsei said, "So, you came back. Part of me is happy that you did but maybe you should have stayed out."
"You can't get rid of me that easily!" Kurama replied. He pulled another rose from his hair.
"Not that again," he said, bored out of his mind. Instead of turning it into the whip, Kurama threw it at his feet, along with several others, and created thorned vines to come up. After being caught off guard Kunsei used his fire aura and incinerated them before they could slice him up.
He created a large fireball and threw it directly at Kurama. Kurama threw a seed into the ground and ducked for cover. Once the smoke cleared it was a revealed that a giant red bud of a flower was where Kurama was just standing. "Interesting," Kunsei said, "a flame retartant plant. The thing is, with these they lock you in so tight it'll take every last ounce of your energy to break out, since it's made to keep so much out it's made to trap everything in as well."
Kurama tried pushing against the walls of the flower he just created. Kunsei's right, he thought, but at least I'll survive. He took a deep breath and tore free from the flower. He emerged, completely exhausted. "Don't congradulate yourself, I did this to myself," he said.
"I can see that," Kunsei replied.
At the last second, Kurama took every last ounce of energy he had and forced plants with mouths to rise up and attack Kunsei. Kunsei used fire to incinerate them as he flew into the air and forced the fireball toward Kurama. Kurama collapsed out of exhaustion. As the plants withered Kunsei smothered his flames. "Damn that was close," he said, "if I wasn't on the toes you could have won."
Koto announced Kunsei as the winner as he picked up Kurama in a bridal carry and brought him back to the stadium.
Yusuke ran out of meet Kunsei as he reentered. "Hey, you could have killed him," he looked at Kurama in his arms.
"And kill one of the few friends my son has?" Kunsei asked, "I don't think so. Here. Once his energy returns he should be fine." Yusuke took him from his arms.
