File 51: Sensui Seven

Sensui raised his hand and his energy ball rose from the lake and returned to him after dodging a butterfly that had wandered in. So he could remotely control those hunks of ki?! What more... he increased his energy and caused a multitude of balls to appear! This could get bad! He combined them into a large one that he kicked. The Resshuu Shiendan 'Splitting Kick Violet Flame Blast'. The ball burst, and splinters bulleted towards Urameshi from multiple directions. There were so many of them! The boy did his best to dodge, running and jumping around, as disgraceful as he could be, parrying a few... until he was hit in the face. Stunned for a second, he couldn't react to the next wave of projectiles that struck. He managed to recover and avoid the next wave but was kicked back down by Sensui. He crashed on the ground and a second later, all the remaining spheres rushed at him and collided. Kuwabara screamed his friend's name as his body disappeared in a cloud of smoke and dust. He couldn't have been done in, right?

"Don't get so flustered. A cockroach like him wouldn't kick the bucket so easily." Akari scolded them with a sharp and authoritative tone, making it hard to doubt or argue. Or so she was saying, but she was watching the fight twice as intently as the others, and her features looked so tense.

But if he takes that attack more than a few times... Kurama thought, of the same mind as his girlfriend, his expression turning into a worried one. The detective jumped out of the smoke, his t-shirt somewhat tattered.

"That's all you got?! I'm not through yet!" He challenged.

"You're a tough one indeed." His opponent chuckled. "But you still cannot beat me. Reason number two: you're terribly weak against attack from multiple angles. You're too used to one-on-one fights. On the other hand, I created the Resshuu Shiendan because I often had to fight alone against large numbers of enemies. It's a technique that you simply cannot evade by yourself." He smiled and once more created countless spheres. The teen cursed. After using up that much reiki just a moment ago, he was already doing it again with the same amount of power! Akari clicked her tongue.

"This is bad! This is really bad! Who would have thought there'd be such a gap between them!" The fox exclaimed with fear.

"And now, the critical reason why you can't beat me number three: the total volume of reiki. If your maximum capacity is at 10, mine is at 100!" Dark Angel once more released his Resshuu Shiendan. This time, Yusuke barely dodged the first few bullets of energy before he got one in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. And all the others struck him and brought him down again. "That was the second volley. You can't evade this attack."

"Get up! Get the hell up, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled.

"Shuddup! I know! That's enough of the peanut gallery! I'm perfectly fine!" Yusuke put up a front, even though he was bruised and battered and scratched all over. "I don't care if you have ten times the spirit power that I do but this attack of yours is a walk in a park!" He boasted. So his enemy decided to test his endurance and blasted another volley. However, this time Urameshi charged head first into the onslaught, deflecting the spheres from the front. The best defense was the attack, right? If couldn't evade then he just had to put up with it! He passed through the barrage and attacked Sensui head on with a rain of punches, forcing him on the defensive, driving him back. And now, he was the one taunting his opponent... "I've wrecked that reason you said about me being weak against multi-angle attacks! Now, you said you could read my attacks, right? How about this?!" He suddenly jumped backwards and then into the lake and started swimming around and laughing. "Did ya predict this? What's my next move gonna be now?"

"Why are you swimming you crackhead?!" Kazuma shouted angrily.

"I think you answered your own question." Hiei replied, glaring at Urameshi too. Only a moron like him could take a swim in this situation, right? Akari chuckled.

"Well, he IS a crackhead with the mental age of a gradeschool kid. But surely, he's just taking a break in order to recover. However, as to whether contradicting and resting were his only aims..." The girl smirked in anticipation. She had long acknowledged that guy as a RESOURCEFUL idiot... actually, it was his idiocy that made him more slippery than he seemed. He had some flashes of shrewdness that you wouldn't expect from his simple mind. And it was his bottomless stupidity that could make him act in a way unthinkable for normal and smart people... and thus make him surprisingly hard to predict. The boy came out, feeling all refreshed. Now back to the fight.

Yusuke lunged. His opponent scoffed. Another head-on charge. The whole charade earlier had only served to stall for him to recover huh? The child went for another punch, Sensui guarded. When suddenly, Yusuke ripped his wet T-shirt and tied their arms together with it. This way, Sensui couldn't use the Resshuu Shiendan, and that was the real reason why Urameshi had jumped into the water!

"Finally got hold of ya! Now you can't run! Eat this!" And the detective gave him a huge blow in the abdomen that sent them both flying. As soon as they crashed back down, Yusuke hit his head and chest with another barrage of punches. Kuwabara yelled at him to finish it all at once. But then, the second he noticed Sensui glancing at him with bloodthirsty, spine-chilling eyes, he felt a sharp excruciating pain in his left abdomen and threw up blood. Something had completely pierced through him. The impact projected him backwards. The white cloth binding them ripped apart and he fell on his back. Sensui's right hand and wrist had disappeared, replaced by a smoking gun barrel. To think he'd have something like this hidden in his arm... a Kikouju, a hard ki gun. It seemed he could fashion his ki into bullets. And then, Dark Angel's bloodied face twisted into one of intense rage, disdain, disgust, and hatred... not for anyone in particular, but for everything.

"You little fucker! Don't get so full of yourself! Piece of shit!" He insulted Yusuke who was moaning in pain. Kurama noted how Sensui's tone, way of speaking and look had changed. He had gone from a cool, prideful, suave manipulating bastard to a foul-mouthed, hyper violent, sadistic and deranged trash. Kuwabara thought he had just gone and snapped but Itsuki contradicted him. He had just switched. Kazuya was the one who used the Kikou gun inside the arm. That statement made Kuwa ask what the hell he was babbling about since that guy's name was Sensui Shinobu... but the fox instantly understood. Multiple personalities... The Gatekeeper confirmed.

"Sensui has seven different personalities inside him, including his primary one, Shinobu. Up until now, he'd been fighting as 'Minoru', the arguer. It appears that Urameshi's unexpected counterattack shocked him into calling out Kazuya. Kazuya is the killing specialist even among those sevens. In his homicidal insanity, he'd delightedly kill even babies." He explained as Sensui Kazuya repeatedly stomped on Urameshi's wound before kicking him away. Akari better understood what had happened during her own fight with Sensui. Yusuke screamed as more blood flowed from his mouth and injury. He writhed again.

"That's how you pull a surprise attack!" The murderer laughed maniacally. "Lemme add something to what Minoru said. The fourth reason why you can't win... is 'cuz I, Kazuya, came out!" He boasted and shot all around his victim, just barely missing, in order to scare him. However, Yusuke was still defiantly glaring him, which angered Kazuya who shot his arms and legs several times and enjoyed the boy's screams of agony like the sweet and beautiful music of an orchestra. What a nice crying voice... And seeing his friend being tormented like this, Kuwabara summoned his reiken and tried to cut through the eye of the creature. Hiei attempted the same with his sword, but it was all pointless. Sensui grabbed Yusuke's hair and lifted him. "You really have a good crying voice... too bad I gotta kill ya. We part here. Bye." He put his gun under Urameshi's jaw and prepared to shoot.

"Wait!" A voice suddenly interrupted him. Sensui turned to look. It was Koenma. "Shinobu, stop it. Do not compound your sins any further." He demanded. Kazuya glared at him and was going to snap when he noticed the shining reiki gathering at the tip of Yusuke's index that was aimed at him. He kicked the boy away but that didn't stop Urameshi from firing, hoping it would still hit. But it didn't. His reigun only destroyed part of the cave. The teen skidded and rolled on the ground, splattering blood.

"Sheesh, that was close. Didn't think ya were hidin' that much power." Sensui admitted. Indeed, if he had taken that thing at point blank range, he would have suffered quite a bit. Even though Koenma had so nicely distracted him and unvoluntarily created an opening. "Keh, not wastin' any chances, eh? Yer Shinobu's successor alright. Listen up, Koenma! Shinobu's sleeping. I'm 'Kazuya', one of the personalities, and I ain't gonna listen to you. Don't get me wrong, though. Neither would he. This plan is something all seven of us agreed on, including Shinobu of course." He clarified.

Kurama understood that those 'seven' that Sensui kept talking about and who would dig the grave of the human race was not the seven ability users he had gathered and of which he was part, but his own seven personalities. So Sensui had come up with this plan by 'himself'. Itsuki confirmed. Kazuya was born when Shinobu couldn't stand the brutal killings he had committed. Minoru appeared when Shinobu could no longer keep brainwashing others like it was nothing. And so each personality was created. Jouji was a master of all types of weapons and was cynical and foul-mouthed. The other three did not fight and took charge of other aspects. Makoto took care of the burdening errands like shopping, cooking, cleaning and such. Itoshi was the one who cared the most about animals and plants. And there was Naru, an emotional crybaby of a girl.

"She's timid, naïve, innocent, easily hurt. She often tells me her troubles and cries over the implications of the plan and I'm there to comfort her. She only emerges in front of me. After Shinobu, she's my favorite." The Yaminode explained, although the way he did, the sensuality in his voice and expression made it sound like they were lovers... and Kuwabara couldn't bear it...

"Stop it! If I hear any more I'm gonna go crazy too!"

Koenma told Kazuya to call for Shinobu since he wanted to talk to him. Kazuya passed the message... and relayed Shinobu's refusal. Looks like he really didn't like his former employer. But even so, Shinobu could still hear what he had to say. He asked him to stop this madness. It wasn't too late. But it WAS too late. Sensui showed him the hole, and the waiting swarms of demons. The gate had already exceeded the equilibrium point. All that was left to do was wait for it to open. Junior removed his pacifier that started emiting a powerful energy, shocking the enemy. That stupid pacifier was actually the Mafuukan, the greatest of all defensive spells existing in the Spirit World. Over the years, Koenma had discharged his reiki into this pacifier. When released upon an enemy or in enemy territory, it created a powerful kekkai, especially effective against demons, and even S-class youkais were unable to move when trapped. And with it, he could once more block the tunnel, and trap even Sensui. And to prevent him from using this artifact, there would be no way but to kill Koenma or steal the object. So he gave Sensui a choice: either continue or give up... and told him talk it out with the others, all seven of them. Kazuya, remarking how serious the Prince of the Spirit World was, and agreed. Sensui closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

Koenma waited as the Seven deliberated. If at all possible, he didn't want to use the Mafuukan against him. What was the use in hating humans just because he had discovered one dark atrocious side to them? As a human born with strong spiritual powers and constantly attacked by demons, it was natural for him to grow to hate them and considers them as mankind's enemies. But the one who made him a Spirit Detective was Koenma, if not for that, he could have continued his life without doubting and suffering to the extent of becoming so twisted. It was all his responsibility. If he activated the Mafuukan, he would be forced to become part of the spell. He would join Sensui and experience together with him the hell of being unable to move for eternity. But it was fine. That was the least he could do to atone for what he had done to him. Dark Angel opened his eyes and smiled.

"We've reached a conclusion. All seven of us agree. The game will go on... after I kill you." The scarred man aimed his spirit gun at the prince who closed his eyes in resignation. He had expected this answer. But as he was about to activate the spell, Urameshi filched the pacifier, shocking everyone, and angering Junior.

"It pisses me off. Don't just stand there babbling like I'm not here! I'M the one doing the fighting here and spilling his blood ya jerk! Ah! That's gross! There's still drool on it! Well, I was able to rest up thanks to you." The Reikai Tantei put the Mafuukan in his pocket.

"That's right. You're also a successor of the Reikohadou skills. You may be inexperienced but you still have considerable recuperative powers and mental strength." Kazuya noted.

"Don't be ridiculous you fool! You can't stand up to him! Do you know what you're doing?! Give me back the Mafuukan!" Koenma was furious and forcefully tried to claim his pacifier back... only to be knocked out by Urameshi's punch.

"Stay the hell out of this and shut the fuck up you crabby old fart!" Yusuke yelled, having apparently snapped. "I'm tired of this shit. REAL tired. Sensui, one of the guys inside you said that he no longer cared about the hole, right? I feel the same. I just wanna settle things between us. After that... whatever." He added. Kuwabara and Kurama remarked that more than having snapped, he was just starting to be himself again... unlike a certain girl who had always been honest and clear with her true feelings. Then Urameshi told the asshole (Kazuya) to switch with someone else since he was too weak to beat him. Outraged, Sensui was going to shoot him but the teen closed in in an instant, blocked his arm, and punched him in the guts a dozen of times. Kazuya threw up blood, stepped, sank on his knees and doubled over, clutching his belly. He moaned and groaned in pain. Yusuke too screamed and held his right arm. After all, it was not like his own wounds from the Kikou gun had disappeared. He still convinced himself it didn't hurt and recovered his poise. He demanded that Sensui sent out the strongest one inside him. A battle for the top. If he kicked his ass, then everything would be over.

Suddenly, the fallen man stopped making any noise and slowly stood up. The air about him was completely different. It was so still and scary. Urameshi asked who he was.

"I'm Shinobu. Nice to meet you. Right, this is the first time I've spoken with you. Actually, it's the first time in a few months that I've come out... except for the time when I fought Akari-kun a bit earlier." He very politely introduced himself, approached his kouhai and held out his hand for the shake. So he was the shadow they'd been chasing after... Yusuke started laughing with nervous excitation... and suddenly attacked.

"Stop messing around!" The boy shouted and went for a punch but before he realized what was happening, everything turned upside down before he was sitting on his butt next to his enemy, his wrist in his hand. Shinobu twisted his wrist and stomped hard on his wounded abdomen. Yusuke screamed and threw up blood. It was said that if an expert attacked you with their specialty, you'll be defeated before you even know what happened. That was exactly the case now. And while he was unable to move, Sensui took Yusuke's hand and lightly shook it.

"Let's get along." Shinobu smiled. Urameshi glared at him and tried to punch him again but was easily avoided. And again, next thing he knew, that guy was standing on the lake shore and asking Itsuki for his spare arm and clothes. That Sensui... his anger, dangerousness, composure, strength, charisma... it was like everything had come together, like he's become complete! Kuwabara tried to cover his fear with bravado. He was one guy then, he was one guy now. You might call him 'main personality', it didn't change the fact he was just another piece of the same whole! There was no reason to get scared! It was the same as before!

I knew the first time I saw him that there was something weird... that eeriness of his... And the way it seems like he's shown everything but you know he still has some hidden tricks. And now, he's finally about to reveal everything! He was really a completely different person, uncomparable to the others!

"This should be interesting!" Urameshi accepted the challenge.

"Do you still have enough strength to fight?"

"Of course! I'm gonna defeat you!"

"Oh? You will?" Sensui smirked before letting out a booming deranged laugh. The ground cracked and rocks levitating as he released an energy unlike any other... a golden energy that was neither reiki nor youki... Waking up, Koenma recognized it as Seikouki, Sacred Light Energy... to his greatest shock. It was the ultimate battle aura which not even Genkai had been able to attain... and Shinobu had obtained it in just ten years. "I have certain innate talents that inevitably make me different from others. For example, Urameshi-kun, even supposing the amount of ki you had was several dozens times greater than mine, you would still be unable to possess this sacred power. I've got you beaten in both quality and quantity. This may end up seeming like I'm bullying the weak." Dark Angel swatted his arm and the pressure sent Yusuke flying and crashing against the wall. Blood flowed from his mouth and he collapsed. Still, he stood up and charged again.

However, the boy's barrage of punches did not even reach his opponent. His blows were all stopped by that golden energy. He tried using reiki for more firepower but the results were the same. Sensui laughed again and caught the teen's wrist, telling him to give it a rest already. He looked upon his kouhai with such pity... it was true the gap between them was unfathomable... then he very lightly punched Yusuke's arm, breaking his radius and ulna bones. Urameshi screamed in pain, letting go of the Mafuukan, but just as Sensui was going to seize it, a sole hit him in the face. He froze. Yusuke's dirty shoe fell down. The boy had caught the pacifier between his toes.

"I'm not handing it over that easy."

"I figured you wouldn't want to die yet."

"Better than surrendering." Urameshi shot back. Koenma tried to interfere again. "Shut up! You just shut the hell up already! Let me keep going... I'm begging ya... just let me..." The boy yelled before his voice softened and a sad, strange smile appeared on his lips. That smile sent shivers of fear down Akari's spine.

"Yusuke... what on earth are you..."

"Just a little bit more... just a little longer... and I think I can grasp something too..." The Spirit Detective took a few wobbly steps towards his opponent. "If you're scared, even just a little, don't hesitate to kill me now while you can. Now come on, something incredible is sure to happen. Finish me off before it does." He challenged with a smirk. That made Kuwabara believe Urameshi had some kind of strategy but Hiei couldn't believe he did. Sensui was not an opponent he could beat one-on-one. Kazu was going to snap when he noticed how much Hiei was sweating and how full of dread his expression was. He wasn't faking it!

"I guess you can't sense it because you're human, but right now, his power is on the same level as a S-class demon." The fire youkai said.

"He's suppressing his power as much as he can. When he broke Yusuke's arm, he did it as gently as if he was pinching an ant." The fox explained, with the same expression as his demon friend.

"Damnit, Kurama! Not you too!"

"We were too naïve... we thought Sensui was overestimating himself but he really does have the power to kill every single one of us with ease. It's funny... even in the Demon World, you seldom come across anyone with S-class power... and we end up fighting one here in the Human World, and he's human on top of that!" Hiei clenched his fists. Mitarai and Kuwabara were beginning to panic. Akari was keeping quiet. She could only see Yusuke. Hiei and Kurama were right. Her mind had been racing franctically for awhile, and no matter how much and how she thought about it, it was impossible for him to win... and surely, that guy must know it too... so what was he doing provoking his opponent like that? And so cheaply too... Just plainly telling Sensui to kill him... And if Sensui killed him...

Suddenly, the earth started trembling, a small crater formed beneath Shinobu, fissures appeared in the ground and walls, rocks detached themselves...

"Oh dear, I'm already affecting this place even though I'm suppressing my power this much." Dark Angel lamented. "You could call that my only shortcoming. My power is just too great for the Human World. I can't even let loose half of it. It's quite stressful." He chuckled.

"So? You want to destroy this world, right? Why don't you go ahead? Let's see you let loose with your full power!"

"You miserable little fool! That's exactly what I call arrogance!" Sensui yelled angrily, displeased by his kouhai's defying attitude. That caused him to release more pressure that hurled Urameshi and Koenma against the wall and pinned them there. "Oh, pardon me." He recovered his cool, as well as the control of his energy. The two fell down. "I like flowers, trees, animals, even insects. It's only the humans that I hate."

"Well, I hate you." Yusuke replied.

"Stand up. I'll finish you off." Shinobu smiled gently. Koenma ordered the detective to give the Mafuukan back to him but the boy no longer had the pacifier. That guy had snatched before knocking him back. He was really incredible after all. The prince turned to Sensui. The binky was hovering over his hand. Actually, that worked just fine! Junior released his reiki and sent a wave at Sensui. When it hit the golden energy, the Mafuukan reacted and almost engulfed the Dark Angel but he resisted. The two energies, the two wills, battled for supremacy. Shinobu managed to grip the artifact. Outside, the earth trembled. Remembering Koenma's words, Botan took flight and headed to the Reikai, to the Great King Enma. And back in the cave, the Prince of the Spirit World was being pushed back. Empty, the pacifier vanished, and Sensui directed the energy upward. It surged up, burst through the ceiling, reached the surface and shot to the sky, visible even by the common people.

Curious ones gathered at a park and stared at the deep hole from which the light had erupted. They remembered the waterway under Mushiyori City connected to the mystic Irima Cave. So what was it that had come up? UFO? Plasma? Shizuru, who had also come to look with Keiko, told her younger friend that they should immediately get away from here and go somewhere with a clear view. She had a really bad feeling. Keiko cast one last worried look at the hole, praying for Yusuke's safety and followed Shizuru.

Shinobu revealed that among all the seven personalities, he was the only one who could use Seikouki. The Mafuukan would probably have worked against a youkai but he was a human. And Seikouki was considered holy power and resonated especially well with Spirit World techniques. It couldn't be confined. Koenma sank to his knees in despair. Even he could no longer stop him.

"Centuries of effort right down the drain, huh?" Sensui mocked.

"So this is the end, huh?"

"It's too early to give up." Yusuke put a hand on Koenma's shoulder. The prince tried to stop him. There was no way he could win when the Mafuukan containing centuries worth of reiki had been no good!

"Oops, that's right. I was going to finish you off." Shinobu recalled. Seeing Urameshi so confident, Kuwabara was sure he had a plan. He wasn't one to just stand there and get killed after all. But then Kurama had a flash of realization and dread crept across his features.

"No... Akari... don't tell me-"

"That shitty little bastard... he's actually stealing my scheme..." She was trembling, in anger, fear, frustration, and self-loathing. Her nails were digging in her palms, drawing blood. That her screwing up would have such consequences...

"Your scheme...?" Kuwabara wondered.

"When Yusuke was struggling against Suzaku, and later when he couldn't do a thing in the final against Toguro, do you remember what Akari did then?" Kurama questioned. And then Kazuma realized too. She had let Suzaku defeat her and Toguro 'kill' her... in order to corner Yusuke and make him lose it, thus removing his limiters and allowing him to grow stronger instantly and exponentially and, ultimately, defeat the enemy.

"But this is different...! My risks were calculated. I had confidence I wouldn't die against one or the other! But this time... this guy..." Katsuyama argued. And Kazuma sensed the emotions raging inside her, he saw them clearly etched onto her face, he heard them in her voice. It was true... No! It couldn't be true!

"No-no way! Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled as Yusuke smiled and Sensui released his Seikouki.