"Friggin' weaklings'." he spat, making no attempt to hide his irritation. There he sat, cross legged, bound, held by weights, chains, ropes of all kinds, each in place to restrict practically every sort of movement one could possible think of or imagine. He'd even gone through the trouble of getting his eyes covered to further hold himself back. "Even with all these handicaps, you pansy asses couldn't land a single blow!?"
Surrounding him were the amassed gangs of both Sarayashiki and Kasanegafuchi junior high. Every delinquent, thug, drop out, miscreant, or general stain in the pants of society gathered as one collective group with a single objective; take out one Yusuke Urameshi. Hell, by his count, he could swear that he saw some grown ass men in the bunch, likely hardened criminals, maybe even Yakuza, who knows.
The fact remained however, they laid sprawled on the ground, nursing forming bruises, split lips, even broken bones if his hearing was good. Yet they couldn't even some much as dirty his clothes.
"Pick your sorry asses up, and next time you come pickin' a fight with me, why don't you spend the energy fighting me insteada' gloating about what you're gonna do after!" his anger, volatile, and course, echoed through the nearby forest, stirring up some birds. Their brief squawking being the one thing he could hear besides the mass groaning around him. He clenched his teeth, an almost audible snarl evident for any and all present. He told himself to calm down, to take deep breaths, but that served the opposite function. He could feel himself getting madder and madder.
It wasn't like he was asking for much, just a challenge, or a bit of a rush, something that could get this itch he'd been feeling out of his system so he could focus on more important things, like his friends, Keiko, and school.
He felt himself get taken aback.
'School? Damn, I must really be out of it.' standing, the chains, weights, and ropes saw themselves snap, and fall to the ground. To him, however, they might as well never have been there in the first place. It was like he was just standing after sitting down for a bit. No, it was more than that. Like somehow, having those weights be on him made him lighter, and without them he felt heavier.
'I'll ask Genkai about it.' He took off the piece of cloth over his eyes, and he wondered if it even factored in at all; with all the training he'd done in sensing spiritual power, it almost made things like sight and hearing redundant. He decided it wasn't worth the extra thought and tossed it haphazardly to the ground. Digging his hands into his pockets coolly, he stepped over the unconscious bodies.
That 'itch' was still there, as was the anger, so he should probably do something about it before he went to Genkai's or anywhere else.
'Maybe I'll take a swing by Mushiyori City, bet they have a bunch of ornery creeps that wouldn't too kindly to me smart mouthing them.' Only for a few hours, he had that much he figured. The sun was only just beginning to set, so as long as he booked it, he should make back before he misses out on too much. He smiled to himself just a bit. Sure he was still mad, but this made him less so.
Suddenly, a sickeningly sweet, and overpowering musky smell hit him. He shot back, his spirit gun instantly filling the area with its high pitched charge. Stepping with unmatched grace, and elegance over the littered bodies, a monster approached him.
"Fufu~~ My, my... you've made quite the mess... but something like that should go without saying, right." her soft expression quickly changed, a mocked surprise as she caught his readied attack "Oh! I've surprised you... Forgive me please... I was nearby, and this wonderful sound caught my attention. You wouldn't punish someone out of following their curiosity, would you?"
It was obscene the way she was able to talk, as if truly liberated, free to speak an act as she choose without any consideration of what was in front of her, and yet at the same time, carrying an alluring, yet overly saccharine spirit that made him feel at ease.
He didn't like it.
"That depends on the someone." he kept his tone leveled, and calm, trying to hide an odd combination of unease, and ease that was moving throughout him.
She just laughed, a sound like a bell chime. As if the very air was graced with being able to carry it to any that could hear.
"How cruel, simply draconian." more feigned emotion, her soft almost pink lips in a slight pout. It almost made him feel bad, but he pushed those misplaced feelings and kept his spirit gun steady.
She was a demon alright, he couldn't think of any human not named Sensui that could muster up the power she was putting out. This was not mentioning her pale, almost silvery skin, and the two horns that were sticking out from her head. Those made it plain to see she wasn't your average gal. But even more than her power, was her sheer presence. He could tell that's where the real danger lay.
He couldn't tell why, but she was taking the fight out of him. As if the anger was being shunted away elsewhere, far beyond his reach. Ironically of course, this just made him angrier, so everything balanced out in the end.
"Yeah, worst guy in the world right here, now why don't you piss off before you make me drill a pot-hole in that pretty face of yours." this wasn't the first time they'd crossed paths, first time had been a day after his return from the demon plane shortly after the hole had been plugged well and good. The second time was just a few days ago on his way home. He Thought something must have been up when a demon of her caliber crossed paths with him, but all pacifier-breath could promise was that nothing had entered the human world in the brief time since the spirit barrier was put back into place.
He promised him he'd look into what Yusuke had told him, and that Yusuke should be careful not to confront said demon if he could help it.
'That's right, you're not just anyone now you know, keep that temper of yours under control or the whole city and beyond will suffer for it.' He could basically hear Genkai scolding him.
"And what reason have I given you to do that, hmm? I've only tried conversing with you... one-sided though our conversations tend to be. Is that a crime to you?" her head cocked to the side as her seemingly innocent question slipped past her lips. He only scoffed in disbelief.
"Look, trouble tends to follow me, especially of the otherworldly variety, so if its all the same to you I'd rather avoid it if I can." Her head fell forward, and her shoulders began to shake.
"Ah... Ahahahahahahaha...!" Her head moved back up, and he lowered his spirit gun, his own expression softening, whether it was out of anxiousness or curiosity, he couldn't tell. Her face was flushed, and tears formed at the rim of her eyes. Her laugh only grew in potency, and he quickly decided which it was he was feeling.
Anxiousness.
"You're wonderful! Ahahahaha...! Absolutely wonderful!" in her right hand a gourd, in her left an empty sake cup that she quickly filled. He watched as the contents poured from the gourd, unable to make out whether the liquid was clear like water or a more milky white color. She stretched it out to him with aching desire "Enough! I've waited long enough!" she yelled powerfully seemingly betraying her earlier, whimsical behavior.
"Come drink with me! Tell more lies! Please!" he couldn't tell what it was, but he felt himself go dizzy at this. Like it wasn't a request, but a demand that burrowed hard its way into his skull, or more like fingers digging into his brain. With effort he shook his head, prying those non-existence hands away. His confusion gone, he returned to his stare, his spirit gun rejoining him, quickly surpassing its original intensity.
"I ain't lying, now get the hell away from me!" he roared in frustration, hoping she'd take the hint and leave. Instead, she remained as she was, sake cup stretched towards him.
"More lies." she said, not as demanding this time, rather as if she'd gotten what she wanted.
Satisfied. That's the word he'd used to describe her right then and there.
"Look around. Does this look like the work of someone who truly wants to live a peaceful life?" her foot found its way to the face of an unconscious thug, pressing down enough that the unconscious man groaned in discomfort "They can be so entertaining can't they... Serving many wondrous purposes... Ah, but like fine glassware so easily broken and discarded."
Her foot pressed harder, the mans groans quickly being drawn out as more and more force pressed down on him.
Like a child stepping out an ant, she bore a sadistic expression. But he knew this wouldn't stop at just the one. Looking at her, he didn't know if she understood how to stop at all.
His eyes widened. His pulse shoot through him, and he took a step forward, trying to intimidate the pint sized demon, to no avail. She couldn't even be bothered to look up at him. A pang of anger flooded him.
"You're hurting him, knock it off!" He yelled, an impassive glance being the only attention she gave him.
"Why? What is this man to you? A friend? Ally? Not likely given how weak he is." she was going to kill him. If he didn't do anything here and now, that man was going to die.
"Spirit-Gun!" He howled, and with a loud noise, his built up spirit gun shot off with blinding speed and power. The area became flooded with blue light as it raced towards her, yet she paid no attention towards it. Instead, she retracted the sake cup, bringing it to her lips gently, and lightly blew into it. In that tiny moment, so small and fast, like the blink of an eye, he felt himself shudder at the power that the sake bowl, and by extension, she carried,
From this, a massive dark, black, almost purple flame erupted, taking the visage of a large fanged serpent. it sped towards him, ravenously overtaking his spirit gun.
He couldn't be shocked, didn't have the time for it, as the dark flames that consumed his spirit gun had decided to aim for the one that had produced it in the first place, as if it had a mind of its own.
No, exactly like they had a mind of their own.
He acted quickly. Scooping up those nearby, he dove to the side, watching as it burned through the forest, eating everything down to ash in an instant. Then he saw it happen. From its side, two more snake heads sprung to life, smaller, but equally as deadly. As soon as he could, he jumped again, narrowly dodging them as they aimed for his arm and leg. Despite his quick thinking, and even quicker action, the sides of his suit had burned clean through, and he could feel his skin blister.
Still, looking at the forest, he couldn't help but feel that he got off easy.
That didn't mean it did not hurt like all hell.
"Damnit from just the heat-!?" he hissed as the rapidly forming blisters burst, the pungent smell of cooked flesh biting into his nose. He powered through however, and focused on her with a vicious stare.
She looked passive for moment, as the fires receded from the sake-cup, her face briefly lit underneath the dark flame's embers. All he could do was glare at her, clenching his fists, as he stood up, filled with a new sense of anger that let him power through the pain. He waited until the flames died out, watching her passive expression quickly returned to her normal, jubilant one.
Perhaps she enjoyed the destruction she caused, or maybe the fact he had to scatter, maybe it was both.
Placing aside her joy, she reached over and let her gourd pour more sake, sampling it elegantly. Then much like she had done prior, she stretched out the cup to him.
He wanted to take it, walk clear over to her, take it from her hand, then pour it right over her small, pretty head. Then maybe right after, sucker punch her. He thought about smirking at his glorious plan of action, but figured displaying anything besides either anger would reveal too much.
He walked towards her, tucking a hand in his only remaining pocket.
Her smile grew more sagacious.
"Please, drink with me, and tell me more lies."
"Here." she said kindly, pushing the finely crafted cup towards him. A sweet fragrance let him in on what its contents were, and the sake inside almost turned the red cup into a light pink color. Still, as he sat there across from her, arms folded, and scowling, he couldn't help but replay the other times he'd seen her. She stood out of course, not just because of her overwhelming presence, but with how she looked, and dressed.
Botan was just about the only person he knew that wore a kimono on a daily basis, and even nowadays, she wore more things than just that. With Botan, she probably just wore it because it looked nice or something; ferrying people to the afterlife was easier if you presented a nice pretty face that had something nice to go along with it. Hers though? It was something different altogether he felt.
First off it was way more ornate and colorful than Botans, with bluish-almost purplish colors being accented with red lines coming from the ends of the cloth. No doubt they were of the finest material, made for personal comfort more than anything. However, that's where the comparisons ended. Not only was her kimono undone, it was almost as if it was intended for someone larger, like whoever made it for her didn't care about her body's proportions. Her just moving the cup towards him? The portion of the cloth covering her shoulder had slid down. By now, the sun had set completely, and under the moon's light, her skin gained an almost glossy look to it, as if the silvery skin held a pink hue to it.
Worse, it didn't look like she had anything underneath the damn thing in the first place!
'Wouldn't that just make sense. Somebody else that can kick my ass, and she's all but a nudist to boot! Damn my luck!'
He reached out, and gently grasped the cup from her. He figured the first step to figuring out who she was and what she really wanted was to play along with her. Just as he took the cup however, his rough fingers brushed up against her soft, small. but supple ones. He stopped just then, going tense as he kept his view on the red cup. He wasn't scared or anything, despite what someone might say if they looked onto this scene. Maybe it had been her previous display, but he didn't want to risk anything right about now. At least not until he knew the full extent of her power.
"Oh dear, your hands must have slipped." he became tense, his teeth grinding themselves silently. Faster than his mind could process it, she took her hand from underneath his. She ran her fingers over his, taking in their shape, and feel with an almost intoxicating level of mastery. He felt the tension in his fingers lessen themselves, all against his control. Trying to move them away, or letting go of the cup was impossible, like his body didn't want to respond. Then, with the same speed as earlier, her palms moved onto the back of his hands.
"Ahhh... How wonderful. Despite everything; the life you lived, your hands, they're so soft~" her voice reached him again, his brain feeling like it was being pulled in several different directions, or maybe just in one direction. Towards her.
He focused on trying to struggle with it, telling himself that she was dangerous, just like Sensui or "him". That just like "him" he couldn't just roll over and let someone else boss him around and make him do whatever they wanted.
He thought about the fact that, despite the bumps in recent times, he was spoken for. With a girl that would through her self into the fires if it meant saving him, and who literally breathed life into the first time on the death train.
But... Even with all that...
His body refused him. His arms remained where they were, supporting the hands that had betrayed him and were indulging in her prodding. And his mind refused to do anything about them, seemingly content in giving itself over to her. It was the ultimate betrayal, something he couldn't fight against because of the weakness of his body and the mind.
But then, if his flesh, and mind had turned on him, that left one last route!
'No MORE-!'
"Hmm... warm too, I like that Yusuke. You'd never tell these hands were used to battle. No, not one bit I'd sa-... oh!" suddenly the soft motions on his hands faded, and his mind returned to him. She pulled back as a torrent of power flowed forth from them.
Perhaps the mind and body were turncoats, but his training had left him with more than just them to attack with. Yes a weapon in the form of his very soul, manifested in the Spirit Wave technique. As it began flowing outward, it surrounded him, as if to shield him from any interference from the outside world. It bathed the area in a cool blue color as Yusuke confidently smiled towards the demon, relishing in her surprise,
"What? Not used to gettin' a little resistance huh?" he spoke arrogantly, but quickly he found out, too soon.
Her surprise faded, replaced by a restrained laugh. Pressing a single finger, she held back her laughter, though not perfect, bits and pieces of a snicker pushing through her supple lips.
Cheeks reddening, he caught his mistake as quickly as he made it.
'Supple!? Get your mind outta the gutter Urameshi!' scolding himself, he shifted forward, scowl at the ready. He stopped, noticing something warm had bled through his pants and onto his thighs.
Having been caught up in what lay before him, he had neglected the fact the sake cup was still in his hand.
"Dammit!" he cursed, pulling the cup overhead as he watched the wet area grow "Just great, now Keiko is gonna lay into me about drinking!"
Cupping a hand under the dripping cup, he rushed to try and dry the spot as quickly as possible, tucking his hand inside his sleeve. He thought about the fact that part of his clothes, and skin, had been burned, so it might be easier to explain to Keiko that he'd been jumped by some uppity demon, than by a pint sized nudist.
Across him, the oni pressed a hand against her lips, to keep from laughing at the spirit detective.
Yusuke didn't let this go unnoticed, scowling, and fuming at her teasing him. More so, it boggled him how moments earlier she was ready to fry him alive, and now, she was laughing at his expense.
"Whattaya some kinda sadist? If you're gonna try and kill me, at least stay straight about it. It'd make this whole thing a helluva lot less confusing don't you think?" he spoke his mind, honestly and truthfully, and to her credit, she seemed to actually take it seriously, halting her tiny giggles. Instead, she leaned forward, resting her delicate chin in the palm of her hands as she leered at him with an impish smile.
"My, my, my~ Wouldn't most boys your age be thrilled to be entertained by a cute girl?" he scoffed, and she responded with another little giggle.
"Can't speak for the rest of them, but I prefer my women with a little more years on them. No offense, but you're walking around half naked, when you look like you belong in pre-school. Ain't exactly the picture of seduction, you know?" she tilted her head, her smile and eyes the very picture of bewilderment.
In fact, there was even a glint of disbelief in him. As if she didn't believe him in the slightest.
Keiko had filled out the years, turning from just another girl to a beautiful young woman. Even still, she had still to peak, and he understood she was only going to get even more beautiful as time went on. He was stupid, that much he could admit to himself. but not stupid enough that he didn't know how lucky he was to have landed someone like her.
Her folded legs stretched outward, the tips of her toes brushing against his knees, drawing smalls circles with the tip of her toes. His spirit energy was still in effect, yet did nothing to her. Instead they curled themselves, slight cracks coming from them.
Then, a pleased moan came from their owner, low, dragged out, and husky. Something found more on a matured woman than a pint-sized girl. Yusuke couldn't help but nervously swallow a large lump in his throat.
The sun had gone down, leaving behind flowing cool air carrying rustling leaves. So why was it getting so damn hot here?
"Ah, that would make sense." she leaned back away from him, digging her palms into the ground behind her, and raising her head towards the sky "After all, you're not like most of the other boys. Right, Mazoku?"
He laughed to himself, almost arrogantly so. In doing so, whatever nervousness was there was wiped away in that instant.
Things started to make more sense to him now.
"So that's what this is about then, huh?" he'd figured it was only at matter of time. Koenma had warned him at some point Spirit-world would be gunning for him. And even though the portal to the Makai Realm had been sealed, he figured it was only a matter of time until they started coming for him too. Spirit-detective or not, his little skirmish with Sensui tore up a good bit of land, and if they figured he was in Spirit-World's pocket...
"You know they fired my ass right? Turns out Spirit-world ain't too keen on having someone that can level a whole city as an afterthought. They might even be sending someone after me anytime now, so if you're worried I'll mess up any plans you got going on or whatever, don't be. Just keep your trouble outta my neighborhood, and we're good." it wasn't the whole truth, but it was close to it. If she was as powerful as he thought she might be, then he'd need to keep an eye out for her. But if the whole of her plans was bugging him, it was something more manageable.
A large pain in the ass, but more manageable.
"Fired you? Why?" innocently, she raised her head back towards him. Her look, her eyes, her deep, and iridescent eyes. They screamed genuineness, as if she truly lacked information or context. In spite of this, he told himself to keep up his guard all the same.
"Don't really get it myself, but because I got a few pints of demon blood in me, they think I might turn out to be some kind of threat to them. Really, I think they're losing their marbles over something like that. I mean, its not like I saved the world or anything." he spoke almost without thinking, quickly justifying it under trying to get her to let her guard down so he could scope out any weaknesses.
She didn't seem to mind or pick up on him, so that was good.
"Hmmm... Don't you think you're being a little dishonest, Yusuke?"
He blinked
"Huh?"
"Dishonest. You're being quite dishonest. To them and what they believe, and to you and what you believe of yourself."
"You mind spelling it out for me? Sorry, but I don't have the patience for this sorta crap right now."
She gestured around them, the still unconscious bodies of the men he'd fought a few hours prior still littered the ground around them.
"So I knocked them out for a few hours. Am I supposed to feel bad because they decided to fight me?"
She laughed carelessly.
"No, no, I'd never ask something like that of you. Rather, all I'd ask is to question why you chose to egg them on in the first place."
"Tch!" spat Yusuke "People have been gunning for me all my life, causing me trouble, being a pain in the ass. So why the hell would I go looking for it?" He shouldn't care about what this random demon thought about him. Hell, he hardly cared about what his friends, and close ones thought about him. But something about the way she talked, about the way she acted, something about... her, unnerved and bothered him. As if she knew something about him he didn't, and took pleasure in that fact.
She uncapped her gourd, greedily clasping her lips over its entrance, and began suckling the sake greedily, a tiny stream running off her chin. Pulling it away, she let out a long content sigh, and with satisfaction, wiped her chin clean. Her cheeks became flushed, and she cast a gaze not at him, but at the still filled cup in his hands.
It was like she issued a command. No, perhaps more like a requirement, like if he wanted anything more from her, he would need to follow behind her.
He pursed his lips, bringing the sweet smelling drink near his lips.
As the sake flowed into his mouth, filling his senses with its succulent, and intoxicating taste, he cast an eye above,
A crooked, almost wicked smile plastered itself over her face.
No, to call it a smile would be like to curse the very idea of a smile. It was as if it was meant to mock the it, and to have the concept behind it ripped away from and perverted into something else.
He began to drink more, and more cutting off her visage as he tipped the cup, drinking as much of the cups contents as he could. It was strange, he'd never been one for liquor, the bad history the substance had with his parents had turned him off to it. Yet drinking this, it was like he couldn't get more. Like there was something else to the fruits added to the drink. A secret flavor or something that made him want to keep drinking more and more of it.
Yeah, a taste he never had before, but one that was oddly familiar. Something he knew by heart, but was lost until right now.
A coppery taste, sorta li-
"Impressive, and in one go too." her voice brought him back, and he took the cup from his mouth ever slowly. His eyes were fogged, and his cheeks became flushed, just like hers. Staring down at the cup, he saw how dry it was, like it had never been filled in the first place. He heard the cork be lifted from the gourd once more "Please, Yusuke, have some more, won't you?"
She sounded so sweet, sweeter than she had before. Like there was a honesty that wasn't there before. And her smile. It was warm looking. Warmer than anyone's he'd ever seen. Even Keiko's. Strangely, the comparison didn't bother him. After all, it felt right, or maybe it was the truth, so why should something right and truthful bother him?
His lips felt dry, like he hadn't drank water in days or weeks. Running his lip over them, he could feel them chapping up.
She tilted her head, letting her smile beam brightly towards him. She pushed the gourd forward, signaling him to bring his cup forward towards her
Mayb-
The cup was tossed, no, thrown at her, landing with the soft sound of flesh meeting finely crafted metal.
A massive weight felt as though had been lifted from his hand.
"Quick tryin' to mess with me. Now answer my damn question before I decide to throw more than just some rinky-dink cup at you." he thought he sounded harsh, like it was almost unwarranted, but he'd done, and said worse. And to people who he actually thought were worth a damn.
Her smile didn't fade though, undeterred by his actions and his aggressiveness.
"You enjoy conflict Yusuke."
He laughed.
"No shit."
"No Yusuke. I don't think you understand, but forgive me, I wasn't clear enough." she leaned forward, getting on all fours like some predator, her head bobbing as she locked eyes with him "You love conflict Yusuke."
As she said that, he felt as though he'd been cut deep.
"That a fact..." he growled.
"Yes." she stated simply, and matter-of-factly "You thrive in conflict Yusuke. With enemies, with allies, with yourself, and the world itself."
The air around him became thicker, hotter, and he found himself breathing hard. And although he no longer possessed its function, his demon core seemed to beat powerfully, more so than any human heart ever could. It was as if the air was constricting him.
"Don't misunderstand me. I don't believe you enjoy hurting others Yusuke. Rather, I believe hurting others truly grants you no pleasure, or satisfaction, and you're better for it. Soft, warm hands like yours have no place in such matters."
Her hands were now on his thighs, and her horns pushed up against his chin. Despite this, Yusuke made no movements.
"But you still think I'm some... battle maniac."
"Of course."
Her hands clasped his cheeks, moving from his thighs, and bringing his eyes directly into hers.
"I love flowers Yusuke. To see them bloom, see their beautiful colors, to smell them fill the air with such sweetness. But the ones I truly love, the ones who fill me with such joy, Yusuke, are the ones who are rare, and bloom even more rarely. How awful do you think it is for me then, when these flowers are caged, shrouded in darkness, and expected to live like this. Worse, when the flowers themselves do nothing, but accept such a state."
He knew this was it.
And his mind began to feel the same effect as earlier, yet this time, his soul could not protect him. No, it wasn't that it chose not to as his mind and flesh had given up, rather, it was simply that against this force, there was nothing it could do.
"But then... what else could be expected from the son of the Battle God. From the child of the Mazoku. Mankind would never abide by what you are."
She brought herself closer to him, and he could feel himself recoil at her hot breath. It smelled of fruit, but also the coppery smell of blood. It was pungent and overwhelming.
He couldn't move. It just wasn't a choice anymore. Instead, all he could do was sit there as she toyed with him, her eyes gleaming like a hungry animal. Her grip tightened itself, nails bordering on piercing his skin. Her lips were brought close to his, revealing a small set of fanged teeth. He tried to move, but his mind, body and even soul had seemingly accepted this end.
And yet...
'Weakling.'
His eyes shot open, and his body jolted forward. The ground shook, cracked, and broke. The bodies surrounding him saw themselves be thrown away violently. The demon jumped back away from him, her eyes dilating, as if privy to the unseen force just then. Ready and willing to attack at a moments notice, or at the smallest sign of danger.
"Gaahhhh... ahhh...!" his lungs sucked up as much air as they could.
It was like she vanished in that moment, everything she tried do to him gone and forgotten, replaced by a burning, overwhelming anger.
'That voice!...' he remembered it. More than that, it forced him to remember it. From his battle with Sensui, how it ripped control of his body from him, using him against his will to put an end to the former spirit detective with complete decisiveness.
"... The atavism of the Mazoku. For Raizen to reach from his throne to here..." her eyes softened, and she spoke to herself without a care in the world. A stark contrast to just moments ago, ready to tear into whatever came her way.
'Raizen? Is that the bastard who-!'
"Hey!" Yusuke yelled, rising from the ground, staring down the demon "Tell me! Who the hell was that!?"
"Hmm?" she looked clueless, innocent almost.
"Don't act stupid!" he yelled, swinging his arm to the side "Raizen is it?! You know him?! Tell me where he is, I have a score to settle with him!"
She said nothing, but gave him one final look, and turned away from him.
His foot turned, and he prepared himself to run after her, and take her from behind, when just then...
"Raizen was... is... beyond your reach, Yusuke." she began, her voice clear despite the growing distance between them "Not because you cannot reach him. No, in fact, I've no doubt he will send for you, given time. Rather, as a being, a person, his is not something you could ever touch or hope to hurt. Not as you are now anyways. Perhaps in a century or two, after you've been allowed to mature, you might be able to reach him."
She was telling him he was weak, that this Raizen guy would crush him like he did Sensui.
His teeth clenched in frustration, he tried to form the words to argue, but something told him he couldn't.
He remembered how Sensui had been taken apart in seconds. The guy who had crushed him, his friends, and mastered something Genkai had never been able to do, and he was folded like tissue paper.
She was right, he knew that. He'd never admit it to anyone, he'd die again before it'd ever come to that, but Yusuke knew trying to go against this guy was a death sentence.
Even still...
"Though, if you'd like to talk about him more, I'd be more than happy to share my stories of him." he perked up, seeing that she had turn back to him, another one of her cutesy smiles present "Raizen may not have been my ally, nor I his, but that doesn't mean he and I never shared a drink."
He tilted his head.
"Not now of course. No, the mood had been ruined, and my drink is low, but perhaps another night? There's more to talk about I'm sure."
She'd tried killing him prior. Not just once, but several times over the course of their brief talk. And he knew that if he told her about it, she'd more than likely just brush it off like it was nothing, or maybe just outright admit and own up to it.
With how she kept swinging back and forth on either killing or trying to butter him up, he felt as though the two were one and the same for her.
And if she was right, and this Raizen guy was gonna send for him, the best he could do was brush up on him, learn about him as much he could before he took the fight to him. Who knows, maybe he had weak shins, or another disability he could take advantage of. Koenma would probably know about him too, but with how things were with Spirit World, odds are he couldn't count on his support.
Thinking about it, Hiei had tried to kill him, and Kurama almost got him killed, though the cursed mirror almost killing him was mostly his own fault. Then there was Chu, and the other warriors of the Dark Tournament, former enemies, now friends. When he thought about it, most of his friends had almost gotten him killed in one way or another. Though, admittedly, they had been more than honest about the prospect of death than she let on.
Not to mention, it gave him a chance to get her back down the road.
"... Fine." he said with a shrug, and her eyes lit up with excitement "Not like I got anything better to do. So where do you wanna meet me... Huh, I never got your name."
"Shuten-dōji." she answered quickly, the wind howling at her name, and the leaves of the trees falling in front of her, as the moon hung overhead.
He couldn't put his finger on it.
She'd tried to kill several times in their brief... encounter. He knows agreeing to any terms of her would be inviting the same fate, perhaps even worse onto himself. He could, or perhaps would, die at her hands if he saw her again.
But even still...
As the moons light peered down, her skin glowed as if enhanced by the light, and her hair seemed to melt into the nights sky. She seemed truly otherworldly, godly even.
Yusuke smiled, seemingly taken aback by the sight, how the world seemed to respond to her very name.
In someway, the scene before him could only be described as magical.
"Yup, I've never heard of you."
Even still, this image would likely be engraved into him for the rest of his life.