Kazane's dreamless sleep was interrupted by a gruff voice calling to her.

Angrily she batted away at the sound, trying to delve deeper under the covers. She wanted to sleep the day away. Immediately her comforter was stripped from her, and she cried out angrily, her protests cutting off as she met Kuwabara's gaze.

"We gotta go; the next round is starting soon."

Even Kurama was standing beside him, and Kazane tried to remember what happened the previous night; the smell of evergreen and char coming to her senses. Immediately she looked around her room for a familiar figure, a frown coming to her lips as she realized it was empty. Hiei's spirit energy lingered in the space, though, and Kazane realized she had no idea how she felt about it.

She just wanted to have some beers, relax, and watch the stars. Somehow she had found herself comfortably tucked into her hotel's lodgings, a glass of water on the side table, and as curious as she was she didn't want to dwell on the thoughts. Even her own clothes were tainted with that scent.

"Alright, alright. I'm up. I'll meet you there in a minute."

At her words both boys withdrew from the room, leaving Kazane to her musings. She had a mild headache, but nowhere near as bad as her previous hangovers were in her deadened life. She downed the glass of water eagerly. Maybe being half-demon had its perks after all.

She crossed her legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through her hair and trying to wrangle it into something presentable. Maybe for all the bullshit her life actually had some semblance of routine to it.

Back at the temple it was definitely more domestic; cooking for Genkai and sparring with her, heckling Yusuke during his training. Here the routine was broken by the occasional incident; Jin seeking her company and even Toya's appearance at the poolside. Eating breakfast with the boys, competing or watching the fights, and having strange encounters with Hiei were all pretty par for the course.

She tucked that thought away. Kazane knew she often said stupid things when she was drinking, and the fact her clothes reeked of his scent made her want to throw them in the washing machine. She had no idea how she got into her bed, but she could venture a guess.

The idea of the fire demon actually tucking her in was enough to make her grind her teeth harshly.

There was no time for breakfast as the boys had apparently let her sleep for longer than usual, and she munched on some granola bars as they made their way to the new stadium. Hiei only appeared once the three had left the hotel, and Kazane eagerly ignored the pointed, if subtle glances Kurama sent her way.

He was too observant for his own good.

It was fucking awful outside, the sky nearly purple in color and the wind whipping around them with force. She probably should feel at home in it, but at the moment it was irritating, blowing tendrils of hair into her face.

Looking up at the new stadium she frowned. What an abrupt tone shift. The entire structure looked like something from a bad 90s videogame, strange coils and dark metal gleaming in the dim light. The weather combined with this atrocity was enough to put her in a foul mood.

They made their way closer to the team entrance, and as the hisses and chants from the stadium met her ears Kazane felt her muscles tighten. She supposed she should be used to it by now. Not that she felt threatened by the onlookers, but it really didn't help to have crowds curse her and her team loudly.

"Hey, it'll all be okay," Kuwabara whispered to her, his trademark confident smile radiating. His jacket was draped over his shoulders, the collar popped. She resisted the urge to poke fun at it; dude was a street thug, through and through.

"Yeah," Kazane replied softly, going through her calming tactics. Thumb to ring finger, pointer finger. Pinky. Middle finger. Repeat.

The door opened dramatically, and she winced at the artificial light shining through onto her figure.

She preferred the old stadium; these idiots had no sense of style whatsoever. At least the last fighting grounds opened up to the sky.

"I was not exactly expecting to fight this round four against five," Hiei said, and his words caused a shiver to crawl up Kazane's spine against her will.

"Whatever cause is delaying them must be important," Kurama added. "We'll simply have to work around it."

"It'll be fine," Kazane responded, echoing Kuwabara's words to her moment ago. "We're more than enough for these chumps."

"Kazane's right!" Kuwabara yelled. "Besides, I don't know why you're stressin' Hiei. I'll just beat 'em all myself if I have to! Let's go."

The four strode onto the field, Kazane counting every step she took as she made her way towards the ring. This was one match she had completely glossed over, and spent most of yesterday thinking about when she wasn't distracted by her brother or the fire demon beside her. She had been so thoroughly weighed down with the predicament of the Ichigaki team it made everything else seem null in comparison.

Juri was absolutely adorable, despite her weird tail and fish ears. Kazane eyed her outfit with admiration, wishing she could pull off something similar. Black, tightly-fitting spandex? That was her bread and butter.

What was it about women with blue hair that she really loved?

Both teams approached the center, and she ignored most eyes for the "old man" standing before them, knowing the wrinkled skin was a disguise. It was kind of amusing how much of a strong face everyone was making for the tournament, all of her team fixing the other with a cold gaze. Even she was standing as intimidatingly as possible, one hand affixed on her hip.

Koto's voice rang through the stadium, giving her opinions, and Kazane tried to lock away the anxiety humming in her veins as she stared down the competitors.

Another fight. She would give it her all, especially since this time was on (arguably) less dire circumstances. The match would be just that; a match. Not a merciless slaughter of controlled humans. Kill or be killed, but in a much more honorable way.

And there was no way she would be coming out of this one unscathed, for sure.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kuwabara protested, angrily addressing Koto and interrupting Kazane's internal musings. "I said I'm takin' 'em all myself!"

In front of them Shishiwakamaru scoffed. "I thought we agreed on a good fight. What has happened to the rest of your team?"

"Big words from someone who's team name means literally 'Reverse Bedtime Stories'," Kazane hissed, exposing her incisors. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"My dear don't you know?" The lilac-haired man before her smirked. "A reverse dream is a nightmare. Which is exactly what we are."

"Well, whatever your stupid name means, those guys just decided you weren't worth their time," Kuwabara added, smiling at the furious glare his words elicited.

Juri tactfully intervened in the over-the-top glaring that Kazane found herself wrapped up in.

"It is now time to choose the conditions for your fight."

Hiei shot Kazane a brief look before staring up at Kuwabara. His ruby eyes were cold, a complete juxtaposition from the previous night.

Kazane wanted to slam her fists against her skull. Enough with thinking about prior events! What the fuck did it matter if Hiei spent time with her, had probably (likely) tucked her into bed? Had actually gotten her a glass of water?

She'd think about this bullshit later. Now was not that time for...this.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just see who lives."

His tone left no room for debate, firm and decisive. He would also give his all against these fighters, no question, and he would slaughter them mercilessly with his blade.

Kazane thought back to the training at the temple and was internally thankful Hiei hadn't sliced her to ribbons during their spar, something he would no doubt attempt to do with those before him.

The demon with neon yellow hair and gum roaming around his mouth fixed Hiei with a glare.

"You're a hasty one, aren't you, boy?"

Immediately Kazane bristled on his behalf, the wind picking up around them as she hovered a hand atop her fans. An amused look was shot her way as the man smirked.

"I take it one of you two are fighting first."

"That's right I am," Hiei responded pointedly as he bent lower into something akin to fighting stance. "First, last, and only."

The gum popped across his face, and briefly Kazane was distracted by the gross act. Now there would be sticky residue on his chin, and she very much doubted the demon actually washed his fucking face.

Ugh.

"I've been under too much stress lately," Hiei continued, his fist clenched at his side. With a start Kazane realized it was still the wrappings she had adorned a few days ago. Her knots were messy as all hell, but they did the job. "Killing you all should be a good remedy."

Navy and black flames broached the surface, the sheer lethality of energy emanating from it causing the hairs on the back of the redhead's neck to stand on end. She remembered the first match Hiei had used the Dragon Flame, how she could feel the insane power reverberate in her bones.

She could understand Zeru's terror, because if faced with that on the battlefield she would likely lose her collective shit.

"I have an idea," Shishiwakamaru interrupted, holding up golden dice in his dexterous hands. "Why don't we let an outside party decide the pairings? Each six-sided die represents a team, with one member's name on each side. The sixth is a free space, and anyone can fight when it comes up. You must fight as many times as your name appears as long as you're still alive."

Ah, fuck. Kazane had forgotten about the stupid dice this pretty-boy demon toted around. If fate had different plans then her entire recollections of the matchups would be null and void. Still, there was consistency thus far despite her involvement. Surely that would continue. Right?

"Doesn't bother me," Hiei responded immediately, amusement alight in his tone. "But one thing; Whenever it's the name of someone not around I will be fighting in their place."

Juri's voiced roamed across the stands melodiously, and despite the confidence Kazane's team exuded she felt that same anxiety within her.

"Fate makes her choice," Shishiwakamaru spoke softly, throwing the dice out into the match, and Kazane waited with bated breath.

Surely fate would smile upon them, yes? Not like much else had really changed so far. As the clacking of dice became less obvious she stared at the faces before a soft exhale left her lips.

"Looks like you've got Makintaro, Kazane," Kuwabara spoke, a frown crossing his face.

What the fuck?

"Alright fans," Juri called. "It's the first match-up of the semi-finals! The beautiful Kazane versus the big man Makintaro!"

At least Juri had been sweet enough to dub her the title of beautiful, jesus christ. She bit her lip as she watched her teammates disappear towards the edge, and was somewhat thankful that if she got saddled with an opponent it would be an easier one.

Who knew what would happen with the next fights though, now? She had been prepping for Suzuki.

Kazane stood before the behemoth, twirling her fans in her hands as she examined him. Clearly not very speedy, and definitely the weakest on the team. All in all, not the worst fight she could have had. Between Hiei and her both of them would hold an advantage given their speed.

"Begin!" Juri called, stepping back gracefully from the middle of the ring, and immediately Kazane willed her wind powers into action.

It started off as mostly strong gusts, before coalescing into thick streams of dirt and debris.

Immediately she whipped forward, using the wind to propel her to insane speeds, before skirting around the demon and aiming out with her fans.

She wouldn't need her daggers for this fight, she already knew. The fool before her was much too slow for any technique she might try, and she knew from memories a lifetime ago Hiei could slice his arm off without him even noticing.

Makintaro tried his best to keep up with her, but it was like an elephant following a hummingbird. Every time he twisted in one direction she was immediately gone, and it seemed to enrage the demon as he began shouting angrily. His overexaggerated swipes with his arm-formed ax didn't even come close to grazing her.

Purple blood fountained from the wounds she caused as Kazane skirted around him, gusts of wind effectively removing his arms and his legs. The force of the blow sent him toward the edges of the ring, and she watched as the demon before her gave agonizing breaths, his violet blood coating the stone surface.

Makintaro's eyes widened as she laid one of her daggers against the softer expanse of his neck, and after he let out a sharp exhale she dragged the blade across his windpipe, more bodily fluids coming to the surface.

It wasn't much of a fight, really, she lamented. No wonder Hiei made such quick work of him previously.

Immediately Juri's voice came to her aid as she strode back towards her compatriots, lamenting the blood spread across the sleeves of her shirt.

"And the winner by death is Kazane! That means it's time for match two."

Hiei's ruby eyes caught her gaze as she stood alongside him and Kurama, an amused expression on his face.

With a start she realized it was similar to the fictitious fight from her previous world, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, ignoring him.

Both of them were cut throat and merciless when it came to battle.

On the farthest side Kuwabara was looking somewhat beside himself with admiration, and he clapped a hand onto Kazane's shoulder eagerly. The motion nearly made her fall over.

"See?" He grinned. "What'd I tell ya?"

In front of her Shishiwakamaru fixed her with a steady glare, a frown set upon his face as both referees called out their observations to the stands.

Immediately the dice were thrown up into the air before clattering onto the stone floor, and Kazane held her breath. At least Uraotogi's member was still matching up with canon.

The dice came to a stop, and Kazane stared in surprise at the two names fixed on the top. Beside her Hiei smirked, striding out onto the ring. In the overwhelming unnatural light in the stadium she could see the tint of navy blue that reflected in his hair.

"The second match of the semi-finals will be Hiei versus Kuro Momotaro!" Juri called enthusiastically.

As Kuwabara shouted over at the opposing team Kurama turned towards Kazane.

"I'm afraid this might prove to be a difficult battle; Hiei has not recovered from using the Dragon previously."

There had been some record broken this tournament, right? Hiei went completely undefeated? Yeah, that definitely sounded like him.

She tried to will up some confidence, sending Kurama a small smile.

"Nah, he'll be fine."

She watched as Hiei strode forward, Kuro Momotaro starting to no doubt send light insults his way. At the sight of Hiei's smirk Kazane relaxed. At least something was going according to canon.

Beside her Kurama tugged gently at her sleeve, and she looked up at him, startled by the intensity behind his eyes. Her winning the previous match couldn't have possibly made him angry, could it? That would make no sense.

"This is not the most opportune time, but I must ask: what are your intentions with Hiei?"

Kurama's quiet words threw her completely off guard, and Kazane glanced over at where Kuwabara was thankfully fully immersed in the match before them. Heat spread to her ears, and she pointedly looked out towards the stands where the demons were hurling threats toward their team.

"I don't know what you mean," She replied curtly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"His scent was all over your room, Kazane, and I'm not ignorant to you both meeting at night, you've said as much yourself." Kurama's emerald eyes were flinty, and held no room for deceit or debate.

Kazane silently fumed where she stood beside him. What the fuck business was it of Kurama's if her and Hiei and a powow in the middle of the night?

"It's really none of your business, Kurama-" She began, but was cut off by his next harsh words.

"I'm acting out of the interest of a friend. Hiei keeps sparse company, and it's been proven time and time again he has an acting interest in you. I'll ask you once more: what are your intentions with Hiei?"

Kazane wanted to submerge herself in the dirt beneath them. What were her intentions with Hiei? Literally nothing; she had no idea what the fuck she was doing, in any sense of the word. Her hanging out with him in the dead of night was just the result of two night owls unable to sleep, nothing more. Hiei might've not despised her as she previously thought, but he definitely still thought half-breeds beneath him.

"I don't know, Kurama!" Kazane yelled, and she flushed as Kuwabara's head turned in her direction, his expression perplexed. "I hardly know what I'm doing," She continued, quieter. "Someone else's actions are beyond my expertise."

Kurama stilled, looking out towards the match once more. Hiei was finally turning the tide in his direction, and it wouldn't be long before an inevitable victory sounded.

A beat of silence passed before Kazane continued, the words coming from her lips before she could stop them.

"I have the same lifespan as a human, right? So it wouldn't matter anyway."

As soon as she spoke the words aloud she wanted to scream. What was she doing entertaining the ridiculous notion of her and Hiei together? There was no way their personalities would mesh well, no way either of them could ever see a potential partner in the other. Besides, Hiei had a thing with Mukuro, right? It was hinted at as far as she could remember. This was all so fucking stupid, she wanted to tear her hair out. Today was some grade-A bullshit.

There was no way Hiei actually liked her.

"Your aging is different," Kurama replied, his gaze softening, and the redhead whipped her head in his direction. "You will reach a plateau, and that will continue for many years. Your lifespan will be nowhere near as long as a true demon, but much longer than a human's."

She had been banking on the optimal 100 years of human life. What did that mean? How long was the plateau? How much longer would she exist than her human friends around her?

Against her will Kazane felt a glimmer of hope in her chest, and she heartily smothered it out.

There was so much she didn't know about demons, really, especially when it came to how it factored into her life. Genkai was right when she'd said Kazane really was ignorant about demon culture. She'd have to ask Jin about this at some point; he probably knew way more than she did.

It seemed their conversation was at an impasse, and both Kurama and her settled into silence as she looked out where Hiei was battling against the demon, animalistic traits showing themselves grossly on his opponent's form. The sickly sensation of nausea bubbled in her stomach, and she swallowed thickly.


Ignoring Hiei when he was standing right beside her, especially after Kurama's question, was way more difficult than she imagined it to be.

It didn't help that it was obvious he was wounded and in pain, and she'd kind of cemented herself as the one to patch all the guys up. Her pack was sitting on the grass just a foot away. Since he had exited the ring to stand with the rest of them Kazane made an effort to ignore his presence, the palpable awkwardness making her chew at her bottom lip furiously. She really wished Yusuke were here to relieve some of this tension.

God, this was fucking embarrassing.

Thankfully, the fight unfolding in front of her was interesting enough that it kept her attention.

Watching Kurama was almost as satisfying as watching Genkai fight; his hair didn't even budge out of place as he performed his graceful maneuvers.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Kuwabara's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked over at the boy to see worry in his eyes.

"I-I'm fine," Kazane replied, trying to give him her best smile.

"Don't tell me you're nervous?" Hiei taunted, and Kazane immediately felt irritation well up inside her.

She couldn't really ignore Hiei when he was talking right to her; that would just make everything even more weird, and then Kuwabara would really wonder what the hell was going on.

"Of course not," She responded, trying to paint a mask of confidence over her features. "Just a little eager to fight, is all."

This was literally the last thing she needed before fighting a match. Thanks, Kurama.

"This fight is really somethin', though," Kuwabara breathed, nearly gaping at the sight of their companion and Ura Urashima exchanging blows.

"Kurama needs to stop fooling around and start fighting for real," Hiei hissed.

Oh shit, that was right. The dude was telepathically communicating with the fox demon and tricking him into letting his mercy get the better of him. This whole debacle was distracting her from the events going on.

"That idiot," Kazane cursed, interrupting Hiei's monologue about Kurama's self-destructive fighting techniques.

She watched the next events with a glare, and beside her Hiei shot her a furtive glance before looking back out onto the field, Kuwabara yelling as Kurama was entwined in fishing wire.

Juri began her count, the rose whip returning to its original form, and Kazane inhaled deeply.

Everything would be fine. Everything would be fine.

Instead of watching the match before her, she thought about Suzuki.

If she really would be fighting him, then it wasn't the most difficult battle for her to face, just likely the most annoying. He was fast, but his muscles were all just for show. If she really used her speed and the martial arts Genkai had taught her, then she could win. There was no way it would be a walk in the park like Makintaro, but she had a decent enough chance.

She just needed to keep her shit together.

As Ura Urashima took out the Idun box and shrouded the area in lilac smoke she turned her attention once more to the ring.

It took a moment, but the oppressive feel of Yoko's spirit energy reached her body, and Kazane couldn't help herself from trembling.

"Do you feel that too?" Kuwabara asked, not looking away from the now white smoke.

"Holy shit," Kazane whispered, crossing her arms across herself.

His spirit energy was thunderous, and it was hard to even take a breath as it assaulted her senses. It was on par to when Hiei unleashed his Dragon of the Darkness Flame, except where the Dragon seemed formed of sheer, unbridled rage the energy expounding from where Kurama once stood was cold and calculated.

Kazane felt as though every breath, every movement no matter how small, could be carefully seen and analyzed.

She felt like prey under the gaze of a predator.

She had been intimidated by Kurama before, it was true. His all-too-insightful comments always seemed to keep her on edge, much as she actually liked the demon. Standing before his true form now, however, she was well and thoroughly grateful she didn't have to interact with him when he was Yoko Kurama.

Kazane felt the tremors raking her body still as an insane wave of heat washed over her, and she glanced over at Hiei, their eyes catching briefly before the fire demon turned his gaze once more to the ring, a grin on his face. His ruby eyes were glittering with mirth and anticipation.

Ignoring the conversation starting between her two teammates she watched the events unfurl, her limbs relaxing as she begrudgingly savored the warmth. She didn't need exposition on Kurama; she already knew how he came to be in his human form.

As the billowing smoke cleared Kazane finally got a good view of his true form, and once again she was startled at the difference of seeing things on a 2D screen and now in real life.

Even if she wanted to describe the sheer intensity of his golden eyes she couldn't do it justice, his gaze was razor sharp. He was taller than even Kuwabara by at least a foot, which made him so much taller than Kazane that she felt like a speck. His moonlit hair flowed gently in the wind, and hysterically, in the back of her mind Kazane lamented at how unfair it was that Kurama was prettier than her in both forms.

"Kurama really is a fox thing!" Kuwabara yelled. "Gee, and to think I let him near my kitten."

At his absurd comment Kazane laughed, half-heartedly kicking him in the shins.

Kurama returned once more to his human form, sunlight finally streaming through the menacing clouds above and illuminating the demon on the ground before him. As Juri called for their team's victory Kazane smiled softly. Yeah, Kurama in his demon form was fucking terrifying, and she definitely didn't want to face him in combat ever, but at least he was on their side.

Three victories, only two to go.


As the fangirls in the audience cheered uproariously Kazane felt as though her head would explode and take everyone in the entire vicinity with it. This Shishiwakamaru was way too arrogant, and embodied nearly everything she detested of certain guys she knew in her former life.

He looked like he could lead a boy band, if the boy band was made up entirely of demons.

Before Kuwabara angrily strode out into the ring she gripped his sleeve, clenching her jaw as he looked back towards her in surprise.

"Hey, just be careful, okay?" She began, relinquishing her grip. "They've all got some pretty weird weapons, so..."

"Don't worry about me!" Kuwabara immediately replied, sending her a wan grin. "I'll kick this sissy boy halfway 'cross the island."

As if to really send his boastful proclamation he lost his balance and fell to the dirt, and Hiei immediately offered to take his place in the match.

"No, I'll fight him," Kurama interrupted. "Onji could be unpredictable. Recover your powers for the final match."

"Kurama, it's obvious you only want to fight him so you can learn the secrets of that age-reversal. We can't afford any priorities to rank above victory. You let me fight him."

"Why are you even talkin' about it?" Kuwabara cried. "This sissy Wakamaru punk just insulted me: he's all mine!"

As the boys bickered amongst themselves Kazane felt her headache reach its threshold, and she climbed up onto the ring herself, only turning when a hand clutched at her shirt.

Hiei glared, a dark expression on his face, and she angrily called some wind to coalesce around her.

"Back off," She hissed, and Hiei returned her exposed incisors with his own set of teeth. "I'm the least wounded next to Kuwabara, and since you can't decide amongst yourselves I'm making an executive decision."

A strong gust of wind batted the three of them back, and Kazane continued her ascent onto the ring, breathing deeply in an attempt to placate herself.

So what if she was acting bitchy? She wanted this whole round done and over with. Both Hiei and Kurama were injured, and if the boys were going to argue about who had the biggest dick then she'd just take the opportunity for herself. The whole thing would have been amusing if she wasn't standing before them.

What will this do to plot? her mind questioned, and she stomped the thought out immediately.

Plot was already hanging on by a thread; and although most of the fights had gone more or less to plan there wasn't any harm in speeding up the process, was there? At least she hoped not.

An amused smile crossed Shishiwakamaru's lips as she stood before him, her nimble hands twirling her fans around as she limbered up her wrists.

"Well now, I do love a decisive woman," He drawled. "Even a half-breed."

"Just do me a solid and give me an enjoyable fight," Kazane replied, letting her energy permeate outwards. It wasn't anywhere near as intimidating as Kurama's, but still. "I'm pissed off and need to vent some steam."

"My, you and the fire demon really are two sides of the same coin, aren't you?" Shishiwakamaru replied, and his words made Kazane pause momentarily before glaring at him.

She didn't need this taunting, she just wanted to let loose and pummel his face in.

"The fourth match, Shishiwakamaru versus Kazane! And begin!"

Immediately thick drafts whipped around both their figures, and Kazane bounced between her feet, the tips barely touching the concrete as she began to loosen her calf muscles and prepare herself for the ensuing battle. In retrospect, she really should have thought this through more. Fuck it.

The turbulent wind rippling across the arena was causing the thin shroud across Shishiwakamaru's shoulders to undulate, and she kept a steady eye on it, knowing what it could do. She patiently waited for him to make the first move, and she didn't have to wait for long before he darted towards her.

Kazane bat him away with her fans, the demon dodging at impressive speeds as they skirted along the arena. It didn't take more than a few minutes before he smirked, the act more of a grimace than a true smile.

"I can see my cape will be of little help to me considering your speed."

As the two darted around the arena Kazane felt a familiar sense of spirit energy, and she cast a glance over towards where Genkai was finally joining the boys, her face wrapped tight in cloth. Her energy was weakened, dimmed, and she knew that Yusuke had actually succeeded in his trials.

Her anger was mellowed out by a feeling of pride and relief.

Shishiwakamaru released his katana, aiming a blow at Kazane's neck, and she parried the attack immediately with a knife, trading her fan out for the weapon. A knife in one hand and a fan in the other; she'd just have to make do.

Once her opponent had actually withdrew his sword it was obvious that he was swift, and Kazane had to keep her entire focus on his form as she dodged and blocked his blade. It had been a while since she'd had to use more intense acrobatics, and she felt her muscles groan as she contorted in an effort to dodge the attacks Shishiwakamaru was sending her way.

Thank god she had learned from the best; Genkai was as nimble as they came.

As Kazane backwards somersaulted out of the way she felt stinging pain overwhelm her, and after she landed she looked to see deep cuts adorning the surface of her arms and thighs, cutting through the thicker fabric of her clothing.

He had used her dodge to his advantage and predicted her landing. Of course he did. Asshole.

Ignoring the blood spilling onto the concrete she readied herself, crouching low with her blades ready. In her distraction at Genkai's appearance she had forgotten that her opponent could send projectiles off of his blade. Stupid idiot, she needed to focus on the fight.

"I meant to go for your legs, but it seems that will have to do instead," The demon before her cackled, and Kazane clenched her jaw.

"It's been a fun game so far," He continued, withdrawing his blade further to reveal something disgusting and writhing and vaguely organ-like in the hilt. "So how about we take this up a notch?"

The organic structures formed together to make a protruding, distraught face, and Kazane stiffened.

"The Banshee Shriek, I think it's such a lovely name for a sword. It has the power to beckon lost demon souls into the ring with us." Shishiwakamaru dragged the bladed end across the concrete before twirling it in his hands. "It should be the perfect way to make myself a reputation."

The adrenaline coursing through her veins kept the pain in check, for the moment at least, and Kazane hissed out a stream of foul curses as she watched her opponent twirl the sword in the air like a baton.

She really should have thought this one through; she was banking on Suzuki, had spent the previous day planning around their fight. Then again, after Kuwabara lost spectacularly to Shishiwakamaru, Genkai would have joined the fight, right? God, she needed to get a grip. She felt as though her memory was slipping away from her, especially in the wake of melodramatic bullshit.

Shishi's expression turned feral, and Kazane inhaled sharply as she saw the tendrils of energy emanating from the sword, trying her best to block out the insane wailing issuing from the weapon. The entire crowd covered their ears at the sound, and Kazane tried her best to ignore the grating echo, keeping her eyes on her opponent as she covered her own ears, weapons still in hand.

Koto's melodious voice called across the stands, and Kazane wished she had something on her person to stuff in her ear canal. This was fucking ridiculous. Lesser demons were perishing in the stands due to his stupid attack.

She was barely able to discern whatever barbed words Shishiwakamaru threw her direction, and with a start she realized the demon's horns had actually made themselves known, the energy in the ring rising to stifling levels.

Maybe she should feel honored at having such an attack aimed in her direction. At the moment she just felt irritated as fuck.

"Let her rip!"

The sword glowed an immaculate crimson, and Kazane braced herself as Shishiwakamaru leapt into the air, aiming his weapon in her direction. She had deflected attacks with wind before; she could do that and potentially dodge. She was fast. She had to survive.

She had to.

An explosion echoed throughout the grounds, debris and dust kicked up at the impact.

More pain wracked through Kazane's body, but she was alive. Around her she could hear the screams and shouts from the spectators, as well their energy diminishing one by one. Hesitantly she reached out for her teammates, breathing a sigh of relief as Kurama and Hiei's energy met hers, Genkai's the most prominent, having encapsulated them in a barrier.

"Now that you've witnessed the most awesome display of power ever unleashed at the Dark Tournament, there should be no debate about who the greatest showman is! Such impact on the audience, they will never forget the famous Shishiwakamaru."

On shaky legs Kazane stood up, lamenting that her form wasn't intimidating in the least considering her height. Still, her energy beckoned around her, wind whipping her hair wildly where it sat in her ponytail, and she grimaced through the pain of many fresh and deep cuts. The lightheadedness of blood loss was already creeping in, and she needed to make this quick. At least he didn't nick a femoral artery.

"God, shut up," She cried, spitting a globule of blood and spit in his direction. "You have some fancy toys, so what? Face me like a man, and I'll bet I'll knock your bony ass to the ground."

Shishiwakamaru's face contorted into an expression of absolute fury, and he immediately began launching into another haunting rendition of screams.

Amidst her opponent's preparations Kazane bolstered as much energy to her legs as possible, ignoring the overwhelming amount of blood soaked into her clothing as she began skirting around Shishiwakamaru, deftly avoiding the lost souls filling up the arena.

It took everything in her power to continue amidst the wailing, and Kazan began aiming decisive cuts of wind at her opponent, darting from one edge of the ring to another, gradually increasing pace in counter-clockwise fashion and pushing her muscles to their limits. Simultaneously she began fanning less sharp gusts around his form.

Before long Shishiwakamaru was trapped in a makeshift whirlwind, razor sharp slices of wind coming out of seemingly nothing, and the demon cried out in pain before being dropped unceremoniously to the concrete, deep lacerations across his skin and previously unblemished face.

It was an attack that Kurama had aided her in perfecting, and one she didn't want to use unless she had to; as injured as she was she could only keep it up for a short amount of time Still, she could see no other win in this fight, and Kazane fought off the black that ebbed across her vision as she tried to remain upright on the stadium.

Blood loss combined with spirit energy exhaustion made her want to succumb to unconsciousness, but she couldn't, not until Juri or Koto or who the fuck ever made the final call.

As Koto counted down the seconds Shishiwakamaru was down for, Kazane coughed, blood spattering onto the ring before her as she held herself up by a dagger embedded. She really was in worse shape than she thought; the only wounds she previously registered were the deep gouges on her limbs, and even those didn't hurt as bad thanks to adrenaline. After the explosion there was no doubt there were at least some inflicted on her torso as well. More inevitable scars to add to the collection it seemed.

Her outfit was probably ruined beyond repair. The thought made her giggle, and she regretted the action as sharp pain sounded its way up her chest towards her neck. Well, fuck.

As Koto called for a Team Urameshi win Kazane fell to her knees, fighting to keep her head upright as a strong pair of arms held her up in its grasp.

"Kazane!" She briefly registered the sound of Kuwabara's panicked voice. "We need bandages! Alcohol! Yukina! Anything!"

Warmth invaded her senses, and Kazane didn't need to know who was near to her based on spirit energy alone.

"Give her to me, you fool! She's bleeding out!"

She felt another set of arms take her off the field before dressings were tightly and quickly applied to her many wounds, and she searched for a pair of ruby eyes, finally finding them in her delirium. Hiei seemed to be focused on his work, brows knit together in concentration, and the knots he wove to her dressings was far better than she could have done any day.

On her opposite side Genkai knelt next to her, glowing energy emanating from her hands as she worked to repair the more severe damage on her limbs. She didn't look at Kazane's face, but the expression she wore was tense.

Blood loss was making her woozy, and without realizing it she clutched onto Hiei's shirt, feeling forlorn as she looked over the cuts and rips exposing his own wounds.

"Did I do good?" She asked softly, tears budding, and at her words Hiei stopped his ministrations. "Did I?"

Her head was laid upon the grass, his body in close proximity as he crouched above her. If she had any rationality at all in the moment Kazane would have been thoroughly upset but as things stood she was bleeding and exhausted, and the warmth Hiei's legs exuded did little to help stay conscious. She wanted to sleep.

"You fought well, yes," Hiei whispered as he tightened the tourniquet on her thigh. Gently he released his shirt from her grip, placing it back over her stomach. "Rest now."

Easily Kazane gave into his words, passing out immediately as a pair of strong arms encircled around and readjusted her. The last thought she had was that Kurama would have a field day with these events.


Note:

Huzzah for the longest chapter thus far! Hoping y'all are doing well during this pandemic. I haven't been laid off from work yet but if it happens (and it might) I'll just be writing even more than I already am, which is kind of mind boggling. I hope this was a welcome reprieve for a bit.

So much happening here, where do I even begin? Concerning Kurama's questioning, it's so hard for me to write him probing without him coming off like an asshole. If he seems way more dick-ish here it's only because he's genuinely concerned about Hiei's wellbeing. I have interaction planned in the future between him and Kazane, and it'll be much more wholesome. It's just hard at the Tournament. He's also really hard to write, ugh.

Hiei moments are becoming more common, as is others noticing their budding relationship. This will all come to a head very soon. Like after the Tournament soon.

I really hated to cut out the cute rock-paper-scissors moment between the boys, but it'll be touched on later. I've mentioned this before in previous chapters but Kazane's anger gets the better of her a lot, and sometimes it's not, uh, the best? Like it just throws previous planning out the window. This event was a culmination of her embarrassment at Kurama's probing, her uncertain feelings of the previous night, and just general irritation.

Also: I've been thinking about going back to each chapter and adding credits to what the song is titled after. They're all named after songs on my writing playlist for this fic, especially since some specific scenes are pretty tied to some songs. Would y'all like that? Would y'all care? Let me know, I probably should've been consistently doing that all along but oh well.

Every ounce of my love to Pein's number 1 Girl, AmericanNidiot, TasukiLover05, wickedlfairy17, rsaenz18, Vienna22, xenocanaan, cocobyrd87, Kirk, and Aihi8 for the reviews. This fic is at 120 follows (what the actual fuck?) and I am so, so humbled.

AmericanNidiot: Your comment actually made me cackle. And...yes, hahaha.

Kirk: ;) I may be working my way to some development on that.

Title credit goes to Jenny Was a Friend of Mine by The Killers.