Despite what he knew the others thought, Hiei wasn't ignorant to the way grief was shaping his more human teammates.
The detective was completely consumed by it, as well as rage. His answers were more clipped, lacking the humor and teasing remarks Hiei had grown accustomed to. His relatively jovial demeanor was gone.
The oaf seemed absolutely lost about what to do, no doubt he could tell that words wouldn't help in alleviating the gloom over his two friends.
Kurama seemed in the same boat as Hiei; not unaffected but not terribly distraught over it. If anything they both were lamenting the loss of a legendary fighter that had struck even them with some type of fear.
And then there was Kazane.
It wasn't hard to see the toll it was taking on her. Physically, the light usually behind her cerulean eyes was dimmed, crescents of violet below them only obscured by thick lashes when closed. The effects of her lack of sleep had always been there before, but never as prominent. Before he had gone to see the crater Toguro left behind he had watched on the sidelines, his spirit energy muffled perfectly as he saw her drop to her knees at the loss. He had checked in from afar periodically, using his Jagan to watch as she comforted the detective, and later as she sobbed alone in the hotel. It had been distracting to his training, and he was irritated every time the urge to watch her came up.
The effort she put into their breakfast was halfhearted. There was no humming in between lull of conversation. Even her sarcastic remarks were forced.
He had never been adept at consoling others. Death was a part of life, and all fighters would meet their end eventually. The last time he had challenged her to a spar it didn't have a positive response.
And of course, Jin.
Her brother was a nuisance; wrapped up so tight with worry for Kazane he seemed to have thrown logic out the window. How could any of them have known she would be mercilessly beat down in the last round, despite coming out victorious? In what realm would they have sent her out onto the field instead of them willingly, when he himself was more than determined to fight every apparition available? She was more than capable of holding her own, though he begrudgingly admit it. She had been distracted.
And who on Earth would be foolish enough to threaten Hiei himself?
It was obvious Kazane was ignoring him, but he didn't know whether it was due to similar words Jin had told him, or something else. Even before Genkai's death she began to avoid him.
Immediately he thought of Yukina. He couldn't intimidate the oaf into staying away from her without giving away their relation. And if Hiei really thought about it, Kuwabara didn't have a malicious bone in his body. His sister could have worse suitors. If he were able, would he act the same way Jin was?
Glancing over at where Kazane was clenching her jaw, Hiei thought that he had never really been one to do as others told him, anyway.
Kazane was so used to seeing Koenma in his older form she had to remember that the more handsome version of him was actually just an illusion, a big-headed toddler buried underneath. Why were most of the demons or spiritual beings around her so goddamn good looking? Even if it was just a facade? Her vanity had been wounded for months.
Still, it wasn't the worst sight in the world, and it proved her recollections had been right. At least with her appearance here the Urameshi team wouldn't have been disqualified anyway, but it was kind of fitting for both team's owners to step out onto the field for the last match.
After listening to him quip about the dry ice used to make the smoke billowing from the door she rolled her eyes. A prince and a drama queen.
"So what kept you, a diaper change?" Yusuke yelled, and immediately the image of Koenma before Kazane was...tainted.
"Look Yusuke, you can cool it with the wisecracks. I don't have to be here, you know." Koenma glanced over at Kazane. "You already have four fighters."
"So why the hell did you come here then?"
With a melodramatic flourish of his cape thing Koenma continued. "Genkai was a friend and Toguro is a jerk. I agreed to being your backup if need be, but until then you can count me in as moral support."
Before Yusuke or Kuwabara could let out a sharp retort Kazane took a step forward. She needed to get everyone to chill out or else this round would never start.
"Thanks Koenma. I know fighting isn't your strong suit. If anything Genkai would probably get a kick out of you being down here."
To her surprise Koenma started babbling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "O-Of course! It's my duty as Team Urameshi's owner, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't make an appearance?"
Yusuke began cracking his neck and knuckles in irritation. "Alright, well let's go already then."
"Wait a second!" Juri called. "You can't just switch; the rules say that a new player may only be brought in if an original fighter is dead."
The look on Yusuke's face could level mountains. He was glaring at Juri with one of the most annoyed expressions Kazane had ever seen, and she swiftly stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. Not that she thought he would just wail on a woman unprovoked, but she didn't want to further increase his anger.
"Our backup is dead," She shakily answered, clenching her fists. "Due to out of the ring events." She could feel the blood pooling up where her nails were embedded in her palm.
"Their team will never get to a fifth match, so it won't be necessary for Junior to fight once they all perish," Karasu added, and Kazane leveled him with a glare. "We all know he's just here to take up some space."
Immediately Koenma stepped forward. "Anytime, mask boy!"
This was the weirdest juxtaposition Kazane had ever found herself in; the most life-threatening round she had yet to see and yet also filled with an element of comedic relief? She was getting whiplash. This whole situation felt like a fever dream.
Then again, banter had a way of keeping things grounded in reality, even when it was ridiculous.
As Koto called throughout the stands and elicited more cheering, Kazane looked over her teammates, noting their tense expressions. As her eyes passed over Hiei she stilled. His own eyes were boring into hers, and the look on his face was unreadable, not that she had been any good at figuring out what he was thinking in any case.
Turning away for her own sanity she looked at the ring, where Karasu was making his way towards the center. She watched as he pressed a finger to his temple, a soft 'bang' echoing from his lips as he stared down Kurama.
"Ugh, look at him tryin' to scare us with his dumb finger," Kuwabara yelled. "Man, I'm gonna beat him until his mother doesn't recognize him!"
"No," Kurama called softly, predictably. "I will handle him."
Kazane had never seen Kurama so focused, so serious. Even during their training there was still a small part of him that she could tell enjoyed everyone's company. Now it was like she was seeing a glimpse of the Yoko Kurama in him, in the way his emerald gaze was razor sharp.
As Juri announced the match Kazane found that without Kurama standing near to her she was now directly next to Hiei, and she grit her teeth.
Well, if she had to focus her attention on something else then she'd do it. For as creepy as Karasu was he did have immaculate hair, not a split end in sight. She wondered what shampoo he used. Not that he would be alive after this match, and even if he was Kazane was sure if she asked him such a dumb question she'd be dead before she could finish talking.
Out of the stands she heard a feminine voice call loud above the others, and she looked up to see Keiko standing at full height, launching scathing words at Kurama's opponent.
God, if she made it through this then she really needed to try and get closer to the girl. Even as simply human Keiko was not a force to be messed with.
"Dammit, if they start a riot in the stands I'm not gonna be the one that saves them," Yusuke groaned.
"You've gotten backhanded by Keiko how many times?" Kazane teased. "I think they'll be good." Immediately Yusuke recoiled at the memory.
"Both players take their opening pose, and begin!"
Keeping her anxiety in check as she watched the fight commence was harder than she originally thought. She knew Team Urameshi would be victorious, knew that this round was in the bag, and still. The urge to fidget or shuffle around the outskirts of the arena was strong, and it seemed Kuwabara noticed. He took place next to Kazane.
"Hey, you good?"
She gave a small nod, not taking her eyes off of Kurama. "This is really happening. The last round, and then we'll be done."
"Yeah we've been here for a while," Kuwabara relented. "It's gonna feel nice beating these jerks and heading back home."
Kazane watched as Karasu deftly exploded the rose petals that Kurama had spread out seconds earlier, not even touching them with his hands, and she began to chew on her bottom lip in earnest. The sweet smell of flowers turned acrid as the smoke wafted over towards her.
The fight proceeded much the way she could remember; Karasu chasing Kurama around and essentially tormenting him for the beginning of the match, Yoko Kurama appearing in a cloud of white smoke, and Karasu finally drawing enough power in to turn his hair from black to blonde. Once again the force of Yoko Kurama's energy made her tremble slightly, and coupled with Karasu's intense energy made her stomach uneasy.
In Kazane's half-hearted, somewhat hysterical opinion she really thought the blonde didn't suit him.
As he sucked in air or energy or whatever through his mouth Hiei spoke, and Kazane jumped at the sound. She had forgotten he was standing beside her.
"It's an explicit sign that he's internalizing his power, which means the bombs he created are now inside of him, virtually making him one giant explosive."
"Are you serious?" Yusuke yelled, looking at Hiei dumbfounded.
"Of course I am. If my assumption is correct, he's about to detonate. If you're wise, you'll take cover now."
At his last statement he glanced over at Kazane, almost too quickly for her to catch, and nearly all the boys around her protested at the idea of an explosion ricocheting over them.
A thought came to mind as she watched Karasu bolt towards Kurama; she truly had no idea how to make a protective barrier of her own energy. She could have sworn Genkai touched on the topic, but it was brief, and she'd never really taken it to heart or implemented it; her first instinct had always been to use her wind abilities. A really stupid move, in all honesty, especially now. She had to do something, anything. Wind-
Light radiated from the ring, and within seconds the sheer force of the blast blew the team back close to the wall of the audience. Amidst the chaos Kazane felt a hand grip her own, roughly pulling her up away from the ground. As her eyes adjusted from the intense light and smoke she looked down to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Koenma all buried under rock and making their way to their feet, and she realized that she was standing shakily on the lip of the spectators area alongside Hiei.
She glanced down at her hand, the only sign of Hiei's actions being a warmth around her digits, and then back up at him, eyes wide.
The words of thanks died in her throat, and as Yusuke called out to everyone she descended onto the now-torn grass feeling well and truly embarrassed about the whole debacle, a flush rising to her face.
Sure, it was nice of Hiei to make sure she wasn't buried under mountains of dirt, but she kind of had an idea of how to protect herself. She had been thinking of creating a whirlwind around her to repel everything, she just hadn't acted quick enough. She would've been fine. Maybe.
Yusuke looked between Kazane and Hiei before turning his attention back to where Kurama should've been, nearly everything still obscured by the dissipating smoke.
As Karasu stood alone in the ring chuckling to himself Kazane inhaled sharply, her panic only abated after movement came from the grass on the other side, Kurama climbing his way out of the rocks nestled around him. He was back in his human form, blood pooling from the many wounds he had gotten before transforming.
"Wha- I don't get it!" Kuwabara cried. "He said that stuff's supposed to last fifteen minutes! That's it, the next time I see Suzuki, I'm moppin' up the floor with his face."
Kazane began hovering nervously in lotus as she watched Kurama stumble back into the ring. He looked like a beat up rag doll, using all of his strength to keep on his feet. His hand trembled as he tried to withdraw his rose whip, the petals on the end simply disintegrating at the lack of energy.
It would be fine. Everything would be fine.
She didn't realize she was whispering her mantra out loud until Kuwabara put a hand on her shoulder.
Kurama ran straight out towards the ring, his still graceful acrobatics putting Kazane mildly at ease. She watched in admiration as he launched assault after assault on Karasu using only hand-to-hand, recognizing a lot of the moves he had used during their own spars back at the temple.
"He has a plan," Hiei spoke. "It's obvious in the way he moves."
"Kurama always has a plan," Kazane responded immediately, not looking over at him.
She nearly regret her words as Karasu withdrew the seed embedded in his chest, displaying it between his fingertips.
"Uh guys...I don't think he's gonna make it," Koenma softly said.
"He's going to make it," Kazane snapped angrily, the wind rustling around her.
This was all so stupid; she wished she could fast forward through all this bullshit and be done with the tournament. She wanted to hear the announcement that they were victorious, she wanted to pack up all of her things and head home. She wanted to be done with all this, maybe be a recluse for a while at the temple.
It was the worst kind of predicament, and her usual methods of compartmentalization weren't working at all. Normally she would think about the future, or maybe her training. Even that time she bandaged Hiei's arm she had been thinking about spots on the temple grounds she enjoyed. Trying to think about being at the temple now, however, was something she didn't want to mull over too long. She had already spent a stupid amount of time dissecting Karasu's outfit.
She was getting bitchy and snappish with all the stress surrounding these final matches, and now she was caught between thinking about the shitstorm brewing on the field or the horrendously sad idea of being alone at the temple afterwards.
An explosion echoed through the grounds alongside Kurama's cry, and Kazane felt her stomach roil uncomfortably as her teammate staggered to the ground, blood streaming from the gigantic gash in his leg. She could smell it in the air.
The explosions continued, and Kazane closed her eyes, tucking her chin into her chest. She still believed, but seeing someone she considered a friend (albeit one that constantly called her on her bullshit) being basically tortured wasn't enjoyable, or something she wanted to see. The way Karasu was acting was entirely ruthless, and she'd probably hear Kurama's screams in her night terrors.
The whole sight was way too familiar to her, and for a moment she imagined demon world's oppressive air constricting her windpipe.
Kuwabara's hand tightened on Kazane's shoulder, almost painful, as Yusuke screamed out. Still, she didn't open her eyes.
It was fine, everything was fine. Everything would be fine.
"Yeah! Let 'em have it, Karasu!"
"Do it already, finish him! Finish him!"
Juri began her countdown, and with every number she called Kazane could feel her heart thudding in her chest. As the counting halted she opened her eyes, returning to the ground from her hover and looking out towards the ring as Kurama rose off the floor.
She felt energy beckon, and this time it wasn't the insane energy of Yoko, or even the normal energy of Kurama's she had become familiar with. It seemed life energy was more pure, somehow unfiltered. In this form it was tinged with emotion, and the feel of desperation touched her senses.
The plant that materialized and sunk its tubers into Karasu was large, and if Kazane had to describe it; really fucking unsettling. The sight of it sucking out whatever from the blonde's chest was disturbing, and she looked away as the entirety of it settled over Karasu's body.
The urge to rush out onto the field and drag Kurama back to where they all stood was strong, but it was taking Juri a ridiculously long time to start her count. With each second that passed Kazane could feel more of Kurama's life force slipping away, and she pressed her hand on the edge of the ring. Her eagerness was halted, however, by Kurama slowly returning to his feet, the ebb of his life force once again more consistent.
"He's a little jacked up, but I'd say we won!" Kuwabara cheered.
Brushing away the small amount of tears on her face Kazane knelt and reached into her pack, taking out a large amount of the bandages and disinfectant from within.
Everything would be fine, just like she'd thought. She just needed to keep on thinking that until things were settled in dust, finally.
"And the winner by total gross-out is Kurama!"
Ignoring the optimistic cries of Kuwabara and Yusuke, Kazane strode out onto the field, taking one of Kurama's arms over her shoulder and ignoring the drying blood that was transferring onto her sweater. He gave her the smallest smile before it twisted into a grimace.
"Don't you dare do that to me again," She chastised, and at her words Kurama chuckled half-heartedly.
"Glad to hear you were concerned."
"Of course, you dolt," Kazane responded, fighting to keep the emotion out of her voice. "If you died who would keep me in check?"
Kurama paused before speaking, his voice strained. "I'm afraid we are not out of the woods yet."
She was about to ask for clarification before understanding awashed her, and as Kazane settled Kurama onto the dirt outside the ring she turned her gaze towards the glass window where the committee was. It took barely a moment before Juri raised her arm.
"And the official announcement says the winner of match one is Karasu!"
Instantly an insane amount of fury unleashed inside of her, and she tried to rationalize it away.
Kazane knew Kurama would win, knew how dire the circumstances were. Of course the committee would rule in favor of Team Toguro. Even the smallest margin of error would be used against them, and Kurama had been down for a decent amount of time.
Still, in the wake of Juri's announcement and Yusuke's corresponding cry of disbelief, she found the urge to fly over to the opposing side and smash in every face nearly overwhelming.
"Huh? And now the fair and impartial Juri is saying that the winner was the late Karasu?" Koto called.
At least that referee had a sense of logic to her. If Kazane saw her outside the fights before this was all through she really needed to get her number, or something. Weird ascot thing be damned.
"It's not fair! These judges have had it out for us since the first day!" Kuwabara yelled, his fists shaking in anger.
Kazane began tending to Kurama's wounds, wrapping them carefully and apologizing every time he winced in pain. As Yusuke strode out onto the ring she cursed, gnashing her teeth. Being in two places at once would really be helpful at this moment, especially before Yusuke sucker-punched a referee.
"You just don't get it."
The elder Toguro's voice was almost serpentine, quiet but still speaking at that certain level that anyone could hear him. Kazane fucking hated it, and she glared back at where he sat draped across the elder Toguro's shoulders like some gross coat.
"Even if by cruel cosmic joke you survive your matches, you forget the champions are each granted a wish. Once our team winds and mine is awarded, I'll wish for the death of all your friends."
Kazane was so caught off guard by his words she completely ignored the fact that his finger was jabbed directly at her.
A wish of any magnitude, and the committee would grant it. She had completely forgotten about the prize for winning the Dark Tournament.
At first the idea of wishing back to her deadened life came to mind, but as soon as she thought about it something caught in her throat, and her stomach rebelled against her once more. Memories surfaced of her and Genkai's time together, her training with and heckling Yusuke, her interactions with everyone at Maze Castle.
Kuwabara's joyful face whenever she prepared a meal for them, Kurama's smile of approval whenever she finally got the hang of something during their lessons, Yusuke half-heartedly rolling his eyes whenever she sang a song she knew he liked after training.
Her fireside, open-hearted chats with Hiei in the middle of the night.
Kazane had built a life here, and as torn as she felt she couldn't just abandon the people that had become so dear to her, even if she was originally acquainted with them in a 2D world. She hadn't made peace with leaving her old life behind, not even close. Her night terrors were the biggest example of that, but still. She'd feel like a coward if she didn't stay to see things through as best she could.
She still needed to figure out how her soul had managed to get here in the first place.
"Want to know what I'll wish for when we beat them?" Hiei said, drawing Kazane from her thoughts. He stepped forward, alongside Yusuke. "The bloody death of every member of that corrupt Tournament Committee so that I'll never be pulled into one of their carnivals again."
Hiei's words were scathing, and Kazane finally finished securing Kurama's bandages, looking up towards the demon. He exuded nothing but confidence, his eyes glimmering as he stared down the others across the ring.
The smaller Toguro brother that spoke earlier nimbly darted onto the stone, and as his eyes set on Kazane she felt a shiver race up her spine.
"Normally I'd allow you to pick your first martyr, but I'd like to face the half-breed myself."
Why the fuck was he singling her out?
The panic clawing its way up Kazane's throat was stifled by the loud thuds of Bui stepping into the ring. The demon was a behemoth, taller than nearly anyone she'd ever seen, and his armor was...disgustingly garish.
"This should be dandy."
"Yusuke," Hiei said, never taking his eyes off the man. "I planned on taking the thug with the sunglasses for myself, but after what he did to Genkai, I believe vengeance belongs to you."
"Thank you," Yusuke replied softly.
Before Hiei started making his way into the ring Kazane deferred from where she sat alongside Kurama to grip his sleeve, and as he turned his head towards her she found that her words were once again dying in her throat.
He was aching to get into battle, that much was clear. She relinquished her grip on his clothing before letting out a deep sigh.
"Tear him to pieces," Kazane quipped harshly, and it seemed Hiei could detect the tone of what she had been planning to say, much to her chagrin, for he smirked.
Seeing Kurama wounded beyond belief was hard enough; if the same would be true for everyone on her team then she'd probably go insane.
He darted into the ring quickly, only a shadow of himself barely left behind, and Kazane watched him march forward with anxiety humming in her veins. A soft chuckle near caused her to turn, and she promptly flushed under Kurama's soft but knowing grin.
"He'll be alright," He whispered, and Kazane willed a soft gust of wind towards his face, grimacing.
"Whatever."
Hiei's fight with Bui was nerve-wracking, and for most of it Kazane hovered angrily next to Kurama and Yusuke, biting the skin around her nails. It was weird how a habit from a previous life was still present in this one, even if it only manifested itself in stressful situations. The bandages on Hiei's arm were different now, definitely ones he had prepared himself, and Kazane grit her teeth as she thought about the Dragon once more materializing on the tournament grounds.
It was honestly amazing to see Hiei stand stoic and stone-faced in the wake of all the short jokes Koto and Juri were making. Then again, Bui was a whopping nine feet tall.
"Uh, remind me never to let Hiei touch me again anytime soon, or like, ever," Kuwabara groaned as the fire demon dissipated Bui's axe with one hand.
It was a much different fight watching Hiei as opposed to Kurama previously. His movements were quick, on par with Kazane's, and watching him literally flame-punch an axe made her want to whoop and cheer with the others. The match had a much more positive outlook, at least for most of the beginning.
As Bui began removing his insanely weighted armor and Hiei stood patiently some feet away Kazane cursed, drawing the attention of Kurama, who was now standing next to her.
"He's too honorable to pummel that guy when he's at his must vulnerable."
Kurama's lips twitched upwards. "That's Hiei for you."
She probably shouldn't be hovering lotus while watching the fight, saving her energy in case she would be called into a match, but still. Old habits died hard, she supposed, and this tournament was really bringing them to the forefront. The last match Kazane could hardly watch as Kurama was nearly destroyed by Karasu, this time she couldn't tear her eyes from the field. It was as if her focusing on the match could prevent something awful from happening, even though entering the ring was forbidden.
The same damnable flames from days ago wound their way around Hiei's arm, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as his energy permeated the stadium. Simultaneously Bui's energy clashed, expounding off of him in waves. Being surrounded by such large amounts of lethal energy it was a wonder she didn't just bolt from the stadium. She really wasn't good at self-preservation at all.
"It's even more than before," Kurama noted. "Without control he could kill us all."
"That's cool," Yusuke joked sarcastically, panic in his eyes betraying how he really felt.
Kurama's energy when he was Yoko was overwhelming, if only in the way that the energy made Kazane feel so scrutinized she didn't want to hardly move for fear of being hunted down. Hiei's Dragon, though, was chilling and stifling. Even if she wanted to do much of anything it would take considerable effort on her part. The way it felt against her own energy made it clear there was an overwhelming hunger to consume everything. On some level she was also irritated; Hiei's energy wasn't meant to be chilling. It was supposed to burn, raze everything near to the ground.
Trying to stem the tremors raking through her body she continued to watch, trying to take comfort in the presence of everyone around her.
Tendrils of black, crackling energy came down into the stadium from the clouds, concrete worn away in seconds by the sheer magnitude of it. Even Koto forcefully pulled Juri out of the ring by her tail as the pungent aura swarmed throughout it.
It was only now, after a second viewing when Kazane was fully-focused on the fight that she understood why the energy emitted from the Dragon was familiar to her. The darkness made sense; it was in the damn name. That same echoless expanse of death underneath her own skin radiated from it, however. Something that she was well-acquainted with; from her birth to her torture in Maze Castle, and in the way Genkai recoiled from her energy when she tried to learn to heal wounds.
It was void. A lack of anything.
Her stomach clenched, and she suppressed a retch, pressing a palm to her mouth forcefully. Was this why Hiei was so interested in her? Could he feel the same energy within her as the Dragon in his arm? Still, even as the energy grew she couldn't look away, and Yusuke pressed a hand to her shoulder, concern swirling in his eyes.
"You okay?"
Not trusting herself to verbally respond Kazane nodded, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to ground herself. The conflicting and overwhelming energy of the match was already way too much for her to comprehend, and she ceased her hover to shakily stand on the ground as her teammates talked about the chaos ensuing.
The stadium was being completely ripped apart by the Dragon bowling over every obstacle in sight, and against her will a thought sprang to her mind.
This was really Hiei, wasn't it? Seeing the sheer power he wielded firsthand was insane, and as fear threatened to overtake her Kazane remembered his words back in the medical tent.
"You've no idea what I've done."
There was a semblance of regret in his eyes, a shame in that small admonition. He wasn't bringing forth the Dragon for the purpose of seeing the audience disintegrated (although it couldn't be a downside, surely), he was doing it because he was determined to win this match and beat Bui at any cost. There was also a part of him that relished a good fight, same as Kazane. This was as fair of a demon fight as there could be. After spending most time in Hiei's company outside of battle the sight of just how powerful he was sent shivers up her spine.
It was fucking irresponsible to even think she could ever win in a fight against him seriously.
Bui had redirected the Dragon, somehow turning its power back on Hiei, and Kazane frantically felt out for his energy in and around the stadium as she lost sight of him. It was there, even slightly dimmed as it was. She couldn't help a small smile from spreading across her face as Hiei reappeared behind Bui, tendrils of the Dragon's power flowing from him.
Watching Bui punch and kick Hiei with little to no reaction from the fire demon was a sight she wouldn't soon forget. There weren't even welts or bruises making themselves known on his skin.
The climax of the battle was as flashy as the rest of it, Bui getting knocked into the earth outside the ring by Hiei, the dragon formed around him. As Hiei deftly skirted back into the destroyed ring and Juri concluded her count Kazane grinned, feeling elated.
"The second fight is over! Hiei takes the point!"
One step closer to finally being done with this shitshow.
"Really awesome, Hiei," Yusuke admitted, sporting a grin himself.
"Yeah, awesome," Kuwabara hesitantly agreed. "Uh, why don't you go about twenty yards that way and fight the rest of them!"
Despite the shaking in his legs Hiei still managed to look intimidating, shooting the ginger a glare through half-lidded eyes.
"That's against the rules now, you cretin. Besides, my attack expired."
"Expired?"
"I don't know if your brains can imagine it, but this attack drained a great deal of my energy." Hiei...yawned? "I'll require some hibernation to get it back. Think you can manage finding a safe place for my body where it won't get stepped on?"
His last question was aimed at Kazane, and his words caught her so off guard that she could do little more than blink in response. She stepped forward immediately without thinking as he lost consciousness, his body falling forwards and slamming on top of her own, and she hissed out a string of curses. He was heavier than he looked.
She was about to insult him for just falling over but paused as she noted the expression on his face, or lackthereof, and settled him down gently on the ground, a hand cradling the back of his head. Seeing Hiei asleep was...definitely a first. The usual guarded look he wore was gone, his face infinitely more open and relaxed than anytime she had seen him. Ever.
A soft chuckle brought Kazane back to reality, and she felt heat rise to her ears as Yusuke joined in with Kurama's laughing.
"Hold on! So nothing we do will wake him up?" Kuwabara asked, looking as though he wanted to poke Hiei and make sure he was really asleep. He withdrew a marker from inside his pocket. "Can I give him a mustache?"
Kazane swallowed her embarrassment and laughed, a warm feeling settling in her chest as she glanced over at Hiei.
She really needed to step her game up if everyone else around her was going to be that strong.
"You've gotta hand it to him, when Hiei's feeling serious he really lets you know."
Kazane nodded in agreement at Yusuke's words, her eyes roving over where half of the goddamn stadium had been blown apart from the last match. Who even knew how many audience members were dead? Well, not that she really cared too much. They had been spouting insults at her team since they first came to the island.
"With this technique mastered his power is overwhelming indeed," Kurama added, a smirk on his face. "We'll have to stay on his good side."
"Hell, he didn't say how long he'd hibernate. Maybe we'll all be dead when he wakes up and it won't be an issue."
"Don't say that," Kazane chastised, aiming a kick at the boy's shin. "You're gonna kick Toguro's ass and then we're all going home."
"Yeah, well before that happens what do you think they're going to do with the ring?" Yusuke said, dodging her half-hearted kick easily. "Looks like a graveyard."
The whole area was a disaster, and if they didn't replace it would be a pain in the ass to navigate during a fight. Tripping over some rubble and falling flat on your face could mean a quick death if you weren't careful.
An itch on the back of her neck caused her to turn, and Kazane found that the pair of eyes she met were the elder Toguro's. There was something malicious behind them, and rather than continue in an inevitable stare-off she turned to Kurama, clenching her fists.
"How are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm hardly at my best," The fox demon joked. "But I believe I'll be fine. Provided I don't have to compete again, that is."
"There's only a couple more matches left so I think our chances aren't too shabby." Kazane blinked in surprise at the look Kurama was giving her. "What?"
"Hiei will be alright, he just needs to recover." That same knowing, coy tone crept into his voice.
Instantly she blushed, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze. Her snappy retort was cut off as Koto's voice called throughout the stadium once more.
"I've received word that we'll have a long intermission while the replacement ring is brought in. Feel free to move around the parts of the stadium that still exist. And of course, as always, don't forget the snack bars!"
A relieved sigh escaped Kazane's lips, and as Kuwabara suggested heading back to the locker room she began to make her way towards the entrance, halting when she realized Hiei was still lying on the ground.
"Uh, guys?" She jerked a thumb over at his prone form.
The grin Yusuke flashed in response was on par with Kurama's. "What? You carried me into the stadium the other day. I guess we just assumed you'd do the same for Hiei."
It took everything in Kazane's power to not throw a punch at her surrogate brother, or at Kurama for the amused look he was wearing. Kuwabara appeared completely nonplussed at the situation, one brow quirked upwards as he looked over the three of them.
"Fine," She muttered, huffing angrily. "Fine!"
For as heavy as Hiei had been when he toppled over, the demon had nothing on Yusuke's weight. With a little more force than she intended she hefted Hiei onto her back, trying to ignore the heat his entire body exhibited. This whole situation was fucking stupid, and she felt like Yusuke and Kurama were plotting against her, conspiring together to make her as frustrated as possible.
Even their steps towards the hallway and locker room area seemed faster than normal, and Kazane found herself lagging behind the group further than she wanted, trying to pick up the pace but still many feet away. Using wind to help propel her would be a waste if it came time to fight, and with the way that Toguro brother was looking at her she could tell it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Kazane cursed her teammates' existence briefly, before a bandaged hand curling around the fabric of her sweater caught her attention.
God, this was so embarrassing. Why the hell was she the one carrying Hiei when all the others had muscles basically bigger than her?
Making sure the fire demon was well and truly out she began humming, trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as she made her way through the dimmed hallway.
It was true she had been scared of Hiei when she watched him in the ring, something that she probably should have been all along, honestly. Genkai had outright warned her against getting too chummy with her demon companions. Seeing him now, though, at his most vulnerable tempered some of the unease in her limbs.
She paused before entering the area the boys had disappeared through moments ago, gently uncurling Hiei's hand from her clothing. When the hell had that happened? If they were going to be assholes better to not give them ammunition for...whatever. She entered the room, settling Hiei down on one of the cushioned benches before stepping back towards the wall and beginning to stretch.
Another nervous habit. She hadn't realized she'd been this frazzled today.
Yusuke and Kuwabara were both leaning against the walls, arms crossed, while Koenma and Kurama sat on the bench opposite. As Kazane dipped in the more difficult stretches Kuwabara's gruff voice called out to her.
"Hey, that little guy was giving you a pretty spooky look. If you're not feelin' up to it I can take him."
His words caught her off guard, and she bit her lip as she took in the sincere concern in his eyes.
"I mean, Yukina and Genkai healed me pretty well yesterday. I just don't get why he's so fixated on fighting me."
Originally Kuwabara had been the one to fight him, right? The dick had basically terrorized him right up to the point of the match. She couldn't think of a reason for his singling her out.
"Perhaps it's because he holds a grudge for Genkai," Koenma piped in, his words muffled from his pacifier. "You are basically her progeny, alongside Yusuke. That's where I believe his motivations lie."
Chewing furiously on her bottom lip Kazane sighed, running a hand through her hair before turning towards Kuwabara. "Well, you've got a fancy new sword now, right? It'd be a shame if you didn't show it off."
Instead of an enthusiastic response like she had been expecting Kuwabara simply frowned, and it was then that Yusuke spoke up, turning his brown eyes to her. There was a sort of understanding behind them.
"If this is something you've gotta do then I don't think anyone here is going to stop you, you know."
Kazane held his gaze for a moment before sighing deeply once more, leaning back against the wall and sinking down into a yanki squat. Massaging her temples she looked at the tiled floor.
"I don't really care either way as long as he gets his face beat in," She began, picking off flecks of dried blood on her sweater. "I'm just...I mean compared to you guys I'm really not on the same level."
It was a truth she had been quickly coming to terms with since seeing Kurama and Hiei's matches. Up til now she had been confident in her fighting prowess, but since the news of their participation in the tournament she hadn't made much headway. Kurama had helped her truly develop two attacks, one she'd already used during her match with Shishiwakamaru. The other wasn't something she wanted to use unless the need really arose, and even then it couldn't hold a candle to the maneuvers her two teammates had used previously.
She should have made more of an effort in her training. She should have really pushed her abilities to their limits. She had been exhausted after the training at the temple, of that there was no doubt. Still, she could've pushed harder.
Being completely outclassed by her teammates wasn't something she admitted easily, but it was the truth. She absolutely hated it.
"What're you talkin' about?!" Kuwabara stepped forward, a fist curled. "You're one of the strongest people I know!"
"That's right," Kurama added, interrupting Kazane's sputtering retorts. "Without your assistance I doubt we could have made it this far."
They would have, though. In another life, another timeline. One where she didn't exist.
Yusuke finally stepped away from the wall, uncrossing his arms as he sent a heavy stare her way.
"The Kazane I know doesn't pussy out when things get hard. In fact, she likes to put it all on herself. If you really think you can't face off against that ugly twerp then fine, let Kuwabara handle it. But you wouldn't be here if you couldn't handle it."
It took a moment for Yusuke's harsh words to sink in, and when they did Kazane sighed once more, readjusting her bun as she stood up to full height.
"Ugh, I hate you...but you're right." She turned to Kuwabara. "You sure you're alright with that?"
A pearly grin spread across the ginger's face. "Honestly, that guy creeps me the heck out, but I think you can take him on."
Kazane's moment of feeling marginally better was interrupted by the arrival of Botan and Company. Shizuru was the first to enter the room, and she sent a look Kazane's way. Both Botan and Yukina held concern in their eyes, and Keiko was busy sending worrying looks Yusuke's way, looks he was pointedly ignoring.
"You got this?" Shizuru asked, and the look behind her eyes was intense. It was obvious she was thinking about her brother fighting if Kazane fell. Undoubtedly their voices had carried out into the hallway.
Even if Kuwabara made the gallant offer to take her place in the fight there was still an insane amount of nervousness in his countenance.
Trying to put a confident face on Kazane nodded. "Sure. Can I, uh, bum a cigarette though?"
Giving a small smile Shizuru strode closer, handing the redhead a cigarette and lighting the end with her zippo. If the whole situation wasn't so bizarre and tense she would feel nervous beyond all belief at the brunette standing in close proximity. As Yukina stepped closer to Kuwabara Kazane glanced over at where Hiei was passed out, smirking at his probably masked rage at their innocent little romance.
Yukina surprisingly produced some beers and began distributing them, and as everyone settled into some semblance of calm Yusuke approached Kazane, standing next to her as she took nervous drags on the cancer stick. Even if she wanted to nitpick the emotions behind his eyes she couldn't, and he nudged her arm with his elbow.
"No dying, though. That's definitely not allowed."
Smiling softly Kazane nudged him back. "Rule number one of Team Urameshi. No dying. That goes for you, too, bonehead."
"As if I'd get killed by that asshole," Yusuke jibbed, rolling his eyes.
Downing her beer in record time Kazane glanced over the room, taking in the many bodies that she had become acquainted with since Genkai had sought out a successor. Her heart sinking she silently wished the old bat could be in the room with them, Yusuke and her persevering despite overwhelming circumstances. The way two demons fought on the side of humans, something Genkai had probably rarely seen in her lifetime.
She hoped the old lady was proud of her, wherever she dwelled in Spirit World. She deserved that, at the very least, and more.
"Hey, Kazane, can you sing that one song I really like?" Kuwabara asked, refusing a beer from Yukina politely.
"I, uh..." Kazane responded eloquently, her eyes darting around the room. Singing when she was trying to keep her mind busy was one thing, singing consciously with a room full of people was an entirely different thing. Clearing her throat she nervously asked, "Which one?"
She knew which one; it was one he always commented on when she found herself singing it, and every time he did it was a surprise. She just asked to stall.
It was clear Kuwabara would never be a famous singer, as the rendition he gave her of the main verse was crude and off-key, but recognizable. Ignoring the stares from everyone in the room Kazane took a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling as she began her rendition. It didn't take long before she felt more comfortable, tapping beats onto her thigh as she sang.
"Somehow we're safe and sound, like the glow of the shore..."
Even if she got absolutely trashed in the next match she would make it through. She had to. It was a fitting song Kuwabara chose, one that inspired confidence. She had bodies in the room that she had come to care for, and even if her being in this universe was just a random happenstance she had to do her best to protect them no matter what the cost. Even if that was facing off against some morphing, pale and ugly demon.
The Toguro brothers had been human originally though, right? Something like that. They were an abomination.
She caught Yukina glancing at Kuwabara and smiled, feeling that same warmth in her chest as she had so many times before. Against her better judgment she stole a glance at Hiei.
She had things to protect, and she'd do it with every ounce of energy she had.
Note:
Hey, hope y'all are doing well. There's a lot going on in this chapter, but I don't have too much to say about it, except that I hope you guys enjoyed the small HieixKazane moments peppered throughout.
I always enjoy hearing your thoughts in the reviews; they really make my day.
Only the best for Vienna22, xenocanaan, rsaenz18, xCutePoison, Damaged Forest Spirit, and Guest.
Title credit and the song Kazane sings at the end go to Coppertone by Hellogoodbye.
