SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 26 out, this is Chapter 27 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Pairings: Tao Ren/Fem!OC, Yoh/Anna

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.

Chapter 27: The Shaman Fight Ends?

Not long afterwards...

"Where are you two planning to go?" Jun asked, having revived Ren and Hui Ling by the lakeside.

"You already know where." Ren answered, pulling his partner up. "I heard Hao's voice when I was in that Gate of Babylon. He said that the Shaman Fight is over."

"Which means the Spirit of Fire is already powerful enough to obtain the Great Spirits directly." Hui Ling surmised.

"I won't let him." Ren swore.

"My, only a little over 10,000?" Nichrom mocked, coming up to the Chinese group. "You were only able to get that much stronger even after memorizing the Chou Senji Ryakketsu?"

"Why is one of the Ten Priests here?" Jun wondered.

"Please stand back." Ren put himself between Nichrom and the two females. "He has business with me."

"Tao Ren, I want you to repent your sin for killing my brother." Nichrom stated. "Come to Hao-sama.

"I refuse." Ren rejected. "Why are you siding with someone like Hao?"

"Hao-sama has given me a future." Nichrom declared. "And he can make you stronger. You kept thinking about defeating Asakura Yoh. But all you were doing was following him. Hao-sama said he can give you power so that you can defeat him in a fair battle. If you become strong and challenge him to a battle, Asakura Yoh will become even stronger."

"Are you trying to use Ren to make Yoh stronger?" Jun realized the implication.

"Of course." Nichrom replied. "A weak and sinful person like yourself can be useful to Hao-sama. You should be thankful."

"That's too bad." Jun smirked. "The Tao Ren you knew is no more. Ren chose the path of becoming stronger with Yoh and the others."

"Is that so?" Nichrom snorted.

"Uh oh..." Hui Ling muttered, already sensing the internal rage that was billowing inside her other half.

"I..." Ren hissed. "Am I just something or Yoh to practice with?"

"Hey!" Chocolove shouted, hurrying over with Faust.

"Looks like we have unwanted company." Nichrom noted. "If you want to fight Asakura Yoh, then come after us."

"Nichrom, then answer me this." Hui Ling spoke. "Did the Spirit of Fire absorb Shamash?"

"Why ask when you already know the answer?" Nichrom smirked and took off with his hawk.

"That was one of the Ten Priests just now, wasn't he?" Faust asked.

"Did something happen, Ren?" Chocolove was worried.

Ren remained silent, letting out his anger by punching the ground.

With the group reunited, they arrive to the entrance of the Path to the Holy Ground of the Stars where smoke was seen billowing out from on the entrances.

"Oji-sama." Anna tended to the injured Mikihisa.

"Yoh." Mikihisa turned to his son. "You can still make it right now."

"Wait." Pirica voiced. "Please tell me something." she looked at Goldva. "Are the numbers of each Shaman displayed on the Oracle Bell the values of their Furyoku?"

"You found it." Goldva sighed. "You're right."

"Then, my onii-chan's is only a little over 9,000" Pirica gasped. "And Hao's is..."

"Hao's Furyoku is over 1,250,000." Goldva confirmed.

"That's a big difference." Chocolove gaped.

"You mean, even if 100 of us come together, our numbers won't be anywhere near Hao's?" even Ryu was shocked.

"That's terrible..." Manta whispered. "Then we didn't have a chance to win right from the start?"

"Everything is the will of the Great Spirits." Goldva related. "You're going to withdraw from the Shaman Fight?" she asked, seeing Yoh remove his Oracle Bell.

"I have no intention of doing that." Yoh replied. "If possible, could you just take it as me taking a break? Hui Ling, I take it the two spells you used on Hao are only activated after a certain amount of time, right?" he turned to the spell-caster.

"The Furyoku draining spell I attached to Hao's wrists is already slowly draining him of his Furyoku the moment I put it on him." Hui Ling admitted. "The longer it is attached, the faster his Furyoku gets drained. The second sealing spell will only activate once Hao's Furyoku drops to a certain level." turning to the Patch Priests, she added. "The Fukuju branch of the Keikain Onmyōji House has already found a way to counter Hao's method of transmigration and has inscribed it into a sealing spell. The problem right now is finding a guardian to oversee the seal."

"Then, leave that the Ten Priests." Goldva spoke.

"Silva, can I ask you to guide us?" Yoh requested.

"I will go as well." Kalim offered.

"I've never thought myself as weak." Ren declared, the only Shaman to keep his Oracle Bell on.

"Yoh." Ren stopped Yoh from going further after they entered the passageway and into the inner sanctum. "Can I ask you something?" producing the Bâo-Lèi Sword, he summoned his Oversoul. "Before you fight Hao, settle the score between us first."

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.