As soon as the portal dissolved and they were left in the silenced aftermath, Yusuke turned to his two former teammates. His fists were balled so tightly he could feel the sting as his nails broke the skin of his palm.
"Dammit! What the hell was that, Hiei—Kurama?!" Yusuke shouted incredulously. "We just let him get away!"
"As opposed to iyour/i stunt of nearly firing your Spirit Gun at close range that would've probably killed us all?" Hiei countered.
Yusuke gripped Hiei by his white collar and lifted him from the ground. "Shut the hell up, Hiei!"
Hiei narrowed his brows and closed his eyes, feeling immediate agitation. Fortunately for Yusuke, he did not feel like fighting his human ally.
"Did you guys forget to take your heads out of your asses back there?" Yusuke continued angrily, slowly setting Hiei down and releasing him. "Yakumo just said we have until tonight before that barrier comes down. He has everything he needs to do it iand/i he has Botan… We did nothing but watch him throw us around like friggin' ragdolls until he got what he wanted! Wh—"
"That's enough, Yusuke," Kurama interrupted sternly, his expression well-composed despite his inner qualms. "It was the only logical thing to do until we can plan an effective counter-attack."
"Screw your logic, Kurama!" Yusuke yelled, flailing his arm out dismissively. "I'm going after this bastard."
Yusuke breathed heavily, eyes challenging Kurama's.
"You will not survive an attack against him without us," Kurama spoke calmly, much to Yusuke's growing anger.
Hiei stepped between them and interjected before Yusuke could verbalize any further argument.
"Why don't you gather the injured first, detective," Hiei suggested, nodding his head in the direction of Keiko and Kuwabara's still forms in the temple courtyard.
Yusuke gritted his teeth, diverting his attention to Hiei, before ultimately running towards his fallen friends.
Hiei used that moment to speak to Kurama. "Do you iactually/i have a plan that's 'logical,'" Hiei questioned. "...Or have you already brought your pitiful feelings towards the girl into this?"
Kurama did not react to Hiei's underlying implication that he was not capable of separating his emotions from his priorities. He would not bite that bait.
They now had to retrieve the Power Sphere from iYakumo/i before he could decimate the barrier and destroy both Rekai and Ningenkai.
"As you said," Kurama began, staring ahead of himself as he ignored Hiei's jab. "We will tend to our wounded first… Then, once we have regathered our strength, we will have a very limited amount of time to confront Yakumo, separate him from the sphere, and combine our powers into one final attack while he's isolated from it… We can only hope it will be enough to defeat him."
"Hnph, i'we'/i?" Hiei scoffed. "What if I no longer care whether or not Yakumo succeeds? I have nothing tying me to this world or the next."
Kurama cast his gaze to Hiei from the corner of his eye. "Do you think an apparition like Yukina would survive an attack from a Netherworld-class demon?" Kurama murmured.
Hiei growled audibly, using his thumb to push up the hilt of his sword at his side.
Kurama knew the subject of Yukina was a sensitive matter and a low blow to Hiei's pride at that, but it needed to be said. The subsequent and not-so-subtle threat of the fire demon's sword did not phase the fox demon.
"I trust you will do what's right when the time comes, Hiei," Kurama addressed with finality, walking past him in Genkai's direction.
iDon't be so cocky…/i Hiei inwardly cursed.
phr/hr/p
Botan's eyes fluttered halfway open.
She felt the cool evening air caress her exposed skin, swaying her into consciousness.
She groaned with discomfort and moved her eyes to gather her surroundings.
The view revealed they were outside on a very high rooftop overlooking the city. Construction materials were scattered around them.
iWhere…?/i
Through her delirium, Botan's recent memories suddenly flashed through her mind in sequence.
iKing Enma asked me to take the Power Sphere and conceal it until he and his army could restore the barrier…
I had it with me as I flew through Rekai… The River Styx was disturbed by the interference of energy from the Netherworld. I was struck on my oar by the storm that appeared, and I fell into the waves below with the sphere still with me.
I held it to my body because I couldn't risk losing it...
Her mind raced as King Enma's words echoed through her mind.
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/i"Botan," King Enma bellowed from his throne in the palace of Rekai.
Botan, clad in her usual attire of her pink kimono, bowed at his summoning. "Yes, King Enma?" she inquired politely, though she felt many qualms in being alone with the ruler.
King Enma rarely called anyone to his throne aside from his advisors or Koenma, of course.
"The matters I am about to discuss with you are to stay between us," his deep voice warned sternly. "You cannot disclose this information with the Spirit Detective and his team, nor with my son… Do you understand?"
Botan nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yes, sir."
King Enma huffed, settling himself for a moment then claiming he could not waste more time.
He then proceeded to explain to Botan the history between Rekai and the Netherworld. More specifically, the clouded history between himself and King Yakumo—their constant rivalry for ultimate rulership over the worlds.
He shared the Power Sphere's conception and how Yakumo gradually became corrupted by its influence to dominate the creatures with weaker energies living in each realm.
While King Enma kept the history concise for the relevance of the new case, Botan easily grasped the severity of what the consequences would be if Yakumo were to reunite with the Power Sphere.
A plan that King Enma warned was already underway.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you in the first place," King Enma inferred, staring down at the deity.
Botan formed a strained smile. "Uh, I am, sir. But I'm more than willing to help with this case in whatever way that I can."
King Enma inhaled deeply; the grip he had on the armrests of his throne tightened.
"Good," he approved, sighing heavily. "...I need you to protect the Power Sphere with your life, Botan."
She nodded once in acknowledgment but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"As the deity of death, you were chosen as such because you possess the elite ability of energy range that is capable of the disbursement and concealment of certain energies from other realms."
Botan cocked her head to the side slightly and raised an inquisitive brow. "What do you mean, sir? I only I knew I cou—"
"You're able to disburse both life and spirit energy," he cut in. "That is why you are able to heal others and summon protective barriers… Since the beginning of time, this is the only ability deities have been allowed to use. The opposing ability to conceal demon energy was something the other rulers and myself felt the deities would have no purpose in."
Her eyes widened in shock at the revelation.
"...However, given the amount of time we no longer have before Yakumo arrives to exact his revenge on me and Ningenkai, I am entrusting you to conceal the sphere until the barrier is refortified."
"O-of course, King Enma," Botan consented. "But… how exactly do I conceal it?"
"Well, first, your spirit energy will need to absorb the sphere," King Enma answered, hesitating and closing his eyes as if in recompense. "Though, once your spirit energy has been drained by the sphere—and it iwill/i be—your body will resort to its life energy…"
Botan froze, finally coming to an understanding of what her task was in relation to the case.
"In other words," King Enma deciphered. "You will act as a host to the Power Sphere... But I fear at the rate that the barrier has been attacked, we have less than a week before it comes down," he explained, pausing for a moment before meeting Botan's distant gaze.
"A human cannot withstand the energy emitted by the sphere for more than several minutes before it destroys them… And in truth, I do not know how long even you will be able to sustain it or what will happen if your body expels it prematurely… We have never resorted to this method before. Given the circumstances and their risks, we have no other choice... I trust you know what this means," he finished, gauging her reaction.
Like he said, it wasn't as if she had a choice.
Though her body was numb and her mind was racing, Botan managed to maintain composure. "I understand," she asserted with a false sense of confidence. "I won't let you down, sir."
With their mutual agreement and understanding, King Enma materialized the blinding Power Sphere in his palm and leaned down from his throne to delicately pass it to Botan.
He sent her off with one final warning. "Remember, do not share your intentions from now with anyone—not even me. You are to stay hidden until the very… end."
i"End" meaning when either Yakumo breaks through the barrier or when I die…/i she mentally corrected.
"Of course, King Enma," she bowed, accepting the case.
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iRight!
I absorbed the sphere while I was being thrashed around in the River. But I managed to re-summon my oar to lift me out…
I could feel the energy from the sphere began clashing with mine and I must have lost consciousness. I don't know how I made it out of Rekai.
The next thing I knew I was with Yusuke… and Genkai…
Genkai was…i—Oh no!/i realization struck her.
Botan swiftly sat up from the ground. Intense pain shot through all her nerves and muscles at once, causing her to collapse again as black specks clouded her vision.
The pain felt as strongly as if she'd been lying in a bed of needles; her muscles seared with her every movement.
She also felt strangely empty inside without the sphere, after having it with her for nearly three days.
iHow… am I alive?/i she wondered briefly, though she questioned if the amount of pain she felt could count as being alive.
Botan rolled carefully onto her side, suddenly aware of how exposed she was in her yukata. Her hair was down as well, she noticed, accidentally snagging her hand on a lock of it while steadying herself on the ground.
"I see you're finally awake," a deep voice spoke from behind her.
Botan froze in place, not needing an introduction to know who it was. She gritted her teeth to bear the pain her body protested.
Footsteps from behind her reverberated closer and she realized they were encircling to face her.
iYakumo./i
"Unfortunately," he began, kneeling in front of Botan. She kept her head down and averted her gaze, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "The pain you're feeling now is only a fragment of what I intend to inflict upon you."
Botan's amethyst eyes narrowed at him in disgust as she tried to pull her face free from his hand, to no avail.
He smiled at her attempt. "It's too bad you don't have any demon blood; I would have found a purpose for you," Yakumo confessed, eyeing her with intensity. "Such a waste killing a beautiful deity simply because she has Rekai blood."
"Please… just… stop talking," Botan grunted, then, weakly using her elbows to prop herself up. "And get it over with… if you're gonna do it." She hissed in pain and his deep violet hues looked over her injuries.
He chuckled haughtily, admiring her for a moment. "Not yet, I'm afraid," he insisted. "I have a grandiose finale planned for this world and you're at the center of it."
Before she could retort, he sent his fist into her abdomen with restrained strength. The impact on her already-injured body caused her to sputter blood from her lips and slump over his arm.
She was instantly knocked out.
"Those foolish friends of yours will come," he crooned, craning his head to the city skyline while still supporting her frame. "They'll get to watch as you die at the precipice of the Netherworld's arrival… The perfect welcome."
phr/hr/p
Genkai, Kuwabara, and Keiko had regained consciousness shortly after Yakumo's disappearance.
Genkai quickly mended together the separated discs in her spine, as well as her punctured lung.
Kuwabara managed to wake up relatively unscathed, aside from minor scrapes and bruises. Keiko has cushioned his fall and taken more damage. Kurama brewed a sedative tea while Genkai took to healing her bruised ribs and deep gashes on her back from sliding against the rocks outside.
The sun was nearing its end of reign for the day, coloring the sky hues of orange blending to purple.
Yusuke wanted to punch something. Anything.
"It's like he's gone out of his way to make this personal," Yusuke proclaimed. "First with Koenma, then Keiko… and now he has Botan. What the hell does he even want with her? 'Making an example of her'?"
Hiei spoke up first. "We've entertained him," he replied. "We didn't bow down to him; we challenged him… It piqued his interest. Now he's baiting us with the girl."
Kurama nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid Hiei is right. I knew we should have reacted with caution in our first encounter with him, but…" Botan's face as she pleaded for Genkai to stop the extraction flashed through his mind. iShe looked so tired and defeated…/i
Genkai re-entered the room after setting Keiko to rest.
"Let's not forget that the bastard said he was only able to cross over here when he did because I extracted the Power Sphere from Botan," Genkai recalled, tightening her fist and staring at the ground as if she could burn a hole through it. "I should have listened to her when she asked me to stop… She hid that thing inside her own body so that Yakumo and his demons wouldn't find it. Botan risked her life knowing that its power would overwhelm her… She knew that when King Enma entrusted her with the sphere."
Yusuke pushed himself off the wall and walked outside to the courtyard, eyeing the trail in the rocks that Kuwabara and Keiko's bodies imprinted.
After breathing heavily, he crouched and rested his elbows on his knees, dropping his head to look at the rocks below him and zone out.
His mind replayed the memory of catching an unconscious, pale and battered Botan just over a day ago. iI couldn't protect her./i Then his memory continued, torturing him by replaying the sound of Genkai's body smacking through layers of walls and concrete until she coughed up blood. iI couldn't protect her./i And there was the final replay—seeing Kuwabara and Keiko fly into each other, then the ground below them, with instant knockouts for both. iI couldn't protect them./i
iI was so useless…/i Yusuke reprimanded himself. iI couldn't help/i any iof them./i
"Well, are you ready to help them inow,/i detective..." Hiei spoke into the silence behind Yusuke. "Or do you want to waste more time continuing this pity party by yourself?"
"Get outta my head, Hiei," Yusuke warned, not turning to face his former teammate.
"...Then channel your anger elsewhere, Yusuke," Kurama chimed in from Yusuke's side. "Your emotions have always been your strength."
He'd sensed neither of their energy signatures when they arrived, to his surprise.
"Yes, and I've always said you have a six-foot wall full of crap between your heart and your powers, Yusuke," he heard Genkai lecture suddenly. "Kurama is right. You both are." She paused. "Yakumo made this personal… That was his first mistake. And it'll be his last. You four canl make sure of that, right?"
The spirit detective and two demons shared a look. Hiei was the first to avert his gaze and turn away.
"Hiei…" Kurama cautioned.
"Relax, lover boys," Hiei mocked with an evident smirk in his voice. "I'm only looking out for Yukina in this. My help is not because I care for you or your precious worlds."
Kurama smiled softly to himself, though he was admittedly becoming more uncertain of Hiei's willingness to help just moments before.
"Just say 'I'm in,' or something normal, ya stupid shorty! Always with your insults!" Kuwabara barked from the temple, finally caught up to their sudden disappearances from inside. "And—wait, why're you only looking out for Yukina?"
Hiei froze. Before he could think of a witty response, Yusuke interrupted.
"No need to tell me twice, grandma," Yusuke assured. "Besides, I really hate cocky bastards. I hate cocky demons, too. Especially ones that hurt my friends…" He pushed himself from his knees to stand, cracking his knuckles and stretching.
"Let's get our friend back and save these goddamn worlds, then," Yusuke announced. "Everyone ready? ...There's no room for failure here."
"There won't be," Kurama asserted, channeling his own anger into energy. "Yakumo will most certainly pay for making this personal. I'll see to it myself that he perishes," he finished darkly. His emerald eyes were missing their usual gleam.
The possibilities of what Yakumo could be doing to Botan in the meantime fleeted through Kurama's head, only pushing him closer to the edge of losing control of his inner demon.
Kurama said nothing more as his gaze became distant. He flitted to the torii of the temple, waiting for the others to join him.
"Yeah… What he said," Yusuke spoke hesitantly, staring after the redhead with slight concern and confusion.
Hiei flitted out of sight, instantly reappearing beside Kurama.
iI've never heard Kurama speak like that,/i he thought. iIt's a little off-putting… even for this./i
"C'mon Urameshi," Kuwabara nagged, stopping mid-run to face Yusuke's unmoving form. "We're outta time so we have no choice but to be ready—now let's go!"
"Right," Yusuke nodded
The two quickly joined Kurama and Hiei. Each member had found the proper motivation to feed their energy.
"I will stay here with Keiko," Genkai called out to them. "...You better come back in one piece, dimwits."
They looked back and nodded at her before disappearing from the temple grounds.
Genkai only hoped their energies combined would be enough to defeat Yakumo. It had to be.
If King Enma had not yet left his post at the barrier, even after knowing Yakumo made it through, that meant the situation progressed to the point of an unpredictable outcome for all the realms.
The boys would be on their own.
iThey're not ready for this so soon after Toguro,/i Genkai mentally cursed. iBut there's no one else who comes close to their strength. /i
"Good luck, boys..." Genkai murmured into the evening air.