A.N. Finished writing this chapter two days earlier than expected. Anyone complaining? Me neither. The fight between Yusuke and Toguro is, I think we can all agree, one of the greatest fights in anime history. However, since writing is a different medium to anime, and in the interest of not dragging things out too much, Yusuke vs Toguro will follow the manga, for the most part. That means it will be over approximately two chapters, as opposed to four episodes. There's still much to wrap up in Book 2, and finish setting up for Book 3, and I couldn't be more grateful that you're all with me on this journey!

Ghost of Magic: Like I said, far-reaching consequences. You'll see what I mean soon enough :)

Hina714: :P Is that what you think? Well, you've always been extremely good at guessing, since you were the only one to figure out the nature of Akumu's power. The Dark Tournament is one of my favourite anime arcs (bar none the greatest tournament saga), but so is Chapter Black, and oh boy do I have plans for Chapter Black! Sakura's journey is going to take some interesting routes after she leaves the island!

hw0134160: If anyone tried to stop me writing, no matter who they are, I would absolutely go all Shizuru on them. Scarface's secrets will begin to unravel as we finish up with the tournament, but like I said, keep an eye on him. I'm tempted to stretch out Book 2 as long as I can, because I love writing Sakura's story so much. I honestly don't want to stop. Sakura's healing is going to take time...that is, if she can stay grounded long enough to survive the final match with her sanity intact... stay awesome, because you are AMAZING.

Wolfs child: I've never understood why Elder Toguro isn't talked about more when it comes to the most unsettling anime villains. He makes you forget he was ever human (I always thought he crawled out from under a rock or something). Chapter 27 is on the way!

NightWolfRUNNER: *goes to answer, but shuts mouth* If I answer that here, the spoilers will be earth shattering. But rest assured, I've been meticulously planning and seeding the ground throughout the tournament, so to speak. And as for the next fight, you're right. It's not going to be easy on Sakura. Please know that I've had this fight planned out for a LONG time, as in the very early stages of the Spirit Detective Saga.

Joe123: Thank you! I invested so much time and energy into creating Sakura and figuring out her role in the story before I ever put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard... you know what I mean!). I wanted her to feel like she was always meant to be there, and she needed to serve a significant purpose otherwise I might as well have made a lampshade into an OC. I wanted to work on aspects of the story where I thought it could be improved, but at the same time being faithful to what makes Yu Yu Hakusho so damn good in the first place. Now, as for the ancestral part of the story, I know how I want that to go, and when we arrive at that point in the story, I hope you will find it satisfactory!

Elvenrose22: Welcome, and thankyou so very much for your kind words. I'll be updating soon, promise. Sakura won't let me rest for long!

What can I say? You are all such incredible support. Please keep reading, please take a minute to leave a review, follow/favourite if you haven't already, click Author Alerts, and enjoy Chapter 26. Sakura sends you all a huge hug!

I don't own YYH, just my OCs.

Chapter 26

"The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Toguro vs Urameshi. Will the reigning champion steal another victory, or will this year's favourite guest team pull the upset of the century, and walk away with the prize? There's two points and one championship on the line!"

Sakura couldn't believe the quiet from the usually irrepressible crowd. She could've heard a pin drop in this silence as Yusuke took a few steps around the ring, never wavering his eyes for a moment. Between the boy and Toguro, it was impossible to decipher which face showed more hate.

Toguro had finally gotten his wish for a rematch, but there had already been incredible destruction. Genkai and Master Shinsuke were gone. Kurama had barely escaped with his life. Half the stadium was missing from Hiei's match. Kuwabara's wounds were still dripping blood, and Sakura was on the verge of snapping completely after being psychologically tortured.

Yusuke pondered his enemy. It had all come down to this. Him versus the demon responsible for dragging them into this mess. He was the only one who could end it, nobody else. Like Koto said, it was the moment they'd all been waiting for. Months, for Team Urameshi and the audience. For Toguro? Likely, years.

Without changing expression or making a sound, Toguro slowly unbuttoned his coat and slipped it off.

"Put your shirt back on!" Shizuru howled from the stands. Sakura barely suppressed a laugh. Only Shizuru would have the guts to heckle the strongest demon in a stadium crammed with them.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara called suddenly. "Don't be intimidated by that stupid, steroid half-naked freak!"

You must concentrate. Hiei was stone faced.

Kurama looked determined. I have faith in you.

"Don't blow this one, Yusuke," Koenma muttered.

"Aww, man! Are we late?" a familiar voice whined. Sakura whipped her head around. It was Rinku, and he wasn't alone. Toya, Chu and Jin were with him. It seemed they'd just entered the stadium. So they'd stuck around to see the last match.

"If we are, it's no thanks to all to that drunken biggie that traded our tickets for a couple o' pints!" Jin said, giving Chu a look.

Chu bristled. "Will you shut it? We're standing here, aren't we?"

"Yes, it certainly was kind of that usher to let us inside," Toya smiled.

Chu nodded happily. "Right. Didn't even have to break the other leg,"

"Yeah, whatever," Rinku snorted. "You just got lucky he was fat,"

Sakura couldn't help herself. She waved and called out to them. "You made it just in time, guys!"

Jin gasped, and slapped a hand over his heart. "Look, it's my angel herself!" he exclaimed. "Kura, me lovely, I'm here! See, it's Jin and we're come for Urameshi, don't you know?!"

Chu playfully clocked Jin over the head. "Your flirting is about as useful as tits on a boar, mate," he laughed, indicating Kurama's obvious disapproval. "Her boyfriend ain't looking too happy with you. Let's find some seats,"

"Ah, seeing her makes me heart sing and no mistake!" Jin sighed, following them all. The audience was giving them a rather wide berth. "Maybe once it's over I'll be able to show her the skies as she deserves,"

Kurama glared at Jin with annoyance. "That is not his responsibility,"

Kurama… Sakura laid a hand on the side of his beautiful face. 'It is you I desire, and you alone…'

His face softened as he looked down at her. Some light had returned to her tormented eyes. It was faint, but it was most certainly there. His heart leapt with hope.

He covered her smaller hand with his own. This was the Sakura he knew. Using my own words against me… well played, my hana.

Sakura rested her head in Kurama's chest and tried to calm her pounding heart. No matter what, she had to stay grounded until this was over. Win, Yusuke. You have to win.

Or at the very least, he had to live.

Juri looked between the two fighters. "This is for real. Are you guys ready?" No response. Juri nodded and raised her hand. "Begin!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. Toguro looked approvingly at his opponent. "Well done, Yusuke," he said. "At last the two of us fight again. Only this time, things are going to be different for you. I'm not throwing this fight for anyone,"

"Good," Yusuke replied. "Because now for me, it's personal," For Genkai, for Sakura, for everything else Toguro had done.

Toguro bared his teeth. "You don't think this is personal for me too?" he yelled angrily. "I'll start with eighty percent!"

His body began flashing with that same purple aura and his muscles expanded with such force that the stone tiles were raised from the ground.

Yusuke gritted his teeth and took a step back from Toguro's radiating demon energy. They might as well be back in that old parking lot. At the time, Toguro claimed that he was about to show the twins sixty percent of his power, but now both Yusuke and Sakura had a strong sense that he'd been lying about the percentage. He might even be lying now.

"Look at that, Toguro's really powering up," a spectator said, staring at Toguro's impossibly muscular form.

"Kill Urameshi!" another yelled, before realising that the apparition next to him was dissolving before their eyes. And he wasn't the only one. All over the stadium, there were screams of terror and agony as horrified audience members saw their friends disintegrate into nothing.

Sakura's head was beginning to throb in the presence of Toguro. "What's going on?" she breathed. She could feel Kurama's breath becoming laboured. Kuwabara was trembling. Something terrible was happening. But what?

Hiei stared in disbelief. "Amazing! Toguro's demon energy is so strong that it's literally melting the flesh off the weaker apparitions,"

Kurama kept his arms around Sakura. "They're not the only ones," he panted. "I can't take much more in my present state,"

"Not a problem," Kuwabara grunted, taking a defiant step back. "I can handle it,"

"Well actually, no you can't, Kuwabara," Koenma said seriously. "Now all of you, stick behind me!" He stepped in front of everyone, protecting them all with a pulsing energy shield.

Now that they were protected, Sakura realised the rest of the girls were in danger. Yukina, Botan! She communicated quickly. Are you guys OK?

Yukina's normally serene face was worried. Kura, if his energy can have this kind of effect on hardened demons, there's no telling what it might do to ordinary humans!

She turned to Shizuru and Keiko. "We have to get you out of here, and quickly!"

"Puu!" The tiny creature squeaked and narrowed his eyes. Black electricity crackled from him and encased the girls in a bubble.

Yukina blinked. "Oh, never mind. I see Puu has everything taken care of,"

Across the stadium, Scarface tensed up. "Mr Sakyo, sir. Stay close to me," he ordered, creating his own shield. This is going to get more violent than I thought.

"Whatever would I do without you, my boy?" Sakyo smirked. "Seems I made the right decision all those years ago, taking you in despite what everyone else said,"

Scarface closed his eyes at the memory. "I'm grateful for it every day, sir,"

Sakura stared at Yusuke, who was completely dwarfed by Toguro, yet appeared to be focused and calm in his shadow.

Kura, this is weird. His voice floated into her mind. As strong as this guy is, I really should be getting scared. Like, pissing my pants scared. But I don't feel anything.

She shut her eyes. This was a first. Did Genkai say anything about this?

No. Yusuke admitted. She didn't. In fact, I'm starting to creep myself out by how NOT scared I am.

Sakura took a breath. You know, they say when pain becomes too great, you stop feeling it. Maybe… maybe it's the same for fear?

Yusuke's fist tightened. Maybe. Either way, I'm not waiting any longer.

Without giving Sakura a chance to respond, Yusuke threw himself at Toguro and sank the first blow into the demon's stomach, with Toguro trading a fist to Yusuke's jaw simultaneously.

The air around them crackled. Yusuke slid backwards across the ground, then immediately jumped straight back up and charged back into the fray. Toguro flickered out of sight, instantly reappearing behind Yusuke with another hook aimed squarely at him, but the boy moved like lightning and dodged using a kick recoil.

Sakura felt like she was watching some kind of dream. She would have never imagined Yusuke could react so fast.

I can't believe the extent to which Yusuke's technique has improved! Kurama's hand squeezed her shoulder.

"It's Genkai's power," Sakura murmured. "If I didn't see this myself, I'd never believe it,"

Having missed his target, Toguro's attack blasted a hole in the arena floor. He instantly spun around and sent another shockwave at Yusuke. The boy managed to dodge the worst of the flying debris, but still received a gash under his right eye. Before he could even blink, he realised Toguro was bearing down upon him, ready to deliver the next hit. Yusuke stood firm and held up his arms to defend.

"What? Are you crazy?" Kuwabara cried. "There's no way in hell you can block his straight-on punch!"

Sakura shook her head. "He won't have to,"

She was right. Toguro stopped his attack millimetres from Yusuke's hands.

Everyone turned to Sakura in astonishment. "How did you know that?!" Koenma gasped.

"Toguro wouldn't let the fight be over this quickly," Sakura's eyes were hard. "Not a chance. He's waited too long,"

Toguro's lip curled with contempt for Yusuke. "I see the way you look at me in judgement," he sneered. "But you have no idea what it's like, do you? To lose your beloved,"

"No, and I never will because I won't let that happen," Yusuke's voice was cold. "I actually look forward to growing old… with her,"

Toguro's eyes flitted towards Keiko, and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. "You say that now…" the demon purred.

"Stop it! This is between you and me!" Yusuke said sternly, blocking Toguro's gaze.

"Woah, now Toguro has stopped mid-punch to talk with Urameshi!" Koto said. "I wish we could hear what they're chatting about!"

Hiei growled. "Those fools! Why don't they stop dancing around each other and fight? One must never let emotions enter the ring. That was a mistake," He shut his eyes. I should've known better than to hand over this match to Yusuke.

Behind his shades, Toguro's eyes narrowed. "That ship sailed a long time ago. Unless you've forgotten about how you've already failed your sister, Yusuke?"

Kurama felt Sakura's body tense up. "Kura…"

"Everyone knows the truth now," Toguro hissed. "You couldn't protect her as a child, and Akumu showed you how much suffering that caused. And even with Genkai's power you couldn't save her from the tournament,"

Yusuke gritted his teeth. "Leave my sister out of this,"

"But the two of you are a package deal, right?" Toguro smiled. "Look at your twin, Yusuke. No matter what, none of you can ever go back now that you all know the truth about her mind and her past. It's all over for her, and you know it. It would've been better if you'd just let Akumu put her out of her misery,"

"Don't listen to him," Kurama whispered. "Don't believe a word he says, my love,"

Sakura nodded mutely, but it was too late. Toguro's words had torn her heart out. All eyes in the stadium were fixed on her. The apparitions were gazing with a mix of amusement and curiosity. That, she could live with. Sakyo looked triumphant, taunting her. That, she expected. Scarface looked almost frustrated, puzzled even. That confused her, but she didn't care much. The only thing that really mattered was the way her friends were staring, inside the barrier and in the stands. Something in their eyes seemed… apprehensive. Concerned, afraid, as though they expected her to fall apart any second.

And it was unbearable.

I'm tainted. Sakura thought hopelessly. They're scared of what they know, what they saw. They don't know who I am anymore, aside from what those memories showed. I'm always going to be the girl who was attacked. The girl who was abused. I'm not Sakura, I'm nothing at all. She felt numb all over. Toguro was right. Why didn't they just let Akumu kill me?

"You know it too, don't you, Sakura?" Toguro called. "You're broken, and there's nothing you can do to change it!"

BAM! A massive blow from Yusuke silenced Toguro momentarily.

"Keep her name out of your mouth, Toguro," Yusuke snapped. "You don't know the first thing about Kura. You failed, Sakyo. She's alive, and no matter what, I'll always be there for her. She's not broken!"

Sakura heard his words, but from a great distance, as though she were underwater, somewhere far beyond his reach. His declaration had little effect on her mind. She clenched her fists so tightly she could feel her nails digging into her palms. It helped somewhat, but there was no way to calm her inner turmoil completely. What in the world am I meant to do?

"Oh, I don't know about that, Detective," Sakyo said quietly to Scarface. "You can't be there for her if you're all dead,"

Toguro looked delighted by Yusuke's anger. "It's time. You have something to prove to me, Urameshi. Show me that your master did not sacrifice her strength for you in vain!"

"Right," Yusuke was already prepared. "I'll show you,"

"We've gone into a stare down, folks!" Koto said excitedly. "The tension's incredible. Yusuke's charging up his trusty right index finger!"

Toguro laughed. "So, she didn't teach you any new tricks. I want to see everything that Genkai gave you,"

"Hold on," Kuwabara looked confused. "What did Genkai give Urameshi?"

Koenma kept his eyes on the battlefield. "She gave him the energy that she had stored for decades,"

"How much power did she give him?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing a lot,"

"It was almost too much for Yusuke to bear. Even Genkai had her doubts about whether he could handle it," Sakura forced herself to speak. She'd never forget the images of Yusuke in the cave, screaming in agony, bleeding all over and fighting for his life. "The strain of it nearly killed him,"

She shuddered, and Kurama gently rubbed her back. "Genkai's powers were phenomenal," he said quietly. "If Yusuke truly received all of them, he might just stand a chance against Toguro,"

Hiei smirked. "This should be fun,"

Are you watching this, Grandma? Yusuke stood motionless while his power grew. His Spirit Gun was glowing more brightly than anybody had ever seen. Nobody in the stadium seemed to breathe while they waited for him to fire.

But at the last second, he dropped his ki and simply hurled himself forward. Everyone looked shocked, but Sakura understood as soon as she heard his thoughts.

Only four shots left. I can't even miss one!

Very few could keep up with the speed of what happened next. Yusuke delivered a series of full power punches to Toguro's rock-hard stomach. Toguro took them all without so much as flinching, before attempting to retaliate with a surprise hook. Yusuke avoided the blow by a hair, causing the ground beneath him to take the hit and sending debris flying into the stands. Yusuke evaded the kick Toguro sent at him, then launched himself up and over his opponent and planted his foot in Toguro's sneering face only to be knocked back by a giant stone tile.

Far from being angered by Yusuke's assault, Toguro looked even more delighted. "Let's kick this up a notch, shall we?"

The next attack from Toguro hit the ground. The earth trembled under the force, and Sakura was temporarily blinded by Toguro's red ki resulting from the hit. She could hear Yusuke's scream followed immediately by Keiko. The air was filled with shards from what had once been the replacement ring. But where was her brother?

"Come out, come out Yusuke!" Toguro howled.

There he was, floating upside down amongst the carnage, and with his right index finger aimed to kill. Yusuke charged up, and fired. "Spirit Gun!"

The world seemed to explode. Even though she was safe behind Koenma's barrier, Sakura flung her arms over her head for protection and listened to Toguro's roar and the crunching sound as he was propelled clean through the stadium's remaining wall.

"Bullseye!" Kuwabara cheered. "A direct hit!"

Sakura finally cracked an eye open. There was dead silence, and none of her team members were moving.

"The usually vibrant crowd looks on in stunned silence," Koto's voice broke the quiet. "I don't think anyone saw that coming, especially not Toguro who's been blown right out of the stadium!"

Juri dragged herself from a pile of ruins. "Where am I and who am I?" she quivered.

"Hey, lady!" Kuwabara called. "Get up and snap out of it. You've got a job to do. There's a fighter out of the ring and you better start counting like you're always doing for me!"

Hiei scoffed. "Take a moment to look where Yusuke's standing,"

Sakura gasped. Yusuke was standing in the scattered remains of where the ring had been. It was now completely obliterated.

Kuwabara took a step back. "Hey, how the heck do you get back in the ring?"

"In this final battle, there will be no boundaries," Kurama said solemnly.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Hiei eyed Sakura's white face. "The only rule is kill or be killed,"

Sakura gulped, and nodded. "I know. I've known all along,"

From the trail of destruction it appeared Toguro had been sent for miles, but she still had a horrible feeling it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

"We won!" Botan stood up and cheered. "That'll show those nay-saying demon fans!"

Shizuru smiled and dusted off her hands. "Well, that's done. Let's pack up, grab some overpriced souvenirs and forget our heartbreak!"

Hiei watched Yusuke carefully walk over to examine the hole Toguro had left behind. "Yusuke is much stronger now than I ever imagined a human could be," he observed.

"Yet, Toguro didn't even bother to block his attack," Kurama muttered, keeping Sakura close.

Hiei frowned. "If Toguro can escape a blast that powerful unscathed, there's no telling what else he might be capable of,"

"Look, will you stop being such a glass-is-half-empty kind of guy for two seconds?" Kuwabara huffed. "Accept it. There's absolutely no way in heck that guy's ever coming back in anything other than an ashtray,"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know, I have this odd sense that he's holding back,"

Koenma looked at her sharply. "What, Toguro?"

"No," Sakura murmured. She wouldn't stop staring at her brother. "I meant Yusuke,"

Heavy footsteps were thudding back in the direction of the stadium, and Yusuke's heart sank. Everyone else looked stricken.

"Oh no…" Sakura gripped Kurama's hand tightly. Toguro was back, and worst of all, he wasn't injured at all. The only thing that had been damaged were his sunglasses. Without his shades, his piercing eyes locked onto her brother.

"Is that all you've got for me?" Toguro growled. "I expected more from Genkai,"

Kuwabara went grey and fell backwards in fright. "He's invincible. That's the only explanation for it!"

"That's… not good," Koenma squeaked.

Toguro's aura flickered towards Yusuke, who attempted to block with a barrier to no avail.

Damn it! Yusuke's worry was obvious. Blood trickled from a second gash on his cheek. He just dissolved my energy shield with a mere flex of his power. And I couldn't even lay so much as a scratch on him with my Spirit Gun.

Toguro gave Yusuke a scornful look. "I'd hoped for more. I really did. But even you don't match me at one hundred percent. So I'll stay at eighty, and be done with you,"

The audience went ballistic with cheers, but Kuwabara yelped. "He's not at his full power? I wasn't aware that anyone could get any fuller than that!"

Kurama pulled Sakura tightly against him. He could feel her shaking. "Do you think there's any hope left for him?" he asked Hiei.

"Not really," was the blunt reply.

Sakura whimpered. Even with Genkai's power, Yusuke couldn't inflict any damage. This could really be it. Yusuke, if you have something up your sleeve, now's the time!

Yusuke's face split into a grin. "Guess play period's over. Oh well. It was fun," he chuckled.

Toguro scowled. "What?"

Without a word, Yusuke raised his left arm and tore his wristband off. Sakura gasped. "What's that?"

She wasn't alone in her confusion. "For some inexplicable reason, Yusuke has ripped off his left wristband to reveal a glowing gold bracelet!" Koto stammered.

With a flourish, Yusuke removed the other wristband. There were two glowing bracelets… no, four. Two on his wrists, two on his ankles. And they weren't accessories. They looked more like…

"I should've expected," Toguro nodded. "Spirit Cuffs from Genkai,"

Kuwabara frowned. "I gotta say, that's a pretty sissy fashion statement. Even for Urameshi,"

"Why would he fight Toguro using such a handicap?" Kurama asked, bewildered. "I hardly understand,"

Hiei snorted. "Easy. It's because he is a cocky fool,"

Sakura went cold all over and her vision started swimming…

With Sakura's hands restrained, Kyap dragged his nails through her hair. "She sure is a feisty little tramp, isn't she?"

"Don't touch me," Sakura growled.

"Enough chit-chat," Natchi said excitedly. He reached under his tattered vest and pulled out what looked like a pair of manacles. "We have to get her back to Suzaku or we won't get the full reward,"

"Did you know, Sakura…? Sakura!" Koenma's voice broke through the flashback.

Sakura jumped. "W-what?"

"He must've inherited the Spirit Cuffs from Genkai," Koenma repeated. "Did you know about them?"

She shook her head wildly. "N-no. I had no idea,"

Kurama's gentle hand traced up and down her back. Stay with me, my love. He reminded her softly.

Y-yes. She responded. Of course.

Those memories weren't going away. What am I going to do if we make it out? I don't even know who I am anymore. After facing Akumu, the flashbacks were probably only going to get worse. The thought made her sick.

But she wasn't the only one having a flashback. Yusuke's memories filled her mind without her having to probe them herself. He wanted his twin to see, to understand…

Sakura had just been taken away by her master. Yusuke was left standing in the cave with Genkai, just days before. "Genkai, is it time yet?"

"One more thing before I give you your test. Give me your hands. I have to prepare your body,"

Yusuke held out his arms, albeit reluctantly. "This isn't another trick, is it?"

Genkai began to chant some kind of incantation, and the shackles locked around Yusuke's wrists. The weight of them dragged him to the ground and he looked up in a temper.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm not into this kinky stuff. And you're way too old!"

Genkai snorted and locked a second set around his ankles. "In your dreams, you big baby. I'm doing this for your own damn good. These are Spirit Cuffs, and they'll save your life. Once again, you can thank me later,"

"Geez, why wait?" Yusuke grumbled. "Thanks for being a cruel, heartless, domineering old bitch!"

Genkai watched, highly amused as Yusuke tried - and failed - to free himself. "All your muscles won't break you free of this. Your physical strength tops out at so much, but your spirit power can reach limitless heights with proper training,"

"Not this speech again!" Yusuke groaned.

"Shut up," Genkai sighed. "What I wouldn't give to swap you for your sister sometimes… Think of it as strapping weights to your spirit energy. The longer they stay on you, the stronger you will grow. You are to remain at full spirit and physical power twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to overcome this obstacle and move your little rear,"

Yusuke swallowed. He felt as if he was being weighed down by lead, but once he'd maxed out his strength, he could move around quite comfortably.

Genkai nodded in approval, and her withered old face turned even more serious. "Now, I'm going to give you a safety word. It'll unlock the spell and release you from the cuffs. I trust you'll know when it's time to use it..."

Yusuke raised his arms above his head. "Now's a pretty good time, right Genkai?" He took a deep breath and shouted the code out. "Avitus!"

The cuffs vanished, and Yusuke was shrouded in a fiery light. For a second, it flickered out, but the next moment, he began to power up, surrounded by a whirlwind of energy and letting out the most ear-splitting scream Sakura had ever heard. But it wasn't a scream of pain or fear. It was a scream of strength. Of defiance.

Everyone watched, transfixed as a colossal ki phoenix emerged from the hurricane and took flight around the stadium. As it passed Team Urameshi, the edge of a wing brushed past Sakura's face. Warmth spread throughout her body at its touch. The power of this creature seemed to surpass even the Black Dragon residing inside Hiei, but instead of trembling at its might, Sakura felt stronger inside. Calm, even.

That's really you, Yusuke. Isn't it? Sakura reached for him. His power level had skyrocketed far beyond her wildest expectations, yet at the same time felt as though it had just been waiting in the shadows the whole time. That's who you truly are. I've known it all along.

The phoenix hovered over Yusuke, and was absorbed into his body.

Most of the audience was dumbstruck, in complete awe of what they'd just witnessed, but Kuwabara was ecstatic. "Just feel that! His energy's out of control! There's no way Urameshi can lose this now!"

"His power is phenomenal!" Toya breathed.

Jin nodded rapidly. "Agreed so I'd say! When your wind looks like a phoenix, you know that you got something big!"

"He keeps getting stronger!" Chu laughed. I can't imagine what it'd be like fighting the bloke now!"

Rinku giggled. "It would probably be a lot like last time. Just twenty times more painful,"

Toguro didn't look the least bit amused. "Are you really so arrogant, Urameshi, that you thought you could actually beat me while wearing those Spirit Cuffs?"

Sakura honestly didn't know why Toguro was surprised. She certainly wasn't, even if she hadn't known about the shackles.

"Well, yeah," Yusuke admitted with a smirk. "In hindsight, I may have been a bit cocky,"

"You've wasted enough of my time by underestimating me," Toguro bared his teeth. "Fortunately, this will be the last time you ever make that mistake,"

Now the battle can really begin. Sakura told everyone.

"He's fast," Kurama murmured.

"Where did he go?" Kuwabara yelped.

Without the chains, Yusuke's speed had more than doubled. He was pummelling Toguro so quickly it was a blur to untrained eyes.

A final blow to the jaw sent Toguro flying. But Yusuke didn't pause. He flung himself forward again, hovered over Toguro who was on the ground and resumed the barrage. Jaws dropped around the stadium.

Kurama was staring in amazement. "He's not giving Toguro a chance to counter. I've never seen Yusuke fight so intensely before,"

"You should see me trying to drag him to school," Sakura couldn't suppress her grin. "You might change your mind,"

"He's like a machine!" Kuwabara yelled. But just then, Yusuke halted. His eyes went wide, and he leapt backwards, away from his enemy.

Team Urameshi cried out in alarm. "But why?" Kurama gasped.

Hiei ground his teeth. "Don't stop now!"

Sakura alone realised. "He looks scared," she whispered. Yusuke, what's going on?

It's that damn look in his eyes. His words quivered. Like he was still the one in control.

Toguro emerged head first from the crater he was lying in, and his muscles had disappeared. For a moment, he looked like the man Sakura had seen training with Genkai in the Orakuru.

The audience was all muttering, speculating about what this meant, and if Toguro was injured. But Sakura's heart started pounding again, and she whimpered. This was bad. This was really bad, and she knew it. The danger emanating from Toguro was more menacing than ever.

Kurama's muscles were like steel, holding her close. "I am afraid that a ferocious wolf is laying in wait under that placid sheep's facade,"

"I know," Hiei muttered. "It's written on his face,"

A light breeze began stirring up the dust from the ground. Toguro smiled in satisfaction. "So you are the adversary I've dreamed of meeting," he said softly. "Thank you, Urameshi…"

Toguro raised his hands. That same purple aura surrounded him. Every single vein on his body was popping. The ground began to tremble.

"Yusuke!" Sakura screamed.

With a roar, Toguro began to gather his power in a violent beam of demon ki. It was brighter than a solar eclipse. Brighter than anything Sakura had ever dreamed of. She clung to Kurama, feeling his presence and praying it would keep her from losing her mind. The same question that had haunted her on the very first day of the tournament was hammering away at her sanity.

How long can we survive?

Toguro's aura shot in all directions. Those in the audience unlucky enough to be touched by it had no chance. Entire sections of seating were completely vaporised. Had Toguro lost control of his power, or was he attacking the audience on purpose? Nobody knew the answer to that.

"Oh no, the girls!" Sakura cried out, and whipped her head around just in time to see that Puu was still protecting them all. The demons on either side of the girls were killed instantly, but they were spared.

We're ok, Kura! Yukina tried to reassure her. I just hope Puu's barrier can hold.

Toguro looked possessed. His eyes had changed to the shocking violet hue of his ki, and his body contorted grotesquely as it morphed into his true demon form.

Suddenly, everything went pitch black. It was blacker than the darkest night. Only Toguro's energy was giving any kind of light. Sakura shuddered. She could see the silhouette of her brother, standing transfixed in the presence of Toguro.

"Oh God…" She knew this was it. They all did.

Kurama's eyes were wide, staring in disbelief. The structure of those muscles. Genius!

I can't believe that body was really once human! Hiei gawked at this creature, along with everyone else.

Sakura had never seen Yusuke look so horrified, never. Toguro's already immense body had swelled up. His skin had changed to a sickly green colour. His muscles defied description. But he still wasn't done.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara called suddenly. "This is your chance! Finish him off! Do it while you can, before he reaches full power!"

"I don't understand," Sakura breathed. "Yusuke, why aren't you attacking?"

I… I can't move. He explained, sounding just as bewildered. It's not fear that's holding me back, though. It's… curiosity. I just need to know what he's got.

"Oh no," Sakura moaned. This nightmare was spiralling out of control. Koto, Chu, Jin, Toya, Rinku… all were immobilised by horror at what they were witnessing. Not one spectator had a face that was anything less than total fear.

She stole a look at Sakyo, and saw that he had dropped his air of untouchable calm. He was actually starting to sweat. Apparently even he wasn't privy to Toguro's true form. "So that's full power," he gasped. "It's more than I hoped,"

Sakura was so full of loathing for this man that she nearly choked. Visceral, searing hate for Sakyo and what he'd done. And for what reason? To get money? Like he didn't already have more than enough?

Do you see now? She glared at him, not caring if he heard or not. You see, don't you, the horror that you've unleashed? I hope you're happy with yourself, you psychopath -

Sakura paused. She'd just realised something, and it stunned her even more than Toguro's reveal, if that were possible.

Scarface was looking more terrified than anybody. In fact, he looked like he was going to melt. He was frozen, staring at the giant Toguro had become. His whole face was haunted.

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. He… he looks like a frightened little child! But why?

Why was Scarface so afraid, even with all his strength and protected by association with Sakyo? But then she blinked, and his fear was gone. Had she misunderstood?

"It's a good thing he's on our side, sir," Scarface smirked. "We, at least, have nothing to fear,"

"Well, after much anticipation and build up, Toguro has finally revealed his full power!" Koto stammered. "And may I be the first to say that I'm not the least bit disappointed. You have got to see this to believe it,"

Kuwabara shivered. "You know, I was kicking myself pretty hard for not being able to feel this guy's power before. But now I realise that if I actually had felt it, my head would've exploded,"

Koenma shook his head and sighed. It's too bad that Yusuke didn't have more time with Genkai before she gave him her power. Just a few more years…

We can't change that, Koenma. Sakura reminded him. I still have faith in Yusuke.

At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself of, anyway. With Toguro now maxed out, all she felt was dread, and that soon proved to be well founded.

Toguro took a few steps towards Yusuke, and flicked his thumb. The resulting air pressure collided with Yusuke's forehead, and he went flying backwards, coming to rest against a slab of stone from the previous destruction.

"No, Yusuke!" Sakura cried out.

Her brother staggered to his feet. What the hell? One second and I'm standing, the next… his thumb? He made a bullet and shot it at me with his thumb!

"Did you like that one?" Toguro hissed. "Unlike your Spirit Gun, I have an infinite supply,"

For the next thirty seconds, Yusuke was bombarded by a relentless stream of air bullets. I can't afford to expend all this energy trying to block them!

At the first sign of Toguro letting up, he threw himself into the air, towards Toguro with a fistful of spirit power ready to fly. "Take THIS!"

But he never reached him, for Toguro stopped him mid-way with that same thumb. While Yusuke was motionless, the vile demon calmly sent his other fist into Yusuke's left elbow, and the sickening crack of bones could be heard. He was thrown across the stadium, clutching his clearly broken arm.

"Yusuke!" Sakura's agonised screams were even louder than his. "YUSUKE!"

Toguro sneered. "I have more power in my thumb than you have in your entire body!" he gloated.

"We'll see," Yusuke panted, charging up his right hand. "I've got a strong finger myself,"

"Now hit me with everything that you've got," Toguro ordered. "You have no idea which shot will be your last,"

Slowly, Yusuke raised his arm at Toguro's smug face. "SPIRIT GUN!"

The massive ki blast headed straight for Toguro, but he merely laughed and blew it away with a slight flex.

"Woah, not a dent on him!" Chu gasped.

Toya swallowed. "He is a true monster,"

"I consider myself a good judge of humankind," Toguro pointed at Yusuke, and in the blink of an eye he'd seized the boy by the neck and lifted him high off the ground. "Having formerly been one, I can say there's something missing in your eyes. And that something is fear. It used to be one of your strengths. Without fear, you'll never grow stronger as a fighter. I know, I've told you that before,"

So saying, he punched Yusuke in the stomach and the force of it sent Yusuke to the third level of the stands.

Everyone watched, horrified. Even from this distance, Sakura saw Yusuke come to a crashing halt and fell forward, flat on his face. He tried to sit up, but began coughing a fountain of blood. Far below him, Toguro stood triumphant.

His full power was more than anyone had ever imagined. Yusuke's attacks had no effect, even without the Spirit Cuffs. He was still trapped in Toguro's shadow. The waves of furious strength radiating from that demon were enough to make anyone keel over. Sakura could feel it, the anger, the hate, the thirst for blood and violence. The pure evil. She could feel it all, and the intensity knocked her legs from underneath her. On the ground, Sakura gave a small sob of despair. Why did it have to be this way? Yusuke was in serious trouble, and in the wake of her past being revealed, she might as well vanish from existence.

At the sound of her cry, Toguro turned to her with a chillingly evil smile. "Would you just look at that," he jeered. "Right after I killed Genkai, I seem to recall you saying that you weren't afraid of me, Sakura. But I can see you've changed your mind,"

Sakura couldn't find the words to reply. She couldn't take much more of this. Her mind felt like it was splintering. This was impossible. Utterly impossible. Toguro was too strong. What hope was there for all of them? How could they ever escape the Dark Tournament now?

A.N. All hope seems lost. Toguro is just too strong, and Sakura is struggling to hold herself together. What can Sakura possibly do to save her brother? Can she even do anything at all? What do you think will happen next?

In both anime and manga form, this fight is so epic I can hardly do it justice. That being said, Chapter 27 will be released by May 24th but to be quite honest I'll almost certainly have it up earlier than that. Somehow I don't think any of you will mind.

If you can take a second to leave a review, and follow/favourite it would mean everything to me. And don't forget, my DMs are always open for chats/theories/story requests/questions. See you in the next chapter.

Next Chapter: Everything is on the line in this final match. Toguro is determined to do whatever it takes to bring out Yusuke's true power, but there's something he hasn't counted on...