Karasu started laughing. Low at first. Then the laughter got louder. Louder. Then it came to the point he was laughing so hard he leaned his head back. Snapping his fingers he blew the vines apart. He could have done it at any time but he wanted to see how far she would go. How far she would take this fight. She took it to the next level for sure and he couldn't wait to do the same. She was going to be in for a world of explosions. His masterpiece was going to be amazing.
Liu just stared. He couldn't seem to stop staring. His girlfriend had literally changed. From her flaming red hair it went to a shimmering silver. And her eyes - so deep and gold. The dark voice matched the look on her face. Hatred. Anger. Vengeance. Karasu was a dead man. Twice over. Liu wasn't sure how he was supposed to help her. He was sure that she could handle herself. But now- she was on a whole other level. He stepped back only to have something sharp sting come up front he ring and crawled into his leg. Screaming he looked down to see a bomb digging into his skin. He looked to see Karasu looking at him. His hand reached up and yanked his mask off. Breathing deep he looked back at Sachiko as his hair changed from black to blonde. His energy level changed and increased. This had to be bad.
" They will not make it out of the ring."
Yukio looked over his shoulder at Toguro. He had spoken those words as if he knew Karasu was going to win. " You're wrong. They will make it from the ring."
" Do you have any clue what this is really even about? This whole inter thing is a show nothing more."
" What are you talking about?" Ronin demanded.
Toguro looked at the children before him. They had the same look in their eyes. The same look as their parents. The boy named Yukio had the same look at his father. The look of determination. The very look of hope. He had a feeling these kids were exactly like their parents. They will fight and support each other till the end. No matter the cost. But they hadn't seemed to figure out Zakos' main goal.
" Ronin asked you a question. So answer it." Hidieki spoke. His back remained to him as he kept his eyes on his teammates.
" He wants his dead girlfriend back."
" Let him go." Sachiko demanded as she stared Karasu down.
" Why? This just makes the game more fun. And I plan on really having fun with you. You see I can create these bombs out -"
" Of nothing. You manipulate the energy around you and help it take shape." Sachiko finished his sentence for him. She then vanished. Coming up behind him she was ready to act.
Karasu jumped and dodged the attack. He came up behind Liu. His hand slammed into his ribs, creating a small explosion. Liu screamed and elbowed Karasu hard in his rib. By the sound of the cracking sound Liu knew he had broken at least two. Liu held his side as his attacker moved back with a hiss. Looking up he saw Sachiko coming to them. And she was pissed. " Sachiko stop! There are bombs all around you !"
Sachiko stopped midstep. Looking around herself she saw them. There were several around her. How had she missed them all around her? But then he knew. Liu. He had been the bait and she had fallen for it. Only she wasn't done. She would save Liu and send this demon back to hell. Where he belonged. Ronin.
What do you need?
I need you to open a link with Liu. I need his help for my plan to work. But you can't say a thing about my plan to the others. It may not end well. Promise.
Ronin hesitated. He really didn't like the sound of this. Promise. He then opened the link to Liu. He knew he had to trust his cousin. He just hoped his stomach would stop turning.
Liu, I need you to listen to me.
What is the plan, baby?
Sachiko smiled at that. It was probably the wrong time to smile but she liked him calling her that. All that training with our parents is about to come into use. I need you to confine the blast around me with your magic once I shoot my arrow. I think these bombs have twice as much demonic energy as the ones against my dad. I think he plans to blow the entire stadium and everyone in it.
Liu didn't like anything she had just said. Even though it made sense. If the explosion had twice as much energy- and the size of the stadium wasn't even that large so the blast would destroy everything and everyone. But if the blast was contained as she said it wouldn't go any farther than the space he created. Only she would be in the blast containment. He saw her hands. They were glowing. She was up to something that she was leaving out of the plan.
Liu. Trust me. I know what I am doing. Please.
All right. But you are not allowed to die.
Liu reached put and summoned his magic to the surface. The dark magic circled around her and the bombs. As it was reaching the closing point she lifted her right hand aiming it at Karasu and the left at the ground. Sachiko's actions activated the bombs. The bomb on his ankle was then engulfed by a white rose, which then withered as the bomb went off. Liu was then yanked and thrown to the ground. Hideki was on top of him. Clenching his shirt in his fist. " Why the hell did you do that? You left her there!"
Liu saw the fear on his face. The pain. Helplessness. He never thought he could see Hideki like that. Glancing over he saw Ronin's face as he knew the plan. He was the one that opened the link and knowing his girl she had him not to say anything to the others. But something was off. There was something else. She left something out. What had she done?
" Hideki! Lui! The barrier is disappearing." Ren called out.
Liu got up and stood with Hideki as the barrier came down and the smoke from the bombs vanished. But their gazes also went to Karasu's body. It was wrapped in dark purple vines covered in thorns. It was an odd looking plant but it was literally through the body. Blood was everywhere. His head hung. No movement. Yeah she killed him. Differently. As the smoke vanished Zakos was there. Sachiko in his arms.
" Let go of my daughter." Kurama spoke as he came into the ring.
" Uncle! Dad!" Hideki held relief in his voice. They were free. But how?
Looking on the ground where the bomb had Liu's ankle. The rose that had swallowed the bomb was out of the ring and it was higher than most of her plants were when they came up. There were vines that ran from the ring through the ground. Looking up he saw the balcony to where their parents were held. The vines were everywhere. The walls and balcony were nothing but crumbled. She freed them. She had used so much power to do that.
" Z, let her go. Please." Liu spoke out to his brother.
" I can't. I need her. She is the key to my main whole entire tournament was to see if she was the right one. I had chosen her months ago when I decided to go through with this. I saw you and her. Not that you were hiding it." Zakos gave a small smile. " I am happy you had it even for a moment. I am even more sorry I am the one taking it from you. One day I hope you will forgive me." Zakos was then gone. Sachiko along with him.
Kurama clenched his fists. He walked away from the others. Not saying a word. He was going to get his daughter back. He didn't care what lines he had to cross to do so.
Liu stood at Sachiko's door. The door had changed. It was still a forest with three roses. Only now there was a purple rose on the door as well. If he had to guess that was him. That meant he was special to her. He liked that thought. He knew he shouldn't be here. He knew this was wrong, only he had to. He had to be here. He opened the door and saw her room. The walls were a deep blue. Red and whote roses were painted onto the walls. She had a bed with a simple bed spread. Her desk had books and notebooks all stacked nice and neat. There were pictures too. There was one of her as a baby. Kurama was the one holding her. They looked happy.
" Uncle Kurama might get pissed if he sees you in here."
" Ronin. Sorry. Yeah I know. I should go. Wait, why are you here?"
" I knew you would be here. She means a lot to you. I mean after all you guys kinda said it all with that kiss."
Liu felt his face turn red. He shouldn't be ashamed- well he wasn't But he was a bit embarrassed. Even with all that, he had to ask something as well. " Did you know Hideki was in love with her as well?"
Ronin's eyes grew wide. " Well I should have known you would have figured it out sooner or later. We all know his feelings. Even Sachiko. But she never told him. She kept it to herself. Her feelings for you though- she couldn't help but show them. You somehow got to her heart and she didn't look back."
Liu felt happy with that information. But he could be happy later. He had a plan to get her back. Only he knew it was going to cost him. Liu would do anything for Sachiko. Even doing what he was going to go through with. " Come on, Ronin. I have a plan."
Zakos gently laid Sachiko on the ground. His fingers lingered on her cheek as he rose up on his knee. He could see why his brother fell in love with her. The way she handled herself in battle alone told him how brilliant she was. Her beauty even stood out too among the other girls in the school. But no one was as wonderful or lovely as Saia. As he thought of what he was going to do his heart broke a little for what he was going to do. Not only to Sachiko but to his little brother. He had used a curse to increase his magic that had been around the school, which had increased in power for the three months he had, had it growing. The power was just enough for him to do it now. He could wait longer but he was tired of waiting. He wanted her back. Saia was worth all this.
Liu helped Ronin as they made it through the thick bushes. He only had one good arm after all. He felt the dark magic everywhere but there was one thread of magic that was far more dominant then the other that he was sensing. That had to be where the magic was gathering for Zakos to do what he was planning. The others had told him what Toguro had said before their aunt took him back to the Spirit World. He had refused to fight them and gave them this clue to his plan. Which was very dangerous and with figuring it out he then knew why he had been in pain and collapsing. Honestly he never thought Zakos would ever go so far. They stopped as they saw someone ahead of them.
" Uncle Kurama." Ronin called out to him.
Kurama turned and saw the boys. " Go back. Ronin, you are still injured. I will handle this."
" No disrespect, Headmaster." Liu said as he took steps forward. " But I am the only one who can stop my brother. He used a curse to even gather this magic and I have an idea how to stop it but I have to see how much the magic grew. You can't stop his magic."
Kurama took those words in. He hated that Liu seemed to be right. But that all being said he was going to fight for his daughter. She was all he had. His wife had been the one to accept him not only as the man she loved but even the demon. They had been married only a year when they had found out she was pregnant. Those nine months had been a rollercoaster of emotions and excitement and fear all wrapped in one. Yukina had even been the one to help deliver Sachiko into the world and she had been perfect. Screamed with powerful lungs. Yukina had handed him the small baby who he couldn't stop smiling at. As he went to hand their daughter to his wife she started having complications. Yukina and Kuwabara had done everything they could to save her. The looks on their faces as Kurama held his baby girl in his arms. But nothing stopped him from loving their baby girl and the memories he had with his wife. Sachiko became his world. He wasn't going to lose her. He may not know how to fight magic but he knew how to fight for someone he loved.
Sachiko groaned as her head pounded. Opening her eyes she blinked several times. Looking around she saw she was in the woods outside the school walls. Wasn't she just in the arena? Tiring to sit up she felt something stopping her. But she couldn't see anything holding her down. Well this was not good.
" You're awake."
Sachiko looked to see Zakos coming to her. He knelt down next to her. " What are we doing out here?"
" We are out here for you to help me in bringing back Saia."
Bring her back? She really wasn't liking this one bit. " What do you mean by that?"
He gave a sad smile. " I am putting Saia's soul in your body for her to come back to the world of the living."