Carrying chopped heads from A-Level and S-Level demons on one hand and brandishing a shining sword on the other hand was Tenro.
He stood on a cliff, staring at the vast alien world of Makai (Demon World) with a self-satisfied smirk.
His sword shone brighter when drenched with blood, as though it were quenched with oil after being forged.
After taking on (and taking down) the forces of one of the former Three Kings... the cyborg Mukuro and her Elite 77 guardsmen... on the slopes of Mount McKinley (formerly Denali), the Demon-Slayer Tenro returned to the Demon World in order to face off against another one of the Three Kings and his army.
To be more specific, it was Yomi the Blind Youkai. A former right-hand demon of the Legendary Youko Kurama.
Tenro had a bounty on his head from the multi-eared former Makai ruler, in fact. He'd be flattered had he not known that the A-Class grunt Udo Jine also had the same bounty on him.
Even the weakling Uonuma Usui the Blind Swordsman of the Shin Juppon Gatana (New Ten Swords) was able to easily take down the likes of Jine, of all people.
Granted, the hypnotist was first dealt with by the aforementioned wily Kurama, but to compare any of them to him, the great Tenro, was a travesty.
The owner of a crime syndicate pretending to be a legitimate multinational conglomerate.
He was an Oyabun (Family Boss) of a fast-growing Tokyo-based yakuza clan that had ties with the Sumiyoshi-Rengo (the second largest yakuza family in Japan).
His clan had started making a name for itself with its bloody encounters against the Tokyo-based Inagawa-Kai (the third largest yakuza family) and the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-Gumi (the first largest yakuza family).
His troublemaking clan was mostly seen as a threat by the other more established families because of their willingness to associate with the Triad (using Feng Xinhai as a connection) and sell drugs even within Japanese borders and not just outside of it.
Then again, those were just his Ningenkai (Human World) accomplishments.
The great Yomi probably had no idea with whom he was contending with.
Maybe it was about time he introduced himself to the remaining two kings as well as the current rulers of the Demon World.
He was after all the Living Sin.
Youtou Shinnoken: Demon Sword
A Rurouni Kenshin/Yuyu Hakusho Crossover Fan Fiction Story by Chester Castañeda
Original concept by Chad Yang
Yusuke's group and Kenshin's group attend a festival before heading into an unavoidable war.
Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho is the rightful property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV, and Studio Pierrot. Rurouni Kenshin is the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallop, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted materials that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor.
Chapter 49: Living Sin (Part 1)
A centipede-like demon ended up slashed into ribbons by Tenro's sword, the bloodthirsty extendable youtou (demon sword) known as Kien.
Later on, a gigantic lizard arrived and attempted to swallow him whole then digest him. He sliced him up from the inside.
Another monster, this time of the S-Level variety, showcased his ability to change into multiple forms, one stronger than the next. The youkai reminded the swordsman of one of the Toguro Brothers.
The youkiri didn't have time for the shape-shifter's nonsense, so he trapped him under a mountain, not unlike what happened Son Goku of the Journey to the West tale.
Utter trash. Couldn't Makai's finest present more of a challenge?
The bounty hunters after his head soon dispersed, assuredly taking more underhanded steps to kill him (like perhaps using poison darts or murdering him in his sleep).
Even that wasn't enough.
He eventually arrived at a rendezvous point in order to start his operations for the day.
Under his command was an army of puppets made by the Puppet Master of the Shin Ju himself, Edward Gein: The Dai Kaijin.
Malformed undead monsters that, if trained and taken care of, could become formidable allies. Some were more aware of themselves than others, but most were nothing more than reanimated corpses with barely any soul to speak of.
Right now, they were doing mostly grunt work. They were zombies. Pawns. Weak demons that would only develop cognizant, sentient thought after they were able to pass the threshold of B-Level.
That was how the Chojin (Overfiend) was able to form the New Juppon Gatana.
Dai Kaijin were souls of warriors snatched from the depths of hell, given unholy life, and allowed to develop until the strongest ones emerged and became more like themselves prior to their death.
Many of them were demons killed by the agents of Reikai (Spirit World), such as Rando or Suzaku. Others were humans who attempted to become demons themselves such as Musashi Burashi, Kazemaru Fuwan, or Kibano Getsuno.
Still others were demons like Risho who, despite being still alive, wanted one of those Dai Kaijin zombie bodies in order to make an easy leap to A-Class and beyond.
Indeed, only the fittest survived in their world. If you were strong, you lived. If you were weak, you died and served as food for the strong.
The strong also got to decide what was right and what was wrong. And Tenro was the strongest of them all.
Or at least he should've been.
While Tenro was the leader of the so-called Dai Shin Kan, the Chojin served as his boss. The man behind the man.
The youkiri scowled at the mere mention of his supposed "benefactor" in his mind.
"Tenro. Good work. More and more, the infamy of my name is spreading across this godforsaken land, and it's all thanks to you. You've made great use of the Kien (The Bloodthirsty Sword) as well."
"..."
Speak of the devil.
Amidst slaughtered demonic bodies that gave credence to the Youkiri (Demon-Slayer) title of Tenro sat the Chojin on a throne of skulls and bones.
A giant that, while not the size of the 40-feet or 12-meter titan known (appropriately enough) as Fuji, the gargantuan Chojin was nevertheless big enough to look Tenro in the eye even while sitting down.
The Chojin also wore huge cursed samurai armor that covered him from head to toe and hid his face behind a fearsome mask. This made him look more like a reanimated golem or a robot instead of an actual living, breathing organism.
"You rang, Lord Chojin?"
"..."
With a harrumph, Tenro charged at the Overfiend with the Kien... not actually his sword, but a sword loaned to him by the Chojin himself... its blade extending far enough to cleave through the oversized overlord in twain.
Chuckling, the Chojin unsheathed the Mugen Jin (Unlimited Blade) fire sword from his belt (which looked like a knife in his hammy hands thanks to his hugeness) and blocked the youkiri's slash, producing a high-temperature flame that melted through the blade and broke it apart.
Never bothering to leave his bony throne.
The magical sword Kien kept lengthening infinitely regardless, producing an endless supply of hot steel that the Chojin had to continuously melt with the First Secret Sword: Homura Dama.
When all Tenro had left of the Kien was a stub of red-hot steel, he ducked a cauterizing, decapitating strike from the Overfiend and cut apart the skeletal seat by extending his sword at the last minute. With the intention of cutting the Chojin off from toe to head.
This "forced" the Chojin to stand on his feet, his body growing from a "mere" 7 feet or 2 meters in height to 25 feet or 7 meters.
The Mugen Jin that the overlord held with one hand now looked more like a toothpick between his fingers than a sword. Again, the Kien melted from the heat of the Infinity Blade's fiery block.
Tenro sneered. "I got you up on your feet this time, Chojin-sama. Next time, I'll make sure you're off of your feet instead."
"Are you done with your little temper tantrum, Tenro?" asked the titanic Overfiend, his throne of skeletons in shambles under his humongous heel. "You almost remind me of Usui with your little outbursts."
A female voice then shouted, "Enough of your nonsense! Leave Chojin-sama ALONE! BLOOD WIND!"
The S-Class demon-slayer jumped away from the red tornado headed his way, the fires from the Mugen Jin absorbed by the energy-sapping bloody gale. A twister more powerful than any the ones Rando or Feng Xinhai produced through mimicry.
Right beside the towering Chojin appeared a pale woman dressed like a courtesan who sported an umbrella and a steel fan.
"Yumi."
"Tenro."
Yumi Komagata licked her lips, baring her fangs. Naturally, the best practitioner of the Kyuuketsuki Kakuto Ryu was a kyuuketsuki (vampire) herself.
Yumi then looked over at the youkiri with an upturned nose and a fanged snarl. "Still putting up airs, Tenro?" she asked as her hand traveled towards her chest. "Everyone in the Dai Shin Kan knows you're no match against Chojin-sama."
Her fingers traced a chest wound that was given to her over a century ago. Her unbeating heart pierced by a jagged blade.
"Don't project your own weaknesses on me, Yumi," said Tenro with a smirk. "You should know better. What you see is what you get with me."
Yumi laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. What I see is a sore loser who couldn't accept the fact that he lost against a real man. Didn't you always say that the strongest survive and the weak should become food for the strong? Know your place in the food chain and kneel before our almighty lord and savior. You couldn't even use your real name anymore..."
The blood inside her... not her own, but blood she drank from the demons she herself killed... boiled with the Inner Blood Turmoil technique, her pierced heart turning the blood into a flowing red energy that surrounded her body.
"That's quite enough, Yumi." The gigantic Chojin interposed himself between the two squabbling former lovers before he shrunk back to his seven-footer size. The overlord then handed the Mugen Jin to Tenro in exchange of the Kien, his other mystical sword.
With his eyebrow raised, Tenro threw the Kien back to the hulking behemoth inside samurai armor then retrieved the century-old Infinity Blade. "What is thy bidding, Master?"
"I have a special mission for you, my dearest youkiri, and you're going to need this particular sword to deal with it. Your original sword forged by Arai Shakku. I want you to use your full potential this time around."
Tenro frowned at the reminder of his... former self. The ambitious man who dared challenge history. Challenge fate. Challenge the underworld itself in order to rule it as its new overlord.
"Who am I supposed to fight?"
The gigantic shogun-looking overlord in ceremonial armor declared, "The Battousai. The man who killed you. Also, you might also have to face Urameshi Yusuke, the champion of the Spirit World."
"Interesting."
Despite flashing a knowing smile, Tenro's blood boiled... his own blood since he was no vampire... from within his unburnt body. Reverted to its full health before the Ishin Shishi betrayed him and burned him alive a hundred years ago.
His blasé face belying the fire that coursed through his veins like magma inside a volcano.
He smiled a rictus grin. It'd been a century since he faced his mortal enemy. The man who sacrificed his life to stop him from conquering Japan. The legend that became the guardian of yet another mystical sword, the Youtou Shinnoken (Demon Sword).
The Chojin continued. "We're mobilizing the entirety of the Shin Juppon Gatana in order to declare war against Reikai and all its forces. Your mission is simple. Make sure we win. You're our secret weapon against the Spirit World. My own personal shadow youkiri."
Tenro slipped the sword into his cloth belt and bowed down to the Chojin. Bowed down to the entity that stole everything from him, including his great power. "Your wish is my command."
The Overfiend nodded. "You will be joined by your fellow Dai Shin Kan member, Sadojima Houji. He'll be the one to raise the power levels of the Shin Ju during battle. Rendezvous with him and help the New Ten out."
He caught Yumi staring back at him before she altogether averted her eyes. In shame? Pity? Contempt? Disappointment?
Who cared? It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Did Tenro not formerly serve as the Patriots' Battousai replacement as they rebelled against the ruling Shogunate during the Bakumatsu? Like the Ishin Shishi before him, the Chojin was yet another means to an end for the former manslayer.
The Chojin was no master of his. No one was. Tenro was his own master. He would find the opportunity to strike and show the Overfiend how to truly become the Lord of the Dead.
He'd bide his time with him just as he did with the Ishin Shishi until he gained the means to usurp him. To rule the underworld and have control over life and death.
He hated having to swallow his pride and ingratiate himself to this overlord wannabe in order to allow his ambitions to succeed, though.
After all, it was better to live a day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.
Summer in Japan was a season for fireworks.
Thusly, the Spirit World decided to gather its warriors past and present, human and ghost, tangible and ethereal, to the Sanno Matsuri (Sanno Festival).
"Sano Festival? That's my kind of festival!" Sanosuke "Sano" Sagara joked, which was met with cold, half-lidded stares from his companions, the Kenshingumi.
"Oro?" said Kenshin, blinking repeatedly.
Kaoru Kamiya sighed and shrugged.
"Screw you guys! I thought it was funny!" said Sagara.
Yahiko Myojin shook his head. "You really are a birdbrain, Rooster Head."
"I don't want to hear that from you, you edgy brat!" Sano answered back.
After all, both the Reikai Tantei (Spirit World Detectives) and the Kenshingumi (plus the reincarnated Oniwabanshu) needed to come together now more than ever because the Shin Juppon Gatana had emerged, threatening the peacefulness of Japan and possibly the entire world.
The enemies of Reikai have combined forces, so it was now up to these protectors of the new age from the Heisei and Meiji Era to deal with this malignant threat.
The event served as some sort of "teambuilding" exercise that would allow everyone to get to know each other. Or so Koenma claimed.
"TEAMBUILDING? You sound like some sort of corporate shill!" complained Yusuke Urameshi when he heard the news of the gathering from Koenma (or from Botan holding a telecommunication device with a live video feed).
"We're not doing trust exercises and boring seminars, we're having a get-together at a festival to get to know each other with Kenshin's friends! Jeez Louise, Koenma!"
"All right! Fine! It's a get-together! Hold your horses, Yusuke!" relented the toddler god of death. "Just relax, have a good time, and learn more about one another. Remember, we're all in this together from here on out."
Keiko Yukimura giggled and floated right beside Yusuke since she was a ghost (or at least an astral projection).
Urameshi had been busy all week taking care of the medical bills of Keiko's comatose body by doing double-time work through his ramen food cart and sideline work with the Spirit World.
Meanwhile, Yukimura herself built up her positive karma and vibes to combat the coma-inducing curse given to her by the Shisejyu's Seiryu.
The whole gang of Reikai Senshi (Spirit World Warriors) would've instead attended the Sumida River Fireworks Festival held every July were they not crunched for time because of the immediate threat of the Shin Ju.
Instead, they went with the earlier held Sanno Festival every June at Akasaka's Hie Jinja (Hie Shrine). It used to be huge, but it got reduced so that the Shinkosai Parade wouldn't impede traffic.
Regardless, it soon served as an opportunity for everyone to wear kimono, haori, or other traditionl garb and eat food like takoyaki (octopus dumplings), which excited the likes of Shizuru Kuwabara and even the half-Japanese, half-Chinese Natsuki Shinkai.
However, this wasn't the case for most of the time-displaced and/or "Traditional Japanese" women in their group, since Botan and the rest of the ferry-girls or Kaoru Kamiya and Yukina already wore their kimonos as part of their daily wardrobe anyway.
Regardless, they joined the mass of humanity gathering at the Hie Shrine (there was no Shinkosai that year because it only happened during even-numbered years) in groups or cliques.
The first group that lived closest to the shrine and the Akasaka District were (of course) Koenma's Reikai Tantei, also known as Team Urameshi during the Ankoku Bujutsukai (Dark Martial Arts Tournament).
Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Shuichi "Kurama" Minamino, and Jaganshi (Evil Eye) Hiei were quite familiar with the festival and its traditions.
They were joined by Yusuke's girlfriend (or the astral projection of) Keiko Yukimura, Hiei's unacknowledged twin sister Yukina, and Kazuma's big sister Shizuru Kuwabara. All dressed in kimonos.
Keiko got a special wardrobe that only ghosts could wear from the Dream World with the help of Hinageshi, incidentally.
Speaking of which, the ferry-girls had gathered to the meeting as well.
The gloomy and gothic Ayame, the worrywart nerd Hinageshi, the innocent child Sayaka, and the mysterious and bombastic Sayuri (or as she called herself, Uchiko Shikoku).
To mix things up, even though all of Koenma's ferry-girls wore kimonos as their standard-issue uniform, the angelic female shinigami (grim reapers) of the Spirit World wore more ornamental and detailed versions of their garb to commemorate the special occasion.
Naturally, the first ferry-girl Yusuke ever met was there as well. The bubbly Botan sported a more flowery iteration of her signature pink kimono, but this time it has bluer accents to it so that it could also match the tastes and personality of her other self (Kaoru).
On that note, the third group of participants in the festival was the time-displaced spirits and ghosts from a century ago, the Kenshingumi.
The name of their group was a play on the word Shinsengumi (New Squad) and Kenshin's own name, combining them together to form Kenshingumi (Kenshin Squad).
Their clique included the eponymous Guardian of the Demon Sword Kenshin Himura, the Son of Tokyo Samurai Yahiko Myojin, and the infamous street fighter Sanosuke Sagara. They were joined by the "split-personality" Botan, who inside her resided the girl kendo master Kaoru Kamiya.
Kaoru smiled using Botan's lips as she gained consciousness and control of their shared body. The nearer she got to the vagabond whom she hadn't seen for a century, the more she felt like herself.
How strange.
Nevertheless, it felt weird in general residing in a body that wasn't her own, but she was still glad she somehow ended up beside the man that changed her life forever after losing him a hundred years ago.
Technically, the past self of Natsuki Shinkai... Yutaro Tsukayama... was himself a member of the Kenshingumi. But in the Heisei Era, Natsuki had been hanging around the modern version of the Oniwabanshu (Garden Guard Group) for much longer than the recently reformed Kenshin Squad.
Regardless, Yahiko greeted his old friend with a grin and a teasing, "Looking good in that kimono, Cat Eyes! It really brings your eyes out!"
Instead of returning fire with Myojin's repartee, the currently female version of Yutaro blushed and said, "T-Thank you, Yahiko-kun."
Sano then said to Yahiko, "Hey, what will Tsubame say when she finds out you're cheating on her with your best friend... OW!"
Even though Sagara's counterpunches with the Futae no Kiwami (Dual Extreme) knocked Myojin flat on his butt soon afterwards, the black eye he gave the street fighter was worth it.
Incidentally, the Oniwabanshu (also known as the Oniwaban or Niwaban) was a group of onmitsu (ninja spies) that were employed by the Tokugawa Shogunate as undercover agents. They were established by Yoshimune Tokugawa back in 16th Century.
As far as Natsuki was concerned, she was part of the final group of Reikai-connected people to attend the Sanno Matsuri, the Oniwabanshu.
She was joined by her best friend, Likka Ikumi, who incidentally was the spirit and image of her past self, Misao Makimachi.
Beside Likka was the tall, dark, and handsome police detective and widower to her big sister Itsumi, Daiji Matsudaira. He himself served as the reincarnation of the Okashira (Boss) of the Oniwabanshu, the genius shinobi (spy) Aoshi Shinomori.
Daiji's wife and Likka's sibling was killed by none other than the Shin Ju's Feng Xinhai, who himself was the father of Natsuki Shinkai (or, as her name was pronounced in Chinese, Xiaxi Xinhai).
All four groups ended up at the pavilion of the Hie Shrine after going through an abbreviated version of the parade from the afternoon to early evening.
There, they availed of (stereo)typical festival activities like playing goldfish scooping games, eating at various food stalls (mostly of the takoyaki variety, although there were also okonomiyaki vendors as well), or shooting toy guns at target practice stalls to win special prizes (like stuffed animals and other goodies).
As for the specific traditions unique to Sanno Matsuri that you wouldn't see in any other festival, they include ikebana (flower arrangement) and special tables on the shrine garden where you could indulge in savory Japanese tea (which Kurama and Daiji partook in).
There was also a large thatch ring believed to purify any sins you'd unconsciously committed in the past six months. The doll you were supposed to hold as you passed through the ring was said to take the sins from you.
Both Botan (or Kaoru) and the ghost of Keiko walked through the ring for their own karmic purposes. For their own peace of mind.
However, in Miss Kamiya's case, her "sins" happened too many decades ago for the ceremony to count.
Yusuke chuckled at how Yukina (Hiei's "secret" sister) offered the bewildered Hiei (Yukina's "secret" brother) some cotton candy, remembering that one time when Urameshi did the same thing.
When Yusuke waved the pink confection on Hiei's face, the fire demon jerked his head back, not knowing how to react to the fabric-like mound of sweet fluff.
The half-demon spawn of Raizen remembered it like it was yesterday. He and the rest of the Reikai Tantei (plus Botan and Keiko) were attending the fireworks festival back then too.
They were all wearing traditional Japanese garb. Surprisingly, even Hiei joined in on the fun by wearing a haori and hakama as well.
From behind them, a grinning Kuwabara had sticks of lollipops, candy, and cocktail wieners jutting out of his closed fists and stuck in between his fingers as though he were a confectionary version of the superhero Wolverine from the X-Men
To their right was a mesmerized Keiko holding a paper fan and to their left as a smiling Kurama with a mask of a cat on the side of his head and an intrigued Botan covering her mouth with her hand.
The same thing happened just then at Sanno Matsuri, with Hiei wary as ever of the cotton candy but bracing himself enough to take a bite of the snack since he wanted to put his best foot forward in front of his unacknowledged sister.
From there, after Botan went through the purifying thatch ring ceremony, she was greeted not only by her Heisei friends but also the Meiji friends of the fellow spirit occupying her body, Kaoru.
Kenshin smiled and squeezed Botan's hand, stating, "You look beautiful tonight."
"T-Thanks." Botan blushed, then remembered that Himura was probably referring to Kamiya (the kendo girl from a hundred years ago, not the mad doctor from the Sensui Seven). "I-I'm sure Kaoru is flattered."
"Oro?" said the rurouni spirit, blinking. "I'm talking about you and your kimono, Botan."
Botan went even redder. Before things got really awkward, she pushed Himura gently and said, "Oh, stop it! Kaoru will get jealous!" giggling nervously while as she inwardly cringed.
"He does have a tendency to send mixed signals, doesn't he?" said a voice from behind Botan and Kenshin.
They turned in time to see who it was: Doctor Aoi Arai, M.D. (also known as Megumi Takani's modern-day reincarnation).
"DOC!" cried out Sano and Yahiko, both all grins.
"We didn't think you'd make it. You're always so busy," greeted Kenshin.
Botan's left eye absently twitched when Aoi told Kenshin, "For you, I have all the time in the world, Ken-san."
Meanwhile, Doc Arai went beside Botan, nudged her ribs, and said, "Go get 'em, hon," with a wink.
"Hehehe," responded Botan with a scratch of her head at Kaoru's age-old love rival, remembering that in Arai's point of view, the ferry-girl and kendo master were one and the same.
Nevertheless, the shinigami felt Kamiya's warmth inside her as nostalgia filled the both of them up. It was nice seeing old friends in a more relaxed setting instead of the usual life-or-death kind of situation.
The unseen ghost of Keiko tilted her head at the doctor. 'Why does this 'Doc' person look so familiar?' Yukimura wondered.
Shizuru bowed at the tall, dark, and handsome Daiji, shook his hand, and introduced herself. "My name is Kuwabara Shizuru. I'm the sister of that idiot with the orange regent hair. Nice ta meetcha. You're Himura Kenshin, I presume?"
"..." said Matsudaira. "Actually, I'm Detective-Investigator Matsudaira Daiji."
"Oh. OH! You're the gloomy one! My bad!" laughed Shizuru before she spotted Sanosuke holding another orange-haired person with a scar on the cheek.
"NEECHAN! Ya got it wrong! This is Himura Kenshin!" explained Sano.
"H-Hello. How do you do, Miss Shizuru," greeted the swirling-eyed rurouni.
"Waaait, Battousai's a girl?" asked the Elder Kuwabara.
"THAT'S WRONG!" exclaimed Sanosuke while a sighing Kenshin admitted, "...I get that a lot."
"But how can this be?" reasoned Shizuru. "The way you keep talking up Kenshin whenever you bring him up, I could've sworn he was this big, tall, and scary badass who beat you up with a blunt sword! Not this cutie pie girly man!"
From there, Kenshin went face-to-face with Yusuke.
Himura smiled. "It's been a while since we've been alone together, Yusuke-dono."
Urameshi nodded and grinned in return. "Yup. Our battles against the Chojin's minions at Genkai's temple feels like it happened ten years ago. Or maybe even a lifetime ago!"
To Kenshin's surprise, Yusuke then proceeded to grab his head and rub his noggin with his knuckles.
"Ya sure showed me, though! I thought you were a wimp back then, but you've proven yourself to be one of my strongest allies. Your Battousai side kind of scares me, even!"
"Oro?!" said Kenshin, his eyes spinning into spirals. He then turned serious and said, "My apologies for what happened to Keiko-do...!"
Keiko's ghost appeared before them then winked. "It's not your fault, Kenshin. Yusuke isn't to blame either. I'm going to get through this. Like Yusuke when he died, I'm going to fight and do my best to wake up, so you should do your best too!"
"Yeah, what she said," said Yusuke as he let go of Kenshin, his heart feeling twice as big with all the positive vibes he got from his friend and girlfriend through Rando's "curse", the empathy-inducing Kugai (World of Suffering).
Himura's eyes furrowed. "I wish that you hadn't gotten involved in this mess. That I do. It's my unfinished business that led to this problem now."
In his mind's eye, the former hitokiri flashbacked to his death, when he and the power-hungry Makoto Shishio destroyed each other during their fight on Mount Hiei.
"The Chojin?" Urameshi asked.
Kenshin nodded. "I know who the Chojin is."
Yusuke's whole face clenched like a fist. "That's good, coz I wanna know whose face I have to smash into bits next."
"TSUKI-CHAN! I wanna go goldfish scooping! For old time's sake!" said (or rather, demanded) the pouting Misao (or rather, Likka).
"Yes, yes. As you wish, Likka-tan," indulged a smiling Natsuki, holding her best friend by the hand, unwilling to divulge that they'd only recently met so they never actually did the goldfish scooper game before.
Shinkai guessed that Likka was probably mistaking her for her late sister Itsumi instead. The same woman that was killed by Natsuki's serial killer father, Feng.
Indulging Likka was the least she could do.
As expected of the fencing and kendo master renowned for her precise counterstrikes (and whose reincarnation also became a surgeon when he retired from swordsmanship), Natsuki caught loads of goldfish with her paper scooper.
Because she was such a good sport, the half-Chinese girl allowed the stall owner to keep most of the fish, taking only one home with a plastic bag full of water as a gift to Likka.
Meanwhile, Likka herself caught a vast amount of fish like her best friend.
However, she couldn't keep any of them either because she used her bare hands to catch them (thanks to her reawakened ninja muscle memory from a century ago).
That was cheating.
"Not bad, Misao!" Yahiko teased the schoolgirl reincarnation of his old Oniwabanshu friend from Kyoto. "You really showed those fishes who's boss!"
"Misao" flicked Myojin's nose with her pointer finger.
"...OW! What was that for, Weasel Girl!?"
"I ain't Misao any longer, kiddo! I'm Ikumi Likka, thankyouverymuch!" chided Likka.
Yahiko blinked. "You don't want to be called Misao, but it's okay to call you Weasel Girl...? OUCH! DAMMIT!"
Likka karate-chopped Myojin's noggin. "I don't like either nickname, Yahiko!"
Myojin then turned towards Natsuki... the reincarnation of his best friend Yutaro... and said, "How about you, Cat Eyes? How many fish have you caught?" while slapping her shoulder.
The red-faced Shinkai ended up breaking her paper scooper. Yahiko apologized, saying, "Whoops, my bad! Tell you what, I'm going to pay for your next attempt!"
"Y-You really don't have to..."
"I insist, Cat Eyes!"
However, this time around, no matter how many times Yahiko paid for Natsuki's scooping attempts, she never managed to catch a fish with the scooper. Not a single one.
"Whelp. Looks like you suck at this game, Cat Eyes," said Myojin. "I could've sworn it'd be easy for you, but I guess even geniuses like you have things they're bad at!"
"I-I was catching the goldfish just fine till you showed up! You were being distracting!" said Natsuki before she cursed in Mandarin Chinese.
As a wary Yahiko backed away and rejoined Sanosuke's side, a grinning Likka whispered to Natsuki, "I believe you, Tsuki-chan. I guess you were just being distracted by your 'best friend's' presence!"
"W-What are you trying to imply?" sputtered both Natsuki and a second voice inside of her, that of the aforementioned best friend Yutaro.
"Nothing," said Likka with a chuckle.
"I-I don't swing that way, ya stupid Weasel Girl!" Tsukayama added in kind, lowering Natsuki's voice by an octave as he spoke using her lips and vocal cords.
"Well, you don't, but Natsuki isn't exactly a guy anymore."
"LIKKA-TAN! SHUT UP!" the half-Chinese girl grabbed hold of her present best friend's mouth lest her past best friend overheard her. "Besides, Yahiko-kun already has Tsubame-chan, so..."
Likka hugged Natsuki, patting her back. "There, there. I've been there before too, believe me," she said as her eyes chanced upon her brother-in-law and her late sister's husband, Daiji Matsudaira.
Sanosuke and Yahiko froze as they chanced upon the cotton-candy-munching Hiei.
Their previous encounter with the midget fire demon that they mistook for a grade school kid with delusions of grandeur was still fresh in their minds.
Even ghosts like them couldn't take the burns of the Jaou-En-Satsu Kokuryuha (Dragon of Darkness Flame), although they at most dealt with the Rengoku Shou (Purgatory Wound).
They then cringed when the diminutive fire demon turned his head towards them.
"...Have I met you two before?" Hiei asked, a piece of cotton candy stuck on the side of his mouth.
The two shook their heads wildly. "NOPE! Must've been someone else!" they chorused.
"Hn," Hiei harrumphed, completely aware of who those two Kuwabara clones (or clowns) were but feigning ignorance regardless.
"Kenshin-san," said the gothic ferry-girl known as Ayame (who wore an all-black ensemble outfit), bowing down at Himura. "It's... nice to meet you. I am Ayame. One of Koenma-sama's shinigami. I've heard so much about you from him."
The rurouni bowed back. "Oh, of course! Likewise!" Scratching his noggin, the sheepish Kenshin inquired, "You're one of Botan's friends, aren't you?"
"...You could say that," smiled Ayame wanly. "I hope you're doing well. Take care," she said as she took her leave.
"O-Of course! Same to you!" said Himura while repeatedly bowing, his hand at the back of his head while a forgotten sense of familiarity wafted over his ghostly nose like the distinct smell of...
'...White apricot blossoms?'
Kenshin jerked his head back, his eyes wide, his scar hurting with a twinge of guilt, remembrance, and phantom pain.
However, the mysterious shinigami had already left and rejoined the rest of her fellow death goddesses.
"Kenshin, is there something the matter?" asked Botan, who soon transformed into Kaoru when within proximity of the Demon Sword.
"No. It's nothing," Kenshin reassured.
After all, he still had bigger fish to fry.
"YUKINA-SAN! I'm so glad you made it here!" said Kuwabara to his beloved.
"Kazuma-kun! I'm glad to be here too!" responded the soft-spoken ice maiden in kind.
"I see you're wearing an extra special kimono for the occasion! It looks lovely!"
"Thank you! You look handsome in your wardrobe as well!"
"NYAHAHAHA! Surely you jest! Anyway, let's head on over to the takoyaki stalls and have a bite to eat! My treat!"
"That sounds delightful! What do you think, Hiei-niichan? Do you want some takoyaki too?" Yukina asked, which made the tall Kazuma look at the diminutive demon right beside her, noticing him for the first time.
"..." both Hiei and Kuwabara chorused their silent sentiment.
"Helllo, Oniichan," said Kazuma to Hiei, flashing a crooked smile.
The lanky ginger flew in the sky a moment later, his cry of "EHHHHHHhhhhh...?!" echoing to the distance.
"EEEK! Kazuma-kun!" exclaimed Yukina before giving Hiei a look with puppy dog eyes. "Hiei-san, that was mean!"
With a throbbing vein underneath his white bandanna covering his third eye, Hiei grunted, said, "I'll get him," and went after Kuwabara to fetch his (presumably) mangled body.
Uchiko Shikoku (also known by her shinigami name Sayuri) winked at Detective Matsudaira. "Long time, no see, Detective Ikemen (Heartthrob)."
Daiji remembered the flamboyant shinigami that almost sent him to his ancestors had his wife Itsumi not spirited him away with her blue triangle butterflies.
With bedroom eyes, she hissed in a velvet tone while putting her arms around the tall, dark, and handsome cop, "You escaped my clutches before, but maybe next time, after you've done your business with the Chojin, you'll finally welcome me with open arms."
Sayuri then immediately let go of the reincarnation of the Oniwabanshu Okashira after sensing kunai flying right to her head. She summoned her scythe and batted all the knives away.
"What's the big idea, getting cozy with Uncle Jiji like that!? LET HIM GO!" shouted (a jealous) Likka. "Go away, you... you... harlot! He's loyal to Neechan! Shame on you, going after a married man!"
Uchiko raised an eyebrow. "Neechan...? Oh, you mean his late wife." Sayuri then chuckled and crossed her arms, her weapon disappearing from existence. "A widower like him is fair game. He should've moved on by now."
"Well, you're a black widow from the looks of it, waiting to eat him up and spit his bones out!" said Misao's reincarnation, still shaken by the way the ferry-girl batted her weapons away in such a recognizable fashion, triggering a sense of déjà vu in her.
"He's a grown man. Let him make his own decisions. It's not like I'm going to get in his way of his mission with Reikai or anything. It's just that," Uchiko's eyes shifted to the side as she licked her lips, "you really can't blame a girl when someone as handsome as he is has a death wish. It's one of the few perks of being a shinigami."
Before the volatile situation escalated any further, Botan came out of nowhere and grabbed hold of the naughty Uchiko by the ear, leading her away from her reincarnated Oniwabanshu friends.
"Yes, yes. All right. Show's over, folks. Come with me, Sayuri. You sicko..." the blue-haired ferry-girl murmured the last remark under her breath.
"OWOWOWOW! OWIE! But I'm not yet done teasing them, BOTAN-CHUAAN!" complained the blonde bombshell with a wickedly dark sense of humor.
"Hey, kiddo! Boke's (Kuwabara's) best friend! Remember me, Shikimeshi Kyosuke?" greeted Sanosuke to Yusuke. "Let's have a rematch! A contest of SMURFGH!"
By reflex, as though it was Kuwabara who was attacking him, Yusuke smashed Sano's mouth with a meaty right straight. "Oops. Sorry."
Urameshi blinked, recognized the lanky, bushy-haired gangster that jumped him during their fight against the Demon-Sword-empowered Suzaku, and then proceeded to keep beating him up.
It took Kenshin's Kanashibari (Sleep Paralysis) to hold him back.
"I thought he was going to punch me again, man! That guy is nuts!" Yusuke said to Himura in his defense.
Meanwhile, the resilient, iron-chinned Sanosuke popped right back up like a daisy, spitting out his ectoplasm from his mouth. "You still hit like a motherfucker, I see. Betcha I can beat you at something, though!"
Urameshi breathed deeply and shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. I have nothing better to do. Bring it on... uh... What's your name again?"
"...Rooster Head!" Yahiko helpfully called out from afar.
"Right. You're on, Rooster Head!" said Yusuke.
"I'll make you remember my name, Umai Meshi!" swore Sano.
"...Remember my name first, you doofus," retorted the teenage Reikai Tantei.
The raven-haired half-demonic teenager then proceeded to have a winning streak against Sanosuke, winning all his matches from thumb wrestling to arm wrestling as well as an hour-long staring contest.
Yusuke even managed to win a karaoke contest, scoring more points than Sano did by singing Nozomu Sasaki's "All Right".
"...Give up, Sano?" asked Urameshi.
"Never," said Sanosuke, thumbing his nose at his better while handing him jump rope for their next "event".
Yusuke turned towards Kenshin and said, "I kind of like this guy. He's crazy! Your friends from a century ago are something else, Kenshin!"
Himura nodded sagely. "He and Kuwabara-dono are quite alike, aren't they?"
Meanwhile, Kurama and Hiei went into the woodland area surrounding Hie Shrine in order to talk privately, compare notes, and exchange valuable information without being interrupted by the more easygoing members of their crew.
"The Chojin has an army of malformed grunts that are part of his Dai Kaijin group. They're actually our old enemies given new life and bodies by the Overfiend's personal mad scientist, Gein," said Hiei to his old partner-in-crime.
Shuichi Minamino... Kurama's human guise... then relayed, "And the top tier Dai Kaijin who've reached A-Class end up becoming one of the Chojin's Elite Ten. The New Ten Swords. Two of them already dead: Suzaku and Jine."
"Huh. So the Ten Swords are just the Eight Swords now?" quipped Hiei, but Kurama still answered his rhetorical question seriously.
"Maybe. It's short notice, so it might take some time for the Chojin to replace those slots. Or maybe not, since the Dai Kaijin are apparently full of Shin Ju hopefuls."
Hiei confirmed as such with a dismissive snort.
"Most of which are our dead enemies brought back to life," the Jaganshi said, remembering his tussle against the first victim of the Kokuryuha: Zeru.
The redhead's thin eyebrows furrowed.
"I know what you mean, Hiei," Kurama said, for he himself had to battle against the revived Karasu of Team Toguro.
"Well, aside from the Dai Kaijin, I fought another group altogether," disclosed the Forbidden Child of the Ice Maidens. "They called themselves the Dai Shin Kan, and they're mostly composed of the old enemies of your friend, Kenshin."
Shuichi shut his eyes, remembering the names of Himura's past nemeses through his unique and complete bond with the Demon Sword. "Seta Soujiro was his name, right?"
"And one other bastard," snarled the koorime hellspawn, who himself had access to the Battousai's memory banks, however brief it was. "The guy that Kenshin sacrificed his life for in order to stop him from conquering Japan."
"Shishio Makoto," they both said.
The redhead Hinageshi (the ferry-girl in charge of Spirit World records and gatekeeper to the Dream World) tapped Sayaka (former earthbound spirit turned Reikai inspector).
"Let's do our best, Sayaka-chan!" said the beaming Hinageshi.
"Yeah! I'm with you, Hinageshi-sempai!" answered Sayaka with a bob of her preteen head.
This made the red-haired shinigami (usually in miko uniform, but this time wearing a kimono) beam even brighter. "C-Can you repeat that last line?"
Sayaka blinked. "What do you mean, Hinageshi-sempai?"
Hinageshi hugged the reformed poltergeist. "You're just too cute, Sayaka-chan!"
"...Mweeeh?"
"...C'mon dude, it's so obvious that you have the hots for Doc! Ask her out already!" Yahiko nudged the listless Sano's ribs.
The Kaoru inside Botan giggled. "Even when she was still Megumi, you two had a special kind of chemistry together!"
"Or are you holding off for Boke's (Kazuma's) big sister instead?" added the grinning Tokyo Samurai Descendant.
"Lay off, Jo-chan! Yahiko-chan!" Sanosuke harrumphed while ducking Yahiko's attempt at socking him for the "chan" nickname by reflex.
He'd just lost his umpteenth match against Yusuke (this time it was rock, paper, scissors), and he wasn't in the mood for this nonsense.
"Leave Doc alone. The Foxy Lady doesn't see me that way."
"...See you in what way?" the doctor in question asked from behind the street fighter. "What are y'all talking about?"
Sano could only roll his eyes as both Kamiya and Myojin ribbed him by hooting, "Oooooooooooooh!" like a bunch of happy owls.
Doctor Arai then whispered to Sagara, "They're teasing you again, aren't they?"
Sano shrugged and sighed. "They probably found out about the flowers I gave you as an apology."
Aoi chuckled, her tongue firmly in cheek. "As if I'd ever fall for an idiot like you."
"You're not exactly my type either, sister," rejoined Sanosuke with a crooked smile.
"...It's for the best. A rooster falling for a fox is practically suicide for the rooster."
Sano, Aoi, and the rest of the Kenshingumi (particularly Kenshin) turned around upon hearing the familiar voice, searching for the source of the sound.
The signature smell of tobacco wafted in the air.
Lieutenant Goro Fujita stood before them, his mouth billowing with smoke like a chimney that was on fire or a carbon-belching car.
Instead of wearing a police uniform, he was in plainclothes (or perhaps formalwear), his wardrobe consisting of a red dress shirt under a black coat and matching black pants.
Himura stirred, his hand hovering over his weapon by instinct. "Saito."
Smoke exited form Fujita's nostrils as he breathed out, "Battousai," with a snarl.
"Saito, you wolf bastard! What the hell are you doing here?" demanded the hotheaded Sanosuke, remembering how Goro again made an attempt on Kenshin's life like when they first reunited at the Kamiya Dojo more than a hundred years ago.
"Who is that scary-looking guy?" Megumi's unawakened reincarnation asked Botan, and the Kaoru inside the shinigami answered, "Trouble."
Shizuru ended up at the table of an outdoor restaurant after ordering a big bottle of beer and some salted nuts as a side dish.
She was joined by Doctor Aoi, whom she'd been swapping stories with regarding their idiotic companions, Sanosuke and Kazuma.
Knowing that things were coming to a head with the arrival of that lean, mean policeman with hair bangs that looked like antennae, she invited the clueless Arai for a drink away from talk of supernatural wars, demons, and death incarnates.
"You know drinking that is bad for your liver, right?" jibed the doctor.
The Elder Kuwabara lit a cigarette up, poured the doctor a glass, and said, "Yep. Whatcha gonna do about it, Doc?" using the same nickname that Sano and Yahiko gave her.
The doctor poured Shizuru a glass in turn.
"That's conduct unbecoming of a doctor, Doc."
Doctor Arai then said with half-lidded eyes and a smug smile, "Shut up and drink."
The brunette laughed. "Now yer talkin' mah language."
All three groups in attendance of the festival... the Reikai Tantei, Koenma's Shinigami, and the Oniwabanshu... gathered to see what the commotion was all about.
"Are ya here to fight, copper? Bring it on, you Dirty Harry wannabe," Yusuke challenged Goro. "Team Urameshi has Kenshin's back."
Fujita smirked and turned his nose upwards at Urameshi. "So are you feeling lucky, punk?"
"Come on, Urameshi! If Officer Fujita were our enemy, then he wouldn't have helped us finish off Suzaku and retrieve the Demon Sword!" reasoned Kuwabara.
The half-demon conked the human on the head. "He almost killed Kenshin! Twice! How is he supposed to be on our side?"
Even as he said these words, Yusuke remembered how Goro "saved" him from Gein and the Nameless Yatsume... more minions of the Chojin... back at the roof deck of the hospital where Keiko's comatose body was staying at.
"On the other hand, he did help us get the Youtou Shinnoken back from Suzaku," reasoned Kurama, spurred by the remnants of Kenshin's memories inside his psyche since they last melded minds. "Whose side are you on, Officer?"
Fujita answered, "I'm on the side of justice. Just like always. Is it the same for you, youkai?"
The lieutenant then bumped into something by his abs. "Oho. And what do we have here?" he said after backing off and looking down at the short demon before him. "Who is this sassy, lost child?"
As Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yahiko, Sano, Kurama, and even Kenshin turned around and hid their laughter at the remark, their shoulders shaking like they were dancing in cadence, a vein throbbed on the side of Hiei's temple near his third eye, which made the cloth covering it burst into flames.
Harrumphing at the impudent human that put the Battousai to the brink of defeat, Hiei asked, "I wonder who's more powerful. You or that man of fire," referring to the demon-slayer he and Kenshin fought at Alaska's Mount McKinley. "How about you or the Chojin?"
"Man of fire, huh? I wonder myself..." Goro trailed off as he took a good look at Mukuro's current right-hand man, his mind wandering to the time when he first met Misao Makimachi.
If Kaoru was a tanuki (raccoon dog), Sanosuke was a tori atama (rooster head), Megumi was a kitsune (fox), Fujita himself was an okami (wolf) and Misao was an itachi (weasel), then Hiei must be a...!
"Skunk," concluded Lieutenant Fujita after giving the diminutive demon's white streak over his black hair a long stare.
Hiei burst into dark flames. "Die."
Sanosuke put an end to the brewing confrontation by summoning his zanbatou and chopping at the space between Hiei and Fujita, using it as a wall of iron between them. Aware of how dangerous the both of them were firsthand.
"Hold your horses, everyone!" said Sano, which was hypocritical seeing how he'd manifested his horse-cutting blade into the fray. "Kenshin and Saito are rivals. They always have death matches as their way of saying hello. He might not be our ally, but he isn't our enemy either. He probably hates the Chojin as much as we do!"
Fujita shook his head and clucked his tongue. "You're right about one thing. I'm on no one's side. I only have one motto. Aku Soku Zan (Kill Evil Instantly)."
He wasn't an ally to Reikai, but he was no friend of the Chojin either.
Finally, Kenshin spoke. "Speaking of an evil you want to instantly kill, have you figured out who the Chojin is as well, Saito?"
Fujita spewed smoke and ash with one harrumph like a disdainful dragon.
Or a growling wolf in winter, its foggy breath serving as its own smokescreen.
"It's not exactly rocket science. The Shin Juppon Gatana? A man with a sword that can burst into flames? Also, Sadojima Houji himself has emerged as the Chojin's Onmyouji. Of course Shishio Makoto is the Chojin. Or he's at least deeply involved in this mess."
The Reikai Tantei (or Team Urameshi) only had the vaguest of notions regarding the gravity of Fujita's words, but everyone else capable of remembering Shishio's insurrection back in the Meiji Era understood that name's implications.
Yusuke and Kazuma had never come across Shishio. Kurama knew of him from Kenshin's memories. Only Hiei ended up locked in mortal combat with him as Tenro, knowing full well that the youkiri was at least within the power level of his mistress, Mukuro. One of the Three Kings of Makai.
His longstanding suspicions confirmed and his past life's memories triggered by hearing the familiar name, Aoshi's reincarnation confronted his fellow police officer.
"So Shishio had somehow managed to form his own army of zombies from all our past enemies in order to conquer not only Japan, but the entire world, hadn't he?"
"...Oniwabanshu Okashira Shinomori Aoshi, I presume?" said Lieutenant Fujita.
"It's actually Assistant Police Investigator Matsudaira Daiji from the Shinjuku Ward."
"Ah, so we both have the same rank, Detective," said Goro. "And at such a young age too. From one detective to another, I must say you're a true prodigy."
"You probably would've gotten a higher rank had you not previously joined the SAT (Special Assault Team; the Japanese equivalent of the SWAT Team in America) first."
"O-ho, so you've done your research on me, like the good detective that you are," said the smirking Lieutenant Fujita to Lieutenant Daiji. "You seem weaker than your past self, but it's nice to see that your Okashira instincts can shine through regardless."
"..." answered Matsudaira, his jaw clenching. Twice in a row, he'd been compared unfavorably to his Meiji Era past life.
"He's not weak at all! Nor soft! He's HARD! HARD AS A ROCK! COOL AS AN ICE BLOCK!" blurted out Likka in defense of her brother-in-law. "I should know! I live with him in one roof and he gives me the cold shoulder all the time!"
"Likka-tan..." trailed off Natsuki as she covered her blathering best friend's mouth, a large dollop of sweat dripping down on her forehead. 'That's just sad,' she inwardly added.
"..." was what Daiji had to add to the conversation.
"...Actually, Weasel Girl," Fujita started, prompting an outburst of "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A WEASEL GIRL!?" from Likka before he continued,"it's Isurugi Raijuta who became as hard as a rock and as cold as an ice block a hundred years later."
Goro turned towards Daiji, stared him right in the eye, and said, "Back in the day, Raijuta was but a mere punk who was all talk and no action. He hadn't even killed a man back then, only to turn into a prolific serial killer and a Triad leader in his present reincarnation."
Twin kodachi appeared then disappeared from the hands of Matsudaira in remembrance of the One-Eight-Ten Killer, Feng Xinhai. The reincarnation of Raijuta Isurugi. His wife's killer.
It was at this point that the dynamic shinigami duo of Botan and Ayame broke up the commotion.
"All right! Break it up everyone! Break it up!" said Botan, clapping her hands and interposing herself between the seething Aoshi Shinomori reincarnation and the smug Hajime Saito reincarnation(?).
She sniffed the air and caught the scent of apricot from her fellow shinigami's person. "Wow. That's the first time I've ever smelled that perfume from you. I like it, Ayame-chan!"
"Thank you," said Ayame.
"Is it for Koenma-sama?" Botan teased.
Ayame covered her mouth, averted her eyes, and said, "It's a secret."
Botan rubbed her elbow on Ayame's sides, ribbing, "You minx you!" but then stopped cold after noticing the collective stares of all the Reikai Senshi that had gathered.
Even Officer Fujita kept a sidelong glance at her nearby, as though he had a vested interest in Spirit World activities and whatnot.
With a prim cough, Botan took out from her bag what looked like a monocle and told everyone, "I'm going to read your power levels now."
Urameshi and Kuwabara looked like they'd just gotten a whiff of rotting fish from inside a sewer. "Aw, c'mon!" said Yusuke. "You know what you're ripping off there, right?"
Kazuma himself raspberried Botan and did a thumb's down gesture. "LAAAAME!"
"Shush, you two!" berated Botan. "If it's stupid but it works, then it's not stupid! Besides, these power gauges are relevant to your upcoming fight against the Shin Ju."
She then had everyone lined up according to power level using another version of the wristwatch-like Spirit Detector.
The C-Level people included all of the noncombatant ferry-girls. Plus Likka Ikumi (Misao Makimachi's reincarnation).
As for Keiko Yukimura and Shizuru Kuwabara, they were actually around D-Class (normal human being level).
"MISOGYNY! How come all the girls are in Class-C?" complained Likka, only for her to realize that her best friend was (literally) in a different class altogether.
For B-Level, most of the Kenshingumi... Botan's other self Kaoru Kamiya, Yahiko Myojin, Sanosuke Sagara, and Natsuki Shinkai (or Yutaro Tsukayama's reincarnation)... were included in the bunch.
"Er..." said Natsuki while biting her lip.
"TRAITOR!" cried Misao's Heisei self, which made Shinkai ask, "How is this my fault?"
Sanosuke turned a nearby boulder to dust. "Dammit. I could've sworn I'd make it to A-Class."
"Get real, Rooster Head," quipped Officer Fujita. "You've been beaten by Battousai, the Oniwabanshu Okashira, myself, and Shishio Makoto. Of course you're B-Level!"
"TAKE THAT BACK!" Sanosuke roared, only to get counterpunched by a boxing-trained Saito.
"You were only recently woken up, Weasel-chan! As you remember your ninjutsu training from a century ago, I'm sure you'll go up in rank!" reassured Kaoru.
For A-Level, three of the members of Team Urameshi... a de-powered Yusuke Urameshi, Shuichi Minamino, and Kazuma Kuwabara... were included along with Daiji Matsudaira and Kenshin Himura.
Kuwabara grumbled, "Dammit. The only reason you three are in this class is because you keep holding your powers back," he said, referring to Kurama, Yusuke, and Kenshin.
"..." thought Daiji in regards to Kazuma's unintentional sideswipe at his current power level. He himself wanted to reach Class-S since he learned that Xinhai was also Class-S.
For S-Level, the lone people there who were exuding that amount of power at their base level were Jaganshi Hiei and Goro Fujita.
On the other hand, both Kenshin's Youkiri Battousai form and Yusuke's Mazoku or Toushin form could probably reach Class-S easily.
"...So we have a maximum of four or five S-Levels, huh?" said Botan with a sigh. "I guess that will do. Koenma-sama, after consulting with Kurama, has concluded that all combatants from B-Level and below should work in teams when fighting the Shin Ju."
"They couldn't have that many S-Levels, could they?" chimed in Kuwabara. "It's not like we're fighting ten Sensuis or maybe even ten of Urameshi's ancestor, Raisin."
"That's Raizen, you dumbass!" corrected Yusuke with a kick to Kazuma's spine.
"Well, no. Not exactly," said Botan as she put down her power-level-reading monocle. "In fact, most of them, like Karasu and Itsuki, are A-Level entities. What's more, you people killed two of the Shin Juppon Gatana, leaving only eight of them."
"So we have a chance, right?" was Sano's hopeful supposition. "Even if only a couple of us could reach S-Level and all!"
"But...?" Kurama prompted after seeing the look the ferry-girl gave them.
"But we have no doubt that the Chojin has ready replacements for those two dead Shin Ju. And there's the fact that he can depend on his conduit, the Onmyouji, to temporarily raise the powers of every A-Level to S-Level member of the Shin Ju."
"Which means that when we finally engage them in battle, the Chojin's Onmyouji, Sadojima Houji, can turn all ten members of the Ten Swords into S-Level," came the grim conclusion of Kenshin.
Now that had every last Reikai Senshi member thinking. Team Urameshi had dealt with an S-Class before when they were just A-Class, and they stood no chance at all. They were like children fighting a fully grown adult bodybuilder.
Even the Kenshingumi had a taste of what it was like dealing with only one S-Level when they fought Feng Xinhai. He was so powerful they mistook him for the Chojin himself.
In order to keep the celebration from ending on a sour note, Urameshi joked, "Man, so much has happened in the Sanosuke Matsuri!"
While Sano was the lone person who laughed at his joke, the half-demon continued. "I can't wait for them to get to the fireworks and cap the night off!"
"Er, Yusuke, this isn't a fireworks festival," reminded Keiko's ghost. "There are no fireworks at the Sanno Matsuri."
"Then let's fix that!" answered the half-demon, pointing his index finger up at sky while making a finger gun with it.
"REI-GAN!"
"W-Wait! Yusuke, what are you...?" Yukimura asked. "Watch where you're shooting that thing! You're in public!"
Raizen's descendant shot multiple consecutive energy blasts and let them collide with each other, forming bright explosions way up in the heavens that painted the horizon in shining blue streaks.
"He did it! The actual madman!" exclaimed Kuwabara while putting on shades to get a better view of the spectacle caused by Yusuke.
"Oooh! Aaaah!" said the half-Chinese Natsuki, who had limited experience in what to say during a Japanese fireworks display.
"TAMAYA! KAGIYA!" shouted Likka, referring to the names of famous manufacturers of fireworks in the Edo Era that were still called out during fireworks displays until modern times because of enduring tradition.
A mix of the old ways persisting in the new age. Like their motley crew, for example.
Kazuma joined in and slashed the Spirit Gun projectile apart as it exploded in the sky, creating patterns with his space-cutting Jigen Tou.
Hiei also shot a Kokuryuha into the neon heavens for good measure, the contrasting fire of the Dragon of Darkness Flame making the light show even more prominent.
"WAY TO GO, YOU SASSY, LOST CHILD!" quipped Kuwabara before he got set on fire by Hiei's Rengoku Shou.
Yukina had to put out the flames with her ice powers before scolding her not-brother to stop bullying Kazuma.
Not to be outdone, Kenshin and Detective Matsudaira added to the display by doing a ceremonial sword dance of sorts while the backdrop of fireworks produced by the Reikai Tantei served as their occasional spotlights.
Then, the following month, on July 12, 1993, the Shin Juppon Gatana attacked Hokkaido and Koenma immediately mobilized the forces of the Reikai Senshi to stop them from wreaking havoc.
It was Hell in Hokkaido.
To Be Continued...
The Shin Juppon Gatana versus the Spirit World Warriors arc. All ten of the New Ten Swords are about to fight against the Reikai Senshi.
Ciao,
Abdiel