Yoh rose to his feet, and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Horohoro asked.

"Outside. I am going to jog a bit before going to bed."

"What?" Pilika cried. "That is madness! Hey, if it is just because Anna told you to, you don't have to do it at all!" she said with a slight frown.

"Uhh... I don't think that's true", Yoh said while he glanced nervously at the stairway.

Pilika was puzzled, her eyes two tiny marbles. "What do you mean?" She then looked at her brother.

Horohoro's headband covered his eyes, and he neither seemed to believe that disobedience could be an option for Yoh. "It is obvious that you do not know that woman," he said with a low voice. "When I used to live at their house, she made me work twenty four hours a day. If I didn't, she would beat me and make me sleep outside. Poor Manta had to cook and clean the floor EVERYDAY! She takes advantage of her position as Yoh's fiancée to treat us all like dogs!!" he finished annoyed.

"Don't get so worked up, Horohoro," Yoh said meekly. "It is just that she sometimes has trouble setting herself limits."

Horohoro grunted.

"But at least don't go by yourself," Pilika insisted. "It is too late to be wandering around alone. Why don't you go with him, brother?"

"No, don't worry, I'll be careful. Besides, I am not alone. Amidamaru is with me," Yoh said as Amidamaru appeared at his side.

"I will take care of master Yoh," he said with a smile.

"You sure?" Horohoro said.

"Yes, don't worry for me. Well, I should get going now. See ya!" he said as he went out the door.

* * *

"Hello there, gentlemen. Can I help you?" Hao said as Marco and Lyserg dragged Iron Maiden Jeanne into his cave; Opacho and the priest stood at his side. A fire in the middle of the cave separated both groups.

Marco spoke with a solemn voice: "We have come here because we have resolved that going on with the Shaman Fight is merely nonsense." Lyserg stood expressionless beside him, the iron maiden behind. "The reason is obvious, we will not wait for you to defeat all other shamans in the tournament and take control of the Great Spirits." Hao sat still, smiling. His smile, although not malicious at all, contained such pure mock, arrogance, nastiness as could not be put into words. At last, Marco spoke with the grimmest voice. "We have come to destroy you, here and now."

Hao let out a low giggle. "That is very brave from your part, gentlemen," he said. "To come here into my lair, in the middle of the night, all by yourselves, telling me right in my face that you came to destroy me right away. Very amusing." He continued: "It is also very wise, since only a few teams remain in the tournament now, and I am drawing ever closer to achieve my goal..." Specifically, the few teams that remained were Lily Five, The Ren, and Funbari Onsen.

"However..." Hao's voice took a malicious tone. "If you don't mind me asking, how have you planned to do it?"

"With the Light of Justice," came suddenly the voice of Jeanne from inside the maiden. The lid opened, and she said: "The Gate of Babylon failed in dragging you and your other half, Yoh, into the void. Time is running short. Thus, we will fight you until we kill you. Then we will go for Yoh, and put and end to your evil, once and for all."

Hao started laughing, a loud, sickening, uncontrolled laugh, which didn't stop until after several seconds later. "Marvelous!! Astounding!! I bow before your bravado, gentlemen!! Or should I say, stupidity?!" he cried delighted. With a malicious expression he said: "Very well then, you will have what you came for..." His aura strengthened, and a soft glow wrapped around him. The fire in the middle of the cave grew to a column from roof to floor. Then, the Spirit of Fire made itself visible for a brief moment, and all of a sudden, the entrance to the cave was blown up.

The three X-Laws gazed openmouthed as flame-wrapped rocks fell all around them. "Over here!!" Hao cried. "I will crush you all!!"