The crowd turned to watch as Legato walked out first. Following him a
second later came Youko Kurama. He stood out in complete contrast to the
two who followed. Youko was wearing the usual white outfit. His long silver
hair and tail blew slightly in a light breeze that he actually seemed to
cause. Hiei and Shadow followed at a safe distance, wearing pure black.
Like I said, complete contrast.
"Okay guys, here they are! Legato Bluesummers and Youko Kurama! Now when--- er... if Youko wins this match, he won't continue on. He's just a substitute. If Legato wins, I guess we'll just have to draw straws or play jenkin or something to see who the final match will be between," Yusuke said. "Begin!" He jumped out of the ring and walked over to Hiei and Shadow.
"Hi Yusuke!" Shadow said.
"Are you sure this is smart? Now that I think of it, once somebody wins this match we'll still have three fighters, leading to an uneven match-up," Yusuke said.
"Of course it's smart. Kurama thought of it," Shadow said.
"Hn. If Youko doesn't win, I'll fight both of them," Hiei said, shrugging.
"That's against the rules," Yusuke reminded him.
"Screw the rules!"
"No thanks..." Yusuke said, looking at Hiei like he was insane.
"Shut up and watch the fight, people," Shadow said. "Aren't you supposed to be announcing, Yusuke?"
"You said you were my co-announcer! Why don't you announce?"
"Shut up and watch!!!" Hiei said, annoyed.
"Right!" Shadow said, looking at the ring. Youko had one of his killer plants out. Legato was on his knees, holding his head and screaming. Suddenly, Youko stopped and recalled his plant. The tree shrunk and vanished. Legato collapsed.
"What was that?" Shadow asked.
"That plant he had. It makes people hallucinate and have horrible images. They eventually lose their mind and die," Hiei said dryly. Yusuke had counted to 8 before Legato was up. The man glared at Youko, trying to bend his limbs around and break a few bones. Youko glared back and charged at Legato so fast he seemed to vanish to normal human eyes. Hiei and Yusuke could follow him, Shadow saw a blur in the shape of Youko, but she couldn't tell anything much else.
"Agh!" Yusuke said, looking disgusted.
Youko had somehow slashed Legato straight across his chest and straight down the middle of his face down to his waist. The guy was covered in blood and his guts might as well have been hanging out of him. He collapsed.
"That was gory, bloody, disgusting, and... I can't think of any other adjectives that mean the same thing!" Yusuke said, jumping into the ring. He counted to ten, keeping one eye on Youko to make sure he didn't explode on the crowd, who were screaming and being extremely loud, especially to the fox. "Legato loses horribley!!! Would the medics please come take this... body... away and somebody please clean the ring."
Youko jumped out of the ring and landed gracefully beside Hiei.
"Did you really have to make it that bloody, Youko?"
"Why? Did it disgust you?" Youko asked, looking down at Hiei. "Your fight was almost that bad."
"No, I just... I don't know. Never mind," Hiei said. He sulked away.
"So when are you gonna let Shuuichi Kurama come back out, huh tough guy?" Shadow asked. Youko looked at her like an inferior nothing and followed Hiei back to the waiting room. Shadow glared at his back.
"Fine, you just go ahead and walk away! Ignore me! You're too arrogant! At least Hiei acknowledges my existance! You're just too high and mighty for me, huh?" Shadow said, crossing her arms and glaring.
"Shadow!" Yusuke said under his breath. "Don't say that!"
Youko glared over his shoulder at Shadow.
"Believe me, Shadow. You don't want me to pay attention to you, because let me tell you, if you got my any attention from me, it would probably just be while I was slitting your throat," Youko growled. He kept walking.
Shadow stared at him, her eyes wide, until he was out of sight.
"Not a very pleasant fellow, that he's not," somebody said. Shadow looked over and saw Kenshin beside her, watching Youko enter the waiting room.
"What're you doing here?" Shadow asked.
Kenshin shrugged. "I don't know, that I don't."
"What do you talk like that?"
"Like what?"
"How you talk! Why do you talk like that?" Shadow asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Shadow, that I don't," Kenshin said.
"THERE, LIKE THAT!!! And how do you know my name?"
Kenshin shrugged again and walked away. Shadow stared at him and shrugged, walking into the waiting room and hoping Youko was Shuuichi again. He wasn't. She made a point of having Hiei between her and the spirit fox at all times.
"The next match will see Hiei Jaganshi facing off against Hajime Saito! This is the final match everyone! Give us a few minutes and I'll have the fighters out here, ready to get bloody!" Yusuke said. He jumped over the ropes and walked toward the waiting room.
When he pushed the door open, he found Hiei and Saito glaring at each other, and Youko glaring at Shadow, who looked freaked out and was backing away oh-so-slowly.
"No fighting in the waiting room. Youko, you better not kill Shadow, cuz then Hiei will be mad, because those two are in deep love even though they don't show it," Yusuke said.
"I DON'T LOVE HIM!!!" Shadow screamed, throwing a rock at Yusuke's head. "WHAT THE HELL GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?!"
"You live in the same house, have the same last name, have the almsot exactly the same clothes, same color eyes, same hair color, you both like abusing small children, and you both hate Kuwabara," Yusuke said, counting off on his fingers. By the time he was done, Shadow had steam rising off her, and several of the audience members had spontaniously combusted, thanks to Hiei.
"I DON'T LOVE HIEI! HE'S A LOSER! HE'S FREAKY LITTLE DEMON WHO GOES AROUND SETTING MY HOUSE ON FIRE, SETTING MY PROPERTY ON FIRE, AND GENERALLY MESSING UP MY LIFE!!!" Shadow screamed, her head inflating to twice her body size, making even Youko flinch. Yusuke fell over backwards. Hiei, who had been closest to her when she screamed, mumbled something about being deaf. Saito, sitting in the corner, stared at her like she was insane. Kenshin stepped forward.
"You know, when you feel that strongly about something like that, it makes people quite suspicious, that it does," Kenshin said.
"Suspicious?"
"Yes. When you act with such... emotion over one little thing like that, people will start being almost positive that you love him, and no matter what you say you won't change their minds," Kenshin said. Shadow had steam pouring out of every pore in her body. Hiei had his eyes closed and his teeth clenched, but he didn't react like Shadow. Here's how Shadow reacted: She walked straight past Hiei, Youko, Yusuke, and Saito, got right in Kenshin's face, and screamed, "I HATE YOU!!!" Then proceeded to strangle him. It took both Yusuke and Saito to drag her off Kenshin. Youko and Hiei were to startled to help.
"How are you still alive?" Youko asked. Hiei stared at Shadow with a look of complete amazement on his face.
"I have no idea," Hiei said. "I guess because I never accused her of loving me."
"Well take some advice: Don't," Youko said.
"I know."
"KENSHIN HIMURA, YOU LOUSY RED-HEADED SCAR-FACED LOSER!!! YOU WILL DIE!!!" Shadow screamed, thrashing wildly to get away from Saito, who now had her pinned to the ground with her arms twisted up behind her back.
"Eh... heh... Well, five minutes is up, but I'm kind of afraid to start the next match. It's Saito versus Hiei, but Saito is currently... occupied," Yusuke said. He had run out of the waiting room as soon as Saito had Shadow pinned, and also because the crowd sounded like it would kill something soon if he didn't get out there.
"OCCUPIED! WHAT'S HE DOING? GETTING A MANICURE?!" somebody in the audience screamed.
"YEAH, SISSY POLICE OFFICER!!!" somebody else agreed. Yusuke looked around, feeling even more hated then he had when the whole crowd was screaming 'kill Yusuke' at the Dark Tournament.
"He's on... er... police business. You know, keeping the insane lunatics from murdering people?" Yusuke said. Somebody threw something at him and it splattered nearby. "HEY, YOU KEEP THROWING THAT CRAP AND I'LL CANCEL THE ENTIRE COMPETITION!!!"
The crowd went silent instantly.
"Good. Now, Hiei and Saito, if you're able, please report to the ring."
A minute later, Saito walked out with Kenshin behind him, looking fairly calm considering he had almost been strangled to death by a teenage girl. Hiei followed with Youko behind him. Shadow came after with her hands tied behind her back to keep her from doing any more strangling.
"Oh, good. Now we can begin the final match of the Ego Battles!" Yusuke announced happily.
"Okay guys, here they are! Legato Bluesummers and Youko Kurama! Now when--- er... if Youko wins this match, he won't continue on. He's just a substitute. If Legato wins, I guess we'll just have to draw straws or play jenkin or something to see who the final match will be between," Yusuke said. "Begin!" He jumped out of the ring and walked over to Hiei and Shadow.
"Hi Yusuke!" Shadow said.
"Are you sure this is smart? Now that I think of it, once somebody wins this match we'll still have three fighters, leading to an uneven match-up," Yusuke said.
"Of course it's smart. Kurama thought of it," Shadow said.
"Hn. If Youko doesn't win, I'll fight both of them," Hiei said, shrugging.
"That's against the rules," Yusuke reminded him.
"Screw the rules!"
"No thanks..." Yusuke said, looking at Hiei like he was insane.
"Shut up and watch the fight, people," Shadow said. "Aren't you supposed to be announcing, Yusuke?"
"You said you were my co-announcer! Why don't you announce?"
"Shut up and watch!!!" Hiei said, annoyed.
"Right!" Shadow said, looking at the ring. Youko had one of his killer plants out. Legato was on his knees, holding his head and screaming. Suddenly, Youko stopped and recalled his plant. The tree shrunk and vanished. Legato collapsed.
"What was that?" Shadow asked.
"That plant he had. It makes people hallucinate and have horrible images. They eventually lose their mind and die," Hiei said dryly. Yusuke had counted to 8 before Legato was up. The man glared at Youko, trying to bend his limbs around and break a few bones. Youko glared back and charged at Legato so fast he seemed to vanish to normal human eyes. Hiei and Yusuke could follow him, Shadow saw a blur in the shape of Youko, but she couldn't tell anything much else.
"Agh!" Yusuke said, looking disgusted.
Youko had somehow slashed Legato straight across his chest and straight down the middle of his face down to his waist. The guy was covered in blood and his guts might as well have been hanging out of him. He collapsed.
"That was gory, bloody, disgusting, and... I can't think of any other adjectives that mean the same thing!" Yusuke said, jumping into the ring. He counted to ten, keeping one eye on Youko to make sure he didn't explode on the crowd, who were screaming and being extremely loud, especially to the fox. "Legato loses horribley!!! Would the medics please come take this... body... away and somebody please clean the ring."
Youko jumped out of the ring and landed gracefully beside Hiei.
"Did you really have to make it that bloody, Youko?"
"Why? Did it disgust you?" Youko asked, looking down at Hiei. "Your fight was almost that bad."
"No, I just... I don't know. Never mind," Hiei said. He sulked away.
"So when are you gonna let Shuuichi Kurama come back out, huh tough guy?" Shadow asked. Youko looked at her like an inferior nothing and followed Hiei back to the waiting room. Shadow glared at his back.
"Fine, you just go ahead and walk away! Ignore me! You're too arrogant! At least Hiei acknowledges my existance! You're just too high and mighty for me, huh?" Shadow said, crossing her arms and glaring.
"Shadow!" Yusuke said under his breath. "Don't say that!"
Youko glared over his shoulder at Shadow.
"Believe me, Shadow. You don't want me to pay attention to you, because let me tell you, if you got my any attention from me, it would probably just be while I was slitting your throat," Youko growled. He kept walking.
Shadow stared at him, her eyes wide, until he was out of sight.
"Not a very pleasant fellow, that he's not," somebody said. Shadow looked over and saw Kenshin beside her, watching Youko enter the waiting room.
"What're you doing here?" Shadow asked.
Kenshin shrugged. "I don't know, that I don't."
"What do you talk like that?"
"Like what?"
"How you talk! Why do you talk like that?" Shadow asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Shadow, that I don't," Kenshin said.
"THERE, LIKE THAT!!! And how do you know my name?"
Kenshin shrugged again and walked away. Shadow stared at him and shrugged, walking into the waiting room and hoping Youko was Shuuichi again. He wasn't. She made a point of having Hiei between her and the spirit fox at all times.
"The next match will see Hiei Jaganshi facing off against Hajime Saito! This is the final match everyone! Give us a few minutes and I'll have the fighters out here, ready to get bloody!" Yusuke said. He jumped over the ropes and walked toward the waiting room.
When he pushed the door open, he found Hiei and Saito glaring at each other, and Youko glaring at Shadow, who looked freaked out and was backing away oh-so-slowly.
"No fighting in the waiting room. Youko, you better not kill Shadow, cuz then Hiei will be mad, because those two are in deep love even though they don't show it," Yusuke said.
"I DON'T LOVE HIM!!!" Shadow screamed, throwing a rock at Yusuke's head. "WHAT THE HELL GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?!"
"You live in the same house, have the same last name, have the almsot exactly the same clothes, same color eyes, same hair color, you both like abusing small children, and you both hate Kuwabara," Yusuke said, counting off on his fingers. By the time he was done, Shadow had steam rising off her, and several of the audience members had spontaniously combusted, thanks to Hiei.
"I DON'T LOVE HIEI! HE'S A LOSER! HE'S FREAKY LITTLE DEMON WHO GOES AROUND SETTING MY HOUSE ON FIRE, SETTING MY PROPERTY ON FIRE, AND GENERALLY MESSING UP MY LIFE!!!" Shadow screamed, her head inflating to twice her body size, making even Youko flinch. Yusuke fell over backwards. Hiei, who had been closest to her when she screamed, mumbled something about being deaf. Saito, sitting in the corner, stared at her like she was insane. Kenshin stepped forward.
"You know, when you feel that strongly about something like that, it makes people quite suspicious, that it does," Kenshin said.
"Suspicious?"
"Yes. When you act with such... emotion over one little thing like that, people will start being almost positive that you love him, and no matter what you say you won't change their minds," Kenshin said. Shadow had steam pouring out of every pore in her body. Hiei had his eyes closed and his teeth clenched, but he didn't react like Shadow. Here's how Shadow reacted: She walked straight past Hiei, Youko, Yusuke, and Saito, got right in Kenshin's face, and screamed, "I HATE YOU!!!" Then proceeded to strangle him. It took both Yusuke and Saito to drag her off Kenshin. Youko and Hiei were to startled to help.
"How are you still alive?" Youko asked. Hiei stared at Shadow with a look of complete amazement on his face.
"I have no idea," Hiei said. "I guess because I never accused her of loving me."
"Well take some advice: Don't," Youko said.
"I know."
"KENSHIN HIMURA, YOU LOUSY RED-HEADED SCAR-FACED LOSER!!! YOU WILL DIE!!!" Shadow screamed, thrashing wildly to get away from Saito, who now had her pinned to the ground with her arms twisted up behind her back.
"Eh... heh... Well, five minutes is up, but I'm kind of afraid to start the next match. It's Saito versus Hiei, but Saito is currently... occupied," Yusuke said. He had run out of the waiting room as soon as Saito had Shadow pinned, and also because the crowd sounded like it would kill something soon if he didn't get out there.
"OCCUPIED! WHAT'S HE DOING? GETTING A MANICURE?!" somebody in the audience screamed.
"YEAH, SISSY POLICE OFFICER!!!" somebody else agreed. Yusuke looked around, feeling even more hated then he had when the whole crowd was screaming 'kill Yusuke' at the Dark Tournament.
"He's on... er... police business. You know, keeping the insane lunatics from murdering people?" Yusuke said. Somebody threw something at him and it splattered nearby. "HEY, YOU KEEP THROWING THAT CRAP AND I'LL CANCEL THE ENTIRE COMPETITION!!!"
The crowd went silent instantly.
"Good. Now, Hiei and Saito, if you're able, please report to the ring."
A minute later, Saito walked out with Kenshin behind him, looking fairly calm considering he had almost been strangled to death by a teenage girl. Hiei followed with Youko behind him. Shadow came after with her hands tied behind her back to keep her from doing any more strangling.
"Oh, good. Now we can begin the final match of the Ego Battles!" Yusuke announced happily.