Well, this is the last chapter. Whether it will answer everyone's questions (cough! Hack!) Is another matter entirely.
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"Okay, tell us again why you guys think that it's the Snake Ash Tree and not maybe Serpentine Slaughter?" Yusuke asked as they waded through a swamp.
Koenma had been able to drop them about twenty minutes away from the Snake Ash Tree, which was simply a gigantic Ash tree with lots of snakes on it. They had earlier discussed the clues in Koenma's office, but were divided between Serpentine Slaughter and the Makai Snake Ash Tree. One of the dead souls had been screaming about Ashes, which earned him a promotion from the Lowest Level of Hell to 5000 years in Purgatory.
"She said among the dead. Not just the dead. That meant that the dead and the snakes co-mingle. Serpentine Slaughter was simply where the snakes killed everyone else," Karen said in a nonchalant tone. However, she was obviously nervous at the thought of going near snakes.
"What's with you and snakes anyway? You seem pretty scared of them. They aren't that bad… If you don't get too close to the poisonous ones. Look! A viper!" Yusuke replied, pointing.
"Eek! Where?" Karen said, immediately jumping on the person behind her in fear. He stopped, looked at her with huge and surprised eyes, and the next thing you know, all of them were face down in the swamp. Kuwabara had walked straight into Kurama's back, who was taken by surprise. Not more than a second later Yusuke joined them.
As they looked up, they could see that the Ash Tree was no longer there. Getting up and running to the spot, they found a gigantic hole that seemed to overlook a small citadel instead. Suddenly they heard a familiar voice, followed by screams. "Hiei," the boys said, grinning at each other.
"Let's go, or else we'll miss the fun!" Yusuke said.
"Hold on, Miss Karen," Kurama said, picking her up and jumping down into the hole.
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Several minutes earlier…
Sukina was muttering to herself. She tossed her head this way and that, as though she was in a dream and she was finding it a nightmare. Mukuro spared her a sad look, whispering "Hold on, daughter of my friend. Wait for me," she said. She picked the lock, but it took her some extra seconds as the lock proved to be more complicated than she thought. Either that or her skills had deteriorated further than she had been led to believe.
Hiei meanwhile, had seen her and was keeping the Janioes busy. He was snarling at them. That was all he was doing. (This is Hiei we're talking about, remember?). Yet the Janioes took more pleasure in teasing him and shouting at him.
With a click Mukuro's chain fell away. The Janioes did not seem to hear it, but they did hear the clang as it hit the wall. Turning, they snarled and ran towards Mukuro, only to be confronted by Shuura. His voice was dead, definitely controlled by a Puppet Master.
"Let her go free. I want to fight her," he said. Mukuro used the time to pick the other lock and then jumped at Shuura's back.
The boy was quicker than she'd thought. Three years after the first Makai Tournament, he had improved by leaps and bounds. He moved unhesitatingly like his father, with the added grace that erased the same naivete he had shown three years ago.
Mukuro lunged for his back, but he turned and in one smooth move threw her against wall next to Sukina. She created an impression on the wall. Growling, she launched herself back into the fray. Shuura was waiting for her, but this time there was almost imperceptible hesitation in his moves.
His body rebelling?
She tried to reach for Shuura's back, but he simply pushed her hand away. She used her other hand and tried the same move, and he pushed away that hand too. She suddenly crouched and swiped his legs, but he saw the move and jumped up. Mukuro's fist lunged out and caught him in the stomach. She twisted it, gained purchase, and literally threw him over his head. There was a squishing sound as the puppet was smashed against the floor, cushioning Shuura's back.
When Shuura didn't get up, the Janioes realised that he had lost and attacked Mukuro in force. It was then that Sukina made her choice.
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Thy sister comes, the Ancient One said.
No, I cannot allow her to do this. The burden is mine and mine alone!
Do you mean yourself and your sister, or that woman now fighting for you?
All of them! I don't want any of them to die for me! I want to be able to choose for myself!
Even if the choice means that you will die?
Let the burden be mine and mine alone.
It cannot. The burden is ours, little one. We both know how it is to merely watch. If you choose that, we must merge or the world will end and all will be for naught.
So be it. There has been enough deaths already. The Mercenaries, Mother…
So be it then.
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The shaft of Golden Light descended and destroyed the Makai Snake Ash Tree above. Below, it descended on Sukina, who opened her eyes and glared at the Janioes. That was enough for the force field to break, Hiei's shield to dissolve, and burnt the Janioes to a crisp. It also set off any number of alarms, which brought Rumen and the Janioes running. Hiei shouted something and as he went berserk, the Janioes screamed. That was when Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Karen came down the hole.
"Sukina!" Mukuro screamed.
The girl was enveloped in golden light. She stood there unmoving, a few feet off the ground. Mukuro watched as Sukina lifted a finger and pointed to Rumen. Her voice was not like anyone's she'd known. It was imperious commanding and harsh.
"You served Cabalistic, and destroyed millions. In your quest for vengeance you imprisoned our people and forced us to follow your commands. Lives were not enough. You chose to enslave souls as well! The Creator will not allow this! You are worst than the Destroyer himself!" Sukina accused.
"Destroy him!" she said, as bursts of golden light sprouted from her body, to be countered by Rumen's own Dark Shield. He laughed at her.
"Do you really think that you alone are the favourite of the Creator? I am the Son of the Destroyer, damn it!" he said, throwing pure chi at her.
Sister, I need your help!
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Karen was shocked. They were trying to find their way to where the three people were being held, but everything was in chaos. Karen didn't have a sister.
It's time, someone else's voice resounded in her head.
"I don't need to think it over. If there is someone who needs my help, so be it. I choose to merge," Karen whispered, knowing intuitively that this was the right choice.
In that instant she was taken to Sukina's side.
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Sukina felt a hand hold hers as she battled with Rumen. She felt power flowing into her veins, but no words. The dreams, came back to her in a flash. I was the masked women. In the end all I have is myself. None of them paid any heed to the fighting going around them.
Mukuro knew that Sukina was trying to destroy Rumen, but this was out of her hands. She could not stop them from fighting. Yet… She saw several Janioes attempting to approach Sukina and Naoko, and she knew what was on their minds. Screaming, she engaged them in battle. Hiei and the other Reikai Tantei soon joined her.
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Shuura woke up to find two sides to a battle. He saw that Rumen was holding his own, while Sukina and Naoko seemed to be weakening. He remembered how the man had taken his soul and corrupted it, holding his father in his own sick hands. He knew where Yomi was, knew where to find him. But first, there was this matter to settle.
He saw a sword lying next to him, forgotten in the battle. He picked it up and threw it at Rumen with all his might, and then ran for his life. He needed to find his father.
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That's it for this chapter. Please read the epilogue. Phew! This was long!