Chapter 4: Crouching Fighter, Rogue Dragon
The day of the Dark Tournament arrived. The whole group was there. The first round got underway immediately. The first fight was the Urameshi team against a team of misfit martial artists known as the Jupon-Gatana. " So this is our competition," Hiei voiced. " Pathetic." " We'll see about that," said the leader, Mokoto Shishio, a scraggly looking man with bandages around his entire body. " Let's get started, shall we?" Yusuke said. He began to walk towards the ring when a hand touched his shoulder. " Hold it right there, Urameshi," Jin interrupted, " I'll take the first one meself." " Your call." said Yusuke as he stepped back to join the ranks of his team while Jin stepped into the ring. Jin was pitted against a boy named Soujiro, who was probably no more than the age of eighteen. The fight began at once. Jin was on the assault for most of the fight, slinging punches like a madman. It was only after Soujiro revealed his sword that Jin was forced to make a desperate retreat into the air. " Man," said Jin, Panting from the energy he'd used up, " If I get too close that guy'll gut me through. Unless." Out of nowhere, a gale force wind ripped through the entire stadium, flinging dust and dirt everywhere. The twister of rubble was so thick that Soujiro was struggling just to see. He strained with all his strength to try and catch a glimpse of his opponent. But it was too late. Jin's trusty tornado fist slammed into Soujiro's spinal column rendering him unconscious. " Next," was all that could be heard from Yusuke's mouth. Touya was the next to fight. His opponent was Henya, the flight of the Jupon-Gatana. Henya immediately took to the air and wielded a dynamite stick in each of his boney hands. Touya, on the other hand, won the fight in an instant with the help of his Shards of Winter technique. Next, Kuwabara faced of against Iwombo, a member of the Jupon-Gatana who could have easily passed as a Sumo Wrestler. He wasn't much trouble, even for Kuwabara. Kurama went head to head against some woman carrying a scythe with a ball and chain attached. She fell to his rose whip easily enough. Yusuke managed to rid the ring of Shishio, no problem. The only ones who hadn't fought were Hiei and Ooswi who was as blind as a bat. " Hiei," said Ooswi evilly, " You have no chance of defeating me. Not so long as I possess the 'Eye of the Heart'." "Hn," Hiei began in his usual tone. " So what? I hate to disappoint you, Ooswi, but you can't intimidate me. For you see, I too possess a third eye. Mine is the Jagan Eye." Hiei removed his headband to reveal the third eye. He drew his sword and charged Ooswi with his demon-like speed. He managed to get behind him. However, Ooswi dodged Hiei's strike effortlessly and was about to counterattack when Hiei moved out of range. This went on for thirty minutes without end. " This is absurd." Hiei said to himself. " I should be able to get in a clean thrust, but every time I get close enough he moves and tries to slice my head off. I don't get it. Maybe I've finally met my match." " Don't give in, Hiei!" called a voice from the stands. It was Botan. Their eyes met for one brief second and Hiei knew not to surrender. " So," Ooswi cackled, " Are you ready to quit?" " Never," was Hiei's obvious reply. He looked to Jin and cocked his head upward. Jin could only smile. Suddenly, Hiei was lifted into the air by a powerful wind and was then enveloped in flames. " He's not gonna." Kuwabara stammered. " Oh Yeah! He's gonna!" Yusuke answered. " Your finished!" Hiei called from above the arena. "This technique is unstoppable, unable to be dodged and blocked! Dragon.Of. The. Darkness.Flame!" The immense fire immediately devoured Ooswi. But it wasn't over. Not by a long shot. After the dragon finished off Ooswi, the appetizer, the beast hungered for the main course. The dragon reared back and prepared to take out the entire audience, beginning with Botan's group. " Oh No! What have I done!" Hiei exclaimed. Thought raced through Hiei's head. How could he save Botan? He had to think of something. When he did he knew it involved taking a grave risk. But he didn't seem to care. To him, saving Botan was the number one priority. Everything else could rot in the fires of the Makai. That meant his own safety as well. " Detective," Hiei screamed at Yusuke. " Give me a hand. Or perhaps a gun."
" I got yah." Yusuke responded. " Hey, sulfur breath!" called Hiei. " You want something to chew on! Well eat this! Sword. of the Darkness. Flame!" Hiei's Katana sliced through the dragon's head. " Spirit Gun!" Yusuke hurled his orb of spirit energy at the injured beast. An explosion was the result of the colliding energies. When the smoke had cleared, the dragon was nowhere in sight. Botan ran to Hiei. " Are you alright, Botan?" asked Hiei " Yes, thanks to you," said Botan. Then she noticed Hiei's right arm, which was char-grilled to a crisp. " Your arm." " Small price to pay." said Hiei. " All I need now is a nap." Hiei face-planted the ground. He had won the first round match for his team, but it almost cost him something of equal, if not greater importance.
The day of the Dark Tournament arrived. The whole group was there. The first round got underway immediately. The first fight was the Urameshi team against a team of misfit martial artists known as the Jupon-Gatana. " So this is our competition," Hiei voiced. " Pathetic." " We'll see about that," said the leader, Mokoto Shishio, a scraggly looking man with bandages around his entire body. " Let's get started, shall we?" Yusuke said. He began to walk towards the ring when a hand touched his shoulder. " Hold it right there, Urameshi," Jin interrupted, " I'll take the first one meself." " Your call." said Yusuke as he stepped back to join the ranks of his team while Jin stepped into the ring. Jin was pitted against a boy named Soujiro, who was probably no more than the age of eighteen. The fight began at once. Jin was on the assault for most of the fight, slinging punches like a madman. It was only after Soujiro revealed his sword that Jin was forced to make a desperate retreat into the air. " Man," said Jin, Panting from the energy he'd used up, " If I get too close that guy'll gut me through. Unless." Out of nowhere, a gale force wind ripped through the entire stadium, flinging dust and dirt everywhere. The twister of rubble was so thick that Soujiro was struggling just to see. He strained with all his strength to try and catch a glimpse of his opponent. But it was too late. Jin's trusty tornado fist slammed into Soujiro's spinal column rendering him unconscious. " Next," was all that could be heard from Yusuke's mouth. Touya was the next to fight. His opponent was Henya, the flight of the Jupon-Gatana. Henya immediately took to the air and wielded a dynamite stick in each of his boney hands. Touya, on the other hand, won the fight in an instant with the help of his Shards of Winter technique. Next, Kuwabara faced of against Iwombo, a member of the Jupon-Gatana who could have easily passed as a Sumo Wrestler. He wasn't much trouble, even for Kuwabara. Kurama went head to head against some woman carrying a scythe with a ball and chain attached. She fell to his rose whip easily enough. Yusuke managed to rid the ring of Shishio, no problem. The only ones who hadn't fought were Hiei and Ooswi who was as blind as a bat. " Hiei," said Ooswi evilly, " You have no chance of defeating me. Not so long as I possess the 'Eye of the Heart'." "Hn," Hiei began in his usual tone. " So what? I hate to disappoint you, Ooswi, but you can't intimidate me. For you see, I too possess a third eye. Mine is the Jagan Eye." Hiei removed his headband to reveal the third eye. He drew his sword and charged Ooswi with his demon-like speed. He managed to get behind him. However, Ooswi dodged Hiei's strike effortlessly and was about to counterattack when Hiei moved out of range. This went on for thirty minutes without end. " This is absurd." Hiei said to himself. " I should be able to get in a clean thrust, but every time I get close enough he moves and tries to slice my head off. I don't get it. Maybe I've finally met my match." " Don't give in, Hiei!" called a voice from the stands. It was Botan. Their eyes met for one brief second and Hiei knew not to surrender. " So," Ooswi cackled, " Are you ready to quit?" " Never," was Hiei's obvious reply. He looked to Jin and cocked his head upward. Jin could only smile. Suddenly, Hiei was lifted into the air by a powerful wind and was then enveloped in flames. " He's not gonna." Kuwabara stammered. " Oh Yeah! He's gonna!" Yusuke answered. " Your finished!" Hiei called from above the arena. "This technique is unstoppable, unable to be dodged and blocked! Dragon.Of. The. Darkness.Flame!" The immense fire immediately devoured Ooswi. But it wasn't over. Not by a long shot. After the dragon finished off Ooswi, the appetizer, the beast hungered for the main course. The dragon reared back and prepared to take out the entire audience, beginning with Botan's group. " Oh No! What have I done!" Hiei exclaimed. Thought raced through Hiei's head. How could he save Botan? He had to think of something. When he did he knew it involved taking a grave risk. But he didn't seem to care. To him, saving Botan was the number one priority. Everything else could rot in the fires of the Makai. That meant his own safety as well. " Detective," Hiei screamed at Yusuke. " Give me a hand. Or perhaps a gun."
" I got yah." Yusuke responded. " Hey, sulfur breath!" called Hiei. " You want something to chew on! Well eat this! Sword. of the Darkness. Flame!" Hiei's Katana sliced through the dragon's head. " Spirit Gun!" Yusuke hurled his orb of spirit energy at the injured beast. An explosion was the result of the colliding energies. When the smoke had cleared, the dragon was nowhere in sight. Botan ran to Hiei. " Are you alright, Botan?" asked Hiei " Yes, thanks to you," said Botan. Then she noticed Hiei's right arm, which was char-grilled to a crisp. " Your arm." " Small price to pay." said Hiei. " All I need now is a nap." Hiei face-planted the ground. He had won the first round match for his team, but it almost cost him something of equal, if not greater importance.