Chapter 20
First Mission
Riku had been living in Japan for a week. He spent his days either training or hanging with Yusuke and company. By now he and Yusuke were best friends. He and Kurama had also become pretty close. Kuwabara and Hiei were just normal friends. Well Hiei was a complicated relationship. But what Riku enjoyed the most about Japan was being close to Yukina. When they were separated Riku felt an emptiness in him. Since moving here, that void was filled.
At the moment, he was in the forest near Genkai's training. He swung his sword at imaginary enemies. My first mission should be soon. I have to be prepared he thought as he powered up a little.
Hiei watched as Riku trained. I've never seen someone so dedicated to training. No wonder the wolf's so powerful he thought.
"I know you're up there Hiei" Riku said with his back turned to the fire demon. "Let me guess, you could smell me" Hiei said. "Your right" Riku replied turning to Hiei. He sheathed his sword.
His head jerked up and he looked to the left. "What is it?" Hiei asked. "Yukina's coming" Riku replied. A few seconds later, Yukina walked into the clearing. "Good, your both here" she said. "Why are you looking for us?" Riku asked. "Boton has a videotape for your next mission" she replied. "Bout time" Riku said walking toward the temple.
A few minutes later the three arrived at Genkai's. "The others are waiting inside" Kurama said opening the front door. They headed for the living room. "Now that everyone's here, let's see what the toddler has in store for us" Yusuke said pushing the video into the machine. The weird intro started causing everyone to sweatdrop. "Do they all start like this?" Riku asked. "Yes" Boton replied sighing.
Koenma appeared on the screen. "Hello again everyone. I trust you've rested up since getting back from America. I'm sure Riku's anxious for his first mission so I cut the small talk. Our agents have received word of a demon lord who possesses an item called the Reaper Orb. This orb has the power to revive any number of souls back to the living world. The demon lord who possesses it is called Shu Zang. He is the brother of Suzaku, the leader of the Saint Beasts who Yusuke killed. He plans to use the Reaper Orb to revive his brother and all the enemies you all have killed. This includes Domaru and Sirus. Anyone revived by the orb will be ten times more powerful then before. Your mission is to retrieve the orb and bring Shu Zang in. Be careful, he has a private army and we can detect something very dark in his palace. Good luck" he said. The tape ended.
"I never want to see Domaru or Sirus alive again" Riku said through clenched teeth. "If they're ten times more powerful then we'll have quit a challenge if we don't stop him before he uses the orb" Kurama said. "I'll show you all the way to the palace" Boton said summoning her oar. "Lets go" Yusuke said walking out. "Be careful" Yukina said watching them leave.
An hour later
After going through a portal, the group stood at the base of a mountain. On the top of the mountain was a huge palace with black walls. "Can't the bad guys live somewhere not so high up?" Kuwabara whined. "Will you shut up" Hiei said. "Why I otta…" Kuwabara was stopped but sentence when Riku hit him on the back of the head. "Hiei's right, lets stop complaining and get this over with" he said. Kuwabara continued to walk while rubbing the area Riku hit.
Suddenly Kurama stopped. "What is it Kurama?" Yusuke asked looking around for trouble. An arrow shot out of the woods that surrounded them. It was heading for Kurama. In a flash, Riku caught it. He held it like a spear and threw it at the source. It hit a demon clad in black armor. "So this is what we're up against?" Yusuke asked. "This is only a basic solider" Riku replied.
They continued on while looking out for more danger. When they arrived at the palace gates a swarm of enemies attacked them. They were all basic soldiers. Yusuke's Shotgun took care of the first wave, Kurama and Kuwabara took care of the second wave, and Riku and Hiei stopped the next three waves. "Hey you got more than us" Yusuke said in a fake disappointed way.
"They'll be plenty more once we get through the gate" Riku replied. "Speaking of which how are we going to open it" Kuwabara asked looking at the gate. "I'll just blast it down" Yusuke said preparing his attack. "SHOTGUN" the attack pummeled the gate but a barrier appeared over it and it sent the attack straight back at our heroes. They each barley dodged the assault. "A mirror barrier" Kurama stated. "What's that?" Kuwabara asked. "It's a barrier that will repel any attack and send it back to the source" Kurama answered. "Any way by it?" Yusuke asked." The only way to get through this gate will be to open it and the lever to do that is inside" Kurama replied. "In that case, I'll just wind morph and head for the lever" Riku said. "It will be guarded fiercely" Hiei said. "When I wind morph I become air. There's no way they can hurt air. Be back in a few" Riku said before he wind morphed. "That ability will prove very useful" Kurama said.
In his wind morphed form Riku simply flew over the walls. He looked around for anything resembling a lever. He saw two oni with clubs guarding a shack. That must be it Riku thought. He descended and blew behind the two guards. He transformed back to his normal form and snuck into the shack. Inside he saw a metallic lever. He walked to it and pulled it down. The sound of a gate opening filled the air. "Someone reached the lever" one of the oni said. They both turned around. A red blur flew through them. The blur stopped and Riku stood with his sword unsheathed. "Better met the others" he said. He started to make his way to the gate while killing all the enemies that got in his way. The two oni guards stood in place not moving a muscle. Suddenly they both split in half and fell down dead. Riku had slashed them as he went by.
Riku saw the others up ahead fighting off more soldiers. We don't have time for this he thought. "Everyone duck!!!" he yelled. His four companions each hit the dirt. The Crescent Edge started to glow. Riku spun around with the sword outstretched. Hundreds of energy needles shot out of it. Each one hit an enemy. The others stood up, surrounded by dead bodies. "That was pretty sweet" Yusuke said. "We should move on" Hiei said at the door to a tower. Everyone went through the door.
At the top of the tower
The gang finally reached the top after fighting their way up the steps. They entered a huge throne room. "I see you've finally arrived" a voice said from across the room. They all looked toward the source. "You must be Shu Zang" Yusuke said. "That I am" Shu Zang replied. His voice was a little deeper than Suzaku's. All and all he looked just like the Saint Beast but his hair was black instead of orange and his tentacles at the front were purple. His outfit was red.
"Now the real party begins. Come on out brother" Shu Zang said. From the shadows came non other than Suzaku. "We met again Yusuke" Suzaku said smirking. "He's already used the orb" Riku said. "I see you've added a new member to your team. No matter, we'll still defeat you. Won't we Rando?" he said. "Rando?!" Kuwabara said. From the shadows next to Suzaku came Rando. "How did you escape?" Yusuke asked stunned. "I killed myself and had Shu Zang revive me" Rando replied. "We all were revived" came an all to familiar voice. Toguro walked out next to Rando. "Hello again Team Urameshi" he said calmly. "Not him" Kurama said. "Oh yes, and guess who else has joined them" another voice said. A blur flew out of the shadows. When it landed Sirus stood there. "Did you really think you could defeat me Riku?" he asked cockily. "We're in trouble" Kuwabara said scared.
"How should we deal with them?" Rando asked. "I suggest we have a little match for the orb. We have five on each team it'll be like at the Dark Tournament" Sirus said. "An excellent idea" Toguro said. "So how bout it?" Suzaku asked. "Fine with me, it'll just give us a chance to kick your asses again" Yusuke said. "Very well" Shu Zang (Who from now on will be spelt SZ) said. He lifted his hand and out from the floor came a stone ring. "The rules are simple. Each team gets five players. One of you will step in. You continue fighting until you either give up or die. A barrier will be around the ring. The first team to wipe out all the other team's members wins. Understood?" SZ said. Everyone nodded. "Then let the match begin."
Cliffhanger. Who will go first? Next chapter, the battle for the Reaper Orb. Can the team defeat there past enemies now that they're ten times more powerful? And what kind of power does Shu Zang posses? Find out next chapter. Review please.
