---- Chapter 16: Teammate against Teammate - Kiyou attacks Shinrai ----
Smoke rose into the sky, the charred remains of the battle arena still crackling with slight traces of flame. Shinrai stood, hands at his sides, seemingly defenseless. Behind him, Jason had fallen to his kness in fear at the awesome strength of that last attack, and was still shaking slightly.
Kiyou's fist clenched once more, flames crackling softly around him. He glared up at Shinrai, his face twisted in anger. ".... Damn you!!! You dare to interrupt my attack?! You'll pay for such insolence with your life, human!!!" And, with blinding speed, Kiyou lunged forward, heading straight for Shinrai.
"Stop, Kiyou!" cried out Taisho. "Don't make Shinrai angry! He'll kill you!!"
Scoffing, Kiyou continued his dash for Shinrai. The young man, however, was standing calmly in place, his arms at his sides. "Are you so frightened of me that you cannot even defend yourself?!! Answer me, dammit!!!"
And, grasping the broadsword on his back, Kiyou swung down towards Shinrai, aiming directly to cut him in two. Without any effort or change in expression at all, Shinrai halted the blade's progress with a single hand, and delivered a crushing punch to Kiyou's stomach. The fire demon coughed up blood, as he was hurled backwards before crashing to the ground and skidding several yards.
Flipping to his feet, Kiyou wiped the blood from his face and narrowed his eyes at Shinrai. "You.... you insolent.... You die where you stand!!!" Taisho intervened this time, zipping in front of Kiyou in a single instant, grasping both his wrists in his hands. "Calm down," Taisho said, "you're just wasting your strength against him. Looks like Shinrai's decided to take the match for you...."
Back in the stadium, Shinrai and Jason were facing off. Jason had his hands twisted in a strange shape, some sort of bizarre defensive stance. Shinrai remained as he was - no visible defense whatsoever. Angrily, Kiyou yelled out, "Dammit, Shinrai!! This is my match! Don't interfere!!" Shinrai just turned to look over at him, saying, "You're incapable of defeating this opponent, just as he is incapable of defeating you. Thus, it would end in a stalemate. We can't afford that.... so I'm stepping in." And, holding his arm up, he blocked an incoming kick from Jason without any difficulty at all. Still facing Kiyou, Shinrai easily blocked every one of Jason's barrage of punches that followed, finally bending down and kicking his legs out from under him.
Everyone was amazed at Shinrai's skill - had he been holding all of his power back before? Surely, he couldn't have improved so much in such a short time? He hadn't even trained! Then, Hitai's eyes shot open in realization. He shook violently, his hands falling limply to his sides.
"N-No.... he couldn't be the.... I understand!!!"
All eyes turned to look at Hitai, with the noticable exception of Shinrai - who simply muttered something under his breath with a chuckle.
".... During his battles before this.... he feigned weakness.... to throw everyone - his allies included - off-guard. He suppressed not only his Reiki, but his actual physical powers as well.... The discipline it takes for such trickery is.... inconceivable.... I understand it all now. He is the one...."
Taisho cursed under his breath, then said aloud, "What're you talking about?! He couldn't be. He never even trained in the style...." Then, Taisho felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Kazuma looking solemly over at Shinrai.
".... I trained him in the Reikou Hadou Ken style four years ago. And, at just 13, he mastered every technique I taught him - including the secondary succession technique. But what amazed me more than that.... was that he said to me when he resigned from the dojo. He said that Reikou Hadou Ken was too weak of a style. Now, I realize that he was right in a way - that the techniques were too simple and basic for a fighter of his natural skill. He IS the one.... the one who has mastered the Reikou Hadou Ken's true succession technique. He is the only one I've ever met who could challenge the God of Martial Arts - the strongest fighter in all of history...."
His eyes snapping open in shock, Taisho was only able to let out a faint whimper.
".... and that fighter is an old, old friend...."
Taisho fell to his knees, cursing loudly. "How.... How could HE be the one?! He's only a kid!!"
".... A kid he may be, but he's the only one I've seen that could match HIS strength. The spirit of a human and the strength of a demon, molded into one awe-inspiring fighter.... Yusuke Urameshi."
Smoke rose into the sky, the charred remains of the battle arena still crackling with slight traces of flame. Shinrai stood, hands at his sides, seemingly defenseless. Behind him, Jason had fallen to his kness in fear at the awesome strength of that last attack, and was still shaking slightly.
Kiyou's fist clenched once more, flames crackling softly around him. He glared up at Shinrai, his face twisted in anger. ".... Damn you!!! You dare to interrupt my attack?! You'll pay for such insolence with your life, human!!!" And, with blinding speed, Kiyou lunged forward, heading straight for Shinrai.
"Stop, Kiyou!" cried out Taisho. "Don't make Shinrai angry! He'll kill you!!"
Scoffing, Kiyou continued his dash for Shinrai. The young man, however, was standing calmly in place, his arms at his sides. "Are you so frightened of me that you cannot even defend yourself?!! Answer me, dammit!!!"
And, grasping the broadsword on his back, Kiyou swung down towards Shinrai, aiming directly to cut him in two. Without any effort or change in expression at all, Shinrai halted the blade's progress with a single hand, and delivered a crushing punch to Kiyou's stomach. The fire demon coughed up blood, as he was hurled backwards before crashing to the ground and skidding several yards.
Flipping to his feet, Kiyou wiped the blood from his face and narrowed his eyes at Shinrai. "You.... you insolent.... You die where you stand!!!" Taisho intervened this time, zipping in front of Kiyou in a single instant, grasping both his wrists in his hands. "Calm down," Taisho said, "you're just wasting your strength against him. Looks like Shinrai's decided to take the match for you...."
Back in the stadium, Shinrai and Jason were facing off. Jason had his hands twisted in a strange shape, some sort of bizarre defensive stance. Shinrai remained as he was - no visible defense whatsoever. Angrily, Kiyou yelled out, "Dammit, Shinrai!! This is my match! Don't interfere!!" Shinrai just turned to look over at him, saying, "You're incapable of defeating this opponent, just as he is incapable of defeating you. Thus, it would end in a stalemate. We can't afford that.... so I'm stepping in." And, holding his arm up, he blocked an incoming kick from Jason without any difficulty at all. Still facing Kiyou, Shinrai easily blocked every one of Jason's barrage of punches that followed, finally bending down and kicking his legs out from under him.
Everyone was amazed at Shinrai's skill - had he been holding all of his power back before? Surely, he couldn't have improved so much in such a short time? He hadn't even trained! Then, Hitai's eyes shot open in realization. He shook violently, his hands falling limply to his sides.
"N-No.... he couldn't be the.... I understand!!!"
All eyes turned to look at Hitai, with the noticable exception of Shinrai - who simply muttered something under his breath with a chuckle.
".... During his battles before this.... he feigned weakness.... to throw everyone - his allies included - off-guard. He suppressed not only his Reiki, but his actual physical powers as well.... The discipline it takes for such trickery is.... inconceivable.... I understand it all now. He is the one...."
Taisho cursed under his breath, then said aloud, "What're you talking about?! He couldn't be. He never even trained in the style...." Then, Taisho felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Kazuma looking solemly over at Shinrai.
".... I trained him in the Reikou Hadou Ken style four years ago. And, at just 13, he mastered every technique I taught him - including the secondary succession technique. But what amazed me more than that.... was that he said to me when he resigned from the dojo. He said that Reikou Hadou Ken was too weak of a style. Now, I realize that he was right in a way - that the techniques were too simple and basic for a fighter of his natural skill. He IS the one.... the one who has mastered the Reikou Hadou Ken's true succession technique. He is the only one I've ever met who could challenge the God of Martial Arts - the strongest fighter in all of history...."
His eyes snapping open in shock, Taisho was only able to let out a faint whimper.
".... and that fighter is an old, old friend...."
Taisho fell to his knees, cursing loudly. "How.... How could HE be the one?! He's only a kid!!"
".... A kid he may be, but he's the only one I've seen that could match HIS strength. The spirit of a human and the strength of a demon, molded into one awe-inspiring fighter.... Yusuke Urameshi."