dont own yyh


Chapt. 22

The Opening Words

It was a short trip to the tournament building – through a portal to the Ningenkai, then through another portal to the stadium.

We stood there, huddled together in our rather large group, outside the ominous building. Humans, and demons in human guises, bustled about the door. Huge ushers were standing at the entrance, taking tickets or bets, I think.

"Well, we'll see you in your first match," Botan says.

"Yea, be careful. This place gives me a bad feeling," Shizuru says monotonously.

"That's because this is the place you come to die," I inform them carelessly.

"But not us," Yusuke adds. "We have a mission: Stay alive."

"Take good care of Yukina, guys," Keiko puts in before the three – Botan, Shizuru, and Keiko – walk into the crowd.

"Are you fightin' in this tournament?" a voice booms from above us.

I look up and see a rather large demon standing behind us. He looked like the guys at the entrance, but bigger. He made Kuwabara look small.

"Yes," I answer boldly.

"Follow me," the burly demon booms again. I'd say the demon was a good seven feet or so. All muscles, no brains. Slow, but sturdy enough to stand up to most attacks. He was wearing a business-type suit thing. Bald as a baby. I think it was a guy.

He led us through a back door I had noticed a while earlier. The hall was dimly lit by small candles every few feet. The smell of blood, new and old, lingered heavily in the air; it was so heavy it affected Kurama and Hiei's nose. I winced when a scream came down the stone hall; a shiver went up my spine as it echoed continuously.

He stopped us in front of a brown door.

"This is where you'll be staying," it spoke. "Someone will be coming by to give you a briefing of the rules and such."

I gave a curt nod and he left. Kurama turned the handle; which creaked eerily; and walked in. We filed in behind him; I came in last and shut the creaking door.

The room was like a leaky shack; and I wasn't too convinced otherwise. There were two couches; one looked more stable than the other, but it was a lot nastier. The paint on the walls was peeling; the walls themselves were splattered with dried blood. A door that lead to a supposed bedroom was slightly hanging off its hinges.

"Lovely suit we're staying in," I laugh sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood. Yusuke and Kuwabara look at me like I have serious issues. That plan failed miserably.

"The floor looks decent enough. I call that," Kuwabara groans, stepping to the spot on the floor he claimed as his.

"And if the bed is decent, Yukina gets it," I declare before she can say differently.

It turns out the bed was fine. She put up an argument, but she slept there that night.

Hiei and I took the floor in the bedroom. Yusuke settled on the floor near Kuwabara. And Kurama took the unstable, but clean, couch.

We sat around for about an hour, watching the wall that had an outline of a TV on it, before the briefing person knocked. Well, it was more like pounded the door down, but we'll leave it at knocked.

This guy was slightly taller than Hiei or me, but smaller than Yusuke. Curly brown hair sat upon his head as though it had been thrown on there. Hard blue eyes scanned the room and its occupants carefully. He was stocky for his height, but he was fit for his age.

"Ok, the rules are simple: There are none. Teams compete against other teams in tournament style. Each team can have no more than five members, fewer is acceptable. Anything that happens here has no legal recourse. Meaning if you die, we can't be held responsible.

"This tournament allows all weapons. The losers' weapons are prizes to the winners. If the team is defeated, you must give up something valuable as a tribute to the host," he squeaks, taking a deep breath.

"Who might the host be?" Kurama cuts in politely.

"Master Tanashi," the old man peeps, kinda creepy for this gruff old guy.

"Tanashi?" Yusuke whispers to me.

"A strong demon ruler of the panther demons of the west," I explain quietly.

"Then what's he doin' runnin' a creepy tournament like this," Kuwabara cuts in, joining our quiet conversation.

"For any tributes, weapons, or money he gets I suppose. I assume he has his own team, or teams, competing too."

Yusuke and Kuwabara simply nod and wait for the old man to continue.

"I have here," he continues, ruffling through some papers, "that a young ice apparition named Yukina as your tribute. Is that correct?"

I glance at Hiei.

"It is," Yusuke answers.

"Good, that is an acceptable tribute." He puts his papers back in a blue folder. "Gather in the lobby in twenty minutes. More will be explained there." He pushes himself up. "I trust you will be there." He holds his hand out.

"We will," Yusuke says, standing and shaking the old man's small, fragile hand.

"Good." He leaves.

"Tell us more about this Tanashi person," the Detective says solemnly, turning to me.