Disclaimer: I don't own YuYuHakusho
Chapter Twenty-Five: Rin vs. Yuriko
Rin woke to find Tara missing from her side of the bed. He sat up and leaned on his elbow, looking around for her.
He got up and walked over to the french doors that led to a porch like area. He moved up behind her and was quiet, just listening to the morning commute.
For the first time since the tournament he was in his fox form. This meant he was taller and more muscular. "What are you thinking?"
"Just how I realize what the girls must be going through now."
He put his hands on her shoulders. "We are all strong spirited. We'll make it through, wait and see."
She turned around. Her soft green eyes met his dark purple ones. "I hope you're right."
He smiled and hugged her. "Lets get back inside. I'll cook some breakfast."
She smiled and nodded in agreement.
The Ura team was in their spot when most of the Tachi team entered the arena. Yuriko was in the ring.
Lea smiled when neither Tara or Rin entered with the team.
"Come to tell us that you have given up?" Yuriko asked.
"Shut up. They'll be here soon." Yusuke replied.
Out of no where the wind began to blow and the temperature felt like it dropped ten degrees.
Rin and Tara entered the arena and he proceed to walk to the ring after leaving Tara with the others. Neither held emotion.
Juri looked at the two. "Um ok are we ready?" They both nodded. "Good. Rin vs. Yuriko, let it begin."
Yuriko began with mini fire balls. Rin quickly dodged them. His attack didn't fail though. He through some seeds at her and on contact or near, they exploded.
"He's more precise, more powerful." Katsumi looked at her friend. "What is it that has been done?"
Tara continued to watch the fighting. "I killed him." Was her answer, no emotion still.
Yusuke walked over to her. "Killed him? You couldn't have. I mean he's fighting against Yuriko."
Tara smiled. "I didn't kill the demon. I killed the human."
"But...why?"
She looked down. "I had too."
"Had too! That's stupid. He would have been fine either way."
She looked at Yusuke, the tears in her eyes. "You don't understand. He wanted to fight naturally, with honor and pride." The tears fell. "He is a fox demon, that's the way he wants to fight. In that case I had no choice."
"What if he dies out there. He has no way in which to live."
She looked down again.
"That's enough Yusuke. It wasn't your choice to make. Leave her alone." Surprisingly it was Hiei who spoke this.
Swords clashed together.
Yuriko had a cut on her arm that was bleeding. Rin's wound was on his face, the right cheek.
"You've dodged enough of my attacks fox."
"Yea well this isn't over."
Yuriko smiled. "You're wrong. See one cut from this sword and you're gone." The sword glowed light blue.
"You can't even hit me. I'm to fast for you." He disappeared and came behind Yuriko. Grabbing her, he twisted around and threw her into the concrete wall. "That will teach her."
The rubble separated and Yuriko was unharmed. She sped to the ring. "Black mist." Black powder came from her hands and she threw it into Rin's eyes. He countered though some did get into his eyes.
"That mist hit on contact." Kuwabara stated.
"This means he's blind." Yusuke commented.
"That may be true, but now he is more dangerous then his opponet wanted." Katsumi looked at her friend.
Yuriko was moving around, taunting, while Rin stood still in the middle of the ring. She moved closer to him, but at a fast speed. In a blink of an eye Rin's sword was unleased and he had moved to the end of the ring. Yuriko was on the ground, blood running from her newly aquired wound.
"That was fast." Ume noted.
Lea's eyes narrowed. "She better get up." Voice deathly low.
"That was awesome. Let's begin the count down." Juri began. When she got to seven she stopped because Yuriko was up on all fours.
"You may have gotten me fox. But I'm not finished off yet." The ground below her bursted into flames and followed the outline of the ring. "No one can get in and no one can get out...not until the end of this."
This surprised him some and he backed away, a deep growl rose in his throat.
The only other person that backed away from the fire was Ume, but it was because she was an ice demon.
The two in the ring attacked eachother with swords. A stale-mate came from it. Yuriko moved back and swung her sword at the neck of Rin. He move out of the way.
Suddenly he fell to his knees clenching his midsection.
"Hurt doesn't it." Yuriko asked. Two swords were revealed when she brought her arms from her back. "Amazing what a sword like this can do." She lifted the hidden one, the poisoned one. "That black mist wasn't just to make you half blind, it was a distraction so I could retrieve my other sword. Smart huh?"
Tara's breath caught in her throat. "Rin..." She whispered.
"You little..." He said between his teeth.
Yuriko walked over to him. "I know, I know. The pain hurts. I can't help it, you're just a stronger demon then most. I guess it will take longer for the poison to go through your system."
With his free hand, he sent a power bomb her way. However when it came down to it, Rin was losing energy and fast. Yuriko was the one standing in the end.