SHAMAN KING! SECOND TO LAST CHAPPIE! --I think. I'm excited.

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Thank you's to all who have reviewed!

Onto the fic!


Two apparently similar figures stood facing each other inside a stadium. Well rather, one was standing, the other was lying on the ground. The four others present in the stadium were on the ground. Usually, this would mean the fight was over, however, the Great Spirit made exceptions, and this was also the last match ever to be fought for another 500 years, he could make allowances. One of the boys had long hair, and was wearing a cloak. The other, his twin, was staring horrified at the floating object behind his brother.

The figure was undoubtedly unconscious, hanging limply in the midst of red flames. The flames didn't burn the figure, however, but the boy could consider they were doing something else to her.

"ANNA!" Yoh shouted louder. "What the heck did you do to her!"

"Come, come, otouto. You can't expect me to give away everything. But since you insist... I'm doing the exact same thing you were doing to her before she came to... stay with me,"

"What do you mean Hao?"

Final Battle

"I mean her energy. I'm sucking it from her body. Just like you were doing before I broke that little link of yours,"

"She let you?"

"On the contrary, she was very forceful,... but I like it that way,"

Yoh clenched his teeth. "You've just made the biggest mistake you'll ever make, dear brother,"

"And who's to say that? You don't look like you're in much of a position to threaten me, brother. I could kill you right now, and have no remorse, but it IS more interesting to let you live, and torture you so with this. And don't you try to deny this is killing you inside. Because I know it is. I know YOU. And I know how you'd react. I know your attraction to her, especially since I'm just as attracted. Only, I seem to have made more headway in that department, hmm?"

Yoh's fists were balled now, and he pushed himself up with the force of pure determination. "You'll never win this Hao, you don't know what I can do purely on will,"

"Well, I daresay I'm about to find out, right otuoto?" He smiled. Yoh stooped to retrieve his sword.

"You're in for a fight now, Hao,"

"Well, I hope that you'll give it your all this time. It was quite ridiculous last time, to see how your fighting skills were,"

"What does that mean?"

"You know very well what that means otuoto, didn't Yohmei say it to you all the time when he battled you?"

That struck a nerve inside Asakura Yoh. The boy charged, sword outstreched. His brother easily dodged it, which resulted in the boy almost hitting is own fiancee, surrounded by flames.

Yoh wheeled, anger and frustration apparent in his eyes. His brother still had his back turned, recovering from the last attack. Yoh quickly hit him. The sword slashed through his cloak, hitting bare skin.

Hao keeled. Yoh heard a pained gasp behind him. Turning back, he saw Anna's face contorted with pain. He turned back to Hao, who had straightened.

"Well, perhaps my fighting would be better without that anyway," he stripped himself of the cloak, revealing his perfectly toned bare chest.

Yoh turned back to Anna, then back to Hao.

"Don't worry, brother. I won't kill her. I like her, ne? So I won't strip her of all of her energy, just enough to get me through,"

Yoh turned back, somewhat satisfied that Hao wouldn't kill her. That was right, he wanted her alive. So that he could marry her and do... things to her. Somehow this fuelled him more, the thought of Anna with this- this- maniac. But this left him without a strategy. He couldn't hurt Hao without hurting Anna, and until he made a move, Hao would keep getting stronger because of Anna. Quite a paradoxical situation for him. He turned back to Anna, wondering if he could somehow get her out of the energy-sucking flames. That would prove fruitless, especially since he didn't know what else the flames could do.

He turned back to his brother, who had a quizzical look opn his face, but the moment he noticed Yoh looking at him, he wiped the expression off, returning with that cocky one.

"Ready for another go?" Hao asked.

Yoh charged again, speed attacking had its advantages. He led a barrage of attacks on Hao, who seemed not to care, and let Yoh hit him.

By this time, Hao had a great many scratches, most of them bleeding. "My turn," he said, wiping blood from a bleeding lip.

He charged Yoh, attacking with energy balls and fists. Yoh seemed helpless. Amidimaru couldn't do anything until he found an opening in the attack, but none were there. This move had been perfected over many years of practice and experience, leaving no opening for rebuttle.

Once Hao had taken his turn, Yoh looked just as haggard as his twin. His shirt had been practically obliterated, so both boys were now just wearing pants (A/N: And it was a sight to behold!) and they looked very much alike. They were both scratched up and bleeding. Both were panting, Hao slightly less so, seeing as he had Anna's energy.

The audience watched with bated breath, an overwhelmingly large crowd rooting for Yoh (whether it was the romanticism of fighting for his fiancee, or just because he was a "good guy") and Hao's small posse rooting for the evil boy.

The twins once again stood staring at each other, too tired to make a move.

"Well, brother, You seem to be better than I expected," Hao panted.

"I dunno if that's a complement or not," Yoh panted.

"Well, you could take it either way, knowing you,"

"But you don't really know me," Yoh said back, defiantly.

"You proved me wrong on that one, brother,"

Yoh cocked a grin. He then turned his mind back to the problem of Anna.


The great spirit, watching the match, couldn't help but be impressed by the strength of both boys. Of course, he knew one of them, he had been around for the last three shaman tournaments. But the other, he had never seen him before. And this one was putting up a better fight than the spirit anticipated. He was even better than the last Asakura, and that curveball Hao threw at him with the boy's fiancee. He seems to be fighting for her more than anyone. Yes, the spirit had taken a liking to the Asakura.


"Give up, Yoh. To destroy me you'll have to destroy her,"

"Not if I can help it,"

"Not like you have a choice,"

"I'll find a way,"

"Not likely,"

The twins were now both going at each other with equal force, trading blows that did little damage on both of them. Between the blows, they traded this conversation.

Somehow, Hao found room for a left uppercut, sending Yoh flying to a spot near Anna. He chances a glance up at her, hoping he wouldn't have to use the new tactic he thought of. But he knew that she would have him kill her rather than send the world spiralling into darkness. He hoped he wouldn't kill her. 'Please, spirit, don't make me have to kill her, I'd just kill myself later, I can't live without her,'

He got up, turning to her. The woman in flames wore a permanent painful expression. He could only guess what she was going through. He looked upon her with pity, yet admiration. And if she ever saw him looking at her like that, she was likely to kill him.

"Ready, Amidimaru?" Yoh asked, looking back toward Hao. "Maybe that new technique will be used after all. We just gotta see if it works on his attacks first, that's all,"

Hao was looking suspicious now. Yoh wiped that look off when he charged. Hao dodged. He turned back to Hao, who had an energy ball ready. Yoh figured this was what was draining Anna. Yoh smirked. He ran at the attack head on.

"NOW!" he shouted. He kept running, bring his blade over his shoulder. He sliced at the ball, making it dissipate. He smiled now. He turned around to see the shocked expression on Hao's face.

Then he turned around and sliced Anna in half.

TBC


I HAD to, I love cliffies!

Although you'll probably murder me... I'm gonna run now

animebookworm