DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH (or any lyrics that might pop up throughout the story), but Mai and all my original characters are mine.
a/n: T.T I'm gone for an entire week and all I have is two more reviews when I get home?
Eh…but then again, most of you are probably on vacation and such—but if your not I would really appreciate it if I could get a review from some of you.
YAY KAZUMA! After I lovingly pour out my writing skills on Kuwabara in this chapter—it's on to the anticipated final match! And then on to the Chapter Black Saga!
EXTRA cookies to my devoted reviewers!
BlueWater26: I don't think it was the finals that were disappointing…just that I didn't think Bui was a very interesting character…(maybe it's because I prefer more sadistic villains like Karasu and the Toguro brothers, and Sensui…(besides, what kind of name is "Bwee"?))
Shadowkitsune7: He's my homeboy alright! (I'm just sad he doesn't come up very much after the Chapter Black Saga) Well, I hope this chapter is to your liking!
Umeko Saito: Ha, don't worry about it! By the time the final match rolls around…it'll be all my original work! (Especially in the Chapter Black Saga…man, that's gonna be a pain-in-the-ass to keep up with all my little plot-twists)
Fangimation: LoL, all in good time…all in good time XD Haha, you'll just have to see, won't you?
PS: Don't ask me how Mai is able to sleep through all this (Yusuke knocked her out pretty badly—almost like when Yomi and Urameshi were fighting during the Makai Bujutsukai (he was out for about a week…but then again, that was mostly because Yusuke wore himself out . ))
Thoughts
Forever Fornever II
:The Shadow of Elder Toguro:
A quiet breeze dusted across the floor of the darkened room; causing the curtains the billow inward towards the bed being used.
There was a soft scratching coming from the door until it eased open. Hywein's head poked through the opening and mewed into the darkness. Her head quirked and one of her ears twitched as she padded into the room. She mewed again when she leapt onto the bedside.
The spirit beast blinked and nudged the sleeping girl with her paw, "Nuu…?"
-:-
"Jeeze…Hiei and Bui sure did a number on the arena, didn't they?" Koenma mentioned as he scratched the back of his neck and eyed the desecrated remains of the ring.
"Yeah…" the detective said absently, "So what the hell are we gonna do now?"
"Maybe this means they'll have to call off the rest of the tournament!" Kazuma said, sounding hopeful as he laid a hand on Urameshi's shoulder, "If they can't replace the ring, then…"
He trailed off suddenly. Something prickled at the back of his neck and he felt the words catch in his throat. The redhead whirled swiftly to face the opposing side of the arena…only to find the elder of the Toguro brothers watching him maliciously from his brother's shoulder.
"Little chance of that, I'm afraid…" he heard the voice echoing eerily through his mind, "Just accept the fact that you're going to die very…very shortly…"
Kuwabara started suddenly when he noticed the elder Toguro's eyes flash an unpleasant red—
"Ah…Folks, it looks as though there's going to be an intermission until the committee is able to solve the issue about the state of the ring…" Koto said into her microphone as she read off of a slip of paper; cutting Kazuma loose from Toguro's mind-grip.
"Dammit…" Yusuke muttered, "…it figures I guess…" and he restlessly shoved his hand into his pocket. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered downwards; it wasn't that he was entirely pissed over delaying his fight with Toguro…but rather he was afraid that with each passing fight, there was an even greater chance that Mai was on her way to the stadium…
He snorted inwardly, Stupid bitch…
With their luck, she would run straight in the middle of one of their fights…
Her eyes suddenly grew wide…and a flash of pain crossed over her face.
Mai's vision blurred fiercely as she stared up at the detective; her hand weakly reaching up towards him…
"…ke…"
Urameshi reached out his arm and caught her as she fell. With one hand holding the guardian off the ground, his other was balled into a fist that was steadily glowing in a light blue light.
His gaze hardened and became hooded…but that didn't stop several tears from running down his face.
"…I'm sorry, Mai…"
The detective was swept into a silence as he cradled her body to him—
Yusuke's eyes shot upwards suddenly; allowing the memory to vanish from his mind. Without realizing it, his fist had balled up into a fist and he felt his nails digging deeper and deeper into his palm. He loosened his grip slowly.
"Let's hope they hurry their asses up and come up with a plan…" he muttered, then more loudly; "Right, Kuwabara?"
The detective turned to face his friend, but froze abruptly when he noticed the redhead planted firmly in the ground…
Or at least as firmly as he could get while shaking like that.
He saw beads of sweat forming along his brow and racing fervently down the bridge of his nose. Urameshi stopped and watched his friend uncertainly.
"Kuwabara—?"
"I-I'm going back to the locker room…" Kazuma said suddenly as he turned back towards the entryway behind them.
"—Why don't you just tell us how really frightened you are about dying, Kuwabara…"
The redhead whirled again to find the elder Toguro standing calmly between himself and Yusuke. The detective seemed equally shocked to find the apparition materialize so quickly on their side of the arena, but Toguro paid no heed to him; his attention was firmly locked on Kazuma.
Despite Elder Toguro's height, there was something about him that sent uneasiness through him…
The Toguro brother smirked, "I really must commend you for how much stronger you've become over the past months…
"Yo! Jackass, get back to your side of the arena already!" Yusuke shouted furiously at him, but he ignored the detective.
"…Unfortunately…there's still a great difference between your power and mine…
"So enjoy dying, Kazuma Kuwabara…"
-:-
The redhead remained secluded from his other two teammates. Koenma and Yusuke caught one another's eye and could tell that they were both thinking the same thing; Kuwabara definitely wasn't looking forward to his upcoming match…
"What about Genkai?" Kazuma wondered aloud suddenly; catching both of their attention. The rest of team Urameshi remained silent as he gritted his teeth in frustration, "Dammit, if she was here then I would be fighting Sakyo…"
Urameshi tensed slightly, but didn't lift his eyes from the ground. He leaned up heavily against the wall behind him and closed his eyes.
Kuwabara glanced up quickly, "Koenma!" he said suddenly turning towards the demigod, "You fight Toguro and I'll take on Sakyo!" but Koenma sent him a glance that told him that was not going to happen anytime soon. The redhead frowned, "And if Urameshi here hadn't KO'd Mai, she probably would have been fighting Toguro instead of me! Errr…That's it! I'm pulling Genkai out of bed—!"
"Give it a break, Kuwabara…" Yusuke muttered; cutting him off, "…Genkai isn't going to come and bail us out…"
The detective trailed off and his eyes flickered towards the doorway. He lifted his head slightly when Shizuru and Yukina appeared.
"Hey little bro," the brunette called casually as she popped a cigarette from her mouth. The aqua-haired apparition beside her stood timidly as they entered the room. Keiko and Botan—by process of elimination—were most likely still sitting in the audience somewhere…
Shizuru headed over towards her brother and stood in front of him questioningly.
After a moment she placed a hand on her hip, "You better not embarrass yourself in the next match, got it? I can't stand it if I have to watch you make a fool of both of us…"
Kazuma said nothing, and refused to even look at her.
The brunette narrowed her eyes and suddenly gripped him by the collar, "Hey, are you even listening to me?"
"…Yeah…yeah, I'll try not to embarrass myself, Aniki…" he said absently as he stared off at the ground.
Shizuru blinked (but not because he had just called her 'older brother') and noticed the sweat beading at his brow and his body shaking uncontrollably. She let go of his collar and stuck her cigarette back in her mouth as she turned back slowly towards the door.
"Ah! Kazuma-kun, would you like something to drink?" Yukina asked briskly as she replaced his sister in front of him.
He glanced up at the sound of her voice…but didn't smile, "I don't need a drink to be happy…but with the power of your love on my side, I'll be able to beat Toguro in less than a second!" he assured her as he forced a hollow grin.
The ice-apparition watched him worriedly for a moment, but then nodded, "…A-alright…we'll be cheering for you, Kazuma-kun!" she called as she hurried after Shizuru. And as they turned into the hallway, she waved enthusiastically over towards the redhead.
It was silent as their footsteps receded down the hallway. Then Kuwabara swiftly ran his hand through his hair and shuddered.
"It…It just keeps getting worse…" he said quietly towards the ground, "Usually when I see Yukina, I feel unstoppable…"
He grew quiet for a long time as another bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.
"…Now I'm just more afraid…"
The room grew silent once again and Kazuma ran his fingers through his hair a second time.
But without warning, the room suddenly shuddered. The members of team Urameshi staggered and several clouds of dust dispatched themselves from the ceiling above them. There was a deep rumbling coming from beyond the stadium.
"What the hell?"
In unison, they raced from the locker room and down the hallway until they broke through the entryway into the arena.
Yusuke skidded to a halt and was quickly followed by Koenma and Kuwabara. His eyes grew wide as he suddenly detected the source of the commotion.
"Shimatta…"
With a rhythmic crashing, a single figure was seen trudging through the edges of the surrounding forest. Along their back was the ring from the old stadium; towering over the rest of them easily.
Kazuma gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he watched Toguro heading towards the arena…
This was not the type of motivation he would have wanted…
-:-
Kurama glanced up from his book. He smiled slightly when he noticed Hiei beginning to stir on the bed next to his chair.
"Ah…we were beginning to wonder when you'd wake up…" the redhead said casually as he returned to his book. He flipped a page just as the apparition raised himself off the bed.
He rubbed his head in frustration, "Dammit…where the hell am I now? And how long have I been out, fox?" he demanded turning towards his companion.
"The locker room…" Kurama answered simply. He looked up from his book and paused, counting briefly on his fingers, "And…you've been sleeping for roughly six hours, I believe…"
"SIX HOURS?" the apparition repeated and nearly jumped out of the bed, "Well who the hell won the tournament?"
"That, I can't say…" the redhead told him calmly, "It's taken us awhile to reorganize after you leveled half the stadium during your fight with Bui. But since Toguro carried back the ring from the old stadium, we should be finishing this tournament shortly…"
-:-
Kazuma glanced nervously down at the Trial Sword in his hand. He was shaking just enough that he couldn't even get it to focus, and he cursed inwardly.
Come on, pull yourself together…he told himself in hopes of lifting his spirits, It's just another fight…He paused as he thought it over…against a crazy-ass, sadistic…Ah crap…
He gritted his teeth and felt his body beginning to shake again, No I'm a real man, okay! The only way I'm leaving that ring is if he's beaten or if I'm dead! Now I just gotta find a way to make the first one happen…Hopefully this Trial Sword can do the trick…
"Hey…" he suddenly felt Yusuke's hand clap over his shoulder, "Good luck out there—oh, and try not to get yourself killed…" he added almost as if it had just occurred to him, while still managing to present his friend with an encouraging grin.
The redhead clenched the sword hilt in his fist and nodded, "Right…yeah thanks, Urameshi…"
"Fighters ready?" Juri called through her microphone as Elder Toguro and Kuwabara stepped onto the ring. Kazuma watched as the apparition smirked in his direction, and he noticed with a jolt that something malicious flashed across his eyes.
The announcer raised her hand above her head, "Then let the third match of the final round—" she dropped her arm, "BEGIN!"
Kuwabara clenched the hilt in his fist and glowered. During the entire tournament everyone thought he was just one big joke (except for Yukina that is…), but at least with his Trial Sword they were all going to get one rude awakening.
Always expectin' nothing out of me…he muttered inwardly, and then let out a short laugh, Just makes for a better surprise…
He held the hilt out in front of him. Toguro however, continued to stand calmly on the other side of the ring; his hands resting calmly in his pockets.
Kazuma began to channel his energy through the Trial Sword until energy began to crackle along the hilt. He gritted his teeth and his knuckles grew white as his fist clenched tighter around the handle. The bolts of electricity were spreading to the rest of his body and were beginning to pull energy into the hilt of the Trial Sword.
The redhead let out a cry suddenly as his power exploded out from around him. A flash of light quickly followed and wrapped around the sword while energy continued to crackle around his arms and abdomen. There was a blast of wind that was continuously wrapped around him along with the bolts of power entwining around his body.
Now, the hilt of his Trial Sword was illuminating with his energy now that the blade of the sword had been created. Kuwabara was panting slightly now…but at least he was looking slightly more confident about himself.
He switched his stance in preparation to attack Toguro and brandished the sword out in front of him.
"If there's any way to bring you down, Toguro—I'LL FIND IT!" he vowed loudly.
He suddenly charged towards the apparition. The energy crackling along his skin followed him as he raised his sword above his head. Kazuma let out an angry battle cry as he hurtled towards his opponent…who only continued to stand where he was.
But even Kuwabara with his spiritual awareness failed to notice the tile splitting beneath Toguro's feet…
-:-
Hywein cocked her head suddenly when her master stirred. There was a look of distress along her sleeping features as her brow furrowed and she slowly opened her mouth…
"…Kaz…uma…"
-:-
Kuwabara blinked suddenly.
His sword had gone right through him…and Toguro hadn't even tried to move out of the way! So now nearly half of his body was dangling on the other side of his Trial Sword and some few tiny strings of flesh were still connected however to his other half.
The redhead's eyes grew wide, "That…really got you, huh…?" he said in astonishment.
Above him in the stands, Botan also blinked, "What…? I thought Kuwabara was dead for sure!"
Shizuru calmly let a puff of smoke drift into the air above her, "Honestly, so did I…" she admitted as she scrutinized the ring below her.
Beside the two of them, the aqua-haired apparition pumped up her fists unexpectedly, "Well I didn't!" Yukina told the other girls defiantly. The other three just stared at her in surprise.
"Hey…Um, did Kuwabara just win…?" Yusuke asked rather slowly.
Kurama sweatdropped slightly next to him, "I don't know…"
Back up in the ring, Kazuma was staring down at his sword in awe. But his amazement quickly transferred into glee as he stared his sword in Toguro's body.
"I'm really incredible!" he boasted and laughed, "I beat Toguro in one attack!"
Juri closed in on the two fighters and studied the dissected fighter carefully. When there was no apparent sign that he was alive anymore, she turned to address the rest of the stadium.
"And with that, everyone…I do believe we have a—!"
-:-
A small whimper escaped Mai's lips as she stirred yet again.
KAZUMA!
-:-
The redhead froze suddenly; his eyes bulging in both shock and pain. He screamed as agony raced through his chest and as he coughed up a spurt of blood…
Five, dagger-like poles had pierced his chest from behind…
"KUWABARA!"
Kazuma screamed again as the stakes writhed within his abdomen…before they sudden wrenched themselves out of his body. He staggered as the energy crackling around him suddenly dispersed and the power emanating from his sword began to fade. The redhead grunted as he fell forward onto the arena floor; causing the Trial Sword to fall from his hand and spiral out of his reach.
From somewhere behind him, came Elder Toguro's insane cackle…
Some three yards away, the tile flooring began crack and the apparition emerged from behind Kuwabara. He smirked maliciously and drew up his hand from beneath the ground; pulling up his little decoy on the other side of the redhead.
The puppet swayed eerily above Kazuma's body. The redhead turned onto his side and stared wide-eyed at the marionette attached to Toguro's body as it bobbed above him.
"You really though you killed me, didn't you Kuwabara? Unfortunately for you, I was able to store all my vital organs underground before your attack…" he smirked cruelly, "You really are a very simple-minded child. It feels so nice to trick you…"
He gritted his teeth as he glared at Toguro's puppet, "…It's supposed to be one on one…" he muttered.
The apparition sneered and the puppet suddenly melded back into his body, "Oh but you should feel proud of yourself…you manage to give me a paper cut…" he told him mockingly as he held up a bleeding finger. He smirked and traced his tongue along the wound; removing all traces of blood…
Toguro tucked his hand into his pocket casually, "…You really should know that as a demon, I retain the ability to move my vital organs anywhere…like so…"
At that moment, half of his face departed from his body and stretched out into the air beside him; bits of flesh still attached to the rest of the body.
He smirked again as he raised a hand out in front of him, "So you'll never know where I might be hiding them…" he informed the redhead as a throbbing mass suddenly appeared within his palm; unmistakably the apparition's heart…
The side of his face mended itself and his heart vanished within his body.
Toguro's eyes flashed when he caught sight of Kuwabara's Trial Sword behind the redhead. He calmly lifted his hand and let his fingers reach out towards the hilt and bring it back to him. The elder brother held it calmly in his hand as Kazuma watched with his teeth clenching.
He smirked, "It truly is an exquisite sword…Did you inherit it from her?" he wondered aimlessly.
Kuwabara blinked, "Who…?"
The apparition sneered; obviously leading him on. But nonetheless, he glanced back towards the sword and tossed it casually in the air, "You would think she'd leave something like this for her apprentice…" his eyes flashed suddenly, "…but I guess Yusuke wasn't strong enough…"
Kazuma's eyes quickly flickered towards his teammates as if they held an explanation. But all of them—Yusuke especially—were glaring furiously towards the elder Toguro.
"You…You don't know what you're talking about! Genkai's just sick!" he insisted.
Toguro let out a sickening laugh, "Oh, that's perfectly sad. Your friends have been keeping secrets…"
He took a few strides towards his opponent absently as he raised the Trial Sword in front of him as if he were interested in studying it. But then his cold gaze returned back towards Kazuma; his eyes sneering in delight.
"Genkai is dead."
Kuwabara went numb.
"…what…?"
"She's been so for two days now…" the apparition continued gleefully.
The redhead was shaking now…but it was no longer from fear. He couldn't feel, he couldn't see…it was as if a sudden light had gone out around him.
"No…No, it can't be!" he insisted desperately, "Why didn't I see that?"
--"Give it a break, Kuwabara…" Yusuke muttered; cutting him off, "…Genkai isn't going to come and bail us out…"--
His eyes widened even further as his body trembled. Kazuma's vision blurred fiercely as he clutched at the ground beneath him. Anger was beginning to swell up within him and his knuckles turned white. His head whipped towards the sidelines…and although none of his teammates would look at him, it was all he needed to know…
"…I…I see…" he muttered darkly, "Everybody knew about it but me. They kept me out on purpose…" he gritted his teeth furiously, "They…They didn't think I could take it—!"
He was cut off suddenly as another wave of agony raced through him. Kuwabara screamed again as Toguro's fingers abruptly punctured the left side of his chest.
The redhead cried out in pain as he dropped to his knees. His teeth gritted furiously as he tried to stand again, but the elder of the Toguro brothers suddenly twisted the fingers residing within his chest. Kazuma screamed as blood spurted out from his wounds and he weakly wrapped his hand around the apparition's limbs; trying to pry them out of his body.
"Don't cry Kuwabara…It's not your fault the old wench couldn't stay. Go and question her yourself if you don't believe me…Another few inches and I can pick out your heart!" Toguro smirked as he tossed his Trial Sword over his shoulder, "…What a sad life when you're friends aren't even straight with you."
Kazuma grunted again as he felt the apparition's fingers writhing around his heart. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes forcefully.
Elder Toguro sneered as he suddenly ripped his fingers from the redhead's chest; causing him to cry out in pain. He placed his bloodied hand back into his pocket and raised his other.
"I'm going to tell you a little story, Kuwabara…" he said slowly as his free hand began to mold into a new shape, "Once upon a time…there once lived a great fighter who's beauty was unmatched by anyone…"
His hand formed into a younger version of Genkai and Kazuma clenched his teeth in rage.
"This woman met another fighter by the name of Toguro when they were both young and powerful fighters…" he smirked as the puppet suddenly aged, "But then she grew old and ugly…and no one wanted anything to do with her anymore…"
Across the ring, Toguro's brother clenched his fist at his side and he narrowed his eyes furiously towards his older sibling; closely resembling the same reactions of team Urameshi.
"Then Toguro became a demon…" he continued cockily, "…and she became jealous of him, so she decided to fight him…But she wasn't strong enough…"
He placed his hand beneath his puppet and his eyes narrowed maliciously towards Kuwabara.
"…and she was killed."
Without warning, the puppet of Genkai was pierced by Toguro's hand. Streams of blood stained the stakes driving through her and trickled down his fingers.
The apparition laughed maniacally as Kuwabara's eyes widened in horror.
"You bastard!" Yusuke roared from the sidelines, "She was never jealous of Toguro! He killed her because he could never have her!"
But Kazuma was no longer listening. His gaze had darkened and had become hooded. Slowly, the redhead rose to his feet…but his eyes never made contact with the apparition; yet, there was still a detectable rage emitting from him…
That rage suddenly turned into energy, however, and exploded out around him. There was a light of gold power that was now hovering in the air…
"…I'm gonna kill you, you better know that…" the redhead said quietly towards his opponent.
Elder Toguro laughed, "That's very nice enthusiasm, but you must have forgotten that I have your weapon. I'd give it back…but your helplessness is much more fun…"
Kazuma gritted his teeth and yet he still did not raise his eyes; he would not give Toguro the pleasure, "You're honor-less…" he growled under his breath.
The apparition cackled, "Yes I am! Good thing that's not what this tournament is about!"
The redhead clenched his fists until his knuckles were white, "Maybe honor doesn't matter to your kind, Toguro…but it sure as hell does to me!"
Across from him, the demon laughed once more. His hand lashed out suddenly towards Kazuma; his fingers pointed and aimed straight for the redhead's heart. But before they could even pierce his cloak, Toguro's attack was thrown backwards.
Kuwabara suddenly lifted his head and let out a cry of rage as energy erupted around him. He raised his hand as if he were trying to summon his spirit sword…but instead, blasts of energy charged across the arena towards Toguro.
Blood rushed into the air and splattered across the ring. The apparition's screams of pain echoed eerily against the walls of the stadium as piece by piece, Toguro fell to the ground in the puddle his blood had created.
Kazuma was panting by now as he watched the last bit of the demon fall into the bloody mass. Juri hurried towards the edge of the mess and after a short inspection, raised her microphone.
"One!...Two!...Three!..." she called into the stands, "…Four—! Eh…?"
She stopped suddenly when the mass beside her began to move. On instinct, the announcer leapt back as Toguro abruptly began to take shape once more.
The redhead's eyes widened in horror; even after that…he still hadn't managed to hit any of his vital spots!
Cackling, the apparition formed back into his normal appearance and stood facing Kuwabara, smirking in pure delight…
"…I think I've had enough of tricking you…"
Without warning, Kazuma let out another scream of pain. Toguro had suddenly sent his fingers flying towards him again; this time piercing all but his skull.
The Toguro brother whipped out his arm; sending Kuwabara soaring into the air above the stadium…
He cackled madly as he suddenly swung down with his arm.
"Let me reacquaint you…with THE GROUND!" he screamed up at the redhead.
With a sickening thud, Kazuma landed sprawled along the arena floor. He winced in pain as Toguro's fingers continued to drill deeper into him. His body trembled violently as he tried to lift himself up, but the apparition prevented him from doing so.
"Now's your chance, Kuwabara…" he said coolly as he took a step or two closer towards him, "…to cry and beg for your life just like your dear friend Genkai did right before my brother killed her!"
Kuwabara gritted his teeth, "Liar!" he muttered, "Genkai would never beg!"
"One!...Two!..." Juri began, but cut herself off when Toguro turned to face her next.
"I have other plans for this one…and they don't involve him living," the apparition informed her, "…So don't waste your breath counting for him—"
"Excuse me but the rules say that I have to count!" the announcer argued heatedly.
But Toguro's gaze was cold and malicious, "Unless you want to find a spot next to him…I think you should shut your mouth…" he muttered darkly.
Juri paled and nodded; quickly stepping away from their fight.
The apparition then turned back towards his victim and laughed at his helplessness, "You know…even if you could stand up, you wouldn't be able to pinpoint my organs…" he smirked and demonstrated by letting one of his eyes travel down towards his thumb, "…I can never seem to keep them in the same place for long…"
Elder Toguro let out a jaded sigh as he lifted his free hand. It morphed quickly until it finely resembled a blade that was nearly half his own size…
"It's a pity I played hooky the day we dissected frogs…" he told Kuwabara absently as he study the blade and smirked; turning back towards the redhead, "Because my mother always wanted me to be a surgeon!"
Kazuma started suddenly as the apparition charged him. There was no where for him to dodge with Toguro still pinning him down with his fingers and his Trial Sword was out of his reach—
His mind froze as he caught sight of the hilt on the other side of Toguro. He gritted his teeth as the demon hurtled towards him with his blade outstretched and ready to bring down upon his head…
And without giving it a second thought, Kuwabara suddenly slammed his hand onto the tile flooring. A charge of energy sparked out from his palm and swiftly raced across the floor of the arena straight towards his Trial sword. The energy made contact and the hilt was suddenly lifted into the air as if by an invisible hand.
Toguro froze as his senses prickled. He whirled, only to find the sword hovering in front of him. His eyes grew wide and he screamed suddenly as the sound of ripping flesh echoed through the stadium. It was followed shortly by the sound of Toguro's body falling to the ground.
Finally freed from the apparition's grasp, Kuwabara stumbled to his feet after taking hold of his Trial Sword once again. After a pause, he turned towards Juri wearily.
"Hey, do you think I can get a count here?" he wondered and jerked a finger towards the bloody mass behind him.
The announced nodded, "Uh, right…" she raised the microphone to begin the count, "One—!"
"Heh…sorry to disappoint you, Kuwabara…but I'm afraid there's no need for that…"
Kazuma whirled to find Toguro sneering at him from the ground.
"You are quite the slow learner, Kuwabara…" the apparition informed him coolly, "I thought we already established that my body does no like to go to pieces…so it doesn't…"
The redhead was gripping the hilt of his sword angrily now and he clenched his teeth, "Too bad," he muttered, "It's a look you deserve…"
Dammit…he thought…this is not working; I have to change my strategy if I plan on finding those vital parts of him!
He glanced down at the sword he was gripping in his hand. His brow furrowed in thought and he suddenly sent a wave of energy flowing into the hilt…
But this time, it no longer resembled a sword nor was it in its usual golden light. Instead, the color flickered until it faded into a deep purple that began to resonate with energy almost instantly. And now, it had become round and flat, just like…
"I thought about what you said before, Toguro…" Kazuma said darkly, "And you're right, I got no way of knowing where your vital organs are hiding…"
He saw the apparition's eyes grow wide in horror at the weapon he held in his hand.
"So I'll just pound everything at once…" he finished.
Toguro shook his head furiously, "N-No! STAY BACK!"
"And since we're sharing here, my mother always wanted me to be an exterminator," he continued, "So now…it's time to make her proud of me"
Kuwabara drew back his weapon as if he were readying to pitch a baseball. Energy continued to flow into the orb of violet light and he suddenly hurtled across the ring towards Toguro.
"SPIRIT FLYSWATTER!"
The apparition's cry of pure terror screeched throughout the stadium…
And Kazuma brought it all down upon him in one giant blast.
Energy erupted throughout the arena and Toguro's cry was cut short suddenly. Rubble flew up around Kuwabara's weapon and dust erupted out into the stands.
When the rubble had finally cleared and the redhead's weapon receded back into its hilt…there was only a small crater left of what used to be Elder Toguro. Kazuma straightened slowly and panted; trying to regain his breath as Juri hurried to the center of the ring.
She raised the microphone, "And finally! With nothing left of Elder Toguro…the winner of this match is Kuwabara from team Urameshi!"
But it didn't even seem as though Kuwabara had heard this statement as he silently made his way off the ring and back towards the sidelines.
Yusuke grinned, "Hey, it's about time you won a fight, huh?" he greeted him.
Kazuma however, was less than amused.
The detective's expression dropped when Kuwabara swiftly hooked him in the jaw. Their other teammates stared, but neither of them appeared to believe that Yusuke didn't deserve it. The detective staggered from the blow a few feet away and gingerly touched the bruise that was now beginning to form.
"Kuwabara…?"
He suddenly gripped him by the shirt, "I guess I'm just one big joke to you all. Well this joke's got feelings!" he shouted furiously, "Genkai meant a lot to me too! Did you all just sit around and laugh about how clueless I was? Is this how you get your kicks Urameshi? Answer!"
Yusuke had looked away by now and the rest of their team was silent…until Kurama spoke up.
"…Yusuke didn't tell any of us, Kuwabara," The akage said quietly, "We were all left to find out for ourselves…"
The group was silent for a moment longer before they heard the detective sigh.
"…I didn't tell anyone…and neither did Mai…" he confirmed softly and clenched his fist at his side, "I was stupid believing that if I didn't say anything that meant she wasn't really dead…So I felt as though I couldn't tell anyone…"
Kazuma had released him and he was staring off absently at the ground.
"I'm sorry, Kuwabara…that you had to find out this way…" he continued quietly
"…But I can't apologize for dealing with my grief the only way I know how…"
Urameshi's eyes narrowed suddenly. Without another word, or another glance back, he walked past Kuwabara towards the awaiting ring before him—
"Hey, Urameshi…"
The detective stopped, but didn't turn towards Kazuma.
There was a pause as the redhead's eyes narrowed.
"…Win this…"
Yusuke smiled, "Right." He called over his shoulder.
On the other side of the arena, Toguro made a move to follow the detective's lead into the ring…but was stopped when Sakyo held out his hand for him to wait.
"I hope you won't mind if I might go first?" he wondered, but didn't wait for an answer. He moved past the apparition and onto the arena towards Juri, spoke to her, and she nodded; handing him her microphone.
The gambler turned to address the stadium.
"I'm going to make one last bet before the final match begins…" he said, "Obviously, I will be betting on team Toguro, being its owner…and I am offering my life as a wager," he announced calmly, "I also propose that whoever wins this fight receives two points and thus win the tournament…"
A wave of hushed whispers swept over the crowd, but they were quickly silenced when Sakyo began to speak again…but this time, he seemed to be speaking more towards Koenma than anyone else.
"I admit it would seem rather anticlimactic for the tournament to be decided by two alternates…And I'm sure everyone would prefer to have the tournament won by its true stars…" He now turned towards Koenma himself , "I will offer the bet both to the owner of team Urameshi and the tournament committee…"
The demigod narrowed his eyes towards the gambler but shouted towards him nonetheless:
"I accept your wager."
Yusuke whirled back towards the sidelines, "You what?" he repeated, flabbergasted, "What the hell are you thinking? What if I don't win?"
But Koenma only offered a grim smile from behind his pacifier, "Wholly assured, if you don't win I'll already be in a heap of trouble…" he became serious however after a pause, "I can't possibly beat Sakyo in a fight…and as the leader of Rekai, I can't just fly off in a jetpack while he does whatever he wants with the money he's made."
Juri took back her microphone from the gambler, "The tournament committee will take ten minutes to decide on Sakyo's proposal!"
Hiei snorted and folded his arms over his chest, "That seems rather pointless," he muttered, "Don't they realize already that there's no one left alive on that committee?"
-:-
Hywein paced restlessly across the bed; stopping occasionally to pester the unconscious guardian. She mewed loudly as she hopped off the bed and padded towards the window. Her tail swished across the frame and she cocked her head back towards the girl before she jumped once again back onto the bed.
She mewed again.
Mai's hand twitched and she curled up slightly as she let out a sigh.
"…ass…"
-:-
"It appears as though Sakyo's proposal has been accepted!" Juri announced as she stood in the center of the arena, "This is the final match, everyone! All or nothing for each team!"
On either side of the ring stood Toguro and Yusuke…both with seemingly opposite expressions along their faces. The apparition was smirking in anticipation, while the detective kept his eyes narrowed towards his opponent.
There was an awe-filled silence that swept through the stadium as the audience watched their two star-fighters square off—
But the tension snapped suddenly when a familiar, fanatical laughter filled the stadium.
A grayish puddle began to form near the center of the arena. Little by little it began to take shape, until the elder Toguro stood once more within their midst.
He let out another cackle as he turned to face the rest of the audience, "Before my wounds were fatal, I liquefied and seeped between the tiles," he informed all of those who were shocked to see him, "And then I waited to hear that the betting was closed just so I could emerge triumphantly!" he turned back towards his brother, "WE'RE GOING TO BE RICH!"
But his sibling said nothing towards this.
Elder Toguro turned with a sneer to face Yusuke, "You'll never defeat the Toguros unless we want you to…" he laughed again, "Just as it was with dear old Genkai…It's a shame you couldn't have cradled her in your arms when she was young; she was a real wildcat back in those days—and not just in the heat of battle, if you know what I mean!"
Yusuke noticed that Toguro was growing angry from behind his brother; his fists were clenching as well as his teeth. The detective even found a grin forming along his face at the sight of him…
The apparition turned to face his sibling, "What will it be brother?" he asked eagerly, "Any weapon you want! A dagger, a sword, a semi automatic machine gun? As long as we work together this competition is in our grasp!"
But he froze when he found his brother standing directly behind him and his expression fell slightly.
"Aniki…" Toguro growled darkly, "…This fight does not involve you…"
Without warning, the elder Toguro was suddenly sent flying by one of his brother's kicks. He screamed as he hurtled towards the sky, but was able to catch himself on the roof of the stadium.
His eyes blazed furiously, "I'm your older brother! And you just kicked me, you son of a bitch!"
The apparition hurled himself back towards the ring; his hand outstretched in preparation to drill his brother right there and then.
But Toguro's eyes flashed beneath his sunglasses as his hand curled into a fist.
"My older brother is dead to me…" he muttered. And an instant later, Elder Toguro's scream of pain cried out within the stadium as his brother sent him hurtling into oblivion.
Toguro did not appear the least bit phased by what he had just done and turned back towards the detective. He raised his blood-stained fist in front of him and fingered the crimson liquid.
"This will be a fair fight, Urameshi…
"…And we'll be fighting for real this time…"
-:-
a/n: HA! I'm finally done!
Hehe, but now all of you are going to have to wait another week for an update cuz I'm leaving for Cleveland on Saturday for another week! (not to mention I have to finish essays for summer reading, so that decreases your chances of an update too…)
WAAAAAAAAAA! YYH is officially over T.T I just watched the last DVD/episode and it was sad (not the show itself…but just the fact that it's actually over…)
Anywhos! Next chapter is the final match! HURRAH!
Peace and Luv!