Kyuuzou finished his exercises, and looked around. This place...so many memories. Yes, it had been renovated and now belonged to a landlord that lived next to the building, but no-one had come forward to rent it out. They claimed that the ghosts of all who were killed here still roamed the place.

And they were right.

Kyuuzou recognized all of them, too. Each and every spirit glared at him with mute hatred, but shied away from him. After all, none of them wanted to tangle with a demon who could send them True Death,who could actually touch and cut them,kill them again. As he walked through the grounds, remembering, he eventually came across a spirit who still commanded some respect. The two looked at each other for long moments.

Somehow, Kyuuzou, you have managed to become even more skilled. I wonder how long I would have lasted against you now.

'That's interesting. You don't seem to hate me like the others do.'

I knew that you would do what you did one day. Your desire to be the best wouldn't have allowed you to do otherwise.

There was a long pause as the looked at each other.

Have you found someone to test your skills?

'Yes.'

His leader was slightly perplexed. The tone in which Kyuuzou had said it was different.

'He is someone I met before, on a mission once. Though I doubt he'd remember me.'

You're fairly hard to forget.

'Not when I don't look or act nothing alike.'

Oh, I see. That mission.

'Yes.' There was only the mildest hint of a smirk in Kyuuzou's eyes, although his face remained impassive. 'I never thought I'd return here.'

Why are you here?

'Him.'

The leader was mildly amused, but then a more serious question came tomind.

How did you become a demon?

Kyuuzou declined to answer, his eyes becoming hard and impassive.

It doesn't matter, then. Are you going to challenge him soon?

'Yes.'

And then what, if you win?

There was another long pause, Kyuuzou becoming even more distant.

'We'll see.'

Kyuuzou turned on his heel and left at an easy pace, but the leader could see something was troubling the blonde, even though he had become much more reserved and cold then even when he had killed them all.

What an interesting man you've become, Kyuuzou.

Kanbei was on patrol with Kyo, Takeshi, Amano, and Ryuuo when he felt that itch in the back of his mind that made him wary. Something always happened whenever he felt it.

He and his group were resting for a moment, watching over a section of the city that was one of the less populated, but more troubled because there were more places to hide.

As he watched, Kanbei saw people give a wide bearth to a particulr building, or, if they had to walk in front of it, bowed deeply before hurrying away.

"What's wrong with that building?" he asked Ryuuo. Ryuuo turned away from his conversation and looked where Kanbei was.

"Oh, that one. I hadn't realized we had come to this section of town. You know that story I told you about the assassins?"

"Yes."

"That's the building that they operated from. People say it's haunted. Personally, I don't believe in ghosts, but weird things do happen there whenever we have to pass it during the night."

Kanbei nodded slightly, then looked at a window sharply. He had thought he had seen something within.

And he had.

Out of the front door came Kyuuzou, and he stood on the threshold, looking at Kanbei and his patrol, the challenge in his posture.

kanbei stepped forward and Kyuuzou moved as well, and the two began to circle each other.

Kyuuzou had figured out, after a few days of meditation and practice, what the real reason was behind his desire.

"I came back for you."

Kanbei nodded slightly, but was confused at the inflection in Kyuuzou's voice. He assumed that it meant that Kyuuzou had come back to kill him, and, really, it would be an honor to die by his sword.

"We duel here, then?"

As an answer, Kyuuzou drew his swords.

Kanbei was unconcious of the small smile that was on his face as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The two moved at the same time,and this time they were not startled by the other's skill. In fact, each would have been dissapointed had the other had not met them with the same skill level.

Each cut was met with a parry, then repose; the footwork was perfect, and no matter what means they used to throw the other off-balance, the other always rebounded.

Ryuuo watched as the two fought, it seeming more like a deadly dance than the duels he was used to watching. He was amazed at the skill each showed, and his appreciation of Kanbei's skills only grew. A crowd began to form, people making bets on who would win, staring, making commentary, and cheering on their favorite. The two who were dueling, however, seemed oblivious to all that was going on around them, focused only on each other and the fight. The fight wore on, and each began to tire.

Kyuuzou, however, was just a little faster even as he tired.

He sidestepped Kanbei's sword thrust,and parryed the sheathe before slamming his other sword into the arm Kanbei held his sword with, releasing Kanbei's grip. He then elbowed the older man in the stomach, making him gasp and stumble backwards. Kyuuzou immediatly had him pinned to the nearby wall, sword at his throat.

"You...win..."gasped Kanbei breathlessly as he looked into Kyuuzou's emotionless eyes. "Kill me."

As he watched, Kyuuzou's eyes became slowly annoyed. Kanbei hadn't understood what he had meant.

"Idiot."

Kyuuzou then did something that shocked Kanbei(as well as all the others who had gathered); he lowered his sword...and kissed Kanbei. Kanbei could help but stare into the younger man's eyes as they tried to tell him something. Kyuuzou drew away after a long moment.

"I came back for you. I'll meet you again when you figure out what I mean."

Kyuuzou backed away from Kanbei, then turned, sheathing his swords. He walked away, the crowd parting before him, his black coat fluttering lightly as he left.

Kanbei watched him leave as he walked over and picked up his sword, and sheathed it absentmindedly.

'He didn't kill me. Why?'

I came back for you.

What did that mean? It obviosuly wasn't a threat. It sounded almost more like...a promise. But what was he promising?

Kanbei came back to reality as his patrol came over to him, amazed and confused. Kanbei would ponder Kyuuzou's words later, when he didn't have to focus on so many other things.

"You were amazing, Shimada-san!"

Kanbei was slightly amused by Ryuuo's enthusiasm.

"And that was the Kyuuzou I spoke to you about. I wonder why he let you live..."

"He gave me a reason, but I need to think about it more."

"Oh? Why? Not good enough?"

Kanbei shook his head slightly. "No, just unclear."

"I see. Well, that took up a nice chunk of time," Kyo said cheerily. "Now it won't feel quite so endless."

"Why, what's the hurry? Got someone waiting for you?" Amano teased.

"N-n-n-no!"

The others grinned, but Kanbei only shook his head. Kyuuzou's words would be bothering him until he figured them out.

Kyuuzou knew that if he had eaten anything that it would have been long out of his body.

FOOL!

Kyuuzou's body was on fire, the places where Katsushiro had shot him burning with even more intensity than the rest. Kyuuzou tensed, then slumped against the wall he was sitting against, his breathing ragged.

I brought you back so you could finish your duel with him and you WALK AWAY. After defeating him! I now regret being so lax about controlling you.

Kyuuzou grimaced as the heat turned to bitter cold, making him shiver uncontrollably. He declined to give an answer to any of the statements or threats, and concentrated simply on surviving. True, he couldn't actually die anymore,but that did nothing to numb what was happening to him. He could see the runes writhing on his skin where the glove didn't quite extend under the sleeve of his jacket. He had never seen them burn such a bright, angry red before. He looked up,resting his head on the hard brick, and watched the clouds race across a blood-red sky, and he endured,only the fleeting thought on Kanbei keeping him from succumbing.