---Road to an Eternity of Wars---

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

And here's the next chapter… (Cries) It's so late… Just to notify you guys…

You have asked many times about it. Romance…between everybody (Hopefully…) starts… next chapter. I think. (In other words, after the dark tournament is over)

Chapter 30: Comes to a Close

Shippo scrambled towards the monk in a panic, "Miroku! There are demons coming! They're big, and scary!"

Miroku immediately stood up, the chains on his staff jingling, "Where?"

"Over here!" The kitsune's arms flailed as he ran around to the front of the shrine.

The monk pursed his lips. There were only ten, so it should be easy to handle, "Wind Tunnel!" He thrust his hand up in the air, removing the piece of fabric covering his skin.

Silence.

"Miroku!" Shippo wailed, "what are you doing? Don't just stand there holding your arm up like an action figure!"

"I…eh…On second thought, let's let the barrier take care of this." Miroku suddenly had the urge to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

Shippo just raised an eyebrow, "I'm living with a stupid, stupid monk." He pouted.

"Discipline, Shippo." Miroku whacked him on the head, "and here I thought Kagome had taught you better—OUCH! Hey! Stop pinching me!"

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Kagome hated to admit it, but she was, as a matter of fact, very nervous.

Genkai was eyeing her very calmly, as if she was just staring, waiting for Kagome to make the first move. It also unnerved Kagome how Genkai was so quiet, with calculating eyes, and she stared back, not daring to break the eye contact.

Oh no, she wasn't planning to make the first move here, not with Genkai as her opponent, who had the strength of many Yusuke's merged together.

…But…Kagome had the feeling that if she didn't make the first move, nothing would happen. At all.

Left with no other choice, (as she concluded, at least) Kagome slowly shifted her arm, careful to not make any sudden movement. Her fingers twitched, and she drew one of my two blades. Kagome took a step forward, and paused again.

The crowd was getting irritated at the lack of movement in the arena.

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Just because Kagome was her granddaughter of sorts, wouldn't mean that she would go easy on the girl just because of that.

Genkai had been watching her teammates fight since they had first met.

It seemed that Kagome didn't plan on making the first move at all. She seemed more of the type that would wait for her opponent to rush in blindly at their first chance.

Genkai wasn't planning on doing that at all, so she was curious to see how Kagome would resolve this.

Suddenly, Kagome pushed her body forward, swinging her sword in a downward motion, which Genkai somehow kicked aside, making Kagome spin to the side and slide to a halt.

The pink-haired opponent eyed Kagome again, just waiting for Kagome to make another move.

Kagome, this time, jumped up into the air, digging the tip of the sword into the ground to shift her weight to the left. The sword was pulled out, and swung at Genkai's head.

Genkai ducked, using her hands to stop the sword in motion by its flat blade.

Knowing that the sword was secure, Kagome flipped up, releasing her grip on the sword and leaping carefully onto the blade –forcing Genkai to let go- and aiming a kick at her opponent's head.

Seeing this coming, Genkai did a swift back flip, resuming her usual stance.

A shaky breath was let out, and Kagome sighed, "You're good at this." She picked her sword off the ground, deciding to take out her other one as well. Slightly bending her knees, she held the two swords in front of her, the blades forming and 'X'.

'She seems to rely a lot on her swords,' Genkai noted, 'No…it's just a cover up for…probably that staff, right?' She wanted to get the swords out of the way.

Kagome ran forward again, one blade for one hand, and swung them on each side at Genkai.

Genkai dropped down, using her hands to shift her back up, where she kicked the blades up, her body seeming to follow the blades as it swung in the air. She took this as an opportunity to grabs Kagome's wrists, twisting them so far; it shocked the miko until she swung around and kneed her hard in the stomach. Genkai let go.

The miko proceeded to rub her wrists where there were pink-tinted marks. Kagome then kept her gaze on Genkai, who had kicked the two swords far across the arena. Slowly, she lifted her miko shirt up half-way, making most of Team Urameshi raise eyebrows.

"What's she doing?" Kuwabara whispered to a wide-eyed Yusuke, who just shook his head silently.

…But this only revealed something with a red sheen wrapped around her waist. Her eyes still on Genkai, Kagome grasped a handle, and unwound a long, flexible, and thin sword. With only a flick of her wrist, it shook, vibrations traveling, and moving the sword.

Genkai took two steps backward, before making a dash to one of the swords she had kicked away. It wasn't her most experienced weapon, but to deal with something like this…it required some sort of weapon.

As the blade shot forward once again, Genkai dove to the right, only for the tip to follow along with her. This surprised her, though after a few test maneuvers, she concluded that Kagome's wrist was doing all the work.

Every time the blade turned, Kagome wrist would make a small, snapping motion.

…So this time, as the blade swung around, Genkai took her 'borrowed' sword, and started to whack it away. Not just once, because she decided once would not suffice.

Somehow trapping the flexible sword onto the ground, (because she could just do that, it was her thing) Genkai stepped onto the edge of the blade and started running up it, follow the path it made. Finally, she made it up to a shocked Kagome, and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying back.

Grimacing, Kagome stood back up, now finding that her swords were off the arena, and her flexible one was dented and bent. Holding up her hands in front of her, Kagome sent a blast of miko energy towards Genkai, who repeated the action, deflecting it with her spirit energy.

'Damn…I forgot about her ability.' Genkai put the miko under her scrutiny, waiting for her to make another move.

Kagome stared back, challenging… "I see you're not going to go easy on me, eh?"

"No," Genkai shrugged.

"Well…that's too bad…" 'I don't want to resort to using too much miko energy.' Kagome unhooked her staff from where it hung on her body, holding it out in front of her, shifting into a new stance. 'She's managed to disarm every weapon I've used…and deflect my energy…Yet she hardly does anything at all.' She looked down to her staff, slightly frustrated.

Genkai took two steps back, more cautious now. 'And now…I'll finally get to see what this staff can do.'

Kagome swung it at Genkai, jumping forward. The staff connected with the sword, and the both pressed harder, the force making both of their arms shake in anticipation.

Genkai broke the lock, swinging back, only to launch forward again with an energy-filled fist.

It connected with the staff, sending what felt like a zap towards Kagome's fingers.

'She seems to rely mostly on her right foot.' Genkai noted, eyeing Kagome's movements; her right foot was forward, and she spun on that foot only, balancing with it…relying on it.

'I'm going to do it. I don't want to resort to it…but this is the Dark Tournament. Things like this have to be done…right?' Kagome bit her lip, unsure of herself.

A voice entered Kagome's head. 'You can do it.'

Kagome perked her head up. 'Sango…' Sighing, she spun the staff once before holding it up. "Lunar…Eclipse!" Honestly, she didn't know why Midoriko had to pick such…flashy attack names!

Genkai's eyes widened, watching as moonlight seemed to shine instead of a sun…and then…there was a Lunar Eclipse, true to Kagome's words. And just before the eclipse subsided, Genkai sensed something bad brewing in the sky. Her eyes widened in realization. 'If an attack like this is used…it shouldn't hurt the user of the attack.'

Sun rays started to peak into the sky again, a bit at a time…and where it hit on the sandy ground…it hissed and sizzled.

At an attempt to not get burnt, Genkai gathered up her spirit energy. She really didn't want to resort to this…but… "Rei Ko Dan!" Genkai fired off a huge, cannon-like blast at Kagome, meters away.

Kagome immediately sensed the rise in energy in the arena. It broke her concentration, causing her attack to stop, and Kagome dropped her staff in shock. At the very last moment before it hit her, she fired off a huge wave of miko energy at Genkai.

Both of them flew opposite ways across the arena, landing in a crumble at other ends at the arena. The force of them slamming against the walls knocked them unconscious.

"Tie! It's a tie! And…we're tallying up the results…" Koto and Juri paused, "The winner of this Dark Tournament is Team Higurashi! Team Urameshi, last year's champion, has been defeated!"

The girls beamed, rushing up to Kagome, excited.

Hiei scowled, while the others smiled.

Team Urameshi soon joined Team Higurashi on the arena, tending to their unconscious team member.

Kuwabara and Yusuke heaved Genkai up, fully prepared to get out of this noisy place.

Kurama walked up to where the girls were gathered around Kagome. "Hey, congratulations everybody… Is Kagome alright?"

"She's fine." Yukina smiled, nodding her head.

"Here…" Kurama gently picked Kagome up, shifting her in his arms, "…Let's get back to the hotel. I believe it's time to go home."

"Thanks." Keiko stretched. "It's sure been a long two months."

"That monk is waiting for us back at the shrine," Sango noted. "He better have not screwed the place up."

Botan shrugged as the five caught up with Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara, carrying Genkai.

"You're great opponents. I guess…it was an honor to fight you guys."

"Same to you," Yusuke grinned back at Sango, "We're going…home! It feels so nice to say that now, I guess."

Okay, so I honestly didn't intend for them to tie. Seriously. Genkai was supposed to win, but my plans had a screw-up halfway, and if I decided to change it again at that point, the whole storyline would've turned upside down. (Broods)

I'm sorry about the slow progress of this story. It might take a while to get to the second part of the story, because that actually hasn't been planned out yet, so I still have to do that…and stuff…

Anyway, reviews would be greatly appreciated!

Sayonara,

Tenshi-Battosai