Sheathing the knife in my hand, I jumped, my cloak whipping out behind me. I easily landed without a sound. Straightening, I glanced about the room. Raizen was out cold, as was Bui. Everyone else was conscious. Except for Yukina, who had fainted. And seeing as to what I was about to do... That is probably all for the best.

"Took you long enough to get here." Shinda smirked.

I raised an eyebrow. How...? Oh. The guards on the perimeter of the palace... They were already dead. He could see through the eyes of his corpses. Not good.

"And so... I'm afraid my dear, you will soon join your friends..."

I snorted. Not likely... I glanced beside me, a cadaver attempting stealth. Ah well... Swiftly grabbing a knife, I plunged it into the corpse's heart, causing it to burst into flames. Jumping away from the burning carcass, I idly twirled the kunai between my fingers.

"You were saying...?"

"Impudent-! You will regret that!" More cadavers appeared through the door. Great...

"We'll see, now won't we?" I grinned impishly as the first two charged.

Easily slicing their skin, and hence their incineration, I made quick work of the first two until he sent all of them at me. Child's play. As one lunged at me, sword out, I easily dodged so that it stabbed another cadaver. I stuck a rune to each one. Their piercing, unearthly shrieks echoed in the domed room.

I dodged their uncoordinated attacks, their pitiful reaches not even scratching my cloak. I attached runes to each cadaver I encountered until there were only three left, the strongest.

I smirked. Then I felt it. Crap... Was my only thought as I felt my mind become breached and my memories flood through the now-open gates.

I let out a scream as I felt every memory ripped from my mind as I was forced to live through them. Again.

No One's POV

Jin watched in horror as Yusuke collapsed, images of death and destruction being torn from her mind as she lay on the ground twitching as she relived every kill, every wound, every emotion.

Toguro paused. Something was amiss... Karasu glanced at him, with a bored expression. "It's Urameshi." Was the apathetic remark.

Toguro nodded wearily.

Suzaku glanced between the two demons. He could sense something... And it had been one of the last things he had ever sensed/seen/heard. Pain. Yusuke's pain, specifically.

In unspoken agreement, the trio moved faster through the empty corridors to the Throne Room.

Just as Toguro was about to push open the door, the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the room before them and the hallway they were in. Suzaku blinked. Was that what he thought it was?

Toguro shoved the doors open and walked in, shivering as he did so. He may have been a hit man once, but the images floating through the air... Even he felt nauseated by them. Karasu looked slightly green and Suzaku looked ready to hurl.

"Please... End it Yurei'ha!" A bleeding boy on a snow-covered mountain begged.

"Be quiet brat!" Some woman shoved Yusuke into a closet.

"Not showing emotion is an assassin's greatest asset." A kitsune told a kneeling child that was definitely Yusuke.

"Stay on the sidewalk!" Yusuke's voice shouted as a car rushing towards a small kid with a ball, the driver paying no attention to the road.

These images faded and were replaced tenfold.

He blinked as more iridescent images appeared in his mind and quickly brushed them out. Memories...? Yusuke's memories?

Yusuke slowly got to her feet from where she had landed when she had dodged the bullet, shoving all the memories out of her mind and focused. She had to get him out of her head; she had to have a point of focus that could override his spell... That's it. She slowly grabbed a rune-less knife and concentrated. There. She plunged it into her left arm, the hand twitched.

Her mind cleared so that she could think properly. She let out a breath as she cleaned and sheathed the knife.

Shinda glared at her. How had that brat foiled-! Of course. He laughed, getting the attention of Yusuke, Suzaku, Toguro, Karasu and everyone else that was alive in the room.

"Heh. So you were that little brat, eh?" He chuckled. "I could've sworn that I killed you. Along with those other pesky assassins. Though I have not been able to see any reason to why they were so intent on protecting you."

Yusuke growled.

Shinda just smirked. "Looks like that traitor of yours had second thoughts... Heh." His glanced at the three new comers. "A new team sent to 'take care of' me, eh? You'll see the fate of the last one..." He smirked.

New team...? Karasu, Suzaku and Toguro glanced at each other. What was he talking about...? As one, they shrugged.

Yusuke's hand slid toward Doku's knife. She wasn't going to miss this time.

Shinda's hand strayed towards one of his handguns. He wasn't going to underestimate her again.

Yusuke caught the movement. Her eyes widened. He wasn't... That bastard!

Just as he fired, Yusuke moved. Throwing the knife, she threw herself in front of his target, wincing as she felt the bullet enter her skin. She glanced at the wound, blood beginning to form on her skin. Not too serious, thankfully. Turning her attention to Shinda's intended victim, she grinned weakly. "You all right, Rinku?"

The child-like demon stared at Yusuke. "Why...?"

She just smiled slightly and cringed as she stood up, clutching the wound on her shoulder.

Shinda grinned. So the hardened assassin had a soft spot for children, eh? That proved his theory... "Time to go." He remarked casually while grabbing a handful of powder.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "Cover your eyes!" She shouted as she did so.

They all felt and "saw" the flash against their closed eyelids. When they were opened, nothing showed that Shinda was ever there besides the ashes of the corpses he had left.

"Shit..." Yusuke groaned as she slid back against the wall, closing her eyes against the pain as she began to block it out.

"Yusuke!" Rinku stared at the girl in awe. He, after getting rid off his bonds, cautiously put a hand on her forearm. She blearily opened her eyes and glanced at him.

"Hey." She glanced at Toguro and the others. "Mind examining the palace to see if there are any other surprises left behind? It'll give you a chance to get used to the layout." Toguro nodded and before the others could protest, led them out.

Grimacing, Yusuke stood and helped Rinku untie the others. After doing so, she sat down and gingerly pulled the bullet out of her arm before attempting to bandage it, for Yukina was still out cold. As was Raizen and Bui. I had noticed a little surprise on Karasu and Toguro's faces when they had spotted him.

Yusuke's POV

As I grabbed some gauze to wrap around the wound, Jin came over, his eyes on my left arm, which was fortunately where all my injuries were. I was ambidextrous, but I favored my right.

He forced a grin. "Let me."

I nodded and leaned against the wall while he carefully and gently bandaged my injuries.

I closed my eyes. I had almost failed... Again... I clenched my right hand (the only hand I could use) into a fist. Damn it! If I had been just one second... I shook my head. Forget it, Yusuke. You made it. That's all that matters. When I open my eyes, I felt a slight stinging sensation in my palm. I glanced at it to see the nail marks become submerged in blood. Crap.

Jin looked at my hand and blinked before mock sighing and cleaning my hand up. He looked up at my face as soon as he finished. "Yusuke?"

"Mm?" I asked, eyes half-closed as I contemplated ways to avoid Shinda's new way of entering minds, seeing as how he didn't need eye contact any more.

"You alrigh'?" He asked, eyes boring into mine.

I met his gaze levelly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Sure ya are." He leaned forward so he was right in my face. I blinked, startled by the sudden intrusion of my personal space.

The doors burst open. "Palace is secure and-" I saw the look on Toguro, Karasu, and Suzaku's face. I sighed and got a sweat drop. Not again...

Glossary

Kunai: knife used by assassins

Doku: Poison