Kurama's eyes were haunted as he turned to the brunet, "Master?"

Yusuke caressed the redhead's cheek. His eyes were dark as he looked into Kurama's green eyes, "I'll be back. Don't worry." He took off his cloak and handed it to the redhead. "I'll be back for this," he whispered, "it's my favorite." He caressed Kurama's cheek and turned to Hiei. "I won't ask for the same favor, just a kiss, a simple kiss, for luck, omoimono."

Hiei felt his throat tighten. He could also feel the power of the vampire behind him. It was more than he'd ever felt off of Yusuke and he was sure the one in the ring was holding back. He didn't want Yusuke to go, but his throat was too tight to get the words out. His hand came up and he pulled Yusuke toward him. Their lips met softly at first, Yusuke allowing Hiei to set the pace of the kiss. Hiei brushed against Yusuke's lips lightly a couple of times before he took a deep breath and pressed their mouths together, his tongue sliding into Yusuke's mouth. Yusuke greeted Hiei, moaning a little at the invasion. Abruptly, Hiei pulled back, his voice harsh, "You'd better fucking come back, bastard."

Yusuke nodded, getting to his feet, "I will be sure to, to see where you intend to take that, omoimono." He walked to the ring and lightly jumped up, facing Toguro, his posture arrogant.

Hiei wondered if Yusuke would actually be back, his stomach clenching. He felt more than saw Kurama move to kneel next to him. He glanced at the redhead, but the green eyes were focused solely on the ring, watching, waiting. Hiei's hand went to Kurama's lap and the redhead wrapped his fingers around, accepting the support, but never looking at Hiei.

Toguro wore a sneer on his lips, his eyes still hidden behind the sunglasses. His shoulders, almost as broad as Hiei was tall, were covered in a trench coat that had no hope of closing over them. The rest of his body was built to match those shoulders. But, it was much more than his build that caused Hiei's stomach to tie itself in knots. The vampire was leaking power, much more power than he'd felt Yusuke give off deliberately, even more than he'd given off earlier that night. How could Yusuke stand against someone that strong? He reversed his hand in Kurama's so he could actually hold the redhead's hand and held it tightly. Kurama returned the pressure and Hiei could feel the slight tremor in that hand. It didn't comfort him that Kurama was afraid.

"So, you're still as arrogant as you've always been?" Toguro's voice was deep, fitting his body, filling the arena, echoing off the walls.

"Always with reason," Yusuke returned. "What is it that really bothers you, Toguro? You didn't come all this way just because you wanted to talk."

Toguro's gaze traveled past Yusuke to Hiei, though how he knew that, he wasn't sure. "You sleep with the enemy. You forget yourself, Yusuke."

"I am the master of this city. It is not your place or the council's to tell me who my human servant can be."

"I am the council, Yusuke. Mind your place."

"You have no fucking say over who I choose, then. I choose my servant, not you." Yusuke's body tensed, his voice belligerent. "What is it that's really bothering you, Toguro? You so bored with your toys that you brought them here to die?"

Toguro's hand slashed through the air and a cut appeared through Yusuke's shirt and jacket. Kurama's hand tightened around Hiei's. Yusuke grunted, but stood his ground. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"I don't care. You're supposed to die. And then, if your servant manages to survive your death, I'll kill him, and then use that pretty little redhead you have to replace Karasu and Bui."

"You won't touch them!" Yusuke growled. He fisted his hands and Hiei could feel power surging through their bond. He heard Kurama gasp and knew that the redhead was feeling the pull as well. Hiei could feel the flares and surges of power between the two vampires in the ring as the two stood glaring at each other. It was as if there was a lightning storm just behind his eyes. He was sure if he closed his eyes, he'd see it. But, he couldn't. He didn't want to watch, but he couldn't close his eyes. He was very aware of Kurama trembling next to him.

"Who's going to stop me, Yusuke? You? You're not powerful enough."

Yusuke growled, "You have to go through me to get to them!" He launched himself across the ring faster than Hiei could follow, his fists swinging. Toguro made no move to block so all of Yusuke's punches landed, but the giant vampire didn't seem phased. Kurama moved closer to Hiei, his body tense and the power between them arced almost painfully.

Toguro brought a fist up and, with one solid blow, sent Yusuke across the ring. Yusuke stopped himself from flying out of it, but just barely. Hiei could feel the pain where Toguro's fist had landed, a rush of air escaping his mouth. He heard the same reaction out of the redhead next to him. Yusuke however, grinned. "Is that all you got?"

"Insolent!" Toguro flew across the ring, his fists ready. The power flowing off of him increased and Hiei could feel Yusuke drawing more off of him and Kurama. By the time Toguro landed, Yusuke was on the other side of the ring.

"Getting slow in your old age," Yusuke taunted. The power coming off of him was lower than that of Toguro, but Yusuke was still cocky. Hiei felt his own power rising, but it was still nothing to Toguro's, neither was Kurama's, which was also on the rise. Yusuke seemed to be pulling their power into him, making it something more without seeming to become stronger. Some part of Hiei knew that Yusuke himself couldn't have dodged Toguro's attack.

Hiei whispered to the redhead, "What's going on, Kurama?"

"I don't know, Hiei, I've never felt anything like this." Green eyes never left the fight and Hiei fell silent again.

Toguro was growling, and the power around him increased to stifling proportions. Hiei was having trouble drawing a full breath as the vampire's power seemed to try and consume his own. Something held it back, though, something prevented Toguro from devouring him. He didn't have time to think about that, however. Toguro launched another attack at Yusuke, coming from above, his body behind his fist. Yusuke moved just before the massive power would have contacted, just missing being driven through the ring into the basement below. Before Yusuke could make a remark, Toguro was out of the hole he'd created, launching another attack at the smaller vampire. With each attack, Yusuke's dodges were getting by a narrower margin. Hiei's chest was getting tighter, his stomach less settled with each near landing of an attack. Kurama's hand tightened painfully around his, but he was too focused on the ring to notice or care.

Yusuke's face was tight as Toguro attacked again. This time, Hiei could feel a floodgate open between himself and Yusuke as the vampire caught the giant's fist. "I've had enough of this," Yusuke growled, pulling heavily on Hiei and, through Hiei, Kurama. Yusuke's hand flew up, ripping Toguro's throat off his body. He released the fist he'd caught and drove his now free hand into Toguro's chest, pulling out his heart and then shoved it into the open throat wound.

Yusuke glared at the boxes that lined the top of the arena, "Come out here! I want to know why the council moved against me!" The gates were still open, the power still flowing between the necromancer and the vampire.

There was a flurry of activity along the top of the arena, hidden in shadows. Sakyo and the child came down opposite Hiei and Kurama. "You have no right to call the council down, Yusuke," Sakyo sneered. He had a lit cigarette between his lips.

"They called me here, I have the right to know why and ensure it doesn't happen again." Yusuke almost glowed with power, pushing against Sakyo much harder than he had outside. Hiei was beginning to really feel the drain, though.

Two more figures glided down opposite the slayer and the redheaded vampire. One was shorter than the child with Sakyo, the other had what looked like blue hair. Hiei felt his eyebrow rise at that. Vampires didn't often dye their hair. It just never grew out, so most of them left their hair. Both of these vampires were powerful. Hiei could feel the smaller of the two trying to soothe Yusuke. "We didn't have much of a choice, Yusuke. Toguro and the others went before the head of the council and convinced him to allow them to confront you."

"How the hell did they do that, Koenma?"

The shorter man looked away and the blue haired one spoke up, a female by the voice, "You know what it takes to persuade Shineshifu."

Hiei could feel Yusuke blanche at that statement. "I'm not paying their debt."

Koenma began, "Someone must…"

"Not me! None of mine will pay that debt!" The power surged out of Hiei, he could feel Kurama's power flowing through him, all to Yusuke, causing him to almost seem to swell.

Koenma wilted slightly under the glare that accompanied the power surge. The blue haired vampire continued, her hands up, trying to appease Yusuke, "You're right, you didn't want this. I'll tell Shineshifu that."

Sakyo blandly asked, "You're going to let this upstart tell you what to do?" Yusuke's glare settled fully on him, but his expression didn't change. "This gets out, that the council gave into the master of a city, what power will the council have?"

"They won't hear it from us," Yusuke growled. Hiei was starting to feel lightheaded, worse than just after the redhead finished feeding off of him. He hoped this would be over soon.

The girl laid a hand on Koenma's shoulder, "Maybe…"

Koenma started and turned to her, "I suppose your right, Botan. If Shienshifu wants to do anything about it, he can send someone else."

Another voice spoke up from the shadows, "You're going to give into him that easily?"

"I'm sleeping with the enemy?" Yusuke asked, the power still swirling about him. Hiei was starting to feel nauseous. They had to stop this soon or he was going to pass out.

"Sensui, I am the master here," Koenma spoke up.

"Then act like it," the challenge echoed down into the arena.

Hiei's head was too fuzzy to look around for the source of the voice and the echoing in the chamber made it difficult for him to pinpoint. "C'mon. Hurry up," he muttered under his breath. He felt more than saw Kurama look at him. Something must have bothered the redhead because Hiei felt his body press along his, his hand being left and an arm wrapping around him.

"Yusuke!" Hiei thought it might be Kurama's voice, but it was too hard to tell, and Kurama never called Yusuke by his name. The world began to collapse around him. He had the strange sensation of floating and falling. Then, the world vanished around him.

A/N Well, last of the fight scenes. This is the way I wrote it because Madame Blue told me it was okay and that she couldn't really see where to add much. Shineshifu is death (shine) and fatherly master (shifu)...fitting since I was refering to Enma, ne? The rest...I'm working on explaining...tying up loose ends in chapter 13. Next couple of chapters are a bit on the angsty side, but neccessary.