True Belonging

by Too Young to Feel This Tired

It always felt as if the world was grey, haunted, silent with barely enough noise for him to realize that he was awake and present. Except for when she touched him. When she touched him, the world bathed in the brightest colors of sunflowers and green ribbons in raven hair.M for swearing, violence, non-con and later consensual explicit smut

11. Youth Part IX

Title: True Belonging

Summary: It always felt as if the world was grey, haunted, silent with barely enough noise for him to realize that he was awake and present. Except for when she touched him. When she touched him, the world bathed in the brightest colors of sunflowers and green ribbons in raven hair. M for swearing, violence, non-con, and later explicit smut.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Chapter Eleven: Youth Part IX.

---

Sometimes you will never know a value of a moment until it becomes a memory – Dr. Seuss

---

Warning: Mentions of character's death, blood, violence

Kurama's whole body was still on fire. The pain was horrible, and the kitsune was exhausted. His wounds were open but even so, he could feel them healing with the yoki he suddenly possessed. Was it the potion? Did it unlock something inside him that connected him to his past power? Or was it himself who finally gained back what he used to have before? He didn't feel different. It wasn't like how he felt when he took on his Yoko form. There was no aftermath of violence and carnal behavior. Perhaps, it was the exhaustion and shock, or maybe it didn't matter. Maybe all that mattered was that he was still Kurama, and he was alive.

He survived.

His mouth almost chuckled even though he was not amused at all. He lost. Koto was mistaken. But did it matter? He wished to end Karasu and his cruelty, and he did just that. Nana and he were safe.

A tall sunflower stood near the dead yokai's body. A final product of the Makai plant's thirst for yokai blood. It drank Karasu to the fullest and bloomed. Usually, it would have been a rose, but perhaps when Kurama took control over it and summoned it with his life form it tapped into his emotions and focused on why he was giving up his life in the first place.

Nana

The yokai tried to turn in the direction of the girls as he heard Yusuke approach, but his vision was blurry. He couldn't find them.

'Kurama, settle down,' said Yusuke, who he reached him just as he fell to his knees once more.

Yusuke's hands took hold of Kurama's arms which was when the kitsune realized Nana's hold over him was gone. Was it just a delusion caused by blood loss? It felt real. Every time he heard, or senses Nana felt so real, and the dreams? It all seemed so strange even he couldn't explain it. Perhaps, it was something in his subconscious that could only be channeled when he was close to losing his life. The exhaustion took over all his senses and thoughts.

Was this something he wished for? A happy family life with the girl who captured his soul and mind?

Kurama closed his eyes. If he rested them for a bit, he would be able to look back up and see Nana clearly. He felt his heart wouldn't settle and rest properly until he would see her yellow shirt in the crowd and know that it was really over, 'I'm sorry, Yusuke.'

'What for?' asked the young detective confused.

'It was all I could do just to kill him,' spoke Kurama trying to gather some strength realizing that not even Yusuke noticed.

'What? What do you mean?' asked Yusuke, and Kurama looked over at him genuinely feeling regret over his loss if only because of how crushed the boy would be even if it was pointless now. Kurama couldn't change the outcome.

'I mean that I wasn't able to win against him.'

Just as he spoke the referee Juri announced, 'The match is over! Contestant Karasu is the victor!'

'What?!' screamed Yusuke standing up completely shocked.

Kurama sighed feeling frustration he didn't know he would have over his loss as all he really wanted was to kill Karasu so he wouldn't hurt Nana.

As Yusuke immediately rushed toward Juri, Kurama glanced up again his vision better, but the girl in the yellow shirt was nowhere to be seen.

Nana?

He grew worrisome again. Where could she have gone? Did she plan to come to him? No, this time he made it clear for her that he would see her after the tournament, but she was known for being stubborn.

'Hey, you! How come Kurama lost?! Explain that to me!' he heard Yusuke shout at the yokai who tried to explain she counted to ten, and he simply didn't manage to stand up in the set time limit as he should have. It couldn't be helped. All he wanted was to end Karasu. It was all he could do. All that power, and still he barely managed to survive. He really did lose his edge.

His eyes finally caught Botan's blue hair. But it seemed Nana, Jorge, and Yukina were gone.

Fear settled over Kurama somewhat dull compared to the nerves he felt before, but still alarming and unpleased.

Where are you, Nana?

After the VTR video proved what Kurama already knew, Yusuke accepted the defeat with a sour look, but not necessarily as down as the kitsune would expect him to be.

'Yusuke,' said Kurama suddenly causing the other boy to blink confused after Juri and Koto explained what happened to the rest of the audience and contestants, 'Please, help me get to him.'

He still had one last obligation before he could allow himself to rest.

The human detective blinked but offered his shoulder to help the weak and injured kitsune make his way toward Karasu's lifeless body, 'You want to kick him or something?'

Kurama was too exhausted and weak to comment on that. Instead, he kneeled down and reached into the dead yokai's pocket. Instantly, he pulled out two green ribbons and accepted Yusuke's hand to help him up groaning at the pain that shot through him again, but feeling much better now that he was sure Karasu was dead and what he stole from Nana and him was in his possession again.

'Wait, is that-?' started Yusuke and then grimaced teasingly, 'Damn, Kurama, you sure don't like people stealing your stuff.'

'Of course,' said the kitsune wrapping the fabric of the ribbons between his fingers looking at them for a second before he lifted his eyes toward the crowd, toward the human girl in the yellow shirt like a sunflower even if he couldn't see her at the moment, 'No one steals from the Legendary Thief without suffering the retribution.'

He vowed to get them back after all.

With almost no strength left, Kurama allowed Yusuke to get him back only stopping once they heard the haunting voice of the elder Toguro, 'You still don't get it, do you? Even if he survived the road to hell and your fate remain the same.'

Yusuke paused and Kurama also focused on what the yokai meant.

'What?' snapped Kuwabara loudly to elder Toguro showing just how upset he was by him. It wasn't right to give anyone that much power over their anger and to reveal it, but Kurama would be a hypocrite if he didn't recognize he had done the same a few times during his match with Karasu.

Some things were hard to hide especially when the emotions they brought were so fierce and deep.

'That each member of the champion team will receive their prize?' reminded them the short yokai calmly before he sinisterly added purposely trying to throw them off, 'Let me tell you what my wish is…death for all of you.'

As alarming as the revelation was, it wasn't surprising. Kurama would expect as much from any sadistic yokai and received similar and worse threats from Karasu not even moments ago. It was all the same just threats to throw them off. It proved their opponents were truly the worse ones yet for more reasons than this, and it spoke volumes about their character.

Yusuke didn't say anything to that either, instead, he helped Kurama the rest of the way before he settled him against the edge of the arena all the while the crowd wished for their deaths with their loud chanting as they had many times before.

Kurama's mind was elsewhere, however.

'Where-'

'She fainted right after you woke up,' said Hiei immediately knowing where Kurama's remaining thoughts were, no doubt keeping the girl's safety at the edge of his mind like he promised Kurama he would, 'They took her to the corridor to rest. I'm actually surprised she managed to watch until the very end. I wouldn't think you would put her through that much grief.'

Kurama sighed, but it immediately turned into a hiss due to his still very much opened wounds and bruised body. Even with his empowered yoki he needed a lot of time to properly heal himself it seemed. It didn't matter as long as his heart was beating, he was grateful.

'It couldn't have been helped,' he said after a while knowing it was the truth.

Karasu was a strong and dangerous opponent. Without his Yoko form and more luck than the kitsune would ever believe he could have, there was no other way to defeat him. Even now the redhead was still surprised he was alive as must have been many others.

Hiei didn't say anything else, and Kurama decided to close his eyes and relax to gain some much-needed strength and rest.

Forgive me.

The injuries forced Kurama to tune out most of what was said next in favor to heal enough to at least stand.

When he sensed the pair of hands against his cheeks and familiar lovely scent, he smiled to himself allowing himself to stay in the calming and quiet darkness with Nana's presence the only connection to the light behind his eyelids.

He felt almost at home.

When he came to himself moments later was when Hiei had already taken his place in the arena as has his opponent Bui. Nana wasn't even there which meant the strange feeling of her presence was once again only inside his mind.

'What's with the wrapping? Hasn't Hiei's arm already healed?' asked Kuwabara, and Kurama stood up feeling somehow at least steady on his feet, 'No, that wrapping is in the Ijutaiho manner. It is done in something of a self-styled, forcibly bound way, though.'

'Kurama, are you sure you're okay standing up?' asked Yusuke concerned while Kurama watched genuinely surprised that Hiei would be able in such a short time to master the Ensatsu Kokuryu-ha technique.

Worried for his friend now, Kurama took a moment to look at the crowd again, but Nana and the others had not made it back yet.

Glancing back at what would no doubt be an even more horrific fight perhaps that was a good thing.

Nana

---

Nana couldn't move.

Once again, the agonizing fear crept into her soul due to the paralysis of her body. This time, it was somehow worse as she couldn't see anything.

She was in the dark and she couldn't move.

She couldn't hear her voice, breathing or heartbeat, or any noise outside of the dark she was in. It was terrifying in the worse way imaginable forcing the girl to panic inside her head.

Why was this happening? Where was she?

Her own thoughts felt heavy like they were burdened with the seriousness of the situation and her fear.

Nana wanted to scream. She hated this immobile feeling. She hated feeling like this altogether. But she knew even if she tried no sound would come out leaving her trapped in the dark without any light or comfort simply floating with the only companion being her fear.

Then something even worse happened. All of a sudden the human girl felt someone's cold hand touch her face.

Now she really wanted to scream or cry but could do neither as if she was reduced to a doll staying still and letting whoever was with her play with her.

'What a pretty flower.'

Nana's eyes finally opened although she wished they hadn't as in front of them surrounded by the dark was Karasu as seemingly the only thing that existed in the dark with her.

His hair was blond this time and his mask was off, and Nana wanted to cry all over again as this version of him was even more horrifying than the previous one truly portraying his madness and cruelty.

His face started to move close to hers, and the girl certainly felt like if not by his hand she would surely die from the sheer panic that was taking over her entire being.

Why couldn't she move or scream at least?

It was the worse feeling in the world to be paralyzed like this.

'Nana-chan,' she heard her granny's voice and then felt someone take a hold of her chin pushing her head to look away from Karasu and rather look at her grandma.

Young

She looked young the way she had in old photographs they had back in the house. She looked so much like her. More than she had at her own mother.

'Listen to Yukina's voice.'

Nana blinked confused and then once again felt the panic as she sensed the cold finger on her cheek moving further down her neck.

'Nana-chan, listen,' her grandma said sounding urgent now.

'Nana-chan, do you feel better?' asked a soft voice now and Nana blinked.

---

'Nana-chan, do you feel better?'

Nana opened her eyes startled looking at Yukina and Jorge who was looking down at her. Their faces looked worried which made her panic for a moment before she started to come back to herself.

They were in the hallway of the stadium that much Nana's dizzy brain could gather and there were a lot of loud noises coming from one of the exits into the seating area.

No dark

No Karasu

'Nana-san, are you alright?' asked Yukina again, and Nana tried to focus on her voice and the female yokai in general while brushing the side of her neck. The feeling of freezing cold brought by Karasu's fingers still present on her skin her like a haunting reminder, she desperately wished to get rid of.

'Y-yes, sorry,' she said feeling her fingers warming the skin on her on the neck.

It was just a stupid dream. He's dead. You saw it, didn't you?

Shaking her head Nana looked up at the two, 'What happened?'

'You fainted after Kurama woke up,' explained Jorge and slowly the events of the first match came rushing back to her filling her with a new wave of dizziness and panic because she did faint right afterward and didn't know what happened, 'Is he?'

'Kurama-san is alright,' assured her Yukina quickly.

'Kurama lost,' said at the same time Jorge just as quickly.

'What?!' snapped Nana startled and enrage before the two pieced together what happened after she fainted, and Jorge carried her to the hallway to rest. Now, that Nana was more awake and knew Kurama was alright she felt a bit mortified she fainted like that.

So much for staying a strong supportive girl-friend-person!

Her face felt heated at the thoughts, but she tried to push them away.

She probably needed to think about that later, and now only focus on the more pressing manners of her other friends surviving a deadly tournament.

'So what, Hiei is fighting?'

The two non-human beings nodded, 'Yes.'

'Alright, then let's go see him kick some ass,' said Nana and raised her hands so they would help her up. Her feet were luckily much steadier than she would expect them to be, but she still felt weird and a bit shook by the experience.

It was just a stupid dream.

Kami, help her she needed to stop thinking about that jerk, and focus on her other friends whose struggles were just about to begin.

Kurama was alive, and Karasu was dead. That was the only thing that mattered.

As she came out of the exit and the arena came into the view, they were all instantly hit with a wave of powerful dark vibe perhaps even more horrific than the one Nana usually associated with Kurama in his Yoko form as the human girl could feel herself shaking in its presence.

'Yikes,' said Jorge, 'Let's hurry and find our seats,' he urged them and quickly started to lead toward their seats.

Nana took one last look toward the arena especially at Kurama before she rushed after the two.

They got to their seats.

'Nana-chan!'

'Are you alright?'

Asked both Keiko and Botan at the same time as the raven-haired girl took her seat, 'Yes, thank you.'

Nana's brown eyes fell to Shizuru who looked dreadfully pale now, 'Shizuru-san?'

'I'm feeling a strange kind of chill,' confessed the human psychic hugging herself and rather visibly shivering.

The others leaned closer to her, 'Are you cold?'

'No…'

'That's not it,' said Botan and looked at the arena, 'I had been feeling a strange sense of something bad is about to happen for a while now.'

It sounded truly ominous when the ferry girl said it causing all the girls and the ogre to feel worried and shiver as they turned back toward the arena with their hearts once again heavy left to nothing more than act as an audience while their loved ones fought for their lives.

Against Hiei stood a tall man with short turquoise hair. Since the owner of Team Toguru and both brothers were still standing outside the arena, Nana assumed this must have been the contestant Bui without his armor. It always surprised Nana just how all the strongest yokai looked humanlike almost capable of blending into human crowds easily if they wanted to.

The yokai had a glow around him similar to the color of Karasu's yoki from before and was levitating out of the arena while Hiei was bathed in the dark light his previous injured arm free of its bandages.

Then it was as if something even worse was happening than Nana ever saw until that moment. The whole stadium started to shake, and the arena became almost invisible drowning in the dark glow coming from Hiei's yoki. The shaking was destructive to the building little pieces of the stadium started to fall apart.

At one point Koto pulled Juri out of the arena only proving just how dangerous the place was becoming.

Hiei's dark vibe spread destroying pieces of the arena in the process while the light from Bui's yoki seemed to offer the only source of light.

Nana's heartbeat speeded up due to the fear of the lights slowly going out. She wished she wasn't about to be lost in the dark again not after when happened a moment ago.

Her fist clenched against her knees as she told herself to breathe, she just needed a moment to calm down that was all. This wasn't the same dark that haunted her dreams. She could move here. This was the reality and as stupid as it sounded here surrounded by shaking close to collapsing walls of the stadium with her just as terrified as her friends, she was safe.

Good luck, Hiei.

The whole crowd was in awe as everyone watched in absolute silence as if it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Whatever, the Ensatsu Kokuryu-ha technique was, despite its power and danger, it stunned everyone, and everyone wanted to witness it.

Then once it seemed the whole stadium would be torn apparent by the force of his vibe, Hiei started to run toward his opponent and unleashed the large red dragon energy directly toward him.

The power seemed massive and beyond anything so far presented to them, but to everyone's absolute shock, Bui caught it and seemed to have stopped its force holding it in his hands from going further.

However, Hiei wouldn't allow that to happen, and without a second to spend he filled the dragon with more of his energy turning its blood-red color to a completely dark one further overwhelming Bui.

'The colossal Koruryu-ha has power. Contestant Bui caught it momentarily but now it's pushing him up and out of the ring!' called Koto through the microphone.

The whole stadium and island seemed to shake and the pressure against Nana's body seemed beyond what she could handle.

Once again her and Yukina's hands found each other in a desperate moment of comfort over what was happening without tearing their eyes away from the ring.

The dragon energy broke through the stadium taking Bui away and forcefully pressed him into one of the hills.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she felt the pressure fall down to a level she could accept and think of as they watched the dragon through the hole in the stadium.

It seemed Hiei had won, and the dragon would consume Bui shortly. However, to their collective shock and horror, the other yokai seemed to shift the dragon's power and toss it directly at Hiei.

A horrifying loud crash echoed through the whole island causing everyone to remain frozen in their seats as they watched the dragon lift to the sky again with Hiei nowhere in sight. Did it devour him? What would happen now? Where was Hiei?

The scarlet color that seemed that would last for eternity along with the massive battle aura of the dragon faded away and the sky returned to its original blue color.

No, there's no way!

Nana saw how Bui returned to the arena looking fine all the while the dragon absently flew above the stadium in the sky as if it was a kite. It was surreal.

Was Hiei…really gone?

No way!

'Hiei-sama,' whispered Yukina in a soft voice by her side causing Nana to look over at the girl to see her looking very pale and shocked just as Nana felt. It didn't seem possible. It just didn't seem possible that Hiei could really be gone even after a direct strong hit like that he was just Hiei, and he always seemed so strong and in control, the idea was so foreign to the girl she couldn't seem to process it properly, yet feeling more in control of her mind than when she assumed Kurama was dead.

'Incredibly, contestant Bui deflected the Kokuryu-ha wave and now, contestant Hiei, the one who unleashed it, has been swallowed up by it!' called Koto suddenly and all hell broke loose again with all the yokai cheering another of Team Toguro's victories.

Nana felt sick to her stomach again as she watched the sky looking for some sign of whether Hiei could make it or not. It was surreal that Hiei would lose and die for that matter. Not to mention it was terrifying that Team Toguru would win another match. The thought alone sickened the human girl as looked down at the contestants on either side of the broken to pieces arena.

---

No, it can't be.

Kurama's free fist that wasn't pressed against the wound on his stomach shook as he watched the Kokuryu-ha slowly fade away in the sky. Was Hiei truly dead? It seemed impossible, but he also couldn't sense his yoki over the massive aura of the technique he unleashed.

Still, could he really be devoured by his own technique? Hiei was never one to be reckless or weak at times like this. He could be stubborn, but even he knew what fights he could win and whatnot. No, there had to be hope. There had to be a way for him to survive.

Don't be sentimental, kitsune.

Hiei would be the first to urge with him not to grieve over him, which forced the redhead to push his personal feelings aside for the moment.

There was always hope, he proved so in the previous match when despite the odds he came on top and killed his opponent even if he didn't win.

Hiei could still reappear as usual.

Koto urged the referee to call the match, and Kurama felt a wave of frustration raise above the wave of concern for his fellow teammate. Did they just lose another match? It was not good. If they had their only choice would be Yusuke and Kuwabara. The kitsune doubted Lord Koenma would fight even if he would have to. And although, Kurama believed his other two human friends were capable of great strength and giving their all against the Toguro brothers he wasn't certain if it would work.

His green eyes lifted to the sky.

Hiei, now would be an excellent time to reveal your ace card.

Just then the kitsune finally did catch the familiar yoki and in the next instance, a ball of power reappeared with Hiei in the middle of it before he returned to the ring with the countdown to spare.

Even if Kurama put his faith into Hiei and knew there was still hope he could pull it off, he couldn't help, but feel some surprise and relief over the fact that he did although he wasn't as shocked as his opponent and the others gave his and Hiei's history. He knew just how capable the yokai could be. He was a survivor like him after all.

'Impossible,' called Bui loudly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted in joy, and Kurama was not ashamed to admit he shared their feelings of sentiment over Hiei being alive and his match not yet lost.

A moment passed and then another, but nothing seemed to happen. Hiei was waiting out Bui's next move, but his opponent seemed to still be shocked by the discovery of Hiei's survival and rightfully so cautious and perhaps even more than a bit petrified realizing the tables had turned on him.

The audience started to urge Bui for the fight to continue, but he remained standing still watching Hiei as if he was a dangerous animal and a single move could force it to attack.

'You mean this was the thing that he perfected?' asked Yusuke taking in the change in Hiei's yoki as well.

'That's right. Hiei has devoured the Kokuryu-ha wave,' confirmed Kurama realizing the change inside his friend as well. It seemed Kurama wasn't the only one who would walk out of his match more powerful.

'Devoured?' asked Kuwabara shocked so the kitsune continued, 'He's become someone with enough power to contain and control the vast energy absorbed from the Kokuryu. He is the one who has perfected the Kokuryu-ha technique. Someone who is as capable as Bui was must have realized this as well which explains his wariness.'

At last, Bui must have gained his courage back and charged at Hiei again with his punches and kicks only for the shorter yokai to barely flinch. Seeing it was no use, Bui tried to toss Hiei around only for him to slowly rise back up to his feet seemingly not even bothered by his opponent's attack anymore further proving the image of becoming someone far strong than even Bui could take on.

It became clear to Kurama that the match was over even if both contestants were still standing given how much stronger Hiei become, and it became clear to everyone else as well when Hiei stopped his Battle Aura without much of a problem.

Bui tried to continue to fight, but it was to no avail and after a moment it seemed Hiei had enough as well charging at the weaker yokai with his Dragon affectively tossing him out of the ring into the damaged empty seats at the audience section.

As Hiei jumped next to him Juri took the lead, 'Both contestants are out of the ring. I will start to count!'

Neither of the yokai moved from their positions seemingly ignoring the referee.

Kurama smirked a bit catching some of their words even from this far.

And you accuse me of wasting time with meaningless chatter, Hiei.

In the next moment, before the time was up, the shorter yokai returned to what was left of the ring and was declared the winner.

At last, they had their first win.

As Hiei started to walk toward them at a leisure pace, Kurama could clearly see the dark circles forming under his eyes and sense the exhaustion that was taking over the shorter yokai.

'Hey, are you sure it's okay for him to come close to us?!' shouted Kuwabara in a panicked voice, but immediately after added, 'You're invincible, aren't you? You go ahead and fight the rest of them!'

Hiei shot him a look just as his body started to shake fully ready to submit to the consequences of his new ability, 'I can't do that. This technique also has a fatal flaw.'

'A flaw?' asked the two human boys at the same time while Kurama shot his yokai friend a look of sympathy as he grumpily admitted his voice was rather sleepy, 'In order to allow my extremely overworked spectral power and physical strength to recover, I have to completely hibernate for several hours,' his explanation was cut with a very well timed yawn, 'No matter how perfected the technique becomes, there's nothing I can do about this.'

Yusuke and Kuwabara still looked puzzled despite Hiei's words.

Nevertheless, Hiei rose his shaky arm and pointed at them, 'Now listen! I used this technique because I've put my faith in all of you good-for-nothings!'

Kurama smiled chuckling at Hiei's attempt at a pep talk. Then again, Hiei human and social skills were still very rusty.

'If I wake up…and we've lost..,' his voice started to drift, 'You're all going to…get it…'

As threatening as his speech was it was largely undermined by the fact that he barely managed to finish it before his body hit the ground. So much for his threats and the fact of him being a strong undefeated yokai.

Kurama didn't hold back some laughter knowing Hiei was properly out, and Yusuke soon joined in laughing as well while talking about how big Hiei acted right before he fell.

As expected from the teenage human boys they instantly out of nowhere pulled out a marker and tried to write across Hiei's face. Luckily, the decision not to as it would surely not sit well with their yokai friend who lacked the human bone. Given far more pressing matters like their next fights, they didn't need arguments among themselves.

Out of harm's ways at least for the moment, Kurama allowed his caution to settle and focused once again on looking at the audience.

Nana was back her yellow shirt brightly shinning for the yokai to see. There were fewer spectators now as many were killed or ran, so it wouldn't have been too hard to locate her, and with a very clear sigh of relief, Kurama was glad he did.

However, his joy was short-lived as he knew their battle was far from over.

With that in mind, the redhead turned to look at their remaining opponents, the Toguro brothers. Although his body still needed to heal, his spirit didn't rest as he felt something beyond sinister creep against the back of his neck making him concerned for Kuwabara and Yusuke and what they would be up against.

The referee went to get instructions about the next match as most of the ring was destroyed making it impossible to use it for another fight.

For the time being with Hiei out of commission, Kurama sat down on the ground against one of the rocks as the others discussed their options before his ears caught Kuwabara's heartbeat speed up to a very unusual speed given they were simply standing there in peace.

His green eyes shifted to his human friend only to find him shakingly looking at their remaining opponents, mainly the elder Toguro.

He blinked wondering if everything was alright given how profoundly terrified the boy appeared. For Kuwabara to be concerned or even scared wasn't all that unusual. Although Kurama would never call him a coward, the boy knew he was often in over his head. However, just as quickly as he seemed to catch fear he just as easily could shake it off in the name of his honor, moral code, and internal straight. To see him like this meant something truly awful must have happened which Kurama wasn't aware of.

He frowned at the yokai sitting on his brother's shoulder, who must have been responsible just as Yusuke spoke obviously catching onto the tension as well, 'That bastard's just trying to provoke you. Don't let it bother you.'

The ginger-haired boy jumped and to his typical fashion tried to act all cheerful and unbothered by the threats, 'Who, me? Don't be a dumbass, Urameshi! I was just staring them down, that's all.'

Before anyone could call on his bluff, the commentator, Koto, announced a break due to the damaged ring that needed to be fixed.

Perhaps, it was for the best that they would have some time to rest, gain strength and calm their nerves.

Slowly Kurama started to get up as the others moved toward the exit when a feeling of something wicked nudged against his senses right before an unpleased voice spoke far too close for his comfort.

'I mean, for you to be having a premonition of your own death,' said Toguro elder, who suddenly appeared among them far too fast for Kurama's liking. His senses must not have been properly rested yet for him to miss the other yokai's presence so close to them before it was too late.

He narrowed his eyes stepping closer in a cautious way noticing Yusuke did the same neither of them liking the fact that the yokai tried to intimidate Kuwabara and mess with his head like this before the next match.

'You have grown surprisingly over these last few months,' said the older Toguro with a small smile as if the idea of Kuwabara's improvement personally pleased him although Kurama couldn't help but find the idea sickening. He could tell the yokai was similar to Karasu's type. A sadist with no honor, who liked to toy with his victims.

'However, the difference in our levels of power is just too great,' his smile widened, 'You know this as well. You are certain to die.'

Kurama could see how the words affected the human boy. His eyes and rapidly beating heart were betraying him while the yokai continue to speak, 'How fortunate for you that your execution has been delayed. You should spend this intermission time ensuring you leave no regrets in this world.'

'Enough of this,' spoke Kurama cutting the other yokai off, something which obviously did not please him as he shot the redhead a rather stern look which Kurama easily matched with his own.

'No one here is interested in your false prophecies. As you can see, your teammate's one didn't find fruitful soil either,' he told the other yokai staring him down and reminding him and the others with his words, that he as well as threatened by Karasu numerous times that he and Nana would die by his hands, yet nothing came out of it. They survived. Kurama reclaimed his stolen ribbons and ended the vermin's life.

The Toguro Elder didn't look so satisfied anymore as he started to walk away only tossing back, 'Consider yourself lucky for now.'

The redhead ignored him after that and rather looked over at Kuwabara who watched him leave for several moments before he nodded to himself if not reassured than at least in a state of some acceptance and calmness for the time being which was all Kurama could ask for at that moment.

---

'We should go check up on them,' said Keiko as they watched the boys leave for the waiting room after Koto announced a break.

'We have plenty of time before the next match by the looks of it,' agreed Botan as they looked down at the damaged ring and arena. Hiei and his dragon did quite a number on the place. Nana wasn't even sure how could anyone fix this in such a short time.

With everyone agreeing, they made their way all the while during their walk Nana felt a sense of anticipation and nervosity up until they showed up through the door into the waiting room meeting the boys.

Shizuru took the lead seemingly in a hurry to get to the others walking as if she knew exactly where to go which left Nana a bit confused.

Upon coming closer, they could hear some of the conversations between the boys and the odd way Kuwabara was behaving, 'Hey Kazuma.'

They entered through the open door following the older Kuwabara sibling with the raven-haired girl in the back. It wasn't on purpose, she wanted to be there and see everyone, mainly Kurama of course, but there was a certain hesitation to her steps.

Once inside, she didn't really pay attention to Kuwabara standing by the window, Yusuke leaning against the wall, Hiei lying on one of the benches, or Lord Koenma standing near the other one.

From the very moment, she got a view of the room, her brown eyes feel on the redhead sitting on the other bench as it truly drew on her that he was here and alive and the nightmare although far from over was at least for now shrunk into a pocket-size in comparison. A weight of something unknown and soul-crushingly heavy slipped from her shoulders upon just being in the same room as Kurama gave everything she had been through while she was sitting up there watching him get hurt and tortured by a maniac.

This was the first time, Nana truly felt like she could breathe almost to the point she started to slightly tremble. She trembled with the need to rush to him and touch him to properly feel him as it became the sole desire in her mind. Nothing was more urgent or important at that very moment.

His green eyes landed on her instantly, but a smile didn't follow as Kurama must have noticed the state, she was in. If it was up to her, she would rush to him and pull him close to properly feel his heartbeat under her palm, but for some reason, she felt frozen in place too self-aware of the fact that everyone was there and could see them.

It's different.

It shouldn't be, but it was. Before, she didn't care what people thought. They were friends after all. It annoyed her and embarrassed her when they thought something else, but now things were different. After the kiss, everything shifted, and she didn't like the idea that someone would be able to tell. Someone who wasn't just the two of them. At least not yet, not now, and not like this. They could talk about this later and deal with their feelings.

She hoped.

She knew Kurama well enough to know he wouldn't kiss her back if he didn't feel his own feelings grow from simply best friends to something more, but there was still the self-aware and low self-esteem teenager part of her that was hesitant.

Still, as Shizuru talked some sense in Kuwabara who seemed to behave strangely, Kurama suddenly stood up. His steps weren't as fast or elegant as they usually were when he walked toward.

If he realized her hesitation and embarrassment he didn't say, but he did lean a bit closer to her to say in a low voice, 'I have something for you.'

Almost without anyone noticing as far as Nana could see, the redhead managed to gently guide her out of the room into the vacant hallway.

Once there the first words he said to her with a calm look on his face were the most important ones, 'Don't worry, I'm alright.'

Her heart almost sobbed when she heard him say that and she quickly pulled her arms around him pulling him into a soul-crushing embrace if only to properly feel that his body was warm and alive worrying if she didn't, she would start crying right then and there for everyone who would pass by to hear and see.

'Forgive me, Nana. It couldn't have been helped,' whispered the kitsune as he leaned down his lips almost by her ear, 'I'm sorry I put you through that again.'

She shook her head nuzzling her face a bit against his chest breathing in his scent mixed with dust and blood, 'I don't care. Kurama, I don't,' she said honestly and then lowered her voice, 'I'm just…I'm just so happy you're okay,' her lips trembled at her words.

His hand brushed her hair and in the next moment she felt his lips press against her forehead in the tenderest of ways forcing her to close her eyes as he then pressed his own forehead against the spot, 'I truly am, I promise. Now even more than before.'

She took his words in deciding not to analyze them and instead just let herself enjoy the moment for a few more seconds before she leaned away to properly look at him. For someone who was at death's door, he looked better than she would have expected. He was a bit bruised, but even those seemed to be healing. His soft look and tender smile certainly helped him more like someone who was alright and well.

Nana was glad beyond words that could explain to see him like this.

He looked down at her and smiled some more, his eyes revealing a mischief spark, 'I have something for you.'

His hand left her back making sure to stroke her there one more time before he used that hand to pull something out of his pocket revealing the green ribbons that got stolen by Karasu before.

Her heart grew in size, and the girl let out a soft sigh before a wide smile pulled against the corners of her own lips, 'You got them back.'

'I promise you I would,' he reminded her of his promise from last night at the vending machine where he ate junk food with her. It felt ages ago now.

Nana shook her head, and looked back up at him, 'I just wanted you back alive. I don't care for some ribbons.'

His hand took her wrist and with his long fingers elegantly started to tie the green ribbon around it making Nana once again feel like she was a part of some marriage ritual. The blush cursed her chubby cheeks again, but at the same time, her heart felt too happy to allow the embarrassment to steal the good feeling from her. Not today. Not now. Not after what happened. She was too tired of her own self-doubt and teenage insecurities and embarrassment controlling her life and limiting it.

'Nonsense,' disagreed the kitsune, 'these ribbons are a part of our shared history for far too long,' Kurama said finishing his work with a small bow, 'It wouldn't be fair to leave them behind so easily,' he confessed and gently stroke the fabric and then her hand.

Nana watched her wrist feeling the pressure of the soft fabric against her flesh realizing just then how much she missed the feeling of it. Her constant reminder of Kurama and their shared childhood. His lucky charm.

Her fingers slipped the other ribbon from his palm and carefully tied it around his wrist as well feeling her heart beating fast, but in a very good way warming her whole body, but instead of her typical feelings only making her smiles widened now before she pushed it a bit down to say, 'It wasn't easy.'

'No, it was not,' he agreed silently not lightening up what he had to do to survive, to get their ribbons back, but at the same time he didn't allow darkness or sadness to take his face and instead kept calm, in control, but happy look to remain, 'But it was worth it to survive, to be reunited with you once more.'

That statement, the raven-haired girl couldn't leave unanswered, and with their ribbons back where they belonged, she reached covering his hand with her own for a moment just standing there in pure bliss over the fact that they were together and alive.

His free hand slipped into her hair, and for a moment, Nana was certain he would lean down and kiss. Pushing her embarrassment away, she moved a bit closer very much ready if he would, and slightly stepped on her toes so he wouldn't have to lean too low with his injuries.

Before she could close her eyes already sensing his breath on her face and ever so slightly parting her lips, they heard Kuwabara shout, 'YUKINA-CHAN!'

Immediately, the two paused and blinked probably realizing where they were and what were they planning to do with their friends not even a few meters away.

Nana's face was on fire, and her widened brown eyes looked away not able to fight the embarrassment at the moment, all the while Kurama cleared his throat. Even his face looked a bit less pale than it usually did.

'We're not out of the woods just yet,' said Kurama reminding them after a moment slipping his hands away and both of them slightly stepping away still close enough to feel each other's presence and warmth, but if someone caught them, they wouldn't think anything improper about them.

'Yeah, maybe we should leave that for-'

'A less urgent time,' he finished and nodded, but looked calm once again.

'Well, yeah,' Nana hesitated before she tried again, 'As long as we're still on the same page?'

Kurama smiled a bit somehow moving closer to her without actually touching her, 'Nana, it's impossible for you not to feel that we very much so are.'

The girl looked away her cheeks on flames, 'Uh, have they decided who will go next?' she asked to hope to change the topic because diving into the whole thing would require time and space they didn't have at that moment while waiting for their next match.

'Not yet, but I think it will be Kuwabara,' stated Kurama his voice going a bit cold and his face darkening, 'Toguro Elder seemed to be interested in fighting with him,' he frowned certainly bothered by the idea.

Nana nodded recalling how the yokai came to their team and talked with them after Koto announced a break not to mention how shaken Yukina seemed when it happened for some reason. 'What was that about back there? Did he try to scare Kuwabara or something?'

Before Kurama could answer they heard a loud banging sound shaking the static of the stadium once again.

'Did you guys hear that?' asked Yusuke who immediately rushed out of the room, and Kurama nodded before he looked down at Nana again, 'Stay with the girls, alright?'

She nodded, 'I promise.'

His hand squeezed her shoulder for a second too short to properly give her any real comfort before he along with the others ran after the sound of the rumbling.

Once in the room, she realized Hiei was still asleep taking a moment to step closer to her while the girls discussed what could have been the reason behind the shaking.

'So weird to see him like this,' said Nana, and Botan came to stand by her side, 'I know, doesn't he look like the cutest?'

Nana nodded. There were moments when Hiei if not soft looked at least close to human and childlike. He showed up at her house often to be fed and even tolerated her granny giving him candy which he probably ate too. Still, seeing him like this was strangely bizarre for some reason, but Nana wasn't sure why. She knew he wasn't weak and even if now he needed to rest, she would never consider him weak, but something about his face made her brain hurt like she was thinking something she couldn't remember.

'Hiei-sama is always so cool and on the move. It seems rare for him to be so still,' said Yukina and smiled at the two girls for a moment before the smile fainted.

'What's the matter?' asked Nana genuinely concerned for the short yokai.

'The only two fighters left are the Toguro brothers now,' she said as if it was supposed to explain everything, but it was Botan who filled in the blanks, 'They were the ones who worked for your kidnapper. It's only natural you feel discomfort and worry overseeing them.'

The blue-haired girl came over and hugged Yukina a bit, 'Don't worry, I'm sure our boys will kick their assess and avenge you.'

Yukina shook her head, 'No, Botan-san, I do not wish for that.'

Nana smiled a bit at her sadly, 'You just one every one to be okay.'

The short girl nodded, 'Yes. I don't care for vengeance. It won't bring me anything. I want to put everything that happened past me and simply live on.'

Shizuru blew out smoke from her cigarette, 'That's a very mature approach, Yukina-chan. I'm sure it will bring you more peace and happiness than revenge ever could.'

They all smiled and nodded at each other while Yukina put her hands together and nodded. She didn't smile, but she looked calm and relief which caused Nana to blink her own smile a bit fading as her eyes returned to look at Hiei's sleeping face.

Weird

Once again, she couldn't help but think the two looked a bit alike. However, the boys then returned looking properly gloomy and worried, and her thoughts changed once again.

After she regrouped with the girls, she didn't have much time to talk more with Kurama in person. She didn't mind all that much as in the moment, Nana was happy he was well and Karasu was gone. The fights weren't over, and they would have plenty of time to talk once they would. For now, this was all she needed, and she hoped he understood as much by the final bright smile she sent his way before her departure.

'See you after the final match. Hang in there, Kuwabara-'

'Quit it, I'm totally fine,' called the ginger-haired boy after her but her eyes stayed on Kurama who at least for the briefest moment of something other than violence shared her amusement.

In total it took six hours but finally, the repairs were finished, and the fights were announced to continue.

Kurama was right, Kuwabara and Toguro Elder took their place on the new ring ready to fight.

Nana didn't really like the idea. So far, even if he did his best and some, Kuwabara didn't have the best record, and it was obvious the yokai in the finals were the most brutal and strong of all of those they have faced so far. She also noticed how worried Shizuru seemed and so did Yukina who apparently was still suffering from what happened to her when she was held captive.

The raven-haired girl took her hand and gave her a small smile as Shizuru was too far for her to reach, 'It will be fine. He was born under the lucky star. He always made it out so far.'

The shorter yokai nodded, and they turned toward the match just as it began.

Kuwabara didn't waste time immediately pulling out a sword from his reiki and charging at his opponent with his confident battle cry.

Nana and everyone else's eyes widened in shock a moment later when they watched the ginger-haired human boy slice older Toguro in half without the yokai even so much as trying to dodge or block the attack.

One of the girls gasped, but Nana found it impossible to see who as she was too stunned and her eyes were frozen on the scene.

Did Kuwabara really just win like that?

Perhaps, they were all wrong, and it was the other Toguro who got all the fight? They had easy fights before, but Nana would definitely not have expected Kuwabara's final match to be this easy.

Juri walked up to elder Toguro probably to check if he was truly dead before she pointed at Kuwabara, 'The winner is Kuwa-'

Then as if out of nowhere several spears shot through Kuwabara's back spilling blood over the new ring causing them all to gasp or cry out in horror.

'Wh-what the hell just happened?!' asked Nana desperate panicked and confused wondering what was going on as did seemingly everyone else.

The spears pulled out and the ginger-haired human boy fell to the ground. As they suddenly started to shrink into a small hole in the ring, they formed a hand that belong to the older Toguro who easily made his way out of the hole laughing. They were wrong. They were so very wrong. This match wouldn't be easy at all.

Nana's heart sink at the realization properly frightened for her friend's life and his loved ones as she looked over at Shizuru who looked properly horrified and scared for her younger brother.

The raven-haired girl hoped once again would prove he was lucky and get up.

'However, the severed body of Contestant Toguro is also definitely still in the ring!' called out Koto just then focusing Nana's mind back on the match.

In the next moment, Toguro rose from his spot in the ground revealing he created his own twin from his body as he could apparently shape it into any form he wanted.

He snatched Kuwabara's sword handle mocking him by the looks of it although they couldn't really make out their words from so far away.

'What are they talking about?' asked Keiko worried, and Nana wondered the same before Yukina spoke, 'H-he said Master Genkai is dead.'

Nana felt the world freeze for a moment around her as that information sank in, 'B-but that's not…'

She looked at the others.

Botan hugged herself and started to softly sob and cry clearly knowing this was true. Instantly, memories and things the raven-haired human girl noticed before came rushing toward her. Botan's sad and atypical behavior, her absence, why no one saw Master Genkai since the start of the final match, Kurama's words last night.

She knew whatever he wanted to tell her had to be serious and bad, so she wished he wouldn't say it and spare her one night of just the two of them enjoying themselves their worries far away.

She covered her mouth still in shock even if she knew it was the truth now.

Master Genkai was dead.

How? When? It felt so bizarre to think that. They were trapped on this island until the end of the tournament how could they not know?

Her mind drifted to the last time she spoke with the wise martial artists feeling her heart was once again heavy inside her chest.

No, this isn't right. This isn't right at all.

Tears formed behind her eyes as she recalled the time, she spoke with the older woman feeling a sense of closeness toward her as she reminded her of her granny and gave her advice she could imagine getting from her granny as well. It was horrible and unfair that they lost her like this without even knowing when and what happened.

'Botan-chan, is it true?' asked Keiko, and the ferry-girl nodded, 'Yes, yesterday I took her spirit into Reikai. I'm sorry…I just couldn't…I couldn't bring myself to…,' she cried some more, and Keiko brushed her back while Nana gave her a supportive look. She understood why she couldn't bring herself to say it. Yesterday, she was offered to hear it, but Nana refused even if she didn't know what it was knowing it was something painful and bad. She understood Botan's decision completely at that moment.

After a while, Nana pushed her own feelings aside to focus on Kuwabara. She could deal and process later, right now, she wanted and needed to stay faithful in her prayers and thoughts to her friend who was fighting for his and his teammates' lives.

It seemed Kuwabara would certainly need any help he could get as it was clear he was just as shaken by the news as Nana felt trembling in front of his opponent. Something Nana would never believe she would ever see in her life.

Elder Toguro didn't seem to care for Kuwabara needing a moment and immediately stabbed him again with his long sharp fingers causing Nana's thoughts to leave Master Genkai as she mentally winced at how much that must have hurt.

The dead were in a better place, the living needed her support more.

Kuwabara didn't allow himself to be taken down so easily and pushed his body up despite his injuries. Then to Nana's absolute horror and disgust, the yokai's hand changed and formed a younger Master Genkai look like proudly showing it to his opponent.

'Kami, what an asshole! How can he just do that?!' complained Keiko clearly just as disgusted holding Puu closer to her chest. Nana couldn't agree more watching the yokai wave Master Genkai on his arm still talking to Kuwabara clearly looking down at him and thinking he had the upper hand.

Then to make matters even worse, he aged Master Genkai to how she looked now and stabbed her with his other hand forcing Nana to cover her eyes, 'This is too horrible to watch. How can anyone be this cruel?' She knew it was pointless to ask such things, but she couldn't help it truly not understanding how could someone, even a yokai be this cruel in showing something like that to Kuwabara when he was already shaken and the others who just lost their teammate and close friend.

When elder Toguro started to laugh like a maniac Yusuke started to scream, 'You're wrong! Ba-san didn't fight out of envy, you freak! Stop lying!'

Nana felt almost glad she couldn't hear what they were saying fearing it would have hurt her so much worse than it already did.

After a moment, Kuwabara seemed to regain his strength and started to stand up to his feet something about him changing.

---

Yusuke's decision to withhold Master Genkai's death proved to be a poor one, as it only seemed to shake and distract Kuwabara even more than it would have if he learned of it yesterday or at least before his fight.

Kurama was worried how much more of a handicap it would be for the human boy now all the while feeling hot anger toward the older Toguro for using such a cheap ploy to gain an advantage one that he most certainly didn't need as he already wounded Kuwabara when the match started.

However, just as the kitsune began the worry about what would happen next, Kuwabara got to his feet clenching his fists, all the while his reiki rose to a level Kurama didn't witness him obtain before, not even when they were training together.

'You're in full spirit, now?' asked older Toguro mockingly further presenting his pride and ridicule over the human boy.

'But without your trump card,' he said revealing the sword handle, Kuwabara was given by Suzuki to better help him use his Spirit Sword technique, 'you will never be able to cut me with your reiki alone-'

'Shut up…!' said Kuwabara firmly not looking like he was interested in any more of what his opponent had to say.

That didn't sit right with the yokai as he morphed his arm into a spear and went to stab Kuwabara once again calling out, 'You're the one who's going to be silenced! Die!'

Kurama's eyes widened as he watched in fear the boy just stand still while the spear ran through his chest.

'Oh My!' shouted Koto from her place, 'Contestant Kuwabara has his heart run through!'

However, in the next moment, Kurama blinked surprised as he realized there was no blood or actual wound present on Kuwabara's chest. For some reason older Toguro's hand stopped against his chest but didn't cut through causing the kitsune to realize what had happened.

'Incredible,' stated Kurama honestly as he watched what happened, 'Kuwabara's Reiki is rising higher and higher out of anger!' It was like nothing he ever witnessed before, certainly not in humans.

Possibly for the first time ever since they met the boy looked properly dangerous and like someone who should be treated with caution to the kitsune.

Kuwabara rose his head looking straight at older Toguro as he shouted, 'I'm going to make you pay!'

In the next moment, he rose his hand and released a multiply projectile attack in form of small bolts of his reiki that were tossed at his opponent as if they were knives effectively cutting through him.

The yokai let out a desperate cry before he collapsed onto the ground. Even if his yoki wasn't as grand as some of the other opponents, he could still sense it meant there was still some life inside the Toguro Elder, but hopefully not enough for him to get up before the time was up.

'Holy shit,' cursed Yusuke enthusiastically, and Kurama could only agree, 'Amazing.' He knew there was more to Kuwabara than met the eye, but even he was astonished by his move especially in the situation he was in.

Juri started to count again, however, before she got to nine, she let out a startled gasp and stopped.

'Your counting is meaningless,' said the yokai and started to attach his body parts, 'To think that you could shoot your sword Reiki like shuriken knives. You're more clever than I expected,' he tossed at Kuwabara almost like a compliment while the ginger-haired boy shook with the realization that his fight wasn't over.

In the next moment, Toguro the Elder stabbed Kuwabara again and lifted him into the air, and then tossed him brutally against the ground.

The referee started to count, and the yokai prepared himself to stab the boy once again, but Kuwabara's quick thinking got him to reach for the sword handle and properly cut the yokai once again.

However, just as the count started once more, the yokai put himself back together, once again proving to be impossible to beat the opponent.

To everyone's shock, Kuwabara didn't allow the yokai to attach himself again, instead, he quickly changed the shape of his reiki, 'It's true that without knowing, where your weak spots are, there's no way for me to attack. However, if I were to smash your entire body, what would happen then?!' asked Kuwabara before he did just that leaving nothing of Toguro Elder behind.

He felt beyond relief as he watched the human boy jump down from the ring and made his way toward them. He and Yusuke rushed to meet and praise him only for Kuwabara to without a single word punch Yusuke properly throwing him on the ground as he did.

Yusuke as the rest of them was stunned looking at their teammate.

'Why, you…Why didn't you say anything about Ba-san getting killed?!' demanded Kuwabara sounding very angry, 'Am I the only one you left out of the loop?!'

Yusuke remained silent only angering Kuwabara more, 'Say something will you!'

Kuwabara took a hold of his shirt pulling him closer, 'Did you think that if I found out about Ba-san being killed, I would chicken out and run away?! Urameshi!'

When Yusuke remained quiet obviously still haunted by his grief over the loss of his mentor, Kurama took a step in, 'Kuwabara.'

'You stay quiet!' the boy snapped at him, and as much as the redhead understood where his anger was coming from, he didn't allow him to carry on with his anger and accusations, 'The rest of us didn't hear it from Yusuke either. Somehow, we just realized it and didn't see the need to ask or speak about it.'

That seemed to cause a shift in Kuwabara as he blinked and looked from him back to Yusuke only now that his anger was pushed aside, he could see the state Yusuke was in.

'Ba-san…she died right before my eyes,' confessed their team leader quietly, the guilt was very much present in his voice as he spoke and sadness covered his face, 'I asked Koenma to take Ba-san's place and help us out. I braced myself for the worst knowing that all we could do is fight with those of us who were left. But even so, I still couldn't believe it. It's like it wasn't real. Even now, I think that maybe, by some chance she'll suddenly come back here. And I felt that somehow if I were to say that she had died. If I were to admit it…then she wouldn't come, and I couldn't say it,' he said explaining his feelings and need not to speak about what happened, and finally looked at Kuwabara, 'I'm sorry.'

Without waiting for another word, he started to walk toward the ring to start his fight.

It seemed a rather gloomy way to go into their final match, but before Yusuke would reach the ring, Kuwabara called out, 'Urameshi, win.'

'Yeah,' confirmed Yusuke and cracked his knuckles as he carried on to finally fight in the match that he was destined to since the moment Toguro came and invited him. It was now or never. The atmosphere around them was properly alluring and dangerous showing just how much both of them wanted this.

He glanced at Hiei who shared a look with him. Both could sense the bloodthirst for a fight.

'It's upon us indeed. The fight where blood will meet blood' said Koto and Kurama couldn't agree more. It felt as if the whole stadium was silent for once everyone awaiting what would happen, who would win, when to everyone's shock once again something unexpected happened in the form of the team Toguro owner, Sakyo, walking up and picking up the microphone from the referee declaring he was betting his life on Toguro's win.

It was truly bizarre. Kurama knew humans behind the tournament were lowest of the low, bloodthirst and truly awful often even crueler than some yokai, but the man's decision to risk his life in such a way caught the kitsune of guard. He would understand if he was in it for the money or perhaps his dark desires, but this seemed like something else. For a moment, it reminded Kurama of the time when all on his mind was his next grand heist and things he would steal. Only now seeing someone else to be only satisfied by such things did the kitsune truly understand how lonely his life had been after he lost Kuronue, his best friend. Only in the human world with his mother, friend, and above all Nana did he find something that could satisfy and fulfill his life completely understanding what it really meant to be properly happy in his life.

Now looking at someone like Sakyo, he couldn't help but pity the man wondering if there would be a way to save him too or if he was already lost.

'It's alright, I accept,' stated Lord Koenma to the man's proposition, 'I will stake my life on the victory of Urameshi Yusuke.'

The offering wasn't something Kurama would expect from someone from Reikai, especially with how often the prince made it clear he would abandon them if things didn't go their way. However, perhaps just as he and Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara's courage, devotion and honor were rubbing off on him as well making him more than what he was born to be.

They announced a conference of the head office administrative personnel to make a decision regardless of the proposal and ordered them a ten-minute break and the remaining members of Team Toguro left while Yusuke returned back to them.

'I still can't believe you would do that,' he said and hit Lord Koenma across his back causing the other man to almost stumble.

'Yeah, it looks like you finally grew a spine,' agreed Kuwabara his wounds almost completely healed.

Kurama's eyes momentarily drifted toward the audience and Nana who was looking down at him. One last match to go, and then it would be over. It would finally be over.

The decision was made not long afterward. The proposition was accepted.

---

'Wouldn't it be very bad if someone like Lord Koenma died? Can he even die?' asked Nana genuinely curious earning and glare from Keiko which she quickly raised her arms in surrender to, 'I don't mean it as Yusuke-kun would lose, I'm just curious, I guess.'

'Everything that lives can die, Nana-chan,' said Botan with a nod, 'Everyone meets their end one day.'

The committee's decision to accept the owner of Team Toguro's bet was made, and they all settled down looking at the front.

This was it. They knew this would be how it would end with Yusuke and Toguro in the final match. Nana could only hope the result would be fortunate for their team.

Nana heard Keiko say Yusuke's name in a silent whisper. The raven-haired girl knew that now without a doubt she was in the same state, Nana was just a few matches ago. Even now it was properly nerve-racking, but Nana still had faith that just like all those times before Yusuke would come out a winner.

Good luck, Yusuke.

Juri began the match with the entire audience going silent once again their eyes toward the two fighters. If someone dropped a pin it would have been heard with how quiet even their breathing was. They wanted to see and hear everything ready for what was about to come.

However, just as so many times before they were all caught off guard by the manic laugher that suddenly echoed through the silent stadium. It came out so suddenly, Nana flinched startled by the sound trying to look around and see what was happening.

The laughter carried on for a moment before a dark figure jumped out of the single hole inside the new ring.

'No way,' breathed out Nana her eyes widened as she watched the older Toguro, very much alive, missing only a single arm take his place between Yusuke and his brother grinning and laughing like a madman.

She felt Yukina lean closer and took a hold of her arm probably experiencing the same anguish, Nana did while watching the lunatic.

He proceeded to talk his filth about Master Genkai further making Nana sick.

It seemed to have been enough even for his brother who easily kicked him out of the ring.

This started a short fight between the two yokai.

'You will pay for this!' shouted the older brother as he charged at the other one, only for him to defeat him with a single punch that properly ended him as there wasn't a single piece of him left in the air.

Even if Nana was glad he was gone, she couldn't help but think it was beyond scary that he could kill someone like that with a single punch.

'Now, the end is upon us!' called Koto, 'The championship match of the Dark Tournament! What's more it is the battle between the captains, everything will be decided by this match! Will Team Toguro win consecutive championships? Or will Team Urameshi win their first championship in their first appearance? This match will determine who is the champion! Contestant Toguro vs. Contestant Urameshi!'

The large screen lightened up with their names. The tension in the air was so thick it was almost touchable. Before all Nana felt was fear. She was too scared for Kurama to allow herself to feel anything else even when she knew he had a shot, she just couldn't shake the feeling of concern off her shoulders. Now, she felt tense and anticipation as she would watching any other sport or match. Even if Yusuke could just as well get seriously hurt even die, it was more like she knew she needed to see this match and the outcome. The fear was almost barely present. It was biased. She knew. Her affection for Kurama caused her to be more subjective about his fights only wishing for quick ends so he wouldn't be hurt anymore so she could breathe again.

Now, she wished to see Yusuke win feeling the anticipation and thrill of the upcoming fight as any other viewer would.

'This is it,' said Botan, 'This will decide everything that happened so far.'

'Yusuke-kun, fight!' called out Shizuru.

Taking a deep breath knowing her chest was free to do so since it wasn't Kurama whose life was on the line, Nana watched as the match finally began.

Toguro tossed aside his coat revealing his muscling chest.

'Urameshi! If you lose, you'll answer to me! You got that?!' Kuwabara yelled at him as the Juri called out that they could start.

The two were now standing much closer together, and in the next moment, Toguro began to change his body growing even more massive than before. The ring underneath his feet broke a bit and even if Nana couldn't see or sense anything the way others could, she still had a finally something changed about the yokai which caused even Yusuke to take a step back.

'There it is! Toguro's manipulation of muscle!' called someone from the audience only to be followed by some desperate screaming and panic.

Nana looked around noticing several yokai all around the stadium they disappeared in red dust.

'What's going on?'

'It's him,' said Yukina by her side, 'It's his yoki. It's fearsome and weaker yokai are getting destroyed by the pressure.'

She pulled Nana's arm closer, 'We must leave. Regular people with no defense power themselves will fall under this yoki as well.'

They turned around to look at the others and maybe run before Yukina paused looking over at Keiko or specifically Puu in her arms, 'Oh, Puu created a barrier.'

Nana blinked and tried to look around, but she couldn't really see or feel anything. It was probably for the best because if not feeling anything meant that she was safe and not about to turn to dust because of some strong toxic yoki, she was very happy with her predicament.

The two girls nodded at themselves before they turned back to the ring to watch the match.

So far Yusuke and Toguro remained standing still staring each other down.

It only lasted a moment before Yusuke charged at the much larger man. He punched him into the gut, but it was nothing compared to the direct hit he received from the yokai into the chin that tossed him away.

Luckily, it didn't stop the boy, and without properly hitting the ground he was back on his feet. Toguro dodged his second punch and went to give him one of his own only for the shorter boy to kick him into the face. He then used the recoil from the kick to avoid getting into a pinch.

Toguro's fist collided with the rink tearing it apart.

It didn't stop there and the yokai shoved his hand, the sheer force of the move tearing apart even more of the ring and destroying a section in the audience.

He launched himself at Yusuke who apparently decided not to run and take to hit on.

Kuwabara yelled something, but the noise of destruction and how fast everything was happening forbade Nana from hearing him properly.

However, just as Toguro was about to punch Yusuke right into his open palms where he wanted to take the attack head-on, the yokai stopped and told him something.

'I-incredible! For a moment, it was as if sparks were flying from the battle!' spoke Koto into her mic, 'Ladies and gentlemen, did you see that?! The match has reversed itself from a lightning-fast exchange as both contestants now continue to stare each other down! And now, contestant Urameshi has begun to concentrate his power into his right hand!' explained Koto enthusiastically clearly enjoying the match as well.

'What's happening?' asked Nana, 'He's preparing to use his Rei-gun with the power he got from Master Genkai. It seems very strong,' explained Botan.

Just before he would finally shoot it seemed, Yusuke started to run toward his opponent, and the two engaged in a fists fight that ended with Toguro completely destroying the ring and throwing both Yusuke and Juri out into the air.

Keiko screamed covering her mouth, and for a moment it was hard to see Yusuke through the rocks still in the sky before he appeared in a form of light blue light that shot from him straight toward Toguro. The impact was enormous ripping apart another side of the stadium.

The stadium fell into silence once again as they could only hear the sound of devastation that carried on further through the island outside and the occasional fall of damaged stadium and ring.

After another moment Koto called out into the mic, 'It seemed the attack caught contestant Toguro off guard. Moreover, the force of that Rei-gun was incomparable to the ones previous! He blew him a substantial distance away from the arena!'

Kuwabara started shouting for the referee to start counting, which forced Nana out of her momentary shock over the force of the attack only to look over at the spot that used to have a ring inside it but was not empty.

'That's the power Yusuke got from Master Genkai!' shouted Botan suddenly as she too must have awakened from her shock.

'Not even that yokai Toguro could be able to stand up to that!' agreed Shizuru, and Puu let out several noises of encouragement.

'So what now? Did he win or…?' wondered the raven-haired girl looking at the absent ring and hole that carried Toguro and Yusuke's blowout. What did this mean for them? Was Toguro killed by the attack? It was an attack almost or even stronger than any of the strongest they saw so far so he had to be, right?

No one offered an answer, but Nana didn't really blame them for not having one.

Then after another couple of minutes to everyone's shock, Toguro returned looking even more massive and horrifying. For some reason despite everyone and everything Nana has witnessed so far, this guy, didn't even appear like a yokai. He looked like a proper monster for some reason. Chills went through her at the thought.

'Yusuke, please be alright,' prayed Keiko out loud, and Nana nodded to herself returning to look at the contestants as they started to fight again the crowd cheering Toguro on.

'There is now absolutely no hope of contestant Urameshi winning!' said Koto, and Nana frowned wondering if a commentator should even say things like that hoping that the boy still had something up his sleeve to gain the upper hand again.

As on cue, Yusuke ripped apart his wristbands revealing some sort of yellow glow even Nana and Keiko could see.

'Those must have been the Ju Rei Jo: Shu no Gyo Master Genkai left him,' explained Botan causing Nana to glance at her and then back the glowing lighting moving around Yusuke's limps, 'So Spirit Cuff, huh?'

Despite his previous failure, Yusuke didn't lose his enthusiasm and looked more than sure of himself. He rose his hands and seemingly broke something as the lightning around him disappeared and a wave of power in the form of some sort of giant bird that flew across the stadium. Nana couldn't take her eyes off the majestic creature that then returned to Yusuke's body.

'We've got Master Genkai to thank! Yusuke will definitely win like this!' said Botan sounding certain which Keiko immediately jump on asking, 'You really think so?'

'Yes!'

'So long as his opponent is Toguro as he is now, that is…,' warned Shizuru almost ominously which only reminded Nana and no doubt the others of how many times they expected something to go their way only for it to completely backfire.

Yusuke took ahold of his powers and after a moment charged against the yokai disappearing in front of their eyes.

In the next moment, Yusuke reappeared and started to furiously punch his opponent not giving him a moment to rest before he got a good hit and threw the yokai to the ground.

Yusuke didn't stop there and immediately went at it again hitting Toguro hard enough to crack the ground under him and then proceeded to punch him in a barrage of fists for several minutes looking like he once again had the upper hand.

However, as they almost believed it, the boy stopped and jumped out of the hole he created waiting.

In the next moment, Toguro came out of the hole looking surprisingly skinny. The massive muscles were gone living him looking no better than a man who slightly worked out.

Nana found the image incredibly creepy. It was unsettling how calm the yokai appeared while looking like that, and something told the girl something very bad possibly even worse than before was coming their way now.

The back of her neck felt chilly just by looking at the yokai so openly in this form feeling that something was happening. It was all so very creepy.

Then it happened.

Toguro's body started to transform again only this time the feeling was far worse and more horrific than before causing everyone to let out startled gasps as the whole stadium began to abnormally shake.

The power that erupted broke through the yokai's body blinding them not only with the feeling of power but also with the bright purple light that started to destroy everyone it touched including yokai around them.

The girls screamed and gasped as Yukina warned them not to move.

Nana's heartbeat speeded up and as an instinct, she almost did move only to almost feel as if someone touched her knee and kept her still.

Don't move.

Her body relaxed a bit.

Kurama.

Her eyes sook him out and found him looking over at them probably to make sure they weren't in danger which made her nod and pressed her hand against her chest.

She was fine.

Then, however, something even worse happened as the entire stadium and possibly the whole world turned pitch black.

No, not this.

Nana's heart stopped as she felt the familiar sensation of not being able to move and someone lurking with her in the dark.

'Nana-chan,' she felt Yukina's hand take hold of hers, and she closed her eyes telling herself it was fine because she wasn't in the dark alone, with Karasu or anyone. She was still in the stadium with the others. Surrounded by her friends. She would be fine.

I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay.

She repeated in her mind like a mantra until finally, the darkness caused by Toguro faded, but Nana almost wished it hadn't as in the light they could clearly see the new form Toguro turned into.

Before he was gross, but now he looked properly sinister and monstrous with his muscles so dark and large genuinely resembling some creature from Makai more than a human standing in front of Yusuke so tall and massive making him seem incredibly small in comparison.

Nana felt truly awful just looking at them and dreaded to think what would happen now. The human girl couldn't even sense his yoki or anything, yet she already found him terrifying. She could only imagine what someone like Shizuru could see just as she confirmed her assumptions by her next words, 'There's no way! No human could beat that!'

The other girls chastised the woman for talking like that, but Nana understood, she could see by just her eyes that Toguro was truly someone to be feared in a whole different way than people should fear types like Karasu or the older Toguro. Even without being as cruel or a maniac as those two, the yokai commanded respect and fear all the same.

Keiko, however, refused to stop believing, 'That's not so! Yusuke will be all right!'

She turned to the front as Puu flowed toward her head and clapped her hands like she wanted to pray, 'Surely…surely, he will win for us!'

Nana felt for Keiko. She truly did as she understood her better than anyone since she was in the same situation not so long ago. Hope to battle against fear.

She reached out and squeezed the young girl's shoulder forcing a reassuring smile to take hold of her face, 'Yusuke-kun will do first and last to win this, Keiko-chan. You know that.'

Her eyes revealed she was close to crying, but not allowing her tears to fall down the brunette nodded and turned to look back at her childhood love to watch him fight.

'Contestant Toguro is at last at 100 percent!' called out Koto as Toguro started to walk closer toward the boy. Then without even touching him, Yusuke was tossed almost to the sidewall.

The two started to fight again first from distance with Toguro tossing something small at Yusuke and him blocking it, and then Yusuke tossing a large ball of energy toward the yokai. One, he almost laughably easily took hold off and destroyed in his arms like it was nothing.

He grabbed Yusuke by the shirt and lifted him up only to punch him into the gut. The impact of the punch threw the poor boy all the way to the top seats of the stadium.

The girls gasped horrified by the force of the attack.

It truly seemed that there was nothing to be done to stop the yokai now from defeating and possibly killing Yusuke, but Nana pushed such traitorous thoughts away.

The fight wasn't over.

She reminded herself. Yusuke could still find a way and win this whole thing. They just needed to have faith in the boy who came back from death. What else was there to do?

Then in the next moment, they could hear cries and begging as the yokai around them once again started to perish their spirits being sucked into Toguro's body.

Yokai started to make a run for it. The only reason why they weren't hurt too was the barrier that Puu created. It was horrible.

'He's doing anything he pleases! That rotten muscle-bound bastard!' complained Shizuru, and Nana agreed to look horrified by how many died just because they were weaker than him.

Yukina warned them again to stay inside the barrier.

Another earthquake shook the ground around them and large metal pillars surfaced from the ground creating a wall around the stadium.

Some yokai started to charge at Toguro but were killed instantly.

It was pure chaos for a few long minutes as things got out of hands leaving Nana even more devastated as she realized this wasn't even a fight anymore.

Yusuke attacked the yokai, and the audience, the yokai who wished them all death started to cheer.

'It's the other thing that's reality. This is a dream, huh?' asked Keiko in a soft voice her eyes distant as tears started to escape them all of the sudden somewhere during all the madness going on, 'Let's go home. Let's go home, Yusuke.'

Nana felt her chest tighten in sympathy with the girl who carried on seemingly not even present in the moment.

'Let's go home together,' she said one more time and just then Yusuke got brutally hit and ended up on the ground.

'YUSUKE!' called out Keiko.

Toguro, careless of Yusuke state, walked toward him and stepped on his gut causing blood to splash from the poor boy's mouth.

'Yusuke,' whispered Keiko and fell to her knees. The others immediately tried to get to her and comfort her.

'Keiko-chan? Keiko-chan?' called out Nana brushing her shoulder while Botan tried to shake her, 'Snap out of it! It's all right! Your Yusuke is going to win!' she repeated with determination, Nana was sure she didn't possess as none of them could be certain what would happen next, but they couldn't also just leave Keiko in such a state.

Then Botan's eyes also started to water as she spoke, 'If he loses here, there's no way he could face Master Genkai, is there? Yusuke is not going to lose!'

'Good riddance, that boy is nothing but trouble,' said a familiar voice suddenly shocked Botan enough to stop crying, and force a way of goosebumps to appear on Nana's neck, 'T-that sound like…?'

Except for Botan who also turned around none of the other girls said anything to prove they heard it as well which caused Nana to wonder if they did really hear it.

However, any questions she might have had regardless of the voice were cut short as a large ball of energy suddenly blew a hole not even five meters away from the killing and injuring several yokai that were hiding there and causing them to scream covering themselves without moving.

Nana's eyes widened as cold sweat cover her back causing her to realize just how close she was to certain death feeling for a moment frozen in place while holding onto Keiko's shoulder.

It was petrifying.

Yokai, or at least those that were still alive, started to scream and cry as despair took over and Nana genuinely started to wonder if they would make it out of it alive as even stone-cold confident Shizuru stated as she blew out the smoke from her cigarette, 'Twenty-plus years, huh? What a short life I've had.'

Nana shot her a look while Botan gave her a piece of her mind not happy about their friend being so honest and pessimistic on the subject of their potential death.

'Shizuru-san, you can't just speak like that.'

'Am I wrong?' she asked.

Nana raised her hands away from Keiko's shoulders for a moment, 'Now, now, let's not argue about something like that now. The fight isn't over, Yusuke-kun can still surprise us, right Keiko-chan?'

The girl didn't reply still caught in her catatonic state, and Nana began to worry about what she could possibly to do help when they heard once again the familiar voice the raven-haired girl almost forgot about.

'Yukina! Botan!'

Nana looked around trying to see where the voice, that was giving her the chills, was coming from before she noticed Puu flew in front of them, 'You can manage to create a barrier for five, right?'

Nana's eyes widened as even if it must have been impossible it seemed that the voice was coming out of Yusuke's Puu.

When the creature turned around his facial expression looked incredibly similar to the one of Master Genkai's which caused the girls to let out their startled and shocked gasps.

'That voice - I knew it!' called out Botan at the same time Yukina called out the old woman's name, 'Master Genkai.'

She didn't tell them anything else before she flew down to the ring to Yusuke.

Nana pulled Keiko closer trying to talk to her and get her out of this state of hers.

'Hey, Keiko-chan, can you please look at me? I know-I know this is scary, I was scared too, remember? But please, you need to come back to us. Don't you want to see Yusuke-kun win?'

'Maybe it's best she doesn't see in case something really bad is about to happen,' said Shizuru, and Nana bit the inside of her mouth for a moment debating on whether or that was true before she shook her head, 'Whatever happens what good will it do her not to witness it?'

She stepped in front of the girl, 'Keiko-chan, you came here, all this way, despite the danger and fear to see Yusuke-kun fight. You can't just miss his final match. Even if you can't do anything else, he can see you here in the crowd and know it's worth it to carry on, don't you think?'

The girl's eyes remained distant and lost, and Nana let out a sigh feeling hopeless as she understood she probably wouldn't be able to wake the poor girl up.

'Kazuma,' breathed out Shizuru by her side desperately, and Nana turned around to see what was happening as she wasn't paying attention in order to get through to Keiko for a while now.

She saw as Kuwabara out of all the people was running toward Toguro with his sword head-on.

Then the yokai rose his hand and with his fist alone stabbed through the boy's chest.

Nana stood up shocked at what happened covering her mouth just as she heard the other girls cry out. Yukina was covering her face as little gems were falling down on the floor and Shizuru started to sob into her palm while Botan went to reach her all the while Nana watched as Kuwabara's body hit the ground his blood still shining brightly on Toguro's fists.

Kurama rushed toward the boy screaming his name and trying to pull him up as Hiei and Lord Koenma followed.

No, no way, he's not dead.

It was impossible. Kuwabara's match was over. Just like the others, he won. He was alive and well. He couldn't have been dead and definitely not like this. Not when they least expected it, not when Yusuke was the one fighting. Nana prayed neither of her friends got hurt or killed during the whole tournament, but the idea that Kuwabara would have died out of nowhere when she wasn't prepared or even thinking it truly stuck with the girl leaving her shaking as tears started to fall down her own cheeks.

'Kuwabara-kun,' she whispered still holding up hope that Kurama would help him stand up or the ginger-haired boy would speak, but nothing like that happened and he remained on the ground.

Watching this, as Kurama shook Kuwabara's lifeless body all the while hearing his older sister sob right next to her properly broke Nana's heart in such a devastating way only rarely things did.

It felt like an eternity before something happened that forced the girl and possibly everyone to look away as Yusuke stood up a yellow aura taking over him and then spread across the stadium even coming through the barrier Botan and Yukina were holding up.

For Nana it felt like a cold breeze that only added to the sad atmosphere caused by Kuwabara's death.

Her eyes glanced at the boy on the ground again, Kurama was still close to him. It seemed surreal that he was dead even if Nana saw it with her own eyes.

Once again, she rather turned back to Yusuke praying that Kuwabara would be the only friend who would die today still hoping that something could be done to save him or bring him back.

Perhaps, it was a good thing that Keiko wasn't herself as she couldn't even imagine how scared she might have been if she saw all this.

Yusuke got tossed against the side of the audience section again, but he didn't allow himself to be kept there. He stood up his shirt now ruined. Both opponents released more of their strengths from the looks of it.

Then Toguro turned looking directly at Kurama, Hiei, and Lord Koenma and Nana's grieving heart stopped at the horrifying thought that he would now take someone else's life.

He took a step closer to them, but in a flash too quick for Nana's human eyes to see, Yusuke was there holding his wrist not allowing him to move an inch something properly dreadful was inside the boy now as the earth beneath him cracked with some sort of invisible force. A cold rage Nana occasionally saw in Kurama as well when someone was threatening her or those he cared for.

Nana kneeled down again pulling Keiko closer, 'Don't worry. I-I think Yusuke-kun will win now.'

Just as she said that the ground around the two fighters broke and shattered into the sky before Yusuke sucker-punched Toguro into the face the impact tossing him almost a km through the ground like he weighed nothing.

Then before he could even give the yokai time to take a hold of himself, he fired another large blue blast directly at him.

It went right through Toguro and then tore open another part of the stadium leaving the yokai sitting on the ground his body in some sort of paralysis from the power of the impact.

The stadium, which now barely had a hundred or two yokai left alive, fell into deafening silence once again. Everyone was so quiet when Yusuke spoke his voice carried reaching even the girls at their section, 'This next blast is my last one! I'm going to put all of my power into this blast. Take the power you got in exchange for your soul and use all of it…Use all of it and come after me!' He pointed at his opponent fearlessly as expected from someone like Urameshi Yusuke, which almost caused Nana's mind to soothe and smile if it wasn't for all the gruesome things that happened today, 'I will tear down everything about you, and win!'

To everyone's surprise or maybe just Nana's, Toguro laughed and fixed his neck and stood up saying something they couldn't hear and then shouting at the boy, 'Let's finished this!'

After that, the yokai let out a battle cry and once again changed his body becoming even more monstrous, larger, and muscley. He looked even less like a human than before.

Yusuke prepared himself to fire another Rei-gun as a light blue glow came around him lighting the bottom of the stadium. The ball grew in size and strength becoming bigger and bigger until it was huge and impossible to see Yusuke past the light.

Toguro let out another cry and released some of his own power.

'This is it,' said Botan clenching her fists in front of her, 'This will decide who will win.'

Nana let out another silent prayer and took hold of Keiko pulling her even closer into her side, 'You can do it, Yusuke-kun. We all believe in you.'

The whole ground became almost impossible to look at due to the bright light that was then fired by Yusuke toward the yokai.

Toguro seemed to stop it, the force of it pushing him back as Yusuke fell to his knees.

He yokai struggled with Rei-gun for a while screaming in agony as blood spilled out of him the longer he battled with the force.

As Nana began to hope it would be his end, he managed to push through it causing the light to completely disappear and leave him still standing while Yusuke was on his knees.

Her heart sank, 'Oh no.'

The silence in the audience was soul-crushing for a few moments until they could all hear loud cracking of some sort.

Nana blinked raising a bit to see better wondering why was the sound coming from Toguro before she understood. His large and massive body cracked and fell away leaving inside the body no different to that of any other man.

Then Toguro properly fell to the ground and the body that looked so strong a moment ago began to turn white as it belonged to some old man.

'What does this mean?' asked the raven-haired girl wondering if this meant no one won or not, but then to everyone's surprise and the girls' relief, Yusuke started to stand up and remained the only one standing meaning-

'-he won,' whispered Nana a small smile born out of stress and desperation tugged at her lips.

'Yusuke!' shouted Botan and hugged Shizuru, and Nana turned over to Keiko brushing her hair a bit, 'Keiko-chan, Yusuke-kun won. He won, Keiko-chan!'

---

It was beyond incredible and surprising. Even with all the hope and strength, Kurama still felt a sense of disbelief over the fact that Yusuke did actually win, and that this nightmarish tournament was over.

Koto and Juri both rushed toward the human who defeated Toguro and rose their hands properly declaring him and their team the winners of the Dark Tournament.

At last, they were finally here at the end of this dark path.

'Finally,' said Kurama, and Hiei chuckled by his side, 'Took quite a lot of time to do that, didn't he?'

'To think…to think that Yusuke had grown this much…,' said Lord Koenma seemingly to himself as they watched Yusuke stand there breathing hard probably taking it all in before he fell to the ground the exhaustion from such a hard and long match taking its toll on the boy.

Immediately, they all rushed toward him, and Kurama helped their team captain up making amends for before when it was Yusuke who helped him stand after his fight with Karasu.

'Hang on, are you okay?' he asked, but Yusuke didn't answer looking still shaken and very much beaten down, 'You've won, Yusuke! You've won!'

After a moment without looking away from the ground, the dark-haired boy asked, 'Am I…alive right now?'

'That's right, you've won, Yusuke,' assured him Lord Koenma, 'It was a magnificent fight.'

Yusuke blinked and looked in front of himself before he pushed himself away from Kurama cursing under his breath, 'Damn it all! Damn it all!'

No one said anything, and Kurama briefly glanced at the ginger-haired boy laying on the ground wondering how long he would keep up his act while Yusuke boiled in his own guilt recalling how his spinelessness caused Kuwabara's death.

He hit the ground desperately screaming out, 'He died in front of my eyes! I wasn't able to do anything!'

When he started to cry and scream Kuwabara's name in agony, the kitsune really believed he had enough and opened his mouth to reveal the secret of what truly happened to their friend, but it seemed Kuwabara also decided the boy had enough and stood up.

'Hey, Mr. Back-rice! Get it, Ura-meshi!' called Kuwabara cheerfully making fun of the boy while Yusuke slowly looked up at him his jaw-dropping to the floor.

Kurama closed his eyes at the feeling of embarrassment as the boy continued his antics.

When he opened them, Kuwabara saluted to Yusuke, 'How are you doing? It's Kuwabara-chan.'

For the longest instance, Yusuke looked like someone hit him over with a brick before he desperately and more than confused started to point at Kuwabara, 'B-but how?'

He then turned to Kurama who tried to look as apologetic as he felt and explained, 'Yusuke, you see, Kuwabara was never dead, to begin with.'

'W-w-what?!' cried the boy tears still falling down his face as he leaned very close to Kurama, a hint of betrayal behind his brown eyes.

'Calm down and listen,' urged him Kurama trying to be firm but not harsh before explaining what exactly happened and how Kuwabara decided to help Yusuke by pretending to be dead.

'Well? It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?' asked Kuwabara clearly thinking pretending he was dead in order to push Yusuke to fight his hardest was a mastermind plan. Although Kurama didn't exactly disagree, he still felt it was too much to put on Yusuke at the time.

'And you all knew?' asked Yusuke accusingly still looking pretty shaken by the news.

Lord Koemna brushed the back of his head, 'I didn't think it was the nicest thing to do, but still…,' he didn't reveal the lie either.

'You all let me get taken in!' complained Yusuke shaking his head obviously still feeling betrayed and his feelings a mess.

'It's your own fault, to begin with for being so gutless,' said Hiei easily, 'As you said yourself if only you could have released that power, to begin with, this whole farce could have been…,' Hiei stopped talking surprised by what was going as Kurama pointed him toward Yusuke beating up Kuwabara as punishment for his lies.

He mercilessly beat up the boy regardless of where they were.

'If you don't cut it out, he might really die,' said Lord Koenma, and Yusuke turned toward Toguro still a bit surprised, 'Why didn't Toguro kill Kuwabara?'

'Now that you mention it, you're right…'

'All Toguro had to do is keep digging into my critical points, and I would have been a goner,' agreed Kuwabara.

'I'm sure your defensive powers were heightened more than he expected, and he wasn't able to pierce clear through to your heart. You are after all our biggest player when it comes to being a poor loser,' explained Hiei earning a glare from the ginger-headed boy, 'You can't bring yourself to praise anyone, can you?'

Kurama also thought about this since he realized that he let Kuwabara live and also made sure twice not to hurt the girls at the audience sections, 'I don't know for sure, but maybe Toguro wasn't planning on killing Kuwabara in the first place. I can't help but get the feeling that he waiting all along for things to turn out like this.'

'Turn out like this?' asked Kuwabara confused something Yusuke seemed to share.

'For someone who was really strong to defeat him,' said Kurama, and Yusuke blinked, 'How come?'

Channeling his own feelings of his yokai life and what he learned about the defeated yokai, Kurama made an assumption, 'Perhaps he felt empty over abandoning his friend in order to get stronger. So maybe he wanted to be defeated by someone his friend believed in. Even if he had to keep playing the bad guy.'

Then Sakyo showed up confirming his words by putting some words of his own about his relationship with Toguro and how he viewed Yusuke appearing happy for the first time ever in years.

When he pulled out some sort of remote device with a big red button and fifteen-minute countdown a dark feeling overtook Kurama's senses and was only proved correct when the stadium started to crumble around them.

'Fifteen minutes to the explosion. Fifteen minutes!' called a metallic voice through the speakers.

'The dome will soon explode, together with me and my ambitions.'

'Why you!'

'How could you?'

Demanded his teammates furiously while Kurama's mind and eyes drifted toward the section he last saw Nana's yellow shirt.

'This is how I will settle our wager,' explained the man.

'Where are you going?' called out Lord Koenma as Sakyo walked away the automatic voice announced, 'Thirteen minutes to explosion!'

Everything around them started to fall down. Panic kicked in. They needed to get their friends and get out.

'We need to go!' demanded Kurama meeting Yusuke's gaze, who looked just as anxious, 'Keiko and the girls.'

'You guys take care of them!' called out Lord Koenma suddenly before he rushed after wherever Sakyo disappeared.

When Yusuke started to stumble the redhead quickly caught him, 'Are you alright, Yusuke?'

'Yeah,' he said a bit weakly before he glanced for the last time at Toguro and with a small smirk promising Toguro he would catch up with him later.

They rushed toward the audience section as fast as they could trying to come across the wave of scared yokai that were running from the opposite direction trying to get out.

Above the sea of yokai, Kurama caught the yellow shirt and its owner waving her arms at them before she disappeared.

'Over there!' he called out.

As they moved closer, they saw the girls all kneeling down for some reason neither of them moving or trying to run.

His eyes narrowed as his senses alerted. Something was wrong.

'Yukina!' shouted Kuwabara suddenly and without a single second to spare he made way between the franticly running yokai who survived Toguro's yoki clearly the path for them as Kurama and the others were left in the back staring in disbelief.

'Anyone who stands in my way gets no mercy!'

'What's with him?' asked Hiei, even he sounded confused and Kurama decided it wasn't the best to remind the shorter yokai of Kuwabara's affection for his sister.

He pulled Yusuke higher over his shoulder, 'In any case, let's follow him.'

They carried on their way, Kurama noticing how Nana, Botan, and Yukina were sitting on either side of Keiko all of them talking and touching her while she kneeled on the floor motionless. The redhead couldn't see Kuwabara's sister anywhere, but even with her absence, the situation looked serious. Something was very much wrong.

Kuwabara who was so much in the front almost got close to them which was when Yukina went to meet him halfway. A large piece of the wall started to fall, but luckily Hiei caught wind of it and jumped to her aid. Kurama didn't see him properly until he got close, but it was obvious he saved the ice-maiden and took a step back still not open to the possibility of spending time with her even in such a situation.

Kurama carried Yusuke closer, and Botan and Nana stood up, 'It's Keiko-chan.'

Yusuke tore himself away from Kurama and almost stumbled before he reached the brunette as Nana rushed to Kurama, 'She got scared during the match and started to talk about how this was just a dream, and she wanted to go home. She's like this for over fifteen minutes,' explained Nana as she and Kurama made their way toward the others.

'She won't move and just stares into the space,' filled in Botan.

The spirit detective immediately started to shake the girl, 'Keiko! Oi, Keiko! Snap out of it!'

The stadium around them continued to collapse, and Kurama pulled Nana closer to him to shield her from some falling rocks, 'Stay close, alright?'

The girl feverishly nodded waist as they watched Yusuke sound at Keiko to wake up going from violently shaking her to actually slapping her face.

'Kami!' let out Nana and closed her eyes, and personally, Kurama also felt this wasn't the right course of action even if they were on limited time, and it might help.

'Hurry up, would you? Wake up! Come on!' shouted Yusuke and continued to slap the girl's face for several painful moments, before finally, the girl's fist clenched, and in such a fast moment Keiko should be very proud of herself.

She slapped Yusuke across the face with such force she properly knocked the boy out for a few seconds, 'That hurts, you idiot!'

Yusuke's face broke the ground as it landed, and Nana let out a pained sound just from looking at him before she looked up at Kurama who offered her a grimace also at disbelief at the pairs' behavior. Then again, it seemed fitting someone like Yusuke would have found himself someone like Keiko which made the yokai all the more convinced it only made sense he found himself someone like Nana.

Keiko looked around then confused and then shocked at how she knocked Yusuke out with a single slap while Kuwabara went to check if he was still alive.

'As lovely as this is,' said Hiei dryly, 'Can we go before this place blows up?'

They all seemed to agree.

'Let's go!' said Keiko full of life now and to Kurama's surprise easily picked Yusuke up onto her back, 'Where to?'

Kurama barely managed to point the way before the girl with more strength and energy than he would give her credit for already started to run. Without much time left the others didn't dwell on the strangeness and rushed after her.

The kitsune grabbed Nana's hand, and she gave him a single nod to signal she wouldn't let go, they started to run after Keiko toward the exit created by Yusuke earlier. They got blocked block by a crowd of yokai, but once again Kuwabara made the way.

Unfortunately, their way of exit was blocked by several large rocks fallen due to the earthquake.

'We need to knock it,' said Yusuke and winced which got Keiko to say, 'You can't do that. You're too hurt.'

'So are all of these guys!' complained Yusuke, but he didn't try to get off her back.

Nana looked at Kurama, 'So what do we do now?'

The voice announced two minutes left to the explosion, and Kurama genuinely didn't know. There was no time to find another way, and this way seemed unmovable by anything any of them had the power to do.

Then they heard a rumble and the rocks in front of them exploded. After the dust cleared a voice called out, 'Urameshi!'

Kurama could feel the collective relief upon seeing Chu and the others clearing their path.

'Come quick! We can't let the heroes of the tournament get hurt in a place like this!'

They carried on running and managed to get far away watching from the distance at the stadium exploded. Kuwabara's sister, Lord Koemna, and Jorge reached them just in time before all was properly done.

All of them watched the flames and destruction, thinking about what just happened and how it was finally over when Botan screamed.

'What?' asked Yusuke sliding down from Keiko's back while the others looked at her.

'As winners, you were all promised to get a wish come true, but now you won't get anything!' complained Botan causing Kuwabara's spirit to fall down a bit.

But Kurama only sighed not really all the interested in whatever a wish come true might have been.

He put his arms around Nana's shoulder and smiled down at her feeling her brown eyes looking up at him with relief for what felt like the first time in forever. He was content and had everything he could ask for at least for a moment until Yusuke spoke reminding them all that they wouldn't be able to get what they wanted the most.

Master Genkai

'Hey, Ba-san,' said Yusuke looking at the sky above, 'We won.'

They all stood still for several moments, before Nana said, 'Oh, I almost forgot.'

She broke away from Kurama and ran to Kuwabara patting his shoulder, 'I'm really happy you're alive.'

The taller boy perked up at this grinning brightly at the girl, 'Thank you, so much, Hinata-san! See, this is what you should have done, Urameshi-AU!' Before he finished his words, Nana jumped on his foot making sure it would hurt given how he grabbed hold of it jumping a bit, 'What the heck was that? I thought you said-!'

'But don't even for a second thing, I appreciate having to go through the notion of thinking you were dead!' she said and pointed at him, 'I really thought you were dead!'

'That's right!' said Shizuru and walked toward her brother in slow steps which only forced the boy to look more terrified since he knew what his sister was capable of. She slapped him and pulled him by the color to look at her, 'What do you think you're doing? What would I have said to mom and dad if you died, you dumbass! Who do you think you are toying with your poor sister's heart, huh?'

'Yeah, that wasn't very nice, Kuwabara!' agreed Botan crossing her arms and Yusuke gave him a victory grin, 'Ha, see that?'

'You caused us great grieve, Kazuma-san,' said Yukina which was like the final nail on the poor boy's coffin as he properly bowed down apologizing to all, mainly Yukina of course.

Kurama couldn't help a small smile to grace his face at his friend's misfortune only for Nana to elbow him into the side. It didn't hurt as his wounds were elsewhere, but he was still surprised by Nana's behavior not even bothering to hide it, 'What-'

'What? What! You let me think he was dead! Don't think we all didn't assume he was just because of you, Kurama,' she said and crossed her arms looking properly crossed with the redhead.

'Ah, Nana, it was necessary,' he tried to say and touch her, but the girl took a step back, 'Nope, no way.'

The redhead chuckled recognizing her pout for what it was a way of distraction from all the bad that happened so far, and he played into it, 'Please?'

'No,' she said and started to walk toward the direction of the hotel waving at him, 'I'm leaving.'

He sighed hearing others like Jin snicker, 'Damn, that girl sure knows how to put a guy in his place.'

Kurama shot him a look with a smirk not really needing to add anything to them before he rushed after Nana, 'You won't let me run after you. I'm still fairly injured. You're not that cruel, Nana.'

The girl slowed down although she didn't stop until they reached the hotel a bit away from the others, 'Next time you enter some competition, make it a botany-related one, okay?'

He chuckled, 'But if you think about this was related to the discipline as well. I did use my knowledge of plants to with.'

Nana rolled her eyes but didn't leave looking at the ground for a moment clearly thinking. She wasn't really angry, he knew as much, 'Just don't die on me. I don't ask for much.'

'Certainly not,' he agreed and leaned closer whispering, 'Don't worry I don't plan to any time soon.'

'Good,' she said and finally looked up at him smiling in that way that made him very fond of her all over again. He wondered if he would get away with leaning down and stealing a small kiss from her. Just for a second really.

He carefully put his hand on her arm sliding his finger through her elbow to her wrist, but unfortunately, their friends followed close by, and the yokai didn't feel like giving them any entertainment as he sensed Nana wouldn't appreciate such things either.

For now, all he could do was put his arm around her and take in the feeling of knowing they survived the Dark Tournament, and once and for all they were done with it, 'I will lend your shoulder for a while, if that's alright?'

'More than alright,' agreed Nana and with their hearts and souls much lighter together they walked inside.

---

The morning that followed after the Dark Tournament was beyond strange. For once Nana woke up without any nightmares or reminders of what was happening throughout the day. She was so used to the hotel room and the bed, she didn't even find it strange anymore when she opened her eyes and stared at the light blue color of the walls. In fact, she found the place and everything about her waking up peaceful.

A smile formed across her face.

It wasn't a dream. It was really over. The horrors that they endured were behind them and all that was left was to take a ship and return home.

The only sore spot proved to be Master Genkai's absence, which still left their hearts feeling heavy. It didn't seem fair that after all this time, all that they had do and face to survive they were leaving one person short.

As they packed their bags, the knock on the door surprised them a bit as they agreed with the boys to meet at the lobby at noon to have plenty of time to hit some shops Botan and Shizuru seemed interested in.

Nana didn't really care for shopping. With the missing weeks, she already felt she was low on money and would need to work and save hard to earn it back.

Well, she couldn't have it all apparently. If losing money meant she got to see her friends win she was fine with that.

Botan looked at Keiko who shrugged and opened the door.

'Hello, we have a package for Hinata-san,' explained the man from the hotel staff.

Nana walked around the girls to see the man, 'Uh, that's me, but I wasn't expecting any mail.'

'This was left for you by Ms. Jessica. She was here with the Smiths,' explained the man and handed her a nicely wrapped up package. It wasn't very heavy though so it couldn't be anything expensive although Nana had no idea what could the professional girlfriend, she met at the tournament leave her.

'Uh, thank you, did she already leave?'

'Yes, we found the package when we were sorting out through the things she left in the room.'

Nana blinked confused by this, 'She left behind things? That's odd.'

She glanced back at the package before she thanked the man wondering why would the woman leave her things behind when she worked so hard to earn them and have her boyfriends buy them for her. Surely, she and her rich and powerful sugar daddy made it out, right? Rich people always made it out.

'What is it?' asked Botan, and Nana ripped the wrapping a bit to see. Inside the package, she instantly recognized the purple color of the dress she wore to the semi-finals and white sandals.

'Are those clothes? They look so fancy, who are they from?' asked Keiko touching the fabric as Nana pull out a small card that was inside the package as well.

Just because we pretty girls have to be strong it doesn't mean we can't be stylish – Ju

It was a very pretty name, and Nana wished Jessica would have kept it as she tugged the dress and shoes along with the card into her luggage refusing the girls' questions with a secretive smile until Shizuru ruined it with her comment, 'I bet Kurama would have a thing or two to say about you getting clothes from strangers, you know?'

'Hush!' complained Nana and continued packing trying not to think about that. For now, they were all sort of driving on the blissful feeling of the Dark Tournament being over. She wasn't sure what exactly would happen between them next to or if something would, but she was content to for now at least have Kurama with her, safe and sound.

She wondered or perhaps better would be to say hoped that maybe they could potentially a little bit try to change their relationship, at last, to figure out if those feelings inside her weren't just due to everything that happened on the island, but because she genuinely wanted to be with him like that for a while now, but she knew not to push it.

She was in no way hyped enough to run up to him and kiss him again without any warning like she did the other night. That night had a whole lot of different tensions and feelings about it that needed to be solved and the only way to do so was apparently by pressing her lips against his.

Either way, it was fine. If they did decide to talk about it, she would be fine if not she would also be fine because they were friends forever, and nothing had to change.

Nothing whatsoever had to change.

When she opened the door, she walked right into Kurama who blinked and looked down at her smiling a bit looking very happy to see her, 'Ah, we were looking for you actually.'

Everything changed.

It turned out before leaving the boys decided to make good on Keiko's idea and take a group photo of sorts. Shizuru was the only one who backed out as she wasn't done packing, and Yukina only seemed to get dragged by Kuwabara's instance.

'Here,' said Kurama once they entered the spot Botan and Keiko deemed good enough, and handed Nana his wallet causing her to shoot him a confused look, 'What in three realms is this?'

'You asked to borrow some money for souvenirs,' he told her looking very much like the trickster kitsune that he was.

'We both know that was a joke,' she deadpanned.

She tried to give him back his wallet only for him to move away before she could blink.

Nana raised her head to look at him again and with a warning in her tone said, 'Kurama, take it back.'

'No, keep it. Buy something for me too-'

'No!' She snapped feeling her eyes twitching in annoyance. She most certainly did not ask or want Kurama's or anyone else's charity, and he definitely knew that so why on earth would he piss her off now by giving her his wallet? Perhaps, it was a way to tell her things were back to normal. Well, they weren't. Not yet at least, but they would be soon, she hoped.

'Here, I will take it,' said Botan and with a rather mischief look stepped closer to the girl, 'I can easily help you out if you feel like you have too much money, Kurama-kun,' she said purposely sweetly almost like she was mewing and even taking on some sort of cat-like appearance.

Just as she reached for the wallet, Nana tugged it into the pocket on her jacket, 'Yeah, I heard Lord Koenma complained about your shopaholic ways. Not happening, ferry-girl.'

Botan let out a whine while Kurama looked more than pleased with the outcome.

'I wouldn't look so smug, I will leave you broke, Kurama,' she warned him as the three of them started to move toward the spot Kuwabara was preparing the camera to take their picture.

'Impossible. You're too frugal for your own good,' replied the redhead walking toward Yusuke who was apparently trying to convince Hiei to take the picture.

The raven-haired shook her head, 'You think you know me so well, don't you?'

The redhead stepped closer their chest almost touching, 'Certainly, just as you do me, but we still surprise each other rather easily don't we?'

For some reason, a wave of heat went across the girl forcing her to bite the inside of her mouth as she started to realize they were very close and their teasing was well making her realize how close they were and that if he leaned a bit lower and she rose up she could maybe-

'Hey, shut up!' snapped Keiko causing the raven-haired girl to step away and see what the commotion was as she noticed her and Yusuke bickering over something.

She and Kurama shared a look for a moment it looked even Kurama was as disappointed as she felt before both went closer to the others which were when Nana heard Yukina explain her situation to Kuwabara, 'You're afraid the camera will steal your soul?'

The ginger-haired boy looked disappointed. No doubt, he wished he would have a memory of Yukina in case she left again. It would be a pity really. Kuwabara came this far. One his final match. He properly earned something. Besides if they got more pictures even Yukina would have one.

'Uh, but Yukina-chan,' Nana started and brushed her cheek with her finger, 'photos are fairly important in life. Essential even.'

Yukina looked at Nana and blinked surprised, 'They are?'

Nana nodded quickly smiling at how cute the other girl looked, 'Uhm, think of them as a ticket?'

'Like the ones for the dark tournament?' she asked, and Nana nodded not sure that was a good example, 'Sure.'

'So they are ticked to special moments which are already gone. But because you have the photo, you look at the photo, and you're back in the moment. You will remember how nice of a day it was. How much the sun was warm and how we were all here together on a day after the tournament. After the boys' victory just enjoying nature and well the fact that we are together.'

Yukina seemed to take it all in and then smiled at Nana before she looked up at Kuwabara to smile at him as well. She wasn't technically lying. Photos were special, and Nana did think whenever someone would look at their photo, they would obviously recall the feelings of calmness and happiness they felt over the boys' victory.

'That sounds amazing,' said Yukina sounding astonished, and Nana was surprised it actually sounded like she convinced her.

The human girl nodded, 'So will you take a picture with us?'

Yukina smiled and nodded.

Kuwabara shot Nana the most grateful and happy smile, and Nana smiled right back at him before she took Yukina's hand and led her to the others so they could stand in front of the camera since they were the shortest.

Somehow the boys even managed to get Hiei to take the photo with them, no doubt using force. He went to stand next to Kurama since he would probably try to run if he was alone and briefly looked over at Nana before he looked away.

She blinked confused before she realized he didn't really look at her, but at Yukina.

Weird.

It made her think about what she thought back at the waiting room the other day.

Yukina and Hiei looked a bit as if he wasn't frowning and looking all edgy-like.

'Ten seconds, guys!' called Kuwabara once everyone took their place.

He quickly ran to take a place in the back along with Kurama while the rest of the others stay in the front somehow smiling or in Hiei's case looking away from the camera to Yukina's side again and then away completely.

'What's wrong?' she found herself asking the yokai who only grunted, 'Nothing,' without making eye contact.

Suddenly, she felt someone's fingers brush her back, and Kurama's voice suddenly appeared in her ear as he whispered, 'Smile sunflower.'

Nana quickly turned to the front and pulled on a bright smile genuinely feeling momentarily amused by the nickname. Whatever Hiei's problem was with Yukina momentary forgot.

The light went off and the shot was made allowing everyone to let go of their smiles and Yukina to say, 'That wasn't so bad.'

Nana and she shared a brief smile before the human girl glanced behind her at Kurama who squezed her hand in a reasuring way which was the first time, the girl even noticed he actually took her hand.

Her smile remained on her face when their eyes met. Maybe she was overthinking it too much and everything was as it should have been.

With a small smile and a fond look on his behind his green eyes he nodded at the girl and said, 'Let's go home.'

---

A.N: Hey guys! Sorry, it took so long to finish, but for some reason, I really wasn't looking forward to this chapter until Monday when I returned to it. Anyway, I hope you like it and the story so far. I will be honest, I was planning to cut most of the final and mix it up with the next arc in a sort of main story/flashbacks way, but I'm glad I didn't. Thank you for reading. Stay safe and have a nice day :)