SailorStar9: Wow, and another chapter goes up. This is Chapter 44. Read and review.

Disclaimers: YYH, Magic Knight Rayearth and Sailor Moon aren't mine.

Chapter Summary: Control of Demon World is divided among three rulers: Raizen, Yomi and Mukuro. From his deathbed, Raizen has invited his descendant, Yusuke Urameshi, to return to Demon World to train under him for one climactic battle. Yusuke's first challenge is to defeat his ancestor. If he cannot defeat one of the three kings, how could he expect to stand up to the other two!

Chapter 44: Return to Demon World


In his bedroom, Kuwabara was studying.

Shizuru entered the room with a food tray for him and urged him to study hard, as he was very behind in his class.

He snapped at her, telling her to give him a break.

After she left, however, he thought to himself, She's right, I've got to take this seriously. I'm lucky to have someone watching over me. Thanks, sis.

He drank from the mug she had brought, wincing at the lack of sugar.

He heard mewing and looked around for his pet cat, Eikichi.

Instead, he found Botan hovering on her oar just outside his window.

She told him that she was sent to take him to Genkai's temple.

Kuwabara refused to go, but only until Botan told him that Yukina would be there as well. Kuwabara jumped onto her oar.

Shizuru stepped into the room once more, bringing milk and sugar for her brother.

"Oh no, I'm in trouble," Kuwabara moaned.

"Go, Botan, go!" he instructed

"Kazuma!" Shizuru shouted after her runaway brother.

Botan lifted off quickly and shouted an apology back, "Forgive me, Shizuru-san!"


At Genkai's temple, watched by Yukina and Botan, Kuwabara had grabbed Yusuke by the collar when Yusuke told him that he was returning to the Demon World.

"You can't be serious!" Kuwabara yelled.

"I don't believe you! You've grown even more stupid since you found out you have youkai blood in your veins!"

"I'm not kidding around." Yusuke replied. "That's my decision. I'm going there no matter what it takes."

"Are you out of your mind? You're going to join them and attack our people?" Kuwabara raged.

"I might," Yusuke said calmly.

Kuwabara let a punch fly into Yusuke's face. Yusuke was tossed against the temple's large double doors, opening them to a night breeze that blew out all the candles inside.

Yusuke grinned, rubbing his bruised cheek.

"This is the last time you'll ever hit me with these crazy socks of yours. I'm gonna miss it."

He told his friend that there were many powerful demons in Makai that were forcing matters to take him there.

Kuwabara questioned him about his duties as Reikai Tantei. Koenma, in his teenage form, appeared at the doorframe and informed him that Yusuke had been dismissed from his Tantei job. The Reikai had not withdrawn the order to exterminate Urameshi.

"Do you understand now?" Yusuke asked Kuwabara. "If I stay here, there'll always be someone coming after me to kill me. That is my destiny, I don't have any alternatives."

Genkai lit up the candles again. "I miss the time when Yusuke was only starting his training. His only goal was to fight bravely against evil. Now he's become very strong, I no longer have means to control him. Now all we can do is pray that he won't follow the wrong path. Only Yusuke knows that kind of blood runs through his veins. He has a fierce temper, won't give up until he gets results."

She turned to Kuwabara. "Isn't that why you've been always with him, fighting beside him?"

"But how is he going to go back there?" asks Kuwabara. "The tunnel connecting the two worlds was sealed, or have you all forgotten about that?"

"No problem," Koenma shrugged it off. "We'll just open it again."

"What!" Kuwabara exclaimed

As on cue, Shunjun, Rinpai and Ryouhi, three of the Tokubetsu Boueitai, materialized behind the temple.

"Yusuke Urameshi, are you ready to leave?" asked Shunjun.

"Anytime," Yusuke replied.

Kuwabara was furious. "That's dirty. You didn't manage to kill him, so you're banning him to Makai instead."

Shunjun confirmed it. "I think Enma-daiou was wise to make this decision. We will follow his orders loyally."

"What if another Sensui shows up?" Kuwabara argued. "Kurama, Hiei and I won't be able to deal with something like that on our own."

"It won't happen." Koenma assured him. "In the past few days, the destiny of the team has changed drastically."

Hiei chose that moment to land near them.

"I was invited to return to Makai as well." he told the group.

"So you're joining Raizen too?" Kuwabara frowned.

"The invitation didn't come from Raizen," Hiei explained, "but from Mukuro, one of Raizen's enemies."

"You're leaving us too!" Kuwabara shouted.

Hiei argued, "I've accepted the invitation because Makai is the world I've come from."

"And what if you have to fight Urameshi?" Kuwabara protested.

"If it must happen, there's nothing I can do about it," replied Hiei. "If that's my destiny, I'll accept it and enjoy it."

Kurama emerged from a bush with Icy and announced that the two of them were leaving too.

"Yomi, the third of the Makai kings invited the two of us. I have to go, although I might take longer than Yusuke and Hiei to leave." he commented

"I'm disappointed in you," Kuwabara yelled at his four teammates. "You are turning out to be just like Sensui and Toguro. It doesn't matter what side you are, all you care about is the fight itself."

"Hn. You seem to turning out to be a little clever after all" Hiei snorted.

Kuwabara ran to Hiei, grabbed him by the scarf and rose his fist to punch him. Hiei did not react, not even take his hands out of his pockets.

"Enough!" Genkai yelled, causing Kuwabara to halt. "We don't know for sure if they'll fight among themselves."

"We don't know that they won't either." Kuwabara insisted.

"Kazuma-san, not all the fights in Makai are dirty." Yukina intervened. "Makai is my home world too."

"Yukina-san…" Kuwabara let go of Hiei, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Hiei looked away from Yukina.

Yusuke went to Kuwabara and holds him in a half-embrace. "Good luck on those exams, Kuwabara." he whispered.

Kuwabara's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"

"Keiko told me. She said Shizuru is very pleased to see how much you've changed. Listen, I'll be back in three years. And when I come back, I'll want to hear about your progress."

Kuwabara smirked, "Three years? How can you know that? I suggest you don't come back before you become the king of Makai and find Yukina's brother."

Yusuke hesitated, "I'll try, I'll try…"

Hiei gave Yusuke a warning look which Kuwabara did not see it.

"You always get weird when I mention this subject." Kuwabara frowned at Yusuke. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Yusuke waved it off, somewhat nervously.

After all that has happened, you'd think he'd get a clue somewhat. Icy remarked to the redhead beside her.

Kurama suppressed a chuckle.

Shizuru arrived then, and joined Koenma, Genkai, Botan and Yukina. But no one needed to explain to her about the situation.

"Yusuke chose the most dangerous path." she noted.

Genkai grinned. "These kids enjoy a dangerous adventure."

Shunjun told Yusuke that it was time to leave.

They all watched as the Tokubetsu Boueitai reopened the tunnel, right there, near the temple. Yusuke was saying goodbye to a sad Puu, petting the bird's long neck.

"It's so weird." Yusuke remarked. "You guys can open this tunnel so easily, while Sensui took his entire life to do it."

"Urameshi, we will be following different paths from now on." shouted Kuwabara without facing his friend. "I give you my word that I will succeed in my exams."

Did he really say that? Icy blinked in disbelief.

I think he did. Kurama nodded.

Kuwabara's words moved Botan to tears.

Ryouhi announced that the tunnel was complete.

"I'm ready to go." waved Yusuke, giving Kuwabara a silent look. Then he smiled. "Kurama, Hiei, I'll be waiting for you. You too Frostbite." He walked to the tunnel. Puu called after him.

Shunjun told Yusuke he probably would not come back alive. Yusuke promised that he would, and that he would open his own tunnel for that.

Yusuke jumped into the tunnel and vanished. Botan cried.

Shunjun mused, "It's strange. He has the knack to affect our emotions."

"I'm really curious to find out what kind of trouble he'll create in Makai." Ryouhi admitted with a smile.

Shunjun ordered the other Tokubetsu Boueitai to seal the tunnel again.


In Makai, Yusuke was received by Hokushin and Touou. Yusuke noticed that their power was much greater now that they were back to their home world. Hokushin promised to take Yusuke to Raizen.


In Ningenkai, Koenma told George that the Tokubetsu Boueitai would reopen the tunnel for the other three too, since that was part of the agreement Enma-daiou had made with the three kings.

Yusuke, Kurama, Icy and Hiei were to be imprisoned in Makai in order to keep the order in Ningenkai. George suggested Enma-daiou probably had a good reason to do that.

"I hope so." Koenma replies.


In Makai, Hokushin, Touou and Yusuke were running at preternatural speed. Yusuke suggested a break to rest, as they had been running for an entire day already.

"We're not even halfway there yet." Hokushin told him. "We'll arrive in four days."

"Four days! You want us to run for four days?" Yusuke exclaimed

"We can stop for a while if you're tired…" Hokushin suggested.

"No, I'm fine, let's run." Yusuke smirked.

And they did, crossing several exotic landscapes of the Demon World, until they arrived to Raizen's kingdom.

Hokushin, covered in sweat — as was Touou —, complimented Yusuke. "We tried to leave you behind, but you kept up with us and didn't even break a sweat."

Yusuke admitted that he too was as surprised as they were that he managed to keep up with their pace. He also questioned about the loud rumbling sound they were hearing.

"That's Raizen-sama's stomach." replied Hokushin. "Since he stopped eating, the sound increases when it's near meal time." He pointed to the tower where Raizen was.

Hokushin and Touou guided Yusuke to the tower, and the boy made his way to the top on his own. He found Raizen sitting at the corner of a room, waiting for him.

"Hello, my son." Raizen greeted him coldly.

Yusuke was sweating now.

"What is the problem? I am your real father." Raizen reminded him.

"Why did you interfere in my fight with Sensui?" Yusuke yelled. "I'll make you pay for that."

Raizen only moved his fingers and Yusuke was tossed backwards against the wall; blood dripping from a deep gash in the boy's chest.

"You're nothing but a toy in my hands." Raizen laughed. "That petty power of yours will never defeat me... Brat."

Furious, Yusuke attacked. Blood spurted everywhere. Yusuke was again thrown against the wall.

Raizen was still sitting at the same corner. "Don't you understand? Your insignificant power isn't even enough to get me to move from my seat."

Yusuke spited out blood. "I can't believe you're on the verge of dying."

"Which means you're very weak." Raizen countered. "But I doubt I'll live over a year."

"Die now!" Yusuke shouted, charging his Reigan.

He shot the Rei Gan. From outside the tower, we can see that the wall that had been behind Raizen exploding into dust.

Raizen was unhurt. But he was standing now.

"I did it." Yusuke smirked. "I made you move."

Raizen returned his smirk. "I admire your persistence and courage." he said, walking to the boy and crouching in front of him.

"I like you. I'm usually here, sleeping. You can come and challenge me whenever you want. It's your choice. You can stay here and improve your powers, or you can leave. But be warned: if you're not strong enough to defeat me, you won't have any chance against Yomi and Mukuro." His stomach growled loudly.

"Why have you given up eating humans?" asked Yusuke.

"Hah. I'll tell you when you get out of your diapers." Raizen smirked.

"What kind of father are you?" Yusuke protested loudly.


SailorStar9: Father and son finally meet. The next chapter focuses on Hiei and his past.