SailorStar9: Sorry for the long wait people. My bro's on the com for the last two weeks. Anyway, this is Chapter 54. Read and review.

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

Chapter Summary: Kurama faces down Shigure in the ring! But Kurama has to deal with the demons of his past, namely his choice to remain in the Human World. With the boiling up of tempers and anxieties comes the resurgence of Yoko Kurama! But will Kurama find a way to keep his anger from taking over?

Chapter 54: Farewell, Kurama


From Makai, Kurama called his mother through a cell phone.

He promised to be careful and be back home in two weeks, and said he had been thinking a lot about his plans for the future.

Shiori told him that the cherry tree in their garden had blossomed and he remembered how he used to climb that tree when he was a kid.

Sending regards to his stepfather and stepbrother, he hung up.

"So, you've finally decided then." Icy commented, jumping down the counter she was sitting on.

"Yeah." Kurama nodded.

"It doesn't matter to me, Kura. What is important is that is this really what you want?" she cautioned.

Kurama looked away.

"Yes." he replied.

"Then tell me straight in the face." Icy chided.

Turning his stern eyes at her, he repeated his answer.

"Good." Icy smiled.

Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she whispered, "Be careful out there. Remember we're linked; if you get hurt, I'll mirror your injuries."

"I will." Kurama assured her.


Koto convoked the fighters for the next fight: Kurama versus Shigure.

In a waiting room, Shigure kneeled before Mukuro and walked towards the battlefield.

He and Hiei avoided looking at each other.


Yomi met Kurama near the battlefield and, very calmly, accused him of turning his back on him without hesitation when Urameshi proposed the Makai Tournament.

"You did it because you were certain that in that moment I'd never do a thing against you."

Kurama denied it.

"So you betrayed me even knowing you could die for it?" Yomi changed his question.

Kurama faltered, but Yomi took the question back.

"It doesn't matter. Thanks to Urameshi, I changed a lot. Only now I realize exactly where I stand."

He walked past Kurama. "Yeah, people change... I want to see your true strength."


As Kurama and Shigure met on the battlefield, Koto asked Yoda to comment on Shigure's abilities.

"What's a Makai Surgeon?"" she asked

Yoda explained that a Makai Surgeon could change a demon's youki by transplanting a new source of energy on his body -- a very rare skill. According to Yoda, the mastery of the sword was a reflex of that ability.

Koto asked for an example of youkai who had his energy changed this way, but the commentator pointed out that this was a secret between doctor and patient.


Mukuro asked Hiei's opinion about the combat that was about to begin.

"I don't know." he replied laconically.


Kurama attacked with the Rosewhip, which lost one of its thorns to Shigure's circular sword, but managed to cut down the ball-bell the Surgeon had hanging from a piercing on his head.

On the other hand, the blade came close enough to rip the front of Kurama's tunic.

Shigure was impressed by Kurama's coldness.

The redhead admitted he would be doomed if he moved to close to the adversary.

"Until you neutralize my strikes with your skills, it will be hard for you to fight without coming closer." predicted Shigure, throwing his sword.

Kurama jumped out of the way.

The blade destroyed the battlefield platform and almost hit Kurama in its boomerang return to Shigure's hand.

Shigure threw the sword once again, forcing Kurama to run to the forest.

The redhead tried 'fishing' the sword with the Rosewhip, but the blade cut the plant easily before disappearing among the tress.

Kurama used the advantage to try to attack Shigure directly, but before he could reach him the blade boomeranged back.

Kurama had to change direction mid-jump to avoid being slashed.

"Before the surgery I judge the patient's life." begun Shigure. "Then I decide if I should operate or not. Your life is very interesting; I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, what's your goal?"

"I might have a goal." Kurama suggested, "but I'm not telling you."

He then prepared the Fuuka Enbujin attack.

However, Shigure spun the sword so fast that it created a tornado inside which the Surgeon was propelled in the air to fly at full speed in Kurama's direction.

The impact was so overwhelming that created a crater on the terrain.

Koto was sure that the fight was over; she only waited for the smoke to settle down and reveal the combatants' status to declare Shigure the winner.

At last Shigure could be seen, but Kurama was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly dark sparks of youki glint through the smoke cloud, announcing the presence of Yoko Kurama.


Yomi was content with the change and eager to see Yoko fighting again.

Yoda commented that the shift into the Demonic Fox form was probably caused by an outburst of emotions like hate and anger, and that in his opinion Kurama had planned to do that right from the start.

However, Koenma disagreed "I have the feeling that Kurama didn't want to turn into Yoko."


Fascinated, Shigure attacked, throwing the sword on the Silver Yoko, who dodged gracefully and spectacularly but never counterattacking.

Instead, he remembered what happened to his life after being hit by the Makai Hunter.

He came to Ningenkai to heal inside a human body, intending to return as soon as his youki was restored. But the love and care Shiori offered him had changed his mind. Remembering his friends and family, Kurama realized how much he changed after becoming Shuuichi Minamino.

"I don't want to live a lie anymore." he confessed

"Why don't you attack me?" asked a perplexed Shigure.

Kurama shifted back into his human form, to everyone's surprise.

"You plan to fight in this frail-looking body?"

"I don't deny this force inside me." Kurama stated. "I only wish to protect something that is very important to me."


Yomi was disappointed and confused. "Kurama, why?"


Shigure's next attack wounded Kurama severely, worrying Hiei and Yusuke.


"Darn." Icy hissed, holding her arm that had suddenly begun to bleed.

"Hey girlfriend, what's wrong?" Jin asked.

"Just look at where I'm injured and where Kurama's injured. You'll get the picture." Icy replied.

Touya nodded slowly, "I see. The two of you are linked."

"Correct. If he gets injured, I'll mirror his injuries." Icy replied.

But Hiei was sure that Kurama knew what he was doing

"He's studying the adversary and planning an intelligent counteraction. This kind of tactic is what he's best at." Hiei remarked.

Koenma and Mukuro did not see any possibility of Kurama winning this round. 4

""Come on, Kurama, think!" Yusuke urged.


Suddenly, many branches sprouted from the soil throughout the whole crater.

"I sowed some seeds in the battlefield and they're finally taking root." Kurama informed. "My trump card isn't in Yoko Kurama's figure."

Infusing his ki on the earth beneath him, Kurama created a colossal cherry tree that took over the entire battlefield structure.

Shigure spun his sword and formed the tornado around him again, cutting through the branches to fly towards Kurama in a mortal attack that astounded everybody.

Hiei yelled Kurama's name.

But an inch away from hitting the redhead, the sword got stuck in a branch.

Disarmed, the Surgeon saw that he was surrounded by sharp spears made of the tree's wood.

He acknowledged his defeat.

Pink petals rained over them.

"Are these flowers from your homeland?" Shigure asked.

Kurama held one of the petals in his fist.

"Yes." he replied

"They're beautiful." With that, Shigure jumped in the abyss. "A swordsman can't be defeated twice. I only serve Mukuro."

Kurama fainted and his friends ran to help him.

Mukuro turned her back to Hiei, in a silent permission for him to go too.

But Yomi as already there and helped Kurama out of the battlefield.

"Kurama, you abandoned the Yoko self." he commented.

"I never abandon anything in this life, Yomi. Anything." was Kurama's reply.


SailorStar9: Another chapter down. Read and review.