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Enjoy.

Satori sighed.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Yuugi had been overjoyed when she relented, letting out a cheer so loud it made her ears hurt. And once she told the other oni Satori had honestly thought she went deaf for a moment. After that she was practically carried out the building towards an open, flat space that could pass for an arena, gaining a large procession of oni along the way that now stood nearby, spectating and chatting amongst themselves.

She was really starting to miss her quiet palace.

Perhaps the only good thing about all this was that she didn't need to worry about riling up an angry mob. With Yuugi backing her up most of the other oni were willing accept having a satori in the midst, and those few who did mind were quickly cowed back into line by a single glare from Yuugi. There were, however, a few who remembered her from the last time she was in town and left, preferring drinking alone to being around her.

The crowd parted as Yuugi strode onto the field. She had changed out of her kimono and was now wearing a plain white shirt and long blue skirt with red stripes. "Better combat clothes" is what she called them. She offered some to Satori but the mind reader had to decline. Aside from believing her standard outfit would work fine, she wasn't even sure if the oni had anything that would fit her. She also noticed the shackles and chains attached to her wrists and ankles that were previously hidden by her robe and found herself wondering if they were meant to be accessories or not.

Yuugi walked up and put her hand on her hip, the other holding the Hoshiguma Dish aloft.

"Well, you ready?"

"No. Not at all."

"Ha! Honest and straightforward. I'm really starting to like you, um…"

For the second time that day Satori swore she saw the oni blush as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. She smirked a little, not even needing to read her mind to know what she was she was thinking.

"Ah geez, I'm afraid I never asked-"

"Satori."

Yuugi looked at her, puzzled.

"What? Your name-"

"Is Satori. It… means something different for my kind when used as a name."

"Huh. Well, it's nice to officially meet you Satori. Sorry I didn't ask earlier."

"It's nothing. I'm equally at fault for not offering it."

A pause.

"Um, how do you want to do this?" Satori asked.

"Well, like I said before, a match of my strength against whatever powers you can copy from me. And whatever other little tricks you got."

"You won't be using your powers."

It was a statement rather than a question as she could see what she meant in her head.

"That's right. I'll keep from using anything but my strength. Don't feel the need to hold back on me, okay? I may only be fighting with one arm, but don't think I'll be taking it easy on ya."

Satori gulped. Her knees began feeling weak and her heartbeat started pounded in her ears. For the umpteenth time she questioned what she was doing, fighting one of the most notoriously powerful beings in the history of Japan when all she wanted was to find her friends, but she had given her word and that was that.

So, she steeled herself and nodded.

"Great! So, you need to take another close look inside or what?"

"While I could scan your mind as we fight, I would much prefer it if I could do so now. Is that a problem?"

In response Yuugi got down on one knee and lowered herself closer to Satori's height.

"Scan away."

Not wanting to drag this out any longer, Satori once more raised her third eye over her left and looked inside the oni's mind.

The mountains trembled and the earth quaked, the blows of her fists causing boulders to launch themselves skywards as she pounded her opponent into the ground.

"Strength…" Satori whispered to herself.

The memory shifted.

Night turned to day and the plants around her shriveled and died as her hand rose, waves of radiant fire gushing forth and consuming the fortress in flames.

"Fire…"

The memory shifted.

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and let loose with a howl louder than any animal, the sheer force it produced halting the incoming rain of arrows and sending them flying back towards the enemy archers.

"Sound… but what else?"

She focused harder and again the memory shifted, and kept shifting from one scene to another. And what she saw just didn't make sense. She could see… something, but trying to analyze and copy it felt like tying her mind into a knot. Satori focused for a few moments more before finally giving it a rest. With a sigh she brought herself back to reality and lowered her eye.

"You okay there?" Yuugi asked as she stood. "I think I felt something just now."

Satori rubbed her temples as she responded.

"Yes, I just… ran into something unexpected. Something I couldn't copy."

"Really? Were you-"

"I was indeed about to see and analyze a few of your other abilities."

"Great, then that match is still on!"

Satori was still a bit thrown off at how easily Yuugi could ignore her interruptions and instead move to her starting position on the field, but rather than dwell on it she made for her own spot, collected her resolve, and began forming a battleplan.

"Okay Satori," she said to herself. "What do you have? Strength, fire, and sound. The way in which she conjured fire and empowered her voice you can replicate with magic, but her strength was all physical. Even so, you can use magic to amplify your muscle power to match what her own felt like…"

As she reached her predetermined spot Satori turned and looked over Yuugi, the oni staring her down with a grin of pure audacity.

"…but you should probably avoid getting too close."

Any other ideas she might've had went unsaid as an oni stepped out from the surrounding crowd.

"Are both contestants ready!?" they shouted.

Yuugi and Satori both nodded, one much more nervously than the other. The oni raised their arm.

"Ready…"

The crowd quieted in anticipation. Yuugi lowered herself, ready to charge. Satori gathered up her magic. The silence seemed to last an eternity before the oni finally shot their arm down.

"Fight!"

Yuugi shot off like a cannon, and in a blink was nearly on top of Satori. She has foreseen this in her mind, however, and had prepped herself by letting her magic flow into her muscles. Physically they remained unchanged, but through mimicking the scanned memories of Yuugi's own muscles, strength comparable to an oni flowed through her veins. Satori kicked off with her foot and dodged to the side as Yuugi's hand pulverized the dirt where she once stood.

As the dust settled and Satori skidded to a stop some dozen yards away Yuugi gave her a toothy grin.

"Not bad," she complimented. "I was worried for a moment the fight would end right there."

While her nerves were rattled from how close she cut it Satori was able to give a confident, only slightly cocky, reply.

"You'll find that what I lack in strength I more than make up for in skill."

"Oh, now that's what I like to hear!"

In one fluid motion Yuugi reached down, ripped a chunk of earth from the ground, and hurled it towards Satori. Again Satori had foreseen this, but now that the fight was one each thought came mere moments before her actions and she was barely able to spin on her heel and avoid it.

As she turned on the spot Satori moved into a counterattack. Bringing her arm in close she gathered her magic within her hand until her skin started prickling. Holding the appropriate memory at the front of her mind Satori threw out her arm and projected thoughts into reality as a torrent of flame came forth in a wide arc.

The crowd watched in awe at the unexpected fiery display. Yuugi too was amazed at witnessing Satori's power copying firsthand, but she didn't win countless battles by standing around dumbfounded. She leapt high over the flames with ease and came crashing down fist first, the earth itself rolling outwards like a wave at the force of her blow.

Satori jumped back to avoid the surge of rocks while sending another burst of flames Yuugi's way. But the oni was already on the move and with a wave of her hand created a gust of wind strong enough to dispel the flames. Seeing this Satori leapt back again the moment her feet touched the ground, desperately trying to keep the distance between them, and with both arms sent two waves of flames her way.

Again Yuugi swept the flames aside and jumped forwards before her opponent could land. Time seemed to slow for Satori as she found Yuugi right on top of her once again. She was airborne, her arms were spread wide, channeling her magic to fly would take to long, and Yuugi's fist was already moving for her chest.

She was, for all intents and purposes, screwed.

Unless…

Right there! she thought to herself.

Twisting her body as fast as she could Satori brought up her leg and kicked the side of Yuugi's arm with all her might. It felt like kicking solid rock and it didn't move an inch. Instead, Satori moved, the enhanced strength of her kick sending her whole body shooting off to the side and out of Yuugi's path. The crowd roared with excitement at her last-minute dodge as she came to a stop.

Dust flew up from where Satori had been standing, engulfing Yuugi. Satori acted fast and jammed her foot into the ground and kicked free a boulder bigger than she was. She placed her hand on the rock and pushed with all her might, sending the projectile straight for the dust cloud. By the time the dust around Yuugi had dispersed enough for her to see the boulder was seconds from hitting her square in the chest, faster than she could move to intercept with her hand.

So, Yuugi used her head, and shattered the rock with her horn.

Satori had not been expecting that, and could only gape wordlessly as Yuugi raised her head and met her eyes with gaze that gave her chills. Truth be told Satori was amazed she had lasted even this long, and it seemed Yuugi was now realizing how much of a challenge she presented, as the look held in her eyes carried with it the dark, battle-hungry bloodlust the oni were known for. And from what she could pick up from this distance her mind was starting to go red as she gave in to the thrill of the fight.

This is not good. Not good at all.

Just as when they first bumped into each other Satori found herself feeling like a small animal staring down the jaws of a hungry predator. Even if her rational self knew she was safe and that this was merely a sparring match, she couldn't stop the feelings of panic that arose within her. The same panic she felt ages ago when she was run out of town after town by angry mobs.

I need to end this, and fast.

That's what Satori thought, but she knew she was running out of time. Just like with her mind reading she was very out of practice with her power copying, and it was taking a toll on her. Already she felt a soreness settling into her limbs at keeping her strength enhanced for so long, and the prickling sensation in her hands had become very sharp and piercing like needles.

She could keep going, but for how long she didn't know.

Satori was shaken from her thoughts as Yuugi took off and made straight for her like a charging rhino, using her free arm to launch herself with extra speed. Scared as she was Satori pushed down her fear and readied herself, planting her feet firmly in the sand and raising her arms. Their audience held their breath as they watched the tiny youkai face down their rampaging leader, making no move to doge her attack.

It wasn't until Yuugi was right on her that she acted. With her hands cupped around her mouth Satori took a deep breath, grabbed the right memory, channeled as much magic as she could into her throat and let loose with loudest cry of her life. The horrendous shriek, directed by her hands, impacted Yuugi square in her midsections, halting her in her tracks before sending her flying in the exact opposite direction. While disoriented by the surprise attack Yuugi managed to recover her wits enough to grind to a gradual stop on her feet, the sake in the Hoshiguma Dish sloshing but miraculously not spilling.

Mad cheering filled the air, for both Satori's attack and Yuugi's recovery.

Although winded Satori was not idle and quickly moved to rip free another large boulder from the ground. But rather than simply throw it she swung both her arms wide before bringing them in close and thrusting them out towards the boulder. The result was two jets of flames unleashed directly on the rock, heating it up and forcing it away from her. Her skin felt like it was being plucked at by crows but Satori didn't waver, concentrating on maintaining the narrow stream of fire until the boulder became a half-molten missile wreathed in flames.

Yuugi had regained her senses enough to see this attack coming and brought her first back. With ease she shattered the partially melted projectile, barely even feeling the singes left on her hand. She prepared herself to counterattack only to be instantly taken aback, as this time it was Satori who was in her face, having used her attack to hide her approach. Hands cupped by her mouth Satori let loose another earsplitting scream aimed directly at Yuugi's head. She let out a cry of pain and futilely tried to shield her ears with one hand.

Just as Satori hoped the attack left Yuugi dazed, if only for a moment.

Go!

Chocking down a cough Satori jumped into action once she landed. Holding her right arm behind her she swung it down, gathering her magic, then forward and up, sending a fountain of fire towards the oni. Yuugi reflexively moved her arm to shield her face and stepped back, only for Satori to dash behind her and repeat the motion with her left arm, creating a new stream of fire. Again, Yuugi backpaddled and tried to sidestep the flames, but again Satori was there, repeating the action with her opposite arm. Over and over they did this, Yuugi trying to escape the flames only for Satori to block her exit, until she had the oni encased in a spiraling column of flames kept fed by her magic.

The crowd went wild, clearly not having expected such an attack, and Satori had to struggle to keep her focus.

"Okay Satori," she said to herself, winded. "Keep this up and she should pass out from oxygen deprivation…"

It was the best strategy she could devise, the only way she could see herself coming out of this without a beating, and as the seconds ticked by she was starting to think it might actually work. However, whatever glimmer of hope she had dimmed as she picked up Yuugi's thoughts, before being extinguished altogether as she saw the oni through her eyes raising her foot.

Her own eyes widening, Satori had just made to jump back when Yuugi's foot came down, and with it a burst of air that sent the flames out in all directions. The wall of fire was faster than Satori, and she barely managed to let out another brief shriek to blast them away. Satori tumbled to the ground several yards away, coughing and holding her throat, and stumbled to her feet.

Everyone was going crazy now. This battle had gone far beyond what any of them predicted.

Standing amidst a scorch mark on the ground, Yuugi looked a little singed and was breathing heavy, but otherwise appeared fine. She looked at Satori. Her face and mind made it clear to the smaller youkai that she had all but lost herself to the heat of the battle. Not even a forfeit could save Satori now.

Not… good…

Satori was in pain. All her muscle felt horribly sore, her arms and hands were screaming, and her throat felt raw. She may be able to feel Yuugi's mind, but she couldn't take anything from it anymore. Despite her burning muscles a cold sense of dread started to creep up on her.

Yuugi took a step towards her.

Is this it? This was a sparring match, a friendly fight, but can I really walk away from whatever she's about to do?

Another step.

My journey to go find them, to bring them back, is it about to come to an end already? Will I ever see them again?

Another step. She was running now.

Orin, Okuu…

She was drawing closer.

I'm sorry…

She was halfway to her. Satori furrowed her brows.

Wait, Okuu…

Closer still. Her eyes went wide.

Okuu!

The lightbulb went off in Satori's head. She straightened herself and stood firm. She looked deep inside her own memories, searching as fast as she could for the mind she knew as well as her own. Her heartbeat was pounding like crazy up as she heard Yuugi closing in.

Where is it where is it- there!

Gripping her left arm she raised it high above her head. Closing her eyes Satori gathered up every last ounce of magic left within her and forced it into her left hand. As the spell took effect she felt like she was being squeezed dry of magic but still she persisted. Yuugi must have been right on top of her by now. Satori gritted her teeth and held the memory in the front of her mind.

She opened her eyes and curled her hand into a fist, index finger pointing up.

For the first time in history, the Underworld felt the rays of the sun.

Yuugi was blown far back and all the spectators were knocked to the ground by the wave of intense heat, unlike anything they've ever felt before. Yuugi somehow managed to land on her feet and skid to a halt. She squinted her eyes and hid her face with her arm to see, struggling to see what Satori was doing.

And what she could see astonished her.

A sun hovered above Satori. It must have been no more than a few yards across but it was still by far the most intense force she had ever felt in her entire life. Even just standing this close made her feel like her skin was about to peel off, like she was about to start melting any moment now. She had heard about the hell raven who could produce suns, everyone in the Underworld knew about her, but to think that this satori could too. And speaking of…

Satori was screaming, screaming in pure, agonizing pain. Her entire body has surpassed "fire" and instead felt like it was being torn apart in every direction at once from trying to maintain the small star above her. She had never before tried to copy Okuu's nuclear powers, preferring to instead watch her show off from the sidelines, and if she made it through this fight then she would vow to never do it again. But to do that she needed to survive simply manifesting one first.

Unable to feel her own muscles she willed her arm to move, throwing her arm forward and launching the sun towards it's target. Yuugi was, for the first time in centuries, unable to move and could only watch in horror as the sun sped towards her, leaving a massive trench in the ground. It wasn't until the very last minute that she snapped out of it and, unsure if it would work or not, clapped her hands together with as much for as she could muster.

The thundering clap shook the entire cavern system and knocked down any onlookers who had managed to get to their feet. A whirlwind shot out and collided with the star, slowing it and blowing away the burning plasma layer by layer. It continued on its path even as it was worn away, until the very last speck fizzled out inches from the Yuugi's nose. Gloom returned to the Underworld, and as the temperature fell Yuugi heaved a great sigh of relief.

"Damn, Satori. How did you learn to pull that one?"

Silence.

"Satori?"

Yuugi squinted, eyes still adjusting to the darkness after staring directly into a sun. It took a few seconds for her to find Satori, collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Satori!"

Yuugi ran to check on her.

On the ground behind her laid the Hoshiguma Dish, spilled and forgotten.

Hope you enjoyed. As always, feel free to leave a review, otherwise thank you for reading and stay turned for more!