A/N: Hey guys! I was so happy to see the response to chapter 24, because I was worried about the kiss scene. As well as all the fight scenes, I'm doing my best to leave most of it up to the reader's imagination. If I knew martial arts myself it might be easier for me to write, but I am not a fighter unfortunately. I can throw a punch and kick you pretty good, but that's about it, haha. Anyway, here is chapter 25, enjoy!

Disclaimer: No one has called me up to tell me I am now the proud owner of this wonderful series yet. So nope, I still do not own YYH.

Warnings: This chapter is written in Hiei's POV! The usual, lots of profanity, poorly written fight scenes, blood/gore, violence, adult themes, sexual themes, drama, etc.

. . .

I had followed her out of simple curiosity. No one had expected the brutality she'd displayed in the ring and I wanted to see her reaction. I had been positive I would find her wallowing. What had ended up occurring was not what I had planned. I avoided contemplating why I fled the locker room like some sort of coward. I didn't often run from anything…but this. I was disgusted with myself. I had acted much the same as that bastard Amano after he'd shown up so stinking drunk he'd forced himself on her. I had let my anger get the best of me. I'd made a fool of myself just for a taste of her.

And what she'd said! Tossing around that horrendous word so carelessly, didn't ningen revere love? Didn't they place it up on a pedestal and worship it? If Kuwabara was anything to go by, it was true. And yet, here she was spitting it for just about anyone. It angered me. I couldn't rightfully say why, but it did. I never wanted to hear that word again if I could help it. Not coming from her mouth at any rate.

I paused before reentering the main part of the arena. I could hear the distant sounds of Kasumi pulverizing something made of metal. I hadn't thought what I'd done would make her so furious. I was tempted to intrude on her thoughts, but a larger part of me dismissed the idea. I didn't want to know what she was thinking. My own mind came up with plenty of things by itself. I was positive she would be cursing me to the pits of hell.

I leaned up against the cement wall of the stadium and pressed a hand to my face. What the hell had I been thinking? In a rare act of kindness, I had wanted to soothe her wounds. If I had been reading her mind at the time…what would I have heard? Her heart had started to race. I had not known it was for thoughts of her lover and not I. Kissing her had not been in the plan. But I couldn't deny that I wanted to do it again. That brief taste of her had not nearly been enough.

Even now I caught myself licking my lips clean, trying to retain the last vestiges of Kasumi on my tongue. It was absurd…ludicrous, how could I have done such a thing? Kasumi was human…fucking human. Being with a ningen was out of the question, the thought had never even crossed my mind until I'd met her. All she'd be able to offer me was her body…that was all she had to give. I couldn't lie and say I wouldn't take it either, if she were to proposition me.

I groaned deep in my throat, the onset of a headache beginning to form behind my eyes. This woman would be the death of me yet. With her hair like fire and a personality to match, it was too much. She defied me at every turn, could look me in the eye without an ounce of fear no matter how cruel I was to her. She made me lose control. She made me want to lose control.

I couldn't deny I had started to think of Kasumi in a new light after I'd spent more time around her. I hadn't noticed at first. It had snuck up on me slow, a dark, hidden desire I would never openly admit to. She made me crave for things I didn't understand. The only part I could comprehend was the need. The need to touch her, to taste her, it was prominent and undeniable. For me at least…Kasumi had not noticed, not even once.

I'd practically spelled it out for her the night of that pathetic ningen ball she'd attended. All she'd managed to do was ask a foolish question. If I hated her…she would have known by then, the idiot. I wasn't the type of man to hide what I thought of a person.

While I found Kasumi to be rash, rather foolish, and often a danger to herself, I did not hate her. I found her to be trustworthy and brave, though misplaced at times. She could be as cold as ice or as hot as an open flame when she wanted to be. She could hold her own on a battle field. She knew and understood her weaknesses. I had only met a handful of people in my life I could freely give my respect to…and this foul mouthed human woman was one of them.

It sickened me. It felt like I had betrayed a part of myself somewhere along the lines.

I shouldn't feel that way about her at all. By all accounts I should hate her and all she stood for.

But I could not…no matter how hard I tried. Instead, my mind filled with images of her beneath me…with my hands between her legs and my mouth against her skin. But she was not mine to take. I would never force myself on her either.

And so, we had come around full circle to why I was so goddamned angry.

I should have taken the hint when she didn't immediately reciprocate the kiss. She'd sat stunned much longer than I had expected. Though it had been worth the wait, I thought, as I once again ran my tongue across my lips. She'd tasted just as amazing as I believed she would. I was pathetic. This entire thought process was degrading.

I pushed off from the wall, hearing Kasumi's name blared over the loud speakers. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my pants to keep from itching at the ridiculous hat upon my head. I made my way back out towards the arena, walking up the many flights of stairs to reach Yusuke and the rest.

Kasumi's opponent had yet to enter the ring and as I settled back into my chosen seat, the heckling began.

"Where'd you scamper off to, shorty?"

Kuwabara's idiotic question received no reply; neither did Yusuke's a second later, "Did you see Kas?"

I would rather cut out my own tongue than tell either one of these fools what had just transpired. It was nobody's business other than mine and the girl's. I was certain she would feel much the same.

Yusuke slapped a hand to my back, causing an angry growl to rupture forth from my mouth that he did not heed.

"Come on man, you went and talked to her right?" he asked.

I resisted the urge to wrap my hand around his throat. It seemed that I was the only one who had not found her actions in the last fight worrisome. I had seen far more brutal moves in my lifetime. Kasumi's was mild, even compared to what these men had seen. So why they were having a conniption fit over it was beyond me.

I was saved from having to kill someone by the entrance of the man Kasumi would be fighting. His name was Nikolai and he easily doubled in size compared to the girl. His large output of aura was also troublesome. He had more experience with reiki it would seem. More so than Kasumi…this battle would not be so easy for her.

I felt something spike through my chest with the realization that I couldn't explain.

My teammates' voices rose up around me, the detective once again managing to make a fool of himself.

"What kind of name is Nikolai?"

Kurama leaned forward in his seat so he could look passed me and addressed Yusuke.

"He must hail from Russia, a part of the Soviet Union," he explained.

"Why the hell would someone from Russia be here?"

"Because it's a world tournament Yusuke," said Keiko, who proceeded to roll her eyes behind her mate's back.

"Yeah dumbass, Kas fought that American girl in the first round, remember?" said Kuwabara.

"Who's the dumbass?!"

And this of course started a petty argument between the two most idiotic members of our team. I tuned them out, unable to withstand such pointless chatter. Of course, their fight was short lived when the man Nikolai finally stepped up into the ring.

The Russian was a giant of a man, with large bulging muscles and a hideous scar through one of his eyes. I cared little for his appearance, for what had caught my eye was the immense amount of reiki he was displaying. It was an obvious power play, one to place doubts in Kasumi's head from the moment she entered the ring.

Amongst the crowd, the people who could see it had sat up straighter in excitement. The beacon that had been placed on the arena weeks before hand had done its job well and attracted plenty of spiritually aware people. This did not work in Kasumi's favor.

And neither would this battle.

"Shit…" I heard Yusuke breathe beside me.

Shit was an understatement. She would leave with much more than a battered cheek after this bout. If she even managed to win, that was.

I sat up straighter in my seat when I felt Kasumi's energy grow closer to the arena. I searched through the sea of people and spotted her down below. She stood to the side of the ring, staring up at her opponent with horrified eyes. Her training had taught her enough to know the difference between a weak opponent and a strong one. Her instincts must be screaming at her to run. She could tell that she was at a great disadvantage. Yusuke's small amount of training had done little to prepare her for this.

By the hungry look on the man's face it was obvious he had been hoping to get the chance to face her in combat. The fact I was also unable to read the man's mind made me suspicious. He didn't look the type to have strong mental barriers and yet I couldn't read a single thing. It was just pure silence, which for most people was a feat difficult to achieve. For those that could reach complete mental silence they would have trained in meditation for a long time.

Not even Kasumi, who meditated for at least an hour once a day, had managed to keep complete mental blankness. A memory always surfaced, no matter how short lived. If not a memory a word, or a thought, I'd spent enough time in her head to know.

So that meant this man, Nikolai, had someone placing a wall there for him. A wall that even the Jagan could not breach, it irritated me to no end.

It also foretold of some hidden form of danger. His power was not the only thing Kasumi had to fear.

Even with her obvious wariness, I watched as she vaulted over the ropes that surrounded the ring prepared to fight. She wasn't the type to back down, even if the odds were against her. It was an admirable as well as foolhardy trait. Her honor wouldn't keep her alive after all.

The fight began as soon as the referee's arm sliced through the air. The man Nikolai moved far faster than his body entailed and Kasumi was left with no openings. She spent the majority of the first couple minutes into the fight doing nothing but blocking and dodging. The outcome seemed bleak at best.

"She isn't going to win this one," I heard Botan mumble behind me.

"Don't give up on her yet!" snapped Kuwabara.

Kasumi had learned to use her reiki to strengthen her hits and protect herself. She had increased her speed as well, though it was only slightly faster than a regular human's. None of that would be a match for Nikolai. He had years' worth of experience with reiki; it was obvious at the start.

"Is that all you taught her, Yusuke?" Genkai snapped, angered at her disciple.

The detective turned to laugh nervously at the old woman, "I told you I wasn't a good teacher."

Genkai turned away from him with a disgusted huff and shook her head, "Pathetic."

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at her, showing how immature he truly was, and then turned back to watch the battle. Kasumi was being backed into a corner; Nikolai had already landed several hard hits on her. She had blood dripping down her lips, her other cheek had been cut open and had already begun to purple into a bruise. He kicked her backwards, the hit solid enough to send her sliding.

My eyes, so steadily trained on her, noticed when she paused at the absolute worst time. Why? Why had she stopped? She would die if she didn't pay attention! Nikolai was gathering a large ball of pure reiki into his hands and she hadn't even noticed. I couldn't help but cringe when he smashed it into her stomach. She fell to her knees, coughing blood up onto the mat. What had distracted her enough where she would become oblivious during such a dangerous fight?

Her eyes had flicked upwards…so I retraced them. I pursed my lips at what I saw, my jaw clenching shut tightly.

Above us, the VIP box I had somehow forgotten about after the incident in the locker rooms was lit up. The silhouette of what I was certain was a man stood out against the window. Though his shadow was all you could make of him.

My eyes narrowed. Something about this fight had piqued the person's interest.

And it was easy to justify why a moment later when an ancient, deadly aura made itself known. I suppressed a gasp when my eyes shot back to Kasumi. Her own power, crackling like electricity and so bright it could burn your eyes was mixed with that of Chronos'. The god's energy was a pale gold, holy and absolute in its strength. I watched as one of the girl's eyes bled to black, the grey being swallowed up.

Nikolai took a step back, his once confident smirk replaced with a nervous frown. He was afraid…good.

At the end of the aisle Kuwabara had shot to his feet. His fists clenched at his sides he looked as if he were holding back from running to Kasumi's side. I was certain he was recalling the time he had spoken of the day we'd met Chronos. I wondered if Kasumi would allow it to affect her the same this time around.

"Goddamn it…" mumbled Genkai from Kurama's other side.

"Shouldn't we do something?" I heard Botan ask.

Koenma answered her, "We will wait to see if it gets out of hand."

And what happens if it did? Who would put a stop to Chronos? I didn't know what Kasumi was thinking, if she had planned this or if the god had just decided to take over. From this distance, it looked as if they were sharing her body, both joining together in the fight against Nikolai. It was an interesting development, as well as a worrisome one.

If they were combining their powers and Kasumi had made an agreement with the god, what did that mean for her? Would her body even be able to withstand it? Other times, Kasumi using Chronos' power had been traumatic to her physically and emotionally. Has her power grown enough in this short time to withstand such an assault?

I could only wait and watch, even as my body screamed at me to rush to her side. Chronos brought out the worst in me. The god's power was a stark reminder that there are still plenty of things out there stronger than I.

"How will we put a stop to this, if it should get out of control?" asked Kurama, voicing my thoughts from just moments ago.

"There is something I should tell all of you but…"

"Don't tell me, it's some other secret you've been forbidden to speak of," said Yusuke, his tone sarcastic. His eyes rolled towards the ceiling.

"Let me remind you that my father is the ruler of the Reikai," snapped Koenma.

Before he could finish his thought Yusuke whirled around to glare at him, "I don't give a shit. It's time your balls dropped! Better yet, grow a pair!"

"How dare you!" shouted the prince, incensed at Yusuke's attitude.

"Yeah whatever, you wet diaper."

"Enough you two!" admonished Keiko.

Beside her, I watched as Yukina wrung her hands, her eyes worried. She was the only one who had not looked away from the ring. I saw a bead of sweat drip down her pale brow. Kuwabara also noticed her distress and he turned in his seat to try and comfort her.

"Yukina-chan, what's wrong?"

She didn't hear him at first, until he had repeated her name several times.

"Oh, Kazuma-kun, my apologies…"

The girls converged on her, offering words of comfort and other such disgusting displays. Kuwabara was drowned out, the only benefit of the situation.

"She fears Chronos," said Kurama.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, "Does that surprise you?"

Her only encounter with the god hadn't been a pleasant one. Anyone with half a brain would be wary of the titan's power. Not to mention the thing's personality was beyond strange and unpredictable.

"No, she is smart to fear it," he replied.

I nodded once, to show my agreement. From there I directed my attention back to the fight. Fully powered up, Kasumi had taken a stance meant solely for offense. Her power swirled like smoke and flickered like lightning. I'd never seen energy quite like hers. I'd also never seen someone turn their aura into a power better utilized by an elemental demon. Her mind worked in mysterious ways and this was just one of them. Her brain had made it form into the sparking, bright electric like quality. It was a small bit of ingenuity on her part, a rather genius move.

She brought that pink electricity up to surround her body, creating a barrier and weapon all in one. In her hands was Chronos' pale gold energy. She shifted and then launched off the floor. She moved much faster, her speed far more than a human's now. She landed a heavy uppercut to the man's jaw. A second punch slammed into the side of his face. Chronos' energy left sizzling burns on his skin.

He stopped and swore in his mother language and spit blood onto the floor. Two of his teeth came out with it.

Kasumi and Chronos did not give him a chance to recover. They came at him again, their energy combining into one. She slapped her hands together; the noise it created like a thunderclap and the bright shockwave it created sent him flying through the ropes. He hit the ground outside the ring hard, the wind knocked out of him.

Six points were added next to Kasumi's name. Not that her score mattered much at this point.

The referee had jumped out of the ring and now stood as far back as he was able. He called out each hit, his face fearful but not surprised.

This fueled my earlier suspicions that this entire tournament was nothing but a setup. It was an elaborate, inconvenient and dangerous setup at that. The ref could see their energies and had done nothing to put a stop to it, all while pretending he saw nothing.

I clenched my teeth together; my hands clasped between my knees gripped each other harder. What would happen here? What more would Kasumi need to be put through?

Nikolai labored back into the ring, facing off with the girl and the god once again. She disappeared in a tinkling display of lights and reappeared beside him. The kick she smashed him with sent him flying back against the ropes. He bounced off them, his weight making him fall forward. Kasumi was there to catch him, with a fist to the gut. He doubled over her, coughing up blood that splashed across the back of the girl's white uniform.

The crowd made equal noises of sympathy and elation, several people standing up to scream at the fighters. I growled low in my throat. There was nothing to be pleased about here. Spectators at these types of events disgusted me in more ways than one.

Their hunger for another's pain and suffering was endless. I would like to put them all in the ring and allow Kasumi to beat them within an inch of their lives. Let us see how much they would enjoy it then.

Another boom like thunder and Kasumi had Nikolai against the ropes once more. His reiki, massive as it was, did not stand a chance against the god's holy energy combined with the girl's. It took one touch and she had his body encompassed in a flashing neon pink lightning storm. It sizzled and flickered up his body as if he'd stuck his finger into a light socket.

He fell to his knees, out of breath and in immense pain. Kasumi's right hand, the hand I assumed was controlled by Chronos, came to fist itself in the man's short hair. Her height didn't allow her to lift him very far, but it was far enough so they were face to face. One corner of her mouth lifted in a twisted smirk, the other side remaining a thin line.

She brought a fist closer into her body, the golden light of Chronos' energy gathering there until it was thick and shining like the sun. In the blink of an eye that same fist plowed straight into the man's face. Blood gushed from his obliterated nose, his features an unrecognizable mess after the assault.

The referee screamed for the fight to come to an end, risking jumping back over the ropes into the thick of it. Kasumi let the man go and he fell with a dull thud to the floor. He was out cold, if not dead. She turned to regard the ref with a cool glare. He gulped, announced Kasumi the victor, and then as she left the ring he motioned for the medics.

Cold eyes, one as black as the sky at midnight and the other as grey as slate, pinned me in a dead stare. Her energy still had yet to retreat from her body, still on full display; she wandered up the steps towards us. The people who could see or sense her energy were quick to get out of her way. Fearful whispers and excited mumblings rose up through the crowd.

Kasumi passed our aisle, casting me a disgusted look as she did, and then paused beside Koenma in the second row. He looked up at her nervously and Chronos' voice slipped from between her lips.

"Try to interfere again and I will end his life," she said.

"What the hell…?" Yusuke mumbled, everyone having turned to stare at the two of them.

Kasumi's right hand lifted to point down through the stands. At the bottom was her partner, Amano Ren. He was standing, narrowed eyes trained on the girl. The woman he had arrived with was tugging at his arm desperately, trying to get him to sit back down. He did not heed her. His face settled into a glower so cold you would think he hated the girl he had claimed to love not so long ago.

Koenma gulped and then answered the god, "It was merely a precaution."

She released a single humorless laugh, "Unlike Kasumi, I know of him and his capabilities. Next time I will tell the girl."

She placed a hand over the darkened eye and with a hiss of steam the wounds on Kasumi's body disappeared along with the vibrant energy. When the hand was removed, the eye had returned to grey. She shot Koenma one overly suspicious look, not having known what just occurred, and then turned away from him.

"Kas…?" asked Kuwabara, uncertain it was truly her.

"Yeah…it's just me now," she reassured him.

The loud speakers flared to life with a loud crackle and the announcer called out that there would an hour long intermission before the next fight. In unison, the crowd groaned and then began to yell about the wait. How pathetic, what did it matter? They would get to see more carnage soon enough, the simple minded idiots.

Kasumi pushed Kuwabara over, having chosen not sit beside me this time. Yusuke asked the question everyone had been burning to know the second her ass hit the seat.

"Did Chronos just take over in that fight?"

There was something hidden in his tone, a hint of despair…of sympathy for her. Yusuke knew all too well what it felt like to have your body taken over. Raizen had committed such a crime when he'd first discovered his demonic origin. Yusuke's fight with Sensui had ended up unfulfilling for him and he had not received any closure by the end of it. I had no doubt he still regretted the outcome to this day.

Kasumi shook her head at him, "No, we fought together."

His mouth fell open, stunned.

"You're kidding?" breathed Kuwabara.

"Nope, couldn't you tell?"

"But just a second ago…it was Chronos that was talking to Koenma-sama," pointed out Keiko.

Kasumi shrugged, "Her business is her business."

"But Kasumi-chan – "

"Don't worry about it Keiko," the girl snapped at her friend.

Keiko hung her head, knowing enough to close her mouth. Kasumi was forever stubborn, but the development worried me as well. It meant the girl had allowed Chronos not only to fight with her but to also have access to her body whenever the god deemed it fit. So far, Kasumi had forced her back into a pit deep within her. She had showed an amazing amount of mental control and subconscious effort to keep the god at bay. I knew she struggled with it daily, either by tuning out the creature's words or using up energy to physically beat her back. She never spoke of it, not even to me. The only reason I knew at all was from eavesdropping on her thoughts as often as I did. Even still, it was often not thought of at all during her day. It was just something she needed to do and after a time…Chronos had stopped being so forceful.

I had helped where I could, often the nights I had spent in her room doing just that. The Jagan had many uses, this was just one more. She did not know of my extra assistance. But she would have had little to no rest in recent months if I had not taken it upon myself to block Chronos while she slept. It was an easy feet for me, the god unable or unwilling to engage me in a battle of wills. She often gave up before things even began.

Kasumi was ruining all my careful work by allowing her access as she was. A sense of foreboding settled itself into the pit of my stomach. Chronos would not play fair. I knew it to be so. The god would lie and cheat to get what it wanted. Kasumi couldn't be stupid enough to believe the thing's petty lies, could she?

I hoped for all our sakes she wasn't.

"So what got you so riled up, anyway?" asked Yusuke, inquiring about the reasoning behind Chronos' release in the first place.

Kasumi pursed her lips, "He was sent by Hideki."

A couple of the girls' gasped and Yusuke turned to shoot me and Kurama a look.

"What else did he tell you?" I demanded, but she chose to ignore me. I shouldn't have expected anything less.

Kuwabara sensed the odd emotions fluctuating between us, his eyes darting from her to me and I glared at him. He wasn't fazed, having long since become used to the horrible looks I gave him. Realizing Kasumi wasn't about to answer me, he repeated my question.

She answered him no problem, making my ire rise several degrees.

"Not much, he just gave me this."

She fished around in the insides of her gi, pulling something from beneath the lapels. At first glance it looked like a simple slip of paper. When she handed it over to Kuwabara however, I was able to see it for what it truly was – a photo. When the hell had he managed to slip her that? I hadn't even noticed, too distracted by other things, such as moments of weakness in locker rooms.

Keiko had leaned over in her seat for a better look, coming between Kuwabara and Yusuke. She gasped and placed a hand to her mouth before returning to explain to the other women. Both Yusuke and Kuwabara had twin looks of trepidation. The picture was passed down to me and once I had it in my hands I gave it a closer inspection.

It was the photo that had been stolen from Kasumi's bedroom the same night her sword had been taken. It was of her and her twin sister Hitomi…except now, Kasumi's face had been scratched out.

It was worn, having been folded in four over and over. Whoever had it in their possession before Nikolai must have looked at it hundreds of times.

I handed it over to Kurama, who also inspected it with keen eyes, before it was passed back to the girl. She tucked it back into her gi, her face kept carefully blank. She wouldn't show what she was really feeling, not here, not now.

For the next hour, I sat in silence as the rest of the group contemplated theories and discussed the current development. Much like me, Kasumi sat at the end of the aisle with her hands clasped in front of her and a faraway look in her eye. The temptation to read her mind came to me again and I forced it back. It was better that I didn't know.

Up in the VIP box, the light had gone dim. The shadow was no longer there. Too invested in Kasumi's fight I hadn't noticed when the man had retreated. I wondered if the girl had seen…but knew that if I asked I would not receive a reply.

"Hiei?"

Kurama drew me from my reverie, his voice soft so only I would hear. I raised an eyebrow towards him so he would know I had heard him.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked.

The fox was ever a keen observer and also a nosey bastard. I knew that he would keep anything I happened to confess to himself, but I couldn't risk anyone overhearing.

Besides…it was a private matter, one I wanted to keep close to my chest. Kurama, a fox though he may be, had proved to be a trustworthy ally. That didn't mean I wished to confide all my secrets to him.

"Did something happen between you and Kasumi?" he tried again.

I kept my face blank so I would give nothing away. He was ever perceptive, having guessed what was wrong on the first try. It made me want to hit him.

Kurama sighed, realizing he wasn't about to get a word out of me. He switched the topic of the conversation instead.

"I have some theories I wished to bounce off you," he said.

"Hn," I grunted, letting him know I was interested in hearing them. Just so long as they weren't theories about me and the girl, at any rate.

"I'm sure you've noticed the connection between Ren and Koenma?"

I nodded once and sneered. Of course I noticed. The prince was being all too obvious about it. I'd had my suspicions some time ago, after getting a taste of what his energy was like. After that Koenma had only dug the hole deeper with his shady actions.

As a group we had discussed the possibility that Koenma had hired the man to watch over Kasumi in our stead. After a while we refuted that, especially when the idiotic man showed up in a drunken stupor at Kasumi's home. Koenma wouldn't abide by such antics. Even now he was keeping a watchful, if not wary eye on the man. I believed it was one of the main reasons he'd shown up to see Kasumi fight.

The girl thought we distrusted Amano without reason. When really, we had more reasons than ever to mistrust the man, especially after what Chronos had to say. She knew things the rest of us did not; it was an inconvenience that she did not confide these things to Kasumi. It would make our job much easier if she would. Though I supposed Chronos preferred to do things the hard way.

"What of it?" I asked.

Kurama cast a subtle eye towards Koenma, making sure the man wasn't listening. The demi-god was enthralled with some thing or another that Botan was blathering about. When the fox was certain that we had not drawn his attention, he turned back to me.

"I think Enma is the one who commands him," he said.

This stopped me dead. I hadn't thought of that, which was pure oversight on my part. It made sense. Koenma had said he was forbidden to speak of certain things. Who else could stop him from talking other than King Enma? It was absurd to even think it was anyone else.

"The Spirit Defense Force then," I said.

Kurama nodded, "I am not a hundred percent certain…"

"The fact you're telling me at all is enough for me," I cut him off.

Kurama wouldn't say anything if he didn't have at least one piece of damning evidence. Even still, the thought made my hackles rise. This man had been planted by the Reikai…and he'd told Kasumi he loved her. Had that all been a lie, was this some kind of game to them? I understood little of love and relationships, but this seemed a rather backhanded tactic. It was cruel, even to one such as I and I felt my upper lip rise in a snarl.

I would kill him.

"Calm yourself, Hiei," Kurama whispered, his eyes straying towards Kasumi.

I turned to see her staring at the two of us with questioning eyes. My aura had spiked in my anger and she had noticed.

She was always so aware of me, but at the same time so goddamned blind.

She looked as if she were about to speak, her body naturally leaning around Kuwabara and Yusuke for a better view of me. That was when the loud speakers turned on with another loud crackle.

"Thank you for your patience," said the announcer.

"After the previous fight several competitors have chosen to drop out of the competition," they continued.

The crowd began to yell obscenities, throwing things down towards the ring and creating a general unnecessary ruckus. The announcer ignored their cries, only raising the volume of the speakers to shout over it.

"With this turn of events, the proprietor has decided to draw lots for the semi-finals. The battles were chosen as follows…"

The big digital screen that hung above the ring showed the match ups. There were five fights in total, meaning only ten competitors remained. If I remembered correctly, I believed there had been over thirty at the start. Plenty had already been eliminated, not having scored enough points to make it to another round. Of the ones remaining, at least ten of them had dropped out. Apparently, Kasumi's earlier display of energy had frightened away those that were spiritually aware. How very smart of them, the cowards.

Of those five fights, Kasumi's was numbered last. At least she would have a bit of time to rest. She'd used quite a bit of her reiki in that last match.

"Tch," I heard her release a noise of annoyance, "I was hoping to go first."

I resisted the urge to shake my head at her. She was just as battle hungry as the rest of us.

Yusuke full out laughed, agreeing with her. Kuwabara did what I had wished to do and shook his head at her.

"You always did like competing," he said.

She turned to him with one of those smiles…the one where she showed all her teeth. It was bright and obnoxious.

And it had caused my breath to falter a time or two.

I was almost irritated that she had directed it at someone else. I ignored the two of them, my eyes flicking back up to the VIP box. For the hundredth time I wondered if it was the man Kasumi had been looking for hiding in that room. Had Amano led her astray or had he brought her right to the man's doorstep as promised? If he betrayed her here I would have no qualms about killing him where he stood. I cared little if he was a member of the SDF or not.

Kasumi mumbled something about going to buy bottled water and I couldn't stop my eyes from watching as she left. She walked up the flights of stairs, her gait slow. It seemed innocent enough, but I knew better. As soon as I looked away she would change directions and head for that damned box.

I rose from my seat, prepared to follow her but a shift in the air had the hairs on the back of my neck rising. A new aura had just entered somewhere in the building. It was full of life, just as bright as Kasumi's…but something sinister lay beyond it. On the steps, Kasumi had paused as well. Her eyes shot up to the seats at the top of the stands. I believe Yusuke had called it the "nosebleed" section.

There, standing behind the final row of seating, was a girl. Her hair was an inky black; it fell over her shoulder in a silken wave. She was dressed in dark clothing, leather pants and a black coat was pulled over it all. At her waist was a belt that held up the scabbard to a sword, a sword I recognized in an instant.

I knew before I had spotted her that Kasumi would act rashly. She began to run in the girl's direction and before I could alert any of the others I laid chase. I used as much of my natural speed as I could without looking too suspicious. I caught her just as she was about to jump over a meridian that blocked the other side of the arena.

I wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her back into my chest.

"Let me go! Hitomi's up there!" she screamed.

But in that brief second of inattention the black haired girl had disappeared. That hadn't honestly been Kasumi's missing sister, had it? She didn't look anything like the photo.

"Stop struggling," I snapped.

She kicked at me, her furious screams causing a scene. I dragged her into an alleyway in the top section of the stands. There were less people up here as the view wasn't as good. It was pure luck that the alley happened to be empty.

I pinned her face first against the wall, grabbing up her arms and holding them above her head with one hand. My other remained pressed into her back to keep her from moving. My legs caged her in, creating a barrier with my body she could not break.

I leaned my head over her shoulder so I could reach her ear, "Stop."

I violent shiver traveled down her spine, out of disgust or pleasure I did not know. I hoped for the latter, but knew it was only wishful thinking.

She ceased her struggles, deflating and falling back against me. The hand I had at her lower back shifted around her, until it had wrapped itself back around her waist. I pulled her just a little closer, without really meaning to.

My lips still at her ear I whispered, "If I let go, will you stay?"

She didn't answer me with words, but I felt her nod. I disentangled my body from hers, regretting the path I had chosen. The feeling of loss I felt afterwards was nothing but imaginary. All the same, I hated to no longer be touching her.

I backed away, giving her some space. She remained pressed against the wall, her hands turned into fists against the surface. Her shoulders were shaking, though she did not release a sound.

Was she crying? Had she broken her vow?

Before I could reach out and turn her around she began to speak, "She's here…"

"That was your sister?" I asked. Her voice had not sounded as if it were ravaged by tears. A bit of relief washed over me.

"Yes…she looks different, but there's no mistaking her eyes."

She whirled around to face me and I discovered the reason for her shaking. Her hands were clenched so tight her nails dug into her skin, blood welled up over her fingers to drip to the floor. Her shaking was not out of sorrow…but anger.

"Why did you stop me?!" she shouted.

I scoffed at her, "Did you feel the energy she released?"

"Of course I did baka!"

I growled at the insult, my lips turning up into another snarl. Her eyes alighted on my facial expression and a gleam that had not been there before presented itself – interesting.

"What are you thinking, onna?"

She paused, unsure of what I was asking.

"I'm thinking I want to see my sister," she said.

That wasn't what I had meant, the fool. I was interested to know where that sudden change of look had come from.

"That is obvious and not what I was speaking of," I elaborated.

"Why don't you just read my mind then, if you're so damn curious?"

She shouldn't have given me the invitation. I had avoided it for the better part of the day…but now, now it was different.

I ripped the hideous hat from my head, uncaring if anyone saw at this point. This was the power she had over me. The power to drive me mad with very little else than her pretty words and her constant teasing, her anger excited me. I wanted to know her thoughts. I needed to know. Nothing in this moment was more pressing than that.

She no longer backed away in fear of the Jagan, now she stood in front of me with her head held high. It did nothing but fuel my desire further.

Such a foolish girl, did she not know I was a monster? I could kill her in the blink of an eye if I wished.

But she didn't care about that…did she? She'd said so herself. I supposed that was when my uncertain thoughts on her had solidified into something I never dreamed they could become. At that time I was certain that I wanted her, just as certain as I was now.

Before I could delve into her head she stopped me short with a question. It must have been burning in the back of her throat for a long while, for she spit it with enough venom to make me want to cringe.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing earlier?"

I played the part of ignorance, "When?"

She glared at me, the look in her eye doing nothing but exciting me further. How far could I push her before she snapped?

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about."

I wanted to avoid this conversation all together. I had no desire to speak of earlier. Not unless it ended in something more favorable than arguing with her.

I leaned forward, the purple light of the Jagan flashing brightly as I entered her head. I planned to kiss her again. The need was undeniable and who was I to resist such a pull?

Inside her mind she was panicking, while her exterior showed nothing but controlled anger. She was flustered, afraid…confused. Her heart was racing again and she was praying I couldn't hear it. Oh, but I could. It was racing for me and because of me. A sense of misplaced pride settled in my chest. What other reactions could I draw from her?

I leaned closer, hearing her swear loudly at me, aware I was reading her thoughts. The foul word still in the middle of slipping from between her lips, I touched mine to hers. I caught the piece of profanity, swallowing it up as I pushed her back into the wall. She gasped. Her mouth opening and allowing me access that she had not granted willingly. I ate it up, my hands coming to rest on either side of her head, palms against cold concrete.

Her mind exploded, not with words, but images. They flashed by with no rhyme or reason, but they all had one thing in common – me. For a moment, I forgot what I was doing just so I could watch them. They were all from her perspective, how she looked at me and thought of me. My eyes stood out the most among them. So many images of just my eyes, it was almost unnerving.

I remembered myself when her hands came up to my chest to try and push me away. She put no effort behind it, but it once again dawned on me that I had made a mistake. Twice in a fucking row I had done this to her, forced myself on her.

I was quick to pull away. She turned her head from me, a hand coming up to wipe at her mouth.

"Stop this…what is this?!"

I pushed off from the wall, turning around so I couldn't see her. I couldn't look her in the eye. I couldn't look at her panicked face filled with disgust. It angered me. It made me feel less like a man and more like a child.

I might have answered her. I might have been able to come up with some ridiculous explanation. However, just as I opened my mouth to speak, the ground began to shake beneath my feet. Kasumi lost her footing and I grabbed her by the arms before she could hit the floor. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling to cover us in a fine layer of grey. The floor fractured, hairline cracks traveling along the cement. It lasted but a moment, but it was long enough to put the entire arena into pandemonium.

When the second tremor spread throughout the building the spectators got up from their seats and began to run. Once again I had Kasumi pressed against the wall, but for entirely different reasons. I caged her in with my body, protecting her from the stampeding crowd.

"What the hell is going on?" she cried.

I didn't answer her, for I did not have one to give. I was just as clueless as she was.

Even though the tremors had stopped, I could still hear screams from the inner parts of the arena. They were the kind of screams that told tales of horror and loss. Above the din came a voice I recognized.

"Hiei! Kasumi!"

At the end of the hall, fighting his way through the flock of people was Yusuke. His eyes were wild – something had happened…something bad.

I lost sight of him as another group of human scum pushed their way through the opening, rushing to get out of the building. Some covered in blood and others dragging ones that were wounded. What the hell was going on?

An arm reached out and grabbed my shoulder. I pivoted, ready to fight whoever it was. My punch was stopped in a strong fist, Yusuke being the owner of the hand. His eyes so serious I knew that whatever had just occurred meant trouble for us.

I wrapped an arm around Kasumi and pressed her into my side. Together with Yusuke we pushed our way against the current of people.

When we reentered the arena I stopped dead in my tracks.

Down below, where the ring once was, was now a swirling mass of black particles. I recognized them in an instant and pushed away from Kasumi. I shoved her towards the exit.

"Go, run Kasumi," I said.

She took one look at me and then down towards the ring. I didn't even need to read her mind to know what she was thinking.

"Don't," I snapped.

I launched myself towards her as one of her eyes flooded black. She disappeared in a flash of soft golden light, leaving behind little sparkling particles in the aftermath. I wanted to scream in that moment. I hadn't realized that Chronos would give Kasumi her power whenever she wished.

"Fuck!" screamed Yusuke who took off running, almost as fast as I.

I surpassed him, reaching the thick black barrier before he reached the bottom of the steps. I looked wildly around for Kasumi, but I already knew where she was. I stuck out a hand, testing the black cloud.

I pulled it back with a jerk and it came back bloody. The particles were razor sharp. If I were to try and pass through I would be ripped to shreds.

"What are we going to do?" Yusuke was beside me, his eyes searching mine for answers I didn't have.

I didn't have time to worry about that. While I feared for Kasumi's wellbeing, she had been the one foolish enough not to heed me. My eyes gazed around the stands, trying to find the only other person I truly gave a damn about.

Green hair, held back with a red bow caught my attention. I was relieved (though that would never be admitted aloud) that Kuwabara had her in a protective hold. His reiken out and ready for battle, he stood with Kurama at his side. They stayed behind in the stands to protect the other girls, but things were about to get even more dangerous. They needed to be removed from the equation all together.

"Go, get them out of here," I snapped at Yusuke.

"What? I can't just leave you here!"

I growled at him, "I do not need your support!"

He returned my glare with one of his own, "I don't abandon my friends."

"Lucky for you, I'm not your friend," I replied.

He scoffed at me, "In your dreams."

He looked back up towards the stands, at his mate's frightened face, and he caved.

"I'll come back…don't fucking die, asshole."

I smirked at him and threw his words back in his face, "In your dreams, Urameshi."

He gave me a thumb up and ran off to join the others in their escape. I didn't take my eyes off him until I saw Yusuke direct them down one of the alleys. Even afterwards, I kept the Jagan trained on them until I knew they were outside and away from danger. They would return to assist me, I knew that. Not that I needed any of their help. I just needed to know Yukina would not be caught in the fray.

"Hiei," the sound of the deep voice had a growl rising in my throat.

I folded my arms across my chest, leaving the massive barrier before me alone for the time being. I couldn't believe he was brave enough to confront me now. He must have no sense of self-preservation. I turned to him, a glower already crossing over my face before my eyes had even spotted him.

"Amano," I spat at him.

He regarded me coolly, unafraid of the obvious aggression I was displaying. This was similar to all the other encounters I'd had with him, furthering Kurama's earlier theory.

"You know who I am, then?" he asked.

"I have my suspicions," I replied.

"And they're most likely correct," he said.

"What do you want with Kasumi?" I snarled.

"The same thing you want, I believe," he smirked at me, making my rage rise. If he kept it up I would kill him now and be done with it.

"Oh? And what would that be, enlighten me," I acted as if I didn't care. That he couldn't possibly know what I wanted from her. How dare he accuse me of wanting the same thing as he?

"I'm in love with her," was his reply.

"That isn't what I asked," I pointed out.

He shrugged, holding his hands up in flippant disregard to my question, "That is the only answer I'm willing to give."

I lunged at him, ready to tear out his throat.

"Hiei!" another voice called out my name, once again stopping me.

At this point I had become so angered I might just murder the next person that screamed my damned name.

Koenma was standing a safe distance away from the barrier, his eyes stern while somehow being horrified at the same time. Genkai was at his side, her arms folded across her chest and looking far from impressed with me.

"Let him go," she called to me.

I had my hand balled into the man's shirt, ready to beat his face in until it was ruined. I did not answer to gods and Genkai was no master of mine. I reared back my fist, prepared to land a solid punch straight into his nose.

"Hiei, if you don't let him go Kasumi is going to die!"

I dropped the man as if he had burned me. He didn't land in a heap on the floor as I had hoped; instead he jumped back to his feet, a safe distance from me.

He adjusted his clothing, smoothing out any wrinkles I might have put in them. He looked back up at me and laughed, "That look is quite sinister, but it doesn't scare me you monster."

My power rose around me, heat making sweat drip down the man's brow. He chuckled again, swiping it away with the back of his hand.

"I can negate this bastard's power," he said, jerking his head towards the barrier.

"How?" I demanded, not ready to trust his word.

"Kasumi has told you what I can do?"

I nodded in answer and he continued, "My powers can take away as well as give."

What the hell did that mean?

"Here, let me demonstrate," he said, another smirk gracing his lips.

His whitish, silver tinted energy came up to surround him. He held his hands out in front of him, palms parallel to the floor. He spread them out in a slow motion and I watched in interest as his energy collected there, solidifying. He pushed it out of his hands and I stood stunned as they transformed into thin shining strings, like silver thread.

His eyes shifted up to me and before I knew what was happening he lifted his hands towards me. I tried to dodge, but the threads only followed me. They connected to my body, passing straight through my clothing to pierce my skin. I came to a halt, tearing my shirt off to see what damage had been done. There was no blood, no wounds, just those silver threads buried beneath my skin.

I swiped at them, but my hands traveled right through it.

"What the hell?"

Ren laughed, "I call them Threads of Fate."

He pulled them taught, collecting the reiki into one hand and holding it there. As he did so, I felt a sudden weakness pass over me. It made me dizzy and my vision blurred. I stumbled on my feet. What the fuck was this? I'd never experienced something like this before. His power was unlike any others'. No wonder Enma had coveted this man for the SDF.

Ren tugged at them again and my body jerked with them, even though they were not a solid tether.

"I can pull not only someone's power from their body with these," that explained the feeling of weakness, "I can rip out their soul."

Even in my current state I managed to glare up at him, "Go ahead and try. I'll kill you…"

He tsked at me, clucking his tongue, "That would be impossible. You see, I don't just take away your powers…"

He demonstrated the rest of his sentence instead of using words. He held out his empty hand and in the palm he created a ball of fire. It was the same thing I had shown Kasumi the night she'd found out about my demonic heritage. It brought nothing but joy to Ren, where as I was brought to my knees. He could steal another's abilities, demon and human alike. I'd never seen anything like it before.

"Ren, enough!" I heard Koenma shout, my vision swimming to the point I could no longer see him.

He did not heed the command at first, but after a moment he said, "Yes Koenma-dono."

His threads released me, falling away from my body. I felt as they separated from my soul, like tiny pin pricks. In a rush my power returned to me. There was little that would keep me from killing the man now. He'd crossed a line with that stunt. He would not leave this arena alive. I would find another way to save Kasumi; I would never accept help from this bastard.

I regretted leaving my sword behind, I would just have to resort to ripping his head clean off his shoulders instead.

"Don't even think about it," a woman's voice behind me spoke.

I cocked my head to look over my shoulder, I hadn't even thought about the man's partner. I was too busy making sure my soul didn't get ripped from me. Now, she stood at my back with a rather sharp knife dangerously close to my neck. Reiki covered her from head to toe, a dark purple in color. She must be a member of the SDF as well.

"You should leave while you can," she said to me.

"We're not following Enma's orders, Makoto!" Ren snapped at her.

Her eyes never shifted away from me, she was smarter than that, "I came here to make sure that you would not stray. You can't quit the SDF for some woman, Ren!"

I released a bark of sardonic laughter. So, he had attempted to quit the Spirit Defense team simply because of Kasumi. I would make sure his sacrifice was in vain. Quitting the SDF was an impossible feat. If Enma wanted you, he would have you, whether you liked it or not. Ren would either be put to death or imprisoned.

"I won't abide by this, Koenma is on my side," he said, pointing a finger towards the demi-god.

Koenma held up his hands in his own defense, shaking his head vigorously at the woman. She growled low in her throat, her eyes skipping over to Koenma. There was my chance.

I elbowed her in the stomach and knocked the knife from her hand. It fell to the floor with a loud clang and I grabbed her by her neck, forcing her back until she was almost touching the swirling black barrier.

Her eyes were wide and she pushed out more reiki in her panic, pulling futilely at my hand around her throat. My own rose in defense and beat hers back as easy as it was for me to breathe. I tightened my hold at her neck, lifting her from the floor and letting one of her elbows sink into the black. Just as I had suspected, it tore it to shreds. She screamed, but I had no sympathy for people who threatened me.

I pulled her back, "What business does the SDF have with Kasumi?"

I kept one eye on Ren, who was smart enough not to try and stop me. If he even tried I would stick her in the mass of black and sacrifice my arm along with her. It wouldn't be the first time I'd lost the appendage and I wasn't afraid to do it again.

"I'll tell you if you let her go," I heard the man say.

His tone told me I had the upper hand and he was very aware of that fact.

"Speak or she dies," I replied.

"Hiei!" I heard Koenma shout again. Goddamn it, I was sick of hearing my name. I would kill him next if he didn't shut up.

"No Koenma-dono, it's fine. It's better that he knows isn't it?"

Koenma paused to contemplate what Ren had said and then he nodded once. Ren began to speak, knowing that time was of the essence. We had already wasted enough as it was. If I couldn't still feel that faint power of Chronos' through the barrier I might think Kasumi was already dead.

"Enma ordered me to track the vessel and keep a watchful eye on the guardian of the gate…" he began.

Ren told me of his orders, how he had gone through the police academy at first only to watch her. After a while, once they had made it near the end of their final year in training, he noticed he had gained feelings for her. That was when Makoto was brought in; as Enma no longer trusted Ren's judgement though he was adamant his emotions would not interfere. He'd lied, as they had done nothing but cause interference. This had prompted both Ren's and the woman, Makoto's, placement at the same precinct that Kasumi worked at. It was pure blind luck that Ren had been the one chosen to be her partner on the force. The memories the other officers had were planted, making it seem like Makoto had been there much longer than she truly was.

"And what was your final objective?" I asked, as he'd conveniently left that part out.

Ren looked me dead in the eye, "To capture or kill the vessel if Chronos gained access to the key."

"What?"

"We have little time here…" said Ren, his uncertain gaze turning to the barrier.

Like hell was I about to let him anywhere near her, he must be a fool to think I would.

"Answer me," I demanded, once again pushing the woman towards the black mass.

In a rush, Ren finished his explanation, "If Chronos kills Hitomi the god will have full access to the key again."

I tossed the woman aside, my answers fulfilled, I had enough honor to keep my promise. I had wondered why it was necessary to keep the god and the key separated. Now I had that answer.

Chronos did not have her full powers without the key. I wondered what she would be like with it.

One word crossed my mind – destructive.

"Do you understand now?" asked Ren.

I glared at him again. What did he take me for, a fool?

"Take your woman and leave," I said, turning back to the barrier.

"You won't be able to get through that without me," he said.

And what could he possibly do that I could not? It grated on my nerves, his voice alone made me want to tear out his tongue.

He was saved from my next scathing remark when Yusuke reentered the arena. I rolled my eyes when I heard my name once again called out through the air. It was enough to give me a headache.

The three other men reached my side, all of them casting wary glances at Ren and the woman. Yusuke spotted Koenma and the prince just shrugged with a nervous laugh.

"Well, the cats out of the bag, I guess you could say," he said.

Yusuke turned to me with questioning eyes, "I will fill you in later," I said.

He didn't look happy about my answer, but it was best to save the long conversation for another time. Together we turned to regard the barrier. That was when Ren used his power once more, thankfully, this time it wasn't on me.

More silver threads came from both his hands, the amount an astonishing difference from before. They encompassed the great mass of swirling black. Connected to it, they drew it out of its careful spin, separating the particles. They traveled down the millions of threads, the dark energy sliding into Ren's palms. No wonder I never felt any energy from him…the threads were the only true technique he had other than healing. The rest he stole from others. He must not display any kind of aura when his powers were not in use.

The others stared at the display in amazement, but as the smog cleared I had eyes for one thing and one thing only.

In the center of what used to be the ring, but was nothing but a pile of rubble at that point, was Kasumi. She had blood dripping down her face, her front covered in so much red it was practically black. Even with Chronos' power she had not fared well against Hideki.

My eyes strayed to him, dressed all in black, a maniacal look upon his face he held a sword in his hand. I was thankful to find it wasn't Kasumi's, but the relief was short lived. He was no longer a projection, his body whole and hale. When had that happened and why was Chronos having such a hard time if that was the case?

Then I remembered the day Kasumi had walked into his trap, the day I'd fought the golem for her. The man wasn't at his full power without his body. Now that he had it, how much had changed?

And why the hell was he here? Why now?

I had no time to contemplate the reasons. I had no time to think at all.

With a great flash of light, an impossible neon green in color, the ring was obliterated. I was forced to cover my eyes, drawing up a weak ki barrier last minute to protect the more vital parts of my body.

I heard myself yell Kasumi's name. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel anything. Searching for her energy was futile, the green encompassed everything.

The only thought that crossed my mind in the mayhem was the fact the energy felt familiar. I had felt it that very day, less than an hour ago.

Hitomi…

. . .

A/N: I'm so cruel; I left this on another cliffhanger. I'm so sorry, please don't kill me! If I didn't, it would have gone on forever! The next chapter will also take place in Hiei's POV. It will continue exactly where this one left off, so I hope you can handle the wait! We almost reached 150 reviews by the end of this chapter and I am so damn happy! I'm so glad the last chapter was well received, getting the most reviews out of all the chapters I have posted. Thank you guys so much! I hope you like this one just as much! Thanks for reading!