Chapter 39: Twists and Turns
Hiei was a warrior. He was born thirsting for blood and when that thirst quenched with age, the urge for the fight was not. The urge, the desire to prove his dominance through his sword never left him, even as his life moved into more peaceful times. That was why he still needed to work for Mukuro. The rush of adrenaline, the sound of weapons clashing, and the immense pleasure he found in defeating the last hopeful idiot in his block was something he could not get from anything else.
He wasn't sure if Yusuke ever thought about his tournament proposal deeply enough to understand it's implications, but it was probably the single brightest idea the man ever had.
Hiei left the block arena and Shana was waiting for him at the exit. She was wearing one of her favorite Gothic Lolita outfits: a traditional black dress with ruffles and lace, flared sleeves towards her hands, and a black lace choker around her neck. Underneath she wore black tights and lace up platform boots that went to her knees. She curled her hair, accentuating her recent maroon highlights, and wore a small black top hat on her head. He always complained that she looked ridiculous but admittedly, she wore it well.
"Great job, Papa! That's the last preliminary block!" She exclaimed.
"Did you expect any less?" He smirked.
She grinned, her violet eyes twinkling, "Of course not."
They walked to the main tournament area and just standing around so many contenders made his blood pump. Somehow, this tournament was able to satisfy the same desire in him that so many other demons had. Over the years the tournament was accompanied with parades and MTV (Makai Television, Inc.) interviews with popular contenders. The pomp and circumstance only made the crowning that much more entertaining and desirable. A demon strong and lucky enough could go from being unknown to instantly recognizable. Of course, that didn't happen often. Typically, future promising candidates grew in strength each tournament. Shura, Yomi's clone, was a good example.
The once ill mannered and annoying scum of the earth child had somehow grown into a decent being. How Yomi managed that he wasn't sure. Either way, the boy's growing strength showed itself as he moved further and further into the tournament each year. Despite being born a S-Class, he was still decades of training away from Hiei, but he was definitely one to watch. The boy had the power but he needed refinement.
Yomi's son walked up to them and greeted them pleasantly. "Hello Hiei-san. Congratulations on winning your block."
"Tch, save your congratulations for when I'm King," he replied.
Shura's hazel eyes narrowed as he smirked. "We'll see." He glanced over at Shana. Then, surprising Hiei and Shana, he took her hand and kissed it. "It's been awhile since we've seen each other and it astounds me at how you look more beautiful every time I see you."
Shana blushed and replied, "Well, maybe we should see each other more often." Hiei needed an excuse to leave this conversation. He didn't mind Shura anymore, and he was a decent looking demon with his angular face and slicked jet black hair. Hiei did, however, mind his father. Even after all these years, Hiei still kept Yomi at arms length and he wasn't the only one. Mukuro was clear and direct in her ambitions and desires, but Yomi was not. Shana's demonic race was rare and Yomi knew it. The last thing Hiei wanted was for her to be taken advantage of.
"Maybe tonight at Gaijin's Bar?" Shura asked.
"That sounds-" Shana started to respond but was cut off by Ryuji's approach.
"Hey, Gramps! Glad to see those old bones in your body haven't given out yet," Ryuji teased. He wore jeans and a simple grey shirt with a black jacket over, and was accompanied by a tall, buxom demoness, no doubt a spectator. Ryuji thumped Hiei on the back and Ryuji's latest "friend" gave him a sultry smile. Hiei glanced over sat Shana, who wasn't bothering to mask her disgust at the demoness' presence.
Ryuji slinked his arm around the whore's waist and turned his attention to Shura. "Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite douche prince of Gondora. How's life in your daddy's shadow?"
Shura smiled at him thinly. "I notice you're not wearing a number again. I'm glad to see you've accepted that you're a weak and useless half-ling."
Ryuji scoffed, and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's not true. Unlike you, I don't need to show off my power in order to prove I'm a man. I mean, I don't blame you with that tiny horn on your head. It must be hard to always overcompensate for-" Ryuji paused and gestured downward "what you clearly are lacking." The whore attached to Ryuji giggled and leaned into him.
Shura's eyes narrowed but Shana stepped in front of him, blocking his view of Ryuji. "I would love to meet you tonight," she announced.
Hiei watched the haughty smirk on Ryuji's face melt. He stepped forward, away from the demoness, and demanded, "What? Meet where?"
Shura ignored him and smiled at Shana. "That sounds wonderful. That is, as long as your father doesn't mind."
Did he have to be dragged into this? Shana was a grown demoness, after all. Still, it was a smart move for Shura to acknowledge him.
"Tch, it's not my decision," he responded.
"Gramps! You're just going to let this happen?" Ryuji exclaimed. Hiei ignored him.
"It's a date, then," Shura grinned. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it again. Hiei glanced over at Ryuji who was so baffled by the exchange, he stood there with his jaw dropped, speechless.
"See you tonight," Shana blushed.
With a dashing smile and a wink, Shura left them. Shana sighed dreamily, staring off in the direction Shura walked, but as soon as he was out of earshot, Ryuji exploded.
"How could you go on a date with that asshole?!"
Shana whipped around at him angrily. "The only one being an ass is you, Ryuji!"
"He's always been like that towards me because my mother is human! He's an ass, I'm telling you, Shana," Ryuji protested.
The whore demoness tugged on Ryuji's sleeve. "Baby, let's go. I want to watch some of the fights."
Ryuji turned to her angrily, "Not now!"
"But you promised!" She whined.
Hiei looked back over at Shana, the color in her cheeks rising, as Ryuji and whore argued. This was not going to end well.
"Just wait a minute, then, okay? This is important!" Ryuji consoled.
"Important?!" Shana practically shrieked. "I don't even know why you care so much! You've ditched me night after night to hook up with random demonesses and when someone finally notices me, I'm not supposed to go out with him?"
Oh, Shana. Hiei cared for the Boy but he didn't want Shana caught up in Ryuji's charms. He tried to warn her again and again but she wouldn't listen, and now it was evident his wanton ways pushed her too far.
Ryuji stared at her confused. "Noticed? Shana, what are you talking about?"
The shadow demoness' eyes narrowed. "That's exactly what I'm talking about!" she snapped. Before Ryuji could respond, she disappeared in the shadows.
Ryjji stared at her empty spot in shock, and in a similar fashion of his father, shock turned to rage. He turned on the whore and spat, "Get the hell out of here, I don't have time to deal with you!" The demoness slapped him and stormed off, but Hiei doubted Ryuji felt the hit. Hiei stood quietly and watched as his cocky shoulders sagged and anger melted off his visage as he processed the interaction again. He shook his head and swore before glaring up at Hiei. "I can't believe you're going to let her run off with that piece of shit!"
Hiei crossed his arms. "Shana is a grown demon; she makes her own decisions."
"Are you crazy?! That's Yomi's son! He doesn't care about her, he just wants to use her. You know better and you let her walk off with him anyway! I can't believe this! You know what-"
"That's enough," Hiei growled. Ryuji instantly stopped talking and stared at him furiously. "Blaming others for problems you created is a sign of weakness," Hiei said coolly. Ryuji looked away from him and Hiei walked away. The Boy needed to figure sort out his emotions first and Hiei wasn't going to go down that road. Maybe this would get him talking to Yusuke again, but Hiei doubted it. As for Shana, she would no doubt circle to him for comfort at some point and he would be ready to listen, as always.
Hiei wandered around the main grounds until he happened to spot Simran, who was staring up at the board intently watching the fight on display. She was wearing a warmer version of her usual kimono-style outfit, with thicker material and stockings underneath. He liked her color choice of ruby fabric with gold accents, the large gold flower on the longer potion of the garment, and the gold ribbon in her hair. The colors seemed to match well with her darker complexion.
While he was training, she dropped by twice a month to give him updates. Most of the time, he didn't mind her company as she began to chat more about herself. He offered some amount of conversation and he found her presence to be rather pleasant. He didn't realize how much determination and perseverance she displayed, despite not getting very far in the case. More notably, she always looked ahead even when the case seemed hopeless. Hiei liked that the most about her.
He walked over to her and she glanced down at him before returning to the board. "Kousuke is fighting now. He's a good friend of mine from the host." She frowned. "I don't think he's going to win though. He looks exhausted." She sighed, and he noted the disappointment on her face. "Perhaps next year he'll do better."
"What about you?" Hiei asked.
"Me?" She crossed her arms, her eyes glued to the screen. "I should be fighting soon but with so many demons entered I'm not sure. " She turned to him and shrugged her shoulders, "The blocks seem to be clearing pretty quickly though, so who knows." She glanced back up at the screen to see Kousuke lose. "Oh well," she sighed. Her hair flipped as she turned her attention to Hiei again and smiled, "I saw you won your block, congratulations."
"Tch, don't congratulate me yet," he responded.
Simran chuckled lightly. "It's like you to say that, but I think every time someone wins it's a step forward for them. You never know who you're going to face, even in the preliminaries. So, it's not really about how far you get but rather who you fought."
Mukuro was right, the mentality in the Makai was changing drastically. He didn't disagree with Simran's sentiment either, but Hiei was competitive in nature. To him, getting as close to the top as possible mattered more than who he fought along the way. Winning showed that he was powerful, and if he wasn't powerful he was insulting himself, as well as not being adequate enough to protect Yukina.
Simran stepped a little closer to Hiei, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Anyway, I'm glad we ran into each other. I was thinking we could meet up later tonight, have a drink or two, and talk about the contestants."
While Hiei was sure she wanted to go out with him socially, he was also pretty sure she wanted to discuss the case. Business aside, he was starting to think that seeing her outside of work wouldn't be bad either.
"What do you have in mind?" He asked.
Simran cocked her head to the side slightly, a flirtatious light in her eyes, and she placed a hand on her jutted hip. "Well, I was thinking we could start at bar downtown and then see where things go from there. How does-"
Out of the corner of his eye, Hiei saw the hooded figure but paid him no attention until he bumped into Simran hard, causing her to halt her train of thought. She stumbled to the side, mostly maintaining her balance, but the hooded figure did not stop. Tall and wearing a large black cloak with his face hidden, Hiei could not tell who he was. His youki was an afterthought but Hiei knew many powerful demons who hid their true potential. He didn't seem familiar at all.
"Hey!" she called after him. The figure ignored her and disappeared into the crowd. Simran huffed irritated, rubbing her shoulder. "That guy ran into me hard. I'd say it was on purpose except I've never seen him before." Hiei glanced back out into the crowd where the figure disappeared. Interesting…
Simran cleared her throat. "Ahem, anyway, we should meet up later. Does eight o'clock sound good? I think we're in the same hotel so I can meet you in the lobby."
"That's fine," he responded.
Simran's face lit up. "Great! I- oh, my number is flashing. I guess the blocks are moving quicker than anticipated."
"You'll win," Hiei said.
"Thank you," she grinned. He noticed the light blush on her cheeks. "See you tonight!" She exclaimed before leaving.
Once she was out of sight, Hiei glanced around, looking for the hooded figure in black. On purpose… Hiei for the most part agreed. Was it a message for him, a threat? He doubted Simran had anything to do with the display considering her power level wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Master, that person felt… different. Not like a normal demon or human. You should be careful," Koku whispered.
Careful? Hiei felt a wave of excitement come over him. This was a challenge from someone new, someone unheard of. Careful? The masked figure better be ready because Hiei certainly was.
~*0*~
Hiei detested large crowds. He couldn't hear what Simran was saying to him despite her proximity. When they first arrived, they were comfortably able to speak but after a few hours the bar was packed. Simran was getting better about reading his moods because after he cast an annoyed glance at a table near them, she placed a hand on his arm and suggested they go somewhere else. He was more than happy to walk along the bustling nightlife of Gondora. While he didn't necessarily care for the noise, he enjoyed seeing the city full of life. Hiei led her past the club Ryuji's band frequented and found their way slowly back to the hotel, but not before she insisted on grabbing another bottle of wine.
He didn't mind. Simran's company wasn't the most engaging at times, but she was pleasant. He enjoyed her analysis of the past and upcoming fights and he could see her reasoning skills were sharpened much more from when he first met her. He didn't really think much of it as he led her to the top suite he shared with Shana, Yukina, and Sakura. She made herself comfortable, opening the wine, and Hiei shed his jacket before sitting on the plush couch.
He relaxed in his seat and watched Simran pour the two glasses. She forwent her usual hair ribbon in place of straightening her long black hair, which he couldn't help but follow downward to her dark blue dress that made him want to stare longer in places he shouldn't. Hiei returned his gaze to her olive, round face where her bright red lips smiled at him invitingly as she made her way over to the couch. She sat down next to him closely, and he enjoyed her clean earthy scent.
She sipped her wine and he mimicked the action, but he didn't really care for the drink so he set his glass down. She turned to him and her dark eyes glanced over him and she smiled. "So," she started. "I feel like we should talk a little bit about the case, now that we're… alone and it's just the two of us." Hiei knew she was interested him and he had to admit, her patience and efforts were working. That and it had been so long since he felt the warmth of someone who cared and wanted to be with him. Simran wasn't her and she never would be, but Hiei liked who Simran was too. She was good enough, and that was something Hiei could live with.
Hiei didn't bother with moving her glass aside when he leaned in and kissed her. It didn't matter because soon her arms were around his neck and her fingers buried themselves in his hair. Her body pressed against him, and his arm wrapped around her torso tightly. Her fevered mouth broke from his and began to trail hot, slow kisses along his neck tauntingly. A low growl escaped him and he yanked away from her, only to return his mouth to hers. She moaned as his hands began to roam over her curves and deepened the kiss, her tongue lacing the inside of his mouth. The desire within him was overwhelming and he felt lost in her, but it was different from before. He pushed the odd feeling to the back of his mind and refocused on the warmth of her touch, the smooth texture of her hair under his rough hands, and her earthy taste. He started to shift so he could stand and lead her into the bedroom but a sudden clicking sound and gasp tore them apart instantly.
It took a second for Hiei's mind to refocus and see Shana standing at the hotel door. Her jaw slacked into a shocked expression and Hiei noticed Simran's eyes go wide seeing the demoness.
"Well," Shana said slowly. "There are bedrooms you know. And keep it down too. Some of us like sleep." Hiei sighed. Of course, his demoness would walk in on him and a woman she detests.
Simran cleared her throat. "I, ah, think we were heading there but you caught us at a bad time." Even with her darker skin tone, the embarrassed flush in her cheeks were evident. "How was your date with Shura?" she tried to ask brightly.
Shana puffed her cheeks and shifted. "It was nice. We had a nice dinner and he was nice to talk to. We're going out again tomorrow night to dance at some of the clubs." Hiei's eyes narrowed. Something was off about Shana, and it wasn't the situation they were in now. Simran continued the poor small talk until Shana finally grabbed a glass of water and walked into her bedroom.
Simran let out a loud sigh and turned to him, cozying up into him again. "Well, as awkward as that was, I hope it didn't spoil the mood." Hiei hesitated in his response but Simran smiled weakly and pulled away from him. "You want to go talk to her, right? It's okay, I know she hates me."
"It's not you," Hiei explained.
"So if not me then the date. Or rather Ryuji. You know, I told him ages ago to tell her how he felt before it was too late and he didn't listen. It's a shame it's hurting her too." She sighed and looked away, tucking her hair behind her ear. Then she turned to him with a sly, flirtatious smile, "I'll let you go be Dad, but only if you promise to take me out tomorrow."
Hiei smirked playfully. "Deal."
Simran grinned and kissed him again. After a moment she broke the kiss and pressed her cheek against his, her lips grazing his ear as she breathed, "Or, if you're up for it, we can continue where we left off in my room." The jolt of desire hit Hiei as she kissed him deeply again, and he struggled not to pull her back to him when she withdrew. He enjoyed the sight of the dress hugging her round backside as she left, and the sultry glance she sent him just before the door closed.
But once he was left alone and his desires cooled, he wasn't sure if he wanted to visit her after talking with Shana. He could, he was certain talking with his demoness wouldn't take up the rest of the night before he felt like going to bed, but he didn't know if he was ready. Hiei didn't like making brash decisions, and if Shana hadn't walked in he didn't know if he would have been pleased once the hazy cloud over his conscious cleared after his desire was sated. Kissing was one thing, but sleeping with her was completely different. He didn't know if he was ready for that level of commitment, especially since he was just starting to acknowledge and accept what happened in the past with her.
Hiei stood slowly and made his way over to Shana's door. He paused, listening for any noise behind the door before knocking. He heard footsteps and took a small step back as the door opened, revealing Shana already dressed in her tank top and pajama bottoms.
"Thought you went with Simran since you were so invested in her earlier,"she snorted. She turned from him and he stepped into the small room as she started putting the black strapless dress on the hangar. Hiei let the comment go. Talking with her would be easier without dragging up her dislike for the other woman.
"I thought you wore your lotlita dress tonight," Hiei said frowning.
Shana sighed heavily as she walked over to the closet and hung up the dress. "I changed. It didn't feel right."
Now Hiei was really concerned. Shana wore frills and the ridiculous dresses from the first moment Hiei took her in. Not once did she ever mention feeling self conscious about her clothing choices. They were a part of her identity, a part of her, and Hiei couldn't believe that she ditched them for this one date.
"How was it?" he asked.
"Fine," she shrugged. She sat on the bed as she continued, "We went to a nice dinner, talked, made out, and then I came back here. I could have stayed out longer or gone back to his place but I didn't really feel up for it." Her gaze fell away from Hiei and he sat down next to her.
"I'm happy for the attention and that he likes me, you know, but…" She trailed off and Hiei had a feeling they were experiencing the same thing.
A silence fell between them and Hiei wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against him. "His sense of humor is terrible," Shana said quietly.
Hiei debated on how to respond. He wanted to withhold his initial response, but if he couldn't be honest about his misgivings, then he had no business pursuing Simran. "She isn't strong enough," he responded just as quietly.
Shana looked up at him dumbfounded. "Not as strong? As in she can't take you in a fight? You have weird priorities, Papa."
"I'm not the one who thinks stealing famous human artifacts is entertaining."
"First off it's hilarious and completely entertaining, and Ryuji totally gets it." She paused briefly before softly adding, "At least, when he's not my decoy."
He felt the old ache rise in him as he said, "She always knew how to challenge me. Sparring, word play, anything. It was… fun." Shana's arm around him tightened and he held her quietly, ignoring the small wet spots forming on his shirt. Hiei tried not to think about anything as he comforted his demoness, this moment was about her, and he took no pleasure in empathizing with her. If anything, it made him feel uneasy about what he was getting into with Simran.
Shana withdrew from the hug and stood, running her hand through her voluminous hair. "Well at least we accept that we have issues. That's the first step in moving on, right?"
Hiei crossed his arms at her. "So you can admit when you're settling but not that stealing artifacts is a problem?"
"Ugh, Papa," she sighed dramatically rolling her eyes at him, "How many times do I have to tell you being a kleptomaniac isn't a problem because I eventually return everything."
"Eventually," Hiei snorted.
"Yeah. So they get it back. No big deal. Now come eat ice cream and watch MTV's recap of all the tournament fails with me," she grinned.
Hiei wasn't going to complain. He settled himself on the couch and flipped the TV onto the right channel while Shana grabbed the ice cream. Hiei knew that Simran wasn't perfect, but did she have to be? Did Shura have to be perfect for Shana? Damn straight he did, or at least should be. But at least Shana had a chance to be with a demon meant for her. Hiei didn't believe in soul mates, just look at Yusuke and Kaneko, but there are better beings than others. Was Shura better than the Boy, his wanton ways aside? Hiei didn't think so. Was Simran better than her? That was something he didn't know how to answer. Did he have to?
Hiei let out a frustrated sigh, "Fuck it," he snapped, and scooped a large bite of chocolate ice cream and stuffed it in his mouth. He savored the sweet, rich taste of the treat and went back for another bite when he noticed Shana giving him an odd look.
"I'm done with it," he stated.
"Uh, the ice cream, the show, Simran, what? What are you done with?" Shana asked bewildered.
"Thinking," he snorted.
Shana let out a bright laugh, the first in what seemed like forever, and she grinned at him toothily. "I agree!"
She rested her head on his chest and Hiei took another bite of the dessert. He was tired of constantly debating, hell he just went through this a few months ago. Now, he was just going to do what he wanted and stop second guessing himself. Right now, Hiei couldn't think of a better way to end his evening than eat ice cream, make fun of demons, and spend time with Shana.
~*0*~
Hiei waited for Kurama's fight to appear on the screen patiently. The last couple days flew by with Hiei advancing to one round after the next. Simran was eliminated two days ago but it didn't matter; the mysterious figure was still in the fight and Hiei was patient. It was a calming, yet thrilling, sensation knowing he would face him soon in the final rounds and test his strength. Hiei missed having a real challenge with such high stakes.
Emotional and relationship challenges, however, seemed to be in abundance. Ryuji sulked wherever he went and seeing Yusuke and Kaneko together only soured his mood even more; Shana was seemingly chipper from the attention Shura gave her but Hiei knew better; and he could still feel the sweetness of Simran's passion on his lips.
But none of that made any difference when it came to the fight. Hiei would win this tournament because the fight beckoned to him like a succubus and he could not resist. Yusuke was the same, Hiei noted as the former detective and the demon priestess walked up to him. Both he and Yusuke fought since birth and the call was infused into their blood.
"Yo! Hiei!" Yusuke called, raising his hand to greet Hiei. Hiei nodded in response and Kaneko smiled at him warmly as a 'hello.' "So," Yusuke began, "Who is Kurama fighting again?"
"Number 1717," Hiei replied.
Yusuke frowned at him. "Who is that?"
"Number 1717 is a masked figure. No one knows who he is," Kaneko answered.
For a moment, Yusuke's eyes glazed over, but he quickly broke into a large, haughty grin. "No worries, our fox will knock him on his ass!" Yusuke said the words enthusiastically, but for some reason, Hiei didn't believe him.
"Hiei! There you are!"
Hiei turned slightly in the direction Simran called him from. She looked nice today, dressed in blue and black and her cheeks flush from the cold. "I've been looking for you all morning," she said. Noticing Yusuke and Kaneko she added, "Hello, it good to see you Urameshi-sama, Fujitaka-san."
"And you as well," Kaneko replied kindly.
"Hey Simran, sorry about your loss," Yusuke said.
"Next time I'll just have to be better," Simran replied lightly.
Yusuke then spotted Chuu and Rinku and called them over. Hiei ignored the detective and resumed his patient watch of the screen. Simran moved closer to him and spoke quietly,
"I've confirmed some of the identifies of cartel demons. They aren't A-Ranked but high enough to give us decent information."
"Acting now will be suspicious. We need to wait until after the tournament," he replied.
"If we wait we may loose them."
"We won't. We will intercept them after the new king is determined and before they leave the city."
"That sounds risky," Simran said hesitantly.
"Better than alerting the gang that we're onto them more so than they thought."
There was a pause before Simran spoke again. "I had a nice time last night."
Hiei cast a glance at her to see her gaze on him. The previous night, and other nights, were entertaining and he was content with their passionate but slow pace. He returned his focus to the screen.
"As did I." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Simran blush, smiling.
"Oi everyone, it's starting!" Yusuke called.
The PA system came on and Koto's voice filled the tournament area. "AAAAAAND here we go folks! The famous Yoko Kurama against the Mysterious Fighter 1717! Who will advance onto the final round of the tournament for a chance to rule the Makai?! Only one way to find out!"
The screen focused on Kurama, standing cautiously as always and then the camera zoomed in on 1717.
"I hate how his face is just covered by darkness. I mean that isn't a mask, it's literally nothing. It's creepy," Simran shivered. "I wonder who is hiding under there," she asked. "I bet it's some newcomer trying to impress everyone with a big reveal."
"Or someone who does not want to be known."
Hiei turned to greet the sweet voice behind him. Yukina stood behind him, wearing jeans and a long sleeved purple blouse. Sakura stood next to her, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a light jacket. Hiei always appreciated his sister's value in simplicity in her clothing tastes. If only that applied to decorating the fortress….
"Hello Yukina-san, Sakura-chan," Simran greeted politely.
"Hello Simran-san, it is nice to see you again," Yukina greeted warmly.
"Hi!" Sakura exclaimed. Her attention was immediately diverted to the screen. "'Kaasan! They've started!"
Hiei turned back to watch Kurama easily dodge a strike. Yusuke returned and greeted Yukina and Sakura but Hiei paid them no heed. He was focused on the fluidity and precision of the daggers, wondering if the mysterious figure was toying with Kurama. Hiei easily cut out the chatter around him and watched the patterns. In for strike, out for dodge, swipe here, swipe there, doge again. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this fight, and certainly nothing Kurama couldn't handle. But 1717 fought Natsume on his way to the top. Hiei was fighting at the time so he didn't see it, but if the figure beat Natsume then he had to be better than what was being displayed now.
"Hm, this is interesting," Kaneko observed. "Fighter 1717 is habitual and yet Kurama is not exploiting this weakness."
"Bing~o!"
Hiei instinctively cringed at the high pitched voice. Still, he turned to see the ferry girl. After his initial reaction, Hiei didn't mind her presence but the last time he saw her was in the Reikai's library, after Shiori died. He hadn't been back since, but he knew Yusuke kept in contact with her sporadically. She didn't look a day older from when Hiei first met her, but that was expected. She wasn't in her usual attire, wearing jeans, tall boots, and a red sweater, but he supposed she didn't want to draw attention to herself as a denizen of Reikai.
"Boton!" Yusuke exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"To support the team of course!" Boton slid up next to Kaneko mischievously. "You know that a long time ago Yusuke used to be terrible and ungrateful and always complained about doing detective work. I had to bribe him with tickets to the MMA fights, just to track down a demon who was going to steal Genkai's secrets!"
"Yeah and I never got to go to that fight either! You owe me!"
Kaneko laughed while Boton and Yusuke bickered. Hiei turned back to the screen. Kaneko had a point. Kurama wasn't making a move. What did he sense about the mysterious fighter? What was keeping him back? Kurama was thorough and cautious but his assessments didn't take this long. At this stage of the fights, demons usually go all in and don't bother with the foreplay.
"Did you hear that?" Simran whispered.
"No."
"That Boton girl said she's here to track fighter 1717, that there is an odd disturbance Koenma-sama is concerned about."
Well, that was- Hiei's train of thought came to startling halt.
Kurama lunged forward, raising his whip and finally taking the offensive. He knocked the two daggers out of the masked figure's hands and 1717 went on the defensive dating between the trees. Kurama began to manipulate the branches and one struck 1717 to the ground. Kurama neared him but 1717 pulled out two throwing knives that grazed Kurama's arms. Suddenly Kurama flew backwards and the camera followed him as he slammed into a tree. The camera zoomed in and Hiei noticed the daggers the daggers in the bark and how they skimmed Kurama's sides, just enough to draw blood. Kurama used his youki to detach the daggers from the bark and followed him to the clearing where Fighter 1717 ran to. When Kurama appeared at the clearing, 1717 raised his gloved hand into the form of a gun. Visible light and energy drew towards the point and he fired the mock Rei-gun. The blast blinded the camera with light and the screen went black.
The stadium went quiet only for a second before the uproar began.
"I can't believe it malfunctioned!" Boton whined.
"That's odd, I don't remember this happening for any other fights," Yukina said frowning.
Simran lightly tugged on his arm. "What if 1717 is plotting something? What if 1717 is connected to our case?"
Hiei ignored her. Instead, he watched Yusuke.
"Yusuke, I didn't know others used the Rei-gun," Kaneko said.
"They don't!" Boton huffed. "It's 100 percent trademarked by Yusuke!"
Yusuke laughed. "I'd like to fight him. He seems to know how to throw down a good challenge." Hiei watched his smirk and laughter as he joked with the rest of them but Hiei didn't buy it.
Yusuke wasn't surprised. Now, neither was Hiei.
He should be surprised, but he wasn't. He thought he would feel… well he didn't know but now he felt excited, the adrenaline beginning to pump up within him. He had to be ready and prepared for the mysterious figure. 1717 wasn't going to hold back, not like with Kurama. Hiei couldn't afford to hold back either. This fight was going to be all or nothing. Beyond that he didn't know what was coming, or what he would do but right now he needed to train and prep with Koku.
Hiei turned and walked away from the group.
"Ah, Hiei! Where are you going?" Yusuke called.
Hiei stopped and turned. "I need to prepare for my fight."
"But you're not scheduled until tomorrow and Kurama's fight isn't over yet," Boton protested.
"Kurama is going to loose and I'm not prepping for tomorrow."
The group stared at him in shock but he didn't care. He turned and walked through the crowd to the corridor leading out of the stadium.
"Hiei! Wait!"
He stopped and turned to see Boton running towards him. She stared down at him hesitantly, her pink eyes nervous. Her fists were clenched and it seemed she had something to say but she remained silent. Hiei started to turn away but she cried out to him.
"Wait! I don't normally do this but it's been so long and…" She sighed and composed herself. "I promised them I would send one simple message, per person. Shizuru asked me to tell you… Don't screw it up. I'm not sure what she means but-"
"I do."
Hiei walked away, and for a moment, the heavy burden returned to him, but he shook it off. He was going to look towards the future and he was going to be ready for 1717.
He was finally ready.
Thanks to all my readers new and old! I know it's been forever so thanks for reading! I have the summer off from school so I'm hoping to write more and post things faster. I know all of you want a conclusion and I definitely want to wrap up this story. Please leave a review, it will be nice to hear from you and make sure people still read this ;)