File 27: Love favors the brave and conquers all!... or not!
And seeing his opponent brimming with power, the wind master was smiling broadly and his ears were twitching, delighted as he was to fight with someone so worthy.
"Urameshi Yusuke, you're the second one to ever give me this much fun! I'm so excited! Now, let's fight!" And he swooped down on the human.
"Okay, come on, Jin!" Yusuke was smirking, just like Butajiri, Toguro-ototo, and Akari.
"Shura Senpuu Ken!" Jin yelled as he closed in on his opponent. Urameshi caught his right fist in his left palm, but the force still pushed him backward, however firmly planted on the ground he was. He managed to deflect the blow, and the tornado on the kaze tsukai's right arm dispersed. But Jin was not over. He attacked with his other fist that was kicked away by Yusuke. And with his shining right fist, the human punched his adversary's guts. The power of the Reikoudan (Spirit Light Cannonball) sent him crashing straight into the bleachers. Koto started counting. Jin managed to get up but could not take flight. He smiled like a happy child when the count down ended, complimented Yusuke on his punch, and fell back into the crater he had made, unconscious. It was another victory for Urameshi and his team.
The crowd was booing. Shizuru, Keiko and Botan decided to take advantage of this intermission to answer Nature's call and left. Porky... err... Butajiri, suddenly very anxious, had gone to join his only remaining member – Risho – to ask him if things were really okay... after all he had bet all he had on his team... And Risho reassured him. His opponent was already worn out. There was nothing to fear. And if that wasn't enough, there was still another way... The evil human smirked and immediately got to it.
"And now there's one person left on each side! Whichever team wins this will proceed to the semifinals!" Koto announced. Demons had also gathered outside the stadium and were watching everything on a large screen. Suddenly, two in the back noticed a new comer. An elegant yet really weak-looking girl with turquoise chest-length hair held in a low ponytail by a red hair piece, a light ice blue kimono with a deep blue obi and red eyes... She bowed and politely introduced herself as Yukina from the Land of Glaciers, and asked what all this excitement was about. The two males shivered and sneezed in their light clothes as the cold that emanated from her got to them. She was not as weak as she appeared to be. They complained loudly that there weren't any tickets. They'd buy up to 10 or even 50 times the price if there were any available. Yukina was troubled too. Without a ticket, she couldn't go in either.
Koto asked the captain of the Mashotsukai Team to come forward. He did. And she announced the beginning of the final battle of this round. Risho took his cloak off.
"Urameshi Yusuke, you will lose without laying so much as a finger on me." He smirked.
"What?! We'll see about that!" Yusuke lunged at Koto's signal... and fell face first when he heard from the speakers that the match was suspended. It seemed there was a protest from one of the VIPs.
"During the previous match between Jin and Urameshi, when Contestant Urameshi landed out of the ring, there is some question as to whether the referee was too slow in her count."
"Eh? You mean me?" Koto pointed at herself, apprehensive.
"Upon deliberation, Constestant Jin and Constestant Urameshi will both be given ringout ten-counts, and the match is declared a draw!"
There were murmurs. No one had really noticed anything about the count being slow or fast. But the confusion died away. Urameshi had to pass his turn, Akari had been ruled out, just like Hiei, and nobody else in the Urameshi team was in any condition to fight. Then the only one on either team was Risho...! The Urameshi Team had lost! The audience started cheering. Koto tried to contest the decision, confident in her professionalism, but her protest was ignored. Sakyo, although keeping a straight face, was clearly displeased. Albeit in his own way, he, too, lived for the thrill. And there were few things more irksome than obtaining victory in such ways... Toguro ototo was of the same opinion but less restrained, seeing as he hit the wall with the side of his fist in annoyance. Wall that crumbled, even though it was a rather light tap for him... And it was the same for Touya who staggered upward and to the ring, still holding his wound. He didn't want this kind of victory. What of Gama who had sacrified his life for them? His leader dismissed his sentimentalism. The end justified the means. They were here to win! The ice master couldn't reply to that. Risho urged the referee to announce the defeat of Team Urameshi, if not he would kill her and they'd find her a replacement. Koto was raising her arm when Yusuke appeared at her side. His irritation was reaching breaking point. His enemy snorted. Hiei surprised him by asking him to let them have their victory.
"We're wasting time with these bastards. Just looking at him you can see how foolish and meaningless their games are, right? There's no reason for us to play by their rules. So I'll be playing by my rule. We're going to play a survival game. The law of the strongest!" He was emiting a dark and vicious aura, powerful, overwhelming, way too much for Ruka who warned that she couldn't hold him any longer.
"You're right... I'm this close to crack too... I'm with Hiei. To hell with this place! Let's run wild!" Yusuke more than agreed.
"Are you sure about it you two? I don't want you to blame me when I accidentally kill you..." Akari was smirking too but she was dead serious. Like Hiei, her power and bloodlust were leaking out of her like boiling magma welling up and belching forth from a hyperactive volcano. And all the youkais in the stadium felt it and cold sweat ran down their backs and fear clutched them like a tiger tearing a deer apart. They were really going to do it?! It was insane!
"Hn, the same goes for you..." Hiei smirked back. Even though everything had started with Toguro's threat, these three had come to quite appreciate this place where they could use their sharpened fangs. But after all it seemed this decrepit place couldn't take them anywhere... that was why they didn't need it anymore... and since they didn't need it might as well tear it apart... Instead of dancing FOR some plain old idiots, wasn't it better to dance WITH some batshit crazy idiots...?
Keiko and Shizuru, after doing what they needed to do, had gone out for a bit of fresh air and were returning when Shizuru noticed Yukina and recognized her from the video. She asked Keiko to go fetch Botan, and Yukimura went after a slight hesitation (she didn't understand why but she trusted Shizuru), and then kindly introduced herself to the Ice Maiden.
Koto was – VERY reluctantly – going to announce the victory of the Mashotsukai team for lack of participants when she was interrupted.
"One moment!" Someone yelled. Everyone was shocked to see Kuwabara standing up, and getting angry at his teammates for having completely forgotten about him. He was growling as he approached the ring.
"I think you've already lost it." Hiei commented bluntly, his arms crossed.
"Shut it!" Kazuma shot back before an ominous 'crack' was heard and pain shot through him. He bit back a scream and held his wounded left side.
"See! You're being too reckless, you moron! You almost died back there!" Yusuke jumped off the ring and landed before his friend.
"I'm... the only one left!" Kuwabara stared back at Urameshi who froze for a second before his comrade's strong and straightforward gaze. "If you break loose against those guys just because you're disgusted at them, you're no different than they are... And if we win by beating those dirty guys by sticking to our principles, don't you think it would be cool, captain?"
"It sure would..." Yusuke admitted, pacified.
"If you can win, that is." Hiei pointed out, as blunt at before.
"Didn't I tell you to shut it?!"
"Ok, fight if you want, but we WILL run wild when you die." Akari consented, smiling.
"I WON'T DIE!"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
"Stop doubting me!"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Well, well, isn't he the perfect foil? But what about me in all that? Kurama thought with a smile. Although it would be difficult, he COULD fight. Then again, Akari would surely show him hell if he spoke up.
Botan joined Shizuru and Keiko and Yukina outside. Apparently, the koorime had trained to reinforce her healing abilities and she had come to support Kuwabara and be of help to the Urameshi Team... and also to look for her brother. At this, Botan froze in an unnatural pose. It couldn't be that Yukina already knew that Hiei was her brother?! But no, she had come hoping for Kazuma-san's as well as the others' cooperation. She had been allowed to stay in the Ningenkai in order to search for her brother, although there was a time limit. Of course, Shizuru and Keiko offered their help. And before the ferry girl's fearful expression, Kuwabara-onee-sama reassured her: she knew about Hiei but won't say anything. Fortunately, the ice princess didn't have any photo or lead. But for some reason, she could sense when he was close. The blue-haired girl gulped. Those who knew of the truth were of course herself, Shizuru, Koenma-sama, Yusuke, Akari, Kurama, and Hiei himself... that was quite a few of them! She then remembered Hiei's warning... errr... menacing threat... 'Tell her if you want to die.'... This was bad! She was the super most likeliest to spill it!
Suddenly, they heard the youkais before the screen started getting rowdy again. Botan remembered what she wanted to say, the team of whoever won between Kuwa-chan and Risho would advance to the semi-finals. However, Kazu was terribly hurt. Shizu punched the two demons who were furthest in the back. Naturally they threatened her, but while looking much, much MUCH fiercer and scarier than them real demons, she ordered them out of the way, cause she couldn't see anything... or maybe they wanted to die?... and all the demons divided into two groups and stood as straight as an honor guard. The other girls joined her as Koto was commenting about Kuwabara's gutsy comeback after having been severely injured during the fight with the Dr. Ichigaki Team.
Kazuma staggered to the center of the ring. But even if there were one combatant left, Butajiri was afraid. What could that half-dead guy do? It would be an easy victory for Risho. Kuwabara started smirking... finally an important role had come for his loftiness... His opponent mocked him, something must be wrong with his head. Did he want to die that much?
"Try to kill me, then. I'm tough!" The human challenged back. And Koto announced the beginning of the match Kuwabara VS Risho...
"Go Kuwabara! Blow him away together with that dirty tournament head office!" Yusuke encouraged him.
"Humph. Say whatever you like you wretch. WE ARE the rules of this tournament." The pork face smirked, unaware that Sakyo had left his seat and more importantly, for which reason he had done so...
On the ring, Risho had fearlessly invited his opponent to give the first strike. The human didn't hesitate and charged head first, far from his usual speed. He tried to summon his spirit sword but failed and swung at nothing. His enemy had dodged by jumping up and disappeared before reappearing behind him and dealing a powerful kick that sent Kazuma rolling forward. Expect for a few scratches he was quite fine though. To him, the real blow had been his incapability to summon his reiken. Although trembling, he had stood up again, and was looking at his right hand with horror. The leader of the Mashotsukai Team smirked and started clobbering him.
Outside, the girls had decided to return inside but were being held back at a check point. The large, green ugly monster with a mace was refusing to let broke gutter-reeking humans in, even if they had tickets. Once they went out, they couldn't go back in. Only the 'youkai-sama' and the really rich humans could! After a bit of sniffing, he recognized Yukina as a youkai... and had no idea for Botan. That being said, if they reeeaaally wanted to come in despite having no money... he wouldn't mind considering if they serviced him... That disgusting proposal, coupled with his disgustingly ugly face, earned him one of Keiko's killer slaps, and Shizuru's death kick in the guts, projecting him backward... although Shizuru wasn't finished and stomped on his face before kicking him away again... while her friends entered the stadium. Yukina wasn't sure about this but Botan reassured her. But then they heard whistling and they were chased by demonic security officers. However, they were soon surrounded...
Meanwhile, the fight continued. Kuwabara was being hammered with punches and kicks, adding to his already consequent collection of bruises from which blood was oozing. Blood was also trickling from his nose and mouth and the nurmerous cuts and scratches that covered his body... without forgetting his fractures and internal ruptures... And as Risho enjoyed raining blows on his opponent, and watching his confusion at not being able to release his spiritual weapon he also wanted to watch him despair of his one weakness, and decided to tell him why he couldn't bring his reiken out...
"Your body is honest! Your injuries are so severe that any normal human would be dead by now! Your body is doing everything it can just to recover! There's no way you can take me on!" And all this while, the shinobi was still hitting Kazuma ceaselessly; until a powerful kick brought him down at last and Koto stepped inbetween so she could count.
But during that time, Sakyo and Toguro had joined Butajiri in the control room. Porky was quite happy to see them so he could gloat that his team was going to appear at the finals. But he didn't quite expect his fellow Black Book Club member's reaction...
"You'll do anything it takes in order to win. That's quite an attitude to take. However, you're lacking too much aesthetic sense. It is precisely because the strong smash the weak with all their might that the fights are entertaining. You would throw cold water on these games I've gone to much trouble over... and I cannot accept that." Sakyo chided, his blue eyes staring coldly, mercilessly, disdainfully, as if at a scrambling ant before squashing it, as Toguro ever so lightly tapped the fat man's forehead, blowing the whole upper side of his head, shattering his skull and brain and making blood gush out like a full river from a blown dam. The corpse fell. "In deference to your life, I will allow this match alone be played by your rules. If the Urameshi Team is defeated by this..." He continued, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff.
"Then there's no reason for us to fight them." Toguro finished.
Kuwabara stood up, showing off his grit and willpower. He was being so resilient that Risho deemed it was time to become a little more serious. He jumped and landed outside the ring. He was going to show him his special attack! His youki increased and the earth and dirt at his feet went to cover his shins, waist, torso, shoulders, forearms and head like a spiked armor. Shura nendo toi 'Ashura conjured earth armor'. Although it made for a good defensive technique, it also significantly enhanced the offensive capacity of the practitioner. He lunged straight at Kazuma in an explosive dash and collided with him. The ninja's bomber tackle sent Kuwabara flying again. Yusuke cried his name. The referee started the countdown. But the human stood up again.
In the hallways, Botan begged the guards to let them pass as one of their friends was fighting but they wouldn't hear any of it. They had been caught in the act of unlawful entry and assaulting an attendant. And so, since it had come to this again, the girls forcefully broke through once more. They were almost there! But now Younger Toguro was standing before them! They stopped. Toguro smirked as Yukina fearfully trembled and stared at him. He allowed them to pass, which they did after a second's hesitation. It was then the guards' turn to stop before him. They were yelling at the girls to stop when they saw Sakyo walking down the stairs. Two other security officers arrived holding Shizuru by the arms.
"What is the matter? This woman is an acquaintance of mine." He informed them coolly, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cigarette. The guards released Shizuru, stammered excuses and left in a hurry. He had saved her again. "So we meet again."
"It seems so." The young woman answered, bringing one of her own cigarettes to her lips, and Sakyo, as a gentleman, lit it for her, his hand held by both of Shizuru's.
On the ring, Koto praised Kuwabara's incredibly strong will. Risho couldn't believe he had stood up again after such a blow. Same for the audience. Why...? Why did he still get up?! The human chuckled.
"Because... I don't want to lose of course! This is also for Kurama and Urameshi who fought desperately!"
But that power... He shouldn't even be able to stand, he shouldn't even be conscious! One day, Urameshi had overcome his limits by burning his life energy... and nearly died! Kuwabara couldn't be planning of doing the same, could he?! But then, he said it himself...
"I ain't gonna die alone! I'm taking you with me!" He knew that if this match ending in a draw, there would be a play off match and then Yusuke would definitely win. He turned toward his companions one by one.
Hiei, you're a real pain, but you're really strong.
Kurama, I was able to come this far thanks to your special training. Thanks, man.
Masked fighter, I don't know who you are, yet I feel like I do.
Akari, thanks for always giving me a push in the back when I needed it... as harsh as they were... but I know that behind your violent front you're very kind, and I hope you'll find a man to whom you can show your feminine side.
Urameshi... The rest... I leave it you. Do your best. He smiled. All his comrades instantly understood the meaning of that smile. He charged, roaring a 'Let's go!'. Yusuke cried his name. Risho leapt again before diving for another bomber tackle. They collided. Kuwabara was being pushed backward.
"Kazuma-san!" He suddenly heard a familiar voice cry his name. A voice he had longed to hear for months. He turned his head and there, against the parapet, among the crowd he couldn't see, was the super lovely and concerned form of Yukina!
"Yu-Yukina-san!"
"Where the hell are you looking at?!" The shinobi asked, annoyed. But his expression changed to shock when his opponent glared at him and hurtled him away with so much force he crashed into the wall.
"Get lost you bastard!" Kazuma yelled before running and hopping like a gazelle to where his beloved ice maiden was. "Yukina-san you came for me?!" He girlishly squealed with delight.
"Kazuma-san, are you alright?"
"I'm completely fine!" He made various bodybuilder poses to show off his strong and healthy self. Yusuke commented about his incredible stupidity, Koto about his high spirits after his girlfriend had come. Hiei uttered Yukina-san's name, completely mollified. Akari sighed, amused. Risho cursed and lunged at him. "Just by looking at Yukina-san, I get fired up!" And indeed, Kuwabara was once more brimming with energy. It was then they saw the leader of the opposing team use his power over earth to cover himself with an even more impressive armor. However, since they had started fighting outside the ring, the referee started the countdown. Risho leapt and swooped down for another bomber tackle. Kazuma summoned his reiken and slashed, shattering the earth armor. He swung again and this time, using his weapon like a baseball bat, sent his enemy crashing to the other side of the stadium, at the top of the bleachers. He then sheathed his sword in an imaginary scabbard and the energy disappeared. Koto was still counting though. And when he noticed it he hurried back onto the ring. It had been a really close call. She announced Kuwabara the winner. The Urameshi Team had thus won this round as well as the right to proceed to the semi-finals!
Yusuke congratulated him with a slap on the back, which made the winner more angry than grateful or anything. He was injured after all. However, since it was over, he was no longer under the adrenaline rush and thus no longer able to stand...
"What do you think, Toguro? Are they worthy opponents?" Sakyo asked.
"We'll have to see..." The tall youkai smirked and left.
"Well... it's all talent, you know, talent! I am the Urameshi Team's key man, after all!" Kuwabara bragged as Yukina was healing him. They were sitting on the grass and overlooking the sea. The sun was setting and dying the water in orange and gold. The young man had been bandaged and had received first aid already, but...
"Even so, I can't believe it... your wounds are closing up so quickly. And your temperature seems to be rising steadily." The maiden gently touched his arm. She was sincerely glad since she didn't know that it was because he was blushing...
"T-that's the power of love!" The boy stuttered softly and embarrassedly.
"Eh? That's right." Yukina smiled her pure and innocent smile that made Kazu-tan's brain (or what was left of it) melt even more.
With Yukina-san here, I'm invincible! He gloated innerly.
I don't really understand what he means though... The girl kept smiling with clueless innocence.
Kuwabara the Brave had courageously fought and conquered his enemy, but he still had a long, long, long way to go before he could completely conquer the Lady of his thoughts!
