File 32: the clowns of the show

Outside the stadium, three demons approached Keiko. A monkey, a kappa and a pig. They wanted her to play with them as they had some free time after having left because of the commotion inside. And then they noticed Urameshi sleeping against her. The girl fearfully and protectively hugged him tighter. It was a chance of a lifetime for them. If they killed him, they would become heroes overnight! However, just as they monkey was attacking, a yoyo punched him away, knocking him out. It was Rinku. And right behind him was Chuu. The pig and the Kappa turned to run away and almost bumped into Jin and Touya. Scared out of their wits, they took their fallen companion, politely excused themselves, and left in a hurry. Keiko thanked her saviors.

"This isn't so big a deal that you need to thank us." The child replied modestly. "We just happened to be passing by, that's all."

"You big liar! Every day you've been bugging us to go cheer for them!" His big friend and fellow survivor of the ex-Rokuyukai Team retorted. Jin and Touya were also grinning. Of course their Mashotsukai Team had also disbanded, and they were the only ones who had stayed. It was like their fights with the members of the Urameshi Team had awakened something in them, and while recovering, these four had hit it off. Chu knelt down at Urameshi's side, commenting about how he got the happiest look on his face. Suddenly, his expression changed and he studied him more closely. That guy... he had gone and gotten even stronger... their interest piqued, the others approached and concentrated. That was true! The blue mohawk scratched his beard. "Next time we fight, I could be in trouble even if I take it seriously..."

"As if you weren't serious the last time!" Rinku shot back tauntingly, earning himself a hard punch on the head. Chu remarked how a sleeping Urameshi looked just like an ordinary boy... and flicked his forehead.

"That hurts, Keiko, you..." The ordinary boy grumbled without waking up. Keiko's blush deepened as she whispered his name, obviously embarrassed. "Stop always treating me like a child, would you..." He grumbled again. The four youkais laughed. It was grand. That was one well-matched couple! They would have never thought Urameshi could be so henpecked. The girl's blush got darker again and, looking even more embarrassed, asked them not to jump to conclusions. They laughed heartily again.

In the stadium, Kuwabara was now facing Onji on the ring. They took their fighting stances.

"Semi-finals, match number 6, Kuwabara versus Onji, begin!"

The human lunged but all his punches were neatly evaded. His opponent did not even remove his hands from his back. Kazu swore and summoned his reiken. But even this way, his attacks proved totally ineffective. Onji taunted him about how dense and slow he was. The boy was getting angrier by the second. Why couldn't he hit one geezer?! He had to show Yukina his good side! Botan, Shizu and Yukina encouraged him, albeit each in their own way. At one time, Kuwabara lost sight of his enemy who had hidden behind the referee. He looked around and Onji showed himself, making a V sign. The rei user got angry at him for scurrying around. The demon pretended to be tired after all this running. The orange head told him to stay right there as he was going to put him to rest now. He charged head first. Juri fled. Kurama warned him not to go, that it was a trap, but it was too late. The human wasn't in a state to listen to anyone. Akari sighed, muttering about people who never learned their lesson. Then again, had he been the type to remember a lesson he would have never challenged Urameshi so many times and befriended him, for better and for worse.

Suddenly, Onji drew a quarter of a circle with each arm, one moving up and the other moving down, thus creating a large and transparent black sphere. Kazu all too simple-mindedly tried to pierce it like a balloon with his reiken... only to breeze through the surface and bump into the other end. He had magnificently fallen into a most obvious trap. Kurama lamented. Hiei commented on how much of an idiot he was. And Akari replied it was just him since he had long become the embodiment of hopelessly stupid moronic idiocy. Really... why did he come here for, except make a fool out of himself? He had become everyone's laughing stock! It was almost as if he was doing that on purpose to amuse everyone since this amount of stupidity was simply unthinkable for normal people!

"This is the true form of the Mantle of Death that Shishiwakamaru used. Using fabric that was loaded with spectral power, space becomes blocked off, while inside an entrance to another realm is created. Though, when it comes to me, I don't need any item of darkness to manage this." The old-looking man explained and raised the sphere higher for everyone to see. "It was nothing more than the first act, as it were, to gather enough people to form the Uraotogi Team. The Items of Darkness were also just toys that I created for them to suit their various nature." Then the sphere with Kuwabara inside distorted and grew smaller until it vanished completely. And once again, due to his disappearance, Juri declared Onji the winner... And once again, the human crashed onto the other ring in the old stadium. He stood up, cursed, and dashed back.

Akari, Hiei and Kurama were facing the old man on the ring. He was holding the dice and taunting the fox. He had a hunch that it would his name that would come up. He was even willing to tell him the secret of the smoke from the Reverse Treasure Box Uraurashima had used. Kurama kept quiet however, and did not let his feelings show, though his thoughts on the matter could be easily guessed. Onji threw the dice.

"Looks like your hunches aren't up to the mark." Akari commented as her name had just showed up. She walked forth and stopped again. "Well, I guess I'll just rip that grating geezer disguise of yours and put an end to this silly farce. And don't look so surprised. It's offensive. I live with an elderly, don't think I can't tell the difference between a real one and and that stupid get-up you have. Real old timers are galling enough as it is but pretenders like you are doubly so." For some reason, she was growing more and more irritated remembering everything her grandma had put her through with her incredibly aggravating and nerve-racking attitude of hers, those always so condescending smiles, those laughs... enough to make her feel murderous...

"Now, now, don't think so ill of me. Disguises are a hobby of mine. And I even changed the wavelength of my youki. You did well seeing through me."

"Like I said, it's THAT attitude that is offensive..." Akari shot back, completely oblivious (and uncaring) about her own attitude and what others thought of it and of her.

"Very well, pleased to make your acquaintance." 'Onji' tore his own face, creeping the referee out. "The reason I disguise as I an old man is because the elderly are the creatures that I hate most. By becoming the thing which I hate most, I raise my fighting spirit eve, higher, you see." Suddenly, he was engulfed in pink smoke. His laugh echoed and his voice changed from that of an old one to a much more youthful one. From the tone, it seemed like he had tried to mimic the girl's laugh from when she had first introduced herself, resulting only in a poor stupid-sounding travesty.

And when the smoke cleared, what everyone saw even more... much more grotesque and ludicrously cretinous... to the point she felt she was the stupidest one for having felt the slightest thing toward him. She wanted to return immediately to Kurama and Hiei and sleep to forget everything. She had before her a clown with long spiked yellow hair... or a straw broom... a steel mask covering the right side of his face, a red ball nose constrasting with his painted white face, a purple heart painted over his left eye, and blue lipstick. He was wearing a pink jester's jacket and matching pants as well as a large bright green spiky collar that covered his shoulders and chest... without forgetting his blue belt with with a yellow heart buckle and his pointy blue boots. The audience was just as shocked.

"Old age is ugly. I plan to be dead before that happens to me, while I'm still beautiful. However, before then, I will create a legend, a terrifying myth in which I play the main role! My victory at this tournament will be the first chapter to that legend! And everyone who bears witness to this tournament will be my narrators! I may be late in introducing myself but I am a man of a thousand forms and a thousand techniques, the Beautiful Demon Battler Suzuki! The Beautiful Demon Battler Suzuki! When you speak of me, you mustn't forget to add 'beautiful' before my name!" He dramatically declared, doing pose after pose and ending with a smug and evil laugh that sounded rather weak and shallow even without his appearance to discredit it.

"In a complete turnabout from when he was the temperate Onji, Constestant Suzuki is dressed in an unusual... no, a flamboyant outfit! I don't know what to day, the ambiance is becoming ridiculous!" Koto commented. But suddenly, the clown glared at her and threw a card in her direction. She avoided fearfully, hanging onto a rather happy demon while a corner of the card stabbed the demon behind her right on his forehead. Blood gushed out and he died.

"I thought I said to put the word 'beautiful' before my name!" The joker pointed accusingly and warningly. And then he made another declaration. The morning of his victory, he would kill all the elderly and anyone who would oppose him and grant the right to live only to his follower. Of course everyone in the audience protested. Just who did he think he was?! Who the hell would follow someone like him?! And as a response he sent a ball of energy flying in the bleachers and making a number of victims. He was not joking. The situation was getting so outragerous the spectators had no idea for who they should cheer. Hiei talked about a miserable mad pierrot and looked quite mad himself. Suzuki started laughing again. Akari boredly scratched the back of her head.

"Who cares, uglily painted broom head. Let's get on with the fight. Juri, the call please." Akari demanded. The referee did as asked. Suzuki warned her that the reiko kyohan shou would not work against him like it did on Shishiwakamaru. Indeed, that technique required both ki to be on the same wavelength, and he could change the wavelength of his youki at will. He boasted and demonstrated and said she would pay for having insulted him. He unleashed his Rainbow Cyclone. Akari did absolutely nothing to defend herself and took the full impact that sent her skid down the concrete tiles of the ring, the dirt ground, and crash against the wall. Koto praised Suzuki's- Contestant Beautiful Demon Battler Suzuki's attack. Contestant Akari had disappeared out of bounds in a cloud of dust.

Once more Uglily Painted Broom Head gloated about his finishing move with seven colored youki of different wavelengths and just how beautiful it was. Since there was a ringout, Juri started the count down. When the dust cleared, Akari was there, stretching, yawning, and cracking her neck... and without so much as a scratch as spiritedly noted by Koto.

"Yeah... only so so for a wake up call." She leapt back on the ring. The clown remarked how tough she was for such a small and weak-looking girl. "And you have an unexpectedly comely nose once you take off that silly one." She started spinning the red nose around her right index with the rubber band. Suzuki saw it and looked back at his own nose, painted white like the rest of his face that remained frozen in an expression of pure shock. "But I'll tell you one thing. People of real value don't need such artifices to create their legends. Thank me, for this great and kind me made things easier for you by baring your face." The girl was smirking, her left hand on her hip. It almost looked like she couldn't show more condescension.

Juri was astonished too. Just when had Contestant Akari managed such a feat?! Kurama and Hiei however were more surprised at the fact that he hadn't even noticed such an obvious afterimage. He was getting more and more pathetic by the second. It was then that Kuwabara finally returned, panting from having run all the way here. As Hiei said, the Fool of the Urameshi Team had made his entrance. But Kazuma failed to react to that. He just wanted to know what had happened to 'his' opponent.

"That's right, you might be just perfect for that idiot." The small youkai nodded toward the ring. His red-haired friend looked at him with a sweatdrop as the Sarayashiki punk asked him what he meant.

As there was still no response from the Fool of the Uraotogi Team, Akari reported her attention to him and remarked he was still completely frozen. Then using the object in her hand and her thumb like a slingshot, she catapulted the nose that hit her opponent straight between his eyes. The force almost made him fall back on his butt.

"Don't ignore me when I'm talking! Geez, how long did you intend to remain frozen until you were happy?" The human maintained her patronizing attitude. The demon cursed her but she ignored him. "In order to inherit the reiko hado ken, a strong body is required able to endure the unimaginable pain involved. That's why you wouldn't even be able to scratch my grandma should you use all your power. And that's also why I won't even need to use my reiki against the likes of you. This body will be more than enough. I said I wasn't a champion of justice so I hope you're prepared... you're annoying so I won't hold back..." The girl assumed a battle stance, a smirk on her lips. Naturally, that only angered her opponent all the more and he too affirmed he would fight without his youki. His muscle mass increased, strained against his clothing and tore his jacket.

"I don't care if he won the last tournament or not but I can manage Toguro's degree of technique just like this!" Suzuki boasted, posing like a bodybuilder. Toguro snorted with a smile and called him an idiot. Akari sighed.

"The reason for your defeat is decided. You might be gifted at creating weapons that suit others but you mistook that for your own strength. Shishi was much stronger than you."

"Shut up!" He snapped and lunged at her. She sidestepped, his fist made a hole in the concrete, and her own fist heavily connected with his left cheek, sending him skidding on his chest far away. She leapt and landed hard on his back, deeply cracking the tile of the ring below him. Blood spurted from his mouth. The human reappeared before him and kicked his jaw upward, raising his body to a more vertical position, and hit him with a dense, tightly packed wall of punches, shattering his mask in the process. But she suddenly stopped and looked at what she had done. The man was so swollen and horribly disfigured he was unrecognizable.

"Oh no, I forgot I wanted to unveil his face... I overdid things again..." She stepped back and the demon fell at her feet. "Oh well." She tilted her head and smiled cutely. Juri judged Contestant Beautiful Demon Battler Suzuki unable to keep fighting and declared Contestant Akari the winner.

The group was walking in the corridors of the stadium. Botan was excitedly sspeaking about the finals coming up. They had done well! Yukina also praised them. They had all been wonderful!

"Yu-Yukina-san, there weren't any opponent around this time tough enough for me to take on so I left everything to the others but I will be much more active for the finals!" Kuwabara affirmed with the 'lovesick fool' expression he always wore when talking to the Koorime.

"The reason you guys won this time is because you weren't very active, right?" His beloved older sister replied coolly. He angrily retorted that was not how it was. "You mean I'm wrong?"

"Yeah, you're wrong!"

"No, she's not wrong." Hiei contributed to the debate. Kuwa told the pee-wee to shut up. Kurama was trying not to laugh as it would be rude. Botan attempted to calm them down. Genkai who had joined them to congratulate her granddaughter (berate her for not finishing it in one blow – though said granddaughter just wanted it to last more than 5 seconds since she didn't get her turn as much as she would have liked nor did she have any truly satisfying opponent) warned them that she was going ahead but noone listened.

"Now, now, we'll be expecting much from you, Kuwabara-kun." The fox helped the ferry- girl.

"I'm not expecting anything." The little fire demon contradicted him.

"Then why don't we make bets?" Akari cheerfully suggested.

"Gee, would you cut it out already?" Botan chided them like a mother. They all laughed. They were having so much fun that not even the pink-haired girl, surrounded by those she loved, noticed her grandparent passing the corner or felt the presence of the man behind it... a tall and muscular man with black sunglasses and a long trench coat who was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. He had obviously been waiting for the old lady.

"I have something to talk to you about. Will you see me later?" Younger Toguro asked as Genkai stopped before him. She agreed and walked away.

Now, time for a break. The second match would take place in the afternoon. Everyone was to have lunch, relax or get pumped up... or settle some important matters like in Kurama's case. Indeed, for a reason he didn't know, Akari had refused to say a single word to him ever since the end of the match with the Uraotogi Team. At one point she seemed to have suddenly remembered something and from then on, she would occasionally stare at him with piercing eyes and ignore him when he would talk to her... and that troubled him greatly... although he wasn't the only male in the team thus troubled by her...

The fox was nervous. Did it have anything to with his bad action the previous night? Had it somehow been revealed? So he followed her to their room. Even so she would only rummage through her bag and would not listen. He grabbed her wrist and made her face him properly. Their eyes bore into each other's. He cared for her... greatly... but then... She frowned deeply, grabbed the front of his shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"By the way, is it true you have a girlfriend, or even 'just' someone you like? How come that guy knew and I didn't? Why have I never seen her? Is it someone I know?" She asked seriously. She was annoyed. Very annoyed... both at herself for having never noticed the slightest clue about such an important matter despite priding herself as his close friend, and also at him for hiding such things from her. But there was also something else. What was it? Terror? Pain? Disappointement? Denial? Was it truly only just that? Then had she not been holding him so strongly, he would have fallen from the surprise. The fox put his hands on her shoulders and told her to calm down. That fake Uraurashima had just been assuming things. Besides, had she not heard the whole thing? "The whole thing? What are you talking about?" The girl repeated.

"Ah, no, nothing." The kitsune still did not know if he should be relieved or disappointed that she STILL hadn't caught on. However, the fact that she seemed to be obsessed with that part should definitely be a good point for him, right?

She had stopped listening after "Not to mention you're going out with THAT girl, aren't you?" it had kept echoing in her head and her mind had raced franctically trying to find who he was talking about. And after that she had often thought about how Kurama had always been turning girls down whenever they would ask him out. She had always found it strange that he didn't have anyone, although she had never thought much about it. Was he just not interested or had he someone he liked? And ever since the beginning of the tournament, she had noticed something. How she had come to rely and depend on him for psychological support... so much that she had no idea what would happen to her if she was forced to let go now, or if such a thing was even possible. She was a very greedy person and loved monopolizing people and things. And in exchange or whatever, she was extremely attached to them. Because she was aware of the intensity of her feelings, she had always tried to remain cool and not get too attached, because the fear and pain of losing them would be too great. And she did not want to experience that again. But...

"Akari." The young man put a hand on her fist while the other cupped her cheek. "I haven't been going out with anyone."

She froze, her breath caught in her throat. It was like she was standing her back at the edge of a precipice. Another step back and she'd fall. Same if she took a step sideways. But before her was Kurama, only two or three steps away. All she had ever done was play around. In doing so, she had drawn a line between her and people. But when he would look at her with this imploring expression, these eyes so warm, so soft, so comforting, so enticing, so captivating, so caring, so... loving... No... don't step back... don't be scared... come... Akari... was what he seemed to be saying. He slightly parted his arms, inviting her, ready to embrace her with all his love if only she would make a step toward him. With the air of one who was fighting with herself, she shook her head negatively, her pink locks flying. He took a step towards her. She took a step back... and fell.

"Sorry." The girl lowered her gaze, let go, and backed a few steps. "We should return to the stadium and watch the match."

And now for the second round of the semi-finals... The Gorenja Team entered, followed by the Toguro Team on the opposite side. The crowd erupted in cheers and started chanting the name. They had been waiting for them.

"The Toguro Team is met with deafening cheers as they enter the stadium. Contestant Karasu, Contestant Bui, and Contestant Toguro the Elder!" Koto introduced them respectively. A tall and slender male demon with long straight black hair, a metalic mask covering his mouth and nose, a long black coat with red inside (whose collar was open down the middle of his chest) whose bottom half mirrored a pair of bat wings and black pants. Bui who was about as tall as Karasu but quite more muscular wore skin-tight dark blue top and bottom, an orange sash, and heavy-looking rock-based armor on his arms, shoulders and chest. He also had a samurai-like helmet that covered his entire face.

Everyone was surprised that the younger Toguro was missing. The leader of the Gorenja Team demanded an explanation. The older brother informed them that he had important business and so just the three of them would be their opponents. However, if they were still dissatisfied, he could take care of them alone. Akarenja was angry that he made fun of them but Momorenja calmed him down. They had a chance to defeat them like this.

Yusuke was sprawled on his bed, snoring. Kuwabara complained that he was still sleeping even though the finals were the day after tomorrow. Was he really alright? Rinku taunted him. He should worry about himself. And Genkai, who was sitting against the wall, told them to let him sleep. Once the time would come, he would have to wake up whether he wants to or not. He knew he didn't have a choice. Then she stood up and left. Kuwarabara asked her to where.

"I have important business to take care of... Kuwabara, don't lose now." She smirked and walked away, leaving Kazuma to ponder her strange behavior. Geez, the grandmother and the granddaughter... what had gotten into them?!

The first match began. Karasu VS Midorenja. Midorenja was a cocky goblin-like creature with dark green skin that disliked being thus underestimated by the Toguro Team as they hadn't climbed up to the semi-finals for nothing. He raised his youki. Juri fearfully withdrew further away. He created a sort of ball between his hands that dripped a little on the floor. Smoke rose from the corroded spots.

"Contestant Midorenja has suddenly produced some kind of slimy ba- What could it be?! It has a fiercely acidid odor to it!" The referee held her nose in disgust. Soon the whole stadium was assailed by the repulsive smell. His opponent however was completely unfazed. He launched his attack that Karasu sidestepped. It hit the wall and a number of spectators were splashed by the green wave utterly dissolving them without leaving a single trace. Midorenja boasted and made preparations for the next offensive. Karasu scoffed, closed his purple eyes and coolly advanced towards him. The Gorenja Team member launched the second attack.

"Idiot." The tall youkai spat disdainfully and leapt. He lightly touched his enemy's shoulder and jumped away again. Midorenja's shoulder exploded. And like this, Karasu gracefully touched him five other times, completely blowing his arms, a bit of his right flank as well as a little chunk of his left thigh. And he was now wondering what he should tear off... the legs again? Or the belly? The green youkai begged for mercy and ran away. Revolted by such pathetic and disgraceful conduct unbecoming of a warrior, Karasu went after him and blew everything that remained of him. It was his victory.

Kurama was trying to analyze this fearsome technique and deduced that he must be sending his energy into his opponent's body, destroying them from the inside.

He's strong! As long as I'm in Minamino Shuichi's body I don't think I stand a chance against against those two, let alone the Toguro Brothers... and I can't protect Akari... He gazed at the young girl watching the fights at his side. However, she didn't seem to be focused at all. He remembered how Genkai had asked both he and Hiei to take a good look at how those guys fought... and also at Akari. Hiei may have been right not to watch.

On a cliff, a great fire was burning. And before that fire was Hiei. I don't have time to watch how the opponents fight! I must get stronger as soon as possible. If I don't, then Akari... He clenched his right fist and opened it again. His youki rose rapidly and a black flame surrounded his right hand. He shouted to raise his fighting spirit and plunged his hand in the fire. The black flame coiled around the red and yellow one and a blazing tornado soared to the sky before dividing itself into four dragons that dived into the sea. He withstood the excruciating pain for a time before it became too much for even him and he screamed.

In the forest, Genkai was watching the breeze in the trees... while being actually lost in her memories from fifty years ago. The happiness radiating from her each time she would see Toguro and he would smile back at her. The old woman frowned deeply but regained her usual smile when Botan called out to her. As usual, the ferry girl was accompanied by Keiko, Yukina and Shizuru. They all had just come out for some fresh air. However, while they were chatting, Botan and Shizuru felt something strange about the old woman. They didn't show it or pipped a word but when they would look at her, when they would hear her tell them to cheer on the Urameshi Team like she was not part of it, like it was someone else's business, when she would leave Yusuke in Keiko's hands like she would soon no longer be able to... they could not shake that sense of dread and ineluctability that had settled in their hearts. Genkai left. Botan hurriedly ushured the other girls away, talking about the old lady's usual oddity.

The second match: Kirenja VS Bui.

Kirenja took out a long and large sword. He had wanted to save it for the finals but since he was facing the Toguro Team now... well he wasn't going to get careless. No matter how much Bui's armor protected him, he was sure to slice him with his toughened sword. In response, Bui made an incredibly large axe (as big as he was) appear in his hand. The added weight made him sink a few centimeters in the concrete floor... and terrified his opponent who nonetheless tried to put up a brave front. The bigger didn't mean the better! As long as he got close enough, his sword would be faster and he would win!

Juri announced the beginning of the match. The cyclop with the yellow scarf (Kirenja) slowly crept closer to his enemy. The audience was getting worried since Bui hadn't even flinched despite the distance having shortened so much. Surely, he wouldn't make it! He could never swing that huge axe in time! Suddenly, having judged the distance right, Kirenja smirked, lunged, and slashed. But he had barely raised his sword for the strike that even more suddenly his opponent swung at his midsection with his axe, blowing to bits his whole upper body. After being declared the victor, Bui walked back to his teammates, his feets digging holes in the ring as he did. Everyone in the stadium was astonished. That this giant axe could be faster than a sword at this range... why would someone so formidable be under Toguro's orders? The captain of the Gorenja Team couldn't believe it.

"It's simple: because we, the Toguro Brothers, are the strongest." The Elder commented naturally. "This is too big a hassle. All three of you, come at me. If you beat me, I'll let you have the final round." He looked at the three remaining members of the opposing team as if he was looking at buzzing flies. The crowd doubted he could fight without his little brother. A few seconds later, they were all on the ring. The trio was enraged to be thus underestimated. They were sure to make that man regret his words... after all, they fought best as a team! As soon as Juri told them to begin, they lunged, using their speed to leap around, create afterimages, and confuse their opponent with their combination play to strike him down easily. But just as they swooped down on him together, dozens of tentacles sprouted from Toguro-ani in every direction like a puffer fish, impaling every afterimage like spears... as well as the real bodies. Blood flowed from their mouths and multiple wounds. Unfortunately for them, he was good at defeating many enemies all at once. He retracted his appendices back into him and the three bodies fell down. The woman, Momorenja, was dead. The audience cheered. The two men, however, were still alive and managed to raise themselves a bit.

"Oh? You two are still alive, huh? You didn't make it to the semi-finals for nothing. As a reward I promise I will allow either one, or maybe the two of you to live. Go ahead, ask me."

"Out of the question to disgrace myself like that... if you don't finish me now, I'll definitely come to kill you someday..." Akarenja declared, smoldering with anger and indignation and still smirking defiantly.

"L-let me live! Please just spare my life!" Aorenja begged pitifully.

"That settles it, then." Toguro snorted disdainfully. Akarenja was preparing himself to be killed but to his great surprise, it was his teammate's head that Toguro stabbed with his fingers, killing him instantly. "We hate disgraceful quitters. Previously, when Karasu and Bui challenged us brothers and lost, they said something similar to what you just said. Since then they've gotten much stronger and are subject to our cause but even now they are after our lives and dream of taking revenge upon us. My brother and I like guys like that." The obvious victor explained. At this, the sole survivor of the opposing started to relax. "However, there is one significant difference between my brother and me..." Akarenja looked at Toguro only to see his index elongating again and spearing through his forehead. "I often break my promises. You die too after all!" The older brother smiled cruelly before licking the blood on his finger and laughing like the psychopath he was. The results of the match appeared on the screen. The Toguro Team advanced the finals with a total victory. The finals were going to take place two days from now on at noon sharp.

The crowd started leaving slowly. They all predicted the Toguro Team's overwhelming victory for the finals too as they were in a whole different league. It was then they noticed Kurama and Akari passing by.

"It's no use for you to observe the competition! In two days, you'll be their victims as well!" a youkai taunted. But he had barely finished that his two comrades and his own arms took fire and burned to nothingness in a few seconds. He screamed in agony and the fire disappeared at his shoulders.

"Akari..."

"What? I just breathed!" She defended herself. The fox sighed. For some reason her innocent act had never worked with him. She could have just ignored these guys but she liked teaching. In this hierarchical society, it was important to watch your manner of speech according to your interlocutor and to not make a mistake in the difference of strength and status. Well, not like she watched her manners before anyone... But now was not the time to be joking. Leaving her aside, the probability that the others would not survive was extremely and despairingly high. Well, Hiei and Yusuke would certainly reach a quite decent level by then using extreme measures... so she was really worried about Kuwabara and Kurama... if only Kurama could return to that form... to the way he was before he was forced to become Shuichi Minamino... And as she stared at him, she knew he was thinking the exact same thing. Wait... wasn't it that old painted broom head who made that thing? If they asked him, even forcefully... They stopped suddenly. Right before them was Karasu and Bui.

"You're the only ones who came to watch, huh? You must be quite self-assured." The black haired man commented.

"Not at all." The fox attempted to keep a cool front, though of course that situation was just too much.

"Don't be so nervous. We won't do anything. Four of you will die in two days."

"Four?" Kurama repeated. Suddenly, Bui punched the wall. And in that second of inattention, Karasu disappeared. The kitsune's agitation was palpable as he tried to sense the enemy's presence. Akari's left arm moved, her spirit sword shot, aimed at something behind him. In the same time, he felt hand at either side of his neck, touching his shoulders and cheekbones before playing with his red locks.

"Your hair is a bit distressed. Do you give it treatments? You should take plenty care of it. Humans get hurt so easily after all... But to think you'd rely on exceptions to protect you..."

"W-why you...!" Kurama snapped and tried to hit him but he easily dodged. Karasu had touched a particularly sensitive chord. His awareness of his current inability to protect himself and the woman he loved.

"Hey, hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not particularly protecting him. I just don't think sneaking up from behind and making advances on other people's teammates is a very fine hobby." Akari replied with a smirk. She saw Karasu's cold purple eyes smile a sort of knowing and eery smile and despite herself she began to feel more alarmed by the second and still unable to avert her eyes.

"Then for you who are so protective and possessive of those you love, I have a message." He leant his face very close to hers, cupped her right cheek while his other hand caressed her neck before slowly moving down. "If you don't hurry, you will once more lose someone that is precious to you..." His hand stopped above her heart. His smile widened as he watched her expression change. Her complexion blanched, her eyes widened and her features distorted as realization, terror and rage took possession of her. The demon let go and stepped away in a split second to let the girl pass and not be blown away. She vanished from their view. He stared in the direction she had taken. "I'll be waiting for the moment when I can see your bright and defiantly blazing eyes reflect a cold darkness that is deeper than hell and ready to engulf everything. The more you love someone, the worthier it is to lose them."

"What do you mean?!" Kurama shouted.

"Just what I said. Out of the five of you, it's really Akari and you I like best. As cool as you are, you are also quite belligerent. We need Akari so unfortunately I won't be able to kill her yet. But you are different... When I kill someone I like I get depressed the same as when I think about why I was ever born. But then I find that to be an indescribable pleasure. I'm looking forward to two days from now on." And they slowly walked away. Kurama's green eyes narrowed in anger as kept fiercely glaring at them until they had completely left.

I can't beat him! Not like this! He tightened his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration.

Genkai arrived at her rendezvous. Toguro-ototo turned to face her.

"It's just about time, huh?" He smirked at her.