"Okay, the fourth test will involve actual combat!" Genkai brought the group back to the temple. She opened the door and ushered the fighters inside before closing it again. "Here's your battle arena! You'll face off two by two until only one of you is left!"
"Huh? It's pitch-black in here!" It was so dark, Urameshi couldn't see his own hand in front of him.
"How do we see, let alone fight?" Kuwabara asked no one in particular.
Perfect. Sayomi took advantage of the confusion to separate from the boy's shadow. She made sure to keep her body made mostly of shadow to keep from getting noticed and shifted her vision to the infrared spectrum. Now I can watch without having to worry about getting caught.
Genkai answered everyone's concern. "This round tests not what you see, but what you feel. You may use any techniques or weapons you wish. The only rule is to defeat your opponent and return here!"
"Cat got your tongue, Kuwabara?" Urameshi teased his friend's silence. "Is going one-on-one freakin' you out?"
Kuwabara's face was contorted in a nervous grimace and his body was stiff. He broke into a light sweat as he answered, "No, it's a feeling… a bad feeling. Something's wrong… somethin' I've sensed since we left the forest. It's like… like some savage beast or monster's lurking nearby."
That caught Urameshi's attention. He glared through the darkness, trying to make out the silhouettes of the other men, and lowered his voice. "Is this feeling coming from one of the other guys?"
"Yeah… probably. I can't tell which one, though. There's nothin' obvious but I can smell it, y'know? Like… like…" Kuwabara struggled for an accurate comparison.
"Like a silent fart in a crowded elevator?" Urameshi asked.
"Close enough, yeah." Kuwabara agreed, too tense to laugh at the joke.
Sayomi felt nervous as she listened to their exchange. I wonder if he's talking about me, or... She looked at the young monk with the large prayer beads around his neck. I guess it doesn't surprise me that he made it through the forest in one piece.
"Let's determine the matchups. Hmm..." Genkai scratched her cheek as she realized, "Come to think of it, I don't even know your names. Go 'round and introduce yourselves."
The swordsman spoke up first. "My name is Musashi. I exterminate demons. I'm a spiritualist, ranking 4th Dan in Kendo. I'm a master of the Quick Sword Draw."
Sayomi observed the one-eyed swordsman, taking note of his skills. Musashi... I thought he looked relaxed when it came to the Cursed Forest. His punch scored 138p while his life energy scored 75p. When it came to his sixth sense, he won 13 rounds.
"I'm Shaolin. I'm training as I travel the country. I rank 1st Dan in kung-fu and I'm a spiritualist in-training."
Her eyes narrowed when she reviewed the monk. His punch earned 121p while his life force scored 73p. He only won 10 rounds of Rock-Paper Scissors. He literally scored just enough to pass each test. He's either holding back on purpose or he's really just another weak demon.
The scarred martial artist spoke up next. "I'm Kibano. I'm challenging my own limits."
Sayomi smirked at his brief introduction. Guess he doesn't want to reveal too much yet. His punch was the highest at 171p and his life force was 85p. His sixth sense, however, was only 7 out of 15.
"My name is Chinpo." A Chinese man wearing a traditional pink outfit offered no other information.
Sayomi blinked. Okay... I honestly wasn't expecting him to get this far. Let's see, I think his punch was 105p and his life force was 71p. He barely passed Rock-Paper-Scissors with 10 wins.
"Kaze-Maru! I'm one of the last ninjas. I'm a VIP bodyguard."
Sayomi smirked at the bald ninja. A bodyguard, huh? So he's used to fighting for his life while protecting someone else. That's good to know. His punch scored 130p and he earned 100p from Karaoke with his terrible singing. He won 12 out of 15 rounds, too.
The man in glasses introduced himself. "I'm Kuroda. I'm an assassin, skilled with a knife."
Sayomi almost sighed. And on the other end of the spectrum, we have an assassin. I thought he looked a little too happy about going into the forest. I think his punch scored 130p and his karaoke score was 100p. He also won 12 out of 15 rounds. Wow! He literally tied with Kaze-Maru!
"Kazuma Kuwabara! Punk!"
Sayomi smirked as the boys introduced themselves next. Right, he's the one who scored 129p with his punch and 57p in karaoke. He was the only one to win all 15 rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors.
"Yusuke Urameshi! Ultra punk!"
She grinned when she remembered his fight against the Bat Master. The bat wasn't that strong, but he was fast. He fought him like he had already experienced fights with other faster opponents. His punch scored 155p and his karaoke was 82p. She swallowed the urge to laugh. And he won 2 out of 15 rounds.
Once everyone finished introducing themselves, Genkai passed a small bowl around for each of them to pull from.
Drawing lots again? Sayomi shook her head as she waited. Oh well, let's see who got paired with who.
"He who walks out from the darkness is the victor!" Genkai declared.
"One question," Kuroda said, glancing in Kaze-Maru's direction. "In my job, one's opponent must be killed. I note my first match is with a business rival."
"All of you are to fight how you will," Genkai answered bluntly. "Did the third phase not eliminate everyone averse to killing or being killed?"
"All right." Kuroda accepted the answer and said, "One more thing, then you wouldn't refuse to teach an assassin, would you?"
The old woman looked straight at the assassin and said, "I'll teach the ultimate victor, no matter his profession or his ambitions. Good enough for you?"
"Good enough. Thank you." Kuroda smiled to himself, satisfied with her answer.
Sayomi arched her brow curiously. He sure seems to like killing things. I guess he'll need to if he ends up being the heir.
"First match: Kuroda vs. Kaze-Maru!"
Kuroda slipped off his glasses and stared down his opponent. Kaze-Maru returned the look as they walked away from the group.
"My life is my work," Kuroda said proudly.
"Same here," Kaze-Maru agreed neutrally. "So only one of us will leave this darkness alive."
Sayomi watched the two fighters walk away from the group. Seems they can see each other well enough despite the dark. Their scores are tied for all three games so this should be an interesting fight.
She watched as they started the match. She saw Kaze-Maru land of couple of punches before retreating. He threw something, but Kuroda deflected the attack with his knives. Kuroda closed in and managed to knock Kaze-Maru down.
Urameshi growled, annoyed with his blindness. "I hate not being able to watch!"
Kibano squinted his eyes, trying to see in the dark. "Which one has the advantage?"
"The… assassin! He has the upper hand!"
Urameshi turned towards the sound of Kuwabara's voice. "You can see them?!"
Sayomi smirked as she eavesdropped on their small exchange. I figured he'd be able to see. Still, he'll need more than sight to survive.
Then she saw Kaze-Maru raise his palm and fire off a blast of aura. Impressive for a human. His chances just went up a few points.
When a figure limped back to the group, Genkai announced, "Victor: Kaze-Maru!"
"Mmph! Didn't think I'd have to play my ace in my first match." Kaze-Maru used his right hand to apply pressure on his stomach. His shirt was torn and missing the left sleeve, exposing his shoulder pad.
"What was that?" Musashi asked, unfamiliar with the display.
"An aura weapon of some kind," Kibano answered.
"That's what it looked like… so it was a Reigun?" Urameshi mused to himself.
"Pretty much."
Sayomi turned to the unfamiliar voice. That didn't sound like any of the fighters.
"Botan?!" Urameshi exclaimed with surprise. "What're you doing-"
"Let's just say I couldn't sit this out." Botan answered, cutting him off.
Sayomi noted the girl, Botan, had large pink eyes and long blue hair tied up in a high pony-tail with the sideburns hanging loose to frame her face. She was wearing figure-hugging blue jeans and a long-sleeved orange top with two chest pockets. She had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She's not a human or a demon...
"Kaze-Maru probably emits aura from the palm of his hand," Botan explained for the boy. "Matching your Reigun to that is like pitting a water pistol against a howitzer. And he's got plenty in reserve even after that last shot."
Reigun? So Urameshi can fire off his aura too? Sayomi smirked. I'm starting to hope this guy makes it to the finals.
"Victor: Shaolin!"
Genkai's voice caught Sayomi's attention and she watched the young monk stagger back to the group. Damn, I got distracted and missed the match. Looks like he went up against Chinpo. Guess I'm not surprised he won, though.
"Whoo!" The young boy sighed with relief. "That was close."
"That's not surprising." Botan held her chin as she thought out loud. "He outscored his opponent in the first tests."
Urameshi glared at Botan and said, "Watch that right hand. It might go off!"
"Third match: Kuwabara vs. Musashi!" The two fighters locked eyes as their match was called.
"Don't trip over your own feet!" Urameshi grinned at his rival with his thumb pointing down.
"Hmph! Go screw yourself, Urameshi," Kuwabara replied.
Sayomi watched the two fighters and thought of their odds of victory. Musashi outscores Kuwabara in two of the three categories. He also looks like he has more discipline and experience.
The teen walked away from the group with his opponent. Before they were too far away, the swordsman said, "Last chance to withdraw, kid! I will not hold back. This will be to the death."
Kuwabara glanced sideways at his opponent. "I don't scare that easy, dude. I've had my share of fights, and my sixth sense is really sharp. This darkness is nothing! I can see you clearly even- huh?"
As he spoke, Musashi disappeared in the darkness. Then he felt a sudden punch to his face that knocked him down to the floor. "Whuh?!"
He sat up and looked over his shoulder. "Ah! There you are!"
Musashi stepped back and faded from the boy's view again. Kuwabara scrambled to his feet and anxiously looked around for the swordsman.
"I'm perfectly aware of your strong sixth sense. But I have trained myself to suppress my aura." Musashi emphasized his claim as he punched him in the face again. "This negates your one advantage!"
Sayomi frowned as Musashi started beating the boy senselessly. Kuwabara's obviously at a disadvantage if he can't sense his opponent. Why doesn't he just surrender before he ends up getting killed?
Urameshi cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted into the darkness. "Hey, Kuwabara! Sounds like he's beatin' the crap outta you! You always said you were tough – so show 'im!"
Kuwabara struggled back to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Aww, whadda you care, Urameshi? Look to your own battles! I'm doin' fine!"
"Doing fine?" Musashi spoke from the shadows. "I've beat you silly, boy. You can barely stand."
"Think so? Hah!" Kuwabara spat the blood from his mouth. "I spit on your wimpy punches, man. You don't know brutal until you've gone a round with Urameshi!"
The swordsman growled, frustrated with the boy's persistence. "You leave me no choice, then!" Musashi drew out his wooden sword. His aura started to shine bright around his body and weapon.
Kuwabara's eyes widened in alarm. "A wooden sword?"
"Not just any wooden sword. It was carved from a tree over 1000 years old and polished with holy water. A proven demon-slayer, good for dealing with other adversaries, too." Musashi let his aura dim down and he hid in the darkness.
"He vanished again! How's he do that?!" Kuwabara tried to look around for him, but it was too late.
"Lightning Draw Sword!" Musashi released a series of consecutive strikes against the boy, knocking him down again. The impact was so strong, the tip of the sword snapped off.
Kuwabara fell on his back next to the clattering piece of wood.
So much for the 1000 year old wood. Sayomi winced when she saw Kuwabara fall. Still, if Kuwabara can take that kinda hit, he must have been through a lot of fights.
Musashi inspected his sword with wide eyes. "My sword… broken! You are sturdy, boy." He watched as Kuwabara struggled back to his feet.
"Rrg... I… guess so…" Kuwabara trembled on his feet as his aura started to swirl around his body. He used one hand to brace himself up while the other clutched the sword tip tightly.
"You can stand? Again, you surprise." Musashi slipped back into the shadows. "But my next blow will finish you. That fragment of my sword is no defense."
"Urk!" Kuwabara clenched his teeth and looked down at the wood in his hand.
Sayomi watched the boy curiously. Why did he pick that up? Does he think it will help somehow?
Musashi stepped forth behind Kuwabara and brought his weapon down for another barrage of strikes. "Time to die!"
"Yaa…" Kuwabara turned around and instinctively brought his arm up to defend himself.
There was a blinding flash of light that caught Musashi by surprise. "Huh?!"
An electric surge of aura extended from the piece of wood until it formed a whole sword that blocked the swordsman's attack.
"It – It can't be! He's created an aura sword!" Musashi stared at the boy in shock.
"He has! That boy's gifted!" Genkai was impressed by the boy's quick adaptability.
"Waah!" Musashi was knocked off his feet and what was left of his sword broke in half as Kuwabara swung his new weapon. The one-eyed swordsman groaned before he passed out.
Kuwabara held up the glowing sword and stared at it in wonder. "A sword… of energy… but how… how did I do it?!"
I guess the tip helped after all. Sayomi grinned as the boy came out on top despite her doubts. He used the energy from the wood to kickstart his own aura. If this is his first time manifesting it, then he might have some potential. He's certainly stubborn enough to be related to the old man.
Genkai smirked as she called the match. "Victor: Kuwabara!"
Kuwabara walked back to the group, his sword already extinguished.
"He's shaping up into a serious contender!" Botan commended happily.
"Heh… No kidding!" Urameshi held his chin and grinned at the thought.
As Kuwabara walked back to the group, he smirked at Urameshi and said, "Win yours. I'll be waiting."
Urameshi returned the smirk. "Do that. I'll be back."
Genkai announced the next fight. "The 4th match: Urameshi vs. Kibano!"
Urameshi and Kibano locked eyes as they made their way through the darkness. Then Urameshi said, "Hold up one second!"
"Heh." Kibano stopped and turned to the boy. "Change your mind?"
Urameshi rummaged through his pants pockets and pulled out a small box. There was a cute girl on the box, winking and blowing a kiss, and the words "Cupid Super Heavy" were written under the picture. He pulled out a cigarette and smiled. "A quick drag before the battle…"
Sayomi narrowed her eyes at the boy. He smokes, too?
Botan scowled and whacked the back of his head with a paper fan.
Urameshi glared at her and growled, "That hurt!"
"You bet!" Botan leveled her gaze at him, unintimidated by the delinquent. "Keiko's not here, but that doesn't mean you can go wild. Gimme!"
"Leggo! It's my last pack!"
Botan struggled to confiscate the cigarettes while Urameshi tried to hold onto them.
"I'd like to get started…" Kibano spoke up over their scuffle.
"Oh!" Botan smiled over her shoulder at the fighter. "Heh! Sure!"
"Ready? Let's go." Kibano led the boy away from the others.
"Right with you." Urameshi walked beside him.
About time. Sayomi watched as Kibano created some distance between himself and the boy. After that fight with the Bat Master, I'm curious to see how Urameshi will handle this.
"Whoo boy! It really is pitch-black in here." Urameshi tried to look around for his opponent. "We can't see each other."
"I don't find that a problem. I know your position precisely," Kibano admitted from the dark.
Urameshi shifted his footing to test his theory.
"You stepped to the right."
"Huh?! H-How?!" Urameshi was baffled by his accuracy.
"Heh heh." Kibano chuckled at the boy's blindness.
"What's that guy up to?" Kuwabara gasped when he spotted Kibano. "And why's he wearing that weird mask?!"
Sayomi's brow arched curiously. The mask was more like a metal helmet with a leather chin strap. It covered the whole top half of his head and she could see a small red bulb in the center. Now that he mentions it, that is a bit strange. Is it supposed to protect him or something?
"I'm trained to fight without the need of sight. Without it, I can sense my opponent in other ways – more accurate ways. I sense you've been through a lot. And that enables me to zero in on you. A fierce fighting spirit swirls around you, emanating from your body. You're ablaze!" Kibano locked onto the wild aura and charged. "Aha!"
He threw a strong punch to Urameshi's jaw, knocking him to the floor several feet away.
"Jeeps! Right on the chin!" Kuwabara commentated for Botan.
"Yeow!" Urameshi kneeled on the floor and wiped the blood from his chin.
"Nice recovery, kid."
The boy froze when he heard the voice behind him. His hesitation cost him a solid kick to the back.
"Unh...!" Urameshi grunted as he caught himself and turned around to look for the martial artist.
Kibano jumped high into the air.
"Yah!" Urameshi narrowly dodged a kick that destroyed the floorboards.
"Yow!" He dodged another lethal punch.
"Sense this, jerk!" Urameshi grabbed a piece of broken wood and swiped towards the sound.
Kibano dodged, using his right hand to spring out of the boy's range again.
"Man! Where'd he go?!" When he heard a creak in the floorboards, Urameshi launched himself towards the sound. "Clumsy! I got you!
"Ah ha!" He spotted Kibano and delivered a strong right cross to the head.
However, Kibano trapped Urameshi's extended arm and kicked him hard in the stomach.
"Urrg..." Urameshi's body shook from the impact. He managed to stay standing, but he lost his breath.
After Kibano retreated back to the darkness, he said, "Sounds may hint at my location, but they can't tell you precisely where to aim."
"Urameshi's screwed!" Kuwabara shouted in disbelief. "That mask is also a helmet!"
Sayomi glared at Kuwabara's loud mouth. I thought that's what it was supposed to be. She looked back at the Urameshi boy as he tried to recover from the blow. He's right about one thing, if Urameshi doesn't come up with something soon, then he'll probably die.
"Time to wrap this up…" Kibano raised his right fist and focused his aura. "Kaah..."
"Yikes!" Kuwabara yelped.
"Fuh humph..." Kibano's smile grew as his muscles started to expand.
"His arm's… growing!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
Kibano's arm doubled in size as his aura flared. He charged towards Urameshi with his arm ready to attack. "By bringing the aura that flows outside my body inside, I double my offensive power!"
"Yoicks!" Urameshi froze, unable to block or counter.
"Supercharged Explosive Thrust!" Kibano's swollen bicep hit the boy in the throat.
"Unh... Hack!" Urameshi struggled to get up from his hands and knees. A cough scratched his throat as he tried to breathe.
"Your reflexes and resilience are impressive. I meant that to be a critical hit."
Urameshi eventually made it to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Yeah…"
"But you've sustained punishment. The aura of your fighting spirit is dimming," Kibano observed.
Genkai focused on the boy and said, "What I see is his aura drawing in! Not wise to corner this one, I think…"
Sayomi smirked as she looked at the stubborn boy. He looks ready to fight back like a wounded animal that's been backed into a corner. That look in his eyes says he's been through fights like this before. Does he still think there's a chance for victory?
"Ah! There is!" Urameshi exclaimed.
"You can't hope to win! You're too badly hurt! Last chance! You may live…" Kibano appeared from the shadows and punched Urameshi in the face. "…If you stay down!"
"Unh!" Urameshi took advantage and wrapped his arm around Kibano's, trapping the martial artist in place. "Gotcha! I'll pay back that blow with interest! Want a broken arm?"
Kibano smirked at the boy's confidence. "Full of surprises, aren't you? Nice move. Not that it'll amount to much.
"Whirlwind Kill Throw!" Kibano grabbed Urameshi and threw him over his shoulder, twisting his body mid-throw.
"Yaaah!" Urameshi shouted until he hit the floor. His body bounced twice before sliding to a stop.
Kuwabara was pumped from the fight, on the edge over Urameshi's disadvantage. "He can't sidestep an attack, and if he tries to grapple he gets tossed! He's at that guy's mercy!"
Sayomi felt her aura shift around her body nervously. If he's not here to become Master Genkai's disciple, then why is he so determined to win? Is he really willing to die over it?
"C'mon, Urameshi, you slouch!" Kuwabara tried to cheer on his friend.
Kibano opened the padded chamber protecting his ear. "Do you feel more amenable to giving up now? You have ability, but your limitations give you a snowball's chance in Hell against me."
Urameshi struggled back to his feet and glared defiantly at the dark. One arm clutched his stomach in pain while the other hung limp and bloody. "You think I'm ready… to give up? Hah! I'll win this! Your next attack will be your last… I guarantee!"
Kibano closed the ear chamber and said, "You macho idiot. You've fought a good fight. That should be enough."
Urameshi grinned to himself. "You scared? Want me to make the first move?"
Kibano ground his teeth together, fed up with the boy's attitude. "Punk… Fine." He started to concentrate his aura around his right arm, causing the muscles to expand again. "I'll oblige your death wish."
Sayomi watched as Kibano circled around the boy's blind spot. She also noticed the warm glow around Urameshi's hand. What's that?!
"Goodbye, brat!" Kibano jumped up behind the boy, his arm raised to attack.
"Yusuke!" Kuwabara and Botan shouted fearfully.
Urameshi smirked as he aimed his right index finger, in the shape of a gun, under his left elbow. "So long yourself!" He fired the bullet of energy and shot Kibano directly on his forehead, destroying the mask.
"Gaah! H-how did you know where to aim?!" Blood spilled from Kibano's forehead, but he ignored it.
"Before you pass out, check your belt," Urameshi hinted.
Kibano gasped when he noticed a tiny orange glow. "What?! A lit cigarette?! How'd that get there?!"
"I planted it when we grappled," Urameshi explained proudly. "With your mask and that thick Gi, you never noticed."
"Duh… Darn it…" Kibano was unconscious before he fell back on the floor.
As the boy walked back to the group, Sayomi felt herself relax. That was actually a clever move. He seems to think better on his feet when he's in danger. I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"Victor: Urameshi!" Genkai announced.
Kuwabara grinned while he wiped the sweat from his chin. "You sneaky weasel."
"Check it, guys: even vices come in handy." Urameshi held an imaginary cigarette to his mouth and smirked. "I owe my victory to speed in lighting up and moves that'd be the envy of any pickpocket."
Botan chopped the back of his head and scolded him. "Nothin' to be proud of, pal."