"So much for the opener!" Kuwabara declared, pointing up at Byakko. "Your beasts are all tied up! Your turn, pussycat!"
Byakko smashed the border wall on his tower and bared his claws. "You've pushed your luck too far, whelp! Fine – I'll come down and kill you myself!"
"Knock off the comic-book-posturing!" Kuwabara snapped and pointed at the floor. "Hop down here and let's get it on!"
"Brat…!" Byakko leapt from his tower and landed heavily on his feet in front of the human.
"Yoicks!" Kuwabara struggled to keep his balance as the castle shook under the beast's weight.
Byakko pointed at him and growled, "I'll warn you right now that your Reiki Sword is useless! If that's your only weapon of real power, you don't stand a 100-to-1 chance against me!"
"Oh yeah?" Kuwabara raised his sword and dashed. He swung and slashed through the beast. "Have a taste of it and then we'll see how useless it is!"
"Unh!" Byakko grunted and stumbled back in pain.
"Felt that, eh?" Kuwabara taunted.
"Raaaah!" Byakko punched and missed as the boy dodged.
"Here's another!" Kuwabara slashed at him again.
"Excellent!" Yusuke cheered. "Kuwabara's on the offensive! Size doesn't matter to him in a straight one-on-one!"
"I don't know…" Sayomi muttered quietly to herself.
"And another!" Kuwabara sliced through Byakko again.
"Something's wrong…" Kurama noted.
"Yeah," Hiei and Sayomi agreed simultaneously. She shifted her eyes to the thief as he explained for Yusuke. "Look at them – their faces. Kuwabara may be scoring the hits, but…"
They all watched as Kuwabara wheezed and sweat dripped down into his open cuts and scratches. Meanwhile, Byakko looked as calm and confident as he did at the start of the fight.
"…He's the one who's wearing out!" Hiei finished.
"Ding dang it, what's going on?!" Kuwabara wondered as he tried to catch his breath. "None of my attacks have any effect on him… while I'm about ready to cave! And… that's not all!"
His eyes widened as he looked up at the beast. "Am I seeing things, or… did Byakko just double in size?!"
"He's right!" Sayomi agreed. "And the aura around him is intense!"
"I get it now!" Kurama exclaimed. "Take a look at the sword!"
"My sword?!" Kuwabara looked down at what was left of his weapon. "It's shrunk!"
"Byakko is sucking up Kuwabara's aura! And adding it to his own!" Kurama explained. "He's draining Kuwabara dry!"
"Ha ha!" Byakko cackled. "My secret's out! So what? Will you fight me with your bare hands?!"
"Not hardly!" Kuwabara clenched his teeth and pushed his aura into his sword. The effort exhausted him and he staggered on his feet. "Unh!"
"Don't do it, Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted across the bridge. "It'll only make him bigger!"
"Raah!" Kuwabara charged, ignoring his rival's protests.
"Fool." Byakko braced himself for the attack.
Kuwabara shoved his sword into Byakko's mouth, paralyzing himself with pain as the beast sucked the aura from his hands. "Geeyah!
"Aaah..." Kuwabara's sword vanished and his eyes rolled back as he passed out on the floor.
"burp…!" Byakko stood over the human. His stomach was bloated and it rumbled as the aura settled inside.
"Unh… Not done..." Kuwabara trembled as he struggled to his feet and summoned his sword. The blade only extended a few inches from his clenched fist.
"Cripes!" Yusuke shouted. "His sword… it's shrunk to a dagger!"
"Why doesn't he tag out?!" Sayomi asked. "He'll kill himself if he keeps this up!"
"You're wobbly, boy… Heh heh!" Byakko stepped forward. "Your real ordeal will now begin. Raah!" He punched Kuwabara with an uppercut to the chin.
"Gack!" Kuwabara coughed as he slammed into the border wall across the arena.
"Now for a dose of slow torture!" Byakko casually stalked towards his wounded prey.
"Hack… Urg…!" Kuwabara coughed up blood as he struggled to breathe.
"He can't handle anymore…" Sayomi's mind flashed with memories of Rando's torturous assault. "Why is he putting himself through this again?"
"Heh heh… I could use some after-dinner exercise." Byakko eagerly clenched his fist as he stomped forward. "After that, your body will make a nice dessert."
"His aura's gone!" Yusuke yelled fearfully. "He can't fight! That idiot's really gonna get his ticket punched this time!"
"No! He has one option!" Kurama pointed out. "Byakko hasn't grown at all. If Kuwabara's noticed this, well…"
"You don't mean…" Sayomi turned to him with wide eyes and paled at the thought. "But that's…!"
"…It might amount to suicide, but it's his last resort! If he doesn't pull this off, he is doomed!" Kurama and the others turned their attention back to the fight.
"Unh…" Kuwabara grunted as he tried to stand up from the crater in the wall. His face was covered in bruises and blood dripped from his mouth, nose, and above his eye.
"What are you mumbling about? Have you given up and gone into your swan song?" Byakko tromped forward until he stood in front of the boy and raised his claws to attack. "I'll see it doesn't go to waste! Die!"
"Raah!" Kuwabara clenched his teeth and his muscles tensed as he forced his Reiki Sword into his hand.
"Huh?!" Byakko stopped short in surprise.
"You want it?! You got it!" Kuwabara shoved his sword into Byakko's stomach and his aura crackled electrically as the beast absorbed it.
"Are you crazy?!" Yusuke yelled. "Why are you giving him what he wants?!"
"Gaah!" Kuwabara screamed as his sword dissolved from his hands. "Guh... Urr..." His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he dropped to the floor.
Sayomi and the others gasped and stared at Kuwabara's unconscious body. She clenched her fists and bit her lip to keep herself from running out to help him. Is he really dead this time?
"Heh heh heh. Burrrp. You are crazy." Byakko smirked sadistically. "Can't fathom why you'd let me have the last of your aura!"
"Kuwabara?!" Yusuke shouted desperately to rouse his friend.
Byakko raised his foot over the boy. "I'll tenderize him with a few good stomps. Starting with his head!"
"Stop!" Yusuke demanded furiously. "Now! Or I'll kill you!"
"Wait!" Kurama held out his arm to block Yusuke from crossing the bridge. "See?! It's starting to happen!"
Yusuke snapped his attention from Kurama to Kuwabara and Byakko. "Huh?"
"Gug!" Byakko stopped and stepped back as his body started shaking. The aura in the beast's stomach started ripping through his tunic. "Whah?!"
"Heh… Just as I thought…" Kuwabara grinned smugly and staggered to his feet.
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke cheered. "He wasn't down, just out for a second!"
Sayomi sighed heavily in relief. That stubborn idiot doesn't know when to quit.
"Bit of a glutton, ain't ya, puss-puss? Scarfin' up all that crude, human-flavored aura," Kuwabara taunted.
"Guurk?!" The aura burst out of Byakko's stomach, launching the beast high into the sky. "Geeeeeaahhhh! Waah!"
Kurama smiled as he watched the tiger. "Byakko wasn't expecting to get so much aura out of Kuwabara! It gave him colic!"
"Ha ha ha!" Yusuke laughed and raised his hand to help him see the beast. "Worst case of gas I ever saw! What a moron!"
Sayomi laughed as she covered her mouth and nose with her hands to block the smell. "You didn't even know what was going on until the end, Yusuke."
"'Tain't funny, Urameshi. I almost bought it." Kuwabara was still smiling as he breathed in the fumes in the air. "Gotta reabsorb as much of my aura as I can."
"Gaah!" Byakko crashed into the castle and sent large chunks of rock flying in all directions.
"Man! Check out the fireworks!" Yusuke exclaimed. "Scratch another monster!"
"And more wounds that need to be healed," Sayomi muttered with a shake of her head. "Why does he do this to himself?"
"Part of it's my fault for beating him up every day, but he's never been one to give up," Yusuke said as he and the others crossed the narrow bridge. "You okay, Kuwabara?"
"More or less." He winced and closed his eye as blood spilled over it. "I've got some of my aura back, so after a bit of a breather, I'll be fine."
"You're gonna need more than that," Sayomi said as she kneeled next to him.
She raised her hands to his wounds and used the shadows to heal them. Once he stopped bleeding, she pulled a roll of bandages from one of her pockets and started wrapping it around his torso. "Good job, Kuwabara. You managed to survive another demon and came out the winner this time. I stopped the bleeding, but this should keep your ribs in place until we get back."
As she moved to heal the cuts on his face, he reached for her hands. "Sayomi, I know we had a rocky start, but will you go out with me? I promise I'm a good man who'll always be good to you."
Sayomi blinked at him, then turned to see Yusuke trying to hold in his laughter. Kurama smiled politely as he watched. Hiei glared at them, but otherwise seemed indifferent to the situation.
When she turned back to Kuwabara, she noticed his face was red and his hands felt warm and sweaty around hers. "Oh! Sorry, but I'm not interested in mating with a human. No offense."
Kuwabara let go of her hands and slouched with a heavy sigh. "It's okay. I'm fine."
Yusuke laughed, not bothering to hold it in anymore. "Ha ha ha! You idiot! What about Botan?!"
"Shut up, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled.
Sayomi stepped back as they engaged in another tussle with each other. She looked up at Kurama and saw him smiling down at them. When her eyes shifted to Hiei, she caught him staring at her and arched a brow. "May I help you?"
"It seems you're not a complete fool, after all." He closed his eyes, ending the conversation.
She bristled. "What did y-"
"Uh-oh! Look!" Kurama cut her off and everyone followed his gaze.
Byakko loomed over the rubble in the castle wall and clenched his fist. His mocking smile vanished and was replaced with primal rage.
"Is he immortal?" Yusuke asked in disbelief.
"I'll admit I'm impressed. Your tactics were effective." His eyes widened and his pupils dilated. "To show my respect, I'll lead you to my chamber… to the room from Hell!"
Byakko disappeared into the castle and Yusuke shouted, "Let's go!"
As they ran after the beast, the cold stone corridor turned to a warm red rock tunnel. Sayomi raised the hood of her cloak and let the shadow cool her down as she ran on the balls of her feet.
"Did I hear that overgrown fleabag right?" Yusuke asked between breaths. "The room from Hell?"
"Sure feels hot as Hell," Sayomi confirmed.
"Whatever it is, it's this way!" Yusuke led them through the tunnel and stopped at the end in shock. "What the…?!"
"Where are we?!" Kuwabara grimaced as he looked around.
They stood on a ledge that dropped down to a boiling pit of lava. Scattered throughout the room were dozens of small pillars with platforms just big enough to hold a few people at a time if they stood close enough. Byakko stood on a pillar in the middle of the chamber.
"A serious slice of Hell, all right." Yusuke cringed as he looked down.
"One slip and it's game over, man," Kuwabara agreed.
"Heh heh…" Byakko chuckled. "This is my special gaming room. Quite a sight, isn't it? My favorite touch is the acid bath below! It'll eat you down to your bones!" He reached out and beckoned them forward. "Anyone got the nerve to come down and fight me now?!"
"Room from Hell, huh?" Yusuke stretched his arm, preparing to jump down. "Dunno how many of your nine lives are left, but I'm gonna finish 'em all off!"
"Hold it." Kuwabara clasped his hand on Yusuke's shoulder to stop him. "He's still mine."
"C'mon, man…" Yusuke argued.
"You fought well, but it's Yusuke's turn," Hiei said. "Take a break. We'll have use for you later, I think."
"Or I could finish him off for you," Sayomi volunteered. "I'd like a turn before this is over."
"That would be a pitiful match to witness," Hiei said bluntly.
She glared at him through her hood. "Why don't you fight him then if you're so strong?"
Kuwabara cut Hiei off before he could answer. "Take a break? No flippin' way! This ain't baseball, shorty. I'm not tossing the ball to a reliever and going to the dugout to sip Gatorade."
He stood his ground and looked down at Sayomi. "And no offense, but what kind of a man would I be if I let a girl fight my battles for me? I'll see this one out!"
"Hmph." Hiei scoffed. "Such irrational creatures…!"
"You better not die," Sayomi growled. "I just healed you. Don't make it go to waste."
"Stubborn son of a…" Yusuke sighed.
"He kind of reminds me of you," Kurama teased.
"Well?" Byakko yelled. "What's the hold-up? Scared?"
Kuwabara glared and pointed at the impatient beast. He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Shut yer yap, moron! I'll be right down!
"Hiyah!" Kuwabara jumped down to the nearest pillar.
As he landed, the edge of the platform crumbled under his weight. "Urk?!
"Grraarrr!" He ran through the air and clung to the broken edge of the platform. "Urg!
"Phew!" He sighed in relief. Then he looked down to watch the bubbling lava below. "That… was close. Not a great start to this round."
"Hey!" Yusuke crouched down and yelled, "We can still switch!"
"No way! That was just a dramatic flourish!" Kuwabara snapped.
He scampered up to stand on top of the pillar and threw off his jacket. "Man, it's hot in here. Okay, whiskers, let's get down to it! I'll finish you this time!"
Byakko grasped his throat with both hands and choked on the energy that gathered in his mouth. "Kuh-kuh-kaaaaack!"
Sayomi and the others watched with a mix of fascination and disgust.
"Gluuurk." Byakko smirked at Kuwabara. "Oh, yes, I'm a cat! Wanna see my version of a hairball?
"Hork!" The beast coughed up an electric ball of energy in the back of his throat and hurled it at the boy.
"Eh?!" Kuwabara summoned his Reiki Sword and positioned himself to swing it like a baseball bat. "What a pathetic pitch! I'll send it back at'cha with a Teikyo High two-run walk-off homer!"
"Look out!" Kurama warned. "Don't swing at that! Jump off that pylon! Hurry!"
Kuwabara heard the red-head and quickly jumped to the nearest platform. "Sure, but why?"
The ball of electric aura hit the pillar he was just on and he watched as it disintegrated into ashes. His eyes widened as he realized what could've happened. "Yikes!"
"See that?!" Byakko yelled. "My Tiger Shatter Scream! It reduces anything it hits to dust!"
"I'd heard of a demon who could produce sonic blasts that shatter molecular bonding! It's Byakko?" Hiei realized in disbelief. "The only defense is to avoid getting hit!"
"Hork! Hork!" Byakko coughed up two more blasts.
"Whoa!" Kuwabara quickly jumped from one pillar to the next, barely escaping each hit.
"Ha ha! Keep dodging! You'll soon run out of space!" Byakko coughed up blast after blast, rapidly destroying every pillar Kuwabara landed on.
Eventually, Kuwabara couldn't find any more pillars within his reach. "Crap!"
"Heh heh." Byakko laughed and pointed at him. "What's the matter? Plenty of platforms over here! You'd just have to jump two meters farther than Carl Lewis! Without a running start, ha ha ha!"
"Grr!" Kuwabara growled.
"Kuwabara's no Carl Lewis!" Yusuke exclaimed. "The other platforms might as well be on the moon!"
"And he can't jump onto what's left of the destroyed pillars," Sayomi pointed out. "He'd be too close to the lava and the jump would still be too high."
A moment of silence passed and she asked, "So, who's Carl Lewis?"
"Nothing to say? Speechless in the face of death?" Byakko taunted.
He reached into his mane and manifested long spikes of aura in his fist like claws. "Try begging for your life! Or wetting your pants! Perhaps I'll show mercy…" He threw the spikes. "Or not!"
"Yaah!" Kuwabara raised his sword and arms to guard himself, but the beast's attack scratched him through his defense. "Unh!"
"After the trouble I went through to heal him…" Sayomi muttered to herself. "Now he's bleeding out from all over!"
"I'm done with you," Byakko growled sadistically. "Time for you to go to Hell."
Kuwabara clenched his bloody fist.
"Hraack! Die!" Byakko coughed up another electric ball of aura and hurled it towards the human.
Kuwabara stood his ground until the last second. "Raaah!"
"He's gonna jump!" Hiei said in disbelief.
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted desperately.
Kuwabara jumped towards a platform that was twice the usual distance. Just as the beast's blast destroyed his old pillar, he started losing altitude and fell before he could reach the new one.
"Nooo!" Yusuke yelled.
"Ha ha!" Byakko laughed and pointed at him. "A mere five meters short! And the rest of you will soon follow…
"Huh?!" He stopped short when he saw Kuwabara coming up at him with a big grin. "It can't be!"
Kuwabara's extended Reiki Sword thrummed in the remains of a destroyed pillar.
"Clever!" Byakko praised reluctantly. "Using his sword as a vaulting pole!"
"Like it or not, fuzz butt, Hell's waitin' for both of us!" Still in the air, Kuwabara punched Byakko off the platform. "Die!"
"Gah!" Byakko gasped when the blow connected.
"Waah!" Kuwabara yelled as he started falling too.
Yusuke gasped as he watched helplessly.
"Gyaah!" Byakko screamed as he sizzled in the lava.
When bubbles replaced the screams, Yusuke shouted, "Kuwabara!"
Sayomi glanced at him and felt guilty for the outcome. I should've just taken over this time. A normal human shouldn't have had to die like this.
They watched the bubbling lava and Yusuke started trembling with barely contained grief and anger. "Kuwabara… He… He can't…!"
When movement caught his eye, Hiei pointed out to the pit and said, "Look! Over there! See?"
"Huh?!" Yusuke turned his teary eyes in the direction he was pointing to. "Kuwabara!"
"Don't just stand there, morons…" Kuwabara hung onto a bandage that got caught on a crack in the platform. "Gimme a hand!"
"Waahooo!" Yusuke cheered and leapt down from the ledge. "Saved by a snag!"
Sayomi, Kurama, and Hiei followed him around the destroyed pillars. By the time they caught up with him, he was already pulling Kuwabara up. Once he was safe, Yusuke punched him repeatedly on the head. "You scared the livin' spit outta me! I thought you'd bought it for sure! Why didn't you holler sooner, ya dumb jerk?!"
"Ow ow ow!" Kuwabara waved his arms to block and keep his balance. "Knock it off, idiot! You'll drop me in the acid for real!"
"You have the most remarkable luck," Hiei commented. "Care to go up against another demon?"
"No!" Kuwabara glared and shook his clenched fist at him. "That's it for me! I'm done!"
"Good," Sayomi snapped. "Maybe now if I heal you, you won't put my efforts to waste." She kneeled beside him and got to work on healing the multiple cuts all over his body. "We can't afford to have you bleeding out and getting weaker in case you need to fight again."
"All righty!" Yusuke yelled. "Now I get my shot!"
"Glory hound," Kuwabara muttered as he crossed his arms.