Once Yusuke had made it into the tower, the horde of hominids had encroached on Sayomi and the boys. Kuwabara was punching them with brute force, choosing not to expend his spirit energy. Kurama had summoned his Rose Whip and was keeping a wide circle of space between himself and the demons. Hiei was flitting from one spot to another, cutting through the creatures with his katana.
Sayomi smirked in anticipation and reached behind her back for her kusarigama. She didn't bother taking deep breaths. Instead, she let the adrenaline fill her body as she focused the shadows to sharpen the edge of the blade. She laughed out loud as she side-stepped each creature and cut through the swamp-heads, leaving a short trail of darkness with every slash. She found herself spinning around Kuwabara, dodging his punches and using his momentum to propel her in another direction.
"Is she okay?!" Kuwabara called out, punching a zombie into another one behind it.
Kurama cracked his whip at a trio of demons that had tried to get behind him. He watched the girl momentarily, smiling to himself at the sight. "She looks just fine, Kuwabara. She seems to be enjoying herself, in fact."
"We're fighting for our lives and she thinks it's fun?!" Kuwabara watched the girl wearily, elbowing a demon behind him.
"If you can call that fighting." Hiei spoke easily despite his quick movements. "She's more like a child playing with a new toy."
Ignoring the insult, Sayomi continued to weave through the demons, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. They just don't get it. They all seemed to have grown up fighting. I wasn't even allowed to watch the monks train. Well, that's gonna change right now.
Glaring ahead, all sense of merriment vanished from her expression. "That's because unlike you guys…" Sayomi kicked a hominid in the leg, breaking the shin, pulled the seaweed-like hair back, and decapitated the thing. "…I wasn't even allowed to learn. Didn't stop me from sneaking lessons when I could. I just never had the chance to really apply it to anything."
When she was grabbed from behind, she used the creature's momentum to push over the beast until it fell backwards, hitting its head on the stone floor, and slackening its hold. Sayomi rolled with the fall and landed in a crouch, her sickle stabbing between the creature's eyes and curving up through the crown. When she pulled through, it was just a mess of weeds and dirty water.
Kuwabara cringed at the sight and tried to keep himself from throwing up. He focused on his own opponents, throwing one off his back. She's just as scary as the rest of them… Are all demons this crazy?
"So you're not completely useless, at least." Hiei appeared behind Sayomi, slicing through a demon before it could attack her.
Sayomi glared at the thief, and then shifted her gaze to the demon he killed. When she looked back up at him, she dashed forward and raised her sickle to attack. The scythe came down and squelched as it pierced a demon's head that was behind Hiei. Sayomi glared directly at Hiei's unwavering glower, refusing to back down.
"I guess we're even now, huh?" Sayomi commented, setting her fear aside for the sake of surviving.
"Hn." Hiei grunted, followed by the death of another demon that was coming from behind Sayomi to the right. "Not even close." He disappeared from her sight, leaving her with the corpses as they cleared the first wave.
Sayomi was about to retort when there was an explosion from the roof of the tower. She shot her attention to the rising smoke and growled, clenching her weapon anxiously. If we don't hurry, it'll be too late…
"We've gotta find some way to get to Urameshi!" Kuwabara stated, panting heavily from the physical exertion.
"Yes, Kuwabara. I have a strong sense that he needs our help." Kurama agreed with a grim smile. He was taking a brief moment to catch his own breath.
Hiei simply grunted in an affirmative as he raised his sword to prepare for the next wave.
Sayomi was breathing heavily, annoyed by the seemingly endless stream of demons that marched through the doors. There's gotta be a way to end this sooner. I could just avoid all this and follow Yusuke into the tower, but then what if the others become too overwhelmed? I know they're not weak, but even they have limits.
"I hope you guys are behind me!" Kuwabara shouted, running strait for the demons.
"Damn it all!" Sayomi growled, chasing after him with the others. She noticed that Kurama was still trying to be careful with his wound as he ran. While she was able to seal the wound shut to prevent blood loss, she wasn't able to fully heal him without using too much energy too soon. Hiei seemed as fine as he did from the start of the mission.
While charging towards the horde, Sayomi popped open the small compartment in her sickle's handle. She held on to the weighted end until the chain caught from inside the chamber. She wrapped the chain taut around her elbow as she ran, making sure it was out of the way and ready to use.
When she caught up to Kuwabara, he was already throwing punch after punch at the mindless creatures. She took position behind him, twirling the chain to keep the beasts from getting too close. As the chain spun, it left a thick ray of darkness that solidified into a barrier. "You shouldn't be so reckless, Kuwabara. You won't be any help to Yusuke if you end up passing out from over-exertion."
"Heh heh heh. It's gonna take a lot more'n these creeps to beat me! I ain't quittin' until we wipe 'em all out!" Every punch he threw at the demons managed to be critical enough to keep them down, but then more would take their place.
"True, as taxing as it may be." Kurama spoke up from his side of the battle. He swung his whip in such a way to guarantee hitting multiple opponents with less effort. "While at the moment there seems to be no near end to this, there should only be a finite amount of disposable pawns. Our only concern is whether or not we fall before we reach that end."
As the zombies continued their stumbling assault, Sayomi could feel her limbs grow heavy. She was sweating and breathing more heavily than before. Compared to the others, she felt like she would drop her weapon if she slackened the tiniest bit in her grip. Twirling the chain to keep the barrier up, she took advantage of the small break. Well this sucks. I'm already feeling tired! I suppose some of it has to do with healing, but this is more tiring than it looks. I'm feeling sore in places I didn't even know existed until now. I'm just grateful that they're so slow…
Sayomi was pulled from her thoughts when she felt something wet against her back. Startled, she jumped back and spun on her feet, bringing up her scythe to reap the hominid. Once she finished off the surprise enemy, she searched the crowd for Kuwabara. Where did he go this time?!
"We'll never get up there." She heard his gruff voice from the center of the battle. "Hold on! I'm comin', Urameshi! Sword get longer!"
She heard his shout before she saw him use his Reiki sword to vault up to the window. She cringed and turned away before she heard him crash into the castle wall. When she turned back, she saw his body had slammed just below the window that Yusuke had climbed through. His sword vanished from his grasp as his body began to slide down. Before he could slide too far, he managed to cling to the cracks with his fingertips.
"Kuwabara!" Kurama called when he noticed the spectacle. "What are you doing?!"
"If I knew you were gonna try to ditch us, I would've left a long time ago!" Sayomi growled at the boy.
"Hn. And you accused me of being devious." Hiei commented, taking a moment to break from the fight.
Sayomi glared at the demon, taking deep breaths to catch her breath and to focus on something other than her anger. It could only help as much as she really wanted it to. Despite her calm appearance, her eyes raged like storm clouds. "I'm not the one with a murderous reputation."
Hiei smirked at her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "If you have such an issue with my habits, then why do you insist on pursuing violence?"
"I don't believe now is the time for this debate. We have more pressing concerns." Kurama reminded the pair.
Sayomi suppressed a growl and settled for a heavy sigh. Hiei merely grunted and turned his attention back to the new wave of demons. Kuwabara had managed to inch his way down the wall before jumping down on a zombie and summoning his sword to cut him down. Kurama swung his whip with his dominant right hand while his other arm shielded his stomach.
As Sayomi fought, she used the chain barrier to keep the demons back. If they got too close, she would use the chain the wrap an arm or some other body part to pull them into her blade. It didn't take long for her arms to feel the consequences of unused muscles. Just keep going. You've already taken out so many. What's a couple more here and there?
A couple more turned into ten more. Then it became another fifty. Sayomi tried to keep her mind focused on her movements. The less energy she used the better, so she would try to use her enemy's stumble in her favor to pull them off balance. Every now and then, a demon would pull on her chain, and she would use that pull to propel herself forward and duck its arms. Coming up from her crouch, she would bring her sickle up and carve into the beast.
"This blows!" Kuwabara complained. "By the time we blast through all these weirdos, we'll be too tired to help Urameshi!"
"Tired hands are better than none." Kurama disputed.
"Do what you like. I'm not stopping." Hiei stated calmly.
"I can keep going." Sayomi panted, wiping the sweat from her eyes. "It can't last forever, right?"
Kurama smiled down at her briefly and nodded. Then he turned to the demons as the group ran back into the fight with weapons raised. Kuwabara hacked away at them with his Reiki sword at full power. Kurama cracked his whip at every demon that came within reach. Hiei ran from demon to demon, cutting them down with his sword. Sayomi weaved through the demons, slashing with her sickle while spinning the chain to keep the shield up.
She tried to ignore the blasts of energy that flashed from the tower at irregular intervals. She could tell when the energy belonged to Yusuke and she would feel slight relief to know he was still alive. However, every blast brought him closer to his limit. He didn't have an endless supply of aura, but Sayomi had to believe that he had enough to win.
He's no Rando, but this Suzaku is no weakling. And from the looks of it, it seems this storm is working in the beast's favor. Sayomi clicked her tongue, annoyed when she felt Suzaku's depleted energy rejuvenate and multiply again. Yusuke's remained the same. Hang in there, Yusuke. Just a little bit longer.
With her strengthened resolve, Sayomi charged at the demons, glaring ominously as she weaved and slashed through the swarm. Her breathing was slow and calm as she ran. She began to feel her own energy shift and her body began to emit a black aura. It covered her like a black fog, obscuring her physical body and melding it with the shadows themselves. While she wasn't a complete shadow, the aura increased her speed and stealth, making it easier for her to attack.
As she glided through the horde in her shadowed form, she was able to phase through the physical obstacles while her scythe cut into the pitiful demons. The wounds inflicted by the sickle began to emit a wispy black aura. When the boys tried to find her, they would only catch the shadows in their peripherals before she would move on to the next target. Her speed was almost on par with Hiei, if only in her current form.
Just a few minutes in the form was enough to nearly exhaust her. When she cut through her last target, her aura faded. When she looked down at her shaking hand that clutched the weapon, she noticed that her nails had turned black. Her hand was bleeding where her nails had dug in too deep. Her blood began to stain the black cloth that wrapped the handle of her weapon. Well that's never happened before…
A loud clap of thunder, followed instantly with a flash of lightning that descended into the hole in the tower, drew the fighters' attention upward. Sayomi's eyes widened when she felt the large surge of power from both fighters.
"It's gonna be a big one!" Kurama warned. "And a big finish!"
"Someone will die this time." Hiei predicted.
"So long as that someone isn't Yusuke." Sayomi said defiantly.
"That's it for Suzaku's goons!" Kuwabara declared.
When Sayomi looked around the roof, she noticed he was right. Green bodies and puddles of water littered the ground like a swampy cemetery. She hadn't even noticed the end of the fight. The energy surge was too great to notice much else.
"Rarr!" Kuwabara tackled the steel door at the base of the tower, dashing up the stairwell. "C'mon! To the top floor!"
Sayomi ran up the stairs without hesitation. Her grip tightened on her weapon, preparing to jump in if necessary. As she ran up the stairs, she could feel her legs ache in protest as they pushed against gravity. Grrr! How tall is this bloody tower?!
A minute after they ran past the windows that marked the halfway point up the tower, there was a loud explosion. The castle shook from the force and the group was showered with dust and debris from the chamber above.
"Holy spit!" Kuwabara cried in shock, lifting his arm to block what he could. Kurama used his whip to keep the rubble from causing too much harm while Hiei cut boulders into pebbles. Sayomi spun her chain to deflect anything that came in her direction. When they were able to climb over the top of the rubble, they found themselves on the top floor. The ceiling had crumbled and was strewn all over the chamber floor.
"Keeeripes! Urameshi!" Kuwabara spotted the battered teen splayed out on his back amongst the rubble with a blank expression. The group clambered over the wreckage and made their way to the unconscious boy.
Sayomi glanced around and spotted what looked like seven copies of the same person. He had a mess of blond hair with two red tipped antenna that hung in his face. His violet eyes were staring blankly in death. He was wearing a red tunic with matching martial arts pants that were singed and torn from the battle. A pink shawl rested over his shoulders. Bronze bracelets adorned his wrists and ankles. She slowly shook her head in disbelief, stashed her weapon, and made her way to her charge.
"Mm… Not good." Kurama examined Yusuke's body carefully while Sayomi knelt opposite on Yusuke's other side. "His aura's exhausted, and there's barely a heartbeat."
"I could heal his physical wounds, but…" Sayomi clenched her fist and glared down at her black claws in shame. Despite his ancestry, he's still just a human. Even if I could transfer my energy, it could possibly overwhelm him.
"I'll give him an aura transfusion!" Sayomi snapped her head up to Kuwabara standing above Kurama, silently hoping for a positive solution.
"That's out!" Kurama shot down the idea without hesitation. Sayomi snapped her attention to the red-head. "You've hardly recovered from your battle with Byakko."
"I'm not gonna stand here and watch him die!" Kuwabara rebelled. "He needs energy! Your demonic aura's no good for humans! I'm the only option he's got! Here goes!" Sayomi was stunned as she watched Kuwabara stack his hands on Yusuke's chest and use them to channel his own aura into Yusuke's body. "C'mon, you bastard! Live! Raarrr!"
"Kuwabara…" Sayomi couldn't look away and she couldn't bring herself to scold the boy. She only hoped he could save her future king. If I choose to stay there, that is… What will I do if Yusuke becomes king? Should I stay with him, or…?
"Looks like we'll have to carry them both out of here." Kurama mused next to Hiei.
"Humans. They're such a pain." Hiei watched the oaf exhaust himself despite his own injuries. He turned to Kurama and said, "I'll never understand why they make such sacrifices for each other."
"That quality enabled Yusuke to defeat Suzaku." Kurama commented. His joking nature had faded into an attentive gaze. He was thinking about something as he spoke.
"Perhaps." Hiei relented. "But risking my life for someone else is not something you'll catch me doing."
"Sure. But if Yusuke hadn't risked it, he'd be dead anyway." Kurama smiled down at his crime partner, teasing him again.
"Always have to have the last word, don't you?" Hiei scowled.
"Ah, that's it…" Kurama noticed Kuwabara collapse beside Yusuke, his own energy spent for the day. "He's down."
"Tuhrrific." Hiei muttered sarcastically.
Sayomi sighed gratefully and proceeded to take care of the rest. When she extended her hands to heal Yusuke's physical wounds, a hand latched onto her shoulder. She turned to see Kurama standing over her, smiling sympathetically. "I think they will be okay for the time being. You seemed to have used up your aura reserves as well."
Sayomi looked down at her hands. They were trembling. She shook her head and sighed heavily. In the end, I was no help to him… She began to reach for Yusuke's arm to carry him back to the Human World, but another pair of hands beat her to it. She looked up and saw Hiei pulling the detective up and shifting him so he was riding on the short demon's back.
"I can carry him." Sayomi protested, staggering to her feet to retrieve the boy.
Hiei stepped out of her reach and watched her nearly trip over a fallen rock. "You can barely carry your own weight." He then turned to look for a way out of the castle.
Kurama mimicked Hiei's method for carrying an unconscious Kuwabara, staying mindful of his injury. He smiled warmly at Sayomi. "In his case, it is wise to be more cautious of his bite rather than his bark. You've done more than your share in this fight. You should let yourself relax the rest of the way home. They should recuperate after a good sleep."
Sayomi looked back at Yusuke, and took a few deep breaths. She could barely stand, let alone walk. Kurama's probably right. I'm no good to him as I am now. She nodded in consent with Kurama's advice and followed the pair of thieves to find the portal back to Human world.
A few days later…
"Unh…" Yusuke groaned as he opened one eye, slightly blinded by the lighting. He sat up from the bed he was sleeping in and reached up to clutch his head in pain. "Ow… What the… Where am I?"
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty awakes!" Kuwabara alerted the other two occupants in the room from his seat at a study desk. He was wearing a simple black tank top and a pair of frayed jeans. "It's cool. You're in my room."
"You've been out for three days." Kurama informed the groggy teen. Instead of his pink school uniform, the red-head was sporting a loose pink sweater with the sleeves pushed up. The top was tucked into form-fitting jeans that flared a little towards the bottom.
"I was able to heal most of your physical wounds, but you might still feel sore for a while." Sayomi warned the teen to discourage unnecessary strain. She had spent the days stretching and meditating to dissipate her own soreness a bit, but nothing beat time.
"And School's in total turmoil, man. All classes are cancelled. I let your ma know you're okay, though." Kuwabara was excited to tell Yusuke about everything that happened due to the Beasts.
"Shee… Three whole days…" Yusuke grimaced, the stiff and sore muscles slowing his movements. "I've never felt so… beat to death."
"You practically were if it wasn't for Kuwabara's donation." Sayomi commented, glancing at the grinning psychic. "But at least you destroyed the whistle."
The mention of the whistle snagged Yusuke's attention as a thought hit him. "Whoa! Keiko and Botan! Are they-?!"
"Hey hey, get this—" Kuwabara tried to divert the detective's train of thought. He began to sweat nervously. "Iwamoto's being grilled by the police! He's claiming he doesn't remember a thing! Mr. Take's recovering from a blow to the head."
"Got it! But what about—" Yusuke growled, glaring angrily as Kuwabara cut him off.
"Did I mention Iwamoto's being grilled by the police?!"
"Yes! Kuwabara…" Yusuke threatened as he approached his rival.
"Right! And the best part is…" Kuwabara struggled to find a way out. He was holding his hands out in mercy as he forced a fake smile on his face.
"What about Keiko and Botan?" Yusuke yelled in Kuwabara's face. Then he settled back on the bed and stared his friend down. "Wait… What are you trying to hide?! Kuwabara?!"
The tension in the room grew heavy. Kuwabara's face became pale as he spaced out into thought. Then he clenched his teeth, struggling to say what was on the tip of his tongue. Kurama looked down until his bangs shadowed his eyes, refusing to look at the detective directly. Sayomi pulled her cowl over her head and darkened the shadows to hide her own expression.
"Hey…" Yusuke whispered in disbelief. Then he glared and stood up from the bed, clutching the collar of Kuwabara's shirt to force his attention from the floor. His stayed trained on the floor, clenching his teeth. "Hey! Don't pull this crap! What's happened?! Tell me! What about Keiko and—"
"Boy, someone woke up grouchy! Hi, Yusuke!" Yusuke was cut off by Botan as she entered the room as alive and bubbly as ever. She was dressed in a stylish kimono-like shirt with baggy sleeves that reached her elbows. Her jeans were held up with a matching sash. Keiko walked in beside the reaper in a simple red dress with a white button-up blouse with short sleeves.
"Huh…?" Yusuke deadpanned, his expression dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
"Pfft. Hee hee." Kuwabara tried to hold his laughter behind his hand with minimum effort. "Really had you goin', man."
Kurama closed his eyes and coughed lightly behind his hand, disguising his own chuckles. "He thinks he's funny, Yusuke."
Sayomi chuckled under her hood but refused to pull it down. "I'll admit I was curious about your reaction." Her shoulders began to shake more as she laughed harder. "Gotta admit I wasn't disappointed."
"Haw haw…" Kuwabara cracked up with tears in his eyes, pointing at Yusuke's annoyed glower. "You shoulda seen yer face! Some joke, eh? Gotcha good!"
A few moments later…
"It was a close call," Botan chirped with her index fingers pointing up. "I thought we were goners! Then they knocked me in the head! When I came to, all the infected people were sprawled out! I knew then that you'd triumphed!"
Sayomi could feel her eye twitching at the reaper's energy and her attitude about the situation. Does she get hit in the head often? Is that why she's like this?!
"Well, glad you're both okay! That's a huge relief!" Yusuke sat cross-legged on the floor with the others in a small circle with a satisfied smile on his face. Kuwabara was lying unconscious on the floor next to him. He had a few bumps on his head and an improvised tombstone with his name weighed down heavily on his back, keeping him pinned to the floor. "It's all over…
"Urk…" Yusuke flinched when he noticed Keiko glaring at him from across the circle. He nervously kept his smile in place, dreading the inevitable walk home.
Sayomi noticed the silent exchange and smirked to herself. I wonder how that little talk of theirs will go. Judging by his return from Master Genkai's, it will probably not end well for him. This ought to be interesting to see…
Later that evening, the group decided to part ways from the Kuwabara residence. The sun was just beginning to set, so the sky was a mess of warm reds and oranges as night began to creep over. Sayomi had taken advantage of the longer shadows to keep a safe distance from her charge and his companion, Keiko, and keep herself hidden from clear view. While she couldn't really keep them in constant sight, she was close enough to hear them speak.
"Yo, Keiko! I know this was my fault!" Yusuke called, causing the girl to stop walking. Sayomi peeked around the corner of a nearby building to watch Yusuke jog up to the human girl. "I was stupid. Chew me out! I deserve it!"
Sayomi hesitated to move when she saw Keiko swing her arm towards Yusuke. The boy visibly flinched, then blinked in confusion at the raised index finger. "Huh?"
"Botan told me the whole story." Keiko confessed, her voice slightly annoyed. "But the next time you get a mission like this, I want you to tell me about it before you go. Promise me, Yusuke, whenever possible, I'll be the first to know!" The girl pulled her hand back to clutch near her chest in worry. "I don't want to be left fumbling in the dark, knowing nothing until after all's said and done. I hate that."
Yusuke stood still, staring at Keiko with a guilty expression. Sayomi pulled away from peeking and sighed quietly in relief. I'm sure Keiko would be enough to knock him out again, especially as hurt as he is already.
"Guess you would. Sorry." Yusuke apologized sincerely.
"I'm not after an apology. Just promise me!" Keiko persisted. The pair resumed their walk and Sayomi kept her safe distance despite the growing darkness.
"I won't let anything happen to you, I swear." Yusuke assured, looking back at her with his hands in his pockets. His green uniform top had become too tattered to keep so he was left in his white t-shirt that he wore underneath. There was only one rip over the left shoulder but it was good enough for the walk.
"I'm not asking you to protect me, either." Keiko wouldn't let him out of it. She walked patiently with her arms folded behind her back.
Yusuke grimaced at her tenacity. He just couldn't bring himself to promise so risky. "Look, there won't be any more missions as dangerous as this one."
"Doesn't matter. Promise me!" Keiko pushed for his oath the whole way home, giving him no way out of it.
It was completely dark by the time the detective made it home. While Yusuke had insisted that Sayomi stay at his place, she refused the offer. She didn't feel comfortable sleeping under a roof. She had become accustomed to sleeping outdoors. Instead, she made her way to the roof of the building across from his bedroom window and settled down for a meditation.
She focused on her breathing first. She inhaled for a slow count of four, and held for another four-count. She repeated the motion for the deep exhale, holding afterwards for another moment. This cycle continued for a few minutes until her tense body felt relaxed and her mind had faded to silence. Once in harmony, she opened her mind's eye to find herself in the Void again.
Her Shade sat across from her, mirroring her lotus position. It smirked at her from beneath the hood and spoke in soft whispers. "How are you, my host? Feeling a bit under the weather?"
Sayomi ignored the taunt and kept her features calm and neutral and her voice monotonous. "Something happened at the castle. I was hoping you could enlighten me on it a bit."
The Shade chuckled and replied, "I see it's tearing you up to know what is happening. You're afraid…"
Sayomi took a few deep breaths as her Shade spoke. It wasn't wrong, but she wasn't going to submit to it. "It does worry me a bit, but that's why I'm here."
"You're not only afraid of what's happening to you. You're also afraid of the thief known as Hiei." Her Shade continued to tug at this new knowledge. It wanted her to give in to her fear.
"I wouldn't say I fear him. I'm just cautious around him because he seems the most dangerous." Sayomi had to keep herself calm. She couldn't show how right her Shade was. It would only complicate things.
Her Shade sighed, annoyed with her stubborn resistance. "What is it you want, host?"
"I want to know why my nails are black. No matter what I do, it will not fade." Sayomi had tried Human nail polish from Keiko, scratching at the surface and anything else she could think of besides tearing them out completely. "I've used my Shadow aura many times, but this has never been a side-effect before."
Her Shade chuckled at her ignorance. "Tell me, how did it feel at the castle? Were you afraid?"
"I was afraid for Yusuke when he nearly died, I'll admit, but otherwise no." She refused to think of a pair of murderous red eyes glaring at her.
"Did you enjoy yourself, then?"
Sayomi thought back to the battles that the others had to fight and remembered her unease but she couldn't deny the excitement she felt throughout each match. She didn't broadcast it, but each time, she found herself eager to jump in. When she had gotten her chance, she realized that she was having fun. "Yes, I suppose I did."
"Now why do you think that is? Because of your new little friends? Or was it because of the fight? Maybe this Hiei has a point about your enthusiasm for violence."
Sayomi realized that her Shade had another good point. She was more suspicious of her allies than trusting. After they all had fought, she realized that her suspicions had nearly diminished. Hiei was definitely dangerous, but when they fought alongside each other, she couldn't help but feel that she had gained just a little more respect from the thief. While Kuwabara seemed a little weary of her, he still accepted her and joked around. Kurama was probably the more pleasant one of them all. She found herself able to relax around his presence and enjoyed the feeling. Yusuke himself made her feel like she was back in Demon World with her King, and it made her confused about her future.
When she thought about the fight, she remembered the adrenaline that rushed through her. She recalled laughing a couple times. She could still feel her weapon in her hands and how natural it felt to use it. Genkai had taught her a few basics for using the weapon properly and allowed her to train with it between her aura lessons. What she found herself enjoying was the ability to finally defend herself without relying too much on others. The hominids had made for good field practice and she looked forward to the next confrontation to test herself against a new opponent.
"I suppose I did enjoy myself on the mission." Sayomi relented. She didn't specify what she enjoyed or how much she enjoyed it. It could be too much to use against her.
"And therein lies your answer…" The Shade chuckled and began to fade into the Void, its laughter still echoing in the darkness.
Sayomi took a few deep breaths and slowly pulled herself from the meditation. When she opened her eyes, she laid on her back, folding her hands behind her head, and gazed up at the stars. What the hell was that supposed to mean? She thought about it until her eyes became too heavy and she drifted into a deep sleep.