The Dark Tournament! For unbridled clashes of evil, nothing matches this contest, held by mortals made wealthy and powerful through the forces of darkness! In it, selected five-member teams battle to the death! Though demons are the typical combatants, humans who have stuck their noses too far into Underworld affairs are often forced to join "guest" teams. Refusing to compete means death. The only way to survive is to win.

It was just after midnight and the full moon was bright. A cold wind blew in from the shore as the waves crashed into the cliff. Clusters of different demons stood around mystical fox fires that signified the meeting spot. The demons grumbled and chattered about the upcoming event.

"Heh heh… I've looked forward to this."

"Yeah! We can run completely amok."

"We win, we get whatever we want."

"I'll dine on a thousand humans."

"I'm already drooling."

"Don't get too excited. You have to beat us. And that ain't gonna happen."

"You'll hafta eat those words!"

"Say, I smell human…"

"A pre-tourney snack, perhaps?"

Sayomi stood to the outer ring of the crowd of demons along the edge of the trees. She wore a long-sleeve black shirt, with a hood pulled over her head, and her black cargo pants. Her hands were covered with fingerless black gloves and her ankles were wrapped in bandages. Her feet remained bare. To her right stood Hiei, Kuwabara, and Kurama.

Hiei was wearing a traditional Chinese battle outfit that looked very expensive. It had a royal blue outer layer with a gold trim that draped to his mid-shins. Underneath was a long-sleeved white shirt and his usual black sweatpants. His usual white shawl rested around his neck and a gold sash was tied around his waist. His ankles were also wrapped in bandages and black martial arts shoes covered his feet.

Kurama wore a traditional Chinese style of martial arts clothing. A long-sleeved white top with a gold trim down the middle with matching white pants. The cuffs to both were navy blue and he wore a light purple sash around his waist. He wore navy blue martial arts shoes and Sayomi could catch a glimpse of bandages around his ankles. Kuwabara simply wore his blue school uniform with a duffel bag over his shoulder.

"This isn't starting well. Urameshi's late and we never rounded up a fifth teammate." Kuwabara grumbled with his arms crossed and clenched teeth. Compared to the rest of his group, he seemed stiff and on edge.

"Oh, so am I not qualified enough to be a teammate?" Sayomi glared up at the boy with her arms crossed. "I didn't realize I trained my ass off these past couple months just to warm the bench."

"But girls aren't supposed to fight." Kuwabara averted his eyes from her gaze and chose to search the crowd instead.

"Says who?" Sayomi tried to push, but Hiei stopped her.

"Never mind all that. Are you ready?" Hiei asked Kuwabara, keeping his attention on the other demons.

"Me? You betcha!" Kuwabara smirked down at him. "Kurama's helped me shape up!" He clenched his fist as he glared at the demons. Kurama let out a quiet sigh behind the boy.

Sayomi looked up at Kurama and raised an eyebrow. "You guys trained together? Wish I was there to participate. I was curious about your technique, but I figured you would be busy with school."

"Yes, my education is a major priority in the Human world. We waited until after class." Kurama smiled down at her. "It seems you've gotten stronger as well, Sayomi. If not to fight, surely your healing techniques will be a great asset."

"Right. Healing." Sayomi turned her attention back to the crowd. She scowled at nothing as she took in a few deep breaths. I hope Yusuke didn't find anyone. I know that's messed up, but I don't want to be on the damn sidelines.

You'll have your chance. If not inside the arena, then certainly outside.

Sayomi had gotten more accustomed to Hiei's telepathy over the months. It had annoyed her the first couple weeks, but she eventually decided it was a wasted effort to stop him. At least he only kept to checking her meditations and communicating. Right. Maybe someone will want to pick a fight with the only non-fighting member. I would just rather have a strong opponent to really test myself.

I could give you something to do if you're that bored. She could just hear the smirk in his voice.

We'll see if you're not too beat up yourself. After all, someone might just kick your ass. She smirked under hood. She found that she liked to push him a little when it came to his pride. He had a superiority complex that she liked to challenge every now and again. It was her way of getting back at him for the telepathy.

I can guarantee I won't lose.

"All aboard, everybody. Time to go." Sayomi and the rest of the crowd turned their attention to a short, broad man walking from the edge of the cliff. He had a large bulbous hat and a wild dark beard. His left hand was replaced with a hook and his right foot was a simple wooden stump. He smoked from a corn-cog pipe and an eyepatch covered his left eye. He was dressed in a simple business suit.

"Hold it! One 'guest' isn't here yet!" Kuwabara jerked his thumb towards the woods behind him to emphasize his claim.

"Yeah?" The captain spoke without sympathy or leniency. "Rules say yer late, yer a refuser. We'll send assassins to deal with 'im."

"No need for that."

Sayomi and the others turned to the woods and saw Yusuke with a cheesy grin and messy hair. He wore a red jacket with a white undershirt and jeans. A bag of clothes dangled from his hands. To his left, a much shorter person was wearing a white cloth mask to cover their face. The fighter wore a similar outfit to Hiei's except it was red with a gold trim and sash. A single wide gold stripe crossed over the right side of the torso.

"Sorry to hold up the party." Yusuke apologized, lazily.

"Where you been, Urameshi?!" Kuwabara whirled around in shock to see his rival.

"Urameshi…?"

"The one who got Rando and Suzaku…"

"We take him down, we got it made!"

Sayomi narrowed her eyes and glared towards the crowd as they mumbled to each other. Just try it and see what happens.

Yusuke staggered up to the group and braced himself against a tree. "Whoo! I'm stiff and sore all over!"

Kuwabara grimaced at Yusuke's exhausted appearance. "You look pretty shaky, and I hate to think why."

Sayomi saw Hiei move in her peripheral and turned to see him approach Yusuke. She sighed to herself and smirked, shaking her head. During their training he had often commented about a rematch with Yusuke.

So it didn't surprise her when he drew his sword, immediately slashing towards Yusuke's head. Sensing the attack, Yusuke easily dropped his bag and stepped back to dodge. Hiei assaulted him with a dozen attacks a second while Yusuke dodged each one.

"Wow!"

"What started that?" The demons watched the display with open confusion.

"They're moving so…" Kuwabara was struggling to watch the match with bug eyes. "…So fast I almost can't follow…"

"Phew!" Sayomi turned her attention back to Yusuke and Hiei. Hiei crouched low, with one knee just centimeters above the ground. His sword was caught by three of Yusuke's fingers without any effort. "Nice to see you, too, Hiei."

Hiei smirked and sheathed his sword as he stood up. "I don't know how you did it, but your skills are almost adequate."

Yusuke smirked back at Hiei confidently.

"'Almost adequate'? I couldn't move like that in a million years!" Kuwabara's face grew pale as he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't sweat it." Kurama smiled at Kuwabara. "You did follow their moves, which shows you've progressed."

"If that's 'almost adequate,' I would hate to know how you rank me on your power scale." Sayomi scowled at Hiei with her arms crossed.

Hiei ignored her comment and looked over to the mystery fighter. "I suppose short stuff here is our fifth member?"

Sayomi smirked and asked, "You get a chance to call someone short and that's the best you got?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara glanced down at the new member. His eyes almost popped out of his head in shock. "Someone shorter than Hiei?! I can barely see him! If I sneezed I'd blow him clear to Mars!"

Yusuke smiled knowingly and said, "Let's just say for a fifth, we could do worse."

"That so? I dunno…" Kuwabara observed the masked fighter with open skepticism.

Sayomi glared at Yusuke and sighed. "Fine. I'll be the team healer. See if I give a damn if one of you nearly dies."

"Awww, don't be that way, Sai." Yusuke patted her head as he gave her the same grin he used on Keiko when she was angry with him. "It's just that you're too important to the team to risk losing in a fight to the death."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Sayomi shrugged him off and glared angrily at nothing in particular. You're lucky you're the one who found him. I'll trust your word, but if anything happens, I'll step up.

"It fills the count," Hiei smirked. "Yusuke and I can take up any slack."

Sayomi shook her head, annoyed with the exclusion from the actual matches. She followed the rest of the demon crowd to the edge of the cliff. A large boat was secured on the waters just below. At the center of the deck was a large, round stone platform. She jumped down to the boat, landed with a roll, and claimed a spot against the rail to wait for her team. Once everyone was on board, a heavy chain was pulled from the ocean floor and the ship began to move.

"Up anchor! Two hours to Hangman Island…"

Sayomi crossed her arms as she watched the crowd. They were spread out in groups, complaining about the lack of luxury.

"Mph… pretty drab old tub."

"No refreshments, no deck chairs…"

"Your attention, please!" Sayomi looked up to see the captain holding a mic. "This is no pleasure cruise! We'll conduct tournament preliminaries on this ship… starting now!"

There was a loud rumble and the platform at the ship's center was being pushed up along with a flight of stairs on each side. It locked into place once it had fully extended.

"That circular deck rose up!"

"Must be an arena!"

The captain wasted no time and explained the rules. "Sixteen teams will compete in the Dark Tournament! Fifteen are waiting on Hangman Island! One team from this ship will fill the 16th slot!"

"No one told us about this!" Kuwabara grumbled angrily.

"Each team will pick its strongest member and these will vie for participation in the tournament!" The captain finished and waited for the fighters to assemble on the arena.

"A little warm-up match? Suits me." Sayomi saw a large demon with gray skin and horns running down the center of his head like a Mohawk. He didn't wear clothing, but he was covered in dark fur from the waist down. "After all, we're gonna win."

Among the demons approaching the stadium was a lean wolf demon. His mane of fur ran between his canine ears and down his back, fangs very prominent in his confident grin. A pig demon with four tusks to each side of his mouth followed after him. His eyes drooped and his head looked like his brain was straining against his cranium. Another warrior looked almost human, but his wild hair and narrow eyes said otherwise. His aura radiated with power, but Sayomi couldn't keep from being amused by his red cape.

"A battle royale?! In those it ain't always the strongest who comes out on top!" Kuwabara gave his best thug intimidation, but Sayomi could smell his nervous sweat. Then he turned to address Yusuke with an uneasy chuckle. "Hey, Urameshi! Here's your chance to show your new stuff!

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara and the others jumped around when they noticed Yusuke sitting up against the rail with his legs stretched out in front of him. His hands rested on his stomach as he snored in his sleep.

Kuwabara grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tried to shake the boy awake. "How can you sleep?! Yer team captain! C'mon! Wake up!" Yusuke snoozed on.

"There's no point in shaking him, Kuwabara." Sayomi smirked at the display. "He's a pretty heavy sleeper when he's tired."

"This can happen after extreme training." Kurama informed the group. "He's fallen into deep sleep to restore strength and aura."

"Say what?!" Kuwabara turned to glare at the red-head. "Then who's going up there?!"

Before anyone else could volunteer, the Masked Fighter silently made his way to the ring.

"Guess that's settled. He's going." Hiei tracked the fighter curiously. "At least we'll get to see what he can do."

"What if he loses?!" Kuwabara panicked at the idea. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder and said, "I don't think losing teams just go home!"

"Probably right," Hiei agreed with a smirk. "We might have to kill everyone aboard so there'll be no one left to complain."

"Tuh-rrific." Kuwabara grimaced and took a few steps back from the fire demon.

"Besides," Sayomi spoke up. "I doubt Yusuke would bring anyone less than capable of handling themselves."

Once the Masked Fighter had joined the demons on the platform, the captain yelled into his mic. "Begin!"

The crowd of demons turned to face the short fighter at once, singling him out. "Heh heh… The puny one's first. Kill 'em in turn…"

"Starting with you!"

The demons charged towards the Masked Fighter all at once with enthusiasm. "Pile on the shrimp!"

"I knew it!" Kuwabara exclaimed with panic. "They're ganging up on him! No room to run! He'll be smashed flat!"

The Masked Fighter got into a squatted stance and extended his left hand, palm facing the demons with spread fingers. He pulled his right fist back and it began to charge with aura. Just as the demons were about to reach him, he punched forward with his fist and released a barrage of aura bullets. Every demon was struck by one or two bullets and thrown off the arena, splashing into the ocean.

There was a brief moment of stunned silence before the captain begrudgingly spoke into his mic. "Point, game, and match to Team Urameshi! They will take the 16th slot in the Dark Tournament!"

"That little guy used…" Kuwabara tried to wrap his mind around what he saw. "…Yusuke's Reigun! But…"

Kurama smiled down at the sleeping boy. "I think Yusuke knew this would happen."

"I told you to trust Yusuke's judgement, Kuwabara." Sayomi watched the arena as their teammate made his way back to the group. I wonder…

"He deep-sixed every one o' them!" Kuwabara couldn't get over his shock. "Using Urameshi's Shotgun! Who is that guy?!" He ran up to meet the Masked Fighter. "That was ace! Welcome to the team! Just one thing—who are you?!"

Without a word, the Masked Fighter pointed up over Kuwabara's shoulder.

"Huh? What's—" Kuwabara turned around to see a horde of demons ganging up on him from the air. "Ack!"

"Screw the rules!"

"Kill 'em! We'll be famous!"

"Yikes!" Kuwabara jumped out of the just before the demons could hit him. The Masked Fighter jumped up and over the demons just as they smashed through the deck.

"Raaah!"

"Slice and dice!"

Another cluster of demons, led by a sword-wielding demon, launched an assault on Sayomi, Hiei, and Kurama.

"Looks like we're up." Hiei muttered indifferently. "Ah well, it's better than sitting around."

"I'd say so…" Kurama pulled a red rose from his hair with a pleasant smile.

"About time I get to do something fun." Sayomi smirked, grabbing her kusarigama from behind her back.

Hiei took out the demon swordsman, along with his team, with his swift swordplay. Kurama used a whirlwind of razor-sharp petals to kill off the demons in his area. Sayomi used the chain to swing the sickle through the demons that targeted her.

"Heh! Dead to the world!"

"And dead for real in a second!"

Sayomi looked over her shoulder to see two demons making their way to Yusuke. She cut down her opponent to go to him, but then she was blocked by three more. "You guys are just begging for it, aren't you?"

"Aww, cripes! Urameshi!" Kuwabara had noticed them too. "He's so out, Akiko Matsumoto couldn't stir him if she sang right in his ear!"

"That's the least of your problems!" More demons came from his blind spot.

"It's overkill, but…" Kuwabara held out both of his hands as he focused his aura. Then, two spirit swords materialized, one in each hand. "Double Sword Fencing!

"Clear off—" Kuwabara began swinging his swords wildly at his opponents. "—Or you're hamburger!"

"No chance!" One of the demons near Yusuke pulled back a clenched fist. "I'm taking his head and makin' my fortune!" He threw his punch, aiming for Yusuke's face. "Die, Urameshi!"

"Dammit!" Sayomi growled as she was surrounded by more enemies.

"No! I'm too late!" Kuwabara yelled helplessly.

There was the sound of a fist hitting flesh and noses breaking. Sayomi looked over to see Yusuke had knocked out both of his assailants with his eyes closed. Then he grumbled as he sleepily opened his eyes halfway and thrashed around. "Raaah! No way, y'old biddy! I'll keep goin' and goin' and goin'!"

"Whew!" Kurama sighed in relief. "Even in his sleep, he trains! The regimen's become instinctive!"

"Old biddy?! So he was training with…" Kuwabara snuck a glance over to his right where the Masked Fighter was kicking demons with his hands behind his back. "…that shrimp-boat of a sensei Master Genkai?!"

Sayomi looked over to the short fighter when she overheard Kuwabara thinking out loud. I suppose she is the most likely person it could be. She was the only other person he would've had a chance to ask. The scent is a bit off, though.

It didn't take long to remove the rest of the demon thugs from the boat. Sayomi tossed the last body over the boat and made her way to the rest of the team at the front. "Well, that was fun. How much longer till we get there?"

Kuwabara was at the very front with his arms crossed and one leg propped up. Kurama, Hiei, and the Masked Fighter stood behind him. Yusuke was left to sleep on the floor.

"That's gotta be Hangman Island!" Kuwabara declared as he spotted something in the distance. It was an island with two cliffs that almost met in a circle. The one on the right was larger and it curved with an arch that reached for the shorter one on the left. At the base were acres of trees and rock. "Who knows what horrors await us there?! Brace yerselves, guys! And look sharp!"

Sayomi saw Hiei roll his eyes and she laughed quietly to herself. Don't act too excited, Hiei. Kuwabara might think you enjoy his company.

Nonsense.

It didn't take much longer to reach the shore. There was a car waiting for them when they got there and everyone, except Sayomi and Hiei, piled into the car. Hiei simply followed the car while Sayomi used her aura so she could keep up. They followed the car as it drove through the cliffs. At the base where the two were connected, there was a single building that was fully lit. It had to have been at least 20 stories high.

The car dropped off the boys at the front entrance before driving off again. Kuwabara was supporting Yusuke's weight with one arm slung over his shoulders. Hiei joined the group next to Kurama and Sayomi released her aura next to the Masked Fighter.

"Geez…" Kuwabara couldn't keep his eyes from popping out when they walked inside. "Pretty ritzy joint. What gives?"

The lobby was brightly lit and filled with formal attire. Wealthy humans occupied the space smoking cigarettes and drinking out of wine glasses. There was a piano playing from somewhere out of sight and Sayomi's stomach growled when she smelled the snacks. When she stepped on the carpet, the rug felt like velvet beneath her feet.

"Welcome, honored guests. Let me show you to your room." Sayomi and the team looked over to see a good-looking man dressed in a classic black tuxedo with bowtie. They followed him reluctantly through the crowd.

"Bonanza weird. This is the Dark Tournament?" Kuwabara glared at his surroundings suspiciously.

"There go the sacrificial lambs…" A feminine voice commented.

"Ah… So young and unsuspecting…" The male sounded older with a subtle accent.

"Not exactly." Sayomi ignored the glares she was receiving from tracking dirt across the floor. "These plebeians aren't even worth the clothes on their backs. I'm sure the real danger will turn up eventually."

They were led up to room 404 and Kuwabara was in awe of the quality. It was an open space room with enough beds for everyone and a large couch that formed a 90 degree angle. There was a single bathroom and a walk-in closet. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a great view of the island and the ocean.

"Man, talk about posh!" Kuwabara laid Yusuke and his duffle bag on one of the beds and sat next to the sleeping boy. "This'd be a great vacation spot!"

"You mean without the possibility that we might not survive?" Sayomi teased him with a smile, lowering her hood so it sat on her shoulders like a shawl. She sat in the corner where the two couches met, crossing her legs and hugging the large pillow. Kurama sat to her right with his arms and legs crossed and the Masked Fighter sat to her left in a lotus position. Hiei stood up with his hands in his pockets, half facing the door to watch for any intrusions.

"Lady and gentlemen…" A young male came into the room with a trolley. He placed six cups of coffee, cream, and sugar onto the small coffee table between the couch and Yusuke's bed. Then, he quietly stalked out of the room.

Kuwabara glared at the drinks and gritted his teeth. "This stuff ain't poisoned, is it?"

"Not likely," Kurama said as he sipped his cup. "The tournament's all about maximum combat. So they want every contender at peak potential."

Hiei picked up his own cup and drank from it. "The hosts are especially interested in seeing us in action before we're torn limb from limb…"

"Don't want to disappoint those humans who wasted their money to see your blood." Sayomi sarcastically remarked as she added sugar to her coffee before drinking.

"Well, it never hurts to be careful." Kuwabara reached for his bag and pulled out an aluminum can that read, Pierre Taki Energy Drink. "I'll stick to my own beverages, thanks."

"Odd…" Kurama glanced over the rim of his cup with observant eyes. "There's a cup missing."

"Really?" Sayomi and the others looked down at the coffee table.

"Huh? There's six of us, and six cups." Kuwabara sat his can down. "I haven't taken one, so…"

"That's what's odd." Kurama's eyes shifted around the room. "Yusuke's still asleep, but his cup is gone!"

Kuwabara looked up in shock, then there was a slurp from across the room. Everyone stood up and turned to see a kid crouched on the set of drawers behind them, the missing coffee cup in his hand. He looked no older than ten years old. He had large green eyes with three star tattoos under the left eye and a mess of brown hair. He wore a pink and yellow cap sideways on his head. His shirt was a matching pink with long yellow sleeves and he carried a small pouch across his shoulder. His jeans were baggy and his white sneakers looked just slightly worn.

"Hey!" Kuwabara and everyone else looked at the kid, their guards up. "Who's that?! How'd he get in here?! He must've been hiding someplace!" Kuwabara glared at the kid.

"Then came out and took the cup without us noticing…" Kurama reasoned.

"But we were all facing the table. How did he sneak by so easily?" Sayomi could feel her aura stir but she kept it in check.

"Naw, I came through the door, like you did!" The kid clasped his hands behind his head and balanced the cup on the tip of his left foot. He wore a broad grin that Sayomi didn't trust. "Forgot to knock, though."

He removed his hat and placed his hand over his heart, nodding his head a bit. "Allow me to introduce myself – Rinku, Team Special Ops. My crew, the Jolly Devil Six, will be your opponents in the first round tomorrow."

"Jolly Devil Six? Isn't it only five to a team?!" Kuwabara asked nervously.

"You didn't know you could bring a backup in case one of you dies in battle?" Rinku lifted his finger as if speaking to a child. "Looks like there's six of you so it seems you got lucky. The six of us are all tough as nails, so we chose our alternate by paper-rock-scissors."

Rinku placed the cup down on its side and balanced himself on the handle with just two fingers, his legs spread open to balance his weight and he wore an innocent smile that put everyone on edge. "Must be nice being the guest team. You don't have to sit through opening ceremonies or rule meetings. 'Course, you also don't need to negotiate for prizes 'cuz you'll be taken out way early."

Sayomi could see Kuwabara begin to sweat nervously. He's getting to him. If he doesn't keep calm, he'll be singled out as the weak-link. Just calm down, Kuwabara.

"It's just a fact." Rinku stated with a smirk, his mood changing from playful to serious. "The captain of the previous winning team nominated you guys as guests, but from what I see, I could take y'all myself in an elimination match (where if one member beats another, he keeps going to fight the next person and the next, until he loses. Then they switch to their second member, etc.)."

"That will do, Rinku…"

Everyone turned to see a man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a leg crossed over at the ankle. He had spiked blond hair and cool gray eyes. He wore a short-sleeve navy blue shirt that strained against his muscles and white pants with black boots. He stared coldly at Sayomi and the others.

"Another lurker!" Kuwabara clenched his teeth. "He wasn't there before, I'm sure of it!"

Sayomi narrowed her glare at the newcomer. That's twice now. I'm supposed to be the stealthy one around here.

Rinku hopped off the dresser and bounced towards the new intruder. "Sorry, Zeru! Got carried away! This tournament stuff is just so exciting!"

Zeru led the happy-go-lucky boy to the door. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Enjoy your evening, guys. By this time tomorrow… you'll be like those cups."

Everyone looked down to see that one of the cups was cut in half, the contents spilling over the table.

"Gack!" Kuwabara yelled in shock. "When did that happen?!"

The two demons left and Yusuke had slept through the whole confrontation.

"That's three times now." Sayomi growled to herself. "You guys better beat them because if I have to step into the ring, they'll regret it."

"So I suppose that makes you our alternate fighter," Kurama commented. "According to tournament rule, you won't be able to take part in the matches unless one of us dies."

"Then no one better die in the first round." She sat back down and started her breathing exercises.

Hiei was holding up one of the broken halves of the coffee cup. He tilted it as he examined the cut.

Sayomi quirked an eyebrow at his odd behavior. See something we don't?

Without looking at her, he answered. This wasn't cut with a knife.

Then what happened?

Hiei placed the broken piece back on the table and made his way to a bed. You'll find out soon enough. Go to sleep unless you want to be left behind.

Sayomi scowled and looked around the room to see everyone else settling in for the night. She sighed and got up to turn off the lights. Then she claimed the last bed and sat with her legs crossed. Unable to sleep, she drifted in a meditation. She was in the Void with her Shade who was mirroring her position.

"So, you've been reduced to healer and alternate. That must feel humiliating."

"Not really. It's not as though I'm forbidden from fighting should the need arise." Sayomi kept her voice neutral and logical.

"Are you looking forward to the opportunity? You want to experience a real fight instead of just training?" The Shade was luring her again. In her training with Hiei, she had learned to recognize the subtle signs.

"No, because that would imply that I want one of my team members to die. I don't wish that on any of them." She smiled and shook her head, not surprised by the attempt.

"But you do want to fight. Why else would you have trained so hard? You were looking forward to fighting beside your big brother Yusuke." The Shade had shifted to sadness. Sad for being excluded from the matches. Sad for trying so hard only to be told she can't because she's not good enough.

Sayomi smiled warmly at her Shade, trying to comfort it. "Anything I can do to help Yusuke is better than not being useful at all. It's true that my aura control has improved my healing as well."

"But it's still annoying as Hell. What was the point of dealing with that intrusive thief if not to get strong enough? That lying piece of—"

"There's no need for that." Sayomi cut off that train of thought before it got out of hand. "The point of the training was to improve my self-control. If I can't fight with Yusuke now, then maybe I can in the next case."

"What if there isn't a next case? What if that Toguro kills him and everyone else? He's no Rando or Suzaku—he's a monster in his own right."

"If anyone can beat him, it's Yusuke. It's in his blood." Sayomi was more certain of it by the day.

"For our sake, I hope you're right…" The Shade faded away, dismissing the meditation.

Sayomi opened her eyes and saw that everyone was already asleep. She got comfortable under the blankets and drifted off to sleep. She was unaware of the eyes that watched her in the dark.