"Wow." Kazuma muttered, staring at the wall behind me. I could see his brain processing everything that was going on. "So Sakyo really had a plan to take over the human world and let the demons destroy us."
"More or less." I curled my legs under me, watching him from my perch on the table. Genkai shook her head, the trace of a smile on her face. "And now someone has found out about that plan, molded it and improved on the foundations, and it's working. The portal to the demon world will be ripped open, and demons of every caliber will be able to saunter through as they please."
"Causing destruction and chaos in their wake." Genkai nodded, clasping her hands behind her back.
"I still don't get why that jerk had to take my clothes. Couldn't you have grabbed me some if you knew about this?!" He glowered at me. I shrugged.
"I wouldn't be doing my duties as your favorite cousin if I didn't leave you to suffer once in a while." I threw him a cheeky grin and giggled when he nudged me off the table. My water caught me before my butt hit the floor and let me catch myself gracefully. "I actually didn't realize he would take your clothes or I would have. I'd offer you my jacket, but I think that just seems rude at this point, don't you?"
"You're such a brat." He scowled, leaning back on the table and staring at the wall again. "I can't believe it. Someone is actually trying to destroy the world."
"Why wouldn't you believe it? It's not like it doesn't happen all the time anyway."
"Not like this."
"No." I conceded softly. "Not like this."
Genkai glanced at the door, where on the other side it sounded like Yusuke was near the end of his already limited patience. "I need to go talk to the rest of the boys. Ella, finish filling Kazuma in."
I nodded, watching her make her dramatic entrance and rolling my eyes when Yusuke's shouting only continued once he realized that it was actually her.
"So where is this portal going to grow from?" Kazuma looked at me again.
"Mushiyori City."
"And no one knows how or why yet?"
"Genkai has theories, but we don't have any solid evidence one way or the other at this point. The influence the portal carries has allowed normal people to... well... contract, for lack of a better term, unnatural abilities that present themselves as the ability to control 'territory', like we said earlier. From what I understand it's psychic ability that doesn't manifest in the way that a natural psychic's does. All of these psychics are coming from Mushiyori City, so it's hard to say how fast it's growing."
"And Koenma isn't doing anything about this?"
"I can't say." I shrugged. "My own interaction with Koenma has been limited at best, but I assume that he's probably doing the same thing we are with trying to discern information, just at the bureaucratic level."
"Yeah... yeah that makes sense..." He nodded, glancing away from me and swallowing. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to think of how I could explain this to him without him feeling like an idiot for not understanding.
"He's probably doing a lot of paperwork." I oversimplified finally. He scoffed, resting his hands on his hips in superiority.
"What's paperwork gonna do to help us? He should be out here busting his butt like the rest of us!"
"Oh my god..." I sighed, trying to find that strand of patience that seemed to seriously be eluding me the last few days thanks to a certain four-eyed know-it-all.
"Anyway, the point is those dorks on actually on our side?"
"Yeah. They're going to be helping us with damage control until we find out what happened. They all gained psychic abilities because of this tunnel, just like so many others, and they came to Genai for help. We should probably join the rest of them." I gestured to the door, and he nodded, still in his own thoughts about everything that was going on. I followed behind him, glancing at the back of his head. He was tense, unsure, and he was still confused as to why he couldn't use his powers.
"Sakyo's plan from the Dark Tournament was not buried with him." Genkai's voice cut through my thoughts.
"What Sakyo plan?"
"Yeah, Genkai just filled me in." Kazuma cut in, stalking over to stand next to Genkai. I could barely keep up with his giant steps, not to mention the lack of coordination from walking forwards. "Apparently Koenma found out and never told us. Sakyo wanted money so he could drill some doomsday tunnel."
"But, more importantly, we've answered the question; boxers or briefs?" Yusuke quipped. I sniggered, stepping out from behind my gigantic cousin and giving a small wave to the boys. Kurama nodded to me, completely unfazed to see me here with everyone, and Hiei's eyebrow twitched. I threw a quick smile to him and focused back on the conversation at hand.
"Would you be serious for a second?! It's no my fault that idiot stole my clothes..." Kazuma stalked to Yana to retrieve his uniform, and I turned to Botan, who chimed in her confusion as well.
"But how could this be? I thought Sakyo died when he blew up the stadium."
"He's dead." I confirmed. "We're sure of that."
"And now he's rolling in his grave because someone continued his plan without him." Genkai agreed.
"It just keeps going, doesn't it?" Yusuke ground out.
"Someone is carving out a tunnel to the demon world." Genkai confirmed.
"A tunnel? But how?"
"There is a borderzone dividing our world and theirs. Somehow a giant breach is opening in that zone."
"It is known as the pseudo-space." Kurama informed us. "Tiny portals have been opened in it from time to time, allowing demons such as Hiei and myself to slip through. But they are rare, and quickly close, trapping us."
"Hn. You're wrong, old hag. If there were a hole out of this vile world I would have taken it." Hiei snarked. I glowered at his comment but refused to comment on that particular subject at the moment.
"Getting you to believe me would be a pain in the ass. I'll let you see it yourself." Genkai allowed.
"Enough suspense; where is it?" Yusuke demanded.
"Mushiyori City."
"What?! That close? That's like a Sunday afternoon drive from here."
A loud beeping sounded through the room, and we all stared at Botan's bag.
"I guess that's Koenma."
"How do you carry that with you all the time and not break it?" I asked her as she opened her bag to reveal the screen hidden there. She gave me a nervous smile and flipped the screen on to reveal the face of an angry toddler. It would never cease to amaze me that he was still a baby according to his species.
"Botan, is Yusuke with you? It's an emergency!"
"We're all here, Koenma." Genkai addressed him. "Want to tell us about the border tunnel?"
"Genkai! I forgot I brought you back to life!"
"You're slow on the uptake this time; it seems whoever is doing this has used the typical lull after a tournament to catch even you off guard. In the last month over thirty humans have come to me for help, suddenly finding themselves to have an assortment of supernatural powers." She glanced to Yana and Kido on her left. "These two are prime examples. The traits of the affected vary but they share one thing in common; they all come from Mushiyori City."
"Hm... I guess an isty, bitsy part of me is happy that the opening's influence hasn't stretched any farther yet. But that means we've already advanced into Stage 2!"
"Stage 2? What does that mean, you moved to training pants?" Yusuke snarked. I bumped him with my knee, giving him a look that he miraculously took seriously and payed attention to the screen more closely.
"No, no it doesn't, but I'm not sure how much of it I can reveal. It is secret, classified information from the highest echelon of files in Spirit World Intelligence."
"Well how can I help you if I don't know anything?"
"You make an... interesting point. Okay everyone, here's how it shakes down. There are four stages to such an apocalyptic breach. Stage One - Demon energy thickens in the human world, allowing demon parasites to thrive. As the size of the breach increases, we move to Stage Two, in which normal humans find themselves blessed with unusual powers. Now Stage Three is where things really heat up. Demon energy floods the streets and low class monsters spawn at will. They aren't smart or strong, but they are excessively violent. In the fourth and final stage, the border tunnel breach achieves a stabilized diameter of over two kilometers, allowing total passage."
"Total passage for who?" Botan looked pale, and I rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Yeah, just who do I have to fight?" Yusuke snapped.
"With a tunnel that gigantic apparitions all the way through the C and B classes will be able to pass between worlds en mass."
"Classes?" I interrupted, frowning. "What do you mean 'classes'?"
"Spirit World ranks every demon according to their power. I never told you this because there wasn't any point. But here's a nifty frame of reference: All the demons in the upper level B-class are the same strength as Toguro."
"Toguro was just a B class?" Yusuke stood, sweat dripping down his face. I glanced at Genkai, who shook her head once. "He nearly killed us all and he's just a B class?!"
"The demon world is an ancient land and its depths are endless. In truth, there are vast parts of its territory that spirit world has absolutely no control over."
"Well I never knew that..." Botan's eyes widened, and she leaned into my hand subconsciously.
"Think of the demon world as a giant, underground building. Basement after basement stretching downward in an infinite void. Out of all that, we only control half of the first basement."
"Then you're a pretty crappy ruler." Yusuke bit out.
"It would be blood baths and Armageddon if we tried to take it all at once. Our only choice has been to hold our ground and expand gradually over the centuries. We cannot awake the anger of the A class and S class, or Super A class demons who live at the bottom. Not even my father and all his armies could defeat the S class demons."
"Now Koenma," Genkai interrupted. "You and King Yama are not the idle type. If you knew of such a danger surely you have taken precautions?"
"Sure. To seal off the pseudo space around demon world, spirit world has raised a powerful kekkai barrier."
"Oh great, barriers!" Botan jumped. "And you've had us worrying over nothing."
"What I want to know is if there is this powerful barrier in place, why are demons still passing through?" I interjected.
"We had to make priorities and stop the A and S class demons above all else. Even our resources are limited. The only way to make a barrier large enough was to spread the energy into a net."
"You're filtering the demons that can come through?"
"Yes. While B class demons can squeeze through, the larger A and S class demons are held at bay."
"No!" Yusuke snapped. "How could you sign off on a plan like that? You intentionally made it so that hundred of demons like Toguro can just prance on over here whenever they want?"
"It makes sense." I turned to face him, catching the careful gazes of our two resident demons and realizing all at once the offense that was unintentionally being thrown around while we talked about their species like they were a plague. Guilt hit hard. "The alternative is for demons of extraordinary power being able to come through and destroy our world, like we could potentially be facing now."
"B class demons have already shown they could wipe us out if they really wanted to!"
"Yusuke, not all demons that cross over here are evil." I argued. "Look at how many good demons we have met over the course of these last months, and then imagine if demons even more powerful than Toguro could come whenever they damn well pleased; at least with this plan, as imperfect as it is, we have a line of defense. We stand a chance."
"Would somebody please just tell me what you're talking about?" My cousin shouted causing me to jump about a foot in the air. "Jeez man, you know it's not my fault my powers aren't working right now, and I can't hear what Koenma's saying! We're a team you know, and teams don't leave a pal in the dark."
"I'm sorry Kazuma, you're right. I'm sorry." I touched his shoulder and pulled him off to the side while Koenma's voice still floated in the background. "I'll catch you up."