Sorry for the long wait everyone! I'm back from vacation though!
Chapter 15, at your service!!!!!

Kuwabara's opponent, who had an American name of Brandon, still had a smug look on his face, and he even let out a sigh. Whether he just wanted to get this fight over with or something else, no one knew, only Kuwabara decided it meant that he was a too easy opponent for Brandon, so he was determined not to loose this one.

Focusing on his Spirit Energy, he called forth his Spirit Sword. Kuwabara was caught on surprise more then Brandon, for when Kuwabara looked at his Spirit Sword, it was not the butter-cutting knife as Sensui had called it. But Brandon barely seemed to notice the presence of a sword that can cut the kakai barrier, he could care less. He wasn't any type of barrier. That's how he saw it.

He looked away from Kuwabara and gazed down at his hands. Kuwabara decided this was the best time to start his first move and charged without thinking first. Brandon side stepped and returned Kuwabara's meant first attack with his own, a kick at his back. Kuwabara staggered a little but refused to let himself fall. When he regained his balance and went for another attack, Brandon now had two shinning Spirit Swords at his disposal.

Brandon suddenly attacked with strong and vicious swings of his swords, and Kuwabara could only move backwards and block them, anything else and he would have gotten sliced by the second sword. Kuwabara could feel the wall approching, waiting to stop his retreat. He knew he would have to counter attack, do something, before his back hit the wall, or he'll have a harder time.

- - -

Yusuke's bandaged opponent went by the name of Ren, and he truly was a master at hand-combat and close-combat, but he also had other secrets up his sleeve. Unfortunately for him, Yusuke also specialized in his skills, and much more.

Ren held out his hand, as if welcoming a warm welcome, but Yusuke did not budge. One thing people learn is that if you don't know the person that you're fighting, even if they seem nice, dont' shake their hands, they'll just make the first move. Ren waited for a minute before taking his hand back, shrugging. Then he disappeared.

Yusuke, now he might be fast, but this guy completely disappeared, and try as he might, he could not catch a glimpse of him as he moved from one place to another. Yusuke relaxed a little, closed his eyes, and waited. To the right he felt something, then to the left, something was there, just faintly. Yusuke sidestepped to the right a split second before a punch came from his left.

Ren stopped moving, and Yusuke opened his eyes again, he was once more facing Ren, they were back at the beginning when barely anything had happened. They both released their Spirit Energy, the ground trembling underneath them, and then it vanished in a pop, and so did they. Flashes here and there where a punch met a block, or a kick missed its target.

A minute later, they reappeared, both with an arm extended, they had landed their punches on each other at the same time. Ren opened his hand slightly before pulling it back. Yusuke jumped backwards away from Ren, as a thin cut slowly materialized on his cheek where Ren's attack had hit him. Ren had vanished again, but Yusuke was too used to this now, that he knew where Ren was at all times.

He used his hand like gun and Spirit Energy gathered at the tip. His hand circled around, as if following the invisible target. Tensions rose and then Yusuke spun around and fired his Spirit Gun into the air. It took Ren by surprise, but Yusuke had miscalculated his position, and it only grazed him instead of burning him up. Yusuke's shot rang through the air still, until it came in contact with something solid, the wall.

- - -

Kuwabara heard something hit something above him, and not only that, but he knew he was a few inches away from the wall behind him. A pebble landed on the ground between Brandon and Kuwabara, then a bigger rock. Kuwabara quickly flattened himself against the wall as a huge boulder fell down from the sky. As the smoke cleared, Kuwabara first thought it had hit Brandon and squashed him like a bug.

Kuwabara made his way around the boulder, his Spirit Sword ready for anything. Brandon had survived the boulder, he was just covered in dust from the ground. The slight shock from the incoming attack gave Kuwabara a great chance to make his moves. He charged right at Brandon, swining his sword like a madman. Now it was Brandon's turn to only move back and block.

But Kuwabara had something else planned. When he was certain Brandon thought he was doing the same thing he did, he quickly jumped backwards a little, pointed his sword like a lance and it extended toward Brandon with such speed, it caught the already surprised Brandon by surprise. Brandon reacted by forming an 'x' with his sword, in hope to stop the tip of the sword, but the second before it hit them, it turned to the left and pierced right through his arms, both of them.

Brandon's arms dropped to his side, useless with broken bones, and his Spirit Swords vanished. Brandon was done with his attack, done with his job with Ikuro.

- - -

Yusuke and Ren were still fighting feriously. Yusuke had not had time to find another opening to shoot his Spirit Gun again, and Ren was making sure of that. As attacks landed on Yusuke, more little cuts appeared, on his arms, cutting his pants and the skin below. Yet when Yusuke landed his attacks, nothing would happen to Ren, he did not even flinch at the impact.

It took Yusuke a couple more tries before he realized, before he understood what was happening. Ren's entire body was covered in Spirit Energy. His body, in other words, was his weapon and defense. The only way for Yusuke to win would be to fight Spirit Energy with Spirit Energy. Karate moves would just not cut it in this fight.

Ren punched to the right, and Yusuke moved to the left, pointed and fired his Spirit Gun one more time, but Ren moved away from it and attacked. Yusuke did not move this time, and the punch landed right in his chest, blowing the wind out of him, but he still fired his Spirit Gun once more. At such close range, Ren had no hope of dodging it in time, and Yusuke would also take damage. They flew apart, Ren dazed from the impact, but Yusuke was alright, because he had expected the damage. He wasted no time firing his last shot.

Ren looked up in time to see something big and blue before he was engulfed into it. Ren fell to the ground, badly burned in some places, and unconscious, and defeated for the first time, by Yusuke.

© copyright LahtoriReikna
Next Chapter: the end is near!
Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, but Sana, Shiku, and Ikuro are mine, thanks.