A/N: Another chapter, w00t.

O/C12: Misaki meets Leanne but the girl is called off somewhere and so she leaves. Soren, Ike and Nicolai receive telepath training from Misaki and when she finishes, they all go and eat together. Misaki is wandering around in the forest later and Hiei finds her in a tree, remembering the first time she attended the tournament, with her brother and one of Genkai's ancestors. Then Genkai comes along and informs Misaki that her team is fighting first in the morning. And they are facing Carlisle, The Shadow Rider.

--

"Bracket One, Team Koenma vs. The Shadow Riders. Bracket Two, Team Ike vs. Tides."

Misaki glanced over to the other half of the arena. Ike caught her eye and waved.

"I didn't know he was their team leader." She sounded surprised.

"These matches will be one vs. one. Teams, choose your fighters."

"Where the heck is Kurama?" Misaki said as she took a step forward.

"I will fight the first battle." Kurama appeared out of nowhere.

"Kurama! Where have you been?!?!"

"I am sorry that I was a cause for your concern. Do not trouble yourself any longer." Kurama stepped past Hiei and Misaki to the center of their bracket's half of the arena.

"Kurama you baka—"

"Don't." Hiei held an arm out in front of Misaki as she started after the kitsune.

She stopped, still concerned.

"Fighters ready?" The overhead announcer went on.

Four heads across the arena nodded and the lights went out.

"Round Three, dark based. Begin."

"This can't be good." Misaki made a face.

Four beams of light, just large enough for three people to stand in, shot down from the ceiling around the four teams that stood waiting for their battle. Both Misaki and Hiei were blinded for a moment as the beam encircled them.

"I can't seem anything." Misaki said, peering into the pitch blackness surrounding them.

--

Kurama remained where he was, moving into a more defensive posture, shifting his eyes constantly in all directions. His opponent either masked his spirit energy well or was extremely weak in the first place. Kurama suspected the former.

"Would you honor me with your name, young kitsune?"

One of Kurama's eyebrows arched, "Kurama."

"Yoko Kurama I assume. I wasn't sure as your appearance seems changed but these things only need asking, you know. Well-met, young Kurama."

For someone to consider Yoko Kurama young, they had to be fairly old themselves.

"I always like to know the name of my prey." His opponent went on from somewhere in the darkness.

Kurama smiled, "Might I know the name of my predator?" Kurama was still unable to pinpoint which direction the voice came from as it seemed to stay in constant movement.

"Oh what a well-mannered boy! You don't meet many of those anymore. Maybe I'll let you see me after all. My name is Adominai."

--

"Adominai..." Misaki muttered, "Adominai...there is only one person I know who has that name...but it can't be him."

--

Kurama saw a dark shape about five feet in front of him and braced for an attack.

"Oh dear! Don't do that yet, I'll certainly warn you before I start to fight. It's no fun to sneak attack. I'm not very subtle I'm afraid. Though prey is always better when it's been fighting. Stirs up the blood.

"Alright, I'm coming behind you. I suggest defending yourself."

Kurama didn't move, his eyes still straining in the overwhelming darkness. Suddenly he spun around, pulling out his rose and it transformed into a rose whip on contact with his skin. He lashed out at the dark shape he could barely make out before it disappeared again.

"A rose whip! How lovely! I've always been found of roses. Most people are you know. I have a rose garden in one area of my estates. Alas, you seem to have missed your target. I do wish you would trust me a little more. As I said before, I'm really incapable of being subtle. Alas, you seem to have missed your target. But here I come again! From the left!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurama saw the a shape darker than the darkness around it, but it was from his right. He held his rose whip loosely, but waited longer this time for his attacker to draw closer. In the back of his mind, he wondered at the nature of his enemy. Expecting to miss again, Kurama flicked his wrist and the whip snapped into the blackness in response.

"I'm terribly sorry! I just realized that I said left but what I meant was my left! Certainly a horrible mistake I assure you. I was standing in front of you at the time and didn't think a thing about it. Now, now," Adominai went on in a chiding voice, "If you assume you are going to miss, you'll never fail to prove yourself wrong. That was a rather half-hearted attempt. Try again. From the front."

The dark shape appeared again and flew closer. Kurama waited seconds longer than before and then he lashed out again. He felt the whip make contact and the shape disappeared.

"Well done! I do believe you've hit me! Not enough to do any substantial amount of damage I'm afraid. But still, a hit is a hit, don't you think?" His voice was as cheery as ever, even as he announced the wound.

"I think you let me hit you." Kurama answered calmly.

There was an affirming moment of silence before Adominai responded.

"Goodness, I certainly won't can't say anything to the contrary," Kurama placed the voice with something he felt that he would hear if he was in Victorian times, or at the very least, quite proper times, "But it was a nice confidence booster for you. You had the momentary satisfaction of your attack, you can't say that you didn't. I saw the look in your eyes, yes I was close enough for that."

Kurama had to admit that it did feel a little bit satisfying when he hit his mark.

"I do believe this is the most pleasant conversation I've had in a long time."

Kurama thought it wise not to point out that Adominai was the one doing all of the talking.

"Those other two, my partners, they aren't much for words I'm afraid." There was a long-suffering sigh before Adominai continued, "Yes I think I will let you see me before I make my final move. However, I am afraid that after I allow you to..." Adominai's words faded off as if something distracted him. "Oh. Oh my. What is that luscious smell?"

Kurama could hear him sniff the air.

"Is that really you? Fascinating. It's been a long time since I've smelled something that good. In fact there is only one other person I know of that smells..." His voice wandered off again but he quickly drew his attention back to the situation at hand, "I am sorry. It appears that I've drawn blood before I meant to."

Kurama noticed a small cut on the hand that held the whip. He hadn't even felt it until just now.

"You won't last much longer now. You see, that smell, that delicious smell, is perfectly intoxicating to me. It, by my nature, draws me to you. But alas, I have to wait. A promise is a promise. Here I am."

Kurama was suddenly able to see his opponent, even though the heaviness of the dark had not changed.

Adominai was dressed in a similar fashion to a Victorian gentleman, minus a dinner jacket. His sleeves were frilly as was the collar of his white shirt and he wore dark, fitted, suit pants. It was obvious that his clothes were tailored and even his black shoes, which had a slight heel to them, were made to fit him and only him. He was tall, taller than Kurama and his perfect pale skin was almost luminescent, even in the dark. His light blonde hair was tied up at the back of his head in a short ponytail though shorter pieces were framing his face. His deep-amber colored eyes danced with mirth as if everything was an inside joke for him.

All of this flashed for a moment in front of Kurama, and then Adominai was invisible again in the gloom.

--

Misaki was able to catch the glimpse of Adominai as Kurama did and she knew instantly what the man's final move would be.

"Kurama! Move! He's a vampire!" She shouted knowingly as she watched Adominai move forward. Once she knew for sure that it was in fact the Adominai she knew, Misaki was able to track his movements.

Her warning came too late. She had to look on as Adominai fluidly circled his prey with an uncanny amount of speed.

--

Adominai came up behind Kurama and latched one arm around Kurama's waist, taking his wrist in the other. As Adominai squeezed the wrist tighter, Kurama was forced to drop the rose whip.

"I just don't agree with what Carlisle says." Adominai whispered into Kurama's ear even as the blood lust began to gleam beautifully in his amber eyes. Adominai smoothly let go of Kurama's wrist and locked that arm about Kurama's shoulders.

Kurama struggled, trying to free himself from the vice-like grip.

"Yes, struggle. It may hurt more that way, but it does stir up the blood. Makes it rise to the surface." Adominai swiftly used the hand that was across Kurama's chest holding his shoulder to push Kurama's hair and collar out of the way and expose his neck. Diamond-sharp teeth pierced into the jugular and a cry of pain escaped Kurama's lips.

With the fiery pain that began coursing into his veins, Kurama struggled more frantically.

"Carlisle would just love it if I killed you." Adominai's voice reverberated in Kurama's head. "But we can't have him happy now can we, hm? You are an exception to his rule, I believe. Neither do I find any joy in creating a descendant out of you. I sincerely apologize for the pain but it's better than death I must say. You'll have to trust me on that one."

Suddenly the pain switched from a fire to an ice and Kurama felt his spirit energy quickly draining away. His hands dropped from where they tore at Adominai to free him.

"However I do need to make it seem like you're dead so he'll leave you well alone. I've never done this before so you should feel special." He chuckled, "You won't be 'feeling special' right now because of the pain I'm sure. Unfortunately, this also means that I don't know the side-effects of such a thing. Forgive me. If I had known it would come to this I would have been better prepared."

Adominai was talking Kurama through most of the pain, whether Kurama realized it or not.

"Do come visit me sometime at the manor house. I promise that I'm much more hospitable than this. Most of the time." Here he chuckled again.

Kurama's head sagged and he felt his vision fading in on him. His strength returned as he found Adominai was draining away his life energy as well. But those struggles lasted for an even shorter amount of time. The burning cold sensation coming from Adominai's teeth and mouth was becoming more of a painful buzz.

"Oh and one more thing," Kurama barely heard the fading voice as almost all of his life energy was gone, "I see that Misaki is a member of your team. I would absolutely die with pleasure if you'd bring her with you when you visit. Well...not die of course. Figure of speech, really. I didn't mean...oh never mind. You're out now anyway. See you later!"

--

Adominai was one of the strongest of the Shadow Riders. While he wasn't a true vampire—human turned monster—he was actually born youkai, in a class of such that were akin to vampires. They could feed on both blood and/or energy. There had been a whole family of them at one time, but a horrible inner war destroyed all but the strongest of them, Adominai. He wasn't the oldest of them, but neither was he the youngest. That didn't matter anyway, seeing as how he was the last. They were capable of killing a victim through taking all blood or all energy away. They were able to create other vampires, but this rarely happened as they are a prideful breed who thinks that no others should be allowed the privilege.

All of this Hiei found stored in Misaki's mind.

The vampire youkai had a good bit of decency in him—considering what he had been born into—and he proved this decency all the more by what occurred next.

The elegant man appeared just shy of the light Misaki and Hiei stood in, holding the unmoving Kurama in his arms. He knelt and placed the red-haired kitsune in front of them, gave a slow deliberate wink to Misaki before bowing and stepping back into the shadows.

Misaki dropped next to Kurama as soon as Adominai was gone.

"He...he's alive..." Misaki whispered, hearing Kurama's heat beating faintly. She put a hand on his chest and felt Kurama breathing steadily, but weakly. There was just a bit of Kurama's life energy left in his body.

"He just made him appear dead. I'm tired of this. The next fight is mine."

"Match Two, fighters step forward."

Misaki didn't move but she spoke up, "If Carlisle steps forward, I claim him, your fight or not." She squinted across the darkness to the pool of light opposite them just in time to see Adominai slide into place. The other man Misaki did not recognize entered the dark.

Knowing that Misaki would wait to battle Carlisle, Hiei moved into the blackness.

Misaki examined Kurama more closely. Her hand found the bite mark and as she touched it, Kurama trembled. She moved his hair away from the bite and his eyes opened as slits, focusing on her.

"Well at least you aren't to far gone." Misaki said quietly, wondering if Carlisle knew Kurama was not dead.

"I'm sorry I'm so much trouble." He managed to say.

"Hush." Misaki put her fingers over his barely open lips, "Save your strength."

He didn't say anything else, but his eyes remained on her.

"You are never any trouble, Kurama," Misaki told him, moving hair out of his face, "You could never be any trouble even if you tried."

Kurama took a small shaky breath as if to say something else but his eyes closed again in exhaustion.

"Baka fox-boy." Misaki smiled a little.

--

"Match begin!"

Hiei knew his eyes would be of no help to him, so he closed them in concentration, allowing his ears to pick up on the slightest sounds.

"Do you prefer to die blind?" Hiei heard a voice from his left.

Hiei didn't grace that with an answer.

"You haven't asked my name." The voice was behind him now.

"A dead man's name means nothing."

Hiei waited, unmoving.

His voice came from a different direction every time and there didn't seem to be a pattern. "And yet oftentimes a live man's name is also of no consequence. And yet mine falls into neither of those categories. I am Vamp."

"You are dead." Lightning fast, the katana came out of its sheath and sliced upwards through what might have been air right in front of Hiei. But it wasn't air.

Hiei listened with disgusted satisfaction at the last gurgling of his enemy. Disgusted because it had been so easy. Was there no one here to challenge him? Sad. "Not with me in your head, no. It's almost cheating really."

Vamp's energy signature was unique and it blared out even in the darkness. Once Misaki and Hiei had a lock on it, predicting his next movement shift was simple.

"H-how did you find me?"

"You talk too much." Hiei wiped his katana on a clean spot of Vamp's clothing before sheathing it once more.

Hiei entered the pool of light shortly after that, blinking a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the abrupt contrast.

Kurama was now laying at the back edge of the light circle and Misaki stood in front of him.

"Carlisle is mine." Misaki's eyes were narrowed dangerously with a look of such intense hatred that Hiei might have flinched back if he hadn't been Hiei. "Nothing can be done for Kurama while Carlisle is living." Had Hiei not seen the look on her face, that thought alone would have betrayed her intentions. One of them would not walk off the arena floor alive.

--

A little shorter than the past two chapters, but hey, you have to even things out somewhere. Thanks for reading!

-lotsm