A/N: Hm...well to answer a question asked, YES, Keiko is in this fic-- WHY WOULD YOU RUIN THE STORY LIKE THAT? That gives away a part of the end...-clamps hand over mouth- Did I just say that out loud?
Chibi-S-chan: And if you don't remember why the Tournament's taking place then why don't you go and look? But I'll inform you anyway since most people have probably forgotten:
'Send,' he clicked, instantly sending a message to fighters world-wide. This time it wouldn't be his life on the line, it'd be others. Now he understood why demons with so much power killed so often. If there was no use for it, then it became a bore. The King had become bored with his powers. No one proved to be worthy of his challenge anymore.
So now he was starting his own tournament.
That bit is from the first chapter-- the first couple PARAGRAPHS! Aiya...anyway, thank you everybody for sending in characters, they are most appreciated, and are always used. It's not too late to enter-- as I've said before, the sequel will require characters too. -important voice- ON WITH THE FIC!
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Three of the members of Team Hitokiri had walked Alianore back. Allie had been shooting her evil glances the entire way back-- as if she would incinerate her with one look if she could have. And having already gotten on Allie's bad side, Alianore was sure that would probably be the case.
"Well are you leaving or not?" Allie asked crossly, waiting for Alianore to step into the hotel room of the girl members of Team Ukishima.
Alianore shrugged. "Not just yet." she said. She turned the doorknob and called inside for Ryu to get her butt outside before it was dragged out. Minutes later Ryu materialized form the shadows, dressed in a very baggy black night dress that hung off one shoulder. A toothbrush was hanging out of her mouth.
There was an awkward silence as Ryu stared down the members of Team Hitokiri. Her eyes blazed when they landed on Ender. "What are you doing here?" she grumbled.
Ender's eyes narrowed, the asteris on his forehead glowing. Ryu met his gaze and didn't once look away.
"If I may break up the moment," said Allie, breaking the tension, "but didn't Alianore want something?"
Ryu's head turned full circle to look at Alia. Z inched away from the flexible-boned wraith. "Do you need something?" she asked.
"Yes, actually," said Alianore, brushing off her arms as a way to avoid Ryu's crude stare. "I'd like you to go down and speak with your sister; Ai, and ask her about an alliance between our teams. We could use the help-- the more allies we have, the better chances we have of making it to the top."
Ryu's toothbrush fell out of her mouth and hit the floor. "I will speak to no Ai's," she said simply. She walked back into the room and slammed the door behind her.
"I feel welcome," said Allie sarcastically. "And anyway, if you're looking for friends, I suggest you try a different team-- we're not interested."
Ender interrupted her. "Hang on a sec, Allie-- I think she's onto something. If we have our teams allied, then we stand a good chance of winning against the King."
"Excuse me? The King?" Alia echoed. "Nobody said anything about going up against the King."
"The winning team must defeat the King of Demons in order to win the tournament," Z spoke up, "that is the condition of winning. The captain of that team must kill the King-- that is, if they want to be the next King of Demons."
"The other team members become Kings of other regions of Maikai," said Ender. "Which is why, if we ally our teams, a member from each of our teams can be the alternate for the other team, giving us double the chance of becoming a King. You're very smart, Alianore-san, I'll give you that."
"Domo arigato," Alia thanked him.
Z tugged at his long ponytail. "Come on-- Ohime-sama wants us back. Ai's waiting for us."
Allie nodded, bounded down the hall and ran outside. Z followed her, Ender close behind. "We'll talk later, Alianore-san!" he yelled over his shoulder, sprinting to catch up with the bouncing Allie and the frantic kitsune Z.
Alia nodded before opening the door to the room. Kay and Botan greeted her, both in their pajamas. Kay threw a pillow at her head.
"Where have you been?" she cried, jumping onto the couch. "We've been waiting ages for you to come back!"
"What on Earth for?" Alia yawned, stretching. "It's not like we really need each other for much more than to fight battles. What else do you want?"
"Because Mar-lo went down to go hang out with the TianLung Feng group." Ryu informed her. "They want you to go with them so they can watch Mar-lo get his ass kicked by Shira."
Alainore raised her eyebrows. "I've always thought Shira was nicer than that. Why would she try to kick Mar-lo's butt if he hasn't done jack squat to her?"
Kay grinned. "'Cause she hates Mar-lo. She hates Thomas too, but I'm sure he's gotten his ass kicked a couple times."
Alai snorted. "Doesn't everyone hate Mar-lo?"
"I don't hate Mar-lo." piped up Botan. "I think he can be quite the gentleman."
"Yeah," Kay scoffed, "to Shizuru."
"He only sucks up to you to get to her." Ryu said nonchalantly from the bathroom. She stepped out, the toothbrush gone from her mouth.
Kay giggled. "That is true, Ryu-chan. Now, let's go see Mar-lo get his face bashed in!"
"You're so supportive of your teammates, Kay," Alia said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Kay smiled, flashing her an "I know," look of innocence. She grabbed Alianore by the elbow and pulled her out of the hotel room.
They had only just rounded the corner when Mar-lo's loud voice came down the hall in a loud screech. More high pitched screams followed, and the sound of breaking glass followed that.
Kay, Alianore, and Botan carefully peeked around the corner. Mar-lo was backed up against the wall across from he room Shira and her teammates were staying in. Shira stood in the doorway, her face flushed and her perfectly placed brown hair hanging half way out of its ponytail. She was clutching a glass vase in one hand, while gripping the doorknob with the other.
Mar-lo edged away from Shira, trying to make a quick escape. Shira's eyes followed him. When he reached the elevator at the end of the hall and tried to make a run for it she hurled the vase at his head. The vase missed his ear narrowly.
"Watch where you're aiming that thing!" Mar-lo shouted, pressing the button for the elevator repeatedly.
"I'm only sorry I missed!" Shira screamed, grabbing a random object out of the armful her friend Maridona was holding for her. She ran out of the room, headed for the elevators.
Mar-lo spotted Shira's ankle boots rounding the corner. Forgetting the elevator, he took off at breakneck speed for the stairs. He kicked off his horrible wooden shoes and threw them behind him, hoping one of them had hit the angry team captain on his tail. A loud scream from Maridona told him he had hit the wrong girl.
Botan giggled from where she and the other two girls were standing. "I think we'd better save Mar-lo before he gets into serious trouble. He won't be able to fight tomorrow if Shira knocks the stuffing out of him."
Kay sighed. "Botan's right." On a second thought she muttered "I guess so." Alianore knocked her on the head lightly with her fist and took off for the stairs in the other direction. Kay yelped out a "hey!" and ran after her. Botan watched as both girls vanished from sight up the stairs. When she was sure both were gone, she tentatively stepped forward and walked into the room reserved for team TianLung Feng.
She was greeted by a woman with straight jet black hair that flowed to the silver coated belt of her simple black trench coat. Ebony eyes stared out of a pale white face with high cheekbones and pursed lips. "Bow-ten?" she asked.
"Botan," corrected Botan.
"Whatever," said the tight-lipped woman. She unfolded her arms, revealing a tight black shirt and a pair of leather shorts that were too short beneath her coat. "About what we spoke about earlier. You have Ryu and Ai, yes?"
"Yes," Botan echoed. "They're both positioned in the tournament. Ai is captain of Team Hitokiri, and Ryu is posted on Team Ukishima."
"It's a shame we lost Remei," the other woman sighed, inspecting perfectly manicured black fingernails. "We could have used her to our advantage. Well, no matter; I assume Ohime will do."
Thomas stepped into the room where Botan and the black haired woman had been speaking. A fork was stuck in his mouth, and he stopped chewing whatever food he had been eating when both women turned to glare at him. He swallowed. "Eh...gomen, ladies, gomen for interrupting...please excuse me." he made an abrupt turn and started in the other direction.
The black haired woman clamped her long fingered hand down on his shoulder. "Why don't you stay with us a while, Thomas?" she suggested, leading him back into the room with Botan. Her nails dug into his shoulder, causing him to squirm.
"I suppose, Ukiya-san." he said, forcing a smile, and despite the force still managing to look absolutely at home.
Botan shifted uncomfortably. "I thought that only three of us knew about this, you never said anything about being able to tell more than three people--"
Ukiya interrupted her. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience then, Botany-san--"
"Botan."
"--Botan, but what I wish to do with my teammates is of no consequence to you or anyone of Koenma's supporters, now is it not? I didn't think so."
"But only three--"
Ukiya's face darkened. "What did I just say?"
Botan huffed. "I only told Kurama, Alianore, and the Masked Fighter! You were supposed to only have told Ohime, Hotaru, and--"
"Whom I tell my business to is my business, Bo-tane-san!"
"For the last time it is Botan!" Botan shrieked, pulling a frame off the wall and hurling it for the other woman's face.
The frame stopped midair an inch from Ukiya's nose. It dropped to the floor, revealing a look of concentrated self-control on Ukiya's face.
Botan snatched the fork from Thomas's mouth and threw it at her. It hit Ukiya's cheek, taking a chunk of flesh with it. This seemed only to enrage Ukiya-san even more.
Ukiya opened her eyes. No ebony eyes stared back at Botan; gaping holes had taken their place. Ukiya's mouth became lined with needle-like teeth, gnashing and swirling around the snake-like black tongue that uncurled out of that mouth. Her fingers elongated into four jointed sticks curling into fists. Black energy seeped over her coat and coated her in wraith robes.
"You dare to mar my beautiful face!" Ukiya screeched, her voice magnified ten times and heightened to a horrible wail. "How dare you interfere with my plans! I'll devour your heart and soul if I wish, dear Botan-san!" she swooped forward, devouring the scream that emitted form Botan's throat as a huge wraith came down on her, bony fingers digging deep into her flesh.
Thomas stumbled out of the room, shocked by what he had seen. He had seen Toki Ukiya do this to her victims; suck out their souls and devour them-- but never to her allies!
Toki Ukiya's wraith head swiveled around to face Thomas. "You!" she screeched, blocking his escape. She swooped down on him as well, her slimy hands grabbing Thomas around the neck. "You tell no one!" she hissed in his ear. He nodded, nearly vomiting at the stench of her decaying body.
Toki dropped him, finished. Her wraith body was suddenly gone and replaced with the beautiful ivory skinned woman again. She picked a strand of loose hair off her sleeve before kicking Botan into a corner. Botan moaned, her face exceptionally pale. She shuddered as Toki continued to stuff her into the corner until she was an unnoticeable lump under a stack of strewn clothes.
Thomas cringed. "Was that entirely necessary?" he asked.
Toki's eyes flashed. "Would you rather have this happen to you?" On a second thought, he shook his head.
"Now who's going to be your go-between? How are you going to get to the Koenma supporters now? I mean, now that you've...erm...disposed of Botan-san?" he choked on 'disposed.'
She shrugged. "I've got connections with Team Reform. I'm sure Terja or Hiei won't mind. We've already established this with Kurama, so it'll have to be someone we haven't picked yet." She stuffed her hands in her pockets and headed for the door. "Oh yeah," she said, pausing, "don't let Shira find the body. We don't need her to worry. She's got to fight tomorrow."
"So do I!"
He heard something that sounded distinctly like a "So what?" come from Toki as she left. He shook his head, retying his hair back into its ponytail. He would hate to be the three wraiths that Toki had come to round up before the tournament had ended.
A/N: OKies then! That chapter's done...here's the new team stats: (don't worry-- there are more teams and more people still needed)
Team Kaleo: full
1. Chi Koen Koe
2. Kurai Momoko
3. Kage Kancho
4. Hotaru Ikuhara
5. Renee
Team Hitokiri: full.
1. Ai Satsugikitsune
2. Allie
3. Ender
4. Z Kaitah
5. Ohime Yakusoku
Team Reform: full
1. Kurama
2. Hiei
3. Kuwabara
4. Yukina (SHOCK!)
5. Terja
Team Fugishima: full
1. Akira Fugishima
2. LanLan
3. Fyrea
4. Nikoji
5. Kageryu Jaganshi
Team TianLung Feng:
1. Shira Trusea
2. Thomas Maximillian
3. Maridona Nightshade
4. Toki Ukiya
5. EMPTY!