Chapter 16

A New Technique

"So Derek completed his training, huh?" Corey asked, looking over at his sleeping friend, the burn marks on his body covered up carefully with bandages.

"Yes. To be honest, I'm surprised. No one in known history has done what Derek just did." Kurama replied, sipping on a cup of tea.

"Does Liz know?" Corey asked, glancing over at the fox demon.

Kurama shook his head. "No, I don't believe so. Last I checked she was at your soldier's camp, and no kind of energy can escape the palace's walls."

"That explains why she didn't come running like I had when Derek's energy exploded." Corey commented.

Kurama nodded. "Correct. By the way, Corey, how go your studies? Koenma told me that you were looking at the archives for information on a new ability."

Ever since he began looking through the logs, Corey had not left the archives room for a long period of time. He started his search with Yusuke, his former master, and was only just finishing up his reports after the two days he'd been in there.

Corey scratched the back of his head. "So-so, I guess. I found one technique that I could try and learn, but I don't know if I can."

"Which one is that? One of Yusuke's, I presume."

Corey nodded. "Yeah. The Spirit Wave."

Kurama blinked. "Genkai's Spirit Wave. If I remember correctly, Yusuke never completed that training, and with both of them gone…"

Corey sighed. "I know, it's a long shot, especially with me only having a couple more weeks to learn it. Do you have any suggestions, Kurama? Or could you help me train?"

Kurama put his hand to his chin and began to think, and then looked back at Corey, "I could teach you the proper stance for the technique, but besides that not much else."

"Oh…" Corey said, sounding disappointed.

Kurama smiled a bit, "Why don't you try something else, Corey?"

"Like what?"

"Well…" Kurama began thinking again, "Why don't you try creating a variation of the technique."

"A variation?" Corey asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes. Making an ability similar, but with your own mix. I believe you created a couple of techniques while you were off training, correct?"

Corey thought back for a moment, "Yeah…the Spirit Gunblade and the Double-Barreled Spirit Gun…I guess I could do that. Thanks, Kurama. Hey, if Derek wakes up, come get me, alright?"

"Of course." The demon said, nodding.

"Thanks, pal. Later!"

******

Liz sighed quietly as she ended her meeting with the colonels of the army. She was tired, both mentally and physically. She had a quick work out and then went straight into business with her soldiers, and it was only noon Human World time.

"I can see now why John started smoking…" She said quietly, a small smile on her lips.

John…I really wish you were here with me right now. I need your help…if Derek hadn't killed you…

"Liz…the past is the past. Derek is trying to fix what problem he has by bettering himself. If we want to win this war, we have to believe in each other." Corey's voice echoed through her mind as she thought about what had happened.

"Corey…I know you're right, but still…I can't forgive Derek that easily." The female general sighed and walked out of the tent where the meeting was held and began to walk back to the palace.

"Right now, I need to think about what I can do to help win our fight with Darkine…" Liz thought aloud, "But, according to Corey, how I can help is forgiving Derek…dammit all!"

Liz stopped walking and sighed, staring up at the sky. As she gazed, she saw a few more spirits floating into Spirit World.

"But…if it hadn't been for Derek, we wouldn't be here in Spirit World right now. Darkine would still have it…I'm so confused." She began to continue walking towards the palace, her mind cluttered with things she needed to do, when she saw Dia Jaganshi walking towards her.

"Well, well. If it isn't the other tag along. Hello, Rain." Dia said, arms folded at his chest, and a cigarette between his lips.

"Dia…what are you doing? I thought you were watching over Derek?" Liz asked, slightly confused.

Dia scoffed a bit. "Didn't get the memo, did you? Maison finished. He received the power of the Black Dragon."

"What?! He did?" Liz exclaimed.

"Glad to see I wasn't the only one who was surprised." Dia said, laughing coolly, "I didn't think Maison had it in him."

Liz frowned. "Of course he did! Derek is…" She found herself pausing, and Dia picked up on this.

"He's what? I thought you hated Maison, Rain. Didn't he kill that other general of yours? What was his name? Joan…something."

"John!" Liz shouted, feeling herself getting angrier at Dia's presence, "His name was Jonathan Wolfe!"

Dia smirked a bit and spit out his cigarette, "Right, right. Wolfe. Yeah, I hear Maison did a number on him. If it wasn't for that human brat Kartana, you'd be dead too, wouldn't you?"

"I'm warning you, Dia…" Liz growled, her fists clenched.

"I'm just stating the truth. Don't get so bitchy." Dia said calmly, raising his hands in the air, still smirking, "But you know I'm right. I hope Maison doesn't lose it again. Not with this new power or you all might be--"

A sudden punch to the face caused Dia to stop speaking and stumble slightly. Liz was glaring at him furiously, "Listen here, Dia Jaganshi! I…I trust Derek, okay? I know he won't become what he was again! Corey believes that, and I believe him!"

Dia rubbed his now sore cheek and smirked, "Then why don't you tell him that?"

Liz suddenly lost her breathe. Why didn't she tell Derek now? That is what she felt, deep down, that she could trust him, wasn't it? She could trust Corey's judgment…and Derek's motives.

Without a second word to Dia, Liz ran off towards the palace, leaving the son of Hiei to watch her, sighing,

"Humans and their emotions…"

******

Once Liz learned that Derek was still asleep, she calmed down a bit. Thinking about it, what was she going to say to him? She was still hurting about what had happened that fateful night when Derek went berserk on the base, but she wanted to apologize for the way she acted, too. Derek had, and had proven himself time and time again that he was loyal to the Rebel Army.

But he had killed John…

He had killed the man she loved…

"Derek…" She said aloud while in his room, watching him rest. He looked so peaceful, sleeping there, just like from before all of this happened…but there was a new power in him now, she knew it, and it was that power that was going to help them win the war.

"I'll tell you later, Derek…that I forgive you…" She said quietly, and exited the room.

******

"Okay…concentrate my spirit energy into my hand…" Corey said aloud, connecting the tips of his fingers into an orb like shape, "And let it form into a physical state…"

It had been another week since Derek had first entered his coma-like sleep, and he was still out of it. The burns had healed, for the most part. Another Black Dragon tattoo had appeared on his body, but this one was connected from his arm all the way down his chest and abdomen. Corey went in and checked on him every so often, but he had other things to do now other then worry about his sleeping friend.

Slowly, his spirit energy began to manifest into its physical state. He was using the image of the Spirit Gun as a guide, but into all of his fingers, and then into his palm. It seemed simple enough, but up until now he had only been able to do it with two fingers…the Double Barreled Spirit Gun…but this was going to be something new. Something far more powerful than that…

Now I just gotta worry about making it… He thought as he tried to control the energy. The five bullets on each of his fingers were wavering, but at least now he had control over them. His hands and arms were full of burn marks from the simple explosions of the spirit bullets, but he continued to pursue.

Least they're not blowing up anymore. Corey thought proudly. That was a step in the right direction, at the very least. He had the heel of his hands pressed tightly together, so that the spiritual energy could not escape, and slowly the energy in his finger tips began to absorb into the center of his palms. Very slowly, he began to widen the area between his palms, expanding the energy into a ball.

Come on…easy now…carefully…

He then, just as carefully, began to release his two palms, allowing the energy ball to sit in his right hand, but he did not release the tips of his fingers.

"Come on, baby…" Corey said quietly aloud, hoping it would work.

Just as the ball was getting over five inches in diameter, it exploded with a powerful blast that sent Corey soaring through the air and into the wall of the dojo, over twenty feet away.

"Dammit!!" He shouted, pressing his hands to his thighs in pain. He slowly peeled them away to look at his bloody palms and fingers.

"Crap…I can't train like this…" He grumbled to himself, walking out of the dojo and down the hall towards the medical unit.

Glad they put this place so damn close… Corey thought to himself miserably, pushing open the door with his shoulder, where he went in to once again get his hands healed.

I'm close, though… He thought as the nurse looked him over for the fifth time today, One more week…that's all I need. You just wait, Derek. You're not the only one who can get himself a new move…

******

Kurama couldn't help but smile as he watched the progress of Corey, Liz, and even Derek, who was still fast asleep. All of them had grown up so much since he last saw them. The one who had amazed him the most was Corey, who had been flung into this time period, only to find his entire family was gone.

He seems to have taken everything so well…and his maturity, despite its outward appearance, has grown as well.

He made sure he watched over the young man's training, knowing well enough how Corey got when he trained. He'd push himself too far and end up hurting himself. He received the reports on how often the human man would end up going to the infirmary the past two weeks during his training to heal his hands after trying to create his new technique.

"I just hope he can pull it off. He needs this…" Kurama thought aloud, walking once again towards the dojo to check up on the young man.

As he was about to open the door, he felt a sudden surge of power coming from outside of the palace, in the training grounds outside of the palace. He had felt something similar to this every time Corey was attempting to create his move, but this time…

Kurama ran from the dojo all the way to the outer training quarters. The energy continued to grow. Not just because he was getting closer to the source, but because it was getting stronger.

"Corey?" Kurama asked, exiting the palace, only to find him holding a dense mass of spiritual energy in his right hand, his whole arm shaking violently due to it's power.

"Now!!" Corey shouted, unaware of Kurama's presence. He ran forward with the ball still in his grasp, and slammed it into a large rock formation. With Kurama's sharp eyes, he noticed the ball of energy was already doing damage to the rock before it made contact, but once it did…

The entire formation exploded into millions of shards, all tinier then pebbles. The ball disappeared instantly on impact, either from the impact itself, or Corey being unable to control it anymore. Kurama couldn't tell either or.

"Corey!" Kurama exclaimed, running over to the young man, "Are…are you alright?"

Corey blinked and glanced over at Kurama, his face and body covered in sweat, "Huh? Oh yeah…I'm perfect, Kurama…" He stood up straight and grinned slightly, looking down at his hand. A small burn mark had been imprinted into it, but besides that he seemed fine…excluding the lack of spiritual energy in his body.

As if replaying what had happened with Derek, Corey stumbled into Kurama's arms, breathing heavily.

"Heh…just think…it'll be easier once I have the Ragnarok on me…" He said quietly, trying to catch his breathe.

Kurama smiled. "You and Derek are far too much alike, Corey…"

Corey blinked and looked up at the fox demon, "Are you kidding? That guy's gotten way to serious…"

The two shared a small laugh together before Kurama moved Corey's arm around his shoulder.

"I suppose you'll need some rest now." Kurama suggested.

"Yeah…might as well…" Corey said quietly.

At least he's still conscious… Kurama joked to himself, and the two began to move forward and back into the building, when Derek's doctor appeared at the door.

"Kurama, sir! Corey Kartana! Derek Maison is conscious and asking for both of you!"

"Heh…" Corey laughed quietly, "I guess that blast of energy woke him up…"

Kurama smiled. "It appears that way."

******

"You look like you've been through a lot…" Derek said drowsily as Kurama helped Corey into Derek's room.

"Yeah, well, I got bored waiting for you, so I went out and killed Darkine by myself. War's over." Corey joked dryly.

Derek smirked. "Oh, good…I guess I can go back to sleep, then."

The two grinned at each other, and began to laugh. After a few moments, Kurama took Corey over and sat him down on a bed next to Derek's.

Corey took a moment to finally look over Derek, and noticed his right eye.

"I take it that's another sign of the dragon?" Corey asked.

Derek nodded, covering the eye for a moment, "Yes. The Black Dragon and I now share a body. Whatever I see," He removed his hand, "He sees."

"That's kind of creepy." Corey commented with a small smirk, "At any rate, I think we're as prepared as we're going to be, bud."

Derek returned his friend's smile, "Indeed. Kurama." He looked over at the fox demon, "How much longer until Spirit World can give us the information we need?"

"We should only need a couple more days to get the information center back online. It's going quicker then we thought, and then anywhere between a day to a week to find Darkine's lair." Kurama explained, taking a seat in the hospital room.

Corey grinned. "Excellent. That'll give Derek the time he needs to recover, and time for me to master the new technique."

Derek glanced over at his friend. "Have you decided on a name for that move? Its power reached all the way in here."

"Hmm…no, I hadn't given it any thought." Corey started to think, and then grinned. "Doesn't matter, though. Either way, it's way more powerful then your little black lizard."

Derek gave Corey a cocky smirk. "Watch it, pal. This little lizard could charbroil your ass."

"Wanna try me?" Corey asked, pointing his index finger at Derek, moving towards his best friend.

"Anytime." Derek replied, getting up from his bed.

At the same time, Derek winced in pain and Corey nearly collapsed onto ground, Kurama catching him just in time. The three looked at each other, and they all shared laughed. Kurama moved Corey over to the bed next to Derek and helped him in.

"Alright. You both still need your rest, so try not to kill one another before you're healed." Kurama said with a small smile.

"Yes, mother." Corey replied, snickering to himself.

With a roll of his eyes, Kurama left the room, leaving the two friends alone. Corey closed his eyes, relaxing.

"So...think we have a good shot at winning now?" Corey asked.

Derek nodded. "Yeah. I don't have any doubt in my mind."

"That's good."

Derek glanced over at his friend. "For love."

Corey opened his eyes and smiled. "And for war."