Chapter Five: A New Adversary and Ally
Team Urameshi found the room just as they had left it and the masked fighter was sitting in the exact same spot staring at the tea cup. There were, however, two key differences to be noted. First of all, the cup of tea had been completely drained of its contents and secondly there were a slew of bodies cleverly disguised as hotel staff knocked out cold all around the couch where the masked fighter was sitting.
"So much for theory number two." Yusuke said as he carefully stepped around the unconscious combatants.
The tournament's special security detail got there just after the Urameshi group. Upon hearing the commotion, another guest had called for help. They tried to ask the masked fighter for any details concerning the matter, but the miniature mute simply hopped up from the couch and picked up the empty tea cup. With the tea cup in hand the masked fighter walked up briskly to Kuwabara.
Kuwabara looked down as his tiny teammate puzzled for a second before the masked fighter placed the cup in his hands. Then out of his many hidden pockets the little fighter fished out an individually wrapped homemade cookie and gave it to him.
"Uh… You're welcome?" Kuwabara said and took the cookie. "I'm afraid to ask what else in there." He pointed to his teammate's robes. "I don't suppose you have any milk?"
The masked fighter shook his head and then waved for the team members to follow him out the door. Now even more curious, the team followed their mysterious fighter to the upper floors of the hotel and to the VIP single suites.
Team Urameshi hadn't known what true luxury was until that moment. Every third door had a hotel staff member on standby with refreshments and excesses readily available to any guests that required them. Everyone was so serious and professional looking that it made Yusuke and company look worn and ragged and feeling very underdressed. One of the staff on door duty stepped forward and bowed to the masked fighter politely.
"Welcome back, sir." The door butler said elegantly. Team Urameshi was stunned.
"What's all this?" Yusuke asked as the masked fighter turned handed each of his teammates a separate golden door key.
The masked fighter handed Yusuke a note from the hotel management which he in turn read out loud to the group. "'Due to the increasing number of attacks on participating fighters, all remaining teams are asked to move to the VIP suites where guards assigned by King Araku and the tournament sponsors will be posted.'" Yusuke folded up the noted. "It's nice to know they're taking us seriously," he commented. "But that still doesn't explain-"
The masked fighter held up a golden credit card and pointed to the room where he had been staying since the beginning.
"Oh, 'courtesy of the sponsors'. I get it." Yusuke shook his head. "But don't think you can push us around just because you're a spoiled little rich kid. What team captain says goes, got it?"
The mask fighter nodded and gave a "scout's honor" salute.
"Whatever," Yusuke said with a sigh. "All this detective work is making me tired. I'm supposed to be on a vacation you know. I'm calling it a day guys."
"Me too." Kuwabara yawned and went to settle into his new room where he found all his belongings already meticulously gathered and moved. The same courtesy had been awarded to everyone's luggage, apparently.
"Good night, everybody."
Standing at the top of the arena's highest point the mysterious woman that had made Itsuki shiver in fear was gazing over the soon-to-be battle field. She took a deep breath. This was her element, this was her pride, and yet a deep sorrow was filling her heart. She let out a soft whistle and twenty black crows flew to her side. These were her winged spies. The woman held out her hand and a large raven landed on it.
"The little lordling is right about one thing." The woman said with a frown as rage filled her heart. "Revenge will be ours, at last."
The raven nodded absently before taking flight As her bird flew on to the other side of oblivion softly the woman sang:
Come o' warriors, awake and rise
These men I truly do despise
Slay your foes and free their heads
For leaving their lovers empty beds
And I shall feast on their skulls.
"Shed your mortal shell, pretty one." A male voice spoke in her ear. "And join my righteous army."
"Is that your true form?" The woman asked the dark haired figure who boldly held her from behind by shoulders. "Itsuki, you were rightly named for the moonlight cast's your true shadow."
"You're not still mad about you're little pet are you?" The man asked pleasantly. "I assure you she's being treated to every courtesy my servants can offer. Cooperate fully and I'll return her to you."
"Understood, but let me ask you this, little lordling," The woman said in a low voice. "Have you ever faced the wrath of a god?"
That morning it became apparent that something was on Kuwabara's mind. After they had all gathered in the VIP dining hall all he did was just stare at his bowl of breakfast without so much as taking a bite. The others exchanged glances. He might act like a fool some times, but Kuwabara's sixth sense was the greatest out of all of them and they knew from experience that his instincts were not to be doubted.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked his friend in concern.
"I had… a weird dream." Kuwabara confessed. His friends shrugged unsure if that was supposed to be a cause for alarm.
"Was she hot?" Yusuke joked lightly, but it wasn't well received.
"It wasn't that kind of a dream, Urameshi!" Kuwabara snapped. "It was about something else."
Kuwabara explained the finer details as his friends listened patiently. Once he finished his long and confusing explanation they sat there in respectful silence. Then, after a moment, they all started laughing.
"Gods?" Yusuke asked in pure disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Yeah… I'm hoping it was just a dream, but if it's not…." Kuwabara, trying to shrug it off, began eating heartedly. He still looked a bit uneasy, though. His conscience was refusing to let the matter go.
Hiei looked over at Kurama suspicious of his companion's silence. He asked the fox, "No unwanted insight?"
"Nope." Kurama kept his reply short and sweet.
The rest of the morning meal was as quiet as team Urameshi's fifth member who was staring down the glass of warm milk Kuwabara had put in front of him with great intensity.
"You've seen it all now folks," The bunny announcer said with a wink. "The only all human team to make it this far!" The group of teen-aged humans fidgeted in anticipation and Kuwabara's jaw fell to the arena floor.
"Let me guess," Yusuke said when he saw his friend's reaction. "Those kids were the ones in your dream?"
"Yeah, how did you-?" Kuwabara asked and Yusuke shook his head not wanting to discuss it.
"Lucky guess." Yusuke replied before he stepped up face the opposing captain and decide the terms of the match.
The human team's captain was far younger than Yusuke and had his long black hair tied back making him look like a martial arts movie star. One thing was for sure, the kids weren't just posers; they just looked like ones.
"I'm Jake." The young man shook Yusuke's hand with a grin. "It's nice to meet you. Please don't beat us too badly."
"Sure, whatever." Yusuke said and looked the kid over carefully and couldn't help but imagine himself at that age. But there was something off about the kid and Yusuke's youkai blood knew it. "How do you want to do this?"
"Black out style, if you don't mind." Jake said boldly. The audience cheered because they knew that 'black out' meant that the fights would go on until one team was completely incapacitated. It was bloody violent, but not against the rules. Yusuke frowned because he didn't feel good about beating the snot out of kids, but if that's what the little glory hounds wanted.
"Whatever, just don't regret it." Yusuke told him.
"Sure thing." Jake replied and stepped back.
The fighter that took his place in the ring was a girl in her mid-teens. She was certainly dressed the part of a yankee-wannabe in her torn up t-shirt and bits of twisted metal for accessories. She blew a huge bubble of bubblegum and dusted of her tattered blue jeans.
"I'm Sara." She said and pointed her thumb to the ground. "Who's ready for an ass-kicking?"
"You've got to be kidding." Hiei said rolled his eyes after he read the kid's spirit levels. "They clearly won their matches by default. There's no way they could beat anyone with that low level of power."
"Remind you of anyone?" Kurama asked as he watched the masked fighter step up to the ring.
"Alrighty, it'll be Sara of Team Kiyoshikodomo vs. Team Urameshi's masked fighter!" The announcer declared.
The two fighters stared each other down for a moment before the human girl spat out her gum and smiled. "It's getting all kinds quiet all of a sudden," Sara said and raised her hands to the sky. "What do you say I invite some friends and we turn this into a party?"
The skies overhead turned into black clouds and bolts of lightning danced down from the heavens nearly hitting the masked fighter as he tried to catch the human girl off guard. Not wanting to be killed by energy that could light 150,000,000 light bulbs, the masked fighter was forced to duck low to the ground and pray for the storm to end quickly. The rest of his team followed suit.
"Is that…a dragon? You've gotta be kidding me!" The announcer screamed and ran to the safety of the sidelines.
The masked fighter looked like he wished to do the same. Surrounding his human opponent was a long blue scaled body with four paws each sporting ten inch long claws and one of which was resting on the girl's shoulder possessively. The mystical creature shined beautifully as lighting flashed around them. Everyone take a step back in awe of the sapphire spectacle. The masked fighter nearly backed out of the ring with "oh shit" written all over his trembling robed figure.
"Unbelievable!" The announcer said from the safety of the stands. "Using some kind of technique I've never seen before, Sara has actually summoned a dragon to the arena?"
"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I'm Sara Fang," The girl declared pleasantly. "Proud descendant of one of the four Lóng Wáng, the dragon god kings. It's nice to meet you."