Disclaimer: It should be obvious I didn't create Yu Yu Hakusho; these things are stupid.
Chapter II: A Pale Tomorrow
Several hours and Murugu hadn't returned, much to the perpetuation of churns unfolding in my stomach. If the keep hadn't fallen prey to the eye of destruction there would have been leeway to relieve the anxiety, that is to say, my ability to cast my view to those of great distance was no longer an option. If by an unusual chance there happened to exist a crystalline fragment of some sort, then and only then would the possibility of extending my sights become realistic.
Dwelling on the realm of possibilities, I paced in crestfallen footsteps. Too much noise would detract from my eavesdropping, thus nullifying any sign of her arrival. Brooding forces still lurked below, yet I could not be bothered with them. Given my mood, their luck would run thin with a swift execution. No singular event would provide reason enough to distort my intentions, especially if by any means harm were to graze her flesh.
Worry was a mental famine—intrinsic to the believer and his oppositions, with the latter utilizing it as an opportunistic catalyst. Always my enemies had either been driven before me or outright crushed. A parallel could be drawn, one from both Yusuke's strength and weakness. Keiko's struggle for survival proved to heighten his fighting abilities, yet as that struggle swallowed her whole his world shook violently. A double edged sword one might presume, with the handler beginning to bleed upon the initial grip, but swinging the blade with twice the vigor.
Considering the conditions of Hiei and Kurama, there would be little haste in making their way through and out of the Demon City. Adjusting for each variable was too uncertain of a process, leaving more room open for speculation as opposed to logical algorithms. Confinement to such an abysmal cubical had overstayed its welcome. Desperation seemed to sink in, with the flute went my last chance for freedom. Fear was Spirit World's only incentive, and without it, their attention would drift elsewhere.
A tap on my shoulder jolted my body to stiffen. Out of the entire time I had my senses perked, the one moment I let my guard down she arrived. To be idiosyncratic to another is natural, but to be one to oneself is a step in either evolution or devolution.
"Do I frighten you?" She removed her hand from my shoulder.
"No, not at all. It was something else." My voice staggered for a moment as I turned to her.
"Something... else?" She raised her hand to her chest, index knuckle bent forward faintly.
"It's quite a foreign feeling, you know?" I sighed and titled my head, allowing my bangs to cover my eyes.
"Foreign feeling?" Her voice lamented.
"Worry," I stated as blunt as possible.
"You were worried of me? You don't have t-..." she began, but quieted herself the moment my eyes resuscitated to plain view. With a nod she touched my cheek, running her fingers down to my chin. So dainty and pale were her hands to my flesh, numbing away all the grievous trepidation.
"You were gone for quite some time Murugu, I really wasn't sure what to expect upon your return," I told her, taking her hand from my face and entwining it with my own.
"Yes, but only to verify my own surprisal." her words muffled a giggle.
"Surprisal?" I questioned, rubbing my thumb to her palm.
"The barrier had been constructed to incarcerate the Holy Saint Beasts." She paused, her grin widening. "If all four were to be presumed deceased, then a barrier would ultimately serve no purpose."
She was right! If the threat was eliminated, then a barrier would only serve as refuse. Demon World held no restraints to my person, but the Human World would not be such an easy code to crack. Time was of no importance in the interim however, as there was no longer a cage to contain my will. "That's excellent news, simply resplendent. How did you come to observe this?" I inquired with a grin.
"The traitorous scents of Hiei and Kurama were not difficult to track, especially with the intermingling aromas of the two humans. While the breach had been sealed—as noted by their trails ending abruptly in the sky—there was a number of... peculiar individuals gathered below." She cleared her throat, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"Peculiar?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, very much so. A lanky demon was the focus of the group, with a diminutive creature perched upon his shoulder. For hours I eavesdropped, coming to understand their purpose in Demon World..." She hesitated, biting her bottom lip.
"What's wrong?" I applied a slight magnitude of pressure to her hand.
"Their leader, he was a demon whom did not hold a solid body. Some type of holographic imagery, but regardless, he was terrifying. His associates were discussing the whereabouts of the two humans that had infiltrated the Demon City—which may I add was in a rather chaotic state and still is—going over the details of luring them into a tournament of some sorts," she took a moderate breath, "but... the form he took that projected itself was gruesome, emitting direful amounts of demonic energy; so much that the projection machinery exploded," she explained, arms beginning to shake.
"I take it something was mentioned about Spirit World's involvement with the barrier," I gathered, unsure as to whether such a foe would truly be as frightening as she made it out to be.
"Yes, that came up early on in the conversation. Have you ever heard of the Dark Tournament, Lord Suzaku?" She asked while attempting to mask her trills.
"Needn't you either tremble or dignify me as your Lord," I sighed, placing my free hand upon her shoulder. "Only hearsay on the matter of the tournament, personally I never thought it to exist."
Calming herself with a stroke of breaths, she let a petite laugh swirl from underneath her lip. "He was absolutely horrifying Suzaku, horrifying," she fell into my chest, enveloping a hug. Her tone reflected no traces of helplessness or fear, in fact it resolved to be one of comfort and amnesty from such partitions.
"According to legend, the Dark Tournament is a place where demons of all shapes and sizes enter the Human World to compete against one another. Wealthy businessmen are said to gamble on the outcomes of each bout, suggesting foul play to say the least," I scoffed, allowing her to press herself to me farther.
"In case you were wondering, I believe the demon's name was Toguro. I don't know if that means anything to you though," she informed me, rubbing her head against my neckline.
"I'm afraid it bares no familiarity, but I doubt it'll be a name I'll soon forget." I stroked the back of her head, running my fingers through her locks.
"What do we do now?"
"I feel it necessary to gather a few artifacts before we leave this place." I broke our embrace, motioning for her to follow me.
"This world flourishes in such different array than our own," she spoke, veering towards me.
"Yes, I believe you're right. They all act and behave in such inconsistencies." I stood atop the bluff, wind rustling through my hair.
With a moment of silence between us, she rested her head on my shoulder and spoke to me, "The peaceful skies are captivating—I wouldn't mind staring up at them for hours on end, admiring the serenity."
"Things have so drastically changed within the past few weeks. It's hard to believe," I said, taking a gander at the skies overhead.
"All for the better," she giggled.
Darting from shadow to shadow we observed the ways of the humans. Their customs were so remarkably flawed, yet so simple and at times—admirable. There came a point where remaining inconspicuous proved to be trivial, as we emerged from the stealth of their underworld to the eye of the populous. Blending in came almost by nature, as the two of us experienced treatment all the same. Bustling streets ignored us, implying they knew us to be no different than their own kindred. Motorized machines allowed for quicker transportation, however arbitrary the rulings thereof seemed to be.
Most notability was that of a child, one whose curious mind allowed him the bravery to approach Murugu and tug on her dress. His quizzical expression brightened hers—something that appeared to be in and of itself, human. Its intrigue, and behavior if one were to observe, were innocent. Demonic innocence was a rarity, whereas—based upon my observations—for most human children it was completely natural; astounding.
It wasn't long until we were able to hone onto Yusuke Urameshi's scent. From the vantage of a distant building we spotted him standing with the man whom Murugu identified as the demon that had been projecting himself into the Demon Plane; Toguro. No emotion dared to venture upon his frigid face. Glaring sunglasses and a stature that well towered over my own, it was easy to understand why she felt intimidated by his presence.
The pair stood there, with the few words uttered originating from Toguro. Strange enough, his collected composure was not shared by Yusuke—instead the shrill, but conspicuous fragrance of fear was settled onto his skin. Something was amidst, as the confidence he shone during our battle was but nonexistent.
With a bat of my lashes Toguro's muscle structure began to contract and prosper, doubling in mass. One by one the support pillars to the abandoned building crumbled, with the naif Spirit Detective numb at the knees. So ferocious were his movements, tanking the columns with the mere flex of his bicep. Less than a minute and the structure appeared to implode, crashing down upon itself—layer by layer.
Brute strength was not uncommon in the planes of demon world, but the acceleration... the velocity behind his maneuvers was a seldom assemblage. Perchance at my best he would rival my vitality, but if it were not that of a lie—his strength demonstrated being that of a lowly percentile—there would be no leeway for my own survival if pitted against such a goliath.
Feelings of apprehension swelled over from Murugu—I hadn't noticed I'd became attuned to her emotions. Instinctively, I held her hand—to which she squeezed. Care for another to me was far from domestic, but with each passing moment between us, the struggle of emotional ignorance gradually subsided.
Awestruck Yusuke hadn't bothered to move, allowing the concrete materials to descend upon him. Only a momentary feign and his energy returned; saved by Toguro. Mandatory participation or bathetic slaughter of everyone and everything he had come to love in his short life. A shrewdly played hand, but nevertheless typical of run-of-the-mill demons.
A ferry girl levitated within the clouds, her eyes subsumed with fear. The light sky blue hair and violet eyes—she was that nuisance straying Keiko away from the climax of my narrative. Trembling some meters away stood the impudent Kuwabara. All their moxie that stacked against my forces in the Demon City had drained away, and welded into a bench occupied by Toguro.
Leaving Yusuke at his knees, the ferry girl rushed to his side. Odd, her gestures—her arm around his shoulder and kiss on his lips—did not appear of customs human friendships would entail. Cupping my chin with my hand, I closed my eyes. Resurrection of my fallen comrades would make four, but a fifth... whom in the worlds could I trust as an alley? Murugu would no doubt get along maimed by the combatants, leaving no dice to roll in that particular direction.
"I believe our leave is warranted now." I motioned for her to follow, placing my hood up.