Sayomi sat beside Yusuke as he slept in a hospital bed. The demon nurse told her he sustained a lot of physical wounds that would heal quickly enough on their own, but that it would take much longer for him to recover his aura. How long it would take depended on him.
Mounted on the wall were four TVs, each one showing a match from each Block. For a while, none of the matches were able to keep her attention. She would watch one for a bit, shift her focus to the next screen, and ultimately return her attention to Yusuke.
Yasuhiro had followed her to the room, but eventually left her alone with the former detective to enjoy the rest of the matches. He popped in a few times to bring her food or drinks, but otherwise left her alone with the boy. She was grateful for the privacy.
I can't leave him alone until he wakes up. It could be days, but if it's longer, how would I approach Keiko or Kuwabara about what happened? I guess it wouldn't be the first time he slept for so long after expending so much of his aura, but this is a much grander scale than the Dark Tournament. She bit her lip and clenched her fists on her lap. At least wake up before this whole tournament is over, Yusuke.
When the door opened, Sayomi turned and saw Kurama. His smile faltered a little as he noticed Yusuke was still asleep. "Still out cold, I see."
Behind him, other voices spoke up.
"Is that dummy still asleep?! It's like the Dark Tournament all over again!"
"What ya' mean by that?"
"Before the first round, he was asleep from the moment he and his team arrived until his match with Chu! Didn't stir to anything around him!"
"Sleeping is probably how he restores his aura. A sort of hibernation."
"What is he, a bear?"
Sayomi shook her head and smiled. Rinku, Jin, Toya, and Suzuki followed the red-head into the room. "It could take even longer this time. He used an impressive amount of aura against Yomi."
"Yes, but Yomi is just as exhausted and his next opponent doesn't seem the least bit drained," Kurama noted as he pulled out the roster for the matches.
"He's going up against Kokoh next?" Toya asked as he glanced down at the paper.
"Who's that?" Rinku asked.
Sayomi smirked as she thought of the tough, vulgar blond. "I'm sure she'll get a kick out of fighting Yomi of all people."
"I take it she is one of Raizen's?" Kurama asked.
"Yeah." Sayomi nodded and turned her gaze back to Yusuke as she remembered meeting the group of friends. "She apparently had the biggest crush on Raizen. I don't know if she has anything against Yomi, but it'll be a fun match if it means she gets to kick his ass in the old man's place."
"I guess that's a relief if Yomi loses the next match, it won't be to someone too terrible, right?" Suzuki asked.
"Even if he does beat her, he would have to go up against Kujo, the guy who beat Kurama. He's another one of Raizen's friends and Natsume's twin brother, the girl who fought against Mukuro," Sayomi explained.
"Speakin' of Mukuro, isn't she supposed to be fightin' Hiei next?" Jin asked, checking the roster Toya had.
"Yeah," Suzuki confirmed. "He ended up as her second in command if I'm remembering correctly. That's going to be an interesting match."
Sayomi looked back up at the TV in the lower right corner and watched as the final match of Block D's second round ended with Enki claiming victory. She let out a sigh of relief as another one of Raizen's friends made it to the third round. "It might just be a showdown of Raizen's old sparring buddies and a few unknowns by the end of the third round."
"Let's hope one of Raizen's can claim the crown," Kurama said as he watched the large demon walk away from the arena. "If they were his friends, they might honor his memory in favor of the Human World."
During the commercial break, Sayomi felt her nerves spike as she anticipated the next match. I've never seen Mukuro fight until this tournament, and she only showed a fraction of what she can do in her match with Natsume. Try not to overdo it, Hiei.
"Well sports fans, I hope you brought your appetites for destruction, because our next gruesome twosome is no other than Mukuro and Hiei!"
Sayomi swallowed the lump in her throat as she braced herself. Kurama reached out and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Hiei will be okay. He won't let himself get too hurt before the end of the match."
Sayomi shook her head. "You say that, but you never really know with him."
She thought back to his death match against Shigure. Don't go cutting off any limbs just to beat her, Hiei.
The fire demon stood in the arena with his sheathed sword in hand as he waited for his opponent.
"That's right," the announcer continued. "The top two in Mukuro's camp slated against each other! And it looks like Hiei's ready to get this freak show on the road!"
It took a few minutes, but eventually Mukuro stood facing Hiei in the ring.
Sayomi and the others watched anxiously as Hiei slid into his fighting stance.
"Hiei, ready…! Mukuro, ready…! Begin!"
Hiei immediately unsheathed his sword and raised it, the blade over his shoulder, ready to swing at a second's notice. Mukuro simply faced him, her fists resting by her sides.
They stared each other down until Mukuro said, "Before we have our battle, I'm curious to know… is your opinion about death still the same as it was before?"
"Yes, I remain convinced," Hiei answered easily. "There's nothing left in this life to live for."
Sayomi felt a sudden pain in her chest when she heard him utter those words. He still wants to die?
"I don't believe you." Mukuro shifted her stance and stepped to the side while Hiei kept his focus on her.
They quietly circled each other until Hiei aimed the tip of his sword at her. The move earned a quiet gasp from the former King of Alaric. The swordsman brought his sword back to his side. "Let's go!"
He ran forward and swung his sword, but Mukuro jumped into the air, dodging the blade. Hiei dashed and swung again, but the former King dodged. Hiei stabbed, swung, and chased as Mukuro continued to avoid his strikes.
"If you're so unhappy, why aren't you dead?" Hiei asked. Mukuro stayed silent so he said, "Continuing to fight isn't going to change anything, so you might as well put yourself out of your misery once and for all."
He continued his attacks, but to no avail. Mukuro avoided each one until she landed on the ground. Hiei landed after her and faced her.
He slowly walked towards her, his sword glinting in the sun. Mukuro held her stance until he was right in front of her.
Their eyes communicated the unspoken words between the two fighters. Sayomi could tell that something was off. I know if Hiei was fighting seriously, he would get at least a couple hits in, and Mukuro isn't even attacking. Despite the stakes, they don't seem to be fighting each other seriously.
As Hiei pressed on with his attacks, he eventually managed to graze the hair on Mukuro's head. He pressed on as he said, "After all, we're both only capable of expressing ourselves through our violence."
Mukuro dodged a couple more sword swings from Hiei before jumping back into the air and pulling back her fist. Hiei stopped and turned as he noticed the spike in her aura.
"Unh!" Mukuro's fist glowed with a vibrant pink aura as she threw a punch towards Hiei.
The swordsman was bombarded with explosions of her aura at his feet. He pushed forward and cut through each blast as she unleashed more with every punch. After several more blasts, Hiei made it through the destruction and Mukuro crossed her arms and threw her fists out to her sides.
Her aura ignited and the pillars of stone beside Hiei exploded on either side of him, sending shards of rock flying towards him. He cut through them and turned to see Mukuro behind him with her fist raised.
However, at the last second, she pulled her fist back and flipped over Hiei, landing several feet in front of him.
Hiei glared at her and said, "You coward. Why didn't you hit me when you had the chance?" When Mukuro didn't answer, he continued. "I was under the impression that you were supposed to be a ruthless killer. The kind of competitor that's incapable of mercy. Why should your tactics change so dramatically because you're fighting against me?"
"Don't you know?" Mukuro asked quietly.
Sayomi blinked at the implication between them. What does she mean by that? Why is she holding back so much with him?
"Those kinds of gestures are wasted on me. I refuse to be insulted by these half-hearted attempts." He stared her down and challenged her. "Attack me like you can!"
Before he realized it, Mukuro was now standing behind him, with her back to him and her aura flaring around her body.
Hiei focused his eyes on her and ground his teeth. "Now that's more like it."
"Aaaahhh!" Mukuro yelled as she charged the aura in her hand and brought it up to his chest, releasing the aura as a direct blast that pierced through his body.
"Ugh!" Hiei grunted and blood spilled from his mouth from the impact.
"Here comes the pain! Mukuro just delivered a doozy!" The announcer commentated.
Hiei was sent crashing into a mountain in the distance. He tumbled and rolled all the way down and landed in a low crouch on one knee. His shirt was barely hanging on his body in tatters and his skin was covered in cuts and bruises.
With a satisfied sigh, Hiei turned and smirked at his opponent. Mukuro simply watched as he got to his feet and tore off the remains of his shirt. "Now… My turn."
He raised his bandaged right hand and clenched his fist.
"The Darkness Flame," Kurama uttered in recognition.
The familiar black flames started to ignite and engulf Hiei's fist, then the rest of his right arm.
"Your flame technique," Mukuro observed. "I find it strangely ironic that you were born a fire demon even though your mother's people are all ice apparitions."
"My curse…" Hiei explained, "to be born with a nature in direct opposition to my breed… with no choice but to consume everything around me with the flames of my hate!"
"Your hate," Mukuro mocked. "Now don't make me laugh. If it were hatred, you would have destroyed the Glacial Country long ago."
Hiei growled as he powered up the aura around his fist and threw it with his punch. Mukuro retaliated in kind with a punch of her own aura. Blue met pink with a crackling collision of power.
Hiei stepped forward, getting closer as he released his aura. Mukuro followed suit, closing the gap between them as their powers continued to flare. "It's not hatred, it's longing. You just want to belong to something!"
Hiei ignored her as he persisted forward with his attack.
Mukuro matched his steps as she said, "You know in your soul that I'm right Hiei, admit it!"
They eventually stood fist to fist, their auras clashing and cancelling out until nothing remained but crackling black sparks.
They faced each other, fists still raised. Hiei was panting, trying to regain control of his breath while Mukuro stood calm and still. Once ready, Hiei started throwing direct punches, which Mukuro easily blocked with one arm.
"Hiei never battles hand to hand," Sayomi muttered.
"You know, for a fight between two heartless, ruthless warriors, this is uncomfortably bloodless," the announcer observed.
Hiei kept throwing punches until he changed his tactics and started throwing kicks. Mukuro easily blocked and dodged each strike and kept up the defensive. "If you're having trouble hurting me with two eyes, Hiei, then why don't you open your third? Unless, of course, you're the one fighting half-assed."
Hiei threw a punch and Mukuro dodged. He threw another and she caught his fist in her hand. She squeezed it, popping his bones as she moved it aside, making him grunt in pain.
"Confront it now," she demanded. "You've obviously got the Evil Eye for a reason. All I want you to do is use it to find what you've been looking for."
Ignoring her words, Hiei jumped up and started throwing kicks at her head while she kept hold of his fist. She dodged and blocked, releasing his fist, as she kept talking to him. "End your search. The real one.
"And find yourself." She glided away from his attacks, gaining distance from him, and threw her arm out. She released a beam of light in front of Hiei that stretched from the ground to the sky. Everything the light touched seemed to shift in place, as though sliced through with a razor.
"Did you see that ray of light?" Toya asked in awe.
"She's able to divide space," Kurama observed.
The ice shinobi turned to him and asked, "What did you say?"
"I thought it was nothing but a rumor…," Kurama said as he kept his eyes glued to the screen. "But it would seem the stories are actually true."
"What does it do now?" Jin asked.
"Mukuro can cut directly through the entire third dimension itself. Anyone who comes in contact with the cuts will be split as well."
"Ew," Jin muttered as he returned his attention to the TV.
Sayomi clenched and unclenched her fists as she felt the warm trickle of blood between her fingers. Be careful, Hiei.
In the arena, Mukuro waved her arm in several directions and several beams of light cut through the air around Hiei. He carefully weaved around the beams and tried to jump out of their path. She followed his movements as she cut the space around him.
Eventually, Hiei landed on the ground and noticed he was trapped in a cage of dimension-cutting rays of light. He ground his teeth and glared at the former Demon King.
She raised her hands and aimed them both towards Hiei. The beams sparked and leapt out towards Hiei, shocking him and cutting through his skin as he tried to escape their edges. Every time he escaped one edge, he came into painful contact with another.
He yelled and grunted as the pain sheared into his flesh with every beam he came into contact with. When he landed on the ground on his knees, his hand reached over his shoulder where a beam cut through the deepest.
"He's trapped," Toya noticed.
"She's slowly creating a razor-sharp spider's web," Kurama explained. "If Hiei doesn't do something swiftly, he's going to be torn apart."
"Uh…" Jin watched with wide eyes at the spectacle.
Sayomi watched the match with her nerves on edge. She could tell they were still holding back, but she couldn't pin it down on what they were trying to accomplish by doing so. What points are they trying to prove to each other?
As Hiei got to his feet, he let go of his shoulder. "Yes, you're right about me, there is something I can't avoid." He removed his headband and tossed it aside, then raised his bandaged right fist. "Just remember, you asked for it."
Mukuro watched silently as Hiei's hair flared up and he started unwrapping his bandages.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the cloth gradually revealed the flaming black dragon tattoo that snaked around his arm. The bandage, once unraveled, was carried off by the wind.
He raised his open palm and a ball of black flame ignited in his hand. His Evil Eye opened and glowed as his aura spiked with a new level of power.
"Ah. Um, well… fight fans… h-here we go!" The announcer sounded nervous as the fire demon unleashed the last of his restraints.
Hiei was soon consumed by the hellish flames as they engulfed his entire body. Despite the heat, he remained unscathed. "I hope you understand that once I unleash this kind of power, there will be no turning back for either of us!"
Mukuro stood her ground and said, "Trust that I have absolutely no illusions about what's to take place. In fact, I welcome it."
"Very well." Hiei stood in the black inferno, his Evil Eye glowing through the darkness ominously. "But believe that there's no other way for me to know." His flames spread out around him as his power swelled.
Mukuro's gaze hardened as she watched him.
Hiei raised his arms and called out, "Black Dragon Unholy Fire!"
He aimed his hands towards Mukuro as the dragon spiraled forth from his arm.
Sayomi grit her teeth as she watched the flaming beast close in on Mukuro.
"This will soon be over," Kurama noted.
As the dragon closed in, Mukuro braced herself and grabbed the beast by its massive fangs, stopping it momentarily. However, the beast overpowered her and lifted her off the ground. She kept its maw spread open with her hands and feet braced against its massive teeth.
Hiei growled as he pressed the dragon forward, refusing to give in to Mukuro's resistance. She grunted from the pressure and intense heat of the infernal beast as it carried her through the air all around the surface of the Eon Tree. Her aura blazed around her, shielding her from the burns that should've scorched her skin.
With a deafening yell, Mukuro's aura burst out, piercing directly through the beast. It split down the middle, following the beast's winding body until it struck Hiei directly.
The fire demon gasped from the shooting pain of the attack as he lost his breath, and his body was sent flying back through the air. As he hit the ground, his body bounced and flipped over, landing him on his stomach with an agonized grunt.
Mukuro landed before him and watched as he struggled to look up at her. His body trembled, and he groaned as he slowly raised himself up with his elbows.
"Now, I am satisfied," Mukuro said. "Thank you."
Hiei forced himself to his feet and stared silently at her. His eyes were heavy, and his exhaustion was starting to set in.
"In truth," Mukuro continued, "every time you've summoned the dragon, you weren't strong enough to control it consciously. It could only feed off the intentions of your soul."
Hiei stared at her silently with tired eyes.
"You've lost," Mukuro declared. "Your flame couldn't hurt me."
"Ha," Hiei grunted. "I accept that, and all that it means."
"Well folks, I can't believe my own ears…" the announcer expressed, "it sounds like Hiei has conceded… So, I guess that means Mukuro is advancing to the fourth round!"
"Well done," Kurama commended.
Sayomi felt relief as the match finally ended. "I'm glad he came out of it okay. He must be depleted of aura, though."
The cameras kept rolling as Mukuro and Hiei spoke to each other, either unaware of their audience or indifferent to them. Mukuro kept her calm gaze on the swordsman as she said, "Please, Hiei. Don't tell me that the only purpose you have for living now is someday defeating me. I don't think that I could bear it."
Hiei watched her, his Evil Eye closed, as he said, "No, Mukuro. You've… just missed the point."
The former King frowned. Then she raised her hand, her sleeve sliding down her arm to reveal the iron shackle clasped around her wrist. When the metal cracked, she let out a quiet gasp.
"Now you can leave your hatred in the past, where it belongs." Mukuro raised her blue eye to Hiei as he pointed at her. "Now, you don't have to be shackled to it anymore."
Mukuro gasped as the shackles around her wrists shattered. She stared down at her bare wrist in shock as the heavy metal fell to her feet with a loud clang and rattle of broken chains. Then she returned her attention to her former second-in-command.
"There are things in the future that are worth living for. Both for you, and for me," Hiei confirmed.
"Heh," Mukuro smirked as she thought of a young demoness who thrived in the shadows.
Hiei groaned as he slowly walked towards the former King of Alaric. When he nearly reached her, he stumbled forward and Mukuro caught him with one arm. She gently lowered herself down with him until he was resting on his knees, and she was kneeling with one knee raised.
She held him firmly as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, content with the outcome of the match as she let the fire demon rest. Hiei slowly closed his eyes as he lost what little energy he had left to keep them open.
Sayomi felt a pain in her chest as she watched them until the screen cut to a commercial break. I've never seen him let his guard down like that unless it was with me or Yukina. She didn't realize she was biting her lip until she tasted the blood. I wonder if he regrets mating with me instead of someone as strong as Mukuro…
In the arena, Mukuro felt Hiei's body go limp as he passed out. She smiled and used her arm to lift him over her shoulder and carry him down from the Eon Tree. Once Hiei was settled in a hospital room, she found Sayomi's aura signature and followed it to another room.
Without knocking, she opened the door and found the demoness sitting beside a still unconscious Yusuke along with Kurama and a few other demons. She locked eyes with the shadow demoness and said, "He's in stable condition if you want to come see him."
Sayomi felt unsure as she looked down at Yusuke. Kurama noticed her hesitation and said, "We will stay with him in case he wakes up. You go and check on Hiei."
"Are you sure?" Sayomi asked, trying to find a reason to stay. "He might need healing as soon as he wakes up."
"Then we will call for a nurse," Kurama countered. "At the moment, I believe Hiei is in greater need of your attention."
Sayomi reluctantly nodded and vacated her seat. As she followed Mukuro through the halls, she couldn't help but think of their embrace on national television. I wonder if she has feelings for him too but can't act on them now that he's mated with me. Did we do it too soon? Did he miss out on a satisfying future with a powerful partner because of me?
As her anxiety grew, Mukuro interrupted her thoughts. "Did our match disturb you that much?" The former tyrant glanced down at the young demoness and smirked. "He was being stubborn when he said he still wished for death, but we both know he was lying."
"Maybe…" Sayomi hung her head and lowered her gaze to her feet. "But what if he has regrets and would prefer to just end things?"
"He wouldn't do that knowing what he would be leaving behind," Mukuro answered easily. "It's only fitting that he shares his life with you when you were the one who eased the hatred and loneliness in his soul."
"But you're so much stronger than I am, and if he values anything it's strength." Sayomi thought about the swordsman as he strived to gain more power and trained to improve as much as possible. "It would make more sense for him to have a partner that pushed him to keep improving."
Mukuro's smile softened as the young demoness let her insecurities blind her to the truth that was obvious to everyone else around her. "You give him enough incentive to get stronger. And I can see the pride in his eyes as you improve along with him."
The former King placed her hand on Sayomi's shoulder and stopped walking. As they locked eyes, Mukuro said, "Hiei is a complex demon, but he's still a man. Men tend to have a strong primitive instinct they can't ignore when it comes to someone who is precious to them. He doesn't view it as you being weak, but rather as him being a powerful mate, capable of protecting and providing for his own."
Sayomi felt ashamed of her jealousy as the demoness before her displayed such confidence and certainty in her words. She might understand him better than me…
"Stop that nonsense right now," Mukuro firmly ordered with a scowl.
Sayomi flinched and stiffened as she realized her thoughts were being read. Were they communicating telepathically during the match, too?
"If Hiei and I have a bond, it mostly resembles that of a leader and subordinate. There is a sense of respect between us and an understanding between two warriors on the battlefield. If he doesn't view me as a superior, then he at least respects me as a mentor that helped him reach the strength of his youth.
"You are something in a whole other league of importance to him that he considers irreplaceable. If anything happens to me, he can accept it as the natural order of things and move on. If anything were to happen to you, however, he would fall into a pit of despair and possibly fall back on instinct to eliminate whatever it was that hurt you. We are not the same and you shouldn't belittle yourself because you feel you aren't good enough."
Mukuro released Sayomi's shoulder and opened the door to a hospital room. Upon entry, Sayomi realized they were in Hiei's room, said fire demon sleeping peacefully as a machine monitored his heartrate.
Mukuro noticed the worry in Sayomi's eyes, and her own gaze softened. The shadow demoness instantly made her way to check over his wounds, forgetting her doubts as she focused on her unconscious mate.
As Sayomi let her aura flow over his body, Mukuro said, "Strength comes in many forms, more than what you see in a fight. As different as it may be, he is drawn to your strength just as you are drawn to his. Your strengths and weaknesses balance each other to the point of coexistence. You might not see it yet, but it's clear as day that he thinks of you as his equal in more ways than you realize."
Sayomi sighed in relief when she found no severe injuries. The worst wound was on his shoulder from Mukuro's dimension cutting beams of light, but even that wasn't life-threatening. She sat back in the chair beside his bed as she absorbed Mukuro's words. "You really believe he doesn't regret mating with me?"
Mukuro smiled gently and answered, "I believe he would regret it if he hadn't. His feelings for you were obvious from the moment he realized you were in my fortress. You should've seen how worried he was when you left Alaric to go to Gandara. He busied himself with his training and duties to keep himself distracted, but his irritation was visibly worse when you were gone."
Sayomi looked from the woman behind her back down to the man sleeping in front of her. The ache in her chest eased away as Mukuro spoke and she let a shy smile grace her lips. She combed her fingers through Hiei's bangs, brushing them out of his face while trying not to disturb his rest. As she pulled back, he turned to lean into her hand again.
Sayomi blushed and gently ran her fingers through his hair as he snored quietly. Before she realized it, warm tears slid down her cheeks as she felt the weight of doubt leave her body. Her muscles relaxed and she could feel herself overflowing with emotions.
Mukuro leaned back against a wall and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched the young couple. "If I were you, I would pay more attention to his actions rather than his words. He doesn't always speak the truth if he thinks it could expose a weakness, but his actions express more than his words ever could. Pay close enough attention to him, and even you won't be able to doubt his affection."
Sayomi felt her face heat up at Mukuro's declaration, but she couldn't deny the warmth she felt in her chest. She thought of her time spent with the fire demon and couldn't deny it. Somewhere along the way, he had become someone very precious to her, and she understood through his past actions that he felt the same way about her. She took his hand in hers and hoped for a favorable ending to the tournament. If we're lucky, maybe he'll be more willing to live for our future together instead of just fighting to survive another day.