Wow! It's been a while, like a long time. For those still following my long hiatus, thank you for staying. It means a lot.

Aiko P.O.V:

The build-up I was expecting was snuffed as Chu hurried to the edge of the ring and hurled. I turned away; the smell was awful, and I didn't need the visual. Koto made a sound of disgust as she made her way to him to check on him. My sense of apprehension returned even as he continued to throw up. "Something isn't right…" I muttered, looking closer at Chu's crouched form.

"What is it, Aiko?" Shuichi- Kurama, right he was Kurama here, asked. I pointed my chin in Chu's direction as Rinku spoke to Yusuke. Kurama followed where I had pointed and raised an eyebrow for me to continue. Chu was drunk but even up until now, he had very good balance, every sway and motion was controlled.

"I've seen many drunks, Kurama; I've never seen one balance themselves while puking their brains out. His demeanor almost seems- "I started before he seemed to catch on.

"I see what you mean." Kurama said as Chu stood up with such control that betrayed the scent of alcohol. "Suddenly, he's sober again; alcohol does not affect him in the normal way. Somehow, it seems to serve as a catalyst." He continued.

"I forget sometimes that you are smart and a looker, pretty boy. I didn't think that it could be a power boost for him. Just thought he fought better drunk." I joked, looking at him briefly, though the humor didn't hit my voice. A catalyst? Yusuke was already struggling, a catalyst for what exactly? His eyes widened briefly, and he let out a dry chuckle, noticing my nervousness.

"How odd, so the chemicals in those drinks bring out his energy," Botan spoke, her voice holding notes of concern. I brought my thumb to my mouth again, worrying the skin on the poor digit with my teeth.

"Almost really, enhances it." I responded to her, hearing her make a small sound of concern.

"Chu proves resilient after his hacking spell—ready to fight again!" Koto narrated, making her way to the center of the ring now that Chu was able to stand. I took Chu in, noticing an odd flush to his body that resembled a drunken flush, except that it didn't just decorate his face but his whole body.

"I think you should act more excited, kid. After all, it's what you've been waiting for." Chu told Yusuke, hunching over and changing his stance. His Youki fluctuated, seeping from his body like a mist. He held his hands as if holding an invisible ball- or at least it was invisible at first. Energy flashed in his hands, materializing in a form that almost looked like Yusuke's spirit gun.

"Now we're definitely in for some action! Chu is revealing an entirely new attack! I can't tell exactly what it is, but heads will definitely be rolling!" Koto announced to the crowd. Oh, I was not too fond of the sound of that. With a sharp intake of breath, I pulled my finger from my mouth as my tooth pierced the flesh.

"Hey, what is that stuff?" Kuwabara asked, unable to process what he was seeing.

"His energy, you lump. He's creating his finishing move. If you look closely, I bet you can see alcohol actually mixed in with his energy." Hiei responded, not missing the chance to insult Kuwabara but also informing him. I think he was warming up to him. The energy ball in Chu's hand, which almost looked like a mini sun in color, continued to grow until he seemed to believe it was enough and displayed it more to Yusuke. It was indeed like a Yusuke's spirit gun.

"Whoa, that blast he's holding looks a lot like Urameshi's spirit gun!" Kuwabara exclaimed, catching my train of thought.

"Kurama, is it…?" I trailed off, knowing the answer but hoping he'd tell me I was incorrect.

"Yes, Aiko. It's approximately equal in force." Was his response. The reply made my stomach drop; they had matched up. They had the same ability to hit distant targets and the same physical capabilities, with Chu being slightly superior in the latter category from what I've seen.

"What? Don't you think we should tell Yusuke that?" Botan asked, panic lacing her voice as she looked over at us.

"Time for us to test our powers!" Chu said, placing the ball in one hand before slamming his other on it and taking off as it glowed.

"I was waiting for the invite!" Yusuke responded, following suit.

"Yusuke already knows!" Kurama told Botan.

"If Yusuke is dumb enough to ignore the energy emitting from that ball, then that's entirely on him," I mumbled. That was true, though it did take the edge off that he wasn't ignoring the threat. Chu and Yusuke continued to run, making it halfway around the ring parallel to each other before skidding to a halt, almost in sync.

"See you on the other side!" Chu yelled as he raised a leg and the air and pitched the energy ball at Yusuke with the same finesse as a professional baseball player tossed a baseball, his foot crushing the ground underneath as it came back down. I watched in shock as Yusuke retaliated with a spirit gun, the energies meeting in the center in a flash of light. The energies battled, sending sparks as they tried to overpower each other.

"My! The two fighter's energies are actually duking it out!" Koto shouted, shielding her eyes from the light as she did. I sucked in air, on the edge of my seat, trying to see who had a more potent attack.

"GET 'EM, URAMESHI'S ENERGY!" Kuwabara cheered as if the energy understood. It was the thought that counted. As the words left his mouth, both powers dispersed as they canceled each other out.

"It's a draw." Hiei said as the two fighters ran at each other with a battle cry.

"Look at them! They're charging each other at the exact same time!" Kuwabara shouted, shocked. I stared on in wonder as they began to pummel each other, only on the offense. Mindless blows as blood and sweat flew from their fists' impact.

"What is he doing…" I asked out loud, only having seen this side of him when it was his last resort or simply brawling outside of school. It wasn't too far from his character; it just caught me off guard to see this behavior again so soon.

"My gosh, they're not even bother to block those headshots!" Kuwabara looked on, pale at the viciousness of the blows.

"This is pure offense. They gave up fighting with their brains a long time ago. Now it's simply a matter of who can endure the most pain," Hiei replied.

"With a purpose though… they are waiting for an opening. For one of them to make a mistake." I added, realizing this wasn't a beat each other until someone won type tactic. I could catch snippets of Yusuke's thoughts through our bond, though it was diluted in his battle haze. This bond wasn't as strong as the one with Kurama and Takeshi. It was subtle and let us sync up with each other, but not as deeply as with them.

"It's impossible to count how many punches have landed! Or telling who's winning or, in fact, anything significant at all! I don't even know why I'm talking." Koto spoke, clearly caught in the moment. The battle shifted though as Chu delivered a blow that sent Yusuke flying, though the boy caught himself, sliding in a crouched position. However, it was the opening they were waiting for.

"Bad move," Kurama said to no one in particular, his body tensing as Chu lined up another energy ball and hurled it at Yusuke with a triumphant shout. This energy ball was much bigger than his first one, though.

"This time, Chu's spreading energy into a much larger blast. It's amazing how much control he has over its size.

"It is, and by the sheer volume, Yusuke won't be able to block it with his spirit gun." Kurama added, the panic in the other two growing.

"He won't be able to dodge it quickly from that position either." Was my contribution as I put my injured thumb back to my mouth to nibble once more. I was beyond anxious at this point. Do something Yusuke.

"Try not to sound too worried." Botan chastised us though her voice cracked. This was something to worry about.

"ONE LAST GO!" Chu shouted, sending the ball flying toward Yusuke at astonishing speed.

"He's off-balance. He can't defend!" Kurama shouted, clearly going through every route Yusuke could take. 'Come on, Yusuke!' I mentally pleaded.

"Just get out of the way!" Kuwabara shouted at Yusuke. Instead, with a roar, Yusuke raised his hand and fired not one but two-spirit gunshots. The first cut-through energy beam, followed by the second. It didn't stop the ball down, but I don't think that's what Yusuke was trying to do. I hissed as pain shot up my arm as if a cramp had shown itself. What was that? … why did it feel like something just snapped in my arm… but there was no physical damage?

"What the hell was that?" I muttered, wincing as I shook out my arm. A warm hand gripped my arm, and I turned to look at the masked fighter, ignoring the banter from the boys and Koto's announcements. He looked at my arm, his hand glowing and his reiki shooting up my arm as if analyzing me. As if he found something, he shot a look in Yusuke's direction, those eyes going hard. The pain eased in my arm, and I looked at him confused, asking him silently what the hell was wrong with me. Instead, he shook his head and pointed at Yusuke. It took me a moment to understand. There wasn't something wrong with me; there was something wrong with Yusuke. Following his gaze to the figures in the air who descended into the ring. Shirtless, out of breath, and with a quick scan from me, out of energy.