Author's note: THIS HAD BEEN A CRAZY CHAPTER TO WRITE WHILE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLACKOUT.
So I'm writing this chapter while using the internet of my cellphone connecting to my laptop, so enjoy this chapter.
Odd guest. Please... stop... just stop asking about Tears of a new start.
Mad Guest. Yeah it would be unfortunate for Yusuke but hilarious for us, I hope you like the new chapter.
Le Quack. Well I don't think Rando should be doing that, come on it's Yusuke's mother, that would be very disrespectful for him, he already is going to be in a relationship with Kuwabara's sister, it would be a line for him to not cross lol.
Sleepy Guest . Well I wasn't inspired into using Devil May Cry, I was using a Hunter X Hunter weapon, but nevermind, I hope you like this chapter.
Hyper LOL Guest . Thank you for liking the chapter. Page 30 was nothing other than Hatsu, one of the techniques which he could create to destroy rocks or using killing intent, since he used on the yokai and made even Kuwabara had ptsd.
Just guessing. Oh you have no idea, Botan is now going to make sure Yusuke would pay for that Hahahahahaha
Just guest . Thank you for enjoying the chapter. I hope this chapter will answer your questions XD
Ghostly Guest. Cannot reveal spoilers, but I think this chapter will reveal the answers for your question XD
coldblue2015 . Firstly, it's fine dude, don't worry, if you saw the comments, you will see that many MANY did a lot of Sannin Level Jutsus, Captain Bakudou and Hakudou and etc, which I will filter a lot, but if you guys want a list I can create for you all. Anyway, and I'm glad you loved Sarutobi's jutsu, because I choose not because of Asuma, but because of Konohamaru, since for me it was a very epic way to make sure the Jutsu would fit for Rando, since Genin Level jutsu would fit on his list, and also Rando had a shortcut because he is a smoker, which made it even easier hahahaha. And about the Gate of Betrayal... trust me, it would have been way more dramatic and important if wasn't for a flaw in the anime, a flaw so stupid that it would make everyone face palm... THAT STUPID YOKAI DECIDED TO TALK ABOUT THE TRIAL WHILE THEY ARE IN THE END OF THE TUNEL, COME ON, IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE THE TRIAL HARD OR EVEN MORE SERIOUS, DO IT WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TUNEL, NOT WHEN THEY ARE 10 STEPS AWAY FROM THE EXIT... Sorry, I never thought I would have faceslamed into how easily everyone could have escaped from there, and that's why the yokai almost said it was awkward... because imagine, doing a trial which was so easily avoided if you just get out from the exite... I mean I felt insulted since on the episode we loved Hiei showing his important trusting side, but to be that easy to avoid? It was kinda insulting for us... But it was a classic, so we will always forget and love the episodes.
Now answering your questions.
1- OF COURSE DUDE, Leorio showed that ability by punching Ging, and it was a first try technique, so it wasn't that hard, only needing to learn how Ging did it. And it would be a very interesting technique.
2- Well I'm following the anime and not the manga, so I think you are talking about the green plant people, which for me, I wouldn't put my faith into Rando doing that, he has his own personal mission.
3-Of course, because that's Koenma, he always develop folders and archives of Yokais, specially the ones he get allies with, so having one for Kurama, other for Hiei, and other for Yusuke and Kuwabara, he is going to make a note into his archives, however the most important secrets revealed will not be in the archives, since like Koenma learned from Rando, some secrets it was for the best to not being revealed into thin walls.
4-I gave a stop in Helluva Boss fanfics because of my distrust and lack of inspiration into continuing to write that fandom, and I wouldn't bet into a crossover Helluva boss fanfic with anything other than Hazbin Hotel, so a possible double no. Which is not a yes.
5- Spoilers. Have fun reading this chapter.
Alright, I hope you guys like this new chapter. XD
And from the first trial done by the quintet, it seemed the leaders of the castle of doom... From the ominous silence around the castle, the leaders looked from the ball of cristal the trial being done easily.
"They managed to pass the Gate of Betrayal, what do you think Mr. Suzaku?" Byakko's voice could be heard around the shadows, as the leader looked bored from the view.
"We can have some fun with them, and we should have made that stupid servant explain the trial while the group gave the first step on the gate, and not when they are almost near the end." Suzaku's proud voice could be heard as the group could see Rando with his gun placed behind his back. "Also one of the yokais if I believe being Rando seems to have some foreign weapon with him..."
And after that moment, one of the yokai destroyed the wall in fury.
"Let me finish them off," Seiryu said in fury, but someone interrupted.
"Wait for a minute..." Which that moment everyone stopped as the group looked at the yellowish eyes glowing on the face of the stone. "Let me do it. I Genbu will take care of them... soon I will bring 5 bodies over here, and show around the world who am I..."
As the group continued to walk deeper into the castle, the atmosphere grew heavier, the air thick with tension. Rando led the way, his eyes scanning every shadow and crevice, alert for any signs of danger. The others followed in silence, their usual banter and camaraderie absent, replaced by an ominous stillness that weighed on them. Each step echoed through the dark, labyrinthine corridors, amplifying the uneasy feeling that something terrible could happen at any moment.
The oppressive silence was finally shattered by the sudden chirp of a communicator. Kuwabara jumped, his loud scream breaking the stillness, his hands reflexively going to his chest as if to steady his pounding heart. "AHHHHH, damn, that scared me Yusuke! What was that?" he blurted out, his voice loud in the echoing hall.
Yusuke, holding the communicator, chuckled, relieved to see it working even in the eerie confines of the castle. "Oh, before I came here, I received this thing from Botan," he said, flipping the device to show the others. The screen flickered to life, revealing Botan's smiling face, the grim reaper holding up a peace sign with one hand while the other gripped a metal bat.
"Hey Yusuke, everything alright? As you can see, it's me, Botan," she greeted them cheerfully, her voice a reassuring presence in the darkness. Yusuke grinned at the sight of her, impressed by the technology that allowed them to stay in touch even in such a hostile environment.
Rando, glancing over Yusuke's shoulder, felt a pang of nostalgia. The communicator reminded him of the future's advanced technology—smartphones and FaceTime calls. It brought back memories of using similar devices to check on his younger brother, ensuring his safety and well-being. The past and future seemed to blur for a moment, but he quickly refocused on the mission at hand.
"What's up, girl?" Yusuke responded casually, but before Kuwabara could join in the conversation, Rando's foot stomped down hard on his, the forceful action silencing him. Kuwabara yelped in pain, turning to glare at the white-haired boy, who looked bored as if nothing had happened.
"Focus on the mission," Rando said, his voice steady and serious as he pointed around the dimly lit corridor, emphasizing the importance of their surroundings. Kuwabara, now nursing his bruised foot, sulked but moved to Yusuke's other side, while Rando stayed close, studying the communicator as if trying to commit its features to memory.
Botan continued her tone light despite the danger. "Well, everything here is fine. The insects only attack the weakest of them; it seems humanity still has salvation." As she spoke, the screen showed a knocked-out yokai behind her, its purple and green skin marred by bruises. "But continue the journey, you hear me?"
"Alright, keep your eyes wide open," Yusuke's voice echoed through the device, his eyes narrowing in concern as he noticed a shadow moving behind Botan. The knocked-out yokai was slowly regaining consciousness, its eyes glowing with malice as it prepared to strike.
"WATCH OUT, BEHIND YOU!" Yusuke shouted, his voice urgent. But Botan, still looking at the screen, moved with instinctual precision. Without turning, she swung the bat in a wide arc, connecting solidly with the yokai's head. The creature crumpled to the ground once more, out cold.
"Hehehehe, you don't need to worry about me; they're very weak," Botan said with a carefree smile, clearly unbothered by the near-attack. "Well, I'm looking around the region, and I just killed 15 insects. I know I need to work better on my performance, right?"
Yusuke shook his head, disbelief evident in his voice. "From thousands of insects, you just managed to kill 15? That's too little; you're very weak on the performance."
Rando, standing beside Yusuke, chimed in, his voice calm but authoritative. "Probably because she needs to keep an eye on all the humans with blue skin and red eyes across an entire city. That would take hours. Focus on the priority of safety—look for the places that need the most protection: kindergartens, schools, Yusuke's and Kuwabara's families."
"WHAT?!" Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the corridor. Even Botan looked surprised by his statement, her eyes widening on the screen.
"We're on dangerous ground and against the clock," Rando continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "Botan's alone out there, and she isn't skilled enough to fend off a swarm of insects if they gather. If Suzaku finds out who's important to us, he wouldn't hesitate to use his whistle to send a controlled army after them…" His voice trailed off as he noticed another shadow moving behind Botan. "Botan, behind you…" he said nonchalantly as if it were an afterthought.
Annoyed, Botan swung the bat again, knocking out the persistent yokai without even glancing back. "HEY, DON'T YOU SEE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A SERIOUS CONVERSATION HERE?" she shouted, glaring at the unconscious creature. Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at her in shock, but Rando remained unfazed, his expression neutral.
"What a lack of education," Botan huffed, her irritation palpable.
"Yeah, so uncivilized, right? People who couldn't understand that we are in the middle of a conversation..." Rando agreed, nodding at the screen. Then, his tone turned serious again. "Suzaku is known for being cruel, prideful, and petty. If he finds out who's important to us, he'll target them without hesitation. We need to destroy that whistle as quickly as possible."
Yusuke nodded, determination setting in. "So the plan is to destroy the whistle, then," he said, his voice resolute.
Kuwabara, now visibly nervous, looked at Botan on the screen. "Just to be sure, can you go to the Boutique and check if my sister is okay?" he asked, his voice betraying his growing concern for Shizuru's safety.
Botan nodded, her expression softening. "Oh sure, but be careful, guys. I'll call you later, okay boys?" As she spoke, she noticed Rando giving a peace sign, a gesture that caught her off guard. Her smile froze as she processed what he had just done.
"Okay, sis, catch you later…" Rando added, that Yusuke looked at Rando in surprise and immediately realized the mistake he created when he exposed Botan to Keiko, and now Yusuke saw Botan's expression shift. She stared at him, her eyes narrowing as if contemplating how much trouble he was in. Yusuke immediately turned off the communicator.
Sighing deeply, Botan resisted the urge to smash Yusuke's face after what he said about the new identity of Rando being related to her, she really wanted to use her metal bat and beat him through the screen. She had more important things to worry about, like the mission. As she refocused on her surroundings, she spotted another hellish insect buzzing toward her.
"Oh, you naughty one," she muttered, pulling out a special can of air spray. She sprayed the creature, watching with satisfaction as it dropped to the ground, writhing for a moment before disintegrating into a small pile of ash.
Yusuke rubbed his forehead, already regretting his prank on Botan. "Why did you do that?" he mumbled, glancing at Rando, who chuckled softly. Yusuke could already picture Botan's vengeful expression. "As much as I like to tease Botan, you made it sound so serious that I'm sure she's going to make me pay for that."
Rando shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Well, it was both your decisions. She tricked you, and you gave her payback. Simple as that."
Kuwabara, raising an eyebrow, gave Rando a curious look. "I don't know why, but you really act like Shizuru sometimes. I could swear you both would be siblings, the way you nag. It's kinda crazy."
Yusuke sighed, facepalming in frustration. "Can we just go? I feel like this prank just bit me in the ass, and you're going to make sure I remember it forever."
Both Rando and Kuwabara shrugged, and the group continued walking through the eerie silence of the castle. The air was thick with tension, and it seemed like the weight of the mission was pressing down on everyone.
Rando suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "Alright, boys, out of the four, who do you think will be the first to appear? Genbu, Byakko, Seiryu, or Suzaku himself?"
Kuwabara caught off guard, blinked in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"
Rando rolled his eyes. "Kuwabara, we're invading their castle, and we haven't seen any traps, any creatures, nothing to distract us from our path. If this were a terrible video game, we'd be facing four bosses. I bet 2,000 yen it's Genbu since he's the weakest of them all."
Yusuke, pondering Rando's words, asked, "Genbu? Oh, right. You talk about Suzaku like you know him. Do you know who these monsters are? Are they strong? Do they have any fighting techniques?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and yes," Rando answered confidently, just as the ground beneath them trembled slightly, a sure sign of something—someone—getting angry. "But let's talk somewhere more private."
Before anyone could react, Rando touched the ground, and suddenly, the floor beneath them turned pitch black. Instinctively, Yusuke and Kuwabara tried to jump away, but it was too late. The group was swallowed by a portal, and the next thing they knew, they were falling through the air.
With a loud thud, Yusuke and Kuwabara hit the ground, landing face-first on a cold, hard surface. "Dammit, Rando! What was that?" Yusuke shouted, pushing himself up.
Rando, unfazed, looked around casually. "Welcome to my technique: Hide and Seek," he said, as the group found themselves in a massive bedroom. The room was the size of an Olympic pool, complete with a mini-fridge, a large bed, a plush sofa, and even a television. "This will be a good place for us to talk and prepare our strategy. The castle's walls have ears, after all."
Kurama, always the tactician, narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's impressive you were able to sense Genbu's anger. Your awareness could be crucial as we move forward."
Rando shrugged. "It's nothing special. I just know what pisses off a demon like Genbu."
"If you're so confident about Genbu being the weakest, then what's the point of hiding here? Shouldn't we just crush him and move on?" Hiei, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, his voice as cold as ever.
"Yeah, we could do that," Rando replied with a grin, "but where's the fun in that? I mean, I bet someone would want to go into a one-on-one fight just for the thrill of proving themselves. I'm not against that, actually; I'd say go for it." He glanced at Hiei, who gave a curt nod. "But I also think that with the right knowledge about the enemy and understanding your own strengths, you can win all the battles you face. Sun Tzu said that—"
"The Art of War," Kurama interjected, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "I didn't know you were familiar with it."
"It's a philosophy useful for anyone, not just warriors, but for teachers and businessmen as well" Rando commented, which made Kurama raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Anyway, if you want to know about Genbu, he's basically a scorpion made of rock. Literally, a yokai composed entirely of solid rock."
Kuwabara and Yusuke exchanged incredulous looks. "What?" Kuwabara exclaimed.
"Yeah," Rando continued, "and his techniques are pretty interesting. He can detach his body parts, like rocks, and no matter how much you cut or break him, he can regenerate because his entire body is rock solid. He can also launch his body parts as projectiles. Plus, if the surroundings are rocky, he can merge with the ground and move around undetected. From the floor, pillars, or even the ceiling, if it's made of rock, he can disappear into it and find a blind spot to attack you from."
The group stared at Rando, clearly impressed by his detailed explanation.
"Okay, I get it, but why did you say he's the weakest?" Kuwabara asked, still looking unnerved. "Just hearing about his techniques makes him sound like a terrifying opponent."
"In the words of Sima Yi, the reason he's considered the weakest is because he's an imbecile. He tends to underestimate others and always has a glowing red stone inside his body. It's obvious that this stone is the core of his being. He's always exposing it, so if we can destroy that core, we can take him down." Rando sighed and rolled his eyes.
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and even Hiei looked at Rando with renewed understanding. Kurama nodded thoughtfully, his mind already working on strategies.
"Alright, if that's the case," Kurama said, as he could understand a plan forming on his head "All we need to do is to focus on attacking that core. It sounds like the key to defeating Genbu."
"Simple like that, all you could do is just be alert when he merges with the rock-solid places and cuts through his rock body. Also, our other main objective is trying to survive at all costs, meaning that if you have an easy way to be economical with your spiritual power and get less hurt it will be great." Rando commented as he looked at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Does any of your techniques can do that?"
"Well I don't want to brag about myself, but I think I can cut easily with my technique," Kuwabara commented as he showed a strong confidence but then he decided to show another point. "However if he merges on the ground, I don't think I will able to find him, even with my spiritual sensitivity, or how I could find the core."
Rando blinked his eyes, as he was surprised at how Kuwabara gave a very good point of his abilities.
"Yeah, and while I know that my Ren Gan is strong and my Shottogan as well, I'm not sure I could break rocks to the point I could destroy them." Yusuke saw Kuwabara being honest about their situations, and Rando seemed to be very serious about the concept of doing their best and getting less hurt. Since he still remembered the humiliation he had when Rando was on Genkai's trial, from everyone in that group, Rando was the only one who got out unscratched and completely fine. "How about you Rando? You seem to know him so well, and you have strength for that..."
"Actually, to be honest. I'm preserving all my energy into using the less spiritual energy as possible..." Rando commented which made Yusuke, Kuwabara, and even Kurama and Hiei look at the white-haired boy in disbelief. "I know, I know... But trust me... I want to focus my energy on Suzaku..."
"So you want to focus all your attacks on the leader of the castle?" Yusuke asked as he was surprised, as he remembered that Rando would simply go full on his objectives, he remembered that he held his strength and only used it when he was provoked, to have a resolve to use all his energy what would... "I can't believe it. You are not going to do that."
Rando smirked as Yusuke looked at the white-haired yokai as if he was crazy.
"What. What?" Kuwabara asked as he was also trying to figure out what was happening. Until Yusuke pointed at Rando as if he had lost his mind.
"He wants to steal Suzaku's techniques..." Yusuke immediately made Kuwabara's mouth drop and made Kurama and Hiei now deeply interested in the conversation.
"Atta boy," Rando commented as he took his book out. And Kuwabara stiffed. "Don't worry Kuwabara. Remember what I said, once it passed the conditions. I couldn't do it anymore, so your technique is now safe."
"Yeah, but are you really going to make Suzaku accomplish the conditions?" Kuwabara asked as he wasn't sure what to say. "What if he destroys your book?"
"Which one?" Rando simply asked as he pointed at the room they were in. "I made copies of books to be attached to my spiritual energy if someone destroys one. I can use others as substitutes."
"Rando that's insanity, I know that you are strong, but are you sure that you want to kill Suzaku for his techniques?" Yusuke commented, not as a rival, but as a friend who knows when someone is about to do something crazy, like he and Kuwabara sometimes. "It's like you said, Suzaku seems to be the leader and the strongest of them all. And if he figures out your techniques?"
"I will be fine guys, I know that it's risky, but I need to make sure I will be fine. I mean, I know that you also want to fight Suzaku, so instead of being 1 versus 1, we could focus on a task, you go after the whistle, while I will fight and distract Suzaku..." Rando explained as he walked towards one of the doors which they now discovered there were 6 doors, and between those 6, there were numbers attached to them. 22, 12, 33, 09... And instead of being in one of those doors. There was a door which he opened revealing a closet for where his clothes were. But when the others followed the white-haired boy, they looked surprised to see there was also a wall with some objects attached to them.
With names on it...
"Pakunoda Pistols, Killua Yoyo's, Gon's fishing rod, Hisoka cards, Moreo Pipe," Yusuke read some of the names which was a very weird name for having called the weapons, since every single one seemed to be something ordinary, differently than the pistols, which Rando had grabbed from the wall one of the pistols which were attached on the pagoda was taken since it was a duo pistol, and Rando didn't seem to be over. As he then walked to something that both Yusuke and Kuwabara had their jaws dropped... From around the wall, there was something behind each of the weapons that looked more like a decoration than an actual weapon...It was chains, all made with metal, but each chain was attached to a direction, it was 5 different chains connected to each other, and from the frame where it was the name... Something that both Yusuke and Kuwabara were impressed by seeing, "Kurapika's chains (Holychain, Steal chain, Chainjail, Downsing chain, Judgment Chain)"
"Yep..." Rando commented as with one hand he pulled with all the strength he had and made the entire wall covered in chains go down, as Rando flipped a few pages from his book. And then the entire chains seemed to be moving on their own until they danced around Rando's arm like a snake sleeping. And then each of his fingers had a ring showing a different design of a chain.
"Damn, that was so cool, since when did you have that?" Kuwabara had to admit. A chain being used in combat he never saw it before. But from the design of being black chains, he would pay good money to see how awesome they would be.
"So this is where you bring all your weapons?" Hiei commented as he raised his eyebrows at the quantity and the different and unique designs each of them had. "Some seemed to be more toys than actual killing tools."
"Anything could be a weapon when you use the spiritual energy on it," Rando explained as he looked if a katana would be enough, but he decided to ignore it. He then saw that he would need more weapons because of the techniques he had...
"Well for a thieve of techniques..." Then Kurama commented in a way that made Yusuke, Kuwabara surprised from the comment, and Hiei stared at the reaction of Rando since Kurama seemed to always with a cold mind in any situation. "You sure know how to never underestimate the weapons, from looking at your selection."
"Hands behind your back, oh legendary thieve, your presence is too great for this humble yokai." Rando then decided to give a comment back which surprised Yusuke and Kuwabara, and from looking at the face of Kurama, they couldn't help but find funny the way he got caught off guard. "Hey, just a curious question. How did you manage to take all the paintings from the Louvre?"
"What?" Kurama asked as he didn't like the surprised question made by the person in front of him, and from looking at Kuwabara and Yusuke, he seemed to be all staring at him in surprise as well.
"Oh, don't be modest, you probably must have invaded the Louvre and taken all the paintings and sculptures so easily," Rando commented as Yusuke and Kuwabara started to have their eyes looking wide open in surprise.
"I DIDN'T DO IT," Kurama said as he raised both his hands wide open. "I was inside of the spiritual world prison for my sentence, I didn't know that the Louvre was stolen..."
Then Rando gave an overexaggerated gasp which surprised Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"How did you know the Louvre was stolen?"
"YOU JUST TOLD ME," Kurama raised his arms in exasperation and anger, and the white-haired boy narrowed his eyes at him.
"Suspicious..." Rando commented as he went near Yusuke and Kuwabara. "I think he is sus..."
Kurama felt his eyes twitching, and as he felt calm and serene and had a lot of patience... it was the first time someone managed to almost make him go after the person.
"Kurama..." Until Hiei's voice called which made him blink and stare at him. "He is playing with you, and for the fact he knew how to press your buttons, knows that he is a person that enjoys making others lose control of their feelings. And I'm surprised that he managed to do it well with you,"
Kurama blinked, as he realized what his comrade had said, and when he stared at the yokai nearby to both Yusuke and Kuwabara, both just simply shrugged.
"Rando always knew how to get into the skin of the others, I lost the time how much I wanted to strangle him, and I couldn't do it since he was always beating the crap out of me. Also, he managed to make Yusuke get hellish training from Genkai, so he did all of this on purpose, but I still don't get why he does that..." Kuwabara commented shamelessly, which Yusuke even grumbled angrily.
And Rando rolling his eyes, gave a smirk at him...
"Because you never know when someone could get into your skin like that, you all could be very unstable when it comes to single provocations or even some keywords which would make anyone with a desire to go berserk..." Rando explained as he knew it would be too much for Yusuke and Kuwabara to understand, making Rando sigh... "In combats, you can use the emotion to grow up stronger, but you never should lose your mind on the combat. You should always think of what's going to happen in case you attack someone without thinking. That's a good lesson that even the supreme mind of the coldest supreme Yokai of plants could lose his cool..."
"Why do you always use such words as a compliment?" Kurama commented as he felt kinda uncomfortable with the way Rando talked about his identity of thieving.
"Because it makes you uncomfortable," Rando smirked as he now discovered how to tie the ancestor of fox of nine-tails (pun intended). "You are a very humble guy, and from the moment you decided to talk about me with a tone I didn't like, I decided to do the same with you, you could attack me with distrust, and I would attack you telling all the compliments that would make the legendary thief who was caught and now had the opportunity to live around the human world, with dual citizenship."
"Ah-" Kurama became speechless, as he for the first time had no idea what to say, it was like talking to a Rubix cube, since every time he tried to get one information of about the yokai who always disappeared over decades, it turns into something that he had no idea on what he was talking about, then it turned back to him, which make him unable to answer what he was planning.
Kurama felt his mind getting a headache just for seeing the boy with his arms behind his head and staring happily at him. And sharp eyes telling him that he would never figure him out... Which was a very painful challenge for whatever unfortunate soul would try to dispute against him.
"You guys are wasting our time, at the time you both were discussing meaningless things, we could already kill some of those saint beats." And then Hiei commented which sparkled a very annoyed look from Kuwabara, but Rando simply nodded his head.
"Yeah, you are right. Alright boys, does anyone want to go to the bathroom before we continue our mission? The clock's ticking." Rando commented that Kuwabara had his attention caught, and from seeing Rando pointed in the direction of the bathroom, he clearly was excited to empty his bladder, which only annoyed Hiei further, and with Rando getting a few water bottles and energetics for Yusuke and him to drink. They are already getting prepared for the next challenge.
"Alright. I'm ready, let's get that stone demon down." Kuwabara commented in confidence. As it was now ready for everything happening in the castle.
By walking into a door, Rando opened into what would be the void which the group could identify that they finally managed to prepare themselves to fight one of the saint beasts.
At the time the group got out of the portal, the group rose from the floor. The whole group found themselves in the same place where they came from.
"Wow. Gotta admit Rando, this technique is really cool, never thought you would have access to the same place that you placed us." Yusuke complimented as the other four were now eager to start a fight.
"Alright, all that we need to do it's to find Genbu, and then we choose who will be the best to fight against him," Kuwabara said confidently, and suddenly a loud voice came from somewhere.
"YOU THINK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIGHT ME?" The voice was enough to echo around the corridors, which made everyone stare around and wonder if Genbu was already using his technique and walking over the stones since they were in a castle made of stones. Until they realized the sound came from the door behind them.
Yusuke and Kuwabara opened the door together, Kuwabra kicked one of the doors, while Yusuke pushed with one hand.
"So it's right here..." Yusuke commented as at the time they opened, it became a very big place, all made with stones, and there were torches to light the whole place. While another area was in complete darkness.
Yusuke didn't mind since he took one of the torches and launched on the floor, to light the other side of the room.
At the time the light showed the other side, Kuwabara felt a bit intimidated as it was clearly what Rando had said. It was a monster that seemed to be a son between a bolder and a scorpion.
The rock demon looking at the surprised humans, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hehehe, welcome..." Genbu greeted as he then narrowed its eyes at the white-haired Yokai who seemed in such a bored state, and even smoking in his presence.
"What an ugly guy," Kuwabara commented as Ranfo simply nodded his head in agreement.
"Yo, Genbu couldn't you have waited for half an hour? I could have won a bit of money if you delayed your anger a bit." Rando simply commented while Kurama and Hiei glanced at the young yokai who clearly knew how to provoke someone.
"It was you... Rando," Genbu said as snarled into seeing the young boy who simply smiled at him. "You dared to call me the weakest in my presence? Since I Genbu came to greet you all politely and have some fun with you all. You dared to provoke me?"
"Imbecile..." Rando whispered and Hiei couldn't help but give a slight nod into agreeing with that. The white-haired yokai was right, the monster made of rocks was very pathetic.
"I dare you to fight me since the stairs behind me are the only way for you to go up, you need to defeat me to go upstairs or you all are going to die..." Genbu said as he showed a good show of his strength and by using his tail destroyed the floor with the strength it has. "I dare you to all come after me together, I can pull less effort by killing you all together at the same time."
"What an idiot," Hiei finally said, and looked at Rando like he now believed completely in how one of the saint beasts was. It was a complete joke.
But Kuwabara was really surprised by the sudden attack, and even Yusuke felt a bit intimidated, from learning from Rando what would be his weakness, it would be a challenge to not get attacked by the said yokai.
Until Kurama smiled, and it seemed that he finally understood the thought process of Rando... From the times the yokai thief always tried to be calm and have a cool mind, he tries to figure out what would be the personalities of the others. And from the time they were inside of the room...
Kurama understood...
Rando was greeting him, complimenting him, exposing the weakness of the enemy, and making everyone understand around.
The red-haired yokai gave a slight glance at the yokai smoking, and he could see the slight smirk of a carefree mind...
Genbu could be strong, but he didn't have an actual experience... And experience the Kurama Yoko, the legendary thief had during all his two lives... Would be enough to be playing with a child.
Rando while he was hiding, he had gathered all the needed information from anyone who could be a threat to him... So he relied on allies that could use all the potential information in their favor.
Rando simply acted like a fool, but in fact, he had a very strategic mind... Like he knew from his own way, he knew it had to be Kurama himself to deal with Genbu.
It was like Koenma had explained to him...
"What? You mean Rando the doctrine thief and assassin asked permission to have human identity in the world of living?" Kurama was sure that nobody ever had such audacity to ask such a request as it was clear that something wasn't right. "I'm surprised that someone who killed all his masters would even have such a request granted."
"As much I hate to say... The martial art laws were always frowned upon in the spiritual world," Koenma explained as he opened the files of all the martial artists. He looked upon files and files of masters who taught apprentices and probably were killed later. "The world of martial arts is full of killers, assassins, and people who aren't even yokai into doing such cruelty, and yet the martial artists don't even seem to mind who killed them. They were always focused on being ready to give their lives to pass their teachings. And I hate to say my friend even did that... And Rando did me a favor by letting Genkai have Yusuke as an apprentice, willingly... Sometimes I don't understand why Genkai would allow teaching such assassins, but it seems that it had always been in the mind of the masters, to find teachers who could make their doctrines into reaching into a better future. And when I tried to find 99 masters who died for Rando. I found more than 600 from all these years..."
"So what Rando did could be accepted easily?" Kurama questioned in surprise since he never thought he would know such a thing...
"That's why I'm also offering you and Hiei a chance to reduce your sentence." The baby prince of the spiritual world commented as he placed both his hands behind his back. "Since you seemed to care about the world of living, and have humans you are attached to, I know that you want to help on how much you sacrificed for them. It's a chance to prove me to help to clear up and let you live in the world of living in conditional,"
Kurama remained in silence, as he could clearly see the opportunity to return back on the world of living. He firstly thought he would die to give his life for the mother who gave birth to his human form, and since both of them were alive, he could still give good help to his mom...
"And what I had to do?" Kurama came to his decision, and the prince of the spiritual world closed his eyes.
"From my interaction with Rando, I discovered that his life had been always in the shadows, hiding from everyone during so many decades or even centuries, killing master after master... But it seems that a human became the cataclysm into changing his ways, and he suffered the mourning process of losing someone..." Koenma took a folder and placed it in front of Kurama who just checked the picture recently taken from his trial on Genkai, "He is a mysterious one, from my conversation with him, it was like trying to discover an enigma, but that enigma was the most sincere I ever seen. Someone who knows so many secrets, and would take his life and anyone else for the sake of protecting it... hmm..."
"Is there something wrong Mr. Koenma?" Kurama asked as he yokai with the human body asked as the prince of the spiritual world, passed a second thinking about it.
"It seems that my words alone wouldn't be enough to describe it, I think you should see it by yourself," Koenma explained as the most enigmatic person he ever met. Someone who played the cards on the table, his own secrets and knowing the consequences of them being exposed. "Well, also a piece of advice Kurama..."
"Yes?" Kurama asked as he could see that he wasn't sure what that would mean at that moment.
"Whatever you do... do not talk about his height," Koenma gave a single piece of advice which made the yokai stare weirdly at the spiritual boss and leader of the spiritual world. "Yusuke and his friend learned on the hardest way, to not engage someone who they thought could provoke him... and it had been a miracle for Yusuke get a punishment which I find hilarious in comparison to his own life... A yokai who is sadistic in his own way, it was like he knew Yusuke would suffer so much with my friend Genkai and made sure for him remember that..."
Kurama remained quiet, as he couldn't help but be confused about what Mr. Koenma had told him...
"Let me take care of this," Kurama came to a decision as he stepped further, which made Yusuke look hesitant to his friend.
"Kurama," Yusuke commented in a warning tone, to which Kurama simply smiled and dismissed his worries.
"We already have enough information into how to deal with him, also... I don't think I should let Rando get all the fun for himself," Kurama explained as he looked at the white-haired yokai, who just took his cigar and let out the smoke, but Kurama could see a smirk coming from his face.
As Kurama walked and left the group behind, the fox thief stared at what would be his opponent, and without wasting a minute, he simply placed his hand over his long red hair.
"Do you prefer to die one by one?" Genbu asked as his face showed ferocious with a smirk on his face, knowing how less creatures would dare to challenge him. "This is great."
"Kurama, be careful, and if it's too much for you, try to run to the stairs," Yusuke shouted in worry until Hiei finally decided to dismiss the worries over the spiritual detective.
"You say that because you don't know Kurama's strength," Hiei replied making Yusuke turn his head in surprise at the black-haired yokai, who looked very calmly at the situation, with the information given by the skilled thief to Kurama, it was like letting Kurama knows all your weakest points, and that's by far one of the scariest thoughts he would ever imagine someone having. "Do you know why I associate with him? Because I didn't want him as my enemy..."
"And there were rumors telling Kurama had become weak after he transformed into a human..." Rando then started talking, which made Kuwabara and Yusuke stare at the boy who seemed very carefree. "And the rumor about him stealing a mirror for the sake of saving the human mother he has, whoever would be stupid to even dare to talk badly of his mother or threaten her or his family, will curse himself for thousands of years for trying to ever think they would have a chance into having an easy death... Kurama Yoko... the legendary thief, the one that would make your death so painful that me killing you would be a mercy in comparison to what he could do with you if you dare to touch what is his..."
At that moment, Kuwabara felt such a shiver that he looked at the beautiful and calm boy, but then from hearing Rando saying that Kurama would be crueler than him? Yeah, he wouldn't even dare to say something about his family.
"Kurama is really that terrifying?" Yusuke sweatdropped as he turned his head to see Kurama suddenly taking something from his hair. "That's...a rose?"
"The cold mind he has when fighting someone very powerful is stronger than mine," Hiei commented as he also gave a slight smirk, at the little flower that would become one of the cruelest and sharpest weapons he had ever seen. "And it seems that he is going serious on the fight."
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Kurama commented as he showed a rose to him.
"A rose?" Yusuke asked in surprise, and Kuwabara also looked confused.
"Are you going to give it to him?" Kuwabara asked until he suddenly felt a strong stomp on his feet. "OUCH, What?"
"Kuwabara, pay attention..." Rando commented as Hiei smirked at seeing Kurama indeed going serious in the combat right away.
"This isn't a simple rose, and I'm sorry but we are on a very urgent mission, I'm not allowed to go easy on you," Kurama commented in such a polite tone as the petals of the rose faded with the wind, and when Kurama raised his arm, he immediately made the rose became something bigger than a flower... it became a powerful whip made of thorns. "ROSE WHIP,"
And at that moment, the petals and the pollen flew around the air, emanating the entire field with a perfume, creating such a sweet aroma, and on his hands a weapon that it could be both beautiful and yet so dangerous.
"Woah, the aroma of the roses was spread towards the air," Yusuke commented curious, while Kuwabara was already frowning upon the yokai.
"Ugh such a snob, ugh I detest this," Kuwabara complained which made both Yusuke and Rando raise their eyebrows at him.
"Ah Kuwabara, it's clear that you want to be friends with him, don't try to deny that," Rando commented as Yusuke also took the opportunity to make fun of Kuwabara.
"Ah Kuwabara, for real, you want to be friends with everyone, I know that, keep trying to lie, keep trying," Yusuke commented in a sarcastic tone which both people made the orange-haired delinquent furious.
"OH STOP IT," Kuwabara shouted which made both Yusuke and Rando smirk and laugh from his reaction.
"You can come at me, I'm prepared..." Kurama commented as Genbu smirked evilly, as the fight already started.
Both stared at each other, keeping on their positions, as Kurama was already with the rose whip in his hands, and with his keen eye, he was observing everything. The information was clear, they were around a whole area made of rocks, and while Genbu had an advantage over the field, Kurama made it a fairer fight, which only a few knew how... And as seemed that Genbu was trying to remain still, waiting for a single opening.
And then Kurama could see it, behind Genbu, the tail of a scorpion made of rocks, slowly merging with the rocks, with the slow sound of a liquid being pressed, Kurama discovered that it was a miracle to know firsthand how the technique worked, since it would have gotten Kurama by surprise...
"Look the tail" Yusuke commented as he pointed in the direction of the yokai, which the whole group had an idea of what was happening. The fight already started...
Kurama remained calm as suddenly his nose caught it... And when the tail raised behind him, ready to attack, Kurama turned his body and gave a powerful swing which immediately went under the base of the tail and with a whip so sharp managed to cut the tail off the ground.
"AHHHHH," Kuwabara and Yusuke gasped in surprise at how fast the reaction of Kurama was, which Hiei smirked and Rando smirked behind his cigarette.
And Kurama turning his back to just look at the surprised face of Genbu, Kurama simply smiled at him.
"Gotta say, it was a very surprising attack... If I didn't recognize you were trying to attack from my back, I would have fallen for this trick." Kurama commented calmly as he simply looked at the yokai in front of him. "The ability to merge with the rock around you and being able to swim across the whole castle, it was indeed a very formidable technique, however... it had been a terrible mistake into looking down on me,"
"What?" Genbu looked surprised until suddenly he saw Kurama raising his whip which Immediately Genbu went to attack him, but suddenly saw the whip going in his direction...
"Kagon Retsuzanshi (Rose whiplash)" Kurama used all the speed he had to create many patterns of cuts around the solid rock body from the scorpion yokai, which immediately the creature had his eyes wide open, as many parts of his own body got detached.
"He did it, the thorns of the whip rip even metal, it looks like a sword, it was a splendid cut." Hiei complimented as the quartet watched in first hand, Kurama using his beautiful rose whip to create such a powerful attack towards the monster made of rocks, and immediately turning it apart from how quickly and lethal such a technique was...
And in the next second, the arms, the torso, the head, everything was torn apart, Kurama took a good glance, trying to find every single part of it, but nothing was shown... Which made him frown... He then was second guessing if was the truth, until suddenly Genbu started talking.
"You managed to cut me..." Genbu commented as his head was detached...
"So he is alive..." Kurama came to a conclusion and decided to approach the body.
And by touching the torso, and the head, Kurama knew that he needed to do something.
"Yes, at the time you tried to provoke each of us, your technique was good enough to attack the others by surprise, however, we are on a very important mission, so we aren't in luxury to hurt ourselves meaninglessly, now if you don't mind, I and my friends are going to take upstairs," Kurama commented as he slowly turned his back, and he looked at Rando who was holding both Kuwabara and Yusuke from even moving from their places. It took a whole minute, for the Kurama's senses finally turned alert, and the chuckling coming from nobody else than the Genbu could be heard. "So you are still alive?"
"HehHAHAHAHA," Genbu laughed as slowly the torn and destroyed rock parts of his body started to attach to each other once again, and the head which was still on the floor was laughing at them. "It's useless, you won't defeat me,"
"So it's true, he became completely destroyed and yet he could regenerate all over again," Kuwabara commented as Rando rolled his eyes.
"Told yah," Rando commented as the group looked at Genbu once again regaining his ultimate form, Rando could see the carefree expression done by Kurama, in comparison to the anime, this time he looked completely in control of the fight, which was something that he was very satisfied to watch.
"Just like I can regenerate myself, I can also dismember myself," Genbu revealed one of the secrets, which Hiei, Kurama, and Rando had the same kind of thoughts on their minds...
"What an Imbecile," The trio came to their thoughts in synchrony, since it was now Genbu raising his arms in the direction of Kurama, who now was prepared for everything. "Die with Exploding Boulder Bomb"
(Listen to Kurama Theme)
Immediately Kurama saw all the body parts become projectiles in his direction, and raising his whip he attacked every single part of the body, and with his keen eyes, he saw it... The glowing red rock core as Rando explained, shows the weakness exposed into the middle of the circle of rocks which were launched together in his direction.
"It was a very excellent attack, Genbu..." Kurama had to admit, however even on the greatest attack he could give, it was shown the flaw that he knew it would appear whenever he would use.
And as the moment Genbu passed, all the body parts were in spiders, which once again regenerated which made Genbu laugh at the presence of the yokai.
"Didn't I tell you it's useless?" Genbu commented as he raised once again arms in the direction of Kurama, "Now I'm going to stop playing I will destroy you..."
"Sadly, you are not..." This time Kurama commented that Genbu looked weirdly at him, until suddenly something felt off...
"What the... my body..."Genbu commented as suddenly felt stuck and couldn't move to detach himself, it was like, "I'm already detached? But how?"
"It was a very interesting technique Genbu, using your attachment and detachment as a weapon to launch all the projectiles like missiles, however, there was something that you didn't check when you attacked yourself..."The red-haired yokai complimented the creativity done by the scorpion yokai, however, by the time Kurama touched Genbu's body, it was already over. "Why don't you take a look under your neck."
"My neck?" Genbu tried to look down, and suddenly he could see with his eyes opening in panic, a few plants were speeding across his body, "This..."
"While you were playing dead, I decided for your safety to find your core, and since you hide so well in your solid body, I decided to plant a few seeds of death, which could cross around your entire body, and expose the glowing red rock for me, and since with one single word..." Kurama commented as he could see from the eyes of the Saint Beast, someone who seemed to be above his rank, someone more dangerous as a predator than himself, he was on the low tier of the food chain, and what he was looking in front of him, was a trap plant who patiently let himself got trapped into his cruel and dangerous mouth... "Now for the moment of the truth..."
"Wait, please don't do it," Genbu said as he was bleeding in front of him, Hiei had his eyes opened in disbelief and looked at Rando who simply nodded his head.
Yusuke and Kuwabara had their mouths dropped in shock from looking at how in control Kurama had been since the start, it was very terrifying and it was amazing to watch.
"Die..." Kurama simply gave an order, which immediately something spreading inside of Genbu became stronger and stronger, and immediately his eyes went into a panic when suddenly from his mouth flowers bloomed in front of the former thief, who was staying on the glowing red rock, the core of the existence of Genbu, which Kurama could see from his eyes, begging for him to not destroy it... But Kurama didn't even care, they were on a mission in which his mother and his step-brother could be in danger... And like Rando said and he heard... however would try to danger his family, death wouldn't be so kind coming from his hand.
And with a crack whip, the core was slashed which made the now trapped monster, glow in a yellow light, and make his explosion so big that it made his whole body become dust.
"DAMNNNNNN." That was the comment made by Rando which made Kurama look at the white-haired boy in surprise. "You didn't even get a scratch, and yet you made him dance in the palm of your hands."
"And you even doubt?" Hiei commented as he crossed his arms, and looked at the yokai with a very satisfied look. "You said it, he was a very powerful yokai, coming from him would be nothing."
"Please, can you both stop complimenting me like that?" Kurama even as much he could show his powers, it was weird when Rando and Hiei idolized him like that, but he then saw the smirk on the white-haired Yokai, "You are despicable you know that?"
"You will get used if you stick around with Yusuke," Rando simply smiled, which for the first time, Kurama could see it, a sincere smile, like he already expected him to be the winner, but also knowing of the kind nature of his friends.
"Kurama, I have to confess, I have a fear of plants right now," Kuwabara commented that he never thought a seed could make someone vomit blossom flowers and yet used it to kill someone.
"So if you go to the Amazon Forest you would have a panic attack," This time Rando said as Kuwabara stared down at the person.
"Hey, I was just joking," Kuwabara commented angrily until Kurama saw Yusuke didn't believe it.
"KUWABARA BEHIND YOU, THERE IS DAISIS READY TO ATTACK YOU," Yusuke shouted which made Kuwabara immediately scream and turn his body, raising his guard up.
"WHERE?!" Kuwabara shouted, which suddenly heard both Yusuke and Rando laugh hard from his nativity. "YOU BOTH WILL PAY FOR THAT."
Kurama then saw it...Rando is a carefree person, always joking around...but his gathering information was so spot on that it could be terrifying to have him as an enemy, and yet he decided to make for his free will to ally himself on Yusuke and Kuwabara, two humans... which made him understand Koenma when he said it...
"A sincere enigma," Kurama could see the yokai in front of him, all ready for combat, and still was giving the others the chance to prove themselves, and make the mission the best way it should, to make them not get hurt in the process. "Who are you, Rando?"
Kurama couldn't help but be curious, the same way Koenma was... a challenge for him to find it interesting to try to figure out, a new ally and a friend that Koenma knew would take the curiosity of a former thief and a yokai who lives in the body of a human.
With the challenge of the 3 saint beasts remaining. He still has a good 70% of his energy, which with a good rest would make him ready for another combat in the future. It seems their fights are only starting, and yet they feel more ready than ever.