Notes: Lots of buildup in this chapter, and most of it are original scenes! I really enjoy writing about Kurama and Miwa's school life, especially how they are perceived by their human peers, and this chapter is the first time that the story takes Miwa's point of view. We will learn a lot about her in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 6: By Your Rules
Taichi Tsutsumi was, by anyone's definition, a normal human boy.
His grades were above average, and he had a regular group of friends he spent time with. He played basketball on occasion, got regular exercise, and was never involved in any major trouble. He hadn't had a girlfriend since his second year of middle school, but it didn't particularly bother him. Since starting his first year at Meio High School, none of the girls in his class particularly caught his attention, but instead he often found himself sneaking glances at the one who visited their class very often: Himari Shimizu.
She always came to visit her friend, Shuichi Minamino, but Taichi was lucky enough to get to know her by playing basketball after school on occasion. She had a tendency to join in on matches between Taichi's class and her own, and really, the girl had uncanny aim. She had probably scored the most 3-point shots out of everyone who played, and what originally caught Taichi's attention was how graceful she made each shot appear, as if she were gently guiding the ball to the basket instead of making an actual shot. Taichi couldn't deny it. He liked this girl, and one day he had mustered up the courage to confirm what he always feared. He asked Shuichi Minamino if there was anything going on between them.
Those two were something of an enigma. Always together, separated only by the classroom assignments, and when they talked, there was sometimes a sense that the shared history between them was much longer than the three years of their friendship; that was the best way for Taichi to explain it, but he didn't know what made him think that way. In short, the two were very close, and Taichi, like many others, suspected that their relationship was beyond normal friends, so he finally had the courage to ask Minamino directly...
...and the redhead had told him that he and Shimizu were not going out.
They both disappeared from school for a week after that, and Taichi felt himself growing anxious with all that it implied, but he just reminded himself over and over of what Minamino told him. They were not going out. They were not going out. Perhaps that confirmation became a spark of courage for Taichi, and some weeks after their return, before he realized what he was doing, he asked Shimizu to meet him by the equipment shed after their basketball game.
He waited there as she changed out of her jerseys, forcing himself to be patient and trying everything in his power to stop his hands from shaking. He would be fine. It's not like he had never confessed to a girl before, and she was a first year just like him. He did not need to be so nervous. All he had to do was be honest, and surely she would at least grant him the same courtesy. In the distance, Taichi could hear soft footsteps, and it felt as if his heart was about to stop.
"Hey, you called?"
Shimizu poked her head around the corner and quickly approached him. Then out of nowhere, Taichi suddenly realized that this was the first time they had ever spoken alone. "Yeah, sorry to call you out like this."
"Is something wrong?"
Taichi shook his head, but he had a feeling he knew why he was so nervous. For Taichi, it was easy to forget since he wasn't around when they played basketball, but the significance of Minamino in Shimizu's life was the likely cause of his nerves. Even if they were not dating, Taichi was just...a normal guy. Minamino was often called a prodigy because he always had the highest test scores, and although he never expressed interest, his good-looking face and well-mannered demeanor made him very popular with the girls. He came off as the loner type, but somehow Shimizu was able to become really close to him. Rumors have it that they had been very close since the day Shimizu first transferred to Minamino's middle school, so their closeness wasn't even one that had required any build up. They just...clicked, just like that, and that closeness made Taichi feel very nervous. How was he supposed to compete with a presence like that?
"Shimizu," Taichi found himself spitting out. "I know this is probably really sudden and all, but…" Taichi forced himself to swallow his nerves, but his dry mouth made it feel as if he swallowed a rock instead. "If you're not going out with Minamino, I want you to consider going out with me!"
The last part came out in a rushed burst of sound louder than he originally intended, but once it left his lips, he could no longer take it back. Taichi opened the eyes he had unknowingly squeezed shut and forced himself to look Shimizu in the eye. She stares back at him thoughtfully, and for a moment, Taichi had no idea how she would respond. Shimizu was thinking carefully, deliberating, and slowly forming her answer. It's too sudden, Taichi thought to himself. Of course she would be troubled. Being asked to answer something like this out of the blue would be hard for anyone.
"If you need time-"
"I'm sorry."
Shimizu's apology cut through Taichi's failed attempt to let her think, and the straightforwardness of her response silenced him immediately, but it also slowed his processing ability, and he had to replay her voice in his head multiple times to really understand what she just said.
"I'm sorry, Tsutsumi," she repeated with a low bow of her head. Her hair fell out from behind her ears and partially hid her face. "You're a great friend, but I…"
"It's alright. I understand..." Never in his life was Taichi so aware of the muscles in his cheeks that strained to make a smile for her. "...It's Minamino, isn't it?"
Those two were so close, it was only natural. Maybe they weren't going out right then, but Taichi was all too familiar with holding back feelings for any silly reason. At least he got to say his piece before they-
"No, it's someone else."
Taichi was struck speechless once more.
{00}
Miwa was a Water Apparition that never held any prejudices against humans. In her three years of living in the human world, she naturally came to learn more about them: their history, their culture, their social structure, and the nature of their relationships. Of course, three years was not a lot of time when your knowledge of their society was close to nothing at the start, and Miwa's roughly average school grades accurately reflected this, but she considered herself lucky. Many weaker demons hiding out in the human world snuck over through rips in the Pseudo Space and often fell into rough crowds or worked in the human underworld with scum like Gonzo Tarukane. On the other hand, Miwa had her demon powers sealed by a specialist she managed to track down who helped powerful wanted criminals in the Demon World hide out as refugees under a false human identity. The seal weakened her enough to pass through the Kekkai Barrier without trouble, and Miwa was taken under the care of a male human father-figure: a kind, unmarried municipal office worker named Takeo Shimizu who knew nothing of demons or the Spirit World. A demon agent sent by the specialist temporarily possessed Takeo Shimizu into forging government documents for Miwa's false identity and brainwashed him into believing he had a daughter. It was a forced, unwilling intrusion into the man's life, and occasionally she felt guilty for it, but it seemed fitting for her. A forced, unwilling intrusion was how she became acquainted with Kurama, after all.
"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting," Miwa called.
Kurama, who had been patiently waiting for her by the shoe lockers, gently smiled at her. "It's no trouble. Did you finish your errand?"
"...Yeah, I did."
Forced and unwilling or not, guilty feelings or not, it was all a means to an end in order for Miwa to keep her oath. And in the end, she managed to assimilate into human school life alongside someone she trusted. That was more than enough for her.
"No, it's someone else…"
Miwa shook her head to force that thought out as she put her school shoes back into her locker. Kurama knew how to read her like a book, and she didn't really want to talk about what happened with Tsutsumi right then. She quickly gathered her things and she and Kurama left the school building as they always did. Walking home together had become normal for them, but she and Tsutsumi took longer than she first thought. The sky had already turned the signature orange color of sundown, and the courtyard was devoid of any other students.
"Did you play basketball again today?" Kurama asked.
"Yeah. The basketball club manager actually approached us and asked if we would consider joining the club since we play all the time anyway."
"Maybe you should? You seem to have fun playing it."
Miwa folded her arms behind her back and stared up at the orange sky. "I wouldn't say I like basketball in particular. I like any sport where I can use my hands." Miwa spread her arms out at her side, emulating a graceful dancer. "It almost feels like I'm controlling the ball like I control my water."
Kurama smiled. "Well, as long as you are having fun."
They exited the school gate, and even the nearby streets were devoid of people. A cool breeze blew past them, ruffling their hair, and by pure reflex, Miwa caught some of her blustering hair and tucked it behind her ear. In the silence of the empty streets and the sensation of the breeze gently touching her cheeks, Miwa felt herself calming down. Her conversation with Tsutsumi rattled her more than she first thought. She rarely received confessions from anyone, much less someone she regularly associated with, and she suspected it was due to her close relationship with Kurama. Rumors about them occasionally reached their ears, and their perceived closeness supposedly made it difficult for potential suitors to muster up the courage to speak to either of them. She handled it as best she could, but she inadvertently said more than she intended. Someone else...Yeah, that will surely make the rumors more tolerable…
"May I ask about what Tsutsumi talked to you about?"
Kurama's voice cut into Miwa's thoughts, and she almost jumped. "...Why do you ask?" Way to go. Answering a question with a question!
"He asked me about you a few weeks ago. I just wanted to know if everything is okay."
Miwa looked at Kurama's emerald green eyes thoughtfully. Tsutsumi's newfound courage to confess to her suddenly made sense. Tsutsumi was in Kurama's class, after all. "Yes, everything is fine."
"Is that so? That's good, then." Kurama turned his attention forward and took a couple large strides ahead of her, but she caught a glimpse of a small smile on his face.
"I know that look," Miwa said, leaping forward to catch up to him and jabbing an accusing finger into his shoulder. "You think this is all really amusing, don't you? Even with Yusuke and Kuwabara..."
"What is?"
His blatant expression of feigned ignorance made Miwa forget any possible clever retorts, and all she could do was sigh. Kurama was as kind as he was clever, but he was not above teasing others every now and then; especially her. "Thinks he's so smart…" Miwa quietly grumbled, and she slowly pulled back her accusing finger. There was really no point in pursuing that further.
Eventually, they made their way to a larger shopping district, and the sounds of people scrambling around for last minute dinner ingredients drowned out any remaining tension from Miwa's talk with Tsutsumi. Salesmen called out to the street news of their current sales, housewives lead their small children by the hand through the crowd while discussing what they should put in the curry that night, salary men heading somewhere to eat dinner together, a cheerful woman passing out promotional tissue packets to passersby, and girls from another high school huddled around a crepe truck discussing the latest gossip while enjoying a pre-dinner dessert. Miwa had always liked walking through this place. It was a place so full of energy and typical scenes from the everyday human life. Even during the busy times or peak sale crowds, Miwa always felt a sense of what she called a "calming sense of everyday madness." Just like Kurama, Miwa also appreciated the simple pleasures of the everyday that made life feel peaceful to them, especially because of the many changes in their life since meeting Yusuke Urameshi.
"Please come visit our new cafe!"
The woman handing out tissue packets slowly came within earshot of Kurama and Miwa as they walked through the shopping district. Most people walked past her without even making eye-contact, while others would shyly smile and accept a free packet of tissue, likely not paying any attention to the advertisement carefully tucked in the plastic wrap. Still, the woman did not let being ignored get her down, and the box of extra packets at her feet was already half empty. Miwa always wondered how long those people were supposed to stand outside passing out tissue, but she had never asked.
"Use this coupon to get a free coffee!"
The woman's cheerful call permeated the crowd, and as they drew ever closer to her, Miwa was about to ask herself whether or not she needed a tissue pack. She had plenty at home already. However, a familiar sensation of Spirit Energy made Kurama and Miwa slow their pace. The woman, a short brunette in her 20s wearing an eye-catching red and yellow striped uniform more suitable for a fast food chain than a cafe, continued offering packets to passersby without even looking at the two high school students staring at her suspiciously from several feet away.
"...Never seen one passing out tissues before," Miwa said quietly.
Kurama's expression was unchanging.. "Yes, they usually avoid highly populated areas like this…" He quickened his pace to a cautious one to a more normal, less suspicious stride. "Don't take anything from her."
"Naturally." Miwa returned to her normal pace as well, and without any signal or cue, Miwa turned to Kurama with her brightest smile as they adjusted their course to walk around the woman. "...Y'know, I like basketball and all, but I've been wondering lately if trying out for the dance club would suit me better? I mean, it's been awhile since I've done anything like that and I kind of miss it..."
Miwa continued babbling on and on about any random topic she could think of, and Kurama, unphased by the sudden spiel, gave her all the appropriate responses without missing a beat. Perhaps the sudden shift from caution to happy was a bit extreme, but Miwa was sure the woman wasn't listening to them, and she found that being engaged in a conversation with someone else made any salesperson, tissue pack distributors included, reluctant to butt in with their sales pitch.
While Kurama brought up some made-up nonsense about Miwa's time in the middle school dance team, they both focused their gazes on each other, trying to avoid being flagged down by the woman. Unfortunately, she was a bold one, and she did not mind thrusting out her hand in front of them to offer them a packet. "Please come visit our cafe!"
They, like many others, ignored her and walked past her as Miwa continued her spiel ("Can you help me study for the history test? I'm just so horrible at remembering dates."). The woman retracted her hand, and for the briefest moment, Miwa thought that they had managed to avoid her. But fate wasn't so kind, and a voice far deeper in tone than the cheerful salesgirl voice stopped them in their tracks. However, it wasn't the tone shift that made Kurama and Miwa stop. It was the what the voice said:
"This is a special invitation for you, Kurama and Miwa."
Not "Shuichi Minamino", not "Himari Shimizu," but "Kurama" and "Miwa."
They said nothing, and neither did they turn around. This woman, this cheerful tissue packet distributor, had stopped her original task to say her piece. Around them, the people of the shopping district walked up and down the sidewalk, taking no notice of the three who appeared to be frozen in time. Then, the woman closed the distance between them, still showing no signs of aggression, and only then did Kurama and Miwa turn around. It would not be good to have their backs turned to another demon, and if that demon were to turn hostile in such a public area...
"What do you want?" Kurama asked sternly.
The woman giggled slightly, and her previous cheerful demeanor had all but vanished. Now, all Miwa could see was the sly smile of a demon who had calculated this encounter all along. "I'm sure you both are aware that the annual Dark Tournament is coming up soon?"
Neither of them answered her, but she did not seem to mind.
"You and your friends have managed to gain quite the reputation among the apparitions these days." She produced a gaudy yellow flier with blood red lettering that strangely matched her uniform. "Therefore, you all have been graciously invited as the Special Guests for this year's tournament."
In her peripheral vision, Miwa was hyper aware of each human passing by, completely ignorant of this exchange. "And if we refuse?" Miwa said, reluctantly accepting the gaudy flier.
The woman chuckled darkly to herself as she twiddled with a strand of her brunette hair in her free hand. It was strange how intimidating she seemed despite being so petite. "It isn't in your best interests to refuse. You wouldn't want to put your loved ones at risk, would you?"
In the corner of her eye, Miwa could see Kurama's jaw twitching, as if he were tightly clenching his teeth. She knew he was thinking about his human mother, and in turn, Miwa was reminded of her own human father. In the three years since forcing herself into his life, Miwa knew Takeo was a good man, and she knew Shiori was a good woman. If either of them were to meet their end at the hands of a demon…
"I do hope that you both consider your choices carefully." The woman bowed politely. "Mr. Toguro anxiously awaits your arrival." Then, after straightening herself, the woman turned on her heel and disappeared down the sidewalk and out of sight, completely abandoning her half-empty box of tissue packets to the crowd.
{00}
" 'You and your friends,' she said," Miwa mumbled.
Once they could no longer sense the woman's Spirit Energy, Kurama and Miwa quickly left the populated shopping district and found shelter from the crowds in a dark, empty alleyway. A normal human would avoid such a suspicious place, and there were probably gangsters lurking around somewhere, but they did not care. The privacy from normal humans was a welcome change at that point. They both leaned against opposing walls of the alley, and the bright main street just a several feet away seemed like another world right then.
"She must have been referring to Yusuke," Kurama said.
"As Spirit Detective, he is one of their biggest threats, especially after all he has done." Miwa folded her arms. "He tracked us down, defeated the Saint Beasts, and now Tarukane's operation, one of the big sponsors for the tournament."
"Our alliance with Yusuke will also ensure that other demons will perceive us as traitors."
A silence hung in the air for a few moments. The threat to their human family still weighed heavily on them.
"...But is this invitation even real? I mean, I thought Yusuke and Kuwabara defeated the brothers."
Before Kurama could answer her, a shadowy figure appeared from seemingly nowhere farther down the alley. "You both got it too, huh?" it said, and the familiar presence drew closer. Hiei's dark cloak blended in well with the dark alley, but the gaudy yellow flier in his hand clearly stood out.
"Yes, we did." Kurama held up their own flier for Hiei to see. "What do you think about this, Hiei?"
Hiei crushed the paper in his hand and tossed it to the ground. "I don't fight for the entertainment of others, especially greedy humans."
Miwa wondered if the messenger had threatened anyone's life when speaking with Hiei. She did not know how many people were aware of his relationship to Yukina, but threatening his own life would not faze Hiei at all. "Did they mention Toguro?"
"Yeah." Hiei kicked the crumpled flyer into a discarded trash pile nearby. "Yusuke and Kuwabara defeated him."
"But an invitation coming right after that fight seems too coincidental." Miwa said, taking the flyer from Kurama to look at it once more. "I feel like we may have missed something."
"It's possible," Kurama chimed in. He stood up from the alley wall and placed his hands in his pockets. "Kuwabara only stabbed the younger brother, but we all know someone can survive that sort of wound," he said, placing a hand over his stomach. Miwa remembered a certain incident several months before involving a stolen sword and an abandoned warehouse, and Hiei chose to awkwardly frown at the ground when he noticed her staring at him.
"So you're saying…" Miwa said, deciding not to acknowledge Hiei's awkwardness, "the younger brother may have survived."
"Not just the younger brother," Hiei said, and a feeling of dread began to pool in Miwa's stomach. "Yusuke and Kuwabara did not deliver a fatal blow to the elder brother, nor did we dispose of any bodies…"
Then, as if fate herself decided to grace them with the answer to their doubts, an enormous amount of Spirit Energy flared up in the distance. The three of them simultaneously faced the entrance to the alleyway towards the sudden, but eerily familiar, signature, and it was all the proof they needed to change their doubts to certainty, but with their certainty of his survival came only more questions: Who was he attacking? Would they make it there in time? How could it be that his power was unbelievably higher than what they saw before?
Kurama was the first to recover from their surprised stupor. "We need to find Yusuke."
They ran towards the Spirit Energy signature, and although there were many questions, there were some things that Miwa knew for sure.
Toguro was alive.
Their invitation to the most vicious fighting tournament in the human world was real.
And they would all have to go through the training of their lives if they wanted to survive a power of that magnitude.
{00}
The Dark Tournament: a fighting competition run by the wealthiest humans of the underworld, bringing together six-man teams of demons all fighting to earn the illustrious grand prize. The tournament sponsors would grant one wish for each of the winning team's members, and as far as anyone knew, there was no wish those humans could not grant. The special guests are always a team comprised of particularly trouble making demons, and participation for them was an absolute requirement. Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama, Miwa, and Hiei were among those selected as the special guests of the tournament. However, since all the teams were comprised of six members, they would have to find one more. When the five of them convened for the first time after Toguro's warning, Yusuke had assured them he would find them their sixth member, and he since disappeared on his own training journey.
"But why six-man teams?" Kuwabara asked. He plopped himself on the ground next to Miwa, who was also taking a break.
"Demons have a stronger sense of blood lust than fairness," she answered, brushing some grass off of her knees. "The more fights, the better. So if both teams have three wins, then the tiebreaker will be decided by a fight between whoever is left alive."
"Like battle royale style?"
"That's up to the team captains. It can be a battle royale or they nominate a fighter who has not been eliminated."
Kurama, Miwa, Hiei, and Kuwabara all opted to train together for the two months until the tournament. They made a secluded bamboo forest outside the city their training ground, and they paid particular attention to improving Kuwabara's skills. In addition to being a human, Kuwabara was the only one among them who had not undergone formal training. Hiei showed him how to properly handle his Spirit Sword, Miwa instructed him on improving his control with his Spirit Energy, and Kurama prepared him for the viciousness of a demon tournament.
Kuwabara leaned back against his arms as Kurama and Hiei trained off on their own in the distance. "They don't care who wins, do they? As long as they get a good fight." He clutched at the grass between his fingertips. The lack of fairness and honor in this system was unsettling for him.
"You will occasionally see crowd favorite teams. I'm sure Toguro's team will be quite popular," Miwa grumbled, and she folded her arms in front of her chest. "But since our team will be a human, three demon traitors, and the Spirit Detective, I don't expect anyone will be on our side."
"That's just great." In the distance, the cracking sounds of Kurama's whip and the sound of Hiei's sword slicing through the air echoed around them, and a breeze passing by lightly rustled the bamboo leaves above their heads. It was almost tranquil, considering how their lives were threatened just a month before. "Miwa...do you think we can win?"
Miwa turned to the human at her side. It felt strange that Kuwabara, who she had always known to be a very confident man, express doubt and fear. As an overseer of his training, she knew just how far he had come in the few weeks since Toguro reappeared into their lives. But the incredible amount of power Toguro displayed upon meeting with Yusuke had sent shivers of fear through all five of them. It was a power so great that victory had seemed almost impossible. "...We have to, Kuwabara."
A breeze passed through them once more as they quietly mulled over that thought.
Hiei and Kurama reappeared before them, their weapons sheathed and neither of them showed any clear signs of exhaustion. "Are you ready to continue, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked.
Kuwabara, who just moments before seemed to be losing confidence, suddenly stood up with his fists clenched and a new fire burning in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm ready."
He followed Kurama back into the bamboo clearing, and without needing to be told, he summoned his Spirit Sword in a burst of orange light. Miwa smiled. Hiei was fond of mocking Kuwabara for his weakness as a human and a less-experienced fighter, but Miwa believed that the boy's unyielding courage and determination, even in the face of fear and doubt, was his greatest strength.
"What's so funny?" Hiei said, taking Kuwabara's place at her side. Miwa shook her head, and Hiei did not pursue it further, choosing instead to watch Kurama and Kuwabara in the distance.
Kurama was not one to waste time, so he and Kuwabara were already sparring with each other. There truly was no one better suited for teaching Kuwabara the viciousness of the Dark Tournament than Kurama. Both Hiei and Miwa would have held back against him, albeit for different reasons, and Kurama had the greatest control over his emotions than any of them. He could be calculating, cunning, and extremely cruel and merciless. Miwa had always thought it was an oddly beautiful contrast from the beauty of his plants. It reminded her of that trope in human literature about roses and their thorns. Hiei, on the other hand, was quick and efficient, which was exemplified by his signature speed and his quiet nature. Kuwabara was obviously the least experienced, but his determination and dedication to his honor carried him through the toughest of opponents time and time again. Yusuke was similar to Kuwabara in that his determination to win often carried him to victory, but he always managed to surprise them with a newfound power even when trapped in a corner. And Miwa herself...she had been told in the past that the techniques of Water Apparitions originated from a worshipful dance for rain deities, but when she first pitched the idea about roses and thorns to Kurama back in middle school, he referred to Miwa's fighting style as a beautiful ocean suddenly turning to a violent storm.
All five of them were such a ragtag group of fighters brought together by an unusual set of circumstances. When they first came together, it seemed unlikely that they could ever work as a team. Humans and demon felons; they were about as opposite as can be. Yet, here they were coming together in order to stay alive, and Miwa hoped that there was something more keeping them together other than their circumstances. Sure, Hiei, Kurama, and herself were helping Yusuke to atone for their crimes against Spirit World, and Yusuke and Kuwabara held a friendly rivalry, but after everything they went through in Maze Castle, Miwa was certain they had all gained a certain level of respect for each other.
"Just a member...of the team."
Miwa glanced over at Hiei. His red eyes focused carefully on Kurama and Kuwabara's sparring match. Whether he was inspecting Kuwabara's swordsmanship or learning whatever he could from Kurama, she did not know. Miwa was surprised to hear him talk about teams back in Tarukane's compound, especially since he so boldly proclaimed anyone's help was unnecessary back in Maze Castle, but it made her feel happier than she expected. Change was happening all around them, and it was all happening because of Yusuke, the only one whose presence was lacking at the gathering of his newly formed team. Miwa smiled to herself, remembering the cocky teenage boy she first met in the forest a long time ago. She remembered his confidence, his attitude, and most of all his smile. A proud, cocky-as-hell smile. Surely, if nothing else, that smile of his was bringing about this change in everyone. To work together, to rely on one another, and even help each other. It was not a sentiment commonly found in demons. Only in those who understood the power that comes from standing together instead of as one.
"Hiei..." Miwa said suddenly. "I have something important to ask of you."
Hiei did not take his eyes off of Kurama and Kuwabara, but he did answer her with a curt, "What?"
Miwa had been thinking about this for a long time, and of everyone on their so-called "team," Hiei was the only person she could ask this important favor. "If Kurama is ever in mortal danger during the tournament, I want you to stop me from jumping into the fight."
Hiei, sensing the magnitude of this request, finally turned to look at her. "Does that not go against the core foundation of your oath? To serve and protect him at the risk of your own life?"
"My oath would only be a hindrance in this tournament; for both Kurama and everyone else." Miwa frowned. "Interfering in his fight would instantly count as his loss, and probably my disqualification, making everything in vain. A wildcard like me is something we can't afford when the stakes of this tournament are so high."
Miwa thought carefully about whom she would ask this favor. Yusuke was the most likely to join her in ignoring the tournament rules to save his life, so he was out. Kuwabara may be less inclined to jump in someone else's fight, but he too would likely favor on the side of saving someone's life. Without knowing who Yusuke would recruit as their sixth member, Hiei was the only one who would retain enough self control to stop her, even if Kurama's life was in danger right in front of his eyes. Miwa knew that, after risking her life for him countless times in the past, she did not have that self control. It was as if she always acted on instinct rather than rational thought to save him, like her body decided what to do before she did.
Hiei stared carefully at her, probably thinking the same thing she was about Yusuke and Kuwabara. Miwa did not back down from the prolonged eye-contact; she needed to show how serious she was about this. "You live too strictly by your own rules," Hiei said, shaking his head slightly and returning his attention to the training in front of him. "Kurama doesn't need a babysitter, and you know that."
"I do…" She too watched the training before them, and she hoped that at this distance, Kurama's superb hearing was not catching any of this conversation. "But I live by them because I want to."
Hiei scoffed. "You're just making excuses."
Miwa looked back at Hiei, who ignored her to keep watching the training, and tried to figure out what he meant by that. But, at the same time, she knew he would never tell her what he meant. "You're the only one I can ask of this, Hiei."
"...Fine, but only as your last resort. You better try and hold yourself back on your own."
She smiled, but it's usual brightness was tainted by the potential grim consequences of their agreement. It went against everything her oath and dedication stood for. She had already lost him once, and she didn't want to go through it again. Kurama had asked her many times to renounce her oath, to hold more importance in her own life instead of his. But...she couldn't do it, she had never been able to do it, so she had to ask Hiei for this favor.
"Thank you."
{00}
One month later, and Yusuke introduced them to their sixth team member: a tiny fighter with a slim, fragile stature wearing bandages over his or her face. The Masked Fighter spoke no words to them, made no gestures of greetings, and with only the eyes visible through the bandages, it was difficult to even ascertain the fighter's gender. Kuwabara had clearly (and maybe a bit rudely) expressed his doubts, but Yusuke assured him the Masked Fighter would be a lot of help to them.
The Masked Fighter hid his identity with a simple sheet of white fabric wrapped around his head, barely leaving enough room for his eyes to see. His sleeves and pants were both baggy and white, overlaid by a red material with a green trim and a purple stripe crossing diagonally over his chest. It was oddly similar to Hiei's new clothes. His black pants had not changed, but instead of his black cloak, he wore a long-sleeved light blue shirt draped over by a navy blue material with a yellow rim. Miwa wore a long-sleeved wrap top that flared out at both the sleeves and the hem, which covered her hips like a skirt, and her loose-fitting pants were the same light-blue color. Kurama's new clothes were a bit more simple: a white button-up shirt with matching white pants. Yusuke just wore more basic set of jeans and a white t-shirt with a red jacket. Kuwabara was the only one who still wore his school uniform.
Seeing everyone in new clothes made Miwa feel excited, almost like the new clothes signified the start of a new adventure.
A short, stocky, one-eyed pirate lead all the waiting teams on his boat that would serve as their passage to Hanging Neck Island. It was a large boat befitting one that would carry passengers across the ocean to an island, but the simple, wise open space on the deck seemed unbefitting of a pirate. Somewhere deep inside, Miwa was disappointed that there were no cannons, fabric sails, or scallywag crew members screaming about while swinging on overhead ropes. It was a silly thing to wish for right before the tournament began, but when she saw the captain's eye patch, she had been excited to possibly see some of the things she read about in human literature come to life before her eyes.
After letting her pirate dreams fade, Miwa chose to instead be excited about the fact that she was once again surrounded by water. She was the first to claim their spot on the ship, excitedly running up to the railing to take a peek over the edge as soon as she was able, and she happily beamed down at the large body of ocean water splashing against the side of the ship just several yards below. Miwa loved the city where she and Kurama lived, but due to living in a more urbanized area, the closest she could get to a large body of water was either a swimming pool or a pond in the city park. When the others joined her, Yusuke immediately sat himself down, Hiei demonstrated his incredible balance by standing on the railing of a moving, rocking boat, and the others simply stood. Miwa chose a middle ground position: sitting on the railing between Kurama and Hiei so she could continue listening to the sounds of the ocean splashing against the boat as it traversed to Hanging Neck Island, and her upper body swayed back and forward in time with Hiei's to keep their balance. The other teams had stuck to their own little groups scattered about the ship's deck, but a menacing, dangerous air still hung over them all, and Miwa could sense a certain hostility towards the Spirit Detective slouching near her feet.
"I sure hope the island isn't as boring as this," Hiei said.
Kurama closed his eyes with a small smile. "We are not on vacation, you know."
"I know," Kuwabara grumbled, "but couldn't they have just given us a place to eat...with pretty waitresses…"
Miwa smiled at the boy awkwardly. "I'm not sure if demon delicacies would suit your tastes, Kuwabara…"
"Awrighty mateys, turn yer eyes t' the captain's deck." The captain's voice, sounding as if he regularly swallowed sand, boomed over all the menacing voices of the other demons through a speaker. The captain himself stood high above them with a small microphone in front of his large face. His particular dialect reminded Miwa once again of pirates she had read in stories. "It's still going to be quite a time b'fore the ship finds 'er way to the 'arbor, so we'll be 'aving some entertainment to keep ya from gettin' rowdy."
Kuwabara excitedly said something about dinner and dancing, but he was unfortunately wrong.
"The preliminary battles of the tournament will be fought 'ere on me trusty ship."
The excitement from Kuwabara's face drained away in an instant. "Say what?!"
"A preliminary for the competition," Hiei explained.
"Now that we can't go anywhere…" Kurama gravely added.
The entire ship began to vibrate underneath their feet, and a loud mechanical whirring sound overshadowed any complaints from the demons about the sudden proclamation and Kuwabara's cries about an earthquake over the water. The ship's deck slowly split in two, and the edges spread out over the sides of the ship, making it seem like the ship had sprouted rectangular wings. Somehow, Hiei and Miwa managed to keep their balance on the ship's railing. A large, circular ring rose from the chasm the deck had opened up, and a glistening stone arena towered above them. Miwa briefly wondered about whether or not the ship was able to balance with such a gigantic arena being lifted so high up, but the rumbling of the arena's mechanisms quieted down, and the ship continued on through the blue water as strong as ever before. The sounds of the water below once again reaching her ears and the sight of the stone arena made Miwa's fingers thirst for battle.
"Now I'll tell it to ya straight," the captain's sandpaper voice continued, "Fifteen teams 'ave a'ready been chosen for the Dark Tournament. They're awaiting yer arrival. That means out of all of you on my ship, only one team will compete on dry land."
The sounds of the water were drowned out by the loud complaints of the other demon teams, and somewhere deep inside, Miwa had the strong urge to make them all shut up. Of course, she could easily understand their frustration. None of them had been informed this was how the tournament was going to work, so they all were rightfully angry. But, it's not as if the tournament committee had ever cared about doing things fairly, even without such a hated team like them participating, and Miwa had a feeling the odds were only going to be stacked higher against them soon enough.
"Hold on, I thought that we were the special guests?" Kuwabara asked.
"This is the way they operate," Hiei answered simply.
The captain and his sandpaper voice explained the rules of the preliminary battles. Each team on the ship would send one member to the ship's arena, and the winning team would be decided by a battle royale. The last demon standing (the captain was sure to stress the word "alive.") would move on to fight on Hanging Neck Island. The promise of a huge bloodbath calmed the angry crowd very quickly, and where there were complaints just moments before arose cheers of excitement and anticipation. At times, demons could really be such simple creatures. But on the other hand, even Kuwabara seemed interested at the thought of what he called a "big beatdown," and he began cracking his knuckles in preparation. However, some rather large demons passed by him, and they made very loud, obvious comment about their own blood lust and desire to kill the human, Yusuke Urameshi. Poor Kuwabara seemed to lose his sudden courage, and despite his desperate attempts to get Yusuke to fight on their behalf, the detective was...asleep. Miwa watched their exchange, and even though the fight could turn ugly for their team, she couldn't help but feel amused at Yusuke's refusal to wake when Kuwabara shook him by the collar and screamed directly in his face, and for a moment she noted that Yusuke looked a lot younger when his hair wasn't slicked back in his usual style. She might go so far as to say she even preferred it this way, but couldn't quite place the reason why.
Thankfully, the Masked Fighter silently volunteered to take Yusuke's place in the arena. He calmly walked through the crowd of demons twice his size, arms folded behind his back as if taking a walk through a peaceful park. He exuded an air of confidence that, despite the number of demons that would surely be against them, made it seem as if the fight would be as easy as child's play. In the meantime, Yusuke peacefully slept on.
"Hm, it seems we have a volunteer," Hiei said, and an intrigued tone was clear in his voice. "Good, I'm anxious to see what he can do." Miwa agreed, and she was glad that he sounded excited about the mysterious fighter.
"Are you serious?" Kuwabara was not so curious. "We don't know jack squat about that guy! What if he loses and we get booted from the tournament?"
Hiei still smirked confidently. "If that happens, all we have to do is kill everyone else on the boat before we reach the island. We'll say we're the right team, and no one will complain."
"You didn't have too many friends growing up, did you…"
Miwa giggled quietly to herself. Kuwabara still had much to learn about the ways of demons, but it was just as Hiei said. This was they way they operated. It didn't matter whether things were fair or just, only strength. The most powerful fighter, after all, would be able to stand out on top against all the odds. Perhaps some demons had a sense of honor like Kuwabara, but those types were few and far between.
Twelve fighters gathered on top of the arena, but immediately it was clear that factions were beginning to form. Instead of a battle royale like the captain said, the demons had all gathered on one side of the arena, setting up what was clearly going to be an eleven versus one assault. It was almost scary how they all came to that conclusion with barely any discussion; just a silent unanimous decision to take down the tiny fighter from the human team, who still calmly had his hands folded behind his back, and his barely visible eyes staring carefully at the foes before him. The sight sent a wave of apprehension to the Urameshi team, who could do nothing but watch as a fighter they knew nothing about would have to take on eleven bloodthirsty demons alone.
"Attack!"
The eleven demons charged towards the Masked Fighter at the captain's call, and their battle cries and loud footfalls filled the air. However, the lone fighter did not back down, and he pulled his fist back to gather his Spirit Energy. An oddly familiar blue glow enveloped his fist, and with one powerful punch, a barrage of Spirit Energy blasts barrelled through the incoming mob. Hundreds of blasts boomed over and over around them, covering the entire ship in that familiar blue light, and Team Urameshi could only stare in awe. All the demons were pushed back from the blast and overboard, and their splashes were the last thing everyone heard before a shocked silence overtook the ship. The Masked Fighter retracted his fist, and the battle was over without him sustaining even a single scratch.
"Holy crap, he got everyone up there with one blow," Kuwabara said, breaking their silence.
Kurama laughed. "I guess that explains why Yusuke can sleep so peacefully on a boat full of demons."
The captain officially declared Yusuke Urameshi's team won the right to move on to the Dark Tournament, and the Masked Fighter returned to their side from the arena. However, a sinister feeling began to overtake the previous shock, and before they could do anything about it, Team Urameshi was surrounded by the remaining members of the defeated teams. Miwa tensed up, suddenly realizing that although they won the preliminary, the number of the defeated still far outnumbered the number of the victorious, and they were not out of trouble yet. Miwa knew very well just how little demons really cared for the rules, and she had a feeling Captain Sandyvoice would do nothing to stop them.
"I think they stole my idea," Hiei said. "We'll have to make them pay very dearly for that."
"Of course," Kurama said, producing his rose.
Miwa grinned. "They will rue this day."
On a wordless cue, Miwa, Kurama, Hiei, and the Masked Fighter all leapt into action. Miwa leapt in front of the nearest railing, grinning happily at being able to hear the sounds of the crashing waves once again. Her pouch swung wildly on her back, as if to remind her of its presence, but she had no need for it. A large group of demons chased after her, arms outstretched and teeth bared. Their blind rush towards her was almost comical, and it also seemed too easy. Still, Miwa did not care. The sound of water in her ears awakened something in her, a sensation of power she had not felt in a long time.
She raised her hands up to her shoulders, arms open wide as if to accept a hug, and the ocean water rose behind her in a large arch. Miwa brought her hands forward in a motion that looked like she was giving the incoming demons a gift. The water arch behind her stretched over her head and landed behind the group of demons running towards her. The boat lurched under the sudden weight on one side, but no one lost their balance. Miwa jumped high into the air once again, and like a twisted game of jump rope, the demons were trapped in the water arch and forced over the railing. Their screams were replaced by bubbles escaping their throat, and they were pulled into the sea below.
She landed back on the ship's deck, but the demons were not through with her yet. A new wave of demons approached, and Miwa decided to resort to some of her usual tactics. Her pouch burst open and the water flew to her aid. Miwa spun through the new wave, swinging her arms in circles around her as if she were dancing, and the water followed her movements, slicing up any demon that was unfortunate enough to be in its path. When the second wave had fallen, she could hear the sound of metallic scratching and groans. Miwa ran back to the railing and carefully peered over. Some of the demons she had pulled into the ocean had survived the first assault and were using their claws to climb back up the side of the boat.
A particularly ugly green one plucked some coarse hair from his head and flung it up at her. They pierced through the air with the stiffness of needles, but Miwa dodged easily by pulling her head back. Keeping her grip loose on the railing, Miwa leapt and pushed herself off from the railing in a graceful back flip overboard. Unlike the demons before her, Miwa did not fall into the water, but instead landed on it by using her Spirit Energy to increase the surface tension of the water below her feet to support her weight. She stood on top of a glowing patch of the ocean's surface surrounded by demons who were both clamoring up the side of the ship and just struggling to keep their heads above water.
Miwa grinned, revealing that her canines had grown larger, like fangs. She let out an excited hiss passed through her teeth, and she extended her hands once more. This time, thin pillars of water rose up out of the water, strongly resembling the tentacles of an octopus. The water tentacles shot towards the demons climbing up the side of the boat and wrapped tightly around their ankles. A simple tug was all it took for them to come sliding down back to the water, and some even left trails of their claws against the side of the ship as they tried to slow their descent. All of the demons found themselves submerged once again, and Miwa slightly lowered her arms with her palms facing down. Below the surface, Miwa had a strong grip on every demon's ankle, and no matter how hard they tried to swim, they would never see the surface again.
Miwa looked at the amount of water surrounding her. In the three years of living in the human world, she had never felt more alive than at that moment. The surface of the ocean had grown calm, and the sunken demons were so far deep that Miwa could not even see them. The moonlight glistened beautifully over the surface, It had been so long since she could control so much water. It was so pleasant; so nostalgic. She had to relish the feeling as much as she could. She knew very well that once they reached Hanging Neck Island, she would never have this chance once the tournament began. She would again be surrounded by land, far away from any water source aside from the pouch on her back, but she didn't care. Toguro dragged all of them into this corrupt tournament against their will. The wretched tournament committee made sure that all odds would be stacked against the human team. For all she knew, this could be the last time she would ever feel so free.
"Miwa...do you think we can win?"
If they had no choice but to participate, then so be it.
If they had to be the team that everyone wanted to kill, then so be it.
She would play by their rules, because if they wanted to survive, then just like she told Kuwabara, they had to.
Notes: Miwa's dedication to her oath is very similar to Kuwabara and his honor code, so I think they can understand each other very well. Hiei has his own honor code, but he disagrees with Miwa's methods. Some bits of Miwa's backstory were revealed in this chapter, but most of them are just hints to the larger picture, so unfortunately for you readers, I am being intentionally vague. Like I said before, a lot will be revealed during this arc, and I'm very excited to explore what all these hints mean through the Dark Tournament.
On another note, the story slightly diverts here since the teams now have six members instead of five. Obviously, I could not write out Genkai's role, nor could anyone be delegated to the "Substitute" position since it's an important part of the Finals. However, like Miwa says, demons are all about more fights and more blood, and they don't care about fairness, so I thought a six-member team would be an interesting twist. Miwa will have her own battles throughout the tournament, and I can't wait for you to see them.