Chapter 9: Binding Chains
Kurama was in a lot of trouble.
Gama's defeat by Kurama manipulating his Rose Whip simply turning his neck was an impressive feat, but his Spirit Energy imprisoned inside his already immobilized body because of Gama's last curse put him in incredible danger for his next battle with Touya, the Ice Master. By the rules of the tournament, Kurama was delegated as the next fighter for Team Urameshi since he was still standing in the ring. He had managed to stall enough time for Gama's first curse to wear off, thankfully returning his body's mobility, but without Kurama's Spirit Energy, there was no way he could attack.
Touya was fully aware of how dangerous Kurama could be just by his intelligence alone, so he refused to give Kurama any time to think. He enclosed the ring in a dome of ice-cold air, cutting off Kurama from the safety of outside the ring, where Yusuke and Miwa desperately tried to convince him to withdraw from the fight. Kurama ignored them, and Touya relentlessly attacked him with long-range strikes of icy shards that easily cut through Kurama's skin. Kurama's white clothes, which had only been dyed with Gama's purple blood, was slowly becoming stained with his own red color. Rips and tears appeared all over his sleeves, exposing his bleeding wounds to the icy cold air, but Kurama continued to stall for time: running away from Touya's attacks, trying to force Touya to talk for as long as possible, and even smearing Gama's blood with his own to negate its effects.
Everything, from the smeared blood on Kurama's chest to his desperate attempts to stall for time, all of it made Miwa's heart feel like it was bleeding.
Kurama tried to summon his Rose Whip, but all it brought him was more pain. Traces of his Spirit Energy lingered in his blood, but even with all the bleeding he has done, it wasn't enough to even transform his weapon.
And Touya knew it fully well. "To release enough of it to beat me," he said, "you'd have to bleed yourself dry."
As Kurama forced himself to stand again, asking Touya more questions about the Shinobi's plans for Hanging Neck Island as their prize, Touya slowly realized just how dangerous Kurama was as an opponent. Despite the blood speckles all over the white arena floor, none of Touya's ice attacks made direct hits. Kurama had blocked all of his most vital areas with his own body, just delaying for more time. Once Touya figured it out, he refused to drag the fight on any longer. He did not entertain Kurama's question and summoned a sword of ice around his right forearm.
It was clear. He intended to finish this fight quickly.
"Kurama…" Yusuke cried.
In the distance, Hiei stood up from his perch on the medical tent table, as if he intended to bust through the forcefield trapping him if that's what it took.
The audience's cheers grew louder, expecting a barbaric finish with heads rolling on the ground.
As for Miwa...her voice would not even come out. She had no words, and for the first time since the tournament began, she felt emotionally numb despite Kurama's peril. She stared at the dome Touya created around the ring. If she reached for it, the energy may strike at her, and the freezing temperature would prickle at her skin, but she would have no problem going through. Jumping in the arena and saving him would be so easy; it's what she would have done if the circumstances were normal. The dome may be separating them, but Miwa knew deep in her heart that it was the rules of the tournament holding her back. She can't help him, even if it would be easy for her. And...she also promised Hiei. She promised that she would hold herself back as much as possible, because Team Urameshi can't afford an emotional wildcard like her who may end up disqualifying them all.
Miwa looked back to the ring, and Kurama dodged every single swing from Touya's ice sword.
The only thing separating them...the only thing keeping her from saving his life...was the rules.
"You live too strictly by your own rules. Kurama doesn't need a babysitter, and you know that."
Even in her memory, Hiei's disapproval of her lifestyle rang as clearly as it did that day in the bamboo forest.
"But I live by them because I want to."
"You're just making excuses."
She didn't respond to him that time. She didn't know what to say.
...Excuses… for what?
Kurama's scream of pain yanked Miwa from her thoughts. Touya's sword finally landed a hit, and a huge gash up Kurama's left arm spurted blood high into the air as he fell face first into the ground. Despite the excited screams from the audience, all Miwa could hear was the sound of Kurama's scream, playing in her head over and over again, reverberating in her mind like the echo in a dark cave. Did he scream like this back then too? Back during the first time she had lost him? She didn't know. She wasn't there to help him.
"Son of a friggin' bitch, Kurama! Don't get up!" Yusuke screamed, bringing Miwa back to reality once more. "Just let us take over! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Miwa opened her mouth, but still no words would come. Her mouth was completely dry, and it felt as if a lump in her throat was holding her voice down. But it didn't really matter. Yusuke was speaking for her, because he felt the same way. Trapped behind the rules, desperately wanting to save a life but unable to. But as Kurama forced himself back up, he looked back at Yusuke and Miwa. Blood dripped down to the marble arena floor, and it dribbled down his arm like a fountain, but Kurama's eyes were still calm, confident, as if he was still planning to win against all the odds.
"Let me do what I must," was all he said to them.
Yusuke eventually nodded, but Miwa...she couldn't bring herself to do it. Even though his confidence assured her that he still had a plan, it just made her feel anxious. Kurama knew how to read her so easily, but she could read him too. She has been watching him, and only him, for years, decades, as long as they have known each other. Kurama had a plan, and he was confident that it would work, but the look in his eyes was exactly the same as when he first proposed his plan to use the Forlorn Hope. Kurama had a plan...but at what cost?
"I'm going to end your life in one blow," Touya said, "Prepare yourself."
Kurama let go of his wounded arm to sink into another fighting stance, but in another scream of pain he clutched at it again, and Miwa did not miss the slight twitching of his fingers over the bloody gash. Miwa knew Kurama well. She has been watching him for as long as they have known each other, and she knew exactly what he had just done. She knew exactly what those twitching fingers meant. It was not a gesture to try and sooth the pain. He was planting the seed for his next attack, his plan that would end this fight once and for all.
But at what cost?
"Kurama, what are you doing?!" Miwa was already screaming before she realized her voice had even returned. "You're going to kill yourself this way!" She was barely aware that she began taking steps towards the ring, and her throat burned from the screams. "I'm not gonna los-"
Her screams were cut short as Yusuke grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She whirled around and yanked her arm free, ready to attack him for getting in her way, but the look on his face stopped her. His big, brown eyes, the very same eyes that inspired courage in her, those eyes bore into her very soul. He understood. He was just as worried, just as fearful for Kurama's life as Miwa, but he was also ready to put his trust in Kurama's judgement.
"He's made his choice, Miwa," Yusuke said, smiling at her as best he could. "Now he needs you to believe in him too."
Miwa wanted to scream at him. That Yusuke didn't know what Kurama was about to do. That he hasn't known Kurama as long as she. That he didn't understand the pain she went through the first time she lost Kurama. How lost she felt when the people around her told her he was dead. How empty and meaningless her life became when her purpose for living had disappeared. How hard she worked to find him again. Miwa's newly found voice was pounding at the back of her lips, itching to come out, begging to tell Yusuke everything that was running through her mind.
But she couldn't do it, she couldn't shout at him...because Yusuke was right. Miwa, of all people, should be the one believing in Kurama the most. If she didn't, then her oath to him was worthless.
Miwa took a deep breath and returned her focus to the fight. Touya was running towards Kurama, sword extended, and despite the dread weighing heavily in her chest, Miwa forced herself to watch. From underneath Kurama's sleeve, bright green vines wormed their way out at an alarming speed. The plant weaved around his hands into a blade that stabbed through Touya's chest, and the other vines captured his Ice Sword in mid-air. For a moment, everyone froze as they tried to process just what happened, but the answer was clear as day. From Kurama's freshly opened wound, a plant of the Demon World had sprouted to do his bidding.
"Insane…" Touya said, eyes wide in shock, "You actually sewed the Death Plant seed into your own body."
"It was my only option," Kurama grunted, "My power is locked inside. By inserting the seed into my open wound, the plant could enter my bloodstream and take root in my imprisoned energy."
Touya collapsed to the ground, and Koto made her count to ten, but Miwa felt her heart sink. Kurama won the match, but such a dangerous plant was crawling around inside Kurama's body. She could vaguely hear Yusuke and Kuwabara celebrating behind her and the complaints of the audience, but Miwa just waited for the inevitable. Soon, that plant would take its effect on the already wounded Kurama, and whether he lived or died was something she could not control, even if she ran up to the arena right at that moment.
Feeling completely helpless, Miwa's fingernails dug into her palms once again.
Kurama asked Touya one more time about what the Shinobi wanted to do with the island. He talked about regret, and light, and how he hoped the Shinobi could have lived a more nobler life than he, should they ever obtained that light. It would be a lie if Miwa said that Kurama has never committed terrible deeds in his life, but there were very few that she could name. Surely, there were many things that he regretted in his long life: people he stole from, people whose lives he ruined, people he killed; but Kurama never shared any of that guilt with her, even though she knew fully well that it was there. He hid it inside himself, like a cross that only he should bear, and sharing that burden was the one thing he never asked her to do, even if she would have gladly done so.
Then, Kurama's hands went limp at his side, his head hung from his shoulders, and his eyes closed as if he were going to sleep. Miwa held her breath with her fists clenched tight, and her lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen, but Miwa did not move one inch. Would Kurama live through the consequences of his plan? Or would he leave her forever right in front of her eyes?
I don't want to lose him again...
Koto slowly approached Kurama's still body, preparing to give the verdict of his condition. She brought her ear close to his chest, and it twitched slightly, checking for any sign of life. "Wait, people! Kurama still has a faint heartbeat!" Koto announced. "He seems to have slipped into unconsciousness while still on his feet!"
The audience screamed loudly in protest, and Miwa let her knees buckle as she sank to the ground in relief. She released the breath that she was holding, feeling the tension of the fight leave her body. Her lungs still burned, she could barely hear the screams around her, and once again, her voice would not come out for any words, but although the miracle that Kurama survived literally brought her to her knees, a small voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that the Death Plant was still taking root in his body. Its ominous name flashed in her mind like a beacon through the haze of her relief, and Miwa pressed both hands onto the ground to force herself back on her feet. The match may be won, but Kurama was not out of the woods yet, and she had an idea.
I need to talk to Yusuke… There is still something I can do...
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere!" Yusuke said, and the life was returning back to his eyes. "And hey, Fox Girl, just so we're clear: the rest of the fights go to us!"
Miwa still hadn't found her voice yet, but she stood alongside Yusuke, ready to step into the arena if need be. Her priority right then was getting Kurama out of harm's way.
"Not so fast," a deep voice said from the other side of the ring, and a huge, muscular man with scars on both sides of his face approached Kurama and Koto. He had an air of smug confidence that made Miwa begin to feel angry. This man did not have anything good planned for the unconscious redhead. "You forgot something. He's standing in the ring," he said with his deep voice, grinning smugly at Kurama's unconscious face, and Miwa's blood ran cold. "Yes, it looks to me as if he's volunteering to fight again."
"Give me a break! Kurama's not even conscious anymore!" Yusuke screamed, and Miwa once again felt as if Yusuke was speaking her thoughts aloud. "He's not fighting! One of us will take his place!"
Koto looked back and forward between the new fighter and Yusuke, struggling with the conflicting rules in an unusual situation. At first, she was going to approve Yusuke's request as the Team Captain's decision, but the Tournament Committee interrupted them all with a chilling announcement that the next fight would be Kurama vs Bakken.
"What!?"
"A fighter standing in the ring cannot be removed from the ring against his will," the announcer lady explained with no concern for the utter crap she was saying. "As will cannot be determined here, the fighter remains."
With the committee's twisted approval, Bakken seemed really happy to have gotten his way, and he picked up Koto by her collar. He easily tossed her aside, saying that they would not need her anymore, since they were making the rules now. It all seemed incredibly convenient for Team Masho with so many rulings seemingly in their favor. Not that it wasn't unusual at this point for the rules to be biased against Team Urameshi, but this round in particular was just...blatantly corrupt. Team Masho must have someone powerful backing them, Miwa realized, if it gives a useless thug like this guy that level of smug confidence. The feeling of dread in Miwa's stomach changed to a bubbling anger. From the moment he first spoke, Miwa did not have a good feeling about Bakken, but as his intentions were becoming clearer, her anger was slowly turning into hatred.
Bakken continued to grin smugly at his new target. He pulled back his large, balled up fist and threw a heavy punch right into Kurama's face. Kurama flew to the side and his body slammed to the ground. He lay there motionless, unconscious, and maybe unaware of the pain as of yet, but he was completely defenseless against an idiot letting his position of power get to his head. Bakken calmly walked towards Kurama's helpless body and kicked him in the side to roll him.
"Kurama's definitely down, Bakken," Koto interrupted from the ringside. "Step away so I can start the count!"
She began her count, but Bakken wasn't going to allow the farce to end with a simple ten count. He walked over to Kurama and, just as easily as he did Koto, he picked him up by the collar and brought the unconscious man to his feet.
"Oh look, he's on his feet again. I guess that means he wants more." Bakken held onto Kurama's collar tightly, and he punched Kurama in the stomach once more. Kurama's limp body folded over Bakken's fist from the impact. Bakken punched him over and over until Kurama's collar ripped right out of Bakken's grasp and he fell motionless to the arena floor once again.
"Stop the fight!" Yusuke screamed.
Since the beginning of the tournament, there have been a couple situations where Miwa felt herself struggling to hold back. Roto's threat against Shiori's life to force Kurama to take a beating had made her so angry that Hiei had to remind her of her promise. Gama literally immobilized him and he only narrowly escaped. Touya had brought Kurama the closest to death he had ever been since his plan with the Forlorn Hope. Throughout all of it, Miwa forced herself to hold back, because somewhere deep inside herself, she truly did believe that Kurama could somehow pull through, either with his wits or his stubborn will to live. He always had. Every time.
But this was different.
If Kurama is not even conscious, if he doesn't even have the ability to somehow pull through, then Bakken was just a threat. A big, ugly, smug threat, and Miwa took an oath to eliminate all threats against Kurama's life, no matter the cost.
I'm going to kill him...
Miwa's fists shook violently at her sides. Small, sharp streaks of pain and a warm, sticky feeling enveloping her palm warned her that her fingernails had pierced her skin, but Miwa didn't stop. With Hiei trapped in the medical tent, those sharp streaks of pain were the only things keeping her from jumping into the ring and slicing off Bakken's smug, ugly head. She hated Bakken. She hated this tournament. She hated her promise to hold herself back. She hated how the rules prevented her from doing anything. Rules weren't even tangible things. They weren't physically chaining her to the ground to keep her from interfering with the fight. Rules had no hands to pull her from leaping into the arena should she lose her self-control.
Rules are like binding chains only because Miwa lets them stop her.
Beside her, she could sense Yusuke's Spirit Energy rising, and in the distance, she could also feel Hiei's Spirit Energy clashing with the forcefield Ruka created. They were angry; just as angry as her, but unlike her, Hiei or Yusuke never had a problem with breaking the rules. They had been graciously following the rules of the tournament so far, but Miwa knew that Yusuke would break them without hesitation if he had to. And Hiei, he would never let someone else control him if it interfered with his goals. They both had such strong convictions. If they had to fight everyone in the stadium until their goals were met, they would do it. Just because they wanted to.
Bakken picked up Kurama by his ripped collar again, and it seemed that he was about to end the absolute farce of a fight for good. He pulled his fist back again, and Miwa heard Yusuke audibly gasp beside her. Both his and Hiei's Spirit Energy flared up, and at the same time, Miwa felt a strange sense of camaraderie between them. Whatever happened next, they would do it together, and it gave her the courage to release the hold on the anger she tried so hard to hold back. It would be dangerous for the three of them to launch an assault. But surprising even herself, Miwa realized that she really didn't care.
To hell with these rules. I'm not losing him again...
She lifted her hand, and the cover of her pouch opened with a sharp pop.
"Bakken, stop."
In mid-punch, Bakken's fist stopped just before Kurama's face. He retracted his fist and turned to the tallest Team Masho member with his cloak still on. "But why, Risho?" Bakken asked.
"Lay him outside of the ring," a calm, authoritative voice said.
"But he's killed our sect members!"
"Yes, and if you had landed that punch, you would have died as well."
Bakken turned around, discovering for the first time the imminent threat on his life. Yusuke held up his hand in preparation for his Spirit Gun, and his angry glare showed the strength of his conviction to fire that blast if Kurama were hurt. Miwa also had her hand raised, one extended directly at Bakken with a glowing coil of water ready to strike. Was this breaking her promise to Hiei? Miwa wasn't sure. They hadn't broken the rules, not yet anyway, but their intention to interfere was undeniably why Risho told Bakken to stop. But really, Miwa didn't have time to think about that. The only thing going through her mind was the insane desire to kill anyone who hurt Kurama even more. The anger and rage pulsated through her veins, like a murderous mantra, giving more power and intent to the strike that had yet to be. The fact that she stopped her attack at Risho's warning was a miracle on its own, but if that smug bastard pushed her just the slightest bit more…
I'm going to kill him...
Something in Bakken's expression changed. He seemed to want to retreat from Yusuke and Miwa's stares, and small beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Fine, take your precious buddy," he said, carelessly tossing Kurama to the grass outside the arena.
A frustrated Koto declared that the match was over, and the scoreboard changed to reflect the first win for Team Masho.
Yusuke gently lifted Kurama in his arms and propped him up against the edge of the arena. Miwa followed him, but she did not break eye contact with Bakken. She glared at him every step along the way, radiating her hatred with her entire being, but even Bakken taking one retreating step back did nothing to smooth her rage. When Kurama was safely propped up, Miwa finally broke contact and took a moment to examine his condition. The Death Plant looked as vibrant as ever, probably delighting in the blood and Spirit Energy it nested in, even twitching every so often. Since Kurama was no longer commanding it for battle, it seemed to have settled down for the time being, but that didn't mean the plant wasn't still growing. Miwa pressed her fingers gently on Kurama's neck, and although weak, a rhythmic pulse lightly bounced underneath her touch.
"Do you think he's gonna be okay?" Yusuke asked.
"It'll take a lot of energy to remove that plant," Miwa explained, "but as long as he is unconscious, the plant will keep growing inside his bloodstream."
Yusuke looked worriedly over the wound from which the Death Plant sprouted. Luckily, the bleeding had slowed down, but the sight of a plant growing out of an arm was really unpleasant. "You'll be alright," Yusuke whispered, as if to comfort Kurama in this plight.
"Yusuke," Miwa said slowly, looking down at her hands. "It's extremely unfair for me to ask this of you, but do you think you can fight three of them alone?"
Yusuke looked up, confused. "Three?"
"There's still four members of Team Masho left, including Bakken," Miwa explained. "We don't know when Kurama will regain consciousness, and I think I can help stall the Death Plant, but…" she paused and forced herself to look Yusuke in the eye. "...I'll likely be knocked unconscious afterward."
Yusuke's eyes widened. "...What are you trying to say?"
Miwa clenched her fists, and more blood dribbled out of the open wounds on her palm. "I can't forgive Bakken for what he has done, so please just let me take this fight. I'll help Kurama once I win, but...you'd have to take on the remaining three on your own."
A quiet moment passed between them as Yusuke considered her proposal. Miwa felt horrible asking this of him. For Yusuke to fight three members while she only fought one was just incredibly unfair, and the odds were already against them from the start. But she couldn't let this slide, despite any promises she has made. Her life centered around Kurama. She would do whatever she needed to for his sake, even ask Yusuke for this ridiculous request, no matter how much she respected him.
...What am I doing?
Yusuke looked over to the remaining members of Team Masho. Of the remaining four, he would have to fight three: Jin, Risho, and the one who had yet to reveal his name. For a moment, Miwa was scared that Yusuke would turn her down and fight Bakken himself, but then he looked back at her.
"Do what you gotta do," he answered, smiling slightly. "If you're here taking care of him, then I can take down three no problem."
"...Thank you." Miwa stood up and slipped the strap of her pouch over her shoulder. She gently tossed it over to Yusuke, who fumbled to catch the sudden presentation. "There are salves in the front pocket that should help with his wounds. If you see the plant causing him pain, just release a bit of your Spirit Energy, and it will try lash out at you instead of him." She turned her back to him and jumped into the arena where Bakken was waiting.
"Hey, don't you need this?" Yusuke asked, holding up her pouch over his head. He had already grabbed the small containers of salves Miwa had stored away. "You can't forget your weapon."
Miwa did not turn back to answer him. She only glared right at Bakken. "I don't need it," she said. "I know who he is, and I'm going to kill him with his own technique."
Yusuke stared at her, wide-eyed, but he lowered the pouch back to the ground. "Miwa…"
Bakken's forehead still glistened with beads of sweat, but his deep, mocking laughter brought a smile to his face. "Oh really? So you're familiar with the Shinobi."
Miwa returned his laughter with a cocky smile of her own, revealing that her canines had grown into sharp fangs. "Information is my specialty," she said, gently running her tongue over the sharpened points.
...What am I doing?
"And the fourth match: Bakken versus Miwa. Begin!"
Bakken stepped back at the sight of Miwa's fangs. Her expression seemed very different from before. During his fight with Kurama, both Miwa and Yusuke showed clear signs of anger towards him, but now...now Miwa seemed very calm. Her eyes never stopped glaring at him, but that smile of hers with the sudden fangs just brimmed with absolute certainty that she would follow through with her threat. And as a Water Apparition...
"Don't let her intimidate you, Bakken," Risho scolded behind him. "If you're stronger than her weakened human disguise, then she can't use your technique against you."
Bakken glanced at the small pouch that Yusuke had laid on the ground. Risho was right. If that small amount of water was all she had to throw around, it should be just as easy a fight as with Kurama. With his newfound confidence, Bakken clenched his fists and teeth. His large muscles flexed as he hunched over and let out loud, pained grunts. His bulging muscles stretched out his dark skin, seeming to push out drops of sweat through every pore on his body. The sweat pooled into a foul-smelling puddle at his feet, and his clothes soaked up any drop that did not make it to the ground.
Miwa, needless to say, was not impressed. "Charming," was all she had to say.
"You'll soon be eating your words, Demon Traitor," Bakken answered, and he held up his clenched fists above his head. "Mystical Powers of the Shinobi: White Mist!"
Bakken's Spirit Energy flared to life, not just from his body, but from the pool of sweat surrounding him. Then, just like the hundreds of sweat drops, white smoke expelled itself from Bakken's body at an incredible speed. The smoke quickly enveloped the ring, the audience, and the entire stadium. Before long, Bakken's large, imposing body faded into the thick, white mist. Miwa glanced around and held up her hand. She could only see a faint outline of her palm when it was mere inches from her face, so in this mist, she was effectively blind. The mist, made from Bakken's own sweat and Spirit Energy, held it's own, strange energy signature, and it completely masked Bakken's location from her. However, Miwa was sure that strange signature helped Bakken know exactly where she was, and Miwa would not be able to see him until it was already too late.
"The White Mist to conceal yourself from enemies. A vital technique for someone who works in the shadows," Miwa said, and a foul taste of the mist hit her tongue when she took in a breath. Disgusted, she spit on the ground. "But mist is just drops of water suspended in the air."
"Do you think I'm afraid of you just because you're a Water Apparition?" Bakken's voice sounded muted through the thick mist. "My White Mist is saturated with my own Spirit Energy. You'll never be able to take control of it!"
Miwa smiled, baring her fangs once more. "You'll be eating those words."
...What am I doing?
Miwa raised her arms once more, but instead of the straight, powerful swings that her friends had become accustomed to, this time her arms were curved close to her body. Her right shoulder turned forward and her left elbow bent at nearly a right angle with her arm pressed close to her chest. Her right arm bent in a similar angle, but it was held forward and in front of her face. Both her palms faced the ground and bent at her wrist, and her fingers were held together tightly, looking like the head of some sort of creature. Miwa bared her fangs once more, her tongue poked between them as she licked her lips, and a quiet, warning hiss escaped through her teeth. At first, Bakken was confused by her change in fighting style, but even though the mist, he could see the position of her arms, her tongue poking through her fangs, and he could hear the quiet hiss.
Then he put it all together: her pose, her fangs, the hissing...it all resembled a snake.
Her hands began to glow, and a wave of her Spirit Energy released into the mist. Her blue light swept through the white cloud like a beacon across the darkness, and for a moment, Bakken feared that she had actually taken control of his mist. So he waited, sensing the condition of the mist around him, looking for any change. But there was none. The White Mist hung tranquil in the air, undisturbed, and just as concealing as before.
Bakken burst out laughing, "Nice try! Like I said, you'll never take control of my mist." Risho was right. She was just trying to intimidate him.
But Miwa kept smiling. "You'll eat those words," she repeated.
She maintained her snake pose, carefully gauging the area around her. She may not be able to see, but any shift in movement and wind would indicate Bakken's position. A muted sound of rustling air quickly approached her from her right, and through the haze, a powerful whirlwind was heading straight for her, leaving a small vortex of clean air in its wake. Miwa easily leapt out of the way, but a light breeze behind her gave away Bakken's position. Like she thought, she wouldn't be able to see his presence until it was too late. She could hear Bakken's smug laughter behind her as a huge force impaled her back. It sent her flying forward, but she spun around and dug her heels and hands into the arena floor until she skidded to a stop. The wounds her fingernails created on her palms stung from the intrusion of dirt, gravel, and the friction against the stone tiles.
"You don't even know where my attacks are coming from. Without your weapon, you have no chance!"
Miwa slowly pushed herself up and shook some gravel off her shoes. "What abysmal strength," she muttered, frowning slightly as she dusted off her bloody, dirty hands. "It's a shame this mist is all you really have."
"What did you say?!"
"Tell me, Bakken," Miwa said, ignoring Bakken's frustration and continuing to tidy herself up. "What do you know about the true form of Water Apparitions?"
"...What?"
"So, nothing, just as I expected." Miwa resumed her snake pose, and her hands began to glow again. "Most demons associate us with the Ice Apparitions because our abilities are similar, but they couldn't be more wrong." The blue glow reflected onto the mist around her, and soon that reflection spread to all the mist in the stadium. The White Mist, which just hung still in the air like a cloud with no breeze, began to shift and spiral about. "We distanced ourselves from our true name long ago due to prejudice and fear, but I am going to bring us back." The mist gathered in front of Miwa, spiraling in front of her like water running down a drain, and slowly, the faint silhouette of Yusuke came into focus.
...What am I doing?
"Dammit, what are you doing to my mist?!" Bakken yelled.
"Did you really think I failed to take control?" Miwa mocked. Behind her, Yusuke was becoming more and more visible, and he looked wildly from side to side, trying to figure out just what was going on now that his vision was restored. "It just took some time for my poison to take effect."
"P-Poison?" Bakken stuttered.
Miwa bared her fangs once more, and the gentle shifting of the mist suddenly picked up speed. The spiral of mist in front of Miwa quickly gathered more, and eventually all the mist in the stadium gathered in front of her snake-like hands. With one final flash of blue light, the mist condensed into a large floating ball of white, foggy, liquid water hovering in front of Miwa and under her complete control. With the White Mist gone, all of the color seemed to be restored to the tournament stadium. Yusuke, Team Urameshi, Team Masho, and the whole audience could see them again, and with all of the eyes on him, Bakken suddenly felt vulnerable, and Miwa's initial threat echoed through his mind.
"M...My mist!"
"My Spirit Energy...my poison has been working its way into the White Mist all this time, overcoming your own pathetic powers and making it my own." Miwa straightened her arms diagonally from her sides, the pose that everyone was familiar with, and the white mist-water slithered around her arm in a long coil, but unlike the water stream Miwa normally used, this one seemed to have a face. At the edge of her right hand, the coil leered menacingly at Bakken, like it was about to lash out and bite into its prey, and that realization made him step back again.
"This is amazing!" Koto's voice cut in, "Miwa has taken complete control over Bakken's technique!"
Yusuke watched the white coil as it slithered over Miwa's arms, and he realized that to him, it looked like Miwa created a white snake made of water. Yusuke found himself turning to look at the stadium screen, where the characters that made up Miwa's name shone the same color white as the snake she created. The 'looping snake...'
"Our truest name is mizuchi, the water snake," Miwa smiled again, and she extended her hand forward so her white snake targeted Bakken's shaking body. "Let me say it again: I'm going to kill you, Bakken, with your own technique."
Bakken's shaking knees finally gave way, and like a frightened child he scampered backward to put as much distance between him and Miwa as he could. His nervous sweats returned, drenching his body, but no mist was going to save him now. "Please," he blubbered, "I...I-I didn't really mean to hurt your friend. All the excitement of the fight just got to my head!" The snake created from his mist slowly slithered against Miwa's arm, but she did not say anything. "I'm sorry!" he started blabbering, and he scrambled backward once more, "Please don't kill me!"
"How pathetic," Miwa spat. "I'm a demon who always keeps my word, and even your blubbering won't barter any exception." Miwa could see the veins in Bakken's neck rapidly bulging from his fearful racing pulse. The terror in his eyes was such a lovely contrast from his smug confidence before, for he knew that the moment his mist disappeared, his fate was sealed, and death was imminent. "I'll say it one more time: You will eat your words, Bakken, and I will kill you with your own technique."
Bakken found strength in adrenaline, and he managed to stumble to his feet despite his shaking legs and the fear running rampant in his mind. He turned his back to Miwa's frightening gaze and ran, nearly tripping over his own feet, but before he could even scream, before he could even take two steps, a cold, wet substance wrapped itself around his mouth and nose. He skidded to a halt and looked down, just barely seeing a familiar white substance keeping him from breathing. It was Miwa's white snake, wrapping itself around his head like a snake capturing its prey. Bakken kept himself from screaming with everything he had, he couldn't allow any water to infiltrate his mouth, but without any chance to take a breath before being captured, his lungs already burned from the stress and fear.
I'm going to drown, he realized. She's going to drown me with my own sweat!
"And Miwa is certainly proving to be one of the more ruthless members of Team Urameshi," Koto commented excitedly, "Bakken's in serious trouble if he can't find some way to breathe!"
Bakken frantically grasped at the white snake, hoping to claw himself free in order to breathe, but the snake wasn't even solid. His hand passed through the snake's skin, just like sticking his hand into a pond, but he kept trying, clawing at his face over and over to try and pry himself free. But nothing worked. Water was known for not having a solid mass, and Miwa's powers held it fast to his face. Bakken felt himself getting lightheaded, and his vision began to cloud over. In desperation, Bakken slapped his hand against his face, still blocking the air, but the snake no longer was going to drown him. He had to think. How could he get out of this? Bakken tried to form his hand into a small cup, giving himself space to breathe again, but the water snake seeped its way between his fingers, and in a panic, Bakken couldn't stop himself from gasping, and the salty water began sloshing around in his mouth. He swallowed the foul-tasting sweat and coughed out of disgust, but that only let in more water. It crossed Bakken's mind that maybe he could free himself by drinking the sweat making up the snake. The thought made his stomach churn, and he nearly retched as
He remembered the taste of the sweat he already swallowed, but death was certainly much worse. Committing to his last resort, he opened his mouth as wide as he could, preparing for the cascade of sweat.
"Such resolve, but I won't let you get out of this."
Miwa's snake hands began to glow again, and the white snake slithered itself free from Bakken's head. The fool took a huge gasp of air, finally reunited with oxygen, but his wide-open mouth made it easier for Miwa. The snake turned in the air and launched itself right for Bakken's face, but instead of wrapping around his nose and mouth, it slithered right into his open mouth and down his throat.
"Woah!" Koto screamed.
The audience cringed, and Miwa heard Yusuke gasp loudly in shock. Kuwabara made a loud retching noise and Botan visibly shivered, but Bakken's reaction was the most violent. One hand went up to his throat while the other pounded desperately at his chest. He gagged and coughed up drops of white sweat, eyes bulged nearly out of its sockets, and a small trickle of what was once the white snake dribbled down his cheek. Bakken looked like he was trying to scream, to grasp for air, but no sound came out. He kept bashing his chest and stomach, hoping to puke out what Miwa forced him to swallow, but it was useless. Miwa did not make him drink the white snake, she had forced it down his windpipe and into his lungs. Seconds passed by with continued beatings against Bakken's chest, but the white snake did not reappear, and eventually, Bakken fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground.
He was dead.
Koto excitedly examined the body. "I don't think I need to count this one. The winner by death is Miwa!"
The audience did not complain at her this time. The shock of the white snake had stunned them all to silence, but Miwa did not pay any attention. Without even waiting for Koto's verdict, Miwa already returned to the ringside where Yusuke was waiting. She knelt down next to the still unconscious Kurama, finally calm after her vengeance had been complete; even her fangs were reduced to their normal size. She checked over Kurama's condition, and the Death Plant seemed to have made very little headway. His pulse was even regaining strength. Miwa let out a relieved sigh, and her natural smile finally returned. There was still time to save him.
...What did I just do?
In the back of her mind, she had asked herself that same question over and over. Why did she chose to fight? Her answer was to get revenge for Kurama, to make Bakken pay for his arrogance, and while it settled her anger, that answer didn't make any sense. Her priority above all else was Kurama, to be whatever it was he needed of her, to ensure his safety and survival before her own life. But she had just sighed in relief that her fight with Bakken was quick enough to still save Kurama. Instead of immediately attending to his wounds, like she had always done, she entrusted his care to Yusuke while all she did was vent her anger and hatred. If her initial examination was in any way wrong, Kurama could have died while she was up in the ring. No matter how much she respected Yusuke, she would have never forgiven herself for that.
"So you think you can help him?" Yusuke asked.
Miwa glanced at him. She reflected back on the moments that lead to her fighting Bakken. She had sensed Yusuke and Hiei preparing for battle, no matter what the rules would have to say against them, and it was that feeling of shared anger that made Miwa feel as if she could be like them. They were such opposites of her, who lived strongly by the rules she imposed on herself, and it almost made her want to laugh.
You're something else, Yusuke Urameshi, to make me want to forget my own rules.
"I won't be able to remove the plant on my own," Miwa said, deciding to deliberate over her own rule-breaking later, "but I can stall its movement long enough for Kurama to wake up if I take control of the water inside the Death Plant."
Yusuke's eyes widened. "You can do that?"
Miwa nodded. "It won't be as easy as taking control of Bakken's mist. The water will be mixed with Kurama's Spirit Energy and the Life Energy of the Death Plant itself, but I can stop it from moving deeper into his body, and it will lash out at me instead because I'm the immediate threat."
Miwa did not tell him that she wouldn't be able to overcome the Life Energy of the plant with her Spirit Energy alone. She did not tell him it would take her own Life Energy to overcome the plant's life force and gain control of the water inside. It wouldn't be enough to put her life in serious danger, since it was just a plant, so she was sure that at most she would just be knocked unconscious for the rest of the match, but if Kurama didn't wake up…
She shoved that grave thought to the back of her mind. Her priority was Kurama's safety now. There was no need for such thoughts. Yusuke also seemed worried about Miwa's plan, so she had to dispel those doubts. She turned to Yusuke and smiled confidently at him. "I'm sure you can win, Yusuke. There's something about you that just inspires confidence in people."
Yusuke looked taken aback by her compliment, but Miwa meant every word. It was the same feeling she felt when she saw him disappear into the tower at Maze Castle, the same feeling when he woke up to fight Chuu, and it was this feeling that made her glad that he was their team leader. She didn't know if Yusuke understood what she was thinking or what made her feel that way, but he returned the compliment with a thumbs up and his usual confident smile. "Right. You take care of him, okay?" he said, and Yusuke stood up. The next cloaked member of Team Masho was approaching the ring. "Any intel on this guy?"
"That's probably Todoku, the Master of Poison," Miwa answered, but unfortunately, that was all the information she could really offer him. "He's nothing much, but save your Spirit Gun for Jin and Risho, if you can."
"Got it." Yusuke disappeared from her view as he jumped into the ring to start the next fight.
With Yusuke gone, Miwa focused her attention at Kurama's wound. Yusuke had applied the salve and even cleaned up some of the blood, but the lack of blood just made the sprouting Death Plant much more apparent. Miwa took a deep breath and posed her hands like the twin snakes once more. She aimed her palms right at the Death Plant, bringing their blue glow as close to the plant as possible. For a moment, the plant did not respond. But after a while, the vibrant green vines began to twitch as it felt Miwa's Spirit Energy slowly infiltrating the water inside. In retaliation, the vines quickly lashed against Miwa's palms and forearms, striking with sharp precision that left thin cuts in her skin. But Miwa did not move. She expected the plant would attack her, so she continued to slowly take control of the water, but as she worked, small waves of dizziness and fatigue began to consume her. Even unconscious, Kurama's Spirit Energy wasn't easy to overcome, and the plant's Life Energy was putting up quite the fight, just as she expected from a plant of the Demon World. With each second that passed by, Miwa felt her strength draining and the world around her slipping away, but she forced herself to stay focused.
It didn't matter how much energy she spent, as long as she maintained control until Kurama woke up.
{00}
Yusuke thought he was looking at some kind of bipedal frog.
Todoku wasn't particularly tall nor short, but he was certainly one of the larger, pudgier members of Team Masho. His round cheeks looked oddly soft to the touch, but his green skin had a strange shine to it that looked more like slime than a well-moisturized face. His scruffy black hair sat on his head as if it had never been brushed, and his round stomach bulged underneath his black clothes accentuated with a vibrant red trim and belt.
"To think I would be the firs' of my sect to fight th' infamous Spiri' Detective," Todoku said slowly in a low, croaking voice. He seemed to have a habit of letting the tip of his thin tongue perpetually dangle over his bottom lip, like his tongue was too long to fit in his mouth, and it muffled some of his words.
"Sorry, I don't do autographs for demons who wanna kill my teammates," Yusuke answered.
"That's too bad," Todoku said, "I guess I'll take th' glory from defeatin' you instead."
Koto took that as her cue. "Round 4: Yusuke Urameshi versus Todoku! Begin!"
Yusuke raised his fists, readying himself for anything that Todoku might throw at him. Miwa warned him that Todoku was a master of poison, but she did not know how he used it. Furthermore, he needed to save his Spirit Gun if at all possible. Todoku did not appear very strong, so Yusuke hoped that a good, old fashioned fist fight would be enough to end this quickly.
Todoku's tongue slid side to side over his bottom lip, leaving a shiny trail of fresh saliva with every slide. Between his fingers, he revealed his weapon: thin, silver darts as long as his whole hand, and Todoku's nickname flashed through Yusuke's mind once again as he imagined what would happen if any of those darts pierced his skin. Todoku leapt high into the air and threw his darts at Yusuke. The silver darts did occasionally glisten in the sunlight, but they were so thin that they were really hard for Yusuke to see. Yusuke pushed off his feet to run to the side, and behind him he could hear the needles scrape against stone as they lodged themselves into the ground. So I just gotta dodge his attacks, and I'll be fine right? Yusuke asked himself. Todoku landed in the center of the ring, still licking his bottom lip with his oversized tongue.
"You're fast, Urames'i; much fas'er than me." Todoku said, and his tongue withdrew into his mouth. His cheeks bulged slightly, and like a rocket his red tongue shot out from his open mouth, stretching across the arena right for Yusuke's legs like a frog trying to capture a fly.
"Gah!" Yusuke cringed. He pivoted on his heel in mid step and changed his direction to avoid the tongue. However, the slimy, red appendage licked his ankle just below his pant leg. Yusuke smirked for a moment, feeling triumphant in dodging the disgusting attack, but a strange, prickly sensation overcame his foot right around the area Todoku's tongue grazed him, and Yusuke nearly tripped over his own feet.
He slowed his run to a complete stop, shaking his leg to try rid himself of the numbness. "Let me guess, your deal with poison isn't just for needles, huh?"
Todoku chuckled to himself, and his long tongue rolled up back into his mouth. The edge of his tongue dangled out between his lips again as it always had. "Very good, Urames'i. You were lucky to escape tha' wit' jus' a graze. Prolonged expos're would have disabled your leg completely."
Yusuke shook his foot again. His ankle prickled with every muscle spasm, but it wasn't enough to keep him from running. Not yet. He had to make sure that tongue didn't touch him again. It reminded him too much of what happened in Kurama's match with Gama. "Well, let's just hope I can keep up my speed, then," Yusuke said, smiling slightly.
Ignoring the prickly feeling in his foot, Yusuke ran forward towards Todoku as fast as he could. Todoku threw more darts in retaliation, but Yusuke dodged with a well-timed jump. The distance between him and Todoku diminished rapidly with each step, and Yusuke raised his fists. Todoku, clearly not someone who prided himself on speed, took a step backward and braced himself for the impact. Yusuke threw his fist forward with all the strength he could muster, hoping to end this fight in one punch. His fist came into contact with Todoku's face, and Yusuke could feel Todoku's slimy, pudgy skin wrapping itself around his fist as his punch made contact. Todoku was sent flying backwards in a rolling heap across the arena, and even when he slowed to a stop, he did not get up. However, Yusuke had no time to take in his success. His fist suddenly exploded with a burning, twinging pain. Yusuke let out a small cry as he inspected his fist, and he noticed that the skin of his knuckles was becoming inflamed, and small blisters began to form, as if Yusuke was burned.
Behind him, Yusuke could hear Todoku chuckling again. "What the hell," Yusuke said through gritted teeth, "Your skin is poisonous too?"
This time, Todoku laughed out loud. "Yes, Spiri' Detective. My entire body, from my tongue to my feet is covered with a layer of poison that will hur' you, even if you only touched me with the tip of your pinky finger."
Yusuke groaned. The prickly feeling in his feet was disappearing, but the burning sensation on his fist showed no signs of healing. He was right. Todoku was just like a frog. "Damn. Didn't think cutting that science class would bite me in the ass like this."
Todoku ignored Yusuke's insult. "Your friend tol' you to conserve your Spiri' Gun, didn' she?" As he spoke, Todoku quickly removed his shirt, bearing to the whole stadium his poison-coated chest and stomach. "But touching me in any shape or form will only cripple you further!"
Behind him, Yusuke could still sense Miwa's Spirit Energy surging as she maintained control of the Death Plant, and Todoku's actions finally made sense. That was why he didn't even dodge the punch. He wanted Yusuke to hit him. Maybe he even knew that neither Yusuke nor Miwa thought of him as a real threat, and his overall goal was to weaken Yusuke, either through poison or exhausting his Spirit Energy, so that if Todoku himself couldn't defeat him, then Jin or Risho would.
Then maybe a solid kick to the gut will-
Todoku's tongue sped across the stadium, much faster than before, and quickly wrapped itself around Yusuke's right ankle. The cool, slimy sensation of the tongue on direct skin made Yusuke gag, and he could feel the prickly feeling climbing up his skin. Yusuke lifted his free leg to try and stomp on Todoku's tongue, but added weight forced his captured foot to send waves of pain that felt like a thousand needles poking through his skin. This time, Yusuke did trip over his own feet, and he unceremoniously fell to the ground.
"Todoku's poison techniques has floored Urameshi!" Koto announced. "Will the Spirit Detective be forced into using his Spirit Gun?"
Todoku's tongue slowly released his ankle and withdrew back into his mouth. "You were thinking of kicking me, weren't you?" Yusuke did not want to answer him. "Sorry, but now your only chance of beatin' me is with the Spiri' Gun, and while I may not be fast..." Todoku produced two small black balls from his pants pocket. "I hope you don' miss."
Every twitch and flex of his right foot sent waves of prickling needles throughout his entire leg, but Yusuke did everything he could to ignore that pain as he stumbled his way back on his feet. As long as his foot stayed numb, there was no way he could even take a step without falling flat on his face again. "And just what does that mean?"
"I hate to borrow a technique from Bakken, bu' even a fool like him knew of its usefulness." The balls glowed as Todoku infused his Spirit Energy into them, and he threw the two black balls to the ground, They burst open upon impact, and gigantic plumes of purple smoke quickly released into the air.
In a matter of seconds, the arena took on a purple haze that blurred Yusuke's vision, but a burning sensation in his nostrils caught his attention. "Let me guess. This is poison too." The purple smoke wasn't as blinding as Bakken's White Mist. Yusuke could still see Todoku and Miwa kneeling on the ground at ringside, but the burning in his nostrils had moved to his throat.
"Not especially dangerous to strong fellows like yourself, but to those who are weak…"
He pointedly nodded his head towards Miwa and Kurama. Yusuke didn't notice before, but Miwa's Spirit Energy had drastically lowered since she first began. She did say the attempt to stall the Death Plant may knock her unconscious, but that reality didn't really sink in with him until just that moment, and sensing it now made him realize just how dangerous it was. Then, as if the universe wanted to smack him in the face with that harsh reality, Miwa's energy suddenly disappeared. All Yusuke could see through the purple smoke was her hair trailing after her as Miwa collapsed to the ground, but even unconscious, Miwa made sure not to fall on Kurama.
"Hey!" he said, taking a step toward her, but the forgotten numbness in his foot sent another wave of pain through his leg, and it took everything Yusuke had to not fall over again.
"Reckless frien' you have there," Todoku taunted. "Using her own Life Energy just to buy time."
"What?" Yusuke whirled around, and this time he didn't even notice the numbness in his foot. Botan temporarily left Kuwabara to help prop Miwa up against the ringside.
"You didn' notice, Detective?" Todoku sneered, "At this rate, my poisonous haze might affect her even sooner than your crippled human friend."
Through the smoke, Yusuke could make out Botan standing over Miwa and Kurama as she shouted something at him, but he could not make any sense of it at all, whether it was an update on Miwa and Kurama's condition or a call to kick Todoku's ass. The realization of his friends' lives in danger resurfaced all the anger he felt towards Bakken that he had no chance to vent, and focused it all on Todoku. Yusuke slowly turned around to face the still sneering Todoku, and the rage boiling his blood made the numbness in his leg seem nonexistent. He didn't care if this was part of Todoku's plan to weaken him, or force him to waste his Spirit Gun.
Screw it, this guy's officially pissed me off.
Without even a moment's hesitation, Yusuke aimed his finger right at Todoku, completely ignoring the poison burns on his knuckles. Todoku braced himself, preparing to jump, but Yusuke didn't care. A ball of blue light illuminated his finger, growing in size before shooting forward in a burst of energy. Todoku predictably dodged the attack, but the Spirit Gun continued on until it collided with the wall in front of the audience. The explosion threw into the air large chunks of rubble and the bodies of audience members too slow to get away in time. As their screams echoed and the rubble settled, the force of the explosion pushed all of the purple smoke into the sky, returning fresh air to those still in the stadium.
"Yusuke's Spirit Gun has cleared the stadium of Todoku's poison smoke bomb, as well as the unsuspecting audience members of Section F!" Koto announced, and even her voice sounded scratchy from the haze.
Todoku laughed to himself. In all the commotion he landed just a few feet from Yusuke, and he applauded with his pudgy hands. "Well done, Detective, you saved your friends." Then, his hand slipped into his pocket, and two more smoke bombs appeared between his fingers. "But can you keep i' up?"
Todoku raised his hand to release the smoke bomb again, but Yusuke was at his side with his wrist in a death grip before Todoku even realized he moved. Yusuke's palm burned from the contact with Todoku's skin, but Yusuke didn't even flinch. Todoku stared incredulously at the Spirit Detective. "You fool! You're touching my poison direc'ly!" In his panic, the smoke bombs slipped from Todoku's fingers into Yusuke's other hand. Yusuke tossed them to the side, and without Todoku's Spirit Energy, they rolled uselessly on the ground.
"Well then, let's fix that." Yusuke said.
Yusuke's knee shot up right into Todoku's abdomen. The poison on his skin frayed the fabric of Yusuke's pant leg, but Yusuke was far too pissed off to even notice. Todoku staggered backward, away from Yusuke's leg, and cradled his stomach in his arms. He only had time to hack out a cough or two before Yusuke continued his assault, and an insane barrage of punches showed absolutely no mercy, forcing Todoku backwards even farther.
"Oh, man!" Koto screamed excitedly into her microphone. "Talk about flying fists of fury! Without even holding back because of the poison, Yusuke's punches are moving so fast, I can barely even see them!"
Yusuke's two fists came at Todoku in a flurry of what felt like ten fists. Each punch imparted more pain than the last, and Todoku was sure he could hear bones cracking underneath Yusuke's angry screams. He couldn't dodge, he couldn't block, and even backing away didn't help. Yusuke's punches forced Todoku back to the edge of the ring, and just before Todoku could let gravity save himself from Yusuke, the Spirit Detective stopped his barrage by pulling his red, burned, but completely unnoticed poisoned fist back for one final blow.
"Take this, you frog bastard!"
The punch landed square in Todoku's gut, folding his body over Yusuke's fist as a disgusting mixture of blood and bile expelled from Todoku's mouth onto the ground. If he were to be honest, Todoku didn't feel any pain. His mind just went completely blank, unable to think or even process what just happened to him. His vision clouded over as the last bits of consciousness left him, and Todoku's body flew backwards again. This time, his unconscious body crashed into the border wall right next to an unfazed stadium shook from the impact and audience members fled, but Todoku's body did not even twitch. It just layed there in the brown rubble as the stunned audience looked on.
A moment passed where no one said a word.
"Looks like Todoku is unconscious and outside of the ring!" Koto chimed in, breaking everyone out of their stupor. "The winner is Urameshi!"
Yusuke sighed, not really relishing in his victory at all, and looked down at his fingers. Both knuckles and palm had taken on that red, blistered texture from Todoku's poison, and now that the adrenaline from his anger had subsided, it really stung like a bitch. Thankfully, Yusuke's barrage had been so fast, his minuscule exposure probably helped the pain not bother him so much. Even the numbness in his leg was gone. Todoku's plan was to cripple and exhaust him for the rest of the fights, but Yusuke could live with this.
Yusuke turned his back to the rest of Team Masho and went back to his team. Botan had returned to Kuwabara's side, so Miwa and Kurama were both propped in a sitting position and quietly resting against the edge of the ring. Todoku's comment about Miwa using her Life Energy crossed Yusuke's mind, but he was glad to see her shoulders slowly move up and down as she breathed. And even better: Kurama had regained consciousness.
"How you doing?" Yusuke asked.
"I'll survive," Kurama grunted weakly, "Sorry, I couldn't finish first three of them, like I planned."
"Shut up, just focus on getting better," Yusuke said, laughing slightly. Then he nodded his head towards Miwa. "How's she doing?"
Kurama also looked over at Miwa. Her head hung as she slept, and her hair slightly obscured her face. She was pale and still, but her breathing was slow and rhythmic, just as if she were merely asleep. "She'll need time to recover her strength, but she should be awake by tomorrow."
"That's a relief." Yusuke smiled. From what he could tell, his Spirit Gun had cleared the poisonous smoke before it had a chance to really affect her. "You should thank her when she wakes up. She kicked some major ass for you when you were knocked out."
"I owe her much more than thanks," Kurama said, smiling slightly. Yusuke had a feeling he meant more than just what Miwa had done in this match, but he did not pursue it further. Then, Kurama offered a small jar to Yusuke. It was one of Miwa's salves. "This should help with those burns," he explained. "I think she left it out for you."
"Well, that's very nice of her." Yusuke opened the jar and rubbed the paste into his hands. Its cool, creamy texture felt soothing over the burns Todoku's poison left behind. "You guys just gest some rest, okay? These last two guys are gonna be fish meat pretty soon."
"Be cautious, Yusuke. Whatever plans the Shinobi have for this island, they want it very badly." Kurama looked at Yusuke dead in the eye. "These last two members are, without a doubt, the strongest."
A roar of cheers turned Yusuke's attention from Kurama back to the ring. Jin, the red-haired Wind Master, who until just then was just lazily resting on the side, approached the ring with a toothy grin and an excited gleam in his eyes. The audience cheered for Jin, clearly confident in his strength to finally take out Team Urameshi. Miwa advised him to save his Spirit Gun for Jin and Risho, if possible, and Kurama warned him that they would be the strongest fighters of Team Masho. Yusuke looked down at his hands. They were still inflamed red, and the blisters from the poison had not disappeared. But Miwa's salve had cooled the burn enough that Yusuke no longer felt any pain. The numbness in his leg disappeared completely, and he only used one bullet against Todoku. Overall, he wasn't in bad shape.
But he had this lingering feeling that wouldn't go away. Despite only starting out with three members, despite Kurama being assaulted while unconscious, despite Miwa withdrawing to care for his wounds, Yusuke had this lingering feeling that the hardest trials of this match were still yet to come.
Notes: I hope the extra long chapter was worth the wait! This chapter went through lots of revisions to make sure it was just the way I wanted things to flow. As is probably obvious by this point, I changed a bit of the order for Team Masho's match for the purposes of this story. I really struggled with myself in whether Yusuke or Miwa should be the ones to fight Bakken, and as much as I love the display of Yusuke's care for his friends in this fight, I knew Miwa isn't ready to let what Bakken did go without punishment by her own hands. Maybe, in the future, she'll be ready to leave such things to Yusuke while she focuses on her true priorities.
Miwa's stance and snake poses were inspired by the snake style of Chinese martial arts. I always imagined Miwa's normal fighting style to resemble the Chinese water sleeves dance, but I imagine her snake style is the more traditional technique of her mizuchi heritage. Mizuchi are also creatures from Japanese mythology associated with water and rain. I've left hints of Miwa's demon race in previous chapters, but it was so much fun to write Miwa showing off her true heritage while terrifying Bakken. It wasn't just the Oroboros symbol that inspired her name. (Todoku's name, by the way, is written with the characters for "tadpole" and "poison.")