Chapter 12: Ingenuity and Brute Force
The Beautiful Suzuki had an offering for Team Urameshi. Miwa lead him from the infirmary to the woods, finding Kurama and Kuwabara much faster than he ever would have alone. Suzuki was surprised when the demon traitor waltzed into the room like it was her own domain and demanded information about his mystical items, but it was a demand that he expected. If not under orders from the spirit fox, then the loyal follower would surely have come on her own to ensure that fox's survival in the finals.
"Just the exact two guys I wanted to see. Lucky me."
Kurama and Kuwabara watched the two of them as they appeared from the trees, confused by their former enemy being lead to them by their own teammate. Miwa raised her hands to calm their nerves, saying, "I brought him here because he wanted to help us."
"Help us, you say…" Kurama said warily, but he released the tension in his body, clearly trusting Miwa's words more than anything Suzuki could ever say.
Suzuki sighed, but he expected the distrust. "Your type is so incapable of good conversation." Before them, Suzuki held up two items in his hands: a small jar of red liquid with a small seed floating inside, and a black and white sword hilt with no blade. "Let me just skip to the point: these two items are my gifts to you."
They were taken from his hands with skeptical looks, but Miwa returned to Kurama's side and smiled at her teammates confidently.
"Could you elaborate?" Kurama asked.
"Yeah, who cares about a fancy ruler?"
"It's a hilt, amature," Suzuki groaned. How in the world was his team beaten when they had someone like him? "These were the starting points for two items I gave to my own team."
Kurama looked up, intrigued by his words. It was clear to even Suzuki that the fox was interested in learning more about his transformation back during the semifinals. A brief glimpse back to his old powers must be incredibly tempting in the face of a dangerous opponent like Team Toguro. "The bottle, Kurama, contains the Fruit of the Previous Life, a recent discovery in the Demon World. It was from just such a fruit that Ura derived the smoke for his Idunn Box, and drinking that will produce the same dreamy effect of returning you to your demon form."
Miwa grinned proudly at Kurama, as if she wanted praise for finding just the thing he needed, and the redhead just glanced down at her, astounded. "If what you said is true, Miwa," Suzuki continued, grabbing back her attention, "then that medicine might work for you as well."
Miwa glanced at the bottle, but said nothing, so Suzuki turned his attention to Kuwabara. "And that one is called the Trial Sword, made from a Japanese cedar that grew to great heights by sucking up the surrounding life." Kuwabara panicked a bit, not wanting to an item made from such a dangerous tree, and he fumbled with it in his hands before throwing it into the air. Suzuki caught it with ease. "For Shishiwakamaru, it became the Banshee Shriek, but for you, it should be quite different, and probably without the demons."
He tossed it back to Kuwabara. The fool was still scared to even hold it, but that didn't really matter to Suzuki. All he could do was give them a warning. "This fight was the first time those items were used. I still can't tell you exactly how they work or what kind of side effects they would have upon their user."
"So we're guinea pigs now?" Kuwabara asked, still frowning.
"It's all up to you whether you want to use them or not. Now, good luck."
He turned around to walk back to the infirmary, but Kurama stopped him. "Why on earth do you want to help us?"
Suzuki turned to face them again. Miwa wasn't even smiling anymore, even though she had been so trusting of him until that point. But it was for good reason. She had probably expected to use force to bring him here, or even drag him kicking and screaming to beat the information out of him if she had to. His willingness to follow her would be very suspicious, but she decided to trust him. He had the information she wanted, after all. He didn't mind. He had only one reason to help.
"Because I dislike you, but I hate Toguro."
{00}
A large full moon rose in the sky that night; a very beautiful evening for those that were not coming to terms with their potential death. Kurama and Miwa lingered in their forest clearing, staring apprehensively at the small bottle Suzuki left behind. The brown seed floated innocently in the red liquid, but a troubling thought lingered in their minds. Could they trust Suzuki's words? Even Miwa, who lead him to her friends, did not know for certain if he could be trusted. He talked about how Toguro defeated and humiliated him long ago. How he trained himself to learn new techniques and gathered all sorts of enchanted items just to prove that ingenuity could defeat brute force. He wanted his items to win if he couldn't, and he hoped for Team Urameshi to prove Toguro wrong. But...there was no guarantee anything he said was true.
"Do you trust him?" Kurama asked.
Miwa had talked to him in the forest before they found Kurama and Kuwabara. It was his emotion and sincerity in telling his story to her that lead Miwa's choice to believe him, even if those could be faked.
"We don't really have the luxury to doubt him," she answered.
Kurama had said it himself. As Shuichi Minamino, he had no chance of defeating Karasu. Miwa also did not have the power to stop Rikiji, given her current state. Different as they may be, both of their human disguises were just too limited in strength. They had to trust in the items Suzuki provided.
Or else…they would be killed.
Miwa grabbed the small bottle and opened the cap without any hesitation. She sniffed it a couple times, but there were no scents that predicted any danger.
"Brave, aren't you?" Kurama joked with a small smile.
Miwa smiled back. Suzuki warned them that the items could be dangerous, but as the one who brought him to her friends, she would not allow Kurama to be the first guinea pig.
"It would be more dangerous if we didn't test it first."
Again, without any hesitation, forcing herself to act before she changed her mind, Miwa brought the small bottle to her lips and took a tiny sip of the oddly sweet liquid. None of them knew much about an appropriate dosage for transformation, not even Suzuki. The Fruit of the Previous Life was only recently discovered in the demon world, and as he said, the items were used for the first time in the semifinals. However, the medicine's effect was likely more concentrated in a liquid form. If they were lucky, Miwa wouldn't need much. Between the two of them, the bottle was small enough as it was, and she only needed to regress about three or four years at minimum. She placed the bottle in Kurama's hands, and he carefully closed the cap. They stared at each other for a long time, neither daring to speak, just waiting for something to happen. ...And for a while, nothing happened, but they needed to be patient. It took Kurama some time to transform when he breathed in the smoke.
Then, several minutes later, a strange feeling spread in Miwa's stomach. It felt warm, but had that slight tickling feeling of numbness. It crawled from her stomach throughout her body; through her legs, her chest, her arms, and even her head. Suzuki was right about one thing so far: the medicine did produce a dreamy effect. Miwa's sight blurred in and out of focus. Kurama's voice sounded like distant, indistinguishable echoes. It reminded her so much of the dizzy spells she felt during her last fight. The warmth felt comfortable and soothing, but a different heat began to well up in her chest; a sharper, more unstable heat, like when she spoke with Rikiji. The heat fluctuated, twisting and morphing in strength...but it was also gradually getting weaker.
"Miwa!"
The numbness in her mind receded, the heat disappeared entirely, and a familiar sensation of power trickled through her body like the leak from a dam. Miwa opened her eyes and took a deep breath. The air felt cool and moist, and she could almost taste the earthy smells of the forest around her. Kurama stood at her side, wide-eyed and speechless, likely feeling the same waves of nostalgia as Miwa did when she saw Youko Kurama. Out of habit, Miwa gently touched the pouch strap across her chest and smiled at Kurama, softly brushing her fangs with her tongue.
{00}
All five of them gathered that night, and Yusuke told everyone that Genkai would not be joining them for the final round. She wasn't well, he said, and she needed to get some rest. His words weighed heavily on their team, confirming any suspicions for those who sensed her power against Toguro. Yusuke assured them he would find a replacement member for their team, and each remaining fighter went their separate ways that night, collecting their final thoughts for the tournament.
They defeated four teams.
They lost five fights.
They fought with a full six-member roster only once.
They came close to death…more than any of them would have liked to count.
The Dark Tournament only lasted for seven days, but in that time, Team Urameshi faced and overcame many trials and hardships, experiencing growth and development both as a team and as individuals. Their strengths were pushed to the very brink of death. They overcame each obstacle and came out stronger than before. For a team that began as a group of humans and demon criminals coming together for their own reasons, distrusting each other and assuring think loyalties at every turn in Maze Castle, they had gained a powerful new ally on this island and their trust grew stronger. Although, with Genkai gone, their numbers returned to how it used to be, but their strength and determination stayed the same. This final round was what they had been struggling and sacrificing for. This final round would determine whether they get to go home or be killed.
The goal was in sight…with such a high hurdle still left to cross.
Do or die. This truly was the beginning of the end.
{00}
Unlike the previous rounds, the finals required that all six team members be present. Until then, only five members of Team Toguro ever showed their faces to fight, with the sixth remaining unknown and unseen...until the finals began. Sakyo, a human man with long, black, shiny hair and the finest suit Miwa had ever seen calmly stood alongside demons as their official sixth member, even though he had absolutely no fighting capabilities as the wealthy owner of Team Toguro. However, he was confident that the match would be over before he would need to fight, and Juri had no reason to refute him.
Team Urameshi was nearly forced to forfeit because of Koenma's late arrival. The overseer of the Spirit World and Team Urameshi's owner made a very grand appearance to step in as their substitute fighter. Like Sakyo, he had no intention to ever enter the ring, and he had a ridiculous jet pack hiding under his cape to illustrate his intentions. However, Juri still wanted to disqualify them without proof of Genkai's death to bring in a substitute fighter, but Sakyo intervened and assured that Koenma's presence would be of no consequence to Team Toguro's victory.
An infuriating judgement call, but finally…finally…the final match could begin.
Karasu was the first one to step into the ring. He eyed Kurama with a menacing, terrifying stare, and he brought a finger to his temple, whispering, "bang." Miwa felt a small shiver run down her spine. Karasu, for lack of better word, gave her the creeps. Not only did his appearance remind her of an ominous omen like a crow, but he walked with an almost nonchalant confidence. His touch alone was extremely dangerous. Defeating him would not be easy, even if their plan went smoothly, but Kurama accepted the challenge and stepped forward.
"Fighting for Team Toguro: Karasu!" Juri announced, "And fighting for Team Urameshi is Kurama!"
Before Kurama could get to the ring, Kurabawra stopped him. "You think you'll use that medicine stuff that Suzuki gave you?" he asked.
"Actually, I took some about two minutes ago." Kuwabara reeled back a bit at the revelation, and Kurama explained about the experiments he and Miwa conducted to ascertain the effects.
"I don't know if you guys should take that stuff multiple times, it could be bad." Kuwabara said worriedly.
Miwa reached up and put a reassuring hand on taller boy's shoulder. "Coming here without testing it could have been worse," she said.
Kuwabara took a deep breath and swallowed down his nerves. "So…what's it do when you take it?"
Kurama gracefully leapt into the ring. "…Suzuki was right in assuming it would transform us. However, there is a time limit, and we can only retain our form for fifteen minutes…"
Karasu approached closer to the center, and his eyes were squinted slightly, as if he were smiling underneath his strange mask.
Miwa shivered.
"I'm not worried though," Kurama said, "Fifteen minutes is more than enough."
Then, the fight began.
As per his plan, Kurama made the first move. His open palm revealed a handful of rose petals that scattered into the air around him. The gentle petals gracefully swirled around Kurama, bending and curling in the wind, like a protective cloud. However, as Karasu soon discovered, despite their delicate flow, the edge of each petal was as sharp as a blade, and it sliced Karasu's cheek so a small trail of blood dribbled free. Anyone who walked through this cloud of petals would be torn to shreds, so even if his human body was slower, Kurama could still avoid Karasu for as long as he needed to with this technique. Yet, Karasu was not afraid, and he continued to stroll through the petals as if he were merely attending a flower viewing party. The petals stopped their graceful swirl and converged, racing towards the intruder at maximum speed. But then…Karasu revealed the horrifying truth of his powers. Before the petals could reach him, Karasu thrust out his hands, but without even touching the petals, each one exploded in midair, one by one, spontaneously combusting and falling to the ground in tiny bits of ash, and Kurama's protective cloud was quickly burned away.
They were wrong. Very, very wrong. Karasu did not have to touch anything to make them explode.
"You aren't able to see my power, so you feel secure, but it's everywhere, even in the air you breathe…" Karasu warned. "You can't escape it. It's all around you…inside of you. Why don't you make things easier and submit?"
Karasu went on the offensive. His dangerous hands clawed at Kurama's face, chasing the red head all over the ring. Kurama tried to fight back with his Rose Whip, but Karasu's powers made the whip blow apart from the inside, rendering it completely useless and forcing Kurama to abandon his primary weapon. Karasu chased after Kurama again with his claws, talking about the pleasure he takes in murdering other people, especially those he was interested in. The intimacy between a murderer and his victim. Witnessing the spirit leave their body. He grew more and more excited as he kept talking, and his attacks on Kurama became more relentless, and there was no way Kurama could dodge forever. Karasu leapt into the air, swooping down on his opponent like a bird of prey with his hand stretched forward. Kurama dodged, and Karasu's hand broke into the stone floor, but just as Kurama regained his footing, a small green glow lit up just below his left shoulder, and a small explosion burst forth a frightening amount of blood.
Karasu reveled in watching Kurama's pain. "Like I said, it isn't necessary for me to touch you," he said gleefully, "It's just one of the perks."
He chased after Kurama again, who had no choice but to flee, but another green glow exploded on Kurama's right leg, stopping him in his tracks. How could Kurama dodge attacks he could not see? No matter where he ran, if Karasu did not need to touch him, he was completely open to another explosion, even if he managed to evade his claws. Karasu explained about his powers, and how he could use his energy to manifest his thoughts into physical objects that, at his current level of power, were invisible to Kurama. Invisible, but still very real and deadly. But, because of Karasu's desire to show off, if only for his sadistic mind games, he decided to make his powers visible to everyone. The green glow manifested itself in his hand, converging together and taking a distinct rectangular shape in his hand. The shape absorbed the green glow, taking in the energy to visibly manifest, and when the light faded, a grey pack of what looked like dynamite appeared in his hand.
"Deleterious Bomb."
Karasu released the bomb, and it exploded right in front of Kurama. The flash blinded the stadium and the force pushed back so much debris that no one could see anything. Miwa's covered her eyes, and her ears were in physical pain from being so close to the explosion. Through the noise and confusion, she tried to sense for any trace of Kurama's energy…but there was none. The dust settled, and the echoed screams faded away. The only remnant of the blast was the large black smoke that had yet to dissipate. Karasu emerged from the black cloud, unharmed and not even out of breath, but Miwa continued searching. She only had two explanations for why she could not sense anything, and one of them…she didn't want to think about.
Kurama…
"Anyone see?!" Yusuke yelled.
The only sign of Kurama's presence was in Karasu's hand. A single rose had pierced through his palm, like a last show of defiance, but Karasu was only amused and easily ripped the rose from his wound.
The smoke began to churn, changing directions without any reason, and a low rumble emanated inside. Flashes of white light briefly changed the smoke's color, and a white surge of energy blazed like fire. Black electricity began to crackle, both in and outside the smoke, and slowly, a very familiar power began to grow from within.
"I've seen all this before," Koto said in awe, "This battle's in for a heart-stopping face lift!"
There was a high-pitched, animalistic shriek, the smoke cleared, and Youko Kurama stood at the center, bleeding and with tattered clothes, but very much alive.
"Alright!" Kuwabara cheered, "This is gonna be sweet!"
Yusuke was wide-eyed in surprise. This was his first time seeing this form. "You're telling me that's Kurama?"
"Basically," Koenma explained. "As you know, his full name is Youko Kurama, but he's known by several other titles too."
"This is what he looked like," Miwa said quietly, "back when I first met him."
Hiei smirked.
The audience talked among themselves about the reappearance of the legendary bandit. They had only seen a short glimpse of him during the semifinals, but now, the Spirit Fox was back for a longer stay, and they would have the chance to see what Kurama could do at his full power. He stood against Karasu, tall, confident, and with a demeanor more dangerous than Shuichi Minamino could ever achieve.
"Creating a bomb from nothing takes talent. That caliber of power is a sign you belong to a superior class of demons, a class I consider to be fairly worthy." Kurama smirked and wiped blood from his lip. "Worthy to fight, and worthy to die."
Karasu raised his hands. "You flatter me, but we're still not equals."
Karasu's power glowed once again, but this time, Kurama could see exactly what was being created: two small, spherical creatures that chase their opponents to act as invisible bombs. But since Kurama could now see them, he easily stopped their attack by throwing more sharp roses. Karasu was not intimidated, and he even welcomed Kurama to still try and defeat him. He created several of a different type of monster called Trace Eyes, a bomb with bat wings and a large eye that would lock onto their target and follow them forever. His ability to create such a variety of creatures was expected of someone of the Quest Class, and that still made him dangerous, even if Kurama had transformed. Each bomb chased after Kurama, never giving up even if they missed, but he continued to dodge them effortlessly. Even when some of the Trace Eyes exploded, Karasu easily created more, and eventually Kurama was trapped.
"My my, looks like you're surrounded," Karasu said, "What's a boy to do?"
Kurama wasn't phased at all. "I thought you'd know better than to corner a fox, Karasu. We have a tendency to show our teeth."
Gigantic vines burst from the ground underneath Kurama's feet. They lashed out in all directions like tentacles and sliced through every last Trace Eye. The resulting explosions made everything difficult to see, but when the creatures were gone and the dust cleared again, Kurama's monstrous attack was revealed. His Ojigi, a carnivorous plant nurtured with a demon's energy, mutated into a giant monster. Each writhing vine connected to a leafy bulb that opened to a wide mouth with sharp teeth dripping saliva, and just above it was another small mouth at the vine's tip. It was a plant sensitive to movement and heat while searching for prey, making it a more terrifying tracker than any Trace Eye bomb. The Ojigi targeted Karasu and lurched forward to try and capture him in their large mouths, smashing into the ground whenever he dodged, but the more Karasu ran, the easier it would be for the Ojigi to follow. The smaller mouths spewed dark red streams of energy, but Karasu still dodged, and he threw a small hand grenade into the mouth of one of the Ojigi. The plant screeched in pain as the bulb was engulfed in flame, but only one plant was down; the rest still pursued.
Now that the tables had turned in Kurama's favor, Kuwabara and Yusuke were getting excited.
"This is it! He's plant food!"
"Kick his ass, Kurama!"
Their excitement was contagious, and even Miwa felt her heart racing and a small smile tugging at the edge of her lips. Kurama had been through many rough battles in this tournament; nearly getting killed at times. He was always afraid of Karasu, and afraid that his human body was no match for Karasu's power. Miwa got nervous when Karasu revealed his invisible bombs, but it was nice for Kurama to gain the upper hand in such a spectacular way, even taunting Karasu as he ran away from the Ojigi. Shuichi Minamino wasn't really one for taunting, but perhaps that tendency had toned down from years of living in the human world.
"You seem happy," Hiei said quietly, "Much more than the first time you saw him this way."
Miwa turned her head, but Hiei wasn't even looking at her. "Well, you were right," she said, "This is as he should be…"
"You still don't sound convinced."
Miwa looked back to the ring. Kurama stood at the base of the Ojigi plant with his arms crossed, calmly watching Karasu leap and dodge in every direction to avoid getting captured. "Kurama sees these identities as different, and maybe they are, but to me, it doesn't matter. I'll be there…no matter which form he takes."
Hiei rolled his eyes.
The mouth of a large Ojigi plant clamped its toothy jaws around Karasu, quickly immobilizing him and tightly squeezing his limbs. His arms were trapped between leaves, trapped with no way to pry himself free. Other Ojigi plants gathered in, clamping around any exposed part of Karasu they could find. The jaws compressed around his chest, squeezing it so hard that he spat up blood when his mask came loose, and the small metal object fell lost and forgotten to the ground. Another Ojigi clamped around his head, concealing Karasu's entire body into a giant ball of demonic plant life. The ball twitched and screeched with each bite, squeezing more and more tightly with every intention to devour Karasu slowly and painfully. Yusuke and Kuwabara cheered, exclaiming that Kurama only took five minutes to take down Karasu, and Juri announced that Kurama was the winner by death.
But just as Kurama turned to leave the ring, the Ojigi ball began to violently shake. It bulged out, as if pressure was building from the inside. A sickly green light shone between the leaves, the ball ruptured in bright orange flame, and a gigantic explosion forced everyone back.
"I wouldn't count me out just yet…" Karasu was unharmed, barely even wounded, and he calmly stood amidst the smoke with his hands resting in his pockets. With his mask gone, Karasu's full face was exposed, and the only sign of injury came from a small trail of purple blood dribbling from his lip. His thin lips curved into a confident smile, and he wiped the blood away with a single swipe of his hand. Those thin lips then opened and Karasu took in a slow, deep breath of air. His energy flared out around him and his black, straight hair turned to a wavy blond.
Kurama watched him cautiously.
"Can someone fill me in here? What's going on with his hair?" Kuwabara asked.
"It's an explicit sign that he's internalizing his power," Hiei explained, "That means the bombs he creates are now inside of him, virtually making him one giant explosive."
Koenma's eyes went wide with shock at Hiei's detailed explanation, and Yusuke leaned forward. "Are you serious?"
"Of course I am. If my assumptions are correct, he's about to detonate. If you were wise, you would take cover now."
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Koenma all retreated backwards. Hiei was never one to hide the dangerous truth with his words, and he was right. Karasu had said himself that his power was even in the air they breathed. It was a dangerous enough skill when it was invisible to most eyes. But in his body, the explosion would be much more mobile, agile, and dangerous than any object he could throw around at will. Karasu's body became enveloped in the sickly green light, and Kurama stepped back, fully aware of the danger. Miwa braced herself. She couldn't jump in this time. She had to believe Kurama would figure a way out of this.
Karasu's excited laughter echoed throughout the stadium. Maskless, everyone could see the unbridled joy on his face, like a psychotic child about to play with the greatest toy. He launched himself at Kurama, and a white light blinded everyone before the blast opened a giant hole on the side of the stadium. Black smoke filled in when the white light faded. Rubble, debris, and dismembered body parts flew about in all directions, and the sound waves echoed throughout the stadium dome, making it sound as if the explosion lasted just a few seconds longer. The audience members who failed to escape lay motionless in the stands, crushed by fallen rock, blown apart from the force, or simply killed where they stood from the shock waves rippling through their bodies. The screams slowly died down, and the black smoke escaped to the sky through the gaping hole Karasu created.
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Koenma picked themselves up from the rubble. Hiei and Miwa took shelter behind the yellow wall separating them from the audience, and they leapt back down to their friends when Yusuke asked if they were all okay. The ringing in Miwa's ears made her head hurt, and she could barely hear Yusuke's voice, but they all managed to survive despite being so close.
"Where's Kurama?!" Yusuke asked, whipping his head back towards the ring.
The smoke was thickest in the ring, at ground zero. It was a miracle the ring itself wasn't destroyed, but as the black smoke slowly dissipated, Karasu once again remained completely unharmed. He laughed to himself, but it wasn't the confident laugh of someone who thought himself the victor. It was the laugh of someone who was about to see something very interesting. Then, across the ring, a small pile of rubble shifted, and a pale arm pushed its way out. The body underneath emerged, tattered, torn, and dirty, but that wasn't the problem. The problem made Miwa's heart feel like it was about to stop.
"Oh wow!" Koto said. "That Kurama's like a nasty virus: you just can't get rid of him! However, it does look like this last explosion has taken its toll, because now, he's back to his original human form."
The body of Shuichi Minamino.
"Aw crap, the potion wore off. Now he's really gonna have to wing it," Yusuke groaned.
"Wha- I don't get it!" Kuwabara yelled. "He said the stuff's supposed to last fifteen minutes! That's it. The next time I see Suzuki, I'm gonna mop up the floor with his face."
Miwa frowned. "His body might be building up an immunity to the medicine's effects…" Even though she was the one who originally proposed they test it, she didn't imagine a tolerance could be built so quickly. For once, Kurama's preparedness was working against him, and now he was in much more danger..
Kurama weakly stood up and clutched at his arm. Any prior injuries would affect him worse now, but he still pulled out a rose. He gathered his energy into the flower, but before he could even brandish his weapon, the rose shattered in his hands. He had no energy. Not even enough for his most basic skills. And even if he did, with that body, he could no longer see any of Karasu's bombs. But he had no choice. Kurama threw aside his broken rose stem and leaped back into the ring. With surprising agility for someone so injured, he raced towards Karasu without hesitation, kicking, punching, and swiping his arms in a display of hand-to-hand combat that no one at the tournament had ever seen before.
But Karasu dodged with ease.
"He has a plan," Hiei said quietly. "It's obvious in the way he moves."
Miwa clenched her fists, digging her nails into the still-healing wounds. "His plan is going to get him killed…"
Karasu watched with amusement. "I think you've finally lost your mind. If you come any closer, you are a dead man."
Karasu raised his hand, gathering energy for another blast.
"I will not be afraid of something that I cannot see!"
Kurama predicted Karasu's move and dodged his first strike by jumping into the air. He landed at Karasu's feet, crouched down with his hands gathered at his side. He pushed himself up on his legs and extended his arms forward, pushing Karasu back with both hands. Karasu slid back several feet, and a small, purple bruise quickly formed on his pale chest.
For the most part, Karasu looked unharmed. However, he knew exactly what Kurama had done. Karasu reached to the purple bruise and picked at it with his fingers. He punctured the skin, blood spilled down his front, and he plucked out a tiny seed from the wound with his thin fingers. "I must congratulate you, though. You've injured me more than once, and that is practically unheard of." He flicked the tiny seed into the air, and it exploded in a tiny blast.
Suddenly, a metal clamp popped from the ground and grasped Kurama's foot like a bear trap. A small, purple creature with one eye and a lit fuse on its head popped up and grinned manically at Kurama. Karasu called it his Mad Bomb, and with absolutely no way to pry his foot free, the Mad Bomb exploded point blank, and Kurama screamed loudly in pain with a giant gash in his leg spouting a frightening amount of blood as he collapsed to the ground. His white pant leg turned a bright red, sticking to his burned skin and ripped flesh. Kurama's whole body trembled as he forced himself back on his feet, gasping and hissing in pain while Karasu laughed. But then, Yusuke ran forward, screaming urgently.
"Don't move another inch, Kurama! You're surrounded by bombs!"
Yusuke could see them.
Miwa squinted her eyes, but try as she might, all she could see was Kurama standing there in empty space. His eyes darted around wildly, but even his trembling had come to a stop. She couldn't see. He couldn't see. How many were there? How far did they range? How powerful were they? Kurama was surrounded by an invisible death trap with only Yusuke's warning to give him information. Once false move, not that he could see any right move, would set off another deadly explosion with him trapped right in the middle.
"Didn't you say you chose not to be afraid of things you couldn't see? Well, here's a better look."
A heavy, twisted, painful feeling churned in Miwa's stomach. Her breaths were short and shallow, and she could not stop her fingers from shivering. Her mind felt like it was going hazy, as if the horrible dread was slowly taking over her whole body. She could not speak, she could not think; she was experiencing the world around her with the instincts of a terrified animal, paralyzed by anticipation of something awful, not knowing what to do or say to make any of the situation better.
Karasu slowly walked towards Kurama, taunting how weak, tired, and pathetic he had become. He raised his hand, and the explosions began. The first hit Kurama at his waist, then his shoulder, his leg…everywhere. Each blast was followed up by a scream. Kurama stumbled back and forward, only bringing himself closer to more and more bombs. He couldn't escape it. Even without seeing, Miwa knew they were everywhere. Bright red, sticky blobs stained his clothing, and the blood trickled off his hands at too fast of a rate. It resembled the flow from a leaking pipe more than a human body, and Miwa could hear each drop of blood splatter on the ring with a sickening plip. Every drop making him weaker. Every drop bringing him closer to death.
The explosions began again, but instead of hitting different individual spots, they happened simultaneously all over Kurama's body. The blasts spurt forth more blood like a red firework, but for Miwa, all she could hear was the screaming. This was nothing like what she heard against Team Masho. Nothing like the other times she was at his side when he was in pain. They were screams of absolute agony, of an awful, blinding pain that even in her worst nightmares she could never imagine. The screams of a man being slowly and painfully tortured. The explosions stopped, and Kurama's clothes were completely stained red. They still burned slightly at the edges, and blood continued to spill from his fingers. His body fell limply to the floor, motionless, still, and more blood streaked across the floor from the mere force of impact.
Yusuke screamed, and that was all Miwa needed to move.
"KURAMA!"
Miwa hobbled forward, legs trembling in fear and shock, and her eyes never leaving the ring to watch where she was going. The audience's cheers around her sounded like nothing but a dull blur of sound. They didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. She had to get there…She had to save him! His life was the only thing that mattered to her!
"Wait."
A strong hand captured Miwa's wrist. Miwa, who by then was only running on crazed instincts, didn't even look back and tried to shake off the intruder's grip, but that hand held fast and refused to let go.
"Miwa, stop."
"…I have to be there…" she said weakly. "…I have to save him…"
I don't want him to die… I don't want him to die… Not again…!
The strong hand yanked her wrist back, pulling her around and off balance. The hand let go, but only to clench into a fist and swiftly punch her in the stomach, forcing her to double over and experience the dull sensation of pain through the dreadful haze in her mind. Miwa coughed and held her middle, and the sounds of the audience cheering and Kuwabara's scolding voice slowly made their way to her ears.
"What is wrong with you, Hiei!?" Kuwabara yelled. "This isn't the time to be fighting!"
Yusuke held in arm in front of Kuwabara to stop him.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain in her stomach brought Miwa back to her senses. Weakly, almost dreamily even, she looked up to Hiei's piercing glare.
"I thought you said you would hold yourself back," he said coldly.
It wasn't often that Miwa looked up to Hiei's face, but his imposing glare and stance made her remember the promise she asked him to make before the tournament began. She had managed to come this far without him physically stopping her, but she knew…she always knew that it was only a matter of time before he would need to step up.
"He's going to die…" she whimpered.
"And you charging in there like a misguided hero is only going to make it worse," he snapped.
He was right.
Of course he was right.
Miwa's hands began to shake again, but she forced herself to look back at the ring. Kurama had barely managed to prop himself up with his arms, but Miwa knew exactly what was going through his mind. She knew, not because of something like having known him for so long or knowing all his tricks.
No, Miwa knew what he was about to do because it was what she would do.
And for the briefest moment, Miwa was sure he glanced back at her.
Kurama…
Karasu raised his hand to deliver the final blow, and Kurama's body lit up with a newfound energy. Another plant arose, a large, powerful, hungry plant, and pierced Karasu's chest around his open wound. The vines fed with its thin, needle-esque mouth, resembling the world's most hideous mosquito and greedily devoured Karasu's blood like its first meal in decades. It continued to feed, even after Karasu fell dead to the ground, and the plant crawled closer and closer, consuming his body until it was completely covered by the demonic foliage.
Kurama's body also fell to the ground, motionless, and his Life Energy fading quickly.
Miwa froze in her spot, clutching at the grass in her fingertips. She watched, she sensed, she searched for any sign of life. He couldn't die like this. Not when there was nothing she could do to even try and save him. She waited, watching carefully for anything indication that he survived, begging for, if nothing else, that faint, miniscule signature of his energy to stay.
A finger twitched.
His eyes opened.
Miwa let go of the grass. The shaking in her fingers stopped. The haze in her mind cleared. The dreadful churning in her stomach subsided. The pain from Hiei's punch faded. The strength in her legs returned, and Miwa stood up. She had to get a better view, to make sure that what she saw wasn't an illusion. Kurama's arms lifted, and he slowly pushed himself back up. Without any help, he stood on his own two feet, and he did not even stumble. He looked back at his team, and his green eyes were as vibrant with life as ever. The faint trace of Life Energy Miwa had tracked grew stronger and stronger with each passing second.
Was it the medicine? Did it have something to do with the shorter effect? Was it not a tolerance? Miwa didn't care.
He was tired.
He was weak.
But Kurama was alive…
{00}
Their happiness and relief were short-lived.
Juri revealed that Kurama failed to stand after the Ten Count started, and his killing blow to Karasu happened 0.28 seconds after the Ten Count was completed. For the first time in the tournament's history, the victor was dead, and the loser survived. It was infuriating. To think that Kurama nearly died to even have a chance at victory, only for the rules to determine it a loss. If the medicine hadn't returned the powers of Youko Kurama to Shuichi Minamino's body, he would have been dead and the loser.
Miwa hated this tournament with every fiber of her being.
She and Yusuke helped a weak Kurama limp his way off the arena. She did her best to ignore the warm, sticky feeling of Kurama's blood stained clothes. The sound of his tourchered screams was still fresh in her mind, and she didn't need any reminders of how that made her feel. They set him down to lie against the ring wall, and out of habit, Miwa removed her pouch and immediately applied her salve to his wounds.
"And you call me reckless…" she said bitterly.
"I've learned from the best," Kurama answered, smiling weakly.
Miwa rolled her eyes, but she wasn't in a position to argue with him. She was just happy he survived. The crowd's excitement began to rise as a tall figure quietly approached. Rikiji's icy blue eyes watched Miwa from across the ring. Rikiji, the tall, maroon-haired woman with the flowing clothes of a shrine priestess and the power over paper, gave everyone a gentle smile that sent a shiver down Miwa's spine.
"Miwa…" Kurama called as she began to stand, "Be careful with that medicine. It may wear off early, like with me."
Miwa grinned down at him as she swung her pouch over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I have a plan, too."
Behind her, she could feel the hard stare of red eyes burning into her back. She turned around, and Hiei did not waver when his glare was discovered. His steady gaze, watching as if he had seen everything she planned and had something to say, but Hiei remained silent. Miwa grinned back at him, trying to assure that everything would be alright, and then she jumped into the ring before her teammates could say anything else.
"And so, the slave has come to fight," Rikiji said, elegantly clasping her hands together. "You must be happy your master survived."
"I'm happy my friend survived."
Rikiji smiled. "You are not trembling this time. You must be feeling confident."
Miwa didn't answer.
Juri stood in between them, and her cheerful, announcer girl demeanor returned. "Second match of the Dark Tournament Finals: Rikiji vs Miwa!"
Finally, after two terrifying meetings in the forest, they could face each other in the ring. Rikiji had purposefully come to intimidate Miwa throughout the tournament, filled with disgust towards Miwa's sworn oath. She teased her, threatened her, called her a slave, and used her own powers to bring Miwa to her knees. The time had come for their inevitable showdown to begin.
The slave to fear versus the slave to invisible chains.
Notes: A long wait for this chapter, especially one that heavily adapts the original. The tournament is such an emotional ordeal for Miwa, much more than one of strength. I knew from the start that Kurama's fight with Karasu would be the hardest for her, but she did hold herself back a bit longer than the fight with Team Masho, and Hiei finally stepped up as her last resort. It's hard to see the nature of her relationship with him, even for me. At times they have playful banter, and at other times their ideals and actions stand against each other. Hopefully they can both learn something from that.
The fight with Rikiji will culminate a lot of plot threads that have been weaving around Miwa's story. I hope I've built them up to be decent rivals so far.