Oathkeeper

by Seichou Maki

Miwa had pledged an oath to Youko Kurama, an oath that defines many things about her life and her choices. However, encountering the Spirit Detective, called to retrieve the Artifacts of Darkness from four demon thieves, begins the chain of events that forces her to rethink the oath she made long ago.

19. The Navigator

Chapter 19: The Navigator

The mysteries of the train crossing just kept getting deeper. First, the disappearing rails, and then the strange holes in the nearby fences and houses the very next day. Even in the midday sun, housewives and curious salarymen out on their lunch break crowded around the street, blocked off even further from the crossing with more yellow caution tape. But the holes could not be hidden, and the crowd didn't even try to hush their voices as they gossiped to each other about what could possibly have happened. The rumor of a resident that saw a bright, purple light yesterday afternoon quickly made its rounds, but the overactive imaginations of the scared and the curious quickly escalated the story to the realm of aliens or government conspiracy, and the silence of the cops keeping watch only added fuel to the fire.

Miwa stood quietly at the back of the chattering crowd, listening to it all, knowing that nobody would ever come close to figuring out what really happened. Not even the two humans that witnessed it all.

Miwa had gone to school that morning, and as usual, Taichi and Saya were talking out in the hall before their first class began. When Miwa approached, they each greeted her with tired smiles but excitedly explained the weird thing that happened to them the day before. How they both randomly fainted in the streets at the same time, and when they woke up, the fuss about the strange holes in fences and houses was well underway. Several students that overheard the story stopped to ask for more details since Taichi and Saya were the only ones in the school who were at the scene. A police officer had questioned them both about the holes, they explained, but when they both claimed to remember nothing unusual before they passed out, they were allowed to go home.

The students curious about the story grew in number, making it impossible for Miwa to ever talk to Taichi and Saya privately, and they both had a small glimmer of satisfaction in their eyes from becoming the center of attention for an unusual story happening right in their own neighborhood. They repeated the details to anyone who asked, and the listeners in turn followed up with their own theories about what happened at that train crossing.

"...What about Shou Nishida?"

No one in the student crowd gave Miwa an answer, but later that afternoon, the local news would report a child named Shou Nishida never returned home from school.

Miwa left the school grounds before classes even began. Unbeknownst to her, Saya, who later realized her friend and classmate had disappeared, told their homeroom teacher taking attendance that Himari Shimizu still wasn't feeling well and would not be at school today. Down the hall, in another classroom, Kurama watched her leap the fence from the window as he listened to Kaito explain what had happened with Yusuke Urameshi's group the night before.

The train crossing was like a beacon Miwa couldn't possibly avoid or ignore. Every person she passed by whispered about it, and her legs had already taken her there before she even decided what to do after leaving the school. The gawkers and passersby came and went, hoping to get on with their day and the things they needed to do, but new ones always joined the fray, so the crowd never seemed to decrease in size. Miwa was probably the only person that stayed there for hours, silently watching, but the patrolling officers were so preoccupied with the scared and curious people asking the same questions over and over that they never even noticed her. Miwa looked around at the spherical gaps in the fences and houses in front of her; she could hear the wind whistling through a particularly small hole nearby. One day later, and the physical matter erased by the purple light never returned. The Territory was gone, but everything it erased didn't come back.

Shou Nishida...didn't come back.

Miwa sensed something and pulled away from the crowd; there was actually a slight pain in her knees from standing for so long. She took several steps backwards until she made a conscious effort to turn her back on the last place she saw that small boy with the power of Erase. Kurama waited for her under a street lamp a couple blocks away, where no one would pay them any attention.

"Skipping again?" Miwa asked, forcing herself to grin.

"So are you."

Miwa never stopped walking and continued down the street past Kurama. He wordlessly followed her with his hands in his pockets, but he notably stayed a couple paces behind her. "I know what you're going to say," Miwa said. "I was reckless, and impatient, just like Genkai said at the house. If Hiei hadn't shown up, I would have been erased, just like Shou." Her own words stung.

"...I was going to say you did what you could to try and save him."

Miwa stopped, and she was suddenly very aware of her water pouch bouncing on her back. "...I don't know if I was trying to save him."

"What?"

Miwa did not turn around. Instead, she held her hands up to her face, and her school bag dropped to the ground, unnoticed by either of them. "I didn't try to save Shou for his sake. I just needed him for information, and my first thought when he disappeared was...that I failed that goal."

She was so caught up in her need for information about humans with unusual powers that, to her, Shou was just a source. A step in the right direction towards the identity of Black Angel. But Shou Nishida was a tragic, frightened child with powers thrust upon him that he couldn't understand nor control. Was she so heartless that she couldn't recognize any of that? Or did her feelings of uselessness after overlooking a huge event like the tunnel drown it all out? "This isn't your world," Hiei had told her, and she felt that rang true now more than ever.

"You saved Tsutsumi and Kimura," Kurama said quietly, "Was that for information too?"

Miwa didn't answer him. She could make an argument either way; they were witnesses to Shou's power, after all. But, she also admitted to herself that she really did like them as people, even if Taichi and Saya would never remember the one time she could be honest about who she was. "Hiei told me to go back," she said, forcing the topic elsewhere. "That I should fix my seal before it kills me."

Miwa's core had actually stopped fluctuating a month before the whole tunnel adventure began. Just days ago, they sat in Kurama's room, study materials scattered across his small table, talking about how the after effects of the Dark Tournament was affecting them. But, ever since they went to the House of Four Dimensions, Miwa's symptom suddenly resurfaced twice within days of each other, and it weakened her both times. Yesterday, it debilitated her enough to nearly get her erased. Neither of them knew why the symptom suddenly reappeared - the end of the Living World happening around them occupied their minds. But Kurama, being the more analytical type, did notice a possible pattern, but he wasn't ready to share it with her yet. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but three times would confirm the pattern for him.

Instead, he asked her, "...What do you want to do?"

From his voice alone, Miwa couldn't tell what kind of expression he made. An automatic answer came to mind, the one she normally gave to questions like this, but she didn't say it. It wasn't the whole truth anymore. Was it really just her oath keeping her here? Why did Miwa come to the Living World?

"I know why you're here...But I think you don't."

Hiei was right. She really didn't.

A strong breeze blew between them, feeling cool and refreshing as the midday sun glared over their heads. It shifted Miwa's fallen schoolbag, and the sound of the material scraping against the pavement brought her back to the world. She bent over and picked it up, but despite it being a familiar object, it somehow felt foreign in her hand. Ignoring that feeling, Miwa gripped it tightly and turned around, finally looking Kurama in the eye. "Shall we go back to school? Maybe we can get there before lunch break ends."

Kurama gave her a small smile, but nothing about his mood seemed happy. "Actually," he said, "I think our time is better served meeting with Yusuke."

Miwa could feel the weight of the impending news pressing on her chest. "...Something happened, didn't it?"

"Yes. One of the psychics, Seaman, attacked Kuwabara and his friends last night."

{00}

Miwa only remembered their rush to Yusuke's apartment as blurs of color, the wind rushing past her ears, and a quiet murmur of Kurama's voice giving all the details he heard from Kaito that morning; it turned out that Miwa and Kurama weren't the only ones who went off on their own yesterday. But unlike what happened with Doctor, this time they managed to keep one of Black Angel's henchmen in their custody.

Yusuke opened his front door after only two knocks. "Weeeell, look who decided to join the party." His voice dripped with sarcasm but he somehow maintained a wide, welcoming smirk, looking extremely casual in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. "Kuwabara and Seaman are still conked out."

They followed Yusuke through his apartment, and Miwa could hear voices inside keeping a quiet conversation. Yusuke completely disregarded the hush and opened his bedroom door with full force, cutting off Botan's chat with Keiko and Shizuru. Genkai sat quietly meditating in the corner of the room. Kurama and Miwa quietly greeted the others while Yusuke sat backwards on a chair beside the bed. Under the bed's thin blanket, a head of wavy blond hair lay unconscious. His bare shoulders peeking from under the covers were scratched up and wrapped in white bandages, and a yellow hoodie sat folded at his feet. His face was scrunched up, either from the pain of his wounds or from awful nightmares. Meanwhile, Kuwabara's large body lay sleeping peacefully on the floor, shirtless, pantless, and covered with a much smaller blanket in a vulnerable arrangement Miwa just knew Yusuke had done on purpose.

"So, this is Seaman," Kurama said, standing behind Yusuke and his chair.

"Yeah. I found Kuwabara collapsed at the stairs going for a world-record piggy back ride with his three friends and this guy piled up on him like deadweight."

Miwa furrowed her eyebrows. "He brought Seaman back himself?"

Yusuke nodded. "I guess that doofus saw somethin' in this guy and couldn't leave him alone."

Shizuru blew some smoke from her cigarette out a crack in the sliding door. "That's my baby brother, hero to all. Even those who kick his ass."

"This works to our advantage," chimed in Genkai's gruff voice. "If there's any conscience left in this kid, we could get more information out of him than that so-called Doctor."

Miwa's expression darkened as the face of Shou Nishida flashed through her mind. Ironically, Kuwabara's innocent, albeit careless, night out with his friends to attend a concert turned into the result Miwa wanted from her intentional reconnaissance mission. Through some unfortunate luck on his part, a powerless Kuwabara ran into one of Black Angel's henchmen and brought him in, alive, for questioning at Yusuke's apartment. Miwa, on the other hand, with all her resources, could only track down another human with the power of Territory, and not only did she fail to save him, she learned nothing about Black Angel. Miwa was certain the thought of getting intel had never even crossed Kuwabara's mind, like it did with her. She wanted to laugh. Their group - especially Hiei - often made fun of Kuwabara for various reasons, from his occasionally silly personality to his comparatively lacking experience as a fighter. But, at the same time, there was no denying that Kuwabara had heart; arguably more heart than any of them.

"What happened to Kuwabara's friends?" Kurama asked.

"Sent 'em home this morning," Yusuke answered. "Genkai erased their memory after we questioned them, but they didn't remember much. From what they said, this guy calls himself 'Seaman' because he creates monsters out of water."

Miwa tilted her head. "Monsters?"

"Yeah. They were 'absorbed' into the monster's body and nearly drowned."

Miwa was already storing the idea for future use before she even realized it. "But, they still managed to escape," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Yusuke said, glancing down at Kuwabara. "I guess Kuwabara got his powers back right when he needed it."

Botan got to her feet and joined the group around Yusuke's chair. "It was more than that," she said. "We sensed something completely different from Kuwabara's normal Spirit Energy."

"Interesting," said Kurama with a small smile. "Kuwabara continues to surprise us."

Genkai huffed as she slowly stood up. "At least someone got results after galavanting off into the streets alone."

Miwa froze.

"Dammit, old lady," Yusuke snapped, "I already said I was sorry," he said, and Keiko frowned at him.

"A 'sorry' won't help you once you're dead." Genkai approached the group, hands behind her back, and she was unusually close to Yusuke's eyeline as he sat on the chair. "You three dimwits are just lucky you didn't get killed."

Yusuke blinked. "...Three?"

"Either way," Kurama said, trying to divert the discussion, "I am concerned that this is the second human we've found that was turned against his own kind."

Miwa jumped on the new topic immediately. "The Doctor was fully committed to the idea," she said. "But turning against your own kind with such conviction is...not easy."

"You think they were brainwashed or something?" Yusuke asked.

"Maybe, but it still doesn't make sense," Miwa frowned. "Unless they were already inclined to the idea, brainwashing a normal person to this degree would take months of reconditioning. But, the power of Territory only appeared in humans about a month ago. They couldn't possibly know which humans to recruit that far in advance..."

A hush fell over the room, only broken by Kuwabara's loud snores. In the lull, Miwa once again thought of Shou. She never found out if Shou Nishda was part of the apocalyptic plan. His teacher's notes only mentioned a change in his behavior once his classmates went missing. But, if Black Angel did manage to get to him… The purple light flashed in Miwa's mind, and she found herself staring shamefully at the ground. There was no use thinking of hypotheticals. They will find a way to get information from Seaman, even if he didn't want to give it up; Miwa would make sure of that.

"Ugh…"

A quiet grunt brought everyone's attention to the bed. Right on cue, or perhaps as a reaction to all the voices around him, Seaman began stirring out of sleep. His bright blue eyes opened, slowly focusing at the many strange faces that stared down at him. But the look in his eyes changed the moment they met the hard stare of Yusuke Urameshi.

"You're Yusuke…" he said, as if to confirm for himself the situation he was in.

"That's right, Goldie. And that's my bed you're sleeping in thanks to the human freight train there dragging you in so we could stitch you back up."

Seaman warily glanced over to Kuwabara, as if he expected his former enemy to be sitting there, ready to threaten him with a sword. But he wasn't. Kuwabara still lay under the tiny blanket, extremely vulnerable and dead to the world as he slept.

"Kuwabara saved your life after you tried to kill him," Yusuke continued. "You think your psychic pals would've done that? You owe him big. So start talking..."

Kuwabara chimed in with some timely, yet irrelevant, sleeptalk, but hearing Kuwabara's voice sparked something in Seaman. He began to tremble, but it wasn't from his pain. This boy was no fighter. Not really. The look in his eyes gave it all away. He was afraid, and he immediately began to talk. The words tumbled out of his mouth, unstoppable now that the gates holding back his fear were opened. Just like the Doctor, Seaman also believed that humans all deserved to die. But unlike the Doctor, they finally learned why Black Angel's men believed it so strongly: a videotape. The one videotape that could turn humans against their own kind within five minutes of viewing, and Seanman had seen every single minute of it.

Chapter Black, the most infamous piece of Spirit World Intelligence regarding humanity. A record of the most heinous crimes humans have committed over the millennia they existed. The most atrocious acts committed by humans, both against each other and the demons. Hiei had wanted to get his hands on that tape for a long time, as did many other demons, but it was lost nearly a decade ago; vanished without a trace from the vaults of Spirit World. But, now it reemerged, in the hands of someone purposely turning humans against their own kind. Miwa had said it was impossible to brainwash someone so quickly, but now that the tape came into play...

"I saw it all," Seaman said, clutching the edge of the blanket in his shaking fists. The boy was reliving that moment right now, those horrifying things on a giant screen illuminating the face of a terrified boy, as he told his story to people whom he was told were his enemies. "If you saw it, you'd think differently, too. You'd understand we're doomed. And so...we have to-"

Yusuke kicked his chair. It crashed loudy against the wall as it tumbled to the floor, snapping Seaman away from those memories. "Have to what, Sir Jjudge?!" Yusuke shouted, "Have to get us all eaten the hell up by some bloodthirsty monster?!"

"That's right!" He was afraid of Yusuke's anger, but the indoctrination forced on him was very strong. "You're defensive 'cause you don't know the truth! Humanity only seems good to you because you were born in a peaceful time, but war is in our nature and it will always come back..."

He recounted the things he had seen. People standing in line to be killed in a camp. Horsemen raiding and destroying a village, dancing on the bodies of their victims. A bomb wiping out innocent people that had never even picked up a weapon. A mom hacked to death in front of child. Soldiers leading a broken family into a fire to die, and his eyes enjoying the torture. It was a short, terrible summary, and Keiko began to cry from the mere thought, so Shizuru took her outside. If she could cry just from hearing about it, Miwa couldn't possibly imagine the trauma Seaman went through from seeing it. Seeing all of it with his own two eyes. He was convinced no human could possibly be good. They may think they are, but the blood spilled by humans stained the hands of infinite generations, and no human could possibly escape what was ingrained so deeply in their nature.

Yusuke didn't buy it.

"What about Kuwabara? He saved you, right?" Seaman gasped, but Yusuke ignored it. "And you know, last night when he came to for a minute, I asked him, 'Stupid! Why the hell did you save that jerk?' And he said, 'Because, Urameshi, in his eyes...he was crying for help.'" Yusuke casually held the back of his neck with both hands, but he wasn't scolding Seaman anymore. He understood now. He knew...they all knew what Kuwabara saw in this boy last night. "A big oaf like Kuwabara," Yusuke continued, almost laughing now. "He's got that bully look you must hate, but he cared about you. ...Bet you weren't expecting that."

Yusuke Urameshi. He could talk the devil himself onto his side if he really wanted to; Miwa was convinced. Seaman began to cry, feeling the weight of what he had done, and how wrong he had been. They quietly let him be, and began to relax. He was no longer a threat. Botan kindly sat at his side and pat his head with gentle comfort.

"Hey," Miwa said quietly. "What is your name? We can't keep calling you 'Seaman.' That's not who you really are..."

Seaman hiccuped twice and answered, "Kiyoshi Mitarai."

Yusuke, Kurama, and Miwa retreated to the living room balcony as they let Mitarai calm down. Any questioning would have to come later. Yusuke was still trying to absorb the fact that something as dangerous as the Chapter Black tape was in enemy hands. Anyone with the Territory power they needed could be turned to the enemy's side, and quickly. But, when Kurama revealed to Yusuke what what he had learned yesterday, that Koenma knew the identity of their foe, Yusuke quickly flew into rage. He dashed to his briefcase before Kurama and Miwa even realized he had gone and phoned Koenma. Koenma calmly defended himself from Yusuke's screaming, saying he wasn't sure until hearing of the Chapter Black video, but finally, the Prince of Spirit World revealed the truth he had been hiding all along.

Black Angel, the mastermind behind the tunnel, was named Shinobu Sensui. The Spirit Detective of Earth before Yusuke came along.

{00}

Koenma told them he would come to Living World to explain everything in person. An hour passed, and Kuwabara woke up from his rest and got properly dressed, so he, Yusuke, Kurama, and Miwa all sat around the dining room table, waiting for Koenma to arrive.

"Hey, Miwa." Yusuke broke the silence. "Did you go out somewhere yesterday too?"

"...Why do you ask?"

Yusuke leaned back against his chair with his hands folded behind his head. "Genkai said earlier that there were three dimwits who luckily didn't get killed yesterday. I know she's taking jabs at me and Kuwabara, but...unless he's keeping secrets, Kurama probably wasn't in danger going to see Koenma."

Miwa fell silent. Without even looking up, she could feel three pairs of eyes staring at her, and she sighed. "I...tried to find information about Black Angel. Or, Sensui, I guess."

Kuwabara tilted his head. "Alone?"

"It was stupid," Miwa said, shaking her head at he own impatience. "I thought I could find other humans with the power of Territory, and hopefully lead us to the tunnel."

"And did you?" Kuwabara asked.

Miwa stared hard at her folded hands, and she could sense Kurama watching her carefully. "I found one kid. A boy named Shou Nishida, but he...he couldn't lead me anywhere."

Yusuke leaned forward, trying to get a look at her face. Something about what she said didn't sit right with him. "...Well, Koenma is on his way, so maybe we'll get some leads there."

"...Yeah. I'm sure we will."

Kurama said nothing through the whole exchange. Miwa didn't tell them about any of the points that were really bothering her about Shou Nishida. Perhaps she didn't see the point, since that knowledge wouldn't help them find Sensui or close the tunnel any sooner. But, Kurama couldn't say he wasn't worried either. Miwa's experience yesterday was affecting her more than she let on, and far more than they actually had time to deal with. And considering what could have happened if Hiei didn't suddenly appear, their three-eyed friend was probably right in that Miwa should return to Demon World.

Yet there she sat, waiting to hear more information about how they can close the tunnel sooner.

Koenma arrived soon after in his teenage body, and he, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Miwa, and Genkai all sat around the dining table to discuss the nature of their foe. Miwa was the only one who had ever heard of Shinobu Sensui. In her search for Kurama, she came across rumors about a powerful human child becoming the Spirit Detective, but she never researched his full story or what ended up happening to him. Koenma filled those gaps. Sensui was gifted with a strong offensive spiritual power, and he utilized that strength against demons his whole life, even before becoming Spirit Detective. An efficient, lethal exterminator of all demons that opposed him. In Koenma's words, Sensui saw the world in black and white; demons were bad, and humans were good. A simple mindset, and one Yusuke himself shared before he really got to know Kurama or Miwa. But when Sensui, with such a polarized view of morality, was introduced to a world of gray, the outcome was predictable: his mind couldn't take it.

Koenma assigned him a very familiar case: to close the tunnel between the human and demon worlds. The tunnel was smaller than the one plaguing them today, but it was stable. And, it was a trap. Not for the humans, but for the demons to which it granted passage. Sakyo, a member of the young Black Black Club, used the tunnel to capture demons and pioneer a black market of demon bodyguards for wealthy criminals. But there was more than underground demon trafficking happening the night Sensui and his partner, Itsuki raided their stronghold. The world of gray, and the humans who so pleasurably indulged in it. Demons were bad, and humans were good, but not in the world of gray, not when the black and white mix into a shade never before seen by the young Shinobu Sensui. He walked into what those humans called the Feast of Human Vices, and he witnessed his world turned upside down, the colors of his moral perceptions mixed and blurred. Humans capturing...torturing demons with horrific machines for nothing but their own sick pleasure. Black and white flipped. They mixed, and Sensui could no longer divide them. He killed every human at that feast. No survivors. But to him, there were no humans in that room. Not a single soul. Then, he obsessed over the Chapter Black tape, and it disappeared from the vault along with Sensui himself.

And now he has appeared once more, opening the tunnel to Demon World for humanity to be punished. An atonement for their collective sins.

"I don't know where Sensui's been these last ten years, or why he waited for now." There was a faint hint of remorse in Koenma's voice that none of them had ever heard before. "I let myself believe he'd lost his mind, and was harmless. I should have tracked him better. One thing I know about Sensui is that he'll never stop. Not 'till he's accomplished his goal."

From that moment, everything moved so quickly.

On the roof of the building across the street, the tall figure of Shinobu Sensui and a young man with a red jacket looked down upon them. Watching. Waiting to be seen so they could begin the next part of their plan.

Killing Seaman.

Kuwabara bolted to the next room when the boy in the red jacket raised his hand towards the room next door. It took one flick of his finger for them to realize he was Sniper. Dice shot across the distance, lodging themselves into the walls. It was Sensui's plan all along for Seaman to be defeated and taken in. They used him to track Yusuke down and find all of Yusuke's friends together in one place. But there was more. Something none of them understood.

There was someone Sensui needed...among them.

Kuwabara and Yusuke ran down the stairs, ready to confront Sensui and Sniper in the streets. Kurama, Miwa, Koenma, and Genkai quickly followed. And in mere moments, the Spirit Detectives of past and present stood face to face once again.

Then they learned another frightening truth: the tunnel would be open in two days.

They knew one thing. Like Yusuke, Sensui could also store his Spirit Energy and fire it. What they didn't know was how well he refined his technique and power in the past ten years. Any contact would be a gamble, with no way of knowing if Yusuke's own power would match up against his predecessor.

Yusuke didn't mind. He just walked forward, smirking to himself as he approached Sensui with a punkish confidence they had all grown accustomed to.

"Afternoon, Detective Sensui." He continued walking, making himself almost level with Sensui and Sniper. "Word is you snapped. You could only deal with the baby stuff."

Sensui was unaffected. "Far to the contrary, Urameshi. I came to lead you along the path of truth."

"I'll stop you, freak."

"You will fail."

Their energies flared up at the same time, kicking up dust around a vortex of blue and red light, and Yusuke made the first move. He ran forward, and after a sudden shift in direction, Yusuke threw a punch right to Sensui's jaw. But Sensui easily deflected the punch with a flick of his arm, and his long leg delivered a powerful kick right to Yusuke's torso, sending the Spirit Detective flying backward. Yusuke wasn't deterred and tried again, but he got the exact same result, this time flying farther down the street and crashing into a pole. Yusuke's usual style of charging head on wouldn't work. Their backgrounds were too similar. Sensui could anticipate Yusuke's moves, but his fighting experience allowed him to stay one step ahead. Genkai attributed it to the Resshuken fighting style, which specialized in exactly what they saw: deflecting attacks with the arms and retaliating with a powerful kick.

But then there was more. Sensui developed his own unique style, combining it with his own Spirit Energy and calling it the Reikou Resshuken. He produced an orb of Spirit Energy in his palm, nearly as large as his head, that shimmered with a bright purple light. He tossed it to the air, and delivered another powerful kick that would be the envy of any pro soccer player. The ball of energy made its way towards Kuwabara and the others, and they all prepared for the worst. But, at the last moment, the orb changed direction and took to the sky behind them...

...and exploded right at Yusuke's apartment.

They had moved nearly a block away from when the fight first began, but the plume of dark smoke would be visible for miles, and the impact shook the ground beneath their feet.

"Damn, Sensui," Koenma spat, "This muscle flexing was just a diversion all along."

Miwa clenched her fists. A diversion...from what? Attacking Mitarai again? But the Sniper guy already went back to the roof...

"A diversion!?" Kuwabara yelled, "That dingbat's diversion could've killed Botan and...my sister!"

Kuwabara, the noble man he is, ran back to the apartment to help. But Sensui anticipated that too. With his powerful legs, his jump almost looked as if he took flight, and he was about to land an attack on Kuwabara. Yusuke screamed out a warning, and Kuwabara managed to dodge in time. But, the impact of one leg put a small crater in the asphalt. Miwa didn't need to imagine what would have happened to Kuwabara if he was in the way. Sensui landed gracefully on the ground, blocking the direct path back to Yusuke's apartment. Yusuke ran forward to put himself between Sensui and the others.

"All right, guys. You go take care of the girls." The punkish confidence was gone. Yusuke was almost frantic, but he was also on the verge of becoming really pissed off.

Koenma asked, "Meanwhile, you'll be…?"

"Permanently retiring his ass."

Yusuke threw another punch, and they all expected another repeat of before, but Yusuke was learning. He stopped his fist just as Sensui raised his arm, and ran around Sensui at such incredible speed that only his afterimages were visible. It was his only option; to try and be as unpredictable as possible. But it wasn't enough. Sensui still managed to block Yusuke's punch, and his retaliating kick sent Yusuke crashing through glass doors. The fragments glimmered around him like sharpened rain, leaving small scratches on Yusuke's body.

Sensui approached the hole in the glass with a small smile. "It's a shame Junior couldn't find a better replacement. I just can't decide if I should be insulted or flattered."

But then, just as Kuwabara and the others caught up to Yusuke, Sensui ran away. Yusuke immediately gave chase, and Kuwabara, Kurama, and Miwa followed. Genkai and Koenma split from the group, returning to the apartment. Sensui escaped down a dark alley, but no matter how hard they ran, they couldn't close the distance. The alley came out at a main street full of pedestrian traffic, right where Sensui could hide without worries of Yusuke indulging his trigger finger. The four of them scanned over the heads of ordinary people, expecting to find no trace. But, surprisingly, Sensui appeared before them almost immediately, mirroring the first time Yusuke saw him in the fairway. But Sensui just smiled at them, as if he were enjoying a little game, and the chase began again. Sensui retreated into the lobby of an otherwise empty building, and he returned to their line of sight at the top of a flight of stairs.

Why is he doing this?

"They just don't make Spirit Detectives like they used to..." he said.

"You mean crazy and evil? No, they sure don't, thank you!"

The fight continued, an endless barrage of dodged punches and kicks. Yusuke had no room to even fire his Spirit Gun, not without finding a way to stop Sensui from deflecting his attacks. Yusuke took another hard kick to the ribs, and for a moment, it appeared that the attack was serious. But what Miwa first thought was a grimace of pain was actually a smirk. Yusuke captured Sensui's leg with his arm, immobilizing the limb that caused so much trouble, and forcing Sensui to balance precariously on one leg.

"Well now that I've finally got a leg up on you, let's see you play kickball with this!" Yusuke's fist glowed with the blue light of his Spirit Energy, ready to finally land a hit.

But Sensui was faster. In an amazing show of strength and mobility, he lifted his one free leg to kick Yusuke right in the head. Once again, Yusuke was sent flying backward, and Sensui hadn't even broken a sweat. "Lucky for me, I had a spare," he mocked, walking towards Yusuke, preparing to make one final blow.

Kuwabara decided he had enough of being a spectator. He ran for Sensui, spewing almost comical lines about being a hero, and for Sensui to prepare for his shiny new sword. But, the only weapon he produced was the orange sword they were all familiar with.

"Wait a sec," Kuwabara said, confused, "This is just my plain old, everyday Spirit Sword…"

"...Does he mean he acquired a new sword to defeat Seaman?" Kurama asked quietly.

"Beats me," Miwa answered. "Botan did say something about how they sensed a different kind of power last night..."

New sword or not, Kuwabara charged into battle, but surprisingly, Sensui managed to block Kuwabara's sword with his bare hand. Even against Kuwabara, who had a different fighting background, Sensui had no trouble predicting his attacks, and Kuwabara was also sent flying with Sensui's powerful kick. Direct attacks were useless. A defense as superb as Sensui's would block them every time. If they were to have any hope, they needed to attack him with several points of contact; he only had two arms to deflect.

This time, it was Kurama and Miwa's turn. They simultaneously ran forward without cue, each brandishing their signature weapons. Kurama moved first, but his Rose Whip and its many thorns only made contact with the ground; Sensui was just too fast. But, Miwa immediately followed up, slashing two streams of water in an X pattern while Sensui was still in midair. They flashed as Miwa hardened them to the sharpness of a blade, but Sensui just smiled. He kicked a small orb of his Spirit Energy, connecting right where Miwa's two streams crossed, and they immediately shattered in the air, as if they were merely glass.

Once again, Sensui escaped outside to a tall overpass in the center of town, and right in the middle a confused crowd. Miwa quickly returned the water to her pouch before the humans around them realized what it was, but Kurama didn't put away his whip.

"So?" Sensui said, hands calmly in his pockets, "Dare you risk those erratic weapons amongst civilians?"

Bastard…Kurama and I are useless here...

"I'm hurt," he continued, "I thought two demons would have more backbone than this. Isn't my death worth a few lives? They'll be dead soon enough."

He bade them a quiet farewell and escaped further into the crowd. Yusuke and Kuwabara gave chase, but the roar of an engine caught Kurama and Miwa's attention, separating the group even more. Sniper rode his blue motorcycle up a flight of stairs, launching him and his bike onto the overpass and right in front of Kurama and Miwa. Now that they could see him up close, he had a strong resemblance to Yusuke, but the look in his eyes held a different kind of arrogance. A proud confidence in his marksmanship, even as he, a mere human, faced against two full-blooded demons. This one wasn't like Seaman. They couldn't easily bring him back to the human side. Sniper, the human with the power to shoot small, ordinary objects with deadly velocity, raised his hand up, and his fingers were ready to fire.

Kurama raised his whip. "You can't do that with these innocents standing around."

He scoffed. "Fine, not that I ever miss my target, but if it's a change of venue you want, I'm game."

The diversion...Sensui is splitting us all up. But why? Is Yusuke the one they need?

"Kurama! Miwa! It's Kuwabara! We have to find Yusuke and warn him!"

Keiko appeared, running right into danger with Puu in her arms. Kurama yelled for her to stay back, but Sniper already took his shot, and a blue marble was whizzing through the air before Kurama or Miwa could do anything about it. Puu pulled himself free from Keiko's arms and took the full force of the bullet. Luckily, Sniper didn't make his shot lethal, but Puu fell to the ground with a painful cry, and a small lump was quickly forming on his head. Sniper hopped back on his bike and revved the engine. His wheels skid across the ground as his bike quickly picked up speed, and he managed to dodge Kurama's whip. His bike jumped over the edge of the overpass, soaring through the air as if he had done this a million times before. Miwa threw a small bead of water to put a trace on him before he escaped, but a quick flick of a green marble destroyed it before it could even get close. Sniper, truly living up to his name, landed back on the streets and he sped away with one last rev of his engine, as if mocking the difficulty of catching him on foot.

Chasing an enemy like Sniper would only split the group further, so Kurama and Miwa turned their attention to Keiko and Puu. The tiny Spirit Beast lay dazed and confused on the ground, but at least he could respond to Keiko calling his name.

"Keiko, are you injured?" Kurama asked as both he and Miwa kneeled at her side.

"No," she said "but we absolutely have to get to Kuwabara before they do!"

"Why?"

Miwa frowned, realization striking at last. "Because he's the one they need."

Keiko nodded. "I didn't quite understand, but Shizuru said they want to kidnap him so they can...open the tunnel."

"I see." Kurama looked to Miwa. "That is why they split us up. They want the new power he awakened against Seaman."

Miwa nodded and stood up, staring at the crowd around them. She didn't see where Sensui had ran, and Sniper appeared too quickly for her to put another trace on Yusuke. If they were lucky, they could follow Yusuke and Kuwabara's Spirit Energy, but would they make it in time? Sniper rode off, but there were still four others on Sensui's team that they hadn't even seen yet. And while Yusuke was distracted by Sensui, isolating and kidnapping Kuwabara would be easy. That was their plan all along, the moment Sensui and Sniper appeared on that rooftop, and they were all played like fiddles. So, Kurama, Miwa, and Keiko ran through the city with only a trace of Yusuke's Spirit Energy to guide them; his increasing anger gave them a very strong lead to follow. They followed Yusuke's energy to another building in the city, but a large, green truck turned the corner in front of them at a reckless speed, and when they glanced at the vehicle, they saw Kuwabara tied up in the truck bed, and Sensui calmly standing by.

"Oh no, we're too late!" Keiko cried.

"Look out below!" came a voice from above. Yusuke leapt from an opening on a higher floor, very aware Kuwabara had been taken. He raised his finger and gathered his energy. "Your car's about to be impounded! Spirit Gun!" The bullet's size nearly took up the entire street, bathing the whole block with its blue light, and Yusuke cried, "Oh crap! I forgot about Kuwabara!"

"Really, Yusuke," Kurama said, "How could you shoot a blast that big without thinking it would kill everyone on board, including him?"

"I was mad!"

Miwa threw a water stream after the truck as fast as she could, hoping to not only shield Kuwabara from the blast, but pull him from the truck and back to their side. But, true to form, Sensui was one step ahead. He formed another orb of Spirit Energy and kicked it right at Yusuke's Spirit Gun blast, just as Miwa's stream caught up to it. The two energies collided, and the Spirit Gun exploded prematurely, disintegrating Miwa's stream and sparing the truck from the blast. But, the relative ease it took for Sensui to pop Yusuke's Spirit Gun like a balloon gave them very little time to celebrate the avoidance of tragedy. If someone that powerful was trying to open the tunnel, how would they stop him in just two days? Yusuke wasted no time ripping a random bike from a nearby rack to commandeer it for himself, and without even waiting to hear Keiko's message or plan an assault, Yusuke pedaled after the truck like a madman. Even from a distance, they could hear the bike gears creaking and groaning from speeds they were never meant to withstand, but miraculously, the bike held together regardless.

Keiko sighed and held Puu close to her chest. "What do we do now?" she asked as the sounds of Yusuke's bike faded in the distance.

"We go back to Yusuke's apartment and regroup," Kurama said. "We've all been separated for far too long."

"But, Kuwabara…"

"We know they need him for the tunnel," Miwa cut in, "so they will be taking him to Demon's Door Cave eventually. Hopefully, we will see Yusuke there too..."

{00}

When they returned to Yusuke's apartment, the damage wasn't restricted to the apartment. Puu lead them to Shizuru, who was injured in the blast and fainted just around the corner from Yusuke's building. The poor girl went as far as she could to warn them about Kuwabara. Kurama carried her inside where Genkai was healing Botan's fractured back. The Grim Reaper had gotten trapped underneath a falling bookcase when she pushed Seaman away to safety. Luckily, Genkai was able to heal both of the girls while Koenma scolded Mitarai for just plastering himself against the wall as Botan suffered under the bookcase.

Mitarai still struggled with his allegiance, unsure why Botan would save him when he was supposed to be their enemy. Kuwabara and Botan's kindness, plus a bit of Yusuke's scolding, was slowly breaking down the false impression of humanity that Sensui forced on him, but something as horrific as the Chapter Black video was surely a tough vision to break through. As someone who also greatly changed his views about humans, Kurama gently encouraged him, assuring that even if humans do horrible things, there is still goodness and kindness all around. Koenma mobilized the group to find Yusuke and get to Demon's Door Cave, and Mitarai still hesitated. Should he join them or stay? At this, Kurama issued one final warning: Mitarai's next path was entirely his choice, and if he chose to be their enemy again, they would no longer show mercy.

Then, Mitarai stumbled down the stairs to follow them, still weak and wounded, but ready to help in any way he could. He offered to guide them right to the stronghold, and he informed them of a horrible truth. Kuwabara, a man of strong morals and code, would never open the tunnel willingly. But, Sensui didn't need him to. If they didn't hurry, Gourmet, whose Territory manifested in his stomach, would eat Kuwabara whole and absorb the power Sensui needed.

Kurama found a pay phone to contact Kaito and Yanagisawa, and the group came together at Mushiyori Station. They hoped on the first train to the outskirts of Mushiyori City, and based on the train schedule, they should be at the cave by sundown. For a group their size, they miraculously found space for half their party to sit down. Koenma, Genkai, Botan, and Mitarai sat in a row next to the door, while Kurama, Miwa, Kaito, and Yanagisawa stood in front of them, holding on to the dangling grips to keep their balance. They all politely remained silent as the train lumbered on, and Miwa found herself staring out the window at the passing scenery, hoping that she could possibly sense a glimmer of Yusuke's location, but all she saw were houses.

"I don't like this," she said quietly.

The rhythm of the train rumbling along the track felt extremely slow to her; she could probably run faster than this if there wasn't a need to conserve her strength. But, at the same time, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that things were moving too quickly ever since Sensui and Sniper appeared on that rooftop. How much time had passed since then? A couple hours? At the time, they had only just learned the identity of the mastermind behind the tunnel, and now, mere hours later, they were heading towards the enemy stronghold and an inevitable final battle. Right after Sensui easily deflected all of their attacks, no less. Were they ready for this? This wasn't the Dark Tournament. There was no time for training or preparation if they weren't ready.

"There's no doubt we're going to walk right into Sensui's trap," Miwa sighed, "It's not like he isn't expecting us to come rescue Kuwabara."

"We don't have a choice," said Kurama, "The tunnel's expansion rate keeps increasing, so there is no guarantee that we still have two days, as Sensui claimed."

Yanagisawa frowned. "Man, those guys opening the tunnel have some crazy stamina."

"...Mr. Itsuki...Gatekeeper is the only one opening the tunnel," Mitarai chimed in, "I have been to that place several times, and I don't think Mr. Itsuki even sleeps."

Yanagisawa shivered. "Creepy."

"I guess he and Sensui kept in touch," Koenma muttered. "Itsuki was Sensui's partner in the old days, and...I guess he is a demon with the ability to open dimensions like the tunnel."

Kaito adjusted his glasses with one finger. "So, this Sensui doesn't just employ the help of brainwashed humans."

"We should give the guy some credit," Genkai grunted, "As we've seen with the other psychics, Sensui has a talent for recruiting very skilled people, human or demon."

Botan giggled nervously, "Maybe we shouldn't offer praises to a guy like him…"

"No, it is important we all fully understand who we are dealing with," said Kurama. "His conviction and persuasive talents are all parts of what make him such a dangerous foe, and clearly he has chosen each his psychics for a specific purpose."

Miwa glanced out the window again. They were exiting the suburbs of Mushiyori, and the distance between residential houses increased the farther they travelled. Every human living in those houses had no idea a gateway to hell was close to completion right under their noses. Were any of them discovering unusual powers too? ...Did any of them have trouble controlling it like Shou Nishida?

"I just hope Yusuke will make it there safe."

A familiar heat in her chest began to burn, and Miwa could only pray Kurama wouldn't notice.

The rest of the ride passed in silence, and they exited the train at the last station on the line. Mitarai guided them on the quickest path to Demon's Door Cave, and Botan loudly expressed her gratitude for his help. Demon's Door Cave wasn't exactly a tourist attraction the local community would want people to find. As expected, they arrived at sunset, and the sky had turned a bright shade of orange. Despite Kurama's assurance that they were alone, Botan and Yanagisawa still anxiously kept their eyes on the path before and behind them, hoping that Sensui and his gang wouldn't appear from the trees. But, in Botan's case, she was also keeping an eye out for Yusuke, since his absence only made her feel more anxious.

However, roughly half an hour after they arrived, Yusuke appeared where the path dipped out of sight. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his shirt, and even from a distance, they could see various scratches on his skin. But, while he may have lost a shirt, he managed to gain an unexpected ally, and Miwa giggled to herself like a little girl. Hiei's dark figure trailed a couple steps behind Yusuke, clearly following the Spirit Detective with the intent to join the mission. Hiei had made his opinion on the tunnel to Demon World quite clear several times, so how on Earth did Yusuke manage to pull this off? There was no doubt. That boy could talk the devil to his side without question. Botan had the genius foresight to bring along a change of clothes for Yusuke. Yusuke got changed and explained what had happened since they last saw him (Apparently, Hiei put Sniper out of commission), and Kurama and Miwa both changed out of their uniforms to clothes much like what they wore for the Dark Tournament finals. Kurama changed his main color from yellow to green, but Miwa kept the same white clothing with a deep blue trim and belt. If Miwa were to be honest, wearing their battle clothes again had a strange, nostalgic feeling, but she was glad to finally be wearing them after carrying supplies around in her school bag ever since they learned of the tunnel. When Miwa finished changing, she emerged from her hiding place in the trees and slowly inched her way towards Hiei.

"So, in the end, you're helping this world after all," she said with a teasing smile.

Hiei scoffed. "...The detective is clever enough to know when he has a bargaining chip."

"If you say so."

Miwa giggled again; Yusuke definitely offered the Chapter Black tape in exchange for Hiei's help. But...this would make the second time Hiei was conveniently nearby when one of their group was in danger. Miwa supposed that, in Hiei's mind, monitoring the situation wasn't the same as helping, and he only jumped in if it was actually worth his time. He saved Miwa to get rid of the trace in his hand, or so he said, but Yusuke...Miwa honestly believed that Hiei just respected Yusuke enough to step in if the boy really needed it.

At Genkai's suggestion, they decided to split the group. Yusuke, Kurama, Miwa, and Hiei would be the ones to actually enter the tunnel, with Mitarai leading the way through the cave's maze-like passageways. The others would stay outside to be the second wave, a last resort in case the first group failed. Koenma returned to Spirit World to warn King Yama of how dire the situation in Living World was becoming.

Inside, the cave was cold, dark, and damp. Within minutes of entering the cave, the dwindling sunlight outside could no longer light their way, and their eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. Each footstep echoed off the dark walls, and they had to be careful not to trip over the uneven path. Luckily, the entire pathway was wide enough for the five of them to walk comfortably, but the number of forks in the road was quickly becoming impossible to count, and Kurama marked each new path they took with his lantern plants, just in case. It was truly a maze inside, and even if Miwa could vaguely sense moisture along the cave walls, the thick rock would make it impossible for her to map the layout. Mitarai's inside knowledge of the cave was invaluable to them, and they were fortunate he chose to be on their side. Without him, they would have never found Sensui in time, even if the two-day deadline remained consistent. An hour passed, or maybe two; time was difficult to track in the dark when nobody wore a watch. In all that time, the interior never changed. Rock paths lead to more rock paths, which lead to more rock paths, and if they didn't have Mitarai's confident guidance or Kurama's lantern plants, it would be easy to believe they were going in circles.

Then, a strange feeling stopped each of them in their tracks. It coursed through their bodies like a wave, making them shiver, as if they walked through a protective bubble to a guarded land. Someone manifested their Territory, but...nothing around them seemed to change.

"You guys feel that?" asked Yusuke.

Everyone nodded except for Mitarai, who worriedly looked around. "I-it wasn't me!" he said.

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "...Sensui's team is on the move."

They remained silent and still, guarding themselves from any potential assault. No rock was stirred, no noises echoed through the cave, they sensed no one. They were completely alone, and nothing around them changed. Whose Territory was this? Gamemaster? Navigator? They waited for some sort of sign, and the minutes passing by stretched on and on.

"No one's coming," Miwa finally said.

Yusuke relaxed a bit, sensing the same thing, and put his finger down. "But, the Territory is still here."

Names like "Gamemaster" or "Navigator" offered potential hints, but none of them were helpful in the moment. Not when they couldn't see any changes within the Territory. "Any ideas, Mitarai?" asked Miwa.

Mitarai looked guiltily to the ground. "I...wish I did. This can't be Gourmet, but I don't really know that much about Gamemaster or Navigator's power. Mr. Sensui never really told me about it."

Kurama followed Yusuke's cue and relaxed his posture. "We should continue on, but with caution," he said. "We don't have time to wait for the psychic to come to us."

Yusuke smiled slightly and continued forward. "Yeah, let's bring the fight to him."

Their march down into the tunnel continued, this time with Yusuke leading the way. Their pace was slower than before, and both Yusuke and Kurama huddled in closer to Mitarai, the least experienced among them. Other than the Territory, nothing around them changed. Rock paths lead to more rock paths, and the air was just as cold and damp, but the tension of a nearby enemy kept them all alert. They walked for another twenty minutes without issue, but then, Yusuke suddenly stumbled on his feet.

"Wha-" Yusuke caught himself almost immediately, but not without taking a couple steps ahead of the group to get his balance.

Miwa snickered a bit. "Are you okay?"

Yusuke didn't answer her. He glanced around with a bewildered look on his face. "Guys...I think...I just walked into his Territory again."

Kurama frowned. "Again?" he repeated. "You mean, you are still in the Territory?"

"Try it yourself."

Slowly, Kurama, Miwa, Hiei, and Mitarai stepped forward to join Yusuke. Each of them felt the familiar sense of a Territory's distortion pass through them, but what awaited on the other side still felt like the same distorted space. Not the feeling of a Territory dissolving around them.

"Weird, right?" Yusuke said, scratching the back of his head. "It's like this guy's Territory overlaps on itself, or somethin'."

"That doesn't make sense," Mitarai muttered. "Our Territories are either contained within objects, like my water monsters, or a specific radius around the Psychic."

They waited in silence again, but just like before, nothing happened. No one appeared to claim the Territory. "Let's just keep going," Yusuke ordered. "And watch your feet."

So, they continued on, just as cautious as before. Mitarai's worry became more evident on his face the farther they walked without incident. He glanced around at the cave, almost as if he expected a former comrade to appear from the walls. Twenty minutes passed again, and they all passed through the overlapping Territory once more, and again twenty minutes later.

"This is quite strange," Kurama said quietly.

Three times they passed through what should have been the border of the psychic's Territory, only to emerge in the same Territory without a Psychic to greet them. Curious, Miwa turned around, frowning at the invisible Territory wall. Slowly, she reached out her hand and let it pass through the border, sensing the clear divide between the same dimension through her hand. It was a strange feeling, like a thin numbness drawing a line across her palm, so distinct that Miwa could probably trace the line with a pen, if she wanted.

Wait...the ground…

"Um," Mitarai said quietly, looking incredibly confused. "I think we've walked into a trap."

Yusuke furrowed his eyebrow. "You mean how we can't get outta this Territory?"

"No…" Mitarai clenched his fist. He looked up to the others, still clearly confused, but simultaneously certain in his words. "Listen, I'm positive that we've gone the correct way so far, but...we should have passed through a small cavern some time ago."

"But, there hasn't even been another turn since we found this Territory..."

Mitarai glanced around the tunnel and then said quietly, "This could be Navigator's power."

"...I'm not liking that name in a cave like this," Yusuke groaned.

Miwa knelt down and ran her hand over the ground, running along the thin distortion line. "He's right. It is a trap."

She stood up, and the cap of her pouch popped open. A small droplet of water emerged, and with a flick of her wrist, the droplet zoomed ahead, as if it were going to scope the area. The droplet quickly disappeared into the dark path before them, but Miwa could clearly sense it's location from afar.

Yusuke stepped forward. "Miwa, what're you-" he started to ask, but Kurama silenced him by holding up his hand. So, they all waited, still and silent, as they sensed the energy in Miwa's droplet go farther and farther away…

Until it suddenly reappeared behind them, whizzing past Miwa's ear and down the same pathway it just traversed.

"What the hell…" Yusuke gasped.

"It...came back?" Mitarai asked, wide-eyed.

"To be more precise, it looped back." Miwa called the droplet back to her pouch. "We've walked down the same path three times, without even turning around. He's trapped us in a loop in space…."

"A space loop?" Yusuke asked, puzzled. "Like, the planets and stuff?"

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Not that space, you idiot," he snapped.

Miwa giggled to herself. Science was clearly not Yusuke's strong point. "Think of it like a portal. When we walk through a certain point in his Territory, the psychic would send us back to the same spot - right here, actually - every time. That's why it never felt like we left his Territory."

Kurama knelt down next to Miwa and ran his hand along the ground like she did. "I see," he said. "We didn't notice because it is so dark we can't see the ground very well."

"Notice what?" Mitarai asked. "The portal?"

"Yeah. Yusuke tripped over it." Miwa giggled again. "The cave floor is uneven, so it doesn't line up smoothly over the point where it loops." When Miwa felt the ground, it was like a small, sharp cliff edge had jutted up from the rock; too clean to be a natural rock formation.

Yusuke frowned a bit and crossed his arms over his chest. "So...this is that Navigator's power?"

"This doesn't seem like something Gamemaster can do..." Mitarai said quietly.

"Took you long enough to figure out!" An unfamiliar voice echoed around them, and the hard rock walls around them morphed and changed. The distinct rock shapes dissolved into a blur, and they sensed the Territory shifting. "C'mon over here, and let's play!"

"...This sounds like another trap to me," Yusuke said.

"At least he's inviting us forward this time," Miwa pointed out. "Let's go before he decides to trap us in another loop."

Yusuke and his team ran forward with a cautious speed. The small cavern Mitarai had mentioned soon came into view, right where the first portal had sent them back. At the entrance, a boy of roughly high school age waited impatiently with his hands in his pockets. His brown hair was unusually long for a human boy, just barely reaching his shoulders, like Miwa's hair. He was a bit lanky, but he made up for his size with baggy cargo pants and a dark vest at least one size too big. His oversized clothes clung close to his body from the gaudy jewelry he wore. Even in the cave's dim light, they could clearly see the heavy chains hanging off his belt and a four-pointed gold star dangling from his neck. His eyes had a strange carefreeness about them. Not exactly childlike, but more...brash or imprudent, like a school delinquent Yusuke may have fought against at one time, but this boy wouldn't have cared if he lost.

"Heeeyy, Seaman," he called with a small wave of his hand. The chains jingled quietly around his waist. "See you got some new friends."

Mitarai flinched but said nothing, and Yusuke stepped up instead. "Yeah, Seaman is one of us now. Who the hell are you?"

The boy grinned. "I'm Wataru Hirose, but if you wanna be friends, you can call me Navigator."

Yusuke scoffed. "Some navigator. You had us going in circles back there."

"Only because I navigated you that way." He raised his arms up. "You wanna close the tunnel, right? Sorry boys and girl, but Mr. Sensui wants me to make sure you guys don't find your way there." As he spoke, he pointed at each member of Yusuke's team.

Miwa had a strange feeling about this boy. Wataru Hirose, the Navigator. He had a similar aura to Sniper; they would never be able to talk him to their side; not easily at least. From his attitude and words, there was no hint that he didn't know exactly what he was a part of, or who he was fighting for. Besides, they didn't have time to convince any hard-heads they're on the wrong team. Miwa could actually taste the familiar Demon World air flowing through the cave.

"What? Are you gonna trap us in another space loop again?" Yusuke jeered. "Not very original."

"Oh please, that would hardly be as fun as meeting you face to face. And you didn't get yourself out, did you, Yusuke? Did you hurt yourself when you tripped?"

"How about I-"

"Yusuke," Hiei cut in, "Stop humoring him. He's just stalling for time."

Navigator rolled his eyes. "Psh, what a buzz kill." He frowned, but a mischievous grin soon made it disappear. "Fine, shorty. I guess I'll just start having my fun."

He took a couple steps forward, and everyone raised their guard, but after a quick smile and a final step, Navigator disappeared into thin air. They each glanced from side to side; there was no room in the cave path for him to escape, but Kurama noticed it first. Navigator's distinctly human smell didn't disappear. It just moved through the distortions in space he created to the one direction they didn't look: behind.

Behind Miwa.

"How about you first?"

Navigator grabbed a fistful of Miwa's hair and pulled, forcing her to stumble backwards on her feet while the others turned to see where he had gone. He gleefully waved his fingers at them and pulled Miwa back further through another distortion in his Territory. Miwa felt the familiar sensation of walking through the portal and realized that, instead of an identical path, this time the other end of the divide was the middle of the cavern, while her friends still stood in the narrower pathway some distance away. Navigator let go of her hair, and Miwa took several steps back, glaring intensely, but somewhat relieved that her friends were still within her sight.

"Damn shame," Navigator said, smiling almost flirtatiously. "You just had to choose the human side, huh, snake-girl? Would've been nice if you were on our team. Your hair is so soft."

Yusuke and the others broke into a run towards the cavern, ready to help their friend, but the moment their feet crossed the threshold to the cavern, they felt the distortion wave of Navigator's Territory course through them, and on the other side, they found themselves several steps away from where they started.

"What the hell?!" Yusuke exclaimed, and he made another attempt to get through to the cavern, but he looped back just the same.

Hiei pushed his hand through the distortion and turned around, feeling a strange apprehension at seeing his own hand floating in mid-air a couple feet behind him. "He trapped us in another loop," he said, pulling his hand back.

"That's right, shorty!" Navigator called gleefully from the cavern. "I'm letting you see me through the loop this time, so just wait patiently while I talk with your friend, okay?"

Miwa's pouch popped open and the water stream coiled around her arm. This guy was annoyingly playful with his enemies, but he wasn't a fool. Miwa could clearly see the cave continue down a narrower pathway several feet behind Navigator, but Miwa couldn't continue alone, even if Navigator didn't loop her back should she try and go on. His power...portals...wormholes...whatever it was could easily separate their group if they moved around carelessly. He wouldn't let her escape, and he wouldn't let her friends help. Miwa had to knock him out and disable his Territory if they wanted to escape the endless loop.

But, with that power, he could appear from anywhere or redirect my attacks, and I won't see it coming…

"...You're so quieeeeet," Navigator wined, shifting his weight from one leg to another like an restless child. "I thought the informant in you would have questions for me?

"...Why would you single me out?"

"Because we're the same? Mr. Sensui told me aaaaaalllll about it." he shrugged nonchalantly. "Thieves by trade, and deep down you know you don't belong in this world."

Miwa glanced over his obnoxiously excessive jewelry and decided Sensui must have found this kid robbing department stores, sneaking his hand right through the glass cases with his portals. "Well, for such kindred spirits, we seem to have taken a very different path somewhere on the way."

"Did we really? I want to bring you down my path, 'cause I think the tunnel is mutually beneficial to us."

Navigator grinned and took another step forward. He vanished before Miwa's eyes, but before she could stop it, Navigator punched her right in the middle of her back, as if he were purposefully mocking her seal. Miwa felt the rings on his fingers scratching into her skin through her clothing, and out of instinct, the water stream lashed out to attack him. But, it never made contact. Navigator didn't even flinch. The water stream vanished through a portal right in front of his face and immediately reappeared at Miwa's side, crashing right into her cheek and sending her toppling to the ground in a wet puddle.

"Ouch, that must have hurt," Navigator said, giggling to himself. "Hope I didn't wreck your seal too."

"Tch," Miwa scoffed, pushing herself onto her knees, "As if a human's punch could wreck something like that."

"Ooooh, aren't you so strong, Miss Demon," said Navigator, holding up his hands like a gushing schoolgirl. "Look at you, separating yourself from humans with just your words. My my, letting that Nishida kid get erased sure did a number on you."

Miwa hissed at him and lashed out two water streams in a moment of anger, just to shut him up. They sped around him in a meaningless formation, but just like before, they disappeared into portals the moment they got close to his body. They both appeared in front of Miwa and spiraled right into her chest. Her breath was knocked out of her lungs in a painful gasp and sent her back to the ground, completely soaked.

"Are you suuuure you want to stay here and continue living this lie?" His toothy grin was getting on Miwa's nerves. "I know all about it. You know that you need to go back."

Hiei watched this interaction with mild interest, having said something similar to Miwa just yesterday. To keep the oath she so treasured, she needed to fix her seal before it killed her. But to fix it, she would have to go against her friends and open the tunnel. Hiei didn't think she would turn on them here; not because of some stupid human offering his hand. But, the seal acting up nearly got her killed yesterday. What if it acted up again right now? Against Navigator? Or against a more dangerous opponent, like Sensui? Kurama, Yusuke...and even Hiei might not be able to save her next time. He didn't care whether the door to Demon World was opened, but that idiot snake would fight to keep it closed regardless of the consequences. His tone was harsh when he told her to return to Demon World, but Hiei was also being sincere. She may be a reckless, stubborn, meddlesome snake, but Miwa was also strong, clever, and one of the most dependable people Hiei ever met. He saved her from disappearing into Nishida's purple light.

He didn't want her to die.

Yusuke frowned. "...Has Miwa's seal really gotten that bad?" he asked quietly. "I know it was kinda wonky after the tournament, but-"

"It nearly got her killed yesterday," Hiei said. "If she doesn't return to Demon World and fix it, she could die."

Yusuke's eyes widened, and he looked to Kurama, who only nodded to confirm that what Hiei said was true. The odd feeling Yusuke had when Miwa told her story about finding Shou Nishida was beginning to make sense. Miwa withheld a lot of information from her story, like...the Nishida kid was erased? Yusuke didn't fully understand that meant, but he knew Miwa herself was making a difficult choice. She had been trying to help them close the tunnel this whole time, knowing full well she needed it opened to fix her seal. Yusuke wanted to believe that Miwa, their extremely loyal friend, wouldn't turn on them, but with her life depending on an open tunnel, he could only imagine the internal struggle while fighting to see it closed..

Miwa coughed as air returned to her lungs. "If Sensui told you aallll about me, Hirose," she croaked, "you'd know I won't change sides so easily."

"Psh, so loyal," Navigator pouted. "Don't you have to stay alive to keep your oath?"

Miwa slowly stood up, finally regaining her breath. "I am alive," she said, "And I don't need your stupid tunnel to stay that way."

"Oh, contraire," said Navigator. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his silly attitude dropped in an instant. "Even if you don't have another little episode and you close the tunnel, then what? You go back to living that mundane school life? Would that really be living for you?"

"Shut up!"

The puddle of water surrounding Miwa rose into the air in fist-sized orbs. They flashed and shot forward like a barrage of bullets. Navigator only smiled, and each bullet disappeared into another portal, sending them in different directions across the cavern to crash into the walls with a giant, shimmering splash.

"I know all about your little adventure to find Nishida, reveling in the good old days," Navigator continued, taking small steps forward. "Even if you stay, your skills aren't needed here. That red-head doesn't need you to protect him. He never has."

Miwa clenched her fists, but she didn't retort. She was well aware of those facts for a long time now. She even said it out loud multiple times. From a distance, Kurama clenched his own fists in frustration.

"Me, on the other hand," Navigator said, his lips slowly curving into a smile, "I want someone like you. I'm a thief too, and once the tunnel opens and demons ravage the world, I'm gonna need someone who knows the law of the demon land."

"...You actually think you'll survive the tunnel's opening?"

He smirked. "With my Territory, they wouldn't even touch me."

Miwa smiled despite herself. "You have a lot to learn about demons, boy."

"That's why I want you," he said, showing his teeth in his smile. "I told you. Mutually beneficial. Once your seal is fixed, you get to stretch your thief legs again with someone who actually needs you, and I have an inside look to the new world so we could do….well, whatever we want!"

Miwa was silent. Useless skills. Not being needed. Living a lie among humans. They were all thoughts that haunted her mind, even before the day she met Shou Nishida. Kurama doesn't need a babysitter, Hiei said to her long ago, and Miwa quickly agreed with him even then. Maybe Rikiji was right. Maybe Miwa came all the way to Living World just to satisfy her own ego and guilt. It was never about Kurama needing her, because he never did. He was an infamous, capable thief long before she ever tracked him down. Even he didn't want her around at first. Still, she persisted and stayed at his side. She went to a whole new world just to find him, leaving behind everything she knew. Reliving the good old days while infiltrating the cram school was nice. Feeling useful and needed by her friends was nice. But, none of that was really necessary for her. She didn't come to the Living World to continue her life as a thief, and it didn't matter if she felt disconnected from the humans around her.

"...I know why you're here...but I think you don't..."

She knew now.

I came to Living World...because I don't know how else to live...

Miwa's water slowly dripped down the cave wall, adding to the dewey moisture already settled on the rock. The water dimly glinted with Spirit Energy, and it quickly pulled away from the wall, and it separated into droplets that hung casually in the air. Hundreds of tiny orbs, spreading across the entire cavern like stars in a planetarium, began to glow, illuminating the cave with a pale, white light. Nearly blinding for their eyes that had grown so accustomed to the dark. It was beautiful for a moment, but being surrounded by water under Miwa's control only meant one thing.

"So," Navigator said, marveling at the sight. "This is your answer?"

The glowing droplets moved through the air. "My loyalty won't be bought with just words."

"Wooow, just how little your own life is worth to you…" Navigator still smiled at the ominously floating droplets of water. "You think your attack won't be redirected again?"

"I think you're just an inexperienced human that can't keep track of everything."

The moving droplets picked up speed, and in seconds, the white orbs flew about the cave in a flurry of liquid light, and Miwa's arms made wide circles to guide the way. Hundreds of droplets moved about with no pattern, up, down, left, right, each moving around each other and Navigator, but never getting too close. Navigator's grinned despite the pain from his eyes adjusting to the light, impressed that the snake-girl could control so much independent movement at once. How he wished he could add her skills to his thieving toolkit. He knew her plan: find his blind spot and hope to avoid a portal. He snickered to himself. She was clever enough to figure out he needed to see an attack coming to divert it, he would give her that much credit.

"Sorry, snake-girl," he said, raising his hands. "But this won't be enough to reach me."

In an instant, the orbs stopped. Frozen, suspended in midair without even the slightest twitch of inertia. Even Miwa herself, known to control her water with broad strokes of her arms, was frozen in place. Try as she might, she could not move her arms. She could feel a slight pressure against her skin as she tried to move, but some...unseen force was holding her arms in place. Released from Miwa's control and the force that held them in midair, the water droplets fell uselessly to the ground, creating a small drizzle of rain around Navigator.

"You…" Miwa hissed through her teeth.

"Yup! So sorry about that." Navigator's jovial attitude returned. "You see, my abilities aren't limited to making portals. In my Territory, I manipulate how things move through space itself. ...Like somethin' outta sci-fi!"

Miwa felt the pressure around her arms recede, and she could move freely again. Or...maybe not so freely, according to how Navigator explained his Territory. "So why won't Sensui use you to get past the Kekkai Barrier?" Miwa asked, beginning to smile. "If your Territory won't work across the Kekkai, then I guess you're not needed in your little group of friends, too."

Navigator frowned. "Don't forget, you little snake," he spat, "As long as you are in my Territory, you're surrounded by me!"

"And if there's water all around you, Hirose," Miwa said, holding up one hand, "then you're surrounded by me."

Navigator snapped his attention down to his feet, where Miwa's white droplets had rained to the ground. The water formed a dewey ring on the cavern floor around his feet, but that wasn't the problem. A thin layer of water, cooled to the cave's temperature, clung to Navigator's ankle like a wet sock. When did she do this? After the water drizzled around him? Or...before that, when his eyes were adjusting to the white light? Didn't matter. Now that the water had clung to his foot, none of his abilities could help him.

"I'm a human, you snake," he warned. "You can't kill me."

"...No, but I can make sure you're no longer a problem." She grinned, showing off her fangs. "Too bad for you, but I'm a snake that likes to bite...and hard."

The water clinging to Navigator glowed, and a white hot pain erupted from his ankle. He heard a distinct crack as the water constricted and crumbled his bones. Ankle, foot, all of it was put under sudden pressure until the bones gave way. Even at a distance, Yusuke and the others could hear the faint crackle of bones breaking, like the sound of crushed walnuts, followed shortly by a loud, painful scream, and Navigator dropped to his knees. But, Miwa wasn't done; the Territory was still active. So, with a powerful tug, her water grip on his ankle pulled his one leg forward, and Navigator's body toppled backwards. His head slammed against cavern floor with a dull, painful thud that made Mitarai flinch and avert his eyes, and then, Navigator lay still.

A moment passed, and they all felt the Territory dissolve. Yusuke took the first step, sticking out his leg to see if the portal was still there, and finally entered the cavern. He and the others ran up to Miwa's side as she recalled all of her water back to her pouch, and they looked down at Navigator's unconscious body. His ankle was already red and swollen, but Miwa easily used her water to remove his shoe and sock.

"Even if he wakes up, he won't be following us anytime soon," she muttered, slinging her pouch over her shoulder. Then she looked up, finally seeing the solemn faces of her friends. "What?" she asked, and Yusuke noticed her fangs already returned to normal size. "Did you guys really think I would join this clown?"

"Well, no," Yusuke said quietly, "But, that guy had a point. Are you gonna be okay, not going back to Demon World?"

Miwa stared at him for a moment. The burning sensation in her chest had never gone away. The problems with her seal were still there. But, she thought about the friends she saw before her. The friends waiting outside the cave. She thought of Taichi and Saya, of Takeo Shimizu, and Shiori Minamino. They all lived in this world, the same world Hiei said wasn't her own. ...Himari Shimizu also lived in this world. The same Himari Shimizu that liked to play basketball after school with her friends, that was bad at remembering dates for history tests, that accompanied Saya as they checked their grades after every exam, that ate dinner every night at a small dining table with Takeo Shimizu, that promised to be there for Shiori Minamino's wedding...

It was no act. No mask to hide amongst the humans. Miwa and Himari Shimizu: they were the same person, just using different names.

"...I'm not gonna let the Living World go to hell just to save my own skin. There are people I like here," she said. "I'll figure out this seal-business somehow, tunnel or no tunnel." Information, after all, was her specialty.

Hiei watched her carefully and shrugged discreetly to himself. At least she found one path, and she chose to fight for the Living World, whether it was her world or not. The rest of the crap she had to work through would be up to her. She may have accepted the life she lived now, but Miwa still couldn't break the loop she lived in; the endless Ouroboros circle that bit hard on its own tail. Hiei figured that out about her not long after they met. No matter how her lifestyle changed, no matter the adjustments she had to make, she always went back to prioritizing Kurama over herself. Protecting Living World meant protecting his human mother, which, in her mind, was just an extension of protecting Kurama himself and keeping her oath to him. She knew of nothing else to do with her life. No other purpose...or so Hiei suspected, until she started reaching out her meddlesome hand to help him.

Miwa glanced at Hiei, and he averted his eyes.

"Well, for what it's worth, we're glad to have you on our side." Yusuke said, grinning impishly, "We need you more than that guy."

Miwa smiled right back at him, and she felt the brief pain of her core fluctuating ever so slightly, which she willfully ignored. "...Thanks, Yusuke."

They left Wataru Hirose, the Navigator, behind and continued their trek through the cave...right to the threshold of Gamemaster's Territory.

---

Notes: The fight with Navigator was probably one of the hardest for me to figure out since Miwa couldn't kill him or go all out against a human. At least now she has a firm idea of what path she's on, and she's finally becoming aware of what that path is like.

Navigator's real name, Wataru Hirose basically translates to "navigating the wide stream."