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.

21. Ouroboros Circle

Chapter 21: Ouroboros Circle

Time slowed down. Sounds disappeared from the world. Everything moved in silent slow motion.

Yusuke flew backwards, blood spilling from a puncture wound on his chest. He landed flat on his back, bouncing only slightly, and he lay still with a calm, peaceful look on his face, void of pain. Void of life.

Yusuke Urameshi... The teenager who arrogantly barged into a meeting of demon thieves on his first day as Spirit Detective. The reckless fool who offered his own life to the Forlorn Hope. The idiot that smiled at them as he went off to face Suzaku alone. The crazy kid that slept on a boat full of demons to Hanging Neck Island. The boy that jumped into fight after fight with a goofy, child-like grin on his face. The Dark Tournament Champion. The one who brought them all together. Their friend.

Yusuke...was dead.

"Trial of humanity. The defense rests." Sensui's voice cut through the silence, focusing all of their hatred to one person. "There's little time for closing arguments. The tunnel is open." The hungry cries of the demons grew louder and louder. "Are any of you brave enough to lead the way? Attempt to finish what your late friend could not?" The demons pushed forward, spilling out into the human world with their unending thirst for blood.

Despite everything, Kuwabara smiled. "Sure. Bravery is the only thing we got left."

The seal on Miwa's back surged and released a crackling pain, numbing her limbs until its power subsided. The energy from Miwa's core overpowered the shikigami magic, unleashing a flood of power throughout her body. Every inch of her skin, every thread of her muscles, every drop of her blood was reunited with power that was gone but not forgotten. White streaks appeared in Miwa's dark hair, her fangs grew sharper, the pupils of her eyes narrowed, and faint scaly lines appeared on her shoulders, but they remained hidden from view by her clothes. The seal's mark on her back, once a deep red shikigami circle as vivid as a tattoo, had faded to a faint pink line in her skin.

Did the seal weaken? Was it gone? Miwa didn't care. There was only one thing on her mind.

With almost perfect synchronicity, Miwa, Kurama, and Hiei all raced to the tunnel. Kurama had reverted to the appearance of Youko Kurama, Hiei was ready to call forth the Dragon of the Darkness Flame right from the start, and Kuwabara followed close behind. All of their powers had reached new heights, easily clearing the A-class level, and all that power was focused on one, single target: Shinobu Sensui.

"Here's a one-way ticket for you straight to hell, you bastard!"

Hiei's Dragon evaporated the first wave of demons, and its large mouth grabbed Sensui and pushed him into the tunnel. They dodged debris from the crumbling cave, and without hesitation, Hiei, Kurama, Miwa, and Kuwabara entered the tunnel to Demon World. Through the rift, they found themselves floating through a silent limbo. The abyss of the Pseudo-Space was nothing like the belly of the Ura-Otoko. Devoid of any warmth or smell, the limbo between worlds was a seemingly endless void of emptiness. Gravity worked differently there, and they floated on through the abyss.

"You cracked open the Idunn box and turned back into your foxy self," Kuwabara said, taking note of Kurama's transformation.

"I have not become Youko Kurama," Kurama explained. "I have merely taken on the appearance of my demon form while retaining my human personality. It's a side effect of this increase in demon energy..."

Without even looking, Miwa knew their attention turned to her. Kuwabara had never seen her with this look before, but it was very familiar to Kurama. "Is it the same for you?" Kuwabara asked.

"...Your guess is as good as mine," she muttered, not even bothering to look their way.

Ahead, the yellow net of the Kekkai Barrier awaited them, but somehow, Sensui had already passed through, completely unscathed from Hiei's Dragon. Sensui's Sacred Energy wasn't blocked by the Kekkai, since it only focused on Demon Energy of the A and S class, so Sensui passed through with ease. The Dragon, however, sizzled out against the barrier's might. Sensui waited for them on the other side of the barrier, arms crossed and with a satisfied smile, greatly amused by the irony. Yusuke's sacrifice powered them up, just like he wanted, but the strength they gained barred three of their party from moving on to continue the fight. Kurama even stepped forward to touch the barrier himself, not wanting to just believe Sensui's word, and the yellow net burned his hand. They had only two choices: Kuwabara, with his non-demon energy, could pass through the barrier and fight Sensui alone, or he cut down the Kekkai with his Dimension Sword and they all fight together, but the final step in Sensui's plan would be complete.

The answer was obvious. They would die before they gave up this fight.

Kuwabara sliced through the barrier without a second thought, opening up their path to Sensui...and to Demon World.

The tunnel dropped them into the red sky, high above a forest large enough to meet the horizon. Mountains and hills made of rock jutted through the trees at random places with no sign of any kind of civilization, like they appeared in an uninhabited wasteland. The Demon World air whipped around them as they fell, flooding their senses with its rotten odor, unfit for normal human life, and dark purple clouds rushed past. Hiei identified their location as the Forest of Fools, an area of mainly low-level demons that wouldn't bother getting close to this fight. In the distance, a giant tower of demons clambered over each other, bodies stacked on top of other bodies, to try and reach the tunnel sparking in the sky. Kurama spared Kuwabara from falling to his death by using a leaf from one of his plants to catch and glide him down to safety. Miwa, knowing the plant leaf could only support so much weight, used the water from her pouch to wrap wide water rings around her and Hiei's waists, catching their bodies and slowing their descent. Sensui, on the other hand, just used his Sacred Energy to fly, finally explaining the reason for his nickname, Black Angel. They landed at the Plateau of the Beheaded, a barren mesa in the middle of the forest, and its name gave them all some ideas.

Four versus one. The battle began.

"This is not something I usually do. Fighting opponents who I know have no chance of beating me. But I'm making exceptions for you, to offer some modicum of peace that you would at least try to avenge your friend's death before your own."

As he powered up, the impact of his energy pushed them back. Sensui's sacred energy converged around his body, solidifying into physical mass. He created Sacred Energy Armor, protecting his head, chest, and hips with a yellow, pointed material loosely connected to each other with thin tendrils. There was even black and white under armor with a blue belt for decoration, all made with Sacred Energy that looked more like loose, flowing fabric.

Armor for defense, as if Sensui wasn't hard enough to hit without it.

Hiei wasted no time. He summoned a second Dragon with minimal effort, a feat that could easily kill him. The Dragon made a quick circle in the air and crashed back down, merging with Hiei's body. The Jagan Eye flashed, the aura of the Black Dragon heated the air, and Hiei leapt forward, fists ablaze. He attacked Sensui with a barrage of punches against the chest plate of his Sacred Energy Armor. But, Sensui was hardly bothered by this attack, and he disabled Hiei's assault barrage with his own punch to Hiei's stomach and a hard kick to the face. Hiei flew across the surface of the mesa, skidding across the dirt as Kurama and Kuwabara stepped in. Kurama formed a sword around his wrist with demonic vines, and Kuwabara had his Dimension Sword in hand. They moved to attack Sensui together, but Sensui easily dodged Kuwabara's sword powered up his Sacred Energy again. It kicked up the air and dirt around them, swirling until the energy and dust formed a powerful twister. Kurama was pulled in by the wind and trapped in the cyclone, and the energy inside cut at his skin like hundreds of knives. Kuwabara pushed through the high-speed winds and aimed his sword, but Sensui's powerful kick sent Kuwabara flying. Meanwhile, the twister subsided, and Kurama's wounded body tumbled to the ground.

Off on the side, Miwa prepared a long-distance attack. Two water streams stemmed from her wrists, each looking like her sleeves extended past her hands. The streams were much larger than usual, but that didn't stop Miwa from leaping about and swinging her arms in circular motions. As she flew through the air, the streams punched small craters into the ground with each strike, but Sensui sidestepped them every time. Miwa hissed, and the two streams combined into one. At its head, the water formed into the likeness of a snake. It opened its jaw wide and clamped its watery fangs around Sensui's waist, but even the snake's bite couldn't puncture through the Sacred Energy Armor. Sensui just smiled and thrust his arm straight into the snake's mouth, and the mere force of his power split Miwa's water snake right down the middle, ripping its mouth apart. The split tore through the snake all the way to Miwa's wrists, and even from that distance, Sensui's attack nearly wrecked her hands.

"Now you are really starting to piss me off!"

Hiei suddenly appeared for second attempt with the Sword of the Darkness Flame in hand. He barrelled through the air like a missile, ready to try his hand at fighting Sensui again. The blade made contact with Sensui's shoulder, and the impact made a noise that echoed across the mesa plain, but the armor didn't get a scratch. Sensui didn't even flinch. Sensui's long leg crashed into Hiei's middle, and Hiei was sent toppling to the ground once more, dragging a line through the dirt with his body.

"Nothing worse than being strong, but not strong enough." Sensui had the gall to smile at them as they forced themselves up. "It only prolongs the inevitable conclusion. But be sure, this will be your inevitable conclusion, no matter how long it takes us to reach it."

Not strong enough…

Yusuke died to give them this strength. Their friend was lying, as cold and still as death, back in the cave with a bloody puncture wound in his chest. They broke out of the Ura-Otoko, but they were still too late to save Yusuke's life. He saw their desperate rush to save him, but he just smiled at them, that cocky smile of his, even in the face of imminent death. He did it so they could continue the fight; the world's best strategy for kicking ass.

And it still wasn't enough?

Would they be joining Yusuke soon?

"I'm sorry you feel so much dedication to your misguided cause," Sensui continued, ignoring their glares. "It pains me, for your hearts are noble. I used to be a pawn like all of you. It's not too late to save yourself."

Kuwabara pushed himself up on his feet and wiped some dirt off his face. "Y'know, I gave up worrying about about dying a long time ago, Sensui. And I care even less about the pain it's gonna involve getting there, as long as I take your hide along with me when I go! So you better be ready to meet your doom!"

The Dimension Sword burst from Kuwabara's hands, and he ran forward to start their second wave. He took one mighty swing at Sensui, but Sensui easily leapt out of the way, and Kuwabara's sword ripped a triangular opening to another dimension across the ground. The portal slowly closed shut with an eerie hum, but nobody paid attention to it. With a speed that could rival Hiei's, Sensui suddenly appeared at Kuwabara's side and landed a punch right in his face, sending the boy flying. Kurama brandished his Rose Whip, in the hopes that its sharp thorns would puncture the armor, but Sensui grabbed the whip with his bare hands, and one powerful yank pulled Kurama's body in close enough for a hard kick to the stomach; Sensui's hands didn't even bleed. Kurama's body crumpled to the ground as Hiei summoned another Sword of the Darkness Flame in his hand, notably formed without any sort of physical vessel. Sensui, still clutching to the discarded Rose Whip, fling the thorny vine to wrap around Hiei's sword.

"Dammit!"

Just like with Kurama, Sensui used the whip to pull Hiei in closer. Hiei was unable to stop the forward momentum, and Sensui delivered a hard kick to his back, sending Hiei back to the ground. Miwa was next, but instead of her usual stream, hundreds of tiny slivers of water, hardened to the strength and sharpness of needles, followed behind her. She kept her distance as the needles aimed for Sensui, and every time he sidestepped, Miwa's control let the needles follow his every move. Even if the needles moved around like the water stream, they weren't a single unit like Kurama's whip; Sensui shouldn't be able to grab them so easily. But, as always, Sensui was one step ahead. He charged directly at Miwa's needles, knocking them out of his way with powerful arm swipes of his own, scattering Miwa's needles in all directions without making even the smallest tear in his armor. Miwa tried to regain her control, but Sensui was too fast. He drove his elbow into the back of her neck, and Miwa slammed face first into the ground.

Under Sensui's feet, small patches of grass suddenly grew larger at an alarming speed. The blades of grass wiggled and writhed with a life of their own, and the grass blades extended their reach farther than would seem possible. They wrapped around Sensui's wrists and ankles, holding him to the ground like a ball and chain, and in the distance, Kurama held his hands flush against the ground, controlling it all from a distance. Kuwabara, Hiei, and Miwa quickly recovered upon seeing their chance, and together they leapt towards Sensui for a three-against-one strike. Kuwabara held his Dimension Sword, Hiei his Sword of the Darkness Flame, and Miwa quickly formed a water katana in her hand.

Sensui chuckled. "You are so dedicated to your fallen friend," he said, smiling. "I admire all of your persistence."

The yellow aura of his Sacred Energy flared around him, tearing the grass blades to shreds and sending pulsing waves of power into the air. The energy hit Kuwabara, Hiei, and Miwa at the same time, pushing them back and easily throwing off their bladed assault. Miwa hissed at him again, powering up her own energy and ready to attack out of anger, driven purely by her instincts. She maintained her water katana, but orbs of water formed themselves in midair around her, with no clear water source. They each flashed with a white light and shot towards Sensui, with Miwa trailing close behind, sword in hand. Hiei quickly dismissed the mysterious generation of the water and followed her.

"Well, look at that," Sensui said, still smiling, "You've even managed to regain powers you thought you lost. You must be so happy, Miwa."

"Shut up!"

Each water orb crashed into the ground around Sensui, exploding upon impact. They kicked up dirt and water droplets into the air, forming a debris cloud that both Miwa and Hiei used as a cover to get close. They approached Sensui from two different sides, ready to stab him with their swords, but Sensui reached out and grabbed each of their blades by hand. Miwa and Hiei caught themselves before they tumbled right into Sensui's arms, but Sensui swung them around, forcing them to let go of their swords and crash into the ground.

Kurama jumped in, a growing Death Tree winding around his arm. Acidic saliva dripped from its open mouth, burning holes into the dirt when it landed, and the Death Tree locked on to Sensui as its primary target. It extended its shrieking head, wanting to feed on the flesh of living prey. For a second, Sensui stepped back, marveling at the sight of a plant of the Demon World, but his time to admire it was short-lived. As the Death Tree's mouth loomed ever closer, Sensui gently sidestepped and beheaded the Death Tree with only his hand. The beheading was quick and precise, and they only knew it happened because Sensui's Sacred Energy left a bright trail of yellow light where he had cut. The Death Tree shrieked again, this time out of pain instead of hunger, and its head flopped uselessly on the ground. Kurama released the plant before Sensui could use it against him, and he also leapt away to safety, seeing Kuwabara make his way behind Sensui. Kuwabara roared as he thrust his hand forward, and multiple blades of his Spirit Energy shot from his hand. Kuwabara's barrage of Spirit Energy blades all aimed towards Sensui, but they were easily deflected when Sensui powered up his Sacred Energy once more. His aura billowed out around him, kicking up dirt and rocks, and the clashing directions of his energy created more twisters around his body. Everyone took several steps back, trying to avoid getting sucked into the swirling vortex of Sensui's raw power.

"Now do you see the futility of your noble dedication?" he asked. The softer material of his armor flapped wildly in the wind. "No matter how much you grieve for Urameshi and wish to avenge his death, you still lack the strength to land even one hit on me. All that awaits you here is your death-" Sensui suddenly cringed, for no apparent reason, as if his body had seized up of its own accord. He looked down at his hands, but then he started to laugh. "I should have expected this eventually," he said, still chuckling to himself. Around him, the twisters slowly died down.

Miwa glared at him, eyes narrowed with anger, and both arms raised and positioned like two snakes in front of her. Her palms glowed dimly and sweat dribbled down her face as she breathed heavily. "I'll rip out your tongue," she spat. Minoru may have been the orator of Sensui's head parade, but Shinobu seemed to talk just as much.

She had a very tentative grasp over the liquid water in Sensui's body, and the smallest slip in her concentration could make her lose control completely. It took Life Energy for Miwa to overcome Sensui's own life force that saturated the fluids in his body and gain control, but attaining her tentative grasp was more difficult than she ever expected, despite the fact that this technique allowed her to bypass his overwhelming Sacred Energy. Her vision blurred, and Miwa could no longer see precise details in the blobs of color around her. She heard her friends step in closer. They recognized her precarious position and knew she couldn't defend herself anymore. Miwa's hands glowed brighter, and she tried to pull the water in his system out of his body, just like with Rikiji. But, even with her tenuous control, she was met with a surprising resistance.

"Even your best efforts are not enough."

Sensui clenched his fists, powering up his Sacred Energy again. It sent another wave outward, pushing Miwa off balance, and she easily fell over. Her control over Sensui's body immediately disappeared, but it was not from the lapse in her focus; he somehow purged her energy out of his system. Miwa, in her dizziness, barely felt herself hit the ground. The world spun around her as she experienced the normal side effects whenever she tried to extract water from someone's body. She could faintly hear her friends charging in for another attack, so she put all her strength into her arms, trying her damndest to get back up. Her arms collapsed under her weight twice in her struggle to rise, but she didn't give up. By pure force of will, Miwa finally managed to at least sit up, but by then, her friends were knocked back and sprawled around her, defeated once again by the former Spirit Detective's power.

"I apologize if I happen to have caused you any harm," he said, almost pleasantly.

Miwa glared at him. "I'm sick of this guy mocking us…"

Hiei sat back and leaned against his arms. "Kill us if you're going to. Just spare us the sound of your voice."

Kurama lay face down in the dirt. "Your physical strength is greater than ours at the moment. That's all." Slowly, he lifted his head. "Unfortunately, that's the only thing that matters here in Demon World..."

Kuwabara was flat on his back, and he remained silent, staring up at the sky with a blank look on his face.

"I am merciful," Sensui said, raising his hand. "I want to relieve you of your misery..."

Then, they all sensed a powerful demon energy nearby. Its strength was intimidating, possibly rivaling Sensui's own power. But, somehow, that unknown energy was coming from the Human World. In the deep red sky, some distance from the tunnel's opening, a dark figure quickly approached them. Hiei, Miwa, Kurama, and Kuwabara all sat up straighter, hoping to get a better look; they didn't know if it was a friend or foe. The dark figure took shape, flapping its mighty wings. A giant blue bird, with a long neck covered by dark hair and two tails that fanned out like a blue flame, flew across the sky, and they could hear the wind rippling through its feathers even from so far away. As the great beast got closer, they realized his color and face greatly resembled Puu, and Koenma was one of two smaller figures riding on his back. The other figure, the one emitting the massive Demon Energy...well, they couldn't believe their eyes.

"I'm sorry I got delayed. Traffic was a bitch," said Yusuke Urameshi, showing off that cocky-as-hell smile. "But I'm back and ready to finish this!"

Yusuke...It was Yusuke.

Puu, the Spirit Beast transformed into the body of a giant phoenix, soared towards them; a living metaphor if there ever was one. The beast landed on the mesa, and Yusuke jumped off his back, his body aglow with a red demon energy. His face was the same, his jeans were the same, that messy dark hair was the same, and the dark smudge on his chest marked the location of Sensui's killing strike. He was even missing one shoe, exactly how they left him in the cave. The only difference was that immense demon power, a power that could not come from the body of a human...

"Is...that him?" Hiei asked, eyes wide and disbelieving.

Miwa gaped at their friend, appearing before them like a ghost. "It's...not possible…"

"...How?" Kurama asked, though no one could give him an answer.

Yusuke leapt off of Puu's back, and he slowly walked towards them. The bright red glow around his body did not diminish in the slightest. This person was undeniably Yusuke Urameshi, so how did he gain this massive demon energy?

"Some friends you are, ditchin' a guy while he's down and hogging the bad guy all to yourself…" he said, scratching the back of his head like a carefree kid. Then he frowned and glared down at them with his hands on his hips. "I gotta admit I'm disappointed in you jerks. Did you honestly think I'd just lie there and let you guys fight my battles for me? Give me a break!"

"Urameshi!" Finally, Kuwabara spoke, or rather, shrieked, as if the reality of what he was seeing finally hit home. "But you were...you were definitely dead, I swear it! Your heart stopped beating! I double-checked!"

"...Yeah, I can't explain that." Yusuke blinked a couple times, puzzled, and he pointed to that mark on his chest. "In fact, my ticker's still not ticking. I guess I should be worried, huh?"

Of all people…

Miwa snorted, trying to hold back a strong urge to laugh. Beside her, even Kurama and Hiei were starting to chuckle. The sound of each other's mirth broke something in them, and they each burst into loud, hearty laughter. Yusuke even joined in, grinning wide and showing off his toothy smile. Only Yusuke would take a lack of a heartbeat and blow it off like a half-hearted concern.

"You'll get used to that," Kurama said, recovering from laughter first. "You see, demon hearts don't beat in the conventional human sense."

"Demon?!" Kuwabara exclaimed, eyes growing wider in his surprise.

Koenma took the liberty to explain. Unbeknownst to them all, even Koenma himself, Yusuke was a carrier of the Atavism of the Mazoku. One of Yusuke's ancestors, from centuries ago most likely, was a full-blooded demon, and a powerful one, judging from Yusuke's new strength. The demonic DNA lay dormant for generations, just waiting for the perfect descendent to awaken the demonic blood. When Yusuke died the first time, he was just an ordinary delinquent kid, with no spiritual powers of worthy note. But, coming back and training as a Spirit Detective trained his body and spirit to incredible heights, so when he died in the cave, the Mazoku DNA awakened, determined to stay alive, and Yusuke was reborn into what Spirit World referred to as a "half-breed."

Miwa honestly felt tears coming to her eyes, but she did not know if they were from her laughter or the immense relief from seeing Yusuke again. "Honestly," she said, a small chuckle sneaking between nearly every syllable. "Is there anything you can't do?"

Hiei recovered from his laughter, turned instead to a prideful, smug grin. "I had no idea you were one of us, Yusuke. How does it feel to be so superior?"

Yusuke glanced down at his body. At some point during all their laughter, the red glow of his newfound power simmered away. "Uh, honestly, I don't really feel all that different now. I mean, I haven't sprouted horns or extra eyes yet…" Then, he glanced up, smiling at Sensui. "But I do have the sudden burning desire to tear this guy to pieces. ...How about it, Sensui? Ready to feed some worms?"

"Back off, Yusuke." Hiei rose to his feet, and his Demon Energy erupted in a cloud around him. "We're in the middle of something, and I've suddenly discovered my second wind."

Even Kurama was ready to stand, energized and strong. "No, Hiei. I will take him."

Miwa chuckled to herself, the fatigue of her last attack already a distant memory. "Get in line. I already made a promise to shut that mouth of his…"

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "What is this, a prom date dispute?" He turned to Kuwabara, the only one who hadn't volunteered to fight. "I'm sure Sensui's flattered by the popularity and all, but this is my damn fight. I hate to say it, Kuwabara, but you're the only one acting sane…"

Kuwabara, close to tears but grinning like a maniac, ignored Yusuke's words and proudly stood up, fists raised. "I'm ready! And better than ever! Stand back, 'cause I can kick his butt myself!"

"You do realize he'll be kicking back…" Hiei said, already exasperated from Kuwabara's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, and after him, you're next!" Kuwabara retaliated.

"...There won't be a next."

"Just shut up!"

Kuwabara's excitement quickly diminished, and he was already back to his usual antics with Hiei. He threw a punch, but of course, Hiei could easily dodge. Yusuke just laughed, and Miwa couldn't help but smile along with him. It was like...everything was back to normal. Yusuke was by their side, laughing, and Hiei and Kuwabara were at each other's throats, all while Kuarma and Miwa quietly observed from the side. It didn't seem possible that they would all be together like this again. Even with the harsh environment of Demon World as their backdrop, the brief moment of levity was enough to make everything normal and familiar again. And all it took was Yusuke's return. Their anger at his death brought out powers they had never reached before, but upon his miraculous return, they felt ready to take on the world.

Yusuke Urameshi. What an incredible person.

"I sense how strong you've all become," he said. "And I appreciate your help, but I need to finish this alone." He turned around, smiling at them like he always did. "You dig?"

That smile was all they needed to see. Even in death, he would never change.

Hiei spoke for them all. "Knock 'em dead, Yusuke Urameshi. But if you fail, you know I've got your back."

Everything would be okay. Yusuke was here, so it had to be true.

{00}

Yusuke versus Sensui. The battle continued, more destructive than ever before.

Punches were thrown, and their power was too overwhelming for the very ground beneath them. Rocks flew into the air, quickly destroying the landscape of the mesa on which they stood. Miwa and the others had to take to the sky, just to get out of their way. Hiei, Kuwabara, and Koenma jumped onto Puu's back, Kurama took to the sky with his butterfly-looking leaf, and Miwa joined him, carried by her own water.

Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun, but his new power was so great, he couldn't control it properly. The bullet missed and demolished a distant mountain, but the more important point was it actually cut threw a small part of Sensui's armor. If Yusuke hadn't missed, there might have actually been damage. But, if anyone knew how to adapt to a new situation, it was Yusuke. And that could come in handy, because Sensui decided to his armor. This time, the armor left his head exposed, more made for offense than defense. His clothes turned back to black, and the armor changed to a pale blue. It covered most of his chest, but certain parts by his shoulders jutted out into sharper points.

Sensui and Yusuke powered up again, and this time, the Plateau of the Beheaded was completely destroyed beneath their feet. Their fight took to the air, now that something as trivial as the ground was no longer in their way. The distance between Yusuke and his friends quickly grew and he and Sensui travelled across the landscape. They didn't care where they went, as long as they continued fighting. Eventually, they toppled into the tower of demon bodies clamoring to get to the tunnel. Bodies of hundreds of demons were falling through the air, landing all around the spot on the ground where Yusuke and Sensui finally settled. Some of them were dumb enough to try and attack Yusuke or Sensui, perhaps sensing Sensui's human flesh, but they all were quickly killed. Yusuke punched any demon that dared to get close, while Sensui vaporized them with his energy. Even Sensui, the man who claimed to only hate human beings, grew annoyed with the interference in this fight. With one hand, he shot a beam of green energy to the sky, sweeping it across through the sky near the falling demons. In its wake, there were small explosions, quickly ridding them of the falling hindrances.

Their fight moved again, heading towards tall, skinny mountain, but as soon as they reached it, their power easily knocked it over. So, they moved again, to a location Yusuke identifies, and once more, they topple another mountain, creating more tornadoes around them as their powers clashed. Kurama warned them all that both their powers indicated the S-Class strength, and they would have to keep their distance just to avoid being killed by just their energy. At some point, Yusuke had buried himself into the sand, hoping to surprise Sensui. But, he still wasn't used to hiding his newfound power, so Sensui, and even his friends in the distance, could pinpoint his location. Yusuke popped out of the sand, happy and laughing like an excited kid. Even Sensui was beginning to smile.

"As much as Yusuke's strength and abilities are continuing to evolve before us," Kurama said, "I'm concerned about Sensui's change of demeanor. A weight has been lifted, as though this fight is what he desired all along."

Hiei smirked. "The joy of a worthy foe. It's what I felt when I fought with Yusuke."

"That was before. Big deal," Kuwabara shrugged.

"Whatever is happening down there," Miwa said quietly, "this is the kind of fight that inspires legends…"

Suddenly, Yusuke froze. Instead of Sensui, he looked down to the ground, face contorted as if he were beginning to feel pain. Then, before any of them could comment on it, Yusuke screamed, and his Demon Energy erupted into a pillar of red light. More tornadoes formed around him, startling even Sensui, but this wasn't like before. Yusuke's power was skyrocketing to incredible heights, dwarfing his power from his last revival. The legend Yusuke was creating began to turn, for better, or for worse. The red light faded, revealing Yusuke's dark silhouette.

But, it didn't look like him.

Yusuke's hair had grown to a spikey, thick mess that reached down to his knees. Instead of his usual black color, his hair also changed to a faded, almost dirty-looking white, as if hundreds of years had passed, but only Yusuke's hair aged, growing longer and changing color. Jagged blue markings covered his arms, chest, and shoulders, somehow looking like scars. But, the biggest difference was that look on his face. That smirk, and that glee in his eyes, neither of it looked like the Yusuke Urameshi they all knew. Not the one they just saw return to life.

"Hey, what's happened to him now?" Kuwabara asked, his voice quiet and unsure. "I mean...is that really even him?"

The answer...was not an easy one. It was definitely Yusuke's body, finally accepting the Mazoku transformation. But...nothing about him felt like Yusuke. Not even the way he fought.

Yusuke powered up again, far stronger than they could ever imagine. His very energy generated lightning storms in the sky, and bolts of electricity touched down to the ground. He punched Sensui once in the face, and the force was enough to send Sensui's body skidding through the dirt, but he didn't even give Sensui time to stop. He kicked Sensui to their mid-skid, sending him sprawled on his back across the ground. Then, he stomped both his feet into Sensui's stomach, repeatedly, stomping over and over and over, like he wanted to force Sensui's organs out of his body. Then, he gave up, pulled a limp Sensui to his feet, and tossed him into the air. He threw multiple punches into Sensui's chest, added a kick, then finished by swinging Sensui around by the arm, grabbing his head, and headbutting him. Over...and over… Whoever Yusuke descended from, that demon must have been a powerful, brutal warrior for these instincts to be awoken so suddenly.

They crashed into a mushroom-like platform, with Yusuke holding down Sensui's body with his own weight. He punched Sensui in the face, multiple times, and the platform beneath them quickly crumbled under his force. They plummeted to the ground, but Yusuke remained completely unharmed. He pulled a motionless Sensui up, by the neck, and tossed him into the air like a rag doll. Yusuke held up his finger, and his Spirit Gun began to form, turned red from his new, demonic power. Its size grew and grew, and from the energy contained within, it would quickly resemble more of a bomb than a bullet. A human, no matter how strong, would not survive its blast. They all knew that this was the end.

The bullet fired. Yusuke screamed.

"Out of the way, dumbass!"

The Spirit Gun found its mark, but Sensui seemed to welcome it.

The blast pushed Sensui's helpless body, breaking through the trees, disappearing far off into the distance, and Yusuke gave chase. His hair turned back to his usual color, even though the length remained, but the look in his eyes also seemed to return to normal. Puu and the others flew after them, needing to see how this decisive blow would end. The Spirit Gun created a wide path through the Forest of Fools, cutting through it like a sword scarring flesh, going beyond even the horizon. Even Puu, with his giant wings, would take time to fly down this new path and reach the end. In her mind, Miwa could already imagine the stories demons would tell about the epic fight that created this new path through the Forest of Fools. The power of the S-Class was, without question, frightening to behold.

Finally, they found the end of the Spirit Gun's trail. The path ended at a rounded point, and the trees nearby somehow remained unharmed. Sensui and Yusuke were on the ground at the trees' edge, and Yusuke, already looking and sounding more like himself despite the long hair, held up Sensui by the collar, trying to shake the human man back to consciousness.

"Hey Sensui, wake up!" Yusuke said, "I said, wake up, you stubborn son of a bitch! I'm warning you, I'll bust into Spirit World and pull you back out myself!" Hiei, Kuwabara, and Koenma leapt off Puu while Miwa and Kurama landed on the ground behind Yusuke. They didn't understand what was happening. "You can't be dead... Not this way!

"What are you saying, man?" Kuwabara asked, cautiously stepping forward. "Has your brain gone as fuzzy as your head? We wanted him dead and so did you!"

Yusuke glanced back at them, and Miwa confirmed that his eyes were no longer the same as the demon warrior they saw firing the Spirit Gun. "Whoever may have killed him, it wasn't me…"

"But we all saw you," Kuwabara said.

"It looked like me because it was my body, but it wasn't me in there when it happened. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. You understand?"

They didn't, but...maybe on some level, they did. Even Kuwabara had questioned whether the person they saw after Yusuke's transformation was really him. But, humans with the ability to awaken the Mazoku gene were so rare, none of them were sure exactly what had happened out there. Yusuke asked Kurama for any sort of healing plants he had to help Sensui; he had to finish this fight himself. But at most, Kurama could only ease Sensui's pain. Yusuke was desperate enough to try anything, and Kurama was even willing to oblige, but a voice interrupted them.

"That won't be necessary." A circular shape appeared behind Sensui, creating a hole to an empty void in midair. The rift opened, and Itsuki's face appeared. He crawled out of the hole, and a scar drew a line over his right eye. The wound he received from Kuwabara escaping the Ura-Otoko had healed surprisingly quickly. He did not appear hostile. In fact, he almost seemed sad. "Just let Shinobu go..."

Yusuke refused. "If I'm gonna kill a human, even an evil one, it's at least gotta be me pulling the trigger. I'll never know if it was me who made the final choice!"

"...Don't torture yourself. Shinobu had only half a month left to live, anyway."

The news surprised them all. Sensui had contracted a rare and terminal disease, and not even the Doctor, Kamiya, with his psychically enhanced abilities, could save him. Sensui was doomed to die, which shed some light on this apocalyptic plan. But, despite being so close to death, Sensui was a surprisingly...lively opponent.

Sensui opened his eyes. "I'm not making excuses for my loss," Sensui said weakly. "Your final attack, Yusuke. With it, you proved yourself to be much stronger than I."

"But that wasn't even my power! I had no control over my body," Yusuke said, falling to his knees. "You and I, we aren't finished yet. I need to know who's really stronger!"

"Trust me," Sensui said, starting to smile. "Consciousness exists on many levels. Part of you that was ready to make the choice must have taken control. But it was definitely you, a demon you, who killed me."

"Dammit, you're not listening to me!" Yusuke snapped, "It wasn't me! I can't be happy. I'll give you time to heal up. You take some painkillers now and then we'll do it over!"

"Only Yusuke would still want to fight a man after he's dead," Hiei grumbled, eyes drooping deeper with every second that passed. "Wake me when it's over..." The toll of summoning the Dragon finally caught up to him, and Hiei fell into his hibernation while still on his feet. Puu managed to catch him just as he was about to fall, and Puu gently let Hiei rest on his feathered back.

Not even Koenma had the power to save Sensui. Not after using the Mafuukan spell, and not after spending a significant amount of energy bringing Amanuma, the Gamemaster, back to life. As it turned out, Koenma also felt responsible for Amanuma's death, since the small boy was just a pawn of the rogue Spirit Detective he had once trained. He used the energy in his pacifier to retrieve Amanuma's soul, and the boy was alive, waiting for them all outside that cave, near to the bound and gagged Navigator. Sensui even admitted that he purposely staged Amanuma's death to garner Koenma's sympathy and drain his Mafuukan's power. Everything that happened, from the first time Yusuke learned of the tunnel's existence, had gone exactly as Sensui planned.

Sensui created the tunnel for only one purpose: he wanted to see the home of the demons that he had been killing since he was a child. Why did they always pick on him? He had never asked, only learning to fight back and kill them. His view, for a long time, was always the same: humans were good, and demons were bad. He wanted to collapse the boundaries between himself and demons before he died. To be a stranger in a strange land could maybe help him understand the demons, and himself, better. He learned that the world was not so black and white. Even demons fell into the world of grey, but through most of his life, he spilled so much demon blood, fighting a crusade of humans versus demons that was not purely justified. Not when humans took joy in spilling demon blood for the sake of entertainment, a lesser, more repulsive reason than the demons that needed humans for food. Dying by demon hands, in Sensui's mind, would then make penance for his ignorance of their world, and his sins against their kind. Yusuke Urameshi, Sensui's successor, knew how to live in a world of grey. He would kill the demons that threatened him, but that never stopped him from befriending them, if he ever got the chance. Demons feared him for his strength, but there were those who admired and liked his character, even if he punched their faces into the ground. With his Mazoku blood, Yusuke dissolved the barriers between humans and demons like no one ever could. Demonized in a human's body, and humanized in a demon's. now he can rest.

Sensui smiled. "Urameshi, you are the justice I could never find. Great changes will come through you. Someday, when you're lying in my position, you'll know a dying man's need for closure. But until then...thank you."

Sensui closed his eyes, and then he died, peaceful and content.

Koenma offered to take Sensui to Spirit World himself, but Itsuki wouldn't let him. Sensui never wanted to go to the Spirit World, or so Itsuki claimed. He spent the last ten years to refuge everything Spirit World believed in, so why should he be judged in death by their standards? For Sensui, being killed by the Mazoku was just what he needed to overcome his six personalities, finally returning to the pure Shinbou. For Itsuki, Sensui and his pure soul had already been redeemed. Spirit World trained a small boy to become a killer, but when the boy grew into a man, they wanted to pass judgement on him for being a killer. They were responsible for everything Sensui became, so they didn't deserve to take his soul. Especially Koenma, who made him Spirit Detective in the first place. Itsuki formed another dimensional portal behind him, and he carried Sensui in his arms, into that dark, quiet dimension.

"Your Spirit World will have to create another new enemy, so you can keep on fighting As that is, after all, what you do. But shinobu and I grow weary of that." They drifted deeper into the dark void, farther and farther away. "We are going to spend the rest of eternity together, in solitude...and in peace."

The portal closed, and Itsuki and Sensui were gone.

Yusuke frowned. "Dammit. If I kicked his ass, why does it still feel like he won?"

It's true, in a way," Kurama answered, "Sensui achieved the very thing that he intended by initiating all of this…"

Then, the tone hanging over them all turned light as Kuwabara finally pointed out Yusuke's new look. His hair was still long, thick, and spiked, but it returned to the dark brown they were all familiar with. The blue marks on his body remained, but his eyes no longer had that demonic lust for battle and brutality. Yusuke freaked out, never noticing his own hair was the cause for the strange itch on his back, and Koenma suggested it was the physical resemblance of his ancestor rising to the surface. That ancestor could even still be alive…

That idea made sense to Yusuke. He explained that he heard a voice in the middle of his fight with Sensui. He also felt...what he could only call a heartbeat. But, in hindsight, perhaps his spirit was resonating with that voice in his head, his living ancestor. After the voice, Yusuke didn't remember a thing. He only woke up after his Spirit Gun had been shot, but by then, it was too late to take anything back. But, being Yusuke, he would never accept someone else getting in the way of his fight. He wanted to hunt down the person who took over his body, ancestor or not, and settle things. He would even travel Demon World alone, if that's what it took.

But, the world wasn't so forgiving. Koenma reminded them that the Spirit World Defense Force were no doubt working very hard to close the tunnel up once again. Once the tunnel closed, their only chance of getting back home would be gone. Even the small dimensional rifts that occasionally opened would never be able to handle their strength. If they wanted to go back to Human World, then they had to leave, and soon.

"You can go back to Human World now, or stay here in Demon World forever," Koenma said, trying his best to impart how dire the situation is. "But you have to choose."

He may have been the one they all looked to for the answer, but the choice didn't belong to Yusuke alone. Miwa glanced back towards Hiei, resting peacefully on Puu's back. He clearly said that he wanted to return to Demon World, but now he wasn't awake to even defend himself. Miwa was in the same position; trying to control the water in Sensui's body was beginning to take its toll. But, the only way she could get her seal fixed (if it needed fixing at all anymore...) would be to stay and abandon her life as Himari Shimizu. However, her oath still weighed heavily on her mind. With the rush of Yusuke's fight gone, the fatigue was settling in, and her energy was dangerously low. If Miwa, and even Hiei for that matter, stayed in Demon World as they were, they would be killed, and quickly.

What would be the best choice for them?

Yusuke didn't need much time to deliberate. He calmly turned back to them, his eagerness simmering down. "Load up, Puu. Let's go back home."

Kuwabara cheered. With just those words, the whole adventure around the tunnel was over. The battle was won, and they survived. Wherever they go from here, it would be their choice; not one forced upon them by someone with an apocalyptic endgame.

"What will you do?" Kurama asked quietly, standing at Miwa's side.

Miwa looked down at her hands. She knew something changed back in that cave, much more than her appearance. She actually conjured water while fighting against Sensui, a fundamental ability of her species that should have been disabled by the shikigami seal on her back. For the first time in years, she didn't stop to think about how much water was in her pouch when she made an attack. She just did it, and the water was there, as it always should have been. Miwa didn't know what started that change. Did her grief and anger power her up enough to break through the shikigami? Did the weird symptoms she was experiencing since the tournament help that process along? She didn't know. Everything had happened so fast.

But, there was one thing Miwa knew for sure about this weird change: the shikigami power was coming back. Already, she could feel the familiar clenches of the seal's hold on her core reclaiming their grip. The ability to conjure water would soon be taken away from her once again. She grabbed a section of her hair, and the white streaks were still there, but sooner or later, Miwa knew they would disappear, and the scaly lines on her shoulders would vanish; back to her human disguise.

Miwa came to an important decision back in the cave. She told Navigator that she didn't need the tunnel. She didn't need to go back to Demon World. She would find a way to overcome the seal herself, tunnel or no tunnel, and she intended to stick to that resolution. The white streaks in her hair and the scaly lines on her shoulders proved that, somehow, there must be a way to get rid of it. It wouldn't be easy to find. It might even be impossible without recreating the same conditions. Miwa could even die before she finally found the answer. Shikigami seals were an elusive, secretive discipline that weren't very common in the Human World. But, Fuura told her that the seal didn't draw its power from her core. It powered itself from a separate source. At least Miwa had that lead, because as she was -drained, weak, and tired- she would not survive in Demon World long enough to find Fuura.

"...I have to go back," she said, watching Yusuke and Kuwabara talk excitedly amongst each other. The carefree sight made her smile. "Besides, I don't think I could give this up just yet."

Her choice, at least in that moment, made her feel at peace.

{00}

They left Demon World, but it was a rocky start returning to their previous lives.

The SDF accused Koenma of treason because he didn't return to Spirit World per King Yama's orders, and they were very critical of Yusuke and his Mazoku blood, despite the fact that Yusuke was responsible for saving the Human World from being overrun by demons. Thankfully, they backed off because they were too afraid of Yusuke, especially when he threatened to kill every single one of them if that's what it took to protect Koenma from being taken in. After all, Koenma did everything he could to help, taking all the responsibility on himself, and they still felt the need to push him around. Instead of facing Yusuke's demonic wrath, they tried to save face by saying the tunnel took precedence, and they focused their efforts on closing it for good. But, that didn't mean Spirit World wouldn't show their faces again. They would hunt down the half-breed, one way or another, so everybody had to lay low and be on their guard.

Yusuke returned home after Kurama cut his hair, and by the following day, the blue marks on his body disappeared, and he and Kuwabara eventually returned to school, begrudgingly on Yusuke's part. Hiei, brought back to Human World and carried out of the cave on Kuwabara's back, recovered in Kurama's room until he finally woke up from his hibernation. Kurama and Miwa, who both returned to their human forms by then, were there when he awoke, and they passed on the message that Yusuke would hand him the Chapter Black tape in a nearby park in a couple days. He grumbled at them for bringing him back when they knew he wanted to stay in Demon World, but he quickly shut up when Miwa pointed out that he would have been killed if they left him there alone in mid-hibernation. Hiei then disappeared out the window, off to do his own thing until he received the reward Yusuke promised him.

Then, as promised, Hiei received the Chapter Black tape in a few days time. Kurama and Miwa met him at the park, after Yusuke had left, and they found Hiei sitting under a tree, staring at the tape in his hands. They sat beside him against the tree, each of them facing different directions.

"In your hands," Miwa had said, "is the infamous tape that nearly destroyed this world. I can't imagine the kind of price demons would pay for that."

"You could spark a newer, stronger rebellion," Kurama continued. "Or perhaps you will want to keep it for yourself and watch it weekly. After all, it's what you've been searching for, isn't it? A concrete reason to hate all humans and justify anything you do..."

Hiei smirked to himself, tossed the tape into the air, and sliced it in half with his sword. "Dammit. My sword must have slipped..."

The pieces of the Chapter Black, record of the most heinous acts in human history, lay broken and tattered on the grass. A gentle breeze rattled the black film as it billowed freely from the tape's case.

Miwa leaned back against the tree, smiling at the sun as its rays sneaked its way through the leaves. "What a pesky sword..." A small stream of water slithered out of her pouch, and Miwa, no longer able to conjure water from nothing, crushed the remnants of the tape and tore apart the film. "Now Spirit World will never know what happened to it…"

Hiei disappeared from their lives again, and the days passed on by. They learned that the humans burdened with the power of Territory also returned to their lives. Spirit World did not pursue those involved, since they were mostly under the influence of a dangerously persuasive man. Doctor and Sniper eventually disappeared, likely of their own accord, but Seaman, Gamemaster, and even Navigator went back to school and moved on with their lives. Kido was released from the hospital, healed from the injuries he sustained from Doctor, and he, Yanagisawa, and Kaito swore to Genkai that they would never use their powers again. In Sarayashiki, Keiko and Kuwabara were getting ready for their high school entrance exams. Peace returned to Human World, and other than some strange earthquakes and the sinkhole appearing in a park, Mushiyori City was none the wiser about a thwarted apocalypse in its own underbelly.

But, beneath the peace, there was also misfortune. Murota and Gourmet lost their lives to Sensui's plan. Shou Nishida and his three classmates never came home, taken from reality by Shou's Erase power.

A few weeks after the thwarted apocalypse, the railroad crossing where Shou disappeared was completely restored, and the nearby fences and houses that had pieces erased were fully repaired. The obvious remnants of that mysterious power were gone, and life went on even for those living by that railroad crossing. Miwa started hearing reports about Shou's disappearance on the local news, since even they made the connection with his three missing classmates. But, Miwa knew that case would never get solved. Not by humans. She found herself standing alone at the crossing, taking in the details of the restored area. Perhaps what happened there would become an urban legend in time. The students at Meio were still talking about it and the weird occurrences in Mushiyori. The human imagination would fill in the blanks of the strange story of the disappearing railroad crossing, creating a new truth, since no one would ever figure out what actually happened.

Miwa placed a small vase holding a white chrysanthemum flower on the ground by the railroad crossing. The morning sun cast a light shadow on the ground, but come midday, the chrysanthemum would have all the sunlight it could want. Kurama told her it was a flower humans used for funerals, and...she wanted to do something for Shou. She could never tell his parents what really happened to him. They probably still believed he was alive somewhere. And with Koenma on the run from Spirit World, she couldn't even confirm if his soul passed on. That is, if his power didn't erase his soul too... Miwa couldn't save him from his own power, but she could at least be the person who mourned his disappearance from the world.

"A demon mourning a human," said a voice. "But, I guess that's not new for you anymore."

Miwa didn't have to turn around. She heard a slight shuffle of shoes across gravel, and she knew her guest was standing close behind her. "Maybe it's not so new for you, either, Hiei," she said, smiling to herself. She heard a scoff, and Miwa knew he was willfully ignoring that. "Did you need something?" she asked, changing the topic for him.

"...You're stuck here, too," he said, avoiding a direct answer.

Miwa turned around. Hiei stood in the middle of the street, hands casually resting in his cloak. "I am sorry we brought you back," she said, "But you know we both would have died if we stayed there."

Hiei shrugged. He had come to terms with that part at least. "I'm not the one who could die just by coming back here."

"...I'll find a way to fix this," she said, holding her hand to her chest, but deep down, she didn't know if she was trying to convince Hiei or herself. The shikigami seal on her back returned, just as she knew it would, and the red marks were as vivid as ever. The heat and unstable bursts of energy from her core continued as well. Her transformation in the cave did not fix whatever was wrong with it. If the symptoms changed again, Miwa could very well die. "...You were right, you know, Hiei. About me."

Hiei remained immobile and silent.

"I didn't really know why I was here," Miwa continued. "I always told myself I had to be here because of my oath, but...there was more to it than that." Miwa looked down at her hands. "If I stayed in Demon World and fixed my seal, or even got rid of it, what would I do then? When I fought against Navigator, I realized that I...I don't know what to do with myself if I give up my oath. Ever since I ran away from home, my whole identity revolved around it, and I just desperately held onto it, or else...I would lose the place I made for myself." Putting it in words was harder than she thought. It was only recently she could admit this to herself, much less explain it to someone else.

Hiei stared at her. "...At least you finally realized the hole you dug for yourself," he sighed, and Miwa wondered how long he had known. "But, I'm not going to tell you what to do with your life, even if you ask."

"And I won't tell you what to do with your life."

"Then why bother telling me all that?" he frowned, "I don't need you appealing to my ego just because I was right about you."

Miwa gave him a small smile. "I told you because...I think you'll be asking yourself a similar question sometime soon…"

Hiei narrowed his eyes at her, and if Miwa wasn't mistaken, he actually took the tiniest step back. "That's what you think," he snapped, and he disappeared.

Miwa sighed, feeling the loneliness settling in. She saw Hiei for the first time in weeks, and he even came to her of his own accord, yet that was how their conversation went. But, what else would he have to talk to her about? Hiei wasn't the type to just stop on by to chat and catch up on what they have been doing since they last met. Miwa even giggled at the thought. There was no point feeling moody. Any time she spent with Hiei should be treasured. She knew now how difficult it was to get him to show his face, unless some sort of crisis or mutual benefit forced them together. The thought made her a little sad, but it made the times he did show his face more meaningful.

If I didn't have my oath, maybe I could...

So, Miwa picked up her school bag, lying innocently against a pole, and she went to school.

{00}

The day passed slowly, but it was also completely average and uneventful. The world around Miwa had reverted back to normal so quickly. The transition from impending apocalypse to normal life was surprisingly smoother than her return from the Dark Tournament. Miwa's history teacher announced a practice quiz coming up, and Miwa already dreaded reviewing the dates. Saya promised her, with a slight teasing giggle, that she would help Himari study if she wanted, but Miwa turned it down, insisting that Saya used her free time for Taichi instead. Saya didn't let Miwa have the last laugh, and she hinted that Minamino could help her study too. Taichi even announced that he finally decided to officially join the basketball club. He apologized to Miwa, since they would not be able to play after school together like they used to, but Miwa encouraged him all the same. She and Saya looked forward to seeing him on the court with a full team at his side. But, now Miwa would have to find another way to pass the time, since Kurama also liked to stay after school for his own endeavors. Life, as they say, continued on, with most people completely unaware of the catastrophe they narrowly avoided. Humans, after all, were surprisingly resilient creatures.

During a break between classes, while Saya and Taichi made plans for the afternoon, Miwa made her way to the third-year's floor. A couple people gave her odd looks, knowing that she wasn't part of their grade, but Miwa didn't care. She walked calmly down the hall, reaching classroom 3-B, and fearlessly opened the door.

"Is Hoshino here?" she asked.

Aki Hoshino, the captain of the dance club, turned her head at the sound of her name. "Oh, Shimizu," she said, standing up and meeting Miwa by the door. "What's up?"

Hoshino was slightly taller than Miwa, one of the tallest girls in the third year, it seemed. They often met when Miwa and Taichi's basketball sessions ran later than expected, since Hoshino was often in charge of closing up the gymnasium storage, but with Taichi officially joining the team, that probably wouldn't happen anymore.

"Would it be alright if I observed one of the dance club's practices?" Miwa asked.

Hoshino's eyes lit up. Finally, her invitation from weeks ago was answered. "Of course!" she beamed, "Today is going to be more of a light practice, so if you're free, you can even join in if you want."

Miwa nodded, and she bowed slightly, returning Hoshino's smile. "Thank you. I would be happy to join in, if they'll have me."

"Great! I'll see you after school, then," Hoshino said, giving Miwa a slight wave. But, just as Miwa turned to leave, she called out. "Shimizu, what changed your mind? You didn't seem that interested before..."

Miwa smiled back at her and shrugged. "I just thought...I would try and go back to my roots a little bit."

Hoshino looked puzzled, but Miwa just waved it off and bid her farewell. She quickly escaped the third-year's floor and returned to her own. The hallways were rather crowded, even for their break time. Everyone decided to catch up with each other at once, it seemed, and no one paid any attention that Himari Shimizu came down from the upperclassmen's floor. For a brief moment, Miwa marveled at the fact a demon like her had learned to blend into this crowd so easily, like a snake hiding in the grass. They had no idea demons like her could have eaten them alive if the tunnel to Demon World wasn't closed. Hell, they didn't know demons walked the streets of Human World in the first place.

"Oh, Himari." A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts. By coincidence, Kurama exited his classroom just as Miwa passed by. "Is everything alright?" he asked. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he knew her scent had gone upstairs.

"Yeah, everything's fine!" Miwa said, smiling. "I was just talking to Hoshino in 3-B."

Kurama tilted his head. "Are you actually joining the dance club now?"

"I'm just observing…"

"I see…" He smiled at her, trying to encourage her reaching out to other things. "I hope you enjoy yourself."

"...Yeah, I'm sure I will. I'll meet you by the gate when I'm done, okay?"

"Alright."

So, Miwa returned to her classroom, finishing up the rest of her otherwise normal day. When classes ended, Saya walked with her to the track field, where the dance club usually practiced. Sawa wished her luck and trotted away to her own club, and Miwa was there alone. A bunch of girls she didn't recognize were already there, sprawled out on the grass, stretching their limbs in pairs or on their own. A small radio played soft, upbeat music to motivate everyone for the day's practice. At the center, Hoshino was speaking with some other members, but when she noticed Miwa, she graciously beckoned her over.

"Shimizu! Glad you could make it!" she said, and she turned to the rest of the club.

Hoshino introduced Himari Shimizu to the club and explained that she would be observing today. The club welcomed her politely enough, but Miwa hoped that she wasn't intruding on anything important, even though Hoshino assured her it would just be a light practice. Miwa had a slight suspicion that Hoshino tweaked their schedule in her excitement over a potential new member. Regardless, Hoshino invited Miwa to stretch with them, and their practice began. Miwa observed from the side as the coach walked them through a quick review of a new routine they were working on for a performance they had planned in the summer, while Hoshino explained how things worked. According to her, the group generally focused on jazz-style routines. They wrapped up a local competition a couple weeks ago, so for the time being they were taking it slower and easing into the new routine. When the coach was done with the review, Miwa was welcome to join them in learning the next section of the routine, just to get a feel for what their group was usually like.

"Shimizu," Hoshino said quietly, trying to keep from distracting the other members. "If you're here to go back to your roots, like you said, then what kind of dance did you do before?"

Miwa gave her a quick glance. She expected this question would come up sooner or later. "I did a little ballet when I was younger," she said, weaving her partial lie. Ballet wasn't particularly prevalent in the Demon World. "But I doubt the foundations stuck around after so long."

Hoshino shook her head. "Maybe the technique could use work, but trust me. I've seen you on the basketball court, and the gracefulness in your movement definitely hasn't left you."

Miwa shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep from showing too much commitment. The music started up again, and seven girls practiced two verses and the chorus of a really fast-paced song. Miwa carefully watched how they moved their arms, their legs, and how fast they turned. She had to admit, human jazz dances were not too different from the dances Miwa learned as a child. Their arms were often straight, opening to the full spread of their arms, and Miwa could easily imagine a water stream following after their every movement. It was oddly nostalgic to see, despite primarily being a human-made style of dance. Miwa glanced at her hair, with the white streaks of her mizuchi genes hidden from view. If all it took for Miwa to look human was to change her hair and hide the snake scales on her shoulders, maybe humans and demons were more similar than most people realized. Of course, some species of demon were so far removed from humans that they were closer relatives to a wolf or something, but certain demons, like her, Kurama, or Hiei, could easily be mistaken for human if certain cosmetic adjustments were made. Hiei, for the most part, just had to cover up his Jagan Eye, and only his attitude would draw attention his way.

After the review was over, Miwa lingered behind the rest of the members, out of the way of their placements, but still in a position to learn the new choreography. She followed the coach's movements as best she could, but there was a clear difference between their base technique and hers. It had been a long time since Miwa focused on precise arm placements the way dance required. Controlling water streams, especially for fighting, was far less rigid, and her snake techniques were often very compact and close to her body. But...it was also surprisingly fun. Even refreshing. A big difference from the way she used similar movements to fight, hurt, and even kill people in the past. Here, she just moved for fun. To flow not with weaponized water, but with the sound of music.

When the instruction of the new section ended, and Miwa backed away from the group, letting them incorporate their new section without her slowing them down, nor did she want to distract the coach with her lacking foundations. The group ran through the song several times, and the coach and Hoshino both offered advice and guidance. Overall, it was a pleasant practice for Miwa to observe. They were admittedly a small team, but perhaps it allowed them to get closer, more in tune with each other, and their movements combined formed a much better visual. The sun began to set, and the coach dismissed the team, ending practice for the day.

"So, what did you think, Shimizu?" Hoshino asked, taking a small sip from her water bottle.

"It was...much more fun than I expected," Miwa answered. They were talented. Miwa was not afraid to admit that. "Everyone practices really hard."

"You didn't do so bad, yourself," Hoshino said with a quick wink. "Just let me know if you want to formally join, okay? Don't refrain just because we already have a routine in progress."

Miwa bowed politely. "Thank you. I will think it over."

"No, thank you for finally stopping by. I was hoping to see you try dancing before I stepped down as captain."

"You're going to step down?"

Hoshino glanced sadly at the ground. "Yeah. It's almost time for college entrance exams and stuff. Most third years retire from their clubs around this time…"

"I see…"

Hoshino had to stay and make sure everything was cleaned up properly, so Miwa quietly excused herself from the field. Miwa changed out of her school jersey, back to the regular uniform, before leaving the campus. The sky was turning a faint orange color, and when Miwa checked the time, Kurama should also be finishing up his tinkering in the biology lab. She approached the school gate with a light spring in her step; the song they practiced was actually stuck in her head, even though Miwa had never heard it before that day.

But, when she got to the gate, Miwa stopped in her tracks. She expected Kurama to be waiting for her, but to her surprise, someone else was there instead. He leaned against the border fence, not caring that his different uniform made him stand out. Nor did he care if someone made snide comments about a middle-school punk hanging around outside. He was already used to worse comments.

"Sorry to ambush you, Miwa. I heard from Kurama you were on your way out, but I asked him to go on ahead." Yusuke lifted himself off the fence, hands still tucked safely in his pockets. "I was hoping...to talk to you about some stuff. If you don't mind..."

{00}

They walked to a nearby park, settling themselves on a bench next to several vending machines. Yusuke was oddly silent during their walk, but Miwa knew better than to push someone into speaking. She offered to buy Yusuke a drink, but he declined, so Miwa decided on a can of hot cocoa for herself, trying to get her fill in before warm drinks would disappear from the machines for the summer. Yusuke plopped himself down on the bench, leaning back against it and resting his arms over the side, taking almost half the space. Miwa didn't mind, and she sat down next to him, taking small sips of her cocoa. There weren't many people in the park by then; the sky was turning a bright orange. A park exit next to them showed a clear view of the street, and it was full of pedestrians, school kids, and businessman trying to get home before dinner. It was odd, in a way, for there to be a clear divide between the busy street and the empty park.

"So," Yusuke started, grinning a bit. "How've ya been?"

Miwa smiled back. "Oh, you know. Surviving."

"...Same." Yusuke leaned his head back this time, staring up at the sky. "Your seal doing alright?"

"So far. At the very least, it's back to what it was like when the tournament ended."

"Well, that's better than nothin'. I guess by now everyone's done licking their wounds from Demon World."

Miwa nodded. Both Miwa and Kurama had been completely healed for weeks. "What have you been up to, Yusuke?"

He glanced at her. "Same old, same old. Ditching class and pissing off teachers." Yusuke paused, and then he sat up. He leaned his elbows on his knees and hunched forward in his seat. Something about the pedestrian traffic just outside the park was catching his eye. "I've just had a lot on my mind since we came home."

"...Like what?" There had to be a reason he wanted to speak with her specifically.

Yusuke ruffled his hair with both hands, and a small groan rumbled in his throat. "I dunno. Everything is just so...boring now."

Miwa didn't answer right away. Yusuke was still giving a hard stare to the pedestrians on the road, and Miwa could almost see him mentally drawing a line between the crowded street and their empty park. Immediately, she understood why he wanted to talk to her.

"When you fought Navigator," he said, resting his arms on his knees again, "he said that you didn't feel like you belong in this world. That's...basically what I'm feeling now." He sighed. "I mean, maybe I never did belong here. Hell, my teachers hardly ever wanted me around, and I was just being a lazy asshole then. But this Mazoku crap is in my DNA, awakened, so now..."

Miwa sighed and leaned back onto the bench. She was very familiar with the idea that everything around you is...mundane and could never live up to who you really are. On a different level, she also understood the feeling of being tethered to a place with certain ties, ties as deep as blood and friendship, when the place you want to be is somewhere else entirely. "...I wish I could tell you how to get over that feeling, but to be honest, you either have to accept the world you live in or find another one that satisfies you."

"...So, you just accepted it?"

Miwa nodded, setting down her half-full cocoa can. "I wasn't born here, but I have enough of what I need to be satisfied, even if I had a phase where I was a little...nostalgic about the old days as a demon thief." Miwa sighed. "It's much harder when you're not satisfied with the world you were born in. There are a lot of things that naturally tie you to that place."

"But you've done both," Yusuke said. "You left your world to come here and accepted this place as your home."

I've done the former...much more than you think.

"When you get right down to it, it's just a matter of whether you can give up the things that tether you down. Some things I could give up. Others...I couldn't."

Yusuke watched her silently for a moment, and then he chuckled a bit, leaning back on the bench too. "Well, if it gets too boring here, maybe I'll have a proper rematch with Hiei. He might be feeling antsy too after getting dragged back to Human World."

Just the thought was hard to imagine. At their level, a no-holds-barred rematch with Hiei and Yusuke would destroy any location they chose to fight in. "You know," she said, leaning forward a bit to look him in the eyes. "Sometimes I think you might be more suited for my name than even me."

He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth contorted to a strange frown. "Huh?"

"Have you ever heard of the Ouroboros Circle?"

"Nope. Sounds like a cult."

Miwa laughed and rummaged through her school bag, pulling out a pencil and one of her notebooks. Flipping open to a blank page, she quickly wrote her name, and underneath she drew a crude image of a snake biting onto its own tail and forming its body into a circle. "My name is written with the characters for 'snake' and 'loop,' but it's not because I'm a mizuchi." She pointed to her drawing with the tip of her pencil. "It comes from the Ouroboros Circle," she explained, "an ancient symbol of a snake eating its tail, representing cyclical renewal, death and rebirth, or even infinity."

"Death and rebirth..." Yusuke repeated, "Yeah, I guess that could be the name of my biography."

"It's more than that. The Ouroboros Circle's primary meaning is a cycle repeating itself over and over." Miwa said, putting away her notebook and pencil. "Yusuke, ever since I met you, you've faced so many opponents, each of them stronger than the last. And you've always come out victorious, in one way or another, even taking joy in the fighting. ...Hiei is the same, to be honest. People like you will always pursue their next big fight. The next challenge to their own strength. They'll never feel satisfied unless they are going head to head with someone worthy of their power." Miwa glanced over at the pedestrians, the crowd of regular humans just trying to get through their day to day lives. "In your case, your power has far outgrown the world you live in, so you don't feel like you belong here anymore. Your last cycle of fighting ended when you decided to return to the Human World. What you do from here on out will decide how the next cycle will begin."

"Accept this world or find one that satisfies me..."

"Yes. That's the best advice I can give you." Miwa frowned. It was her best advice, but it didn't especially seem that helpful. Even Yusuke still looked as if he hadn't found the answer he was looking for. "Have you talked to Genkai? She's also a human whose powers outgrew this world…"

Yusuke nodded. "I saw her yesterday, but all she said was I can either protect this world or destroy it. She did give me the address of Koenma's first Spirit Detective..."

"Oh, that woman…Kuroko?"

Yusuke turned his head, mood perking up a bit. "You know her?"

"Not really. I used to keep tabs on her since she was an agent of Spirit World."

"Can you tell me anything?"

Miwa shook her head. "Sorry, nothing that's really relevant anymore. Once she retired, I had no need to keep track of her. At best, I can say she was quite strong in her day, but maybe not as powerful as you or Sensui."

"So just another human too powerful for this world?"

"That's right."

Miwa picked up her can of cocoa and finished the remaining chocolatey drink with just a couple gulps. She tossed the can to the recycle bin, despite the fact that the opening was just a small hole, but Miwa wasn't going to miss. Manipulating the small drops of liquid left in the can was enough for her to guide it into its proper place without ever getting up from her seat. Miwa didn't care about using her abilities in the open like this. What human in that busy pedestrian life would notice the subtle powers of a demon in her and Yusuke's empty park? Even if they did, their minds would rationalize it to something their narrow world view could understand.

"...What cycle are you on?" Yusuke suddenly asked.

"..What?"

"You never said your name didn't suit you. So that means you're also living in some sort of cycle, right?"

The lamp posts in the park and the streets all turned on at once. Before they realized it, the sun had set, leaving just a small sliver of red color in the sky. The darkness of night was quickly beginning to settle, and a couple of pedestrians on the street suddenly exclaimed how they needed to hurry home. The answer to Yusuke's question was something Miwa refused to face for a long time.

"Maybe one not that different from yours," Miwa answered slowly. "You don't know how to live without fighting. I don't know how to live without this oath."

Miwa stood up and grabbed hold of her bag. It was getting late, and her father would soon wonder why she wasn't home. She bade Yusuke farewell, hoping that Kuroko would be able to give the answers he needed. Yusuke waved lazily at her, opting to rest on that bench a bit longer before he went home. As Miwa walked to the park exit, closer to that busy pedestrian road, she remembered something and turned back to Yusuke for one last warning.

"The next cycle will begin soon, Yusuke," she said. "Trust me, things are going to change a lot. Whatever you end up choosing, I hope it's something that leaves you without regret."

With that last vague warning, Miwa turned around and pushed her way into the pedestrian crowd.

{00}

Miwa's apartment building was a modest ten stories tall and painted with warmer tones of brown and tan. Each floor had ten units, each of them able to fit a family of up to three or four people. There was no twenty-four-hour guard, but there was a security camera that covered the times when a guard wasn't around. Residents needed a key just to get to the mailboxes, and the elevators were not far behind, so at the very least, no unwelcome guests could just walk in unannounced or unnoticed. Miwa and her human father, Takeo Shimizu lived in room 304, the fourth unit of the third floor. On days when Miwa was running late for school, she would often be tempted to just jump from her balcony to the streets, but that would get too much attention, and Kurama would probably scold her for it...again.

"Himari, you're home!"

"Hi, Dad."

The moment Miwa unlocked and opened her front door, Takeo poked his head out from the kitchen to greet her, as he often did whenever he arrived home first. As always, his suit jacket was draped gently over the armrest of the couch, and his briefcase lay beside it. Takeo himself stood in the kitchen wearing a pale blue apron over his white collared shirt and loosened green tie, because the rule of the house was whoever came home first would prepare dinner.

"You're home late," Takeo said, frowning ever so slightly. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Miwa said, smiling innocently at him. "I just decided to observe the Dance Club today."

"Oh, so you finally decided to go. How was it?"

"More fun than I expected. Hey...what's all this?"

Instead of their usual simple dinner, Takeo seemed to have ordered a large plate of sushi. Various toppings colored the circular plate; most of them, Miwa noticed, were Takeo's favorites. The plates were already set for them both on the dining room table, and Takeo was only in the kitchen making some extra side dishes.

Takeo grinned proudly at her. "We're celebrating! I wanted to keep it a surprise, but today I got the confirmation. I've been promoted to a supervisor position at our branch!"

"Wow, Dad that's amazing!" Miwa dropped her school bag and rushed over to the table, getting a closer look at the sushi. He splurged a little bit for his little victory celebration, even adding some eel to their set. "Congratulations!"

"Now, go change out of your uniform already! The miso soup is done."

"Okay!"

Miwa picked up her bag and practically ran to her room, not realizing how hungry she had been until seeing their dinner sitting on the table like a glamorous treat. She quickly removed her uniform and threw on a simple white t-shirt with teal shorts, smiling to herself the entire way. Takeo was a hardworking man, an employee at their local city hall for more than ten years. His position was integral for Miwa's immigration to the Human World, since one of Fuura's minions possessed him and had Takeo forge documents for Miwa to live here. For everything he has been through, Miwa was really glad he was given a promotion; she honestly believed he deserved it. Maybe, in a few more years, he would progress even higher. He was, after all, a well-to-do man in his early thirties.

Human beings, not just Takeo, were capable of moving on to bigger and better things so quickly. All of the humans Miwa met on her last adventure, both friends and foes, moved on from the power of Territory. Taichi finally decided to join the basketball club, and Kuwabara, Keiko, and even Hoshino were getting ready to study for their entrance exams. Did demon lives progress and move on just as quickly? Miwa wasn't sure, and she certainly was no example. Demons have been known to hold grudges or feelings of love for centuries, processing through those stages of life much more slowly since they have more time alive. Humans, with their shorter lifespans, may actually be the more adaptable species.

Miwa glanced at her desk. It was neat and tidy except for one open letter spread across the surface. She received it a little over a week ago, from a demon man wearing a long cloak and a hat that hid all his features. He appeared on her balcony one night, but he bore no ill will; just a mere messenger, and he handed Miwa the tan envelope. Both the letter and envelope were made of faded parchment paper, and her name and contents were written in dark blue ink. The handwriting was immediately recognizable, and its message had loomed heavily over Miwa's thoughts since she had read it under the lamp light on her desk. She turned away from the letter, leaving the room to return to Takeo and their celebration. Peaceful moments never lasted very long for her anymore. Not since she met Yusuke Urameshi. Her last cycle ended when she decided to come back to the Human World, and now, with this letter, she knew the next cycle would begin soon, just as she warned Yusuke, but she did not know how it would begin, what it would mean for her, or if it would be better or worse than Spirit World's disdain for Yusuke looming over them all.

She closed her bedroom door behind her, biting nervously on her lip, and the words of that letter, long since memorized, played through her mind. She could even hear the words in his voice.

Dear Miwa,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you well.

You have been busy lately, haven't you? Despite how much you have changed, I am impressed with how your power has grown. The Dark Tournament escapades of Team Urameshi became quite the topic of discussion even among the Demon World. Please believe me when I say I want to offer my belated congratulations to your team's achievements, and especially for you surviving the technique leading to your own victory. I could not be more proud.

If I am not mistaken, you briefly returned to your home world, did you not? I am sure you are aware of my current position, and the news of the tunnel and the death of a former Spirit Detective did not fail to reach our ears. The Demon World has not changed much in your short absence, but soon the tides will turn, and curious parties have taken an interest in you and your new friends. Consider this a forewarning, from one old friend to another, of a certain invitation and a choice someone like you will have to make.

Your alliance with the thief, Youko Kurama has led you to do many great things since we last met. I have often heard tales of his most loyal follower. However, "great" does not always mean "good," and some of your choices have brought me a deep sadness. But, we were both young when we parted on such a sour note, and I do hope that one day, we will be able to reconcile our differences and find the place where we are meant to be.

Take care, and I hope to see you soon.

Shirai

---

Notes: A surprisingly quick update, but a bit deceitful since most of Yusuke's fight was actually written before I posted the previous chapter. I wanted to make sure the tone was consistent across the battle. I was also anxious to close out this arc and start the next one. Unfortunately, the next chapter will probably not be this quick. A mysterious letter from a person in Miwa's past is my lead-in to the Three Kings story. Just like how Hiei and Kurama explored their pasts, Miwa's backstory will also be featured prominently during this arc! I'm excited to start closing out all of her story threads. Also, I'm not sure how to incorporate them yet, but given that we now have the YYH OVAs, I'm looking into how I can include them in this story too.

"Shirai" is written as, quite appropriately, "history comes."