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.

31. Oathbreaker

Chapter 31: Oathbreaker

I had no idea how much things would change the day I became Himari Shimizu. I never accounted for how my relationship with him would change alongside my new life.

To fulfill my oath as a human, I had to convince everyone that Himari Shimizu and Shuichi Minamino were friends. We spent time together, spoke during breaks, walked home from school, and he helped me catch up on the school curriculum. I met his human mother. He met my human father. So much of my time was spent living that life, and somewhere along the way, it was only when I dealt with other demons that I still felt like the loyal follower. Any other time, I was walking alongside him, like a real "friend" would. We smiled together, laughed together, and made jokes, many of them at my expense. It was a more casual, simpler time. I cared for him, in a deeper way than before, and he genuinely considered me a friend. But Shuichi Minamino did not need a demon follower, and the place I established for myself was not only disappearing, but morphing into something I didn't deserve.

Would a real "friend" worry about her own purpose in life whenever he was in danger? Would a real "friend" be so selfish that the desire to protect her cycle was mixed with her need to save his life? Did someone like that deserve to be called a "friend?"

To me, someone like that could never be anything more than a useful tool, and no matter how much I walked alongside him, saying that word aloud felt hollow and fake.

But things are different now. My oath is gone, and I want to change.

Now, I want to face him for the first time with all that I have become after so many years. If I couldn't stand alongside him as an equal, then how could I ever leave his shadow and take a step forward? This is the only way I can face the infinite.

The only way that word could ever have meaning…

{00}

The weather during the tournament could not have been better. From day one, the red sky was clear, and the sun provided ample light for the fighters on top of the Okunenju. The wind at that height was cool and not too strong. The light cloud cover floated lazily across the sky, getting a bird's eye view of the battles below. Each cloud floated freely with enough space between them to never worry about running into each other. But when it was Miwa's turn to play, she raised one hand, and more clouds appeared, blotting out the sun and casting shadows over the Okunenju where she would fight. The humidity in the air thickened, warmed by the lingering heat from the sun. The black clouds of Demon World turned even blacker as floating droplets formed in the sky and collided together.

"I am renouncing my oath, Kurama," Miwa said, her grin wide and proud. "Just like you wanted, but I am keeping Himari Shimizu. I will explore the infinite possibilities of the human world with all my powers in reach."

The first drop of rain hit the ground, so quiet that it was impossible to perceive, but then thousands followed. Within seconds, the entire Okunenju plateau was drenched in rain. Her discarded water pouch sat alone in a puddle no longer of its own making. The smell of wet dirt and grass permeated the air like an invisible cloud. Miwa's dark hair stuck to her face, her clothes were heavy with water, and the ground beneath her feet softened into mud. But more than the rain-soaked dirt, she sensed every tree, mountain, and body of water on the entire plateau. She felt the water falling on the plateau surface, like the first coat of paint on a topographical model, as if it was an extension of herself. She even sensed the rain falling over Kurama's body, marking him as clearly as a beacon in the darkness.

"Miwa has summoned so much rain that I can barely see!" Koto whined, "I sure hope our camera operators don't catch a cold out there!"

Youda chuckled, but even with the speakers blasting their commentary, it was difficult to hear his calm voice through the rain. "If the Shikigami Seal no longer restricts her ability to generate water, then perhaps Kurama is the only person who can anticipate what comes next."

"I just wish we could see it!" Koto cried, nearly peaking the sound from the speakers.

"As a tracker, this may give Miwa a distinct advantage."

Of course it does, Miwa thought, grinning to herself, This was how I found him the day we met…

That day, many years ago, she made the rain fall around the old museum, and she sensed one soaked body sneaking around off the usual patrol routes. It rained the day they reunited in the Human World, on the day they broke into the Spirit World Vault, and even when Gandara messengers invited them to Yomi's compound. Those rainy days were not her doing, but so many important days of her life were paired with the rain, marking the beginning of something new. Very fitting for a mizuchi like her, or for an Ouroboros...

The rain grew even heavier, strengthening the smell of wet dirt and grass. Each drop pounded onto their skin like tiny falling seeds. "I'm looking forward to this," she whispered. Then, she took a few steps back and vanished like a ghost, melting into the falling rain.

Kurama's head swiveled from side to side, unable to see farther than several feet in front of him through the thick curtain of water falling from the sky. Sensing her energy was wasted effort. Her power was concentrated on the clouds above, and it would form the center of any stream she created. He could not guarantee anything he sensed was really her. If her steps weren't already silent, the roar of splashing rain would easily drown them out. Smells kicked up from the dirt and grass by each falling drop made it harder to pinpoint her scent, and Miwa would keep moving, bringing her scent everywhere she went. All of Kurama's senses became muddled just from her summoning the rain. Finding her wouldn't be impossible; Kurama was confident about that. But no matter what he did, Miwa would always know where to find him. His effective blindness made him want to laugh; it had been quite some time since this ability of hers was used against him.

Then, from the misty rain, two water streams emerged from different directions. They converged on Kurama, preemptively curling mid-air to grab him. He leapt away, very conscious of his soaked clothes' additional weight, but the preemptive curling allowed the streams to quickly change course and follow his path. Kurama landed with a loud splash that kicked up cold water and mud on his legs. Pulling a single rose from his hair, he brandished his Rose Whip to quickly deflect the streams. A loud, wet smack resounded as the two streams were forced back by the impact, as if recoiling in pain. But they were not slowed for long, and Miwa's will sent them on the warpath again.

Instead of leaping away this time, Kurama sprinted across the field, his whip lashing out when either stream came too close. Each step sullied the hem of his pants with more mud, and the material of his clothing stuck uncomfortably to his skin. Every move he made had traces of discomfort or awkward adjustments. Even his Rose Whip, also soaked with rain, threatened to slip from his fingers. Between navigating the rain-soaked landscape, minding the water streams, adjusting to the wetness of his clothes, and keeping his grip on his weapon, Kurama's attention was spreading thin. Any trace of Miwa he sensed was lost before he could confirm it was really her.

Up above, Miwa observed his movements from floating water platforms. Small puddles the size of her feet converged in a dense platform under her shoes. With this, he would never hear a single splash announce her location, and she could manipulate her streams out of his whip's reach. From this distance, even she couldn't see him through the rain, but every step he took and every stream diverted pinpointed his location in the liquid blanket of her senses. What was Kurama planning down there, Miwa wondered. No doubt he expected water streams to come into play, and he wouldn't start the fight without a countermeasure. Hiding in the rain wasn't going to win her any battles, and giving Kurama too much time to think would take away the advantage she gained by concealing herself. She needed to catch him off-guard quickly to secure an opportunity to strike…

Below, Kurama slowed his run when he sensed the water streams pulling away. But as they retreated, he noticed something strange. They pulled back to the same point, like two fishing lines winding back to the same pole. He readjusted the grip on his weapon, knowing Miwa was preparing something else. Through the misty rain curtain, he could see a silhouette form, centering around a dim white glow of Miwa's energy. At first, Kurama thought she was showing herself again. But then the silhouette grew taller and wider, taking a different shape than he had ever seen her use with her serpentine water streams. The silhouette drew closer, but there were no footsteps to cause any splashes in the mud. Just a single glowing silhouette coming closer and closer.

When it came into view, it took Kurama a moment to discern the shape from the rain, for the body itself was made of pure water. The silhouette, now a looming figure over twice his height, took the shape of a tall, long-limbed, humanoid creature. Its arms must have been the streams that had chased him until now. Each arm nearly touched the ground, extending beyond what should be the creature's hips, and even the neck appeared too long. Not exactly giraffe-like, but long enough that it was unsettling to look at. Especially because its head, a featureless, glowing sphere of water, bobbed from side to side like a floating buoy. Its skin, for lack of better word, was smooth, the line of its shape had no sharp edges, and the liquid body shimmered in the dim light. There were no legs; just a long torso that melded into the watery ground below. No legs meant it didn't walk. It glided across the mud like a shadow following its source. Each drop of rain that fell on its body absorbed into the dim white glow. When the creature raised its long arms, the limbs didn't hinge off an elbow or shoulder like Kurama's did. They moved as if there were no bones at all - not that a water creature would have bones - wiggling and curving as freely as Miwa's streams. Kurama was reminded of Shirai's memory phantoms, or what he had imagined Kiyoshi Mitarai's own water monsters would look like. The creature before him was a strange amalgamation of both, a construct of Miwa's own experiences, and her concentrated energy in its head made it seem as if Miwa herself was standing before him.

"Surprised?" she called confidently. Kurama instinctively looked up, pinpointing her location by the sound of her voice. "Been wanting to try something like this for a while..."

The creature sprung to life, launching itself into the air like a rocket. For a moment, Kurama thought it had jumped, but it stretched its torso upward, keeping its body firmly attached to the wet mud below. Both the arms and body looped and coiled to hide its intended direction of attack. In an instant, they encircled Kurama, leaving him nowhere to run. Ignoring his mind's wild comparison of the creature to a snake looping its body around its prey, Kurama searched for an opening. At the top of the creature's coil, he saw its head bobbing from side to side as it looked down on him. The sight was unsettling and creepy. If he didn't do something soon, he was certain the fight would end the moment this creature closed in around him.

…And there was no way out but through.

Kurama raised his Rose Whip once more and spun its long thorny vine into a large circle over his head. A flurry of rose petals swirled around him and shot into the water creature's body like flat red bullets. The petals did not slow the creature down at all, but soon the whip unleashed white crescent-shaped energy blades, and the Rose Whip Thorn Wheel sliced clean through the creature's limbs and body. They were chopped into cylindrical pieces, maintaining that shape for a few seconds before falling to the muddy ground. With the limbs cut away, Kurama found an opening for his escape, and he leaped through the gaps in the creature's remaining body. He looked up, gathering the Rose Whip in his hands, and took in a deep breath, free of that watery enclosure. Miwa's creature fell apart behind him, gobs of water that was once its body splashing loudly amidst the rain.

But the respite wouldn't last for long. Two more creatures rose from the muddy ground, one on Kurama's left and the other on his right. Their round heads popped up first, eerily bobbing from side to side without a face. Kurama didn't want to be wrapped up in another trap. They were already reaching his height, and only seconds remained before they would sprout water streams for arms. Once more, he raised his whip and unleashed thorn wheels to destroy the creatures before they could fully form. The white blades decapitated them both, and their bodies collapsed.

Then, from the collapsing body of the creature to Kurama's left, Miwa appeared from hiding inside its liquid body, like she had thawed out of melting ice. She leaped towards him; a sword forged of dense water in hand. For an instant, Kurama was reminded of Kuwabara charging headfirst into battle with his Spirit Sword. Even the look on her face, excited and eager for battle, was the spitting image of their human friend. Kurama had no time to think, and he reacted on instinct. Vines from the Death Plant circled around his left wrist and reached out, grabbing Miwa's water sword mid-strike. She stumbled from the sudden stop, but the sword liquified and slipped out of the Death Plant's grasp. Kurama backed away cautiously as Miwa remade the dense water sword, and in her left hand, a second sword slowly formed, further cementing similarities to Kuwabara.

She was too close for the Rose Whip to be effective, so Kurama backed away even more, but Miwa continued chasing him. It wasn't easy for Kurama to run without slipping in the mud, and it slowed him down, but Miwa wasn't hindered by it at all. As fast as ever, she frequently closed in with her dual water swords and slashed away. The Death Plant's vines were enough to block her attacks long enough for Kurama to retreat. Over and over, vines and water blades clashed together as they moved across the arena. When Kurama gained distance, his whip struck the ground at Miwa's feet to slow her down. At the very least, her direct attack was enough for him to pinpoint her energy, even through the thick curtain of rain.

"C'mon!" Miwa called, that same eager smile still on her face, "Is your whole plan just to run away?"

Then, the muddy ground clamped around Kurama's wet feet. Startled, he looked down, and a faint white glow ran up from the bottom of his foot to the middle of his shins. Miwa's power, the dampness crawling up his clothes like a long, wet sock, locked him in place. He twisted and tugged at his feet, but the white grip on his legs squeezed tighter. Kurama looked up, only to see Miwa's fanged grin slowly coming closer. Four more water swords formed in the air. They each moved independently, following her steps and bobbing from side to side like the head of her creepy water creature.

"It's time for you to get serious," she said, and her slow walk broke into a run.

The floating swords took the lead, spinning around to keep their trajectory hidden. Kurama could not run away. Watching her sprint towards him, swords raised and ready, ignited a sudden rush of adrenaline in Kurama's body. The fight or flight instinct screamed at him to do something, and without waiting for a proper thought to form, the rush of energy forced him to act on instinct again. Hundreds of plants of as many colors burst from the ground, kicking up mud and swatting away the floating swords.

Miwa gasped and halted, a giant purple leaf now blocking her way. In her surprise, Miwa's grip on Kurama's legs was released, and he immediately dashed away. The swords that were thrown aside lost their density and seeped into the dirt. The ground, no longer purely mud, was covered in grass and foliage that wiggled with life and hunger. Vines crawled up nearby trees, sprouting large leaves that would provide shelter from the rain. Flowers with menacing faces grew larger with each passing second, their faces pointed open-mouthed up to the sky so they could catch the deluge of water. Cacti with sharp, poisonous barbs grew alongside them, soaking up the moisture that seeped into the ground. The empty plain where Kurama and Miwa began their fight turned into a jungle of his own creation. Miwa stayed perfectly still, desperately wanting to laugh, but she didn't want the noise to catch any plant's attention. She had thought Kurama was just running away. …She should have known better. Of course, he would have prepared thirsty desert plants to counteract her water. He had been planting seeds around the arena the entire time, even using Miwa's own rain to conceal his actions from her. The plants absorbed water imbued with her energy, but Kurama's own energy overpowered it the moment he brought them to life.

"Good," she muttered, her fangs sharp in her grin, "I don't want this to be too easy."

She waited patiently, readying her two swords for any one of these plants to focus on her and strike. But minutes passed, and none of them paid her the slightest attention. Miwa frowned and spread her senses through the rain. Kurama's energy feeding the plants made her mental map a bit hazier, but she could still find him through his soaked clothing. …And there he was, hiding in a tree several yards away. From that distance, he likely couldn't see her through the rain, but he didn't have to. His plants could search for him. The grass fluttered with its own life around her feet.

So why wasn't Kurama doing anything? He had caught her off-guard twice now, blocking her first sword and creating this small jungle. Both were the perfect opportunities for a counterattack, but nothing happened. The Death Plant never reached out for her. The sudden jungle never attacked. Of the plants Miwa could see, not even one was carnivorous, much less inclined to attack. All of them were desert plants, single-mindedly hydrating themselves through the rain and wet ground. They didn't care about her at all. All he did was dodge, deflect, and run away. Not once did he ever attack her directly.

"Hey!" Miwa shouted, no longer caring if the plants turned on her. "I said that I want you to fight me seriously!"

Miwa's Demon Energy flared up in anger, stronger and stronger until there was no way Kurama couldn't sense her from afar. She threw her water swords away, and under her clothes, the Shikigami Seal glowed bright red as Miwa changed its focus. White streaks appeared in her hair. Her fangs grew longer. Lines of scales formed on her shoulders, and the pupils of her eyes narrowed to snake-like slits. Miwa held out her hands and threw out a huge wave of her own energy. White light flashed over Kurama's plants and across the arena. Miwa's wrists flattened out into her snake pose, and the power of kisuinou seeped its way into the plants around her. A nearby flower, the menacing one that was drinking in the rain, turned to look at her. Kurama would regret allowing his plants to drink her water. Soon, the flowers, vines, and cacti began shaking, fighting with everything they had against a force taking them over from the inside. Then, Miwa snapped her arms outward, and all of Kurama's plants exploded. Just like Miwa had done to Rikiji, she overtook the living energy of the plants to grasp the water in their veins and violently yanked it out through the pores, ripping the thin membranes apart. Chunks of plant life and shredded greenery fell at her feet, and the water she had torn away floated harmlessly in the air.

One more wave of her hand, and the rain stopped. The floating water dropped to the ground. With nothing left to obscure her vision, Miwa glared at Kurama, still hiding in the trees. His eyes were wide with shock, either at seeing her transformation or the surprise of seeing her use kisuinou so soon.

"Oohh!" came Koto's loud voice over the speakers. "The rain has stopped, and we can finally see Kurama and Miwa's fight! There's torn up plants all over the ground, and…" A small gasp. "Is that…? Could this be Miwa's true form?"

Youda hummed in curiosity; he had never seen it before either. "Not only has Miwa mastered the seal enough to generate water in human form, but she can also revert to her full strength at will."

Miwa frowned, finding their commentary distracting and wishing she hadn't stopped the rain. But seeing Kurama without obstruction was more important, and she wanted him to see what she had done to his plants with full clarity.

"You're holding back, aren't you?" Miwa hissed.

She raised one hand, gripped the moisture soaked into his clothes, and yanked it back. Kurama felt the fabric go rigid, and his whole body was thrown out of the tree. He managed to land on his feet, still holding on to his Rose Whip, but he did not say a word.

"You're holding back because you want me to win." It wasn't a question this time. Miwa had never been more certain of anything. "If I win this tournament, I would be ruling Demon World instead of continuing my cycle among humans."

Kurama averted his eyes and stared at the ground. That was all the answer Miwa needed. She clenched her fists, anger pressing her fingernails deep into her palms. He didn't accept what she said at all. He saw with his own eyes that she undid the restrictions of her seal. She renounced her oath, just like he had always wanted, and told him what she wanted to do in her After. Despite all that, he was still trying to force his own decision on her. To force her back to the Demon World. For good.

Of all people, I wanted you to accept it the most…

Another yank, and Kurama's Rose Whip soared out of his grip and into Miwa's hand. With one tug, she coiled the whip into her palm as Kurama always did. But it was an action she was not really accustomed to. The second her hand closed around that long vine, its thorns pierced her skin and drew blood. Miwa didn't care, letting the bright red fluid slide over the whip and drip off her fingers. Her hand glowed white, and the Rose Whip burst. Thorns and bits of green fluttered to the ground, but Miwa could not even enjoy the look of concern on Kurama's face.

"Fine," she hissed, wiping the blood from her hand onto her shirt. "You don't have to accept it, but at least have the guts to fight me as an equal."

White balls of light appeared behind her, and they quickly condensed into water spheres, ranging from the size of Miwa's fist to her head. They quickly multiplied, spreading across the open air like the world's largest drops of rain. The arena grew brighter, illuminated by the orbs of liquid light. Kurama recognized this. She used the same trick against Navigator in Demon's Door Cave. Only now, the orbs were much larger, and she was no longer limited to using the damp moisture of a cave. Kurama hesitated, knowing she wanted him to fight back, but instead, he ran once more.

The water orbs chased him, and Miwa's footsteps in the distance matched his pace. Then, one by one, the orbs struck at an incredible speed. They crashed at his feet, exploding upon impact and drenching his shoes with more water. They struck his side, forearm, shoulder blades; any surface they could reach. Pain radiated from where they hit, already preparing to bruise, and the smaller orbs shot by so quickly that Kurama felt thin trickles of blood dribbling down his skin. He felt a cold chill, but another memory, this time of Yusuke's Shot Gun blast, rose to mind. Was she even aware of how much her actions reflected the abilities of their friends? Another barrage of water orbs splashed around him, forcing Kurama's running path to pivot for what felt like the twentieth time. Miwa wasn't aiming to kill - that wasn't her intent - but if Kurama wasn't careful, she could easily hit his knees or ankles, preventing him from running away anymore.

…But if she didn't want him to run away, why wouldn't she stop him by grabbing the moisture in his clothes again? They were still very damp; a fresh coat was applied every time her orbs hit their mark.

To slow her down, or perhaps to test a hypothesis, Kurama threw down another seed into the mud. Instantly, a large lotus plant grew in its place. Kurama kept running, using its size to shield him from both the orbs and her sight. The lotus's stems quickly grew taller than them both, and bright green leaves sprouted from the sides. They drooped low, glistening in the white light of Miwa's energy, and the orbs crashed into the leaves' wide surface. Lotus leaves were waterproof, so even though water slid down its surface, like rain sliding across glass, Miwa's power couldn't seep in easily. Miwa stopped in her tracks, surprised either by the plant's size or the fact that he used the same flower as her hair ornament. She waited for a counterattack from the new plant, but when none came, she quickly created another water blade and cut down the giant lotus from its roots. The flower landed on the ground with a soft but heavy thud. The stems flopped over like a deflated balloon, and the leaves' large surface area slapped loudly against the mud. Miwa kicked the stems out of her way and stomped over the leaves, not caring for one second that Kurama could still control them.

"Stop running away!"

Her scream carried across the great distance between them, and Kurama sensed the heat of her rage, but a sharp yank dragged him out of his thoughts. Finally, Miwa did grab him by his damp clothes, giving in to the obvious tactic she had avoided on purpose. She wanted him to fight back, wanted to push him until there was some kind of counterattack. But none ever came. He kept running away and putting barriers between them, and her patience ran out. Her power pulled him forward with the collar of his tunic like he was the victim of school bullying. His legs, free from her grasp, were forced to run at an uncomfortably quick pace just to keep from getting dragged across the mud. Miwa waited impatiently; arms crossed but one hand raised to pull him closer. He stopped, locked in place by the sharp hold on his tunic, with only a few feet between them.

"I don't know which is more insulting. This, or surrendering at the start."

A faint light glimmered from Kurama's clothes. Every drop of moisture seeped into the fabric glowed white, and then, just like Miwa's orbs, they multiplied, the water rapidly augmenting to a greater volume. Miwa trapped him in an oblong shape of liquid water that squeezed Kurama's arms and legs against each other. It was like being bound by rope, only this rope was one solid piece, slowly constricting against him just like a snake would its captured prey. Kurama stared back at her without flinching, holding back cries of pain as best he could. He had seen her angry many times, but this was the first time that anger was ever directed at him.

"Well, Kurama sure seems to be in a bind!" Koto exclaimed. "If he can't escape Miwa's grasp in ten minutes, he will automatically lose!"

Miwa hissed. Koto's unwanted enthusiasm aside, she did not like the sound of that at all. "...Do I have to make you desperate? Barely able to breathe until you can't take it anymore?" She curled her fingers, and the water compressed on Kurama's chest, making him gasp. "…Or, because you know I won't kill you, you'll force yourself to endure this for ten whole minutes just so I could win…"

His breathing, a tiny wheeze at this point, became shallower with each passing second. The bare minimum of air needed to sustain himself passed into lungs that could barely expand. His shoulders shifted uncomfortably, painfully, threatening to dislocate if he moved the wrong way. His fingers had long since gone numb. Kurama couldn't calculate how much time had passed. A minute? Three minutes? How much longer would he have to endure this pain before the tournament rules allowed Miwa to win?

No. She would let go at the last moment. His surrender wasn't her goal here.

Kurama's eyes met with hers, those deep blue eyes with narrow pupils. The eyes of a snake. Of a mizuchi. …She really did it, didn't she? Against all expectations, including her own, Miwa found a way to take the seal under her control. This ability was what she had truly wanted, chosen after months of deliberation as she navigated her own fears of a future without her oath. Kurama stared at her snake-like eyes, the white streaks in her hair, the fangs protruding from her angry scowl. He saw her in this form a year ago, when they chased after Sensui to the Demon World. But somehow, her appearance then was nothing compared to now. This was Miwa in her true form, all her powers at hand and fully actualized. She was angry back then, too. Selfless rage was the impetus allowing her to overcome the seal and transform. But her eyes then did not look the same as now. Her eyes then were direct and focused, fueled by the single-minded purpose of killing Shinobu Sensui. Before him, her eyes were powerful and bold, daring him to challenge her and what she could do. Kurama had not seen these eyes since the day they met, when she tried to prove her skills were worth his time.

He hadn't seen those eyes since he was Youko Kurama…

A rush of power flooded Kurama's body, crashing through his mental barriers with that one final thought. Miwa sensed it right away, and she tightened her water's grip on him even more. Not as an act to force desperation, but a genuine reaction to danger. Her grip was not enough, and the rush of power burst the water that had encased Kurama's body. It exploded outward, like a bomb tossed into shallow waters, spraying droplets of all sizes in every direction. Miwa instinctively covered her face and stepped back, but she could not suppress a grin. A dark electricity crackled along the edge of a grey fog; an image all too familiar to anyone who watched the Dark Tournament. Koto was one of those demons, and she screamed excitedly about what was about to come. Finally, Miwa had done it. Whether the transformation was intentional or not, she didn't know, but she would finally get to see him at full power.

The grey fog cleared, and Youko Kurama stood before her. Tall, pale-skinned, and sharp yellow eyes. Pointed fox ears and a silver tail, matching long silver hair that billowed gently in the wind. The demon to whom Miwa had once sworn her life. The demon with whom she now wanted to fight as true equals, no longer divided by the distance of her own creation.

"Hey," Miwa said, no longer hiding her fanged smile, "Nice to see you again."

Kurama did not answer. Instead, he looked down at his hands, inspecting them as if it was the first time he had ever seen the hands of a Spirit Fox. The burst of demon energy had even dried his white clothes, so Miwa could not bind him directly anymore. Over the speakers, Koto and Youda speculated whether Kurama's transformation was a strategic move, with Youda explaining that the transformation was triggered by an overflow of emotions that could no longer be suppressed. In a way, he was correct. The threat of an overflow was how Kurama had explained the biorhythms to her after the Dark Tournament. He wanted to suppress them ever since they first began for fear of losing control and harming his family. Now that there was no family nearby to harm, whether this was a willful transformation was still unknown. However…

If you wanted to transform, wouldn't you have done it sooner?

Kurama remained silent, unwilling to clarify anything, and Miwa did not wait for an answer. With one swipe of her hand, over a dozen tiny streams appeared and darted towards Kurama. They condensed into a solid form and took on a sharp point, like needles. Kurama sidestepped them and ran away once more, much to Miwa's irritation. She followed, throwing more water needles, increasing their number with every swing of her hands. Occasionally, one would contact Kurama's skin, slicing through and exposing blood like he was hit by a sharp needle. …Or struck by a sharp fang. Eventually, there were so many needles shooting through the air that it was as if Miwa had brought back the rain. And Kurama, who still refused to draw another weapon, retreated past the tree line.

Miwa hissed. He would have an advantage if they were surrounded by plants, so she threw out her hands. One large stream erupted from her palm, followed by water pulled from the wet ground, and it slithered after him into the trees. However, instead of reaching out to capture, they branched out into hundreds of smaller streams, wrapping themselves around every tree trunk within its reach. She could sense him hiding in there, and she would force him out if that was what it took. But first, Miwa waited, just for one second, to see if he would do something, anything to retaliate. Once again, nothing came. So, with another angry hiss, Miwa clenched her fists, and the streams crushed every tree in their grasp. Thousands upon thousands of loud cracks stung her eardrums as wood was torn apart. Birds screeched as they took to the sky, escaping the rush of dust, splintered bark, and torn leaves.

The destruction spanned at least fifty feet, and Kurama stood in the middle of the wreckage, his silhouette visible through the debris cloud. Miwa knew he was hiding there, but she was still surprised at how close he was. Escaping her reach would have been wiser, but for some reason, he didn't run very far past the tree line, as if he were waiting for her to catch up. The silhouette appeared unharmed, but the height…and its shape…

The dust settled, and Koto screamed into her microphone once more. "Oh man! Miwa tore apart a huge chunk of the forest, and it forced Kurama back into his human form!"

She rambled on with thinly veiled attempts to hide her preference for Kurama in his true fox form, but Miwa was no longer listening. Koto was wrong, forming her assumption on what had happened against Karasu. Miwa's streams didn't touch him at all, and tearing apart the forest couldn't possibly harm him enough to revert. There were a few new scratches on his skin from flying splinters, but even the damn birds had escaped unharmed. Changing into Youko Kurama could happen outside of Kurama's control if he couldn't hold back strong emotions. But unless he received serious damage, changing back into the weaker body of Shuichi Minamino would always be a conscious choice.

"You have grown so much stronger, Miwa," Kurama said, his long red hair coated with a thin layer of tree dust. "Despite destroying my plants with kisuinou, you haven't stumbled even once."

Miwa clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. He sounded proud, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, completely ignoring the fact that he was being attacked by the very person he offered praise. "Are you still trying to lose!?" she yelled, "Why did you change back!?"

"Because you are fighting me in earnest with the After you decided, and you want me to fight you seriously."

"How is this being serious?"

He did not answer. Miwa hissed once more, raised her arms, and a low rumble echoed across the plain. The ground shuddered, and the rainwater in the mud receded like an ocean wave pulling back into the sea. Above them, the camera girls flew up higher in shock, as they were the first to see what was coming.

The water from a nearby lake rose as one giant mass, but that wasn't all. The receding rain, newly generated water, and even the cloud vapor from the sky all funneled in to join the floating water mass. It stretched out into the longest stream Kurama had ever seen, curling over itself enough to cover the entire Okunenju plateau with its body. It glowed a pale white from within, but unlike Miwa's usual streams, distinctive features began to form. The end of the stream twisted, forming scale-like ridges along the sides and a narrow mouth that opened extremely wide. Large droplets formed in its jaw, hardening into dense, sharp fangs. Bright white eyes snapped open; a glare as fierce as Miwa's own. She created a giant water snake, large enough to be seen from miles away, and its serpentine body loomed over the plateau like an angry beast god.

No one, not even Kurama, had ever seen her create such a thing before. He looked upon the creature floating above him, eyes wide with fascination. Without a doubt, the inspiration for Miwa's newest creation came from a certain master of the Jagan Eye. Kurama still did not draw a weapon, but neither did he back away. "Truly, I am amazed by how far you have come."

"Then why won't you fight back?"

"...The power of Youko Kurama is not what makes us equals, Miwa."

"Oh?" The water snake snapped its teeth in warning, and a wicked, fanged smile crossed Miwa's face. "Prove it."

The snake lunged forward, jaws open in a silent hiss, and the camera operators fled with high-pitched screams of terror. The snake's giant body crashed against mountains and cliffs in its way, knocking them aside as easily as a pebble, causing multiple landslides. The impact shook the ground beneath them, and Kurama lost his balance and kneeled. He looked up, watching that giant snake come closer and closer. Any second now, it would reach him, and he had no idea what this snake could possibly do.

Kurama pressed his palm to the ground, and the Okunenju platform shook, trembling with the force of a high magnitude earthquake. Miwa's balance teetered to the side, but she did not fall. As the water snake closed in on Kurama, giant purple branches the size of city buses burst out of the ground. Miwa yelped, jumping on the broad side of a branch to keep herself from falling, but the other branches reached out to the water snake and pierced it from several directions. Miwa's hold on the shape broke from the force of the attack, and her water snake collapsed, showering the branches with shimmering water. Entire sections of the Okunenju's ecosystem - the mountains, rivers, mesas, all of it - were torn apart by the growing branches, just as Miwa had done to Kurama's plants. The speaker system broadcasting Koto and Youda's commentary collapsed, cutting them off from the main arena. Dirt and rock crumbled into giant chunks that rolled down the branches, off the Okunenju trunk, and fell to the solid earth below. The sounds of falling debris and cracking rock reverberated across the Demon World plains, shaking up other Okunenju arenas nearby.

Realization struck Miwa like a bolt of lightning. It was all Kurama. He somehow revived the ancient Okunenju, controlling the millennia-old plant in its entirety. Thanks to that, the plateau that was meant to serve as their battleground was gone.

Several thin but very sharp branches shot right towards her. Whether the intent was to stab or to capture, Miwa didn't have time to decide, and she committed to her only possible counterattack without hesitation. Miwa threw out her hands, her eyes a blazing white as she let out a determined scream, and her energy illuminated everything around her. She felt the Okunenju, every fiber of its being, and grabbed all the water she sensed inside. Her power flared up, fighting against Kurama's own Demon Energy controlling the monstrous plant, and a strong wave of fatigue and dizziness instantly swayed her concentration. Miwa ignored it, throwing her whole mind into taking over this damned thing before her energy depleted itself. The tension made her arms shake, and her muscles burned from the strain, but that pain kept her focused.

Stop…stop…STOP!

The sharp branches stopped mere inches from her palms, and the entire Okunenju froze.

Another wave of fatigue forced a heavy stagger. Other than the branches that attacked her, every branch of the Okunenju reached up for the sky, creating a dim purple canopy that made Miwa feel very small. One snake holding back the strength of a Spirit Fox and a demonic plant thousands of years older than her. This would not be as simple as tearing apart some plants from the inside. The bark was stronger, thicker, and it held an enormous amount of energy to sustain its new life. But Miwa's grip grew stronger as her power rushed through the Okunenju's intricate circulatory system. Any second now, she could take over completely. As long as she kept enough focus on halting the plant's movement.

Despite the pain, despite feeling so small, despite everything, a wild smirk overtook Miwa's face. The ultimate test of control and endurance, the two of them throwing out everything they had in one go, and the first to falter would lose. Yes. This was exactly what she wanted.

Miwa tightened her grip, and the branches curled backwards, snapping loudly at the joints. Nearby branches shuddered as if suddenly taking on a heavy weight. Several of them burst entirely, tossing more splinters to the ground.

Another wave of fatigue, and the world around her began to sway.

…Almost there!

Then, a pale pink petal fluttered past Miwa's face. Not the vibrant red of a rose petal. Pink.

Miwa looked up. A second tree worked its way into the giant Okunenju branches. She hadn't noticed it growing at all; her focus was solely on gripping as much water as she could, and they both blurred together. Thin rows of flowers with bark far paler than the dark purple of the Okunenju sprouted from the high branches. That was how he did it. He planted another seed to merge with the Okunenju and revive it. The blend of new life and energy was enough to awaken the fossilized plant, giving it renewed vigor and power, and by size alone, it was more than enough to destroy her giant snake. But as she put the pieces together, the Okunenju jerked in resistance, and Miwa's attention snapped back. The branches reached out for her relentlessly and holding them back felt like she was pushing against a giant monster with her bare hands. But even while fending off a giant, Miwa could not take her eyes off the flowers blooming above her head. More pink petals fluttered down like a colorful rain, carefree with no part in this battle. A faint smell reached Miwa's nose, light and delicate, just like the pink petals.

Cherry blossoms…

She knew this tree, and she knew why he would use it here, a dimension where it should never have appeared. The canopy of the Okunenju branches was dimmed by the thick cloud of pink blossoms. Miwa took a deep breath. The tree bloomed so much that she could taste the familiar smell. A quiet laugh shook her shoulders, and she looked at the ground.

"I guess I was wrong…"

Branches shuddered and snapped around her, dropping small twigs to the floor, but their sharp noises eventually stopped. Miwa's grip was gone, and everything ended.

Free from the invasive hold of a mizuchi, the Okunenju's sharp branches lashed out. They circled around her wrists, ankles, and waist and pulled her whole body into the air. Their grip was tight, just as tight as hers had been, but they did not break skin or bone. The intent, from the very start, had been to capture, and Miwa was held in place, limbs pulled out into an X-shape like a shackled prisoner.

Suspended in the air, Miwa relaxed her body. Her energy surged, but it was not for attack, as the power quickly receded. Soon, her hair reverted to its pure dark color, her fangs shrank, the pupils of her eyes expanded, and back in her human form, she let out a long, bemused sigh. Kurama emerged from the shadows of the branches and calmly walked towards her. Even through the waves of fatigue that flooded her vision, she could see the slight wobble in his step, but his demeanor was calm. They both expended so much energy at once, betting it all on one final strike. The smell of flowers was so pleasant and serene, the whole fight could be forgotten if she closed her eyes. Full of new life and standing tall in the plains of Demon World, the Okunenju was covered in beautiful flowers few in this dimension had ever seen.

Finally, finally, he attacked her with everything he had.

Miwa shook her head, clearing the haze in her tired mind so she could see Kurama clearly, and smiled. "I forfeit."

The haze held back just long enough for Miwa to see a flash of surprise across Kurama's face. The branches gently lowered her down on the Okunenju's solid surface; the dirt had long since fallen away. There was a light sway on her feet, and Miwa regained her balance. The inevitable aftereffects of kisuinou were coming quickly, but she needed to power through. There was still more she had to say…

Miwa looked up again at the cherry blossom tree. Beautiful and fragile, just like the one growing outside Kurama's human home. The one he climbed every day as a human child, as Shiori had told her many times. "This is the After you chose, isn't it? I'm sorry I didn't see that sooner…"

She had been wrong. Transforming back to Shuichi Minamino was not his way of throwing the fight. It was his resolve. To face her as he is now, just as Miwa wanted to do.

Kurama stepped forward, his arms up and ready to catch her. "Why did you forfeit?" he asked. "Even without your hands, your streams could have set you free."

"...I got what I wanted," Miwa answered simply. She had decided, long before stepping into the ring, that she would not walk away as the victor. No matter how their battle went, she would forfeit the match if she were ever on the brink of victory. "I don't need to win," she said, "Someone who has never lived her own life shouldn't rule all of Demon World. If one of us must move on, then it must be you."

She expected a rebuttal, but none came. For several long seconds, Kurama only stared at her through the silence. But then, spurred on by an emotion that Miwa could only imagine, he stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her upper body thudded into his chest, and his arms looped around her back, closing the distance between them as much as he could. The warmth of his body was suddenly all Miwa knew, forgetting everything else around them as she felt the sudden closeness. His fingers clutched tightly at her shoulder and waist. Being so close, the difference in their heights had never felt more real. He smelled of earth, grass, and sweat. Kurama had never held her like this before. Like someone precious and dear to his heart…

"You're such a nuisance," he said, burying his face into her shoulder.

Miwa chuckled weakly, unable to deny it. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"No." He shook his head, and his long red hair tickled her cheek. "I think I love that about you."

His voice was so quiet, barely above a whisper, but the raw sincerity in his words could not be clearer. A new warmth burned in Miwa's chest, and it had nothing to do with her seal. He accepted it. He truly accepted the After she wanted for herself. This new warmth was her own emotions, flooding her with a relief and happiness that she did not think possible. She wanted to lift her own arms, to return this kind, accepting gesture, but she couldn't. Accepting the warm and safe feeling became her undoing. All at once, the fatigue spread through her body, and even with the support of Kurama's embrace, the strength in her legs quickly drained. Miwa slumped in his grasp, and consciousness quickly left her.

Expecting this, Kurama caught her sudden dead weight and knelt, feeling the Okunenju bark scrape against his knees. He held her, secure in his arms, and she was thin and light. The body of a dancer, as he had first recognized when they first met face-to-face. Kurama knew, just by looking at her, that her fainting was not because her life was in danger. She was weak. They both were, but he did not sense her life energy burning down to a dangerous level. She was simply resting, as she had done many times before, because she felt safe enough in front of him.

This girl…

Kurama brushed her bangs aside with one hand, leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. He would tell her how he felt. He decided it right then and there. When all the spectators were gone, when they could both come clean about all the misunderstandings that brought them here, he would tell her about this feeling he had hidden for so long.

Finally, Kurama's own tiredness caught up, and he no longer had the strength to hold both of them up. His body slammed painfully on the ground, but Kurama turned his torso to shield Miwa from the fall, absorbing the impact with his shoulder. Slowly, the pain subsided, and he rested his cheek on the bark. Its coarse texture felt cool to the touch. The cherry blossoms above rustled in the wind, and the destruction of Miwa's giant water snake left a thin layer of dew, making the delicate petals sparkle in the sun.

Kurama closed his eyes, and there they lay, resting together in quiet, peaceful sleep…

{00}

Sometime later, through a small grasp of awareness, Kurama realized that Miwa was no longer in his arms. Under his elbow, he felt a broad, strong shoulder supporting his weight. He heard soft footsteps and the drag of his own feet sliding across the dirt. A new scent filled his nose, but it took a second for his awakening mind to recognize it. Slowly, Kurama opened his eyes, squinting at the intake of light, and looked up at the man escorting him off the battlefield.

"Yomi…"

Yomi looked down at the sound of his name, smiling gently. One hand held Kurama's arm over his shoulder and the other pressed against Kurama's ribs, keeping him upright as they walked. Shirai walked beside them, carrying a still-unconscious Miwa on his back. A light breeze passing by was cool and calming, reminding him that their battle was now over. Kurama had won, or at least by the tournament's rules. But in the end, he gave in to Miwa's After and resigned himself to confessing the last thing he had wanted to remain a secret.

Kurama struggled to find his footing again, but once he managed to get his feet flat on the ground, he thankfully found the strength to stand. Yomi, understanding his intent, pulled away to give them space. A moment passed, and Kurama did not fall, so Yomi turned and was about to walk away, but then he stopped.

"Kurama," he said, "Are you abandoning your old self as Youko?"

Kurama thought about it, wanting to give Yomi an honest answer. Behind him, Shirai pretended he wasn't paying attention by shifting his weight and craning his neck to check on Miwa's condition.

"I have never left anything behind, and I will not deny my own power," Kurama answered, "but I am not the same person anymore. I'm going to stop living a lie and move forward."

"With her?"

Kurama turned. Miwa was, as expected, still unconscious and resting peacefully on Shirai's back. "Yes."

Yomi chuckled. "No matter how long we live, there is always the possibility for us to change. I may never have learned this without the help of your friend, Urameshi." A peaceful smile curved his lips, and Yomi left, leaving behind sincere words of parting. "I wish you both well."

Shirai, sensing that their conversation was over, stepped forward. Without a word, he kneeled and loosened his grip on Miwa. Kurama knelt beside him and supported her weight with both arms. He heard her soft breathing as she slept, unaware of everything around her. Kurama had seen her recover from this state in the past. In time, her energy would return, and she would wake up.

"I'm happy for her," Shirai said. "She has finally found the place she is meant to be."

Shirai gestured his head to the side, and Kurama heard his and Miwa's names being called. It was Yusuke's voice. Yusuke, followed closely by Hiei, Touya, and the rest of the warriors, were all running towards them while Jin and Botan flew from above. Shirai watched them too. Their approach may have been his signal to leave Miwa in Kurama's care.

"You all accept her for who she is, not by what she can do. It took me a long time to realize that was what she really needed."

"...Miwa accepts us for who we are too."

Shirai nodded, his smile gentle and kind. "Rest assured, Kurama, she will be fine."

"I know."

Carefully, Shirai bundled Miwa's hair and stuck her lotus hair ornament in. It suited her, even in her unconscious state. The black lacquer was bright and shiny under the light of the sun, and the pink flower, similar in color to the cherry blossoms they left behind, stood out against her dark hair. Satisfied with the ornament's placement, Shirai gave a deep nod to excuse himself as their friends came even closer, and he stood up to leave.

"Shirai," Kurama called, almost on impulse. "I'll tell her. I'll tell her the last thing I've been hiding, and Miwa can decide for herself how it will affect her After."

His thin smile changed a bit, as if Shirai himself was hiding something, but he would not divulge what it was. As a former intelligence officer, and maybe from his experiences reading memories, Shirai was diligently tight-lipped about the secrets that really mattered. "...Very good," he said, and then Shirai walked away, quickening his pace to catch up with Yomi.

Alone, but not for long, Kurama savored the privacy as he looked down at Miwa one more time. Her head rolled onto her shoulder, her breathing was steady, and already a bit of color returned to her face. He didn't know what kind of expression he would see on this face when he told her how he really felt. Miwa willingly chose to stay as Himari Shimizu, and she desperately wanted to move forward with him as an equal. Kurama held a small burning hope that, no matter what her answer would be, no matter what the future may hold for them, they could still be together.

"Kuramaaa!"

Finally, their friends arrived. Jin and Botan arrived first and fussed over them like mother hens, but Yusuke wasn't far behind. He led the running charge and knelt the moment he got close. "You guys okay?" he asked, already reaching out his hands towards Miwa.

"Yes, we're fine," Kurama answered, allowing Yusuke to take her. "I'm sure she'll wake up in a few hours."

Yusuke scooped her up, as easily as if he were picking up a child, and Botan draped Miwa's arm securely over his shoulder. Jin slung Kurama's own arm over his shoulder and helped the redhead to his feet. Kurama was grateful for the help. He would not have been able to bring Miwa back to the stadium on his own.

"Ye both had a right crazy fight out here," Jin said, "Giant snakes and plants flyin' about an' all." He was unable to suppress the excited twitch in his ears. Perhaps seeing them alive with his own eyes lifted his spirits.

"He's right," Botan sighed. Her sharp gaze snapped over to Miwa, but it softened just as quickly. "I won't say I fully understand what just happened, but couldn't you have fought without nearly getting yourselves killed?"

"No," Touya answered bluntly, "It would only truly end if they both pushed themselves to the limit to show exactly what they are."

Beside him, Shishiwakamaru nodded silently, and Jin and Suzuki both voiced their agreement.

Botan pouted. "I just don't understand how you fighters think sometimes…"

"No need to worry, love," Chuu said, crossing his arms. "They both came out alive and well. That's all that matters, eh?"

"Easy for you to say," said Rinku, grinning impishly, "You forfeited your match after some pretty girl beat you up."

"Shaddap! Like you can talk, pipsqueak!"

Their squabbling gave lots of life and energy to their group. Despite one of their numbers lying unconscious, the mood was bright and jovial. Kurama barely had the strength to stand on his own, but he felt rejuvenated just by listening to them. The number of people who came to help them after the battle ended was astounding. They all came, spurred on by worry for dear friends and companions. No matter what shape he or Miwa took, no matter what they did moving forward, Kurama was confident they could forever trust the people around them with their lives. Having just one person like that was already a blessing, especially for a demon. And for a long time, he and Miwa were that person for each other. But now, they had so many friends at their side, forming a place where they could belong. Where they could move forward and be accepted for who they had both become.

Once the excitement settled down, Kurama and Miwa were quickly brought to the nearest infirmary. Small medical facilities had been set up in strategic locations on the tournament grounds, each offering single or shared rooms for fighters that needed to recover from their injuries. When their motley crew waltzed into the reception area, only a single nurse was free to help them. Yusuke stepped forward as their representative, still holding Miwa, and explained that they needed a space for two fighters to rest. The nurse, a slim woman with lavender skin and pointed ears, was taken aback by the tournament sponsor himself suddenly appearing in their humble building, but she quickly collected herself and guided them down the hall.

She led them to a shared room with two beds and politely motioned for Miwa to be placed on the left bed. Yusuke did as he was told, letting the nurse tuck Miwa under the sheets, and explained that she wasn't seriously injured and just needed to rest up. Still, the nurse checked Miwa's condition and made notes on a metal clipboard. A second nurse, also with pointed ears, entered the room to offer her assistance. Kurama untangled himself from Jin's support, and the second nurse sat him down on the right-side bed and rolled over a small cart of medical supplies to inspect the rips in Kurama's clothing, looking for wounds and dressing them as necessary.

Chuu and Rinku, meanwhile, were immediately distracted by a small monitor mounted on the wall that broadcast tournament footage from the arenas. The third round was well underway by then. Chuu discovered that the woman he asked out in the preliminaries was also fighting, and he cheered for her while Suzuki and Shishiwakamaru tried to force down his loud enthusiasm. The second nurse glared at them, and Kurama suspected she did not say anything because she also noticed they were accompanying the tournament's sponsor. When the nurses finished their work, they politely requested that the visitors not disturb any of the patients, looking pointedly at Chuu on their way out.

Yusuke, to his credit, took the hint. "C'mon guys," he said, slapping Chuu on the shoulder with a loud smack, "Let's let these two rest up in peace."

At his words, everyone else followed, obeying Yusuke's natural magnetism. They only stopped to offer last-minute well-wishes that were honestly still too loud, and Kurama thanked them with a smile. Yusuke pushed the warriors out the door, looking comical by the height difference between him and Chuu, and threw out a cheeky wink in Kurama's direction before disappearing out the door.

Only Hiei remained, having avoided Yusuke's forceful exit. But Kurama was watching carefully, and it seemed intentional on Yusuke's part. Hiei stood quietly with arms crossed, trying to blend into the corner. Any new person that walked in may not notice Hiei at all, despite his dark clothes contrasting with the predominantly white room. But Hiei lingering drew more of Kurama's attention than the contrast of his clothes. While the presence of his friend was a welcome sight, Hiei going out of his way to be there was a bit unexpected. Even out by the Okunenju, Kurama was surprised to see him running alongside everyone else. He never spoke once, just silently hovering behind everyone like an actual shadow.

"Something on your mind, Hiei?"

The black-clad demon's frown was stiff. "You two are such idiots," he muttered. Then slowly, Hiei turned to Miwa's bed. "...Were you surprised about her After?"

"Did you know?"

"Heard about it right before your fight."

Kurama paused, wondering what they were talking about that led Miwa to share her secret. "It's probably my fault that she felt the need to hide it," he sighed.

"That's why you both are idiots."

"I can't argue against that…"

Hiei rolled his eyes and strode across the room, about to disappear behind the same door frame that Yusuke did, but then he stopped. "You know," Hiei said, purposefully not facing him, "I had a feeling things would turn out this way when I met you two."

"Really? I was certain that once Miwa chose freedom, she would return to Demon World."

Hiei huffled. "Free or not, I'd be more surprised if anyone was more important to her than you."

And then, without elaborating or waiting for a reply, Hiei left the room. Now alone with an unconscious friend, Kurama stewed in the meaning and intent of those parting words, realizing far too late that Hiei was more aware of things than his aloof nature would ever suggest.

{00}

Yusuke waited not too far down the hallway, grinning smugly to himself as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Hiei frowned. "You could have at least pretended you weren't planning to eavesdrop," he said, not once slowing his stride.

"With that big eye on your head and Kurama's sensitive nose? Wouldn't have made a difference."

Hiei tried to ignore him and continued walking, but Yusuke trailed a few steps behind. Resigning himself, Hiei begrudgingly looked back and asked, "You're not going in? Or is eavesdropping your new hobby?"

Yusuke let out a quick chuckle and awkwardly scratched his nose. "Nah, I think you said everything I would've. As long as those two can talk things out, it's good with me." He paused and stared thoughtfully back at Kurama and Miwa's room with a curious frown on his face. "...Do you think Kurama's giant tree really won out, or did Miwa let go on purpose?"

Hiei sighed and turned away from him. "Ask her when she wakes up if you're so curious."

Yusuke pondered it with a hand on his chin, but then he snapped his head up. "Hold on, you know, don't you?!"

"Why would I know what goes on in that idiot snake's head?"

"You seemed to know this is where they'd end up! Or were my eavesdropping ears plugged?" Yusuke trotted forward, matching pace with Hiei, and leaned forward with a cheeky grin. "Your bedside manner could use some work, but you've sure got a knack for putting idiots like us on the right track."

"...Just because you think you're complimenting me doesn't mean I won't hurt you."

"Oh, don't be like that, you little softie!" Yusuke playfully tapped Hiei on the back, an act that was not appreciated.

They left the infirmary, exchanging silly quips until they were outside, and Hiei instantly disappeared to give himself space. The lavender-skinned nurse quietly fumed at the reception desk as she watched their tournament sponsor seething through the glass doors. The boy stood there, alone and glaring at nothing with a scowl that softened as his anger dissipated, leaving a tiny smile in its wake. He stretched his arms, rested them behind his head, and calmly walked away. At last, the loudmouths were gone, giving the nurse's patients some peace. She had seen many fighters come under her care, but it was astonishing how demons as childish as them were among the most powerful members of Demon World's former regimes.

{00}

I struggled for so long to find an After, and in the end, it was such a simple vision.

I want the people I care about to be happy. I want to be with them through the good and bad, and to fight for them in any way I can. I want to search for a future together and see what the Human World has to offer both Miwa and Himari Shimizu. It was so simple, to want to chase that search, but the fear of aimless exploration kept me from reaching out and taking it for myself.

I don't need to decide a goal for myself right from the start. I don't need a grand plan to get me there. I don't need to know what the "End" would be. Not just yet. I don't need to pressure myself to find those things. For someone like me, who has never wanted anything for herself, I need to dive headfirst into the infinite and see what is out there. What I can do right now is pick a lane and figure it out along the way. Only then could I find what I really want in the pool of infinity.

And my biggest hope was that you would be there, right along with me.

I want you there to see what I can do, to catch me when I fall, and to reach out your hand when I lose my way. I want to help you if you need me, to see the life you create for yourself, and to laugh and smile together as we search for our own future in that pool of infinity. I want to be friends with you, for real this time.

You, who let such a nuisance stay by your side as if it were the most natural thing…

{00}

A couple hours later, Miwa woke up.

It was a slow, arduous process to pull her mind out of the dull haze to full consciousness. At first, all she was aware of was a swirl of grey, unable to really see anything. There was no pain, not yet at least, but the tiredness was absolute, making her want to stay in this restful, tranquil state of nothingness. But slowly, more of her senses were tuning into the world around her. A soft material surrounded her body, and a cool breeze tickled her skin. Voices spoke nearby, but they were quiet, sounding far away. Eventually, color entered her vision, blurry and backlit by a white light that cut through the grey.

Even with her consciousness returning, her mind was slow to grasp the details of what she saw, heard, or smelled. Through the brightly lit colors, she understood that she was in a room somewhere, lying down in a bed. The blurred outlines of the room looked like an infirmary of some kind, and a bright box on the wall - a TV - was the source of the quiet voices she had heard. But when her eyes landed on a wall clock, she could not discern the time at all. Her mind was too hazy. How did she get here? This wasn't a fight. This wasn't the Okunenju. Flashes of her memory started filling in the gaps. She forfeited her match in the end, and the last thing she remembered was…

"Miwa?"

That gentle voice slid everything into place, pulling her dull senses back into reality. Miwa turned her head, and Kurama was sitting in a bed next to hers, watching her carefully. He wasn't wearing his yellow fighting clothes anymore, having changed into a white button-up shirt and black slacks in the time that she had been unconscious. Bandages had been applied to his arms, but that was the only visual indication he was in a battle. Before his attention turned to her, he was sitting casually on the bed, not even under the covers anymore, watching the TV screen mounted on the wall. Now that Miwa's mind could focus, she recognized the broadcast of the tournament battles, and the voices she heard were Koto and Youda's commentary.

Immediately, Kurama moved over to sit on the edge of Miwa's bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She opened her mouth, and her voice was quiet and hoarse. "...Not dead yet."

Miwa ignored his exasperated sigh, as he clearly did not find her joke amusing. Pushing herself into a sitting position, the unexpected amount of effort it took nearly made her slip back onto the mattress. Until that moment, the soreness and fatigue in her arms had gone completely unnoticed. Using kisuinou was in no way related to her muscle strength, but it took so much power to hold back the giant tree that it still felt like she had held back a giant monster with her bare hands. Miwa looked down, expecting to see some sign of damage, but there was very little. The red marks on her wrists and ankles from the Okunenju branches grabbing her had long since faded away. Her clothes had been changed too, probably by a nurse, to a fresh set of her own blue T-shirt and white pants. The only visible sign she was in a fight at all was the bandages wrapped around her right hand. A dressing for when grabbing Kurama's Rose Whip made her palm bleed, but so much time had passed that it didn't even sting.

"Shirai carried you out of the arena," Kurama explained, "and Yomi carried me out. But they left us in the hands of Yusuke and the others, and we've been here ever since." Kurama reached over to the nightstand and picked up her hair ornament, which had been placed there while she slept. He passed it to her, and Miwa took it gingerly in her hands. "Shirai was very happy for you, and what you have accomplished. He said you finally found the place you were meant to be."

Miwa blinked, vaguely remembering the phrase Shirai wrote in his letter a year ago. "And…" she started, slowly choosing her words as she recalled more and more of what happened during their fight. "You're okay with the After I've chosen?"

"It was never something for me to decide. I know that now." He raised his hand, but then it hesitantly hovered in the air for a second, as if it had nowhere to go, and he put it down. "I am sorry for holding back in the beginning, but changing back to my human form was my way of fighting you as myself."

Miwa nodded, wondering what he could have been reaching for. "I didn't realize that until I saw the cherry blossom tree. In the end, we both chose to live as who we are now."

"But not the same way as before…"

Setting the hair ornament aside again, Miwa reached up and held a lock of her dark hair. "That fear is still there, I think," she admitted, "And maybe it won't go away, but I don't want to repeat my cycle anymore. Becoming Himari Shimizu changed my perspective on what my life could be, and I want to continue that as long as I can."

Kurama's expression turned serious. "Why did you choose this After? I understand you want to continue as Himari, but…" he paused, steeling himself, "What about Hiei?"

"Um…" A faint blush rose to her cheeks. Many things had happened before and during the fight, and she had very little time to linger on that. "I told him everything, including my feelings, but I already knew they were unrequited." Kurama's expression changed again, something akin to pity, but Miwa vehemently shook her head. "It's fine!" she said, ignoring the dizzy feeling from the shaking, "And his answer wouldn't have changed my After. We're simply not walking on the same path, and I don't want to follow someone anymore."

"Then, even if your feelings were requited, you would still…?"

She nodded. "No matter what anyone said, I was ready to follow this path, but I'm not choosing the same path as my oath. I'm the one who built an identity around Himari Shimizu. There is so much more I could do as both Himari and Miwa, and so many friends I care about in that life, friends like…" She swallowed and looked down, her blush increasing. "...like you, that I didn't want to give up."

Never in her life had Miwa recalled ever feeling so shy, she couldn't look up. Finally, she said the word that she could never sincerely say aloud. It felt foreign on her tongue, like a newly learned phrase she would have to become accustomed to. But still, she said it. For the first time, that word did not feel hollow and fake. Kurama was very still, staring blankly at her like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and that just made her feel more embarrassed.

"Maybe it all looks the same to you, but I-"

"No, I understand," Kurama insisted, suddenly looking flustered himself. "I just…I never dared to hope this was how your oath would end."

Miwa frowned, feeling her shyness fade. Considering how adamant he was about the end of her oath, "hope" was an odd thing to say. "Why not?"

Kurama clenched his fists and pressed his lips together in a tight line. "I've been very unfair to you, Miwa. I've told you that I didn't want to take any more of your life than I already have, but I…" His eyes cast down. "Even that wasn't the complete truth."

Miwa didn't understand. She remembered the argument they had after her core surged in front of Taichi and Saya. Did they not resolve their issues on that day in the park? Did he not explain his perspective to her?

"As much as I thought it best for you to leave and find your own way, I couldn't tell you how desperately I wanted you to stay. Maybe it's also unfair for me to say this just after hearing about you and Hiei, but I…" He took a slow breath and raised his head, looking her in the eye as his hand, while still hesitant, reached out and gently held hers. "I love you, Miwa," he said without waver, "I have for a long time now…"

A strange chill reverberated through Miwa's chest. That was not what she expected at all. She sat there, her mouth hanging open stupidly, as she replayed his words, making sure that her tired brain didn't mishear. His hand, the hand of Shuichi Minamino, was warm, lightly calloused, and larger than hers. His grip was both firm and gentle, and the blush on her cheeks quickly returned as she remembered the last time he held her hand like this. In the park, he had offered to help her stand, even though she did not need assistance, and he hesitated in letting go. That moment had felt suspended in time, just waiting for something to come and start it up again. It was this. He was considering saying this to her.

Miwa took a breath, trying to find the right thing to say, but the only word that came out was a weak and pathetic, "Me?"

He chuckled. "Is that so surprising?"

She nodded, feeling very robotic in her movements. "Why me? I mean I…" She glanced frantically around the room. "I haven't even lived a life of my own yet."

"It's not about your life," His other hand, now more confident, softly cupped her cheek to steady her panic. "It's you. You're thoughtful, sincere, and getting to know you as Himari Shimizu has been some of the best times of my life."

Was his hand always this gentle? Could he feel how warm her face was? Questions were running through her brain at a rapid pace, and memories of the past year were coming to the forefront of Miwa's mind, now recontextualized with his confession. He even hugged her at the end of their fight, didn't he? "Why would you hide this?"

"You had feelings for Hiei," he explained calmly, withdrawing his hands, "and I thought if you knew how I felt, you would have felt obligated to stay in the Human World." Miwa clenched her teeth; that didn't sound too unlikely. "I was certain you would have returned to Demon World, and I didn't want you to think you were letting me down by leaving."

"...You would have let me walk away without knowing something so important?" For a moment, her shock was replaced by disbelief. "I may be a nuisance, but you're an idiot."

He laughed this time; a full, joyful laugh. When Miwa stared at him questioningly, he answered with a light wave of his hand, "Sorry, but that's the second time I've been called that today." Then, after taking a moment to collect himself, Kurama added, "You are a nuisance, Miwa, but didn't I say I love that about you, too?"

She buried her face in her arms, afraid of just how red her cheeks must be. Absolutely no retort for something like that…

Kurama's gentle hand landed on her shoulder, kindly not making fun of her embarrassment. "But Miwa, I'm not saying this to pressure you. Facing your After is more important. I only wanted to tell you the truth, and for as long as you'll have me, I'm more than happy to stay by your side as your friend."

He was so straightforward for a guy that wanted to keep all this a secret. But telling her any sooner would not have made a difference. No matter when, this sudden honesty, this perspective that could change everything for both of them, would still give her this same, uncertain feeling. More possibilities were opening, different ways her answer could end up either really well or really badly. If she accepted his feelings, would someone who never lived her own life ever be a good partner? If she couldn't reconcile this new information, would their newly begun friendship end right there? All too quickly, the familiar fear of the infinite crept its way back in her chest…

Stop… Miwa ordered herself, digging her nails into her palms. She couldn't run away from this fear. Not anymore. Not when Kurama was finally telling her the whole truth. This had to come now, when they both were ready to move forward.

"I'll think about it," she said, mustering up all her courage to lift her head, but surely her cheeks were still very flushed. "You say you don't want to pressure me, but I can't just…leave something so important alone."

More recontextualized memories were surfacing. How he was always there when she woke up after using kisuinou. When he told her she looked very nice at Shiori's wedding. That look on his face when she gave up her soul to Kaito's Territory. The way he looked back at her before nearly killing himself to defeat Karasu… Old memories appeared with new meaning. Miwa could only imagine how long he had been hiding this. And now, she had to decide what this would mean for them both. Since deciding her After, she wanted to believe they could truly be friends. But becoming something more? She never dared to imagine it.

"Alright," Kurama said, his smile kind and patient. "Take as long as you need to find your answer, and I will listen."

Miwa narrowed her eyes. "You know, you're a bit of a nuisance, too."

He blinked. "I am?"

"Yes." Seeing that bewildered look on his face somehow made her feel less embarrassed, and the urgency of his confession receded. Her cheeks turned up in a smirk, the motion feeling less robotic now. "You just added another thing I have to do while facing my After."

He chuckled, and soon they were laughing together. "Things were going to change for both of us no matter what I said."

"Doesn't make you any less of a nuisance."

"Then it's good that we are both accustomed to tolerating each other."

"No kidding…"

Beside them, the TV broadcast footage from the other tournament fights. When the battle on-screen ended, Koto rounded everything off with her final thoughts and an announcement of the upcoming fights. Soon, very soon, the fight between Hiei and Mukuro would begin.

Miwa leaned back and dropped onto her bed. She bounced off the loudly creaking springs, but the mattress and pillow were soft and comfortable. Or maybe it just felt that way from how tired she really felt. Still, their self-imposed obstacles finally crumbled down, and the reality of their lives moving forward was settling in. For the first time, the infinite possibilities of the future seemed bright and hopeful. Miwa could move forward, freed from the prison she had built for herself. It wasn't in the way she expected, not even close, but they both managed to get what they really wanted from their battle. The two of them would truly be equals, no matter what answer she came up with in the end. The fear of the infinite was still there, and maybe it would never go away. But even if fear lingered in her heart, she would not have to face it alone. Friends, true friends whom she loved, the idiots who'd fight to save her life, would be by her side.

"...I do hope that one day, we will be able to reconcile our differences and find the place where we are meant to be."

The last line of Shirai's letter, the hope he spoke of came true. Miwa finally found the place where she was meant to be.

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Notes: And this was Kurama versus Miwa! I hope you enjoyed it!