Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Battle Lord Chronicles: Of Truths and Lies ❯ The Semifinals ( Chapter 32 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any related names or items. Kiara is owned by Yusuke'sSister.

 

Claimer: I do own the plot line, the title, the Kuro Tournament, Kristy, Jason, Jessica, Chris, Bashere, Rhurac, and anything else related to them.

 

(1) - In Japanese Hiei means "flying shadow". That's what this is a reference to.

 

"Talking"

'Thinking'

'Telepathy'

 

Thanks to my beta reader, Anna Jaganshi.

 

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Of Truth & Lies

 

Chapter 32

The Semifinals

 

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I stood in front of the now closed metal door for several minutes, frozen in shock. I couldn't believe this. This just couldn't be true! What Ty had said basically was that the loosing team was killed directly after the final battle of their match. I wanted desperately for this not to be true, but several things popped into my mind at once.

 

I remembered, suddenly, how after Jason's fight in the last round the Tenki team had been lead through the same door that I was currently standing in front of. At the time, I'd just figured that they were being taken to a different section of the infirmary or something. But now it was so clear...

 

And beyond that, this just seemed like something that Bashere would do. He was effectively and "legally" killing off anyone who could oppose him. That was the other purpose of this tournament, I suddenly realized with growing trepidation. Not only had this tournament lured Jason and I out and almost guaranteed our deaths, but it also would get rid of all of the powerful youkai in the Makai. This tournament was strengthening Bashere's position in the Makai.

 

At the same time as these thoughts raced through my mind, determination began to well up within me. This was just another reason as to why we had to defeat Bashere. With the amount of influence and power that he now wielded, he was almost unstoppable. I knew next to nothing about how the rule of the different youkai lords worked, but I had little doubt that their hands were mostly tied as well.

 

Unconsciously, I straightened my back and squared my shoulders. If the only way to take care of Bashere was through this tournament, then so be it. We'd just have to win.

 

I glanced mournfully at the large metal door one last time. In that moment I resolved to keep Ty as an example of both what I could be and what could happened to me. Without even realizing it my team and I had come so close to death. If we'd made just one mistake...I shivered at the very thought.

 

Purposefully, I turned my back on the metal door and strode away.

 

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An hour later found me sitting in my hotel bedroom, worried. I felt just as determined as before, but just minutes ago something had occurred to me.

 

If the Reikai Tentai were as good as Jin and Touya said, then, most likely, we'd eventually have to fight them. That morning I'd have been ecstatic about that thought. Now, however, things had changed. If we managed to beat them, they would most likely be killed...I felt myself gulping. This really wasn't good; I had no idea what to do about this.

 

Quickly, I jumped to my feet and began pacing back and forth, suddenly glad that I was alone in the bedroom--everyone else was out in the living room. Well, except for Chris. As soon as we'd come back he'd locked himself in his room, something which I couldn't really blame him for after all that he'd gone through that day.

 

I really needed to do something right now--anything. Just sitting around and letting my thoughts wander was killing me. Abruptly, I swooped down and picked up my katana and stalked out of my room. Everyone in the living room jolted in surprise at my entrance, but said nothing as I walked by; I had told them earlier about what had happened to the losing team, so they probably had at least some idea of how I was feeling.

 

Careful not to meet any of their eyes, I swiftly moved through the room and out the front door. From there I went down through the hotel building and into the streets. Again I was struck by how similar, in some ways, this was to the Ningenkai, but I didn't let my thoughts dwell on it. Instead, I let my feet take me to the edge of the city. There, to my delight, I found what appeared to be a group of training grounds.

 

A large smirked crossed my face; this was perfect. Immediately, I entered the wooded area and navigated my way back until I could no longer hear the sounds of the city. There, I stopped in the middle of a clearing, pulled out my katana, and let loose.

 

In just a few minutes I found myself lost in the rhythm of the katas that Jason had taught me. I focused on the feeling of my muscles as I slid from motion to motion. I focused on the sound of my katana as it sliced through the air. I focused on my breathing as my eyes slid to a half-lidded state as I swiftly moved across the grass.

 

Exactly how long I stayed there for I couldn't say. When I finally stopped the sun was beginning to set though, so it must have been at least a few hours. As I stood there, panting, however, I suddenly became aware of a pair of eyes boring into my back. Immediately I spun around and let my eyes scan over the scenery. I quickly found the source of the disturbance however; there, sitting on the branch of a tree, staring at me, was Hiei. I felt my eyes widening, then narrowing as my muscles tensed. What the heck was he doing here?! Of course, I said as much to the red eyed youkai.

 

Hiei just chuckled. He leapt down from the tree limb and leaned up against the trunk of the tree instead.

 

"Well,” he said, smirking, "I was kind of difficult not to notice the youki that was pouring off you."

 

I blinked, surprised. I hadn't realized that I'd been unconsciously radiating youkai. Quickly, I reigned it back in. That had never happened before--but then, I'd never been in my youkai form while practicing my katas before either.

 

"Your team won your match," Hiei suddenly said, breaking me out of my contemplation. It was a statement, not a question. As such, I simply shrugged in reply.

 

A tense silence followed this exchange as Hiei and I stared at each other. Neither of us was willing to be the first one to break the silence or the impromptu staring contest. Suddenly however, the last of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and the world was abruptly left in a deep darkness.

 

I couldn't help but gasp. It was so different from the Ningenkai, where day faded into dusk, which faded into night. Here there was no such smooth transition. Rather, it went from dusk to dark so suddenly that it left me floundering in surprise.

 

Though I couldn't see it at the moment, Hiei's eyes narrowed at me, surprised by my own surprise, and unfamiliarity with the Makai. He grunted then, drawing my attention back to him, and then was gone, moving like his namesake(1).

 

I stood in the clearing for a couple of minutes after that, staring at the spot where Hiei had been, wondering about exactly what had just happened. It felt had though something important had just occurred, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what. Finally, I slowly turned around and trudged out of the clearing.

 

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I let out a sigh as I closed the door to the hotel suite behind me. I made to step forward, but then abruptly stopped, finding a pissed of Jason standing before me.

 

"Where the hell have you been?!" he snarled out.

 

I stared at him wide-eyed and then quickly blurted out the first thing that came to my mind: "Umm...cheese?"

 

Jason stopped, anger draining about of him as confusion took hold. He stared at me, not quite sure what to make of what I'd said. "...Cheese?"

 

"Erm, yeah," I said, sweatdropping. "I was eating cheese..."

 

Jason deadpanned. "For five hours?"

 

Quickly, I waved my hands around before me, shaking my head. "Ah, no, no, no! I've been out training and on my way back I decided to pick up something to eat, only all the restaurant below had left was some cheese, so...yeah..."

 

Jason palmed his face, muttering obscenities under his breath. Chris, meanwhile, came up and ruffled my hair--much to my annoyance. I pushed the feeling away, however, in favor of feeling quite relieved that Chris seemed to be back to his normal self.

 

"Now there's the Kristy that we all know and love!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I was beginning to think that you were starting to become one of those brooders!"

 

From farther back in the room Jessica smiled as well, though hers was tinged with sadness. Instantly I knew that she too had been thinking about what would happen if we had to face the Reikai Tentai.

 

Turning my attention back onto Chris, I found myself grinning widely. "Never!" I proclaimed.

 

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The next day came very quickly and before I knew it we were once again back in the waiting room. There were four of us left now for the semifinals: my team, Bashere's team, a team of youkai that I hadn't seen before, and the Reikai Tentai. Of course, I was once again nervous as hell. It wasn't so much about my abilities this time--I was starting to get pretty confident about them after two good battles--but rather it was because of whom we might be fighting next; there was a one third chance that we'd be up against the Reikai Tentai. And knowing how much of a bitch fate could be, I really wouldn't be all that surprised if that's how it turned out.

 

At that moment, the red-skinned youkai whom had announced all the matched previously stepped into the room. All conversation stopped as everyone turned to face him. He opened his mouth to speak then and it seemed as if he was moving incredibly slowly, though I knew that it was just the anticipation.

 

"The first match is Team Kagekaze versus Team Rhurac. Please enter the arena."

 

Instantly I felt relief run through me; thank Kami! We didn't have to fight our friends just yet. Of course, before my thoughts could go any further, I felt a pair of eyes boring into the back of my skull. I turned my head slightly; just enough to see that it was Rhurac whom was staring at me, smirking. Immediately, I smirked in reply, throwing the green-skinned youkai for a loop.

 

Oh, I was definitely going to enjoy this fight. A chance to get back at that slimy bastard was exactly was I needed right now. Confidently, I walked with my team into the arena.

 

Straight away my team headed over to the bench that we'd been using for the last two rounds. There, Jason stopped us all.

 

"Alright," my brother began as we gathered around him, "Unfortunately we don't know very much about this team. In the last round we at least knew that our opponents were neko youkai, and before that that they were elemental youkai, but this time it's completely up for grabs. We do, however, know that they work for Bashere; this is his team in the tournament, placed to get rid of some of the extra competition. Because of this, we need to be careful; doubtless they'll not at all be adverse to dirty tricks." A dark scowl crossed Jason's face then, and I had no doubt that he was remembering his last match.

 

I nodded absently, listening to Jason, though my eyes were riveted to the other side of the arena, where Rhurac and his team stood. Suddenly, I shook myself out of my reverie and turned back to Jason.

 

"I'm going first," I stated firmly. Jason's head jerked around to look at me, surprised. Immediately his eyes narrowed; he knew that I wouldn't say something like this without a reason.

 

"Kristy..." he began, but I quickly cut him off.

 

"I'm going first."

 

I stared determinedly into his sapphire eyes, truly refusing to back down for the first time that I could remember. Jason was my older brother; he had raised me and taken care of me for almost as long as I could remember, and for that I loved and respected him. But I needed to do this. For myself, if nothing else.

 

Some way or another, Jason seemed to sense this. He sighed and dropped his gaze, suddenly appearing to be many years older.

 

"Be careful," he murmured, looking at me once more.

 

Instantly, I grinned widely. Around me my friends and teammates gave me sentiments of good luck. I, however, just continued to look at my brother. Swiftly, I moved forward and grasped him in a hug and, though he towered over me, he immediately reciprocated.

 

"Please be careful," he murmured quietly. "Don't take any unnecessary risks."

 

I laughed into Jason's chest. "Alright, alright," I relied with a wide grin as I pulled away. Jason ruffled my hair lightly--what was it with people and my hair lately? Did I look like I was five?!--and then pushed my lightly in the direction of the center of the arena. I sent a two fingered wave at my team as I left and looked at them over my shoulder.

 

"I'll see you all after you win your matches!" I called cheekily, before facing the arena once more.

 

Upon seeing me start to walk forward, Rhurac ginned. It was a wide, toothy grin that overall looked pretty damn creepy. Quickly, he strode forward and met me in the center of the arena.

 

As we stood before each other in the arena, the crowd around us cheering loudly, Rhurac leered down at me from his height of over seven feet--he was nearly twice as tall as me, damn it! Okay, maybe that was slightly exaggerated, but I still only just came up to his elbow! He looked just as I remember from when I first met him, with his golden-green skin, black eyes, long lime-green colored hair, sharp nails--and teeth for that matter--and the single horn protruding from his forehead.

 

"This is going to be fun," he practically purred out.

 

I simply grinned confidently up at him, not dignifying his comment with a reply, despite the fact that I'd been thinking the exact same thing just a minute before. My stomach was actually doing flips with nervousness right then, but I refused to acknowledge it. Memories of my battle with Ty flooded through my mind in that moment, and I found myself standing even straighter; if nothing else, at least I had my psychic abilities to fall back on if I needed to, though they wouldn't surprise Rhurac quite like they did Ty.

 

Abruptly, a voice boomed through the air, sharply brining me out of my thoughts. "Shihajimeru!"

 

Swiftly, I leapt away from Rhurac, pulling my katana from its sheath. Unlike in my last fight, I wasted no time in channeling my youki into it, lighting it on fire instantly. At the same time, Rhurac pulled a pair of twin daggers from somewhere on his person. They seemed to be simple blades, though they somehow glinted ominously in the midmorning light.

 

I hesitated for a moment and then slowly pulled out my second katana. I hadn't used it yet, even during my fight with Ty, because using two at the same time was more difficult than one would think, and it lowered my concentration. Now that Rhurac had two daggers though...Well, that could potentially be even more deadly than Ty's claws.

 

Moving swiftly, the two of us attacked each other and I instantly realized that I was going to have to be very cautious with this fight. At first I had thought that it might not be too difficult--me having two flaming katana and him just two simple daggers--but despite the size of Rhurac's daggers, her was incredibly quick with them, easily flashing here and there. He reminded me of a viper, quite honestly.

 

I found before long that I was going mainly on the defensive. Rhurac too noticed and thus grinned widely, showing off rows of pointed teeth.

 

"Little puppy-dog can't keep up?" he cooed, cackling loudly. I snarled at him, infuriated by his nicknames, and then proceeded to push myself even harder.

 

Rhurac, however, just continued to cackle. Suddenly though, he brought one dagger up, twirled it around for a second, and I could feel him pumping some youki into it. At the same time the dagger suddenly glowed green and Rhurac abruptly brought it downward, catching me across the arm with it before I could move away.

 

I hissed in pain as my arm muscles immediately spasmed, nearly causing me to drop my katana. I managed to hold onto it though, if only from sheer force of will.

 

Snarling once more, I backed up a couple of steps, different ideas on how to win this battle running through my head. I needed to over-power him, I realized. I needed to hit him hard and fast so that he wouldn't be able to get back up. But how to do that...how to do that...