章 308: Team Urameshi Strikes Back

Human World, Hanging Neck Island.

"That match ended rather... innocently." Irene said from her seat in the stands.

"Indeed, from what I've heard about this tournament, the outcomes are usually much more... permanent." Erza said, nodding in agreement with her mother.

"Yes, that boy is lucky that he lived through his loss." Genkai said, adding her own opinion to the conversation.

"Damn it, that was a dirty move you brat!" Kuwabara shouted as Rinku released his yo-yo's. "Come on, let's go again. I'll show you what a real fight looks like."

"What is he doing?" Shizuru said in exasperation.

"Acting like the middle school boy he is." Irene said, shaking her head. "He really should just be glad he's still alive instead of picking a fight."

Erza, Genkai, Keiko, and Shizuru nodded in agreement. Then, Keiko and Shizuru looked at Irene and Erza inquisitively.

"Um... Excuse me, but I guess you are acquaintances of someone on Yusuke's team?" Keiko asked to all three unfamiliar women.

"That's right." Irene replied with a nod before pointing at herself then gesturing to Erza as she continued. "I'm Irene Belserion. And this is my daughter, Erza. We are attendants of... J."

As she finished, Irene pointed a finger at James, who turned around when he noticed the eyes on him. Waving in return, James went back to watching Kuwabara continuously challenge Rinku with a smile on his face.

"And I'm Genkai, Yusuke's master." Genkai said in a bland tone.

"So, you taught him how to fight?" Keiko asked curiously.

"You could say that." Genkai replied.

"And what do you mean by his attendants?" Shizuru asked curiously.

Explaining that James was not human. Irene went on to explain that he was a half-devil and the [Evil Piece] system that the devils use. Though they were interested, since neither Keiko nor Shizuru were too well versed in the supernatural, they did not fully understand Irene's abbreviated explanation.

"Go away!" Rinku's shout interrupted the conversation.

Looking back at the ring, they could see Rinku running away from Kuwabara and crouching down behind the rest of Team Rokuyukai. Then, he began healing h is injuries with all his concentration.

"Stop acting like an idiot." Hiei said disdainfully.

"You should come back, Kuwabara." James said with a chuckle. "You'll get another chance to fight and make up for that loss in the later rounds."

"Hmph!" Kuwabara snorted in Rinku's direction. "Meet me behind the hotel later tonight, Shrimp."

As Kuwabara hopped off the ring and returned to the rest of his team, James could not help but shake his head.

'I'm glad I skipped middle school.' James thought. 'If I went to school with people like him, I would have had to beat up a lot of people.'

While James was lost in his thoughts, Kuto made her way back to the center of the ring. Then, after raising the microphone to her mouth, she asked for the next fighters from each team to enter the ring.

From Team Rokuyukai a slender, blueish-grey skinned, young-looking demon with a sinister smile, messy hair, and a broad forehead wearing a green trench coat, black pants, and black boots hopped onto the ring effortlessly.

"So, who's next?" James asked, looking at Hiei and Kurama.

"I'll go." Kurama said, hopping up onto the ring.

When both fighters reached the center of the ring, Kuto raised the microphone to her mouth.

"Introducing the fighters for the second match. From Team Rokuyukai we have Roto." Kuto said, gesturing toward the sinisterly smiling demon, Roto. Then, she gestured toward Kurama before continuing. "And from Team Urameshi, Kurama. Now, let the match begin!"

As Kuto finished, she immediately made her way to the edge of the ring. Meanwhile, Roto rushed forward throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at Kurama. Instead of retaliating, however, Kurama simply dodged all the incoming strikes.

"That dude is so outclassed." James said, feeling the difference in demonic energy reserves between Kurama and Roto.

"Indeed." Hiei said with a nod. "But Kurama has this annoying habit of needing to completely understand his opponent before making a move."

"I see." James replied with a nod.

Although James commented on Kurama's strength, he knew that he was stronger than Roto just based on his knowledge of the YuYu Hakusho anime. But feeling the difference up close was something totally out of his expectations. In fact, other than himself and the sleeping Yusuke, Kurama was currently the strongest member of Team Urameshi.

'Until Hiei starts gaining control of the [Dragon of the Darkness Flame], that fact probably won't change.' James thought, glancing at Hiei before watching Kuramas match again.

Meanwhile, Kurama was effortlessly avoiding the incoming attacks from Roto. After dodging another attack, Kurama counterattacked for the first time since the fight began. With a swift palm strike, Kurama sent Roto flying to the edge of the ring.

"You should just give up." Kurama said. "There's no point in losing your life in a fight that you could never win."

"Are you sure about that, Minamino Shuichi?" Roto asked in response with a sinister smile.

Hearing that name, Kurama froze for a moment. However, his expression did not change.

Kurama, originally known as Yoko Kurama, was an ancient fox demon. He specialized in breaking into high security treasuries and getting away with valuable treasure without alerting the guards. However, on his last heist, he was betrayed and ended up severely injured. Escaping from the Demon World, to the Human world, he hid himself inside the womb of a pregnant woman, inhabiting the body of her unborn child.

Although it wasn't always so, Kurama grew to love his new human mother like a real mother. And he would even sacrifice his own life to ensure her health and happiness. In fact, that was how he originally met Yusuke, who stopped him from sacrificing his life, resulting in his mother being saved from the illness she was fighting.

Seeing that Kurama was no longer moving, Roto's smile widened. Then, he reached into his trench coat and pulled out a small device with a red button.

"Right now, my brother is watching your human mother, Shuichi." Roto said maliciously. "If I were to press this button, my brother would delight in ripping her head from her body."

Immediately, Kurama's eyes narrowed.

Meanwhile with Team Rokuyukai...

"Roto always uses the same trick." Rinku said, clearly not fond of Roto's strategy.

"Yes, and he always wins." Zeru said nonchalantly.

On Team Urameshi's side...

"That stupid cheater." Yusuke muttered in his sleep. Then, he shifted his head and spoke one more sentence. "I hate him..."

Standing near Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan looked at him in puzzlement.

"What is he talking about?" Botan asked curiously.

"I have no idea." Kuwabara replied. "Maybe he's having a bad dream. But more importantly, why did they stop fighting and start talking."

"I don't know." Botan said sounding as confused as can be.

Back in the ring, Roto smirked at Kurama who was standing still.

"Now, I want you to fold your hands behind your back and let me hit you until I'm satisfied." Roto said, his smile growing wider by the second.

Doing as Roto said, Kurama clasped his hands behind his back while glaring at Roto with a disdainful look in his eyes.

As Roto noticed Kurama subservience, he began to laugh. Then, he walked toward Kurama with steady, confident steps. After arriving in striking range, he began punch8ing Kurama in the face viciously with his left hand. Meanwhile, Kurama continued to glare at him without changing his expression.

After receiving a beating for the next few minutes, Kurama eventually retaliated by... Throwing a pebble at Roto's wide forehead.

Coming to stop, Roto held up the device he was holding in his right hand.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Roto asked. "What if you startle me and I accidentally pressed the button. Now, put your hands back behind your back and let me beat you up!"

Once again following Roto's orders, Kurama received a beating for another five minutes. However, since his expression had not changed from the disdainful glare he had from the beginning, Roto grew irritated.

Those eyes." Roto said, stopping his onslaught of punches. "I hate those eyes! I hate the way you look at me! I can tell, you think that I'm the lowest of the low, don't you."

Instead of answering, Kurama continued to glare at Roto with the same expression. Seeing this, Roto held out his left hand and a blade grew from his wrist, past his fingers and curved slightly at its tip.

"Maybe I should remove those eyes." Roto said in an irritated tone. "Or even better, since you think I'm so low..."

Roto then raised his boot, a boot that appeared that it had not been cleaned in decades.

"... Why don't you clean my boot. Lick it clean." Roto ordered. Then, he licked the blade on his left arm. "Then when you're done, I'll cut off your head, sparing your wretched mother's life in return."

Instead of following Roto's orders like he had been, Kurama continued to glare at Roto without moving in the slightest.

"No." Kurama said simply while brushing the dirt of his clothes.

"Ha! I knew it, you're no better than me!" Roto said hysterically. "You care more about your own life than that of your whore mother. Hahahaha!"

"If you're going to press the button, then do it." Kurama said calmly.

"Are you testing me?" Roto asked. "Do you think I won't do it?"

"Press the button." Kurama ordered.

"Fine, you asked for this." Roto said, raising the device over his head.

However, after that, nothing happened. Roto stopped moving with his right thumb a short distance from the button.

"Wha... What's going on." Roto asked in terror. "I can't move."

"I considered removing your right arm." Kurama said while walking toward the immobilized Roto. Then, he slapped the device out of Roto's hand before continuing. "But the goal was to make sure that you were unable to press the button. So, making you immobile was good enough."

"How...?" Roto asked.

"I've sewn the death plant seed in your body." Kurama replied. "Once it has taken root, it takes over the hosts body, killing them once it blooms."

With that, Roto remembered the moment when Kurama hit him in the head with the pebble. He then remembered a slight sting that he felt on his chest at the same time. A sting that he had dismissed completely. Then, straining to look downward, he noticed a small hole in his chest. At the same time, he realized that his life was about to come to an end.

"Please don't kill me." Roto pleaded. "I'm just a low class demon, I don't know any better... You believe in mercy, right?"

Turning around and walking toward the edge of the ring, Kurama clasped his hands behind his back again. Before reaching the edge of the ring, however, Kurama looked over his shoulder, into Roto's eyes, and said one word.

"No." Kurama said coldly.

In the next instant, a number of colorful flowers burst out of Roto's body and bloomed beautifully.

"Oh my God!" Kuto screamed into the microphone, causing Irene and Erza to wince in slight pain. "That was the most beautiful death I've ever seen! And with that, Team Urameshi ties the score at one to one!"

With that, the crowd began to boo fiercely. But Kurama ignored it all. Instead, he causally hopped off the ring and approached the rest of his team.

"You don't have to worry about the other demon, he disappeared when Roto died." Hiei said when Kurama drew near.

Nodding in response, Kurama did not speak on the matter.

"Aww, Hiei, you're such a tsundere." James said with a smile. "You act like you don't care, but you really do."

Hearing that, Kuwabara and Botan began to giggle while even Kurama had to look away to hide his smile Meanwhile, it was clear to anyone who was watching that Hiei was about to explode in anger.

"I'll kill you." Hiei hissed through gritted teeth.

However, before Hiei could get too rowdy, Zeru hopped onto the ring and began walking toward the center of the ring.

"Oh, it looks like Team Rokuyukai's captain is ready to fight." Kuto said excitedly. "And it looks like he's out for blood."

"This guy has been irritating me since last night." Hiei said, hopping onto the ring as well. "I'll teach him that I am not someone he can look down upon."

Reaching the center of the ring, Hiei wasted no time talking down to his much taller opponent.

"Your fire is strong, but your control is lacking." Hiei said with his hands in his pockets. "During your little ring of fire trick, you melted parts of the ring. But it was clear you were trying to leave the ring unharmed as an intimidation tactic."

"That won't matter once you're dead." Zeru stated before falling silent.

"It looks like sparks are flying already." Kuto said. "Then, since both fighters are already in the ring, let the match... Begin!"

Like always, Kuto ran toward the edge of the ring. However, before she could even get halfway there, Zeru's half of the ring was engulfed in flames. Then, he quickly fired a fireball at Hiei.

"To slow." Hiei said, dodging the fireball effortlessly.

"We'll see how long you can keep that up." Zeru said, launching several more fireballs at Hiei.

Just like the first one, however, Hiei dodged them effortlessly. Noticing that all his attacks had no chance of hitting Hiei, Zeru stopped.

"Let me show you what real power looks like." Zeru said, absorbing all the raging flames on his side of the ring into his body.

A moment later, after all the flames were gone, Zeru stood in place, with his skin turning completely red.

"Things are really heating up, literally!" Kuto shouted. "After absorbing all those flames, Zeru is glowing like a fire poker!"

"This is the kind of power that implanting a fake eye could never grant you." Zeru said in a strong tone.

An instant later, Zeru vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, his sit was buried in Hiei's abdomen with a cone of fire shooting out of his back. In both surprise and pain, Hiei's eyes were open wide. Then, he was shot up into the sky and engulfed in flames a moment later.

"Hmph!" Zerus snorted, turning away and walking toward his team. "Too week."

"Wow!" Kuto shouted excitedly. "With moves like that, it's no wonder Team Rokuyukai is such a crowd favorite."

Walking away with a smug expression on his face while the crowd cheered loudly, Zeru eventually came to a stop when the sound of Hiei's charred body hitting the ring was never heard.

"Indeed." Hiei said, landing on the ring softly with a hole in his cloak-like jacket and the shirt he wore underneath it. "In fact, he's so talented, I'm hesitant to go for the kill."

Turning around, Zeru saw Hiei mostly unharmed as he pulled away his jacket and threw it to the side.

"How... is this possible?" Zeru asked with a bit of trepidation in his tone.

"You made the mistake of insulting the Jagan." Hiei said, the spot on his forehead hidden behind his headband glowing brightly. "Although it may not be natural, it does have a mind of its own. And it hates any form of disrespect."

In the next moment, Hiei's headband burned away, exposing a third, glowing green eye with a glowing red sclera.

"Now, allow me to show you the power I've been granted by the Jagan." Hiei said in an ominous tone. "I assume only my right arm will suffice."

Holding out his right arm, Hiei's Jagan Eye began to glow even brighter. Then, a red tinted, black flame flickered into existence over his right palm.

"Oh, hell. Those are the Darkness Flames." Zeru said in terror. "Those are the most dangerous flames from the depth of Spirit World. Please, Save me."

Raising his right arm above his head, the Darkness Flames befgan to burn more intensely. As they engulfed his hand, wrist, and half of his forearm, Hiei's undershirt burned away like his headband had done previously.

"[Dragon of the Darkness Flame]." Hiei said in a voice that reverberated throughout the entire stadium.

Then, the dark flames on Hiei's hand formed into the head of an eastern dragon. A moment later, the flames elongated and began to slither toward Zeru, who was frozen in fear. Just before reaching Zeru, the dragon head opened its jaws wide and swallowed Zeru hole before rushing forward and slamming into the wall separating the ring area from the stands.

After that, the Darkness Flames dissipated, leaving a human-shaped burn in its place, and Hiei folded his arms behind his back. Then, he turned around and made his way back to his teammates.

"Winner of the third round, Hiei!" Kuto shouted, shock evident in her tone.

Meanwhile, the crowd fell into stunned silence.