✔ | At Least We Have Forever

Chapter 4 - Cold Heart's Warning

That night, the gang agreed to meet at the park before beginning to form groups that would lead the search to some of the suspected places where the four weapons would be. Koenma gave them the map and the coordinates where the energy similar to those emitted by the four weapons was last spotted.

Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara took the areas to the east and southeast while Kurama and Hiei took the areas to the west and northwest from their positions. But before they could even proceed to their destination, someone greeted them caught them off guard and surprised them.

"Looks like the Spirit Detectives are off on a mission right now," a woman with a long curly blond hair holding a long and straight-bladed spear said while smirking. "But I wouldn't guess what mission was that because I already know what you're looking for."

"She must be one of those people that Koenma-sama was talking about," Botan stated.

Yusuke frowned and then faced her. "Which one? Someone who might have the weapons we're looking for or someone who's after the weapons?"

"The second one that you said, most likely," Kurama replied. "Her weapon wasn't emitting unique spirit energy unlike those from the legendary weapons. And from what I remember from the legend about it, the weapons emit spiritual energy that's somehow different and yet the same from its wielders at the same time. Though no one was able to prove that."

The woman smiled and tightened her grip on her spear. "I admire your knowledge about the legendary weapons, Yoko Kurama."

Kurama was surprised when he heard that from the woman. 'How did she know that?'

But before they could react any further, they saw the woman charging at them with her spear. And that caught them off-guard for some seconds before they managed to find their senses and evade it, though they were a bit late because the spear's blade surprisingly injured Kurama's right thigh, making him lose his focus and dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, the wound was deep enough to hit a nerve that made him unable to move easily because of the pain.

The woman was about to strike down Kurama when a beam of light struck her, throwing her away from him. That beam of light came from Yusuke's Spirit Gun. When the smoke faded from the point of impact to the ground, they were surprised that no one was there. And then they heard a sinister laugh. All of them looked up, only to be surprised to see that wretched woman floating in mid-air.

"Do you think you could take me down with that simple attack?" she said and then she began flying as she charged toward them.

They were ready to evade the incoming attack with Kurama carried by Yusuke when suddenly; they saw the woman screaming as an invisible barrier somehow stopped her. She seemed electrocuted by the energy that created the barrier. And then after a few minutes, she was thrown away and landed on the ground.

Yusuke and the others could only stare at her in awe and confusion as they felt that the energy from the barrier that protected them was beginning to disappear. They have no idea at all who cast that barrier but somehow, they owe their lives to that certain someone.

They saw the enemy trying to stand up using her spear as a crutch. "H-how did that... happen? You could not cast a barrier like that... So how?"

No one said anything, though.

Most likely, they have the same question running inside their minds, among others. But that's not the only question they had, especially for Kurama. When he looked down to check on his injury, he was stunned to see that the wound was slowly healing. And in a matter of seconds, it was gone.

The enemy charged at them again but just like a while ago, the barrier that has not faded threw her. The effect of the electrocution from the barrier was even worse than the first one. And that somewhat forced her to retreat for the time being.