Yuu Yuu Hakusho (Misaki x Kurama)

Chapter VIII: "Dead End"

As the clash with kuro continuous, yusuke starts to notice something odd about their fight. All of them are breathing heavily now, their spirit energy are diminishing a lot. And the only thing he did was avoid them and smile evily.

Yusuke: He seems to stay on that same spot. (he whispered unto them) I don't understand it at all.
Hiei: Of course, we're getting robbed off our spirit energy stupid! (he cleared it up to him)
Kuwabara: (confused) How? I never saw him doing anything to us.

Yusuke examines the circled floor, he then remembered that everytime they stands on it, it glows and activate traps. And whenever they failed to hit their target, the unreadable writings on it glows up and eats up the gas like form that envelopes around them.

Kuro: (noticed their sudden paused outside the ring) It does steal your spirit energy, I admit it.

Silence filled the air.

Kuro: (smirks at them) Don't know what to do now? Are you giving up?
Kuwabara: (gets irritated at their situation) You're just a wimp! Trying so hard to hide on that same spot.
Yusuke: If you are as strong as you say so, then fight fairly. (he added)
Kuro: (laugh at what they said) Where's the fun in that? To see you having a tough times with me gave me so much enjoyment.

Kuro took on an offensive stance, then conjured up a shadow like figure infront of them. As it finished its form, they were surprised at what they see. The shadow like figure infront of each of them looks exactly like them. It's like they were looking in a mirror.

Then, as they starts attacking their clone. It mimics their movement and do what they also do. It gave kuro an opportunity to attack them whenever they were left open. He always manage to make them fall on the circle. But they quickly recover and moved away from it.

Just a little more, kuro thought. He needed more of their spirit energy to fully activate that circled floor and absorbs it to be used against them. They just seems to keep getting away from it even despite the fact that they are getting even weaker.

He needed to lure them inside the ring. He was thinking of many ideas to use. As he do so, yusuke and his team thought of a way to counter the clone they were facing.

Yusuke: Let's exchange opponent! (he suggest to them) It may give us a chance to beat this clone.
Hiei: That's a good idea! (he claimed) I've always wanted to kick this stupid kuwabara's face for long.
Kuwabara: (gets mad at what he heard) What? Who are you calling stupid?
Yusuke: (calming kuwabara) Focus on the real opponent, kuwabara. We have to end it now. I feel like there is something more that is about to happen.

They attack the clone of the others and successfully land a hit on them. But as they defeat the current opponent they were facing. Kuro throws a smoke bomb on them and together with another conjured shadow like figure he created, he attacks them. But they counter it as quickly as they could manage.

When the smokes around them clears up. They were stunned to find the opponent they hit to be the loved ones they cared for the most. Kuro took advantage of the surprised state of them and attacks the unprepared yusuke. Hiei quickly defend him with his blade but it brokes down because of the strength he put into it. The broken blade bounce back at hiei and hit his body leaving him with deep wound.

Yusuke then remembered their loved ones which is the real one to be safe back with koenma outside. He snaps out of his surprised state and help hiei. He pulled kuwabara back with him too. But kuro was still catching up with them.

He suddenly appeared on yusuke's back and was about to kill him, when two big venus flytrap like plants emerge from the floor and bites his arms. He shouts in agony as kurama covers him up with his thorned stem to stop him from resisting even more.

Yusuke: (looks at kurama) I'm sorry about that. We didn't expect that to happen.
Kurama: I'm glad I caught up with you. (he said in relief)
Kuwabara: (breathing heavily) You defeat misaki then?

Kurama fell silent for a second but continue on pulling kuro in the center of the circled floor and keep him there with his monster plants.

Kurama: I destroyed her mask, but... (looks at them seriously)
Yusuke: She escaped? (he said in weary)
Kurama: I lose on her. (reminiscing the tough battle he had with misaki) When you break her mask, she'll be on her second phase battle mode. She's unstoppable by then since I've used up all my energy on destroying her mask.

Kurama describes to them how she beat him on their battle. Hiei then remembers the exact thing that happen to him when he was fighting that monkey looking warrior Sun Ce.

Hiei: She was that hooded person I encounter that suddenly joined in to the clash I had with my opponent. (he explains as he holds on to his wounded parts in pain)
Kurama: That must probably be the time she left my sight when I meet up with kisuke. (he added)

As they were busy chatting, kuro destroys the monster plant on his left arm and was so mad about this sudden turn of event that is happening.

He heard kurama mentioned that he was defeated by misaki. But why is he out here helping them now. His anger rises as he realize another betrayal she did again. He then remembered the thing she gave that she said was connected to her. The bracelet that has her soul in it. He took it and activates it.

He thinks that if he will die in this place, he'll take her with him to hell. As the bracelet activated, it emits light in it then the circled floor he was in started to change entraping him in it and stopping him from using his power.

He was so confused at what was happening and cursing at the same time for the betrayal he receive from the same person again. And suddenly, the floor he was entrapped in opens up and swallows him whole. Yusuke and the others were surprised too at what just happen.

Then, the room turns to red and the air was filled with loud noise saying "WARNING!" over and over. A countdown appeared on the screen before them. Kuwabara panicked and run towards the supposed to be doorway that leads them inside. He finds it close tightly and runs back to kurama.

Kuwabara: (panicking) What're we gonna do now? The door won't budge, and it seems like it steal spirit energy too.
Yusuke: What? (looks at kurama) Is she still here kurama?
Kurama: (he nodded as he helps hiei to stand up) She was waiting for us in the secret room.

They waste no time and head there immediately. When they arrived, they were shocked to see kisuke's dead body together with haruna tied up in the corner. Yusuke suddenly gets mad at what he see before his eyes. Kisuke might be an enemy but he helped them and was only in this situation because he wanted to save his love from the grasp of kuro. But before he could protest, kurama stops him and told him that he'll explain it to them after they get out from this danger.

Misaki: (faces them) You'll remove the ring and keep it a secret to koenma about my escape, right?
Yusuke: (confused) What do you mean?
Kurama: It's a deal I made with her. (he explained) I'll tell you all the detail about it when we get out.
Kuwabara: (worried about his decision) But it means another trouble may arise?!
Kurama: She's not a threat! (he said objectively) As far as I know.
Misaki: (getting impatient) Are we going now or what?

Before the Tower of Judgement collapsed and destroyed everything in it. Yusuke's team manage to get out in time. They meet up with koenma and report what happen. And as he promised together with them, they kept it a secret about her escape. They just told him that she betrays them and defeat everyone.

Although yusuke and the others were against kurama's decision, they just go along with it. He told them that he'll tell about what happen regarding with her after koenma leaves. He also needs to make his mom forget about what happen back there. They still have to keep being cautious of whatever she may have plan to do in the future.