Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

-Demon Dancer and PuppetMasters- by Nemesis Q. Ravens

Chapter Twelve

There were three battles left in the Dark Tournament. Three battles to determine the victorious champions. Three battles for Team Kyrios to redeem themselves or for Team Uremeshi to continue to hold the lead. Who will come out on top?

The fans seemed to be debating that question quite thoroughly if one looked from the two opposing teams to the overflowing stands. There, thousands of thousands had abandoned their seats to swarm the arena edge to try and get a better view of the upcoming fights.

The next up was Damien and Yusuke. Both team leaders strutted into the ring confidently. Each was sure of their victory over the other.

Yusuke nodded at his team; signaling that he was confident that the Uremeshi team would win this battle. Damien on the other hand, did not acknowledge his team at all. His focus was on the cheering fans. Kyrios smiled charmingly at the swooning women in particular. He also knew that Nemesis was trying to refrain from smoldering with jealousy. He wasn’t too worried about her however. Damien and Nemesis had a mutual agreement when it came to other men and women.

The two fighters met in the middle. Damien, always enjoying psychological warfare, spoke to Yusuke just as the announcer prepared to begin the fight.

“Any words that you wish imparted to that wench of yours after you die?” he asked nonchalantly.

Yusuke grew furious at his words. “Shut up, asshole! Don’t you talk about Keiko that way!”

Kyrios smirked. “Oh? And why should I not spread the truth? The girl was practically begging my men and I to ravish her again and again.”

“Shut up!”

“I could even hear her whorish screams,” Damien continued as if he had not heard Uremeshi.

“Shut the fuck up, Kyrios! You shouldn’t be talking. Your bitch isn’t any better!”

Kyrios laughed. “So you admit that your wench is a whore? Bravo boy. Not many lads in your place would dare speak in such a manner of their owners.”

For Yusuke that was the last straw. Not only had Kyrios called Keiko a whore, but he had all but said that he was “whipped” by Keiko. With a roar of fury Yusuke lifted his hand and screamed, “Shotgun!”

The blast of spirit energy struck Kyrios in the chest, sending him flying back a good ten or twelve feet. Yusuke, the moment he had fired, knew that that was exactly what Damien had intended; for Yusuke to attack before the announcer had yelled “Fight!” Because of Uremeshi’s act of violence before the battle was begun, Yusuke automatically surrendered the victory to Kyrios.

Uremeshi nearly trembled with rage as he watched Damien slowly stand and brush the dust of his black and crimson outfit. The bastard had tricked him! Because of Damien’s devious ways, Yusuke had all but handed the Kyrios team a chance at winning the Dark Tournament.

The crowds booed and hissed at Uremeshi as the announcer walked back out into the middle of the ring.

“In light of this assault of exceedingly bad form, this battle has been moved in favor of Team Kyrios. The human, Yusuke Uremeshi, has forfeited this fight due to his actions of uncontrollable violence.”

Kyrios shook his head sadly as his opponent furiously stomped out of the ring and threw himself down onto the ground to sulk.

On the sideline, the rest of the Uremeshi team tried to comfort Yusuke and glared angrily at Damien.

“It’s okay,” Janie said. “We still have two more battles.”

“But now they have a win!” Yusuke bemoaned. “And all because of that fuckin’ asshole was talkin’ shit about Keiko.”

“Cease you chatter,” Hiei hissed. “They are about to announce the next fighters.”

All five quieted and turned to the announcer that again stood in the ring’s center. Kuwabara and Janie, the only two left to fight, slowly moved ahead of the others to stand ready to enter the arena. Across the way, Damien nodded to whatever Nemesis was saying and Demontos stood apart from the couple and close the battle ring.

“The next up will be… Demontos of Team Kyrios.” Said fighter moved towards the ring. “And from Team Uremeshi… Kazuma Kuwabara.”

The moment his name was called, Kuwabara yelled happily and grabbed Janie in a fierce hug. His excitement, much like a beauty queen’s, was greatly out of place and the entire population attending the Dark Tournament was silent and stared at Kuwabara with wide, blinking eyes.

Finally as the shock of Kazuma’s behavior passed, the stands started cheering with the entrance of Demontos into the ring to battle Kuwabara. Everyone was anxious to see the lithe wind demon defeat Kuwabara. It was commonplace for the man to quickly and efficiently eliminate his opponent. Besides, everyone in their right mind looked forward to seeing him obliterated.

As the two met in the middle, the announcer lifted the microphone and screamed, “Fight!” The stands rose in an excited roar the second the pair stepped towards each other.

“Hey! Loser!” yelled Kuwabara as they neared. “Wanna see something cool?”

Demontos didn’t even blink.

Kuwabara summoned his Spirit Sword. He watched Demontos eagerly for a reaction, but found nothing. So he smirked and concentrated with an expression that seemed if he were suffering from constipation. As the fans watched, Kazuma’s sword began to lengthen and widen.

Demontos’ expression never changed in the least.

“Ah com’on! You’ve got to be impressed!” Kuwabara screamed and waved his sword around. His enthusiastic actions caused him to topple over from the sword’s weight and face plant in the dust.

At this point Demontos was irritated with his opponent and exchanged a glance with Damien and Nemesis that said Are-You-Serious? It was plain to see that Demontos was hoping for an actual opponent to battle and not a mere fool. Nemesis gestured however, that he get it over with by nodding her concealed head.

Demontos summoned the air whip that was commonly referred to as Zephyr and the audience smiled at the sight of the long length of swirling, gray air. Without waiting for Kuwabara to stand, Demontos snapped the whip and watched mercilessly as Zephyr wrapped around a wrist and with a tug from Demontos, lifted him off the ground. He was thrown into the air, flipping over again and again. The Kyrios member never faltered in gazing coldly at his adversary as Kuwabara came back down to earth to land with a loud crunch.

Fans laughed merrily at the orange-haired moron clutching his elbow rolling around and yelling, “My funny bone! Oh! Oh, I think I broke my funny bone.”

Demontos on the other hand, was not amused. He merely flicked Zephyr and hit Kuwabara across the face. Blood immediately spurted and with aid of Demontos’ whip, was splattered near and far as Kuwabara stumbled and fell.

Janie gasped aloud when the red liquid splashed across her face. The Uremeshi members anxiously searched Kuwabara’s still form for some sign of life. They worried that they had lost the battle and Kazuma… maybe.

Demontos watched the motionless body of Kuwabara also. Team Kyrios soon learned however, that they did not win this fight; not yet. When they became aware of this fact, Damien all but growled.

Kuwabara groaned and rolled over. The fans booed as he slowly began to sit up. He cradled his face with a shaky hand and from a coating of bright red blood, glared at Demontos with his left eye.

“You asshole,” he ground out.

Demontos did not reply. He watched with a bored expression as Kuwabara stood. The orange-haired moron shook slightly on his legs and stumbled a few times before his footing became sturdy enough. He made a pitiful sight; blood gushing from his face had stained his clothes and the red color clashed with his Spirit Sword’s orange hue as he summoned it again. It was a sad sight indeed.

However, sad sight or not, Demontos had a battle to fight and he wasn’t going to win it by pitying his opponent. He gripped his Zephyr again and prepared to attack Kuwabara once more. Yet there was something different about Kuwabara and none could really pinpoint what it was as he took his defensive pose.

Kazuma, seeing Demontos taking his offensive stance, held his Spirit Sword with both hands and turned to the side. The wind demon’s eyes narrowed at Kuwabara’s wide open position. What was the fool doing now? On the sidelines, Hiei and Kurama frowned when Kuwabara hefted the blade to rest beside his ear and just above his shoulder.

“The fool is going to get himself killed,” stated Hiei. “Only a suicidal moron would leave himself open for attack from every angle.”

Janie on the other hand, smiled. “Clever.” Before anyone could ask for an explanation however, Demontos struck.

Zephyr reared up like an angry viper as Demontos flicked his wrist. The air swirled around and around its length, creating a shrill whistling noise as it gathered at Zephyr‘s end. The force built up rounded out into a dark sphere about the size of a softball. Noise levels rose as the fans began to cheer in anticipation as the dark sphere rose up and was about to be launched.

Across the ring, Kuwabara widened his stance and glared angrily at Demontos and his sphere through his one good eye, the other eye still oozing red. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his Spirit Sword.

“Bring it on,” Kuwabara whispered heatedly.

The dark sphere was released. All eyes watched as it shot through the air towards the impromptu baseball player.

Kuwabara watched as the sphere neared him and he gripped his Spirit Sword one last time before acting. He swung the blade as hard as he could as the ball of air came within his range. There was an explosion of brilliantly colored light and a sound much like a crash of thunder. Everyone watching was temporarily blinded and therefore did not see Demontos being struck by the rebounded sphere. He himself was unaware of the speeding ball before it hit him.

As the brief blindness wore off, the onlookers gasped when they saw Demontos lying on the ground. What was left of Team Kyrios looked positively livid at the fact that another member was killed. Damien himself looked ready to explode. Then Demontos moved.

The wind demon sat up and held his head gently. He blinked a few times to clear his eyesight and looked around. A frown marred Demontos’ face and he looked genuinely confused. And that’s when he laid eyes on Kuwabara.

Demontos’ eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Fear suddenly permeated the air and be began to scream. Demontos then, wailing frightfully, scrambled away from Kazuma.

“Ah! A monster! Mommy! Help! It’s scary! Mommy!”

Demontos finally got his feet beneath him as he took off. He zoomed out of the ring straight towards Nemesis and Damien, all the while calling them Mommy and Daddy as he began to cling to them.

The stands were stunned. What the hell had happened? Who won? Questions like these started to buzz among the fans, resulting in a deafening din. A few fans were angry and a few were happy, but most were confused.

Then the announcer walked into the ring to rid the audience of their confusion. Lifting the microphone, the announcer’s voice boomed throughout the Dark Tournament stadium, quieting the thousands of voices.

“I’m afraid with the Kyrios member’s inability to continue fighting, we have to rule in favor of Team Uremeshi.”

Not many cheered and whole bunch booed the victor out of the ring. There were a number who became quite furious at Kuwabara and Yusuke as the two began to laugh at Demontos being gently pulled from Nemesis to be held in PuppetMaster’s arms. It was evidently a humorous sight to them as Demontos sucked on his thumb. Apparently the blow to the head had reverted Demontos’ mental state to that of a four year old child.

Next up to battle was Nemesis of Team Kyrios vs. Janie of Team Uremeshi. The fight between the highly hostile pair was long awaited and about to begin. It would be a grand finale to this exciting Dark Tournament.

No one paid the announcer any mind as the last two fighters were called forth. Both women calmly walked forward into the ring. Nemesis gazed impassively at Janie who although her body language was unruffled, her eyes were smoldering. At her side was a katana. The hilt wrapping looked damp as if she had had sweaty palms when she nervously clutched at the sword. And where Janie was apprehensive in any way, Nemesis was cool, calm, and collected. The Demon Dancer was the very entity of confidence.

The pair stopped advancing as they reached places that were relatively ten yards apart. Nemesis held no weapon in her hands, but a knife sheath was known to be found on her right forearm. She wore the cloak over the other, less reserved outfit at the moment so that no weapon could be spotted. Janie had rested a hand on the katana at her side and she wore a white wife beater and green sweat pants with a pair of white tennis shoes. The Demon Dancer turned her head to look at the announcer, ignoring Janie altogether, completing the cool exterior perfectly. The blonde however, glared angrily at Nemesis.

“Fight!”

Nemesis stripped of the abyss colored cloak as Janie unsheathed her sword and charged. The blonde skidded to a stop just beyond her as Nemesis moved to the side to avoid being struck and took her fighting stance.

The sun glinted off the shimmering metal of the sword in Janie’s hand as she turned to face Nemesis and penetrated the shadows of the Demon Dancer’s deep hood. Janie paused at the brief twinkle of sapphire blue eyes. Her mind flashed through the hundreds of times she’d gazed into the blue gem eyes of her daughter Marissa.

Nemesis took advantage of Janie’s momentary confusion to snap the length of the ribbon around her hand toward the blonde. The newest Spirit Detective snapped out of her momentary mental lapse and dodged, slicing at the ribbon, cutting away a forth of its normal length. She smirked at the Demon Dancer and ran forward again while the black ribbon was still fluttering to the ground.

Before the blonde could react though, PuppetMaster appeared and with a swing of the chained marionette, swept Janie off her feet. The woman tumbled through the open air and landed hard. She lied there gasping for breath with the wind briefly knocked out of her.

As she lay there, Janie thought back to her daughter. The only thing that she truly and unconditionally loved. Marissa was the very world to her. And her world had been viciously torn from her. …All because of Damien and Nemesis.

Gritting her teeth, Janie rolled to her feet and glared daggers at the trio watching her. I will not let them win, she thought determinedly. Holding the sword in front of her, Janie again swore that she would see that her daughter’s killer would not get away from her.

As Janie came to resolve on her fate, Nemesis also thought back and recalled the discussion she and Damien had had earlier that day.

Nemesis and PuppetMaster both stood and watched Damien practice with his Blades of Eternal Fury. The swords blazed as they cut through the air with demonic speed. If he had wished it, Kyrios could have written his name.

“What a lovely sight,” the Demon Dancer murmured with an adoring smile from the shadows of her hood.

The burnt hulk beside her shifted to looked down at Nemesis. Flakes of skin dropped down to land atop the beauty’s draping cloth. The dull, rasping voice cracked in the air.

“You love him,” it stated. It was not a question.

Nemesis ignored the demon soul’s words and changed the subject with a light comment instead. “PuppetMaster, you really should remain in your smaller form. Staying in this one is draining. Gather your strength. We’re going to need it for the Dark Tournament finals.”

Twang!

One of Damien’s swords vibrated slightly from its place beside Nemesis’ head.

“ ‘We’re going to need it’?” Damien repeated. He stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and anger. Slowly walking, he came to tower before the slim figure. “Do you doubt that we’re superior to Team Uremeshi?”

“Did I say that we were going to lose?” Nemesis countered.

Kyrios scowled. “I think that you did.”

“Well I didn’t!”

“But you implied it,” he insisted as he leaned downward to gaze through the darkness of her hood and stare her in the face.

Her spine straightening with indignity, Nemesis opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat when she saw the small audience their arguing had gathered; the rest of the Kyrios team was all but gaping with open mouths.

She released the breath she’d been holding in an irritated whoosh. “Why don’t we finish this in our bedroom?” she said stiffly with a pointed turn of her head in the others’ direction.

Kyrios caught the silent hint and glanced that way. His face smoothed until only agitation could be distinguished from the brown of his eyes. Turning back to Nemesis, he nodded and with a grand sweep of his hand, gestured that she lead the way.

The Demon Dancer resisted the urge to huff irately as she brushed by Kyrios.

The pair ignored the stares that followed them as they made their way out of their personal training courtyard to their bedroom. Both persons swept into the black and crimson room with an air of arrogance. Neither felt it was them that was at fault. It was indisputably the other.

At first they remained facing one another, silently communicating their frustration. Finally Nemesis broke the pregnant stillness with a question.

“What’s your problem, Damien?” she asked. “And don’t dance around the question. Just answer it. …No lies or half truths either,” she added after a short pause.

Damien had the decency to look offended at her words. He relaxed his unyielding stance however, and sighed. Kyrios looked away from Nemesis as he answered, avoiding her intense stare.

“I don’t wish you to fight.”

“Damien -- ” she began, but he cut her off.

“No. Let me finish.” She nodded and he continued. “Janie will do anything. And I mean anything. She’s on the verge of insanity because of her aggrieved mind. The woman’s number one priority is to see us both dead. Janie wishes revenge for Marissa and will stop at nothing to get it.”

Silence issued for a moment. Then Nemesis spoke.

“I know that, Damien. I can see the burning hatred in her eyes whenever we meet. And I accept that Janie wants to see me dead. However, I’m not going to let that happen. I -- We have worked far too hard and far too long to let her stop us now. So stop worrying.”

The Demon Dancer reached up and placed a small, slender hand on his cheek. “Besides,” she continued. “I have PuppetMaster to look out for me. And who better to do that then the very same demonic soul that once inhabited you?”

Damien Kyrios smiled softly and brushed Nemesis’ hood back so that her face was bare to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, sealing the moment into memory.

After the kiss ended, Nemesis opened her sapphire eyes and gazed into his. “If that’s how you feel, Nemesis,” he said. “Then I’ll leave Janie to you. She’s yours to dispose of. I’ll have no part in it.” And when she opened her mouth to protest, he shushed her with a finger and continued. “No arguments. I have faith that you can handle this.”

She merely nodded and Damien wrapped his arms about her. Then with the conversation ended, the pair left the bedroom and began to prepare for the Dark Tournament again.

Nemesis had resisted the idea at first. Somewhere within her, Nemesis was indeed still the daughter of Janie and that place screamed out denial and rage at having to killed her mother. It howled and moaned but Nemesis paid it no heed. If Damien felt that she could kill Janie, so be it. Besides, she told herself, Janie had already decided… And so had I.

It was to be a battle to the death. The only thing was that both were set on it being the other.