Chapter 4:
                    "Victory? Neko's Petals of Destruction!"

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         "Do you see this?" Youko Kurama asked Neko. Neko looked at
the strange plant in his hand, and nodded. Youko continued. "At my
orders, this little vine will grow and wrap around you until you can't
breathe!"

        "I have a plan just like yours, but it's a secret." She
replied with a smile, then added, "I am a cat, and foxes are dogs.
This is going to be a fun fight. I'm going to enjoy this." And she
purred contently, mocking him, angering him. He couldn't stand it. He
attacked! Neko could only gasp at his sudden move. She quickly jumped
out of the way to avoid his attack, but she stopped short when she saw
the direction of his attack was not aimed towards her. Youko had aimed
his attack downwards, his vines breaking through the stone floor.

        "Look at this!" The emcee exclaimed. "Why did Youko aim his
attack downwards? What is his plan?"

        Neko stood her ground, her whiskers twitching nervously. What
an unpredictable fighter. She didn't understand what he was doing.
Suddenly, the floor began to tremble. Neko heard a rumbling sound just
underneath her. Very faint at first, then it turned frighteningly
loud. Just as Neko was about to utter a cry of panic, the floor
erupted beneath her, shooting out the strange vine that Youko had held
earlier in his palm. Luckily, Neko was able to leap out of the way.
{That was close!}, Neko thought. Youko's vines had destroyed the stone
floor of the ring! Now, the vines were after Neko!

        "You can't escape!" Youko Kurama said triumphantly. 

        Neko ran as fast as her feet could take her, but the vines
were gaining on her. No matter where she ran, the vines pursued. The
minutes ticked by, and still, Neko ran... for her life! Neko could
only pray that the vines would soon wither up and die. Neko couldn't
hold on much longer. Her breathing grew rapid, her head spinning from
the pressure of blood in her ears. She could hear her heart beating;
fast... like a locomotive.

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        Kuma couldn't bear just standing there. Neko was in trouble,
and he could do nothing about it. All he could do was watch, and pray
that Neko would be able to withstand a little longer. Tsunoke, a
friend of the Unicorn Team, stepped down from the bleachers, and stood
beside Kuma.

        "What are we going to do, Kuma?" Tsunoke looked worriedly at
the exhausted Neko, then looked up at Kuma, who was tightly clenching
his jaw.

        "I don't know," Kuma replied heavily. "She won't last if she
keeps going at this rate." He shut his eyes tightly, hoping that when
they opened, every- thing would just be a crazy dream. He opened his
eyes. It was real. Then, with a zap of adrenalin, he found his voice,
and shouted, "Fight, Neko!!"

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        Neko's ears perked up. Kuma. She had heard him. {It's no use
running.}, Neko concluded. {...so tired...}. Her knees gave way. When
she looked up, the vines were headed towards her! She tried to get up,
but she was so tired. A vine held on to her leg, pulling her down;
dragging her to which may seem to be her end! Neko could feel Youko
Kurama laughing silently to himself, watching her as his vines took
advantage of the moment. Neko looked coldly at him, her eyebrows
lowering.

        "I'm not as helpless as you think I am!" Declared Neko.
"FLOWER SHURI- KEN!!" As she said this, a dozen, flower-shaped
shuriken appeared. The youkai, along with Yuusuke's team had to look
closely to see where the flower-shaped ninja stars had come from. They
realized that because Neko uses plants as weapons, she has the ability
to change the flowers or plants into swords, knives, daggers, arrows,
even shuriken.

        The shuriken cut through the vines, setting Neko free.
However, Neko had released her last ounce of strength, and was too
weak to fight. 

        "I admire you," Came the masculine voice right above her. "But
where is your secret plan? Or is it that... maybe you have nothing
left to show me?"

        "I--I'm not... fi--finished yet...!" She panted, her shoulders
heaving. It took her much effort to breathe; her back soaked from cold
sweat. She couldn't take much more. 

        "That's good. You have spirit. But you can't keep running from
my vines. I have you now!"

        Youko lifted his hand to control the beast of a plant. Neko
was done for! The vines wrapped around her, tightening all the more as
she struggled. Like a deadly anaconda, it clinged to her, sucking the
life out of her. Neko felt dizzy from the vines' aroma. It smelled
damp, swampy... Her vision was blurring.

        {Jinko...} Kuma hated himself for being so useless at a time
like this. "NEKO!!!" He cried, hoping that that would snap her out of
it.

        Youko Kurama took two steps forward, and looked down at the
feisty girl who was now entangled in his serpent-like vines. Her big
violet eyes grew empty. She stared blankly at him. He could've sworn
she looked... almost... helpless. He shook his head, and tried to
ignore the feeling.

        "What's happening here, ladies and gentlemen?" The
cat-announcer moved closer to get a better look. "Neko wasn't able to
dodge Youko Kurama's attack! The vines are now coiled around her body.
How will she be able to get out of this sticky situation??"

        "Don't worry," Kurama told her softly, but his eyes still
gleamed of cruel intensity. "I won't kill you. Even if my form is
youkai, I don't kill women."

        Neko found it difficult to breathe. The vines were getting
tighter and tighter, and all she could do was whimper in pain. In the
background, she could hear the announcer calling a countdown. {Mustn't
give up now.} She thought weakly. {Gotta fight... got to...} Then she
saw Youko Kurama's smug expression.

        Summoning a tad bit of her strength, she burst out, "I WILL
NOT LOSE TO A FOX!!!", and she yelled, using up her last gulp of air,
hurting her lungs. The light on her forehead reappeared, causing
everyone to fluster, especially Kuma.
The floor below Neko began to glow prism-like colors, then exploded
into color- ful beams of light shooting in every direction. Seconds
later, the beams of light turn into a million colorful petals! Just
like Kurama's Fuu Ka En Bu Jin, the petals were like daggers, sharp
and deadly, freeing Neko from her entangled captivity.

        "My friends," The announcer's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"This is incredible! Neko was able to escape by using millions of
knife-like petals similar to Kurama's Fuu Ka En Bu Jin!"

        Hiei couldn't believe it. "S-she's escaped!"

        Relief swept over Kuma. His tensed muscles now relaxed as he
knew it was smooth sailing from here on.

        Neko, who was now free from Kurama's vines, stood up and faced
him. Her eyes were no longer empty, but they were looking at Kurama
with deadly cat-like intensity. She positioned herself, the rainbow
petals still circling her. Then, without warning, she pounced at
Kurama like a wild cat! Kurama didn't have time to react!

        "PETAL SLASH..." Neko yelled, the petals cutting Kurama,
wounding him. "UPPERCUT!!!" Neko jumped, her fist in the air, hitting
Kurama square in the jaw! The blow sent Kurama flying out of the ring,
crashing into the bleachers!

        "Kuramaaa!!!" Yuusuke, Koenma, Kuwabara, and Hiei were too
shocked to say anything. Youko Kurama... beaten by a girl?? But
how...? Complaints and rude remarks were heard from several youkai
audience.

        Neko was so exhausted. She collapsed on her knees, and exhaled
loudly. She had become human again. Her cat ears, tail and whiskers
had vanished. A huge rumble was heard from the bleachers. Kurama had
gotten up, but he was no longer a youkai.

        "W-what? It's not over yet?" Neko gave a tired heave.

        "Uh, excuse me...?" The cat announcer tried to cut in, but
noone listened to her.

        Kurama faced Neko, and greeted her with an admiring smile.
"You're really good for a girl. But since you're a girl, I took it
easy on you."

        Neko's face lit up with a smile. "Is that so?" She stepped
closer.

        Kurama could've sworn that smile looked unreal. It was. Kurama
didn't see it coming. A fist socked him in the jaw for the second
time! 

        "I really hate it when people don't think highly of us girls."
She said pleasantly.

        Kurama looked at Neko in awe. "Some girl..."

        And the match of Neko and Kurama was over.

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Coming up next... Chapter 5: Kuwabara vs. Koumari; Turned Tables





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