Chapter 5:
                   "Kuwabara vs. Koumari; Turned Tables"
                      
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        "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!

        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.

        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." 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.

        Kurama looked at Neko in awe. "Some girl..." And the match of
Neko and Kurama was over.

        "And the winner," The cat-girl emcee announced. "...Is Kurama!"

        "What?!" Neko shrieked. "How can that be?? He was out of the
ring for ten counts!!" Neko's entire body shook with mixed emotions.
She felt this sudden urge to cry. 

        "According to the rules," The announcer replied. "When a
contender is down, not necessarily outside the ring, at the count of
ten, that player automatically loses."

        Neko sniffed. "Y-you mean, I was down??" Neko thought back,
and recalled the vines that held her prisoner. The vines that made it
difficult for her to breath, to move, to... to get up. {That's right.
I heard the countdown, while I was down struggling to get free.} Neko
lowered her head in defeat. She felt a light, yet warm touch on her
shoulder. She looked up, and saw Kurama, smiling   warmly at her. 

        "Chin up." He said to her, and lifted her chin with his
finger. Neko smiled back at him, then wiped the tears, which were now
flowing freely down her cheeks, with her arm. 

        "Kurama-san," She told him shyly. "Thank you."

        "It's nothing." He replied, then provided, "If it weren't for
the rules, I'm sure you would've beaten me fair and square."

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        Kuma was fuming. {That son-of-a-@#$*! won?! And not only that.
He was flirting with Jinko! The jerk!} Sentoru patted his back.

        "Keep cool, dude," Sentoru said. "You don't own her. Besides,
she doesn't even know that you like her."

        Kuma turned away, and growled. "Who asked you??"

        Sentoru gave him a knowing smile, and shook his head. Just
then, he felt his whole body go still. Somebody was watching him.
Without turning, he sensed it to be someone from the Urameshi team.
>From the corner of his eye, the person stood. His built, average, but
his aura was strong. Stronger than anyone else Sentoru had faced. {Is
that... his spirit energy I feel?} Sentoru thought, as he looked the
player up and down.

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        {He must be the leader,} Yuusuke thought, as he eyed Sentoru
closely. {His fighting spirit is much different from the guy called
`Kuma'.} He looked at the tall, broad figure walking away from
Sentoru. Sentoru faced Yuusuke, a quizzical look on his face. Eye to
eye, they faced each other, neither blinking nor moving; just the
sound of their breathing was heard. It was like an invi- sible
conflagration surrounded them, and noone was allowed to interfere. If
anyone did interfere, they'd be scorched to death!

        Yuusuke broke the tension between them by smiling and raising
his thumb at Sentoru. Sentoru, who was startled at the unexpected
move, smiled back, and nodded with determination.

        As Kurama and Neko stepped down from the ring, Kuwabara
stepped forward.
"Yosha~! It's my turn!" He took off his coat, and slung it over his
shoulder.

        "Hn, pin pon... There goes the victory..." Hiei mumbled,
placing his hands in his pockets.

        "What did you say??" Kuwabara demanded, lifting Hiei by the
garment on his neck. Hiei glared at Kuwabara, his restraint slowly
diminishing as he looked Kuwabara in the eye.

        "Anyway," Kuwabara added, putting Hiei back on the ground. "No
matter what anyone says, I am the one and only Kuwabara Kazuma, truly
the best man around!!"

        Hiei quirked an eyebrow. "Kudaran*..."

        Beside them, Yuusuke and Koenma gave exasperated sighs, and
Kurama chuckled.

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*Kudaran/kudaranai - means `useless'.

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        A voice cut through their conference. "Are we going to start
the fight?"

        Yuusuke, Koenma, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara looked up, and saw
Koumari, arms crossed, waiting impatiently for their little
conversation to end.

        "Y-you??!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "I'm going to fight you???" He
looked down at her dainty heeled shoes upto to her feminine body to
her pretty head.

        Koumari flipped her hair over her shoulder, and tapped her
foot. "Of course, unless you're chicken."

        "You said it." Hiei retorted.

        Yuusuke supressed a snicker, his shoulders quaking. 

        "Make fun of me all you want, but I'll show all of you that
I'm not just all talk!" Kuwabara said seriously, and walked to the
center of the ring where Koumari waited.

        Kurama looked guiltily at Kuwabara, then turned to Yuusuke,
Hiei, and Koenma. "I think we hurt his feelings."

        "Knowing Kuwabara," Koenma replied. "He'll really take it upon
himself."

        "But it was just a joke." Yuusuke defended. He looked at Hiei.
"Right?"

        Hiei turned away. "Hn!"

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        Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, and Yukina watched as Kuwabara stepped
onto the ring. Keiko had relaxed her tight embrace on Puu. Shizuru
held a newly opened pack of cigarettes, and took one from the pack. 

        "Kazuma-san..." Yukina said softly. Botan smiled comically at
her.

        "Ahh, l'amour..." Botan sighed dreamily. Yukina's face
colored. Keiko looked down at Yuusuke, and blushed. Shizuru eyed them
curiously.

        "That's good. At least there's still life in you girls."
Shizuru remarked casually, lighting the cigarette that was held
between her fingertips.

        "Ano, Botan-san?" Keiko, who was still holding Puu, asked, "Do
you and Koenma-sama have some kind of close relationship like Yuusuke
and I?"

        "A... eto..."

        "Shh, the fight's about to begin." Shizuru cut in, and the
four girls fixed their attentions on the two contenders below them.

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        "Both of you know the rules," The announcer said. "BEGIN!!"

        Kuwabara began to glow from spirit energy. His fists were
clenched at his sides, holding back the anger which boiled up inside
him. {They shouldn't dare make fun of me! Now I can't let out my anger
because my opponent's a girl!}

        Koumari stood with her hands on her hips, trying to keep a
straight face. "C'mon, the fight has just begun, and you're already
showing off your spirit energy? Don't tell me you're afraid of me?"

        Kuwabara fought the urge to erupt. Instead, he smiled. It was
a forced smile, mixed with anger and annoyance. "Don't worry, I
won't... Because I'm not!"
        
        Koumari smugly returned the smile with one of her own. "Good.
Then that means we can start. Right?"

        Kuwabara sneered at her. "All you women ever do is talk! But,
I," and here he thumped his chest vigorously, " am the manly Kuwabara!
And I'll show you more than just spirit power! I'll..."

        "So go ahead and strut your stuff already!" Koumari snorted
impatiently. In the seats above, several youkai snickered in
amusement. 

        Shizuru sighed, obviously exasperated. "And he says all women
do is talk. What's HE been doing all this time?"

        Kuwabara turned beet red in the face. Yuusuke could've sworn
he saw steam rising from the big fighter's head. "Geez, if this woman
here keeps this up, we might find ourselves on the set of "Dante's
Peak"!"

        On the platform, Koumari and the cat-girl announcer were both
tapping their feet in ill-concealed boredom and impatience. Kuwabara
snarled, showing his teeth. "You asked for it, you're gonna get it,
woman!!!!!!" he roared.

        And, from his right hand, a sword of pure spirit energy burst
forth.  

        Koumari stared at the yellow flame that seemed to erupt from
Kuwabara's clenched fist, trying hard not to show how surprised she
was. And she WAS surprised, this carrot-haired young man hadn't
appeared to be much of a threat. Not even his size, Kuma's own bulk
had conditioned her to ignore that. But now...Ah, well. No matter. He
was the sort who let his temper get the better of him, and she would
make sure to take advantage of that particular little fact.

        Koumari raised one slender brow at Kuwabara. "Oh. Is that your
thing? I see." She yawned, feigning disinterest.

        THAT had the desired effect, his eyes widened in fury. "WHAT
did you SAY???!!??? You THINK this--this THING is nothing but a
useless little toy???"

        The Bat Warrior laughed merrily. The sound echoed off into the
morning air. "Oh, my. Imagine, ladies and gentlemen, a grown man still
tinkering with toy swords!" The youkai, in spite of themselves, howled
with laughter. Koumari paused, then went on, "Is this HIS way of
insulting me, then? Coming at me with a toy, indeed!"

        On the Unicorn team warriors' side, the lone figure cloaked in
dark gray let out a sudden breath of annoyance. "She's wasting too
much time, damn her."

        The sprite Cheval heard and turned to look at her somber
companion. She didn't say anything, however, she was smart enough to
know when to keep her peace.

        Kuwabara's red face turned purple so abruptly, Kurama frowned.
{Either he's majorly pissed off, or he's having one huge heart
attack.} he thought, a very unpleasant feeling creeping through his
veins. He could sense the tension in Kuwabara's body, he had the
impression of a bomb about to go off. This Koumari was pushing things
too far...

        "AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!" Kuwabara suddenly
screamed, waving his reiken around. The youkai seated closest to the
ring all went "EEEP!" and ducked their heads. Even the announcer
jumped. "Ko---KONO AMAAAA!!!!" Kuwabara yelled, glaring madly at
Koumari, who was shocked so much to the extent that her jaw dropped.
Behind her, Tori and Kuma gasped, both boys reeling from the tangle of
heated emotions that suddenly sprang up within them. Tsunoke was
flabbergasted by the language, Neko found herself hiding behind
Cheval, who found herself taking up stations behind Ookami. 

        Then it was Koumari's turn to flush a brilliant red. "WHAT THE
HELL DID YOU CALL ME?????!!!!???" she screeched, her perfect, white
teeth glinting dangerously. "I DEMAND that you apologize RIGHT NOW,
you---you arrogant JERK!"

        And the tables were turned! Kurama nearly recoiled from the
viciousness of Koumari's tone, Yuusuke was sweating like anything,
Koenma's mouth was slightly open, and Hiei's fierce, dark eyebrows
were raised. "Now, they're BOTH mad!" Yuusuke exclaimed, his eyes
lighting up. 

        "Whoopee." Hiei mumbled, his brows returning to their usual
state. "Fun."

        Right after he said that, Koumari whipped a shiny object from
somewhere on her person and charged straight at Kuwabara.

        The attack took Kuwabara's breath away; it was so fast. All he
knew was that one second, Kouamri had been several feet away, the next
second, she had brought forth some sort of weapon that had previously
been concealed, and was looming up right in front of his face. He
didn't know how he managed to evade the rush, but he had, and in a few
moments, his reiken was defensively before him. {Such speed!} he
thought, his mind still spinning. 

        The fight had only started, and yet it seemed like forever.
Impatience ran up and down Yuusuke's and the others' spines at the
suspence. They hear a clanging sound; and find out that it had come
from the two weapons colliding with each other. Kuwabara had blocked
Koumari's attack. Yuusuke peered at the shiny weapon in Koumari's
grip. A dagger! It was small for a dagger, but it's edge was sharp,
and very dangerous.

        Koumari was strong for a woman, Kuwabara observed. Several
seconds have passed, and they were still excerting effort on the
weapons. With an impatient and exasperated growl, Kuwabara summoned up
his strength, and pushed Koumari's dagger away with his reiken. With a
gasp, Koumari watched in horror as her dagger went flying through the
air, and landed upright a dozen feet away from her.

        Kuwabara gave her a smug grin, and placed the tip of his
reiken right in front of her face. Koumari was paralyzed at the sudden
turning of tables. She eyed him viciously, then cursed him. Kuwabara's
reiken inched closer, making Koumari gasp. Yuusuke didn't believe that
Kuwabara would hurt Koumari. She's a woman! He wouldn't... would he?

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