Rihan took the stage, his gaze fixed on Raikou.
"Hey, how about a high-stakes match?"
Raikou raised an eyebrow, curious. "What do you mean by high-stakes?"
Rihan pointed at her, then at himself. "You and me, one fight to decide it all. If I win, your team forfeits. If I lose, my team forfeits. How's that?"
His words sent a shockwave through the crowd.
But Rihan knew the stakes. If he lost, his subordinates likely stood no chance against Raikou.
To spare them from being crushed, he chose to shoulder the outcome himself.
"No thanks," Raikou replied, shaking her head. She wasn't some impulsive kid, and this kind of fight didn't interest her.
Rihan's face fell, disappointed.
He'd hoped to gain an edge, but it seemed people were too cautious these days.
"Fine, then."
With that, he vanished from sight.
Kyoka Suigetsu, the innate ability of the Slippery Ghost, allowed Rihan to blend into any setting unnoticed, even slipping into people's homes to eat without raising suspicion.
He'd honed this skill to perfection, disappearing in plain sight before the entire audience.
Raikou, a follower of Morpheus, had learned many spells for such occasions. She cast a detection spell, and a glowing ring expanded from her feet, sweeping across the arena.
Rihan's hidden form was instantly revealed.
Before he could react, Raikou's blade came slashing down.
It was as swift as lightning.
Rihan instinctively raised his sword to block, barely stopping her thunderous strike.
But the force cloaking Raikou's blade sent him flying with a boom.
"So heavy!"
Raikou's attacks weren't just fast—they were overwhelmingly powerful. That strike felt like a tidal wave crashing down on him.
It was unstoppable.
Using Kyoka Suigetsu again, Rihan tried to conceal himself, but it was futile.
Raikou's detection spell had locked onto him.
No matter what tricks he pulled, he couldn't escape.
Raikou swung again, her blade a blur.
Rihan blocked once more but was sent hurtling like a kicked ball.
The skin of his sword hand split, blood dripping.
He couldn't stop her. Not at all.
In that moment, Rihan realized the chasm between himself and Raikou. Without his Fear aura, he was no match for her.
If this continued, he might be beaten to death.
Thankfully, he wasn't stubborn. Recognizing this, he shouted, "I surrender!"
The next instant, Raikou's blade stopped a mere millimeter from his face.
If he'd been a fraction slower, that strike would've cleaved him in two.
Raikou might show mercy to humans, but not to yokai.
Escaping death, Rihan watched as she slowly sheathed her sword. He let out a long breath, raised his hand, and declared loudly, "We forfeit."
This wasn't just his surrender—it was on behalf of the entire Team Nura.
He knew full well that if he couldn't beat Raikou, Kubinashi and Tsurara Oikawa stood even less of a chance.
If they died, he wouldn't even be able to avenge them. Better to concede now.
The yokai had no objections to his decision.
Thus, the Team Heroics advanced to the semifinals.
The final match of the semifinal round pitted Morpheus's Team Extraterrestrial against Yusuke Urameshi's team.
Morpheus hadn't expected this matchup.
Him against Yusuke Urameshi?
It felt like bullying.
While Yusuke was strong, and Hiei, KuRaama, Kuwabara, and Genkai were no slouches, they were far below Morpheus's level.
"This match is up to you guys."
Saeko nodded, stepping up first to face Kuwabara Kazuma.
Kuwabara had clearly undergone rigorous training, and the tournament had honed his skills further.
Taking the stage, he transformed his spirit energy into a flexible, extendable sword and brashly told Saeko, "Surrender now, and I might go easy on you."
Clearly, he was getting cocky.
Saeko didn't bother responding. She drew her blade in a single, fluid slash.
Whoosh!
An invisible sword aura swept out, nearly cutting Kuwabara in half. Only his quick reflexes saved him.
"You trying to kill me?!" Kuwabara roared, still shaken.
Saeko's expression remained cold as she unleashed another slash.
The move looked effortless, but she'd spent over half a year perfecting it through the follower platform, wielding it with masterful ease.
Kuwabara swung his spirit sword at the incoming aura.
Boom!
The clash exploded, and before Kuwabara could react, the blast shredded his clothes to pieces.
He stood in the arena, completely exposed.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into laughter, turning the tournament into a sea of hilarity.
The loudest laughter came from Kuwabara's old friend, Yusuke Urameshi.
Kuwabara's composure shattered. Covering himself, he bolted from the arena.
He couldn't bear to stay another second.
This was social death.
Even Saeko was caught off guard—she hadn't meant for this to happen.
She hadn't expected the collision of her sword aura and his spirit sword to explode and destroy his clothes.
Well… oops.
Even she felt a bit embarrassed by the victory, her face flushing as she hurried off the stage, abandoning the match.
Thus, the first round ended in a bizarre, chaotic fashion.
For the second round, Yusuke Urameshi took the stage himself, facing none other than Hitomi.
Before Yusuke could make a move, layers of magic circles began unfolding around Hitomi.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)