The good news through all this is Pooka's incision wound is healing well and fast, so I'm hoping we can get her out of her hated cone and suit soon. Fingers crossed!
Whatever medical indignities she has or has not endured, she declares the Dark Tournament open, though I still don't know WHO she is that empowers her to do so. We're shown a snapshot of a couple of men sitting in the VIP seats, another hefty cigar-sucker like Tarukane (except with some hair) and a slim lined middle-aged sort, both wearing suits. The former chuckles to his companion that this is the best part of selling one's soul to the dark side; the regular goody-two-shoes of world will NEVER know the thrill of being able to see Hell unleashed. Don't I WISH.
The cheapo public seats are filled with demons calling for hitting, kicking, pokes in the eye, which is... pretty tame coming from literal malevolent spirits. Did they actually come here for a screening of some Three Stooges films? Anyway, they complain that they didn't do any of that preschool violence for weeks so they could come here, because bad deeds are restricted for prospective audience attendees to the event.
Wait, so let me get this straight: if one wants to go to a bloodsport tournament between demon combatants that promises to end in death for a lot of them, the demons who want to come and watch have to be good little hellspawn and on their best behavior leading up to it? Like they're performing goodness for Santa Claus?
Back in the VIP seats, we're shown a man with deep lines around his mouth right down to his large chin called Sukezo Gondowara, labeled the sponsor of the aforementioned Jolly Devil Six. A thoroughly unimpressed-looking Sakyo sits next to him, yet he asks him anyway what he thinks, calling his team "the dregs of the red light district" but with the potential to be legends. He in fact believes that the Jolly Devil Six are the REAL challenge to Toguro's team, since it's his opinion that Yusuke's team will be dispatched in short order.
Said team emerges to jeers from the crowd, who perceive the guest team has arrived, and in the process note that Yusuke is still unconscious, one of his arms slung over Kuwabara's shoulder who drags him out upright. They mistake this for a dead faint, call Hiei and Kurama human-loving bastards/traitors, and yell that there's no WAY any of them are coming out of this alive. At least, the stated HOPE is that the the "legitimate" teams chew them up and spit them out.
Kuwabara sweats and clenches his jaw, sarcastically calling the crowd a friendly bunch and supposing its members have to let loose on SOMEONE. Kurama question their use of the word "traitors", saying he'd be offended if they weren't such low lives. Clearly he's offended either way.
The unnamed announcer lady calls the two teams to the center of the arena, and they comply.
The ticket scalper balks, recognizing Koenma despite him being "all growed up" so to speak. The little goblin-like creature scratches the back of his head in nervousness, asking Koenma if he's here to watch the bloodbath. Koenma tells him an acquaintance of his is competing as a guest, which is a bit of a COLD way to refer to Yusuke. I mean, sure, they're not FRIENDS, but surely he's more than an acquaintance! I guess "child soldier" was a little on the nose.
With an irritated expression, Koenma chatters to this random scalper about how he had THOUGHT about ending this whole bloody spectacle entirely, but he asserts that this event vents demon stress which reduces predations in the human world. What kind of terrible "The Purge" logic is this shit??
The goblin scalper calls Koenma wise, calling this place a dark sanctuary where battle is the only language understood, the law is decided by the victor, and even the noble Koenma has no rank over any other spectator, unable to object if he saw his own parents murdered. Sounds like the "poetry" of half my mediocre middle school classmates. No WONDER he's scalping tickets for some extra cash.
Koenma swings around to leave, muttering a thanks for the laughably edgy little screed. Nearby, Botan calls to him, accompanied by Keiko, Atsuko (as I was informed in the comments of the last chapter review, thankfully!), and Shizuka. She tells him that Yusuke's team is in the arena, and the goblin scalper is taken aback by what he assumes to be Koenma's substantial harem, calling him quite the ladies' man. Yeah, the pacifier brings all the girls to the yard - triggers that maternal training, I guess. Koenma corrects him with the simple statement that they're the friends and family of the guest combatant he mentioned earlier, adding that he HAD to bring them along due to Botan's loose lipped habits. She makes the excuse through nervous laughter that she was just trying to be nice. Still, the goblin remains kind of impressed in a shocked sort of way that THREE human women had the guts to come here.
The fair-haired guy, Zeru, stares unrelentingly at Yusuke's team while Kuwabara frets that their captain is still snoozing on his shoulder. Kurama tells him that it's HIS office then, to which he responds with bashful nervousness. He laughs that he's flattered, since it means that he's Yusuke's second, and verbally throws caution to the wind before squaring his shoulders and resolving seriously to show their opponents leadership, Hiei looking annoyed at his back. Meanwhile, Yusuke has DISAPPEARED. I assume in his eagerness that Kuwabara literally shrugged him off, and he's lying crumpled on the floor right now.
Kuwabara walks right up to Zeru, hands in his pockets. Aural tension crackles between them. Zeru downplays the importance of his opinion (somehow the captain doesn't think it MATTERS what he says), but says he likes the one-on-one battles, given that it prolongs the fun. Kuwabara agrees wholeheartedly, asserting that this is a real man's way to fight. Fantastic, they agree. As Kurama hands Yusuke back over to Kuwabra, because I suppose HE just took Yusuke for the moment it took to agree, Kuwabara is stoked at how cool the non-existent negotiations were.
Zeru's attention is on the sleeping Yusuke, his gaze flashing after a moment.
Kuwabara complains that Zeru's aura is hot as an oven, and characterizes this swell of power as an attempted provocation of Yusuke. The masked member silently notes that this guy is out to kill, and Kurama wonders at the fact that he hangs out in the human word despite his icy eyes and fiery aura. The implication being that these attributes would be better utilized in the demon world, Kurama questions what demonkind has come to.
I mean, YOU'RE hanging out in human world, dude...
Kuwabara hollers straight in Yusuke's face, yelling at him to rise and shine, but it's hopeless. The kid snoozes on. Observing that Yusuke still hasn't stirred, he wonders whether he's ill or just stupid. A little of column A, a little of column B.
The announcer calls for the first contenders to get on the field. Little Rinku saunters forward with his hands clasped behind his head, the very PICTURE of relaxation as he bids his teammates later. With the crowd roaring and Kurama and Hiei looking on silently, Kuwabara grins and volunteers to take this one. The audience screams about Kuwabara being up, yelling for him to be killed. Rinku frowns in disappointment, mentally grousing about always getting the doofuses, and how the teasing he did yesterday didn't seem to scare his opponent like he'd intended. I'm sorry, kid, you're just not that intimidating.
Anything goes in one-on-one battles, per the announcer, who also adds that a count of ten will determine out-of-bounds and knock-outs. Rinku smiles innocently, hands now behind his back as he expresses that he's as prepared as he's going to be, no anxiety to be found on his face. When the announcer begins the match, Kuwabara confidently invites the shrimp to bring it with a beckoning motion, and Rinku complies.
The announcer, who at LAST introduces herself as Koto, is impressed by Rinku's supreme agility, admitting she can BARELY follow him. At some point Rinku assumes that he's darted around enough so that Kuwabara can't see him properly, but when he comes close to Kuwabara, he sees the older boy pulling back his fist in preparation.
He lost his hat and everything!
Up in the VIP seats, the team sponsor recoils, his expression a little like Rinku's above. The cheap seats murmur in disbelief at the hit to Rinku. Kuwabara pulls back for yet another punch, telling Rinku in no uncertain terms that the gloves are off. Rinku attempts to scramble away, but Kuwabara literally delivers a kick straight to his rump as he's turned away. Kuwabara is smugly holding up a fist again when Rinku turns back and rushes him in his indignation, delivering an uppercut to the tyke's chin and sending him flying.
The crowd is now roaring with insults for Rinku, claiming they've never seen anything more pathetic, asking who sent the little runt into the ring anyway. From the sidelines, Kurama says evenly that Kuwabara can be surprising, and his love of fighting was apparent in the times he's spared with the tough. Hiei seems overall unimpressed, and asks Kurama what's with all the samurai posturing Kuwabara is doing, since he SHOULD have finished this with his aura sword by now. Uh, dude, weren't you listening? He LOVES fighting. Are you in the habit of rushing shit you love?
Rinku clutches his stomach and makes a noise like he's fighting back vomit. Kurama looks pleased, convinced Kuwabara has got the kid and this is it. As Rinku falls backward and Kuwabara dashes at him, Kuwabara says he's not into torture, so he's going to make this quick, promising Rinku he's going down for the count.
But Rinku smirks slyly and flits away before Kuwabara can land a new punch. Kuwabara looks dumbfounded, and even more shocked when Rinku reappears behind him with the stated hope that Kuwabara enjoyed his moment. Kuwabara just begins to turn when...
Kurama gapes in horror, the crowd drones in shock, and Zeru just... stares, as usual. Rinku once more clasps his hands behind his head and saunters off, a giant smug grin on his face. He's following up on his trailing comment earlier about hoping Kuwabara enjoyed his moment, declaring it now over with a laugh. He also asserts that he could have taken him out from the first moment, but asks where the fun is in that, echoing my point from before. Finally, he discourages the announcer from doing a count at all, because he's pretty certain he broke Kuwabara's neck back there and the teenager is well and truly dead.
Hiei smiles creepily, thinking the little grease ball Rinku ALSO enjoys a fight it seems. The audience pumps fists and heaps praise upon the little dude who appears to have won. For a brief second, anyway.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Forget Yusuke, poor Kuwabara has the weight of the WORLD on his shoulders throughout the whole beginning of this thing. He's forced to be interim team leader because Yusuke just CAN'T rise and shine, and that means negotiations that he was not all too prepared for, and then stepped in to take the very first round of the match. Sure, it seems to be going about as well as you might hope, but it all still looks ABSOLUTELY exhausting. Kurama is BARELY picking up any slack by taking Yusuke off Kuwabara's hands for a moment there, and Hiei is FULLY committed to being as hands-off as possible until his round starts. Granted, I expect it from Hiei given his character, but Kurama's refusal to take damn near ANY responsibility this situation is a little disappointing.
The background on this tournament we get through Koenma and the scalper's conversation is pure comedy. The suggestion that demons who value blood and destruction above all else can not only be expected to not partake in those things themselves just so they can vicariously watch others do it, but they actually DO IT? But it makes the reader question how much of this blood and destruction mentality is natural to them and how much is learned. If they can refrain, then it implies that it's not an intrinsic part of how they function. Between the necessity of eating SOULS for some of them and the ability to just NOT hurt humans, what IS the basic nature of these creatures? That might be as impossible a question to answer as what the basic nature of HUMANS is.
And why shouldn't it be impossible to answer? We're the one's who invented "demons" after all.
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