In order to keep the secrets of the spirit wave master Genkai from falling into the hands of the demon Rando, Spirit Realm detective Yusuke Urameshi has slipped into the contest to determine who will be the one to receive those secrets. Together with Kuwabara, Yusuke has won his way through harsh trials, and along with the other remaining top seven, he will now compete in the fourth test. Yusuke's trials continue...

Death Battle in the Dark!
Kuwabara's Spirit Energy Sword

The group return to Genkai's residence, as Yusuke thinks about how Rando has to be among them. Genkai tells them that for the fourth test, they will do actual fighting. There arena will be inside, and she opens up the large doors. Everyone then heads inside.

But the doors then start to close, and everything goes pitch black. Genkai puts a small light on, and explains to them that for these fights, they will battle in the dark. They must seek out each other's spirit energy. She permits the use of weapons, and the only way to win is to defeat your opponent and come back here.

Yusuke asks Kuwabara what's wrong, is he afraid of a one on one fight? Kuwabara tells him he's had this creepy feeling ever since they left the forest, like there is a wild monster was lurking at his side. Yusuke says it's the demon Rando, who is trying to steal Genkai's secrets. Kuwabara asks who Rando is, but Yusuke tells him to forget it, it'll take too long to explain. He asks if his feeling is coming from one of the six others, and he says it is, but he doesn't know which one. Genkai then has everyone introduce themselves.

Musashi, a fourth degree master of the Shin Battou style of kendo. Using his spiritual capabilities, he slays demons. Shorin, another spiritual practitioner who holds a shodan rank in kenpo, and travels the land in training. Kibano, a martial artist who has mastered all forms of combat, and is challenging his limits.

Chinpou, a warrior from China. Kazemaru, a descendent of the ninja, who works as a bodyguard and is also an expert in modern ninja techniques. Kuroda, an assassin who is a master of the knife.

Kazuma Kuwabara, Sarayashiki Middle School's number one delinquent! Yusuke Urameshi, Sarayashiki Middle School's special number one super delinquent! With the introductions over, several arrows drop from the ceiling, each one has a piece of paper with a name on it. Genkai tells them to pick an arrow, and it will decide the order of the fights.

In the Spirit Realm, all work has come to a stop, as Koenma is too busy watching what's going on with Yusuke. He has the tournament order posted up on the screen, and then has the spiritual powers displayed for the fighters of the first match. Koenma sees that the two are fairly evenly matched.

The first match will be Kazemaru against Kuroda. As they step forward, Kuroda stops and asks a question. Owing to his profession, he came here with the assumption that there would be killing. And his first opponent is a business rival, so he won't hold back. Genkai tells him this is a serious fight, and she hoped that any who fear for their lives would have gone home at the third test. Kuroda has one more question: if he wins, she won't refuse to give her secrets to an assassin, will she? She tells him whoever is chosen, no matter what kind of man they might be, she will hand over her secrets to them if they are qualified -no matter how evil they may be.

Yusuke think she's ridiculous, but now more than ever he can't afford to lose. Kuroda says he's relieved to hear that, as Kazemaru asks if he's done prattling on. The two walk off into the darkness, as Kuroda tells his opponent that he's staking his life on his profession, and Kazemaru tells him he's doing the same.

They walk off until they can no longer be seen. Genkai tells them to begin, and all that can be heard is grunting and yelling, with the occasion flash of light. Most of the others can't tell what's going on, but Kuwabara says the assassin is doing slightly better. He can just about see a little of the fight.

Kuroda does have the upper hand, and is on the offensive. He makes Kazemaru leap back and goes in for the kill, but Kazemaru unleashes a blast of spirit energy, which hits Kuroda and takes him out. Yusuke can't believe it -that was like his spirit gun, but it was much bigger than his.

Kazemaru staggers out of the darkness and says he didn't think he'd have to use that technique in the first match. The others discuss that technique and Yusuke thinks about how Kazemaru used spirit energy, so it really is like his spirit gun after all. He then hears a voice in his head: Botan! She tells him that technique is the same principle as his spirit gun.

Yusuke heads outside, and Kuwabara wonders where he's running off to. Botan materializes on a tree and says she came here because she was worried about him. She jumps down and says Kazemaru can probably launch spirit energy from his entire palm. The fact that he could sent out such an unusually large blast of spirit energy means the technique must have required a lot of training. And even though he used that much, he still has plenty of it left. Yusuke says that means he won't be able to beat him with his own spirit energy.

Kuwabara then runs up to them, telling Urameshi that if he doesn't get back, he'll.. he then notices Botan.and asks who she is, but then grabs Yusuke and tells him that he's already got Keiko! Yusuke is about to introduce her but she introduces herself: she's assistant Spirit Realm detective Botan, and is pleased to meet him -although, she's seen him many times before. Kuwabara is more surprised to see his floating in the air, but Yusuke tells him that she's the guide to the Spirit Realm, and the ringleader who's forced him to become a spirit detective.

Yusuke then asks him about the others, as he said he was getting a bad feeling from one of them earlier. It seems that the demon Rando has changed himself into one of them, and his job this time is to make sure Genkai's secrets don't fall into Rando's hands. Kuwabara says he doesn't get any of this, but more importantly, it means this chick isn't his girlfriend. So in that case...

...he asks her if she would come along with him, with the prospect of marriage in mind! His heart burns like an inferno for her...

...before he can continue, he notices someone has throw a cigarette onto his shoulder, which starts to burn. As he gets rid of it, Genkai calls out to them, asking if they are forfeiting their matches. If they want to be disqualified, they can stay out here. They all run back inside, as Genkai says those must be Koenma's men. But even so, she'll choose her pupil fairly.

The next match has Shorin against Chinpou. They walk off into the darkness, and Genkai tells them to begin. After some yelling and screaming, it's Shorin who walks out, who says that was a close one. Koenma says that Shorin was slightly higher in each category of the three spiritual power levels, so you'd expect him to win.

The third match will be Kuwabara against Musashi. Yusuke tells Kuwabara to do his best not to get killed, but Kuwabara tells him he won't die until he's beaten him. He and Musashi then walk off, and Botan hopes Kuwabara will be ok. Yusuke says he may not be able to beat him, but he does have a lot of guts, and he's sure he'll be alright.

Before the match starts, Musashi tells Kuwabara that, as he's just a boy, he can stop now. As this is a serious match, he, as a man, will not hold back. Kuwabara tells him not to toy with him. It may not look it, but when it comes to fighting experience and spiritual sensitivity, he's got it all over him! He can see him clearly, even in this darkness, thanks to his spirit energy. Or at least he could -as Musashi suddenly vanishes from his view! Kuwabara tries to find him, but is then struck down.

Kuwabara gets back up, only to see that Musashi has once again vanished. Musashi calls out to him, saying that he knows his spiritual responsiveness is higher than usual. But through training, he has learnt how to block off his own spiritual energy. He's got no chance of winning this battle in the darkness! He then strikes Kuwabara and knocks him down again.

Kuwabara gets back up and charges, but Musashi avoids him and then starts to repeatedly strike him. All everyone else can hear are the sounds of Kuwabara getting beaten up, as Botan tells him to hang in there. Yusuke shouts for him to stop whimpering in there and give it to his opponent good. Kuwabara shouts back at him to shut up and not worry about it. Instead of worrying about others, he should focus on his own match!

Musashi tells him to stop acting so tough. After the kind of the assault he's just taken, it must take everything for him to just stand up. Kuwabara tells him not to make him laugh -his fairy punches have no effect on him. He kept taking Urameshi's killer punches day after day! Musashi tells him he leaves him no choice. He pulls out his wooden sword and tells him it's made from the immortal wood of a 1,000 year old tree, which is polished with holy water.

This makes it a sword of miraculous force against the wicked, and it means certain death to the demons he slays. He leaps up and disappears in the air, and as Kuwabara tries to find him, he comes down and hits him with a technique:

SHIN BATTOU RYU: KOUSHI KEN

(True Unsheathed Blade Style: Photon Sword)

This technique has Musashi hit Kuwabara hundreds of times in just a few seconds, and Kuwabara is floored by it. But something lands next to him: a small piece of wood.

Musashi realizes his sword has been broken, and that Kuwabara does indeed possess untold spiritual power. He starts to walk off, but Kuwabara gets up and picks up the splinter. He says he can still keep going, but Musashi says that his next attack will finish him off.

As he disappears, he tells him that even with that sword fragment he's now holding, he can still do nothing. Kuwabara thinks that's true, as given how short it is, he can't defend himself with it. As he wonders what to do, Musashi leaps down and strikes him, but then suddenly something incredible happens: a beam of energy emits from the sword fragment Kuwabara is holding, which blocks Musashi's attack.

Neither fighter knows what's going on, but Genkai says it's a materialization ability. Among spiritual powers, it's usually hidden in the shadows, but when faced with real danger, Kuwabara's strong spiritual powers guided him to create a physical object, in this case, a sword of light. Kuwabara wastes no time swinging his new weapon, which breaks Musashi's sword and sends him flying back in defeat.

Kuwabara looks at his energy sword and is still surprised that he was able to make it. Genkai thinks that with this tool, his true powers have been directed through -he will be able to become much, much stronger. Kuwabara walks back out, and Genkai declares him the winner.

He tells Yusuke not to lose before he runs into him, but Yusuke tells him not to talk so big when he's so beaten up. With the next match about to start, Yusuke and Kibano step forward. Kibano tells his opponent that he won't hold back, but Yusuke waits, with his eyes closed. Kibano asks him if he's lost his nerve, but Yusuke tells him his was just praying for him to rest in peace. Botan wonders what's the point of him showing off for?!

Genkai calls him a moron and throws her cigarette at him, which he avoids as it gets sent into the darkness. She tells him if he's going to fool around, she'll count it as him forfeiting the match! Yusuke tells her that if she wants to see him in a match, he guesses he can get down to it. He takes off his jacket and walks off into the darkness.

He realizes that once you've gotten in deeper here, you really can't see anything -but his opponent won't be able to see anything either. But Kibano says that won't be so, as he can tell where he is. Yusuke tells him not to bluff with him, as his spiritual responsiveness isn't all that high, unlike Kuwabara's. He takes a step back, but Kibano then says that he just took a step back. Yusuke wonders how he knew that.

Kibano is wearing a special helmet. He says that fighting in the dark suits him fine, and by cutting off his own sensory organs with this mask, it's possible for him to sense his opponent's location even more keenly. He tells Yusuke that he has seen his share of battlegrounds, but that serves to tell him his location. He can see the fierce fighting energy which is emanating from his entire body. He then lunges forward and punches Yusuke in the face.

Yusuke gets up, just in time to avoid having his body shattered. Kibano punches through the floor, and Yusuke throws a piece of it at him, but he leaps back and disappears into the darkness. Yusuke tells him to come out and hears a noise behind him. He turns around and runs toward the source of it, and sees Kibano. He punches him in the face...

...and gets three more attacks in. But Kibano isn't fazed, and kicks him with enough force to send him flying into a pillar. As Yusuke gets back up, Kibano tells him he appears he was able to locate him via sound, but without knowing exactly where he is, he won't be able to do any decisive damage to him.

Kuwabara says it's no use and and it won't work, as Kibano's mask also acts as a shield. Botan says that in an ordinary fight, that would be definitely unfavorable, but here, Yusuke is the one who can't see his opponent. If Yusuke doesn't figure out a way to see his opponent, then he has no chance of winning. Kibano says it's time they settled this, and uses a technique.

Kuwabara says he can see that Kibano's arm seems to have grown, and Genkai says he is taking spirit energy that circulates outside his body and storing it up inside, making his attack power several times greater. Yusuke still can't figure out where his opponent is.

But Kibano then runs towards him, saying this will end it. He strikes Yusuke with the...

DAI WAN KOU BAKU SHOU

(Great Strong Arm Explosive Charge)

Yusuke is again sent flying, and bounces across the ground. He comes to a stop and is seemingly defeated.

It's said that those who hide strong spiritual powers develop them, particularly during a crisis. But is Yusuke's spiritual power already at its limit?


NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

(Yusuke is speaking)

What was that Great Strong Arm whatever?! I've never taken a punch that strong before! Besides, fighting in the darkness is seriously demanding! This is no time for me to be having trouble with this guy! I have a mission to find Rando! I can only use my spirit gun once, if I miss, I'm through! Next time: Yusuke's Hard Battle! A Bruised and Bloody Counterattack!! The Other World's not watching for nothing!