In the battle for the Demon Realm, with the control over the entire land at stake, most of Yusuke's friends had been beaten, one after the next, by those of the Demon Realm who were more powerful. In the midst of them, Kurama, who had advanced to the second round, fought against the Demon Realm physiotherapist, Shigure. In order to settle the issue of his involvement with the Demon Realm, he stood by his own power, and though he had a difficult battle, he in turn won admirably. And so, the mighty contenders who are after victory in the tournament are about to face each other.

Showdown!
Hiei and Mukuro

Koenma tells Botan that he didn't think Kurama would have had such a hard time. Botan says that Kurama doesn't have any spectral power left, which makes Koenma concerned about what he'll do for his next fight. Botan says she's more concerned over whether Yusuke and the others can win. Koto then announces that the next fight will be in the D block, between Hiei and Mukuro. Hiei is already waiting on the ring.

Mukuro is still watching from the waiting room, and heads off to the ring. She soon arrives. Hokushin says that this is a contest between two members of Mukuro's forces, making it a lucky pairing for them.

Yusuke hits him on the head and says he though he'd told them to stop thinking about it like that. He says to keep quiet and just watch. Elsewhere, Toya tells Kurama that he should really go to the infirmary right now. Kurama says he's ok, he just wants to watch the fight between Hiei and Mukuro. Koto tells the two fighters to begin.

Hiei draws his sword, as Mukuro asks him if he found his answer -he had said he had no purpose in life. Hiei says he no longer needs an answer, as it doesn't matter to him anymore. Mukuro asks him if that's really the case, and thinks that of all the consciousness that she has touched, his has been the most pleasant one so far. This time, she wants him to touch her consciousness. She thinks back to how she was abandoned soon after she was born... it was just like being sold.

By the time she realized what had happened, she was a prisoner. She didn't know who her father or mother were, she didn't even know who she herself was. In desperation, she managed to escape, and fled from the circumstances she was in. She ended up jumping off a cliff, landing into a rapid river below.

She survived, but she found that no matter what she tried, she couldn't get her shackles off. She instead decided to make them a token of her hatred, and even now, they remain on her arms. After that, her days of fighting began. She gathered up her hatred toward everything around her, and sacrificed anything necessary to continue fighting. Before she realized it, she had obtained some followers, and had become influential enough to oppose Raizen.

Back in the present, Hiei points his sword at her and tells her that here they go. He starts his attack, rapidly trying to strike Mukuro with his sword. He asks her what she's living for, as she can't release herself from those unpleasant memories of her past.

He continues his attack, as the two return to the ground and stop. As he walks towards her, he thinks that from the time they were born, neither of them have been the recipients of what could be called affection. All they've ever had are cold looks that shunned them. He then resumes his attack. He thinks as time has gone on, they've learnt to live with it, and ignore it.

That's why, for whatever reason, he gets along with her. It's only during battle that he and her realized who they are. As Mukuro jumps up, she throws out several energy blasts, which Hiei has to cut his way through.

Koenma says this fight is different than usual, as the two are butting their thoughts against each other in battle, rather than talking. Mukuro then blows apart some rocks, which head straight to Hiei, but he cuts them up. In doing so, he leaves himself open, and Mukuro heads towards him...

...but she doesn't attack, and instead lands next to him. He asks her why she isn't using her full power. He believes she obtained her freedom by fighting, so it shouldn't bother her to take pride in that. He asks her if there's something she can't leave behind that keeps her from doing so. Mukuro tells him not to say that, but he says she's no longer under any curse. He thinks this is about the effeminate notions she has about herself, about being a woman. Mukuro then suddenly gets behind Hiei, and turns around...

...to deliver a very powerful strike. Hiei gets launched into a cliff, and tumbles down it. As he gets up, he tells her here goes.

He starts to summons flames from one of his arms, as Mukuro knows what he's about to use. She finds it ironic that Hiei, having been born in the Land of Glaciers, uses the demon energy of flame. Hiei says it's his curse from the beginning to have been born with a differently natured power. With a hatred which he can't do anything about sustaining him, he melts the ice with fire.

Mukuro doesn't think it's hatred, and tells Hiei he never held any resentment from the start. The two fire energy beams at each other, which clash in the middle. Mukuro tells him that what he's harboring is an intense yearning for his homeland.

As the two move closer to each other, eventually they stop their attacks. Hiei is worn out from it, but Mukuro isn't. However Hiei then starts fighting again, throwing out lots of punches.

Koto says Hiei has turned this into a frantic fistfight. Botan asks if Hiei has the advantage, as he's the one doing all the attacking. Koenma isn't sure about that, as to him it feels like Hiei is being forced to attack. Mukuro blocks or avoids all of Hiei's attacks, and tells him that if he can't catch her with his two eyes, he'd better use his evil eye.

Hiei keeps attacking, but Mukuro then grabs one of his fists. She tells him that he may have originally had the evil eye to search for his hirui stone, but she believes there's something else that he must see with that eye. Hiei says nothing, but starts trying to kick her. As she avoids his kicks, she thinks Hiei must find himself. She then uses a technique...

...that creates a line that splits apart the scenery. Kurama says that Mukuro can cut through space itself -he'd heard stories that Mukuro was capable of this. Mukuro starts using the technique repeatedly, as Hiei jumps around to avoid it.

Soon there are lines everywhere, and when Hiei tries to jump out, he finds he can't. Kurama says once the space is cut, it remains cut, and if you make contact with it, you'll get split.

Mukuro thinks she wants to bring this to an end, as she doesn't want to go on fighting Hiei forever. The longer they go on, the greater advantage she'll have. Hiei says that it won't do him any good to run away, so he'll have to use this. He unwraps the bandages from around his arm, and emits flames from his hand.

Hiei opens his evil eye, and his entire body is engulfed with flames. He says that by using this technique here in the Demon Realm, it should run even more wild. Mukuro asks him if this is how badly he craves flames, and tells him to do it. Hiei thinks he didn't want to use this technique against her, if he could avoid it. He then performs the wicked king immolation black dragon wave.

The dragon collides with Mukuro, who grabs it by the mouth. As she holds on, she gets taken up high into the air.

Mukuro continues to struggle against the dragon, but then summons her power, and rips the dragon apart. The dragon gets split in two, and is destroyed.

Mukuro's energy, spirals down through the dragon, and hits Hiei, defeating him. He gets up to see Mukuro waiting for him.

She asks him if he feels better now. She says that as someone who was born in the Land of Glaciers, that great technique was too hard on him -it was too much for his body to bear. She tells him he's lost, and he admits that he has. Koto comments that Mukuro is the winner, and will advance to the third round. Botan can't believe that Hiei lost, but Koenma says both Hiei and Mukuro look satisfied.

Yusuke tells the two that that was awesome. Mukuro tells Hiei to not say that defeating her has become his reason for living, as that would be too sad. Hiei tells her he won't fight her again. Mukuro then notices that the shackle on her wrist has cracked.

Hiei tells her that all of her hatred is now in the past, and she shouldn't have need of it any longer. The shackle breaks and falls off, leaving Mukuro stunned.

Hiei tells her it's too soon to leave everything behind, for both of them. Mukuro agrees, and as Hiei stumbles forward and falls, Mukuro catches him.

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

(Yusuke is speaking)

During a fierce exchange, he started to demonstrate a difference in our powers that I could do nothing about. Heh, I'm starting to feel happy about it. How could anyone be as strong as this? But still, I want to win against him! Next time: My Power: This is My All! The Other World's not watching for nothing!