Humans infected by the terrible Makaichu bugs become ravaging monsters bent on the destruction of the Human Realm. To defeat the Four Saint Beasts, who control the Makaichu with their bug flute, Yusuke, together with Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei, have come to Demon City. There, even as Kurama was injured, he barely managed to defeat Genbu, the first of the Four Saint Beasts. However, that was nothing more than a prelude of the fierce battles yet to come!

Grow, Spirit Sword!!
Kuwabara: A Man's Fight

Inside the castle, Yusuke asks Kurama if his wound is alright. Kurama says it's not that bad, as he can still move. However Hiei thinks he won't be able to fight with that injury, and without Kurama, there are still three more opponents left.

Kuwabara says to leave the next one to him. Yusuke reminds him he was quivering during Kurama's battle with Genbu, but Kuwabara says he was just surprised at everything happening so suddenly. He says he wasn't just doing nothing whilst Yusuke was training with Genkai, and tells them to watch this. His hand starts to glow, as he creates his spirit sword.

In Spirit Realm, Koenma and Jorge are watching. Koenma wonders when Kuwabara was able to get such spiritual power, and thinks about making him a Spirit Detective. Jorge warns him King Enma will scold him if he does such a thing. Spiritual power, attack power and defense power must all be in order, or else Kuwabara won't be qualified to become a spirit detective. Koenma thinks Kuwabara might just be able to pass those tests. Back in the castle, Kuwabara says he was experimenting, and found he was able to generate the sword with just his bare hand. He asks Urameshi if he's scared, as after they're done with the Four Saint Beasts, he wants to square off his spirit sword against Yusuke's spirit gun.

Yusuke tells him he'll take him on any time, whilst Hiei admits Kuwabara isn't just a big lunk after all. Kuwabara threatens to kill him, but Yusuke tells them to cut it out. Kuwabara reveals he has one more secret he found during his research, and tells them to watch this. He points his spirit sword upwards...

...and the beam of energy extends, breaking part of the ceiling. He tells them he can get the sword to extend and shrink at will, and whilst earlier he was shaken up by seeing Genbu, but he's now mentally prepared. He says to leave the next opponent to him, but then gets dizzy and falls over. He says maybe doing that just now made him a little fatigued. Yusuke tells him he shouldn't have done it right before a fight!

Botan then contacts Yusuke, and tells him she has terrible news. She takes out a few more bugs and then tells him that whilst she was out on patrol, she found a whole lot of the bugs surrounding a kindergarten here. Yusuke tells her he thought the bugs could only live off people with shady hearts, and Botan says that's meant to be the case. But if the bugs force themselves into a child, it could cost the child their life.

A guy possessed by one of the bugs then confronts her, forcing her to run off. She informs Yusuke about what's going on, as the guy chases after her. She wonders what she should do, as she can't let loose on the bug without hurting the person. She finds an unlocked door, and hides inside a room.

She tells Yusuke she has to do something, otherwise the damage is going to spread out. But then the guy punches his way through the door and attacks her. She sprays some pesticide into his eyes, then hits him with her bat.

She reports to Yusuke that she's alright, as the guy has passed out on her. But it's only a matter of time until the damage spreads out into the city. Back in the castle, the group are startled by the sound of a loud roar, which is so loud it causes the castle itself to shake and crumble.

The roar continues for a few more seconds but then suddenly stops. Kuwabara is certain whatever made it isn't of this world, and Yusuke tells Botan he'll contact her later. The roaring then starts again, as Kurama says it's the roar of Byakko -who is clearly in quite a bad mood. Yusuke tells everyone to go, so the group run towards the source of the roar.

They end up running out onto one of the castle's walls, where their next opponent is waiting for them.

FOUR SAINT BEASTS

BYAKKO

Most of the group take defensive stances, but Kuwabara stands there, dumbfounded. Byakko asks them if the have deliberately brought themselves before him, and then roars again.

Hiei says he'll handle this, but Kuwabara stops him. He says he's going to beat this guy all by himself, and starts to march towards Byakko. Byakko tells them all not to be so proud of themselves for defeating Genbu, who he refers to as an errand boy. As if being sealed up in this castle without anything good to eat isn't irritating enough, he's not happy that Spirit Realm has sent in four kids to fight them.

He warns the humans of the group that they will be fodder to him. He then tells Hiei and Kurama he's going to carve them up, and serve them as fodder to the starving demons. He speaks so loudly that the entire wall to shake, and part of the floor leading to the arena breaks away.

Byakko tells them now they have nowhere to run, and suggests all four of them attack him together -even though he already knows how it will turn out. Kuwabara tells him he's just saying whatever he pleases, and is about to challenge him. Hiei asks him if he still plans on going alone, and Kuwabara tells him of course he is. Everyone knows you have to fight one on one. Yusuke tells him if that's the case, then his legs must just be quivering out of a warrior's anticipation, right? Kuwabara tells him he said he was going, and now he's going to go.

As Kuwabara starts to slowly march off, Yusuke asks him if he's sure he hasn't gotten himself in too deep to back out? Kuwabara tells him to shut up and just watch! Byakko notices that only one of the group is coming towards him.

Kuwabara tells Byakko to fight him. Byakko laughs and says that this is so absurd, his anger has disappeared! Kuwabara tells him to stop laughing and get down here.

Byakko tells him not to be ridiculous, as there's no need to involve himself with the likes of him. Instead, he plucks out four hairs from his head, and blows some kind of energy onto them, sending them up into the sky.

But the hairs transform into four large beasts, which drop down and surround Kuwabara. Kuwabara is alarmed and wonders who this guy is -Son Goku?! Byakko explains that these beasts are split off from himself, and tells them to slice Kuwabara up slowly before they kill him.

One of the beasts leaps forward and Kuwabara immediately takes a hit. But he gets back up and says no more mercy, as he generates his spirit sword.

Byakko is surprised he can turn his spirit energy into a weapon, but then tells him if he thinks he can face the beasts with it. Kuwabara charges straight towards the beats, but the first one jumps over his attack.

He starts taking hits again, as he can't land any attack he makes on any of the beasts. Hiei says Kuwabara isn't even worth mentioning, as with his swordsmanship, it's only a matter of time before he's put to death. Kuwabara gets struck several more times, so Yusuke tells him to trade places. He thinks that if there are a lot of opponents, then his shotgun technique may be able to do something about it!

As Kuwabara continues to try and fight, Byakko recommends they don't trade places, but instead all fight together. It's only natural that one of them facing him alone is impossible. Yusuke asks Kuwabara to trade places with him again, but Kuwabara tells him to not be absurd. He refuses to trade places with him before he's even got to face Byakko, and threatens to kill him if he interferes before then. Byakko tells him it looks like he hasn't learnt his lesson yet. He tells his beasts to bite through their prey's arms and legs, but he will devour Kuwabara's head and body.

The beasts resume their attack, and Kuwabara is once again helpless. Yusuke yells at him, telling him this is no time to be so stubborn and to switch with him. He doesn't think it's possible for him to defeat all four of them at once. Kuwabara thinks about what he just said... all of them... at once? Yusuke tells him to come back, but Kuwabara says that's it!

He does start to run back, as the beasts chase after him. Byakko laughs and says he must have finally awakened to his terror, if he's running back to his friends. But it's too late now, and he tells his beasts to bite through not only Kuwabara, but his friends there as well. Kuwabara continues to run along, but Byakko tells him running away won't do him any good.

However, Kuwabara suddenly stops and says who said he was running away? He turns around and extends his spirit sword, thrusting it through the mouth of the first beast and have it come out of its backside. It ends up doing the same thing to the other three beasts. Kuwabara says he led them on purpose down that narrow road, in order to line them up straight.

Hiei thinks a simpleton thinks as a simpleton would, but when Kuwabara hears that he tells him to get over here and fight him. Yusuke tells him to concentrate on what's in front of him, so Kuwabara tells Byakko that he's next. Byakko says his beasts aren't so weak that they could be defeated like that, and tells them to go and bite him as they are.

The beasts power up and change color, and charge after Kuwabara. He has no option but to run back, but leads them around the tower that they walked out of. He manages to catch up with the beast at the back, and joins together the tip of his sword with the hilt of it.

This stops the beasts in their tracks, as Kuwabara says they're now monsters on a skewer, donut version. Hiei thinks he has no common sense for tying his spirit energy together, whilst Yusuke thinks even if they are donuts, they can't eat them even if they roasted them -they did come from Byakko's hair, after all. Kuwabara points at Byakko and asks him what's wrong, but Byakko says now they've gotten him really angry. He does a roar which causes a bolt of energy to strike the tower.

The tower is destroyed, along with all four of the beasts. Kuwabara calls him a punk who just likes to show off, and now the beasts are burned out, his turn is next. Byakko punches a wall and isn't too happy with Kuwabara being so full of himself. He's going to kill him personally now. Kuwabara tells him to come down from there now, and generates another spirit sword.

Byakko leaps down, and Kuwabara is surprised at how frighteningly huge he is up close. Yusuke wonders if Kuwabara is going to be alright, but Kuwabara thinks he mustn't let Byakko intimidate him.

Byakko warns him that he can't defeat him with that sword of his. If that spirit sword is his best and only weapon, then he doesn't have a a 1 in hundred... no, 1 in thousand chance of winning! Kuwabara charges towards him, and says they'll see if it works when he tests it on his body. He slashes into Byakko...

...but Byakko doesn't even flinch, and goes to punch him. Kuwabara manages to avoid getting hit by jumping back, and goes to strike him again.

But something seems to be wrong. Kurama notices it and so does Hiei, prompting Yusuke to ask what's going on. Hiei tells him to look at the two fighters -Kuwabara is setting the pace of the fight, yet he's looking totally exhausted. Kuwabara wonders what is going on -it's like no matter how many times he attacks Byakko, it has no effect at all. At this rate, he's going to be the one who gives in.

He's also noticed, as has everyone else, that Byakko has grown even larger! Kurama says to look at Kuwabara's spirit sword, which has gotten smaller. He says that Byakko is sucking out Kuwabara's energy.

And given his size increase, it seems he's taking that energy for himself. Byakko says it looks like Kuwabara has realized what's happening, and asks him what he's going to do -will he throw away his sword and fight bare handed? Kuwabara tells him not to be ridiculous, and re-ignites his spirit sword.

But in doing so, he drops to his knees, as his sword decreases in size once more. Kuwabara tries once again to power up his spirit sword, but Yusuke tells him to stop. No matter how many times he attacks his opponent, he'll just make him larger! Kuwabara ignores him and charges forward, saying how can he, a man, stop attacking after he's reached this point?

The ferocious demon Byakko devours the spirit energy emitted by his opponent and turns it into his own power! With his spirit sword as his only weapon, does Kuwabara no longer have any chance of winning?


NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

(Kuwabara is speaking)

Urameshi, don't you misjudge me! Once Kuwabara the man starts a one on one fight, he doesn't give up in the middle! Come on, now! If you try helping me out, I'll curse you as long as I live! So then, come on, you freak cat! I'll knock you off of your perch! If you want to finish me that badly, then I'm taking you with me! Next time: Byakko's Hellish Roar. The Other World's not watching for nothing!