Yu Yu Hakusho—a work that could be called an ancient masterpiece, and part of Charles's true childhood memories.
Back when Charles was little, all the chūni teens loved to imitate things like wrapping bandages around their arms and saying, "A black dragon is sealed in my arm"—all of that came from a certain character in this world.
Because of that, even though a long time has passed, Charles still remembers many of this world's characters and events clearly.
It's also because the plot isn't that complicated; it's a very classic hot-blooded shōnen story.
The world of Yu Yu Hakusho uses the classic three-realm setup: the Human World where humans live, the Spirit World where souls of the dead go, and the Demon World where yokai dwell—together forming a complete world.
Humans and yokai coexist here. Martial artists and spirit users uphold the extraordinary side of humanity. The yokai are also divided into factions, each with its own abilities and traits.
But the two sides aren't strictly separated. Some people at the apex of the underworld not only know of yokai, but also cooperate with them and can even command them.
The story revolves around the main cast fighting from the Human World to the Spirit World, then to the Demon World.
Of course, a classic martial arts tournament and the human–demon mixed-blood setup are indispensable.
No wonder Charles felt this world was especially fragile—turns out this is only a part of it, and the weakest part in terms of extraordinary power.
But this is also where the entire plot begins, and the delinquent boy now before Charles is the protagonist of this world—Yusuke Urameshi.
Yusuke's gaze burned as he looked at Charles. Taking down that group of punks was nothing to Yusuke.
After all, he'd taught every punk around here a lesson with his fists. Aside from one guy who never admitted defeat, he didn't think much of the rest.
But he knew perfectly well that he couldn't topple opponents as effortlessly as Charles just had. In the end, all he knew was how to brawl.
As a fan of fighting, he really wanted to rush up and test the other guy's strength, but he also had his own bottom line, and he hesitated, not knowing what to do.
Charles could certainly feel the fighting intent in Yusuke's eyes, and he remembered what kind of person this boy was.
Charles guessed it was because of the diluted demon blood of his distant Mazoku lineage: besides outstanding talent, it made him naturally crave battle.
And that craving was also the main reason he grew so quickly.
But the Yusuke now couldn't pique Charles's interest. To be blunt, the current Yusuke was no different to Charles than the punks lying on the ground.
What surprised Charles, though, was that despite such strong fighting intent, Yusuke restrained himself and didn't swing first. That made Charles look at him in a new light.
Whoever you are, self-control is always the hardest thing.
Though Yoshihiro Togashi's called "old thief," his skill is undeniably top-tier.
The protagonists he creates do wear halos and possess talent far beyond others, but they never give off that "invincible wish-fulfillment" vibe.
Including Gon from the neighboring Hunter x Hunter world, Yusuke and the others have certain qualities that set them apart.
It's not a flimsy "kindness," but a personal view of life and the world—and the resolve to see it through.
It gives you the feeling that "this is what a protagonist should be like."
Nodding in approval to Yusuke, Charles left with Stella.
Yusuke, baffled by Charles's final look, calmed his still-boiling blood and turned to leave as well.
He didn't know why, but he had a feeling he'd meet this person again!
…
In the blink of an eye, two more days had passed since Charles met Yusuke and confirmed which world this was.
In these two days Charles… did nothing. Even he felt he was being a bit lazy, so he and Stella took a spontaneous hot springs trip.
After returning home with Stella—whose skin now looked noticeably dewier—Charles began reflecting on whether he should do something.
But once he knew which world he was in, he felt a lack of motivation.
After all, it was too early an era; back then, stories hadn't opened up as wildly. Translated into a real world, it means this world's extraordinary powers never formed a coherent system.
The spiritual power humans wield and the demonic energy yokai use are essentially the same thing here—energy derived from a living being's soul and life.
They only manifest differently because the roots of humans and yokai differ.
From someone at Charles's level, so-called spiritual power and youki—and even his own mana—aren't fundamentally different.
And in any world, the only way to enhance this type of power is through diligent training and accumulation. So in other worlds, all Charles really learned were application techniques for energy.
But in this world, under the influence of the old thief's personal style, extraordinary power is more about individuality. Whether human or yokai, developing abilities is entirely personal—totally unsuited for study.
The Spirit Gun Yusuke uses from start to finish is just a rough discharge of spiritual power. It only becomes powerful later because his control refines and he adds youki.
Same "maru," but his is nowhere near as technical as the Seventh Hokage's Rasengan. That guy truly spun one move into a whole art, developing all kinds of versions.
There's nothing worth learning here, and there's no opponent Charles feels is worth a fight.
Only two existences in this world are worth his attention. One is King Enma, who rules the Spirit World and manages all the dead.
Though he never fights, the fact that he can lead the Spirit World to repel an invasion from the Demon World shows he must at least rival the three great demon kings.
And when Yusuke first became a Spirit Detective, Koenma mentioned that King Enma's anger alone could cause disasters in the Human World.
But Charles figures that's because King Enma's station as administrator of the Spirit World is too high; his raw power probably isn't that exaggerated.
In short, shallow waters don't breed big fish. With the world's upper limit where it is, King Enma's strength can be inferred accordingly.
But King Enma isn't suitable as an opponent. Crossing fists with someone burdened with such a crucial role—even a friendly exchange—would be a hassle.
Rather than fighting with his hands tied, Charles would just drop the idea.
The other one—or rather, yokai—could be a good opponent: Raizen, acknowledged as the strongest yokai in this world, one of the three rulers of the Demon World, and the source of Yusuke's bloodline.
Called the "Battle God" by yokai, Raizen would certainly be a worthy foe. Unfortunately, honoring his promise to his wife, he hasn't eaten for seven hundred years and is about to starve to death.
Fighting such a Raizen would be no different from bullying to Charles. What could Charles do—persuade Raizen to break his vow and eat humans to regain his power?
Leaving aside whether Charles could convince him to do something he'd rather die than do, the act of eating humans is something Charles absolutely can't accept.
And nothing is more base than insulting a man's resolve and his promise to the one he loves. Charles could never do that.
Thinking it through, this match was off the table too!
But it did remind Charles that his power has already exceeded the limits of most worlds. In the worlds to come, he'll likely run into similar situations often.
What should he do then? Just hope every new world he visits will be useful to him?
These two days of goofing off with Stella were also a way to divert his attention and ignore these vexing thoughts.
Sighing again, Charles sat on the windowsill in silence.
The door was knocked, and Stella came in carrying a plate of sliced melon.
Seeing Charles's expression, Stella set the fruit aside, walked over, and said, "Why the long face? Did something happen?"
Charles had always understood that concealment breeds misunderstanding, so he told her what was bothering him.
After listening, Stella instead smiled, took Charles's hand, and said, "You're just in too much of a hurry to get stronger!"
Looking him straight in the eye, she went on, "But you're already very strong. I know—you have things you must do, and enemies you must defeat.
"But I believe you can beat any enemy and accomplish anything. Hasn't it always been that way?
"Pressuring yourself for power only to lose your way—that's the last thing I want to see happen to you."
Charles froze, then spread his arms and hugged Stella.
"Having you by my side is wonderful."
A blush rose to Stella's face, but she wrapped her arms around him too. Feeling his energy return, she smiled.
Charles said, "In that case, let's enjoy every journey to come."
Stella bounced up. "Yes! Every new world is like starting a new life—how fun is that!"
Charles said, "True. So what should we do in this world?"