Episode 17

Byakko's Lair ("Byakko's Hellish Roar // Byakko Jigoku no Otakebi" 白虎·地獄の雄叫び) is the seventeenth episode of season 1 of YuYu Hakusho. It aired on February 6, 1993 in Japan and June 22, 2002 in the United States.

Plot

Despite losing all his energy, Kuwabara unleashes his last drop of power and attacks again with his spirit sword, but once again Byako absorbs the energy, leaving Kuwabara down unconscious. Now Byako is about to smash Kuwabara with his humongous feet, but suddenly he begins to feel something wrong. It seems like what Kuwabara planned before has finally taken effect. Byako absorbed too much energy for his body to take, and with this Byako suddenly explodes and he falls unconscious to the pit down below to his demise. Kuwabara faints from exhaustion.

Two demons down, and Yusuke and the gang continue with their journey. Yusuke calls Botan again with his communicator to ask the situation on the human world, but again Kuwabara sprungs out (recovers his strength again) and snatches the communicator away and asks Botan for a date... it turns out that things are getting worse as more and more humans are being possessed by this said insects. Yusuke needs to stop Suzaku, the holder of the flute that controls the insects as soon as possible to prevent more casualities in the human world. They enter the next venue of challenge, a valley of lava. Hundreds of stepping stones lie ahead but what awaits them below is one sea of burning lava.. Kuwabara rips a piece of his shirt and throws it down the lava, but it burns right before reaching the sea, proving how hot it really is. So they continue on jumping on each stone but suddenly someone arises in front of them... Its Byako!

It turns out Byako survived his fall from the pit and has regained his composure. He challenges again the group to another showdown. As Yusuke attempts to attack Kuwabara suddenly stops him, saying this is his fight, and what he started must be finished. Bravely Kuwabara jumps off to face Byako one more time, but the stone he jumped on suddenly breaks... and a horrified Kuwabara catches his breath on almost falling to his death in the sea of lava.. he removes his shirt and prepares for the battle and unleashes his spirit sword one more time. But Byako has something new to show, and he spits out a devastating fire ball for Kuwabara. Kuwabara was about to counter with his sword but Kurama suddenly butts out saying he must avoid the attack. He does, and realizes the ball disintegrates anything that touches it. With this, Kuwabara avoids every ball Byako fires, destroying each time the stepping stones all over. Now there are only two stones left, the stone where Byako waits, and the stone where a shocked Kuwabara stands.

Yusuke pleas for Kuwabara to retreat since a close range weapon like his sword will never stand a chance against Byako's fire ball attacks. But Kuwabara persists on staying in the battle, and he takes the gamble and jumps off the stone he stands towards Byako's position to attack him frontly. But his jump fell SHORT and he is racing down the burning pit of lava beneath...

Just then he unleashes a new weapon.. his sword transforms into a pole-like gadget and it bounces him back up and into Byako and with this momentum Kuwabara releases a migthy punch that nails Byako in the jaw and knocks him out of the stone and down into the lava.. however his punch was too strong he couldn't control himself and he too fell down. The three are in shock on how Kuwabara sacrificed himself to beat Byako but just then we hear Kuwabara's scream.. he didn't fall! he's dangling just below the stone and yells for help. Another lucky break for Kuwabara.. so finally they beat Byako and they continue on to face the rest of the demons as the episode ends.