Love's Denial

Here we go, kittens. The next chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Eighteen


Akira felt as though her whole body was going to explode with pure energy. She was not so naïve that she didn’t know just how much energy she had at her disposal but she had never thought that it was so strong with its concentrated force. She had to bite her lip to keep from screaming aloud with her energy as her human hair fell to the ground and her real hair started to grow back painfully. Her claws and fangs forced her human nails and teeth out of her body and Akira could taste her blood as her body was forced through the transition. Her skin felt as though it were on fire, the healthy human tint to her skin began to pale to an almost translucent pale white and her markings were being seared into her body. She couldn’t see anything; her eyes were bleeding as they changed to their original color. If the transformation of Akira’s outside was painful, then it was noting compared to the pain she felt on the inside, going from human organs back to demon. When this was over she was going to kill that fucking bastard and shove his balls down his throat.


*********************************************


“The smoke is clearing, Kurama,” Hiei said, rising on shaky feet.


Yusuke groaned as he helped Kuwabarra up. “Damn my head is killing me? What the hell was that?”


“That was a shit load of energy. Was that Aki screaming like that? Do you think he killed Aki?” Kuwabarra asked, stumbling to them.


Kurama’s eyes narrowed, his calm façade already back in place though his mind and body were still shaken by the event. “No, she is alive for the moment. That was not his energy; his is still the same. It came from Aki and it was not human,” he told them, watching the ring intently.


The sprit fox’s eyes widen as the last of the smoke left the ring and Aki was revealed to them, or well a creature that resembled Aki and was wearing her clothes. Her hair was a golden blond and Kurama could see a few strands of white in the thick mass that fell to her mid-hip. Her body had also changed. The demoness’ skin was a pale, snow-like color. Her body was also different from Aki’s. She was the same height but underneath the baggy clothes, her breasts had grown and her hips had widened. Her energy was strong and he could feel that she had an incredibly large reserve of it. Kurama’s eyes narrowed in restrained, roaring rage. ‘She lied.’


Hiei couldn’t help but smirk in victory. “I told you she was hiding something. Maybe next time you will listen, Kurama.”


When Kurama turned to glare at him, Hiei decided it would be in best interest if he hid his smugness. Kurama looked as though he would kill at any moment and Hiei was a smart demon.


*********************************************


Kayu gripped the banister of her booth in rage. “That fucking whore,” she screamed across the arena, uncaring about the attention she brought to herself.


Mekoto turned to look at her lady, hiding her own shock at the sudden turn in the tournament to attend her lady. “At least you know she is here, Kayu and now her costume has been destroyed.”


Kayu turned and glared at Mekoto. “Do not flatter me, you twit. That damn fool could have finished this whole thing in a few mere moments instead of letting his ego guide his actions. Now he will never be able to beat Akira.”


“But you are forgetting,” she started soothingly, “Shishi can.”


Kayu visible calmed, though her eyes were still shining in anger. “You are right. It is just that . . . that thing makes me want to climb the wall. To think that such a monstrosity would be born as my heir.”


Mekoto smile reassuringly. “Yes, but it will all be over soon.”


*********************************************


Shizuru turned to Tai while pulling Keiko behind her as the other female lowered whatever the hell kind of shield that she pulled out of her ass. Her eyes narrowed as
Tai’s shoulders tensed when Genkai took a step towards her. “What the fuck are you?” she demanded.


Tai sighed. “Do I really need to answer that?” she asked, turning around.


“So you are a demon,” Genkai replied, her hands clenching into fists.


“Please understand,” she told them, her eyes wide. “I am still your friend and the same Tai you knew only a few minutes ago. Only my body has changed.”


“You wouldn’t be the first person to lie to us to get close. Why should you be any different?” Genkai asked.


“Because,” Tai started, looking at each of them with now large black eyes, “I did not go to the human world to get close to you. I went to do my duty to my keeper, my protector. I had no idea of who you all were until after I had befriended you and Akira had told me who you all were. I am not evil and I don’t want to hurt you.”


Yukina looked up to her and smiled sadly. “But what about Aki? Did she want to hurt Yusuke and the others?” she asked.


Tai hesitated for only a moment. “I . . . I am not sure. I only know that our main purpose in the Ningenkai was to hide Akira and to give her a break.” She stopped again, looking around before continuing. “It is not safe for her in the demon world, especially right now. And after her last encounter with Shishi, well, she has no choice but to be careful. Akira only tells me what I need to know and what she can’t keep from me.”


Shizuru took a step towards her. “I want you to tell me everything now,” she told the vixen.


Tai looked around the arena and stilled when her eyes came in contact with another demons. Shizuru frowned and followed her gaze, watching as a black haired demon smirked up at them. She turned back to the group, ignoring the shiver going down her spine, and looked back at Tai, who had lowered her head in submission. “Please, you have to understand. I can tell you nothing here,” she started, looking back up to Shizuru. “It is to dangerous for everyone involved, especially Akira.”


Genkai smirked. “Sit down. You can tell us everything later and then we will decide if you are telling the truth or not.”


“Than-thank you,” she muttered, taking her seat next to Kaname again. Tai turned to


Kaname and gave him a small smile but it quickly turned into a frown when he didn’t smile back.


“Why didn’t you tell me about Aki?” was his whispered demand as he turned back to the ring.


Tai couldn’t help but feel somewhat alone. “It is not my secret to tell. I told you about myself, is that not enough?” she asked, unable to keep her hurt from her voice.


Kaname smirked. “Ah, I see now. You called her master, so you had no choice but to follow at her heels and keep her secrets,” he said, turning to her.


Tai couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “No, you are wrong. Akira is not like that. She didn’t ask me to keep anything.”


Kaname snorted. “I’ll believe that,” he said, motioning his head towards the ring, “when I see it.”


*********************************************


Kana turned to Seata, her eyes wide with surprise. “It seems Kurama’s little hummingbird is actually a dragon in disguise, hmm puppy?”


Seata grinned, finding Kurama in the crowd gathered below the ring. “I’d say she might not be anything after Kurama gets a hold of her.”


“You just might be right puppy.”


*********************************************


Akira watched as Sui Lee started laughing, her annoyance making her impatience. She winced when she heard a shrill voice come from the intercom.


“I’m speechless and have no idea what just happened, but I do know that that is not the same girl. This can’t be legal.”


Suddenly the silent arena became a roar of excitement. Everyone was in agreement and asking for only one thing, her head. “I knew this was going to be a pain in the ass,” she mumbled, rubbing her ears.


The judge in the ring walked up to Akira. “Uh . . . my colleague made a valid point. You are a different person and now are not qualified to fight.” When she saw the vixen arch an eyebrow at the judge, she took a cautious step back. “It-it’s the rules,” she told her, deciding to move as far away from the girl as possible.


Before Akira could comment, another announcement was made. “Wrong,” the female voice said, her confusion evident, “A note was just sent to me from Lord Yama himself. Tokashi Aki is just an alias for the fighter standing in the ring. It seems that this demon is the real fighter number thirteen, though it does not say who she is.”


Aki smirked and her judge moved closer to the edge of the ring. “There can never be just simple fist to fist fighting, can there?” she asked out loud to herself.


Lee watched her closely and saw that not a muscle moved as she waited for his first attack. ‘So that is how she wants to play it,’ he thought to himself, preparing to lunge. Just before he made his move, he saw Akira’s whole body tense as she turned around.


Another unknown demon walked up to the ring, a smug smile on his face. “Allow me to introduce our unknown fighter,” he started, his black eyes never leaving Akira’s. “The Lady Akira, the half-breed heir to the blood-dragon clan,” he said, listening as the few who did know what he was talking about buzz around with excitement. ‘Now, time to finish nailing the door to her coffin,’ he thought, clearing his throat.


He grinned as he watched Akira shake her head. His grin turned into a chuckle when he heard her say, “Riku, do not utter another fucking word.”


He smiled sweetly at her. “And the bastard princess of infamous and dearly departed Lord Raizen in the flesh.”


*********************************************


Yusuke turned to Kurama. “Tell me I didn’t just hear that,” he pleaded, every word that the water sprite told them started playing in his head.
Kurama was speechless. He couldn’t look away from the ring.


“You have to be fucking shitting me. That girl, Raizen’s heir. It is laughable,” Hiei said, shaking his head.


*********************************************


Kayu smiled sweetly at her favorite beloved from her seat. “My, it seems he will deserve a reward for that, don’t you think?”


*********************************************


Yomi gave a strained laugh as Mukuro broke the chair next to her against the wall. “It seems that sometimes even mere rumors can be true. When I felt that energy wave, I knew that there was a familiar feel about it.”


Mukuro glared at him. “If you start, I swear I’ll kill you,” she gritted out to him.


*********************************************


“What the hell are you planning, father?” Koenma asked.


Yama laughed. “Trust me, this is not my plan,” he answered, smirking at his son. “We are nothing more than simple bystanders.”


*********************************************


Akira glared at her cousin. “Fuck you, you stupid son-of-a-bitch,” she yelled, over the roaring crowd, her energy crackling with her rage. “You should really learn that unlike auntie dearest, you might not want to fuck around with me.”


Riku snorted and turned walking away from her. When Akira would have followed him, she was stopped when Sui Lee made his presence known to her. Clearly the neko did not like being ignored.


“Don’t forget you still have a fight here,” he told her, rushing toward her with his incredible speed.


Akira turned, her eyes seeing each and every one of his moves. When Lee would have made his first attack, Akira sidestepped him. “You should really be careful about what you ask for, fool,” she muttered into his ear from right behind him.


Sui Lee stood shell-shocked, his body unable to move as the younger demon from behind him pushed her clawed hand into his back. His breathing became harsh as he felt her claws crush through his soft tissue, muscle, and spine and reach through to grip his still beating heart. “You really are fucking insane,” he said, turning slightly to look into her eyes.


Akira grinned. “You’re just figuring that out?” she asked as she pulled Lee’s heart from his body. As the now dead demon fell to the floor, Akira pulled his heart up to her face. “Mmmmm,” she mumbled, “I wonder if neko hearts really are a delicacy?” She shrugged her shoulders and crushed the heart, ignoring the blood that splattered on her, adding to her own.


As she walked out of the ring, Akira picked a piece from beneath one of her claws and popped it into her mouth, frowning at the taste. “Gag, that is no delicacy. It’s bitter,” she whined, walking into the holding area for all the competitors.


*********************************************


Sai frowned. “Why in the hell does she do that? She knows she cannot handle the taste of blood.”


Lai rolled his eyes. “Because she is ‘insane’ for the moment,” he said as the group walked over to meet her.


*********************************************


“Time to get some answers,” Yusuke said when he saw Akira look around the holding area.


“Agreed,” Kurama said, following Yusuke.


Kuwabarra ran after them. “Hey, wait for me. I want answers to,” he yelled.


Hiei’s eyes just narrowed as he also made his way towards the girl. ‘Fucking unbelievable.’


*********************************************


Akira wanted to groan when she saw Yusuke head her way. She had hoped to avoid this. If she were the type of girl who cried, she would have been bursting into tears when she saw Kurama and Hiei following behind him. ‘This is going to be trying,’ she thought to herself. Just as she was about to try and locate an escape route, she was suddenly jerked around and a pair of lips landed on hers in greeting.


She pushed away when Sai tried to push his tongue past her lips. She glared at him but in only a few moments it turned into a grin. “Still not having any of it, are you?” he asked her, pouting.


“Letch,” she told him, turning to Kai, Lai, and Rai who were waiting behind him. She easily caught the bag Kai tossed at her.


“Thought that you might want your own clothes,” he told her, turning his head slightly.


She smirked. “You have no idea.” She winced as she felt Yusuke and crew closing in on her. “Hey, you want to give me a small distraction while I go and change?” she asked them.


Rai smirked. “Nervous, princess?” he asked her, leaning up against the wall.


Akira glared. “No, you bastard. I would just feel more comfortable doing this in my own clothes instead of Aki’s. Besides, my stomach is a little unsettled.”


“Go ahead,” Lai ordered before anyone could reply, “we’ll keep them busy till you get back.” Aki made her way behind them quickly, heading for the ladies room.


Rai groaned as the foreboding bunch made their way to them. “She might as well asked us to go and take Kayu’s cock away from her for a week.”


Sai turned to him, a look of horror spreading across his face. “Rai, that is a bit extreme. Even the cruelest person doesn’t deserve to have sex taken away from them.”


Before Rai could come up with some scathing comment, Kai interrupted them. “Stop bickering. You can do that at any time. Our company is here.”


*********************************************


Yusuke looked between the three demons they had met yesterday when they had finally weaved their way through the mass of fighters. “So, it was all a joke. You knew about Aki the whole time.”


Rai snorted. “No shit. I hope you didn’t think that we enjoyed your charming company.”


Hiei growled low in his throat. “Cut the bull shit, you fool. Is what the demon said about Aki true?” he grounded out, his eyes narrowing as the demons looked at him as though he were a fool.


Lai tried to give them a reassuring smile. “Maybe this is not the best place for this conversation,” he told them, looking around the area, relieved to see that most of the fighters were watching the battle going on in the ring.


“I don’t give a shit,” Yusuke yelled out and pulled Lai up by his shirt, his eyes full of rage and questions. “I want to talk to Aki now and you aren’t going to stop me.”


Kurama looked past Lai, Sai, and Rai to their fourth companion. After Yusuke made his threat, a change occurred in that demon. There was no way they were going to get to Aki without fighting and that was against the rules. If it had been anyone else, they would have yelled out their frustrations, but our ever-calm Kurama wouldn’t do that. “Yusuke, step down. This is not the time or place for your anger. Aki will come back here and since we don’t have to fight today, we can wait.”


Yusuke pulled back and crossed his arms, trying to calm his anger. “Fine, but they aren’t leaving until we see Aki.”


Kurama nodded his agreement while Hiei got comfortable against the wall. Kuwabarra just stood there looking at the ground, erringly silent.


Kuwabarra couldn’t help but call himself a fool. ‘That fucking lying demon was leading me on all along. He kissed Aki,’ he thought to himself, that image of Sai pulling Aki into his arms over and over again. ‘When am I going to stop being attracted to bastards?’ he asked himself, wishing that he had stayed on the other side of the room.


*********************************************


Akira rushed to the nearest toilet stall, throwing her bag in the floor. She fell to her knees just as her stomach heaved its contents. The half-breed heir stayed that way for several moments, unable to lift her head from the toilet. When she had finally emptied her stomach, she stood up and wiped her mouth. “Damnit, that was worse than normal,” she mumbled out, pulling off her brown sweater.


She quickly got rid of the to tight bra, a horrid human contraption, and washed the blood from her skin harshly. She then reached into her bag and started pulling on her chest bindings and tightly around her breast. ‘God, they have grown a little bit more since my last transformation. If they grow anymore, I’ll look even more the freak,’ she whined to herself, making sure to get the bindings as tight as possible.


Akira finished pulling off her clothing and reached for what was left in the bag. She smiled when she saw what Kai had brought her, her casual attire. She pulled the clothes on and left the stall.


She looked down at the pile of clothes she wore as Aki. She plucked them from the ground and tossed them in the trashcan outside of her stall. “I am so done playing human,” she muttered, turning to the mirror to make sure her clothing was in place and to pull her hair back.


If it weren’t for her hips, Akira’s clothing would have made her look like a very feminine male. Her pants were made of a simple, soft black leather. One leg was cut off at about four inches below her left knee while the other came up to the top of one of thighs. Her shirt was black with dark red trim and made of soft cotton. It was definitely a fighting shirt with its high collar, sleeveless sleeves and split sides that ended at the middle of her calves. With a small black belt around her waist and her flat heeled, knee length boots, Akira finally felt like comfortable. She quickly worked on her hair, pulling it back to the nape of her neck with a metal clasp. She reached in the bag and grabbed her lace up leather binding and pulled her long, thick hair through it. She groaned when she saw that eight inches of hair were left unbound instead of the normal two. “Fucking whore, she just had to rip my hair out of my head last time,” Akira muttered, clasping the end of the leather with another metal ring.
After running her hands through her uncontrollable chin-length bangs, Akira grabbed the rest of the binding cloth and started on her left arm. She wrapped all the way up her arm, frowning when she was unable to completely cover her marking. She turned to her other arm and wrapped her wrist.


Akira straightened up and looked herself one more time. She sighed and headed to the door, grabbing the bag as an after thought and putting on that slightly insane smirk before opening the door. “Time to properly meet my big brother.”


*********************************************


Shishi grinned as he saw his precious little flower make her way towards the demon that had stolen her birthright. To anyone else it would seem as though she were in complete control of herself but Shishi knew the little hybrid better than anyone else could hope to. He could see that Akira was nervous. Her eyes were to focused as she made her way to the group instead of their usual playful observation while her body didn’t have the grace she normally possessed.


One of his underlings looked over at him and gestured to the girl. “Would you like to go and say hello?” he asked in a gruff tone, his disgust evident.


Shishi leaned forward slightly, not taking his eyes off her. “Maybe in a few minutes. Right now I am content to just stare upon the girl that I love,” he told him.


Another demon snorted. “Why are you acting so calm? The whore killed Lee.”


“He deserved it,” Shishi told him, his voice taking on a cruel undertone. “The fool actually thought that he could kill her and therefore deserved to die.” He smirked. “He is actually lucky he didn’t kill her; for if he had, I would have made sure the rest of his life was a living hell before I killed him. Her first death was at my hands and so shall her second and final death.”


*********************************************


A fighter walking up to them caught Kurama’s eye. After a few seconds, he finally recognized it as Aki. Gone were to baggy clothes and large glasses; in there place were the clothes of a fighter. Her innocent blush and shy smile were also gone and instead insanity and an emotionless mask etched her features. This was not Aki; it was Akira.
When she tossed something at the quiet one of her crew of misfits and smiled up at him, the youko felt that strange new emotion that he had felt when he saw the blonde one kiss her; pure hatred and rage that they would even look at what was his. This place was affecting the fox more than he’d like to admit. Kurama pushed the feeling back and braced himself for the confrontation.


*********************************************


Akira tossed Kai the bag and smiled at him. “Thanks,” she muttered under her breath and turned to Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabarra, and Kurama. “Do we need to remake introductions or did Riku’s announcement do it for you?”


Kurama took a step towards her. “No, we would like some explanations, ‘Akira’.”


Akira chuckled softly. “I think it was cut pretty dry, don’t you think,” she replied softly.


Yusuke’s impatience overcame what little grip he had on his control. He pushed past an outraged Sai, harshly grabbing her arm, and jerked Akira up to him. “So you admit it then? You are Raizen’s kid? Is the rest of it true?” he asked, shaking her slightly. Before he could shake her more to get his answers, Yusuke found a knife against his throat.


“Let her go,” Sai told him, pushing the blade against his neck. “I do not care to kill you, so I would suggest you keep your hands off her.”


Yusuke released her, taking a step back. Kuwabarra glared at the demon. “You all are awfully protective of her. What are you, her lovers?” he asked.


Kurama eyes narrowed with a rage he couldn’t contain while Hiei smirked. “It would explain a hell of a lot of the mystery surrounding all of you.”


Sai smirked. “We do as our master tells us,” he told them, avoiding Kuwabarra’s gaze.


“Sai,” Kai started, moving to stand directly behind Akira, “Shut the hell up. Akira and our connection to her is none of their concern.” He looked over the group, his eyes landing on Kurama as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Let them prove themselves first,” he told them, his red eyes looking directly into Kurama’s own.


Kurama watched the demon closely, seeing Akira’s body shift uncomfortably as they stared each other down. Kurama could see something deep in the other’s eyes, like he knew everything about Kurama. He could feel his youko side scream to take control but he held that back. Now was not the time to put this demon in his place. “Akira is Yusuke’s sister. We need to prove nothing.”


“I’d say you have more to prove than anyone else,” Rai told them from his spot on the wall.


Before anyone could object, an announcement was made. “It is time for the eleventh match. Would fighter twenty-one and fighter twenty-two please come to the ring.”


Lai grinned and turned to Akira. “That’s me. Akira, I would go and get some rest. Kayu has called for a meeting for tonight and you know that you will need all the rest you can get because you wont be able to get out of it. Kai, try not to antagonize anyone please.” He turned to Rai and Sai next. “Try not to bicker to much,” and he walked away.


Sai pouted. “He still acts like we are children.”


Akira turned to him, smirking. “When you are an old bastard like that, I guess it comes with the territory.”


Sai grinned, his pout disappearing. “Probably so.”


Akira turned to Kai when he tugged on her arm. “Come, you need to go and feed. You are weak and tired from the sudden power surge. We also need to get Ku. She is most likely still crying with pain.”


Akira nodded and turned to the entrance. Before she and Kai could make it very far,
Yusuke stopped them. “Wait, where the hell do you think you are going? You haven’t answered any of our questions.”


“Yes, the only thing you have done is give us more questions to answer,” Hiei told her.


Akira rolled her eyes. “And you’ll continue to get nothing from me, you fools,” she told them, waving behind her in dismissal like she was royalty and walking away.


Kurama glowered at the dismissive gesture. He had never felt so hoodwinked. If the fox ever got his hands on her, he might very well kill her, which would be more than she deserved.


Rai who was telling them something drew him from his musings. “She can’t tell you anything here. Hell, she can’t even really associate with you here.”


“Why the hell can’t she?” Yusuke yelled out his frustrations.


Sai rolled his eyes. “Because it could get her in even more trouble,” he told them, sparing a glance at Kurama. “Especially since one of you are a youko.” He looked up in the stands and smiled when he found what he was looking for. “Our cousin is with your women, so that will give us a reason to stop by their room later tonight and then we will explain.”


When Yusuke and Kuwabarra would have left them to run to protect the girls, Rai appeared in front of him. “They are fine. Tai would not hurt them. She actually considers them to be her friends.”


“Tai is also a demon?” Kuwabarra asked, looking for the girl in the crowd. He found her sitting somewhat away from the group, looking around slightly nerves and paying no attention to the fight going on in front of her.


Rai gave Sai a look of disgust. “You really know how to pick ‘em, don’t you cousin?” he asked, turning back to Kuwabarra. “Of course she is, fool. I am sure they told you that they were long time friends,” he said, continuing when Kuwabarra nodded. “Akira did not frequent Ningenkai until a year ago.”


“We are getting away from the point and are drawing to much attention to ourselves, Rai,” Sai whispered, looking around the holding area. He turned to Yusuke. “If you want answers, you will meet us at your woman’s room after the final fight. We will do our best to explain,” he said, turning to walk away in the same fashion Akira and Kai did.


When they had left, Yusuke turned to Kurama. “I am more confused now than I was before.”


Hiei ‘hn’ed. “You are forgetting, detective, we did get a few answers. One, Akira is Raizen’s bastard, two, she is dangerous, and three, they can none be trusted.”


Kurama nodded his head in agreement. “We must be very careful when dealing with these people.” He turned to Yusuke. “This could be a plot against you.”


Yusuke looked at him confused. “But why so complicated? If she is so strong, why didn’t she just come and kill me?”


Kurama lowered his head. “I am not sure, but I am sure we will find out.”


*********************************************


Sai turned to Rai, a huge grin plastered on his face. “I can see the family resemblance.”


Rai turned to him with a look of shook on his face. “You saw it too?” he asked, surprised that the playful one of the group would notice it.


Sai laughed. “If it weren’t for their outer appearances, they could be considered twins. They are so alike in personality that it is damn near hilarious.”


“It is going to make this entertaining, isn’t?”


“A damn riot.”


*********************************************


Akira groaned as she curled up in her bed with Ku, Kai sitting on a nearby chair at the door. “What the hell were you thinking, holding me like that?” she asked him, leaning her head against her pillow as she pulled a blanket around her chilled body.


Kai smirked. “Hn, it had very little to do with you really.”


Akira rolled her eyes. “Really now,” she said sarcastically. “Do you have any clue what you have done, Kai? What they are going to think of me?”


Kai’s eyebrow arched. “I thought you didn’t care what anyone thought of you. Besides, I did it to provoke your lover. I was shocked that he was able to stay so calm.”


Akira sat up, her face pale. “How do you know I have a lover, Kai?” she asked in barely a whisper, knowing that she could not deny the claim with Kai. If it had been anyone else, there would not have been an issue of her denying it. But when Akira dealt with Kai, it was totally different.


The half-breed male rolled his eyes. “I belong to you and am entrusted with your safety. Did you really think I would let you wonder around the human world in a weak body with no protection?” he asked, shifting in his seat slightly. “I am surprised the others didn’t find out. You and your ‘master’ didn’t exactly try to hide it very well.”


“You spied on me?” she demanded, outraged.


“Akira,” he said forcefully getting her full attention, “I have been protecting you to the best of my ability since you were twelve. Do you really think it is so easy to stop?”


Akira cowed, ashamed of herself. She got out of the bed and walked over to Kai. She fell to her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around his middle. “I’m sorry, Kai,” she muttered, burying her head into his chest.


Kai smiled down at her and put his arms around her shoulders. “It is okay,” he told her, his smile disappearing as he remembered his other question. “What were you thinking, kid, screwing around with a youko? If Kayu ever finds out, it could be the end of you,” he told her, pulling her away from him and lifting her head up.


Akira blushed. “It was nothing, just a passing fling,” she told him, looking away from him. “Besides he probably wont have anything to do with me now and even if he did, our relationship roles would have to switch. I am only a submissive personality as a human, not a demon.”


Kai rolled his eyes and pushed her towards the bed. “Yes, and that is why you and I can fuck like bunnies,” he told her with a scathingly sarcastic tone.


Akira stood up and grinned, climbing back into bed. “It’s not because we are both submissive but because we are both to dominate, luv,” she told him while curling up again.


Groaning at her foolishness, Kai leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. ‘If only we were opposites, Akira, then I might have been able to love you.’


*********************************************


Keiko paced the floor nervously. They had arrived back to their room half-an-hour ago and no one had said anything since entering the room. Tai had told them earlier that explanations would come once everyone was here. Yusuke, Kuwabarra, Hiei, and Kurama had all showed up ten minutes ago but Tai had still not said anything.


Tai sat in the corner of the room, trying to avoid everyone. Hiei was standing a few feet next to her. It seemed as though the fire demon was fearful that she would escape. In any other situation it would have made her laugh. Her head jerked up, along with everyone else’s, when she heard a small knock on the door.


Keiko went and opened the door, her eyes widening at the four extremely pretty men, one of them carrying an odd looking bundle. They pushed past her, entering the room. “Rude much,” she mumbled, glaring at them.


Shizuru frowned, watching the demons closely. One of them looked incredibly familiar to the human woman. As she smoked her cigarette, she couldn’t quite put her finger on just where she had seen the tall red head before. ‘Damn, I must be losing my mind,’ she thought to herself, trying to push it out of her mind.


Yusuke looked the group over, noticing that someone was missing. “Where is Aki?”


“Did you not listen to a word we said earlier today?” Rai asked him, a look of pure annoyance etched into his features. “The only time you will ever be able to even associate with her is if it is in the ring and you are about to fight. Besides, she has a more pressing engagement to attend.”


“Then how are we supposed to get any answers?” Kuwabarra demanded from his spot on the couch.


Lai smiled kindly at him. “That is what the five of us are for, to clean up Akira’s many messes.” The older demon turned to Kai. “You need to seal this room. If I know Kayu, she is having Yusuke watched.”


Everyone watched as Kai handed his load to Sai. Shizuru jumped when she heard it howl in protest. “What the hell is that?”


Sai grinned. “Well, I guess since she is done with her nap, you can all meet Ku,” he told them, uncovering the white cat/winged creature.


Ku stood on her front paws and looked up at all the people in the room with her alert green eyes. When Sai sat down in a chair, she jumped up and ran to each of them sniffing and ‘ku’ing’ the whole time.


Botan looked to Sai, her eyes wide with confusion. “She’s a sprit beast, right?” she asked, turning back to the creature.


Sai nodded his head. “And not at all like her other half, but then aren’t they all like that.”


Keiko reached down and petted Ku on her back, scratching under one of her wings. “She’s adorable,” she mumbled, a soft smile coming over her face.


Yusuke turned to Kai, who was finishing putting wards on the door and windows. “So, Koenma brought you back to life?”


Lai chuckled as Kai’s impassive face turned murderous. “No, I have never died and that creature isn’t mine,” he all but yelled at the detective.


“Then to whom does she belong?” Kurama asked as Ku left Keiko to curl around his feet.
Lai smiled softly. “To Akira and she would like for you to hold her, Kurama.”


Everyone’s head turned from Ku to Lai at his declaration. Kurama unconsciously picked her up and sat her on his lap while processing what he said. “Akira died and was brought back to life?”


Lai nodded. “Yes, about seven years ago.”


Yusuke almost choked on the drink he was taking a sip of. “Seven years ago. But tha-that was when I-“ he started, his statement finished by Lai.


“Yes, Yusuke, that was when you died.” He hesitated before continuing. “You were both born just seconds away from each other, you both died just moments after the other, and you have both struggled throughout these seven years to survive. It seems that your lives are somewhat intertwined together.”


“This makes very little sense,” Hiei told him in the silent room.


“Cousin,” Tai started from her spot in the corner, “maybe you should start from the beginning.”


Lai smiled. “Agreed, but I suggest everyone get comfortable. Much of this will not seem relevant but trust me, before we are finished you will all understand,” he told them taking a seat on the sofa.


Yusuke pulled Keiko next to him in a large overstuffed chair. “Get on with it.”


Lai waited a few more minutes, allowing everyone to get situated before starting. He did not want to repeat himself. “Akira’s mother was a blood-dragon. Now in order for you to understand Akira, you must understand this race of demon.” The older demon shifted, crossing his legs and continuing. “Blood-dragons are a rare hybrid, bred from the ice dragons and blood demons that live in the unclaimed territories outside of Gandura. At the beginning, they were both bitter enemies though they were very similar.


“Blood demons evolved from fire demons. They were a banished clan, exiled for their blood lust and vicious ways. In exile, their bodies DNA transformed as well as their powers. Their control over fire became obsolete to their control over blood and their need for it. Ice dragons, on the other hand, share their ancestry with the ice maidens of the koomire,” he paused and smiled at Yukina. “Now, unlike their frigid sister’s, ice dragons are a very sexual and promiscuous race and there are males among them. It is uncommon but it does happen. Blood demons are very similar. They also live very flippant lifestyles, but are mostly males. Female blood demons are not impossible but they aren’t common either.


“The two clans fought over territory during the ancient days. During one of their many useless and pointless wars, a blood demon lord by the name of Tentoki met in battle with one of the ice dragon’s fiercest warriors, Mishikosui. Instead of killing one another, the two fell in love. Love, something that is still almost unheard of in the demon world today, was an emotion that neither clan would claim to have for anything but these two demons did fall hopelessly in love with each other. Knowing that there was no way for them to be together, Tentoki took Mishikosui away forsaking both their clans. The two mated and made a life for themselves away from their warring races.”


Lai stopped and smiled softly. “I would like to think that they lived a happy and full life together. But then I am babbling,” he claimed, chuckling softly before continuing. “Tentoki and Mishikosui never came back to their home, but several hundred years later, their four sons did.” Lai paused again to take a sip of the drink Keiko had sat in front of him.


“Lai, Sai, Tai, and Kai came back to their parents home. They were the first four blood dragons, carrying characteristics of both races, and were certainly the four of the strongest demons in Makai at the time, having powers over both ice and blood. After seeing that both clans were still in a constant state of warfare, Lai decided that the four needed to unite the two races. He saw the potential to create a whole new race of demons but he needed both the blood demons and ice dragons to agree. After convincing his brothers, the four decided that their best hope in bringing harmony to the two clans was to use force. They started a whole new war against both clans and within a few months, they had won.


“The blood demons and ice dragons made a truce with each other, agreeing that furthering the ‘blood-dragons’, as the brothers called themselves, would be worth the alliance. Many in the two clans mated, agreeing to serve the blood-dragons, and both pressed the brothers for a leader, a lord.


“Sai and Tai saw Lai as the best choice in leading the clans to peace and keeping it that way. Kai thought very differently, however. He wanted control badly. He could create an army that would be impossible to defeat and then he could take over all of Makai. He was very ambitious, but as the youngest, he knew that there would be very little chance of him coming to power if Lai took control. Even if he had no heirs, Kai had two other brothers that would be first in line. Finally coming to a decision, one night when the four brothers were sitting around in friendly conversation, Kai killed his brothers. He bled them dry, it is said that they didn’t even fight back.


“As he sat in a pool of their blood, his wicked heart felt an enormous amount of guilt, which caused him to curse their line. Sealing the blood of his brothers inside his left arm, Kai created the blood seal. He then became lord over the ice dragons and blood demons. He was never able to take over all of Makai though his reign did set in motion the complex laws which dictate the lives of the blood-dragons, the traditions that have managed to survive and thrive through the ages of demons, and the cold-blooded cruelty of the clan for almost every reign after.


“Those who took control after Kai were chosen by the blood seal. It appears on the heir, someone who is a direct descendant of Kai, and then no other babes can be born in any of the three clans until the heir takes control from the current lord.” Lai paused, looking around the room. “It is something of an insurance policy. We don’t want there to be two heirs to fight for power.”


“So, Akira is a direct descendant of Kai’s?” Kurama asked, his mind quickly absorbing the information.


“Yes, Akira is Kayu’s heir. The seal probably started appearing when she turned about eight.”


Hiei frowned. “What do you mean, started appearing?”


“The seal,” Rai started, “isn’t like a birthmark. It begins appearing after the holder reaches a certain power level. It takes a lot of power to completely control the blood seal. If a babe were born with it, it would kill them even if they were born in the ‘x’ class.”


“The seal recedes from the current lord’s arm,” Sai told them. “It is really a wicked piece of magic.”


Kurama sat back. “It sounds that way, but this has little to do with Akira.”


“You must understand,” Lai started again, “that in order to understand Akira, which is what you want right, answers, you must know the basics of her heritage, and though she has abandoned many of its teachings, Akira is guided by many of the old laws. She comes from a race that is full of cruelty and destruction that started at their very beginning, with only a few members being somewhat decent. Throughout the times, the blood-dragons corrupted the two clans that created them though the blood demons and ice dragons wish to be freed from their bonds of servitude now. They no longer despise each other, years of peace softening them, but they hate their masters. The blood-dragons are considered the superior class, while the blood demons and ice dragons are almost looked down upon with disgust. Only those part of the secret council (the lord’s main advisors) and a few others actually manage to get into the elite and complex society of the blood-dragons.”


“Like our uncle,” Tai muttered, glaring at the wall, her body tense.


“Your uncle?” Kaname asked from across the room.


“Yeah, how do you think we know so much? My father was in the thick of that sadist bunch, therefore putting us in the middle of it,” Sai told them, his eyes also hardening.


“So that is how you are all related,” Keiko asked.


Lai nodded. “Yes my mother was Sai’s father’s great aunt. Rai is one of his sister’s children, as are Tai and Kai.”


Kurama glanced between the five of them. “So, how did the five of you come to be under Akira?”


“I was just getting to that,” Lai told them, shifting again. “I do not belong to Akira. Kai, Sai, and Rai do though and until recently, Tai did as well. Blood-dragons can claim any unclaimed blood demon, ice dragon, or half-breed that they want to. Their ‘servants’ do as they are told and are only released when their master’s allow it, if ever. It is how their society works. Only those who can be part of the small majority in the council, like Rai, have a choice in the matter.”


Kuwabarra frowned. “You all are older than Aki right?”


Lai nodded. “Yes, by a bit of a margin, yes.”


“So like how in the hell do you all belong to her instead of someone else?” Kuwabarra asked.


Sai laughed coldly. “Well, when Kai and I found out that my old man was about to hand us over to Kayu’s son, Riku, we got the hell out of there. Dealing with that old bastard was hard enough and I refused to bend over for that little fucker. When we had no choice but to take Akira to her aunt, it seemed logical.”


Kai nodded in agreement.


Rai shrugged. “Akira amuses me. Besides, she needed someone who knew the inner workings of her society to look after her when the others couldn’t.”


“I was to be mated,” Tai started, turning into the wall, “when Akira claimed me.”


“As interesting as all this is,” Yusuke started, gripping the arm rest of the couch, “I don’t really care about all of this. I want to know about Akira.”


“Fine,” Kai told him in his low, soft voice, “I’ll tell you. But here is a question for you. Are you going to wish that you hadn’t asked after I tell you?”


“If you tell me that what that water demon said isn’t true, then I really doubt it.”


“And if I tell you that a great deal of it is true, Yusuke, what will you say?”


Yusuke stood up and loomed over Kai. “That you are a fucking liar. Raizen wouldn’t do that, not to his own kid.”


Kai stood up, forcing Yusuke back, his red eyes glaring into Yusuke’s. “I found Akira about a mile away from the whore house where they were going to auction off her virginity. She was almost dead from the ward they had wrapped around her neck to keep her there.” He grinned sadistically when Yusuke took a step back. “Can’t handle it? Would you like for me to stop? To fucking bad. You asked for it now you are going to hear every fucking detail.


“Raizen sold her to that hot house not even a day after her birth. The games she played were designed to teach her how to pleasure her customers. She got her first one when she was three. You see, some demon clan’s tend to age quickly during the early years and her body was that of a ten year old though her mind was not. For nine years, Akira had no choice but to suck cock and strip to be fondled by any demon that could afford her. Since she made such a great amount of profit, they waited to sell off her body’s innocence though her true innocence was already stripped away. How she managed to get as far away as she did, I’ll never know but I do know that if I hadn’t seen a small glimpse of her left arm and thought that I saw the blood seal, I would have left her to die. Removing the seal almost did the trick, though. I didn’t know as much about seals and charms as I do now, so its removal was very amateurish.


“I still hear her scream in my ear as I ripped that piece of paper off her neck.” Kai’s eyes were wide with rage and anger, never leaving Yusuke’s. “Do you still think that your Raizen was a noble bastard? He would have done her a favor if he had killed her. I would have done her a favor if I had left her to die that day. You can’t begin to imagine the kind of life that little girl has had. No one can really protect her all because she is a fucking half-breed bastard. Don’t ever deny what he did to her, what he is still doing to her.”


The room was completely silent for several long minutes. “I guess that her past and her family made her into what she is,” Kaname mumbled pensively.


Tai turned to look at him from across the room. “What do you mean? You haven’t even met Akira.”


Kaname glared at Tai. “I know what I saw today. Aki brutally killed that demon today without blinking an eye. I really think that goes against the theory that she is a kind and caring person.”


“But she is,” she exclaimed, moving from her seat. “What you will see when she is in the open is only an act. She has no choice.”


Kaname rolled his eyes. “Only an act. So you are trying to tell me that no part of her soul has been touched by the evil surrounding her?” he asked, waiting a second for her answer. When she didn’t, Kaname attacked Akira again. “I didn’t think so. She forced you into slavery, as well as most of your cousins and still you protect her.”


Tai looked at him with eyes shining with tears of rage, anger, and betrayal. “She saved me. I was marked by a demon when I was very young and we were to be mated when I was to go into heat many years after the marking. I was a passive soul and forced into many situations that were demeaning even to demons.” She paused, her eyes seeing only Kaname. “I hated him, loathed his very existence. If I could have killed him, I would have the moment he first touched me.” Tai turned away from him, looking at the floor. “One day we were out going to one of the council meetings and I had disobeyed some order he gave me, I don’t remember what it was anymore. He was about to punish me brutally in front of everyone when Akira stepped in. She was only seventeen and had been in the middle of her formal training for only four months. When he wouldn’t back down and moved toward me again, Akira killed him. She said that you weren’t supposed to treat your property that way and then she claimed for her own.


“That night I was terrified. See, I thought that she would be a miniature Kayu, cruel and terrifying, worse than my previous master.” Tai stopped to take another deep breath, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she continued. “I went into her room that night, as I thought was expected of me, pulled off my robe and slipped into her bed all the while preparing myself for the cruelties I was sure to find at her hands. Instead of feeling her cruelty, Akira jumped out of the bed and grabbed my robe off of the floor. She tossed it at me and told me to get dressed and left her own room.” Tai lifted her head from the floor. “Since then, she has allowed me to make my own choices, asking very little of me. She gave me back my freedom and will to live and then when I thought that I had found the person that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, she freed me,” she told Kaname, lifting the sleeve of her shirt and showing him a nasty looking scar. “She freed me for you, though now I see it was in vain.”


Kaname reached for her, unable to take his eyes off her arm and get his mind off what she had told him. Tai jerked back from him, retreating back to her chair. “No, don’t touch me.”


Kurama cleared his throat. “So that was one example. It doesn’t make her a good person.”


Tai snorted. “No, then what about Kai and Sai. Or the fact that not only does she get beaten for being a half-breed heir but also because she has rejected many of the traditions of the blood-dragons. Akira refuses to be another ‘incestial, egotistical bastard who forces others into submission by fucking them over’. Those were her words not mine.”


Before anyone could comment, Genkai turned to Lai. “Wait, something doesn’t add up. Kai found her at age twelve and she died at fourteen but she began her training at seventeen. What the hell happened to the two years before she died and the two years after?”


Lai chuckled. “I wasn’t there. I think that Sai would be better at explaining that.”


“Damn, I had hoped to avoid this part of the Q-and-A,” he muttered.


“Why, was it something illegal?” Shizuru asked innocently, her eyes staring blankly at the blonde demon while she pulled out another cigarette.


Rai snorted a laugh and Sai shot him a look. “Only slightly,” the laughing demon told her, his eyes shining with mischief.


Sai cleared his throat. “Uhh . . . you know what I said about me and Kai hightailing it out of there, well we kinda joined a band of mercenaries. We were on a job when Kai found Aki and we took a few extra days to let her heal. We knew we couldn’t leave her there so Kai dressed her as a boy with a ward to hide her femininity. Akira passed as a boy for several months with Kai and I teaching her to fight. Kai and I were able to protect her from the demons that would use her body to slake their lust but that didn’t stop our leader.


“Shishi came to our campsite when Kai and I were working on a job. The boy Akira had caught his eye and he wanted ‘him’. Akira put up one hell of a fight and Shishi enjoyed every minute of it. In an effort to get ‘him’ under control, he grabbed between Akira’s legs and found out that he was a she. Kai and I had returned by that time. We told Shishi an edited version, only letting him know what he needed to know and he agreed to let her stay and help us train her.


“We didn’t know that would be our biggest mistake. For a year, we trained her and Shishi became infatuated, obsessed really, with Akira. He was attracted to the warrior and the power she held at her fingertips and wanted to break her. He approached her one-day after her training session with him and she refused him. In a fit of rage, he killed her.”


Botan looked at him confused. “But I don’t remember Koenma bringing her back to life and clearly she is,” she said, pointing to the beast curled up on Kurama’s lap.


Kai snorted. “Koenma didn’t. Yama did.”


Genkai looked shocked. “But why would he bring back a demon?”


Kai shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, pity maybe but more than likely information. I have never asked because it is none of my business.”


“If I were in that kind of situation,” Hiei started, watching the nonchalant demon cautiously, “that I would make it my business.”


“I protect her, that is all,” Kai told them.


Shizuru looked at the demon closely and suddenly her eyes lit up in recognition. “You fucking son-of-a-bitch. You were the one who broke into my house,” she yelled out.
“What are you talking about, Shizuru?” Keiko asked.


Kurama looked at her, slightly alarmed. “Someone broke into your home? When did this happen and why are we just now finding out about it?”


“It happened when Aki was in the hospital,” she told them, her eyes never leaving Kai’s. “When everyone else had stopped asking questions and just took her word for what happened, I didn’t. When I questioned Tai, she avoided answering and when I went home that night, my place was trashed and he” she paused to point at Kai, “was there. He covered my walls with blood and told me to keep my mouth shut.”


“We decided to keep quite,” Kuwabarra started, pulling everyone’s attention away from the fuming Shizuru, “to protect Aki. We thought she was still in danger.”


Lai turned to Kai, a scowl on his face. “You broke into this woman’s home and terrorized her?” he asked, crossing his arms.


Sai snorted and Kai just rolled his eyes. “They could have unmasked Akira.”


“And that just makes it okay to you all right?” Kuwabarra asked in utter disgust.


“Actually it does,” Rai told him.


Shizuru walked up to Kai and got right in his face. “You broke into my home and scared the living shit out of me.”


Kai just smirked. “You are still alive, aren’t you woman.”


Just as Shizuru was about to try and kill the demon, a shrill cry filled the room. Kurama felt Ku shake and tremble and when he looked down at her, he could see that she was in pain. He turned to Lai. “What is going on with her?”


Lai sighed. “Akira’s punishment.”


Hiei smirked. “What is she being punished for? She is a princess among demons, right.”


Rai shook his head. “If Kayu has her way Akira will be dead by the end of this tournament by Shishi’s hands once again. As it is now, Kayu can only severly beat Akira because she is her heir.”


“It is both her blessing and her curse,” Lai muttered.


“Does she get beat often?” Keiko asked, horrified.


Rai smirked. “What do you think? Her aunt hates her and the only reason any of the others might want to keep Akira alive would be to take her to bed and keep her there. Hell, Kayu’s son wants to fuck Akira blind. At this moment, unless Akira breaks one of the set laws, severe beatings are about the only thing that any of the blood-dragons can do to her as Kayu’s heir.”


Yusuke stared at all of them. “Why would you take her to Kayu if you knew this was how her life was going to be?”


Lai sighed and shook his head while Sai lowered his. “Because we didn’t have a choice.”


*********************************************


Akira gripped the leather ties binding her hands to the tree branch tightly as the leather whip adorned with shards of metal and glass kissed her back. After five years of dealing with this pain, she had still no gotten used to the pain of that first strike. Her face was hidden by her bangs though she wore an impassive mask as Kayu continued to beat her. The rest were easy to bear after the first one. They were no more than a reminder that any hope for her race was gone. As Akira heard one of the males in the group gathered around to watch tell Kayu to hit her harder, her eye’s narrowed. There was really no hope for any of them.


*********************************************


Yusuke stared out the window of Keiko’s room in the early hours of the morning, his mind swarming with thoughts. He was so preoccupied he didn’t even hear Keiko leave the bathroom and walk over to him till she had wrapped her hands around his waist and rested her head on his shoulders. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked him sleepily, their ‘guest’ leaving only a few minutes ago.


Yusuke took her hand in his and kissed it softly. “Not right now, but I am sure I will be later,” he told her, turning around and gathering her into his arms.


Keiko smiled and snuggled into his chest, giving him whatever comfort he wanted to take from her. She knew that he was going to have a hard time dealing with this. For someone who was so strong, he really was a sensitive jerk. “You know, Aki-I mean Akira might come back to Nigenkai. You might be able to make up for what Raizen did,” she suggested.


Yusuke groaned. “I doubt she will want anything from me.”


Keiko looked up at him and grinned. “Yusuke, she could have killed you at any moment in the human world but she didn’t. Instead, she sorta befriended you. Did you ever think that maybe a real brother is what she needs instead of a psychotic aunt who wants to kill her and a perverted cousin who wants to fuck her? And lets not forget everyone else who wants to see her dead to.”


“Always my voice of reason.”


“Always.”


*********************************************


Akira fell to the bed onto her stomach, her head burning as her hair re-grew itself and her back in excruciating pain. She pulled off what was left of her shirt and then just laid there, willing herself to sleep but her mind was to active. After living in Ningenkai for so long, coming back into her old life for more than a few weeks at a time seemed depressing. If she weren’t such a coward, Akira would finish it now but after trying countless times in the past, it would just prove fruitless. She sighed and shifted her body slightly, wincing in pain. Maybe letting Shishi kill her again would be her best solution.


*********************************************


Kurama sat in his room, unable to sleep. Finally, giving up trying to clear his mind so he could get some rest, the fox decided to face the problem. His situation was really his own fault. He made far to many assumptions and didn’t ask any questions and now it had bitten him in the ass.


Of all people, Kurama should have been the one to see through Akira’s half answers and constant avoidance. Instead he had been to worried about keeping her at arms length while trying to decide which position he wanted to fuck her in next. It made the fox feel like a fool.


The irrational part of his brain, most certainly the thief of legend, screamed to punish her, to make her his, over and over again. Kurama shook his head. His attraction of the human Aki still baffled him and he had hoped that now that she had in a way betrayed him; his urge to have her would be gone. It appeared as though it had only grown stronger. Kurama laid down on the bed and closed his eyes, willing away pictures of golden hair and cobalt blue eyes.


*********************************************


Kuwabarra dodged an energy blast that was sent to his head, grateful for the distraction of the tournament. He dodged another, searching for a way to get to his opponent. When he was able to make his move, Kuwabarra took it, quickly ending his first fight. He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that the fight didn’t last long. Hell, it wasn’t even that difficult for the spiritually aware human.


As he walked out of the ring, he ran into Sai. Kuwabarra turned around and went the other way, ignoring the demon yelling behind him. Of course this was all fruitless, Sai was a demon after all. “Leave me the fuck alone. Go back to Akira,” Kuwabarra told him when Sai caught up to him.


Sai stopped for a second, his confusion evident. “What the hell does Akira have to do with any of this?”


Kuwabarra spun around, oblivious to his audience. “You are fucking her, that’s what. That kinda turns me off from someone I might be attracted to.”


“First, I am not fucking Akira, though I wouldn’t object to it. Though she was raised in a damn whore house, the girl is incredibly celibate,” Sai told him, grabbing his arm. “But she has nothing to do with this. I find you attractive; I find you more than attractive. I’d like to fuck you into the bed a few times and keep you there. I would like to have some fun with you, Kuwabarra.”


“You’re telling me you aren’t fucking her but she let you kiss her,” Kuwabarra said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.


Sai sighed. “As far as I know, Akira is still a damn virgin.” He took a deep breath. “And as for me kissing her, yeah I did it and I’ll continue kissing her but it none of your business.”


Kuwabarra looked at him, his amazement was clear in his eyes. “You want to pursue some sort of relationship with me and you tell me that who you kiss is none of my business? I ain’t some damn love sick girl here.”


“If you so chose it, what we would have would have would be sex with no expectations. We could fuck each other then look elsewhere for whatever else we need,” Sai told him, running his hand through his blonde locks. “My heart belongs to someone else, so sex is the only thing I can give anyone.”


Kuwabarra just stared at the man, his anger rising. He didn’t know who he was angrier at, Sai for giving him hope in such a small amount of time, himself for liking another demon, or Hiei for thinking the same fucking way and breaking his heart. “I though you would be different but it turns out you two are so much alike that it is really quite funny.” He looked Sai right in the eye, his own full of rage, hurt and hatred. “I am not looking for another fuck partner to fall in love with. If I had wanted that, I would have stayed with Hiei,” he told him, jerking his arm away and walking off into the crowd.


This time Sai didn’t follow Kuwabarra. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to brush off that feeling of regret that was climbing up his stomach with every step the strong human took away from him. As he continued to stare, Rai walked up behind him. “Not a fucking word,” he told his cousin.


“You really are a fucking dick, aren’t you?”


Sai sighed and turned around. “I only lost another pretty hole to bury myself into, Rai, nothing else. I can easily find another to warm my bed.”


Rai shook his head. “You said you weren’t waiting for her to pick you, but somehow it seems that you are.”


“What the hell does that mean?” Sai asked, his eyes narrowing at where he thought his cousin was going with this.


Rai looked at Sai without his usual smirk or antagonism. “That boy could be your redemption, Sai.”


Sai snorted. “We are all past redeeming, Rai. Or have you forgotten my father? Even you couldn’t fully escape him.”


“No, I haven’t,” he told him, “but Tai found hers in a human. Maybe we have been looking at this all wrong. I don’t think that Akira will ever be able to save herself, how is she supposed to save us?” He paused, a rare softness coming over his features. “Maybe that is why she has never given in to any of us. Maybe Akira has always known that she could never give you or Kai or even myself what we really need, and she hoped we would find it in someone else.”


“Even if you are right, that doesn’t mean Kuwabarra is it.”


Rai smirked. “No but the way you were looking at him as he walked away, did.”


*********************************************


Akira groaned as light filtered into her room, pulling her from her deep sleep. “Go the fuck away,” she mumbled into her pillow.


Kakishi grinned at the demand. His grin faded as he saw her wounds healing slowing into scars, blending in with the others on her back. ‘Damn, is there any part of her back that hasn’t been pulled from her body?’ he asked himself, pulling up the chair next to her bed and setting down his bag with a loud ‘thunk’.


“Didn’t you hear what I said old man?” the blonde asked as she slowly lifted her head, being careful of the wound still healing on her neck.


The older demon smirked. “Don’t get bitchy, kid,” he told her, reaching into his bag. “I brought gifts,” and he lifted up two old looking bottles, thrusting one to her.


Akira grinned back while slowly sitting up in her mound of pillows. “What the fuck are we waiting for? I don’t have to fight for a few more days. Might as well spend it drunk off my ass.”


“That’s the sprit, kid.”


*********************************************


Tai went through her room, gathering her things and throwing them into her bag. Everyone else was gone to watch the fights but she had other things to do. She knew that Akira wanted her to stay with the group, to make sure that she could be contacted easily if Kayu or one of the others were to cause problems but Tai couldn’t do that. She had been so stupid. Her situation was proof that there was a reason ice dragons and blood demons alike didn’t fall in love.


The vixen had known that Kaname wouldn’t understand; that’s why she had given him the edited version of her past and relationship with Akira. Hell, if Tai were to trade places with him, she would have done the same thing. A human could never love something like her and if she were being completely honest with herself, she knew that there wasn’t a creature alive in all three worlds that could love something like her.


Tai shook her head in disgust. She had no one to blame but herself. She did this to herself by falling in love with a human and actually hoping that her past and what she was wouldn’t matter. Well now she would make it easy for everyone. Tai would never bother Kaname again.


*********************************************


Kurama tapped his foot against the floor of the stadium seats as he watched the fights with little interest. Everyone was sitting in complete silence. Genkai and Shizuru were having a ‘who could smoke the most cigarettes in a day’ contest. Yukina was just sitting to the side, staring at her folded hands in her lap, shifting around uncomfortably. Keiko was trying to comfort Yusuke silently by squeezing his hand every so often, while Yusuke just stared at the ring blankly and Tai was nowhere to be seen. Kaname, the newest addition to the group, was sitting next to Kurama with his arms crossed and looking almost as fierce as Hiei. This tournament was turning out to be loads of fun. Just as Kurama was about to try and start up a conversation with Yusuke, a tall woman with short black hair glided her way over to them. He nudged the detective out of his stare.


When she reached them, she smiled at Yusuke, a small glitter of something odd in her black eyes made them sparkle. “You must be Urameshi Yusuke. I am Kayu, the lord of the blood-dragon clans,” she told him, avoiding looking at everyone else.


Yusuke didn’t smile, as he looked the female over. “Yeah, I’ve heard your name mentioned a time or two since coming here. Since this isn’t a social visit, what the hell do you want from me?”


Kayu faked a dramatic sigh. “Must we be this way with each other? I can assure you that what you have heard about me is probualy wrong.” She paused and tilted her head, her eyes darkening even more with emotion. “I have actually come to discuss the one thing we have in common, Yusuke; the very bane of our existences, Akira.”


“What the hell is there to discuss?” Yusuke demanded.


“Well as you see,” Kayu started, her smile fading slightly, “at this moment you and I share control over Akira. Since she is my heir and it would make for a messy and distasteful situation, I would like for you to give full control over to me. Then you could forget that she ever existed.” She brushed off the front of her skirt softly as she finished.


“What if I don’t want to forget?”


Kayu frowned, her face turning from quite lovely to monstrous in a matter of moments. “Then we will have to come to some sort of custody agreement.”


“Wrong,” says Hiei, who landed on the back of Kurama’s chair just seconds ago. “The detective has the greater claim to he girl. Though you have your own rules, you can not discard the demon laws, woman.”


Kayu’s eyes narrowed. “Oh look, another half-breed bastard. This is none of your concern but allow me to inform you. Since Akira is my heir, that allows me as much claim to her as Yusuke himself,” she spat out.


Yusuke looked up to Hiei, frowning as the fire demons smirk grew. “That was before Raizen died,” Hiei told her from his perch. “Your sister gave Raizen full control of Akira, therefore giving Yusuke the greater claim. Actually, Yusuke could push the fact that you didn’t put her in his care the moment you found out about her.”


Yusuke turned to Kurama. “Is that true?”


Kurama nodded. “Yes, it is. Though there are few laws that the demon world abides by, those few are followed religiously.”


“But why would I even have control over Akira? We are the same age and no one is telling me what to do,” Yusuke said, crossing his arms.


Kayu snorted. “Fool.”


Hiei rolled his eyes while Kurama explained. “Akira has not yet reached her demon maturity. Though her body is fully grown, her power is not. Since you are also a human, Yusuke, you do not have this same problem. When you transformed for the first time, your power peaked,” Kurama paused, turning to study Kayu. “Some demon clans, though very few, are very protective of their females and matters pertaining to their safety and care of the utmost importance. It would seem that blood-dragons are one such clan.”


“My, aren’t you prospective for a youko whore,” Kayu grounded out, outraged that her plan fell apart.


Kurama looked at her, a friendly smile plastered on his face and that killer calmness in his eyes. “Pardon me, m’lady?”


Kayu leaned over towards him, her hands coming to rest on the back of Kurama’s chair. “Your reputation for fucking exceeds your reputation as a thief, Yoko Kurama,” she told him, one of her hands leaving the chair to stroke one of his red side locks. “You are pretty though,” she muttered, “it almost makes me wish that youko’s weren’t forbidden to my kin.”


Kurama’s eyes narrowed. ‘Forbidden? What the hell does that mean?’ he mused, watching as she pulled away and turned back to Yusuke.


“I want Akira every two weeks for a week,” she told him, crossing her arms.


Before Yusuke could reply, Hiei spoke up. “No, you can have her for two days every twenty weeks.”


Kayu was ready to explode. If the little fire bastard said one more word against her, she would kill him and eat his heart. “Impossible, Akira is still in the middle of her training.”


“Send someone with her to finish it up,” Hiei intercepted.


Kayu waited for Yusuke to interject, but the stupid toushin said not a word. “I will take your silence to mean that you agree with your little friend,” she spat out, turning to leave. “I hope you realize that you have now made me your enemy and my enemies tend to live very short lives,” Kayu told him as she walked away.


“Well, she didn’t seem that bad at all,” was Shizuru’s sarcastic reply moments after Kayu left as she ground out another cigarette.


Genkai nodded her agreement. “No wonder everyone adores her and worships the ground she walks on.”


Yukina grinned. “She was frightful, wasn’t she?”


Yusuke smirked coldly as he looked at his friends. “I guess we know which side of the family Akira’s insanity comes from.”


Kurama looked at the ring pensively. “It explains why everyone close to her is so protective. After only a few moments in her presence, her true personality was easily observed.”


Hiei nodded, his own eyes narrow with concentration. “You sensed it as well, fox.”


“What are you talking about?” Keiko asked, while playing with the crystal resting against her neck.


“As with all creatures, there are good demons and then there are bad ones, as you already know,” Kurama explained, turning to the human girl. “With Kayu, her cruelty could be felt from only a few feet away. I sensed nothing good about that vixen.”


Hiei snorted. “Dressing it pretty as always, Kurama.” He turned to Keiko. “Kayu is dangerous and deadly and that is all any of us need to know.”


*********************************************


Lai got up from his seat the moment he felt Tai in the hall. He opened the door before she ever had the chance to knock. When he saw her red eyes and bags, the older male opened the door wide, allowing her to enter. “Did they kick you out?”


Tai shook her head as she walked into the room. “No, I left on my own.”


“Why would you do that?” he asked, taking her bag and setting it in the floor.


Tai looked down at the floor. “It is better this way.”


Lai shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “What am I going to do with all of you?” he asked while rubbing her shoulders as she started to cry again.


*********************************************


Akira shoved her hand though her unruly bangs, trying to get them out of her face. He glazed eyes looked across her small table to Kakishi, who was having trouble keeping his head off the table. She lifted her bottle up to her lips and finished it off with a few long swallows, throwing it on the pile with all of the others. She grinned as she reached for another one. “Is it to much for you old man?”


Kakishi tried to snort but instead knocked off his balance. “I might be old but I’ll still drink you under the table, brat.”


Akira took another swig of her drink and wiped her mouth off with her hand. “I’ve drank more than you and I’m still not feeling it old man.”


Kakishi grinned. “Remember kid, it is not about who drank the most but who was the first to pass out.”


*********************************************


Kaname stilled as he walked into his and Tai’s room, his eyes quickly scanning the area. His eye’s widened when he saw that all of Tai’s things were missing. There weren’t any clothes on the chair or any beauty products on the dresser. He walked out of the room and went to ask the others.


Shizuru and Genkai just stared at him blankly when he asked if they had seen her. Keiko and Yukina offered to help him look. Not even knowing where to look, Kaname walked back to his room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”


*********************************************


Kuwabarra didn’t know why he had gotten out of bed for day three of the tournament, but he found himself sitting in the arena with his sister and the others watching the fights. Actually, if Kuwabarra were being honest with himself, he knew exactly why he had come. Today Hiei would fight.


Kuwabarra had tried multiple times to get up and leave but he knew that was impossible. Though Hiei wanted nothing to do with him, Kuwabarra had to make sure he was okay because the little fire demon still held a huge chuck of his heart.


*********************************************


Akira glared at the back of Kai’s head as he forced her into the arena to watch Sai’s fight. She knew the ice dragon could handle himself and besides, she wanted to sleep. Her head was spinning and she was sure that she was still half drunk. “Kai, please, I’m begging you. Show some mercy.”


Kai just ‘hn’ed’ and pulled her along, stopping only when they reached Lai, Tai, and Rai. Akira’s eyes narrowed as she saw Tai sitting there and the other just blushed and turned away. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stay there,” she told her.


Akira looked at the older female, studying her features carefully. “Your friendship with me came between the two of you, didn’t it?” she demanded.


When Tai bit her lip and hesitated before shaking her head, Akira frowned. “I’ll take care of it,” she told her, turning quickly. Instead of walking away, Akira was forced to sit in her chair and grab her head as a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. “Later, I’ll take care of it later.”


Tai grinned and shook her head, throwing her arm around Akira’s shoulders. “It’s not your fault so don’t worry about it.”


“For some odd reason your words do not comfort me.”


“Don’t try to stop her, Tai. She is going to do what she wants anyways,” Rai told her, looking bored as he watched the fighting in the ring.


Akira turned to Lai. “What is Sai’s number?”


Lai smiled softly. “Eighty-nine.”


Akira groaned and leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed. “Fuck,” she mumbled softly.


“What’s wrong?” Lai asked, concerned.


“Hiei is number ninety.”


Rai smirked. “The little demon that the human was with right?” When Akira nodded, he started laughing uncontrollably. “My day might not be so boring after all.”


*********************************************


Hiei grinned when he saw his opponent for his second fight. The fire demon just couldn’t help himself when he saw the Sai walk over to the ring with a look of complete frustration etched onto his chiseled features. Maybe Yama wasn’t such an asshole after all.


*********************************************


Sai had groaned out loud when he had actually realized just who he was fighting in this round. He probably should have been paying more attention to what the hell was going on. As he walked to the ring he ran a hand through his unruly locks hard, but he didn’t notice the small pain. “Might as well get this over with,” he muttered to himself as he faced Hiei.


*********************************************


“Oh fuck,” Kuwabarra mumbled as Sai walked to the center of the ring where Hiei stood waiting.


Shizuru frowned. She just could not remember seeing the blonde fighting in the earlier rounds. She turned to her brother, her eyes widening when she recognized the look of torn agony in his eyes. “Yo, Kuwa, are you okay?” she asked, punching him on his shoulder.


Kuwabarra snapped out of it just before his face his the chair in front of him. “Cut it out, sis. I don’t think that right now is a good time for your shit.”


Shizuru was about to knock him flat on his ass for talking to her like that, but just as she lifted her hand she saw the younger man turn back to the ring. She put her hand back at her side and pulled out another cigarette. “What the fuck am I going to do with you?”


*********************************************


“I think that this might actually make this whole tournament worth all the trouble,” Hiei told the other a few moments after the two fighters were given the go ahead to start. He lifted his shirt off and tossed it, along with his scarf, off to the side of the ring.


Sai snorted. “I am afraid that your little strip show is for not. You aren’t my type.”


“I know what your type is and I am going to make sure that you have nothing to with him,” Hiei told him, his voice, which was normally so cold and nonchalant, was laced with venomous hatred and his eyes, normally vacant of all emotion, were bright with jealously.


Sai smirked, tilting his head while he sent his energy across the ring, turning it into an icy playground. “Trust me, Hiei, if I wanted him that bad, you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”


“I beg to differ,” and Hiei lunged for the ice dragon, his katana drawn.


‘He’s fast.’ Sai braced himself and swirled his energy around his body. A block of ice formed into an armguard on his left arm while a foot long dagger formed in his right hand. His left arm came up just as Hiei’s sword swung for his neck. The blonde demon delivered a swift sidekick to the other’s exposed side, planting his knee firmly into Hiei’s ribs.


Hiei grunted. He hadn’t expected the other to be able to deliver such a blow. If he hadn’t twisted his body, Sai would have broken half of his ribs. He pulled back and blocked the ice dagger and dunked when Sai tried to land a high kick to the side of his head.


And so the two continued to struggle for power and dominance, each landing a blow when possible while avoiding an attack from the other. They had not expected to be so evenly matched to each other. Hiei had the greater speed, though Sai was not slow by any means, but his body was small and compact compared to Sai’s tall and almost lanky build. Their strength was equal as their blades danced together, bits of ice and metal swirling around them. It was most certainly turning out to be the most impressive battle of the tournament thus far.


*********************************************


Kuwabarra wanted to look away but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the fight in front of him. Neither were holding anything back. He could see blood on Sai’s cheek from one of Hiei’s attempts for his head. The fire demon was favoring his right wrist from blocking one to many punches from the other. How much longer would this last and after it was finished would Kuwabarra still have his sanity?


*********************************************


Akira leaned back in her chair, watching the fight carefully, through half-lidded eyes. She smirked as she watched them get a second’s rest before jumping at each other again. This fight was almost done.


*********************************************


“My, he fights much like his father.” Kayu muttered, her eyes glittering over slightly with both disgust and lust.


Riku grinned mockingly. “I do have excellent tastes, after all.”


Kayu turned to her lover and grinned. “Are we still upset that your dear cousin stole him from you?”


Riku’s eyes narrowed with anger. “It is such a fucking waste on such a pretty piece of ass to. Akira doesn’t even fuck him.”


“I know dear, but you might get your chance after Shishi kills her.”


Riku turned to her with a wicked grin. “I’ve already been making plans.”


*********************************************


Hiei jumped back several feet from Sai and took in a deep breath. He couldn’t fight him like this much longer. Something would have to give because the two of them were to evenly matched.


Sai grinned down at him, crushing his ice guard and dagger in his hands. “Are you ready to fight me for real or are we going to continue this little game?”


“I couldn’t agree more,” Hiei answered him, throwing his sword down to the ground, imbedding it into the hard stone. His energy swirled around him as he forced it into his right arm, the ward unwinding itself from his arm. “Let’s see if you can handle my dragon.”


Sai smirked. “Then I should introduce you to my own dragon.”


*********************************************


“What the fuck are they doing?” Yusuke yelled from his seat.


Kurama sighed softly and rubbed his temple. The detective was really starting to annoy him. “Fighting and I think we are about to see its conclusion, so if you will please show a bit of patience.”


Yusuke crossed his arms and stared down at the ring intently. “It’s just all this fucking waiting and these damn questions are starting to get to me,” he mumbled to the fox in explanation of his out burst.


Kurama couldn’t help but take pity on the younger man. It was not everyday that one found out he had a hidden sister with a fucked up childhood and family. “I think we are all feeling that way at the moment, Yusuke, but we must not forget that we are here to fight. This could be a distraction that could cost you your life, Yusuke.”


“Yeah, I know, Kurama,” Yusuke told him dejectedly as he turned back to the fight.


*********************************************


“Oh fuck, what is that horny bastard thinking?”


Akira grinned at Lai’s loud outburst. “Going balls to the wall, I’d say,” she told him casually.


Lai glared at her. “Aren’t you the least bit worried that he will become unstable?”


“It is risky but he doesn’t really have a choice. He can’t hide from Hiei’s dragon, so his only option is to fire his dragon.”


Lai turned back to the ring, a small pout tugging on his lips. “Everything has to be so fucking complicated with this lot, doesn’t it?”


Akira grinned as she turned back to the ring.


*********************************************


Hiei watched his opponent carefully as the cold air around the ring shifted. “What do you mean, your own dragon?” he asked the smirking ice dragon.


Sai took a deep breath as he changed the energy around the ring and observed Hiei. He had to be careful. “Most ice dragons are able to change forms, but I am one of the few who can not.”


“What the hell does that have to do with this fight?” Hiei demanded as he watched Sai’s energy wrap around his body and left arm. His eyes widened when it began to take the shape of a dragon.


“Since I am unable to access my energy in the more traditional way, I had to improvise. I learned how to tap into that awesome power and now it is an attack that is very similar to you darkness dragon.”


“I knew this fight would be worth my time,” Hiei told him and they both prepared to send their attacks at the other.


*********************************************


Kuwabarra sucked in a deep breath as he watched two dragons appear in the ring around the two demons, one a light blue and the other black. ‘There really going to kill each other,’ he thought franticly to himself. He jumped up and rushed down the stairs of the aisle. ‘No, I have to stop them.’


He reached the balcony separating the ring from the audience just as they were about attack. “No, stop it now!” he screamed out above the noisy crowd.


*********************************************


Sai was just about to let his dragon loose on Hiei when he heard the scream. He turned and saw Kuwabarra looking at them desperately. ‘He doesn’t want Hiei dead,’ was his first thought as he hesitated in his attack.


Sai watched as Hiei’s dragon of darkness came barreling toward him during his moment in lapse judgment. It was to late to block the attack. The blonde took the full blunt of the blow.


*********************************************


“No, you’re not supposed to kill each other,” Kuwabarra yelled as he watched Sai’s body collide with Hiei’s dragon with wide eyes.


Kuwabarra didn’t know what made his body go limp as he landed on his knees or what forced the air out of his lungs. He didn’t understand why he should care about the other demon’s death. He had just met him, so why did this feel just like his heart was breaking again.


*********************************************


Hiei frowned after letting his dragon go. The other had hesitated in his own attack and was looking away from the ring during the most crucial part of the fight. He watched as the dragon hit him at full force, pushing the other out of the ring and into a concrete wall.


Hiei’s dragon came back to him and he waited for the smoke to clear from the ring. There was no way for the other to be alive after that. When the smoke cleared, the fire demon’s eyes widen as he watched Sai get back to his feet. “There is no fucking way!”


*********************************************


Akira jerked up and pushed her way towards the ring. She barked her orders with every step. “Kai, Lai, and Rai, you are to come with me. Sai’s other personality might be a bit harder to control with Hiei in the mess of it. Tai, go to Kuwabarra and the others and watch them.”


Tai faltered in her step for a second. “Wait, can’t Lai go instead?”


Akira stopped and turned to her friend. “No, he can’t. I understand that you are insecure at the moment but now is not the time. This is more for your safety than theirs so please do as I asked,” she told her in a rush not allowing the older vixen to protest before turning back down and getting to the ring.


*********************************************


Hiei was barely able to move out of the way as a blast of freezing energy was sent at him from Sai. Something had happened to the other after that last attack. His eyes were glowing blue and his features had a wild look about them. The ice dragon’s fighting style had also changed. Instead of dancing with Hiei like he had before, Sai was attacking with out rhyme or reason.


Hiei knew that he didn’t have a choice. He had used too much of his energy in his first dragon attack. He couldn’t fight the other this way for long; it would kill him. The fire demon had enough energy for one more dragon attack; Hiei only hoped that he could hold off long enough to find an opening in the other’s attacks.


*********************************************


“Did he just . . . uh . . .”


“I think he did, Yusuke,” Kurama said, just as shocked as the other. His eyes never left the ring.


Yusuke shock his head slightly, making sure that he wasn’t seeing things. “Can someone take the dragon head on and fight like nothing had happened?”


Kurama continued to watch as Hiei dodged another energy blast. “I guess they can now.”


*********************************************


“How the fuck?” Kuwabarra asked out loud, his mind not believing what he was seeing.


*********************************************


Akira ripped the ward off her blood seal as she reached the ring. Sai’s energy was erratic and she had to get him under control. She grew her claws and dug one into it and ran it along one of its lines forcing her energy into it.


*********************************************


Kayu screamed as a searing pain raced through her left arm. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like someone was dragging a knife along her seal. “That fucking bitch,” she gritted out around the pain, her glazed over eyes looked down at her niece.


*********************************************


Kaname frowned when Tai raced towards them. She had almost reached them when she fell to the steps, a small cry of pain escaping her lips. His body automatically stood and went to her, his eyes running over her body for any possible sign of injury. He frowned when he saw her grip her arm that had held Akira’s mark tightly. “What the fuck is happening?”


*********************************************


Kai’s knees almost buckled under him as the pain from Akira’s scrap took effect in his arm. He looked over at her and was amazed that he only saw that there was only a small glimpse of pain in her eyes. ‘How is she still standing? I can barely handle it and I know that it is at least twenty times more powerful for the holder of the seal,’ he thought to himself as he regained his composure.


He looked to his right and saw that Lai was helping Rai to his feet. When the half-breed male looked up to the ring, Kai saw that Sai’s inner dragon was under control. His eyes widened in shock and fear as he saw out of the corner of his eye that Akira was rushing into the ring.


*********************************************


Hiei had his opening. Sai’s eyes had widened in pain and lost their ominous glow. The fire half-breed didn’t wait; he gathered his energy quickly and sent his dragon on the blonde haired man again.


*********************************************


Kurama felt his body go numb as he watched Akira rush towards Sai and in the direct path of Hiei’s dragon. If he hadn’t have been detached from his body, the fox would have noticed that his heart clenched and his chest grew tight at the sight of his hummingbird in danger.


*********************************************


Akira pushed Sai out of the ring and into the crowd. She turned to see Hiei’s attack right on her. She put her arms in front of her face and braced her body for the blow. When it hit, she felt her body leave the ground.


*********************************************


The pink haired announcer didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t been able to say anything since the fight had turned ugly. Hell, she couldn’t even tell who the winner was. “This is the last time I take a job offer from someone on the street,” she mumbled to herself as she tried to figure out what was going on through the smoke.


*********************************************


When the smoke cleared, Kai rushed to the edge of the ring where Akira was slowly standing up on shaky legs. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” he yelled at her as he slipped an arm under her shoulders to help her stand.


Akira winced slightly as she took a deep breath and a searing pain went throughout her body. “Take care to remember that I still have a hangover,” she told him as he helped her over to the other side of the ring where Lai was with the unconscious Sai.


Before they could get out to that side, Hiei stepped in front of them. He could barely move and couldn’t feel his arm. “What the fuck was that?”


Akira rolled her eyes. “You attacked a virtually defenseless person. One that belongs to me, I might add and I was only protecting my property.”


Hiei looked at her as though she had grown another head. “Defenseless, why didn’t I think of that. Oh, that’s right, he was to busy trying to take off my head with a blast of fucking ice,” the fire demon all but screamed at her.


Akira glared at the shorter demon. “If you are going to bitch at me, then you can go somewhere else for your answers. And good luck,” she told him, pulling away from Kai. A grimace of pain crossed her features as her stomach clenched. “Lai, take care of the politics,” she yelled as she jumped out of the ring. The blonde turned to the crowd of demons who all took a cautious step back. She chuckled lightly and smirked. “Can someone point me to the nearest whore house?”


Kai rolled his eyes and looked up in the audience. The youko was glaring down at them. Kai hid his smirk as he turned back to Hiei. “Since you are about to keel over, allow me to make this quick. Akira just saved your life. Sai’s inner dragon took control of his body. It is the reason he cannot take the highest form; he cannot control it. She was able to pull him out of it a few seconds before you attacked by forcing her energy into his mark, therefore causing the dragon to recede.” Kai grinned down at the little demon as Yusuke and Kurama made their way to their friend. “If you had waited a few seconds, Sai would have been unconscious. Though he didn’t look like at the time, his body had felt the full force of your attack.” Kai swiftly turned and walked to his cousins, not waiting for any more questions or interruptions from the trio.


*********************************************


“Dude, are you okay?” Yusuke asked Hiei as they watched Kai leave them.


Before Hiei could answer the announcer started to declare him the winner. “Though this was the most entertaining battle of the tournament, I must declare Hiei the winner.” She paused and cleared her throat before continuing watching Kai and Lai carefully. “Sai is disqualified due to interference and Hiei wins by default. Akira is also disqualified for interfering in their fight and is unable to fight in the remaining fights.” She squawked as Kai came towards her and picked her up by the throat with one hand, slowly chocking her.


The stadium fell silent for a moment before there were roars of outrage and excitement. Not two minutes went by before another announcement was made, this time by the overhead announcer. “Uh . . . Akira is not disqualified. Due to the nature of what happened and the circumstances, this interference is to be allowed by King Yama’s orders.”


Kai let the announcer go. “Next time know what you are talking about before making such a stupid and somewhat fatal mistake,” he told her before returning to his cousins.


The pick haired woman fell to the ground and tenderly stroked her throat. “I quit.”


Yusuke turned back to Hiei. “Fucking bastard,” he muttered.


Kurama nodded in agreement and reached out to grab Hiei as he fell over, the fire demon’s fatigue taking over. “Let us get him to his room.”


Yusuke nodded. “Yeah, he’s going to be out for a few days at least, isn’t he?” he asked leading the way.


“Most likely,” Kurama replied, lifting Hiei over his shoulder gently and walking away from the ring where they were preparing for the next fight.


Yusuke chuckled when they got halfway there. “Damn but that was intense, wasn’t it?”


“Yes, it was. For such a fight to take place so early in the tournament does not bode well for us, Yusuke.”


“What do you mean, Kurama?” Yusuke asked, falling back to talk to his friend.


Kurama looked ahead, his eyes focused. “It is only going to become more difficult from here. I am not sure as to how many opponents like that we can handle in such a small period of time.”


Yusuke frowned. “Why the hell do you always have to see reason? Can’t you leave me blissfully unaware for once?”


Kurama chuckled. “Forgive me, Yusuke. I forgot that you prefer ignorance to intelligence.”


“Fucking smart ass youkos,” Yusuke muttered, taking the lead again.


*********************************************


Kuwabarra walked slowly over to Sai’s cousin, Rei or something like that. The cold demon looked over to him when he noticed him. “What do you want?” he asked the human.


Kuwabarra looked down at the sleeping Sai. “Is uh . . . is he gonna be okay?”


Rai rolled his eyes. “Of course he is, you fool. He is a strong demon, not a weakling like yourself.”


Kuwabarra’s face flamed. He took a step towards the other demon in anger. “Why you fucking-“


“Oh please be quite,” Rai told him, ignoring Kuwabarra’s rage. The demon looked down at his cousin and his features soften slightly. “You like him, don’t you?”


Kuwabarra’s flushed rage turned into an embarrassed blush. “I . . uh . . .er . . .” he mumbled out.


Rai smirked. “It is okay,” he told him, looking up at the young human. “It is soon but with matters of the heart, that means nothing. You are drawn to him the same way he is drawn to you.”


Kuwabarra looked away and snorted. “He wants to fuck me and that is about it.” He turned away with one last glance at the prone Sai. “I'll leave you; I just wanted to be sure that he was still alive.”


Rai reached out and grabbed his arm turning him. “Wait, there is something I need to tell you.” When he had Kuwabarra’s attention he continued. “I heard that conversation earlier and I know that Sai regretted it.


“You see, he has a very troubled past, just like the rest of us and doesn’t quite know how to deal with his feelings. He’s fancied himself in love with Akira for so long that


Sai doesn’t think that there is anyone else who can save him.”


“Save him?” Kuwabarra asked softly, his eyes on the blonde.


“Sai, Kai, and myself are all looking for that one person to save us from ourselves and we thought that maybe it was Akira.” Rai chuckled softly. “I think that you might be Sai’s and I believe that he hopes you might be his as well.”


Kuwabarra looked at the blood demon wearily. “I doubt that.”


Rai shook his head. “I don’t. Sai was willing to sacrifice himself for the life of your Hiei. I’d say that means he feels something for you.”


“So what am I supposed to do? I wont be just another good fuck.”


Rai smiled. “Just give him a chance and I have a feeling you’ll be his best fuck.”


*********************************************


Akira walked out of the whorehouse on the outskirts of the stadium area and rubbed her neck. Her body had fully healed itself while she feed. She grimaced as she felt the invisible slime that hell holes like that left on a person’s skin. She needed a shower and a drink.


As she passed a bar and hesitated, maybe a drink and then a shower was what she need. Just Akira was about to walk into the bar she was grabbed roughly and dragged behind the building. When she was lifted at least a foot of the ground and roughly shoved face first against the wall, she grunted. She tried to push against the wall when a long, hard, and very male body pressed against hers, fitting perfectly into her body, between her slightly spread legs.


“I should kill you for lying to me, Aki-ra,” was whispered in her ear and her body relaxed against the male behind her.


“Are you?” she asked, biting her lip as a large clawed hand reached between her body and the wood and ripped her shirt and her chest binding down the front. She bit back her moan of pleasure when the hand roughly gripped her breast.


Yoko Kurama closed his eyes as he took in the scent of the demon Akira. She was already wet for him. “I haven’t decided yet,” he told her as he abandoned her breast and reached for the tie holding her pants up, ripping it away. He growled when they didn’t lower more than a few inches and ripped the down on side.


Akira’s heart was pounding hard in her chest as her body was pushed even closer into the wood, the harsh surface scrapping against her pale skin. She bit her lip so hard it bleed when the youko whispered into her ear “I wonder if you taste as good as my hummingbird?”


When he first thrust into her, Akira’s body pushed up against the wood as he tried to hold her down. Kurama did not wait for her to adjust to his very well endowed demon form and started fucking her into the wall with abandon. One of his clawed hands dug into her hip, forcing her body down with each of his hard thrusts into her, while the other reached up and pushed her face to the side of the wood, letting it scrape against her cheek with each upwards push.


Akira could not stop the shudder that ran through her body as Kurama gripped her hair at the base of her neck and started sucking on the base. She had lost control over every part of her body by her voice. Her legs trembled against the wall and her claws dug into the wood, trying to find purchase as the harsh pace fucking continued. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head when Akira felt Kurama’s teeth sink into the hickey he made. When he came inside her body and Akira felt him unconsciously send his energy into the mark, she followed him down that path of self-destruction. Her body shook hard in the power of her orgasm and her walls tightened even more against the now soft member still buried deep inside of her.


Yoko Kurama breathed hard against Akira’s neck, his own body shaking with the force of his release. Even now, her body was still incredibly tight around him. He kissed her neck once more before pulling out of her and moving away, letting her fall in a heap to the ground. When she looked up at him while he was tucking himself away, he smirked. “We’ll talk about this later,” he told her, turning away. Just before he crossed the corner he turned back. “I just might end up keeping you for a while yet, Aki-ra.”


Akira groaned when he was gone. She was fucked. Kurama didn’t know it but he had just marked her and now she was completely his.


*********************************************


Yusuke groaned as he rubbed his eyes while he walked to the door. “Do you have any damn clue what fucking time it is?” he yelled as he opened the door.


Keiko sat up in the bed and squinted at the bright light flooding into the room. “Who is it, Yusuke? Is something wrong?”


Yusuke stared at the two standing at his door. “Uh, do I know you?” he asked, watching the shorter one closely. The detective did not like people who hid their faces.


The male smile kindly at him. “I am afraid that we don’t. I am Tentoku, and we are here to discuss Akira with you and this is the only time that we felt it was safe.”


Yusuke frowned. “What the fuck do you have to do with Akira?”


Tentoku hesitated slightly and looked at the cloaked figure. With a nod, two small hands removed the cloak and Yusuke was looking at a female who was an exact copy of Kayu except that her hair was long and fell in waves around her face. “I am Mayu and I am Akira’s mother.”


*********************************************


Tai glared at Kaname from her perch on the bed. “I told you I don’t want to stay here.”


Kaname didn’t even look her way from his spot at the window when he replied “And I told you I don’t give a damn.”


Tai frowned. “I could force my way out of here, you know.”


“I wouldn’t try.”


“Why?”


“I would just come and get you.”


“Are you forgetting my cousins? You wouldn’t stand a chance.”


“Then you would have my death at your hands. Would you be able to forgive yourself?”


Tai’s frown turned into a pout as she realized that he was right. “Why are you even bothering with this? Do you want to end this on your terms or are you hoping for a goodbye fuck?” she asked him, turning away from his back.


Kaname looked over at her, getting up from the window seal and moving over to the bed. “What are you talking about?”


Tai’s chuckle was hollow as she answered him. “I had reasons why I didn’t tell you everything, Kaname. I don’t blame you for anything, if it were me, I’d do the same thing.”


Kaname looked confused. “What?”


“I wouldn’t want to be with me either,” was her whispered answer.


Kaname grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. “I never said that I didn’t want to be with you.”


“But we can’t be together. You can’t be with someone you don’t fully accept.”


Kaname’s hands dropped as he looked into her dark, large eyes. He reached out and cupped her face gently. “I might not like your past but that doesn’t mean that I don’t accept it as your past.”


Tai looked at him hopefully for a second. “What about Akira?”


Kaname winced. “One thing at a time, besides, I think you have more to tell me,” he told her climbing into the bed next to her and wrapping his arms around her body.


Tai sighed. “Are we okay now?” she asked after a few moments.


“Yes, I think we are.”


*********************************************


Kurama sighed as he tossed on his bed again. What had he been thinking, seeking Akira out like that? And instead of officially ending their relationship, he had ended up fucking her into the wall. He groaned at that thought. It was the best sex he could ever remember having. The youko had never truly lost control with any of his partners yet Kurama’s prided control completely abandoned him the moment he had the little blonde demon under him. He could still feel her gripping him like a second skin making him forget about everything else. When he felt his member start to rise, Kurama groaned again. This was going to be a long night for the fox.


*********************************************


“What the fuck were you thinking? That girl is my assassin?” Koenma yelled at his father, storming into his private quarters.


Yama smirked as he lifted his head from his book. “So you noticed?”


“How the hell could I have not?”


“Does your wife approve of that mouth of yours?”


Koenma gritted his teeth. “Don’t change the subject. What the fuck in going on?”


Yama sat his book down and leaned back in his chair. “Sit down and lets talk, son.”


*********************************************


Review please. Kitty’s Korner is on hold for this chapter and maybe the next. My computer hates me. I will answer back your review when I get everything fixed. Thanks.