So, after watching Hoozuki no Reitetsu, I kind of got fired up about this idea for a bit. I know, it's kind of hard to imagine this, but humor me. Now without further ado, read on!

These characters, minus Kanna belong to Natsumi Eguchi. Many of the lines also come from the anime. I am not claiming any rights to those characters or lines!

When I first arrived, I already knew I was bound for some sort of hell. Which one, I couldn't have told you at that time. Why I went to hell instead of heaven, well, I leave that for you to find out. However, I didn't expect what I got. I doubt anyone could have. Even the inhabitants of hell couldn't have imagined this.

*400 years prior*

"Enma-daiou, straighten your back! You are our king, act like one! It's common courtesy!"

"Treat me like one then!"

During this time, I was still in the hallway, walking towards the desk for which Hozuki-san was scolding Enma-daiou and not in a good way. I never saw it, but suffice it to say, I could imagine what sort of brutal pain Enma-daiou was going through. Judging by the fact that when I first came, I roughly heard something equivalent to bashes with some sort of hard object, so at the time, I presumed it was torture devices. It was torture, but not for me, apparently.

When I first came up to the desk, I noticed how large Enma-daiou's head was in proportion to his body. He wasn't flaming red like the paintings depicted him, but he was large. His robe did somewhat match the paintings, but it was… simpler. More realistic, if I had to describe it. No flames were coming off his body nor was he giving off some dark aura like in the paintings. His facial expression, though angry was not unlike that of a human's. Well, paintings are paintings; artists can do whatever they like to it. His assistant though, was very different from what I expected.

Unlike the paintings, where he was an old man, he looked young. I can't imagine his age, but he looked relatively in his 20s. He wore a black robe with a lotus on the back. The horn on his head wasn't big, but it was noticeable. I could say at that time, I did think he was good looking, but I wasn't playing the role of "a love struck girl." Anyone could say that I was just surprised. Hell seemed less… well scary. Ironic, right? The Mortal World seemed a little more terrifying at first. Oh, was I wrong.

"Ahem, well. Kanna Minamoto, you know your purpose for being here, but you should have not been here. What is your defense?" Tilting my head down to avoid the gaze, I knew why Enma-daiou words were cautious at that time. I knew I was originally not destined to end up here. I technically didn't do something that was unjust. I simply lowered my head and shook it. I didn't care about the verdict that much; it was bound to be bad, no matter what I said, so I thought that I would just accept it. I mean, it is Hell. I should have expected the worst, especially for someone like me.

"I see. You, who commited the crime of murdering 55 men, I hereby sentence yo- ARGH!" At that time, I was shocked. At the time, I presumed that Enma-daiou was the last person to be creating the sounds of pain… I realized I was wrong. Instead of letting Enma-daiou finish his verdict, Hozuki-san punched him in the face while facing me. His face, though not exactly happy, didn't seem to scare me. Heck, I was probably too shocked to actually react.

"U-um… Enma-daiou? Are you okay?" Judging that it was Hozuki-san who punched him, I could guess that at this time, probably not so much.

"Minamoto-oujou-san. You do not seem to be worthy of this punishment. May I propose an alternative?" Well, at the time, I was probably looking like as if someone just threw a ball in my face: utter shock. I think at that time, I was also stuttering. I remember what he said very clearly. Just remembering it scares me…

"MINAMOTO-OUJOU-SAN, did you HEAR me?"

"Y-yes! U-um… what sort of alternative did you have in mind, um…"

"Hozuki. Hozuki Katashi." … with a name that means "firmness", I already saw that this was not a negotiable debate. Heck, I'm not even sure I was thinking correctly at that time. To me, any demon's name that means "firmness" couldn't be a good thing, right?

"Minamoto-oujou-san, we are currently understaffed and are looking for new members. Since you were not destined for this fate and considering your background information, here is my proposition. If you are willing to work for this department, we will offer a job on a contract basis for the first few years that will eventually lead to full employment as well as boarding." Given the fact that I know now that Hozuki-san was actually serious about it, I could have agreed now that it was a good thing. The me at that time, well, I was still in shock.

"Um… may I ask why I technically qualify?" Hey, I was curious. Granted, it wasn't smart to question Hozuki-san's offer, but… he's a demon. Do humans normally trust demons on the first day? Not really.

"You were the owner and director of a chain of stores, despite the fact you were female, well-organized and clearly, you knew how to solve difficult situations." Right, let me clarify what he meant by that.

About 6 years before I died, my parents were killed by passing ronin, leaving me and my sister, Sumire, at the mercy of my relatives. Of course, we couldn't do anything about the fact our parents were dead. However, what followed was probably worse than what Hell had. My relatives were scrambling to 'take care of me' because I was a woman. I was about to get married, but… after my parents died, the marriage was cancelled, saying I was bad luck for his family. Instead of accepting that quiet, pitiful state, I became the clan leader. Sure, it was not easy, especially because I was a woman. However, I showed every single one of those geezers that I could handle it, at least economically. The political decisions, I left to them, but I decided how the money was made. I invested in shops that were dedicated to kimono making. I knew how to create quality work and I knew how to attract customers. I wasn't bribed and I always held a firm position about our policies.

After the first 2 rough years, income became steady and I was able to help the clan rise in power. No one objected to me then. There were plenty of suitors for me, but at that time, I was already 21. I was old by that times standards. Now, I would have been considered young, but this was 1000 years ago. So instead of trying to get a husband for myself, I helped my sister try to find one. She was 16, so she was at a proper age. Considering the connections, I did whatever I could to make sure her husband was at least decent at heart. After the first few suitors, I was beginning to think no one could do that, since they were all after my power. They tried to seduce her, but Sumire was smart. I wasn't letting her be ignorant.

However, the 6th suitor was different. Despite his odd amber eye color, he was a tall man, with strong muscles. Kei proved his worth with his actions and was quite helpful. He was a worker for one of the shops; a manager to be precise. He was hardworking, strong and clearly, he was moderately well off. When I saw those two together, I thought it could work out and it did. He and Sumire hit off and within a few years, their wedding took place. I was glad to see her so happy. However, others didn't. Because Kei was so hardworking, others were jealous of his nature. That and Sumire was a beautiful girl. Long flow black hair, soft brown eyes with long eyelashes, an hourglass figure and a pale complexion; the perfect girl.

He received multiple threats and the men tried to pressure Sumire into cheating. She held her ground though and pushed back. To save her from this treatment, I gave her enough money and told her to set up shop in a different city. She readily understood. The shop was still under my jurisdiction, but they ran the shop by themselves and they were happy. Their child came within the next year and was given the name Kohaku because of the amber eyes he inherited. However, terror still followed.

A gang decided to take Sumire as their bride, despite being already a married mother. They tried to torture her, but she didn't give in until they raped her. She was so distraught and felt so dirty, despite how her husband tried to comfort her. Kohaku couldn't understand, but he tried to comfort her in his own way; a child's smile is worth more than anything possible. However, I couldn't forgive them. Sumire suffered at their hands; I wasn't about to let that happen. So I took a few men with me and made sure they could never do it again. Of course I took punishment, but I alone took it. I started this, I decided to take responsibility.

After they killed me, the chain of stores collapsed, not surprisingly. The old geezers didn't know a damn thing about economy. Sumire and Kei were able to keep the shop though, since before I died, I left it in her name and since her name no longer was Minamoto, they managed. I could still hear their prayers, but I killed people, so I was bound for Hell and back to the situation with Hozuki-san.

"… and if I accept, what would my position be?" I was cautious. You couldn't trust demons, right? Ironically, they were more straightforward than humans were. If they had an issue with me, they would flat out show me with their fists or their words. I couldn't say the same thing for European demons, but the demons in this hell proved otherwise.

"You would my assistant." Had I known what Hozuki was like, I might have jumped out of pure shock or happiness. Granted, if you mess up, he's quite scary, but he was only like that to Enma-daiou. The rest, he treated with some dignity and firmness. He was clean when it came to work, which I like. But, the me at that time simply paled.

" … a-accept…" Well,I was scared.

"Thank you for your cooperation. I will escort you to your quarters."

"Hozuki-kun, you could show a little bit of cheer in your face towards her. She's frightened." Well, naturally. I just got offered a job in Hell.

"Enma-sama, can't you see how cheerfully and openheartedly I spend my days?"… yeah, even now, I still can't believe that he was being 'cheerful'. At that time, his face as darkened, almost glaring and he gave off more of a dark aura than any other person there. His already pale face looked paler and more contrasted, which scared the crap out of me. To add to the effect, his baritone voice was so monotone that it made him even more distant. If I could say one thing, I'd say Hozuki-san was at the same level of creepiness as a flock of shoebills.

"Well, then, Minamoto-san, this way." Well, I just made a contract with a demon and I was going to work in Hell. I wasn't sure if the Buddhas would forgive me, but I had to admit, this was beyond my expectations…

So, how was it, guys? Tell what you guys think and tell me if you think I should continue with this on a longer basis. Good luck to you guys!