Chapter 1
Makai World, 245 years before Yoko's Transformation into Suichi Minamino

His dodging didn't remind her of a fighter but of a dancer. No matter what the opponent threw at him, he moved with a deadly grace-one that promised pain if he got too near. His long silver white hair helped complete the look of a dancer. It whipped around him as he spun to miss the next attack much like his tail did.

She already knew how it would end. It was only a practice bout and Yoko Kurama had promised to go easy on the new want-to-be thieves. They would all h ave died if he had been going at them with his normal strength and cunning. His rose whip lasted out at the last moment, pulling him from the edge of the ring that the group had been working him towards.

Like the hundred s of times before, she walked forward, her kimono clad body just as deadly as her master shifting one way or the other. "That's enough." She called to the young demons who were about to head at him again. She had watched fights enough to know when it was pointless to go on without correcting things. However, this was her first time watching these people and they only thought of her as a maid. Some didn't obey her though, rage at being defeated so easily clouding their minds. Yoko threw them aside easily.

"If you more my fly eater will eat you." he said, a large Venus Fly Trapper like plan edging up behind him. It enforced this by eating picking up one of the demons that was still moving and eating it in front of the others.

"Kilin, you were too far from the rest of the pack. Rix, you were too close to your team mate." the young woman said, not afraid of the giant plants that followed her movements as if thinking she would be a good meal

Yoko collapsed into a sitting position as his servant made the corrections as was needed. He looked upon the 5'6'' woman with a sort of admiration. She had been his personal servant since she had joined his and Kuronue's ranks about six months back. She had shown an eye for fighting a week before when a demon thief sneaked in and attacked Yoko while she was cleaning his room and he was reading a map. He had asked her to supervise and make advisement to the group he was training to see the extent of her knowledge. She looked at the group of younger demons with pale brown eyes, her blond hair tied back in an efficient braid. Normally, he realized, her hair was allowed to flow around her waist without being bound. Now she looked like a warrior in silks.

It seemed that she took fighting more seriously than the other tasks she had given her int he past six months. Suriously, he allowed one of his fly trappers to move forward towards her. It was coming at her from behind and so she didn't see it get nearer. When it got within three feet however, she turned and stared the creature down, fire sparkling in her eyes.

"And you Master Yoko, Let your guard down five times in the last three minutes of the fight." She accused, watching the fox demon with eyes that normally showed a sort of submissiveness.

Yoko jerked his plant back and rose, making it a seedling again so he could go to her without being a target of his own plant. He wasn't sure he liked this new personality. "I allowed you to come and observe the students, not myself. Those drops in guard were to see if they were paying any attention.." he said, anger trickling into his voice. The students edged away from the woman who had so boldly defied Yoko.

"You asked me to critique the fight Master Yoko. You never specified." The woman retorted.

Yoko was indeed about to take her head when his best friend, a bat demon by the name of Kuronue, strode over laughing. He was about the same height as Yoko, 6'4''. His hair, also as long as Yoko's but pitch black, was held up in a sort of pony tail that was fed up through a hole in a witch like hat. His pointed human-like ears completed the look of a giant imp coming to play.

"Kuronue! Don't laugh, it'll only incite her to be more of a pain in my ass. Miss Choucho doesn't need any more encouragement." Yoko Snapped, glaring without conviction at his friend. He could never really be angry at the bat man, but he could sure be angry at the others and especially this woman.

"I am sorry, but she was correct and the fact that she tood up to you only made it better watching." Kuronue answered as he jumped in the ring. "So is this the maid you took a few months past? Is she human?"

Choucho had stayed out of the way of most of the demons that Yoko had included in his bandit pack. Thus no one really knew her very well. Even with Yoko, she had never revealed her species. The fact that she looked like an ordinary human with her lack of demonic parts such as tails, and her brown eyes only helped her with that.

"No, Master Kuronue. I merely look it. It makes me more deadly." she replied. Finding that it was hard to look up at the tall men, she took a few steps back so her neck wasn't being tortured to do so.

"Then what kind of demon are you? There are few demons that don't have obvious signs of demonic origin. They have eyes that are weird, or ears, or tails. So tell us young Choucho. What kind of demon are you?" Kuronue asked, circling her like a predator.

She smiled up at him and shook her head. "I only tell those that I think are worthy to know. I won't tell you Master Kuronue."

"Then tell me. You work for me I ought to know what kind of demons work for me." Yoko snapped, getting tired of her dancing around the subject. He had tried several times to find out but he had never been able to find anyone who had known this girl before she had joined them.

Choucho frowned up at him, debating whether or not it was wise to lie to tell. She may have been staring fearlessly at the fly trapper but she had been inwardly frightened. She was no animal spirit that could control plants like Yoko could. She was no fire demon that could defend herself with flames. She would have been helpless for she didn't have anything but her lips to save her at the moment. She hadn't thought she'd need her powders or other things. "I am a demon of poisons." she finally said. It was only a half truth, but enough of one that would allow her to keep her secret a little longer.