After resting in his room, it was dinner time in the Hinata Inn and Keitaro was sat down at the head of the table between Haruka and Kitsune, ignoring Narus' glares and Motoko who had one hand on her sword. Montroel observed the group from the arm of the sofa where he is perched. Keitaro examined the various bowls and plates on the table and is amazed at the quality and quantity of the food and even more so when he learned it was prepared solely by Shinobu.

"Wow! I've never tasted anything so delicious!" Keitaro declared hungrily, scooping bowl after bowl of rice into his mouth. It had been a while since he had eaten anything home-cooked let alone a spread like this and he wasn't going to go easy on portions in case he never experiences a decent meal again.

"Thank you!" the young cook replied with a blush.

Kitsune noticed this and slid in a sly comment. "Looks like you got yourself a boyfriend, Shinobu!"

Shinobus' eyes widen in horror and she shook her head frantically. "No, no, no, I'm just pleased he likes my cooking."

Keitaro is too busy eating to hear the teasing and feel the increasing hostility emitting from his two haters. When he finished his portion, he looked up at Shinobu. "Excuse me, Shinobu?"

All the teasing stopped and everyone looked at him. "Would it be possible for me to take some up to my room?"

"You want more?" the young girl blushed furiously and Keitaro looks around in confusion as everyone started teasing her.

"So Keitaro, how come you came here for the night and didn't go home?" Haruka asked, curious as to his arrival.

Keitaro had anticipated this question already and calmly replied, "I've been travelling a little after a falling out with my parents about...well, personal things...I just wasn't in the mood to see them yet. I'll see them tomorrow morning though."

The answer silenced Haruka, nobody likes to pry in personal business of that nature and the answer was satisfactory in its' own right. Also, since he was only here for one night, no-one really cared which worked out perfect for him.

…..

As they all finish dinner, Shinobu gave Keitaro a few bowls to leave with, to which he thanked her, and headed for his room. As he approached his door, he heard soft footsteps following behind him and turned around to see Motoko.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked her directly.

"Our resident chef seems to be growing fond of you, I'd appreciate it if you weren't here for breakfast" she demanded rather than asked.

"I don't intend to be, I remember the deal, it was ONE night", he smirked, mimicking Narus' hand gesture.

"Don't try me, Urashima", she warned, unsheathing her sword slightly to back up her threat.

"Wouldn't dream of it", he smiled, maintaining eye contact until she resheathed her blade.

"If you are still here at breakfast time, I will personally escort you off the premises", she smiled back then turned sharply and headed to her room.

Keitaros' smile turned to a cold stare as she left, "what a bitch..."

Montroel grinned from behind him, "great ass though!"

"Yeah, but psychos don't really do much for me", Keitaro replied.

"How about Mitsune? If I know you, you must have checked her out more than once", the demon smiled mischievously. "Maybe you should make a move before you go?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Naru and Motoko would LOVE that. You trying to get me killed?" he asked.

"Like that would stop you. Think of it this way: when you entered the hot springs she stayed where she was. She either thought you were cute or would rather drink. So go and drink with her, easy way to find out."

"That kind of makes sense in a way..." Keitaro replied, imagining just what Mitsune looked like undressed. "For now though, I'm going to my room, less hostility there."

"Don't be so sure", it grinned making Keitaro wary, "anyway I'm going to abuse my invisibility to other humans and spy on Motoko. I got to see those legs...among other things."

Then after an even wider grin it vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving Keitaro to mumble "what a sleaze" under his breath yet wishing he could catch the view himself. As he opened his door, he finds the warning Montroel hinted at: Naru, who was stood beside his bed, glaring at him angrily.

Keitaro sighed, "why are you in my room and how...", he started before he noticed the wooden panel in the roof moved aside. "So THAT'S what that is?"

Naru pointed a finger at him, "don't you even THINK of popping up for a peek, you pervert, or I'll knock you into orbit!"

Keitaro looked at the seething girl and laughed, "as if I'd want to, I don't go for nut jobs with bad tempers."

"I'm sorry? What did you call me?" Naru asked, hands balled up into trembling fists at her side, her face a mix of disbelief and anger.

Keitaro assessed the situation then leant forward slightly and with wide-eyes, clearly stated "Nut Job. Loony. Crazy Person. As. In. You."

A minute later, Keitaro opened his eyes groggily, taking in the hallway ceiling then his shattered door. "She just punched me through a door..."

The other girls are in the hall after hearing the commotion minus Naru who is seething in her room. Motoko glared at him, hand on sword.

Kitsune laughs, "guess you learned the heard way that Naru doesn't like men much."

Sighing, he looked to his side to see his smashed bowls of food, "what a waste..." then sat up slowly rubbing his jaw.

Keitaro stood up and looked to and fro the ruined food and smashed door to which Shinobu said, "I'll clean up the food and get you some more" and hurried to the kitchen to get a brush and mop.

He watched her hurry off as the other girls parted for their rooms, getting their fill of excitement for the evening, except Motoko who stood watching him suspiciously.

"So...", Keitaro began, "where do I get a new door?"

Motoko just smiled and walked back to her room.

After standing alone for a moment, he shot a cold glare towards the wooden panel, now back in place. I hope for your sake you're stronger than that punch.

…..

Keitaro woke up sweating and panting and rested his head in his hands. It wasn't a nightmare that haunted him, it was hints at memories that caused him to cry out in anguish. His frustration denied him a proper dream or a decent sleep. Getting up, he threw his trousers on and slid his duct-taped door open slowly and headed for a soak in the hot tub he's allowed to use. Relaxed, he casted a thought back to what had happened in the past few years...he used to be so...different, clumsy and spineless and now...he doesn't know who he is but it's someone no-one likes or should like.

"Do you regret it?" a familiar voice asked.

"Don't be peeking at my package, Montroel!" Keitaro warned jokingly.

"If you had something worth peeking at other than that maggot, I still wouldn't", it retorted, balanced on the railing, back to Keitaro.

There was silence for a while as they both stared at the stars. "So do you regret it?" Montroel asked again.

Keitaro stared at the sky for a moment longer, "that's the problem, I don't regret any of it. The death. The destruction. The sleepless nights. None of it."

The demon turned slightly as Keitaro continued. "Everything about it, ever since our Blood Pact...the pain I'm caused...the pain I cause...the cruelty...everything about it just..."

Then Keitaro gave Montroel a cold stare and said in an emotionless tone, "...satisfies me."

…..

Earlier that day.

A light drizzle started in Tokyo and as the rainfall increased, people rushed home or took shelter in shops except for one teenager who has taken refuge in an alleyway, trying to get his breath back as if he has just ran a marathon for the first time. His attention is focused on a large plume of smoke in the distance and the sirens fast approaching...

The emergency services arrived at the scene that had Keitaros' attention: a large house fire. The windows and doors had been blasted out by an internal explosion and the fire crew were preparing their hoses to battle the blaze while a couple of ambulances were parked nearby treating a couple of injured passer-bys.

A blue sedan shortly appeared and stopped down the road, where a couple of police units had blocked off the route. The two occupants, a male and a female, took in the scene for a while and watched the firemen tackle the blaze. The driver, dressed in a smart yet casual suit sighed and got out of the car, still watching the fire as he approached a police officers nearby.

He put his hand into his pocket, he flashed his ID to the man, "I'm Detective Kentaro Sakata, do you know what happened here?"

The officer checked the ID then replied, "neighbour reported the explosion, few casualties being treated, no witnesses yet but we've just arrived ourselves. That's pretty much the case so far."

The detective didn't look at the officer the entire time, memorised by the dancing flames, until a young woman nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. Kentaro looked to his side to find his equally smartly-dressed assistant detective had brought their cups of coffee from the car. He shot a smile at her and they continued surveying the scene, taking a sip of their coffee every now and again.

"Officer, do we know what caused the explosion or whose house it was?" the assistant asked.

The officer looked at a small notepad, "explosion has only been described as 'internal' so far, we need to get the fire out first before we can find the cause, and the house belonged to a Mr. And Mrs. Urashima. We don't know if they were inside when the incident occurred."

"Urashima?" Kentaro immediately asked, the surname sparking recognition. "Are you 100% certain?"

The officer blinked in response to the detectives serious tone but checked his notepad again. "Yes, it was confirmed by several people as the Urashima residence."

Kentaro stared thoughtfully at the burning house while his assistant cast a sideways look at him. After a few moments, he turned and headed back to the car to which his assistant turned to follow but stopped thanking the officer and bowing slightly.

Stopping short, she turned and smiled sweetly, "there is just one more thing...do you have anyone we can contact about this? We'd like to lend a hand since you're all busy."

The officer, charmed by the smile, quickly handed her a sheet of paper with some names on it to which she thanked him again and turned to go back to the car, handing the sheet of paper to her partner.

As the pair left, the girl waving goodbye, the smitten officer turned to his colleague, "wasn't he a bit young to be a detective?"

"You'd think so", his more knowledgeable partner replied, "but Kentaro aced every exam since he joined the force. The Chief recognised his skills at an early age after he helped solve a number of cases for us, some he even solved alone. Soon, he became a detective, ploughing through case after case. The girl joined the police force later but like Kentaro she scored top marks on all the exams. He noticed, they chatted, the Chief allowed him to mentor her and now there are two genius detectives partnered up. I think they're on the trail of a murderer or something at the moment...can't remember the details. "

"What is the girls' name?", the officer asked, desperate to know the girl he had just developed a crush on.

"Oh, her name is Mutsumi Otohime."

END CHAPTER 002