Katrina's eyes widened; she knew what those were. She answered the silent question in Scara and Taylor's minds. "A super elite class of demon. The name Mazuko itself roughly translates into 'Devils Demon Tribe'. They easily live two or three hundred thousand years and gain strength by eating the flesh of humans."
"Assholes are damn near impossible to kill, too," Jaden added with a growl. "The only known way to kill them disappeared about three thousand years ago."
Scara scowled in annoyed confusion. "You mean some sort of weapon? Or a person who knew how?"
"Weapon," Katrina elaborated. "The Kusanagi; pretty much Japan's Excalibur. No one knows what it's made of, but it can kill just about anything. It unfortunately disappeared in the middle of a battlefield and hasn't been seen or heard of since." She shrugged at Taylor and Scara's looks. "I'm half Jap. I know the stories."
"I'm sure it helps having an expert in your head," Acheron noted, a light teasing smile on his lips. Scara shook her head.
"So, call me an optimist," she said blandly, "but how does that fuck us over? In case you didn't notice, Katrina isn't exactly a killing machine..." She glanced at the girl, eying her appreciatively. "Impressive, sure, but not a major threat." She trailed off, a touch of nervousness creeping into her expression. "Right?"
Katrina gave her a straight faced serious look. "You've had to fortune of not seeing me angry. And you're lucky Storm's the one who came into my head when I was revived and not whoever the hell my other ancestor is." She shrugged before going on. "Of course there is the chance I can die again, giving the Mazuko a chance to get in my head. If that happens and I ever get angry for any reason... Trust me, you're all royally screwed."
"And unless I'm mistaken, both will fully awaken on the twenty-ninth?" Taylor asked, both immortals and the blue eyed descendant nodded.
"Great... Anyone got a prepped apocalypse bunker?" he asked, making a face.
"If it were the apocalypse, a bunker wouldn't survive ten seconds," Jaden retorted. "Especially not if a Mazuko is the cause."
"So basically, we're screwed no matter what we do," Scara grimaced, crossing her arms. To anyone who knew her well-enough, which in this case meant Acheron, the action was one of defense, though the movement held all the aggression of an angry bouncer. "I mean, if the Mazu-whatever bloodline gets activated, that's the end of the world, right? But k- ...killing her would just awaken something worse..."
While Scara had rambled a bit, Storm had decided to take over for a little bit. So the irises turned molten gold and serious, calculating look came over the features. And of course, like before, the dark hair grew out again. "As long as the Mazuko isn't given a chance to get to her before the anniversary, then once the powers awaken, it's more a matter of just proper training and we're fine. If not, apocalypse doesn't quite cover the disaster that'll happen."
"No shit, Susanoo; thanks for joining the party," Jaden snarled. The storm god opened his mouth to reply, but Acheron beat him to it.
"Got anything for Scara and Taylor to use that'll help them keep Katrina safe?" he asked pointedly.
"...Depends on what they're willing to pay," the broker answered, giving them each a look that said he didn't expect much. Acheron gave a long-suffering sigh.
"Out," he said. "You're done here." Jaden made a soft 'ch' sound and rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"You know I'm not one of your Dark-Hunters, right?"
"Exactly why I didn't force you out myself," the Dark-Hunter leader pointed out. "Jay. Seriously, you've more than repaid your debt to me." Jaden's features softened and his harsh gaze took on a sort of softness.
"I'll never be able to repay that debt, Ash," he said. "But thanks." With that, he vanished.
"Probably still pissed at me about the prank." Susanoo mused.
Acheron scoffed in vague amusement, but Scara and Taylor exchanged confused looks.
"Prank?" the Squire asked, a touch interested.
"Another time," Acheron cut in. "Sebak, my last order still stands; you and Katrina stay here. Taylor..." He put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Go home. Get some sleep. And talk to your sister; she's having issues that she really needs to talk to someone about." Taylor frowned, worried now, and nodded. While he darted into the living room to grab his jacket and keys, Scara glanced at Susanoo.
"Ok, now that the bloodline mystery has been solved," she said, "are you still hanging around?"
He simply nodded. "On lookout for the Mazuko." At her confused look he further explained. "My pantheon killed most of them a long time ago, but the strongest of them, or their leader I guess you could say, disappeared and we haven't been able to find him for a few millennia."
"Wonderful," she growled. "If anyone says a damn thing about 'only five days to go; what could go wrong,' I'll gut them where they stand, god or no."
"And on that lovely note," Taylor said, squeezing past them, "I'm outta here. Watch out, sweetie; I'm opening the door." Scara darted to her room and slammed the bedroom door just as the Squire opened the front door. "Say bye to Trina for me!" And with that, he was gone.
He does realize I can hear him right?
the descendant asked her ancestor, who in turn shrugged.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Then a thought occurred to Katrina. Ask Ash is he's willing to do a favor for me.
The storm god sighed before looking to the Atlantean. "Kat's got something to ask you." Katrina was thankfully that he wasn't calling her Hurricane like he had been while he was just a voice in her head.
"Speak freely, Katrina," Acheron smiled. "I can hear you."
The girl mentally cheered. Yeah, not it won't sound awkward! Though it would of been fun to hear Stormy say! Susanoo's brow twitched in irritation, and she calmed her giggles before speaking up. Could you do me a huge favor and personally explain what's going on to my brother? Kinda had to give him a brief cliffhanger's note version before and I feel bad about it. He knows to keep his mouth shut about all the supernatural stuff. The last part she added on hurriedly before Ash could say anything.
"Sure, why not?" he sighed. It wasn't like small housekeeping matters were new to him; he had to deal with a lot of the finer details over Dark-Hunter paygrade. Just add another explanation to a long list of things to do. "Thank you, by the way, for that burden, Susanoo. In return, Katrina, I need you to do something for me."
Sure, if I can, she answered.
Acheron hesitated for a moment, knowing he was about to breach an employer-employee trust. But this wasn't just about 'one of his Dark-Hunters'; this was about Dark-Huntress Scara, an acquaintance who needed a friend.
Fortunately, though Scara's timeline had been a bit blurred by his concern for her, Katrina's timeline was still crisp and easy to read the possibilities of. Where Scara was concerned, he saw thousands of futures, results of both women's conflicted feelings toward each other. Many of them did not end pleasantly, for either party.
"...Watch over Scara," he said finally, choosing a path that would leave her to choose her own destiny. Just because he could nudge them toward happiness didn't mean he should. "She needs someone who won't leave her to be a pillar in her storm... No pun or irony intended, Susanoo."
The storm god simply shrugged, not caring. Katrina was a little confused by the request, but agreed. Then told her ancestor she wanted her body back, when he tried to argue, she immediately turned the agreement on him saying he'd get his own body back in a little over four days. He finally gave up and gave Katrina control again.
She grumbled a little. "I serious give up with the long hair." She pulled a pony and off her wrist and just settled for pulling it all up into a high ponytail.
Breathing a soft chuckle, Acheron leaned over and gave her a soft, fatherly kiss on the top of her head.
"Good luck," he said, seeing so many unhappy endings for her that he almost wanted to break the rule Savitar had given him never to interfere with fate, one he kept meticulously because of experience. It took all of his self-control to keep his mouth shut and flash over to her house to talk to her brother.
And the first reaction he got was the twenty eight year old yelling, "Holy Hell in a hand basket!" and falling flat on his ass after bumping into the counter from jumping in shock.
"Close enough," the Dark-Hunter snorted, amused. "I'm Scara's boss. Call me Ash. As a favour, Katrina asked me to explain everything to you..."
At Katrina's name, Demetrius was instantly alert. "Is she okay?" He couldn't help but worry then though he knew she could take care of herself.
"She's fine," Acheron assured, raising a hand. Then he extended the hand to help him up. "She's with Sebak and Susanoo. Of all my Dark-Hunters, there's no woman I trust more than Scara; she'll take care of your... sister. And of course, Susanoo being a god and all, it's highly unlikely she'll die anytime soon anyway."
Demetrius accepted the hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. But he raised a brow at the mention of the Shinto storm god.
"Take a seat," Acheron bid, following his own advice. "I'm sure you've got questions, and for now my schedule is clear, so get comfortable."
He let out a shaky sigh and took the seat opposite Ash. He had a feeling this was not going to leave him the same.

Meanwhile, Scara took a moment to gather her thoughts, piece through them, and try to decipher the oddities she found.
It was bothering her that she felt so strongly toward Taylor and especially Katrina. Acheron she knew she could trust, and if he trusted Jaden, she would refrain from attacking. But Taylor was young, human, and cheerful; her exact opposite. And Katrina... Well, without even touching the can of worms on Susanoo and the Mazuko, she was Scara's charge, someone to be protected, nothing more. Loyalty to her job was something the Dark-Huntress understood, but protectiveness against people who were at least mostly on the same side as her?
Her preferences were getting to her, and she needed to stop looking at Katrina as a woman before she did something they'd both regret.
Katrina let out a sigh before going over to her duffle bag and digging out some clothes to change into. "I'm gonna take a shower." She told Scara as she moved past her to head for the bathroom.
A curse formed on Scara's lips but she didn't voice it. When the bathroom door closed, she flopped back on the bed with a groan at the heat building in her stomach from the thought of Katrina in the shower. Water cascading down that perfect body, trickling between firm breasts and across excellent thighs...
When she heard the water come on, Scara grabbed a pillow, pressed it to her face and screamed in frustration.
Katrina let her thoughts wander as the hot water pounded into her back. With her birthday being four days off now, it was going to get more risky. No doubt someone was going to try to come after her, especially now that it was confirmed that her other bloodline could pretty much damn the entire world.
She let out a sigh as she ran her fingers through her long hair. Then that thought drifted to the feeling she got when Jaden sank his fangs into her wrist earlier. Shivering in delight at the memory, she imagined it being Scara that bit her, and more towards the neck or... She cut that thought off before it could go any further. Dear god, the world was at risk of ending and she could only really thinking about having sex with the woman just outside the bathroom door? She was officially insane now.

Carnal attraction had to be the worst thing Scara had ever experienced. Well, at least now, when she could do nothing to sate it; leaving the house would bring Acheron's wrath down on her, and she didn't dare touch Katrina.
Even with that thought ringing through her head, she still found herself with her hand on the bathroom doorknob. Immediately, she jerked her hand away, as if it had burned her. Then half growling, half sighing, she leaned against the wall by the door, closing her eyes and trying not to imagine the beautiful woman a mere ten steps from her.
The water turned off, and she tensed, trying to decide whether or not to move before the girl came out and found her there. She was still debating when the door opened and Katrina stepped out, hair wet and dressed in her own clothes. She glanced at the bed where Scara had been earlier, and then headed for the living room.
Scara didn't even realize she was moving until she had her arms around the girl's shoulders, body pressed against her back, nose buried in the wet locks that still smelled strongly of shampoo. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deep, drowning in a scent that was part her own, from the shampoo, and part Katrina's.
Katrina tensed when she felt arms wrap around her. She then realized it was Scara and relaxed slightly.
Every sane part of Scara screamed at her to get away from the girl, but the stupid part won out and she pulled the girl closer, gently pressing her lips to the back of Katrina's jaw, just by her ear. Then she ran her tongue over her lips, transferring the flavour of the girl's skin to her taste buds, which sent shivers through her. She scraped her fangs lightly over the skin of Katrina's neck to the collar of her shirt, longing to sink them in and taste her blood, but knowing that to do so would make her no better than the Daimons she hunted.
A low moan bubbled up and spilled from Katrina's lips as her own body pressed back against Scara's taller frame. The smaller woman reached back and laid her hands on her lush ass, giving it a firm squeeze.
That succeeded in shredding all but the tiniest modicum of self-control, and Scara dropped one hand to cup the girl's breast. Gods damn her, but she wanted it too badly to care.
"Is that a yes?" she murmured against Katrina's neck, voice dusky with lust. Not that it really mattered what answer the girl gave; Scara was literally one movement from tossing her onto the bed and ravaging her regardless.
Katrina moaned again. "...yes," she breathed quietly.
Almost before the word finished passing her lips, Scara had her pinned against the wall, jet eyes flashing with a hunger that was feral even for her. Leaning down, she stopped just short of kissing the girl, mouth hovering less than an inch above Katrina's.
"I shouldn't," she whispered, hands placed firmly on the girl's hips to keep them from wandering. "But if you don't run now, I will."
A teasing smirk played across Katrina's lips as she looked up at her through long dark lashes with those blue eyes that were darkened like the ocean in the middle of a storm. Her hands moved around her hips and started to run across the skin of her lower back. "Then what are you waiting for?"
The last word was muffled by Scara's tongue, delving deep into the girl's mouth. She was careful not to catch tongue or lips on her fangs, but that was about the only thing she was conscious of as she lifted the girl up and carried her to the bed. She laid the girl down and pulled away just long enough to tug her cami over her head and toss it away, leaving her in the same lacey bra she'd been wearing when she'd pinned Katrina for waking her up. This situation was quite a bit preferable.
Scara straddled Katrina and slid her hands up the girl's sides, dragging her shirt up while she ran her tongue up the girl's neck and latched on to her pulse point. Oh, how she wanted to taste the blood flowing just beneath her lips...
Katrina brought her hand up to the back of her head and gently pressed her closer to her neck as her free hand reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. She easily took it off and was quite enjoying feeling Scara's teeth and breasts pressed against her. Her legs hooked over her hips to pull her down against her.
A low growl of pleasure rumbled deep in Scara's chest as cloth rubbed against the center of her body. Not for the first time, she wished her powers included the ability to don and remove clothing with a thought. Instead, she was relegated to the longer, torturous process of removing each piece by hand; she couldn't get either of them stripped fast enough, interspersing the process with heady kisses and sensuous touches.
The blue eyed Jap descendant didn't seem to mind though, at one point she even flipped their positions so she was on top of the older woman, placing hot kisses to her collarbone and moving her way down until she latched onto a nipple.
A soft gasp of delight broke past Scara's lips and her eyes rolled back in her head. When was the last time she'd ever felt such pleasure? Not in a long time, she was sure; most all of her past trysts had been quick, animalistic, a mutual quelling of desperate need. This... This was... Scara couldn't even think of a word to describe it. 'Heaven' came to mind. Bliss. 'Ecstasy,' possibly.
Raising her knee, she pressed her thigh against the wet folds of Katrina's body, smirking when the girl jerked and moaned. Reaching down, she replaced leg with fingers, gently feeling.
Katrina's hips squirmed against her hand, needy. Unbeknownst to either, her teeth had grown a little sharper since her revival, a fact that came to light when she bit down on Scara's breast, squeezing her free breast with one hand while the other trailed down her stomach.
The Dark-Huntress cried out and flipped the girl onto her back, rolling on top.
"Taunting me..." she scolded breathlessly, scraping her teeth across Katrina's neck and shoulder. "I can't bite..." Putting one leg between the girl's, she shifted and pressed the center of her body to Katrina's, shuddering joyously at the soft wetness.
Katrina moaned and bucked her hips up to hers.
Gasping, Scara moved against her.
"Gods," she whispered into Katrina's hair. "Do you have any idea what you do to me... bitch?" There was no malice in her voice, like the first time she'd said it to the girl, only teasing adoration.
She chuckled quietly. "I have... a pretty good idea."
"I doubt it," the Dark-Huntress moaned, running her tongue up the crease behind the girl's ear, and back down the outside edge before gently nipping her lobe. "But you will soon." A particularly ambitious rub of their bodies punctuated her words.
Katrina moaned louder as her nails dug into her back.
Tender heat built in Scara's body as she moved against the girl.
So much for remaining emotionless toward her; Scara was sure that if anyone threatened Katrina, it would be at the risk of their life, because she'd rip their throat out.
Overwhelming warmth seeped to every corner, every fiber of her being, and she shuddered as desperate need hit, drawing her peak closer.
The blue eyed woman moved a hand down to her ass and curled her nails into the soft flesh there. Dear gods this feeling was intoxicating. She was intoxicating!
Capturing Katrina's lips with her own, the taste set Scara's head spinning and succeeded in pushing her over the edge. She moaned deep in her throat as she sought to extend the orgasm with gentle but quick movements.
Katrina groaned in pleasure and bucked her own hips against hers, the jerky movement causing a twinge of electricity to shoot up Scara's spine. The older woman cried out, shuddering at the last, intense shots of bliss through her body. Her arms trembled, wanting to rebel against holding her weight off the girl, but she forced herself to move, which fortunately helped push back the threatening darkness of sleep. Shifting down the bed, she flicked her tongue across one nipple, then the other. She laid a trail of feather-light kisses down surprisingly toned abs before moving her lips to the inside of Katrina's thigh, avoiding the place she knew the girl would be wanting her to taste and instead scraping her teeth against the soft delicious skin of her inner thigh.
The blue eyed descendant moaned loudly, tangling her fingers into Scara's hair as she shivered to the scrape of teeth.
The Dark-Huntress winced as Katrina brushed her scar, but refused to react; this was the girl's moment, and she wouldn't leave her high and dry... Well, high and wet... just because she was a wimp against her memories. Gritting her teeth, she gave herself a moment to push the memories back while she brushed a finger across the skin around the wet folds, teasing, not touching... yet.
Katrina moaned again. Dear gods, the woman was driving her crazy! Her hips bucked again.
Snorting in amusement, Scara dipped her head to take the girl in her mouth, growling at the taste of her. She let out a gasp then groaned loudly, her hands tightening in Scara's hair as she pressed her hips against her mouth. Licking first up one side, then the other, the Huntress paused, and then plunged her tongue deep inside the girl. The mixed blood let out a cry in pleasure, lightly pulling her hair as her inner muscles clenched. Scara smirked. From there, it was easy enough to draw the girl into an orgasm.
Katrina screamed with her release and then fell back, panting as she tried to regain her breath. With one last flick of the tongue that made the girl's oversensitive body jerk, Scara crawled up the bed and dropped half on top of her, sighing in contentment. She finally let the exhaustion take over as she wrapped her arms around Katrina and held her close. The girl wordlessly snuggled close to her, letting out a relaxed sigh as her eyes drifted closed and her breathing evened out.