Journal Entry 5.1

"The meeting is about to start."

I stopped writing in my leather-bound journal, snapping it closed before standing up and tucking my pen into my chest pocket. "Already?"

Kuesu put a hand on her hip and huffed. "It's been half an hour, you've just been absorbed in that journal of yours." She leaned forward a bit before saying. "Which you still refuse to share with me."

"Dr. Diana gave me my methods of coping and she gave you yours." I said before tucking the small journal into the inside of my coat, sliding it into a concealed pocket. "And I don't exactly see you offering up your own." I finished as I felt the wards on the pocket snap into place.

She pouted but didn't offer up any further objections, only pausing to give me a light elbow. I sighed and wrapped an arm around her for a brief hug and kiss on the cheek that made her blush more than any full-on-the-mouth kiss could have before addressing everyone else waiting in the lobby. "You all ready?"

Amare, Lilinora, Sorina, Anjelica, and Sophie replied in creepy unison. "Yes, Amakawa." Before following us as we lead them out of the lobby and down one of the long hallways leading further into the base. Shido and Maki stepped seemingly out of nowhere and flanked the small group from both sides, their expressions neutral instead of their typical frowns. It'd been a week since our visit with Dr. Diana and they'd all been a flurry of activity trying to prepare for the other Demon Slayer's arrival, with the exception of Anjelica who'd been lazing around on account of having finished all the paperwork early.

The walk was mercifully short as we were escorted to a room different from the one I'd been invited to the first time I came here. Shido and Maki stop us in front of a sturdy looking, wooden double door that practically hummed with all of the wards in place. They stepped forward, each grabbing one handle, and pulled it open to reveal what could best be described as the love child between a modern meeting room and traditional Japanese décor; a stark contrast to the more relaxed setting I was used to.

There were sixteen seats and all of the individual clan leaders were sitting at the front half of the table; Aiji stoically sat in a black suit next to Kasuri and Hisuzu who wore their traditional miko atire, Meruhi was glaring at a grinning Hitsugi, and Shido and Maki took their own seats after letting us into the room and closing the door behind us.

The most eye-catching thing of all though was the imposing figure that sat at the head of the table; "Kei Tsuchimikado", Aiji's father and the number one head of all the Demon Slayer clans. Taller than Aiji, but with a definite slouch, he had long dark hair that framed the sharp features of his face that were made even more grave by his intense gaze.

"Welcome." Kei said, his voice sounding surprisingly young, more the deep baritone of a fifty-year-old rather than the extremely fit seventy he seemed to be. "I apologize for how long this has needed to be made, relations in America became… complicated for a time."

"It's quite alright, Mr. Tsuchimikado." Amare said as she slid into the chair directly opposite Kei, the rest of her group taking seats on the opposite half of the table while Kuesu and I took our seats near the other demon slayers. "It is completely understandable for your organization to be curious about the sudden change our group brought upon America."

"Can we skip the pleasantries? We already have a general idea of what your kind… indulges in." Meruhi cut in.

"I agree, why don't we skip to what they have to offer us?" Kasuri said, Hisuzu looking like she was about to agree with the sentiment.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Aiji cautioned. "I know you two have your misgivings about even talking with these Mamono but that is no reason to spark unnecessary hostility."

"My son is right, pleasantries can reveal much about an individual's character." Kei said.

"Quite right." Amare agreed, Sorina letting off an approving hum to her right.

Meruhi, Kasuri, and Hisuzu looked nonplussed but cowed for now. I looked over at Hitsugi for her reaction but she just smiled and gave me a small wave with her usual manic expression.

"Now then; we got a little que from our allies, but would you care to explain?"

Amare then went over everything she'd already told me and my friends but this time more detail was given to the exact mechanics of the Mamono transformation. "Our kind has never converted a Yoaki before, or any supernatural this far east as of yet. So, any of them that join our ranks here are almost guaranteed to have their natural forms change along with a change in ability; not necessarily more powerful, just different."

"So long as you immediately notify us any potential dangerous developments then things should be fine." Kei glanced over at his fellow Demon Slayers then. "Are there any particular benefits we might see?"

"Once we get a proper foothold the local Yokai will be far less aggressive, supernatural activity in general should stagnate, which mean no more sudden rises in the amount of rouges like your newest member had to deal with." Amare said, gesturing towards me. "We will actively work with and follow any explicit orders you give us, even including helping you enforce your own rule. And finally; we will tell you the specific rituals and spells required to reverse the affects of our infection. It cannot reverse someone that has been fully turned, not unless someone like Kuesu gets involved, but even a novice should be able to nullify any progress."

Kei leaned back with a whistle, his eyebrows rising a few ticks. "That's quite generous of you."

"And you will allow us to safely test such spells to verify their authenticity?" Meruhi asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"Of course. In fact; your daughter has already displayed the skill and ability to do so with the young Amakawa." Amare said.

At her words several things happened at once; Meruhi glared at me, Hisuzu scrunched her nose in disgust, Kasuri just looked exasperated, while Hitsugi outright cackled. I could feel my cheeks flush red just a bit while Kuesu merely rolled her eyes at their reactions.

"I'm just surprised your little infection can be so easily undone." Hitsugi said after catching her breath, crazy eyes watering a bit from the intensity of her mirth.

"I have faith in the power of our Lord but even with the assistance of my kind and the Lilims the magic that she used to allow this radical change is far from incomprehensible or all powerful."

Kei nodded at that. "On that point; tell us more about your lord and her daughters."

The meeting drifted by in a blur of minutia then and so did my attention after a ten minute explanation about the supposed metaphysical nature of the Lilim by Amare. Even I, novice in diplomacy that I was, could tell what decision Kei and the rest of the Demon Slayers would make.

Another hour of polite niceties, arcane explanations, some legalese from Anjelica, and both Mehuri and Kuesu rigorously going over all the magical contracts Anjelica had with her passed before the conclusion of this blissfully peaceful negotiation arrived.

Kei and Amare both nodded their heads towards Anjelica and she selected one of her bigger contracts, another one of the magical kind.

"Something to make sure we both keep our word." Amare said. Kuesu, and a reluctant Mehuri, having verified her claims.

With a confident flourish looked over the contract made in a strange language with apparent understanding before whipping out a pen and singing along the dotted line at the bottom.

The movement was nigh-imperceptible, and I'm pretty sure I would have missed it entirely if I hadn't happened to be looking directly at her at the time, but I saw Amare shiver and her eyes turn a darker shade of red, near black.

It was for just an instant but when our eyes meet again I could tell she knew I'd seen.