My hands were clammy and cold, and brushing them idly against the sides of my tunic didn't make a difference. Mukuro had brought me new clothes for the day's agenda, and I felt comfortable covered for once. Ordinarily, me and my scars were the center of attention for Alaric. Today, I would be playing the role of quiet adviser at Mukuro's shoulder. So I was dressed in muted tones of blue and green and my hair was pinned back in unassuming fashion.

The three Lords were in attendance. Yomi for Gandara. Yusuke for Tourin. Mukuro for Alaric. The room thrummed with power. I wondered how much of the room would be obliterated if all three chose to flex their auras at the same time.

Yusuke seemed incapable of sitting like an adult in his chair. He hunched forward, resting his forearms on his thighs in some faux-casual façade.

Yomi sat like a man living in his own world – forcefully straight, but with a mild smile plastered on his face. I had never seen him before, and the excess ears and horns were almost offputting.

Mukuro strode through the room like someone at home in the space, regardless of the fact that she had not been in the room in quite some time. She sat, placing her hands on the blood-stained arms like she owned them.

We opened with the usual ceremony as Enki entered and sat in his expressive wood throne. He welcomed us, and no sooner had he opened the floor for comment then Yomi stood to speak.

"Your grace," he bowed shallowly, "I would like to propose that the conversion of humans to demons be made fully permissible within all States and powers that present at Court."

Even knowing it had been coming, the words still made my stomach churn.

"I can't believe this!" The floor buzzed under my feet, and it might have been my fault. The mirror in my bathroom trembled, threatening to crack. My dressing gown swished around my legs, slapping against my calves.

Mukuro sighed, leaning back in my little chair. "Would you stop pacing? You're going to wear out the floor."

I stopped pacing but tugged a lock of hair a little too aggressively. "I thought Yomi had no part in this?"

Mukuro tilted her head to the side in a disinterested affirmation. "He didn't. But he's a man of science and logic and pure reason – if someone presented him with a rational and financially prosperous argument then he would be easily swayed."

There was some subtext that I was missing – I could hear it lingering at the fringes. "What do you mean?"

Mukuro examined me for a beat. "Yomi is fond of Aria Jaganshi – the first easily identifiable convert in the Makai. Not the first, to be sure, but being of higher status she makes a good ambassador for the cause."

I was still missing something. "I don't understand."

Mukuro hummed under her breath. "I forget sometimes how new you are to the Makai. Aria saved Yomi's lands from a wildfire, using his forces strategically and with few losses. He was impressed, and even tried to convince her to stay in Gandara permanently." Mukuro grinned, but it was more of a smirk. "The Lady Jaganshi has more tact than her husband, and was able to refuse without burning the bridge entirely."

I huffed. "I don't understand how this would encourage him to propose-"

Mukuro leaned forward briefly, cutting me off. "Yomi would see the argument in taking humans of value to the Makai and converting them. I have no doubt he considered offering Aria a conversion while making his original proposal. Yomi will follow any avenue to achieve his goals." Mukuro crossed her arms. "If any of the three Lords would be swayed, it would be Yomi."

I shuddered. "So what do we do? If he genuinely believes this, what do we do?"

A slow, predatory smile slid across her face. "We join the game that someone has begun in the background."

Have you lost your damn mind?!" Yusuke roared, launching himself into a standing position.

Yomi smiled. "I believe that humans would be capable of making valuable contributions to our growing society, bringing skills and technologies we have yet to imagine."

Confusion and anger were written clearly across Yusuke's face. "It's a horrible thing to do to someone – it's torture!"

Yomi was unperturbed. "I understand that it can be painful, but so are many talents that a demon may strive to conquer. This is the future of the Makai; a few labor pains are to be expected."

Yusuke started on a string of incredibly colorful epithets, tied together with wild gesticulation. Yomi only let out a disappointed sigh. "Please sit down, Lord Yusuke. It's so hard to understand you when you are so emotional."

Yusuke's ass slammed into his Seat with all the power of a man whose masculinity has just been threatened. He pounded one elbow onto the arm of his Seat and it splintered under the force of it. "So, Lord, you want me to agree that this is just fine?" he crunched the end of the arm in a fist. "Because you seem to have forgotten who my friends are."

Yomi's smile held a hint of a smug sneer, without changing one iota. "And you seem to have forgotten that they would be dead without Conversion."

Mukuro chose that moment to speak up, perhaps to keep Yusuke from trying to rip Yomi's head off. "Choosing the two most irregular examples is hardly helpful." She smiled to herself. "Nor is baiting another Lord."

Yomi ducked his chin and chuckled. "Forgive me; it doesn't take much effort." He waved a hand, dismissing Yusuke's growing anger. "Personal feelings aside, I would like to hear a poll from the States and powers present." Yomi raised his hand. "I call for a vote."

A cry from the Gallery of "Seconded!" came too swiftly for me to identify the source.

I leaned down, hastily whispering in Mukuro's ear. "Before we vote, I would like to add a condition to the poll," she interrupted, speaking as swiftly as I could whisper.

Yomi's eyebrow raised. "A condition? What of?"

I hissed a final word and took a step back. Mukuro paused, weighing my words before speaking. "If we are to universally legalize human conversions, we must legalize demonic ones as well."

The eyebrow raised higher. "That would be rather pointless, don't you think?"

Mukuro smiled, ready to drop the hammer. "You misunderstand me. We must legalize the conversion of demons to humans." Her words were smooth and sweet as honey as a tortured gasping cry rose in the audience.

Yomi nearly lost his composure – I could see it in the twitch of his hands and the fluctuation of his aura. "That would be condemning murder; here has been no recorded incident of a demon ever surviving the loss of their core."

Mukuro shrugged. "There are scores of incidents of humans not surviving the conversion to a demonic nature. In truth, the ones that survive are few and far between. Their conversion suggests an exception, not the rule. Besides, how are we to know for certain that it will not work if we do not attempt it?"

Her cold eye leveled on Yomi. "What do you think, Yomi? Would the weaker or stronger demons be more likely to survive? I'm eager to see how many volunteers you manage to muster up to investigate the theory."

He actually laughed. "I don't imagine there will be many."

"For good reason." Mukuro nodded her agreement. "This is the first time all Lords have been present at Court since the Seats were formed. Can we dare to believe that it is for anything other than a historic decision?"

Yusuke leaned back in his seat and whistled. "Damn! Is it really? We should have donuts or something."

I am certain that if Yomi lived with open eyes he would have rolled them hard enough to see the whites of his eyes. "Be that as it may, this is not as complex an issue as you are making it out to be. I'm not suggesting that we forcibly convert every human and bring them to the Makai, just that we make it an option."

"This option has historically proven quite detrimental for humans involved," Mukuro instantly retorted.

Yomi's mouth slimmed to a terse frown. "Are you going to continue this circuitous argument until we all die of old age?"

"Of course not. I have far better things to do with my time." Mukuro's dry humor elicited a murmur of nervous laughter from the Gallery.

Her humor was lost on Yomi. The man had the emotional range of a post-it. "Then I believe it is the time we hear from those present."

I leaned down to whisper in Mukuro's ear again, but she held up a relaxed hand to stop me. "Of course, but with a condition."

Not this again, I could almost hear him think. "And what might that be?"

She let the silence hang for a moment – my Lord had an affinity for the dramatic. "The votes should be restricted to those who were Converted."

Scandalous murmurs spread through the room.

Yomi scoffed."Ridiculous. There are only two known Converts in the Makai-"

Mukuro waved at me over her shoulder. "One of whom is present."

Yomi raised his voice over her casual interruption. "The future implications of this decision are far too important, and would affect more lives than just that of humans."

Ready, Mukuro sprang her verbal trap. "Are you suggesting that your personal endeavors and comforts are more important than the wishes of those that would be Converted?"

Complete silence.

She uncrossed her arms, pressing her palms against the arms of the Seat. "I have proposed two conditions on your vote; that we additionally legalize demonic conversion, and that the vote be restricted to those already Converted. Will you allow either of these conditions?"

Yomi's jaw flexed in irritation.

Enki cleared his throat. "I think we have spent a great deal of time on these sensitive issues, and not enough time in contemplation. Let us take a recess, and reconvene in two hours."

Mukuro shot me a look. Go to work.

The Gallery emptied quickly – everyone was still nervous about spending excess time in the presence of power – and I caught glimpses of Yasuo and Kurama being pressed towards the door by the crowd. I waved a hand, trying to tell Kurama I would see him later. I don't think he saw me wave – his gaze was fixed on Yasuo. Odd, but I didn't have time to focus on it.

I moved like a fish upstream across the crowd, finding another figure easily. "Lord Yomi, a word?"

A/N: Hoooooo boy. This is a much shorter chapter, but I bet it doesn't feel like it. The Three Kings/Three Lords haven't been in the same room since the first day of Court after Enki was crowned. They're going to take a poll of all States and Powers on whether they should legalize human Conversion, and then Enki gets final say (but it's based on how many States and powers want it to be permissible).

The chapters are easier to get through now, so it shouldn't be THREE MONTHS before the next chapter comes out.

Thanks to my reviewers: halem847, Sanguinary Tide, MickeyISrawd, Leahcar-Soutaichou, MoonFox940, Guest, and Divine Demonic Assassin!

PLEASE REVIEW!