Thanks to: Azure (Glad I was able to clear things up for you. Not surprised you forgot about the king since he was barely in the manga and I only covered him in like a chapter or two near the beginning of this fic. I still enjoy writing him though. Gotta' love those folks who are so old they just don't give a crap anymore and do their own thing. =D), DebyMu (Kyo is definitely going to meet the First King again and he's going to be a great father, he just needs more confidence. I'm looking forward to the next few chapters too. Shihoudou is one of my favorite characters.), Almecestris (Thanks for taking the time to review. Glad you enjoyed it.), general zargon (Lol, even though we only got to see the first king for a tiny bit in the manga, I LOVE him. Totally planning to have more of him in the sequel because he's too awesome a character to ignore.), Yira (Seriously! How the heck did Kyo come to be? Did the king send him away in some sort of capsule Superman-style to save the world? Dang it Kamijyo-Sensei! Give us the answers! -_-),J Luc Pitard (The promised plot progression has finally arrived. =). I'm glad you are enjoying where the story is going and there will be more of the First King, I promise. I love him too much to pass up the opportunity to have more of him. Kyo is still a work in progress on the dad front but he'll get there.)

Japanese note: Shihoudou calls Kyo a lot of things, as you know. She uses the term "Oni-Chan" but this isn't the version that you'd use for a brother. It's the oni as in demon. Chin-Chin is actually slang for a man's genitals (don't use this around Japanese folks or they'll laugh at you). Also, Shihoudou's hat is called a sandogasa. You learn something new every day. 😊

Kurenai Kioku

Chapter Forty-Four

Biddies and Bodies

"Lots of vermin running around down here, these days," Shihoudou said as she took them all in with dark eyes and lips that fell somewhere between a pout and a grin.

"Been a long time since we last met, Oni-Chan," she said his name in a cutesy tone, "Did you get flushed down the toilet too? Or did you miss Auntie so much you came for a visit?"

Her gaze moved past him to Ryu and her expression turned incredulous as she finished, "Or maybe you learned how to time travel. I'm seeing little you from way back in the day."

Kyo replied irritably, "Keep your eyes to yourself, skanky witch. You already know where he's from. Don't tell me you forgot about hustling my woman out of this pit a few years back."

"You've got such a freakin' potty-mouth - always spouting crap. I remember your little human. I thought of killing her but she had a brat inside and I wanted to see what would happen. Just think, the Demon Child had a Demon Child. Or maybe," she half turned and took Aiko in as well, "I should say Demon Kids. Haven't seen so many runts running around in ages."

Her sword entered its sheath as she turned back to look at Kyo and then she was in his face and violating his space in half a second more.

"So nice to see you again, Demon Brat," she murmured as she reached out and ran her hands across his shoulders. He grit his teeth and endured her touch since he wasn't inclined to anger her right off the bat, not with his little ones around and not before he made it clear he wanted to pass through peacefully instead of fighting her.

It was a slim hope and not his usual style but he was eager to make progress and find out what had happened to his wife and, to a lesser extent, Akari and the rest of his friends.

"Ooh, who knew you'd grow into such a manly man?" Shihoudou cooed as she circled him around and around, like a teenager instead of a woman who was old enough to have changed Murmasa's diapers.

He took in the changes to her appearance. Her hair was short all the way around now and just past her chin, but she still wore her trademark sandogasa hat. She had on even fewer clothes, with nothing to keep her breasts in check but a set of tightly wrapped bandages and a pair of short shorts to cover her bottom. Her calves were covered in bandages and there were simple geta on her feet. The most modest thing she wore was a long blue and white stripped cloak which fluttered after her as she circled him and checked him out in return.

"Strong shoulders. Nice booty," he growled as she pinched the body part in question before she stood in front of him again and her hands roamed over his chest.

Her tongue poked out from between her lips in concentration for a moment before she said, "Yummy chest and abs too. No wonder you got the girl. Although I bet Auntie Shihoudou could show you an even better time. Makes me wonder what you have stashed below. Did you finally grow hair down there, hmm?"

She cackled as her hands wandered further south into territory that was marked "Property of Yuya" and Kyo finally lost his patience.

"Get off of me!" he growled, shifting Tenrou in his hand and swinging it at her.

She hopped away smoothly and gained enough height to land on a protruding beam overhead, a casualty of her barreling through the floors above on her way to see who had trespassed into her realm.

"Aww, you're no fun at all, Oni-Chan," she said with a sulky expression.

A step sounded next him and he shifted his gaze to look at Shinrei, who had moved up to provide extra cover for Ryu while he tracked the strange woman's movements with intent eyes.

"What a crude female," he said, his voice laden with disapproval, "And yet, why do I feel like I should know her and why are you allowing her to put her hands all over you? I don't think your wife would approve."

The censure in his voice was clear and Kyo's brows lowered into a frown at his audacity.

"Since when do you give a crap how my woman would feel? I don't feel like hearing that from the man who stuck his tongue down her throat and cursed her."

He was rewarded with a furious blush and those golden eyes skittered away as he replied, "I already apologized to her about that. Yuya-San was gracious enough to accept on the basis of my defense of your children."

'When the heck did that happen?!' Kyo wondered, then recalled the trip from the fifth gate to the courtyard where Nobunaga was. Since that was the last time Yuya had spoken to Shinrei out of earshot of him, he figured that redemption must have been part of the conversation.

Having Yuya forgive Shinrei for what he'd done to her without consulting him first piqued him for an instant. But he caught himself and recalled what sort of person he was married to.

'I can make friends with whoever I want, Kyo!'

That would be her response if he fussed at her about it and he shook his head. He couldn't talk. They'd come so far from him threatening to kill her to him falling in love with and marrying her – two things he'd promised himself he would never do. He'd settled for the exact kind of slavery that he'd sworn to avoid and he actually enjoyed it.

'I must be some sort of masochist,' he thought to himself as Shinrei continued.

"As for why I care now…well, I already told you my thoughts on Yuya-San the last time we fought and speaking to her has only solidified that impression. She is a good and decent person. I do not wish to see her hurt anymore. Not when she loves," he actually blushed even more at the word, "you as much as she does. You must appreciate her, Kyo."

Had he gone to some sort of parallel dimension? Shinrei, Mr. Lord High Stick Up His Butt, was admonishing him about treating his wife well like some sort of fussy grandpa? Had he fallen in love with her too like the rest of his idiot friends?

"When I want your opinion on my relationship with my wife, I'll ask you. You'll probably be dead by then, though," he spat.

Like the aristocrat that he was Shinrei replied with a dignified, "As you wish. I simply hope that you understand what a treasure your family is. You are worrying your daughter."

"How do you…? Never mind," Kyo replied, glancing over at Aiko who was watching their exchange with a concerned look on her face. She looked at him with a clear question in her eyes and he nodded his permission for her to come on over.

'Gotta' find a way to break that link between the two of them,' he reminded himself as she pitter-patted over to him and took her place between Shinrei and himself. A tug on his kimono indicated that she had grabbed a handful of the fabric and he noted that she did the same for the other man's tunic. Because they were destined to butt heads constantly, by virtue of their opposite natures, he didn't appreciate her need to run and rescue her "precious" Shinrei every time the two of them exchanged words.

'I'm your father, brat,' he reminded her silently.

In his hand, Tenrou vibrated slightly and he got the feeling the feeling that he was being laughed at again which irritated him even more. The old man could make fun of him but he couldn't bother to speak to him once more? What was up with that?!

"Hellooo, Auntie is still here! Either shut up or make out. I need some kind of entertainment and I'll take two hot boys getting it on if you don't wanna' play with me," Shihoudou interrupted his thoughts cheerfully.

The mental picture she conjured up made him feel nauseous and Shinrei obviously felt the same way as he took an angry step forward and said heatedly, "Silence your perverse tongue, woman! There are children present! If Kyo will not fight you then I will gladly do so, if only to teach you proper manners."

It was amusing to see the other man all riled up and he debated whether or not to tell him to rein his temper in before he got himself killed. He clearly hadn't a clue who they were dealing with since Shihoudou had already hermitized when the two of them were still kids.

"Ooh, such a noisy snob you are Rei-Rei," Shinrei's expression was scandalized at the way she butchered his name.

"Rude just like your bastard sensei even though I changed his poopy pants along with Muramasa," the pout was in place again as she plopped herself down with her legs dangling from the edge of the beam and crossed her arms.

"How can you know me when I don't even know who you are?" the silver-haired man demanded.

"Because crap flows downhill. I was thrown away down here like all the rest of the Mibu's dirty, stinky secrets. Guess that makes me the Queen of Filth," she chuckled carelessly, "If you wanna' fight me, feel free. Although I don't like the thought of killing such a pretty boy."

"As if you could," he replied boldly before addressing Kyo under his breath, "Who is she anyways?"

"Just a crusty old biddy with too much time on her hands and a kitty that's probably locked up tight due to lack of use. I can promise you, no man is hitting that bundle of crazy so don't be surprised if she cops a feel of you too."

Shinrei returned his statement with a blank stare and Kyo realized that he was using slang that the nobleman had probably never heard in his life. In the background, Aiko whispered to Ryu and asked where the "kitty" was.

Ryu replied, "Dunno."

"Cats and snakes. Boys and girls have a lot of animals," she replied, her tone thoroughly mystified.

Sighing at having to explain himself to sheltered rich kids and being surrounded by naïve innocents – Shinrei included - he said bluntly, "She's a banished, ex-Taishirou and she hasn't had a man in years so don't be shocked if she decides to feel you up too."

"So, you were just being cautious before? She must be truly powerful to cause even you to hesitate," Shinrei said directly.

The unintentional, albeit true, insult pricked his pride and his hand clenched around Tenrou's hilt. Shinrei had an absolute gift for making him want to punch him. His sword vibrated even harder in his hand and he growled in the back of his throat.

He was most definitely being laughed at.

Dark eyes watched the two of them and a secretive smile touched Shihoudou's lips as she crossed one leg over the other and reached up to take her hat off. Turning the sandogasa over and over in her hands with deceptive ease, she waited until their attention was on her once more before perching it on one finger and spinning it carelessly.

"Y'know," she drawled lazily, "maybe I'll make a deal with you, Rei-Rei, since you're so cute."

"Please don't call me that," he said with a pained look.

"Would you prefer Shin-Shin?" she asked with a smile.

"That's too close to Chin-Chin," that flush put in an appearance on his cheeks again and Kyo wondered how a man who was about the same age as he managed to be so stupidly sensitive.

"I'd rather my name not sound like a reference to male genitalia," he concluded

The Thousand Killer snorted in amusement. So Shinrei wasn't completely oblivious to the finer nuances of slang. There was hope for him yet.

"Then Rei-Rei it is. So, Rei-Rei", she drew the nickname out just to get on Shinrei's nerves, "how about I let the two of you pass without trouble if you can do one little thing."

Kyo, sensing that the other man was about to find out the hard way just how strong Shihoudou was, motioned for his kids to come closer. While the former Elder drew her request out with a long, dramatic pause, he hustled them a good twenty feet away.

Silver brows rose in inquiry before he asked, "And what do you want from me? I should clarify that I am not at all willing to give out sexual favors."

The way he phrased it was so proper that the woman actually burst out laughing and even Kyo winced. It was like a rabbit telling a hungry wolf that he would satisfy her hunger as long as no biting was involved.

Shihoudou's laughter went on for a full minute before she finally got control of herself and, wiping her eyes with her free hand, she replied, "So freakin' adorable. I like your balls Rei-Rei. Maybe you'll show them to me one day."

She waggled her eyes brows at him like the dirty old woman she was before concluding, "But, I'm not going to ask you to drop your pants...yet."

"Thank…you?" Shinrei ended it on a questioning note which sent her into peals of laughter again.

Kyo half expected him to lock his legs together and cross his arms over his chest in the universal sign of "please don't take my virginity". Not that he knew much about that side of Shinrei's life outside of the hints Akari had dropped about him not getting around much.

'Seems like the idiot brothers have a few things in common,' he mused.

"Ah, gotta' love sweet boys like you. I could just eat you up," she licked her lips, "but getting back to business. I'll let you have a free pass if you can catch my hat."

She stopped spinning the article in question and tossed it casually towards Shinrei who sighed as he raised his hands and asked, "Is that all?"

Kyo was oh-so-tempted to allow the man to catch the deadly sandogasa. It would certainly solve his never-ending annoyance at having a rival for Aiko's affections and give him something to laugh at for years to come on top of that.

"Oh yeah, you know that guy who gave me such a hard time back in the day? He was killed by a hat."

Sometimes the jokes just wrote themselves.

He had to remind himself that he was attempting to balance his good and bad sides against each other. Plus, Yuya and the kids would get mad at him if he didn't do anything. Grumbling inwardly about the stupid parts of doing the right thing, he caught the other man's eye and said his name in a warning tone.

"Shinrei."

Those golden eyes narrowed in understanding and he quickly dodged backwards, allowing the hat to hit the spot where he had been without interference. The contraption tore through the pavers and threw up sharp bits of stone that caught Shinrei on the cheek as it sank halfway into the ground.

The twins made identical sounds of awe and their protector stared at the sandogasa in shock, reaching up to unconsciously swipe away a drop of blood on his face where he had been scratched by flying debris. The fact that the hat would have seriously injured or even killed him was not lost on the water-user and he shot Kyo an assessing look once he got over his surprise.

"You could have let me get hurt," he said.

"Don't mention it…ever," Kyo replied and Shinrei nodded.

"Too bad! You aren't strong enough to catch my hat so you have to pay the toll another way. And you owe me twice over now, Oni-Chan. One for the first time and another for your little wife," Shihoudou said, her entire demeanor changing in the blink of an eye from jovial to deadly serious.

"I can see you are right at the starting line to speak to your sword, Demon Child, but a brat like you is still a thousand years too early to take me on, let alone the king. As much faith as that fool Muramasa put into you, I expected you to be further along by now. You disappoint me, Kyo," all traces of childishness were gone now and her killing aura was oppressive as she drew her sword again.

"Keep the brats out of the way, Shinrei," Kyo ordered, nudging his offspring in the other man's direction. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell him to relocate them entirely but the labyrinth was exactly that, a deadly maze that was almost impossible to escape. Running off would just get them lost.

Tenrou thrummed in his hand and Kyo braced himself for impact as the former Taishirou jumped from her spot overhead and allowed gravity to carry her to him.

Their blades collided with a mighty clang and Kyo used the edge of his sword to funnel the brunt of her attack away from himself, noting that the force behind her blade was powerful enough to carve a groove in the ground next to his foot. As strong as she was physically, it was unwise to meet her assault head on. His body was brawny enough but she still had a slight edge on him due to her age and vastly more training and he had to be more cautious in battle without having Akari to heal his wounds afterwards. From this point onwards, he knew he was going to be punching at much heavier weights – enemies who made the Goyosei members seem like a walk in the park.

'Get serious Kyo,' he heard the voice faintly in the back of his head.

'Already on it old man,' Kyo replied mentally, giving no thought to the fact that he had just had his first proper exchange with his sword.

Tenrou gleamed in his hand and Shihoudou smirked knowingly as she spun and roundhouse kicked him in the side. Using his ki to soften the blow, he moved with the flow of the kick and spun towards her, swinging his sword around towards her flank. His opponent altered her grip on her blade and took advantage of its shorter length to drive the point upwards where it connected with Tenrou with pinpoint precision and knocked it off course to give herself an opening to hop away.

"Hmm, hmm! You've come a long way Demon Child," her grin was toothy as the light of battle shone in her eyes.

"Can't stay a kid forever, hag," Kyo replied.

"Ain't that the truth, kiddo? But…," she licked her lips, amusement etched across her features, "…This old hag as plenty of tricks up her sleeve. I'll give you one more chance to show me the hope Muramasa has put in you."

Her stance shifted and Kyo went on the alert as her ki rose and what looked like miniature clouds appeared along the edge of her sword.

'Danger!'

The warning resonated through his body and he matched her ki with his own, sifting through his repertoire of signature moves and settling on Suzaku. After so much practice, calling up his firebird came easily and he launched it towards Shihoudo at the same she intoned.

"Ame no Murakumo!"

After his fight with Nobunaga, Kyo knew the difference between just summoning the bird - as he had been doing previously - and putting more of his own emotions and ki into it. Suzaku's power was dependent his own and he poured it into the attack. Adding in his determination to progress and a healthy dose of fury because the woman was standing in the way between him and Yuya, he shook them all together. And, just as he had done with his old nemesis, he cooked up a version of Suzaku that was a completely different beast from what he had made prior.

Large and wild, it covered the battlefield with fiery wings and he thought he might have caught a satisfied grin on Shihoudou's face before it was obscured by a rush of clouds that expanded and elongated as they headed for his phoenix. A mouth ringed with sharp teeth formed and closed around his Suzaku and he could feel her ki pushing against his as she tried to cancel out and consume his attack.

A whisper of darkness touched the back of his mind and he forced it away. If his old man said he needed to work on more control because he already had the power, he was down for trying to make it happen. To be the greatest warrior, he needed to be the best on all fronts, which meant working harder. Being better. Like Yuya when it came to laying out her terms for their relationship, he couldn't settle for second best.

Therefore, he was gratified when - after a struggle that felt like it lasted an eternity – Shihoudou's toothy-clouds started to disintegrate. A smirk touched his lips and he poured more power into the attack.

"You're good, Oni-Chan. But not good enough," his enemy said and he squinted his eyes as her sword gleamed a blinding white in response.

Black symbols flashed briefly, curling down the side of her weapon, and her clouds coalesced again and grew larger, settling their teeth even harder into his bird and swelling as they engulfed its fiery wings and body completely.

The disturbing sound of munching filled the air and the clouds gradually folded in on themselves, halting his progress entirely until he was forced to release the ki he was pouring into his attack, saving it for later. Smaller and smaller the nimbus shrank until there was nothing left of either the clouds or his phoenix.

"I'll give you full marks for actually forcing me to put in a bit of work. But you still can't talk to your sword properly, Demon Child. I think it's time for me to show you the true power of my Kusanagi no Tsurugi," Shihoudou said and Kyo scowled.

Her sword gleamed again and he readied himself, watching intently the way Kusanagi's power grew exponentially and increased hers in turn. He wanted that power. Needed it to take back what was his and fulfill his goal of taking down a so-called god.

A deep awareness of the fact that he needed to be at the same place the former Elder was in his relationship with Tenrou settled over him and his sword grew warm in his hand.

A deep breath.

Then another.

And then they began again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been so long since he last stood in front of his sire that Kyoshiro had to take a moment to steady himself.

Away from him, the king's presence was potent but ignorable. In the close confines of his study and beneath that red stare, however, his aura was suffocating and he kept his spine stiff and his gaze neutral. He had been waiting close to half an hour while his creator leafed through a journal and left him to his own thoughts.

"Your patience is admirable, Kyoshiro," that eternally mild voice said at last and the younger man bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of the compliment.

"Being away has given me perspective, Sendai-Sama," he replied.

"There is something different about you, my knight. An air of maturity that you lacked the last time we were face to face."

"I realized that I can do the most good at your side, my lord. After traveling amongst humans these past few years, I have come to the conclusion that things cannot continue as they are."

"Really? What a pleasure to hear that. I do so enjoy being on the same page as my servants. Harmony is best, don't you agree? The opposite of that is long, sleepless nights and a futile fight against the inevitable."

"So I realized, my lord," Kyoshiro agreed, automatically stifling the thought that the king had ruined his peace of mind and sleep on purpose to wear him down.

Thinking too much would only get him in trouble. The best thing to do was to obey without question from here on out to bring things to an end. If the king was pleased because, from his perspective, Kyoshiro was falling in line, then he was doing his job properly. It was too dangerous to dwell on the fact that the conclusion he wanted was wildly different from the one his creator was aiming for.

Crimson eyes studied him from behind his thick glasses and he returned that gaze with his own for a long moment before the king said at last, "I missed you, my child. You were such a special creation. The greatest of my Crimson Cross Knights and the heir to my legacy. I have prepared a number of gifts for you."

"I eagerly anticipate receiving them, my lord."

A smile touched those thin lips and he closed the journal in his hand and rose smoothly to his full height as he said, "I look forward to your reaction when you see the progress we have made. Come, let us pay a visit to Hishigi's lab."

Kyoshiro nodded his acquiescence and fell into step behind his sire as they exited the study and headed to the lair of the infamous doctor.

Silence fell over the two of them as they walked and Kyoshiro was just starting to wonder what his king wanted to show him when the man in question said, "Are you in pain, my child?"

The younger man didn't bother asking how the king knew he was ill. The two of them were connected on a level that went far beyond that of father and son and transcended mere words. He was a part of the king and, like an arm or a leg, his creator knew when something was wrong with his body.

"Not much so far. Though I do have concerns about my worthiness to succeed you when I too am subject to the curse that plagues our clan."

"Indeed. Your humility is also admirable, Kyoshiro. However, I have a solution to that waiting for you at the end of our journey. Hishigi has done an excellent job of crafting a replacement vessel for you."

By sheer will, Kyoshiro avoided stumbling at the casually revealed revelation of what the king planned for him and he replied, "Would it not be subject to the same problems as my current body, my lord?"

"Not at all. We have made a great deal of progress on the Mibu reconstruction Project - courtesy of Kyo and his progeny. A new Mibu clan is in place for you to rule and I have a new body for you to complement our new beginning."

"I am unworthy of your thoughtfulness," he replied, unsure how else he could respond to the idea that his creator planned to relocate him to another body. Would he still be the same person even? Would he look different? Act differently?

A chuckle sounded and, without turning around, the king said, "Calm yourself, Kyoshiro. All will be well. As put out as I was that Kyo had formed an attachment to a mere human, I am pleased enough with the results the two of them produced. Kyo's son and now his daughter have proved to be excellent bases on which to build a perfect Mibu clan."

"Despite the taint of human blood, they are truly flawless. More beautiful, more powerful, immune to the Death Disease, and with so much more potential for growth than the previous members of the clan. All of our years of research have culminated in the fulfillment of our dream at last. A perfect race of gods with which you will rule the world."

He sighed in near ecstasy at the end of his words and Kyoshiro suppressed a shiver of apprehension.

"I see you still have doubts. I understand. You have been away. Perhaps it is better for you to see them with your own eyes."

By that time, they had arrived at the lab – an entrance that Kyoshiro had never been to and guarded by a couple of guards who kept their eyes carefully averted from their ruler. An air of anticipation surrounded the king as he opened the door without hesitation and strode into the room beyond.

The sound of children playing reached Kyoshiro's ears and then there was a chorus of young voices raised in greeting.

"You're back, Sendai-Sama!"

"Hello, Sendai-Sama!"

"Who is this, Sendai-Sama?"

The staccato of little feet headed in their direction and Kyoshiro drew abreast of his creator and stared in amazement at the group of children swarming towards them. There were fifteen of them, all dressed in white silk kimonos with hair of varying shades from black to white and every color in between and their ages ranged from three to about six. They were all clearly delighted to see the king and his sire kneeled and gathered as many as he could into his arms, ruffling heads and laughing softly to a thousand questions asked all at once.

Every single one of the children had red eyes like Kyo.

What his master had been talking about suddenly became very real and Kyoshiro could only stare in awe. They were beautiful indeed - perfectly formed like little dolls. And the closer he looked at them, the more he saw echoes of their origins.

Over there was a little boy with strawberry blonde hair like Aiko. Or what about the girl who was a near duplicate of Kyo as a child. It was if all of the potential children Kyo and Yuya would have together had been stolen away to remake the Mibu clan and Kyoshiro was disturbed on so many levels that he lost the ability to speak.

"Calm yourselves children," the Former King said with a smile, "I have brought your elder brother to visit you."

"Wow, we have another big brother?!"

"Who are you?"

"What's your name?"

The kids swarmed around him and tugged at his clothes in curiosity and he held still, unsure how to react to them."

"It's alright Kyoshiro. They won't bite," his master said in amusement.

"Of course," he replied, bending down to get a closer look and reaching out tentatively to touch a head here and there.

They were not natural, he understood this fully, but he found himself softening anyways. One of the girls looked a lot like Aiko and he smiled as she grinned at being singled out for attention and nuzzled against the hand he placed on her hair.

Regret at losing his niece punched him in the gut at the trusting gesture.

"What happened?"

"Are you alright, Nii-Chan?"

A chorus of concerned questions greeted his change of mood and he quickly fixed his face. Like him, they were creations too and a sense of kinship started to take root as he turned that fact over in his head. After a moment of basking in their innocent curiosity, he stood and said, "I'm fine and you all can call me Kyoshiro Nii-chan. I'm here to become the new king."

The reactions he got ranged from excitement to uncertainty and the children looked from him to the king, likely wondering what would become of the old ruler.

"I'll still be here to help Kyoshiro Nii-Chan," the king assured them.

"However, we have to move along. I have something I need to show your brother. I'm sure he'll enjoy coming back here to get acquainted with all of you later."

It wasn't a request. His ruler expected him to be fully onboard with raising and molding these replacement Mibu clan members.

Kyoshiro's smile fled his face as the two of them left the room and the children behind and headed deeper into the lab.

"They are beautiful, Sendai-Sama," he said, "Although I must confess that I am curious about their ages. I have only been away for four years and some of them appeared to be older than that."

"Some of the older ones have had their age accelerated. Those are the earlier versions when we were still nailing down our current process for creating them and needed to see the effect aging would have on them. There is actually an entirely separate batch we created shortly after we first acquired Kyo's son and they now make up the majority of guards stationed throughout the castle. They, along with the children make up the core of the New Mibu. We may even have new ones incoming with the genetic information we have collected from Kyo's girl and your female human friend."

It didn't escape his notice that the king avoided using their names. Did he even know them or did he simply not care? The former assassin processed the information about the manufactured children and tucked it away for later examination as they continued walking.

"The little ones like you. You will be an excellent ruler, Kyoshiro," the Former King said after a while.

Since he wasn't sure how he felt about earning his master's approval, he merely nodded and took a deep breath when they reached another door. He recognized this part of the lab as the place where Hishigi's more dangerous experiments took place.

Opening the door, they saw Hishigi directing his assistants around a table with a body on it in the middle of the room. There were symbols carved in a circle on the floor around the table and a sense of foreboding filled him.

A warm hand was placed on his back as his sire said, "This is what I wanted to show you as well. Rather, this is yet another gift from me to you. Crafted with the knowledge we've gleaned from Kyo and his offspring."

He was urged forward by that hand and he felt as if he were walking to the edge of an abyss. One, two three steps and then he was peering over the lip and into the figurative darkness that awaited him on that table.

Hishigi stood off to the side and merely observed as Kyoshiro stopped and looked down at…himself.

It was a perfect replica of him - from the black hair to the staring blue eyes that were devoid of all emotions. An empty vessel waiting for him to fill it. There was no other way to describe it.

"His eyes aren't red," he said. It wasn't a complaint, merely a commentary about the difference s between this body and the crimson-eyed children in the other part of the lab.

"I thought you would prefer to keep your current look. The ability to activate the red eyes and more are still present."

The king's tone implied that he should be grateful for his thoughtfulness and Kyoshiro murmured a soft, "Thank you."

"Now. Since you have seen what I have in store for you, I see no reason to delay in housing you in your new home."

"Or course," he replied, as if it were perfectly reasonable for him to take over a body he had just met.

"Your cooperation is appreciated. Please don't forget though that - while your body will no longer be the same flesh as mine – your soul is still a part of me as well."

A warning.

'Don't cross me Kyoshiro.'

The abyss yawned before him, his feet were at the edge of the circle on the floor. The point of no return.

"Synchronizing body and soul with take a while, I think," the king addressed Hishigi.

"Yes, my lord" came the reply.

"Then I think I will pay Kyo's human a visit. I would like to know more about her. She should be waking up shortly, correct?"

Kyoshiro could feel the king's boring into his back. Watching him closely to see how he would react to the thought of his sire being alone with his friend. He kept his mind blank and stared straight ahead.

"Yes, my lord," Hishigi said again.

"Then I'll leave him to you, Hishigi. I always enjoy seeing the results of your work."

"You praise me too much, Sendai-Sama," came the humble reply.

Kyoshiro's vision swam for a moment and then he took a deep breath and a single forward and off the edge of the precipice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sheesh, the suspense is killing me and I'm the author! ^_^

Man, Shihoudou is such a cougar. Looking back at the manga, she totally gave Kyo a taste of his own medicine when she was groping him. Maybe that's why I like her so much. Hopefully I am doing an alright job of showing that Kyo being in his real body makes a difference in his fights with the Mibu unlike in the manga where he was weaker because of being in Kyoshiro's sick body. I also hope I am conveying that he is a bit more mature at this point than he was in the manga due to his relationship with Yuya and the kids.

I wanted to have more action in this chapter but plot development calls. More of the fight will come in the next one and maybe Yuya will meet the king at last.

As always, please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much for reading.