Six months passed rather quickly for Nanashi, with day in and day out training at Genkai's. Training days paired with Jin were at least enjoyable when the end of the day spent in a nearby cave they found. It was as private as they could make it. He seemed to enjoy it, but kept warning her to be discreet and also he would not want to do anything in the Demon World where hucking, even discreetly, was frowned upon. It was something she accepted, especially since as soon as she could go home, she would. She did not have any wish to stay in the Demon World permanently. Whereas he had no interest in going to the Human World permanently. It was more like they were passing the time together rather than seriously interested in each other. There were evenings where she turned him down and vice versa since they were just passing the time together. She felt a desire to find a more serious relationship after she finished her time in King Yomi's army.
After the six months, Kurama did afford her to go and say goodbye to her aunt before the went to the Demon World. Captain Shunjun was one of the SDF who sent them through the portal, but not without a warning to her if Yomi kicked her out, she would be sent to the SDF after all. Once they arrived in Gandara, all of them made straight for the castle. Nanashi fretted a little in the back of her mind, wondering how Yusuke and Hiei were faring, if she would get to see them again and not on the other side of a battle field. If they might see her a traitor siding with King Yomi. Still, she did not want to harm them, or allow someone else to harm either.
Kurama lead the seven of them to King Yomi's throne room. She tried not to cower as she stood there, next to Jin. There was one of his advisor, the diminutive demon, Youda. There was the cat and fish like one, Shachi, she remembered from the meeting she brought into was bristling, holding a device in hand that would get a reading on each of their energy levels. Kurama had already informed them Yomi would only take those with a demon power level of 100,000 or higher. 100,000 or more was considered high level. 75,000 through 100,000 was considered mid level. Anything below 75,000 was considered weak. In a world where being strong was valued, being weak was the last thing Nanashi wanted right now. She knew even after the last six months of training, while she was the second fastest after Jin, she was the weakest of the seven of them. She felt her nerves on alert when Shachi began scanning them, starting with Touya down at the other end of the line from her. She watched with the others, hearing the demon power level reading say allowed what each of them were. As Shachi went down the line, Touya, Suzuki, Rinku, Shishiwakamaru, Chu, and Jin, all read out between 102,000 and 122,000. Rinku read the lowest, and he was weakest one after Nanashi, which made her even more nervous. Shachi stood before her, giving the demon power level scanner he had in hand a harder smack than he needed to before pointing it in front of her. It read: "83,000."
Nanashi felt the blood rush in her ears, hearing such a low number in compared to the others. Too low of a number. Shachi laughed, voice ringing louder in her ears. She felt numb, the number too low. She did not make the cut. Six months of training, hopes to one day go back to the Human World and to her aunt, dashed. The SDF was permanent. She would never see her aunt again, she would never go home again. She instantly regretted her time spent with Jin, as it had distracted her from her training.
Shachi was speaking, "he he, guess they weren't all what he promised."
Kurama was standing near Yomi and his advisor Youda. "Measure with the wind dragon up, please," he advised. He nodded over at her.
She nodded back, bringing the wind dragon up around her neck in compact form. She felt the wind whip around her neck and hair. She channeled everything she had into it. Shachi stepped back up to her, the scanner reading out: "83,000."
She stilled, seeing no point in it now. She felt herself starting to shake, trying not to break down in front of any of them, especially King Yomi. That would be the ultimate sign of weakness. She sensed Jin side step away from her, which she could hardly blame him for.
Meanwhile, Youda, on of King Yomi's advisors, was exclaiming, "I... I can't believe it... Six of them actually have demon power levels of over 100,000!" He turned to Kurama, asking, "how did you accomplish such a feat?! What manner of black sorcery could do this?"
Kurama answered, "They are the result of delicious food and moderate exercise. Nothing more."
Nanashi heard the others around her grip about how difficult the training had been and how awful the was as well. She could not find her voice, but she thought she could not agree more with them.
"Splendid work," King Yomi commented. "Allow me to reward you. As of today, you Kurama will lead my army as its new general. Those seven are yours to command."
Nanashi blinked, whispering to herself, "seven?"
Her voice was drowned out by Sachi's shouting, "don't do this, King Yomi! Those seven are all Kurama's puppets! He may use them to overthrow you-"
"Silence, Sachi," King Yomi said sternly yet calmly. "What have you even done for the past 500 years?"
Sachi stormed off, shouting, "curse you!" over and over as he retreated from the rest of them.
"Yes, woman, seven," King Yomi said, once the shouts from Sachi were quieter. "Consider your two handicaps," he mused.
Nanashi blinked up at him, clearly her throat before saying, "two handicaps?"
King Yomi explained," you are both fully human and female. Human females tend to be naturally weaker than human males, more so than among demons. And humans are usually weak and pitiful next to demons. I think each of those should afford you at least 10,000 points. Each. Round you out to 103,000, an acceptable number."
"I..." she started. "Yes?" she said, agreeing with the math, but not sure why he was being so generous.
"Are you sure that is wise to permit, your grace?" Youda asked.
"She has worked just as hard as the other six demon men," King Yomi pointed out. To Nanashi, he asked, "unless you would like to be handed over to the SDF and serve under them?"
She shook her head rapidly, saying, "no." She took a steeling breath. "I will get that number up," she swore.
"See that you do. There is already enough of a target on your back already here. You will need extra protection the others won't. Fair warning," King Yomi informed her. He turned away from her, addressing Kurama, "could you please deal with Sachi before he gets out of hand?"
Kurama nodded, saying, "as you wish." Nanashi watched him go, slightly worried about him going after Sachi alone.
"The rest of you," King Yomi preempted, drawing her attention back over to him. "I would think you would like to see your rooms. Your things have already been brought to the rooms you will be staying in."
He rose up after that, leading the way. Nanashi followed with the others, noticing Youda did not go with them. She looked around the castle, studying it. She recalled the last time she had been here, how King Yomi had traipsed her up and down the halls to prove she was alive and unharmed from the demon who attacked her the first night she was here. The hallway had a familiar eerie feeling to it that made her apprehensive. She kept in walking pace with Jin, okay enough with just being friends with him as he asked.
King Yomi lead them down one hallway in particular that she noticed dead ended at one door that was larger than others. King Yomi pointed at each door, naming the person who would be staying in each room. When each man was named, they went into their room, except for Kurama who was still away from the rest of them dealing with Sachi. When they got to the last door, the large one that dead ended, he named her and then caught her off guard when he opened the door for her. He seemed stiff, clearing his throat as she stepped inside the room.
She had thought she would be put in the same room she had been in last time, but this was not the case. The room was large, spacious, and furnished. She looked around the room, seeing a huge bed, like someone had sown two double beds together. She studied the room, noticing something off in particular. It looked lived in. She turned around, seeing King Yomi had come into the room with her and shut the door discreetly. "Is this Sachi's room?" she asked, feeling her stomach tighten.
"No," he answered, tone going flat.
"Was it his room?" she changed up.
"No," he repeated.
"Whose was it then?" she asked, turning to face him. She studied him.
He seemed confident, arms crossed over his chest, but standing up rigid, ramrod straight. "Yours," he answered. "And mine," he added.
She looked at him, feeling the blood drained down into feet. "What?" She shook her head.
"The authorities in the Spirit World seem to have taken a special interest in your wellbeing, so much so that when you chose my army over the SDF, they requested you be given the utmost protection since you were attacked by a demon in your room last time you were here. You are absolutely not allowed to be maimed or killed, especially in your sleep. That almost happened last time. You will be safest in my room with me," he explained. "You are much too valuable to be put at risk."
"No," she choked out, shaking her head anew.
He hummed, saying calmly, "Nothing is going to happen without either of our leaves. Yet you can either stay knowing that, or leave and go to the SDF were your value would be wasted away."
She drew a deep breath. "Put me with someone else," she insisted. "What about Sayuri? She was quiet, kind..."
"No, woman," he said, shaking his head. "Sayuri prefers to live outside of the castle anyway."
She huffed, "I want to speak to Kurama."
King Yomi hummed, sounding amused. "You would want to share a room with him instead?"
She shook her head, worried about what the Youko part of him might do. "Just want to speak to him," she insisted.
"Then you will decide?" he asked. He stepped over to the door, opening it for her. "You know which room is his."
When she approached him, she noticed he was standing so straight backed, like his height shielded him. She surged past him, heading straight for the room she knew Kurama would be in. She knocked and opened the door, not wanting to wait for him to answer. She went into the room, seeing it pristine and untouched looking. No one was in there and it felt like no one had been for a little while. The room was smaller than King Yomi's had been, but it would be comfortable enough for him. She sat down on the narrow twin bed, ready to wait for him, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.
When Kurama finally came into the room, he opened the door and stepped inside. When he saw her, he stopped and paused, mumbling under his breath, "not now..." She sat up straighter, thinking he had not meant for her to hear him. "K- Nanashi, what is it?" he asked, smoothly shutting the door behind him. His hands hung down at his side.
She looked up at him, mouth agape. The smoothness at which he held himself was something she found she could draw strength and calmness from. She explained, "for my protection apparently, King Yomi is having me stay in his room with him."
He narrowed his eyes, frowning. He pressed his finger to his lips and shook his head. He went over to his bag, rummaging through it.
"Did you not hear me?" she whined, going over to him.
He gave her a sharp look, making bit her lip and go silent. He got a book out, setting it down on the floor next to him. Then he got out two pens. He picked up the three items and went over to the coffee table by the couch and fire place in the room. She watched him, following him when he beckoned her over to him. He opened to the book to the back to a blank page, writing quickly on it. She stood impatiently next to him, tapping her foot. When he finished writing, he pushed the book towards her.
'Yomi has excellent hearing. He may overhear us if we are not careful. Rumor has it he can hear everything that happens in his territory,' he wrote.
She nodded, not saying anything.
He put pen to paper again, but not before pushing the other pen over to her. When he finished, he wrote, 'what exactly happened?'
She wrote down all that happened, adding, 'I don't want to stay with him, but I can't go to the SDF. I don't want to go to the SDF.'
He hummed, reading her writing over carefully. 'You won't have to.'
'How do I get out of staying with him?' she insisted.
'That might be the price you have to pay to stay, ideal or not,' he warned.
'But I don't want to sleep with him,' she felt herself blush at the idea though, unsure how appropriate or inappropriate her reaction was.
'He will not act unless he feels allowed and desirous. Absolutely do not allow him to touch you,' he responded.
'I won't,' she answered.
'Swear it,' he wrote, underlining the two words.
'I swear it,' she wrote.
'He likely does not desire like that, at all. You are young, human, and mortal. He is holding you close, likely because the Spirit World wants you. Him keeping ahold of you keeps them in negotiation with him, considering he is there favorite to become the sole king of the Demon World, not to mention could prove useful with Yusuke and Hiei with the other two kings,' he wrote.
'I'm not a pawn,' she wrote, feeling annoyed by it all.
'It is not ideal, but Yomi will not act at all once he knows of your relationship with Jin anyway,' he wrote. He pressed his lips into a thin line when he passed the book over to her.
'You knew about that?' She paused before continuing. 'We aren't anything anyway. Just messing around was all. We decided to stop before we got to the Demon World.'
He clicked his teeth after he read what she wrote. 'Why? He was acceptable.'
She blinked down at the words, feeling herself flush. 'He didn't want to be committed. He didn't want to be seen as a hucker when we got to the Demon World.'
He stared down at the words she wrote, well passed the time it would take him to read them. 'He said that to you?' She just nodded, not bothering to write anything down. 'Vulgar way of putting it,' he wrote, looking annoyed. 'That would have been the best way to keep Yomi from you.'
'Do you think he will try? King Yomi,' she wrote nervously.
'Unsure. If he does, he will only do it if he finds it advantageous to himself. No matter what, you must keep him from doing that,' he advised.
'How?' she asked.
He pursed his lips, taking a few seconds before writing. He wrote more lengthy, explaining, 'before he was king, before he was blinded even, centuries ago, he had a lover. Hoshi. He called her his light. He wanted to mate claim her, but she wanted him to prove himself stronger, worthy of her. He got reckless, careless. On a mission he was blinded. Should have been killed, but received a little mercy. Hoshi left him though, seeing his blindness as a weakness. She tried to seduce his leader, who took her once since she was willing, before he cast her out for suggesting he mate claim her instead. Later on, he found out she was killed in a fight. When Yomi was strong enough to recover, he killed the demon who killed her. Do not mention her by name, but if you mention light or stars or ask after what happened to him after he was blinded, any interest he has should dissipate as it will remind him of her. Play innocent when you do it. It will make him hide away from his feelings even more. He misses her, even centuries later.'
She read the note twice over, trying to absorb all the information. She looked at him, mouth slightly open. Her hand with the pen in it shook. 'He's the one you blinded, isn't he?' He nodded. She felt her stomach twist. 'I can't go the SDF, I absolutely can't,' she scribbled. 'I'll never be able to go home if I do. I'll stay with him, but I don't think I could stomach sleeping with him after reading that.'
'Good,' he penned back. 'Go back to him, tell him the only reason you want to stay because you prefer to serve him and not the SDF.'
'I do,' she wrote.
'Anything else?' he asked.
She shook her head, not writing anything else. She looked over at him, but he kept his head down, reading over what both of them wrote. He tore the paper they wrote on out of the book and tore it up some more, all the while not saying anything. He stood up, throwing the papers in the fire place before lighting it. He stood by the fire place, watching the papers curl and burn. She watched them and him, hand wrapped around her rib cage.
"Please go back to your room now, I am tired," he said out loud.
She stood up, but then blurted out, "what happened with Sachi?"
He twitched his nose. "I took care of him," he answered vaguely.
"Took care of him? How?" she asked.
"I killed him, kit," he answered broodingly. "He was about to kill me. I was quicker."
She gaped at him, surprised. "Youko?" she felt her heart pound in her ears.
"Kurama," he corrected. She watched his eyes, not seeing any color changes or flashes, almost hoping for that. "I told you the two of us were merging into one, so why are you suddenly so surprised or scared?" She hummed under her breath, not sure what to say. "You are in the Demon World now. There is no room for human softness and niceties here. It is kill or be killed. You show fear, you show weakness, you paint yet another target on your back."
She looked up at him, taking a steeling breath. "You think I'm still scared of you?"
He smirked at her and shook his head. "Go, kit. Go to your room. I would like to be alone."
She nodded, saying nothing. She turned away from him and went to the door. She glanced back over at him once before leaving the room. She had felt his eyes on her the entire time.