Author's Note: The story as a whole is about Akuma and Ani. This particular chapter is going to speak of the drifting that's occurring within Team Toguro and the one brief instant where they were actually a team.
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The team had gotten to know Akuma better over the course of two months, but at the same time, Ani felt as if he was drifting further away from his brother. In his mind, it was all Genkai's fault. Alas, he had to accept that his brother would leave him someday. Perhaps, a life a solitude would be good for him—there was no way in hell he would spend more time than necessary with Akuma or Mr. Mayakashi.
It was one day before the team would have to embark to a small island known as Hanging Neck Island for the tournament to begin. This crew involved mostly humans, and that was rare. The big question was could they succeed?
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Mr. Mayakashi called them into the city to talk before going off for the next few days. The living room in the apartment was rather small but well furnished. There was a couch and a love seat on either side of a coffee table, and on the other two sides were plush chairs. Akuma, Otouto, and Genkai sat at the couch, Mr. Mayakashi sat in one of the chairs, and Ani stood in the background leaning against the wall.
"I've looked over the other teams that are involved. There's a team that consists of some very powerful demons. That's the one I'm most concerned about."
"You shouldn't doubt our skills," stated Genkai. "We don't fear death, and we certainly don't fear a few brutes. Have faith in us, Mr. Mayakashi."
"Then, I suppose you all know the risks involved."
"Of course," Ani interjected as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Why else do you believe we would have agreed?"
"Excellent point, Aniki." The old man's gray-brown gaze set on the psychic. "Why don't you come join us?"
"I'm rather fine where I am, thanks." He sounded a little annoyed, and he didn't bother to look at them as he spoke. Otouto looked back at his older brother and sighed.
"Ani, please come here. I would feel a lot better if you sat next to me."
"Humph! Really, now, brother, your deception is trifling. I know full well that you don't need me any more, now that you've got her." He opened his eyes slowly as he felt another set of eyes fall upon him. Akuma looked as if he was about to speak, but Ani cut him off. "As for you, Akuma, I'm still annoyed with your antics from the last time I spoke with you! The constant coquetry is quite revolting."
Otouto shot Akuma a death glare at the statement. He stood up and curled his fist. As he approached the demon, he growled, "What did I tell you about flirting with Ani?!"
"I can't help that he's attractive. Besides, you should embrace the fact that he has a chance with someone outside of an incestuous relationship."
"Why you--! Come here, you bastard!" Otouto stomped over to Akuma, who effectively flipped over the couch for protection.
"So what if I'm flirting with him? Why should it matter to you? You have Genkai after all. Besides, Mr. Mayakashi seems to have a thing for him, too." He ducked to dodge a blow from the enraged martial artist. "You're not going to go punch out Mr. Mayakashi over that, are you?!"
"Cut it out!" yelled Genkai. The two fighting men silenced and stopped throwing blows at each other. "Both of you, shut up, sit down, and let Mr. Mayakashi not have a war zone in his living room!" Both men sat down on the couch on opposite sides of Genkai. Then, she looked cold and hard at Ani. "And you! You get over here and at least pretend your still part of the team!"
Ani was shaking with annoyance at this point. He wasn't part of the team anymore; he was just excess baggage that no one really cared about. He hissed, "I'm fine right here!"
"You call yourselves a team?" asked Mr. Mayakashi, rising. "You're completely dysfunctional! You aren't the people I met with three months ago!"
"Welcome to reality," murmured Ani.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Genkai asked.
"Things have been falling apart since you came along and seduced Otouto. The only reason I'm still around is because the men at the dojo are as much a part of my life as they are his! I care about brother's students more than I care about the world."
"As much as I enjoy doubling as your group therapist, I think it would be best if you guys didn't go risk your lives in an event that requires you trusting your lives in each others hands. You guys wouldn't be able to survive at this rate." He eyed the group carefully. "I wonder... Is your home situation really what's bothering you? Or perhaps, it's the tension." He walked around the couch, leaned on the back of it, and added, "I want to accompany you guys home and watch you there. Then, I'll decide whether or not I actually want to send you anymore."
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When the group arrived back at the dojo, the first thing everyone noticed was that it was eerily quiet. Otouto ran ahead inside to see what was going on, while everyone else stayed back on guard. Not even a full minute later, a painful cry rang out from the building. Ani was the first one to go running to check on his brother.
The sight inside was devastating. Blood painted the walls and full corpses and pieces of bodies decorated the room. Otouto was on his knees, shaking with tears streaming down his face. Ani was speechless. He moved forward to further examine the damage. Soon, he came upon Doku's head. Reality hadn't struck him until he dropped down and gently placed a shaking hand on the face's cheek. Tears hit him hard and his breathing became ragged. By the touch, he realized that this was not a dream. A sudden pain struck his chest and his gut; it was a deep, sorrowful and empty sensation—if Ani felt like this, he could only imagine what his brother felt.
It felt like an eternity had passed, even if it was but a few seconds, until Genkai, Akuma, and Mr. Mayakashi came on to the scene. Akuma ran to Ani's aid and sat down next to him. He embraced him tightly and whispered, "It's okay to let it out..."
"What happened here?" asked Mr. Mayakashi as he looked around. "Who did this?"
"I know exactly who is behind this...!" Otouto replied. "I want to make sure he burns for this! Don't take that chance away from me, Mayakashi!" Everyone could hear his voice shake.
Mr. Mayakashi started into a conversation with Genkai and Otouto. Ani wasn't listening. He was taking in the scene around him. Out of the corner of his eye, the psychic could see that his brother wasn't listening either.
"Ani, are you okay?" asked Akuma.
"Just let me be alone... Brother needs you more that I. Please, comfort him..." Never once did they make eye contact in that brief conversation. Akuma looked at Ani for a moment then hesitantly did as he was asked.
Ani didn't know how much time passed or what all they had been talking about before hand. He just heard everyone's voice without really taking in what they were saying. Genkai's voice got notably louder, but Ani's gaze remained fixed on Doku's bright, emerald eyes. They were now dull and lifeless... Doku had been the one person who Ani could have considered a friend. That's why his death devastated him more than anything else around him did. True, the whole event was saddening, but seeing Doku's severed head was just crushing.
"I don't think Ani should go," Akuma's voice stated. That drew Ani out of his trance. He looked to the group and then back to Doku. With a soft touch, he closed the head's eyes. Silently, he rose to his feet and wiped away his tears.
"Damn it all..." he said in a dry, shaking voice. "Can't you let me decided what's best for me? I'm not a child or some fragile little doll."
"What are you saying?" asked Mr. Mayakashi.
"I'm coming with you. I'm not going to let little brother deal with those monsters himself! They took something just as important from me!"
"So, you're not going to leave us?" the old man asked.
"Not like this. Not under these conditions."
"If you are all really sure this is what you want... I'll have a boat ready to take you first thing tomorrow morning. I don't want to leave you all like this."
"Just go," Otouto bluntly stated. "We should be the ones to bury the dead..."
"Very well. I will see you all in the morning."
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That night it was completely silent among the team. Even though for an instant they appeared to be almost a family, they all seemed to become more isolated, especially Otouto (in Ani's eyes). He had begun to even push Genkai away. They weren't a team anymore... They were just a group of strangers with a common goal.