Previously on Spoils of War: Hiei andMîra fight against their assassins but Hiei is seriously injured. The group learns that the attack was co-orchestrated by a demon named Kitigaya and the human gang Rising Sun, led by Yukina's youngest son Minoru. Mîra contemplates her the current standing of her relationship with Hiei, and vows revenge on those who hurt him.
Chapter 48: Demon Politics
Hiei walked into the meeting room, ignoring the dull throb in his head. Despite the wound sealing up and Yukina's incessant fawning over him, it seemed that he still wasn't fully healed from the explosion two nights ago. He pulled back the chair on Mukuro's right and sat down without glancing at her. He never got a chance to speak with Mukuro about the past few days, but the weight of attack and subsequent revelations weighed so heavily in him that he wasn't sure if had the energy to discuss everything anyway.
When Hiei woke the morning following the attack he oddly felt content, and he was confused by Mîra's scent was overpowering in the sheets. As he tried to sort through the haze of memories from the previous night, the contentment soon faded into an uneasiness. He remembered seeing flashes of red and blue, and Mîra's electrified eyes. The way she held her head, chanting her song frantically before he pulled her out of whatever she was lost in. Hearing Yukina stepping forward to Mîra and saying something, and then being cradled tightly in someone's arms. He remembered the sharpness of Ryuji's stern eyes hovering over him and the feeling of a wet cloth running along his arm. He could still smell Mîra's scent and feel the press of cool lips against his forehead.
"I heard you were in bad shape."
Mukuro's quiet, collected voice pulled Hiei out of his thoughts. When he didn't respond, she leaned down towards him, close so only he could hear her. "You should have told me sooner. We could have avoided this." She spoke calmly but Hiei could tell she was unhappy with him.
"And set you on the war path to my nephew? I don't think so," he hissed.
"It's too late for that," Mukuro snapped back. "Your former mate is already demanding blood."
Hiei's fists clenched and he refused to respond. He wanted to tell someone, but how could he explain that Kuwabara's son was attacking the Makai? Kurama and Yusuke made their frustration about being kept in the dark clear over the past few days that he was confined to the hotel. More pointless accusations were thrown around between them, showing just how long the three of them had really been out of touch with each other. When Yusuke left he stated his disapproval of Ryuji's extended time in the fortress and vowed to bring him home after the business in Gandara was concluded, and Kurama left without a word. Hiei didn't know what to do and he didn't know which was worse, being left alone with his thoughts or feeling so separated from his friends.
He spent some time with Yukina yesterday, but that didn't help either of them feel better. Every so often she would burst into tears and then quiet, or try to reason how Minoru was innocent. Hiei told her he wanted Minoru to be innocent, he was trying to find proof of his innocence, but without going to his residence in the human world, there was no way of knowing for sure. While it seemed simple, Hiei could not break into Rising Sun's headquarters if Minoru refused to see him; The Reikai would have his head for causing a scene and upsetting the tenuous balance between the Makai and Ningenkai. Hiei sent Shana to investigate but she found the building warded, which kept her out from the shadows. He didn't want to alarm Yukina, his friends, or the Spirit World that something was wrong. So, he kept it to himself until the worst happened. Now his question was, what next?
Demons began to trickle into the meeting room and he recognized all of them. Most were A-Class demons who held substantial land and power, serving either Raizen, Yomi, or Mukuro. Now they were free of those bonds, but centuries old alliances were difficult to break. He could easily see the factions form around the long rectangular table. Mukuro's group sat on one end of the table, with Kirin, Simran, and several other prominent warriors from her host who owned land. On the opposite end of the table was Yomi, Shura, Kurama, and other liege demons to Yomi. Directly in the middle opposite the King's chair sat Yusuke, with Ryuji, Hokushin, Enki, Koko, and several of Raizen's old friends.
On top of everything that was already bothering him, Hiei didn't know what Mîra was planning for the meeting. He hadn't seen her since they discussed Minoru the morning after the attack—his gang activities, how often Hiei visited, the typical demeanor of his nephew and his closest advisors. It was difficult to talk about his nephew, but it was worth it to try and convince Mîra that Minoru could be innocent. She never said it directly, but the way she stared at him gave Hiei the impression that she was seeing him injured and Minoru dead. He loathed that mixture of pity and rage in her cold lavender eyes, and he knew she would find whoever did this and kill them without mercy. He didn't blame her for it but… Minoru was his nephew. His sister's son. Kuwabara's son. Hiei may have run out of time on his own, but Mîra could help him and least give Minoru a chance. It was foolishly optimistic, but he refused to abandon his kin.
The doors flung open and Mîrvana, Queen of the Demon Realm marched in. She wore a silky black gown with long pointed sleeves and her bodice was embroidered with gold and silver stitching in a diamond pattern. Her hair was pulled back tightly in braids and pinned to the back of her head, and the circlet of gold and silver leaves shone brightly against the light in the room. In her ears she wore large gold pendants, and her necklace was a large golden dragon that reminded Hiei of Fealóce—the dragon's wings were opened and the shape of the necklace seemed to create an inverted triangle pointing down towards her bosom. Hiei thought she looked darkly regal, opposite of her portrait in gold, and as beautiful as she was, he hated it.
With her head held high and proud, Mîrvana marched towards her seat, her face set and eyes focused. With a flick of her hand, Hiei felt the sharp breeze as it forced the middle chair out and to the side. She stood at the table and folded her hands neatly in front of her, waiting. The demons in the room went so quiet, Hiei instinctively placed his hand on his sword. The silent tension seemed to thicken, and Hiei wondered what Mîra was waiting for. Then, Yusuke rose and stood, Ryuji practically leaping to his feet almost immediately after. Mukuro and Yomi rose at the same time and the rest of the table slowly followed.
Respect, Hiei realized. And recognition. Mîra would not be able to play by the same rules as her people when holding a large number of demons in audience, but she knew no matter what, she had to assert dominance as the ruling entity of the Makai. Hiei quickly glanced around the room and saw a few disgruntled faces, mostly from Yomi's denizens, but Hiei was well aware that not all of Mukuro's warriors were pleased at her newfound friendship with the elfin Queen.
As soon as everyone was standing, Mîrvana glanced around the room briefly before flicking her hand again, and a gust of wind forced the chair back towards the table. The Queen lowered herself in the chair and she gestured for the rest of the table to sit. As Hiei sat, he noticed his shadow flicker. He had half a mind to tell Shana to leave, but in his shadow at least she was safe. He'd allow it.
Once everyone was seated, Mîra spoke clearly and strongly. "Thank you all for coming here today," she greeted, nodding her head slightly in acknowledgment of those gathered in the room. "There are several items I wish to discuss with you. First, I am upholding all laws from the previous regime. Second, I am officially making Hiei's Fortress my residence. If any of you need to contact me, that's where I will be. Any objections?"
It took a moment to realize Mîra was starting at him, waiting for his response. "It's fine," he said.
"Good," she said turning back to the group. Hiei heard several snickers from the table but Mîra simply pressed on with her agenda. Hiei was well aware that their relationship, previous and current, had thoroughly been discussed since her arrival and that many demons thought she took over the Fortress. To some, this would look like a pretense that Hiei had a choice in the matter at all, which he technically didn't.
"Third, I'm sure you're all aware by now that there is a gang stealing goods from trade routes, kidnapping humans from the human realm, and forcing demons into slavery. This has been causing major disruptions to the established economy and livelihood of many demons for almost a year now, and they grow bolder with each action they take. So bold, in fact, that they blew up a store here, in Gandara, in an attempt to take my life and Hiei's." There was some murmur around the table. Hiei glanced around and saw some of the A-Class demons frowning and taken aback. Some looked disappointed, likely because the Queen was still alive.
Mîrvana pressed on, her voice becoming venomous. "This attack will not unanswered. I will have the heads of these assassins, and I will destroy their operations."
"With whose help?" Sneered a thin, crocodile like demon from the opposite side of the table. Hiei detested Roka. He was always difficult to deal with and a staunch supporter of Yomi, and he made Hiei's life difficult when the opportunity arose. Not to mention Roka threatened Shana once when she tried to follow up with him on unpaid taxes. Hiei made sure that Roka understood threatening Shana was not acceptable. The demon still bore the large scar across the thick green skin of his chest as a constant reminder.
"I echo this statement," Shura said. He leaned back in his seat and his dark eyes glinted at Mîra dangerously. "Why should we follow an elf, regardless of whether or not she won the tournament"
"Because if you don't, she'll kick your ass, along with anyone else who disagrees," Ryuji snapped.
"Oh look, the half-breed is here. I see you're still hanging around your father's skirts to gain you access to places that the rest of us earned," Shura sneered.
"Look who's talking, Prince of Gandara," Ryuji mocked. "Didn't your Daddy drag you along even though you lost the last tournament in the preliminaries? Again?"
Shura jumped to his feet, his eyes blazing. "At least I fought," he hissed.
Ryuji slammed his hands on the table, rising out of his seat as well. "I don't need to punch other people to prove my worth," he snapped.
"Enough!" Mîra roared. "Children are not allowed here. Unless you're ready to sit and talk about the issue at hand, I suggest you leave."
Ryuji stiffened and his face flushed in embarrassment. Then he bowed slightly towards Mîra. "I'm sorry for the outburst, my Lady," he said, his hands clenched into a fist. "I also apologize for embarrassing my father." He sat down with a tight expression as Yusuke whispered to him, looking concerned.
Mîra turned to Shura. He was glaring at her angrily and opened his mouth to say something but whatever it was, it didn't matter as his face froze and he paled slightly. Hiei smirked, knowing Yomi was silently reigning his brat in. "It won't happen again," Shura forced and sat.
Mîra sighed and looked around the room. "Now then, to the question at hand regarding support for this venture. I already have support from Mukuro, since her team has been working on tracking down this gang for about a year now. Additionally, the night of the attack we captured and interrogated one of their leaders who was quite forthcoming with information." She pressed a few buttons on the console in front of her and a holo-image appeared of the western mountain territory in the center of the table. Mîrvana stood and pointed at the map.
"I don't expect all of you to help, and I won't force you, but this operation is widespread and is affecting many parts of the Makai. They must be stopped. You can see here that they are holed up in this castle. It's well defended naturally through the mountains and I expect heave resistance. We need more than Mukuro's army to help take the castle."
Roka suddenly stood, flinging his chair back as he snarled, "As if anyone would want to help an elf bitch who was our prisoner and tossed aside by her mate!"
Hiei immediately stood, furious, and began to draw his sword, but Mukuro's metal hand clamped down on his shoulder. Right at that moment water from the untouched pitchers on the table flew out of the jugs and shot to Roka, forming a watery globe around his long jaw and face. The Roka began to make chocking noises, as if he was drowning. Hiei looked at Mîrvana to see her palm extended upward and her face stone cold. Roka was drowning. Serves Roka right.
Yusuke leaned forward, giving Mîra a warning look. Before he could say anything, Mîra's hand dropped and the water globe immediately broke apart. Roka partially fell onto the table gasping for air and coughing loudly.
"Ss-see!" He coughed. "This bitch is out to kill all of us and we-"
"Oh shaddup, you idiot!"
The new voice came from Juuni, a wind demoness from Yomi's old territory. Originally from a smaller tribe, Juuni led a small spy network during the Elfin War, and Hiei rewarded her generously for her services by appointing her as the liaison to represent the conglomerate of wind demons in her region. He liked that she was smart enough to know when to push back and when to keep quiet. Hiei also knew that when Juuni rose an issue, it was not one to be taken lightly.
Juuni sat with her arms and legs crossed, leaned back into her chair relaxed. Her voluminous gray hair shifted as she cocked her head, her dark eyes glaring down at Roka. He turned to her, now recovered, and pointed a claw at her accusingly. "You are supporting that bitch?!"
Juuni's jaw clenched and she stared at Roka for a long moment before answering. "No." She turned her attention to Mîra, who held her gaze evenly. It was then that Hiei noticed no one was sitting next to Mîra. The table drew faction lines so clearly, and Mîra had no one next to her on either side. With a start, Hiei realized she was completely isolated. He cursed himself for being at Mukuro's right hand, instead of Mîrvana's.
"You won the tournament, an' I respect your power. But I don' trust you," Juuni stated frankly. Mîra remained motionless and said nothing and Juuni paused. Then her gaze unexpectedly turned to Hiei, who was still standing. "But I do trust you."
"He took her as his mate," another demon hissed in disapproval. Murmurs of assent rose from the table. Mîra stiffened and clasped her hands together tightly.
"Doesn't matta. Hiei would never do anythin' against us, an' he was part o' the investigation into Kitigaya from the beginnin'." She turned her attention back to Hiei. "You tell us what you think about this mess, an' what we should do."
Hiei motioned for Simran to rise and opened the console with the hologram controls in front of Mukuro. He was now glad Simran came by the hotel the previous night and got him caught up to speed on the investigation. At the time, he didn't want to see her and his head hurt too much to be bothered, but she was persistent. Hiei began explaining what they learned through the past year, and Simran pointed out Katya's positioning and maneuvers throughout the Makai. After an hour and a half, between the two of them they fielded questions, proposed several possible avenues for attack, and seemed to convince most of the demons at the table that taking down Litigate was necessary.
"What about Rising Sun in the human world?" Kurama asked.
Mîra responded immediately, "My primary concern is the Makai. I've asked Koenma to meet with me but he's refused, stating he will send his own people to handle Rising Sun. He made it very clear that we are not to get involved."
Hiei frowned. "His people" usually meant Yusuke, Kurama, and himself. Judging by the now annoyed look and Yusuke's face, the former detective came to the same conclusion.
After no one seemed to have any other questions, Mîra rose to address the table. "Let's take a break and reconvene in an hour. Those who are willing to participate please stay. The rest of you are dismissed and I thank you again for attending."
Hiei sat down and poured himself a glass of water, and Mukuro and Kirin left the table to talk with other demons in the room. He looked over at Simran, who was staring down at her notes.
"Simran," he said and she glanced up at him, curious. "You did well," he stated. "Mukuro will reward you for reflecting well on her."
Simran gave him a thin smile. "Thanks. I think I'm going to take advantage of the break and get some fresh air." She left quickly and Hiei considered doing the same. Getting a chance to stretch his legs would be good.
Just as he finished his water, Juuni sat in the empty chair next to him. "What?" he asked flatly.
"Wha'?" She mocked, dropping her voice in a poor impersonation. "Don' give me that, Hiei. You already know why I'm sittin' here."
He had a suspicion, but he crossed his arms and glared at her. "Get on with it," he said impatiently.
"I meant what I said, I do trust you an' I don't trust her. With you involved, I do wanna' help." Juuni cast a wary glance around the room, and she lowered her voice. "But my people are in trouble. I can' help you. Demons are goin' missin' and I keep hearin' rumors of slavery rings growin'. I'm too close to Kitigaya's territory. If he hears wind that I'm helpin' you…" She trailed off and stared at him worriedly.
"I understand," Hiei said. He hoped to have Juuni behind him once again, but he understood her position.
Juuni's eyes flickered to a pair of demons off to the side. Hiei causally glanced back and noticed they were staring at them. Juuni abruptly stood and snapped. "Look, I already told ya'. I ain't helpin' you and that elf. 'S not much I can do anyway since Kitigaya can easily see a massive horde marchin' up to the Windy Spirits. It's pointless to go that way with a bunch o' men.. Good luck to ya', you'll need it."
With that, Juuni turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Hiei's gaze flickered to the pair of demons, now whispering amongst themselves, before glancing around the room to see Kurama talking with Yusuke. Hiei walked towards them and they turned to greet him.
"Well," Kurama said slowly, "Using the Windy Spirits to stage a massive assault was a good idea, but not feasible without Juuni's support."
Hiei smirked up at him, "A massive assault is a bad idea." Kurama's eyes glinted the way they always do when he's forming a brilliant plan.
Yusuke frowned at them. "Uh, want to fill me in?"
"We'll tell you later," Kurama said. An awkward silence surrounded the three of them.
Kurama coughed, "Listen I… I realize that we have not been present in each other's lives as much as we should. Yusuke, you were right, we are brothers and I…" He trailed off. "I have been distant. I find a lack of purpose in the world makes me restless. I haven't found where I need to be yet, but until then I will try to be around more."
Hiei stared up at Kurama, surprised by the admonition. But then Hiei added, "Tch, I keep telling you Sakura needs a tutor that can manage her talent for avoiding lessons."
Kurama gave him a small smile. "Indeed. I hear she's quite troublesome, much like a certain someone we knew when he was in school," he grinned, rolling his gaze over to Yusuke.
"Hah! She's a girl right after my own heart!" But Yusuke's bravado soon faded and he looked away from them. "Honestly guys I… I'm happy with Kaneko but I'm a crappy ruler. I just like running the restaurant but Hokushin won't get off my back." He sighed dejectedly, running his hand through his hair. "I wish I could direct Hokushin to Ryuji but…"
There was a silence before Hiei spoke. "Ryuji isn't ready for that kind of responsibility. I have been… neglectful." Yusuke looked at him surprised and then frowned. "On many counts," Hiei added, thinking of Sakura, Mîra, and his friends. "But Mîra took him under her wing. She's mentoring him far better than I could."
"No," Yusuke said shaking his head. "Ryuji and I always had trouble getting along. I'm glad that you've been there for him, no matter what. When I was growing up I didn't…" He trailed off and sighed, his features becoming tired and worn. "Keiko never wanted him to leave. She was afraid that he would lose his sense of humanity. She felt better knowing he was under your care."
Hiei wasn't sure what to say for a moment. Then he said, "I am trying to get him to see reason, about you and Kaneko."
Yusuke gave him a small, weary smile. "Thanks." After a pause he added, "I almost did send Hokushin to get you, when Mîra first showed up. There was a series of nights where it looked like she wasn't going to make it. She asked me not to tell you, she didn't want you to see her so weak. I was telling Hokushin to do it anyway, but then she-" Yusuke broke off and grinned, "She sat up and screamed that she wasn't about to let a stupid fever kill her before she saw you again."
Hiei stared at Yusuke wide-eyed for a moment before turning away. Stupid vain woman, of course she would say something like that. "Tch, her vanity and pride are difficult to contend with," he said. She wanted to see him again, right from the beginning. While they were getting along now, knowing that she wanted to see him from the beginning touched him deeply.
There was another silence before Yusuke stretched, grinning. "Aw, man, look at the three of us saps! Who would have guessed it?" He laughed loudly. Kurama chuckled and Hiei couldn't help but smirk.
Yusuke inhaled and exhaled deeply, punching his fist into his hand. His eyes gleaming with excitement and determination he said, "Let's do right by Kuwabara and figure out what the hell is going on." This felt good. Like old times. Even thought they were going after his nephew, and the knowledge hung around him like a black cloud, he knew that the three of them would be able to do anything. He was a fool for not trusting in his friends before but he would make up for it now.
"Oh, are you getting along again?"
Hiei turned to see Mîra walking towards them. She carried herself with confidence and a smile, but her eyes betrayed her weariness to Hiei.
"Mîra, we're going to find Minoru. We don't give a damn about Kitigaya, well maybe Hiei does, but Minoru has to come first," Yusuke demanded.
Mîra smiling knowingly. "I understand. We'll talk about it later."
"And I'll drag everyone up to the Spirit World to confront Koenma since he won't talk to us," Yusuke added.
Mîra hesitated for a moment before leaning into the group. Quietly she explained, "I've already spoken with Koenma. We'll discuss this later." She pulled back and sighed. "We should all have dinner together. I feel today is going to be a rather long day and I could use a nice meal and some wine if we are going to be discussing strategy late into the night."
Yusuke gaped at her, presumably from surprise that she lied about talking to Koenma earlier in the meeting. Then, he grinned boyishly. "Well then, I guess I'll have to go shopping so I can make some world famous Yukimura Ramen!"
"Ooh, that sounds wonderful!" Mîra beamed at him, and her eyes seemed to relax. "I've been craving it for the past few days." She glanced down at Hiei and he stared back up at her, Yusuke's words rolling through his mind. She wanted to see him again. She wanted to be with him again. He wanted to be with her, too.
"You know what, I, uh, I'm going to talk to Ryuji. About helping me with dinner," Yusuke said suddenly. "Kurama, want to come?"
Kurama looked down at Hiei mischievously and Hiei scowled at him. "Sure. We'll leave you two." Hiei glared at both of his friends as they left him with Mîra.
"Oh honestly, they act as if I don't know what they're doing," Mîra said, rolling her eyes, but there was a small flush on her cheeks. She looked down at him and he felt her warm gaze root him in place.
"How are you feeling?" She asked softly.
"Fine." He still had a dull throb in his head but knowing that they were going to find Minoru, that he didn't have to search alone, and that she wanted him was more than enough to lift the heavy weight on his back. Taking a chance, he added, "I'd be better if you shared my bed again."
Mîra's eyes went wide and her cheeks deepened in color. Hiei smirked up at her as she looked away nervously. "I- well, you were rather adamant the night of the attack, though I doubt you remember."
"I need a reminder," he said, eying her.
Mîra met his gaze and he was pleased to see the weariness replaced with the enchanting brightness of her eyes. Her thin pink lips curved into a flirtatious smile. "Perhaps you'll get one."
Hiei was going to respond, but just then Yomi walked up to them. Almost immediately Mîra's demeanor reverted back to her detached, formal, and authoritative persona. Yomi acknowledged Hiei before turning his attention to Mîra, asking her a question about the upcoming meeting.
Hiei stalked away, irritated at the interruption. He stepped outside wanting to get some fresh air before they reconvened. He wondered if Mîra was enjoying herself as queen. Probably not. She was carrying on with the meeting like it was a duty, and trying to hunt down his nephew was far from enjoyable. He knew Mîra saw ruling as her duty, one she grew up training for all her life. But she didn't smile nearly as much as she used to, and he couldn't remember the last time she stared at him with a haughty gleam in her eye. He was fairly sure he knew why Mîra returned to the Makai, but that wasn't enough to make her happy. What would make her happy?
Hiei wasn't sure but he knew one thing: he wanted to be by her side long enough to find out.
I was really unsure about what should come next after the attack, but I didn't want to do a lengthy explanation chapter. I felt it was boring so I procrastinated on writing, and I eventually trashed my initial idea for the chapter I ended up writing instead. I'm much happier with this path, even though it's a bit slower than I initially wanted. Next chapter will be fun and provide more concrete answers about Minoru and the plan of attack. Thank you SO much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! They mean a lot!