Sayomi wandered around downtown while Yusuke went to the arcade. When he said he wanted to play games one last time, she decided to leave him alone and spend her last day in the Human World her way. Knowing him, he's really going to spend time with Keiko. The least I can do is give them some privacy.
It didn't take her too long to reach the local park. She made her way through the greenery until she found a secluded enough spot. Sayomi smiled as she sat down and closed her eyes. She easily fell into her deep breathing cycles as she listened to the sounds of nature.
Within minutes, she was in the Void. She laid on her back with her hands behind her head and stared up into the abyss. "This isn't really as scary as it used to be. It's actually very peaceful. It only sucks when people show up uninvited."
She waited a moment as her voice was swallowed by silence. A couple minutes went by before she decided it was okay to relax. "So I guess I'm gonna enjoy this without any interruptions." She sighed and smiled. "That's actually a relief. I could use some privacy every once in a while. Especially now."
The faces of the three monks flashed through her memory. She scowled and said, "I suppose it makes sense that they would show up. I had the perfect chance to complete the mission... and I ignored it completely."
Sayomi sat up and crossed her arms and legs. "I know I should've spoken up about it sooner, but..." She remembered how eager Yusuke was to go back to the Demon Plane. "If I had spoken up about it then, where would I be now? With Yasuhiro? Or..."
A certain swordsman came to mind.
Her body warmed as she thought about his suggestion to stay with him. "But if I go with him... Yasuhiro wouldn't allow it. He seems to really hate Hiei and the others." She scowled. "Is it just because they're associated with the Underworld or are there other reasons? Either way, that all depends on whether the old man lets me leave or not. I did kinda break our agreement."
Sayomi sighed. "So I guess when Yusuke goes to the Demon Plane, Hiei will most likely take that chance to go back, too. Kurama and Kuwabara will probably stay in the Human World. I wouldn't call it a great parting, but it sure feels like one.
"So what should I do today? If it's our last day here, shouldn't we take advantage of it and spend it together?" Sayomi tried to think of something they could all enjoy, but nothing came to mind besides training.
"I'm sure Kurama is enjoying his time with his family and Kuwabara wouldn't train with me. I'm not gonna interrupt Yusuke and Keiko either. So I guess that means Hiei is the only one." Sayomi smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I need to tell him what's going on anyways. I don't know how he'll take it, but I can't keep it a secret if he's able to go back, too.
"Knowing Hiei, he wouldn't want to come to the old man's territory. He'd want to go off on his own. But if he asks me to come with him..." Sayomi couldn't bring herself to come to a decision so soon.
"If Hokushin expects me to come too, then that probably means the old man is asking for me. Perhaps I could rendezvous with Hiei afterwards, but what if he decides to keep me in his territory for not bringing Yusuke right away? Or if Yasuhiro shows up?"
Sayomi turned around, keeping an eye out for any sudden visits. Just thinking of her brother was enough to put her on edge. When there was no sign of him, she let out a slow breath. "Maybe I should calm down. He hasn't shown up at all since that last time."
She practiced her deep breathing exercises until she was calm again. "Once he shows up, what should I do? I doubt I'm strong enough to fight him right now. Perhaps I should give him a chance to explain before I pass judgement. But then if I go with Yasuhiro, will I ever get to see any of them again?"
As the warm smiles of her friends came to mind, Sayomi felt her chest tighten with longing. She respected Yusuke's open-minded view and his overall fun personality. She admired Kurama's self-control and his devotion to protect the ones important to him. Kuwabara's sense of right and wrong coupled with his stubborn refusal to back down from a fight both aggravated her and inspired her to be a better person.
When Hiei crossed her mind again, she couldn't help but smile. "Even though he can be a stubborn jerk sometimes, he knows just how to push me forward. I may not always like or agree with what he says or does, but he usually seems to be there when needed most. Although I would miss Yusuke and the others, I think I would miss Hiei the most because I wouldn't be able to find him as easily. Speaking of which, I should probably try looking for him now so I can let him know that we'll be leaving tomorrow."
Once she had regained her composure, she opened her physical eyes. She flinched when she saw Hiei sitting in front of her with his eyes closed. She let out a shaky breath as she tried to relax. Guess I don't need to worry about looking for him...
"So you're done meditating for the day?" Hiei asked. He kept his eyes closed and his body still.
"Yeah." Sayomi looked down at the grass. "It was pleasantly uneventful."
Hiei opened his eyes and saw Sayomi's smile. He scowled and cupped her chin to lift her head. "What's wrong?"
Sayomi looked at him and she could feel the warmth spread from the point of contact. Unable to look away from his eyes, Sayomi explained her and Yusuke's visit to Genkai and Kuroko. As she spoke, Hiei let her go. His eyes betrayed no emotional reaction to her story and it made her nervous.
When she finished, Hiei asked. "So when are you leaving for the Demon Plane?"
"Tomorrow." Sayomi could almost feel the hours counting down until they had to leave.
"So you owed your debt to one of those three, huh? I see why you would keep that information close to the chest."
"Yeah." Sayomi nodded. "Hopefully it won't take too long before I can leave his territory."
"And where do you plan to go afterwards?"
Sayomi shrugged and said, "I'm still not really sure about afterwards. My brother will probably track me down as soon as I step foot in the Demon Plane. If that happens, then I guess I'll see what he has to say. After that, I don't know where else to go."
"So if I had a place, would you meet me there?" Hiei asked.
"Are you saying you have a place to go back to in the Demon Plane?" Sayomi asked as she leaned forward slightly.
"Perhaps." Hiei reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass sphere. He tossed it in the air and caught it again. "I had my own visitors not too long ago."
"You did?" Sayomi blinked. "Who?"
Hiei smirked down at his reflection in the sphere. "Mukuro."
Sayomi's eyes widened when she heard the name of one of the other kings. The old man always described Mukuro as a blood-thirsty tyrant. And if Hiei joins Mukuro, that means he'll have to fight Yusuke in a war.
"Are you gonna join?" Sayomi asked.
"I don't know. I won't decide until after I hear the message."
"You haven't heard it, yet?" Sayomi arched her brow curiously.
"No." Hiei slipped the sphere back into his pocket and looked at her. "I was hoping you would come talk first."
"Oh..." Sayomi smiled half-heartedly. "So you're gonna listen to it now?"
"Not yet. We still have time." Hiei stood up and extended his hand.
Sayomi accepted his help and pulled herself to her feet. "Time for what?"
Hiei smirked. "When was the last time we sparred?"
"Hmm... I guess that would be around the Dark Tournament," Sayomi answered.
"And when do you think we'll get to spar again?" Hiei asked.
"Who knows?" Sayomi shrugged. "Are you saying you want to go a round? Won't the Underworld notice if we do?"
"Only if we use our aura," Hiei said.
Sayomi blushed as Hiei removed his cloak and shirt before drawing his sword. She tried to ignore his toned muscles as she discarded her own cloak and reached for her kusarigama. In an instant, they both rushed each other.
Hiei attacked with his sword while Sayomi blocked with her sickle. Whenever she would block, he would disappear and attack from a different angle. Sayomi smirked as she fell into familiar tactics with the swordsman.
Once Sayomi blocked another strike, Hiei parried and punched her in the stomach. Sayomi coughed as the blow knocked her back. She clutched her stomach and spit out the blood in her mouth. When she looked up at Hiei, he was already closing in with his sword.
Sayomi spilled the chain from her weapon and used it to catch his blade in the chain links. Then she wrapped the rest of his sword with her chain and pulled it out of his hand.
Hiei frowned and disappeared again.
Sayomi freed his sword from her chain and wielded it along with her sickle. She scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of movement or aura. She jumped forward and turned, swinging Hiei's sword.
Hiei dodged her attack. He closed in, knocking the sword out of the way. Sayomi gritted her teeth as she dropped the weapon. Before Hiei could attack, she pivoted on her foot until she was out of his path.
She struck his back with the pommel of her scythe. Hiei grunted and turned to swing a kick. Sayomi barely had enough time to block. The attack sent her skidding back until Hiei appeared behind her and swept her legs out from under her.
She fell hard on her back. When she opened her eyes, she saw Hiei's fist. He knelt over her, ready to punch as soon as she moved to sit up. His knee pinned down her arm holding the sickle.
Sayomi sighed. "Fine. You win."
Hiei smirked and got to his feet. His fist opened, offering his hand to pull her up. When she accepted his help, she smiled and said, "Thanks."
Hiei stared at her and tugged on her hand, pulling her forward. Her eyes widened as she almost stumbled into him. What the—?
Hiei held her wrist up to graze his nose along her skin, taking in her scent. He looked at her through his lashes and asked, "What do I win?"
Sayomi's breath hitched at the look in his eyes. He looked like a predator cornering his prey. She swallowed the lump in her throat and asked, "W-what do you want?"
"What do you have?" Hiei countered.
When she tried to pull away, she felt her back press against a tree. He gave her no room for escape. She struggled to think of a response. "I don't... I only have my word."
Hiei frowned. "You don't have the best track record for keeping it."
Damn. He's not wrong. Sayomi bit her lip nervously. What else could I give him? Wait... "Since when did you start asking for prizes?"
"Based on your explanation, I expect you'll be busy for a while. First with the king, then with your brother. Whether I accept Mukuro's offer or not depends on other factors." Hiei's gaze traveled to the mark on her neck. "Since we won't have another sparring session for a while, I want something that will make me look forward to our next encounter."
Sayomi did her best to ignore the look he was giving her as she said, "Then how about you wait till then to get your prize?"
Hiei tilted his head curiously. "Oh?"
Sayomi took a slow breath before she answered. "I obviously can't give you anything now, but maybe later. It'll give you something to look forward to and it'll give me a reason to come looking for you when I finish my business. Is that fair?"
Hiei stared at her, weighing his options between an immediate prize or something better in the future. "Then we have a deal."
As soon as he stepped away, Sayomi let out a sigh of relief. She could feel the cool breeze against her hot skin and she welcomed the feeling. That was close. Just what was he trying to get from me?
Hiei retrieved his sword and clothes before he addressed Sayomi again. "I'll keep an eye open for your arrival. Until then, just make sure you survive long enough to pay up."
"Yeah, I'll do my best." Sayomi tucked away her sickle and went to put on her cloak. "So are you gonna listen to the message?"
"Not yet," Hiei said. "First, let's make our own visit to the fox."
"Kurama? You think he's had a visitor too?" Sayomi followed him out of the park.
"It's only a guess," Hiei answered. "Based on the fact that your king has sent his men to collect Yusuke and Mukuro sent his own messengers to me."
"He's not really my king, Hiei. He just helped me out when I needed it and so I owed him. He never treated me like one of his subordinates." Sayomi stuffed her hands into her pockets. "But I guess you have a point. I just can't help but hope that you're wrong."
Sayomi followed Hiei to Kurama's school. Though it was starting to get dark, she noticed there were still some kids lingering in a few rooms. Rather than going inside, Hiei jumped up to the roof. Sayomi followed after him through the shadows around the building.
When they walked up to a door with a sign warning them not to enter, Hiei signaled her to keep quiet. She nodded as she did her best to listen to the voice speaking in the room.
"You remember Raizen and Mukuro, don't you? If you recollect, the Demon Plane was pretty much their diarchy before we were even born." The voice was calm and relaxed, as if speaking with an old friend. "However, a few hundred years ago I achieved parity with them. I wish to take their place and unify the Demon Plane. I'd like your help, Kurama. This will be a demanding project. I'd like the Demon Fox in my corner."
Sayomi could feel her mouth go dry as she heard the third king's plan. And he knows Kurama?
"Oh yes..." The voice continued, as if in afterthought. "A century ago I found the demon who robbed me of my sight. I've kept it alive so you could meet him. I think you'd find the experience quite amusing."
Once sure the message was over, Hiei opened the door. "An old friend?"
"Yes," Kurama answered with a smile. Then he snapped his attention up the short flight of stairs at Hiei and Sayomi.
"Heh..." Hiei smirked. "It's not like you to be so distracted that I can sneak up like this."
Sayomi smirked at Hiei's show of pride. He's just happy he was able to sneak up on Kurama for once.
Hiei pulled the glass sphere from his pocket to show Kurama. "I received a message, too... from good ol' Mukuro. A valuable item, this..." Then he tossed it, letting it smash on the far wall. Ink stained the wall as glass shards fell to the floor.
Sayomi and the former thieves watched as the ink started to move and paint the image of a figure. The demon was wrapped in bandages and talismans with one round eye exposed. His long sleeves were bound together, keeping his hands trapped within. Though it was only a projection, Sayomi could almost feel the tyrant's eye staring through her.
When he spoke, his voice sounded warped, but his tone was light-hearted. "Hello Hiei. I'm Mukuro. Nice to meet you. You'd be amazed how difficult it is to get things done when you're so famous, so I rarely show myself in public."
Sayomi felt her brow arch up at the odd joke. I didn't expect someone like Mukuro to have a sense of humor.
"To get to the point," Mukuro continued. "I could use someone like you. Will you join my cause? I know you by reputation. I've heard many tales about the 'abhorrent Hiei,' who still enjoys great notoriety in Layer 13 NE. You reached Class-A status five years after birth. What led a genius like you to sink to banditry and then disappear into the Human World? Never mind. With me, you could regain your former glory."
Sayomi's gaze darted to Hiei, who was focused on the king. Is that true? But that doesn't make sense. He wasn't that powerful when we met.
"Raizen, Yomi and I have been in a three-way deadlock for 500 years, and they would be the first to agree with me that it has gotten very tiresome. What I will now tell you is top secret – Raizen has, for no sane reason, starved himself nearly to the point of expiring."
Sayomi's blood drained from her face. If he knows... Then does that mean...?
"Once he's gone, I'll launch a full-scale attack on Yomi. Yomi would force his own rule on the Demon Plane under the pretense of 'unification.' He's very nasty that way. If he approaches you, refuse him. That's the secret to longevity. Go to Raizen only if you're feeling suicidal... Heh heh..." As Mukuro's image began to fade, he said, "Under me, normalcy will return to the Demon plane, as it was in the days before you were even born. Join me, and help make this come to pass."
"Verbose, isn't he," Hiei commented. "The three big deals are on a recruitment drive... checking out the combatants in the most notable clashes in Demon Plane history. This could get interesting. I think I'll go see Mukuro."
Sayomi and Kurama exchanged glances before looking at Hiei.
Hiei smirked. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna sign up. I just want in on the action. It promises to be a protracted conflict and a sure way to get stronger. I'll exploit that for all I can."
As Hiei left, Sayomi was about to follow him.
"Sayomi."
She stopped and turned to Kurama curiously. "Yes?"
The red-head smiled and asked, "Do you have a moment?"
Sayomi nodded and settled on the steps just above him. "I'm listening."
"Based from Yomi's and Mukuro's messages, is it safe to assume King Raizen is Yusuke's ancestor?" Kurama wasted no time beating around the bush.
Sayomi smirked and let out a huff. "Yeah. I knew you guys would figure it out yourselves."
Kurama smiled apologetically. "You're not a very good liar either. You tend to wear your heart on your sleeve."
"Yeah, I know." Sayomi waved off his words. "But I just didn't want to be the source of information, so I tried not to say anything too specific."
"I understand. Your loyalty is unshakable. Which is why I was wondering if you were going to partake in this war or not."
Sayomi stared down at the bottom step for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and looked up at Kurama. "To be honest, I wish none of this was happening. I had a feeling we'd all have to part ways eventually, but not like this."
Kurama nodded and said, "It is unfortunate, but I'm afraid I cannot turn down Yomi's invitation. Truly, the only one who doesn't really need to get involved is Hiei. He doesn't know about Mukuro. He hadn't been born yet. I assume you know about him through King Raizen, correct?"
"Yeah..." Sayomi recalled the image of the bandaged tyrant. "But then again, I've also heard things about Yomi."
Kurama winked and smiled. "Leave Yomi to me. He's asked me to be an advisor. He trusts my intellect, at least. You just focus on your own reasons for taking part, or not taking part if you prefer."
Sayomi's brow arched curiously. "How could I avoid taking part?"
"First let's start with your original goals." Kurama held up a finger. "First, what was your original intention once you got back to the Demon Plane?"
Sayomi explained her plans to Kurama as best as she could. Once she finished, Kurama said, "Your plan is based a lot on the word if. I suggest a more flexible plan that will work for you should your preferred plan not come to pass."
"How do I do that?" Sayomi asked.
As she listened to Kurama, she started to feel a new sense of hope and dread. If I go through with this, it would allow me to stay out of direct conflict, but it would also mean my death if I fail. But what other choice do I really have?