Sayomi stared at Hiei in confusion. "What do you mean 'missing'?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes and said, "Since Mukuro's word is no longer law, some demons abandoned their posts. It was the perfect time to escape."

Sayomi's complexion paled. Her eyes darted through the trees. "This is bad."

"I know." Hiei's Evil Eye glowed. "We should get moving."

"I'm assuming back to Mukuro's." Sayomi's muscles tensed with every small sound in the growing darkness. "Should we stick together or just meet up there?"

He turned to leave and said, "You're his target. What do you think is the smartest option?"

She took a deep breath and counted. As she exhaled, her body relaxed. If I stay with him, there's a good chance Yasuhiro might attack. If I go on ahead, there's also a chance he can get to me before anyone realizes I'm there. At least with Hiei, I won't have to face him alone.

She shrouded herself in shadows and said, "I think it's best if I stay with you."

"Good answer." He stopped and turned to her. Then he jerked his chin to the side and said, "I'd rather have you in my sight."

Without further delay, Sayomi started sprinting towards former Alaric with Hiei. As they ran, she felt a sense of urgency that pushed her to run faster.

The sooner we get there, the better. There's a large gap between my memories of him and now. Maybe Mukuro can fill some more of it in. She's the one who trained him, after all.

What are you trying to find out?

Sayomi recognized Hiei's thoughts and spared him a quick glance. He was running next to her effortlessly. As much as I can...

What do you know about him now?

Sayomi took a moment to reflect on her old memories of him coupled with her more recent interactions. I know that he wasn't always like this. He changed after our mother died and, since I ran away, he's gotten worse.

How was he before?

I don't remember specific details, but he was always smiling and he was nice to me. After mom died, he became more focused on training so we could survive. He still smiled at me, but it wasn't the same.

What about now?

She frowned. Now he's over-protective and apparently in love with me. He still smiles, but it looks fake. I can't help but wonder if it's really him.

You think he's not in control?

It's a possibility. I need to find out as much as I can before I run into him again.

Why?

I don't want to kill him if I don't have to. During my training, I found a way to do it, but it'll only work if he's still there. If he's already faded...

Hiei noticed her gloomy expression. If there's nothing to save, then I'll kill him.

Sayomi stared at Hiei in shock. Then she shook her head and dismissed the idea. I can't ask you to do that. It's not your fight.

You'd rather kill your own brother?

I'd rather save him, but I'll kill him myself if I have to. Besides... I'm partially to blame for the way he turned out.

Hiei watched her carefully and observed her body language. Though she was emotionally shaken, her movements were smooth and efficient. Fine. Just don't die in the process.

Sayomi smiled gratefully. She felt responsible for handling her brother and she felt guilty for Hiei's involvement. I don't mind if you want to lend a hand, but let me do what I need to do.

It was dawn by the time they reached the mobile fortress. Sayomi wasted no time and went straight to Mukuro's door. She burst into the room and her eyes darted around, looking for the former king. "Where is she? She's usually here."

"She's most likely training for the tournament," Hiei said from the doorway. "We should start getting ready for it ourselves."

"Oh right." Sayomi scowled at the floor. "I was so distracted by Yasuhiro... I forgot all about the tournament already."

Hiei walked into the room and said, "We'll take a day to rest. If Mukuro doesn't finish by tonight, then we'll deal with it later and focus on our own training."

Sayomi tried to think of an alternative. I'd like to handle Yasuhiro as soon as possible, but I don't even know how to start. For all I know, he could be waiting nearby for me to be alone.

Hiei cupped her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. "If you keep lowering your guard, I might take advantage."

Sayomi tried to step back, but his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Before he could do more, she asked, "What if he's still here somewhere?"

Hiei scowled. "If he was, then I would know."

"Can you see him?" Sayomi asked. "If he's hiding in the shadows themselves, can you still see him? What if—?"

Hiei cut her off with a kiss. Then he pulled away and said, "I won't let him take you."

Sayomi looked up at his eyes and saw no trace of doubt in his claim. She swallowed the argument that lingered on the tip of her tongue. Instead of pushing away, she embraced him and buried her face into his shoulder. As he started to pet her hair, she breathed in his scent and felt secure in his arms.

Once she regained her composure, Sayomi pulled away and said, "Let's get some food. I don't think I've had a real meal since I left Gandara."

"We're going to need to hunt for ourselves," Hiei said. "The only demons here are the ones most loyal to Mukuro, so there's no longer a kitchen staff."

Sayomi smiled and said, "That's fine. Hunting and scavenging aren't new to me."

"Scavenging?" Hiei asked.

Sayomi's smile became slightly bitter. "The monks in Tourin didn't like to sell me their food if they could help it. I had to scavenge for old leftovers that no one else wanted. If I couldn't do that, I'd hunt in the forest outside the border. I'd have to sneak out after dark, of course. Having prepared meals after I left was new and kinda nice, but I can live without it."

"Is that how you practiced?" He led her through the compound until they reached the exit. Then they wandered the forest, keeping tabs on the fortress that left them behind.

She shrugged and slipped her hands into her pockets. "It was the best way for me to get real experience. They wouldn't teach me so I had to watch from a distance or hide in their shadows to learn certain moves. It was actually more fun to go hunt and practice in the woods."

Hiei recalled her attempt to practice with the monks. She had no control of her aura in combat and involuntarily cursed them. "What did you do in the meantime?"

"Hokushin taught me about Tourin and its customs. After the incident with my aura, he taught me to heal and meditate. So it was mostly that. It was pretty boring. The only things I could do were my lessons or go visit the old man. Besides hunting for food, that was probably the only fun thing to do." She turned to Hiei and arched her brow. "Why all the questions today?"

"You know my past." The fire demon met her stare. "I want to know about yours."

Sayomi tried to ignore the rising heat in her cheeks and looked ahead. "I guess that's fair, but I thought you knew all of this already."

"I know the basics, not the details," Hiei explained.

"The details aren't that interesting," Sayomi muttered.

Ignoring her attempt to deter him, he asked, "Why were visits with Raizen fun?"

Sayomi sighed and shook her head. "It was fun because the old man didn't treat me like dirt. He actually listened to me complain and give me advice to handle it better. He'd tell me stories about his younger days. I was always interested in his fighting stories, so he indulged me whenever I asked."

"Does his death bother you?" he asked.

Sayomi took a moment to think over her answer before she spoke. "I'm sad I can't talk to him anymore, but I've been aware of it since I first got there. Besides, I can hear new stories from his old friends now."

"Old friends? The source of that powerful aura?"

"Yeah." Sayomi smirked and said, "They were his old sparring friends. They came to visit his grave and told stories of how they all met. As long as we can all share our memories of him, then he won't really die. That's what I believe, at least."

When Hiei didn't respond, Sayomi spoke her thoughts on the matter. "There's a reason to fear death, just like there's a reason to not fear it. Death is a natural part of life's cycle. Though the ones closest to you will always remember you, there will come a time when no one will remember you at all. That's why it's good to share our memories of those who've passed on, so they can live on in future generations as a sort of legend."

"That only applies to those whose stories are worth telling," Hiei commented. "Not everyone is worth remembering."

"That's a matter of opinion, Hiei. I'm sure we'd all be sad if you died, especially Yukina." Sayomi thought of the sweet ice apparition and smiled. "Whether you tell her or not, something tells me she suspects something."

"You wouldn't dare tell her," Hiei warned.

Sayomi smirked and said, "Don't worry. At that point, I'd be able to honestly tell her that her brother is dead." Her smirk melted into a sad smile. "I just don't think you should wait until your death for her to find out. I don't want you both regretting the life you could've had. That would probably upset her more than anything."

Hiei stopped walking and let his hair fall over his eyes. When Sayomi noticed, she waited patiently for his rebuttal.

A moment passed in silence before he quietly muttered, "I'll think about it."

Not wanting to press the issue any further, Sayomi continued her walk and changed the topic. "I don't think we're gonna have much luck hunting meat. We should probably gather some berries and nuts to tide us over a bit."

After a couple hours of snacking on what they could find, they returned to Mukuro's fortress. Sayomi didn't hesitate to use the shower first. She quickly washed herself and let Hiei have his turn. Once they were both clean, they made their way back to Mukuro's door.

As Sayomi was about to walk in, Hiei stopped her. "She's not in there."

Sayomi refrained from walking in and followed Hiei down the hall. "Where is she then?"

Hiei walked down a few feet and opened a door. After he walked in, Sayomi followed. Her eyes widened when she saw Mukuro resting on a bed, still fully clothed.

The swordsman didn't hesitate to seat himself and rest his feet on a small table in a state of relaxation. He turned back to glance at Sayomi and nodded towards the seat next to him.

As she hesitated, Mukuro said, "Sit down. No one else will bother us here."

Sayomi quickly looked up to see Mukuro staring at her with a teasing smile. She took the seat and did her best to get comfortable. "This is just a little new to me. I was expecting you to be in the usual place."

"There's no point in it now that I'm just a normal demon. So, what brings you to my chambers?" Mukuro asked.

Sayomi stole a glance of Hiei. He rested his chin against his chest with his arms crossed and closed his eyes, feigning sleep as they talked. She didn't know whether to feel grateful or betrayed. Turning her attention back to Mukuro, she said, "I'd like to know more about Yasuhiro."

Mukuro tilted her head and said, "I've already told you about his past. What more do you want to know?"

"I want to know about after you found him. What was he like during his training and afterwards?"

The former King of Alaric observed the shadow demoness sitting before her. Mukuro noted the way Sayomi leaned forward in her seat, eager to listen. The girl's eyes were resolute and showed no hint of hesitation to hear the truth. "Very well. You may grow to hate me after you hear this, but it's nothing new."

Sayomi felt a wave of apprehension from Mukuro's warning. Why would I hate her?

"When I found Yasuhiro, he was like a feral animal." Mukuro's eyes focused on a past that Sayomi could only imagine. "My men alerted me of a phantom killer lurking in the vicinity that we were conquering at the time.

"Rumors spread that a dark shadow was the cause for the disappearance and eventual slaughter of females. At first, it started with young girls. As time passed, he continued to target the same generation across a wider range of territories."

Sayomi's eyes widened as she listened to Mukuro's story. He killed innocent girls to look for me?! Her stomach twisted into knots as Mukuro continued.

"The unlucky ones who were recovered alive, were left in a state of insanity. Villages went so far as to hide their children under my protection. I didn't mind, so long as they could direct me to the phantom.

"I found him in a back alley with a young demon girl. He was whispering nonsense into her ear while shrouding her in his dark aura. While I was able to recover the child, he snapped and resorted to his instincts. At the time, he was merely a low Class-C demon. He barely had a sense of individuality."

Sayomi tried to envision the situation from her brother's perspective. He was desperate to find me... While I was safe with Hokushin and the old man.

"Yasuhiro didn't hesitate to retaliate once I apprehended the girl. He tried to trap me in a nightmare, but he underestimated me. His illusions were a pale comparison to what I've done in my lifetime. He wasn't prepared and that led to his eventual servitude under me.

"Back then, and even now, Shadow demons were hard to come by. I saw the potential to use him in my conquest of the Demon Plane. So, I decided to train him to the rank of one of my 77 elite soldiers. I urged his progress with the promise that he would be able to find his long-lost sister.

"You can say I fueled his madness to make him a strong soldier. My intention was never to cure his state of mind, but to use it for my own personal gain. Needless to say, that no longer matters."

Sayomi was speechless after hearing Mukuro's story. So, the reason he's like this...?

"I would like to remind you that I did not plant the seed. I merely nourished it for what it was," Mukuro said without a hint of remorse.

Sayomi's nails drew blood as she tightly clenched her fists. She took her time with her breathing exercises before she spoke up. "You're right. I can't blame you. You acted based on what was necessary for you at the time. I get that."

She took another deep breath. "There's no reason you would sympathize with a pawn."

Then she raised her eyes to meet Mukuro's. Sayomi's stormy glare pierced into Mukuro's ice-cold stare. "How about now that you're not a king anymore?"

Mukuro smirked and said, "While I do admit some responsibility, it's not my mess to clean up. Don't forget he's like this because you ran away from him. While I'm sure you have your reasons, you must take responsibility for your own actions and deal with the problem. Isn't it a family dispute or would you rather have me or Hiei kill him?"

Sayomi reeled in her anger and nodded. "That was my intention. I just needed to know."

She stood up from her seat, rousing Hiei from his nap, and walked to the door. As she was about to leave with the swordsman, Sayomi said, "Thanks for telling me the truth. I can't hate someone who's honest, whether I like what I hear or not."

Mukuro smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm relieved to hear that. I wish you luck on your endeavor with your brother."

With a subtle nod, Sayomi left the room with Hiei. The walk to their room was long and silent. Hiei matched his pace with hers and didn't intrude on her thoughts.

This is bad. If Mukuro has been fueling his condition for the sake of power, then there's an even slimmer chance of being able to save him. For all I know, he's already faded from his subconscious. If that's the case, will I have to kill him?

The idea plagued her mind until it was time for bed. Though she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. She laid in bed next to Hiei and listened to his deep breathing. He had asked her to pet his hair until he fell asleep. It distracted her for a short while until he drifted off and left her alone with her thoughts again.

Eventually, she sat up in bed and sighed. Not wanting to stir the demon sleeping next to her, she moved just out of his reach and started her breathing cycles. In minutes, she slipped into the Void.

"Now that I can think without distractions, maybe I can come up with a plan." Sayomi started working on basic Tai Chi moves she had learned from Genkai. The old woman explained it was a human martial art that focused specifically on aura control and described it as meditation in motion. Sayomi found that she enjoyed it more than traditional meditation.

Not wanting to leave the bed and risk waking Hiei, she opted to practice in the Void instead. It was a better alternative to aimless wandering.

She created an orb of darkness to manipulate with the flow of her movements. Before long, she lost herself in the motion as her thoughts wandered.

"If there's even the slimmest chance of being able to save him, I should take it. I don't want to lose my only brother now that we finally found each other. I owe him that much for not giving up on me. I just hope there's something left to save."

Sayomi thought of the Yasuhiro she remembered from her childhood and the Yasuhiro she reunited with. She tried not to let the unsettling differences disturb her flow.

"It's been over a year now... If there's nothing left of his old self, will I be able to accept his Shade like I accepted mine?" She recalled the murderous intent in his eyes when Hiei called her his mate. "If he feels that strongly about it, then probably not. But if that's the case, then I may really need to finish him off. I just wonder if I'll be able to."

As she spoke her thoughts, she noticed the gradual increase in the speed and urgency of her movements. She took a deep breath to regain control and slow down. "I need to stay calm. If I don't, I could end up losing the progress I've made. Worrying about the unknown won't help anything. All I can do is improve and deal the issue when I get to it."

"What issue would that be?"

Sayomi froze. The aura between her hands seeped back to its source. When she turned, she was greeted with Yasuhiro's warm smile.

Before she could speak, he vanished and reappeared and held her in a tight embrace. He rested his head over hers and said, "Is that thief troubling you? Shall I dispose of him for you?"

Sayomi's eyes widened. She mimicked the technique to get out his reach. She fell into a fighting stance and said, "Leave him out of this."

Yasuhiro sighed and looked at Sayomi with hurt eyes. He rested his hands on his hips and said, "Sayomi, he's not good for you. The only reason Mukuro recruited him in the first place is because he's a merciless killer. You weren't factored into her plans. You were my responsibility. Your rash behavior is dangerous and it was all because of him, wasn't it?"

"That's not—"

"Admit it," Yasuhiro cut her off. "You weren't this eager to leap into danger before. When did it start? Was it when you met the thief and the detective?"

Sayomi glared at her brother. "It started before I met them. You can thank Raizen for the influence."

"The suicidal king? Didn't he die?" Yasuhiro asked. He crossed his arms and scowled at Sayomi. "You think following such an example is a good idea?"

"It's not that simple," Sayomi argued. "You don't know them, so you don't fully understand."

"Enlighten me," he urged.

"As someone who's harmed humans for the sake of power, I highly doubt you'll empathize."

Yasuhiro sighed. "Humans again? Why do they matter? Most of them aren't worth more than their own livestock."

"That doesn't mean you should kill them." Sayomi thought of her friends and felt a surge of anger rush through her body. She reeled it in and remained calm, but it still raged in her storm gray eyes.

"There's no arguing with you, is there?" Yasuhiro muttered. "I didn't want to waste time discussing this."

"Why are you here then?" Sayomi asked. "Where are you?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He smiled; glad they were on the same page. "I want you to come with me."

"Where?" Sayomi needed to see him properly. She didn't want to have a dangerous confrontation within her spiritual state. Since he invaded her meditation, he had the upper hand.

"Does it matter?" he asked. "We can go wherever we want. I just want you by my side where I can protect you."

"I don't need your protection. Besides, I can't just leave my friends like that." She did her best to avoid mentioning Hiei specifically. She felt a sense of Déjà vu as she remembered Kaito's Taboo territory.

"You don't need them, Sayomi. We'll be fine on our own, like we used to be. Things will be okay again." He smiled and reached his hand out for her. "Just come with me."

"Things are okay now. You can be okay with us too." Sayomi hoped she was speaking to her brother and not his Shade. "We can still be happy together."

"So you're willing to cut ties with the thief?" He asked.

Sayomi bit back the urge to snap at him. "I won't do that."

Yasuhiro frowned. "Then we are at a disagreement. You're not leaving me much of a choice here."

"Which is...?" Sayomi urged with a raised brow.

He looked down at her and smirked. "Let's just say that soon I'll be able to hold you in my arms and you won't want to escape." As he turned to leave, his body melded with the darkness and his voice echoed in Sayomi's ears.