In The Blood

By: Ryu Katanna

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Thirteen

It had been a couple of weeks since her return home, and the talk she'd had with Saizou. He had watched as she had disciplined her advisors for their actions using low-level reiki. Oh, she had hurt them and left them pnting and out of breath with many burns, but not to where it had been enough to kill them. Really, with what they had helped Yusuke do, she could have done a lot worse. All actions had a cost, and this was theirs. They were still her advisors, but she would not trust them to take her side over Yusuke's again. For now, they were on probation, but by all rights, she could have killed them for treason.

She had written two missives that were sent out the next day shortly after. One she had sent to Kujou letting him know she had returned so he and Natsume did not need to remain in Gandara if they did not wish to. The other had been an even longer one to Enki. In it, she had explained what had happened, and what could have happened because of it. Those consequences could still be far-reaching, after all. She had written of her acceptance of a reccomendation for a second in both territories, and of the situation she found herself in.

The choice of her second had been left to Enki to decide. She trusted him not to send someone she wouldn't be able to trust with the responsibilities it would entail. Saizou had taken the missive to deliver himself when he had left Tourin. Now all she had to do was wait.

In the time she waited for a response from Enki she had established a new daily routine. In the mornings she would visit Raizen's grave. Sometimes sitting in silence and other times telling him her thoughts, her plans, and what had been happening with her. After that was training until the afternoon, and then she would return to the tower to work into the night. It hadn't taken her long to sort through everything from her little 'vacation' thanks to the efforts of Kujou, Natsume, and Saizou in the time she had been gone.

It was still very early in the morning a few weeks later, with the sun having just risen when she was on her way on out of the tower that she had gotten a surprise in the form of two visitors.

"Welcome back to Tourin, Natsume, and you too Kujou! Thank you for your assistance with Gandara. Have you come to visit my father?" Kagome asked as she referred to Raizen's resting place.

"Hey, Kagome! That's part of it, but mostly we're here for you." Kujou replied as they came to stand with her in front of the tower.

"For me?" Kagome asked curiously as she looked between the siblings.

"Saizou has told all of us how you wish to honor Raizen. We all wish to help you. Kujou and I are here to act as your seconds for Tourin and Gandara." Natsume told her with a small nod.

"Yeah. He also told us about what happened with Yusuke and your advisors. We all talked it over and we like the sound of what you want to do. Natsume and I are not on Enki's Council so we told him we'd come and help you out." Kujou smiled and Kagome found his energy infectious.

"Thank you both so much. I really do appreciate it! I was just on my way to visit Father. Would you care to come with me?" Kagome smiled as she moved in that direction.

"We'll come." Natsume replied as she and Kujou moved to follow Kagome.

Soon they stood in front of the polished stone in silence. Kagome knelt down to pull the dead flowers that had dried out in the heat. Once that was done she gave some water to the black lilies and black orchids she had placed there the morning before. Her touch was gentle as she cared for the flowers.

"What kind of flowers are those?" Natsume asked as they watched how much care Kagome took while she tended to them.

"They are lilies and orchids." Kagome replied as she finished.

"Do they have a specific meaning?" Kujou asked curiously.

They had seen these flowers here whenever they would stop by before. Yusuke had told them he always knew when Kagome had been visiting the grave because she left the same ones each time. When the old ones died then new ones would show up to replace the old. They must have some meaning to Kagome for her to bring these specific flowers all this time.

"Black orchids symbolize great power and absolute authority. Two things Father held in life. Black lilies are a symbol of death, but that's not their only meaning…" Kagome said as she stood and brushed herself off of the dusty red dirt that clung to her before looking at them.

"Lilies in general, when placed on a grave, symbolize that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death. I place them here in the hope that he could have in death what he could not in life."

"You really have a way about you..." Kujou murmured quietly as they made their way back to the tower.

There was a lot to sort out as Natsume took the position as Kagome's second in Gandara, and Kujou in Tourin. She had allies now in her goals to improve conditions for the inhabitants in both of the territories. Things would change, and hopefully, by the next tournament, the demons of Makai would want to keep it that way. If they did things the right way then things should hopefully fall into place smoothly. If not, well then someone out of their lot would hopefully win the tournament and ensure another three years for them to work with.

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A year and a half later and things had settled into an easy and comfortable pace for Kagome. Natsume had stationed herself in Gandara to better watch what was happening within the territory. They exchanged missives regularly as Natsume kept her informed, and deferred to her on any major decisions that came up.

Kujou had stayed with her in Tourin and had become an almost constant companion. He held an energy about life that sparked something in her. That spark had driven her forward and made her even more determined to grow stronger. It relaxed her to have him around, and they trained together often. He challenged her and had become a great friend who she knew she could rely on.

In the two years since the tournament things were indeed improving in the demon world. With the next tournament set to take place many had set to training in the hopes of becoming the next King. The time and energy that had been used before to cause trouble in the human world had now been focused on the goal of competing. With the spirit world's barrier down, more and more in the demon world found that their instincts settled as they were no longer so largely suppressed. That was not to say there were no incidents with random demons who thought to go against King Enki's one law. Luckily, so far, they had been dealt with before any real harm could be done.

One source of contention between them all had been the one thing they all needed to survive; food. While there were many in demon world who could receive sustenance through animal flesh, so too were there demons like Mukuro and Yomi, who only ate humans. Tensions were growing higher as humans who wandered into the demon world were to be protected before being returned to the human world. The law in place also prohibited demons to cross into the human world to obtain the food source they needed. Knowing that soon they would again be in a similar position to a few years ago, King Enki had called a gathering of the Council.

Now here Kagome sat with Kujou and Natsume at her side in the meeting hall. Lady Mukuro was seated to her left as her second, Hiei, leaned against the wall behind her. King Enki had just entered with Kokou to join the rest of his Council who sat around him consisting of the familiar faces of Saizou, Den-Hou, and Souketsu. Once the standard greetings and reports of progress within the territories had been exchanged they had come to the root of why they were there.

"Well, we all know why we're here. Any more problems yet?" Enki asked as he looked around the room at all those gathered.

"Alaric has had a few upstarts, but the border patrol has it handled. There have been none to get passed them though they have tried." Mukuro reported with a look of disinterest as she leaned back in her chair.

"I have no doubt in the capabilities of the border patrol in Alaric. The problem is stemming mainly from Gandara and Tourin where we do not have the assistance of one with the Jagan eye." Kagome freely admitted with a sigh.

"The border patrols of Gandara have been strictly regimented, but due to Yomi's stance in the years previous, there are many who eat human flesh. The loss of food source due to the silent agreement with the spirit world has been the cause of some disquiet." Natsume went on to explain before Kujou picked up.

"In Tourin things are a bit better, but there are still some who are not happy with the overall situation. After two years many are hungry enough that there have been attempts to get passed the patrol even with the consequences."

"Do you know if any have gotten through?" Saizou asked while he looked at Kagome.

"Yes. I have been in contact with Kurama; who is Lord Yomi's second. Currently, he is a denizen of the human world, and he has told me of a few in the last three months. Thankfully he also informed me that between him, Yusuke and another friend taking care of things there have been no major incidents. Even so, it is only a matter of time by this point before that changes. Many even in my own stronghold are growing hungry. If we do not find a solution soon then everything we have worked for may soon fall apart." Kagome replied as she thought about what her red-haired friend had told her about in his last letter.

"The problem is how do we handle it?" Den-Hou's deep baritone voice asked into the silence that followed.

"This is the same thing that happened to cause the split in power and the infighting before. Raizen wanted the feeding on humans to stop altogether, but as evidenced by his death, that is not possible. There is nothing other than humans that satisfies. I have done what I can to curb that hunger over the last several hundred years, but that is all that can be done without dying a fool's death." Mukuro replied only to glance over with the others as a low growl ripped through the room.

"I understand what you are saying, and I agree. Those who feed on humans are just made that way, and so we will have to find a way of doing things to suit them as well. Nevertheless, my father died with his head held high, and his honor intact. It may have been a fool's death to you, but there are those of us still who respect him for the fact that he did not stray from his vow even when he knew it would mean his death. I will thank you not to speak ill of my father in my presence, Lady Mukuro." Kagome's voice was soft and clear with a will of iron as she spoke.

She would not just sit by and say nothing when it came to Raizen. The room quieted after she said this, and only when she felt she had gotten her point across did she continue.

"As for the humans, it is clear that we can not allow those from our world to continue feeding on them. If we do not find another way then the spirit world will soon feel a need for a new barrier. If that happens then who knows how long it will be before we'll be able to get them to leave us to govern ourselves without their interference. I have a solution in mind, but only time would tell if the idea holds any merit."

"What is your idea?" Souketsu asked as he shifted in his chair to move his tail when the lack of movement has caused him to go stiff.

"Human technology has found a way to clone other living beings. They mostly do so with animals and plants they eat. Our technology is much more advanced than the humans because we have access to natural energy sources they do not. I'm sure we could replicate the process they use. If we did so with humans and animals it would be possible to provide another source of commerce that way, and to solve the issue of a food source for all of our people." Kagome explained what she had been thinking about after she had remembered her science classes from years ago.

The room was quiet as everyone in the room mulled the idea over in their own minds. Kagome was right. It would be possible using artificial birth machines for the time of their incubation until they were ready. Doing so would satisfy the hunger of those who ate humans, and they would no longer have a need to venture into the human world for food. The idea held merit, but the problem was the spirit world.

"It is a possible plan, but would those assholes in the spirit world keep their traps shut?" Kokou growled at the thought before she drank deeply from her jug of alcohol.

"They just might not. Even if they were grown artificially they would still be humans." Kujou responded as he kicked his foot up onto the table and leaned back onto the hind legs of his chair.

"That is where we may have some trouble. Unfortunately, we will most likely have to ask for their co-operation on this one. Much as I don't like to ask permission with them about things here in the demon world, I don't think we should risk what we've accomplished with them already." Enki said as he thought about what would be the best route to take in solving this problem.

"I'm more surprised that she came up with this idea." Hiei muttered to himself, but the others in the room could hear him clearly.

"What do you mean by that?" Kujou asked a little defensively at the perceived slight to his friend.

"For someone who was once human themselves to suggest this, and be so completely accepting of humans as food. It is a bit strange." Mukuro answered for him as he refused to speak any more on the subject.

Kagome only smiled a bit as she looked at both of them.

"Why would it be strange? I may have been human once, but I have since let go of most human sensitivities. Why should I not accept that humans are a food source for some demons? There are humans who eat other humans just as there are some demons who choose to eat our own kind. It may not be my preference right now, but as Mazoku all need human flesh at some point in our lives, I can not judge others for it. We are all made differently, and I can accept that." She told them as she folded her hands in her lap and sat up straight in her chair.

"As it is, about a third to half of the population in demon world need to eat humans just to live, and this is the best way I can think of that will provide what is needed. I care about what happens to the demons of this world. If human flesh is what is needed then I will think of any way I can so that we can obtain it while still keeping us free of Rekai's influence. Synthetically grown humans could solve our problem, but we would need Rekai's co-operation on this. At the same time, we can not just allow our people to starve."

The room was silent as they all listened to her speak. A few smirked and others gave small smiles at her response. She may be far younger than any of the others in this room, but she spoke with such clarity and reasoning that it was times like this that none could believe she was only nineteen years old. Already, she had been the one to guide things along the way as changes were happening in their world. Yusuke had acted as the catalyst that started it all, but it was his sister who continued on from there to lead the way.

"Hn." Hiei looked her over closely for the first time.

He had attended many of these meetings but had never really paid anyone other than Mukuro much mind. What did he care about what they did or decided at these meetings? Nothing. He would do just as he liked either way.

Now though, he found himself entertaining a bit of curiosity about his old comrade's sister. He had known of their relation to one another but hadn't cared much about it at the time when he had first seen her. Opening his Jagan eye behind his headband he started to silently ease into her mind. Normally his presence went undetected, but that was not the case here.

'It is really rather rude to enter someone's mind without permission, Hiei. You never know what surprises you will find waiting for you.' Her thoughts called out to him as he brushed the surface of her mind before a brilliant pink light crackled and forced him out.

Hiei flinched back in pain as his Jagan flared with a burning sensation. He grit his teeth in an attempt to block out the pain as he cast a glare in her direction. For her part, Kagome made no movement to indicate what had just happened. She had just forced the Jagan from her mind with a power he had not seen before. Who, or what, was this girl? He determined to find the answer.

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AN: Well that's it for chapter thirteen. We have our first real interaction with Hiei, and the situation with the demonic food source has made itself known. Updates for this will be sporadic to non-existent for a while. I have some family things going on, and it could be a few weeks to a few months before I have enough time to write though I will try. I hope you like this chapter, and let me know what you thought!

~Ryu

Edited: 06/22/2023