Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or

concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:

The Annals of the Heroine Akane, and the Dreaded Demon King. A Tale of the Mirrorverse.

Chapter 3: War comes on black wings, like an angel of death.

The sisters walked in silence, the other two lookied from each other to their brooding younger sister from time to time.

"What's on your mind, little sister? You seem more preoccupied than normal." Kasumi asked as gently as possible.

Akane started to snap at her oldest sister, then sort of just deflated. "I hate this, Kasumi. Why do the demons have to be so vile? Why did they have to come here? Why don't they just die! Why do we have to fight them?"

Kasumi sighed and pulled her little sister in for a gentle hug as the trio stopped for a moment. "We fight because our natures are opposite. They are dark beings driven only by the most base and foul urges, and they worship their dark goddess. We seek to be better than that, and we walk in the blessed light of our goddess. Of course we would come to blows, it is only natural. Sadly, there is no other way. The few demons that can speak seem to be completely devoted to their Goddesses' war, and nothing other than total defeat will stop them. You know that this is the way of things, no matter how much we wish otherwise."

Akane sighed and nodded "Maybe once I defeat the Demon King, the rest will go skulking back to whatever dark corner spawned them." She said glumly.

"That's the way, little sis. You focus on vanquishing the big baddies, and we will take care of the lesser hordes, and keep you on your feet." Nabiki said as she looked around. "As I see it, as long as we keep doing what we have proven to work, then I don't see a problem. I'm not a fan of war, but I am less a fan of seeing another village laid waste like ours almost was."

Akane sighed and nodded and kept walking as the other sisters exchanged another look before they fell into their usual places.

Akane straightened her shoulders and adjusted the holy sword at her waist. They had another three days travel until they would reach the front lines. The started, the sooner they could to an end.

After that, it really didn't matter what happened, as long as her sisters were safe. Even if she was damned, it wouldn't matter. She wasn't going to lose anymore of her family to this pointless and endless war.

Akane nodded her head, a grim look in her eyes. She would crush the Demon King with hands, using the divine might she had been granted. And nothing and no one would stop her.

Then, at least her sisters could be safe.

The days passed as the sister's traveled towards the front lines. The evidence of the war became more and more evident, with the occasional burned out house leading to the remnants of a village.

They arrived at the fortified town of Bridgefort late in the afternoon of the third day, and surveyed the town. The mood was muted, and the proof of the war was to be seen everywhere.

Akane looked at her sisters and said "I will go report to the commander, Kasumi see what you can do to help with the injured, and Nabiki…"

Nabiki chuckled as she interrupted her sister "...And you want me to poke about and see what I can find out, right?"

Akane smiled and nodded "Thank you, Nabiki. Let's take care of what we can, so we can end this."

The three sisters nodded to each other before they each went their way.

Akane made her way towards the central keep, as she nodded and spoke words of encouragement to the soldiers she passed on her way. She tried to ignore the whispered words of "The Heroine is here." Or "The Gods will surely save us now."

Such things, such words, she was not yet worthy of them. She had so much to do still. The war would rage on until she laid the Demon King low, and made him pay for all the atrocities his kind had inflicted on humanity.

When Akane arrived at the war room, she found the commander hunched over a planning table as he checked the reports from the scouts. He looked up at her as she stood by the door. "You must be the new hero I've been hearing about. Going to present your royal writ now?"

Akane chuckled a bit and shook her head. "I don't have one. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

The commander stared at her for a moment then said slowly "You didn't get your writ from the King? Did he refuse to offer you one?"

Akane once again shook her head and answered him. "I didn't .the capital to get one. I figured I'd do more good here, rather than bowing and scraping for the King."

"The last hero to pass through here was very proud of his writ, very impressed with himself. The demons were not nearly as impressed, since they killed him. Some monstrous boar creature ate him." The commander said seriously.

Akane shifted a bit, but then firmed her resolve. "I'm here to end this war. I don't need the King's approval, I have the Goddesses."

The commander chuckled and nodded. "You'll do. So, here is what we have…" He said before he started to explain the situation to her.

Elsewhere, Kasumi had entered the confines of the temple. As the priestess looked, bowed her head in prayer before an acolyte approached her.

"May the Light guide you, sister. How may we help you today?" The young acolyte asked the older priestess.

Kasumi stood gracefully and at acolyte. "I am here aid, if I can? Please, would you take me to your ward, and I shall render what aid the Goddess sees fit to bless ."

The acolyte bobbed his head nervously, a relieved look on his face. "Please! Thank the Light you are here. Follow me, please.". With that, he hurried, leading Kasumi into the medical ward, where the gruesome cost of the war is laid out clearly.

"Oh my…" Kasumi said softly, a sad look in her gentle eyes as she started to give what aid she could.

For now,.that is all she could do.

Truly, the feud between the Gods was paid for in blood, flesh and bone.

Nabiki sighed as she stretched, and looked the town over from the perch she had found on one of the towers. It was a hodge lodge town, built in the shadow of the keep and crowded behind the walls. There was evidence that the town, and the walls, had been expanded several times, likely as more people flocked to the relative safety of the fortress town.

That said, it continued to make the town itself a more and more tempting target. That was the usual peril with situations like this. More people meant more supplies needed, which meant more trade and bigger caravans, that in turn made attacking said caravans a better and better prospect for not bandits and demons.

The war truly did bring out the worst in everyone and everything.

There were a lot of things that the sisters would have to deal with if they were going to win this war. Securing a base of operations was first on the list, and for that they would have to deal with the logistics problems the city was facing.

From what she had already gathered, there were several groups of raiders working the area. Yes, the demon army was sending groups to intercept the trade routes, but the problem they could deal with first were the bandits who were doing the same.

For that, Nabiki needed to get a lead on who they were dealing with, and where they were based out of. For that, she would have to deal with sources of information that her dear sisters were either too pure or naive to be able to associate with.

That meant dealing with the head of the local thieves guild.

That meant a meeting with Konatsu.

Now, Nabiki didn't have any particular issues with Konatsu. All reports said that she was a good, if odd, leader of the guild. It was more that she really didn't want what she had to do to get in the way of her sisters being the good, moral people they were. Honestly, how they managed to get by in a world as twisted as this one was anyone's guess. But, as the realistic one it was up to her to take care of things like this.

With that in mind, she decided to change. One does not meet Konatsu while wearing road-stained clothing and smelling like you had just gone mud wrestling with a troll.

The problems with being the one who had to have the really important meetings, after all.

Later that night, the three sisters found themselves sitting around the table, as they discussed their days. The mood was somber, with the import of what they had discovered so far.

"So, that is the situation from the commander. They are being pressed hard on two fronts, and the city is losing troops, morale, and supplies at a steady rate. Honestly, I don't know how much longer they can keep going unless something is done." Akane said as she stared into her mug.

"I've done what I can to help with the injured and sick, but without medicine and supplies, my aid is going to come a lot shorter than I had originally planned. There is just so much to do, but I will keep doing what I can for the people, as long as the Goddess wishes it." Kasumi said as she held her cup of tea, using it to warm her hands.

"I've been digging as much as I can, and I need to talk to some people. People that you two won't approve of, but with any luck I might be able to at least track down the bandits and get the supply lines open again." Nabiki said as she checked herself over again.

"Is that why you are dressed like that?" Akane asked, eyeing her sister.

"There is nothing wrong with dressing like a woman once in a while, you know." Nabiki defended her choice of attire, a simple blue and black dress with a plunging neckline as she arched an eyebrow at her younger sister and her combat gear.

"Well, some of us have to be ready for the front lines at all times." Akane said with a huff.

Nabiki's expression softened as she tested a hand on Akane's shoulder. "I know sis, thank you. We all do what we can to make things easier on the others. And right now, this is my combat gear." Nabiki said with a grin on her face.

Akane laughed and sighed "Fiiiine, you're so annoying, Nabiki."

"Just one of my many good qualities." Nabiki said with a straight face.

"And so humble." Kasumi said in her usual calm tone.

"Exactly!" Nabiki said, then stopped and looked at her eldest sister, `` Wait, were you being sarcastic, sister of mine?"

Kasumi smiled placidly at her middle sister.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes then sighed. "I concede defeat."

Kasumi smiled and nodded, then rose gracefully. "I will see you after my evening prayers."

Nabiki stood as well, as she brushed herself off. "Best head out as well."

"Good luck, sis." Akane said as she watched her sisters leave, then sighed and decided to check with the night watch before she went to bed as well.

Meanwhile, in the capital city Ranko was making her way from tavern to tavern as she looked for the newest hero ,or at least word of them. So far, she had not had much luck, or any for that matter. No one had seen them, or heard of them arriving in the town.

Ranko had thought she might have missed them, or arrived before them until she caught a minor noble who was pretty far into his cup.

"I can't believe it…" He moaned as she sat down across from him.

"What can't you believe, m'lord?" Ranko asked as she leaned forward just a bit.

"The stupid heroine." He groused.

Ranko raised an eyebrow, but stilled her curiosity lest she scare him off. "What about them?"

"The king is furious, they didn't come to get his permission or their writ! No, instead they go marching off to the frontline like His Royal Highness doesn't matter!"

"You...are saying that the hero went the other way? That they are at the front line right now?" Ranko asked as she started to rise.

He nodded, watching her. "I hope she gets eaten, stupid lowlife commoner." He said before he turned back to his cup. When he looked up, his companion was gone and the door still swung from their abrupt departure.

Ranko stormed out of the capital in a huff, as she collected the small black cat that had been waiting outside for her. Together, Xian Pu and Ranko walked out to where they had left Ryouga in his boar form.

"We are leaving. Now." Ranko said darkly.

"For where?" Ryouga grunted out.

"The frontline. I have a hero to meet." Ranko said, as ominous storm clouds rolled in.

Xian Pu shifted in a nervous manner "Master, what are you doing?" She asked nervously.

"Getting us there. Now." Ranko said before darkness seemed to swallow her whole. The impenetrable cloud of darkness undulates, as it changes shape.

Soon, an alert is heard banging throughout the entire capital, as the forces marshall themselves.

A dark dragon had been sighted, the massive shadowy beast flew over the capital where the citizens huddled in fear before it wheeled about, and went racing towards the frontlines.

Great, dark wings beat as it devoured the miles between the capital and the frontlines.