Waking up was a torment. Kazumi's entire body ached, both from the wounds she had gotten the day before and from the tension that left her muscles stiff. The night had been rough and restless. She vaguely remembered having at least three different nightmares, though she couldn't recall any of them clearly.
She dragged herself out of bed, driven only by obligation. Removing the bandage from her wrist, she examined the bite mark still etched into her skin. It continued to sting and threatened to start bleeding again at any moment. She needed to clean it before it got infected.
Kazumi grabbed some clean clothes and headed for the shower. She carefully sterilized the deeper cuts and improvised a fresh bandage on her wrist. Back in her room, she began getting ready, reminded that she urgently needed to find a new job. She put on her most professional-looking outfit for interviews, even though it was just a cheap knockoff of a famous tailor's design. She combed her red hair, tying it half-up, which gave her a more serious appearance and made her look a little older than she actually was.
Suddenly, the door burst open without warning or permission.
— Hey, why didn't you go to work today?
Ichiro looked terrible. His sunken eyes and slurred voice indicated that he wasn't completely sober yet. The beer bottle in his hand only confirmed it.
Kazumi took a deep, tense breath.
— I don't work at the Kaffeine Klub anymore.
He smirked, but she pretended not to notice.
— Knew you wouldn't last! — he sneered — You screw up everything. But it's for the best. You should stay here and take care of the house. I've told you that a million times.
Kazumi remained silent, knowing there was no point in arguing. She continued getting ready as if he weren't there.
— Are you listening, you rude brat? Where do you think you're going, dressed like that? — He looked her up and down in disgust — Why are you all dolled up? Don't even think about meeting someone. If you do, I'll kill you both!
She scoffed, irritated, and then replied.
— I'm going to look for another job.
— Didn't you hear me? I don't want to hear any more about this job nonsense.
— And who's going to pay the bills? You? — she shot back sarcastically, immediately regretting it. She knew she had just started a war.
Ichiro's face twisted with anger. He stormed toward her and grabbed her arm tightly.
— What did you just say, you ungrateful idiot? Have you forgotten who you're talking to? You're worthless. You always have been, just like your mother! A good-for-nothing tramp!
— Don't talk about my mother!
— How dare you suggest I don't pay the bills in my own house? — he squeezed her arm even harder, his fingers digging into her skin — Don't forget, you're only living here because I still allow it. I could kick you out whenever I want. And don't forget that all the money you make is mine! I won't tolerate you hiding anything from me anymore.
— What are you talking about? — she swallowed hard, pushing him away.
— Don't play dumb. You thought I wouldn't find out where you've been hiding that extra bit of your pitiful salary?
Kazumi froze. She rushed to the wardrobe and opened the top drawer, where she had hidden her savings under a false bottom. But when she reached for the envelope, it was empty. Every cent was gone.
Kazumi's blood boiled. That money was hers—or rather, it was for Noembi, her sister. She'd saved every penny for years, trying to ensure Noembi would have a better future, away from rehab and far from Ichiro. But now, all that effort was for nothing.
— What did you do?! — she screamed at her father, who had a malicious, sarcastic smile on his face — Give it back!
— I don't have to return what's rightfully mine. If you want a roof over your head, start paying rent.
— Rent? — she repeated, incredulous — You can't be serious!
— I can demand whatever I want in my house!
— This house belongs to my mother, not you! — she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion.
— Your mother is dead!
Furious, Ichiro hurled the beer bottle against the wall. Glass shards scattered across the room, and Kazumi backed away, frightened. Unconsciously, she trembled with a mix of anger and fear. She froze when Ichiro advanced toward her again. He grabbed her brutally, digging his fingers into her arms. Kazumi tried to break free, but his strength immobilized her. The stench of alcohol hit her face as he yelled and shook her violently.
— I'm done with you, you little brat! Either do what I say or get out of my sight!
He threw her to the ground, her head and back slamming into the floor. For a moment, the air was knocked out of her lungs, and the world seemed to spin. Time stretched out, every second feeling like an eternity. In a fit of rage, Ichiro raised his foot, ready to kick Kazumi, but just as quickly as he had thrown his daughter to the floor, a blur intercepted his path.
xxxx
Hiei had been resting in a tree when the shouting started. The heated argument had put him on edge, and knowing what would come next, he entered Kazumi's room through the open window. He arrived just in time to stop Ichiro from striking her, knocking him out so quickly that Kazumi didn't even register what had just happened.
Her father, now unconscious, had blood smeared across his face. Kazumi felt a whirlwind of emotions: relief, pain, sorrow, fear, and despair all at once.
— W-what did you do? — she asked weakly, her voice barely a whisper — Is he…?
— He's still alive — Hiei replied — but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to kill him right now.
Hiei held Ichiro by the collar of his shirt, keeping him suspended in the air as he examined him.
No! — Kazumi blurted out instinctively.
Hiei shot her a look of disdain, but Kazumi was too dazed to notice. She was trembling, unaware of it, like a vulnerable newborn, completely helpless. Her eyes, as if in a trance, filled with tears that trickled onto the glass-covered floor. The shards from the broken beer bottle held her attention.
— Let him go — she murmured — Please. Just get me out of here.
Hiei dropped Ichiro, and the heavy thud of his body hitting the wooden floor jolted Kazumi back to the present. The last thing she saw before being carried out of the room was her father's unconscious face. She knew that once he came to, his rage would be explosive, and she needed to be far away before that happened.
xxxx
— That's who you were afraid of, wasn't it? That's why you panicked when you saw me outside your house. You didn't want him to see me.
Kazumi heard Hiei but chose to stay silent. Sitting on the sidewalk of an almost deserted street, she kept her head down, hiding her face between her knees. Hiei stood beside her, unfazed.
— Are you hurt?
The question caught her off guard. She glanced up at him, a little embarrassed and confused.
— Just a bit — her voice wavered — How did you do that? I didn't even see you come into the room. It was so fast, so… absurd. Is he going to be okay?
Hiei rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by the question.
— You're seriously worried about someone who was trying to kill you? Now that is absurd.
Anger flared up inside her, and she stood to face him, meeting his gaze head-on.
— He's my father.
— He didn't seem to care about that, so why do you?
She let out a nervous laugh, almost disbelieving at his coldness.
— Look, I'm grateful you got me out of there, but I don't recall asking you to butt into my life. Now you're going to tell me how I should feel?
— Feel whatever you want, I couldn't care less. And if you'd rather, next time I'll just let you die. Once I hand you over to Koenma, you won't be my problem anymore.
Kazumi swallowed hard, a cold shiver running down her spine. Something about Hiei's detached expression made her uneasy.
— Then let's just get it over with — she snapped, her frustration bubbling up — If that's what it takes for you to leave me alone, then take me to him already!
— That's what I'm doing. Why do you think I brought you here?
It finally hit Kazumi that she had no idea where she was. She glanced around, and found herself in front of tall, wide building—not exactly modern—surrounded by guards patrolling the perimeter.
— Where are we?
— This is the Spirit World's department that handles problems with humans who are still alive.
Kazumi's eyes widened in shock, imagining how exactly they "handled" these problems, and wondering if, in her current state, she was the problem to be solved.
— What are you waiting for? — Hiei's voice broke through her thoughts, sharp and impatient — Let's go in.
xxxx
Koenma was doing his best to come off as friendly in front of Kazumi. He wanted her to feel comfortable, open to the offer he was about to make. But as he sat across from her, it became clear that she wasn't someone who would give in easily.
Kazumi was tense. Her hands subtly gripped the armrests of the chair, and she couldn't bring herself to look directly at Koenma. To her, this "supreme being" seemed capable of killing her with a single glance. So lost in her thoughts of how they might get rid of her, she didn't notice Koenma's desperate attempts to do the exact opposite.
With a gentle smile, he offered her a cup of coffee. She accepted it with a slight shrug, which he took as a casual "whatever." But in reality, it was Kazumi's way of saying, "No way am I drinking that."
Before diving into the main topic, Koenma awkwardly tried to break the ice with a bad joke, which only served to embarrass him in front of his guests.
— So, I heard you got bitten by a vampire-youkai! That must've been terrifying, huh? Maybe you'd prefer a cup of blood instead of coffee! — he laughed alone, while Hiei stared at him with bored indifference, and Kazumi remained frozen, wishing she could just vanish.
— Anyway, Kazumi — he began again — I've been eager to meet you. I've heard about your ability. Genkai sent me a message about i
— I don't have any abilities.
— Don't be modest. You have a very rare and valuable gift. Few people have a mind as powerful as yours.
She smiled sarcastically
— You're wrong. My mind is anything but powerful.
Koenma sighed.
— I know it's hard to believe, Kazumi, but you're what we call a 'blocker.' Even Hiei couldn't get into your mind, and he's usually quite good at that.
Hiei's eyes narrowed, visibly irritated by the remark. It wasn't exactly a compliment. Actually, Koenma was highlighting his failure.
— So, what now? Am I a threat to you? — Kazumi asked — What are you planning to do with me now that you know you can't make me forget about that place?
— I'm afraid I'll have to keep you under surveillance for the rest of your life, just to be safe. To make sure you don't tell anyone.
— That's ridiculous — she snapped, frustrated — You expect him to watch me until I die?
She shot a quick glance at Hiei, avoiding any prolonged eye contact.
— I don't have another choice, Kazumi. Humans aren't supposed to know about the existence of Makai. If I can't make you forget what you saw, or where the passage to the demon world is, I have to ensure you stay quiet about it. Unless...
— Unless what?
— The only humans allowed to know about the Makai are those who work for me.
— But I don't work for you.
— Not yet — he replied with a sly grin — But I need your help.
— And how exactly am I supposed to help you? I'm just an ordinary person.
— You're far from ordinary. You're the person I've been waiting for the last 329 years.
— What?! That doesn't even make sense! That's way too long!
— I'm serious.
She let out a long sigh.
— What happened 329 years ago?
— I'll tell you. Or better yet, I'll show you.
xxxx
Koenma led Kazumi and Hiei into a more secure part of the building. As they advanced, the security measures grew increasingly strict. At one point, all of them were subjected to a search, which left Kazumi feeling even more scared and confused. Why would Koenma, the supreme being of the Spirit World, need to be searched?
— Don't worry — Koenma said, as if sensing her thoughts — It's just protocol.
Hiei, on the other hand, was mildly irritated when his katana was confiscated before entering the restricted area. He didn't actually need it, but the whole process struck him as absurd. "No weapons allowed," the guards had informed him. Handing over the sword, Hiei smirked inwardly. If this was their idea of security, they had no clue what they were dealing with. The katana was the least of their concerns, because the dragon sealed beneath the bandage on his arm posed a far greater threat than any sharp blade.
One of the guards seemed to have had the same thought, whispering something in Koenma's ear that Hiei understood as, "Are you sure, sir? He's dangerous." Koenma simply replied, "He's completely trustworthy."
After the search was over, they moved on and entered a room at the end of a long corridor. Inside, a high-ranking general and two officers were positioned with their backs to the door, their attention focused on a large glass window that spanned the entire wall.
The officers turned when they noticed Koenma's presence.
— Lord Koenma, we weren't expecting you today. How are you? — the eldest of them bowed in respect.
— I'm fine, thank you. I brought some friends to take a look at Pyokan. I think they might be able to help us.
Kazumi found the word "friends" odd. She certainly didn't consider herself a friend of Koenma, and based on Hiei's behavior around him, she doubted he did either. They didn't seem close, at least not in the way friends usually are.
— Oh, really? — The officer eyed Kazumi skeptically, clearly unimpressed — I don't know, sir. I think Pyokan might be a lost cause already.
— Who's Pyokan? — Hiei asked.
— Him — Koenma pointed toward the window. The general stepped aside, allowing Hiei and Kazumi to approach.
Up close, Kazumi noticed that the window was fortified with thick layers of resin, far sturdier than any ordinary glass. Through it, she could see the room they had been observing—a sealed chamber with no openings or access to sunlight. It looked like a high-security containment area.
In the center of the room was a vertical platform, heavy chains fastened to it. The cuffs at the ends bound the arms, legs, and waist of a man.
Kazumi gasped at the sight. The prisoner was massive, towering at nearly three meters tall. His skin had a reddish hue, and his body was covered in tattoos. He was incredibly muscular, though his midsection showed signs of excess weight. He sat on the floor with his head bowed, eyes closed, appearing unconscious.
— What did he do to end up here? — Hiei asked, his tone lacking any real interest.
Koenma sighed in mild frustration.
— Seriously, Hiei? What kind of thief were you? Pyokan is a legend among criminals, one of the most infamous out there. He committed the greatest crime in the last 300 years. He's practically a celebrity!
— You were a thief?! — Kazumi exclaimed, wide-eyed. — Is that why you kidnapped me?!
Hiei rolled his eyes, completely ignoring her outburst.
— Celebrities never interested me — he said flatly to Koenma — What's this "great crime"?
— He stole a highly dangerous artifact and betrayed his own people to get it. Provoked a genocide.
— What artifact?
— The Triad of Time. That's why I brought Kazumi here. I think she might be able to help us recover it.
