The old manor is dark, illuminated by the various spider webs spun into makeshift chandeliers and candles. Naraku leans back on the mountain of plush pillows, opting to reminisce of a time long past than to partake in these couches. He enjoys being lower to the ground—an oddity considering his spider-like tendencies. But low was good. It gives his opponents a fake sense of security that he is one of them, or at the very least, weaker than he appears. His purple haori hangs loose. The sake on his breath is about as strong as a newborn spiderling, but he slurs his mannerisms all the same.

"Is that all you do? Drink your days away?" Mahito asks, stepping under the spiderwebs. His mismatched eyes shine with mischief and a desire for more.

"Did you get the scroll?" Naraku raises the cup to his lips, his arm folded across his knee. Mahito pulls a scroll out from his pocket—smaller than what he was expecting, and tosses it to Naraku's feet. "So, this is all the information they had?" He doesn't pick it up, instead rolls it around with his foot. The magic radiating off of it is ancient, and he'll need more time to devise how to break it. Naraku rolls his head from side to side as he sets his cup down next to the bottle.

"Where are they?" Geto walks into the room behind Mahito. Stays in the shadows, away from the spiderwebs.

"Here." He waves a hand. The webs blow, swinging back and forth. There's a man—a young one, quite plain looking, even by human standards. His mouth sewn shut from the silk of Naraku's spiderling. To the right, there's another man—bigger than the last. His eyes hazed over, covered in white. There's a horn coming out from one half of his skull, the other half is smooth—not even an indention or scar. Both men are weak. Naraku smirks at the last man. His face is fixed in a permanent smile, with two spiders holding his mouth in place. His yellow eyes flicker with each swish of the web chandelier, his tail twitches with pent up anger. "One human, a half-breed, and a demon." Naraku shifts on the pillows, runs a hand through his long black hair.

"Huh? I thought any human would do," Mahito says, taking a step forward. His focus on the would be vessels.

"Any would do," Geto says, answering Mahito, but Naraku rolls his eyes at the indirect question to him.

What a shame that Mahito let it slip to this curse user of their interaction. Was it his ultimate desire to see Sukuna's rebirth that overrode his hunger for power? Loyalty- such a fleeting concept.

"A small experiment."

"You think the strength of the vessel matters?" Geto tilts his head, assesses. A chill runs through Naraku's veins, but he hardens it, throws the fear away as quickly as he discards those that disobey him. Those that hesitate, those that allow emotions to rule them, only end up dying before they reach their true desires. He's made that mistake once before.

"Have you ever used a demon?"

"They're pretty scarce."

"That so?"

"Tell me—this Shikon Jewel."

"Not much to tell, if we cannot get this scroll open." Naraku kicks it to his other foot, passes the scroll back and forth.

"Why ask for it, then?"

"The demon vessel will be the stronger of these cursed paintings. What are you willing to bet?" Naraku picks up his cup again, pulls a hefty dose of sake.

"Of course, you'd turn out to be a drunk," Mahito chimes in, pulling out one of the frozen fetuses. He cuts through the web, forces the man to swallow. He repeats this for the next two, though the demon nearly takes his fingers off.

"I have heard rumors that no one can control the Shikon jewel except for the Shikon priestess."

"So you have heard of the jewel."

"The woman, linked to Satoru Gojo. Her soul burned." Mahito turns from the newly made vessels. Their bodies jerk and seize from the out-pour of tiny spiders crawling out of their orifices. "Got to say, the spiders are creepier than Jogo trying to appease Hanami."

"If she really is this Shikon priestess, then that is not a landmine we need to set off at the moment."

"Still planning your Halloween chaos."

"Taking Satoru Gojo out of the equation is of the utmost priority."

Naraku grabs the bottle, takes a large drink from it. Wipes the excess liquid that drips down his face with the back of his hand. That Satoru Gojo is a problem—he's too strong, allowing Sukuna free rein is just as annoying. "Demons don't care too much for curses."

"And yet, you work with them."

"And yet we do." Naraku bobs his head, turns to look back at Geto. A spiderling crawls along his shoulder, another crawls on the ceiling – spinning a beautiful web. He wonders what kind of pattern it will spin. Simple? Or maybe an intricate one where you cannot tell the ending from the beginning. "It would behoove you to factor them into the equation."

"Their sudden appearance could work in our favor," Mahito says.

"No one would suspect an actual demon on Halloween."

"What is it you need?" Geto crosses his arms, flashes a charming smile.

"Not much. What everyone wants. Power." Naraku gestures to Mahito. "We need half-breeds. The demon was hard enough to come by, but the half-demons are easy." He also needs Kagome on his side, but ah – Geto can't make that happen.

"You want me to round some up? Find some more cursed objects for them?"

Naraku chuckles. "No. I want you to use idle transfiguration on them. Turn them into full demons."

"The demons will not help us, but their half-demon children will in exchange for becoming full-fledged demons." Geto eyes the spiderling crawling up his legs.

"This isn't about exchange. You want chaos? Force the change on them." Naraku smiles. His spiderling casts an intricate pattern. It falls down on top of Geto's head. The webs stick to the stitches along his forehead.

Geto slaps the spiderling away, rips the web to shreds. He dusts his hands on his kimono. "Let's go Mahito. I trust that you will let us know when those three awaken?"

"Of course." Naraku raises the bottle and scroll, toasts it to the air. "You can always count on me."


A/N: Sorry this chapter is shorter. Running on fumes this week. Thank you everyone for sticking with this story :) I appreciate every single one of you.