Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Faux Pas ❯ Chapter 6

Faux Pas - Chapter Six

 

 

Itsuki pushed himself back from the railing, cautious of any attacks the Special Defense Team might have decided to toss his way. He hoped they were currently in such a state of confusion and disarray that he would not even drift into their thoughts.

 

Exhausted, he fell against the wall just inside the room. He raised his right hand to cup his forehead. With a detached sort of interest, he noticed his arm was shaking badly.

 

It had taken all of his energy to bring forth the Uraotoko. At first, he had been worried about the previous damage done to the demon. Who really knew the extent of its injuries? Still, he reasoned, if he were dead the Uraotoko would be dead too. What happened to one happened to the other. After all, their shared pain and injuries were what led to Itsuki's initial downfall at the hands of Kuwabara and his dimensional sword. Unlike his six-armed demon, the Uraotoko was joined to him, could even be considered a part of him.

 

The summoning had been difficult. In his current state, Itsuki found it tremendously hard to focus his energy to call the demon. Eventually, his plea had gotten through. Slowly, the vaguely human outline had begun to form under the balcony. The members of the Special Defense Team had been too preoccupied with their conversation to notice.

 

Eyes had blinked into existence and focused on their counterpart. Itsuki had let out a tired smile and nodded to the creature in greeting. He had conveyed through his mind what he wished to do. Feeding the demon the last of his energy, it had begun to grow.

 

The room had been subjected to tremors as the structural supports of the building were shaken. Itsuki had not needed to look over the edge of the balcony to know that the entirety of the building now rested upon pale pink lips. At any moment, they could open and swallow the building into oblivion.

 

His task completed temporarily, he took a series of deep breaths. The shaking was beginning to subside though the fatigue still weighed heavily upon him.

 

Outside, he could hear the Special Defense Team members attacking the Uraotoko. Of course, it would do them no good. The creature could not be harmed directly from the outside. No, it's other half would have to be targeted, and targeted from the inside. Unless someone flew through the balcony doors and decapitated him, Itsuki figured there was a very small chance the Uraotoko would withstand any damage. Let them shoot at the creature all day, if that would make them happy. He could feel the shadow demon's own amusement at the situation pressing in on the back of his mind. In response he gave a small mental smile.

 

At least someone was enjoying itself.

 

Angry shouting drifted in from behind the closed door. So, Koenma had already figured it out, had he? Good. That made his job a little easier. He could get this over with quickly, and perhaps bargain for Shinobu's soul before the man had a chance to really gather what was happening. Or so he hoped.

 

There was a loud crash as the door flew open, banging into the wall and chipping the material. Koenma entered, fists clenched, flanked by two members of the Special Defense Team. The demi-god's eyes were narrowed in anger.

 

“What do you think you're doing?” Koenma asked quietly, while briskly striding closer.

 

“Bargaining,” Itsuki muttered. He could not be bothered to lift his head any further. It would take too much effort.

 

“Bargaining,” Koenma repeated, in a state of disbelief. “You can't be serious. You are in no position to be bargaining for anything.”

 

The world blurred at the edges and his golden eye blinked slowly, forcing the room back into focus. Maybe Koenma was right. Physically he did not have the strength to do anything, but that was no longer necessary due to the entrance of the Uraotoko.

 

“I beg to differ… little death. I am in the perfect position to bargain, for I have nothing left to lose. Though you may find yourself in quite a humiliating situation if I do not get my way.”

 

Koenma's face contorted slightly as the words washed over him. His normally fair coloring took on a distinctly reddish tinge and Itsuki could not help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at upsetting the other man so. It was no less than he deserved for interfering where he was not wanted.

 

“Itsuki… there's no reason to do this.” Koenma's voice was strained. “All you're doing is making this harder on yourself. If you had cooperated with me in the beginning, then-“

 

“I would not cooperate with anyone who deems to go against Shinobu's wishes. You must realize this by now.”

 

“I understand how you feel but this isn't the way to deal with it!” Koenma protested.

 

“You understand nothing,” Itsuki hissed. “You were isolated here, cut off and ignorant of the internal torment Shinobu was going through; torment that you yourself are the initiator of. You were not the one who stood beside him, watching his downfall, being helpless to stop it or prevent it. You were not the one who would do anything for him, even if that meant allowing him to die, for the simple reason that it was his wish. You were not the one who made him a promise, only to have it compromised by a man who is unwilling to accept how the story played out. It has already ended, so let it end as it should, not as how you would envision it!” By the last sentence, his voice had risen to nearly a shout and his breathing was coming in uneven gasps. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to regain his composure. He had a task to accomplish, and above all else, he had to remain focused.

 

Koenma seemed to have no good reply to that. His mouth worked but no words emerged. The larger of the two Special Defense Team members spoke up.

 

“We can take him directly to the Gates of Hell, Lord Koenma. I'm sure this one exception of the rules can be easily dealt with at a later time.”

 

Both members had already started forward before any reply could be made. However, it was Itsuki rather than Koenma to address them first.

 

“If you touch me, you will spend eternity in your own private hell,” Itsuki stated calmly.

 

“Quiet, demon,” the shorter man snapped. “What could you possibly do? You aren't even an S class, and yet you dare try to challenge us?” As he reached out to grab Itsuki, the room shook once more.

 

“Do not test me,” Itsuki whispered. The man's hand stopped, hovering hesitantly before his shoulder. The demon paid it no heed. He slowly raised his head the barest of inches and observed Koenma. His eyes had grown hard, and Itsuki could see that underlying them was a sense of calculated understanding.

 

Good.

 

“Stand down!” Koenma barked. A range of emotions played across his face as the two men reluctantly stepped back. Humiliation, anger, defeat. Finally, a large scowl settled over his face like a dropped curtain.

 

“What did you do?” Koenma asked.

 

“Look out the balcony,” Itsuki replied, tiredly.

 

Tearing his gaze away, Koenma walked past Itsuki's slumped form. The exhausted demon did not bother to track his progress; he could tell when Koenma saw the Uraotoko by the sudden curse.

 

The demi-god returned to his line of vision. Whatever the junior lord of hell was feeling was now carefully concealed. His jaw was set, but that was the only outward sign that anything was wrong. It did not take a genius to figure out he was nearing the end of his rope, however.

 

It really was too bad Itsuki was already dead… Otherwise, he would have suspected his death to be imminent.

 

“What do you want?” Deadpan, straight to the point.

 

“I want my pet returned safely to the Demon World. I can get it back without any casualties. It will listen to me.” Koenma gave a little snort. It was also possible that the sound was mocking him, of his inability to leave the Spirit World and accomplish the task in the first place.

 

“I also want Shinobu. I want him brought to me so I can return him to the void. I warned you not to interfere with him.”

 

Itsuki noticed the small tremor that traveled through Koenma's fist. He wondered vaguely if this would be the final undoing to his anger. If the idea crossed Koenma's mind, he managed to repress it. Instead, the demi-god merely sighed.

 

“What if he doesn't turn up? What if he never even left the void? Will you hold this place and it's residents hostage for all eternity, for something that can never be attained?”

 

“If that is what it takes to keep him from you,” Itsuki replied. “If he is out there, I have no doubt you will find him. You would do anything to absolve yourself, no matter how many strings you must pull.”

 

Koenma turned to the members of the Special Defense Team, who had remained quiet if not fidgety during the exchange. “Leave.” They hesitated but a heartbeat and Koenma raised his voice. “I said to leave. Now!” To think, so long ago, these men had gone against Koenma's orders and even dared to strike him. To do so would be unthinkable now; there was no doubt that Koenma had grown some resemblance of a spine. Still, Itsuki mused as the men hurriedly left the room, he was a child at heart. Only a child could cling so desperately to something that had no hope of being realized. That had not changed.

 

Koenma's attention returned to Itsuki. “You understand that what you've just done is directly threatening the Spirit World itself. Do you have any idea of the type of punishment that comes along with such an offense?”

 

“I am aware of what I am doing,” Itsuki told him. “You can do to me what you see fit as soon as Shinobu is returned to where he belongs.” Koenma's jaw clenched tighter and Itsuki wondered if it was possible to snap it by the sheer force of teeth on teeth. It would be an interesting thing to see.

 

“The inner circle of Hell is a horrible place. You can't even begin to understand. Stop this madness now, while there's still time.”

 

Itsuki closed his eye briefly. No doubt he really could not understand the horrors Hell had to offer. But he would not give in. Not until Shinobu's soul was at peace.

 

“I will not.”

 

“Then you will regret this,” Koenma whispered, reaching into his robes. When he withdrew his hand, a slender compact was clenched tightly inside his fist. “I promise you that.”

 

Koenma's words were clear and resolute. In that moment, Itsuki knew he spoke the truth.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately, Ayame had had the pleasure of being around during the whole Sensui incident and was therefore the most obvious candidate for a secret retrieval mission. She had never met the man personally, though she distinctly remembered Kuroko talking about him. The young woman had been disturbed after her brief encounter with the other detective and had confided to the ferrygirl.

 

“There's something about his eyes.” Kuroko had been sitting on her bed running a hand through her short hair, working out the twigs that had been caught in it during the evening's assignment

 

“What do you mean?” Ayame had asked. Rarely did things disturb the female spirit detective enough for her to discuss it openly with her guide.

 

“There's just something in them… like he's a natural born killer. It's as though he has never felt an ounce of regret for any of the lives he has taken. The way he moves… it's predatory.”

 

He had turned out to be a predator, hadn't he? Killing all those demons and then switching his target to humans. The sheer lunacy of it made her glad she was dead. It did not make for looking forward to fetching Sensui, however.

 

That worry had been temporarily shoved to the back of her mind. She had bigger things to deal with.

 

Ayame was in a world full of trouble. Though she had been working for the Spirit World the longest out of the ferrygirls, her forte was in researching or assisting the detectives and Koenma. Physical combat was not one of her strong points. She might have had significant experience in the department of fights, but she was not used to being a part of them directly.

 

Still, she was going to need everything she had learned in the past.

 

Now, what had started out as a somewhat out of the ordinary retrieval mission for Koenma had turned into a close encounter of the violent kind. She had been en route to Sensui's last known position when she noticed the commotion in the city below. Normally, once she had a set mission she would not be deterred by anything. However, the strong presence of spiritual energy had led her to believe there was a demon down there. A nasty one by the sound of it.

 

The stars were at the brink of fading as dawn approached. It might be close, but Ayame had been fairly confident she could locate the demon before the city began the start of its day. Taking care of it would be another matter entirely.

 

Her oar dropped below the tops of the buildings and she spun towards the noise. It was coming from the opposite side of the street, somewhere below her. As the dimming moonlight sprinkled the area with light, she caught sight of pale arms smashing into the side of a rather dilapidated building.

 

Ayame was taken aback. It was like no other demon she had ever seen. No face or body existed, just arms. Despite the lack of any sensory inputs, it rotated itself towards her. It knew she was there.

 

Before she could react, the air shimmered and it disappeared. Its spiritual energy remained.

 

Blue eyes traced the air for her hidden opponent. Now that she was lower, she could see other various sites of destruction. In places the road jettisoned up from deep cracks, looking like some strange rock formation formed as a result of an earthquake. For all she knew, that may have been close to the truth; maybe the demon was capable of physically manipulating the ground. The brick walls of an alleyway had been pulverized; all that remained were an assorted collection of broken stones. The demon was dangerous, all right.

 

Above her came the sudden whoosh of air and she was engulfed by a rapidly expanding shadow.. She looked up just in time to see the large slab of what had been part of a building descend towards her.

 

* * *

 

Sensui pushed himself up from the desk and swayed dangerously as another tremor rocked the room. It subsided and he cautiously loosened his grip on the polished wood. His mind was racing.

 

Noble, savage, old friend, old enemy, hell, peace, scapegoat, limbo, earthquake.

 

What was going on?

 

Koenma had told him to stay put. He was tired of running; he would not try to escape. Still, something strange was happening. He walked towards the balcony doors and looked outside.

 

At first, all he could see was the pale yellow expanse that trailed off and disappeared past the horizon. He noted there was something just a tad off. Everything seemed... darker. The Spirit World was not subjected to the fluctuations of night and day like the other two worlds, so why the sudden darkness? The clouds were relatively scarce and by no means capable of causing such a shadow. He focused harder.

 

There, a patch of light. He frowned in concentration and studied the

(eye)

strange formation. The outer circle of it shifted and it blinked.

 

His breath caught in his throat. He scanned the ground and noted the other eye some distance away. Both pale irises stared unseeingly up at the sky. Just barely, he made out the outline of the human shaped head and shoulders. The creature was distinguishable as only one thing.

 

The Uraotoko? But that would mean…

 

Itsuki is here. Itsuki is here.

 

Sensui turned to stare at the door. Had Koenma known? He berated himself for not asking about Itsuki while he had the chance. The demon had been far from his mind during the conversation, so focused was he on himself and his own dilemma. He had assumed Itsuki was safely stowed away in the void.

 

Perhaps he had been wrong.

 

The former spirit detective wasted no more time. He ran to the door. If Itsuki were there, he needed to find him.

 

* * *

 

There was no time to dodge. Ayame closed her eyes and focused all of her spiritual energy. A slight displacement of air and matter later, she had fazed right through the hurling projectile.

 

There was a large crash as the slab of building careened into the road. Dust rose in a cloud, blanketing the deformed asphalt.

 

Ayame's chest rose and fell rapidly as her heart pounded. A shiver coursed through her body as she realized just how very close that had been. At the same time, her inner voice was screaming at her to focus; if she was going to have any chance of defeating this demon she needed to be on her guard at all times.

 

The arms resided about thirty feet above her, writhing angrily in the air. The fists opened and clenched, and she envisioned those muscular hands closing around her body, squeezing, crushing, twisting…

 

Focus, her brain reminded.

 

She focused all right. Focused right on the arms as they swooped down, straight at her head. Raising her spiritual energy, the oar lunged forward moving her out of harms way. The disembodied arms crashed harmlessly into the wall. Harmless if one did not count the complete destruction of the buildings structural supports.

 

Ayame may have had the advantage of defense in the air, but for how long? She could not continue dodging forever. Her only chance was to lead the demon away from the city or to take the fight to ground level. At least there she would have some semblance of a chance. If it came down to it, she would need to switch to offensive maneuvers. In her current position, it would be difficult. The demon needed to be handled, and it needed to be handled fast. Already, the sky was beginning to lighten.

 

Her sleek black ponytail flipped in the air as she dodged another attack. The fight needed to be taken to the ground, away from the soon-to-be-busy city sector. Someone else would have to worry about covering up the path of destruction; her only concern was the humans that could potentially be harmed. With that in mind, she tilted her oar into a steep dive. The ferrygirl flew down the deserted street, glancing over her shoulder in hopes the demon was following her.

 

It was. Alarmingly fast.

 

Ayame smiled grimly. Now, if she could just lead it into the suburbs, she should be fine.

 

A small beeping sound emitted from the pocket of her robe. She was so startled she nearly flipped out of control. One hand clenched tightly around the oar shaft and the other searched her pocket for the compact communicator. With fingers trembling from the effort of going breakneck speeds one handedly she flipped it open.

 

“Ayame,” Koenma's voice resonated from the device and he stared at her from the screen. Even with her attention distracted by her current situation, she could tell he was angry. She had been his friend for over a millennium. She had not spent all that time with him and not picked up on how to read his body language.

 

“There's been a slight change of plans. I need to you to retrieve a demon,” he continued, oblivious to the demon chasing her. Ayame dodged her oar around a sharp corner and heard the demon plough through a street lamp that had innocently been occupying said corner. Koenma frowned at the sound. “What's going on?”

 

“I'm a bit busy,” she panted. Her eyes darted to the side, spotting the demon gaining fast. She upped her spiritual power slightly. She would be lucky if the drain did not knock her out.

 

“Define busy,” Koenma demanded.

 

Before she could reply, her oar jerked to a halt. Ayame spun wildly as one set of arms grabbed the tail end of the oar, intending to drag it backwards, and her along with it. Without thinking, she dislodged herself and dropped the fifteen feet to the ground. Fazing was out of the question. Her blue eyes clenched shut in preparation for the impact.

 

As she hit the pavement, the compact flew from her hand. She could hear Koenma's concerned shout but it was distant to her ears. A fiery agony exploded in her back and she arched upwards in pain. Her mouth opened in a silent cry but Ayame did not scream. Her black hair tumbled free from its bind and spread about her head in a dark halo. She was still.

 

For few moments, there was hardly a sound. Only the distant noise of the monorail, continuing it's lonely trek along the ancient track, broke the still quiet of early morning. Then, it was shattered.

 

Shrapnel from her broken oar fell around her unmoving frame. Slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes drifted open.

 

Above her, the arms waved. Pale fists clenched and unclenched. Clenched, unclenched. Abruptly, they headed for a telephone pole.

 

Ayame's eyes widened and she forced herself into a sitting position. There was another burst of pain in her back but she ignored it, scrambling to her feet. The stars were completely gone now; there was not much time left.

 

As the demon struggled to dislodge the pole from its cement casing, she rushed to the compact. Koenma's golden brown eyes were wide as she came into view and his mouth froze in the act of yelling her name.

 

“Are you alright? What's happening?”

 

A quick glance at the demon told her she had enough time to relay her situation. It was quite preoccupied with its potential weapon. Still… Ayame started down the street at as fast a run as she could manage, talking as she went.

 

“I ran into a bit of trouble while looking for Sensui,” she said wryly. There was an understatement, she thought to herself. “There's a demon here in the city. If it stays much longer, it will level both the buildings and the people.”

 

Koenma's lips drew back and there was a sudden darkening in his eyes. She was startled. Even in all her years working for him, she had never seen such an expression displayed so openly on his face. Of course she had seen him angry before… but this was somehow deeper. Darker. Could it be the Sensui situation?

 

“Only confused…” he murmured quietly. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. The demi-god's attention snapped back to her. “Jorge should have dispatched my detective; he should be on his way to help. Will you be alright until then?”

 

“I hope so.” Ayame had turned a corner but the tearing noise of the cement as it finally gave alerted her to the fact she would soon have company.

 

“I need you to do something for me, Ayame.” The hesitancy mixed with urgency in his voice made her pause. “The demon needs to be detained unharmed. I need it returned to the Demon World.”

 

“Wha-” A loud crash from behind her. Didn't that thing ever give up?

 

The pole whizzed over her head and she ducked, shielding herself with her arms. How was she suppose to detain the thing when it still had the aerial advantage? Add to that it was seemingly out for blood and she had herself a pretty difficult situation. Not to say it wasn't difficult to begin with.

 

The demon came at her and Ayame stiffened. Though she may not have been strong or particularly skilled in fighting, she could only take so much. She had had enough.

 

Quickly ripping a slit up the leg of her robe for better mobility, Ayame ran forward to meet the arms. Before they could grasp her she jumped, ignoring Koenma's startled shout, launching a kick at the area where the torso should have been. Her foot met with what felt like solid

(air)

flesh and the arms jerked. Not giving it the chance to overcome its temporary surprise, she used her momentum to throw her other leg forward and connect with its invisible side. The arms shivered and she dropped back to the pavement.

 

Unfortunately, other than the few seconds of surprise, the kicks seemed to have little effect. The demon advanced once more. This time, she did not react fast enough; her neck was clasped between two of the strong hands.

 

Panic encompassed her as she was lifted off the ground. Ayame struggled, kicking at the air between the arms as she groped one handedly at her neck. She could feel her eyes beginning to bulge from the pressure and her lungs beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen.

 

“Stop!” an unfamiliar voice called out. The arms stiffened. Ayame looked around through the haze that had settled over her vision and her eyes rested on the compact. Throughout everything, she had managed to maintain her grasp and it was still clenched in her hand. Koenma was gone, replaced by a pale, green haired man. His golden eye darted towards her, then back to the demon. “Enough,” he stated calmly.

 

Abruptly, the demon released her and snatched at the compact. Ayame tumbled backwards in surprise, gasping. Air! Taking in a deep mouthful of precious oxygen, she scrambled backwards in a crabwalk. She could only stare as one of the strangest things she had ever witnessed took place before her.

 

The man's low, soft voice drifted out from the compact and the demon stilled. It cradled the compact gently, seeming to listen raptly. This continued for a few minutes until the demon lowered itself to her level. Ayame could not help but flinch as it placed the compact gently in her open palm. Her attention was caught once again by the strange man, even as she kept half an eye on the demon.

 

“It will go with you now,” the man said. He gave her a forced smile. “I am sorry that had to happen. Please do not hold anything against it, it was simply frightened.” At a loss for what else to do, Ayame nodded. “Please, return it to its world safely.”

 

Koenma replaced the man. His eyes narrowed as his gaze settled on her neck. The skin was tender and she assumed that the harsh treatment had left bruises. Not that she was complaining; she was happy to have gotten away as unscathed as she was. “Are you alright?” She gave a small nod in confirmation. Koenma let out a relieved sigh.

 

“Can you do that? Can you do what he asked?” Once again she nodded. The junior lord of hell's face softened. “Be careful, Ayame. I'll contact you later.” He disappeared. She flipped the compact closed.

 

The arms floated up and down in front of her, waiting. She licked her lips. “Well, now.”

 

A loud crunch from behind her interrupted the awkward silence. Both her and the demon whirled, coming face to face (or arm to face) with a grinning black haired teen. He smiled sheepishly, putting his hand on the back of his head and laughing.

 

“Caught the last of your little conversation; I guess I'm a bit late! Sorry about that.”

 

* * *

 

Koenma closed the compact with a snap and slipped it back into his pocket. His fingers trembled. It had something to do with the direction his thoughts were headed. Something to do with how the panic was slowly, too slowly, abating. With the way his heart was still racing. With what had almost happened.

 

Up until the moment he had seen the bruises on Ayame's neck, he had truly believed they would be able to work things out. To talk things over. He had thought he could give Itsuki the benefit of the doubt for the simple reason that he was Sensui's partner. Despite what the demon had said, and despite what he had been clear on doing. Because there always had to be another way.

 

And there before him, visible through the small glass compact, had been the unquestionable evidence Itsuki was Sensui's partner and worked for his interests alone. No matter what the cost, no matter what the risk, no matter what the consequences.

 

Koenma's stomach dropped as the realization fully sunk in. There would be no reasoning with the demon. Now, the time for talking was over.

 

He felt another emotion bubbling just below the surface. It took a moment to realize what it was.

 

Rage.

 

He had never been so angry or frustrated in all his long life. Because, in so many years, he had never once felt so helpless. And, in so many long years, he had never had to witness Ayame being harmed, while he stood and watched, a world away, incapable of helping.

 

Anger was drowning out his common sense.

 

Whatever pain Ayame had felt…

 

Whatever fear she had experienced…

 

All for the sake of something that had nothing to do with her, or anyone save for a deceased, former spirit detective…

 

That was something he simply could not forgive.

 

His fingers had ceased their trembling and were now curling into a fist. He turned so that he was facing Itsuki, who was once again leaning against the wall. Seemingly lounging against it, unconcerned, as things went to hell around them. He knew that couldn't be entirely true. The demon had to have been feeling some strain from summoning the Uraotoko.

 

The large shadow demon's presence was yet another reminder of just how unreasonable Itsuki had become. Not only was he willing to put the lives of innocent humans at risk with his six armed demon, but he was willing to put the whole of the Spirit World in jeopardy as well. Innocent workers, oblivious bystanders, harmless ferrygirls.

 

“How dare you…” Koenma gritted out.

 

Itsuki merely looked at him impassively. That only managed to increase his anger.

 

“You don't even care, do you? You don't care who you put at risk. You don't care what it takes. It doesn't even matter to you! You just don't care.”

 

“I care only for Shinobu,” was the demon's reply.

 

The sound Koenma's fist made when striking Itsuki's jaw was surprisingly satisfying. The demon's head snapped to the side, his green hair falling in a curtain around his face, shadowing any reactions from view. The room shuddered briefly in response.

 

The junior lord of hell rubbed his knuckles, trying to erase the dull ache that had settled in his hand. He looked at the reddened skin, almost disbelieving. He had just…

 

He did not regret it.

 

“You say I'm the selfish one,” he began, voice dripping with distain. “Then what would you call what you're trying to do? You claim it's in Sensui's best interest, for his good and his alone. It's what he would have wanted. I think it's more for you and what you want. You just can't let go. So you use force, you senselessly endanger others when there's no reason, when there's no logic, when there's nothing to warrant this. I would have made sure that he was satisfied, I would have seen to it that he did get what he wanted, but you couldn't stand that either, could you?” He was shouting now, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down. It didn't once cross his mind that the Uraotoko was still beneath the building, and could at any time swallow everything merely on it's master's whim. That was all far away and unimportant.

 

“Because it can only be you who is allowed to care for him. In your mind, you're the only one capable. Well by doing this, you're not helping. All you're doing is guaranteeing yourself a charge of treason against the Spirit World. How do you think spending an eternity in Hell is going to help him? Do you think that's what he would want?”

 

For a few moments, the demon made no move. Then, slowly, he raised his head. A dark bruise was already forming on the left side of his face, standing out clearly against the pale flesh. The golden eye was narrowed dangerously, radiating defiance.

 

“Do not misunderstand me. Shinobu's happiness is, and what has always been, the only thing that matters. I do this for him and no one else. You cannot offer him what I can. All you have ever offered is judgment. Even if that judgment is positive, it is not what he wanted. Shinobu turned against the very act itself when he turned his back on you and all that you stood for. Judgment is your purpose, and therefore you are incapable of offering Shinobu anything. I know what he wants. I know what he needs. I can provide that. It is unimportant what happens to me in the end.”

 

Koenma opened his mouth to tell Itsuki that he had already made his offer to Sensui. There was no longer any reason to play ignorant of Sensui's true whereabouts. He had witnessed all he needed of the demon's true motives and intensions.

 

Alas, fate was still working against him.

 

Protests were shouted from outside the room and Koenma had a sinking feeling in his stomach. His fears were confirmed as the door was shoved inwards, revealing Sensui.