Chapter 116

License to kill



Kohaku and Rin stared at Mai.

"Crow youkai?" Kohaku repeated.

The girl rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Yes, crow youkai." She responded, pushing the children out of the prison chamber, snatching Kohaku's belongings. Once she closed the door, she grabbed Rin and began undressing her, while doing some explaining. "You two have to disguise yourselves as the crow demons, the two kids, you just saw. The situation is delicate and the three of us are undercover here."

Rin gasped and lifted her head, gawking at Mai with her chocolate-brown eyes.

"Three? Sesshomaru-sama is not here?" the little girl asked.

Mai sighed, putting the black clothes onto the kid's back, while Kohaku was changing in the corner.

"I'm alone here. Sesshomaru had to take care of something important." She answered quickly, according to the truth. Getting his youki back was an urgent matter. Rin looked at her solemnly, her lips slightly trembling.

"Is Sesshomaru-sama okay?" she asked with worry in her voice.

Mai forced a smile onto her lips and dressed Rin in the cloak made of feathers, similar to the one she was wearing.

"Sesshomaru is perfectly fine. When I last saw him he was alive and kicking." She reassured Rin, omitting the tiny fact, that he was temporarily weak as a human. Surely the inu-youkai wouldn't want his ward to know something so humiliating for him and Mai decided to respect him in this matter.

Besides, she didn't want to worry the kid.

However, Rin was looking uneasy.

"Mai, Sesshomaru-sama is not okay, is he? If he was all right, he wouldn't have let you come here alone." The little girl spoke, showing surprising insight.

Mai was left speechless for a moment, not expecting the child to almost discover the truth on her own. Once regained composure, she sent Rin a scolding look.

"Don't be silly, kid. There's nothing in this world that could kill that stupid dog." She muttered, hoping for her words to be true. "Besides, I wouldn't lie to you, would I?"

Rin arched her eyebrow, looking at Mai with doubt.

"You lie to Sesshomaru-sama a lot." The child pointed out.

"Hmm… you got me." Mai answered pretending to be hurt by the harsh words.
She looked at Rin critically and added the last touch – she tied the girl's hair in a boyish ponytail.

"Done." She said examining, the kid's disguise. Now only one thing was left. Mai fished out the lipstick out of her sleeve and drew fake demon markings on Rin's face. When the child's skin was adorned with the crimson lines already, the older girl did the same to Kohaku. Then she distributed the fragments of the scent-masking plant to hide the kid's human scent.

"All right, listen up." She said to the kids. "From now on you're not Rin and Kohaku, but Rin's new name is Eijiro and Kohaku's Fumihiro. Remember it well. Both of you are my sons and I am supposed to be lady Anzu, the leader of the Crow Clan and the boss of the Alliance of a Flame."

"What is the Alliance of a Flame, Mai-sama?" Kohaku interrupted her.

"The bad organization, who kidnapped you. I guess, that I'll have to tell you all."

And so Mai related to Kohaku and Rin everything in a nutshell: about the Alliance and its goal, about the devilish Machine and its purpose, her miraculous elevation to the chair of the leader, the troublesome lockdown and Naraku, who was preying on Kohaku and his jewel shard."

All of this was rather disturbing, but Kohaku seemed to be particularly worried about the Machine.

"Mai-sama," the boy addressed her, setting his hair loose from the ponytail in order to look like real Fumihiro. "We can't just leave this devilish device in the demons' hands. Even if they don't get it working now, in the future it may be a horrible danger. Someone with this Machine in his hands really could dominate all the islands and enslave both humans and youkai. We should do something about that now."

Mai furrowed her brows, getting Kohaku's point. The thing was really too dangerous just to leave it behind intact.

"You want to destroy it?" she made sure.
The boy nodded with determination gleaming in his eyes, while taking his belongings and hiding them beneath the black cloak.

"Now is the only chance. We must use the opportunity that we are here and get rid of it." The boy said.

Mai folded her arms.

"It's in the yard right now and it's heavily guarded." She informed Kohaku. "Besides, it could be difficult to destroy such a massive thing. I guess, that there must be a way, though. I suspect, that it's all in the plans."

"Where are the plans?" the boy answered with a question. Mai wrinkled her forehead.

"I'm nearly sure, that they're in Ichizo's office." She muttered.

"I'll find them and burn afterwards. All the trace of this Machine must be erased, so no one else could rebuild it later." The boy said.

Mai nodded with agreement and then something dawned on her, when she was thinking about the plans.

"Crap, the inventor." She slapped her forehead. "The fox demons hold the Machine's inventor captive. Even if we destroy the thing and the plans, he would be able to rebuild it!"

It sucked – there was a hole in their plan. Without saying anything, Kohaku reached to his belongings and fished out a little vial. He placed it in Mai's palm and closed her fingers around it.

"What is it?" the girl asked.

Kohaku looked at her solemnly.

"Poison." He answered shortly. "I'll handle the plans, but you'll have to take care of the inventor. Mai-sama."

Mai's eyes widened, as she was staring at the boy. Was he serious.

"Take care? You mean: kill him?" she uttered.

"As long as he lives, he can build a new Machine. It's cruel, but he has to die." Kohaku said, absolutely serious.

Mai felt her palms sweating.

"I can't do that!" she protested. To murder someone with cold blood was something unimaginable for her.

Kohaku sighed.

"I can sneak into the cabinet, but it would be suspicious if I went to the inventor's chambers. You'll have to do it, Mai-sama. If you don't, it will be like sentencing all the future victims of the Alliance to death!" Kohaku exclaimed, trying to convince Mai. "Anyway, me must do it before the sunrise. There isn't much time left."

Mai nodded hesitantly, hiding the vial with poison in her sleeve, and made her way towards the treasury's exit. She hated the idea, but she was aware, that it had to be done. Always others were doing the dirty job for her, so this time she would do the same for others and stain her conscience. She was afraid that she would become an evil person, before this adventure ended and hated the thought.

When she was about to open the door, Rin tugged her sleeve.

"Everything will be fine, Mai." The child said, seeing her mopping. Mai looked at Rin and smiled.

"From now on it's not 'Mai'. It's 'mother'" she reminded and the little girl nodded, flashing her usual bright smile.

Mai and the children managed to get past the security without anyone asking any questions. Then, they headed to the girl's personal rooms, where Rin stayed, while Mai explained to the demon-slayer, where her cabinet is and gave him the medallion.

Once Kohaku was on his way, Mai took a deep breath and went to perform the most difficult task – to eliminate the old grumpy youkai named Gihei. Crap, now she could add "assassin" to the list. Her parents surely were rolling in their graves right now.

The guards didn't seem surprised to see Mai at such late hour and let her in without hesitation. The girl asked one of the soldiers to bring some tea. She attempted to calm herself and stepped into the inventor's messy chamber. It was long past midnight, but the man wasn't sleeping yet – he was intensely sketching. She cleared her throat, trying to gain Gihei's attention, but he didn't react. She made a few steps ahead.

"Excuse me!" she said loudly, but this time the old turtle also ignored her.

"Good evening!" she called louder.

Gihei's head finally snapped up and he stared at her, as though now realizing her presence.

"Oh." He muttered rudely. "What do you want?"

Mai narrowed her eyes at the old man, but was set on playing polite, for she had to coax him into drinking poisoned tea. To do this, she should become friendly with the man.

"To meet you." She answered.

"You already met me. Now get lost. I don't have time for you useless bastards!" the inventor snapped.

Mai hissed from anger like a viper, when someone steps on its tail. That rude old man! She took a deep breath and approached Gihei, sitting by the table on the opposite side. She glanced at the sketches. There was something there, that suspiciously resembled a helicopter.

"So… you're building a flying machine now?" she asked in a friendly tone, trying to start the conversation somehow.

The inventor narrowed his eyes at her with suspicion, while shoving the sketches off the table, hiding it from Mai's eyes.

"How did you know? I didn't tell anyone about that yet!" he grumbled.

The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"A lucky guess." She said shortly, but Gihei was still eying her suspiciously.

"Maybe you're not that stupid like the rest of those losers." He said, folding his eyes.

Mai arched her eyebrow.

"Interesting observation, for a man, who is locked here." She retorted, making the inventor glare at her.

"And witty too. So you're someone important here?" Gihei asked, suddenly interested. Mai smiled inwardly – they started the conversation. It was good. Then, as if on her mark, the knocking on the door resounded through the room and some servant brought the tea. He placed the pot with two cups on the table and left. Mai poured the tea and discreetly took the vial out of her sleeve and uncorked it, careful not to spill the poisonous liquid.

"Can I see your newest sketches?" she asked and waited for Gihei to duck under the table to get them.

"If you insist." The old man muttered and bent to pick up the scattered pieces of paper. Mai used the opportunity and carefully poured the contents of the vial into the inventor's tea, cautious not to make too much noise. She barely managed to hide the vial, when Gihei emerged from under the table passing the sketches to her. She took them and pretended to look at them with interest, while she was waiting for the man to finally drink.

She held her breath, when the old turtle grabbed the cup, but he didn't lift it to the lips. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Could you tell me once again, who you are?" Gihei reminded her.

Mai took a sip of tea, wanting to encourage the inventor to drink his, but he was clearly waiting for her to answer.

"I am Anzu from the Crow Clan. I am the leader of the Alliance." She stated her fake identity.

"What happened to the fox? The one, who was talking too much?" the turtle asked.

"He was killed this afternoon." Mai answered, emptying her cup, but the inventor still wasn't touching his, as though he had no intention to drink it at all. He was warily observing the girl instead.

"So he has been killed… And now it's my turn to die, I presume?" Gihei looked sharply right into Mai's eyes.

The girl mentally cursed, feeling paralyzed. Shit, he found out! The youkai geezer knew, what she was about to do! Nevertheless, she tried to mask the blunder somehow. She forced herself to laugh shortly.

"You must have gotten something wrong." She said, but the turtle arched his eyebrow. "Why would the leader of the Alliance kill you? You are too important for the organization."

"Am I?" Gihei answered with a question, gazing at Mai with suspicion written all over his face.

"Maybe you fooled those idiots from the Alliance, but you can't fool old Gihei. I have no idea, how you managed to get yourself elected for the post of the leader, but I know for a fact, that you are an enemy of the Alliance."

Mai was horribly tense, as she just got exposed. If the geezer told anyone… In the meantime the inventor was continuing his mind game.

"You are wearing crow feathers, so the leader of the Crow Clan must be dead as well, presumably died before you got here and you assumed her identity. The members of the council saw each other's faces centuries ago, so it is plausible, if only someone has some acting skills and luck. But, you also killed Ichizo, what means, that you needed to use the post of the leader for some reason. What could it be?" Gihei was wondering aloud, easily guessing the events and making Mai feel like she was chatting with Hannibal Lecter.

"Not your business." She snapped at him, but the old man didn't shut up.

"Quite the opposite, for I believe, that in the cup of tea, you generously served me a while ago, is poisoned, isn't that right?" his smile grew, as he saw, that Mai didn't respond, but was glaring daggers at him. "Surely you are wondering, how I know, that you are faking being in the Alliance. It is quite simple. I've noticed something strange about you the first time you came here, but now I am sure. You see, my memory is absolute. I am able to remember the tiniest detail. Curious, what betrayed you?"

The inventor was grinning widely, why Mai's face was grimly serious.

"What?" she asked without much curiosity in her voice, but Gihei wasn't bothered by it. He pointed with his crooked finger at his temple.

"Your demon marking look a little bit different than previously." He said with satisfaction. "Not much, but enough for me to notice. Who are you truly? Who do you work for?"

"Not your damn business." Mai hissed out through her clenched teeth, nervous, that she failed so miserably, when she was so near success.

The horrible geezer Gihei smirked and took a deep breath.

"GUARDS!" he yelled.


Author Note:

Oh my... you guys posted exacly TEN comments. You know, it's kinda creepy... Anyway, I promised you something and I saw, how badly you want the next chapter so hereby I'm updating. Please keep on commenting. If it's possible to encourage you more, I'll tell you that if you post 20 comments, I'll upload two chapters...

Well, thanks for supporting me. I hope that all of you enjoy this brief moments of entertainment. It's an honor to provide fun for you. And virtual cookies.

Take care and review please. I'm anticipating your comments like a kid waiting for Christmas gifts.