Akira

12. Feral Instincts

Kokushibo sat peacefully gazing up at the moon. He felt a sense of tranquility as he watched the moon, its silvery light bathing him in its radiance. His thoughts drifted to Akira, and he wondered what she was doing, what she was thinking about. He could not explain the connection he felt to her, the pull he felt towards her. But he knew it was strong, and he could not ignore it.

The thought of Muzan knowing about his feelings for Akira made him feel a sense of vulnerability, a feeling he was not used to. He wondered if the demon lord would see this as a weakness, and he felt a surge of protectiveness towards Akira. He would not allow anyone to harm her, not even his own master.

He knew he wasn't meant to have such thoughts but he couldn't help it.

It was as if his feelings for Akira had opened a door within him, a door that he had kept locked for centuries. A part of him was afraid of what lay behind that door, of what he might find there. But another part of him was curious, curious to see what might happen if he allowed himself to feel something other than cold detachment.

He wasn't used to not sensing her presence. He supposed it was due to whatever mechanism the Ubuyashiki family used to hide from the demons.

Kokushibo could not deny that he missed the connection he felt with Akira, the feeling of closeness and understanding that they shared. It was something he had never experienced before, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. A part of him wanted to run from it, to shut it out and go back to the way things were before. But another part of him wanted to embrace it, to see where it would lead him.

He frowned when he suddenly sensed a weak demonic presence linger around the last place he had sensed her.

His eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he felt a surge of protectiveness course through him. Whoever this demon was, they were close to Akira, and that made him uneasy. He could not allow anyone to threaten her safety, and he prepared to hunt down the demon responsible.

As he moved through the darkness, his only thought was of finding the demon and destroying them.

The demon didn't even sense his presence but he found it sniffing at a familiar pair of shoes.

A scowl crossed Kokushibo's face as he recognized the shoes as Akira's. The demon had been sniffing at them, and he could feel the rage building inside him. He felt an overwhelming urge to kill, to destroy the creature that had dared to violate something so personal. In a blur of movement, he was upon the demon, his sword already drawn and poised to strike.

He struck down the demon before it could react. Of course given demons couldn't exactly kill each other, he proceeded to decapitate the creature before it could regenerate.

Letting out a sigh, he sheathed his sword and relaxed for a few moments before he sensed the presence of another demon approaching him.

He narrowed his eyes in annoyance when he realized who that demon was.

"Hey now, that is quite the pent up rage, Lord Kokushibo." He heard a familiar voice say.

Turning he saw his fellow Upper Rank, Upper moon Two Douma appear next to him.

"Douma." Kokushibo said, his voice low and dangerous.

He did not like the way the other demon had appeared out of nowhere, as if he had been spying on him.

"What do you want?" He asked, his tone full of suspicion.

Douma only smiled his eerie, empty smile, and it only served to increase Kokushibo's unease.

"Oh I was just passing by on my way to a mission." Douma replied with a giggle. "But my,my, I never knew you could be quite - expressive - Lord Kokushibo."

Kokushibo narrowed his eyes at the rainbow eyed demon, resisting the obvious bait that was being thrown at him.

"I heard there was a demon who was to tell me all the information I needed on that mission. Such a pity you've killed the poor thing." Douma continued.

"You will get your information in due time, Douma." Kokushibo said, his tone sharp. "But for now, I suggest you mind your own business." He added, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Douma simply shrugged, his expression neutral.

"As you wish, my dear fellow Upper Rank." He said, bowing slightly. "I shall take my leave."

And with that, he vanished into the darkness. Kokushibo did not like this. He knew it wasn't a coincidence that the other Upper Rank had appeared. He knew one thing with a certainty, he would not hesitate to kill Douma if he so much as touched Akira.

As he thought about Akira, he felt his heart soften. He did not know what it was about her that affected him so deeply, but he could not deny that she had changed him in some way. It was as if she had opened a part of his soul that he had kept closed off for so long. It was as if she had brought light into his darkness, and he found himself feeling something he had not felt in a very long time. It was the closest thing to happiness he had ever known.

Meanwhile, as Douma returned to his Paradise Cult Faith, he could not help the wicked grin that spread across his face.

"Oh my, what an interesting turn of events." He mused, his expression filled with mischief. "Our dear Upper Rank One is smitten, and it's all thanks to that woman." He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "This will be a very fun game indeed." He thought, his mind already racing with possibilities.

He had no doubt now. Whoever this woman was, he knew he had to have her.

"Oh what kind of beauty must she be for Master Muzan and Lord Kokushibo to both be smitten by her." He said gleefully.

"Who knows, maybe she might become a new addition to my collection of beautiful toys." He thought as he giggled wickedly.

The thought of Akira as one of his beautiful dolls sent a thrill through him, and he could not help but imagine all the possibilities. He wondered what kind of expression she would make if she were trapped in his ice, frozen in time and at his mercy. He could already picture the look of fear and horror on her face, and it delighted him to no end. He could not wait to make his plans a reality.

Until then, he would have to be content with the now bland females that his cult head to offer. They weren't worth his time when he had learnt of an even more remarkable woman but for tonight they would have to do.