There were 2 timeskips in this part. 1: — 3 years after the previous chapter. 2: — another 3 years after the first part of the current chapter. i.e. 6 years after the previous chapter.
Kiyoshi woke up because of the sunbeam that was shining right into his eyes. Looking at the clock, he decided to make breakfast. Before leaving the bed, the guy gently kissed his wife.
— Mmm... — as soon as she felt the touch of lips on her cheek, the girl opened her golden eyes. — Is it morning already?
— Yes. You can lie down for a while while I make us something to eat.
— Yeah, okay — Kuroka muttered sleepily, wrapping herself in a blanket.
The young man only smiled at her action and went to the kitchen. While preparing a simple breakfast, Zankoku thought about his plans.
Three years had already passed since the awakening of his mechanism. During this time, he was able to master the Incinerating Hymn, and now the holy power no longer harms him. In addition to his mechanism, his training in magic has made great progress, especially spatial magic. In senjutsu, his talent was mediocre. Only through hard work was Kiyoshi able to achieve any results.
During this time, his relationship with Kuroka only deepened, and a year ago they got married. After the wedding, the nekoshou, along with her sister, moved to live in Kiyoshi's personal house, which he acquired after he became the head of Hyakki Yakou. With Zankoku at the helm, the yakuza was able to strengthen and take over all the illegal business not only in Kyoto, but neighboring cities were no exception.
Today, the half-demon is supposed to meet with Yasaka about their future plans.
— Good morning, — the blond greeted Shirone and placed a plate of food in front of her.
Nekomata only nodded to him and began to eat her breakfast. A few minutes later, Kuroka entered the room, yawning.
— Good morning everyone, nya, — the brunette kissed her husband and sat down at the table.
— That's all. Thank you for the food, — Shirone quickly left the kitchen, pushing back her chair.
— It's been like this for two months now, — the young man sighed tiredly, already accustomed to this.
— It can't be helped, — Kuroka just shrugged. — My sister is currently going through her first mating season. That's why she's too emotional.
— It all started after she found out about your pregnancy.
— Yeah, — smiling, the nekoshou unconsciously stroked her still flat stomach. — You know yourself that Shirone has feelings for you. You don't need to ignore her.
— But she's like a sister to me, — Zankoku objected.
— Only you're more than a brother to her, Kiyoshi. She loves you, just like I do.
— God, why does my wife want me to start a relationship with another girl? — the half-demon sighed tiredly again.
— It's not just another girl — it's Shirone. Once you become a couple, the three of us will become a real friendly family, nya.
— I understand, calm down — having gotten out of the unexpected embrace, he sat the girl back on the chair. — I'll go talk to her.
— Good luck. Just don't take advantage of the situation. It's too early for Shirone to have kittens. Let her grow up a little.
Kiyoshi did not respond to his wife's stupid words. With a nervously twitching eye, he went to the younger nekoshou's room.
— Shirone, it's me. Can we talk? — having knocked, the blond began to wait for an answer.
The door did not open right away. There was a fuss in the room and after half a minute the girl invited him inside.
Zankoku immediately sat down on the chair, and Shirone sat down on the bed opposite the guy. An awkward silence fell in the room. Kiyoshi was still thinking about his words, looking at the white—haired nekomata. Shirone's appearance was similar to her sister, be it her piercing golden eyes or her flexible, attractive body. Only the girl's personality turned out to be the opposite of Kuroka's.
Under Kiyoshi's gaze, the girl became a little nervous. Unable to bear it, she broke the silence:
— S-so you wanted to talk about something.
— That's right, — closing his eyes, the young man took a deep breath. Gathering his courage, he looked straight into her eyes. — Shirone, after you found out that Kuroka was pregnant, you began to act differently.
— You think, — as soon as the nekoshou heard about her sister again, she frowned.
— There you go again, — the guy pointed at her. — You frowned again. Aren't you happy for your sister?
— No! — Shirone jumped out of bed, but came to her senses and sat back down. — Of course I'm happy for Kuroka, but...
— But you're jealous — he continued instead of the girl who had fallen silent. — You know, I'm very glad that you treat me like that, — Kiyoshi saw how the eyes of his interlocutor were waiting for his further words with hope. — Only I always treated you like my family.
Shirone lowered her face, hiding her eyes behind her bangs, but Zankoku could notice drops of tears.
— Kiyoshi, please go away. I want to be alone, — her attempt to hide the trembling in her voice failed.
The blond sat down next to Shirone and, ignoring her resistance, pressed the nekomata to himself. Slowly stroking her head and back, he tried to calm the girl. When the sobs subsided and a quiet purring was heard, Kiyoshi spoke:
— Even though you are like a sister to me now, I will try to love you as a girl. So, let's slowly change our relationship?
— Yes, — Shirone raised her face. Although her eyes were still wet, a smile adorned the nekoshou's face. — I will make you fall in love with me, Kiyoshi.
— I look forward to it, Shirone.
Having resolved his family problems, the half-demon went to meet with his superiors. The young man reached the temple by the usual route, where the maid escorted him to the right room.
— Good morning, Yasaka, Kuno, — Kiyoshi was used to the kitsune holding her meetings in the presence of her daughter. The nine-tailed allows her to gain experience, even if the conversations touch on topics that are not very pleasant for children.
— Good morning to you too, Kiyoshi.
— Good morning.
— As you probably already understood, today I called you to discuss further actions, — the young man only nodded. — Your merits as the head of Hyakki Yako are commendable. If you can continue in the same spirit, then soon the influence of the youkai will spread throughout Japan. These bats and crows will have to reckon with us, — Yasaka let out a malicious laugh, hiding her smile behind her fan. — Regarding that proposal of yours, I passed it on to Lady Amaterasu. She gave permission, but you have to be careful.
— Thank you, — a bloodthirsty smile appeared on Zankoku's face, anticipating the upcoming hunt.
— I hope you can continue to show good results with this, — she closed her fan with a slap. — Since we're done with business, now we can talk about life. How is Kuroka doing?
After talking with Yasaka, Kiyoshi returned home. He was accompanied by Kuno. The girl became very close friends with Shirone and often spent her time in the half-demon's house. They stopped by a pastry shop on the way to please their cats and returned. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the house, the little kitsune stopped behaving restrainedly and ran to look for her friend.
When the blond approached the kitchen, he heard Kuno's cry: "Fis-chan!"
— So that sweet tooth is back, — the young man muttered, entering the kitchen.
Entering the room, Zankoku immediately saw three girls sitting at the table and gobbling up cookies. Putting a package of cake in front of them, he cut off a piece for Kuroka and hid it in the refrigerator.
— Long time no see, — the guy addressed the guest. — Are you staying with us for a long time or just for a snack?
— Hello, — the dark—haired girl nodded. — Bored. Came here.
— I see. Then welcome.
Kiyoshi had already gotten used to such actions of this person. When Shirone brought her new friend home, he and Kuroka were shocked and horrified. It's not every day that you can meet such a creature and become friends by sharing sweets. At first, the presence of this sweet tooth was very unnerving, but with each new appearance of her, the inhabitants of the house gradually got used to it.
— Have fun, and I'll go to work, — having said goodbye to everyone, Zankoku decided to start his plan. — It's time for Hyakki Yako to begin his reign.
***
Azazel's Pov.
Reports, reports, reports, how sick I am of it all! I've been looking through these papers for three hours now, and there are no fewer of them. I want to throw it all away and get drunk. Exactly! I have a bottle of excellent whiskey lying around somewhere in my room.
Having emptied half of its contents, I feel much better. Even my head has stopped hurting. And I also need to organize a peace treaty soon — life is a pain. Leaning back in my chair, I think about a reason for the meeting. The creaking of the door distracts me from my thoughts.
— Azazel, there's another report, — said Shamhazai waving a piece of paper.
— Well, what else is there?
— Another group of fallen has disappeared without a trace, — he handed me the report. — And as you expected, Kokabiel's people again.
For over two and a half years now, someone has been specifically targeting Kokabiel and his supporters in Japan. The strangest thing is that in all this time, we have not found a single clue as to who it could be. There are not even any corpses of the fallen. Only the destruction proves that they were attacked.
— Who did Kokabiel annoy so much? — I voiced my thoughts.
— I have no idea, but I don't think it's someone powerful. Otherwise, he would have attacked him right away.
— Perhaps. — I agreed with my assistant. But is the enemy really that weak? Maybe he's only getting stronger with each passing day and it's better to finish him off right now, before he targets other fallen. — In any case, it doesn't matter. There are no clues anyway.
Putting the paper aside, I take a few sips of whiskey.
— Will you have some? — My offer was rejected. — As you wish. Have you gathered information on the guy I asked for?
— Yes. Although I couldn't find out much. He is close to Yasaka, and this fox is too jealous to protect his subordinates.
— Let's hear what this yakuza leader is like. With his arrival, Hyakki Yako took control of most of the market and ousted us and the demons. While they act more gently with the fallen, the demons' enterprises went bankrupt. Apparently, that scandal with the experiments on the yokai has had an effect.
— Kiyoshi Zankoku is 20 years old. Presumably human. Mother's name is Keiko. Father is unknown. Lived the life of an ordinary person. From early childhood, he was a hooligan. At school age, he led his gang. At 14, he left his guardians, telling them about his work in Kyoto. Soon he joined Hyakki Yako as a rank-and-file member, but after a couple of months he replaced the leader.
— Wait, — I stopped Shamkhazai's story. — Are there any details about the moment when he left his city. I'm also interested in the moment when he became a yakuza boss.
— I was also interested in these moments, but I couldn't find anything about his abrupt departure to Kyoto. As for Hyakki Yako, it's not that simple. After he took over the group, there was a purge in the ranks. Most of the informants were either killed or fled themselves. I only managed to find out that his hair turned gray at that moment.
— Changed his image? — I decided to joke, but apparently unsuccessfully.
— After that, I couldn't find any definitive information about him. Only known data. Can use magic and senjutsu. Favorite weapons — a pistol and a Japanese sword. Married to two nekomata and has a two-year-old daughter.
— A lucky bastard, — the guy deserves praise. — That's probably why he disliked demons. It was the Naberius clan that destroyed the nekomata settlement and experimented on them.
— That's right. Youkai were discovered on their land.
— I'll have to meet this guy sometime, — I smiled, anticipating an interesting conversation with this man. — If that's all you have, then I'll go to the bar. I have no more desire to mess around with paperwork. I want to drink some excellent alcohol and meet a beautiful girl.
Without listening to the comments from this boring subordinate of mine, I simply left the room. The night is just beginning!
End Pov.
***
— Aaaaah, — another cry of pain echoed through the abandoned building. — Please stop, I've already told you everything I know.
— Is that really all? — the young man in the business suit asked.
— Yes, yes, just stop torturing me. I don't know anything else.
— Okay. I believe you, — smiling, he turned around and walked towards the exit. Without turning towards the chained fallen man, Kiyoshi snapped his fingers and at that moment the sacred fire engulfed the mutilated man. A few seconds later the flame disappeared, as did all traces of the torture that had taken place earlier.
— Kuoh, then. We need to find out, — the half-demon thought about the information he had received.
Having destroyed another group of fallen, he was able to find out that Kokabiel had become interested in the city of Kuoh. This territory was one of the few remaining at the disposal of demons. From this year on, it would be ruled by the sisters of the two Demon Lords. Another batch of black—winged ones was also there.
Having given orders to his subordinates, Zankaku teleported to his home.
— Dad, you're back! — As soon as he entered the living room, a little girl clung to his leg with a joyful cry.
With a happy smile, the young man picked up his daughter.
— What have you been up to today, my kitten? — the young man asked, continuing to move.
— I'm not a kitten, I'm Kumiko, — the girl pouted, twitching her cat ear and waving her tail. The next moment, she laughed loudly when Kiyoshi began to tickle her. — Wha-that's enough dad. Ha-ha-ha-ha.
Deciding to spare Kumiko, the young man let the girl go. Feeling free, the dark-haired bundle of energy ran away from his tormentor, hiding from him behind his mother.
— Welcome back, dear. — the nekoshou greeted her husband with a smile.
— I'm home, — kissing Kuroka and ruffling his daughter's hair, the blond is glad to return to his family. — Where is Shirone?
— Went to the store. She'll be back soon, so sit down at the table. And you too, Kumiko. Go wash your hands with dad and sit down to dinner, — having given instructions, the nekoshou went to set the table.
Shirone soon returned, and they finished dinner in a warm family atmosphere. Having moved to the living room, they continued to find out how their day went. A hearty dinner overwhelmed Kumiko and she fell asleep curled up on her father's lap. Carefully carrying the girl to the bed, Kiyoshi decided to tell her about his plans:
— I'm going to Kuoh City. I may have to stay there for an indefinite period of time.
— Something serious? — Kuroka frowned.
— Not really. More precisely, not for me, — the young man thought about his words. — The sisters of the current Satans have been living in this city for a year now and Kokabiel will soon appear there. Knowing how this crow is obsessed with war, he will want to start a war with the demons by killing them.
— If it's dangerous, you don't need to participate in it, — the nekoshou grabbed the blond's hand. — I don't want to lose you, Kiyoshi.
— I agree with my sister. You don't need to risk yourself in vain.
— You worry in vain, — smiling, Kiyoshi hugged both girls. — He won't be able to do anything to me. I will defeat him without any problems. Thus, I will take revenge and make demons be indebted to youkai.
— What will demons do in Kuoh? — the younger nekomata asked.
— As I understand it, they will study at the girls' academy.
— Then I will go with you.
— Why do you need this Shirone? — the half-demon was surprised. — I can buy a house there, but I still plan to stay here with you most often.
— I want to help you, — the girl looked into the blond's eyes. — It will not be a problem if I enter this academy and keep an eye on demons. That way, we will be able to immediately understand when an enemy appears.
— It could be dangerous for you, — the brunette frowned.
— I agree with Kuroka. There is no need to risk yourself, — however, attempts to convince the stubborn nekoshou failed. Kiyoshi gave in: — Fine. If you want it so much, then have it your way. But! On the way to the academy and back, I or my people will pick you up. Also, in the event of a threat, you will immediately teleport to me. Understood?
— Yes. Thank you! — Zankoku could only hug his stubborn wife.
— I will inform Yasaka of my intentions and as soon as she agrees, we will go to Kuoh.
Note to the part
It so happened that in my fic, Shirone's age (and possibly Kuroki's) is much older than the canon one.