"Soo~ where exactly are we going?" Ai asked as she watched out the window at the inbetween in slight awe.

"I'm not exactly sure yet." Kuroyami answered honestly. "But I did promise you an adventure."

"You don't know?" Mistu asked giving the demon a sideways glance as he watched Ai's face light up in excitement. "I thought you had some sort of plan?"

"Why does everyone seem to think I have some great and powerful plan?" Kuroyami asked. "I don't know about you, but in my experience demons are pretty selfish, we don't do much unless it's for ourselves. What plan could I possibly have? I'm just living day to day."

"Maybe." He hummed deeply in a slight ponder. "But then what about me? Demons don't exactly find it pleasant to be around humans, right? So why turn me into your little slave unless you have some sort of plan?"

"Hm... smart hypothesis, but that's all it is, a guess." She smiled smugly turning her face away from him. "Maybe I just wanted you around to be my little house cleaner." She then gasped with a sarcastic amount of drama, like she got an idea. "Maybe I'll even force you to wear a cute little maids outfit!" She began to laugh.

"You will do no such thing!" He snapped loosing his temper and sharply turning toward her to glare.

She stopped laughing, seeming only marginally surprised by his outburst. "Relax." She waved him off. "I'm only teasing."

"We're here." Abalon's voice interrupted their conversation. "Now removing house invisibility."

"Wow!" Look at the sunshine!" Ai said happily she shifted to kneel on her knees on top of the chair she was sitting in to get a better look out the window.

"I forgot you spent a lot of you life in that dark forest." Mitsu frowned.

"Come on." Kuroyami tied her hooded cloak around her, hiding the sheath to her sword a she opened the door.

Mitsu sighed and followed reluctantly.

"Can I come too?!" Ai asked.

"Of course this is your adventure, right?" Kuroyami asked. "Just make sure to keep your demon side hidden."

"Okay Yami-San!" She chipped happily jumping off the chair and running to grab her small purse and then stand with them by the door. She lined her feet up together and stood up straight, folding her hands behind her. "I'm ready."

Kuroyami couldn't help but stifle a small, almost nonexistent laugh. Before pushing the door open the rest of the way and stepping out.

Mitsu let both of them leave before him, smiling slightly before closing the door behind him.

"Goodbye." Abalon rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I'll just be here alone."

-&-

"Wow. There's so many people." Ai gasped as they walked into the town square. "And look a fountain!" She ran up to the stone fixture sticking her hand in to let the cool water glide across her skin.

Mitsu and Kuroyami calmly walked up to join her.

"I've never seen water so clear before." She smiled.

"Hey!" A high voice called from a short distance away. "Girl on the fountain!" The little girl waved to get their attention. "Come play with us! It's a really quick game, we just need one more player!"

Ai widened her eyes seeming extremely surprised. She stared at the girl for a second before blinking a few times and quickly looking to Kuroyami expectantly.

"Go on, we'll be here." Said demon replied nodding toward the girl.

Ai smiled brightly skipping off the fountain and handing her purse to Kuroyami before running toward the child. "Okay, I'm coming!"

Mitsu and Kuroyami sat down on the edge of the fountain watching as the children brought a ball, and explained the rules to Ai.

"Nobody's looking at us strangely..." Mitsu pointed out in slight surprise.

"Well no, not when we're hiding the fact that we're demon." Kuroyami replied rubbing her shoulder slightly. She then chuckled quietly. "Honestly, they probably just think we're just an ordinary family."

"Wh-what?!" Mitsu asked felling his cheeks warm slightly. "That's ridiculous."

"Wow~ sorry I didn't realize suggesting me and you being theoretically married would get you so flustered." She teased.

"I-I'm not!" He defended.

"You're blushing." She rolled her eyes and then let out a sigh. "Human emotions are so easy to read."

"The only reason I reacted like that was because we both look way too young to have a child Ai's age." He growled at her slightly.

"Well." She scoffed. "Maybe I look to young."

"Hey! I don't look that old!" He shouted.

"Hm..." she looked at him acting innocent. "Are you sure." She let her eyes wander up. "I think I see a grey hair."

He put his hand to his head and was about to shout back defensively, but saw she was smirking up at him, and realized she was messing with him again. "Not funny..." he grumbled looking back over to Ai. "You're so annoying."

"She smiled leaning back victoriously. "It's a gift."

"Alright alright, clear the way!" A loud voice echoed through the square catching everyone's attention.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over to the royal Knights who stomped into the area.

Worried looking parents went to gather their children away from where they were playing, and took them inside. In return Ai made her way back over to them.

"What's going on..?" She asked.

"The Royal Knights are here?" Mitsu questioned allowed.

Kuroyami looked around at the cowering citizens skeptically. "That's not the usual response to them arriving, that's for sure."

"Tax day, pay up!" The commander shouted and then his men spread out to various locations.

"What..?" A man near them asked, holding his wife close. "Again? They were here just two days ago."

Mitsu stood from his place, his brow furrowed. "Since when do the Royal Knights collect taxes from the people?"

"I don't know." Kuroyami stood too. "But by the way these people are acting I don't think this is normal tax collecting."

The Knights went around holding out boxes to the citizens, as they shakily placed their money in the boxes.

"Are we sure these are really Royal Knights?" Ai asked quietly.

Kuroyami looked to Mitsu expectantly.

"Yes. With the amount of people there are they wouldn't be able to get that many uniforms, besides they weren't in my fleet, but I recognize a few faces." He answered.

"AHH!" Their attention was caught by an older woman's scream.

"There's no exceptions lady!" A knight yelled at the small old lady who had been shoved to the ground. "You need to pay your taxes to the king! It's your obligation!"

"But I don't have the money..." she said semi-weakly. "I have to pay to raise my grandchildren..."

"I DON'T CARE!" He yelled back. "It isn't an option! If you refuse to pay... you'll have to be punished like the others." He pulled out a club from next to his sword.

Kuroyami felt a breeze blow quickly past her, shifting her hair. She looked up to see Mitsu run in front of the knight, grabbing the club mid swing. He stood tall protecting the elderly woman, and glaring straight into the Knights eyes. His hand grabbed the wood club, shaking slightly as the two fought for strength.

Everyone around watched the scene with wide eyes.

"What the..." The knight blinked a few times, and then looked over Mitsu's appearance, noticing the uniform, and sword. "Is this mutiny? Wait... You aren't one of my men."

"No, and I wouldn't want to be the way you lead them." Mitsu responded venom in his voice.

"Sir." A lesser soldier addressed his leader. "That's Yoshimitsu, he was temporarily banished from the Royal knights only months ago."

"I see, so your still a traitor then." He smiled smugly refusing to pull away the club.

"I am not a traitor!" Mitsu screamed trying to keep his anger from taking the better of him.

"Either way..." Another soldier said taking out his sword. "You're still on banishment meaning you must follow the laws of the people. You know what punishment comes with resisting a Royal Knight?" He raised his sword. "Death."

There was a loud clank of metal and Kuroyami suddenly appeared at Mitsu's side blocking the attack with her own sword.

"Uh?" The knight who drew the sword widened his eyes in surprise. "A woman sword wielder..?"

She simply glared back at him intensely, keeping his blade locked with his.

"THEY'RE BOTH TRAITORS, TAKE THEM!"

The General pulled his club out of Mitsu's grip the second he was distracted, and hit the former knight across the side of the face with it, causing him to fall to one knee.

"Mitsu! Ah-!" Kuroyami tried to go and help, but was seized by three Knights, a sword placed along her neck, threateningly.

Mitsu looked over to her. She can't fight at full strength without revealing she's a demon... He stood up again, spitting out a bit of blood to the side.

The General chuckled watching him. "I'll make sure you don't stand next time." He drew his sword.

"NO!" Ai's voice screamed. She ran in front of Mitsu wrapping her arms around his middle.

"Ai?" He asked in surprise.

"D-don't kill him... p-please..." her eyes were squeezed shut and she was trembling, but she kept her arms securely around him.

"A child?!" The general exclaimed quickly stopping his sword from hitting either of them.

"I'm all right Ai let go now..." Mitsu said gently pushing her away. She blinked up at him her eyes shifting from reddish back to blue. He smiled quickly, pushing her behind him, and drawing his sword turning his attention back to the General. "It's good to know you still have some morals." He took his stance. "But you're still a lousy excuse for a Royal Knight. You should have been trained better."

"How dare you talk to me like that!" The General growled. "SEIZE THE THREE OF THEM! Their punishment shall be inflicted later!"

"Ugh, that's it!" Kuroyami used her strength to break free, attacking, disarming, and knocking out the three knights holding her. She then fought off the others that came to grab her, her sword glowing wth its purple magic.

Mitsu fought too protect Ai and the elderly woman.

"Are you alright?" Ai asked the woman helping her off the ground.

"Yes I think so, thank you." She replied. Once on her feet Ai helped her away from the action. The people stood around yelling various things.

"How'd she break away?!" The general asked referring to Kuroyami. He then noticed her eyes glowing purple. "A-a demon..? KILL HER! This betrayal is against the King himself. These people will hereby be known as traitors of the kingdom and shall be killed or seized on sight! They have chosen to fight against us and all of Vandell!"

"Time to go!" Kuroyami shouted grabbing Mitsu's arm and running as fast as they could go in the direction of the house. Ai quickly joined by their side.

"What are we gonna do?!" She asked in panic. "They'll catch up to us!"

"Mitsu use the magic in your sword!" Kuroyami ordered.

"What?! I don't know how yet!" He replied spastically.

"Yes you do just, call on the magic! I know you can! You did it when you got it! Remember that feeling!" She instructed.

"Kuroyami I can't kill a fellow knight." He frowned looking guilty.

"If you truly don't wish to kill them you won't, just do it!" She yelled.

"Fine." They all stopped suddenly him turning around.

The stones on his sword began to glow and a blue aura formed around his sword.

"The stronger your faith in the magic, the stronger the attack will be." Kuroyami said between slight pants. "Trust in your weapon."

"Right..." he closed his eyes taking a deep breath. "Just have faith... trust." He then opened his eyes glaring at the group of approaching enemies. He then brought his sword back, giving it a big swing.

A huge blue slash of light came from the sword, pushing back the Knights a far way.

"That should hold them off, but they'll be back. Come on!" They continued to run.

"There's the house!" Ai pointed to it.

"Come on men!" Shouts could be heard behind them.

"Hurry!" Kuroyami shouted.

They made it to the house and stumbled into the door, closing it behind them.

"Abalon, get us out of here!" Kuroyami barked.

"Well hello to you too." His response was snarky.

"JUST DO IT! Quickly!" She said this time angrier.

"Alright!" He shouted back. The house started to shake and they were soon back in the inbetween leaving the town behind them.

"Thank you..." Kuroyami said between a sigh as she plopped down onto the couch in exhaustment. "Stubborn dragon... and stupid human morals..." she grumbled tiredly. "I need a drink..."

"Well excuse me and my morals, but some of us care about other lives!" Mitsu yelled at her once he caught his breath. "I'm a Royal Knight, I shouldn't even be forced into these situations! Because of you I'm  considered a traitor to my own godamn kingdom!"

"Well seeing them back there I'd be glad not to be part of them! She stood and yelled back. "And you don't have a choice here, human scum, you have to do what I say, or just go ahead and die!"

"GUYS!" Ai yelled stopping them both. She squeaked slightly as they looked at her. "All of our nerves are a little shot right now..." she continued this time calmer. "But the important thing is we all got away safe."

Mitsu took a deep breath calming himself. "She's right." He grabbed his trembling bruised hand, from holding the club.

Kuroyami calmed as much as she could. "Ai help Mitsu tend to his wrist and face. I'm going to take a bath to cool off." She then left them behind in the kitchen.

-&-

Kuroyami walked back downstairs in fresh clothes. She sat down at the table with Mitsu. "Where's Ai?"

"Taking a nap in my bed." He replied simply, pushing her a cup of hot tea with his bandaged hand, before drinking from his own. "She was pretty shaken up."

Kuroyami looked to the other bandage on his face. "It doesn't hurt too badly does it?" She asked emotionlessly.

"No, I've felt worse." He replied still refusing to look at her.

"Look..." she tried to keep her temper. "I'm sorry your now considered a traitor, but that isn't entirely my fault."

"I know..." he sighed. "And seeing as that's the closest thing I'll ever get to an apology, I'll take it." He met her eyes again.

"I'm going to ask you a question I've asked before. It may make you upset, but I need the answer this time. Why were you kicked out of the Royal Knights?"

"Tch..." he looked down his face twisting in pain. There was a short silence. "I led a troop into a dangerous mission, and was the only survivor afterwords. That's all I'm saying."

"I knew it..." she looked to the side in thought. "There's no way you'd be kicked out for something genuine. They just needed an excuse..."

"What?" He asked in surprise, looking to her.

"A failed mission is hardly a reason for banishment. It could happen to anybody. But you, you are so kind, morally correct, you were a threat to their plan. I knew there would be corruption in the Royal Knights, but not this early... and who's leading it?"

"Are you saying you knew this would happen?" He asked. "That's ridiculous."

"Either way there is corruption in the kingdom." She stood. "We know that for sure."

"That's your plan isn't it..?" He asked staring at her. "To stop the corruption."

She looked over to him. "Psh, no! I just wanted to prove my hypothesis right! Like I'd care about human affairs!" She laughed and then walked toward the stairs again. "I'm going to bed."

"What?!" Mitsu snapped. "Don't trick me like that I almost thought you were actually a good person!"

Kuroyami froze on the stairs her grip tightening on the rail. She forced a small chuckle. "Yeah... don't kid yourself." She then went the rest of the way up. She walked into her room looking over at Ai sleeping peacefully. "A human thinking a demon is a good person..? Yeah right..." with that she went to bed.

Hey guys, sorry for not updating in forever, but I was pretty busy, but I decided to give you guys an extra long part to make up for it. I hope this isn't boring, I'm trying my best to both write it exactly how I see it and make it entertaining at the same time. Also HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! Vote and comment, bye!
~Hannah😋