Akeno Himejima was the child of a human woman from the Himejima clan and the fallen angel Barakiel. As she heard from her mother: When Shuri Himejima found the wounded fallen angel, the girl decided to heal him. During the time until Barakiel recovered, the priestess was able to fall in love with him and soon they got married and had a daughter.
The girl spent her time happily with her parents. Most of the day she was with her mother, who taught her the art of the Himejima clan. Her father often disappeared at work, but always returned home to his family.
One night, when the girl wanted to drink water, returning to her room, Akeno heard strange sounds from her parents' bedroom. Driven by curiosity and a little worry, she opened the door. What she saw filled her forever. The father, who always acted like a strong and reliable man, was now tied to the bed and through the gag you could see his happy expression from how Shuri in black leather clothes and with an evil smile was hitting him with a whip.
Watching how her usual kind and sweet mother punished her father with some pleasure and superiority, towering over him, Akeno felt a certain tremor in her heart. She also wanted to experience such a feeling of dominance. Having gone to her room so as not to be noticed, the girl was still unable to fall asleep, excited by what she saw. When Akeno began to ask her mother questions about the whip and her unusual clothes, Shuri was completely red from embarrassment. Then the woman had to explain to her daughter that such things can only be done with your lovers when you grow up.
The quiet family idyll continued for several more years. When Akeno was already ten years old and her father left them again because of work, the house was attacked. The members of the Himejima clan, who were against the union of Shuri and the fallen angel, decided to get rid of the —shame of the clan—. During the attack, the woman covered her daughter with her body and helped her escape at the cost of her life.
From that moment on, Akeno began to travel around the country. Having no food or money, the girl began to do the work of purifying spirits that her mother taught her. In this way, she was able to provide herself with food.
Having moved to another city, Akeno began to look for a job again, when an hour later two girls called out to her.
— Hello, hello, — a blonde girl approached her, — and what are you doing here, girl?
— I haven't seen you on our territory before, — her dark-haired companion was not so positive, but there was a smile on the girl's face.
— I exorcise spirits from... like a priestess, — Akeno faltered due to excitement.
The girl was sometimes driven away when she tried to find a job. If something like this happens now, Himejima will have a hard time. She was running out of money, and she hadn't found a permanent place to live yet. She might have to spend the night at the local temple again.
— Wow, a real priestess. That's cool! — the blonde exclaimed. — By the way, my name is Yuri, and you?
— Akeno.
— I'm Mito, — the second girl introduced herself. She exchanged glances with her friend. — Listen, Akeno. If you want to work here, you need to get permission.
— How can I do that? — the girl was worried.
— We need to ask the Boss! Let's go, he should be at the base.
— Yes, — Mito confirmed her friend's words, — we need to ask Kyo about it.
— Don't be afraid, — noticing the girl's anxiety, the blonde hugged her. — Boss Kiyoshi is not bad.
— Uh-huh.
Himejima had no choice. If she wanted to work here, she would have to get permission or leave this city. She could try to do it secretly, of course, but she had already been discovered and warned. If Akeno escaped and was spotted again, it would end badly.
After fifteen minutes of walking, they reached the base, as Yuri called it. Akeno had remained tense the entire time, ready to run away in case of danger. Inside the storage room, the girls noticed two bandaged guys who were reporting to a dark—haired young man with glasses.
— Hello, Shinichi, — Mito addressed this guy, as soon as he finished the conversation, — We brought everything we need, — at the words of her friend, Yuri raised the bags in her hands high.
— Good, otherwise our supplies were already running out, — at that moment Shin's gaze stopped on the girl. — Who is with you?
— This is Akeno, — the blonde had already gotten rid of the burden and was hugging the girl. — She recently arrived in this city as a priestess. She needs to get permission from the Boss for her work on exorcism.
— I understand, — he looked at the priestess with skepticism. — I'll tell Zankoku.
While they were waiting for the leader to arrive, the girls began to talk with the priestess about all sorts of little things. Akeno had not been able to calmly talk about unrelated topics for a long time, so she got carried away and could not notice the presence of a new face until he himself spoke.
— So this is our newly-minted exorcist. I think she's a bit small for a priestess. Are you lost, little one? Or have you decided to earn some money for some treats, and you've decided to earn extra money by reading prayers?
As soon as the girl noticed the fair-haired guy, a shiver ran down her spine. He emanated a supernatural aura. She felt something similar from her father, but it was different from the feeling of a fallen angel. She herself didn't notice how she hid behind the back of her new acquaintance.
— Here you are, Boss, — Yuri exclaimed energetically. — Were you loafing around and looking at the clouds again?
— Ah, Yuri, your words sound like I'm some kind of lazy person, — the blond pretended to clutch his heart.
— Ha-ha-ha, Kyo, you're as carefree as always when no one sees you, — Mito grinned. She stroked the priestess's head: — Don't be afraid of him, Akeno. Kiyoshi isn't a bad person, as long as you don't try to harm him.
— Yeah. The boss is cool, the main thing is not to anger him and everything will be fine!
The girls' encouragement worked, and the girl came forward.
— Good afternoon. My name is Akeno Himejima, — she said, bowing, — and I am a wandering priestess.
— Hello. You can call me Kiyoshi or Zankoku, whichever is more convenient for you, — the guy smiled amiably. — I'm kind of a big Boss here and I heard from my subordinate that you offered to exorcise evil spirits and stuff. Does it work?
— Y-yes, Kiyoshi-san. — Although the young man's expression was friendly, his cold and studying eyes frightened Akeno.
Having overcome her fear, Himejima told about herself. Although she burst into tears because of the memory of her mother, the people around her were not angry or irritated. The girls consoled Akeno, while the guys patiently stood aside. After asking a couple more questions, Kiyoshi made a tempting offer, which solved many problems for the girl. Only she understood that nothing happens for free and everything has its price.
— What do you want from me? — If it was something dangerous or vulgar, Akeno was ready to leave this place.
— Oh, don't worry. You'll just give me a third of your earnings, and in return you'll get a roof over your head, food, and protection on our territory, — after that, Zankoku immediately agreed on housing with Yuri, which suited the girl.
As soon as Akeno agreed to the terms, she felt the guy's gaze become warmer, and he greeted her with a smile:
— That's great. Welcome to the gang, little Akeno.
Although Himejima herself did not remember when she agreed to join his group, the girl decided to remain silent. After spending a couple of hours at the base in the company of Mito and Yuri, Akeno got to know them better and in the evening went with the blonde to her home. For a long time, the girl could not take a warm shower without extraneous thoughts about the future. Pleasant company and home comfort brought Himejima long-lost peace. She was able to sleep in a soft bed hugging the owner of the room.
In the morning, the two of them went to meet Zankoku. Akeno was surprised to see that the abandoned warehouse was filled with a large number of people today. Most of the crowd were hooligan-looking guys, but there were also girls among them.
— I'm glad to see you all today, — having climbed onto several boxes, their leader spoke to the crowd. — As you know, Zaraki has been behaving too insolently lately! Yesterday, his people beat up two of ours, — indignation and insults towards the competitors spread through the crowd. — I know you don't like it, and neither do I. That's why I've decided it's time for Godou Zaraki and his henchmen to disappear from this city completely! No one dares mess with Zankoku and his gang!
Everyone shouted in confirmation of their Boss's words.
— The plan to find this cowardly bastard has already been launched. Shin, — turning to his deputy, Kiyoshi gave him his place. While the dark—haired man was giving instructions, the leader himself approached the girls. — Good morning, little Akeno. Did you enjoy visiting Yuri? — Having received a nod in confirmation, he turned to the others, — We have a lot to do today. Now I will give you some instructions and Mito will accompany our priestess today.
— Accompany me? — the girl was surprised.
— Yeah. As you yourself heard, the situation here is not calm, — the blond grinned, — so Mito should go with you just in case. Just consider her your assistant or guide around the city.
— Be calm, Akeno. Everything will be fine, — the girl led Himejima to the exit with a smile. — I will show you a couple of lively places.
The girls spent several hours trying to find those in need of onmyoji services, until a teenager approached them and interrupted them:
— Who are you and what are you doing on Zaraki's territory? — His voice was full of arrogance.
— And how long has this area belonged to Godou? — Mito asked. — As far as I know, we are now on Zankoku's land.
— And who are you? — the bully looked closely at the brunette. — I know you. You are one of that bastard Kiyoshi's bedpans.
— Watch your words scum, — the girl took a few steps towards the guy.
— And what will you do to me? Complain to your boyfriend. Ha-ha, a-a-ah, — his laughter turned into a painful cry when an electric discharge pierced his body.
— Don't you dare insult me and especially don't you dare insult Kiyoshi, — Mito accompanied each word with a kick to the offender. — Sorry you had to witness this.
The girl smiled at Akeno and hid the stun gun again.
— Is it okay that you did this to him? — the priestess looked at the hooligan moaning in pain.
— Don't worry. This scum deserved it, — Mito smiled vindictively and dealt another blow. — Now we better head to the southern part of the city before the police arrive.
They reached the opposite district without incident. On the way, the girl contacted Shinichi and now there were a couple of guys next to them. While the girls were busy with work, their security was nearby, ready to come to the rescue.
— I see you were able to find yourself a job, — as soon as Akeno said goodbye to the elderly woman, Mito approached her.
— Yes. We agreed to meet tomorrow. She, — the priestess fell silent, as soon as she noticed the approach of their recent "acquaintance" accompanied by six more teenagers. — Looks like we have problems. Still, you shouldn't have beaten him like that, — the girl said worriedly.
— Everything is going as it should, don't worry, — the brunette said, pulling Himejima along with her.
— What are you talking about? — Akeno couldn't understand her friend's calm. — There are more of them and I don't think our guards can handle them all.
— They'll buy us time while we escape, — the girl finished typing something on her cell phone and grabbed the girl's hand. — Let's run.
Mito ran into the alley, when a voice rang out from behind her:
— You four deal with them, and we'll go after the girls.
Turning around, Akeno saw three hooligans running after them, while the rest started a fight with their escort.
"It seems I got involved in all this for nothing," — a thought appeared in the half-fallen's head.
— A dead end? — Akeno blurted out when after another turn their path ended in a three-meter fence.
— Akeno, there's no need to be afraid, — the girl looked at her with distrust after hearing Mito's whisper. — It wasn't us who were trapped, but the other way around.
Despite the girl's smile, Himejima didn't share her enthusiasm. No matter how you look at it, they were the ones cornered here.
— We finally caught up with you, — the hooligans, led by the beaten teenager, stopped to catch their breath after a short chase. — Now there's nowhere to run, huh? — the guy gloated, slowly approaching the girls. — Now I'll pay you back for the morning, and no one will save you.
A figure jumped over the fence and landed not far from the girls. While the people around them were still in a state of shock, three more jumped down.
— Looks like you guessed wrong, — the girl said maliciously when the others realized who was in front of them, — and my help has already arrived.
— What the hell are you doing here, Zankoku. You couldn't have gotten here so quickly!
Akeno mentally agreed with the statement, but unlike her pursuers, the girl was glad of his presence.
— I agree, — the blond smiled, — if I hadn't expected this, I wouldn't have been able to. However, — his smile grew even wider, — Everything is happening according to my plan. One of Zaraki's arrogant dogs was beaten by a girl and, hearing where she was heading, decided to take revenge. It must have been damn offensive? — Kiyoshi asked mockingly.
— Shut up!
— So, — the guy continued, — having gathered the same losers to help you, you decided to take revenge. Leaving some of your friends to deal with the escort, instead of quickly neutralizing them all together, you were afraid of losing your victim. Unfortunately for you, the place where you found the girls, as well as the path they ran along, was not chosen by chance, — the whole time of his monologue he played with a wooden bokken in his hands. — I was waiting nearby with my men for a message from Mito, — the girl mockingly waved her hand, — What took you so long? I'm already tired of groveling in front of them and wasting time!
— Sorry, they resisted for too long, — a voice came from behind the hooligans. — But now they can't escape and Zaraki won't be able to find out about what happened before necessary.
On the other hand, Shinichi approached the assembled group, accompanied by a dozen guys.
— This is yours, — the four previously left behind were now thrown under the feet of their friends.
— Tch, — the leader clicked his tongue, — do you think you've already won, Zankoku? Godo will take revenge for this. You will regret your actions.
— Aha-ha-ha, — hearing this threat, Kiyoshi laughed cheerfully. — Seriously saying such words, you remind me of a second—rate villain from a manga. Okay, — the blond boy wiped away the tears that had welled up from laughter, — guys, finish them off.
Stopping paying attention to the beating that had begun, Zankoku approached the "baits".
— Thanks for your help, Mito. You did well, — he praised the girl. — Sorry for using you in the dark, little Akeno. I will understand if you are offended and do not want to deal with me. It's just that you appeared so conveniently, — he said with a crooked smile, — As compensation, you can freely operate on my territory and not pay me anything for a month.
— A month? — the girl grinned. — How calculating you are. What would have happened to us if more than one loser had approached us in the morning?
— Everything has been taken into account! Three of our guys were watching you and in case of emergency they helped or gave you time to escape.
— Okay, you are forgiven, but what will you do now? — Himejima pointed at the already beaten teenagers.
Kiyoshi came up and checked the —villain's— pockets. Having found the phone and made sure it was in working order, the blond scrolled through its contacts.
— Ryu, your voice is most similar to the owner of the phone, — the guy handed the phone to one of his subordinates, — Contact Godo and tell him that you were able to catch and beat Shinichi, but one guy managed to escape and tell me about it. If he believes, he will gather all his rabble in one place.
— Okay, Boss.
Having given the order, the blond looked into the eyes of the priestess and asked:
— What are you going to do, little Akeno? Are you going to rest or do you want to watch our showdown?